The Bloggy Part:
It is the height of this craziness and we are all still “exiled for the good of the realm” or “keeping everyone out of melee range.” This particular week has been rough and has taken quite a toll on my mental health. Because of that, I want to make a note of some things which have been making me smile lately:
- Spending quality time with The Great Husbando
- Elder Sign: Omens of the Deep (a cooperative Lovecraftian tabletop game)
- Snuggles with the best director of human resources ever
- Video and text chats with my cousins
- Untitled Goose Game (a fun console/PC game where you play the role of a horrible, mischievous goose)
- Surprises in the mail and surprising my friends
- The outpouring of love amidst a tragic loss
- Having closure
- Waking up next to someone I love every morning
- Having the sun pour through my office windows and shine down on my house plants
- John Krasinski’s SGN show
- The loud AC unit in my office window
- All of the “new coworkers” in my office
- Skincare masks (particularly the peel-off kind)
Something I’m OBSESSED With:
Like most humans, I like to categorize things to better sift the information my face is bombarded with. When it comes to social media, I’ve noticed my brain has been grouping the posts on my various feeds into “new hobbies my friends have taken up during this quarantine.” Mainly these different categories:
- “BAKE ALL THE THINGS.”
- “Our dry bar is stocked full. What can I make you?”
- “I just bought my weight in fertilizer because I’m buying out all of the local nurseries.”
- “I’ve finished all of Netflix.”
- “Don’t bother me when I art.”
- “Are you following me on Tik Tok?”
- “I haven’t slept in two months because video games is why.”
While I am poking fun, I actually think it’s great. We’re falling back on old hobbies or picking up new ones. We’re (for the most part) taking a step away from technology so we can enjoy something we can make or nurture with our own hands. We’re enjoying media with our family and friends via the internet.
Early on, I bounced around between group two (stopping short of alcoholism) and group four. It seems, though, I’ve settled into group three pretty nicely. Well… I’m not known for having a green thumb. In fact, my thumb is pretty brown with root rot but, so far, my little guys have been staying alive.
I haven’t planted anything of use, however. Instead, I have “embraced” the art of succulent care. Embraced with the grace of Elmira from Tiny Tunes. I’ve named them all after Lovecraftian gods (but shortened to avoid any of the names I was uncomfortable with). So, let me introduce, the greenest team members at the DeVore Freelance and Podcasting Office:
- Cxax, Nug, and Yeb (not pictured) were, at one time, one elephant bush which has since been split into three different tiny pots.
- Abby is an Echeveria Apus.
- Yogs is a string of pearls.
- The Creeping Terror is a string of pearls and a temp; he’ll be going to a friend.
The newest members of our staff are four air plants. After a long flight from California, they had a soak in the public bath.
Then, after letting them fully air dry (yes, I know they’re not yet fully dry in these pictures), I set them up on their stands. I had some leftover wood, fabric, and foam board so I made a couch, hammock, and beach chair for them. Here are the loungiest air plants in the world:
Star Mother is an Ionantha Guatemala.
Shoobs is a Tillandsia Ioantha Rubra.
Yarra is a Tillandsia Tenuifolia Emerald Forest.
Gloon is a Spanish Moss.
He is currently being held by Dion, my wooden mannequin/lay figure, so he can be as much of a creeper here as he is in the wilds of Florida.
30 Day Challenge Update:
I’ve started this month’s 30-Day challenge late so, I’m opting to finish out the rest of the month by reading as much as I can and watching as little TV as possible. With the addition of an additional TV in the DeVore Business and Industrial Park, I’ve been a little too “glued to a screen” then I’d like.
For May, my goal is to finish:
- My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
- On Writing by Stephen King (I’ve read this twice already, but I think it’s time for a reread)
- Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym M Martineau (which I’m borrowing from a friend)
- The Outsider by Stephen King
- Storm Front by Jim Butcher (read by James Marsters, via Audible)
- Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek (I’m not an entrepreneur or small business owner but I keep hearing how great this is so I’m going to give it a go)
A Drink Recipe from The Two-Headed Calf:
Backstory: The Two-Headed Calf is the dry bar we have inherited from The Great Husbando’s grandparents. While it’s not healthy to romanticize the “drunk writer” lifestyle of yore, it’s still fun to do. Not be a drunk. That’s not fun. But romanticizing your passion or career can be fun if no one is getting hurt. Besides, a little libation can (sometimes) get the words flowing when I find myself feeling hindered.
“The Color Out of Space”
When it comes to mixed drinks, I’m a big fan of white rum. This particular white rum recipe is one of my favorite specialty drinks at The Two-Headed Calf (as in, drinks we’ve modified or made up). It’s a great spring or summer drink with chunks of refreshing fresh fruit. I’ve modified it from a generic punch recipe and while it doesn’t have a ton of alcohol in it, you can add as much white rum as you like. I’m not encouraging you to add the whole bottle. It’s in a collins glass, so you can cut back on the ice to leave room for one more shot.
Things you’ll need:
- 2 strawberries
- 2 slices of pineapple
- 2 oz white rum
- ¼ oz lime juice
- ½ oz pineapple juice
What to do with those things:
- Muddle the fruit together in a mixing glass.
- Fill the mixing glass halfway with ice.
- Put in white rum, lime juice, and pineapple juice and shake.
- Carefully pour into a Collins glass
- Enjoy (responsibly) with a thick straw or with a straw and spoon
- If you’re a Lovecraftian fan, I suggest watching the latest film iteration of The Color Out of Space (no “u”) with Nicolas Cage. I highly recommend it!
Jocelyn DeVore 