Spread it around

Friday. Cloudy and cool for now, but going for the mid-70sF, with sun. Last night the skies opened several times, which the cats did not favor. They all came and sat on top of me and demanded that I make it stop.

Eventually, it did stop, but I did I get credit for deploying my Meteorological Super Powers? I did not.

Breakfast was PB&J on whole wheat English Muffin. Lunch will be something hopefully edible made with the leftover ground turkey.

NOTE TO SELF: Never buy ground turkey again. No, never. It's just ghastly.

Today is a House Day. First up, Grocery. Second, the above Turkey Challenge. Third, vacuums deployed. Fourth, maybe today I can hang the tube of lights in Steve's office, seeing as how Winter is Coming. Maybe I'll throw in a load of laundry, because I can.

I may do some more business catch up, but writing will resume tomorrow.

I want to take a moment to celebrate the "spreader" I purchased at Now You're Cooking in Bath last Friday. I bought it because it was blue and wooden and pretty and fit nicely in my hand, and not because I thought it would be in any way useful.

Backstory: Once upon a time, I used to be able to butter bread, but somewhere down the years I lost that complex ability. I mean, yes, I can get a splotz of butter on a piece of bread and more or less move it around, but any attempt to coat the bread evenly is doomed to failure, or a holed slice, and frustration, either way. This is *especially* poignant when one is trying to make a restorative grilled cheese sandwich (I mean, yes, I could use mayo, and have, but it's Not The Same, and last night I really felt I needed The Real Thing).

So, last night, in pursuit of that grilled cheese sandwich, and coming once again face flat against my shortcoming, I said aloud, as I not infrequently do, "Why won't you just spread?" And then? It came to me in a flash. I had just purchased a "spreader." I fetched it out of the drawer, took a deep breath, and applied it to the butter on the bread.

It. Was. A. Miracle.

The butter went over the bread in a smooth, even coating; the slices remained intact, and -- I cannot praise this implement highly enough, and I will be using it for all of my butter-spreading, henceforth.

Also? The grilled cheese sandwich really did the job. Aside the Cat March Against Downpours, the evening was pleasant and calm.

And that's what passes for adventure around here. What adventures are you having?

Picture of the magic spreader, table knife for comparison:

Also!  Friday morning cat census:

 

Books read in 2025

48 Shards of Earth, Adrian Tchaikovsky (The Final Architecture #1)(e)
47  Hemlock and Silver, T. Kingfisher (e)
46  Outcrossing, Celia Lake (Mysterious Charm #1) (e)
45  Outfoxing Fate, Zoe Chant/Murphy Lawless (Virtue Shifters)(e)
44  Atonement Sky, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity #9) (e)
43  Stone and Sky, Ben Aaronovitch (Rivers of London #10) (e)
42  Regency Buck, Georgette Heyer (re-re-re-&c-read)
41  I Dare, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Liaden Universe #7) (page proofs)
40  To Hive and to Hold, Amy Crook (The Future of Magic #1) (e)
39  These Old Shades, Georgette Heyer, narrated by Sarah Nichols (re-re-re-&c-read, 1st time audio)
38  Faking it (Dempsey Family #2), Jennifer Crusie, narrated by Aasne Vigesaa (re-re-re-&c-read, 1st time audio)
37  Copper Script, K.J. Charles (e)
36  The Masqueraders, Georgette Heyer, narrated by Eleanor Yates (re-re-re-&c-read; 1st time audio)
35  Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha's Vineyard, Nora Ellen Groce (e)
34  Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson, narrated by Frances McDormand (re-re-re-&c-read; 1st time audio)
33  The Wings upon Her Back, Samantha Mills (e)
32  Death on the Green (Dublin Driver #2), Catie Murphy (e)
31  The Elusive Earl (Bad Heir Days #3), Grace Burrowes (e)
30  The Mysterious Marquess (Bad Heir Days #2), Grace Burrowes (e)
29  Who Will Remember (Sebastian St. Cyr #20), C.S. Harris (e)
28  The Teller of Small Fortunes, Julie Leong (e)
27  Check and Mate, Ali Hazelwood (e)
26  The Dangerous Duke (Bad Heir Days #1), Grace Burrowes (e)
25  Night's Master (Flat Earth #1) (re-read), Tanith Lee (e)
24  The Honey Pot Plot (Rocky Start #3), Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
23  Very Nice Funerals (Rocky Start #2), Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
22  The Orb of Cairado, Katherine Addison (e)
21  The Tomb of Dragons, (The Cemeteries of Amalo Trilogy, Book 3), Katherine Addison (e)
20  A Gentleman of Sinister Schemes (Lord Julian #8), Grace Burrowes (e)
19  The Thirteen Clocks (re-re-re-&c read), James Thurber (e)
18  A Gentleman Under the Mistletoe (Lord Julian #7), Grace Burrowes (e)
17  All Conditions Red (Murderbot Diaries #1) (re-re-re-&c read) (audio 1st time)
16  Destiny's Way (Doomed Earth #2), Jack Campbell (e)
15  The Sign of the Dragon, Mary Soon Lee
14  A Gentleman of Unreliable Honor (Lord Julian #6), Grace Burrowes (e)
13  Market Forces in Gretna Green (#7 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
12  Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent, Judi Dench with Brendan O'Hea (e)
11  Code Yellow in Gretna Green (#6 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
10  Seeing Red in Gretna Green (#5 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
9    House Party in Gretna Green (#4 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)*
8    Ties that Bond in Gretna Green (#3 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
7    Painting the Blues in Gretna Green (#2 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
6    Midlife in Gretna Green (#1 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
5    The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (Author), Kyle McCarley (Narrator) re-re-re&c-read (audio)
4    The House in the Cerulean Sea,  TJ Klune (e)
3    A Gentleman in Search of a Wife (Lord Julian #5) Grace Burrowes (e)
2    A Gentleman in Pursuit of the Truth (Lord Julian #4) Grace Burrowes (e)
1    A Gentleman in Challenging Circumstances (Lord Julian #3) Grace Burrowes (e)

_____
*Note: The list has been corrected. I did not realize that the Gretna Green novella was part of the main path, rather than a pleasant discursion, and my numbering was off. All fixed now.

Friday Evening

What Went Before ONE: So back from the grocery store where I bought too much food. Or possibly I mean I spent too much money on food.

Turkey chili is on the stove, that being: 8 ounces of turkey, which was the last two turkey "burgers" I'd frozen backaways, a can of black beans, drained, an aseptic pack of crushed tomato, a can of diced tomato, two BIG handfuls of spinach, onion, garlic, green pepper, paprika, ginger, Worcestershire sauce, chili, and something called "Tsardust." It's all in Steve's BIG spider with a cover on, and it can perk for Awhile.

A couple days ago, I got my shiny new Pine! Tree! license plates in the mail. They were addressed to Steve Miller, though the car is listed in my name first (Steve insisted that this be so, and at the time I wondered why...). I don't suppose it's a big deal, as long as I keep paying the excise tax and keep it in fighting trim.

Tali was very interested in my chopping and mixing and playing with the stove. She exhausted now, poor child, and sprawled on the supply dresser in the window, asleep.

As I was out and about today, I heard "Pleasant Valley Sunday," courtesy of Phlash Phelps on the 60s channel. Now, I have always thought "Pleasant Valley Sunday" was a bit mean-spirited, especially for the Monkees, but today it really got up my nose. Possibly because I rejoice in my rosebush, and my lawn gets cut, and I'm living in what was, when it was first conceived, a posh, out-of-downtown development. Though I grant this house looks like no other house I've seen.

Anyhow -- an update. Maybe I go throw that load of laundry in the washer while I'm waiting for the ... whatever it is to cook down.

How's everybody doing?

What Went Before TWO: So that was edible, and not over-spiced at all, which I had been afraid I had taken my vengeance too far. I have leftovers, but that's not awful.  I declare a win.

And! A dilemma has opened before me. There's a craft fair practically in my back yard tomorrow. It would be Wrong not to attend, so I'll be goofing off for at least a little while tomorrow.

And As the Sun Goes Down:  Why look. The page proofs for the Diviner's Bow mass market just landed. Due back at Baen on October 14.

To be perfectly honest, I had Totally Lost Track of the fact that there would of course be a mass market edition of Diviner's Bow coming up RSN. Oh! At the end of January, says Amazon.

Well. I just finished a book last night, so I guess I know what I'm reading next.

In other news, I still need to do the dishes, but! I did hang the tube lights in Steve's office; and that should help with the winter time visibility in there. In order to do this, I have to move a picture to a whole 'nother location in the house, which was . . . fairly upsetting. Not as upsetting as the picture falling off the wall, however. Incrementally, we proceed. . .

So! Do the dishes in the sink. Clear the dishwasher of the clean dishes. Print Diviner's Bow (yes, really; I am a Child of Paper). Take a shower. Serve Up Happy Hour, put together a sandwich for the evening meal. Have a glass or two of wine. Read. Go to bed.

Tomorrow, indeed, I will go to the craft fair for a bit, and then I'll come home and do some work. At least the business stuff has been cleared, so I can concentrate writing and writing adjacent tasks.

And on that note -- everybody have a good evening. Stay safe.

I'll see you tomorrow.