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This past week has been incredibly busy. I don't forsee this changing anytime soon, but the stuff that is filling my time is really, really good stuff. So good that my family doesn't mind that most days I'm simply too brain dead to attempt anything involving flame and sharp objects. I promise, the cooking diaries will return. I don't know when, but they'll be back. I'll be taking a TC hiatus after this diary, to focus on fixing some of the stuff I talked about last week.
Part of that fixing does involve me doing more hiking. Weekends, I hike with kriser, kossack and baby sister (she'd love that!). We go at the ass-crack of dawn and have a great time. And we don't deal with heat. Cold? Yeah. Damp? Yeah. Hail? Sure, occasionally. Here are some pictures from my most recent hikes (as in Saturday and Sunday) with kriser:
During the week, I have a couple of free afternoons where I'm down in the area where we do our weekend hikes. Since hiking really does bring a (weary) smile to my face, I go. But it's in the afternoon, see. During the time of day when, while hiking, you might just swear you were on or near the surface of the sun.
(Perhaps I exaggerate. But it's DAMNED hot, especially when you're dragging your heavy carcass uphill!)
Here are some pictures from my recent afternoon hikes:
This is looking at the saddle which is the highest point of my hike from my car.
Saddle after scaling the first biggish hill.
Halfway to the top of the saddle. Usually by now, I hate life. Even if the view is pretty.
These rocks are pretty typical of what you'll find of a typical southern California hike.
Blessedly on the way down. Last 1.5 miles of hike.
Best part of the hike! Boots off, Crocs on! (I don't care how ridiculous they may look - they're comfortable and LIGHT!)
Since hiking for me is here to stay, and since, apparently spring is followed by even hotter weather (also known as summer), and finally, with me being the resourceful person I am, I decided to try to figure out some ways to make my afternoon hikes more comfortable. In my search, I even found a way to make my post-cold-morning hikes more pleasant! Please see below.
The first thing I made was a neck cooling scarf that is soaked in water and stays cool for hours. Those of you involved in Netroots for the Troops shouldn't find these to be any surprise, and I apologize for only having raw ingredients to finished project photos for you here. But the super cool thing is that in the first photo below, the 1/4 tsp of granules you see is what I inserted into each of the four pockets of the scarf I made. Science is so damned cool!
Just add water! (And time)
And while searching first how to buy and then how to make the cooling scarves, I came across how to make an aromatherapy heat pack. Stupid simple and really inexpensive.
Start with material of your choice (cotton or fleece or flannel are good ideas), long grain white rice, and herbs or essential oils of your choice:
Add between 5 - 10 drops of essential oils to rice and stir. Let sit overnight.
Cut two strips of material to roughly 8" x 30" (I did 36, just because it was easier)
Lay strips of cloth on top of each other. Fold in half lengthwise and then widthwise so you have a strip of fabric measuring roughly 4" x 15" (18" in this case)
Sew up two sides, turn inside out and stuff with 3-4 cups of rice before sewing closed last side. Heat in microwave for 30 second increments until warm enough - test on your arm first. I used chamomile and lavender and it smells and feels wonderful!
I would say that each scarf cost me less than $2 to make.
Okay, now for what you really came for - without further ado, here's brillig to wrangle noms and tops of all sorts! Thanks a ton, brillig!
Brillig here: Gorgeous pictures, and i love the crafts!! Take care of you and we'll leave the light on for when you're back to us in TC. Drop by and let us know how things go, m'friend.
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without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do
not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
From mumtaznepal:
In Joan McCarter's diary about the Supreme Court hearing of the ACA today, bernardpliers succinctly and humorously characterized the narrow world view of the Tea Party.
From brillig:
As Meteor Blades diaried, it's not the marijuana. webranding states the obvious, and the resultant thread is good reading.
Scott Wooledge brings fantastic news in his Bully diary. paxpdx and left rev both have comments worth sharing here.
If only gangsta wannabe's wear hoodies, then we should all be glad Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse alerted us to this character
Top Mojo for yesterday, March 25th, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you
mik for the mojo magic!
1) We are all connected! by navajo — 104
2) I think he needs the safety of jail cell for the by CentralMass — 103
3) Another bit of personal history. by Egg — 96
4) I really don't understand...... by 57andFemale — 93
5) He is now afraid for his life. by Otteray Scribe — 85
6) Using the logic of Florida's SYG law by MadRuth — 84
7) The Diarist's Not-So-Subtle Message by JekyllnHyde — 82
8) Sean was "raised Jehovah's witness"... by TheMeansAreTheEnd — 80
9) Better than 10:1 in favor of Starbucks. by ontheleftcoast — 79
10) If you were paranoid delusional and saw by jpmassar — 76
11) Let me be the first by MKSinSA — 75
12) WE Need To Attend To This! by tikkun — 69
13) Paranoia by grannycarol — 69
14) As a forensic expert myself by Otteray Scribe — 69
15) Or a pistol toting racist with a distorted sense by Thousandwatts — 68
16) Agree that most of the media... by Milou — 67
17) I'm so sick of people trying to say... by Jasel — 66
18) One more that didn't quite fit in.... by lineatus — 66
19) Added a rant tag - you earned it! by KelleyRN2 — 64
20) The major founders were not Christians. by dov12348 — 62
21) The wingnuts are already in damage control by Shockwave — 60
22) I think this diary needs to be rec'ced. by jpmassar — 60
23) I Must Mention Her Contributions by JekyllnHyde — 60
24) "Shadow Catcher" by JekyllnHyde — 60
25) My mom sends me stuff about broccoli giving by sane — 59
26) When this came up last night, by Otteray Scribe — 59
27) Donation sent. by Wreck Smurfy — 58
28) He was killed 70 yards from home by mrblifil — 57
29) I'm tired too by Cali Scribe — 57
30) Easier said than done by SanJoseLady — 56
Top Pictures for yesterday, March 25th. Click any image to be taken to the full comment. Thank you
jotter for the image magic!