Yours Truly, by Abby Jimenez

Posted on June 26, 2023 by Thistle

The date of Briana’s divorce finalization is approaching and her brother is struggling on dialysis while he waits for a new kidney. Jacob’s ex-girlfriend began dating his brother only three months after their breakup, and he’s had to move to a new job to avoid them both. At first the transition is a disaster. He’s wildly unpopular in the new role, and his anxiety skyrockets. Briana despises him, thinking he’s trying to usurp her upcoming promotion, and when the two collide (literally), the situation grows even worse. So Jacob does the only thing he can think of, and writes her a letter.

This is a really cute little love story. It’s not really enemies-to-lovers, because all of the mishaps and misunderstandings in the early part of the book are pretty quickly explained away in the brief letter-driven portion of Briana and Jacob’s emerging friendship. Instead, this is a relationship that has other obstacles. A little white lie that turns into a fake relationship, a fake relationship that is more real to them both than either are willing to admit. Jacob’s anxiety disorder is a huge barrier, and Briana’s trauma over both her dad and her ex-husband abandoning her causes her to avoid romantic attachments regardless of feelings. Add in some other mishaps and miscommunications along the way, and you get a really sweet development of love over time, love that is never easy but is also very relentless.

I think my favorite thing about this book was the incredibly realistic depiction of an anxiety disorder. As someone who has an anxiety disorder, I could relate to so many of the things Jacob went through. His agonizing debate over the appropriate thing to bring for a lunch with a colleague. His need to research a restaurant menu and decide his options prior to any dinner out. His fear of new locations and the parking situations that they bring up. This last one in particular – I wrote down a quote that went with it because it was perfect and I wish all my friends and family would do this exact thing for me! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve avoided going to places because I didn’t know what the parking situation would be like!

“I have to go take a picture of the driveway,” [Briana] mumbled, getting up.
“The driveway?” [Alexis] asked.
“He needs to know where to park. It’s a thing.”

That. That right there is god-tier love. The fact that she did it for Jacob without him even asking her to? Thoughtfulness to the extreme. It was little moments like this that made me fall in love with this book.

As romances go, this was a very light-on-the-spice kind of book, more love story than romance in the traditional published sense. It was also (obviously) a little deeper on the thematic elements, giving it a roundness that I appreciated while still reading like a perfect comfort book.

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Sunday Coffee – Hopscotch!

Posted on June 25, 2023 by Thistle

A few years back, my cousin’s daughter posted photos on Instagram for this place called Hopscotch. It looked awesome, so I went out to investigate. Hopscotch is an interactive and immersive art museum with modern artists and ever-changing exhibits. I’ve wanted to go for years! The biggest thing that has held me back is that it’s located downtown and I hate driving downtown. I always forget that even in my home city, Lyft is an option!

Anyway, Jason and I were meant to go to Hopscotch for Valentine’s Day, we had tickets and everything, but that was the week of Tyler’s AF graduation and several other events, and I ended up having a massive flare that left me unable to use the tickets, so we held off. General busyness kept us from going for the next few months, so in May, we decided on a weekend in June, bought the tickets, and planned not to let anything get in the way this time!

Last weekend, we got a Lyft downtown, and our little adventure began! Hopscotch is built into what was clearly an old bank. One of the exhibits was even inside the old vault. Upstairs, there’s a bar and food area with art all around, and when it’s your ticket time, you head downstairs into the main museum portion. There’s a giant ball pit with rainbow lights zipping through, a “color therapy” room that was so intense that I actually think I burned my eyes (!!!), and then you enter a circle of exhibits, going from room to room until you’re back in the ball pit area.

The exhibits change depending on what artists are featured, with a few permanent structures (like the ball pit and the rainbow cave). Some rooms were filled with murals the size of entire walls. Some had swirling digital art that reacted to your movements. There was laser spray paint and optical illusions and a maze of clear walls with messages of unity and human rights written in many different languages.

In one room, you picked up an old fashioned payphone to listen to secrets others had submitted, and there was a number to call to submit your own. The rainbow cave is made entirely of upcycled plastic bags, thousands upon thousands of them, representing the number of bags used every few SECONDS in the world. Oy.

Some rooms appealed to us more than others, as you might imagine, as would be the same for any visitor. Then after we were done downstairs, we got to experience one last immersive exhibit back on the main level, a delicate light show in the dark, constantly moving, with mirrored walls so distant in the lights that you only caught brief flashes of your own silhouette. The slow walk through the maze of these lights led us out into the gift shop, where I promptly found a sticker for my planner, a pin for my hiking bag, and a comfy shirt that says “love is love is love.” I also met an incredibly kind cashier who could easily have been a model, and they were sweet enough to let me take a few photos.

It was a lovely experience over all. Not super expensive (I think our tickets were $12 or $14 each?), and I was happy to spend the extras on drinks, merch, and Lyfts to/from the exhibit. I can definitely see going back again with friends, maybe with new artists featured in places, and seeing new things that I didn’t discover on my first walk-through.

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An American in Provence, by Jamie Beck

Posted on June 23, 2023 by Thistle

Back in late April or early May, I spent an evening out with some friends that culminated in a trip to Barnes & Nobles. We all wandered separately to our various interests in the store, meeting back up and separating again at points as the store wound down toward closing time. I walked over to the photography section, curious what kinds of books it would have. The last time I looked there, it was for a particular instruction book several years back, and the section was poorly stocked and heavily out of order. Not much had changed, so I focused on the large coffee-table type books. Most were from photographers you see everywhere, like Ansel Adams, or they featured gritty, newsworthy-type photography. Not interested. I wanted a more human element, which led me to pulling this book off the shelf and flipping through some of the imagery.

Satisfied that this was a book I wanted to study more in depth, but not wanting to necessarily own it, I did a quick check at my library to assure they had it. That done, I added it to my TBR and went on my way, only putting the book on hold after my vacation was over.

What I didn’t realize from my quick glimpse through the book at B&N was that this was not just a photography book. The copy – which I expected to be about the photos, and in minimal amounts – was 75% memoir. The other 25% was made up with photography tutorials, recipes, and a few other random instructional tidbits. Now, y’all know I’m not a memoir person, so I was definitely less interested in those parts, but at least it was a simple story focus: The author, Jamie Beck, chose to move to Provence for a year, and this is the narrative of how that worked and how it affected her life (and photography) moving forward.

Because my read through the copy was a bit skimmed, I can’t pinpoint exactly if Beck ever addressed this, but being able to move to another country takes an enormous amount of privilege. I’m not talking about refugee situations where you’ve already lost everything and are fleeing worse. But upending your life and career – having the wealth to do so and a career that will survive, or having a career that will support such a move – is pure privilege. Beck talks a lot about her gratitude for being able to do this, and the difficulties in doing it, but I’m not sure she spends an equal amount of time acknowledging the privilege that made this possible. Again, I spent far more time on the photography than the copy, so that may be a false impression. However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve tried to be more aware of privilege in my reading, especially in reading nonfiction, and my general impression was of “blessed” and not “privileged,” if that makes sense.

Interesting to note: I preferred the photography in the first half of the book to the second. I have no idea if the photography was arranged to show the development of her new style, but it felt that way, and I liked the “earlier” work better. But it’s also possible that the photography was arranged by season, like the book, and the book started in autumn, my favorite, and cycled through the year into my 2nd fave, 3rd, and last. The photos from spring and summer felt so lifeless and oppressive, even as they showcased bright flowers and sun. I just prefer the timbre and feel and sheer life that exists in autumn and winter. So maybe that’s all it was. In any case, most of the photography was beautiful, and I appreciated going through that part the book, even if it was not what I expected.

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Wellness Wednesday – A New Milestone

Posted on June 21, 2023 by Thistle

Ten days ago, I woke up to a new milestone. I stepped on the scale and had entered a new “decade” as they call it. When I started Mounjaro on Aug 30th last year, I was near the top of a particular decade, and it took all of a month or so to drop almost 10 lbs to reach the next decade. Then it took over nine months to enter this new one. Now, the journey hasn’t been linear. I was near the bottom of that decade in mid-December, when the national shortage meant dropping to a dosage that didn’t help my body. I then spent the next five months moving to the right dose and back off of it due to shortages, and each of those cycles basically caused a fluctuation of about 3 lbs. Not a huge amount in the grand scheme of things, but every time I’d get close to entering this new decade, another health-system roadblock would cause problems.

I’ve now been on the correct dose for about six weeks (with one week completely off due to travel), and my body has finally stabilized and started moving slowly downward again. On the 11th, I saw the very top of that new decade. Two days ago, I’d dropped another pound, putting me at a second new milestone: exactly 20 lbs lost since I began Mounjaro. Compared to other people on these kinds of medications, 20 lbs in 9.5 months is nothing, but for me, for my body and its resistance to any kind of weight loss, this is wonderful. I’m extremely happy for it, especially as I’ve reached another kind of gateway, a pain threshold barrier above which I hurt constantly, below which I only hurt some of the time. I’ve reached a weight under where I lost my mobility in Nov 2021. I’m very close to the weight I was at when J and I took our road trip in Sept/Oct 2021 and I was hiking mad elevation day after day after day. It will be another two “decades” before I reach my pre-Ozempic weight from 2020, at which point the pain goes away entirely. It might be another year or longer before I reach that, and that’s okay. I’ll get there eventually.

(Center is right after I started Mounjaro. Left is -20 lbs, same shirt; right is also -20 lbs, one size down shirt in same design.)

In the meantime, I’ve started feeling better about moving more. It’s not tons, but getting on the treadmill for a mile walk doesn’t leave me in crippling pain for a week anymore. Last weekend, J and I went down to an interactive art museum called Hopscotch, where we walked and mostly stood around for 90 mins or so. While my hips hurt a little the next day, my feet were fine and I was still able to go about my day-to-day normal stuff without trouble. It doesn’t sound like a big deal to most people, but to someone who literally lost 95% of her mobility for almost a year, it feels good to not have to even think about whether something like this trip is possible again.

(same setup as above)

The last time my doctor and I checked my blood work was back in late March, at which point my labs looked better than they ever have. Even on the off-and-on wrong dose of this medication, it was improving some of the internal issues, particularly related to liver and kidney function (a genetic deterioration condition that can’t be cured, only managed). My next set of tests and visits will be early July, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what those say. I also see my rheumatologist tomorrow, and will probably have inflammation levels tested again. I’m hoping this new decade and pain-level-decrease will be reflected in decreased inflammation, too. We’ll see. That’s never been the case with weight loss before, but this isn’t just weight loss.

Anyway, I’m really happy to see these milestones. I still have a long way to go, but now it seems I have the tools and the right doctors. Fingers crossed that the insurance will see it that way once my Mounjaro coupon code runs out, because this medicine – completely aside from any weight loss benefits – has probably saved my life.

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Every Gift a Curse, by Caroline O’Donoghue

Posted on June 19, 2023 by Thistle

In this third and final edition to this series, Maeve is struggling with the knowledge that a curse is growing inside her. Her friends are equally distracted by their own troubles. When they realize that their preoccupation has allowed a Christian fundamentalist group to get a larger hold on Kilberg – with teens going missing and in some cases dying – they all have to decide what responsibilities they can accept, be they gift or curse.

I’ve loved this series from beginning to end. I’ve mentioned in the past that it reminded me a little of The Craft, with the tarot and witch’s circle and ancient powers being called up. Add to that the Irish setting, political history, and a fundamentalist group manipulating young people via scripture, and this just SCREAMS my name.

I’m pleased to say that the third book took what was already there and exquisitely shaped a conclusion that wasn’t necessarily kind, but definitely acceptable, and exactly right for the situation. In fact, I loved the ending so much that I hugged the book after I read it. Happy endings don’t have to be flawless, if that makes sense. The nuance makes it so much better – the potential and the hope and the togetherness even in a less-than-ideal situation. It was just perfect. What The Craft wanted to be.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“Every few weeks there’s a story about how American laws are going backward. Could that happen here, too?” [Note: Series is not only set in Ireland but written by an Irish author, so this is particularly noteworthy as an outside-USA pov.]

“But I remember feeling, even though I was frightened, that I was in a Tumblr post about witchcraft. It felt cool and DIY in a way that was instantly photogenic.” [This made me laugh so hard!]

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Sunday Coffee – Kitten Update

Posted on June 18, 2023 by Thistle

First let me start with a little shoutout to the dads out there today, in whatever iteration of “dad” they are. Happy Father’s Day!

Now. Kittens. We still have both Juice and Fleabag, who has been renamed Florence. Florence, thankfully, has become an official foster through the shelter. The Venmo we received from the woman who found her paid her intake fee, and it was all quick enough that we only had one out of pocket vet visit. Whew! She has continued to mostly thrive, first coming out of her shell to become a wild and crazy orange kitten as we all expected. After a couple days, she decided that I’m her mama, and began to cuddle on my chest at night. That was okay until she further decided that as her mama, I needed to comfort-nurse her, and she began suckling on my neck. I don’t mind letting her do it for short periods of time but she would do it for hours if I allowed, so I had to lock her in the bathroom at nights for a few days until she learned how to behave while I slept.

She’s also dealt with a tapeworm infection, a secondary flea outbreak (must’ve missed some eggs), and loose stool, which she decided meant that she needed to go on my carpet instead of in the litter box. Grr. This is why we don’t normally keep kittens in my bedroom! But it is what it is. There’s now a second box and pee pads in the part of the room she was using, and meds are clearing up the loose stool issue.

Meanwhile, she’s not allowed to be introduced to Juice, even though both of them fight too hard and could use a kitten playmate for both fun and learning. Juice is…still Juice. We introduced wet food one day to get him prepared for weaning, and he loved it so much that he point-blank refused the bottle afterwards. Unfortunately, he decided that the way to eat said wet food was to face-plant into it and suck it up like it was milk. Between that and the diarrhea he still had despite his first round of med treatments, he’s the messiest foster we’ve ever cared for. Thankfully, his new round of meds is helping, so at least he’s now only messy on his face! Usually. We do worry about him a little, because he doesn’t seem to be learning age-appropriately. We’ve had plenty of dumb kittens (especially the orange ones, ha!) but this feels more like a neurological or brain-damage kind of issue (head trauma? nutrition issue?). He’s 6-7 weeks old but still acts/learns like a 3-week old kitten.

We are all overwhelmed. Having a foster group of two or three or four kittens has been fine in the past, but in that case, they’re all in the same room and able to entertain each other. This, instead, takes two rooms, two foster parents (or just me running double-time on the days Jason goes into the office), and a whole lot of work. Add to that my lack of sleep some nights because of Florence’s issues, and Jason’s because of Juice’s, and the household has fallen into complete chaos. It’s a wonder things like dishes ever get done. Sometimes I’ll go four days and realize I haven’t showered because said days all blurred into one. This is absolutely and definitely not a situation I want to invite again in the future!

Both kittens get checkups tomorrow, and I’d guess that, assuming they make weight, they’ll be turned in on July 3rd for surgeries and such. They are both, thankfully, gaining weight regularly now with their latest med treatments halfway through. I’m hoping to talk them into taking Florence in on the 26th instead, because she’ll be the right age and likely the right weight, given her trajectory. But we’ll see. Either way, once these two are gone, I definitely need a week or so off from fostering after this madness. It’s the worst time of year for that, since kitten season is insane at the moment, but that’s what happens when I end up with two needy singletons at once!

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Candle, Rock, Feather

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Thistle

Awhile back, I was at a local shopping center and noticed something I hadn’t really seen before. It wasn’t special, just a small runoff area between two buildings, ground lined with fake cobblestones to guide the water and debris out of the parking lot and behind the shopping center. The thing about being a photographer is that you start to notice little spots like this that could make fun photo settings, and I was intrigued by the stone walls, cobbled ground, and surrounding plants. I wanted to take L out for a photoshoot there before my cruise, but we didn’t have time. However, we were recently in the area for something unrelated and I decided to throw together a shoot last second.

Before leaving home, I grabbed my feathered caplet/pauldron and a woodsy circlet tiara. (And my camera, of course.) Then I stopped at a nearby Michael’s and grabbed a candle and lantern-cage on clearance, and we headed over to the runoff area. A few small props can go a long way in a photoshoot, and the candle matched L’s current hair color perfectly! The runoff area was shaded in the spot we set up, and I got a half-dozen fun photos to work with.

Ironically, I didn’t even use the cobblestone part of the runoff. These ended up being more close-up photos because we only had a partial costume. That just means I can use the same spot later if I wish! We didn’t stay long because it was midday and nearly 100 degrees out already. Way too hot! But L was a good sport about it all.

I wanted to capture a really ephemeral, gossamer vibe to these so I played a lot in post-production to add filmy texture and glow. Loved the way these came out so much!

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A Tempest at Sea, by Sherry Thomas (audio)

Posted on June 14, 2023 by Thistle

This is volume 7 of this series, which if anyone remembers from my previous reviews, I’d started to get bored with. For the last few volumes, in fact, I struggled to keep up with the story because I didn’t remember a full half of the characters. There was some debate whether I would read this volume at all, but as it took place on a cruise – one of my favorite book settings – I decided to give it a chance.

It was better than I expected. I attribute this to three things: 1) the setting; 2) the setting creating a limited number of characters, most of whom were the ones I actually remembered; and 3) the narrator, Kate Reading, who always makes books better. I could follow the entire narrative this time, though periodically there would be mention of characters and former side-plots that I barely remembered. I’m still not entirely sure I’ll continue with the series, but this is one more volume, at least, that I’m invested in.

Not really much else to say except that I loved the descriptions of the ship rocking in rougher seas. Mostly because I absolutely love when the ship rocks like that. I sleep better than I do normally, and it took nearly a week of being on land before I stopped feeling a phantom rocking from time to time. Perhaps this is one of the reasons I love cruises so much. Maybe I was a sailor in a former life.

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Ghost Towns and Ghosting

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Thistle

Our last stop in Alaska was to Skagway, a tiny town heavily influenced by the gold rush. The tour we took there was the Ghosts and Goodtime Girls Walking Tour hosted by the Red Onion Saloon. This was another small group tour, with ten people in total. Our host was Madame Lavinia Moore, a “professional streetwalker” in full costume. The majority of the tour was related to the prostitution boom that exploded alongside gold fever, with a few ghost stories mixed in.

While the costume and stage name may make the whole thing sound campy and lighthearted, the tour itself was actually focused on history (especially women’s history), sociology, and politics. We learned plenty about the grim circumstances that caused so many women to turn to prostitution, and the often grim outcomes that followed. But we also learned the creative ways women survived the era. Our guide didn’t shy away from serious discussion: discrimination against indigenous people, the horrific lack of access to women’s health care, wage discrepancies, the marking of women with syphilis (which led them to be unable to get work in any field), and more. The costumes and stage names and silly marches across the street added a levity to the subject that made the entire tour extremely well-rounded.

We ended the tour at the Red Onion Saloon, which is not in the same location it was originally built, but still made up of the same essential pieces (walls, floors, etc). The upper floor acts as a museum, with everything from wallpaper samples to a glass-encased mesh dress that was one solution for advertising wares while adhering to “morality” laws. I wish I’d had more time in the museum part, but there were several tours that needed to get through.

After our tour was over, we walked back to the ship. I would have loved to spend more time in Skagway. It was the smallest town we visited and I could have spent a long time walking around taking pictures and seeing fascinating things, like in Ketchikan. (I was particularly enamored by the rock-paintings that were everywhere on the cliff sides.) However, this was my third tour day in a row, there had been a lot of standing around, and I was at at the end of 48 hours sick. I just wanted to sleep. I hadn’t been able to nap when we got in from Juneau the day before, so that’s what I did in Skagway. Jason left the ship again and spent a few hours in town, which makes me happy. He loves to visit museums and always feels self-conscious going with anyone else, so that time alone was good for him. And I got in a really good nap!

The Ghost and Goodtime Girls tour was our last on this trip. Technically, we were supposed to go on another excursion in Victoria, BC. This one was a bit weird, though. First, our original excursion was canceled about a month before our trip due to some weird technicality that wasn’t explained to us. We thought perhaps not enough people had signed up, but when we went to go look up a new excursion, we saw that every choice that included the Craigdarroch Castle had been removed. I’m not sure if the castle itself was going to be closed for that day, or if the contract with the tour company had been discontinued, or what. That’s what we really wanted to do, though, so it was with a bit less enthusiasm that we signed up for a tour of the Butchart Gardens.

What we didn’t realize until getting onboard was that this particular excursion was going to take up the entire time we were docked in Victoria. It was a large group, with likely long, uncomfortable bus rides, and there would be no chance to eat from 4 to 9pm. It was the last night of our trip and we were pretty tired, not to mention not terribly interested in Butchart. Maybe if I hadn’t spent a few days sick, or if we had another day at sea before we’d have to get up super early the next morning to get off the boat. I think we were just done at that point.

So for the second cruise in a row, we didn’t leave the ship in Victoria. In 2018, it was due to rain (and oh the irony, last time we planned to make our way to Butchart on our own, sans excursion, if it hadn’t been raining!). This time, we just flat-out ghosted the city (ha!).

I did try to take some night photos of Victoria while we were docked. I thought I might get some fun light-streak photos where the city would be still and the boats in and out of the port would be moving. However, even moored at the pier, the cruise ship still moves ever so slightly, so even with my camera perfectly stabilized, there was up and down shaky movement in the background. I would have had to get off the boat had I wanted to take any night photos that actually worked. Oh well!

All in all, it was a good trip. I know I’ve now talked about it at length, and I hope no one is too bored. But mostly it’s for my own recollection. This should be the end of it, though! And as it’s been said in the rest of these posts: for more/better photos, see my Instagram: @pookasluagh (where I continue to post slowly so that I’m not overwhelming my feed all in a couple days!).

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SC: Favorite Photos of Vacation

Posted on June 11, 2023 by Thistle

I know I haven’t finished posting my trip stuff yet, but I’m going to take a moment to highlight my favorite photos of the trip for today’s Sunday Coffee. Somehow, I managed to choose 17 photos – out of the hundreds I took – as favorites!

This collage represents portraits of strangers. On the top left is a woman I spoke to after taking a photo of her and her partner together. While her partner left to get drinks, I asked if I could take a photo of her. She had the most incredible smile! Next to her, these two women accidentally walked into a photo I was taking in Ketchikan. They apologized but I told them not to worry about it, and I took their photo together for them, and then got a photo with my camera as well. They were so kind and I loved how bright the flowers and leaves were around them. On the bottom left was the very nice couple we stood with and spoke to as our ship approached the Dawes Glacier. We took turns taking photos for each other so no one had to take selfies. Lastly, the man on the bottom right had the most incredible beard. I wanted to ask him for a photo so badly, but I’m still so very timid about asking people if I haven’t had a reason to speak with them beforehand! So I took this photo from afar as he looked out over the water and mountains.

Top left: a scene from the streets of Seattle that was too iconic not to shoot. Top right: I loved this mirrored sectional wall by the Sky Lounge on board. Because the windows in that area let in blue-tinted light, it was difficult to get any photos colored correctly in post-production. I ended up going the b&w route for this one, which Jason wasn’t actually posing for (he didn’t realize I was taking a picture at the time). On the bottom left is the only phone photo in my collection of favorites. I only meant to take a quick pic of my iced bianco, but Jason made this ridiculous face in the background, and it makes me laugh every time I see it. Lastly, we have my final photo from our Ghosts and Goodtime Girls tour, which I’ll post about tomorrow. I took this one with soft light and a slightly blurred focus to capture an old-timey feel!

Top left: This seagull was strutting around the back of the dining area as we waited to disembark in Seattle. Top right: I loved all the little antique details at the Moore hotel, including the carved clawed feet of the tub. Bottom left: One of the Tlingit carvings seen in Ketchikan. Bottom right: In the gardens we visited in Juneau, there were all these tiny details in among the trees. I used to have an elephant statue carved like this one, with little holes throughout, and another tiny elephant carved inside. Sadly, it broke during my last move, so I was very excited to see this similar tiny statue in the crook of a moss-covered tree.

Top row: ferns and flowers in Ketchikan. Everything was so vibrant there! Bottom right: a photo of our reflections in the shop windows along Creek Street in Ketchikan. Bottom left: the edge of town by the old train depot in Skagway. Again, I love how vibrant all the colors were, and I cannot imagine living with the mountains just there every day!

Last and definitely not least, this is at present my favorite photo from the trip. These mountains lined the Endicott Arm on the way to the Dawes Glacier. Despite our ship moving through these waters, everything was so still. It was maybe an hour or 90 mins past sunrise, with the sun still very low in the sky, and mostly cloudy. Just enough sun to bring out brilliant reflections in the still waters. This turned out looking like a painting, and I just love it!

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