Sharyn

My heart is heavy. Walter Koenig, our Ensign Pavel Chekov, passed away early today. Walter and I met on the bridge of the Enterprise in the 1960s, and we stayed friends for nearly six decades. When Brad and I married in 2008, Walter stood beside us as our best man.

At the car dealership for a routine oil change. I forget when they started texting the video walkthroughs. I appreciate the show and tell but it must be weird for the workers. Being a content creator wasn’t originally part of that job.

Went outside in my pajamas to look at the pretty sky this morning.

I only had time for a short lunch walk today but it’s looking lovely out there.

I'm a sucker for novelty produce. I just got a sugarcone cabbage from Imperfect Foods but need to figure out how to use it. www.row7seeds.com/products/sug...

Today’s post-physical therapy drive home had me following a bright blue Lamborghini, then a bright orange Cybertruck. All with a trio of pumpkins rolling around in my trunk. Felt like I was on some kind of strange side quest. 🎃

This was an unnecessary purchase.

The Slow Horses season 6 finale was equal parts brilliant and upsetting.

Sometimes I listen to film scores and soundtracks while working. I’d forgotten how dramatic the Scott Pilgrim score can get. It’s made for an exciting morning. music.apple.com/us/album/sco...

I love my neighborhood. Especially during the spooky season.

Stopped by Trader Joe’s to pick up pumpkins to carve. The Muzak of the moment was my beloved Babes in Toyland. Hadn’t expected Kat Bjelland’s shrill screams and whispers while pushing a grocery cart through the aisles.

Upstairs neighbor woke me vacuuming at 7:20. Physical therapy phoned 10 minutes later to cancel my appointment for today. Not the best start to my last day of vacation.

My son, my partner, & myself all have appointments for COVID + flu vaccines in the next 2 days. Planning on a low key weekend after that. Making batches of homemade soup and bread now to have on hand in case we feel lousy / not up to cooking. Obviously, the brief discomfort is worth the benefits.

I’m on PTO this week so I disabled my morning wake up alarm. But whoever was in our vacation rental last did not. An old school physical alarm clock sounded off loudly at 6am. I wanted to hurl it into Lake Superior.

Heading up North. We switched drivers at a rest stop so my partner is now inflicting Genesis on me. And we keep seeing billboards boasting “Quality Erections since 1976.”

Caturday with Gigi and Hajime

Gigi's new favorite box is full to bursting but she's making it work.

A friend just let me know I pocket dialed him last night and left a nonsensical two-minute voicemail. Looking at the timestamp, it was while I was strength training at the gym. I’m mortified. He called it poetry.

Spooky season is upon us. I swung by the lake to watch witches launch into the water. On paddle boards.

Our orange cat is obsessed with my son but largely indifferent to me. Fair enough. We shut our bedroom doors at night, but Hajime has been rattling my son's doorknob. This morning I discovered my kid's MacGyver solution: a cardboard box taped over it.

Additional scripts for cis het white men who want to be better allies: “What a weird thing to say” “Do you hear yourself right now?” “You shouldn’t say shit like that to people” “I won’t let you talk to them that way” “That’s a disgusting opinion to have” “Shut the fuck up, dude”

I’ve been missing too many live shows I wanted to see, so I’m fixing that this week. Great show at Cloudland last night. Won free tickets to a show I already wanted to see tomorrow. Saturday is giving me choice paralysis, but I WILL pick one.

“Speed Demon. I cast thee out. Drive the limit.” Seasonal MN DOT signage on 35W South right now.

The fluorescent overhead lighting at physical therapy really shows off all the cat hair on my black pants.

At physical therapy an elderly woman was talking on speakerphone in a bathroom where all the stalls were full. I’m so glad I work remotely.

I love it when Gigi makes air biscuits.

A friend reminded me about the Too Good To Go app, so I opened it looking for cheap produce. I may have misunderstood the assignment. I’m picking up a deeply discounted bottle of Japanese whisky later. Not all heroes rescue vegetables.

Do you remember the 21st night of September? Though @electrolemon.bsky.social retired from making new ones, the evolution of his 9/21 videos from 2016–2021 is always worth revisiting. Especially today. www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Good news for my St. Paul librarian friends and the community at large: funding for the Dayton’s Bluff Library would be restored under the mayor’s new budget proposal. stpaul.gov/news/saint-paul-mayor-releases-2027-supplemental-budget-proposal-requests-restoration-cuts

A rushed and reckless plan to close 17 schools is the last thing our district needs right now. Our children are our everything, and they deserve a district that takes its time, engages with families, and builds a plan actually rooted in the needs of our community: not this.

Birthday celebrations continued with three generations of our family enjoying Coyote vs. Acme. Later, dinner with our chosen family of vegans at a favorite restaurant followed by a cheesecake I made from scratch.

My sleepy son is starting 27 off with a delivery of vegan donuts. I was 26 when I had him which means he’s now been part of my life longer than he hasn’t. 💕

This is my kind of perfect weather.

My partner & I decided to try a new restaurant that has all day happy hour on Sundays. We don’t watch or follow sports. This patio has giant TVs and loud speaker for the Vikings game. I can’t hear myself think and they were out of ingredients for the drink I wanted. Sad trombone.

This beautiful boy likes to rotate through his favorite lounge spots. Lately he’s been stretching out on my treadmill when I’m working. Now he’s curling up in this human chair (despite seven cats beds being nearby).

Seasonal allergies are kicking my ass to the point I’m pretty sure it’s another sinus infection. Naturally I’m hosting my son’s birthday party today. The combo covid + flu a & b test came up negative, at least, and we’ll largely be in the backyard. But I’d rather be in bed.

Just learned an old friend is going into hospice. He’s only 44. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2022 and has been undergoing treatment ever since. He’s kind, talented, and an incredible musician. It’s so deeply, absolutely unfair.