mundane-thought-haver

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I forgot my Bluetooth was connected, and this just burst out of my kitchen while my family was over for thanksgiving

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Today is the typa day where I pace in my living room then go to bed

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Another thing not mushroom related, just a ramble I was having that I wanted to put to paper.

Here's some tips for people who practice body doubling for someone neurodiverse, or assist children with tasks they don't want to complete, coming from someone with young family members and adhd. This might be obvious to some, maybe not so to others.

In my experience, sometimes helping people complete difficult tasks (difficult for them, mind you) has to be more interactive than just sitting there, and reminding people to stay focused. It's all dependent upon what exactly that person needs from you.

Whenever I'm body doubling, I do my best to encourage people to complete what they're working on in a variety of ways.

-Take care of their bodily needs: bringing food and water (or caffiene), reminding them to take bathroom and eye strain breaks. This can do wonders to manage someone's stress level.

-Help keep them engaged by asking questions and providing input where applicable: Whenever someone decides to stop working on a task, sometimes it's not just from a lack of stamina but from a roadblock of some kind. You can say, "Do you think you could work for just 5 more itty bitty minutes just for me, pretty, please?" (I call this the 'just one more bite' strategy.) That doesn't often work for me though. What I like to do is ask them to describe what they're doing, or what the next step in the process is.

Be a little persistent, but know when to back off. Keep it casual, like any other topic of discussion. Don't make the person even more frustrated. Describing their task to someone else can really keep people engaged with what they're doing. It can also give you a sense of where a problem is coming from.

"What is this assignment/question about?"

"Where is a good stopping off point?"

"So when we get back to this, what's the next step?"

"Rough estimate, how long is this going to take?" (Maybe only do this one if it's not a long project. Otherwise, it can make someone feel like they're not making progress. Also, it can come across as sounding exasperated, so be careful. Alternatively, you can ask, "How long do you think you've been working now?")

Do they need someone to bounce ideas off of? Genuinely ask yourself what you think about what they're doing, and share that with them.

In my experience these conversations work better than a traditional "you need to get this done" or "you promised you would get this done." And if you do need to take a break, this gives you both a firm idea of where they left off.

I don't know how to explain this but asking these questions motivates people best if you don't acknowledge the fact that you're trying to subtly manipulate them into continuing. The focus and modivation of children and neurodiverse people can be a lot like trying to woo a standoffish cat. They can smell if you're trying too hard, and that's off putting to them.

-Finding ways to assist them directly. If they are washing dishes, you can dry and put them away. If they need to clean, you can dj, or keep the children occupied. You can load the dishwasher while they do the cat litter. They can brainstorm, you can type out their ideas. Don't belittle yourself if you don't have the means or the energy to do these things. Sometimes people will prefer to do tasks alone, and barring extreme circumstances, you should heed that.

In summary, some people need someone to sit there and gently remind them to stay on task. Some people just straight up need a personal assistant. I want to make it clear you aren't "doing it wrong" if you just wanna do the former, it's still a very nice thing to do. I do hope that maybe knowing about some of these techniques will help a body doubler be more effective, or help a body doublee describe what their needs are. Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

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Haven't posted anything in a while, I don't really know the next time I'm going to make a mushroom post. Here's a little snufkin edit of a meme instead. I might make a Tooticky one, too.

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Found these in late September, I had never tried Chicken of the Woods before! I think they were growing on the same log last year, but I didn't grab any because they were too old. I didn't take very good pictures this time. I was so excited that I settled for the "alien abduction" lighting.

They look like pumpkin fingers sticking out of the log.

If you want to know my method for preparing them, here you go:

I brushed them off, wiped them down with a damp paper towel, and cut them into strips to look for bugs. Then I seasoned them and cooked them for 14 minutes over medium heat with olive oil. I flipped them halfway through, then braised them with butter and lemon juice to finish. I served it over a spinach jalapeño salad. It was freakin bomb.

Do not make assumptions about mushrooms you see based on this post. I'm a novice. Some edible mushrooms have dangerous lookalikes.

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Hello! These are more photos from that hike in September. There were two fungi battling it out for territory on this deciduous log, and the salmon pink looking one was losing.

Do not make assumptions about mushrooms you see based on this post. I'm a novice. Some edible mushrooms have dangerous lookalikes.

[mundane-thought-haver]

Hello!

These look like oyster mushrooms to me. Maybe some other type of Pleurotus. This was a couple days after light rain. I took a spore print, and they were white. I don't know what type of stump this was. What type of tree grows a 2ft punk rock Mohawk usually? I would appreciate any input about my identification!

There were a brief couple of days in early September that were unseasonably cool. I went on a hike with a buddy and got a lot of different pictures. I'm going to have steady posts from this one hike for a while. I took a stab at editing the first picture to make the background less chaotic.

Do not make assumptions about mushrooms you see based on this post. I'm a novice. Some edible mushrooms have dangerous lookalikes.

[mundane-thought-haver]

*Harry, Cuno, and Cunoesse are all experimenting with sidewalk chalk*

CUNO: "50 reál. The Cuno is setting you up fucking crazy Belle Lettres style. Understand? When the piggy makes bank, he'll thank Cuno." Cuno produces the device from his pocket. It doesn't reach your grasp as he feigns handing it to you once, before unceremoniously chucking the thing at your head.

REACTION SPEED [High: Success] You successfully prevent the object from colliding with your brain by sacrificing your more shock absorbent hand.

PAIN THRESHOLD [Medium: Success] -- Biting pain shoots up your arm. You could have sworn it pierced through to the bone.

INTERFACING [Low: Success] -- It is a colorful piece of cylindrical plastic. You massage the smooth surface in your palm. It weighs almost nothing.

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Failure] -- This is clearly a precision tool meant to hone the acumen of great artists. It is adorned by two women, who appear to be Gradd aristocracy.

DRAMA [Low: Success] -- Your muses, sire.

YOU:

[50 reál - It must be well worth the exorbitant price.]

"Who are these people?"

CUNOESSE: "Pig's gotta pay his cut once he makes bank!"

CUNO: "That's right copper! Cuno better get his share!"

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Hello! This is a Grey Fire Bracket appreciation post. I love it when they look like a cascading wave. I've amassed quite the collection of pictures featuring them.

(I'm pretty sure these are all grey fire bracket, just correct me if I'm wrong.)

Do not make assumptions about mushrooms you see based on this post. I'm a novice. Some edible mushrooms have dangerous lookalikes.

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*mugs the camera* *pulls at the collar of my shirt* Well THAT just happened.

https://gofund.me/790c3767

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Hello! I think this is Xylocoremium flabelliforme. It was in a litter of sticks. I was crouched over and stepped on one weird, knocking some of it off. A HUGE amount of white spores came out. These photos are from earlier this summer.

Do not make assumptions about mushrooms you see based on this post. I'm a novice. Some edible mushrooms have dangerous lookalikes.

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I found a rotting Calvatia Gigantea. The slugs are gonna have a field day.

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I live under a rock and it's a sublet

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Polypore in Central Illinois. Took this picture recently, 2 days after heavy rainfall. I just wanted to take pictures instead of taking notes. I regret it now, though. I feel like this is some type of Trametes, but tbh that's based on vibes. Very dense pores on the underside, I'd say like .25 mm spaced. No idea about the spore color. No idea what type of tree this is. No bruising. Thin, soft but firm. Dry.

[mundane-thought-haver]

I'm an amateur, I'm not 100% on this identification.

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Jack o' Lanterns from last year!