#a day in the life of televinita

[televinita]

I have had a very productive night!

Finished a book

Made soup (inspired by @saltwaterandstars; I didn't have all the ingredients for this soup but I DID find, to my delight, an unopened bag of lentils I've had in the cupboard for like a year so I made a basic lentil soup w/ carrots & celery that was still great)

Made brownies (from a box mix)

Did all the dishes that have been put off for 2 days

Washed my hair

Wrote a few Goodreads reviews

And now GOODREADS CHOICE IS LIVE?? Should I go have fun or should I suppress the urge as long as possible because I know I will feel rage in this Chili's tonight at the poor selection...

[televinita]

Husband went off to the movies & general being-out business so I spent 4 hours today being Ultra Productive:

Made pasta salad

Did all the dishes

Cleared & organized the counters

Took out all the recycling

Cleared the fridge of leftovers and food past its prime (we are mostly good at not wasting food but we never quite seem to get through all of our dips, spaghetti sauce and/or fruit on time)

CLEARED OFF & CLEANED THE DINING ROOM/WORK TABLE! (untouched for two months, increasingly disastrous)

While I had a plastic bag serving as a portable lightweight trash container, also went through some other high traffic areas and scooped up various scraps and debris

Photographed all my book sale hauls (effort!!)

Dropped two books off in the nearest Little Free Library

[televinita]

Highlights of my Half Price Books Labor Day sale store tour (sightings & purchases edition):

Things Of Interest I Saw & Didn't Get:

-Both Flawless and Heartless by Elsie Silver. flipped through one out of curiosity, and JESUS CHRIST no I will not be reading those ever, ew.

-Magnolia Parks (incredibly ugly what-in-the-generic-2000s-chick-lit newer/traditionally published edition)

Side note: I really appreciate that at least my local branch has committed to putting the smuttier romance novels, even the popular ones (ex. Anna Huang's Kings Of... series), into their "erotica" section. It doesn't mean the ones in regular Romance are necessarily better, but it does help confirm which ones are guaranteed eyeball poison. I hope it also gives some people enough pause to think about their life and choices, confront what they're actually into instead of tee-heeing about ~spice~.

-The Bright Side by Kim Holden, newer & prettier cover edition, a book on my TBR that I can only get through I.L.L., but alas, the spine was not only wrinkled but fully bent into a backwards C. No, we're not spending more than $2 on that condition. >:( (bonus, now that I've had a chance to flip through it...eh, maybe I'm not that interested after all, the writing style doesn't feel that polished)

-The paperback edition of Fangirl with green sprayed edges and 2 color illustrations...which I should have but didn't realize were new for this edition, along with a new introduction, and damn, now I'm kinda mad at myself.

-If one were so inclined, one could have bought nearly the entirety of Colleen Hoover's backlist, including novellas, at a single location. You could do that at one of two locations, in fact.

-The Once Upon a Book Club special edition of A Diamond in London, in the regular section so I think no more than $10, with all its paper ephemera tucked inside. (tempting, but I already turned down an option to buy the full box on eBay for $30, in part because while beautiful, I'm not that enthused by the story. btw, fascinating that it's not listed on their website -- unless it was bought in the last 6 hours, they only have the trade paperback listed, and then this edition at $40).

-Dorothy Lyons horse book! Midnight Moon, for $35. It IS rare, but that's still more than I paid for my copy, and this one had a bit of the top of the spine bitten or torn off, no dust jacket either.

-Young Warriors: Stories of Strength, ed. Tamora Pierce, even though it was under $4, because I practiced miraculous restraint and reminded myself that I can get this through interlibrary loan and I'm literally only interested in her story and her introduction. How I had the strength to do this and still lost my mind later on is unknown, but at least I showed ONE ounce of restraint today.

-The massive Harry Potter World of Stickers book (truly tempting. but even $11.20 (the price after discount), while a great deal objectively, is a lot for stickers I know i won't use / a thick, heavy hardcover)

THINGS I GOT: (might photograph later but absolutely cannot guarantee it)

-A Mimi Matthews book! (Gentleman Jim, regrettably in its uglier original cover rather than the series-matching Perfectly Proper Press one but I'll still take it for access reasons)

-TWO Betty Cavanna books! (ugly Berkley Highland mass-market photo cover editions, and not ones I know or or am that excited about -- A Time for Tenderness and Stars In Her Eyes -- but I will literally buy anything from her. Also they were $3 each and came in plastic sleeves and, if ugly, are at least in perfect condition).

-Speaking of mass market vintage children's paperbacks in plastic sleeves, The Ghost of Five Owl Farm by Wilson Gage because I read another one of her books earlier this year and liked it. Also it was only $2.

-Did You Hear About the Morgans on DVD (clearance) so now we shall never be parted. 🥰

-I did in fact get the $3 pink edition of Fangirl, even though its spine is sun-faded, because I have spent fully two years now looking at the regular price of $10 and continually saying no to it. I just wanted the interior art!

-The Once Upon a Book Club special edition of The Lost Melody by Joanna Davidson Politano, also with its paper ephemera tucked inside, because that one I was somewhat tempted by when it was new, just not enough to get the full box. And it's even prettier than The Diamond of London, and it was only $6, even before the sale.

-Book 3 in the Alanna quartet by Tamora Pierce, in the pretty Atheneum trade paperback editions I'm collecting, on clearance for $2! Just one more I need now, I think. But should probably double-check.

-The Princesses of Iowa which wasn't even on my want-to-own list, but I happened to randomly spot it while walking past, where it was misshelved in adult fiction, and that felt like...a sign? Tell me why I spent $4.20 + tax on this though, even if it IS a pristine paperback, just because I felt surprisingly fondly toward it when I read it. (and it's pretty i guess)

-Scripted Unscripted, a random young-end-of-YA novel on clearance because damn it the cover is so cute and also I simply could not walk away from a premise of "daughter who normally helps her dog-trainer father on Hollywood movie sets randomly gets pulled to work in front of the camera."

[televinita]

For over 3 years we have known blissful peace in this apartment building, have never heard a single sound from other residents unless they were in the hallway, nothing at all except regular thuds from above that sounds like they drop weights on the floor. I thought all those stories about apartment buildings and "thin walls" were either urban legend or something we got to avoid by a) having a building built in the 1960s, with presumably higher-quality construction, and/or b) a corner unit that only shares walls on one side.

But damn, we now have awful neighbors, featuring some asshole who is CONSTANTLY yelling at someone else -- he will go on for 10-20 minutes straight, and then be at it again an hour later, at least twice a week. He is currently on his third fourth fucking round as we speak, over the course of 5 hours.

Someone there is also regularly playing music so loud and/or close to the wall that it's roughly the same volume as when the church across the street does an outdoor service in the summer with live music and we have our windows open. Muffled, but still clear enough to know what song it is (at least it's mostly adult contemporary, not anything with a lot of cursing or, god forbid and knock on wood, heavy bass).

On top of this, the people above now have a baby, who can regularly be heard wailing. 🙃🙃 (still less annoying than Bellowing Bull Man though)

[televinita]

Got a covid shot for the first time since 2021, and moderately annoyed that while it felt like absolutely nothing going in, not even a little sting, I have now developed a firm and slightly warm, reddish swelling at the site of injection. Boooo!

I mean I can't complain too much because it doesn't actually itch or hurt (unless pressed), but it's the principle of the thing. (also it's where my hand naturally goes to rest out of habit when I need a moment to think while at the computer, so I am constantly reminded of it)

[edit: it did in fact go away after 5-7 days (noticeably started fading/getting less swollen on day 5)]

[televinita]

To make up for my terrible Monday, I had an AMAZING Friday, which I randomly had free of work and so I went to TOWN, going to bed early enough that I was naturally awake by 8:30 and ready to leave before 11 (even dawdling and having a nice breakfast), plotting an efficient garage sale route of six stops with an estimated ~45 minutes of driving (roughly in a circle, even, so it was only 10 mins to home after that), and then having such an absolute blast stopping at every additional sale AND Little Free Library I passed along the way that I was out for five hours.

Even with a 25-minute diversion to a dollar store, because I hadn't originally expected to be out for more than 2-3 hours max and so hadn't brought anything to drink and was FEELING the humid, 90-degree weather by mid-afternoon (even though for most of the day, there was enough breeze that, driving in air conditioning, it didn't honestly feel too awful!)...I managed to fit in every stop I'd planned, getting to my last one at 4:15, because they were the only ones open 'til 5 instead of 4. Perfectly timed!!

Got back, had a nice cool shower that felt AMAZING, then did the dishes, and am now preheating the oven (yes despite the heat :P) for a Hawaiian pizza + Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire** viewing night w/ husband and it's gonna be great!

(**have I ever seen a ghostbusters movie in my life, including the one to which this I think this is a sequel? Nope! But all I need ever is a good cast and a rating below R, and I like this cast, so I am excited.)

And I got some things, too, but I actually can't remember them all because I just scored left and right and it's almost pizza time, so I'm gonna do Neopets dailies and then log off. Will round up tomorrow, I guess.

For now, just gonna say: the absolute best part of my day was petting a black and tan longhaired mini Dachshund, who was so petite and trim I think even our cat is bigger than her, and we do not have a large cat.

She was wearing a snazzy pink harness, which sadly blocked some of her fur, but she was still SO very sweet, climbing up on my leg while I was crouched to look at a box of books, accepting head pats, and then turning around to flop into a classic Dog Lean pose, resting her tiny weight against me to accept further petting.

Long-haired dachshunds: officially added to the short list of Small Dog breeds I'd be cool with owning.

[televinita]

I am back very briefly to announce a MOMENT OF JOY: I got to pet a fluffy gray kitty!!

I've never seen a cat other than ours escape/get locked out in the apartment hallway before, but I heard meowing and even though I was 95% sure I'd just seen our cat and nobody had opened the door since then, I peeked out to check and oh! Regrettably I could only take a couple of minutes because work, but she was so sweet and friendly, so I stole Maximal Petting Time before I let her lead me over to a door that wasn't quite shut & knocked on it to return her.

Thanks universe, I needed that today. :')

[televinita]

I don't know if it's the fact that they're freshly opened or she just really likes the Rockin' Lobster flavor we haven't gotten before, but my cat is OBSESSED with these new treats. She is screaming for them, actually angrily going into the kitchen and screaming in outrage like I just called her mother a dog, even when she was given two treats ten minutes ago. (we are no longer responding to demands)

And just now, she did her usual jump from kitchen table to bar counter, but then immediately made a beeline for the lower coutner where the treats are instead of loftily gazing over her territory. She then sat importantly beside them, and when I looked over and made eye contact she yelled at me again, clearly announcing that she had FOUND the prize, damn it, now open it and give her some.

I did not give in, and she spent literally the next two full minutes fixedly staring at me in disbelief / attempting to mind-control me before giving up and going away to sulk somewhere.

[televinita]

WHAT A GREAT DAY

Despite being too excited to sleep until at least 2 AM, reluctantly getting up at 9:30 after having been bothered and harassed by a cat waking me up multiple times starting at dawn, I finally got out the door for my Adventure Day and proceeded to enjoy the following:

1. Library sale! (I was good, I was restrained, I only spent $10) This biannual event is the only reason I ever go in this direction, since it's almost a 30-minute drive, but that means I make the most of it!

2. The last of the Half Price Books in this state I've never been to (I was as restrained as I could be under the circumstances and only spent $15)

3. Savers, because it was basically right next door and I wasn't even aware of that fact until I got there. [I bought nothing here, though I was tempted by Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen (missing its jacket, though the glossy hardcover below still has the same image, just no text), the first pretty copy of The Scarlet Letter I've ever seen for less than $5 (but decided I don't like the matte textured cover), and a bind-up of Love & Gelato plus its sequel.

4. 2 different Goodwills (continuing to stay strong and only-window shop!! skipping the clothes section helped, in addition to saving time -- just a skim through to look at books, stuffed animals, office supplies, check for small cheap bookshelves (or my dream, a Target shelf I can steal the shelves out of to make ours more efficient), and maybe some random decor.

5. Some time reading outside (it was of course too miserably hot by early afternoon to enjoy any walking in the massive park by this particular library)

6. Some time -- not as much as I would like, but about an hour before dusk when the heat broke -- exploring just a tiny part of a massive regional park I've never been to before, and didn't even know was there before today because I don't usually go any farther than the library but now I DEFINITELY will.

7. Not having a headache because I drank water before I left, packed 32 oz. of water and sipped it appropriately!!! Also had packed both a sandwich for lunch and a foil-wrapped potato for dinner, plus a muffin for a treat, so I didn't even have to stop anywhere for food.

8. Heading on home at only 7:45 (because everywhere interesting closes at 8), leaving me plenty of time yet to relax before bed!

[televinita]

Highlights of my Half Price Books Labor Day sale store tour (quotes edition):

A woman around my age immediately engaging in conversation when I saw the pink collector's edition of Fangirl in clearance and picked it up for examination. "I've read that, it's really good!" she gushed, whereupon I agreed, and we commiserated over Rainbow Rowell spending all her time lately on graphic novels instead of prose. I was very excited to inform her about new release Slow Dance.

A staff member in his 20s holding up The Spellshop and informing his coworker, "You should read this! It's so sweet and relaxing. It was the perfect palate cleanser after reading a bunch of really heavy sci-fi."

As much as I don't want to remember that her response was, "Maybe, but I'm kind of in a reading slump after ACOTAR because it was SO GOOD that I kinda, almost don't want to read anything else for a while. You should try it!" But I'm adding it because his response to that was amazing: "Maybe... I'm kind of skeptical of books I've only heard of on White Girl Tiktok."

A teen girl urging the guy she was with to try A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, her favorite series.

An elderly man who came in to sell his books, after being asked if there was a particular name or nickname he wanted to be called by on the loudspeaker when his offer was ready, proudly keeping the "just don't call me late to dinner!" joke alive.

Got to direct a married couple, unable to find Riley Sager where he was "supposed to be," by suggesting they also check the Mystery aisle.

A little boy, maybe 5 or 6, very excited to hear his mom say that he could pick out up to FIVE books today if he wanted.

A pair of Black teens, one very excited to find Legendborn and enthusiastically recommending it to her friend (race relevant as the MC of this book is also Black and sometimes it's cool to see people appreciate rep in real time)

honestly just the fact that I heard so many book titles today and I knew every single one of them was kinda fun, even if it was because they're all relatively new and or super mainstream.

[televinita]

I've spent this entire 2.5 weeks cosplaying as a level 1 supervisor because one of the actual ones wasn't technologically ready to manage his own team yet (at lvl 2 pay tho), and suddenly I'm told he's ready to step up TOMORROW and I can't believe I'm over here (secretly) like "NO...these are MY team members. Mine! u no touch!"

At the very least I want a two-hour session to tell him all about these ladies and who's good and who needs extra reassurance or help and and and...

(It's possible I have taken my husband's observation that "it seems like a large part of your job so far is basically acting like a mother dog picking up escaping puppies by the scruff of their neck and putting them back where they belong" a bit too much too heart.) (he's not wrong tho)

[televinita]

I cannot believe we've already spent a full week and a half training and have not scored a single paper yet.

[televinita]

Expectation: I'm gonna map out an efficient route to hit up a bunch of Little Free Libraries in my area and have a fun post-work reward seeing what's in a whole bunch at once!

Reality:

wtf do you mean Google Maps now limits you to 8 stops per route; ugh, fine, can't fix that right now so 8 it is

first stop: open the door, reach for the first book, don't pay attention to the fact that it's right next to a flower garden and SHIT WASPS SHIT SHIT SHIT FUCK! okay fuck this I am out of here.

(PSA: please do not plant flowers next to your Little Free Library. The nice appearance is not worth the nuisance.)

next stop: I passed this yesterday because it's on a really awkward part of the road with a curve, driveways and fire hydrants everywhere so you have to walk back the length of about four houses to find a good parking spot. Fuck it, I'm only gonna be here for three minutes max and we're three blocks off any main roads, so I park on the curve. Of COURSE in that time, two fuckoff-huge pickup trucks come down said road and have to veer wide around it. (I did, at least, get to look at this one, but didn't feel like I could take the time to really examine it.)

knew I was taking a risk by planning to visit some in the village with roads so narrow two cars can barely pass, but GOD; did not expect to a) be met by a giant Amazon van turning left out of the mouth, insistently waving me forward because technically I had the right of way, so I didn't have a chance to stop and think maybe I could park in the suburbs and WALK into the sucky area;

b) almost immediately have to squeeze between a giant utility truck parked on one side of the road and a giant pickup ignoring the no-parking signs parked on the other

c) be crowded by THREE other vehicles soon following behind me so I was 3 miles away before I could even think about trying to double back to where I was originally thinking about parking. anyway.

went off to another one that was a little out of my way but still worth it before I was going to turn around and do 4 in the other direction, but whoops, car on my right at the 4-way stop threw off my sense of distance and I turned a street too early

now I'm on a 2-3 mile road with no shoulder and only one T intersection where I can turn around, but that's okay, I'll just WHAT THE FUCK why is there pothole or similar construction work being done at said interaction, not enough to close the road but just enough to require very slow and cautious driving/necessity of crossing the yellow line to pass, and because of all the activity I can't tell if it's safe to turn right into the subdivision, so I go past. Looping ALL the way around to get to my next 4 stops will take forever, but I am also NOT going to turn around at the end and go through that gauntlet again.

So I just go home, having thoroughly wasted some gas and forty minutes of my evening. Couldn't even enjoy my audiobook because half of the driving was so stressful I couldn't focus on the story and lost track of what was happening.

EDIT: Oh, and then I dropped a glass in the kitchen after dinner, shattering it and also getting one of my toes nicked by a flying shard. 🙃🙃🙃

[televinita]

I somehow accidentally have ALL the ingredients needed for not only an amazing sandwich but an amazing picnic lunch, and if I had slightly more patience there would be a photograph of it, but instead you get 100 words:

Artisan bun from Aldi that's surprisingly meh on its own but AMAZING toasted, lettuce & perfectly firm tomato, honey-roasted turkey and American cheese (shh it's perfect). Considered adding a condiment of some sort, but really didn't need it.

Korean-barbecue-flavored potato chips on the side

Vanilla Coke Zero

Raspberries for dessert (in a little while and with some water, because they don't play nice with the mildly spicy chip seasoning)

[televinita]

Pro: husband got Panda Express to split with me for lunch.

Con: He neglected to warn me that part of the chicken was kung pao "HOT orange chicken," and after eating a piece my mouth EXPLODED IN PAIN. One entire glass of milk barely had any effect. I needed 2.5, plus some water, and a solid 5 minutes to recover. Or maybe my whole mouth just went numb, there was definitely a point where I was conscious of the fact that the milk tasted like nothing, and the tingling effect was very like I'd just rinsed my mouth with a triple serving of peak awful cinnamon mouthwash. I have never been betrayed by food like this before.

[televinita]

new record of stopping at 4 libraries in one day, achieved!

I had holds and/or specific books to pick up off the shelf at 2 home-county libraries, plus some at the county next door, and the rest of my day's errands involved me going right past a fourth library so obviously WHY NOT. Why wouldn't I pop in to at least check out their book sale corner, since it's the largest of all the county libraries?

And bully for me, because I found a first-edition copy of Marguerite Henry's The Little Fellow, which unlike the newer edition* was illustrated by the legendary Diana Thorne. It's not in great shape -- no dust jacket, sun-faded -- but where else am I going to get my hands on those illustrations for fifty cents??

*it turns out the newer edition was also extensively rewritten, in part to remove the heavily, heavily exaggerated dialect of the black stable boy (transformed in the 1970s to an older white man). 😬