The Sunset Samurai

Things have been unusually busy lately and I need to get on here and respond to comments today. I didn't forget, and I'm not ignoring it. :)

We've been dealing with the fallout from the power steering fiasco, and I think that is taken care of. It also turned out that the tractor was due for routine maintenance and that is done. Cooler weather means I'll be doing my last yard mowing of the season this week.

Last night was interrupted by Crowley seeing this stray/feral cat on the back deck. I call this cat Stumpy because of his short tail, though he may be part bobcat - we're not sure. He's actually quite friendly. Crowley was growling and carrying on, and I ended up locking him in the bathroom for a couple of hours. He wasn't happy about it, but no one can sleep when a cat is singing their War Song.

Once my brain is fully online I'll be back with updates and comments and such.

My first official GoRuck event is in the books! It was a lot of fun, but I did not prepare properly for it, mainly because I wasn't sure what to expect. I was certainly not expecting a 35-minute AMRAP circuit before we even got going. Fox bowed out because his leg and foot are actually feeling good, and he didn't want to mess that up. I hung in there for a couple of circuits before I had to admit ... my blood pressure was too low for it, and I felt like I was going to pass out.
But I also noticed a lot of folks modifying the exercises to accommodate various injuries or limitations, and after 20 minutes, only a handful were still doing reps. So I felt less like a lazy idiot.

The course was a 5 kilometer walk around the city with stops at three cemeteries, the "torture museum," (complete with a niche mini-lecture from me about how much of what we think of as medieval torture is, unexpectedly, the Spanish Inquisition), an old military barracks, and crossing the Bridge of Lions and coming back. I made sure to stop and pat each lion because I'm a dork. Fox enjoyed getting out and walking around, and reminded me we haven't actually been to St. Augustine since Kitty died. It was a fun evening.

Until the power steering went out on the truck. We managed to get out of the parking garage though the pump was whining and the steering was making this awful grinding noise and headed to a nearby Walmart. Fox was checking the area around the steering mechanism and it looked like maybe a seal failed, but when we parked before the ruck, it had time to just leak out completely. We filled the pump back up with steering fluid and happily, we made it home without having to stop and do that again. Fox plans to replace the pump and a couple of other parts, and says he should have been checking this on his own but never really thought about it, so it's amazing that we were still driving around with the factory steering fluid.

We rolled up at home at 10:30, way past our normal bedtime, but I took time to get a hot shower and wind down a little. Crowley woke me up at his usual zero-cat-thirty, so I have not slept a whole lot and I feel kind of derpy. But it was worth it, we had a good time, and I liked the event well enough that I'd happily do another, and I know what I'm getting into.

The outdoor kitty's dad finally contacted us - he lives over on another road near here, but farther than even I thought, it's about a mile and a half from us. I run in that area sometimes (more now that there aren't loose dogs anymore). We were able to trap the cat again and hold him and the guy dropped by with a carrier. The cat's name is Tony Hawk - he says he let one of his kids name him. Anyway, he's back home now.

I'm mildly disappointed because I was all excited about ✨new kitty!✨ despite also wanting him to go back to his regular family. I was also a little dubious about adopting a young cat with Crowley still around. I'd like him to live out his senior years in relative calm, and he enjoys being the only cat in the house. Fox was also saying we can go to the shelter when we're ready, and mentioned that I seemed like the type who would adopt an adult cat, especially if they weren't a sprayer. (I would, he's right)

On a totally different topic, but one I love - noodles.

For several years whenever Fox and I are at Disney World and we end up at Animal Kingdom, we go to the Satu'li Canteen in their Pandora area for this noodle bowl that is just delicious. We both get a mixed grill kind with smoked chicken and beef. They used to also offer chili-garlic tofu which was really good. Fox gets his dressed with herb ranch, and Disney actually published a home version of this sauce. The one that a lot of people, including me, really want is the black bean vinaigrette.

I've made a few stabs at this dressing but never could really figure it out, especially how the black beans fit in there. Chinese black bean sauce was WAY too pungent and just very wrong, regular old black turtle beans from a can didn't make sense.

I was watching an episode of Beard Meets Food and he was eating this bowl of Korean black bean noodles, and they mentioned the name of the stuff the sauce was made with. I'm not very familiar with Korean cooking beyond gochujang, and making a spicy sauce for tteok bokki, or spicy sauce over rice cakes. So later in the evening I had this revelation - a literal shower thought. What is that Korean black bean stuff? I bet that's what is in the dressing at Disney! It's black fermented soybeans made into a paste. It's more salty than the Chinese stuff and doesn't have whatever stinky thing the Chinese version contains.

I now have a tub of the stuff and I'm going to try whipping up some black bean noodles this weekend - jjajangmyeon. Vinaigrettes are pretty simple - vinegar, a sweetener, maybe some herbs and black pepper. The Disney stuff is savory but mild. Disney's "spicy" is a step down from Japanese "spicy." *laughs in Cajun* Cracking this recipe would make me feel like an immortal among Disney Adults. Bow down before me, I am the Recipe Whisperer!

It's 50 this morning. Maybe I should have put an extra blanket on the bed.

Not only do I hate Facebook, I do very poorly in local groups, mainly because of my overwhelming desire to "laugh react" to stuff like this.



Because it's funny.

Last night there was a cat on the back deck. We've seen this one the past few days - red reflective collar and all. I thought perhaps one of the neighbors got a new kitty but it turns out he's probably lost, because we were able to lure him to come to us with dry food and he inhaled two dishes worth of chow. The poor little guy was giving those long meows that usually mean "please help me," but we couldn't get him to come inside and stay. Plus Fox and I are both going to be gone all day today with medical stuff, and it seemed unfair to just lock him in the bathroom and leave.

So we'll probably try again later this week if and when he comes back. I've sent a photo of him to my neighbor to see if she might recognize him, but I think he's just managed to wander too far from home and has gotten lost.

I do not want to go into Jacksonville for this stupid appointment. I hate this shit. But there's a new ramen place that opened up nearby that Fox really wants me to go try and report back on, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to get a couple of bao and maybe a plate of omurice. I'll drop by Jax Oriental on my way, and then once the appointment is over head back home. Fox will be getting an MRI on his foot at about the same time. He's got a few follow up appointments later this week, but much closer to home.

Should I get a slice of matcha mille crepe cake? I love matcha desserts, and it seems excessive, but when will I be back that way with Fox? I'm probably not doing Gate River Run, so ... who knows.

I hope that cat is all right. I hope he comes back tonight. Crowley disagrees with me, though, and likes being an Only Kitty.

1. How long ago did you join LJ (or DW)? I joined LJ in early 2001, then DW in ... 2016? I forget.

2. How did you find out about LJ (or DW)? I was an artist on Elfwood when they temporarily shut down. Their page said you could find out more at their LiveJournal, so I signed up at first just to keep up with that situation, then stayed because I started making friends on the site.

3. If someone introduced you to LJ (or DW), is s/he still on your friends list? I think Elfwood is defunct now. But I still have some folks here that I knew way back then!

4. Have you introduced anyone to LJ (or DW)? OMG yes, a lot. I had several people on LJ, but I don't think I have anyone I've gotten to join DW. Maybe?

5. Is your LJ (or DW) public or friends only, and why? It's mostly public. For one thing, I don't have much reason anymore to keep my journal friends-only. When I still lived in Louisiana I worked for the parish government and kept things locked just so nosy people wouldn't find out much about me. It's also good to keep it open here because I have a friend who doesn't need or want to sign up but still likes to read my posts.