Holy shit that sounds cool.

Busy day for me. Weekends tend to be.

Sunday is…not exactly meal prep day, because that implies that I’m making whole meals. But I do have vegetables to pickle and some leftover cheese to turn into a sauce that’ll freeze well. I plan to have mac and cheese, slaw, and airfryer “barbecued” chicken later this week or next week.

I also have errands, and I’m meeting up with some coworkers to discuss ongoing unionizing efforts.

Idk man the cat looks innocent. I think your furniture is just deteriorating on its own /j

My preferred candidate won what was arguably the most impactful race in my state, so that’s a pleasant relief.

Never bring a knife to a gun fight

I can’t tell if you’re joking or not with “quick-unpick.”

Depending on the fabric, placement of the seam, discomfort caused by the tag, and whether you have access to a sewing machine, whether or not it’s worth undoing the overlock seam to remove a tag and then mending the new hole varies. Personally I’ve left these and removed them on different garments.

I’ve never used nail scissors, don’t know. Before I realized I could use a seamripper I cut the tag itself as close to the seam as possible with ordinary craft/paper scissors.

Like many people who identify as autistic, I never received a formal diagnosis. There are various reasons for this phenomenon: autism being historically overlooked in women and people of color, in the US restricted access to healthcare due to costs, and of course the stigma of being any flavor of neurodivergent, to name a few.

I suppose that the characteristic I noticed first was social awkwardness, as I have never fit in with my peers long before I understood why or even heard the word autism. But my journey to self-identifying as autistic was many years, and my RAADS-R score (taken online, without direction of a medical professional) was the thing I could look at as as external, relatively-objective validation that yes, I am autistic.

I was the opposite. Math was, if not easy, then simple. Every math problem has a specific set of steps you take to solve it, and a single objective answer. Unlike literature, there’s no room for differing opinions or interpretation. It meshed very nicely with my black-and-white worldview.

My new bo arrived yesterday! On one hand, it’s so pretty and I can’t wait to try it out in katas. On the other. I can’t believe I paid >200usd for a stick. I’ve reached peak weapons nerd 🫠

Well, I’m definitely aware that I’m autistic

You’re in good company.

I voted early yesterday. They give you “i voted” stickers in the US when you vote. Kiddo came with me and excited to get a sticker.

Today I’m working and later I have martial arts practice. My teacher wants to do some work with bo, which will be a nice change from the sword work we’ve been doing lately.

I’m going to a local sign building event for no kings tomorrow, and of course I have to put an andor quote on my sign :D

BABY 🥺

My own calico kitty is an absolute menace who keeps nibbling my new strawberry plants. So I put the plants up on a shelf until it stays consistently above freezing outside. I hope that’s soon.

More weapons fun fact: in ancient Japan (at least in some eras), the naginata was traditionally used by (largely upper-class I think?) women.

I like to believe this means that at some point, someone looked at this weapon that’s basically a sword on a bigass stick and went “ah yes, the epitome of femininity”. If I’m wrong, nobody tell me.

Well, I oiled my wooden sword this morning. Fun fact: oiling wooden weapons helps prevent cracking when they’re struck (or strike something like another wooden weapon.)

One day I’m going to get a naginata.

My brain went “agoraphobia = fear of heights”. I was very confused until I looked it up. Fear of crowds/public spaces makes more sense.

It did not hurt as much as the years of not being able to read other people’s behavior which lead to ostracization by my peer group and internalizing that I was fundamentally broken and unloveable

Ooh, yes. Perhaps I’ll make (circular) cookies again.