Captain's Log Supplemental

Thanks to grandpa’s ladder and how long it takes the rice cooker to go, I’ve finally gotten around to hanging some pictures. The seller didn’t bother to remove and patch everything, and as someone who hates hanging stuff: I’ve found the pre-existing points for mounting and hanging stuff especially convenient!

For the living room, I’ve put up three of the four paintings up. Aptly, these are my grandfather’s artistry and it was his ladder that went to the process of putting them up and using a level to get them hanging straight.

In the small framed space by the door, I’ve opted to put one of the christ pictures, since I kind of think of this space as conceptually like a kamidana and the next best candidate is a picture of mom and dad from the ‘60s that is more easily put else where.

I’ve already setup my “Hunting thropy” in the study. At a previous job, when we were cleaning out old office spaces, I had come across a nice framed rendering of one of their early mainframe systems. After helping the facilities guy send more than a few related things to his blue and green offices out back, I opted to keep that for myself instead of seeing it join the refuse. I may include some of my 8” floppy diskettes into the decore as well, but I’m not sure how well they will hold up on my study’s shelves.

Now that I have some awesome nightstands, I’ve taken the time to launder more of my grandmother’s doily’s, so that the tops have an accent that matches my dresser across the room. Being a pain in the ass, I also cut EZ-Liners to protect the drawers. Decided to break out a few of the plastic flowers I had saved from cleaning out my mother’s things, and incorporate these as well to please the eye.

Perhaps, I’m kind of odd. Traditionally, decoration and ornamentation is something that you prioritize showing to other people. Where you lead your guests, usually often get the most attention to decore. I’m not really that way. I don’t tend to have many house guests and have little desire to show off to others. Rather, I choose to focus decorating places that *I will enjoy* and frequent. So, for example my study and bedroom and kitchen have gotten far more prioritization than places like my living and dining room.

Thank GOD, I don’t live next to an IKEA.

Today, I decided to take an easier path and go out for some errands and ended up exploring a bit. Sadly, being a stupid schelp, by the time I opted for lunch, I was about ready to chew the steering wheel.

On the positive side I did have a large breakfast, not that my skills at making tamogoyaki are worth much. Finally caving in and buying myself the pan for it after all these years seems to have yielded a superb little all purpose non stick pan with spatchula. Which is nice because making eggs are about the only time I really prefer nonstick style pans, as such most of my other cookware is stainless steel or cast iron.

Sounds like some kind of stone infused non stick coating and an induction pad so it’ll work on any stove top. But really for me, it’s the case that A.) It isn’t a pain to clean after making eggs, B.) It’s probably got more even heat distribution than most of my pots, and C.) the square shape of a tamogoyaki pan can be useful. After quite a few years of going nah, I shouldn’t splurge, or nah, I don’t have cabinet space, I finally said fuck it and indulged in this long term desire. They’re not expensive nor too specialized, but when you have an apartment sized kitchen every square centimeter of storage is precious.

Which reminds me of grandpa’s ladder. For the last 30 years it’s been fairly unnecessary in that the step stool we bought in the 2000s was both tall enough and far easier to store. Let’s just say that it’s been so rarely needed in apartments that it’s more my “Better to have a rope and not need a rope than need a rope and not have it” attitude that’s hung on to it, as I’m a bit less sentimental stuff horder like than my momma was. I’m finding that grandpa’s ladder is quite darn handy to have around a house, where things like ceiling fans, smoke detectors, and light fixtures are often located too high for a simple step stool. And I’m not inclined to tea kettle off a chair either.

I’m not sure if this is evidence that I have been getting more particular about tidying as I age, or that if I had a wife: she would have buried me in the yard by now for driving her mad with such actions. Also, I blame Google search results and Mari Kondo for inspiring this solution.

The brown towel being used to dry stuff is representative of most of my kitchen towels, basically from the ‘last’ time I had moved. The red was originally meant to rotate with them but rather spent most of its life in my changing closet towel shelf. This time it’s ended up my front line towel for hand washing. I forget how old the white one is, but it was found in the utilities and got a trip through the washer with the rest before being appointed mess duty.

Hmm, this makes me wonder if the coffee tray repurposed from organizing my bathroom counter (drawers ftw!) might make a useful towel wrangling, or if it’s better reserved for my red tea set.

No, I didn’t need to buy new kitchen towels.

Yes, I bought these because they’re pretty.

Yes, all my old kitchen towels are pretty as a brick through a window.

Watching this, I’m reminded that Caroline is both crazy and awesome.

Also the beginning of the video is pretty damned perfect.

It also covers quite a few areas, worth watching IMHO. Different people will react in different ways and pressure points when living alone, like for example one of mine is the side effect of having to do everything yourself. It causes me to put more focus on cutting up house work into smaller tasks and in my experience, often makes for more negativity when life is closer to hurricane mode than pouring.

Actually, this reminds me: I should probably buy some shorts for working around the house 😅.