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ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-08-28 07:46 pm
Water
The researchers analyzed population data, including life expectancy, of more than 66,000 census tracts throughout the United States, comparing numbers baked on proximity to waterways.
They found that living within miles of the ocean breeze may be linked to a longer life, but that the same benefits don’t apply for living in a riverside city (Sorry, Chicago).
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my_spikesgirl58_feed) wrote2025-08-28 11:37 pmJust wondering
What's something that you needed to get done today and didn't?
How is tomorrow looking?
wtfjht_feed) wrote2025-08-28 04:50 pmDay 1682: "It can happen to anyone."
Today in one sentence: Three senior CDC leaders resigned after the White House fired Director Susan Monarez less than a month into her tenure; the White House named Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s top deputy, Jim O’Neill, as acting director of the CDC; Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard revoked the clearance of a senior CIA Russia expert days after Trump’s summit with Putin in Alaska; Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook sued Trump to block what she called an “unprecedented and illegal” attempt to fire her from the Fed board; federal agents interrupted operations at the site Washington’s largest wildfire for more than three hours to conduct immigration checks and arrest two firefighters; a federal judge barred Kari Lake from firing the director of Voice of America, saying she lacked the authority without a Senate-confirmed advisory board vote, which Trump disbanded earlier this year; the U.S. Air Force will grant military funeral honors to a Jan. 6 rioter who was shot by Capitol Police while trying to climb through a barricaded door to the Speaker’s Lobby near the House chamber; Trump proposed that Republicans hold a national convention before the 2026 midterm elections; and Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to keep the government funded.
1/ Three senior CDC leaders resigned after the White House fired Director Susan Monarez less than a month into her tenure. Monarez’s lawyers said she was removed for refusing to “rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives” from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The resigning officials said the shake-up threatened science with Demetre Daskalakis saying “our science is going to be compromised,” while Debra Houry warned vaccine policy was being set “before we had the data,” and Daniel Jernigan accused HHS of pressing him to alter settled safety studies. Hundreds of CDC staff staged a walkout in Atlanta with signs reading “Science not conspiracy” – weeks after a gunman hostile to vaccines attacked the agency. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who cast the pivotal vote to confirm Kennedy as HHS Secretary – called for the CDC vaccine panel meeting to be delayed. Kennedy, meanwhile, dismissed the resignations, saying “some people should not be working there,” accused the CDC of a “deeply embedded malaise.” He added “There’s a lot of trouble at CDC, and it’s going to require getting rid of some people.” (Washington Post / Bloomberg / Axios / New York Times / Politico / Wall Street Journal / Politico / The Hill / CNN / Reuters / Wall Street Journal)
2/ The White House named Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s top deputy, Jim O’Neill, as acting director of the CDC. O’Neill, a former Silicon Valley investor and Thiel Foundation executive, is deputy secretary at HHS and a close aide to Kennedy. He was confirmed in June despite lacking a medical degree, but told senators he supported vaccines while criticizing the government’s coronavirus response. His appointment gives Kennedy direct control over the CDC as he moves to rewrite federal vaccine policy. (Washington Post / Bloomberg / The Guardian)
3/ Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard revoked the clearance of a senior CIA Russia expert days after Trump’s summit with Putin in Alaska. Gabbard, acting on Trump’s orders, named the officer in a public list of 37 officials accused of “politicizing and manipulating intelligence,” even though she was reportedly under cover at the time. CIA officials were blindsided, calling her “the antithesis of a political operator,” while another warned, “If it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone.” (Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / CNN)
4/ Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook sued Trump to block what she called an “unprecedented and illegal” attempt to fire her from the Fed board. No president has ever tried to remove a sitting Fed governor, and her case could decide how much power the White House has over the central bank. Trump claimed Cook was “credibly accused of lying in financial documents” on 2021 mortgage applications, referring to allegations pushed by his housing chief Bill Pulte. Cook, however, hasn’t been charged and her lawyers called any discrepancy a “clerical error.” Her lawsuit said the claims were “unsubstantiated and unproven” and a pretext “to effectuate her prompt removal and vacate a seat for President Trump to fill and forward his agenda.” Cook also said she was denied due process since she received no notice or hearing before Trump announced her firing. A hearing on her request for a temporary restraining order is set for Friday. The case expected to reach the Supreme Court. (New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Politico / Bloomberg / Washington Post / NPR / Reuters / Associated Press / CNN / CNBC)
5/ Federal agents interrupted operations at the site Washington’s largest wildfire for more than three hours to conduct immigration checks and arrest two firefighters. Border Patrol said it acted at the request of the Bureau of Land Management after contracts with two Oregon firms were canceled, though officials gave no details about the investigation. Firefighters said they were ordered to line up, told not to film, and blocked from saying goodbye to detained coworkers. One firefighter said a federal officer told him, “You need to get the (expletive) out of here. I’m gonna make you leave.” The Bear Gulch fire has burned nearly 9,000 acres and was 13% contained as of Thursday. (Seattle Times / New York Times / Associated Press / The Guardian)
6/ A federal judge barred Kari Lake from firing the director of Voice of America, saying she lacked the authority without a Senate-confirmed advisory board vote, which Trump disbanded earlier this year. Judge Royce Lamberth issued a permanent injunction and said Trump could replace the removed board members if he wanted Michael Abramowitz out. Lake called it an “absurd ruling” and claimed, “President Trump runs the executive branch.” Lamberth said Lake was “verging on contempt of court” and ordered her to testify under oath next month. (CNN / Washington Post)
7/ The U.S. Air Force will grant military funeral honors to a Jan. 6 rioter who was shot by Capitol Police while trying to climb through a barricaded door to the Speaker’s Lobby near the House chamber. The Biden administration had rejected the request from the family of Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran, for honors, with an Air Force general saying they’d “bring discredit upon the Air Force.” In May, the Trump administration also approved a nearly $5 million settlement with Babbitt’s family in a wrongful death case. (Politico / HuffPost / The Guardian / CNN)
8/ Trump proposed that Republicans hold a national convention before the 2026 midterm elections. “It has never been done before. STAY TUNED!!!” he wrote on Truth Social, adding that Republicans “won every aspect of the Presidential Election” and are “poised to WIN BIG IN THE MIDTERMS.” House Speaker Mike Johnson endorsed the idea, writing, “YES, Mr. President! Let’s go!!!!” Democrats are also weighing a pre-midterm convention to showcase candidates, but some leaders warned it could be too costly as the DNC lags behind Republicans in fundraising. (Politico / New York Times / Washington Post)
9/ Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to keep the government funded. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican Leader John Thune to meet next week, calling it “imperative […] to avert a painful, unnecessary lapse in government funding and to address the healthcare crisis Republicans have triggered in America.” They warned that nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts and the end of Affordable Care Act subsidies would close hospitals and raise costs. They said they would not accept another March-style standoff, when Republicans forced through a partisan resolution. “It is past time you reveal your plans […] otherwise, it is clear that you have abandoned bipartisanship altogether and are preparing to shut down the government,” they wrote. (Politico / Axios / The Hill)
33 days to avoid a government shutdown – 432 days until the 2026 midterms.
- Today last year: Day 1317: "Just normal day-to-day stuff."
- Two years ago today: Day 951: "A prompt and efficient resolution."
- Five years ago today: Day 1317: "Profoundly."
- Six years ago today: Day 951: Dread.
- Seven years ago today: Day 586: Serious situation.
- Eight years ago today: Day 221: Speaks for himself.
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taz_39) wrote2025-08-28 06:58 pmLast Week of August Layoff - Part 2
Up at 8 though I could have (and would have liked) to sleep longer.
Jameson was up at 8:30 for breakfast and the gym. He's starting to get nervous about his wisdom tooth removal on Saturday and is thinking about what soft foods he should pick up. I've already decided that Thursday's dinner is going to be meatloaf and mashed potatoes since those should be easy-to-chew leftovers.
While Jameson was out at the gym I went to the grocery for dinner ingredients, then prepped the salad. Well, I started to prep the salad but the lettuce I'd bought had rotted from the inside so I had to drive all the way back to the store and replace it. By the time I'd returned and finished the salad it was lunch time, then Jameson had a zoom meeting. I wanted to go for a walk but it's still so hot, so instead dozed and read my book until he was done then practiced bass trombone for a mere half hour. Then BOTH of us lazed around because he had nothing to do until a 4pm class. I was so bored that I counted out the 15 pasta shells for tonight's dinner and set out all the pans I'd need. Worked on Foodie Finds for North Charleston as well, mostly just checking that the restaurants I'd pegged are still open (some of them weren't so it's good I checked)
It's a good thing that I'd prepped so much for dinner because partway through boiling the shells I gave them a stir...and to my surprise, every single shell had broken!! I am 41 years old and never in all my days on the planet have I seen something like that happen! What would even cause it?? I was flabbergasted. For the THIRD time that day I had to drive back to Publix and grab another box of shells (a different brand.)
Thankfully none of the new shells broke at all and I was able to proceed with dinner. My goodness. Between the rotten lettuce and the broken pasta the universe seemed rather opposed to my cooking dinner tonight.
But we endured :p Here are our delicious cheesy shells:
Jameson prefers non-meat shells filled with ricotta, parm, mozzarella, and savory Italian spices. I add just a touch of nutmeg too. They're creamy and delicious, but I have to take one Lactaid per stuffed shell. We watched BattleBots together, and for dessert we tried a bunch of the candy I'd gotten for us. The peelable sweet potato candy was certainly weird; it did taste like sweet potato and I might have liked it except it had a sour taste that didn't really belong. Jameson said the Mountain Dew gummy worms were "ok" but didn't quite nail the flavor of the drink. Ah well, it's fun to try new things.
----------------------------------------------------------------
THURSDAY
With Jameson at Disney corporate early in the morning I was able to have a more productive day. There are certain yucky chores that I prefer to do when he's not around, and one of them is scrubbing the bathroom. The cleaning product that I use is the only one that well and truly kills black mold between scrubbings, but it smells absolutely horrible and burns the throat and eyes. I don't subject Jameson to that.
And so, after breakfast:
- Scrubbing the shower (ugh)
- Grocery for dinner ingredients (I feel like I live at this grocery now)
- 2-mile walk
- Lunch
- Laundry
- 30 minutes bass trombone practice
- Making meatloaf sauce
- 2pm union meeting *
- Typing up union meeting notes *
- Assembling dinner and getting meatloaf into the oven
Dinner was meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans, nothing special. There were too many onions in the meatloaf and not enough apple this time, kind of a bummer but I'll remember it for next time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Friday: No plans except celebrating our friend Lea's birthday at Epcot (idk what that'll entail but CERTAINLY a drink)
Saturday: Jameson's wisdom tooth surgery.
Sunday: Any final chores, repacking my suitcase, checking in for my flight, and enjoying a final day with Jameson before Beauty and the Beast starts up again in Durham.
earthobservatory_iod_feed) wrote2025-08-29 12:00 amFive Minutes in Orbit
An astronaut captured a moonrise—and much more—in a series of photos taken from the International Space Station.
sistawendy) wrote2025-08-28 02:15 pm
I forgot how to sleep again.
Poo. And zzzzzzz.
iamrman) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
scans_daily2025-08-28 09:42 pm
Hawkworld #11
Writer: John Ostrander
Pencils: Graham Nolan
Inks: Gary Kwapisz
Shayera's grandmother reveals her true origins, while Katar helps Blackhawk Express dispose of some chemical weapons.
( Read more... )
greghousesgf) wrote2025-08-28 12:58 pm(no subject)
oursin) wrote2025-08-28 08:13 pmHas somebody optioned the heart-warming movie yet?
(Actually this also sounds as though it's timetravelled from An Earlier Day and the improving literature thereof.)
‘They’re beautiful’: 13-year-olds lead audacious project to save harvest mice in Devon:
Best friends Eva Wishart and Emily Smith had become devoted to harvest mice, and were upset, a couple of years ago, to find out the species is threatened in England due to farming practices and habitat loss.
The two girls took matters into their own hands and decided to replenish local harvest mice stocks themselves. In the two years since, they have bred dozens of the tiny rodents in their garages and on Wednesday they released 250 of them into a nature reserve near Wishart’s home.
Awwwwww.
It totally has elements of heart-warming Britflick though -
Wishart and Smith, the two young naturalists, raised the mice in 27 tanks in their homes, with some sourced from a tip by Smith’s mother. Honeysuckle and hazel, plants the mice love to climb, were harvested from Wishart’s garden to place in the tanks.... The pair managed to finance the project, including buying the mice and commissioning the enclosure, with £4,000 crowdfunded from the public. They reached their goal after a boost from the well-known nature presenter Chris Packham, who shared it with his millions of nature-loving social media followers.
Early setback:
Wishart’s first foray into mice husbandry almost ended in disaster: “I was given four mice by ecologist Derek Gow, but we kept them in enclosures outside and the neighbour’s cat ate three of them. We saved the fourth, which was pregnant and had some pups.
***
In other news, I managed to assemble the UnderDesk Elliptical Thinggy and it works.
yourlibrarian) wrote in common_nature2025-08-28 02:09 pmTrees and Flowers
I wish I'd had our car in this photo as a reference point for how large those trees were, At least in the next photo you can see a park building in the bottom left which gives you some idea. It was very impressive to be driving through these roads of giants.
( Read more... )
rebeccmeister) wrote2025-08-28 02:27 pmDeath by a thousand small projects [status, projects]
But first, the Dark Dahlia has been blooming, once again, so let's pause and admire one of its blooms:
I aim to get it back out of the ground sooner this year, so hopefully I'll figure out a way to keep it such that it is able to come back even bigger and better next year.
On Sunday morning, I made more ketchup for S.
I did not bother to can this ketchup, because he will eat it soon enough, and besides, it's ketchup.
I managed to carve out some time to get my rear fender stay replaced. Getting the old bolts out went fairly well, except I did break a drill bit in the process of drilling them out.
I had to take a mini-hacksaw to the second bolt, too. But eventually I got it out.
The new fender stay is very shiny compared to the rest of the fender.
Somehow in the process of working on the fender, I did something to the dyno hub/light wiring. The projects, they never end.
I'm still working on Catio improvements. One of the improvements is the addition of more solar-powered lights, so it looks even better at night.
Other random photos:
I ordered a bunch of zines recently, including a Zine Grab Bag, and I have zero regrets.
We keep enjoying a cocktail that has coconut water as one ingredient. I noticed this product available for sale near the coconut water, and when I did the math, found that it was marginally less expensive, and involved substantially less packaging, compared to the cartons of coconut water.
Boathouse projects continue apace. For example, here's the stern of a boat right after I applied some epoxy in an attempt to figure out how water has been getting into the stern compartment.
I need to work on the car rust project this weekend. There's still too much to do.
ysabetwordsmith) wrote2025-08-28 01:18 pmBirdfeeding
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 8/28/25 -- I planted 2 yellow Harvest of Memories and 2 red War Chief irises under the maple tree at the edge of the house yard.
EDIT 8/28/25 -- I watered the irises.
EDIT 8/28/25 -- I did some work around the patio.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
brickhousewench) wrote2025-08-28 01:24 pmHey Neighbor
There was just a really loud, incredibly long shriek, long enough to finally let me confirm that the noise was probably coming out of apartment #3.
So I went down and knocked on the door. Repeatedly. I could hear the voices in the apartment getting quieter. Nobody answered the door. I knocked again. Still no answer. Then the TV turned off. I think I knocked five or six times? Because I really wanted to talk to someone, but no one answered despite the fact that I could hear them in there! I finally went back to my desk, but I kept an ear cocked.
A couple minutes later I heard someone come out of the apartment and head down the hall towards the door of the building. I stuck my head out, and it was the mom. I asked if anyone in their apartment had been screaming, and she shook her head no, nobody was screaming. She asked if I had knocked, and I told her yes. That I’d been trying to figure out where the screaming had been coming from, because every time I think someone’s getting killed.
She told me again that no one in her apartment had been screaming. I said I thought that maybe it was someone playing a video game and screaming when they scored points or something? But that it still upset me, because of one time that the Wasband and I heard screaming from the downstairs neighbors having a fight, and then suddenly, clear as a bell, the wife yelled, “Put that knife down!” and we immediately called the cops.
She again denied that anyone in her apartment was screaming (She has a teenage daughter, which is why I was thinking video games…), but she also didn’t walk out of the building, she turned around and walked right back into her apartment. LOL, I hope she went to tell her daughter to shut the f*** up.
brickhousewench) wrote2025-08-28 01:00 pmFinland is the happiest country in the world
But it wasn’t just that it was pleasant to be outside. On this walk, something clicked for me. It was nice to be doing something that had no specific purpose. What was the point in eating a leaf off a tree? There wasn’t one, particularly. It was just nice to do. In a society where it isn’t quite so drivingly necessary to prove your worth and make money to spend on supporting yourself, you’re more allowed to just eat the tree. You’re more allowed to just go for a walk, dip your body in the cold sea for a minute or two, sit in a sweaty wooden box. Everything around Finns gives them permission to do this—rather than implies that this is an unproductive use of your extremely limited, exchangeable-for-goods-and-services time.
Quietness is certainly a defining feature of Finns, though. Walking down Helsinki center’s yellow-terraced streets, you don’t hear raised voices. It is not uncommon to find yourself in a conversation with long periods of silence, which in London someone would be rushing to fill. My tour guide, Kathrin, a woman in her early 30s from Luxembourg who has been living here for 10 years, said that once you get used to the quiet, it’s a precious thing. “It’s OK to be an introvert in Finland,” she said as we walked past people having their coffees outside on café tables and park benches alone in the sunshine.
Who knew that the secret of being happy was guilt-free, quiet, unproductive time? (Introverts, that's who!)
my_spikesgirl58_feed) wrote2025-08-28 04:15 pmSome Halloween fun for Grey853 - Foothills style
Genre: man from UNCLE - Foothills (slash)
Rating: PG
Prompt: Halloween Party
grey853, I hope you enjoy this bit of Foothills fun. Thanks for joining in and also, my thanks to nursesparky and olden_fan for their beta help.The soft strains of Monster Mash greeted him as Illya came through the back door to the kitchen He’d already heard the song enough to know it by heart, not that it was a good thing.
It hadn’t taken long for him to know that Napoleon was ga-ga over Christmas. What he didn’t realize was that his partner was also wild about Halloween. For the last month, he’d been discovering rubber spiders in drawers and skeletons in closets. Their tiny front lawn was littered with fake graves, half-buried bodies and a host of other decorations, including a cauldron being stirred by a blond zombie wearing checkered pants and a toque. Illya had no doubt who that was patterned after. Fun stuff…
He slipped the tray into the speed rack in their walk-in freezer along with the other trays. The kitchen had been one of the few things he liked about the tiny house. What the other rooms lacked in space, the kitchen made up for. Plus, as a retired spy, it had something he appreciated - three exits. One opened out into the dining room and another onto a small patio. It had served as a meeting place for the Taste staff for a long time. The last one went out onto the back porch and its view of the rolling hills of Jackson.
He didn’t have time to wax poetic about it, though. Tonight was their annual Halloween party. Illya would have been happy to let the event pass without notice. However, Napoleon had other ideas. It had taken Illya a long time to realize that a relationship was both give and take. Napoleon didn’t ask for much, normally, and he was usually willing to go along with whatever Illya wanted to do. Doing this for him made Napoleon giddy and childlike with his joy. That was enough payment for him.
He’d used quiet time in the kitchen the previous week to work on the various apps and treats that they would be serving tonight. People were quick to answer yes when invited to one of their parties. He smiled at that. There was a tap on the kitchen door and then Matt entered.
“Pronto per la grande festa?” Matt set a basket of baked goods down on the table. “Jesus sent those with his blessings. He will come later with his family.”
“The big party… it didn’t start that way, but it is certainly ended up like that. I think all of Jackson is going to be here.”
“And maybe then some.” Matt looked around at the food-laden countertops. “There is enough food?”
“I hope so. I just hope there’s enough space.”
They’d actually roped off the parking lot that Taste and Vinea shared. There were four small fire pits with hay bales, tables and chairs scattered about. There was a tub of water ready for the apple bobbing contest for the kids and long table set up for the family pumpkin-carving contest. Roxanne had spent the last two weeks collecting Halloween images and buying crayons for a coloring for anyone not interested in apples or pumpkins. Lastly, there would be a costume competition for both children and adults, the prizes geared for the age of the winners.
“This is such a waste of time,” Illya muttered. “But it makes Napoleon happy. Me, not as much.”
Napoleon rounded the corner then and had the good sense to look sheepish. “I’m sorry, Illya. I know this isn’t your thing.”
“It most certainly is not. I was raised to respect and fear All Hallows Eve. My gypsy friends would build huge bonfires and huddle close to them until the dawn broke.”
“It’s just some fun now.”
“For some. For the rest of us, it’s just another night in the mines.”
Matt swept forward them and linked his arm with Napoleon’s. “Pay no attention to him. He is scontroso.”
“I’ll show you grumpy if you don’t get out of my kitchen.” Illya threw an oven mitt at them and, laughing, they hurriedly left. Illya checked his watch and took a deep breath. It was show time.
The party was in full swing when the stranger appeared, standing half in and out of the shadows just beyond the fence of the parking lot. He looked as if he wanted to join the fun, but stayed away.
“Who’s that?” Rocky prided himself on knowing most of the residents in their small community. True the small town was growing according to the census, but it was still just a few thousand people.
Matt glanced over and froze. “It looks like a lenghelo.”
“A what?”
“A lenghelo. It is Italian. It means long.”
True, the man was very tall and thin. He half-glided, half-stumbled as he moved. More disturbing than those moves were the rusty stained clothes he wore.
“This lenghelo, is it dangerous?”
“Only if you disrespect your family or if it takes a dislike to you. Then it jumps on your stomach while you sleep.”
“Okay…”
“And if it likes you, it will lead you to money or give you winning lottery numbers.”
Rocky was growing less concerned by the moment. “So, not so scary, but who is he?” He looked around and spotted the man who would know. “Hey, Mr. S?”
Napoleon looked over and grinned. The man was truly in his element. “Yes, my boy, what can I do for you?”
“Who is that?”
“Who is who?”
“The guy over there.” Rocky pointed toward the fence bordering the parking lot.
“Over where?”
Rocky looked and the stranger had vanished. “What the heck…”
This would come to be the pattern for the night. The stranger would float in, cause some concern and then vanish. Only once did Napoleon catch a glimpse of him and then he was gone. He couldn’t believe someone that awkward looking could move so quickly.
Finally, he’d had enough and went back into the house he shared with Illya. “Illya?”
“Kitchen.”
“What a surprise.” Napoleon entered the kitchen and winced. The man’s shirt was drenched with sweat and he looked exhausted. “Hey.”
“Hi… what’s wrong? Have they run out of the grilled artichokes again? I told Mattie we needed more.”
“Nothing is wrong, except that you are working yourself into a nervous breakdown. This is your party, too.”
“I’m no good with people, Napoleon. You know that. I’m better here, behind the scenes.”
“I need your eyes.”
“No one needs my eyes.” Illya proved the point by rubbing one. “I need to get my contacts out. They are killing me.”
“I’m serious. There’s someone crashing the party.”
“How is that possible? It’s an open invitation to anyone who wants to come.”
“This guy… there’s something odd about him. Some of the guests are visibly scared and everyone is on guard.”
“What? They are surrounded by friends and family.” Illya sounded suitably concerned now. “What are they afraid of? Has he made any threatening moves toward them or their children? Should we call the sheriff?”
“No, he’s already here. This stranger, he just stands there and watches.”
“Is he on our property?”
“No, just on the other side of the fence.”
“Then, there’s not much we can do.”
“Matt thinks he’s a lenghelo.”
Illya laughed at that and returned to his task of plating some lemongrass-skewered shrimp. “Matt is pulling your leg. Those hark back to the Castelli Romani and even if they were real, which they aren’t, they aren’t dangerous.”
“But still…”
“Napoleon, if you are concerned, then invite him in. Then, he won’t be a stranger.” He reached for a dish towel and wiped the edge of the platter. “Would you send someone in for these?”
“I can take them, if you want.” Napoleon held out his hands.
“You could, but I’m paying them.” Illya stepped forward and gave him a quick kiss. “You go and enjoy the party.”
Napoleon nodded and walked out. Something caught his attention as he passed from the kitchen door to the small dining room. There was a bit of fabric sticking out from beneath the closet door.
Napoleon looked back at the kitchen and quickly stepped over to the closet. Inside hung an impossibly long rust-stained coat and painter’s stilts. Suddenly, everything became clear and he quietly shut the closet door. “That old devil! He’s the lenghelo… I should have known. He loved dressing up in the old days. I guess, there’s some life in the old boy, after all,” he murmured softly.
He looked back at the kitchen door and smiled. Illya had brought some excitement and an element of uncertainty to the party. Folks would be talking about it for days to come. That was all any host wanted, for their party to be remembered and talked about. And he remembered something Illya said.
While the Taste staff was reloading the buffet table, Napoleon took to the temporary stage. “May I have everyone’s attention, please?” The microphone carried his voice over the crowd to the very corners of the parking lot. “Before we get started with the night’s awards, I’d like to thank someone who has made this evening a true success.”
There was a murmur through the crowd and people all looked over at the little house Napoleon shared with Illya. Napoleon paused for a moment and then resumed. “I know you think you know who that is, but you don’t. It was a stranger, someone who lingered just outside and looked in. Who was he? We may never know, but I put it to you that the solution is in your hands. If there’s someone here you don’t know, reach out to them and say hello. Every friend started as a stranger, even Chef, although some might argue he’s a bit stranger than most. How about a round of applause for the folks who made this happen for us.”
Illya stood in the shadows, listening and smiling. He’d been rumbled and it wasn’t a surprise. He knew if anyone figured it out, it would be Napoleon. The man knew him too well. That was fine. He’d made it a night that everyone would remember. Tomorrow would start the mad dash towards the holidays, but for Napoleon they were already in full swing. What more could a lenghelo ask for?
anais_pf) wrote in thefridayfive2025-08-28 12:58 pmThe Friday Five for 29 August 2025: Trash Questions
spiralsheep.1. Does where you live have regular doorstep rubbish collections or do you have to take your trash somewhere else?
2. Do you separate recycling? What sort of stuff gets recycled from your household?
3. Do you take things you don't need to charity shops, or give them away online, or sell them secondhand, or ...?
4. Do you pick up litter in your local area, from streets or trails or play areas or parks? Have you ever found anything interesting discarded or lost in a public space?
5. Are there "repair cafés" near you to help mend fixable items? Have you ever been helped by a community repair service or volunteered for one? Do you do any other kind of upcycling?
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!