Birchoparenthesis

What am I into these days? My main focus is on taking care of myself and my housemate since we spend almost all our time together. I try to act in a peaceful way, aiming to make each place better just by being there—whether that's straightening some papers at the bank or putting a chair back in its spot at the store. For me, acting peacefully means not hurting anyone with my actions. What pushed me to commit to this was my past. When I was sick, I acted pretty dishonorably and didn’t really resp...

Learning how to burn a beeswax candle so I can actually enjoy it. First thing—trim the wick to about ¼ inch before you light it. Let the candle burn for a couple of hours the first time you light it; that creates a “memory ring” and helps stop tunneling. Tunneling is when the heat of flame doesn’t reach the edge of the candle. Instead, you get a hot wax pool in the middle, the wick burns down quickly, and the wax keeps melting only in the center. I love using search engines and AI tools to t...

This morning went great because I trained my brain, just like the psychologist suggested in today’s “Wake Up” video on the meditation app. “Give the brain a break,” she said. Earlier, I’d been scrolling through flea‑market listings online—it felt like munching on a huge bag of potato chips. The browsing never stopped, and the caffeine plus the pre‑dawn darkness drove me straight into tunnel vision. So, this morning, I decided to refocus on gratitude for the Higher Power and ask Him for help. T...

What is fun? Scri.ch digital ink service is fun; after making a drawing or not, it is possible to look back and see others' anonymous drawings. What is useful? Scri.ch service is useful for doodling; with an internet connection, it works wonderfully on a smartphone with a browser or on a tablet with a stylus and a browser. I can share the image online using Scri.ch. What is interesting? Scri.ch makes it interesting because it is free and open source. You can alter the string in the U...

of your recent moments, what was a time of joy? Write on that. Is joy one of those rare, fleeting moments? Getting a new computer was pretty fun. I told my housemate, "I'm happy" with the new device. I spent time typing blogs and writing lots of pages with it. So, what's the difference between happiness and joy? Happiness kind of sits somewhere between feeling content and pure joy. That’s how I see joy—like when you hear about a baby being born and it finally gets welcomed into the family. T...

Prompt: When was last time I did something nice for friends or family, and what spurred me to do it? My old friend asked me to make some crocheted squares in her hint for something she wanted. I was happy to help and gave to her about ten squares. My friend is someone who likes to give away blankets to help people experiencing homelessness. After I gave her the squares, she assembled them into a blanket. A close acquaintance of hers, who also runs a charitable service in her city, helped by g...

Maybe the calming medicine has started to take effect by now. I felt a bit out of sorts today after a friend was a little abrupt yesterday, which is pretty typical for her. The clutter around the house felt a little overwhelming at times. Going into town for church really helped brighten my day. People there recognized me, and that made a big difference—it's always nice to have some warm, personal interaction, especially since things can feel a bit distant at home with my housemate who is on the...

The urge to create meaning ebbs and flows, but it is not predictable for this writer. Starting the #100days writing challenge, some good ideas came to the writer. But now, it is a slog. One is also reminded of the infamous wall of the marathon runner. The writing of peers at Listed.to site inspires this writer. One feels that imagination has grown tired now. Thoughts come of accomplishing free writing sessions. But where does one do it? Before, coffee shops were the usual places. But now, they a...

Feeling okay today. I received a large order from an online store—mostly sub‑grade food and second‑hand goods. I’ve become attached to finding cheap items, and when the Black Friday sales started, there was an extra discount on them. The food items will be reported for a refund. I’m not complaining; there’s something good about it, and I feel blessed. Friends from out of state will arrive in two weeks. I talked with one of them about our holiday plans, and I’m looking forward to everything. The...

I played The Sims 4 on a PS4 and really enjoyed it. I took a bit of a gamble because I wasn’t sure the game would run smoothly on a next‑gen console like the PS5 or Xbox series X. Then I got some cash over the holidays and splurged on an Xbox Series X. The game ran wonderfully—load times were practically gone on the newer hardware, which made it feel a lot more fun. My main draw to Sims 4 was the Pets expansion. I’ve always wanted a dog, and having a virtual pet in the game was a blast. I loved...

Today's Wins and Positives The weather decided to cooperate! We had pleasant temperatures with some welcome sunshine—a perfect day for a break. Mission Accomplished (Almost): I got my outdoor walk in and nearly hit the day's step goal, officially earning a top "Active" rating for the day. Take that, couch. Lunch was a success: The steak prepared in the air fryer/toaster oven turned out perfectly. I feel satisfied and clear-headed regarding my current situation as a family caregiver. A good ass...

I'm looking forward to seeing some friends who will arrive from out of state. That trip will involve going to the airport and getting them situated at their city hotel. Later, more friends will arrive, and the whole event will become a reunion. I'm primarily focused on visiting with the initial arrivals. A separate occasion will be, for me, visiting friends in another state. Weather permitting, I will travel 1,000 miles across the country to see them at their holiday party. My caregiving role d...

The new computer finally arrived. It's... fine. The keyboard, the screen, the weight—all just okay. Nothing to write home about, certainly not "over the moon," but it will absolutely get the job done. Specifically, the job of banging out my often poorly written blogs and online posts. It reminds me of a conversation I had a long time ago with an Internet moderator where I confessed my geekiest purchase: the Sony Ultra Mobile PC. That thing cost over a thousand bucks and, frankly, didn't work. It...

Worked on the cat plush figure today. It is pretty spooky-looking, as it turned out to be about the size of a real cat. One used super bulky yarn, so the figure is about three times the size of the original pattern's suggested size. At about three feet tall, it is not cute. But the chenille yarn feels wonderful, and the color recalls the cat who adopted me many years ago. I guess that is weird, to have an effigy of one's former cat. A lot of these projects go straight to storage, but maybe I'll ...

Yesterday, I made and cooked up about 10 cups of chicken soup on the stove. It had onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, green pepper, and chicken. Turned out pretty good, and we’ve been eating it for a few meals since then.\ Then, I was craving ice cream but didn’t have any, so it hit me I could make rice pudding with eggs and custard. So I grabbed what I had in the kitchen, and it tasted pretty good, though the egg flavor was pretty strong and different from the usual store-bought rice pudding.\ F...

The Big Dark is the season of Fall and winter combined in the Pacific northwest. We don't have a well defined fall or winter since rain is the primary weather condition of those seasons. Near to the northern border of the USA., the number of daylight hours in a day seem to dwindle rapidly especially after the onset of Daylight Standard time. Wet and Dark are do not play well with moods and energy levels, in one's experience. It didn't hit one til about five years into one's living here. Depressi...

Journal Entry Good day. I completed all my fitness goals and will weigh myself tomorrow. I went into town to attend the worship center, but once there, it was too noisy to stay. I brought home Russian cookies and sushi for my housemate. The bus ride back from downtown was surprisingly quick and easy. Writing Morning Pages went smoothly in the pre-dawn hours. The household seems to benefit from adding extra vegetable protein daily—despite our usual poor meals and snacks. I had quite a bit of c...

Today, the counselor emphasized, “We are friends of God.” They did not say, “We are friends.” Yet one leapt to affirm, “We are friends,” and then walked back the comment. The mistake became clear: a paid counselor is not a friend. There can be agreement, even laughter, but the therapeutic relationship has safety rails around it. One realized that the counselor and the client are not friends. The paid nature of the service implies measured communication. The client may become wild or impertinent...

I hoard computers. I am going to get a second-hand computer by Friday. Do I want the device? The truth is, it has been the subject of my search for many months. If it is in good condition, which is possible given the selling individual's feedback history on the online flea market, it can provide me with what I need for my writing hobby. Computers do a lot, but this new-to-me computer will be unnecessary in my household. You need a computer to acquire a computer. So there is something primal abou...

Big dark is the time in the northern part of the USA between now, at the onset of Standard Time, and about April when mornings seem to get earlier. That is this writer's opinion, and an antidote to the cold and dark is a candle. The candle looks warm and captivates me, rooting me to my place while typing in the dark. The accessory of the candle, the white gas lighter, also gives amusement. The favored type of candle is the beeswax candle. These come from our local, hippy grocery store and are po...

Compared to a nearby competitor, Scrbl app on the Windows App Store, Inkodo is stable and has high ratings there. The handwriting character recognition feature is reliable, though it will scan and convert about three paragraphs of handwritten text to digital text at a time. It has a more complicated interface, but I was able to turn off some of the controls from the display. There is no focus mode with a clean display that I could see. It takes some initial effort to learn Inkodo's features thro...

What do I do? Feeling totally drained, no vibe to write... super tired. Slept badly last night. Keeping glasses on today instead of contacts didn’t help. Also eating way too much and cut down on caffeine. Maybe I had a little epiphany, but I can't remember. Went for a long walk, that was probably the best part of today—finally clear after the rain. Did some writing, then hung out with peeps on an online support group video. Shopping online now. I will settle for living like a peasant—my grandpar...

I really enjoy learning about luggage! It’s kind of like a little subculture of men who love bags and share their passion on fashion-focused websites. I’m usually a quiet observer on those sites because I’m not the best at chatting online, but I find them fascinating. People there often follow big brands like Gucci, LVMH, or Hermès, choosing them based on their personal style, taste, or budget. Instead of being into cars, sneakers, or watches, I’ve found my thing in luggage. And just like other ...

Postal service: They run deficits but we don't know what we would do without the mail arriving almost daily. Friends like to communicate by cards and letters. Phone conversation: My friend lives at 1000 miles distance. We are able to keep a good relationship going. That is wonderful with the technology of smartphones. Since I don't use main types of social media, a phone call seems awesome. Tikka Masala: This writer saw that the deli had prepared Tikka Masala sauce for us ...

Supporting an adult with undiagnosed autism can look different to most people, and ours is a quiet, gentle journey. We tend to communicate in questions, with him often asking for information and me asking for details from his experiences. Sometimes, we find ourselves simply looking at each other because we spend so much time at home together. We might go out for a meal occasionally, and even then, we enjoy peaceful moments in silence. Over time, his circle of friends has become smaller, mainly...

He doesn’t collect kawaii things, but he enjoys them in video games—so long as they aren’t overly girly. The latest Hello Kitty game by Sanrio felt too girly for his taste. It was like a bookshelf: one doesn’t need a bookshelf to prove they can read. In the same way, he doesn’t need to spend hours with a game like Resident Evil to affirm his masculinity. What relaxes him is the pleasure of eye candy or adorable effects in a game, paired with repetitive tasks like in-game farming. There’s a quie...

Art met rock in nineties; servers gave pastries to the unhoused. Pastry revolt quelled—now part of a local food empire. Dark roast still holds depth, but lacks the wild shots of old days. Black walls, red neon glow—nineties fame, roastery hums again. Between two legends—rock venue left, tavern whispers to the right. Newcomers gather here, drawn to grit and grace in city’s heart. Unhoused man eats lunch; laptops glow in quiet congregation. Server, sweet and dark, plays new wave tunes—gender undef...

Good things: - cheap computer tablet w/ 3 gb RAM functions fine Writer bought a fire tablet that is out of date, but it is sufficient for me to pound out my little articles. A lot of places online talked about the Fire Toolbox utility for Windows allowing a person to supplant the stock launcher of the Fire tablet, maybe. But then the writer found that it is easier to simply side load apps from F. Droid marketplace. The writer's favorite text editor app is there to sideload, and it functions fi...

Think Divergent App for IOS-Apple I haven't tried any other body doubling apps. The concept of body doubling involves real-time interaction regarding our tasks. The "double," or the other person in the chat, ideally responds and supports our goals. An attractive feature of Think Divergent (TD) is the anonymous nature of the interaction. It is text-only, so there’s no concern about one's appearance or manners. There are other doubling apps, such as Focusmate and Dubbii. However, unlike those se...

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed because it's raining and the basement has flooded. I've got a plumber scheduled to help with that. It's interesting how sometimes it feels like life is always throwing challenges our way, but I try to remember that these moments are part of the journey and can help me grow. I'm grateful for my housemate’s support and for having a safe place to rest tonight. I'm also thankful for my creative projects—they provide comfort and purpose. Looking back, I remember a kind f...