Kylara Ingress (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kylaraingress) wrote2021-04-04 06:53 pm
kylaraingress) wrote2021-04-04 06:53 pm
Entry tags:
- books,
- covid-19,
- culture,
- fan art,
- fan fiction,
- fandom,
- fanfic,
- fundraising,
- good omens,
- health,
- lgbt,
- marc evan jackson,
- marvel,
- mental health,
- music,
- personal,
- recommendation,
- sherlock holmes,
- social media,
- star wars,
- streaming,
- superheroes,
- the thrilling adventure hour,
- theatre,
- update,
- video games,
- visual arts,
- work
Quarterly Update from the Los Angeles Suttons
I figured I'd start a quarterly post that gives you an update as to what my wife Kate and I have been up to recently.
More under the cut.
The first three months of 2021 seem to – for the most part – just been a continuation of 2020. Which, on the surface, makes sense, but at the same time is a bit sad that things didn't miraculously get better.
On the job front, not much new news. I got a $1 raise in March (which ... yay? I guess?) and Kate is looking to become union shop steward at the LGBT Center. Both of us are very glad to still be employed, but it's stressful – especially during a pandemic. Kate is thankfully fully vaccinated (she got her second shot in January), but I'm still waiting. I'll be eligible here in a week or so. Neko is doing well, considering she's getting up there in years. She still thinks she's a dog at times, and loves snuggling in bed and playing with her sock baby.
On the home front, we've been finally getting our apartment to look like a home instead of a college dorm in transition. If you haven't seen the photos of the bookcases in our spare room / office / Neko's room (depending on our mindset) that we got at Ikea two years ago, I think I posted them on Instagram a while back. Additionally, last year, we got some other bookcases from an LA friend who decided to move back to his home in Ohio to be with his mother, who was sick, and we've re-organized the living room / dining room area. I definitely posted photos on Instagram there.
Additionally, in January, a friend of mine was selling one of those wheeled island storage things which we got, and that helped us organize some of our kitchen stuff. This led to us being able to re-organize some tubs we use for storage that are on bookcases in said spare room / office / Neko's room, and now we can go in and access everything without moving anything! This also included the somewhat nostalgic decision to throw away the blue foot locker I brought with me to Park when I first moved out. It was pretty damaged in the fire of 2000, but was still useable for things like Kate's armor. Kate's also been slowly re-organizing her Star Wars stuff, and getting rid of some of the stuff she doesn't want any more.
Also, thanks to tax refund and stimulus money, we managed to buy new sheets, pillows, and blankets for our bed. We went a little pricey in the hopes they would last longer, and they are divine. We also were able to update some electronics.
Finally, an issue we've had since first moved in has finally been resolved. This involves a bit of explanation. We have a little hallway / nook in between the bathroom and two bedrooms where our breaker box is. The light in said nook had no string, which meant the only way you could turn it on and off was by flipping the breaker switch. Well, that switch ALSO was connected to the bathroom light and the lights for the kitchen / dining area. When we first mentioned it when we moved in, we were told basically that there wasn't anything to be done and to 'get used to it'. So, for the past seven years, we basically kept the breaker switch off unless we needed one of the aforementioned lights. Well, we had maintenance in to fix the toilet a couple of weeks ago, and he said he could fix that issue very easily. AND IT GOT FIXED! In the category of 'it's sometimes the small things that bring you joy', we now are both super excited at the 'magic' of being able to not have to walk to the hallway in order to turn on the kitchen light.
On the health front, I'm doing okay. I've been taking anti-depressants since 2019, and for the most part they seem to be doing the job. I could use to lose some weight, and we're hoping to get a foldable exercise bike soon. I also may be getting an official Apserger's / Autism diagnosis soon: I was looking into it and then the pandemic happened.
Kate's health is doing okay all things considering. As mentioned, she's fully vaccinated. She had to have her eye lasered again, and had to bring home some equipment last week to do a sleep study. We made jokes about how she looked like she had been abducted by aliens. We both need a trip to the dentist, but it's not so bad as to break quarantine.
On the entertainment front, we've both been enjoying our various streaming choices. Because we had been Disney annual pass holders in 2019, we had gotten a really super deal on Disney+ when it was announced. We've been highly enjoying WandaVision and some of the other content offered there.
Additionally, when T-Mobile and Sprint merged, we managed to snag a free subscription to Amazon Plus – which gave us access to stuff like Travel Man and stuff.
Hulu's been giving us the ability to catch network shows still relatively recently, and because Kate's a fan of Craig Ferguson, we've been watching The Hustler and a few other shows. I highly recommend Derek DelGaudio's In & Of Itself if you have the service: it's an astonishing piece of theatre.
And, of course, Netflix has been having some great original shows, from The History of Swear Words to Cobra Kai. (When I have the energy level for it, I want to write about how Hannibal and Santa Clarita Diet are two sides of the same show-coin. Both are super odd but fun shows that involve people eating other people.)
I also have been reading – mostly online stuff, but managed to get an offline book finished. A friend of mine, knowing I'm a fan of Sherlock Holmes, lent me Warlock Holmes: A Study in Brimstone, which was delightfully silly. I also have been trying to keep my brain engaged through education, and took a class on "Newsletters for Journalists".
I've been also having fun on our Nintendo Switch and our Oculus Quest 2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been a life savior for my days when I just need to not care about much of anything. And Kate finished up the Galaxy's Edge game on our Oculus.
Let's not forget that I've tried supporting theatre and music as much as we could as well. Everything from various talks and panels from USC to a stream from The Thrilling Adventure Hour to a modern adaptation of Dorian Gray by a Welsh theatre.
If you subscribe to my Contents May Vary newsletter (sign up at www.angiefsutton.com if you don't), you'll know that Kate and I also decided to get out of town over Valentine's Day / President's Day and drive to the Grand Canyon (it was grand!) and then go to Las Vegas. We followed all the protocols, and outside of a minor issue in Vegas, we felt completely fine most of the trip. I posted a link to my photos in the last newsletter.
I'm also still engaging as a fan on various things. I bid on a couple of items from a fundraiser called "Fandom Trumps Hate" that's geared toward raising funds for charities such as the Transgender Legal Defense Fund and immigration help. One is a piece of art, and one is a fanfic.
Finally, I've been trying to make myself drink more water. In doing so, I decided to 'bribe' myself since I don't like spending money on frivolous things for myself. So for every cup of water I drink, I pay myself 1 dollar that then goes toward something I'd normally not get because I'd feel the money should be spent elsewhere. I finally cashed in on the first round and bought myself some home made bunnies that look like the two leads from Good Omens. I posted a photo on my Instagram: they are adorable.
So, that's what's been happening in the Sutton household in the first quarter of 2021. I hope you and yours are all safe and healthy, and that things are going okay for you wherever you are.
I may turn this into a monthly thing to make it less intensive. We'll see if I have the spoons.
More under the cut.
The first three months of 2021 seem to – for the most part – just been a continuation of 2020. Which, on the surface, makes sense, but at the same time is a bit sad that things didn't miraculously get better.
On the job front, not much new news. I got a $1 raise in March (which ... yay? I guess?) and Kate is looking to become union shop steward at the LGBT Center. Both of us are very glad to still be employed, but it's stressful – especially during a pandemic. Kate is thankfully fully vaccinated (she got her second shot in January), but I'm still waiting. I'll be eligible here in a week or so. Neko is doing well, considering she's getting up there in years. She still thinks she's a dog at times, and loves snuggling in bed and playing with her sock baby.
On the home front, we've been finally getting our apartment to look like a home instead of a college dorm in transition. If you haven't seen the photos of the bookcases in our spare room / office / Neko's room (depending on our mindset) that we got at Ikea two years ago, I think I posted them on Instagram a while back. Additionally, last year, we got some other bookcases from an LA friend who decided to move back to his home in Ohio to be with his mother, who was sick, and we've re-organized the living room / dining room area. I definitely posted photos on Instagram there.
Additionally, in January, a friend of mine was selling one of those wheeled island storage things which we got, and that helped us organize some of our kitchen stuff. This led to us being able to re-organize some tubs we use for storage that are on bookcases in said spare room / office / Neko's room, and now we can go in and access everything without moving anything! This also included the somewhat nostalgic decision to throw away the blue foot locker I brought with me to Park when I first moved out. It was pretty damaged in the fire of 2000, but was still useable for things like Kate's armor. Kate's also been slowly re-organizing her Star Wars stuff, and getting rid of some of the stuff she doesn't want any more.
Also, thanks to tax refund and stimulus money, we managed to buy new sheets, pillows, and blankets for our bed. We went a little pricey in the hopes they would last longer, and they are divine. We also were able to update some electronics.
Finally, an issue we've had since first moved in has finally been resolved. This involves a bit of explanation. We have a little hallway / nook in between the bathroom and two bedrooms where our breaker box is. The light in said nook had no string, which meant the only way you could turn it on and off was by flipping the breaker switch. Well, that switch ALSO was connected to the bathroom light and the lights for the kitchen / dining area. When we first mentioned it when we moved in, we were told basically that there wasn't anything to be done and to 'get used to it'. So, for the past seven years, we basically kept the breaker switch off unless we needed one of the aforementioned lights. Well, we had maintenance in to fix the toilet a couple of weeks ago, and he said he could fix that issue very easily. AND IT GOT FIXED! In the category of 'it's sometimes the small things that bring you joy', we now are both super excited at the 'magic' of being able to not have to walk to the hallway in order to turn on the kitchen light.
On the health front, I'm doing okay. I've been taking anti-depressants since 2019, and for the most part they seem to be doing the job. I could use to lose some weight, and we're hoping to get a foldable exercise bike soon. I also may be getting an official Apserger's / Autism diagnosis soon: I was looking into it and then the pandemic happened.
Kate's health is doing okay all things considering. As mentioned, she's fully vaccinated. She had to have her eye lasered again, and had to bring home some equipment last week to do a sleep study. We made jokes about how she looked like she had been abducted by aliens. We both need a trip to the dentist, but it's not so bad as to break quarantine.
On the entertainment front, we've both been enjoying our various streaming choices. Because we had been Disney annual pass holders in 2019, we had gotten a really super deal on Disney+ when it was announced. We've been highly enjoying WandaVision and some of the other content offered there.
Additionally, when T-Mobile and Sprint merged, we managed to snag a free subscription to Amazon Plus – which gave us access to stuff like Travel Man and stuff.
Hulu's been giving us the ability to catch network shows still relatively recently, and because Kate's a fan of Craig Ferguson, we've been watching The Hustler and a few other shows. I highly recommend Derek DelGaudio's In & Of Itself if you have the service: it's an astonishing piece of theatre.
And, of course, Netflix has been having some great original shows, from The History of Swear Words to Cobra Kai. (When I have the energy level for it, I want to write about how Hannibal and Santa Clarita Diet are two sides of the same show-coin. Both are super odd but fun shows that involve people eating other people.)
I also have been reading – mostly online stuff, but managed to get an offline book finished. A friend of mine, knowing I'm a fan of Sherlock Holmes, lent me Warlock Holmes: A Study in Brimstone, which was delightfully silly. I also have been trying to keep my brain engaged through education, and took a class on "Newsletters for Journalists".
I've been also having fun on our Nintendo Switch and our Oculus Quest 2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been a life savior for my days when I just need to not care about much of anything. And Kate finished up the Galaxy's Edge game on our Oculus.
Let's not forget that I've tried supporting theatre and music as much as we could as well. Everything from various talks and panels from USC to a stream from The Thrilling Adventure Hour to a modern adaptation of Dorian Gray by a Welsh theatre.
If you subscribe to my Contents May Vary newsletter (sign up at www.angiefsutton.com if you don't), you'll know that Kate and I also decided to get out of town over Valentine's Day / President's Day and drive to the Grand Canyon (it was grand!) and then go to Las Vegas. We followed all the protocols, and outside of a minor issue in Vegas, we felt completely fine most of the trip. I posted a link to my photos in the last newsletter.
I'm also still engaging as a fan on various things. I bid on a couple of items from a fundraiser called "Fandom Trumps Hate" that's geared toward raising funds for charities such as the Transgender Legal Defense Fund and immigration help. One is a piece of art, and one is a fanfic.
Finally, I've been trying to make myself drink more water. In doing so, I decided to 'bribe' myself since I don't like spending money on frivolous things for myself. So for every cup of water I drink, I pay myself 1 dollar that then goes toward something I'd normally not get because I'd feel the money should be spent elsewhere. I finally cashed in on the first round and bought myself some home made bunnies that look like the two leads from Good Omens. I posted a photo on my Instagram: they are adorable.
So, that's what's been happening in the Sutton household in the first quarter of 2021. I hope you and yours are all safe and healthy, and that things are going okay for you wherever you are.
I may turn this into a monthly thing to make it less intensive. We'll see if I have the spoons.