Day 181 of Project 365: One Week Ago
Day 181 of Project 365: One Week Ago, a photo by cygnoir on Flickr. It is hard to believe that just a week ago FunkyPlaid and I were frantic over the sudden seizure that came over our dear Torgi (left). Since then, we have kept a close eye on him … too close, sometimes, as he wriggles free of my grasp with his version of an eyeroll, daintily-smacked lips. I can’t help it. I catch myself believing that if we just hug and kiss him enough, our fondness for him will form a type of armour that nothing, not even the natural progression of age, can penetrate. It is this belief, seeped in Roman Catholicism and superstition, that permeated my childhood: if I am just good enough, no one I love will come to harm. I will not come to harm. Adolescence was difficult...
Read MoreDay 180 of Project 365: Clematis
Day 180 of Project 365: Clematis, a photo by cygnoir on Flickr. It was a strikingly sunny day in Edinburgh. The cats were in heaven, sprawled out all over the wooden floors in every patch of sunlight as the day progressed, and my training run turned positively sweltering once I got going. Once again, the park was covered in illegal barbecue grills and footballs. I tried very hard to focus on my intervals, but had some negative inner monologue that music couldn’t drown out. At least I got through without giving up, and week three of the nine-week training is complete. On my way home, I stopped to snap this clematis on a neighbour’s fence. The daffodils and hyacinths are all gone, and the cherry blossoms too, but the clematis is thriving. Is summer on...
Read MoreDay 179 of Project 365: But Not My Heart
My friend Brian chose an excerpt from my post about leaving San Francisco for his entry in a calligraphy exhibit. He is stunningly talented, and I feel honoured.
Read MoreDay 178 of Project 365: Links
Day 178 of Project 365: Links, a photo by cygnoir on Flickr. Nothing earth-shattering to report today. Saturdays are my days off, so I woke up early and spent some time reading and knitting, then went for a nice training run. It was a brisk, cloudy day with brief sunny moments like this one on Bruntsfield Links, snapped during my post-run errands. The day finished up with my monthly team-trivia event and then homemade chicken fajitas whilst watching an episode of "The Wire" with FunkyPlaid. I’m properly sleepy so it’s time for...
Read MoreDay 177 of Project 365: Stepgeek
Day 177 of Project 365: Stepgeek, a photo by cygnoir on Flickr. My new Fitbit tracker arrived this week. I had hoarded enough rewards points to cash in for a gift card, which made it almost like a free toy. So much of my life is wrapped up in seriousness and focus and deadlines that it is not only nice but necessary to have little frivolities like this one. I’m looking forward to taking it for a run...
Read MoreDay 176 of Project 365: Roasted
Day 176 of Project 365: Roasted, a photo by cygnoir on Flickr. O, sweet potatoes. I could write a poem about you, I love you so much. Pictured: curried sweet potatoes in front of a roasted chicken breast. All gone now! Today I made the difficult decision to return to Facebook. Too many professional networking opportunities were passing me by because of my refusal to participate. I wish that weren’t the case, but I don’t want to hamstring my career because I haven’t been able to use the tool properly in the past. So here’s to a new era of my Facebook participation, one that focuses on connecting with people instead of becoming more...
Read MoreDay 175 of Project 365: Underword
Today’s photo is a bit of a cheat, since it was taken a little after midnight, but I didn’t have the wherewithal to take a photo during Underword. So instead you have a self-portrait of me being so happy to be a part of such a great National Flash Fiction Day event, in the company of such accomplished writers and performers. For my part, I read “The Kettle and I”, which was a difficult story to read because of its stilted rhythm and ridiculously depressing ending. Next time I will choose a different type of piece. But I got lots of great feedback from friends new and old, so I am not sad about it one bit, and looking forward to participating in future events. At every reading I’ve ever done, there is a beautiful moment right after...
Read MoreDay 174 of Project 365: Brain Storms
Day 174 of Project 365: Brain Storms, a photo by cygnoir on Flickr. Earlier today, I heard some scuffling noises from FunkyPlaid’s study, and then FunkyPlaid shouting, "Torgi!" Sometimes when Torgi gets startled, he digs his claws in and jumps off FunkyPlaid’s lap, causing this type of reaction, so I didn’t think too much of it. The scuffling noises continued, as did the shouting, and then the tone of the shouting changed. I have never heard that tone in FunkyPlaid’s voice before. In a second, I was in his study, where I saw him kneeling before Torgi, calling his name. Torgi was having a seizure. I had seen this happen to animals and even a few people before, but FunkyPlaid hadn’t. Regardless, it was horrible to witness. I...
Read MoreDay 173 of Project 365: Burritos
Day 173 of Project 365: Burritos, a photo by cygnoir on Flickr. Sometimes we get a taste for Mission-style burritos. Well, FunkyPlaid does. I get a taste for gluten-free tacos. Illegal Jack’s doesn’t quite do them like we remember, but it is a close enough approximation to scratch that itch. And yes, they serve haggis tacos, though I haven’t tried them yet. Next...
Read MoreDay 172 of Project 365: Letter from Mom
Day 172 of Project 365: Letter from Mom, a photo by cygnoir on Flickr. My mom wrote this letter to me last Christmas. I have carried it in my purse ever since. I cried when I read it, but it is not a sad letter. Even now that I am all grown up (ha) I never stop missing my mom, needing to hear her voice, or make her laugh, or just see her and know that she’s there. Today is Mother’s Day in the U.S. and it’s my mom’s birthday, too. She woke up extra-early just so we could connect via FaceTime. That’s the kind of person my mom is, and the kind I aspire to...
Read MoreNestcam
The cam was last on Friday, May 4.
Hello What
I am Halsted, a/k/a cygnoir, and I do stuff with words.
My favourite things to do with words are keeping this diary, writing stories, and organising information.
subscribe to updates:
· mobile edition ·
Scribbling
2,322/4,000 words
1,987/4,000 words
3,593/4,000 words
Reading
Listening
- 39 - Explicit Version
Tenacious D
5 days, 2 hours and 43 minutes ago - To Be The Best
Tenacious D
5 days, 2 hours and 44 minutes ago - They Fucked Our Asses - Explicit Version
Tenacious D
5 days, 2 hours and 45 minutes ago
Plugging
