coffeewithcalypso

[coffeewithcalypso]

I have a 1592 streak on Duolingo. That's after the long break I took after my break up. I've been doing it for around eight years now, with that depression break.

I have been increasingly annoyed with the gamification, the removal of forums, the increase of ads, the obvious fact that they removed forums to push you onto their most expensive subscription that will tell you what/why your mistake was, but with AI tools. I guessed pretty much within a month, based on in app trends and added features, when they went from a public to private company. That's wild even for me. I literally went "these updates are bullshit, they're clearly profit grabs, I bet the company went public" and a quick Google told me I was right. Their announcement this week that they were going to stop using people and start using more AI has pushed me over the edge. I'm pretty sure I'm deleting my account tomorrow. I wanted to finish out the friends quest I was in so I didn't leave someone hanging if they decided to stick with it. It's done.

Almost 1600 days. That's a lot of days 😭

[coffeewithcalypso]

My sign for the 50501 Hands Off protest on 4/19.

I took my partner to the one on 4/5 and it was his first protest ever. Which is wild since I've been going to protests since I was like five when my parents brought me to local March for Life walks. While my politics have obviously shifted since then, I love a protest. And apparently so did he. For the 4/19 one he bought stuff for us to make signs and started bugging all his friends because he was disappointed at how few of our friends who tend to be internet activists were there. It was very cute to see him get so into it.

[coffeewithcalypso]

I think I've said this before but the best thing you can do if you own a home is find people you trust who make expensive situations at least not stressful and for me that's my AC guy.

He consistently under promises and over delivers. He always gives an estimate range and it's always right in the middle of the two numbers.

Today he told me to call him at 8AM tomorrow (gross) to figure out what time he'd come by tomorrow because there was no way he'd make it out today.

Update: His guys are here right now. Yay!

PS I just went look at my previous post because I was pretty sure I was repeating information. And I also put "8AM. Gross." there too. Love that I'm consistent

[coffeewithcalypso]

My partner and I have fallen into a more or less every other day routine of which house we hang out at. We both have pets and don't want any of them to feel neglected but also, as the partner who was always at the other's house in past relationships, I don't want him to feel that way too. It is definitely made easier by the fact that his rental place is a two minute walk from my house.

The problem is this routine has been hell for my already subpar cleaning standards (or they're not, I've been told they're actually pretty high compared to a lot of people, I always feel like everything is a mess). First off my brain doesn't want to do anything that is work after 5PM or on weekends and unfortunately it categorizes cleaning as work. That's always been a struggle. But I also sometimes get a burst of energy late night and if I'm home I can clean. I also feel weird cleaning when someone else is around. And while he's always quick to offer to help that's weird too. He doesn't know where stuff is all the time and really just, it's not his house or mess (this is all my own stuff, nothing he has in any way implied, in fact he's started listing stuff he wants to fix or work on for me because he "is more invested in it than a rental place" since I own it). Given these two things, you can imagine how cleaning is falling to the wayside when we usually get together shortly after work most days. So that's a balance I need to figure out. I also just tend to prioritize other things, mainly socializing, over housework and chores. I am a very social creature.

In other news, the vet signed off on upping my allergy prone cat back to a steroid every day for however long this flare up lasts. So that's… something. Not great since he's still having the flare up when he usually responds well to the steroids. But at least they're a fairly cheap solution and she's willing to let me pursue that.

My AC isn't working. Is it a problem from the heater install? Is it something new? Who knows. My AC guy was like "it ran when we tested it". Which is true. The problem is now it runs for about 10 minutes and then shuts off saying there's a Y1 wire problem. He's coming tomorrow but told me to call him at 8AM. Gross. Sometimes I swear I'm one more problem away from burning this stupid house down. It's just so damn cute though.

My partner got his job and keeps saying he'll help with stuff (like the cat food my allergy cat may have to be one now, will definitely be on for 9 weeks while we do the food trial that is $75 for 7lbs!!!). He'll be making a fairly good amount of money (probably. Who knows what amount of money we'll need to be making to be comfortable in orange facist's economy. The sad thing is, his new salary would have been an obscene amount of money like ten years ago). But I'm not going to let him. I'll spend his money when we're married. In the meantime I'll struggle through. My poor little bank account.

[coffeewithcalypso]

After months and months (starting in the beginning of October) my bathroom is finished*, and I finally had the chance to deep clean the room outside the bathroom where all the construction debris ended up, which was tragically also the room you first walk into when you walk into my house. Also got the giant living room window that my yard guy shattered replaced and the trim to match the other window. I still have to paint. I loved my contractor but her time management was a nightmare. Other than that 10 out of 10. And I don't think any contractor in the world can time a project out correctly.

She also noticed and fixed the trim on a door that my dad installed a year ago but the new door was taller so the old trim didn't fit. So she replaced that trim and the opposite door's trim so they also matched. She didn't do it for free but she did it quickly and for fairly cheap.That also has to be painted.

So my last weekend was a lot of very intensive cleaning. I can breath in the common spaces of my house again. My bedroom and office are still a mess.

I told my partner I've learned a thing about myself that he should know if we're going to get married and that is that I hate cleaning. Which isn't ideal because I love being in a clean environment. Dirt makes my brain staticky. I dream of having pristine houses like both my grandmothers. I dream of being able to afford a maid. Working all day and then having to do domestic is stupid.

Speaking of my partner and money though, he finally has a job after six months of being unemployed. He actually got two offers in a day which he took weirdly hard because he had to make a choice (one that I considered pretty easy looking at the money on both) and it hurt him to disappoint the people at the offer he didn't take. He still doesn't start for another month but at least the end is in sight.

I ran a very expensive allergen panel on my cat that is always getting allergy flare ups and it provided frustratingly little guidance. A slight allergy to dust mites and plant fungus (and weirdly, penicillin) but my vet doesn't feel like that should explain his flare ups but that's where we are for now.

There's sun now and it'll be hot soon, which sucks. I am not a summer girlie. Things are good but everyone feels like they're holding their breath given the everything.

*there is a 2x3 section of wall above a closet that I need to paint but she never got me a piece of the wall to color match. And there's a three foot piece of trim she needs to install that she swears she cut the piece but can't find it

[coffeewithcalypso]

Even in my red town in my red state there was not only a Hands Off protest but a pretty decent turn out for it.

This isn't the best photo but I never get good photos at protests because I try to avoid people's faces. Just to keep everyone safe

[coffeewithcalypso]

It sucks that the reward for finishing my work day is cleaning my house.

Or on special days cooking and then cleaning my house

[coffeewithcalypso]

Post 5 songs you like then send this to 10 of your favorite followers ☺️

Shrike by Hozier

Girl in the War by Josh Ritter

Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths

Flowers from Hadestown

Sailor Song by Gigi Perez

(Not necessarily indicative of my favorite songs, just songs I'm really into right now)

Do it if you want

[coffeewithcalypso]

I've been thinking a lot about something I haven't seen anyone discussing in the political turmoil.

There have been thousands of layoffs in the public/government sector. 6000 from the IRS literally just today. Where do those people go? There's no way, looking at unemployment rates (and watching my own partner job hunt since November) that the private sector can absorb those employees. Will they just be on unemployment? Can unemployment afford that? How long with the orange idiot let unemployment be a thing?

A lot of those jobs are highly specialized, like scientists. Even the ones that aren't, I still don't think the private sector has places for them.

I've been trying my little best to avoid the news since November (largely unsuccessfully) so maybe I missed it, but I haven't seen this part of it being discussed at all yet.

[coffeewithcalypso]

I'm supposed to go early vote today. It's a small, special election, between two Republicans for my local area. And I just... I don't want to

Voting feels so pointless. Honestly it just feels bad

I'm so tired

[coffeewithcalypso]

This man is out here telling me lies like "I'm not really good with words" and then says shit like this

[coffeewithcalypso]

Love in a Time of Climate Change by Craig Santos Perez

[coffeewithcalypso]

A fun little side by side

[coffeewithcalypso]

Crazy that hell (south Louisiana) is freezing over on today of all days (that man's inauguration)

[coffeewithcalypso]

Well, I guess I'm getting on RedNote, privacy issues be damned. Because there is no way in hell I'm staying on TikTok even if it's bought because this was so obviously Congress being bought off by American tech companies to actively hinder actual competition in the market that they were failing to compete with, that I will never give them the pleasure of going along with it. I'd rather the CCP know when I wake, go to sleep, and take a shit than do that.

This is anti-capitalist, a system I don't support and am very anti, but in a different way than I usually mean.

[coffeewithcalypso]

With all the Facebook news I'm really tempted to divest from all Meta platforms.

The problem is Instagram is one of the few social media platforms I actually enjoy. I really like Tiktok but not in a social way, plus that's about to go away too.

And the actual biggest problem, because I guess I could live without Instagram, is there is no better solution to planning a social event than through Facebook. The ability to make and manage events through Facebook is the only reason I didn't leave years ago when all the grown ups started joining and I basically stopped freely posting on their anyway. But it is the best way to get invites out to a bunch of people and that will probably be why I continue to stay on it even though I should leave.

[coffeewithcalypso]

On a brighter note, I adore my AC guy. I think one of the great feelings as an adult/homeowner is having a guy™️ for things that you can trust and rely on.

He's a kind of quiet, older Cajun guy who comes in, knocks it out, tells you what to do re: registering the appliance and stuff, sends a bill that's as low as he can manage it, and leaves until you call him again. An absolutely saint especially when it comes to stuff you can't live without like air conditioning and heaters during a climate crisis