December 2020
Friday, 1 January 2021 09:43![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iguana
I had all of December off work, following the end of my previous job. I couldn't go travelling of course, but I definitely needed the time off: in both jobs I finished this year I'd been saving up annual leave to carry over, with the result that I'd taken very little off. I played some computer games, had a few very nice local walks, and read quite a lot.Goose Game, Monkey Island, Red Alert
I decided to stream Goose Game on twitch just to see if any friends fancied watching along and to my surprise some did! The game was very relaxing, adorable, and pretty good for being able to chat with people while playing it. I tried Red Alert a few times but it needed too much of my concentration to be a social game. After Goose Game I also played through The Secret of Monkey Island™, which took less time than I expected but was good fun, and I'd forgotten most of the puzzles from last playthrough. (I still needed a hint for the seagull!)
I also finished both Red Alert campaigns, for the first time (as a teen I was more interested in playing Skirmishes against the AI, and making game mods). Unfortunately Tiberian Sun isn't available remastered like the first two C&C games, and I don't fancy messing around getting a Windows XP installation working right now, so that'll have to wait. (I think I finished at least one of the two campaigns in TS as a teen, but certainly not both.)
I decided to stream Goose Game on twitch just to see if any friends fancied watching along and to my surprise some did! The game was very relaxing, adorable, and pretty good for being able to chat with people while playing it. I tried Red Alert a few times but it needed too much of my concentration to be a social game. After Goose Game I also played through The Secret of Monkey Island™, which took less time than I expected but was good fun, and I'd forgotten most of the puzzles from last playthrough. (I still needed a hint for the seagull!)
I also finished both Red Alert campaigns, for the first time (as a teen I was more interested in playing Skirmishes against the AI, and making game mods). Unfortunately Tiberian Sun isn't available remastered like the first two C&C games, and I don't fancy messing around getting a Windows XP installation working right now, so that'll have to wait. (I think I finished at least one of the two campaigns in TS as a teen, but certainly not both.)
Solstice walk
Having been staying in on account of both lockdown and laser for the last couple of weeks, the winter solstice provided a good opportunity to get out of the house. The solstice was at 10:02 so I made sure I was out of the house at that point, though most of my walk was earlier in the morning to catch the rain (which meant fewer people around). As it turns out I don't really mind walking in the rain, as long as it's not also windy, and I'm not out long enough to get too wet (especially my feet, thinking back to previous trips).
It was a pretty walk, and I got to explore the area a fair bit more than last time I went on one of my insomnia walks. I also pinched a foot or so of holly and ivy to put on my mantlepiece at home.
On the way back, I came across this rope swing conveniently placed just before the steep incline next to a derelict set of steps, so of course I had a good swing.
Having been staying in on account of both lockdown and laser for the last couple of weeks, the winter solstice provided a good opportunity to get out of the house. The solstice was at 10:02 so I made sure I was out of the house at that point, though most of my walk was earlier in the morning to catch the rain (which meant fewer people around). As it turns out I don't really mind walking in the rain, as long as it's not also windy, and I'm not out long enough to get too wet (especially my feet, thinking back to previous trips).
It was a pretty walk, and I got to explore the area a fair bit more than last time I went on one of my insomnia walks. I also pinched a foot or so of holly and ivy to put on my mantlepiece at home.
On the way back, I came across this rope swing conveniently placed just before the steep incline next to a derelict set of steps, so of course I had a good swing.
Self-portraits
My new employer wanted a professional-looking photo of myself and an introductory blerb for company stuff, and even offered to pay for a professional photographer for me. Given that it would need to be inside, I decided to rig up a basic "studio" in the study.
I knew that you need diffuse light for portraits, so put a stretch of white fabric up in front of my two extremely bright lightbulbs, which I'd originally brought to make my office as bright as possible during winter. I googled for basic portrait photography tips and found that 50mm lenses were the most natural look (I kinda knew that before; I use 50mm for food photography when I can). I also found that having a dot of light reflecting in the eye can look good, so I put on the main ceiling light too, which doesn't have a shade on it.
I chose the portrait settings on my camera, since I assume those settings are there for a reason.
I used a remote shutter to take about 40 photos all in all, since I am pretty picky about how I look in photos, and I couldn't remember my best side. As a happy accident, the black cardigan I wore over my rust-coloured Norwegian dress to make it look less casual also had the bonus that you can't see my arm slightly raised to reach the corded remote shutter!
I shortlisted the best ones, then converted those to black and white, and put them in a gallery. Emily helped me whittle it down to a single joint favourite.
I might use some of the others at some point too. I go in and out of deciding whether I like the bigger smile in some of them.
My new employer wanted a professional-looking photo of myself and an introductory blerb for company stuff, and even offered to pay for a professional photographer for me. Given that it would need to be inside, I decided to rig up a basic "studio" in the study.
I knew that you need diffuse light for portraits, so put a stretch of white fabric up in front of my two extremely bright lightbulbs, which I'd originally brought to make my office as bright as possible during winter. I googled for basic portrait photography tips and found that 50mm lenses were the most natural look (I kinda knew that before; I use 50mm for food photography when I can). I also found that having a dot of light reflecting in the eye can look good, so I put on the main ceiling light too, which doesn't have a shade on it.
I chose the portrait settings on my camera, since I assume those settings are there for a reason.
I used a remote shutter to take about 40 photos all in all, since I am pretty picky about how I look in photos, and I couldn't remember my best side. As a happy accident, the black cardigan I wore over my rust-coloured Norwegian dress to make it look less casual also had the bonus that you can't see my arm slightly raised to reach the corded remote shutter!
I shortlisted the best ones, then converted those to black and white, and put them in a gallery. Emily helped me whittle it down to a single joint favourite.
I might use some of the others at some point too. I go in and out of deciding whether I like the bigger smile in some of them.
New traditions
For the solstice and Christmas, which I was alone for this year, I decided to try some new or borrowed traditions. For the solstice, I got hold of some vegetarian marshmallows, and used the telescopic toasting fork Ems gave me last year to toast some marshmallows. Lacking a large enough fire, I just sat quite far back from a candle.
Between then and Christmas, I made some cinnamon buns, except I used mincemeat instead of cinnamon according to a recipe I found, since mince pies didn't take my fancy this year. They rose beautifully and tasted okay, but I had notes.
Firstly, they needed at least 100g more mincemeat for the whole recipe (though I halved the recipe) to comfortably fill the buns. Secondly, the wholemeal flour totally overpowered the taste. I would make them with entirely white flour next time. I turned them vegan too, using soya milk, Naturli butter, and a flax egg, and that worked just fine. I would be tempted to add cinnamon back in too, since there was definitely a missing taste.... maybe I should just make cinnamon buns!
On Christmas Eve I had nori-wrapped tofu "fish" and chips, always tasty.
On Christmas Day I made mushroom tartlets, which use bread rather than pastry, much to my preference, and had those for breakfast. For Christmas lunch I had mock duck with sage & onion stuffing, roast potatoes, sprouts (which I now like well enough, it seems), and gravy. Both of these were carried over from my family Christmas (or, well, the tartlets were a mid-morning snack rather than breakfast, but there's only one of me and they're best fresh out the oven!).
Late afternoon I borrowed a tradition from Emily, which was to make a raspberry trifle. it was quite nice but I should've put more sponges in it! I haven't written up Ems' recipe, but breifly: trifle sponges, spread with raspberry jam and sandwiched together; line bottom; soak in sherry (no need to let stand); put on defrosted frozen raspberries and some of their juice; fancy custard; whipped cream on top; grated dark chocolate on top.
For the solstice and Christmas, which I was alone for this year, I decided to try some new or borrowed traditions. For the solstice, I got hold of some vegetarian marshmallows, and used the telescopic toasting fork Ems gave me last year to toast some marshmallows. Lacking a large enough fire, I just sat quite far back from a candle.
Between then and Christmas, I made some cinnamon buns, except I used mincemeat instead of cinnamon according to a recipe I found, since mince pies didn't take my fancy this year. They rose beautifully and tasted okay, but I had notes.
Firstly, they needed at least 100g more mincemeat for the whole recipe (though I halved the recipe) to comfortably fill the buns. Secondly, the wholemeal flour totally overpowered the taste. I would make them with entirely white flour next time. I turned them vegan too, using soya milk, Naturli butter, and a flax egg, and that worked just fine. I would be tempted to add cinnamon back in too, since there was definitely a missing taste.... maybe I should just make cinnamon buns!
On Christmas Eve I had nori-wrapped tofu "fish" and chips, always tasty.
On Christmas Day I made mushroom tartlets, which use bread rather than pastry, much to my preference, and had those for breakfast. For Christmas lunch I had mock duck with sage & onion stuffing, roast potatoes, sprouts (which I now like well enough, it seems), and gravy. Both of these were carried over from my family Christmas (or, well, the tartlets were a mid-morning snack rather than breakfast, but there's only one of me and they're best fresh out the oven!).
Late afternoon I borrowed a tradition from Emily, which was to make a raspberry trifle. it was quite nice but I should've put more sponges in it! I haven't written up Ems' recipe, but breifly: trifle sponges, spread with raspberry jam and sandwiched together; line bottom; soak in sherry (no need to let stand); put on defrosted frozen raspberries and some of their juice; fancy custard; whipped cream on top; grated dark chocolate on top.
Snow walk
It snowed overnight on the morning of the 29th, and was still snowing when I woke up around eight. I scrambled some clothes on and went straight out to Attenborough Nature Reserve. (I had been considering a shorter walk to Toton Sidings but my body immediately headed the other way out the door, so I went with it.) It was really worth the 25 minute walk as the snow continued to come down heavily and I enjoyed catching the grauple with my tongue as it fell.
Despite having apparently left my camera on Portrait post-processing mode since the photoshoot earlier this month (not the worst mistake I've made!), I got some good photos.
By around 10 am the paths were getting busier than I liked (early seems to be the best time to go out around here) but I'd made the one-hour loop I'd intended to, so walked back home to where the fresh snow had nearly covered my footprints from when I left the house.
It snowed overnight on the morning of the 29th, and was still snowing when I woke up around eight. I scrambled some clothes on and went straight out to Attenborough Nature Reserve. (I had been considering a shorter walk to Toton Sidings but my body immediately headed the other way out the door, so I went with it.) It was really worth the 25 minute walk as the snow continued to come down heavily and I enjoyed catching the grauple with my tongue as it fell.
Despite having apparently left my camera on Portrait post-processing mode since the photoshoot earlier this month (not the worst mistake I've made!), I got some good photos.
By around 10 am the paths were getting busier than I liked (early seems to be the best time to go out around here) but I'd made the one-hour loop I'd intended to, so walked back home to where the fresh snow had nearly covered my footprints from when I left the house.
AMPDG: hot chocolate everywhere
For AMPDG this month I had to "pick a treat and find three new places to try it from". Being unable to go to cafés, I picked hot chocolate and tried it in three new "places" at home: once in the bath, once in heavy rain in the garden, and once in total darkness, sitting under the stairs. I enjoyed all three experiences, though I think the darkness one was my favourite. I must remember that sitting on a cushion on my Henry hoover under there is actually quite comfortable, and the door was good enough that at night with the lights off there was no perceptable light leaking in.
For AMPDG this month I had to "pick a treat and find three new places to try it from". Being unable to go to cafés, I picked hot chocolate and tried it in three new "places" at home: once in the bath, once in heavy rain in the garden, and once in total darkness, sitting under the stairs. I enjoyed all three experiences, though I think the darkness one was my favourite. I must remember that sitting on a cushion on my Henry hoover under there is actually quite comfortable, and the door was good enough that at night with the lights off there was no perceptable light leaking in.
