February 2021
Monday, 8 March 2021 16:52![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iguana
The dragonfruit plant had a good grow this month. I don't think I was quite as productive, but I did some miscellaneous bits and pieces.Dragonfruit update
The dragonfruit's doing well! It's grown quite a lot this month:
I still have an infestation of fungus gnats, but they don't seem to be affecting the plant. I've been holding off watering it to suppress the population (it seems likely I was overwatering it to begin with) and I've put down some mosquito bits which should activate when I next water.
The dragonfruit's doing well! It's grown quite a lot this month:
I still have an infestation of fungus gnats, but they don't seem to be affecting the plant. I've been holding off watering it to suppress the population (it seems likely I was overwatering it to begin with) and I've put down some mosquito bits which should activate when I next water.
AMPDG: Make a painting without using your hands
For AMPDG I picked the task that asked me to "make a painting without using your hands". I considered setting up something so I could stomp my feet over a large bit of paper, but I felt like I would have had to order in quite a lot of stuff for that, so I settled on using my mouth to hold a paintbrush, and use my existing acrylic paints and A5 textured paper from a very old kit.
(I also reused some of the sponge cut-outs I made for decorating my poang chair just for the background.)
After I asked for drawing suggestions on Twitter, Emily suggested a dragon, which suited me just fine.
Here's the final result, which took a little under an hour
For AMPDG I picked the task that asked me to "make a painting without using your hands". I considered setting up something so I could stomp my feet over a large bit of paper, but I felt like I would have had to order in quite a lot of stuff for that, so I settled on using my mouth to hold a paintbrush, and use my existing acrylic paints and A5 textured paper from a very old kit.
(I also reused some of the sponge cut-outs I made for decorating my poang chair just for the background.)
After I asked for drawing suggestions on Twitter, Emily suggested a dragon, which suited me just fine.
Here's the final result, which took a little under an hour
Sundae and Up & Go
On my way back from the pharmacy I passed a pub that had put out a box of old pint glasses on the pavement, labelled 'FREE'. I took one of the glasses home with me, and after thoroughly washing it, decided to make an ice cream sundae using it. By coincidence I had a Sainsbury's delivery soonafter, so I added the necessary ingredients onto that.
I made Pecan chocolate brownies and added vanilla ice cream, some pink marshmallows, wafer biscuits, chocolate syrup, and squirty cream. It didn't entirely fill up the glass, but I feel like I made a good effort out of it!
In the same Sainsbury's order I'd added two cartons of Up & Go, having seen it being used on Taskmaster New Zealand earlier in the year, and being curious as to what it tasted like. They both tasted good, half way between a malted milkshake and a regular milkshake. The strawberry one in particular tasted very much of strawberries. I would have them again, though they didn't quite keep me full between breakfast and lunch.
On my way back from the pharmacy I passed a pub that had put out a box of old pint glasses on the pavement, labelled 'FREE'. I took one of the glasses home with me, and after thoroughly washing it, decided to make an ice cream sundae using it. By coincidence I had a Sainsbury's delivery soonafter, so I added the necessary ingredients onto that.
I made Pecan chocolate brownies and added vanilla ice cream, some pink marshmallows, wafer biscuits, chocolate syrup, and squirty cream. It didn't entirely fill up the glass, but I feel like I made a good effort out of it!
In the same Sainsbury's order I'd added two cartons of Up & Go, having seen it being used on Taskmaster New Zealand earlier in the year, and being curious as to what it tasted like. They both tasted good, half way between a malted milkshake and a regular milkshake. The strawberry one in particular tasted very much of strawberries. I would have them again, though they didn't quite keep me full between breakfast and lunch.
Taskmaster for Emily's Birthday
For Emily's birthday, Pete and Matt had got hold of the Taskmaster Play At Home pack (which, if I forget to say later, I'd thoroughly recommend) and we played it over webcam, with Pete taking the role of Taskmaster.
The first task, if you don't mind the spoiler, was set 30 minutes before we joined the webcam meeting. It was to dress up in the most surprising outfit. Most surprising outfit wins.
Having had some ideas floating around my head since Rossum's Universal Robots party last month, I went straight for the tin foil, silver nail varnish, and a touch of silver makeup:
I won the task! Fortunately the Taskmaster allowed us to get changed afterwards.
For Emily's birthday, Pete and Matt had got hold of the Taskmaster Play At Home pack (which, if I forget to say later, I'd thoroughly recommend) and we played it over webcam, with Pete taking the role of Taskmaster.
The first task, if you don't mind the spoiler, was set 30 minutes before we joined the webcam meeting. It was to dress up in the most surprising outfit. Most surprising outfit wins.
Having had some ideas floating around my head since Rossum's Universal Robots party last month, I went straight for the tin foil, silver nail varnish, and a touch of silver makeup:
I won the task! Fortunately the Taskmaster allowed us to get changed afterwards.
Woods and Stars
I've been visiting the local woods more often lately, since the sun has been setting at convenient times to work around the restriction on sunlight I have due to laser. I've had quite a few nice walks at or shortly after sunset, and even got a rainbow on one walk
The snowdrops just about made it out by the end of the month, so I got some nice photos of those too
On the third of March, Mars would be at its closest position to the Pleiades for several decades, but the forecast was bad for that week, so I took advantage of the last clear night in February to go up to the hill where, it turns out, it's usually pretty isolated from any street lamps. I got some nice photos of the stars
The evening reminded me to have a look for longer lenses for my camera, and (spoiler alert for March) I've ordered one now. We'll see how it performs…
I've been visiting the local woods more often lately, since the sun has been setting at convenient times to work around the restriction on sunlight I have due to laser. I've had quite a few nice walks at or shortly after sunset, and even got a rainbow on one walk
The snowdrops just about made it out by the end of the month, so I got some nice photos of those too
On the third of March, Mars would be at its closest position to the Pleiades for several decades, but the forecast was bad for that week, so I took advantage of the last clear night in February to go up to the hill where, it turns out, it's usually pretty isolated from any street lamps. I got some nice photos of the stars
The evening reminded me to have a look for longer lenses for my camera, and (spoiler alert for March) I've ordered one now. We'll see how it performs…
Food and Gardening
I made vegan carbonara (using sauerkraut juice!) and it was really nice!
I sprouted some mung beans, and had them in a stir fry.
Emily sent me a Norwegian waffle maker(!!) so naturally I had waffles a lot, including for Pancake Day, which it had arrived just in time for!
I also made my Gardening list for the year, and got some cauliflowers and broad beans planted.
I made vegan carbonara (using sauerkraut juice!) and it was really nice!
I sprouted some mung beans, and had them in a stir fry.
Emily sent me a Norwegian waffle maker(!!) so naturally I had waffles a lot, including for Pancake Day, which it had arrived just in time for!
I also made my Gardening list for the year, and got some cauliflowers and broad beans planted.
