crialpaca's recent activity
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Comment on Timasomo 2025: Week 1 Updates in ~creative.timasomo
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Comment on It's impossible to evaluate your sleep with only one number in ~health
crialpaca Link ParentGarmin is great at location services. Now that I've had a Garmin watch for a year and a half, I can say anecdotally that they suck at calorie calculating (like to an embarrassing degree, depending...Garmin is great at location services. Now that I've had a Garmin watch for a year and a half, I can say anecdotally that they suck at calorie calculating (like to an embarrassing degree, depending on the activity), the body battery thing, and sleep tracking. It definitely can't tell if I'm awake or asleep if I'm reading near bedtime, for example.
Garmin seems to do pretty okay with heart rate, though. I was tachycardic when I was sick recently and didn't really think about it (my resting heart rate is normally 60-70; it was 120-130 those days). I went to urgent care and they sent me to the ER to get my fever broken to slow down my heart (and get every test on planet earth). After the ordeal, I went into my Garmin's history, and it had been logging it all pretty accurately, based on what the monitors said. I was just too sick to realize.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
crialpaca LinkCurrently reading: The Shadowed Land by Signe Pike (audio), My Next Breath by Jeremy Renner (audio with partner), Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo, The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton, and Wool...Currently reading: The Shadowed Land by Signe Pike (audio), My Next Breath by Jeremy Renner (audio with partner), Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo, The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton, and Wool by Hugh Howey. Mostly finishing up series I've started (really exciting to get to the end of some of them!) Or working on book club reads. Partner and I are listening to Renner's book because we're interested in him from his Marvel work and I appreciate him conveying his perspective about his accident (even though he didn't want to). We've just barely started this. We're also both reading Wool while we wait for the next season of the show to come out, since we seemed to have hit a good stopping point.
Just finished: The Boy on the Bridge by MR Carey (audio with partner). This was a follow up to The Girl with All the Gifts, which was an earlier book club read that we ended up really enjoying (despite my ongoing avoidance of the subject matter lol). This one felt like a little more of a slog, but it filled in some backstory, and also had an epilogue that took place after the events of the first book, so that was pretty cool. I also finished Clockwork Boys by T Kingfisher, which was very funny, and mostly lighthearted but a little grotesque. Also Season of Storms by Andrzej Sapkowski and A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir, which unfortunately were rather lackluster installments in their universes, in my opinion. China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan was another one of my listens, but I couldn't tell you how much of it I really absorbed.
Up next: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, Carry by Toni Jensen, The Scald-Crow by Grace Daly, The Winners by Fredrik Backman, and The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young.
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Comment on Timasomo 2025: Roll Call in ~creative.timasomo
crialpaca LinkCount me in for art with cosmetics! Specifically teaching myself the basics of nail polish application with my own polishes. I ordered the second half of my collection yesterday to complete my...Count me in for art with cosmetics! Specifically teaching myself the basics of nail polish application with my own polishes. I ordered the second half of my collection yesterday to complete my "color wheel," and I'm hoping it'll get here in a reasonable amount of time for me to try like maybe one thing before I need to put my wedding color back on (which was graciously provided by a coworker). Wedding color is Ghosts of Hecate by mooncat, unless I do another polish trial between now and then that steals the show and partner approves.
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Comment on Announcing the seventh annual Tildes' Make Something Month (Timasomo)! in ~tildes
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Comment on Announcing the seventh annual Tildes' Make Something Month (Timasomo)! in ~tildes
crialpaca Link ParentThank you! I'll probably post the wedding nails themselves in a project update thread. The nail polish I'm using for them is tough for me personally, and I'm feeling accomplished just getting it...Thank you! I'll probably post the wedding nails themselves in a project update thread. The nail polish I'm using for them is tough for me personally, and I'm feeling accomplished just getting it on my nails in two somewhat even coats (been practicing). And by the time I have to apply it again, it'll be October!
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Comment on Monsanto products potentially cause cancer in ~health
crialpaca Link ParentThank you for the clarification! Makes more sense that they wouldn't have included that, then.Thank you for the clarification! Makes more sense that they wouldn't have included that, then.
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Comment on Monsanto products potentially cause cancer in ~health
crialpaca Link ParentI know you say it's not worth talking about, but I'm genuinely curious about what you think is trash. I worked at a farm store in 2016 when this was beginning to be talked about. A lot of the...I know you say it's not worth talking about, but I'm genuinely curious about what you think is trash. I worked at a farm store in 2016 when this was beginning to be talked about. A lot of the information presented in this video are things I was already aware of (e.g., Monsanto militantly defending its patents, these herbicides being linked to cancer). The thing that surprised me most about this video was that it didn't include the claims I've heard about Monsanto suing neighboring farmers who end up with round-up resistant seeds due to pollination from neighboring fields.
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Comment on Announcing the seventh annual Tildes' Make Something Month (Timasomo)! in ~tildes
crialpaca LinkI'm just getting into painting my nails and I'm considering doing my first set of my own choosing as a nice small commitment that I can probably accomplish in the second half of October. The first...I'm just getting into painting my nails and I'm considering doing my first set of my own choosing as a nice small commitment that I can probably accomplish in the second half of October. The first half of October is being ruled by my upcoming elopement, so the very first thing I'm doing is picking out what color(s) I want to wear for that. That's an ongoing process, but I just have one more color to try and I'm pretty sure I know what the final choice is gonna be.
Since I'm just starting, I'm mostly focusing on getting the paint onto my nails and using tools I've never known about or seen before (I've never had a professional mani and didn't have access to cosmetics growing up). My order of some essentials, like clean up brushes, is coming early next week.
While I'm low-key interested in painting actual designs on my nails, I want to focus on some color theory and picking out accent nail patterns and stuff like that until I'm more comfortable with tools. I have 3 colors to start with with one more on the way.
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Comment on Looking for some cat advice in ~life.pets
crialpaca LinkWe had a cat with diabetes for 3-4 years. I'm mostly curious what Nova's food and medication situation is? Our girl ended up going through a couple rounds of vet visits before we determined that...We had a cat with diabetes for 3-4 years. I'm mostly curious what Nova's food and medication situation is? Our girl ended up going through a couple rounds of vet visits before we determined that she'd 1. Need more than intervention via prescription food and 2. Need human-type insulin instead of animal-type insulin. It also took us a while to figure out the best dose and medication tools for her. (We eventually settled on human insulin needle-syringes, rather than pens.) Eventually, she would tell us when her post-food poke was due, and she looked forward to it.
It could be that Nova's appetite and desperation will calm down once her body evens out. Our girl and her brother had been free fed up until her diagnosis, and after that, they were switched to meals twice a day. (I don't remember them behaving desperately in response to this change, but I wasn't living with them at the time.) I know Nova's probably drinking a lot, but please keep an eye on any weirder litterbox (or out-of-litterbox) behavior. Infections like UTI and bladder infections can mess with their insulin levels and cause complications, which is ultimately how we lost our girl.
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Comment on Has anyone here tried bone conduction headphones? in ~tech
crialpaca Link ParentI do recommend them for an ear plug + conduction headphone combo if you're in a party town... this combo saved me several sleepless nights when we accidentally got a room basically upstairs from a...I do recommend them for an ear plug + conduction headphone combo if you're in a party town... this combo saved me several sleepless nights when we accidentally got a room basically upstairs from a bar in a snowboard town.
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Comment on Has anyone here tried bone conduction headphones? in ~tech
crialpaca LinkI have a cheap model that is no longer available on Amazon. I use them for listening to audiobooks and very casually listening to music while doing quiet chores. Also, exercising where the music...I have a cheap model that is no longer available on Amazon. I use them for listening to audiobooks and very casually listening to music while doing quiet chores. Also, exercising where the music is there to get me in the groove to move, rather than to be fully listened to. The sound quality you're going to get will vary by brand and quality/price. My coworker swears by her Shokz but I think it might depend on the model. Mine are mostly garbage but they're fine for my purposes and they're resilient.
They are comfortable to wear for several hours at a time. I find that my ear... junction? gets sore from the vibration more than from wearing the headphones themselves. I also wear glasses, so there are a few pressure areas to take into account. I've heard they can contribute to ear wax compaction so that could be something to consider.
Mine have some sound leakage according to my partner. However, he says he can't really understand what's being listened to. I'm not sure if that's because it's transmitting vibrations or if it's because I listen to my audiobooks at 3x speed. Perception of exterior sound can be a bit wonky when you're wearing them, but you'll generally hear stuff you're going to need to hear, like traffic noise. Mine are generally very secure on my head.
Overall, I recommend them for: best feeling of safety when moving outside relative to other available types of headphones; casual listeners where your comfort is more important than sound quality.
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Comment on What writing 'tics' stand out to you? Repeated phrases, strange words, or otherwise weird stuff that jumps out at you. in ~books
crialpaca Link ParentDon't forget replacing "try and" with "try to."Don't forget replacing "try and" with "try to."
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Comment on What writing 'tics' stand out to you? Repeated phrases, strange words, or otherwise weird stuff that jumps out at you. in ~books
crialpaca LinkI usually notice something in each book I read. Some are so numerous that I remember it for a long time. Currently, in the book I'm reading, everyone is constantly "canting [their] head." While...I usually notice something in each book I read. Some are so numerous that I remember it for a long time. Currently, in the book I'm reading, everyone is constantly "canting [their] head." While tilting the head is a natural response, especially when questioning something, doing it 8 million times and using the same word for it every time is very repetitive.
One I've noticed in most romantic fiction recently is "the shell of her ear." I just think it's a really weird way to describe an ear and it bothers me every time.
Previous single-book offenders have been the word "brawny," used almost exclusively to describe one guy's arms. I gasped when it was used to describe another character a single time in the book in question. Another is an author's refusal to use the word "hair" for the hair on her characters' heads and instead using "strands" 9/10 of the times it applied. I'm still questioning that choice.
These were all in reasonably recently published books and I don't understand why the editors didn't go "find your crutches and replace them." That was one whole edit of my own book, lol.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
crialpaca LinkCurrently reading: The Rebel and the Rose by Catherine Doyle (YA fantasy romance, similar vibes to The Crimson Moth/Heartless Hunter). Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher (I've been really enjoying...Currently reading: The Rebel and the Rose by Catherine Doyle (YA fantasy romance, similar vibes to The Crimson Moth/Heartless Hunter). Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher (I've been really enjoying her work so I'm trying an older piece). Wool by Hugh Howey (now that we're just waiting for season 3 of Silo). The Boy on the Bridge by MR Carey (zombie dystopia - I'm a zombie hater but read The Girl with All the Gifts for book club and deeply enjoyed it, so now reading the prequel... sequel?).
Just finished: Iron Gold by Pierce Brown (favorite of the saga so far, love that it's multi-POV now). The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne DuPrau (big meh). The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (tough). The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh (you really just need to accept that stuff is just treated like it makes sense when it doesn't. Maybe it's the retelling part of this and me just not knowing the source material). Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (flashed back to a bunch of big bad parts of my childhood. Exhausting.).
Up next: The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton (book club), Carry by Toni Jensen (book club), The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (book club), Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo, China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan. And I'm first in line on like 6 books at the library now so I'm dreading that particular flood...
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
crialpaca Link ParentI was just sick for about 14 days (ten days of 102F fever plus other symptoms throughout). Not covid or anything they test or treat for, just some nasty virus. My normal activity was an hour to 70...I was just sick for about 14 days (ten days of 102F fever plus other symptoms throughout). Not covid or anything they test or treat for, just some nasty virus. My normal activity was an hour to 70 minutes of exercise each day, plus bonus activity on the weekends. I can barely walk up the hill to get my mail with the dog now. I think part of it is depression and lack of motivation (I have a follow up with my doc soon and will be asking for help if needed by that time). But the other part of it is, I feel like my body isn't carrying oxygen the way it was before I was sick. It needs some time. It needs some build up.
So basically the conclusion I've come to is trying to do a significantly lighter version of my previous activity for 2/3 the duration every other day or every two days, and otherwise just move as much as I can. Just moving is tough. Bf and I were doing some home repairs and I got out of breath just climbing the ladder and vacuuming and weeding.
It makes me sad that I'm basically going to have to fight my body to get back to where I was thriving before but I guess that's just how it is now.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang - How is it going? in ~books
crialpaca LinkSo I bought this when it was on sale... but I'm still recovering from being sick. I haven't started and may just skip this one and come back to it later (which is what I ended up doing with...So I bought this when it was on sale... but I'm still recovering from being sick. I haven't started and may just skip this one and come back to it later (which is what I ended up doing with Hyperion earlier in the year - still only 4% in, no idea when I'll pick it up for real). I find that reading story collections is always kind of a hard sell for me because I prefer a plot to carry me through the whole work. (Which, saying that, kind of makes me wonder if there are any "concept anthologies" or collections out there like there are concept albums...)
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
crialpaca Link ParentGiving T Kingfisher a thumbs up, she's very good at incorporating humor into her work! Some of her stuff is a bit horror-y though, so depending on your tastes, it's worth carefully checking what...Giving T Kingfisher a thumbs up, she's very good at incorporating humor into her work! Some of her stuff is a bit horror-y though, so depending on your tastes, it's worth carefully checking what you pick up.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
crialpaca LinkCurrently reading: The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum for future tildes book club. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (book club with coworkers, this one is a bit of a drag to get through...Currently reading: The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum for future tildes book club. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (book club with coworkers, this one is a bit of a drag to get through and I'm already late because I was sick). Hemlock and Silver by T Kingfisher (fun, listening with partner).
Just finished: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo, Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert. Continuing some series I've started.
Up next: The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King (continuing series), The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (library book club), Exit Strategy by Martha Wells, Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo (continuing more series).
I have a lot of book clubs and a lot of series going. I'm trying to whittle away at both. It's been harder recently, as work has been more demanding and I haven't been able to listen as much.
Okay, nail polish updates! I never get tildes's formatting right but I'm gonna try.
So far, I've done a little bit of overachieving, mostly because I didn't think I would manage something not-wedding-related until the end of October. I managed one and a half manicures, instead!
OPI Feelin' Capricorn-y was the first one, painted on 10/1. Blurry bus photo shimmering in the sun. This is part of my first buy from the drugstore (or maybe second - I think I went back for it) probably about 3 weeks ago. This is like a dark sage green with lilac shimmer. It took me way too long to realize they went for a "mermaid" look for this, because Capricorn is a goat fish. Go figure. I felt like this was okay but I didn't totally love it. Would still probably wear it again but likely as an accent or in spring/summer.
Then on Monday, the whole other half of my collection arrived and I got down to the business of swatching them. I learned some things about formula - some were fine and one was questionable (we'll see how the purple one fares around Halloween).
On 10/6, I got the next manicure going - what they call a skittle. It goes white-light blue-periwinkle-turquoise-teal, so it's a gradient, as well. I learned more things about formula and some things about opacity. After applying and maybe a day later. While executing the skittle was really frustrating (it took
8 million yearstwo and a half hours because I messed up a lot), I'm finding the colors and finishes to be very very satisfying. I'm already starting to devise future manicures, skittle or otherwise. The colors in this one were: pinkie - Sally Hansen Reflection Pool, ring - OPI Speed of Bright (5 coats = so much opportunity to screw it up), middle - OPI Pisces the Future, index - mooncat Ghosts of Hecate, thumb - Gemini and I. I did try a top coat on this one I hadn't used before, and I'm noticing that it's causing the polish the shrink and slip back from the edges of my nails. I'm not sure yet if it's just the top coat or if it's bringing underlying polish with it. I definitely don't love that, but since it's a quick dry top coat and they're considered to be as good as gold, generally speaking, I'll probably try to troubleshoot it.I called the skittle above "half" a manicure because it was technically wedding-related instead of fully self-directed. I wanted to see if partner had feelings about Pisces or Gemini compared to Hecate (which is what he had said yes to so far). Hecate remains the choice, so that's what I'm wearing to the wedding. :)