I’ve been stressing about needing some things from stores I’ve been having trouble getting to anyway. Actually got a craving for some zucchini yesterday, but couldn’t get out after it.
As much as I don’t like taking deliveries on my own, especially with the shoulder problems and trying to wrangle the bags around when they’re understandably in a hurry? Probably past time to put together a grocery order. At least there are plenty of options for that here, and for about the same cost as taking a bus to the store and back; one benefit of living in such a built-up area. Even if it were a £20 delivery charge instead of around £5, it would be doable and well worth it to have better access to food.
I just keep putting it off, when the Just Try Harder approach really hasn’t been getting me out after a better selection of food. (Or anything else.) Doesn’t magically increase the spoon supply, but that can be hard to break out of anyway.
Fresh produce and meats are also definitely items I prefer to look at in person, and pick out (or pass up) myself. But, at this point zucchini of unknown quality is sounding way better than none. And not just that, of course.
Well, that’s both stressful and a relief. Upstairs called the water company to come and look at that drain, because unsurprisingly the smell was bothering them up there. I thought we needed a plumber because the blockage seemed to be between our house and the main line, but the water company apparently sent somebody.
The woman caught me outside maybe 10 minutes ago (when I started writing this) to let me know someone was on the way and might need in our gate. That was pretty awkward, but at least she was very polite about it and didn’t get snarky to my face over our not having taken care of it already. I’d kinda been dreading dealing with them over it. I did act apologetic and thank her for calling them. They didn’t get directly confrontational with us over that sewer problem we were unaware of before, but they did get the council involved and I was more concerned about that happening again tbh.
Sounds like a quick response if they called this afternoon. Somebody already came to look at it, went to try and see if they could get at it from further down, and is back with a set of huge drain rods now. So Feist screamed at him and ran off 😼
And now he’s sweeping the worst of the nasty lake back into the hole, so hopefully it’s sorted. With maybe 5 minutes of work.
(Yes, I just asked him about it and thanked him for doing it.)
More time spent sweeping so far than on the actual drain clog. Looks like he also put down some kind of foamy disinfectant, which I hope the cats will have the sense not to walk through either. And a lot of the smell is gone now!
Some disruption I didn’t need, and the smell got extra atrocious while he was working. (So glad for the cleanup afterwards!) But, I am so relieved to have one less thing to worry about around here. That’s also one less excuse to put off washing some clothes. *wry smile*
For The Buffalo that could not dream, German photographer Felix von der Osten chronicles life on Montana’s the Fort Belknap Reservation, where since 1888, the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Native American tribes have raised their families and continued to foster a deeply-felt respect for the land.
You know what, I have gotten my life limit of looking at pictures of natives that white people have taken. Hell, we still gotta deal with Curtis and his baggage he left. Also, the photographer was there for a month and suddenly can shoot photos with feeling that a Native couldn’t have done with an eye far more clear for having experienced it their whole life?
No, my friends and family, you want to see some amazing work, look into the book, “Shooting Back From the Reservation”, where Native children were given cameras to capture their lives and did so with grace and laughter and leave this German bozo alone.
All right, Fam, I got some pretty horrible hate mail for this opinion of mine so now I’m going to expand on my LOVE for “Shooting Back from the Reservation”, and why I dislike this German man’s photos of Natives.
If you have seen Edward Curtis photos (and who hasn’t?) these were taken in the same vein and tell about as much about Natives as Curtis’ did (which is not a lot).
Posed, un-smiling, dressed in regalia – heck, not one picture that this Felix guy took has anyone who is smiling! Not even the children! All posed and stern, with serious faces – this is not the full reality and isn’t the most important part of our communities! Even in the landscape pictures he conveyed isolation and emptiness when it’s not really like that. How can the land be empty when my grandpa taught me how to speak to it?
Shooting Back was made by Native children who were sharing and exploring different aspects of their LIVES. It shows how life really is within a Native community by young Native people. It’s not someone who showed up on a reservation for a month because his girlfriend had extended family there and took pictures. This is a glimpse of a moment out of their day and holds so many aspects of their life that you cannot view from an outsider’s pictures.
It shows you that there is no one way a Native is suppose to look,
It has chubby babies with big heads and intelligent eyes,
And shows that often our places are run down, and held together with more than a little duct tape, WITHOUT it being poverty porn,
It shows the love of rez dogs and rez cars,
And dads that make funny faces just because he likes to hear you laugh,
It shows a cemetery with too many graves,
And those medicine wheels that your aunt makes when you get a new to you car,
It shows kids playing, goofing around, and laughing!
And standing kinda awkwardly next to a white guy,
And elders that make silly faces too!
But my favorite part of this book is that in a society where our Native youth have some of the highest suicide rates, where they are silenced twofold because not only are they Native but they are also children and apparently that means that you’re not a full person yet, this book gives them a platform for their voice.
And I. I just really love this book. So if you want to see what Native life is, not just the poverty porn and the Edward Curtis wannabes, please check this book out. That is all.
Just bought the book, thanks for the rec!
OMG!!! So excited about that! Please let me know how you like it!
disabilities = not the problem
ableism = the problem
I will expand on this with an example
The fact I need a wheelchair does not upset me. Going out in my wheelchair does not upset me.
The looks and stares and comments I get from people when I’m out in my wheelchair DO upset me.
I don’t know man… The horrible stabbing pain I feel most of the time? Kind of upsetting
I agree. But everyone feels different about their disability, and it depends on what kind of disability it is too. I don’t mind being autistic, sometimes I even like it, even though people treat me like I’m a dumb kid sometimes and making/keeping friends is hard for me. But I really really hate having an autoimmune disorder. The disability is a problem for me because being in constant pain really sucks, and ableism is a problem because people think I should be healthy and able-bodied because I’m young, so obviously I’m just faking it.
It would be nice to be able to lose the ableism component so I only have my own issues to deal with, instead of everyone’s judgments on top of it.
i know i just reblogged this but i forgot to add that this guy’s name is sarper duman, he’s based in istanbul and he loves playing the piano for all of his cats. you can find him on instagram if you search for his name!!
Urocyon's Jaunts 2.0 
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