Done last week (20171218-23)

Some really good parts, mixed with a lot of stress. We had six guests, so a total of 11 people, over for latkes on Tuesday, and a disjoint set of six on Wednesday. So I got lots of help with the cooking, but it was still somewhat stressful. There was even more stress later in the week worrying about whether we would have enough food for the predicted 12 people on Christmas -- I had forgotten that we had that invitation out. (Latke recipes in the notes, though we didn't follow either of them exactly. Using frozen hash browns is a major short-cut and works surprisingly well. We have one bag left.)

I was considerably relieved yesterday when I picked up the standing-rib roast we'd ordered. It's huge. And later that day some of tomorrow's guests backed out due to illness. We'll be eating leftovers for the rest of the year, more or less.

I have been sorting paperwork. Not all that effectively -- I'm a master-level procrastinator -- but I'm getting there. There are still some bills to pay, checks to deposit, and funds to transfer. And appointments to make. Some of those things require phone calls, which I'm wretched at. (One of those calls would be to a therapist. Catch 22.)

Finally got E connected with her college fund, which has more in it than I remembered (see procrastination). She needs a new laptop. It took three phone calls to get the order in after HP's website declined all three of the payment methods I gave it, and tried to say the problem was on my side. I don't think they're quite as bad as GM; I may never know because I don't intend to order anything from them again.

On the web/software front, I did quite a bit of cleanup, and finally got Let's Encrypt certs installed on the more important domains. (I'll probably let some of the ones I'm not actually using expire.)

ysabetwordsmith's poem "Climbing Through the Cracks" and the links in her notes got me thinking (again) about underground_rail, and a related domain that I happen to own. I think it would be dangerous at this point to use them as originally intended, for organizing actual escape routes. The current plan is to use them for links to resources that organizers can use. Watch this (and that) space.

And now if you'll excuse me, I probably ought to get started on cooking, gift-wrapping, and other last-possible-minute activities.

( Notes & links, as usual )