So... this is rather interesting. I purchased yarn of specific colors to do an art project for an auction a local arts center holds annually. I went straight to the source, Yarnspirations, instead of through amazon. Order went through.

Order did say they were experiencing a high volume and would be 5-7 days later, possibly. OK. I get an email after that saying still high volume, delayed. Another some time after that. I realize it's a week after the last one and I am a MONTH behind getting started on this project. You have 2 months to create, and they all have to be submitted on one particular day. So I order yarn elsewhere and email Yarnspirations that I'm frustrated, behind, and I just want a refund.

I get an email that I've been refunded, they did apologize, but get this. "however we are unable to stop the order from shipping. We hope when the order is received you are able to enjoy the products or gift them to others."

I mean, that's nice, it's fortunate they're colors I'll actually use for myself... But this giant company has so little control over shipping? Big names, too, like Aunt Lydia’s, Bernat, Caron, Coats & Clark, Lily Sugar'n Cream, Patons, Phentex, Red Heart, and Anchor. Seems odd they can't cancel one little order, which makes me think it may have just shipped and someone forgot to send the "it shipped" email. Oh well. We'll see when/if it ever arrives. At least they were quite nice about the whole thing. And my other supplies come Monday, so I can still get the project done.

Well, next week should be interesting. My continuous glucose monitor, a Freestyle libre 2, is being discontinued in September in favor of the 3 Plus. So, per the email recommendation, I've had my provider change the prescription. I now have the new one waiting when this one runs out next Tuesday. And honestly, I'm really hoping for improved performance.

The 3+ has a 15-day wear, a range of 33 feet Bluetooth, better alarm control, and can work with insulin pumps. (which, thank the gods, I do NOT have) And it's smaller. But my 2 has shown a marked tendency to be easily affected by several things that cause it to give off false lows when I'm laying down at night or for a nap. Accidental compression, excessive sweat without hydration, it hates I had an electric blanket on, etc. I don't wear it on the side I sleep on, but I've found myself sleeping on my back more often to humor it and that actually is quite uncomfortable for me. It's gotten to the point where I had to turn off my phone to keep it from giving me false low alarms every hour and a half or so. And I know they were false because they were compared to a blood stick, which I also broke down and bought. I still have a LOT of difficulty actually sticking myself, which was the point of the CGM in the first place.

It's all education, I know, learning about what works for me. But when you have fibromyalgia's sleep problems to start with... I was close to throwing that phone through a wall to get it to shut up! I did some reading and apparently I'm not the only one with false low issues. Maybe that's why they're discontinuing it. *shrug* We shall see. If the 3+ really isn't any better, I'll go to the Dexcom which my brother wears and literally never does that. I'm hoping not, it's a bit more expensive.

Now, patches. As you saw in a previous post, I also have these patches/bandages that are popular to hold it on. Does one last the full 14 days? No, they're full of shit about that. But it lasts about a week, which isn't horrible. I would say if someone also exercises a lot or showers a lot more because of that, it's not going to last even that long. I tried going without and the CGM's own adhesive was wearing off a little around day 5. So they do help hold it on. To be fair, it's been unseasonably warm lately even for here, so sweat has been an issue. But given I live in a desert and it's barely spring, I have to find an adequate solution. The Libre, unlike the Dexcom, does NOT come with an alcohol wipe with each applicator, which feel a bit... cheap. Like, Dexcom apparently does. You couldn't put one little alcohol wipe in with it when I'm supposed to use one? I have them, but that's not the point. Even my Ozempic comes with one wipe for each injection.

Ah well. That's my rant. Otherwise, I've just been writing and have submitted some more poetry to journals. Fingers crossed for acceptance! Peace and hugs to everyone in these trying times.

Pinchme.com, a free sample site that started out cool but got harder and harder to actually get free samples on, so I stopped using them. Forgot about them, frankly. I go to clean up unwanted accounts and see them, so I go see if I can log back in. Alas, I can... but they now have 2FA, and sent a code to that email I signed up with to verify it's me. Um. No. I deleted it.

I find after much searching the "Contact Us" page. I sent them a message stating the above and to just delete my account.

They email me that I can delete my account by going HERE, a linked page. No, I can't, it just leads to the same verification process.

I reply, explaining "It says it sends a code to myformeraddress@gmail to verify it's me. I deleted that gmail account, so I cannot even get a code. have someone delete my account if you can't do it."

Funny enough, she could then do it. 3 emails to delete an account where other sites just have a button and a confirmation email. Don't tell me it's not possible.

Eyemart Express: 7 total emails back and forth, finally deletes my account after telling me she can't find anything, but I send her a screenshot of my being logged in.

Marvel Insider account somehow became a MyDisney account after they couldn't find it, and will take 14 days to delete.

FullBeauty, 6 emails back and forth including twice sending me to a privacy form for deletion that doesn't work because I don't live in one of the 13 states that require them to have it.

BeautyandHair.com apparently does customer service for wigs.com; at least, they're who responded. "We apologize we can't delete accounts. We show you aren't signed up to receive promotional emails; therefore, you shouldn't receive any correspondence from us." NOT FUCKING ACCEPTABLE.

This is the crap I've gone through on at least a third of my "closed accounts" spreadsheet where I discovered I've signed up over 300 places over the years. It should not and other sites prove it IS NOT that hard to leave. If you have to keep sales records and such, I completely understand. But that in no way whatsoever should mean you have to keep a login active.

Wow, y'all. I have been trying to do a digital cleanse. As in, deleting my account on a LOT of websites I signed up. I had no idea I was so much out there. I mean, I kept a list of passwords, but it's been an ordeal. I'm 101 lines into the list, and that's just the deletions, not the address changes or updates, and nothing "important" yet. Just games and shopping and social crap so far. Everything from Pinterest to Listography to a mahjong game site. And at least a good quarter of them are the kind where you have to dig to even find how to leave, maybe email, maybe fill out a form, wait for them to reply, etc. Just stupid levels of annoyance just to delete an account. There are even a handful where it'll take more work because they literally have no way to contact them at all that I can find on the surface. Honestly, that pisses me off. Family Dollar stores, I don't even remember why I signed up, but no way to contact them on their website anywhere at all, not even a website administrator. Might have to go get pissy on facebook. No spellcheck, fuck you, I refuse to capitalize that word, it doesn't deserve it.

So anyway, I'm still around. Just trying not to succumb to panic attacks with every new thing I read in the news. Our D&D game was delayed by two weeks because the DM was so freaked out and overwhelmed with things. We gamed Sunday, but he needed the distraction because he lost the job he'd had for less than a month. Anyhow! Peace to you all, and wish me luck dealing with these websites. if you have a website or newsletter or whatever, don't make it difficult for people to leave or unsubscribe. I guarantee it will piss them off and they'll end up telling others about it. See? Just like I did.

OK, I have to share this cause I'm impressed. So, having diabetes, (big frowny face), I've discovered my blood sugar takes a dip overnight. Sometimes alarm-low. But to fix that, a little protein just before bed keeps it evened out. The best way I've found to do that is a small protein shake. I've been trying different powders to find one I like and last night was a big win.

The brand is Rule One. It's a whey protein powder that mixes with milk very well. (I'd never mix with water like some of them say, that's gross.) I had the chocolate fudge flavor and holy cow is it good. Rich and truly chocolatey, it satisfied that sweet craving as well while only having 1g of sugar per serving. I got mine on Amazon for about $14.99 for a 1-lb bag, making it just barely over $1 per serving. Well, that's decently less than the other brands of pre-made shakes in their little juice box sizes. I use a 20-oz Blender Bottle.

I will absolutely be trying the other flavors and look forward to the "toasted cinnamon cereal". Which made me smile since they can't use the name, but I love cinnamon flavored stuff. 24g of protein per serving kept my blood sugar steady for about 7.5 hours of sleep and the half hour between drinking and actually going to bed. I do that so my acid reflux doesn't act up from laying down right away. So, yeah. Highly recommend.
amazon.com/dp/B0CQM97P3Z

So now that I've had them almost a week, I'm reviewing the patch bandage things that I bought off amazon as covers for my continuous glucose monitor on my arm. Mine is a Freestyle Libre 2 and does not come with covers like a Dexcom does. (I'll work on it, I don't know why my images are only showing up in photos, not in the post themselves. They do have ALT text, though.)

These, so far, do NOT last. The sensor is on your arm for 14 days before you replace it. This patch lasted 6 days, I just put a new one on. They come in white people flesh tone, baby crib pink, or the rainbow assorted pack I bought that includes the "skin" tone and black. I've used the two "skin" tone ones now.

First off, the backing is divided into thirds. Although the package markets these to the Freestyle Libre sensors, the backing is not cut with a circle in the middle of it, which is a pain in the butt. I took the recommendation of a lot of amazon reviewers and left the paper on in the center over the sensor to make it easier to remove. I'm glad I did, but being cut in a strip meant I had to measure the width of the sensor and cut the paper correctly, an extra step. It's not hard to position and put on, though, much like a fabric Band-Aid with peeling off one piece of paper at a time.

Over the 6 days, though, the edges started fraying about day 3 (I mainly wear tshirts and sweatshirts). Then it started peeling up on the upper edge, where it would rub against a shirt you're taking off over your head. I took it off today because half of it had literally no adhesive left and was flapping off. When I took it completely off, it wasn't even sticky anymore in that area.

So, while they're pretty colors, they don't stay stuck worth crap. I'll be looking at other brands and saving the rest of these for... I don't know, art projects? Emergency bandage covers? Vaguely absorbent coasters for a lukewarm can? *shrug* Not worth the money, in my opinion. Oh well.

So, I went looking on the web for the full wording of one of my favorite quotes by Audre Lorde. Of course, google sent me to goodreads first. And... I noticed something. People posted the quote multiple times, but they left out an important part. They'd quote the first part, or the second half of the second part. But they left off the part where she mentions she's lesbian. The quoted either stopped after "still in silence", or only started at "because I am myself" as if that was the start of the sentence. It's not, and it's bullshit the cowards didn't include it, because it's important too.

So, fuck that erasure, here's the quote in FULL:

"What are the words you do not yet have? What do you need to say? What are the tyrannies you swallow day by day and attempt to make your own, until you will sicken and die of them, still in silence?

Perhaps for some of you here today, I am the face of one of your fears. Because I am woman, because I am Black, because I am lesbian, because I am myself — a Black woman warrior poet doing my work — come to ask you, are you doing yours?"

Here are some personal things people can do to protect themselves a little further, find ways to stay positive, and resist on a personal level. Feel free to comment if you have more constructive suggestions.

VPN -
Get a VPN. this is a way to protect your privacy further on your computer, phone, etc. It basically hides your computer's "address" by going through servers in other countries. You sign up for an account, download a little program, log in and let it stay on. NordVPN is the most extensive and the smallest plan is $3 (USD) something a month, and you can buy 2 years worth right now. Surfshark is popular and even cheaper. (it also has a benefit of changing locations of certain services, like letting you see what someone in the UK sees on Netflix you don't, for example) If you really can't afford this, they have browser extensions that at least let you browse privately, but only for Edge, Google, and Firefox. I got the full system VPN because I use a different browser. Please note that there are free ones, but you shouldn't get them as they track you and log sites you visit, which is part of why you don't want this in the first place. They have to make money somehow, and if they're not getting it from you, your data is the next available thing.

Services -
If you want a free, private, encrypted email address, zohomail, proton.me or mailfence.com are some of the best. I've heard the first can be a little slow, but it's your choice. There are several articles out there that compare features for you.

Opera is a great browser that isn't bloated with memory hog issues and is very private. Some company work programs don't like it, but the only issue I've ever had with it was when a therapist's video remote software their work made them use instead of Zoom wouldn't work in it. Firefox is a second best choice. No matter what, make sure to learn how to clean out cache and cookies regularly. It'll improve your performance, if nothing else.

Storygraph.app is the alternative to Goodreads. (Which is owned by Amazon) Started by a woman of color and you can export all your Goodreads stuff into it. I love it and am doing some reading challenges there. The recommendation quiz is spot-on, in my opinion.

BlueSky (bsky.app) is the very liberal, much more positive and supportive alternative to Shitter. it has a great ability to filter whatever words you want it to so you never see certain things, and it's easy as hell to block someone.

pixelfed.social is the decentralized version of Instagram.

I don't use it, but people recommend Signal as an alternative to Whatsapp, which is owned by Meta. Signal is totally encrypted end-to-end if you need a messaging app. I never used Whatsapp, but that's just me.

All browsers use extensions (well, windows ones I know of). Get Ublock Origin and AdBlock for Youtube to stop being tracked and stop seeing so many damned ads. All ads track you these days.

Get a library card, even if you never use it. Vote for libraries, they're one of the few free safe spaces in many places. Request books from BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ and disabled authors. If they get enough requests, they will buy the books and those authors DO get royalties. Request audio and e-books for accessibility. Libraries are also a bastion against censorship wherever they can be. They also have a huge digital selection of resources through things like Hoopla, Libby, or Overdrive and interlibrary loan can get you nearly anything. Universities also have connected libraries you can borrow things on using that. Also check out Little Libraries, the boxes in neighborhoods where people drop off and take books for free.

If you still want to buy actual new and/or used books, Thriftbooks is great. I use Better World Books, who are also environmentally conscious. You probably won't get that "here in 2 days or less", but patience shouldn't take precedence over morals. There are a TON of fantastic indie authors who sell through itch.io for e-books, and they don't have DRM bullshit AND the authors get far more royalties than many big places.

Use ALT text on all images you post. Don't repost images that don't have it. And, something I recently learned, use the ALT text because people who are vision-impaired also might be muting certain political and other terms and if that's in ALT-text, it'll mute and they won't have to see OR hear that crap.

Take care of yourself. If you need to turn off the news or not look at that news feed, or even train BlueSky to make your algorithm mostly show you pictures of baby possums and kitties, that is perfectly fine. If you need to go out and get that coffee and donut, DO IT. (or whatever treat works for you.) Check a book, or movie, or e-book, or audio book (amazon owns audible, alas) out of the library. Cuddle your pet, wear the warm fuzzy socks, play the video game. You're worth taking care of, and you deserve good things.

Here's a review of a Korean restaurant my BFF and I went to today. Ai-Ri-Rang Oriental Market on Eubank in Albuquerque, NM is a very small unassuming Korean grocery store barely bigger than a 7-11. But in back is 5 or 6 small tables with the family cooking of utterly amazing dishes. Now, I spent some of my formative years in South Korea as a USAF military dependent, and we lived off-base. This is some of the best Korean food I've had since being there. Food of my childhood, oh my goodness. Perfect sticky rice, kimchi, and beef bulgogi that nearly made me weep with the tender shreds and delicious carrots and onions. Just faintly sweet, not enough to set off the glucose monitor, LOL. Heart and soul-warming. I also loved the pan-fried dumplings (aka, Mandu) and burned my tongue rather than wait for them to cool off. Barley-corn tea cold in a cup to wash it down refreshingly. Love this treasure of a place and will totally be back as much as I can. 10 out of 5 stars, in my opinion.

The photos are of a plate of mandu (although several were gone by the time I got the camera out), the beef bulgogi with the onions and carrots in it, and the small bowls of sticky rice and kimchi.

Finally, I found a place in the Fediverse to have a blog. I've been looking to replace a lot of things. I recently quit Instagram and FB and replaced them with pixelfed and BlueSky. I quit Shitter back when Muskrat first bought it. yes, you might see some profanity on occasion here. Get over it, I'm an adult. This is going to be a place to share my thoughts, opinions, and sometimes even reviews of things/places/services. I don't pull punches, and I will not be doing reviews for remuneration. I also don't put up with BS. This is my blog, if you see something you don't agree with, the Fediverse and the world is a big place, move on.

That being said, I have a lot of eclectic interests and hobbies, so there's bound to be something interesting to read here at one point or another. Also, I use alt-text on photos and I rarely if ever use emojis because I want this to be an accessible blog. If you aren't aware, the screenreaders that some visually impaired people use read emojis as a string of symbol names or gibberish, which is overwhelming and annoying AF to listen to. I don't use one, but a friend let me listen to hers. Holy crap at what she has to put up with. I'ma make it easy for people.

Nice to meet you! Say hi, especially if we share an interest! And hey, try to make the world a better place for everyone, okay? Kindness doesn't cost you anything.