Emchap's Shit from the Internet 10/12/22 🍠
I hired someone to come clean my house today, and when she left the house was the cleanest it has been in months. It’s not even like I don’t clean my house regularly (I do! every Wednesday!), but having someone with the actual professional skills and focus to do it for several hours has left things sparkling.
It made me think of the period where my family hired a cleaning service when I was in high school, and remember my mom pre-tidying the house before the cleaners came. I thought it was ridiculous at 16, but of course at 31 I can see why one would do so. (I didn’t, of course, but I don’t know that it should count as personal growth to be numb to the small pile of objects in the hallway which haven’t moved in 6 months.) I don’t disagree that it would have been less embarrassing to have my weed gummy containers put away before the house cleaner arrived, for example.
I’m thankful for the cleaner for a variety of reasons, but high on the list is that recently I have been feeling like I got hit by a truck, just so tired, presumably related to my new job sapping all my energy. It’s annoying—I’m staying sore from lifting longer than normal, and getting up in the dark is like swimming upstream—and I hope it goes away soon. (If nothing else I’ll start supplementing with protein shakes, just to see what happens. #macros)
I am sleepily dreaming of rainy weather and permanent four-day work weeks and sun that’s up before 7am.
Shit to read
A summary of the current situation in Iran.
Starbucks culture is so fucking alien to me, and secret menu culture more than that. It pops up on my Instagram Reels (straight tiktok) and just seems unhinged.
The danger that cyclists take on in the US is some real failed society shit.
Enjoyed this deep dive into what being a True Crime Girlie does to people. (Nobody’s trying to traffic you by leaving shit on your car.)
Seeing that Charlie McDonnell has come out as trans was a real “aw, them!” moment, as I haven’t consumed her content in a decade. She always seemed nice; I hope she’s doing well.
Absolutely fuck NWSL.
Loved this piece on southern fried queer pride.
Shit to eat
Chop up whatever onion you have dying on your counter and three cloves of garlic.
Toss a tablespoon of jarred ginger on top of them because life is too short.
Scrape into your crockpot.
Top with 2 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. You could almost certainly double the spices, and of course add some sort of spicy pepper if you’re not, like me, a spice coward.
Hack up two lbs of chicken thighs, bones out. If you are me, you will have mistimed the thawing on them, and will make your hands numb.
Into the crockpot.
Same with a half teaspoon of bouillon and half cup water.
And a can of tomato paste.
It will look like nothing. Mash it all together with your hands and pop it into the fridge until the next day.
Cook for 8 hours on low.
Stir in half a cup of cream, the juice of a lime, and 2 tsp brown sugar. Add salt if needed.
Eat, with rice, and feel faintly virtuous.
(Based on Damn Delicious’s butter chicken recipe.)
Shit to watch
Everyone go listen to Lillian talk about cutting out overspending.
Shit to buy
Apple cider, baybee!