Weeknotes 9/11

Steamed hot dogs

I went to a friend’s Labor Day barbecue and made some organic steamed hot dogs.

I used to toast my buns. No no no. A few years ago I realized steamed buns are the way to go. They are chewy and delicious.

To steam, I take a fully cooked and dressed hot dog in a bun, wrap it in tin foil and a damp paper towel, and throw it back on the grill for a few minutes.

Also at the BBQ… my friend’s mom went on a crazy tirade at me for not having kids

She cried, yelled, and swore. She told me I was lazy. But she also told me I was beautiful and that she loved me. BTW, I don’t know her well. She didn’t let me talk, and I couldn’t understand half of what was said.

It was bizarre. It was weird. I felt bad for her, being so affected by someone she doesn’t know well not wanting kids. I’m glad it’s over and I hope she doesn’t read my blog. But her crazy behavior is an ode to my freedom to do what I want.

Put together outfits for BIL’s wedding

Last time, I talked about how I wanted an outfit that I could dance in. The wedding is short notice, so I only have time for Amazon Prime.

To dance well, I want no tight skirts and no fear of my underwear showing. But I also want a flattering silhouette.

I decided to layer dancewear under a corset.

I have a small frame with a large bust. Since the dancewear is forgiving and the corsets can be adjusted with lacing, this seems like a good plan to accommodate my unusual proportions.

I ordered over 32 pieces to try.

Here are some of the items I ordered:

Corsets, Leotards, and skirts I ordered

Corset placeholder — One of the many corsets I bought.

Lace shirt placeholder — Lacy top to layer with corsets and leotards. Bought in two colors.

Dance leotard placeholder — Sparkly dance leotards—bought in many colors.

Lyrical dance skirt placeholder — Lyrical dance skirts. I bought so many of these in different colors. I love how free and dance-y they look.

ChatGPT outfit creator

I used ChatGPT to put together some of my items and visualize my options before buying.

Blue corset outfit mockup — Placeholder caption — replace with the outfit description.

Tried my outfits as they came in

Still waiting on a few pieces, but here are some of the combinations I have tried on so far.

Try-on photo of a sparkly leotard with a blue corset and skirt — Sparkly leotard with blue corset and skirt.

Try-on photo of a blue outfit in a mirror — Placeholder caption — replace with the outfit description.

Try-on photo of a black outfit — Black outfit.

Try-on photo of a black outfit with the skirt layered differently — Same black outfit, but layered in a different order: skirt on top instead of skirt under fringe.

Try-on photo of another black outfit — Another black outfit.

Try-on photo of a convertible outfit with a short skirt — I like that this is convertible and I can take off the skirt and dance in a short skirt.

Cut passive long-form video watching

I usually watch a show while eating alone. Shows can be a time suck and bleed into eating time.

This week, I decided to watch long-form entertainment videos only when taking notes. In other words, I am watching actively.

This led me to switch my eating content. I am consuming educational or inspirational media, mostly podcasts.

I did keep watching a video with my spouse during dinner because I would need to get him on board.

Worked on Psychedelic Synagogue

The event sold out. I worked on my syllabus for the event.

Made a PowerPoint about my Jewish year

My friend invited me to her Rosh Hashanah party. She suggested bringing presentations about our year and what we want for the new year.

The PowerPoint was a great exercise for reflecting on what I accomplished this year.

I love sharing goals. I don’t understand what people want in life, and so I like hearing their goals. But most people seem too shy to share their goals when I ask. I feel like either people don’t have a lot of goals or they are afraid to say them.

Here are a few slides from the PowerPoint: