u/wanton-secretary

Work in progress! But it is progress! And no, it's not pretty, but that's not the point for me. 3rd photo is the before.

Thanks to everyone who made suggestions on my last post. I opted to start with a shelf along one wall and see what could be done from there. I'm on a budget, as I mentioned in my last post, but I picked a shelf that arrived today. Thankfully, there were no nasty surprises when it came to the measurements, so it fits great. I wanted it on wheels since I always need to sweep and vacuum under furniture thanks to my pets. I'd like to get some bins to prevent disorder as well as an over-the-door organizer for my scanties as at least one of you suggested, but money is very tight so that is on my someday list.

I'm sure you noticed the rod is still here. I removed it initially since it clearly competes with the shelf, but I do have a few things that need hanging. Several of you mentioned I could mount some hooks or special rods on the other wall, which I aimed to do. However, in the interest of my wallet, I wanted to see if the original rod was at all usable. To be frank, it works just fine for my purposes. I struggle with order as it is and need easy solutions. It's not the crowning jewel of my home, so who cares? It's behind a door.

If I make some staggering progress, I will be back to share. I can't express how huge a relief it is to be able to get my laundry piles out of my living space and have some dignity back.

I lost my last betta friend of a couple years recently and today felt it was time to give my nerite snail another roommate. This time, I was determined to get a plakat and be rid of fin woes...but, as many of you probably have experienced, the saddest betta on the shelf called out to me instead. There was a very small supply at the LPS anyway, but I couldn't let him languish.

No name yet, but I swear on all the cash in my wallet that he looks more vibrantly blue already in the few minutes it took me to write this post after taking these photos. I'll be back with a transformation without a doubt.

Here's my little baby Petra just over a month ago! She's full on charging at adult pigeons with her angry lady coos now. But believe it or not, she already had a husband back then. More on that story another time.

I'm grateful I have the cute videos to look back on, but real talk - I'm glad the constant squeaking is done around here!

This is a Parisienne, 35mm, on my puny 5.25" wrist. Is this big? Just right? Ignore the bracelet size, this is the best I could do without changing the strap. I've had to accept that it won't sit in one place.

It's my current everyday watch. It serves its purpose, but as I think about upgrading my collection in the future, I'd like to know what my upper size limit is.

I gravitate toward dressier, classic styles, so I'm not aiming for a giant chrono diver or anything. I'm just dreaming of saving up for a Christmas present to myself with my very modest municipal clerk salary.

Thank you!

Edited to add context

I've owned this machine for a few months, having gotten it with dreams of putting it to work in my office. The 6 cpi Sight Saver typeface is ideal for addressing envelopes and filling out slips I submit in my super secret government spy work. However, while it was in mostly good shape, the cork strip that the typebars rest on was absolutely disintegrating, and the typewriter got shelved for a few months while I dealt with life and finding a solution.

I eventually came upon this adhesive foam weatherstripping material with the exact dimensions as the cork. Installing it was the most odiously hellish task, but it's in. Maybe it's not the perfect material, but time will tell, and it will do for now.

Now I'm finally deploying it on the job! The letter impressions aren't consistent or flawless (I've made adjustments to the shift alignment, but it's more than that), and the platen is almost as hard as a brick, but I'm getting over the perfectionism and enjoying using a typewriter instead of just halfway dismantling them to "fix" them and then letting them languish.

I'd love to collect more of these larger typefaces!

ETA that when I say cork that the typebars rest on, I don't mean the material on which the slugs sit. I mean on the underside of the machine, near the linkages.

Anyone else's birds have this kind of bathing preference? I've had Tupelo for about 10 months, and he's never been a huge bather. I mean, he craves baths, but he insists on just standing on the rims of his tubs and splashing his beak in the water, like, 10 times. My mom got him this large tub just in case the issue was his muffs, but nope. He's a rim man, and I let him do things his way.

Now evolution has brought us to this point - me showering his head with the faucet while he stands on the rim. The sailboating is new and hilarious. He's the most bathed he's ever been now!

Little adolescent Petra in the background is learning from the master and practicing. She and most of my others didn't care to shower until they saw him lead the way.

*edited for typos and grammar

And apparently calling me out on my clutter...

My sweetie feral girl is finally flight capable and still teenie tiny (but I'm working on fattening her up 🐖). She is also here to stay!

I am very intrigued by her eye color. Even a few weeks ago when she was much closer to being a baby, I noticed her eye color was different and lighter than other feral juveniles I've encountered. All of my flock (minus my white pigeon) have orange/red eyes. This might be down to nutrition and age, but has anyone seen a color like this or know what this might develop into? They don't strike me as pearl, but maybe I'm wrong.

My other feral girl has yellow eyes that developed into light orange, but even that color was not quite like this.

P.S. she's nameless until I find the perfect name, and DNA tested as female.

Edited for typos

Late for coosday, but I couldn't not share! If I hadn't felt confident he was a male before, I did then (and I was right). I originally had trimmed Tupelo's muffs, which is why they are shorter here.

Excuse my messy place, I had just moved in.

Edit for typo

I'm so proud of this (big) little lady. First photo is her on the fegg I swapped her real one out for. The second is the egg, which is significantly larger than my feggs and the eggs my feral hen produces.

I am curious if someone knows the likelihood of this clutch being fertilized by my male, Tupelo. I brought her home from the shelter last Sunday, 7/12. By the end of 7/13, they accepted each other's love, and I think the first time I saw them mating was the following day, give or take. She laid the first egg late 7/19 and has yet to lay the second.

Obviously, I'm not letting them find out if he fertilized it. She might have been cooking it already since the shelter told me the previous owner had seen her lay, but if anyone knows how soon eggs can develop after mating (or how that works generally) it would be cool to learn.

Edited: typos, grammar

I finally found a lady to love my precious a**hole son. 🥹 I'm not 100% sure on her name yet, but I have some options in mind. Also, this girl can EAT.

My local shelter let me know over the weekend that they got a female for me, as the previous household had apparently seen her lay eggs. Her adoption fee was about 4x less than the cost in train and rideshare fares, but seeing them bond like this within two days has been worth it. I was so nervous there would be feathers flying for months.

And now my flock is finally complete - 3 married couples. I am stocked up on feggs!

5 days ago, I found this underripe squeaker sitting in an abandoned asphalt lot without flight capability and nothing to perch on. The next day was 90°+, and we have some big hungry rats out here so I grabbed the lil nug. It still can't fly, but I also don't know if it can remember if it liked hot asphalt or not. How badly do you think it wants to go back out?

I keep several emotional support plushies strategically placed, but this one is his favorite.

He loves my pets and attention, but my mother thinks he needs a wifey. He's pretty obnoxiously territorial with my other pigeons. I have only one female who is already paired with another male, and Tupelo will follow her around (obnoxiously). I'm trying to figure out if he is obnoxious because he needs a mate, or needs a mate because he's obnoxious. I'm just running low on space and wouldn't want to introduce a female if he repels her with his attitude.

Anyway, enjoy his big feelings.

This is my beloved boy, Tupelo. He is an English Trumpeter (presumably) that I adopted from my local shelter after he was found on the street, so I don't know anything about his past. He is sweet and spicy, and the drama king of my flock.