Fiber arts! They’re for everyone, not just grandmas. Knitting, crochet, weaving, embroidery, sewing. The act of creating art lowers stress, and it really helps manage anxiety and depression. A lot of them also a mathematical or engineering approach, so if you find those things rewarding, you’ll probably enjoy fiber arts. And you get something warm or useful in the end…
Pork chops in garlic-butter sauce with mushrooms. I usually serve them with mashed potatoes and steamed fresh green beans. If you don’t do pork, you can do the exact same thing with chicken breasts.
3-4 thick-cut pork chops, preferably bone-in
1 cup mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
4 tablespoons butter
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, OR 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, OR 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
2 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large oven-proof skillet, combine the butter, garlic, herbs, and mushrooms over medium-high heat.
When the butter has melted, push everything to the sides and add the pork chops. Sear until golden on both sides.
Spread the mushrooms evenly over everything, and put skillet in the oven. Bake for around 35 minutes, or until the pork chops are at 150-160 F.
Remove from oven and set the pork chops aside to rest. Tent foil over them to keep them warm. You can remove the mushrooms too if you want, but don’t take away too much of the fat in the pan. You need whatever is in there for the gravy.
Put the skillet over low heat and whisk the flour into the fat in the pan. No lumps! Cook for 1-2 minutes to cook the flour and keep whisking. Whisk in the milk and chicken broth and cook until gravy is thick. Keep whisking the entire time. Flavor with salt and pepper to taste. If you want, you can add a pinch (1/8 teaspoon-ish) of red pepper flakes. It balances out the richness of the butter. You can also just put hot sauce on table, if you have spice-averse guests.
The ones who do notice me still expect me to move, and will make eye contact and then still not move.
Oh, it’s totally a thing. I’m a woman and short, so I’m below the eye line of most men, and I’ve had men plow right over me on crowded sidewalks or at events. Most men expect the woman to yield in that situation and they’ll get annoyed if you don’t. It actually is surprising when a man moves out of the way, though I don’t know if it shows on my face.
Mine is in German and I’m an American who does not speak German. At least not that fluently. I am using Jerboa.
Yeah, you should be aware of the way people talk about cities in frankly bigoted ways if you don’t want to be perceived as a bigot. Talking about cities being dangerous or scary is a coded way to denigrate Black people. Like, when people talk about Chicago being dangerous, they’re specifically referring to neighborhoods with Black majority populations and generalizing it to the entire city. That’s what this meme is about, not traffic.
Meh. I live out in the country, and the only scary thing about cities to me is the traffic. Even NYC was fine outside of Times Square, and I took public transit. The only place I really hated was Orlando, but that was because of the exhausted Disney kids. It was overwhelming for everyone.
He has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.
The Fenelon elevator in Dubuque is pretty neat. I can’t say it’s as exciting as a roller coaster, but the views of the Mississippi are incredible. https://www.fenelonplaceelevator.com/
The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque is interesting too. They have old river boats there in the summer that you can tour, and the inside exhibits on the geology and wildlife of the Upper Mississippi are incredible. Really great interactive exhibits for kids, but I also enjoyed it as an adult. https://www.rivermuseum.com/
Howard Hughes suffered from really profound OCD and chronic pain in a time before effective medications for either of those. Arguably, effective treatments still don’t exist. He became a recluse because he wasn’t well enough to appear in public. I understand why the comparison might spring to mind, but I’m pretty sure Elon Musk is just an entitled asshole and not disabled.