#talesofakat

So, I was working on doing some winter prep, and part of that is cleaning out the garage. Making sure it's not completely fallen apart yet, changing light bulbs, verifying no signs of electrical sparking/fire risk assessment, ensuring room for vehicle, etc. I kept going out to work on this task and I kept finding myself back inside. I couldn't really tell why, because of the whole "doorway crossed with a memory cost" feature I have at times. Eventually, I just did a quick aloud checklist and forced myself to start the task. Gotta have a mask for all the dust I'd be kicking up, tool bucket for repairs, hair ties to ensure it's pulled back and out of the way, etc. Obviously I had everything, right? A few minutes in, and I'm moving some sharp and heavy things around. My titty swoops in a tiny bit to get caught on something. My mistake is now painfully obvious 😭 PSA: Remember to wear appropriately protective garments to avoid bonking or squishing sensitive bits in a painful way. #TalesOfAKat #PSA

One fun recurring thing at #Blissfest is the "Mug Library." These folks are not officially affiliated with the festival or anything. They setup a wall of mugs hanging from nets. You can grab one, fill up with free coffee that runs on donations, and simply return the mug (into a tote, not the net) when you're done. At night time, the netting gets lit up all pretty, and you know what happens then. That's right, lights in the woods at night attract moths! Here's a picture of @SillyLily@lgbtqia.space and @xYourEmoGFx@lgbtqia.space coming across a moth that has been caught in the net of lights. In case you are wondering, there were indeed many instances of folks going "Follow the unicorn!" or "Everyone! Follow that rainbow penis! It's the only way we'll make it back to camp!" and variants thereof. I can neither confirm nor deny whether they made it to the destination they wanted or through a portal to the feywilds. #Blissfest2026 #KatPics #Unicorn #TalesOfAKat

Another small anecdote from #Blissfest2026 and volunteering with kiddos. One of the popular crafting activities was "flower crowns." I believe there was a workshop earlier on day 1 with the older kids, so it was a theme. During Day 2, we narrowly avoided the pipe-cleaner-apocalypse. This is where we would be running out of pipe cleaners because they were being used by kids to make the base of the crown. I had managed to find some crafting wire that was an adequate substitute. Both thin and thick ones. The thin ones I braided to make it usable as a base, but this took a while. The kids who got those special pieces absolutely loved them though. The thicker wire needed pliers to clip and join, but a single strand was sufficient. We did some pre-making of different sizes so kids could basically grab one that fit and start adding things to decorate. I noticed one kiddo that was trying on different sizes, but this one had type 4 hair and was kinda disappointed with a solid ring that wouldn't sit right on springy curls. At least, not without crushing the curls. Kinda like when a hairband or hat ruins your hair. Fellow curlies know what I'm talking about. Especially if you have a tendency to fro. I gently popped in to compliment the hair, and note how it's even curlier than mine, and what I would do to make a crown sit better without ruining the hair. Then I got to show them how to use zig-zagging and coiled versions of the metal band that would move with the curls instead of against them. And how the added flexibility is nice for fine tuning. It was clear she hadn't had a metal one that just simply worked before. The delight that beamed from this kiddo brought me a lot of joy. 🥹 That is the story. #DiversityIsImportant #Blissfest #TalesOfAKat #CurlyHair

#Blissfest was a fun experience this weekend. I still have pics I haven't posted from #Blissfest2025 but I'm going to try and at least get some posted soon for #Blissfest2026 It was humid as heck. And it was quite warm; both in terms of how welcoming and accepting the people are, and also the air temperature. There were multiple times where I was just glistening with sweat and doing something with ropecord, trees, or dancing. I'll spare you any pictures of that state, and instead offer this picture of my hair after I got home (only a day since the last wash at the campground). I'm looking forward to journaling the various experiences which will likely end up making it into some posts. I have some simple stories such as one to convey the joy of stargazing on a clear night with a new moon, and ensnaring passers-by into catching some surprise meteors. And more involved ones such as the complexity of dealing with an individual that got argumentative after asking whether it was okay to use "dude" in a camp full of trans folks. #KatPics #CurlyHair #Frizz #TalesOfAKat

When you are having one of those days, and are still blissfully unaware that you forgot to take your meds, and it's past time for tea...

1. Water in the kettle is ready. Yes, you had to actually turn the thing on for it to heat up.
2. Put mesh steeper/strainer in teapot, after finding where you left it since the last time it was cleaned out (1-2h ago)
3. Add dry tea leaves to mug.
4. Add water to teapot.
5. Retreat back to workstation with tea mug.
6. Wait a tick... loading icon
7. Evaluate the mistake here...
8. Return to the teapot and actually add the dry leaves there instead of the mug. 9... Normal tea autopilot (just don't put the teamug in the cupboard afterwards. It goes with you back to where you were going)

#TalesOfAKat #80HD

PSA: Remember to check yourself for ticks regularly! You can get them spending time outdoors. If you have pets, they can carry some in from the outdoors. I've seen ticks do their seeking thing from a dog's back because they were more interested in finding something with thinner or no fur. #CW picture of a tick Did you know ticks aren't insects? They are arachnids! Yesterday, I removed this one from just above my popliteal fossa (back of the knee). Usually I use some thread in a loop but it was in a really unfortunate spot and made it quite challenging. I did eventually use fine tipped tweezers to gently remove it. You can see its mouth parts still intact. I usually tuck my pants into my socks when walking outside, but sometimes I forget to do it before leaving the house and then do it mid walk. And sometimes my dogs act as unwitting transport carriers. They are on tick preventatives, and I do check them for ticks routinely. This tick was clearly an adventurer, until it took an aro in the knee. #PSA #Ticks #Bug #TalesOfAKat