iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 3h

Stopped in to my neighborhood bookstore yesterday. Bribed Stormy, the bookshop cat, with catnip flavored Greenies. And then she decided to go shopping.

Guarding the book display near the front door. Vampire/horror themed books in this display.

Stormy, not really too enamored of more attention - unless it’s accompanied by food. Treats, specifically.

Stormy has officially taken possession of the display. She’s NOT getting down from there. The tiny store has too many people for her tastes. Not gonna try to navigate that many feet on the floor. She was peering over the top of the center display as I walked out the door.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Then there’s IQAir, which provides local air quality index. It’s 57 right now, mostly PM2.5, unhealthy for some (anyone with asthma, COPD, other lung or heart diseases).

Chart showing 57 AQI, which is “moderate” for health risks.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Itchy, watery eyes. Itchy palate. Nasal congestion. *Looks at pollen count* Rising ragweed pollen and - it’s 2 months too early for this - cedar pollen. And an unhealthy dose of ozone.

Pollensense monitor showing ragweed at about 150 parts per cubic meter of air. Ragweed pollen is so big that you can easily see it with no magnification whatsoever. Then there’s cedar pollen, which had a high this morning of just under 400 ppcm of air. An adult human uses a cubic meter of air in 90 minutes at rest. Exercise? An hour or less.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

From the above article, where NPR interviewed Gibney:

Gibney also noted that a lawsuit would also trigger a discovery process by which he could subpoena Musk’s internal documents.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

#ATX people: If you’ve been feeling sneezy, wheezy, itchy, or congested - Ragweed and Cedar (yep, and it’s October) have ramped up due to the rains we had. Get your allergy meds of choice and start taking them before it gets any worse. Stay healthy so you can vote! From KXAN:

Chart showing ragweed and cedar pollens in “medium” range, plus mold in “low” range. Put them all together and you have allergy central. These are based on 24-hour averages using a machine, but geez, folks, that’s a lot of parts per cubic meter of air. And at rest, the average adult uses a cubic meter of air in one hour, at rest. Exercise? Increased air consumption and lots more pollen and mold inhaled.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Was doing more Swedish Death Cleaning and rediscovered this set of drafting tools. They were in his things when he died 7 years ago. My dad went to drafting school and sheet metal layout school; business was cutting & shaping steel. Small shop.

Präcision drafting tools made by E.O. Richter and Co. My dad probably used these in the late 1940s and after that. Or, they could have belonged to my grandfather, who started the business, but needed my dad to help when he returned to the US after WWII. I can’t bear to part with these. The fact that my dad kept them -as one of his few cherished possessions very late in life- means that they had special meaning for him.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

That’s a big deal! Congratulations! I was a wee child in the late 1950s and benefitted from the rollout of the Salk vaccine. We almost didn’t get those vaccines done:

Polio:An American Story by David M. Oshinsky. The funding for research was private money - not government funded; it made it that much harder to get to a vaccine for everyone.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

This plump gecko was on the window screen, waiting for the light to turn on. It waits for insects to move towards the light - and then eats them. I hope there are a lot more around. Natural insect control.

Upside down gecko on a window screen. There are bits of spider webs in between the window and the screen. There’s a reflection in the window of the camera on my phone. These geckos have translucent bodies that allow you to see quite a lot of their insides in light like this. Somewhat like putting it on a light table. Only without the expensive table.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Трамп is a ruzzian asset and his sycophants do his bidding.

Photo of Mark Twain with quote:
“I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure.”

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

For everyone who feels exhausted right now:

Drawing of a small child with a bluebird. Caption: if you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit. -Banksy

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I’ve been putting up yard signs around my neighborhood to get people out to vote. This is a Neighbor-to-Neighbor GOTV campaign! It’s bloody hot outside - but my neighbors are all good with this.

Yard sign that states:
NEIGHBORHOODS VOTE.
OUR COMMUNITY WINS
Were Neighbors * We Care * We Vote

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

@dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social Got my copy (via Blackwell’s) yesterday - USPS delivered:

Colorful cover of Tom Cox’s book, Curious Events Lately Occurring in This Neighbourhood.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Vegetation fire in SE Travis County near hwy 130 and Caldwell County line. 75 acres of heavy brush burning. share.watchduty.org/i/121455?ts=...

Screenshot of info and map from Watch Duty.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Don’t mess with Ukrainian women who make drones in their kitchens.

Badge for Ukrainian 17th Housewife Drone Regiment.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

to Habitat ReStore in the morning. Broke down cardboard boxes for recycling. Gathered up styrofoam packing materials to take for recycling.

Bookcases with new ceiling fan installed. I cropped out all of the debris on the floor that had to be moved to install the fan. 🙄

A simple thing: a hose hanger attached to the front of the house so that I don’t have to fight with it to move it around. Spigot is unwisely placed a few inches above the ground, under the big front picture window. 1960s dumbass builders. What were they thinking??

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Get some medicine for the medics to give to the people who need it!

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

For non-German speakers - see the alt text for English.

Doctor: Do you often have headaches?

AfD member: only when I think.

Doctor: So, rarely.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

This happened, rather surprisingly, about an hour ago. Measurable rain.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Phase 1: books are on the shelves! Much more work to do to put away all of the items that will go on all of the shelves. Done for today.

A library made of IKEA shelves with books arranged on about 2/3 of the upper shelves. Nothing on top shelves or on top of the bookcases yet: I’m too short to see what’s up there without a stepladder. The 1989 ceiling fan is due to be replaced with a fan that will be closer to the ceiling - and without any brass or gold trim. Don’t want this room to start looking like the Oval Office with fake gold crap.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Swill for supper. Leftovers combined in skillet: arugula, tomatoes, carrots, edamame, cheese/basil tortellini, and browned ground venison.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

@marynmck.bsky.social This documentary has a familiar title (different subtitle, but my copy bears this title. From Netflix

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

@palehorse.bsky.social How are you at scat ID? I removed the old deck in back (fire hazard) and all of the inhabitants left (there was one sleepy opossum who waited until they were dismantling the deck to saunter out). Now, I have scat showing up in the area.

Scat pile # 2 (of course it’s #2, but it’s somewhat different in size and configuration than the other pile). Have had sightings of opossums. Ground squirrel still here. Not sure about raccoons.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Forward progress of this fire has been halted. Still lots of mop up to be done. Fire crews will be on scene for an extended period of time. Per Pflugerville Fire Department on Facebook. Best to avoid the area.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

East Travis County Brush Fire at 14500 block of TX 130 in Manor, Travis County, Texas. Screenshots with alt text, below, from Watch Duty app . @texasstormchasers.com

Upgraded from vegetation fire to brush fire. Helicopter water drops requested by first responders.

Brush fire at 14500 block of TX 130, Manor, Travis County Texas

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

This is a great Canadian product: Nellie’s Laundry Soda. I bought a 25 lb pail of it from Costco online in early 2025. I’ve shared with friends, use it every week for laundry, and it’s gonna last a long time. No fragrance. Gets icky, sweaty residue out. No itchy stuff left on clothes.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Absolutely! (I went to their website to check it out, but I needed a translation to navigate it.) Count me in!! I’ve been purchasing books from, or about, Ukraine at local bookstores.

Piles of books about Ukraine waiting to be shelved. There are a few vintage Serbo-Croatian language books in one pile, from 1977 and no longer in print.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

It was 105F at 330pm. It’s now a very pleasant 78F. We got a fast-moving thunderstorm with 60mph wind gusts. Some rain fell. It was beautiful and smelled wonderful.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Or maybe one like this? These inverter units kick ass. They have an adjustable sliding piece that goes in the window and dual vents connect to it from the inverter. Really powerful.

Screenshot of Hisense inverter AC unit at Costco.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

This calendar is already on my wall. Impatiently awaiting arrival of a Big Box of Effin Birds postcards!

Effin Birds 2027 wall calendar. With birds on first page and September through December 2026.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

If you are in a fire prone area, get this app and pay attention! Especially in #TEXAS

Screenshot of Watch Duty app for wildfires and floods

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Live stream of #RossFire in Palo Pinto County. In North Central Texas, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Visual here:

Yellow map of Texas with red box that marks Palo Pinto County. About 40k people live in the county.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

If you’re in or near Jack County, Texas, it’s time to BUG OUT!! Here’s a visual for where this county is in Texas:

Map of Texas counties in yellow. Red box in North Central Texas is where Jack County is located.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

@deelav.bsky.social Look at what I got in the mail today! (A rare Sunday delivery by USPS.) I have new library shelves - and the Fellas have their own shelf.

Fella figurines displayed on shelf. Left to right: Generator Fella (he has a light), Garden Gnome Fella, small Ukrainian Cat Fella. (There are others that will soon find their way to this shelf. The garden home needs a place outside, but it’s too damned hot to put him out there right now.)

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Was sorting books this afternoon to organize and put on the library shelves. Found the English dictionary given to my mother in 1931 (she was 9 years old, and English was her second language). Also found grandma’s gardening book, published 1941.

Books piled on table for sorting before being given a new home on the library shelves.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

My library is ready for its books.

White IKEA bookcases lining a wall and extending around a corner. All but one have doors on bottom half of shelves. This is a photo of the finished assembly project that took place today.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

From 2022. A photo of TX Gov Greg Abbott and a guy who got indicted (at that point) for seditious conspiracy due to his participation in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2020. Abbott would prefer to keep this hidden. Let’s make it so he can’t hide it.

Photo of Greg Abbott with the Proud Boys leader who was indicted for Seditious Conspiracy against the US for the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2020.
Greg Abbott is trying to hide this photo.
Let’s make sure this photo doesn’t stay hidden. Especially RIGHT NOW.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Attempting to create order out of chaos. Installers arrive tomorrow to assemble and install bookcases to store books and other items that have become fixtures in bins, boxes, and buried under piles of things. Sorting books also allows for culling out and redistribution of same

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Merlin Bird ID app says yes!Screenshot below. You might like the app - has a lot of photos of each bird and recordings of their songs and calls. You can use the microphone to record bird sounds to help identify a bird. From Cornell Ornithology Lab.

Photo of yellow billed magpie from Merlin Bird ID.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

I rounded a corner at my local grocery store and Sophia Johnson & friend were doing this:

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

I went out of town for 2weeks. It was cool and raining when I left. I returned to scorching heat. 100F every day (or more). Had to find replacements for old garden hoses (don’t ask). Got my bird feeders cleaned and ready to fill. And it’s too hot to work outside today.

130pm temp: 96F, feels like 104F. Hot wind plus Saharan Dust create another of Dante’s Circles of Hell. Upside: sunset at 2014 tonight. Life begins when it’s dark. We live like vampires in the summer.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Don Huffines looks like the Grinch. He’s even greedier and will never have a heart.

Huffines appointed to serve out Texas Comptroller term by Abbott. Huffines is the GOP candidate on the ballot for Texas Comptroller in November. He also bought Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico.

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SJSCentralTX @sjscentraltx.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Just in case anyone has forgotten some of Paxton’s crimes:

Political cartoon with gestapo looking at ruins of a house destroyed by a wrecking ball. The house has a flag on it that says “Latino Voting Rights Groups”. The wrecking ball is labeled “Texas AG’s Office.” Gestapo characters: “Don’t Mind Us, We’re Just Poking Around for any evidence of voter fraud.”

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