What's that smell?

Pic of the week 

Cue funky smell in the kitchen.  I cleaned out the fridge, the garbage can, the disposal, my ears, all to no avail.  We finally tracked the smell to underneath the fridge.  There's a little collection tray under there that catches condensation runoff from the cooling coils.  Usually it just catches water which then evaporates off and no one is the wiser.  But sometimes stuff starts growing in there and it can smell...not good. In a stunning example of bad design, on this particular model of refrigerator, that tray is not removable, and is nearly inaccessible.  See that hole there?  That's essentially the only way to get at the tray.  On top of that, if you want to remove that metal plate to give yourself a little more room, that essentially requires disassembling the entire front of the refrigerator. And you can't see it from the picture, but once you actually get through that hole, there's only about an inch and a half of space between the top of the lip of the tray and the bottom of the refrigerator.  So I had to attach a piece of string to a rag and shove it through that hole with a Swiffer handle, then kind of wipe it around the best I could to try and clean out the gunk. (The string was there because the tray actually extends back a ways, and I wasn't sure I would be able to get the rag out with just the Swiffer handle.)  Then I soaked the rag in some alcohol and tried to wipe it down the best I could.  It was quite an adventure, but it seems to have worked. I ended the ordeal by writing a somewhat strongly-worded letter to Frigidaire.  Hopefully we won't have to deal with this again.

What's going on?

Things are starting to slowly and cautiously open back up around here.  The park by my house with the giant set of stairs that I like to run on is still closed, but the beaches are all open.  I went running on the beach yesterday and it felt great, and my calves are SO sore today.  There were lots of people out there surfing, and SO MANY people had their dogs - which is incredibly annoying because most of the beaches in LA - this one included - are not dog friendly.  And apparently no one realized there isn't an asterisk on that law that makes it non-applicable during a pandemic.  And I realize I sound like a curmudgeon when I say that, but frankly I don't care.  You decided to get a dog, so you don't get to come to this beach.  There's a dog-friendly beach 30 minutes away.  Don't be lazy. I don't want to have to watch where I step because some slothead (thanks for that gem, Grandpa Great) didn't pick up after his dog.

Rant over.

Things I miss: Watching a movie in the theater, hugging friends, going to a play, performing on stage, wandering along a crowded boardwalk, going to the grocery store for only 2 things, making plans.

Things I'm grateful for: Still having work, my stockpile of puzzles, the chance to eat better because I'm almost exclusively cooking at home, the plethora of shows available online, virtual movie nights with friends, beautiful weather, close parks, fudge brownie m&ms.

What I'm watching

She-Ra!!!  This is a Netflix reboot and it's so fun!  The transformation sequence from Adora to She-Ra is over the top and ridiculous and everything one could dream of.  It's a show about sparkles and glitter and rainbows and friendship, but also gets a little bit real.  Check it out.

What I'm reading

This was an interesting read.  It's sort of an alternative England in maybe the 1600/1700s or so.  The dominant religion has a concept called a "sin eater" who is a woman that eats foods at your funeral to take your sins from you when you die.  Though the book centers more on a kind of political plot.  Good, breezy read.  I finished it in a couple of days.  I also think it's so interesting to read things that have a strong religious component and see parallels in my own life and beliefs.   

What I'm listening to

This is one of my favorite podcasts and they're currently doing exclusively COVID-related content.  They look at the science behind it all to give you the best information/advice with experts and citations and balanced information.  This week's episode, Coronavirus: The Mask Wars,  is about masks.  Apparently the science is spotty at best about whether masks are helpful.  But I think the main takeaway is this: wear a mask, but act like you're not, i.e. wash your hands, stay at least 6 feet back, etc.  Also, check out this article that I found informative and helpful.  Mostly it just made me feel okay about not wearing a mask when I go running or cycling.

What I'm cooking

I haven't had this stuff in YEARS, but randomly got a hankering and thought I'd buy some.  Turns out it's pretty difficult to find.  But I broke down and bought a pack of four boxes online.  Worth it.