The sockeye was completely sold out for the season and the fellow who runs the fish department (who grew up with my children on the same little cul-de-sac; I call him my own personal fishmonger) is persuasive about a Scottish farmed product (given high quality food, no dye added, etc.). I told him I'd give it a try and it went from the brine to drying plates this morning. I'll see if there is time to smoke tonight, might have to do it in the morning.

The drawback to these large fillets is the packing (butcher paper inside a plastic bag with a bag of ice for transport) and the general fishiness that spreads around the kitchen sink from scales and splashing. Today the brine was poured down the sink (no oil, so not a problem) but the drain is kind of belching brine smell. I'll run the dishwasher soon and flush it out of the line. The trash bin in the laundry room has a similar blooming fish smell from those wrappers and will go out to the can by the driveway soon (fingers crossed it doesn't attract raccoons.)

I'm making this a dry January, probably a dry 2026. I paid for another year of my exercise program (Essentrics) and will try to be more disciplined about using that to not only stay flexible, it always improves my mood. Since my garden was so successful last year I'll keep that up and get started earlier, and after organizing my greenhouse I'm starting more plants from seed out there.

I'm happy with my progress on eBay, though I removed a few listings today. A couple will be re-packaged, another one will be offered on Freecycle. The new camera has made the work go more easily, and since I tend to sell the same kinds of things I have boilerplate content to reuse. Keeping boxes on shelves by the front door has reduced the clutter of boxes in the den.

Now to keep the political miasma at bay and get over the disappointments of 2025.