Margaret
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margaretwanders.bsky.social
Margaret
@margaretwanders.bsky.social
180 followers 600 following 170 posts
Excerpts from wandering across the world. Opinions are my own. She/her | comms/marketing, travel, TTRPGs, FFXIV, books, etc |
formally @EtoEWanders on Twitter & briefly @MargaretWanders@dice.camp
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margaretwanders.bsky.social
Don't forget to vote! Early voting is an option now in many places.
Pile of red white blue "I Voted Early" stickers on a plastic table.
October 27, 2025 at 5:59 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
The end of the article (or the giant Dropout reddit thread) gives you the skip to the ending directions. It looks like 100,000 is the number needed to put the code in to unlock a surprise extra Game Changer episode.
A screenshot from the website ep11.love after entering the code SAMALAMADINGDONG. The background features a vibrant sunburst pattern in shades of orange, yellow, red, and blue, emanating from the bottom center. A large black-bordered white rectangle in the upper half contains the main congratulatory text, while a smaller black-bordered white rectangle with a yellow progress bar is positioned below it. The congratulatory text, in all caps, states: "Congrats on exposing Sam's secret You are game changer superfan #5190 94810 others needed to unlock episode 11"
August 15, 2025 at 6:13 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
While I don't currently own any cats, here are some at a cat cafe I went to. They partner with a local shelter to get cats at the cafe adopted.
Floofy black cat with a white chest & paws mostly out of sight; it has very green eyes and bit of white fur on its right side lip & nose. It is sitting up and looking over it's shoulder. It is next to a white pet water fountain that has a green basin and the spout is a flower. Corner of a room with wall shelves for cats. On the left white wall, there is an orange shelf with an orange & white floofy cat asleep on it. On the back orange wall, there are white shelves with a brown tabby cat on the closest shelf to the orange shelf. The tabby is staring intensely at the tail of the floofy cat.
March 31, 2025 at 2:04 AM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
I have my simple menorah bought in a last minute panic the first year I realized I was responsible for having one myself and my grandfather's oddly laid out menorah which I love but have no idea where/why he got it.
Two menorahs on a raised glass platform on a table. In the very front is simple black menorah with fully lit blue & silver ombré alternating candles. Behind it is a taller golden metal menorah with fully lit colorful ombré candles. Fully lit golden metal menorah where the candle stick holders come up from the base in an almost organic style with 5 branches up where 4 then split to hold 2 candles each. This menorah is odd since the eight day holders are not in a straight line but instead branch out in twos from the taller shamash in the center. Looking down it would make a square with candles on the two diagonals. The various colored ombré candles are in a pattern so the colors don't repeat on the diagonal. Behind the menorah is a closed small jar candle & an unlit tealight candle holder with tiny cardinals on it.
January 2, 2025 at 2:02 AM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
The brisket not only survived but also reheated very well!
Foreground focus is on a dinner plate with brisket, mashed potatoes and other veg on a table with a green & red checker patterned tablecloth. In the corner of the room, there is a lit menorah with 2 candles next to a wooden swan that has a festive holly garland. A lit up Christmas tree can be seen glowing in the living room through open entrance way The wooden swan statue now has a yellow paper crown on it from a Christmas cracker. The menorah candles have burned down roughly half way.
December 26, 2024 at 12:18 AM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
Happy Holidays! If you traveled with food, I hope it survived the trip... transporting cookies was certainly easier than the brisket in a pyrex without a tightly sealed lid.
Close up on a hedgehog cookie on a cookie sheet with more hedgehog cookies behind it. The back half was dipped in chocolate before being dipped in blue & white long sprinkles. Dipping chocolate was also used to make eyes and a nose on the snoot. 17 hedgehog cookies from above on a cookie sheet with blue sprinkles that have fallen off. There are 4 rows of 4 cookies and then an additional cookie at the front. Some hedgehog cookies have more derpy eyes than others. Looking down into a round, tall cookie tin with Zimtsterne star cookies in 2 sizes. There's a layer of wax paper with a few hedgehog cookies visible underneath. Behind the tin are 2 additional tupperwares full of similar cookies. View a cookie sheet full of Vanillekipferl (vanilla crescents) cookies which have powdered sugar sprinkled ontop.
December 25, 2024 at 7:41 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
I don't typically shop in a fashion that lends itself to having a haul to show off but I'm so excited about the giant order from Modern Bread & Bagel arriving. Everything is gluten free & their bagels deceptively taste like the real thing. Wasn't expecting a million escaped poppyseeds though...
The view looking down into a tightly packed but open box of baked goods where each item type is sealed in plastic; everything is slightly covered in escaped poppyseed. On the left side, there are poppyseed bagels upright. On the bottom right, the sideways chocolate sufganiyot are barely visible as they're inside a plastic container inside a plastic bag. On the top right, the challah rolls are upright & clearly visible. Pulled out & resting on the box's top right corner is the partially visible vanilla cake mix in a pink bag. Baked goods now pulled out of the box and laid out on a floral placemat. Each is still sealed in plastic with poppyseeds trapped in various plastic folds. Starting at the top left and going clockwise: round loaf of challah, sufganiyot (barely visible inside a plastic container inside a plastic bag), vanilla cake mix, 4 challah rolls, and 6 poppyseed bagels in 2 stacks of 3. Close up on the 2 stacks of 3 poppyseed bagels inside a sealed plastic bag. It has been relocated to the stovetop where a burner is slightly visible behind them. The bagels are excessively covered in poppyseed to the point where the bagel is only sort of visible on the sides. Close up on the 4 golden brown challah rolls on the left side of the counter with the less in focus challah loaf on the right side. Both are sealed in plastic.
December 6, 2024 at 10:02 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
Every Thanksgiving I make my mom's French Silk Pie. She got the recipe from her 1st husband (I believe it was originally a family recipe he published in a local newspaper). I vaguely remember an older index card barely held together by tape which was at some point replaced with this one. 1/4
The front side of a well loved recipe index card (with stains and beaten up edges). Across the top it lists French Silk Pie (underlined) on the left and Neighborhood Observer (underlined) on the right. It then lists the following ingredients split evenly across two columns: 8'' baked pie shell 1/2 cup butter 1 sq melted chocolate 3/4 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla 2 eggs Underneath it has the following directions: With beater blend butter, melted chocolate, sugar vanilla. Add 1 unbeaten egg at a time, beating 5 minutes after each addition (very important; if under beaten it will Directions continue onto the backside of the card; "5 minutes" and "very important" are underlined. The back side of a well loved recipe index card (beaten up edges and even more prominent stains) for French Silk Pie where the directions continue as follows: sugar, and if beaten as directed it will come perfect every time!) Place in shell and chill. Top w/ whipped cream.
November 28, 2024 at 2:45 AM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
The Eras Tour last night was an amazing experience. The wheelchair row was great since it was easy to stash the chair folded in front of us & my mom could see the stage the whole time without standing. 1/2
Margaret on the left wearing a black sequined duster with patches inspired by the Reputation tour jacket and her mother on the right wearing an Eras tour t-shirt & white jacket. They are turned around in their seats with the stage partially visible behind them. TV screens with Taylor Swift in a blue Midnights outfit hang from the concourse ceiling. View of the Eras tour stage with the Folklore cabin. Taylor Swift is wearing a yellow dress and has pulled out her ear buds to hear the cheering after the Champagne Problems song. The crowd has light up bracelets in matching colors to the stage.
October 26, 2024 at 9:16 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
Early voting has started in many states so check to see if you can vote today!
Pile of "I voted early" stickers in a circle
October 22, 2024 at 7:55 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
Saw Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern over the weekend and it was a lot of fun. Super streamlined to make it accessible. If you have the time, I would definitely check it out before it goes on tour. #dnd #dungeonsanddragons #offbroadway
Upstairs lobby with a life sized mimic treasure box model (eyes, teeth and a tongue sticking out) next to a bench with a barrel side table. The wall has a fake wood cut out on it with the Twenty-Sided Tavern logo. Stage which shows the tavern set up in the middle with four stools. The middle wall projection behind the bar shows a displacer beast as if drawn in chalk on a blackboard. The stage in full. Each side has shelves full of knick knacks. The bar and stools are in the middle. On the right side side is wooden bench and three bar tables. On the left side of the stage, the tavern keep is by the shelves, an actor is by the bar, and the DM is upfront. Across from the DM, two other actors help an audience member roll a giant D20. The three actors and the DM gather around a bar stool with the cushion removed. It billows smoke as they perform a ritual & drop items into like a cauldron. The tavern keeper is behind the bar. The wall projections are ominous and shown the cave where the battle is occurring.
October 15, 2024 at 11:13 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
Not entirely sure why the town fall festival has a goat "booth" but it was fun interaction. Although the goats did seem a bit done as it was towards dinner time...
Black & white Nigerian Dwarf goat standing on a hay bale. It has pink collar with a teal leash leading to the collar from the person taking the photo.
October 13, 2024 at 12:07 AM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
The growth on Bluesky (10 million users!) is crazy and I really hope is is sustainable. It isn't quite old Twitter but in being its own thing, it has become a really nice alternative. I really enjoy people proactively deciding on different social media norms (such as blocking).
Bluesky celebrating 10M users image. The main text states #628,663 with a "First 10% Bluesky Elder Certified" stamp clipping the bottom of the last two digits of the number. At the bottom of the image it lists name, handle and join date of August 18, 2023.
September 16, 2024 at 10:14 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
Really loving the after the debate timing of the #TaylorSwift endorsement (with 3,689,250+ likes an hour after it was posted) especially with the Harris-Walz shop immediately putting up branded friendship bracelets for pre-order.
Instagram screenshot showing Taylor Swift holding her cat Benjamin Button. Similar styling to the Time magazine cover; in this case, Swift is looking sideways at the camera while holding the cat. The beginning text from the Instagram post: Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country. Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth. [2 more paragraphs then the sign off Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady] Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_wtAOKOW1z Screenshot from the Harris Walz official store showing two friendship bracelets for sale as a set. One has blue string, one has black string, both have Harris Walz in letter beads. The text states: "Harris-Walz Friendship Bracelets $20.00 Are you ready for it? Harris-Walz friendship bracelets are here! -American made -Pack of two adjustable, waterproof bracelets with clay beads -Available now for preorder, expected release date is September 24th, 2024 -Purchase is a donation to the Harris Victory Fund"
September 11, 2024 at 4:27 AM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
After laying off the staff, GameStop wiped the Game Informer's social following a rogue goodbye message. Such a petty reaction after they nuked the magazine's online archive & posted a generic (potentially AI) goodbye message without staff input last week.
Screenshot of the rogue goodbye message posted in a X thread on Game Informer's account on August 5, 2024. Post 1 states: "Our 33-year legacy deserves a genuine goodbye, written by a former Game Informer member. We're heartbroken by the shutdown of our publication, yet we leave with pride knowing we poured everything we had into it. In the words of our editor-in-chief: 'Be well. Play well.' [2 screenshots]" Post 2 states: "The screenshots above show the masthead from Issue 368, our latest issue, and features the names of everyone who lost their jobs after our surprising shutdown on Friday morning. Please hire them and support each of them in their future endeavors. Signing off now. Goodbye." Screenshot of the now empty Game Informer X account (which shows the account opened in February 2009 & had 2.3M followers) with the popup error message: "Cannot retrieve posts at this time. Please try again later."
August 5, 2024 at 7:10 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
FFXIV has Rhys Darby as their "Interim Deputy Director of Turalism" in a bunch of videos on social media and the TourTural.com website. If you're looking for a game to play during patch, looks like the website has a bunch of hints and things to uncover about Dawntrail.
On the right, the top half of Rhys Darby is seen popping out from behind some giant green leaves with a crazy expression on his face. He's wearing a safari style outfit with a uniform pin that states "Interim Deputy Director of Turalism". On the left, superimposed over the leaves, is a logo that states "Tural Welcomes You. Board of Tural" with the Tour Tural website listed below it. In smaller text, on the top left, is the Dawntrail logo.
June 26, 2024 at 9:50 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
Guilty sweep on all 34 counts (graphic from the ABC News stream on YouTube).
Chart titled "People of the State of NY v Donald J Trump" which lists guilty (in red) for counts 1 to 34 with the total of "Guilty 34" at the bottom.
May 30, 2024 at 9:15 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
WKCR's website is having issues under the extreme traffic. Their twitter account has recommended connecting via wkcr.streamguys1.com/live.m3u. On air, they've also said they've gone live on instagram (www.instagram.com/wkcr_oncampus/). #Columbia #StudentPress
Screenshot of a tweet by WKCR-FM NY which includes a link and image with the following message: "Website down due to extreme traffic, 10k+ connections. The best way to listen is to click this link: https://wkcr.streamguys1.com/live.m3u and it will download a live listen link to your device"
May 1, 2024 at 1:48 AM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
This was unexpectedly delivered early so while I got it set up at lunch, I'm just about to dive into Final Fantasy VII Rebirth! My partner has pointed out the Dune tickets we have so the game can't swallow our whole weekend 🤣
Physical edition case for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth propped up on a red PS5 controller that is peeking out from beneath the case. On a dark wooden table with the hinges open.
February 29, 2024 at 11:21 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
Happy New Year! Really enjoyed attending a festival yesterday with outdoor ice skating and an early fireworks show before heading to a nice dinner for the actual countdown. Today was more chill - gave Baldur's Gate 3 (in PS5 couch co-op mode) a try.
A golden brocade style firework in front of a smaller red burst firework in possibly the chrysanthemum style. Smoke is reflecting the red firework color. Two golden fireworks bursts basically on top of each other just above a tree. Best guess is one is in the brocade style and the other in the peony style.
January 1, 2024 at 11:19 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
Happy Thanksgiving! We're at the pie portion of the evening with a crustless pumpkin pie & a French silk pie in a store bought graham cracker crust; both are gluten free! Pasteurizing the eggs with a sous vide is the only change to the old family recipe for French silk pie.
On a kitchen countertop, a crustless pumpkin pie in a glass dish on the left and a French silk (chocolate) pie in an aluminum tin on the right.
November 23, 2023 at 11:31 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
Super pleased with how well the gluten free challah & cinnamon babka turned out but the gf honey cake really needed a bundt pan 🤣

(Shana tova to everyone who celebrated Rosh Hashanah! And huge shoutout to @emilyinpublic.bsky.social for hosting an amazing meal with multiple cooks in the kitchen)
Image is focused on a round braided gluten free challah elevated on a cake stand. In the background, the table is set with a vase of flowers & two lit blue candles. A cleared table reset with dessert; the center focus is the twisted gluten free cinnamon babka. On the top left, a part of the glazed honey cake on a stand can be seen with creamer jar to the right. The two blue candles on saucers can be seen with one on each side of the image. Focused in on the cinnamon babka which has now been cut open so you can see the internal spiral on both the front bit and the rest of the babka.
September 17, 2023 at 11:13 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
Tried the King Arthur gluten free challah recipe a few days ago which worked well enough but I'm going to tinker with over the weekend. More importantly for tonight is experiment 2 - did the half I put in the freezer survive defrosting...
Three strand braided gluten-free challah bread that is golden brown in a diagonal on a gold tinted baking sheet. A food scale can be seen slightly at the top of the image.
September 8, 2023 at 8:14 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
The first 3 issues of Jason Aaron's run on Wolverine & the X-Men includes an inspection of the brand new Jean Grey School by the New York State Department of Education; it goes poorly so they just mind wipe the inspectors and try again 🤣
Wolverine & the X-Men #1 page excerpt with Kitty & Logan waiting as the New York State Education Department inspectors pull up and introduce themselves. Kitty introduces Logan as the headmaster. Wolverine & the X-Men #1 page excerpt with Kitty explaining her background to the inspectors with one inspector commenting that Kitty has studied in many places but never finished school. Logan was simply education in "Canada". Wolverine & the X-Men #1 page excerpt during an attack on the school, one inspector tells Kitty: "This is, without a doubt, the worst, most dangerous school I have ever laid my eyes on! Expect to be hearing from the Department of Education forthwith, Ms. Pryde! And I assure you, it will not be a pleasant call!" Wolverine & the X-Men #3 page excerpt with the inspectors tour going much better a second time as their minds have been wiped by Beast so they no longer remember the attack or being "turned into a sauron and a wendigo".
September 4, 2023 at 8:08 PM
margaretwanders.bsky.social
When picking up the new Jean Grey #1 (Louise Simonson & Bernard Chang), I realized I totally forgot to read The Hunger and the Dusk #1 (@gwillow.me & @chriswildgoose.bsky.social) because my partner picked it up for me when I was out of town. Maybe I'll slowly get back into Wednesday comics...
Two single issue comics in bag & board on top of a wooden table. The issue on the left is Jean Grey #1 with the George Perez variant cover. The cover features Jean in her classic green dress outfit posed with one hand on her head; she is in front of a pink circle on a mostly white background with the title on the upper left and the issue number & "Fall of X" logo on the upper right. This issue is slightly covering the left corner of the issue on the right. The right issue features the variant cover of Hunger And The Dusk #1 by Cliff Chiang. The majority of the cover is in red with three outstretched arms sketched out in black; the middle arm has 4 fingers, the right arm is holding a wide sword with a circle hole in it, and the left arm is mostly covered by the other issue but the sword hilt is peaking out. Superimposed on the the bottom of the arms are some other small figures outlined in white with the title in black below that.
August 23, 2023 at 11:09 PM