Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
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wardqnormal.bsky.social
Ward Q. Normal (he/him)
@wardqnormal.bsky.social
8.2K followers 1.6K following 6.6K posts
Teacher, knitter, widower, Phish head, provincial park, strategy puzzle video game, type of volcanic crater, electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, species of moth of the family Tortricidae, ...
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wardqnormal.bsky.social
A picture of the three daughters from the Brady Bunch. Marcia, the oldest, is labeled "Boomers." She's saying "I'm so popular!" Cindy, the youngest, is labeled "Milennials." She's saying "I'm tho cute!" Jan, the middle daughter, is labeled "Gen X." She is thinking to herself, "I hate this fuckin' family."
January 17, 2026 at 4:27 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
Whistle with text printed on the side that reads "this machine kills fascists."
January 13, 2026 at 4:11 AM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
In the monochromatic room at the Exploratorium. Wore these socks especially for this occasion.
January 12, 2026 at 6:38 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
So far not a single student has said anything about my nails and I swear I'm going to start throwing things.
Man with blue eyes and blond/gray hair and beard, wearing a green shirt, navy bowtie with white dots, and a mask that says "Air Queen" on it (still COVID free, mfers!), is holding his hands up to show dark blue sparkly nails.
January 5, 2026 at 9:23 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
January 3, 2026 at 5:53 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
Finely chopped carrot, celery, and onion on a cutting board. Carrot, celery, and onion sautéing in a Dutch oven. Ground beef and chopped pancetta have been added to the vegetables in the Dutch oven. Bolognese meat sauce simmering in a Dutch oven.
January 1, 2026 at 7:23 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
Simpsons screen shot from Frinkiac, with the quote slightly altered. Radioactive Man is swept away in a tidal wave of acid, shouting "My eyes! The [hide post from me buttons] do nothing!"
December 29, 2025 at 6:29 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
Norman Rockwell illustration of two couples. Daughter and mom are hugging in front of a wreath. Dad and son-in-law greeting each other behind them. Text above and below the image says, "HUGS SPREAD BUGS." The wreath is decorated with red circular stars that resemble the COVID virus.
December 27, 2025 at 7:10 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
We've added A.I.!
"Write a horror story using only 3 words." next to the text is a ballpoint pen with blood dripping down.
December 27, 2025 at 6:11 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
Came back from a walk to find this on my doorpost. Have never seen anything like this in SF. Bugsky help me out.
Close-up photo of a brown walking stick insect on a white wooden door frame. At least I think it's an insect, but I am a chemist and not a biologist. If this is just a branch or dried up leaf this post will be embarrassing.
December 26, 2025 at 8:48 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
Big news: the experiment worked! Here's this year's edition of my annual holiday card. Happy Holidays from all of me to all of you.
A photograph of six men in a living room that has been decorated for the holidays. One is in an office chair. Three are sitting on a couch, including one who is knitting a scarf. One is decorating a Christmas tree, and another is putting up lights. They're all the same man, in different outfits and with different expressions. Red text with black outline reads "Happy Holidays from all of us." Inside the card, it reads: "I am large, I contain multitudes." (Walt Whitman, Song of Myself). On the back, the credits read: © 2025 Keith and Keith and Keith and ... "It's not just a card. It's a cry for help."™ Cloning and wardrobe by Keith Prime Tree, lights, and photography by various Keiths
December 25, 2025 at 4:30 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
I love this thing. Wish I'd paid better attention when he told me where he got it or who gave it to him.
Pez dispenser painted green and topped with the head of Che Guevara, sitting on a wooden table. On the front in red letters it says "Che." On the side you can see the Pez logo.
December 23, 2025 at 11:21 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
For those that didn't see it, this is last year's card. I'm sure there's tremendous symbolism that in the first card I made after losing Steve, I'm not showing my face. Luckily, I'm a science teacher and not an English teacher, so I don't understand or acknowledge symbolism.
A photo of a man standing straight, wearing a black suit, light blue shirt, red tie, and a bowler hat. His hat has a pine bough attached, from which a large red Christmas tree ornament is hanging that covers his face. It is an homage to the painting “The Son of Man” by Rene Magritte. The caption under the picture says “Seasons Magrittings.”
December 22, 2025 at 7:57 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
Simpsons screenshot from Frinkiac.com, from the episode with the Burlesque house. Principal Skinner is explaining, "I was only in there to get directions on how to get away from there."
December 18, 2025 at 9:22 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
Artifact from a happier time: Steve in the infinity room installation "Diamond Matrix" by Studio Irma. Moca Museum, Barcelona. October 2023.
Steve Silberman standing with his arms outstretched, surrounded by glowing jewel-shaped lights in an array of blues and pinks. Mirrors on the walls reflect the lights into infinity.
December 14, 2025 at 4:36 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
The beef Wellington was amazing. Perfectly cooked. A terrible mess because the side split open, and very wet inside, but absolutely delicious. (My buddy brought his gravy boat.)
Enormous beef Wellington, dark brown and flaky on the outside. Sitting on an even more enormous cutting board with serrated knife and gravy boat filled with green peppercorn cream sauce. Wellington slices open to show the perfectly medium rare beef inside. It was a mess, and leaking duxelles can be seen all around it.
November 28, 2025 at 3:34 AM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
We live in a society that needs warning labels on flour.

I feel a great sadness, and yet I want to see the complaint emails that led the company to this decision.
A bag of flour printed with a label that reads: COOK BEFORE SNEAKING A TASTE FLOUR IS RAW PLEASE COOK FULLY BEFORE ENJOYING
November 27, 2025 at 5:58 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
Wellington update. Resting until tomorrow. (Both me and the roast.)
Beef Wellington wrapped in its pastry shell with a decorative topping of strips of pastry laid diagonally atop it, wrapping around the roast.
November 26, 2025 at 10:30 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
I'm making Beef Wellington for Thanksgiving. I wanted a project, and boy have I got a project. It's a beast.
A huge beef tenderloin slathered in Dijon mustard. A very thin blanket of prosciutto on plastic wrap on a wooden counter. The prosciutto is spread with duxelles, a paste of mushrooms and shallots cooked slowly in a boatload of butter. The beef tenderloin from the first picture, now wrapped in duxelles and prosciutto, then sealed up tightly in plastic wrap. A ruler helpfully shows it's about a foot long and 4.5 inches across. It is a huge beast.
November 25, 2025 at 10:16 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti
He's nervous, but on the surface, he looks calm and ready
Pope Leo at the mic.
November 24, 2025 at 4:10 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
Tattoo Thursday! This is the Whitman quote from Song of Myself that we had engraved inside our wedding rings. I had "every atom belonging to me," and Steve had "as good belongs to you." He was anti-tattoo, but I warned him, "within a year of you dying, I'm getting another." So here it is.
November 20, 2025 at 10:35 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
Second hydrogen bond tie. I love this one, because it shows the hexagonal structure of ice, which helps me explain to my students why ice floats in water.
Close-up photo of a man with a blond/gray beard, wearing a blue pin-striped shirt, light blue sweater vest, and a yellow tie with red and blue water molecule models in a hexagonal bee-hive arrangement.
November 14, 2025 at 6:24 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
Today's lesson: intermolecular forces. For the occasion, I have worn a bow tie showing water and its hydrogen bonds. I have two different ties that show this, in two very different styles, so stay tuned for tomorrow when I teach the same lesson to my other sections.
Close up photo of a man with blond/gray beard, wearing a light blue dress shirt and a dark blue bow tie featuring light blue and white water molecules with very thin dashed lines representing the hydrogen bonds between molecules.
November 13, 2025 at 6:40 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
It's Journalism 101. Here's a handy flowchart to remind you.
A handy flowchart to help pundits answer the question: Was that election a harbinger of things to come and sign of the political will of the masses? First question: Was the winner a Democrat? If the answer is NO, the winner was not a Democrat, then YES, that election WAS a harbinger of things to come and sign of the political will of the masses. If the answer is YES, the winner was a Democrat, then NO, that election was NOT a harbinger of things to come and sign of the political will of the masses. I hope this saves you a lot of time and unnecessary thought about the importance of whatever election results you are discussing.
November 9, 2025 at 6:32 PM
wardqnormal.bsky.social
Zohran for New York logo, but it says "I'm Waiting for the Man," the title of a seminal song by the Velvet Underground, off their debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico.
November 9, 2025 at 7:19 AM