Catching up, in bullet points
May. 3rd, 2026 04:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dolorosa_12I've been extremely busy, and consequently extremely tired, and haven't been around on Dreamwidth all that much in the past couple of weeks. Rather than one of my standard weekend wrap-up posts, I'm going to attempt to go through the various things that have been happening, in brief, in list form.
Two weeks ago, catpuccino came up to Ely to visit. She lives in London, we've known each other since the first day of high school, but what with one thing and another, I hadn't seen her in person since 2024. She's going through some tough stuff at the moment, so it was nice to be able to help her get away from all that for twenty-four hours, at least (and talk foodie things with someone who's even more plugged into that scene than I am).
Almost immediately after that, my father-in-law came over from Germany to visit for a week. He drove, and took the ferry, which meant he was a free agent, and could go out and do things while Matthias and I were at work, and he did catch up with some local friends a couple of times, but for the most part he seemed to just want to chill out in our garden, under the cherry trees. His regular daily life involves a lot of energetic grandchildren (my sister-in-law has three kids), and I think he viewed our place as something of an oasis of calm. My mother-in-law was the real Anglophile in the family — she came over to England on exchange as a teenager, fell in love with the place, and the two of them basically visited the UK almost once a year for their entire adult lives, barring the Covid years and my mother-in-law's increasingly fragile health. So coming back here alone after her death was a bittersweet experience for my father-in-law, stirring up a lot of complicated emotions, but I think he was pleased to have made the trip.
He left on Wednesday, and on that evening Matthias and I went to an author event with Andrey Kurkov, hosted by the local independent bookshop. (Ely is a sleepy small rural town, but it definitely punches above its weight in terms of literary events due to this fantastic bookshop.) He read from and chatted about his latest historical mystery novel (set in 1919 Kyiv), and answered audience questions with patience. (My favourite, somewhat left-field answer: '[In the final decade of the Soviet Union,] I graduated with a qualification in Japanese translation, and they wanted me to do my military service as a spy listening in to the Japanese in the Russian far east, but I didn't want to do this, since it would have prevented me from being allowed to leave the country. I asked my mother, who was a doctor, if she had any well-connected patients who could get me out of this, and one of her patients, who was a senior military figure, was able to instead transfer me to doing military service as a prison guard in Odesa. When the other guards found out I was a writer, one of them asked me to write his speeches for his meetings with the leadership, so I spent my military service reading propaganda magazines and rewriting the articles for him to reuse in his speeches.' This struck me as the absolute peak absurd Soviet experience.)
I've had a run of lots of timetabled, lecture-style teaching, which happens this time every year, but is always a bit exhausting: it's in a huge, echo-y wooden lecture theatre (when the students come through the doors, they slam loudly and make a massive amount of noise), it's to groups of 75 students, repeated three times to different groups, and it's with undergrads rather than the postgraduates and researchers I normally teach (who are a lot more work to keep focused), and I always feel completely flattened by the time the Friday class is over. The one nice thing is that these classes are in central Cambridge instead of out on the hospital site where I normally work, and I can buy decent food and coffee afterwards. I guess it's a good thing I don't normally work in that part of town, because I'd be so tempted to eat lunch out every day, and end up bleeding money.
I read Innamorata (Ava Reid), and with Reid I think at this point it counts as hate-reading, since my expectations are always so low, and they're always confirmed. This is her take on a gruesome gothic novel, complete with purple prose, and the literary equivalent of a child hopping up and down going 'look! look! did you see what I just did?' Did I see her obvious and intentional allusions to Mervyn Peake? Yes, yes I did. Am I shocked at all the gore, bodily fluids and shock value edginess? Shocked that I keep picking up Ava Reid books, maybe.
Then I read Almost Life (Kiran Millwood Hargrave) and Testament of Youth (Vera Brittain), and was a lot happier in my choice of reading material. The former is a novel about two young women who meet, hook up and fall in love in 1970s Paris, then go their separate ways, but continue to haunt and fall in and out of each other's lives, in a mess of intense emotions, difficult choices, and lost chances. The latter is both a memoir of the author as an individual (fighting the parental expectation to marry and instead attend Oxford as a young woman in the 1910s, then serving as a nurse in WWI and watching all the young men in her life be swallowed up into the maw of that terrible war), and a portrait of the absolute wrenching collective trauma experienced by her entire generation, and how impossible it was to go back to civillian life and go on living afterwards.
Then I read The Red City (Marie Lu), which had a great premise (clandestine underworld alchemist syndicates fight a global battle for dominance, operating much like real-world organised crime), and an absolutely wrenching depiction of intergenerational immigration trauma, but was written for absolutely no reason in third person present tense, which for me is the literary equivalent of someone chewing audibly near my ear. I only like present tense when it's used to evoke a sense of stream-of-consciousness-like immediacy, as if you're getting a glimpse inside a character's messy, unedited interior monologue (I prefer it much more in the first person), but when the whole story feels as if it could work perfectly fine in past tense, the use of present tense is distractingly grating.
Yesterday was Eel Day in Ely, which involves, among other things, a giant cloth eel on a frame being paraded through the town, trailed by an incongruous juxtaposition of local groups (think Morris dancers followed by a girls' rugby club, followed by musicians playing steel drums, followed by a Scout group, etc). We were in the market buying vegetables, so missed the actual parade, but did witness all these various participants marshalling in front of the cathedral beforehand. We did a quick swing around the stalls afterwards, but it was pretty hot, and we'd already eaten lunch, so we didn't stay long.
We watched the recent Wuthering Heights adaptation yesterday, and I regret to report that it was 90 per cent vibes and dramatic scenery, and I was not particularly impressed.
As it's a long weekend, there was a food and craft fair outside the cathedral today, and Matthias and I wandered around, eating lunch from one of the stalls, people- and dog-watching, before meandering on home, having picked up a box of macarons to eat over the course of the week with our tea and coffee.
We've made a start at booking tickets, etc for our summer holiday, which makes it start to feel a bit more real. I love the planning stage — investigating food, activities, transport, and so on, with the days of the holiday unfolding, and given greater shape.
catpuccino came up to Ely to visit. She lives in London, we've known each other since the first day of high school, but what with one thing and another, I hadn't seen her in person since 2024. She's going through some tough stuff at the moment, so it was nice to be able to help her get away from all that for twenty-four hours, at least (and talk foodie things with someone who's even more plugged into that scene than I am).Just an update
May. 3rd, 2026 10:32 ammxcatmoonJust wanted to provide an update.
All the aches and pains are making themselves felt. I'm still feeling miserable. Some of the pains are a little better, and some of them are a little worse. I'm finding it hard to concentrate on doing anything to distract me, like writing fan fiction. I've been watching TV.
Doing everything one handed is really difficult. I'm still dictating my posts. I can't deal with life right now. I'm stressed out and if my disability pay doesn't get through really fast I'm going to be in big trouble next month when the rent is due. I live month to month. But I can't worry about any of that now because I'm in pain and I can't deal with it. I gave myself the weekend to do as little thing as possible. Come Monday I’m going to have to deal with doctors, and red tape, and god knows what else. I’m worried I also did damage to my retina when I fell (there is a black line floater thing, but it’s only on the eye I fell on. I’m hoping it will get better but I have no idea. Health insurance doesn’t cover vision, either), but there’s nothing I can do on the weekend about any of this.
I’m wondering if this is IT. The time my life falls apart beyond repair and it’s all downhill from here.
Weekly summary: Apr. 26 - May 2, 2026
May. 3rd, 2026 10:15 amalchemicinkHappy Sunday! I am sleepy, but I have a lot of things to share this week. Here we go:
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Not much to report
May. 3rd, 2026 11:45 amkathleen_dailey-- This week was uneventful, having been taken up with medical and dental appointments, both for spouse and for me. I love uneventful! I hope everything remains that way.
-- Little Norway Park, a well-used and well-loved recreational and green space at the west end of Queen's Quay, is under threat from the unspeakable Doug Ford, who thinks (if one can use that word in this context) that the Island and lakefront neighbourhoods are essentially vacant lots to be expropriated for the expansion of the airport. Every time we turn around in this town, we see another example of Ford's perfidy. The words "unacceptable and untenable" seem too mild to describe what's happening. The city is supposedly exploring its legal options, but things don't look good.
-- My pal K. has offered to introduce me to "pasture eggs," which are evidently dramatically different in taste and nutrients from free-range, free-run, and organic eggs. So I'll be subwaying over to her place tomorrow to collect some samples, along with a special super-duper kefir. Will report back.
( Rereading Spock's World: Cut for possible spoilers at this late date )
-- Little Norway Park, a well-used and well-loved recreational and green space at the west end of Queen's Quay, is under threat from the unspeakable Doug Ford, who thinks (if one can use that word in this context) that the Island and lakefront neighbourhoods are essentially vacant lots to be expropriated for the expansion of the airport. Every time we turn around in this town, we see another example of Ford's perfidy. The words "unacceptable and untenable" seem too mild to describe what's happening. The city is supposedly exploring its legal options, but things don't look good.
-- My pal K. has offered to introduce me to "pasture eggs," which are evidently dramatically different in taste and nutrients from free-range, free-run, and organic eggs. So I'll be subwaying over to her place tomorrow to collect some samples, along with a special super-duper kefir. Will report back.
( Rereading Spock's World: Cut for possible spoilers at this late date )
Writing Check-In Number Something.
May. 3rd, 2026 01:41 pmhindsightseeingKeeping my promise to myself to Actually Talk About My Writing once in a while.
( Cut to spare the flist. )
( Cut to spare the flist. )
Owl
May. 2nd, 2026 10:38 pmhidden_variableI don’t have time to write up anything long right now, but I just wanted to post this because I thought it was neat:
In class last week we were talking about wave-particle duality and the double-slit experiment with electrons, when someone noticed what looked like the silhouette of a great horned owl just outside the classroom window. It was very close to us, on a bright, sunny afternoon–obviously not the context in which you’d expect to see an owl. Several students were saying confidently that it must be fake… and then it turned its head and looked in. I managed to get a photo–not a great one, but a lot better than I expected it to turn out:
( Owl observing my class )
Shortly after I took the picture, the owl spread its wings and flew off. Clearly, it was a probabilistic wave owl until we observed it in one window rather than the other and collapsed its wave function.
In class last week we were talking about wave-particle duality and the double-slit experiment with electrons, when someone noticed what looked like the silhouette of a great horned owl just outside the classroom window. It was very close to us, on a bright, sunny afternoon–obviously not the context in which you’d expect to see an owl. Several students were saying confidently that it must be fake… and then it turned its head and looked in. I managed to get a photo–not a great one, but a lot better than I expected it to turn out:
( Owl observing my class )
Shortly after I took the picture, the owl spread its wings and flew off. Clearly, it was a probabilistic wave owl until we observed it in one window rather than the other and collapsed its wave function.
Places Meme
May. 2nd, 2026 08:58 pmspiraliciousSnagged from maevedarcy
Places
I'm filling this up at:
my living room
Last place I went to:
The bank (and it just happened to be cookie day)
Favorite place in your house:
My couch
Last place I cried at:
My couch
Last place I laughed at:
Also my couch
Where did you go on your last vacation?
Northern California
What was your favorite thing about that place?
The roadside Bigfoot attraction we went to while killing time before the live show we were going to started.
What was your least favorite thing about that place?
The lack of places to eat at in walking distance from our motel.
What's your favorite place in your city?
The library
What do you like about that place? Well, it's a library, a nice one. They have books, DVDs, puzzles, games, a decent library of things, a wide variety of events, a computer lab, an affordable copy machine, wonderful staff, comfy chairs... I'm sure I'm forgetting something.
maevedarcyPlaces
I'm filling this up at:
my living room
Last place I went to:
The bank (and it just happened to be cookie day)
Favorite place in your house:
My couch
Last place I cried at:
My couch
Last place I laughed at:
Also my couch
Where did you go on your last vacation?
Northern California
What was your favorite thing about that place?
The roadside Bigfoot attraction we went to while killing time before the live show we were going to started.
What was your least favorite thing about that place?
The lack of places to eat at in walking distance from our motel.
What's your favorite place in your city?
The library
What do you like about that place? Well, it's a library, a nice one. They have books, DVDs, puzzles, games, a decent library of things, a wide variety of events, a computer lab, an affordable copy machine, wonderful staff, comfy chairs... I'm sure I'm forgetting something.
Icon Meme
May. 2nd, 2026 08:52 pmspiraliciousSnagged from goodbyebird at ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
3weeks4dreamwidth
Reply to this post saying 'icon', and I will tell you my favorite icon of yours. Then post this to your own journal using your own favorite icon if you're one of those inhuman things that are actually capable of choosing betweenYOUR PRECIOUS BABIES! userpics.
goodbyebird at 3weeks4dreamwidthReply to this post saying 'icon', and I will tell you my favorite icon of yours. Then post this to your own journal using your own favorite icon if you're one of those inhuman things that are actually capable of choosing between
Back to 1892
May. 2nd, 2026 11:50 pmcornerofmadnessAnd then back to 1992!
So I went to the Gallipolis Steampunk event at the train museum put on by the Bossard Library. If it wasn't for people like me dressing up there wouldn't be much steampunky about it. It's about a dozen vendors on the street and half of which I just saw at Final Boss Con last week. That said I found someone with steampunk themed badge holders (cheap) and I got one...one I could have easily made but eh it was 10 bucks. I also found a gift for someone for Christmas. And I got a cool D20 pendant that dangles a sizeable plague doctor from it. It might be my new favorite thing.
I ran into L there, doing a puppet show. She saw me first. I actually hadn't noticed her because if I'm honest, I hate puppets and was actively not looking at her booth. They freak me out. Also I'm over worrying about doing voices for my stories. I can at least do this good and L is out there doing shows all the time. I need to channel that confidence.
It wasn't much and I was done in an hour and only because I'm slow. I went to Remo's for a hot dog and changed in the library and then it was off to Free comic book day in Huntington. I had debated Remo's or Hillbilly Hot Dogs, buy gas in Gallipolis (50 cents cheaper than Jackson) or in Huntington.
Remo over Hillbilly good choice (there wasn't a place to park when I drove by and they were literally on the side of the street for a quarter mile). Got gas in Gallipolis, bad call, was another 50 cents cheaper in WV (a dollar less than here)
Free comic book day turns out to be the same day as a Renn fest in Huntington. Next year maybe I'll do that. Inner Geek must be so big they let you take as many free comics as you want. I took most.
Afterward I went back to 1992...which is what this mall always feels like. I skipped Macy's because they got rid of their plus sizes but then the TJ Maxx/Homegoods ALSO ditched their selection. I can't stress this enough. We are on average bigger now than ever and this is two stores in the last six months decided to ditch ALL plus clothing.
So I decide to go into the mall itself which I haven't done in years. I know there were three plus sized shops there. Torrid was there with a bra I loved but again the sizes were pretty small on the band sizes (but I shall check online) and they had a belt that I would love for my cosplay but it was way more than it needed to be.
They had a branch of Superhero Creamery (the comic book store/ice cream shop from Ashland KY) and I got a graphic novel (they only allowed you one free comic book)
There is a Dave and Busters in there. And I found the theater which I needed to because I've never seen it (have I never been behind the mall in 20 years?!?) and I have tickets for it for the finale of The Amazing Digital Circus
Even the Books a Million had a crowd. And publishers are trying hard to get us to buy books with those gorgeous sprayed edges and end pages. Love it.
Hit chili's. It was packed at 430. They had a popping bobba watermelon margarita (talk about mashing up cultures) but it was good.
Here have some science Saturday all from one source because I'm exhausted (so tired that if I didn't have a test to make for monday I swear I would have gone to a hotel in Huntington and gone to sleep at 5 pm. I walked around BAM for nearly an hour trying to work up
Heartbeats physically stop cardiac cancer from growing — and that could be key to thwarting other cancers, too
'Eventually, it becomes you': Inventors of new 'living' knee replacement describe why this tech is desperately needed and how it works Wonders if it'll be ready by the time I need mine
Early data links Wegovy to risk of 'eye stroke' — here's what to know
Poop-encrusted chamber pots from the Roman Empire reveal oldest known human cases of Crypto parasite
Why do cats and dogs shake their heads?
Mount Etna is like no other volcano on Earth, representing 'a new type of volcanism,' new research reveals
'We can no longer ignore diseases in the deep human past': Malaria influenced early humans' migrations across Africa, study suggests
'It cuts both ways': Positive tipping points can restore wrecked ecosystems — we just need to trigger them, Earth system scientist Tim Lenton says
So I went to the Gallipolis Steampunk event at the train museum put on by the Bossard Library. If it wasn't for people like me dressing up there wouldn't be much steampunky about it. It's about a dozen vendors on the street and half of which I just saw at Final Boss Con last week. That said I found someone with steampunk themed badge holders (cheap) and I got one...one I could have easily made but eh it was 10 bucks. I also found a gift for someone for Christmas. And I got a cool D20 pendant that dangles a sizeable plague doctor from it. It might be my new favorite thing.
I ran into L there, doing a puppet show. She saw me first. I actually hadn't noticed her because if I'm honest, I hate puppets and was actively not looking at her booth. They freak me out. Also I'm over worrying about doing voices for my stories. I can at least do this good and L is out there doing shows all the time. I need to channel that confidence.
It wasn't much and I was done in an hour and only because I'm slow. I went to Remo's for a hot dog and changed in the library and then it was off to Free comic book day in Huntington. I had debated Remo's or Hillbilly Hot Dogs, buy gas in Gallipolis (50 cents cheaper than Jackson) or in Huntington.
Remo over Hillbilly good choice (there wasn't a place to park when I drove by and they were literally on the side of the street for a quarter mile). Got gas in Gallipolis, bad call, was another 50 cents cheaper in WV (a dollar less than here)
Free comic book day turns out to be the same day as a Renn fest in Huntington. Next year maybe I'll do that. Inner Geek must be so big they let you take as many free comics as you want. I took most.
Afterward I went back to 1992...which is what this mall always feels like. I skipped Macy's because they got rid of their plus sizes but then the TJ Maxx/Homegoods ALSO ditched their selection. I can't stress this enough. We are on average bigger now than ever and this is two stores in the last six months decided to ditch ALL plus clothing.
So I decide to go into the mall itself which I haven't done in years. I know there were three plus sized shops there. Torrid was there with a bra I loved but again the sizes were pretty small on the band sizes (but I shall check online) and they had a belt that I would love for my cosplay but it was way more than it needed to be.
They had a branch of Superhero Creamery (the comic book store/ice cream shop from Ashland KY) and I got a graphic novel (they only allowed you one free comic book)
There is a Dave and Busters in there. And I found the theater which I needed to because I've never seen it (have I never been behind the mall in 20 years?!?) and I have tickets for it for the finale of The Amazing Digital Circus
Even the Books a Million had a crowd. And publishers are trying hard to get us to buy books with those gorgeous sprayed edges and end pages. Love it.
Hit chili's. It was packed at 430. They had a popping bobba watermelon margarita (talk about mashing up cultures) but it was good.
Here have some science Saturday all from one source because I'm exhausted (so tired that if I didn't have a test to make for monday I swear I would have gone to a hotel in Huntington and gone to sleep at 5 pm. I walked around BAM for nearly an hour trying to work up
Heartbeats physically stop cardiac cancer from growing — and that could be key to thwarting other cancers, too
'Eventually, it becomes you': Inventors of new 'living' knee replacement describe why this tech is desperately needed and how it works Wonders if it'll be ready by the time I need mine
Early data links Wegovy to risk of 'eye stroke' — here's what to know
Poop-encrusted chamber pots from the Roman Empire reveal oldest known human cases of Crypto parasite
Why do cats and dogs shake their heads?
Mount Etna is like no other volcano on Earth, representing 'a new type of volcanism,' new research reveals
'We can no longer ignore diseases in the deep human past': Malaria influenced early humans' migrations across Africa, study suggests
'It cuts both ways': Positive tipping points can restore wrecked ecosystems — we just need to trigger them, Earth system scientist Tim Lenton says
(no subject)
May. 2nd, 2026 08:08 pmdustbunny105I'm so upset. You guys remember Fred, the stray rooster who got adopted by the salon near my house? Earlier today, he was kidnapped.
Some dude in a branded work truck pulled off to the side of the road, went onto the property, put Fred in a box and drove off. Security cameras caught it happening, apparently. My mom showed me the post about it on the neighborhood watch Facebook group a few hours after it happened where they were looking for information on the truck. I think they said it would be no questions asked if he's returned but basically if they have to track the truck driver down, they're pressing charges.
Fingers crossed he's returned home safely. I can only think of a couple reasons why someone would steal a well-fed chicken...
Update: Fred is home safe! They didn't post any details and all identifying images of the culprit have been removed, so I'm guessing it was settled amicably. They made sure to say that he's unharmed. Neither my mom nor my siser saw him when going past the salon and my sister said she didn't see the carrier they leave out for him, so he may have been relocated. It'd be a shame if we can't see him anymore due to safety concerns but of course the most important thing is he's okay.
Some dude in a branded work truck pulled off to the side of the road, went onto the property, put Fred in a box and drove off. Security cameras caught it happening, apparently. My mom showed me the post about it on the neighborhood watch Facebook group a few hours after it happened where they were looking for information on the truck. I think they said it would be no questions asked if he's returned but basically if they have to track the truck driver down, they're pressing charges.
Fingers crossed he's returned home safely. I can only think of a couple reasons why someone would steal a well-fed chicken...
Update: Fred is home safe! They didn't post any details and all identifying images of the culprit have been removed, so I'm guessing it was settled amicably. They made sure to say that he's unharmed. Neither my mom nor my siser saw him when going past the salon and my sister said she didn't see the carrier they leave out for him, so he may have been relocated. It'd be a shame if we can't see him anymore due to safety concerns but of course the most important thing is he's okay.
Where has the time gone
May. 2nd, 2026 09:13 pmcmk418I can't believe that four months (and a day) have already passed in 2026. Part of me wants to put on the brakes and the other part of me wants to speed through the next two years eight months and eighteen days (but who's counting).
I wrote a thing. Strange Mercies - Desert Hearts - Cay Rivvers/Vivian Bell. It's angsty
Mixed bag in the PWHL playoffs today. Montreal lost to Minnesota (boo.) But beloved Ottawa turned the tide and tied things up in their series against Boston (yay!) Now I have to wait until Tuesday for the next game.
The Blues minor league team is doing very well in their playoff series, but they still have a horrible human being employed by the team so although I'm happy for most of the players and the coach, I still feel like I can't outright root for them because of this awful person. I'm hoping that scouts from other teams will see him play and decide they need to have him so we can scuttle him off during the off-season. (He's not officially under contract with the Blues like many of the other players, but at the same time, I would rather he just not be there at all.)
Lots of things to look forward to this week- I have a friend visiting from Chicago tomorrow, draft lottery on Tuesday (which you will hear all about), choir on Thursday, and probably shopping with my nephew for tools one day this week.
That's all I've got for now. See you all tomorrow!
I wrote a thing. Strange Mercies - Desert Hearts - Cay Rivvers/Vivian Bell. It's angsty
Mixed bag in the PWHL playoffs today. Montreal lost to Minnesota (boo.) But beloved Ottawa turned the tide and tied things up in their series against Boston (yay!) Now I have to wait until Tuesday for the next game.
The Blues minor league team is doing very well in their playoff series, but they still have a horrible human being employed by the team so although I'm happy for most of the players and the coach, I still feel like I can't outright root for them because of this awful person. I'm hoping that scouts from other teams will see him play and decide they need to have him so we can scuttle him off during the off-season. (He's not officially under contract with the Blues like many of the other players, but at the same time, I would rather he just not be there at all.)
Lots of things to look forward to this week- I have a friend visiting from Chicago tomorrow, draft lottery on Tuesday (which you will hear all about), choir on Thursday, and probably shopping with my nephew for tools one day this week.
That's all I've got for now. See you all tomorrow!
Greek Myths Fest Bingo Card
May. 2nd, 2026 08:10 pmcmk418I signed up for the Greek Myths Fest over at allbingo. Probability that any of these fics will be about Greek myths is fairly low- prompts were taken from the themes/motifs/ideas list.
allbingo. Probability that any of these fics will be about Greek myths is fairly low- prompts were taken from the themes/motifs/ideas list. | downfall | family | fate | comedy | sea |
| silver | nature | animals | mentee | consent |
| curse | birth | mortals | counsel | resurrection |
| reward | wisdom | building | infidelity | lineage |
| ritual | chase | fire | loss | armor |
Write Every Day: Day 2
May. 2nd, 2026 05:31 pmsanguinityIntro/FAQ
My check-in: Still haven't sent the email off to my auction winner because I got too caught up in seeing if one of the stories I proposed has legs. (So far: about 700 words worth of legs!)
Day 2:goddess47, sanguinity, trobadora, ysilme
Day 1:badly_knitted, goddess47, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, dswdiane, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme
When you check in, please use the most recent post and say what day(s) you’re checking in for. Remember you can drop in or out at any time, and let me know if I missed anyone!
My check-in: Still haven't sent the email off to my auction winner because I got too caught up in seeing if one of the stories I proposed has legs. (So far: about 700 words worth of legs!)
Day 2:
goddess47, sanguinity, trobadora, ysilmeDay 1:
badly_knitted, goddess47, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, dswdiane, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilmeWhen you check in, please use the most recent post and say what day(s) you’re checking in for. Remember you can drop in or out at any time, and let me know if I missed anyone!
state of the Riella
May. 2nd, 2026 06:01 pmautobotscoutriellaMade it to both the first farmer's market of the year and early voting this morning, which was really nice. I always end up spending way too much money, but the variety of croissant-adjacent things I end up bringing home is usually worth it. (Our farmer's market has a lot of bakeries along with the veggie stands.)
I'm still working my way through Hades, but I've gotten the first ending and am in the fun "fulfilling prophecies and befriending random gods" stage, so it feels a little bit less intense. (And I got all the side character quests sorted out, which was extremely satisfying. We can fix these tragedies, after all!) I don't expect to write fic for it, but I've definitely been reading some.
Writing...has not been going great, for a lot of reasons, but it seems to be improving. It's MerMay, so I'm tempted to poke at Currents (the mershark!Daryan AU) a little bit and see if maybe that'll get my brain up and running again, especially now that the weather's getting nice. (Why is it easier to write fun mermaid stuff when it's warm outside? Who knows, but it sure works for me.)
I'm still working my way through Hades, but I've gotten the first ending and am in the fun "fulfilling prophecies and befriending random gods" stage, so it feels a little bit less intense. (And I got all the side character quests sorted out, which was extremely satisfying. We can fix these tragedies, after all!) I don't expect to write fic for it, but I've definitely been reading some.
Writing...has not been going great, for a lot of reasons, but it seems to be improving. It's MerMay, so I'm tempted to poke at Currents (the mershark!Daryan AU) a little bit and see if maybe that'll get my brain up and running again, especially now that the weather's getting nice. (Why is it easier to write fun mermaid stuff when it's warm outside? Who knows, but it sure works for me.)
USB keyboard plugged in...
May. 2nd, 2026 05:02 pmsisterdivinium... Messages now back to normal, with Gs and Hs in words as god intended.
No news on the desktop computer yet but at least I can fucking communicate! Which comes in handy now that works forseasonsofdrabbles have been revealed, hehe!
No news on the desktop computer yet but at least I can fucking communicate! Which comes in handy now that works for
seasonsofdrabbles have been revealed, hehe!💡 Ellipsus: Reader Links & Comments
May. 2nd, 2026 08:32 pmveronyxk84
Discover Ellipsus: Values
Looking for an alternative writing tool to MS Word or G Docs?
Ellipsus is a FREE collaborative writing software
My Ellipsus entries so far:
• #1 — Writing Tools: Presenting Ellipsus.
#2 — Reader Links & Reader Comments on Ellipsus
Reader links are designed for safely sharing finished or share-ready work with your audience (without granting collaboration/edit access).
Find out more about Ellipsus Reader Links, HERE.
if the gif above isn’t showing, see the original Tumblr post, HERE
Here’s something I haven’t tried yet but sounds outrageously COOL.
If you wish to share drafts, snippets, or even entire chapters with READERS (NOT collaborators or betas, mind you!), you can do so directly from Ellipsus, without having to copy-paste (chunks of) your stuff anywhere! 😍
( Read more... )
The Ellipsus team is constantly working to add new features and improve the existing ones. What are you waiting for? Come join us!
I will try to post more about Ellipsus in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, check Ellipsus Features on their website and watch their intro video below.
Official Website: ELLIPSUS
Tumblr:
YouTube:
*surfaces* I keep meaning to make a post...
May. 2nd, 2026 11:48 amlyssieNot much has been happening, work, work, sleep, work.
I bought myself a new bed frame. Now I need to use a stepladder to sleep (which is quite nice, though).
I also bought new shelves, replacing the standard Wal-Mart pressboard things which, to be fair, lasted the twenty years they've been up. But were saaaaagggging something terrible and not very well-organized, and just generally looked terrible.
Now I have nice metal frame shelves that feel a lot more open? I also moved my dresser, so now I can put clothes away! That's a bit nice.
I also ruthlessly culled books and dvds into storage boxes that are now in the basement. Things I do want to keep, but don't need in my room. This included: the original Farscape sets I have (I bought the series on mega-sale one year, so I had two shelves' worth or barely a hand-sized box. Seriously, why didn't I do that earlier?).
Changing the artwork on my walls: I pulled down most of the posters in their terrible falling-apart poster thingies. Most of them are being pulled out and broken down/folded and stored in a couple of three-ring binders. I've been replacing them with my own artwork, or things I've bought over the years that I never had 'anywhere to put'.
There are still a couple of those to go, but I didn't have the energy when swapping the shelves out to also pull out the ladder and climb it to do so.
I have a plan for my desk! I need to pull it out, strip some of the paint and then cover it with wallpaper sticky pages. It should look odd and far too colorful when done, but I'll be pleased.
I'm also pulling everything off of it and organizing where it goes.
Which also includes all of my painting gear - that's spread too far and wide and everywhere, ugh.
I bought more under the bed boxes with good sliders, so now I have better storage for some things that were just shoved anywhere they could go.
I still need to tackle my closet, though. There's some things in there I wore once, fifteen years ago (related, though: I tossed my Furlough costume, the Klingon detritus I hadn't worn in twenty years, and the Delirium costume I wore once). Plus a lot of things that "I might wear this year!" but I'm wearing jeans at work anyway (fuck their clothing requirements, they can deal with jeans or I'll just stay home).
In other news, I finally finished reading Agatha Christie's The Hollow - John Christow always deserves everything he gets, and I will hear no other reading. Also, Gerda is my fave. And the adaptation they did was superb (speaking of, though, I could watch twenty seasons and a movie of Lucy rambling on and saving people with guns and helping hide murderers and burning tea kettles).
I tried watching the Inspector Morse episode The Dead of Jericho, which has a younger Gemma Jones. Unfortunately, it was so incredibly dull I stopped. Morse seems to be on Youtube, though, for anyone who wants to give a go.
Big Finish's Torchwood monthly series is at an end, with 100 episodes. I took advantage of the last sale they had, and now have all of it. I will miss this series, though there are episodes I will definitely re-listen to.
Big Finish in collaboration with a bunch of others are doing a massive Fugitive Doctor thing with Jo Martin (I want her on my tv, too, but I'll take what I can get!) https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/the-countdown-to-doctor-who-circuit-breaker-starts-now
In RL news, my brother is part of the group leading the charge against the data center where he lives. He's now been quoted in several places. I'm so proud of him (and dad would have been so pleased). That bit where they VOTED OUT the council members who voted for it was brilliant.
I bought myself a new bed frame. Now I need to use a stepladder to sleep (which is quite nice, though).
rambly stuff about changing my room about
I also bought new shelves, replacing the standard Wal-Mart pressboard things which, to be fair, lasted the twenty years they've been up. But were saaaaagggging something terrible and not very well-organized, and just generally looked terrible.
Now I have nice metal frame shelves that feel a lot more open? I also moved my dresser, so now I can put clothes away! That's a bit nice.
I also ruthlessly culled books and dvds into storage boxes that are now in the basement. Things I do want to keep, but don't need in my room. This included: the original Farscape sets I have (I bought the series on mega-sale one year, so I had two shelves' worth or barely a hand-sized box. Seriously, why didn't I do that earlier?).
Changing the artwork on my walls: I pulled down most of the posters in their terrible falling-apart poster thingies. Most of them are being pulled out and broken down/folded and stored in a couple of three-ring binders. I've been replacing them with my own artwork, or things I've bought over the years that I never had 'anywhere to put'.
There are still a couple of those to go, but I didn't have the energy when swapping the shelves out to also pull out the ladder and climb it to do so.
I have a plan for my desk! I need to pull it out, strip some of the paint and then cover it with wallpaper sticky pages. It should look odd and far too colorful when done, but I'll be pleased.
I'm also pulling everything off of it and organizing where it goes.
Which also includes all of my painting gear - that's spread too far and wide and everywhere, ugh.
I bought more under the bed boxes with good sliders, so now I have better storage for some things that were just shoved anywhere they could go.
I still need to tackle my closet, though. There's some things in there I wore once, fifteen years ago (related, though: I tossed my Furlough costume, the Klingon detritus I hadn't worn in twenty years, and the Delirium costume I wore once). Plus a lot of things that "I might wear this year!" but I'm wearing jeans at work anyway (fuck their clothing requirements, they can deal with jeans or I'll just stay home).
In other news, I finally finished reading Agatha Christie's The Hollow - John Christow always deserves everything he gets, and I will hear no other reading. Also, Gerda is my fave. And the adaptation they did was superb (speaking of, though, I could watch twenty seasons and a movie of Lucy rambling on and saving people with guns and helping hide murderers and burning tea kettles).
I tried watching the Inspector Morse episode The Dead of Jericho, which has a younger Gemma Jones. Unfortunately, it was so incredibly dull I stopped. Morse seems to be on Youtube, though, for anyone who wants to give a go.
Big Finish's Torchwood monthly series is at an end, with 100 episodes. I took advantage of the last sale they had, and now have all of it. I will miss this series, though there are episodes I will definitely re-listen to.
Big Finish in collaboration with a bunch of others are doing a massive Fugitive Doctor thing with Jo Martin (I want her on my tv, too, but I'll take what I can get!) https://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/the-countdown-to-doctor-who-circuit-breaker-starts-now
In RL news, my brother is part of the group leading the charge against the data center where he lives. He's now been quoted in several places. I'm so proud of him (and dad would have been so pleased). That bit where they VOTED OUT the council members who voted for it was brilliant.
