Daily Happiness
Jan. 20th, 2026 07:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
torachan1. Got my hair cut this morning. Carla wanted to get hers trimmed before her trip (she's going to Wisconsin for a week tomorrow for her aunt's 80th birthday) so it was the both of us and we decided to pop over to Universal Studios for lunch afterwards. The crowds were so low! If we'd stayed to go on any rides, almost everything was like 20 minutes or less, even the massively popular ones. As it was, we just had a nice lunch, spotted some characters, and came home.
2. Because of the haircut appointment, which was awkwardly timed for late morning, I just made today a WFH day. Did some stuff in the morning before we went, and then had a meeting later in the afternoon. I didn't really have a whole lot on the agenda for today anyway, so it worked out well.
3. Shake Shack is apparently having a Korean inspired menu right now, so we got the burgers with Korean BBQ sauce. They were so good! There's also a chicken sandwich and fries with kimchi powder and dipping sauce, and even a caramel gochujang shake, so if they've still got this stuff on the menu when Carla gets back from her trip, we're planning to try some of those as well. Actually now that I think of it, there's one near work, so I might just go over there for lunch one day...
4. Warming bed + stretching = best combo.
2. Because of the haircut appointment, which was awkwardly timed for late morning, I just made today a WFH day. Did some stuff in the morning before we went, and then had a meeting later in the afternoon. I didn't really have a whole lot on the agenda for today anyway, so it worked out well.
3. Shake Shack is apparently having a Korean inspired menu right now, so we got the burgers with Korean BBQ sauce. They were so good! There's also a chicken sandwich and fries with kimchi powder and dipping sauce, and even a caramel gochujang shake, so if they've still got this stuff on the menu when Carla gets back from her trip, we're planning to try some of those as well. Actually now that I think of it, there's one near work, so I might just go over there for lunch one day...
4. Warming bed + stretching = best combo.
Dear Crow Contracts Creator,
Jan. 20th, 2026 09:20 pmsettiaiFirst of all, relax! I'm far from being picky, and I can pretty much guarantee that I'll love whatever you decide to create for me. These are nothing but guidelines, for you to take to heart or ignore to your heart's content. Also, hey! You're writing me fic or drawing me art! That's automatically a good reason for me to love you, no matter what. So, please, keep that in mind. Trust me, you can pretty much do no wrong. ♥
( More details under the cut. )
( More details under the cut. )
Here at the end of the lonely world
Jan. 20th, 2026 07:47 pmmusesfoolThe conference was interesting, if maybe 1 panel too long (it ended at 4:55 pm, but the last panel was...not great, imo), though the lunch options were, to me, appalling. (Many people ate and enjoyed the sandwiches but there was not one that I would eat. I made do with salad, chips, and cookies.) My boss and I both felt validated by some things being mentioned that we already do and some that we are planning to do (if the new board chair approves), so that part was good too.
It was hard to get up (it was hard to sleep, knowing I had to get up 90 minutes earlier than usual), but I did it. I also saw two fun signs on the way: "Lube Entrance" and "You can ship anything." Asdevildoll said when I told her, I'll take AO3 tags for $200, Alex. *g*
Now I'm going to try to stay awake for another hour and then go to bed because I am le tired.
*
It was hard to get up (it was hard to sleep, knowing I had to get up 90 minutes earlier than usual), but I did it. I also saw two fun signs on the way: "Lube Entrance" and "You can ship anything." As
devildoll said when I told her, I'll take AO3 tags for $200, Alex. *g*Now I'm going to try to stay awake for another hour and then go to bed because I am le tired.
*
2026 Universal Studios Trip #2 (1/20/26)
Jan. 20th, 2026 04:00 pmtorachanUniversal Studios has short hours during the off season, making it inconvenient to go for dinner on weeknights, but today we had an opportunity to go for lunch since we were sort of partway there.
The park wasn't crowded at all, but all the good parking was taken, so we had to park at the ET parking structure, which is at the far end of CityWalk, but at least that meant we got a nice walk to and from the park as well as inside.
( Read more... )
The park wasn't crowded at all, but all the good parking was taken, so we had to park at the ET parking structure, which is at the far end of CityWalk, but at least that meant we got a nice walk to and from the park as well as inside.
( Read more... )
I wrote a Silksong drabble and got Silksong gifts
Jan. 20th, 2026 06:41 pmschneefinkI think this is the last year I do ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomtrees because like last time I didn't make as many gifts as I wanted and feel bad...
But I did write a post-canon Silksong drabble I'm quite proud of:
Silk Snare for![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
knave_of_swords
post-canon Lace(&Hornet) drabble
Summary: Much Silk was needed to see her sustained.
Notes: One of my favorite fannish drabbles I've written, I think it works very well.
I got pretty icons under my tree: some Hornet icons bygimmighoulcoins and some Grian icons by sarajayechan :D Lovely.
And I also got two other Silksong gifts recently:
Sunlight Dyed byCrushingOnGogh
stained glass art
Summary: Hornet from Silksong, depicted in stained glass
So pretty! The lights and the colors and the shapes!
reprieve bystrifetxt
1k, Hornet & Shakra gen
Summary: Hornet, a conversation, and a musing.
Aaah the Hornet feelings <3
fandomtrees because like last time I didn't make as many gifts as I wanted and feel bad...But I did write a post-canon Silksong drabble I'm quite proud of:
Silk Snare for
post-canon Lace(&Hornet) drabble
Summary: Much Silk was needed to see her sustained.
Notes: One of my favorite fannish drabbles I've written, I think it works very well.
I got pretty icons under my tree: some Hornet icons by
gimmighoulcoins and some Grian icons by sarajayechan :D Lovely.And I also got two other Silksong gifts recently:
Sunlight Dyed by
stained glass art
Summary: Hornet from Silksong, depicted in stained glass
So pretty! The lights and the colors and the shapes!
reprieve by
1k, Hornet & Shakra gen
Summary: Hornet, a conversation, and a musing.
Aaah the Hornet feelings <3
Sticker printing alternatives
Jan. 20th, 2026 10:38 ampaperghost posting in journalsandplannersysabetwordsmith suggested I share this short list of resources for printing stickers and other relevant accessories.This is old news, but Stickermule has shown their asses again by giving away free pro-ICE merchandise, so people have been scrambling for other suppliers for custom stickers. I'm thinking about ordering stickers of my art by Harmonycon. I can't keep up with a million tweets and my Bluesky feed is already scrambled, so here's what I've found:
https://www.standoutstickers.com/
https://stickerguy.com/
https://thestickybrand.com/en-ca (limited time deals page is worth looking at)
https://thestickerlad.com/home (website looks like a WIP but furry-owned. Prices are ok)
https://stickerninja.com/ (this looks like Stickermule's biggest rival)
https://unionmadestickers.com/en-ca (you can probably use them for non-union stuff lol)
https://stickerblitz.com/ (another rival with good prices)
https://zapcreatives.com/en-us
https://wiki.scumsuck.com/resources:stickers (guide on how to print your stickers at home. Lists options for scanners and paper to buy, etc.)
Vograce orders from China but I've had a good experience ordering sample packs and one-off keychains from them. YMMV. It's better for physical goods. Not sure of any alternatives that let you do one-off orders.
https://www.standoutstickers.com/
https://stickerguy.com/
https://thestickybrand.com/en-ca (limited time deals page is worth looking at)
https://thestickerlad.com/home (website looks like a WIP but furry-owned. Prices are ok)
https://stickerninja.com/ (this looks like Stickermule's biggest rival)
https://unionmadestickers.com/en-ca (you can probably use them for non-union stuff lol)
https://stickerblitz.com/ (another rival with good prices)
https://zapcreatives.com/en-us
https://wiki.scumsuck.com/resources:stickers (guide on how to print your stickers at home. Lists options for scanners and paper to buy, etc.)
Vograce orders from China but I've had a good experience ordering sample packs and one-off keychains from them. YMMV. It's better for physical goods. Not sure of any alternatives that let you do one-off orders.
Daily Happiness
Jan. 19th, 2026 07:02 pmtorachan1. Pretty chill day at work today. I got stuff done. The office situation is a bit annoying now because as of last Thursday we have a handful of new people moved in, but there weren't enough empty desks so they brought desks from their previous office and crammed them in where we had previously had a meeting table and it feels very crowded now. I'm sure I'll get used to it, though.
2. I love the dramatic lighting on Gemma. It suits her dramatic personality lol.
2. I love the dramatic lighting on Gemma. It suits her dramatic personality lol.
Comfort Foods
Jan. 19th, 2026 08:54 pmsettiaiI've been trying various new foods from Aldi (and experimenting with ways of cooking them in some cases), and I've found my new favorite comfort food for cold winter nights.
A bowl of their creamy curry bisque with toast made with bread, butter, and their shredded swiss & gruyère cheese is absolutely delicious. I've found it works really well for when I want something relatively quick and filling that's not too heavy.
I've also found a yummy way of using up russet potatoes that are starting to go a bit wrinkly or getting too many eyes on them, which I have happen way too often since it's just me eating them and even I struggle to make it through an entire small bag of potatoes before they start showing their age. I'll peel one and chop it up into something resembling cubes, toss it in a teaspoon or so of olive oil, and then add garlic power, onion powder, salt, pepper, and paprika. Then I dump it in my air fryer on 400°F for twenty minutes, shaking them halfway through.
The potatoes are great by themselves with some sour cream/ketchup/ranch/whatever you want to use, or they work as a side dish for breakfast or dinner either one. I especially enjoy them with an over easy egg and a slice or two of bacon (which I've also started making in the air fryer since my microwave here in the hotel is on the fritz again).
A bowl of their creamy curry bisque with toast made with bread, butter, and their shredded swiss & gruyère cheese is absolutely delicious. I've found it works really well for when I want something relatively quick and filling that's not too heavy.
I've also found a yummy way of using up russet potatoes that are starting to go a bit wrinkly or getting too many eyes on them, which I have happen way too often since it's just me eating them and even I struggle to make it through an entire small bag of potatoes before they start showing their age. I'll peel one and chop it up into something resembling cubes, toss it in a teaspoon or so of olive oil, and then add garlic power, onion powder, salt, pepper, and paprika. Then I dump it in my air fryer on 400°F for twenty minutes, shaking them halfway through.
The potatoes are great by themselves with some sour cream/ketchup/ranch/whatever you want to use, or they work as a side dish for breakfast or dinner either one. I especially enjoy them with an over easy egg and a slice or two of bacon (which I've also started making in the air fryer since my microwave here in the hotel is on the fritz again).
Daily Happiness
Jan. 18th, 2026 05:37 pmtorachan1. I got my tattoo wrap stuff from Amazon this afternoon but I actually think I'm just going to go without it. I took off the bandage a few hours ago and there hasn't been any seepage (there was a bit in the bandage). But both Carla and I would like to get more tattoos in the future, so it will be good to have on hand.
2. Carla had been wanting to go to an English pub, so we went down to the King's Head for lunch and got fish and chips. It was so good. It's a little too far to walk for Carla right now, so we took the train, which still gets us a good walk between the station and home and the station and the restaurant (which is down near the Promenade and mall, so we checked out some shops while we were there, too). It was a nice afternoon and the sun wasn't too bad on the way there, though we were definitely feeling it on the way home.
3. Every weekend I've got it on my to-do list to do a little more planning for our upcoming trip to Japan and we're making good progress.
4. Look at that Ollie face!
2. Carla had been wanting to go to an English pub, so we went down to the King's Head for lunch and got fish and chips. It was so good. It's a little too far to walk for Carla right now, so we took the train, which still gets us a good walk between the station and home and the station and the restaurant (which is down near the Promenade and mall, so we checked out some shops while we were there, too). It was a nice afternoon and the sun wasn't too bad on the way there, though we were definitely feeling it on the way home.
3. Every weekend I've got it on my to-do list to do a little more planning for our upcoming trip to Japan and we're making good progress.
4. Look at that Ollie face!
settling into a good one in the snow and the wind
Jan. 18th, 2026 07:40 pmmusesfoolI used one of my Christmas gift cards to order a 12" carbon steel frying pan. I have a cast iron one but it is very heavy. I don't need it often, but when I do I'm always worried I'm going to drop it when it's full of hot food and I have to transfer it from stove top to oven or broiler, or vice versa. So we'll see how the carbon steel pan goes. I love the one I have for crepes, but it is much smaller and flatter.
It was top of mind this weekend because I decided to make this skillet chicken parm, but I was able to use my 10" (enameled) cast iron pan for it, which is more manageable, since I only had 2 chicken breasts. And it was pretty good! I made the Marcella Hazan simple tomato sauce for it and it worked out well. It's definitely easier than breading and frying a bunch of cutlets, and it gives a decent approximation of the best bits, which are the breading and cheese and sauce all melding together.
Then today I made this slow cooker creamy lemon chicken and it was okay - needed more lemon, imo, and also after reading the comments, I was prepared and added more cornstarch when the sauce didn't thicken much. I also thought it was weird that they want you to brown the chicken in butter first, but not saute the shallot and garlic. I didn't bother with searing the chicken, since generally I don't bother when I'm using the slow cooker, but I did saute the shallot and garlic first and added the dried herbs and let them sizzle for about 30 seconds before removing the pot from the stove and fitting it into the Instant Pot.
So it's been nice and cozy in here while the weather has been stupidly cold. Sadly, I have to go to a conference on Tuesday, when the high is supposed to be like 20°F. The agenda sounds interesting but I already told my boss if it was snowing I was staying home, but I don't think I can bail if it's just super cold but clear and dry. Who runs a conference in New York in January!? This is the time of year to be someplace warm. (Not that they would pay for me to go to a conference someplace warm! We're not even paying for this one - the tickets are comped because our head of HR is moderating a panel.)
I'm just glad I don't have to go out tomorrow, when it will be messy.
*
It was top of mind this weekend because I decided to make this skillet chicken parm, but I was able to use my 10" (enameled) cast iron pan for it, which is more manageable, since I only had 2 chicken breasts. And it was pretty good! I made the Marcella Hazan simple tomato sauce for it and it worked out well. It's definitely easier than breading and frying a bunch of cutlets, and it gives a decent approximation of the best bits, which are the breading and cheese and sauce all melding together.
Then today I made this slow cooker creamy lemon chicken and it was okay - needed more lemon, imo, and also after reading the comments, I was prepared and added more cornstarch when the sauce didn't thicken much. I also thought it was weird that they want you to brown the chicken in butter first, but not saute the shallot and garlic. I didn't bother with searing the chicken, since generally I don't bother when I'm using the slow cooker, but I did saute the shallot and garlic first and added the dried herbs and let them sizzle for about 30 seconds before removing the pot from the stove and fitting it into the Instant Pot.
So it's been nice and cozy in here while the weather has been stupidly cold. Sadly, I have to go to a conference on Tuesday, when the high is supposed to be like 20°F. The agenda sounds interesting but I already told my boss if it was snowing I was staying home, but I don't think I can bail if it's just super cold but clear and dry. Who runs a conference in New York in January!? This is the time of year to be someplace warm. (Not that they would pay for me to go to a conference someplace warm! We're not even paying for this one - the tickets are comped because our head of HR is moderating a panel.)
I'm just glad I don't have to go out tomorrow, when it will be messy.
*
insta-rec: sisabet, "Naked in Manhattan"
Jan. 18th, 2026 11:19 amheresluckHi, yes, I know I haven't posted fannish stuff in more than two years but sisabet has just posted a Heated Rivalry vid and if you have any interest in the show at all you should go watch it right now because it combines "silly" and "unexpectedly moving" in a way that is absolutely perfect for this show.
(I watched HR withkass a couple of weeks ago when I was visiting her and we did a lot of chatter and analysis in person, so I don't know that I have anything to post about the show aside from "it's delightful and I'm really glad that it exists, and the showrunner, bless him, appears to know exactly what he's doing, and all of those things make me really happy.")
(I watched HR with
kass a couple of weeks ago when I was visiting her and we did a lot of chatter and analysis in person, so I don't know that I have anything to post about the show aside from "it's delightful and I'm really glad that it exists, and the showrunner, bless him, appears to know exactly what he's doing, and all of those things make me really happy.")Daily Happiness
Jan. 17th, 2026 09:39 pmtorachan1. The tattoo seems to be healing well. There was a lot of fluid buildup in the bandage even though I'd put on a new one yesterday, and around midday I noticed some floaty bits of either dead skin or adhesive residue from the previous bandage but either way didn't want to leave it on like that, but the tattoo place had only given me enough to change it once, and the stuff I ordered from Amazon isn't coming till tomorrow, so I checked to see if there was anywhere I could buy it in person and it seems like the answer is no. Google told me the Ulta near me sells it, so I went over there and they did not have any, so I decided to check CVS to see if they at least had larger tegaderm patches than what I have at home leftover from when I had surgery, and they did have ones that are at least big enough to cover the tattoo with three patches, so I got a pack of those.
After taking off the old bandage and washing my leg, I used some lotion and let it just air out for a while, but then put the tegaderm patches on before we went to Disneyland just to keep it protected. There seems to be a lot less fluid coming out now, but I'm still going to change it again tomorrow when the stuff from Amazon gets here and at least use it for another day or two.
2. I went to the farmers market this morning and got an ube cinnamon roll, among other things. This is my second time getting one and they're so good.
3. We had a really nice time at Disneyland tonight. Despite the warm weather, it's getting cool quickly in the evenings (only good thing about hot weather in the winter is that it never lasts into the night) so it was pleasantly warm rather than unpleasantly so, and the crowds were light. We walked back to the car from the park rather than taking the bus, and passed by a mochi donut shop we always see from the car and stopped in to get a few for tomorrow's breakfast. We got matcha, passionfruit, and guava donuts. The place we usually get from always has matcha, but I don't think we've had either passionfruit or guava, so I'm looking forward to trying those.
4. Working from home yesterday almost made this feel like a three day weekend. I still have another day before going back to work!
5. Jasper!
After taking off the old bandage and washing my leg, I used some lotion and let it just air out for a while, but then put the tegaderm patches on before we went to Disneyland just to keep it protected. There seems to be a lot less fluid coming out now, but I'm still going to change it again tomorrow when the stuff from Amazon gets here and at least use it for another day or two.
2. I went to the farmers market this morning and got an ube cinnamon roll, among other things. This is my second time getting one and they're so good.
3. We had a really nice time at Disneyland tonight. Despite the warm weather, it's getting cool quickly in the evenings (only good thing about hot weather in the winter is that it never lasts into the night) so it was pleasantly warm rather than unpleasantly so, and the crowds were light. We walked back to the car from the park rather than taking the bus, and passed by a mochi donut shop we always see from the car and stopped in to get a few for tomorrow's breakfast. We got matcha, passionfruit, and guava donuts. The place we usually get from always has matcha, but I don't think we've had either passionfruit or guava, so I'm looking forward to trying those.
4. Working from home yesterday almost made this feel like a three day weekend. I still have another day before going back to work!
5. Jasper!
2026 Disneyland Trip #4 (1/17/26)
Jan. 17th, 2026 09:14 pmtorachanWe decided to wait till later in the afternoon to go to Disneyland since it was hot again today and it had been so pleasant when we went on Wednesday evening. We left the house around 2:45 or so and got down there at four and the sun was already low enough that we didn't need sunglasses or anything and the temps had already gone down a lot so it was very pleasant.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
better put your kingdom up for sale
Jan. 16th, 2026 11:11 pmmusesfoolOkay, everything about the last 2 episodes of Abbott Elementary ("The Mall" parts 1 &2) was THE BEST.
( spoilers )
I haven't laughed so hard in a while.
In other news, my nephew and I keep texting each other "wtf?" about everything the Mets have done (or not done) this offseason. Today we were just like, "Wtf?" The Mets now have like 17 second basemen. Hopefully at least one can pitch and one can play left field, because those are the spots they needed to fill. Now they are going to put Bichette at third and Baty in left? What is happening!?! Also, have an obligatory fuck the Dodgers!
Meanwhile, the Rangers' sell-off begins. It's the right thing but ugh, it's going to be hard if Panarin goes to Florida. I can and do root for Detroit and Dallas, but I cannot root for Florida. I guess we'll see what happens. Maybe they'll be able to foist Miller off on someone else too. *crosses fingers*
*
( spoilers )
I haven't laughed so hard in a while.
In other news, my nephew and I keep texting each other "wtf?" about everything the Mets have done (or not done) this offseason. Today we were just like, "Wtf?" The Mets now have like 17 second basemen. Hopefully at least one can pitch and one can play left field, because those are the spots they needed to fill. Now they are going to put Bichette at third and Baty in left? What is happening!?! Also, have an obligatory fuck the Dodgers!
Meanwhile, the Rangers' sell-off begins. It's the right thing but ugh, it's going to be hard if Panarin goes to Florida. I can and do root for Detroit and Dallas, but I cannot root for Florida. I guess we'll see what happens. Maybe they'll be able to foist Miller off on someone else too. *crosses fingers*
*
Daily Happiness
Jan. 16th, 2026 05:26 pmtorachan1. I had a very nice relaxing WFH day. (The only annoying part was the very loud construction on one end of the street and the tar smell which was coming from either that site or the construction at the other end of the street lol.)
2. We walked down to the Italian deli this morning to get sandwiches for lunch. Also a nice part of working from home! We knew it would be pretty hot today, so rather than walk there at lunch time, we went right after Carla woke up, when it wasn't too hot and there was still some shade for most of the walk.
3. I changed the bandage on my tattoo this morning and cleaned it up. It's looking really good! After changing it, there is still some fluid coming out, but doesn't seem to be any blood. They said to use the clear "second skin" bandage for up to a week, so I actually ordered some more off Amazon (she gave me enough for one change) in case I need to change it sooner. With the amount of fluid under it right now, I might.
4. Upon closer inspection it looks like Tuxie is missing some fur on his forehead, so I think he might have been in a fight while he was gone, but he seems fine otherwise. Better than that time he got a chunk of his ear ripped out.
2. We walked down to the Italian deli this morning to get sandwiches for lunch. Also a nice part of working from home! We knew it would be pretty hot today, so rather than walk there at lunch time, we went right after Carla woke up, when it wasn't too hot and there was still some shade for most of the walk.
3. I changed the bandage on my tattoo this morning and cleaned it up. It's looking really good! After changing it, there is still some fluid coming out, but doesn't seem to be any blood. They said to use the clear "second skin" bandage for up to a week, so I actually ordered some more off Amazon (she gave me enough for one change) in case I need to change it sooner. With the amount of fluid under it right now, I might.
4. Upon closer inspection it looks like Tuxie is missing some fur on his forehead, so I think he might have been in a fight while he was gone, but he seems fine otherwise. Better than that time he got a chunk of his ear ripped out.
Weekly Reading
Jan. 16th, 2026 03:38 pmtorachanRecently Finished
Peril at the Exposition
Second in the Captain Jim and Lady Diana mystery series. I was disappointed to see that this one doesn't take place in India, so I hadn't jumped right on it after finishing the first, but my backlog of audiobooks was going down, so I decided to give it a go. It was fine. I'll probably read more in the series at the same pace, but it's also not really what I'm wanting in a mystery (and that was the same with the first one).
Deeds and Words
Another second book in a mystery series, though it seems like this is also the final book. It was also just all right.
Riot Baby
Set in a slightly more dystopic alternate reality, this tells the story of a girl with psychic powers and her brother, who was born after the LA riots, thus being nicknamed Riot Baby, in alternating POVs. I liked this, but it felt like the two POVs weren't really well integrated.
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
In the late 1800s England, a man gets a mysterious watch that saves him from a bomb exploding, and then is tasked with finding out if the watchmaker, a Japanese man who can remember the future, is the one who set the bomb. I didn't much like this at all. The first half or more was extremely boring, and then once the action seemed to finally get going, the characters got worse and worse, especially the lone female character, who seems to exist only as a plot device to make everything horrible for the men.
Little Monsters vol. 1-2
Two volume comic series about child vampires living in an empty city after an apocalypse. I liked it all right. The ending was good.
Sakura, Saku vol. 8
Peril at the Exposition
Second in the Captain Jim and Lady Diana mystery series. I was disappointed to see that this one doesn't take place in India, so I hadn't jumped right on it after finishing the first, but my backlog of audiobooks was going down, so I decided to give it a go. It was fine. I'll probably read more in the series at the same pace, but it's also not really what I'm wanting in a mystery (and that was the same with the first one).
Deeds and Words
Another second book in a mystery series, though it seems like this is also the final book. It was also just all right.
Riot Baby
Set in a slightly more dystopic alternate reality, this tells the story of a girl with psychic powers and her brother, who was born after the LA riots, thus being nicknamed Riot Baby, in alternating POVs. I liked this, but it felt like the two POVs weren't really well integrated.
The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
In the late 1800s England, a man gets a mysterious watch that saves him from a bomb exploding, and then is tasked with finding out if the watchmaker, a Japanese man who can remember the future, is the one who set the bomb. I didn't much like this at all. The first half or more was extremely boring, and then once the action seemed to finally get going, the characters got worse and worse, especially the lone female character, who seems to exist only as a plot device to make everything horrible for the men.
Little Monsters vol. 1-2
Two volume comic series about child vampires living in an empty city after an apocalypse. I liked it all right. The ending was good.
Sakura, Saku vol. 8
Dungeon Crawlers: kill, kill, kill
Jan. 16th, 2026 11:13 pmschneefinkI'm behind on household chores and fandom things (my end-of-year post, snowflake challenge etc.) and the next few weeks are going to be stressful because I have weekend classes again and other plans; and yet the past few days I've spent most of my spare time (and some time when I should have been asleep) reading the first 4.5 books of Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. I'd heard enough good things about it that I put a hold on the first two books immediately when my library got them, and when I was finished with them I immediately wanted to continue reading.
Unfortunately the ebook versions of books 3-7 are only available on amazon from what I've seen and I try to avoid giving them money when I can, so I joined the author's Patreon instead and am now reading the unedited versions of the other books. It's very hard to stop reading! There's always just one more thing I want to see how it goes, and then the next.
I enjoy the LitRPG and power-up fantasy aspects, but I think my favorite angle is the reality TV death game. Reminds me of the Hunger Games in that aspect, with bonus corporate politics in the background. I also like the characters, the main cast and the supporting cast, and I enjoy the crazy plans. Can't wait to see where it goes! ...except I have to because of chores and classes etc. etc. and I should also try to get enough sleep. Boo.
Unfortunately the ebook versions of books 3-7 are only available on amazon from what I've seen and I try to avoid giving them money when I can, so I joined the author's Patreon instead and am now reading the unedited versions of the other books. It's very hard to stop reading! There's always just one more thing I want to see how it goes, and then the next.
I enjoy the LitRPG and power-up fantasy aspects, but I think my favorite angle is the reality TV death game. Reminds me of the Hunger Games in that aspect, with bonus corporate politics in the background. I also like the characters, the main cast and the supporting cast, and I enjoy the crazy plans. Can't wait to see where it goes! ...except I have to because of chores and classes etc. etc. and I should also try to get enough sleep. Boo.
Daily Happiness
Jan. 15th, 2026 07:44 pmtorachan1. Tuxie was gone for three days but back this morning like nothing happened. He does this occasionally so I don't get worried, per se, but I am always glad to see him back and know he's safe. I wish he could tell us about his adventures when he's gone!
2. I have a tattoo!
I'll post another picture once it's healed. The yellow especially is very dark in the picture because it was the last color she did and it had a lot of blood welling up still. But it's exactly what I wanted and I'm very happy with it.
Overall the session took nearly three hours but the first was just discussing the design and prep, and the actual needling was about an hour and forty-five minutes. It's large, and since it's a wrap around, it's kind of fiddly, but since it's just color fill and not a lot of intricate line work or anything, it went pretty quickly overall.
It did hurt a fair bit, especially since there were some boney areas, but mostly I was just very tense from having to hold still. I felt like how I feel at the dentist, which always leaves me with a tension headache. I took some advil when I got home for the headache, but my leg itself didn't really hurt once she was done.
3. My usual Friday meetings were cancelled and the stuff I need to do tomorrow doesn't require accessing our system (which I hate doing from home because we're not able to use a VPN anymore and have to remote into a PC at the office, which is a pain), so I'm going to relax and work from home tomorrow.
4. I love getting pics of the cats looking up like this. It makes their cute faces even cuter!
2. I have a tattoo!
I'll post another picture once it's healed. The yellow especially is very dark in the picture because it was the last color she did and it had a lot of blood welling up still. But it's exactly what I wanted and I'm very happy with it.
Overall the session took nearly three hours but the first was just discussing the design and prep, and the actual needling was about an hour and forty-five minutes. It's large, and since it's a wrap around, it's kind of fiddly, but since it's just color fill and not a lot of intricate line work or anything, it went pretty quickly overall.
It did hurt a fair bit, especially since there were some boney areas, but mostly I was just very tense from having to hold still. I felt like how I feel at the dentist, which always leaves me with a tension headache. I took some advil when I got home for the headache, but my leg itself didn't really hurt once she was done.
3. My usual Friday meetings were cancelled and the stuff I need to do tomorrow doesn't require accessing our system (which I hate doing from home because we're not able to use a VPN anymore and have to remote into a PC at the office, which is a pain), so I'm going to relax and work from home tomorrow.
4. I love getting pics of the cats looking up like this. It makes their cute faces even cuter!
and every demon wants his pound of flesh
Jan. 15th, 2026 02:14 pmmusesfoolI had a very long anxiety dream last night that involved trying to get home and failing repeatedly. First I told the driver I lived at my old address on the Upper East Side, then other people joined the ride and demanded to get dropped off before heading to Queens. The then driver bailed and a new set of passengers took over the driving and refused to exit the BQE to the LIE to get me home. Eventually I was dropped off on what appeared to be Hillside Avenue, which is not far from me in the waking world, but somehow in the dream the walk never brought me any closer. Ugh. I guess it was a new spin, since usually I'm trying to get to work in these dreams, but it felt like it lasted all night (I did sleep through for about 6 hours straight, so maybe it did).
Anyway, despite the ongoing trashfire, some cool stuff is coming:
- NEW SIX OF CROWS BOOK IN JUNE!!!! It's supposed to be the "private correspondence of Kaz Brekker with a mysterious person identified only as 'I.'" KAZ/INEJ EPISTOLARY STORY!??! I am seated and ready. Take my money, please!
- You probably already know this, but The Pitt was renewed for a third season last week.
- Pitchers and catchers report in less than 1 month. The Mets only got worse over the winter, so who knows what the hell is going to happen, but that is always a sign spring isn't too far away!
- The (NY football) Giants may be getting an actual factual head coach? I don't expect miracles but maybe they won't be embarrassing next season?
I feel like there were one or two other things I meant to post about but can't remember what they were. Oh, there's a new Fonda Lee novel coming, too! I do want to try out Matt Fraction's Batman at some point, and Cass's new book, but since I generally wait for the trade paperbacks (in ebook form anyway), they're not always top of mind. Still no release date for Alecto the Ninth (is it ever coming out?) and no kindle edition for DCC: Parade of Horribles but I keep checking!
*
Anyway, despite the ongoing trashfire, some cool stuff is coming:
- NEW SIX OF CROWS BOOK IN JUNE!!!! It's supposed to be the "private correspondence of Kaz Brekker with a mysterious person identified only as 'I.'" KAZ/INEJ EPISTOLARY STORY!??! I am seated and ready. Take my money, please!
- You probably already know this, but The Pitt was renewed for a third season last week.
- Pitchers and catchers report in less than 1 month. The Mets only got worse over the winter, so who knows what the hell is going to happen, but that is always a sign spring isn't too far away!
- The (NY football) Giants may be getting an actual factual head coach? I don't expect miracles but maybe they won't be embarrassing next season?
I feel like there were one or two other things I meant to post about but can't remember what they were. Oh, there's a new Fonda Lee novel coming, too! I do want to try out Matt Fraction's Batman at some point, and Cass's new book, but since I generally wait for the trade paperbacks (in ebook form anyway), they're not always top of mind. Still no release date for Alecto the Ninth (is it ever coming out?) and no kindle edition for DCC: Parade of Horribles but I keep checking!
*
January London meetup
Jan. 15th, 2026 11:08 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
captainawkward_feedAnnouncement: the audience for these has changed, so I’m going to do them once every three or four months instead of monthly. So please come to this January one if you’re interested, there won’t be another until probably April.
24th January, 1pm, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, SE1 8XX.
We will be on Level 5 blue side (the upper levels are no longer closed to non-ticket-holders), but I don’t know exactly where on the floor. It will depend on where we can find a table.
I have shoulder length brown hair, and will have my plush Chthulu which looks like this:
Please obey any rules posted in the venue.
The venue has lifts to all floors and accessible toilets. The accessibility map is here:
The food market outside (side away from the river) is pretty good for all sorts of requirements, and you can also bring food from home, or there are lots of cafes on the riverfront.
Other things to bear in mind:
1. Please make sure you respect people’s personal space and their choices about distancing.
2. We have all had a terrible time for the last four years. Sharing your struggles is okay and is part of what the group is for, but we need to be careful not to overwhelm each other or have the conversation be entirely negative. Where I usually draw the line here is that personal struggles are fine to talk about but political rants are discouraged, but I may have to move this line on the day when I see how things go. Don’t worry, I will tell you!
3. Probably lots of us have forgotten how to be around people (most likely me as well), so here is permission to walk away if you need space. Also a reminder that we will all react differently, so be careful to give others space if they need.
Please RSVP if you’re coming so I know whether or not we have enough people. If there’s no uptake I will cancel a couple of days before.
kate DOT towner AT gmail DOT com
Daily Happiness
Jan. 14th, 2026 09:49 pmtorachan1. We have been wanting to do a weekday trip to Universal Studios, but like Knott's, they have really limited hours during the off season and right now they close at 6pm on weekdays, which means dinner is not really doable due to traffic, so I'd suggested going for lunch today since I didn't have anything time sensitive at work until three, but the forecast was sunny and 80 degrees, so we decided to pass lol.
Instead we decided to get lunch from a place in Gardena we'd heard about recently from youtube (which Carla actually tried out herself last month and liked) and then she'd do some shopping while I went in to work. So we did that and had a delicious lunch of teriyaki chicken and beef with a Chinese chicken salad on the side, but when she semi-jokingly brought up going to Disneyland for dinner since we were already halfway there, I checked and there was availability, so we ended up doing that as well after work and had a very nice dinner down there, too. (And since the sun was down by the time we got there, the temps had gone way down.)
2. I'm getting my tattoo tomorrow! The appointment is for 2pm, so I'm going in to work in the morning and then heading over there straight from work.
3. Yet another cat getting cozy in Carla's new suitcase lol.
Instead we decided to get lunch from a place in Gardena we'd heard about recently from youtube (which Carla actually tried out herself last month and liked) and then she'd do some shopping while I went in to work. So we did that and had a delicious lunch of teriyaki chicken and beef with a Chinese chicken salad on the side, but when she semi-jokingly brought up going to Disneyland for dinner since we were already halfway there, I checked and there was availability, so we ended up doing that as well after work and had a very nice dinner down there, too. (And since the sun was down by the time we got there, the temps had gone way down.)
2. I'm getting my tattoo tomorrow! The appointment is for 2pm, so I'm going in to work in the morning and then heading over there straight from work.
3. Yet another cat getting cozy in Carla's new suitcase lol.
2026 Disneyland Trip #3 (1/14/26)
Jan. 14th, 2026 09:35 pmtorachanWe weren't planning a mid-week trip but Carla came down to Gardena with me today so we could go to lunch and she could do some shopping while I was at work, and she semi-jokingly suggested going to Disneyland for dinner afterwards, and when I checked there was full availability for both parks, so since we were already halfway there I figured why not?
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
wednesday reads and things
Jan. 14th, 2026 04:32 pmisisWhat I've recently finished reading:
The Tiger and the Wolf by Adrian Tchaikovsky, first book in the Echoes of the Fall series. This is a fantasy Bronze-Age-ish world where tribes not only identify with an animal-god, but tribal members can shapeshift into the form of that animal at will. Interestingly, people can see at a glance which animal-tribe people are part of, seeing their "soul"; each also has its own culture which seems appropriate for the associated animal, i.e. the Wolf people are pack-oriented, aggressive, dominating, while the Bear people are big and shambling and prefer their solitary caves. The story follows a teen girl, Maniye, who has two souls and therefore two forms - that of her father, the Wolf that raised her, and that of her mother, a captured Tiger - but it's more of an adult story than YA, even though it's largely a coming-of-age narrative. There are hints of dark things coming, the return of the "Plague People" who the people of this land came here to escape; these are people who have no souls, which again is something plainly visible. I liked this a lot! So I'm reading the second book now, The Bear and the Serpent.
(I should say, I really like the major Bear character, Loud Thunder, who basically wants to sit in his cave with his dogs and sometimes go out and hunt and not be bothered by, ugh, people, but unfortunately has a Destiny, and hates it. Also the major Serpent character - the Serpents in general are super interesting, sort of the wise elders of the world.)
What I'm currently watching:
We finished S1 and are now mid-S2 of The Empress. It's oddly butting up against The Leopard now as we're getting to the Italian provinces of the Austrian Empire agitating for freedom and a united Italy, even mentioned Garibaldi. I love the history of it all, the problems of an old world inexorably moving into the modern times, rulers having to face the collisions of the privilege they love and the reality of being a good leader. Also the costumes, especially the womens' gowns, are fantastic.
What I'm currently playing:
Still Ghost of Tsushima. It's so pretty! And I appreciate that there are a number of female swordsmen and archers, even if it's not strictly historically factual.
The Tiger and the Wolf by Adrian Tchaikovsky, first book in the Echoes of the Fall series. This is a fantasy Bronze-Age-ish world where tribes not only identify with an animal-god, but tribal members can shapeshift into the form of that animal at will. Interestingly, people can see at a glance which animal-tribe people are part of, seeing their "soul"; each also has its own culture which seems appropriate for the associated animal, i.e. the Wolf people are pack-oriented, aggressive, dominating, while the Bear people are big and shambling and prefer their solitary caves. The story follows a teen girl, Maniye, who has two souls and therefore two forms - that of her father, the Wolf that raised her, and that of her mother, a captured Tiger - but it's more of an adult story than YA, even though it's largely a coming-of-age narrative. There are hints of dark things coming, the return of the "Plague People" who the people of this land came here to escape; these are people who have no souls, which again is something plainly visible. I liked this a lot! So I'm reading the second book now, The Bear and the Serpent.
(I should say, I really like the major Bear character, Loud Thunder, who basically wants to sit in his cave with his dogs and sometimes go out and hunt and not be bothered by, ugh, people, but unfortunately has a Destiny, and hates it. Also the major Serpent character - the Serpents in general are super interesting, sort of the wise elders of the world.)
What I'm currently watching:
We finished S1 and are now mid-S2 of The Empress. It's oddly butting up against The Leopard now as we're getting to the Italian provinces of the Austrian Empire agitating for freedom and a united Italy, even mentioned Garibaldi. I love the history of it all, the problems of an old world inexorably moving into the modern times, rulers having to face the collisions of the privilege they love and the reality of being a good leader. Also the costumes, especially the womens' gowns, are fantastic.
What I'm currently playing:
Still Ghost of Tsushima. It's so pretty! And I appreciate that there are a number of female swordsmen and archers, even if it's not strictly historically factual.
Baldur's Gate 3: Apophis
Jan. 14th, 2026 01:18 amsettiaiFor pretty much all video games (at least TTRPGs), I typically have a minimum of three playthroughs going at any time. Baldur's Gate 3 is no exception and, while I'm trying to stay in the habit of playing at least a few times a week, I'm alternating between the playthroughs that I'm focusing on.
The main reason for the multiple playthroughs is that it helps keep me from burning out if I have several different characters who are doing different things at different points in the game. If I'm not in the mood for one particular character's story or the particular part of the plot they're dealing with, I can always switch to another.
On that note? Meet Apophis, my embrace Dark Urge.
I've got to admit, I usually stick with the more good-leaning playthroughs, but it's kinda fun to let loose with the occasional evil one. The playthrough as a whole moves a lot faster than it does when you're playing a good aligned character (and are a completionist like me) since a lot of the various side plots and such start being cut off the later you get in the game, because the characters involved are all dead. And there's some interesting cut scenes and such here and there that you'd otherwise miss, as they're only available when you're taking the evil route.
Major potential spoilers for most of the game, including discussion of some definitely evil actions.
( More under the cut. )
The main reason for the multiple playthroughs is that it helps keep me from burning out if I have several different characters who are doing different things at different points in the game. If I'm not in the mood for one particular character's story or the particular part of the plot they're dealing with, I can always switch to another.
On that note? Meet Apophis, my embrace Dark Urge.
I've got to admit, I usually stick with the more good-leaning playthroughs, but it's kinda fun to let loose with the occasional evil one. The playthrough as a whole moves a lot faster than it does when you're playing a good aligned character (and are a completionist like me) since a lot of the various side plots and such start being cut off the later you get in the game, because the characters involved are all dead. And there's some interesting cut scenes and such here and there that you'd otherwise miss, as they're only available when you're taking the evil route.
Major potential spoilers for most of the game, including discussion of some definitely evil actions.
( More under the cut. )
One of those general updates...
Jan. 13th, 2026 11:25 pmsettiaiTwo days of work down, three days to go. Let's see if I can make it through them. Preferably without strangling any coworkers. 🙃
Overall, it's going to be a busy week. I have D&D tomorrow night, as usual, but my Friday game is also supposed to start back this week after three months of not playing. I'm sure that's going to be very chaotic as everyone tries to remember how to play their characters, both mechanically and personality-wise. Especially since we kinda left off on a cliffhanger thanks to my cleric succeeding on a Divine Intervention.
In addition to that, Critical Role starts back this week after several weeks off. And I still haven't watched the last episode of 2025, because I knew it was going to be entirely combat-based. So, uh, I should probably try to do that during work tomorrow or Thursday if I want to be able to try to watch live on Thursday night.
On the fannish side of things, the first quarter of this year is surprisingly exchange-filled for me, mostly because there's a bunch of new Dragon Age exchanges cropping up that are run by people that I know. In the past, the late autumn and early winter has been the busy season, but several of those have died off the last few years (you're very missed,femslashex) so that time of the year isn't nearly as exchange heavy as it used to be for me.
Holly Poly (multifandom poly relationships) and The Platonic Ideal (Dragon Age platonic relationships) both already have assignments out, the Crow Contracts Exchange (Dragon Age Crows focused) is in the middle of nominations, Spectre Requisitions (Mass Effect rare relationships) starts nominations later this week, Pride's Solace (Dragon Age Solas focused) starts nominations later this month, and Gaatlock & Lyrium (Dragon Age dwarves and qunari focused) is supposed to be sometime in the spring.
In addition to all that, I'm trying my best to set aside at least a little time most days to play video games. It's easier to find the time some days than others, but I'm doing my best. I've learned from past experience that it's healthier for me overall to, you know, set aside some time to actually do things that I enjoy. So I'm giving it a whirl at least. Right now, I'm mainly focusing on Baldur's Gate 3, but Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting a free update in the next day or so which may see me playing a bit more of it for a while.
Speaking of health, the less said about my sleep schedule lately the better. It's very much its usual chaotic self, which is about as fun as it sounds.
Overall, it's going to be a busy week. I have D&D tomorrow night, as usual, but my Friday game is also supposed to start back this week after three months of not playing. I'm sure that's going to be very chaotic as everyone tries to remember how to play their characters, both mechanically and personality-wise. Especially since we kinda left off on a cliffhanger thanks to my cleric succeeding on a Divine Intervention.
In addition to that, Critical Role starts back this week after several weeks off. And I still haven't watched the last episode of 2025, because I knew it was going to be entirely combat-based. So, uh, I should probably try to do that during work tomorrow or Thursday if I want to be able to try to watch live on Thursday night.
On the fannish side of things, the first quarter of this year is surprisingly exchange-filled for me, mostly because there's a bunch of new Dragon Age exchanges cropping up that are run by people that I know. In the past, the late autumn and early winter has been the busy season, but several of those have died off the last few years (you're very missed,
femslashex) so that time of the year isn't nearly as exchange heavy as it used to be for me.Holly Poly (multifandom poly relationships) and The Platonic Ideal (Dragon Age platonic relationships) both already have assignments out, the Crow Contracts Exchange (Dragon Age Crows focused) is in the middle of nominations, Spectre Requisitions (Mass Effect rare relationships) starts nominations later this week, Pride's Solace (Dragon Age Solas focused) starts nominations later this month, and Gaatlock & Lyrium (Dragon Age dwarves and qunari focused) is supposed to be sometime in the spring.
In addition to all that, I'm trying my best to set aside at least a little time most days to play video games. It's easier to find the time some days than others, but I'm doing my best. I've learned from past experience that it's healthier for me overall to, you know, set aside some time to actually do things that I enjoy. So I'm giving it a whirl at least. Right now, I'm mainly focusing on Baldur's Gate 3, but Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting a free update in the next day or so which may see me playing a bit more of it for a while.
Speaking of health, the less said about my sleep schedule lately the better. It's very much its usual chaotic self, which is about as fun as it sounds.
Daily Happiness
Jan. 13th, 2026 04:49 pmtorachan1. They posted the foodie guide for lunar new year at DCA and there are so many tasty looking things this year!
2. I have a web meeting at 5pm tonight but had enough time to come home between my previous meeting and this one, so I can take it from home and not be getting home at like seven.
3. Spotted Gemma and Jasper sitting together on the sofa.
2. I have a web meeting at 5pm tonight but had enough time to come home between my previous meeting and this one, so I can take it from home and not be getting home at like seven.
3. Spotted Gemma and Jasper sitting together on the sofa.
i do hope you have a dime
Jan. 13th, 2026 05:40 pmmusesfoolI barely slept on Sunday night - maybe about 3 hours in total? - so I called out yesterday and went back to bed. I felt better but not great upon waking again after actually sleeping for another 2 hours, and spent most of the day zoned out on the couch, looking at tumblr. Last night I slept hard and today I woke up feeling much better, but ugh, sleep should not be so hard!
I know it's just January and winter but I can feel myself withdrawing and hermiting up, so if I'm late in responses to comments, that's why - it's definitely not you, it's me.
*
I know it's just January and winter but I can feel myself withdrawing and hermiting up, so if I'm late in responses to comments, that's why - it's definitely not you, it's me.
*
original fiction – drabbles
Jan. 14th, 2026 09:23 amdeird1So, I've written some drabbles. They are original fiction, for an urban fantasy setting. (And yes, I'm still writing more of them.)
I'd love it if you friendly people could have a read…
( five drabbles )
I'd love it if you friendly people could have a read…
( five drabbles )
Daily Happiness
Jan. 12th, 2026 08:06 pmtorachan1. Well, the bathroom sink did not stay unplugged for long, and after trying Drano again a couple days ago, it pretty much stopped draining altogether, so we ended up having to get a plumber out after all. But we got someone to come today (it wasn't an emergency as we could just use the kitchen sink, so didn't want to call over the weekend) and he was able to fix it very quickly and it wasn't expensive. And Carla asked him if he could take a look at the knob that switches between the shower/tub faucet, which has not been working for like a couple years, and he fixed that without charging extra, so now we can switch to the tub faucet if we want to.
2. Although the rain is gone, it's so windy that we're still getting a ton of berries coming down from the tree out front, so I took the car in for a wash again and once again there was no line, so when the guy offered to let me go through twice, I took him up on it. The car looks much better!
3. We had a meeting at work today to get approval for some expenses on the project we're working on and I was expecting it to be difficult but it was super easy!
4. Ollie has also been enjoying Carla's new suitcase.
2. Although the rain is gone, it's so windy that we're still getting a ton of berries coming down from the tree out front, so I took the car in for a wash again and once again there was no line, so when the guy offered to let me go through twice, I took him up on it. The car looks much better!
3. We had a meeting at work today to get approval for some expenses on the project we're working on and I was expecting it to be difficult but it was super easy!
4. Ollie has also been enjoying Carla's new suitcase.
Baldur's Gate 3: Taviana
Jan. 11th, 2026 11:44 pmsettiaiAges ago, I said that I was going to start making posts about my various OCs in video game playthroughs since I mainly play TTRPGs. And then, you know, I never actually did it. So, since I actually managed to spend most of yesterday and today playing Baldur's Gate 3, let's talk about the playthrough that I focused on. Minor spoilers for early Act 3 and a few very, very broad ones for Acts 1-2.
Meet Taviana.
( More under the cut. )
Meet Taviana.
( More under the cut. )
Book Tracking
Jan. 11th, 2026 10:11 pmstrinaSo 2025 was my tenth year tracking my reading (published fiction only) and so I thought a fun goal would be 500. I usually clock 200 - 400 books a year, so reasonably attainable.
I ended the year at 1005 books.
I was going through it.
(Annoyed that I didn't push it to 1010 but Heated Rivalry hit me hard and sent me straight into fic only mode lol)
I ended the year at 1005 books.
I was going through it.
(Annoyed that I didn't push it to 1010 but Heated Rivalry hit me hard and sent me straight into fic only mode lol)
Daily Happiness
Jan. 11th, 2026 05:37 pmtorachan1. We went to the Indian market today and got lunch there as well, as they also have a small restaurant (cafeteria style). Everything was so tasty!
2. I contacted someone about making an appointment for a tattoo! I figured now that I know what I want, I want to get it done sooner rather than later, so it's fully healed by the time we take our trip in April.
3. Carla got a new suitcase backpack. It's about the size of a backpack, but opens like a suitcase. I think all the cats tried it out yesterday, except maybe Molly.
2. I contacted someone about making an appointment for a tattoo! I figured now that I know what I want, I want to get it done sooner rather than later, so it's fully healed by the time we take our trip in April.
3. Carla got a new suitcase backpack. It's about the size of a backpack, but opens like a suitcase. I think all the cats tried it out yesterday, except maybe Molly.
In completely different news
Jan. 11th, 2026 10:41 pmroga...........see I made that previous post and now now I finally feel like I can make a post about normal! life! stuff! and fandom!!! this is exciting.
I will just say that I am, as one would expect, WELL on the Heated Rivalry train. After finishing the show and the main youtube-reaction-podcasts/videos, I needed more so I went ahead and read the books the show was based on, and then immediately read the other books in the series, and my MAIN loves are Ilya and Shane, my close second favorites are EVERY SINGLE OTHER SHIP IN THAT SERIES, I am so far gone my god. I'm now debating whether I need a break from hockey novels (to be clear, a break means moving on to fics), or whether I should continue to Rachel Reid's standalone hockey novels, despite the fact that her books make me, well, very distracted when I should be working, which is not ideal. I think maybe it would be smarter to hold off for the weekend.
For now, I have written zero words of HR fics but have many ideas, so if anyone has any idea of how to get writing without a yuletide deadline forcing me to, please let me know! Also: if there are any HR fic exchanges I am happy to hear about them. I'm not in any HR-dedicated discords and do not think I will stumble upon such an exchange independently.
Other than that, more fandom yays:
-The Pitt season 2 \o/
-Stranger Things final season! That one is less of a \o/ lol, but I still enjoyed watching it, criticisms and all. I love those kids.
-A Thousand Blows is back for the second half of its season! I haven't watched it yet but I loved the first half and can't wait for more.
-New Josh Charles show aka Best Medicine! Okay, it's not great yet, but I'm giving it a chance.
-Avengers Doomsday trailers! I have them but I love them ugh Marvel are truly assholes for doing this to me.
-Over on AO3, spqr has been posting Masters of the Air fics which have been so great they have sucked me right into that fandom.
-(Interspersed, of course, by HR fics, naturally)
And on the local theater front: I went to the new production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle yesterday, at Habima theater. Other than being one of my favorite plays, and absolutely timeless in message, it was such a gorgeous production. Beautiful set design, including a constantly shifting backdrop of sand art that was sculpted live by the actors on stage; beautiful compositions and singing; great acting, and a great translation. It was maybe a little more immersive than Brecht would have liked, but sorry dude, if you don't want me getting emotionally invested in your characters you should have stopped writing emotionally investing stories!)
I couldn't find a trailer for the production, but if you have any interest in what it looked like, there are snippets of the stage and cast here.
I will just say that I am, as one would expect, WELL on the Heated Rivalry train. After finishing the show and the main youtube-reaction-podcasts/videos, I needed more so I went ahead and read the books the show was based on, and then immediately read the other books in the series, and my MAIN loves are Ilya and Shane, my close second favorites are EVERY SINGLE OTHER SHIP IN THAT SERIES, I am so far gone my god. I'm now debating whether I need a break from hockey novels (to be clear, a break means moving on to fics), or whether I should continue to Rachel Reid's standalone hockey novels, despite the fact that her books make me, well, very distracted when I should be working, which is not ideal. I think maybe it would be smarter to hold off for the weekend.
For now, I have written zero words of HR fics but have many ideas, so if anyone has any idea of how to get writing without a yuletide deadline forcing me to, please let me know! Also: if there are any HR fic exchanges I am happy to hear about them. I'm not in any HR-dedicated discords and do not think I will stumble upon such an exchange independently.
Other than that, more fandom yays:
-The Pitt season 2 \o/
-Stranger Things final season! That one is less of a \o/ lol, but I still enjoyed watching it, criticisms and all. I love those kids.
-A Thousand Blows is back for the second half of its season! I haven't watched it yet but I loved the first half and can't wait for more.
-New Josh Charles show aka Best Medicine! Okay, it's not great yet, but I'm giving it a chance.
-Avengers Doomsday trailers! I have them but I love them ugh Marvel are truly assholes for doing this to me.
-Over on AO3, spqr has been posting Masters of the Air fics which have been so great they have sucked me right into that fandom.
-(Interspersed, of course, by HR fics, naturally)
And on the local theater front: I went to the new production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle yesterday, at Habima theater. Other than being one of my favorite plays, and absolutely timeless in message, it was such a gorgeous production. Beautiful set design, including a constantly shifting backdrop of sand art that was sculpted live by the actors on stage; beautiful compositions and singing; great acting, and a great translation. It was maybe a little more immersive than Brecht would have liked, but sorry dude, if you don't want me getting emotionally invested in your characters you should have stopped writing emotionally investing stories!)
I couldn't find a trailer for the production, but if you have any interest in what it looked like, there are snippets of the stage and cast here.
Six o'clock after the war
Jan. 11th, 2026 09:08 pmrogaI wrote this on the week of October 13th – maybe one or two days later – and never finished the post, so never posted the post, and here I am stuck in this limbo of how do you post about anything when I still haven’t addressed That. So I will just was that now and take it from there.
( flashback to October musings )
( flashback to October musings )
the step in my groove, yeah
Jan. 11th, 2026 12:40 pmmusesfoolI've got French onion soup simmering away in the slow cooker (I sliced almost 3 lbs of onions last night and my eyes - even with the stupid onion goggles - were not happy with me) and I just took a pan of baked oatmeal out of the oven to be breakfast for the week. I was waffling between the oatmeal and another batch of orange cranberry scones, but the oatmeal won out because it used up a bunch of stuff - the dregs of both a bottle of honey and a bottle of maple syrup; the last 2 eggs in the carton (I still have a carton of eggs in the fridge, but now just the amount a normal person would have); the rest of a bag of frozen strawberries; the rest of a bag of chocolate chips; what was left in the bottom of the jar of cinnamon; and what was left in the container of rolled oats (exactly 3 cups - exactly as much as needed for the recipe). I still have cranberries in the freezer, though, so orange cranberry scones are probably still in my future.
Now I'm trying to decide if I want to make a loaf of bread to go with the soup. I originally bought a small loaf with my groceries on Friday, but then ate it as cheesy garlic bread for a couple of meals. *hands* The heart wants what it wants, and in this case, my heart wanted cheesy garlic bread.
Since the slow cooker is working, I can't use the KitchenAid (it is blocked in by the InstantPot), so I want a no knead kind of bread, but also one that is only going to take 2-3 hours, nothing that needs an overnight rise. I think I might end up making the old, reliable peasant bread (halved to only make 1 loaf). It's easy and fast (for bread), and doesn't require a stand mixer.
Hmm...
*
Now I'm trying to decide if I want to make a loaf of bread to go with the soup. I originally bought a small loaf with my groceries on Friday, but then ate it as cheesy garlic bread for a couple of meals. *hands* The heart wants what it wants, and in this case, my heart wanted cheesy garlic bread.
Since the slow cooker is working, I can't use the KitchenAid (it is blocked in by the InstantPot), so I want a no knead kind of bread, but also one that is only going to take 2-3 hours, nothing that needs an overnight rise. I think I might end up making the old, reliable peasant bread (halved to only make 1 loaf). It's easy and fast (for bread), and doesn't require a stand mixer.
Hmm...
*
Snowflake #4: A Rec!
Jan. 11th, 2026 07:55 amtassosssChallenge #4: Rec The Contents Of Your Last Page
Any website that you like, be it fanfiction, art, social media, or something a bit more eccentric!
A Rec! This is my favorite long Shetland TV fic that I read in 2025. I could read a hundred fics like this.
Wait along (48545 words) by aurorlaura
Chapters: 17/17
Fandom: Shetland (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Duncan Hunter/Jimmy Perez
Characters: Jimmy Perez, Duncan Hunter, Alison McIntosh, Sandy Wilson, Rhona Kelly, Original Characters, Billy McCabe, Alan Killick, Original Dog Character(s), Cassie Perez, James Perez, Mary Perez, Isobel Tulloch, Donnie Tulloch
Additional Tags: Post-Season/Series 05 Finale, Scotland, Case Fic, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Pre-Season/Series 06
Summary:
Any website that you like, be it fanfiction, art, social media, or something a bit more eccentric!
A Rec! This is my favorite long Shetland TV fic that I read in 2025. I could read a hundred fics like this.
Wait along (48545 words) by aurorlaura
Chapters: 17/17
Fandom: Shetland (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Duncan Hunter/Jimmy Perez
Characters: Jimmy Perez, Duncan Hunter, Alison McIntosh, Sandy Wilson, Rhona Kelly, Original Characters, Billy McCabe, Alan Killick, Original Dog Character(s), Cassie Perez, James Perez, Mary Perez, Isobel Tulloch, Donnie Tulloch
Additional Tags: Post-Season/Series 05 Finale, Scotland, Case Fic, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Pre-Season/Series 06
Summary:
Jimmy Perez investigates a series of homophobic attacks while sorting out his and Duncan's co-existence. Various original characters pass through including a hound and some otters. There's some light day hiking, Lerwick Tesco, hints at alcohol problems, a bit of Alice Brooks, visits to Fair Isle and to The Lounge, and the return to Shetland of both Cassie and her half brother. Sandy's let off and Rhona's a hero. Tosh is dependable.
Why I liked it: Its one of the few longer Jimmy/Duncan fics, and it's well written, and hits the getting together while solving a case beats like a pro. It captures what I love about the characters from the show, Jimmy and Duncan's friendship, and lets it turn into something more without letting either of them drift out of characters. It's just a great story all around.Daily Happiness
Jan. 10th, 2026 08:15 pmtorachan1. As usual, the dry, windy weather is bringing warmer temps, but thankfully it's not getting super hot. High 70s, which is not the weather I want in January, but seems like it'll just be a few days. And it's still very chilly at night.
2. We had a nice morning at Disneyland. They've got a bunch of new menu items that started earlier this week and everything we tried was delicious. And we brought home a chocolate caramel apple to have for dessert, which we haven't done in a while.
3. Tuxie's new favorite spot is under the grill.
2. We had a nice morning at Disneyland. They've got a bunch of new menu items that started earlier this week and everything we tried was delicious. And we brought home a chocolate caramel apple to have for dessert, which we haven't done in a while.
3. Tuxie's new favorite spot is under the grill.
2026 Disneyland Trip #2 (1/10/26)
Jan. 10th, 2026 04:19 pmtorachanWe got down to the park right when they opened, so the crowds were very low. Unfortunately they recently reduced the number of restaurants that open when the park does, so we had time to kill before breakfast (even though we were both very hungry).
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Vid rec: Around the Bend by danegen
Jan. 10th, 2026 08:15 pmcesyhttps://fanlore.org/wiki/Around_the_Bend
I love this vid, I remember it well, I saved it and rewatched it when I needed a mood boost, I even saved the song after hearing it for the first time from this vid.
And I'm posting here to have the memory published and quotable for Fanlore. Did any of you see it when it first came out?
I love this vid, I remember it well, I saved it and rewatched it when I needed a mood boost, I even saved the song after hearing it for the first time from this vid.
And I'm posting here to have the memory published and quotable for Fanlore. Did any of you see it when it first came out?
reading journal
Jan. 10th, 2026 02:17 pmsixbeforelunch posting in journalsandplannersI'm back.
As part of spending a chunk of last year reconsidering how I use technology and shifting parts of my life back to analog, I decided to start a paper reading journal. Figured I'd show it off here in case anyone is interested.
( Image-heavy )
As part of spending a chunk of last year reconsidering how I use technology and shifting parts of my life back to analog, I decided to start a paper reading journal. Figured I'd show it off here in case anyone is interested.
( Image-heavy )
Video Games
Jan. 10th, 2026 12:34 amsettiaiOkay, I'm going to spend all day tomorrow playing video games if it kills me. My plans to set aside time for gaming over the holiday break never actually happened, and with everything going on in the world right now it will do me good to just get offline for a day and spend it wandering Faerûn or Thedas or the Andromeda galaxy.
I'm not sure yet which game I'll focus on, but it's definitely going to be Baldur's Gate 3, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, or Mass Effect: Andromeda because I have ongoing playthroughs in all of them that have been gathering dust for too long.
I'm not sure yet which game I'll focus on, but it's definitely going to be Baldur's Gate 3, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, or Mass Effect: Andromeda because I have ongoing playthroughs in all of them that have been gathering dust for too long.
Daily Happiness
Jan. 9th, 2026 08:54 pmtorachan1. It's the weekend! I am continuing to feel fairly optimistic about the upcoming February deadline at work, so hopefully that won't change. There's enough other stress going on outside of work.
2. Chloe doesn't really like any of the other cats but Molly, though her tolerance level for the others varies. She is the least tolerant of Jasper, though, so it was so nice to see her, Molly, and Jasper all on the bed together! And it happened two days in a row, too!
2. Chloe doesn't really like any of the other cats but Molly, though her tolerance level for the others varies. She is the least tolerant of Jasper, though, so it was so nice to see her, Molly, and Jasper all on the bed together! And it happened two days in a row, too!
Weekly Reading
Jan. 9th, 2026 08:12 pmtorachanRecently Finished
Hummingbird Salamander
A woman is given a mysterious taxidermied hummingbird and a mysterious note and throws her entire life away trying to find out why. I did not like this much at all, but I think I would have liked it better if I hadn't been listening to the audiobook. The narrator was lovely, no problem with her. But the writing style was reeeeeeeeally annoying to listen to. I've read Annihilation and the two original sequels (haven't read the recent one yet) and don't remember if it was like this in those and I just vibed with it better because I can skim or if he changed his style up a bit, but it's super annoying here. The narration is also very rambling and goes over and over the same things so many times, which also gets annoying to listen to, but would have been easier to deal with when reading. But that wasn't the only issue as the story itself also felt very weak to me. The final reveal at the end was interesting, but the rest was just pretty boring. Also the constant focus on the protagonist's size felt weird. She is stated to be six foot and 230 pounds, which is large for a woman, but not so out of the ordinary yet it's treated as if she's the hulk or something, and constantly commented on by herself and others.
My Name Is Leon
London, 1981. Leon is a half-Black nine year old boy whose mom has a breakdown and when he and his baby brother are put in foster care, his brother, who is white, is quickly adopted, leaving him all alone. I really liked this a lot.
Tsumetakute Yawaraka vol. 6
Hen na Ie vol. 6
This is the first volume in the sequel series. So far I am enjoying it a lot! Curious to see if it will be as wild as the first one (knowing the author, I'm sure it will).
Ore Monogatari vol. 14
I had no idea there was a new volume out! Well, new is relative, as it came out in 2024, but the original series ended in 2016. This collects some bonus chapters of them in college.
My Home Hero vol. 25-26
Finally finished this. The ending was satisfying and overall I enjoyed the series a lot.
Hummingbird Salamander
A woman is given a mysterious taxidermied hummingbird and a mysterious note and throws her entire life away trying to find out why. I did not like this much at all, but I think I would have liked it better if I hadn't been listening to the audiobook. The narrator was lovely, no problem with her. But the writing style was reeeeeeeeally annoying to listen to. I've read Annihilation and the two original sequels (haven't read the recent one yet) and don't remember if it was like this in those and I just vibed with it better because I can skim or if he changed his style up a bit, but it's super annoying here. The narration is also very rambling and goes over and over the same things so many times, which also gets annoying to listen to, but would have been easier to deal with when reading. But that wasn't the only issue as the story itself also felt very weak to me. The final reveal at the end was interesting, but the rest was just pretty boring. Also the constant focus on the protagonist's size felt weird. She is stated to be six foot and 230 pounds, which is large for a woman, but not so out of the ordinary yet it's treated as if she's the hulk or something, and constantly commented on by herself and others.
My Name Is Leon
London, 1981. Leon is a half-Black nine year old boy whose mom has a breakdown and when he and his baby brother are put in foster care, his brother, who is white, is quickly adopted, leaving him all alone. I really liked this a lot.
Tsumetakute Yawaraka vol. 6
Hen na Ie vol. 6
This is the first volume in the sequel series. So far I am enjoying it a lot! Curious to see if it will be as wild as the first one (knowing the author, I'm sure it will).
Ore Monogatari vol. 14
I had no idea there was a new volume out! Well, new is relative, as it came out in 2024, but the original series ended in 2016. This collects some bonus chapters of them in college.
My Home Hero vol. 25-26
Finally finished this. The ending was satisfying and overall I enjoyed the series a lot.
Daily Happiness
Jan. 8th, 2026 08:35 pmtorachan1. We recreated the delicious pineapple & ham tater tots from Knott's Berry Farm at home and they turned out really good! Not exactly like the ones we had at the park but considering it was a Christmas thing, we won't be getting it again for a while and it was super easy to make at home.
2. The Christmas tree is all down and boxed up, all decorations are boxed up, just a few more lego sets to take apart and then everything will be done. Sad to put everything away, but I am glad we can decorate again now that we have a cat-free space.
3. It is very chilly and windy today. I like having wintery weather that doesn't involve rain.
4. Chloe enjoyed the sunny window this morning. Cats are glad the rain's done, too!
2. The Christmas tree is all down and boxed up, all decorations are boxed up, just a few more lego sets to take apart and then everything will be done. Sad to put everything away, but I am glad we can decorate again now that we have a cat-free space.
3. It is very chilly and windy today. I like having wintery weather that doesn't involve rain.
4. Chloe enjoyed the sunny window this morning. Cats are glad the rain's done, too!