I've missed my computer.
Mar. 10th, 2026 12:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ritalovett
I had unhooked my computer for about a month to try and go through an internet detox. It didn't really work, I just ended up skyrocketing my screen time on my phone instead. Last night, I finally hooked it back up. And it's honestly such a huge relief because, damn, I have missed typing on an actual keyboard. You can only go so long typing on a phone screen without fucking something up.
Do you know the saying "the internet used to be a place"? It's often referring to the time when the internet was designated to a single computer in a designated room in the house or a library terminal. I think the first time I ever used the internet was probably in 2008, when I was in the first or second grade. I'd always have to ask for permission to use the family's computer because my parents always reiterated what a dangerous place it was and how important it was that I never trust anyone or give my personal info online. And that's something I had instilled into me because I don't even use my real name online (no, Rita is not my real name).
But every time I would log onto the Wi-Fi, it always felt like an adventure. It started out with just watching my favourite music videos on YouTube (I remember getting scolded for singing along to a song with a cuss word. Actually, I remember the exact song: it was Bitch by Meredith Brooks). And then my dad introduced me to online games like Poptropica, and then I found all these other games to play online; FreeRealms, Build-A-Bearville… I played Clone Wars Adventures a lot when I was going through my Star Wars phase. And so many of them do not exist any more, which is such a shame because it was such a fun era for kids to just play online, treating these safe websites like a playground, and now you have eight-year-olds doing skin care routines on TikTok when they don't need that shit. There's no place for kids to be kids any more.
But it made me remember how excited I would get when being allowed to play on the family computer. And when we couldn't afford internet, I would just type up stories on the WordPad or pretend that I was writing up my own blog.
And when I remembered that the internet used to be a place that I would visit, I realized that by using my phone all the time, it felt like I was just living there. It became less like a fun trip to the mall and more like an abusive relationship you felt guilty for walking out on.
And while technology has certainly changed a lot, I can still reclaim that feeling. I have got rid of all the social media accounts that caused me a lot of stress and dread (IG, Facebook, Tumblr, Reddit, etc.), and I downloaded an app that allowed me to organize my phone to make it as close to a dumb phone as possible. Detox mode has blocked the browser and every app except for the bare necessities (phone, texts, camera/photos, music, notes, and map). And when I sit down at my computer, I no longer feel a sense of dread every time I open the browser. Because I am no longer keeping it in my pocket, it feels like I can use what little time I have on here to do something productive.
And honestly, it feels good to view the internet as a place. Like, the one place I can let loose and be myself.
Now that I have access to a proper keyboard, I will be doing a lot of writing again. I have a lot of Jimbert prompts listed out that I want to try making fics out of (mostly fluff). Ever since I have left Tumblr, I have felt a lot more comfortable about exploring this as a fictional pairing. Because the Tumblr fanbase was insufferable to say the least (there was a very aggressive portion of the fanbase that did NOT believe that the pairing was fictional and called anyone who disagreed homophobic). It actually turned me off from shipping bandmates all together (and this is coming from someone who wrote fanfic shipping the guitarists of Iron Maiden together before I got into Zeppelin). Like, my Dave/Janick series that I had planned on making into a trilogy has been on hold for the past three years, that's how much my perspective changed while I was in that fandom. So getting away from that toxic environment and muting all the annoying people on AO3 definitely helped. But the main thing that made me want to start exploring this ship was reading From Eroica With Love; which if you know what that is, it is high key Led Zeppelin RPF.
It just feels so good to finally associate the internet with freedom again.
Like, when I am sitting at this computer desk, I can be whoever I want to be. I have a social life and friends. I have deeply missed this, and it makes me wonder why I left in the first place.
Took a day off
Mar. 9th, 2026 08:57 pmcornerofmadnessJust did laundry and finished my short story, steampunk 'day at the races' as a try for something in Louisville. Is it my best work? no. Will I have tons of competition? Some but who knows. Could use eyes on it.
I'm mostly here to do Music Monday and Women's history. Yes I missed saying something International Women's Day (I was beat) so today have the woman who started off my sabbatical research, someone I met in college and carried her story with me all these years Elizabeth Blackwell
As for music Monday, on the drive here the last radio station I go to (the one I listen to in this area) was having an International Women's Day fest by playing women artists (and mentioning iheartradio's women's history station) and in the next 1 1/2 hours they played 3 songs by women. 3...
So we can do better. THis monday I 'm taking a break from the list and let's just share songs written by, performed by women (however you care to define it)
( Women of Song )
I'm mostly here to do Music Monday and Women's history. Yes I missed saying something International Women's Day (I was beat) so today have the woman who started off my sabbatical research, someone I met in college and carried her story with me all these years Elizabeth Blackwell
As for music Monday, on the drive here the last radio station I go to (the one I listen to in this area) was having an International Women's Day fest by playing women artists (and mentioning iheartradio's women's history station) and in the next 1 1/2 hours they played 3 songs by women. 3...
So we can do better. THis monday I 'm taking a break from the list and let's just share songs written by, performed by women (however you care to define it)
( Women of Song )
(no subject)
Mar. 9th, 2026 03:38 pmgreghousesgfHad some Assam tea. For the past few days I've had this pain in my side that's really bothering me, I made a doctor's appointment for tomorrow. I just hope whatever it is isn't something that is going to fuck up things to the degree that the business with my leg has. Walking and carrying things is just so fucking hard now. I had to do laundry, take out the garbage and go to the drugstore and pick up only a few things at the grocery and it wipes me out, and getting lots of groceries messes me up even more.
Writerly Ways
Mar. 8th, 2026 08:22 pmcornerofmadnessMade it to PA. Forgot my damn onion sets for the parents. Guess I'll be growing onions... And I didn't even bid at ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomtrumpshate didn't realize it was that fast and I'm slightly salty about that. We didn't even get half a weekend to deal with this. Yes there were other days but jobs are a thing and so is time. Oh well. Oddly I don't really care that much. I can whip my money to charities on my own and there is always next year. Hope all my friends who DID manage to manage their time better than me got good requests and got the ones you were bidding on.
I have no thoughts for the writing side of things but I do have Ezio's character sheet done. Been noodling it (and letting it show me where the world building needs to happen) Ezio wasn't meant to be a central character but at this point I see 2 overarching story arcs and his is one. We meet him almost immediately after one of his dancers is murdered. I'd love opinions on this if you have time.
( Meet Ezio Zucca )
Open Calls
The Best Noir Sci-Fi-Horror of 2026 Mixing speculative fiction and police or military stories
The Gren-Wode Stories based in the world and legends of Robin Hood
Savagery on the Salty Seas, Volume 1. Maritime-themed horror has a high word count
Solar Punk Magazine April 2026 Window Works that stir readers with themes of defiance, change, and achievement
Otherside April 2026 Window Speculative fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by self-identified members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community
Stone’s Throw April 2026 Window SCHOOLS OUT (FOREVER)
Ten Manuscript Publishers Open to Submissions in March 2026
45 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for March 2026
From Around the web
The Official Manuscript Wish List Website a wishlist from agents
Putting in the Work (from the woman who runs that author zoom I go to)
The Opening Mystery: Creating Curiosity before the Inciting Incident
Keep the audience engaged as you keep secrets.
Five Quick Ways to Level Up Your Manuscript
How to Write a Gripping Psychological Thriller
Embodied Writing: How to Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Story
How to Get and Keep Amazon Reviews Without Getting Banned
Goals, Conflicts, & Stakes: Why Plots Need All Three
Authors Guild Expands “Human Authored” Certification Program to All U.S. Authors
3 Common Mistakes Committed by Self-Published Novelists
nothing from Betty this week. I wasn't the only one with a con this weekend.
fandomtrumpshate didn't realize it was that fast and I'm slightly salty about that. We didn't even get half a weekend to deal with this. Yes there were other days but jobs are a thing and so is time. Oh well. Oddly I don't really care that much. I can whip my money to charities on my own and there is always next year. Hope all my friends who DID manage to manage their time better than me got good requests and got the ones you were bidding on.I have no thoughts for the writing side of things but I do have Ezio's character sheet done. Been noodling it (and letting it show me where the world building needs to happen) Ezio wasn't meant to be a central character but at this point I see 2 overarching story arcs and his is one. We meet him almost immediately after one of his dancers is murdered. I'd love opinions on this if you have time.
( Meet Ezio Zucca )
Open Calls
The Best Noir Sci-Fi-Horror of 2026 Mixing speculative fiction and police or military stories
The Gren-Wode Stories based in the world and legends of Robin Hood
Savagery on the Salty Seas, Volume 1. Maritime-themed horror has a high word count
Solar Punk Magazine April 2026 Window Works that stir readers with themes of defiance, change, and achievement
Otherside April 2026 Window Speculative fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by self-identified members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community
Stone’s Throw April 2026 Window SCHOOLS OUT (FOREVER)
Ten Manuscript Publishers Open to Submissions in March 2026
45 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for March 2026
From Around the web
The Official Manuscript Wish List Website a wishlist from agents
Putting in the Work (from the woman who runs that author zoom I go to)
The Opening Mystery: Creating Curiosity before the Inciting Incident
Keep the audience engaged as you keep secrets.
Five Quick Ways to Level Up Your Manuscript
How to Write a Gripping Psychological Thriller
Embodied Writing: How to Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Story
How to Get and Keep Amazon Reviews Without Getting Banned
Goals, Conflicts, & Stakes: Why Plots Need All Three
Authors Guild Expands “Human Authored” Certification Program to All U.S. Authors
3 Common Mistakes Committed by Self-Published Novelists
nothing from Betty this week. I wasn't the only one with a con this weekend.
(no subject)
Mar. 8th, 2026 07:06 pmgreghousesgfHad an interesting and fun weekend. Two of my neighbors I like showed up to the apt bldg party, I hung out at some friends' new house Saturday and another friend of mine and I went to my favorite hero sandwich place for lunch and then went to the Japanese tea garden.
Seven Days, Seven Covers: Day One: 2026
Mar. 8th, 2026 08:38 pmstonepicnicking_okapiThis is my seventh year doing this challenge! Every day for seven days I will post a photo of a book. The rules, should you wish to participate, are that the book must be a physical book you own (no library books or borrowed books or ebooks) and the post has no caption but feel free to talk about the book in the comments. Here's the first.
🌙
Mar. 8th, 2026 08:45 pmadoreI was having A Week. Wondering whether I had relapsed into depression or was just PMSing. Which wasn't clear because although I'd had my moontime on the 20th in Jan, I again had a mild version on the 9th in Feb. Every day my thoughts were a cycle of haha, I hate my childhood and my family and the world, my finances are tight and my future is bleak, but I'm taking my Vitamin D supplements so maybe I need to start taking Magnesium? 
My inbox reached three digits, so instead of trying to get on top of things that way I think I'm going to go to the comments on my old entries to catch up on replying to friends. I'm sorry if I haven't responded to your comments yet! I'm getting to them. And I like leaving comments and responding to comments so I don't even know how I ended up on the over side of whelmed.
I finished watching Undercover Miss Hong and it stuck the landing! I really enjoyed it, I love the heroine and her friends, and I foresee a drama slump now because I don't know what to watch next that I'll enjoy as much. If you have any recs throw 'em my way; I've burned out on romance dramas so I'm looking for friendship-focused ones like this one.
My inbox reached three digits, so instead of trying to get on top of things that way I think I'm going to go to the comments on my old entries to catch up on replying to friends. I'm sorry if I haven't responded to your comments yet! I'm getting to them. And I like leaving comments and responding to comments so I don't even know how I ended up on the over side of whelmed.
I finished watching Undercover Miss Hong and it stuck the landing! I really enjoyed it, I love the heroine and her friends, and I foresee a drama slump now because I don't know what to watch next that I'll enjoy as much. If you have any recs throw 'em my way; I've burned out on romance dramas so I'm looking for friendship-focused ones like this one.
Froggie
Mar. 7th, 2026 11:27 pmcornerofmadnessMy day started off perfectly with a massive charlie horse in my bad leg about 20 minutes before the alarm. The sartorius and the rectus femoris from the feel of it and it lasted about 15 minutes. I get them sometimes like that in the bad leg. It has ached like a toothache all day, which is exactly what you want when you'll be standing a chunk of the day and otherwise driving around.
Stuffed down the same boring free breakfast every hotel serves and head out. It started at 930. I got there 950 and got one of the last parking spots. Let me say this geeky stuff is so hot now. In the last five years, at least in my area, either you get there when the door opens or you might as well stay home. The line was insane and they said if you don't have a ticket come over to this door...one with no line. None of us moved. Surely that couldn't be right. They called us over again and this time I ran. We, the unprepared, got in WAY faster than those with tickets. ha.
You could barely move inside the place it was THAT crowded. There were five rows of vendors and then some all around this conference center. It was impressive as hell. I attended all the talks well most of them. It was bizarre, the whole day.
So James Willis (google Weird Willis) did two talks. I've mentioned him before. He comes to my library often. The first one was delayed a half hour because of the line to get in. It was all about the Loveland Frogman and chasing down the legend and where parts of it came from. His second talk was disrupted by the fire alarm. So out we all go. Turns out the dancers' dance routine had a fog machine. The detection system did not like this. So now I'm outside in the rain. Fun. When we got back in he continued the talk about various weird things.
I learned something from that talk the New Straitsville Mine Fire It predates the Centralia fire and is still burning and moonshiners used it to hide the evidence of the stills working because of the smoke. I'm like yep there's a story in this for me. They have a moonshine festival but it's memorial day weekend and I'm never around then.
Other talks included repitalian cryptids and all the weird crap in Wisconsin. I didn't know the stories about Lake Superior. I never could afford to go there when I lived in WI.
And the last one on Filipino aswang creatures but the tech kept failing which was a shame because he was a comic book artist who had illustrated his whole talk.
There were too many vendors to keep track of. I got some over priced coffee/tea and jewelry I don't need but wanted. Overpaid (by far) on a Squonk tote but a) like an idiot I forgot mine b) it was too damn cute.
I was super excited to find out that the Cinicinnati Shakespeare company is doing pericles as a space opera next month. I want to go. I could have gotten 50% o ff but forgot to scan the code. eh probably would have to have bought them immediately and I can't do that. I have other things going on so I need to check the calendar but I need to see this.
I came home right past the hotel I was at so I pulled off to find food and didn't want to drive down to that same strip mall. I opted to Taziki right across the hotel so I could jump right back on 71. Wrong choice. It was like the greek version of Chipolte. Passable but disappointing. Instead of the shaved gyro meat it was strips of lamb chunks, woefully underseasoned and tough.
Had to stop at the truck stop I usually do coming back from the renn fest. (there is only ONE rest stop in the entire 100 mile trip and that's 10 miles outside of Jackson. super helpful. The diner that looked like it was out of a 70's montegomery wards is now an IHOP (had I known I could have eaten there) and I fuel up on coffee at the truck stop which was...free? Really? I scampered off. I got lucky, the rain was only there for the last 10 miles of the trip.
Over all a nice day.
( here are some pictures )
Stuffed down the same boring free breakfast every hotel serves and head out. It started at 930. I got there 950 and got one of the last parking spots. Let me say this geeky stuff is so hot now. In the last five years, at least in my area, either you get there when the door opens or you might as well stay home. The line was insane and they said if you don't have a ticket come over to this door...one with no line. None of us moved. Surely that couldn't be right. They called us over again and this time I ran. We, the unprepared, got in WAY faster than those with tickets. ha.
You could barely move inside the place it was THAT crowded. There were five rows of vendors and then some all around this conference center. It was impressive as hell. I attended all the talks well most of them. It was bizarre, the whole day.
So James Willis (google Weird Willis) did two talks. I've mentioned him before. He comes to my library often. The first one was delayed a half hour because of the line to get in. It was all about the Loveland Frogman and chasing down the legend and where parts of it came from. His second talk was disrupted by the fire alarm. So out we all go. Turns out the dancers' dance routine had a fog machine. The detection system did not like this. So now I'm outside in the rain. Fun. When we got back in he continued the talk about various weird things.
I learned something from that talk the New Straitsville Mine Fire It predates the Centralia fire and is still burning and moonshiners used it to hide the evidence of the stills working because of the smoke. I'm like yep there's a story in this for me. They have a moonshine festival but it's memorial day weekend and I'm never around then.
Other talks included repitalian cryptids and all the weird crap in Wisconsin. I didn't know the stories about Lake Superior. I never could afford to go there when I lived in WI.
And the last one on Filipino aswang creatures but the tech kept failing which was a shame because he was a comic book artist who had illustrated his whole talk.
There were too many vendors to keep track of. I got some over priced coffee/tea and jewelry I don't need but wanted. Overpaid (by far) on a Squonk tote but a) like an idiot I forgot mine b) it was too damn cute.
I was super excited to find out that the Cinicinnati Shakespeare company is doing pericles as a space opera next month. I want to go. I could have gotten 50% o ff but forgot to scan the code. eh probably would have to have bought them immediately and I can't do that. I have other things going on so I need to check the calendar but I need to see this.
I came home right past the hotel I was at so I pulled off to find food and didn't want to drive down to that same strip mall. I opted to Taziki right across the hotel so I could jump right back on 71. Wrong choice. It was like the greek version of Chipolte. Passable but disappointing. Instead of the shaved gyro meat it was strips of lamb chunks, woefully underseasoned and tough.
Had to stop at the truck stop I usually do coming back from the renn fest. (there is only ONE rest stop in the entire 100 mile trip and that's 10 miles outside of Jackson. super helpful. The diner that looked like it was out of a 70's montegomery wards is now an IHOP (had I known I could have eaten there) and I fuel up on coffee at the truck stop which was...free? Really? I scampered off. I got lucky, the rain was only there for the last 10 miles of the trip.
Over all a nice day.
( here are some pictures )
Collage Journaling: Monet
Mar. 7th, 2026 03:38 pmstonepicnicking_okapiI didn't have time to collage this week so this afternoon I did a card for a lady in my meditation circle.
(no subject)
Mar. 6th, 2026 11:29 pmritalovettI spent so much money on my PS5, saving up for ages before finally being able to buy it in late 2022. And every single time I've played it, I have gotten so nauseous. I used to only get this way when I played FPS games, but now it's any time I attempt to play games on my TV! This irks me because it's such a good console and there's so many games I want to get back into playing.
I don't think the gods wanted me to go to this festival
Mar. 6th, 2026 10:31 pmcornerofmadnessThe day started with a nightmare. I dreamed I was in my dad's workshop in his basement screaming at him that no one liked him and he was crying. Mom was yelling at me why did you do this and I said he was hitting my SiL and I lost it (to be clear he would never do that).
I go to work shocked everyone actually showed up except a few trapped by flooding (ah spring). It was going well...and then I got two emails (I wasn't even going to look at them but I needed to get any late submissions of work due today) about more cheating. And it IS more, in a different class. One has only heard about the girls bragging about it and doesn't want in trouble and the other came to speak to me since she was on campus and she said the same thing they're bragging about it. She doesn't know the student's name but from her description I know exactly who it is (another athlete)
Since I didn't catch them and there's no proof, I can't kick it up the chain. I DID tell the dean and I plan on talking to the heads of their departments to get some help. Not saying a word to them, just making them all put their phones in a box. They get them back at the end of the exam. No warning. Let's see what happens then. And other one hasn't been to lab...ever. Just has excuses and asks to make them up. Guess that's going away.
So now I'm an hour late getting home. Then the GI track says yeah you ain't leaving the bathroom. Once that fit was pitched I started getting ready and my sugar crashes out. Eye roll. Rocket tried to get in the bedroom and hide. FINALLY I'm out of the house. It's now after 230 and I haven't had lunch.
I have to go to Jackson to get a book from the library before it's sent back so I'll go to Sonic's. Get there. It's 240 and there are NINE cars in line. I nope out, stop for KFC and then go to Tim Horton's, the new one and this is the third time the guys on the window can't figure out a drink order (caramel machiatto, it's your standard fing menu) so I might be done with this place.
In the mean time the gas station's are changing their prices by 50 cents so I get my library book, race back across town to where they haven't got that message yet. Off I go. It's now 3 pm. I was supposed to BE here by now.
Luckily it was an easy drive and this Best Western has been recently redone. It's nice, clean...and the bathroom is an afterthought. You come in the door and immediately is a curtain pretending an alcove is the closet (at least there's a half dozen hangers not that I need them for 1 day) and the bathroom is SO small the toilet and tub nearly touch and the sink is in another part of the room outside the bathroom door.... BUT it has a fridge and microwave which the last two expensive hotels I've stayed at did not manage to have.
Everyone and their grandma is in the pool. Glad I didn't plan on that but this place is...well let's just say I love living in the country but I DO miss having options. I had researched, as I always do, best places to eat and planned to go to Dolsot Bistro as there is NO Korean food within 60 miles of me. I get to the strip mall and in it side by side is Korean, Chinese, Boba place, Indian place, juice joint and Phoenican/middle east food and a huge stand alone Mexican place. WOW. AND in the 2 miles from my hotel to hear it was nothing but food and strip malls including three other Korean places and a Greek place right across the street.
I got some goonmandu (fried dumplings that were amazing) and tofu doenjang dolsot (fine cut tofu, basically a sweetish red miso, veggies and a lightly fried egg on the rice. man crispy rice is a different, tastier experience (yes I'm not meant to have rice but...this is once in like 2 years for me as far as Korean food goes). Also they had a sliver of their pancakes on the kimchi tray and man I wish that app wasn't the price of dinner or I'd gotten that. It was amazing.
In theory I get breakfast free here and they have the daily specials written out. Every day is the same thing....ha. If it sucks we share a parking lot with the Waffle House.
And if something goes sideways with the festival I'll just drop down to Cincinnati and do fun stuff.
I did write something.
Title: She’s on the Ball
<
Summary: Angel has lost track of his belongings. At least Niffty knows what’s going on.
Rating: teen
Notes:Written for the allbingo prompt of scrapbooking and forspikesgirl58’s six words challenge. The words were Song, Finger, Unhealthy, Righteous, School, & Optimize and was inspired by Sarajayechan’s three sentence ficathon’s prompt of Hazbin Hotel, Niffty /& anyone, sometimes they forget that for all her chaotic murders she's the most organized housekeeper this side of the Pride Ring but I didn’t share it there because it was less Niffty than I think was wanted, gifting it here anyhow.
( Story above or under here )
Fannish 50 recs
Starsky's Flowers Starsky & Hutch
but turn it does The Murderbot Diaries
The Art of Selling Yourself Profitably Hazbin Hotel
Persistence Torchwood
Strikethrough Hazbin Hotel
Escape to the Beta Site Stargate Atlantis
Downward Spiral The Owl House
Letting Hope In Hazbin Hotel
Topless Hazbin Hotel
Episode 4: Right Here, Where I Don’t Belong UglyDolls
Born To Be Wild. 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Endings And Beginnings Torchwood
Watching The Professionals
listen carefully to the sound of your loneliness Helluva Boss
Gently Growing Together Inspector George Gently
The Truth Exposed. Stargate Atlantis
you were beautiful back then, but so lonely Hazbin Hotel
God Sends Meat And The Devils Send Cooks Hazbin Hotel
There's No Aftercare in Hell Hazbin Hotel
in heaven an angel is nobody in particular Hazbin Hotel
I go to work shocked everyone actually showed up except a few trapped by flooding (ah spring). It was going well...and then I got two emails (I wasn't even going to look at them but I needed to get any late submissions of work due today) about more cheating. And it IS more, in a different class. One has only heard about the girls bragging about it and doesn't want in trouble and the other came to speak to me since she was on campus and she said the same thing they're bragging about it. She doesn't know the student's name but from her description I know exactly who it is (another athlete)
Since I didn't catch them and there's no proof, I can't kick it up the chain. I DID tell the dean and I plan on talking to the heads of their departments to get some help. Not saying a word to them, just making them all put their phones in a box. They get them back at the end of the exam. No warning. Let's see what happens then. And other one hasn't been to lab...ever. Just has excuses and asks to make them up. Guess that's going away.
So now I'm an hour late getting home. Then the GI track says yeah you ain't leaving the bathroom. Once that fit was pitched I started getting ready and my sugar crashes out. Eye roll. Rocket tried to get in the bedroom and hide. FINALLY I'm out of the house. It's now after 230 and I haven't had lunch.
I have to go to Jackson to get a book from the library before it's sent back so I'll go to Sonic's. Get there. It's 240 and there are NINE cars in line. I nope out, stop for KFC and then go to Tim Horton's, the new one and this is the third time the guys on the window can't figure out a drink order (caramel machiatto, it's your standard fing menu) so I might be done with this place.
In the mean time the gas station's are changing their prices by 50 cents so I get my library book, race back across town to where they haven't got that message yet. Off I go. It's now 3 pm. I was supposed to BE here by now.
Luckily it was an easy drive and this Best Western has been recently redone. It's nice, clean...and the bathroom is an afterthought. You come in the door and immediately is a curtain pretending an alcove is the closet (at least there's a half dozen hangers not that I need them for 1 day) and the bathroom is SO small the toilet and tub nearly touch and the sink is in another part of the room outside the bathroom door.... BUT it has a fridge and microwave which the last two expensive hotels I've stayed at did not manage to have.
Everyone and their grandma is in the pool. Glad I didn't plan on that but this place is...well let's just say I love living in the country but I DO miss having options. I had researched, as I always do, best places to eat and planned to go to Dolsot Bistro as there is NO Korean food within 60 miles of me. I get to the strip mall and in it side by side is Korean, Chinese, Boba place, Indian place, juice joint and Phoenican/middle east food and a huge stand alone Mexican place. WOW. AND in the 2 miles from my hotel to hear it was nothing but food and strip malls including three other Korean places and a Greek place right across the street.
I got some goonmandu (fried dumplings that were amazing) and tofu doenjang dolsot (fine cut tofu, basically a sweetish red miso, veggies and a lightly fried egg on the rice. man crispy rice is a different, tastier experience (yes I'm not meant to have rice but...this is once in like 2 years for me as far as Korean food goes). Also they had a sliver of their pancakes on the kimchi tray and man I wish that app wasn't the price of dinner or I'd gotten that. It was amazing.
In theory I get breakfast free here and they have the daily specials written out. Every day is the same thing....ha. If it sucks we share a parking lot with the Waffle House.
And if something goes sideways with the festival I'll just drop down to Cincinnati and do fun stuff.
I did write something.
Title: She’s on the Ball
<
Summary: Angel has lost track of his belongings. At least Niffty knows what’s going on.
Rating: teen
Notes:Written for the allbingo prompt of scrapbooking and for
spikesgirl58’s six words challenge. The words were Song, Finger, Unhealthy, Righteous, School, & Optimize and was inspired by Sarajayechan’s three sentence ficathon’s prompt of Hazbin Hotel, Niffty /& anyone, sometimes they forget that for all her chaotic murders she's the most organized housekeeper this side of the Pride Ring but I didn’t share it there because it was less Niffty than I think was wanted, gifting it here anyhow.( Story above or under here )
Fannish 50 recs
Starsky's Flowers Starsky & Hutch
but turn it does The Murderbot Diaries
The Art of Selling Yourself Profitably Hazbin Hotel
Persistence Torchwood
Strikethrough Hazbin Hotel
Escape to the Beta Site Stargate Atlantis
Downward Spiral The Owl House
Letting Hope In Hazbin Hotel
Topless Hazbin Hotel
Episode 4: Right Here, Where I Don’t Belong UglyDolls
Born To Be Wild. 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Endings And Beginnings Torchwood
Watching The Professionals
listen carefully to the sound of your loneliness Helluva Boss
Gently Growing Together Inspector George Gently
The Truth Exposed. Stargate Atlantis
you were beautiful back then, but so lonely Hazbin Hotel
God Sends Meat And The Devils Send Cooks Hazbin Hotel
There's No Aftercare in Hell Hazbin Hotel
in heaven an angel is nobody in particular Hazbin Hotel
(no subject)
Mar. 6th, 2026 11:40 amgreghousesgfHaven't heard from L. in almost a week.
They're having another one of those deals in my bldg, might as well get some free food out of it. I notice the people in the bldg who I'm actually good friends with never go to these things. At least I am seeing some of my real friends this weekend.
They're having another one of those deals in my bldg, might as well get some free food out of it. I notice the people in the bldg who I'm actually good friends with never go to these things. At least I am seeing some of my real friends this weekend.
How to stop a heart
Mar. 5th, 2026 11:33 pmcornerofmadnesshave an EKG and then have someone from the clinic calls you to talk about it. Since they almost never call you for a normal, I'm like OMG I'm dying. No, my doctor was just exercising caution. the EKG is 'mostly normal' but there was no more details. They posted the strip in a blurry pic to my portal. I'm assuming they mean the tachycardia. I'll see the new cardiologist in a couple weeks so we shall see.
No one came to micro today. I'll point out spring break doesn't start until Monday. out of 40 students I had 10. And being the bitch I am I had a test in anatomy today (found out there's one tomorrow for my ultrasound students) most of the sports teams were gone and someone cheated on the exam. I didn't catch them (it's hard I'm in a hole in an auditorium and even if I walk up and down the steps, I take steps SO slowly they have warning so what's the point. Another pissed off student turned them in. I'm saying nothing but I know how they're cheating and next test, without warning, I'm taking all that away. (i.e. every phone must be placed on MY table)
I wish I could stay over near Cinci for more than 24 hours tomorrow. there is SO MUCH food Restaurants of every kind. I'm thinking Korean. Oooo the choices.
No one came to micro today. I'll point out spring break doesn't start until Monday. out of 40 students I had 10. And being the bitch I am I had a test in anatomy today (found out there's one tomorrow for my ultrasound students) most of the sports teams were gone and someone cheated on the exam. I didn't catch them (it's hard I'm in a hole in an auditorium and even if I walk up and down the steps, I take steps SO slowly they have warning so what's the point. Another pissed off student turned them in. I'm saying nothing but I know how they're cheating and next test, without warning, I'm taking all that away. (i.e. every phone must be placed on MY table)
I wish I could stay over near Cinci for more than 24 hours tomorrow. there is SO MUCH food Restaurants of every kind. I'm thinking Korean. Oooo the choices.
Poet's Corner: Verlaine Boit by Antoin Artaud
Mar. 5th, 2026 07:32 pmstonepicnicking_okapiToday is National Absinthe Day, so please cavort as much as you dare with the Green Fairy!
Verlaine Boit by Antonin Artaud
"Il y aura toujours des grues au coin des rues,
Coquillages perdus sue les grèves stellaires
Du soir bleu qui n'est pas d'ici ni de la terre,
Où roulent des cabs aux élytres éperdues.
Et roulent moins que dans ma tête confondue
La pierre verte de l'absinthe au fond du verre,
Où je bois la perdition et les tonnerres
A venir du Seigneur pour calciner mon âme nue.
Ah! Qu'ils tournent les fuseaux mêles des rues
Et filent l'entrelacs des hommes et des femmes
Ainsi qu'une araignée qui tisserait sa trame
Avec les filaments des âmes reconnues."
Verlaine Drinks [translation from this website: http://www.absinthe.se/]
"There will always be whores on street corners,
Lost shells stranded on the stellar shores
Of a blue dusk which belongs neither here nor on earth
Where taxis roll by like bewildered beetles.
But they roll less than in my whirling head
The green gem of absinthe deep in the glass
Where I drink perdition and the thunder
Of the Lord's judgement to roast my naked soul.
Ah! How the tangled spindles of the streets
Turn and spin the fabric of men and women,
As if a spider were weaving her web.
Degas' L’Absinthe
Verlaine Boit by Antonin Artaud
"Il y aura toujours des grues au coin des rues,
Coquillages perdus sue les grèves stellaires
Du soir bleu qui n'est pas d'ici ni de la terre,
Où roulent des cabs aux élytres éperdues.
Et roulent moins que dans ma tête confondue
La pierre verte de l'absinthe au fond du verre,
Où je bois la perdition et les tonnerres
A venir du Seigneur pour calciner mon âme nue.
Ah! Qu'ils tournent les fuseaux mêles des rues
Et filent l'entrelacs des hommes et des femmes
Ainsi qu'une araignée qui tisserait sa trame
Avec les filaments des âmes reconnues."
Verlaine Drinks [translation from this website: http://www.absinthe.se/]
"There will always be whores on street corners,
Lost shells stranded on the stellar shores
Of a blue dusk which belongs neither here nor on earth
Where taxis roll by like bewildered beetles.
But they roll less than in my whirling head
The green gem of absinthe deep in the glass
Where I drink perdition and the thunder
Of the Lord's judgement to roast my naked soul.
Ah! How the tangled spindles of the streets
Turn and spin the fabric of men and women,
As if a spider were weaving her web.
Degas' L’Absinthe
card pull
Mar. 5th, 2026 04:36 pmharpers_childHeart of Faerie literally fell off the wall on me, so I guess I'll do a pull.
This has been the messiest, most difficult shuffle of my life. Many more shuffles than usual until feeling ready. The actual deck didn't want to move nicely. In the end I did a few flip the deck over and shuffle face up until the cards that wanted to be picked were on top. The third card was third card down from the usual top. Weirdest shuffle of the year. Calling it now.
The Queen of Passage. The Speaker of Truth. Nameless card with a bunch of little mushroom guys.
I'm going to replace this deck with a random pack of cards one of these days. (This is a fond threat.)
Queen of Passage- surrender/transition/trust. inevitability of change. ask for help during times of transition. keep going.
Speaker of Truth- trust/acceptance/open heart. A "face" card and the second one talking about trust. hearing truth sometimes hurts. (truth plus lies equals lies.)
-> clarifying card - cut the deck and grabbed one -> Queen of Shadows - introspection / acknowledgement / balance. stop and look. whole self not just parts. what's being neglected? it's another truth card.
nameless little mushroom guys - a bunch of little mushroom guys hanging out. most of them look friendly. one has it's hands spread in possible invitation.
So what I'm getting from this is seek truth, look into the shadows and bring things in the light, and hang out with some weird little guys. ... Sure.
Thank you so much deck for insisting on being read, fighting the actual physical parts of reading, and then saying the same thing three different ways.
This has been the messiest, most difficult shuffle of my life. Many more shuffles than usual until feeling ready. The actual deck didn't want to move nicely. In the end I did a few flip the deck over and shuffle face up until the cards that wanted to be picked were on top. The third card was third card down from the usual top. Weirdest shuffle of the year. Calling it now.
The Queen of Passage. The Speaker of Truth. Nameless card with a bunch of little mushroom guys.
I'm going to replace this deck with a random pack of cards one of these days. (This is a fond threat.)
Queen of Passage- surrender/transition/trust. inevitability of change. ask for help during times of transition. keep going.
Speaker of Truth- trust/acceptance/open heart. A "face" card and the second one talking about trust. hearing truth sometimes hurts. (truth plus lies equals lies.)
-> clarifying card - cut the deck and grabbed one -> Queen of Shadows - introspection / acknowledgement / balance. stop and look. whole self not just parts. what's being neglected? it's another truth card.
nameless little mushroom guys - a bunch of little mushroom guys hanging out. most of them look friendly. one has it's hands spread in possible invitation.
So what I'm getting from this is seek truth, look into the shadows and bring things in the light, and hang out with some weird little guys. ... Sure.
Thank you so much deck for insisting on being read, fighting the actual physical parts of reading, and then saying the same thing three different ways.
(no subject)
Mar. 5th, 2026 04:18 pmharpers_childSignal boosting a research survey on how childhood experiences impact military based PTSD. Anonymous survey. Results talking about group statistics not specific people. PTSD can be officially diagnosed, suspected, or self-diagnosed. Please share the link around if you know anyone who would be a good fit.
https://uhcno.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0pmAUTlHNFID0KW
https://uhcno.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0pmAUTlHNFID0KW
(no subject)
Mar. 5th, 2026 01:39 pmgreghousesgfThe singer and piano player I heard last night were just great!
One thing last night that was not great was the entire electronic card payment system on Bart screwed up so nobody could put more money on those cards, and for those of you reading this who are not from the bay area, all the buses and stuff use those cards, not just Bart. I called their office this morning and the people I talked to weren't even aware there was a problem, so who knows when this is gonna get fixed, in the meantime I only have 2 dollars left on my card which isn't even enough to get on the damn bus.
One thing last night that was not great was the entire electronic card payment system on Bart screwed up so nobody could put more money on those cards, and for those of you reading this who are not from the bay area, all the buses and stuff use those cards, not just Bart. I called their office this morning and the people I talked to weren't even aware there was a problem, so who knows when this is gonna get fixed, in the meantime I only have 2 dollars left on my card which isn't even enough to get on the damn bus.