I'm Not Your Hero - The Murderbot Diaries Animatic, by mar
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starandrea showed me this yesterday, and I LOVE IT!
starandrea showed me this yesterday, and I LOVE IT!lucky 10,000
May. 14th, 2025 07:27 amMy phone's been sort of iffy about the charge cord for a while, but in the last week or so it stopped working entirely. BUT! Yesterday I was one of the day's lucky 10,000! starandrea revealed to me the secrets of using a toothpick to clean the phone charge port!
NOTE 1: the internet is Conflicted about whether this is a good idea or not, but my feeling is 'the phone didn't work before and now it does,' so I'm in favor
NOTE 2: it wasn't a big deal to only be able to use the wireless charger, except that the case I put on for this month doesn't work with it, and adding the extra step of 'take case off' every time I wanted to charge my phone definitely tipped the scale against it
NOTE 3: it probably says something that I genuinely just thought the charge port would just stop working after a couple years, and that was a normal thing to expect
starandrea revealed to me the secrets of using a toothpick to clean the phone charge port!NOTE 1: the internet is Conflicted about whether this is a good idea or not, but my feeling is 'the phone didn't work before and now it does,' so I'm in favor
NOTE 2: it wasn't a big deal to only be able to use the wireless charger, except that the case I put on for this month doesn't work with it, and adding the extra step of 'take case off' every time I wanted to charge my phone definitely tipped the scale against it
NOTE 3: it probably says something that I genuinely just thought the charge port would just stop working after a couple years, and that was a normal thing to expect
2011, what a year
Feb. 23rd, 2025 08:07 amstarandrea and I got to talking about fanfic on Friday, and I said I was going to try to find some of the fics I'd mentioned, AND LO, THEY HAVE BEEN FOUND. (Some of them.) Did I remember them accurately? No, not really. But I had a lot of fun re-reading them! Also, they were both posted in 2011.
*the one where Lex starts helping the Justice League after Superman's 'death,' because none of them believe him when he explains that he and Clark weren't in love:
Epic Misunderstanding, by rivkat
Apparently every goddamned person on the planet, and not a few offworld, had been convinced of their forbidden passion, and after a while Lex found it more expedient to smile sadly than to deny.
*the one where Charles ends up in a coma and Erik comes back to run the school
For I Mean to Conquer Troy, by twelve_pastels
“Look, all I’m saying is that you’re acting less like a ball of psychoses masquerading as a human, and more like the brilliant overprotective manic-obsessive asshole that we all were hoping you’d turn out to be. Which I guess isn’t that comforting, but hey. I’m twenty-two, father to a six year old, and my kid shoots lasers from his eyes. We all work with what we have.”
Okay, so starandrea and I are doing the summer reading challenge at the local library, which is AWESOME and has STICKERS. And the challenge is themed around the 50 US states -- we got a little packet that lists each state with some fun facts, and then each state says something like this (actual challenge for Wisconsin):
Read a book with a white cover, featuring cheese, or set in Wisconsin.
(Crucially, there is also a place to put the sticker, once you win it.)
Since I mostly read fanfic and romance novels, I immediately ID'd Wisconsin as A Problem. White covers, cheese, and Wisconsin don't tend to feature heavily in either of those categories.
BUT! Each Sunday I get a BookBub email with book offers, and it usually includes some free ones for kindle download, so this week I grabbed up 'Wedding of the Century' by Patricia McLinn, because it had a lake on the cover (Indiana: read a book set at the lake) and it sounded like a small town (Illinois: read a book set in a neighborhood).
And then I started reading it, and LO AND BEHOLD!!! The lake and neighborhood are IN WISCONSIN! I've never been so excited about Wisconsin. The Indiana and Illinois challenges will have to wait; WISCONSIN IS CALLING!
starandrea and I are doing the summer reading challenge at the local library, which is AWESOME and has STICKERS. And the challenge is themed around the 50 US states -- we got a little packet that lists each state with some fun facts, and then each state says something like this (actual challenge for Wisconsin):Read a book with a white cover, featuring cheese, or set in Wisconsin.
(Crucially, there is also a place to put the sticker, once you win it.)
Since I mostly read fanfic and romance novels, I immediately ID'd Wisconsin as A Problem. White covers, cheese, and Wisconsin don't tend to feature heavily in either of those categories.
BUT! Each Sunday I get a BookBub email with book offers, and it usually includes some free ones for kindle download, so this week I grabbed up 'Wedding of the Century' by Patricia McLinn, because it had a lake on the cover (Indiana: read a book set at the lake) and it sounded like a small town (Illinois: read a book set in a neighborhood).
And then I started reading it, and LO AND BEHOLD!!! The lake and neighborhood are IN WISCONSIN! I've never been so excited about Wisconsin. The Indiana and Illinois challenges will have to wait; WISCONSIN IS CALLING!
me: I have no idea what I'm doing
Jul. 13th, 2024 08:06 amI thought it would be fun to try crocheting a 'corner to corner' blanket, and it is! My inability to calculate how much yarn I'll need is not at all improved by starting with a triangle instead of a straight line. This is pretty much how it's gone so far:
Before Starting:
*I've never done this before, but I'll just start and see how far I get with one skein! surely that will give me an idea of how this will go
After 1 Skein:
*That seemed like a lot! But what do I know? It's a triangle! I'll see how far I get with the second skein; surely that will give me an idea of how this will go
After 2 Skeins:
*Maybe I have more yarn than I'll need? idk that has never happened before; definitely more likely that I'm confused about how triangles work. I'll see how far I get with the third skein, surely THAT will give me an idea of how this will go!
After 3 Skeins:
*I still have no idea how this will go, but at this point it seems like I may be able to get relatively far into this project while remaining clueless, so full speed ahead!
(Yesterday,starandrea asked if I had calculated how big I wanted each of the stripes to be, and the answer is 'I did not,' because I have no idea how to do that. I expect it has something to do with making a test swatch, and then doing math. As I would prefer not to do either those things at this time, I've gone with the 'just start and see what happens' method instead.)
Before Starting:
*I've never done this before, but I'll just start and see how far I get with one skein! surely that will give me an idea of how this will go
After 1 Skein:
*That seemed like a lot! But what do I know? It's a triangle! I'll see how far I get with the second skein; surely that will give me an idea of how this will go
After 2 Skeins:
*Maybe I have more yarn than I'll need? idk that has never happened before; definitely more likely that I'm confused about how triangles work. I'll see how far I get with the third skein, surely THAT will give me an idea of how this will go!
After 3 Skeins:
*I still have no idea how this will go, but at this point it seems like I may be able to get relatively far into this project while remaining clueless, so full speed ahead!
(Yesterday,
starandrea asked if I had calculated how big I wanted each of the stripes to be, and the answer is 'I did not,' because I have no idea how to do that. I expect it has something to do with making a test swatch, and then doing math. As I would prefer not to do either those things at this time, I've gone with the 'just start and see what happens' method instead.)SUMMER READING ADVENTURE
Jun. 29th, 2024 07:49 amstarandrea and I have signed up for the SUMMER READING ADVENTURE at our local library (open to all ages this year!). Since I don't read a lot of books, but do read a lot of fanfic on the internet, I've done minimal research (aka I looked it up one time) to guess that 80,000+ words can reasonably be considered "a book."Just finished Separate Ways by PepperPrints (and associated sequels). Does the mythosaur count as an "animal that is now extinct"? (Technically, would ANY Star Wars fic count as being "about something ancient," given that they're set "a long time ago"???)
to the ships!
Jun. 22nd, 2024 08:00 amIt's time for Battleship Exchange 2024!
Things I remember about how to play Battleship Exchange from my one (1) year of experience:
*it was fun!
*it helped to sign up with a friend! (aka a built-in audience for any and all writing shenanigans I managed to create)
*it motivated me to write some things!
I do realize none of those are about how to play. Because I can't actually remember much about that??? It seemed very complicated before it started, and then it all was much clearer once it was happening, but it went very quickly and much of it was a blur of writing and laughing about tags.
(PS: there are FAQs with much more useful information on the linked page)
Things I remember about how to play Battleship Exchange from my one (1) year of experience:
*it was fun!
*it helped to sign up with a friend! (aka a built-in audience for any and all writing shenanigans I managed to create)
*it motivated me to write some things!
I do realize none of those are about how to play. Because I can't actually remember much about that??? It seemed very complicated before it started, and then it all was much clearer once it was happening, but it went very quickly and much of it was a blur of writing and laughing about tags.
(PS: there are FAQs with much more useful information on the linked page)
2024 collage!
Jan. 6th, 2024 08:46 amYay 2024! I started listing out some things I'd like to do this year, and then I started trying to group them thematically (as one does), and then we made fun collages!
(scrapbook paper, LOTS of stickers and washi tape, and the central image is from a mini wall calendar of art by Geninne D Zlatkis)
2024, year of enrichment! With three overlapping themes, because contrary to all current goal theory, I prefer my goals to be broad, vague, and as easy to achieve as possible.
2024's Themes:
*move
*learn
*connect
Lots of my more specific goals have elements of more than one theme, which worked great for the collage but less great for my plan of writing out a few of them for each theme in this post...
Some General Goals:
*using my left hand more -- this was directly inspired by the desire to be able to crochet wings both righty and lefty so they could be symmetrical, but I've long been intrigued by improving my left-handed skills for things like brushing my teeth, writing, and coloring
*yoga practice -- this was a 2023 goal that I'd like to continue; it's been particularly helpful for my balance and range of motion. I've been enjoying Yoga with Adriene's 30 Day Yoga Journey for January.
*creative outlets -- yay for learning things and self-expression! So far I've been expanding my crochet yarn options and writing my daily haikus.
Very Specific Goal:
*ONE DAY ONLY! SKY EVENT OF THE YEAR! THE RETURN OF TOTALITY! April 8th, 2024 -- a total solar eclipse will be visible from many parts of the United States. The path goes from Texas to Maine, and we already have our SKY EVENT OF THE YEAR commemorative coins, so you know we're excited!
Deeper Meanings:
*At the heart of all these goals is really one thing: I'd like this year to be one where I feel more comfortable and connected to my physical body -- I'd like to learn and move and express myself as a path to embracing my current physical presence in this vast spiritual universe. This quote from the Yoga With Adriene site resonates particularly this year: "While yoga is and remains a good workout for many, it was originally crafted to allow our souls to experience embodiment."
When exchanging casual conversation about goals for the year, I find it easier to share something like 'I want to learn to crochet left-handed' than 'I want to embrace the experience of my soul's embodiment,' even though they're really one and the same.
(scrapbook paper, LOTS of stickers and washi tape, and the central image is from a mini wall calendar of art by Geninne D Zlatkis)
2024, year of enrichment! With three overlapping themes, because contrary to all current goal theory, I prefer my goals to be broad, vague, and as easy to achieve as possible.
2024's Themes:
*move
*learn
*connect
Lots of my more specific goals have elements of more than one theme, which worked great for the collage but less great for my plan of writing out a few of them for each theme in this post...
Some General Goals:
*using my left hand more -- this was directly inspired by the desire to be able to crochet wings both righty and lefty so they could be symmetrical, but I've long been intrigued by improving my left-handed skills for things like brushing my teeth, writing, and coloring
*yoga practice -- this was a 2023 goal that I'd like to continue; it's been particularly helpful for my balance and range of motion. I've been enjoying Yoga with Adriene's 30 Day Yoga Journey for January.
*creative outlets -- yay for learning things and self-expression! So far I've been expanding my crochet yarn options and writing my daily haikus.
Very Specific Goal:
*ONE DAY ONLY! SKY EVENT OF THE YEAR! THE RETURN OF TOTALITY! April 8th, 2024 -- a total solar eclipse will be visible from many parts of the United States. The path goes from Texas to Maine, and we already have our SKY EVENT OF THE YEAR commemorative coins, so you know we're excited!
Deeper Meanings:
*At the heart of all these goals is really one thing: I'd like this year to be one where I feel more comfortable and connected to my physical body -- I'd like to learn and move and express myself as a path to embracing my current physical presence in this vast spiritual universe. This quote from the Yoga With Adriene site resonates particularly this year: "While yoga is and remains a good workout for many, it was originally crafted to allow our souls to experience embodiment."
When exchanging casual conversation about goals for the year, I find it easier to share something like 'I want to learn to crochet left-handed' than 'I want to embrace the experience of my soul's embodiment,' even though they're really one and the same.
year in review: crafting
Dec. 29th, 2023 07:14 am*Started out the year with an awesome Year of the Rabbit craft kit (thanks starandrea!). It lights up! Glue was involved, but we definitely did not use a lighter to melt a hot glue stick! (Although to be fair, that IS a clever hack.)
*By mid-year I was trying out some kids craft kits: a rainbow banner, paracord bracelets, and the 'big gem light painting kit' to make a neat space-themed light!
*And then it looks like September was the first time I mentioned crochet, and we tried out some kits from the woobles. (Aww, the penguin is so cute!) That's been really fun! I've definitely dived into (or at least tentatively dipped my toe into) the world of crochet, and I'm looking forward to doing more in 2024.
[Okay, FUN FACT TIME. When I searched my journal to see when I mentioned crochet, I found this gem of a post from 2019: "On the other hand, it kind of makes me wish I had a more useful de-stressing habit. Stress cleaning. Stress exercising. Stress crocheting. (I don’t know how to crochet. But fiber crafts in general seem like they’d be useful.)" Good news, 2019 me! Now you DO know how to crochet, AND it is good for de-stressing!]
starandrea!). It lights up! Glue was involved, but we definitely did not use a lighter to melt a hot glue stick! (Although to be fair, that IS a clever hack.)*By mid-year I was trying out some kids craft kits: a rainbow banner, paracord bracelets, and the 'big gem light painting kit' to make a neat space-themed light!
*And then it looks like September was the first time I mentioned crochet, and we tried out some kits from the woobles. (Aww, the penguin is so cute!) That's been really fun! I've definitely dived into (or at least tentatively dipped my toe into) the world of crochet, and I'm looking forward to doing more in 2024.
[Okay, FUN FACT TIME. When I searched my journal to see when I mentioned crochet, I found this gem of a post from 2019: "On the other hand, it kind of makes me wish I had a more useful de-stressing habit. Stress cleaning. Stress exercising. Stress crocheting. (I don’t know how to crochet. But fiber crafts in general seem like they’d be useful.)" Good news, 2019 me! Now you DO know how to crochet, AND it is good for de-stressing!]
POST-NANOWRIMO 2023 DAY 1
Dec. 1st, 2023 10:06 amHappy December, WE MADE IT!!!
When I'm writing (especially nanowrimo), I try not to delete any little bits of conversation that I come up with. If they don't fit, I just push them into a later section and hope they'll sort themselves out. This is often surprisingly successful!
This nanowrimo, there was only ONE snippet that I wrote, and fully intended to include, that just never quite fit into the story. So here it is, in all its glory: nanowrimo 2023, the conversation that never happened. (Or, asstarandrea said, 'What's the fic about? Not this!')
*******
“I like that, though. ‘Starfleet.’ It makes sense. What’s an Earth Fleet doing out exploring the stars?”
“Sure, but do you really think the Vulcans did any better, with the ‘Alliance of Federated Planets’?”
“You don’t like Alliance of Federated Planets as a name? I think it’s nice. Classy.”
“It’s not catchy! It doesn’t roll off the tongue.”
He considered it. “It does sound better in Vulcan.”
When I'm writing (especially nanowrimo), I try not to delete any little bits of conversation that I come up with. If they don't fit, I just push them into a later section and hope they'll sort themselves out. This is often surprisingly successful!
This nanowrimo, there was only ONE snippet that I wrote, and fully intended to include, that just never quite fit into the story. So here it is, in all its glory: nanowrimo 2023, the conversation that never happened. (Or, as
starandrea said, 'What's the fic about? Not this!')*******
“I like that, though. ‘Starfleet.’ It makes sense. What’s an Earth Fleet doing out exploring the stars?”
“Sure, but do you really think the Vulcans did any better, with the ‘Alliance of Federated Planets’?”
“You don’t like Alliance of Federated Planets as a name? I think it’s nice. Classy.”
“It’s not catchy! It doesn’t roll off the tongue.”
He considered it. “It does sound better in Vulcan.”
shelving update, as promised!
Aug. 30th, 2023 08:11 am*Good news: the wall is not cement. (It's cement on the other side! I got confused!) By using Feats of Strength (or possibly magic? idk I didn't see it happening) starandrea separated the shelving units from the walls.
*And from each other, because OF COURSE they were also attached to each other. Why not?
*Turns out shelves that look kind of fall-apart-y in the utility room actually look surprisingly good in the garage! Re-use activated! (Note: We did NOT attach them back to the walls, or each other. But, to be fair, we did consider it for a hot second.)
*So basically, we moved a bunch of stuff to the garage, which took hours, and then a company came in and moved it OUT of the garage, which took about 15 minutes. Their fee was absolutely worth it.
*In conclusion, the project started with "we should maybe replace these shelves" and grew into "also we should maybe move this legacy furniture out of the room," and then wound up checking TWO projects off the list, since it also added shelving to the garage! Bonus win!
starandrea separated the shelving units from the walls. *And from each other, because OF COURSE they were also attached to each other. Why not?
*Turns out shelves that look kind of fall-apart-y in the utility room actually look surprisingly good in the garage! Re-use activated! (Note: We did NOT attach them back to the walls, or each other. But, to be fair, we did consider it for a hot second.)
*So basically, we moved a bunch of stuff to the garage, which took hours, and then a company came in and moved it OUT of the garage, which took about 15 minutes. Their fee was absolutely worth it.
*In conclusion, the project started with "we should maybe replace these shelves" and grew into "also we should maybe move this legacy furniture out of the room," and then wound up checking TWO projects off the list, since it also added shelving to the garage! Bonus win!
maybe less adventure today?
Aug. 29th, 2023 07:34 amYesterday's paddling with Extra Adventure turned out to be a little more Extra than we'd anticipated, but it was definitely an adventure! If you've ever thought to yourself 'I wonder what happens if an inflatable paddleboard experiences rapid de-inflation while someone is using it,' we can now answer that question!
(Answer: it makes an alarming noise, then drops you in the water. It *does* stay inflated enough to float on its own, which was a big plus! Massive kudos tostarandrea for impressive swimming skills!)
Anyway, we made it! Yay! And then we dove into another adventure (luckily the diving was more metaphorical that time) and started working on getting the legacy furniture (aka stuff that was left to us by the previous owners, which may or may not have been left to them by the *original* owner) moved out of the utility room. My arms are so sore today!
Today: THE SHELVES. Turns out they are bolted to the cement walls! Surprise! Will report back tomorrow with updates.
(Answer: it makes an alarming noise, then drops you in the water. It *does* stay inflated enough to float on its own, which was a big plus! Massive kudos to
starandrea for impressive swimming skills!)Anyway, we made it! Yay! And then we dove into another adventure (luckily the diving was more metaphorical that time) and started working on getting the legacy furniture (aka stuff that was left to us by the previous owners, which may or may not have been left to them by the *original* owner) moved out of the utility room. My arms are so sore today!
Today: THE SHELVES. Turns out they are bolted to the cement walls! Surprise! Will report back tomorrow with updates.
it's morning, time to get paddling!
Aug. 28th, 2023 07:12 amGot the day off from work, headed out for a morning paddle on the river with starandrea. The rest of our summer paddling adventures so far have been in the afternoon/evening, so this one is Extra Adventure!
My essentials for paddling:
*Snack
*Beverage
*Phone (in waterproof bag -- seriously, I've haven't dropped it in the water yet, and now I'm POSITIVE that the one time I skip putting it in the case will be the day it happens)
And a pfd, because I read that the biggest danger from winding up in the water isn't whether or not you can swim, but the fact that it's such a shock, and I was like 'let me consider my absolutely STELLAR (not at all, actually) immediate reactions in startling situations' and that convinced me that I should not only have a pfd with me, but wear it. Possibly all the time, honestly, on or off the water. You never know when you might need one!
starandrea. The rest of our summer paddling adventures so far have been in the afternoon/evening, so this one is Extra Adventure!My essentials for paddling:
*Snack
*Beverage
*Phone (in waterproof bag -- seriously, I've haven't dropped it in the water yet, and now I'm POSITIVE that the one time I skip putting it in the case will be the day it happens)
And a pfd, because I read that the biggest danger from winding up in the water isn't whether or not you can swim, but the fact that it's such a shock, and I was like 'let me consider my absolutely STELLAR (not at all, actually) immediate reactions in startling situations' and that convinced me that I should not only have a pfd with me, but wear it. Possibly all the time, honestly, on or off the water. You never know when you might need one!
battleship ROUND 2
Jul. 25th, 2023 06:56 amnotes so far on participating in the Battleship Exchange for the first time:
*AHHHHH!!!
*see also: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING!!!
*But I'm having a great time??? (I don't generally participate in things? Because I do not enjoy participating? So my current enjoyment is unexpected but very welcome!)
*It reminds me of the chaos and excitement of nanowrimo, but if everyone was writing the same story. The goal is SOOOO high, but everyone's working towards it at the same time.
*The most nerve-wracking part is trying to fill a request or prompt from someone I don't know. (How do exchange participants handle the stress???) I very bravely did it two whole times, and now I'm planning to gift anything else I manage to write tostarandrea. YAY FOR HAVING AN EXCHANGE BUDDY!
*AHHHHH!!!
*see also: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING!!!
*But I'm having a great time??? (I don't generally participate in things? Because I do not enjoy participating? So my current enjoyment is unexpected but very welcome!)
*It reminds me of the chaos and excitement of nanowrimo, but if everyone was writing the same story. The goal is SOOOO high, but everyone's working towards it at the same time.
*The most nerve-wracking part is trying to fill a request or prompt from someone I don't know. (How do exchange participants handle the stress???) I very bravely did it two whole times, and now I'm planning to gift anything else I manage to write to
starandrea. YAY FOR HAVING AN EXCHANGE BUDDY!hahahahahaha
Jul. 18th, 2023 07:10 amSooooo... Battleship Exchange has started! I'm confused, but it is also a genuine delight to be confused by something other than work, home maintenance, or the weather. So bring it on! Let's do this! (What are we doing again?)
picture day
Apr. 13th, 2023 07:09 amI was planning to mix it up this week and post a picture of something other than the cat, but since I wrote about her limping earlier this week, I decided to show a recovery pic instead. The princess in all her delighted glory, checking out her brand new milk tab (thanks, starandrea! she loves it!)
starandrea! she loves it!)craft day!
Jan. 10th, 2023 06:43 amVery excited b/c today is craft day! It's takeout Tuesday, and instead of watching a movie or tv show, starandrea got us some adorable bunny crafts to do!
Extra Exciting Elements:
*all the pieces for this craft come in a bag; there are no instructions
*the pieces include one (1) hot glue stick; we do not (as far as we know) own a glue gun
*we do own one (1) small bottle of gorilla glue, and also we are very determined
*I think Star said there's a video showing how to put everything together?
*prior to today I thought to myself 'how hard could it be?' but I admit as the moment of truth gets closer, that seems less and less like a wise thought
*but everything is easier with pizza
*and also there's no rules? they can look however we want!
starandrea got us some adorable bunny crafts to do! Extra Exciting Elements:
*all the pieces for this craft come in a bag; there are no instructions
*the pieces include one (1) hot glue stick; we do not (as far as we know) own a glue gun
*we do own one (1) small bottle of gorilla glue, and also we are very determined
*I think Star said there's a video showing how to put everything together?
*prior to today I thought to myself 'how hard could it be?' but I admit as the moment of truth gets closer, that seems less and less like a wise thought
*but everything is easier with pizza
*and also there's no rules? they can look however we want!
goal achieved!
Oct. 23rd, 2022 07:04 amOne thing I wanted to do this year was to avoid feeling guilty about how little I used my kayak. The easiest way to do that seemed to be to actually use the kayak for its intended purpose (aka moving about on the water, as opposed to just decoratively brightening up the lawn, which I personally think is perfectly valid!).
I set a goal of kayaking the equivalent of one time per kayaking-friendly month (May through October, weather permitting). So, six times. And I am extremely pleased (and someone surprised) to announce that the goal has been achieved! Yesterday marked paddle number six, on an unexpectedly warm and beautiful day for the second half of October. Thanksstarandrea!
I set a goal of kayaking the equivalent of one time per kayaking-friendly month (May through October, weather permitting). So, six times. And I am extremely pleased (and someone surprised) to announce that the goal has been achieved! Yesterday marked paddle number six, on an unexpectedly warm and beautiful day for the second half of October. Thanks
starandrea!
