Memory
May. 27th, 2026 12:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mallorys_camera
R & J have the type of kids one is immediately inspired to write a children's book about.
You know—the types of stories where the children find some sort of magic creature in the green hollow behind the pool that must be kept secret from the grownups and that grants Wishes That Come True With a Twist (Five Children & It, Half Magic). R & J's kids are just the most winsome, brilliant, beautiful children ever.
They were definitely the high point of an action-packed Memorial Day weekend during which I also hung out with real-life Flavia in the Catskills and Ichabod in Cold Springs.
Real-life Flavia told me our mutual pal Betsy has had a recurrence of her Lyme disease, necessitating a medical leave from her job. And I felt like such an awful friend because Betsy has reached out to me a few times in the last four months, and I just ignored her. Why? Because Betsy requires effort. And I like Betsy, but I just didn't have the energy, the Schlock job drained me so completely & left me feeling so...extinguished... as though there was nothing remarkable or special about me at all: I was just a colorless cog in an awful machine.
I was actually pretty lonely during that time. But I couldn't deal with anybody else's problems, and Betsy always has problems. I was lonely for someone who would be solicitous about my problems.
Sigh...
I will call Betsy sometime this week.
Watching R & J's enchanting children made me ponder the nature of childhood memory. The baby is the baby; her hippocampus still hasn't laid down neural connections with most of her other cortical structures. She doesn't even have enough neural connections for a personality yet, although she does have a temperament—remarkably serene, observant, easily delighted.
The two older children (ages 4 and 2½) are old enough to have personalities. Princess Star is independent, smart, choosy about the objects of her affection, with more than a touch of fire. Prince Fire Engine is a total charmer, extroverted, and possesses the largest vocabulary (words and syntax) I have ever observed in a 2½-year-old. They are lively, interactive children whose lives are filled with adventures—but in all likelihood, they won't remember a single one of them when they are older.
I saw this with my own children, too, of course.
When Ichabod was 2½, I threw a cup at his father. I missed! I'm a lousy thrower. But Ichabod, sitting on his father's lap, understandably got very, very upset.
His father & I got divorced about a year later, and in my defense, Mrs. Hare 2.0 subsequently threw an answering machine. Bill really was that infuriating! But the cup got mythologized, and the answering machine did not. Maybe because there were no kids present when the answering machine was hurled? I dunno.
All throughout his childhood, for years, whenever Ichabod & I fought over anything, there would alway come a moment on the downside of the argument when Ichabod would sigh dramatically and stage a pensive look, which would prompt me to ask, "What's up, Boo?" And he would tell me, "I am remembering the cup."
This naturally made me feel awash with guilt.
Last Thanksgiving, I asked him: "Do you still remember the cup?"
"Huh?" he asked.
And when I explained, he said, "Oh, that. I think I can remember remembering it. If that makes sense. But the actual event itself?" He squinched up his face.
Yesterday, since I'd just spent time around the remarkable H________ children and was curious about memory, I asked him again.
This time, he said, of course, he remembered it.
"But you didn't last time we talked about it!"
"Yes, I did!" he replied indignantly.
No, he did not.
But I let it slide. Because what would be the point of arguing?
Of course, it was fabulous spending time with Ichabod. It's always fabulous spending time with Ichabod. Ichabod & RTT are my two favorite people on the planet.
But Dia Beacon turned out to be closed.
And Cold Spring turned out to be very different than I had remembered it. I hadn't been there since before the pandemic. Back then it was filled with the most fabulous antique shops—there must have been a dozen of them on Main Street—including the wonderful Doll Hospital where I would stand for hours and watch the proprietor do restoration on vintage dolls.
But there was maybe one antique store open on Main Street yesterday.
And Ichabod was out of it because he hadn't gotten enough sleep, and I was out of it because my knee was really throbbing, and I'd rather stupidly parked my car at the top of a steep hill, hiked down to meet him at the Metro North Station, and thus faced the prospect of hiking back up the hill. (Of course, he volunteered to get the car and come back for me, but I said, No, because I am either (a) macho, (b) a masochist, (c) dumb, (d) all of the above.)
We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant in the non-quaint-and-charming village outside Cold Spring where all the real people live, and then drove up to the Chuang Yen Monastery—which was not the same as I remembered it, either. The Largest Sitting Buddha in the Western Hemisphere was behind locked doors, and we spent a long time searching for the pond with the carnivorous goldfish, and when we finally found it, there weren't any goldfish, just a few brownish-green carp, and they no longer stormed the little landing when people gathered to look at them.
I could tell Ichabod felt bad that he was not "fully present" as his therapist would have put it.
This morning, he texted me apologizing again: I haven't been sleeping well.
And then he told me he had ordered a whole bunch of gnomes and pink flamingos for my garden—I think because he kept asking me yesterday what he could buy me, and I kept saying, Nothing. The only things I want are garden ornaments.
###
I had been thinking about gardening today, but I think instead I'm gonna stay sedentary & ice my knee.
May Check In
May. 27th, 2026 11:50 amyourlibrarian posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
everykindofcraft
How have things been going crafts-wise? Anything to share?
If not much has been going on, here's a question for you: what has the biggest effect on whether or not you work on crafts? Is it time, inspiration, materials, company, something else?
I have a notion
May. 27th, 2026 08:56 amsusandennisKnitting and crocheting involve tools. Knitting needles and crochet hooks but also... stitch markers, stitch holders, scissors, measurers, instructions, yarn sewing needles, and, in my case, safety eyes and double pointed needles and a needle threader and buttons and... well, you get the idea. There's a lot o' shit involved. A lot of fiber doers have that shit scattered all over everywhere like I used to. When I moved into here, I got better. I gathered it all into one giant basket. I've been using that now for 3 years but there is spill over and the stuff is not easy to get to, find or replace. I haven't been good about putting stuff back so the spill over is growing. Plus, I am in danger of repeat buying.
I got onto Amazon this weekend and ordered supplies. Stuff to put stuff into. A little chest of drawers to sit on a shelf, notebooks with zippered pouches, etc. Most of it came yesterday and I got started. I pulled everything out of the giant basket and put it into readily available drawers and containers and notebooks. I also tossed a bunch. But now everything is in a logical order and easy to find and get to and put back when I'm done. I also got zipper mesh bags to house the supplies needed for each project.
I need two more little notebooks - they will come today - and then I will be done but already, I feel quite accomplished. If I ever ever ever even think of buying another number 4 knitting needle someone should shoot me. Turns out, once I got them all together, I have enough to open a whole store selling just number 4 knitting needles.
The Mariners game is at noon today. Then Bonny is organizing a little birthday get together in the elbow about 4ish. And that's the plan du jour.
I got onto Amazon this weekend and ordered supplies. Stuff to put stuff into. A little chest of drawers to sit on a shelf, notebooks with zippered pouches, etc. Most of it came yesterday and I got started. I pulled everything out of the giant basket and put it into readily available drawers and containers and notebooks. I also tossed a bunch. But now everything is in a logical order and easy to find and get to and put back when I'm done. I also got zipper mesh bags to house the supplies needed for each project.
I need two more little notebooks - they will come today - and then I will be done but already, I feel quite accomplished. If I ever ever ever even think of buying another number 4 knitting needle someone should shoot me. Turns out, once I got them all together, I have enough to open a whole store selling just number 4 knitting needles.
The Mariners game is at noon today. Then Bonny is organizing a little birthday get together in the elbow about 4ish. And that's the plan du jour.
Just One Thing (27 May 2026)
May. 27th, 2026 08:39 amnanila posting in awesomeersIt's challenge time!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished! Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished! Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Nevada Visit Day 2
May. 26th, 2026 08:25 pmdays_unfoldingWoke up at 6:15 AM and couldn’t fall back to sleep. Read a while and talked to Sue and my dad. Sue was doing a crossword puzzle and I contributed some answers. My brain seems to be firing on all cylinders. Maybe because of the CPAP?
Going to Lake Tahoe isn’t looking likely. Today, it’s very windy. Tomorrow, it’s supposed to snow (rain down here in the valley). Thursday, I leave.
Dad and I went for a drive among the foothills. There was a cloud over one part that spit out rain.
Then we sat and talked. He said that the men in his family lived one year longer than the previous generation, and that would happen for him next year. He said that he would get some sort of terminal disease in May and die in November. However, his mother lived to be 97, so if he has her genes, who knows? He wants one of Sue’s daughters to be executor, but wants me to help because of my experience with trusts and such. I told him that I could work from here if necessary.
Dad, Sue, and I went to a restaurant with enormous hamburgers and apple pie a la mode with walnut sauce. I’m stuffed.
I finished the book that I was reading. Not sure what to start next.
Going to Lake Tahoe isn’t looking likely. Today, it’s very windy. Tomorrow, it’s supposed to snow (rain down here in the valley). Thursday, I leave.
Dad and I went for a drive among the foothills. There was a cloud over one part that spit out rain.
Then we sat and talked. He said that the men in his family lived one year longer than the previous generation, and that would happen for him next year. He said that he would get some sort of terminal disease in May and die in November. However, his mother lived to be 97, so if he has her genes, who knows? He wants one of Sue’s daughters to be executor, but wants me to help because of my experience with trusts and such. I told him that I could work from here if necessary.
Dad, Sue, and I went to a restaurant with enormous hamburgers and apple pie a la mode with walnut sauce. I’m stuffed.
I finished the book that I was reading. Not sure what to start next.
The workshops were...different
May. 26th, 2026 06:23 pmcornerofmadnessI had a hypoglycemic event last night so of course the correction left me over 300 this morning and for some reason my phone did not go off when I set it. It went off when I was getting up the last two days so I was cranky about getting to the breakfast with barely time to get to the first workshop.
It was an oddly laid out place with workshops all over the damn place (I did not bring my cane. I will bring it tomorrow) My first workshop was moved all the way across campus so I went to the one next door. Not really a topic that interested me that much but I did get some helpful things from it for the syllabus.
Work shop number two was canceled. Boo. I wanted to do the dungeon crawl case study escape room thing. I went to the one next door. This one was interesting, talking about how out dated some of the graphics and concepts we still use are and I was wondering why some of it hasn't been adopted.
The lunch hour was something else. I have been going to these off and one for 16 years and this is the first time the line was insane (I was literally in a different building) They had one table of food and RAN OUT. There is no real excuse for this because they know how many people have registered, not sure who messed up. Luckily more food was cooked up (didn't go with the rest of it mind you). I got my food 10 minutes before the afternoon session started.
That was a case study one by a former doc turned teacher (similar to my story) and...for the first time I used ChatGPT to create the case studies and I was a bit terrified at how fast it did it and relatively accurate too. In talking to a few others I might remove the extended responses from my exams and put in simple case studies (as the nclex for the nurses are all going to those). Also it made me very sad to write this case study as a SOAP note (even though I am relieved I no longer have to write SOAP notes any more, the medical record a doc writes every time they see you).
My last workshop was a bust. No one showed up. I moaned not again. I don't want to sneak into another workshop late again. And my table mates say why bother? Let's just go get on the bus and go home. And so we did. The fun thing was before that we were talking and I mentioned my age (it was relevant to whatever it was we were talking about) and the guy I was with said I would never have guessed that (his partner agreed) why thank you. I don't think I look nearly 60 either.
Also at lunch I brought out my heavy ass laptop because the blaster box for Hazbin Hotel was dropping at noon (10 minutes late as it turns out) it's their new card set and it will sell out. I managed to get it...twice over because I fat fingered my touch screen and it would NOT let me empty it out probably because it sold out in minutes and I'm like fine, I'll buy it because I can either sell it whole or more likely get the cards out and sell them separately. These cards have been selling out in under 5 minutes and people are reselling them for hundreds. I won't do that but I can sell it for easy 10-20 a card if I wanted to. I can recoup this and each one has an ultra rare and rare and other specials. Those I'll keep. Have I mentioned I love cards? I've been collecting them since 1977 with Star Wars (I even have the 70s era Planet of the Apes tv show), I have shit tons of Buffyverse and Fullmetal Alchemist cards. I have the entire Sandman set including chasers (probably worth a lot less now that we know how skeevy Gaiman is)
Dinner was chicken speidini at Garozzo's, yummy but I almost wish I had ordered the other chicken dish (they're credited from turning the traditional beef speidini to chicken) because I didn't like the pasta that came with this. I would have enjoyed the garlic/olive oil one with the other dish. I haven't eaten the tiramisu yet.
I also DID buy my Kansas City Gangster tour ticket for Saturday at 10. All the afternoon ones were sold out but you know what I don't mind. I have been getting up early for days now and once I get that over with I'll have time to do my afternoon stuff. Now to sit down and figure out my tourist days. I know what I want to do Thursday but now for the rest of the weekend.
Have fannish 50 the questions, I'm using Buffy for this
Day 4: Least favourite female character. This was much harder than it should be. I decided I wasn't going to use any one off characters and using Joyce or Dawn felt too easy. I didn't hate them. Joyce made a lot of bad choices that annoyed me and Dawn was...supposed to be younger than who was cast so I don't actually blame the character for being off.
I went with Kendra. She was a poorly drawn character. I liked that they went with the naivete/lack of social awareness because she was never a girl. She was just a weapon to be used until she was killed. That was a nice contrast to Buffy's wild side. Maybe it was that she came off as rather...dumb and that the one character of color on this whole show (other than Giles' girlfriend and Mr. Trick, a villain) was there really to make the white characters look better. It was uncomfortable. She was there to die (so much for the traditional training).
( all questions under here )
It was an oddly laid out place with workshops all over the damn place (I did not bring my cane. I will bring it tomorrow) My first workshop was moved all the way across campus so I went to the one next door. Not really a topic that interested me that much but I did get some helpful things from it for the syllabus.
Work shop number two was canceled. Boo. I wanted to do the dungeon crawl case study escape room thing. I went to the one next door. This one was interesting, talking about how out dated some of the graphics and concepts we still use are and I was wondering why some of it hasn't been adopted.
The lunch hour was something else. I have been going to these off and one for 16 years and this is the first time the line was insane (I was literally in a different building) They had one table of food and RAN OUT. There is no real excuse for this because they know how many people have registered, not sure who messed up. Luckily more food was cooked up (didn't go with the rest of it mind you). I got my food 10 minutes before the afternoon session started.
That was a case study one by a former doc turned teacher (similar to my story) and...for the first time I used ChatGPT to create the case studies and I was a bit terrified at how fast it did it and relatively accurate too. In talking to a few others I might remove the extended responses from my exams and put in simple case studies (as the nclex for the nurses are all going to those). Also it made me very sad to write this case study as a SOAP note (even though I am relieved I no longer have to write SOAP notes any more, the medical record a doc writes every time they see you).
My last workshop was a bust. No one showed up. I moaned not again. I don't want to sneak into another workshop late again. And my table mates say why bother? Let's just go get on the bus and go home. And so we did. The fun thing was before that we were talking and I mentioned my age (it was relevant to whatever it was we were talking about) and the guy I was with said I would never have guessed that (his partner agreed) why thank you. I don't think I look nearly 60 either.
Also at lunch I brought out my heavy ass laptop because the blaster box for Hazbin Hotel was dropping at noon (10 minutes late as it turns out) it's their new card set and it will sell out. I managed to get it...twice over because I fat fingered my touch screen and it would NOT let me empty it out probably because it sold out in minutes and I'm like fine, I'll buy it because I can either sell it whole or more likely get the cards out and sell them separately. These cards have been selling out in under 5 minutes and people are reselling them for hundreds. I won't do that but I can sell it for easy 10-20 a card if I wanted to. I can recoup this and each one has an ultra rare and rare and other specials. Those I'll keep. Have I mentioned I love cards? I've been collecting them since 1977 with Star Wars (I even have the 70s era Planet of the Apes tv show), I have shit tons of Buffyverse and Fullmetal Alchemist cards. I have the entire Sandman set including chasers (probably worth a lot less now that we know how skeevy Gaiman is)
Dinner was chicken speidini at Garozzo's, yummy but I almost wish I had ordered the other chicken dish (they're credited from turning the traditional beef speidini to chicken) because I didn't like the pasta that came with this. I would have enjoyed the garlic/olive oil one with the other dish. I haven't eaten the tiramisu yet.
I also DID buy my Kansas City Gangster tour ticket for Saturday at 10. All the afternoon ones were sold out but you know what I don't mind. I have been getting up early for days now and once I get that over with I'll have time to do my afternoon stuff. Now to sit down and figure out my tourist days. I know what I want to do Thursday but now for the rest of the weekend.
Have fannish 50 the questions, I'm using Buffy for this
Day 4: Least favourite female character. This was much harder than it should be. I decided I wasn't going to use any one off characters and using Joyce or Dawn felt too easy. I didn't hate them. Joyce made a lot of bad choices that annoyed me and Dawn was...supposed to be younger than who was cast so I don't actually blame the character for being off.
I went with Kendra. She was a poorly drawn character. I liked that they went with the naivete/lack of social awareness because she was never a girl. She was just a weapon to be used until she was killed. That was a nice contrast to Buffy's wild side. Maybe it was that she came off as rather...dumb and that the one character of color on this whole show (other than Giles' girlfriend and Mr. Trick, a villain) was there really to make the white characters look better. It was uncomfortable. She was there to die (so much for the traditional training).
( all questions under here )
(no subject)
May. 26th, 2026 04:27 pmmajuIt looks like we'll be having more seasonable weather for a while - temperatures in the 70s/20s by day and the 50s/teens by night. It would be lovely if it could be like this all summer.
My daughter is having an extremely long day today; she left at 5 am to go to Newark airport to fly to San Diego for a conference. Her flight was at 10 am and she arrived in San Diego about an hour ago, when it was just after midday local time. She was actually invited to present at a conference in Prague a couple of weeks ago but she didn't feel comfortable leaving the country and trying to get back in as a green card holder in the current political climate. It would probably have been fine but the stakes are too high for her to risk it.
The internet has been very spotty in my basement today so I'm sitting upstairs closer to the router to write and post this.
My daughter is having an extremely long day today; she left at 5 am to go to Newark airport to fly to San Diego for a conference. Her flight was at 10 am and she arrived in San Diego about an hour ago, when it was just after midday local time. She was actually invited to present at a conference in Prague a couple of weeks ago but she didn't feel comfortable leaving the country and trying to get back in as a green card holder in the current political climate. It would probably have been fine but the stakes are too high for her to risk it.
The internet has been very spotty in my basement today so I'm sitting upstairs closer to the router to write and post this.
You can invade my privacy anytime...
May. 26th, 2026 08:59 amsusandennisSo the new Google Health app asked if I wanted to connect my records from my doctor. Sure, why the hell not. So today I went in and looked and wow. There's a bunch of fascinating info now collected and collated and wow. "26+ years of health history."
There are a bunch of screens of data about my COPD, my medications, etc. Here's a fun clip:
"Your data demonstrates a heart that is becoming significantly more "economical." Your Resting Heart Rate (RHR) averages 62 bpm, well within the expected range, while your Heart Rate Variability (HRV) of 31 ms is relatively high for your age cohort, signaling healthy autonomic resilience.
The most striking evidence of your progress is in your swimming efficiency. For example, on May 21, 2026, you completed 1,250 yards with a Cardio Load 76% lower than similar efforts from early 2024. This suggests your heart is doing significantly less work to achieve the same physical output. Your blood pressure has remained stable, with a recent reading of 128/82 mmHg (January 2026), down from 136/62 mmHg a year prior."
Very cool.
Over the weekend, I ordered a bunch of shit from Amazon and most of it came yesterday. I ordered 3 different pairs of flip flops. I opened the first one. NOPE. I opened the second one and YES! YES! Perfect. Nice arch support and love for my tender toes. They are loud - FLOP FLOP FLOP but they feel great. Then I tried on the too expensive sandals I got from Zappos. Oh shit. They are perfect, too. Oh well. I do have 3 pairs of sandals to return. No problem. Oh and also I got a new robe to wear to the pool and back and it's fine. I now have a good winter one and one that is better when it's not so cold.
Today is house cleaning day so probably I'll take the Amazon returns while she cleans.
The listening to my book while I do yarn stuff was quite fun and a nice break from TV. There will be more of that today.
I cut it a little close with the Chewy delivery and the cat larder is getting bare. I sure hope the next shipment arrives today. It should.
It's a lovely, rainy, cozy day here today. I'm off now to get dressed and get it started.
There are a bunch of screens of data about my COPD, my medications, etc. Here's a fun clip:
"Your data demonstrates a heart that is becoming significantly more "economical." Your Resting Heart Rate (RHR) averages 62 bpm, well within the expected range, while your Heart Rate Variability (HRV) of 31 ms is relatively high for your age cohort, signaling healthy autonomic resilience.
The most striking evidence of your progress is in your swimming efficiency. For example, on May 21, 2026, you completed 1,250 yards with a Cardio Load 76% lower than similar efforts from early 2024. This suggests your heart is doing significantly less work to achieve the same physical output. Your blood pressure has remained stable, with a recent reading of 128/82 mmHg (January 2026), down from 136/62 mmHg a year prior."
Very cool.
Over the weekend, I ordered a bunch of shit from Amazon and most of it came yesterday. I ordered 3 different pairs of flip flops. I opened the first one. NOPE. I opened the second one and YES! YES! Perfect. Nice arch support and love for my tender toes. They are loud - FLOP FLOP FLOP but they feel great. Then I tried on the too expensive sandals I got from Zappos. Oh shit. They are perfect, too. Oh well. I do have 3 pairs of sandals to return. No problem. Oh and also I got a new robe to wear to the pool and back and it's fine. I now have a good winter one and one that is better when it's not so cold.
Today is house cleaning day so probably I'll take the Amazon returns while she cleans.
The listening to my book while I do yarn stuff was quite fun and a nice break from TV. There will be more of that today.
I cut it a little close with the Chewy delivery and the cat larder is getting bare. I sure hope the next shipment arrives today. It should.
It's a lovely, rainy, cozy day here today. I'm off now to get dressed and get it started.
Just one thing: 26 May 2026
May. 26th, 2026 06:44 amjazzyjj posting in awesomeersIt's challenge time!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Nevada Visit Day 1
May. 25th, 2026 08:28 pmdays_unfoldingDad lectured me to go to bed :)
Annoyingly, I woke up at 5:30 AM local time (7:30 Central time). Tried to fall back to sleep but couldn’t. Maybe I can nap later. I was able to nap.
Oy. I had a long chat with my dad’s wife, Sue. Apparently, Dad has serious health problems that he’s refusing treatment for because he thinks that he can cure them through nutrition. No, he won’t listen to me.
Today, apparently, is laundry day. I threw some of my clothes in, and Dad was complaining because they were black clothes and hard to tell apart from other clothes.
I learned that my dad played the accordion and cello when he was a kid. I never knew that.
Dad and I walked around the “triangle” and he gave me deets on the neighbors.
It’s very windy out, and Dad was going to grill. Sue doesn’t want him to grill in this wind, and she told me to try to get him to stop. I don’t know if he’ll listen to me though. He finally decided that it was too windy, which was the right decision.
We still had hamburgers though, and they were quite good. A priest friend of Dad and Sue’s had dinner with us.
Earlish night tonight, I think.
Annoyingly, I woke up at 5:30 AM local time (7:30 Central time). Tried to fall back to sleep but couldn’t. Maybe I can nap later. I was able to nap.
Oy. I had a long chat with my dad’s wife, Sue. Apparently, Dad has serious health problems that he’s refusing treatment for because he thinks that he can cure them through nutrition. No, he won’t listen to me.
Today, apparently, is laundry day. I threw some of my clothes in, and Dad was complaining because they were black clothes and hard to tell apart from other clothes.
I learned that my dad played the accordion and cello when he was a kid. I never knew that.
Dad and I walked around the “triangle” and he gave me deets on the neighbors.
It’s very windy out, and Dad was going to grill. Sue doesn’t want him to grill in this wind, and she told me to try to get him to stop. I don’t know if he’ll listen to me though. He finally decided that it was too windy, which was the right decision.
We still had hamburgers though, and they were quite good. A priest friend of Dad and Sue’s had dinner with us.
Earlish night tonight, I think.
I am full of gin and beef
May. 25th, 2026 06:28 pmcornerofmadnessthe conference portion of the con is over and now it'll be two days of workshops which are always so invigorating. I almost wish this was the end of July/beginning of August so I could roll into the new semester all fired up.
We had the celebratory cocktails and it's usually appetizers but today it was make your own ramen bowl. Wow. (kimchi and spicy tofu were so in my bowl). Expecting not much, I had already ordered dinner from a BBQ joint (highly recced) it had a menu like none I've seen. So beef burnt ends and beef ribs with a pool of smoked beans it is. Delicious. I mean I don't usually eat meat but when I do go carnivore, it gets ridiculous.
Finally met my mentee who didn't much need me (as expected) as he's a retired family practice doc just moving into teaching. got a mug from holt anatomical. Didn't win a single door prize. Didn't murder any kids but the urge was there (they were screaming in the halls until 130 in the morning and several other Hapsters did complain. I had to turn them in when I went to heat up my lunch. they had trashed the microwave, food and wrappers all over the floor. You know, I've BEEN a kid at a hotel with school functions and I never did this
I did find a few things that no one but me will be interested in but I'm putting them here so I remember. A study contract for students (how long to study, what days, what's in their way), having them do a group eportfolio of their dissections, collaborative testing before exams to build confidence, using the guess who game to do histology quizzing (and others if you build it) and gee I've already forgot a few.
I watched a giant chunk of The Pitt (they had the whole season on) today. It is easily the most accurate medical drama I've ever seen and there was some real ptsd on a few of those scenes for me. Shudders. And then I saw The Bride (part of it) WTF was that? Easily the worst movie I have seen in years. Also thanks for the multiple sexual assault attempts in it.
dinner
new mug
It's music monday 30 weeks of music. This week's prompt is # 27 A song you discovered from a tv show. I'll show you mine if you show me yours.
( There are SO many TV shows that introduced me to so much music )
here's the whole prompt list
( All under here )
We had the celebratory cocktails and it's usually appetizers but today it was make your own ramen bowl. Wow. (kimchi and spicy tofu were so in my bowl). Expecting not much, I had already ordered dinner from a BBQ joint (highly recced) it had a menu like none I've seen. So beef burnt ends and beef ribs with a pool of smoked beans it is. Delicious. I mean I don't usually eat meat but when I do go carnivore, it gets ridiculous.
Finally met my mentee who didn't much need me (as expected) as he's a retired family practice doc just moving into teaching. got a mug from holt anatomical. Didn't win a single door prize. Didn't murder any kids but the urge was there (they were screaming in the halls until 130 in the morning and several other Hapsters did complain. I had to turn them in when I went to heat up my lunch. they had trashed the microwave, food and wrappers all over the floor. You know, I've BEEN a kid at a hotel with school functions and I never did this
I did find a few things that no one but me will be interested in but I'm putting them here so I remember. A study contract for students (how long to study, what days, what's in their way), having them do a group eportfolio of their dissections, collaborative testing before exams to build confidence, using the guess who game to do histology quizzing (and others if you build it) and gee I've already forgot a few.
I watched a giant chunk of The Pitt (they had the whole season on) today. It is easily the most accurate medical drama I've ever seen and there was some real ptsd on a few of those scenes for me. Shudders. And then I saw The Bride (part of it) WTF was that? Easily the worst movie I have seen in years. Also thanks for the multiple sexual assault attempts in it.
dinner
new mug
It's music monday 30 weeks of music. This week's prompt is # 27 A song you discovered from a tv show. I'll show you mine if you show me yours.
( There are SO many TV shows that introduced me to so much music )
here's the whole prompt list
( All under here )
tikkun leil shavuot
May. 25th, 2026 06:46 pmcellioShavuot is the holiday about the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai (matan torah). There is a tradition of late-night study called tikkun leil Shavuot, or colloquially, a tikkun.
The Pittsburgh community has -- I'm told this is very unusual -- a community-wide tikkun for the first few hours, from 10PM to 1AM. There are about 25 one-hour sessions (spread across the three timeslots) with teachers from across the local Jewish spectrum -- rabbis, cantors, and educators; Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Reform, Conservative; from synagogues, schools, social services (like eldercare and prison support), and other Jewish organizations.
I went to a session called "relearning Leah" that was very good. We only had an hour and there was a lot of discussion, so we were mostly in the Torah text about her deceptive marriage and children and didn't get much into the midrashim. Something I noticed for the first time in how Leah explains the names for her sons:
Reuben: "It means: 'GOD has seen my affliction'; it also means: 'Now my husband will love me.'"
Shimon: "This is because GOD heard that I was unloved and has given me this one also".
Levi: "This time my husband will become attached to me, for I have borne him three sons."
And then (B'reishit 29:35):
She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, "This time I will praise GOD." Therefore she named him Yehudah. Then she stopped bearing.
The first three were born of, and named for, her distress, and each time God gave her another son. With Yehudah she seems to have come to terms with her situation; she doesn't name him for distress but instead praises God. She seems to be happy with her four sons despite everything. I don't think God would punish her for that, so I think the fact that this was her last son in this batch is more like closure, maybe. Later Leah produces, by proxy and directly, four more sons, named for luck (Gad), fortune (Asher), "my reward" (Yissachar), and "a choice gift" (Zebulun) -- all positive/praise, not distress.
I also went to a session called "Midnight midrash: outlandish stories of Caesars, magic, and mosquitos", because how could you not? This rabbi did "midnight midrash" last year too (different topics) and I really liked his teaching, so even though I try to go to new-to-me teachers at the community tikkun, I went to this because of last year. It was both fun and educational, but I think I'd have to reproduce the handout to explain why.
I changed synagogues last summer, so this year found out for the first time about Beth Shalom's traveling tikkun. After the community-wide one ended, about twenty of us headed to our rabbi's house, where we learned some Rambam on laws related to teachers and students. Around 2:30 that ended and about eight of us headed to the home of a congregant who planned to study all night and then, with whatever stragglers were left, go to the dawn holiday service before crashing. This congregant's tradition is to study a different minor prophet each year in detail. This year it was Habakkuk, which I probably hadn't read in its entirety since I was in high school. Unlike many prophets, Habakkuk isn't preaching to Yisrael; he's exclusively interacting with God and he initiates. I would summarize it as: Chapter 1: why is this bad stuff happening to us? Chapter 2: don't worry; God will afflict the people who are afflicting you and you'll be ok in the end. Chapter 3: a psalm in praise of God. There are, of course, a lot of details in there, and we had a good discussion that I can't summarize. We reached a natural pause around 4:15, at which point I was fading, so I left at that point (I was not the first, at least) and I don't know if they dove into more commentaries or looked at something else. I wonder how many made it to the early-morning service.
(no subject)
May. 25th, 2026 02:18 pmmajuUgh, yesterday I received a bill for lab tests I had done last November. I checked my Medicare account for details of this bill, and found the very first item I'm being charged for is "INSERTION OF NEEDLE INTO VEIN FOR COLLECTION OF BLOOD SAMPLE ". ($36.40!!!) I wonder if they make an additional charge for every attempt if they can't find a vein on the first try.
We've had quite a lot of rain over the last 24 hours, but it wasn't raining when I got up so I went for a walk just after 5 am without getting seriously wet although my feet were wet by the time I got home. I'm not really sure why, since I didn't walk through any puddles or wet grass; maybe because there was a light mist?
Apparently this town normally has a Memorial Day parade (I've never been here on Memorial Day before); there was a lot of discussion by the town (I know this because I'm signed up for town notices and I got both tests and emails on the subject) about whether or not it should go ahead today, since the forecast was for rain and low temperatures (low 50sF), and at 7 pm yesterday they decided to cancel it. In hindsight, it could have gone ahead because it really hasn't rained all morning, but it could have gone either way.
My daughter and son in law have been having trouble finding gluten free bread in their usual shops; we're wondering whether the usual sellers have stopped importing it (from somewhere). I suddenly realised that if gluten free flour is still available I could make gluten free bread, so next time my son in law goes shopping he is going to buy the flour plus yeast. I could also start some gluten free sourdough starter, but yeast will work as it doesn't have gluten, and it will be much faster than waiting on starter to be ready.
We've had quite a lot of rain over the last 24 hours, but it wasn't raining when I got up so I went for a walk just after 5 am without getting seriously wet although my feet were wet by the time I got home. I'm not really sure why, since I didn't walk through any puddles or wet grass; maybe because there was a light mist?
Apparently this town normally has a Memorial Day parade (I've never been here on Memorial Day before); there was a lot of discussion by the town (I know this because I'm signed up for town notices and I got both tests and emails on the subject) about whether or not it should go ahead today, since the forecast was for rain and low temperatures (low 50sF), and at 7 pm yesterday they decided to cancel it. In hindsight, it could have gone ahead because it really hasn't rained all morning, but it could have gone either way.
My daughter and son in law have been having trouble finding gluten free bread in their usual shops; we're wondering whether the usual sellers have stopped importing it (from somewhere). I suddenly realised that if gluten free flour is still available I could make gluten free bread, so next time my son in law goes shopping he is going to buy the flour plus yeast. I could also start some gluten free sourdough starter, but yeast will work as it doesn't have gluten, and it will be much faster than waiting on starter to be ready.
Monday but not regular
May. 25th, 2026 07:31 amsusandennisPatriotic holidays mostly just annoy me. I am not proud of my country or anything about it. I honestly do not think anything about war should be honored or celebrated or memorialized. I love color but find the combination of red, white and blue to be gaudy. So. Basically for today and the 4th of July, Get Off My Lawn.
End of Rant.
But, my swim was fine. I'm not sure this idea of rolling out of bed and right to the pool is as good as I first thought. I may have to tweak it a little.
Linda continues to be a thorn. Tina, the 96 year old who plays every volleyball game, missed the meeting on Saturday (she was busy) but got wind of what went down and sent a scathing email out of everyone saying that she did not believe we should change all of our volleyball for one person. I ran into her in the mailroom yesterday and she was hot about the whole thing. "Playing later would interfere with my schedule. Linda just needs to go to bed earlier or not play." Stay tuned. Nobody fucks with Tina.
I'm out of stuff to watch. I canceled Netflix and canceled Hulu. So I'm down to Pramount+ (cause I got a deal on a year) and Prime and Starz (cause I got a deal on a year but man does their UI suck) and Britbox Oh and Apple (thanks, Bro). And a bunch of ad supported stuff that I won't watch because I can't stand those ads. There is really nothing that I want to watch. BUT, I have lots of good books on my list so I can listen instead. Fine by me.
I did laundry yesterday and reorganized my shoe shelves now that the shoes have been culled. I also ordered a pair from Zappos but I'm not keeping them if they are not perfect. I've already decided to return the flip flops.
Today will be crochet, maybe a little knitting and booking with baseball tonight. And excellent plan.
End of Rant.
But, my swim was fine. I'm not sure this idea of rolling out of bed and right to the pool is as good as I first thought. I may have to tweak it a little.
Linda continues to be a thorn. Tina, the 96 year old who plays every volleyball game, missed the meeting on Saturday (she was busy) but got wind of what went down and sent a scathing email out of everyone saying that she did not believe we should change all of our volleyball for one person. I ran into her in the mailroom yesterday and she was hot about the whole thing. "Playing later would interfere with my schedule. Linda just needs to go to bed earlier or not play." Stay tuned. Nobody fucks with Tina.
I'm out of stuff to watch. I canceled Netflix and canceled Hulu. So I'm down to Pramount+ (cause I got a deal on a year) and Prime and Starz (cause I got a deal on a year but man does their UI suck) and Britbox Oh and Apple (thanks, Bro). And a bunch of ad supported stuff that I won't watch because I can't stand those ads. There is really nothing that I want to watch. BUT, I have lots of good books on my list so I can listen instead. Fine by me.
I did laundry yesterday and reorganized my shoe shelves now that the shoes have been culled. I also ordered a pair from Zappos but I'm not keeping them if they are not perfect. I've already decided to return the flip flops.
Today will be crochet, maybe a little knitting and booking with baseball tonight. And excellent plan.
Crates
May. 25th, 2026 09:22 amkalloway
I ordered a brown AK paint marker solely to paint these crates, because I had absolutely no brown, apparently. No brown in the other marker sets, no brown paint. This is both baffling, because it's a pretty common color, but also not surprising because I first started painting Transformers for customs/character-swaps, and then moved on to Gundam and models and those all need brighter, shinier colors... So, finally, brown. Also grabbed a nice orange that's probably 99% for Blue Frames.
Crates were not the only thing I worked on over the weekend, but they were something I kept coming back to. I'm not sure what scale they're meant to be. Probably 1/35 or 1/48? But I can do whatever with them. All five were in a bag for $1 at SEMMEX so I feel like however they turn out and whatever I do with them, I got a good deal.
Nothing else to report. Have some plants ready to give away, and dug stuff for next weekend's nerd show out of the closet.
Chicago --> Reno --> Gardnerville
May. 24th, 2026 09:51 pmdays_unfoldingThere’s rain with thunder out. I hope that my flight won’t be delayed.
I slept well with the CPAP.
I had problems scanning the boarding pass on my phone, so a nice United rep scanned it for me and put the tag on my luggage, etc. I’m already having problems with technology, and Dad says that it will get worse.
At the gate for my first flight. This is the trip of overpriced but delicious food; I had a turkey and Brie (with apple) sandwich, and it was delicious.
The first flight, from Chicago to Denver was longer than the second flight. I dozed off before we took off. I had planned to watch Hamnet, but I’m not sure if there was enough time. Someone in the next row up was watching Return of the Jedi, and it didn’t quite finish when we landed. I distinguished myself by having problems opening the bathroom door.
The flight from Denver to Reno was short. I had to walk through most of the airport to get to the baggage claim. Dad met me partway there. We drove to an Olive Garden in Carson City for dinner. I filled up on breadsticks and soup and couldn’t finish the entree.
Then we went in search of distilled water for my CPAP. Found some.
Got to the house (in Gardnerville), and I figured out where to put the CPAP. I want some more good sleep!
Dad says that we are going to stick close to the house tomorrow and grill hamburgers.
I slept well with the CPAP.
I had problems scanning the boarding pass on my phone, so a nice United rep scanned it for me and put the tag on my luggage, etc. I’m already having problems with technology, and Dad says that it will get worse.
At the gate for my first flight. This is the trip of overpriced but delicious food; I had a turkey and Brie (with apple) sandwich, and it was delicious.
The first flight, from Chicago to Denver was longer than the second flight. I dozed off before we took off. I had planned to watch Hamnet, but I’m not sure if there was enough time. Someone in the next row up was watching Return of the Jedi, and it didn’t quite finish when we landed. I distinguished myself by having problems opening the bathroom door.
The flight from Denver to Reno was short. I had to walk through most of the airport to get to the baggage claim. Dad met me partway there. We drove to an Olive Garden in Carson City for dinner. I filled up on breadsticks and soup and couldn’t finish the entree.
Then we went in search of distilled water for my CPAP. Found some.
Got to the house (in Gardnerville), and I figured out where to put the CPAP. I want some more good sleep!
Dad says that we are going to stick close to the house tomorrow and grill hamburgers.
How is this so exhausting?
May. 24th, 2026 09:48 pmcornerofmadnessI mean I'm just sitting in lectures and walking around one exhibitor hall but I feel like I've worked 36 hours without a break.
Okay had to stop for a second after three loud explosions. Not lightning. Not fireworks. No clue. Pool people were looking around too but maybe it is a storm, just one I can't see lightning for. But it was nice all day. Weird.
All the little kids are gone but now there are new ones in this hotel (it's huge, 40 floors) and they're doing the same thing, running floor to floor taking up the elevators and screaming down the halls. eye roll (seriously I had a focus group today, left a talk I was enjoying early to give myself 15 minutes to get upstairs for my lap top and back again only to still end up 5 minutes late. Slow elevators. We also have an Indian wedding going on with all their beautiful finery (one of the boys was talking to me in the elevator, he was the sweetest thing)
Speaking of sweet, man it's a matter of outside perspective isn't it? I was SO disappointed in my not-violet hair color but people have commented about how nice it looks but between last night and today like a half dozen strangers have come up to tell me how much they liked my purple plum hair one young professor (grad student?) told me that it matched my plum flower shirt perfectly and even my hair style reminded him of flowers. And here I thought people would think it was ugly because it wasn't the color I had originally wanted.
I learned a few things in the update seminars today including the huge role of vitamin A in craniofacial deformities (cleft lip, cleft palate etc). Planning a child? Get some A in your life. And while I knew that pigs were very close to humans physiologically (more so than mice but I don't normally talk animal testing because of people's feelings about it), I didn't know we were looking at them in terms of fertility. Nor did I know that male fertility has dropped 52% in the last 50 years (so 1% a year which doesn't sound like much until you really see the math) I missed why they think it is other than endocrine disruptors and environmental health, like pesticides nor did I know we had transgenic pigs with the glowing green jellyfish gene that they are using to test a few theories about breast milk which is another cause of lowering fertility, immunologic health and probably more. Breast milk has more than colostrum and fats/sugars in it. They have EVs (extracellular vesicles) which they're tracking with those transgenic pigs but we do know be it human or pig, breast milk leads to the healthiest of babies, cow milk is a close second but formula and plant milk are way behind (sorry vegans) Soy milk especially has the ability to be an endocrine disruptor because it's an estrogen mimic (this I knew and I don't eat much tofu any more or drink the milk at all because my cancer is estrogen sensitive and why risk it)
The focus group I was in was interesting but way harder than I thought. It was on escape rooms and I mean it was HARD. It took me and my partner a half hour and some hints to get out. It's not available to buy yet but I think it might frustrate my students because you really have to not only know your stuff but solve puzzles too. It is a virtual game, fantastic graphics etc and like a true professor on a labeling exercise there were more than you needed to get it right (and it took me a second to realize that randomly capitalized letters were the code for getting a lock open) some things you really had to know your shit or you were staying locked in there. My students are never escaping (and hell I barely made it past the match the emoji string part but mostly because I couldn't see it on the labeling part, too small, I'm too old) I think the overall feeling was shorter ones with just key systems would be good versus trying to tie multiple systems together this was tough enough to be a final exam prep (I'd have to give them major points) I think it was fun and if it was reasonable I would consider it. However, with all due respect to the very cool VR tool another vendor let me use 1000$ a student to use it is not reasonable. A full lab would cost me 25K (but it's only 3K in years after that. Per student? Per class? Don't matter, that's the entire budget for my entire department.
I never met my mentee. We just played phone tag. I did have a great idea handed to me at breakfast (there was that explosion sounds again wtf IS that?) one of the profs is sharing her pintrest and what she does is collect AI generated anatomy stuff, much of which is wrong and she prints it and makes the students fix it.
And yeah no writerly ways other than links (because I'm just sitting here watching Insidious while eating dill pickle corn puffs and whatever that sound is, it's shaking the windowpane. It seems mechanical almost like a train track.) I did make progress on my merfolk story and the sapphic divinity story crapped out today (mostly because I have a character and a setting and no plot and I don't know the Rifreddo Witch festival. I need to research it more)
Oh it IS Fireworks. I can't see them in the sky because my view is wrong but I can see them reflecting on the glass building across from me. Probably some baseball game or memorial day celebration.
and as I wrap this up it's nearly 1130 and people are running and yelling in the hall and I am not amused
OPEN Calls
81 Publishing Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Writers (keeping in mind this isn't just people of color, LGBT, disability etc count for some of them)
28 Journals with Fast Response Times
Fun In The Dark. Small town weirdness, uncanny communities, strange local traditions, unsettling suburban or village horror
The Submission Pit May 2026 Window Open speculative fiction
Spookane: A Spokane-Based Horror Anthology Horror stories connected to Spokane, Washington and nearby regions
The Monstrous & The Divine This is the one I'm trying to write for once I do more research on that witch festival in Italy
Crooked Spine Issue 1 Open horror / debut issue horror fiction
Movie Horror Themed Anthology Horror centered on movies, filmmaking, or watching films
From around the web
YouTube Is Crawling with Pirated Audiobooks Made Using A.I. This is behind a pay wall but the title tells you all you know. I did find someone (real) reading classic short stories and after listening to a few of them I am FLOODED on YT with AI readings of all the classics plus I'm sure if I clicked on it AI pirated books. Can we just not.
How and Why I’m Creating a Physical Archive of My Writing
Association of American Publishers Applauds Sweeping Default Judgement Against Notorious Pirate Site Anna’s Archive
Authors Guild Wins Default Judgment Against TouchPoint Press.
The Ghost in the Machine (Inherited Creative Blocks).
How to Pace Your Prose for Greater Impact another one for the current book
From Betty
Anatomy of a Fable.
Five Surprisingly Successful Characters and Why They Work
Giving Your World Fantastic Skies.
Should Your Tale Start With Dark Backstory?
Literary Pathways for Microtension
How to Spot and Plug Plot Holes
Revisited: “Your Brain on Writing”
The Kind of Short Stories People Really Want to Read
Why Writers Should Never Make Smart Characters Act Dumb
How Writers Can Use Pinterest to Drive Traffic and Build Long-Term Visibility
Why Consistency Matters More Than Ever for Author Email Newsletters
Do Authors Really Need a Book Launch Team? What Every Writer Should Know
Do Authors Really Need a Book Launch Team? What Every Writer Should Know
What to Do When Someone Writes ‘Your’ Book
Thoughts on How the Marketplace Is Shaping the Stories We Tell
The Weird Editing Habit I Can’t Write Without
A Plot Twist with a Twist
Why Research is Important when Writing Fiction
Your Voice Is the Point. Stop Toning It Down
The Art of Withholding Information I need to contemplate this one for my current novel
Coping Mechanism Thesaurus: Visualization
Okay had to stop for a second after three loud explosions. Not lightning. Not fireworks. No clue. Pool people were looking around too but maybe it is a storm, just one I can't see lightning for. But it was nice all day. Weird.
All the little kids are gone but now there are new ones in this hotel (it's huge, 40 floors) and they're doing the same thing, running floor to floor taking up the elevators and screaming down the halls. eye roll (seriously I had a focus group today, left a talk I was enjoying early to give myself 15 minutes to get upstairs for my lap top and back again only to still end up 5 minutes late. Slow elevators. We also have an Indian wedding going on with all their beautiful finery (one of the boys was talking to me in the elevator, he was the sweetest thing)
Speaking of sweet, man it's a matter of outside perspective isn't it? I was SO disappointed in my not-violet hair color but people have commented about how nice it looks but between last night and today like a half dozen strangers have come up to tell me how much they liked my purple plum hair one young professor (grad student?) told me that it matched my plum flower shirt perfectly and even my hair style reminded him of flowers. And here I thought people would think it was ugly because it wasn't the color I had originally wanted.
I learned a few things in the update seminars today including the huge role of vitamin A in craniofacial deformities (cleft lip, cleft palate etc). Planning a child? Get some A in your life. And while I knew that pigs were very close to humans physiologically (more so than mice but I don't normally talk animal testing because of people's feelings about it), I didn't know we were looking at them in terms of fertility. Nor did I know that male fertility has dropped 52% in the last 50 years (so 1% a year which doesn't sound like much until you really see the math) I missed why they think it is other than endocrine disruptors and environmental health, like pesticides nor did I know we had transgenic pigs with the glowing green jellyfish gene that they are using to test a few theories about breast milk which is another cause of lowering fertility, immunologic health and probably more. Breast milk has more than colostrum and fats/sugars in it. They have EVs (extracellular vesicles) which they're tracking with those transgenic pigs but we do know be it human or pig, breast milk leads to the healthiest of babies, cow milk is a close second but formula and plant milk are way behind (sorry vegans) Soy milk especially has the ability to be an endocrine disruptor because it's an estrogen mimic (this I knew and I don't eat much tofu any more or drink the milk at all because my cancer is estrogen sensitive and why risk it)
The focus group I was in was interesting but way harder than I thought. It was on escape rooms and I mean it was HARD. It took me and my partner a half hour and some hints to get out. It's not available to buy yet but I think it might frustrate my students because you really have to not only know your stuff but solve puzzles too. It is a virtual game, fantastic graphics etc and like a true professor on a labeling exercise there were more than you needed to get it right (and it took me a second to realize that randomly capitalized letters were the code for getting a lock open) some things you really had to know your shit or you were staying locked in there. My students are never escaping (and hell I barely made it past the match the emoji string part but mostly because I couldn't see it on the labeling part, too small, I'm too old) I think the overall feeling was shorter ones with just key systems would be good versus trying to tie multiple systems together this was tough enough to be a final exam prep (I'd have to give them major points) I think it was fun and if it was reasonable I would consider it. However, with all due respect to the very cool VR tool another vendor let me use 1000$ a student to use it is not reasonable. A full lab would cost me 25K (but it's only 3K in years after that. Per student? Per class? Don't matter, that's the entire budget for my entire department.
I never met my mentee. We just played phone tag. I did have a great idea handed to me at breakfast (there was that explosion sounds again wtf IS that?) one of the profs is sharing her pintrest and what she does is collect AI generated anatomy stuff, much of which is wrong and she prints it and makes the students fix it.
And yeah no writerly ways other than links (because I'm just sitting here watching Insidious while eating dill pickle corn puffs and whatever that sound is, it's shaking the windowpane. It seems mechanical almost like a train track.) I did make progress on my merfolk story and the sapphic divinity story crapped out today (mostly because I have a character and a setting and no plot and I don't know the Rifreddo Witch festival. I need to research it more)
Oh it IS Fireworks. I can't see them in the sky because my view is wrong but I can see them reflecting on the glass building across from me. Probably some baseball game or memorial day celebration.
and as I wrap this up it's nearly 1130 and people are running and yelling in the hall and I am not amused
OPEN Calls
81 Publishing Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Writers (keeping in mind this isn't just people of color, LGBT, disability etc count for some of them)
28 Journals with Fast Response Times
Fun In The Dark. Small town weirdness, uncanny communities, strange local traditions, unsettling suburban or village horror
The Submission Pit May 2026 Window Open speculative fiction
Spookane: A Spokane-Based Horror Anthology Horror stories connected to Spokane, Washington and nearby regions
The Monstrous & The Divine This is the one I'm trying to write for once I do more research on that witch festival in Italy
Crooked Spine Issue 1 Open horror / debut issue horror fiction
Movie Horror Themed Anthology Horror centered on movies, filmmaking, or watching films
From around the web
YouTube Is Crawling with Pirated Audiobooks Made Using A.I. This is behind a pay wall but the title tells you all you know. I did find someone (real) reading classic short stories and after listening to a few of them I am FLOODED on YT with AI readings of all the classics plus I'm sure if I clicked on it AI pirated books. Can we just not.
How and Why I’m Creating a Physical Archive of My Writing
Association of American Publishers Applauds Sweeping Default Judgement Against Notorious Pirate Site Anna’s Archive
Authors Guild Wins Default Judgment Against TouchPoint Press.
The Ghost in the Machine (Inherited Creative Blocks).
How to Pace Your Prose for Greater Impact another one for the current book
From Betty
Anatomy of a Fable.
Five Surprisingly Successful Characters and Why They Work
Giving Your World Fantastic Skies.
Should Your Tale Start With Dark Backstory?
Literary Pathways for Microtension
How to Spot and Plug Plot Holes
Revisited: “Your Brain on Writing”
The Kind of Short Stories People Really Want to Read
Why Writers Should Never Make Smart Characters Act Dumb
How Writers Can Use Pinterest to Drive Traffic and Build Long-Term Visibility
Why Consistency Matters More Than Ever for Author Email Newsletters
Do Authors Really Need a Book Launch Team? What Every Writer Should Know
Do Authors Really Need a Book Launch Team? What Every Writer Should Know
What to Do When Someone Writes ‘Your’ Book
Thoughts on How the Marketplace Is Shaping the Stories We Tell
The Weird Editing Habit I Can’t Write Without
A Plot Twist with a Twist
Why Research is Important when Writing Fiction
Your Voice Is the Point. Stop Toning It Down
The Art of Withholding Information I need to contemplate this one for my current novel
Coping Mechanism Thesaurus: Visualization
Just one thing: 25 May 2026
May. 24th, 2026 09:36 pmjazzyjj posting in awesomeersIt's challenge time!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!