Talk About Tuesday 315

It's mostly cloudy today, and it snowed yesterday. It's still freezing cold and blowing a gale out there, so I'm not in the best mood. I was in a far worse mood yesterday, though, when it was pouring and snowing and not a bit pleasant.

Today, I'm just trying to get motivated. I feel very tired and my brain is not working great, but I'll try to focus more. I won't be updating the blog daily after today as part of an ongoing effort to finish my book before 2021, because while I'm working it'll be hard to blog. I will try to keep up with Tuesdays and Thursdays at the very least but for now don't be alarmed if I go quiet.

I do want to keep posting things that are useful or interesting, though, so you may end up with a few scattered days here and there where I'm blogging a random recipe or game I've played.

There... isn't a whole lot of wrestling right now, either, though if you want to send me a Ko-fi with a link to a match on YouTube you'd like me to watch, definitely do so!

Art will continue on - I'm working on a few pieces right now, including one that will require some reference photos... I'm thinking of possibly taking prompts from people, though I cannot, in good conscience, charge for those. I'm notoriously flaky when it comes to these things.

Movies may be reviewed now and then, but I'm mostly on an X-Files and Dark Shadows kick right now, and it's hard to focus on movies when you're dealing with the current existential dread of a pandemic.

I still play silly clicker games, but I haven't been able to focus on any of them long enough to form a proper opinion. I died in Breath of the Wild yesterday by accidentally landing on a bear while I only had 3 hearts.

Cooking is also difficult - since everyone's home, that means I'm having more proper meals, but it also means that there's no room in the kitchen for lil old me.

Meanwhile, crochet is the easiest thing in the world right now. I'm working on several head scarves that I'll use when I'm done making them. After things calm down and I can get a dang haircut, though, I might sell a few of them... And, y'know, I'm also working on that shrug...

Next week, however, I'll probably still be back on Tuesday to update you on how the writing is going, what's up with my life, etcetera.

So... no schedule this week because I'll be writing!

Go Enjoy Something
FC

Fiber Monday 315: More Work

In Which I Continue To Work

I'm a bad crochet-er. I keep telling you I'll do a ton of work on the shawl and then...

I just end up adding a single new row...

Whoops. Sorry.

On the other hand, I've been working on some head scarves so I can keep my hair out of my face while I'm outside. If I need to, I can also add pins or buttons onto them to preserve my ears if masks become a necessity for coming outside. I hope it doesn't come to that, but... man, it would probably be better for everyone if we just made them mandatory :|

It's hard to tell, but this one has a Dragonfly pattern!

But enough about the Human Malware.

How are you guys doing on your creative endeavors? I've been working on my book some more, crocheting a bunch (obviously) and thinking about learning digital art.

I also had to run downstairs just a minute ago to go check on a songbird that hit our kitchen window. Since I didn't find it anywhere (and I really looked, guys, I even checked in the tree nearby), I'm going to tell myself it was surprised and then flew off. It looked like it hit feet first, rather than head first, so that's good.

The birds around here seem to like to perch on our window screens, so that's probably what the poor thing was trying.

Poor lil dude. Hope he's okay.

Regardless, I'll be doing more work today on my projects, get as much done as possible, try to write a bunch more, maybe do some gaming.

Keep on keeping on, folks!

Go Enjoy Something!
FC

Survival Sunday 314: Dalgona Dreams

In Which I Try That Viral Coffee Everyone Raved About

If you know me, you know I like deep bitter and sweet flavors. I'm all about that bright, citrus sweetness, don't get me wrong - orange juice is still the bizzomb for breakfast out - but when I'm home, I wake up with a 2:1 ratio of hot cocoa to coffee. My partner calls it my morning gruel. I've brainwashed them into liking it. Apologies.

Regardless, this means I've got the ingredients on-hand for a viral drink sensation that's sweeping the internet.

Dalgona Coffee, or whipped coffee, is everywhere on the internet right now. I cannot escape it. It has completely saturated YouTube and Twitter, and I cannot blink without seeing a caramel-colored whip in a cup somewhere. It drove me completely to the brink, and I eventually just said...

Alright, where is my tiny whisk and some sugar?!

Because despite its complicated appearance, it's actually the easiest thing in the world to make, gives you a fantastic caffeine and sugar high, and gives you a workout. Also, there's milk involved.

You need four things:

• 2 Tablespoons instant coffee powder (I use Nescafé Taster's Choice House Blend, but pick your poison preference)
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 Tablespoons hot water
• A glass of milk

I have no idea if sugar substitutes would work for this. I'm gonna guess honey wouldn't work. Regardless, you'll also need a bowl, a whisk, and something to get the Dalgona out of the bowl with.

That tiny whisk in the above pic? Too small. Get you something bigger than that.

What you want to do is pour the dry ingredients into a bowl - not too big or it won't whip well, but not so small that it just goes flying when you start to whisk. That's a large cereal bowl.

Once your sugar and coffee are together, dump in your two Tablespoons of hot water and immediately start whisking. Just... beat the tar out of this mixture. Obviously, you can use whatever mechanical means you usually use for whipping cream for this, but I only had my biceps and a whisk. My poor, poor biceps.

Because this whip job is a long one. It's gonna look like coffee soup and smell like someone tipped over a Tim Hortons, but keep going. Whip it like it's the 1600s and it took an apple from your yard. Whip it like it's your hair at a metal concert. Whip it like you want it to call you daddy... uh... that got weird.

Eventually, it will start to look whippy. This is good.

The coffee mixture, which, by the way, does not yet have any milk in it or near it, will start to lighten in color as it thickens in texture. Whip it til either your arms are screaming louder than the Devo song you now have stuck in your head or until it's at a consistency you find appealing - somewhere between foamy batter and whipped cream. I got mine to a loose whipped cream texture.

At this point, you get out your glass of milk and start carefully dolloping (or if you're smarter than me, piping with a pastry/icing bag!) your Dalgona into the cup.

I used half of this mixture in each of two cups and it was supremely overwhelming for my mother. It's sweet from all that sugar, but it's also mondo bitter - pure coffee goodness. If I'd had the presence of mind I'd have made chocolate milk to put this in, because it's insanely addictive and I think it would make a stupid-tasty mocha drink. It thickens the milk as you stir it in, and it's just... it's really good.

10/10, would whip the crap out of ingredients until my arms hurt again.

So in conclusion: This is one viral food trend that I not only understand now, but am actually a convert/advocate for it. If you have instant coffee and sugar and a kettle with water and some milk (or a milk substitute, I'm not cutting vegans or the dairy-challenged/allergic out of this fun), you should make some Dalgona.

It's probably going into the rotation for summer drinks, tbh.

Stay tuned for next week when I make 2/3 of a meal and then forget to take photos at the end (or they don't come out)!

Go Enjoy Something!

FC

Saturday Casual Gaming 314: Uhhhhhh......

Besides being my current gaming logo, this is an accurate representation of me today...

I am aware that Saturday is almost over in the EST Zone, but I also am aware that I spent all day playing video games and napping like a child.

It rocked.

I mean, yeah, my eyes are gummy from all the napping, and I feel like I want to take a run around the block (I'll do some pushups instead), but actually, today was pretty great.

I just... uh...

I don't have a game to tell you about.

Because I was literally just testing possibilities.

I mean, I could tell you all about Conceptis Games, but I'm pretty sure I did that at some point in 2018... Long story short, they're all logic games, they're heckin fun, and I'm pretty sure you can find them on app stores as well as Kongregate or just their own website.

Currently, I'm testing out an idle game that is turning out to be fun, though it has 0 tutorial and is basically trial and error.

I'm sorry this is up so late, and I'll try to do better tomorrow. I actually have something Viral to show you!!!

Go Enjoy Something!
FC

Filmic Friday 314: When Ladies Meet

Sometimes We Watch Without Watching

I'll be honest, guys, I haven't been able to actually focus on a movie in a while, so forgive me if this review isn't up to my usual standards.

A Surprisingly Nuanced take on a movie about infidelity

When Ladies Meet is a film in which a novelist (Joan Crawford) falls in love with her married publisher. His wife does not know. The novelist's on-again-off-again boyfriend has come back to see her and finds out the hard way that she's been swept off her feet by a guy who he immediately pegs as a serial philanderer.

While, yes, the boyfriend (played by Robert Taylor) is a manipulative little jerk on occasion, he actually has everyone's best interests at heart - except for Rogers Woodruf the publisher (Herbert Marshall). Joan's Mary Howard is thoroughly enchanted by Woodruf to the point where she completely blinds herself to the fact that he's married and his wife likely loves him. His wife, Clare (Greer Garson) does not appear until about the halfway through, but when she arrives, it's clear that both she and Mary are being played by Rogers. Jimmy (Robert Taylor) is offended by all of this, behaving pretty terribly so that everyone can blame him in the end if he's wrong about Clare not knowing that Rogers is cheating on her with Mary. He's not wrong.

The final confrontation is facilitated on one of the coolest locations I've ever seen in a romantic drama - a converted mill where Spring Byington's Bridget Drake (Mary's best friend) lives. Bridget is a flake, but her taste in obliquely gay designers is apparently impeccable because that set is gorgeous, but interior and exterior, making for the perfect setting to act out the title.

Because it is in this laughably overwrought setting (with functioning waterwheels, fantasy swings, a severely out-of-place French butler, and bars made from the gears of the grist mill) that the eponymous Ladies (Clare and Mary) meet at last.

They are very much alike - strong women who have a very good idea of what they want out of life, trim, athletically built, and with "hands as graceful as thoroughbreds" (because of course a guy named Rogers would have a bizarre hand fetish) - and they would easily become best friends if it weren't for the fact that they've both gotten played by Rogers Woodruf.

This is very much a 1940s movie (though there was an earlier version of this same film in 1933 starring different people yet still directed (in part) by Robert Z Leonard. I... kinda want to see both to see how they handle everything differently. It could be used as a tool to see what individual actors brought to their roles, I'd imagine...

I don't usually, as a rule, enjoy these kinds of films, because they're usually pitifully melodramatic to hide the fact that there's no story and poor direction, but When Ladies Meet was pretty engaging! With excellent set design, powerhouse actors, and a fascinating look at women as active participants in a movie (with the men serving largely as catalysts, rather than as the main driving force), it's a pretty fresh movie from 1941.

I'd definitely recommend giving it a watch if you can find it somewhere!

That'll do it from me, today

Go Enjoy Something!
FC

Thursday Art Walk 314: Dinomite!

In Which I Keep Drawing

The worst thing I could do right now is to stop doing the things that bring me joy and accomplishment. While I know that I'm not the best artist on the face of the planet (my pride and joy are a set of shadowy cityscapes in watercolor and a sketch of a banana in a Jedi robe called "Obi-Wan Banana"), but that's not my aim. I just want to make things that make me smile.

A while ago, I made a small dinosaur from crochet. The pattern was on Stringy Ding Ding, and I love it. If you crochet, you should check her stuff out - it's adorable. I have it sitting on my windowsill, where it silently judges me as I heave myself out of bed in the morning, so of course I had to draw him.

"DinoMite"; crayon on sketchpad; 2020

And yes, if you squint, you can see Dedbert flying above the dino.

If you are having a hard time focusing on whatever you're doing right now (unless you're on break at your Essential Employment), I strongly suggest grabbing some scrap paper and whatever you have that can serve as a writing/drawing implement and scribbling something into existence. Whether it's a photorealistic Ferrari or a potato-faced doodle bro, it will probably help you unwind and draw your mind back from panic. Even just slapping a bunch of lines on a page can be beneficial!

The world is scary right now. Maybe you have to unleash the scary by making scary art. Maybe you have to squash it with silvery landscapes of graphite on the back of an old receipt. Maybe you just want to draw genitals and snicker. Maybe you want a page full of cats and pawprints. Maybe you want a fleet of tanks rolling over a paper bag you brought home from the supermarket last week.

Whatever you make, it's a good thing to make it.

Making things is good, and you should feel good.

Go Enjoy Something!
FC

Wednesdaymania 314

In Which Wrestling Of Many Kinds Has Happened

The Haru Basho in Japan has come to a close. How was it? Really, really good. People got thrown into the cheap seats, Chiyomaru came back (despite having had to be tested for the Human Malware - he just had the flu, which... uh... maybe he should've sat the rest of the basho out regardless?!), and there were some very scary Hakuho matches. It's one of the few bashos I've seen with the Mongolian Yokozuna where he lost a match or two. Takayasu had to leave the basho due to a severe muscle tear, and I hope that's not the last we've seen of him.

So yeah, Haru Basho, the Ghost Basho (due to mandated lack of attendance) was certainly strange.

But how is pro-wrestling doing without a live crowd?

In my opinion... not great.

I've seen stuff from the WWE shows, and they have no idea how to wrestle without a crowd. It's an "advantage" that the New Generation (and earlier) era guys have which the modern wrestlers do not, since new guys have not really wrestled in empty arenas before, and the writers have never prepared for this.

Kinda like how sitcoms wouldn't fly right now because there can't be a live studio audience.

So much of wrestling is reactionary, and it's silly to watch people waiting for the crowd that isn't there to pop. Their cadence is thrown off. It's a trainwreck.

As for AEW, since most of them are more fluid talkers than the WWE anyway, it's not that hard to imagine them holding their own with promos (especially since Jake Roberts is working with them). Brodie Lee has arrived as the Exalted One, which is a fantastic idea. Broken Matt Hardy working with the Bucks against the Inner Circle is great. I am loving what I'm seeing from BTE and Dark (Sunny Kiss vibes surprisingly well with Joey Janela, which I never would have guessed as it seems like a non-trademarked styles clash on paper). They still miss the crowd and it's obvious.

The crowds miss them, too.

As for the indies, it's going to be a hard fight, but they're doing their best. Wrestlers are spending this time to send out feelers into other forms of media, to do work (Wheeler Yuta is apparently a professional steel drummer and I guess WARHORSE runs a... soft rock show on the radio?! What?!), and to load their merch shops up so they can make it another 1-8 weeks. I hope it doesn't come to that.

If you have a wrestler you like, definitely follow their social media. If they have a YouTube channel, turn off your adblocker and watch all of their videos on repeat. It's a good time to support people in any way we can.

Oh, and if you're in the mood to have some horror in your life, VICE has put out a documentary on the Chris Benoit incident.

I think that about covers it for wrestling today.

I'm going to go disinfect some stuff and throw on a wrestling tee and pants.

Go Enjoy Something (preferably from your home)
FC

Talk About Tuesday 314: Battling the Blorb

In Which I Have A Problem

So... I'm typing this from bed. Haven't gotten up yet. Don't really feel like moving, even though I know I should be moving right now.

An Accurate Representation of Me

I feel lazy, comfortable, and cozy. I'm swaddled in a fuzzy swath of fleecy blanket. There's snow outside. I don't want to get up.

I know that makes me sound like a disgruntled grade-schooler (though they'd probably be fighting to get back to school at this point...), but let's face it. Some mornings, you just want to BLORB.

Blorbing is basically exactly what it sounds like. You laze around like a half-filled hot water bottle left on a couch to cool. No motivation. No desires. Just... floppy existence.

It's pretty nice, to be honest.

But it's insidious, because the Blorb can seize control of you in an instant. It's the force that makes you resistant to movement at any cost or any time. You have a headache, but the meds are all the way over there, and it's not that bad. You have to pee, but it's not that urgent, and you're comfy. You're hungry, but not that hungry.

And the next thing you know, you've been in bed for 17 hours, your bladder is about to explode, your guts are gnawing on themselves, and you feel like you've gone several rounds against Mike Tyson.

So yeah, Blorbing for a bit is nice (especially early in the AM before you get ready to Do The Work, as Cody Rhodes says), but you cannot succumb to the Blorb. The Blorb wishes to destroy you. The Blorb is your inner nihilist trying to deceive you into non-productivity.

How can you fight something that's so cuddly, though?

Well, mostly you do it by putting on clean underwear and grabbing some coffee. Once you're out of bed, the urge to return will be strong. You don't need to fight it 100% of the time, either. Naps are good for you. Just... try not to nap for 20 hours straight while it's light out and you could be doing other things (like bingeing on free NBC shows on their app, stress baking random recipes you found on the internet, spamming memes, or... gasp maybe actually working on something creative?!).

Today, I'll be fighting the Blorb in this manner. Actually, gimme a sec, I should go make some coffee.

...

That chewed up about an hour lol. Had some coffee and a few tasty tea biscuits plus conversation with my mother and kitty cuddles. I also discovered that the NBC app is currently free with commercials, so if you need your Quantum Leap or Xena: Warrior Princess fix, now's the time! Some of the transfers are much better than others, though, so if you're hoping to see Miami Vice, maybe stick with one of the paid streaming services, because I'm told it has a very bad judder on the panning shots.

So, yes, if you're facing down the day with zero motivation and you desperately want to lay there and do nothing, don't give in. Don't just reach for the remote and binge watch your shows without getting up. Go get coffee. Take a shower. Dress.

Then you can get back in bed and watch tv if you really, really want to.

But you may also experience some sudden inspiration to do something, which is great!

For me, peeling myself off the mattress and starting the day, regardless of how reluctant I am to do so, is the best way to get things done that need doing.

In my case, the "things that need doing" are writing, drawing, and crocheting. I won't be able to cook very much during this time, since my folks are home and they prefer to be masters of their kitchen. Ditto with the other kitchen I usually use for noodles. I do have a few things banked, but don't be surprised if Sundays are mostly very cheap or very simple recipes with little to no pictures for a bit.

As for the writing:

I've talked about the novel I'm working on a few times. I've already written one novella-length section, and I'm working on a second part right now. Part 2 is currently ~1.8k words long, and it has consisted mostly of conversation, a car ride, a near-miss with some equipment, a very messy merch table at a convention that isn't open yet, and more conversation.

Which is funny, because I have written exactly one wrestling scene in a story about wrestlers.

But soon, I shall be writing more wrestling scenes, and more conversations, and I'm pretty sure there will be a scene where someone angrily beats iron with a huge hammer because life is not fair and he's making a horse goddamn it.

It's a weird book, this book I'm writing.

I'll be working on it some more today. Hopefully I'll hit over 2k words before my second nap.

I'll be working on the blog some more, but I'm likely to be taking some time off from it in April so I can really focus on the novel.

Birb cannot live by Blog alone, after all.

Don't worry - I'll still be posting every so often in April, but the daily updates will likely not be a thing. It's hard to keep up with the gaming section, especially when so many games are long-term! And, honestly, it's hard to write about wrestling every week. I don't know how so many people do it daily. As for movies... honestly, I'm having a hard time focusing on movies right now. It may be a while before I've really got it together for movie blogging. It's not that I haven't seen any movies (I have), it's that I have a hard time watching movies. My brain is not latching onto the details.

Speaking of the blog, here's this week's plan:

• Tomorrow I'll tell you how the Ghost Basho finished up, talk about how Pro-Wrestling is handling the shutdown
• Thursday will be ART DAY!
• Friday might be me talking vaguely about When Ladies Meet, but I don't know for sure.
• Saturday might involve blocks and idling.
• Sunday might involve noodles?
• Next Monday should be more progress on DA Lady Sybil, but we'll see lol.
• Next Tuesday, I will absolutely be on here to keep you up-to-date on my goings-on.

In fact, despite just telling you that regular updates are off for April, I can assure you that I will keep up with Tuesdays. Tuesday is my way to let you all know that my dorky butt is still on this mortal coil, that I'm still working, that I'm still hardcore about bread and books.

So even if you don't see much blather from me next month, feel free to come back on Tuesdays for your weekly dose of derp, and I'll keep you up-to-date on my literary goings-on.

Good luck inside, if you can be. Good luck outside, if you must be.

Enjoy Something!

FC

Fiber Monday 314: DA Lady Again

In Which I continue the work

Still working on that Shrug, guys. It's taking a loooooooooong time.

But I like the lighting on this image, at least...

I still hope to finish it in the next two months, which is possible, if I just focus on actually doing it instead of getting distracted every five minutes.

I hope you guys are keeping up with your creative endeavors, where possible. I hope you're staying inside when you can. I hope you're well.

Go Enjoy Something!
FC

Survival Sunday 313: A Simple Recipe

In Which I Give You A Simple Recipe To Enjoy

Salad Melt

Hear me out guys, I'm not trolling you and this is not lettuce in a toaster oven. I promise.

Ingredients:

• Canned meat (chicken, tuna, ham, etc)
• Relish
• Mayonnaise
• Miracle Whip
• Mustard (any kind)
• Sriracha
• Ketchup
• Cracked pepper
• Sliced or Shredded Cheese
• 2 slices Bread

Instructions:

1. Take your canned meat or meat substitute (you can absolutely use tofu here, I just chose meat because it's easier to get in my area right now) and drain it. Put your protein in a bowl.
2. Add any/all of the condiments listed above into the same bowl as your protein.
3. Mix well, using a masher if you need to (I find cubing and then mashing SPAM yields good results, so if your protein is not shredded, this is a good option). You can start adding anything else that sounds good, here, like onion or garlic powder, minced veggies or herbs, etc.
4. Spread your mixture on one slice of bread
5. Place your cheese on the other slice of bread
6. Place these in a toaster oven on the Toast Setting of your choice. Let it cook until cheese is melted and bread slightly crispy.
7. If you're adding fresh veggies to this (lettuce, for example) now is the time, while it's open-faced.
8. Close your sandwich and cut (if that's your thing).

My personal favorite combos are:

• Tuna, mayo, miracle whip, sweet pickle relish, black pepper, and pepperjack on potato bread
• Ham salad with sriracha or sweet chili sauce with either Swiss or cheddar on white or oatmeal bread
• Corned Beef hash with a very light amount of bbq and some spicy brown mustard, as well as some Havarti on Rye.
• Chicken salad with a hint of peanut sauce and a dash of curry powder, some sort of mild cheese or cheese substitute (like Daiya) with maybe a rice bread or a white bread.

These are a great way to spread out your ingredients, have a variety of lunches, and keep your toaster oven in use. These sandwiches can also help you keep some veggies in your diet (especially if you add the relish and/or extra pickles).

I DO NOT SUGGEST DOING THIS IN A REGULAR TOASTER. YOU WILL START A FIRE.

You may, however, be able to do this in the broiler of your oven, or you can toast it on your stovetop in a frying pan. Butter (or whatever substitute you use) the sides of the bread that make contact with the pan.

I hope you guys are staying fed out there. There's a million recipes on the internet you can use to help your food stretch, too, and I strongly recommend looking up Emmymadeinjapan's HARD TIMES playlist if you're struggling.

We've made it this far. We'll make it to tomorrow and beyond.

Stay Home and Enjoy Something!

FC

Saturday Casual Gaming 313: Whiling Away The Hours

In Which I'm Wasting Time

Let's face it, if Lazy Game Reviews wasn't already a fantastic long-running channel on YouTube, that's who I'd be. I'm lazy, and sometimes I review games.

I didn't play anything new this week, guys.

I was just playing Idle Pins the whole time.

Because of the Valentine's Day event.

And because I'm lazy.

But now I'm trying out Defender Idle 2, and that's quite fun.

Unfortunately, I've only just started playing it, so I have no opinions besides "yes, I'm enjoying learning this game". I'm so early on that I haven't even figured out how to play 100% of the way :|

Meanwhile, I'm still playing PokefarmQ, Pokemon Go, and several stupid apps on my phone. I haven't picked up my Switch in a week because I've been grinding through Idle Pins, and... well...

I'm lazy.

And I'm wasting what time I'm not writing, crocheting, or microwaving leftovers.

I'm in a very low-motivation state, which can be bad, but mostly, I'm just going with it and enjoying the rest.

So if you don't feel particularly motivated to play video games, despite possibly having more time on your hands than you're used to, then don't fret. It's okay to not want to do things. It's okay to want to do different things. And it's okay to spend a few hours watching other people play games if you want the gaming ambiance without the carpal tunnel syndrome.

I'd like to suggest several people to follow:

• Lazy Game Reviews
• Cyborcat
• Peanut Butter Gamer
• Lucahjin
• Space Hamster
• Pushing Up Roses (though she's not doing as much gaming these days, her other reviews are just as great)
• The Completionist
• Robot Co-Op
• Brutal Moose

There are infinite options online, so go seek out some likeminded gamers.

Go Enjoy Something!

FC

Thursday Art Walk 313

In Which There Is A New Friend

So, for a while now, I have been bringing you pictures of my boy, Dedbert (seen at the top of basically every blog for a while now), but he's usually by himself. I don't want you to get the wrong idea, though. He's not a lonely birb. He has friends.

"Friendship"; ballpoint pen on sketch pad; 2020

I plan on coloring this in later, and if I can get my drawing pad working, I'd love to start doing digital art of this pair.

... it's also now occurring to me that I have never asked Dedbert his friend's name. This isn't the only bunny he's friends with, either - he's got a small brown and white adoptive brother named Benjamin, after all. (I've had BB since I was very, very young, almost as long as Patches, the plaid-pawed bear, and Mr. Bear, the white bear with the red bowtie).

I think I may start making pictures of all of Dedbert's friends and family, actually :)

That might be a lot of fun.

Anyway, it's pretty crummy out today - cloudy, drizzly, not that warm. Thankfully, this drizzle should stop soon, but it's still going to be hovering just above freezing (and it will feel colder) tonight. Thank goodness for gloves and hats and scarves.

I'm also thankful to everyone who pops in to check out what I'm doing, lately. I see you in my analytics, and even though you're all quite quiet, it's good to know you're swinging by. Dedbert and I are grateful.

I think that'll about do it for me, today.

I'm going to go check out how my Dedbert's siblings are doing, since most of them moved into the closet to hoard the VHS tapes...

Enjoy Something!
FC

Wednesdaymania 313: When Life And Art Are One

In Which I Am Losing My Mind Over Indies

You may have noticed that it's a weird time to be a fan of any kind of sport, much less wrestling. While the latest Basho continues (with one wrestler, Chiyomaru, pulling out due to having two consecutive 37.5℃/99℉ tests), the American Professional Wrestling scene is much... sparser.

See, we're no longer (in my state, at least) advised to have gatherings of over 10 people, which is not helping my anxiety at all, but will probably help limit the spread of COVID-19. This means that wrestling events... aren't advised. Yikes.

But here's where things are getting freaky, because you know how I've been talking about that wrestling novel I've been writing?

Uh...

One of the plot points I've been waffling on because I thought it was too unrealistic is about to become a reality.

Because wrestlers aren't able to wrestle, and that's literally how they get money, so there is now an actual factual Indy promotion which is planning to stream wrestling matches from their own private ring into your homes so you can stay home and watch cool wrestling while actually SENDING MONEY TO YOUR FAVORITE WRESTLER VIA THE STREAM.

HOLY CRAP.

THAT'S LITERALLY THE MODEL FOR MY GUILD OF WRESTLING PROFESSIONALS.

Hopefully, Freelance (the promotion in question) will be chill about this and not call me out on this because I've literally been hammering out the idea since last freaking year!

So, yes, hopefully when this novel, written by yours truly comes out, and you recognize the business model therein, you don't think I stole the idea from them (or that they stole the idea from me, because let's face it, the moment Twitch.tv appeared on the scene, it was only a matter of time before something like this came up).

Yeah.

Life is freaking bizarre right now.

Stay home if you can, sanitize as you are able, wash your hands, avoid contact, stay safe.

I love you all.

Enjoy Something!
FC

Talk About Tuesday 313

In Which My Blather Is Hopefully Helpful Over The Next Few Weeks.

The very last thing I want to do is spam you gentle readers with all kinds of stories and updates on how this virus is progressing, heightening your anxiety and generally not making your reading experience online at all relaxing. Instead, my hopes for the next few weeks are that I give you a reading experience that simulates safety and helps you feel less alone. Because I'm freaked out, too. I have people at risk, too. I have confirmed cases in my county, too. I'm just like the rest of you.

But I am writing a blog about enjoying things and being comfortable, and if ever there was a time when a focus on they hygge-minded nonsense that I peddle, then this is it.

So what is the Filthy Casual up to this week? Well...

Today I'll be handling some story stuff (I'd really like to finish part 2 of the novel by May, maybe finish part 3 by August or September?), but I'll also be catching up on more of that "ghost" basho!

• Tomorrow I'll talk about the state of wrestling, the ghost basho, and maybe something less depressing, hopefully
• Thursday I'll draw some art
• Friday will probably be me discussing a movie, if not, it'll be me talking about something movie-related
• Saturday will be me blabbing about random vidya games
• Sunday will be me talking about food, because food is one of the ways I express affection.
• Next Monday, hopefully I'll be showing you some progress shots
• Next Tuesday I'll keep you updated on the blog and life in general.

I'm still healthy, despite my runny nose. This is possibly the worst time for me to have allergies springing up and being a total butt, but that's my life in a nutshell.

There is still good in the world - there is still art, there is still music, and while it is much harder to see one another in real life right now, it's not impossible, and I hope you'll be back on here tomorrow to see my thoughts on Wrestling :)

Go Stay In (if you can) And Enjoy Something!

FC

Fiber Monday 313: So You're Stuck Inside

In Which I Encourage Trying New Things

So it's pretty clear that most people on Earth right now are trying to avoid other people. This is something I'm used to trying to do, but for some, this is a change. And it's heckin scary. I get that.

If you're already in the early stages of self-isolation boredom, then you've probably considered all of the different creative things you've wanted to try for ages and just never gotten around to. Now is the time to try some stuff out! Especially fiber-related things!

If you have a basic repair kit - some needles, some threads, some scissors, a thimble, a measuring tape, and a pen - you can actually start hand-sewing something right now. You can try out embroidery right now. You can make those repairs right now!

If you're interested in sewing, there's a lot of free resources for you online. YouTube has hundreds of tailors and seamstresses who are probably working on a project a lot like the one you're interested in. Mood Fabric Store has a bunch of free modern couture patterns to try out. Your local fabric store might deliver, and if they don't, then it's unlikely you'll be encountering many people, because while people talk about Quilting Bees, it's not a common thing these days.

If your interests stray more towards the yarn end of things, you might need to go get yourself some supplies (or, probably, order them via Amazon or something!). For knitting, you'll want a set of knitting needles in various sizes, some stitch markers, a pair of scissors, a measuring tape, a yarn needle, and some yarn. For crochet, you'll need exactly the same supplies, except you'll want crochet hooks instead of knitting needles. If you're planning on making toys with your yarn, you'll also want some safety eyes or buttons, maybe some embroidery supplies and thread or floss, and maybe some safety noses, as well (for dogs or bears or whatever).

If you're more of a felting person, there are entire starter kits for this hobby, and I strongly suggest picking one up, because I literally have no idea where to start. This goes for spinning as a hobby as well - buy an all-in-one kit with your spindles and roving or whatever!

Once you have your supplies, you look for your teachers. Obviously, face-to-face is a bit... fraught right now. You'll probably want to start with someone online showing you the ropes. There are websites aplenty for the fiber arts, but you'll probably want to start with either some e-books from your local library or Amazon or something, some YouTube videos, and prepare yourself for a lot of swearing to yourself.

I'm still working on the shrug. I'm also working on something called a Snood, which is basically like a fancy hair net because I'm tired of brushing my hair out of my face, and it would be safer if I wasn't constantly reaching up and grabbing for my facebits. I might also make a pair of lacy gloves, since I've been meaning to forever.

Regardless, this is the time to start practicing that craft you've been looking forward to learning. Get those paints and paint - don't faff about waiting for "the right time" because that time is now. Get those markers and draw. Use your kids' crayons. Sculpt that pony out of Play-doh.

If there's one thing YouTube has been teaching me, it's that we fail first, then we do better. It's okay to suck at that thing you like but don't know how to do yet. Almost nobody is magically good at something their first try. My first scarf looked like trash. My first drawing looked like an amoeba when it was supposed to look like my mother. My first painting was just so many blobs on a page. My first notes on the flute were shrill and awful. My first song on the piano was a crappy rendition of Chopsticks. My first story was literally about a horse who was a dick to her bullies because I was in middle school and obsessed with horses.

What I'm saying is: this is 100% the right time for you to flex your creative muscles. If we ended up with a Debut Novel Boom after this garbage calms down, that would be awesome. If we had galleries filled with new artists' works, I'd be thrilled. If we ended up with a glut of handmade items at every fair and festival and on every crafty seller's page, that would be super neat. If suddenly there were a million more musicians or singers or whatever on Bandcamp or whatever, that would be incredible. Let's make 2020 the year we become our truest, most creative selves.

Let's stay as safe and sane as possible.

And if all else fails, there's always foot pics on the internet.

I love you all (from 6-8 feet away, minimum).

Go Enjoy Something!
Go Create Something!
FC

Survival Sunday 312: Saint Paddy's Day

In Which We Discuss Holiday Dining

If you live in Boston and/or you have Celtic heritage, you know it's almost St Patrick's Day. The actual holiday is the 17th, but my family tends to celebrate on Sundays because that's when everyone's around. Today's menu is:

• pot roast
• potatoes, turnip, etc (root veggies)
• biscuits served made and with Kerrygold butter
• a delicious lemon cake with lemon curd between the layers and frosted with cream cheese frosting

But what if you have a bit of Irish in you, but you're not exactly rolling in the green? How do you celebrate St Paddy's when you can't afford fancy foods? What is a boiled dinner? What if you're like me and you don't like the whole "whiskey and Guinness" thing that this holiday seems to inevitably devolve into?

The thing is, even if you're not Irish, this holiday has come to consume your culture group, too, I'll bet, with much drinking and carousal. Which is odd, considering that it's a religious holiday for the Catholic Church, commemorating the death of the eponymous Saint Patrick, who supposedly drove the snakes from Ireland - a country with no fossil record of serpents. That's a heck of a deep clean, Pat.

St Paddy's has become a holiday to celebrate Irish heritage, hence the tidal wave of green and gold and beer and whiskey that we've all come to expect. Most people don't observe the Saint Day so much as the celebration for celebration's sake, so we'll progress from that standpoint.

So if you're on a tight budget, or if you can't get out much due to health issues or the current coronavirus concerns, then here are some ideas for you!

1. St Paddy's for Breakfast

If you're on a budget, on a timer, and/or you just aren't one for big heavy meals late in the day, then this is a good option for you. Instead of going out and spending over $20 on a corned beef roast or $50 on a brisket or something mad like that, spend under $4 for a can of corned beef hash! You take that, dump it in a nonstick skillet and fry it up until browned and/or crispy in places, serve it with eggs, hash browns, and toast with some coffee (maybe make it Irish with some Bailey's if you booze and the Bailey's flavored creamer if you don't, or skip it altogether if that sounds bleh). If you're a tea person, Irish Breakfast tea isn't too expensive, thankfully.

Bonus points if you use rye, Irish soda bread, or potato bread for your toast, and if you've got the money to splurge, then spring for some Kerrygold butter - it's worth the premium.

2. St. Paddy's for Lunch

Well, if you didn't have your beef and taters for breakfast, there's always a corned beef sandwich on some potato bread with some sliced Kerrygold cheese. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Also yes.

If you don't have access to the good cheese, or if you're lacking corned beef, don't fret. You can just have a beef and cheddar melt of some kind and call it close enough. If you're extra creative, you can cut the sandwich to look like a shamrock or something.

3. St. Paddy's Snax

Ah lovely snacks! What do you guys think are acceptable snacks for an Irish holiday?

Cheese.

Potatoes.

Pub Snacks.

My personal suggestions? Grab some Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, some potato stix, and a tube of Utz Pub Mix and go to town while guzzling coffee or tea.

4. The Dinner

Here's where people get hung up. Everyone's all obsessed with the idea of the perfect boiled dinner, and frankly, it's not always worth it.

There are three parts to a "traditional" boiled dinner, if my mother's offerings over the last 30 years are any indication. Meat, Potato, Veggies, Bread.

Traditionally, the meat is a Corned Beef roast, which you can either roast or boil with the potato and or veg. My mother has switched to brisket in recent years, but since that was $50 minimum and enough to feed an army this year, she decided to use a more sensible pot roast. These are easy to find cooking recipes for, and if you want to go full Irish with a pot roast, then you'll want some whiskey or something. For me, I prefer things a little simpler and don't like to add alcohol to most dishes. Sorry.

As for the corned beef, if you do plan on getting one, look for a "gray cured" one, since that red color on most corned beef roasts is naught but dye and weirdness, and it's not all that good for you. My family avoids most red foods, to be honest, because they seem to cause gastric distress (ie heartburn and gas).

For your potatoes, it's up to you how you eat them. You can boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew... or you can chop them into chunks and roast or boil them with the rest of the veggies.

The rest of the veggies usually include cabbage (get a fan going), onion, carrot, turnip, etc. This being a March holiday, most of what people would have had available would have been root veggies. If you want to bring in the beets, then do it! If you want radish, go for it! Whatever you think would taste good with your beef, chuck it in the pot or pan and cook away.

Bread can be complicated if you let it be. If you want to go for a full-on Irish experience, then a soda bread can't be beat. If you want to make a joke, it's potato bread for you. If you're just into bread and don't particularly mind how you get it, then go for white or rye bread! But if you have a crowd and you don't want to be using a knife at the table to get the bread apart, then I suggest making your own biscuits. Rolled biscuits are easier to pull apart and butter, whereas drop biscuits are faster to make and heartier. You can serve them with butter, and if you want to make them into desert, you can add berries with whipped cream, or you can just do what my mother does and load them with butter and molasses.

If you're looking for some other desserts, then you can really go HAM here. Whatever your greedy guts desire, you can make. So long as you have the ingredients, utensils, and the time. My mom, as I've mentioned, made a lemon cake with homemade lemon curd and cream cheese frosting. It's incredible. She's also made pudding in the past, as well as custard, cookies, and a bunch of other amazing things. You really can't go wrong with dessert for St Paddy's, and that's the joy of the holiday.

It's pretty versitile.

Much like the Irish.

Anywho, that'll do it for me today!

Go Enjoy Something!

FC

Saturday Casual Gaming 312: Chatting About Games

In Which I Discuss My Recent Gaming Habits

I talk a lot about games I'm trying out on here, but sometimes, I'm not venturing out in to the Great Kongregate/Steam Beyond. Sometimes, I'm just bumming around, playing games I've played a thousand times. That's what this week has been like.

I've been mostly sticking with a few oldies-but-goodies, and it feels pretty good to be so utterly familiar with a game that I don't have to worry about any surprises!

I've been fiddling around with PokefarmQ on a daily basis since May of 2018, and it's just as pleasant today as it was then - moreso, even, because now I can do a lot more on the site, since I've been progressing along :) I have a few shiny Pokemon, now, multiple Legendaries, Event Pokemon, and yes, I am loaded with Credits because of the Mass Click Weekends. If you're a fan of Pokemon and you just want to collect thousands of monsters, some of which are original to this site, like the adorable little Ghost-Dragon Gragon, then check it out for yourself (and hit me up - I'm called Tenleybean).

I also have been keeping up with my Pokemon Go addiction, and that's, of course, available for free on the app stores on most mobile phones now. If you're looking for a new Friend on there, hmu at 7089 7612 1171

Speaking of Mobile games, I'm still playing around with Merge Magic, which is still plenty of fun.

Back on PC, I've been playing some more of Coloring Pixels from ToastieLabs on Steam, so if you're looking for some mindless coloring fun, you can check that out!

I'm also playing some more Idle Pins on Kongregate, because it's still the Valentine's Event somehow and ding dong dangit I want to get 100% of powerups purchased before I soft reset lol.

Finally, in console gaming, I've been blundering around in Hero Mode on Breath of the Wild, because sometimes you just need to ride a horse around a barren landscape while pursued by octopus-urn robots intent on your epic destruction.

What are you guys up to with gaming? Any fun new games you're trying out?

Go Enjoy Something!
FC

Filmic Friday 312: Social Distancing And Film

In Which I Talk About COVID-19 and Movies

It's fun to get together and watch movies with friends and family. Movie theaters are great for dates and just to relax and enjoy yourself. Hitting up a RedBox or other rental kiosk can be a great choice for a night in.

But now there's COVID-19 to be concerned with, and with cases all the way up here near Nowheresville, it's time to think about some changes.

I'm already a fairly antisocial person - social distancing won't be as big a change for me as it might be for some social butterflies - but this will still change how I view movies.

It's unlikely that I'll have the option of a movie theater soon (hopefully it waits for after tomorrow, though, there's a 35mm print of In The Bedroom I'd like to see with my partner...), and I'm already paranoid about the disease-slicked screens of the grocery store kiosks.

So how do we engage in the social behavior of movie-watching when we're all freaking out and don't want to get sick?

Well, there's a few options, in my mind.

There's streaming, which most people have or have access to (and if you have family with Netflix or something, now might be the time to beg for the password, tbh).

There's also cable tv, but fewer people have this, now, and companies like to make it hard for you to share this experience outside your home.

You could also make sure your fellow viewers have a copy of your movie of choice in their own homes.

These three solutions are great for being housebound.

Except that you're still sitting in a room alone watching a movie and having no one to talk to.

Well, chances are, if you're 30 or younger, you're on your phone anyway, so hook up a group chat or a multi-person Facetime call or something and get to sharing your experience digitally!

To be honest, if movie theaters and production companies want to really make bank, they'll run Pay-Per-View-style movie streams under their branding with built in conferencing to make groups more interested in streaming these shows from home. It could be on an emergency basis, running when there are natural disasters or plagues or just really bad air quality.

This is a scary time. Yes, it's unlikely that most of us will catch this disease (I think. I hope.) but it pays to be cautious, especially with an illness like COVID-19.

Here's a few bits of advice from my heart to yours:

• You're allowed to be anxious about this. It's scary. Anyone telling you to stop worrying is either worried themselves and trying to keep you from heightening their anxiety or they just are not paying proper attention. You can be worried. Just use that anxiety to prepare in sensible ways. Which ties into my next point:
• Stop buying toilet paper unless you actually need it - there wasn't a shortage before the panic because every continent except for Antarctica makes their own TP. The US imports a very small amount from Canada, Mexico, and yes, China, but we're not going to miss the Chinese imports that much because guess what? We make our own TP. It's going to be okay in this regard.
• When selecting a movie, try not to pick anything that will keep you up too late! Your body needs proper sleep, and spooking yourself out by watching that extra-scary horror movie might not help. I'm not saying you should switch over to all kids' movies, but now is a good time to pick up some things that won't give you a heart attack. If you're looking for scary but not too scary, I recommend The Lost Boys.
• I'm sure I'm about to piss people off but here's some mild medical knowledge that's easily accessible by laypeople like me:
• Homeopathy is not medicine. It's literally just placebos. It's pseudoscience and should not be confused with medical science.
• Naturopathy is also not really medicine. Yes, many medicines are derived from nature, but please remember that by definition, literally everything is natural. If it exists, it is in nature, and therefor it is natural.
• Antibiotics cannot cure viruses because antibiotics only fight bacteria, so if you're talking to someone who claims they're on antibiotics for their "cold", they have misunderstood the situation and do not have a cold. They have a bacterial infection. Also, COVID-19 is a virus and thus is immune to antibacterial materials.
• You cannot cure this with honey. You cannot cure this by drinking bleach. One is tasty on toast. The other will literally kill you.
• Remember, if it has "alternative" in the title, unless prescribed by an actual straight-up medical professional, it is not medicine and it will not work. Our great grandparents used this stuff because there was no medicine.
• And finally, if you are going to be around people you like and you have allergies, please consider dosing up on your allergy meds, despite the grogginess. Try not to sneeze too much.

We'll get through this, guys.

We're all in this together (ish).

Seriously, though, this week's recommendation is The Lost Boys, which I only saw about half of because I kept falling asleep (I was super tired), but if I ever see the whole thing? I'm blabbing about it on here. Promise.

Also, uh... I need to start working on a list of movies as I watch them because... my memory? She is the suck.

That'll about do it for me, guys!

Stay social from a distance and take care of yourselves!

Go Enjoy Something!

FC

Thursday Art Walk 312: Art Block And Overcoming it

In Which Sometimes Everyone Gets Stuck

Art block can happen to anyone who makes art at any point in their careers/hobbies. It can happen multiple times. It can persist for an exceedingly long time, but the important thing to remember is that, despite what your self-doubt is telling you, it's not because you're a bad artist. Maybe you've run out of ideas, or your ideas are bigger than you think you can handle, or maybe you're just not motivated, but none of this makes you a bad artist or a bad person.

Sometimes it's just procrastination because you fear failure - spending hours on a piece only to hate it to death once you've decided you're finished is excruciating, but it's part of making art. Sometimes we don't like what we produce, and it can make us very prone to giving up or not wanting to try again.

But that's not how art works, right? You know that!

Art is 100% practice.

It's a secret that no one likes to believe because we've all had that one classmate or relative who puts pen to page and produces beautiful work like it's second nature (and it may be!), but here's what that person likely never told you:

They have Art Block and Self-Doubt, too.

Unless they're a narcissist, then it's just not fair to everyone else :|

But yeah, everybody fails sometimes, everyone struggles to see the worth of their art, and everyone stares at a blank canvas or page or notebook, or through the viewfinder of their camera or GoPro or whatever, and has no idea what to put into it. Everyone is out here fighting to pour out their art into the world.

And sometimes it's a slog.

Art isn't always fun. Sometimes it's fighting the urge to break your pencil in half because it's your last one and the sketch is just not coming together. Sometimes it's staring down at an entire day's effort and realizing you have to do it all over again because something is fundamentally off. Sometimes you're bored to tears because this is the 80th time you've tried to draw that damn penguin and it's just... it looks like a panda and a peanut had a very productive New Year's Eve or something...

Sometimes, the joy of creation is actually a miserable wallow, and it can be hard to come back from that.

And sometimes you just... don't feel like making art. Even though you know you should (or you need to for a class or your job or something).

If you don't feel the art, then how do you make it happen?

You follow the advice of those dumb Nike ads, is what.

You just... get it done.

How do you start? Well, for me, I just... doodle. I start sketching out vague shapes on the page until I can start filling in the details into something more picture-like.

Sometimes that's enough.

Sometimes, I'll just find a poem and break it down into coordinates, then have the internet give me a random pallet of colors and make a bubble art from that. It's not always pretty, but at least I've started something!

Today, I did the doodle shape approach and came out with something that I actually think is adorable:

"Radbert"; permanent marker and ballpoint pen on printer paper; 2020

It's a blurry photo because I had a cat on my lap (she's still there, guys, she won't move, I have to pee so bad...), but there's my little dude pulling some (I'm sure) sick tricks or something on a skateboard. He also found a clip-on earring somewhere lol.

The shapes I started with were a long horizontal oval and a circle (the board and his body). From there, I started filling in Dedbert's recognizable features and suddenly I knew what I was drawing. At first, it was going to be a surfboard, but I think Dedbert is feeling more 90s than 80s, so skateboard it is!

Fun fact: I can't skateboard. I've never had the balance.

But yeah, doing something artlike while you're not feeling the art can absolutely help trigger your creativity, so I recommend arting when you don't want to art. It can be as simple as sketches or as silly as just mushing up some Play-Doh while you're staring into space, but creation begets creation, and there's very little better than that feeling of accomplishment when you've wrestled something from nothing.

I hope you all have creative days!

Stay safe out there.

I love you all.

Go Enjoy Something!
FC

Wednesdaymania 312: Haru Ghost Basho

In Which I discuss the strangest sumo I've ever seen

It's March, which means it's Haru Basho season over in Japan. Rikishi from all over the world have gathered to test their strength and skill against one another, and Hakuho has prepared his Fool Wrecking hand.

But as you've likely heard by now, COVID-19/novel coronavirus has tightened its grip around Japan, and public events are essentially a no-no.

Yet Japan is a nation which places a great deal of weight on tradition. It's not like the US, where even the biggest Nerd Convention, E3, has been cancelled in face of the pandemic. The Haru Basho goes on. The sumo wrestlers have assembled, the press is on hand, and the cameras are rolling.

And they're all alone.

Because these are officially closed events - the public may not attend.

And there are rules.

1. All Rikishi must arrive privately - no public transportation usage is permitted for this Basho.
2. All Rikishi (and other attendees) must have their temperatures taken. The Rikishi must submit to this testing twice a day, and if they have a high enough temperature (37.5℃/99.5℉) twice in a row, they will be booted from the tournament to self-quarantine.
3. If two Rikishi show signs of fever, the entire Basho will be completely abandoned.
4. If even one Rikishi contracts COVID-19, the basho will be cancelled
5. Everyone has their hands spritzed with sanitizer on entry to the building
6. The ceremonial water drinking after matches? They're faking it.
7. Press do not have access to the dressing rooms - only the specially designated interview area
8. Literally everyone is wearing masks outside of the matches themselves.

Have you ever been in a place you know is supposed to be filled with people (a stadium, a public building, a park, etc), but it's completely devoid of anyone else? This basho feels like that. It's a huge, empty arena with a dohyo in the middle and some sumo wrestlers and officials. A couple of camera men dot the surrounding areas, but there's nobody in the stands.

It's so quiet you can hear the wrestlers' heavy breathing, their footsteps, the rustling of the gyoji's robes, the whistling of the bow during the bow-twirling ceremony.

It's eerie.

The silence and empty air are what have earned it the nickname "Ghost Basho". I don't know if that's what the media is calling it, though. I just thought it sounded accurate.

If you want a posterchild for hope within adversity, however, and how strange life can be in the face of a pandemic (which, guys, a pandemic is, by its very definition, global, stop saying "global pandemic"), then definitely watch this basho.

I hope that it's not a sign of sports to come this year, and I hope this disease burns itself out as quickly as it appeared, but the curse of the 20s lives on, I guess.

Yes, I am aware that the Spanish Flu was in 1918, but that counts. It's like a period - sometimes it's a little early, sometimes it's a little late, but it sucks and there's a lot of mess.

You can watch the Haru Basho here.

Go Enjoy Something! (And stop buying so much toilet paper - if you cause a global shortage now, then who will restock it when you inevitably run out?)

FC

Talk About Tuesday 312

In Which I Blather

It's a pretty gray day today. It's about 43℉ (6℃), and it feels raw out there. The cat has been sleeping on the back of one of the armchairs today, and I woke up after 11 because I had to pee more than because I wanted to be up. Basically, today's about as bleh as it could be without precipitation. Which it'll probably have around 9pm tonight... bleh.

It's hard to keep one's motivation up when the weather's like this. Yesterday, it was fantastic outside - 51℉ (10.5℃), almost too warm! but... I was feeling like garbage, and unmotivated, and unpleasant. I was antsy and grouchy, and honestly, I'm 90% sure this was brought on by my recent insomnia. I skipped one of my two cups of coffee and slept like a baby. Turns out it's time to cut back. I'll have to work on that lol.

So here's the plan for the rest of the week:

• Tomorrow I'll talk about the Ghost Basho - you'll understand when I write about it.
• Thursday = art day!
• Friday I'll talk about one of the movies I've watched
• Saturday I'll chat on video games
• Sunday I'll have food to show you
• Monday I'll have progress to show you
• Next Tuesday I'll blather at you.

It's another short sweet Tuesday because 1) I woke up way extra late and need to get ready to head out in like five minutes, and 2) because I'm still tired but not zone-out tired like yesterday.

So I hope your days today are good, productive, and kind!

Go Enjoy Something!

FC