Actually succeeding in going to bed early!
I even did all the things on my to-do list today, which is pretty nice. :3 :3 :3
Not that I did HUGE amounts, but I did finally fucking shower, so there's that.
Sibling came over for a bit to bash nails back in - took way less time than expected, the floor really is in good condition.
Cats are both pretty snuggly at the moment, which is extremely nice. :3
- To Read shelves 1 July 2025 count is 69 (down from 90 on 1 Jan), so hypothetically less than six months of reading.
- Reading: 74 books to 2 July 2025.
72. Fashionable 2025 numerical typo 3, the second from Inventing the Renaissance, which is a good ratio considering the quantity of words and dates in this doorstop, "Marcellus II (1501-5)", nope, but the idea of a Boss Baby Ghost Pope in 1555 is amusing.
00. My third DNF of 2025, on short story 4 of 14.
73. Thirsty Mermaids, by Kat Leyh, 2021, comics (adult), 4.5/5
In search of booze, a found-family pod of three merfolk take their fun and friendship to the human seaside, or rather shoreside, where they discover dreadful human inventions such as "capitalism" and "jobs". They also discover they can't just go back to being mermaids. This story is very much about the diverse friends they make along the way, lol. Warning: yes, Kat Leyh who helped create Lumberjanes but this is a grown-up comic.
- To Read [ALLCAPS in original typography]: y'all will be pleased to know I've acquired a 1959 girls' own comics annual with stories titled "The GAY ADVENTURERS and the Roman Curios" and "Friends of The GAY HIGHWAYMAN", and a 1960 annual featuring "Baffled by Those Two Boy Campers".
- Reading: 74 books to 2 July 2025.
72. Fashionable 2025 numerical typo 3, the second from Inventing the Renaissance, which is a good ratio considering the quantity of words and dates in this doorstop, "Marcellus II (1501-5)", nope, but the idea of a Boss Baby Ghost Pope in 1555 is amusing.
00. My third DNF of 2025, on short story 4 of 14.
73. Thirsty Mermaids, by Kat Leyh, 2021, comics (adult), 4.5/5
In search of booze, a found-family pod of three merfolk take their fun and friendship to the human seaside, or rather shoreside, where they discover dreadful human inventions such as "capitalism" and "jobs". They also discover they can't just go back to being mermaids. This story is very much about the diverse friends they make along the way, lol. Warning: yes, Kat Leyh who helped create Lumberjanes but this is a grown-up comic.
- To Read [ALLCAPS in original typography]: y'all will be pleased to know I've acquired a 1959 girls' own comics annual with stories titled "The GAY ADVENTURERS and the Roman Curios" and "Friends of The GAY HIGHWAYMAN", and a 1960 annual featuring "Baffled by Those Two Boy Campers".
Got up and fed cats, applied for some jobs, had a nap, as is normal.
Did not wake up again until after it was dark.
So, naturally, I've been a complete space case with withdrawal and hate everything and am just. Not great. At all.
Been yelling at myself to go the fuck to sleep again for like... four hours now but of course I'm still awake, fuck executive dysfunction in the face ugh.
But I am going for real this time!!! >:
![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
We're having to rebuild the search server again (previously, previously). It will take a few days to reindex all the content.
Meanwhile search services should be running, but probably returning no results or incomplete results for most queries.
Meanwhile search services should be running, but probably returning no results or incomplete results for most queries.
So Sibling came over and started working on the floorboards today. By which I mean all the carpet is now gone! >D The floorboards under there are SO NICE, too! Mostly shouldn't be much work to get them into good condition, too - there are a couple of dodgy bits, one where someone's put in some kind of fucked up filler in, and another where someone REALLY fucked up the sanding, so it's got marks, and didn't sand it back and fix it, so those'll have to be fixed. But still!
I helped a bit, too, with taking the carpet outside, and cleaning some stuff. If Sibling doesn't come back tomorrow I'll give it a mop as well, I think - it'll need a few to get some of the ground in dust on the edges up. Did a little bit of that when I was cleaning up the little bits of rubber underlay that got stuck to the floorboards, but I was using a scourer so it was kinda impractical to do all of it.
Still gotta clean out the heating ducts innards, they are uh. Not in great shape. But I ran out of stamina before I could do that. (Also it was like 10pm because I am SO TERRIBLE at time management, sigh.)
I did also get most of the stuff on my to-do list done, which is good. Major thing I didn't was uh. Showering. Whoops. >>;;; That can be delayed until tomorrow though! For sure! >>;;
Anyway. I didn't actually get a nap today so I've been up for like. Um. A long time. Sushi woke me up at ~9:15. Going to bed now!!!!
In which our heroine walked from 1490 to 1858 by feet, map, and giant raccoon
Jun. 30th, 2025 04:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spiralsheepHaving left the cafe at Greyfriars I decided to attempt another flan so consulted a randomised Oblique Strategy card for inspiration and received "Bridges -build -burn". There are plenty of bridges in Worcester, over roads, railway, canal, and rivers. I've crossed many of them. But there's one newly built bridge over the River Severn that I hadn't visited and it has a cafe besides. Will I make it? Will I accidentally burn it down? Will I die en route and my viking-themed burning boat burial pass underneath as it carries me to my final destination? Spoiler: not that last one. XD
Walking along roads familiar from previous flanage, I was surprised to find an alley I'd never noticed before. Obviously I turned along it, which was lucky because my diverted route brought me to a mural of a GIANT raccoon:
( Bricks, box, waterworks, bridge )
Walking along roads familiar from previous flanage, I was surprised to find an alley I'd never noticed before. Obviously I turned along it, which was lucky because my diverted route brought me to a mural of a GIANT raccoon:
( Bricks, box, waterworks, bridge )
I actually pmuch did as planned today! Perhaps a little more hiding from the cold in the morning than intended, but I was back from the shops by noon, so happy enough with that!
Considering rearranging my display cabinet already - not really surprising given you never know how things are going to work out until after you've done them, but kinda annoying anyway. But I think it should be good, if I can get it to work! Just gotta... actually do it. Also it'll leave me without places for a bunch of the small things, but tbh they're wasted in the display cabinet anyway, they CAN go a LOT more places, whereas bigger things? Not so much...
In which there are 52 times Our Heroine improves her habitat (hopefully), week 26
Jun. 29th, 2025 04:44 pmspiralsheep- Pride: I have GAY Marmite! In the UK, branded goods claiming a tiny percentage of their profits go to charity fundraising aren't uncommon, and Christmas / Easter branded items happen but I don't generally see event themed goods in High Street shops. However, my supermarket delivery this week included rainbow, Elton John, anti-AIDS, rebranded Marmite! Need to know: the Elton John AIDS Foundation is banned in Russia, and the EJAF knows where Lesotho is. It takes me ages to eat my way through a whole jar so I'll have cheering GAY Marmite to increase my happiness every time I open my eye-level kitchen cupboard for a long time. :-)
- Habitat: I sorted out and re-dyed everything old that could be renewed. I love the moment when all my favourites look at their best again.
- Pop: f'Keith Starmer and Lisa Nandy's attempts at government censorship of pop music are going about as well as British government censorship of popular media usually does (see also Lady Chatterley's Lover, Spycatcher, &c). "It’s upsetting that the way this country is going keeps our music relevant!"
- Birb log: 15 June, Jackdaws still flying off with beaks full of food.
16 June, juvenile ? Song Thrush in front garden (these are ringed locally and I hear them sing occasionally but I rarely see them).
25 June, Jackdaws in semi-juvenile plumage and with behaviours such as frequent vocalising and begging for food (including begging each other, lol, which helps establish the wider flock's pecking order). Most of the parents are very unimpressed with being harassed for food at this stage, although they do still voluntarily feed the kids, and adults will cheerfully put the youngsters in their place if the kids are failing to copy adult foraging behaviour or are trying to steal food the adults have found. This morning's flock was about a dozen individuals.
- Habitat: I sorted out and re-dyed everything old that could be renewed. I love the moment when all my favourites look at their best again.
- Pop: f'Keith Starmer and Lisa Nandy's attempts at government censorship of pop music are going about as well as British government censorship of popular media usually does (see also Lady Chatterley's Lover, Spycatcher, &c). "It’s upsetting that the way this country is going keeps our music relevant!"
- Birb log: 15 June, Jackdaws still flying off with beaks full of food.
16 June, juvenile ? Song Thrush in front garden (these are ringed locally and I hear them sing occasionally but I rarely see them).
25 June, Jackdaws in semi-juvenile plumage and with behaviours such as frequent vocalising and begging for food (including begging each other, lol, which helps establish the wider flock's pecking order). Most of the parents are very unimpressed with being harassed for food at this stage, although they do still voluntarily feed the kids, and adults will cheerfully put the youngsters in their place if the kids are failing to copy adult foraging behaviour or are trying to steal food the adults have found. This morning's flock was about a dozen individuals.
In which our heroine travels from 2002 to 1490 by bus, feet, and time machine
Jun. 28th, 2025 08:11 pmspiralsheepIt's June and therefore, like unto a salmon swimming wearily upstream to spawn, I must find a cafe according to ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
flaneurs challenge III.(c). This year I was hoping for 100% less fail! :D
My destination which, unlike in 2023, I had checked was actually open (lmao) was the National Trust "Old Oak" cafe in Greyfriars which is a preserved Tudor £££ brewer's £££ house £££, built 1490, in the middle of Worcester. My starting point was the Royal Voluntary Service hospital shop, built 2002, at Worcester hospital. To the time machine!
First, catch a bus... with a rly big net? Or a public transport network. Hypothetically there are several buses passing (busses kissing?) this stop but in practice the 38 is much more frequent than its rivals. The bus route passed many points I've described in previous June challenges. We also stopped for a funeral procession of a black hearse, complete with coffin and lovely bright yellow flowers, led by a woman funeral director in a formal black skirt and frock coat with a low-crowned top hat and carrying a silver-topped cane.
( Stuff what I saw (with links to some amazing art) )
Greyfriars: it's not grey and there were never any friars, but it was interesting to visit.
flaneurs challenge III.(c). This year I was hoping for 100% less fail! :DMy destination which, unlike in 2023, I had checked was actually open (lmao) was the National Trust "Old Oak" cafe in Greyfriars which is a preserved Tudor £££ brewer's £££ house £££, built 1490, in the middle of Worcester. My starting point was the Royal Voluntary Service hospital shop, built 2002, at Worcester hospital. To the time machine!
First, catch a bus... with a rly big net? Or a public transport network. Hypothetically there are several buses passing (busses kissing?) this stop but in practice the 38 is much more frequent than its rivals. The bus route passed many points I've described in previous June challenges. We also stopped for a funeral procession of a black hearse, complete with coffin and lovely bright yellow flowers, led by a woman funeral director in a formal black skirt and frock coat with a low-crowned top hat and carrying a silver-topped cane.
( Stuff what I saw (with links to some amazing art) )
Greyfriars: it's not grey and there were never any friars, but it was interesting to visit.
Bit of a 'mode change' kind of day. Getting stuff set up/moved around/checked on etc since I'm now doing everything, sorta thing. I have discovered that my father packed ALL of the frozen leftovers to take with them (to Mama's surprise, too, when I texted her to check if I was just missing stuff), so I've REALLY got to shop tomorrow. I knew I probably should, but usually there's at least some pasta sauce in the freezer, and my father made beans recently so I thought some of the leftovers would be in there, but nope. All gone!
I think I'll go to the asian grocery tomorrow, since it's the weekend and the normal supermarkets will be pretty busy, and get dumplings etc. (It's in the opposite direction to the other supermarkets, so noooot a good idea to do both on the same day. Though at least it's cold enough that I wouldn't have to worry much about stuff defrosting. On the other hand, who wants to be out in that weather longer than they have to be?)
My parents have gone away for a couple of months! Finally! I get some time to myself. And also. Quiet. Just. It's so much quieter, it's great.
Anyway, nothing huge today. Slept a lot, because no one to make me get up (and also tired from yesterday). I even did some tidying! :D Also sewed a patch on my bag awww yeah :D :D :D
So I didn't actually get any tidying done today, either.
However, as this was mainly because I was helping my parents move furniture around, and put blankets over the one large gap? Pseudo arch? IDK the thing where there's no wall between rooms, open plan bullshit except this is baked into the bones of the house from well before open plan was a thing (it's between the lounge and dining area. Not unusual to have glass double doors somewhere like that, but no doors here, just a gap. IDK). Anyway that was a LOT of lifting/coordinating/maneuvering and it was fairly tiring!
Also later in the evening I helped my father download all his books onto his new kindle - the previous one died, and he was happy with how it worked so he got a new one, as you do. ( What the shit, Amazon. )
So anyway the upshot of that is that if anyone knows of an ereader that's kindle-level reliable and doesn't do that shit, plz to let us know. (My father had a Kobo originally but it died in less than a year, so he's a little skeptical about Kobos specifically. The previous kindle lasted 8-9 years and my father is not a light user, which is the main reason he just went and got another one when it died.)
Anyway! Not really a lot else in between all that. Lot of time spent flopped recovering! Furniture is heavy! (Particularly the couch. I mean, the solid is good most of the time, but...)
Sleepin' nao, yes.
Aurora Australis readalong 10 / 10, Bathybia by Douglas Mawson, post for comment, reaction, discussion, fanworks, links, and whatever obliquely related matters your heart desires. You can join the readalong at any time or skip sections or go back to earlier posts. It's all good. :-)
Text of the dream fantasy Bathybia by Douglas Mawson:
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Aurora_Australis/Bathybia
Readalong intro and reaction post links:
https://spiralsheep.dreamwidth.org/662515.html
( Links, vocabulary, quotes, and brief commentary ) Hurrah! We have read through the Antarctic winter, under the light of the Aurora Australis, with only members of the Nimrod expedition and our even smaller band of voyaging biblionauts for company. Champagne all round!
Text of the dream fantasy Bathybia by Douglas Mawson:
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Aurora_Australis/Bathybia
Readalong intro and reaction post links:
https://spiralsheep.dreamwidth.org/662515.html
( Links, vocabulary, quotes, and brief commentary ) Hurrah! We have read through the Antarctic winter, under the light of the Aurora Australis, with only members of the Nimrod expedition and our even smaller band of voyaging biblionauts for company. Champagne all round!
I did SO MUCH SOCIAL today omg. Went in and got lunch with A, like I said yesterday, and it was stupid crowded so it was extra draining. Was fun, though! :D
And then I came home and like... five minutes after that my parents came home, and Sibling wasn't long behind them, so I didn't get much of a nap. I mean, I still tried but it wasn't as easy as when the house is quiet, bleh.
But we had dinner (thankfully take away, not going anywhere!), and it was good? But yeah, I am drained as hell. Not helped by catching up on Azy's game thing which ate like... an hour and a half just before now um. >>;; Should've put the off until tomorrow, but too late now!
Sleeps nao though. Attempt to do more house stuff tomorrow, yes.
Please note that when Yvette Cooper claims Palestine Action have committed "violence" she actually means vandalism to property not violence against people. Violence is harm to a person or people, e.g. genocide or supporting genocide is "violence". One of Cooper's fellow Labour Party MPs, Apsana Begum, said: "Proscribing Palestine Action as 'terrorists' while continuing to send arms to a state that is committing the gravest of crimes against humanity in Gaza is not just unjustifiable, it is chilling. The ongoing crackdown on the right to protest is a threat to us all." NGO Campaign Against Arms Trade demonstrated the UK government increased licences to export military equipment to Israel after a "temporary arms suspension" was falsely announced in September 2024.
Link to the following article at Sky news:
Palestine Action supporters defiant as group faces ban
By Jason Farrell, Monday 23 June 2025 20:57, UK
What's happening to Palestine Action?
Palestine Action faces being proscribed as a terror group after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military aircraft.
"If they brand Palestine Action a terrorist group then - oh my goodness - I'm one of them too," said Eleanor, a mother from Rotherhithe, south London. "Whether I do something or not - I'm a terrorist," she said. Eleanor had come to support the group at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square. She had just heard a statement from Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who said Palestine Action will be banned following "a nationwide campaign of direct criminal action".
It means not just the core members, but anyone coming out to support them in protests such as this one would be committing an offence punishable of up to 14 years in prison.
Eleanor said she started supporting the group after the previous home secretary Suella Braverman dubbed the pro-Palestinian protests hate marches. Eleanor added that this latest move by the government won't stop her supporting Palestine Action, but she worries what would happen to her children if she was prosecuted.
There are other, legal, pro-Palestinian groups that people can support, but those at Monday's rally believe their group was the one having the biggest impact. "They are scared of us," said another protester, Frieda. "Now they will make our lives hell and I don't know how anyone in this country can stand for that."
She was carrying a banner that read "Free Political Prisoners" and said several of her friends had been arrested for activities related to Palestine Action (PA). She added: "We won't be intimidated by this, and we will come out in bigger numbers now."
( Full text of article for archiving purposes. )
Link to the following article at Sky news:
Palestine Action supporters defiant as group faces ban
By Jason Farrell, Monday 23 June 2025 20:57, UK
What's happening to Palestine Action?
Palestine Action faces being proscribed as a terror group after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military aircraft.
"If they brand Palestine Action a terrorist group then - oh my goodness - I'm one of them too," said Eleanor, a mother from Rotherhithe, south London. "Whether I do something or not - I'm a terrorist," she said. Eleanor had come to support the group at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square. She had just heard a statement from Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who said Palestine Action will be banned following "a nationwide campaign of direct criminal action".
It means not just the core members, but anyone coming out to support them in protests such as this one would be committing an offence punishable of up to 14 years in prison.
Eleanor said she started supporting the group after the previous home secretary Suella Braverman dubbed the pro-Palestinian protests hate marches. Eleanor added that this latest move by the government won't stop her supporting Palestine Action, but she worries what would happen to her children if she was prosecuted.
There are other, legal, pro-Palestinian groups that people can support, but those at Monday's rally believe their group was the one having the biggest impact. "They are scared of us," said another protester, Frieda. "Now they will make our lives hell and I don't know how anyone in this country can stand for that."
She was carrying a banner that read "Free Political Prisoners" and said several of her friends had been arrested for activities related to Palestine Action (PA). She added: "We won't be intimidated by this, and we will come out in bigger numbers now."
( Full text of article for archiving purposes. )
Rana Temporaria*
Beloved little frog,
how many varied words
will your long tongue tell
as it reaches from there to here?
Beloved little frog,
what diversity of speech
can fit in your generous mouth
extending from ear to ear -
from your ear to mine?
Oh, beloved little frog,
if I kiss you as you are,
and love you in your own skin,
will you tell us all a story?
- by spiralsheep
(* Temporary Frog, aka the Common European Frog)
Beloved little frog,
how many varied words
will your long tongue tell
as it reaches from there to here?
Beloved little frog,
what diversity of speech
can fit in your generous mouth
extending from ear to ear -
from your ear to mine?
Oh, beloved little frog,
if I kiss you as you are,
and love you in your own skin,
will you tell us all a story?
- by spiralsheep
(* Temporary Frog, aka the Common European Frog)
I DID manage to go get meds before lunch, so I'm pleased with that! :3
Other than that, fairly standard day. Kinda falling off the tidying wagon, whoops. >>;; Going to go meet A for lunch tomorrow, and then we're having dinner with Sibling, so may also not do any tomorrow, but should definitely do some on Thursday! >: >: >:
Do you make crafts? Do you like to look at crafts? Would you like to get (or give) advice about crafts? All crafts are welcome. Share photos, stories about projects in progress, and connect with other crafty folks.
You are welcome to make your own posts, and this community will also do a monthly call for people to share what they are working on, or what they've seen which may be inspiring them. Images of projects old or new, completed or in progress are welcome, as are questions, tutorials and advice.
If you have any questions, ask them here!
Pretty productive today, actually! I got up when Sushi insisted on breakfast, as planned, and then I had my own breakfast and cleaned the chook coop! AND I applied for some jobs and stuff before I had a nap!
Given how late I always seem to go to bed, I really do think going back to a split-sleep cycle is gonna be better for me. I definitely remember it being better, anyway, it's just it don't work so good with a 9-5.
I need to go pick up meds again, so hopefully I'll be able to repeat the get up-eat a food-go DO something sequence again for that! >: But gotta go sleep first, hahahaha!