gentle progress.
20 Jan 2026 03:28 pmWhen I got really depressed last year, like extra depressed, I pretty much stopped taking pictures. Not entirely, but way way less than I used to.
Partly because I suddenly intensely disliked my own face.
Also because I guess, I'm 50 now, it seems like most things I've either seen already, or, I guess, I know I rarely go back over photos of these little things, or, I know it's just not the same. How many times last year did I put the phone up to something, see it through the screen, and not even bother, because it looked nothing like what I was actually seeing.
But still, it's a nice way to remember.
There have been beautiful things I've witnessed in the last few weeks, that I wish I'd bothered to stop and try to capture, even if it's not as good as the real thing. Of course it's not, but it can still trigger the memory of the goodness of the thing.
The silhouette of the two dear cresting a hill with the sunset behind them - I did not have time to grab a camera for that moment, but, SO breathtaking. I don't even remember where I saw them, maybe in Stevenson? I think Stevenson, on the way home from the Dog Mountain hike. Felt like a dream. I could have at least tried.
The little dried winter plant skeletons caught in all this winter sunshine. The pretty starry delicate shapes they make. So fragile and fleeting.
The outfits I put together for dancing. We didn't get any selfies Sunday night, with me in the tiny sparkle shorts and Josh's favorite shirt.
Anyway. Just a reminder to myself to keep trying to capture beautiful little memories when I get the chance.
...
I have to remember the ways that Amanda also hurt me. I did not withdraw for no reason. There are multilayered reasons why that friendship is strained, it's not just me being petty or judgmental. It's me being protective of my energy and my safety and my own sense of self-worth. I miss her anyway. I still want to reconnect anyway. But, with caution. With love. With the right kind of intention. Not sure if it's possible.
...
Okay back to folders and spreadsheets. I will do a pretty petal doodle as a reward for at least getting started on it.
Need to be home by 5 to get ready for dancing tonight. My foot hurts, I am exhausted, gotta take it easy. But I want to support Cynthia.
I had SO MUCH FUN on silks today. Maybe I can share a video. I am not back to 100% after surgery but I'm shocked at what I am already able to do. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.
(no subject)
20 Jan 2026 03:09 pmMom has been moved to the new place (which is also memory care -- she hates being locked in) and when I visited her last week it was not great at all. The place looks nice but mom was insistent that she needed to go back to OldPlace and I could take her. (I declined. Six times.). I need to decide how often I'm visiting her, because I can't do every week.
Wrote a story for Yuletide (pinch hit) and I love the source and I have no energy to write up all the stuff I want to say
Have FOP flareup under my jaw. I can still chew but mouth opening is restricted -- about the size of a slice of bread's thickness -- and chewing is effortful. Have to take smaller bites so there's more chewing needed too. Have started prednisone (ee) so hopefully that will help. No clue if this is permanent or will resolve. At night it feels like I have something heavy resting on my neck; it doesn't interfere with breathing but it's kinda uncomfortable and getting to sleep is harder.
I've been playing a (free with gacha elements) casual life sim game called Heartopia. So cute. I've just adopted a cat (golden spotted, looks like a bengal) and have unlocked the option to adopt a dog but can't decide which one (golden retriever I name Phoebe? Black lab named Yahtzee? Shiba Inu? Corgi? Husky?). Also you can interact with wildlife. So much cuteness! I love.
January Manga TBR 2
20 Jan 2026 05:09 pmI finished 5/5 on my last board and had a good time.
Avatar:

Conan
Skill: Beat trap tile once
Roll #1:
An 11, prompt: gender bender. Oh, more Basara then!
Roll #2:
A 12. Man, first I get an excellent skill now I get 2 excellent rolls. Why can't these happen on the boards I want them to?? orz Prompt: cafe/bakery/restaurant. Hmm let's see what I've got. Okay, Amai Jouken it is.
Roll #3:
An 8, prompt: game element. Let's how much I remember in My S-Class Hunters. Honestly about time;;
Roll #4:
Another 8, prompt: started in the month you were born. That took a while, there's no way to filter by 'only stuff on my list'. Anyway, I picked 3-manen no Kareshi.
Roll #5:
A 6 and 'generate from TBR pile'! Exciting and scary. #564 which is...huh. I was just thinking I didn't want to read another Nitta Youka yet but here we are at Haru o Daiteita. Since it's so long I might read it like am with Junjou Romantica, post by post.
Roll #6:
Alriight, a 10 and the end. The physical BL this time is NightS by Yoneda Kou.
Most looking forward to: Basara and My S-Class Hunters
Least looking forward to: Everything else lmao
~Manga TBR List~
[Shoujo/Fantasy] Basara
[BL/Romance] Amai Jouken
[Fantasy/Action] My S-Class Hunters
[BL/Romance] 3-manen no Kareshi
[BL/Drama] Haru o Daiteita
[BL] NightS
x1 shoujo, x1 shounen, x4 BL
While appearing on the Amoeba Records show What’s in My Bag in 2017, the great Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead picked out his favorite albums from the Los Angeles store and explained why he loves them so much.
Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir goes shopping at Amoeba Music in Los Angeles.
His picks included Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis, Schmilco by Wilco, Howlin’ Wolf’s Blues From Hell, Sacred Island by Taj Mahal & The Hula Blues Band, Rubber Soul by The Beatles, The Essential Bessie Smith, and two John Coltrane albums: Africa / Brass and Coltrane.
Bob Weir passed away on January 10, 2026, leaving a big hole in the world that no one else can ever fill. Rest in Peace Bobby. We’ll always love you.
Fare thee well now
Let your life proceed by its own design
Nothing to tell now
Let the words be yours, I’m done with mine” – “Cassidy”

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The post Bob Weir Picks Out His Favorite Albums From Amoeba Records in 2017 Episode of ‘What’s In My Bag’ was originally published on Laughing Squid.
Write Every day 2026: January, Day 20
20 Jan 2026 11:21 pmWhat I didn't do during my lunch break: write /o\
(And then the entire afternoon was non-stop meetings until smoke came out of my ears.)
Today's writing
A little more than an alibi sentence, but not much more.
WED Question of the Day
I find ...
shorter fic easier to write than longer fic
5 (62.5%)
longer fic easier to write than shorter fic
1 (12.5%)
something else (see comments)
2 (25.0%)
I mostly write ...
drabbles and ficlets (<1k)
2 (25.0%)
short fic (1-3k)
3 (37.5%)
medium length fic (3-6k)
1 (12.5%)
longer fic (6-10k)
2 (25.0%)
long fic (10-20k)
0 (0.0%)
very long fic (20-50k)
0 (0.0%)
epic fic (>50k)
0 (0.0%)
I often write ...
drabbles and ficlets (<1k)
5 (62.5%)
short fic (1-3k)
8 (100.0%)
medium length fic (3-6k)
6 (75.0%)
longer fic (6-10k)
5 (62.5%)
long fic (10-20k)
1 (12.5%)
very long fic (20-50k)
0 (0.0%)
epic fic (>50k)
0 (0.0%)
Tally
( Days 1-15 )
Day 16:
Day 17:
Day 18:
Day 19:
Day 20:
Let me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
January Manga Wrap-Up
20 Jan 2026 03:54 pm
Read the BL oneshot Peeping Tom and rated it 4.5! 
I read the BL Staining the White Pine with Crimson Frosted Snow and rated it 7.5/10. 
Read vol. 24 of Dr. Stone!! 
(Re)read v21ch 184-185 of Mairimashita! Iruma-kun, excited to get going reading new content now! 
(Re)read the BL Lover's→Flat, the rating went from 9->7 and I'm reading to pass it along. 
(no subject)
20 Jan 2026 01:49 pm* The Sens' Heated Rivalry jerseys sold out in about an hour. The sales benefit Ottawa Pride Hockey.
Importantly, this is the logo for the Ottawa Pride Jerseys:

Perfection.
* I haven't watched the whole thing, this goes on the pile with some other interviews to watch when I have time, but Linus Ullmark has addressed the batshit rumors about his brief leave of absence in this interview. I've only seen a clip, but he talks about why so many players seen closed off in interviews, don't talk about their lives, and seem to not have personalities. There has been a lot of talk about how it's a real thing in hockey culture that players are closed off, never give real answers and seem to be robots all running on the same software.
That this is a real thing/problem is hockey has been something hockey fans have been trying to explain to parts of HR fandom. There is a certain Kraken who still gets dunked on by Canadian sports media for a single comment taken out of context back in 2014, he later wound up being trained by Sid himself in No-Speak, the art of saying literally nothing ever in front of media.
Anyway, I am still new to hockey but it must be frustrating to see a lot of new people come in with very strong assumptions about what is and isn't accurate in the GCU books. Hockey isn't a monolith, there are exceptions. Joey, for example, is very open about parts of his life and does chat with fans. But also, hockey players being media trained into being politeness bots who say nothing is also a big part of the scene.
Google Maps exists
20 Jan 2026 01:19 pmJust read a fic where one character is thinking that "it's only an 8-hour plane ride!"
and. I have driven basically between those two places.
It's a 6-hour drive unless traffic is really bad. if you hit the most congested bits exactly at rush hour, it might take you 8 hours. to drive.
Flying? Well, if you were starting at a small regional airport and needed to make a connection, it might take you four hours.
I actually mind this shit more than the big stuff. The big stuff is hard to research. Google Maps is really really quick and easy.





