ashknife

[ashknife]

Last year, I finished up and graduated with a second master's degree, helped hold down the fort after the sudden departure of the boss, promoted to a new position, promoted again shortly after to become the boss, spent the fall semester finishing my predecessor's work, cleaning up their mistakes, learning how to be a manager, and trying to get by on a weird schedule, had a somewhat difficult Thanksgiving, and spent the Christmas holiday recovering from illness brought on by my exhaustion.

It was a bit of trial by fire, but I feel much more confident in my role as a library director now. I've stabilized my schedule, and now if I can get through these cold snaps, I can focus my time off less on waiting to go back to work and more on being constructive.

Which means getting back into writing. Also, watching and commenting on anime and other works. I missed doing that, but being in a survival mindset is not conducive to being creative. I have some Mob Psycho 100 to finish watching, not to mention the last season of My Hero Academia.

My apologies to @granny-griffin for being such an absent nemesis lately. I will have a comeback arc or some such thing. :)

[ashknife]

happy thanksgiving!! im thankful that you’re my nemesis :D

Mwahahahahahahaha!!! Baaaaaaahahahahahaha!! Hohohohohohahahahaha!

(This is evil laughter for thanks! I am glad to be your nemesis, as well!)

[ashknife]

[ashknife]

We're no strangers to love

You know the rules and so do I

A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of

You wouldn't get this from any other guy

I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling

Gotta make you understand

Never gonna give you up

Never gonna let you down

Never gonna run around and desert you

Never gonna make you cry

Never gonna say goodbye

Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

We've known each other for so long

Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it

Inside, we both know what's been going on

We know the game and we're gonna play it

And if you ask me how I'm feeling

Don't tell me you're too blind to see

Never gonna give you up

Never gonna let you down

Never gonna run around and desert you

Never gonna make you cry

Never gonna say goodbye

Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

We've known each other for so long

Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it

Inside, we both know what's been going on

We know the game and we're gonna play it

I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling

Gotta make you understand

Never gonna give you up

Never gonna let you down

Never gonna run around and desert you

Never gonna make you cry

Never gonna say goodbye

Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

Never gonna give you up

Never gonna let you down

Never gonna run around and desert you

Never gonna make you cry

Never gonna say goodbye

Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

A lot of folk see this as an enduring internet meme. Me? When this song was current, my little 6-year-old self was dancing to it every time it came up on MTV. So, it brings fond memories whenever it comes up, even as a prank or a meme.

One time, when I looked this song up on YouTube, Rick Astley commented on his own music video, expressing appreciation for the love it got, especially after the "Rick Roll" thing got started. He thinks that's all been super fantastic. I appreciate when an artist embraces the silliness their work sometimes gets caught up in, through no fault of their own.

Thanks for the memories. Good times. :)

[ashknife]

For the third year in a row, I'm Team Lewis. I did some sort of portal fantasy for the last two, so maybe space travel this time around. I'm not sure what to do beyond that, though. I have three weeks. That's plenty of time, right? Right?!

[ashknife]

I've been asked a few times how I've been doing since becoming library director here, and I think I've come up with an interesting analogy.

Imagine a river you've played and swam in all your life. While doing so yet again, the water suddenly rises as the river floods. You get swept downriver, struggle to swim, and might actually be in danger of drowning. That is until your feet find the ground, and you can stand. The water is not as deep as you thought, nor is the current as strong as you thought when you were surprised. It's the same river, just under different circumstances. You can do this.

There is a lot that school and experience did not teach me, but they did provide a good foundation and equipped me to handle the job. I can do this, and I might actually like it.

Hopefully soon I can get back to watching some Mob Psycho 100.

[ashknife]

I started the library director position last Friday. I'm in my early 40s, and this is the first managerial position I have ever held.

THERE IS SO MUCH TO LEARN.

There are some things school just doesn't prepare you for. I knew this conceptually, but it hurts every time the reality slaps me across the face.

Also, working at the same library as a paraprofessional for almost 20 years doesn't necessarily equate to being ready to manage it.

It'll be fine. It's an adventure, right? RIGHT?!

[ashknife]

Just as quickly as I got into a doctoral program, I dropped out.

Because I became director of my campus library. I have a different kind of stressful year ahead, but one I've been looking forward to for a long time.

[ashknife]

Tagged by @traveleorzea. Thanks!

Favourite colour: Blue, generally.

Last song: Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi

Currently reading: Nothing at the moment. I've made myself too busy to read.

Currently watching: Very slowly going through Mob Psycho 100. I've made myself too busy to watch things, too.

Currently craving: Sushi. Yes, tasty, tasty sushi.

Coffee or tea: I generally prefer a strong cup of coffee, but I'm not at all opposed to tea.

Tagging: you, if you want to do it.

get to know me game

rules: answer + tag six people u want to know

thank you for the tag @littlemissmedicalmalpractice

fav color: purple 💜💜

last song: tears for fun - griff

currently reading: toni morrison’s song of solomon and also rereading svsss

currently watching: COBRA KAI S5 💪💪 TOTALLY FUCKING BADASS (my brother and my favorite show atm)

currently craving: mmmango 

coffee or tea: coffee, always

tagging @sequinhaze @rainydayrina @luckymoonly @violetgarlends @sillygoofyqueer @chewiiez and anyone else :D

[ashknife]

I'm a glutton for punishment.

I'm going for a doctorate.

Let's see how long I can make it.

[ashknife]

★ 【つかこ】 「 らんま 」 ☆ ✔ republished w/permission ⊳ ⊳ follow me! insta • x • bsky

[ashknife]

The library director left a few months ago. Another librarian just left on extended leave and may not come back. We're trying our best to cover the director's duties, and I've essentially absorbed the other person's duties.

There's not enough of us left. I can't do all my work justice. I don't know how we're going to make it.

But we have to.

Not what I signed up for going through grad school, but I suppose it's valuable experience, right? Right?

It'll probably be ok. But, hey, we could use some prayer.

[ashknife]

[ashknife]

Chasing his dreams

[ashknife]

Mob Psycho 100, episode 12

That was anticlimactic, but satisfying. That was a great way to have a one-sided fight. That was a believable way to subvert expectations.

Running away looks like a lot of different things. Giving Reigen all the power and responsibility let Mob avoid his fears and struggles. I think the dude was right to call Mob a coward.

Reigen is a jerk, but he's got some savvy. I think he's growing on me.

[ashknife]

Ever dial a fax number on your phone? Get ready to relive the Internet from the 1990s and early 2000s, because that dial-up nails-on-a-chalkboard mess is all you're gonna get.

*grips you by the shoulders and looks deeply into your eyes* Listen to me

Listen

What I’m about to tell you is very important

A fax number is NOT the same thing as a phone number.

If you try to dial a phone number on a fax machine you will NOT send a fax to that number. You will only get the fax machine to call that number.

If you have to send a fax

It is CRUCIAL

To

Make

Sure

The

Number

Is

A

FAX NUMBER

[ashknife]

One of the most charming series of the summer 2024 anime season is Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian. The title gives you the basic setup—tsundere speaks of her adoration for the MC in Russian, which she assumes no one understands (wrongly of course)—but the quality of the voice acting, animation, and characterization has been excellent.

And now, y’all have a chance to read the full array of light novels from which the show is adapted!

We’re giving away volumes one through seven of the series—all the LNs currently released of Alya by Yen Press! That adds up to eight volumes in total as it includes a volume 5.5 as well. And it’s so easy to enter!

1) LIKE this post 2) REBLOG this (though make sure to tag us so I can be sure to see it!) 3) Double your entry by COMMENTING below: Which language do you wish you could speak?

Here are the other rules:

You must be following us to enter

We’ll accept entries up to 11:59 p.m. ET on July 24th

International entries are welcome

BtT staff are not eligible

Spam and contest accounts are not eligible