chipmunkweirdo

[chipmunkweirdo]

Speaking Sherlock Holmes adaptations

ARE WE JUST NEVER GONNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS VERSION OF SHERLOCK HOLMES??? 😭

[chipmunkweirdo]

“The clock is WORKING! I finally got a chance to add the hands today.”

“I love it so much! My beautiful accidentally backwards tree of life clock.”

“With crayons for hands! It’s overflowing with creativity!”

[chipmunkweirdo]

Alvinette art drawn by @fishfinz

It was inspired by the song Levitating by Dua Lipa.

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH! THE OUTFITS ARE SO SHINY!!!

[chipmunkweirdo]

Alvin and I had another terrifyingly numb day at work yesterday. Courtesy of the ADHD meds that really don’t agree with my chemistry.

Anyway, I was watching Alvinnn before work when the Vyvanse kicked in. Hoped it would help the meds have less side effects. (because maybe the numbness and empty head were a placebo)

They were not. But I did end up with just the ONE song from the episode in my head all day. Coincidentally the name of the song was “I’m Bored Out Of My Mind.”

Also, mom has told me she prefers the usual me to the medicated me. She also mentioned that although monotone lifeless voice me is spooky, monotone lifeless quiet Alvin voice is downright disturbing.

Anyway, we finished our work so quickly yesterday that we had time left over to either sit blankly in a chair or doodle. We chose to doodle. It was really weird to watch my hand draw Jeanette without me or Alvin even consciously choosing what to draw. My mind was blankity blank, but my muscle memory was like DRAW JEANETTE!

Long story short. Plurality, Anxiety, OCD, Autism and ADHD meds are a weeeird combo.

[chipmunkweirdo]

“Sharing all my little doodles with you guys!”

“Doodling helps me listen and I gotta use it MORE!”

[chipmunkweirdo]

“Check out my summer fit.”

[chipmunkweirdo]

And this dude wanted in the fashion show too. Say hello to Alvin 2.0! Mom used to work at The Shopper and gave us her jacket!

ALSO, LOOK AT THIS SHIRT! IT’S PERFECT!!! I need to get them in more colors!

(And you get a pic of the giant floofy tail I/we wear at home. I wish I could wear it in public, but I get that wouldn’t be appropriate.)

[chipmunkweirdo]

Mom humored us with taking pictures of our little fashion show as we rock some new and old outfits.

Side note: Brittany needs some T-shirts. Eleanor could use more too, but Brittany has 0! Only tank tops and sweaters and cardigans!

[chipmunkweirdo]

thinking of that one aatc episode where alvin gets freaked out by a bird swooping him and dave calling him overdramatic...SIR YOUR SON IS A PREY ANIMAL. HE IS BIRD FOOD. A HAWK CAN EASILY TAKE HIM AWAY!

[chipmunkweirdo]

writing is like group therapy except you're every person in the room and no one brought snacks

[chipmunkweirdo]

Me, My Life & Why Part 2

Short stories from the edge of executive dysfunction

At precisely 10:03am, I sat across from a man who’s never once been late, wrong, or interesting.

“This is just a conversation,” he said, smiling the way dentists do before a root canal. “Not a critique. Just feedback. A check-in.”

I braced myself.

The office-safe way of telling someone they’re too much is by using phrases like “scattered energy,” “inconsistent output,” and “doesn’t always follow through.”

And I got all three.

He started with a compliment. They always do.

“You’re very creative.”

Which means: We like your ideas but wish you’d stop having so many.

“You bring a unique energy.”

Which means: You make meetings weird.

“We just need to harness it a little more productively.”

Which means: Please act more like the others. It’s making the spreadsheet people nervous.

He kept talking. I drifted.

Not intentionally, it just happened. He was saying something about synergy and deliverables, and my brain said, “Cool, we’re out,” and mentally walked into a forest.

I looked at the potted plant in the corner of the room and thought about whether I’d watered mine this week. Then I remembered I don’t own a plant anymore because the last one died of neglect and I still feel guilty about it.

“Are you with me?”

Oh. Shit.

“Yes,” I said, confidently. “Absolutely.”

He nodded, clearly unconvinced. I probably blinked wrong.

Then came the dreaded suggestion.

“Have you tried using a planner?”

Sir.

I have tried using a planner, an app, a timer, a bullet journal, a visual schedule, a Pomodoro cube, a habit tracker, a dry-erase wall grid, a set of pastel highlighters that made me believe, briefly, that I could fix myself with colour coding. I have planned my way into paralysis.

But I smiled and said, “Yeah, I’ll give that a go.”

Because that’s what women like me do. We smile. We agree. We suppress the quiet fire that’s constantly burning under our ribs.

I don’t remember the rest of the meeting. I left with a printout called “Optimising Your Workflow” and a new ache in my jaw from clenching.

By the time I got back to my desk, my inbox was already full of polite panic.

“Just checking in!”

“Do you have that deck ready?”

“Any updates? No rush, just checking :)”

No rush. Just checking. My two least favourite lies.

I wanted to scream. Or disappear. Or throw my laptop into a canal and live as a mildly feral barista in a coastal village where no one has email.

Instead, I opened a Word doc and wrote:

Performance Review (My Version):

I remember everyone’s coffee order but not my login.

I can deep-dive a project for six hours or forget it exists.

I am not inconsistent. I am cyclical.

I work best under pressure, but I die there too.

I am not lazy. I’m just tired of pretending I’m not lost.

I didn’t send it. Obviously.

I’m not unhinged.

Just unravelled.

Later that night, I microwaved half a burrito and stared at the wall. I replayed his words in my head, “Just needs more structure.”

Like I hadn’t tried to staple structure to my soul for the last decade.

I don’t need a planner. I need a life that works like I do.

And maybe I’m done being “reviewed” by people who’ve never had to duct-tape their brain into place just to show up.

So no. I didn’t reply to the follow-up email.

I closed my laptop.

I finished my burrito.

And I added a new line to the doc:

May be spiralling. But at least I’m doing it on purpose.

Enjoy this story?

Come read the full 25-part collection over on Vocal Media - it’s free!

[chipmunkweirdo]

Theo, Alvin, and I did watch the pilot episode of Fetch today and it feels nice to nurture my inner child before being flung back into the adult life of work tomorrow.

Today’s been incredibly stressful and we needed the 30 minute break. Why can’t my breaks be longer than 30 minutes? Siiigh.

“I’m in the mood to start re-watching Fetch With Ruff Ruffman!”

“I miss that show and I wanna re-learn a bunch of cool stuff I forgot!”

[chipmunkweirdo]

“Summer Vacation display posters finished for the library!”

“I’d like to thank Theo and Jeanette for their help and Brittany for helping me gather all the books, CDs, movies, and stuff for the display.”

“Special thanks to Jeanette and Theo for their awesome bookmark designs.”

[chipmunkweirdo]

Summer burnout is the worst.

Every time I try to do anything I enjoy to recharge, the heat and the storms just amplify the burnout.

I worry about my stress levels which just makes them higher.

I don’t find anything that is meant to calm me down RELAXING. I just wanna doodle nonstop and I can’t. I want to make oodles of friendship bracelets because that’s the latest hyperfixation and I can’t.

I know we all need a break from writing for probably a week or more.

But every time I try to schedule something relaxing, I have more obligations popping up to derail it. Even on my days off.

Is the best way to recover from burnout just laying in bed and staring at the ceiling? Because sometimes I feel like that’s all my body has energy to do after 2 or 3 tasks in a day.

I’m happy all the summer trips with mom are mostly over. There’s only one more and then August will be a time of more free time. At least, that’s what I was promised.

My job coach only comes once a month now. I still have therapy though. And I have a dentist and eye doctor appointment coming up AGAIN.

I think come September or October, I’ll take a vacation from work for a week. The Chippies and I deserve it, as we work on things for work even outside work a lot.

Anyway, this is a vent but I need to get serious about my health and figure out how to get all 7 of us relaxing in ways that work for us because each one wants something different and poor Simon’s in burnout because I keep using him as “the work headmate” too often.

I’m going to try and salvage whatever is left of this day. And I promise the munks and I haven’t forgotten about the Fanfiction Awards votes and stuff. We’ll do the acceptance speeches eventually. When we have the energy and motivation to do them and have relaxed first.

[chipmunkweirdo]

Unhinged ADHD Tips & Tricks #1

I'm tired of pretending my tricks don't range from just a wee bit unhinged to wtf, so im just gonna call it what it is.

Today's trick!

That song you've had on repeat because of the 💫vibes💫? Use the vibes to get something done.

I listened to Loser Baby from Hazbin Hotel for 3 days straight. It was the only song I listened to unless I had my daughter with me. I switched to the album for about 30 minutes before I stuck it back on repeat for another couple of days.

Those moments when you're vibing, take advantage of it. The dopamine is right there! The song is giving it to you. Just keep vibing and listening, but let it enable you to also get the laundry that's been sitting there the last month

[chipmunkweirdo]

SORRY IN ADVANCE FOR HOW HARD THIS CHAPTER IS GONNA HIT!

Prepare for…Alv-insanity!

Faking taking the medication that turns down your emotions is no piece of cake. Can Alvin prevail when everything feels so stacked against him?

You’ll see!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62736508/chapters/174626041

[chipmunkweirdo]

Saving the star of the show for last! It’s Alvin’s turn now! I originally was thinking about dividing it into 3 different sets of awards, but that’s not fair to the other munks who only get one.

So, all 3 versions of Alvin 2.0 will be represented here in these 5 nominations.

Reblog if possible so it reaches the fic readers!