itsrainingsomewhereelse

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

non binarium

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

How to Handle Having TOO MUCH To Do

So let’s say you’re in the same boat I am (this is a running theme, have you noticed?) and you’ve just got, like, SO MUCH STUFF that HAS to get done YESTERDAY or you will DIE (or fail/get fired/mope). Everything needs to be done yesterday, you’re sick, and for whatever reason you are focusing on the least important stuff first. What to do!

Take a deep breath, because this is a boot camp in prioritization.

Make a 3 by 4 grid. Make it pretty big. The line above your top row goes like this: Due YESTERDAY - due TOMORROW - due LATER. Along the side, write: Takes 5 min - Takes 30 min - Takes hours - Takes DAYS.

Divide ALL your tasks into one of these squares, based on how much work you still have to do. A thank you note for a present you received two weeks ago? That takes 5 minutes and was due YESTERDAY. Put it in that square. A five page paper that’s due tomorrow? That takes an hour/hours, place it appropriately. Tomorrow’s speech you just need to rehearse? Half an hour, due TOMORROW. Do the same for ALL of your tasks

Your priority goes like this:

5 minutes due YESTERDAY

5 minutes due TOMORROW

Half-hour due YESTERDAY

Half-hour due TOMORROW

Hours due YESTERDAY

Hours due TOMORROW

5 minutes due LATER

Half-hour due LATER

Hours due LATER

DAYS due YESTERDAY

DAYS due TOMORROW

DAYS due LATER

At this point you just go down the list in each section. If something feels especially urgent, for whatever reason - a certain professor is hounding you, you’re especially worried about that speech, whatever - you can bump that up to the top of the entire list. However, going through the list like this is what I find most efficient.

Some people do like to save the 5 minute tasks for kind of a break between longer-running tasks. If that’s what you want to try, go for it! You’re the one studying here.

So that’s how to prioritize. Now, how to actually do shit? That’s where the 20/10 method comes in. It’s simple: do stuff like a stuff-doing FIEND for 20 minutes, then take a ten minute break and do whatever you want. Repeat ad infinitum. It’s how I’ve gotten through my to do list, concussed and everything.

You’ve got this. Get a drink and start - we can do our stuff together!

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

I'm glad you like it! :D Person who made the flag here, just wanted to share a link to the original post if someone needs it since I know it can be hard to find sometimes (the internet is like a maze sometimes haha).

sharing this aroace flag cause i kinda prefer it over the sunset one. don't get me wrong i love them both but i feel like this one is nice as well lol

it doesn't have too many stripes like the aro and ace flags connected and it looks enough like the separate flags so non-aspec people can figure out what it's about you know?

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

I am in love w the way pre 2000s films have that hazy feel to them. hd honestly kills the vibe

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

Tips for Staying Healthy When You Have Sensory Issues and Executive Dysfunction

Think about the foods that are causing you sensory issues. Can you eat some of them in a different form? For example:

I can’t eat cooked vegetables, but I can eat them raw, or I can eat them in soup.

I don’t like meat but I do like chicken when fried (which isn’t exactly healthy, but still).

If you can’t, you may be able to find alternatives. Use google to find out what you’re missing in your diet and what other foods fall into that category.  If you know the ingredients, you can then look up different recipes for them (or eat them raw, depending on what it is).

Do you need protein? Usually people think of red meat (cow, pig), but there’s much more than that! These also have protein (and are better for you):

fish

poultry (chicken, turkey)

dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt)

beans and peas

nuts and seeds

tofu and soy products

If you have a hard time eating fish, you can try making it taste better by buying fresh, disguising the taste with a sauce, or mixing it with mayo and adding it to a sandwich.

Do you need calcium? You can get it from more than just dairy. There’s also calcium in:

leafy green vegetables

seafood

white beans

almonds and sesame seeds

instant oatmeal and cheerios

oranges and orange juice

Do you need whole grains? Usually people think of the brown bread with bumpy stuff in it, but you can also get whole grain rice, pasta, oatmeal, cereal, and even popcorn. 

Water is very important, so make sure you get in the habit of drinking lots of it. Limit the amount of soda and candy you eat. Pay attention to your portions; if you’re not sure, check the “serving size” on the package (at the top of the Nutrition Facts). Eat slowly and only until you’re full, not until your stomach hurts. Here’s a guide for how to tell whether or not you’re hungry.

If washing fruits and vegetables is an executive dysfunction roadblock, try simplifying it by tossing them all into a bowl to soak for a couple minutes (cold water only! do not use soap), then dumping them into a strainer.

There are blogs and forums that are meant to archive easy and/or healthy recipes. All you have to do is google keywords like “low spoons food” or “easy/fast and healthy recipes”. Here are some:

No More Ramen

Low Spoons Gourmet

Eat Cheap and Healthy

Feel free to add onto this list (in fact, please do).

-Mod Har

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

College Executive Functioning Tips

Fair warning: this post is not really about doing homework, rather ideas for successfully acquiring/accessing more general living and organizational skills while dorming. Also, my first semester has been a shitshow so idk how qualified I am to give advice on the matter, but take it as you will. In a way it’s “things I learned the hard way”/a reflection on my first semester.

That being said, here we go:

1. To remember to bring the correct notebooks and materials, get a hanging clothes organizer and label for the 5/7 days of the week. Place the books/materials needed for each day on each labeled shelf. If you need certain books on multiple days, you can put index card placeholders or label what should be in each compartment.

2. Alternatively, you can get a mini days of the week dry erase board or a computer printout and write what materials you need on which days and which classes you go to (in order.)

3. This tip also works for homework: in college, the workload is much more predictable week to week, so if you always have online math due Monday, put it in another weekly table and schedule days to work on it in advance.

4. Schedule your asssignments to be done ahead of time. It’s a lot harder to get deadline-related accommodations in college and if you’re like me you feel uncomfortable asking for them. I’ve only needed to ask for one non accommodation included extension this semester, and it’s largely due to this.

5. Get. Your. Accommodations. In. Order. Before. The. School. Year. Starts. (if at all possible)

Learn from my mistakes. To be fair I didn’t have another option because my school requires everything to be done in person but it took me a month to get my letters which resulted in some awkward/discriminatory situations. Oops.

6. College accommodation processes are different than high school. There are no 504s/IEPs/under the table stealth accommodations here. Some colleges require retesting for your documentation. All require you to fill out a bunch of forms. You are largely responsible for knowing what helps you (though your liaison will likely make suggestions) so make a list of what worked for you in high school and will fly in college and request those (bring it with you to the meeting if you will forget). Also, your parents are generally forbidden from getting involved unless you sign a consent form, which is a huge change. You will need/be forced to develop self-advocacy skills. I definitely did. You also generally need to request to renew your accommodations every semester, and it’s your responsibility to remember. Set a reminder on your phone/digital calendar.

7. Post its are your friend. For me, they’ve been a valuable asset to my sucky working memory and using them minimizes resulting anxiety.

8. Laundry is hard, especially when you have physical disabilities. Double check your pockets or you might accidentally send your favorite pen through the wash and induce a meltdown. (To be fair I do check- which is why I said double check)

9. Choose specific dates/times to do your laundry, and set reminders. If you alternate lights and darks and do it, say, every Wednesday morning (pick an off time- Friday nights are great) you are a lot less likely to end up with a month’s worth of laundry and nothing to wear when you really need to look nice. Also, your suitcase can double as a rolling laundry basket.

10. Try to eat around the same times every day. Set alarms if you forget. Try to go on the off hours and eat as healthily as possible.

11. Clean your room before it gets too messy. This should go without saying but my drawers got junky by the end of the semester. Try scheduling a day of the week to do a quick clean up.

12. Your space can be a reflection of your mental state. I need things visually organized, but when I’m not doing well mentally I stop cleaning off my desk, putting my clothes in the laundry basket, making an attempt to make my bed, you name it. I’ve learned to recognize that this is a sign of stress and that tidying up a bit will make me feel a bit better.

13. College is not conducive to sleep, especially for work heavy majors. You. Need. (around) 8. (ish) Hours. Get them. It’s hard but everything else will fall apart if you don’t.

14. Make “ routine cards” for things like showering. Write down everything you need to take a shower on an index card and your steps for taking a shower (you can set a timer) so that you don’t take half an hour to get out your shampoo.

15. Drink water. Carry a water bottle so you have the visual reminder. Drink a glass at every meal. Schedule “teatime” and make an event of staying hydrated.

16. Allow yourself to relax. This is hard because the college environment demands you be “on” at all times, and this resulted in me feeling guilty for not studying when I was, well, not studying. I’m trying to work on scheduling times to work and times to not work, and to remember that I need to do fun things to take care of myself.

17. If you dress nicer than usual, you will apparently not look as depressed (assuming you have depression in the first place���). Use this to your advantage.

18. If you have un/undertreated/situational depression, get help before it gets really bad. I know a lot of college mental health offices push people away but put your self advocacy skills to use and get that counseling or whatever.

19. In the same vein, if you are struggling in a class (for whatever reason) don’t be ashamed to get extra help/sign up for tutoring. Especially if you’re like me and never needed to study a day in your life before this because the courses are structured differently.

20. Recognize your accomplishments. College can be really, really hard for people with impaired executive functioning, mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, etc. The change is hard and the learning curve is steep. But you’ve made it this far- so congrats! Celebrate!

If you liked this, please consider following my blog for more related content if you are not already. I post advice and sensory product reviews/suggestions.

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

“A Thread of Tips” by Shelby

• #16 is missing but to find out more tips, follow her on twitter; be sure to thank her! 😁

disclaimer: check sites and tips before using at your own discretion.

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

just some con questions - what kind of inventory do you have at cons? as in, how much of each item do you usually have with you in stock at cons? I imagine it varies from item to item because some have been in your con repertoire for a while and you've seen which ones are popular, but in general, how many copies of a single print, or how many copies of a single charm do you bring to sell? how many usually end up selling?

Okay so this question made me so excited I had to go take photos.

This is how I handle stock involving keychains. As you can probably tell from the boxes, the characters that have a spot all their own are bigger sellers. Everything is also heavily overstocked, primarily for my bigger shows. At bigger shows, I’ll sell out of a lot.When something is really popular, for example, shortly after Dangan Ronpa V3 came out, I could sell 15+ Kokichi keychains at a show. Especially anime cons, as you’d probably guess.

Also, this is not all my boxes with all my charms. I now have over 120 charm designs! If you can believe it.

There is also this idea that you will make 80% of your money, from 20% of your stock. For example, I don’t sell much of my Stardew Valley designs, but I sell a lot of Dangan Ronpa, or My Hero Academia. However, for the people who are desperately looking for that rare item, they will buy it. If I dropped all my stock involving less popular things, I’d actually make way less money. But when people walk by your table and see so many keychains, they tend to come over and see what you have.

Some charms, I only bring 1 or 2, others, I bring 15-20. I try to bring enough to not sell out of things, but like I said, my huge shows? No matter how I stock, things sell out. It’s a madhouse.

Because of the success of my keychains, I tend to sell way less posters then I do before (Because everyone’s focus is keychains) so usually the most I’ll sell of a poster is like, ten? Of a single design, at a good con. But posters are still very fun, so I do them.

It’s actually gotten to a point where I have so much stock, and most of it I can’t cut down on, that my luggage is so packed, it’s hard to fly to cons. But some of my cons have to be flown to, so. Shrug!I’ve been wanting to get into metal pins, but I’m even unsure how I’ll carry those. I just have so much fun with this stuff I don’t want to get rid of anything.

I will tell you this though. At a good convention, I can sell over 200 charms, and 100 posters. And trust me, that adds up.

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

I love when you get questions about more business things like how you have stock during cons. It's just so impressive to hear about how everything works.

:D!! Honestly?? I love it too!There is a LOT of background stuff that goes on, when you make conventions and art into a full time business. Most of the things I’ve learned sorta took about 3 years to actually settle into something reasonable.

A couple extra things you might find interesting:

-I have a google drive spreadsheet including all my charms. Whenever a certain charm gets under about 8 left in stock, that section of the spreadsheet lights up to let me know I need to restock. I have similar spreadsheets for my pencil bags, stickers, and my newer posters.

-I won’t show anything too personal involving stuff, but I will show you a print out spreadsheet I use at the cons themselves. This was from a very small local 18+ con in Denver. When something sells, I check it off this sheet. After the convention is done, I go into my digital spreadsheet and add them up, so I’m always on top of how much I have.

(Don’t let the sales of Eeveelutions fool you, those were clearance misprint designs so they were way cheaper than everything else here)

-As you can probably guess by now, my keychains are my biggest focus, and with over 120 designs, they’re the hardest to keep track of. I also have over 4000 keychains in my bedroom as I’m typing right now. Save me.

Anyway, this is how I have them organized in my closet:

This is how I have things set up. All my pencil bags, keychains, and a few of my books are stocked in here.

All the little white tabs on top, are taped on. They are whiteboard paper, and everything is written in sharpie. Good news, if you ever want to get sharpie off of something, you just use whiteboard marker on top of it, then wipe! So I can change these as needed.

The boxes by the way, are all little photoboxes you can get at Micheals or Hobby Lobby. Currently, I own probably about 200 of these boxes.

-On that same spreadsheet program, I have tabs that list all the conventions I’m currently applying to (I have attempted to apply to 60+ shows around the united states, Alaska and Hawaii) and how i have to apply. Some shows require you to follow them on twitter to see when its announced, it’s the only reason I have twitter on my phone at all, and the kinder shows just send out emails. Some do neither, for…. some reason I can’t explain- and you just have to check their website. Those shows? Psh, I ain’t got time for that.

When you have 200+ designs, across keychains, pencil bags, posters, stickers, ect ect, and you have to keep track of them all? This is how you do it. At least, this is how I do it. Saves me a LOT of headache, and gives me free time I need for when I’m stressin.

The only way to do this as full time work, is to be excessively organized. Also, you have to seriously plan ahead. For example, I make virtually zero money in the months of November, December, February, and July.  I do make some money on patreon of course! But patreon has become a secondary income, and I try to pretend it ‘doesnt exist’ when I’m setting up my finances. Back when patreon was my primary income, I actually used to have panic attacks at the beginning of each month, because I never knew how much I’d have that month to live off of. Running my own business like this, takes all that stress away, because I have more control over my monthly income. So at a really good show, I’ll take a good chunk of cash, and set it aside for the tough months, so I can essentially survive the winter. I’m constantly thinking months ahead with my planning, so when those months hit, I won’t have any major panics. Those months are still really tough, but they aren’t disastrous.

I laugh at anyone who thinks people who do this sorta thing full time don’t actually work. Because obviously, this all ignores all the art I draw, keeping updates on Gloomverse going, ect ect.

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

“I have all these OCs! But no story…”

bruh

make a fighting game

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

“why does this character who has done terrible things deserve a happy ending, how can you be okay with that, why do they deserve anything nice”

well see it’s because the entire concept of what people “deserve” is a messy ethical quagmire that has really troubling implications no matter how you use it

but also it’s because i like fictional miserable little assholes and i do what i want

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

the fight is harder each year.

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

Who Heals Frisk?

There’s something inexplicable that happens in Undertale that as of yet has no explanation. Who exactly IS healing Frisk? In the beginning of the game, we are pinned down by Flowey. Attacked. And then, we are suddenly healed to full. And Flowey?

Is utterly speechless. His mouth is wide open and he’s staring, as if to say ‘what did you DO?!’ 

Now, it’s easy to assume that this is Toriel’s doing. After all, we see that she is capable of healing us later on, and blows Flowey away immediately after. But look at where he’s staring … At US. He sees Toriel later, and he looks to the right. So, if Toriel is to the right, and he’s looking at US when we suddenly jump to full health … (Forgive me for not getting that moment in screenshot; his sprite only changes for a fraction of a second and I can’t quite capture it. But, pay attention on your own runs and you will see it.)

Not only that  there’s a sound effect that plays when we are healed/Flowey’s missiles disappear that doesn’t play when Toriel heals us … But DOES play again. It plays a LOT. It plays every time we interact with a SAVE point.

And here also we are healed completely.

 It plays one more time. During Frisk’s hour of dire need, when they scream out into into the darkness and call for help …

And this time as well, the same sound effect plays, we get healed and Flowey has NO IDEA what just happened. He’s just as confused now as he was then. 

So. Let me ask you a question. What healed Frisk? Who could have answered? 

Who was with us at every SAVE point? At the beginning of the game, when we fight Flowey, who was there? Who was the last person who had yet to give Frisk their aid in the battle against Omega Flowey? 

Who heals Frisk?

I think all these questions have the same answer: Chara.

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

so I wanted to say this in *checks* mid-August 2021, but uh, time is fake. basically, I'd been following you from the undertale days and then you started posting about ds9 stuff at the same time I got to watching the show, and it has been such a wonderfully curated selection of the funniest posts and best art, I really want to thank you for that. (and I've still got some fic from you in my email inbox to get to!! very excited but, again, time is fake) so yeh, thanks for a wonderful time <33

Time IS fake (I have no idea how long this has been sitting in my inbox, I'm so sorry haha).

We're DS9 nerd buddies, how fun! I hope I don't bother people too much with all the reblogging I do on here. I used to save reblogs for my main, but since this account has 10x as many followers, I figure I can do the OPs more good by showcasing their work here, instead.

And, yes, I have hours and hours and hours of fic I need to read, too. So much to read, so little free time, right?

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

Glad to see you're okay. I just found your Undertale comic over on Deviantart. Great work.

:) Thanks! I'm doing as well as I can be, though quite busy, and while the comic isn't abandoned, it is on a long hiatus until life gives me time to work on it again. Thanks for checking in, friend, hope you're doing well, yourself~

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

Today's Adventure is that I, after an unintentional 13-hour power nap,

Got woken up at 6AM by a phone call from a friend stranded in Montana because of the heat wave and almost no cell service because of their crap provider.

OhSoThat'sHowIt'sGonnaBe.jpg

Ok.

I somehow summon a week's worth of spoons and in less than 30 minutes and 5 phone calls, get them

A hotel

An appointment with a mechanic from 2 states away

A perscription refilled from 2 states away

and A Pizza

Go me.

But then it's 8AM and there are unscheduled live humans at the door and while EVERGENCY MODE is still on, I have already blown through a ton of spoons, and also probably shouldn't meet whoever it is wearing just a pair of bootyshorts that say "CRYPTID" in Gothic Font on my ass.

So I greet them in those shorts and a T-shirt that I manage to put on both inside out and backwards

#nailedit

It is, Fortunately, not the mormons.

it is, Unfortunately, two UPS guys trying to deliver my other in-house friend's new phone except the new guy doesn't know how to operate the "sign for package" device, and the old guy that's supposed to be mentoring him is like, 92, deaf as a post, and doesn't actually know how to operate the device either.

by the way

it is already

over 100 out

it takes almost 30 minutes to sign for the phone

when i get back inside, i discover that apparently the Corgi has learned how to open his kennel from the inside because he is now out of the kennel and waiting for me to come in.

he also has cat litter all over his face because while he was waiting for me he also learned how to open the baby gate to the cat's room and help himself to a cat shit breakfast.

He'll be fine

He's a cattle dog, they're legally required to have at least 1 really disgusting snack they love.

but

more to the point

i have no idea at what point he learned to open his kennel from the inside

has he been staying there out of politeness this whole time??

And

I got other shit to do today.

namely.

I'm seeing a realator

The Devils most pathetic yet effective demons

I get a reminder text that I have an appointment with her

at least

I think that's what it is because what she sends me is: "🏡⏰12:00 ❔"

With the time typed in the middle like that.

She is, according to her profile, at least 80.

so I reply "😎👍"

and then she sends me a string of GODDAMN POST-MODERN EMOJI HEIROGLYPHICS THAT TAKE UP MY ENTIRE SCREEN.

She's on an iPhone so half of them don't even translate across platforms

It takes me half an hour and three different software programs and goddamn wingdings to translate, but she has sent me the address and rules about masking and not wearing shoes inside.

in emoji

instead of like

literally any other format

I am

FASCINATED

and simply must meet the woman so if I don't come back to update I got stolen by the fairies but I'm taking the Corgi with me as protection so I'll see y'all later.

[itsrainingsomewhereelse]

Because I’ve lost control of my life