#me spending the past week prepping my blog

[mamasanctuary]

Grateful Day 11.26.22

Super late posting but I’ve been dealing with one life event after the other. My sister ended up hosting on Thursday which meant I could relax and take my time cooking Friday/Saturday instead of rushing around like a crazy person. It went well but also started some family drama being that none of the usual guests were invited. For our sanity’s sake, of course. I thought it would be dropped and we could all move on but we can’t. Yeah family. So anyway I finally had the spare time to get on here and just blog how I’ve been wanting to. And let me tell y’all.

I’ve Got Some News.

First, I want to start of by thanking everyone who supports me here. Especially those of you who have been here from the beginning. It means a lot to me that my blog has been an inspiration or even a safe place for some of you on your parenting journey. I know it’s got more personal and less *advice-y/* over the years but I’m leaning towards that direction, with a little twist. 

  I know I’ve made a lot promises over the past few months, regarding consistency, and while I feel awful about it I also realize I set myself up for failure. I don’t thrive off of hard schedules and so I’ve opened myself up to simply offering one post a week at any time during the week. Do you know how many times I’ve gotten on here to post but realized it wasn’t Sunday so I put off preparing a post and then it stayed in my drafts? A lot. I want to be able to share authentically and take breaks as needed without the pressure of only being able to post on my one day a week. 

  Additionally, I’ll make one post purely for advice and questions I’ve gotten over the past several months. You all have sent me 100s of questions/calls for advice that have gone unanswered so I want to take the time and support those who have been supporting me. That particular post will be released on a consistent date because the questions have already piled up. You can look forward to my advice column on Fridays at 3pm. 

With all of that out of the way...

I’ve been super busy prepping for baby#4 these past few weeks. Not so much with actual baby stuff, but with spending a lot of time with me “big” babies in preparation for being secluded with a newborn for, at least, 3 months. The amount of stares and unsolicited “You should be resting” I’ve gotten has increased since I’m the size of a whale at this point, but I truly live for my little outings with my little ones. As I approach my due date, I realize I have an unwavering fear about developing PPD so I think I’m forcing myself to be happy and busy so I don’t think about it. Ah well, as is life. 

The kiddos are doing well and rushing this baby out. Thalia is homeschooling well with me and we’ve decided to take that route for as long as it’s comfortable for us all. It’s definitely been experience and I’m a former teacher! Solomon and Zoe like to join in but often end up convincing me that Thalia needs a break and will rescu- I mean kidnap her from me and run outside. We’ve been taking it day by day and they’re all growing so fast as I’m sure you can see in the photo. They’ve been praying for the baby every night and have asked me multiple times if I could “grab baby out” which has been fun to explain to a two toddlers and a 5 year old. 

Our little family is growing and thriving as best as it can and I hope yours is too. This year has been hard enough with all the nonsense going on in this world so I hope you’re taking the time to care for yourself.

Until next time, 

[thestartofabeautifulride]

I apologize for the fact that the past probably 2 years my blog has consisted of an excessive amount of posts about preparing for a move/moving/getting settled after a move, but it takes a lot of my headspace. So. 😅

We are 3 weeks away from our stuff being loaded onto a truck, and they actually pack the Friday before, so less than 3 weeks until I need to have everything ready. Part of me is bitter that for a second move in a row it’s me getting the house prepped solo. The other part of me says it really doesn’t matter, because even if he were here I’d probably still be doing 98% of it myself anyway. 🙃

I’m really nervous about what living near family will be like. Of course it will have its perks, but I also worry about us being obligated to do stuff with them constantly. And while we’re certainly going to be closer than we ever have been, it’s still an hour+ drive, which isn’t super convenient. Also, I’m dreading how city-y the area we are going to be in is. I hate driving in traffic, especially in areas like that where everyone is in such a hurry and there’s so many aggressive drivers. I am just not a fan. So I’m nervous about hating living there. I hope it’s good, I really do, but it makes me nervous.

Also my husband’s thoughts on how to set up our house based on the floor plan is absolutely wrong. I should share the floor plan and ask y’all which setup is right, because his two potential options make NO sense to me at all and I feel the need to be validated on the fact that I’m absolutely right. 😂

We had our pre move inspection and after they walked through the house he gave me a sheet and was like, “here’s a list of things to do before your final inspection” and I didn’t really look at it until after he left. But one of the items on the list is to have the carpet professionally cleaned, but everyone I’ve asked has said they didn’t have to get the carpet cleaned, only if it needed cleaned, but ours is not stained at all or anything. The list does have “remove pet waste” underlined, because there was definitely poop in the yard when he came through, so I’m not sure if it’s a you address the problems that they noted on the list kind of thing? But like, the list also says “remove satellite dish if one was installed” and we have a satellite dish in our yard… that was here when we moved in and we did not use. So clearly previous residents didn’t fully complete the list. Idk, moving again after only a year is already expensive enough I really don’t want to pay to have the carpets cleaned. But I also don’t want to get hit with a housing carpet cleaning charge when we don’t do it. And sure, I could call to clarify, but part of me worries that if I specifically ask then that’s in their mind to make sure I do it, versus if I don’t say anything maybe they won’t either? I don’t know, but I really don’t want to spend money I don’t have to.

And last moving thought for the moment, I am sooo dreading this 24 hour drive. Especially since we got my new car and we’ve held firm on the “no eating in the car” rule. Which has been nice as far as keeping the car nice, don’t get me wrong. But food has always been one of the big pick me ups for the kids on a long drive. Kids getting restless? Toss them a fun snack! But not this time.

[sweetswesf]

Hey hey, y’all.

I’m mad Tumblr STILL hasn’t responded to any of my support tickets to get my messaging back. As an engineer, I am criticizing the app in a different way than most lol. There’s a lot of cool things with the UI, but the way you can’t separate primary & secondary blogs, some of the playback, the slow or no responses on support tickets is kinda getting to me. I didn’t think it’d frustrate me this much, but it does…Maybe it was protection…

I made a lot of progress last week. I feel like I am making strides and getting stronger with concepts. I had 2 onsites and a practice technical and I felt I did pretty good in all of them. Rejected from one in less than 24 hours, but that 1 involved a lot of semi negative back & forth with the recruiters for over a month, so I felt the decision was made before I even did the interview.

I was exhausted, but felt like I was detaching from the pain of things and just telling myself get through it. Even in my workouts. My body was tired but it felt like it was moving without my mind. I know it’s only God…I spent less time on social media, I spent less time procrastinating, and I can get through most 12 hour days without needing a nap. I am completely wiped out on my break days (Sundays) and take 4 hour naps then lol but I remember a time during my early months of being laid off where I couldn’t get through the day without a 3 hour nap.

I am about done with the sections of the API YouTube course I want to go over. It is a really good course and it’s at a good level of detail I need. I was familiar with the material, but this was good to solidify understanding of certain concepts. I think I have like one more day left that I’d like to spend on it for prep for my interviews. A lot of things make a lot more sense. I wanted to get past it so that I can focus more on system design and algos, but it was necessary to go over. I’m trying to balance learning quite a bit of topics: system design, APIs, DS&A, OOP, behavioral questions.

For you that have been commenting on my posts encouraging me, especially @mythgrippa-blog & @tenaciousdeveloper, I want to send a particular word of appreciation. Whenever I get a bit discouraged, I remember your comments, so thank you so much.

I even caught a butterfly by its wings! I’ve always wanted to do that, but I don’t think I’ll ever do that again. I won’t forget how surprisingly strong it was wriggling to get free. I quickly released it when I realized I could be hurting it’s wings! I’m sure I did though and the thought makes me sick. I never meant to hurt it. These are sentient beings. There was no need for me to do that. I didn’t realize I would hurt it before I did it. I was on break from an on-site, feeling good, listening to this song, and intrusive thoughts took over.

It flew away fine, but still…I’m sure I damaged the wings just by touching it. I felt a similar guilt when I thought my car would clear and not hit this cat that was laying in the middle of the street. It didn’t and I killed a little collar-less white kitten 😔. This was almost a decade ago. I don’t even own a car anymore but I still think about it & feel guilty.

I took a Cruise autonomous car ride. That was my 3rd time in an autonomous car ride, but 1st one by Cruise. After it, I was inspired. This is the type of things that drew me to tech in the 1st place…

School loans start accruing interest again at the end of this month, and I would like to pay those off. I haven’t looked into deferring my payments because I’m hoping I can pay them off before needing that option. It is humbling to go from having a lot of autonomy with spending to relying on government assistance. Life comes at you fast…I can’t judge anyone. I do, but I shouldn’t and I try not to. I am reminded everyday, with every new experience or challenge, that you truly don’t know what people are facing or what the heck you would do if in a similar scenario. Ideas & history are different from reality.

Pastor at church today said, “You think you have strong faith until something happens that tests it,” and I related hard. I reflect on everything. Sometimes I just sit and stare like, “I’m tired and I’m ready for a different reality.”

My mom comes at the start of September too, and I would like to fully enjoy that with her with my dream job. I will enjoy it regardless though.

I order from DoorDash less, to save money, and also, because there’s not that many options that are healthy, and regardless if the meal is healthy or not, I’ve had it so many times that I’d rather just try to make a replica of my own if I have time. Some things I just can’t replicate, but I do like that I’m empowering myself to have some control over that. I’m often negotiating between saving money and saving time when it comes to this food stuff.

Also, food at this point is one of the only break aways from work that I’m allowing myself to enjoy right now. A LOT of my community has left the city or don’t reach out despite my efforts of trying to maintain the relationship. I don’t want to forge new ones right now, because the emotional and financial investment is… a lot right now. Anytime you want free time outside these days, you end up spending like $50 at minimum! I also feel like I need to find someone to help on Sundays. Sundays are for rest though, and so far, I’ve taken up the whole day washing my hair, going to church, grocery shopping, cooking, eating, napping for 3 or 4 hours, reflecting, and YouTube video watching. I don’t study, I don’t do any chores, and I don’t even like cooking those days. I appreciate my Sundays for what they are for: rest.

A few people close to me asked me again this week if I wanted to keep doing this and I was audibly annoyed. They don’t think I’ve made success in the way I should, but they don’t know much about the industry or how things typically go on this side. They also don’t know my plan. They don’t have to, but it does because it kind of feels they don’t believe in my abilities. I don’t want to be struggling forever, but I don’t think I should give up. I want to do this. I mean, I even get the question a lot in interviews. Like, I transitioned about 3 years ago. Why are you still asking me why I transitioned? You’re wasting time when you could be asking me about my qualifications for this role. I’m sure non-career-transitioners (people with traditional backgrounds) don’t get asked why they chose that field. Does it matter WHY I’ve chosen it if I’ve been gainfully employed in it for years and am applying to keep doing it? It shouldn’t. This question is totally valid outside of interviews. I appreciate answering it then. It just feels invasive when asked in interviews. I could see if I was fresh out of my old career, but I’ve been working as a full time software engineer for more than 3. It almost feels like, “well duh!” at this point when it comes to choosing tech. Look around you. Why not?! EVERY industry damn there has been elevated and can’t survive without tech. It’s really hard to cover your basic needs and a lot people on a 6-figure salary are living paycheck to paycheck given how outrageous rent is. At least tech gives you a fighting chance. Look at me! A tech worker still with debt who’s now had to rely on government assistance…It feels similar to interviewers asking why I majored in something. It doesn’t matter at all when you should be looking at the work I’ve done for money.

It was recommended, and I agreed, that I should stop interviewing with startups and start interviewing with companies I would like to work at, so I’m doing that soon. I feel a bit impatient and when I do, I try to refocus and remind myself that I shouldn’t give up and potentially blow the progress made thus far (another word of encouragement from y’all reading, so thank you!). I just need to keep going, stop feeling rushed, be fearless, be strategic, have confidence, and know that God will give me something great in due time that’s fit for me that exceeds my expectations.

I’m grateful for vision, dexterity, my mental health, my education, having hot water, still being able to afford a gym membership and to never go hungry. To spend on organic groceries. I also still have quite a bit of savings. I didn’t realize but my high yield savings account has been kicking me back about the amount of a week’s worth of meals & groceries every month. Praise God. I also am still able to tithe and be generous to people who need help during this time.

The things that I wanted months and even weeks ago, like purses, shoes, etc. all seem so frivolous now. Thousands on these things? I’ve never spent that much on purses & shoes. I’ve never been that girl, but I HAVE bought a lot of excess before, or bought things, albeit cheap, that I thought I would use one day. I even imagined that once I get a job, I would treat myself on one of those $1k+ purses, just because I’m a 30 and never have bought anything designer. Now, I don’t even care about taking a vacation. I just want to wake up employed. I WILL take a vacation, but I don’t mind just visiting something local. I miss NYC like crazy! I’ve always wanted to visit Atlanta (my 1st visit was at night and was too short, I had to drive back to Nashville in the morning). Those purses and shoes are still NICE but, I don’t HAVE to have them like I once felt…Imma still treat myself, but the treats won’t be as extravagant/often/out of my honest price range.

Fashion blogs seem so DUMB to me now. The THOUSANDS people will pay and still be in debt or not own any assets seems CRAZY now. But it took this to open my eyes. I’ve been unemployed before when I was fresh out of bootcamp, and I went into super frugal mode, and promised myself to maintain those habits. I did a lot, but still made dumb decisions after I got employed again. Freeing myself from want this time around, I hope it sticks.

There were days this week where I woke up wanting to contact a particular dude from my past. Just thirsty and lonely and craving a hug. I kept saying, “I just want a hug.” It’s really just me. Day in & day out. Friends & family only call. Everyone close to me I have to talk to virtually through a screen/over the phone. It gets to me…someone will love me hard and give me the affection I crave one day. I need to rely on God’s love though and remember not to put too much dependence on people, but it’s okay to want a partner. God honors marriage and says a spouse is to supply the other’s needs for affection. Not one way: this is for both partners.

I’m grateful for everything this time has taught me and I don’t know if I would have learned it without this. I shun fear of not getting what I want. I refuse to believe that my efforts will go unrewarded. I chase away the devil that made me believe I was less than. In the meeting with my mentor last week, he said, “I’m going to be candid: the team did NOT like that you were let go. We all felt that you had made so much progress and we actually had a rant session about it.” That almost made me cry, because I felt like the weakest link on the team at that time, but to know that people respected my work and felt like great things were coming for me, confirmed my suspicions too that I KNEW things were looking up. I had finally felt comfortable, and then it felt like my progress was stopped. But I know, and I knew even when I got laid off, even without my next position, it wasn’t a mistake. God tends to shift things when you’re feeling comfortable. He’s trying to elevate me. I will be in a higher position my next role, potentially making more than double what I was. More than what I could have gotten if I stayed. I don’t fear getting let go as much anymore because I know how to do these algos, or, I know where I can go to refresh my understandings of them. I lived in fear before this and couldn’t truly enjoy anything because I knew there was a huge hole in my understanding of things in the interview & my career that I felt I didn’t have the time to learn. Nothing is by mistake and I’m grateful to Him. Amen!

I hope y’all are well too. Be blessed <3

[pregnantthenwhat]

New year now

New kid coming soon!

A bit of back-story: I am (3 years) married, in my early 30s, and 30 weeks pregnant with child number one. I have not done much to prepare for baby besides regular OB-GYN appointments. I have been a bit in denial (getting pregnant, thankfully, happened much more smoothly than I was anticipating), a bit not wanting to count my chickens before they’re hatched (you hear so much in the media about miscarriages, etc), and dreadfully, paralyzingly anxious (about my health, about fetus’ health, about my ability to parent a child, about what my life is going to look like after birth, about how this will affect my marriage). I don’t know anything about raising a kid, and I’m worried that if I start to research the topic, I’ll learn that I’m even more ignorant than I thought I was. Maybe I’m being a bit selfish, too. I like being the center of my own world! I want to spend my free time shopping online and reading Harlan Coben mysteries, not baby-prep books!

My pregnancy seems to be progressing smoothly thus far, but it has been mentally challenging for me. The changes happening in my body have made me even more anxious than usual. I don’t like being limited in how I eat/exercise/medicate. It is hard to express these dissatisfactions without seeming ungrateful or unexcited, and all the other moms in my life seem to have gotten through pregnancy so easily, which makes me feel isolated. I am thankful that the fetus seems healthy and looking forward to being a mom, but the past 30 weeks have been a grind.

My plan for this blog is to share my journey, and maybe it can provide some comfort to other moms-to-be who are sharing these same feelings.

[fountainpenguin]

Hello Tumblr followers-

As I’ve mentioned before, I spent the past year building up to an ARPG event I was hosting for personal story (the Raiders of the Southern Temple event). I spent a lot of time prepping, then running the event, and most recently wrapping up the finale pieces and event results. I’m happy to say that apart from handling the prize handouts, I’m finished! Below are some links if you are interested in seeing what I’ve been doing:

“Cuna de Murciélago” - 120k-word finale story [Written so it could be enjoyed by outsiders even with little story context]

“It’s Complicated” - One more finale story [38k] that wrapped up a few things from other POVs that I wasn’t able to show in “Cuna”

My results journal (See everyone’s entries and view winners)

In the next few weeks, I’m enjoying the holidays and creating entries for our current ARPG event, which ends in mid-January (It’s an event that lets us submit to retired prompts for free instead of using a group item that’s difficult to get and can only be used on a few characters at a time). Once that wraps up, I plan to return to fanfics throughout 2023, balancing my time on ‘fics with spending more time on the books I want to publish in the coming years.

Currently, I’m a little stuck with the next Origin chapter because even though it’s sitting at 17k words right now, it’s very unfinished and is a struggle to get through [70 underscores that need sections finished]. Fortunately, the chapters that come after it (The huge timeskip one told by Sanderson and the coming-of-age chapter where H.P. shows Sanderson and Longwood coming into their adult wings) are 15k each and only need minor touch-ups. The chapter after that, we go to war and then we get to the chapters I wrote all the way back in 2016, lol.

This also means the chapter I’m stuck on is basically the last time we’ll see our main cast as kids, so I’m trying to do it the justice it deserves while also wrapping up all other plot points that need to fall during the early years; there’s a lot of it, but I’d rather not split it into another chapter if I don’t have to, so it’s taking some time to find the balance between not bogging it down and not leaving loose ends. It will probably need to be split, but we’re getting there.

Thank you for your patience and I look forward to posting more Origin soon (with more ‘fic updates planned in 2023). I’m also hoping to spend more time with my Tumblr blog over winter break and/or in January and February, answering Asks, and maybe brushing up on the sideblog so it’s not in an unfinished state that makes me cringe every time of think of it. Little by little we’re getting there, but my event went well and I’m glad it’s in the wrapping up phase now!

If you haven’t already, consider checking out my ‘fics Reedfilter Rules and Frayed Knots which recently received new chapter updates.

[shadowsong26fic]

Coming Attractions

I feel like it’s been A While since I did one of these, haha...

As always, along with the Coming Attractions, we’ll do an Open Question Night! My askbox is always open, but tonight I’ll be keeping at least a semi-active eye on it, answering questions. Any fandom I’ve posted about here or on AO3 is fair game; questions about writing in general; etc.

Also, my writing discord does exist! It’s a pretty quiet place, but it’s at least intended to be a slightly more interactive extension of this blog.

A fairly short update this month; I don’t have all that much to report, unfortunately...

Star Wars:

Big bang has been completed and posted at last! I don’t know that it’s my best work, but I am proud of how the fight scenes turned out, at least.

It was kind of like pulling teeth all season to get this one done, though. Hopefully next year will be easier! I don’t really have a solid plan, other than vague notions of doing a BSG crossover, since that’s where a lot of my brain is now, lol.

Protectors and Preludes updates are coming, I swear, it’s just been slow. Hoping the Obi-Wan show will kick my butt into gear, even though I’m well past that point in my timeline!

Castlevania:

I finally actually started posting Incinctus! It’s a fun piece, and while I do have at least one other plot thread floating in my mind for future writing, we’ll see how this one goes first. My plan is to update weekly, on Mondays. This plan will probably hold up until I run out of steam and pre-written material XD ((There’s a little bit of an Easter Egg in this week’s chapter that I found amusing; we’ll see if anyone actually picks up on it.))

Battlestar Galactica:

I have started my rewatch at last! I’ve powered through S1 (and put my notes, apart from the fic-related stuff, up on my personal tumblr if you’re curious XD); I may skip around after the Pegasus arc and get Razor in then. I’ve been note-taking both for my personal delight and for plot purposes for The Other Battlestar (which does need a better name...the only thing I’ve come up with so far, though, is a play on Bellerophon which I like even less, lol). The biggest plotholes I have so far are outing Doral and the tylium mine episode; I think I have a workaround for the mine, but I’m still playing with it. I’d forgotten how much Outright BSing was involved in flagging Doral as a Cylon...

((If y’all haven’t been following these, The Other Battlestar is an AU where Baltar ends up on Pegasus instead of Galactica; in order for the main fleet to be in roughly the same position when things reconnect after six months, I have two OCs filling in for his canon role. The politics stuff is easy, I just need to finish building the character in question. Some of the science stuff is...a little shakier, lol. I’m also having fun fleshing out a few additional Pegasus crew members to talk to, and considering where to line up Key Events for Maximum Impact, but that might change depending on how much of a concrete timeline Razor gives me.))

Anyway, I’ll probably start posting that this summer, once I have a decent amount of text prepped and also have figured out how I want to structure it (there’s miniseries stuff I do need to cover, but how much time do I want to spend on that; how do I balance between the Galactica and Pegasus threads, etc.)

Other Fandom Stuff:

I signed up for pod_together again! I had a lot of fun last year, and I’m hoping I get a good partner again this year! We’ll see how that goes--matches are sent out this weekend, I think.

Original Stuff:

Nothing really to report on this end other than I really do need to get back to actual Writing again...and also I keep buying miscellaneous Arthuriana things at library booksales but not actually sitting down to read them to plot out that one Arthuriana story I want to tell. And there’s a couple historical fiction pieces, one of which has been in the works for a solid fifteen years but I keep wandering away from the research for it, lol...

Anyway, Hopefully I’ll have a more “I Did Stuff!” update next month! But that’s about where things stand for me now.

What about you guys? What are you working on? And, again, Open Question Night--I’d love to hear from you! What’s on your mind?

[norwegianfriedokra]

Nursing school and a visit back to my home country...

Earlier this week I completed my written exams for nursing school here in Germany. I still have practical exams and my oral exam, and then I will be done.  

Just a quick rundown of how these exams work, because they are so different from the US. To complete nursing school in Germany, you have to pass all three of your written exams (2 hours each, all essay (mostly, some short response answers), your practical exams (4 hours interacting with your patient, documentation, planning and organizing), and oral exams (30 minutes prep on a example situation, 30 minutes answering any question relevant to the situation). I must pass all of them, and I will not know my results until after the last one is completed. This whole thing takes approximately 3 months (I will be complete with my oral exams in mid July). If I happen to not pass any part I have to repeat the entire 3rd year of school, and I get one more time to attempt taking these exams. 

It's a lot, and so different and stressful. I have studied so much more than I thought possible, and I still couldn't remember all of it. I see how my age has affected my ability to remember, and the difficulties in studying and memorizing it all.   

However the big push is now over. I have completed the written exams and I now have a month until my practical exams. So I thought, why not write a quick blog and let ya'll know how I'm doing across the pond.

Much better. I started studying early, so at the end my stress was ok. I was able to remain mostly calm, dealing with some fear and so on. I had some great classmates that I studied with regularly, and that helped motivate me a ton. Sven had to deal with me studying and being generally much more forgetful than normal, off and on…very stressed and easily irritable, and simply someone not having a lot of time for our relationship. I am sure we all know situations like that in our lives, when the stress of it all impacts those around us. I felt and feel that, and am happy that I am slowly moving in a direction, where the stress is reducing itself. Where the stress is more a question of everyday existence and not existential questions (what if I don't make it, what does that mean for my life in Germany, how can I get a residency permit if I don't pass, how do I get allowance to stay here? What will I do with myself? All of these questions regularly plaguing my mind).

Here I would like to openly acknowledge my partner, family and friends who helped to support me these past couple of years, especially this past year as everything has come to a head. I am very grateful for the love and support I received and will do my best in the time to come, to show that appreciation with words and actions. 

So what else have I been up to? Honestly mostly studying and finishing Nursing school. I have done the occasional short kayak, bouldering and other sport-like things. I also visited Mallorca with Sven back at the end of February, where we generally went hiking, enjoyed the island and tried to relax and recover from normal life. So work, studying, and a little bit of adventure and travel.

Coming up is completing Nursing school (hopefully passing all of my remaining exams), and another reason for this post: visiting the US.

With the successful completion of Nursing school, I will be boarding a plane and coming to Oregon for the first 3 weeks of August. I would love to see you all, and hope we can figure some of that out.  My main focus will be spending time with my mother, as her health is not what it used to be. So to my family who would like to visit, let's get together at my moms house and maybe do some canning or other such activities??

For anyone else who would like to see me, please reach out and let's make some plans together. I miss you all and am looking forward to my visit back to my home country. Much love from across the pond.

[vizthedatum]

I was potentially exposed to Covid over the weekend (and well, most likely was exposed out in the world since I’ve been going out more the past year or so) and informed all my birthday party guests.

None of the people I informed responded with anger or resentment. They also came to the event knowing (to the best of their ability) the risks.

And while the condition may be disabling and contagious, I do feel safer with vaccinations. Widespread vaccinations protect people, including the unvaccinated.

I do think there should be more surveillance efforts and public masking strategies that make more sense, now that we have better treatments, vaccinations, and awareness. And the burden of that is on institutions of power.

There is both a personal and public health burden on this issue.

With the presence of vaccinations and treatments, putting the moral burden on just individuals does not make a whole lot of sense. Our individual responsibilities are as only as good as the information we receive/comprehend and our human needs.

Information is power and helps us make choices.

I don’t regret having my party. I prepped by testing and masking a week beforehand. I mask everytime I go to the clinic/hospital. I even told my guests that before the party. I told people to stay home if they had any respiratory symptoms.

Socialization is important for me, and I don’t regret spending time with the people I love.

I don’t regret informing people right away. And I don’t want to or deserve to feel shame about any of it.

—

I understand the very real effects of contracting covid. (I’m an epidemiologist who has worked on covid clinical trials, analyzed covid datasets, and used to deep dive into how things have evolved the past couple years. (Side note: I am still traumatized by my ex’s use of fear and control during the beginning of the pandemic - their views, values, and opinions were not well-informed, ethical, or practical.))

I understand what it’s like to have disabilities or have abilities taken away from you beyond your control. (And most people, as they age, in this current world will become disabled in one way or another.)

While no one has blamed me or anything, I’m writing this for myself:

I’m not intentionally causing harm, and I should not be demonized for having a birthday party in my home during 2024 in a part of the world where infection rates are low, health resources are accessible, and vaccination rates are high (context matters!!) - I do not have to accept moral judgement when I am influenced by the information I have received/comprehended and my human needs (and not having the luxury of isolating long-term, where institutions/governments with power have WAY MORE influence to mitigate infections, reduce climate change, fund research on other very prescient pandemic-inducing pathogens, and support healthcare workers (just to name a few)).

—

I think disabling conditions and environment are really hard to talk about, especially when there are MANY disabling conditions, environments, and circumstances that can cause mass disability.

People suffer when disabilities occur. Their lives change. That is real and should not be trivialized. This post is not to undermine these truths.

(And no, I’m not going to compare the relative effects of all these conditions, environments, and circumstances to each other. Mainly because it can be hard to quantify and understand in one blog post (there are whole networks of research teams on this). But as an example, the presence of various plastics has completely changed the state of human biology… impacting people’s health in a way that it hasn’t been before.)

[walkinginsunflowers]

Hi, hello, I'm back!

Yes, I ended up getting the tickets! I got some for the 9th since the 10th was sold out, I'm so excited!!!

My mother asked me what I wanted to do for my 30th, so I told her I've already got concert tickets, and I'd probably be in London for it. There's some planning involved, but it looks like I might have accidentally gotten a family vacation to London out of it as well😅

Hopefully you'll find something soon (and get some tickets as well!)🤞🤞

It's almost golfing season here, so work is picking up again for me. I've been doing prep for that for the last few days. I've also started taking Bing out for walks in a harness, and she's loving the outdoor! It's been sunny for the past few days, so she's out there runing after flies and trying her best at hunting birds. Also climbing all the trees. She got stuck in our neighbor's hedge today, I almost lost an eye trying to get her out...

What about you, how's your week been so far? Also congrats on the canonical bi character in 911! I thought of you when I saw it flood my dash, despite my filtered tags

- mcfly Anon

Hiiii! Omg! I read this and answered in my mind and now I’m realising I never answered here 🥲

I’m so happy for you darling!!!! 🥹 And I’m so happy you’re spending your birthday in London, with your family and going to a concert too! Best way to do it!!

Oh no… well, remember to take care of your self and sleep well! Please, Bing is going for walks, that’s so cute 🥹 I love she’s living her best life in this walks, but the last part, I’m sorry for you! My cat Nala does some kind of things that also makes me kind of lose something…

My week’s being good! This weekend I went to a concert with some friends and yesterday, we planned to go but we were all tired because we arrived home pretty late. And today I’m planning to go to the book fair! And thank you darling! 💖 Probably, most of my blog is filtered for you then hahaha

[justcyrinne]

The last time I made a Sunday Currently post was in 2021 on my old Tumblr blog. Now I want to do this weekly series again and hopefully, I am going to be consistent this time.

Reading

Normal People by Sally Rooney. I started reading this book last year in ebook format. But I stopped reading at page 110 because my eye strain and astigmatism got really bad due to too much screentime. I guess I am really a physical book girlie. I started looking online for a physical copy and didn’t find the perfect copy until last February. I only read it though on my free time (alternately with The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD). Now I am currently at page 65 (I reread from the beginning when the book arrived just because).

Thinking

Whether to buy a microwave oven or not is one of the thoughts that has been occupying my mind lately. I do weekly food prep and I am tired of heating my food on the stove. The washing of used pans and cleaning the kitchen right after takes so much time. I live alone so there’s no one to delegate this chore to. It takes me 5 to 10 minutes to heat all the foods because I only have 1 burner stove, plus I’ll spend another 5 to 10 minutes in aftercare. I know this purchase is a need but I still am not convinced whether it will be worth spending 5k for or not.

Praying

For God’s guidance and peace of mind. I badly need those two right now.

Needing

Aside from guidance and peace of mind, I think I need to take a break from work because I can feel that I am about to get burnt out. I feel so drained lately that I could no longer focus on my work. I can no longer finish my tasks before deadline because I get distracted so easily and I am having a difficult time getting back to what I was working on. It’s honestly frustrating. Yeah, I need to take a break from work. Not sure when though :(

Loving

But despite feeling drained and exhausted due to work-related stress, I just love how I am living alone in a peaceful place where I can spend quiet time as much as I want to.

Watching

Queen of Tears and Can’t Buy Me Love on Netflix. I decided to watch Queen of Tears because I recently finished Penthouse (downed 3 seasons in 1 week lol) and I needed a banlaw series because Penthouse was quite heavy. My brain needed some detox from all the death scenes and verbal abuse… huuu!! Queen of Tears was tagged as comedy but the plot is getting thicker each episode. I kinda regret starting it but, oh well, I am now hooked. I have no choice haha! With Can’t Buy Me Love, I am only watching it for the SnoRene plot. I love them so much they’re so cute together lol!! I also recently watched Past Lives because I was finally emotionally ready lol. FYI. The name of the cafe in Penthouse was 인연 (InYun). InYun was also mentioned in Past Lives. Skl.

[awkwarddystopianwarlord]

Twenty-Five, Still Alive, Trying to Thrive

Being in my twenties is weird. I’m halfway through, at a quarter of a century now, and I’ve simultaneously grown so much spiritually whilst also deteriorating exponentially mentally and physically the last few years. People often talk about how wild and fun and self-discovering their twenties were and the pandemic absolutely fucked those important years up. Though it wasn’t just the world mildly ending that was responsible. My individual self got pretty fed up with me too. 

If I just reflect on the years where I’ve lived on my own in my quaint little murder building, I can see how much has changed. I’ve always felt like a child, a predominantly independent and responsible child, but a child nonetheless. Now though, I feel more and more like a toddler, crying and whining and useless. I used to cook proper meals for work. I would prep them for the week and spend about three hours in my galley kitchen making lunches and dinners. I used a cookbook and everything. When I worked two jobs during the weekdays, I did all my prep on Sunday. I cleaned my house and shopped for groceries and prepared my meals and did my laundry. I also had a little spa evening too where I would pamper myself after completing my chores and put on face masks and do my nails and smooth my feet with fancy foot scrubs. Then I eventually started working only four days a week and Monday became my prep day whilst Sunday became my rest day. After doing that for a while, it was hard to contemplate how I used to have only one day to do all my adult stuff. Once I was able to sleep in on Sundays, I gradually went from sleeping nine to ten hours all the way to seventeen when I was truly exhausted. In the winter, I wouldn’t see any sunlight on those days. I also used to bike to and from work except on the days I had dance classes. I don’t have the energy to do that anymore. 

I don’t have the energy to do a lot anymore. Even my Sunday spa nights don’t happen. As time went on, I started realizing that there was a lot more wrong with my body than I thought. I used to gaslight myself into thinking I was just being lazy or over dramatic or weak. I grew less and less able to do that though when the knee braces and the pain meds became a daily thing even though none worked for long. Once I got a nurse practitioner, I was really able to find out just how fucked my body and brain was. I wasn’t lazy looking back, I was burnt out. Now I only work three days a week, that’s predominantly to get disability, but still. I did have this work week in the past, with only six and a half hour shifts rather than eight and a half. It was after I quit one of my jobs, the one that started this blog. I just didn’t fill in the two empty slots with another second job and instead took a bit of a break with a more relaxed work schedule. Once my precious mall side opened up after COVID slightly waned, I was back to four days at eight and a half hours, with Monday free to do all my chores that required offices unopened on weekends. My suffering grew more rapidly after this, leading to my current state. 

My chores are a lot more spread out now, not because I need something to occupy my free days, but because I simply cannot do much in one day anymore. Sunday is my loafing day and only my laundry is done. Monday is a doctor's day every two weeks or so but I also water my plants that day, check my mail, and sometimes vacuum my house. Tuesday is grocery shopping plus food prep day, though I also clean the house if I didn’t the day before. Even with this layout, I still get bushed so quickly. I only really get frozen meals now for my work lunches when that used to be a last resort. I make simple dinners that require little effort. And I still skip certain chores like checking my mail and cleaning the house because I don’t have the energy. 

Yet, at the same time, I feel more like myself than ever. I do my eight dance classes a week, even though I often feel like I’m going to die, because dancing is what I want to do. It’s something I now know I’m good at and I can go somewhere in life with. I don’t feel as strong as I used to but I feel more qualified if that makes sense. 

I discovered my gender identity and it feels right and true and I’m comfortable. My boobs are also smaller and that has taken both a literal and figurative weight off my shoulders. I’ve expanded my wardrobe and how I express myself through clothing and makeup. My hair is green which, as unnatural of a color that is, it looks correct for me and it’s cut in a way that suits me and grows out well. 

I know where I stand in life a lot better now, my values are much clearer. I don’t put up with people’s shit nearly as much anymore. I deserve better and I have more bravery and fed-up-ness to act on that. I’ve awakened to people’s true colors and ignored faults and I can distance myself to protect my sanity. 

As time has gone on, I feel more and more like a fully realized person, in spirit. Like I’m discovering superpowers and watching them evolve and grow and strengthen. Or like I’ve built me from a shabby fixer upper that showed some hints of character into a lovely forever home that’s all character. 

I just don’t know what to do with all of this discovery though. I don’t know what kind of future I really have, I mean the world is undeniably going to hell in a dilapidated little handbasket. All the things are uncertain, those milestones you’re supposed to hit throughout adulthood. Marriage isn’t happening. Children isn’t happening. Buying a home is pretty much impossible. Going to university isn’t happening. Making an income from a passion rather than a shit job is unlikely. So what does the latter half of my sacred twenties look like? I already feel like I’m in limbo since the COVID-y COVID years all blended together and I can’t remember how old I am or how much time has passed after moving out. Those years went to waste to a degree. But the ones to come next look so grim and confusing. I know the most of who I am now and I feel the most comfortable with myself than I ever have to date. But my body and brain are in the worst condition to date and only seem to be getting worse. I’m like a ninety-seven year old one year old. I have the wisdom of ages living in a useless vessel. Hell, I’m writing this at one in the morning on a Friday because my body is aching so much for whatever reason and I can’t sleep. 

I really have to hope that thirty, flirty, and thriving becomes a reality in my life. Maybe that will balance out all the crap that came before. I’ve got five years to find out. In the meantime though I’m going to hold onto all the doses of serotonin that I receive. The Saturday’s with my friends, the adventures we have planned, the occasional shopping purchases, the gaming nights, the after doctor hangouts, all of it. It will be my fuel to sustain me until I can actually get my life started.

[stormy333]

Gemini

Hello and welcome back to our second Wrap Up Wednesday! Today unlike with the September W.U.W. we are not wrapping up a month of blog challenges but doing a wrap up of a mundane month I suppose? In this post I’m going to be covering a few things about this past month (June) and adding a few things about the month(s) to come. But to start us of I figured I’d share a new picture of Bellamy ❤️

They grow up so fast! He’s already being accepted into the family and EVEN Molly is beginning to like him! ❤️

A quick recap of May/June...

Since May I’ve been doing a tad better at consistently posting, in my own way. I have also been doing classes online for blogging and writing in general. With those classes I have learned a bit more about myself. And my writing. For instance, I have learned that I love creative writing! Currently, on the site there's only the one but I am actually working on two. One is just in the beginning phases while the other is already on second draft phase I’d feel safe in saying. The best part is these two posts tie together! Plus finally you all will meet something that has deep meaning to me!

So as a result of learning more I’ve also learned that I need to keep reading to help with the creativity. Before I never really thought that much of it and just read occasionally but during recent times I’ve fallen back on the escape of reading and the escape brings creativity and the creativity brings more writing which brings me back to myself in a sense. Being able to keep my writing up and being back to my book loving self gives me another step back to being the woman I desire to be.

Now all of that being said I have still indulged myself in my TV shows when I’m not working. I recently finished The 100 and  started watching Grimm. I also have loads of other shows I watch and enjoy for instance my mom and I watch Naked and Afraid like a lot 😂 it’s actually really fascinating. My life is not all sunshine and rainbows though. I don’t like making my blog all about my chronic illnesses because well some people do good at sharing it but I’m not one of those. I suck at dealing with it and talking about it. Working pushes me to a brink while my body tries to adjust while constantly asking is it just a typical pain? Typical exhaustion? Typical issue? Or is it something ACTUALLY wrong? When I’m home I’m resting and writing and trying to do what I can with what I was given for a body. I’m supposed to do physical therapy daily but I struggle to keep up with it. Generally resting and trying to be 100% for work and myself is how I spend all of my time. When I do go out it’s typically just to my aunt’s to spend time with my cousin and see him and that in itself is a lot for a healthy person. Long story short my health is a full time job that I never get a day off from. On top of it we’ve had doctor’s appointments after appointments recently while prepping for other things in the future.

Which brings me to the next topic of discussion, possibility of what the future holds for this site.

I have a new series that is in the works it’s a Creative Writing series and something special to me. The first part was originally going to post on the 12th of June but I thought better of it and began upping it’s game. Now that is said it brings me to my next point. I will be trying to stay consistent with posts here and there at the very least once a week BUT if I don’t post it’s because I’m working on really strong content. Like I’ve said so many times I am not a professional but I am trying my best to keep good content up for you all. And it just so happens that my preferred content lately is the creative writing and it may take longer for these posts though again I want to and plan on trying to honor posting at the very least once a week.

Now that all of these things are out in the open I would really appreciate it if you all like this to sign up for the email list, follow the blog and maybe comment some content you would like for me to write about?

As always Loves I hope you all have a lovely day or night whenever you are reading this👑🖤

🥀Hailey Marie

[sweetswesf]

Check In

What I Did

Responded to a post I was tagged in in the channel for the Black-male dominated professional engineering group I am in outside of work...was honest about what going through a layoff is like and how people should support people going through it and immediately regretted it

Got through 4 DAYS of 100 Days of Python in a day to catch up

Didn't work out...sat at my damn desk ALL day and neglected dishes and eating better and working out...all to catch up with Python

Received yet another request to meet with this CEO next week who made a random post about a podcast episode I did...I have no clue where it's going and why he has not given up on trying to meet ME after all these years, but we'll see...

Bumped my face against the cabinet door AGAINNN

Finished Alice & Wonderland finally a few days ago and couldn't help but draw parallels, pick out the themes, and cry when Alice slayed the Jabberwocky! "OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!"...that's what I'm going to do with these things I've been battling

online shopped for like 2 hours (I know...way too long) for back to back days because they're having a special: spend $150 and get $100...I'm very indecisive because I don't have much time to shop and don't want to do it often, and the stuff I buy tends to stay with me for YEARS...and I had a LOT of gift cards at Free People (THAT IS MY STORE!!!)...I bought these! Hopefully they fit, hopefully it was worth it...I feel like I keep trying with little pieces...one day, people are going to be sending me my designer wardrobes for free...these are going to hold me over and hopefully inspire me to the attract the opportunities that help get me there; I like comfortable, cute, unique, different things...with a feminine hippie undertone:

What I Learned

They say people will be more attracted to you the less they know about you, and for someone as open and vulnerable as me, this has been hard...I guess this is why I feel like this blog is so therapeutic: I can get my feelings out, have them read without knowing who the reader is and without the reader knowing who I am

Feeling

Dependent on my friend...I really look forward to meeting with her biweekly; she couldn't come to our meeting today and I felt a little sad...it made me scared because I'm so used to being left/made to look dumb

Accomplished...I've built Hangman, Rock, Paper, Scissors, and a few other things; I regretted starting the 100 Days of Python since I already know the language instead of going harder on the Algos, but I am doing it to get to the harder lessons on stuff I don't know and just to get faster with the language which will help me both in the algos and on the job eventually, especially since, I tend to lose my train of thought mid-algo sometimes...Like today, I figured out how to add recursion to my problem by accident, and recursion is really difficult for me...PLUS, I'm learning a lot of new tricks and resources I never knew of even in these beginning lessons...most importantly it's getting me up to work at my desk and reminding me that I can sit for long, knock out some Pomodoros and ...I worked more hours yesterday than I have in one setting all month...

My A1C levels are on the bridge for pre-diabetes...like if I was 0.1 over on my score, I would be considered pre-diabetic...so I need to get that in check...I was inspired to check by this healthy Black YouTuber Hallease and my grandmother has diabetes...that life is NOT fun...movement helps but it contradicts going hard on this interview prep stuff...I added the Pomodoro Gym Chrome extension to make sure I get up because my FitBit watch KEEPS giving me a rash...I hate it...

Glad I overcame the paranoid thoughts of having a brain issue...

Sad at all the time I've wasted in the past on social media procrastinating from doing the work and making things harder for myself

Glad I meet weekly with an old colleague...white girl gets me and we relate...but she reminds me of an old friend that ended up ghosting me and acting like she didn't know me...PEOPLE are hard to trust

Takeaways

I'm going to get better at this stuff

I'm not getting fat...looking in the mirror I see more definition in my body despite me feeling chubby cheeked in the Google Meets video

Going to start doing Advent of Code: 25 Python challenges in the month of December...happens every year since 2015...I attempted once and gave up after like a day; FINALLY found the name of it after reaching out to a mentor to me who helped me get ad revenue on my project from bootcamp

I don't judge homeless people who spend money on drugs or other non-essentials...it's a HUMAN thing to spend things on what feels good in the moment and lose sight of what the money is really for...we're all trying

I can't judge people who are laid off, collecting unemployment, or food stamps, etc.

I believe I am going through a lot of these experiences to become more humble and judge less

Taking this time to focus on building skills is a good thing...I'd rather do it now than when I'm too old...I saw another guy on LinkedIn leave his good job to do the same: train up skills as he knew he wouldn't be able to work and do both...I'm excited to see who I will become after I learn these skills

I don't like my gym crush anymore...I embarrassed myself trying to get his attention in the gym and it was like chasing down a child...I already attract attention being this short, bulky, Black girl amongst all the men on the weights level...I noticed his new neck tattoo of praying hands and it just read to me "irresponsible spending" and I know I shouldn't think that way because I just bought clothes when I have PLENTY of them already and nowhere to go...we all try...

I have to stop panicking and getting in my head

How I Got Myself Out of a Rut

Prayer; reminding myself that God won't leave me

Pushed myself to finish the coding lessons

Told myself that I won't be in this forever, I'm going to get better, I'm limitless, and me getting to the next level is predicated on MY actions

Goals Completed

Found a therapist

Stopped listening to people worried about their own circumstances and remembering God works on his own time and that I am in no rush...

Got back on the ball

Being kinder to myself and stopping guilting myself if my energy isn't always on 100%

Goals To Complete

Strengthen my relationship with God

Understand the main concepts I need to from Interview Cake, AlgoExpert, etc. in 6 months, NOT less than 3

Drop my body fat percentage to Marion Jones, Michaela Cole, or Jade Cargill levels

Consistently fight urge to fill up my time with social media/YouTube

Fully forgive my family & build a great relationship with them

Be more confident & faithful

250 steps/hour & 10k steps/daily consistently

Drink more than 64oz a day consistently

Go on a date with a guy I actually like who actually likes me too

Learn more about my gym crush & get him to ask for my number

Get a house similar to that one in Spain

Update my personal app

Complete 100 Days of Python

Complete Advent of Code

Decorate the plastic Christmas tree with the ornaments I HAD to buy

[uncwfst]

Lucas Liu with Lighthouse Films 12/2/22

Hello wonderful people of film studies,

Where did the time go am I right? It feels like as if it was only last week when I first started interning at Lighthouse Films. Over the past few months, Lighthouse has help me grow as a newbie in the film industry. From someone who couldn't wrangle cables correctly to being able to do a variety of tasks without being told, I get goosebumps realizing how far I've came. Chris and every single staff at Lighthouse has been so patient as well as generous about sharing their knowledge with me. In the past month, I worked around the production house with a untitled band project. The project lasted a few weeks and there was a lot of moving parts. Whether it is to maintain equipment and make sure they're a the peak condition or to prep it to send it out again, it been every bit of chaotic as well as fruitful.

Although I was having a good time, I always kept my learning goals in mind. Over the past few month, I push myself to step out of my comfort zone as an introvert and network with professionals in the field. I met some amazing camera operators and ACs. I remained humble and ask questions about their jobs and responsibility. While maintaining and prepping cameras, I was able to get close to these technical behemoths and gain a better understanding about their functions as well as capabilities. Everyday I spend at Lighthouse, I found the desire from the bottom of my heart to truly challenge myself and learn something I didn't previously know. And none of which could be achieved with the help of the staffs at Lighthouse Films.

As this semester of internship is coming to an end, I found myself in tears because Lighthouse has become like my second home, and I feel like I am not nearly ready to leave the nest. However, I know that all things will eventually come to an end. As I sit here to write my final blog for this internship experience, I am also reflecting upon my growth this semester. The tears then become joyful knowing how much I've matured over the past few months. If Lighthouse Films was my nest, then these mama birds has really helped me develop my wings. Yes there was a lot of physical work, and yes they can be tiring at times. But upon competing each tasks, I feel a sense of accomplishment from the bottoms of my heart. Overtime, I mastered the mindset to allow no tasks to be below me and that there is always something for me to learn. At the end of each and every day, no matter how exhausting and long the day might've been, I found myself driving home and singing on top of my lungs with joy because how excited I am to be a part of this industry. So yes, even if it might be scary to fly out of the nest, I think I am ready to embark on the journey that is ahead of me.

[alongthebega]

Oct 24: First few weeks in Timisoara

Sorry for the few weeks’ silence! I’ve been settling in in Timișoara over the past few weeks, setting up my dorm, prepping my first few classes, and taking care of some paperwork. That said, I’ve also had plenty of time to explore!

I’ll post a few photosets after this compiling some of what I’ve seen: some of the beautiful Secession/art nouveau architecture in Timișoara’s downtown, some of the interesting graffiti I’ve seen around town, and then just some pictures of food. So below I’ll post some general thoughts.

Here’s the Bega river! It’s got walking paths along both sides for miles, so I’ve been spending lots of time walking and reading along the Bega, so really living up to the blog name here.

Piața Victoriei is at the south end of Timișoara’s old town area, so it’s closest to me and the university. The massive Orthodox Cathedral (shown above) sits at one end of the square, and the modernist Palatul Culturii (below) at the other. It may seem like a contrast between old and new buildings, but the façade on Palatul Culturii was constructed in 1936, the same year ground was broken on the Orthodox Cathedral, which was consecrated in 1940.

The Orthodox Cathedral was one anchor for protestors in the 1989 Timișoara uprising. For people other than my parents reading this, Timișoara was the first city to have an uprising in the Romanian Revolution that would oust Ceaușescu.

In between the Cathedral and the Palace of Culture are statues that touch on opposite ends of Romanian history. The statue in front of the Cathedral was erected in 1999, on the tenth anniversary of the revolution, while the statue in front of the palace is of Romulus and Remus.

Palatul Culturii also gives us a sense of the multiple cultures present in the city. Driving into Timișoara, you can see a number of words for the city: Timișoara is also Temeswar in German, Temesvár in Hungarian, or Темишвар/Temišvar in Serbian. Timișoara is very close to the Serbian and Hungarian borders, so that presence is definitely felt. The Palace of Culture hosts the Romanian National Theater and Opera as well as the Hungarian State Theater and the German State Theater. So you don’t have to go to the Maria Theresa bastion in the city to get a sense of the Austro-Hungarian influence on the city.

You can see a lot of construction going on in the square, and I wonder how much of it is meant to be finished by 2023, when Timișoara is officially made European capital of culture. We’ll have to see.

Lastly, here’s two pictures to give you a sense of my daily life: the first is the view from my dorm, and the second is my walk to school. I’ve really enjoyed starting to teach! It’s been fun meeting my students and starting to hear their thoughts in class, so it should be a great semester. :)

[aidenr0se]

name: aiden rose bancroft - original character / para / novella nickanames: aiden rose, bug age: 23 birthday: november 23rd facing: miley cyrus established: 2011 occupation: pop star, actress, model born: nashville, current california resident siblings: vera bancroft orientation: pansexual pro nouns: she/her relationship status: taken by layne thomas pets: none, yet children: angel baby staley exes: brayden hemsworth parents: deceased smoke: yes drink: no any other doc: recovering h addict ------ timeline: 1989 to in storyline present 1993 ------ at a young age aiden was forced into childhood modeling, and began signing at the age of 9 without any lessons. she began acting at the age of 11, and retired from that at the age of 19.

at 20 she met her current partner -- while dabbling and battling an extensive addiction to dope. at nearly 21, her now partner and her separated -- reconnecting while in her first bout at rehab. coincidentally they were at the same center in hidden hills, californa. aiden was forced into rehab after her home in maibu burnt to the ground during a series of severe fires that plagued the area, shortly after the fire where she escaped without any harm, the married her now ex husband brayden -- the relationship lated 3.5 months, due to her continued use of smack, and over disdain for her then partner. she had truly never let her feelings for layne die, and she mostly married brayden out of complacency as they too, had extensive history. after signing off on her divorce papers, she recorded two tracks, which have never been played live. "bad mood" and "he's not him". in the midst of her session she overdosed and was forced into a rehab facility where she completed 60 days in patient, where her and layne reconnected. ----- the pair, layne and aiden reconnected and completed their time together, being released only 30 days ago. they were surprised to realize they were on the same tour bill for lollapalooza 1993 and have been prepping for the tour for the last three weeks. they are set to start in vancouver within the coming days. layne and aiden have had time to spend alone together, with supervised visits of course. the one drawback of label control. finally, they are on the road to the first show in vancouver bc, where they will be preforming, but also sharing a sober bus. aiden has extreme anxiety to play a saturated rock festival as a pop artist, and has prepared a list of past and new songs to play, as an opener for her beloved boyfriend's four piece band alice in chains from seattle.

overall, aiden is thrilled to have a safe sober space to retire to with her partner as both her and layne are dreading this commitment. ----- ooc note: this is my original character, that i have written since 2011. i have NO open connections this is a fxm storyline i write privately with layne's writer. IF roles become open i will make an edit here i have been rping since 2006 - please, do not fuck with me. i am not claiming to be my muse, i simply face her. our timeline is 1993 this blog was created to see what tumblr had to offer as far as ocxoc content. if you are not part of a grunge rp, you are most likely not welcome. this is a specific nice and a lot of information has to be known and known well. i was previously, maddie/maddison dolce. so if you know who that is, yes i'm back. this is for FUN and layne's writer and i are following a specific timeline. i WILL follow other oc's back if i feel a connection please don't count on it. tags that are ooc will be tagged as such. tia.