#personally I count march 14 as the anniversary since that’s the day the schools first shut down

[lillianfromaccounting]

This ended up being a very long post and I'm on mobile, so I'll fix the read more in the morning when I get on the computer.

TW: covid, depression, Thanksgiving, a lot of food talk

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Today, we officially called off Thanksgiving with family (it had pretty much been decided but today we called the few people to confirm it).

Some background: my family only started celebrating Thanksgiving because I wanted to. We're Chinese, so growing up, it wasn't a thing for us, plus my mom wasn't fond of turkey.

At the age of 13, I picked up a bread baking recipe book at a Scholastic book drive. Up until that point, I had been baking stuff from box mixes, so making bread from scratch was a huge deal for me. Age 14, I told my parents I wanted to do Thanksgiving the American way. We qualified for a free turkey at our local supermarket anyway, so why not? To make it more palatable, I incorporated Chinese elements into the menu--various Chinese vegetables (choy) instead of green bean casserole, sticky rice (loh mai fan) stuffing--and i would bake fresh bread. There would always be white rice.

I have a huge extended family and on the weekends, my parents would have family and friends over to play mahjong, so Thanksgiving went over great because they loved trying all these new foods, and I loved trying new recipes. We always had a rotation of at least thirty people, so the food went. I think one year, I counted just over fifty people--it was like a revolving door at my parents' house, some people would pop in around lunch time and hang out until they had to go to their own family's Thanksgiving dinners, some came for dinner, and some came for dessert and coffee with a side of mahjong.

As the years went on, my menus got more and more elaborate, and I would enlist my younger siblings (I have three) to be my sous chefs. It was a THING. Thanksgiving was my thing.

The college I went to is very involved with the Macy's Thanksgiving parade balloons, and while it would have been an awesome experience, it required giving up your Wednesday night and most of Thanksgiving Thursday. That was a deal breaker for me. That's how much my Thanksgiving ritual meant to me.

Some of my favorite memories are waiting in line at DiPalo's (before they expanded, back when it was just the corner storefront) with my sister the weekend before Thanksgiving to get fresh mozzarella and ricotta and parmigiano (lasagna was a huge hit with my family). The longest we waited was three hours one year.

Another year, this was after I had graduated and moved out and was working. My work let us out early (around 2pm), but this asshat in another department ensured me that he needed these numbers so he can work over the weekend. I ended up running out to DiPalo's to pick up my order and going back to work, working to 9pm to get those numbers out, before going back to my parents' house to start cooking. The asshat didn't look at them that weekend (we get the Friday off too).

Mind you, it's not that I couldn't get the ingredients in Jersey, I just honestly had no idea where to go. My parents did the bulk of their grocery shopping in Chinatown and DiPalo's was right at the border of Chinatown and Little Italy.

As I said earlier, my menus got more elaborate over the years. Everyone kept eating the loaves of fresh bread for breakfast, so I made Thanksgiving an all day affair, with a breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu.

One year, the theme was fried foods (fried turkey legs, homemade mozzarella sticks, etc.). I always tried new recipes on Thanksgiving, because honestly, what I enjoyed most about it was the process, the production of creating something delicious.

My siblings started sending me recipes throughout the year. One year, I made a vegan raspberry cheesecake (the base was cashews and almonds).

My siblings also said that they knew my now husband was a keeper because he had not only survived Thanksgiving at my parents' house, but he rolled with it (I'm pretty sure I put him to work too).

After we got married and bought our house, I claimed Thanksgiving for both sides of the family (there were no objections, because I didn't care about Christmas, so they had Christmas). My husband's family had been getting their Thanksgiving meals catered for a few years at this point, so they didn't mind not cooking.

But including his family meant I had to start making sacrifices to my process. One person only liked Stove Top stuffing (don't get me wrong, Stove Top chicken flavor is amazing, but so is a sausage stuffing from scratch). The year my second child was born, I think I was a bit burned out by everything, so we ended up ordering a whole pig (think spit roast, but Chinese style) and some roast ducks that year. We were told the next year that some people would prefer to have turkey. One year, we decided to smoke our turkey, and the feedback we had gotten was that some people really preferred oven roasted. So the following year, we did turkey three ways (roasted, smoked, and deep fried) and we started getting feedback that we were doing too much variety. This happened with the sides too. Heirloom vegetable recipes (guys, I used to watch the Food Network religiously) were reduced to sauteed green beans or asparagus. We were told to reduce the variety of things, so the only pasta dish that kept making it onto the menu was mac and cheese, because that was someone else's preference. And I couldn't even play around with the mac and cheese, because the family's recipe used Velveeta (yes, I know I sound like a food snob, and it's because I was back then).

But year after year, the creativity of the menu decreased and decreased, to the point where my husband and I felt it wasn't enjoyable anymore.

This morning, after we had called the family (it was really just my and his parents, whom we have been seeing during this whole time because we live close and do shopping for them, etc.), part of me was excited to finally make a menu and my husband and I agreed on a very small menu, because it's just us and our two kids.

And by the time I went to bed, I was excited again for Thanksgiving because we will be cooking things that we want. There are three, possibly four varieties of scones on the breakfast menu right now. I haven't mentioned this yet, but my menus are always too ambitious. I almost never get every single dish on the table, but the important ones get there. The experimental ones get ranked in order of what I want to taste.

After all these years, we have established staples. We always have bacon cheddar scones with breakfast. My sons requested chocolate chip and vanilla, respectively, and I want pumpkin. We'll see how many varieties actually get made. I always make fresh cranberry sauce for the sole reason of baking it into a crumb cake for Friday morning. We also eat the Ocean Spray jellied (with whole berries), and I serve it in slices. My husband is the mashed potato king, so he handles that. The King Arthur masala chai pumpkin pie recipe has been a hit year after year, so that is a staple now. I was excited to be able to cook what we wanted again.

It even inspired a Thanksgiving chapter in the fic I am writing. (I am so, so, so happy and excited for this chapter now.)

But as I was going to bed tonight, I was thinking about those memories at DiPalo's and cooking with my siblings, and pandemic sadness hit me like a ton of bricks. I cried hard. I miss my siblings. I miss the hospitality of it all. Just like my parents' house was a revolving door, when my husband and I took over Thanksgiving, it was an unspoken rule that extended friends and family were welcomed. My siblings' friends from high school and college would stop by. My one sister's friend would even ask to be on the menu distribution list (I usually drafted a menu and my family members would vote on which dishes they wanted, and that was partially how the menu was created) and invite himself over lol.

I miss that company--the people who understood my Thanksgiving--my family. I haven't seen (in person) one sister since January and the other since March. And while we're constantly talking to each other and do the occasional video chat, it's just not the same.

If you read this far, thank you for your time and energy.

I don't have a point to this post, except maybe wear a fucking mask and stay home, so we can eventually beat this pandemic and resume some semblance of pre-covid life.

And I know this post is very much a first world problem. We have enough to eat and a warm roof over our heads. I am very grateful for that. But I am allowed to be sad too. This year would have been my 25th anniversary with Thanksgiving.

Writing all this out really helped though.

[dimensionsunited]

FEBRUARY 2020 DIMENSIONS ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULES & REVIEW

Members may earn 3 points each (up to 6 points) for writing, by the end of March 7 KST:

A solo para of 400+ words based on their monthly schedule (does not count toward your monthly total).

A thread of six posts (three per participant, including the starter) based on their monthly schedule.

Threads do not have to take place directly during an important date listed on the schedule, but must be related to what the muse is mentioned to be doing in the paragraph explaining their schedule/the company’s schedule for the month and/or their thoughts on the mentioned activities or lack thereof.

These schedules may be updated throughout the month if new information needs to be added.

Reminder: January schedule posts are due by the end of February 7 KST.

Overall Company

February is a big month for Dimensions and its employees. Starting from the beginning of the month, operations will begin moving over into the company’s new, bigger building in Samseong-dong. By the final day of the month, all day to day operations will be officially moved into the new building. The new building is much larger than their previous one and is newly built. That’s not the only change this month, though. After news of their acquisition of Z Entertainment and Dimensions Soloist 3, it’s clear Dimensions is reinvesting its recent profits. Artists under the label may have heard rumors of the news in the week or two before the news was officially released through company gossip or seeing the new soloist and producers around the building.

Important dates:

February 29: Official move-in date for new building.

Dimensions Soloist 1

Her first schedule for the month is to film a Guerilla Date interview appearance where she’ll meet with fans near the Han River at night time and then talk with the host about how far she’s come since debut, but three days later, she’ll have the opportunity to meet with even more fans for a Valentine’s day fan meeting. She’ll perform all of her singles since “Gashina” as well as older favorites like “Bloom” and “24 Hours” and get a chance to interact with fans that haven’t seen her for a while. To welcome their new soloist, she’s also encouraged to make an appearance on Dimensions Soloist 3′s video diary if they happen to be in the building at the same time.

Important dates:

February 11: Guerilla Date filming (to be aired: February 25).

February 14: Valentine’s Day Fan Meeting at Yes24 Live Hall in Seoul, South Korea.

Dimensions Soloist 2

While he continues recording for his upcoming comeback mini-album this month, the fan meeting in Bangkok on the twenty-second is the more important February schedule for the company, so he spends as much time in the practice studio rehearsing his performances for that as he does recording new songs, if not more. To welcome their new soloist, he’s encouraged to make an appearance on Dimensions Soloist 3′s video diary if they happen to be in the building at the same time.

Important dates:

February 22: Be Happy fanmeeting at GMM Live House in Bangkok, Thailand.

Dimensions Soloist 3

She didn’t have much time to adjust to her new company before getting thrown into solo debut preparations, and she already began recording her her debut solo album and attending concept meetings last month, which will continue through into this month. Dimensions has asked her to keep a video diary of her solo debut preparations for them to cut together and release leading up to her debut to increase hype, and she’s encouraged to include other Dimensions artists in some of the videos in order to naturally integrate her into the company “family”.

Important dates:

N/A

Gal.actic

It’s comeback season! That means music shows and fan signs as usual, and the song does better than expected, peaking on the charts around the same position as “Be Ambitious” did (and without all the controversy!), but Gal.actic will also do a special eight hour live stream for their fans for Valentine’s Day from 2PM KST to 10PM KST. The full group will participate for an hour at the beginning and the end, but in between that, each member will get an hour on their own to entertain fans for an hour with talking, singing, cooking, or anything else that fits the format. The assigned time slots are as follows:

2PM-3PM: Full group

3PM-4PM: Leader/main vocal

4PM-5PM: Vocal

5PM-6PM: Main rapper/main dancer/vocal

6PM-7PM: Lead vocal

7PM-8PM: Lead rapper/lead dancer/vocal

8PM-9PM: Maknae/vocal

9PM-10PM: Full group

Important dates:

February 12: Release of “B.B.B.” & mini-album showcase, promotions continue until March 12.

February 14: Special Valentine’s Day livestream show.

February 16: Fan sign in Yeouido, Seoul.

February 22: Fan sign in Gangnam, Seoul.

Alien

Tour is winding down and after next month they’ll get an extended break from touring before they hold an encore concert in Seoul, but for now, they have two concerts this month before returning to Seoul, where they’ll record a new English single “Who Do U Love?” and then film the music video for it later in the month. It’s a different sound from their recent releases in Korea, but Dimensions and Alien’s American label hope it’ll be a more radio-friendly sound in the west. They’ll do some performances for it in the spring as a part of American promotions so there’s choreography to learn as well.

Important dates:

February 7: We Are Here tour concert at Espacos Das Americas in São Paolo, Brazil.

February 9: We Are Here tour concert at Teatro Metropolitan in Mexico City, Mexico. 

February 25: “Who Do U Love ft. French Montana” MV filming.

February 26: Release of Alligator Japanese single album.

February 29: Performance at The Fact Music Awards at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea (also attending: WISH, 7ROPHY, Origin, Fuse).

MARS

Now that their concerts are finished, it’s time for the members to begin preparing for their first comeback of the year. The album will include the last two singles they released, making it a repackaged album, but they’ll need to record the new songs off of it throughout the month, including their next title track, which has a new sound from anything they’ve done before. It’s not necessarily another cute concept, but it is more upbeat and less conceptually intense than their most popular comebacks, so it’s something new for the group to tackle.

Important dates:

N/A

7ROPHY

It’s clear even at the beginning of the month that “Me” failed to live up to the success the group had found in the past year or so. They have a Random 1Line Dance video to film while they’re at the SBS building for Inkigayo, but as the month goes on, management is eager to move past the era and while have plans for their next comeback entirely complete before 7ROPHY even finishes their promotions for “Me” and they’ll only get the last week of the month for “Me” to rest some before they begin work next month toward yet another comeback.

Important dates:

February 9: Random 1Line Dance video filming.

February 22: End of music show promotions.

February 29: Performance at The Fact Music Awards at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea (also attending: WISH, Alien, Origin, Fuse).

Unity

The modeling opportunities keep rolling in in the absence of a comeback and Unity has been chosen as new ambassadors of NBA’s apparel line in Korea, which they’ll shoot a photo shoot for with Dazed Magazine. BC Soloist 1 will join them for the photo shoot to showcase the cross-gender appeal of the line. Their fourth anniversary is approaching in April, which means more personal freedom for the members contractually, but also comes with the expectation to give back to fans. This will be achieved in the form of a special gift song and video release. They’ll record the song early in the month and film the accompanying video at the end of the month. The two main vocals and the leader have also been chosen to record an OST for the upcoming drama School 2017 this month.

Important dates:

February 13: Dazed Magazine March Issue photo shoot with BC Soloist 1.

February 27: Dream Come True anniversary MV filming.

              ↳ CHAMPION

With the album all recorded, that means it’s time to learn the choreography for “Jopping” and “I Can’t Stand The Rain”, the main performance tracks but the applicable members will need to learn choreography for “Super Car”, “2 Fast”, and “No Manners” as well. Dance rehearsals will be done at BC Entertainment’s building as the dance studios there are larger, and near the end of the month, BC will leak pictures and video of all of the CHAMPION members arriving at the building to spark discussion before the sub-unit is officially announced in a few months. For three days, all six members of CHAMPION will be sent on a bonding retreat in Jeonju to strengthen their bond as unit members. This is a genuine effort on the companies’ parts to create better group chemistry, so the will not be filmed during the retreat, although a manager from each group will accompany them on the trip.

Important dates:

February 22-24: Bonding retreat in Jeonju, South Korea.

Lucid

Their extended fan sign run ends on the second day of the month, but the Lucid members are nowhere near a break as they prepare for their second anniversary (which will involve a special fan meeting where they’ll reveal their fandom name and light stick and perform their special second anniversary song for the first time to tease the return of their dark concept, so the members will learn the choreography for it in the first two weeks of the month). They’ve been booked for every university orientation festival Dimensions could shove into their schedule, but they’re also busy with concept meetings and studio recording for their next comeback.

Important dates:

February 1: Fan sign in Daejeon, South Korea.

February 2: Fan sign in Suwon, South Korea.

February 3: Second anniversary fan meeting teaser photo shoot.

February 16: Release of “Full Moon” second anniversary single.

February 16: Second Anniversary Fan Meeting : REVERIE at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea.

February 24: “Full Moon” performance video filming.

February 25: Performance at Cheongju University Orientation Festival in Cheongju, South Korea.

February 26: Performances at Seokyung University Orientation Festival in Seoul, South Korea, and Bucheon University Orientation Festival in Bucheon, South Korea.

February 27: Performances at Sangmyung University Orientation Festival in Seoul, South Korea, and Dongseo University Orientation Festival in Busan, South Korea.

February 28: Performances at Sunghsin Women’s University Orientation Festival in Seoul, South Korea, Hyundai Technical College Orientation Festival in Seoul, South Korea, and Seoul Hoseo Technical College Orientation Festival in Seoul, South Korea.

February 29: Performance at Hongik University of Science & Technology Orientation Festival in Seoul, South Korea.

[wondroussimmer-blog]

GET TO KNOW ME-

Basically, no one actually tagged me in this, but I thought i’d give it a go anyway seeing as this is a new blog and you guys can get to now me a bit, so I tag anyone who sees this and also wants to have a go...

________________________________________________________________

1. What is your full name? I’m not putting my last name on here, but my first name is Maja (Miya) 2. What is your nickname? I don’t really have one 3. Birthday? January 1st 4. What is your favourite book series? I don’t really read book series’ 5. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts? Not 100% sure, I don’t believe in the sort of ghosts you see in films, but I think I believe our loved ones stay with us in some way. As for aliens, idk, we can’t be the only life but idk.  6. Who is your favourite author? I find the fault in our stars quite overrated, but i’d say John Green because some of his others are my favourites! 7. What is your favourite radio station? BBC Radio 1 8. What is your favourite flavour of anything? this is such a weird question, how can you have a favourite flavour for everything? but if it’s sweet, definitely strawberry! 9. What word would you use often to describe something great or wonderful? Again, weird question, but i use so many words for this, my most used are probably lovely and amazing 10. What is your current favourite song? this changes alll the time, but right this minute it’s probably sunflower by post malone and swae lee 11. What is your favourite word? is this a thing? 12. What was the last song you listened to? vacation by hippo campus 13. What TV show would you recommend for everybody to watch? big mouth, orphan black, queer eye, dexter 14. What is your favourite movie to watch when you’re feeling down? the breakfast club or mean girls probably 15. Do you play video games? only the sims 16. What is your biggest fear? probably the death of people close to me, and in the future not being able to have children 17. What is your best quality, in your opinion? probably that i’m a friendly person  18. What is your worst quality, in your opinion? i’m v insecure 19. Do you like cats or dogs better? DOGS... always dogs! 20. What is your favourite season? autumn/winter 21. Are you in a relationship? yes 22. What is something you miss from your childhood? having way more friends and barely any responsibilities 23. Who is your best friend? my boyfriend 24. What is your eye colour? blue 25. What is your hair colour? brown 26. Who is someone you love? my boyfriend and family 27. Who is someone you trust? my boyfriend and closest family 28. Who is someone you think about often? okay wow, so much variety in these answers but the same as the previous two answers 29. Are you currently excited about/for something? christmas and my birthday 30. What is your biggest obsession? probably sims 31. What was your favourite TV show as a child? Probably Tracy beaker or that’s so raven  32. Who of the opposite gender can you tell anything to, if anyone? my boyfriend 33. Are you superstitious? only slightly 34. Do you have any unusual phobias? cracking knuckles, moths (but only indoors), realistic looking mannequins and gas masks... so not much 35. Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it? behind, every single time 36. What is your favourite hobby? playing sims, graphic designing, video editing 37. What was the last book you read? The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks 38. What was the last movie you watched? Muppet’s Christmas Carol 39. What musical instruments do you play, if any? I play a bit of guitar and can play the mr bean theme song on piano if that counts 40. What is your favourite animal? dogs 41. What are your top 5 favourite Tumblr blogs that you follow? I definitely have more than 5  42. What superpower do you wish you had? be able to teleport and go invisible  43. When and where do you feel most at peace? probably at home with my boyfriend 44. What makes you smile? sorry if this is becoming a boring answer... but my boyfriend! also my dog :) 45. What sports do you play, if any? I don’t at the moment, but I have done tennis, dance (ballet, tap and modern), swimming, karate, speed skating and netball 46. What is your favourite drink? water... how boring ik 47. When was the last time you wrote a hand-written letter or note to somebody? Last month, I made my boyfriend a scrap book as one of my boyfriend’s presents for our anniversary and wrote some letters as part of it  48. Are you afraid of heights? not if it’s a secure height 49. What is your biggest pet peeve? I have wayyy too many and so many grammatical ones, I absolutely hate when people incorrectly use was and were, so if someone said ‘we was going’, I think it’s quite an essex thing but I hateeee it, I can’t stand bad grammar, but also slow walkers, people who walk through the door without looking behind them to hold the door open for people behind, other drivers not indicating, people that have to be louder than everyone else, people that chew with their mouths open... basically I have a lot and this list could go on and on and on 50. Have you ever been to a concert? I’ve seen all time low, the 1975, imagine dragons, sunset sons, ed sheeran and paramore in concert so far and i’m seeing panic! at the disco in march which i’m MEGA excited about!!! 51. Are you vegan/vegetarian? vegetarian 52. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? This would change all the time, it went from radio dj, to dancer, to teacher when I was really young, then architect when I was a teenager, and now it’s clinical psychologist which i’m slowly working towards 53. What fictional world would you like to live in? I’ve not got a clue 54. What is something you worry about? EVERYTHING! I get a lot of social anxiety, so basically whenever i’m out of the house i’m worrying about absolutely everything and it’s the worst and gets me super down, so yeah, love that 55. Are you scared of the dark? okay so I don’t like leaving the dark, i’m fine being in the dark but I hate when i’m home alone and have to turn the lights off in the living room, kitchen and hall to go to bed... if that makes sense 56. Do you like to sing? i’m someone that, at home, is constantly singing, and when it’s only my boyfriend around, if one of us says a sentence that can in some way relate to a song, i’ll immediately sing it, but I suck so I won’t ever sing in public 57. Have you ever skipped school? in school I faked being ill a few times to get off of school, but in uni i’ve skipped way too many lectures over the past 3 years 58. What is your favourite place on the planet? I absolutely adore Spain, but also Belgrade (i’m half Serbian) 59. Where would you like to live? If not my current home town, i’d love to one day live somewhere like Norway or Sweden 60. Do you have any pets? yep, i’ve got a french bulldog 61. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl? I wake up pretty early, but I hate to start the day early 62. Do you like sunrises or sunsets better? sunsets. 63. Do you know how to drive? Yep 64. Do you prefer earbuds or headphones? the sound of headphones but I normally use earbuds 65. Have you ever had braces? nope, thank god 66. What is your favourite genre of music? this really ranges from charts, to indie rock, to ‘former emo kid’, to early 2000s r&b, to musical theatre 67. Who is your hero? probably my boyfriend 68. Do you read comic books? no 69. What makes you the most angry? as we’ve already gathered, I have a lot of pet peeves, so a lot! 70. Do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book?a real book! 71. What is your favourite subject in school? I currently study psychology which has been my favourite subject since A levels, but during GCSEs I enjoyed maths  72. Do you have any siblings? 1 younger brother 73. What was the last thing you bought? some christmas presents for my boyfriend’s cousins 74. How tall are you? 5ft4 75. Can you cook? yes 76. What are three things that you love? spending time with people I love, travelling, collecting photos  77. What are three things that you hate? busy places, cheats, confrontation 78. Do you have more female friends or more male friends? I actually barely have any so this is kind of hard to answer 79. What is your sexual orientation? straight 80. Where do you currently live? England 81. Who was the last person you texted? my mum 82. When was the last time you cried? I’m not actually sure, which is funny because I cry all the time and super easily 83. Who is your favourite YouTuber? I have so many: in terms of sims: lilsimsie, urbansims, sophsims, simkim, plumbella, in terms of lifestyle: louise pentland, in terms of fashion and beauty: samantha maria, tati westbrook, busybee carys, patricia bright, antonio garza, and others: shane dawson, sarah baska, kendall rae, jaackmaate, and loads more! basically, if i’m not on tumblr, i’m on youtube, if i’m not on youtube i’m playing sims, and if i’m not on sims i’m on tumblr... 84. Do you like to take selfies? rarely 85. What is your favourite app? any social media  86. What is your relationship with your parent(s) like? fab 87. What is your favourite foreign accent? Australian and Scottish 88. What is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit? I have so many but I won’t bore you with another long list, so just a few: Sweden, South Africa, Iceland and Canada 89. What is your favourite number? 1 90. Can you juggle? no 91. Are you religious? I was baptised but don’t really consider myself religious 92. Do you find outer space or the deep ocean to be more interesting? both as interesting as the other 93. Do you consider yourself to be a daredevil? not really 94. Are you allergic to anything? no 95. Can you curl your tongue? yep, one of my weird ‘party tricks’ is I can actually curl it 180 degrees 96. Can you wiggle your ears? no 97. How often do you admit that you were wrong about something? not as often as I should 98. Do you prefer the forest or the beach? probably the forest 99. What is your favourite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you?my dad probably gives the best life advice but there’s too much to put here   100. Are you a good liar? It depends 101. What is your Hogwarts House? Hufflepuff 102. Do you talk to yourself? All the time 103. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? I N T R O V E R T, i’m so introverted to the point I hate it but seriously struggle to change it 104. Do you keep a journal/diary? no but I have in the past 105. Do you believe in second chances? it depends 106. If you found a wallet full of money on the ground, what would you do? Hand it in 107. Do you believe that people are capable of change? It depends 108. Are you ticklish? VERY 109. Have you ever been on a plane? manyyyy times 110. Do you have any piercings? nope, I have but not anymore 111. What fictional character do you wish was real? no idea  112. Do you have any tattoos? nope 113. What is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far? I’m really not sure 114. Do you believe in karma? to an extent, but at the same time bad things seem to happen to good people, sooooo 115. Do you wear glasses or contacts? neither 116. Do you want children? yes 117. Who is the smartest person you know? my cousin 118. What is your most embarrassing memory? omg my whole life is filled with embarrassing memories that I seem to always remember at the most inconvenient times or when i’m about to go to sleep that just haunt me out of nowhere...fun 119. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? yes 120. What colour are most of you clothes? black or white 121. Do you like adventures? yep 122. Have you ever been on TV? no 123. How old are you? 20 - nearly 21 124. What is your favourite quote? not really sure. 125. Do you prefer sweet or savoury foods? sweet

[psychiccupid]

All the asks

YES. THANK YOU. BLESSED. 

1. What is you middle name?

Nicole! It works really well with my birthname, but not so well with my new name!

2. How old are you?

Turning 24 in December!!

3. What is your birthday?

December 5th, 1994!!! 

4. What is your zodiac sign?

Sagittarius!! 

5. What is your favorite color?

YELLOW > PINK >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Orange>Red>Brown>WhiteI like warm colors...

6. What’s your lucky number?

Don’t have one!

7. Do you have any pets?

Not like, under my name or responsibility! But back home I’ve got two cats! Sophi and Cleo!!! 

8. Where are you from?

I was born in Arrowhead, Arizona and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona until I went to college in Flagstaff, Arizona and finally escaped that state in January of 2018 lol

9. How tall are you?

Fuck if I know but also 5′3″

10. What shoe size are you?

8 1/2!!! 

11. How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Maybe 10?? Nah, less. 2 sneakers, 1 work provided shoes, 2 heels, 2 boots, 1 flip flops but I loooooooooove shoes... love to actually wear them someday. 

12. What was your last dream about?

Almost all of my dreams are “adventure dreams” where I go on a grand adventure in a new world. I can only remember bits a pieces but they’re all the hero’s journey with different settings and circumstances. Sometimes I’m a warrior - more often than not I’m a spy - sometimes a super hero. I honestly think they’re all real and my conscious life is just a villain keeping me at bay. 

13. What talents do you have?

I have so many talents!!! Like I can’t even describe how talented I can be!!! I am a phenomenal musician. My best instruments are mallet-piano-like ones: Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone etc.. I have been playing the violin since I was 4 and while I’m not a master at it I can carry a tune. I am a pretty great singer (so I think at least) and sound exactly like Mandy Moore. I was also the drum major for my marching band (the person who conducts). I can also play the alto saxophone and to a much lesser extent: all woodwinds. I love music so much!!! I can also act and improv really well! I’ve been in many school plays but never as a main character so I don’t know for sure, but I’ve been the leader of the chorus many, many times. I’m a great manager!!! I won an award for the best crew head for costumes (which is my dream job) which is costume management and backstage quick changes! And if I don’t sound egotistical enough, I’m very good at it. And finally (I promise) I’m really amazing with numbers. I can memorize dates and sequences really well and recite them almost rhythmically (like music and I also think this is why I’m good at music). I know everyone’s birthday, and anniversaries, and I can name 21 digits of pi at the drop of a hat. Look, all I’ve ever wanted to be was famous ok? lol

14. Are you psychic in any way?

Not that I can prove. I can see ghosts? And I feel like I give luck to people? But nothing like mind reading or telekinesis. 

15. Favorite song?

+♂ by GigaP as sung by Len Kagamine! 

16. Favorite movie?

Listen... not only have I had a Tangled themed room... and over 24 things of Rapunzel merchandise... but I get a picture with Rapunzel or go see her show every time I can. 

17. Who would be your ideal partner?

One that gets me and lets me do what I want but also makes me laugh and takes me on adventures. I have no ideal partner - they’ll show themselves when I need them. 

18. Do you want children?

Yes I do!! I would like 2! 

19. Do you want a church wedding?

No I do not but I am going to have a beach wedding and probably have a friend make a fun wedding and just get married via court but have a fun joke wedding. My dress is gonna be Rapunzel’s wedding dress (or at least themed off of it). 

20. Are you religious?

Not in the slightest - but I’d like to be? I’d love to believe in something. 

21. Have you ever been to the hospital?

Yes, twice! Once for cracking my head open lol. Once for getting strep throat in places that aren’t my throat. 

22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law?

No, but I’ve been threatened lol. (Like, was threatened to have to police called on me). 

23. Have you ever met any celebrities?

I go to conventions lol

24. Baths or showers?

Showers!! Had a traumatic scorpion-in-the-bathtub-while-I-was-bathing scenario as a kid and I never looked back. 

25. What color socks are you wearing?

Black and that’s all I ever wear. 

26. Have you ever been famous?

No but I WANNA BE. 

27. Would you like to be a big celebrity?

YES. 

28. What type of music do you like?

ALL. 

29. Have you ever been skinny dipping?

No and I really would like to...

30. How many pillows do you sleep with?

One and ONE ONLY YOU HETHANS 

31. What position do you usually sleep in?

I am forever the jetpack to your little spoon! 

32. How big is your house?

I don’t have one... my apartment is p average though? 

33. What do you typically have for breakfast?

A Banana!

34. Have you ever fired a gun?

Yes, once. A hunting rifle that my dad hid away and told me was dangerous. When I was ten he asked me if I wanted to shoot it, Carli (my sister) said yes and I tried it. Wasn’t bad wasn’t good. I prefer archery. 

35. Have you ever tried archery?

Oh shit that was unintentional lolol yeah I own a bow and arrow set that I use all the time!!!

36. Favorite clean word?

Via!!! Dunno why I just love it!

37. Favorite swear word?

Fuck is the perfect word always and everyone who says otherwise is lying. 

38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep?

God I think I’ve done 60+ hours before? But I’ve gone many nights of like - don’t sleep one night sleep the next don’t sleep the next. 

39. Do you have any scars?

Yes! I super injured myself on a brick and cut my leg open and the bruise will never leave. 

40. Have you ever had a secret admirer?

I don’t... actually know the answer to this question???? 

41. Are you a good liar?

Yes. Incredibly. If I want to lie I can do it with no problem because I just convince myself it’s the truth!

42. Are you a good judge of character?

I would like to think yes but I’m a little too trusting honestly. 

43. Can you do any other accents other than your own?

Yes. I’m a voice actor I’ve had professional dialect training. (ok so it was a college class - but yes). 

44. Do you have a strong accent?

It is very western-american. Lot’s of “y’alls” and removin’ the g’s of off ‘ing’. 

45. What is your favorite accent?

I don’t?? Have one??

46. What is your personality type?

Cute, Quirky, and unique beyond anything you can imagine.

47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing?

If accessories count - my ring. If not then my prom dress!

48. Can you curl your tongue?

Yes, easily. 

49. Are you an innie or an outie?

Innie!

50. Left or right handed?

Right but I trained myself to be ambidextrous! 

51. Are you scared of spiders?

Not at all! They are our friends!!

52. Favorite food?

Bean n Cheese burritos followed immediately by Sushi.

53. Favorite foreign food?

... Bean and Cheese burritos followed immediately by sushi??? I don’t think America has any food that I like that originated here??? Ok I looked up a list there’s plenty of food that I like but none that I ever crave or wouldn’t take nearly anything else over?  

54. Are you a clean or messy person?

Messy as all get out that then proceeds to explode when I’m messy and needs it to be clean. 

55. Most used phrased?

Hmmm... I don’t really have one??

56. Most used word?

Definitely absolutely either “fuck” or “love”! 

57. How long does it take for you to get ready?

Anywhere between 5 minutes to 2 hours and everything in between!

58. Do you have much of an ego?

Honestly no. I quite despise myself and find me gross and unattractive in all forms (emotional, physical and sensual). However, I know my strengths I just don’t wanna make it. 

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops?

Suck and this is a dumb question? lol

60. Do you talk to yourself?

All the time. 

61. Do you sing to yourself?

ALL THE TIME. 

62. Are you a good singer?

Yes. I. Am. 

63. Biggest Fear?

Fatal Car Crush. 

64. Are you a gossip?

YES!!!!!!!!

65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen?

Love, Simon. Tangled? 

66. Do you like long or short hair?

All hair is good. 

67. Can you name all 50 states of America?

Yes because I was raised in this brainwashing country and I can sing a song about it. 

68. Favorite school subject?

That wasn’t lunch or extracurricular: Math. 

69. Extrovert or Introvert?

Extrovert all day!

70. Have you ever been scuba diving?

No but I would LOVE TO!!!!

71. What makes you nervous?

Literally everything????

72. Are you scared of the dark?

Not at all!!! I love the dark actually. I prefer the light more but dark is good too. 

73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes?

Only if I am in a position where I feel like I can correct them? Like I’m not gonna correct a manager but I’ll correct a coworker (nicely lol). 

74. Are you ticklish?

Incredibly but I can turn it off??

75. Have you ever started a rumor?

Not on purpose but yes.

76. Have you ever been in a position of authority?

Many times and I like it a lot. 

77. Have you ever drank underage?

Yeah but honestly never enough that I ever would’ve gotten in trouble ahaha

78. Have you ever done drugs?

Nope but I’ve been in lots of rooms with lots of different things

79. Who was your first real crush?

All my crushes have been valid as heck so preschool crush RJ

80. How many piercings do you have?

Just my ears!

81. Can you roll your Rs?

Yes I can!

82. How fast can you type?

95 words a minute with minimal mistakes. If I’m not tired and my nails are cut? No mistakes at all!

83. How fast can you run?

Definitely not as fast as I can type lolol - I couldn’t tell you at my best I ran the mile in 11 minutes at the worst 16. (over a 6? year testing span)

84. What color is your hair?

Currently my natural color which is brown it used to be bright pink and I’m sad it’s gone and I’m gonna dye it blonde soon!

85. What color is your eyes?

I call them Green. But they’re gray/blue/green! 

86. What are you allergic to?

Nothing! Maybe milk??

87. Do you keep a journal?

I keep like 5?

88. What do your parents do?

Ohohohoh! My mom is a design center manager at Interior logic and my dad is a freelance carpenter who is building a house in Colorado for their retirement!

89. Do you like your age?

I do! 

90. What makes you angry?

Literally everything involving politics??? 

91. Do you like your own name?

NO THAT’S WHY I CHANGED IT. NOW I LOVE IT!

92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they?

I have 2!!! My firstborn son is going to be named Liam Clancy no ifs ands or buts!!! and then I also like Ezra Gregory but I’m not as picky on that one! I really want girl names in my brain but I have none :c Amber Marie is nice but too southern lol

93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child?

Yes. lol

94. What are you strengths?

I am determined. I am not a quitter. I can be spit at and slapped by life and you will never see me give up. I am kind. I can forgive. I am passionate. I am creative. I am positive.

95. What are your weaknesses?

I do not take care of myself. I will stretch too thin. I am constantly running late. I am lazy. I am depressed. I am not happy. I will never be satisfied. 

96. How did you get your name?

Parents liked it - And then I found many different symbolisms for a star in my life and once Star vs the Forces of Evil happened and I knew that name could be a thing I changed it!! 

97. Were your ancestors royalty?

I have no idea but I’d love to find out!!!

98. Do you have any scars?

You asked this already.

99. Color of your bedspread?

Seafoam Blue and I miss my Tangled bed lol

100. Color of your room?

White because it’s a Disney apartment lol my room in my parents house was dark blue because I wanted to paint a forest in it and draw a bunch of owls. 

[rezilient-m3]

6) James and I started dating on January 19th, 2001. I still remember that night vividly, even though we had been drinking. It wasn't much, but enough to make me do dumb things, like take him into the raunchy bedroom with no sheets and have sex with him. Not even thinking of his gf, my old best friend from a cpl years prior. (You'll see that I have a tendency to do this to ppl). I was a bitch. But I really thought they weren't even together at the moment cuz they were always breaking up, as kids would do.

I think a big part of why I did was to get back at the boy who I let take my virginity and didn't talk to me after, UNTIL this night. Or tried to, but I wasn't for it. I had a handsome, new guy to think about now. But like I said, I didn't think he'd even be into to me after lol. So, I wasn't even expecting his call I got the next day. He made Marie call my landline (I had my own number) and he came on. I was so happy! I don't really remember how things went soon after, but I know we were inseparable for a year. (He was living with Marie and her family, my uncle is her dad, and her mom was sisters of the social worker in our reserve. So, something about a voluntary placement so he can stay on the reserve. James' mom lived in a city.) After school was out I always went visit him at his mom's, and he would find places to stay to stick around our reserve. I'm pretty sure at one point he was staying with my older sister, Gale, as a sitter for her kids lol. Our families accepted were were a couple.

When school was about to start, I was only going into grade 8, and him 9. I was bummed he'd be an hour n a half away but was going to accept it cuz he had to go live with his mom now n go to school. BUT the weirdest shit happened. I was visiting him, we were about a week away from the first day, him n his mom were talking about what they can do about him coming back to the reserve and where he can stay, cuz he didn't want to move. All of a sudden I heard her say, "why don't I ask her mom if you can stay there?" Shocked the hell out of me, then I remember thinking, "no way my mom will agree and say yes." Wellllll, she fucken did. Lol. I was only going to be 13, he had already turned 15. All I can say about that is just WOW. Can you imagine the scandal? Lol.

At the time I was happy we would be together. My mum's only rule was, not gonna share rooms. That lasted like a week or 2. Soon, we were in the same bedroom and living together. This was September. I don't even remember how this worked, or if I even hung out with my friends. Pretty sure I did cuz my room was the place to hang out and match each other weed.

We had reached our year Anniversary. Never broke up in that year. But I remember I was feeling smothered by him always being around and him not wanting to go to see his friends, or leaving me alone. I started ditching him at home, not telling him where I was going, cuz he was a lil stalker and always found me. Crazy when I think about it now. Needless to say, I started cheating on him. Dumb thing was, in my thinking, "he should know so he can decide if he really loves me to stay, or go." And I always told him when I did. It was almost always too. Rank. I started to sleep around with different guys. I was pretty shameless. Kinda gross lol. Omg.

I used to keep count, but almost most of the guys I knew going through my high school years. And it wasn't even intentional either, I'd black out, drinking, and was always looking for someone to hook-up with. James and I were always breaking-up and getting back together. It went on like this right until March 2006. I feel bad, now, for the way I've treated him. Cuz back then, I don't think he actually ever cheated on me. Or maybe he did, idk. N I can't even tell you why he endured all those years of humiliation. Think it still bothers him today, cuz even now when he's been drinking he brings up our past. Mostly our recent past, but all of this was the beginning of our ugliness.

I should mention, we split for a few months the winter I was 14, had to be March? Can't be too sure, might've been earlier. There was a hockey tournament in another city, our reserve always went. And me n my friends would follow and go drinking. I met this guy, and shocker, I slept with him that night in his truck. (Like I've said, I was shameless). He was from another reserve, at the same tourney. I thought that was the end of it. Next day i was embarrassed cuz my friends knew and I noticed him following me around, always tryna talk to me. I felt this way cuz he was a chubby kid that wasn't all that hot. He wasn't hideous, but I just wouldn't have gave him a 2nd thought if I was in my right mind. Poor guy lol. Funny thing about this guy was he had a cousin living in my reserve, and dumb thing was, this cousin was the kid I had always been fooling around with on James lol. Small world. So, he got my number from his cousin. AND even came as far as coming to out reserve, to our school, with his cousin and was roaming our hallways a few weeks after the tourney. I swear I almost died when Marie come running to me, telling me, "you'll never guess who's here!" Lol. Omg. We left the school and we were walking to her house and they pulled up to us, asked us to jump in, we go, most awkward ride of my life, get dropped off and say bye lol. We go out with them drinking that night, it was the weekend and I give in and start getting to know him. He was funny and easy to get along with. Big head grew on me lol. He was my bf for the following months into summer. I loved him. I think he did too. But I was a bitch and treated him like how I treated James. Always cheating, but he'd never wanna break up. I was horrible, cuz he really was a good kid. At the time, before me, he never really drank, pretty sure I took his virginity that night in his truck, and he danced powwow. I feel like I corrupted him. The way we ended was, one weekend in July, it was his reserve's powwow. My grandma and mum were actually staying at his mom's to attend and visit. I actually didn't feel like drinking but his friends, and the cousin from my reserve and his gf all wanted to drink. So I did. Bad idea. I was at a house party, not knowing who was who. The cousin's gf knew he and I always hooked up before and decided now was the perfect time to jump me with 3 other girls I don't know. And they all let it happen. I was blacked out, I don't remember any of it. I got dropped off at his mom's by a couple from that party who probably felt sorry for me. Next day, not knowing the whole story, I left back home with my mum and grandma. That was the end of us after I heard from his cousin's, who were sort of my friends, and they heard from people at that party of what really happened. I never got to ask him why he let it happen. Anyways, it's almost time for school to start, and I was was still friends with his cousin's. There were 3 girls who were always together. They talked me into moving in with one of them and starting the school year there. Idk why I choose to, cuz it didn't last. I moved back home after a month and a half. The girl I chose to live with was a thief and always stole money, real fake friend. I just didn't feel right, plus we lived with her older sister, cuz like me, she came from an older family. I just didn't feel like I belonged there. During those weeks of living there, though, I almost took my ex back. I wanted to, but he never admitted he wanted to and I never did either. So that was the end of us after that. I heard he turned into a man whore after that. Now, he was the one cheating on gfs. Think he ended up having 3 kids with 3 girls. He passed away the year I was pregnant with my first daughter. Died young, in a collision cuz he was a truck driver. RIP.

I moved home that October, in grade 10 and continued on with James. So, in those years, that was our break. Until we ended it in March of '06.

I can talk about my first son's dad, D. It's now April and the time of MSN messenger, we didn't have a computer at the time so only used it at my other best friend at the time, Mary's, where she used to babysit. She had made my account and added who she had on hers. Nobody, but close friends, really knew who I was on there. And one of them was D. He noticed I was on there and would keep asking who I was, and I never told him. I knew who he was. I'd seen him around, he was new to our school and used to go out with my cousin. One time I happened to actually agree to babysitting for my oldest sister, Ann. She had a computer and I was logged into MSN. My niece, Demi, was with me visiting and went on and started answering my messages. One of them was D asking me, again, who I was. He finally knew. Then dummy asked me out. That's how everyone had got together, it wasn't dates first, you just become a couple lol. And she wrote yes! I was so weirded out cuz I didn't know him personally and never even thought of him that way. After I was done sitting, I went pick him up at his sisters, drove around awkwardly and dropped him off. In school, even though he was about 3 and some years older than me, I was still ahead of him in classes. We only had one class together and it was weird cuz that one class, he'd just stare lol. At the time I had 2 other best friends, along with Marie and Claire, I had Charles and Randall. I was more with them than the girls now, since like grades 8 or 9. Anyways, not about them. Point was, I told Charles and he was laughing, like wtf, odd couple lol. And everyday after school I had a rule about my truck, Charles and Randall always had dibs, and whoever wanted to come had to call the 2 other seats. One day, D was waiting by my truck. Mind you, the only talking we ever did was on messenger. So i was freaked out by the surprise. He jumped in, and got super stoned with us. He didn't even get high regularly lol. He asked to be dropped off and that was it.

I was saying I didn't think I could do it cuz it was too awkward. But he ended up calling my mum's house, breaking up with me. So, I say it's cool, no hard feelings lol. His reason was, his mom and my dad were cousins. I accepted that... like what a weird side story. But noooo, he called me like 3 days later saying he wanted to give us a shot cuz, "he wasn't my real dad, so we're not blood related." Fuck we were dumb lol. But nobody seemed to care, cuz technically, he was right. And again, I got used to him. We actually turned out to get along really well. Our humour matched each other and I had always had fun with him. I graduated, we spent the summer together. Then, I decided I wasn't going to post secondary and "take the year off". He decided he didn't want to go back to school cuz I wasn't attending. So, like my previous relationship, he turned out to be super clingy. And, again, I was a cheater and he never wanted to end it. It was sort of toxic cuz he would cheat, even went as far as getting another gf 3 hrs away and going to see her. But we always took each other back.

That December I found out I was pregnant. I was 18, he was 22. We stayed together, and were good for those months. But it went back to being bad again cuz I started drinking after I had my son.

James was always in the picture cuz he'd always call and I never really let him go, and he was always the one calling so I take it it that he didn't either. During this time too, James had been in 2 other relationships, and been in jail for the months I was pregnant. (I wouldn't know what for for real until a couple years later). But he had heard from his current gf I had a son, cuz she would look at my Bebo profile. Back when that was a thing.

My son was only 5 months old when I broke it off with D for the last time and went back to James. I can't really say I regret this decision because I'd go on to have my 3 beautiful daughters and I'll just have to believe everything happened for a reason.

I just feel horrible I did that my son's dad. He really was a good guy and I knew he really tried to have a family and he loved me. I was young, not really ready to grow up and I thought I loved James more.

My son is 12 now, was raised good, a respectable young man. He was raised by D's parents. D has a gf, had been with her after us, so a long fucken time lol. We still hooked up (before her), like a couple times. Still talked about things, and I was happy at the time we could still be friends. He was a person I still could have trusted about anything. It all changed when he got this gf though. Idk why, I knew we were over. Once, when James and I broke up (my son was already living with his parents, and before I got pregnant with my first daughter) I had asked D if he wanted to try again. I swear that was my first time ever asking someone to take me back lol. But he said no, he didn't trust me. With good reason, though. I had hurt him. So, idk why that girl made him delete and block me on Facebook. Just one day, I was going to ask him if he ever gotten our kid's school pictures done and he was gone. It was just done lol. To this day, we don't talk. I talk small talk if he comes into the store when I'm working, but nothing else. Whatever though, I hope he's happy lol. It was just sudden, cuz we were actually friends before that. Damn jerk lol.

I think I'll stop here. I now have a son, and just gotten back together with James. I think I'm at January of 2008. Rough times ahead.

Plus, there's a lot of stuff I've missed in my high school years I'll probably come back to if needed. All of these are just main events. But until next time, ✌.

[thotyssey]

On Point With: Daphne Sumtimez

This fierce queen made her start in Manhattan, became huge in Brooklyn, and is now owning Manhattan once again. Singing, dancing, writing parodies and being damn funny are just a few tricks of her trade, but this performer is a philosopher at heart. Her new party at Easternbloc debuts this week: it’s Daphne Sumtimez!

Thotyssey: Hey girl, thanks for talking to us! You just pulled a double, hosting the Pieces happy hour and then appearing at Misty Meaner and  Mocha Lite’s show at Phoenix. How did it all go?

Daphne Sumtimez: Glad to be chatting with you! The children at Pieces and Phoenix were supercharged yesterday. The air in this city has been electric this weekend, and it feels good to have the engine revved, to be out and making moves. 

I was able to attend some protests on Friday and Saturday before shows, and nothing gets my blood pumping to perform like marching and shouting. It’s invigorating to get every person at Pieces to cry out in unison, “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA!” It’s rewarding to see every mouth at Phoenix lip-syncing with you to “I’m Every Woman,” hours after the Women’s March.

Amazing! You know, my first pessimistic thought was that the protesting wouldn't do much good this early on, but you can tell that it has already gotten under Trump's skin.

Honestly, I don’t give a fuck about his ugly skin. His name just happens to be synonymous with white supremacy, misogyny, transphobia, Islamophobia, etc., which are the real targets of protest. I’m heartbroken and terrified about the absurdity of his administration, and it will be crucial to continue to express outrage at every ludicrous, dangerous action it takes. 

That said, inequality and violence have been woven into the fabric of this country for over 200 years, and if putting an awful buffoon in office has finally gotten people mad enough to speak out against them en masse, there’s hope. 

Also, I’m hoping Kellyanne Conway is stressed enough to buy some more blanched yaki to staple into her dumb head to hide the hair loss. Support the wig industry!

Amen on all counts! So Daphne, I must say that this past holiday season, I really enjoyed those cute Christmas videos you made with Elle Emenope. You two were just singing carols and making corny jokes, but it hit the spot with all the impending doom that's now upon us! Was that your intention when you made them?

Oh, thanks! That’s exactly what Elle and I were getting at. The two of us and our videographer Adam Harden really did have a day of cookies and egg nog and tree decorating and caroling, and I did sincerely catch a case of the warm fuzzies. It felt like being a kid at home with my family, but imbued with the sparkle of drag and celebrated with chosen family.

I’m so happy to know the videos brought you a bit of cheer! The whole reason I’m a drag queen is to feed an insatiable need to make people happy!

And you do it well! Okay, so let's get to the beginning. What's your hometown, and what was growing up like for you?

Alas, growing up in Roseland, New Jersey was fairly uneventful. I spent all of my free time alone in my room reading the encyclopedia until I was like 14. Then I did some theater in high school and fell in love with being on stage, but I never wanted to play anyone but myself or my mother, who is a lovely riot (as are my sisters and father). 

In fact, I never actually came out to them. One Tuesday night, when I was about 13, my mother said, “Get in the car. We’re gettin’ Starbucks.” On the car ride she was looking at me expectantly, and asked “Don’t you have something you want to tell me?” I had no idea what she was talking about. Then she said, “Goddamnit, you’re gay.” I said, “What?” She said, “Don’t you feel better now that you said it?” 

10 years later, I’m a fuckin’ drag queen living in the city. Go figure.

Thanks Mom! Love that. So what turned you on to drag, and when did you start doing it?

The first drag queen I really got excited about was Kelly, the YouTube sensation best known for “Shoes.” I think what drew me in was how something so silly could make statements about gender, class, and authority. I saw drag as something irreverent, goofy, and totally enjoyable for a simple laugh, but with layers to peel back and stuff to examine if you want to. 

Once I devoured all of Kelly’s content, I dove into the realms of Miss Coco Peru and John Waters films, then somewhere along the line a high school boyfriend introduced me to Drag Race and I was hooked. I started going to Rocky Horror in proto-drag, and I tasted blood and I wanted more. 

So, I chose to go to college at NYU so I could live in the city, and Daphne came bursting out of me. I got in drag as often as I could for whatever reason I could come up with. Five years later, people people pay me and put me on stages and screens!

I got to watch your performance at Dusty Ray Bottoms’ anniversary show at Pieces recently, and you sang a parody of “Impossible” from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, and it was amazing! Kind of obscure for the casual drag fan I think, but even if you didn't know the original song it was still funny. How long have singing and parody been part of your act?

Oh, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I love my stupid little ditties. I’ve been doing them for a little over a year now, and they’re my favorite numbers to perform. I love language and wordplay, and parody stands out to me as one of those grand traditions of drag. I’m actually about to start music rehearsals for a one-woman show of philosophizing through parody!

I actually recall that the first time I saw you many moons ago. You were Daphne J. Twinkle, and you wandered into Holly Dae 's old show at Boots & Saddle, and she let you do a number. That's the reality when you are starting drag, right? You have to go everywhere and do everything.

I remember that night! I was in a rainbow sequin dress, with a fuchsia Jem wig and a black-beaded bolero, and I had the time of my life to Christina Aguilera’s "Candyman.” I was over the moon that Holly let me do a number. 

In my opinion, that’s where good drag starts: joy. Ultimately, whether on the global scale of RuPaul’s Drag Race, or the personal scale of chatting with a lone stranger at the bar, drag is about reaching people. And people are much more receptive to letting you reach them if they can tell that you are happy. 

As far as building a “drag career” goes, I think you have to be in it for the sheer joy of being a drag queen. You show up everywhere you can because it’s your pleasure to do so. You want as many people as possible to love what you do, because you love it so much yourself. If you don’t genuinely believe that what you’re offering is exciting, then there’s no reason for anyone else to get excited about it.

What made you go with "Sumtimez?" Is it just as simple as, sometimes you’re Daphne?

Yup! I have a terrible fear of commitment and I’m emotionally inconsistent, so I didn’t want people expecting me to be anything *all* the time.

How far into your drag were you when you signed up for Season 4 of everyone’s favorite NYC competition, “So You Think You Can Drag,” and how did you enjoy that experience? And bonus question: what did you learn from it?

Aw, I look back on SYTYCD4 warmly! I’d been running around the city in drag for about two years at that point, but that was the first drag show I was a part of on a weekly basis. The other girls and I got along well enough, and I’m pleased to call a few of them friends still. 

I’m not a terribly competitive person, and I never expected to win, but surrounding ourselves with other artists is how we improve. The challenge of responding to a specific prompt definitely pushed me creatively, while watching how audiences react to different queens gave me a better feel of how to read the energy of a room. In those ways, competitions are like drag boot camps, where you learn the skills of the trade, so I think everyone should try it at least once. 

That said, I’m quite relieved that my competitive days are behind me. I’m too much of a control freak for all that!

Most gals from that competition traditionally work the Manhattan circuit after its over, but you embraced Brooklyn, and got several gigs there. How did that come about?

Scarlet Fever at TnT, girl! It was the Friday night rage for years. Scarlet Envy was already a good friend of mine, and I tricked her drunk ass into letting me on that stage so many times that Brooklyn had no choice but to put up with me.

Then, as I think these things tend to go, you look around you one day and realize that you’re a part of a family. Brooklyn became home, and I’ve been very lucky that her audiences like what I bring to the table. Funny enough though, most of my gigs now happen to be back in Manhattan.

That's happened to a lot of Brooklyn girls, particularly since TNT closed. Was that a shock to you when that happened?

Not really, to be honest. Rumors had been floating around for months, and plenty of property around it was getting bought up. It was just a matter of time. Turns out that home bars, like most things in life, come and go, you know?

You had a happy hour show at TNT on Fridays that you've successfully reprised with a new name--Funtimez with Sumtimez--at Easternbloc in the East Village a few months ago. Lots of displaced Brooklyn gals have repositioned themselves at that place. What makes Easternbloc so Brooklyn compatible?

Honestly, it surprised me just how well Easternbloc took to Brooklyn drag. A lot of that has to do with the fact that the staff and management are a bunch of sweethearts, and everybody treats each other with a level of respect and appreciation. The room itself also carries that delightful campy dive bar feel that’s so appealing to Brooklyn sensibilities.

What's the show like?

Fun Timez With Sumtimez has been a hit over there! I treat the show like I’m having a bunch of people over to my living room, so there’s this intimacy that edges deliciously on too-real. Some favorite bits include “Affirmation Circle,” where I share a tongue-in-cheek glimpse into my devastating emotional fragility, and “My LTR with LDR,” where I try to make Lana Del Rey songs performable. Everyone’s been eating it up and a nice crowd has been building! 

In fact, Frankie Sharp and I are about to partner up in carrying the happy hour festivities onwards all night with our new Friday night twirl: Dumbclub!

Let's talk about that. Frankie is of course a legendary producer and DJ of NYC nightlife, the man who brought us Westgay and Metrosensual and Frankie’s at the Jane, and he's been spinning a party at Easternbloc called Beef for some years now. What's Dumclub gonna be like?

Frankie’s at the top of the game, and the fact that I get to kick off every weekend with him has me grateful and inspired. I loooove what he spins, and it turns out that manic, hyper-energetic drag mixes super well with sexy boys, great asses, and a killer DJ set! We’re really pumped to join forces in whipping up a debaucherous, unpretentious night of uninhibited fuckin’ fun. 

One of the best parts for me is that we’re having new guest performers and hosts every week. There are so many awesome people in this city whom I haven’t gotten to work with as much as I’d like, and now there’s finally a Friday night bash where all of us from different circles of nightlife can come get stupid and really enjoy how much we have in common. Now’s the time to get back to the basics of loving on each other and having good, easy fun.

Sounds amazing! What else is going on?

Come see me as go-go hostess at The Box: legendary venue, truly spectacular shows, and me at my zenith of capricious charm!

Usually I’’m there on Wednesdays, but sometimes a few days a week. Anyone interested in hearing more should reach me at daphnesumtimez@gmail.com, because the Box tends to be a bit exclusive about these things. You know the old saying: a girl who's swanky, stanky, and skanky, gets herself some hanky panky.

Preach. Okay, in closing, let's jump on this meme wagon: what is a major #alternativefact about Daphne Sumtimez?

I am a healthy, self-sufficient adult who loves herself and doesn’t need a man to be happy. #alternativefacts

Well played Thanks Daphne, and have Fun Timez on Friday!

On Fridays at Easternbloc, Daphne Sumtimez hosts Fun Timez With Sumtimez (8pm) and the DumClub with Frankie Sharp (11pm). Follow Daphne on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

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