#ridiculous memories

[strohller27]

Man. Last year was wild (memories and musings under the cut).

One memory from last year that I probably wont be over anytime soon is when I was working a retail popup on the waterfront for the cruise ship guests.

A bit of context: At this point of last year, I was painfully homeless and when I wasn’t spending $2200 a month airbnb-hopping, I was living out of a tent at a campground to save money. My access to showers and potable drinking water was iffy at best (the showers on the campground were $2 for five minutes, and the closest water spout that worked well enough to fill bottles with was the literal bathroom sink. I’m surprised the water didn’t make me sick. The water from there often left a really weird taste/cottony sensation in the back of my throat that took days to get rid of, unless I boiled it first, and that was *if* I had access to a power outlet and an electric kettle. Also one of the airbnbs I stayed at got the water shut off for almost 28 hours because the host wasn’t paying his goddamn bills. But that’s a story I tell elsewhere). I had no reliable access to refrigeration, whether I was at an airbnb or the campground, so everything I bought to eat had to be non-perishable. For a while there, I was skipping breakfast to save enough money to buy myself loaves of bread, peanut butter, protein bars, and ramen packets.

If I wanted a hot meal, the best thing I could get was Tim Horton’s (and when I did, I was mostly using a credit card). Sometimes the only reason I could afford to both eat and have a place to stay was because I had built up Tim’s rewards points.

Thank goodness it was still mostly summer and I wasn’t also freezing cold at night.

And then I had to go to work and there were so many customers at that waterfront popup telling me I should give them discounts because “Well, I’m broke, I spent all of my money on a cruise!”

Oh? Oh??? I’m so sorry, you poor, unfortunate little soul???? Does the poow wittle bwoke babykins need a wittle discount??

First off, friendo, you keep asking me if the price is in ‘american’ because you forgot that you’re in a literal different country right now. Second, you’re complaining to a minimum wage worker about how, ‘everything is so expensive here! Oh my god you have to pay that much in taxes? What do you mean I have to pay taxes on purchases, too’. You have main character syndrome and you have the absolute goddamned gall to think you deserve $300 off a $500 handmade, HAND EMBROIDERED woollen cape that you probably won’t even wear because you live in texas????

OH, YOU “““CAN’T AFFORD””” TO BUY THAT 30 DOLLAR SCARF BECAUSE YOU *CHECKS NOTES* HAD ENOUGH MONEY TO GO ON A LITERAL INTERNATIONAL FUCKING CRUISE, BETSY-ANN??

CRY ME A FUCKING RIVER.

But the one that gets me the worst was when a guy was there with his daughter. She was probably 12 or 13. And she wanted to buy a little Canadian flag to commemorate her visit. It was literally priced at. Two. Dollars. Ninety five. Cents.

And he said to her, “Oh, come on. What good is buying this going to do? Who is it supporting.”

I was so done by that point I literally raised my hand and yelled.

“ME IT WILL SUPPORT ME IT WILL HELP ME DO FUN LITTLE THINGS LIKE BUY GROCERIES. AND EAT.”

The daughter bought the flag.

I spent so much of last year worrying about where I was going to live. Worrying about how precarious my situation was. My mother was on the phone with me almost begging me to “come home”. To give up on my dreams because it was too hard. Several people suggested that, including my academic advisor. But I wasn’t going to let it go. I let spite get me here and goddamned if I wasn’t going to let spite keep me hanging on.

And now I’m living in a place that has mostly everything I need. I don’t have to crawl under a desk to get to my bed. I don’t have to ask for permission or worry about who it will affect when I want to do something nice for myself. I’m able to make my own decisions about my living space. I get to set my own schedule. I get to do things at my own pace. I get to eat what I want to eat (and my landlady keeps feeding me, too). Now that I’m not hemorrhaging funds, I’ve been able to save up some money. I’m regularly showering and brushing my teeth. I finally have the energy make my goddamned bed every day. I’m taking care of myself in ways that seemed insurmountable last year.

I’m not saying it’s perfect, and there are still things I have to address (like the weird numb spots on the tips of both my big toes that I noticed when I was still living at the campground; like staying on a consistent schedule with my medications; like taking too many hours at work because I’m worried about affording things). And I’m aware that I completely lucked out that I speak enough Russian to be able to understand my landlord/lady. But this is so much better than I could have hoped for.

And the rest of it wasn’t all bad either. Airbnb-hopping was expensive, but staying in different areas helped me learn the city. And now I’m working at a place that I don’t hate with a passion like I did when I was working food service in the states. I actually really like my coworkers (and funny enough, the small business I work for really does feel like a family). I get to wear my kilts to work. I have the necessary knowledge to be a perfect fit for the job, and I was apparently ‘an answer to a prayer’.

The misty mornings on the campground were more magical than any other mornings I’ve ever experienced in my life. I walked around the campground and saw its little lake beach and river. I made friends with the spiders. I named most of them. Every time I heard the squirrels and chipmunks get into an argument I would giggle to myself and think ‘the girls are fightinng!’ I drove to the beach, and I saw a little boy hold up a crab he’d found with the biggest smile on his face when he asked if I wanted to pet it. I felt an almost uncontrollable urge to pick up the seaweed and eat it. I met interesting people. I made some friends. I went to a famous lighthouse. I rode the ferry to work and watched massive cruise ships docking, feeling as much awe as I did when I first saw Star Trek: The Motion Picture. I watched the sun both rise and set over the harbour. And I fell in love with this place despite all of the challenges that were in my path.

Perfect or not, I needed this. I needed to be self-sufficient and live my own life. I needed to see beauty and wonder and touch sand that was on a beach instead of on my bedroom floor. And I’m so sad that the only two times in my life I’ve really been able to do things like this and live the life I want were when I left the US. And because of that, I’m really not planning on going back to live there.

Funny that I had to leave the “land of the free” to really feel/be free, eh? Whatever the case, now I’m a maritimer by choice.

Here’s to 2024. May I learn from all that 2023 taught me (If shit sucks, hit da bricks. Leave. Do it scared. Do it alone and scared. Don’t settle for less than you deserve. Find beauty in the mundane. Advocate for yourself and your skills. Make decisions that will provide for your future so that you can take the steps you want to take, even if people think something like learning Russian isn’t going to be useful. Take those steps you want to take to follow your dreams, even if your dream seems flimsy like a cardboard façade to you. Even if those are the hardest steps you ever have to take. Today can be ‘someday’, if you let it. The greatest adventure is what lies ahead, today and tomorrow are yet to be said). May 2024 be a year for more steps forward than steps back.

[petr1kov]

gotta be honest and say it's insane to me that a bunch of people 'misremembered' nelson mandela dying in prison in the 80s even though he lived to become the president of south africa in the 90s and instead of thinking 'wow, i really should learn a bit more about international politics outside of north america and europe because not knowing such a basic fact like this about one of the most influential political figures of all time is kind of embarrassing', they became convinced that this was proof that parallel realities exist and they were having memories of an universe where mandela died in prison somehow. that's presumptuous on a level i can barely conceive of

[lesbiradshaw]

lovers’ quarrel <3

[lolottes]

Bruce Wayne is the reincarnation of Jack Fenton 1

The trauma of losing his family so early in his new personal development has vaguely awakened some of his memories where he also lost his family in his previous life. He has to be better this time, not repeat his mistakes, not be so careless this time HE HAS TO!

When he sees Dick and picks him up, he feels like he's missing someone.

When Barbara joins their duo, things get worse.

When he takes Jason in, it calms down slightly… only to go to hell when he dies.

When Tim arrives he has to do it by force because he feels like he's failed once again and doesn't deserve the trust of a new boy…

After returning from the time stream, he meets Damian ... the green eyes… he feels like… he's seen him before? But all his behavior is wrong and the impression disappears… partially, he MUST help this his boy to be better!

It begins to have different nightmares ... nightmares White and Green Lazare

As Jason comes back from the dead, he feels like he's walking on eggshells, after all he's already failed once at accepting dead… he's not sure why

Things seem to be improving, he also welcomes Cass who seems right, then Duke who seems different but close to something he already knew good

Then comes an invocation of worship that he was unable to prevent, the circle breathes an icy breath into the room and the ice crystals regroup to take on a lazarus green hue… but strangely… he did not not afraid, he is nervous, he feels guilty, but he is not afraid… the ice takes on black and white hues and becomes a humanoid silhouette

Green eyes open

Danny: DAD?!????

Suffice to say that the still young king was not ready to see his father again, his dead father… just after a big argument with his mother after a revelation which made her flee, then the news of his death had him banished himself and all the ghosts of his home world from their land to the zone because the GiW had got their hands on their patent and they had to cut this reality from the multiverse to avoid the destruction of the latter. It was hard and…

For Danny it didn't last a week

tomorrow I will publish a version with fewer details

[manderleyfire]

'How many times you been caught with your hand where it doesn't belong?'

PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET (1953), written and directed by Samuel Fuller

[aardvaark]

i was thinking about how i wished leverage had a birthday episode for some of the characters cause that would be sweet, but then i realised something and basically…. okay here’s my thoughts in quotes form, just for fun

hardison: so when’s your birthday? i could plan something for us and the team to do and-

parker: i dont know

hardison: you don’t know… your own birthday?

parker: no, how would i know? pshh, cmon, you’re telling me you remember EXACTLY when you were born? watch this - hey, eliot, do you know your exact birth date?

eliot, innocently passing by, who was canonically anonymously dropped off at a hospital as an infant: no, how would i know?

parker: that’s what i said!

hardison: excuse me?? what is going on right now

sophie, walking into the apartment: whats wrong?

hardison: parker and eliot- well, okay, when’s your birthday? i just have to prove something.

sophie: …….july 12th

hardison: why did you pause? wait, is that your birthday or sophie devereaux’s birthday?

sophie: ………… (guilty silence)

parker: see, no one knows their real birthday! haha you’re so weird sometimes, hardison

hardison:

hardison: what the fuck guys

[xx-sketchy-xx]

him

I need more Fanart of him (btw I just wanted to draw cursed dally lol)

Also he slays as a girl lol

[worstloki]

Mu Qing ascending is objectively so funny considering Feng Xin and Xie Lian also do. Out of the people in your kingdom who accomplished immortality there’s this guy who used to be your servant but is now on equal rank to you and he‘s super rude now and also thinks you hate him because he remembers when you were 18 and lacked socioeconomic-interpersonal awareness

[orbital-inclination]

Day 23 - Tree + Memories - One Small Dreamcember Life seemed simpler back then, didn’t it? One Small Dream belongs to @calcium-cat​ ! Unvignette’d version undercut~

[bleaksqueak]

Since I posted some of my old fanart yesterday... if you're not familiar with Slayers, and thus have never heard its amazing music, do check it out. It's largely by the same songwriter, Masami Okui, that did Utena's iconic opening (Rinbu Revolution) and ofc (TRUTH) and sung by a duo of her and Hayashibara Megumi (you know, the GOAT)

The entire OST pretty much slaps. there's only a couple of bad image songs in an absolute expanse of pure gold. GIVE A REASON, the opening to the second season, tends to be the reigning favorite. (I've a hard time pinning down my absolute favorite... of the original openings, it might be Breeze, but all three are so good. Of the entire catalog? Impossible to choose. Midnight Blue, Raging Waves, Within my Unlimited Desires, Gloria, Get Along... Impossible Choice)

[mewkwota]

The Legendary Hero's RAPID FIRE weapon, the BN Blaster.

The tie-in to Battle Network in SF1 was neat already, but upon seeing the buster you unlock in action, I could only think if how Omega-Xis would've handled it-- here's that exact imagery.

[tobi-smp]

while we're talking about old fandom discourse, literally no brand of dream smp discourse was more useless than the "your character can't wear That because My Character is wearing that!!"

it's plainly ridiculous in all its forms, fighting over which little dollies are allowed to wear which dress while we smash em into each other.

but personally the most ridiculous to me is when wilburians got mad at inniters for putting tommy in wilbur's clothes, because 100% of the time inniters were doing that to show how much tommy loves and cares about and misses wilbur, Especially when depicting tommy like, actively Grieving for wilbur after his death (or a version of him, in ghostbur's case)

I love wilbur and I've shared many a meal with wilburians, but this truly elevated it from silly nonsense to Actually getting mad when other fans like and care about your blorbo

"inniters can't let wilbur have Anything !!!" and it's tommy wearing a tee shirt that says "I love wilbur he is my big brother" in comic sans

the little brother - big brother dynamic reigns eternal, well and truly

(before anybody comes at me, this is required reading for this particular topic: [Link])

[princelancey]

Lance is such a let bygones be bygones kind of a guy, we should embrace that energy more often in sports tbh, it's never that serious

[thresholdbb]

Kate's reaction to Time and Again was, "I wore this?" 🤣

[braisedhoney]

some tragic love stories be like: if i could bottle the galaxy, i would pour it into a cup so it would be easier for you to drink. do you want them? do you want the stars? or do they suit you better as adornments for your eyes than glitter on your lips?

but they don’t want the stars. they don’t want the galaxy. but how can they not? is that not enough? (it’s too much, that’s the problem. it’s too much.)

[maskyartist]

i KNOW i said i'd draw putt putt branch but i cant control the vibe and the vibe rn is feral clay

he vaguely remembers floyd. vaguely. he knows floyd was...there. at some point when his mind was whole. but he cant see where he'd be. a lot of his past memories were pushed away to make room for survival instinct, so his memories mostly consist of good ones with (Sp)Bruce and the night he left, the argument with JD mostly

floyd's kinda be pushed to the back of his mind, so its like meeting someone new. Clay smells death on him. Decay. But he stands and talks like a living creature.

Floyd confuses Clay. He calls him Pink. He'll remember his name eventually.