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TFF 2026... uh...
Mar. 29th, 2026 12:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
paperghost(To be cross-posted on other sites later.)
So... that was a bust. My sister talked some sense into me but I learned a lot. In a bad way.
Pros:
- My new itabag is great and will replace the old coffin itabag. I traded a good gimmick for functionality. Unfortunately I haven't posted photos of my itabag on art sites, so skip this if you don't get it.
- Got some good gifts! My impulse control was great and I realize last month the vendors aren't my go-to since I'm barely into any mainstream fandoms. I got a shirt as a gift and a shirt for me.
- Freebie stuff was bountiful as ever! I also had 2 stickers of my own this year and plan on continuing ordering from Sticky Brand for that.
- Went to the game room on Friday and Crushing Force is uh... very unique! I don't have Steam on my PC but I'm tempted to even buy it.
- Went to the panel about attending cons on a budget and had a great talk with the host for first time rooming advice.
- This isn't a pro, but it's not a con either. Just extremely weird. When asking for rooming advice, I was directed to a vetted Telegram chat in a "DM this person to get in" way. I DMed her, told her I was at TFF and couldn't automatically verify with ID since my phone was in my pocket most of the time. She had a friend attending and I could meet her to verify. We were both at different locations for a few hours, and THEN I got her. She ended not knowing what I needed her for until I told her and wasn't even in the server I was being verified for, but it was cleared up LOL.
- Harmonycon 2027 table on Saturday!!! Tried to Wander Over Yonder pill the guy at the table, you're welcome. (xd) (If you love G4 and Powerpuff Girls, there's a 80% chance you will love Wander.)
- I found a pony plushie maker! I'm aiming to have Sparkler made by next year, but I haven't arranged anything since my Insta is IRL-centric and inactive. The hilarious part is she was the maker of two pony plushies I saw the other night, I was just going home and couldn't ask for the maker...
- UNOFFICIAL LPS MEET UP! Was totally worth having my legs falls asleep for nearly 2 hours. I unfortunately didn't offload my "to trade" pile but I got 2 hamsters on my wishlist and gave 2 of mine away to nice people :) Unfortunately I haven't posted my LPS customs but I'm sad I couldn't join in the "custom group shot" photo :(
- Shadow the hedgehog liked my itabag and hugged me on Friday? Absolutely sweet experience and melted my heart.
- Silly moment when going down the elevator, someone asked if anyone had a spare hair tie when stopping on the way down. I did... but it was buried in my purse and we had to hold the door open til I grabbed it. "You’re a queen!"
- Both drag shows on Friday and Saturday were kino as usual. I preferred Friday since it leaned towards burlesque and had more boobs, but Saturday was a proper Otterly Fierce production and made me lose it at several parts. I GOTTA see Moustache Envy at Sue Ellens again after my tolerance break.
- I didn't know there were some "rogues" that stuck around after artist's alley closes. Do not take this as tattling or problematic, they were just sitting there socializing to whoever was still on the 2nd floor. (Anecdotal con advice I wish someone told me.)
- Met @/iggy666 before I left! LOCALS PLS TALK TO ME xd
(Note: this is being cross-posted to multiple sites, that @ may not work.)
Cons:
- Uh... a lot. This will be the last multi-day con I will go to without a room. For convention newbies, here's some advice: IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE LOCAL. UNLESS IT'S RIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE, GET A ROOM IN ADVANCE OR GRAB A DAY PASS. HOTEL ROOMS CLOSE BEFORE THE EVENT, YOU NEED TO GET ONE IN ADVANCE. Holy fucking hell.
- Room party situation was dire and completely killed my plans. A lot of my plan hinged on attending a party on Friday and feeling the rest out... nope. The hotel was actively cracking down on parties, no matter how tame. I attended one NSFW party on Friday night but it made me so claustrophobic I quickly left. The room party I was at during Harmonycon had its issues because some channers got too edgy, but I NEVER felt like I was literally suffocated. I couldn't even sit down and listen to music :( 2 chairs + couch + bed is a terrible arrangement for a party advertised under the table, jfc. Save that for you and your friends.
- The ELEVATOR SITUATION was also horrific. The gaming and artist room being on the 37th floor killed A LOT of potential fun because the lines were so long and it was high up. Absolutely bullshit.
- This isn't a complaint, but I'm putting it under con since it's meta. Why isn't TFF 18+? It feels like it wants to be an adult con when even the normal vendors have suggestive daki merch and leatherwork. I don't mean this in a "think of the children" way, I only saw one actual child and a teenager at the LPS meetup on Saturday. I just think it'd probably be healthier to admit what people are really here for? But I don't know what the social scene is for minors or if this is their only con option or not.
- I was not at the Chester memorial because I didn't know them, but I was heartbroken about how it happened to someone so young. Drunk drivers KYS challenge. (Or... just not do that. Please get a fucking Uber or Lyft.)
- Trading Post wasn't as good this year. Didn't even bother with the AD trading post, I don't want to stay here late or spend all day carrying [REDACTEDS] in my bag.
- I also passed on buying anything from the AD vendors due to not feeling very confident with myself :( This isn't a dig at them, it's me. I have got to get sexier.
- The AD rodeo on Friday was neat, but another instance of "oh geez I need a hotel room"... it didn't appear to be there on Saturday.
- Catering was absolute dogshit just like last year. The cafe on 1st floor skews pricey but was still a lot better.
- I developed a tolerance to alcohol because I drank too much vodka leisurely after Harmonycon. On Friday I had 3 shots before I left and didn't get drunk, it's so fucking over. April is my tolerance break month.
- I'm retiring my G3 Rarity stickers. I have some left that I'll give or distribute next con. Maybe they'll be "to give" only because I realized it's weird for my Carrd sticker to have a copyrighted character instead of my own???
- You miss all of the shots you don't take. I don't have anything to say about most panels I attended besides "I should've spoken up" or "I should've asked someone this" etc. I don't struggle with anxiety anymore, my default is just not speaking or having surface level interactions.
- My mom has never driven around downtown Dallas without getting lost. The drunk drivinh story made me paranoid so I wanted my sister to be with her for Google maps and to keep me posted. I really want to try DART instead one day.
- Was curious about FanExpo and other DFW cons. I was told FanExpo is extremely large. I do not want to deal with attending another large convention.
- Speaking of large... yeah. TFF was too big. It was very very overwhelming and lonely. It was mysterious and exciting last year but a huge bummer now.
- I do not like the Sheraton as a venue in general. It's like night and day compared to the Hyatt. TFS last year was lovely and Harmonycon was magical, but this venue is a pain to maneuver and I'm still pissed over the placement of the game room. Def going to mention that in my post-con survey.
- Didn't see anyone else online :(
- I am also dealing with hormonal issues and thus just not in a good mood most of the time. Friday sucked minus some cute moments, Saturday was slightly better but I spent the time wishing I got a day pass instead and either depressed or pissed about the elevators/no parties between panels/meetups.
So... 5.5/10, ironically worse than Sonic Expo which was a 6/10. The difference is my expectations with Sonic Expo were low, I got a day pass, and my complaint was the concert ordeal and dogshit catering. My issues here... are numerous!
I may just get a day pass next TFF and I'm not sure how I feel about being a Local Con Person right now. May be my bad mental health. I go back to work on the 31st so I'm probably going to draw and chip at WIPs until I work 4 days in a row. I'm not allowed to think about anything until a family birthday coming up, otherwise I'm putting feelers out for room sharing during TFS. I really need to get some "adult" experience, it'll be good prep for Harmonycon 2027 or even (maybe) (unlikely) traveling out of state in the future. Well, not with the airport BS going on right now...
So... that was a bust. My sister talked some sense into me but I learned a lot. In a bad way.
Pros:
- My new itabag is great and will replace the old coffin itabag. I traded a good gimmick for functionality. Unfortunately I haven't posted photos of my itabag on art sites, so skip this if you don't get it.
- Got some good gifts! My impulse control was great and I realize last month the vendors aren't my go-to since I'm barely into any mainstream fandoms. I got a shirt as a gift and a shirt for me.
- Freebie stuff was bountiful as ever! I also had 2 stickers of my own this year and plan on continuing ordering from Sticky Brand for that.
- Went to the game room on Friday and Crushing Force is uh... very unique! I don't have Steam on my PC but I'm tempted to even buy it.
- Went to the panel about attending cons on a budget and had a great talk with the host for first time rooming advice.
- This isn't a pro, but it's not a con either. Just extremely weird. When asking for rooming advice, I was directed to a vetted Telegram chat in a "DM this person to get in" way. I DMed her, told her I was at TFF and couldn't automatically verify with ID since my phone was in my pocket most of the time. She had a friend attending and I could meet her to verify. We were both at different locations for a few hours, and THEN I got her. She ended not knowing what I needed her for until I told her and wasn't even in the server I was being verified for, but it was cleared up LOL.
- Harmonycon 2027 table on Saturday!!! Tried to Wander Over Yonder pill the guy at the table, you're welcome. (xd) (If you love G4 and Powerpuff Girls, there's a 80% chance you will love Wander.)
- I found a pony plushie maker! I'm aiming to have Sparkler made by next year, but I haven't arranged anything since my Insta is IRL-centric and inactive. The hilarious part is she was the maker of two pony plushies I saw the other night, I was just going home and couldn't ask for the maker...
- UNOFFICIAL LPS MEET UP! Was totally worth having my legs falls asleep for nearly 2 hours. I unfortunately didn't offload my "to trade" pile but I got 2 hamsters on my wishlist and gave 2 of mine away to nice people :) Unfortunately I haven't posted my LPS customs but I'm sad I couldn't join in the "custom group shot" photo :(
- Shadow the hedgehog liked my itabag and hugged me on Friday? Absolutely sweet experience and melted my heart.
- Silly moment when going down the elevator, someone asked if anyone had a spare hair tie when stopping on the way down. I did... but it was buried in my purse and we had to hold the door open til I grabbed it. "You’re a queen!"
- Both drag shows on Friday and Saturday were kino as usual. I preferred Friday since it leaned towards burlesque and had more boobs, but Saturday was a proper Otterly Fierce production and made me lose it at several parts. I GOTTA see Moustache Envy at Sue Ellens again after my tolerance break.
- I didn't know there were some "rogues" that stuck around after artist's alley closes. Do not take this as tattling or problematic, they were just sitting there socializing to whoever was still on the 2nd floor. (Anecdotal con advice I wish someone told me.)
- Met @/iggy666 before I left! LOCALS PLS TALK TO ME xd
(Note: this is being cross-posted to multiple sites, that @ may not work.)
Cons:
- Uh... a lot. This will be the last multi-day con I will go to without a room. For convention newbies, here's some advice: IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE LOCAL. UNLESS IT'S RIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE, GET A ROOM IN ADVANCE OR GRAB A DAY PASS. HOTEL ROOMS CLOSE BEFORE THE EVENT, YOU NEED TO GET ONE IN ADVANCE. Holy fucking hell.
- Room party situation was dire and completely killed my plans. A lot of my plan hinged on attending a party on Friday and feeling the rest out... nope. The hotel was actively cracking down on parties, no matter how tame. I attended one NSFW party on Friday night but it made me so claustrophobic I quickly left. The room party I was at during Harmonycon had its issues because some channers got too edgy, but I NEVER felt like I was literally suffocated. I couldn't even sit down and listen to music :( 2 chairs + couch + bed is a terrible arrangement for a party advertised under the table, jfc. Save that for you and your friends.
- The ELEVATOR SITUATION was also horrific. The gaming and artist room being on the 37th floor killed A LOT of potential fun because the lines were so long and it was high up. Absolutely bullshit.
- This isn't a complaint, but I'm putting it under con since it's meta. Why isn't TFF 18+? It feels like it wants to be an adult con when even the normal vendors have suggestive daki merch and leatherwork. I don't mean this in a "think of the children" way, I only saw one actual child and a teenager at the LPS meetup on Saturday. I just think it'd probably be healthier to admit what people are really here for? But I don't know what the social scene is for minors or if this is their only con option or not.
- I was not at the Chester memorial because I didn't know them, but I was heartbroken about how it happened to someone so young. Drunk drivers KYS challenge. (Or... just not do that. Please get a fucking Uber or Lyft.)
- Trading Post wasn't as good this year. Didn't even bother with the AD trading post, I don't want to stay here late or spend all day carrying [REDACTEDS] in my bag.
- I also passed on buying anything from the AD vendors due to not feeling very confident with myself :( This isn't a dig at them, it's me. I have got to get sexier.
- The AD rodeo on Friday was neat, but another instance of "oh geez I need a hotel room"... it didn't appear to be there on Saturday.
- Catering was absolute dogshit just like last year. The cafe on 1st floor skews pricey but was still a lot better.
- I developed a tolerance to alcohol because I drank too much vodka leisurely after Harmonycon. On Friday I had 3 shots before I left and didn't get drunk, it's so fucking over. April is my tolerance break month.
- I'm retiring my G3 Rarity stickers. I have some left that I'll give or distribute next con. Maybe they'll be "to give" only because I realized it's weird for my Carrd sticker to have a copyrighted character instead of my own???
- You miss all of the shots you don't take. I don't have anything to say about most panels I attended besides "I should've spoken up" or "I should've asked someone this" etc. I don't struggle with anxiety anymore, my default is just not speaking or having surface level interactions.
- My mom has never driven around downtown Dallas without getting lost. The drunk drivinh story made me paranoid so I wanted my sister to be with her for Google maps and to keep me posted. I really want to try DART instead one day.
- Was curious about FanExpo and other DFW cons. I was told FanExpo is extremely large. I do not want to deal with attending another large convention.
- Speaking of large... yeah. TFF was too big. It was very very overwhelming and lonely. It was mysterious and exciting last year but a huge bummer now.
- I do not like the Sheraton as a venue in general. It's like night and day compared to the Hyatt. TFS last year was lovely and Harmonycon was magical, but this venue is a pain to maneuver and I'm still pissed over the placement of the game room. Def going to mention that in my post-con survey.
- Didn't see anyone else online :(
- I am also dealing with hormonal issues and thus just not in a good mood most of the time. Friday sucked minus some cute moments, Saturday was slightly better but I spent the time wishing I got a day pass instead and either depressed or pissed about the elevators/no parties between panels/meetups.
So... 5.5/10, ironically worse than Sonic Expo which was a 6/10. The difference is my expectations with Sonic Expo were low, I got a day pass, and my complaint was the concert ordeal and dogshit catering. My issues here... are numerous!
I may just get a day pass next TFF and I'm not sure how I feel about being a Local Con Person right now. May be my bad mental health. I go back to work on the 31st so I'm probably going to draw and chip at WIPs until I work 4 days in a row. I'm not allowed to think about anything until a family birthday coming up, otherwise I'm putting feelers out for room sharing during TFS. I really need to get some "adult" experience, it'll be good prep for Harmonycon 2027 or even (maybe) (unlikely) traveling out of state in the future. Well, not with the airport BS going on right now...
(no subject)
Mar. 28th, 2026 12:44 amkallowayThe short of things is that I got what is hopefully the year's worth of regular (and slightly irregular) maintenance done on the car for a fraction of what I'd anticipated, and the one thing that I'd been concerned with is fine. (And was yet again another less scrupulous shop just attempting to upsell unnecessary work.)
Talked to the owner for a bit after, mostly about our economic anxiety. He pointed out the absolute lack of traffic out front, which is indeed a main thoroughfare. I was able to pull right out and make a left, which I have never been able to do before... (I had also walked down to a diner to get breakfast, which was delicious, but I don't think I had to wait for a single car at any of the crosswalks.)
Hobby Market is next weekend so it's time to dig out the boxes again and hopefully find some fresh stuff for my table. I did start going through my shelves and gunpla stacks and hilariously, the first gunpla stack offered up two half-built kits (one of which I wasn't the one who started it) and a finished kit (again, not one I built so someone must've given it to me?)... I've finished the one and got it together minus a backpack I've utterly misplaced. The built one will get disassembled, cleaned, and probably become a paint experiment. Undecided on the last. I suppose I can at least finish it; it shouldn't be a difficult kit. (ETA: the bits that were already built were in pretty bad shape, so they're also getting bathed and cleaned and I'll see what I can do)
Talked to the owner for a bit after, mostly about our economic anxiety. He pointed out the absolute lack of traffic out front, which is indeed a main thoroughfare. I was able to pull right out and make a left, which I have never been able to do before... (I had also walked down to a diner to get breakfast, which was delicious, but I don't think I had to wait for a single car at any of the crosswalks.)
Hobby Market is next weekend so it's time to dig out the boxes again and hopefully find some fresh stuff for my table. I did start going through my shelves and gunpla stacks and hilariously, the first gunpla stack offered up two half-built kits (one of which I wasn't the one who started it) and a finished kit (again, not one I built so someone must've given it to me?)... I've finished the one and got it together minus a backpack I've utterly misplaced. The built one will get disassembled, cleaned, and probably become a paint experiment. Undecided on the last. I suppose I can at least finish it; it shouldn't be a difficult kit. (ETA: the bits that were already built were in pretty bad shape, so they're also getting bathed and cleaned and I'll see what I can do)
Book Chain, etc, Week 13
Mar. 29th, 2026 06:02 pmpedanther#9: A book with more pages than the previous book
February: Keyboard Keys
Watership Down by Richard Adams.
I enjoyed it. There are some very emotional parts. I have some quibbles about the way interspecies communication is depicted, but they're quibbles. The Tolkienesque asides about language and translation are fun. Actually, the whole vibe is kind of Tolkienesque, in that it's about a big adventure being had by small creatures who live in holes in the ground and are very English in their manners and speech despite having no concept of what an "England" is. I found myself occasionally wondering if the various strange rabbit communities our heroes encounter -- the decadent artist rabbits, the totalitarian dictatorship rabbits -- are meant to be read as commentary on human communities; the only one I'm confident about is the bit where one of the folk tales about the mythical rabbit hero El-ahrairah takes a moment to have El-ahrairah express his disdain for Kits These Days That Don't Respect Their Elders Who Fought For Their Freedom In The War.
#10: A book published in a different decade than the previous book
March: "This" and "That"
1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England by W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman.
A re-read, because I was feeling like something light and none of the other options I was seeing for the March prompt were appealing to me.
February: Keyboard Keys
Watership Down by Richard Adams.
I enjoyed it. There are some very emotional parts. I have some quibbles about the way interspecies communication is depicted, but they're quibbles. The Tolkienesque asides about language and translation are fun. Actually, the whole vibe is kind of Tolkienesque, in that it's about a big adventure being had by small creatures who live in holes in the ground and are very English in their manners and speech despite having no concept of what an "England" is. I found myself occasionally wondering if the various strange rabbit communities our heroes encounter -- the decadent artist rabbits, the totalitarian dictatorship rabbits -- are meant to be read as commentary on human communities; the only one I'm confident about is the bit where one of the folk tales about the mythical rabbit hero El-ahrairah takes a moment to have El-ahrairah express his disdain for Kits These Days That Don't Respect Their Elders Who Fought For Their Freedom In The War.
#10: A book published in a different decade than the previous book
March: "This" and "That"
1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England by W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman.
A re-read, because I was feeling like something light and none of the other options I was seeing for the March prompt were appealing to me.
Updated Wind Breaker fic: Acting on instinct (Sakura/Nirei/Suou/Kiryuu/Tsugeura)
Mar. 29th, 2026 08:17 amvriddyNow complete!
Acting on instinct | Wind Breaker | Sakura/Nirei/Suou/Kiryuu/Tsugeura | 5.3k words | rated T
Summary: Something shifted for them all in that moment at Kiryuu's house. They all felt it. But Kiryuu was missing for it, so they can't do anything about it.
Not yet.
Read it on Dreamwidth or on AO3.
Acting on instinct | Wind Breaker | Sakura/Nirei/Suou/Kiryuu/Tsugeura | 5.3k words | rated T
Summary: Something shifted for them all in that moment at Kiryuu's house. They all felt it. But Kiryuu was missing for it, so they can't do anything about it.
Not yet.
Read it on Dreamwidth or on AO3.
gut punch sylvie yap!!
Mar. 29th, 2026 12:54 amasuraidObsessed with characters who are chronic oversharers but in a way that conceals any real information about themselves. Characters who talk about everything but leave out everything that actually has meaning to them, who use their oversharing to hide all the things they're not talking about.gutpunch ass last reblog im ILL. too many thoughts!!!!!!!!!! illness in looking at sylvie and knowing their happy go lucky cheerful personality is 100% them but also 100% isn't. it's both their bare face and a mask at the same time.
—tired-fandom-ndn
they yap and yap and yap and talk and are open and warm but they never truly talk about themselves outside of a very few people. your worries? they will listen. their worries? nawww they're chill they don't have things on their mind (they're etched deep into their bones and buried underneath)
CLAWS AT MY FACE AUGHH FUCKKKK cause like. sylvie won't hide things they like, they'll share their stories, their hobbies, their projects, beloved things. they'll give you scraps of information about their past, they won't beat around the bush that they died, but the aftereffects of that? good luck reading between the lines!!!!!!
augh fuck i know i've talked about it but sylvie struggles as well with knowing that if the self they're presenting is their true self or just a facsimile of their true self. is there a true self underneath or has it disappeared and melded into all of their masks over thousands of years? what is an identity when you've lost your own, lived through hundreds and thousands of others, and had just as many hands and people shape your life?
(i crossposted this from tumblr dont mind me)
Avallu, 2016-2026
Mar. 28th, 2026 08:30 pmjazzfishErin's dog Avallu is gone. He was throwing up yesterday, Erin took him in to the vet today, and he didn't come home. Cancer, ruptured spleen, a large dog and ten years old.
Avallu was a Tornjak, a big fluffy livestock guardian dog. Mostly white; brown facemask, speckled muzzle, and a dark patch over his hindquarters. He came from somewhere in Europe. Erin and I picked him up in Van and drove him north to Fort.
Once the fence went up, and once he learned to stay inside it, he was an exemplary guardian. He chased off lynx and bears; he was polite to the cats and the various fowl. It took him awhile to warm up to Solly the new pup a couple of years ago, but eventually they (and Thea, a little younger than Avallu but arrived slightly before him) worked out a routine to keep the place safe. He was, I suspect, always a bit anxious. We got on well. I'd stand outside, watching birds or pigs or Erin, and he'd come and stand next to me, his hip pressed into my thigh.
I don't really have stories about Avallu, not like Whiskey being a scaredycat until he discovered that petting is Good or Void Demon the cat who 'doesn't like people' settling in on my lap. He was just always there, a solid presence in the chaos of farm life. He was the best of pups.
Avallu was a Tornjak, a big fluffy livestock guardian dog. Mostly white; brown facemask, speckled muzzle, and a dark patch over his hindquarters. He came from somewhere in Europe. Erin and I picked him up in Van and drove him north to Fort.
Once the fence went up, and once he learned to stay inside it, he was an exemplary guardian. He chased off lynx and bears; he was polite to the cats and the various fowl. It took him awhile to warm up to Solly the new pup a couple of years ago, but eventually they (and Thea, a little younger than Avallu but arrived slightly before him) worked out a routine to keep the place safe. He was, I suspect, always a bit anxious. We got on well. I'd stand outside, watching birds or pigs or Erin, and he'd come and stand next to me, his hip pressed into my thigh.
I don't really have stories about Avallu, not like Whiskey being a scaredycat until he discovered that petting is Good or Void Demon the cat who 'doesn't like people' settling in on my lap. He was just always there, a solid presence in the chaos of farm life. He was the best of pups.
Neocities
Mar. 28th, 2026 09:20 pmbrigidIf you're interested in neocities, or making websites generally, I have a neocities website that has some information on how to create websites and general fun stuff to do online.
Dink! Donk? Dunk. is a fun little project that isn't fully finished - the red square is meant to be replaced by an icon of some sort - but is stable enough for now.
I should probably put a "new" or "updated" page for when I add things, which I do from time to time.
Dink! Donk? Dunk. is a fun little project that isn't fully finished - the red square is meant to be replaced by an icon of some sort - but is stable enough for now.
I should probably put a "new" or "updated" page for when I add things, which I do from time to time.
Nice links roundup + Darwyn Cooke + More cat news
Mar. 28th, 2026 08:44 pmerinptahClearing out some nice links:
Mastodon poll (now closed, but please enjoy the results): “Pick the best fallacy“
Interview with Rachel Manija Brown, writer turned bookstore owner: “I had never intended to open a bookshop. I always thought it was one of those idle daydreams that people who love reading and books have. I never planned to actually do it because I didn’t think it would be successful—they frequently go out of business. But after I moved to Crestline, which is a very small town in the California mountains, the little town did not have a bookshop.”
The promised official postmortem of the AO3 downtime in early March 2026 from AO3_Systems is out! (I added that link to my earlier post about the downtime.)
Speaking of AO3…I checked the backlog on some fandom tags where I hadn’t seen updates for a while because their RSS feeds glitched, and now my To Read list has ballooned by +9 pages.
Art process:
Watching a video on iconic DC writer/artist Darwyn Cooke, which led me to an interview with this quote:
“I don’t work in a formal fashion — I don’t sit and type a full script and then draw it. What I do is I plot it. And then I sit down and draw it and then I write the dialogue afterwards.”
Oh, hey, that’s what I do.
Pretty sure I’ve never heard anyone else describe making comics this way. Maybe they just won’t admit to it, because Having A Script is seen as the “professional” way to do things? But nobody could accuse Darwyn Cooke of not being a professional — and here he is, revealing this is the process that works for him.
Vindication, hah.
Cat news: The fluff has also survived his latest vet visit!
This went so much smoother than it used to in his younger years. He didn’t struggle at all once he was in the carrier, allowed the vet to pick him up and carry him to a different room for shots, and didn’t pee on anything (or anyone).
I hope that means on some level he’s internalized “the scary trip doesn’t last too long, you’ll be home safe soon, just hold very still and wait for it to be over.”
Post and Jam: Your Daddy Don't Know by Toronto (1982)
Mar. 28th, 2026 03:28 pmdelphiFandom 50 #6
Continuing my list of fifty Canadian songs I love from the past fifty years, 1982 is just a good old-fashioned banger.
Your Daddy Don't Know by Toronto
Continuing my list of fifty Canadian songs I love from the past fifty years, 1982 is just a good old-fashioned banger.
Your Daddy Don't Know by Toronto
Sucreabeille: Iron Snow
Mar. 28th, 2026 01:19 pmbrigidI'm making pasta e fagioli soup today.
I came home yesterday with groceries and immediately put the beans to soak so i didn't forget.
I woke up this morning, brushed my teeth, and immediately started dicing carrots and celery etc. Gotta get this shit together. MY CHILD NEEDS SOUP.
Specifically, my autistic child with ARFID and a very limited pool of acceptable foods loves the veggie-filled minestrone soup I make (as long as it doesn't have cheese in it) (or garbanzo beans).
Said child is currently having A Very Nice Lunch with their dad after an unpleasant medical appointment and I'm going to get up in a bit and cook some italian sausage and assemble two half pans of lasagna. It's my batch cooking weekend. My kid's going to college the year after next and that shit isn't cheap and we need to eat out less. How "isn't cheap" is it? Community college now costs the same per semester as the state college I attended in the late 1990s. What the fuck.
My kid has a career plan that involves "working in an office for the state and creating art is a hobby/side hustle" so an associates degree with work study in an administrative office is the plan, followed perhaps by transferring to a state school to finish the degree with office work through a temp agency. My child has a career plan at the age of 17. I'm 47 and don't have a career plan other than "keep doing what I'm doing I guess?????".
Anyway, after washing onion off my hands I applied a dab of Iron Snow to the inside of my wrist. Scent notes are "Simple syrup, cardamom pods, pamplemousse, amber, fresh snow, orris, fennel, and effervescence."
This goes on smelling very thin, almost watery. Not like petrichor, but like... if you have dough then you can't see through it, it's opaque, but if you roll it thin enough you can see light through it. Sometimes smells are the same. They're thin, they're watery, they're transient.
It blooms on the skin, though it remains subtle. The initial smell was almost solely weak mandarin orange, which I guess is the pamplemousse. After a few minutes the smell is deeper. I don't get much cardamom, there's no fennel that I notice, and I'm not sure what orris is meant to smell like. I'm picking up the sweetness of simple syrup and I don't know what "fresh snow" is supposed to smell like but by god this DOES have the edge of winter air right before it snows.
With a name like "iron snow" I was expecting something a little darker or deeper.
I'm not a huge fan of this. It just isn't for me. I can see it being exactly what someone else loves, though.
List of all reviews here.
I came home yesterday with groceries and immediately put the beans to soak so i didn't forget.
I woke up this morning, brushed my teeth, and immediately started dicing carrots and celery etc. Gotta get this shit together. MY CHILD NEEDS SOUP.
Specifically, my autistic child with ARFID and a very limited pool of acceptable foods loves the veggie-filled minestrone soup I make (as long as it doesn't have cheese in it) (or garbanzo beans).
Said child is currently having A Very Nice Lunch with their dad after an unpleasant medical appointment and I'm going to get up in a bit and cook some italian sausage and assemble two half pans of lasagna. It's my batch cooking weekend. My kid's going to college the year after next and that shit isn't cheap and we need to eat out less. How "isn't cheap" is it? Community college now costs the same per semester as the state college I attended in the late 1990s. What the fuck.
My kid has a career plan that involves "working in an office for the state and creating art is a hobby/side hustle" so an associates degree with work study in an administrative office is the plan, followed perhaps by transferring to a state school to finish the degree with office work through a temp agency. My child has a career plan at the age of 17. I'm 47 and don't have a career plan other than "keep doing what I'm doing I guess?????".
Anyway, after washing onion off my hands I applied a dab of Iron Snow to the inside of my wrist. Scent notes are "Simple syrup, cardamom pods, pamplemousse, amber, fresh snow, orris, fennel, and effervescence."
This goes on smelling very thin, almost watery. Not like petrichor, but like... if you have dough then you can't see through it, it's opaque, but if you roll it thin enough you can see light through it. Sometimes smells are the same. They're thin, they're watery, they're transient.
It blooms on the skin, though it remains subtle. The initial smell was almost solely weak mandarin orange, which I guess is the pamplemousse. After a few minutes the smell is deeper. I don't get much cardamom, there's no fennel that I notice, and I'm not sure what orris is meant to smell like. I'm picking up the sweetness of simple syrup and I don't know what "fresh snow" is supposed to smell like but by god this DOES have the edge of winter air right before it snows.
With a name like "iron snow" I was expecting something a little darker or deeper.
I'm not a huge fan of this. It just isn't for me. I can see it being exactly what someone else loves, though.
List of all reviews here.
(no subject)
Mar. 28th, 2026 07:11 pmstefanyeahWho's signed up for an agility competition on Pentecost because of the annual assembly of the dog club?
Since the sign up for the rally obedience tournament earlier this month didn't work out (was put and kept on the waiting list…), I decided to go for the agi tournament our club is organising.
Need to find time and place to practise again, haven't attempted a parkour since last year… But at least A0 won't have the weave. Just dog walk, A-frame and tunnel. Which Gojira can do. (The problem is my imprecise leading, really.)
#dogs #dogsport #agility
Like Lady Gaga says
Mar. 28th, 2026 09:01 amnansliceI live for the applause. XD; I've gotten some very nice comments on the Victor/Leon post and I've just been om nom nomming them up. ;3; I know we're supposed to write for ourselves and all, but I. I love comments. And I managed to reply to all of them, because I want to be that person, I want people to know I appreciate them taking the time to comment. Weh. ;/////; Comments. ;3;
Friday is my Sunday and I don't waaaant to go back to work tomorrow, I want to stay home and watch jacksepticeye play Resident Evil Village and figure out why people ship Ethan/Chris (not a dig, I'm very intrigued by the idea!). It's a short workday, even! I need to be an adult about it instead of such a baby. :(
AND THEN I LEFT THIS OPEN and it is now Saturday, a workday, which is only 1:30p-6:30p, but I don't know how to not think about work before going in. It's frustrating. :\ Gonna do some laundry and try and focus on anything else.
Friday is my Sunday and I don't waaaant to go back to work tomorrow, I want to stay home and watch jacksepticeye play Resident Evil Village and figure out why people ship Ethan/Chris (not a dig, I'm very intrigued by the idea!). It's a short workday, even! I need to be an adult about it instead of such a baby. :(
AND THEN I LEFT THIS OPEN and it is now Saturday, a workday, which is only 1:30p-6:30p, but I don't know how to not think about work before going in. It's frustrating. :\ Gonna do some laundry and try and focus on anything else.
