stormkeeper_lovedoris: (Default)
stormkeeper_lovedoris ([personal profile] stormkeeper_lovedoris) wrote2025-06-16 04:56 am

Part 3 of trip

 
What else can be said? It was a fangirl dream. I'll try to do just the highlights.

The big highlights:

- The meet n greet line took forever (it seems the majority of the audience had M&G) but was SO great! Doris filmed it all. Lydia recognized me from our earlier meeting, they both looked thrilled to see me, Kori said I was "gorge", they were grateful for our fan page, and they filmed a message for the other woman who runs the page and couldn't be there.

- When exiting the M&G, someone said "you should meet Jackie, their manager". Apparently she was standing right there. I don't recall much but we talked briefly, she may've thanked me for the fan account. She said more shows will be coming. I told her I was from Chicago, and then that I'd heard of the Atlanta show. She said something like 'they will be coming much closer to you'.

- The show was insane. SO good. Kori and Lydia kissed during their number. You can see Lydia say 'I love you" and Kori look like she's about to cry. Fandom online went nuts. LOVED all of the show - the opening number with all 3 queens was fire, we got Boogie Wonderland and APT too.

- Afterwards Lydia messaged our fan account!! That was incredible.

What else?

- Before the queens took the stage, the host said "Who here was at their show in NY?" I waved my hand. Apparently I was the only one. He had me stand up, say my name and where I was from. OMG. 

- I livestreamed a lot for the fan page. THANK YOU to Doris for often being the one holding the phone. People loved it! Just like last time there was so much gratitude for that

What even is my life?

Before the show, Doris and I did a tram tour. This place is really lovely. We're glad we went. Even kinda wished we'd taken another day.
stormkeeper_lovedoris: (Default)
stormkeeper_lovedoris ([personal profile] stormkeeper_lovedoris) wrote2025-06-15 11:44 am

Day 1, Part 2

 
So I just met Lydia (one of my drag queens) in the hotel. 

I shall try to get it all down.

Doris and I had brunch at a cafe. Took more pics, this town is so cute. Then we walked back to the hotel. I was a bit tired and decided to go down to the lobby to get a soda. Doris decided to exercise her glutes by walking backwards on the hallway. Our room is on the same floor as the spa. She texts me that she thinks Lydia is at the spa, get up here. She said she was like "Skinny guy with curly hair, and a boot on his foot. Yeah that's him."

So I head up the stairs. I glance inside the spa and she is there. I try to slow my breathing. Then as she gets a glass of water, I approach her.

She is SO NICE and has a gentle, sweet manor. I said "May I interrupt you?" She was super-kind. I mentioned I was with the fan page on IG and she was happy to hear that. I introduced "my wife Doris". She asked how I liked my massage; I said I was staying at the hotel but didn't get a massage. She asked how I liked the city. I said I was looking forward to the show tonight and had gifts for her and Kori and Suzie. I said that the other woman who runs the fan page wishes she was here. Lydia said 'we'll have to do a video for her tonight.'

Doris asked if we could get a selfie. Lydia was gracious and sweet and kind. We took our selfies, we hugged, and then she was on her way.

 

OMG WTF

spikedluv: created by tarlan (misc: tv talk by tarlan)
it only hurts when i breathe ([personal profile] spikedluv) wrote2025-06-15 08:28 am
Entry tags:

TV Talk: Murderbot & Resident Alien

Murderbot: Good ep! spoilers )


Resident Alien: Good ep! spoilers )
stormkeeper_lovedoris: (Default)
stormkeeper_lovedoris ([personal profile] stormkeeper_lovedoris) wrote2025-06-15 06:59 am

Day 1 of trip

 
We are in Eureka Springs Arkansas! Today is Sunday and the show with my queens is tonight. We flew in yesterday since we knew it would be a hike.

All has been really good so far. Flight was easy, and then it was a one hour drive in a rental car. There were twists and turns in the road, and we were high up and there was very little shoulder on the road. It was a wee bit scary but Doris handled it like a champ.

It's Pride weekend here and all I can say is that the town is adorable. LGBTQI+ people everywhere (though....mostly white I guess since we're in Arkansas, and this place isn't easy to get to. Probably expensive too, given the surrounding areas). It's scenic with tall hills (mountains?) and stunning rock walls.

Our hotel is right in the downtown. The downtown is much like Savannah or Madison - lots of cute shops, Pride flags everywhere, very walkable. The hotel is OMG so old-fashioned, like something you would've seen decades ago. Creaky wooden floors, antique touches, an AC window unit. Lots of "character" and such a change after the cookie-cutter hotels I usually stay in. (Also, given the landscape, the floor is slightly tilted! We are not in the flat midwest). But it's nice. And quiet too. Found a restaurant that had 2 vegan items on the menu; dinner there was good and we sat on the balcony outside. And we found a cafe where the owner (? or manager?) said they open at 10am today and will gladly make us vegan burritos or a vegan scramble. 

The show tonight is Lydia, Kori and Suzie. Yesterday there was a show with "just" Lydia. We didn't plan to go since we knew there was no guarantee we'd get in on time. But we made it, so on spur of the moment we decided to walk there and ask if there were tickets left. There were not. Oh well. More rest time, which I can't complain of. Pretty excited for tonight - AND they just announced a new Lydia/Kori/Suzie show in October in Atlanta. Yes, I am going. (Maybe i should invite my sister - she is about 2 hours from Atlanta).

And unlike the show in New York - where it took 45 minutes to go 2.5 miles from the hotel to the venue -  the venue is literally a 5 minute walk from our hotel!

My fandom bestie lives in the Middle East and her city is being bombed. I am here for this fun weekend, while she has to deal with this. I am so sad at this world.
spikedluv: (summer: sunflowers by candi)
it only hurts when i breathe ([personal profile] spikedluv) wrote2025-06-15 06:55 am

The Day in Spikedluv (Saturday, June 14)

I hit Price Chopper, the Pharmacy and the Bakery while I was downtown. I stopped at the library on the way home to pick up a book. I made spaghetti sauce for supper when I got home. I did a load of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter.

For fun stuff I watched the current ep of Resident Alien and some HGTV programs, read some more Lily Adler, and sent more messages to mom. I also wrote ~550 words on a new fic.

Temps started out at 55.0(F) and reached 61.2. It was originally supposed to rain all day, but the forecast showed that the percentage was going to drop to very low after 9am, though we weren’t going to have any sun. And that’s sort of what happened; there were still sprinkles, but not a soaking rain. Still it was very chilly.


Mom Update:

Mom had been moved to the SCU when my sister, A, arrived this morning. She’s talkative and actually ‘eating’ her lunch (beef broth and Italian ice – still on liquid diet). My sister said she’s much more herself today, which is great news! She’s getting a roommate, which is not good news as we were hoping for a private room, but what can you do. They didn’t get her up to walk at all, so that must’ve been PT coming around yesterday, not just the nurse. It’s ridiculous that the patients get zero PT on the weekend. Seems like they'd lose some of the progress they made.
luninosity: (adventure)
luninosity ([personal profile] luninosity) wrote2025-06-15 02:44 am
Entry tags:

Portraits release! and a 45% off sale!

“Portraits” is out now! And on sale for only $1.37 as part of the 45% off sale this weekend at my publisher JMS Books! The first of two bonus stories for Gareth and Lorre from Magician! (Feels like a weird day for book promo, but- reading queer romance = resistance! Love & hope!)

“Portraits” is the expanded (around a thousand words longer) version of the flash fic story I wrote for the JMS Books Love Is Free charity anthology! Here, Gareth and Lorre go to a museum, and discover a relic out of Lorre’s past…

Also, look at that gorgeous cover!

JMS Books link here!

Amazon link here!


viridian5: (Kazuki (Ambiguous))
viridian5 ([personal profile] viridian5) wrote2025-06-15 02:53 am

That you live and let die

Father's Day Trip by RoadWith the Boot on my left foot, I can't run the uneven ground of cemeteries, but I can still do window displays in the city. I'm interested in seeing if any of the stores do their usual Pride window displays. So far, no, but it's still early June.

Saks and Bergdorf Goodman Men's had some Father's Day windows, while Bergdorf Goodman itself put up some new stuff. I've posted 19 photos up to my Flickr.


I have a week or two more in the Boot.

+++

Mickey 17 was a somewhat confused mass of interesting ideas with a lot of them left dangling and an ending that didn't land for me, but I can't stop thinking about it. The director said that Mark Ruffalo's character wasn't only based on Trump, but did anyone tell Mark Ruffalo that? Sometimes he was so Trumpy, he was distracting. Some people complained about how cartoonishly evil the character and his wife are, but in our current cursed timeline I don't think it's OTT. Some people felt that Pattinson's voice as 17 was too weird, but it grew on me. Mickey has been used, abused, beat down, and then constantly reprinted back to life by people who are far from conscientious. (I still don't know how he can remember all his deaths though. The movie doesn't say if they can manage to get a memory read from the corpse before they recycle it.) In my opinion, Robert Pattinson had pretty good chemistry with himself as different versions of the same character. The comedy is bleak, but I'm up for that.

I wonder how this movie would've felt if Trump hadn't won a second term.

Plus, Mickey 17 is not an adaptation of an already popular IP, a sequel, or a reboot, and I fully encourage thinky, weird movies.


By contrast, We Live in Time didn't work for me at all. Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are great, but the writing didn't do much for me and the narrative being nonlinear didn't help or add anything for me. What I mainly got out of it is that I felt bad for Garfield's character.

+++

This is the twin of my other birthday gift keychain. I have keys I don't use as often, store loyalty cards, and my NY voter tags that let me check in faster to vote on it.
kaffy_r: Princess Jellyfish goes to work (Reporting for duty)
kaffy_r ([personal profile] kaffy_r) wrote2025-06-14 05:14 pm

Dept. of No Kings

Hope. Blood. No Kings. 


Our day started far too early, at least as far our aging bodies were concerned, but we had a mission. We headed from our home, our sign in the trunk, picked up our friend Rose, and headed to Evanston's downtown Fountain Square for that No Kings rally. It was lively, peaceful, filled with chants and a happy amount of music. It felt good to be there, and I held our sign up as high as I could (and hoped that I didn't block the view of too many people behind me.) I felt so energized by everyone around me, and by everyone across the country who turned out like we did. 

Estimates of attendance at Evanston's rally was around 1,000 and Chicago's was estimated at about 75,000. Add the various other suburbs' rallies to Chicago, and that number jumps to close to 100,000.  At the end of the day, it appears that the vast majority of national rallies were peaceful; LA's various police organizations appear to have become violent, as did police in Seattle and Portland, although protestors in the latter appear to have been more violent than they should have been. 

And then we got home, and the first thing I saw when I turned on my laptop was the news out of Minnesota. Two Democratic state legislators shot; one killed along with her husband, the other injured along with his wife. And the apparent murderer is, based on what news reports have compiled, a Trump supporter - with a list of other potential targets, including pro-reproductive healthcare activists and Democrats - and probably a Christofascist because of course he would be. 

As of 7:36 p.m. Chicago time, the POS hasn't been captured. I hope he chooses neither self-inflicted suicide, nor suicide by cop. I hope he's caught, given the full benefit of American law, and, if a jury of his peers finds him guilty of two murders and two attempted murders, that he spends the rest of his miserable life forgotten behind bars.  

But let's not speak of him; let's remember those he killed and injured. And let's look at the number of people across the country who attended "No Kings" rallies - my rough and very incomplete estimates stand at well over half a million; others are estimating several million. The Washington "I Wish I was Kim Jong Un" parade? According to the AP, it appeared to fall very short of the 200,000 predicted earlier. Good. 

Now I'm going to finish eating a piece of chocolate, and go hang with the Couch Crew over on Discord. 





madimpossibledreamer: Izanagi|Souji in full costume holding out a hand (personatown)
madimpossibledreamer ([personal profile] madimpossibledreamer) wrote2025-06-14 03:14 pm
Entry tags:

password reset and hatebots?

I know this probably isn't going to get very far because this isn't tumblr or reddit.  Seeing as I don't have either, though, I'm going to post here, and I'm curious to as to whether anyone else experienced multiple hatebots and password request attempts on the same day for Ao3.  Some time elapse between the two, but it was noticeable that it was the first time either had happened to me and that I'd gotten two hatebots and three password request attempts on the same day.

also unrelated, but I think they're finally installing the servers.  I can calibre backup again now.
spikedluv: (summer: sunflowers by candi)
it only hurts when i breathe ([personal profile] spikedluv) wrote2025-06-14 07:24 am

The Day in Spikedluv (Friday, June 13)

Visited mom again at 11am. I didn’t go downtown, but did manage to get some chores and computer stuff done before I left the house.

I did a load of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I made it to the library to return and pick-up a book. I started a new book (the first Lily Adler one), watched the current ep of Murderbot, and sent mom another message. I hope she enjoys them when she’s home and sees them.

I picked up my car from the garage this morning when I dropped off Grant. I forgot to mention it in yesterday’s post, but just when I pulled out on the main road to head to the hospital it started acting up. (Thank goodness I leave early to make sure I can find parking. And thank goodness Pip has a used car he can lend me.) It bucked and sent the dreaded ‘reduced engine power’ message, along with the ‘service stabilitrak’ and ‘service traction control’ messages I’ve gotten before. This time Pip replaced the gas pedal, of all things. He said there are two sensors in the gas pedal and they weren’t lining up. It drove well today, so hopefully that’s the fix.

I also haven’t mentioned that a bird, a killdeer, built a nest in our driveway. At first we spotted the male dancing around trying to attract a female. Then the male chased Pip one day and we joked that he might have a nest nearby. Then we saw the female sitting in our driveway forever, and it turns out, they did have a nest in the driveway. Seems like a weird place to build a nest, especially with cats and dogs living here, but what do I know, nature is weird. I got photos of the female and the eggs when she was off the nest one time.


Photos
~*~


Additionally! On the drive to the hospital I pass a house that has a bunch of irises on their front lawn. Solid dark purple and solid pale yellow. They’re gorgeous and they look so pretty together.

Temps started out at 54.1(F) and reached 73.6. It was hazy most of the day. We’re supposed to have more rain tomorrow.


Mom Update:

Mom was much better today. not long, but cutting for those who don’t want to read it )
madimpossibledreamer: Jotaro pointing at the camera (point)
madimpossibledreamer ([personal profile] madimpossibledreamer) wrote2025-06-13 01:49 pm

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Shadowed Suspicion Chapter 379

Main Points:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure/Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU
Chapter Summary: They need to evacuate Rush's lab.
Word Count: 1391
Note: HERE THERE PROBABLY BE BUFFY/JJBA SPOILERS

Chapter 379: Prince of Ashes )

marinarusalka: (Default)
marinarusalka ([personal profile] marinarusalka) wrote2025-06-13 11:11 am
Entry tags:

Murderbot

5 episodes in, I'm still greatly enjoying the show, with my one complaint being that the episodes are too short. I'm looking forward to doing a binge rewatch of the whole thing once all the episodes are out, I suspect it will work really well.

some spoilers thoughts on the latest episode )

I really really hope this show gets renewed long enough for us to meet ART. It'll be so awesome.
marinarusalka: (Knitting: yarn)
marinarusalka ([personal profile] marinarusalka) wrote2025-06-13 10:23 am
Entry tags:
spikedluv: (summer: sunflowers by candi)
it only hurts when i breathe ([personal profile] spikedluv) wrote2025-06-13 07:49 am

The Day in Spikedluv (Thursday, June 12)

Again, I had some time before I had to drive to the hospital, so I got some chores and computer stuff done.

I did a load of laundry, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I finished System Collapse, watched an HGTV program, and sent my mom some more messages.

Temps started out at 67.8(F) and reached 77.7. It was so nice out this morning, I got in a walk before I left to go visit mom.


Mom Update:

Mom was miserable today. more back here )
kaffy_r: Picture of the face of Isha, girl from Arcane S02 (Isha penultimate)
kaffy_r ([personal profile] kaffy_r) wrote2025-06-12 09:57 pm
Entry tags:

Dept. of Small Victories

Yesss ... Suck It, Cheeto!

I needed this. A judge told That Man that he was being an illegal POS in two separate ways. Even though I'm perfectly aware that this administration's playbook is "Ignore the courts," I know this one is probably like a cockleburr under his saddle. 

As I said, suck it. 


spikedluv: (summer: sunflowers by candi)
it only hurts when i breathe ([personal profile] spikedluv) wrote2025-06-12 07:30 am

The Day in Spikedluv (Wednesday, June 11)

I did not go to visit my mom. My sisters took it in turns today so I could get some stuff done. I’ll take my turn again tomorrow morning.

I had a chiropractic appointment this morning. I hit Walmart while I was downtown and got in a longer walk around the park. I also stopped in at the Feed Bag to pick up the suet Pip forgot (and to reserve two large metal garbage cans for Pip to pick up on Monday; he got one when he got birdseed this past Monday (the task fell to him since I was a tad busy) and decided he wanted more. They’re big enough that I can’t take them in my car. As it turns out, he doesn’t have any more in stock so will have to order them.)

I hit Stewart’s on the way home, returned a book to the library, stopped to check mom’s mail, visited my aunt (since I won’t be available to do so tomorrow; and complained to the social worker about how they do her hair – it’s such a minor thing, but it would be so easy to keep her hair in curls instead of straight and straggly by not using a hairbrush on the curls and I’d like her to look nice, at least, because she has so little dignity left, you know?), and stopped at Sunnycrest again to check on the beef stick status. If you guessed they ~still don’t have them, you’d be right. I’m going to be annoyed if I found something Pip likes and they won’t carry them anymore, or at least regularly.

I did a load of laundry, ran a load in the dishwasher and emptied it, the usual amount of hand-washing dishes, and scooped kitty litter. I baked chicken for the dogs’ meals and fed Pip leftover pulled pork (yes, from the big b-day do a couple weeks ago; mom put it in the freezer) for supper. I did get fresh strawberries at Sunnycrest, so I made biscuits. I had strawberry shortcake for my supper; Pip prefers his biscuits with peach jelly because that’s how his mom used to do it.

(He refuses to eat a biscuit with anything other than peach jelly. It’s very frustrating. You can imagine my shock the first time I made chicken and biscuits for supper and Pip only ate the chicken and gravy and completely refused the biscuit because I didn’t have any peach jelly. Basically a bowl of soup, lol! I had no idea anyone would eat biscuits with ONLY jelly. I mean, I eat my leftover biscuits with butter and jelly, but solely?!! I know now and prepare accordingly.)

The surgeon’s office called today to schedule the removal of the node they found during Pip’s endoscopies. August 11, the day after my birthday, so one heck of a b-day pressie. *g* [I told him when he got home from work and he was like, I'm not having that removed! And I'm like, why not? Apparently he thinks it's not necessary when two different doctors think it is. *shrug* He's going to talk to the doctor himself to get it sorted. He's such a pain in my butt about this sort of thing.]

I finally started System Collapse, watched an HGTV program, and sent mom some messages she'll see when she gets home, in lieu of our usual telephone conversation.

Temps started out at 55.0(F) and reached 82.8. There was a mix of sun and clouds and a breeze, thankfully.


Mom Update:

My sister kept us informed of events as they occurred:

I did bullet points so it got long )
kaffy_r: Dillons illustration of Nix's Abhorsen world. (The Old Kingdom)
kaffy_r ([personal profile] kaffy_r) wrote2025-06-11 10:48 pm

Dept. of Music Says Goodbye

Sly and Brian

It's tempting to say they received the gift of creating music from the angels. That's not the case. They made that music all themselves. They worked at it, struggled to get it right; just right, as they interpreted "just right."  They worked with others. They worked alone. They got it wrong. They swore. They fell down. They got up. They won and they failed. And they won again.

They both were visited by demons. They fought them. Sometimes they lost. Sometimes they won. They did a lot of falling down and getting back up again. And when they could, they went back to making that music.

And the angels were just a little shocked; just a little jealous. A little glad the music had come into being. 

I hope they're somewhere, exchanging notes about how they made some celestial bangers even before they got there. 





(Don't mind the spotty visual - it's live and it's dynamic, and it's him and his family, so it's just right.)





 
alexcat: (Default)
alexcat ([personal profile] alexcat) wrote2025-06-11 11:43 pm

FIC: None of Us Stand Alone

Title: None of Us Stand Alone
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: PG
Length: 681 words
Content notes: This is post Endgame
Author notes: My grandmother used to say 'Charity begins at home' because she never gave anyone anything.
Summary: Tony has a surprise for Steve at his charity ball.
spikedluv: (summer: sunflowers by candi)
it only hurts when i breathe ([personal profile] spikedluv) wrote2025-06-11 07:10 am

Wednesday Reading Meme & Books 40 - 42 of 2025

What I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: In a Dark House (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) by Deborah Crombie, All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells, and Seeing a Large Cat (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters.


What I am Currently Reading: After finishing the Amelia Peabody book on Monday I didn’t really feel like starting anything yesterday, but I plan on starting System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells today.


What I Plan to Read Next: I have more library books out, so most likely one of those!!




Book 40 of 2025: In a Dark House (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) (Deborah Crombie)

This book was really good!! spoilers )

I've already requested the next book in the series; I'm giving this one five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥




Book 41 of 2025: All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) (Martha Wells)

I did another re-read because I felt like I had already forgotten what happened and I wanted to compare it to the tv show. No additional comments, just making a note of it.




Book 42 of 2025: Seeing a Large Cat (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) (Elizabeth Peters)

This book was really good! spoilers )

I enjoyed this book a lot and must go request the next in the series. I'm giving this one five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥