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The Day in Spikedluv (Thursday, Sept 4)

I hit the Feed Bag while I was downtown (because Pip forgot something he’d purchased yesterday) and got in a walk around the park.

I hand-washed dishes, went on a couple walks with Pip and the dogs (including one in the rain), cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter.

We had burgers and Gus’s potatoes for supper.

I finished the KJ Charles book and started True Gretch, an autobiography, and watched some HGTV programs.

Temps started out at 61.3(F) and reached 82.4 that I saw when I got home a little after 3pm. (It had already hit 70.0 by 9am, before I left to visit mom, so I knew it was going to be hot.) It got really windy (there are trees outside mom’s room and they were blowing like crazy); it looked cool, but it was not. We got rain later, but not the forecasted thunderstorms, thankfully, as they drive our dogs nuts.

Mom Update:

Mom was doing better today. Especially after they told her she might be discharged. ( more back here )

118 Zoey (KPop Demon Hunters) Icons

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: the home office
Current Music: iKon "Driving Slowly"

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Dept. of Catching Up

New Rx, Who Dis?

Since Aug. 24 - check, yes it was Aug. 24 - I've had a lot of living. A lot.

Let's see: I saw my shrink, and he put me on Rexulti (I usually prefer talking about drugs with their actual name, but I'm still learning how to say brexpiprazole without looking at how it's spelled) to see how it would work. He gave me some samples. Damned if it didn't do the trick. The drug isn't a panacea, but what it does is let me look at things a tad more logically. It kind of allows me to say "one step at a time, woman. It's OK to do life like that."

I had a couple of follow ups with him; he checked to see if I was still able to sleep, and that my eating habits hadn't done me wrong. I was fine, so he wrote me a prescription for it.

( Non-triggering medical fun below )

So I've yapped on at length about Fun With the American Medical System. I should end with a couple of nice things.

1. I'm going to meet some of the folks I've met over the Couch Crew discord channel on the 25th, We're meeting up for a movie double header with some Korean food in between a KDrama movie and then a movie about the BTS Wings tour. I know next to nothing about BTS, but as that band was indirectly responsible for me discovering all of my current obsession, I figure I'd best learn, and probably I'll enjoy it.

2. On the 17th, I turn 70. Yay! Actually, yay! Fewer years ahead than behind me, but still, a few more years in which to work hard on being happy and making people I love as happy as possible.

3. Oh, and this picture is of the new chair that I've been able to sit in without pain - WITHOUT PAIN DEAR LORD WHAT IS THIS NO-PAIN THING - an old, very heavy wooden office chair that we found in a kinda-going-outa-business secondhand office furniture place. (There's a funny story about it, but that must wait for another post because this one is already too damn long.) This was taken before we put wheels on the legs since the original ones were long gone. We had to find heavyweight casters and Bob blistered his hands getting then onto the legs, because the wood was almost impenetrable, and I love him for yet another reason.

So there you have it. Happy Thursday/Friday

Current Mood: anxious
Current Location: Dancing Under the Stars
Current Music: I'd Just As Soon Go .:. George Strait

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[ 680 ]

네가 죽기를 바랄때가 | 있었다 [Nega Juggireul Baralddaega Isseossda]| Wished You Were Dead (Webtoon) by SEOCHEONG , ARAN, JINSEO, KIMAE

Genre:
Romantasy, Fantasy, Manga/Manhwa/Manhua, Romance, Young Adult

Publication Date:
April 22, 2020

Read/Finished Date:
September4th, 2025

Rating:
4.25/5

Premise:

King Karloi of Croisen finds himself at odds with his position in life. His wife’s father, Duke Deluah, is angling for the throne, and as an outsider to the family, Karloi fears for his position. His frustrations have affected his marriage, though he finds himself questioning his cold approach to his wife, Evonne. He may no longer recognize her, but Evonne saved his life long ago, and was his first love. This is but one of many secrets Evonne bears the weight of, having fallen victim to a curse that prevents her from telling any secrets...

Review:

There is so much miscommunication and distrust Karloi has for Evonne because he sees her as an extension of her father, so I wanted Evonne to find someone else. He was just...too much. He treated her like trash.

And poor Evonne, she couldn't even share a secret she had with her husband - that long ago ( Spoilers )

I will warn you that you need patience and time to read through this because of the misunderstandings...miscommunications before we start to see a real break in the story itself.

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misc fandom stuff

'Xena: Warrior Princess' turns 30

I heard part of this interview this morning and thought I'd share it with you. (Morning Edition; A Martínez)

On Sept. 4, 1995, "Xena: Warrior Princess" premiered on syndicated TV. Lucy Lawless, the show's star, and Rob Tapert, her husband and "Xena" co-creator, talk about its popularity and legacy.

Just in case the embed doesn't work: 'Xena: Warrior Princess' turns 30

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Wednesday Reading Meme & Books 95 & 96 of 2025

I didn't have time to write up my comments on the latest finished book, which led to me completely forgetting that yesterday was Wednesday. o_O

What I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: The Golden One (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters and To Dwell in Darkness (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) by Deborah Crombie.

What I am Currently Reading: Copper Script by KJ Charles. I keep forgetting about An Archer's Awakening (Of Crowns & Quills) by Casey Morales because I’d rather read a physical book while visiting mom; if I read on Kindle it eats up my battery.

What I Plan to Read Next: I did start something off my own shelf! But I still have a library book out, so probably that so I can return it instead of having to renew it.

Book 95 of 2025: The Golden One (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) (Elizabeth Peters)

I enjoyed this book so much!! ( spoilers )

This book was really good; I'm giving it five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

Book 95 of 2025: To Dwell in Darkness (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) (Deborah Crombie)

This book was really good. ( spoilers )

I enjoyed this book and am giving it five hearts.

♥♥♥♥♥

Sea Otter Pup Is 1% Derp and 99% Adorable

Posted by Daily Otter

https://dailyotter.org/posts/2025/9/4/sea-otter-pup-is-1-derp-and-99-adorable

Photo by Danny Green via World Wildlife Fund

https://dailyotter.org/posts/2025/9/4/sea-otter-pup-is-1-derp-and-99-adorable

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The Day in Spikedluv (Wednesday, Sept 3)

I had a chiropractic appointment this morning. I hit Price Chopper while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park.

I did a load of laundry (washed and dried), hand-washed dishes, went to mom’s (paid her school tax and called the generator guy), hit the bank drive-thru, filled my gas tank, went for a couple walks with Pip and the dogs when they got home, baked chicken for the dogs’ meals and cut up said chicken for said meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered.

I started a KJ Charles book and watched an HGTV program.

Temps started out at 54.5(F) and reached 77.2. The afternoon got a bit humid and overcast.

Mom Update:

Mom was feeling more blah today. ( more back here )

Current Mood: sleepy
Current Location: Dancing Under the Stars

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author: delilah synn

[ 679 ]

Flame in the Hollow by Delilah Synn

Genre:
Summerween, Headless Horseman retelling, retelling, Gothic, Myths and Legends, Dark, Dark Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance

Publication Date:
September 1, 2025

Page Numbers:
112

Read/Finished Date:
September 4th, 2025

Rating:
4.5/5

Premise:

A legend reborn.

Flame in the Hollow is a haunting paranormal romance where The Legend of Sleepy Hollow burns as brightly as a jack-o’-lantern on All Hallows’ Eve.

When the serious and stoic Odette Fournier arrives in Sleepy Hollow to take over the schoolhouse once run by Ichabod Crane, she has no interest in ghost stories. But the tale of the Headless Horseman proves impossible to ignore. Especially when she has an experience she can't explain away.

Drawn by reluctant curiosity, Odette ventures deep into the mist-shrouded woods in search of answers. What she discovers is far more than she ever bargained a man who became the piece of her heart she never knew was missing.

As the truth behind the Horseman’s identity and the echoes of the American Revolution unravel, Odette must confront her own hidden past and decide if she dares to claim a love that burns brighter than fear.

Perfect for fans of gothic romance, eerie legends, and slow-burn passion wrapped in autumn’s chill, Flame in the Hollow will sweep you into a world where every rustle in the trees might be fate calling your name.

Review:

After the events of the original Sleepy Hollow story, we find that the sleepy little town has a new headmistress, a young woman named Odette. At first, she doesn't believe in the whole Headless Horseman until one night she finds herself facing him from across the bridge. She decides to help him unravel the curse placed upon him, but she finds that there is more to this curse and to the headless horseman than she has come to realize.

I love Sleepy Hollow retellings, especially during this time of the year when autumn is just around the corner and Halloween is never too far away. Odette has come to Sleepy Hollow; she has heard the tale of Ichabod Crane, but she doesn't believe it. As far as she is aware, he just left town, but with some tales there is always that kernel of truth and that comes up one night when she finds herself face-to-face with the headless horseman. She's drawn to him, as he is to her. The two work together to find a way to break his curse.

This was a really nice (and short) story to enjoy as you prepare for the Halloween season. The spice isn't too bad and it will definitely keep you engaged until the end. I am quite looking forward to seeing what other stories we will see from this author in the future.

Current Mood: sore
Current Music: "Dressed in Black" by Depeche Mode

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Begging for more again

In reading Murderbot (TV) fic, something small has been niggling at me. A lot of authors seem invested in Gurathin's nails being bog standard black, down to sometimes including the hexadecimal color code #000000, and as a goth and someone who's been decorating her nails for decades, I know there's so much more they can do. Undertones, temperatures, and shades of black. Truly matte black, textured, ombre, iridescent, shimmery, metallic. It's the future, with spaceships, so they could have him do Black 4.0/Acktar Black/Vantablack (f--- you, Anish Kapoor) or a black that looks like an oil slick. I do decals these days since my body now reacts to nail polish, even the ones supposedly free of all toxic materials, like it's poisoning me, so those are an option too. Some fics have him attending fancy affairs and sometimes applying eye makeup for it, so it's not like he doesn't do dress-up.

Another option I like? The metallic gun metal color. ~nods~

But I am not going to start writing Murderbot fic just to do Gurathin's nails!

(One author has it that he started painting his nails as more of an obstacle to biting them, and I salute them since that's why I started.)

Current Mood: sore
Current Music: "Haunted" by Nine Inch Nails

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"The Best Girl" [My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU slash]

My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU slash: “The Best Girl” [@ AO3]
RATING: PG. Totsuka/Hikigaya.
SUMMARY: Hikki made his decision, but Saika helps him make the announcement about it to the Service Club. Yui tries to figure some things out.
NOTES: A sequel to “Option E” in the Out in the Open series. Thanks to

akira17 for the beta.
A lot of things I thought would happen in season three hadn’t and a lot of things I hadn’t expected did. I hated most of season three and was incandescently angry over the finale, to the point that it retroactively ruins all of SNAFU for me to some extent. Aside from Hachiman’s choice, how he makes and executes it, and how everything happens after it, Totsuka is supposedly spending every second he isn’t asleep or at school doing something tennis-related and has no time for anyone or anything else, so this fic is completely on “Option E” canon instead of being season three-compliant.

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[#272 | Choose Your Battles] Challenge Post

Challenge 272:
CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES

...no, wait, that’s too many battles. Put some of those back.

Some battles need to be fought – maybe for ethical or moral reasons, maybe just for practical ones. But others? Well, maybe it’d be better to let those go.

Are your characters good at picking their battles, or do they want to fight every fight, no matter how small? Do their friends encourage them to get involved, or try to convince them to hold back?

Write a story about choosing your battles.

BONUS GOAL: Seeing Red

If your submission features the color red, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!

Challenge ends Monday, September 8 at 9:00PM EST.

• Post submissions as new entries using the template in the profile
• Tag this week's entries as: [#] submission, 272 – choose your battles
• If you have questions about this challenge, please ask them here

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[#271 | In the Nick of Time] Results Post

Here are this week's votes tallied, and below the cut are our winners for Challenge #271 – In the Nick of Time!

( This week's finalists are... )

Total Challenge Words Written: 3947

Congratulations to both of you, and thank you to everyone who took the time to cast their votes!

autobotscoutriella will be making this week’s banners, so keep an eye out for those next week.

You may now post your Challenge 271 entries to any additional communities, blogs, archives or sites as you'd like! We also have a FandomWeekly AO3 Collection if you'd like to add your stories there!

Cursed Number

https://xkcd.com/3137/

Another group of mathematicians is working to put an upper bound on the number, although everyone keeps begging them to stop.

https://xkcd.com/3137/

Are You Right-Pawed or Left-Pawed?

Posted by Daily Otter

https://dailyotter.org/posts/2025/9/3/are-you-right-pawed-or-left-pawed

Via The Otter Project, which writes:

Did you know that sea otters are one of few animals that show a handedness (or paw) preference?

Otters use their paws for many crucial tasks such as foraging and catching prey, using tools, grooming, caring for their young, forming a raft, the list goes on and on. A 2020 study in the journal Animal Behavior shows that 70% of sea otters prefer using their right paw when it comes to foraging and using tools. Pretty cool huh?

https://dailyotter.org/posts/2025/9/3/are-you-right-pawed-or-left-pawed

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The Day in Spikedluv (Tuesday, Sept 2)

I did not go downtown today because I wanted to get some chores done before I went out to visit mom. I did two loads of laundry (washed, dried AND folded, as well as finished drying and folding yesterday’s load), hand-washed dishes, did a load in the dishwasher, pulled the crock pot pork for Pip’s supper, stopped by mom’s, and scooped kitty litter.

When I got home I hand-washed more dishes and cut up chicken for the dogs' meals (tomorrow; I like to get ahead of it).

I finished the Duncan Kincaid book and read fanfic.

Temps started out at 48.6(F) and reached 72.3. That was at 7pm when I got home, so I’m sure it was higher during the afternoon.

In stuff not about me or mom, Ian starts welding school today.

Mom Update:

Mom looked much better today. ( more back here )

Current Mood: disappointed
Current Location: Dancing Under the Stars
Current Music: Gravity of Love .:. Enigma

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author: ivy tholen

[ 678 ]

Tastes Like Candy by Ivy Tholen

Genre:
Horror, Slasher, Netgalley, Mystery, Thriller, Dark Academia, Academia, Dark, Summerween, Summer Reads, Halloween Vibe, Fiction

Publication Date:
October 19, 2020

Page Numbers:
242

Read/Finished Date:
September 2nd, 2025 - September 3rd, 2025

Rating:
2/5

Premise:

Everyone at Pritchett High wants an invitation to the Senior Scavenge. In 2020, Violet Warren and her friends are the lucky ones. Eight girls will break into the Poison Apple Carnival after hours for a scavenger hunt, then at sunrise they’ll gather for a celebration in honor of their upcoming senior year.

But someone else has another game planned. Minutes after the girls sneak into the carnival, a madman in a rubber mask begins slashing his way through the group and Violet quickly realizes his motives are personal. As she watches her friends die in a series of increasingly bizarre attacks, she must fight to survive while trying to answer the question: What could she have done to earn a fast-pass for a roller coaster ride straight to hell?

Review:

Okay, I love Slasher stories. I grew up on Freddy Krueger, Jason, and Michael Myers. I always had Christopher Pike books tucked in my purse during my middle school years. So, I was happy to see a rather interesting take on the slasher genre. Unfortunately, this one fell short of what a slasher book should be. There was no fast pace. No edge of your seat. There was no lead-up to the big reveal of who was behind it.

On the other hand, it seemed predictable. There was really no character development and there was nothing likeable about any of them. And the storyline seemed to slow itself at a snail's pace. There were considered moments where I wanted to stop reading the book altogether, but I wanted to see if I was missing someething...if the book was just messing with me and it was bound to sieze my interest if I continued.

It did not.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC.

Current Mood: amused

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Flowers in the Attic

Oh, hey. My Dreamwidth journal where I can talk about things I don't want to deal with drama on other social media sites. XD

Watching someone on YouTube cover Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews. She seems to think it pulpy and overly romantically written wish fulfillment considering the subject matter.

When I first read the book a couple years ago my first thoughts were:

This isn't nearly as bad as people said
Nothing changes bc there's tons of this same sort of fiction on AO3 (incest, non-con, captivity, etc)

So it's always interesting to see someone else's perspective who still finds it disturbing. Lol.

Entry tags:

life series smp

Past Life

Past Life ended, and it was great. The teams were fantastic, the gimmick was fun but more in the background than in the previous too which was a nice change of pace, the improv was on point, the stories came together so well again.

I watched several videos each week, sometimes more sometimes less, and there's plenty I still want to watch eventually and some I want to watch again. I wanted to go over my notes again too to clean them up and add some more, but if I don't post them now I don't know when it will happen, so here is the first draft. (Which is already at 7k.)
I'm typing this while admiring my shiny new Life series desk mat btw, very pretty.

( #1 Early early on )

( #2 Tango with a mustache )

( #3 The Secret Society )

( #4 Joel with a mustache )

( #5 The Proposal )

( #6 Fire! )

( #7 - Records are made to be broken )

( #8 - The Finale )