Thursday, July 10th, 2025 10:53 am
Journaling prompt: What are your favorite summer-associated foods?

My grandma grew raspberries. She had a lovely square patch of canes, and I often helped pick them, which was a great way to sneak extra raspberries into my mouth instead of into the bowl. Delicious berries. And they remind me of my grandma, which is never bad.

FIL also grew raspberries. Back when he had two allotments (!!) and a respectable back garden, he used to make raspberry jam, which was *excellent*. However, he also used to freeze raspberries with so much added sugar that they tasted more like sugar than raspberries, which was a practically criminal waste.

I have my first serious raspberry harvest this year! Picked a good bowlful on Sunday morning, and my Boy came round for lunch and interview prep. We had a generous portion each (fresh raspberries! from my garden!) and there was still enough for me to enhance my breakfast for a couple of days afterwards.

There are more on the canes. \o/


Creative prompt: Draw art of or make graphics of summer foods, or post your favorite summer recipes.

Hmm. I spent two hours yesterday drawing people, in the final class. Copying a photo is so much easier than drawing from life! We spent half an hour on the photo (an elegant Black woman in profile), then drew one another for five-ten minutes using pencils, graphite sticks, charcoal and oil pastels, then one final 'portrait' in whatever medium we chose. It was actually easier to do the 5-minute ones, because there was no expectation that we'd do it well....

All this to say, I'm out of drawing today.

As far as summery food goes, I guess I eat more salad in the summer and more soup in the winter, but salad merely involves cutting/tearing and throwing into a bowl a selection from: lettuce and similar, from a head or a mixed bag or both, spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers, spring onions, feta cheese, salted cashews, sprouting beans, mushrooms, anything else I have that seems reasonable.

I am, however, inspired to create a Summer Pudding. Nigella has a recipe here https://www.nigella.com/recipes/summer-pudding but all you really need to know is: pudding basin, slightly stale white bread, mixture of berries, sugar. Line the basin with the bread, fill the centre with lightly heated berries and sugar, saving some of the delicious juice to coat all the bread. Cover the top with more bread, and juice that, then put a weight on top and leave it in the fridge overnight. Serve slices with double cream.

Eton Mess is good, too, with the additional benefit of not mattering what it looks like.

Icon is Pedro Pascal because he is also delicious.
Wednesday, July 9th, 2025 06:58 pm
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Challenge #3

Journaling prompt: What are your favorite summer-associated foods?
Creative prompt: Draw art of or make graphics of summer foods, or post your favorite summer recipes. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.


So when I saw this earlier I had a ponder, cause I was trying to think what I consider to be a ‘summer’ food. The one that came to mind was ice cream, but I wouldn’t say it’s a favourite. It’s more of a thing that’s nice to have, but I have to be in the right mindset.

The other thing that came to mind is tropical fruits so that’s what I’m going to mention.

My fav ones are mango, which is a fruit I often try and get when it’s on offer. I always like mango flavoured things too. Now I’ve mentioned it I’m wanting to get one, hopefully there’ll be one somewhere in town when I go.

There there’s pineapple, which, again, I love pineapple flavoured things (especially sweets) and I am one of those pineapple on pizza enjoyers. Again I’ve not had one for awhile and I should get one (and some to have on pizza).

I’m sure there’s another one I really like, but I guess it depends what’s considered tropical.

Hopefully I can be more active in reading other peoples entries this time as my brain has been very bleh these past days.

***

Gaming thoughts now.

On a whim/needing a distraction, I went on Star Wars Outlaws Sunday. It was my first time going in it since finishing the main game, so I decided to check out the dlc. (Though first the Naboo cosmetics are VERY pretty) I decided to start with Wild Card which was the first one.

I assumed, from the description that it would be sabacc centric (which is a card game in the game), especially since the setting was a tournament. However that amount to just three rounds of the game, which was fine for me but probably felt lacking for people hoping for more. As it was it was a kinda linear story, mostly set on a new location but then going to one of the game’s planets for the climax. Don’t get me wrong but it was very enjoyable and I did get swept along with it (i ended up finishing it in the day). I might go on the other dlc at some point.

Also ND-5, the droid character in the game is still hot.

On Monday night, while looking for a distraction, I started the Still Wakes The Deep dlc. Like Outlaws, Still Wakes The Deep was a fav game from last year so I was excited when they said dlc was coming. Unlike Outlaws it’s set after the main game with completely new people. Which makes sense as the first game ended with everyone dead and the rig sank. In true horror fashion no one knows what happened to the rig, so of course in the dlc we get people sent to find out what happened.

As such it’s set on the remains of the rig, which is now deep underwater and you’re tasked with exploring it to find out what happened. So far the main ‘threat’ isn’t from anything from the base game, it’s the rig itself. Being a wreck, and so deep underwater, it’s unstable. Scares coke from parts or it falling apart, from creaks in the rusted metal, but not the actual… whatever it was in the base game. But there’s also a sense of a sense, other than bodies there’s no sign of the thing from the base game and so, as a player, you expect there to be something there. I wonder if there is going to be, as I’ve played a decent chunk but not seen anything yet.

It’s prime day and this time it feels more disorganised. Usually there’s an option to search through things but this time there’s nothing which has made it hard to search through. I got Clown In A Cornfield (the book, as there’s no word on a uk release for the film) which I might start tomorrow. I had got a £15 off thing from downloading an app but it’s strange. It offered me to use it on the who ray preorder, but now iponly seems to let me use it on prime day stuff (I assumed it would go on the book but didn’t) so I’ve ended up using it on a u-wing cause that makes it half off (and Lego building eases my mind).

The plan for Saturday (as long as money goes in) is to see the new Jurassic World film but, ugh. I thought it would have a lunchtime showing (last week there was a 1pm showing) but now there’s only a 3:30 showing instead (and 6:30 but that’s too late). I blame Superman taking that slot since it’s out this week but it does make things tricky.

The plan was to do get some stuff after the showing from Morrisons and stuff, but cause of the timing it’ll be a rush to the last bus. II commented we could in theory go to town, go in those places, come back, drop the stuff off and go back but I wasn’t serious. Of course mum heard that and thought I was so it seems like that’ll be the plan which makes it a rush which… ugh.

Today I finished reading Cards On The Table. (Sunshine revival people, I have been doing the #readChristie2025 challenge, to read 12 Agatha Christie books this year, but I’ve slipped behind on it mostly due to health issues.) Still this one was pretty good and I did enjoy reading it. I would start the next one next, which is Crooked House, but Clown In A Cornfield arrived yesterday so I’m gonna read that I think.

I feel I had something else I was gonna mention but it’s gone.
Wednesday, July 9th, 2025 05:40 pm
I've just had a good lymphedema appointment. cut for details )

It was the second new day and time weight management class this morning, and along with two new people a few more of the regulars turned up, which was great. We talked about getting back on track if you've lost progress, and goodness knows, been there and done that multiple times.

It was a good talk, though as usual dominated by the overbearing couple. The exercise part was good, too, with a lot of arm strength focus. So my arms felt like spaghetti afterwards.

Something of interest, in a few weeks or so Rosie is going to offer exercise only sessions on our original Monday time, and also on a Thursday evening, which is great, but also a lot of classes. I'm not sure if I'm going to all three yet, but I really appreciate they're putting on these classes for free.

Rosie finally asked if the gym staff would put a sign on the door asking people not to come in while a class was in progress. She said she was fuming last week at the woman who arrived really early and walked through the middle of the class and then just stood watching as she waited for her own group to start. That must have been the straw that broke the camel's back because yeah, there's now a sign saying keep out.

More gym stuff, which I'll cut for those not interested )
Monday, July 7th, 2025 08:48 pm
Soooooo.... mixed bag today.

Beast got my bug, and took a Covid test today. It was positive.

*

I sneaked, masked, into Sainsburys and bought twenty Covid tests by mistake. I meant to buy four, and was not surprised enough that the boxes were rather large.

*

I found dead animals, gross )

*

Our large freezer seems to have the spent the night warming up. Beast spotted this at some point this morning (it was at room temperature) and Took Steps, and it is cooling down again. But my lunchtime chocolate covered mint ice cream onna stick had to be eaten with a spoon. Chocolate casing: still good; contents: very soft indeed.

*

In better news (phew!), our new printer arrived today. It is mighty, and has a scanner on top like a lookout tower. It prints—in colour, which the elderly laser printer has not done for ages, since we didn't want to replace the cartridges.

*

We tried to help our Boy yesterday with prepping for his job interview tomorrow. Good luck, Boy! It mas been a very long time since he interviewed for anything, as he has made minimal but steady progress for over a decade with his current employer, and is more interested in being comfortable than successful.

*

I continue to be entertained by Bridgerton. I don't mind the dazzling colours of the costumes, for I am partial to bright colours and a good bit of glitter, too, but I growl at the sight of a long, white, modern wedding gown with train and veil. Give the poor bride something a bit nicer than last year's net curtains, please! I like the multicoloured cast—although I believe Regency England was somewhat more mixed than our media have generally made it out to be, it's nice to see a world where nobody is remarking upon it (well, not quite nobody, but it's generally just *there*). And everybody is ridiculously good-looking, of course. I don't think the Duke of Hastings has an equal yet, but there are competitors.

*

I planted those four fuchsias at long last, and pulled out the self-seeded currant that was growing in my hostas-and-fuchsias bed. And what appeared to be a baby silver birch, which I have transplanted in the hope that something pretty may result. It'll probably turn out to be something quite different, if indeed it survives at all.
Tags:
Sunday, July 6th, 2025 09:16 am
Pod_Together participants,

Today is our first check-in! You can check in over email (pod.together@gmail.com), dreamwidth comment, or via discord message to klb, shmaylor, minnabird, or rockinhamburger --whichever feels most comfortable to you. A single person can check in for your entire group, although if each person wants to check in individually, that’s fine too. (If you signed up as a group and did not opt-in to check-ins, you obviously aren't required to check-in, but are certainly welcome to if you would like!)

Completed writing is due in 3 weeks, on Sunday July 27th. When you check in, let us know if you feel on track for that deadline so far. We'd also love to know what's going well in your group and any worries you may have about your group or your project.

In addition to checking in with us, make sure you check in with your partner(s). Sharing your work-in-progress with your partner(s) is mandatory, and the minimum requirement is once per check-in. That means that, if you haven't already shared what you have so far, now is the time to do so. Partners, don’t forget to give feedback/encouragement on the work-in-progress when you see it!

It's very early in the game, so if you are anticipating difficulty, this would be a great time to start discussing problem-solving options. We're happy to help in any way we can to ensure you and your partner(s) have as positive an experience as possible! And if everything’s going awesome, YAY, we can’t wait to hear all about it!

Best,
Mods
Sunday, July 6th, 2025 10:43 am
I had such a good time at Hamilton last night. We had really good seats, and I was caught up for the whole performance. Just, wow. It's a show I'd watch again for sure.

I did have a tall guy sitting directly in front of me, but as I had a centre aisle seat it was easy enough to see past him. But what did have the potential to spoil things was the woman sitting directly behind me. She obviously loved Hamilton, knew all the words, but had also obviously been drinking before arriving. She wasn't aggressive or anything, but when she lost her vape caused a fuss and was being really loud about finding it, then was extra loud and OTT, saying she wanted to wed him when a man in the row behind her actually did find it.

She kept kicking my seat, and singing along with the show, until one of the ushers had to come to tell her to quieten down as people wanted to hear the performers not her. She was quiet then, but then had to be warned again in the second half, this time being asked to come have a word away from the seats, and that time didn't come back.


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Challenge #2

Tunnel of Love
Journaling: The romance of summer! What do you love? Write about anything you feel sentimental about or that gets your heart pumping.
Creative: Write a love poem to anyone or anything you like

Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.


I saw this challenge last night and had been thinking what to reply, because I love lots of things. My husband, my son, my family and friends, cats, the beach, the theatre, the cinema, over priced coffees,Christmas films, the list goes on. Then I got a comment about an old fic and I realised what I could focus on, especially as it nails the sentimental part.

The comment was about my Nsync fic, What It Says On the Can, and therefore, my answer will be popslash. read more )
Saturday, July 5th, 2025 10:37 pm
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Tunnel of Love
Journaling: The romance of summer! What do you love? Write about anything you feel sentimental about or that gets your heart pumping.

Creative: Write a love poem to anyone or anything you like


I'm going to be a bit wayward over the Journalling part of this challenge, but I think a bit of romantic fiction does squeeze into the category, so here goes.

Beast and I have lately started watching Bridgerton. I don't think it was the reason we decided to spend a little while chez Netflix, but it was one of the first things that sprang to my mind, at least.
Not spoilers, probably, since this is old news, but anyway.... )

The love poem is going to have to wait.
Saturday, July 5th, 2025 06:34 pm
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Challenge #2

Tunnel of Love
Journaling: The romance of summer! What do you love? Write about anything you feel sentimental about or that gets your heart pumping.
Creative: Write a love poem to anyone or anything you like

Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.


So when I had the notification for this earlier (cause I did set up notifications for the account cause otherwise my braincell would miss them) I wasn’t sure what I was gonna do. I thought I was gonna do something random related, cause I do love a bunch of stuff but I wasn’t sure which one I’d go for.

Of course I could do multiple things, but then I’d be sure my brain would ramble like crazy. (And I’d not be able to trust my brain if Who came up cause I still have strong Thoughts And Feelings.) But instead I’ve decided to talk about my babygirl. Maybe I’ll do a fannish version of this later (and I’ll add a link to it) but for now… I hope you like cat pics.

Read more... )

There ends the Sunshine revival portion of the post.

I don’t have much else to see in general (other than weather has thankfully cooled a lot, yipee!) however last night I did watch something I’d been meaning to for a looooong time so here’s some thoughts on it. (It being the film Uzumaki.

Read more... )

Anyway! Now I’m gonna finish watching the DJO glastonbury set (I’ve only heard his one song on Fortnite festival before this), watch Marple on BBC4 and then… who knows?
Saturday, July 5th, 2025 03:31 pm
We ran out of yoghurt this morning, so instead of our usual Sunday morning, be there for opening, visit to Company Shop we went earlier. Only to be quickly reminded of previous vows to myself not to shop there on a Saturday at prime time. So many people in a relatively small place, and they didn't even have any good bargains to show for it. Well, not until we were at the checkout, when one of the ladies we know came out pushing four crates of frozen Magnum lollies. She stopped to talk to James, he asked how much the lollies were, and when told 6 for £1 he asked if he could have six. So, she left the crates next to us, which was great at we got our lollies. But not so great that we almost got trampled by all the other people zooming in for the goodies.

The h/c exchange stories have gone live and I need to check out the archive and see what's there.

It was a Bodhisitting day yesterday, the first long one I've had for a while. It also included watching the new kittens, who have now changed names because it turns out one of the girls is actually a boy. So, Millie and Mollie are now Aslan and Panda. They are adorable though, and spent the day causing havoc, then sleeping, causing more havoc, sleeping, the pattern went on.



That's them with Miah, who now thinks she's a mama cat. Megan meanwhile, just growls and keeps out of the way

Everything in the garden is growing nicely, and I've been picking fresh strawberries and raspberries already. Turns out the courgette I've been carefully tending in the greenhouse is actually a cucumber, though. How that happened I really don't know as I can't remember planting cucumber seeds. That also means I have no courgette plants at all this year.

I watched the season finale of Taskmaster and was pleased with the winner. I've enjoyed this season a lot, and of course was eager to see who is appearing next season. Out of everyone on there I only really know Maisie Adam, but that's the case most times, and I usually end up enjoying them all by the end.

We're off to the theatre tonight to see Hamilton, so I should get off my backside and get changed soon. Normally we'd go for a meal beforehand but it's just drinks tonight, still, I'm looking forward to the show.
Thursday, July 3rd, 2025 07:17 pm
So today there was a new Doctor Who announcement, with the new next collection boxset! I was hoping one would be due (cause fuck knows I needed something to restore my excitement with televised Who). I had a feeling the next one would be either season 21 or one of the two remaining fourth Doctor ones.

It was the latter, season 13.



Honestly season 13 is a pretty based season from what I recall, with lots of gothic horror type eps and, of course, the zygon ep (with THE Loch Ness monster!). Plus it has Sarah Jane!

So yeah I am pretty excited for that, even though it doesn’t have a release date. I’m sure that will change when the next Who magazine comes out, no doubt with a disc breakdown of the special features.

As I mentioned in the other posts I was close to finishing the Dredge base game. I didn’t realise just how close I was until I went on the other night and… it took me about ten minutes. So I could have finished it in the weekend after all. Sigh. I did end up doing the pale reach dlc and it was pretty good, I did the main pursuit so it’s mostly done (though there is apparently a hooded figure I missed so I’m glad I’d not warped back to the main area.

All that’s left now is a few odd pursuits and The Iron Rig.

Once that’s done I might go back to crypt custodian which I started while food was cooking in the weekend and damn it made me feel so bad for the poor kitty you play as.

Though ugh I’m so pissed off at xbox cause they have done masssive layoffs again. And for seemingly no reason other than greed. That just pisses me the fuck off.

I am thinking of picking up the voice of cards games on the switch, cause the whole collection is on sale and I had my eye on them for awhile (plus the sales on going for a few weeks).

And also, completely unrelated, but ahhh there’s new Waterparks being teased. They posted mysterious yellow things (leading people to call it pissparx or watersports) and then there was a presage link for… something. Again like Who there’s no date, other than a vague ‘soon’ and ‘sooner than you think’ whatever that means.

Speaking of Awsten Kerrang put up a zone with him and Micheal so I ordered that (and the Sleep Token one) though I’m so annoyed I missed the signed version (though Ithink it went absurdly fast). I’did make a typo in my email when I made the order so I’ve had to contact them and hopefully there’ll be no issues (cause there’s a digital version of Micheal’s album) but I’ve heard nothing back yet.

Other than that? The heat has diminished, though I’m still tired to varying degrees but at least I got back to reading earlier. (Though ugh mum’s friend is coming Saturday which…. I fear being annoyed)

Hoping to fic a bit now though while Murder Most Puzzling is on, then the Taskmaster Final on +1 and hopefully Hell Motel. I’m gonna look through other sunshine revival posts tomorrow but otherwise it’s a question mark.
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025 02:06 pm
Pauline asked if we wanted to go out for lunch yesterday, and as it was James' day off, we both went, along with Pauline and her daughter. Pauline had a voucher for a restaurant for 40% off, so as she'd asked us, said she'd pay. Only to find out the voucher terms were a bit misleading and it was 20% off food and 20% off drinks. So, the bill was a bit more than she expected. Which I felt bad about but she refused to budge that it was her treat.

But, despite that, the food was good and the company excellent, so it was a nice time out.

Today it was the first weight management class at the new time and length. I was a bit worried about the doubling of the exercise time, but it all worked out nicely. The extra hour meant the talk part could last longer, and wander more without cutting into the physical part of the class, and while there was more exercise there was still time to finish at leisure before the next class started.

Quite a few regulars were missing, though, which was a shame. I hope it was just one off's, and they come back, and not that the time doesn't suit.

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I'm going to try to do this challenge, so off we go.

Challenge #1

Journaling Prompt: Light up your journal with activity this month. Talk about your goals for July or for the second half of 2025.
Creative Prompt: Shine a light on your own creativity. Create anything you want (an image, an icon, a story, a poem, or a craft) and share it with your community.. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.


My main goal for this month is to go to the gym at least once a week, ideally twice. Then, with class on Wednesday, that should be an achievable amount of activity.

I was actually at the gym on Monday. Yes, it was another really hot day, but the gym has air con, so it was lovely and cool in there. Bonus, I learned how to actually track the machines I used via the gym app, so now have actual proof of what I did and for how long.

I also spotted they still have the leg press machine I used to enjoy, but it's now hidden away in the free weights section, along with some other machines I hadn't noticed before. Actually, I guess that can be another goal, stop being so intimidated by the people doing free weights and just walk around that corner.

And a final goal, to do at least one creative prompt from this challenge. So, fingers crossed for all of those.
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025 12:12 pm
There are at least a dozen bee-esque insects bobbing against the perspex roof of the verandah outside my craft room door. I'm not sure if they are confoozled honey bees or... not, but I have never seen such a collection of them in such a place before.

*

Sunshine Challenge Time!

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Challenge #1

Journaling Prompt: Light up your journal with activity this month. Talk about your goals for July or for the second half of 2025.

Goals for July

1 Complete UCAS application
2 Communicate with potential new Mosaic members
3 Work on Rainbows song
4 re-think the progress of Dragon in the Woods
5 finish the Gardens of Giverny scarf
6 block the big shawl
7 try to actually post to DW instead of composing things in my head and forgetting them

Creative Prompt: Shine a light on your own creativity. Create anything you want (an image, an icon, a story, a poem, or a craft) and share it with your community.. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.


I have been going to a drawing class for the past three weeks—to my chagrin I won't be going today, because last night at about nine pm I was smitten with a vicious sore throat and a miserable nose. Having in consequence had far too little sleep, and being now obnoxious to be around, I won't inflict my woes on anyone else. (It's not Covid, at least not according to the test I took. But yuck.)

Anyway. I'm very pleased with this:




Excuse the dots at the bottom—I 'drew' a polar bear on the other side of the paper!
Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 09:24 pm
June

Fics wrote: Distraction/Discovery Part 2
Books read: The Seven Dials Mystery
Games done: -
Podcast: Welcome To Night Vale - A Story About Him, Rerun, Mother Lauren, The Night’s End - The Ballroom, Welcome To Night Vale - Rifts, Father Kevin, Detours, Paid Programming, instructions for folding, The Triangle, The John Peters Imaginary Corn Maze Experience, The Book Of Lost Things, Traffic, Swap Meet, chrysalis, patreon preview - broadcasts from the edge, Bought To You By Flakey O’s, Into The Tardis - The Scream Of Ghosts Part 1, Part 2, part 3, part 4, Wave Of Destruction part 1, part 2
Who audios: Storm Warning, The Rani Elite, Robophobia, Ghost In The Machine
Other Big Finish stuff: -
Comics read: The Umbrella Academy Plan B 1, Exquisite Corpses 1, Rise Of Hellfire 4
Graphic novels read: High Republic Adventures - Saber For Hire

Things watched
Amazon Prime: Deadware
Blu Ray: Better Man
DVD: -
Disney+: Phineas And Ferb - Summer Blockbuster/Cloudy With A Chance Of Mom, Captain America Brave New World, American Horror Story - Dark Cousin, Unholy Night, Phineas And Ferb - Submarine Sandwich Submarine/License To Bust, Dry Another Day/Deconstructing Doof, NCIS Hawaii - The Tourist, Phineas And Ferb - Tropey McTropeface/Biblio-Blast!
Netflix: -
Shudder: Hell Motel - Blood Bath, Night Orchid, Mirror Moves
YouTube: Ghost Files - Ryan & Shane Provoke Civil War Ghosts At Clayton House, James Marriott - Something’s Wrong, Sith Lord Qimir Kills Yord Fandar, 5 Seconds Of Summer - Teeth, Hasbro pulse Star Wars fanstream, Atlas - Anodyne, Donkey Kong Bonanza Direct, The 5 Seconds Of Summer Show - 5Sauce, Ghost Files - Ryan And Shane Hunt Ghosts At The Creepy Maag Family Farmhouse, Set It Off - Rotten
Cinema: Clown In A Cornfield

So it’s time for another monthly round up and I’m doing it the first day of the month instead of… whenever I’ve done it before.

As always some of this stuff has been covered in other things. (Like my thoughts on Deadware and how much I enjoyed Clown In A Cornfield.) I finished another year of Night Vale and it was one of those ‘glad that was over’ finales, mostly cause I detest Lauren but at least she’s seemingly gone.

I’ve also been really enjoying the new Phineas and Ferb, it’s such a fun show and it makes me laugh! Which I think we all need in these trying times. I also enjoyed Saber For Hire which I read last night, despite carrying it around for months. I still need to read through the rest of the free comic book day comics though. Oops.

Most telling is I watched nothing on Netflix, which is again down to the lack of focus from the heat. One day I WILL finish Stranger Things. (And again I’d have finished Dredge’s story if it wasn’t for the heat)

There’s been a few Who audios I’ve listened to both as their own thing and as Into The Tardis eps (mostly due to the heat). So I’m gonna make comments on them

*Storm Warning - This one was really entertaining, it was nice to see how Eight and Charley met and I really liked how they worked together and the story (on an airship which was on a secret mission) was pretty cool.
*The Rani Elite - I wanted to like this, because I’d wanted to hear the Rani audios for awhile but I wasn’t fully sold on it. Six and Peri were really good though as well as some of the concepts. I hope the other Rani audio is a bit better though
*Robophobia - A solo ep for Seven with a guest companion. It having the Robots from Robots of death was a huge draw and it was pretty good in some ways but… I dunno. Maybe it’s cause I’m not much of a Seven fan.
*Ghost In The Machine - this one was really good, I loved how it played with audio (with Jo recording woah at was happening on a tape recorder and rewinding/replaying things) and it was really creepy at times. Kudos to Katy Manning and her voice work being able to play multiple characters and actually sound threatening,
*The Scream Of Ghosts - this was really entertaining! It’s another one with Jo, this time with the third doctor, Benton and the Brigadier! This was the first audio with the Brigadier with someone taking on the role and that could easily have gone badly but they made the right call with Jon Culshaw really pulling his voice off. Also who’d expect the Vardans to show up and be a threat
*Wave Of Destruction - The vardans show up again! This time with four and second Romana, which worked pretty well. My main grip was the one Vardan had a voice that was really grating but other than that it was pretty good.

Now I’m see about going on Dredge, maybe to finish the story. (And despair about politicians being idiots)
Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 01:49 pm
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Challenge #1

Journaling Prompt: Light up your journal with activity this month. Talk about your goals for July or for the second half of 2025.
Creative Prompt: Shine a light on your own creativity. Create anything you want (an image, an icon, a story, a poem, or a craft) and share it with your community.. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.


So it’s the first challenge of the sunshine revival so I’m gonna try and do it (and I hope it goes well!)

But damn it’s July already? That’s crazy honestly.

So what’re my goals/plans for this month? Well here’s some things I wanna do.

*Look into sorting out Uni
*Continue watching Hell Motel (there’s 5 more eps this month)
*Finish Dredge’s main story
*Finish reading Cards On The Table and hopefully started Crooked House (and maybe read something else)
*Cinema: Jurassic World Rebirth, Fantastic Four First Steps
*Finish Stranger Things season 4
*Finish reading the Acolyte visual guide
*Finish a fic (unsure which one, I have so many WIPs and keep adding more)
*Get back to the American Horror Story Asylum run
*Watch the rest of the new Phineas And Ferb eps
*Maybe start Ironheart and/or Wednesday

I feel I am missing something really obvious (though I always do feel that way)

There’s no real plans for the rest of the year really. There’s a James Marriott gig in November and Pokémon ZA in October but I think that’s all that’s definite.

As for creative vibes I’ve been too drained from this heatwave to do anything creative (though I did make two Clown In A Cornfield icons the other day, one I’ve used for this post. It’s too bad I’ve not found a good pic of the big damnn kiss from it though).

I did have to head out to get car food (it thankfully cooled down enough to venture outside) and I popped in the charity shop and got these.



I saw the Egyptian picture when we went past it the other week (it was closed at the time) and I had meant to go back but couldn’t due to the heat. Then I went inside and saw there was a Sophie Hannah Poirot book I’d not read (and an Agatha Raisin book). The whole lot was £2 which feels like a crazy bargain, especially since one of the books was a hardcover.

I end with this pic of my kitty Midna who is as very much done with this heat as I am.

Monday, June 30th, 2025 03:18 pm
We're having to rebuild the search server again (previously, previously). It will take a few days to reindex all the content.

Meanwhile search services should be running, but probably returning no results or incomplete results for most queries.
Monday, June 30th, 2025 06:15 pm
The past few days have been so… ugh.

The heat has kept up and on Thursday night it made my head feel even worse than before. It meant I couldn’t sleep until about 4 that night and the next few days have been largely restless. I’ve spent much of my time up in bed, zoning in and out and not having much focus or will to do anything at all. I just hate it I wish this weather would go away.

But it’s not just the weather there’s also been some issue with my mouth that I can’t quite figure out. There’s been a slight swelling (which has gone done) and an annoying slight pain above my front teeth but I can’t figure out what’s causing it. Bleh.

Other than that? I dunno. Cause my focus has been so off I’ve not done much of anything. I did listen to some audio things when I could manage it (laying down with my eyes closed mostly) but that’s about it really

(I am annoyed at the timing cause I’m close to finishing the Dredge main story but ugh my focus and eyes.)

Thankfully the bad feelings started to ease yesterday and I was able to get a better sleep but ugh. I just hate this.

I’m gonna just flop uselessly and wish the weather would shoo.
Saturday, June 28th, 2025 02:26 pm
James' annual leave is nearly over but we've had some good days out.

Monday was class, but we decided to go to the gym before hand, which maybe wasn't the best idea I'd ever had as by the time the end of the morning came, I looked like I'd dipped my head in a bucket of water. Which wasn't the best look as after class we were heading off to Newcastle so James could go to his appointment at the limb centre to check his false leg.

That went well, and a bonus, they've put a liner into his stump cover so he only has to wear one stump sock now, instead of two. Why they didn't do that before I have no idea as it's much cooler for him.

Tuesday, we headed up north to Cragside which is a fantastic National Trust property. It was so beautiful up there and we had a lovely day exploring the house and grounds. I would have loved to check out more of the walks, but sadly, as the name suggests, a lot of the paths were very steep and rocky and no way would James have been able to manage them safely. But, we did walks to the lake and between the buildings and had a picnic in the sunshine before ending with a drive through the one-way Carriage Drive route through the grounds.

Wednesday we took my MiL out for the day. The carvery at Toby was on promotion again, so we went there for dinner before having a drive, ending up at a farm shop/cafe we like. Where there were donkeys to pet and highland cows to look at and very delicious cakes and cold drinks.

Thursday we headed a little south and ended up at Preston Park Museum and Butterfly world. I enjoyed both, and as we got there for opening managed to explore the museum while it was quiet, leading to a long talk to the man in charge of the iron mongers shop. Then a walk through the grounds to the Butterfly building where we spent a lot of time sweating in the heat and admiring loads of butterflies, and especially enjoying the meerkats who had just checked out and were basking in the heat. You can see them in my insta post here. The one in the tube still cracks me up.

Yesterday was a planned cinema day and we went to see F1: The Movie, which I enjoyed loads, even though it was nearly three hours long. Leaving there we called in to see Corey, then went on to Kayleigh's as I said I'd watch Bodhi for a bit as Kayleigh and Lucy first went grocery shopping, then picked up their new kittens, Millie and Mollie.

Today James picked up an overtime community visit shift, which means he's helping run the NE ambulance stall at Sunderland Pride. Last I heard from him he was having a great time, and sent me a picture of him beaming from behind a cut out of a rainbow decked cardboard ambulance front. Meanwhile I've been getting the house in order with Glastonbury as background viewing as I do so. So far, my favourite performance has been Lewis Capaldi, what a return.

I've also been waiting for two parcels, one of which was thrown into the back garden, which baffles me as it would have taken the delivery guy more effort to walk around the house than actually knock on the front door. While the Amazon guy knocked ridiculously hard and then was walking away before I even got to the door. Turned out he'd left the parcel on the front door step so it's good I was actually in being as I have no front garden.

During the week I also heard from Rosie and from the week coming class will be on a Wednesday at 9am, and has changed from one hour to two. She's also going to start running an exercise only evening class from August, which is great, but I must admit, I can't help be a bit intimidated from going from 30 mins exercise to 60, and with another class to come.