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Monday Media Musings: Being an attempt at 2025 in review
Jan. 5th, 2026 01:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
owlmooseIn hopes of bringing more structure to my life of continued unemployment, let's see about bring this series back, today with some media highlights of 2025. My writing is terribly rusty, but in the interest of starting somewhere, here we go.
( Books, TV, movies, video games, not nearly comprehensive )
(no subject)
Jan. 5th, 2026 09:13 amtotchipandaVery lazy weekend. It was cold and snowing on Friday afternoon so I made a nice man bring me dinner and a different nice man bring me cat litter. I wasn't going to be driving anyway because I was so tired and I didn't want to brave the roads if I didn't have to.
Saturday I basically did nothing. Made a food. Watched TV. Knit a few rows. Napped. Read a bit. Emptied the cat box and refilled it. Took the garbage out.
Sunday was more of the same. I ACTUALLY plugged in the iron, ironed two shirts that I'd washed in November, and then fused interfacing to a cut-out project bag I'd prepared AGES ago. (The bag pieces themselves were cut out pre-flood... so over 6 years ago.) Decided that was more sewing than I'd done in simply ages (because it was) and took a nap. Made waffles. Washed my hair. Watched Heated Rivalry again. Finished my book by skipping through the smut which was boring. It wasn't a very good book even without it.
Ended up falling asleep sometime after 2 am, and turned my alarm off in a half-awake moment so I woke up at 7:06. AUGH I wanted to be out of the house already! I walked in just after 730, and since i am covering my coworker this am, I was worried about having a huge crowd of people to manage. It wasn't that bad though, only a handful.
I realized yesterday that I had said I wanted to do a closet-cosplay for the Broadway show with pieces I was making for my winter wardrobe and now all of a sudden its four months later and the show is in 5 weeks! I really gotta get on that if I want it done lol.
Tonight is going to be laundry, I think. Wednesday M and I are going to IKEA. I will see about a lamp for the sewing space. Also need to make a dinner!
Saturday I basically did nothing. Made a food. Watched TV. Knit a few rows. Napped. Read a bit. Emptied the cat box and refilled it. Took the garbage out.
Sunday was more of the same. I ACTUALLY plugged in the iron, ironed two shirts that I'd washed in November, and then fused interfacing to a cut-out project bag I'd prepared AGES ago. (The bag pieces themselves were cut out pre-flood... so over 6 years ago.) Decided that was more sewing than I'd done in simply ages (because it was) and took a nap. Made waffles. Washed my hair. Watched Heated Rivalry again. Finished my book by skipping through the smut which was boring. It wasn't a very good book even without it.
Ended up falling asleep sometime after 2 am, and turned my alarm off in a half-awake moment so I woke up at 7:06. AUGH I wanted to be out of the house already! I walked in just after 730, and since i am covering my coworker this am, I was worried about having a huge crowd of people to manage. It wasn't that bad though, only a handful.
I realized yesterday that I had said I wanted to do a closet-cosplay for the Broadway show with pieces I was making for my winter wardrobe and now all of a sudden its four months later and the show is in 5 weeks! I really gotta get on that if I want it done lol.
Tonight is going to be laundry, I think. Wednesday M and I are going to IKEA. I will see about a lamp for the sewing space. Also need to make a dinner!
from CoM:
Jan. 3rd, 2026 01:31 pmsuzumefrom AO3
Total works on archive - 234
Works written in 2025 - 1
Longest fic written in 2025 - Sweetness Follows
Fic with most bookmarks (also most hits and kudos) - Sweetness Follows. 0 bookmarks, 24 hits, & 3 kudos.
Shortest fic - Sweetness Follows
Writing total: hmm, something above the 608 I wrote for Sweetness Follows. Oh, well, based on everything I actually posted, I'll posit that total at ~1552 words. Ah, what a banner year for me! I marked eight tallies in my little writing book. Oh, I think some of them were very short things I wrote for no_true_pair, but they do have to be a 'complete' thing for me to tally them as such.
Total works on archive - 234
Works written in 2025 - 1
Longest fic written in 2025 - Sweetness Follows
Fic with most bookmarks (also most hits and kudos) - Sweetness Follows. 0 bookmarks, 24 hits, & 3 kudos.
Shortest fic - Sweetness Follows
Writing total: hmm, something above the 608 I wrote for Sweetness Follows. Oh, well, based on everything I actually posted, I'll posit that total at ~1552 words. Ah, what a banner year for me! I marked eight tallies in my little writing book. Oh, I think some of them were very short things I wrote for no_true_pair, but they do have to be a 'complete' thing for me to tally them as such.
happy new year n stuff
Jan. 2nd, 2026 08:22 amtotchipandaDecember 30: went to Safeway after work for dairy products, including a carton of milk. Made the most delicious and silky cheese sauce to go on baked potatoes with broccoli. YUMMMMMMM.
December 31: Insomniaaaaa. Woke up at 3 and couldn't get back to sleep until like 6-something. I'd cancelled the alarm and set a different one, plus a timer. Heckin exhausted.
Body decided HI HELLO ELEVATORS OF BLOOD between 7:00 and 7:26 am. and I said FINE I GUESS it's a short day and I'm off tomorrow so I can deal with this nonsense at home.
Napped, finished watching the fourth round of Heated Rivalry, watched more emergency services shows, actually stayed up until 12:30 (mostly playing my silly games)
January 1: slept until 8 am, aahhhh so nice. Laid about until 930 or so, got up because coffee does not happen in bed when you live alone. Played silly games for a bit and then said NO. Put this DOWN. I picked up a knitting project instead, which tried my patience. Napped. Played more silly games. Did not sew like I said I was going to because Calcifer elected to nap in my lap pretty much the entire day, and then after the sun went down it seemed too dark around the machine to do it. Note to self: get a lamp for the sewing desk.
Body said :3 and didn't give me any trouble at all until like 11pm and even that was minor. What?
Slept midnight-ish until.... 2 am. Fuck me sideways, this is ridiculous. I had a little snoozle but it was again closer to 630 when I did it and I had set the alarm and timer again. And it's a full day today. I am so so so tired.
Body is still going :3 so far. I don't know what to make of this, I have been utterly disgustingly regular for like 31 years. ETA: i posted this, went to get coffee, and then had to go empty the disc and change the backup pad because I didn't f'n know it was needed already when I had next to NOTHING yesterday. AHAHAHA.
Maybe a more coherent post later when my brain is a little more active. Coffee time.
December 31: Insomniaaaaa. Woke up at 3 and couldn't get back to sleep until like 6-something. I'd cancelled the alarm and set a different one, plus a timer. Heckin exhausted.
Body decided HI HELLO ELEVATORS OF BLOOD between 7:00 and 7:26 am. and I said FINE I GUESS it's a short day and I'm off tomorrow so I can deal with this nonsense at home.
Napped, finished watching the fourth round of Heated Rivalry, watched more emergency services shows, actually stayed up until 12:30 (mostly playing my silly games)
January 1: slept until 8 am, aahhhh so nice. Laid about until 930 or so, got up because coffee does not happen in bed when you live alone. Played silly games for a bit and then said NO. Put this DOWN. I picked up a knitting project instead, which tried my patience. Napped. Played more silly games. Did not sew like I said I was going to because Calcifer elected to nap in my lap pretty much the entire day, and then after the sun went down it seemed too dark around the machine to do it. Note to self: get a lamp for the sewing desk.
Body said :3 and didn't give me any trouble at all until like 11pm and even that was minor. What?
Slept midnight-ish until.... 2 am. Fuck me sideways, this is ridiculous. I had a little snoozle but it was again closer to 630 when I did it and I had set the alarm and timer again. And it's a full day today. I am so so so tired.
Body is still going :3 so far. I don't know what to make of this, I have been utterly disgustingly regular for like 31 years. ETA: i posted this, went to get coffee, and then had to go empty the disc and change the backup pad because I didn't f'n know it was needed already when I had next to NOTHING yesterday. AHAHAHA.
Maybe a more coherent post later when my brain is a little more active. Coffee time.
Happy New Year 2026
Jan. 1st, 2026 03:40 pmsuzumeFirst, a couple things technically from last year?
This was a birthday drawing for my friend Rin for her birthday.
And I almost can't believe I never posted these here, but neither a search of my "suikoden" tag or my "fanart" tag turned them up, so here you are:
![](https://i.imgur.com/9ceevPx.jpg")
Yun drawn twice kind of nicely and Chris Lightfellow drawn once pretty nicely but the second time a little subpar
the character with the bright-colored hair is Rin's character in Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. She likes to wear flashy wigs. (and, yes, I am swooning over how great I feel Rin is)
And now something from today!
Continuing in my theme of collage-d art, I put these screencaps of my cat characters in the (adorable) Cats&Soup game on my phone on a page from Natural Life.
Also, I did get your comment, corpsebrigadier!
This was a birthday drawing for my friend Rin for her birthday.
And I almost can't believe I never posted these here, but neither a search of my "suikoden" tag or my "fanart" tag turned them up, so here you are:
Yun drawn twice kind of nicely and Chris Lightfellow drawn once pretty nicely but the second time a little subpar
the character with the bright-colored hair is Rin's character in Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. She likes to wear flashy wigs. (and, yes, I am swooning over how great I feel Rin is)
And now something from today!
Continuing in my theme of collage-d art, I put these screencaps of my cat characters in the (adorable) Cats&Soup game on my phone on a page from Natural Life.
Also, I did get your comment, corpsebrigadier!
Snowflake Challenge 2026 - Day 1
Jan. 1st, 2026 03:44 pmhamimi_fk
Challenge #1
The Icebreaker Challenge: Introduce yourself. Tell us why you're doing the challenge, and what you hope to gain from it.
My name is Bat, although when I play online games I tend to go by Gone. She/Her. Bi with heavy lesbian leanings. Mass multishipper in multiple fandoms because I have no chill. I'm 39, have a son who's my nephew that I've raised since he was 3 weeks old (he's now 14yo!) and help co-parent another nephew (he's 12yo). I also have a cat who is happiest being my shoulder baby, hates pets but tolerates kisses, and is named after my mom at her insistence (despite me being the one who bought him - she also seems to be jealous of him on some level so now she doesn't like him, lol). I work as a Caretaker for my mom who's been reluctantly bedbound for a few years now (we're hoping PT will help her at the very least get up long enough to sit in a wheelchair). I've been in fandom since I was 15 and have no plans to go anywhere. =)
I'm doing this challenge because I had a few rough years recently where I struggled to make content and was in a bit of a depression state so I stayed away from DW for a while. Hated it and want to be active in both again, so I'm hoping this challenge and others help me get back to it on a more regular basis. 8^)
Happy New Year's Eve 2026!
Dec. 31st, 2025 03:07 pmsuzumeHello, I am drawing a new year's card for this coming year, so, uh, I guess if you want to give me your address (assuming it's changed from last year's)! All comments will be screened. ^_^
(no subject)
Dec. 30th, 2025 09:16 amtotchipandaOn my way home yesterday, the path hadn't been cleared yet and I ended up behind a mum and her little guy who was having fun breaking through the top crust of melted snow into the soft stuff underneath. He spotted me and hurried a bit after his mum, and just as she was reaching the end, there was a small car stuck where it had slipped off the compacted stuff into the soft stuff. Mum puts her bag and coffee down and gets ready to push.
I HELP!! I said, put my own bag down and jumped in. About this time 3 years ago, 6 very kind and complete strangers helped push me out of a similar situation, I was thrilled to be in the right place at the right time. And we got her out of the soft stuff (I hope; I last saw the driver backing into a nearby lot, whether or not it was hers is another story) and I went on my merry way.
Prime has been showing Monday night hockey, and last night it was my team vs Winnipeg. We won, and there were a LOT of fights. Like at least three broke out and people got penalties. It was also fun watching hockey after spending the last 2.5 weeks immersed in fictional hockey, which was very little hockey indeed haha. Then I finished the ambulance show and went to bed. Knit a few rows on a small project which I then completely forgot was out while I went to the bathroom and the kittens found it. Whoops. Surprisingly intact, only a few stitches were dropped and they didn't ladder down. It had a small ball attached which is what they were really interested in, and that got strung halfway across the apartment.
Perimenopause had me awake half the night with hot flashes and insomnia bc period really is imminent. I don't know how to track this. Do I count the 4-7 days of bloody goop as part of the period? Or just the elevators of blood and clots that were previously typical of day 3-5? (plus the following 3-4 days of more "normal" bleeding) I ought to put this in my journal lol. Anyway, I'm heckin tired today.
Need some groceries before Thursday. Coffee cream in particular, but I'd also like to get some other dairy for the broccoli cheese sauce I really need to make, and cream cheese.
I HELP!! I said, put my own bag down and jumped in. About this time 3 years ago, 6 very kind and complete strangers helped push me out of a similar situation, I was thrilled to be in the right place at the right time. And we got her out of the soft stuff (I hope; I last saw the driver backing into a nearby lot, whether or not it was hers is another story) and I went on my merry way.
Prime has been showing Monday night hockey, and last night it was my team vs Winnipeg. We won, and there were a LOT of fights. Like at least three broke out and people got penalties. It was also fun watching hockey after spending the last 2.5 weeks immersed in fictional hockey, which was very little hockey indeed haha. Then I finished the ambulance show and went to bed. Knit a few rows on a small project which I then completely forgot was out while I went to the bathroom and the kittens found it. Whoops. Surprisingly intact, only a few stitches were dropped and they didn't ladder down. It had a small ball attached which is what they were really interested in, and that got strung halfway across the apartment.
Perimenopause had me awake half the night with hot flashes and insomnia bc period really is imminent. I don't know how to track this. Do I count the 4-7 days of bloody goop as part of the period? Or just the elevators of blood and clots that were previously typical of day 3-5? (plus the following 3-4 days of more "normal" bleeding) I ought to put this in my journal lol. Anyway, I'm heckin tired today.
Need some groceries before Thursday. Coffee cream in particular, but I'd also like to get some other dairy for the broccoli cheese sauce I really need to make, and cream cheese.
Holidaymas aka What day is it??
Dec. 29th, 2025 07:58 amtotchipandaAfter work on the 24th, I went to the store to pick up some things for the coming days. I'd pre-shopped online and of course went there at probably the busiest time of day, but WOW I've never seen so many confused shoppers in my life lol. Shout out to the people making a phone call while staring at gravy packets. And extra shout out to the staff working, not only did they have all the confused people to contend with, but it was snowing buckets so by the time they got to leave, the roads would have been just awful.
M and I floated the idea of perhaps seeing a movie, but quickly decided not to. We got about 6-8" of snow, thick fluffy stuff, and I didn't feel it was worth risking anything to go.
Heading to my aunt's on Thursday, I first had to brush off the aforementioned snow, and the temp had dropped so I wasn't sure the car would start, but it did, and I got out ok, and enough people had travelled to make sure the road was at least semi-visible. I went straight to the gas station because I had 66 km in my tank, and nothing beats a full tank for extra weight. Dinner was lovely, turkey and mashed 'taters and sweet potatoes with pecan topping, and biscuits. Dessert was apple and pumpkin pies (everyone had apple, I went straight for pumpkin) and whipped cream. I worked on my mittens.
Stayed home Friday and Saturday (rescheduling my blood donation appt, as my body was gearing up for period starting (I think today? Soon?)). Yesterday, our friends cancelled the visit as on Friday, we got ANOTHER 6" of snow and he was working overtime clearing it, and their niece who'd been staying during the week gave them her cold. You know what, that's fine, we appreciate people who DON'T share their germs with all and sundry (stares at my boss). So we went to see the movie instead.
It was Five Nights at Freddy's 2, which I was seeing ONLY because one of the actors from Shadow and Bone was in it. My crush on him died in October and this was the first time I'd seen him in something since. It actually went ok emotionally, he was it for like 15 minutes, and I know absolutely nothing about the franchise besides horror video game, killer animatronics?? IDEK. It also wasn't as scary as I thought it might be, and I got to nom on popcorn. Win.
Still on my Heated Rivalry bullshit. I watched the finale back to back on Christmas evening, and have been deep in my feels for those two idiots ever since. Otherwise watched the last of my crime investigation series and then discovered two more seasons of my ambulance show. Which.. I can't remember if I finished it before leaving for the movie. Once I got home I started watching HR again lol.
Finished knitting the mittens and made good inroads on the dishes situation. Spent a lot of time under the cats. Ate yummy foods and drank yummy drinks. Lovely little "vacation".
M and I floated the idea of perhaps seeing a movie, but quickly decided not to. We got about 6-8" of snow, thick fluffy stuff, and I didn't feel it was worth risking anything to go.
Heading to my aunt's on Thursday, I first had to brush off the aforementioned snow, and the temp had dropped so I wasn't sure the car would start, but it did, and I got out ok, and enough people had travelled to make sure the road was at least semi-visible. I went straight to the gas station because I had 66 km in my tank, and nothing beats a full tank for extra weight. Dinner was lovely, turkey and mashed 'taters and sweet potatoes with pecan topping, and biscuits. Dessert was apple and pumpkin pies (everyone had apple, I went straight for pumpkin) and whipped cream. I worked on my mittens.
Stayed home Friday and Saturday (rescheduling my blood donation appt, as my body was gearing up for period starting (I think today? Soon?)). Yesterday, our friends cancelled the visit as on Friday, we got ANOTHER 6" of snow and he was working overtime clearing it, and their niece who'd been staying during the week gave them her cold. You know what, that's fine, we appreciate people who DON'T share their germs with all and sundry (stares at my boss). So we went to see the movie instead.
It was Five Nights at Freddy's 2, which I was seeing ONLY because one of the actors from Shadow and Bone was in it. My crush on him died in October and this was the first time I'd seen him in something since. It actually went ok emotionally, he was it for like 15 minutes, and I know absolutely nothing about the franchise besides horror video game, killer animatronics?? IDEK. It also wasn't as scary as I thought it might be, and I got to nom on popcorn. Win.
Still on my Heated Rivalry bullshit. I watched the finale back to back on Christmas evening, and have been deep in my feels for those two idiots ever since. Otherwise watched the last of my crime investigation series and then discovered two more seasons of my ambulance show. Which.. I can't remember if I finished it before leaving for the movie. Once I got home I started watching HR again lol.
Finished knitting the mittens and made good inroads on the dishes situation. Spent a lot of time under the cats. Ate yummy foods and drank yummy drinks. Lovely little "vacation".
Creative Practice community & low-commitment challenges
Dec. 26th, 2025 12:00 amsarasa_catSomething I have been thinking about for far too long but haven't gotten around to because ⋆.ೃ࿔.𖥔 ݁ ˖*:･༄ life oh life ⋆.ೃ࿔.𖥔 ݁ ˖*:･༄ omfg (꩜ _ ꩜)
Getting reading to start a low-commitment Creative Practice community that is all inclusive: fandom works creativity, original works creativity; writers, artists, graphics makers/graphic designers, photographers (virtual, digital/film, video), fiber craft/fiber arts, musicians, programming/making electronic things for fun, etc etc.
The idea is far less about showing your work --- there are already many places for that --- and far more about committing to a creative practice, maintaining that practice, and setting challenges that make sense for you, and reflecting on your creative practice. Goal setting where goals are widely defined to include not just output but the kinds of experiences you want to have while creating or with other creators. Self education info. Etc.
Considering challenges like:
(1) Creative Practice Bingo Cards with a wide range of possible prompts to make cards very customizable
(2) Monthly Creative Practice Pledges that focus on practice, process, and learning rather than output goals (because we already have many other challenges for that)
Also want the community to serve as a place for:
(A) Collecting and sharing various info on creativity, creative practice, creative process, etc.
(B) Providing encouragement, waving pom-poms, finding accountability partners, etc.
(C) Sharing progress, insights, and different approaches to starting or restarting a creative practice, to keeping it going, to juggling different kinds of creative activities, etc.
(D) ??? TBD !!!
Will make DW the primary space for the community in order to community-lock members' post but also use one or more other sites (tumblr, etc) as satellite spaces. Might eventually consider creating a Discord if there is enough interest and someone offers to help with that further down the road.
If this interests anyone or anyone has an idea, suggestion, or question, please comment!
Getting reading to start a low-commitment Creative Practice community that is all inclusive: fandom works creativity, original works creativity; writers, artists, graphics makers/graphic designers, photographers (virtual, digital/film, video), fiber craft/fiber arts, musicians, programming/making electronic things for fun, etc etc.
The idea is far less about showing your work --- there are already many places for that --- and far more about committing to a creative practice, maintaining that practice, and setting challenges that make sense for you, and reflecting on your creative practice. Goal setting where goals are widely defined to include not just output but the kinds of experiences you want to have while creating or with other creators. Self education info. Etc.
Considering challenges like:
(1) Creative Practice Bingo Cards with a wide range of possible prompts to make cards very customizable
(2) Monthly Creative Practice Pledges that focus on practice, process, and learning rather than output goals (because we already have many other challenges for that)
Also want the community to serve as a place for:
(A) Collecting and sharing various info on creativity, creative practice, creative process, etc.
(B) Providing encouragement, waving pom-poms, finding accountability partners, etc.
(C) Sharing progress, insights, and different approaches to starting or restarting a creative practice, to keeping it going, to juggling different kinds of creative activities, etc.
(D) ??? TBD !!!
Will make DW the primary space for the community in order to community-lock members' post but also use one or more other sites (tumblr, etc) as satellite spaces. Might eventually consider creating a Discord if there is enough interest and someone offers to help with that further down the road.
If this interests anyone or anyone has an idea, suggestion, or question, please comment!