Rabbit rabbit rabbit!
Feb. 1st, 2026 09:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mdlbearWelcome to February, 2026!
Because I am at a con, the weekly "done since" post will be put off to Monday. Also see yesterday's s4s post for today's remembered disaster.
mdlbear
Recrudescence
Feb. 1st, 2026 07:23 amsmokingbootSo I came in from the night and the moon and noodled around on the web for a bit, including a reply to some biblically inclined gent re C.S.Lewis' Christianity. But sometimes - I have no idea how this works - under the thread you see related notes. There was Kafka, there was stuff about healthy fats and dandelions and then.
An illustrated poster tells us that National Socialism is growing, and next to that statement places two lightning strikes. The poster itself shows a pair of mountains with the sun rising between them. In front of it is an aryan maiden, corn gold hair, babe in arms, roots in the earth beneath, all very blut und boden. Why did it appear near our conversation? Maybe it connected into this idea of the ideal of woman as home maker. There is a sign on the sun, obscured by the figure of the woman, but nonetheless recognisable as a swastika. The post/note had 133 likes, 13 restacks, 7 comments. There were other posts too from the same author, in more forthright vein.
I stared at it, sick to my stomach. Looking at the hearts and the restacks, not many in the great scheme of things. 'You're a troll or a nutter calling out to another few nutters,' I thought, and wondered whether to just ignore it because I believe in free speech, a right that is being compromised everywhere. One thing that has alienated me from what's commonly termed the progressive left has been the overuse of words like Nazi and Fascist, trivialised to mean any view they want others to regard as heinous. Another major problem has been the authoritarian creep and policing of thoughts, words, ideas, the label of 'hate' thrown at every fidget of dissent. Nate Silvers' excellent piece on Blueskyism takes a while to get going but once the graphs are out of the way it's well worth the effort and is the best analysis of the issue I have read. (https://www.natesilver.net/p/what-is-blueskyism)
I am a believer in freedom of expression but there are limits, for me at least. No death threats, no rape threats, no incitements to murder, no child pornography, no waggling your tackle in front of folk who haven't consented to it, no attempts to revive the ideology that triggered the deadliest conflict in human history...doubtless there are others I forget.
I did report it, because if the world is full of nonsensical ideas, we can at least boot the rubbish that got millions of us killed. Fck that noise.But why are we hearing it again?
An illustrated poster tells us that National Socialism is growing, and next to that statement places two lightning strikes. The poster itself shows a pair of mountains with the sun rising between them. In front of it is an aryan maiden, corn gold hair, babe in arms, roots in the earth beneath, all very blut und boden. Why did it appear near our conversation? Maybe it connected into this idea of the ideal of woman as home maker. There is a sign on the sun, obscured by the figure of the woman, but nonetheless recognisable as a swastika. The post/note had 133 likes, 13 restacks, 7 comments. There were other posts too from the same author, in more forthright vein.
I stared at it, sick to my stomach. Looking at the hearts and the restacks, not many in the great scheme of things. 'You're a troll or a nutter calling out to another few nutters,' I thought, and wondered whether to just ignore it because I believe in free speech, a right that is being compromised everywhere. One thing that has alienated me from what's commonly termed the progressive left has been the overuse of words like Nazi and Fascist, trivialised to mean any view they want others to regard as heinous. Another major problem has been the authoritarian creep and policing of thoughts, words, ideas, the label of 'hate' thrown at every fidget of dissent. Nate Silvers' excellent piece on Blueskyism takes a while to get going but once the graphs are out of the way it's well worth the effort and is the best analysis of the issue I have read. (https://www.natesilver.net/p/what-is-blueskyism)
I am a believer in freedom of expression but there are limits, for me at least. No death threats, no rape threats, no incitements to murder, no child pornography, no waggling your tackle in front of folk who haven't consented to it, no attempts to revive the ideology that triggered the deadliest conflict in human history...doubtless there are others I forget.
I did report it, because if the world is full of nonsensical ideas, we can at least boot the rubbish that got millions of us killed. Fck that noise.But why are we hearing it again?
Sicky McSickerson
Jan. 27th, 2026 11:00 pmcubozWas meant to work today, but decided to go sick...
Because I had the last 2 days rostered off, AND the next 2 days rostered off, I have to get a doctor's medical certificate. My GP of 35 years recently retired (and there's a story there of how I feel "abandoned"), so I'm now using an online service called InstantScripts, which is $19 to get a doctor's certificate. And legally, work has to accept it.
And I'll have to do this until I can find a new GP.
So just stayed home again, and did... nothing. Didn't even attack all these iCal entries to see whether there was anything I could do. Which there probably is, but... as usual, my mantra is still "I can't be bothered".
Monthly Round-Up
Feb. 1st, 2026 10:42 amdancing_serpent posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
c_entThis is the monthly round-up for January 2026.
• Fanart for: DMBJ - More DMBJ Calendar art!
• Fanfic for: Legend of Zang Hai
• Fanfic for: Love Game in Eastern Fantasy
• Cdrama dvds?
• Admin Post: Announcement - Taking a Step Back
• Fanart for: MLC - Bestest doggo art!
• Fanfic for: my 12 Days of Christmas offer... Well, the 6 relevant to this com ;D
• Four Fic Prezzies received! (three Guardian, one Ancient Detective)
• Graphics: Unlikely Birthday Buddies, v2.
• Did You Make a Thing?
And of course we had the monthly round-up for December 2025 and our weekly chats on the 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and the 31st
Did you discover an entry you missed? Come on over and take a look/comment!
• Fanart for: DMBJ - More DMBJ Calendar art!
• Fanfic for: Legend of Zang Hai
• Fanfic for: Love Game in Eastern Fantasy
• Cdrama dvds?
• Admin Post: Announcement - Taking a Step Back
• Fanart for: MLC - Bestest doggo art!
• Fanfic for: my 12 Days of Christmas offer... Well, the 6 relevant to this com ;D
• Four Fic Prezzies received! (three Guardian, one Ancient Detective)
• Graphics: Unlikely Birthday Buddies, v2.
• Did You Make a Thing?
And of course we had the monthly round-up for December 2025 and our weekly chats on the 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and the 31st
Did you discover an entry you missed? Come on over and take a look/comment!
Happy Australia Day
Jan. 26th, 2026 11:00 pmcubozAnd did I do anything to celebrate?
Nah... just moped around the house really. I should have contacted Brian and taken him down to Circular Quay to see the fireworks and the crowds... But I just couldn't face the crowds.
Was quite happy to stay at home and do.... nothing. Which I'm very good at.
Being a day off work, it was a day in my iCal where I have moved EVERY single task / chore / reminder to... sitting there, waiting for me to action them. But of course, all that will happen is that I will move them all to another day off.
I have a HUGE run of days of work in a row coming up, due to doing shift swaps. So my next day off (other than tomorrow) is now some time away.
Wish everyone could hear when she sings
Feb. 1st, 2026 04:15 amsovayRabbit, rabbit! January really came apart toward the end, but we are catching just enough of the nor'easter to snow February in and I have just learned of the existence of the cobalt crust fungus, which looks like scales of lapis on dead wood. Hestia has been dealing with the sub-zero wind chill temperatures by means of aggressive basking.
Get Rec’d with Amanda – Volume 107
Feb. 1st, 2026 09:00 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
smartbitches_feedWelcome back!
It feels like it’s been forever. I have a couple romances for this round, plus an epistolary and some non-fiction. I really love this selection!
Do you have any recommendations to share? Let us know in the comments!
A Holy Maiden’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped
I saw this while shopping at Lovestruck a week ago. I was super tempted to grab it and the leads are both sort of morally gray, which I love. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what I was after at the time and I was trying to limit myself to only two purchases!
A Holy Maiden should never drink, get kidnapped, nor kiss a Dark Lord, but Ysabel is breaking all the rules to escape her fate as a human sacrifice.
In a world where magical powers are commonplace, Holy Maiden Ysabel is revered as a goddess among her people. She’s the only one able to heal the sick and injured with a simple touch. But her spectacular gift comes at a steep price. For each person she saves, she loses a day of her own conscripted life. To add insult to injury, she’s supposed to maintain a pure image even though she’d rather drink and play dominatrix until her sorrows fade away.
After the corrupt Head Cardinal Jiang abuses her gift, forbids her from leaving the city, and takes her brother hostage, Ysabel doesn’t dare drag anyone else into her problems—especially since it won’t change her fate. But when Dark Lord Kaine arrives at her clinic doorstep grievously wounded, she’s touched by his refusal to accept her healing lest it cost her another day of her life.
The mysterious and sexy Dark Lord awakens forbidden desires in Ysabel, and the nagging survival instinct she tried to drown with booze and drugs comes back with a vengeance. She’s less impressed, however, when he threatens to sack her city in return for his injuries. Fortunately, she can flirt her way to an alliance against the Head Cardinal instead.
Armed with only a ferociously loyal female bodyguard named Alzira, Ysabel attempts to make the most of her mere months left to live, protect the refugees around her city, prevent a war, and hide her face blindness. But before her life flickers to its sad end, she must either die a proper Holy Maiden or risk it all to run off with Kaine.
Against a Wall
Shout out to Katie! While giving Katie quarterly recs as part of After Dark, she mentioned she loves Cate C. Wells in her survey. As someone who wasn’t sure where to start, I asked her for some suggestions. I blew through The Tyrant Alpha’s Rejected Mate, but she also put this one on my radar with a few caveats about the hero. I immediately bought it, though haven’t started it just yet.
My high school bully is now my fake boyfriend.
Cash Wall has been messing with me since junior high.
Nuisance stuff, mostly. Name calling. Pranks.
Honestly, he’s nowhere near the worst of my problems. Back in school, I had bigger fish to fry, and now, I’ve got a “scarlet letter” situation going on. The whole town hates me.
For some reason, Cash offers himself up as my knight in shining armor.
So now my former bully is my fake boyfriend. What could possibly go wrong?
Cash
Glenna Dobbs thinks I’m an idiot, and she’s mostly right.
I hunt. Fish. Go mudding. I’m not a “brain” type. I’m not really a “thinker.”
But I ain’t stupid. When I see that Glenna needs a rescue, I’m in.
‘Cause what Glenna doesn’t know? I’ve been in this whole time, and once I’ve got her, I’m not letting her go.
Against a Wall is a small-town, enemies-to-lovers romance. It is the second book in the Stonecut County series, but it can be read as a standalone. Intended for adult readers.
HEA guaranteed.
The Examiner
If you love mysteries that feel more like a puzzle, this one makes clever use of epistolary elements.
Told in emails, text messages, and essays, this innovative pause-resister follows a group of students in an art master’s program that goes dangerously awry.
Gela Nathaniel, head of Royal Hastings University’s new Multimedia Art course, must find six students from all walks of life across the United Kingdom for her new master’s program before the university cuts her funding. The students are nothing but trouble from day one.
There’s Jem, a talented sculptor recently graduated from her university program and eager to make her mark as an artist at any cost. Jonathan, who has little experience in art practice aside from running his family’s gallery. Patrick runs an art supply store, but can barely operate his phone, much less design software. Ludya is a single mother and graphic designer more interested in a paycheck than homework. Cameron is a marketing executive in search of a hobby or a career change. And Alyson, already a successful artist, seems to be overqualified. Finally, there is the examiner, the man hired to grade students’ final works—an art installation for a local cloud-based solutions company that may have an ulterior agenda—and who, in sifting through final essays, texts, and message boards, warns that someone is in danger…or already dead. And nothing about this course has been left up to chance.
With her trademark “unique and exhilarating” (Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot) voice, Janice Hallett weaves a fresh and mind-bending mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.
My Parents are Dead: What Now?
I honestly wish I had this when my bio dad died (I was his only surviving relative). My partner’s mom unexpectedly passed in the fall and has had to take the lead on making arrangements, handling things that come up, etc. It’s never a good time to think about these things, but I can’t overstate the need to be prepared.
An approachable, expert-fueled guide to dealing with the legal, financial, and logistical hurdles of parent death—without losing your sense of humor.
Whether you’ve recently lost a parent or are just trying to plan for the toughest day of your life so far, you’re probably experiencing a lot of dizzying emotions. Unfortunately, our legal and financial systems don’t care about your feelings. Whether you’re holding it together or falling apart, you are going to need to enter an overwhelming labyrinth of paperwork and bureaucracy.
But you don’t have to do it alone.
After losing both parents, Becky Robison devoted herself to making death and post-death logistics easier on others—reading up on estate law, becoming a trained death doula, and starting her website DeadParentsWhatNow.com. She draws on her own experience, plus interviews with experts from monument makers to morticians, to hold your hand through:
– Asking your parents about their end-of-life wishes while you can
– Getting a body buried, cremated, or donated to science
– Planning a funeral
– Securing a death certificate
– Dealing with your parents’ property—or debt
– Handling even more tricky issues you never wanted to be in charge of
– And still being able to laugh, a little, sometimes
Nothing about this is easy. The good news is, you have someone on your side.
Week in review: Week to 31 January
Feb. 1st, 2026 05:13 pmpedanther. The group from the board game club that sometimes meets on Sunday afternoons to play longer games met on Sunday afternoon to have another shot at Tainted Grail, a long-form game (the kind where there's a mechanism to save your progress because you're definitely not finishing in one session) that involves exploring and learning the stories of a land being overwhelmed by chaotic magic. ( Read more... )
. We had another long session on the regular board game day, because it was a public holiday so we started in the early afternoon instead of being restricted to the evening.
We took advantage of the extra time to play Nemesis: Retaliation, ( Read more... )
Afterward, to finish off on a lighter note, we played a game of Jamaica, a game in which each player is a pirate competing to sail back to port with the most gold and best treasures. ( Read more... )
. I spent much of the week reading Sansûkh, and ended up being happy I'd put in the time. The ending is pretty satisfying, as long as you're able to take it on its own terms and not worry about how much or little it has to do with Tolkien's Middle-Earth.
. I had another go at Zombies Run; I took a water bottle with me, which contributed to having a significantly better experience than last time I tried it.
. I'm currently running a few episodes behind on Natural Six, but the advantage is that when I hit a big cliffhanger like the one at the end of episode 43 I don't have to wait a fortnight to find out what happens next. I might be able to catch up again soon; part of why I've been lagging is that the last few episodes had been making me uncomfortable waiting for a plot shoe to drop, and Episode 44 dropped it good and proper.
. Speaking of an absence of shoes, my week came to an unhappy conclusion when I was getting ready for bed and banged a toe against a piece of furniture I was too sleepy to successfully navigate past. I think it's just bruised, but it complained loudly and at length. It seems to have mostly settled down now.
. We had another long session on the regular board game day, because it was a public holiday so we started in the early afternoon instead of being restricted to the evening.
We took advantage of the extra time to play Nemesis: Retaliation, ( Read more... )
Afterward, to finish off on a lighter note, we played a game of Jamaica, a game in which each player is a pirate competing to sail back to port with the most gold and best treasures. ( Read more... )
. I spent much of the week reading Sansûkh, and ended up being happy I'd put in the time. The ending is pretty satisfying, as long as you're able to take it on its own terms and not worry about how much or little it has to do with Tolkien's Middle-Earth.
. I had another go at Zombies Run; I took a water bottle with me, which contributed to having a significantly better experience than last time I tried it.
. I'm currently running a few episodes behind on Natural Six, but the advantage is that when I hit a big cliffhanger like the one at the end of episode 43 I don't have to wait a fortnight to find out what happens next. I might be able to catch up again soon; part of why I've been lagging is that the last few episodes had been making me uncomfortable waiting for a plot shoe to drop, and Episode 44 dropped it good and proper.
. Speaking of an absence of shoes, my week came to an unhappy conclusion when I was getting ready for bed and banged a toe against a piece of furniture I was too sleepy to successfully navigate past. I think it's just bruised, but it complained loudly and at length. It seems to have mostly settled down now.
Absolute Martian Manhunter #7
Feb. 1st, 2026 12:51 amlaughing_tree posting in scans_daily
We’re celebrating what I think is really interesting about the original character and concept. I’m going back and reading all of the early Silver Age appearances from the first detective stories. I thought there was something with this character that can see into people’s minds, but has a truly alien perspective that even Superman doesn’t possess, that was really powerful and interesting. -- Deniz Camp
( Read more... )
I never change
Jan. 25th, 2026 11:00 pmcubozToday was a day off...
And at least I did some laundry and grocery shopping.
But apart from that, I didn't do much else at all.
Nothing in iCal.
Nothing in Photos.
And again... have SO many open Safari browser tabs to go through to see what I need to action, log here, or delete... but I need to catch up on the last of these LiveJournal / Dreamwidth entries before I attack that next task, because I'm so horrendously OCD.
The last drive
Jan. 24th, 2026 11:00 pmcubozAs it turns out, TODAY became the last time I ever drove a V Set train.
Started work at 4.57pm, and had to take a run to Mount Victoria, have a break, then bring the same train back to Central. It was just a 4 car set, and an event-free drive in both directions. So like the vast majority of all our other crew, needed to take a pic of me with the train on my last ever run...
Getting ready to board and drive...
Sparkly!
Started work at 4.57pm, and had to take a run to Mount Victoria, have a break, then bring the same train back to Central. It was just a 4 car set, and an event-free drive in both directions. So like the vast majority of all our other crew, needed to take a pic of me with the train on my last ever run...
Getting ready to board and drive...
Sparkly!
Book Chain 2026: Weeks 4 & 5
Feb. 1st, 2026 04:31 pmpedanther#6: A book whose title has the same first letter as the name of the previous book's author
James Randi: Psychic Investigator, the companion volume to the 1991 TV series of the same name.
An introductory overview of a topic and a person I was already interested in, so there wasn't much in it that was new to me except in the details, but it was an entertaining overview and an enjoyable refresher, and now there's one less unread-for-over-a-decade book on my shelves.
#7: A book with the same number of words in the title as the previous book
It took me over a week to pick a book for this prompt, because I kept trying to match the previous book to the extent of having four proper words with no articles or prepositions, which leaves a lot of candidates out (anything titled "The X of Y", for a start). In the end, I settled on:
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis, a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche in which Psyche's sister decides it's time to tell her side of the story.
Another unread-for-over-a-decade book; as an adult, I've developed a tendency to distrust Lewis. In this case, I'm glad I finally read it.
Orual makes an interesting protagonist and narrator: she's not a nice person, proud and selfish, but it's always clear why the things she does made sense to her at the time. And, balancing the fact that she's ready with a justification for her bad actions, she's also capable of doing signficant good and doesn't always recognise how good she's been. (I was reminded of the saying about how life is like working backstage at a theatre or doing an embroidery from the wrong side, where you're always aware of the messy scaffolding that nobody else can see and only have an indistinct idea of what it looks like to everyone else.)
#8: A book with a cover in the same colour as the previous book
The cover of Till We Have Faces has a full-cover illustration with a very similar colour scheme to the previous book I had for this prompt last year, which would have been a useful thing to notice then but now means that, unless there's another such book lurking unnoticed on my shelves, I'm facing a similar struggle to find something to match it.
James Randi: Psychic Investigator, the companion volume to the 1991 TV series of the same name.
An introductory overview of a topic and a person I was already interested in, so there wasn't much in it that was new to me except in the details, but it was an entertaining overview and an enjoyable refresher, and now there's one less unread-for-over-a-decade book on my shelves.
#7: A book with the same number of words in the title as the previous book
It took me over a week to pick a book for this prompt, because I kept trying to match the previous book to the extent of having four proper words with no articles or prepositions, which leaves a lot of candidates out (anything titled "The X of Y", for a start). In the end, I settled on:
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis, a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche in which Psyche's sister decides it's time to tell her side of the story.
Another unread-for-over-a-decade book; as an adult, I've developed a tendency to distrust Lewis. In this case, I'm glad I finally read it.
Orual makes an interesting protagonist and narrator: she's not a nice person, proud and selfish, but it's always clear why the things she does made sense to her at the time. And, balancing the fact that she's ready with a justification for her bad actions, she's also capable of doing signficant good and doesn't always recognise how good she's been. (I was reminded of the saying about how life is like working backstage at a theatre or doing an embroidery from the wrong side, where you're always aware of the messy scaffolding that nobody else can see and only have an indistinct idea of what it looks like to everyone else.)
#8: A book with a cover in the same colour as the previous book
The cover of Till We Have Faces has a full-cover illustration with a very similar colour scheme to the previous book I had for this prompt last year, which would have been a useful thing to notice then but now means that, unless there's another such book lurking unnoticed on my shelves, I'm facing a similar struggle to find something to match it.
Soon to retire
Jan. 23rd, 2026 11:00 pmcubozStarted work today at 5.17pm.
There wasn't actually much for me to do in today's shift, but it ended with taking a train back to the Flemington Maintenance Centre to stable it.
It could be one of the last times I drive one of these old V Set trains. They've been working the network for over 40 years, and are being replaced by the new D Sets / Marrying trains. In the last few months, sad little shitbags have decided that they want to trash and vandalise these trains, and they throw seats out of the train (where possible), but also kick the windows out of the passenger doors... which means the carriage has to be emptied, locked off, and the train delayed. And that's been happening on almost every run.
So they've brought forward the last service day of these trains to Friday the 30th of January. And as I have a few days off coming up, it could be possible that this is the last time I ever drive one.
So grabbed a photo of the one I drove in to Flemington.
They keep on ticking along...
There wasn't actually much for me to do in today's shift, but it ended with taking a train back to the Flemington Maintenance Centre to stable it.
It could be one of the last times I drive one of these old V Set trains. They've been working the network for over 40 years, and are being replaced by the new D Sets / Marrying trains. In the last few months, sad little shitbags have decided that they want to trash and vandalise these trains, and they throw seats out of the train (where possible), but also kick the windows out of the passenger doors... which means the carriage has to be emptied, locked off, and the train delayed. And that's been happening on almost every run.
So they've brought forward the last service day of these trains to Friday the 30th of January. And as I have a few days off coming up, it could be possible that this is the last time I ever drive one.
So grabbed a photo of the one I drove in to Flemington.
They keep on ticking along...
Dinner bears
Jan. 22nd, 2026 11:00 pmcubozBecause Craige is now fully retired, he has a Transport Gold Card, which means he can travel all over the whole transport network in NSW, on all modes of transport, for the paltry sum of just AUD$2.50 per day. Yes - that includes long distance services, and ferries, buses, Metro, light rail, trains... everything! Pretty amazing.
So I was due to go to Kiama and back to Wollongong today, and Craige decided to come for a spin and enjoy the scenery as a passenger, knowing that I was at the controls.
But it took a turn for the better when I got to work, because a trainer wanted my whole trip to Kiama and back for his trainee. I still had to go to Wollongong, as my break was there, and afterwards, I had to take an entry train back to the yard at Eveleigh (and Craige could not ride a non-passenger service).
So it meant that I could actually travel in the passenger area WITH Craige, and just go to Wollongong, where I had an extended meal break, so Craige and I wandered up to Sushi Dami for a nice dinner and more chatting. Afterwards, we wandered back to the station, and I put Craige on the train back to Central (which was actually the train I would have been driving back from Kiama), and then waited another 12 minutes for MY empty train to turn up.
My shift started at 4.01pm, and it turned out to be a fun day!
Watch out... he's armed with chopsticks!
So I was due to go to Kiama and back to Wollongong today, and Craige decided to come for a spin and enjoy the scenery as a passenger, knowing that I was at the controls.
But it took a turn for the better when I got to work, because a trainer wanted my whole trip to Kiama and back for his trainee. I still had to go to Wollongong, as my break was there, and afterwards, I had to take an entry train back to the yard at Eveleigh (and Craige could not ride a non-passenger service).
So it meant that I could actually travel in the passenger area WITH Craige, and just go to Wollongong, where I had an extended meal break, so Craige and I wandered up to Sushi Dami for a nice dinner and more chatting. Afterwards, we wandered back to the station, and I put Craige on the train back to Central (which was actually the train I would have been driving back from Kiama), and then waited another 12 minutes for MY empty train to turn up.
My shift started at 4.01pm, and it turned out to be a fun day!
Watch out... he's armed with chopsticks!
drive-by updates, ofc.
Jan. 31st, 2026 11:32 pmhafnia1). The first round of the remix fics for seasonalremix is open to read now. I have a story in there; it's probably, uh, obvious if you know what I am into.
We had seven people sign up in total (including me, obvs). Feels pretty good, honestly, considering that there was basically zero advertising and at one point I was afraid that it was going to be, uh, zero signups! I WILL TAKE IT ♥
2). I'm not going to shout it from the rooftops or anything, but per the word counter I've been filling in forgetyourwordsout, I'm at 101k written in 2026 (daily average of 3288 through the month of January). Is it good? Is it usable? WHO KNOWS. The important part is that I have been managing to keep a steady pace writing fiction, so that's rather nice. ♥ One of my friends asked if I was counting e.g. Dreamwidth posts for that, or outlining, writing for tabletop modules, etc, and the answer was no — that 100k+ is all written fiction. So that feels doubly-nice, no asking "should I count this" (since the guidelines are flexible and it's up to you), just a general, "I have in fact managed to keep chipping away at this and creating a habit has worked for me".
3). I am ending January having submitted two short stories for publication. Are they likely to be published? No. Am I okay with this? Yes. I realized that one of the things that has sort of, mm — been on my mind has been this realization that I'm okay with rejection. Does it suck? Yes. But you know what sucks more? NEVER HEARING BACK. At least a "no" is an answer! So hey, if I get rejected, I get to go buy myself fancy tea or something else small as a, "AT LEAST YOU HEARD BACK" gift to myself, and that's good enough.
Neither is anything "professional" (if I get anything into one of the magazines you have Definitely Heard Of, I will shout it from the fucking rooftops), but everyone has to start somewhere, and these were open calls to submissions that I had pieces that worked for — so it was more "edit this and submit it" than it was "write something completely new". ♥
4). Starting tomorrow, I'll be answering the talking month meme prompts from this post. If you have anything you want to ask me, now's a good time to let me know so I can get it slotted in — there's still a handful of dates unaccounted for :D
5). Yesterday was Maximo's birthday — he's 38 now, something he has dolefully reminded me of at multiple points (I have been 38 since November :P ). Ended up watching Godzilla Minus One the night before birthday (which we enjoyed a lot, actually, it was silly and tropey but surprisingly good for what it was, and with a deeper message re: the government and international relations of post-war Japan than I was expecting), then last night I made us a fancy dinner and we rewatched Your Name. because he has been gunning for us to rewatch it for a bit (it is still, ofc, excellent).
I teased him tonight that I wanted to watch something in English, so we went for the Seven Dials adaptation that's on Netflix right now. It is Peak Period Silliness, so, you know. If you're into that sort of thing, it's fun.
I think that's most of it? Therapy Monday; have some specific stuff I actually want to talk about (HORRORS), but, yeah. Mostly it's that seasonal depression is kicking my ass and like, "please give me permission to keep focusing on HEALING and NOT BEING MISERABLE over immediately finding full-time employment".
But yeah. We'll see.
seasonalremix is open to read now. I have a story in there; it's probably, uh, obvious if you know what I am into. We had seven people sign up in total (including me, obvs). Feels pretty good, honestly, considering that there was basically zero advertising and at one point I was afraid that it was going to be, uh, zero signups! I WILL TAKE IT ♥
2). I'm not going to shout it from the rooftops or anything, but per the word counter I've been filling in for
getyourwordsout, I'm at 101k written in 2026 (daily average of 3288 through the month of January). Is it good? Is it usable? WHO KNOWS. The important part is that I have been managing to keep a steady pace writing fiction, so that's rather nice. ♥ One of my friends asked if I was counting e.g. Dreamwidth posts for that, or outlining, writing for tabletop modules, etc, and the answer was no — that 100k+ is all written fiction. So that feels doubly-nice, no asking "should I count this" (since the guidelines are flexible and it's up to you), just a general, "I have in fact managed to keep chipping away at this and creating a habit has worked for me". 3). I am ending January having submitted two short stories for publication. Are they likely to be published? No. Am I okay with this? Yes. I realized that one of the things that has sort of, mm — been on my mind has been this realization that I'm okay with rejection. Does it suck? Yes. But you know what sucks more? NEVER HEARING BACK. At least a "no" is an answer! So hey, if I get rejected, I get to go buy myself fancy tea or something else small as a, "AT LEAST YOU HEARD BACK" gift to myself, and that's good enough.
Neither is anything "professional" (if I get anything into one of the magazines you have Definitely Heard Of, I will shout it from the fucking rooftops), but everyone has to start somewhere, and these were open calls to submissions that I had pieces that worked for — so it was more "edit this and submit it" than it was "write something completely new". ♥
4). Starting tomorrow, I'll be answering the talking month meme prompts from this post. If you have anything you want to ask me, now's a good time to let me know so I can get it slotted in — there's still a handful of dates unaccounted for :D
5). Yesterday was Maximo's birthday — he's 38 now, something he has dolefully reminded me of at multiple points (I have been 38 since November :P ). Ended up watching Godzilla Minus One the night before birthday (which we enjoyed a lot, actually, it was silly and tropey but surprisingly good for what it was, and with a deeper message re: the government and international relations of post-war Japan than I was expecting), then last night I made us a fancy dinner and we rewatched Your Name. because he has been gunning for us to rewatch it for a bit (it is still, ofc, excellent).
I teased him tonight that I wanted to watch something in English, so we went for the Seven Dials adaptation that's on Netflix right now. It is Peak Period Silliness, so, you know. If you're into that sort of thing, it's fun.
I think that's most of it? Therapy Monday; have some specific stuff I actually want to talk about (HORRORS), but, yeah. Mostly it's that seasonal depression is kicking my ass and like, "please give me permission to keep focusing on HEALING and NOT BEING MISERABLE over immediately finding full-time employment".
But yeah. We'll see.
A single day off
Jan. 21st, 2026 11:00 pmcubozJust a single day off, and I'm still struggling to get the plethora of chores and tasks that constantly vye for my attention attended to.
I'm a fatty!
ADHD and procrastination is real. As is task paralysis.
I did do some grocery shopping.
And still keep buying sugary foods that keep me fat and make me fatter.
I jokingly decided to put this picture on BlueSky and complain that they didn't taste like real hedgehogs at all.
Growing up in New Zealand, we did have hedgehogs (as an introduced species), and they were always so cute to see snuffling around the garden... But here in Australia, they do not have any.
A hedgehog slice is actually a sort of crumbly chocolate biscuit slice. They're delicious. This Maxibon version was... OK
I'm a fatty!
Bookstore Trip Report: Tropes and Trifles – Minneapolis, MN
Feb. 1st, 2026 07:00 amsmartbitches_feed
This Bookstore Trip Report is from Danielle Fritz. Danielle is a former librarian who has a special affection for children’s lit and books about the funeral industry. She first cut her criticism teeth as a fanfic writer. A resident of the upper midwest, she’s learned to love beer and tater tot casserole and tolerate long winters. Most nights will find her cuddled up with her pups and wearing out her wrists with yet another crochet project.
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I have visited quite a few bookselling establishments over my 30-ish years, but this was my first opportunity to check out a genre-specific bookshop. I follow a number of romance bookshops on social media and as my appreciation for the genre has deepened, I’ve looked forward to patronizing one of these niche shops. Tropes and Trifles in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was a great introduction to what a romance bookseller has to offer.
When I think “romance bookstore,” I envision pastels (especially pink), hearts, and an overall coquette aesthetic. This is not Tropes and Trifles, which boasts high ceilings, white walls, and dark wooden shelving. There’s a cute accent wall behind the register where staff have hung garlands of origami hearts and birds in a rainbow of colors. In one corner you’ll find a comfy purple and white couch with some funky purple wooden chairs, perfect for a bookclub gathering.
I really liked the minimalist approach to design, because it really allows the books to shine. The store is also very neat, with orderly shelves and thoughtfully stocked displays. Overstuffed shelves can be overwhelming to shoppers (especially if you were once a librarian and have to stop yourself from instinctively pushing spines out so they all align against the edge of the shelf).
The majority of titles are from within the last five-to-ten years and they sell exclusively new books – no used titles here. You’re not going to find, say, Lynsay Sand’s entire backlist here, or that one Nora Roberts you read back in 2005, though I am sure if you spoke with store employees they could obtain it for you easily. There’s a lot of BookTok and indie rep. None of this is bad — it’s a smart way of stocking, given the current publishing market, and similar to how Barnes and Noble stocks their own shelves. It’s clear the staff knows the market and is working with it rather than against it.
As an example, just below the registers there is a Heated Rivalry display. Given the publisher’s head-scratching decision not to amp up printing ahead of the show’s debut, it’s difficult to find a hard copy of the now highly-sought-after title. Therefore, there were no copies of Heated Rivalry to be had but a great selection of other hockey romances.
Their stock reflects the market today — big walls of dark romance, romantasy and paranormal, and an especially large contemporary section. YA, historical, and classics all had smaller, but well-stocked sections. In addition to the expected subgenres, there was a “not-quite-romance” shelf full of titles that might feature romance but weren’t romances per say, and a selection of graphic novels. I was delighted to also find non-fiction titles, covering subjects like pleasure, anatomy, civil rights, and abortion. Up front you can find a “MN-Related” shelf, full of books with some connection to the state, and the “Local Authors” section.
My one tiny criticism of Tropes and Trifle’s set-up is the number of staff recommendation cards they have on some of the shelving. There were some sections where there were so many it made browsing difficult, as in hard to see the books themselves. It’s wonderful to have booksellers who are so excited about the titles they have to offer, but the number of shelf talkers on display could be scaled back a pinch.
I’m very much a trinkets girlie, so I had fun browsing the non-book offerings. Beyond the branded totes, tees, and mugs, Tropes and Trifles filled displays with scented candles made by local vendors, themed to certain genres or popular characters. There were fancy locally-made chocolates, handmade book sleeves, coloring books, puzzles, book annotation supplies, cards, and my biggest weakness — stickers. My favorite sticker of the bunch was a cute “Girls just wanna have guillotines.” That was the first thing I picked up to purchase.
I like shopping for books in person, precisely because I can be exposed to titles beyond what my algorithm serves. It can be hard for me to sometimes look past reviews when choosing to pick up a title. I find walking aisles, devoid of the stars and commentary of Goodreads/BookTok/reading influencers, can help me find unexpected treasures. With a neat, diverse, and genrefied collection, Tropes and Trifles is a great place to find a hidden gem.
Books and trinkets aside, I want to address how Tropes and Trifles shows up for their neighbors. Because if there’s one metric by which I judge a small business, it’s by how it supports its community. And the community Tropes and Trifles inhabits is currently under attack by our federal government.
The day I visited, ICE agents had been especially active in their neighborhood, which sits only a few blocks away from George Floyd Square. Almost every storefront I passed featured a red and yellow sign, indicating that ICE was prohibited from entering that establishment. Citizens stood on street corners, keeping an eye out for ICE activity, whistles and phones at the ready. Tensions are high everywhere in the Twin Cities, but particularly in the neighborhoods where members of the community are being snatched or assaulted by ICE agents.
Tropes and Trifles have a yellow and red sign at the front. On the display beside the register, there is a bowl of whistles, flyers outlining your rights and how to be an observer, bumper stickers, and buttons. While I browsed the shelves, I noted small mutual aid posters beside the Historical section. And as I was checking out, the store clerk quickly offered me a whistle and the other resources they were offering for free. They told me grimly that they’d gotten a lot of experience in being an observer and using their whistle in the last few days.
Last night, while browsing my socials, I saw a post on the store’s Instagram that they will be closed for sales this coming Friday, January 23rd, in solidarity with the strike calling for an end to ICE’s occupation of the state. However, they will be open as a community resource station with coffee, charging station, and a place to warm up.
Now more than ever, we need to stand up for one another. It’s especially heartening to see a business make the effort to support their neighbors, particularly in light of the harassment other stores have faced as a result of their anti-ICE stance. I was excited to visit a romance bookstore, and now I’m excited to continue supporting a local business that has a proven record of lifting up their community.
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Thank you for the trip report, Danielle! If you’d like to write a trip report about your visit to a romance-focused bookstore, I would LOVE to hear from you.
