snowflake challenge 2026 - day 4
Jan. 11th, 2026 10:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tielanAny website that you like, be it fanfiction, art, social media, or something a bit more eccentric!
Okay, so it's really easiest to go to my AO3 works page, which currently has a broad variety of fandoms on it, including some of my very old ones.
( 20 recs from Keltiad, Discworld/DCCU, Bridgerton, MCU, Pern, Pacific Rim, BSG 2003, Stargate SG1/Stargate Atlantis, and Narnia )
--
So looking through the stories, there's a really broad variety of themes and characters, quite a lot of fandoms, but also some recurring concepts: "found family", "true love isn't just the once and never again", "working through the complexities of a situation when you don't have a guidebook", and so forth.
Nun visits a nostalgia factory.
Jan. 10th, 2026 04:34 pmsistawendySo down the hill we went, nomming at Made In House** and going to Nectar. I felt a bit underdressed with the kids all gothed up to the max, and some of the elders all dolled up normie style. But not to worry: the only table we found was in a drafty corner, so I put on the Coat and was fine.
Fidelity to the original? Uncanny. If the guy at the mixer board hadn't made some mistakes, I might have though they were faking it. I guess they knew their audience.
Spotted: C, Diminutive,
aaminahlefae, and that whole gang. I believe they know people in at least one of the bands.Do I appreciate the Cure more? Grudgingly, yes. The Tickler wrote down the playlist and gave it to me.
Dancer is here. Must dash!
*If that sounds familiar, it's because I've written here about Prom Date Mixtape, with whom Darkwave shares personnel. It's another 80's cover band.
**They do dinner these days. Aw, yeah.
poem for the day
Jan. 10th, 2026 07:19 pmtheladyscribeCatch a Body
by Ilse Bendorf
Salinger, I’m sorry, but “Don’t ever tell
anybody anything” is a string of words
I would like to wrap up in canvas and sink
to the bottom of the Hudson, or extract
by laser from the ribcage of all of us
who ever believed it, who felt afraid
to miss someone, to be the last one
standing. “Tell everyone everything” is
not exactly right, but I do believe that if
your mother looks radiant in violet
you should tell her, or when a juvenile
sparrow thrashes its wings in dustpiles
and reminds you of a lover’s eyelashes,
you should say so. We are islands all of us,
but we are also boats, our secrets flares,
pyrotechnic devices by which we signal
there’s someone in here we’re still alive!
So maybe it’s, “don’t be afraid.” We can
rewrite Icarus, flame-resistant feathers,
wax that won’t melt, I mean it, I’ll draw up
a prototype right now, that burning ball
of orange won’t stop us, it’ll be everything
we dream the morning after, even if we fall
into the sea—we are boats, remember?
We are pirates. We move in nautical miles.
Each other’s anchors, each other’s buoys,
the rocket’s red, already the world entire.
Speak Up Saturday
Jan. 10th, 2026 06:19 pmyourlibrarian posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
tv_talk
Welcome to the weekly roundup post! What are you watching this week? What are you excited about?
Long day
Jan. 10th, 2026 06:29 pmrolanniWhat went before:
Saturday. Sunny and warm. Snow is melting apace.
Breakfast was, as planned, the leftovers from yesterday's chef salad scrambled with two eggs, which made for a pretty big meal. Not sure what lunch is. Cheese and crackers? Could be cheese and crackers.
Got to work early despite having to stop and fix the toilet in Steve's bathroom. I should say, mostly fix. It's stopped the constant running, but the float seems to have sprung a leak, so there's still a little water running out of it. I've been resisting calling a plumber, becau$e, but that may be a false economy.
Wrote about 700 words, and taking a break because that last scene reduced me to, um, tears.
It occurred to me that there ought to be heated mats to go under desks, and there are, byerlady! So -- retail therapy FTW -- a mat for Steve's office, a mat for the studio -- a mat for my office? Oh, why not?
After shopping, I'll go back to write some more until lunch time, after which it's track changes, which, with the application of a bit of elbow grease, I may finish today, and wouldn't that be nice?
Also? Despite having been doing nothing for days, the desk in my office is once again overflowing with stuff. I hope the goblins haven't found another way in.
I bought a very nice "beginner" demonstrator pen from JetPens -- it arrived yesterday. My only beef is that it's a cartridge pen, but there's getting to be some days when I oughtn't be left alone with a bottle of ink, so there is that.
I can't really tell you much about this pen, since the packaging is completely in Japanese. I can say it's a Pilot pen, and it's name appears to be kaküno. Writes nice and smooth; very light in the hand. I haven't dropped it yet, so can't report on its durability. Cheap, too. Under $15US. I got the medium nib, because that's the way I roll. If you've been thinking about trying a fountain pen, this might be worth your time to explore.
Thanks to everyone who suggested anime worthy of watching. I remember I was looking for Spy Family the day Steve died... This is not to lay blame or to invoke the Sad, but to say that I had apparently thought we'd enjoy it, and while I have Crunchyroll, I might as well have a look-in.
And, yes, I am talking about trivialities while the world is on fire. The only thing I can do at this point, is what I always do, and be a witness for civilized behavior.
deep breath
How's everybody doing today?
#
So, yeah -- cheese and crackers and an orange. That's lunch, innit? Am drinking "figgy pudding" tea from my Christmas teas. I had not been sanguine, going in, but it's quite tasty and delivers the warmth that the rest of the meal lacked.
On the writing front, that's +/- 1,340 new words. WIP stands at +/-124,785.
As soon as I've finished my tea, I will do my duty the cats, then clear a space on my desk so I can track me some changes.
The cats think I ought to take a nap, and they're probably not wrong...
#
Toe bean break:
#
Yeah, I should've taken a nap. OTOH, the track changes are done and returned, and! I managed to turn off the water running into the toilet, go me.
I had made a comment the other day in my rant about the cost of Sssses and the prevailing wisdom of adding a "third" S to perfectly good words. Sometimes, in fact, the prevailing wisdom only adds one extra S.
Example: Chaos's
That? Is an ugly something or other.
In my day, believe it or don't, when you had a situation where you needed to show that Chaos was being possessive, you indicated that by this: Chaos'
Which looks much better to me than all these random Sssses wriggling all over the page.
All that said? I'm tired, and Rookie is insisting that it's Happy Hour, so it must be time for me to wash the pots 'n pans.
Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe.
I'll check in tomorrow.
January Talking Meme - What should a mirror Georgiou centric movie have been about?
Jan. 10th, 2026 06:17 pmaurumcalendulaselenak( Read more... )
(there are still slots open for the January Talking Meme here)
The Empty Netters rock!
Jan. 11th, 2026 12:09 pmmificMy initial main takeaways from these first two eps are:
The team logos were analysed. Shane's is M for the Metros (a bottom), and Ilya's is a cannon for the Raiders! (obvious symbolism). That has to be deliberate, right? Also hilarious!
Then these two comments, that added details I hadn't known.
I won't do a full transcript but the first says Reid wrote a bonus chapter on her website (a remix of the Vegas penthouse chapter, end of S2 in the show) with a bit more about Ilya's thoughts and feelings, his conflicts about returning to Russia and why he treats Shane badly. Here's the link.
The second comment clarifies that Putin only cracked down on gay people just before the Sochi Olympics. Before 2013 Russia had apparently become reasonably progressive. So Ilya would have been especially paranoid and freaked out at Sochi and would definitely have cold-shouldered Shane, as in canon. Also a nice pick-up that although Carter Vaughan means well, assuming the ice skater is gay was a microaggression, worse for Shane as Carter blithely assumes he's straight (and for Scott, but the Empty Netters don't know about Scott yet!).
I'm going to watch all the Empty Netters vids, but not right now. Jesus, I have to do something other than wallow in HR stuff all the time!
Photos: Contorta Willow
Jan. 10th, 2026 05:11 pmysabetwordsmith posting in common_nature( Walk with me ... )
Cheese Quest 1
Jan. 10th, 2026 04:23 pmused_songs
Before New Year's, E and I went to the HEB at Lincoln Heights which is fancier than a regular HEB, but not as fancy as Central Market. I was looking at cheeses while E was in the bakery and the cheesemonger gave me a coupon for 20% off any of their cheeses in that section. So I went with one I knew I'd like and two that were experiments.
The one I thought was a sure bet was the Chimichurri Gouda because I love gouda. I was hoping it would be a bit spicy, but despite tasting of pepper and chilies it was more earthy than spicy. It was also sharper than I expected, but it was good.
My favorite was the white cheddar dill which was a surprise. I love dill, but I'm not a fan of cheddar at all. It's generally way too sharp for me. This one was very herbal and salty and just delicious.
My least favorite, and the one I wouldn't have bought if I hadn't had a coupon, was the smoked cheddar. I took a chance on it because I do like smoked gouda and smokiness in general. However, this was very hard, almost crumbly, and it was way too sharp for me, I'll probably take it to my parents and see if they want it, because I tried it again a couple of days after the first taste and I just don't like it. And honestly I didn't even realize cheddar came in that consistency.
The only other cheese I've put in my analog cheese journal is HEB Monterey jack with jalapeño and habanero which is something I have with my lunch every day during the week. So, obviously, extremely good!
This week we are having enchiladas, so I will be journaling about oaxaca and queso fresca, both of which are delicious. One of the best things in the world is thinly sliced pan sauteed potatoes topped with mole poblano sauce and queso fresca.
(no subject)
Jan. 10th, 2026 05:29 pmconuly posting in agonyauntMy ex came from serious money, and our 12-year-old daughter is her parents’ only grandchild. My daughter gets what she wants the moment she voices it; her grandparents claim it is their duty to spoil her. My daughter is very grounded and knows that most people can’t afford everything her family can, but that doesn’t change the fact that her experiences have been very privileged.
My partner’s kids haven’t been so lucky. He provides a good life, but the vacations he can take them on are to the local lake, not Europe. The problem is that my daughter can’t talk about her life without the other kids getting jealous and accusing her of bragging. She can’t say that her favorite city is Paris or identify a castle on TV without them taking offense and ganging up on her. This situation has started to heat up because my daughter has recently been hanging out with a pair of twins who have moved into our neighborhood. Their dad has left military service, but in their lives as military brats, they’ve lived everywhere in the world. They are joined at the hip with my daughter, and my partner hates the fact that his 13-year-old daughter, “Melinda,” doesn’t get automatically included.
Alas, Melinda is in her mean girl phase. Everything and everyone is stupid and sucks. She routinely picks on her younger brother. There are problems with both her behavior in school and in the after-school activities she is enrolled in. She was asked to leave her sports team for bullying another member to the point where it got physical. My daughter avoids Melinda when she can, and I have to mediate every moment we are together as a family.
My partner does not “see” Melinda’s behavior until another adult points it out. He and I do not live together, and his blindness to his daughter’s flaws is one reason for this, even though I love him. Another reason is that Melinda is hard enough to be around on a good weekend, let alone every day. I have tried to stay in my own lane and let my partner parent his kids his own way, but he keeps pushing that Melinda is being “excluded” by my daughter and her friends. They are in different grades and have very different interests.
Between his kids giving mine a hard time every time she opens her mouth, and all this, things are getting tense. Recently, he commented on how excited my daughter was for the holidays because her dad was taking her skiing and had told her that maybe the twins could come too. My partner insinuated that this enthusiasm was somehow malevolent. I responded by reminding him that both of his kids have been talking nonstop about seeing their grandparents and cousins over the holidays. He said it wasn’t even close to the same and that his kids have never even seen snow. I don’t know how to resolve this. Considering the ages of our kids, and the fact that they’re not even living in the same household, their just being civil toward each other should be enough, but civility is hard to come by, and Melinda is the agitator most of the time. How do I get through to my partner and protect my daughter?
—Mean Melinda
( Read more... )
Belated birthday present
Jan. 10th, 2026 05:09 pmflemmingsBut is not my taxes. Is a utility bill for water and garbage. Um yeah. That would be the water meter reading I sent them after who knows how many years of estimated usage. People in this situation have been faced with high four figure adjustments so I was preparing for the worst. And the damage is... a credit on my account because I'd overpaid to the tune of nearly $150. So all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds.
(no subject)
Jan. 10th, 2026 05:19 pmconuly posting in agonyauntI just got married, and while the day was beautiful, my family left me feeling heartbroken. I have a strained relationship with my younger sister. She left her diabetic cat with our parents, and when they had to suddenly leave town, I stepped in to care for it for two weeks.
At our wedding after-party, my husband gently suggested she thank me. Instead, she stormed off, blocked me on social media, and refused to see me for the rest of the trip. When I turned to my parents for support, they sided with her, saying she spent her own time and money to attend the wedding and telling me to “drop the drama” and “be an adult.” I’m left feeling dismissed and deeply hurt, wondering how to move forward from this.
—Bride Without a Break
( Read more... )
About that Appointment Yesterday:
Jan. 10th, 2026 05:02 pmdewline
Write Every day 2026: January, Day 10
Jan. 10th, 2026 10:13 pmtrobadoraOn the other hand, most people worked on their WIPs very recently - 2024-25 got the most votes by far, with 2020-2023 right behind it. Whereas I haven't touched any of those 2011 WIPs since 2017 or so ... *g*
Today's writing
So far I've only written a few sentences - I'm only now sitting down to write, but I wanted to get this post up in a reasonably timely fashion.
(I've been rewatching the first half of Guardian eopisode 9 for our slo-mo rewatch, and taking lots of notes. Still writing up my comments for that post, too - so much fun! :D)
WED Question of the Day
Do you think about structure when you write?
yes, in terms of POV sections
10 (47.6%)
yes, in terms of rising/falling action
6 (28.6%)
yes, in terms of parallels and repetition
9 (42.9%)
yes, in other terms I'll explain in comments
4 (19.0%)
no, not at all
5 (23.8%)
it's complicated; I'll explain in comments
1 (4.8%)
Do you notice structure when reading?
Must this poll must have a tickybox question?
yes, because structurally, all the polls did
9 (45.0%)
yes, because no poll is complete without tickyboxes
16 (80.0%)
no, because there's already a question with checkboxes above
1 (5.0%)
other - I'll explain in comments
1 (5.0%)
Tally
( Days 1-5 )
Day 6:
alightbuthappypen, badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, luzula, ofmonstrouswords, sanguinity, shadaras, sylvanwitch, the_siobhan, trobadora, ysilmeDay 7:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, ofmonstrouswords, shadaras, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora Day 8:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, ofmonstrouswords, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadoraDay 9:
badly_knitted, brithistorian, carenejeans, china_shop, cornerofmadness, goddess47, sanguinity, sylvanwitch, trobadora, Day 10:
china_shop, trobadoraLet me know if I missed anyone! And remember you can drop in or out at any time. :)
