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torachan) wrote2025-10-12 05:04 pm
torachan) wrote2025-10-12 05:04 pmEntry tags:
Daily Happiness
1. We are now the owners of a PS5! We haven't had a Playstation since the PS2, but have been interested in getting a PS5 for some time, just not enough so as to actually go out and get one, since we are both pretty happy with the Switch and have more than enough games to play on that. But Carla has also wanted to get Ghost of Yotei, both because she's interested in the game and because we both really like Erika Ishii and they have gotten a ton of hate for being cast in this game and she wanted to show support. Well, it turns out there is a special Ghost of Yotei edition of the PS5 that is really nice looking, so she decided to kill two birds with one stone and get that. We haven't set it up yet, because I told her she needs to pack up the X-Box One so we can take it to Book Off or somewhere first, since that has been sitting there unused for years.
Anyway, if anyone has recs for PS5 games, feel free to drop them in the comments. RPGs, adventure RPGs, and platformers are my faves.
2. We went to Target to get the PS5 and they had a sale on puzzles, buy one get one 50% off, so we got four new puzzles. :D
3. I finally saw Chloe use one of the new litter boxes! She has been the holdout, always using the lone remaining old style box any time I saw her, so I didn't want to switch that one out yet because I didn't want her to stress if she was hesitant about trying the new one. It's possible she was using the new one when I wasn't watching, but now I have confirmation, so I can make the switch and not have to worry about the boys peeing outside of the box anymore.
4. Gemma loves this scratcher. (You can see the love lol.)
Anyway, if anyone has recs for PS5 games, feel free to drop them in the comments. RPGs, adventure RPGs, and platformers are my faves.
2. We went to Target to get the PS5 and they had a sale on puzzles, buy one get one 50% off, so we got four new puzzles. :D
3. I finally saw Chloe use one of the new litter boxes! She has been the holdout, always using the lone remaining old style box any time I saw her, so I didn't want to switch that one out yet because I didn't want her to stress if she was hesitant about trying the new one. It's possible she was using the new one when I wasn't watching, but now I have confirmation, so I can make the switch and not have to worry about the boys peeing outside of the box anymore.
4. Gemma loves this scratcher. (You can see the love lol.)
Travis (torachan) wrote2025-10-12 11:58 am
torachan) wrote2025-10-12 11:58 amEntry tags:
2025 Disneyland Trip #66 (10/11/25)
We went down to Disneyland for dinner last night. Got there just as the sun was going down, so it was very pleasant weatherwise, though quite crowded.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Punk (runpunkrun) wrote2025-10-12 09:47 am
runpunkrun) wrote2025-10-12 09:47 amEntry tags:
a dream based on two real life events, thirty years apart
I was at my desk using the old computer my uncle sent me back in the 90s, typing away, but the keys on keyboard required a lot of force and were hard to use, so I picked up the keyboard to see what kind of cord it had, thinking maybe I could get a new keyboard and plug it in, but the cord wasn't attached to the computer! But it still worked! DUN DUN DUN.
(This dream is based on: When I was in high school, my computery uncle sent me a used Tandy something or other (Tandy 1000, maybe? it had, among other things, a word processing program (DeskMate?) and Sid Meier's Civilization I on it and came with absolutely no documentation), and yesterday one of the keys on my dad's Chromebook was sticky. Now there are two computers that have almost nothing in common.)
((Also, I'm getting better at knowing, emotionally, that the 90s weren't "ten years" ago, but I'm still not going back far enough. My original estimate was twenty years, but no that was literally thirty years ago, dawg.))
(This dream is based on: When I was in high school, my computery uncle sent me a used Tandy something or other (Tandy 1000, maybe? it had, among other things, a word processing program (DeskMate?) and Sid Meier's Civilization I on it and came with absolutely no documentation), and yesterday one of the keys on my dad's Chromebook was sticky. Now there are two computers that have almost nothing in common.)
((Also, I'm getting better at knowing, emotionally, that the 90s weren't "ten years" ago, but I'm still not going back far enough. My original estimate was twenty years, but no that was literally thirty years ago, dawg.))
Travis (torachan) wrote2025-10-11 10:33 pm
torachan) wrote2025-10-11 10:33 pmEntry tags:
Daily Happiness
1. I got a lot of stuff done around the house today.
2. We had a nice dinner at Disneyland tonight. Everything we ate was delicious and we got some cute Christmas ornaments. Now that we have a cat free space out in the garage, we can put up a tree this year. We do have some old ornaments from our pre-cat days, but while there are some that are particular favorites and we'd want to use again, there are also a bunch that are nothing special (plain balls and such) so there's room for new ones.
3. It's getting cold enough at night that I got another blanket out for my bed. I feel much cozier now!
4. Chloe!
2. We had a nice dinner at Disneyland tonight. Everything we ate was delicious and we got some cute Christmas ornaments. Now that we have a cat free space out in the garage, we can put up a tree this year. We do have some old ornaments from our pre-cat days, but while there are some that are particular favorites and we'd want to use again, there are also a bunch that are nothing special (plain balls and such) so there's room for new ones.
3. It's getting cold enough at night that I got another blanket out for my bed. I feel much cozier now!
4. Chloe!
SGA: Antarctic Drift by smilebackwards
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Carson Beckett, Radek Zelenka, Jack O'Neill, Janet Fraiser
Rating: Mature
Length: 3592
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: smilebackwards on AO3
Themes: Uncommon settings, Action/adventure, First time, Complete AU, Fusion
Summary: Atlantis Prime is the best Jaeger ever built. Of course it is, Rodney built it himself. Too bad he can’t find anyone Drift compatible to pilot it with him.
John Sheppard was one of the best Jaeger pilots the program had, until he lost his partner in a Kaiju attack off the coast of Alaska. He’s not eager to go back, but the right Drift partner might just convince him.
Reccer's Notes: There are very few Stargate Atlantis AUs set in the Pacific Rim universe, and this is an excellent one. It's in two parts, a Fanvid trailer and then the story. Rodney (with Zelenka) has repaired and re-engineered the jaeger Atlantis Prime but can't find a partner to pilot it. John's a traumatised ex-jaeger-pilot who, after Holland's death, is reluctant to return to the fray. There's romance too, as part of them becoming drift-compatible. The trailer vid is cleverly done and works well with the story - both are very much recommended.
Fanwork Links: Antarctic Drift
and the Fanvid is here
(the works are locked to AO3)
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Carson Beckett, Radek Zelenka, Jack O'Neill, Janet Fraiser
Rating: Mature
Length: 3592
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: smilebackwards on AO3
Themes: Uncommon settings, Action/adventure, First time, Complete AU, Fusion
Summary: Atlantis Prime is the best Jaeger ever built. Of course it is, Rodney built it himself. Too bad he can’t find anyone Drift compatible to pilot it with him.
John Sheppard was one of the best Jaeger pilots the program had, until he lost his partner in a Kaiju attack off the coast of Alaska. He’s not eager to go back, but the right Drift partner might just convince him.
Reccer's Notes: There are very few Stargate Atlantis AUs set in the Pacific Rim universe, and this is an excellent one. It's in two parts, a Fanvid trailer and then the story. Rodney (with Zelenka) has repaired and re-engineered the jaeger Atlantis Prime but can't find a partner to pilot it. John's a traumatised ex-jaeger-pilot who, after Holland's death, is reluctant to return to the fray. There's romance too, as part of them becoming drift-compatible. The trailer vid is cleverly done and works well with the story - both are very much recommended.
Fanwork Links: Antarctic Drift
and the Fanvid is here
(the works are locked to AO3)
Entry tags:
Sale Promotion: Cozy the Day Away (Oct 11-12)
Cozy the Day Away, a flash sale for Cozy Fantasy books, is running again for two days this weekend, Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th October.
This time, there are more than 150 books in the sale, with many new authors (and new titles from authors who were in previous sales.)
The sale includes ebooks, paperbacks, audiobooks and bundles.
A strong focus on diversity: LGBTQIA+, neurodiversity, global majority/PoC characters, mental and physical disabilities, all represented.
A wide variety of genres, including romantasy, cozy mysteries, paranormal and urban fantasy and action/adventure.
Many ebooks are 99p/99c (or even free) and there are steep discounts on other formats.
Find out more and access the list of books (only visible this weekend) at https://cozyfantasysale.promisepress.org/
This time, there are more than 150 books in the sale, with many new authors (and new titles from authors who were in previous sales.)
The sale includes ebooks, paperbacks, audiobooks and bundles.
A strong focus on diversity: LGBTQIA+, neurodiversity, global majority/PoC characters, mental and physical disabilities, all represented.
A wide variety of genres, including romantasy, cozy mysteries, paranormal and urban fantasy and action/adventure.
Many ebooks are 99p/99c (or even free) and there are steep discounts on other formats.
Find out more and access the list of books (only visible this weekend) at https://cozyfantasysale.promisepress.org/
Travis (torachan) wrote2025-10-10 08:27 pm
torachan) wrote2025-10-10 08:27 pmEntry tags:
Daily Happiness
1. I had some meetings this morning, but the afternoon was sort of sparse and I'm waiting on someone else to finish one thing up so I can work on the next part, so I ended up taking off early and got home around 3:30, which was nice!
2. Carla made burgers on the grill tonight and they were delicious.
3. Look at that tongue!
2. Carla made burgers on the grill tonight and they were delicious.
3. Look at that tongue!
Travis (torachan) wrote2025-10-10 07:05 pm
torachan) wrote2025-10-10 07:05 pmEntry tags:
Weekly Reading
Currently Reading
The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl
58%. Third and final book in The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club. Thankfully this is not nearly as long as the last book, which was definitely bloated. I am enjoying it greatly.
The Amnesia Project
22%. A teenage girl mysteriously disappears while out with her sister and sister's friends. Ten years later, one of the friends is still obsessively trying to find her, but the truth behind what turns out to be a whole string of disappearances is far beyond what she could have imagined. Interesting story but the writing is pretty clunky. It's a quick read, and I'm curious to see where it ends, but I don't think I'd pick up another book by the author.
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA
3%. This sounded interesting. I know literally nothing about the CIA. Seems like it will take a long time to get through, though.
The Manor of Dreams
30%.
The Death of Public School: How Conservatives Won the War Over Education in America
No progress.
The War on Alcohol: Prohibition and the Rise of the American State
No progress.
Recently Finished
European Travel for the Monstrous Gentelwoman
This should have been much shorter. I did enjoy the story a lot, but there was so much time spent with characters experiencing events and then thinking about said events, and discussing said events.
The Caretakers
This was interesing, but the two plotlines didn't really feel that well integrated.
Snotgirl vol. 1-2
I really loved Scott Pilgrim, so I had high hopes for this series from the same author, but it's just not nearly as good. The MC is a fashion/lifestyle blogger who has bad allergies, which she tries to hide from everyone because it makes her less perfect, but weird things start to happen after she starts taking some mysterious miracle cure allergy pills. It's got a lot of quirkiness, but it's just not hitting the mark for me. There's two more volumes and I'll definitely read them, but it's not my new favorite.
Goku Shufudo vol. 16
Mission vol. 5
The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl
58%. Third and final book in The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club. Thankfully this is not nearly as long as the last book, which was definitely bloated. I am enjoying it greatly.
The Amnesia Project
22%. A teenage girl mysteriously disappears while out with her sister and sister's friends. Ten years later, one of the friends is still obsessively trying to find her, but the truth behind what turns out to be a whole string of disappearances is far beyond what she could have imagined. Interesting story but the writing is pretty clunky. It's a quick read, and I'm curious to see where it ends, but I don't think I'd pick up another book by the author.
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA
3%. This sounded interesting. I know literally nothing about the CIA. Seems like it will take a long time to get through, though.
The Manor of Dreams
30%.
The Death of Public School: How Conservatives Won the War Over Education in America
No progress.
The War on Alcohol: Prohibition and the Rise of the American State
No progress.
Recently Finished
European Travel for the Monstrous Gentelwoman
This should have been much shorter. I did enjoy the story a lot, but there was so much time spent with characters experiencing events and then thinking about said events, and discussing said events.
The Caretakers
This was interesing, but the two plotlines didn't really feel that well integrated.
Snotgirl vol. 1-2
I really loved Scott Pilgrim, so I had high hopes for this series from the same author, but it's just not nearly as good. The MC is a fashion/lifestyle blogger who has bad allergies, which she tries to hide from everyone because it makes her less perfect, but weird things start to happen after she starts taking some mysterious miracle cure allergy pills. It's got a lot of quirkiness, but it's just not hitting the mark for me. There's two more volumes and I'll definitely read them, but it's not my new favorite.
Goku Shufudo vol. 16
Mission vol. 5
StarWatcher (starwatcher) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
ebooks2025-10-10 10:37 am
starwatcher) wrote in ebooks2025-10-10 10:37 amEntry tags:
Today only -- Oct 10th -- big ebook sale.
Till "midnight." Still no clue to which midnight.
Filter genres and/or booksellers at top of page.
https://earlybirdbooks.com/deals/best-ebook-deals
Travis (torachan) wrote2025-10-09 07:49 pm
torachan) wrote2025-10-09 07:49 pmEntry tags:
Daily Happiness
1. I took an after lunch walk today. It's definitely more pleasant for midday walking around my work these days than it was last month, but today was pretty sunny. I walked up to 85°C again and tried a seasonal drink, but wished I had just gone with the delicious lavender tea latte I got last time. The seasonal was a matcha pumpkin spice latte, and it just did not work. I did get a tasty bun with mango pudding filling, though.
2. We had hiyashi chuka for dinner tonight (cold ramen noodles). I used to always prefer the sesame dressing one, but a few years ago Carla got the yuzu soy sauce one and that turned out to be amazing, so that's what we get all the time now.
3. The chair that has been sitting on the curb for like three weeks now is finally gone! I'm not sure if it was in response to my request (which they emailed me and said was closed over a week ago and yet the chair was still on the curb) or if another neighbor put in a request as well. Our next door neighbors had added a ton of stuff to the pile, and a neighbor across the street had a couple sofas and mattresses out on their side of the street as well, and it all got picked up.
4. Ollie decided this coaster is the perfect spot to rest his chin.
2. We had hiyashi chuka for dinner tonight (cold ramen noodles). I used to always prefer the sesame dressing one, but a few years ago Carla got the yuzu soy sauce one and that turned out to be amazing, so that's what we get all the time now.
3. The chair that has been sitting on the curb for like three weeks now is finally gone! I'm not sure if it was in response to my request (which they emailed me and said was closed over a week ago and yet the chair was still on the curb) or if another neighbor put in a request as well. Our next door neighbors had added a ton of stuff to the pile, and a neighbor across the street had a couple sofas and mattresses out on their side of the street as well, and it all got picked up.
4. Ollie decided this coaster is the perfect spot to rest his chin.
rivkat (rivkat) wrote2025-10-09 05:48 pm
rivkat) wrote2025-10-09 05:48 pmEntry tags:
I have an icon for this!
I’ve been rereading Stephen King for comfort reasons, and I have a couple of observations. First, The Dead Zone—which posits political assassination as an actual solution to a potential presidential madman—hits a bit different these days. Second (and not unrelatedly), while I am happy enough to get the expanded version of The Stand, it was a huge mistake for King to try to change the setting from 1980 to 1990; random updated pop culture references can’t disguise the fact that America changed substantially in that decade, such that characters and settings that made sense in 1980 were no longer plausible in 1990. The teenaged, white Nick Andros would almost certainly not have used the word “Negro” to describe an old woman in 1990. The singer Larry Underwood would have different beliefs about music from the 70s, when he was a young child rather than a teen/early adult. From attitudes towards single mothers to how racism was expressed to the dumping practices of fabric mills, the revised version still reads like 1980, but with a mention of rap on the radio, and it’s not good.
full_metal_ox (full_metal_ox) wrote in fancake2025-10-09 07:57 am
full_metal_ox) wrote in fancake2025-10-09 07:57 am
Jungfraukallen | The Virgin Spring (1960): How To Raise a Spring, by Rubynye.
Fandom: Jungfraukallen | The Virgin Spring (1960 film)
Pairings/Characters: F/M, Gen; Karin | The Maiden, Per Tore | The Father, Mareta | The Mother, Oldest Herdsman | Bearded Brother, Middle Herdsman | Beardless Brother, Young Boy | Narrator
Rating: Mature
Length: 2,029
Content Notes: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Author Showed Her Work, First Person POV, Somebody Lives/Not Everybody Dies
Creator Tags: Minoan, Retelling, Remix
Creator Links: (AO3)![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Rubynye; (Dreamwidth) minoanmiss; (Tumblr) ![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
rubynye
Theme: Uncommon Settings, Fix-it, Found Family, Folklore & Fairytales, Food & Cooking, Historical AUs, No Canon Required, Old Fandoms, Small Fandoms, Research
Summary: Before you wed me you must know.
Author’s Notes: _The Virgin Spring_ is a haunting tale. One night I dreamt this version, and was able to write it down.
Reccer's Notes: Rubynye transposes Ingmar Bergman’s adaptation of a medieval Swedish murder ballad into her beloved Bronze Age Crete; she gives this account of its creation in the comments:
I almost feel like I, my waking self, can't take credit -- I literally dreamt this, fortunately on a weekend so I could write it down, complete with the note about the refrain of "this they should not have done". I have loved the Minoans for a long time so it makes sense that my subconscious decided to retell the story there, as much sense as subconsciousnesses make anyway. The Minoans, with a different sense of morality and the universe, wouldn't ask "why did God let this happen" but would note how people in a society should and shouldn't behave (I think at least).
Dreamland delivered its gift to a formidably disciplined, well-read, and eloquent mind: the story begins with a classic fairytale riddle (whose answer will hinge upon a fluid definition of family) and is knit together by an insistent and anguished refrain; the author carefully avoids the film’s conflict of Christianity versus Norse religion in a setting where it would make no sense, furnishes researched hit-and-run cultural color (a traveler gifts her benefactors with the exotic delicacy of…stone-baked wheat flatbread!), and spares an innocent whose fate in movie canon was undeserved—allowing a family to be (though not restored) renewed.
Fanwork Links: How To Raise a Spring, byrubynye.
Pairings/Characters: F/M, Gen; Karin | The Maiden, Per Tore | The Father, Mareta | The Mother, Oldest Herdsman | Bearded Brother, Middle Herdsman | Beardless Brother, Young Boy | Narrator
Rating: Mature
Length: 2,029
Content Notes: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Author Showed Her Work, First Person POV, Somebody Lives/Not Everybody Dies
Creator Tags: Minoan, Retelling, Remix
Creator Links: (AO3)
minoanmiss; (Tumblr) Theme: Uncommon Settings, Fix-it, Found Family, Folklore & Fairytales, Food & Cooking, Historical AUs, No Canon Required, Old Fandoms, Small Fandoms, Research
Summary: Before you wed me you must know.
Author’s Notes: _The Virgin Spring_ is a haunting tale. One night I dreamt this version, and was able to write it down.
Reccer's Notes: Rubynye transposes Ingmar Bergman’s adaptation of a medieval Swedish murder ballad into her beloved Bronze Age Crete; she gives this account of its creation in the comments:
I almost feel like I, my waking self, can't take credit -- I literally dreamt this, fortunately on a weekend so I could write it down, complete with the note about the refrain of "this they should not have done". I have loved the Minoans for a long time so it makes sense that my subconscious decided to retell the story there, as much sense as subconsciousnesses make anyway. The Minoans, with a different sense of morality and the universe, wouldn't ask "why did God let this happen" but would note how people in a society should and shouldn't behave (I think at least).
Dreamland delivered its gift to a formidably disciplined, well-read, and eloquent mind: the story begins with a classic fairytale riddle (whose answer will hinge upon a fluid definition of family) and is knit together by an insistent and anguished refrain; the author carefully avoids the film’s conflict of Christianity versus Norse religion in a setting where it would make no sense, furnishes researched hit-and-run cultural color (a traveler gifts her benefactors with the exotic delicacy of…stone-baked wheat flatbread!), and spares an innocent whose fate in movie canon was undeserved—allowing a family to be (though not restored) renewed.
Fanwork Links: How To Raise a Spring, by
rubynye.
Travis (torachan) wrote2025-10-08 07:50 pm
torachan) wrote2025-10-08 07:50 pmEntry tags:
Daily Happiness
1. Halfway through the week! It feels like a long week so far idk.
2. The other day I realized the little neighborhood market is open from 7am rather than 8am like I had assumed, and it's pretty much right on my morning walk route, so now I can just stop in there if there's something I need to pick up for the day. Like today, I got some celery because Carla wanted to make curry chicken salad for dinner, so she was able to make that while I was at work and it had time to sit and let the flavors meld and was just perfect by the time I got home.
3. Jasper's seen some stuff.
2. The other day I realized the little neighborhood market is open from 7am rather than 8am like I had assumed, and it's pretty much right on my morning walk route, so now I can just stop in there if there's something I need to pick up for the day. Like today, I got some celery because Carla wanted to make curry chicken salad for dinner, so she was able to make that while I was at work and it had time to sit and let the flavors meld and was just perfect by the time I got home.
3. Jasper's seen some stuff.
