[IN PERSON] Escapade 36 Wayback and Wildcard Poll
Feb. 13th, 2026 11:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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escapade_conHey there Escapader!
It’s poll time. Ba dum pa! We have one poll for you to go through and take real quick. It should only take a few minutes.
The poll is the Wayback and Wildcard Poll. The Wayback panel possibilities include several panels from ten years ago. Please vote now and the top two will be voted on during the Escapade 36 Welcome Panel to see which panel makes it to the final schedule. The Wildcard panel gives YOU the option to suggest a panel topic for something new and exciting that didn’t make it onto the final schedule.
Wildcard and Wayback Panel Survey: https://tinyurl.com/Escapade36WWPoll
Thanks for voting! Stay tuned for more announcements pending.
-Escapade Con Com
A little more B5 script book stuff
Feb. 13th, 2026 09:50 pmsholioBut before I get to that, I started posting another fixit WIP over on AO3. This one will probably be about 4 chapters long, most of which is written, but it's kind of a mess so I'm posting it as I finish cleaning them up and filling in the missing parts.
The Living and the Damned - goes AU from the beginning of 5x18, rated mature because there will be tentacles, though things are a bit too dire for that yet.
And speaking of tentacles.
( More from the behind the scenes books (tentacle related) )
The Living and the Damned - goes AU from the beginning of 5x18, rated mature because there will be tentacles, though things are a bit too dire for that yet.
And speaking of tentacles.
( More from the behind the scenes books (tentacle related) )
Didn't post yesterday
Feb. 14th, 2026 12:14 amsilver_chipmunkSo I will catch up now.
Yesterday I got up at 10:00 and after breakfast and coffee and showering and dressing and packing I went over tomashfanficchick's to watch our shows. Which we did, we watched the two episodes of Will Trent we were behind, and then I Teamed the FWiB from my phone.
Then we started watching Thr Lincoln Lawyer, and, well, we didn't stop. There were 10 episodes in the season, which all dropped together, and we watched them all. All night. We did stop for dinner (we had Indian food for lunch, earlier) but aside from that we watched straight through til the end. We finished around 8:00 am.
So then we ha breakfast, and went to bed. And slept all day. Literally. I got up at 5:00 and got showered and dressed, and went to my meeting, I was a little late of course, and I didn't eat.
The meeting was very good though small, and I only had to wait 15 minutes for the bus unlike last week.
Got home and Teamed the FWiB. Then I had dinner. And that was the last two days.
My Funko Pop has not shown up, though. I'm really annoyed.
Gratitude List:
1. The FWiB.
2. Good TV.
3. My meetings and the people there.
4. Didn't have to wait almost an hour for the bus.
5. Sleeping late.
6. Warm apartment.
Yesterday I got up at 10:00 and after breakfast and coffee and showering and dressing and packing I went over to
mashfanficchick's to watch our shows. Which we did, we watched the two episodes of Will Trent we were behind, and then I Teamed the FWiB from my phone. Then we started watching Thr Lincoln Lawyer, and, well, we didn't stop. There were 10 episodes in the season, which all dropped together, and we watched them all. All night. We did stop for dinner (we had Indian food for lunch, earlier) but aside from that we watched straight through til the end. We finished around 8:00 am.
So then we ha breakfast, and went to bed. And slept all day. Literally. I got up at 5:00 and got showered and dressed, and went to my meeting, I was a little late of course, and I didn't eat.
The meeting was very good though small, and I only had to wait 15 minutes for the bus unlike last week.
Got home and Teamed the FWiB. Then I had dinner. And that was the last two days.
My Funko Pop has not shown up, though. I'm really annoyed.
Gratitude List:
1. The FWiB.
2. Good TV.
3. My meetings and the people there.
4. Didn't have to wait almost an hour for the bus.
5. Sleeping late.
6. Warm apartment.
Daily Happiness
Feb. 13th, 2026 08:34 pmtorachan1. We met our deadline for the big project, so it can move ahead on schedule! For the last couple weeks we've been pretty sure it was going to be okay (and this last week there was really no worry at all), but it was a major stressor since I joined the project last summer, and we did not make the original deadline at the end of the year so this extension was our final final deadline. It's a huge relief to have turned that in to the developers and be able to report to upper management that everything's going well.
2. This morning I was almost home from my walk when I saw a text from Carla saying she was going to get a breakfast burrito. The restaurant is not on my way, but only about a five minute walk from where I was, so I met up with her there and we split a burrito for breakfast.
3. I was looking around to see what all is near the new store when I go to help out next week and saw there's a Shake Shack in the same mall, which reminded me that we wanted to go to Shake Shack and try more of the Korean menu, so we went there tonight. It's a little longer walk than Carla was up for, so we drove, but then after dinner walked around, down to the beach and then through the Promenade.
Everything at Shake Shack was delicious. In addition to the chicken sandwich, which I'd had before, we got the spicy fries with cheese sauce. I'd had them without the cheese before and they were good, but even better with cheese. I also got the gochujang caramel shake, which was also very tasty.
We used to go down to the Promenade all the time years ago, but then just stopped, and now hardly ever go down there, and when we do it's usually just to the first block, where the Apple Store is. This time we did go to the Apple Store but also the other two blocks we don't usually check out, and I had totally forgotten there's a Barnes and Noble there again! There was a huge three story one there years ago, and then that closed (in 2018, apparently), but they opened a new smaller one about a year and a half ago. I had heard something about it, but it's not very relevant to me anymore, so I immediately forgot. We went in and checked it out, though, and it's really nice. Nowhere near as huge as the old one, but still big, and they have a second level in the basement where I bought a new puzzle.
We ended our walk with donuts from Sidecar, which is just about a block from Shake Shack. Brought the donuts home and will have them later. Overall it was a really nice night out and just the sort of thing that I want to do more of. Although there were several empty storefronts, overall the Promenade seemed pretty revitalized and there were a lot of people down there tonight. (It's one of those areas that has gone through multiple booms and busts. When I was really little, it was just called the mall, and then became the old mall when they built a new, indoor mall next to it, and it kind of died off. Then when I was a teenager it was revitalized as the Third Street Promenade, but started dying off again a while back, but seems to be having another revival now.)
4. It's the start of a three day weekend!
5. Molly!
2. This morning I was almost home from my walk when I saw a text from Carla saying she was going to get a breakfast burrito. The restaurant is not on my way, but only about a five minute walk from where I was, so I met up with her there and we split a burrito for breakfast.
3. I was looking around to see what all is near the new store when I go to help out next week and saw there's a Shake Shack in the same mall, which reminded me that we wanted to go to Shake Shack and try more of the Korean menu, so we went there tonight. It's a little longer walk than Carla was up for, so we drove, but then after dinner walked around, down to the beach and then through the Promenade.
Everything at Shake Shack was delicious. In addition to the chicken sandwich, which I'd had before, we got the spicy fries with cheese sauce. I'd had them without the cheese before and they were good, but even better with cheese. I also got the gochujang caramel shake, which was also very tasty.
We used to go down to the Promenade all the time years ago, but then just stopped, and now hardly ever go down there, and when we do it's usually just to the first block, where the Apple Store is. This time we did go to the Apple Store but also the other two blocks we don't usually check out, and I had totally forgotten there's a Barnes and Noble there again! There was a huge three story one there years ago, and then that closed (in 2018, apparently), but they opened a new smaller one about a year and a half ago. I had heard something about it, but it's not very relevant to me anymore, so I immediately forgot. We went in and checked it out, though, and it's really nice. Nowhere near as huge as the old one, but still big, and they have a second level in the basement where I bought a new puzzle.
We ended our walk with donuts from Sidecar, which is just about a block from Shake Shack. Brought the donuts home and will have them later. Overall it was a really nice night out and just the sort of thing that I want to do more of. Although there were several empty storefronts, overall the Promenade seemed pretty revitalized and there were a lot of people down there tonight. (It's one of those areas that has gone through multiple booms and busts. When I was really little, it was just called the mall, and then became the old mall when they built a new, indoor mall next to it, and it kind of died off. Then when I was a teenager it was revitalized as the Third Street Promenade, but started dying off again a while back, but seems to be having another revival now.)
4. It's the start of a three day weekend!
5. Molly!
Round 158 Schedule
Feb. 13th, 2026 09:50 pmxandromedovna posting in fic_rushAlright gang, looks like Fic_Rush 158 will be next weekend, 20-22 February! I'm not available for the beginning of the Round, so someone else will need to start the Rush. Mods, please confirm your availability for any of our lovely anchor Hours, or general flitting about, and now's a great time to join the Mod Squad if you're interested!
| GMT | EST (Toronto) | CST (Chicago) | PST (Seattle) | CET (Berlin) | AEST (Brisbane) | Designated Mod | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hour -23 | midnight | 7pm Thu | 6pm Thu | 4pm Thu | 1am Fri | 10am Fri | |
| Hour -17 | 6am Fri | 1am Fri | midnight | 10pm Thu | 7am Fri | 4pm Fri | |
| Hour -11 | 12pm Fri | 7am Fri | 6am Fri | 4am Fri | 1pm Fri | 10pm Fri | |
| Hour -5 | 6pm Fri | 1pm Fri | 12pm Fri | 10am Fri | 7pm Fri | 4am Sat | |
| Hour 0 | 11pm Fri | 6pm Fri | 5pm Fri | 3pm Fri | midnight | 9am Sat | |
| Hour 1 | midnight | 7pm Fri | 6pm Fri | 4pm Fri | 1am Sat | 10am Sat | |
| Hour 6 | 5am Sat | midnight | 11pm Fri | 9pm Fri | 6am Sat | 3pm Sat | |
| Hour 12 | 11am Sat | 6am Sat | 5am Sat | 3am Sat | 12pm Sat | 9pm Sat | |
| Hour 18 | 5pm Sat | 12pm Sat | 11am Sat | 9am Sat | 6pm Sat | 3am Sun | |
| Hour 24 | 11pm Sat | 6pm Sat | 5pm Sat | 3pm Sat | midnight | 9am Sun | |
| Hour 30 | 5am Sun | midnight | 11pm Sat | 9pm Sat | 6am Sun | 3pm Sun | |
| Hour 36 | 11am Sun | 6am Sun | 5am Sun | 3am Sun | 12pm Sun | 9pm Sun | |
| Hour 42 | 5pm Sun | 12pm Sun | 11am Sun | 9am Sun | 6pm Sun | 3am Mon | |
| Hour 47 | 10pm Sun | 5pm Sun | 4pm Sun | 2pm Sun | 11pm Sun | 8am Mon | xandromedovna |
| Hour 48 | 11pm Sun | 6pm Sun | 5pm Sun | 3pm Sun | midnight | 9am Mon | xandromedovna |
| Round Ends | midnight | 7pm Sun | 6pm Sun | 4pm Sun | 1am Mon | 10am Mon | xandromedovna |
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Book review: Looking for Smoke
Feb. 13th, 2026 06:44 pmrocky41_7 posting in booknookTitle: Looking for Smoke
Author: K.A. Cobell
Narrators: Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Katie Anvil Rich, Jordan Waunch, Julie Lumsden
Genre: Crime thriller, murder mystery, fiction
Earlier this week I finished another commute audiobook, Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell. This is a crime thriller/murder mystery that takes place on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. When a teenage girl is found strangled at the Indian Days summer powwow, four of her classmates become the prime suspects in her murder.
I would say this is a solid entry in the murder mystery genre. The book alternates perspectives between the four classmates, which allows the author to do some fun things keeping the reader on the hook. One character will make a big discovery only for the POV to pop over to another who doesn't have that information, so Cobell can keep information from the reader without it feeling too forced. The audiobook has a separate narrator for each POV, which was also fun (although I didn't care for Eli's reader) and if you're prone to picking up and putting down your audiobook in the middle of a chapter, this helps you keep track of whose POV you're in.
Cobell uses the format of the crime thriller, like Marcie Rendon in Where They Last Saw Her, to draw attention to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), but the book still feels like a novel its own right; it never feels like just a tool for explaining the MMIW issue. And it's an important issue that deserves a lot more attention. The statistics on violence against Native American women are shocking--even if you think they're bad, they're probably worse than you're imagining--and specific stats get highlighted in the text and in the author's note at the end. In this way, I think the book has enormous social value. Cobell uses her characters to personalize the problem and show the comorbid impacts of poverty and drug use on the reservation.
Outside of its interest in the MMIW crisis, I don't think the book does much that's particularly groundbreaking. The teens band together to try to solve the mystery and absolve themselves, as you'd expect. At various times they suspect each other, family members, law enforcement. Cobell keeps you on the hook while offering reasonable suspicion for a number of characters. She avoids my least favorite move in the murder mystery genre, which is pinning it on some rando at the last minute.
The ending is pretty explosive and I enjoy some of the things she does with perspective here as well. We the readers know what the killer thinks of their crimes because the text tells us. But the other characters never hear that explanation except third hand, and many of them simply don't believe it. And that feels real--they end the story with their own version of the truth and there's simply no space for that to be corrected (and why would they believe the word of a killer anyway?) The killer feels a little one-dimensional, but the motives make sense, if they're unsurprising. The motivations behind most violent crimes are pretty repetitive.
The prose is fine. We're reading from the perspective of teenagers, so expect a lot of melodramatic metaphors and jumping to conclusions based on minimal evidence.
Overall, this book tells an important story. It was entertaining as a narrative and sheds light on a community that deserves a lot more attention.
Author: K.A. Cobell
Narrators: Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Katie Anvil Rich, Jordan Waunch, Julie Lumsden
Genre: Crime thriller, murder mystery, fiction
Earlier this week I finished another commute audiobook, Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell. This is a crime thriller/murder mystery that takes place on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. When a teenage girl is found strangled at the Indian Days summer powwow, four of her classmates become the prime suspects in her murder.
I would say this is a solid entry in the murder mystery genre. The book alternates perspectives between the four classmates, which allows the author to do some fun things keeping the reader on the hook. One character will make a big discovery only for the POV to pop over to another who doesn't have that information, so Cobell can keep information from the reader without it feeling too forced. The audiobook has a separate narrator for each POV, which was also fun (although I didn't care for Eli's reader) and if you're prone to picking up and putting down your audiobook in the middle of a chapter, this helps you keep track of whose POV you're in.
Cobell uses the format of the crime thriller, like Marcie Rendon in Where They Last Saw Her, to draw attention to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), but the book still feels like a novel its own right; it never feels like just a tool for explaining the MMIW issue. And it's an important issue that deserves a lot more attention. The statistics on violence against Native American women are shocking--even if you think they're bad, they're probably worse than you're imagining--and specific stats get highlighted in the text and in the author's note at the end. In this way, I think the book has enormous social value. Cobell uses her characters to personalize the problem and show the comorbid impacts of poverty and drug use on the reservation.
Outside of its interest in the MMIW crisis, I don't think the book does much that's particularly groundbreaking. The teens band together to try to solve the mystery and absolve themselves, as you'd expect. At various times they suspect each other, family members, law enforcement. Cobell keeps you on the hook while offering reasonable suspicion for a number of characters. She avoids my least favorite move in the murder mystery genre, which is pinning it on some rando at the last minute.
The ending is pretty explosive and I enjoy some of the things she does with perspective here as well. We the readers know what the killer thinks of their crimes because the text tells us. But the other characters never hear that explanation except third hand, and many of them simply don't believe it. And that feels real--they end the story with their own version of the truth and there's simply no space for that to be corrected (and why would they believe the word of a killer anyway?) The killer feels a little one-dimensional, but the motives make sense, if they're unsurprising. The motivations behind most violent crimes are pretty repetitive.
The prose is fine. We're reading from the perspective of teenagers, so expect a lot of melodramatic metaphors and jumping to conclusions based on minimal evidence.
Overall, this book tells an important story. It was entertaining as a narrative and sheds light on a community that deserves a lot more attention.
Recent Reading: Looking for Smoke
Feb. 13th, 2026 06:28 pmrocky41_7Earlier this week I finished another commute audiobook, Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell. This is a crime thriller/murder mystery that takes place on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. When a teenage girl is found strangled at the Indian Days summer powwow, four of her classmates become the prime suspects in her murder.
I would say this is a solid entry in the murder mystery genre. The book alternates perspectives between the four classmates, which allows the author to do some fun things keeping the reader on the hook. One character will make a big discovery only for the POV to pop over to another who doesn't have that information, so Cobell can keep information from the reader without it feeling too forced. The audiobook has a separate narrator for each POV, which was also fun (although I didn't care for Eli's reader) and if you're prone to picking up and putting down your audiobook in the middle of a chapter, this helps you keep track of whose POV you're in.
Cobell uses the format of the crime thriller, like Marcie Rendon in Where They Last Saw Her, to draw attention to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), but the book still feels like a novel its own right; it never feels like just a tool for explaining the MMIW issue. And it's an important issue that deserves a lot more attention. The statistics on violence against Native American women are shocking--even if you think they're bad, they're probably worse than you're imagining--and specific stats get highlighted in the text and in the author's note at the end. In this way, I think the book has enormous social value. Cobell uses her characters to personalize the problem and show the comorbid impacts of poverty and drug use on the reservation.
Outside of its interest in the MMIW crisis, I don't think the book does much that's particularly groundbreaking. The teens band together to try to solve the mystery and absolve themselves, as you'd expect. At various times they suspect each other, family members, law enforcement. Cobell keeps you on the hook while offering reasonable suspicion for a number of characters. She avoids my least favorite move in the murder mystery genre, which is pinning it on some rando at the last minute.
The ending is pretty explosive and I enjoy some of the things she does with perspective here as well. We the readers know what the killer thinks of their crimes because the text tells us. But the other characters never hear that explanation except third hand, and many of them simply don't believe it. And that feels real--they end the story with their own version of the truth and there's simply no space for that to be corrected (and why would they believe the word of a killer anyway?) The killer feels a little one-dimensional, but the motives make sense, if they're unsurprising. The motivations behind most violent crimes are pretty repetitive.
The prose is fine. We're reading from the perspective of teenagers, so expect a lot of melodramatic metaphors and jumping to conclusions based on minimal evidence.
Overall, this book tells an important story. It was entertaining as a narrative and sheds light on a community that deserves a lot more attention.
I would say this is a solid entry in the murder mystery genre. The book alternates perspectives between the four classmates, which allows the author to do some fun things keeping the reader on the hook. One character will make a big discovery only for the POV to pop over to another who doesn't have that information, so Cobell can keep information from the reader without it feeling too forced. The audiobook has a separate narrator for each POV, which was also fun (although I didn't care for Eli's reader) and if you're prone to picking up and putting down your audiobook in the middle of a chapter, this helps you keep track of whose POV you're in.
Cobell uses the format of the crime thriller, like Marcie Rendon in Where They Last Saw Her, to draw attention to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), but the book still feels like a novel its own right; it never feels like just a tool for explaining the MMIW issue. And it's an important issue that deserves a lot more attention. The statistics on violence against Native American women are shocking--even if you think they're bad, they're probably worse than you're imagining--and specific stats get highlighted in the text and in the author's note at the end. In this way, I think the book has enormous social value. Cobell uses her characters to personalize the problem and show the comorbid impacts of poverty and drug use on the reservation.
Outside of its interest in the MMIW crisis, I don't think the book does much that's particularly groundbreaking. The teens band together to try to solve the mystery and absolve themselves, as you'd expect. At various times they suspect each other, family members, law enforcement. Cobell keeps you on the hook while offering reasonable suspicion for a number of characters. She avoids my least favorite move in the murder mystery genre, which is pinning it on some rando at the last minute.
The ending is pretty explosive and I enjoy some of the things she does with perspective here as well. We the readers know what the killer thinks of their crimes because the text tells us. But the other characters never hear that explanation except third hand, and many of them simply don't believe it. And that feels real--they end the story with their own version of the truth and there's simply no space for that to be corrected (and why would they believe the word of a killer anyway?) The killer feels a little one-dimensional, but the motives make sense, if they're unsurprising. The motivations behind most violent crimes are pretty repetitive.
The prose is fine. We're reading from the perspective of teenagers, so expect a lot of melodramatic metaphors and jumping to conclusions based on minimal evidence.
Overall, this book tells an important story. It was entertaining as a narrative and sheds light on a community that deserves a lot more attention.
No way out but through
Feb. 13th, 2026 05:39 pmsine_nomineWell, I survived the hospital and then I went to the orthopedic floor of a rehabilitation hospital. It was a way shorter stay than I anticipated but it was "three hours" of PT or OT a day, except on your designated rest day. Three hours in quotes because, of course, there's stuff like just getting one's shoes on (because my aides weren't certified to assist me) and filling people in on history and more... but it was still a lot. So I arrived on a Wednesday night and it's a "soft landing", except of course it was a lot of people and they still didn't communicate everything I had to know, and then it was Thursday and Friday and Saturday was the off day - that one of the CNAs was going to come and help me shower, except they moved her somewhere else that day. SO frustrating; she was the only one I trusted to make sure the incisions stayed dry and so on. So that didn't happen. Then it was Sunday through Saturday, and Sunday again and they were discharging me on the 9th. Which I fought tooth and nail because, even in the short time that I'd been there I'd learned SO much.... and they were like, "this is supposed to be like a boot camp jump start" and I'm like "but you all are showing me how much ELSE is wrong with my body AND how to use it" and they're like buh bye. I have to admit it was fun to say to doctor and case manager, "Hey, I spoke to insurance and they said that, as long as I'm making progress, I can stay for a month as far as they are concerned." They looked at each other like, "Ugh, our main argument just got pulled out from under us."
The medical care there really kinda sucked. My designated doctor (a physiatrist) clearly didn't really want to know how I was doing; she was checking boxes. I refrained from saying to her, "You know, Doctor, calling your patient "dear" because you can't remember their name really isn't a good look." Then there was this internist who kept rounding on me even though he, technically, wasn't having anything to do with my care - but hey, it's another patient he can bill for.... and he nearly f'ed me up when he asked for 3 more iron infusions on top of the 5 I'd already agreed to with the hematologist. I thought I'd lost track of days when they did the sixth, and then I realized no that's more than I agreed to so I had them de-access the port.... then the next day the nurse said we have to access your port again, and I said why and she said because it's supposed to be 8 infusions. To which I said hell no I felt like pure unmitigated garbage this morning, and I wasn't consulted, and my anemia is not an iron deficiency anemia so no.
And then there was the hematologist. Who happened to be the hematologist I famously fired last Spring after I saw him following my discharge from my hospital stay because it was clear he was lazy as hell and wasn't going to advocate the way I needed him to in order to keep me safe for all my procedures.... and then stumbled into Dr. Hematology's practice - and he happens to be one of the most respected hematologists in the area. Which stood me in good stead with Dr. Fired (who warmly greeted me and I warmly greeted him back and neither of us talked about the fact that I'd fired him)... except of course Dr. Fired reminded me not to "break the system", saying that - in his office, or Dr. Hematology in his office, could do almost anything but here there was a way they did things.... and I definitely broke the system because Dr. Hematology had a note on my record to transfuse if I went under 10 (they don't do it unless you're at 7 or below) and I hit 8.4 and sent a note to him and Dr. Fired saying "PLEASE can we....because I'm trying to heal from major surgery here..." and then the internist (Dr. Slimy, for REASONS) was like "Oh the blood bank can deny it because you're now at 9.1" and making me feel like a princess for even asking. So yeah. The medical care there lacked something. A lot of somethings.
The food tasted better than the Big Hospital. Though it took them a while to finally figure out that it's a latex CONTACT allergy and avocados and more are not an issue, and that it's PISTACHIO, not tree nuts, and no, I do NOT have a gluten allergy. I was served one meal that was ONE three ounce piece of overcooked cod. No veggies. No sauce. Not even lemon juice. Plus two desserts, and a glass of cranberry juice. Took a picture of that one to show the dietician and she was like "Um that shouldn't have happened..." Initially the caloric intake was WAY too low. Noted that I'm supposed to eat 100 grams of protein a day and she wrote that I could get double protein for every meal - though it didn't always turn up that way.
But yeah, PT and OT showed me a) how deconditioned I am and b) how past injuries that were never looked at and/or never properly treated mean that replacing the hip gives me new mobility in the hip but I'm still super limited in so many other ways. That's really frustrating. Hoping to find a doctor I can talk some of this through with so that we can give me full mobility and not just the hip. Oh, and I learned my rollator is about three inches too tall for me. I've now ordered a new one that can be set lower. Here's hoping that improves my gait.
I have zero idea why I have to be off work for so long - though it is, ostensibly, going to be a bunch of PT and possibly OT. And I alternate between having zero interest in rushing back and thinking of all the notes I am SO behind on sending.
Damn the torpedos; full speed ahead?
The medical care there really kinda sucked. My designated doctor (a physiatrist) clearly didn't really want to know how I was doing; she was checking boxes. I refrained from saying to her, "You know, Doctor, calling your patient "dear" because you can't remember their name really isn't a good look." Then there was this internist who kept rounding on me even though he, technically, wasn't having anything to do with my care - but hey, it's another patient he can bill for.... and he nearly f'ed me up when he asked for 3 more iron infusions on top of the 5 I'd already agreed to with the hematologist. I thought I'd lost track of days when they did the sixth, and then I realized no that's more than I agreed to so I had them de-access the port.... then the next day the nurse said we have to access your port again, and I said why and she said because it's supposed to be 8 infusions. To which I said hell no I felt like pure unmitigated garbage this morning, and I wasn't consulted, and my anemia is not an iron deficiency anemia so no.
And then there was the hematologist. Who happened to be the hematologist I famously fired last Spring after I saw him following my discharge from my hospital stay because it was clear he was lazy as hell and wasn't going to advocate the way I needed him to in order to keep me safe for all my procedures.... and then stumbled into Dr. Hematology's practice - and he happens to be one of the most respected hematologists in the area. Which stood me in good stead with Dr. Fired (who warmly greeted me and I warmly greeted him back and neither of us talked about the fact that I'd fired him)... except of course Dr. Fired reminded me not to "break the system", saying that - in his office, or Dr. Hematology in his office, could do almost anything but here there was a way they did things.... and I definitely broke the system because Dr. Hematology had a note on my record to transfuse if I went under 10 (they don't do it unless you're at 7 or below) and I hit 8.4 and sent a note to him and Dr. Fired saying "PLEASE can we....because I'm trying to heal from major surgery here..." and then the internist (Dr. Slimy, for REASONS) was like "Oh the blood bank can deny it because you're now at 9.1" and making me feel like a princess for even asking. So yeah. The medical care there lacked something. A lot of somethings.
The food tasted better than the Big Hospital. Though it took them a while to finally figure out that it's a latex CONTACT allergy and avocados and more are not an issue, and that it's PISTACHIO, not tree nuts, and no, I do NOT have a gluten allergy. I was served one meal that was ONE three ounce piece of overcooked cod. No veggies. No sauce. Not even lemon juice. Plus two desserts, and a glass of cranberry juice. Took a picture of that one to show the dietician and she was like "Um that shouldn't have happened..." Initially the caloric intake was WAY too low. Noted that I'm supposed to eat 100 grams of protein a day and she wrote that I could get double protein for every meal - though it didn't always turn up that way.
But yeah, PT and OT showed me a) how deconditioned I am and b) how past injuries that were never looked at and/or never properly treated mean that replacing the hip gives me new mobility in the hip but I'm still super limited in so many other ways. That's really frustrating. Hoping to find a doctor I can talk some of this through with so that we can give me full mobility and not just the hip. Oh, and I learned my rollator is about three inches too tall for me. I've now ordered a new one that can be set lower. Here's hoping that improves my gait.
I have zero idea why I have to be off work for so long - though it is, ostensibly, going to be a bunch of PT and possibly OT. And I alternate between having zero interest in rushing back and thinking of all the notes I am SO behind on sending.
Damn the torpedos; full speed ahead?
[FFXIV Fic] Gentle Dark, Chapter 7: I Would Have the Truth
Feb. 13th, 2026 06:23 pmanneapocalypse
Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV
Rating: Mature
Archive Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Urianger Augurelt/Moenbryda Wilfsunnwyn, Urianger Augurelt & Moenbryda Wilfsunnwyn, Ardbert & Urianger Augurelt, Unrealized Ardbert/Urianger Augurelt, Pre-Urianger Augurelt/Warrior of Light
Characters: Urianger Augurelt, Moenbryda Wilfsunnwyn, Ardbert Hylfyst, Elidibus, Unukalhai, Tataru Taru, Minfilia Warde, Warrior of Light, Dewlala Dewla, Y'shtola Rhul, Yugiri Mistwalker, Thancred Waters, J'Rhoomale, Blanhaerz, Lamimi, Naillebert, Haneko Burneko
Additional Tags: Grief/Mourning, Angst, Religion, Isolation, Loneliness, Patch 3.4: Soul Surrender Spoilers (Final Fantasy XIV), Elezen Warrior of Light, Female Warrior of Light, Canon-Typical Violence, Guilt, Emotional Repression, Child Neglect, Childhood Memories, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Series: With Lilies and With Laurel
Length: 42,086 / 92,000
Chapter: 7/15
Summary:
Heartbroken after the loss of his dearest companion, Urianger labors to save two worlds in which he has never felt more alone.
Notes:
If you're new here, please start with Chapter 1!
Final Fantasy XIV is owned by Square Enix. This is a non-commercial work of fanfiction.
( Read on AO3 )
( ...or below! )
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Ok Weird but so far, fun!
Feb. 13th, 2026 02:16 pmsusandennisIt's now 2:15 and except for a short lunch/Jeopardy break, I've been at this tablet since it got here this morning and I'm in love. It's weird. I've had Chromebooks for years and android phones for even longer and while this is android, it really falls between the Chromebook and the phone and is kind of an operating system of its own.
Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus
The keyboard is one of those that attaches magnetically. It is one of the nicest keyboards I've ever typed on. Clean, sure key presses and no weirdness at all. Honestly, I wish my Chromebook keyboards were this good. Heck, I'd still be using my Google Pixelbook, if the keyboard had been half this nice.
The pen is fine. It's not as functional as say an Apple pen and the handwriting experience does not have as nice a feel as the Kindle Scribe but it works great and I'll be using it a lot. I have a note taking app that you just write with the pen and then lasso what you wrote and it turns it right into text. Soooo cool. (Taking minutes at the Food & Beverage meetings!) And there is a spot for the pen to sit where it also charges. Quite handy.
Oh and there's a whole section for watching streams - I swipe left and there are all my streams even with suggestions for what to watch. I think I might be liking that most of all.
There's some weirdness in the operation and I cannot decide if I'd rather use Gmail from the app or from a Chrome tab - baby steps. But I sure do like this new toy.
Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus
The keyboard is one of those that attaches magnetically. It is one of the nicest keyboards I've ever typed on. Clean, sure key presses and no weirdness at all. Honestly, I wish my Chromebook keyboards were this good. Heck, I'd still be using my Google Pixelbook, if the keyboard had been half this nice.
The pen is fine. It's not as functional as say an Apple pen and the handwriting experience does not have as nice a feel as the Kindle Scribe but it works great and I'll be using it a lot. I have a note taking app that you just write with the pen and then lasso what you wrote and it turns it right into text. Soooo cool. (Taking minutes at the Food & Beverage meetings!) And there is a spot for the pen to sit where it also charges. Quite handy.
Oh and there's a whole section for watching streams - I swipe left and there are all my streams even with suggestions for what to watch. I think I might be liking that most of all.
There's some weirdness in the operation and I cannot decide if I'd rather use Gmail from the app or from a Chrome tab - baby steps. But I sure do like this new toy.
[#11 Crystal, X-Men, Emmakitty] chiaroscuro
Feb. 13th, 2026 10:35 pmshroomystar posting in 100femslashTitle: chiaroscuro
Rating: Gen
Category: F/F
Fandom: X-Men (Comicverse)
Author: shroomy(y)star
Ship/Characters: Emma Frost/Kitty Pryde
Warnings/Notes: from the ashes era, smoking
Word Count: 1235
Summary: In the half-dark, Kate’s face is a study in chiaroscuro.
ao3 | dreamwidth
Rating: Gen
Category: F/F
Fandom: X-Men (Comicverse)
Author: shroomy(y)star
Ship/Characters: Emma Frost/Kitty Pryde
Warnings/Notes: from the ashes era, smoking
Word Count: 1235
Summary: In the half-dark, Kate’s face is a study in chiaroscuro.
ao3 | dreamwidth
(no subject)
Feb. 13th, 2026 10:55 amgreghousesgfNot much going on here right now, unless something unusual happens I'm going to the deYoung tomorrow.
Target Interuptus
Feb. 13th, 2026 10:27 amsusandennisI was all dressed and ready to Target when I checked to see if UPS had my little map yet.
It DID! And the little brown truck was very nearly at the front door. So I hustled my butt downstairs to the front desk. If I don't get there when he does, then my package goes in with everyone else's and is delivered sometime this afternoon.
Mr. UPS was there looking for someone to sign when I got there. I breathlessly signed and grabbed my prize.
Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus
It's really beautiful and the perfect size. And really beautiful. I copied from my phone to save some steps and it was all set up and ready to go 30 minutes from the time I bought the box through the door. I like that.
I'm not that familiar with Lenovo-ese. The only Lenovo thing I have is a very old tablet that speaks beginner android. So I have some learning to do. But, so far, I'm thrilled. I'm now upgrading the operating system. Looks like that's going to take a while. I might pop out to Target if I can't play with it while it upgrades.
It DID! And the little brown truck was very nearly at the front door. So I hustled my butt downstairs to the front desk. If I don't get there when he does, then my package goes in with everyone else's and is delivered sometime this afternoon.
Mr. UPS was there looking for someone to sign when I got there. I breathlessly signed and grabbed my prize.
Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus
It's really beautiful and the perfect size. And really beautiful. I copied from my phone to save some steps and it was all set up and ready to go 30 minutes from the time I bought the box through the door. I like that.
I'm not that familiar with Lenovo-ese. The only Lenovo thing I have is a very old tablet that speaks beginner android. So I have some learning to do. But, so far, I'm thrilled. I'm now upgrading the operating system. Looks like that's going to take a while. I might pop out to Target if I can't play with it while it upgrades.
Any Updates on the LJ Situation?
Feb. 13th, 2026 10:20 ammuccamukk(I've basically peaced out on answering comments, apologies. I'll try to catch up on at least the fandom ones. I appreciate you all!)
![[staff profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user_staff.png)
denise posted the thread about LJ going Russia-locked (ETA: see comments for corrections) and/or selling off six weeks ago now, which feels like twenty years in Internet time, but is probably not that long in business time. Has anyone heard updates on what's happening with LJ since then? Is this like the x-number of times ff.net was definitely going offline?
Relatedly, is anyone in touch with the mods of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
camp_toccoa, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
skyearth85 and/or skew_whiff? Sky used to be active on Discord, but I haven't seen her in ages. Has there been any talk of moving that comm to Dreamwidth?
I remember it was a bit of a voyage through broken links and broken dreams last time I looked at it, but there's still a bunch of fic that never moved to either AO3 or DW.
denise posted the thread about LJ going Russia-locked (ETA: see comments for corrections) and/or selling off six weeks ago now, which feels like twenty years in Internet time, but is probably not that long in business time. Has anyone heard updates on what's happening with LJ since then? Is this like the x-number of times ff.net was definitely going offline?Relatedly, is anyone in touch with the mods of
camp_toccoa, skyearth85 and/or skew_whiff? Sky used to be active on Discord, but I haven't seen her in ages. Has there been any talk of moving that comm to Dreamwidth?I remember it was a bit of a voyage through broken links and broken dreams last time I looked at it, but there's still a bunch of fic that never moved to either AO3 or DW.
Hey Sweetheart 2026
Feb. 13th, 2026 12:58 pmmuseaway posting in ficwip
It's Hey, Sweetheart weekend! Comment on this post with a link to your fic or art for this year's event. Or, if it's quite short, feel free to post it directly in the comments. Please include your fandom/ship/rating information so people know what they're putting in their eyes/ears.
Due to the multifandom nature of this community, it's unlikely we are each other's readers, but feel free to link it anyway. You never know.
--
The official event post is over here
Poem: "Choosing to Sprout"
Feb. 13th, 2026 12:53 pmjjhunterThe seeds lying in their wombs of earth are turning now
preparing to kick out taproots through their coats
I rewatch the video of bluebird chicks cracking their own eggshells
Wondering at babies battering through barriers to birth themselves
Choosing again and again to leave every womb that once held them
Protected and confined
===
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
preparing to kick out taproots through their coats
I rewatch the video of bluebird chicks cracking their own eggshells
Wondering at babies battering through barriers to birth themselves
Choosing again and again to leave every womb that once held them
Protected and confined
===
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Oh right, it's Friday!
Feb. 13th, 2026 06:27 pmgoodbyebirdFanart Friday ahoy :D
Absolute Wonder Woman
absolute wonder woman by asianfisherman @ bluesky. Our favorite lady and her favorite Pegasus. LOVE the profile of Diana here, the tousled hair, the palette. Perfection.
Absolute Wonder Woman by ohvalkyrie @ bluesky. Unusually angled profile, lovely coloring.
A3 commission by getcampbell @ bluesky. Moody black and white ink drawing.
Really loving Absolute Wonder Woman right now by camartstuff @ bluesky. Full bodied hairporn goddess.
horse girls by crowwkui @ bsky. Diana and Kara, super cute!
Princesses of the Underworld by dylanmacri @ bsky. Hades crossover, very adorable, much muscle.
I still don't know how to spot if certain bsky posts are locked when you don't have an account... sorry if some don't load for you.
Absolute Wonder Woman
absolute wonder woman by asianfisherman @ bluesky. Our favorite lady and her favorite Pegasus. LOVE the profile of Diana here, the tousled hair, the palette. Perfection.
Absolute Wonder Woman by ohvalkyrie @ bluesky. Unusually angled profile, lovely coloring.
A3 commission by getcampbell @ bluesky. Moody black and white ink drawing.
Really loving Absolute Wonder Woman right now by camartstuff @ bluesky. Full bodied hairporn goddess.
horse girls by crowwkui @ bsky. Diana and Kara, super cute!
Princesses of the Underworld by dylanmacri @ bsky. Hades crossover, very adorable, much muscle.
I still don't know how to spot if certain bsky posts are locked when you don't have an account... sorry if some don't load for you.
Muscle Memory
Feb. 13th, 2026 08:52 amsusandennisI started dieting to lose weight when I was about 16. I quit when I was 50. I gave up smoking and, as a reward, promised myself I could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it, amen. I gained about 100 pounds and have kept it since. I've been operating on that same premise until 3 weeks ago so 27 years.
My deal with myself (and my doctor) with Wegovy is that I would continue my premise. Eat what I want when I want. And, for the most part I have done just that. I have added in more protein to stave off any unpleasant digestive side effects. And I've added prunes.
My plan is to eat, live, shoot up this way from now until the end. So no denying myself. I will eat what I want when I want it. If I want fried chicken, I eat fried chicken. If I want cake, I eat cake.
Mostly, I do not feel like eating more than is necessary which is great. And I have had no appetite for fried chicken or cake. But, yesterday, I didn't eat enough and wanted to snack all night. I did not and when I got into bed I realized I was breaking my promise to myself. If I want to eat something, I should eat it. I am not on a diet like the old days. I am on a diet like the new days.
My new Tech is down the road at the UPS station "being readied for delivery". Not that I'm stalking. OK, I'm stalking. Usually UPS gives me a little map with a brown truck and tells me how many stops away I am. I am a sucker for this little map.
I had a lovely swim this morning.
My feet are getting bad again. I should go back to that podiatrist and might if they don't get better. I need some thicker socks, I think. I should get off my ass and go to Target. I might. (Walmart would probably be better but Target is way closer.)
But, first I probably should get dressed.
My deal with myself (and my doctor) with Wegovy is that I would continue my premise. Eat what I want when I want. And, for the most part I have done just that. I have added in more protein to stave off any unpleasant digestive side effects. And I've added prunes.
My plan is to eat, live, shoot up this way from now until the end. So no denying myself. I will eat what I want when I want it. If I want fried chicken, I eat fried chicken. If I want cake, I eat cake.
Mostly, I do not feel like eating more than is necessary which is great. And I have had no appetite for fried chicken or cake. But, yesterday, I didn't eat enough and wanted to snack all night. I did not and when I got into bed I realized I was breaking my promise to myself. If I want to eat something, I should eat it. I am not on a diet like the old days. I am on a diet like the new days.
My new Tech is down the road at the UPS station "being readied for delivery". Not that I'm stalking. OK, I'm stalking. Usually UPS gives me a little map with a brown truck and tells me how many stops away I am. I am a sucker for this little map.
I had a lovely swim this morning.
My feet are getting bad again. I should go back to that podiatrist and might if they don't get better. I need some thicker socks, I think. I should get off my ass and go to Target. I might. (Walmart would probably be better but Target is way closer.)
But, first I probably should get dressed.
