Bugs' Journal

I'm happy again now :P

Christmas! I did nothin :) it rocked. My love and I drank cocoa and did puzzles, I got the game Project Highrise and I really like it. Right now zey're gluing another puzzle I got them.

Zey started therapy! Win. And the office is right by this area with so many thrift stores, so that's our Saturdays.

Toby fox released a song called "carpet" remixing the persona song. And Jimmy carter died.
Mostly I think it's funny to combine multiple genres of current event updates. Isn't it so insane how everything happens all of the time? Concurrently?

I got my paycheck from the job. 900 buckaroos, yippee! Granted, I'm pretty sure 600 of that minimum is going to go to uber cash when I do the math, but I haven't done the math yet so i'm riiiiiich.

I made little foam fish on a piece of ribbon to be a walking rope for my students. We had a 'winter wonderland' day, it was CRAZY. There was snow?? And kids throwing the snow (which had melted and become ice, because it was 80f) as hard as they could. One kid did bleed, and one of my coworkers saw a little girl throwing up in a trash can all alone. They uh...Really are different in public school. I'd like to say it was fun, but it mostly felt like bringing a bunch of kindergartners to an anime convention with no anime. The older kids weren't required to be with an adult, so they were running all over. Absolute shit-show, but I'm not going to risk by job by saying shit to the upper management, and everyone below them seems to agree this shit sucks. Second year of it, so it's probably growing pains. What the hell though?

Anyway, today we're going to shop at Walmart, mourn the death of price match guarantee and look at laundry baskets.

Jesus fucking christ.

Right now, it looks like trump won both the electoral college and the popular vote. I spent election night calming down suicidal teenagers, same as I did last time he won. I feel so bad that my younger siblings and younger generations in general have to experience this same exact shit. To scale it, when he was elected the first time, I was in sophomore year, and the kids currently in sophomore were in 3rd. The babies are now exactly where I was, and that's wretched.

There's a lot of talk about interference, but even if he cheated it's pretty much over. Democrats just don't make as big a fuss when they're wronged as republicans do. I don't think any organized election interference took place, but i do think a lot of single people attempted to cheat the election in trumps favor. Like the Pennsylvania ballot challenges and the Vancouver ballot box explosion.

I also.. I hesitantly believe the election is accurate. I want to say, 'do so few people care to vote? Are so many so fascist or so checked out to vote for trump?'. I want to be disbelieving and shocked. But I'm not. A lot of people felt, 'oh now that trump has been president once, they will understand how he really is!'. But they understood in 2016, it wasn't secret.

A lot of people are saying it's because Kamala Harris is a black woman. I think that's the closest to the truth. A lot of people are also saying it's her short period of being the runner instead of Biden. The fact 'did biden drop out?' trended on google really shows that, yeah. The short candidacy probably mattered. But that just emphasizes how checked out people are.

I don't know what to feel. Maybe I'll write another entry about feelings alone. If anyone in history cares, california also voted to keep slavery in the constitution (prop 6, it's about slavery for prisoners).

Job update: Despite doing everything short of visiting in person*, I never got any more information or a formal firing.
*I stand by the principle that showing up to a place with young children with anger in you is not a great call. I don't want to make anyone feel unsafe, even if it's unfounded.

I'm sad! Obviously. Anyway. I went to the Muzeo Museum, despite being a bit out of the way it was fun. I got in for $1 for having a snap card, and there was a display about Victorian mourning, general Anaheim history, edward mobley toys, and an art display that wasn't very compelling. It was fun to go to, I sent photos of the edward mobley toys to my nana and she went through saying she had this or that one, and her sisters had these, etc.

I also briefly went to a friday the 13th event, but my Fear Of Missing Out was unfounded, it was empty and boring. I've been sketching with charcoal, and reading re7 fics. Life is sometimes made up of little boring moments, but at least this breather lets me read Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents.

Review, in brief: I think Gibson is too attached to moralizing the internalizing vs externalizing reactions to trauma and pain. Just because someone harms themselves instead of others doesn't make them morally better, or more understandable by society, or any of that. Externalizers shouldn't be ignored in the way the book does, or assumed to be hurtful to others. In short I don't think that idea was developed in a bias-reducing way and as a result the narrative excludes the wide variety of ways pain can express. Otherwise a good book, with fair-enough stories and helpful tips for working around emotional immaturity. I would recommend it.

Whew! Time flies when the endless press of adulthood is turning you into a panini.

I got a job- Kindergarten tutor. It seems..honestly somewhere between being a kindergarten teacher and being a daycare attendant. Small company, too- everyone seems nice, but there's a bit of a frantic disorganization for the office staff (two whole people) that means some of the 'teachers' (maybe 20-30 including subs) are...not really keeping the standards I personally think are important. The first grade teacher especially is rubbing me the wrong way- he's a very tall guy, so I understand why he lets my kiddos jump on him. But jumping all over your teacher like they're your uncle or cousin is super not acceptable in my book. I understand culture is a huuuuge factor in that, but I also know professional standards is another culture set (and yes it's predominately influenced by western upper class social standards blah blah blah blah blaaaah). No matter what the exact best call is, I'm mostly ignoring it and making that sort of touch not okay in my classroom.

I also feel like I should ban pda a little but...they're so cute. One of the first graders is the older sister of one of my kinders, and when the classes combine for playtime she hugs him tight and kisses his cheeks. And like, I get it. If my little sisters were around I would also being attacking them. So it's hard for me to enforce a rule on the types of affection allowed- obviously hugs are fine, I just feel like face smushing and kissing are too far, but also...I don't care personally.

I feel a bit sad because one of my favorite kiddos is summer only. The company gave me a week off for some reason, on what would have been my third week of work. So instead of saying goodbye like I wanted, I ended up not seeing my class again. On monday i'll see my new class, which of course will include some old faces, but I know she's not coming. She's cute, confident and smart, but has anxiety. She feels safe asking for hugs- all the kids feel so safe. I'm so happy for them.

Anyway, I'm also VERY happy to FINALLY get income. Oh my god, I fucking hate job searching, may I stay employed for at least a year and a half. I know this will reduce the financial burden on my love as well, and let me finally sit in a cafe to do my work like I love doing so much.

We got a bunch of wicker baskets and a rolling organizer, as well as another-another-another earring holder. We keep upgrading earring holders to fit them but it seems like we always have too many earrings. Skill issue, clearly. We're also going to go to R*s*o (censored because it's NOT a chain), a big asian mart. And I'll get more of the soft banana custard breads I like so much! They have a monkey on them :)

All and all I'm doing pretty good- I'm so lucky to get to be here with my partner who I love. Stuff continues foreshadowing with my mom and nana, but as long as I'm out here I only need to get involved if it escalates. Maybe I'll regret this hands off approach later, but frankly I cannot help until I get a more stable friend/social group. I just need to have enough friends that I can take care of my emotional support needs in a way that doesn't overburden anyone. Which will be SO much easier now that I can afford the $7 fee that going out for coffee invokes.

Oh also, I got a McChicken add pickle and it was like $2.75. That used to be $1.09 a few years ago.

I'm talkative today! I also saw my partners- zir name is Jason I just don't expect that to be known- Jason's scrapbook for the first time in a while. It's full of paper and diary pages and airline tickets. It's such a testiment to who they are that I'm getting irrationally scared that we're going to lose it in a fire or a flood or a robbery or a random strike of lightening or fairies. Possibly I need to get my anxiety med dosage upped.

Also I went to red robin for the first time. I didn't know they actually played the 'red robin' sound and people in real, actual life, would say 'yum'. It was scary. Also I got food poisoning and the food selection was uninspired so I shan't be returning.

Bye!

Interesting times, ugh!

Trump got his ear shot. There's a lot of talk about if it was a set-up, if it's just a PR stunt. I think it's more likely that Thomas M4tthew Cr00ks just...wanted to shoot him. I don't think trump staged it. I think maybe the Sec.et service did a piss-poor job protecting a nominee, maybe due to simply disliking him, but that's not a conspiracy that's just human bias.

Also we got news today that Biden has covid. There's theories about THAT being staged to hide his ailing health, which I put a bit more stock in, but honestly he probably just does have covid. I suspect he has long covid, in fact...A lot of issues people are saying are dementia seems a lot like long covid to me.

It doesn't really matter though. The candidates this election are in such ill health that we're really voting for vice pres. Most of the drama is people realizing stuff that I knew months ago, far too late to really change anything. I don't blame them, it's hard to focus on politics when so much is going on.

Anyway, mandatory historical documenting over. I'm still doing PT, but I've been skipping it because I feel sad. Family issues, I'm so glad to live with my partner and not have to step up 24/7. I haven't done code in a while, but I've been making images to upload later. I got my partner icecream, yogurt, and Tylenol for their ailments. My meds person told me to take melatonin to sleep, despite the fact that tots interacts with my meds and imo is not worth the risk. I guess I might go to therapy again? It's kind of a situation where I don't need therapy as much as I need steady employment, but of course it's way easier to find people to take your money than give you some...

Womp Womp.

In better news I'm working on transferring my poems to my partners (much better) computer. Maybe I'll see about submitting them to some journal for some cash- they aren't super amazing, but I think that with editing they would be at least Target book aisle quality. I love them, but love and marketability are not always super compatible. It would be nice to speak and have it resonate with people. Oh, and I'm chatting around on Lex again, which is nice. Cute girls flirting with me is always a plus.

Medical stuff! ugh! I've been busy with that sort of thing. Otherwise just been coding my heart out. I did start a blinkie community on tumblr- that's just rolled out, and i'm a bit excited about it. Anyway I don't have much to say so it's ask game time

When was the last time you said “I love you” to someone other than your partner?
About two hours ago when I called my little brother. I try to say it a lot to people I love.
Have you ever done something competitively?
Everything I do is competitively. Unless I lose.
Did you enjoy school?
Yeah, I did. I like the atmosphere, and even though I had trouble with teachers I never had any lasting trouble with schoolwork. I got along good with people and had fun learning the gossip.
What advice do you have for young couples?
Communication is the key, but without respect and compatibility it isn't gonna work. Sometimes loving someone as a person means letting them go as a partner. Relationships don't have to be forever to have value.

Also have kinkier sex before your back hurts.

I did manage to get the kitten to a rescue! It took a few days and a lot of networking, but she should be fine now. I'm still deciding quite how I feel about the person I gave her too... she seems like she bit off more than she could chew, if nothing else, with starting a rescue (recently, just in January of this year). If she does anything weird I'll pass word along to the many cat rescue people in the area I now have the contact info for.

Also I have covid! Not that bad this time. Once again Jason brought it home. Luckily I have the updated booster so this is...like, a very mild cold. My throat is sore and I have the slightest drainage and a cough, and i'm SUPER tired, but compared to the other times I think I have had covid...well, I am not going to break any ribs this time!

I don't think anyone reads these right now, but if you do read this and it's within a year of posting- PLEASE. Have an updated covid booster. Please mask if you think you may be sick, or if you're going to be somewhere crowded like a school hallway or public transit. Please stay home if you have covid or have been exposed to covid. Also get paxlovid- It helps a lot, and if you know the taste side effect, do it anyway.

No ask game this week, it's fun but i'm sooooo tired.

My partner is visiting family today, which is a train ride away. I mostly coded and napped today, I was originally going to visit a new coffee shop but I realized midway through getting ready that 1) it was HOT at the current moment and 2) it would be COLD by the time I left. And I hate carrying a jacket. So I got stuck.
Everyone is like 'Californian weather rocks!', yeah no. It's lukewarm all the time, and there's literally pollution events like it's Rimworld. My favorite grocery store sucks to visit because the bus stop nearest it has a permanent smog. And it never smells like wheat grass or freshness outside. I wish Texas hadn't taken away my right to an abortion :/!

Do you collect anything?
Emotionally, Aurora Palm Pals. In actuality, no, but I do own a lot of earrings. I need them for my boyswag.
What snack can't you have anymore?
Hot Cheetos. I love them, my body doesn't. Also, forever sad about bagelfuls being discontinued.
If you could snap your fingers and become an expert in something, what would it be?
Languages, probably. I'd like to speak them all. But if it doesn't work for speaking languages, just being a linguist or something, I'd like to snap my fingers and know all about CSS.
Where would you be right now if you had zero obligations and money didn’t matter?
Hotel. Not even necessarily a fancy one or one at a unique location. I just like hotels.

Honestly, using spacehey and dreamwidth has been so delightful. I'm a bit stuck with neocities rn- I want to code some images to make a sfx when clicked, but I am so lost that I didn't even understand the advice I was given. But overall it's been so enjoyable to just create posts for myself without an expectation of a reply or conversation.

Otherwise I've been chilling. I don't quite have it in me to start applying to jobs again- Rejection Hurts in a way that I don't think you can understand unless you've actively applied for jobs and not been able to get one for over four months. But I'm working on at least reclaiming my creative side instead of just sitting and watching my life pass by. I don't want to spend my life without living it. I may not do as much as I want to, but I want to do all I can.

Anyway-


Top five books you've ever read?
Okay in NO order:
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli- Captures being a child very well, and has an engaging plot
Out of my mind by Sharon Draper- It defies tropes in some ways that absolutely shook me as a child
Savvy by Ingrid Law- Fun, character driven story that feels like a daydream made realistic
All Systems Red by Martha Wells-Dynamic world that questions the human condition in both the text, and through meta analysis.
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero-I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of this book, the characters fascinated me and their interactions felt organic and heartfelt.

Honorable mention to Dog Sees God by Bert V Royal. If it wasn't a play, it would be my favorite book. The passion in the little red bic lighter monologue is my ultimate favorite. I've never seen it acted out, but my theater teacher had a copy of it in her scripts box that I used for a few projects.

What's your favorite food?
Tuna casserole! But I think that might change soon- I've been having a lot of new foods since I moved.
Mayonnaise or mustard?
Kewpie Mayonnaise >u<
How did you get into writing fanfiction?
No clue! I think the low bar for entry on quotev and reading a lot of fics for hetalia (I was 12) made me think I could do it. And I could! I write about way more complex things now than back then, but I also write less, so...
How many unread emails do you have right now?
18! I love sorting emails and maintaining my inbox :)
What makes you click out of a fanfic instantly?
Not knowing how to use the enter key. I can have some campy fun with stuff like 'greenette' and ooc writing, but I Cannot read a fic that is a solid block.

Went to a citrus fair yesterday! There was no citrus, but it was cool. I also got some blood drawn for testing. Right now I'm waiting for my partner to shower so we can go grocery shopping.


What drives you to get up every morning?
I'm happy to be alive. I wasn't for a long time, but now I'm just so happy to be here. I'm also lucky to have a partner who I get to see as soon as I wake up, but that's not as big a factor as you'd figure.
How do you spend your free time?
I have a LOT of things I do for fun. But mainly I read, I like fics and I like scifi. I also like disaster analysis videos and true crime*.
*RESPECTFUL! NON GRAPHIC!
What are your hobbies and how did you get into them?
I have a lot of different art hobbies, because I see something cool and go "can i do that?" and usually I can. I also enjoy hiking, I probably got 'into' it by wandering around the creek by my childhood house. I bake, because during the pandemic there was a joke about learning to make sourdough, and I went huh I wonder if I could...and I can. There's more but the main goal is to learn and have fun :) Oh yeah, and I make balloon animals, people usually find that cool.
What goal are you working toward right now?
Ugh, job search again. I'm also working on catching up my medical care. Boooring adult stuff. I am also working on making my neocities look cool, but I'm not sure if I have a goal in mind for it, so it's sort of working for fun and not for a goal.
What subjects, current events, or causes are you passionate about?
I've been having a hard time being an advocate since the pandemic, but I care deeply about hunger in america, ceasefire in gaza, and global trans rights.