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torachan) wrote2025-08-12 08:37 pmDaily Happiness
2. I had a chill work from home day today.
3. I played Donkey Kong Bananza when it first came out and then got so busy with the new store that I didn't play it at all for a couple weeks, but I picked it up again the other day and have been playing it more and am really enjoying it a lot.
4. Carla made butternut squash soup for dinner and it's so good! We also had quesadillas, which were delicious as well. Usually I like combining quesadillas with tomato soup (better than grilled cheese and tomato soup, imo, though I like that classic combo as well) but it works well with the squash, too.
5. I got too close to Tuxie this morning when trying to get pictures of him, but he paused politely mid scamper for me to get another one.
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diaryof_samuelpepys_feed) wrote2025-08-12 11:00 pmTuesday 12 August 1662
Up early at my office, and I find all people beginning to come to me. Among others Mr. Deane, the Assistant of Woolwich, who I find will discover to me the whole abuse that his Majesty suffers in the measuring of timber, of which I shall be glad. He promises me also a modell of a ship, which will please me exceedingly, for I do want one of my own. By and by we sat, and among other things Sir W. Batten and I had a difference about his clerk’s making a warrant for a Maister, which I would not suffer, but got another signed, which he desires may be referred to a full board, and I am willing to it. But though I did get another signed of my own clerk’s, yet I will give it to his clerk, because I would not be judged unkind, and though I will stand upon my privilege. At noon home and to dinner alone, and so to the office again.
Where busy all the afternoon till 10 o’clock at night, and so to supper and to bed, my mind being a little disquieted about Sir W. Batten’s dispute to-day, though this afternoon I did speak with his man Norman at last, and told him the reason of my claim.
badfalcon) wrote2025-08-12 03:41 pm
They've got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses!
I've started documenting the process on Tumblr - because there's been some controversy in the fandom with one of the popular/prolific writers found to be using AI - and I'd already shared my planning process and my editing process, so now I'm also sharing how the bunny forms from the random place it's spawned from.
So a few weeks ago, when I was doing one of my Tennis Dads History posts - and it was a week where Simone had won the tournament he was in but I couldn't find pictures anywhere online because it was 'only' a Challenger. And I ended up lamenting to Li - at length - about the serious lack of pictures available online from Simone's SIXTEEN YEAR pro-playing career.
Right?
And Li - who is vehemently not an RPF person - turns around and says 'oh, he's an immortal and he's changed identities since then' and then apparently I have a Highlander AU. Which is fucking hilarious because I've never seen the movies, or the show, or been in the fandom. Of course, I'm aware of the fandom and I was chronically online in the mid-late 90s/early 00s so it's definitely part of my fandom cultural history/knowledge. Cue me jumping into wiki and fandom.com and rounding out the knowledge.
Then the next thing I know, I'm posting
... *sigh*
Another immortal resurfaces - one Simone thought was dead. Maybe they were once rivals, or lovers, or both.
This immortal is not as discreet. And their presence risks blowing Simone’s cover - unless he does something to stop them.
Cue: Simone beheading someone with a tennis racket behind Centre Court at 3 a.m.
( and the rest is going behind a cut because this got long ) so yeah... welcome to my brain?
mific) wrote2025-08-12 06:55 pmMy Favourite Breakfast
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drawesome challenge. The prompt was What makes you happy.Breakfast is my favourite meal (the promise of a new day), and this has become my favourite breakfast over the past while - it definitely makes me happy.
A toasted bagel drizzled with garlic olive oil, smeared with Promite (a gentler variant of Vegemite made in Aussie), then generously covered with smoked garlic hummus (Turkish Kitchen brand, for any Kiwis here). I've only drawn half of the bagel, so assume I've eaten the other half and am humming happily. Dilmah's English Breakfast tea with milk in my favourite yellow Chinese mug (see icon), and Greek yoghurt flavoured with Barker's Apricot (like apricot jam but with no added sugar or sweetener) plus a little maple syrup. Yum.
torachan) wrote2025-08-11 10:36 pmDaily Happiness
2. This morning I had a meeting with the Japan IT team who is here for the month helping with the inventory system project that is now my main focus, and I finally got some more clarity on what exactly will be expected of me, so that's good.
3. Jasper is so handsome.
diaryof_samuelpepys_feed) wrote2025-08-11 11:00 pmMonday 11 August 1662
All the morning at the office. Dined at home all alone, and so to my office again, whither Dean Fuller came to see me, and having business about a ship to carry his goods to Dublin, whither he is shortly to return, I went with him to the Hermitage, and the ship happening to be Captn. Holland’s I did give orders for them to be well looked after, and thence with him to the Custom House about getting a pass for them, and so to the Dolphin tavern, where I spent 6d. on him, but drank but one glass of wine, and so parted. He tells me that his niece, that sings so well, whom I have long longed to see, is married to one Mr. Boys, a wholesale man at the Three Crowns in Cheapside.
I to the office again, whither Cooper came and read his last lecture to me upon my modell, and so bid me good bye, he being to go to-morrow to Chatham to take charge of the ship I have got him. So to my business till 9 at night, and so to supper and to bed, my mind a little at ease because my house is now quite tiled.
torachan) wrote2025-08-10 08:24 pmDaily Happiness
2. We had a big plastic laundry basket in the hall by the dryer that we use to carry laundry from the washer (which is by the back door) to the dryer (which is all the way across the house by the bedrooms), but it was always in the way and I'd been thinking about looking for a better solution when Carla nearly tripped on it the other day, which made me actually go online and search for collapsible laundry baskets, which I was sure must be a thing, and sure enough there are tons. I got this one off Amazon, which is just slightly smaller than the basket we had before, but can be collapsed down small enough that it can just slot in on the side of the dryer and not be in the way at all! It's been a life changer. Why did we not do this before!?
3. Gemma loves Carla's hair ties so much.
diaryof_samuelpepys_feed) wrote2025-08-10 11:00 pmSunday 10 August 1662
(Lord’s day). Being to dine at my brother’s, I walked to St. Dunstan’s, the church being now finished; and here I heard Dr. Bates, who made a most eloquent sermon; and I am sorry I have hitherto had so low an opinion of the man, for I have not heard a neater sermon a great while, and more to my content. So to Tom’s, where Dr. Fairebrother, newly come from Cambridge, met me, and Dr. Thomas Pepys. I framed myself as pleasant as I could, but my mind was another way. Hither came my uncle Fenner, hearing that I was here, and spoke to me about Pegg Kite’s business of her portion, which her husband demands, but I will have nothing to do with it. I believe he has no mind to part with the money out of his hands, but let him do what he will with it. He told me the new service-book (which is now lately come forth) was laid upon their deske at St. Sepulchre’s for Mr. Gouge to read; but he laid it aside, and would not meddle with it: and I perceive the Presbyters do all prepare to give over all against Bartholomew-tide.
Mr. Herring, being lately turned out at St. Bride’s, did read the psalm to the people while they sung at Dr. Bates’s, which methought is a strange turn.
After dinner to St. Bride’s, and there heard one Carpenter, an old man, who, they say, hath been a Jesuit priest, and is come over to us; but he preaches very well. So home with Mrs. Turner, and there hear that Mr. Calamy hath taken his farewell this day of his people, and that others will do so the next Sunday. Mr. Turner, the draper, I hear, is knighted, made Alderman, and pricked for Sheriffe, with Sir Thomas Bluddel, for the next year, by the King, and so are called with great honour the King’s Sheriffes.
Thence walked home, meeting Mr. Moore by the way, and he home with me and walked till it was dark in the garden, and so good night, and I to my closet in my office to perfect my Journall and to read my solemn vows, and so to bed.
torachan) wrote2025-08-10 04:49 pmWeekly Reading
Isle of Ever
23%. A young girl learns she will inherit a family fortune if she can follow her ancestor's clues and find a mysterious island before the deadline. It's only just getting started but seems interesting so far.
A Death at the Dionysus Club
81%.
Drop Dead Sisters
53%.
The War on Alcohol: Prohibition and the Rise of the American State
No progress.
Recently Finished
The God of the Woods
I really liked this a lot. When I got it from the library and saw how huge it was, I wasn't sure I could finish it in time (no renewals because there are still a bunch of people with holds) but it was a fast read and I zipped through it.
Detective Aunty
First in a new mystery series featuring a recently widowed middle-aged Indian woman as the detective. In this first one, she gets a call from her daughter that she's a murder suspect after finding her landlord's dead body in her shop. I really liked this a lot. Reminded me of the Aunty Lee mystery series.
Decelerate Blue
Graphic novel about a near future dystopia where everything has to be fast and brief. Movies are under twenty minutes. Books are turned into cliff's notes versions. It's also extremely capitalistic and the mall is more important than school. The teenage MC is unhappy with the state of things, and after reading a forbidden book and stumbling (literally) across a group of revolutionaries, decides to run away from home and join them and "decelerate". This has some interesting ideas, but the world-building is very thin and often nonsensical (if they're supposed to be super efficient in their speech, why add "go" to the end of every thought? What is the "guarantee" and why do they repeat the catchphrase "go, guarantee, go"?), and the world seems to have turned into this in just one generation (the grandfather remembers the before times). It was okay. Wouldn't particularly recommend it.
Awajima Hyakkei vol. 1-5
I read the first three books so long ago that I had to reread them before reading the final two. Not one of my favorite Shimura Takako series, but it's cute. If you like her stuff, it's worth checking out. But even reading all five volumes together I had trouble keeping track of all the characters. I did like seeing the cameo by the characters from Aoi Hana, all grown up (and still a couple).
badfalcon) wrote2025-08-10 12:49 pm
- fanfiction,
- food,
- health,
- life,
- mental health,
- weight,
- work
Doctor’s Orders: Blankets & Tennis
I ended up being off work sick all week, and by Thursday I knew I wouldn’t be in a fit state to go back on Monday. So I made a doctor’s appointment. Cried at her, because… well, there’s been a lot lately. Health stuff, work stuff, and the way the airport sale was handled was just the final straw. Like I told her - I’m exhausted, and I just need a fucking break.
She agreed, and signed me off for all of next week too. I’m hoping that having permission to be off will help take the edge off the guilt. Fingers crossed.
I also started a new med on Tuesday, which has left me bloated and given me super fun indigestion. Sigh.
So I’ve spent most of the week on the couch, under a pile of blankies, where it’s safe. I’ve read a lot, written a lot, and watched a lot of tennis. I slept almost 13 hours last night. I still feel fuzzy around the edges, but it feels like it might have helped.
Main goal for next week: keep doing the same. Resting, reading, writing, watching TV. But I’d also like to leave the house a couple of times - even if it’s just to walk down to the library.
Writing goals: finish editing Darren renting Jannik out to Juanki; write the one where Darren is a killer (his player nickname was Killer, and people still call him that - even his wife); write chapter 1 of the Supernatural AU so it’s ready for USO (because that’s where it’s set).
( cut for talk of weight loss )
torachan) wrote2025-08-09 08:54 pmDaily Happiness
2. We had planned to swing by the farmers market on the way home, but there was some other event at the park, too, so there was no parking, so we went home and then walked back over. I think I forgot to mention last week I got this delicious sweet corn cookie from the Filipino tamale stand (we also like their tamales but this was the first time trying any of the cookies) and it was so good I got another two cookies today.
3. It has been three weeks since I had an actual two day weekend, so I am very excited about having tomorrow off as well lol.
4. My original annual raise was reflected in yesterday's paycheck. It's not much of a take-home increase, but it's a little more each paycheck. My raise for the new position will be in effect as of the next payday in two weeks, so that will be another little increase on top of that.
5. Angelic.
diaryof_samuelpepys_feed) wrote2025-08-09 11:00 pmSaturday 9 August 1662
Up by four o’clock or a little after, and to my office, whither by and by comes Cooper, to whom I told my getting for him the Reserve, for which he was very thankful, and fell to work upon our modell, and did a good morning’s work upon the rigging, and am very sorry that I must lose him so soon. By and by comes Mr. Coventry, and he and I alone sat at the office all the morning upon business. And so to dinner to Trinity House, and thence by his coach towards White Hall; but there being a stop at the Savoy, we ’light and took water, and my Lord Sandwich being out of town, we parted there, all the way having good discourse, and in short I find him the most ingenuous person I ever found in my life, and am happy in his acquaintance and my interest in him. Home by water, and did business at my office. Writing a letter to my brother John to dissuade him from being Moderator of his year, which I hear is proffered him, of which I am very glad. By and by comes Cooper, and he and I by candlelight at my modell, being willing to learn as much of him as is possible before he goes.
So home and to bed.
torachan) wrote2025-08-09 04:27 pm2025 Disneyland Trip #54 (8/9/25)
( Halloween merch ahoy! )
mific) wrote in fan_writers2025-08-10 10:10 amWhat happened to the DVD Commentary?
If you haven't seen one, it's where a fanfic author, a while after posting a fic, posts a version of the fic with their comments interleaved - about why they wrote particular lines that way or what they wanted to convey about the characters or situation, or what inspired a particular section. Kind of like a self-meta discussion interwoven with their story. It's interesting, and useful to see the writer's process or thoughts with concrete examples. Here's an excerpt from Synecdochic's commentary on Freedom's Just Another Word For Nothing Left to Lose (SGA), to show what they're like.
SGC finally stops calling him by December. Rodney celebrates by writing a final exam for his relativity class so difficult that it reduces four students to tears in the exam hall. Upon reflection, he decides to be merciful and offer partial credit.
(Commentary) This, to me, was where the story started to turn. I hadn't at all realized that I'd been building up all these little details of an ordinary life, hinting at all the major changes that would lead to it, until I caught myself typing that first sentence. At the time I didn't know where it was going, or why Rodney had cut ties with the SGC so completely and thorougly; I just knew that he had.
A lot of this story worked like that for me. I tend to write in a very linear fashion -- I have the starting image and I know where I want to get it, but the entire middle is this vague unsurmounted wasteland, until I get there and the story tells me where it wants to be going. This is a perfect example of how that works, because I was putting in semi-ominous hints and foreshadowing before I had any idea where it was leading
One thing I noticed was in a DVD commentary on Hindsight, where Rageprufrock mentions having gotten critical comments after posting the fic - about characterisation or other details - and sometimes explains these choices. That brought home how much fandom etiquette's progressed in the last 20 years (in fan-spaces where I play, anyway) so it's now not OK to criticise a writer's posted work unless they specifically request it - and mostly not then. A DVD commentary done by someone not the author these days would need to be reactions to the story, speculations about where it's going, and positive comments - which is what they generally were, back in the day. I think I've only ever seen an actual author comment negatively on their writing in retrospect, but I haven't read a lot of them.
Actually, there's one place where this style of commentary still happens - in podfic. It's not uncommon for podficcers to make a podfic with their readers notes and chatty reactions to the fic interwoven through the recording - and it's often part of the annual Voiceteam challenge. Kisahawklin both recorded and transcribed an Untamed RPF story containing a lot of commentary and chat. There's quite a history of this - e.g. general_jinjur's DVD commentary on their reading of Your Cowboy Days Are Over by M. - although this is an interleaved written commentary, not a podfic recording that includes commentary. Here's a sample:
Returning to fic again, I guess the fanfic DVD commentary was a thing of its time as there haven't been any posted to AO3 since 2011 - the recent ones are all podfic commentaries, and a few works tagged as commentary because of an author's start or end-note. Here, I'm talking about the older style of (almost) line-by-line, interwoven fic and commentary. I find these old commentaries interesting when they're in one of my fandoms. It's especially fascinating to see the thoughts, inspirations and processes that happened for the author, as they react to their own fic.
Have you ever made a DVD commentary of your own or someone else's fic? Know one that you like, and can link to? Do you think we could revisit the DVD commentary as a way to reflect on our writing, or would it be seen as too self-indulgent and a thing of the past?
which_chick) wrote2025-08-09 03:58 pmA week of Rattlercam
Also, no snakes were harmed in the making of this post. The snakes are fine.
( Below the cut are pictures of snakes. If that's not your deal, don't click through. )
torachan) wrote2025-08-08 10:43 pmDaily Happiness
2. I finished the puzzle of doom!
While it was kind of a pain and it took me nearly a month, I do feel very accomplished about completing it.
3. I love how sweet Molly's face looks here.
diaryof_samuelpepys_feed) wrote2025-08-08 11:00 pmFriday 8 August 1662
Up by four o’clock in the morning, and at five by water to Woolwich, there to see the manner of tarring, and all the morning looking to see the several proceedings in making of cordage, and other things relating to that sort of works, much to my satisfaction. At noon came Mr. Coventry on purpose from Hampton Court to see the same, and dined with Mr. Falconer, and after dinner to several experiments of Hemp, and particularly some Milan hemp that is brought over ready dressed.
Thence we walked talking, very good discourse all the way to Greenwich, and I do find most excellent discourse from him. Among other things, his rule of suspecting every man that proposes any thing to him to be a knave; or, at least, to have some ends of his own in it. Being led thereto by the story of Sir John Millicent, that would have had a patent from King James for every man to have had leave to have given him a shilling; and that he might take it of every man that had a mind to give it, and being answered that that was a fair thing, but what needed he a patent for it, and what he would do to them that would not give him. He answered, he would not force them; but that they should come to the Council of State, to give a reason why they would not.
Another rule is a proverb that he hath been taught, which is that a man that cannot sit still in his chamber (the reason of which I did not understand him), and he that cannot say no (that is, that is of so good a nature that he cannot deny any thing, or cross another in doing any thing), is not fit for business. The last of which is a very great fault of mine, which I must amend in.
Thence by boat; I being hot, he put the skirt of his cloak about me; and it being rough, he told me the passage of a Frenchman through London Bridge, where, when he saw the great fall, he begun to cross himself and say his prayers in the greatest fear in the world, and soon as he was over, he swore “Morbleu! c’est le plus grand plaisir du monde,” being the most like a French humour in the world.1
To Deptford, and there surprised the Yard, and called them to a muster, and discovered many abuses, which we shall be able to understand hereafter and amend. Thence walked to Redriffe, and so to London Bridge, where I parted with him, and walked home and did a little business, and to supper and to bed.
Footnotes
torachan) wrote2025-08-07 08:33 pmDaily Happiness
2. I'm getting very close to finishing my current puzzle. I have been doing at least some every day, but with the difficulty level I haven't been making a ton of progress each time, but now that I'm closer to finishing, I'm getting that "just a few more pieces" feeling and today I actually worked on it three separate times. I think I'll probably finish it tomorrow, and will be glad to move on to something a little easier!
3. Lately Ollie has enjoyed stuffing himself into this cubby on the cat tree. It's not as apparent in this photo, but he is really way too big for it.
