Hmm

Is this a day late again? No, and you didn't see anything.

I gave myself a little vacation this past week, from the 1st to the 6th. Originally a family member was going to come visit me, but that fell through a while back and I just decided to keep the time off and relax. And it has been relaxing! A two-day workweek followed by six days off? Hell yes.

The short workweek itself was nothing special. The lab had its Halloween "party", which was really just some door decorations, some snacks in the lunchroom for whenever anyone wanted to drop in and grab some food, and "office-appropriate" costumes. I tossed some things together to be a generic fantasy character, and one of my officemates told me I looked kind of like Hiccup from the How to Train Your Dragon movies. A bit meh, but whatever. As for actual work, I didn't do much, but that was mostly because I didn't have anything to do. I'll have a bunch of stuff waiting for me tomorrow though. Woohoo.

I don't really get trick or treaters where I live, unfortunately, but I did buy a little candy just in case. Nobody came, so it's all for me.

NaNo started on the 1st! I'm not positive I'll be able to make the full 50k this year, as I'm already really struggling to write the 1667 per day and it's only the first week, but I'm going to try my best. I'm doing the same thing I did last year as far as rewards, which is small amounts of fun money that I earn every 1k words written, and then I can spend on anything I want beyond necessities. It's not a lot of money, so it's not like I can go overboard, but an extra takeout night or an enamel pin I've had my eye on for a while? After 5k words or so, gimme.

I also posted the next chapter of my NaNo '22 fic (found here, no warnings other than a brief and uncalled-for accusation of cheating) though I'm a little disappointed by the lackluster response it has gotten. I really like this chapter, and it even includes the first kiss, so I was expecting a bit more of a reaction from people. Ah well.

It has been a pretty boring work week. Didn't have a huge caseload, didn't have a ton of labwork, but did have a few meetings to attend. Nothing exciting there.

As for personal stuff, well, there really isn't much to talk about either. I've been enjoying BG3 vicariously through my friends, and I finally got a mug I backed on Kickstarter ages ago, and I stuck a new decal on the back of my car (a Hannibal one, of course). I ran out of iron pills at the beginning of the week and didn't have a chance to get more until today, so I've been feeling more and more tired. Hopefully that will go away once I start taking them again tomorrow morning. Chronic anemia is so much fun, you know?

I have done quite a bit in terms of writing, though. I've uploaded the next chapter of my NaNo '22 fic (found here, no warnings) and I'm already about three-quarters of the way done with the editing for the one after that. Also, I've started working on a Halloween one-shot fic based on the costume prompt from GYWO and so far it's going pretty well. I'm hoping that will be finished up within the next few days and uploaded before actual Halloween. Fingers crossed.

I think my student loans thing might be resolved? Hopefully? I'm not making any assumptions, though, so I'll be checking that damn website a million times for the next few months

This week at work, I was informed that if the government does shut down for an extended period of time, I might get furloughed. Ugh. It makes sense- I don't work for the federal government, yet my job is technically funded by them- but it's one of those things that just never would have occurred to me to worry about. Yay for new, exciting sources of stress!

My personal life isn't much more interesting than usual. I ran another session of my CoC game, which is going on much longer than I expected, though everyone seems to be enjoying it so no complaints from me. Beyond that, though, I've been really lonely. Bleh

For writing, though, I do have fun news! Somehow, to my own shock, I managed to hit my GYWO goal for the entire year at the end of September. I sincerely have no idea how I did it, but I am very pleased with myself. When I first signed up, I figured it would all come down to NaNo, but NaNo hasn't even happened yet! Oh, and I did post the next chapter of my NaNo '22 fic (found here- warnings for nsfw, sexual fantasy and masturbation). I've even made some solid progress into the chapter after that, so that one might get posted by the end of the week, too

The rest of my life might be spiraling, but at least the writing is going well, yeah?

The temperature finally seems to be dropping! Only a little- high seventies to mid eighties instead of high eighties to mid nineties- but boy howdy am I ready for it. I even managed to go for a walk yesterday, which was a bit muddy after the morning rain, yet oh so nice overall

This was another regular, run of the mill work week. I spent Friday morning with a mild headache that prevented me from doing much until the afternoon, which sucked, but I did manage to finish up my proficiency testing for the Monday deadline at least

I went to a small pop-up art market yesterday, in the hopes of grabbing some more jams and maybe some art. It was a little sad, though, as the rain clearly kept away most of the visitors/customers for the first hour and a half or so, and by the time I showed up two hours in, about half the artists and vendors had packed up and left. One group was even mid-discussion about whether to leave when I stepped into their tent to look around, which was awkward because they stopped abruptly upon my appearance but didn't make me feel particularly welcome, so I didn't buy anything even though I probably would have otherwise. I did at least grab some cookies, a funky little ginger lemonade, and a mini handmade rug shaped like a pumpkin, so not a total wash on my part

I just barely made my wordcount goal again this week, though I did post the next chapter of my NaNo '22 fic (found here, warnings for discussion of long-term brain damage symptoms and past suicidal thoughts). I've even made decent headway on the chapter after that, which admittedly is a lot shorter, but which could end up being posted by the end of this week. Literally no posting schedule for this puppy

NaNo '23 is coming closer and closer, and I'm thinking I might actually write both my urban fantasy/procedural original story AND the dice-based fanfic simultaneously, to give me the kind of creative wiggle room I need as far as writing goes. I'm also considering blending the dice fic with an old concept for a Renaissance faire/LARP fic I've had swimming around for a while. Not sure yet, though

Another run of the mill week. Not much to talk about on any front, honestly. Uhhh...

Work was work. Did a lot in the lab. Life was life. I have a three day weekend thanks to Labor Day, so I get to sleep in again tomorrow morning. Yay! Still haven't heard back from my student loan servicer about whether they've accepted my IDR application. Boo. I don't know, I don't know

As for writing, I did manage to hit my wordcount goal for the week, though only barely. Writing has been so tough recently. I don't know where all my words have gone, but I want them back, please

I am... incredibly sleepy. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Work was work this week. I called out on Monday because I was tired and just couldn't do make myself go in, but I did do a lot over the rest of the workdays. Even allowed some interns to watch me work in the lab on Thursday.

There's really not a ton going on in my personal life right now. I have a wedding I need to fly back to my hometown for next weekend, which I'm honestly not looking forward to (and that makes me feel very guilty, but honestly my friendship with the bride has trailed off into friendly acquaintanceship at best at this point, and I don't know the groom well enough to have an opinion on him beyond that he seems kind of boring). I submitted my application for income-driven repayment for my federal loans, which I hope will be accepted as-is, but which I am absolutely willing to fight for if it isn't. I need to go buy some milk and peanut butter. I'm getting into one of my must-drink-tea-every-day phases, and I'm buying some tea from a small online shop to help sate the urge. I'm glued to all the new Halloween stuff coming out in stores.

It's way too goddamn hot outside.

For writing, I finally went through and edited my CoC oneshot and opened the floor to my friends to find players. I have four potential takers, which should be fine as long as the one who is inclined towards murderhobo-ism can be wrangled (I'm a tough Keeper, though, so I have no problem kicking him if he acts out too much). I also edited and posted the next chapter of my NaNo '22 fic (found here, no warnings other than the usual implied cannibalism, but hey it's a Hannibal fic). Somehow I managed to squeeze by my wordcount target for the week too, even though I didn't write one day and barely wrote anything on another. Not bad overall.

So I did that big work thing I had hanging over my head, and it was fine, even if it wasn't worth the time it took. Two and a half hours to get there, less than ten minutes doing the thing, then two and a half hours back. Yuck. My manager did buy me lunch on the way back though, so I did get a decent free meal out of it. I might have to do it again in two weeks. Yuck again. This was something I knew I'd have to do when I started this job, but ugh, it really is one of the worst parts.

Darksome Art and Craft Market is going on this weekend! I always struggle not to spend way too much money on all the cool stuff, but I managed to trim my purchases back to only a little overbudget instead of entirely off the rails. It was hard. I'm still eyeballing a few things, just in case I lose my willpower later today and give in to temptation. I just love art and want to spend all my money on it.

I barely made my wordcount goal for this week, though I did write every day, and I'm still far beyond the monthly goal. No more editing done, and I still haven't uploaded the next chapter of my NaNo '22 fic. I really have to get on that.

I. Hate. The. Heat.

I am not a summer person. The second temperatures hit about 75F, I am OUT. I'm also so pale that I need large amounts of sunscreen to be outside for more than ten minutes or so, which makes even venturing out more effort than it's worth most of the time. My skin reacts terribly to that same sunscreen and my own damn sweat, so I break out something terrible. Plus, all that heat and sun makes me extremely grumpy, so it's not even fun to be around me unless you're plying me with food and drink and shade.

All that to say that I am feeling extremely trapped right now. I like my apartment. I hate summer here. I just want to be outside, but outside is trying to murder me.

Anyway, work was work this week. I have something big hanging over my head in two weeks, which I'm hoping will get postponed or canceled, but I'm expecting to have to go. Bleh. I'm also feeling a little less enthusiastic about my job recently, though I think some of that is due to my typical summertime blues.

That's right, I get seasonal depression the wrong way around. Give me my cold, grey days back.

As for writing, I'm charging full steam ahead with Camp NaNo. I'm past the 80% complete mark and the month is only half over. I also finished editing the next chapter of my NaNo '22 fic, which will hopefully be posted up this week sometime. Fingers crossed!

I've been putting off making two phone calls at work for over a week now. It's not great. One is even semi-time sensitive, so uh, I have to get on that. I just really hate making phone calls, especially when it would be much easier and make more sense to make contact via email. Oh well, that's next week's problem now.

Speaking of next week (or this week, I guess, if you consider Sunday to start the week), I took off Monday and Wednesday so that I could give myself a five day weekend around the 4th of July. I've been calling it my "mini staycation" because I have pretty much no plans other than to bum around my apartment and relax. Maybe I'll see a movie? I've heard the new Indiana Jones film sucks, but who knows, I might still see it anyway. Nostalgia is a beast.

Oh, and I overcame my severe social anxiety and went to a board games meetup last night. Technically I've been a member of the group for about a year now, but when I say severe social anxiety, I mean severe. This is the first time I've been able to make myself go. I'm really glad I did, though, because it was fun, and it's nice not to be a lonely hermit sometimes. It's amazing what some decent social interaction can do for your mood.

Writing-wise, I'm working on my self-indulgent Disney vacation fic for July's Camp NaNo. I'm open to buddies on there, fyi- I'm under ArakniFae there, too. I've been really enjoying writing this because it lets me plan out an impossible trip for my blorbo Will Graham, who I have realized I just want to write having a good time. He's a terrible person and I love him and I want him to go to Disney World so I can live vicariously through his sarcastic, jaded view of the world.

It has been A Week.

Work was mostly fine, pretty average other than the annoyance of the new project I've been put on. I really don't understand why the lab allows some of this stuff. What's the point of having clearly posted rules for what we accept, if the managers agree to circumvent them every time? I called out on Thursday because I really just needed to not go in for a day, which was nice. Oh, and I went to the dentist on Tuesday, and incredibly, my teeth are looking good. You really don't appreciate a good checkup with the dentist until you've grown up with terrible teeth.

Homelife-wise, I got a "friendly notice" from the apartment complex about violating one of the trash policies. I admit, I did do it, but the reason I did was because they didn't pick up the trash the day before, as they were supposed to. What else am I supposed to do when the other end of the contract isn't being held up?? I sent them a message via resident portal asking for the specifics of what I violated, so I'm hoping they get back to me and I can explain, but if not, I'll probably send a follow-up with my own complaint, because uh I pay for this service every month.

Also, the incoming threat of federal loan repayment is hanging over my head, and I'm already stressed enough about money as it is. I'm really hoping I can get on an income-driven repayment plan, because then I might be able to manage, or at least only hemorrhage a little bit of money every month instead of immediately going into panic mode.

For fandom, I'm really irritated at both the Hannibal fandom and the Good Omens fandom right now, though for different reasons. The Hannibal fandom loves to embroil itself in the most inane interpersonal conflicts, which then have a bad habit of spreading out to other parts of the internet. It's the reason why I don't engage on Twitter and somewhat avoid the fans who have their main base there. For the Good Omens fandom, all this drama about the "leak" (which isn't really a leak because it was deliberately revealed) and whether or not it is ethical to share or discuss it is simultaneously the funniest and stupidest thing ever. I went and hunted it down just to see what the big deal is, and oh my god, it's two frames, less than a second, no context. So fucking dumb.

Ugh.

At least writing is going okay. Nothing new posted this week, only did a little NaNo '22 editing, but I did at least meet my wordcount goal, and my CoC oneshot is getting closer and closer to completion.