jennaria | Reading

conuly posting in

Dear Eric: When my family's children were young, they mostly traveled the 200 miles to visit for holidays. Now the children are older, and have jobs, friends et cetera. The parents now seem to expect us to do the traveling. We are in our late 70s, and this is getting harder to do.

The change in beds, food, schedules and houses put a toll on our physical body that takes days to recover. This seems hard for them to understand as they haven’t reached this stage.

We now are faced with missing holidays with them to comply with their demands. I have faced the possibility of loneliness that older people seemingly endure nowadays. Is there an answer to this problem or must I endure pain and trauma to see family in older age?

– Sad, Lonely and In Pain

( Read more... )

corvidology

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

katiedid717 posting in

agonyaunt

I am a social person. But increasingly, I have little time to socialize. I have two young children and a demanding job. Still, some friends text me frequently, even though I reply concisely and keep refusing their kind invitations. Should I be firmer — maybe start ignoring texts?
BUSY MOM

I once had a boss who, like you, was a busy working mother. She taught me a valuable lesson for managing social interactions on text and email: Do not become hostage to your phone or feel compelled to respond to every message as it arrives. Once or twice a day, spend 15 or 20 minutes responding to all of them — and don’t worry about them again until the next time. It beats telling friends to stop texting.

EDIT: LW provided more info in the comments

I am Busy Mom, LW #4. I just want to clarify something.

In my email to Philip, I used the word "acquaintances," not "friend." The texts I am referring to are from former coworkers, parents of my kids' old friends who now attend different schools, etc. - people I really don't know very well.

I know I should count my blessings, and I do appreciate that people are reaching out, but I truly feel overwhelmed by the number of texts I get from these acquaintances. There are a few former co-workers who text me all the time just to chat and "stay in touch," and I truly do not have as much time for them as they have for me. I'm genuinely wondering if it's better to "ghost" them and stop replying, or to say I don't have the capacity right now.

I'm not sure if other young(ish) parents can relate, but parenting right now feels like a constant barrage of communications - medical appointment reminders, school and after-school emails, parent chat groups, parent-teacher meeting updates, mom WhatsApp groups, neighborhood Signal chats, school log-in systems with updates from teachers, I am completely and utterly overwhelmed with information overload. I get so much textual messaging across so many different platforms, it honestly stresses me out, and I can't keep track of everything.

conuly

The fare is $3. If you commute, you take the bus or train twice a day, five days a week. Every week you spend $30*. You'd have to be caught and ticketed more often than once every five weeks in order to make this math not work out in your favor. And that is never going to happen, because there aren't nearly enough enforcement agents. As it is, the ones we have cost more than they make back. It's all a racket, but you'll notice the buses still aren't free because Albany is still in control of the MTA.

* I'm making a few assumptions here, first, that you're not sharing the same card among several family members with staggered schedules; once you spend $35 in a week on the same card, subsequent trips are free. Also, this is the full fare for most buses and trains, but not for the express bus.

firecat

I wrote what I thought was a fun and helpful comment somewhere on R3ddut. The mods decided it was written by AI so they removed it. Do I get a statue with three arms and six fingers per hand as a reward? Should I missspel more words in my next comment?

cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Jen

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/wedding-missed-marks-vol-458-2026

Ever seen Cornelli lace? It's this pretty icing technique Jennifer wanted on her wedding cake:

But instead, her baker got a little really drunk and had a silly string party:

Bottom Tier: "Hey, I think I'm actually better after a few drinks!"

Middle Tier: "MOAR BEER MOAR STRINGY THINGS WHEEEE"

Top Tier: [face down on the counter, blindly spraying icing all over the room]

Meanwhile...

Kimberly decided on something a little more rustic for her wedding:

...but this really goes against the grain:

And Brittany T. ordered this loveliness for her wedding cake:

You must admit, her baker did a crackin' job:

o.0

Also, if you watch those embedded BBs long enough, I'm pretty sure they'll slowly sink into the cake and disappear, ala the La Brea Tar Pits.

Who's hungry?

Thanks to Jennifer H., Kimberly W., & Brittany T. for fueling bride-to-be nightmares everywhere.

*****

P.S. In case this post wasn't painful enough:

Exceptionally Bad Dad Jokes

There are a lot of "dad joke" books out there, but this one has awesome ratings AND the word "spiffing" on the cover, so it's a clear winner.

Good news, there's a Volume 2!

Exceptionally Bad Dad Jokes, Vol II

This one has the word "spiffing" in the title AND comes with a lovely green-and-gold cover, so folks will recognize your sophisticated taste while begging you to stop telling these terrible, TERRIBLE jokes.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/wedding-missed-marks-vol-458-2026

queenslayerbee posting in

fandomcalendar

( You're about to view content that a community administrator has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

dine

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

weofodthignen

Saw all three cats today, so that was good. But I also watered, which I'm sure is a mortal sin. Yes, it was hot. But only mid-80s.

i_like_the_stars posting in

beautifulmechanical

( You're about to view content that a community administrator has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

the_other_sandy

Filched from

shipperslist

***

This week I'm reading: Embedded by Dan Abnett

My favorite book of all time: I have no idea. How would I even judge such a thing? How could I even pick one favorite book from a single series? (I read a lot of series books.)

My current favorite book (read or re-read in the last 3 months): The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

The last book I bought: Platform Decay by Martha Wells

The first book I bought with my own money: No clue. The first book I remember buying with my own money was a novelization of the Battlestar Galactica episode "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero" (The Cylon Death Machine by Glen A. Larson and Robert Thurston), which I still have, but I was 12, so I can't swear that it was actually the first.

The first book I received as a gift: I would've been too young to remember. But my favorite picture book when I was little was Whose Mouse Are You? by Robert Kraus.

The last book I received as a gift: Run Wild: Sa Ye (Novel) Vol. 1 by Wu Zhe

The last book I borrowed from the library: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger (Yes, I know, I'm very late to the party)

The book physically closest to me right now: Mac OS X Leopard Edition by David Pogue (which can probably go because my Macbook died years ago and I no longer have any Apple devices or any desire to obtain any)

This or That

Physical book, e-book, or audio: Why choose? In general, I prefer instructional books like cookbooks in print form. Other than that, I prefer ebooks if I'm going to be reading it myself because my aging eyes appreciate being able to adjust the font and font size to something comfortable for me to read, and I like audiobooks to listen to on my commute.

Used, new, or fell off the back of the internet: All of the above, I guess? Depends on what "fell off the back of the internet" means. If it means "fan fiction", then yes, absolutely. If it means "pirated", then no, I will make sure authors get my money.

Fiction or non-fiction: Both. I tend to lean towards fiction on ebook and nonfiction on audiobook, but there are exceptions. I think every T. Kingfisher book I've ever read has been on audiobook, as have all the Penric & Desdemona books by Lois McMaster Bujold.

Read at a coffee shop or at the park: Neither. There aren't really any parks near me suitable for sitting and reading (they're pretty much just walking and biking trails--no place to sit) and I'm not a coffee or tea drinker. I think the only time I've ever set foot in a coffee shop in my entire life was at the airport because it was the only thing open in my terminal.

Paperback or hardcover: No real preference, but I do have a minimalist bookcase specifically made to hold mass market paperbacks that a friend built for me after he inherited some woodworking tools.

Romance or Crime: I mean, I like my M/M romance novels to have an action adventure bent, so technically both, but I also like mysteries on their own more than I like traditional romance.

Yes or no

Literary fiction? No

Sci-fi/fantasy? Yes

Poetry? No

Memoirs? Yes

Philosophy? No

Thrillers? No

Chronicles? Yes, but not an enthusiastic one

Travel logs? No

Dialogue heavy? Yes

Current Mood: introspective

cimorene

I want to see Project Hail Mary, but not enough to go to the theater for it.

Fine, it'll reach streaming soon enough.

The problem is that it has become one of those fandom epicenters of twee. I am seeing an explosion of nauseating sentimentality and noxious preciousness about it on Tumblr, just an absolute flood of posts from people too excited to remember to tag, and a large quantity of spoilers and eye-watering takes still get through before I manage to scroll past them. These are blogs I don't want to unfollow for other reasons, obviously. I might reach critical saturation before the movie reaches streaming at this rate.

When was the last time this happened? I cannot put my finger on an example fandom that predictably yet undeservedly became this kind of tweeness vortex, yet I am bothered by the feeling that I've seen this happen before.

annathecrow posting in

dreamwars

Hi,

this is your weekly chat post. Come and share your SW thoughts!

If you missed it, goodbyebird posted a link to a Star Wars icon collection - maybe you'll find something to expand your collection...

~ ~ ~

Inspired by nothing in particular: one of the UFOs (Un-Finished Objects) in my craft stash is these Rebel Alliance Wrist Warmers. I'm maybe a third through the first one and it already looks lovely, but since it's my first ever colorwork it's taking forever. I do most of my knitting as a fidget, either during work meetings or when visiting family, so projects where I have to focus a lot aren't a great fit. Still, I like them. Maybe I'll get them done by winter.

Have you ever tried any Star Wars related crafts?

cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Jen

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/passive-aggressive-cakes-2026

Everybody loves getting a cake, right?

Well, unless it's one of these.

Hah! Wait, you are joking, right? Uh, yeah, I think maybe I'll pass - thanks, though. Really.

No, seriously; now you just seem too eager. Keep your stinkin' cake, alright?

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. Back off, Chucky-boy!

No!

Well, I should think so! You're supposed to be sweet little confections, not all threatening and...

...eek! Uh, no problem, mister Cake, sir - not a word from me, nuh-uh!

Kelly, Moxie, Michele H., Ashley C., and Nikki P., I've been trying to cut down on sugar lately, and I think it's getting to me. If you'll excuse me, I'm just going to go lay down for a spell...

*****

P.S. For folks who appreciate a good linguistics lol:

"Synonym Rolls" T-Shirt

"Just like grammar used to make," hehehe. More colors at the link.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/passive-aggressive-cakes-2026

dine

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

weofodthignen

Monty sat at the far end of the garden path watching me use the exercise bike. He washed himself briefly, then turned away and when I finished, he'd reappeared on the fence beside the driveway. So clearly he's learnt to get up and down the fence despite the nasturtiums this year having spread over a lot of the concrete area behind the garage where he used to sun himself. Or maybe he never had a problem and has been lurking under the leaves like a landshark. I took out the food dish to the driveway.

conuly

Fic one: Protagonist very recently, like, last week, left home to live with a friend. Protagonist wonders how his newly estranged family found him, then reflects that "the internet still exists". Technically a true statement in 1994, however, it's perhaps a bit more likely that they just used the phone book.

Fic two: Protagonist is touristing in NYC, casually stops in a bodega, buys a flip phone so he can text people. Not in 1992 he didn't - texting via phones was only just invented that year and phones were bricks!

You gotta laugh. Kindly and gently, but still - you gotta laugh!

*****************************

( Read more... )

conuly

Watch on YouTube

I was introduced to this piece - specifically Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity - via Wolf 359, the Christmas episode, aka the one where things go from "comedically dark" to "shit just got real".

enchanted_jae

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

Current Mood: good
Current Music: Sabres at Canadiens, game 3

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28

Mind's Eye

(no subject)

Sometimes the old ones are the best...

Social Q's: One Day, It May Be a Yes

The sign at the bus stop reminds me that farejumping comes with a fine up to $150

Firsts

Wedding Missed Marks, Vol. 458

DCU FEMSLASH OTP WEEKEND

those who know the least obey the best

D.O.P.-T.

Digital Alice by sorry stacy

(no subject)

Localized tweeness event

Fandom Empire - NEW Challenge

Yes, this is indeed a chat corner

Passive Aggressive Cakes

kissing this man has cleared my skin and cured my depression

D.O.P.-T.

Two fics, two days - both set in the early 1990s

(no subject)

Bounty

Profile

February 2026

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags