all made up with nowhere to go

I've got another Bluesky invite code if anyone wants it?

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In other news: GUESS WHO FINALLY HAS A PAYING JOB AGAIN????

Oh yes, it is me. It is unfortunately not a library job, but it is a job and it pays me money, so I am not going to complain about it. I've only been there a week so far, but it seems to be going okay? I have a lot to learn, since it's not the same environment I've been in for the last four years, but I am sort of getting the hang of it. I think.

My shift end times don't line up with the buses on a lot of occasions, but that's the bus company's fault, not my job's. And anyway, I've been saying for years now that I want to get a bike, and this would be the perfect excuse to have one (although with the weather being like it is today - heavily raining - I wouldn't want to cycle there and back anyway).

I don't know if I will have the time or mental space to continue doing a bit at my voluntary job, but I said I'd let my boss there know once I had more of an idea of what my shifts would be like. Which I can't do at the moment as she is on holiday abroad.

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Also I forgot to mention this when it happened, but my mood has improved a bit! I think it is the time of year - I've never liked summer, and that feeling's increased exponentially as the weather's changed for the worse over the years, so I think my worst period of the year now is late spring/all summer.

I dare say getting a job has helped, but I noticed the shift in my mood happened even before I knew I'd got it.

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In video games news: I am into the fourth Palace in P5R, and I noticed that I am WAY overlevelled. Most of the enemies are a good five levels below everyone. This is not because I've been grinding, but I think because Akira has the accessory that gives 15% extra EXP, and also I have the extra EXP active in Mementos. I'm tempted to take it off and equip him with something else instead but also, IDK, I like not having too many problems in an Atlus game :D

I also started watching a Let's Play of Silent Hill, because it is spooky season, and because I love it. I haven't finished watching it yet, but I probably will today or tomorrow, since it's not a long game.

The UK is in lockdown again, just in case anyone doesn't know that that's happened. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

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My art supplies arrived on Monday, and they are awesome! The only thing I haven't used yet is the printing ink and the roller, but that's because I didn't have a lino cut to ink up (I mean, I do have one, but it's not very good).

(It amuses me no end that I am actually interested in printing and yet, when I was at college, I avoided print classes altogether. I did a bit of screen printing in class, once, and then the stuff I had to do in order to get my HND, I did on my own time).

The Finetec paints I got are AMAZING. They are just as good as all the artists on youtube say they are, and I'm really glad I got them. I'm also glad I only got the two pans, as I think a set of six may have been somewhat overwhelming (weirdly).

I got softcut lino to make prints with, and it still hurts my hands to cut prints (yay arthritis!), but less so than the decidedly elderly lino I had had a go with (also hard lino is easier to cut when softer, who knew! Absolutely not me, that's who!)

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I found somewhere that will ship sticker paper to the UK (I was going to say they were in the UK, but they're actually in Ireland, which is ABSOLUTELY NOT part of the UK, as well I know). I ordered some samples at the beginning of December, and they have still not arrived. So I put in a support ticket on the 28th, and got a pretty weak reply a few days ago saying, "well, Xmas, and Coronavirus!" which, yes, I understand, but also, IDK, update your shipping information to reflect that? (Shipping info said five to ten days for delivery to the UK).

Also: I've seen bad reviews online, and I know this isn't just an Xmas/Coronavirus thing. I assume I'd get what I wanted in a timely manner if money were involved (but it wasn't, because I wanted to try the paper out first).

They've also redone me a sample order, which includes things I didn't ask for, including paper for a laser printer. I don't own one of those.

I'm annoyed because: I've been wanting to design stickers for literal years (lack of ideas aside). Finding A4 sticker paper in the UK is like looking for hen's teeth so, understandably, I was excited when I found this company.

(I mean yes, I probably could've just got it off Amazon, but I haven't bought stuff from there for six years now, and I'm not going to do that just for sticker paper. And why buy off Amazon, when you can get stuff direct from the seller???)

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Time for another Post Once A Day question!

forests_of_fire asked: What's your favorite season? Why?

This is really easy. My favourite season is autumn. I love it when the leaves on the trees start turning all sorts of amazing colours, and there's that crispness in the air that tells you winter is coming, but it isn't quite here yet. The best kind of autumn day is when it's cool but clear. When the leaves have fallen, and they crunch when you walk on them, and you can kick drifts of them around.

I also really like it when it's foggy, and the landscape that you know so well looks and feels strange and unfamiliar. I'm surrounded by hills, so when the fog is really dense, the hills across the valley from me vanish, and it's like they were never there. It feels strange, but I kind of like it? Also, you know, Silent Hill vibes. (Although, as I have pointed out in the past, if I were to look out and see Pyramid Head roaming around, I'd be hecking terrified).

Also also: Halloween. October is probably my second favourite month after February.