all made up with nowhere to go

I almost have a clear side in the front bedroom! \o/

I just need to sort and store some more stuff, and do a run to the tip and then it's more or less sorted! I also need to do a charity shop run, but there's less stuff needs to go there than the tip, so it's that that is the priority.

I am also thinking about getting rid of the one chest of drawers and the bedside cabinet, as there is entirely too much furniture in that room (one of its many problems). I don't have a use for the cabinet, and the chest of drawers got water damaged, so it's not really useable any more.

There is some shelving as well that mum wanted rid of, but it needs the contents going through first. Some of it can and will be stored, since I now have room for that, and the rest can be dealt with accordingly.

There's also a sideboard, and I keep swinging between keeping it or not. I sense probably not, eventually, as I have no use for it, and I don't think it even got properly used as a sideboard ever. But I know it was made in the furniture factory where my dad used to work, so I am sort of sentimental about it, even though I think y'all know how I feel about my dad at this point. But I've got time to think about it, as I need to tackle other stuff around it first.

(I feel like I should have been tagging these posts, so I can look through them all at a later date, but I don't know what to name them, sigh).

But yeah, I'm definitely feeling really positive about this now, even though I've been grossly unhappy with the circumstances that forced it to happen. I may explain about that at some point in the future, or I may not, I don't know (and you probably don't want to hear it anyway).

~

In other news, I have been playing with some paint markers I impulse bought a couple of months ago!

About a year ago, I made a small sketchbook from kraft card after being influenced by an artist I'd discovered who drew in toned sketchbooks. I used it, like, twice, and then forgot about it.

Then it was Back to School sales in late August, and I impulse bought some Sharpie paint pens (Creative Markers; bullet tips), because I was curious about them, and I knew I would be less precious about them than Poscas, even though they cost nearly as much as a set of Poscas. ANYWAY.

I thought they'd look good on the kraft card, and I was right! So I've just been messing about making patterns and stuff, and really enjoying it! Which is nice. It feels like I haven't done a whole lot of drawing this year, and I've missed it. I think, currently, I prefer paint pens over actual paint, but maybe I'll get back into painting once I have more space in which to do it. Or maybe I won't! WHO KNOWS.

Anyway, I have been drawing and feeling good about it, and I am probably going to do some more drawing, and then I might finally upload stuff to my sketchblog after best part of a year. Again, WHO KNOWS? IT MYSTERY.

Hey so guess what? I actually have something interesting to say for once!

My local library has had an event on for the past week about outer space, and one of the things they had was a display of meteorites and some actual things from the Moon, including some soil samples that one of the Apollo missions brought back! It was really cool to see actual things from actual outer space!

I also got to see a piece of tektite, which I only just recently learnt is A Thing and not something Squeenix made up for TWEWY (according to a friend, it is also the name of an enemy in Legend of Zelda, but I didn't know that).

Anyway, it was super cool, and I'm glad I got to have a look, because I nearly didn't go at all.

So I watched this video last night, about lazy bullet journalling, and I thought both lassarina and althea_valara might be interested to watch it, since I know they both do BuJo (I don't know if any others among y'all do, but you might like it?)

I found it interesting, because Ying calls her style lazy, and yet from what I can see, it's very much like how it was intended to be when Ryder Carroll designed it. Also it makes way more sense to me. AND it made me realise that what I call my planner is essentially a BuJo, but I don't really think of it in that way.

Anyway, I thought y'all might find this interesting, so I thought I'd link to it.

~

I am almost at the end of my Now... journey :(

But it's been really good, though! As I said in a comment on my previous entry, the enjoyment of the music as well as the nostalgia has been SUCH a serotonin boost!

Also it's been interesting.

Obviously, the mid-nineties, which was also my mid-teens, was the height of the whole Britpop thing. And the whole Oasis versus Blur thing.

Now. I liked both Oasis and Blur. Emphasis on the past tense because, while I still like Blur, I can't bloody stand Oasis for a variety of reasons.

I've thought recently it would be nice to get hold of their first two albums again, because I loved them as a teenager, and listened to them a lot. Except that for every single Oasis track that's come up on these compilations, I've not been able to listen to more than thirty or so seconds.

And that's because I'm more familiar with The Beatles' back catalogue and it's now SO CLEAR to me how much of a rip off of them Oasis were in the beginning. It's not like Noel Gallagher didn't state they were an influence, because he did, repeatedly. In fact, Oasis were probably my Beatles gateway* (although I came out the other side not that bothered, and I've certainly gone off them a lot more in recent years).

But, like, you can pick almost any Oasis song from their first two albums, and you can bet it will remind you of a specific Beatles song.

Anyway, that alone was enough to make me skip songs I'd once enjoyed listening to. I honestly thought I'd be like, "oh yes, here comes a massive nostalgia hit!" and while that's happened with a lot of stuff, it just didn't with Oasis. I'm not really sad about it, though. Like I said, I went off them a long time ago and literally the only enjoyment I get from them these days is that Wonderwall's become a meme (I don't know how, but it amuses the heck out of me).

(Also this is where I link you to the Mike Flowers Pops version of it because it's hilarious and amazing).

I don't have a logical conclusion to this bit, except that I found that interesting to experience.

~

Meanwhile, in FFXIII, I beat the boss on the Palamecia, on my first go, without even grinding for CP, and using the default team as recommended by the strategy guide, which is arguably a kind of hard mode, since you don't have Haste.

I did it just before Doom ran out (yes, I am terrible; yes, it took me 22 minutes).

But the point is that I did it, and I don't think I ever have before! \o/

I think I must be getting better at video games? I know I've said this in the past, but I think it's true. I only looked at the strategy guide to see what it said, I wasn't intending to follow its guidance - I thought I'd try it, but I'd probably have to have another go with a different set up (i.e. using Sazh for Haste) - but I didn't because ??? somehow I managed it anyway.

And now I am on the Fifth Ark, getting my arse kicked by slugs, because it's always the smaller enemies with drain attacks that I have problems with - see also: the frogs at Sulyya Springs. I can't remember if there is a boss in this area, but I know which area is coming next, and I'm looking forward to it (mostly).

~

*I mean obviously, I'd grown up hearing Beatles songs, because it could be argued that they are/were Britain's most well-known band. But there was a lot I wasn't familiar with, because neither of my parents had any of their albums, so I only heard select handfuls of stuff on the radio.

I have updated my sketchblog with some autoposts for ~a week and a half - that will start from Tuesday. I hadn't updated since September! But that was when I had my last holiday from work, so that sort of makes sense.

But also I seem to have been drawing a lot, but not posting a lot of it. Mainly because it either feels like more of the same (and therefore not imaginative*), or I didn't think it was good enough to post.

I've also updated my Redbubble shop with one (1) new design. I did it yesterday, and I'm really pleased with how it came out, although now I wish I hadn't drawn it on layout paper, but such are the regrets of an artist, I guess.

~

In other news, my tablet arrived on the day it was meant to, and it works like a dream. It is smaller than I thought, but I am bad at imagining screen dimensions at the best of times.

I've watched a few streams on it, and the only times it buffered were because of problems on the streamer's end and not mine! \o/ which is categorically not what used to happen with the old one.

I am looking forward to being able to use it to update - for example - my ko-fi gallery, and possibly even my sketchblog!

~

*this is my brain being an ass, btw.

Things I have done/will being doing, a list:

1. Bought a cheap glass dip pen, because it was £3 and I am weak. It was random what colour I would get, but they sent me a blue one, so ofc I am very happy (blue is my favourite colour). It also has silver shiny bits on it, and you can see pics on my twitter feed!

2. I read another book! I reread The Eternal Enemy by Christopher Pike because I think it's my favourite of his. I didn't know if I'd still like it or not as when I last binged a bunch of his books, I wasn't so taken with some of the writing. But this was okay! \o/

3. I sold an item on Redbubble! hmpf bought a mug from me! \o/

4. I had my first migraine in a couple of months on Wednesday and, while it didn't completely wipe me out, it was not a fun time. And I had muscle weakness in my arms afterwards, which I occasionally get, and it is apparently a thing that happens!

5. I set up my table/desk permanently in part so I don't have to worry about it falling on the cat when it's put away (she likes rolling right up against it, and I am anxiety made flesh), but also because setting it up and putting it down is tedious, and I am mildly lazy.

I do already have a table I allegedly use as a desk, but it's uncomfortable to sit at as it's slightly too high for me (also as it's wooden, I worry about wrecking the finish accidentally. And it was my mum's, so of course there's all that to consider). The other one is an ex-computer desk, and is a better height.

As a result, I have been doing a bit more drawing! And, although I want to practice with my dip pens, I don't know what to draw at the moment. But I did use my Pilot drawing pens for the first time in ages, and that was a good time. (They're basically the same as Sakura Microns but more expensive!*)

6. Relatedly, I need to look up some stuff about character design, as I know it's something I'm no good at.

7. I saw some How to Draw Manga sets the other day, and maaaaaaan that took me back. I never had a set, but I have a couple of books (including from the infamous How To Draw Manga series), and it just reminded me of the days when internet tutorials weren't a thing, and especially not manga tutorials. And ooooooh boyyyyyy do I feel old now.

8. I don't think I have an eighth thing, but yay even numbers?

ETA: Actually, I do have an eighth thing! Remember that one artist that I said inspired me to work on a story idea? Their next video was all about how to plan a story and do some worldbuilding (albeit in v broad strokes because they're an art channel, not a writing channel), and I thought that was hilarious! Especially since they've probably been planning this video for weeks, and it was just coincidence that it went up after I said what I said. [/edit]

~

*I just checked prices on Cult Pens between Sakura, Pilot, and the Uni Pin pens, which are all fineliners and they all function the same (and are all archival/waterproof/light resistant). Pilot are the most expensive for a single pen (~£3.50), then Sakura (~£2.70), and the Uni are the cheapest at £1.75! I think once the Pilot pens run out, if I'm still using fineliners, it's time to swap to Uni! I feel like I've said this before, but I'm saying it again!

I've been using Pilot pens since I was a kid, so this feels kind of awful (betraying brand loyalty!!!11!) but if it saves me money, I'm all for it. And Uni are a good make! The only advantage Sakura have is that the Microns come in loads of colours, whereas the Uni Pin pens are only available in four.

Two things:

1. The c-word is ABOLUTELY NOT a friendly insult in the UK, AND most people will be shocked if they hear you use it. It's not a word you casually throw around. At least, not in my experience. Source: am from the UK, and I don't use that word.

It's possible that maybe I am old, and people young enough to be my children use it with wild abandon, but I honestly don't know where this idea came from that over here we're all casually chucking it around like it's inoffensive.

I mean, like, the video team for Eurogamer are very sweary, and they censor every single use of that word so, I mean, what does that tell you? (Not that it gets used often, as it shouldn't, but it's still censored when it happens).

2. USE WATER WITH ACRYLIC PAINTS! EVEN IF IT'S ONLY A LITTLE BIT! It will improve your experience with them, I promise!

~

On the other hand: exciting news!

I've got a date for my first covid vaccine! It's at the end of the month! I thought I wouldn't get it until much later on (say, in a month or more), but I got a text on Monday asking me to make an appointment, so I did! I can safely say this is the most excited I've been about being vaccinated for anything, ever.

There's also an Aldi opening in town tomorrow (they've been building it for, like, a year now?) which I am also excited about, but it pales in comparison to the vaccine, tbh. And I'm mostly only excited because it's very close to the bus station, which means I don't have to trek very far with my shopping, unlike the other two supermarkets in town.

~

Here's a couple of videos I watched and enjoyed recently:

This one, by HulloAlice, about how everyone who does creative stuff is an artist, regardless of gatekeeping snobbery. And she's right.

This video about rewriting the Matrix sequels. I like the sequels. You know I do, if you know anything about me. But I also agree 100% with what this guy proposes.

(Please let me know if the links are borked).

~

Now I'm going to go and agonise over spending my birthday money on art supplies, because why not.

Okay, NOW I can talk about the wibbly wobbly thing!

Basically, you know that job I went to an interview for just over a week ago? Well, they offered it to me, and I accepted. What that meant is that I had to give my notice to my current workplace and subsequently feel weird/horrible about it because now it means they're two staff down since Katy left as well. Which. I shouldn't feel bad about it, because it's not like I did this on purpose. And I was fully prepared to have to leave my current job for other reasons anyway, so blehhh.

(I don't want to talk about it in public yet, but I probably will once I've actually left).

I tend to feel guilt about things that are way beyond my control anyway, so this is nothing new.

Anyway, the new job is pretty much identical to the old job, I just get paid for all the hours instead of volunteering for some of them, and my bus journey is slightly longer. Also I will be working with someone who used to be the assistant manager at my current place, so that is also weird, but nice that I do already know her.

I just wanted to wait to say anything, because I wanted to confirm that I actually had the job/let the job centre know. And those two things have happened, so \o/

(But now, because I am temporarily working two jobs until the 9th of Jan, I am going to be hecking knackered for the next three weeks, wheeeeee!)

~

There's a meme going round on twitter where you post four albums that came out and you bought and listened to when you were 14. I didn't realise at first that it included buying, but now I do, I'm just spluttery laughing, because I didn't have enough money to buy albums at 14! I was Poor! I didn't start buying albums till I was a lot older and even then, only when they were cheap, because I couldn't afford brand new!

But the answer, had I been able to buy them, probably would have been: The Bends, Different Class, Garbage, and Jagged Little Pill.

(I did end up with The Bends and Garbage - on cassette, as it happens, but probably not in 1995, and I didn't buy them, my mum did).

~

Talking of memes, if you have any burning questions for me for the January Post Once A Day meme, there's still a load of free spots!

~

I don't think I have anything else to say, because my brain is still somewhat hazy from the last week, so I shall leave this here and go and...probably get myself something to eat.

A list post, because I think that will be the most convenient format!

1. the 11th was the one year anniversary of me having a job! \o/

2. the night of the 11th was the hottest night this year, so I slept badly because of that. And then also one of the neighbour's teenagers was blasting music till past two thirty in the morning, and that didn't help ONE BIT. I suspect I know which teenager it was, but I don't have the guts to complain to their parents.

3. Because of this, I had to ask my boss if it was okay if I didn't work yesterday. I felt bad about it, but he was fine with it, which I thought he would be.

4. My nephew came to visit the other day, and we played Ocarina of Time on my Gamecube (got to the Deku Tree), and the Sims 3 on my Xbox (rebuilt the entire house). He really, really wanted to play my copy of City Folk, but I don't have a Wii. (Thinking about it, I should've just given it to take home with him, then he could've played it on his Wii, but I legit did not think of that until now).

5. I am still making books, because apparently I can't stop! I now have two (if not three) sketchbooks I've made from various types of paper/card, which is hella amusing when you consider that I stopped using sketchbooks.

If you check out the media tab on on my twitter, you can see some of what I've been up to!

6. Talking of sketchbooks! It's been a month since I stopped drawing in a sketchbook and...I don't know if I've missed it or not. I've done the same amount of drawing that I would've done had I been using one, so *shrug emoji*

It does feel nicer to just have a stack of paper and a clipboard - I suspect this is part of the reason I like spiral bound sketchbooks - because you can just fold the entire book in half, so you don't need so much space to accommodate it.

Also drawings on single sheets of paper are 900% easier to scan!

7. I thought I had a #7, but I do not!

Streams:

Luke plays AC:NH and visits Ellen's island! - I haven't actually seen all of this yet, as for the first hour, I was watching (and participating) in the stream below!

Dicebreaker plays Wavelength

I am including the second one because one of my answers got picked and used! \o/ I was extremely giddy for HOURS afterwards (and it was Johnny that chose it and he's my fave :D ) It's approximately an hour and a half in, on the card that's SQUARE <-----> ROUND
(also if you keep the chat replay up, you can see where I lost it, because I am a giddy excitable puppy. You can also see where at least one person tried to rules lawyer by saying "but square and round apply to 2d objects, not 3d akersherly!" and ppppbbbbbttthhhhffft to that person, tbh).

~

I baked some HUEG cookies yesterday, but I haven't tried them yet. They should be okay, as they're made using a recipe I've used many many times before. They were meant to be thick, not huge, but apparently I put too much butter in, which is what caused them to spread.

Now. I used as much as the recipe said, but I've noticed this problem when I've made them in the past. But at least I know how to fix it now! (I did try to compensate with more flour, but it didn't really help).

~

I know it's reddit, but I love conspiracy theories: Which conspiracy theory do you believe is true?

(I can't believe I don't have a tag for conspiracy theories, what is this nonsense?)

1. I went to the dentist today after work, have to go back Monday so he can do a "proper" clean of my gums rolls eyes.

So that's two lots of money they're taking off me within one week (I could get free NHS treatment, but I can't prove I'm getting Universal Credit, which sucks, so I have to pay, yaaaaaay). It's a good job I am working and have some more overtime coming up.

2. Some people get no wisdom teeth. Me? I've had six in total (two got taken out, two are growing, one came in over Xmas, the other will never arrive because it's sideways, because why not).

3. Had my flu jab the other day when I went to see the nurse (for something unrelated; also I am okay). I wasn't going to, but then I thought it might be a salient idea, given I work with the public a lot.

4. I never mentioned it, but I got discharged from physio at my last appointment! \o/ He was pleased with my progress, and didn't think I needed any more help from him, which is good!

5. My nephew turned seven the other day and none of us can believe it. I bought him some books that show him how to draw different things, as well as some Crayola pens, and he really really liked them, which was also good as I was terrified he might not be interested in the slightest.

6. Here endeth the post, as I have nothing else to say and need to go and cook some food.