A Wicked Convergence of Circumstances Mk 2.0

I'm trying to figure out whether Olamina will look better with veined or glimmer. This is possibly the first time I've wanted to gene a dragon with piebald. (In other words, the first time I thought piebald looked good.) She does not yet have the piebald or either of the glimmer or veined genes.

Here's my boy Obelisk Stone. (Obelisks give me a Tales of the Rakshura feel.)

 

I've been working on getting used to the e-bike. And using the e-bike to walk the dog. (Less stress on me than walking, more exercise for the dog.) Roy took to running/trotting beside the bike fairly quickly, and there have been no accidents, though a couple of times I had to stop the bike because *he* decided to stop, or run in a different direction because Buses Are Scary Sis! I managed not to fall off the bike on any occasions. (It possibly helped that the tires are so wide.)

I was not the best bike rider to begin with, so getting accustomed to something with a motor is difficult. (But at least my asthma isn't acting up as much, and my legs don't hurt.) Small problems: The tires are low already, and the bike chirps/squeaks like a horde of demented crickets. Also, I can't figure out the seat height, or keeping the seat at the height I want.

Questions:

Do I need new inner tubes? It's not a complete flat. Just a little soft.

 

I would try just pumping them up again with a normal bike tyre pump and seeing if they stay inflated better before you jump to trying to replace the inner tubes. If you think they might have a slow leak, try and locate and maybe patch it first in case it can be fixed that way.

As for the saddle, is it held up with a nut and bolt? I had really annoying problems with my bike seat slipping down all the time until the nut and bolt were replaced with sturdier models. If you're unsure, ime bike shops are often very willing to give your machine a once-over if you have specific problems.

 

There's a nut and bolt plus a little lever that's supposed to tighten the nut and bolt. The issue may be hand strength. I will see about filling the tires and finding patches.

 

I am so doomed. I'd overpaid my rent a few months ago with one of the stimulus checks and thought I still had a credit. I did not. So I paid 320 in rent. Then I found out that apparently I forgot the electric bill, and that was 275. Before that, a friend who was giving me assistance via Patreon pulled his payment because he wanted to go on retreat, and pulled it sooner than I thought he would, so I'm getting a much, much smaller amount from that. Then there's all the other bills I need to pay. I get 761 in ssi DOOM. (can I sell my proof reading skills, such as they are? Porn for the poor?)

I was able to set up a new ko-fi to get some help, but it seems I am still super doomed! I am now 69.00 dollars over drawn, and I have my electric bill and phone bill apparently pending still. (that would be the 200+ electric bill and the 57 dollar phone bill. )

ko-fi is here.

 

In better news, I re-set up my word press blog, this time as a original fiction/meta blog. So far, all that's up are some prompts from tumblr.

 

I am now less doomed. And I was able to take out the garbage/clear off the dining area table. I need to catch up on chores/clean the apartment/do the laundry.

I am slightly annoyed with my stove because one of the heating elements won't stay plugged in. (And I don't want to put in a repair order til I've cleaned the apartment because lord, am I behind on housework.)

I am in the process of renewing my lease. Since I have section 8 housing this is a Complicated Procedure fraught with Anxiety.

I am idiot and skipped my meds, and ended up with an All Day Headache, because one of my meds is for chronic headaches.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao is amazing, though my experience with Sharon Green's early sf made me guess/suspect The Big Reveal midway through the book. (Well, also Andre Norton, but more Sharon Green.)

 

This week in preparation for the apartment inspection, and because of general "ugh why am I so lazy" I have been cleaning the apartment. Due to executive dysfunction and general "back pain and exhaustion sucks" I have been doing it in small increments. So far I have: cleared off table, cleaned the bathroom, cleaned around the dog's crate, dusted, washed the floor around dog crate and also by the door.

Roy got a bath this morning because he had an accident.

Tomorrow I hope to tackle the kitchen and mop the rest of the floor, and sweep the living room rug. (I also need to clean the kitchen so I can put in a work order for the stove: one of the heating elements for the stove is not really heating up very well/seems to keep coming unplugged.

Some time during the weekend, I need to do the laundry. There is. So. Much. Laundry.

 

The heating coil has been replaced! The apartment is mostly clean except for the bedroom. (The major issue with the bedroom is that I need to reorganize things.) I should probably do the laundry this weekend but I am tired after an entire week of cleaning, so I am going to be lazy, except for the sewing project and (hopefully) doing some writing.

I can do the laundry Monday and Tuesday, and rearrange the bedroom over the next week. I am hoping to get more writing done, because I am feeling a certain restlessness that might enable me to get started on my wips. (this is not a guarantee)

 

Okay so, I had a major trip today, going to the library and also picking up my meds. On my way back from the clinic I found that my tire was full of thorns and rapidly deflating. I was able to make it to the light rail and go to the library. I attempted to get a ride via Lyft! This did not go very well because every single driver ignored the note about my having a bike.

One dumbass tried to fit my bike in his dinky little car, which did not go very well because dinky little car. (I feel calling him a dumbass is entirely appropriate because I was charged money because he showed up but I didn't get the ride. This happened like, several times. I eventually gave up on the Lyft since it seemed as if there were no trucks or vans out there. (Ironically, I have been in Lyft rides that were vans or trucks.) I ended up on the light rail, and went as far as I could, then walked the rest of the way. It took me FOUR HOURS to get home. I am very tired not and my feet are killing me.

 

I am pleased that I managed to finally post a chapter of one of my WIPS. I have been intermittently poking at the next chapter of the same WIP. (Build a Life from Scratch for the curious.) I am also pleased that I got a lot of positive reviews for the chapter I posted. \o/

 

Not much got done this week, but things in fact got done! I am poking at an original fic Idea i had a few years back that I wasn't really able to develop.

 

I am writing a scum villain fanfic! I have been speed writing it! I am already working on chapter four! I feel I deserve more comments! (I've gotten a lot of kudos and book marks for the story, but comments are my favorite feedback.)

In other news,I am managing to write despite falling asleep a lot. There nothing more obnoxious than to be writing and suddenly your eyes are closing. And you can't open them because you are asleep.

Roy is a brat and needs supervision due to the entire "chews on things" problem. He has destroy part of the new big rug. I had to move the rug so that corner would be less visible. I also decided to tape the rug down. As you do.

 

Roy wants to play! Roy wants to play "I bite your face" and does not care that I lack the dentition and thick skin necessary for this game. Since he's mostly house broken at this point and hasn't had any accidents, I've been letting him wander around more under supervision. This results in him wanting to jump on me. He is very fuzzy on "no." So far the only solution is The Broom.

No, I do not hit him with it. I mostly brandish it in his face, wave it around, push him away from me and make noise. I also use it to separate him from things he should definitely not be chewing on.

 

Roy (outside): HELLO I LOVE YOU ALL BE MY FRIEND AND PLAY WITH ME!!

Roy (inside): YOU ARE ALL SUSPICIOUS MOTHERFUCKERS KEEP YOUR DISTANCE

In other news, Roy has destroyed a hooded sweater, and one of my gloves. I should have hung it up.

Also, it's raining. Roy does not like rain and spends a lot of time trying to convince me to go back in. (Or carry him. No Roy, I can't carry you any more you are too big.)

 

I popped my spine! It does not hurt, just feels weird. In other news, Roy is getting much better at running with the bike instead of bolting at all the traffic. He is wearing a) a harness. b) a collar c) a prong collar. Does he need all of these? YES. The prong collar is for walking him. If I try using the harness or the regular collar he will go berserk and drag me all over the place. The collar and the harness is for running on the bike. I'm using/going to be using both because he can escape from the harness if he panics, so the collar is so he can't go run into traffic and become a pancake.

 

Writing got done! Both essays and a little fanfic. I've picked out some original fic prompts from a new (to me) prompt tumblr.

 

tiny embarrassed velociraptor scream

Diane Duane had to teach me how to count, because I included a character who is not part of the "Five" (five characters who end up in a poly tangle) in her epic fantasy series, Tale of the Five. (In my defense, the sixth character IIRC also ends up in the poly tangle as an alliance marriage? I think? And she was also an ex girlfriend of one of the "Five.") Anyway, she (Diane Duane) was very sweet about it, even though I was Classpecting her characters.

more tiny velociraptor screaming.

 

Writing is getting done!

 

So, during the (still pretty much on going by the way) pandemic I was getting a 125.00 bonus on my EBT card, in addition to my 77 dollars a month for groceries. I was able to pay my entire grocery (food only) bill with this amount! Now I cannot. (The amount I get per month from SSI is only able to cover bills and rent because I have hud housing.) Even with assistance, I still get overdrawn! So I'm annoyed that I'm already out of grocery money, and have about 15 dollars left in the credit union account.

I am having ongoing troubles with my main clinic which has decided that they don't want to include my autism diagnosis as part of my diagnosis. They are doing this by saying that they can't contact the other clinic and that the only information they have is the old referral to get tested. I am so fucking pissed about this, there are no words.

In other, much better news, I have been taking Roy out for 25 minute bike rides every morning. He has been more or less enjoying them, if his wanting to pull the bike if I don't go fast enough is any indication. I've only been going around the parking lot of the apartment complex, as he got his foot injured last month, and we were both miserable about it.

In addition to the bike rides, I plan on doing some exercise twice a week for thirty minutes. (I am slightly out of practice since my last physical therapy appointment was months ago. I will be increasing the time as we go along.)

I have a check up this week, and I will hopefully get new referrals, which I mostly won't be able to use until next month because of the the entire "very little money so I can't handle the co pay" thing. I have some plans to do writing, but I have been falling asleep a lot, which has been very frustrating for me.