Hey, sumi! Sad reason, yes, but great to see you!

Kermit waves to sumi

Shir, thinking of you daily.

Brenda, that sounds so fun.

The last mushing run article was moving.

We have our landlord and a couple of his handyman here to fix a couple of ceiling fans and the bathroom exhaust fans which both shorted out (at separate times). It's a FANtastic day here at the manor.

We saw Project Hail Mary last night. Delightful. Drew Goddard wrote himself an adaptation that absolutely reflected the tone and action of the book, and Ryan Gosling was perfect in the role. Couldn't have been more pleased with how it turned out.

ETA: Thanks for the rec, erika and the gift link, Kat. I'm halfway through that one, too.

Im going to see project Hal Mary tonight! At some point. If I manage to get out of bed.

If Christian colonialism taught me anything, it's that we're on the right path to Buffista island and need more following. And maybe an army.

You do have a point!! Also I am surprised you even have to take the TOEFL, you’re going to crush it.

Shir, I'm sure the aid people would say every bit helps - goodness knows I appreciate cake when I volunteer. Stay safe.

Sad news about Nicolas Brendon, I'd heard he had health issues but it's still a shock.

(God, I hope this doesn't turn into a Babylon 5 situation)

Stay cool, everyone! (Or warm, if you're Down Under)

Your efforts to maintain some sense of normalcy are inspiring

Oh, nothing felt normal here in years. So it is not normalcy I'm trying to maintain, it's the sense that I am a human being with a free will and choice in this world, and that another world is possible. War and fascism tend to shrink your sense of the world and being in the world, and what other perspectives look and feel like. You can very easily become a stranger to yourself and drown in doom scrolling and getting in your own head. I'm actively trying to fight it and I've been asking myself repeatedly how can I stay humane in this madness. A singer I love wrote that we are surrounded with so much death, and we must actively seek beauty and art. He's not wrong. It's a human necessity.

It also helps with remembering that others are human as well and deserve to be treated as such, no matter who they are and what they've done. It works fairly well most times with most people, though honestly, I can only apply this for most of my government by ignoring 99% of what they're doing and saying and praying that some aspects of their humanity are not completely lost and may be regained in the long prison sentences I hope they'd get.

I am surprised you even have to take the TOEFL, you’re going to crush it.

Aww, thank you. Being here for years surely helped (take that, anti-screen people!). I booked a test in a test center because not all places accept home tests results, but I don't think I'll be able to go there if the war continues - it's in a different city and over a 90 minutes ride, and that ride alone can be dangerous.

I am surprised you even have to take the TOEFL, you’re going to crush it.

Oh my, yes. See the above post as an example. I hope you are able to get to the test center.

I was sorry to hear about Nicholas Brendon. He seemed rather young.

It’s good to see your pixels, sumi!

I had a phone interview for a job las week, and they called me back for a second, in-person interview next week. If anyone has any job~ma to spare, please, I’d appreciate it.

Fingers crossed for test center access! Also,

If Christian colonialism taught me anything, it's that we're on the right path to Buffista island and need more following. And maybe an army.

BWAH!

All the job ~ma your way, Calli!