The Catch Up!

Welcome to October mes amies!

It seasonably appropriate weather (so far) where I am living and the transformation between seasons is spellbinding. It feels like all of the elms were green just yesterday but overnight they’ve donned their most yellow leaves to welcome Fall. The grass is slowly becoming less radioactive, Mountain Dew green, and hopefully more crunchy. I’m waiting for the first batch of hoarfrost to cronch through in the morning. I want the change.

I have a huge metaphorical itch right now. For whatever reason, this season so far has Beartooth’s Surface album as a huge vibe. I feel incredibly restless for whatever reasons, and this album for a little bit, helps tire out the restlessness. Those are all things that are probably a good conversation to have with my therapist. And maybe I should take myself on more walks to tire out my metaphorical, metaphysical demons. The weather is pretty good for it so far.

In other news, I have become an apple drink/apple cider/apple crisp girlie after being inadvertently punished by someone else being an asshole. Remember, don’t piss off the people who make your food or drinks. They have a power they can use and bystanders can be harmed while you’re going full Karen. I will not repeat saga of journey to the home depot and wow, none of the bathrooms are in the same place ever, there is no god because what kind of benevolent god would let me be lactose intolerant, and praise Satan, finally a fucking bathroom.

Onto the Catch Up!

What I've Been Watching

Dinosaur

I found this neat little show wandering around in the Gem app. I really like shows where autistic characters get to be multifaceted, they get to interact with people out in the greater world, and they like get to be people in all of their mundaneness.
Anyways, we’re a couple of episodes in and I am delighted by the writing. The actors are amazing too. I love how quippy it is, I love how Glasgow gets to be a neat city, and the dinosaurs! If you liked Please Like Me or Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, give this a chance.

Misfits and Magic

Misfits & Magic season 2 is ongoing on Dimension 20 and it’s been a blast. Here’s a quick refresher if you were thinking about getting into it but if watching 1 season, and a holiday special is a lot, here’s 8 minutes of catching up.

This season has been pretty wild so far, they’re only two episodes in so far, with a third on Wednesday. Maybe come check this out (if you want, no pressure at all).

What I've Been Reading

Self Worth & The Walrus

“Twenty years ago, anti-capitalist activists campaigned against ads posted in public bathroom stalls: too invasive, there needs to be a limit to capital’s reach. Now, ads by the toilet are quaint. Clocking out is obsolete when, in the deep quiet of our minds, we lack the pay grade to determine worth. “

Over at the Walrus, Thea Lim’s The Collapse of Self-Worth in the Digital Age struck chord. She gives us a mediation on algorithms, on value of not just time but effort in the creative things we sell, and how a sense of self worth is sometimes hand waved off as vanity. As an aside, I’ve heard published authors lament that writers they mentor are disappointed in publishing a book and Lim touches upon it in a way I hadn’t thought about in a while. Another aspect of this essay I found surprising was how Lim contrasted how ‘selling out’ was seen as an almost inauthentic thing back in the day but now to be successful in any measure you have to curate your life as an Influencer to get eyes on your art.

Parthenogenesis & Reactor

“The way she hits that last part hard, and the space she leaves after that, is part of their game. It’s an invitation into make-believe, to be anywhere but where they are. But she’s not sure Matty remembers, after all these years. “

At Reactor, Stephen Graham Jones’ Parthenogensis is a fun little story. I like it as the first October short story in The Catch Up- the style and tone of it reminds me of a campfire story, or one you tell with your friends in front of the fire. There’s so many little parts of this story am delighted by. I hope if you check it out it might tickle your fancy too.

Small Mammal Update

Zorya has been coming out more.

She is my most terrified tortie, one of her titles is my chubby shadow, and she is being so brave. Nobody ever really sees her, she’s the chonkiest little house phantom but lately… She’s been coming out more. She’s been more okay with napping on the top of the couch, watching the yard through the plant rack, and dozing under a new artificial sun (the equinox happened, and store bought suns are fine, ask Ina Garten). Originally I thought she might turn into a family cat in a way Yaga never cared for, but now I’m good with being her person.

She is good, and living her best life and wants the best for you. Well actually she wants you to leave behind the tasty treats like freshly stolen cheese whiz off toast and weird little dehydrated treats but after the treats have been left she wants the best for you. It’s why she eats the nightmares.

What I've Been Doing

I have been in a funk lately. A whole lot of spinning my wheels, feeling like I’m not accomplishing anything, and just generally not well. I finished my little freelance gig (which was a whole thing) and my Gothic course started, so maybe it’s a bit more explanatory for why I feel like I’m just not doing a whole lot.

I think this might be a fallow couple of weeks.

Maybe I’ll just have the Catch Up and some other little loose ends for writing stuff. Which is fine. I don’t think I have to be productive all of the time to call myself writer, even though I’m still working on that one.

Until next time friendos!

• 13 more Catch Ups until the end of 2024!
• 2 posts about books I've read
• 1 Liner notes post
• A working skeleton of Bergamot and Bygones
• A short story for the Brave Readers Club!