☆paging doctor gorgeous☆

If you want me to interview you, let me know in the comments and I'll give you three questions.

sweettartheart gave me these questions:


1. Now that you've been in Wisconsin for a significant amount of time, what do you like about it?

If I'm completely honest, there are slightly more things that I dislike than I like, but one thing I for certain enjoy is just how pretty it is. It's so very green, and the air is so very clear compared to where I come from. Now as it's autumn, I'm always in awe of the vibrant colors clinging to the trees and blanketing the sidewalks.

I love cheese curds.

I like that the gas is so much cheaper, and that there is very little traffic to speak of.

I like the variation of weather. It gets cold! It rains! There are thunderstorms, even, and foggy mornings. Turns out seasons are pretty neat.


2. Let's talk limited edition flavors: what do you wish they'd bring back, what was most memorable (derogatory), what do you wish someone would create?

Anyone who has been following me for a long while now knows that I loved Space Coke (officially Coke Starlight) and I was so devastated when it went away as I hadn't discovered it until it was well into its fleeting existence. It was an odd flavor but it was unique and delicious and if they brought it back even for a short time, I would stock tf up. I also really loved Lays limited edition chicken & waffles chips.

The most memorable (derogatory) was probably the Swedish Fish Oreos. I like Swedish Fish. I like Oreos. The two together was a bizarre and heinous thing, in my opinion.

It's hard for me to think of something I wish somebody would create. When it comes to soda, chips and candies, I feel like most things have been done. Or at least, most things I feel like would be enjoyable. Lindt truffles are some of my favorite chocolate candy. I wouldn't mind if they expanded their catalogue with some new flavors; they're honestly pretty good about that already. Maybe a matcha or a cherry blossom flavor.

3. Has there ever been a cosplay you really wanted to do but couldn't make it work?

Sure! Over the years I've come up with lots of ideas, solo and pair/group ideas, but most of them never came to fruition because it was either too ambitious or I could not get another person to lock in. A friend and I decided we would do the survival suit versions of Jim and Leonard from Beyond, but the other person just wouldn't stop procrastinating, so I gave up. A different friend and I were going to do The Hound and Brienne of Tarth from GoT, and we got so far as creating some custom dress forms and drawing up patterns for the armor, but we unfortunately had a falling out, so those plans died with our friendship. I never got my boots back, either.

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I do really love your original #3! I won't answer it fully since it isn't official, but I love Trek and I love cryptids and monsters, so this is a brilliant thing to think about.

Imagine the Star Trek (AOS or otherwise) mirrorverse but instead of everyone being evil, they were supernatural creatures. Who would be what, and why?]

This is a big "hear me out" moment. Also when I think about Trek it's almost always AOS/Kelvin versions.

Jim would make an interesting vampire, because he is good at putting up a front, he is a natural charmer, and he has been known to veer back and forth between having a heart of gold and using people as a means to an end (not that he typically does this maliciously).

Inside Leonard McCoy there are two wolves, as the saying goes. A selfless, dutiful and affection side, and the part of him that is held at bay by sheer force of will, the weight of responsibility, and copious amounts of alcohol. This is why I could see him as a werewolf, not because there are good and evil parts at war, but because it always felt to me that if not for the things holding him together, he would be a much, much worse version of himself. There are Marauder vibes present here; core group of close friends rallying around him to keep the worst parts of him buried under the power of friendship.

For Uhura I had to veer away from AOS and think more about TOS in thinking of her as a siren. A beauty with the voice of an angel. Enchanting, in a way that leads people to underestimate what she is capable of.

Sulu as a kitsune, perhaps, not only for keeping with culturally relevant lore, but because it fits anyway. Clever, cunning, witty. Some people admire them, some fear them, all agree that they are a force to be reckoned with and that trickster or not, they are respected and celebrated, mostly for their high intelligence.

At first I wanted Spock to be a Fae, but I actually think that Chekov is Fae. Eternally youthful, cute and approachable on the surface but complicated and formidable underneath. A puzzle to be figured out, and although there's no proof of it, my instincts tell me that he probably loves riddles.

I'm sure I could think of something for Spock and Scotty but it is quite late and I am le tired. Thank you so much for the questions, they were really good ones!

Wow, it's been a hot second since I've posted. I've been really busy, under a bit of stress, but also traveling and having a real nice time.

My account of our recent trip to Los Angeles in which we visited some of my friends (most of which had not gotten to meet Blair yet), went to Disneyland, Los Angeles Comic Con and Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, and assorted mundane adventures, will go beneath a cut as it is very long.

( Read more... )

Fortunately I also had Tuesday off, to recover, unpack, and do lots of laundry. We went to pick up Velma, who was staying with Blair's parents, and they fed us, which was lucky because we don't have any food in our kitchen. Worked yesterday. Today I was off, again. In a couple of hours we're leaving for Rochester, where we're staying in yet another hotel tonight because Blair has a very early appointment with the VA tomorrow morning and she didn't want to get up at like 5AM just to drive all the way there. After, we'll do a Trader Joe's run before coming home.

And that's about it.

We'd been looking forward to that trip for like a year, and it was a HUGE bummer that we would both get so sick, but we still had a lot of fun and made a lot of memories. Still recovering, but feeling loads better. I expect life will be back to normal in no time.

How's everyone doing with AO3 being down? Are we in the bargaining stage yet?

Today is our dog Velma's birthday.

Initially we planned to throw an actual party for her, inviting a few friends and their dogs, who Velma gets along with. We decided we didn't have the time and funds to plan that, especially with a trip coming up, so instead we planned to do something small just here at home: special food for meals, a couple of gifts, a long walk through the local forest.

Unfortunately, Blair ended up having to work extra late today. It's half past three and she's still not home.

So! I went out. I bought Velma's gifts, I got some doggie ice cream, some party hats, and a couple of cake pops for Blair and I. I came home, dressed Velma up and took some photos, then loaded up her enrichment puzzle toy and her snuffle mat and let her play some party games.

Now we're sitting on the couch together - her resting, me folding some laundry - listening to a spooky podcast and waiting for Blair. Hopefully she gets home with plenty of time for a walk, but I know it was a rough day so she might not have the energy for it.

Either way, we have cake and ice cream and presents left, and some family birthday selfies to take.

Today, we got up and headed downtown to an event called Dilly Dally, which on the flyer sounded like a cool flea market, but ended up being about, mm... ten small local vendors selling a bunch of junk. Still, we did a lap and looked at (almost) everything, before heading to MoKa to grab some drinks and wait for everyone else to arrive.

Blair and I traveled with Blair's mom, sister, grandma, and a friend to a place called Gays Mills, about an hour away. Here, they have many different apple orchards where you can go to pick your own fruit, as well as buy cider, donuts, pastries, and other wares. There's pumpkins, squash, and pears out there as well, but today apples were our focus. It's the last week, and while somewhat picked over, it was still pretty busy inside the market.

As a group we came away with like six heaping bags of apples, plus Blair and I got some cheese curds, wine, cider, donuts, and a cute ceramic pumpkin jar.

The drive was absolutely beautiful. Along the Mississippi River for a lot of it, then through the winding hills with trees on both sides blooming with Autumn colors.

Got home, yadda yadda laundry, yadda yadda put everything away, yadda yadda made dinner.

Had a DnD session, the first in about a month due to all kinds of scheduling conflicts we've been having. I felt a little rusty, but it was fun all the same and I look forward to getting back into a routine with it.

Submitted my piece for the Star Wars zine, too, and am happy to have that outta my hair.

The family vacation actually went really, really well. It was relaxing, a lot of fun, and honestly? I feel like I'm legitimately a part of the family, now. I told Blair as much, and she got teary eyed about it.

We drove out in a three-car convoy around noon on Thursday, stopping in a town roughly an hour away to eat at a favorite, semi-famous restaurant called Norske Nook (famous for pie!). We got all the way up to the North Woods and found the cabin around 4pm, unloaded, and explored the property.

It was on tons of property with a long, long driveway that went through the woods. Tons of land with a huge semi-wrap-around porch, three entrances, a fire pit, and a path through the trees that led to a dock onto a stream.

A nice kitchen, great living area with two couches, a big beautiful dining area surrounded on three sides by windows. A cozy upstairs loft with couches and beanbag chairs and a tv. Two bedrooms and a bathroom on the main floor, and a basement downstairs containing a HUGE game room with air hockey, billiards table, shuffleboard, a table for cards, and half a dozen arcade games. There's a door that goes right outside into the woods, a bedroom on either end of the game room and an incredibly large bathroom in between.

All things considered, plenty of space for seven people to mingle all together or go off in singles and pairs and do whatever. I never felt like I couldn't get some time to myself, which was what I was sort of worried about being in a cabin in the middle of the woods with six other people.

We ventured down to our dock by the stream, then crossed the road and went down to the other dock on the lake to check things out and admire the view.

The owner of the cabin had arranged a sort of scavenger hunt. In order to open the box wooden chest in the dining room and find out what was inside, we had to locate all 7 Sasquatch in, on and around the property, and send him the photos. We did it in record time, and by the time we had gotten a fire going in the fire pit, we'd received the code to unlock what ended up being, fortunately, supplies for s'mores. We sat around the fire for a long time, until it was time for bed. Came in, showered up, and went to bed.

The next day it was raining. We had a big breakfast and then Blair and I spent the better part of the afternoon in town, browsing all the little shops and getting some hot drinks in the cafe. We found a plant shop, some antique stores, a bookstore, a bakery, an art gallery showcasing local paintings and pottery, and a gem and fossil shop.

Blair and I napped when we got home, reconvened with the rest of the family for dinner, then spent the rest of the evening playing billiards, shuffleboard and air hockey with Blair's sister and brother-in-law until bed. Good times. I've started to realize that in my effort not to ever look stupid in front of other people, I avoid trying things and playing games and such, but when I try I'm actually pretty good. I got accused of hustling at cards, shuffleboard and pool.

Saturday, another big breakfast. Blair, Gabe and I went down to the lake and dragged in a big old rusty rowboat we found next to the dock. I've never been on a boat like that, so every time it tipped in either direction I was sure we were going in the water. Luckily we did not, and were able to row across the lake to the island in the middle, where we proceeded to fall victim to the island curse: Gabe accidentally walked into a patch of poison ivy, Blair sat on a log only to disturb a small swarm of bees, one of which stung her, and the strap of one of my sandals broke, making it extremely hard for me to walk on the rocky shoreline or in the shallow water.

We explored a bit, did some rockhounding and some peaceful sitting around. Discovered there were leeches in the water, which, luckily, did not manage to latch onto any of us. We got back into the boat, did a lap around the island, then headed back.

Blair and I had a nice quiet round of snacks and warm drinks out on the back patio, then went for a long walk with Blair's mom where we saw deer, collected wildflowers, and spotted some bobcat tracks. Made it back just before nightfall, had dinner, then started another bonfire and sat out there making s'mores and doing MadLibs until we cried from laughter.

Morning came too soon, but between the seven of us, packing everything up was quick, easy and efficient. The other two cars took off toward home, but Blair and I went back downtown to re-visit a couple of shops before seeking out a zoo we found on a map about an hour away. There was a fun little hike out to a dam, and beyond that a tiny free zoo with a handful of animals.

After that we finally made our way home. Neither of us are ready to go back to work tomorrow, as that trip was just way too short. It was nice to just hang around doing whatever, surrounded by pretty scenery.

On Sunday, Blair and I went on a double date with our friends Sarah and Savannah to a place nearby called SAGRA, which is a high-end, fresh farm-to-table type of restaurant where everything is sourced locally from nearby farms.

I'm a relatively picky eater so I wasn't thrilled when I was informed that we were doing their five-course mystery special, where they will bring five separate courses to the table and we will have no idea what we're going to eat until it gets there. I was pleasantly surprised, though!

Everything was absolutely delicious. The only thing I didn't like was something that no one else at the table enjoyed either, so I didn't feel bad for that. Amazing food, good conversation. Then the bill came and I almost choked on my drink. I won't tell you how much it was, but holy shit lol.

Still, not an experience for every day. It was a special treat. One I'm okay with not doing again for a long, long time at that price point. Maybe we'll stick to more normal fare for our double dates.

Yesterday, Monday, we did absolutely nothing. Celebrated labor day by being slugs. It was awesome.

Today we'll have to catch up. Clean the apartment, go to the gym. Ho-hum, I've enjoyed the long weekend and am not excited about going back to work tomorrow.

Today I got to do something I've wanted to do for years, but could never do back home in California: I went to visit Save-A-Fox, an animal sanctuary in Faribault, MN. Blair, her mom, her grandma and I piled into her mom's car bright and early for the two hour trip North, and it was so, so worth it.

We had a private tour through the sanctuary, being introduced to their collection of foxes, minks, and black-backed jackals. They have coyotes on site as well, but we did not visit them on the tour as their enclosure was under construction.

This wasn't just seeing foxes. We were taken into their enclosures where we were able to feed them treats, play with them, and even pet a few of them. Absolutely incredible stuff.

We learned about the history of each animal, and about their quirks, their personalities, and their struggles. We were given more information about fur farms, and the fight against their cruelty. The founder of SAF, Mikayla, has rescued over five hundred foxes from one single farm and ended up shutting it down completely, among other great triumphs. She has rescued, rehomed, raised and rehabilitated hundreds of foxes, coyotes, bobcats, minks, even bears and birds and other creatures over the years.

Unfortunately she struggled with mental health issues and relentless online harassment and as of last year, is no longer with us. Still, the care and love given to these animals by their passionate, dutiful and skilled handlers is really something to see.

I hope maybe I can go back again someday, but I am so very happy that I got to go today! Certainly a very unique experience.

Today I bit the bullet and got a new phone. My phone storage has been full for a long time, and I have to keep backing up and deleting photos and videos to make space for new ones. The thing is, even if I delete a TON of stuff, it barely seems to move the needle. The battery also doesn't hold a very good charge. Today, Pokemon Go needed to be updated, but I didn't have enough space to update it, despite deleting tons of photos and files and even uninstalling an app. So done.

It's an old phone. To put things into perspective, it's a Google Pixel 3.

Google is currently on Pixel 11. So it's been a minute.

Biting my nails because it's an expensive purchase and I'm hoping it'll get delivered on a day I'm home, because the mail situation can get pretty sketchy in apartment buildings like ours. But it'll be nice having a nice phone that works optimally! With twice as much storage as my current model, even!

Blair's parents invited us to go with them to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day with them today. So it was seven of us! Myself and Blair, her mom, her dad, her grandma, her sister and brother-in-law. It was honestly one of the best Marvel movies I've seen in awhile, if I'm honest. Enjoyed it a lot!

Simultaneously excited and sort of weary about where the franchise is going, ie reboots and the like (vaguely avoiding spoilers).

Tomorrow I plan to sleep in. I'm so tired tonight, at least three people today remarked upon how tired I look, which. lol

All we have on the docket is DnD in the evening, so!