#Silly Old Bear Podcast

[arthurdrakoni]

Silly Old Bear is a delightful adaptation of the original Winnie the Pooh stories from A.A. Milne. It is great for both the young and the young at heart. This is my review.

I am a lifelong fan of Winnie the Pooh. I grew up with the Disney cartoons, and watched the video tapes constantly. Well, when I wasn’t watching Thomas the Tank Engine or The Tales of Beatrix Potter, of course. Though I’ve gotten older, there’s still very much a special place in my heart for Winnie the Pooh. So, naturally, I leapt at the opportunity to Silly Old Bear. 

Edward J. Bear, known to his friends as Winnie the Pooh, lives in a house in the forest. He has many friends, such as Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Eeyore, and of course Christopher Robin. There’s lots of adventures to be had for a bear of very little brain. Pooh and friends will learn many lessons, and have many laughs, during their (mis)adventures. So, why not journey into the forest, and send some time with everyone’s favorite silly old bear? 

One fine and blustery day on Twitter, I saw a tweet. It was one of those “these people you follow also follow this” sort of tweets. It was promoting an upcoming audio drama called Silly Old Bear. It was to be an adaptation of the original Winnie the Pooh stories by A.A. Milne. It was created by @saucymincks, who has created several other audio dramas, such as @seenandnotheardpod. There was only a trailer available, but I decided to give it a listen. It was love at first sound. The gentle, calming, whimsical music perfectly capture the spirit of Winnie the Pooh. That theme music always manages to put a smile on my face whenever I hear it. And then there was the actor who played the titular silly old bear. Ashley Hunt was obviously not copying the Disney version of Pooh, but my goodness, did he ever nail Pooh’s character. The entire trailer was less than a minute long, but I was sold. I eagerly awaited launch day. 

The voice actors don’t attempt to copy the voice actors from the Disney cartoons. I suspect that this is done deliberately. That way, it helps to give Silly Old Bear its own unique identity. Well, that, and Disney’s legal team probably wouldn’t like it if Silly Old Bear sounded too similar to the Disney cartoons. The casting in Silly Old Bear also returns Winnie the Pooh to its British roots. The Disney cartoons used American voice actors, which has lead to the misconception that Winnie the Pooh is of American origin. To the contrary, it is quite British. In fact, A.A. Milne was considered one of Britain’s finest satirists and playwrights before he wrote Winnie the Pooh. 

The cast of Silly Old Bear is a veritable who’s who of British audio drama voice actors.  We have among many others, Sarah Golding as the narrator, Felix Trench as Rabbit, and Karim Kronfli as Owl. 

Our title character is voiced by Ashley Hunt. He does an absolutely fantastic job of capturing Pooh’s child-like innocence and optimism. Piglet is voiced by Sophs Hughes, who uses they/them pronouns. They nailed Piglet’s nervous and perpetually paranoid demeanor. Their performance as Piglet was one of my absolute favorites of the entire cast. It was equal parts cute and hilarious. 

And of course I must give praise Ethan Hunt, son of Ashley Hunt, as Roo. What can I say? He is just utterly adorable. I see a very bright voice acting future for young Ethan.

Silly Old Bear fills me with warm and fuzzy feelings, and always manages to put a smile on my face. It is an absolute joy from start to finish. It is an excellent audio drama for both the young and the young at heart. You certainly won’t want to miss it if you’re a lifelong Winnie the Pooh fan. 

Have you listened to Silly Old Bear?  If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-audio-file-silly-old-bear.html?m=1

[skyfullofpods]

296 is Silly Old Bear!

An audio adaptation of the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne, suitable for all ages.

One season of 10 episodes currently available.

[innbetween]

#7 and #69 (as god intended)

Amen.

Tell me, do you need something gentle and wholesome and warm in these trying times? Perhaps a childhood friend, freed from the taint of disney? Well then my friend, you need Silly Old Bear, an adaptation of Winnie the Pooh that brings it to life in a gorgeous and heartwarming way.

And Interference, fittingly enough, is a romance! (This is the one by Hazel and Therin Stapp, btw.) An orc from a far-off fantasy land makes a connection with a woman from our world and things get...interesting.

Send me a number between 1 and 307 and I will recommend an audio drama!

[trace-of-a-song]

Revisiting the Hundred Acres

Nestled in amongst the other projects I'm having a good time with is this. Revisiting and remixing music from the first book (season?) of Silly Old Bear to release as an album. It's probably going to take a little while to pick out the right bits and get everything ready, but everything about this music makes me feel good in a simple, nostalgic way! Plus, learning to make better videos is exciting too!

(Important note, this is an example of me Not Yet being better at making videos)

[woso-dreamzzz]

Outburst IV

Leah Williamson x Child!Reader

Summary: You go on a podcast

"And you know, as well as being a footballer and playing with Less and Tooney, you're also a mother to a little girl."

Any mention of you makes Leah smile and she glances off camera to where you're sitting with a crayon and a sheet of paper.

"Yeah," She says, that same dopey smile on her face as she tears her gaze away from you," She's four."

"And she's here today."

"Yeah, I almost didn't bring her because we're recording this so early but my mum had to cancel so she's just behind the camera. I think she's-"

"I'm drawin', Mum!" You call out and Leah grins.

"Are you, bug?"

"Uh-huh! Is it my turn yet?"

Leah glances at Vick Hope. "She loves a microphone. I may have promised her a turn on one of the mics in return for waking up so early today."

"Oh, yeah," Tooney says," We've got to have Bug on here."

"If you're okay with that?" Vick checks.

"Yeah. Honestly, I thought she would have interrupted more. She's very excited. Lovebug, do you want to come over here and you can have your turn?"

You're up like a shot, practically tripping over yourself to get to Leah.

The others have to hold in a coo as you come into view.

You'd arrived today in a big puffy coat and was immediately set up behind the camera, blocked by all the staff and the equipment.

Now they can see you clearly, in a pair of old Arsenal kit shorts but a white t-shirt instead of a jersey, black cardigan and a silly black hat just like Leah's, looking every bit her mini apart from the old Jordan shorts you're wearing.

"Alright." Leah lifts you up onto her lap and lowers her mic so it's more your size. "You happy now?"

You frown. "It's not like Auntie Alex's mic."

"Auntie Alex?" The strange woman that's not Less or Tooney asks.

"My auntie Alex always lets me use her mic at games because I have important things to say and mics help people hear me!"

"Alex Scott," Leah puts in, bouncing you on her lap slightly," Bug really loves her."

"Almost as much as I love Mummy!" You turn to look at the strange woman again. "My Mummy plays for Villa in Berm-ham."

"Birmingham," Leah interrupts again and you tilt your head back to look at her, patting her cheek.

"It's my turn now, mum," You tell her," You have to wait your turn to speak again."

Tooney sputters slightly and Alessia has to bite her lip to stop the laughter threatening to come out at Leah's affronted face as you land another condescending pat on her cheek.

"Mummy plays in Berm-ham," You say again," So I see her every other week. She plays for Villa but I like Arsenal more." You puff out your chest. "When I'm older, I'm gonna play for Arsenal."

"Bug already trains with us," Alessia says and you let her talk because she doesn't have to wait her turn because she doesn't share her microphone like you and Leah do," She's very good."

"And I go on camp! Sarina calls me up every time because I'm so good!"

"You must be," The strange but nice lady says," Because you've got two mummies who play football and you must work super hard."

"I do," You say, bobbing your head up and down," Mummy says one day I'm going to be scoring every game because I'm that good."

"We're very proud of our Bug," Leah says and you only let her have a little turn because she's being nice," She always does her very best."

"Enough for a puppy?"

Leah's face drops. "You've got Blu at Jordan's," She reminds you and you perk up suddenly, turning back to your new microphone again.

"Blu's my birthday buddy!" You announce gleefully," We're the same age! And we share a birthday!"

"Wow, that sounds really cool. You must really love your dog."

"I do! I do!"

"Do you miss him when you're on camp?"

You think for a moment. You've never really thought about if you miss Blu on camp before.

Camp is fun because you're got the other girls and auntie Keira and auntie Lucy and Mum and Bear. You've never really stopped to think about Blu when there's already so much to do at camp.

You shake your head. "I miss Bear more."

"Bear's Keira and Lucy's kid," Leah explains," They're best friends but they don't see each other too often because she lives in Barcelona."

"Bear's kind of funny," Tooney says," She's always nappin'."

"Don't be mean!" You snap suddenly, leaning all the way over to smack Tooney on the arm.

"Bug!" Leah groans," We've talk about using our nice hands. We don't hit."

You huff, sitting more firmly on Leah's lap again and crossing your arms over your chest. "No being mean about Bear! She naps because she's tired! Mum says napping is good, right?"

"That is right, Bug. I do say that."

You nod, turning back to the strange but nice lady. "Bear is my best friend and I love her."

Leah grins down at you, adjusting your hat slightly.

"Keira and I aren't huggers but those two certainly are. Always having a little cuddle those two are."

You frown, a little furrow in your brow. "But you are a hugger, Mum. You always give me cuddles."

"Well, yeah, Bug but I was talking-"

"You don't like my cuddles?"

"No, Bug that's not what I'm saying. I just meant-"

Your bottom lips wobbles and you move to slip off Leah's lap. "I'm sorry, mum. I won't have cuddles anymore if it makes you feel better. No more Bug Hugs. Promise!"

"No, Bug," Leah says firmly, pulling you closer into her body, arms curling around your body," I love Bug Hugs. I always want Bug Hugs from you."

[opalwatch]

im sorry for posting so much the autism is so strong today

phantom troupe music tastes inspired by @spidersinyourshoes

chrollo: -only listens to classical composers because he can't stand "modern sounds" (why else would lacrimosa be playing during uvo's requiem? /j) -thats all

feitan: -only listens to two genres: screamo and vocaloid -only listens to two subgenres of vocaloid: super upbeat silly stuff (popipo, age age again, etc) and maretu (and also tokyo teddy bear) -he really likes poppy's more recent albums

pakunoda: -eva is saying she listens to mitski, and i agree, but i think thats more of a machi thing -wait no she bets on losing dogs canonically (rip kuropaku) -billie eilish -modern covers of old swing songs (lady gaga's cover of "That's Life") -oh she also listens to lady gaga -loves the Heathers soundtrack tbh

machi: -just enjoys girly pop music -melanie martinez (but she only pirates the music because she hates her, she really likes portals. she likes the fairy vibes) -mitski, but she tries not to get too sad over it -penelope scott, and is eternally angry she was bullied off the internet -songs that trend on tiktok, but the good ones that evoke villainry vibes >:) -olivia rodrigo -chappel roan

shizuku -more alternative rock-esque -she forgor (jk) -glass animals -fall out boy and panic! at the disco (she hates pray for the wicked she HATES IT) -bo burnham

Hisoka -diddy (IM JOKING) -melanie martinez (started listening to her after the allegations EVA WROTE THAT) -pray for the wicked (he likes the other p!atd stuff too) -chappel roan (does hot to go dance in shower) -lady gaga (he listened to Judas and that's what gave him the idea to betray the troupe)

Illumi -claims he's "too sophisticated to listen to music" -borrows Kalluto's MP3 player to listen to the fnaf songs secretly -Shalnark showed him Chrissy Chlapecka and he started crying

franklin -imagine dragons (im sorry) -listens to 100 gecs with kortopi sitting on his shoulders (theyre sharing a set of wired earbuds) but he doesnt really get it (also the earbud keeps falling out cuz his ears are too big)

Phinks -i have the really unpopular opinion that phinks is a republican -listens to joe rogan podcast and ben shapiro (im so so sorry) -country rock -cries to "I'm Just Ken" -Queen

Kalluto: -video game fan songs (FNaF like tryhardninja and CG5) -undertale soundtrack -the hazbin hotel soundtrack (kikyo found out and grounded him for a week)

Shalnark: -there is no correct answer other than gay pop -chrissy chlapecka -jojo siwa (he heard pakunoda listening to it ironically and didnt understand it was a joke) -PAiDA -chappel roan, i fear this is common sense

Nobunaga -doesnt listen to music, listens to podcasts and brags about it

Kortopi -100 gecs (no one else can explain why he likes it)

Bonolenov -eva says system of a down but i dont know anything about their music so -eva says he blows into his arms and just enjoys the sounds -enjoys old warped music from early radio

Uvogin: -trap -Queen (eva says the two genres cant coexist in one person but idc im RIGHT) -eva says cannibal corpse (idk who that is why am i letting eva (a nerd) dictate my shitpost)

this was mostly for shits and giggles but i stand by shalnark, chrollo, feitan, and machi

[irradiatedsnakes]

the Big TMA Furry List

this list with commentary/choice rationale below the cut :] i wrote a lot of thoughts down do please check it out.

jon: common raven

martin: tan jumping spider

sasha: southern flannel moth

not!sasha: red postman

tim: jackson's chameleon

melanie: eastern copperhead

georgie: triceratops horridus

basira: domestic cat (calico shorthair)

daisy: domestic dog (german shepherd)

elias: barn owl. jonah: eurasian eagle owl.

gerry: domestic dog (black doberman)

annabelle: white-booted racket-tail

jane: cabbage white

michael: spiny softshell turtle

helen: common hermit crab

oliver: black vulture

peter: risso's dolphin

mike: caelestiventus hanseni

jude: black kite

agnes: ???

nikola: stealing major's carousel horse

jared: american dog tick

breekon&hope: Hog and/or Bear. you get no more information

dekker: mouflon

gertrude: great tit

leitner: domestic cat (persian)

manuela: gray long-eared bat

rayner: olm

salesa: sea otter

simon: dodo

elaboration below !

jon: common raven

this was a choice i made before i even finished listening to the podcast back in 2020. jon's 1000% a bird to me, and the curious nature of corvids works well here. plus, i think a bird so universally ominous as a raven works perfectly as a horror protag :P i used to draw raven!jon with a couple troodon traits, mostly just cus it was fun, but i wanted to make my designs more grounded for this iteration. made them plantigrade, didn't get silly with body styles like i have with mp100 designs.

martin: tan jumping spider

if you've been here for a while you'll know that my furry martin has gone through about two million iterations. he started off as a european pine marten, to bold jumping spider, to chinese pangolin, to nine-banded armadillo, finally to nurse shark.

out of all of these the spider and the shark are my favorites. i wanted to go back to the jumping spider though- the design is really fun and i wasn't able to get the expressions right, but i'm more confident in my skills now and i'm having fun with the design. i may revisit nurse shark at some point. i switched from bold to tan jumper- i originally chose bold just cus they're my favorite jumper, but their stark black/white and iridescent aqua coloration just doens't work for martin. so, the tan jumper!

sasha: southern flannel moth

another old choice. species chosen because of a friend's fic, pharos by right (another i'm planning to reread now that i'm dipping my toes back into tma..)! southern flannel moths are poofy and orange, and their caterpillars are those super painful teddybear ones. i really like the design.

not!sasha: red postman

wanted to have her be another lepidopteran, and with all the many examples of mimicry among the group i thought red postman was a fun choice. doesn't look anything like a southern flannel moth, but that's sort of the point.

tim: jackson's chameleon

yet another choice from the oldtimes- most of the main characters are, i've mostly switched around the more secondary chars. first suggested, i believe, by @/ofdreamsanddoodles. i think there's something very fun about chameleons being basically a living mood ring & tim's Descent s1-3 showing physcially not just through the worm scars but through like, constant stress coloration during s3.

melanie: eastern copperhead

one of my favorite choices. i have a young copperhead specimen named after her. this one is quite vibes-based, but i do really like the copperhead as a viper that is not deadly. and i'm always a sucker for the "animal perceived as scary and violent that in actuality only strikes when under extreme stress" thing in furry assignments.

georgie: triceratops horridus

another favorite choice. visually, i really like how this works out, and trikes as a social and protective animal works well. she's literally got a shield on her face. horridus was chosen because i like the shape of the head and horns better than prorsus.

basira: domestic cat (calico shorthair)

got a little cat/dog thing going on for dasira. i like the inversion of the usual cat/dog dynamic with their unhealthy devotion instead, and visually it just works very well for them both.

daisy: domestic dog (german shepherd)

yeah i know this one's an exceedingly obvious choice.

elias: barn owl. jonah: eurasian eagle owl.

it's the institute logo! it's him! barn owl for elias specifically because of its very sleek look, designing him went fantastically. also, i can make the eagle owl's face disk work as a mimicry of ben meredith's muttonchops, which i think is a fun design bit to give to magnus.

gerry: domestic dog (black doberman)

certified gerryguy @/gerrydelano's choice. to quote a discord message from 3 years ago (sorry ron): "i feel like.........my INSTINCT is some kind of canine because like. the whole symbolism thing about being either an obedient or rabid dog. something something muzzled all your life. being a dangerous figure if people only see the silhouette but you just want scritches and nobody'll get close enough to you." black dog symbolism + breed which has ears cropped and tail docked, unecessarily molded for a Purpose which the dog has no say in

annabelle: white-booted racket-tail

sort of my original choice- she used to be part white-booted racket-tail, part anna's hummingbird. kept with the racket-tail cus it's fun and very cute. i've had a couple people express surprise that she wasn't a spider, but i think that's way too obvious. hummingbirds, though- they steal the webs of spiders to use as material to make their nests, but can sometimes become trapped in the webs and eaten by the spiders themselves. which is probably the metaphor-via-fursona-assignment i'm most proud of in this whole list

jane: cabbage white

the cabbage white is a butterfly whose caterpillars are routinely parasitized by the parasitoid wasp the white butterfly parasite. in case you're not familiar, parasitoid wasps lay their eggs on (usually) caterpillars, which hatch on the still-living caterpillar, devouring it from the inside before eventually emerging from the consumed husk of the host. also, i really liked the image of parasitoid wasp larvae emerging from an adult butterfly, rather than a caterpillar.

michael: spiny softshell turtle

for michael and helen, i wanted to choose animals which were, in some way, their own home. turtle is an obvious choice- and spiny softshells are a favorite of mine, and sufficiently strange-looking.

helen: common hermit crab

see previous entry. also please google "hermit crab without shell"

oliver: black vulture

bit of an obvious choice, but i adore vultures so i had to. black vulture chosen because i think the monochrome color scheme + straighter face work better than a turkey vulture for him

peter: risso's dolphin

i really like the idea of a cetacean for peter and the lukases as a whole, a famously social animal for the seemingly contradictory nature of this lonely-but-huge family, plus with so many cetaceans being endangered getting that lonely angle (risso's specifically are not, though, as peter is lonely through his own choice, not by circumstance).

mike: caelestiventus hanseni

it's a dimorphodont. he feels like a pterosaur to me, and i like the idea of a vast avatar as a usually short-flying arboreal species, for the unnaturality/contrast of it.

jude: black kite

black kites are one of the species of kites known to intentionally spread fires by picking up burning sticks to flush out prey.

agnes: ???

the only one i'm still undecided on. will update.

nikola: stealing major's carousel horse

i can't top that

jared: american dog tick

great choice from @/magnusarchivememes. Takes Your Blood And Gets So Big

breekon&hope: Hog and/or Bear. you get no more information

vaguely russian animals that are large and imposing but remain somewhat generic. which is the hog and which is the bear is not consistent.

dekker: mouflon

dekker has very much mammal vibes to me. the mouflon is a neat species of wild sheep. i think the noble, imposing but kind image of the ram works well for dekker as that sort of true-good hero figure, and mouflons in particular are very nice looking with good shapes. the statement giver in distant cousin describes dekker as "though he was slightly shorter than I was, it seemed like he towered over me." which i think this sheep works well with.

gertrude: great tit

i wanted all the main eye avatars as birds, just like how i give them all glasses. just a fun little treat for me. great tit was chosen for gertrude as a kind of classic british bird, and as tits in general are VERY fiesty despite their round and adorable appearance. i really like this image of a great tit posing with a dead mouse like it's a hunter with a trophy deer. the cheek markings also work really well to bring to mind the image of old person jowls.

leitner: domestic cat (persian)

vibes. also i like the idea of him as a spoiled domestic animal. if i remember correctly, this was also @/ofdreamsanddoodles' suggestion

manuela: gray long-eared bat

she's a bat. what's to say. WELL actually okay there's the perception of bats as blind but actually having quite good vision which i think meshes in a fun way with the dark, and the way manuela does her sciency stuff.

rayner: olm

i mean, yeah

salesa: sea otter

largely design-oriented, suitably scruffy. ocean animal with strong social bonds, it was a slam dunk soon as i thought of it.

simon: dodo

how couldn't i, come on.

[harpers-mirror]

Meant to post this a few days ago for Fanworks Day, but...

I've been going through a bunch of my old fics, mostly the Wolf 359 ones, and it's been a great, nostalgic journey (punctuated by occasional "shit, that typo has been there for EIGHT YEARS"). I've written fanfiction for almost 25 years now, starting with truly awful Phantom of the Opera and Harry Potter stuff on ff.net, but it wasn't until about ten years ago that I started really posting stuff. 2015 was a really bad year, salvaged by my discovery of a newish audio drama called Wolf 359, and the podcast fandom here on Tumblr.

A decade on from that discovery, the show still holds a special place in my heart. For the joy of listening to the story unfold, for the characters (especially Eiffel) that are still so important to me, for the community that thrived here and gave me something when I didn't have much else. And for the amount of people it inspired to create - fan fiction, art, original projects, and community endeavors.

Here's my favorite things I wrote for the fandom:

1. Paperclips - It's silly, it's fluffy, it's Eiffel/Minkowski hurt/comfort, it makes me so happy.

2. Fairy Tale - Written during the run of the show before we had much info on Eiffel's backstory, my horrified joy at how close I got still resonates. Plus I like how the framing device intrudes on the story because it's Eiffel and he can't just say things.

3. Praise Unto - This is a weird one, and weirdly one of my favorite things I've ever written. I wrote it for a fandom challenge that involved restrictions like "no Eiffel," "can't be set on the Hephaestus," and "must involve the plant monster." These limitations, obviously, meant I had no choice but to create pseudo-religious plant monster scripture.

4. Blackout: A Choose-Your-Own Adventure Tale - This was such a fun exercise in planning! Trying to come up with multiple story beats that could diverge from the initial starting scene, keeping track of each branch, ensuring it had enough gory death to bear the CYOA name...

5. leave this star-crossed world behind - Lambert feelings. I love my dead sad son.

(Honorable mention goes to when I step out in gonna do you in for the amount of sad bisexual solidarity it seemed to inspire.)

[zeninsama-moved-again]

zen'in naoya, as seen by silas. these are some of my naoya headcanons so you can better understand how i see this man.

cw for general jjk manga spoilers (don't read if you're actively wanting to avoid), misogyny, sexual abuse, cousin incest, discussions of trans identity, etc. this is also incredibly long lol so don't feel obligated to read. starts off intense and then goes into silly things.

naoya's first love was toji.

naoya never knew his mother. it's my headcanon that naoya and his brothers come from different mothers, with his brothers coming from naobito's first wife. naobito is fifty years older than naoya, his age doesn't hinder his ability to impregnate someone, but i think it's very unlikely a fifty year old woman delivered a baby.

naoya's mother was a young woman from within the zen'in clan (18-20) chosen specifically to bear naoya for a variety of reasons, like fertility or technique (or lack of one) that would give naoya the highest chance of inheriting his father's projection sorcery. she was allowed to mother naoya until the manifestation of his technique, probably around age four, before she was either killed off by the zen'in clan or banished to the far outskirts of the estate.

despite being young and incredibly scared, naoya's mother loved him very much. she felt bonded to him the first time she held him in her arms, this impossibly small bundle with the cutest little ears and nose. naoya was also an incredibly sweet and sensitive little boy.

before being banished from naoya's life, his mother left behind her most beautiful furisode so that naoya would remember her. one of naoya's closest kept secrets is that occasionally he will wear them, along with some very subtle makeup, only in the privacy of his room.

naoya abused mai as a placeholder for maki because even though he refused to acknowledge it, maki was the closest to toji in physicality and in strength – this circles back to toji being his first love, also because naoya canonically measures everyone's strength by comparing them to toji. this absolutely doesn't excuse anything that happened to mai because it gets more fucked up the more you think about it. poor mai.

everyone diagnoses naoya with an incredibly modern type of misogyny, like he's a podcast bro that doesn't eat pussy, but i think that's kind of a bastardization of his character and the zen'in clan as an institution. naoya's misogyny is a result of centuries of deeply-rooted patriarchal and traditionalist values. he's old-fashioned, baby.

naoya has a fetish for the female body. this is also where i disagree with the misogyny-lite commonly associated with him, his view of the female body isn't rotted by pornography. because of this fetish, i think he's also studied the female body to an almost insane degree. it's about viewing the female body in its most unaltered form. it's about having complete dominance and ownership over your body. not only does he know your body better than you do, he knows how to use it against you.

this is also because naoya, deep down, is a woman in my head. that is something he will never process or come to terms with in this lifetime, but his character is canonically associated with female symbolism. this manifests in his fascination and obsession over the female body, his strict ideals of how women should behave, intense feelings of envy towards toji's wife (because he thinks that should've been him), etc. again, this doesn't excuse the misogyny or justify it, it just makes naoya more complex.

so naoya came back as a curse in the culling games arc and it's most notably because he's a sorcerer that wasn't killed using cursed energy, but the reason is a lot more complex and tragic in my head. another reason people come back as curses is because of feeling unsatisfied with their lives on earth, or like they have unfinished business (ex. rika)

we know through toji that life in the zen'in clan is brutal even for men, so i think naoya is sitting on a lot of childhood trauma that helped contribute to making him the way he is.

naoya practices shibari as an art form. this is related to his fetish for the female body and isn't always sexual. sometimes after rigging and suspending you, he will sit back and make charcoal drawings of your body, studying it.

naoya doesn't wear cologne and smells like everything that makes up his day – sun-soaked linens, the leaves of his favorite tea, and incense. he's also vegan, mostly because not consuming animals or their byproducts gives you less notable body odor. this is a benefit for combat.

naoya is not a big fan of sweets and prefers more earthy flavors like red bean, black sesame, etc.

naoya is incredibly vain and has a strict self-care regimen, his diet is even super clean to prevent ruining his skin or physique. he also has access to all the ancient beauty secrets from the zen'in grannies.

[srslyscary]

┊┊. NON-SKZ RELATIONSHIPS !

⟿ ATEEZ !

> CONTACT NAMES ᕯ captain hj, ddeonghwa , you know , yeosang(ie), mountain, fix on, lunatic, bear

➠ met during kingdom sports day, got introduced to the group after everyone else because she was sick the day the boys had gotten previously introduced to ateez and hadn’t been able to find the time to actually meet them like the boys did.

➠ got along with everyone as soon as they were introduced. everyone was very friendly and she hit it off well with all of them. ateez quickly became her favorite people to sit around and chat with.

➠ she talks to jongho, yunho, and mingi on a regular basis.

➠ she has arranged to hang out with wooyoung on multiple occasions, and fans have seen mingi and kabi out on social media.

➠ she calls jongho and yunho the most during livestreams just to see how they are doing,

➠ kabi has a groupchat with mingi and san, always being silly together and spamming the groupchat with the most random things.

➠ overall they are all really good friends and fans can show they have great dynamics.

⟿ P1HARMONY !

> CONTACT NAMES ᕯ canadian fucker, lil taeyang, caster of cough spells, taki taki, alien boy, rapper boy seobs

➠ she had known them from already being acquainted with theo.

➠ she used to train with theo when he was in sm. after finding out he debuted in a new group, she went and hit him up.

➠ they caught up and agreed to hang some time. knowing how theo was a bit of an introvert, she decided it would be best if they could possibly talk at a more “at home” place.

➠ specifically kabi showed up to their first concert without theo’s knowledge. she pretended to be a fan wanting autographs, and as soon as theo saw her he was certainly surprised.

➠ ended up going with them in the dressing area to talk to him before they got dressed out and ready to go.

➠ made great friends after she met all of his members, hitting off with the leader as soon as she found out he was canadian as well. she also has “beef” with him. tis the reason for his .. contact name. they’re always picking on each other, so it’s all jokes.

➠ she practically adopted the whole group.

➠ understands soul more than his own members understands him. often takes the two youngest ones out when they’re free just because she finds them adorable.

⟿ ENHYPEN !

> CONTACT NAMES ᕯ scared of chris, heehee, chef jay, aussie kid of en, nonchalant kid, gossip hb, crazy riki

➠ for some odd reason, she loved to pick on them during the time they got to see enhypen in person. enhypen’s leader seemed a bit terrified of her leader, and she could never understand why. I mean have you seen bang chan? yeah he can be scary but that grown man is nothing more than a 5 year old in an old man’s body.

➠ regularly talks to sunoo for gossip time. as much as they would like to, they don’t hang out in person a lot.

➠ heesung was invited to join her on her podcast to be interviewed. they had a chill time talking about things that came up and topics that were being asked.

➠ they don’t really hang out as much but it’s fun when they do happen to be around each other.

⟿ KARD !

> CONTACT NAMES ᕯ j.seph-seonbaenim, do not answer mathew, sooomin, ms girl

➠ when I tell you kabi and bm have everlasting beef.. ooh girl I mean it. She literally hates mathew (not literally).

➠ loves the rest of the members, only talks to somin and jiwoo often.

➠ everytime the girls are all together, it’s usually calm and relaxing. the same thing with j-seph, she values the time she gets because she knows he can be very busy and it’s just one of her seonbaenim’s that she respects. although bm… somehow things just manage to get fucked up.

➠ she means well with all of them, never once having any real problems. they’re great friends.

⟿ NMIXX !

> CONTACT NAMES ᕯ haehae, lily jin morrow, sully, ms bae, k. jiwoo, cutejin

➠ she’s been watching over these girls ever since their trainee days.

➠ treats these girls as if they were her sisters, loves them to death.

➠ ACTUALLY tells people they’re all siblings and it happened to be a coincidence that they ended up in the same company.

➠ messes with bae and lily on a regular basis.

➠ kabi has been their #1 fan since pre-debut.

➠ talks about nmixx a lot during live streams.

➠ calls the girls at random times to say something stupid and then hang up.

➠ randomly comments stupid things on their posts.

➠ takes group photos of them and posts them a LOT.

⟿ THE NEW SIX !

> CONTACT NAMES ᕯ taehun (tnx), kyungjun (tnx), hyunsoo (tnx), junhyeok (tnx), hwi (tnx), sungjun (tnx)

➠ literally just in a group chat with them.

➠ has met these guys multiple times during their audition show.

➠ groupchat is titled “tnx + kabi-seonbaenim :)”

➠ she hasn’t hung out with them in person since they debuted, but she makes sure to keep in touch with them about all their projects and new music.

➠ one of those people in the groupchat that sends random memes that say “good morning” with random idols’ faces on it.

⟿ BIBI !

> CONTACT NAME ᕯ my favorite honorable mention

➠ social media besties and real life twins.

➠ definitely calls bibi twin everywhere she goes.

➠ bibi talked about making a part two to her song “vengeance” so that, and I quote, “kabi-unnie can hop on the track and spit some bars”.

➠ often hangs out with bibi every chance she gets.

➠ both of their cats have had play dates together. tazi, bada, and chichi have their own fandom name called “The 3 Kittiteers”.

➠ they interact with each other the most on social media platforms. they comment on each other’s Instagram posts too often.

➠ they plan to make a project together (an album collaboration).

➠ bibi would come to visit kabi during her hiatus a lot, bringing her food and having sleepovers with her to keep her company.

[gothhobbithoe]

What tv shows/films the Fellowship would watch:

Gandalf: Ok so Gandalf loves his true crime, he's always listening to podcasts and watching true crime tiktok. He also loves the cosy old lady crime dramas such as Poirot or Marple. Gandalf also enjoys hospital dramas. Basically if there's drama he's here for it.

Frodo: Frodo loves his period dramas, Bridgerton, Downton abbey, Call the Midwife all that jazz. He loves the old fashioned scandals and dramas. Will cry if a character dies.

Sam: Now sam loves his cooking shows, espcially Masterchef or Bake off and will attempt the challenges if he's feeling really inspired. He also loves gardening shows, you know the really british one where they speak in soft whispers so they don't distrurb the bees.

Pippin: Pippin is an absolutely a sci-fi fan, Dr Who, Star Wars, Star Trek you name it he's watched it. and yes he will talk in great detail about it. He's also obsessed with Marvel and has already decided what member of the avengers each fellowship member is. (Gandalf is Nick Fury)

Merry: Fantasy and horror all the way. He's more into dark fantasy like Game of Thrones but will watch Merlin and other shows to give himself a break from the gritty shows. He will also watch horror until he scares himself but he wont admit that to anyone not even Pippin. Also partial to a good zombie show. Knows all of American Horror Story off by heart.

Boromir: Secret Disney fan but can't let anyone else know. Also enjoys a good comedy show, stand up comedy or the comedy shows with his silly humour. He also loves Action films like Top Gun, Die Hard and John Wicks, has watched all the Fast and Furious films.

Legolas: Loves nature documentaires and finds David Attenborough's voice so soothing. He also enjoys a good fashion/makeover show and has binge watch RuPaul's Drag Race too many times to count (him and Thranduil watch it together)

Gimli: Now Gimli loves his history shows, you know the types that your dad watched on a saturday. Deep dive into the pyramids, Time Team, fancy graphics and digging up bones. Mainly about ancient structures and buildings really. He loves the ancient egyptians and has so many facts about their culture and their buildings. He also loves a good historical drama, as long as it's accurate.

Aragorn: Survival shows, Bear Grylls, Ed Stafford etc. He loves watching their shows and getting tips for future quests. He also enjoys shows about people who live int he wild e.g Alaskan Bush People as it give him nostalgia of his Strider days.

[dawkegos]

WELCOME!!

This is a roleplay/story blog for Dawko Egos Family Dynamic (DEFD) by @oligoweee !! Account also owned by yours truly >:)

Meet the Egos!

Puppet Dawko

aka Poko, Po, Poopet

He/They - Omniromantic

Eldest Dawkego, having gained consciousness on October 29th, 2016, they're the glue of the family and keep mostly everyone from being at each other's throats.

Poko is a very kind and nurturing lad with an overall calming presence, although he behaves silly and has a very soft spoken voice, he's good at stopping arguments and rarely hesitates to put his foot down when needed.

They are half-puppet and half-human which causes their arms to appear puppet jointed (yes they slightly click), being half-puppet is a trait they share with their younger brother, Darko.

He enjoys crochet, sewing, and baking. They love giving little gifts to their family, most notably having made a teddy bear for Nightko to help with his anxiety.

Night Guard Dawko

aka Nightko, Night

He/Him - Straight

Second oldest Dawkego, having gained consciousness on October 30th, 2016, he was once the bravest ego of the family until Dawktrap came along, now he often hides in his room or clings to Poko.

Nightko is an anxious and quiet guy after being traumatized by Dawktrap, he thinks he's the security guard for Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria (in reality, it's just the egos' house decorated) as it helps him keep his mind off things.

He's constantly getting locked out of his office (bedroom) especially when he wants to just go hide and chill, he enjoys reading when he has a moment of peace and occasionally he'll cook dinner for everyone if he's not intimidated.

He always carries around the teddy bear that Poko made for him and most likely will have a panic attack when he cannot find it.

Showtime Dawko

aka Showko, Showtime

Any Pronouns - Unlabeled

The older of two middle children, having gained consciousness on January 20th, 2018, he is the interviewer and semi-theater kid of the family, usually schemes with Glamko on what kind of silly drama they can start/fuel.

Showko is an enthusiastic podcast host (FNAF Show) and will usually practice their interviewing skills on their siblings, when they're not doing either of these they're usually watching movies or musicals.

He shares a green room (bedroom) with Glamko, the two are jokingly considered to have the most luxurious room in the house, when they're together they're usually doing each other's makeup and outfits or singing their lungs out to whatever songs are trendy.

Darko

aka Dark

He/It - Aroace

The younger of two middle children, having gained consciousness on May 10th, 2018, he is somewhat the outcast of the family and only really acknowledged by Poko or teased by Dawktrap.

Darko is a typically hostile guy with a history of abduction and murder, he's often shouting and snapping at his siblings but he'd never actually lay a hand on them.

Like its oldest brother, it is half-puppet and half-human with its legs appearing puppet jointed (it cannot sneak attack it's too noisy.)

He's an insomniac, usually spending most of his time on his own whether that's exploring the woods (with a curfew) or just staying in his and Poko's gift box (bedroom). He has a Foxy plushie that he carries around and calls "Bazy," named after -and believed to be possessed by- the man he had murdered in his past.

Dawktrap

aka Glitch, Glitchy

He/It - Aceflux

The second youngest Dawkego, having gained consciousness May 16th, 2020, he is arguably the favorite child and causes most of the issues within the family.

Dawktrap is quite the manipulative guy, possessed with the soul of a serial killer and having a cult-like following, he treats his siblings poorly, always trying to possess them.

He appears to be mostly human but nobody knows for sure whether or not his rabbit ears are real.

It spends most of its time either tinkering with old and new technology or tormenting and teasing Nightko for its own enjoyment as it's funny to see him so scared. He doesn't exactly have his own room due to being oh so busy with his cult but he'll often steal Nightko's room.

Glamrock Dawko

aka Glamko, Glam, Glammy

He/They - Abrosexual

Youngest Dawkego, having gained consciousness on December 24th, 2022, he is quite the outgoing lad and loves to either observe drama or fuel silly drama.

Glamko is a (glam)rockstar, normal+mortuary cosmetologist, and a fashion stylist to some extent. They gave the rest of the Dawkegos makeovers after somewhat roasting them and saying they looked boring.

He usually spends his time in his room either obsessing over his appearance, practicing his guitar, or singing random songs with Showko, he also gets help from Poko to make outfits that he designs on paper.

Account Rules

No shipping - Ego x Ego and Ego x User are not allowed.

Pretty much it, just don't be weird about the Dawkegos or account owner.

—

Notes

This account is for roleplaying and stories (one shots), the roleplaying may not be very serious, the stories are semi-serious, overall though this account is just supposed to be my silly AU!

Stories are cross-posted to AO3 for a neat collection.

Anonymous asks aren't allowed but the ask box may be used for anything such as questions, requests, etc.

The original AU posted on Tik Tok included real life Dawko (Lewis) and although he is still the egos' dad, he is not very likely to appear much anymore.

[focsle]

This may be a strange question, but is there any prep you think someone should do before reading moby dick? Or just anything worth bearing in mind for it? Especially for someone whos only read a small handfull of books that old

Hmmm I don't know exactly but here's my stream of consciousness answer to this hahaha.

I don't think it's a book that requires necessary prep to jump into (though it's always helpful and enlightening to hear other people's thoughts and analysis about it while you're reading). As far as the age of the book, a lot of people tend to be surprised at how modern and humorous the language is, though it's very dense and winding. I think it's a book that asks you to spend time with it--it's not one to skim. It has, mostly, very short chapters though that help make what it's saying digestible. But if you're jumping into it expecting an adventure novel about hunting a white whale, that's not gonna be it! I describe the process of reading Moby-Dick as watching a man unravel his soul in front of you for hundreds of pages. It's all his meditations and grapplings thrown out in the open. And maybe, in witnessing one man's soul unraveling, you can find little pieces that resonate with your own.

I think it's always good to bear in mind the time in which it was written: 1840s into the 1850s United States: rapidly industrializing, a period of European immigration in ways the country hadn't seen in the decades prior, the continued violence and land theft wrought upon indigenous people in growing westward expansion and idea of Manifest Destiny really making itself felt in a white American identity, a country extremely polarized and filled with tension around the institution of slavery and fugitive slave acts also destabilizing the lives of Black people in free states, and ultimately a nation fast on its way to hurtling into Civil War. It's a critical decade when it comes to the path of the country and I think many of the questions Moby-Dick raises arise from its time. And that time, if you ask me, feels startlingly close to our moment right now in a number of ways. I think the 2020s will be just as critical a decade. I'm rambling now, forgive me. Call me Ishmael. And also that it was written during the golden age of whaling, where it was one of the largest economic sectors in the country and so much of the energy and product consumption was linked to it. Whaling was a Big Deal, and so many of the issues mentioned above are inherently woven into the industry. I feel like an 1850s American whaleship was very much a male microcosm of its own country. And I think the Pequod in Moby-Dick reads that way as well.

Getting a cursory sense of Herman Melville too can also give an insight into this work. Because--this is perhaps controversial of me to say from a Literary Analysis standpoint but--so many of his books are autobiographical to some degree. He puts a lot of himself into them, I think. I think his personal experiences, at least to some degree, inform the sort of questions he asks and conclusions he reaches in the book.

The book has a LOT of references ranging from the historical to the biblical. There are podcasts that dissect Moby Dick chapters (tho I'm bad at listening to podcasts so I can't recommend a specific one). Power Moby Dick is a meticulously annotated virtual copy that can give context where needed.

Historian Nathaniel Philbrick wrote a book called Why Read Moby-Dick. He's the one who called the book a metaphysical survival manual which I think is such an apt way to describe it and the way I perceive it too. The book however was published in 2011 and has a very like.....Liberal White American 'Obama Is President So The Trajectory of the Country is All Lookin' Up From Here We're All Good Now' skew that, especially today, reads rather flat. But there are still interesting things he brings up.

Very silly, but there's also a book called Our Daily Breach by Dennis Patrick Slattery that engages an examination of each chapter through a personal lens, if that's your sort of Thing. If you're a Journaler.

Anyway! Read how you like! I think one can go in blind and when stumbling across something that feels confusing or intriguing, can follow that thread after reading the chapter. But it is an interesting novel to hear other opinions on (and man have the opinions been written. Throw a stick on jstor and you'll find 8 million essays), because it's a very weird book that can be read so many ways and mean so many things.

[cantsayidont]

Some bad teevee:

FIGHT NIGHT: THE MILLION-DOLLAR HEIST (2024): Tasteless, embarrassingly bad eight-part Peacock miniseries wastes a high-profile Black cast (including Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Taraji P. Henson, Chloe Bailey, and Terrence Howard) in a clumsy attempt to turn a true crime podcast, about the armed robbery of an afterparty for the October 1970 Muhammad Ali–Jerry Quarry fight, into a self-consciously retro blaxploitation pastiche. Starring comedian Kevin Hart as Gordon "Chicken Man" Williams, the Atlanta hustler who organized the party for an array of top Black mob figures and then found himself on the hook after the robbery, the show is a tonally uneasy mix of grim drama and leaden shtick, which smothers some flailing stabs at social commentary while giving the more serious scenes (which are often quite brutal) an inappropriately campy vibe. Hart (who also produced) acts like he's in a latter-day FRIDAY sequel with all the punchlines removed, while Henson looks so uncomfortable that you can't help cringing every time she's onscreen; even Don Cheadle's weary dignity is very hard-pressed, and Dexter Darden's weak caricature of Ali doesn't help. Worse, the story just isn't interesting enough to sustain eight one-hour episodes. CONTAINS LESBIANS? No. VERDICT: One can see what they were going for ("COTTON COMES TO HARLEM meets ACROSS 110TH STREET, but based on a true story!"), but it's a complete train wreck.

NOBODY WANTS THIS (2024): Thinly plotted, stupid sitcom about an obnoxious blond shiksa (Kristen Bell), who runs a confessional podcast with her equally obnoxious sister (Justine Lupe), unexpectedly falling for a cute rabbi (Adam Brody), whose family and friends can't believe he's dumped the hot Jewish woman (Emily Arlook) everyone expected him to marry. Feels like a (bad) romcom feature script stretched awkwardly into 10 half-hour episodes, and it becomes more and more offensive as it goes on, villifying every Jewish woman older than about 15 in a vain attempt to make the boorishly antisemitic heroine seem like a reasonable romantic choice. CONTAINS LESBIANS? The main character periodically mentions that she was a lesbian for a year, but she's not now. VERDICT: Aptly titled.

PENANCE (2020): Eye-rolling British drama/thriller, based on a Kate O'Riordan novel (strictly beach and bathtub reading, one assumes), about a middle-aged mum (Julie Graham), reeling from the unexpected death of her 20-year-old son, who has a Horniness Crisis™ involving a hunky, manipulative young man (Nico Mirallegro), who's also dating her teenage daughter (Tallulah Greive) and is plainly up to no good. Not at all credible even before some absurd third-act contrivances, it's essentially a wish fulfillment fantasy (or porn scenario) drenched in just enough sour self-loathing and turgid melodrama for the target audience (Tory-voting sexually frustrated middle-aged white women) to reassure themselves that they're not really having fun. Just to make sure, Art Malik costars as the kind of insufferably chummy local priest Pat O'Brien used to play. CONTAINS LESBIANS? Nope. VERDICT: Probably well-tailored for its intended audience, but for everyone else, it's too silly to take seriously and too dour to even constitute good trash.

THE PENGUIN (2024): HBO Max dared to ask, "Will the market bear yet another Batman-less Batman TV project?" and came up this spinoff of THE BATMAN (2022), returning the film's version of the Penguin (Colin Farrell, buried beneath half his weight in prosthetics), maneuvering between the rival crime families of Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen) and Sal Maroni (Clancy Brown), with his only ally a Black teenager (Rhenzy Feliz) who becomes his driver and protégé (not unlike the relationship between Dwight and Tyson in TULSA KING). Cristin Milioti costars as Alberto's unstable sister Sofia Falcone, newly released from Arkham Asylum, with Shohreh Aghdashloo as Sal's ruthless wife Nadia. There's no reason to assume this show won't follow exactly the same pattern as GOTHAM and PENNYWORTH — i.e., a brief flirtation with gritty urban crime drama that quickly goes off the rails into campy derangement while stuffing its pockets with as many second-tier Bat-adjacent characters as Warner Bros. will permit. (Alberto and Sofia are borrowed from the Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale series BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN and DARK VICTORY, although this version of them bears only a vague resemblance to the original.) Since the show's only apparent reason for being is to juice interest in the eventual Matt Reeves/Robert Pattinson theatrical sequel without impacting that sequel (or even showing Batman) in any meaningful way, why bother? CONTAINS LESBIANS? TBD. VERDICT: Lucy with the football.

[nancypullen]

Sunday Afternoon

I woke up in Denton again today. Dang it. I keep hoping for one of those 80's soap opera moments where I wake up and this was all a bad dream. So I did what I always do and made the best of it while silently cussing about everything. If Mickey reads this he'll ask, "Really, silently??" Okay, I may vocalize my discontent on occasion. And by occasion, I mean daily. Anyyywayyyy, there's not much happening around here. After lunch we went over to the auction house and poked around. There was some cute furniture there that I'd love to get my hands on and paint - but nothing we truly needed. I do have my eye on a stack of vintage children's books. I'm a sucker for anything Rupert related and this auction lot has three Rupert books!

Have you ever watched Rupert and the Frog Song? I love it so much I may want it played at my funeral. Well, I doubt I'll have a funeral, so I may tell my family to watch it and just burn me up in the Weber. Is that legal? Anyway, Paul McCartney wrote the music and lyrics (We All Stand Together) and it's pure magic.

The first time I saw it I was in a hotel room in Seattle with my two sweet babies. We'd flown in from the Florida panhandle (long day) and were overnighting before catching a morning flight to Anchorage, Alaska and then on to Barrow/Utqiagvik to our new home at the tiptop of the world. We finally had beachfront property but it came with polar bears and icebergs. Matthew was 5 1/2 so Tyler was 2, we'd had a very long travel day and they were such little troopers. After wrestling our luggage into a van and arriving at the hotel I ordered room service cheeseburgers and found the Disney Channel on tv. Rupert and the Frog Song was just starting so we cuddled up in our jammies with our dinner and giggled ourselves silly over the frogs. We may have been overtired and a little punchy, but I was so happy in that moment with my precious little boys, and this song was cemented on my heart. The three of us survived plenty of adventures and tough times, but we did stand together and my gosh, look at them now. I couldn't be more proud of them. If you have any interest, you can see Rupert and the Frog Song here. It's old, and it starts out a tad slow ,but it's lovely. If you're impatient you can go straight to the 5:30 mark and watch the song.

That's why a dusty stack of books at an auction house in Denton made me put a hand to my heart and say, "Ohhh." It's also the reason that I will probably bid too much. The heart wants what it wants.

After visiting the auction house we made a stop at Aldi and picked up a few things for the coming week. Salmon, pork for carnitas, ingredients for veggie soup, broccoli, zucchini, and some very pricey eggs. A dozen eggs for nearly $5 and they were limiting customers to two dozen. Good grief, sure makes me miss my chicken raising days. We returned home and the mister spent the rest of the afternoon in his office processing photos or making videos for YouTube. I never really know what he's doing up there. I sat at my desk and started worked on a little birdhouse for this spring. I picked up a cheap, unfinished wood birdhouse a couple of months ago at a craft store. I think it was $6. I'm currently gluing some china pieces on it before grouting it.

I'll use white grout, probably paint the roof a brighter red (I used what I had on hand and I don't like it) and give it a home on the front porch. It's a really fun and easy project that keeps my hands busy. Easy to listen to a podcast while fitting the pieces, it's not brain surgery.

I try to keep my mind busy too, and that usually involves writing or reading. Last week I plowed through this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the reviews said, "In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us." Spot on, funny and tender. I loved Phoebe, understood Lila, ached for Juice, and so on. Highly recommend. I also highly recommend Etsy (how's that for a segue?) You know I've been shopping on Etsy since 2008. I love supporting individual artists and creators, and I've rarely been disappointed. Check out this ball cap I recently received - custom embroidery reading, "Mentally in Paris". Always, people, always.

If I were in Paris right now I'd stroll Rue Clare and choose something delicious for dinner from the market stalls, after dinner we'd stroll over to Champ de Mars and watch the Eiffel tower sparkle. I wonder if that would ever get old? Doubt it. But, as I mentioned, I woke up in Denton again so tonight I'll be watching another episode of Land Man with Billy Bob Thornton and talking to my cats. Bonjour, petit chat. Voudrais-tu manger? They always answer. Darling kitties. Molly has claimed the clubhouse, so I feel like I can't toss it out just yet.

She looks miserable because I woke her up when I snapped her picture. Grumpy ol' gal. I suppose I've become a grumpy ol' gal too. I'll try harder not to be. On that note, I'll wish you a beautiful day (or evening, depending on when you read this). I hope that you're finding moments of joy and savoring them - a laugh with a friend, a good cup of coffee, a book you can't put down. Those are the little things that help a soul survive this crazy world. If you've had a tough day, consider yourself hugged. If you've had a great day, spread some of that happiness around.

See ya' soon. Stay safe, stay well. XOXO, Nancy

[pbandjesse]

Today was a very busy day. We got to have a lot of time in nature and that was really good. I am tired but it's all good.

I slept pretty well last night. Sylvia was sleeping well and I had lots of time to work on my PowerPoint for the union. And did some stuff downstairs. And baby didn't wake up until almost 130 to eat. So I got a good amount of sleep.

The sun on my face woke up. But it took me a while to get myself up. I made the bed and got dressed and went downstairs to see that my baby was really happy this morning. It was so cute. James and her were playing and having fun. It was so nice.

The plan for the day was to go visit Celia at her job at Soldier's Delight. And then have an ice cream date with James's friend from college. James had their podcast recording in the evening. It was going to be a good day.

We didn't have to leave right away. We hung out in the couch while James did some email work. I had a muffin. It was a beautiful day and I was looking forward to seeing nature.

The drive out to owning milk was nice. And this was a really beautiful area. I have never been to this area of Maryland so it was cool. And I was excited to see where Celia works. When we got there I put Sylvia in the ring sling. She would cry for a little bit but I called her down and she mostly slept but I was just glad she was cozy.

The visitor center where Celia works was very retro. I loved all the signage. Lots of hand painted signs and posters. Celia introduced us to all the turtles she works with. We went through the silly little museum. I loved learning about the special rocks that made the area famous.

Celia showed us all the little special things about the animals she works with. And she showed us the weirdly sexy Smokey the bear illustration they have (she called him Smolder). She also showed us a map of a good trail that wouldn't be to hard for us carrying babygirl.

So we headed back to the car. And drove to the correct parking lot to take the serpentine trail.

Celia told us to go to the power lines and there were grasslands we should see.

We thought we made it there but apparently we didn't go far enough. But what we did see was beautiful. I was enjoying looking at the little things. The flowers. The leaves. The rocks. The roots. The scenery was beautiful and I was just having a great time.

We made it to the power lines and the field there was beautiful. We took some pictures before turning around. We will have to go back now that we know there was more to see that we missed!

When we got back to the car James put in the GPS for Taco Bell. I was excited to get tacos.

When we got there I went in alone and accidentally scared an old man who was ordering at a different kiosk. Oops.

I got us a frozen strawberry drink for me and James to share. And ate my tacos on the drive home.

When we got back here we were basically going right to the ice cream shop. James parked and got the stroller set up while I ran in the house to throw away some trash and use the bathroom before we were off again.

It was a nice walk. We talked about camping and our favorite camp grounds. I decided that my favorite campgrounds are the ones where we could swim. James's is beach camping. So I think we basically had the same answer. That's love.

We found James's friend, Pebble, and they were super nice. A poly therapist with very cool tattoos. I was mainly focused on my ice cream (peanut butter Oreo) and Sylvia (who all of a sudden was very upset and was struggling to be soothed). But I loved being part of the conversations and listing to James catch up and talk about life and love. It was just really sweet.

We hung out on a bench outside of the ice cream shop until around 330. When it was time for all of us to go home. We said goodbye to Pebble and walked our baby back to our house.

I was really tired. So when we got home James took Sylvia to have her late lunch and I laid down and was out until 6. I apparently really needed it.

When I woke up James had been doing their podcast for about an hour. Sylvia has gotten to hot and was crying and so they brought her to me. But for whatever reason Sylvia was inconsolable. She was screaming crying, actual tears, red face, for almost a whole hour. It was terrible. I tried everything I know how to do but couldn't get her to calm or be comfortable. Like she sounded like she was in pain. It was horrible

I tried putting her in the ring sling but finally I just gave her a bottle early. And it seemed to help a little. We rocked outside and I tried to just be calm for her.

James came downstairs and took baby and was able to get her to burp which seemed to help her a lot. And she has been much happier since then.

I took a shower. And then we have Sylvia a bath and she didn't cry at all! Not during getting changed or dressed or lotioning! She looked very blonde and very cute after her bath. We fed her the rest of her bottle and now she is asleep.

Me and James watched an episode of our show. And now they are getting ready to sleep. I am going to work on my laptop for a bit but I think I will go to sleep soon too.

Tomorrow should be a chill day. I hope to do some studio work. We will see how the day plays out.

I hope you all have a good night. Sleep well. Until tomorrow!