#buy vacuum filter

[yaminerua]

Dad said the hoover has been stinking all day and he tried to use it to clear some ceiling spider webs and it didn’t work so he opened it up and the bag was pretty full but what was absolutely baffling was that it was soaking??????

Dad was the last person to use it the other day but he insists nothing wet went into it but like Something must have…

[pantherpilz]

*vacuums in a small stone* surely this won't bite me in the ass one week later

it did however do exactly that

[oldmanyaoi-jpeg]

i need to vacuum but i hate my shitty little bagless canister vac so much and im already dying of allergies girl why

[cleaningau]

32mm Gulper Pro Vacuum Cleaner Floor Tool at Just ( $39.94 )

The Patented Gulper Pro is the choice of discerning Commercial Cleaners. You can buy easily from our website at Vacuum Spot.

[writingwisterias]

The New Normal

Leon Kennedy x AFAB! Reader

Words: 4.1k Warnings: SMUT 18+ ONLY, beginnings of a Dd/lg relationship, Daddy kink, Soft Dom Leon, Comfort, Praise Kink, Oral (F receiving), Slight Overstimulation, fingering, Unprotected sex, Fluff Summary: You and Leon are moving in together and as he tries to get ahead of packing he finds out about your dirty little secret...but is he okay with?

Masterlist!

Hope you enjoy this fic! My requests are open check my blog for a list of character I write for. I also had loads of fun writing this so please give me some more suggestions for scenarios with this! Hope you all have a lovely day/night ~ Mads <3

The morning sunlight had begun to filter in through the windows of his apartment. The front door softly closed, breaking the peaceful silence of the place as Leon had returned from dropping you off to work. He always made an effort to drive you there whenever he was off, even going as far to make sure to stop by a coffee shop to treat you to a warm pastry and coffee. Leon sighed looking at the boxes that were piled up in his living room, your handwriting delicately labelling the contents of each box. You had told him that you would help unpack them when you got home from work. Making a point out of it, however he had nothing planned for his day and wanted to get rid of the guilt that ate away at him for getting sent on a mission on the week he was meant to help you pack. So this seemed like a perfect way to repay the favour.

He turned on the radio you had gotten him for christmas and started by moving all your boxes into the correct rooms via what the label said the contents was. The kitchen was the easiest as he only had to find a place for all of your cooking ware, not that it was a hard task to do as he barely had anything anyway. Not due to the lack of his cooking skills but rather it’s hard to be bothered to cook after returning from the missions he was being constantly sent on. Leon smiled at all the funky mugs you had collected or that people had gifted you even spotting a few of the ones he's gotten you from his travels. He began to imagine you sipping on your morning coffee leaning up against the counter in nothing but his shirt or seeing you choose which one he gets at christmas when you make your infamous hot chocolates for the movies nights. These were the memories that he hoped to make and ones he fought so hard to return home so he got the chance to experience them with you. Once he was satisfied with the placement of everything, even getting rid of a few of his old tattered cutlery to replace with yours, he moved onto the next room. 

Leon started by building the bookshelves and other flatpack furniture you insisted on buying. Smiling at the memory of you taking him shopping in ikea, asking him for his opinions and trying to stick to a budget even though he got paid well from his occupation, further proving to him that you were the one for him as you weren’t even bothered by his paycheck like all the ones before you. Once finished he opened the box that had all of your trinkets and began placing all of them on the shelves before moving onto the next bookshelf where he began to sort and organise your books, praying that he was putting the series that you have  in the correct order.  

It wasn’t until he got to the bedroom that he was a bit puzzled. He opened the box only to be met with items that he had never seen before. Leon stared at the frilly pink cushions and the bags of vacuumed packed stuffies. He even checked the label again making sure it wasn’t your childhood memory box or something you were meaning to donate but there it was in bold writing “Bedroom”. Leon began to gingerly pull out items. He was unsure on what to do with all of them, guilt started to creep in as he realised maybe the reason you didn’t want him to do it on your own was because of this box. His brain tried to think about why you would even own all of these items to begin with as he had never seen any of them in the numerous times he has stayed at your apartment. He decided to put them all in the box again and wait for you to return home so you can both finish this room together.

Leon worked on the rest of the house with ease, the bathroom was all set up now with everything neatly organised. He smiled at the sight of your toothbrushes finally together in the little pot you had.  Interior design was never his strong suit so he only prayed he did a good job, going based on what he could remember from your own apartment and what places you had put everything in. He only had to wait for your arrival now, which wouldn’t be long. He turned on the tv and sank into the softness of his couch, he smiled as he glanced around the apartment that now had the essence of his world sprinkled throughout. 

It was the evening when you eventually stormed through the front door with enough anger that it slammed against the opposite wall with a loud bang. The sound startled Leon awake, causing him to shoot up off the sofa to deal with whatever threat had just interrupted his sleep. He cursed when he heard you muttering and your keys being chucked on the table he began to check his phone and saw the multiple missed calls he had from you. To which he presumed you were asking him to pick you up but he didn’t hear them from his accidental nap. Leon sat up waiting for you to make your way through the house in search of him. He hoped that his hard work would calm you down, now that you only had to see the pile of empty boxes by the backdoor waiting to go outside. Instead he was met with your hair a mess like you had run your fingers through it all day in frustration, your cheeks were blotchy like you had cried on the way home to him.  “Baby what's wrong?” He asked, leon wasted no time to stand up and move towards you, pulling you in a comforting embrace. “My fucking boss, I was meant to have time off to help you out with the moving as she forgot. So instead of just fixing the problem she decided to shout at me in front of the whole office and then fix the problem. I then got splashed by a puddle because some dickhead thought it would be funny to drive close to the pavement through the puddle.” you whimpered. 

Leon sighed, he hated your workplace and how little they reward you after all that you do for them. He silently cursed himself for falling asleep as he took in your wet appearance. 

“Hey it's alright love I promise. I did most of it today see” he pointed to the pile of boxes and the shelves. He watched as your eyes began to scan around the room, eagerly waiting for your approval on the progress he made. Instead your shoulders sagged as you looked back at him, it was the same body language he supposed he displayed when he returned from the mission to all the packed boxes. “I’m sorry Leon, I was meant to help you with all of this. I tried to get out of work quickly but there was so much stuff she made me do before I went on vacation and you didn’t answer so I had to walk home. ”

“Shh it's fine, I felt bad I couldn't help you pack anyway. However, there is a box I’m not too sure on what to do with. It was filled with things I’ve never seen before” He said as he took your hand and started to lead you towards the bedroom where the last of the boxes remained. 

Upon entering he felt your body tense as you saw the boxes opened, the sight of all the pink you had collected suddenly made you nervous for the conversation you should have had months ago with him. “Leon…the box is labelled correctly. It’s just I only ever showed you the spare bedroom at my apartment. I was worried you would have found it weird if you saw my actual bedroom which contained all of this” 

“Why would I have found it weird? It’s just pink?” Leon shrugged. You struggled to form the words, the stress of the day was already weighing down on you and now thousands of worries of this situation were just adding to the pile. “It’s comforting, it makes me feel safe, a bit like a child would feel safe surrounded by their stuffed toys” you explained. You were attempting to soften the blow of the kink that you secretly had. You waited to see if he could piece together the situation himself or if you would have to explain it further to him. It took him a minute of staring at the box and into space before he finally understood what you meant. “You want to be protected and cared for?” he asked bluntly, attempting to slowly place feelers to see exactly what you wanted so he could give it to you. “There's a certain headspace I like to enter when I feel safe, I just don’t like to thrust it upon people I guess. I need to know I can trust them, I always forgot to bring it up with you”

 Leon nodded but didn’t say anything, he just continued to look at the box.

Eventually he spoke again, turning to you with a gentle smile as he said, “Why don’t you go and have a bath to relax after work?”  

You nodded, but was still hesitant to leave the room without his confirmation on the situation. His lack of questions was beginning to make you concerned. “Yeah okay” You sighed as you eventually caved and began to strip off your work uniform. Leon didn’t miss the way that you dug through the box to pull out a large fluffy hello kitty towel. Once the bathroom door had shut and he could hear the water running he began his plan for the evening. 

You could hear him shuffling around outside the door, walking back and forth to the living area. You tried to let the lavender bath bomb soak up the worries and stress of today, sinking further into the bubbles like you were going to be able to hide in the mountain of them. Eventually, you begrudgingly left the now cold bathwater, wrapping yourself into the fluffy towel that was your favourite. You walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom where it was now decorated in the vines and fairy lights you had in the box, giving the room the calming feel you craved at the end of each day when you were in your own house. The bed had some of your fluffy blankets and pillows creating a mountain you can just tell would be heavenly to sink into. Your favourite teddies were tucked in the bed ready for you, along with the fluffiest pjs you had neatly folded at the end of the bed. The smell of food encouraged you to get changed quickly and try to investigate what it was. 

You were greeted with the sight of Leon cooking some noodles in the kitchen, the menu music of your favourite dvd playing in the background. Somehow Leon had created the safe space you always wanted.There were even more Fairy Lights that he had put up in the open plan kitchen and living area which enveloped the rest of the apartment in a warm glow. He had blankets piled up on the back of the sofa ready for you to snuggle into along with even more cushions that were placed in the corner. “Are you hungry darling?” Leon gently cooed from where he stood in the kitchen. You nodded shyly, clutching at the bottom of your shirt nervously in the doorway. “Good, it's almost done. Why don’t you go and get comfy in the living room? I’ll be there in a moment with the food” he spoke softly, his smile was kind and warm, his body was relaxed and natural. Your eyes were eager to find any discomfort in this situation. He was ticking all the boxes you needed, whenever he knew it or not. Your feet padded against the hardwood floor as you made your way over to the plush couch, resisting the urge to sink into the fluffy blankets that now decorated it. You heard Leon chuckle as he made his way into the living area holding two bowls of noodles. “Darling that's now how you use the blankets” 

You blinked at him, confused as he placed the bowls on the coffee table in front of you and helped you shuffle deeper into the couch. He then draped a blanket around your shoulders, tucking you into the warmth safely. “That’s better now isn’t it sweetheart?” he prompted as he leant to get the bowls again. You smiled at him, nodding as Leon helped you balance it on a cushion before he pressed play on the film, Spirited Away. “Careful now it’s hot. Wouldn’t want my baby getting burned” he said kissing the crown of your head before tucking into the meal himself. You smiled again, your posture loosened as you slowly sunk into the role you desperately craved. 

Leon found the words coming more natural to him as he visibly watched the tension leave your body. He watched as your eyes light up at your favourite parts of the moving, your body inching closer to his own. He gently took the bowl from your hands before scooping you into his lap so your head can rest on his shoulder as you watched the rest of the movie. “Is this okay?” Leon whispered, his hand drawing idle circles on your thigh under the blanket. You nodded at him, drawing your eyes away from the TV to snuggle into his neck. “It's perfect thank you” you spoke softly.. “My poor baby was so stressed at work. You're always such a good girl for putting up with everyone else's crap” he mumbled into your hair. His hands inching higher up your thigh squeezing the flesh softly. 

You gasped as you felt his fingers tease the fluffy edge of your pj shorts. “You look so good in these. Daddy did a good job picking them out” he spoke with a smirk placed on his lips as he used the word so freely, eager to hear it leave your own lips. Leon felt your breath tremble against his neck, he could feel the tension in his shirt as your fingers gripped it ever so slightly. “What do you think baby? Do you think daddy picked out a good pair?” He prompted. You nodded your head weakly, the use of the word so casually helping you sink into the headspace quickly. “Use your words darling” he said as his hands slipped under the fabric of your shorts, you could feel the slight pressure of his fingertips tease your covered pussy. “They are perfect, Thank you daddy” you mumbled into his neck. Leon felt his cock twitch at your words, finally hearing the simple term leave your lips was now affecting himself.  “Good girl” he purred, his fingers began slipping underneath your underwear, he groaned at the wetness that had now collected there. He began to spread it throughout your folds, his fingers gently teasing the sensitive clit in circular motions. 

You pulled Leon into a kiss, your hands gripped the back of his head and his forearm keeping him close to you. He moaned into your mouth, his tongue slipping in for a battle of dominance which you easily let him win. “My poor baby is so tense from work. Don’t worry daddy is going to help you now” Leon spoke, his voice low as he withdrew his fingers from your entrance. The light causing your arousal to sparkle on them as he brought them to his lips, he began to suck them clean, his eyes closing like he was tasting his first ever gourmet desert. “Mm, you taste so good baby, but this isn’t enough for daddy” he smirked. 

Leon started to slowly remove your pjs, leaving you in only your pink underwear that had a cute bow in the front “What a pretty present you are with your little bow darling” he cooed. He kneeled on the floor in front of you and began to pry your thighs apart leaving them open as a finishing line for his trail of kisses he was leaving down your thighs. He finally removed your underwear leaving your pussy bare to him. “Such hard working girls, get glorious rewards” he mumbled into the soft flesh of your upper thigh. “Please” you begged as you felt his breath cool your aching core. “Say my name when you beg darling..only good girls get their rewards” 

He watched the muscles in your pussy contact at his command, your legs began to loosely fall over his shoulders trapping him in place. “Please daddy” you begged again, your fingers were gripping the soft blanket that had fallen from your shoulders and found its place surrounding your waist. Leon wasted no time as he licked a long stripe up your lips, sucking on your clit as two fingers pushed into your core. He started off slowly, curling the digits rhythmically gathering as much of your arousal as possible. His lips sucked at your clit, his tongue circling the sensitive nub with extreme precision that caused your thighs to clench around his head. You could slowly feel the stress of the day melt away into the couch, soon to be forgotten as Leon helped you pass into what you could only describe as a dreamscape. His fingers began to thrust inside you, slow at first allowing you to slowly trust him to take care of you. “The safe word is Apples Baby okay, I'll stop as soon as you say it” he said pulling away from your clit with a long string of salvia connecting the two of you. You nodded against the sofa cushion as you began whimpering at the loss of contact. Leon stopped curling his finger finally bringing your attention to him with a light slap to the thigh instead “Baby this is important…what's the safe word?” He asked sternly. “Apples..it's apples daddy” you spoke attempting to maintain the heavy eye contact he was giving you to try and show that you understood. 

It must have worked because Leon latches onto you again with a smirk, working with intent to bring you to your first orgasm of the night. Leon thrusted and curled his fingers hitting the right spot with insane accuracy each time. His cock throbbed as your legs tightened around his head forcing him to do nothing but suck on your sweet taste. Your thighs muted your whimpers from him but the way the muscles trembled around his head he could tell that you were close. The thought spurred him on as he added another finger, you groaned loudly at the stretch he was now giving you with three fingers.“Come on baby, cum all over daddy’s face and hand” he mumbled against your pussy, his breath cooling the sensitive nub making you squirm. It didn’t take long for your release to come. Leon groaned, shifting his hips to get some friction himself as he helped you ride it out. 

His eyes met yours once you finally released him from the headlock you had on him with your thighs, a smile was wide on his face. “You did so good for me baby, are you finally relaxed?” he spoke. The film was long forgotten by the both of you as you both tiptoed on the edge of a new beginning in your relationship. His eyes were begging for your input of your approval, once gained he would pour everything he could in supporting you with this new role that you had secretly desired. Also now wanting the same thing, the idea of finally being able to not only protect but have some control over something in his life was greatly appealing to him. 

 “These muscles still seem pretty tense don't they, baby?” he said, kissing the inside of your thighs. You nodded weakly, finally looking down at him again. “Can daddy help me?” you whispered. Leon smiled, it was the approval he needed to keep going. He lifted your legs from his shoulders, his figure towering over you as he now stood between your legs. Your eyes raked over his body, your gaze falling to his erection which stood boldly against the fabric of his sweatpants. “Let's go somewhere more comfortable baby” he spoke softly, leon lifted you effortlessly in his arms and carried you to the bedroom. 

He laid you against the mountain of pink pillows and numerous plushies before  His mouth littered hot kisses across your chest only pausing when he felt your fingers delicately trail along the top of his waistband. Leon met your gaze with a smirk on his lips. “That's not how we ask for things is it now?” he chuckled, moving his hips away from your reach. “Please daddy, can I have your cock now?” you asked, your eyes innocently blinked up at him. Leon groaned at your words he felt himself twitch desperately against his cotton prison as he looked at your doe expression patiently waiting for him. He gently pushed you on the bed before beginning to free himself. His cock slapped against his stomach, pre cum already leaking from the tip which he used as lubricant as he gave himself a few pumps. He watched as your legs automatically opened for him to slot himself in between. You felt his tip prod at your entrance waiting for your consent to continue. With a small nod from you Leon sunk himself into your velvet walls. He started off at a slow pace, kissing you softly as you adjusted to his size. Once he felt you clench him, Leon started to move faster. Your moans caused him to thrust harder as he found himself wanting to draw more of them out of your pretty lips. It didn’t take long for the word before you began to chant daddy as you clutch at his forearms, the intense arousal forming again in your stomach. Leon felt his balls tighten at your chants, the word spurring him to drive himself deeper inside you. Your eyes rolled back and your body went limp in his arms as you came for the second time that night. Your body was sensitive as he kept thrusting through your orgasm trying to chase his own. He watched the tension leave your shoulders as you let him continue to use you like the good girl you are. Your willingness to submit to him caused his hips to sputter and coat your walls. You could feel his cum warming you from the inside causing you to smile at the feeling of being full of the essence of your new daddy. The action solidified the new dynamic between the two of you. 

Leon pulled his softening cock out of you gently, you heard him get off the bed and leave the room to get a wet cloth to help clean up the mess in between your legs. You snuggled your head into the pillows behind you. The comfort of the new environment Leon had created for you drawing you closer to sleep. “You did so good for me baby, was this okay? Is this what you need?” Leon asked, sitting next to you on the bed. He moved the pillows away from your face and began stroking your hair awaiting your response. “It’s perfect thank you” you spoke with a soft smile on your face. Leon’s comforting strokes were grounding you as your mind caught up to the situation. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner” you apologised. Leon laughed, shaking his head at you, “It's okay, I understand. But I'm happy to fill this role for you if you need it” 

“Thank you daddy,” you spoke softly, the term was now becoming the new normal for you both. Leon helped you slip into the comfort of the bedding, before leaving the room briefly to turn off the tv and lights in the other room. When he returned Leon laid in the bed scooping you into his embrace. You laid on his chest whilst he stroked your back, lulling you to sleep with his actions and for the first time you actually slept peacefully in the embrace of your new daddy.

[blissfullyecho]

some spring deep cleaning ideas for your apartment 🤍

today i’m focusing on deep cleaning my apartment because i completely forgot spring started on monday lol. my advice: always give your space a good deep clean at least 2-4x a month (or more, who cares) and always deep clean every season.

clean blinds

clean windows

sweep balconies

clean mirrors

organize under the sink (kitchen + bathroom)

clean inside drawers

move furniture and sweep/vacuum/mop underneath

strip wash your pillows

repaint over scratched walls + patch up holes

organize closet

mop inside the closet

laundry + fold and put away

change ac filter

change water filter (refrigerator)

pest control (i have it included in my rent but because i live in a semi-tropical environment, i do have crawlies come in sometimes so i buy my own pest control and make sure i place it inside and outside)

deep clean litter box

disinfect doorknobs and handles

clean makeup brushes

clean garbage cans and trash cans

wash bedding

dust ceiling fans

clean base of plant pots

wash/clean your sneakers

put your backpack in the laundry

throw away expired food

organize important papers

get rid of wasp nests outside

dishes

oven cleaning

clean garbage disposal

new air fresheners

fresh air from keeping windows open (turn cleaning fans on so the air can circulate)

wipe off computer, phone, tablet, and tv screens

scrub toilets and bathtubs/showers

put things back where they belong

spray and wipe off washer and dryer

sweep floors, then vacuum (i have hardwood all over my apartment and i still vacuum because it’s easier), then i mop (pine sol is amazing— i love the scent).

put in maintenance requests if needed

clean dryer vents

wash sofa cushions and pillow cases (even on throw pillows)

wash mildew off shower liner

get hair unclogged from drain

clean out your car

refill anything like pens, water bottles, etc.

steam clean carpets

have a professional come and clean rugs

clean welcome mat

replace lightbulbs if needed

toss, donate, and keep clothes in your closet and dressers

happy spring

[quixoticanarchy]

was talking to my friend about how nearly everyone we know seems to be trapped in the endless abyss of Going Through It and it feels like we're getting to the end of mental health as a useful term when it typically ends up synonymous with a state of functioning that allows you to be a sufficiently productive worker. as if distress and horror and grief weren't rather reasonable responses to living in a world where everything from official policy to the built environment is actively hostile to life. not just human life, either; don't you suppose the plants are really fucking stressed too? the birds? the fish? the insects? I'm not hazarding any guesses what it looks like for them to experience and communicate that distress, but being a species of tree trying to move slowly up a mountain as its formerly habitable range becomes too hot sounds real fucking stressful to me, even if the tree lacks the political and analytical faculties to draw conclusions or place blame about why this is happening to it. but knowing why is secondary to just knowing, by evidence and instinct, that life as it has been is not livable like this much longer.

and since we're not trees my friend and I are here dutifully going to therapy trying to understand our thoughts and dissect our feelings and meanwhile every day we drive to jobs that feel pointless except for their tenuous insurance against eviction/starvation, and we breathe air full of particulate matter in our city full of concrete, and we go to the food store to buy half of what we could've afforded two years ago, and we check the news to see police violence and genocide, interspersed with ads for mental health podcasts and books and cutesy mental health home decor and inspiring quotes. you too can get better with the power of self-care and self-compassion and time and money and a pretty photo filter.

and the disconnect between mounting distress and its proffered solutions is not really surprising or anything; the wellness and mental health industries are doing a great job of aestheticizing suffering and commodifying 'healing' and a terrible job of addressing any of the factors which make the environments we live in so incredibly hostile to life. not by accident or anything either, not as long as the destination of the mental health train is worker productivity. not to say all therapy is gaslighting, I think that's reductive, but we're awfully hard on ourselves for not 'getting better' quick or successfully enough when you consider like, everything about living in the world today. and I also think... eventually that tree will run out of mountain. eventually we'll all run out of ways to pretend that fixing our individual selves is possible in a vacuum. and what then?

[villainsimpqueen]

Below it Glows

Miles Quaritch X Cave dweller Na'vi Reader.

Chapter One

Art made by @nin3kyuu

He had served his country, going to wars, doing operations others wouldn't dare do nor have the guts to do so. He lost many men, brothers and sisters due to the earth wars fighting over limited resources as their home planet continued to die more and more. 

A planet that once was rumored to be filled with vast forests and  clean waters and where humans could once live on Earth's lands without eco packs and masks glued to their face to filter clean air. 

Despite the Earth dying quickly, humans like a disease, cockroaches found a way to prolong their lives. Building even more cities but ones entirely of walls and filtration systems to pump filtered clean air into its halls and giant rooms. Levels were made with the rich being at the top and the poor to the bottom. 

  And still they all fought, they always were fighting and He was thrown into the fighting, a soldier, a commander, a colonel. Fighting for his country of endless mazes of filtration walls with small homes in them. All to be barely considered middle class.

He fucking hated it all. 

Quaritch breathed the filtered air from his mask as he stood outside the large doors of the city of walls he lived in. His shift was nearly over. He just had to carry on for another half hour and then he could go home, shower, put on clothes that weren't covered in toxic dust and ash and sit down with his fiancé. 

He huffed out the carbon from his lungs exhaling it out of the mask as he watched the wind pick up slinging dust and ash over the dead landscape. He could not fathom an Earth that was covered in plants and forests and even clean water, because even now as he walked the city's borders taking in the barren lands of dust and ash and the rivers of tar and slog it was an unbelievable thought. 

Paz liked keeping hologram screens around their unit playing simulations of what such a landscape would look like, having them even over their two windows that look out to the dead landscape to make it look like there was a vast forest with clean waterfalls instead. 

He wondered if she would even be home before him, her work was endless being an engineer she was always on call to fix some fucking thing. He admired her handiwork, she was one of the important workers in the cities, making sure the filtration system and environmental systems stayed on top notch standing at all times. Any time a filter leak happened she was called immediately, no matter the time of day or night. He sighed wondering what they had in storage to make a meal with, for if she wasnt there when he got home he would then shower and make them dinner. 

The thought of powdered meat and sustainable greens didn't appeal to his stomach not one bit, it brought back more anger. The upper classes actually enjoy the real shit. 

Real meat, real fresh greens and fruit. They got to eat meals he couldn't even imagine and it pissed him off. 

He should be able to buy real fucking food for himself and his fiancé. He should be able to enjoy basic fucking needs, why did those pansy bastards get too? He would love to see one of them suited up in protective suits, a mask glued to their face and trudge around in the hot dusty atmosphere their ancestors caused by sweating their balls off and coming home to eat powdered sustainable food. 

His ecopack beeped its warnings of needing cleaning and he forced a low growl before turning and walking back to the large doors slamming his keycard against its security panel allowing him into the sanitary station. He stood still as it sprayed off the toxic ash and dust from his body and vacuumed it out by exit shoots before allowing him to the next room where he could strip off the protective suit and gear. Sweat sheened on his skin as it was exposed to the cool filtered oxygen of the city. He breathed, feeling his lungs greedily accept the cooler 'cleaner' air as he watched his recruited replacements take their shifts leaving through the doors to the shitty atmosphere outside. He watched the doors open and close a dust storm brewing behind them. 

poor bastards.

He thought before he moved heading to the holo computer to clock his times file paperwork and then headed to the lift that raised him to his living level. Walking through the vast halls of the city and past the stores he watched bots move doing delivery services and the other humans of this city move around doing shopping.

Parents walking around with their kids buying them pointless shit that will end up outside of the city walls once the brat gets tired of it, making the outside even worse than before. 

He walked past simulations of decorated trees  that hurt his eyes along with the florescent lights of the city. 

Finally arriving at his and Paz's unit he walked inside seeing all the lights off. 

He let out a sigh trudging through the living room and towards the bathroom flicking on the light as he stripped his clothes and climbed into the shower having its hot sanitation water pour over him and his skin. His skin prickled under it slightly stinging as he stared at the showers tiles avoiding the sanitation water to burn his eyes. 

Grime and dust that made under his suit washed down his body and into the drain with its murky color. 

I gotta get us the fuck outta here. 

Gritting his teeth as he glared at the tiles. 

There were rumors, rumores that the top level had real fucking plants as decoration. 

They didn't have as many filtration systems because of real plants producing real oxygen. They had clean water, drinkable water. 

not packed water, or water cleaner packets to mix into the sanitation water to make it safe for consumption. But real fresh clean water. 

Real food, They had an environment system that was supposedly like how the Earth was supposed to be hundreds of years ago before great wars fucked everything up. 

He wanted that. 

God, he wanted that so badly. 

Dinner was nothing but slop in a bowl and he glared down at it as his spoon scooped it up and brought its dull color to his lips.

"I got a raise today." Paz's voice called to him and he glanced up at her from his bowl. Her brunette hair thrown into a messy bun and her dull green eyes surrounded by dark circles much like his own, her skin not pale but gray like his own it looked as lifeless as the ash and dust outside in her bright clothes she wore. 

"Yea?" He asked her, forcing a smile on his lips.

lifeless, they looked so lifeless in here..

Paz smiled back at him and nodded. 

"I was thinking…maybe we could look at some of the units on the south side of the city..something bigger." She told him.

He moved his eyes back to the slop in his bowl.

"Paz." He warned.

"You gotten a raise last month and now i have one, maybe a few more months and we could find a really nice unit and start thinking about ki-"

"Paz enough." He snapped, glaring up at her to pause, her dull green eyes dulling even more.

fuck. 

He didn't mean to snap, he really didn't. His anger was misguided and he let it focus on her like he always seemed to do in these past few months. 

He only sat in silence as she moved from their shared table with that bowl of slop of hers and took it to the kitchen leaving it and heading to their room. the slide of doors ringing in his ears as he was left alone. He slammed his hand on the table gritting his teeth, feeling his rage build through his body, tensing his muscles, flexing them before he let out a  sigh and dragging his hands up his face into his hair pulling on it. 

"Fuck.." He grumbled letting his head fall back and his hands falling to his lap he stared at the ceiling for a while until he forced himself up to gather his bowl and take it to the kitchen washing his and Paz's dishes before cleaning the kitchen. 

He went ahead and packed his and Paz's lunch pouches for the next day before he headed to the bedroom and met with the lights turned off and Paz already in bed. He stared at her back as he moved under the covers. He stared at it for a few moments watching her steady breathing before reaching out and pulling her towards him. Wrapping his arm around her, He held her close burying his face into the back of her neck.

"I'm sorry.." He whispered, only met with her breathing steady and soft, his apology fell on sleeping ears. 

He moved his hand to hers where the simple plain engagement hand rested, he dragged his fingers over it before clasping her hand in his. 

"I want more for us Paz…Ya get that right? I don't want another shit hole of a unit with the slop they feed us with..I want more. I want us up there with the other rich bastards. " He whispered to her as he kissed her shoulder blade. 

"I want ya to have real plants hanging around the unit, not some screen…I want us to eat real food Paz, us and any little tikes we have..not that gritty ass shit we ate tonight…" He let out a shaky breath and pressed another kiss to her shoulder before settling his head on the pillow staring at the back of her head, rubbing his thumb over hers.

"Ima get us out of this shitty level..Just be patient with me Sweetheart." He whispered out the promise he always whispered to her each night. 

She had to understand, she had to feel the urge to want more too, right? She must know how much she deserved then the shitty hole in a wall unit they had. 

He just needed her to stay patient with him, he will give her so much more than this, his secret promise to her the day he got on his knee. 

A better life, one where she didn't have to work if she didn't wish it, where his pay would be plentiful to carry them and their children. They live in some nice unit up on the upper levels and he could surprise her with a new plant to add to her collection. Their kids would never have to breathe in contaminated air due to a filtration leak and get sick stuck in medical units for months or years because the outsides dust and ash had radiation infecting their lungs. They wouldn't be so…lifeless. 

"I promise." He whispered holding his fiancé so tightly to his chest afraid that if he let go she too would fade away into the dust like so many of his past friends did in the war zones he had been in. 

The dust he was going to vanish in as well had she not met him the day they met. 

He had stared at the exit doors, sweat dripping from his brow as he moved his hand towards the keypad. The protective suit and ecopack in the other clearance room. His hand didn't tremble as he was about to tap the keypad with his keycard. 

They were always told that being out in the outside atmosphere without protection suits and gear, without their eco packs and masks that they'd be dead by suffocation within minutes. 

He had felt so numb, that the thought of dying so painfully by suffocation didn't scare him. If anything it had excited him, he had felt nothing since his last mission, where he had lost his best friend by a gunshot in the head, lost all his teammates and was the only one who arrived at the checkpoint alive but wounded. He had wanted the lung infection he got from his suit and ecopack being damaged to take him out as well…It didn't, he survived while his team all died.

He licked his lips, as he pressed the keycard to the panel hearing the loud beeps it made and the door starting to open breaking its seals as it heavily gilded open. 

Dust flying into the room, some of it hitting his face and burying into his hair as he squinted his eyes, lashes protecting his pupils as the doors slowly exposed him to the dead earth's atmosphere.

"HEY WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" a voice screamed at him and he had turned surprised that someone was even up at this hour. But there she was, a woman shorter than him storming over to a computer panel viciously typing away at the holo screen forcing the door to beep and glide shut. 

"ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY!?" she yelled at him as the sanitation began spraying him down with chemicals and what not before deeming him clean. She had stormed in snatching him out of the room, easy with the daze he was in and she ripped him a new one all while he stared at her like she was a lunatic.

"Whats your fucking name?" She demanded of him.

He had licked his lips staring at her, taking in her bright furious green eyes.

"Miles…Miles Quaritch." He told her.

"Well Miles Quaritch..Yoru a fucking dumbass!" 

And he laughed, he laughed harder than he ever believed he had in his life as she stared at him like he was a madman.

"Ya have no clue sweetheart." He had crackled out and she had huffed running a hand in her hair before sitting beside him.

"I'll make ya a deal, you meet me at the dindime dinner for lunch everyday and i won't report you." She told him.

He raised a brow at her.

"It's not a choice so you know." She clarified before getting up and leaving before he could answer. 

The next day, she was waiting for him outside of the dinners unit.

The days drooled on, everything was the same.

Wake up.

Get dressed.

Have breakfast with Paz if she was there, by himself if she wasn't. 

Go to work.

Do the routine routes around the city borders.

Paper work.

Clock out.

Home. 

shower.

make dinner or occasionally go out to eat. 

sleep.

repeat.

 So when his presence was demanded to the job distribution area, it had taken him by surprise. Paz had been excited, hoping it was him getting a promotion; he had worried about it being a demotion due to a shortage of workers in other areas of the imprison walls they lived in. 

When he entered the private office he was met by several officials who made him sit down. They had panels open displaying some kind of planet, ships and what not, and his records.

His eyes shrunk at his records, all his military files, his ranks, his specialities. 

His eyes moved towards them sharply.

"The hell is this?" He questioned feeling his body start to stim ready to defend himself, ready for attacks his brain logically knew wouldn't happen.

"How'd you like to be head of security on a base we're setting on this planet?"

He froze, eyes landing on the hologram of that planet. 

The recruiters of the organization that was setting this all up information drop not landing to him as he saw the screens flash other images of the planet.

great vast forests, real forests, real trees, bright vibrate plants. Real greenery.

Crystal clear oceans and rivers, clean drinkable water that reflected the sun on it.

Real sunlight, one that could clearly be seen through a living breathing planet than hidden by dust and ash storms. 

Paz would love it there…

He moved his attention back realizing they were waiting for him to answer, he had missed everything they had said. 

He made them repeat it and he listened to every single word. 

"I ain't leaving without my fiancé." He started sternly as he leaned back into the chair. 

it was too good to be true, and it was, they only wanted him and him alone. 

He wouldn't leave her, he wouldn't leave Paz behind. 

"...We can make sure your fiancé will have a spot on the ship." the head RDA recruiter spoke as She slid a holotablet over to him.

"All we need is you to confirm the job." She had told him.

He signed, not reading over the contract of the job. What he would be putting himself through, he didn't care. 

He would be able to get him and Paz out of that shitty unit they lived in. They would be somewhere even fucking better than the upper levels. A new planet, a new Earth and he would be able to see the woman he loves surrounded by vast forests and clean waters. 

He would do whatever the hell the RDA wanted him to do, without hesitation. 

He was ecstatic as they told him when they were to leave. He had rushed home making sure to page Paz to be home. He had practically ripped the sliding doors apart as he entered their unit seeing her stand from their couch confusion in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Quaritch?" she questioned as he rushed towards her hands going to his waist as he picked her up spinning them around grinning widely his cheeks hurt. She squealed , clinging to him and laughed.

"What is going on? good news?" She asked excitedly as he was. 

"Good news? Baby girl i got fucking fantastic news ." He told her before pulling her into a deep kiss, when he pulled away he explained everything and he laughed as she squealed telling him to stop wasting time and to help her pack their things. 

By the end of the week they were boarding a ship, being put into cryo chambers. 

He stared at Paz across from him watching her settle in place and look at him for assurance. He smiled at her as the chambers turned on.

"I love ya." He told her, watching how she smiled.

"I love you too, Quaritch." She answered.

"I can't wait to see you on that planet." He told her feeling his eyelids grow heavy, if she had said anything he didn't hear her as his body shut down in a deep comatose sleep, frozen in time and place as the ship took its human passages light years away from earth to this bizarre resource full, living planet.

Pandora 

They named it Pandora. 

Chp 2

[aturnoftheearth]

i love the joke of like. adults getting excited about buying or receiving boring adult gifts. y’know like the “getting socks for your birthday as a kid vs as an adult” joke. bc it’s like. well yeah of course i’m gonna be excited to get things that can provide some comfort or help make a task easier which then gives me more free time to do things i enjoy. like that is exactly what a gift should do. anyway i bought new vacuum filters and a new vacuum brush and i’m so excited to put them in !!!

[pontevoix]

headcanon : shoko ieiri & alcohol consumption habits inspired by who drinks whiskey in their coffee at work sent by @deiikara

she misuses alcohol. it is a habit, & it is not so much of a temptation.

she thinks of social nights at izakayas as a type of celebration, as a moment for community, as something for which to be grateful. it is a type of play-pretend to drink with friends, to imagine that the world can still long enough to toast glasses.

she thinks of intimate nights. vulnerability a farce & commiseration not-quite shared over a split bottle. sometimes wine-red kisses & promises never made. shared cups of coffee in the morning. people like her don’t see the point in honest conversation, sometimes. so it’s shared experiences instead. it’s comforting, she supposes. it’s a catharsis, she supposes.

she thinks of haggard nights. work attire cast aside & socked feet & vacuuming her apartment to make up for the fact that it’s been empty for the last week. she doesn’t bother with coasters when a beer bottle weeps on the coffee table. sometimes she mixes whiskey in coffee instead.

coffee comes to her as instinct. it’s soothing to her to start the day with coffee. it’s soothing to her to finish the day with coffee too.

in truth, she likes the flavor of whiskey in coffee. she likes the flavor of whiskey, likes the way it bites & overtakes the burnt taste of the instant coffee she buys from the store. when she drinks , she’s usually at home — or else she’s finished her shift as she sits on the steps of one of her offices in the city, nursing a paper cup between her hands.

she misuses alcohol. it is a habit, & it is not so much of a temptation.

it is punctuation to days that feel like they never end.

nota bene. she doesn’t drink when she works, but she supposes she has had alcohol in her system when she has worked. finishing a shift always feels more like an imaginary construct than it does a logistical reality. if she’s done for the day, it’s still possible that someone may require her services — that the next day’s work may start sooner rather than later.

regardless, it doesn’t make much difference. in more trying moments, she can use reversed cursed technique to identify alcohol as a toxin & filter it away.

she’s good at sorting through pieces of herself like that.

[venusinsilk]

Still left to do this weekend-

-pick up laundry detergent, do a load at the laundromat (no longer living in a house with wash/dryer. 😢)

-buy a filtered shower head and hardware at home depot. buy a vacuum cleaner and broom. Clean the dusty floors and start hanging up stuff.

-buy pots and pans... I have no way to cook rn lol. Also don't have any food :/ pick up groceries???

-start unpacking allllll my shit. Organize closets. Take down dimensions of rooms and closets for future furniture purchases.

-would love to go to the beach and swim bc I need some therapy. would also love to journal or draw

-clean the bathtub, take a bath

-oil change???? Clean out my car too maybe?

-drink water and sleep

[terresdebrume]

Finally got around to buying replacement parts for my robot vacuum because when it started the routine earlier there was a very strong burnt plastic smell

Problem is: all my windows are open and when I try to smell around the vacuum itself (I know) I can't find said burnt plastic so I'm like 😬😬😬

Anyway. For now I'll just wash the filter that's been needing replacement for forever and see if it helps, and if it doesn't well. The new parts should be there around August 10 🤞

[learnhowtosway]

Ask meme for people in their 30s

What was the first piece of furniture you bought? Likely our sectional.

What proportion of your meals do you cook? A third of the time on a good week.

Foaming hand soap or normal hand soap? Normal.

Favorite chore? Vacuuming. Crumbs and hair on the floor? Not on my watch.

Least favorite chore? Cleaning the bathroom.

Most precious thing one of your pets has destroyed. Sadly, I'm not currently a pet owner.

Any groceries you've been getting into lately? Umm.. gold kiwi is so much better than green.

What cleaning product do you swear by? We have a massive tub of Pink Solution.

What's your emotional support craft? Wish I could say I have one at the moment, but I do want to diy clay magnets and charm necklaces.

Youtube, cable TV, or streaming? Streaming and youtube because it's imperative for me to imagine what life could look like in another city.

What's something you saved up for and then regretted buying?Nothing comes to mind.

How many cups can you see from where you're sitting? Three.

Which filter are you most likely to go "eh, it's probably fine" when you find out you need to change it? Dryer vent filter.

How often do you take baths?Now that it's summer, way more often because I sweat quite a bit. Hate it.

Do you go down each aisle when you grocery shop, or only the ones you know you need stuff from? The ones I need stuff from, but if it's a smaller, gourmet grocery store then I can do a full walk around.

Where do you go when you need to get out of the house but it's raining? Staying in when it's raining is elite, but likely the library across the street or a cafe.

What's a movie you saw recently that you liked? My last five star on Letterboxd was Perfect Days.

Pro or anti tchotchkes? Pro.

What's your go-to tape? Scotch tape brand.

What's in your freezer right now? Just emptied our freeze, so an ice cube tray and ice packs.

Last concert you attended?Noah Kahan.

Favorite grocery store? Farm Boy and Summerhill Market.

Paper bags, plastic bags, or reusable bags? Reusable bags. I have multiple Baggu bags and recently discovered Shupatto bags.

Do you get your government mandated 8 hours every night? Hahahahahah, No.

Favorite old person activity? Browsing real estate listings and developments and their floor plans. NYT games.

Would you rather sit on the porch drinking sweet tea or sit by the lake drinking beers? I've never had sweet tea; as in, american sweet tea because apparently it's not what non-americans think it is. So as a Great Lakes resident, I'll say by the lake drinking beers.

Do you prefer Board game Night, Build-Your-Own-Pizza Night, or Movie Night with your friends? Board game night. Have you guys played Top of Mind? I think it's so fun.

Be honest, do you like all of the pictures of their babies that your friends send you? Yes, if they're my close friends.

Go-to holiday card format. Physical cards from a local artist or small business on Etsy whenever possible.

How many pairs of scissors do you own? One kitchen, one from a toolbox. I would like to own herb scissors as well.

Do you still own your first car?I'm a virgin who doesn't drive/own a car.

How do you take your morning coffee/tea? Numi brand genmaicha. Whatever beans Don has on rotation for pour over, with a bit of milk and brown sugar.

What's something you collect? Physical media: books, cds, dvds, magazines, vinyl, etc. If I could afford it, I would love to own vintage pieces of things that interest me.

What's your commute like?However fast the TTC or GO Transit decides to move.

Aisle at the grocery store you never bother walking down? The pet/household section.

Do you keep a daily journal or agenda? Tumblr is my journal; although, I fall off of it sometimes and have to catch up. I haven't used an agenda for the past two years, but I always use my google calendar.

Do you still listen to the same music you listened to in high school? To this day! TO THIS DAY!

What's the last filter you changed? Condo maintenance changed our furnace filter recently.

What little treat do you always get when you run errands? Some sort of beverage: matcha, coffee, boba.

Grocery list or no grocery list?Grocery list.

What's the oldest thing you own? A gold ring from my childhood.

What's an unjustifiably expensive appliance that you really want? Zojirushi rice cooker, La Marzocco linea micra/mini or Anza espresso machine.

Favorite book you've read recently? Nothing recently, but I intend to read Prophet Song by Paul Lynch next, which seems right up my alley.

Honest feelings on Settlers of Catan? Never played it.

What's something you wish you had more time for? Time with my friends. Nothing prepares you for the distances that occur from getting older.

What kind of stuff do you keep on the door of your refrigerator? Hamilton tickets, Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss and La Grande Odalisque postcards from the Louvre, a couple of polaroids, Alo menu, a calavera magnet from my bff's bachelorette trip in Mexico, Buvette business card from our last NYC visit, and a few city magnets.

Lamps or overhead lighting?Lamps. There's this affordable and super cute one from Ikea.

If you could build your home from scratch, what outrageous feature would you want to build into it? A library, dining nook, heated bathroom floor and towel rack, an infrared sauna, solar panels/energy efficiency, multiple fireplaces, skylights. I could go on.

Do you bring a bag with you everywhere you go? Certified bag lady.

Pro or anti throw pillows? Pro.

How many blankets do you keep in your living room? Two.

Did your relationship with your parents get better when you stopped living with them? Yes and no, and that's way too much to unpack here.

What's worse, the DMV or the Social Security Office? I'm Canadian, so I'm not familiar with the horrors of these places.

Do you decorate your house for holidays? Which ones?Christmas, but I also like seasonal decor, especially in the fall.

Favorite high-effort meal that you make? I avoid high-effort meals, so most are at similar levels. Maybe tomato soup and grilled cheese simply for having to keep an eye on the sandwiches.

Favorite low-effort meal that you make? Indomie instant noodles.

Do you tend to bring an appetizer, entree, dessert, or drinks to a potluck? Dessert.

What kind of bag do you use for your bag full of bags? A tote bag.

If you died and your ghost was stuck in the outfit you're wearing right now for the rest of time, would you be happy with it? Snoopy pjs? Sure!

Do you have an opinion on your local weather reporter? Haven't had cable tv in several years. Pretty sure he's retired now, but I remember he also did gardening segments, so he was cool.

Do you have a favorite brunch spot? Most frequently visited are Mary Be Kitchen for the weekender breakfast and Gold Standard for the best breakfast sandwich.

Where are you on the minimalism-maximalism kinsey scale? Technically 0, but acceptably 3.

Opinion on Bath and Body Works? It's a rite of passage.

Last time you visited a farmer's market? Last month.

Anything you're procrastinating on right now? Renewing my passport.

Do you get your taxes in as soon as possible, at the last minute, or late? As soon as possible.

Do you keep any stuffed animals on your bed? A Pochacco stuffed toy. A couple of Palm Pals on the headboard ledge: a moon for me and a BLT sandwich for Don.

Are your garbage bags scented or unscented? Whichever is on sale when we run out.

What are you looking forward to next week? I put myself on a waitlist for a free yoga class at a local studio. Us thirty year olds love free shit.

[achronicwitch]

Just Five: Day 6/10

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

I'm feeling pretty good but I'm not taking many chances. Today we're going to be moving like a herd of turtles.

The Plan: Shampoo half the downstairs carpet, spot-shampoo upstairs. Our son will be aiding in this project.

Just Five #1: The husband moved the area rug out of the living room. I moseyed downstairs to investigate, stopped in my tracks, and yelped "Holy Mother Gaia!" The amount of dirt and crud under the rug was boggling. I picked up the larger bits by hand -- miraculously without doing a somersault in the process -- and vacuumed until the vacuum needed to be put back on the charger.

Just Five #2: I chased three generations of my family out of the house with a broom so I could sweep manually. Bean loves this new game!

Make Do & Mend

Instead of buying a mulberry silk pillowcase to protect my hair when I'm in bed sans bonnet, I used one of my lounging t-shirts. It's my oldest and still a favorite but the material has gotten too thin to wear. To make it into a pillowcase I simply stitched the neck and sleeves shut.

We ran out of carpet shampoo and won't be able to get more until the first of next month. For spot cleaning (at my son's suggestion) I picked a test patch and sprayed the hell out of it with my homemade cleaner (vinegar, orange oil, and dish soap). I'm going to let it sit for about an hour then run the shampooer over it.

Common Sense Preparedness

I have a lot of empty Gatorade bottles from Mondays dysautonomia attack. I've emptied them, washed them, filled them with filtered water, and stuck them in the freezer. I've already got several in there. They'll help keep our food cold the next time the power goes out, plus be potable if the tap water isn't. There's enough for family and neighbors, too.

[shamelesslymkp]

weird post, but I promise I haven't been hacked or whatever

(I mean. as far as I know.)

I've been thinking lately about all the things I or friends or family found that cost a bit of money but have legitimately made tangible differences in my quality of life, and how I always want to recommend them to people, and then I thought about how it's the xian holiday season and people are buying things for each other and making wish lists, so this just sort of seemed like a good excuse!

MKP'S List of Literally Life-Improving Things That Can Be Bought

Brand:

Flare Calmer earbuds - these are astonishingly life changing if you're sensitive to certain types of noise; it doesn't dampen overall volume of sounds but specifically targets certain frequencies that are the most painful for people, like the sound of nails on a chalkboard, or a buzzing overhead light. you still hear them, but they're somehow magically not as bad? I don't understand how it works but I know it does - I can use the vacuum with these in, instead of having the immediate urge to cover my ears.

Flare earshades - their catchphrase is something about turning down the volume on your life and like. that's literally what it does - it doesn't block as much sound as actual earplugs (which they also sell), it just lightens it a little. for reference, I wore mine during my brother's graduation, where a pipe organ was playing in a not huge chapel, so loudly I thought they couldn't possibly be doing anything, as I could hear everyone talking clearly and normally, but then I took them off and no yeah they were doing some major heavy lifting there

Capeables weighted cape - it's a weighted blanket that you wear! they have a whole bunch of other weighted products but this one was ideal for me

Brita Rapidstream filter-as-you-pour water pitcher - so Kate kept hearing me complaining about periodically not really drinking water because my brita filter tank would be out of filtered water and it would take me forever to refill it, and she pointed me in the direction of this thing, which - full disclosure, I still sometimes get in a cycle of not drinking water because the sink's too full to fill the pitcher, but it's a lot better - allows me to fill the pitcher at the same time I use it to drink water, so it's done a lot to keep me hydrated

Revlon Hair Dryer Brush - YMMV here, depending on hair type. I have very thick but very fine hair, which hairdressers and my mother assure me they'd kill for, but is also an incredible pain in many ways. I am ... not precisely coordinated, and I have a lot of trouble drying my hair with a normal hairdryer - it takes forever, so my arms start to hurt, and I usually hit myself in the head with the thing at least once, and it's just kind of a long embarrassing ordeal, ok? so I don't do it. THIS hairdryer is also a brush, and can get my hair almost completely dry (and looking great!) in under ten minutes. It also detangles super tangled hair with very little pain and hair-breakage? I guess because of the bristles? so there's that too!

Deskcycle - a... bicycle for your desk?? yeah, that's all I got in terms of funny description here; it's literally a little pedaling machine you can put under your desk or in front of your couch or wherever and use as an exercise bike, without the full uncomfortable bike seat or anything like that. (OK this one only works if you actually use it, so like. this is only intermittently life-improving)

Warmies Microwavable Stuffed Animals - smol friend! heavy from lavender-scented flaxseed filling! can be warmed up in microwave or cooled down in freezer! also available in long friend style, which can wrap around your neck!

BeKool Migraine Gel Cooling Sheets (& Roll-On!) - these are not as good as a full-on headache hat or even most ice packs, but they are incredibly portable, DO stick in place somewhat (if upright and doing things, I recommend using a cloth headband on top to keep it in place - if you're lying down you'll probably be fine), and last a surprisingly long time! it's not actual cold, just the cooling sensation, and you may need to remove it briefly intermittently to continue getting relief from it. the roll-on is cool, because you can target specific places (the strip is kinda.. limited in that respect), but be careful about using it on your temples because you can easily accidentally get close enough to your eyes to make them start watering from the menthol effect!

Generic:

Shower chair - if you get dizzy in the shower! if you have migraines or cramps and use long hot showers to deal with them! if you sometimes can't sleep and take a hot shower in the middle of the night but are so tired you find yourself wobbling! then a shower chair might be right for you!

Weighted blanket(s) - there's a lot of mass-produced ones on the market now, at reasonable prices and with reasonable quality, but I have to shout out to mozaic weighted blankets specifically for being the source of my first and dearest weighted blanket, handmade to my directions. (note: in general, getting a weighted blanket cover is a good idea and will prolong the life of your weighted blanket, but if you DON'T use a cover, you can often get a secondary benefit of a cooling effect from the blanket itself! the heavier the blanket, the more effective this is - it has to do with the volume of weighted beads or pellets and how long it takes them to warm through from your body heat.) (I think.)

Migraine glasses lenses - what calmer earbuds do for your ears, these do for your eyes! (note: Zenni optical now offers ROSE TINTED migraine glasses as well as YELLOW TINTED anti-bluelight glasses)

Hammock and/or Hammock Chair - this one really depends a lot on your sensory needs but they provide some of the Best Sensory Input possible for me. I have this lightweight convertible hammock/hammock-chair stand which I adore. [amazon link, with apologies]

Headache Hat - an icepack that you wear! there are many different versions out there, with variations on how/where the cold is applied to your skull; since I like having cold on the top of my head and not just around the sides, I usually get the FOMI brand - more specifically, I like to get the one with neck coverage, because I flip the neck part up to layer on top of the head part and it makes the hat as a whole stay colder longer. [amazon link, with apologies]

10 ft+ Charging Cords - look, they seem silly when you look at them, why would you get a ten foot charging cable, but once you've used them you'll never want to go back, you can charge your phone from your bed, from your desk, in your indoor hammock, wherever, it really does just cut down on the nuisance of it all

[pbandjesse]

I mostly felt okay today. I am very cold though. And that made things difficult. But if I kept moving I was doing good. I tried my best to be productive and that was good. And I slept better.

I was not feeling great last night but I woke up feeling a little better. I hugged James before they left for work but would sleep until 930. Which apparently is my bodies favorite time to wake up when I have no plans.

I stayed in bed until well after 10 though. I didn't want to get up and that was just fine. I did some research to find a non bug boot jack for Jess. And finally got up.

I took a shower and washed my hair and got dressed. And started cleaning. I did a once over throughout the apartment. Put some stuff away. Sprayed and wiped things down.

I started the dishwasher and put away all the laundry and dish pods mom gave us. And went to change the sheets. I also changed the duvet cover and made the bed very cozy. But this took forever and made me a little dizzy and hot.

I had cereal and cooled down before vacuuming and cleaning the fishtanks. I love that I don't have to change the filters anymore and I have a solid bio feedback from the plants, moss, and the purposeful snails. And the invasive snails are much more under control then they have been. Still not perfect but it's going well keeping them to a manageable level

I felt really good about the cleaning but I felt a bit exhausted. Just really winded. I took an hour to lay on the couch and watch videos.

I had the rest of the leftover pizza from last night for lunch.

I decided I would do some art. I drew for a while. I wanted to redo some of my ideas for the little tattoos we are getting in a few weeks. Took about an hour. And then I spent literally forever reworking my idea and my math. I made a chart for my yarn and discovered I didn't buy one of the colors I meant to. Incredible. I will have to go do that tomorrow.

I was proud of my work but I still felt a little listless. And like I needed some kind of deadline or something. Like I like having off from work but also I miss work and want to go back to work. But also I want to only work 3 days a week. Which I don't actually want but I am just complaining. I miss work. But I will miss having days off.

So I gave myself a big task. And spent the next two hours going through all of my clothes. Well most of them. I took everything off the hangers and everything out of my big green trunk where I store most of my extra clothes. This does not include my sweaters or jackets or the pajama drawer. But everything else is in the green trunk.

I would first pull everything out and then sorted everything into piles. Shirts, jumpsuits, dresses, bottoms. And I just have to many clothes. But I have been so good about purging over the last couple years and buying things I really like I didn't have as much to get rid of as I expected. Which is good! But I was worried about not having the space I was looking for. I decided to sort through and pull out anything that I only wear for summer camp. So now those have their own box in the studio. And then I was able to make some decisions on what was getting hung up again.

This was only difficult because I had so many long sleeve black shirts. Which used to be an issue in the opposite direction. I did a good job collecting things for layering. And in the end I only hung up half of the things that had been in the closet before. I'm very pleased.

And then I was super excited when I folded everything and it all fits so nicely in the green trunk and I didn't have to force it or anything. Amazing.

I hope to go through the jammies at some point but I share that drawer with James so I don't feel super pressed about it.

I ended up getting rid of another whole bag of clothes. So that's three trash bags of stuff. I am very happy with my purging even if it's slow going.

As I was finishing folding the camp clothes James came home. I was really happy to see them even though they were very sweaty. They apologized but it doesn't actually bother me that much. I just get surprised when they are damp.

We sat in the floor in the studio and talked. I showed them my yarn chart. And we discussed what we are going to do for dinner since we still have no oven. Our landlady hasn't responded but James is going to send a follow up about lowering our rent until it's replaced or fixed. Because we have to spend more money on food. I think this is fair. And she's reasonable so we will see what she says.

James would run to the grocery store. Got jam and milk. And soup for me and some little frozen burgers for themselves. And when they got home they heated up our food and then jumped on a DND game with their friends while I did some research on some 1970s name plate jewelry. Is anyone else obsessed with your name being on things? I love it and I don't know why. Also the names were incredibly 70s and I loved that. Just names you don't hear people under 50 having anymore. Darlene. Doris. Marlene. Pat. Just the best.

I am just resting now. I feel very winded still but thankfully I don't feel so sick as I did last night. Let's hope tomorrow continues that trend.

I hope tomorrow to go to the craft store and get the yarn I need. And maybe I'll stop at the savers. And just enjoy the end of the year.

I hope you all have a great night. Sleep well everyone.