#rehab before and after

[sophaeros]

The Strokes for Crossbeat, May 2011 - English Translated Interview

A Change Is Gonna Come: The Strokes

This band has 5 filters, and only the best filters will pass through. Maybe it's our ambition to always be perfect that drives us. The five different perspectives brought by each member have culminated in a new The Strokes!! The latest work "Angles" in 5 years with increased diversity, its production background and their current situation Interview ◎ Hitoshi Sugiyama Translation ● Satoshi Katsuta

After the release of their third album, "First Impressions of Earth" in 2006, which was the heaviest album in the band's history, The Strokes were thought to have completely stopped their activities and each member focused on their solo work. However, according to Nick Valensi (G), who answered the interview this time, the truth is that the band had started working on new albums several times during that time, but they had not achieved sufficient results. It is true that Julian Casablancas (Vo) had begun to express his stress about writing songs as a band, and there may have been a big gap at that point between the musical egos of each member that had grown with their careers and the sound that was required of The Strokes. However, time passed and the gears were meshing again. Their latest album, "Angles," which will be released on March 23rd, is their first in five years, and it is a fresh and ambitious work that suggests that this is the beginning of a new Strokes.

This time, Joe Chiccarelli, an engineer who worked with the White Stripes and The Shins, was brought in as producer for several songs, and full-scale work began at Avatar Studios in New York. With each member sharing ideas from the songwriting stage more than ever before, the proportion of new and developed songs has increased dramatically, such as the opening "Machu Picchu," which brings a fresh surprise with its reggae-like rhythm. “Two Kinds of Happiness” goes from urban new wave reminiscent of The Cars at their peak to straightforward rock and roll, with what you could call the third development being the heavy "Metabolism," and simple rock and roll such as "Under Cover of Darkness" and "Taken for a Fool," which were released in advance, adds an accent. The last song is "Life is Simple in the Moonlight," which closes the album with a slightly lingering aftertaste. This is the new Strokes, a new form of ensemble. With each work, the angles of the five members, which spread further and further out, once again intertwine in a complex way and land in one place. The subtractive rock and roll, which had a perfect form no matter where you cut it, has evolved over time into a diverse rock and roll that incorporates various musical elements.

Perhaps those who expect their early musicality will be surprised at first. However, if you read their comments, you will understand how meaningful this work was for them. Coincidentally, in 2011, the White Stripes, who competed with them as the two biggest bands of the 2000s, announced their disbandment. However, these five members are still looking to the future.

I think everyone became more confident in their songwriting abilities. No one hesitated to present their ideas during the songwriting stage.

──Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. "Not at all. (In Japanese) Konnichiwa! Itadakimasu! (laughs). These are the only two words I know in Japanese, but it's fine because I won't have any trouble at a sushi restaurant! (laughs)"

──Hahaha (laughs). I listened to "Angles," and it's an ambitious work that makes the most of each member's individuality more than ever before, while also retaining the Strokes' unique style. "Yeah, I'm so excited that the new album is finished. I'm so happy to be back together as a band. That break felt so long. (sighs). When we made the first three albums it was really crazy. Everything was developing so fast. After that we took this long break, so now that we're back it feels like... the start of the second chapter. I'm so excited."

──First of all, I want to ask you about your long break. Solo albums were released by the other members of the band. What did you think about that? “Did I like them or not?”

 ──No, can you tell me how you felt about everyone leaving the band for a while and starting their own solo careers? "Well, I'll be honest with you. I was a little frustrated because I wanted to keep doing only The Strokes from the beginning (laughs). But the others were like, 'No, wait a minute. We want to try something different,' and they did this and that. I didn't understand that feeling, and I still don't understand it. But looking back, maybe their solo activities were necessary for the band. I think that doing solo activities made each of them feel moved again by working as The Strokes, and they realized how special it is to be part of a band."

──In terms of the actual production, have you noticed any changes from each member? "I think everyone has become more confident in their own songwriting abilities. We've changed our sound with every album, and I don't feel like our sound has changed drastically, so I can't say that there's a specific part that reflects that. In other words, the musical elements and sources of influence are the same as before, but this time, no one hesitated to present their ideas at the songwriting stage. That was a big difference."

──You started working on a full-scale album with Joe Chicarelli at a studio in New York. What was the specific trigger? "Actually, even during the time we weren't active, I was frequently telling everyone, "Let’s record." At that time, we had already written a lot of songs, and I wasn't interested in side projects, I wanted to write songs as The Strokes. So I was always pushing everyone to "get in the studio." In fact, we all got together in the studio a few times to record, but it just didn't seem to work. At that time, the other members' activities were prioritizing their solo work, so we stopped in the middle of the studio, started again, and repeated this process twice. Then, finally, the time came to make a new album. All the elements were in place for a new album, and everyone felt like doing it. Yes, there's no other way to explain it. All the conditions were met.

“Looking back, I think it was the right timing to make this. We've been really lucky. We've always appeared on the scene and released our works at the right time. When our first album came out it was great because we appeared at a time when other rock music was... terrible. We took a break after releasing our second album, but that was also great. And now that we're coming back on the scene, I think the timing couldn't be better. If we'd released this new album four years ago, people wouldn't have been as excited as they are now. It's not calculated, but somehow it works out (laughs)."

I'm so happy to be in The Strokes and I'm having so much fun writing songs with them. I'm so excited about this moment.

──By the way, how did the actual work on the album go? "Before we started recording, we gathered in the rehearsal room for about 5-6 months and exchanged various ideas. It was a lot of fun. I've been writing songs for the past few years, making demos and emailing them to the other members, so the other guys already knew what I was thinking. Then, when we gathered in the rehearsal room with those songs, the other members also came up with a lot of ideas. One person would write an intro, and the other members would write the chorus that matched it. At the same time, the guitar solo would be completed, and we would all put together the various things we had created like a puzzle — that was the process this time."

──Now that I think about it, since your debut album "Is This It," which was composed almost entirely by Julian, your contributions to the songwriting have visibly increased with each album. "That's right. And this time, the songs/parts were created through collaboration among all of us more than ever before. We all wrote the songs together, and everyone contributed ideas. It felt great. It's been a while since we've been able to work like that. It was really exciting to move forward in a new way.

“But there were also some difficult aspects. When you collaborate closely, even if you have a vision for a song or an image for a certain part, other members may have different opinions or try to shape it in a different way. As a musician, you want to stick to your own ideas even if the other members' ideas are better. So we all had to learn to compromise."

──Ah, I see (laughs).

"We wrote songs like that for five or six months, then took some time off to let the songs mature. We had about 18 or 20 songs at that point. Then, when we finally got around to recording, Julian wasn't in the studio because he was on a solo tour. So we said, 'We won't all be there, but let's start with just the four of us.' It was a bit strange (laughs), and a new endeavor. In a way, I think Julian was happy that he wasn't there. At the beginning of production... it seemed like he didn't want to be too involved in the studio work."

──What does that mean? "He has a habit of giving his opinion on every detail, so it seems like he wanted to get away from that. But this method was really, really good. First, we went to a big studio (Avatar Studios) in New York City. It's a pretty expensive place! (laughs). We recorded 13 songs there. But after that, we all talked about it and listened to the songs again, and we decided, 'We're not 100% satisfied with this.' We continued recording at Albert's (Hammond Jr.: G) house. He has a house in the suburbs of New York, so we re-recorded a lot of the songs there. Some of the songs were completely rewritten, and some of the arrangements were changed significantly at that point. Here, the songs changed again. Albert's house was in the woods, so it was a completely different environment to work in, which was also an interesting experience. All the albums we'd made up until then had been recorded in the middle of Manhattan. Working with just the five of us in the middle of nowhere felt like a completely different world. I think that through that, we became closer than we were before."

──As a result of everyone's ideas being reflected, the songs on this album are more varied than ever before. There are songs that sound like The Cars, some that sound like reggae, and some that sound like Thin Lizzy, which honestly surprised me. "A lot of different ideas came up during the production of this album, and some members wanted to write funky songs, while others wanted to write hard and heavy songs. Some members wrote songs influenced by the 70s, others that sounded like the 80s. On the other hand, some members wrote futuristic and weird songs. So I personally think it's the most diverse album I've ever released. Every song has a different vibe, right? That's because all the members wrote the songs."

──Does the title "Angles" also have the meaning that "this is a work that brings together the different perspectives (=angles) of five people" during this process? "I personally like this title because I felt that all the album titles up to now were long. Following the debut album "Is This It", the second album "Room on Fire", and the third album "First Impressions of Earth", this album has only one word. I thought it was cool and different from the previous ones. In one article, Albert explained, "The new work was born from all angles. That's why we chose this title," and I thought that was a good reason too!"

──(laughs) Since you guys first appeared on the scene as the main players in the rock and roll revival, you have changed your musical style in complex ways without being confined to that framework. What do you think you have achieved with this new album? "I don't know what we have achieved musically, but I think we made this album with survival in mind. To work as a band again (laughs). We were able to make this album because we got together again, and we want to make the next album too. This is not just our latest work, but also a stepping stone to the next one. Because of this album, we can make the next one, and the one after that — that's how I feel. In fact, there are still many songs left that were not included on this album. I have continued to write songs since then, and Julian has also been writing. There is a lot of good material. So I can't wait to make the next one. It's been 10 years since our debut, but I still have a lot to say through music."

──However, many changes have occurred among your rivals, such as the breakup of The White Stripes, with whom you have worked hard together for the past 10 years. What do you think about this? "I like The White Stripes, so I'm sad that they broke up. But I understand. I think Jack (White) was frustrated that everything he was involved in was labeled a 'side project.' But now that The Stripes have broken up, I think everyone will understand that everything Jack does is important to him. 'Everything he does is something he puts his heart and soul into.' When something 'dies,' people start to look at it with kinder eyes. They were two people who created something great, so it’s better than letting it go on for too long and ruining it.”

──So why do you think the Strokes continue to release albums and keep evolving even as the scene changes like this? "(Laughs) I don't know. It's a good question, but unfortunately I don't have the answer. When the five of us get together, we put in a lot of effort to 'make the best thing we can.' It's like there are five different filters in this band, and they only let the best through. We have high standards, and we give each other harsh criticism in order to achieve them. So... I guess it's our ambition to always be a perfect band that drives us."

──What is the happiest or most memorable event in The Strokes' past 10 years? "There are so many, so it's always changing. But I can definitely say that right now is the happiest moment because I'm so excited. We have a new album coming out, and we're doing a lot of things with it this summer. 10 years ago, the happiest moment was performing on stage as a headliner in the UK, but now I'm really looking forward to performing at that huge festival in Japan (Summer Sonic). We're also going to be performing on a really cool TV show in the US. I'm really excited to be working with this band again. I'm really happy to be a part of The Strokes, and I'm having so much fun writing songs with them. I'm really excited about this moment right now."

A summary of the band members' true selves and their diverse solo works

Text: Jin Sugiyama

Julian CasablancasBorn August 23, 1978. Real name Julian Fernando Casablancas. As the frontman and songwriter, he wrote almost all of the songs on the band's debut album "Is This It". Since the release of their previous album, he has released his latest album “Phrazes For The Young” (pictured). His music is a mix of various elements such as new wave, 80s-style electropop, folk/country, and straightforward rage rock'n'roll, and in a sense it is the template for the band's new work. His all-time favorite song is Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come".

Nick ValensiBorn January 16, 1981. Real name Nicholas Valensi. Nick, who plays guitar with Albert Hammond Jr. and is at the heart of the Strokes sound, is a fan of the Velvet Underground and The Cars. His inclinations must have had a major influence on the direction of the new wave-influenced new album, and Nick's guitar solos are more prominent than ever in this album. During his break, he participated in the songwriting for British singer Sia's "We Are Born" (pictured) in 2010. He is also the only member who did not release an album as a side project.

Albert Hammond Jr.Born April 9, 1980. His father is singer-songwriter Albert Hammond. He met Julian when he was 13 years old at a school in Switzerland they both attended. He has a deep knowledge of singer-songwriters such as the Beach Boys and Buddy Holly as well as Matthew Sweet. After releasing the band's third album, he produced two solo albums. Both were orthodox song albums that placed emphasis on composition. His latest work is "¿Como Te Llama?" (photo). He plays rhythm guitar in the band, and supports the solid Strokes sound alongside Nick.

Nikolai FraitureBorn November 13, 1978. He has been friends with Julian since they were young. He is the bassist and has the most gentle temperament in the band, and enjoys Neil Young and Leonard Cohen. However, his melodic bass lines, which make use of high notes and intertwine with the guitar and vocals like a chorus, are one of the major characteristics of the Strokes. During his break, he released his solo album "The Time of the Assassin" under the name Nickel Eye. (Photo) Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner, Regina Spektor and other New York musicians from the 00s participated in the album.

Fabrizio MorettiBorn in Brazil on June 2, 1980. He moved to New York with his family at the age of four, where he met Nick and Julian at school. He plays drums in the band, but also sings and plays guitar in his solo projects, making him a flexible musician. During his break, he released his self-titled debut album (pictured) as Little Joy with Rodrigo Amarante of Los Hermanos and his girlfriend Binki Shapiro, and received high praise for his compositions. He is also known for his interactions with Devendra Banhart, with whom he formed another project, Megapuss.

A review of the 10 years of the Strokes, who led rock in the 2000s

The Strokes' debut album was the prototype for the rock and roll revival that swept the 2000s. The tight-sounding drums, the ascetic bass that didn't swing, and the two guitars that were devoid of any unnecessary effects, created a primitive sound of just bones and muscles that reminded people of the excitement of primordial rock and roll once again. The second album, which followed, was a work in which they began to experiment with various sounds, while sticking to a guitar band style that did not use synths or programmed sounds. It was quite strange and interesting, with the guitar deliberately imitating synth sounds and playing reggae-style songs with a sparse bass.

While the first two albums were compact, lasting just over 30 minutes, the third album, which is over 50 minutes long, is probably the heaviest and longest work in the band's history. While keeping with the flow of the previous two albums, the sound, which also incorporates grunge and heavy metal, is simply strange and oppressive. And the latest album, "Angles," is unusual music that is the ultimate experimentation of the Strokes. Each song changes its expression many times within a single song, and from grunge to reggae and 80s pop, it appears one after another from surprising angles in a hot pot state. There is a strong determination to never follow anyone else and not play predictable music. For better or worse, there is too much information, but strangely, the sense of stagnation and oppression is not as prominent as in the previous two albums, and it is nice to see the airiness coming back.

Yoshiharu Kobayashi

[ironykins]

Your heart is a muscle the size of your fist Keep on loving, keep on fighting And hold on, and hold on Hold on for your life

And the print by Dalia Sapon-Shevin that inspired it.

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

has nanamin ever brought tsumiki and megumi to his office die ‘bring your kid to work’ day? has he ever attended any special functions at their school? i never knew the idea of ‘nanami being a central parental figure in the fushiguro siblings lives’ could mean so much to me–

Oh his ass was in a chair at every single special event at their schools. He absolutely brought them to bring your kid to work day. When he had visitation with the kids, he would work double time leading up so he could be off in time to make them dinner and help them with their homework and get them to bed at a reasonable hour. He wanted them so desperately to have a normal life when they were with him.

He felt horribly guilty, is the thing, with how he left Megumi to the Zenin and how he left them in the jujutsu world after that. He’s not Gojo, is the thing. He knows he couldn’t win if it came down to trying to take them away permanently. And he does not know that Gojo would side with him if he really did try.

He has their passports. Gojo gave them to him when he asked, and they both know that it was so he could take them and run if he needed to. But they stay in the bottom of his sock drawer.

He doesn’t think they’d actually make it all that far.

But the least he could do was give them a normal childhood. He gave them “bring your kid to work” days and school events and took them to the library on the weekends. He wanted them to be children. He wanted them to feel loved.

Nanami Kento genuinely loves the Fushiguro siblings as his own, and he is so goddamn sorry for every time he failed to protect them. He is so goddamn sorry for every time they were hurt. He loves them. He wishes that were enough.

[eternal--returned]

There needs to be a song for checking your brother into rehab.

Took my brother into rehab / He said no, no, no

Something like that.

Don’t come out until you’re dry bitch!

[thespookybean14]

What if I wrote a Clarice Starling character analysis fic? what then?

[real-life-cloud]

im GOING to write today ........ i WILL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[eggs-can-draw]

Hi this was originally gonna have art but maybe I'll rb this with it later I unno I do not have Time to draw it and still finish this before eep time anyways normal foreword HI I don't know where this came from I went into a fugue state and just kinda started typing on google docs. this is mostly shuichi and kokichi thoughts with an infodump disguised as exposition. uh. Warning for Oumasai but only if you wanna see it that way I unno they're complicated rn

Sea salt on his tongue. Blinding sun in his eyes. Sand under his feet that burned him like coals in a fire. Today was long but he wouldn't have spent it any differently. After everything they had been through, they deserved a summer to have fun and heal from everything that had happened.

His mind still felt fuzzy around the edges but after a few weeks, he had become a master at the basics of who he was.

His name was Shuichi, his name felt good and Right on his tongue. He knows who his friends are and who his family is, and with every passing day, he remembers who He is a little more.

That said, it still frustrated him to no end every time he saw something and could feel himself remembering but he wasn't remembering. His mind would call him back to something he didn't have access to. He wasn't alone in this, they could be talking about anything at all but one small thing and a blank look would slowly creep across his friend´s face. He swore if you looked close enough you could see the static in their eyes. Hear the buzz of memories failing to tune in correctly.

They learned to live around it but that didn't mean they accepted it. Dozens of family photos and mementos from their childhood had been brought with them on their summer rehab trip to help with reconnecting the dots.

When outside of their daily allotted “Memory Rehab Time” they spent most of their time goofing off. Usami had tasked them with using a friendship bracelet system to rebuild their connections with each other. For every friendship successfully reconnected, they would both receive a friendship bracelet, with Mister Nagito and Aunt Nanami helping them tie the bracelets together.

He enjoyed the routine. He would wake up, go for a walk around the island, and meet his friends at the Hotel Mirai restaurant for breakfast. They’d all spend some time working on recovery for an hour or two then were set loose on building bonds and making memories. Halfway through the day they would all meet up for lunch and chat about how their days were going.

Today’s lunch was slowly wrapping itself to a close, he had been talking to Kaede about some songs he wanted to learn on the piano (He knew how to play!) and she had been giving him advice when she was eventually pulled away by Miu who had ‘Important Hot Girl Shit’ to do with Kaede.

So here he was, cleaning up the sandwich he had been eating and wondering what to do next. He had been hanging out with Maki earlier, both talking about some memories that had resurfaced from their childhood, but the dark haired assassin was currently nowhere to be found. As he looked around, Shuichi eventually realized he was the last person left. This wasn't a problem really, he’d spent many an afternoon on his own and was going to spend this one working on a book he had found when who else but Shuichi’s self proclaimed “Life-Long Rival” came strolling into the room.

“Well well well, Mister Sherlock, all on his lonesome” Kokichi announced to no one, looking around as if the room were filled to the brim with people.

“Hey, Kokichi,” Shuichi replied, tossing his trash into the nearest can. “Why so late, I thought you loved lunch?” he added, turning to give the smaller boy his full attention.

“What can I say, I got a little caught up briefing my minions for our all out attack on the island, we strike in 5 days” he says, tossing a hand up nonchalantly.

“But since you’re ever so lonely, you know what that means!”

Shuichi gulps.

“You’re all mine Shumai”

And with his plans decided for him, Shuichi was quickly dragged out of the restaurant.

🌊🌊🌊

The sweet taste of ice cream, the loud noise of the Titty Typhoon, the cool ocean breeze on his now bare back, the calming lullaby of the ocean waves, the crunch of –

“LOOK ALIVE SUSHI-CHI!”

Violently ripped from his thoughts, Shuichi turned just too late to meet a water balloon directly to the face.

“What the- WHAT WAS THAT FOR???”

“You looked asleep!! I was helping!”

With a huff, Shuichi made his way over to the bench Kokichi was resting on. He WOULD retaliate but Kokichi just so happened to be wearing Shuichi’s jacket, leaving him safe (for now)

Once he sat down, a silence settled between them. Their day had been pretty hectic, with Kokichi taking him all over the islands to ‘Jog his memory’, but Shuichi was 99% sure he just wanted to goof off. All things considered, he’d gotten pretty fast after moving to a cane over crutches (not as fast as when he was in a wheelchair tho, he convinced Miu to add rocket boosters for the price of letting her ride too, and they never knew peace after that)

It was still kind of weird, all things considering. He didn’t realize just how much he knew about Kokichi until he was in the moment and suddenly talking about something dumb they did in the 4th grade. Kokichi always seemed a bit lighter whenever Shuichi correctly remembered what he was talking about, like a weight had been taken off his chest after an eternity of carrying it. Despite that, Shuichi couldn't help but feel like something was still bothering him.

“The sunset’s not bad,” Kokichi said, almost whispering. There was a fragility at the edge of his voice, threatening to crack and break everything.

“Definitely not the best sunset I’ve seen, but this will do for now, I suppose” Kokichi quickly added, a veil of confidence hastily thrown atop his voice.

“Uh, Kokichi-”

“I would prefer to spend this with my organization of evil, but you’ve made an ok minion for today”

“Kokichi.”

“The poison I put in your sandwich earlier definitely makes you an easy target thou-”

“KOKICHI.”

“UGH WHAT SHOE-ICKY?”

“Can we talk?”

“We were talking”

“You know what I mean”

“What is there to talk about”

“I just. I just wanted to apologize.”

“I- wait what?”

“I’m sorry for the way that I treated you. I understand that it was a ‘high stress situation’ and all, but I still hurt you and I just…”

“…”

“I don’t think I could live with myself if that was really one of the last things I ever said to you”

“…”

“…”

“…thanks, Shuichi. Really.”

Kokichi began to scoot away, but Shuichi shot up to stop him. They both stood there. Neither wanting to make the next move. The tension was almost stifling. Just as things reached their peak, Kokichi slowly moved forward and wrapped Shuichi in a hug.

🌊🌊🌊

Shuichi is a pretty honest guy. With that fact in mind, he definitely didn’t feel any tears on his back, and when they both sat back down on the bench, he remained perfectly composed the whole time.

And when he woke up later to find himself inside the small pillowfort him and their friends had built at the Hinata’s, he definitely did NOT wrap his arms around Kokichi.

[angelnumber27]

I want to murder the love I feel for the man that cheated on me twice and beat the fuck out of me every day while claiming he loved me more than anything

[alongtidesoflight]

.

[ultimateaclrecovery]

This has just been such a bummer of a Christmas.

The actual day was rather awful with all the terrible travel stuff, but while that was happening I just kept repeating that Christmas was just a day and that my family would just do Christmas later when we were all together. But now we’ve had our Christmas and it was just such a let down.

Everything was still so off schedule wise and nothing was like it usually it is. My dad broke his hip and we’d thought he might be out of the rehab center by now or at least able to come home for Christmas afternoon. But he wasn’t able too. So we did his gifts yesterday at the rehab center which was super strange and kind of sad.

And then today was supposed to be our Christmas but we ended up with the weirdest schedule. Normally we do gifts first Christmas morning/afternoon because most of my family gets up late. But my brother got up soooo late that we decided to visit my dad first so it wouldn’t get too late. And while it was a lovely visit it was not Christmasy. And then y brother wasn’t feeling well so even when we got back we didn’t go gifts right away and had to start on dinner. And then things were in the oven while we were opening gifts so there were timers to check on things and it made me feel so rushed and like we couldn’t really sit and savor the opening like we usually do.

And then (like a brat) I was disappointed in some of the gifts I got and it was things I asked for. But I hadn’t fully realized that I was that particular about the items so even though I got what I asked for it wasn’t what I really wanted. I like some of them, but I’m just not really very excited about anything I got. Which makes me feel both sad and like an ungrateful brat because they were literally things I asked for!!

And then I also feel like I didn’t do a very good job getting gifts for others either. Like they were fine but nothing special or exciting so I feel the leg down in that direction of gift giving too.

And there’s just so much stress with my dad not being home. Between the Parkinson’s and the broken hip and being there, he just isn’t doing super well and it’s so sad. And my moms been going to visit him twice a day and trying to manage everything. And my dads been in pain and just having a not very good time at the facility.

And it’s sad and stressful to watch but I feel like I don’t know how to help or make anything better and just feel kind of overwhelmed even though I haven’t been doing anything.

And we didn’t make our Christmas cookies.

I’ve always always been home before Christmas and me and my mom make these elaborate frosted sugar cookies. And we haven’t this year.

So much of the fun of Christmas is the build up and we had none of that this year

And it’s like things could be so much worse, and like they are still fine so I feel bad whining. But they are usually so much better. Christmas is usually the best of time of the year and a wonderful time, and this year it was just a struggle and that make me sad.

And I’m feeling a lot of let down from my time in LA. I did partly because I was feeling bored and stuck in a rut but now I’m going right back to wear I was. And I guess you know the grass isn’t always greener and all that but it’s weird sense of settling. Like you go on a big adventure and at the end everything is still the same. Or at least nothing really seems better so you can’t help but wonder is maybe you shouldn’t have gone at all. Been better if just staying in Colorado.

Certainly would’ve been able to come earlier for Christmas and maybe done better with the presents if I wasn’t dealing with moving at the same time.

Overall it’s just been such a workable Christmas instead of enjoyable one. And while everyone did what they could to make it work it still feels disappointing

[igneous-croc]

Somehow, seeing the twitter expats go to threads or bluesky or whatever, feels like seeing someone trying to recover from some addiction relapse

[teamrocketgender]

my burden in life is that i am aggressively approachable on the street and thus everyone from little old ladies needing directions to drunk men needing therapy feel comfortable approaching me while I'm just minding my business

[boag]

I swear to god ever since my mom got into her first abusive relationship when I was 13 and I had to move in with my grandparents until he left, she literally cannot be involved with a man without ceasing to care abt anyone or anything other than that man

[pinkfey]

my pos br*ther woke me up at 6AM bc he’s playing video games so fucking loudly and our walls are made of paper and no matter how much i tell him i need to sleep he doesn’t hear me through his headset 😐😐😐 i am just sitting here fml

[tundrakatiebean]

Fucken Veronica Mars line got me real good tonight. It’s a throwaway line too but like way to stab me right in the hole in my heart.

Veronica trying to figure out if her alcoholic mother was a good person in high school by sleuthing some things and her dad says “you know who your mom was. Forget the last few years”

Wish it was that easy.

[iliveinprocrasti-nationn]

a cripple and two nurses hear about the most horrific bullshit from a medical facility. rage ensues