OUTSIDE IS LAVA

[st_aurafina]

I'm not doing Yuletide, I'm not doing NaNoWriMo - I'm sad about that but also relieved. I have dropped off posting to podcastjoy as well, which I feel more guilty.

I read this twitter thread by ProfAishaAhmad and empathised with it a lot: The 6 month mark in any sustained crisis is always difficult

I'm getting by, but more and more it feels like I'm jettisoning things that are too much. I need to feel okay about that - it's a global fucking pandemic. As talkingtothesky said, we know we can do these things, we don't have to prove it to anyone. Especially not ourselves.

Work continues, busy and weird. It changes week to week depending on what part of the state is locked down and to what degree. There still haven't been any cases in my small town of a thousand people. Everyone is frazzled. I keep buying take-away dinners for staff members, to help keep the pub afloat. I worry about my staff, especially front-of-shop who meet angry customers head-on.

But cats are lovely, lilacsigil is lovely, my home is lovely and I wouldn't want to leave it even if I could. My ADHD medication is the absolute fucking best. lilacsigil somehow browbeat a private hospital into letting me join their rehab water physio class, so I'm still walking, whereas last lockdown, I ended up using a walking stick as my knees gave up. Things are okay. I'm getting by, and I hope that you are too.

I'm not doing NaNo but I am, surprisingly, working on my 2012 NaNo project. A friend of mine is offering one-on-one novel workshops, and I took her up on it, and it's been astonishingly helpful. I've done more on this project than I have on any other. I've plotted to the end. I'm tweaking character motivations. I'm planning out more stories. It's outrageous how useful it is to be talking to someone, and having that someone keeping notes while I waffle on. I get those notes at the end of a session and I'm always amazed at how much material I've yeeted at her in what feels like a conversation.

(This is her flyer, if anyone is interested. She does NaNo prep, too, I believe:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sXlJblXdqjc5qJ8dZcZ8t6ysehMAxvQuiHP3sN0Wvhs/edit )

I am trying to keep up with my flist and trying to remember to comment in at least a couple of places each day. (And I'm running the POI big bang?? Somehow?? But that's pretty low-key, everyone has been lovely.)

I don't know when I'll be updating again, so I'm going to send all my love to you guys in the US. I will be thinking of you in November, and keeping my fingers crossed for a sane result.

Ohhh, and my icon is from a fantastic bit of graffiti you can see from the highway to Warrnambool. I love it. The other side of the railway bridge says "Wash your hands!" and the top says "Stay safe!"

<3

Comments

[inkstone]

♥️

[paulamcg]

I'm so glad to hear you've got lovely things – writing-related things, too – in your life. It's outrageous how useful it is to be talking to someone <3 Thank you for sharing!

[smallhobbit]

Lovely to hear from you!

You're not alone in jettisoning things - every so often I remind myself that it's quite okay to sit and watch an old Miss Marple/Poirot (no, I wouldn't slash the pair!!) and knit rather than do anything else.

So enjoy what you do, and Stay safe (in every way!)

[china_shop]

That twitter thread was really good. Thank you for the link!

*so much hugs and more*

♥ ♥ ♥

[lonelywalker]

Glad you two (+ cats) are getting by, all things considered.

lilacsigil browbeating a hospital is a delightful mental image.

[goss]

It is lovely to hear from you. *hugs*

That lava graffiti is amazing.

[musesfool]

*hugs*

OUTSIDE IS LAVA seems like the most apt description of 2020.

[senmut]

Hugs. Take care of yourself.

[redfiona99]

Like you said, the important thing is to do what you can and accept there are things that you can't do. We are in the middle of an extended emergency, and no one should feel bad about not doing things because they've not got the energy for it (however energy is defined) :)

[shadowhive]

*hugs*Dropping those things sounds like a good idea. I’d do the same if I did them

Cats are aways good and yay for your friend helping

I’ve been a bit useless at commenting later so I can relate to that🖤

They’re right outside is lava

[ex_flameandsong751]

*hugs?* This has been A Year and a lot of us are finding ourselves unable to do this or that, and/or falling behind on projects, and so forth. Nobody should feel bad about that, 2020 is just about survival now.

[pauraque]

It's good to see you! Thanks for the wishes of sanity. We can certainly use them. ^_^

[corvidology]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to do Yuletide but only to distract myself somewhat from the fact I can't go home to England... That's the long way round of saying I totally get the obligation/distraction/relief thing.

From here though, it sounds like you're doing a far better job of holding things together then you might feel like you're doing. ♥

[umadoshi]

*hugs you*

[dine]

Outside is Lava is too right! I am so glad that overall you're doing ok, even if jettisoning some stuff; whatever helps you cope is my motto, and reducing the unnecessary outside stressors makes lots of sense

thanks for the good wishes for Novmember! it both feels impossibly far and coming too fast

[tinny]

*HUGS*

it feels like I'm jettisoning things that are too much

I have to do that all the time. <3 It's not a bad thing to care for yourself, and it's nothing to feel guilty about.


Sounds like you're doing well, despite everything. <3 The novel workshop sounds great, and so does the water physio class.

Jia you, stay safe! <3

[lurkingcat]

it feels like I'm jettisoning things that are too much
That's a good description of what I've been doing this year too. 2020 has been A Lot.

I'm glad to hear that you're all still getting by and that you've got small but lovely things to help with that.

[kaffy_r]

It's so good to hear from you - and hurrah for your continued writing! Taking things of your "I must do these things!" list is a very healthy thing to do. So write, enjoy your kitties and lilacsigil (especially her) and stay safe. Many hugs!

[silverflight8]

I'm glad you and yours are okay! And great to hear about the walking.

I have always had 49742 hobbies and I try to keep up with them - I find apathy makes me feel worse (because I feel happy when I can create things, lol - I like feeling productive for sure).

[earthspirits]

It's good to stay cozy at home with one's feline friends.

And you're wise not taking on extra projects that could prove stressful.

Nice icon!

[enemyofperfect]

Cats are wonderful, and so is that graffiti. Having a writing project to dig deep into sounds like it could be really good right now, too. Good luck with everything!

[fred_mouse]

Thank you for the update - I've been wondering/worrying about how the pair of you, and your little town, are going. Sympathy on the everything fatigue. Congratulations on making great progress on your story!

[talkingtothesky]

♥ Look at us, we're getting through this!

[yifu]

Glad to hear about the novel workshop. Stay safe. ♥

[vass]

So glad for you that you get to be buoyant.

[walgesang]

Hello! So glad to hear that the meds are doing great things for you. ♥

[thisbluespirit]

Good to hear from you! ♥ And yeah you just have to do what you have to do (or not to do) to get through.

I'm glad the novel one-on-one is helping.

[adafrog]

Glad you're mostly doing okay. {{{hugs}}}
Yeah, the front people do have to deal with the most cranky people/people when they are crankiest. I feel bad for them (until they are cranky to someone, and it just goes to pot).

[chez_jae]

Getting by is about all any of us can do at the moment.

:/

[mergatrude]

I have moments of leaning towards "EVERYTHING is lava!!" but I guess we all do.

Thank goodness for good things that persist.

*hugshugshugs*

[singe]

DUDE! So nice to hear from you. Hang in there and thank you for the kind words for us poor slobs in the USA. Waiting for election day is going to be the longest two weeks of our lives.

[weaverbird]

{{{hugs}}} It is so good to hear from you!

Hanging on by our fingernails seems to be the new normal for much of us. I am glad that you are succeeding in do so. :) And thank you for the good election wishes!

(please forgive the shamefully late reply - this tab got buried, and pre- and post-election craziness has been very distracting.)