- Of Hot Dogs and Hopeful Days
15,113 Days Alive
21 Minute Commute to Work
I started my new job today. It is at a local eye center inside a Costco. Good job, steady hours, and I really like who I work for so far.
I’m going to bed. Tomorrow will be even better!
Take your meds, folks.
- Of Jaffa Cakes and Jobs
15,112 Days Alive
$281 Car Payment Due in 10 Days
15 Days Till My First Paycheck
1 New Job Starting Tomorrow
I actually start my new job tomorrow at the eye care place about 20 minutes away. I am so excited now. Previously I was quite upset, assuming I had burned four hours of my life on travel and more than two hours of unpaid training only to hear crickets from the doctor.
But it turns out that my new boss, a young optometrist, is just… scattered? Very busy? A little of both, perhaps? Nice lady, but it will be interesting to see how well I fit in with the existing crew. I will be working Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and most Saturdays. I say most as I also am going to be booth babe for Owl’s soap business when we go to craft fairs and conventions.
I have been given a ninety day probationary period, which is fairly standard. I will have to pay for my own health insurance, but I already k ew that. The doctor’s practice is currently too small to have to provide medical insurance coverage. I am still waiting for the email from Dr. Essbee, as I will refer to her here, with my onboarding paperwork. Maybe it ended up in junk mail or she hasn’t sent it yet. I will check on my laptop tomorrow before work.
My anxiety is pretty high tonight. Money is tight and I am tired. I am likely going to take some of my hydroxyzine so I dont just end up endlessly staring into the darkness for hours on end before I am able to fall asleep.
I hope to have nothing but positive things to say about work tomorrow evening.
Take your meds, folks.
- Of Anger and Almost Giving Up
15,111 Days Alive
So… I didn’t start a new job today. I didn’t get a call to say I even had a job.
I am so tired.
Take your meds, folks.
- Prompt Answer: Video Game
If you got to live inside a video game world, which one would you choose?
With how much I have been playing it lately, I would say I would like to live in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons world.
- Of Chocolate Covered Cherries and Cheerfulness
15,110 Days Alive
44 Days Until Christmas
13 Hours Till I Start My New Job
I am employed again! I start my new job tomorrow and I am fantastically excited about it. I’ll be working at an eye clinic again.
The holidays are close! Uncle Comic is joining us for Thankagiving this year at the Parliment of Chaos. I am also looking forward to that.
The holidays themselves, I am not sure I am looking forward to it because I haven’t been working for so many weeks. I am playing catch-up financially. Owl introduced me to GiftList, where I now have my primary wishlist for the holidays. Most of what I’d like falls under parts of the Five Things List, there are some that don’t.
The Five Things for the holidays, in case I have some new readers, are:
- One thing you want
- One thing you need
- Something to wear
- Something to read
- And one just for fun!
Anyway, I’m going to head to bed soon. I start my new job tomorrow!
Take your meds, folks!
- 13 Moons Reading Challenge, Update #6
Hello again, my lovely friends!
It hasn’t been all too long since my last update on this reading challenge. All books for this challenge have been chosen and almost half have even been read! Anything with a checkmark next to it (this guy: ✔️) has been read.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the 13 Moons Reading Challenge for you, if you missed the previous posts about it:
The Who started the 13 Moons Reading Challenge is:
User Read N Buried on Tumblr. As far as I can tell, they have been spearheading the 13 Moons Reading Challenge since 2024. Lucky year number three that I’m jumping in here!
The What of the 13 Moons Reading Challenge is:
An online reading challenge that my darling friend Chele found and shared with me. There are a total of 104 prompts divided between categories that are separated by the names of the 13 Moons of the year.
The When of the 13 Moons Reading Challenge:
The when of this challenge is now! The year of somebody’s lord, Anno Mundi 5786, aka 2026 AD. I’m doing my best to rock through at least forty one books this year, one for each year I’ve been around! I thought it was clever.
The Where of how I plant to track the 13 Moons Reading Challenge:
Postmark Wonderland already automatically cross-posts to Tumblr. So, between the blog here, my Tumblr account, and perhaps Instagram, I hope to be regularly updating for the 13 Moons Reading Challenge as of April 2026.
The current plan, since it is a Moon-centered challenge, is to update on Moon’s Day. No, I am absolutely NOT sorry for the terrible wordplay. Not even in the slightest!
The Why of the 13 Moon Reading Challenge:
Is “because why not” enough of a reason for y’all?
The How of the 13 Moon Reading Challenge:
The level of participation I have chosen to do is the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. This translates to one book from each of the thirteen prompt lists divided by moon. However, I am aiming for fulfilling at least two prompts with each book for each monthly category. I could bend the rules a little bit, making multiple books meet the prompts for several months… but I have chosen not to do that (this year).
Wolf Moon: 3rd January
Book chosen: Other Birds by Sara Addison Allen, one of my favorite writers
- Read a book in your Favorite place
- 👉🏻My favorite place is the library
- 👉🏻Do Not read this book while sitting on the floor (This part was actually difficult!)
- Reading it in my purple velvet reading chair!
Snow Moon: 1st February
Book chosen: The Mirror, book 2 of The Lost Bride Trilogy by Nora Roberts
- 👉🏻Book with a Mirror on the cover
- 👉🏻Read a book while sitting next to someone
✔️Worm Moon: 3rd March
Book chosen: What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson, which was turned into a beautiful, heartbreaking movie starring Robin Williams.
Total lunar eclipse for this moon!
- 👉🏻Book which has a Movie adaptation
- 👉🏻Read a book on a blanket
- 👉🏻Start a book after 5:00 PM/17:00
✔️Pink Moon: 1st April
Book chosen: Every Heart a Doorway, book 1 of the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire
This was chosen from a pile of library books and comes highly recommended by Owl!
- 👉🏻A Friend recommendation
- 👉🏻Choose a book Blindfolded
Flower Moon: 1st May
Book chosen: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (still waiting on the library to have an ebook copy available!)
- 👉🏻Book featuring a Castle
- 👉🏻Book with more than 5 colors on the cover
Blue Moon: 31st May
Book chosen: Inheritance, book 1 of the Lost Bride Trilogy by Nora Roberts
- 👉🏻Book in your Reading Challenge TBR
- 👉🏻Book featuring Inheritance
- Book you think will surprise you
✔️Strawberry Moon: 29th June
Book chosen: Alice’s Adventures Underground by Lewis Carroll
Micro full moon, one day after my birthday!
- 👉🏻Book which has a Series adaptation
- 👉🏻Read this book at a Desk
Buck Moon: 29th July
Book chosen: The Seven Rings, book 3 of the Lost Bride Trilogy by Nora Roberts
- 👉🏻Book with a Ghost character
- 👉🏻Start a book right after eating Lunch
- 👉🏻Book you wish turned into a Movie
✔️Sturgeon Moon: 27th August
Book chosen: Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquirel
There is a partial lunar eclipse this day!
- 👉🏻 Book in which a character Dies
An AI recommendationHell no.
Harvest (or Full Corn) Moon: 26th September
Book chosen: The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
- 👉🏻A Horror book
- 👉🏻Read the First book you see on the Shelf
✔️Hunter’s Moon: 25th October
Book chosen: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson (I am listening to the audiobook through my local library)
- 👉🏻Start a book after Midnight
- 👉🏻 Listen to a Free Audiobook
✔️Beaver Moon: 24th November
Book chosen: Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
- 👉🏻 Book Similar to your favorite book
Cold Moon: 23rd December
Book chosen: The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey
A supermoon!
- 👉🏻 Book with a Fantasy creature
A Few Notes About This Idea
There is one thing that I should bother to point out about this whole challenge: since time is made up in the points, don’t matter, I don’t necessarily have to fulfill each month prompt in that month. I have absolutely bopped around on the calendar. I make no promises as to linear progress. Considering that I’ve barely read anything for the last ten months, I might need to bump some of these to 2027, just because of timing.
Since the world is sliced into thirty-seven possible time zones, you will notice that I have not put any times for the Full Moons. With the time differences, the International Date Line, and my own human fallibility, all information presented here is as accurate as I am currently able to offer it.
All links are ones I have found myself, and gain no profit from sharing. I am attempting to stay away from Amazon links because I don’t wish to give them any more money than absolutely necessary. So, when possible, I went with Thriftbooks or the author’s site.
Looking at what I have left, it feels very achievable for me to read Other Birds, the Lost Bride Trilogy, The Halloween Tree, Howl’s Moving Castle, and The Fairy Godmother all before the end of 2026. Especially now that I have a job again! I can read on my lunch break!
If you’d like to, tell me what you’re reading and if I should add it to my TBR for 2027?
Happy reading and take your meds, folks!
- Read a book in your Favorite place
- Prompt Answer
What is one thing you can’t live without?
Assuming the basic hierarchy of needs is fulfilled, I can’t and won’t live without art.
- Of Weaving Ends and Waiting
15,107 Days Alive
1 Finished Two Tone Throw for Uncle Mark
Short post tonight. I am knackered beyond measure but my mind won’t shut up. I finished tbe Two Tone Throw for Uncle Mark, wove in all the ends, and now have to wait to.fkgire out what my next project will be. Most likely is the Red Room Throw for Llama’s partner, Micah. Beyond that, I want to work on Jae’s black and white blanket that’s the same pattern as Uncle Mark’s.
I am going to bed in self defense.
Take your meds, folks.
- Of Negative Balances and Noisy Nights
15,106 Days Alive
1,235 Words Written on My Phone
-$58.52 To My Name Till I Have a Job Again
3 Days Till My In-Person Interview
I forgot to stop an auto payment from my bank so now I am negative almost sixty dollars in the bank. I feel hellaciously pathetic. On top of being sick, I have put in over a hundred job applications with less than a dozen interviews resulting.
Part of that os the market. Part of it is ghost jobs that they decide theyre just not going to hire someone. And a part of it may be how many times I have moved around, regardless of the reason. I feel like a loser. Like Luisa from Encanto when she can’t lift the piano. Like I have no usefulness outside of the financial benefits I can bring.
I know its brain gremlins. Owl does not make me feel like I am a burden on her, even if I feel like I am regardless. I hate being out of work. Six weeks. Six weeks of feeling like I am failing at being an adult.
It will get better. Maybe Monday will be amazing! I hope so. Keep your fingers crossed and thoughts positive for me!
In other news, I stayed up far too late last night chatting via text message with Goblyn. They were using their VR headset and the game they were in kept killing them. Which led to the inevitable pterodactyl screeching of dismay. Heh. Normally, I can sleep through it. But I was already having some trouble with getting to sleep and the random glass-cracking noises did not help. He calmed down around three or so, thankfully. So I still got a full five or six hours before I got up this morning.
I am going to try and get some sleep before I keep myself awake too long out of sheer exhaustion and stress.
Take your meds, folls.
- Of Noses and Nachos
15,105 Days Alive
2 Orders of Cheesy Fiesta Potatos with Pico Eaten
1 Incessantly Runny Nose
We did a lot of resting today. I feel like roadkill, Goblyn is still hacking up a lung though sounding better than he did, and now poor Owl doesn’t feel well.
My head is sinus pressured to the max. Constant, inescapable headache, runny nose, and aching bones with a side of exhaustion. Absolutely no fun, do not recommend.
Miah bought us dinner, as no one was feeling up to cooking tonight. Yay for Taco Bell! Boo for the sticker shock. I remember when Taco Bell was under $20 for three people. Not right now it isn’t.
I am trying to get some writing done. Ut isnt going well. I am, as I said, burning all the mental load just trying to stay upright. I think I should go to bed.
Take your meds, folks.
- Of Cooler Weather and Colds
15,104 Days Alive
13 Books to Read Before the End of 2026
1 Cold I am Suffering Through
I am a lump of misery tonight. I don’t feel well and I am running a low fever. I am still not employed. I have forty two whole cents to my name right now and I have it.
Pray for a job a d quick recovery for me.
And take your meds, folks.
- Prompt Answer: Round Trip Ticket
If you had a free round-trip ticket to anywhere, where would you go?
If it was just me traveling, I would go to Rhode Island and spend time with Reffie. If Owl and Gobyln were with me, Ireland.
- 13 Moons Reading Challenge, Update #5
Hello again, my lovely darlings!
It hasn’t been all too long since my last update on this reading challenge. And all books for this challenge have been, finally, chosen!
As I previously mentioned, the first ten months or so of this year were ass-kicking levels of depression. But I am slowly coming back and am back on my reading nonsense! So, tell me what you’re reading and if I should add it to my TBR for 2027?
Here’s a quick breakdown of the 13 Moons Reading Challenge for you, if you missed the previous posts about it:
The Who started the 13 Moons Reading Challenge is:
User Read N Buried on Tumblr. As far as I can tell, they have been spearheading the 13 Moons Reading Challenge since 2024. Lucky year number three that I’m jumping in here!
The What of the 13 Moons Reading Challenge is:
An online reading challenge that my darling friend Chele found and shared with me. There are a total of 104 prompts divided between categories that are separated by the names of the 13 Moons of the year.
The When of the 13 Moons Reading Challenge:
The when of this challenge is now! The year of somebody’s lord, Anno Mundi 5786, aka 2026 AD. I’m doing my best to rock through at least forty one books this year, one for each year I’ve been around! I thought it was clever.
The Where of how I plant to track the 13 Moons Reading Challenge:
Postmark Wonderland already automatically cross-posts to Tumblr. So, between the blog here, my Tumblr account, and perhaps Instagram, I hope to be regularly updating for the 13 Moons Reading Challenge as of April.
The current plan, since it is a Moon-centered challenge, is to update on Moon’s Day. No, I am absolutely NOT sorry for the terrible wordplay. Not even in the slightest!
The Why of the 13 Moon Reading Challenge:
Is “because why not” enough of a reason for y’all? Because it is for me…
The How of the 13 Moon Reading Challenge:
The level of participation I have chosen to do is the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. This translates to one book from each of the thirteen prompt lists divided by moon. However, I am aiming for fulfilling at least two prompts with each book for each monthly category. I could bend the rules a little bit, making multiple books meet the prompts for several months… but I have chosen not to do that (this year).
Wolf Moon: 3rd January
Book chosen: Other Birds by Sara Addison Allen, one of my favorite writers
- Read a book in your Favorite place
- 👉🏻My favorite place is the library
- 👉🏻Do Not read this book while sitting on the floor (This part was actually difficult!)
- Reading it in my purple velvet reading chair!
Snow Moon: 1st February
Book chosen: The Mirror, book 2 of The Lost Bride Trilogy by Nora Roberts
- 👉🏻Book with a Mirror on the cover
- 👉🏻Read a book while sitting next to someone
Worm Moon: 3rd March
Book chosen: What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson, which was turned into a beautiful, heartbreaking movie starring Robin Williams.
Total lunar eclipse for this moon!
- 👉🏻Book which has a Movie adaptation
- 👉🏻Read a book on a blanket
- 👉🏻Start a book after 5:00 PM/17:00
Pink Moon: 1st April
Book chosen: Every Heart a Doorway, book 1 of the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire
This was chosen from a pile of library books and comes highly recommended by Owl!
- 👉🏻A Friend recommendation
- 👉🏻Choose a book Blindfolded
Flower Moon: 1st May
Book chosen: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (waiting on the library to have an ebook copy available!)
- 👉🏻Book featuring a Castle
- 👉🏻Book with more than 5 colors on the cover
Blue Moon: 31st May
Book chosen: Inheritance, book 1 of the Lost Bride Trilogy by Nora Roberts
- 👉🏻Book in your Reading Challenge TBR
- 👉🏻Book featuring Inheritance
- Book you think will surprise you
Strawberry Moon: 29th June
Book chosen: Alice’s Adventures Underground by Lewis Carroll
Micro full moon, one day after my birthday!
- 👉🏻Book which has a Series adaptation
- 👉🏻Read this book at a Desk
Buck Moon: 29th July
Book chosen: The Seven Rings, book 3 of the Lost Bride Trilogy by Nora Roberts
- 👉🏻Book with a Ghost character
- 👉🏻Start a book right after eating Lunch
- 👉🏻Book you wish turned into a Movie
Sturgeon Moon: 27th August
Book chosen: Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquirel
There is a partial lunar eclipse this day!
- 👉🏻 Book in which a character Dies
An AI recommendationHell no.
Harvest (or Full Corn) Moon: 26th September
Book chosen: The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
- 👉🏻A Horror book
- 👉🏻Read the First book you see on the Shelf
Hunter’s Moon: 25th October
Book chosen: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson (I am listening to the audiobook through my local library)
- 👉🏻Start a book after Midnight
- 👉🏻 Listen to a Free Audiobook
Beaver Moon: 24th November
Book chosen: Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
- 👉🏻 Book Similar to your favorite book
Cold Moon: 23rd December
Book chosen: The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey
A supermoon!
- 👉🏻 Book with a Fantasy creature
A Few Notes About This Idea
There is one thing that I should bother to point out about this whole challenge: since time is made up in the points, don’t matter, I don’t necessarily have to fulfill each month prompt in that month. I have absolutely bopped around on the calendar. I make no promises as to linear progress. Considering that I’ve barely read anything for the last ten months, I might need to bump some of these to 2027, just because of timing and trying to find work.
Since the world is sliced into thirty-seven possible time zones, you will notice that I have not put any times for the Full Moons. With the time differences, the International Date Line, and my own human fallibility, all information presented here is as accurate as I am currently able to offer it.
All links are ones I have found myself, and gain no profit from sharing. I am attempting to stay away from Amazon links because I don’t wish to give them any more money than absolutely necessary. So, when possible, I went with Thriftbooks or the author’s site.
Happy reading and take your meds, folks!
- Read a book in your Favorite place
