what if bingo challenge
Apr. 21st, 2026 05:23 pm| Fake Relationship | The Staff | Medical | Decade Specific | Radio/Podcast |
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An April Update
Apr. 21st, 2026 07:09 pmSome of the fun things I've been doing:
Movies
We saw Project Hail Mary in the theaters last weekend. So glad we went while it was still there - everyone I know has been recommending this to me. And they were all absolutely correct! What an amazing movie!
TV Shows
- Stranger Things: I watched the whole season last week. I'm very glad for people who tagged their posts and put spoilers behind cut tags - I was able to remain unspoiled for the whole thing. I have thoughts, but mainly, I'm sad that it's over. I thought the passing of the torch from The Party to Holly's group was perfect. I enjoyed that Robin was back to being smart and competent instead of whatever she was in S4.
- Bridgerton: I'm in the middle of Season 4. So far, I'm enjoying it.
- To Your Eternity: I watched Season 3 of this anime. I highly recommend this show for the first two season. S3 was very sketchy at first but managed to redeem itself by the last 3 episodes.
Video Games
I'm back on Breath of the Wild - I'm doing a semi hundred percent. I'm NOT going to find every single of the 900 koroks. What I am doing is every one of the original shrines, all the side quests, all the DLC items, and all the DLC shrines. I've got one more original shrine to go, several DLC items, and 15 of the 16 DLC shrines. Plenty of things to do yet! *dances happily*
I caved and got a Switch 2. It is definitely faster and the joycons work better than my old Switch. My amibos all work on it, too.
I am planning to offer Dreamsheep again for

Come join in for fun, memes, activities, and more ♥
NaPoWriMo #21 - "What I Answer To"
Apr. 21st, 2026 12:00 amsome tailored, some too big in the shoulders
some stitched with laughter that wasn’t mine
but stayed anyway
Sarah
the one spoken first in clean air
simple, whole, the sound I turn toward
when someone means me without question
Sassy
a spark thrown too quickly into conversation
a name that snaps like a fan in summer air
half warning, half invitation
Sassafras
root-word, forest-word, something older than me
bitter-sweet bark and tea-stained memory
a name that tastes like it grew in the woods
even when I didn’t
Kookaburra
a name left at a distance
a bird-call from somewhere that should have been closer
strange and bright and not quite held
something I learned to name without being taught how to carry it
Chibi
small-soul syllable, soft-edged
a pocket version of myself
someone might hold up to the light and smile at
not knowing I still cast a full shadow
Lanean
a gamer-tag self I step into
letters that light up a screen
faster, sharper, braver in pixels
a version of me that knows how to win rounds and keep going
Chameleon
not just what I am called, but what I do
I change when the light shifts
not to disappear
but to keep belonging to whatever moment I am in
And together they do not argue
they layer, overlap
like voices in a hallway
all calling me home at once
Day 21 prompt
NaPoWriMo #20 - "Goblin with a Smart Phone"
Apr. 20th, 2026 12:00 amcurled not beneath a bridge but inside the endless scroll
where wanting and having almost touch,
she moves through glittering hoards that are not hers,
faces and bodies and rooms arranged into promise,
and feels the old itch sharpen into something like hunger,
though what she gathers leaves no weight in her hands,
only a brightness that stains her eyes and fades
again before it can be held,
and if once a goblin’s craft was barter and trickery,
riddles offered to travelers who had lost their way,
her skill now is quieter, more practiced,
to vanish into feeds, to hoard small envies,
to whisper, "just one more," as if the words themselves
were coins she could stack against the dark,
and all night she builds a kingdom no one can enter,
least of all herself, leaving almost nothing behind
but the faint impression of a life
spent reaching through glass for something that gleams
and slips just past the edges
of what she almost understands.
Day 20 prompt
NaPoWriMo #19 - “The Bouquet Recites Itself”
Apr. 19th, 2026 07:23 pmwhispering r-i-s-e
writ soft
writ frost
innocence pressed
dew-drunk syllables curl in my palm
sunflower sunflower sun
turn-turn-turn
heli-helianthus hums
yellow faces spinning
toward whatever light lingers
hydrangea huddle
hydra-hue
blue-pink-lilac ledger
soil speaks back
blushes of vanity
gossiping hearts
clustered
confessional
wet with earth
lily lily lilt
white-gold venom
pollen like secrets
funeral bridal medicine myth
petals tremble at their own names
i read them aloud
white rose sun sunflower hydrangea lily
their syllables stick
in the mouth
in the veins
in the quiet
and the bouquet recites itself
--
Author’s Note:
This poem explores white roses, sunflowers, hydrangeas, and lilies through their names, sounds, and meanings. The flowers are presented as alive and speaking, and the final lines show how language and flowers intertwine, lingering in memory and body.
Pimp Your Fandom: The Hunting Party
Apr. 19th, 2026 12:41 pmNever did one of these fandom pimps before, unless you count me gushing about fandoms on my journal.... so without further ado, I give you:

What Is the Show About?
( A secret prison. A killer escape. The hunt is on...... )
Main Characters (don't worry no major spoilers!)
( the characters.... )
If you liked...
Mindhunter, Fringe, Criminal Minds, The Blacklist, and various other similar cop related shows, you'd probably enjoy this show. It's filled with light and dark moments.
Where can I find it?
( Read more... )
The Fandom?
( Read more... )
Book Bingo: 04 | Humour | The Party Crasher
Apr. 19th, 2026 10:43 am
Blurb:
It's been over two years since Effie's beloved parents got divorced, destroying the image of the happy, loving childhood she thought she had. Since then, she's become estranged from her father and embarked on a feud with his hot (and much younger) girlfriend, Krista. And now, more earth-shattering Greenoaks, the rambling Victorian country house Effie called home her whole life, has been sold. When Krista decides to throw a grand "house cooling" party, Effie is originally left off the guest list-and then receives a last-minute "anti-invitation" (maybe it's because she called Krista a gold-digger, but Krista totally deserved it, and it was mostly a joke anyway). Effie declines, but then remembers a beloved childhood treasure is still hidden in the house. Her only chance to retrieve it is to break into Greenoaks while everyone is busy celebrating. As Effie sneaks around the house, hiding under tables and peeping through trapdoors, she realizes the secrets Greenoaks holds aren't just in the dusty passageways and hidden attics she grew up exploring. Watching how her sister, brother, and dad behave when they think no one is looking, Effie overhears conversations, makes discoveries, and begins to see her family in a new light. Then she runs into Joe-the love of her life, who long ago broke her heart, and who's still as handsome and funny as ever-and even more truths emerge. But will Effie act on these revelations? Will she stay hidden or step out into the party and take her place with her family? And truthfully, what did she really come back to Greenoaks for? Over the course of one blowout party, Effie realizes that she must be honest with herself and confront her past before she'll ever be able to face her future--
I got this book because the library had it tagged as 'humor' and I needed something for the bingo square. Also, I read "Confessions of a Shopaholic" a long, long time ago and enjoyed that. This book didn't seem very funny at first, because the protagonist is NOT OKAY. Her inner monologue is pretty tragic, actually. I think this book would be much better as a movie - the screwball comedy type. However, as the book went on and Effie starts to get over herself, the story became laugh-out-loud funny.
With that, I have my third bingo:

Exercise
Apr. 19th, 2026 09:28 pmI've been struggling both with energy and motivation for exercise. At some point, I opened a browser tab to Darabee and it has sat there since (best guess: since last year).
Today, I'm browsing it and thinking about options. It has programmes for people with very low fitness, and my intention is to start there. I've decided to look at the options in 'monthly' programs, and filtered only to the lowest difficulty, which gives me 8 options. Which is too many, can't do decisions.
Fortunately! Only looking closer, the Recovery: Post Cold, flu or covid option is 15 days while everything else is 30 days, and committing to the bare minimum feels about where I'm at. Also, I find the title reassuring. So that was a 'eh, pick the easiest' kind of decision making. It lists the exercises as being 'yoga, breathing, stretching', which sure, that sounds like a place to start.
Will I stick with it? Historically no. But the exercise I do any of is better than the exercise I do none of. I .. might remember to check back in?
Cassie's adventures in hitting a tennis ball!
Apr. 18th, 2026 10:54 amBut in the end, we did go. I was so excited that there was like no anxiety. Although it helped that we went and saw the place on Sunday and knew it was going to be quiet (yay safety behaviours, or something?) It flared a couple of times when I realised people on treadmills in the gym could see us, and there was a couple of times some kids on the skate park were watching us. I get super paranoid about being a fat person trying to exercise :/
Slight tangent. Anyway. So we borrowed a couple of rackets and balls from the place. We were both completely convinced we were never going to be able to hit the ball, that we were only going to manage like 5, maybe 10 minutes, because we're both very unfit, and I had no idea how my joints were going to behave.
Y'all, we were out there for the entire hour and by the end of it, we were both moving pretty well. I was even almost jogging for balls at one point - I wasn't thinking about how I was moving, I wasn't scared I was going to fall or throw something out, I was just reacting to and reaching for the ball. I hurt like fuck two hours later, doped up nicely on naproxen and cocodamol and cbd and I'm very glad I took my crutches for the walk home.
We were basically doing drop feeds from the service box, initially just trying to connect ball to racket and over the net. Then go retrieve it from the back of the court cos neither of us could return it and there were no ball kids 😂 But as time went on, we were starting to hit returns, I tried out a few backhands. My aim is terrible but I'm starting to figure out power and reach. Li's the other way around - their aim is good but they haven't figured out the power. By the end of the hour, we managed like a 3 or 4 shot rally. Like, the ball was still bouncing two or three times but we were reaching it, hitting it back.
We were maybe 30 minutes in and we were both like 'yeah no i want my own racket' so tomorrow (maybe Sunday depending on my legs) we're going to go to the wee sports shop in town, try out some of their rackets, pick up some low-compression balls. If we don't find anything, we're heading into Exeter next weekend and there's a Sports Direct there. Li also wants some new trainers. I do not need new trainers but I am eyeing a pair of Nike Air Monarch IV.
One thing's for sure. We are absolutely going back to that tennis court next week!
NaPoWriMo #18 - “The Ledger Cathedral”
Apr. 18th, 2026 12:00 pmDay 18 prompt
NaPoWriMo #17 - “What Ends Without Ending”
Apr. 17th, 2026 12:00 amNaPoWriMo #16 - “The Discipline of Light”
Apr. 16th, 2026 12:00 amDay 16 prompt
NaPoWriMo #15 - “The Grammar of Almost”
Apr. 15th, 2026 12:00 amNaPoWriMo #13 - “Where Time Agreed to Behave Itself”
Apr. 13th, 2026 12:00 amNaPoWriMo #14 - “Pin”
Apr. 14th, 2026 12:00 amDay 14 prompt
minimal update
Apr. 18th, 2026 10:21 amlast update was 25th March and I'm not going to attempt to remember everything done.
Healing: nipple is still very sore, still using the rubber (teething) rings inside my bra to keep the fabric off it (it is still noticeably swollen compared to the other). The rest of the skin has healed, and I think I've finally finished peeling. Most of my armpit is bald, which as a texture experience feels different from having shaved. I continue to have reasonable and exhausted days and have not correctly balanced how much I can get away with doing.
study: I've got lots of good books that meet my criteria, and I've been poking through them. Other parts of the project are going slower. I am frustrated by my inability to buckle down on one, but I am also aware that I'm working through the tasks that I said I was going to need to do to do it properly. I got an email from the ethics board about corrections, so that will be Monday's task.
weather: there has been a startling amount of rain. There was a cyclone that didn't get this far south, but did push a front through. Jandakot recorded 77.4mm on one day, which is a 51 year maximum for March*, and a total of 87.6mm in the five days of rain. Plus we got 16.2mm to 9amm Wednesday, and 6.8 mm to 9am this morning.
music: I missed the last rehearsals of term for the Monday night group, and that goes back this coming week. I have not practiced anything, not least because bowing was painful for a while. I have made it to two of the Wednesday night rehearsals - one to discover it was the end of term open practice / concert, and one where it was a greatest hits and I didn't get access to the music before the rehearsal, and so sight read everything (I did try a practice on the night before). I failed to go to the sunday recorder group last weekend because apparently when I updated my calendar to the new alternating fortnight I didn't do it right, and I'd been successfully doing it from memory up until now.
con: we are at not enough week's before the con. I have been dropping the ball more than I like and I have to find a solution. I have one I would like, but I don't know whether anyone will take it on. We have some fabulous guests. Plus we have both GUFF and DUFF winners attending. I know Farah Mendelsohn is one, but I can't pull the name of the other out of my head. I'm presenting in the academic stream, and at this point I don't have enough to say. argh.
*I use an aggregator site for my rain information, rather than the BOM, so they are going off their data set; they claim this as 'probably a record maximum'. They report 17.0mm as the March average (1973-2026), the previous monthly maximum as 83.6mm in 1992, and the previous daily maximum as 37.8mm, also in 1992. At the opposite end, 2011 had no rain in March -- that would be the year of the big hail storm, if I remember correctly.
NHL Playoffs
Apr. 17th, 2026 09:44 amWestern Conference:
- Avalanche v. Kings: I'm glad Anze Kopitar gets one last playoff series. However, I feel like this years' Avs are pretty similar to the 2013 Blackhawks - a runaway train. Good luck with that.
- Stars v. Wild: This is where Bettman's current playoff scheme really sucks. Both Dallas and Minnesota have more points than any team in the Pacific Division and it's not even close. Dallas should be playing Utah and Minnesota should be playing the Ducks. I'm hoping Dallas gets through, obviously.
- Golden Knights v. Mammoth: A playoff matchup that has never happened in the history of the NHL, even if you count the Mammoth previously being the Coyotes. Hard to call this one - Vegas just changed coaches a week or two ago, which is really weird because they were in the playoffs at the time. They have since won the Pacific, so idk.
- Oilers v. Ducks: At least this is a new matchup - these teams have not met in the playoffs in recent memory. Connor McDavid versus Joel Quenneville. I think the Oilers will get through.
Eastern Conference:
First a caveat - I know a lot less about this conference (I had to look up the pairings), but it has some interesting matchups.
- Hurricanes v. Senators: Ottawa is in the playoffs for the first time in a while, maybe since the COVID cup. Carolina won the conference, and I expect them to have no issues with Ottawa.
- Penguins v. Flyers: The Battle of Pennsylvania rekindled once again. Another ride for Sid and Geno. Hard to say who will prevail, but Crosby & Co have buckets of playoff experience compared to the baby Flyers - that will probably be important.
- Sabres v. Bruins: No one saw this coming. The way Buffalo is playing - it might be a slaughter. I'm certainly rooting for them because they deserve nice things.
- Lightning v. Canadiens: This one is a total coin flip. I have no idea. I give the slight edge to Tampa for the same reason I give it to Pittsburgh - playoff experience.
There you have it!
What is the saying - NHL playoffs are like snorting cocaine and then riding a motorcycle out of a helicopter?
