Update on my medical woes
Dec. 23rd, 2025 07:35 pmNo idea why that didn't happen the first time!
Birdfeeding
Dec. 23rd, 2025 01:31 pmI fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 12/23/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 12/23/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 12/23/25 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 12/23/25 -- I filled the trolley twice with twigs from the parking lot brushpile, then dumped them in the firepit in the ritual meadow.
I saw a flock of mourning doves in the trees around the ritual meadow.
EDIT 12/23/25 -- I dumped another trolley of sticks in the firepit.
EDIT 12/23/25 -- I dumped another trolley of sticks in the firepit.
I've seen a fox squirrel running through the trees. I heard a woodpecker but didn't see it.
EDIT 12/23/25 -- I dumped another trolley of sticks in the firepit. I think I've actually removed all the ones with berries that I want to burn, so the rest should be free for other uses.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Bundle of Holding: Old Gods of Appalachia
Dec. 23rd, 2025 02:19 pm
An all-new Bundle featuring the Old Gods of Appalachia Roleplaying Game, the tabletop game of eldritch horror from Monte Cook Games based on Steve Shell and Cam Collins' Old Gods of Appalachia anthology podcast.
Bundle of Holding: Old Gods of Appalachia
Property Damage
Dec. 23rd, 2025 05:34 pmby tinybowties
ART wouldn't hesitate. Murderbot does. As a heartless killing machine, it's still a terrible failure.
Words: 300, Chapters: 3/3, Language: English
Series: Part 11 of Drabble December 2025, Part 8 of Unplanned Detour
- Fandoms: The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells
- Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
- Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
- Categories: Gen
- Characters: Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries), Original Female Character(s), Original Ship Character(s) (Murderbot Diaries)
- Relationships: ART | Perihelion & Murderbot
- Additional Tags: Murderbot Diaries Drabble December 2025, Drabble Sequence, POV Outsider
Decorating Atlantis
Dec. 23rd, 2025 12:37 pm
I don't have a title for this
Dec. 23rd, 2025 04:31 pmby Yunermay
Just some random stuff after they have a fight (most likely is ART played with MB again.)
Words: 77, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English
- Fandoms: The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells
- Rating: General Audiences
- Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
- Categories: Other
- Characters: Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries), ART | Perihelion
- Relationships: ART | Perihelion & Murderbot, ART | Perihelion/Murderbot
- Additional Tags: argue, just a little fight don't worry about it, i don't know how to type this omg
Say Your Lines
Dec. 23rd, 2025 01:32 pm…I caught a new newsburst, relayed from a ship that had just come in to dock. It was a brief statement from the Preservation Alliance by Dr. Bharadwaj.
It was unexpectedly odd to see a familiar human, even if she looked really angry. All she said was that Preservation was “taking steps” to resolve the issues with GrayCris.
—Exit Strategy, Ch 2
For the prompt: ""Ugh, This Was Going To Be Fun, In the Not Fun At All Sense"
Words: 100, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English
Series: Part 27 of TMBD - The Murderbot Drabbles
- Fandoms: The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells
- Rating: General Audiences
- Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
- Categories: Gen
- Characters: Dr. Bharadwaj (Murderbot Diaries), Ephraim (Murderbot Diaries)
- Additional Tags: Drabble, Post-Book 1: All Systems Red, Pre-Book 4: Exit Strategy, damned if you do damned if you don't, Missing Scene, Murderbot Drabble December 2025
Conspicuously Inconspicuous
Dec. 22nd, 2025 09:30 pmGurathin goes incognito to indulge in a hobby he'd rather not share
Words: 483, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English
- Fandoms: The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells
- Rating: General Audiences
- Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
- Categories: Gen
- Characters: Dr. Gurathin (Murderbot Diaries), Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries), Dr. Mensah (Murderbot Diaries), Dr. Ratthi (Murderbot Diaries)
- Relationships: Dr. Gurathin & Dr. Ratthi (Murderbot Diaries), Dr. Gurathin & Dr. Mensah (Murderbot Diaries), Dr. Gurathin & Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries)
- Additional Tags: The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon (Murderbot Diaries), Fandom, Incognito, disguises, it's okay to like things, it's okay to change your mind, Murderbot Drabble December 2025
Discord weirdness | Holiday dairy foods
Dec. 23rd, 2025 12:46 pmThen a couple of days ago, I let Discord install its newest update...and suddenly everything worked again. o_o I certainly wasn't going to complain, but it surprised me enough that I mentioned it to Kas on the weekend, and having just dealt with some Discord shenaniganry himself, he had an answer: Discord has decided it doesn't play nicely with some VPN locations, and I had happened to change my location setting to one it liked.
I mostly lurk on Discord, but there are a couple where I make tentative attempts at being social, and my dislike of typing more than a sentence or two at a time on my phone meant I was even quieter than usual for a while there, so this is a good development. But also, WTF, Discord.
Did I forget to mention the new-to-me Christmas ice cream here? It looks like I did.
A local ice creamery (Dee Dee's) does Advent calendars, which I had largely forgotten about until I saw mention of it on Bluesky, at which point I was safe from ordering one (too late!), but it got me to look at their seasonal flavors. Next thing I knew, I was asking
Wrecks For The Rest Of Us
Dec. 23rd, 2025 02:00 pmIt is on this day, at this glorious, joyous time of year, that we should all take a moment to say,
And to capture the Festivus spirit, we erect [heh] our Festivus pole [hehehe] - a bare aluminum rod [wink] - because we all know how distracting tinsel can be.
"Yo, Tinsel, move it! You're blocking our holiday spirit!"
Then we will dine on meatloaf dinner:
"I would do anything for 'loaf...
but I won't eat that."
Followed by cake covered with M&Ms:
"And what is the DEAL with airline food?"
Once the Pepto Bismol has settled, Festivus can officially begin with the Airing of Grievances:
This is when we gripe about all the ways our family, friends, and the world in general has disappointed us over the past year.
Needless to say, sarcasm is encouraged.
Once everyone is basking in the warm glow of a directionless, murderous rage, it's time for the Feats of Strength. Tradition states that Festivus isn't over until the head of the house is pinned in a wrestling match, but you can usually disarm Grandma pretty quickly:
On second thought, it looks like Grandma Dani's been working out.
Oh, and I nearly forgot! Be on the lookout today for Festivus miracles. Because trust me, they're everywhere.
Congrats, Grandma!
Thanks to Lisa N., Rhiannon, Jola S., Marcus J., Dianne M., Lauren M., Bernadett, & JM, who have been just awful to me this past year, AWFUL, I tell you, and do they thank me for the snarky commentary? NoooOOOOo. But that's ok, because I don't need thanks, or love, or basic human consideration, because I... [lip wobble] ... I AM STRONG.
Now quit crying and go fight your grandmother.
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
Tuesday DE
Dec. 23rd, 2025 07:13 am27
Dec. 23rd, 2025 02:19 pm

We have a tradition on Athena’s birthday that we would wake her up with a cake and candles, going back to the days when she had no idea when her birthday was, so it would be a total surprise to her. This year there was a complication to that tradition: she has her own house now. That said, the house is only about a mile from ours, and it was hinted that early morning cake would not be looked amiss, so, yet again the tradition was upheld. I can’t say how long this will go on, but we’ll enjoy it while it does.
Also a tradition: Me saying here how great I think my kid is, and how of all the kids I could have been a parent of, she’s the best of all possible kids for me. This continues to be true! I know she has a lot of cool stuff planned for 2026 and I’m glad to get to be part of some of them. In the meantime: She’s great and I love her. If you want to wish her a happy birthday in the comments, that would be swell.
— JS
Just one thing: 23 December 2025
Dec. 23rd, 2025 08:43 amComment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
A Torrent of Faces by James Blish & Norman L. Knight
Dec. 23rd, 2025 09:02 am
In honour of Blish's Prometheus nomination, Blish and Knight's classic fascist utopia!
A Torrent of Faces by James Blish & Norman L. Knight
A sudden withdrawal
Dec. 23rd, 2025 12:34 pmSo this morning I went in to the local pharmacy. Who can't help me because NHS England and NHS Scotland are two different organisations. But they told me to call NHS 111 and ask them for help.
NHS 111 said "We don't have anyone available who can prescribe, call us back after 6:30PM, or talk to a local GP as "Unregistered or Temporary Residents". So we went in to my dad's GP and they said "We don't help in that situation, go talk to NHS 111, they'll help you." - which would seem to leave me in an endless loop.
Just in case, I called my GP surgery in Scotland, who said that they can't prescribe in England.
At which point, as nobody is considering this very important, I think about the only options are to either call back after 6:30 tonight or to just do without for a week. Which, having checked online, doesn't look like a great idea.
Edit: I called them back at 7:00. Got through to someone helpful who has given me the location of a pharmacy that we're going to visit first thing tomorrow morning, who have been instructed to help us.
No idea why that didn't happen the first time!