cornerofmadness

I got my blood results back today. Thyroid is fine (bordering on low) but my iron is a bit scary (not new but it's gotten very bad)

IRON

Normal range: 40 - 150 ug/dL
Mine is 20

% SATURATION

Normal range: 15 - 55 %
Mine is 5

That would explain the tiredness. Yippee

What I Just Finished Reading:

Another Fine Mess - it was an interesting book.

And all the graphic novels I picked up (I ended up DNFed that serial killer book)
City of Clowns by Daniel Alarcón
The Mushroom Knight Vol. 1 by Oliver Bly
Earthdivers, Vol. 1: Kill Columbus by Stephen Graham Jones



What I am Currently Reading:

Under This Red Rock - a bizarre YA story set here in OH. Is she schizophrenic or is something esle

Of Manners and Murder - a historical mystery

Bodies and Banners - cozy mystery


What I Plan to Read Next:

Something for popsugar


And I forgot to do my fannish 50. I was thinking about how many mystery dramas have made up my viewing pleasure. to name a few, Sherlock Holmes (many variations), Tommy and Tuppeance, Miss Marple, Inspector Morse (and all the spin off) NCIS (and the spin offs) NYPD Blue, Adam-12, Prodigal Son (the only one to get me writing like mad) Murder, She Wrote, Castle, Midsomer Murder, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Hinterland, Shetland, Murdoch Mysteries, Criminal Minds and this is by no means an exhaustive list.

I don't know why I'm rarely bunnied in these fandoms. I can toss off ficlets but nothing major with the exception of Pson.

I saw this on redbubble and though of spikedluv

I managed to get out and go to the Book Fest at my local library but this is what it's like around here

Whatever fixes my current landlords put in have helped the flooding around my place but if it keeps raining (and it is) that won't last (speaking of landlords saw my old one at Kroger today)

I got D.M. Guay's second book (glad to see her as she's surviving stage 4 kidney cancer) and a mothman book from a former student of my university and I'm the one who hooked her up with contacts at this library (she lives in Point Pleasant) and Mindy McGinnis who is on the NY bestseller list is the biggest draw. Also saw the local author I often share a coffee house table with (but she does royal historical romances, not really my thing. I did get one last year at this but didn't finish it)

I had a bad night last night, dangerously low sugar and AGAIN the dexcom didn't alert. I need to look at why. Was up over an hour 2:30-4 AM

Tonight was good. Abney Park had another concert, a cyberpunk themed one. It was enjoyable.

and you've been waiting for it so here it is my sabbatical presentation

She will be in the hospital for a few days. They did amputate the toe today but the residuum looked good so hopefully they got all the infection. They're keeping her there until the bone cultures come back and they can give her some IV antibiotics (especially since the bactrim she was on was depressing kidney function).

She's in good enough spirits. 'are you happy now?' Well yes and no, sorry you lost more toe, Mom but yes I'm glad it's done. I've been after her to have it prophylactically amputated for a few years now before it became an emergency... because I've seen far too many times, patient doesn't want to lose a toe and in 36 hours they're losing the leg.

I know my students dislike the written component of my exams but without it I would have only had ONE student out of 10 pass today. With the written component 7 passed. Also I don't know how I don't just give up.

What I Just Finished Reading:

Hormones, Hexes, & Exes by J.C. Blake magic and menopause and basically popcorn that needs way more worldbuilding.

What I am Currently Reading:

Another Fine Mess - this is odd. Good but odd

Silent Evidence by Clea Koff, a new series, FBI/private forensic specialists who do missing persons cases. So far so good (it's a good palate cleanser from all those cozy mysteries I read)



What I Plan to Read Next: back to my popsugar book list

So I decide to try the gabapentin. I'm supposed to take 3 a day. Let me tell you, if I did that, I'd be in a coma. Holy shit, no wonder my uncle was always kinda out of it and said his head was floating. Damn straight it was. Someone asked me today 'are you okay?' nope my head is floating. I'm not sure where I am. My feet and hands aren't connected. A LOT of people knew I was out of it. Students could see it. Nope, just nope to this drug. Maybe at night but let me tell you it took more than 8 hours to feel right again.

Not only that it can cause serious hypoglycemia (and it did) so I'd be afraid to take it and trying to sleep. And I DO have pain, I'm just too high to care. Thank god I don't have epilepsy which this drug was developed for. There has to be something better than this.

I came home, called the clinic and left a note for my endocrinologist about the thyroid nodules to see if she wants to do something more than wait 6 months.

I make my donations for fandom trumps hate and nothing is emailed to me for proof of donation via paypal. I go in there and start messing around and see that it was pulled from money waiting on me, about 80$ I go to transfer it to my bank (puzzled as my royalty check was not that high sadly) but there's no bank account. Thinking it might be that issue with my bank again. I try to chat but their AI bot is worthless but hey there's a phone number. OMG what happened next

it's a second account that is linked to my other account with one small alteration in my email (which is why I didn't get the emails) I'm like HOW? I've had my account 20 years with my email and my bank. He's like no you've had it for 24 years (oh right, I started PayPal when I was hitting eBay hard in FL) but you created a second one 8 years ago. No I didn't. Yes you did.

The only thing different was the newer one didn't have an underscore in the email name. The only thing I can think of is I accidentally did this giving it to a publisher (because 80$ would be about right for a short story and there were a couple I swore I never got paid for...) So long stupid story short I ended up transferring everything to the old account and life is hopefully good.

That was until I started getting things packed up for spring break and now ALL of my sandals are MIA. I have a vague memory of putting them all in a bag to go into my suitcase but where did I put that. At 10pm I gave up the hunt.

But all the jaw clenching from this is making my face hurt again but not nearly as bad as monday.

And then dinner was awful. I usually get a Rotisserie chicken because it's decent enough protein and takes out dinner prep two days a week. This was hands down the worst chicken ever. I think it died of old age. Jesus. My knives are sharp but I couldn't saw through this. I took a bite of a hunk I did get off. Hard, rubber, I swear I was eating cartilage. I'm not even sure I'm saving this for the cat.

I made pancakes instead. sigh.


What I Just Finished Reading:

Disco Witches of Fire Island -Blair Fell

Silent are the Dead - eh, not going to read another I don't think sadly

Murder by Cheesecake - Golden Girls mystery, yes you read that right. Not all that funny unfortunately and I wasn't a fan of all the St Olaf stuff but it wasn't a bad mystery (read it cover to cover in the ER)

Pine & Merrimac - an interesting dark mystery graphic novel

What I am Currently Reading:

Another Fine Mess - a paranormal thing, just starting it

The Tomb of Zeus - a 1920s mystery set in Crete


What I Plan to Read Next: lightweight paperbacks going into my luggage because Mexico will let me bring in a computer or a tablet but not both (and I can't read on my phone, too small, too annoying)


And here is February's reads. You know the drill, I love talking books so if you see something you want to chat about, let's hear it.

You Must Not Miss YA Horror

Mother Nature horror graphic novel (by Jamie Lee Curtis)

Ghostlore Vol. 2 horror graphic novel

We Called Them Giants horror/SF graphic novel

When the Bones Sing YA rural horror

Mozzarella Murder mystery

The Turn of the Screw and Other Stories Gothic horror

Angels of Death, Vol. 1 horror manga

H.P. Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth horror manga

Carmilla Volume 2: The Last Vampire Hunter LGBT/horror graphic novel

Rare Flavours horror graphic novel

A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer mystery/paranormal

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich LGBT/fantasy romance graphic novel

Woke up to a snow storm that no one knew was coming...did they cancel school? Nope not even with me checking hopefully every ten minutes. It was a slippy drive down and a lot of students noped straight out. By 11 it was over and by 1 it was melted. okay then, mother nature.

I think we have a pool at work now. When will Dana's bathroom be fixed? Today ain't the day either. How many excuses will I be texted? Your guess is as good as mine.

My two svaha dresses are here. I prefer the neckline of one and the hem line of the other but they're both cute AF (one is pasta on a red background, one is cats in goggles and lab coats on blue). Both have DEEP pockets. YAY.

My meds were free tonight instead of 600$. Guess I've already met my 3200$ deductible. sigh.

What I Just Finished Reading:

Carmilla the Last Vampire Slayer: an okay retelling of Carmilla with an Asian spin and all the rushed story telling you could ever want

.
What I am Currently Reading:


Disco Witches of Fire Island -Haven't touched it in a week (too busy)

Silent are the Dead - mystery if I hadn't bought this and if it didn't fulfill a reading challenge prompt I'd have DNFed it.



What I Plan to Read Next: probably something from the popsugar line up plus the dozen arcs I have.

All I wanted to do was bleed. Otherwise known as I had my second knee injection. Once again the ortho is 1 1/2 hours running late so now it's after 5 pm. Half the staff has cut out. Then there's me going I hope this doesn't bleed like last time.

Doc - I missed the superficial varicosities.

Removes horse's leg of a needle and there's blood. Everywhere. He puts on pressure. Takes it off. BLOOD.

Doc - But I missed the vessels

Me - Yeah my body doesn't care. It will take every opportunity to be a giant jackass.

Took a good 10 minutes of pressure to stop bleeding. At least the gel didn't come back out like last time.



Other than that earlier in the day my students got a first hand view of the sympathetic nervous system at play. Understanding heart rate and breathing effects are easy. What's less easy for students is the liver makes sugars to fuel the muscles.

Well everything in lab went to shit today. Stuff was missing. Entire kits gone. My handouts from yesterday are gone. Other hand outs I forgot weren't group projects so I didn't have enough. Eye safety solutions are missing from the safety station (WTF happened in this lab when I was gone) roof is still leaking.

And I'm getting angrier and angrier. Me and Bruce Banner have the same issue: we're always angry. My sugar went from normal to 350 and of course the dexcom keeps ringing. So every time it alerts I held it up so the students could see the effects of the sympathetic system. Maybe they'll remember it now.


What I Just Finished Reading:

When the Bones Sing - YA horror set in Arkansas, looking at reviews either you loved this or you two starred it, no in between. I loved it.

You Must Not Miss - not a bad book but then it hits a wall in the last quarter. Did not like the ending at all

Ghost Lore - an iffy horror graphic novel, glad it's from the library


Mozzarella Murder - a mystery novella that I started and finished while waiting on the doctor. It fits a popsugar prompt and was free on Amazon. Worth what I paid for it. It's forgettable.

What I am Currently Reading:

Turn of the Screw - OMG how was this so inspiration to gothic horror? It is so dull.


Disco Witches of Fire Island - bizarre so far and fun but tinged with sadness. This is bringing up pain. I lost a lot of gay friends in the late 80s early 90s to AIDS and that is a deep current in this one

A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara, having very mixed feelings. It's an interesting sentiment but the main character whines a lot and is so boo hoo everything I do goes wrong that she has a NAME for it (Sadim, the reverse of the midas touch)


What I Plan to Read Next: probably something from the popsugar line up plus the dozen arcs I have.

Almost all of them bad.

Surprise 1 - someone threw up all over my new door mat outside, Rocket? the other outside cats? the neighbor's dog? All I know is my rug is trashed

Surprise 2 - that vomit was frozen to the rug so I tossed it out of the way as it's supposed to warm up a bit

Surprise 3 - I get to work and my students are bickering is my lab over at 11:50 or 11:15. One students said the former the other 11 said the latter. It's 11:50 but SOMEONE put it into our new class software wrong and now some of these students have an 11:30 class. OMFG. I said fine, don't drop it because usually they'll have time to get there (especially as small as this lab is) I tell everyone about this including the success coach who should have caught this (I don't register the nursing students) but I nicely said, 'all labs are 2 hours and hopefully with more eyes on this in the future this won't happen again if someone transposes a number in the software (i.e. you should have already known this)

Surprise 4 - race home because I have to drive to Chillicothe to have my first gel shot into my knee to try and keep it from a replacement soon. What isn't a surprise is FedEx still hasn't delivered my computer (was due here last Saturday) but what IS a surprise is the neighbor's new puppy is on my porch eating the vomit. (dogs, I love them but man they're gross sometimes)

Surprise 5 - An unplanned arthrocentesis. I mentioned to the nurse that my knee gave out after Christmas and bent backwards again and I've been having quadriceps tendon pain and pain in the anteriomedial aspect of the knee (which is where the cartilage is fucked anyhow) he tells the doc who goes 'let's see how swollen this is?'

Well we can't put the gel in with this much fluid in your knee, you okay with an arthrocentesis. Yep, I've had them before. ( cut for the needle phobic )

He gets the gel in and bandages me up. I had brought shorts to make this easier so the nurse steps out so I can dress and...blood and the gel pours out of my knee like a waterfall over my leg so I have to wait for him to come back and I'm like sorry I'm sitting here in my gutchies but as you can see. His eyes get huge and he gets sponges so I can put pressure on it. Next time in two weeks we're going to do this before I get off the table.

Surprise 6 - Tim Horton's is doing a chocolate covered strawberry latte for Valentine's Day. My local coffee shop does this and I wish it was every day. I love this and Tim's did a great job (this was the Tim's I 1 starred back in November) with this so yay for a good surprise

Surprise 7 - My computer was on the porch when I got home at 630. YAY. Surprise 7.5 - the put the computer ontop the monitor, double yay. I'm afraid to look to see if it's broken. I'll play with this tomorrow since it's like 15 out there and you can't turn on electronics that cold (well you could but it's a bad idea)


I didn't want to tag the reading meme into the sad post so...

What I Just Finished Reading:

The Lost House - icelandic noir arc, I liked the ending (literally the best part of the book)

Whisper of the Woods by Ennun Ana Iurov a graphic novel about the haunted Hoia Baciu forest in Romania, horror, a bit predictable


What I am Currently Reading:
The Lefthanded booksellers of London by Garth Nix - I wish I had time to just get into bed and read this in one go. Love it


When the Bones Sing - YA horror set in Arkansas, off to a great start (this is an arc)


The Busy Body - reading this for a popsugar prompt. I might take another stab at it if this doesn't get better soon. I hate the narrator



What I Plan to Read Next: just picked up Bluelock manga for the popsugar prompt of reading about soccer.

A day that disappeared so fast I barely knew what was happening. I managed to get some writing but barely. I
am struggling on that front today.

Sent out my thank yous and failed to call my insurance. That was my boxing day (that and laundry)

I did sign up for storygraph today (female run so that's nice). So far, it looks like the import didn't work and the graphics are blah but we'll see. (same name as here)

But it got me thinking about reading challenges and all that jazz. What are you all doing? I'm doing Popsugar challenge, Storygraph's onboarding challenge and on facebook Cloak & Dagger, alphabet challenge, and the literary destination challenge (read a book in all 50 states and other countries count too), and on goodreads 50 book challenge and the Mount TBR challenge.

Here in the blogs duckprintpress is having a challenge over on storygraph
The Duck Prints Press 2025 Queer Book Challenge! and my friend evil_little_dog has a challenge here. on LJ


The Haunted Minds Horror book club on FB has shortlisted Gasps, the horror anthology I'm in for an anthology award which is cool.


Mom randomly recorded Scooby Doo and the Gourmet and it turns out that two of the main characters were Bobby Flay and Giada de Laurentis and it was actually quite fun.

Since I didn't get to this yesterday

What I Just Finished Reading:

The Vanishing at Smokestack Hollow - true crime, not bad, no resolution because well the crime is unsolved so...


What I am Currently Reading:

The Lost House - icelandic noir arc, I want to slap this protagonist

Once Upon a Seaside Murder - fits a popsugar prompt and ...I want the protagonist to be the killer's next victim. I paid money (not much) so I want to finish it. If this was a library book it would be back by now. The sleuth is a snob, a bitch and even admits kindness is not something she does. Ugh.

Murder on Marble Row - a historical mystery set in NY, it's not bad. It was part of a gift last year book 6 in a series of about 2 dozen.



What I Plan to Read Next: working thru a bunch of mysteries to give them to mom (but I ain't giving her that seaside one...).

I had to run back up to Jackson for the covid shot AND I forgot to get cash for the con. I'm doing so great. My motivation to do anything is at a min and I'm going to freak out in a few days when I have to go back to Pittsburgh and everything is still a damn mess.

I was also going to Jackson to mail gifts. Guess who forgot gifts?



Advent Joy It's a way of doing something good for yourself and others over advent (it doesn't seem to do alt text)

Today was draw something to relax. I'm not an artist but Angel Dust said 'draw me, Dana.' So I put a pencil (and then a sharpie) in the nerve damaged hand. He came out better than I thought (pilot design) so here he is



Advent Tea (Simpson and Vail) - Sour Strawberry Lemonade rooibos tisane (caffeine free). Okay wish there was less herbals already... this is tasty BUT if you hadn't told me it was strawberry lemonade I'd never have guessed it.

What I Just Finished Reading:

Devour - a graphic novel using west African folklore in an urban fantasy setting I was let down a little by the twist

What I am Currently Reading:

Minstrels in the Galaxy (the SF anthology I'm in)

Wormwood - Susan Albert Witting oddly set in KY instead of TX
Blue Baby - FBI procedural ( a master class in how to have zero setting)


What I Plan to Read Next: working thru a bunch of mystery paperbacks to get them out of here.



And here are the book reviews for all the books I read in November. You know the drill, love to talk books

Who Cries for the Lost historical mystery

Lies on the Serpent's Tongue paranormal

The Night House horror

This Place of Silence: Ohio's Cemeteries and Burial Grounds non fiction

Nothing Special, Vol. 1: Through the Elder Woods fantasy, graphic novel

Devour: A Graphic Novel horror

Ghostlore Vol. 1 horror graphic novel


The Lone Star Lonely Hearts Club mystery

She Doesn't Have a Clue mystery

GASPS: A Quiet Horror Anthology horror, I'm in this one, get it!

Sons of Fire: Volume 1 horror graphic novel

Bloody Mary, Vol. 3 paranormal vampire

Victoria's Electric Coffin Vol 2 steampunk manga

It was in the 60s when I left for Jackson. As I was at the coffee shop, the patio umbrellas started whirling like tops. The wind had suddenly hit 35-40 mph. By the time I left the coffee shop and did some grocery shopping the temperature had dropped 20 degrees.

That way, of course, it can snow all the way to get my back worked on tomorrow. And oh remember how they 'fixed' the issue about calling my parents instead of my house? This morning the nurse called me and laid it all out, no food/drink after midnight, no jeans or pants with zippers/buttons (i.e. jogging pants it is) . Then 20 minutes later it robocalled me and gave me a different arrival time (I'll go with the real person thanks) and then they robocalled my parent. Eye roll.

I'm thinking of a horror novella. There were two mysteries I wanted to write based off ghost hunting shows but I'm wondering if it's not better as two novellas. Hmmm

What I Just Finished Reading:

Kill Creek by Scott Thomas, horror, 4 horror writers in a haunted house. It's too early to say. so far I like it

Sons of Fire -some graphic novel I got at Tsubasacon. Not great but not bad.


What I am Currently Reading:

Minstrels in the Galaxy (the SF anthology I'm in)

Devour - a graphic novel using west African folklore in an urban fantasy setting

She Hasn't Got a Clue - a mystery arc I have mixed feelings over because the protagonist can be annoying AF

Paranormal Ranger by Stanley Milford a former Navajo Ranger who's crime fighting beat also including some straight up X-Files

What I Plan to Read Next: got two books from the library