cornerofmadness

It wasn't a great day for me honestly. My hernia which is literally from rib cage to bellybutton now was hurting a lot. If this keeps up I'll never make it to June (when I have time to look after myself) Today I feel worn out and sad and old.

But there was something to make me smile today. My chair slides into my office and she asks 'You want a Mr. Softee'

Me without missing a beat I prefer a Mr. Hardee.' (I'm a jackass). So what's a Mr. Softee

Turns out it's a softserve food truck (stupid name). Do I want it?? Where is my lactaid? Found. It's raining! No fears I have an umbrella. I got a vanilla cherry dip. In line there's a young man behind us and my chair says Dana he has your shirt.

I look and his shirt reads 'In my defense I was left unsupervised.' My reply 'well it's YOUR job to supervise me. It's all on you.' Ha.

So community recs intoabar is open. It's fun. check it out. I signed up for my exactly same sign up as last year because everyone wanted another Eda goes to the Hazbin Hotel sequel

Username: cornerofmadness
Who goes into the bar?: Eda Clawthorne
What fandom are they from?: The Owl House
What other fandoms can you write? (1-6): Hazbin Hotel

Also lyricaltitles is starting their album cover title challenge. You pick an album and write a story per song title. I know which one i want to do but it's 17 damn songs...might have to pick a shorter one. Still, this is another low pressure challenge and a lot of fun. I fell in love with this type of challenge when the Buffy fandom used to run them 20 (OMFG) years ago.

And smallfandomfest is now open for prompt submission!

Hard to be excited for president's day just generally but I'm off and I wanted to go do something but the rain the whole weekend was worse than I thought. The side walk is covered with creek sand and the entire parking lot is covered in creek debris because it flooded. My car is frozen a) shut b) to the ground. Luckily even though it's cold (only in the 20s) it's bright and sunny.

I had already given up my hiking plans by friday because of the rain. I like hiking in the cold but not when I'm knee deep in mud and now half iced over mud. I was going to go to Point Pleasant and shop around the Mothman but my back hurt this morning so instead I go to Jackson to the coffee shop and get a few things at Krogers I forgot and did the recycling so ho hum there.

Still putting off my research project. I am unhappy with myself and there's no one to blame but me.

I am, however, getting writing done and while my last two Hazbin posts didn't get that many kudos yet both did get comments that made me very happy and want to write more in both series. I also need to get off my butt and submit the stories I want to submit.

My parents are now deep into the covid symptoms. Sigh. Good thoughts are appreciated.


Continuing the animal theme for Music Monday, here's some for the cat (I'm saving tigers for another day). Come share if you dare. ( Meow )

Spent it at my brother's drinking a creamy limoncello that was divine (and 150 proof) Mom and I had ventured to Frederico's Italian market in Steubenville (where a couple of nuns were eyeballing my Huskerdust and Stolitz charms) and then to Scarffidi's Italian restaurant to have lunch under Dean Martin's watchful eyes.

Dad spent the day working on arranging hospice for my uncle. Turns out the 'fluid on his brain' was the tumor back to the size of a baseball in 5 weeks after removal so he's choosing to end his fight (and I do not blame him) And two more cousins are most likely going to hospice as well so 2025 is not going to be off to a good start even without you know who.

I'm making no resolutions, no goals beyond the writing one you already saw other than this: I'm going to make it through 2025 and hopefully not get swallowed up by rage and depression and grief.

My hope for all of us is a little peace and moments of happiness

Dinner came out good (prime rib/scallops) and the gifts were nice. I got a new computer laptop desk, some manga, some snacks, something from Tunisia snack wise, a cute kitty in a gift box, cute kitty slippers and naturally tea (I'll open gifts from friends tomorrow).

We bought cookies at this fantastic bakery (according to everyone around) because I didn't make it home when I thought I would this year and mom is getting too old for all that baking. I have no idea what everyone is talking about. So far most of the styles of cookies are no better than they were in say Wal-Mart or Giant Eagle. That's disappointing.


We played cards for most of the night

I also wrote a holiday story. Not the one I planned on for the holiday that I mentioned to sysann but maybe that'll come during the 12 days

Title: The Feast of the Seven Fishes

Summary: Pentious is lured into the hotel lobby by the delicious smells emanating from the kitchen. He wasn’t expecting a Sinsmas celebration but what a wonderful idea it was.

Author Note - Written for JK for the holidays 2024. And for me too, this is pure Italian American self indulgence in fiction form. Also, now I’m hungry.

got cards from ysilme, wildrider rahirah, ruric thank you.




Advent Joy

Day 24 - take an online class and learn something new. - I switched from Welsh to Italian on Duolingo. I'm counting that (I'm up over 1300 days in a row)

Day 24 tea - HOW is the month over? How? Last tea was Snowberry. It's a black tea with cacoa nibs, cranberries and cranberry cream flavoring. Vaguely tart like a cranberry but no real strong cranberry taste (I like their cranberry/orange tea better but this was good)


And I do have a fannish 50 for you, some holiday amvs/songs etc.

( multi fandom holiday fun under here )

Happy Winter Solstice to yinz (and summer solstice to my south of the equator friends)

Have a recording of the light entering New Grange in Ireland

Another day not to plan. We were going out with my brother and his wife for mom's birthday. However she got sick. Might be trying to get the flu but the vaccine seems to be holding the worst of it off. (I've been light headed for two days myself).

the only thing I accomplished was to go to Kroger which seemed like it took all day (and was so packed, shocking). I have NO idea where this longest night went but I'm trying to write, if only for me instead of fandom trees (though I did post two more stories up for that and I'm enjoying it but I've had this silly Hazbin story in my head for weeks)

And OMG the last Helluva Boss of S2 dropped today in like an hour the fans who love to 'analyze it' already spoiled it. I am not happy about that. Thanks people.






Advent Joy

Day 21 - do a 1 hour digital detox. Turn off your phone. In my case, my computer and actually I didn't touch it until about 4 today. That counts.

Day 21 tea - gingerbread - a black tea, organic cinnamon, cloves and ginger and 'gingerbread flavoring' Basically a very nice chai.

Hey FINALLY getting my Galaxycon magic beans on display for you all. Check them out (especially the picture)

( goodies under here )

And I'm super excited to have this back

You have until april to get one bingo (and you can do just one bingo, you don't have to get a black out unless you're like me and get obsessive) I'm in three fandoms right now where commenting almost never happens and that's sad. Let's go make some creators happy

For those who celebrate I hope you had a good day. Mine started well and was all downhill from there. I met with friends at a third friend's baptist church which does a T-day dinner for the students and anyone who wants to show up (because my school does NOT have a meal plan for them on holidays like our international students can go home...and everything in our town (some 15-20 miles from the nearest bigger towns) is closed other than Bob Evans and McDonald's)

I didn't eat because I do not want turkey/ham etc at 11 AM. My friend introduced me to the pastor who was excited to meet me since he had lead several prayer chains for me when I fell (I had no idea my friend did this) What I was sad about was ALL that food, because they were told to expect 80 athletes at least. SIX showed up. Me and the other 2 friends made 9. wow.

It was nice to catch up with my friend's wife as I hadn't seen her since graduation. At some point I was talking about closet cleaning and that old dry clean shirt in there and this young girl (the only one to show up though she might identify as enby. I don't know her but I have a feeling) with green hair pipes up with at home ways of dry cleaning. I thank her saying I've passed on some cosplay because of having no dry cleaners and her whole face lights up.

She's one of our eSports students and is a huge anime/gaming/fantasy fan. I think she was just so happy to have someone to talk to (she said she was 'thrown out of Texas and was living with a friend' (so I'm not ruling out her being trans or a lesbian either and assumed she saw three elder lesbians having dinner) She kept breaking into conversations so I just talked to her while my friends got extra food to go home (I took pumpkin bread).

I went over to the office from there having brought my flashdrive to do so. I get there and the flashdrive is gone. I could have sworn I put in m y purse. I dump it. Nothing. I go home. It's not there. i check the car. Nothing (but if it's under a seat I might not be able to see it because I can't squat that low) I go back to the office, back track. Nothing. Go to the church. It's not in the parking lot. text my friend to look in the church/see if it turned up? (nope) Go back home tear it apart where I remembered being this morning. Nothing. IF it dropped out in the living room it could have bounced anywhere as it's a fucking mess. If I carried it elsewhere and put it somewhere I don't know where.

Tomorrow I'll have to tear part this living room looking. I have the stories saved but I never thought to double save my record keeping shit, like story submission info. Have I double saved ALL my recorded stuff for my sabbatical (I think so but I'm too terrified to look) I THOUGHT all my classes were on the lap top but no, they're not. NONE of them and then I remembered, I deleted them from one drive and didn't know that if you delete from One Drive it decides you want it gone from ALL attached drives. (I DO have it at work and on the old desk top so I'm not panicking there)

All my photos are gone because of how you can't open the picture file folder when transferring so I put them on the flash and didn't transfer them all (Most of them are still on the camera)

So what have we learned Dana? SAVE EVERY FUCKING DOCUMENT TO TWO PLACES

But who feels like celebrating right now? I sat outside for the last hour watching my neighbors shoot over about 1K in fireworks (low noise ones at least)

So instead let me rec some communities and do a meme and that will do (Been writing my little brains out so that's fun)

For one there is still time to join up at fandomgiftbasket. Come join us. I hope that I can approach this with restraint (I already see one must-write!) You can find mine here. Here's hoping I'm not one of those with no gifts forever...


A couple friends have turned me onto Postcrossings I love postcards. I should do this.

Have this meme I got from trobadora sanguinity & falkner and probably a few more I've forgotten.

I will include a few extras on this because it is VERY skewed as most of my fic from 1998 (when I got online) to 2017 are over on FFN. It's really only reflective of the last 4 years but still it's a fun thing (and thanks to the above mentioned people who told me where to find this stuff. I was overcomplicating everything)

1. What rating do you write most fics under?

Teen And Up Audiences (655)
Explicit (54)
Mature (47)

Well aren't I the little porny thing. Also just look at the number of fic here....and this is NOT most of my Buffyverse or Fullmetal Alchemist stuff included.


2. What are your top 3 fandoms?
Prodigal Son (TV 2019) (264)
Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types (139)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV) (101)
Angel: the Series (84)

I put Angel up here too since at this point you can just about think of it as the Buffyverse. Also again these are not fully reflective of how much there is. I've been slowly but surely fixing them up twenty years after the fact and posting them but in 2019-now I've fallen head first into three fandoms. I mean I just got into Hazbin Hotel in March people, MARCH and I have 22 stories already.



3. What is your top (3) character(s) you write about?
Malcolm Bright (225)
Gil Arroyo (140)
Jessica Whitly (95)
Roy Mustang (90)

I included Roy here because it was close (and again not all the stories are on AO3) I'm surprised Connor was only at 59


4. What are the 3 top pairings?

Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang (45)
Gil Arroyo/Jessica Whitly (40)
Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell (31)
Amity Blight/Luz Noceda (29)
Gil Arroyo/Jackie Arroyo (28)
Hunter | The Golden Guard/Willow Park (27)

I'm including so many because the #3 was only separated from the three below it by 4 stories.


5. What are the top 3 additional tags?

Emotional Hurt/Comfort (61)
Families of Choice (59)
Malcolm Bright Needs a Hug (57)
Angst (40)
Whump (39)

I included angst/whump because the Malcolm one is SO fandom specific.


6. Did any of this surprise you? e.g. what turned out to be your top tag.
Yes I've already mention a couple of surprises. I'm shocked I've written more Lumity than HuntLow because I find Amity/Luz harder to write. Ditto Gil/Jess (and Jackie) over Malcolm/Dani. REALLY surprised by that one (though I do find Lou Diamond Philips hotter than Tom Payne

Also that emotional hurt/comfort is number one and actual hurt/comfort is so low. Then again I didn't learn how to tag properly until about 2020. 2017-2019 I was fresh from FFN with no tags and didn't really get into it. That didn't happen until the younger fans in Prodigal Son started mocking me a little. Now some days I tag like I'm a 20 year old and my life depends on it. Other days I'm still the 50 + author going omg why?


7. Readers of this post, did any of this surprise you?

This was trobadora's addition to the meme, and I loved it so I kept it!!

yet somehow a little sad, today I had to get up before the stupid sun to go to the SE Ohio Science fair (their last stop before going to the state one) We had some very good projects (good) and the least amount of students I've seen since we became part of this (sad). However, it's always great to see young people really tackling problems with excitement and thought. The other sad part was where they did stumble it was 'this is what my teacher said to do.' Is it a misunderstanding? Maybe. Is it bad instruction? Maybe. Still, very good to see what they had to offer.

I also went to Chillicothe because a friend was going to do an Ostara ritual and she wanted me to come. I tried writing at the coffee shop but eh, not so much. the ritual was small but one of them was a former student of mine so there's that (Okay that was weird). I should hire my friend as my marketing team. She is a fan which is nice. We wrote our intentions to grow this year on a colored egg (to be buried). I learned I can't write worth a damn on paper but give me a freaking egg and I'm all over it...what? Ha.

It's been a long day and now I have a character in my head going write me....it's my aether witch, a character I wanted to cosplay (I have the shit, just haven't put it together yet) She's like I do investigations in a steampunk/magic setting. Well...okay then. Are you sure? Will you fit that steampunk sleuth thing? No...and also you're interesting so maybe I want more than a short story. Will you go anywhere or give me names and then nothing more? Time will tell

Have some recipes. Due to being on the tenure/promotion committee and not getting home until late I got to try none of them and my imbolc dinner was a turkey sub....


50 Traditional Foods and Recipes to Enjoy On Imbolc

6 Delicious Recipes For Imbolc to Honor the Hearth and Home


That said I'm glad to see a little more attention given to this. It's a reminder to get my seeds started.

And I have good news. My sabbatical is a go. We have the funding so I'm off to the races. I need to contact what's left of the all female medical schools from the 1800s and see if there is anything to even visit. I need to buy some of those books I put on my amazon wish list and start digging. I might have to limit it to North America.

And I started making my St Louis MO travel plans. WOW does this city have some amazing parks. That's exciting.

I wanted to be nice and optimistic here and have something pithy to say.

Instead it's been a dreary, snowy/rainy day (no accumulation) where accomplishments are virtual I'm ready to go home and this feels like exactly how the whole year will go right down to the chestnuts I was looking forward to roasting and eating turned out to be inedible. Even kaijus and Star Trek haven't made it better.



So rather than dwell on that let me get to happier things like the snowflake challenge which the first challenge was to update the info page so here you go



How about a little twist on music monday? Every week a new letter represented. You've seen this challenge before. So the group/solo act has to start with the letter of the week and if you want you can borrow this for you blog or drop your music into the comments here. Let's have some fun with this. Share some music with me


Letter O ( Music hiding here )