cornerofmadness

It's amazing what a week can do. I used to get done one week earlier than we do. So I only have about 10 days between graduation and going to my conference. I need that week. Today I spent it working on a chapter by chapter outline for the anatomy class. It's like 10 pages long and it's barely there as far as details but enough for tomorrow (and a good start for this paperwork I need to do). I did not think t his would eat up most of my day but it did.

I did go meet my friend MK down at the mexican restaurant. I barely eat, did manage the burrito so yes I am still so nauseous. Fun times. I am not taking this shot again next week b ecause of the conference. Maybe the week after that. Maybe. I might just have to admit I will never be able to tolerate this class of drug (literally the dinner from the night before was still bothering me 15 hours later so it's not just slowing my stomach. I think it's killing it dead.

But I did get a good laugh today. The intoabar matches came out today and I got exactly the same one as last year but I don't even care. I wanted to do a sequel to it and now's here my chance. My only problem is Niffty is rough to write. If you want to see my first story it's right here To Travel is to Live

What I Just Finished Reading:

Trouble the Water by Wendy Vogel. I found it compelling but also it has HARD subject matter (rape/murder of disabled children, cult, religious trauma, internalized and externalized homophobia, hate crimes, child abuse, domestic violence)

Boston Metaphysical Society vol 2 - actually this worked better as a series of short stories than it did as the long arc

What I am Currently Reading:

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. I know a lot of friends love this. It's taken me another week to go 40 pages, something I can usually do in a half hour.

We Can Never Leave - H.E. Edgmon an arc of a horror/rural fantasy thing, trauma and cult survivors are a huge deal in this (and in the life of the author)

Just received the flipside, a graphic novel I won from GR.


What I Plan to Read Next:
I bumped these two back: Under This Red Rock

Of Manners and Murder - a historical mystery

and speaking of GR wins, I have 3 more lying around that I need to get moving on

as they scrawl apologies to me on their final exam. And it's done. I'm done. Graduation is on Saturday and I'm done til August. But not really I have so much work to do this summer it won't be much of a break. It will probably be a lot of surgery.

And send me good thoughts for tomorrow. I see the eye doctor and I would love to have one doctor's appointment NOT have a major problem for me (especially my eyes, going blind from diabetes is a legit fear for me)

Hey I do have a rec for rec thursday.rewrite_a_fic the idea is to rewrite a story more than 1 1/2 years old. I love this. Hell I've been doing this on my own. I've been slowly rewriting my old Buffy fic for posting anew. I'm certainly a better writer than I was 20 years ago. Maybe there's one you'd like to tweak too. This is your community and your chance.

And a bit of good news. As I was dealing with today's work drama Cenage book publishing emailed me about the upcoming work conference. Want to come to lunch and hear us talk about shaping the future students and we'll pay you 100$ to do it. I never signed up for anything so fast. I nearly snapped a finger. I haven't been asked to one of these the last several conferences so I'm thrilled. One lunch I don't have to pay for and I can sit still if you give me 100$.


And my poster for the conference looks nice.

The micro for nursing test went well. The dean's end of year lunch as fine. My coworkers are getting a pass but barely. The state is making us do updates to A&P. I'm in charge of this and the other female prof has been there doesn't much care, just tell her what to do. the two men aren't into being told what they HAVE to include. I'm calling a meeting. I tell them today won't work as I'll be out. I get to work and see the two men going we're meeting at 3 today.

No, we are NOT. What part of I can't be there...so I get a 'well can't you be there at 4 I'm busy.' Like I'm not? No I'm going to be in the hospital for hours. We're meeting on thursday at 330 after ALL finals are over. Neither man has replied to me. Well suck it up buttercup because I'm in charge. I'm the one who has to go to all these extra meetings about this stuff and I have seniority over everyone but my fellow lady prof.

As for the appointment...it didn't go well. Worse than I expected. Actually my sugar isn't that bad. we looked at a 3 month glucose monitor readout and doc asks, look here, from 930 your sugar sky rockets and stays high until after 4 pm. What are you doing then? I look at her and she's like palm slap to the head. 'You're at work.' YES 'Well obviously your body doesn't like being there. Are you eating lunch?' Yes. Take another 10 units of insulin with breakfast, babe. sigh.

However my insurance is paying for montjaro (that is not how that's spelled...) which is like Ozempic but has a different med mixed in. Say a prayer for me because Ozempic/Trulicity/Byetta/others in this class, always make me sick. I have gastric paresis and a bad gallbladder and this can make it worse but my sugar is STILL around 200 all day in spite of three other diabetic meds and two insulins.

Also you can't do SOLID sugar rescues like peanut butter with this med if you have a low. You need juice or pop. 'I'll drink maple syrup (like my brother's diabetic cat)' She eyes me. 'What? I don't drink pop. Juice is expensive and I don't want it to go bad waiting on me needing it. BUT I do occasionally eat pancakes and maple syrup (yes I know, bad Dana) so if I go low I'll drink the syrup. But she opened the day with I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT YOUR THYROID. In spite of me begging them to tell her. Why did your ob/gyn order a thyroid scan? She didn't. My PCP did but Holzer sent it to my ob/gyn by mistake. My endo stares at me and says HOW? Come on, you work here. You know it's pathetic. Then she looked at the scan with me and it turns out the pathetic report I had WAS the only one. There's no info on if its hypoechoic or hyperechoic (which would tells us if it's a cyst or a solid) It doesn't say WHERE the three nodules are in my right thyroid lobe, just that they're there and they're ALL over the size that should have been biopsied but the radiologist didn't say that so the other doc looking at this doesn't know that. And of course I'm leaving so I can't go get it redone (and she said yes our radiology department is the pits)

I swear to fuck if this is cancer I'm looking into suing this place because they never sent the report to the right people and didn't even DO it right to begin with. It is compressive so she said there's almost no chance my thyroid is staying in my neck to the end of the year. The right lobe will have to go, cancer or not. I'll need to be on thyroid meds. We almost started them now but again I'm starting two new meds this week.

She's also concerned about the fact that I still have a serious microcytic hypochromic anemia (i.e. tiny red blood cells that don't hold much hemoglobin) I can't exercise hard enough to lose weight because I have so little functioning red blood cells my nails are warped, my gums are pale, I'm so tired.

Yeah I'm so tired, yinz. I just can't with this any more.

But still I go on because I need to. I don't quit easily.

I got four comments to three different stories which is more than I get all week most days. That made me smile.

10 out of 13 of my nursing students got a 100% on their organ practical. That made me smile.

I got my Star Trek official merch today. That made me smile. That I didn't check the SIZE of the two Star Trek ornaments before ordering made me laugh. Beverly is normal size but motion picture Spock is TINY.

We had out wildlife/bio/chem picnic today. Several students were there. That made me smile. People liked my insalata ceci (chickpea salad) but there was so much food I still have a shit ton of it. Gonna be eating a lot of cecis.

It's Walpurgisnacht and that makes me smile too

Also I've been playing June's Journey as a brain builder/relaxer and today's journey ended a story line with me (June) tossing the bad guy off the cliff and killing him. That made me laugh. I'm like well that was hard core and now I'm walking around like I didn't just murder a rapist/murderer. Snort.


What I Just Finished Reading:

Black Bolt, Vol. 1: Hard Time - I got this for a nonverbal character prompt and he's non verbal except in this where he can talk because his powers were taken from him. OMFG


What I am Currently Reading: - I'm never finishing any of these at this rate

Under This Red Rock - a bizarre YA story set here in OH. I've suddenly lost interest in the book for no real reason. Has that happened to anyone?

Of Manners and Murder - a historical mystery

Bodies and Banners - cozy mystery


What I Plan to Read Next:

Spinning Silver


It's time for April's reads. You know the drill. I love talking books so if one of these catches you fancy let's chat. (It was a slow month)


Blacking Out horror graphic novel

Les Normaux fantasy LGBT romance graphic novel

Floating Hotel SF

City of Clowns Peruvian graphic novel

The Mushroom Knight Vol. 1 fantasy graphic novel

Earthdivers, Vol. 1: Kill Columbus horror graphic novel

Another Fine Mess horror/urban fantasy

The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn, Vol. 1: A Graphic Novel horror

Black Bolt, Vol. 1: Hard Time Superheroes

Saturday it was 47 (8), yesterday it was 62 (16.6) today it was 87 (30.5) tomorrow it's supposed to be 50 (10) and today was lightning and baseball sized hail (which thankfully didn't hit around here). All of this is liberally dusted with pollen. Enjoy.

When my students can't pass a test made up entirely of the homework questions and the review test, I lose faith.

But the real story today is I got called from my primary care doc's office to tell me she added the thyroid testing to the blood panel that needed drawn as I asked and reminded me to get my thyroid ultrasound. What? I hand carried the results to her office staff. What did they do with it? Wipe their butts? Jammed it into the file without telling the doc? So freaking angry. I told her nurse (who had called me) that the results are in my file....argh.

Music Monday rolls back around (I haven't even responded to last week's musical sharing). We're back to the letter B and like I said I'm sticking with songs personally from the last five years

( Bbbbbback here )

Emotionally. I'll save the work issues (other than say HR should ASK if we're working on Friday other than buying into the rumor no one works on friday because three of us can't meet with the potential new hire. two can reschedule themselves. I can't and won't because it's my oncology appt) for a locked post sometime.

I've been having creepypasta dreams one with me walling someone up in some strange organic polymer because I was mad at him. (I have no idea who he was) I had gotten up to his face when I woke a half hour before my alarm this morning.

Another was me being furious with my cat who was hiding under my bed (a gray kitty I've never owned) and I was so mad I threw my bed and dragged this poor thing out by its scruff (I would never do this just so we're clear)

Another was my uncle (the one who just passed) lying on bedding in my closet, getting madder and sicker as we went (this one went on forever).

My brain is mad obviously.

What I Just Finished Reading:

Floating Hotel - here's the thing, if I hadn't been reading this for a prompt I might have given up. That said, I'm glad I didn't. It was interesting how she focused on one character per chapter giving their reason for being on the hotel and what's happening now and it was a jigsaw building to the climax which was well done

Les Normaux - gay paranormal romance graphic novel, lovely art, good enough story (webtoon) but I wasn't wowed. You might be (I'm not a romancy type)


What I am Currently Reading:

Another Fine Mess -Didn't realize this was book two so I am annoyed with myself because this is 100% spoilery for book one. It's a strange book, I'm liking it

Raised by a Serial Killer - so far I'm not blown away. I'm mostly sitting here going does ANYONE have this many clear memories from the time they were 3-6 years old.


What I Plan to Read Next: I forgot Bossard Library (it's in Gallipolis, not my usual library) does an amazing giveaway as their winter reading program so I grabbed a boat load of graphic novels to power thru by Monday to be able to put in for the giveaways so those.

Do. Not. Want. Also we went from being on fire to drowning.

I know I said I was going to do my fannish 50 today. I lied. Ha.

Nah, I had to make an exam and get thru a faculty meeting (based on all the absolute bullshit the Republicans did this week where we can't mention climate change, women's accomplishments or People of Color or LGBT stuff even at the college level, publicity photo: 6 old white men. FFS) So I'm in no mood

Have instead my books

What I Just Finished Reading:

Silent Evidence by Clea Koff, Koff is a forensic anthropologist like her character so that was good. Wasn't thrilled with the end but over all I liked it


What I am Currently Reading:

Another Fine Mess - this is odd. Good but odd

Floating Hotel - it's cozy SF? Reads like contemporary character driven, plotless stuff. It's okay but I'm sort of bored (but it's for popsugar so I'm powering through)

Les Normaux - gay paranormal romance graphic novel, lovely art, good enough story (webtoon) but too romancey hallmark for me



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


And here is March's reads. If you want to talk about any of them, let's do it!


Feral, Vol. 1: Indoor Cats Horror graphic novel (warning LOTS of animals die of rabies violence. I have no idea who the audience for this is)

Disco Witches of Fire Island magic realism, LGBT (warning: 80s setting with lots of AIDS related death. it is the main theme)

Pine & Merrimac paranormal mystery graphic novel

Murder by Cheesecake the Golden Girls solve a mystery (you read that right)

Silent Are the Dead Native American mystery

The Ten Worst People in New York mystery

The Tomb of Zeus historical mysteyr

Hormones, Hexes, & Exes paranormal mystery

Silent Evidence mystery

She's doing well. Better than me. Woke up with my sugar over 300. It was over 400 a few hours ago. If it gets any higher, might drag myself to the ER and get another letter from my insurance company explaining how PCPs work and urgent cares (as if either of them are open at 11 pm)



I think it's ready. I spent the day (hyperfocusing and not accomplishing half of what I needed to) getting the presentation ready. I still don't like the font I chose for the quotes but other than that I do think it's ready. Tomorrow I'll do a run through and check it for time.

What do you think? I think the poster looks engaging enough.

I got chapter one of my fandomtrumpshate story done which made me happy.

But getting up before the sun sucked. We had some really good projects. However I was sad to see it was mostly 6-7th graders. We didn't have any high schoolers like we usually do and that's down to the fact that in OH 6-7th grades have to do a science project and then it's never again. They can graduate without much science. It's so sad and it's impacting my university badly, especially my nurses.

I took a nap when I got home which is unusual for me and I felt all the worse for it (as per usual)

I sat down to work on my sabbatical presentation. The power went out. sigh. It did come back soon enough and I'm up to about 40 slides and there is no way I can cover all the women I want to and do them justice.

Here's my friday story only it wasn't for Spikesgirl58's this time. I wrote it for a draw this in your style challenge that allowed authors to play. You can see the art at the AO3 link. It's really a great piece of art so have a look

Title: My Torture, Your Gain. Your Pleasure, My Pain

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel


Summary: Angel knows what he’s just done could set Valentino off. He can only hope Valentino will listen to reason. If not, Angel has solace in knowing someone kind is waiting for him at home, there to take away his pain.

Rating: teen and up

It was my torture and it was your gain
It was your pleasure and it was my pain
Vengeance - Abney Park

( Story at above link or under here )

And here are the weekly fanfic recs for fannish 50

So, what class are you playing as? The Owl House

Plant Trouble Torchwood

Terminal Boredom FAKE

Unintentional Torchwood

then i will follow you into the dark Arcane


Kill Switch Hazbin Hotel

Beyond the Gates, the Mountain
镇魂 | Guardian

A New Tradition Prodigal Son

Without a 'shadow' of a doubt (Pt 2) Hazbin Hotel

Options Prodigal Son

where I'm not writing emails about problems at work. There was a weird one at work where students are being told by the printers they have no free prints even though they haven't printed (I didn't even know who to contact about that one but finally got that sorted) and it was SO cold in the green house and labs that students are wearing jackets and hats inside. Wrote a work order. We were told oh yeah that boiler is broken and we're not fixing it....

UM you do get that this building requires TWO furnaces right? That you are overtaxing the remaining system and unlike the business hall and the humanities hall you CAN NOT send us to another hall if the heater gives out?!? We have labs. They require lab rooms with safety showers and ventilations and thousands of a dollars worth of equipment. We can't pack that up and set up in a English class room. WHY do I need to write a letter about this? You worry about how students think about our university. NOT having to wear winter coats inside the building might make a better impression.

The dexcom has told me things I don't want to hear today. I set it to alarm at 280+. It went off in lab. SIGH. then later at Kroger I felt weird, knowing my sugar was dropping and it alarmed. It had gone below 70. WHY? I feel like crap.

My psychiatrist was unimpressed with how my therapy was handled (i.e. it took 12 months to get an appt and they changed it to a time I couldn't come a few weeks ago and then said whelp it'll be another 13 months) So she gave me a list of other therapists outside of Holzer and said even Betterhealth would be better (but it's not covered by insurance) She put me on wellbutrin. Last time it went badly but I don't remember WHY (it's been over 20 years ago) at least it's cheap.

Also when I left it was -15 out. Dumbass ran out between my legs when I went out to heat up the car. He came back at 5 pm and went right back out. I have no idea what's up with him.

What I Just Finished Reading:

The Lefthanded booksellers of London by Garth Nix - I loved all of this. Looking forward to book two
The Busy Body - DNF, this was like a cheese grater on skin

Blue Lock Episode Nagi - ugh, sports manga. I had to read something about soccer for Popsugar, at least it was an easy if stupid read



What I am Currently Reading:


When the Bones Sing - YA horror set in Arkansas, very much enjoying it (this is an arc)

You Must Not Miss - a very strange YA horror, not bad

Ghost Lore - an iffy horror graphic novel

Turn of the Screw - this is so much more boring than I expected.



What I Plan to Read Next: just picked up A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara from the library (for another popsugar prompt because there were a no married but no living together books on my shelf and gah that's such a random stupid prompt)