Keychains from @lightningstrikes-art came in today!! ٩(◕‿◕)۶ they are so so cute omgggg (no dmg, the bubbles are bc i haven't peeled the plastic layer yet)

Ambience Synesthesia tutorial blog

rambled this out because I didn't have inflight wifi otw home and the turbulence was too crazy to draw

Buying the ticket

erm so they only dropped the tickets like slightly less than a month before lol kinda insane

The concert tickets were sold on Damai so you need a CN number or know/pay someone with one who'd buy it for you which is what I did by recommendation (A tier 1280 + 400 'service fee' [apparently it would have been cheaper if they only helped you half way or something but i wasnt gonna risk running into a payment hiccup so]) Iirc they sold it in two batches but I don't remember the ratio split between first and second wave…

I got a ticket for 5/5's afternoon show (so the second last performance), I DID meet an oomf who said they managed to snag a ticket for themselves on their own (without a Professional Ticket Snatcher) so its not too impossible to attain on your own I think??? (I didn't get a CN number until like 2 days before I flew back home soo)

Professional Ticket what?? Uhhh apparently there's a whole industry/scene for this you look for listings on xianyu/taobao etc for people to buy on your behalf, you have to give them your real name and identification number (so for foreigners it'd be your passport number) for verification purposes during entry so yknow yea

getting there

You could cab directly to the venue but my friend signed us up for the free shuttle bus (they had freebies last year but not this time) and before we boarded they gave us like free water and bread (apparently free raincoats too on rainy days) which was nice of them but also insane because. the venue doesn't allow you to bring food/drinks in so a lot of people were leaving A LOT of unopened bottles near the gate and I saw a venue staff just throwing them all into the bin (HOPEFULLY JUST TO CARRY THEM AWAY IN ONE GO AND NOT FOR STRAIGHT DISPOSAL….) They drop you off near the venue but you don't go in directly, there's a 'Doctor break room' where most people are seated waiting to be ushered in batches into the venue, but also a lot of people standing around on one side of the room swapping/offering merch

merch swap

ive been told this is a very concert culture thing but i feel like its kind of different because a lot of these are so high quality ike…you could sell them at Artist Alleys but here they are just distributing for free if you have a E2 60 blorbo lmao or whatever (there seems to be a tiny…? minority that prints official art but most of them seem to be handdrawn/made)

i was too unprepared for this lol i did exchange some of my old stickers (missed out on a collapsal plastic fan bc my brain lagged when the guy asked me and i went to my auto 'sorry i dont have any merch' response' :( regretted this bc the room got a little hot from the amount of people in there and i was wearing like 3 layers with that fan on my mind)

from people watching a lot of trades are arranged beforehand on weibo/other sites unless you're willing to yell WHO WANTS TO TRADEEE/anyone wants freebies (a lot of people were also wearing 'Feel Free to Swap Merch/Ask for Freebies' tags) which i was definitely not brave enough to do lol… met up with an oomf i got to know from last dec when i attended an arknights only and they gave me some birbs and charms (bottom of post), there was someone who got a free LGD zine and charm from me bc i posted on wb that id give a free copy to anyone with a Mod 3 swire/swummer LMFAO

I had 2 more people to meet but, uhhh so I bought an esim for mobile data and it would intermittently lose signal here and there which was a little annoying when getting coffee but it just died entirely when i reached the venue and it was kind of Dire because i was waiting for one more friend who was coming over from the fes and i couldn't contact them lmao. told the friend i came with to go in first because I thought if my food got confiscated at least my oomf could see it beforehand LOL

waited outside in a light drizzle for an hour trying to trouble shoot my data to no avail and ended up borrowing a staff's wifi hotspot to get my entry qr code (I actually bought a second data roaming plan on my local sim but i quite stupidly did not check the country coverage and only learned later that night that 'Asia' doesn't cover China kuxiao) she was so nice i was (bow emoji) so sorry to trouble you im a stupid gaijin and she was like no its ok enjoy shanghai!! pien

spent a good 30min next to this board praying for data to no avail

the show

erm anyway because of that clownery above i more or less missed the first piece (the one w the goated hoho) but at least i wasnt the guy next to me who went for a bathroom break right before starset came up

The live singing this year was definitely an improvement I think… I can't really remember the setlist off the top of my head but I'm sure someone else has already listed it out, there were a couple of new pieces that weren't related to the concert groups like a Babel/Kazdel?? one sung in Latin, a Victoria…? one (in victorian ofc) also an Amiya (? just remembering by the visuals they used lol) one in Japanese

ohh yeah so almost every track would start with like a faction logo transitioning in from 3d to 2d which was cool but also amusing because it was honestly bringing quite the 'I will Make Your Company Logo Into 3D Fiverr' vibes

Since I missed the first piece idk if any of The Dreamer(s) got 3D models but The Pilgrim(s why are they all singular) had Kaltsit playing on that piano (there was also a replica of that piano on stage the white one complete with 'Arknights' text on it lmao) and Siege being cool running around in 3D (and ofc Eureka during her denpa number) it was very cool but man... its a pity the other characters in the group just get their live2d png during the beginning and effectively get sidelined lool compared to say Phenomenal Agents idk if i like this tradeoff but that eureka bit was so good sheesh #NOVAFIVE⭐ULTRALIVESWEEP

The other stuff was really great too looking at you Lone Trail medley…!!!!! I might be wrong but I... assume... you're encouraged to karaoke bc they always show the lyrics on screen… I couldn't even hear myself anyway but it was very fun singing songs you can't get on joysound/etc with a whole crowd going at it too (even if most of them would only sing 1-2 lines of the chorus)

Mary Clare did Radiant (they had the lyrics scrolling on the sides very cool) and iirc the Throne group's song...? Radiant was so fun live

Starset did Monster > Telescope and when the latter ended they were like Bye! and we(?) started yelling ENCORE--awkwardly because idk how they do it here (I was half expecting it to be JP style 'an-call-roo' but a bunch of us just yelled en-core en-core here and there until they returned to perform Infected) speaking of yelling.. between every piece when they had to switch sets people would just yell memes or skill names (like Dage's) to pass the time or sth i barely caught half of whatever they were memeing about

did i forget to mention anything else uhhh originium rock turntable for Guide Ahead's boss theme/Dossoles Lobby and they had IS4 medley live throat singing very cool also the dancers they got for silbenherze's boss theme good stuff...

iirc after starset was like a behind the scenes video of how HG prepared for AS and a recorded lowlight video saying some stuff that i forgot LOL just some thank you message basically. 9.5/10 bc no missy/shu EP live

i just realised i forgot to display all the merch from the A tier ticket but w/e. light stick photo ft. merch swaps/gifts from friends and strangers 🥹 (the iffy lenticular card was literally dropped into my bag by an iffy coser (wearing the LT outfit..?!) while waiting for the cab LMAO)

So I read an entire book on the history of bananas so I could understand what Steve would think of them

And now you get to hear me ramble about bananas for a little bit.

A lot of people are aware that the type of banana that Steve would have grown up with is not the same as the one we eat today. Steve ate the Gros Michel banana, which was nearly wiped out by a fungus called Panama disease. The banana western countries eat now is the Cavendish variety.

Every since I learned that factoid I've been curious what Steve's relationship with bananas would have been.

The Cavendish was adopted in the late 50s because it fit the very specific niche producers needed for a commercial banana. It tastes similar to the Gros Michel, looks similar, can withstand transport, withstand hurricanes, and is immune to Panama disease. (This is no longer true, Cavendish bananas began to succumb to Panama disease when plantations were started in Asia. As of now, developing a genetically modified banana is the best solution for a new banana. But if you want to know more about that I suggest you read Dan Koeppel's book.)

The Cavendish is similar enough to the Gros Michel that producers and consummers were able to make the shift, but there are some interesting differences.

Taste: The author tasted many different bananas around the world and concluded that the Cavendish was "the blandest of all the bananas."

As for the Gros Michel it "was larger, with a thicker skin, a creamier texture, and a more intense, fruity taste.” (p. xiv). Although according to this blog, eating an under-ripe Gros Michel tastes exactly like a Cavendish.

So the first time Steve has a Cavendish Steve might think he's simply eating a banana that isn't ripe.

But he'd probably notice something was up before he even took a bite because of another important difference.

Skin: The Gros Michel was a lot sturdier. The skins were thicker and could withstand shipping a lot better. Apparently the Gros Michel was so robust that the fruit wasn't even boxed. "Gros Michel bunches could be thrown in cargo holds and shipped on rough seas without bruising or breaking as long as they were kept cool" (149).

I was shocked to read that before the switch bananas were not boxed. That innovation came with the Cavendish. The introduction of the box meant that bunches had to broken up into the standard '5 to a hand' that we have now.

So when Steve went to the store, grocers "sold Gros Michel by hanging entire bunches of the fruit, straight from distributors, in their stores" (150). This means that Steve would be unused to seeing little bunches of bananas in the store.

Also, the smaller bunches allowed for advertising on each individual banana, which wasn't the case before. So stickers on bananas would also be new.

Would Steve have eaten bananas?

Yes. Bananas were immensely popular. They were cheap, tasted good, and were easy to pack or carry. Babies could eat them, old people could eat them, everyone ate them.

The first drop in banana consumption happened during WW2, because bananas couldn't be grown locally and there were no vessels to bring the fruit to America.

Bonus: A viral song about Bananas from 1923

I found two versions, the Eddie Cantor one is most famous.

(Other Steve meta/headcanon posts)

weekly tag game! It's Thursday though, hope that's ok. Thanks for the tag @deedala and @michellemisfit! I love doing these!

which character from any media would you like to have as a father?: Craig T Nelson in the movie The Family Stone. That's such a good movie and he's a great dad. Also he's age appropriate since I am old.

if money, laws, time, and effort were no object, what animal would you want to have?: Another dog would be fun. Someday I want another rescue pit mix to keep Alvin company. Only a girl we can name Darla (my daughter's choice)

what is your Chinese takeout order?: ooooh crab rangoon and maybe general tso chicken with fried rice. I haven't had Chinese food in a long time.

what's your favourite emoji?: I'm on the computer and can't do it, but I overuse the hell out of the cry-laugh emoji.

would you rather have a library, greenhouse, or home theater in your house?: a greenhouse would be amazing just to be in, the plants and the filtered light, just so cheerful on a colder day.

what childhood tv show do you think of the most fondly? oh gosh, maybe little house on the prairie? I was obsessed with the books and the show looked 0% like Minnesota and Wisconsin but I still loved it.

what was your tumblr like when you first joined?: I only joined so I could look at shameless stuff. it was 2013. I didn't really know what to do with it for a long time. Then I got super active and then walked away. Now I'm back!

what clothing style do you love but don't feel compelled to replicate yourself?: Gosh I feel like I'm too old to pull off any style anymore, but I love the 70s-90s punk aesthetic and cottage core, to go two completely different directions.

if you were plopped into a fictional world, which one would you know the layout of the best?: Does it have to be a whole other world like not a real place? Because I have no idea.

what is your favourite piece of art?: Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth (pictured above) I also really love Whistler.

do you have a water bottle? what does it look like?: Olive green with stickers but it leaks so I don't take it anywhere, just use at home, but only sometimes.

what fanfic trope is a quiet fave? I'm not quiet about anything in life haha

do you carry a daily bag? what does it look like? what's the weirdest thing in it?: Lightish brown leather crossbody from Madewell that I got from a friend. I love it so much. The weirdest thing is maybe an epi pen. My son is super duper allergic to bees.

If you had to ship Mickey with another Gallagher, who would it be?: Oh god, WHAT? No. But fine. Lip I guess.

what is a fanfic trope you didn't expect to like and then very much did?: maybe a/b/o?

Do you think s11 Mickey can still carry s11 Ian?: Ian got so gloriously beefy in S11 but Mickey is ripped and anyway he would never admit he couldn't carry him. He could get a slipped disc or hernia and he'd still try and walk it off.

who got custody of the killing bat when they sold the house?: Carl and Debbie fought over it, but Liam took it while no one was looking. @silvanshadow @juliakayyy @francesrose3 and @gallawitchxx join in if you haven't already!

hiya shroom!! sorry for not answering asks (my immune system is being kicked in the ass which equals to bad responses to them sjshjdjd), so instead; i’m here to ask /u/ a few questions instead hjdjdjdkkd >:33

what two colors do u like that equals to ur fav color?

cardigans or hoodies (the rlly thick n soft ones)?

fav collage//edit u or someone else has made?

stickers or washi tape?

a song//artist that’s out of the genre u mostly listen to but is smth u rlly like? (ex. is if u listen to pop u like this one song//artist that produces & makes jazz music !!)

if given the chance to fully master one instrument, what would it be n why?

how do u see the people u love? ex. is how i see people thru colors n memories !! like how i see u as walking into my childhood town’s bakery before the sun comes up to buy bread n prepare breakfast w my grandma !! n i also see u aa a pale color of autumny orange !!! (is autumny even a real word HELP)

anndd lastly, what’s one movie you’s absolutely love to watch again for the first time?

i kinda lied bc there’s a bonus question but if u were also choose a craft to fully master as well, what would it be n why?

also dw !! i accidentally unfollow a lot if people random (either tumblr does it or i press the wrong button JDHKD) 😭😭 AND THANKYUU 🫶🫶🫶 i currently am in-love w it n am gatekeeping it for the rest of my life HAGAHSGJSGJS

kithes u n twirls away

hi hi my lovely kazu <33

no kazuzu D: I hope you feel better soon!!

I completely understand, take ur time lol

YAY OKI OKI QUESTIONS

uhhh. like. red + blue equals purple? because purple is my favorite. but as in, like, two colors i also like but not as much as purple, that's teal and blue :)

wait I was so ready to answer this one wait- I wanna make a couple cardigans, and i don't really wear hoodies, i just wear my blue flannel and call it a hoodie because it's easier- so yeah. cardigans!

oo okay I'll reblog this with a picture/video once i get it <33

STICKERS 100%. bro I used to use washi tape but I got so mad at it because it kept on falling off and ugh it was so annoying. it's pretty and I was. 7? 8? so I'm willing to give it another chance. but yeah. stickers <333

ooh I like this question! that's probably The Crane Wives, which are folk. most of my liked songs are jpop, vocaloid, and loud sounds, with some lofi sprinkled in, so it's funny to hear them sometimes. seriously though, they are one of my favorite artists ever. I adore their music, and I've been listening to them for a couple years now. (THEY'RE TOURING RN BUT THE CLOSEST ONE IS 6 HOURS AWAY AND IT'S SOLD OUT UWEHH)

piano. i think it sounds so nice, and i love all of the songs i hear with it. however, ive tried it once or twice, and i couldn't go anywhere near as fast as i needed to. so. probably not in my future.

oh I really really like this question. so. i see my relationships as feelings. im really bad at remembering stuff sometimes, so i kinda agree with the colors. but mostly, it's a feeling. whenever i see something from you, the color i feel is a pale blue or lilac. for my friend twig, they're a bright, but not overbearing, green. my boyfriend is a light orange. and the felling i get when i see something from you, dear kazu, is a sort of flowery one. i feel thick and fluffy flowers, with little bees saying hello to each other, and the sun coming down and soaking into your bones. it's not hot, thankfully, but a pleasant warmth. the same one that you feel after a really nice hug, or while cuddled up next to someone you love. for twig, it's the feeling of loud music. listening to familiar sounds and not needing to worry if it's too loud. also, late night calls with friends. one time i was calling two friends and i couldn't use my mic, so i used a soundboard and typed things to them. those things are what twig reminds me of. my boyfriend feels like fog and coloring. but not traditional fog, a fantastical fog that wraps around you and keeps you safe. a fog full of whimsy that protects you from the outside world, while keeping you entertained. and for the coloring, it's just a colorful and wholesome activity. something you can do and then show someone, or give it to them and make them happy. i find great power in colors, and i love looking into their connotations. this was so so so much fun to answer, thank you for asking this kazu <3

oh oh, this is hard. i would say.. kiki's delivery service. i had so so so much fun with my friend (twig <3), and we ended up getting there an hour early lol. we didn't always pay attention, making fun of the male love interest, but it was so silly and fun. id love to experience that again.

BONUS QUESTION HEHE

probably. fashion designing or woodworking. i think making clothes is just so cool, but not "diy this! diy that!" no. I mean full on mannequins, sewing, fabric, buttons, lace, so much stuff to work with and make into incredible things. but sadly, I don't think id ever have time to learn in a way that would matter to me. and for woodworking, oh it'd be so cool if i could make stuff like that. make a table, a shelf, a stand, a spoon. wouldn't that be cool? you could show people and say, "I made this. I used this wood. here's something I'm really proud of" and it'd be so cool! I don't have a real interest in learning though, just knowing it lol.

HEHEEHHEHE THESE WERE SO MUCH FUN THANK YOU KAZUUUU <3333

HAHA OKAY <33

mwah thank you for the kiss <3

may i be the one that spins you?

I am so tired. Everyone thought I was taking off from the market today but I did not! I was there and I spent more money then I made but it was a beautiful day and I'm glad I was there. And I got a lot done today.

I slept alright. When I got home James helped bring everything upstairs. And I hate to go to sleep with a big mess but there was only so much we could do. They would sort the laundry and at least get things into the correct rooms. But it was just a lot to get done. I would save that for today.

We went to sleep and I woke up at one point to use the bathroom and got very woozy and almost fell over. I really wanted a mournful of peanut butter but instead was able to make it back to bed and fell asleep.

I woke up after 7 and got ready pretty quick. My hair was looking really nice today. Like healthy nice. I have been liking it after I wash it and it's really doing wonders for me. Especially as we get into winter and the air gets dryer I am trying to focus on hair health so it can grow longer. Trying not to use much heat and being gentle. A little self care project.

We went to McDonald's and got 3 hash browns to share and then James helped me get set up for the day. Stanley had to head out so James couldn't lollygag outside with me. They don't often anyway but I still want them too. After I got set up we got our bakery stuff from Ginny early. And I would go back and pay for it because James had to run back inside.

I was a little fidgety at first today and wanted to walk around and see everyone. Lock gave me a fancy tomato for free. I got my guacamole and figured out why it's been weird. It's a different kind of avacado! I don't know enough Spanish to ask the nice man why but I saw them and they are lime color and longer. I still like the guac but Google says they don't have as much oil and that's why they are sort of thinner. Not as whippable. Still good but not as amazing as it was. I am still going to eat so much of it.

I also got berries and I got some figs. I got the figs for Anne, James's mom, because she loves figs. There is a joke about being waspy in there but I will let you write that yourself. Hopefully we can give her and Tucker those tomorrow. Maybe we'll have dinner with them.

I was happy to see CJ. Callie is just so good at making people flowers and it's super nice to have a friend there. I would make her a friendship bracelet while I was standing there trying to get any sales. It was a slow day for me. But not for the market. We got almost 700 people throughout the morning! That's crazy!

I didn't recognize her at first but Julie from the nursery came through and said hi. I was like hello, I know you but I'm not sure why but I'm not going to say that. And finally she mentioned Becky and I was like ohhh!!! It was because I had never seen her without a mask! She had a baby! He was so cute! And she had two dachshunds! It was nice to see her and she bought one of my sale bears. She said I can't say I haven't sold anything now and it was very sweet.

I only sold $10 bears today. Which is fine. I also sold 4 stickers. I need to get some new stuff for the table. I also need to have James order more sticker designs. I want to do some Halloween, or more likely all the holidays, ones this week I think. Maybe when we drove to my parents on Tuesday.

I did get some knitting done. And I enjoyed the weather. But it was also super windy and so I was a little stressed about things falling over which made me on edge. And then I was cold. Me and Callie went and stood in the sun and I sat in the dog sculpture which was very warm and we learned his name is Sailor which I thought was so cute.

Meril was there too and it was fun talking to her. I told her about Louis Wain and a tattoo I want to get and I made us both cry. And w sent texts to each other from across the market about the people who were very very clearly there for the jazz concert. With their berets and shirts just in their shoulders. And the music was good and wasn't as unbearably loud.

Ann was being bad cop at people because they were putting their cars where they shouldn't or letting there dogs fight or using market tables for eating?? But it was nice chatting with her too. We actually all catty and I come up with reasonable doubt. Like apparently someone didn't come last week because their mother died. But then their mother came with them this week. And I'm like. Maybe they have two mothers, maybe they were in a beautiful lesbian relationship you don't know!! That is basically how all our conversations go. She says something and I make a wild or outrageous explanation.

I was really excited to leave though. I had told James I would get groceries if they wanted me too but I was also super tired. They told me to go rest and they would come home and while they were working on laundry they would get groceries. I appreciated that. And a little after one, and after giving Callie a big hug and telling her to let me know if I could help her move/unpack this week because I love unpacking. She also told me she got her placement for teaching and she's really happy so I'm also really happy for her!!

I went inside to say goodbye to James and then I was out. Getting home was better then yesterday when everyone was driving stupid. But in the other direction towards the museum exit was completely sitting still and there seemed to be a bad accident in the middle of the traffic?? I hope everyone and everything is okay.

I got home and ran into Mr Will outside who gave me many cheek kisses because it's been like two months since I've seen him. He seemed so much healthier then the last time. I wanted to stay and chat but I was also so tired. So I had to say goodbye and come upstairs.

I got up here and I wanted to start cleaning but decided I would sleep as long as I needed, which ended up being until 5, and then would spend as long as was needed to get everything away.

And I fell asleep hard. I slept for almost 3 hours. I really needed it. And when I woke up I got redressed and had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. James was at the store still. And I spent a few minutes waking up and feeling like a person again.

Once I was awake I got into organizing. And would spend the next 3 hours sorting and putting away. I am not done, but at least it's better. Things have spots for now. I want to get some vacuum saver bags for some of our extra pillows and blankets. And I want to get rid of some stuff. But at least for now I have made great progress. And James helped a lot. They sorted my basket of half finished projects and fabrics and put them in the boxes I have gotten for that. And I worked on the closet in the studio. Finally got the cart in there. And I am just really pleased. I also found a better way to keep my extra garment rack and I'm going to use it for all my coats for now. Which frees up the closet even more.

I also started going through my lotions and makeups again. I got rid of a half trash bags worth of lotions and deodorant and makeup. All expired. Or weird smelling. James is going to go through our nail polish at some point this week and I am going to go through the bathroom closet. We just have a lot of half finished things and stuff we aren't using. And it needs to get cleared out. I'm very happy with what we got done though. Even if the work continues.

Around 9 I finally got a shower. And laid down. And now I am ready to get some sleep. James just came in the room and immediately sneezed so loud. Causing a commotion. And I'm sitting here texting stupid stuff to Celia and Jess is telling me about her day. And I feel happy.

Tomorrow I hope to get more organizing done. I also want to make a list of stuff I want to accomplish this week. I want to use my two weeks well. I hope you all have a good Sunday it's also my brother's birthday! He's going to be 30!! I love him very much. Maybe when we go see my parents on Tuesday we can see him for a minute. We will see what happens.

I love you all. Sleep good. Take care of yourself!!

yoooo you went to pride?? how was it did you have fun please i couldn't go to the one in my area tell me everything

Memory is fuzzy because it's very hot where I live and it caused a little bit of dreariness rbag affected my memory

But it was really fun! I was my first pride event and I was surprised at just how many people were gathered there.

There were so many stalls selling Pride shirts, accessories, stickers, and flags. There was also two good stalls that sold Dick and Vagina-shaped waffles and although it didn't taste all that great it made me and my siblings giggle.

We didn't get to do the parade/match because we got there too late so we just walked around and saw the stalls and bought some stickers and apparel. The festival was being held in a park-like thing so there was a lot of trees and fresh air and there was a spot where many went to get some peace and quiet- which was what me and my siblings did.

Then there was a stage and there was a bunch of speakers and performances. There was a concert but we didn't say long enough to watch it because we couldn't stay out too late haha

There were also so many people holding "Free hug" signs and I watched a bunch of people holding those signs form a line to hug one person who wanted free hugs and it was such an amazing sight

Anyway, these are the stickers I bought at the event :D.

I'm be sticking them onto my laptop <3.

the shrooms cafe

part 1- watermelon tea with strawberry boba

hello everyone 🥺 this is the first series i've ever done so i'm a little nervous but i'm so excited because I really like this story!!!

this is the first part, and I have literally no idea how long it will be because I don't have a solid plan/outline yet! so feel free to send little concepts or things you would like to see included 🥺 i can't guarantee they will be added but i'll definitely try my best :)

shrooms cafe masterlist

my masterlist

warnings: none

word count: 2k

"Stella, we have to leave in 10 minutes!" You called up the stairs. "Come down so you can eat breakfast!" "Yeah Stella, hurry up!" Seraphina yelled from her spot at the dining table. She was finishing up her fruit loops with a grin on her face. "You're going to make us late!" As the youngest, she often liked to bother her sisters. She was only five, just starting kindergarten, but she was already a master at getting under their skin.

"Sera, don't antagonize your sister, please," you reminded her. "She's not going to make us late." Sophie rolled her eyes. "Seraphina, you're so immature." Despite only being 11, Sophie was clearly the mother hen. You sometimes joked that the girls didn't even need you; Sophie would take on the role of their mother with no problem. "Besides, you were the one who made us late yesterday." "It's not my fault I couldn't find my purple socks. What was I supposed to do?" "Maybe wear different socks?" Sophie suggested smugly. "You know I need my purple socks, otherwise I can't write my words!" Sophie rolled her eyes again. "You don't need a certain color socks to write." "Yes I do!" You smiled to yourself, turning back to the fridge as the two bickered. You pulled out the ingredients you would need to make their lunches, then reached up on your tiptoes to get their lunch bags from the top of fridge. "Okay girls, what kind of sandwiches do you want today?" "Peanut butter and jelly!" Seraphina said excitedly. "Why did I even ask?" You smiled. "And Sophie?" "Turkey please, but I can make it myself," She said, sliding off her chair and bringing the breakfast dishes to the sink. "Thank you, love," you said, leaning over to kiss the top of her head. "You are such a big help in the mornings, I don't know what I would do without you." "You would have a real handful dealing with those two," She said matter-of-factly. "That I would," you laughed, handing her a butter knife. "Stella!" you called again. The 8 year old came running down the stairs, carrying her backpack and another bag. "Did you forget I have dance today?" "I did not forget," you reassured her. She liked to plan things, and got worried quickly if she wasn't kept in the loop. "I'll pick you up at the door by the playground, does that work?" "Actually, I was wondering if I could walk today? A bunch of my friends do, and I feel kind of weird having my mom drop me off." "That should be fine," You nodded. "But stay with the group, don't go off by yourself." "I won't," she groaned, rolling her eyes. "You're so overprotective." "Oh yes, I'm so sorry for trying to keep you safe," you laughed. "Now what do you want for lunch?" Once everything was ready, the four of you made your way out to the car. Stella climbed into the back, and Sophie helped Seraphina get buckled. Even though the three of them bickered a lot (as sisters often do) it wasn't hard to see how much they loved each other. "Everybody buckled?" You asked, looking behind you. When you heard a chorus of confirmation, you started your playlist and smiled when the opening notes of Adore You filtered through the speakers. It was easily one of your favorite songs, and the girls liked it just as much as you did. It wasn't a long drive to the cafe; it took about 15 minutes if traffic was good. The girls' school bus stopped about a block away, so they walked there together every morning. Then after school, they would come back to the shop and read books or finish homework until it was time to close up and go home. You parked in the lot behind the shop, helping the girls out of the car and making sure they had all their things. Seraphina held out her hand, and Stella grabbed it to help her jump over a puddle on the sidewalk. Sophie gasped excitedly. "I think that was the biggest jump you've ever done!" The girls promptly launched into a discussion about who could jump farther as you unlocked the door. As soon as it was open, they made their way over to the mushrooms to find some books for the day. Their voices filled the shop as they chatted about school and the cute boy Stella liked and the kitten they had seen outside their house the other day. You went about your morning duties, flipping on the lights and starting up the coffee machine. You also turned on the oven, preparing to bake the muffins. (They were frozen- who has the time to bake them fresh? Certainly not a mother of 3.) Once the kitchen was ready, you went over to the radio and tuned it to a familiar station, the soft

music adding some pleasant background noise. "Okay girls, it's time to get to the bus stop," you said, leaning over the counter to speak to them. "Don't forget, I'm walking to dance," Stella said, pointing at you as she walked to the door. "I won't forget," you said, pointing back at her. "Have a good day!" "Bye mom," Seraphina waved her small hand at you. "Bye honey, bye Sophia," You smiled, blowing a kiss to the three of them. "See you later!" Once the three of them were gone, you went around to the shelves and straightened up, getting ready for your first customers.

-----

After the lunch rush had dwindled down and the shop was nearly empty again, you were getting ready to go on your lunch break. You had just leaned down to grab a sandwich from the deli case when the bell above the door jingled, alerting you that a new customer had come in. You straightened up, your eyes going wide when you realized who it was, but you quickly fixed your face and smiled. "Welcome to the Shrooms Cafe!" "Hello," the man smiled back, speaking in a deep British accent. "I saw your sign for boba tea, and I've been looking everywhere to find some. You're the third shop I've been to today, so I'm really hoping you're not sold out like everywhere else," he grinned, coming closer to the counter. "No, we're not out! What kind did you want?" You asked. "Um... probably should have thought about that before I came in," he laughed nervously, looking at the menu above your head. "Oh, don't worry about it, we're not busy right now," you said reassuringly. “Take all the time you need.” He smiled gratefully, stepping off to the side while he read the menu. Meanwhile, you fidgeted with towels and wiped off the work surfaces and tried to pretend you weren’t staring at him. Who could blame you, really? Harry Styles had just walked into your coffee shop. Who wouldn’t stare? “I think…” he spoke again, breaking you out of your trance. “I’ll do the watermelon tea, with strawberry boba, please.” You nodded, laughing lightly. He quirked one eyebrow, smiling along with you. “What’s funny?” “Oh, no, it’s just… of course you would order the one with watermelon.” “Oh,” he smiled, and you thought you detected a hint of a blush on his cheeks. “I guess I do have a bit of a reputation with fruit, don’t I?” “Just a little,” you grinned. “One watermelon tea with strawberry boba, coming right up.” After ringing up the order, you quickly got to work. Instead of his real name, you wrote “watermelon man” on the sticker on the cup. Hopefully he would appreciate your little joke. “Here you are,” you smiled. “I hope it’s good, seeing as you worked so hard to find some.” “I’m sure it’ll be amazing,” he laughed, grabbing a straw from beside the cash register. You also noticed he had dropped a generous tip into the jar, probably while you had been busy making the drink. “Have a nice day,” you smiled. “You as well,” he said with a small wave before he made his way out the door, sipping his drink as he went. You sighed, shaking your head with a small grin as you grabbed the sandwich from earlier and went to a table for your lunch break.

-----

“Hi mom!” Sophie yelled, holding open the door for Seraphina. “Hi girls!” You called from the back corner of the shop. “I’m by the mushrooms!” The girls quickly found you, Seraphia hugging you and Sophie situating herself on one of the short stools. “How was your day?” You asked. “Good! I gave my report on monarch butterflies and guess what Mrs. Wilson said?” Sophie asked, leaning forward. “What did she say?” “She said it was the best report she had heard all day. She waited until the other kids left so they wouldn’t feel bad, but still,” she said proudly. “Oh wow! I’m so proud of you,” you said, moving over to hug her. “What did I tell you? You can do anything you put your mind to,” you smiled. “Including writing the best report in the whole class, hmm?” She nodded happily before turning away from you to pull a book off the shelf closest to her. “Which one are you starting now?” You asked, leaning over her shoulder to see the book she had. “Anne of Green Gables,” she said. “Oh, I loved those books when I was your age,” you smiled. “I think you’ll really like them.”

She nodded, already immersed in the book. You turned back to Seraphina, who was pulling her folder out of her backpack. “And how was your day, miss Seraphina?” “It was so good, look!” She handed you a paper with two gold stars at the top. “My teacher gave me two gold stars. She said my writing was very good!"

"All that practicing we did must have worked, then!" you said, beaming as you looked at her letters. They were still wobbly, but a huge improvement over how they had been at the beginning of the school year.

She nodded. "And then I colored this picture for you!” She handed you another page. This one had a drawing of you holding hands with her, Sophie, and Stella. The three of you had big smiles and lots of adorable little details. Stella had her hair in a bun and was wearing ballet shoes. Sophie was holding a book in her free hand. Seraphina had drawn herself wearing a shirt with a cat (her favorite animal) on it, and she was wearing her purple socks. Lastly, there was you, holding a cup of coffee and wearing a shirt with a big red heart on it. “Since you like coffee so much,” she explained. “It's beautiful,” you smiled, hugging her. “We’ll hang it on the fridge when we get home, okay?” “Okay,” she agreed. “Why don’t you find a book and read with Sophie for a little bit? We have just over an hour, then we have to go get Stella from dance.” She nodded, handing you the papers and her backpack before running over to the shelves. She grabbed a picture book, settling into the red cushion in the tree and beginning to flip through the pages.

----- “Alright girls, it’s time to pick up Stella,” you said as you wiped off the counter one last time. You had already turned off all the machines and packed up everything else for the day. You flipped the lights off on the way out, smiling a bit when you saw the hand painted sign for boba tea in the window. Harry came into your mind again, with his easy smile, his kind words, and his blushing laugh. You really hoped you would see him again, even though you knew you probably wouldn't. Your shop wasn't very big or well known. How likely was it for him to come to the same little shop in the middle of London again? Still, it didn’t hurt to hope. Maybe he would decide to try the other flavors and stop in again. Your smile spread even further when you started your playlist and Lights Up was the first song to come on. Apparently, it was going to be hard to forget about him.

And about the concert!! It was g r e a t.

It was my first concert and buying the tickets alone was such an adventure! Said friend from the last story for me into 1D the beginning of 2018, so we decided to go together. We decided to go like a week before we could get tickets? I think? At least we were SO excited. We had drama club practice on that day but couldn't concentrate, because we had to think about the fact that we might have the tickets in a week and it was so exciting. I said might because after drama club, I had ballet classes and when I came home it was already quite late, so there was a possibility that we won't get tickets.

When I came home that day, I made my father get the tickets right away. It was a big mess because first of all, we had to get 3 tickets next to each other. One for me, one for my friend and one for my mother since we couldn't go alone. It was really hard and we ended up getting seats in the back. My friend complained at first, saying that we won't be able to see anything back there, but honestly, if I would have just left her behind, I could have gotten way better seats. I didn't obviously, but this pissed me off a bit. Then, it felt like the tickets wouldn't arrive. They took longer than they said they would and we were worried. Next, the tickets looked different than on the picture, so we were scared those weren't legit. But they were.

Me and my friend planned everything out, I made sure to get Amazon Prime Video, so we can watch the 1D iCarly episode that day and I bought the This Is Us movie.

We faced even more troubles since my friend felt sick on that day and we weren't sure she could make it. She did, but we met a bit later than planned originally. I didn't feel a bit the whole time. I was scared that I wouldn't enjoy it. But then we just stand there. And waited to get in. Some fans handed out pictures of a rainbow heart with his face and told us to hold it up when Two Ghosts starts playing and we got a pink sticker for our phone flashlight. We should put it on there and use our flashlight when Sweet Creature is played. I started getting excited and the wait was a HORROR. We made silly jokes about him being dead (it sounds worse than it actually was, I promise) because we got in later than planned, but when we got in it was great. 3 other people from my class were there as well but I didn't met them. I saw them in their places later, but that's it.

We bought merch and I obviously still got it! The shirts were wayyy to large for me and my friends, but we bought them anyways and it's great!

The concert was breathtaking. I barely could do anything than clapping and screaming. My english was terrible back then, so I barely understood what he said and didn't know the song lyrics, but it was fun anyways. When Two Ghosts and Sweet Creature started... Wow... The whole arena was filled with pictures/pink lights. It was great.

And when Only Angel started, he got onto another stage. A smaller one, right in front of where we were!! Turns out it placed were actually great! It did feel like he looked at us once, but I obviously know that's not the case.

My storage luckily run out shortly after the concert started, so I didn't waste my time recording it and just lived the moment. I got a bit sad during the concert because I had to think about that it'll end at some point. But I enjoyed it anyways.

Also the band that played before him was Mabel!! Back then she was quite unknown, but now I've seen people saying how much they wanna go on one of her concerts.

Afterwards we were absolutely done! Our minds were crazy and we kept talking about EVERYTHING that happened. We had a little party at Home, watched the iCarly episode and some YouTube videos.

It was great and so really hope I'll be able to go to another concert (maybe Day6? Maybe imagine dragons? Maybe even Rise Against? Maybe my brother will take me to Rock Am Ring some time?) And just feel such a thing again.

- 🐈

i- WOW. that sounds SO FUN omg the troubles you faced tho oml, good thing everything worked out in the end tho!!! like i once remember when shawn mendes went on tour back in i think 2018 and i wanted to go so badly but as i wanted to buy tickets they were legit sold out oml. like i had this excitement for the tickets just like you but i ended up not going jdjwhdj. i hope i can see someone live at some point, skz would like- be the dream obv haha

I just sold my 2017 Z06 at bottom dollar and couldn't be happier (GM Sucks) via /r/cars

I just sold my 2017 Z06 at bottom dollar and couldn't be happier (GM Sucks)

As the title says, two weeks ago I sold my 2017 Z06 at bottom dollar and am glad to have that POS out of my life.

​

For some context, I’ve always been a car fanatic. I’ve been “car poor” my entire adult life. I’m currently 34. I got my first C5 Corvette at 16. Since then, I’ve owned a total of 5 Corvettes. Most of the time I owned two, one to beat on and one to keep clean. In November, 2016 I bought a brand new base 3-pedal 2017 C7 Z06 for just over $72k (sticker was $81k). At the time, I already owned two C5s (one stock C5 Coupe and one modded/widebody C5Z). I daily drove the C7Z and took it on several exotic car rallies and road trips. Since I could barely afford the car and never thought I'd buy a brand new car, I figured I'd drive it as much as possible. I managed to put well over 1000 hours and over 38k miles on the car in two and a half years. The first year was great. The second year and a half wasn’t.

​

First issue I encountered was the overheating issue. I had the car go into limp mode on the street on three separate occasions. I didn’t waste my time trying to track it, because it was pointless. Suddenly ending up with a 325hp drop in power on the track is a terrifying prospect. I should note that I did have some track time in a C7Z at the Ron Fellows Corvette Driving School at Spring Mountain Motorsport Ranch. They deny it, but it’s clear that the short track sessions are due to the overheating issues. There were two separate occasions where I was with a group and had a racetrack rented out and I didn’t drive the car on the track, and instead chose to ride passenger in friends cars, while my "race car" sat in the paddocks next to the track. There are multiple class action lawsuits against GM for this well known issue. GM even publicly acknowledged this issue and said that it was addressed in the ’17+ models. It wasn’t.

​

The next issue I encountered was the defective wheels. Based on what I've read online, the C7Zs have wide, 20”x12” rear wheels. They are made in Mexico and cast, not forged. They crack on the inside lip of the wheel, without impact. My first wheel cracked at exactly 16k miles, 7 days after mounting and balancing new tires. I was returning from Miami, heading towards DC when I started losing air in South Carolina. I had to stop in North Carolina to get it repaired. I thought it was a nail, but was informed that it was a cracked wheel. Since there were no signs of impact, the dealership replaced the wheel under warranty and I was on my way in about two hours. Later at 32k miles, 10 days after mounting and balancing new tires, I was losing pressure in the same (replaced) wheel. Again it was cracked with no evidence of impact. The dealership denied replacing the wheel under warranty. GM’s customer service was useless. They said that the dealership tech stated that it was “driver error.” I asked what evidence they had and they said that “it appears the car was driven very fast”, likely due to the rally graphics I had on the car. My response was “no shit it’s been driven fast, it’s a fucking Z06!”. After 3 weeks of going back and forth, I gave up and I bought a new wheel, tire, and TPMS sensor. The fact that I had to replace a 3 week old, $450 tire, since it was compromised from being driven on flat multiple times is what upset me more than the actual wheel. I'll also note that at 38k, the car was still on its original alignment and drove straight as an arrow, which also helps demonstrate that I never hit a pothole or did anything that should crack a wheel. There’s also a class action lawsuit against GM for this as well.

​

At 32k miles, I was also informed that I had a leaking shock. The C7Z has magnetic shocks that retail for over $700 each. Luckily the dealership replaced it under warranty, but it still took them several weeks to get the parts and make an appointment. When I brought the car in for its next service at 38k miles, I was informed that the other 3 shocks were leaking. I brought it in to a different dealership (since I was salty about how the previouse dealership handled the wheel issue) to see if they’d do a good faith repair, since shocks should last around 80k+ miles and the fact that all 4 were blown shows they’re defective. More importantly, they likely failed during the warranty period. Also, the fact that they didn’t all break at one time shows that there was no single driving event that destroyed them. The dealership calls me back and says that they’ll replace them (over $3k parts & labor), but I’d have to pay a $500 deductible. I said go for it. When they called me back 3 days later, I thought they were going to tell me that the car was done. Nope. They said that they made a mistake and it would be $1,100 dollars. This doesn’t help me since I found the shocks online for $400/each and can replace them in my driveway in an hour. Again, GM customer service was useless. I haven't read about any class action lawsuits about the shocks, but I suspect it's because most C7Z owners don't daily drive their cars in winter climates.

​

Then, there’s tires. The car had a total of 3 sets of Michel Pilot Sports and one set of the sport cups. Additionally, I needed to replace two tires due to nail punctures and one due to the wheel issue above. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Michelin Pilot Sports are the best tires I’ve ever used, and are worth the cost. It just sucks spending ~$10/day on tires. The Pilot Sports last me around 12k miles per set, mainly due to the aggressive alignment of the car, relatively low treadwear rating, and shallow tread depth. The Sport Cups typically last ~7k miles. They lasted me ~5k miles. I managed to go through a set in two weeks when I drove from DC->Toronto->Miami->DC. Again, this is just me whining, not complaining, since we all know the sacrifices involved with high performance tires. It’s just still kinda crazy to have spent almost $10k in tires in two years.

​

After the frustration with my second cracked wheel, I started shopping for other cars. I found a 970RWHP Twin Turbo C5 that captured my interest in NJ, so I stopped by Carmax to get an offer before checking out the TTC5, so I’d know what to expect as a bottom dollar trade-in. They quoted me $48k, deducting points for a cracked windshield (my fault), high mileage for the model year, and sports car season was ending (it was late November). I decided to hang on to the car until spring, since selling a sports car in winter is cumbersome.

​

After learning about the shocks, it was clear that I needed to exorcise this demon ASAP. I figured that I could clean the shocks and reasonably expect to get ~$47k from Carmax, since the mileage was slightly higher, but sports car season was in full bloom. I told the dealership to give me an offer and save me a trip to Carmax. If they offered me $45k, I would’ve accepted. They called me back a few hours later and said that they wouldn’t even give me an offer and I should bring the car to Carmax. They said that in addition to the defective struts and cracked windshield, they inspected the car and it’s showing signs of excessive clutch wear. That’s right, the dealership didn’t want to make an offer on my two year old, dealer maintained (w/ full service records), flagship model, even at bottom dollar.

​

For the record, I’ve been shifting my own gears since I first rode a dirtbike when I was 10 years old. My 2nd C5 had 126k miles on the original clutch when it was rear ended and totalled. I had an E39 with 197k on the original clutch. For fun, I drove my second C5 for a few months without using the clutch, except to start, and only would lightly grind maybe once or twice per week (out of thousands of shifts, including downshifting to first as I approached stops). My first C5 had a SPEC stage III+ racing clutch and lightened flywheel. My point is that I’m about as gentle on clutches as they come. I remembered when I first got the car that I was amazed that somehow GM could make a clutch that handles 650lb of torque and is VERY easy to drive and streetable. Actually, between the large amounts of torque, the easy clutch, and automatic rev matching, a C7Z is probably one of the easiest cars 3-pedal cars to drive. To me, it seems that GM didn’t actually make a clutch that handles 650lbs of torque.

​

So, I picked up the car from the dealership at 3pm. I called a buddy who has a collector car dealership and told him that I plan to drop that car off at Carmax the next day and should get around $47k. I told him that he could buy it off of me, as-is for $46k, which is $5k cheaper than any used 3-pedal C7Z listed, which would save me the trouble of going to Carmax. He called me back 15 minutes later and I had a check in my hand by 6pm same day.

​

He called me 3 days later and told me that the power steering failed in the middle of a sweeping right turn and the DIC said “Service Power Steering.” I said, “that sucks. keep me updated”. Later on he said that the car reset itself and was driving fine. He stopped driving the car.

​

In the end, the car costed me around $50k to own and drive for 2-1/2 years. When car shopping, I was also looking at 3-pedal Ferrari 360s or 3-pedal Lamborghini Gallardos. I figured I’d be better of supporting the cause by buying a brand new 3-pedal Z06 (save the manuals by buying new) and wouldn’t have to worry about costly repairs, since the car had a warranty. The car costed ~$50/hour to drive. Not cool for the “American Working Man’s Sports Car.”

​

Anyways, I got about $4k in equity back. I bought the car on a 100%, 5-year loan, so my 2-1/2 years of $1,400/month car payments went almost entirely towards depreciation. In total, the car had almost two months of downtime due to reliability/GM issues and another month while I had to save up for another set of tires. It really sucks taking the bus and Ubers while owning a new car that costs ~$60/day to own and drive.

​

I just bought a manual E39 wagon with 156k miles in relatively poor condition and couldn’t be happier (something something driving a slow car fast). I also learned that the public transportation in my area is amazing and now regularly take the bus & metro to work, even though I own a car. My commute takes me 10 minutes longer total, but I can sit and watch YouTube on my phone the entire trip. Plus, I’m helping the environment. So, there’s some positives.

​

The worst part about this ordeal was GM’s poor customer service. Fuck them. I could write another rant 3x as long as this one about the frustration with dealing with them. Again, this is coming from someone who’s owned 5 Corvettes.

​

I’m taking a break from expensive cars for a while (my beloved C5Z is for sale on consignment at a friend's dealership). My next big car purchase is likely going to be a 996 Turbo or a super clean E39 M5. I figure both of these are around $40-$45k and even though they’re 15+ years old, should cause me less headache than my brand new GM POS. At least when they break, they’re worth fixing and I don’t have to worry about a company reneging or string-betting on their warranty promises.

​

Here’s a few pictures of the car. Not gonna lie, it looked pretty and I had some great experiences with it:

​

https://imgur.com/a/wg64ueR

I feel a little out of sorts. A little frustrated. I am trying not to fall into anger but it's hard. It's mostly about tomorrow. But at least most of today was really nice.

I woke up after an alright sleep. James came and laid with me for a few minutes before we had to get up. They made the bed and I got dressed.

I was excited to wear my valentine's Halloween sweater. But really I should have put another shirt on under it because I was cold!! It was so chilly today!! I ended up wearing socks and leggings and boots. And was still a little chilly. I would be fine but man. It was surprising.

We left here and got me breakfast before heading to the museum. It was drizzling. And would be on and off rain all morning. The wind was pretty strong as well. James and Stanley would come out and put the sides down and that helped a lot. Made the day a lot more pleasant and a lot less blustery.

I was pretty focused on my knitting today. But I would spend a good amount of time talking to Ginny. She apparently loves to travel and we were just talking about that and wedding stuff and she is so nice. I got a pumpkin roll and an apple cider donut. I would jokingly run away and tell her James would come out and pay later. And of course they did come out to get their pastries and we laughed about me running away. And later one Ginny would be one of my 3 sales. She bought my beaded "have a nice day!" totebag. Made me feel good and I gave her a little discount.

I had some nice conversations and got to see cute babies. I did my knitting and had lots of people watch me and compliment me and it is very easy to make me feel all proud of myself and my work when that happens. It's nice to share this type of knitting too.

I would space it out well and would finish my last row right around 12. I had had a nice chat with Helen about possible alternatives to flowers because she is going to be cleared out because of another wedding she's doing. And I talked to Stanley for a bit about my fiber works. And I chatted with Bob the blacksmith for a long time. Got to tell him about my bronze casting background and I think I impressed him with my patina knowledge.

Around 11 Anne decided, based on vender feedback, that we should close early. Didn't have to tell me twice. So at noon we all packed up. My stuff takes like 2 minutes to put away so I waited until I saw someone else putting things away. And then I was off.

I got all my stuff in my box and loaded up the wagon and over to the car. I went in to say goodbye to James and remind them to print our stickers. And then I headed home.

When I got back here I brought my knitting up. Grabbed the mail. And pet Sweetp for a bit. I have a heating pad in the couch for him because I'm worried he will be cold.

And then I changed and got in bed.

I spent a while brushing out my bear. The little windbreaker I got him came and so I wanted him to not look as scrungly. It's not perfect. But using a file card and a cat brush got most of the mats out. And the little windbreaker looks so cute. I did end up ordering a black hoodie off of Etsy since I couldn't find one anywhere else. I will later the two so he can have a hood again. Which I think looks better.

I still stand by the colts being funny because that used to be the football team in Baltimore before they were stolen in the night. James looked at the shirt and said that it was a funny way to spell Baltimore. Which is fair enough.

I worked on some knitting stuff. Experimenting with the yarns I have. A lot of mine are either to thick or to loose. I was able to make a few more tubes I will attempt to make into plushies. It's fun to try stuff.

I would start trying to sleep. I ended up looking at advent calendars and I am excited that this year I actually was able to order the jam Advent calendar!! It is usually sold out by the time I remember it but I used the Amazon gift card the dentist gave me and the Cashback I had on my credit card so it's basically free. I'm really excited.

And then I slept. I slept to long honestly. James was home from work when I woke up and we laid in bed together. Which was very nice. They felt very cold so I hope I warmed them up a little.

Then we had dinner in bed. And watched videos. Eventually I went to work on cutting out the stickers they printed but the ink didn't stick to the paper and just flaked off and I was so upset. At first I thought they just didn't dry and had rub off because of that but if I ran my finger on them it just came right off. Super disappointed. So I ordered a different brand of paper to try out. We'll see what happens I guess.

I was really uspset then. And then got more upset when the street fair tomorrow still hadn't emailed me. The last one I did have me a 72 hour out email and a 24 hour out, and then a day off. This fair started on Friday and they never even confirmed they got my application!! The only reason I know they did is because my name is on the website. But I don't know anything. I had emailed them twice this week but no answer. So I finally set them a Facebook message since they had been posting photos. And whoever runs it did message me back but just said the vender coordinator would take care of it in the morning. What does that mean?? I don't even have an address. Or a spot number. Or anything!! I don't even feel comfortable with going with how the rain is going to be. And I'm going to be alone.

I have basically decided that I will wake up at 8 tomorrow. And if they don't send an email by 9 when load in is supposed to start I won't go. I really don't want to go anyway but I feel bad wasting $60 on the table fee. It basically wipes out my profit from today. But like also. It's a really long market, 9 am load in, goes until 6pm. And it is going to rain literally all day.

So I am just not feeling my best. I feel just this side of angry. It isn't a nice feeling.

I did get to test more yarn tonight. And hang out with James. And I got a shower. But I have a lot of tension in my jaw. And I don't know how to make it stop.

I hope you all feel okay and are taking care of yourself. Stay safe. And be careful. Goodnight everyone.

I just got so super tired in the last hour. I don't even know why! But it was an excellent day overall. I felt a lot better. I mean I am still stressed but like. I think that stealed me up for this morning.

I slept. Fine. Getting to sleep was terrible. I cried a lot. I was just so tired but also so upset. I eventually fell asleep. And woke up every couple hours because I was anxious.

I woke up and got dressed and felt very powerful. My outfit was just so good and also my boots were great. Made me feel strong. And very quickly we were off and on the road to the dealership.

On the ride there I quickly got an estimate for our car for a trade in value. I wanted a number in my pocket. I texted with dad. It made me feel a little better to have him hear what the plan was.

And then we were there. Ryan, the dealer, was very nice. He said to take a drive while they got paperwork set up. And it was fun. Also terrifying. My blind spot in this car is very different then the old car. I almost merged into someone! WIth only 7 miles on the whole car! I was a little shaken up so me and James switched and they drove for a while. We did some just driving and checking out about the car. It was fun.

We got back to the dealership and that's when the stupid game starts. I don't understand why cars are sold like this. It almost feels like if it was written in a story it would feel fake. First thing we talked about the trade in. The Camery is 10 years old. Is covered in scratches. Has a dent in the side. Has a torn seat. A wear thing on the dashboard. The ceiling fabric is thumb tacked up. The breaks screach and it thumps when you break. So they offered us $.1500. But I have the estimate number in my pocket. And so with that I was able to get them to give us $3000 instead. And then the interest rate we were able to get down almost a whole percent.

And then!! After we signed everything we went to finalize it with the financial guy and we were able to get a few more extras for discounted. I was super proud of us. There was one issue of me not knowing where the title was. I am sure we will find it here. Just wasn't something I was aware of, I thought the registration and the title were the same sheet but it is apparently a blue sheet somewhere. I think I know what he is talking about but honestly. Not sure. They just ordered a new one. It was like $20. So its all good.

We went outside to take our last things from the Camery and put them in the Crosstreck. A few people were complimenting the car. Felt neat. Ryan took our picture with my instax. Got a kick out of that. We chatted for a few more minutes and then we had our new car. Felt so weird.

We left there and went right to target to get a few groceries and things for camping next week. I called dad and we talked. It was good to hear him. He sounded a little weak but it made me feel a lot more secure. I love him. I don't want him to be hurting.

Once we were off the phone me and James just worked on getting thing things we needed. Including new pillows. But mostly camp foods.

We got pretty much everything. But we would have to stop at our local grocery store as well when we couldn't find a couple things. Ah well.

Between those two stops we got lunch at a diner. The food was excellent and the waitress was really nice. But we both lost a lot of energy. All the adrenilin from the morning was gone. And we were both very tired.

We would go downtown and James would run in the post office to get us postcard stamps so we could get the first batch of engagement cards in the mail. We would go to the grocery store. And then it was home.

We unpacked everything. James put things away. I would work on figuring out what we should keep in the car. We kept to much stuff in there before. I found a cargo net that dad must have had in the camery. So I went to install that. And put our air compressor and some bungee cords and jumper cables and a picnic blanket and some grocery bags. And then I put some stickers on the brand new baby car because I cannot be stopped or tamed.

I would work on some packing for camping after that. James helped me bring everything down and I would reorganize everything so we wouldn't have to worry. I am pretty pleased. I love packing.

I would do a little styling. And working on gathering addresses. James was making us indian food. And once it was done the flavors were great even if the chick peas were a little to hard still. The naan was great.

And then we were making the cards. We had a great system. James printed all the addresses and names on a business card template. So we could just cut them out and tape them on. I would put the stamps on, James would cut tape, I would attach the addresses. It was an excellent system. We have way to many cards but whatever. I am really excited about them regardless. We will just use whatever left over for something else. Save the dates maybe? Just would need to print something new for the back. Or we will just have to many and know better for next time.

I took a bath while James went for a bike ride. And then we would play video games for a little bit. But I was having trouble even keeping my eyes open. So now I am going to go get ready to go to sleep. I hope tomorrow is a beautiful day.

Sleep well everyone. Goodnight!!