syni

I'm currently 229 pages and 109,864 words into Of The Deepest Dye, and I only have a couple more chapters to go before it's done. I think it's going to end up at 13 chapters plus the Prologue and the Epilogue, so 15 "chapters" on AO3. I really like how it's come along so far, but I'm not sure it's for everyone. My writing style in general isn't for everyone. Also, it's way too late now but I regret how close "Sprite" and "Shrike" are, name-wise, especially with how much they interact in later chapters. Oh well. *shrug*

I'm going to work on Hippocratic next, alongside My Zombie, since I decided that's the next original novel I'm going to write. But I can't just work on one project at a time, of course, that would make sense. And in January I'm going to start editing TKA and hopefully turn it into something I like again. I'm also trying to finish up In Memoriam so I can get it posted at some time soon.

I'm doing story building for two new Valdemar fics, Menageria and Alabaster, right now, and while Alabaster is coming along really well I'm considering scrapping Menageria and starting over with just the basics of it because I don't particularly like how it's going so far. I guess it is what it is. Not all ideas are absolute winners, right?

Yesterday when I went to have blood taken for tests (boo, I have bruises now), I went across the street to the dollar store when I was done to pick up a couple of things and FOUND THEIR BINDER SECTION WUT. They're not much cheaper than Walmart binders, but they have BLACK ONES and I can NEVER find black ones! When I need a black one I always have to go to Staples and buy one of their $16 binders, GAH. So, on Friday when Mom takes me out shopping I'm going to go back there and buy like four black binders for future use because C'MON. Yesterday I could only afford one, and I've already assigned it to Rattleback lol. XD;;

Also, when I was at the dollar store, I picked up a cookie tin so I can make cookies for Nancy and we can ship them to her. Just shortbread and probably just one batch. I don't think we're doing Christmas baking this year either, really, on top of not doing Family Christmas... maybe I'll make shortbread cookies to mail to Brad and Kristianna, too, though, since Kristianna always looks forward to them. I dunno.

I think this weekend we're going to be decorating for Christmas around here, all the stuff is in from the garage and just needs to be put up, and Mom says I can have her baby Christmas tree for my room if I can find a flat surface too set it on. I would really like that, and I think I can set it up on top of the binders next to Morgana, so that will work out. I love Christmas and the giving and the feeling of the season so much and to decorate my room a little bit would be great.

Last night Mom made lasagne for dinner, and I didn't say anything but I was like ~__~;; the entire time she was making it and we were eating it. I would never tell her because I don't want to hurt her feelings, but she makes TERRIBLE lasagne. She doesn't use enough sauce or cheese, so it always comes out dry and bland and I would SO MUCH rather make my own lasagne, but she insists on trading off. Also, she always makes TWO GIANT pans of it so we can freeze it and eat it off-and-on for MONTHS and I'm like... blegh. Last night's turned out particularly bad imo. I only ate half a piece and then gave the rest to Lee, because he likes Mom's lasagne for some reason. Probably just because it has meat while mine is vegetarian. idk.

Anyway. Some time today or tomorrow Mom is measuring my bed to order a new mattress for it, since the springs are all gone and even sticking out in some places. I can't sleep on it properly anymore, and when Mom offered to buy me a new one I jumped on the offer. But she wants to order it this Friday to take advantage of Black Friday deals, which I totally understand. (Speaking of Black Friday, I am ordering some stuff from AliExpress on Friday and it's going to cost me HALF what it normally would Black Friday RULES.)

I'm starting to put together another parcel for Sethi and her family, and this time the kids are old enough that I'm trying to do more personalized stuff for them rather than just buying a bunch of generic "kid stuff" and hoping it goes over. So hair and nail stuff for E & G, and anime stuff for M. Plus all the requisite chocolate, of course, and a couple of books for Sethi, and some coffee for her hubby, that kind of thing. I have fun putting together these boxes, though this one won't make it to them until after Christmas. I managed to get last year's to them juuuuust in time for Christmas, but this time I can't afford the shipping until probably February. It's fine, though, they won't mind. <3

Yesterday evening I gave the cats their third dose of Advantage. I'm pretty sure the mites were all gone anyway, but I'd rather be safe than sorry, you know? And now I have a spare dose for each of them just in case things go sideways again in the future.

Speaking of the cats! About three weeks ago, Amazon's algorithm randomly recommended to be this stuff for cats called "Solid BM Gold" the "BM" short for "Bowel Movement", and I clicked on it out of curiosity, and basically it's a herbal supplement that curbs diarrhea problems in cats and helps them have proper, solid poops. AND I WAS LIKE "HAH!" because JUNA had had diarrhea problems for YEARS now that NOTHING could seem to help, and it's been wearing on his health for all of that time. So, I talked it over with Mom, and one bottle was $57 BUT it was a 4-month supply, so that makes it MUCH more affordable in the long run. Mom was kind of like "well we've tried everything else :|" so I ponied up the sixty bucks and bought a bottle...

...and FIVE DAYS IN IT WAS ALREADY MAKING SUCH A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I wasn't sure what to expect, if it would work right away, if it would take a while to work, if it was total snake oil, but you give him a TINY amount twice a day and he is almost completely diarrhea free IT'S A FREAKING MIRACLE. Plus, without the constant diarrhea, he's GAINING WEIGHT, TOO, HALLELUJAH.

Juna hates hates HATES having the dropper shoved into his mouth twice a day, but I'm getting better at it, getting faster at it, so he's not flailing as much now as he was at the beginning and I mean. It's worth it. Best $57 I ever spent.