This Is Going Around Twitter Rn But Im Also Super Curious: Please Tell Me Your Top four Comfort Movies

Complaint of Online Dating Number Infinity.5

Do all women have to suffer through dudes who swipe right but then never contact said woman they swiped right on?

Or, as my growingly more pessimistic self thinks, are these dudes focusing all their time and energy on conventionally attractive women and keeping women like me (not conventionally attractive) on the sidelines because their reasoning is: “she’s plain, so she’s probably desperate, and thus, she’ll wait with bated breath for me.”

Well, guess what you sacks of dead baby birds, I AINT WAITING!

Perks of Working at a University

Schedules are dictated by the school year - long holidays and summer hours are shorter

Lots of free/cheap events - because they’re catering to students who have little to no money

Get to commute through and work at a pretty campus - mine is, anyway

When school is canceled, work is canceled - yay snow days!

The Major Con of Working at a University (for me)

Encountering a man that checks off so many of my “Oh, no, he’s hot” boxes - Asian medical student who plays the violin with beautiful long fingers that is wearing glasses and a suit-!!!

Only to realize he’s probably ten years younger than me.

Things I didn't realize I could do despite NOT being Posh/Rich

Namely because I grew up not seeing it done in my own family so assumed I wouldn't ever be able afford to, or that was a class rule thing that I wasn't allowed to break lest I be perceived as a social climber or inadvertently saying I'm better than my peers.

Yay my Autistic black and white logic.

Since coming to these realizations, whole new levels of joy have opened up in my life.

(In no particular order)

#1 - Trimming my nails so they were all the same length on each finger and both hands

I’m honestly not sure what made me think I couldn’t trim my nails so they were all the same length. I grew up seeing adult women in my circle have uneven nails on their hands vs posh women with professionally manicured hands so maybe my mind just made the correlation. I always thought that the even nails were so elegant and wished my could be even too, but the women in my family didn’t care about manicures, and to be fair, I didn’t and still don’t like wearing nail polish, so even if I had worked up the nerve to ask for a manicure, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it.

But then one day when I was in my teens, I randomly, from the corner of my eye, watched a bit of some tween animated show (maybe Bratz?) and one of the girls broke a nail and then went on about how now she was going to have to trim all the other ones to match. And my mind was blown.

I realized then that having my nails all different lengths upset me. It didn’t matter if one or two of them had grown in very nicely if they didn’t match the rest. In fact, I was perfectly happy with them all being trimmed to the nubs if it meant they were all the same length.

I still have yet to get a professional manicure and I still don’t like painting my nails. I tend to keep my nails fairly short because I do martial arts and bake and gardening so having them short is practical. And having them all even makes me happier than a few of them looking elegant.

#2 - Having matching sets of themed underwear

As a teen and into my twenties, my bras never matched my underwear. Because I was raised on the kind of underwear you get in large packs. My mother openly scoffed at the pantie displays, saying pantie was such a vulgar term, and from the media it seemed wearing matching sets of underwear was reserved for “the bedroom”. Whenever I passed by a Victoria’s Secret, I’d see the piles of lace and my good Christian girl brainwashing had me roll my eyes and tell myself that I was better than the uncouth masses for not wearing such highly sensual underwear since obviously one only wore it if one was expecting to have intercourse with a man.

And then I discovered matching socks weren’t just a fashion statement limited to men.

Socks growing up had also followed the same rule as purchasing underwear - cheap and in bulk. But then I got several ballet flats and realized my normal socks were not going to go well so I got several pairs of cute floral socks to match with my outfits.

I also had been going to therapy recently and had started lifestyle changes like going to taekwondo three times a week and incorporating more healthy foods into my diet (I’m still pretty picky because most healthy foods aren’t safe foods for me, but smaller changes like using 100% whole wheat bread and drinking 2% milk have helped a lot).

Long story short, I was feeling more positive and comfortable and confident in my body and treated myself to some new clothes. Because I had also discovered Torrid - a clothing store that designs clothes specifically for women like me.

And after get a new wardrobe, the likes of which I never thought I’d get to have because all the cute clothes everywhere were too small for me, I realized I didn’t need a reason besides wanting to feel pretty to buy matching underwear sets. And to have enough to last me two weeks without repeating!

I’m such a visual person and it took me a long time to realize and embrace it. Sometimes I just open the special drawer where I keep all my pretty underwear and admire them.

#3 - Spaces beside your bedroom can be themed

By now the visual theme is well established. Stimming for neurodivergent people can take on my forms through the various senses - it’s not just limited to “flapping”. Visual stimming is my biggest stim. Nothing makes me happier than staring at beauty.

My bedroom has always been my sanctuary, especially growing up. We moved 8 times my first 18 years and my mom, being the artist that she is, tried to make the transitions easier by letting us pick a new theme for our rooms every time we moved.

The rest of the house outside my bedroom never seemed to have a theme. It was the 90s-2000s and if you don’t know the aesthetic for that time period consider yourself lucky. My parents also collected things from the places we moved and the trips we had gone on, so the rest of the house looked pretty chaotic to me (especially since in my room everything had to have a place and god forbid a single pillow was out of place).

I didn’t stay long enough in my first two apartments to put any effort into them (first one was while working as a teacher in Japan and the second was when I was in grad school). But when I got my first real job and my first real apartment, that’s when I realized I could decorate however I wanted to (because I was starting from scratch).

It took some trial and error to figure out what worked for me in each of the rooms. Obviously I couldn’t spend massive amounts of money, but with a little creativity I managed to cultivate spaces that made me happy.

My kitchen is very Japanese inspired - white base with sage green accents, bamboo blond pieces, and black or white appliances. My bathroom is white with navy colored middle eastern inspired accents. My study is white, blue, yellow, and green, the focal point being from a large Ghibli Castle in the Sky mural. And my bedroom is cottagecore fairytale with a base palette of white, green, yellow, red, and dark woods.

#4 - I can collect art from my favorite artists

For the final visual theme, ART. Growing up, my mom was a freelance artist. Our home was decorated with pieces she had made herself. From osmosis, I assumed either you were rich enough to buy original pieces, you were creative enough to make your own, or your were neither and were reduced to the cheap mass produced pieces one bought at hobby stores.

I inherited my mother’s talent for art and felt I couldn’t hang up anything on my own walls unless I had made it myself. Because why by someone else’s work when I could make my own?

But this was a problem because what I made didn’t always seem good enough for me to stare at it for hours and that would just make me grumpy.

And then I discovered that a lot of my favorite digital artists had shops. And from those shops, you could order prints.

And I realized buying prints was actually a very important thing to do, because it was supporting a freelance artist, like my mom had been. And what could be better than that? Plus I got to have beautiful pieces hanging in my place for me to stare at and visually stim to.

#5 - Just because something is a name brand and expensive doesn’t mean I can’t buy it if I can afford it

For years my mother has pointed out that I have expensive taste. For some reason I tend to gravitate towards the priciest items without even knowing how expensive they are. She also has a tendency to tell me I’m terrible with money (though living on my own without going into debt for over 10 years now should have proved to her and myself that that isn’t true).

Naturally this evolved into a strange complex of me thinking I didn’t deserve to buy name brand products.

And then I discovered Torrid (which by my upbringing is a name brand), and threw caution to the wind to buy clothes that I loved despite them not being on sale (though I still waited for sales and used discounts whenever possible).

And then I heard a rumor that Mazda wasn’t going to be making the Mazda3 model that I was in love with (because so many things about it from the color to the chassis reminded me of my favorite transformer, TFP Knockout). My old car was starting to break down and I decided I had saved enough for a new car (because it seemed getting a house where I lived would never happen anyway), and I bought my brand new dream car.

I know Mazda and Torrid probably aren’t considered high end name brands by posh people, but to me they are. Because growing up my clothes came from thrift stores or Walmart or from the sales racks at Kohls. I was never allowed to buy anything new at full price. When my family got new cars, the old ones had to be dead and the new ones were purchased for their practicality, not their looks.

My parents kept a tight leash on their finances. Both came from poorer families that had to make hard decisions and be creative to get by at times. And I appreciate the money saving tips they gave me.

But this is my life, and I need to find and make my own happiness. That doesn’t mean buying whatever I want whenever I want, but it also means not denying myself little luxuries because I don’t think I deserve them.

Was tagged by my bestie, @a-lighthouse-a-man-a-city to do the 3 Fictional Characters I Honestly Would Say I’m the Most Alike.

And honestly, this was HARD. Because it’s very rare that I find anyone in fiction that I can actually relate to. I’m not a pure girly-girl but I’m not a tough-as-nails biker chick either. I’m a strange mix of leather and lace. But after much searching I did find three girls that I’ve related to more than anyone else.

First up is Evie O’Connell, from the Mummy movies (just the first two, I refuse to acknowledge the subsequent films). Evie represents the adventuring academic in me. She may seem too bookish to be out in the field, but it’s wise not to let her innocent demeanor fool you. She will fight for what’s right and she’ll probably have a lot of random facts in her arsenal to do it. She has a great love for history but balances it evenly with the present. And sometimes she’s just a little too curious for her own good, though thankfully for me, it tends to be on a smaller scale.

Next is Moonshade from the Elfquest comics (before the Final Quest volumes because her character in that arc was a complete switch from the one I came to know and love). Moonshade is both my artistic side and my old fashioned self. She loves creating things in many mediums, particularly outfits, and likes to incorporate new elements from the places she’s been in her designs. But even though she enjoys experiencing new things, she will never bend her beliefs and what she knows to be right, even if it means alienating herself from others. She tends to hold grudges against people who have wronged her or anyone she cares for, demonstrating a loyalty that will never break.

And lastly, but probably the one I identify with the most, is Entrapta from the Netflix She-Ra. Entrapta is my easygoing, socially inept geek self. She accepts everything and everyone at face value, seeing them in a positive light until proven otherwise. She’s passionate about the things she enjoys and tends to get single minded when it comes to her projects, with her likes seeming rather strange to many others. She may technically be an adult but mentally she’s still a kid at heart, and so has trouble reading more nuanced situations. She has difficulty in making friends and connections with people because she wants to please them, to fit in, but at the same time, she yearns for someone who accepts her and praises her for who she truly is.

I found it very interesting that the girls I chose seem so different at first glance. But at their cores, they all care deeply about the people in their lives and will do anything to help and protect them, even if it means putting themselves in the line of fire. They are passionate about what they love and tend to dedicate so much time and effort into those interests, often showing their love by sharing the fruits of these labors with the people they value most.

And they all seem to have a thing for misunderstood loners ;3

Tag to anyone who wants to do this for fun!

Have you ever written a chapter or scene and as you’re writing it you’re thinking “this is terrible.” But you keep writing it because you have to see it through to the end even though you’re already planning to trash it and are working on ideas to replace it with?

Favorite Sonic IDW Moments 💙🦔💨 Part 3

How I show my age and political savvy:

Recently a coworker mentioned they were going to put in a notice of no confidence towards one of the mangers.

And I, in all my learning and wisdom asked: "That's a real thing?"

They were puzzled by my question so I clarified that: "I though the 'vote of no confidence' was a Star Wars thing."

Needless to say, everyone in earshot burst out laughing.

To be fair, it was pretty funny and I was laughing right along with them.

But in my defense, I was a kid when I first saw Phantom Menace, and G. Lucas ain't exactly one for accurate details, so I just assumed it was something he made up.

I gave this explanation to my coworkers and that just made them laugh more.

Personally, I find it funny that despite loving costume and fashion design, the most expensive and only top name brand piece I have in my wardrobe is: a Calvin Klein winter coat I bought for around $100, plus tax, but minus a random percentage coupon.

Got tagged by @a-lighthouse-a-man-a-city to shuffle my favorites playlist and list the first 10 :3

I did the playlist on my phone which sadly is an outdated version (new phone not being compatible with old computer-I’ve been saving up to remedy this), but I feel like the songs that popped up do give you an idea how eclectic I can be lol

1: “Soy Yo” by Bomba Estéreo

2: “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga

3: “Survivor” by 2WEI

4: “Cotton Heads” by Caravan Palace

5: “Someone You Like” by The Girl and the Dreamcatcher

6: “Bye-Bye” by Jo Dee Messina

7: “Renegade” by Stereo Dive Foundation

8: “Time After Time” by Estelle

9: “The Wolf” by Siamés

10: “Stay for Awhile” by Amy Grant

I’ve been re-watching Steven Universe (from start to finish) the past couple of days, and all the new little nuances of the foreshadowing, references, and Gem culture are starting to stand out more the second time around. And it’s really sparked some ideas and theories that I hadn’t considered before the most recent seasons came out.

One of the more significant ones is the “My Diamond” phrase, or rather, Rose’s “My Pearl” line that she says in episode 45: Rose’s Scabbard.

Before the introduction of the Diamonds, that line didn’t really have any deeper meaning than the usual term of endearment. But with the Homeworld Gems referring to the significant leaders as ‘Their Diamonds’ (and when they don’t: such as Jasper referring to Yellow Diamond by her name, which we find out why later - because her TRUE Diamond is Pink Diamond), the phrasing Rose uses in that instance could have a far deeper meaning.

To call Pearl “My Pearl”, could not only be a term of endearment, but also that of high respect and loyalty. For Rose to say that to Pearl, who basically was made to be a pretty walking/talking purse, I think it was incredible and overwhelming. It’s no wonder that Pearl was so dedicated to Rose.

I think this is further proved in the episode ‘Sworn to the Sword’. When Connie asks Pearl “Did Rose make you feel like you were nothing?” and when Pearl answers: “Rose made me feel like I was everything.”

That statement makes so much more sense to me if my theory about the “My (Gem)” phrase is correct. When a Gem says “My Diamond”, I think it’s like they are reaffirming their devotion to the Diamond. They are saying “I am loyal to you. I live to serve you. You are the source of my existence.” (or something like that).

So when Rose goes and falls in love with Greg, I can see how terribly hurt Pearl would be by it. The Gem she thought was loyal to her - valued her more than anyone, decides to suddenly chose someone else, after all Pearl has done for Rose, and after thinking that she had Rose’s highest esteem…

It must have been truly devastating.

Now I wonder if Sapphire and Ruby go around saying that to each other ;)