Saturday

[clevermanka]

More from 1921. This is definitely how I platonically look at my co-worker drinking a glass of water. Nice manip. ZYL's faaaaaace.

Fanart: MY HEART. Chibis in the kitchen. Literally a scene from Redemption. Pucker up. Weasel/hamster go to the beach. Novelverse Nagel. Art nouveau Kunwei. Ratfink-esque!

I AM SO BEAUTIFULLY SEEN.

Thursday's dump on cm.net.

Not happy with the fact that the new job is taking everything I've got with nothing leftover for me at the end of the day. I haven't even opened Redemption in two weeks. *sob* I was hoping to publish before the end of 2021 and I just don’t see that happening at this point which sucks for a number of reasons. IDK maybe I'll turn a corner soon, but I'm only about 20% of the way done and I've been working on it since April.

I wrote a hair under 150 words last night, though!

Today I went with office mate (who just finished the fourth episode of Guardian!) to a big Asian grocer in KC and a couple smaller ones, one of which was a Korean gift shop with tons of band merch and masks (skin care and otherwise). The smaller grocery store had a woman making gimpbap/kimbap for the lunch hour so we got some of that to go. I'd never had it before, and it was so good! I need to find what sort of pickle she used in it so I can buy a jar. Both places had tons of good produce for super cheap. naye, they had bags and bags of gai lan! I also picked up some lovely eggplants, champagne mushrooms, and baby bok choi--about twice the amount of bok choy I usually buy for half the price  but it was the smallest bag I could find. Oh! And the large store had coconut milk in the aseptic/Tetra Pak containers!!! Seems a silly thing to get excited about, but one takes pleasure where one can in this world.

Seriously tempted to make the 40 minute drive to KC every weekend for groceries now.

I slept for an hour after I got home and am still feeling a little wiped, but #WorthIt.

Comments

[moodsong]

It's really nice to see you doing 5hings you enjoy.

[clevermanka]

It was so nice! And all the stores still had masks required even though the ~mandate~ has been lifted. 👍

[trobadora]

I can't seem to keep up with anything these days, so I apprecciate your link roundups even more than usual. ♥

[clevermanka]

Glad to be of service!

[khellekson]

HOLY CRAP that coworker-drinking-a-glass-of-water look! It simply screams, "I want you, and I WILL HAVE YOU." Or... am I reading too much into it?

Didn't think so.

I say, make a date with your office mate to drive to KC every weekend. That shop sounds lovely.

[clevermanka]

Or... am I reading too much into it?
LOLOLLLLL

If I had the energy to go to KC every weekend for that, I probably would. I think once a month might be do-able, though!

[nnozomi]

Maybe you will have more energy once the new job gets to the point of being routine? I hope so. The shopping sounds lovely! (I mostly don't miss teaching, but when I worked at a school with mostly Korean-Japanese kids their mothers would occasionally bring us big plates of homemade kimbap, Korean sweet rice cake, etc...the best.)
(aw, Bai Yu and his face...)

[clevermanka]

I'm really hoping that once I'm settled in at the job I'll get some energy back. Fingers crossed hard.

Love a culture of food sharing!

[stultiloquentia]

That sounds like such a nice outing.

I would also be extremely excited about the coconut milk. Story of my life as a grown-up.

[clevermanka]

*fistbump* It might seem banal, but it's so much nicer to pour that into my tea instead of from a can. And they had six-packs of the smaller cartons so if I ever travel again...

What, doesn't everybody pack coconut milk for their tea when they travel?

eta: I'm still in love with that alternate color dot you wrote for me. How you were so spot-on I have no idea. MAGICAL.

[laireshi]

I'm not sure if that's helpful but I thiiink traditionally you use yellow radish pickle in a kimbap, danmuji? (Also wow I miss Korean food.)

[clevermanka]

Ahhhh! I was just talking with Ansel on the drive in about our shared love of pickled radish (my palate's not sensitive enough to pick it out of the other flavors), so I bet you're right.

[minoanmiss]

I am hoping that what's taking all your mojo is as much the adjusting-to-working-again process as the job itself, and as you adjust you'll get back your writing margin. I totally sympathize -- you've seen my extended metaphorical complaints about having to write for work. *grins encouragingly*

[clevermanka]

Yepppp and I am so glad I knew at a very young age that I never wanted to do what I loved for money! Thank you for your constant encouragement, bb. I treasure it.

[kimboo_york]

That "eye fucking while you drink water" scene, WHEW. *mops brow* I love our boys, gosh.

The grocery trip run sounds amazing! And coconut milk not from a can?!??! I dream of it, honestly.

As others have said, I think once your job routine settles in you will have energy again for other things. Everything is just so NEW and SHINY I'm sure your brain is on constant overload!!!! Rest up! <3

[clevermanka]

I love how many of us are On Board with the aseptic coconut milk packaging. My people, truly.

I think once your job routine settles in you will have energy again for other things
I really, really hope so. If I have energy to do things exclusively for me instead of putting emotional energy into someone else (undeserving), imagine how much I'll be able to write!

[kimboo_york]

If I have energy to do things exclusively for me instead of putting emotional energy into someone else (undeserving), imagine how much I'll be able to write!

GOSH JUST IMAGINE!!!! *happy face*

[yaaurens]

I hope you regain your energy levels soon!

The shopping sounds amaaaaazing. I miss living near decent Asian markets - the one by me is really more of a seafood place, so their produce isn't the best. Coconut milk not in a can is absolutely worthy of excitement, too!

[clevermanka]

Everybody on the aseptic packaging train! Love it!

And yes please, world! Bring back my energy levels soon. I WANNA FINISH THIS FIC.

[tinny]

Awesome artwork and that weilan manip is A+! Thank you for linking, as usual.

Big Asian grocers are great!

[clevermanka]

You're welcome!

And yesssss on the grocer. The produce section alone would be worth a trip if I was cooking for more than just me.

[wrote_and_writ]

The grocery stores sound like heaven, though, and I would absolutely drive for groceries if I had the energy and also a car. The pan-Asian grocery store in Minsk got my favorite brand of Chinese iced tea AND my fave Japanese curry the week AFTER I left! 😭 They don’t have a fixed stock, so I just have to cross my fingers and hope for the best when I go back that the tea, at least, will still be there. I’m bringing more of the curry with my from home because it’s easier to pack.

[clevermanka]

got my favorite brand of Chinese iced tea AND my fave Japanese curry the week AFTER I left
Of course!!!

[naye]

That sounds like a fantastic (and tasty) grocery trip! So happy they had all of the things you needed.

OMG I had not seen the hair kissing picture and I am IN FEELINGS now. (It's in Redemption?! Ahhh!!!)

And wow, yeah, stultiloquentia has such a way with words. ♥

[clevermanka]

I actually wrote the hair-kissing scene before I saw the arts! So amazing to be in some sort of wavelength/zeitgeist with others in the fandom. And oh my gosh stultiloquentia's little stories about everyone were amazing.

I LOVE EVERYONE IN THIS BAR.

[galaxysoup]

Oh man, I'm sorry the new job is so exhausting (belated congrats on getting it, btw!). That sounds like an excellent grocery adventure, though!

[clevermanka]

Thank you! I'm relieved to have a paycheck coming again (soon). It was such a treat to be like "yes, I am purchasing six week's worth of coconut milk with no concern for my bank account!"

[dontfall]

OMG the food sounds amazing!!!

Also, the fact that you got ANY writing done is amazing. I know how much it takes out of you to start something new and it's so so draining. *hugs*

[clevermanka]

The food was so good! If you visit, I'll take you! 😄