work
I'm doing some small contract work for a friend. It's hard to price myself well to someone i respect. Need to figure out my rates for self-funded projects, retainers, and perpetual pricing better.
I'm also considering writing work in the interest of getting better at it. I've done really well this week. I have three drafts ready - one travelogue, one book review, and one bit of fanfction, which I'm most excited about.
health
Went to the gym and fucked around with a friend last Wednesday. It was SO much fun, I need to do more. Unfortunately the rest of the week has been a wash with movement - i had a cold on Thu Fri Sat, was busy on Sun then stayed up all night which means Mon was about recovery. Then immediately got my period. Now it's Wednesday night again and I haven't yet worked out. It's the first time in 8 weeks that I haven't even once, and I'm very sad about breaking my streak. I had a pocket on Sunday that I should have just taken. I did walk around a lot on Sunday evening and Tuesday morning so I did get some movement in, but my callouses are fading away and I don't like it.
No headaches this week which has been nice. Giant pimple, red left eye since Tuesday morning, unclear why. Maybe mascara?
Routine has been good, but I still haven't chipped away at the boss that is General Anxiety.
life
It continues to be fulfilling to reach for an rss feed or a kindle instead of social media.
I socialised a fair bit this week - attended the demo days for an ai hack house! Went to a book club meet! Attended a book launch! Attended a Why Write dialogue! Met friends of friends while co-working! Met folks while selling books!
Life is still feeling a little empty. It's Christmas today, and I really wanted to throw a Christmas party. It didn't happen. I also wanted to throw a Deepavali party which didn't happen, and an Independence day party which didn't happen. I've been living in my current space for over two years now, and I haven't yet thrown a party here. I've spent a lot of time in making this house functional and beautiful and cosy and home. I want to fill it with the warmth and laughter that comes with having lots of people you love and care about in your space, so I can carry that warmth with me even when I'm alone. But between logistics and clashing events and back and forths, it didn't happen and it makes me really sad. And yet we hold out hope. Maybe a different occasion, a different day.
I don't want to throw a party randomly. I want it to mark an occasion. Organized religion of any kind is great at making occasions happen for people to meet and joy to be stolen. As an atheist, how can I build ritual and occasion in my community to give people a good reason to prioritise the celebration of something (as an excuse to come together?). Lots of atheists i know default to celebrating or coopting the traditions of the majority religion from their place of origin. That doesn't work out as well as I'd like for several reasons. I can do better. But what?
Media Diet
Music
The SCIENCE album by incubus is so weird and so wonderful- nothing like their radio-frirndly pop-rock hits at all! More please.
Reading
I lost my noise cancelling ear phone :( so I haven't made any progress on any audiobooks.
I continue reading The Jinnbot of Shantiport. There's a brand of absurdism around it that I'm not entirely sure is intentional. But I think I'll be seeing it to it's end.
I also read 150,000 words of Drarry fanfiction and 150,000 words of Yuri! On Ice fanfiction. No, i didn't know what Yuri! On Ice was before this, but I will now be defending Yuuri/Viktor with my life.