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Yeah The PMS Is Starting To Set In
Mar. 4th, 2026 11:54 pmI have been quite distracted tonight, which is a good sign that a certain time of the month is coming up fast. Granted, I have been expecting it -- according to my calculations, the actual bleeding should hit next week -- but still. Really wish my focus wasn't the first thing to go when the hormones start fluctuating! Meeeh... *shakehead*
Anyway -- here's the write-up for the day:
Work – It was a surprisingly-quiet day at work today – the phone didn’t even start ringing until the afternoon, and even then we only got a handful of calls. I was able to put on the endowment gifts (source code was made after we left last night, hooray!), go through the latest QC file for the latest set of thank-yous going out (and confirm that someone’s recurring gift WASN’T a mistake, but instead them just being on a financial upswing), clean up some of my e-mail inbox, contact some people about failed credit card stuff, and start looking through some of the returned mail with surprisingly minimal interruption. All in all, not a bad day –
Just a shame it was sandwiched in between two horrible commutes. The main drag AND the highway was all backed up this morning, and this afternoon, I had a hell of a time getting onto the highway because part of the road was closed due to someone losing an entire tire. Like, their car was missing the front left wheel. O.o It was quite the sight, let me tell you. *sigh* But yeah – the day may not have stressed me out, but driving to and from it sure as hell did. Hopefully tomorrow will be better!
To-Do List –
1. Get in a workout: Check – hopped back on the bike this evening for another half-hour of “Baldur's Gate 3 Cast play D&D #1 | High Rollers Presents: Shadows of Athkatla!” Today’s chunk got us through:
A) Gale deciding to run up to the three incoming Glitchy Magic Spirits Mk. II (the ones that looked like various creatures welded together) and hit them with a Thunderwave! Cast from a second level spell slot, no less, so it did more damage. This went off rather better than his Ray of Frost on the Glass Warrior – one of the spirits got immediately killed and flung away so it couldn’t explode on him, while the other two, while they did make their saves, did take a good chunk of damage. Good work, Gale!
B) Karlach initially thinking she should throw a javelin at a Glitchy Magic Spirit Mk. II, because if she tried attacking one of the regular spirits nearby, she ran the risk of hurting Scratch (and picking up the doggo was not an option because, you know, she was ON FIRE) – however, after Samantha came up with the idea that Karlach might have a dog whistle in her pocket that she’d been using to train Scratch, she instead blew the whistle to get the dog to disengage (with a successful Animal Handling roll, of course – Karlach is actually rather good at Animal Handling, getting a +3 in the skill), then just straight up cleaved one of the spirits beside her with her greataxe. Killing it –
But also forcing her and Wyll to make another Dexterity saving throw. Which they both failed – but only poor Wyll took the full brunt of the damage because Karlach’s rage meant all incoming damage was halved. Fortunately it was only 2 points of force damage, but still! The dice are not being kind to Wyll in this video.
( These Always Get Long )
2. Continue editing Chapter 4 of “The Van Dort Vacancy”: Check – got through another good chunk of today, featuring:
A) Victor, Alice, and Smiler getting most of Victor’s stuff (namely sketchbook, suits, shirts, socks, underwear, and pajamas) packed up off-screen, and Alice getting a little worried that Victor might need a second bag, as the current one was looking a little full – Victor assured her he didn’t have that much more he wanted to take
B) Victor gathering up a trio of books to take with him (two serious books on lepidoptery and a satire of same that he happened to enjoy) – Smiler asked if he wanted to take some quills and ink for his sketchbook as well, and while Victor was happy enough to take a handful of quills, he balked at taking any ink for fear it would spill in the bag. He had the same worry about taking some of his paints, though he admitted those would be much less useful without his easel, and there was no way they could bring that with them. Alice agreed, but said that Victor should take some brushes, and they could earmark some of their upcoming ill-gotten gains for getting him a new easel and paints so he could continue doing art – something which Victor appreciated, since drawing and painting are the only things he’s been doing longer than playing piano
C) Victor wondering if there was anything else he wanted to take, prompting Smiler to suggest the big purple blanketfrom my room his bed – Victor agreed it would be a good idea, as it’s the warmest blanket he’s ever owned –
And then snapped his fingers and got down on his hands and knees to start poking around under the bed, because Smiler’s comment had reminded him that there was something under his bed that he wanted too – his collection of slug stories! (AKA the local equivalent of the Victorian penny dreadful.) Cue:
I. Victor telling Alice and Smiler that he first got into them when he borrowed “The Tycherosi Traveler” off one of the servants and was so fascinated by it that he immediately went out and bought the whole series
II. Smiler admitting that they too had enjoyed that one (about a crow man who helped ghosts catch their own murderers) but hadn’t liked the next serial, “The Barber of Blood,” as it had been too gory for their tastes
III. Alice saying she thought she might have read a little of that one, and asked if it was the one where they’re turning people into pies, and also every other chapter someone bursts into song – Victor confirmed it was, and that his personal suspicion was that the author had REALLY wanted it to be a play, but couldn’t get it produced
IV. And Victor finally saying that he preferred “The Unfortunates,” which went on a little long, perhaps, but which he still fully enjoyed – Smiler confessed they’d only gotten up to the third installment, where the children go to stay with their aunt above the void lake, before quitting because it was a little too depressing for them
Gee, I wonder what “The Barber of Blood” and “The Unfortunates” are references to. :p
D) And Smiler adding that they much prefer the kind of funny stories that in magazines like Amusements, and Alice going “Well, of course you’d prefer your own cult’s literature – also I don’t know if we’re going to get this blanket into the carpet bag” – cue Smiler saying that if they wrap the blanket up tight enough, it should be fine (though maybe they should put it at the bottom)...and that Amusements actually WASN’T an Advocate publication. The magazine had existed before the cult was formed, and when they sent some people around, the publishers said they would prefer to be independent. And since that would make them happy, the Advocates left them alone (well, except for submitting stories and jokes). Tomorrow’s writing session will start with Victor noting the Advocates are a very weird cult. XD Looking forward to it!
3. Watch something on YouTube: Check – I didn’t have much time for videos, but I managed to find something short over on DragonsDream’s channel: “Top 10 Wyll's Funniest Moments in Baldur's Gate 3!” A collection of amusing lines from everyone’s favorite Blade of Frontiers – some sweet, some very sassy. A few favorites:
A) “Damn – you showed that who’s boss. A real hero” – said ultra sarcastically to an Origin Shadowheart who chose to crush the githyanki egg in the creche
B) “What in the Hells? Oh shit – you’re a gods-damned vampire, aren’t you?” – said with no small amount of shock to an Origin Astarion who just drank a rat
C) “Welcome to the League of the Lone Eye, my friend” – said to a Tav who lost their own eye (either to Ethel or Volo) – might have to work that one into my “Smiler asks Wyll about false eye care” not-incorrect quote scene!
D) “Ah yes, that classic tune: ‘Ode to a Shrieking Owlbear’” – said after listening to a Tav with no musical instrument proficiency attempt to play the flute XD
E) “Unless you’re too busy dreaming up new insults, in which case, let me save you some time: ‘Soldier’s Pet.’ ‘Papa’s Prince.’ ‘Duke’s Little Rich Boy.’ ‘The Babe of Frontiers.’ Hm. That should cover it” – said to a Tav who’d just accused him of being a “daddy’s boy” for trying to locate Ansur, the dragon under Baldur’s Gate even after his father’s death (with the extra bonus of DragonsDream dressing him up in a new outfit for each insult XD)
Fun stuff! Wyll really deserves more love from the community, he’s great.
4. Get my tumblr queues sorted: N/A – Victor Luvs Alice (N Smiler)-only day, and I finished my queue on that yesterday, so… *shrug* We’ll see if anything happens tomorrow!
*nods* Not too bad -- though yeah, REALLY wish that the traffic hadn't been so bad today. I know it's probably because everyone was slipping and sliding over black ice, but -- still. Keep your fingers crossed tomorrow is better! Night all!
Anyway -- here's the write-up for the day:
Work – It was a surprisingly-quiet day at work today – the phone didn’t even start ringing until the afternoon, and even then we only got a handful of calls. I was able to put on the endowment gifts (source code was made after we left last night, hooray!), go through the latest QC file for the latest set of thank-yous going out (and confirm that someone’s recurring gift WASN’T a mistake, but instead them just being on a financial upswing), clean up some of my e-mail inbox, contact some people about failed credit card stuff, and start looking through some of the returned mail with surprisingly minimal interruption. All in all, not a bad day –
Just a shame it was sandwiched in between two horrible commutes. The main drag AND the highway was all backed up this morning, and this afternoon, I had a hell of a time getting onto the highway because part of the road was closed due to someone losing an entire tire. Like, their car was missing the front left wheel. O.o It was quite the sight, let me tell you. *sigh* But yeah – the day may not have stressed me out, but driving to and from it sure as hell did. Hopefully tomorrow will be better!
To-Do List –
1. Get in a workout: Check – hopped back on the bike this evening for another half-hour of “Baldur's Gate 3 Cast play D&D #1 | High Rollers Presents: Shadows of Athkatla!” Today’s chunk got us through:
A) Gale deciding to run up to the three incoming Glitchy Magic Spirits Mk. II (the ones that looked like various creatures welded together) and hit them with a Thunderwave! Cast from a second level spell slot, no less, so it did more damage. This went off rather better than his Ray of Frost on the Glass Warrior – one of the spirits got immediately killed and flung away so it couldn’t explode on him, while the other two, while they did make their saves, did take a good chunk of damage. Good work, Gale!
B) Karlach initially thinking she should throw a javelin at a Glitchy Magic Spirit Mk. II, because if she tried attacking one of the regular spirits nearby, she ran the risk of hurting Scratch (and picking up the doggo was not an option because, you know, she was ON FIRE) – however, after Samantha came up with the idea that Karlach might have a dog whistle in her pocket that she’d been using to train Scratch, she instead blew the whistle to get the dog to disengage (with a successful Animal Handling roll, of course – Karlach is actually rather good at Animal Handling, getting a +3 in the skill), then just straight up cleaved one of the spirits beside her with her greataxe. Killing it –
But also forcing her and Wyll to make another Dexterity saving throw. Which they both failed – but only poor Wyll took the full brunt of the damage because Karlach’s rage meant all incoming damage was halved. Fortunately it was only 2 points of force damage, but still! The dice are not being kind to Wyll in this video.
( These Always Get Long )
2. Continue editing Chapter 4 of “The Van Dort Vacancy”: Check – got through another good chunk of today, featuring:
A) Victor, Alice, and Smiler getting most of Victor’s stuff (namely sketchbook, suits, shirts, socks, underwear, and pajamas) packed up off-screen, and Alice getting a little worried that Victor might need a second bag, as the current one was looking a little full – Victor assured her he didn’t have that much more he wanted to take
B) Victor gathering up a trio of books to take with him (two serious books on lepidoptery and a satire of same that he happened to enjoy) – Smiler asked if he wanted to take some quills and ink for his sketchbook as well, and while Victor was happy enough to take a handful of quills, he balked at taking any ink for fear it would spill in the bag. He had the same worry about taking some of his paints, though he admitted those would be much less useful without his easel, and there was no way they could bring that with them. Alice agreed, but said that Victor should take some brushes, and they could earmark some of their upcoming ill-gotten gains for getting him a new easel and paints so he could continue doing art – something which Victor appreciated, since drawing and painting are the only things he’s been doing longer than playing piano
C) Victor wondering if there was anything else he wanted to take, prompting Smiler to suggest the big purple blanket
And then snapped his fingers and got down on his hands and knees to start poking around under the bed, because Smiler’s comment had reminded him that there was something under his bed that he wanted too – his collection of slug stories! (AKA the local equivalent of the Victorian penny dreadful.) Cue:
I. Victor telling Alice and Smiler that he first got into them when he borrowed “The Tycherosi Traveler” off one of the servants and was so fascinated by it that he immediately went out and bought the whole series
II. Smiler admitting that they too had enjoyed that one (about a crow man who helped ghosts catch their own murderers) but hadn’t liked the next serial, “The Barber of Blood,” as it had been too gory for their tastes
III. Alice saying she thought she might have read a little of that one, and asked if it was the one where they’re turning people into pies, and also every other chapter someone bursts into song – Victor confirmed it was, and that his personal suspicion was that the author had REALLY wanted it to be a play, but couldn’t get it produced
IV. And Victor finally saying that he preferred “The Unfortunates,” which went on a little long, perhaps, but which he still fully enjoyed – Smiler confessed they’d only gotten up to the third installment, where the children go to stay with their aunt above the void lake, before quitting because it was a little too depressing for them
Gee, I wonder what “The Barber of Blood” and “The Unfortunates” are references to. :p
D) And Smiler adding that they much prefer the kind of funny stories that in magazines like Amusements, and Alice going “Well, of course you’d prefer your own cult’s literature – also I don’t know if we’re going to get this blanket into the carpet bag” – cue Smiler saying that if they wrap the blanket up tight enough, it should be fine (though maybe they should put it at the bottom)...and that Amusements actually WASN’T an Advocate publication. The magazine had existed before the cult was formed, and when they sent some people around, the publishers said they would prefer to be independent. And since that would make them happy, the Advocates left them alone (well, except for submitting stories and jokes). Tomorrow’s writing session will start with Victor noting the Advocates are a very weird cult. XD Looking forward to it!
3. Watch something on YouTube: Check – I didn’t have much time for videos, but I managed to find something short over on DragonsDream’s channel: “Top 10 Wyll's Funniest Moments in Baldur's Gate 3!” A collection of amusing lines from everyone’s favorite Blade of Frontiers – some sweet, some very sassy. A few favorites:
A) “Damn – you showed that who’s boss. A real hero” – said ultra sarcastically to an Origin Shadowheart who chose to crush the githyanki egg in the creche
B) “What in the Hells? Oh shit – you’re a gods-damned vampire, aren’t you?” – said with no small amount of shock to an Origin Astarion who just drank a rat
C) “Welcome to the League of the Lone Eye, my friend” – said to a Tav who lost their own eye (either to Ethel or Volo) – might have to work that one into my “Smiler asks Wyll about false eye care” not-incorrect quote scene!
D) “Ah yes, that classic tune: ‘Ode to a Shrieking Owlbear’” – said after listening to a Tav with no musical instrument proficiency attempt to play the flute XD
E) “Unless you’re too busy dreaming up new insults, in which case, let me save you some time: ‘Soldier’s Pet.’ ‘Papa’s Prince.’ ‘Duke’s Little Rich Boy.’ ‘The Babe of Frontiers.’ Hm. That should cover it” – said to a Tav who’d just accused him of being a “daddy’s boy” for trying to locate Ansur, the dragon under Baldur’s Gate even after his father’s death (with the extra bonus of DragonsDream dressing him up in a new outfit for each insult XD)
Fun stuff! Wyll really deserves more love from the community, he’s great.
4. Get my tumblr queues sorted: N/A – Victor Luvs Alice (N Smiler)-only day, and I finished my queue on that yesterday, so… *shrug* We’ll see if anything happens tomorrow!
*nods* Not too bad -- though yeah, REALLY wish that the traffic hadn't been so bad today. I know it's probably because everyone was slipping and sliding over black ice, but -- still. Keep your fingers crossed tomorrow is better! Night all!
