I am sorry to hear about Nicholas Brendon. Too young.

I am intentionally trying to leave my friends' apartment more and more (and planning my routes so that I'll be next to shelters as much as possible), so yesterday I went to help packing emergency supplies to the West Bank (via that cause: [link] I can't say I helped much as 30% of the time those of us who didn't want to run for shelter were in a shelter waiting for sirens that never came (there were "missiles are expected in your direction soon, stay close to shelter" messages), but I helped with some boxes and I brought cake with me. There's also a protest tonight - Saturday night protests against the government returned, but as much as I'd like to be there I don't know if I'm physically up to it today.

My next impossible projects are to a. plan a (Passover) Seder, which I love doing but I also can't really plan because how can you plan a Seder when you don't know if people are even able to come and if it's safe to come, b. continue working on my plan to study abroad next year (right now it means narrowing down options, prepare for TOEFL, understand how and when to pack my life here, and deal with the guilt over leaving this place and the people that I love dearly and live here while it's on fire), and c. trying to live as much as possible in this weird reality. It is scary, but I am trying my best to live in this world as it is. Choices are often limited, but as long as I have them and I can remember that I have them and not to surrender to exhaustion and/or fear, it's good.

"How did we get a Buffista Church before we got an island?"

If Christian colonialism taught me anything, it's that we're on the right path to Buffista island and need more following. And maybe an army.

I haven’t been here in ages but I had to come back when I heard the Nicholas Brendon news. So sad.

Meanwhile it is so good to see you all here.

Hi Sumi! You are missed. I think about you when I do my Wordle. Do you do the Hurdle too? I go to that one via the AARP link.

Buuuut On Tuesday, one of my sister‘s friends arranged tix to a one-man show, Buffy Revamped With a single actor in the character of Spike retelling all seven seasons of Buffy in 70 minutes.

That sounds so delightful.

trying to live as much as possible in this weird reality. It is scary, but I am trying my best to live in this world as it is

Your efforts to maintain some sense of normalcy are inspiring. I continue to send vibes for sanity to somehow reach the powers that be, and calm, serenity, and perseverance to you and all affected.

Things here are still overwhelming. Yet, I do know I have much to be grateful for. Finally got DH to take a couple hours and go watch a March Madness game and eat wings with a friend. He needs at least a couple clones for all he has on his plate. I've taken over two of his chores to try and help some. I'm taking the dog to the park both in the morning and evening, which we used to share. AND for the first time in 38 years I've started to do his laundry. The 4 family members were always responsible for our own, at least since the boys could reach the nobs. I've now made a new rule that Brendon can only put on his list the things that only he can do because that list is long enough already. (he's not good at following that rule)

So, I wrote that post some time ago this morning, and never hit post. Such is my life!

Hey, sumi! Sad reason, yes, but great to see you!

Kermit waves to sumi

Shir, thinking of you daily.

Brenda, that sounds so fun.

The last mushing run article was moving.

We have our landlord and a couple of his handyman here to fix a couple of ceiling fans and the bathroom exhaust fans which both shorted out (at separate times). It's a FANtastic day here at the manor.

We saw Project Hail Mary last night. Delightful. Drew Goddard wrote himself an adaptation that absolutely reflected the tone and action of the book, and Ryan Gosling was perfect in the role. Couldn't have been more pleased with how it turned out.

ETA: Thanks for the rec, erika and the gift link, Kat. I'm halfway through that one, too.

Im going to see project Hal Mary tonight! At some point. If I manage to get out of bed.

If Christian colonialism taught me anything, it's that we're on the right path to Buffista island and need more following. And maybe an army.

You do have a point!! Also I am surprised you even have to take the TOEFL, you’re going to crush it.

Shir, I'm sure the aid people would say every bit helps - goodness knows I appreciate cake when I volunteer. Stay safe.

Sad news about Nicolas Brendon, I'd heard he had health issues but it's still a shock.

(God, I hope this doesn't turn into a Babylon 5 situation)

Stay cool, everyone! (Or warm, if you're Down Under)

Your efforts to maintain some sense of normalcy are inspiring

Oh, nothing felt normal here in years. So it is not normalcy I'm trying to maintain, it's the sense that I am a human being with a free will and choice in this world, and that another world is possible. War and fascism tend to shrink your sense of the world and being in the world, and what other perspectives look and feel like. You can very easily become a stranger to yourself and drown in doom scrolling and getting in your own head. I'm actively trying to fight it and I've been asking myself repeatedly how can I stay humane in this madness. A singer I love wrote that we are surrounded with so much death, and we must actively seek beauty and art. He's not wrong. It's a human necessity.

It also helps with remembering that others are human as well and deserve to be treated as such, no matter who they are and what they've done. It works fairly well most times with most people, though honestly, I can only apply this for most of my government by ignoring 99% of what they're doing and saying and praying that some aspects of their humanity are not completely lost and may be regained in the long prison sentences I hope they'd get.

I am surprised you even have to take the TOEFL, you’re going to crush it.

Aww, thank you. Being here for years surely helped (take that, anti-screen people!). I booked a test in a test center because not all places accept home tests results, but I don't think I'll be able to go there if the war continues - it's in a different city and over a 90 minutes ride, and that ride alone can be dangerous.

I am surprised you even have to take the TOEFL, you’re going to crush it.

Oh my, yes. See the above post as an example. I hope you are able to get to the test center.