It's 2am. It's thundering and pouring rain. Like, window-shaking level. I'm dry. I'm warm. But it's all just so annoying right now. And I feel bad for being angry at the rain, because we really need it here in SoCal. I just wish it weren't so fiercely loud and startling!! Sleep, take me away!!

My daughter is very excited about this!!

I have something that I need to sit down and do, and I've been circling the runway for over 2 weeks now because I'm having so much anxiety over it. I wish I weren't like this. 😕

These people are so stupid. Fuck ICE. They only want to harass, harm, and murder. Why would ANYONE be comfortable having them at the polls.

I like Mariachi music. And I don't have to understand any of the words in order to enjoy it!

I will never buy/read AI books--which means I will only ever read books published prior to 2020 or only books by authors who I know for sure are anti-AI. F*ck that woman and her "who's going to win the race?" bullshit!

Last night my daughter & I saw one of the funniest stage shows I've ever seen-"Something Rotten". Kinda naughty too, some of which was above her head. At one point she leaned over & said "I don't understand". I whispered "I'll explain later." She's been out all day. Hoping she doesn't follow-up lol!

Hooray! Today I'm not sneezing every 2.2 nanoseconds. So far I've only sneezed once today, so I'll take that as a sign that I'm getting better!!

I'm still sick. I've never had a cold where I've sneezed this much or so violently. Just now, I felt a huge sneeze coming so I grabbed a tissue, but it didn't quite make it up to my nose in time. I sneezed so hard that I gasped for breath and the entire tissue got sucked into my mouth. 🤧

In the last 2 hours, I have sneezed 837 times.

Leg warmers! When I was a kid, I wanted to buy leg warmers at Woolworths (anyone remember them?). I thought they came in different sizes lol. I was trying to lift the price sticker thinking the size might be hidden underneath. The store mgr very publicly accused me of trying to switch price tags!

I have a cold right now and feel pretty miserable. But I'll take this over the awful flu that's going around right now. I know a couple people who have had it, and they are saying it's the worst flu they've ever had! Wishing you all a flu-free year!

In 2000 when hanging chads won, a Repulican I know said "Whatever it takes to win" and the unspoken "even if we have to cheat" hung so heavy. I don't know if Gore would've won had the whole fiasco been handled fairly, but I often think about how this world might be different (better?) if he had.

Read the 15 shortlisted stories here, then vote! (all are 100 words or fewer): #flashfiction #writingcommunity www.mattkendrick.co.uk/welkin-stories

Right?! Like, since when is human kindness radical? They think the reason we defend and help immigrants is because we're trying to cheat (ie: their diatribe that Democrats can only win with illegal votes). They can't fathom that we help and defend because we actually fucking care about humans!

MAGA: Abortion is murder! Also MAGA: Shooting someone multiple times to make sure they really are dead dead is a-okay!! ICE are the murderers! Not women seeking an end to their pregnancy FOR WHATEVER REASON!!

Oh oh oh! She got a callback!! And so did her best friend! Callbacks are tomorrow!!

My daughter had her vocal audition yesterday for Fiddler on the Roof. Today she's at dance auditions. She'll know in a few hours if she gets called back to read for one or more parts. I love that she loves musical theater! So proud of my girl! Kind, hard working, and talented! ❤️

Just saw a video advertisement with a woman in a tub full of water/bubbles. There's a plate of 8 cookies on the bench next to the tub. I can get down w/that as a reality. Lots of cookies, nom nom! What I can't get over is she's wearing a robe. In the tub. Do people actually do this??? Methinks AI.

Shame on these Democrat House reps! Cuellar and Gonzalez (TX), Golden (ME), Gluesenkamp Perez (WA), Gillen and Suozzi (NY), Davis (NC). We see you and won't forget! Next stop is the Senate, January 30. Call your reps! If you don't know who your senators are, go here: www.senate.gov/senators/sen...

So funny!!!

I saw the first two Hunger Games movies back when they came out. I didn't see the third one, but I just finished reading the third book, Mockingjay, and I'm sad and kinda pissed off--not about how things turned out between Katniss, Gale, and Peeta. But about Prim. I didn't see it coming. *cries*

If you don't know who your senators are, you can look them up at www.senate.gov/senators/sen... The following article has a script you can use. I used the script but edited it a little so that it's my voice. Please call or write your senators! bensheehan.substack.com/p/you-can-de...

The disconnect is unbelievable.

One piece of broccoli. Eat it and be happy you even got one!! These people are so out of touch with reality. $3 a meal lol!!

1. BOO! Feeling down in the dumps this week because, ya know... 2. YAY! I've sent out 5 stories so far this year. 3. BOO! Already have 1 rejection. 4. YAY! Going to NY w/husband & daughter during Spring Break! 5. BOO! ICE 6. YAY! Got a teakwood shower bench for Christmas and finally put it together.

Aw! Loved this. Give it a read!

Called DMV 4x yesterday but no luck. Then used their chat but they couldn't help. So they scheduled a rep to call me today @noon. Of course they called @ 9am when I wasn't available. Rescheduled for 12pm. It's now 1pm & no call. I want to take a shower, but no doubt they'll call as soon as I get in!

All the Christmas decorations (both inside and outside) are now put away. I feel like I'm gonna blink and it'll be time to put everything back up/out again! Happy 2026 to all!

I recently posted a ? about story endings, wondering how writers come up w/such great endings. It's what I struggle w/the most. I feel like I'll never achieve a pow ending! Here's an example of a great ending in @pleomorphic2.bsky.social "The Evolutionary..." haydensferryreview.com/sumitra-singam

The MAGA have such a "we own you" mentality. Their biggest joy in life is their delusion that they "own the libs." The entitlement to what others should/should not do is mind-boggling considering their history of "you can't tell me what to do!"—from vaccines to masks to guns to basic decency & more.

LOL!! Fuck yeah!!!

I'm so tired of women being exploited for the pleasure(s) of others. This kind of AI is especially dangerous. The vast majority of Americans want stability, safety, and healthcare. But instead we get AI shit.

I read several stories every day at various online lit mags. I'm often so awed at some of the incredible endings. I'm curious to hear from others. Do you come up with an amazing ending first, then write towards that? Or does an ending materialize as you write/edit? #flashFiction #writingCommunity

Waaahhhhhhh! Instead of 20 billion in assets, they'll only have 19 billion!!

I can't wait to go to bed so that tomorrow comes quicker!

One more day!!! *hops up and down in excitement!*

You know when you submit a survey and you get entered to win something but never do you ever win anything? Well, for the first time ever, I won!! I now have two tickets to see "In the Heights" musical next year! A $210 value and very decent seats! *hops up and down in excitement!!*

My goal this year was to send out one story submission per week. I just sent out submission #51. Now I need to figure out who to send my final submission to for the year! #flashfiction #writingcommunity

Submitted grades on Thursday. It's always such a relief to close out the semester. Now I can relax and enjoy the holidays. I always appreciate this time of year because I get a long break. Three weeks of absolutely no work before I have to start prepping for Spring.

Submitted!! My heart pounds so much in the 5 minutes leading up to @havehashad.com submission calls, like my very life depends on making it in!

Another round of submissions in one hour!!

When a litmag is far overdue for a response, I think to myself "Will you please hurry up and reject it" I find when they take longer than what they state as their response time (or the avg response time listed on Duotrope), that it's always a rejection. Of course, I still hope for a nice surprise!

Fucking Grok. Fucking X. Fucking horrible AI. Fucking white-washing fucks. Crabtree my ass!!

It's disheartening when students won't put in the work unless you threaten them with 0 points. It's like there's no intrinsic pride.

LOL!!! You drop a billionaire into a third world country, and they already have resources to fast track them to where they want to go. Already having the money to get what you want is not a trait or a skill. It is privilege.

I tried The New Yorker's Shuffalo game today for the first time. I entered the word Necrose and got a message that said "Not an accepted word." Um. Necrose is a valid word! Darn game needs a better dictionary!

There's a video (dogs adopting humans) at thenoraheffect.bsky.social that's been disabled for quote posts. The video made me melt, but so many comments say it's AI. Aside from the fact it seems too perfect, how can anyone tell it's AI? There's no disclaimer on the Bsky post or the orig TikTok post.

Not only a must read for those in academia, but any parent who hopes their kid(s) will go to college.

This is my 15th challenge with @nycmidnight.bsky.social and the first time I've submitted more than a half hour before the deadline! Normally I'm biting my nails with only a few minutes left!!