My father kept us imprisoned in the house. He would take me to and from school, and my mother to and from work.

Sometimes I would be allowed to go with him to do the weekly food shopping. That was it. The rest of the time, we were props from him to unleash his insanity onto.

As I grew older, my mother convinced him to let her take me to the doctor with her, by ourselves. She would then tell me to go visit with friends, then we would meet back up and go home together, with him none the wiser.

Sometimes my mother is in my dreams and for a split second when I wake up I have forgotten she has passed away.

What a life it has been.

Everyone gets a present.

My birth certificate got lost somewhere in the house a year or so ago and after many unsuccessful attempts to find it, I’d decided today was going to be the day I’d apply for a new one. Checked the Justice services joint in Broady was open and off I went on the bus and train. Sign on the door apologising for inconvenience but they are no longer processing BD&M requests, scan the QR code for a list of other locations and go there. Ok, so I did and Reservoir was the closest, so off I went on the bus and train. Get to Reservoir and the same sign is on their front door!

Ended up getting photocopied notarised documents and submitted online, which I didn’t want to do because I hate sending personal ID documents online, would much rather do in person. I just don’t feel safe. The website is an utter shitshow, wouldn’t accept my postal address, I’ve seen window cleaning junkies work more effectively.

So I got home and baked brownies with the kids, and they are fudgy and delicious (the brownies not the kids)

I am patient when it comes to technology, I am well trained, I read instructions very carefully

pisses me off no end when i am gaslighted telling me I don’t know what I am doing , godamm fucking air cleaner has the wrong filters and I can’t fix it without the right parts, just like I said 2 years ago

thank you for listening to my rant

Yipes - got a phone call on my break between clients - major shit has gone down at work.
Better not say too much even semi-anonymously, but it’s time-to-join-the-union-and-get-representation shit.
I see many phone calls in my future…

I think I’ve overdone my stress eating.

Boys being synchronously cute NOT on their cushions. Cats will cat.

The surf is roaring in the distance… ‘bout 1.5km away, honestly one of my favourite sounds. Then every few minutes the neighbours’ cow moos and I lose my shit. I don’t know why a random cow mooing at 1am is funny but it is. Dog barking isn’t funny, plovers squawking isn’t funny… but when the cow goes it hits different.

I’m doing my part🏴‍☠️

the sun has set and my room is dark
i should get off the bed and the phone
and clean my room
as mother instructed

Today’s the day I know for sure I need antihistamines this season 😢

Ive been playing (reading?) this compilation of interactive stories. Not quite a choose your own adventure, but you make choices for the main character (it reminds me of a dungeon master narrating a DnD game and you choose what spells or how to approach a situation). It’s very compelling, I’ve finished the Wizard’s stories.

However, this shows me that amateur male writers generally do not know, or care to know, how to write a good female character. I loved the cleric woman whom the main character teams with, but no, she would not wait in a room for days/weeks while I’m cavorting in The Abyss/Hell. She is a cleric who has been in combat and has bashed goblin heads and smote nasty evil. She would not wait in that room on the off chance I would return. Ffs.

It appears most of the series’ in this collection are from a male point of view, and while I don’t mind the 80s/90s-esque style of writing (calling women pretty things, etc) as it fits the silliness of medieval fantasy heavily inspired by DnD, I do mind when women character are just treated as props.

Okay I’ve definitely had way too much caffiene and too much work time because my eyes feel very googly and I got that wired/tired thing going on. Someone make me dinner and take out the rubbish and put away the clothes and pack my bags for me please…

…wait, that someone has to be me? Bummer. 😮‍💨 Gotta remind myself of my trip, true rest and recuperation is around the corner…

e: somehow made it to the finish line, plus the dishes and a shower. I can’t wait to just do nothing

Slept for 7 hours uninterrupted. Luxury!!

I got so many things on my to do list done today 🙂 , just niggling things

I have every cupboard sorted now and unwanted stuff put aside, most has already been taken to op shop or distributed to neighbours