I set some goals for July, but I honestly didn’t glance at them much during the month, so I’m not sure if I completed many. Let’s find out together!

• WHM to 45 (FFXIV) Check!
• Complete MSQ through level 45 (FFXIV) Check?

I definitely hit my goal of getting to 45! And I think I was in story quests that were level 45? I know that with the big patch earlier this week everything has changed with MSQ for base game, so I’ve yet to dip back in to check where I was.

• Complete How I Made $10K as a PSO (Reading/Business) Check!
• Complete Don’t Keep Your Day Job (Reading/Business)
• Get halfway through A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (Reading)
• Complete Sunstone Vol. 2 (Comics)

I had a lot of reading goals for July that I seem to mostly have accomplished in August. I completed the first goal in July, but I didn’t complete Sunstone Volume 2 and A Song of Wraiths and Ruin until earlier this month. In fact, I’ve already read four books this month, which is the most I’ve read this year so far. I’m still working my way through Don’t Keep Your Day Job, but I think it’s going to be a slower read as I thoughtfully work through the prompts in each chapter.

• Complete Warrior Nun (TV) Check! 
• Complete Season 7 of Star Wars: Clone Wars (TV)
• Complete Season 5 of Stargate Atlantis (TV)
• Start Season 1 of Stargate Universe (TV)

Unfortunately, I haven’t completed any of these except zooming through Warrior Nun. Not for lack of wanting to. More for lack of losing access to Stargate (it left Prime before I finished it) and Clone Wars (when we built my new rig, I lost access to Disney+ because I’m using Manthing’s login). I very much want to finish both, but I just got access to Manthing’s Hulu (which has Stargate), and I need access to Disney+ again.

Overall, not too shabby on goals, so let’s see what I can accomplish for the remaining 16 days of the month!

August Goals

These are a bit pared down compared to what I would normally choose as goals, mainly because I only have 16 days left in the month. Let’s do this!

• WHM to 50 (FFXIV)
• Complete updated base game MSQ (FFXIV)
• Complete three more books for the month (total: 7) (Reading)
• Complete Season 5 of Stargate Atlantis (TV)
• Start Season 1 of Stargate Universe (TV)

Much like last month, I’m behind on my monthly wrap up, but I feel like I’m getting into the swing of content creation more a bit this week… which I hope continues! There’s not too much I’m currently nerding over this month, so let’s get to it.

Warrior Nun

Manthing and I ended up turning this on one date night, and then we both finished it separately because we couldn’t wait to finish it. I loved the pacing and the characters… though I still feel a bit odd about a male character just not showing up anymore after the halfway point when they were a big part in the first half (it felt like an odd pacing thing, though it’s true to character and situation). The ending felt a bit predictable to me (though I may an outlier, as many reviews call it a twist and a cliffhanger), but I’m very much looking forward to how season 2 (if it happens) will progress.

Fringe

Another date night, Manthing and I were flipping through shows trying to find something to watch when we discovered IMDb TV. We briefly browsed through it and found Fringe. I expressed interest, having never made it past partway through season four, and he mentioned never watching it, so we popped it on. IMDb TV has ads, but they weren’t long and bothersome, so we decided to watch the first two episodes of the first season. I forgot how much I enjoyed Fringe. We’re still trying to figure out if it’s something we’ll watch together, or I’ll zoom ahead on, but I’m looking forward to re-watching it and finishing, finally!

Stationary

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My love of stickers and planners and stationary in general has continued without decline. I’ve even recently picked up some Travelers Notebooks (B6 size) to try out the system, in a modified way of course. I should receive all of them sometime in September, so I’m looking forward to all the exciting covers I’ll have available! I’ll end up writing a more detailed post at some point detailing my thoughts on the Travelers Notebook system, and why I think moving to it will work out well for me. But for now, I’m just enjoying that I have pretty things coming in the mail!

I set up some May goals that seemed like I would manage most of them. I didn’t manage many, however, due to changes in the world and my own changes in game interests.

• Inventory Management (ESO) Check!
• Pick up the last items I need for learning crafting traits (ESO)
• Do a few quests in Grahtwood (ESO)

I worked through my inventory management and tackled that, but I also realized that ESO really isn’t what I’m enjoying right now, as much as I may want to. So I’ll likely be putting ESO goals on the back burner for now, even if I do happen to log in and play some this month.

• Finish Phoenix Wright: Justice for All (Visual Novel)
• Play Muse Dash (Community Game-Along) Check!

I played quite a bit of Muse Dash, and have enjoyed myself greatly. However, I never did write about my thoughts on the game for the Community Game-Along. I’m not currently playing Muse Dash, but I do still have it installed because I will never say no to a game that works out well for depression days, or nights when I just need to unwind with mindless entertainment. I don’t think I’m going to participate in the Community Game-Along this month, as it’s JRPGJuly, and I don’t have the mental bandwidth to pick up an RPG right now (unless FFXIV counts!).

As for Phoenix Wright? Well, I saw that all of the games are available as a bundle on Steam, and well. I unfortunately missed the sale for the bundle. However, since I now know they’re on Steam, I’d rather play them there for ease-of-play, if I’m being honest. So I’m holding out for another sale on the series. For now, however, it’s coming off of my goals list.

• Complete Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 of Sunstone (Comics)
• Complete The Lesser Kindred (Reading) Check!
• Start Redeeming the Lost (Reading) Check!
• Complete one of the two books I am reading for my business (Reading)

I have yet to pick up anymore Sunstone, but I flew through both The Lesser Kindred and Redeeming the Lost. Business books got nowhere, but I think that’s partly because I didn’t call out which one I wanted to focus on, and partly due to the world environment making things feel pointless.

• Complete Season 5 of Star Wars: Clone Wars Check!
• Complete Season 10 of Stargate SG-1 Check!
• Complete Season 3 of Stargate Atlantis Check!

I finished both season 5 and 6 of Star Wars: Clone Wars, but I’ve yet to start season 7, which I addressed briefly in my last post. I also completed season 10 of Stargate SG-1, the two Stargate movies, as well as seasons 3 and 4 of Stargate Atlantis. I am looking forward to finishing Atlantis out, but I also don’t want it to end. Overall, I didn’t do too badly on my goals over the two months I worked on them.

July Goals

• WHM to 45 (FFXIV)
• Complete MSQ through level 45 (FFXIV)
• Complete How I Made $10K as a PSO (Reading/Business)
• Complete Don’t Keep Your Day Job (Reading/Business)
• Get halfway through A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (Reading)
• Complete Sunstone Vol. 2 (Comics)
• Complete Warrior Nun (TV)
• Complete Season 7 of Star Wars: Clone Wars (TV)
• Complete Season 5 of Stargate Atlantis (TV)
• Start Season 1 of Stargate Universe (TV)

Another Sunday, another set of prompts brought to us by Heather of Just Geeking By! This week’s prompts were spawned by today being both National Cherry Cobbler Day and National Walnut Day, along with a bunch of other National food “holidays” this week, so Heather decided it obviously had to be a food-related question week! Be sure to check out the rest of May’s prompts if you’re interested in joining, or start planning for June’s prompts!

Food

If you could have any fictional food item become reality, what would it be?

Probably some of the confectioneries that show up in the Harry potter novels. Probably the chocolate frogs, even though I have to be in the right mood for chocolates.

What is your favorite food moment/scene?

I don’t know that it’s my favorite, but one that always sticks with me is the scene where Edmund meets the White Witch for the first time in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. But my favorite food movie would absolutely have to be Tortilla Soup.

What fictional restaurant would you like to visit?

The Double R Diner is absolutely my first choice. Need some of Norma’s cooking, after all. Especially her pie. Yeah, it’s a Twin Peaks thing.

What is the most decadent dessert you’ve seen in a fandom?

To be fair, I’m honestly not sure that I pay much attention to food in fandoms. So I can’t say a specific dessert has called to me. I guess I’m going to have to go with Norma’s pie as mentioned above, really.

What is the most disgusting food item you’ve seen?

Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Bean. I’m sure there’s grosser things, but the fact that people have tried to replicate them for jollies just absolutely grosses me out.

What is your favorite fandom-inspired recipe/food item?

Oh goodness, I’m not sure! I love seeing what various creatives come up with, and have even attempted some myself from WoW and Harry Potter.

Last night, Manthing and I ended up watching the four episodes of What We Do in the Shadows that are currently on Hulu. He’s been sweet and waiting for me so we could watch them together. I absolutely adore this show. The movie that spawned the TV show is in my top five favorite movies ever, and the TV show continues on the amazingness. Nadja is exquisite as always, and I now need a bazillion reaction gifs that are just her. I mean. She has the best reactions. She did in season one as well, but they’ve just gotten better in season two. Guillermo has great reaction faces too, though. I’m loving his character development so far, and I’m interested to see how things go now that he’s joined his club.

More Games

I haven’t had a lot of time to game recently due to a ramp-up of some projects at work, but I did look at some of the games in the Indie MegaBooth Sale (thanks to Krikket for pointing it out like she did for LudoNarraCon!). I already had some of the games in my library (Mini Metro, World Next Door, Always Sometimes Monsters, Monster Prom, Ladykiller in a Bind, Elsinore, Hot Tin Roof, and Tower of Guns). Though I’m honestly confused why I have the last two. I probably redeemed them from a Humble Bundle without looking at them.

I already had two on my wishlist (Coffee Talk, and Interrogation). But I added quite a few more to my wishlist, mainly because they didn’t meet my self-imposed purchasing-during-sales rules. I ended up adding: Astrologaster, Headliner: NoviNews, Sigma Theory, A Case of Distrust, Half Past Fate, Jenny LeClue, Praey for the Gods, The Coma 2, and Cook Serve Delicious 3. I did end up picking up Cook Serve Delicious 2, though. I’m hoping to get in some play time with it this weekend.

I’m also currently eyeing the Play with Friends Humble bundle but I haven’t yet decided whether I want it or not. At this rate, I’ll probably end up skipping it and picking things I like in it separately.

This is post 29/31 for Blapril. You can find out more and sign up at Belghast’s original post. You can view those participating on Twitter via the Twitter list I put together. Nogamara of Battlestance has put together an RSS feed of all Blapril participants.

Seriously Geeky Sundays is a new weekly blogging prompt put together by Heather of Just Geeking By. The idea is to answer some questions about various topics. The nice thing is that she gives you all of the prompts for a month up front so you can decide if you’d like to participate in particular ones, or go ahead and start scheduling posts for Sundays to answer the questions.

Kings and Queens

I think this set of questions are going to be difficult for me to complete because I don’t consume a lot of media with royalty in it, but I’m going to try!

Who is your favorite female royal character?

So figuring out the answer to this one took me longer than I wanted to. I had to eventually settle on Queen Nehelenia. Don’t get me wrong—I love me some Neo Queen Serenity, but I always loved the villains in Sailor Moon more than the main cast. To the point of making a Geocities fan-site dedicated just to all of the villains, including the single-episode monsters of the week. Yes, seriously. I think it was the goth-aesthetic that they all presented that captured me more than the story of them. I would have chosen Wicked Lady for this question, but I don’t think that she was technically classified as royalty, even if Chibi-Usa technically is. While I enjoy the Black Moon Family arc, Queen Beryl was never as interesting to me as Queen Nehelenia. Honestly, the whole Dark Moon Circus arc was more interesting in general.

Who is your favorite male royal character?

Mmf, there was some serious lusting after Prince Diamond as a young girl. Earrings, white hair… Needless to say, this line just got better with age.

Who is your favorite royal couple?

I thought long and hard about this one. It was a tough call. Do I choose more Sailor Moon characters? Do I partake of another fandom? I ended up deciding to mention another fandom. While the movie is nothing like the book, I have a soft spot for Stardust. It’s one of my go-to movies when I’m feeling down, and I need something to cheer me up. So my favorite royal couple is actually Tristan and Yvaine. (Plus Charlie Cox, I mean…)

What is your favorite story line involving a royal character?

This was another tough one, but I decided on one of my favorite book chronicles. The Hythrun Chronicles by Jennifer Fallon. The Wolfblade trilogy within the Hythrun Chronicles has some of my favorite characters, and Marla is a pretty intense character that I can’t get enough of. I should add all of those books to my reading list and pick them up again, soon.

If you could live in any fictional royal residence, which one would it be?

I honestly have never thought about living in a royal residence. Any time I think about living in a fictional residence, it’s always some witchy cottage filled with plants and cats. So I sadly have no answer to this question.

The main character of the last fandom you experienced just became King/Queen of their universe; how do they react?

Oh goodness. I most recently watched some Stargate: Atlantis, which happens to be an ensemble cast. So there’s no true main character in the series. Besides, nobody can beat Harry Maybourne as a king. And the one and only time I’ve seen Wayne Brady not be the one making jokes.

This is post 10/31 for Blapril. You can find out more and sign up at Belghast’s original post. You can view those participating on Twitter via the Twitter list I put together. Nogamara of Battlestance has put together an RSS feed of all Blapril participants.