I pared down my August goals to try and be more focused in tackling them, so let’s see what I accomplished!

• WHM to 50 (FFXIV)
• Complete updated base game MSQ (FFXIV)

I’m less than 50% away from dinging 50 on WHM, though I haven’t had the time or energy to do a lot of gaming as of late. Some of that is changes at work, and some of that is just trying to work my way through depressive episodes. I just don’t have a lot of desire to game during the work-week due to how my days have been going so far, but I’m going to try to carve out a bit more time for myself on the weekends to sit and play, some. I am hoping to finish these in September!

• Complete three more books for the month (total: 7) (Reading) Check!

I accomplished this! I think I’m more surprised that I finished this than I thought I would be when I set the goal. I’m not sure if seven books is a goal I can keep up with, but I definitely want to try to read a book a week going forward. We’ll see if it’s attainable as I continue.

• Complete Season 5 of Stargate Atlantis (TV)
• Start Season 1 of Stargate Universe (TV)

I had honestly intended to watch these this month, but then I got caught up in Outlander and reading. So they’ll probably roll over to this coming month, as I really don’t want to bring these with me into 2021 like so many other series I never finished despite wanting to.

September Goals

Pared down worked for me last month, but I don’t know if I want to keep them that way going forward, or beef them up a little bit. So for now I’ll keep them pared down and see how I progress. I did consider picking up a game for the Community Game-Along this month, but I’m not sure that the theme appeals to me. I will be participating in October’s theme, however!!

• WHM to 55 (FFXIV)
• Complete updated base game MSQ (FFXIV)
• Start Heavensward (FFXIV)
• Complete four books for the month (Reading)
• Complete Season 5 of Stargate Atlantis (TV)
• Complete Seasons 1 and 2 of Stargate Universe (TV)

Another month, another list of nerdy things I’ve been into! It’s interesting to me how the things I’m interested in change up. This will be a neat series to look back on come December!

Custom Doll Videos

I always seem to stumble onto interesting things on YouTube. I’m not sure how, but I do. This month, I stumbled upon the custom doll community. I’ve only really started watching videos from two folks (both the woman in the video, and the person she did the collab with), but look forward to checking out more folks as I work my way through these two collections. Much like planner videos, there’s something calming about them, and the artistic talent of the creators is also not to be ignored. They’re just good, wholesome, fun videos to watch.

Library Books Galore

This month I’ve taken off on reading. I’ve finished seven books in August alone, which is more books combined than I’ve read in the past seven years. I’ve mentioned a bit before how reading was something that waned out of my life for quite a while. I knew in January that I wanted to start reading again. I set myself a goal to read 10 new-to-me books (or comic volumes, which I count as books), and I think I’ve surpassed that at this point.

What I didn’t know is that I’d get back into the public library as much as I have. Typically, I’d buy myself books and grow my book collection, but after doing some KonMari at the end of 2019 and start of 2020, I noticed that I only kept the books that truly made me happy. And most of them were not books that I purchased just to read because I could afford not to use the library.

I think I’ve realized that it’s not about the cost of being able to use the library or not. For me, it’s more about the shared experience with folks. Being able to borrow well-worn books from others reading them is just as joyful as owning a copy myself, if not more so. Does that mean that I’ve stopped purchasing books? No. I’ve just become more mindful of what I pick up.

Outlander

There’s not much to say about this other than I’m loving this show, but I’m trying to savor it. I’m also trying not to get too far ahead of the books. I currently have the first book (Outlander) in my TBR pile I’ve borrowed from the library, but I’ve halted on the show because they mentioned a Dragonfly in Amber, which is the title of the second book. So it’s just sitting there, waiting for me to watch it, and that’s okay.

And Obviously…

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chestnut (@chestnutplays)

Planner stickers. August has been the month when a majority of non-alternative sticker shops have started coming out with “Halloween” stickers. I’ve been very interested in picking these up for day-to-day use rather than just for use during October. I’ve also found some more alternative sticker stores during this time, which has been awesome because that means I have more options during the year. As someone who doesn’t particularly care for the winter holidays, I know I’m not going to bend over backwards for a bunch of kits that’ll come out the next few months. So I’m more than happy to spend some money stocking up on the stickers that make me happy.

It’s Sunday, which means that it’s time for Seriously Geeky Sunday prompts! These prompts are brought to us by Heather of Just Geeking By. Today is National Tell a Joke Day, which prompted today’s questions. Be sure to check out the rest of August’s prompts if you’re interested in joining in on the fun!

Funny Guys

Sometimes I feel like the prompts will be difficult for me, and this week might be one of them! Comedy is not a genre I partake of often, though I do enjoy comedic timing and sarcastic humor in the content I consume.

What makes you laugh?

There’s a long list of things that make me laugh, but there’s also nothing specifically that makes me laugh. It’s like the song from Mary Poppins: I just love to laugh.

What TV show makes you laugh?

There’s quite a few. Mainly, Ouran High School Host Club and West Wing make me laugh, despite knowing what jokes are coming. Otherwise… I don’t really watch television to get a laugh out of it, though it’s a nice bonus when I can even get a snort or chuckle.

What is your favorite comedy movie?

Oh, this is a tough one, because I truly don’t go out of my way to watch “comedy” movies. Especially since I find many comedy movies, well, annoying and boring. “Classics” like Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back make me roll my eyes and choose something else to watch. The only movies that I suppose could be classified as “comedy” that I enjoy are Mel Brooks films. So, in that vein, probably Robin Hood Men in Tights.

What scene always makes you crack up?

Back to Mel Brooks, again. It’s a scene from Spaceballs, this time. Fun fact, did you know this scene was entirely ad-libbed? Bless Rick Moranis.

Who is your favorite funny guy/girl?

To be fair, I’m not sure what this questions is referring to, because I’d initially thought it was asking about a favorite comedian, though that’s the next question. So… can I just say that I think Mel Brooks is probably the funniest person alive and his humor shaped my childhood?

Who is your favorite comedian?

Since I already used up Mel Brooks, I’m honestly going to have to go with Robin Williams. There’s a lot of reasons for this, but partly it’s due to the fact that I grew up with him in Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Birdcage, Jumanji, Dead Poets Society, Hook… His stand-up routines were also some of the only stand-up/adult humor my father let my brother and I watch as kids.

As an adult, I also very much connect with the above quote/sentiment. As someone who suffers from depression, I very much feel that sentiment in my soul. I would never wish depression on another person. Because when something feels this heavy, you never want others to feel this way. And as such, because you know how heavy and grueling it feels, you always try to cheer up others in any way you can.

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

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pumpkin Paper Co (@pumpkinpaperco)

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)

While July has officially started, I’ve been afk from much of social media and blogging just due to, well… *gestures at the world* and it’s effect on my mental (and physical) health. So I just wanted to do a quick recap of things I nerded out over the past two months to not only just talk about some fun things, but also get my blogging fingers working again after some time off to take care of myself.

Monster Prom

I spent quite a bit of time during May talking about my time playing in Monster Prom. I even dabbled in it some during June. But I kind of left it by the wayside for some unknown reason. I think because I got into a, “nothing is bringing me joy because STRESS” mode for so long. I’m thinking of picking it up again this weekend (since I shouldn’t have to work, and I’m feeling less ill) just to get in some laughs and try to work my way through the achievements. I adore this game, and I’m very much looking forward to nerding out over it even more!

Clone Wars

I finished out season 6 of Clone Wars these past two months, but I have yet to pick up season seven. Partly due to the “ohgodstress” mindset, partly due to the fact that I know season 7 is the last season and I don’t want it to end, and partly because I got caught up in a binge of something else…

Stargate

(Fan trailer may contain spoilers) Oh man, I’ve about finished the Stargate chronology and I am both sad and excited. I made it through all of Stargate SG-1 (including the two movies), and am on the final season of Stargate Atlantis, which just leaves me with Stargate Universe afterwards. I’m not sure what series to pick up next for binging after I finish Stargate. I’m open to suggestions of similar shows, though! Maybe Babylon 5. Or Farscape! I never finished Farscape, and it’d be cool to keep with two of the SG-1 season 10 characters.

Animal Crossing

After finally managing to get a Switch, I dove head first into Animal Crossing. I’m still figuring out how things work, and slowly working my way through upgrading my house and getting neighbors, but I’m having so much fun, and have appreciated hanging out with one of my best friends, and getting some help and hangout time with Jae, which I appreciated so very much. I hope to be able to play some more with others as I continue to get into Animal Crossing. I very much love the fishing, bug hunting, and just picking up sea shells (and giving everything I can to the museum!).

Planner Stickers

It may come as no surprise (after mentioning this was becoming a thing back in May) that I have become utterly obsessed with planner stickers. I think it brings me back to a time when I was allowed to like stickers as a kid. Liking them as an adult is kind of a thing people look at you weirdly for, so finding this world of stickers that also help to keep me functioning has been a blessing, to be honest. It’s a creative outlet that I’ve much needed. I still get to collect and play with stickers, but it also gives me a visual of what I need/want to do so that I stay focused on tasks and feel much less stressed out about it.

I use my planner quite functionally, and pair it with my bullet journal so that the two together are a schedule and plan of what I need/want to accomplish each day. The month or so I’ve been doing this, has been quite helpful in helping to calm my mind. Especially after changing up my bullet journal style (for the second time this year) to allow myself more freedom to write and be creative and journal and put down stickers that I’m also using for the week in my planner.

FFXIV

I called it when I wrote about bouncing off of ESO. While I am still paying for a subscription, I haven’t really logged in (though I might want to do so for daily rewards this month…). I very much want to play it, but I don’t feel like I have the time or patience to do so right now. Instead, I have found myself diving into FFXIV once again. This time, I think it’s sticking more than it has before because I’ve been gaming some with the polycule.

Manthing and I either level some classes together (ARC/NIN), or we sit in Discord and play our own things. It also helps just being around the polycule as a whole even if I don’t get to play much with them. I’m still trying to figure my way around the FC, as I’m very much feeling an outsider right now, but I’m still enjoying my time playing mostly solo. I’ve been leveling my White Mage, and have been enjoying my time quite a bit.

I forgot how much I’ve loved healing. I haven’t healed in a very long time due to the fact that ex was always the healer, and I was always the tank. It feels comfortable, and has a more rhythmic flow to me than DPS does. Though, to be honest, I am very much looking forward to leveling Dancer, eventually!

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.

Another week, another Seriously Geeky Sundays prompt! Seriously Geeky Sundays is hosted by Heather of Just Geeking By. This week’s prompt is a tribute to Mother’s Day in the US, with a focus on geeky families. Be sure to check out the rest of May’s prompts if you’re interested in joining!

Families

Who is your favorite family?

This was an extremely difficult question to answer. I have a lot of families I enjoy. The Gilmores, the Spellmans, the Siskos… but I finally decided that my favorite family would have to be Joyce and Buffy Summers (and later Dawn, who grew on me eventually). I love the dynamic the two of them have, and the growth they both go through on the show… and it is still shattering to watch that specific episode where everything comes crashing down.

Who is your favorite unconventional family?

I keep waffling between the Gilmores and the Spellmans on this one, but I finally had to go with the original 90s Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I’ve yet to watch more than the first few episodes of the newer Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, but I do enjoy their dichotomy so far as well. The 90s Sabrina had a huge impact on me as a kid, and since I didn’t watch a lot of television, it’s one of the first times I remember seeing an unconventional family (after Jake and Ben Sisko, of course). You know, once I finish Stargate and Star Wars, I may need to yoink Manthing’s Hulu login for seven seasons of Sabrina…

Which off-screen/non-played family member would like to learn more about?

I honestly can’t think of any media I’ve consumed where the family had a specifically off-screen member, and Googling hasn’t been much help in answering this question, either. So I’m just looking forward to seeing what other folks have answered for this question.

Who is/are your favorite grandparents?

Beyond my own late grandparents? Well, need I say more than post this image?

What extended family/legacy is your favorite?

Again, a picture is worth a thousand words, here. I haven’t watched the movie in a while (and have yet to watch the second one), but I very much enjoy the quirky extended family in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Plus, it’s just so quoteable!

Take the main characters from your last five shows/movies/games/books (etc.) and create a family with them.

I’ve been watching a lot of ensemble cast television shows, so it’s been difficult to choose a main character. Therefore, I compromised a bit on the question. I use two television shows (Star Wars: Clone Wars and Stargate SG-1), and chose some characters that I would consider “main”. From Clone Wars, we have Ahsoka, Anakin, and Obi-Wan. Even though I’m no longer in seasons with O’Neill, I decided to pick O’Neill and Carter, because they really do deserve to love each other like they want to. My family layout would have Jack and Samantha as the parents, and Ahsoka as their daughter. Obi-Wan would be the Uncle, and Anakin would be Ahsoka’s older cousin that’s almost like her brother.

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.