1. Do you mostly drink tap, filtered, or bottled water? Bottled water, tap if that's my only option..I think it tastes gross (unless I put Emergen-C in it)
2. Is it safe/recommended to drink tap water where you live? If not, why? I just Googled it, and apparently it contains PFAs, chemicals made by humans, like Bromodichloromethane, which can cause cancer..yeah, definitely avoiding that as much as possible O_o
3. What does the tap water taste/smell like where you live? I don't know how to describe it..not fresh, maybe? Probably all those chemicals that are in it D:
4. Do you collect rainwater? If so, what do you use it for? No
5. Do you/have you ever had restrictions on water use where you live? What did you have to change about your lifestyle? When my family lived in the hills, we had a cistern for water, and we either had to pay to get water delivered or fill a tank ourselves at a water station. We had to be careful, like not taking a long shower (and not showering every day), the washing machine was one that used less water, things like that. To this day, I feel guilty if I feel like I'm taking a longer shower than usual :P

I'm..not quite sure about what's happening with LJ, except that only people with certain conditions (a professional/permanent account, for one) will be able to post?? I was confused trying to read everything about it, and the panicked/conflicting comments. I have most things backed up here on Dreamwidth, but LJ is definitely my home, I've used it since 2004! I'm glad there's another blog site to use, but I'll be on LJ until the end, if there is one..

Happy birthday, Cherry! Sarah Airriess, who is making the graphic novels of The Worst Journey in the World, posted about Cherry's voice today on Patreon. Like me, she's always been curious about what his voice sounded like..no recording of his voice has been found (I like to hope a video of him exists in someone's attic somewhere, and one day someone will discover it lol). There's not really a description of his voice by expedition members (for one), except that one of his nicknames was "Chewwy," and another expedition member offered to name a "little pawasite" after him, so maybe he had a speech impediment?? I wonder if his nephew Hugh remembers his voice? I'll have to ask him sometime..

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that on New Year's Eve, Dictionary.com's word of the day was "threshold," and yesterday's word was "first-foot: the first person to cross the threshold of a house on New Year's Day." Nice, I see what you did there :D

( 2. What's one thing that you hope to achieve or accomplish this year? )

1. What's your favourite TV network? Does Netflix/Amazon Prime count?
2. If you could create your own channel, what would it be? I'd go to glaciers, and find four-poster beds and curtains throughout the world LOL
3. What TV show did you watch as a child, that you wish they would bring back? I really liked Impact: Stories of Survival..I've always been fascinated with survival stories..
4. What show have you always hated, and wonder why they ever made such a dumb show? Arrested Development
5. What TV show's seasons would you buy on DVD? I'm still waiting to find Here Come the Brides haha..Bobby Sherman was so cool, I was sad to hear he died in June :(

I'm not sure why it took so long, but we finally got a picture of the bookstore's grand opening from last summer!

There's me, Amanda (the manager for like a month), Ron (a summer volunteer), Lucie, Adam (without a mask OR hat, an incredibly rare occurrence!), Shelby (huge scissors!), Bill, some guy from the Chamber of Commerce maybe, Jim (he finds vinyl records to sell in the store. They're super popular!), and Chris (a volunteer who usually shelves books). Yay! We did get a bunch of donations on Saturday, but most of them have been shelved already. It was really nice seeing new (to us) books again!

Yesterday at the bus stop a guy walked up, and then a lady walked over, who looked super drugged out (her teeth were definitely rotten D:), and the guy started yelling at her and calling her bad names (apparently it's her fault his hands were cold??). The lady came up to me and said "would you like to help me bury a dead body?" Ummm no thank you. O__o I was so happy when the bus finally drove up, I was so uncomfortable! I have made a couple friends though, two ladies who work next door at the Salvation Army. It's fun talking to them for the short ride and walk to work!

( nov 15-21 )

These last couple months have been especially hard at work..everyone constantly complains and keep threatening to quit. You try to talk to Lucie or Shelby, who don't really listen and just want to be controlling. Business has slowed down a LOT, with customers telling us we NEED to get more new books in. Some good books came in last Thursday, but not enough. Now Bill and I are just to the point of just saying yes to donations, if it's just a box or something..I can't justify saying no anymore. I don't want everyone to forget about us (it's lonely with just Bill there, it was nice talking to my coworkers at the old building!). This has made me depressed, it's been hard to sleep, etc. I didn't think Lucie or Shelby would listen to my concerns, so I've kept it bottled up (not healthy!). It's hard to think of anything else except the state of work lately! Last weekend I took the washcloths we use to clean books to my parents' house to wash them, and brought them back Monday so I wouldn't have to haul them on the bus. I figured someone would be there training the new manager, and sure enough, Shelby and Lucie and Katrina were there, and gave me the weirdest looks! I said "here are the clean rags!" and Shelby said "but it's your day off!" When I told her I hadn't wanted to haul them on the bus, she said "oh." What, not even a thank you?! Then Katrina (who looked very overwhelmed) shook my hand and by now I was feeling super awkward (a common trait of autism is rehearsing conversations ahead of time, and being thrown off when the conversation goes in a different direction), so I said something dumb like "sorry, my sleeve is long." Omgggg. D: I was glad when I could escape back outside haha. I was hurt they didn't thank me. I thought I might have to quit, because I don't want to work with bullies who don't care! I thought I'd wait to see what Katrina was like...

...but when I got to work Tuesday she wasn't there, which I thought was super weird. Shelby and Lucie came over that afternoon without Katrina, and I was thought "oh no...," and that's when they said after training with her for a day and a half, they determined she would not be a good fit and decided not to hire her. Wha..WHAT?? Are you KIDDING ME?!? I took that to mean "she wasn't controlling and bossy like Shelby." If they're looking for someone so specific, it'll be impossible to hire someone (Vicky was perfect, but they drove her away..ugh). So I guess the hunt continues. Me and Bill also got an email about a mandatory staff meeting on Thursday..Lucie said it wasn't a bad thing, but I was still completely freaking out last night. For some reason, me and Bill just knew that Lucie was going to resign..

After a terrible night last night (it was definitely a Clonazepam night), I knew I HAD to talk to Lucie and Shelby today, I felt ready to explode! Lucie indeed told everyone she will be resigning (she wants to be closer to family). She set the "official" date to August of next year, so there's enough time for recruitment, training, etc (the president of the Board of Directors was there, and said they'd be talking about it at tonight's board meeting). I'm glad Shelby doesn't want to fill that position, that would be a nightmare. D: After the meeting, I told Lucie I needed to talk to her and..well..kind of unloaded everything all at once haha. I wasn't screaming or anything, but definitely adamant and firm lol. I mentioned my worries ("we NEED donations! The bookstore is dying! We and the customers are tired of looking at the same stock we've had since April!") and I was actually surprised and impressed at how calm both Shelby and Lucie were! Lucie was like "wow, you've obviously carried this burden for a long time!" and said we should have a meeting next week to talk everything over. She wondered why I didn't email her or tell her sooner..I didn't mention I've TRIED before and they didn't listen, but I did say I was terrified of confrontation and I was afraid I'd get fired for speaking my mind and replacing me. Shelby said "that's called retaliation, and that's illegal!" Phew haha. I do appreciate their calmness when talking with me, and we parted amicably..hopefully we'll have that meeting next week and can talk more about how to receive donations without getting overwhelmed. I was shaky after that, but felt SOO much better lol..Bill said I expressed myself well! I Doordashed a vanilla bean frappuccino and work was fine after that, and it even got a little busy! I keep telling myself things HAVE to get better eventually. It's definitely been a challenging year for the whole organization. "Things must improve," as Cherry's friend Wilson said!

Vicki's birthday was yesterday, and I also got the news her mom passed away. :( Poor Vicki, she's had a hard last few years! I really miss Vicki, and talking about curtains with her haha..I hope we can get dinner together sometime..

( pokemon update )

11. What makes you nervous? Public speaking, confrontation, calling someone, etc

12. Your oldest friend: I've known Meghan (we're friends on Facebook) since we were babies. She still lives in Texas and has a daughter who looks SO much like her!

13. A time when someone helped you: Dad rode the bus with me to scope out the route and make sure I was comfortable with it..very nice of him!

14. Something you never want to own: A bird..too loud and messy! I'd rather watch them be free outside lol

15. The first time you fell in love: In 9th grade, with a guy named Nick. He was super honorable, considerate and nice. I pined for him so much when we went to different schools. Weirdly enough, I had a dream a few days ago where he kissed me and said we should be together. That dream would have completely broke me when I was in high school, but I just get a little sad now. Every once in awhile I'll try to find him on Facebook or wherever, but never do. I hope he's alright!

16. Your favorite sounds: A cat purring, a glacier creaking/calving, epic music, etc

And here's yet another "Curti is ridiculously cute" picture

His face after I said "Curti!" Awwww! He has such a hard life :P

And..Moby Dick, WHAT

WTF did I just read?!? That is..odd. O_o Thankfully it was just weird on that one page..Melville, were you ok?? It was an interesting book, but I'm glad I finally finished it lol

( a survey about curti! )

9. Describe the kitchen of your childhood: It was..kitcheny?? Haha. It had an island and a bunch of cabinets and stuff..so exciting :P

10. Your first date: I've never really been one one..

11. Do you think it's important to have good manners? Yeah, it's polite and respectful

12. Who was your favorite teacher in high school? My Latin teacher, an English teacher, etc

Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Shelley (Oct 13-Nov 4). The bookstore's book club book for Oct-Nov. I read the later version of the story years ago, which was alright, but I REALLY didn't like the original 1818 text. Victor Frankenstein is one of the most annoying, whiny book characters I've come across (mom agreed too). Someone on Goodreads said "If you open up any page in this horrendous book, you will have a 100% chance of Victor whining of what a miserable wretch he and/or the Daemon is." I tried it, and sure enough, they were right. The best part of the book was when the monster pulled aside Frankenstein's bed curtains LOL

A Polar Affair: Antarctica's Forgotten Hero and the Secret Love Lives of Penguins by Lloyd Spencer Davis (Oct 31-Nov 6). Oh my, a book partly about penguin sex LOL. They aren't as innocent as they look... O_o

Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Ranulph Fiennes (Nov 7-13). Most people in their 50s and 60s are thinking about retirement..meanwhile Fiennes climbed the North Face of the Eiger, ran 7 marathons in 7 continents in 7 days (that sounds AWFUL D:), summited Mt. Everest (at 65, the oldest Briton to do so), etc. He was also the first to completely cross Antarctica on foot, completed the Northwest Passage, cut off his own frostbitten fingers after trying to walk to the North Pole, and many other things. I can see why he's known as the Greatest Living Explorer! He makes me feel very lazy LOL (his brother Ralph Fiennes played Voldemort in Harry Potter!)

Conquering the Impossible: My 12,000-Mile Journey Around the Arctic Circle by Mike Horn (Nov 14-20). That didn't sound fun at all, especially walking in -95 degree weather D:

How Iceland Changed the World: The Big History of a Small Island by Egill Bjarnason (Nov 21-25). A good time to read this after hearing about the volcano that's erupting! I must go someday, it sounds like a cool, friendly place!

The Skeleton Tree by Iain Lawrence (Nov 26-28). Two kids stranded in the Alaskan wilderness spend most of their time fighting with each other..ugh. I wasn't expecting a reference to A Christmas Carol though, I wouldn't have spotted it if I hadn't been obsessed with it like I am right now haha (the author also wrote The Winter Pony, a story told in the perspective of one of Robert Falcon Scott's ponies..that one was a lot better than this one)

What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley (Nov-28-30). After six years, a new Flavia de Luce novel!! She is so funny..she liked to decorate her room with death cap mushrooms to "draw the eye" haha. And believe it or not, this book had FOUR references to A Christmas Carol!! Two books in a row?? What are the chances of that? The author almost always mentions something about glaciers/Antarctica/polar exploration, etc, and this one was no exception (I about died when in the first book Flavia said the walk across her cold room would have daunted Scott of the Antarctic lol). I think Alan Bradley must be a fan of that sort of thing too!

The Hidden Life of Ice: Dispatches from a Disappearing World by Alberto Flores d'Arcais (Nov 30)

Yesterday mom and I saw Wicked (part one), which was pretty good! (I remember liking it when I saw it live in London too.) I don't remember Glinda being that annoying though. D: I must see the live action How to Train Your Dragon too! I'd heard a little about The War of the Rohirrim, but I didn't expect it to be anime-styled! Why?!? To me, that completely ruins it..sorry anime fans, but I just can't do it :/

( nov 30-dec 1 )

Mom and I recently watched Dune Part 2 (which was epic, except for the fact the music was so loud that half the time I couldn't understand what people were saying), and I was surprised by this trailer:

They made a sequel to Twister?? I had no idea that was going to happen! I doubt it'll be as good as the first one, but I'll probably watch it anyway haha

Today at work a customer came in with his kids, and when he came up to the register he asked me about a bee book he wanted..I thought he had put it on the request list, but didn't see it. He was about to go to the back to look for the volunteer he thought helped him, but I was like "uh, no, I'll get the bookstore manager." He was being super weird with his kids, like I saw him drag one across the floor, and kissed another in a weird loud way and kept saying "toot toot!" My skin started crawling. When Vicki came up he said he had seen a couple books at the sale and they were put aside for him or something?? I was like "ohh, I misunderstood" and he said "I thought I made that clear to you." Uhh, no, you just said you were looking for a book. Then he kept HITTING HIS KID on his chest, RIGHT in front of me!! He also said "shhh!" in a super mean way. OMG my skin was absolutely CRAWLING then. I felt weird and uncomfortable by his vibes to begin with (the curse of being an empath lol), but that was upsetting..those poor kids!! I had to go to the back and hug Vicki's curtains haha, I was SO uncomfortable by the whole thing. Vicki didn't find the books he was talking about either, but she and another coworker were weirded out too (Vicki actually talked to Lucie about it, and next time he comes in she's going to observe him..child abuse is NOT ok). It took a long time for my skin to stop crawling (I've dealt with plenty of "odd" customers, but this guy just set me off!). Those kids deserve better! And weirdly enough, a customer who checked out after that had a bee on her shirt..it's a weird bee day! :P

I recently had my semi-annual inspection, and Abby just followed the inspectors around, meowing and making sure they did a good job LOL..such a social kitty!

( march 16-20 )

South Pole Station by Ashley Shelby (Oct 29-Nov 4). The main character and her brother's hero was Cherry, and would quote him throughout the book. When her brother ended his own life, a copy of Worst Journey was found by his body. The book ended with a Cherry quote too..I'm glad he inspires other people too! (Even if they are fictional people lol)

How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior (Nov 4-7). A grumpy old lady goes to Antarctica and hangs out with penguins haha, and she read Worst Journey too! (Though it didn't make her feel any better :P)

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert (Nov 8-14). OMG THIS BOOK WAS SO WEIRD. It was partly about plants, which I expected, but also about her sex life (well, a lack of one), and how she loved going in her closet to "frantically explor[e] her spongy petals" of her "quim" (yes, that is what it said). OMG NO that's more than I ever wanted to know. O__o I kept on reading hoping it would get better, but it just kept getting weirder
( a funny review from someone on goodreads )

I Am Still Alive by Kate Alice Marshall (Nov 14-16)

My Penguin Year: Life Among the Emperors by Lindsay McCrae (Nov 17-20). He only mentioned Cherry at the end?? Come on, he deserves more than that LOL

With Ski and Sledge Over Arctic Glaciers by William Martin Conway (Nov 20-21)

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long (Nov 22-25). SO GOOOOD! I always like when an animal companion plays a big part in the story <3

Don't Let in the Cold by Keely Parrack (Nov 25-27). The main character fell in love with the guy that broke into her house who she'd only known for like two days..seems unrealistic to me LOL, but the rest of the book was pretty good

Adrift: A Secret Life of London's Waterways by Helen Babbs (Nov 29-30). This was way more boring that I thought it would be..at least it was a quick read lol

Nine books again!! I hope one day I can get 10 and break that record lol. It was kind of hard choosing this month because next year's challenge topics hadn't been released yet, and I didn't want to read one that would fit in next year's challenge (it was released today! It looks HARD! I do like the "from an animal's POV" and "a book set in the snow" topics though)

Today me and Vicki, after realizing the year is almost over, just looked at each other and were like "wow.." The first part of the year was awful for both of us (her husband died in her arms in February), but the second part of the year has been great for both of us. Vicki could absolutely see the progress I've made with healing from depression, even though she hadn't seen it for the whole time I was struggling. It was a powerful moment for both of us. I'm so glad I met Vicki, she's so caring and supportive and just a comforting person <3 (we got yelled at by a customer today, and both Lucie and Vicki said I handled it very well..we still had to go to the back and "cool off" for a couple minutes though lol. Unnecessary rudeness is not cool!)

I'm sad..Old San Juan's famous cats all have to be removed. :( To be fair, the place did smell awful, but still, the cats were one reason I loved it there. I hope they can find good homes for them!

( a cute pic of abby! )

25 – Shopping Reminder Day: Shopping Reminder Day falls roughly a month before Christmas, and as such it’s the perfect reminder to go ahead and get started on all of your holiday shopping. How do you feel about holiday shopping? Do you need a reminder to go shopping for holiday gifts? I don't need a reminder, I just always wait to the last minute haha, but it is fun to find just the right gift

26 – Cake Day: Cake or pie? Or something else? Cake...mmmm, frosting

27 – Pins and Needles Day: Can you sew, either by hand or by machine? What was the last thing you sewed? No. Something in Home Ec in middle school, probably??

28 – French Toast Day: Do you like French toast? No, and I don't understand why it's so well liked..soggy bread that's tasteless, no thanks :P

29 – Throw Out Your Leftovers Day: How do you feel about leftovers? Are you happy to eat the same food more than once in a row, or do you crave variety in your diet? Do you take leftovers home from a restaurant when/if you eat out? I like leftovers, though after a couple days I get tired of them. Yes, I purposely don't eat all my food (usually) at a restaurant so I can take some home and be excited to eat it the next day lol

30 – Stay Home Because You're Well Day: Have you ever taken a mental health day from your job, or just decided not to go to work even though you weren't sick, because you felt like staying home or for some other reason? Yeahh, I had a mental health six months..not fun

December 1 – Cookie Cutter Day: Do you own any cookie cutters? Any unusual ones? Tell us about them. No

Last week dad got me a smoothie, but he called it a slurpie, so the lady made me a slushie. We went back and I said "oh, my dad said slurpie but he really meant smoothie," and the lady said she would redo it. When she gave the smoothie back, I said "sorry for the confusion!" and she made some kind of gesture that she understood. Dad did seem kind of aloof for whatever reason though. Today dad and I went back and after ordering the lady was like "was it you last week who had a wrong drink made?" and I said yes..I was expecting her to say sorry or even give me a free drink (I'm too optimistic LOL), so I was completely shocked when she said "you were very mean to my coworker, there's usually only one person working here and we're only human. Make sure to remember that next time!" I was shocked and horrified, and told her I absolutely was NOT mean, and yelled at us some more about meanness. I tried talking to her again but she shut the window and left!! OMG. Dad and I felt like we had been scolded! Maybe dad was being weird, but he wasn't MEAN. SHE was the one being mean! I was pretty upset..I'm naturally a nice person, so telling me I was mean is one of the biggest insults you can tell me. I actually called the business after I got to work because I HAD to explain to her I wasn't trying to be mean at all, that's not who I am. She did say she didn't think I was a mean person, but she still kept saying the "remember next time" thing. Really?! You do NOT treat customers like that..there have been SO MANY times I've wanted to yell at customers, but I DON'T..it's hurtful and inappropriate. If I wasn't on Prozac I probably would have completely fell apart, but after ranting to my coworkers I was able to work, though I couldn't get rid of the bad feeling the whole time..it's like it sticks to your skin or something. Vicki did tell me that that lady was snippy at her too, so it must be her personality?? I don't think dad and I are going back any time soon..I'd be far too embarrassed to show my face again! Too bad, they've always had the best smoothies in town. :( Unless there's a very good reason (like someone hurting an animal), being mean isn't worth it. Hopefully I'll sleep it off and feel better tomorrow..

( sept 23-26 )

Today I was eating lunch in my office when I heard a guy talking to Adam who seemed agitated..Adam was saying that he couldn't sit on the floor. I poked my head out of my office and saw him sitting on the floor, getting more agitated as Adam and Shelby kept telling him he couldn't sit there. He got up, then started saying super mean and rude things to Shelby and Adam, like he was going to kill them and asked Shelby if he could lick her tongue (WTF??). He was yelling and cursing a lot. Brave Adam was in front of him, telling him to leave, and the guy poked him on the nose! The guy was completely losing it by then. They went around the corner and I heard more ruckus, and suddenly Adam comes reeling back to where I was standing, holding his face. I asked him if he was ok, but he didn't answer. Turned out the guy punched him in the face!! D: D: I went around the corner a little more and saw him flailing on the floor in the teachers' offices (the students with their kids quickly got out of there). He was completely manic and calling everyone names and that he was going to kill them (he must have hit his head on something, because it was bloody). I crept a little closer and saw a coworker and a student trying to hold him down..I didn't see it, but he had lightly punched my coworker, and was trying to kick the student in the face. They were able to hold him down (not easily), and the guy yelled some more. We had called the police, and I went back to my office while the officers did their thing ("HANDS! LET ME SEE YOUR HANDS!!" "I'm not resisting!!" Uh huh..). There I found Adam sobbing in my chair. I hugged him, and Lucy talked to him as well. He was even more upset because he didn't have insurance and didn't think he could go to the doctor, and both of us said we would help pay for the visit, no question. She talked to Adam for a long time, and he seemed ok-ish when Lucy went to take hin to the doctor. We actually had to close the bookstore for a couple hours, so everyone could recover and decompress. My coworker who helped hold the guy down seemed alright, but the student was shaking. Everyone was shaken, I think..in all my years at the bookstore I've never seen anyone that violent there..wow. I felt so bad for Adam..I hope he'll be alright. I hope they keep the guy in jail, because he is very dangerous. What a crazy day..

Early this morning I start on the journey to Kansas! It's definitely time for a vacation lol. Excited to see grandma and other family again!

( nov 5-7 )

Early this morning I woke up to voices in the hallway, and them someone pounding on my door..when I opened it a little this lady was like "you have my phone, give me my phone!," while pushing on the door to open it further. I told her I definitely did not have her phone, more than once, and then she pulled out a knife from her pocket and was like "YES YOU DO!," and barged her way past me into my apartment!! (She was definitely intoxicated, I could smell it when she was near me, and she said something about a party.) I just stood there in shock, still holding the door open. She walked into my living room, where Abby meowed at her..I was worried she would hurt Abby, but thankfully walked past her into the kitchen, where she opened my freezer door, took an ice cream sandwich or two and said "you don't need these" (thankfully I saw her put her knife back in her pocket then). Then she just casually walked out..my neighbor heard all this and was poking her head out her door, and I was like "..she took my food!!" haha. She called the police, who came quickly (the station is very close). A couple officers talked to me, while others went searching for the lady, who I think they found, but didn't say for sure. That was a pretty shocking start to the morning..I probably shouldn't have opened the door in the first place, but if there's a next time I'll pretend I'm not home or something, and call the police if they don't leave (I live in what is supposed to be a locked building, but sometimes the lock mechanism doesn't work properly, which is what I saw when I left for work later. They really need to fix that!!). I'm glad my neighbors look out for me though, and that Abby and I didn't get hurt! Crazy..

( 15. Have you ever served on jury duty? If so, what was the case about? If not, would you like to be on a jury in the future? )

Today's trivia: Due to their high fat content and lower water content, pistachios are prone to self-heating. If too many pistachios are shipped in a single container, they will self-heat and experience spontaneous combustion, which is why ships have a lot of conditions to be met when transporting them (good ventilation, etc)