violetclarity

[violetclarity]

shout out to Maggie for luring me in with a sequel series about Ronan and then making me give a shit about Declan, and for writing an entire 14hr audiobook that is essentially no plot just vibes

After many years waffling about it, I finally started listening to Call Down the Hawk and damn, maggie stiefvater continues to write such beautiful prose that it makes me wonder why any of the rest of us are even trying!

(side note, the audiobook narrator for The Raven Cycle and The Dreamer Trilogy is one of my favorite ever, highly recommend)

#I enjoyed it but this is making me more concerned about the overall plot of this trilogy ngl #which was my main hesitation in reading it at all #I hope that now some of the world building and character development is out of the way we'll get some actual plot in book 2... #I'm not complaining I'm just concerned.

[violetclarity]

if you don‘t personally own one but your roommates/parents do and you are allowed to use it, that counts as yes

#I selected millennial yes and I use it bc that is technically true #but mostly I don't iron my clothes #it's mostly for sewing purposes lmao #occasionally when something is REALLY wrinkled or it's a special occasion I'll actually use it to iron clothes #very occasionally. usually I just stay wrinkly.

[violetclarity]

working with seventh grade girls is such a trip because they seem so nice and sweet to me but I have to remember that they can be vicious!! to each other! and at the same time I have no idea what their factions are or who is being mean to who this week so I just have to hope that I'm not doing anything that's going to make a situation I don't know about worse. and accept that I'm probably failing at that most of the time.

#this post brought to you by a student dropping out of a competition thing I'm organizing that happens next week #I have to assume it has something to do with a change in group dynamics bc there were only 5 students involved to begin with #but I also have to take her at her word that she wants to quit! #and hope that she would have spoken up if there was something I could have done #you could not pay me to go back to being in seventh grade...

[violetclarity]

read something recently that said a majority of people don’t have a wall clock these days, thought it was interesting since I’ve always considered it an essential and functional piece of home decor.

#I have this fun silver one that I thrifted #(like chromey fake silver) #and I've had it a few years but I think it's given up the ghost #it was running slow but when I replaced the batteries it's still running slow #very sad #I'd like to replace it bc I do like having a wall clock #ikea has a blue one that would go great w my decor but I didn't get bc I already had a clock #so maybe now I will #or I'll check out the thrift store again #anyway I answered yes bc I own one and I'd like it to be functioning lol

[violetclarity]

After many years waffling about it, I finally started listening to Call Down the Hawk and damn, maggie stiefvater continues to write such beautiful prose that it makes me wonder why any of the rest of us are even trying!

(side note, the audiobook narrator for The Raven Cycle and The Dreamer Trilogy is one of my favorite ever, highly recommend)

#me. it makes me wonder why *I* am even trying #for explanation not that anyone cares #I've been putting off reading the dreamer trilogy in the hopes that someone else I knew would read it first #and could yay/nay if I should read it #bc I mostly loved the raven cycle as a series but found the ending quite frustrating #and was hesitant to read another maggie stiefvater series because of that #but no one I know has read it so I can't confirm if the ending is weak or not #so I'm risking it myself bc the audiobooks really do rock and I was in a major reading/audiobook slump

[violetclarity]

Your body works hard to keep you alive. Show it some kindness and respect today.

°˖✧*•  Shop, Patreon, Book, Mailing List *•. ✧˖°`

#need to internalize this one atm

[violetclarity]

vampirism poses the question "what if there was a fundamental, horrible, unending well of want in your soul that, if truly satisfied, would lead to great pain for all those you hold closest and, in turn, their absolute and total revilement of you?" and naturally as a person with no problems I don't relate to this in any way at all.

#brb printing this post and snail mailing it to my friend/coworker #who is “super into vampires” but had never seen buffy #she loves twilight. TWILIGHT is her standard for vampires #when I told you I died inside #I got her to watch buffy and invited myself over to join her for 'school hard' #when drusilla scratched spike's cheek and licked the blood off she said “ew gross”

[violetclarity]

the update is that impulse buying a table was a great choice, I picked one up from someone off of facebook marketplace this morning and I've already set it up and it's made my living room area 10x cozier and also eliminated some of the clutter that was on my dining table, 10/10 pleased with my decision, only wish I had literally any human to share my great new space layout and cozy vibes with

The problem with being depressed but in therapy/on medication is that I try to actually figure out what will make myself feel better when I'm down, but because I can't go online shopping to find a friend group that will regularly want to do things with me, instead I'm probably going to impulse buy a table.

#like my cat def appreciates it but she's also happy as long as she can sit on the back of the couch while I watch tv #other update is that even with my new table I'm still lonely af #who knew retail therapy doesn't actually solve that lol

[violetclarity]

The problem with being depressed but in therapy/on medication is that I try to actually figure out what will make myself feel better when I'm down, but because I can't go online shopping to find a friend group that will regularly want to do things with me, instead I'm probably going to impulse buy a table.

#I don't usually use facebook marketplace but when I do etc. #I rearranged my living room furniture a few weeks ago and I need something to go behind the couch #I had high hopes of building something but realistically that's not going to happen #and I'm over not having a space to put my lamp bc I hate my overhead lighting #what I'm really sad about is feeling super lonely but that's not fixable lol you know what is? #needing a table. #ergo if I go get a table I'll feel better?? #it's hard to be really broke but also committed to trying to improve your wellbeing and surroundings #bc I know *how* I could fix all the things but I can't *afford* to #(although tbqh if I could afford it I'd just move out of my current apartment bc there's so many things I can't fix about it) #anyway...

[violetclarity]

We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

#I say “hiii!” back in the same tone she meowed in #this goes back and forth for a while #I like to imagine she is also saying hi so we're just greeting each other like 5 times in a row #sometimes I also say “I know!” but truthfully I do not know

[violetclarity]

me: wow it's so nice that my friends that live far away often end up visiting a city adjacent to mine, giving me the opportunity to see them when I otherwise wouldn't!

also me: bitches and moans every time I have to haul ass into dc or nova to see said friends

#listen. l i s t e n #it's about the fact that none of them ever make the hour-plus trek in the opposite direction #it's about the fact that we always have to meet at places that are so much less convenient than going to dc could be #or that I have to drive all the way to nova which is like a 4 hour round trip #driving to my friend's house in dc where I can park on her street and we'll go to dinner in her neighborhood: totally fine #having to go to an event on the national mall: absolute torture. why would you do this to me. #having to meet someone in downtown bethesda: dying inside #my policy used to be 'they're the ones traveling so I will come to them' and that's still what it is but ALSO #it gets fucking old especially when no one ever bothers to visit me outside of an afternoon add-on #shout out to the one (1) friend who has intentionally visited me in baltimore from out of state #even if it was only a few extra days on a trip to visit their parents #before you analyze me yes I am getting offended on behalf of my city AND myself #this is who I am as a person now #it went: reach late 20s - get into sports - become incredibly hardcore about being from baltimore #you're welcome!!

[violetclarity]

today I'm adding variety to my habitat (rearranging my living room furniture)

#bonus is now my living room feels a lot more open which is both important and a feat bc my apartment is so tiny #bad news I still don't have adequate storage for all my things so it continues to be Messy #also bad news I have to finish this in the next 2 days or I won't have time once my break ends lol

[violetclarity]

some of y'all never read material above your age/maturity level as a preteen and still grew into a relatively well-adjusted adult, and it shows.

#me @ my former coworker freaking out about a 7th grader reading an adult romance novel: #were you NOT reading explicit fanfiction when you were that age?? #like am I going to hand that to a middle schooler no #am I going to freak out if the middle schooler gets their hands on it also no #I'm not endorsing it (obviously) but acting shocked that it happens just makes you look silly #ask an older woman in your life what the dirty book that got passed around her middle school was. I dare you.

[violetclarity]

#I recently wrote a trivia question about Eubie Blake #(Black vaudeville/ragtime musician and composer who lived from 1887-1983) #and in reading about him to write the question #I learned that in the 20s he was one of the first Black musicians to be recorded on film in a “talking picture” #and at the end of his life in the 70s/80s #he appeared on both SNL and the tonight show #and that blew my mind #like he was recorded on film back when movies also having sound was a New Development #(and he was fully an adult at that point) #and he also appeared on two tv shows that are still airing today #like obviously those are exceptional shows in that they've been airing that long #BUT STILL #this one man's life encompassed both of those stages of film/tv technology! fucking wild.

[violetclarity]

new life tip for ya: next time you're about to send a snarky or unnecessarily combative email to a stranger, think to yourself, is there a possibility this person has had the flu for several days and I don't know it? and if the answer is yes (which is probably is), don't send the email!!

because getting a not so nice email is never fun, but if you've also been sick for several days it might be the thing that pushes you over the edge and makes you want to totally quit the volunteer job you're doing.

hope this helps!!!

#is this about my volunteer queer sports league again?? #oh yeah. yeah it is. #tl;dr be nice to strangers especially strangers who aren't getting paid to deal with your bullshit #or they might decide they don't WANT to deal with your bullshit anymore!!

[violetclarity]

"life doesnt get better, you just get stronger" does NOT include ages 11-17. life does in fact just get better from there. those years are dogshit. like, you do get stronger but its mostly just a factor of not being 11-17 anymore. positive thinking helps but it doesnt fix whatevers going on at 15, you have to brute force through that one raw

#this is why I enjoy working with this age group tbh #like yeah they're fucking annoying sometimes (have you met teenagers) but then I remember Being A Teenager #and I'm like y'know what this is actually understandable #not only is it a shit time developmentally but we make them do SO MUCH #like when I think about how busy and stressed I was in high school compared to now? #yeah I have to deal with bigger stakes things like paying rent and making my own doctor's appointments #but I also spent most of my evening watching tv and had candy before dinner and I'll do a few little chores but some things will stay messy #I don't have to do hours upon hours of homework and if I stay up late it will be because I wanted to not because I had to #we overwork teenagers so much #the number of students I have who are in high school and tell me how they used to love reading but don't have time anymore #and all I can tell them is that I promise someday (as soon as college) they'll have time to read for fun again #ANYWAY that got a bit off topic #but my point is that remembering being 11-17 and how much that sucked allows me to treat my students with a lot more compassion #and be amused when they do stupid immature shit instead of getting mad #(sometimes I still get mad. I can see you rolling your eyes before I've even turned away. I'm an adult not an idiot.) #but yeah. 11-17s are fun because they are starting to come into themselves #but you also have to remember that they are boiling in a pool of hormones and their brains aren't fully cooked yet

[violetclarity]

HAPPY BASEBALL SEASON TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE!!!!

#as far as I'm concerned it started being baseball seasons as soon as the ravens were out of the playoffs #not bc I care about football but bc I can recognize when the general focus of my city is on something else #anyway it's officially baseball season *now* right?? #maybe I'll break out the earrings tomorrow