Fifteen Minutes of Scrawl

Original prompt: What’s something analog or antiquated you’ve been wanting to practice just for the sake of doing it? Book-binding? Knife sharpening? Memorizing a poem? Blacksmithery: I mean...if I could make a sword? How cool! Bowyery: I mean...I could also learn to make bow... Ceramic: When I was a kid, I made ceramics at art camp and I enjoyed it--maybe I could make something less ugly now Cloud watching: I wouldn't want to to this alone, but how lovely would it be to lie in warm grass and just talk about shapes with friends? Falconry: I truly just think this is badass Letterlocking: Truth be told, I have seen photos of locked letters and cannot understand how they are done--perhaps I could learn! Long exposure pinhole photography: I remember doing this back in high school and it was pretty cool! Morse code: Always fun to be able to communicate without speaking Pealing: It'd be badass and beautiful to to play a series of church bells and make a joyous song Performing epic po...

Okay, I've finally started writing the novel that I did some stream of consciousness posts about ( "Stream of consciousness about a novel idea I have, part 1" , "Stream of consciousness about a novel idea I have, part 2" , and "Stream of consciousness about a novel idea I have, part 3" ). Now, I want to keep it unpublished, but I also want credit for working on it (lol). So, with that in mind, I'll do a post like this when I've worked on it for a bit, and you can shoot me a message if you'd like access to the Google doc. NB: While there will be multiple posts in this vein, I will not link them to each other because the text will remain the same, so linking to part 1 from part 2 (etc.) won't yield any new information. Although, this is the first post with a photo I like better! (Prompt by me) Photo by Vincent Orleck on Unsplash

I decided to watch Hocus Pocus , Halloweentown , and The Nightmare Before Christmas on Halloween this year. Here's a total of 15 thoughts I had during my marathon (5 per movie). Hocus Pocus : The Thackery Binx actor went HARD in the 1693 Salem section Hocus Pocus : This movie is so '90s (praise) which is awesome because it 1) aired on the actual 300 year anniversary of the trials ending (though Disney made the WILD choice to premiere the movie over the summer, which initially made it a flop), 2) it means there are a lot of jokes about how the witches perceive modern conveniences as magic which sets up even more of these jokes in the sequel Hocus Pocus : Do we ever learn why Max and Dani's family moved from LA to Salem? Hocus Pocus : I think being the costume department would've been so fun especially for the town hall scene because I think you'd get to just buy any and every costume you've ever thought of Hocus Pocus : I have always genuinely appreciated that M...

Recently, The Chicks gave a concert in Chicago and I (of course) attended. During the performance, some of the songs struck a chord with me, but made me want to alter the lyrics to a few--the concert also made me think of other songs by The Chicks. Anyways, here's "Did You Know I Might (Always Feel This Way)" . There is no good reason For you to leave me so alone You vanished in your bottles Dad, I have become made of stone As a kid, I let myself believe Now I don't know what was true Dad tell me Did you know I might always feel this way? My heart is scared and guarded Knows not all is worth the fight But it once was oh so hopeful Thought of giving up as crime But you shoved it out and shut me out And I lost years of my life Dad tell me Did you know I might always feel this way? Now my sense of you needs a shake I am a shadow of my old self And I can't laugh more through these tears How much more bracing 'til I break? You are the wound inside me And you're...

So, if you don't know, MIT has MIT OpenCourseWare , which is a web based publication of virtually all MIT course content. It provides courses and course materials for free, which allows folks like me to take courses we wouldn't be able to otherwise. Here are 15 that caught my eye. If any of them (or others on the site) catch your eye, let me know (maybe we could do a course together)! "The American Novel" (though I will quickly note, this one has a theme of hauntings even though the course title does not reflect that) "Anthropology Through Speculative Fiction" "Bestsellers: Out for the Count" (I do think it should be "Down for the Count" though) "Creating Video Games" "Fans and Fan Cultures" "Food in American History" "Games for Social Change" "Genre Fiction Workshop" "Genre Fiction Workshop: Fantasy" "Magic, Witchcraft, and the Spirit World" "Medieval Literature...

Time for more harping on Jamal and Emma. Okay, even if all of the stuff about Emma is true, just ignore her and have fun at the resort Michael and Bryan dancing together is so fun If I was Chloe, I wouldn't like Jamal calling me love...like we are not close like that Bryan, did you genuinely not want Emma's attention in that moment? Like you could've just not laid on the ground in the first place... Sorry, maybe I missed something, but I feel like Chloe said she wasn't mad for Emma and Bryan doing there thing, but I thought that was the whole thing? Y'all, is this worth a fight? Malik just fully picking up Jamal (who is not a small man) was so genuinely impressive to me Aha rando Haley wants screentime Wait, now that Malik and Jamal are talking...is Malik shorter than Jamal? Jamal, duh? Kara clearly doesn't believe Emma...why is this only something you're supposing? TOXIC IS NOT GOOD, RAZVAN Okay I mostly don't like Steven, but him bringing the vibe back...

If you haven't voted yet, GO VOTE! Don't have a plan? MAKE A VOTING PLAN ! Not sure what's on your ballot? Ballotpedia is an excellent resource. Anyways, I will be watching results with at least one friend (could be more!) and we're doing a Surf's Up/Blue Wave theme (cause ya know I need a theme), so here are some things we could do while we watch.  Argue about which real US presidents (whose presidencies have concluded) were the worst when we want historical reminders Brainstorm campaign slogans for us and for fictional characters when we want to be silly Calculate percentage of IL governors who've been to prison (can do this also for Chicago mayors, etc.) when we want to find a findable answer and see how this percentage has improved in recent years Debate which fictional political figures were the worst (mayor from Jaws , anyone?) when we want to invest in fictional drama Eat blue food/drink blue drinks to manifest a Blue Wave Find fun ocean/water facts when...

Time for disapprovals and fights.  Wow Andi and Nigel are so uncomfortable Andi, I think it's clear that Nigel doesn't want to narrow his interests Vittorio, you GREATLY contributed to that scene Vittorio, it is possible that Jessy pushed you to your limit, but that's because you pushed her to her limit first... Yikes, Michelle, were you even legally married to that guy? Or were the "marriage documents" just having you fill out your personal info so he could steal it? So, wait, why doesn't Ben's sister like Zuri? Here's the thing, Ben, Zuri is gonna at least eventually see the English captions I'm seeing NILES! EVERY MOMENT YOU DELAY SHARING YOUR PLAN TO STAY IN GHANA MEANS YOU ARE DIGGING YOURSELF INTO A DEEPER HOLE Jonathan, I cannot convey enough how much you suck--one woman was saying your pregnant fiancé whom you've been apart from has been having a rough time--how is that ganging up? JONATHAN! ALLY WANTING YOU TO BE ABLE TO FINANCIALLY SU...

While I'm posting this on Halloween, 2026, I did draft it earlier! Let's hope I do at least some of these! Drink hard cider Drink hot cider Drink hot cocoa Eat dirt pudding Eat Halloween-y candy Eat something pumpkin-flavored Light some fall-scented candles Light some fall scented incense Light some Halloween-shaped candles Watch Halloween episodes of my favorite sitcoms Watch Hocus Pocus Watch The Nightmare Before Christmas Wear my costume from my Halloween party (Mary Anne from "Goodbye Earl" Wear my vampire cape for max ease Wear one of my onesie costumes for max comfort (Prompt by me) Photo by Jamo Images on Unsplash

Recently, The Chicks gave a concert in Chicago and I (of course) attended. During the performance, some of the songs struck a chord with me, but made me want to alter the lyrics to a few. Anyways, here's "Only Few" .  I was young and so naïve I was the only one who thought You were happy No meal would end up soured No eyes of yours could ever glower I saw my future bright ahead I knew a dad like mine would always save the day And that we'd always be okay But would I know you now Would I have joy that we could share? Make more memories that are not blue Or still have my only few Or still have my only few You scared me like no one else And sometimes love just doesn't seem to conquer all I searched for else to blame But sometimes dads can't stay the same But would I know you now Would I have joy that we could share? Make more memories that are not blue Or still have my only few Or still have my only few Holding on to these flashbacks Of when things were lighter I...

HOW IS IT ALMOST NOVEMBER?! Organizing my friend group's annual secret gift exchange Celebrating my eldest nephew's birthday (HE WILL BE 8! WHICH IS JUST RUDE!) Suggesting ideas for Small Business Saturday for the bookstores Hosting NaNo write-in sessions Planning a theme for an election watching session Watching election results with a friend (or friends) Celebrating a dear friend's birthday No Kings Rally and March (which could be a few very different vibes depending on how the election goes) The Southside Pie Challenge HOPEFULLY finally getting my CPAP Celebrating my brother's birthday Trying out my gas fireplace (this is a tad weather dependent of course) Thanksgiving Theoretically going on a date with a guy my matchmaker found Shifting into the Christmas spirit (I can get out all of my holly stuff haha) (Prompt by me) "1126" by Eva the Weaver . Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic .

Time for some new romances to blossom? Lol Chloe fell off her stool from laughing I would truly enjoy seeing Chloe do a flip I appreciate that JT does say he isn't judging Kara even if he's not sure he can be the best partner to someone who does (as Kara puts it) spicy content JT does seem like a sweetie and I'm sorry he had such a tough childhood Wait, is this Jamal and Emma's first date ever? I love that Jamal and Emma are at a bar where the staff seems to only speak Spanish and Jamal and Emma only speak English Emma! It's a bit wild that you already thinking about telling your grandkids about this date (and the great sex you had with their grandpa) Also, you didn't meet Jamal in Puerto Rico... Uh, Emma, do you mean you're in love with Jamal? This isn't shade to Emma, but I don't think of her as quirky or weird Wait, is Emma wearing a wedding ring??? God, I find Malik so attractive Steven, how is it weird that a woman is going on dates with multipl...

TBH, I just needed an easy post, so I did a dive into the "October 27" Wiki page and then did some creative Google searches. These are in chronological order because of who I am as a person. On October 27, 312 Constantine the Great said he received his Vision of the Cross On October 27, 1275 was the "traditional founding" of Amsterdam On October 27, 1838 Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs issued the Extermination Order, which ordered all Mormons to leave the state or be killed On October 27, 1858 Theodore Roosevelt was born On October 27, 1924 the Uzbek SSR was founded in the Soviet Union On October 27, 1936 the Abdication Crisis takes place in the UK because Mrs. Wallis Simpson obtained her divorce, which opened the door for her to marry King Edward VIII, but only if he abdicated (which he did) On October 27, 1955  Rebel Without a Cause premiered (the star, James Dean, had died about a month prior) On October 27, 1962 Vasily Arkhipov refused to fire a ...

Time for breaking points (already?). Vittorio's friends are cuties Jessy looks cute, why can't she wear red? TBH Jessy is doing SO much better than I would have I'm really gonna punch Jon Like, how is this not a moment to self-reflect on how hard life has been for Ally over the past few months? I do get how that could make you feel bad, but you gotta take that and then do better Jon...this is the hardest someone has been on you? Really? You gotta suck it up Jon, you are a loser Jon, Ally is not saying that...also, (theoretically) you didn't give up EVERYTHING because you have Ally and your baby-to-be Niles...I feel like Mr. Arc was pretty clear about what he expected of you Hi, Michelle! Michelle, Henry is a cutie Ah but so is Felix Wait, wait...Felix was helping his dad steal your stuff, Michelle? Oh...and Felix stole your passport for a bit...chill Nigel, how could Andi have been on the same page if you hadn't mentioned it (which Andi points it out)? Andi, Nigel i...

Shhhh! I know my party was last night, but I did this work earlier in the week and I want credit! If you weren't at my party, but want to know the things I made--shoot me a note! (Prompt by me) Photo by Mariah Hewines on Unsplash

Recently, The Chi cks gave a concert in Chicago and I (of course) attended. During the performance, some of the songs struck a chord with me, but made me want to alter the lyrics to a few. Anyways, here's "Daddy Hold On" .  Hey It might never be the same We might never have those days Like when I was knee-high, but please just try Callin' Let's get the bottles outta here How 'bout you and me clear 'Em all out, brand new drought Daddy, hold on (Just try one more time) Daddy, hold on (I'm still not ready now) Daddy, hold on (If you still really love me) Keep holdin' on Hold on to me Daddy It's good to see you smile again I hope you can linger In this moment, not someplace else It's a new step Let's look at all you've got It's everything I thought You ever wanted, aren't I enough? Daddy, hold on (Just try one more time) Daddy, hold on (I'm still not ready now) Daddy, hold on (If you still really love me) Keep holdin' on...

Shhhh! I'm working on something else for my Halloween party and I want credit for it! If you're not coming to my party, but want to know the things I'm working on--shoot me a note! If you are coming, you'll just have to wait! (Prompt by me) Photo by Ricardo Díaz on Unsplash

Recently, The Chicks gave a concert in Chicago and I (of course) attended. During the performance, some of the songs struck a c hord with me, but made me want to alter the lyrics to a few. Anyways, here's "You I Knew" . You left as ash Now in photographs With faces like mine Who will I become Without knowing where You started from It's true the lines I drew Let you move alone in your pain So many days passed you by Every friend that you didn't call Everything that you learned in life Every vow that you broke, my heart And I could try to connect All the pieces you left Or I'll bury it all And just forget Will I remember the years When your mind was clear How your laughter and mind Were all of you I knew One urn Two degrees framed In the boxes sit Your favorite things The bottles I blamed Are in cutting shards Of plans you maimed Everything that you learned in life Every vow that you broke, my heart And I could try to connect All the pieces you left Or I'll ...

Shhhh! I'm working on something else for my Halloween party and I want credit for it! If you're not coming to my party, but want to know the things I'm working on--shoot me a note! If you are coming, you'll just have to wait! (Prompt by me) Photo by Ricardo Díaz on Unsplash

Time for dates and more Emma-based drama.  Wait, Chloe did tell Emma she's into Brian? I don't remember that, but I think Chloe is probably telling the truth? Chloe is right that Brian could have said no to kissing Emma or even to her straddling him Jamal, you don't seem to enjoy Emma so I'm confused as to how she has a hold on you? Omg Kay is pursuing an MA in some kind of behavioral science...I genuinely hope being on this show is part of her thesis Brian, I mean yeah maybe Emma kissed you to make Jamal jealous, but it also may purely have been because you're hot Jamal, literally what do you want Emma to do? She tried texting you and you ignored her and were mad at her for doing so, so she tries to hit it off with other guys because she's on a literal reality dating show and you get mad? Jamal, yeah Emma kissed Brian, but didn't you and Ericka having an emotionally and physically romantic date and night? Razvan, no offense, but on what authority can you te...