Category: weekly wednesday blogging challenge

A Sport I Want To Try
weekly wednesday blogging challenge

A Sport I Want To Try

Cassie2 Comments

This week’s Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge question is A sport I want to try

There’s none that I want to actually try due to reasons of chronic pain and mobility issues. However…

Hi, my name’s Cassie and I have a current hyper fixation on tennis. I don’t know if it’s a short-term hyperfixation, if it’s going to tip into Special interesttm, or if it’s ‘just’ going to be a ‘normal interest’ and I’m trying not to think too hard about it and what it means, and just enjoy the dopamine.

I have watched Wimbledon for a good 35+ years. When I was a wee llama I grew up watching Becker, Agassi, Navratilova, Graf, Sampras etc. I used to watch with my mum, and we sat there on the couch yelling at the TV and quite often supporting opposite players. It lost a lot of it’s shininess since mum died. I’d follow the tournament on the BBC live reporting but that was all – and honestly it got a bit boring for a while there with the same few players winning everything and their styles just weren’t that exciting to watch.

This has been the first year in the best part of a decade that I’ve watched it, that I’ve been interested in the matches and actually cared about them. And what a time to come back to it – there’s this group of new players who are very exciting to watch and I’m falling in love with. It feels so good to have that passion back. I’ve found out how to follow the sport the rest of the year. And now I’m super excited for the Olympic Tennis matches!

Although I am completely gutted that both Jannik Sinner and Sir Andy Murray have pulled out of the men’s singles (for health and injury reasons) because they were two of the four I was invested in. It’s all over to Spain, and Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz now. And Jasmine Paolini in the women’s.

Do I enjoy shopping?
weekly wednesday blogging challenge

Do I enjoy shopping?

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This week’s Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge question is Do You Enjoy Shopping? Why or Why Not?

The short answer is ‘hell no’. I hate it.

So I have agoraphobia, autism and social anxiety so going to places like shops where there’s a lot of sensory input, a lot of people and isn’t safe? That’s pretty much my idea of hell.

And so, where I can, I avoid it. If I have to physically go to a shop, I will go with a safe person (even if they’re on the phone), I will have my headphones, I will have a fidget, and I will go when I know a shop is quieter. But in general, where I can, I will do all my shopping online. I get my groceries delivered every two weeks and Amazon is like my best friend.

I will say, however, that I do love a good wander around Waterstones if I’m in the right mental mindset for it – although my credit card hates it when I do that 😉

Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge catch-up
weekly wednesday blogging challenge

Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge catch-up

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I’ve missed a couple of weeks’ worth of Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge prompts, some of which were ones I actually wanted to answer so let’s play catch up!

Museums/Galleries I’ve visited/want to visit and starting with the disclaimer that British Colonialism was bad and artefacts absolutely belong with their own cultures and not with looters… however having said that, I thoroughly enjoy a good wander around a museum. I am a history nerd after all, and without the British Museum, I would never actually get to see things like the Rosetta Stone or the Elgin Marbles so I’ve got complicated, mixed-up, feelings about these things.

I do love the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the National Gallery and the Portrait Gallery (although never go to the Tudor Gallery with me unless you want an impromptu history lesson because hello special interest!). I love science museums as well, I’ve been to the ones in London and Glasgow. I visit the Kelvingrove when I’m up in Glasgow, and Li and I visit the RAMM in Exeter regularly. Back home in Telford, I love Blists Hill and over in Dudley the Black Country Living Museum. Jorvik Viking Centre is so much fun too.

Basically, yes I love museums, I go to as many as I can and there are many many I want to go to – I’d be here all day listing all the ones I want to visit!

Books that are tearjerker and I’m sorry but have you met me? LMAO! I cry easily over books and genuinely cry over the majority of them. I cry over books that are sad, and I cry over the warm fuzzies. I love stories that really tug on my heartstrings and make me cry. The last one that spring to mind is The Teashop on The Corner – I cried at both happy, sad, and heartwarming points in that story.

Characters I See Differently Now Than I Used To. I still remember the first rewatch of Buffy when I started to realise that Giles was right. I was agreeing with Rupert Giles and that was terrifying. I was a similar age to Buffy, Xander and Willow when I first watched the show and saw Giles the same way they did. But then all of a sudden, I’m Giles’ age and he has a point and that was… yeah

How I Feel about Staycations
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How I Feel about Staycations

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This week’s Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge question is How I Feel about Staycations

Honestly, I love them!

I’m specifically talking about staycations where it’s spent at home, rather than holidaying in the same country. However, we could also argue that all my trips to Devon to be with Li are technically staycations, even if I’m working during the week. My agoraphobic ass doesn’t have to leave the house unless I really want to. I like my house, it’s safe, all my things are here and even better there are no other people (except Li).

I get to sleep in my own bed. I can spend my time chilling and doing the things I enjoy doing – I can catch up on some TV or movies that I want to watch, I can read, I can game, I can write. If I want to go out, I can do it at my own pace and schedule.

I would like to do more trips within the country or abroad but honestly, with the cost of living right now, I can’t really afford to do anything more than a weekend away – and I’d rather keep those for when I toddle off somewhere random (or just up to Glasgow) to see Raintown.

So yes, a staycation at home, with nothing to do and no plans and I can just properly relax is wonderful. There’s plenty of places to go to for day/mini-breaks if I want but mostly spending chill time alone or with Li is definitely where it’s at.

weekly wednesday blogging challenge

Villains I’d Root for instead of the Protagonist

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This week’s Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge question is Villains I’d Root for instead of the Protagonist

Polyphemus – the Cyclops from Homer’s Odyssey

Now, I’m not saying he was innocent or completely faultless in his own downfall, but I do root for him over Odysseus. This statement can and does also apply to Circe in regards to her interactions with Odysseus and his men. And, really, I don’t think we’re supposed to be rooting much for Odysseus – so much of the poem is a cautionary tale against breaking the custom of xenia; of the importance of honour and respect; and of the consequences of not abiding by the guidelines of proper social interaction between a guest and a host.

Homer specifically uses this story as an exaggerated example of the dangers of assuming who deserves respect. The episode takes the concept of hospitality and distorts it, showing both Polyphemus as a bad host, and Odysseus and his men as bad guests. Odysseus judges the cyclops as being uncivilised, and therefore unworthy of being granted respect (Homer, The Odyssey, 9.187-9.192). While he does not let his men steal any of Polyphemus’ flock, they do disrespect his property by entering his home without invitation, lighting his fire, and eating his food. (9.224-231). Polyphemus breaks the custom in return by questioning Odysseus as soon as he finds him, rather than feeding him first as xenia dictates (9.252-255). Then, not only does he not offer the crew a meal, but Homer further distorts the concept for his audience by having Polyphemus make a meal of Odysseus’ crew (9.287-293).

So, yes, while he’s certainly not an innocent victim, I’d root for Polyphemus over Odysseus because was protecting both his home and his livelihood from invading strangers, he was force fed alcohol to make him drunk, then brutally stabbed in his one eye – how is he now supposed to care for himself and his sheep?

A Celebrity I’d Like to Meet
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A Celebrity I’d Like to Meet

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This week’s Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge question is A Celebrity I’d Like to Meet and OMG y’all, even though I’ve been going to conventions for like 25 years, there are so fucking many. I think my first con was

The first ones that spring to mind are Claudia Black, Lexa Doig, Jason Momoa, Torri Higginson & Teryl Rothery.
You might notice a theme there grins I’ve met a lot of the principal cast members of SG-1 and SG:A but I’ve not been lucky enough to meet those yet.

And, y’know, I’ll never say no to meeting Richard Dean Anderson (This pic with RDA is one of my favourite con pics ever, along with the one where he’s nuzzling my kitty ears), Michael Shanks or Amanda Tapping again.
For reasons LOL

I would also love to meet… well pretty much anyone from Star Trek – especially TNG, DSC and SNW

Of course, I’m still not sure how I feel about conventions post-2020. They were already very stressful and very painful experiences, and they’ve gotten so expensive these days. And the idea of THAT MANY people in a relatively enclosed space is still a fucking terrifying thought – con crud was a thing in the before times, I don’t know how I feel about it now.

But oh I did I love them, and have so many amazing memories from going to them, y’know?

Hobbies I Used To Enjoy
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Hobbies I Used To Enjoy

Cassie6 Comments

This week’s Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge question is Hobbies I Used to Enjoy and uh… hi, my name’s Cassie and I have ADHD, allow me to introduce you to my hobby graveyard

So, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (or ADHD), for anyone who doesn’t actually know what it is or how it presents, is a mental health disorder that includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. And one of the major traits – especially in AFAB adults – is continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones. It’s a dopamine thing; the ADHD brain is constantly seeking the stimulation that will provide next hit of dopamine, and motivation is… difficult to sustain.

Although I would argue it’s not a deficit of attention – it’s the inability to control attention. If I’m doing something that’s giving the brain the happy juices, I can hyperfocus FOR hours – forget to move, eat, drink, anything.
On the other side of the coin, if it’s something that doesn’t give the dopamine, like idk paying bills, trying to corral the brain weasels is next to impossible – it’s not interesting, it’s not exciting, I can’t do it.

As a result, I’m always picking up new things, trying them, falling in love with them, buying all the things for it (we mentioned impulsivity, right?), making our entire personality about this thing, wanting to do it all the time, and then… discarding them when the next new shiny thing comes along to try. We call this a hyperfixation.

I fell into Duolingo hard. I was learning German, Italian and Welsh. I forked out for the paid account of Duolingo. I bought notebooks. I bought phrasebooks. I bought Richard Scarrey/Usbourne First Hundred Words books in the languages.
It lasted… maybe 6 weeks and all those books are languishing in my spare room.

Stardew Valley. I spent HOURS playing the game, I created multiple farms and multiple characters to play all the different variations of the story. I could literally – and I do mean literally sit for DAYS without doing anything else. Never intentionally, and there were times when I was sitting there thinking ‘Cassie, put the game down and go to sleep’, for example, but I couldn’t because there was SO MUCH HAPPY BRAIN JUICE.
That lasted… maybe 6 months.

Then the same thing happened with Animal Crossing. I played obsessively for 6 months, haven’t touched the game in nearly a year. And I found myself thinking the other week that I wanted to play again – but I don’t physically know how to pick it back up again.

Currently it’s Palia, and has been for 5 or so months. Like, we’re literally talking I UPGRADED MY LAPTOP TO PLAY THIS GAME. In a way, I’m really really glad I had it over the autumn when I was in so much pain with my hip because I don’t actually know how I’d have got through it. I’m still playing every single day and I have a fucking amazing spreadsheet tracking all the quests and stuff I’m doing in the game.

Then there’s the fear of the hyperfixation.

I’ve got one hell of a hyperfixation on Taylor Swift right now – I know I know – but was unsuccessful in the lottery and wasn’t able to buy tickets for the Eras tour. In August 2024. I still don’t know if I’m relieved about this or not because what if I’d spent £££s on tickets but by the time the gig rolled around, I’d lost interest?

Li and I went to Hobbycraft the other month and I picked up a whole bunch of kits of things I want to try – things that look fun. I spent probably £40-60 that day. It’s all sitting in the bag. Because what if I don’t like it? What if I DO like it? What if I try it and I’m no good at it.

And I’m terrified of the day that reading stops giving the dopamine hit.

So yeah. ADHD and abandoned hobbies. sigh I has them. All of them.

Favourite Scary Monster
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Favourite Scary Monster

Cassie4 Comments

This week’s Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge question is Favorite Scary Monster and while I don’t think I have a specific single favourite monster, I fucking love vampires.

I grew up on a diet of Buffy and Anne Rice. I snuck into the cinema, definitely under 18, to see Interview because it was Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and vampires, what was I supposed to do? Fell in love, went straight to WHSmith and picked up the paperbacks of Interview, The Vampire Lestat and The Queen Of The Damned and the rest is history. I have a love/hate relationship with Lestat and Louis, I adore Armand & Daniel, and I still want to work for the Talamasca. QOTD is still, to this day, one of my favourite books. The Night Island is just ♥

Throw in Poppy Z Brite’s Lost Souls and yeah.

I’m not a fan of things like Twilight, read The Vampire Diaries many years ago but am not sold on the show, can take or leave The Originals. I prefer my vampires to be bloodthirsty monsters, not filled with teen angst, y’know?

I also love a good haunting and/or demonic possession grins

Creative Halloween Costumes
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Creative Halloween Costumes

Cassie3 Comments

This week’s Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge question is The Most Creative Halloween Costume I’ve Worn and the short answer is ‘not applicable’

I’m sure I must have at some point, but there’s genuinely nothing that sticks in my mind about having ever actually donned a Halloween costume.

OK no – there was that Halloween Steve Carlson gig in London many years back now where I had one a fucking incredible corset and devil horns, and Natalie did my makeup and stuff. But it wasn’t exactly a ‘creative costume’.

(I did almost fall out of the corset at least once, and more than one friend buried their face in my boobs while I was wearing it. It was a fucking amazing corset LMAO)

I do recall Kane fucking loved it when I wore it at a con the following week. Natalie and I had a photo op with him, we both wore the corsets and he was all “I’m surrounded by boobs”.
I wonder where that photo is ponders

And I do nearly always have my kitty ears on at gigs and cons but again, not exactly creative, or a costume. Or Halloween specific.

I don’t… dressing up/wearing costumes feels uncomfortable for me. Don’t get me wrong – I love seeing other people’s amazing costumes, and one of my favourite things at conventions is seeing fantastic cosplay outfits. But it’s not a me thing to do.

I don’t like… I don’t like being seen, I don’t like standing out and being noticed. And the idea of wearing something that is designed for me to be noticed in is… not a nice one.

Misheard Song Lyrics
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Misheard Song Lyrics

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This week’s Weekly Wednesday Blogging Challenge asks about Song lyrics I’ve misheard and there’s two that always make me smile.

The first of them means I get to ramble a little about my love for Raintown – you’re utterly shock, I can tell. So, there’s a song on their first album called The Road Never Ends.

The actual lyric is ‘pain and sweat’, but… uhh… ‘penis wet’ is what I heard. giggles I even tweeted them about it, the day before a gig, and after the gig, the first thing that Claire said to me was that she wanted to know which lyric I’d misheard because they could not figure it out.
I’ve never heard them do this song live, and I think I’m kinda glad because I don’t think I’d be able to hold the giggles in!

The second misheard lyric is a really popular one and means I get to indulge in my Swiftie – also, hilariously, I didn’t mishear the lyric until I saw someone saying about it online, and now I can’t hear the correct lyric.

It is of course, ‘got a lonely starbucks lover, who’ll tell you I’m insane’