Vinyl

   The world is crazy right now. Was it like this in 1918 during the Spanish influenza pandemic? It's somewhat comforting that this isn't a mysterious, one-time, never-heard-of thing. Otherwise I think we'd be even more ripe with hysteria. Back then, 50 million lives were lost, a third of the worlds population. It lasted just over 2 years. 

Are we reliving that?

Like, strife with covid-19 is unavoidable. Everywhere you look, it's there. And so, drastically separating myself from social media has been tremendously cathartic.

Personally, lockdown has done wonders. While I realize it's been awful for many others, I also don't want to feel guilty about making the best out of a bad situation. If anything, I hope this can encourage some to acknowledge the good things they've done for themselves during this time. Especially since it's not easy to do (for most).

My whole life, it's been nagging to go out and do stuff, be social, attend events or parties. Staying home indulging in my passtimes wasn't ideal or deemed healthy. I had to get out and get some sun or whatever. And now, finally, it's like lockdown has been 6 months of bliss.

Even with the shittiest news delivered to me yesterday... I know I'll be fine. Sucks, but I'll be fine.

Initially, it was just a lot of gaming. Animal Crossing at first, then the descent went further. But then, lockdown has allowed me to explore other things

upgraded my computer (finally)

became a plant mawm

modded an xbone controller and switch lite. and I wanna do more

am teaching myself how to tint car lights

am starting classes on Monday
bought wood to have a go at building a cute coffin shelf

All of these things have been an awesome learning process. And I'm happy! And if it wasn't for lock down, I probably wouldn't have taken much time to look into this stuff because all I did after work was game when I wasn't studying.

Taking initiative to embrace the solitude I have and refocus that into new hobbies is peeeaaaak. Plus Chickens' support through and through~ life is good. Everything's gonna be okay. The only thing I have to complain about is the curriculum I have to swallow for my diversity in american theatre class.

I'm generally a pessimist. Because somehow, pessimism is funny to me. I'm not sure why. But being positive is hard lol. Draining even. But I'm trying! So.. here's to like, not-as-funny positivity. Ugh, ew

HOKAY THEN. WELL.

I CAN'T STOP BUYING PLANTS?

Like, I want a garden of cool plants. Because stupid vanity. It's so stupid, you'll see why. But I learned about these particular succulents that turn a dark brown/purple in the sun, almost black. Um. They're something. Right now. But on the ride home, there was a spider in one, and it was the cutest little baby in the world.

It was one of those teeny jumping spiders with the huge eyes. We became friends on the drive home. But once I put the plants down in their little house, little buddy jumped away somewhere :(

It's coo. I hope little buddy is doin a happy dance somewhere and like, not a dead dance..

Ahhhh, they're so little and cute.
Um, I repotted them and I think they're dying.

BBQ TIEM

Lifa's family recipe for 74768426 thousand ribs.

  

Like. There aren't words.
My taste buds were goodened.
 

The jiggle graphics work out machine is no joke

Why does DBZ do this to them why

Ladies.
Lifa is single and can set drinks on fire

 Gremlins, tipsy and full, waiting for Homdre's Pehfect Burger.
 

It's like halloween all over again. Except just us.

Brother Lifa VS. Lifa
 Featuring Homdre as teh Background


the Pehfect Burger.
Perfect excellent fantastic delicious.

 He filmed a commercial

They're pretty amazing tho, 10/10
"I'm gonna sew my butthole shut so that it never leaves me" - Brother Lifa

Last weekend, I also learned how to change oil in my car. Which means I now know how to change a tire, and change oil. This makes me feel 2% less useless.

Noodle was so happy. I like my mechanic, but this was important to learn I think. Just-in-casies.
Noodle is my car.
My car is a Nissan Sentra.
Nissan
Nissin

Noodle

And she got a lot of attention this week.

Car tinting? Lights? 

fuck em.

The most god awful meticulous thing I've ever done in my entire life. This was attempt #1.

TnT

 Butchered. Wrekt. Fucking.. .just.. awful. I'd bought 2 rolls of dry-apply vinyl, because the guy on youtube... he made it look so easy. Right? That's how it all begins. You're like, wow that looks cool I want that, I could do it. Lemme do it. So you do it. And it's HORRIBLE. Not just aesthetically but in practice. AWFUL. Hardest thing EVER.

For the first attempt, I had Chicken help me. It was bad. He was clueless, which rendered him useless, which he hates being. And I ... I had done some research, but what I was doing and what he was doing weren't meshing. The end result ... two disgruntled earth signs. He stepped away and left me to it.

Attempt #2: 

 I was starting to grasp how to manipulate the vinyl. Still many imperfections, and a lot less frustrated but... got a new understanding of this fucked up customization. Sadly though, it wasn't how I wanted, so it got trashed.

Um. Someone once told me that they tinted their tail lights, and I liked how it looked. Little did I know... that there are several ways to tint the lights on your car.

There's wet apply vinyl... where you use a spray bottle for the vinyl to lay, squeegee the bubbled out and seal with a heat gun. Then there's spray paint. Like... you just spray paint it. And then there's the fucking way that I did it. YEUGH. It's dry-apply. Which means it's a vinyl with a sticky side and you need to manipulate the sheet with a heat gun and squeegee smash as you go. This is fine if you have like, not insanely shaped tail lights. However... nOODLE has the worst fucking shaped tail lights ever, with 57 edges, curves, bevels and slants. So... like, fuck me. Why did I decide to take it this on myself? Because. I don't know. 

After big angy, I repotted my soon to die succulents. Peaceful death.

 Just kidding. I refuse to let them die.

And later that evening, we got spicy beef noodle soup and watched the sequel to The Shining; Dr. Sleep.
All was well
 It was cool. I like what they did with spirits that won't leave ^_^

How fares Baby Sarlacc? Well, he's really really sad. BUT, his little roots are growing. They're tiny, and nubby, but they're growing.

And I bought more plants.

LOOK AT MY BABIES, THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL

BLACK PETUNIAS? THAT MATCH MY VELVET PANTS? 

WHY, NATURE! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ◉‿◉

 

I actually went to the garden center to get lavender, because the mosquitos here love eating Chicken's legs. He looked them up, and they... according to the site.. have yellow fever. So. That must explain it. In my trek, I came across a few different species of lavender. But the one that caught my attention the most was the one with white stems.

tURNS OUT she's a Ghostly Princess Spanish Lavender
looooooooooooooools
It's me
 
jk.
am no princess, am Ghostly ISTJ Spanish Smol Bean

Apparently mosquitos think lavender are dank, so... cheers to dank flowers and pissed mosquitos. And the petunias.. they're called Black Magic Petunias. I shit you not. I didn't even see them until I was on my way out and shat an entire brick. I wanted to buy more, but that'd be greedy. And... who knows if I can even keep this one alive. So... WE'LL SEE. But AREN'T THEY SO PRETTY?!

When I got home, I saw that some neighbors moved in on Ms. Glow.

But the sun roasted them.

I thought my cilantro was just two stems, but more are surfacing. I feel invincible.

fffffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

I repotted the petunias into a grey pot because it'd look better with the blaaack
I'm a vain piece of shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii


ATTEMPT #3

This project sucks ass. But I have this sick.. twisted ... thing... about me where.. I delight in meticulousness. It's disgusting. I don't even think I have OCD. Even if I did, whatever. I enjoy detailing. So HERE WE GO

That garage was 89 degrees. I was in there 6 hours.

 But I was on a mission. I was going to tint my tail lights. AND my headlights. I have to take Diversity in American Theatre this semester in order to graduate. So if I have to take a bullshit cultural studies class, then this is fine. It's fine. I can do this.

Also fuck this. I hate it.

From far away... it's fine. I like it. But then

HHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG IT'S SO BAD
i hate it so much lolol

The headlights and the smaller portion of the tail lights were significantly less of a pain in the ass

So, while the shape on the headlight is still ridiculous, the surface didn't have 8 hundred edges and bevels to work around. It was annoying still, but a relief compared to the tail lights. Those took me like 20-ish minutes each. The tail lights took me like... 5 hours. I had to start over on one. So it was really 4 attempts on one side.

Before and after. 

The headlights turned out fine. One is slightly yuck on the edges, but nothing like the back. It's fine lol

This all seriously though was because Chicken was super supportive of me, and bought two more rolls of vinyl. He saw how determined I was to get this right, and gave me cushion to make mistakes and learn how to work with this product. He's so amazing. He even offered to get more vinyl, since I was so unhappy with the tail light wrap, so that I could try again uwu. I declined. This was my learning experience. I gotta own it :D It looks bad but... I tried and failed several times, but I did it. And if there's anything that Breakin' 2: Electric Boogalo taught me, it's to not give up.

I wanted to do this tint earlier in the week so that we could work on his Golf GTI this weekend. He wants to try tinting his tail lights as well. They're nowhere near as obnoxious as Noodles', lucky for him! I'm really enjoying all this car stuff. They're like giant computers on wheels. And for my birthday, I'm gonna get my windows blacked out entirely. At least as black out as possible while also adhering to legalities.

Um what else. I have to change the battery in my Switch Lite. That's gonna be a bitch. It's fat. The battery. No bueno. 

 And class starts Monday. HO BOY.
 

 dIvErSiTy In ThEaTrE

jk I like theatre. In fact. I've been listening to the Magic Flute all night. Mostly the aria. Coworker once told me I look like the queen because of my eyebrows. That's fine. I'll take it. Thank you, even.

 

But I doubt the class will have anything as cool as the magic flute.

ugh.

er, I mean. 

yeah. it'll be so great. positive. woo. yaay

I wish it was just... theatre. And like, not... that.

It's fine :)

HAPPY FRIDAY

Do a thing! Small or medium or big. 

A thing is a thing, that you can did

And doing a thing will make you feel big

Cynthia Seussisms brought to you by exhaustion and the fact that 3 negatives make a positive

hnnng

Wear a mask :D