6th of Elul

 I thought I'd be posting here more often than I have. Kind of sad. I have been posting what's been happening medically on Facebook. People seem to like that. Maybe I'll get back to posting here on a regular basis soon. 

I can't believe it's almost Rosh Hashanah (lit. Head of the Year) or our New Year. It's also the start of the High Holy Days. That lasts for 10 days and ends with Yom Kippur (or Day of Atonement). Rosh Hashanah is at the beginning of the next Jewish month of Tishri. During Elul, it's a time of introspection and asking for forgiveness. There are some traditions people do during it. For instance, we blow the shofar each morning during the month. It's like waking our souls up to be prepared for the High Holy Days. I finally did that yesterday morning. I had been meaning to when the month started. I'm surprised I managed to get a sound out. I also get nervous doing it when someone else is home, and especially if they have work meetings on zoom like my parent did at the same time. Hopefully, I didn't disrupt it too much. Although, she didn't say anything. 

Had the radical hysterectomy on July 24th. I wasn't expecting it to be so soon after seeing the surgeon. They took out pretty much everything in there. It was done by a robot. Only did 4 small incisions. Biggest one was in my belly button. I actually can't see that one. It was for both the light and camera. If I look in the mirror, I can see 3 of them. I think they have dissolvable stitches. Parts of them are dropping off, so I'm assuming that's normal. No one's said anything about taking them out. 

I did stay the night at the hospital. It wasn't really connected to the hospital, but apart of the surgical building. The room looked like a cramped storage closet, and I wasn't too happy about it. As they wheeled me into it, I had horrible leg cramps. In order to keep those to a minimum, I tried to have the bed turn into a chair as much as possible. I think that helped. The nurse was nice, but a little too talkative. The food wasn't great. I know some people have told me that anesthesia can affect the taste of things, but I could tell and I don't think it was reacting in that way. The TV was on almost the entire time, and it seemed like an ambiance channel. At night, it was going through space, and during the day it showed things like waterfalls, horses, rocks, mountains, etc. Nice to look at occasionally. 

I also had issues with it being a Catholic hospital. Almost all the hospitals near me are Catholic, which scares me. I don't really have a choice in it. I'd prefer one not affiliated with any religion, but especially not with that one. They can turn away LGBTQ+ people, for one thing. Prayers over the intercom every so often is isolating (not sure if that's the right word...) and unwelcoming. There are a lot of other reasons why it's scary to me. Even with me just being Jewish. 

They kept me up most of the night. They wanted me up and walking almost immediately. I didn't know they'd put a catheter in. It was my first time having one. The nurse said it wouldn't hurt when she was about to take it out. It did hurt. It also hurt to go to the bathroom for a little while after that. I didn't like that none of the people that did the surgery told me anything afterwards. One of them was going to early the next morning, but I finally was asleep and he didn't want to wake me. I would have been more than fine to be woken up for that. More so than the blood draws they kept doing. They told my parent at least, but I like hearing it from the actual people, too. I was discharged from the hospital earlier than expected. The morning after. I don't think it was the best time. 

I had a follow-up appointment with the surgeon's nurse a couple of weeks later. She told me more in-depth stuff. They didn't see any lesions or signs of the cancer in what they took out. I still don't know if the cancer they found in the vulvar biopsy is related to the skin, vulva specifically, or reproductive tract. I might ask my gynecologist that soon. Good to know it hadn't affected further up my reproductive tract. They were worried they'd find lesions that would make it difficult to basically scoop that stuff out. That they'd be fused to certain parts. Since it wasn't, it made it more simple. Still, it was a 3-hour surgery. 

I had really horrible constipation and swelling in my feet and ankles after. I thought I'd never clear the constipation, and what finally did help was a suppository. I'm not used to them, and was reluctant to try it. Still have issues with it, but it's much better. I'm now taking 3 stool softener pills 3 times a day (up from 2 pills 3 times a day), which again has helped. 

The swelling seemed even scarier. My feet were huge. Couldn't even fit into my slippers. Socks wouldn't fit either. So, I ended up feeling really cold, and that made the pain worse. It was like a sunburn type of pain. They were so swollen, they changed shape. Looked like I bound my feet, huge arches, toes sticking straight out, almost transparent on top, birthmarks moved and stretched, etc. It was bad. Could barely walk or stand up. Eventually, I tried a diuretic. It worked well, but slowly. Now my feet look pretty much back to normal, but my left ankle is still pretty swollen. Right ankle isn't as bad, but still has some. I can fit into my socks and shoes now. Yay! So much better. The nurse I talked to said it's normal to have constipation and swelling after surgery like that. They pump you full of fluids during the procedure, and that can get stuck in your system. Also, they worked near the lymphatic system. They didn't touch it, but it still can get irritated and cause swelling. That kind of swelling has to convert itself from lymphatic fluid to water and blood, which takes a while. Thus, probably why my ankles are taking so long to get back to normal. This makes me nervous for future surgeries. We'll be more prepared, though. I might have top surgery next. I would have thought they'd want to do that first, because the cancer started there. Maybe this was easier to do. 

I decided to join 3 metastatic breast cancer Facebook groups. I was reluctant to for a while. I wanted ones that were specifically for mbc, not just the bc. There's kind of a rift and different attitudes between them. One of the groups is a 45 years old and under group. Only saw one that was like that. So many groups have people that are much older. It can be harder to relate. I already get the 'you're too young to have that' thing. I can't help it. Not that I wanted this. It's a different perspective with my age group. I was surprised by the responses from all 3 groups with my intro post. I'm still getting reactions and comments from the biggest one. That has over 100 reactions. First time I've had that many on a post. Also, made 3 fb friends through those groups. All of them live near me. Yay! Maybe I can meet them someday. 

I was a bit reluctant to join these groups mainly because I thought it'd be too depressing or something. I've liked seeing how some people have lived with it for many years, though. Some have had it for 20 years, and that gives a little hope that maybe I can live for a while with this. The statistics aren't great for how long people can live with it. 27% are likely to live 5 years after diagnosis. 11% after 10 years. With that, it's a bit disconcerting. I want to live for as long as I can. Certainly longer than 10 years from now. Again, that's why it's been nice to see so many people mention in these groups that they've lived much longer than 10 years with it. They also say those stats are old. Medicine has really advanced since then, so the stats might be better now. The other side is you have to be continuously going through some occasionally tough treatment in order to survive. It's difficult. Everyone's case is different, too. Not all of us have the same type of breast cancer, same areas where it's spread, if it's hormone based, etc. Lots of factors come into play. I like that it's being treated more like a chronic illness. It's a little easier to deal with that way. 

Tomorrow, I have my eye exam. Haven't had one in around 2 years. My current prescription for contacts certainly isn't the right one. Things don't show up totally clear. Lines blur into each other sometimes. This will be the first time I went to Costco for the exam itself. We normally would go to Sears Optical, but they're not there anymore. Hopefully, they're good there. I'm actually covered as a dependent for vision this time. Haven't been covered for that for over a decade. That should be good. I can order the new prescription while I'm there, too. I've read that cancer can affect the eyes, so hopefully mine hasn't been messed with too much. Hopefully, they'll have samples of the new prescription I can use while I wait for the ones I order. 

I might also have a blood draw after that. My oncology pharmacist wants to run some labs after every 2nd week of a cycle of Ibrance. They have to make sure things are ok before agreeing to the next cycle of it. I'm supposed to take it for 3 weeks, then go off of it for a week. Then, start it over. I have to have a phone appointment either with her or the specialty pharmacy before every cycle of it. It'll be interesting to see how things are. 

My oncologist is still reluctant to start me on zometa. Zometa is a bone-strengthening infusion. I've read that you go to an infusion clinic every couple of months, and sit there with it going through an IV for 15 minutes. Pretty quick. My oncologist is worried I'll catch covid while I'm there. So, I'm being denied it because of the virus. I really need something like that. 

He also wants me to get a full bone scan. That way we can compare it to the one back in April. I hope it's improved since then. Not sure what will happen if it's worse. 

He wants me to switch to arimidex instead of tamoxifen soon. I decided to switch when I run out of the tamoxifen. I have the arimidex already, but I think it can wait. Both are kind of like supplements to Ibrance. They work with hormones, so they're good for people who are hormone positive. I'm positive for all 3 hormones. Arimidex is usually suggested after people have had hysterectomies or are going through menopause. It's supposed to be stronger, too. I'm nervous about that. I've got maybe another week or 2 before I finish the tamoxifen. 

I decided to cancel the My Thrill Club monthly subscription box. It's the one where they give you 2 hard cover books that are in the horror, mystery, and/or thriller genres each month. I got the surprise me one. They give you a mix with that one. I love those genres. Anyways, the books are super thick. I thought I could challenge myself with reading both books within each month, and starting again with the next batch. Since my contacts aren't great right now, it's hard to read for a certain amount of time. I couldn't keep up. I already have 4 books from them, and only have read about 1/4 of one of them. They've already shipped another 2, so I'll have 6 soon. Too much. Fallen too far behind to start up my challenge again. Even if I get a much better prescription soon. At least, I'll be able to read more. I think with 6 of them, I could rotate them each day. I was going to slog through one book at a time, but it might be more interesting to switch it up like that. Each day would be a different book. I want to read all 4 so far, because they sound really interesting. The Gold Rush fantasy type one looks almost as thick as a dictionary, though...That'll probably take a while. I didn't particularly care for the sex scene in the one I've been reading, but the rest of it is interesting. I want to know what actually happened to that missing friend of the main character. There's also a Sherlock Holmes book by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. That should be fun. The last one seems like a horror one about a possessed typewriter, I think. Intriguing stuff. I don't know what the next 2 will be yet. I could start it up again after I read all 6 books. That'll take me a while, though. I want it to take me some time. Good way to preoccupy myself. 

I found another monthly subscription thing to replace it for now. It's called Arts in Letters. You get letters from famous artists, scientists, musicians, etc. in the past. They're real letters in their handwriting. They come with info on the person and what was going on at the time and around them. Very interesting and fun sounding. I can read letters and the info quickly, so I thought that would be best to replace it. You get a letter a week, which seems more fun than one thing once a month. There's another one that interested me that I could try in the future called Matter. With that one, it's an adult science-based thing. You get artifacts like animal bones and they go in depth with info on everything. I like that sort of thing. Maybe if I get tired of the letters or Try Treats. 

This month's Try Treats is on Ireland. I feel like they cheapened this one. I get the premium version, which is supposed to have 10 or more snacks. Ended up with around 7 of them. The standard is 5 or more. Plus, 2 of them are Japanese. They were actually stuffed on top of the tissue paper that held the Irish stuff inside. Weird. Maybe they don't think there are many good Irish snacks? Sad. The recipe this time was Irish coddle. Sounded good, and I can turn it 'kosher', so I can eat it if I wanted to. I can look for beef or turkey sausage, and same with the bacon. I tried the 2 potato chips. They were the same flavor (cheese and onion), just different brands. Tasted pretty much the same. I prefer kettle chips, but they were better than our regular chips. They seemed denser and slightly thicker. Mostly tasted the onion for both. There's a candy bar by Cadbury. I've had Cadbury chocolates before and liked them, so it's probably good, too. There's a huge thing of custard sandwich cookies. Those look interesting. There's a bag called twiglets. Don't know much about those. Both Japanese things are sweet and sour candies. One sounds like pop rocks, the other almost like long flat taffy. Both are cola flavored. I like sweet and sour things, so they might be really good. 

The downstairs' toilet is off limits again. After my parent did an enzyme thing with it, it was fine for a while. That toilet has always had issues. It overflows super easily. At some point, we really need to have a plumber look at it. In the meantime, I'm stuck with going up and down the stairs to use my bathroom toilet. That's a falling hazard. Not good when you feel like your bones are made of glass. I can easily break them. My toilet upstairs is great, and works well, but the stairs make it dangerous. I still do all my other bathroom stuff (brush my teeth, take out and put in contacts, etc.) downstairs. I almost feel like I'm camping down there. I still sleep on the hospital bed in the living room, instead of my room upstairs. I might not ever be able to sleep in my actual room again.  

5th of Tishri

This is my wallpaper for October. It's Gilbert or Gil, who's sometimes referred to as Raven (because of his 'chain'), from Pandora Hearts. This seemed Halloween-like. Pandora Hearts as a series fits well with the holiday. It's loosely based on Alice and Wonderland, complex, some horror, and very dark. The anime didn't really do it justice. I might switch it to something else halfway through the month. 

The month-long holidays for October are: National Apple Month, National Caramel Month, National Pasta Month, National Pretzel Month, Bat Appreciation Month, LGBTQ+ History Month, German-American Heritage Month, National Cookbook Month, Spinach Lovers Month. Some are for important causes, some are to make you appreciate things you may take for granted, and some are just for fun.

Rosh Hashanah was Sunday night until Tuesday night. It was our New Year (lit. translated to Head [of] the Year), and the first month is Tishri. For RH, we eat honey and sweet things for a sweet year. We eat round challah (an egg bread), which has many meanings. One of them that I like is that it represents the life cycle. Time isn't truly linear in Judaism. Instead, it goes in cycles. We're just starting another one. There are also things like Tu B'Shevat which is the New Year for the Trees. There are technically 4 'New Years', but RH is the main one. I 'attended' the 1st night and 1st morning/afternoon services online. Central Synagogue in NYC live-streamed it all, like their Shabbat ones. It's also the start of the High Holy Days or Days of Awe. That goes for 10 days, and ends with Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement. During those 10 days, it's supposed to be a time of deep introspection, asking forgiveness, how we can better ourselves and the community, and more. The day after RH ends is a minor fast day called the Fast of Gedaliah. I've never observed it, and can't even if I wanted to. I did eat less than usual on Wednesday, though. Some people think it's a warm-up fast day for YK, but it's really remembering the assassination of Gedaliah, who was a governor of Judah. YK is considered to be the most important holiday on the Jewish calendar. It's considered the Shabbat of Shabats. (Shabbat being our day of rest.) We're supposed to fast from sunset to sunset. 25 hours. It doesn't just mean no food, but also no drinks, gum, etc. I can't fast because of my meds and colitis. They say if it'll harm your health, it'll be a sin if you do so anyways. I still feel guilty about it almost every year. Children are also exempt from fasting. 

The elements calendar features copper this time. There's a mini periodic table made out of pure copper, copper in bullion form, a weave chain made out of wired copper, and a brass, which is a copper alloy, ring. It's a very useful element. 

I looked at the test results that recently came back. The x-rays appeared normal. Even though my hands certainly don't seem normal. The lumps are soft tissue-based then, which is better than them being something like calcium deposits. My fingers look more twisted, but they said it looked fine in the x-ray...Pretty much everything but one test came back as normal or negative. The ANCA titer was a strong positive. They said the pattern may suggest 2 rare diseases, but other aspects might go along with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), and a couple of other autoimmune diseases. He did warn me that it might pick up on my colitis and be positive that way. The scleroderma blood test noted that getting a negative result doesn't necessarily rule it out. ~20% of patients with scleroderma have positive results for that one. That seems like a small amount. They suggested other tests to try. I'm thinking of asking about those in an email to my rheumatologist. I still haven't made a dermatology appointment, and they might order more tests. My rheum. told me depending on the results, my next office appointment with him would be in 6 months. If the scleroderma test had come back positive, he would have made a phone appointment. He also briefly mentioned lupus and how he didn't want to start treatment for that before they tested for other things. I don't think that's what it is, but at least he seems to be trying to help me. Hopefully, he'll agree to running those other tests.

I've also been getting weird red fluid filled sacs in my mouth. They're not particularly painful, but annoying and a little off-putting. One of the most recent ones showed up right next to where the jaws hinge together in my right cheek. Really far back there. I thought it was a wad of food or something. That's kind of kept me from enjoying food, and deciding to eat less on Wednesday. Most of the time those sacs show up on my lip. The area inside that rubs against my teeth. They end up popping after a while (probably from the rubbing), letting out stuff, and leaving behind craters. I don't think the one near my jaws has popped yet. Although, it does taste weird sometimes. 

I apparently am going to be a social media and camera person for the local trans group. I'm going to create Instagram and twitter accounts for the group. They already have 2 facebook groups. 1 public page, and 1 secret group. Those are essentially covered. There are admins and mods there, and quite a few active people. We just don't have any other social media presence. Not everyone uses facebook. We can't even access the old website, for a variety of reasons. One of the facilitators is going to create a group email account, then I'll create the Instragram and twitter accounts with that. Nice I won't have to use my personal email. I'll also ask members of the secret group on fb, once I've created those other accounts, if they have other social media suggestions. I think these are the main 3 that are the most popular, but I'd still want input. I'll create an image for Instagram to share every time we have a meeting coming up, and maybe one for when the facilitators won't be available (that's rare). With twitter, I could just type that out. I'll create images for events and other announcements, too. I can take pics of the group at special events, like Pride or ones that we create, and post them to those accounts. Of course, I'll ask people before I take the pics if they're cool with being in them. That's important. We could have a record of what the group has participated in this way. I'm thinking of also posting things that are trans related, possibly memes and articles, there as well. That way those accounts can still seem active. We only have 2 or 3 meetings a month. It might be nice to see things in between. I love taking pics, and since I'll be taking them, I might not be in a lot of them. I'm happy with that. Oh and I'll mention if people want the location, they'll have to pm those accounts. It's a safety issue if the exact address is listed publicly. We might need to change to a different room anyways, since a class was meeting Wednesday night in our room at that time. We thought it was cleared up already, but they might need to be 'reminded' every quarter. It's at a college currently. 

Finished watching Kimetsu no Yaiba. The animation was amazing! Apparently, the next story arc will be a movie. They ended it with them making it on a train for their next mission. Only Zenitsu knew what a train was. It takes place during the Taisho period (1912-1926). Tanjirou grew up in the mountains and Inosuke is used to living in the forests. So, of course they aren't going to know much about it. Inosuke thought it was some sort of demon and tried to attack it as soon as he saw it. It's interesting that they sneak in some of the modernization and cultural shifts that were going on at the time. Hopefully, there will be another actual season after that. There were a lot of twists and turns. 

Finished watching the last season of Fairy Tail. It was ok. Somehow the last season didn't seem as great as the previous ones. Fairy Tail's manga started in 2006 and ended in 2017. The anime started in 2009. It's had a lot of breaks between seasons. A lot of people thought the last battle ended too soon and too easily. However, Natsu had the power of all the dragon slayers against that final villain. That was a huge power-up. Some made fun of it because the magic coming off of him at that point was rainbow colored. Saying it was too 'gay' or something. I don't mind the idea of LGBTQ+ community defeating the most powerful villain...I'm surprised they didn't say it looked more like a Power Rangers thing. People also didn't like the idea of friendship giving them boosts. Like friendship is magic. As corny as it sounds, I like that, though. I felt that they considered the guild members as family, not just friends. In fact, the series mentioned that numerous times. That's a stronger type of bond to me. Many fans were pissed off that Natsu and Lucy didn't kiss at the end. I have a feeling Natsu might be aro ace. Lucy obviously isn't. She expected him to kiss her at the end, too. Instead he said that they'll be best friends forever. That was pretty awesome in my view. Many stories that have a boy and girl as protagonists make them end up as a romantic couple. This was a good break from that. They seemed to hint at another season at the end. Even though this was supposed to be it. I don't think I'll watch it if there is.

Finished watching Darr Sabko Lagta Hai or Everybody Feels Fear on Netflix. I liked it overall. Some of it was overacted, corny, and low-budget. Some of the stories were based on Hindu mythology, and others on Indian culture in general. That was really interesting. The 'scariness' was more psychological. Each episode ended with an uneasiness and hints the story never actually ended. I thought that was a smart way of doing it. The last story was the goriest and most brutal. I didn't like that one as much as the others. 

Started watching the 2nd season of Radiant and Ascendance of a Bookworm. I still find it interesting that Radiant is an adaptation of a French manga. There are hints of French culture, history, and humor in it. Ascendance of a Bookworm is another isekai (different world) anime. This genre seems to just be getting more popular every season. It's about a librarian who absolutely loves books. She died one day, but as she was about to she begged that in her next life she'd be able to read all the books she wanted to. Reminds me of that Twilight Zone episode where a man who loves books ends up in a post-apocalyptic world with just books around him, however his glasses break. So, he can't read any of them. She woke up to find that she was reincarnated as a frail little girl. In their world, there are no book stores. Only the very rich can afford books. Each copy is made by hand. Very similar to what it was like before the printing press in our world. Most people in theirs are illiterate. The only thing they can read are numbers for things like prices. She did find one book, but the shopkeeper wouldn't let her touch it. It was too valuable and her reaction was too suspicious. She's decided to write and make her own books instead. Haven't gotten to it, but apparently she has some sort of magical powers in that world. I tried another isekai yesterday, but couldn't stand more than 5 minutes of it. 

Started watching The Truth Seekers on Netflix. It's a Singaporean detective drama, mainly in Mandarin (there's a little English and Japanese). It's aka Cold Case Investigators. Bai Qingxiong, a veteran cop, creates a detective agency that specializes in solving cold cases. He was tired of not bringing closure to the families of the victims in such cases. At the moment, they meet at a Japanese restaurant that his wife owns. Looking at the opening, it seems like they might get an actual place for it eventually. Each case might affect them personally. In this first one, one of the detectives, Huang Yuyang, was in a relationship with the main suspect briefly. That main suspect was actually the one that hired them to solve the case. I guessed right on who the real killer was. Yay! It looks like the main suspect from that case (he wasn't the killer) will join them. A couple of the actors look familiar. I haven't watched too many Singaporean dramas, but I looked up one of the actors and he was in Against the Tide. It'd make sense that I'd remember him since he played a main character.

Youtube:

One Piece:


Dr. Stone:

Kimetsu no Yaiba:

Video Games Day!

I love video games! Although, I don’t have too many. I still have my Sega Genesis, and it works great. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was my first one. I found Ecco the Dolphin one of the most challenging games for it. Never finished that one. Came close. For my PC, I often play Fate and the Sims 2. Fate is an interesting rpg/dungeon game. The Sims 2 fascinates me still. You can custom build houses, design it, decorate it, mess with how a sim looks, see what they do, etc. I got the Seasons expansion pack a couple of years ago, and it adds even more stuff to it. My fave games are actually Morrowind and Fable. I love rpg’s. Neither of them are compatible with my computer. The graphics are amazing for both, and they put a lot into the stories. You really can delve into these worlds. Hopefully, I can try more rpg’s for the PC in the future. I also liked one of the detective/escape games I played a while ago, which I can’t seem to find. I think it was Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None. I love the mystery/detective genre for pretty much anything. 

I went to Central Synagogue’s (in NYC) Rosh Hashanah services Sunday night and Monday morning online. I love how interactive it is for online members, too. They really try to make you feel like you’re actually there. Although, if you don’t watch it live, it’s not as much. There’s an fb thread for each broadcast where you can participate in it. For example, you can mention a name of someone you’re either saying the healing prayer for or a yahrzeit. You can ask questions, too. I like how with the night one they started with a greeting from people all over the world that follow it online. Some from India, Brazil, Belgium, Mexico, various places in the US, and more. Really cool. Some use it because there isn’t a synagogue near them, some are disabled, some are traveling, some are hospitalized, some have autoimmune diseases, some can’t afford tickets to their local synagogue’s, etc. Many reasons. It seems to really help people. I’ve mentioned it before, but the reasons why I go to their online HHD services are because my immune system isn’t great (since I have an autoimmune disease, the meds slow it way down), tickets are expensive, it gets super crowded, really warm because of how many people are there, it’s expected that you dress up, I don’t want to interact with certain people in either local congregation, I can decide when it starts, and it’s cozier at home. Their main rabbi made a very powerful sermon (aka drash). One of the few sermons I felt that way with. They do post her sermons afterwards in their archives. That one’s not up there yet. When it’s out, I’m thinking of sharing it on fb, and maybe even on here. It was on antisemitism, and what we need to do to combat it. I think even people who aren’t Jewish would find it interesting, at least. 

I started doing 10 sit-ups 2x a day (when I wake up and go to bed) on Monday. Last week, I managed to do 5 of them 2x a day. I didn’t miss a single one. Yay! I’m starting to feel it in my gut. It’s a tightening/stretchy type feeling. Next week, I’ll do 15 of them 2x a day. Last week amounted to 70 sit-ups altogether, this week will be 140. It seems like it’s not much at a time, but it adds up. I still hope I can get back to my 2-mile walks, even if it’s raining.  At some point, I think I’ll get a pedometer app. I’ve never really used one. Would be interesting to see how many steps I take during the day, even when I don’t do my walks. I’ll have to have my phone with me all the time. 

Got back to learning Russian today. I came close to getting the 2nd crown (level 2) for the Basics 2’s unit. Finished the Plurals unit and started the Where one. Their plurals are weird. Tripped me up a bit. After Where, there’s Animals 1. That one sounds like it’d be more interesting. 

There was finally an update up for Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler). I think there’s just too much drama at the moment. Ciel’s (the one we’ve known) identical twin (who’s a zombie...) is framing him. By the way, the Ciel we’ve known took the name from his brother. The author has been very good at not actually telling us his real name, which has pissed off some fans. The real Ciel managed to get Lizzie (his fiancee) on his side, he told everyone in the mansion that his brother has been lying to them, the police suddenly showed up, Bravat was found in their cellar with blood packs (‘evidence’ that he was behind the music hall murders), he might be arrested, the servants doubt him, the Undertaker is there (he pretty much orchestrated this whole thing), a couple of the other shinigami are there, and all the main characters from town seem to have just shown up. Stuff’s going down. They’re not letting him say anything, and Sebastian was about to attack the Undertaker. Now, he seems to be suggesting that they should escape. This is hard to read with everyone going after him. He’s already had it rough without his brother/the Undertaker doing this to him. I hope Sebastian’s not the only one on his side. It also feels like the manga might end soon. Like this is the big climax before the end. However, there hasn’t been any word about it ending and it’s popular. Maybe after this ordeal, there will be something more. I know he still hasn’t gotten his revenge. 

Only managed to edit a few pages of Alliance today. I’m finding a lot more mistakes, and taking out extra descriptions of the characters’ clothes. Instead, I’m referring to styles, so readers can use more of their imagination with it. Hopefully, the rest of it doesn’t have much to edit. 

Figured out the hairstyle for that Dark Healer. Still trying to figure out a simplified version of his facial tattoos. Once I’m done with that, I’ll ink him. Then, I’ll draw a more complex ‘closeup’ of the tattoos. 

Practiced my clarinet for an hour today. Finished playing from the generalized pieces book, Duke Ellington, Gershwin, and some of the advanced clarinet classical pieces. 

For cleaning, it was all cat stuff. However, I tend to not wash their food bowls often, and I got to those. Also, got to their water bowls. I wash those a lot more often. I just forget about their food bowls most of the time, or I feel bad about dumping a mostly full food bowl. That’s a waste of food. I’m going to try to be better about it. Their food bowls looked pretty scummy. Rosie was so happy that I did it. She kept biting me as I was washing them. Probably telling me to go faster. Tasha didn’t seem too enthused about it. 

8th of Tishri 5778

Rosh Hashanah or our New Year started on the night of the 20th, and ended the night of the 22nd. The 2nd day is usually not as big. Many people don't go or even have services that day. I think I only 'attended' the first evening and first day's services online. It was with Central Synagogue in NYC. I liked most of it. There were a couple of weird songs in English that I skipped over. It still feels weird to have so many rabbis and cantors leading, a choir, and an organ playing in the background. The drash (sermon) during the evening and the one in the morning were both great. The retired cantor that volunteered to help, was amazing. His voice was so soulful, and somewhat in a more traditional style. I think he did the same thing last year, and it was just as great. 

Tomorrow night's the start of Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. One of the holiest days of the year for us. Like usual, Shabbat starts that night, too. Yom Kippur is sometimes referred to as the Shabbat of Shabbats. So, it's even more so this way? I'll attend Central Synagogue's online services again for it. Most people are told to fast during the holiday. Can't have food, water, gum, etc. The ones who are exempt from that are little kids, people who are pregnant, the elderly, and those with health conditions. If these people do fast, it's as though they sinned. Just like it would be for someone who eats when they aren't exempt from it. I have to eat something with my meds, food helps regulate it as well, and it's not good to fast when you have colitis (unless a medical professional instructs you to). I still feel guilty that I have to eat during that day. 

I'm up to 205 pages, altogether, with writing the sequel to Alliance and the memoir. (100 for the sequel, 105 for the memoir.) It's roughly twice that for paperback versions. Yay! That's good considering I started writing both in mid-May. I also didn't write for a few weeks, because it was so hot (not good to have my desktop computer on in the hottest room of the house) and I was sick. I wrote about half as many pages the first month, and for a while didn't write on Sundays. (The only day I don't write is on Saturdays, before it was both days.) It's the first time I'm writing two books at once, and I'm progressing much faster than I did for the other two books. (Alliance took the longest...) I wonder how much longer it'll take me to finish both? Not sure if one will be longer than the other. There's also the editing and reformatting...Still, it's exciting. It's a milestone for me.

I like how both books are turning out so far. The sequel has been unpredictable, but still follows the plot well. A little too well at times...Things that seemed unrelated are coming together. Makes it more fun and interesting. I'm remembering more parts of my life than I thought with the memoir. The topics for chapters have worked well for it. I'm in the midst of writing the physical health chapter. It's already longer than I thought it would be.

The non-binary facebook group I'm apart of has been interesting. I might look for a more active one in future, though. Most of the posts have also been intros and selfies. Not really much to them. One topic that came up was being non-binary and sexual/romantic attractions. If you had sexual/romantic attraction, what word would you use to describe it if you're not binary? Like, could someone be gay or straight if they weren't binary? This can be slightly controversial. Some people said they go by the 'genitals' that might interest them sexually. If they're afab (assigned female at birth) and are attracted to women, they'd call themselves lesbian. Similar with amab (assigned male at birth), and attracted to men feeling they're gay this way. Or, with afabs attracted to men, being straight. (And, vice a versa.) This can be a bit problematic on many fronts. Would trans men or women be included in this even if they might not have the 'matching' genitals? Why reduce it down to genitals? It seems so cold. Also, the non-binary person themselves is not a man or woman...Many non-binary people take issue with this. Many use the labels androsexual (or androromantic), gynesexual (or gyneromantic), and skoliosexual (or skolioromantic). That's sexually/romantically attracted to men, sexually/romantically attracted women, and sexually/romantically attracted to non-binary people. It seems better to me. Skoliosexual can be a bit controversial outside of the community. Since it's hard to tell until they tell you, and non-binary people might congregate together more...It still sounds complicated. I'm glad I'm aro ace. I don't have to deal with that. Also, with the strongest attraction I do feel, platonic (it's different than being 'just' friends...), I'm pan. I'm attracted to people this way regardless of gender. It's good to know for qpr's or queer (or quasi-) platonic relationships, which I would love to be in. So, even with this attraction I don't need to think of the right label. It's already applicable to me. I'm attracted to men aesthetically, though. This way, I guess, it'd be andro-. Hardly use that sort of attraction, though. It's not as important to me. 

Another topic that came up recently was in a comment to a post. They told the person they aren't trans. They're non-binary. They went into this weird thing about how we don't have gender dysphoria, and don't need surgeries. Apparently, there isn't 'treatment' for us, too. There was so much wrong with their comment and many people jumped in to correct them, including me. We are under the trans umbrella. Trans just means you identify as a gender that's different than the one you were assigned at birth. That boils down to anyone who isn't cis. Sure, some non-binary people might feel uncomfortable with being under the trans umbrella, and not identify with that community. That's completely up to them, but they don't speak for the community. 

I'm afab (it feels like it should be 'was', but I've only heard it as 'am'), and agender. I'm not a woman (and never was, although sex is different), therefore by definition I'm trans. It took me a little while to realize this, though. For a while I thought trans people were binary. They had to be transitioning in some way, too. This was wrong. I remember reading that the person who came up with the trans flag, made a point in saying the white stripe represented non-binary identities. This made me feel a bit better about it. I just mostly see binary trans people at trans meetings and events, so it's easy to feel like you don't belong this way. 

Many non-binary people experience gender dysphoria, and some binary trans people don't. I mentioned recently on here about how I feel about my breasts. I think I'm dysphoric about them. They don't feel right, and weird me out sometimes. I don't feel it as bad as some people I've read about, but I think it's there. Some people who are afab and agender, want mastectomies. Some I've read want their...downstairs...to be smoothed out surgically, too. (Don't know what that's called.) That seems unique to agender people. Maybe some androgynous people do as well? There are specific ways that non-binary people can transition. I'm just starting to learn about it. It's fascinating, even if I don't go that route. 

By the way, I noticed that comment was eventually deleted, and the person might have been banned. They're very strict about the rules. They don't even allow allies. Especially, not cis people. They have a separate group that allows allies. Both binary trans people and cis people. There was a cis person that made it into the group that's an exclusive space for us, and she complained about people negatively posting about cis people. The thing is many people have been semi positive about cis people. There are some that, understandably, vent at length about cis people. They need this sort of outlet, and to talk to people that understand. So, she immediately was attacked by lots of people. A few mods stepped in, suggesting the other group. She proclaimed that she'll quit the group since we hate our allies so much. It was strange. If you're an ally, you have to realize people are angry about how they're treated. They don't hate you specifically. They hate the system, the world is set up for binary people, and it seems most cis people are against or at least think they can debate our very existence. They understand binary trans people more than non-binary ones. So, you can see how this can affect the community. Even some binary trans people try to invalidate our existence, yet they're just a very small vocal minority. 

Rosie recently went to the vet's for a check-up. She hadn't had one for 5 years. Basically since Mom passed away. She's the worst of all the cats we've had about getting into the carrier. (We thought Drifter was bad enough about it.) Dad managed to get her in after a major struggle. She threw up a little, pooped, and peed in the process. She was that scared. It was painful to watch. We think she may have been abused by her previous owners by making her stay in a carrier for far too long. She may have had to use it as a bathroom sometimes. Which might be why she claws at things after using the litter box. She may have tried to get out of a carrier once she did her business in it. That makes me feel worse somehow... 

Anyways, she's a little overweight, just like Tasha. So, the plan is for both of them to have weight loss cat food soon. Her teeth were unusually healthy for her age. She's about 9 or 10. We got her around my birthday in 2011. She's updated on her shots now. They clipped her nails, too. She felt better afterwards, and has become even more loving towards me which is kind of creepy in a way. Mostly nice, though. 

Rosh Hashanah 5777!

Mood:

Rosh Hashanah, our New Year, started Saturday night. Rosh Hashanah literally means: Head of the Year. It's the year 5777 on the Jewish calendar. People tend to eat sweet things for a sweet year. Apples dipped in honey are one of the most recognizable sweets that we eat. My mom used to make a honey cake. It was amazing!It also had coffee grounds, citrus peel, chocolate chips, and a few other things. Couldn't taste the coffee, especially because it seemed like such a complex flavor. It probably just added to the depth. I wanted to make it this year, but I kind of forgot until Saturday morning.It probably would have been best to have it made the night before. Also, I'm still in quite a bit of pain, so something like that would've probably taken a lot out of me. I could probably still make it during the rest of the year. 

I also love teiglach. It's another sweet eaten during the holiday. It's usually more of an east coast thing. Many people over here didn't know what it was when either my mom or I talked about it at either local synagogue. Mom used to make it, and I've made it a couple of times. It's surprisingly easy. It's little nuggets of dough cooked in a honey and citrus peel sauce with walnuts sprinkled on top. The citrus can be either orange or lemon. I think I liked the orange one the most. Turns into something similar to a candy. Very messy, but good. I remember one year Buster, our beagle, decided to tip a platter of it onto the floor.That took a long time to clean up, and was disappointing. He liked it, though. Maybe I'll make that sometime in the near future, as well.

Also, there's a round challah. It symbolizes the life cycle, and can be interpreted as a crown. Many people dip it in honey, too. Same symbolism with that as eating the sweets. Some people have fish or goat (I think) heads, to symbolize the 'head' of the year. Some families have stuffed foods, to symbolize a year full of good things. Interestingly, Dad made Armenian stuffed peppers/tomatoes the first night of it. Reminded me a lot of when Mom made them. People also might have pomegranates. The pomegranate is said to have 613 seeds, corresponding to the 613 mitzvot or commandments. (A mitzvah is more like a good deed, too.) There are many more symbolic foods. Since many can be customary/traditional to certain areas around the world (maybe even just within families), I think I hear about 'new' ones every year. Really fascinating. The holiday ended last night. 

However, Rosh Hashanah is just the start of the High Holy Days. Including this holiday, it's 10 days long, and goes until the end of Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is also known as the Day of Atonement. It's the most important holiday on the Jewish calendar. (RH comes in second.) You're supposed to fast. No food, water, gum, etc. for 25 hours. Except if you are: elderly, pregnant, have a medical condition that requires meds, a little kid. If these people fast, it's considered a sin. I fall under this group. I can't go without my meds, and food also is important to keep me balanced with what I have. Almost every med I take says to take it with food, too...If I don't eat the way I should, it does affect my IBD. I usually feel guilty that I can't fast. It's a weird conflicting feeling when you know if you do fast, it's a sin. I like that there's this 'rule', though. It goes with the idea that life trumps everything else.We can still make the holiday meaningful, too. 

Went to RH services online this time. It was with Central Synagogue in New York City. They live-stream every service they have. Even the ones for Shabbat. It's a huge synagogue, too. Beautiful inside. They acknowledged people who were watching the live-stream during the beginning services of RH. They even had a video of people from around the world, that watch, wishing people a shana tova. Shana tova lit: Good Year. It's a greeting for the holiday. There's also l'shana tova (for a good year), which is short for: l'shana tova tikatev v'taihatem. It means: May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year. Actually felt like I was there that way.People can even listen to it on their phones. There's a hotline to call into. It's great for people who are immunosuppressed (like me), stuck in a hospital, in a place where there isn't a synagogue anywhere near them, etc. They say they reach people from over 100 countries. They have captions in multiple languages for the live-stream, too. 

The only thing I usually feel odd about is how many rabbis they have. They have, what looks to be 4, and one of those is like a retired rabbi that occasionally comes in to sing or give a very quick sermon. (His singing voice is amazing!) Or, even the 2 cantors that are up with them. It seems a bit crowded on the bima.They also have several people from the board and guests of the community, sitting next to them up there, too. I'm mainly used to one rabbi and one cantor up there...Also, not used to a choir with a bunch of other musicians, but it sounded nice. Normally, the cantor might play an instrument or two for Shabbat. Occasionally, there might be one or two other musicians that play during High Holy Day services. It's never like what Central had. The main rabbi is interesting, too. She's one of the first, I think, Asian-American rabbis. She has Korean ancestry. She's a convert. I think she said she converted early in life. People would tell her things like: she couldn't be a Jew if she was Asian, she didn't 'look' Jewish (whatever that means...I've had the same thing said to me), she's not Jewish because her mom isn't Jewish, etc. The thing is those people didn't know that there are Jews from all over the world, including Asia. She talked about this in the first night's sermon or drash, and said that it wasn't very Jewish of them to say. We're told to love and treat the stranger as yourself, as you were strangers in a strange land. So, to treat others like that, let alone a fellow Jew, goes against it.I like a lot of the general things she brings up, too. Has a great singing voice, as well. I'll 'attend' their services for Yom Kippur.

Yesterday was also National Taco Day. Tacos are great!I can't really have the normal corn tortilla (there's the flour kind, at least), or any other product of corn in it. It still is really good, even without that stuff. I can still have the meats (like beef, chicken, fish), cheese, light seasoning, some salsas (not too hot, because of my gut...), some vegetables, etc. Corn upsets my gut. I've found the 'harder' forms of it are the most difficult to digest. If I don't have it too often, I might be able to tolerate a tamale. That has a softer form of corn. I think I've read that things like corn are hard to digest normally, because of how hard the fibers are. They can scrape up an already affected and inflamed digestive system, too. (Like with IBD.) That in turn makes it more inflamed and painful. Many people have problems with corn. Yet, it's so good!I miss popcorn, too. Especially kettle corn. The popcorn with salt and sugar. I can't have certain sausages that I love, either...For some reason, my system has such a hard time digesting those, that my belly fills up with air.I end up feeling like I'm going to burst at some point like a balloon. It's different than with the corn. I should really pinpoint some of them more. I know for sure beef summer sausage has this effect. I think others do, too.

It was also Kanelbullens Dag or Cinnamon Bun Day. The cinnamon bun apparently originated in Sweden. It's a Swedish holiday that started in 1999. I love cinnamon buns!They're fun to eat. The Swedish version is a bit different than the Americanized version. It has cardamom in the dough. They tend to not have the heavy icing, either. Instead, they sprinkle it with a little sugar, or a very light glaze. They also don't fry them like they do in America.

This is my wallpaper for October. It's Atsushi from Bungou (Literary) Stray Dogs. I try to pick more contemplative, or more serious, wallpapers with the month that the High Holy Days fall in. It's usually either September or October. We have a lunar calendar, so it seems to move around on the solar calendar. I might change it when Sukkot rolls around to one that's more Halloween-like. I love Halloween, too. Anyways, Bungou Stray Dogs was really good. Every character was based either on a famous author, their work, or a character from those works. (Sometimes all 3.) Very fascinating idea for a show. Most of them have some sort of power. One of them doesn't, but has remarkable deduction skills. Atsushi is based on a Japanese author of the same name who lived from 1909-1942. His ability to turn into a white tiger is based on his most famous work, Sangetsuki or the Moon of the Mountain. They call it Beast Beneath the Moon in the anime. The main character in that one is a scholar who goes crazy in his quest to become a great poet, and then transforms into a tiger. A 2nd season of it starts soon. I didn't think it'd be so soon, but that's awesome!

My beagle calendar has a beagle standing in a field of leaves. In a similar pose to what Buster used to do when something caught his attention. The blurb this time is about heroic tales of beagles. The fun fact mentions that beagles are sometimes used as therapy dogs, because of their gentle demeanor and funny personalities. 

My Jewish calendar features a Torah shield, made by Koninklijke Begeer, out of silver, from Alkmaar, Netherlands; 1878. Still looks like it's in good condition compared to how old it is. It has the tablets with the main 10 commandments, trumpets and shofars coming out its sides, a plaque below the tablets with a lot of Hebrew that I can't read, a big crown at the top also with Hebrew I can't read (there are no vowels, and I can't make out those words without them), and a floral design of things hanging from it. It looks like there are clouds behind the tablets. Cool effect. It's one of the cooler looking ones. It also features a Torah finial (finials sit on top of the Torah scroll's rollers), made by Pieter van Hoven, out of silver and gilt, Amsterdam, Netherlands; 1717. This one's even older, and still in great condition. At least, from the pic. There are bells around it, vines, a crown on top, and a spire on top of that. The last one that's featured is a tzedaka box (box for charity), has an anonymous maker, made out of iron and copper, Netherlands; 1900. Oddly, it's not as old as the others, and it looks more beat up. Might be a good sign that it was well used. It says something in Dutch on a small plaque on the side. There's also a number plate in it that has the number '84'. Don't know what that means, but interesting. It's rather plain besides that. 

The month-long holidays are: National Apple Month, National Caramel Month, National Chili Month, National Cookie Month, National Dessert Month, National Pasta Month, National Pretzel Month, National Seafood Month, American Cheese Month, Bat Appreciation Month, Corn Month, German-American Heritage Month, LGBT History Month, National Cookbook Month, Pizza Month, Sausage Month, Spinach Lovers Month. Some are for important causes, some are to make you appreciate things you may take for granted, and some are just for fun. A lot of them this month. I'm part German, so yay!A part of my heritage is being celebrated. LGBT history is important, too. Asexual Awareness Week is towards the end of the month, so that'll be another good thing. 

I probably would have finished this post yesterday, but something was slowing my computer down. Turns out Google decided to try to get me to fill out a survey about this blog. Firefox kept blocking it. So, again, Google has somehow figured out a way to slow things down...Since the survey popped up today, and I filled it out, things have been running much faster and smoother. Someone assumed it was a problem with the computer itself. Nope, it wasn't. I actually really like my computer. Things run so much better, most of the time, without Google products. I know Google owns Blogger, but it's just a site, not something like their browser or Google Earth. (That survey was rare.) I still also use their search engine, my gmail, youtube, etc. through my computer. I might even try using youtube more often on here, now that things are much better than they were. I usually look at youtube through my phone. So, we'll see. I also still use their browser on my phone, but that's a different thing.

Google also emailed me recently saying some of the links I listed came back with an error code, and may cause a bad visitor experience. Something like that. I like how they called me a webmaster.I suppose I am for this blog. It doesn't like that I listed links (not very many of them) that had just http, and no 's' at the end. I kind of figured I'd get something like that from them. I mentioned in my last post that to go to those links, you can click them, and it'll redirect you to a page saying it can't find it within my blog. Then, just take out my blog's url in the address, and hit return or whatever and it'll go to those sites. Or, people can just search for those sites by using the names of them. I don't like that their new thing is they won't go directly to those sites unless they have that 's'. There are quite a lot of sites that haven't switched to that yet. That policy just started at the end of last month. I read somewhere that that will change soon. Like, they're upgrading the system. I hope so. 

I managed to get the 2 x-ray views done. It was pretty late, and no one was at the radiology check-in area. One of the receptionists at Urgent Care helped me out, and talked to someone who was in the radiology department. It was really quick. I hope something that's easily handled shows up. I want something to show up, because if it doesn't, it's even harder to pinpoint why I'm in so much pain. I asked if I could get the results, and they said the radiologist has to look at it first. My gastro might show me it to go over what's shown, and then I might be able to get a copy of the results. I still have to schedule the MRI. I'm kind of nervous about it, and the High Holy Days have been on my mind.I'll call them tomorrow. 

I also got the miralax, which I still hate, but am trying to take at least one dose a day. I think I remember her mentioning that it might be best to try for 2 doses, but I can only tolerate one right now.I also got a probiotic, like she recommended. This one is a gummy version. When I tried probiotics years ago, I got the huge chewable tablet ones. They fizzed in my mouth as soon as I started chewing. Kind of felt and tasted like candy. The gummy ones are interesting. They don't fizz, and pretty much taste and feel like the fiber gummies I used to take. I don't think I'll get tired of them, at least. Apparently, each dose has 500 million 'viable' cells. That's a lot. They apparently lie dormant in the gummy, and then once the stuff hits my intestines, they 'wake up'. Interesting. Hopefully my system doesn't kill them all off. 

I tried to get the levsin, which is supposed to be an alternative for bentyl, if that doesn't do anything. Read that it's more potent, too. Turns out my insurance doesn't cover it, and only 9 days is like almost $30. I can't justify in my head getting something that expensive.It may or may not work. Also, apparently there was a recent recall of it. So, I've decided to go back to the bentyl I still have, and occasionally have tylenol. I figured if bentyl makes me sleepy, and I'm still having issues with sleep, I might as well take it for that. It has helped with that a bit. The tylenol only takes the edge off when I have 'mild' pain. Doesn't do much at all when it's bad, which is quite often now. 

Started a new cheese of the month yesterday. Barely had much of the gorgonzola last month. Turned out I didn't like it...At least I tried it. This time, it's a Welsh cheddar. It's made inside caves. The last cheddar I had, I think, was from Ireland. This one's pretty good. It's a bit stronger/sharper. I'm not used to the sharper stuff, but that's ok. It seems to go well with mustard. 

Went to Costco to start our big monthly grocery shopping on Saturday. They had a big thing of madeleines, and a 5-pound box of Dutch butter cookies. Got both of them. Probably will take a while to get through both of them, but they're really good. Got a few other things we were totally out of. Also, got to taste their chocolate covered pumpkin seeds. It was surprisingly good. Went to Trader Joe's, which I haven't been to in a while. That's where I got the cheese. It was relatively cheap. Most of their international cheeses seem cheaper than many places. Also, got a broccoli and cheese quiche. Haven't had a quiche in a long time. 

Looked around a local market for a round challah. They normally have 2 different challahs for Shabbat. I usually like their bigger one. Anyways, I looked for them in the usual place, and they weren't there. Dad found a display for one of the brand's versions. Really cool that they had it on display.I didn't think they would, and that's probably why I didn't see the table of them at first. They've come a long way from when my mom tried to educate them...They had either plain or raisin, and I got the plain. It's nice and big. Comes from the same company that does the larger normal Shabbat ones.

I'm thinking of being a pirate for Halloween. Interestingly, going by my current measurements, I can fit into most brands' 'normal' sizes. Just to try them out, at least, would be interesting. When I was at my heaviest, I felt horrible that even the 'plus' sizes wouldn't fit, if they had it. So, this is like a new frontier for me.Also, the only time I really remember actually coming into contact with other aces, was at a Pride event years ago. (Not sure where.) I was scared of them, because a lot of them were dressed as pirates, and acted like them. This was before I knew I was ace. The pirate thing apparently came from a meme saying something like: Ace pirates: we don't need your booty. Then, people ran with it. (There are even jokes about how we'd be immune to sirens.) Reading about that kind of gave me the idea of being a pirate for Halloween. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to be before that, so why not? I was a pirate for Halloween when I was really little, so that will be interesting in that light, too.

I've been watching some of Pieces of Ace's vids on youtube. It's a group of aces who talk about ace-related things. They're from England. They started with just 3 guys, and I've noticed they have a girl added to it now. Which is good. 2 of the guys are engaged to each other (they're cute together), the other guy is aro/ace (aro is aromantic, which means he doesn't experience romantic attraction), and I'm not sure where the girl falls on the romantic spectrum but she's ace as well. I watched most of the first couple of episodes, and a couple of the most recent episodes. They've had some interesting topics lately. Things like fetish/kinks among the ace community, how family members feel about the person who's ace, and coming out stories. The fetish/kinks thing can be a bit weird for the community. We see it in a different way. Some consider it taboo, some are surprisingly really into it, some aren't really sure. For the family members one, they had the aro/ace one's brother show up, and talk about how he felt. Very interesting to hear his point of view. They also have people call, email, there's a chatroom, or text in during the show, since it's live-streamed. They have a site where they post surveys, and have recently created a forum on there. They used the anonymous survey to ask people about their fetish/kinks, and talked about it on air. The newest survey is about coming out. They'll read some of the responses next time, and that should be interesting, too. They usually end each broadcast with a cake tasting. They ask others, who are watching (or listening to the podcast version), to try a cake of their own and text/chat/etc. about it. It's been interesting to see what kind of cakes there are in England. For some of the ones they've tried, I've never heard of, but sound really good.