I'm feeling the need to detour. So much of this has been about my personal journey and the irks that have come out of it, with a few rest stops to release a little thought-provoking steam, and I don't want to get so caught up in who I was that I ignore who I am.

Short girl energy. Irish temper. Mildly into fitness. I love kids probably because we have so much in common. Player of fiddles and guitars. Closet nerd. Lover of dance. Lover of stories. I'm all of these things miles before any other identity can stake its claim on me.

I dress in business attire when compelled, and flashy stuff when I'm feeling provocative or clubbing (which I do less and less).

Most of the time you'll find me in something in between. I'd like to say I'm fashionable on the regular. I mean I have the junk in my closet and I love the look... 

but most of the time it's just t-shirts and denim, often with a jacket because I get cold, which is probably for the best because the feel of sun and wind against my pale, freckled skin is dreamy and I'm not the greatest at observing social conventions. I've never owned Uggs or Crocs.

I LOVE foxes. I'd like to adopt one before I die, though it's unlikely. A mild kitsune fetish goes with it, which is why I've written one into my urban fantasy. People take note of this and buy me fox stuff all the frickin time. Plushies, figurines, jewelry, clothing... I have merch coming out my ears, but I mostly don't mind; I just find a home for it, intensifying the orange in my bedroom so much that I've decorated with earth tones to compliment it.

One small tattoo on my back, an open book, its pages turning into birds and the script "I've lived a thousand lives" beneath it. It's cliche, maybe a little hackneyed, but I've never regretted it. I have minimal piercings: two in each ear and I used to wear a stud or a hoop in my nose, but I haven't in so long it's probably grown closed.

I'm not a pumpkin spice girl, but I don't hate it. I drink unsweetened tea in the morning and a little whiskey in the evening because it helps me sleep. I even have a special glass for it, called a glencairn, a housewarming gift from my aunt when I moved into my apartment, which is technically a townhouse. I always thought you served whiskey and scotch in a lowball, but this apparently makes it taste better.

Insert non-committal shrug here.

I will drink Irish coffee on occasion, but that's a special treat because I'm a lightweight, and an overly-talkative, oversharing, emotional drunk.

Favorite book? Don't have one, there are too many to choose from. If I have to name something, I'd probably answer with a list: Jane Eyre, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy... it would likely be different depending on the day.

 Same with movies. I like many, each for reasons so different that there's no comparing them. The Professional, Amele, Rear Window, Princess Mononoke... once more, ask me again next week and you'll get a different list.

Favorite colors... same. It really depends on what it's for. When I'm being stylish I like muted earth tones. When I'm making a statement, high contrasts like black and pink.

Music... stop asking me hard questions!!!

I don't like bands in general, I listen to the songs I enjoy. I'm pretty well versed and I consider myself an audiophile, just not part of a particular fandom. I grew up with classical, folk, and Jazz. I got into metal and punk when I was a bit older, then faded into alternate rock. These days I listen to a lot of indie because pop music, regardless of genre, tends to all sound the same.

I like anime but I'm not a weeb. I know a decent amount about comics, but mostly because I'll hear or see something and look up the synopsis of the story, not because I read the books. I like figurines though... Marvel, DC, anime, video games, whatever. If it'll look cool on my shelf, I'm not one to discriminate.

I prefer to buy my own though. Like... I have this one on my desk (no, that's not my desk, mine is too messy for photos). Super cute, right?

Then certain individuals buy me shit like this.

I mean don't get me wrong, it's still cool but I have others that make this look tame and when I invite someone to my place I don't want a shelf full of these making them question their life choices.

I have a 10 year old dog and a 10 month old cat who mostly ignore each other. My other dog recently passed away and I'm not replacing her because I'm not really supposed to have pets at all and I don't want to test my landlady's generosity.

I enjoy video games but I wouldn't classify myself as a gamer girl. I stick mostly to games with compelling stories. I went through a SIMs phase because I could craft my own stories, but that game is so freaking buggy that it's a miracle it's remained so popular. Favorites? I still like the Mass Effect series even though they ruined the ending and bailed on the Andromeda sequels. I enjoyed Cyberpunk 2077 way too much, and played through Hogwarts Legacy twice. The newest Tomb Raider series was a lot of fun. Life is Strange was a near obsession and I still revisit True Colors every few months, though calling it a game might be too generous. I liked Last of Us and the sequel well enough. Couldn't get into God of War until Kratos had a kid, and I've tried and bailed on The Witcher several times. Thought about streaming but the personal and contractual reasons for having a semi-anonymous social media presence put that idea to rest.

I attended a few open mic nights at a local pub and I've enjoyed that to the point where I've daydreamed about pursuing a music career. That's a pipe dream though. I have too many long shots on my radar as it is. If I can pull in enough tips to pay for my drinks, I'll be satisfied.

I could keep going but I think I'll cut it off there and save more for a later post. I'm not interesting enough to carry my journal with this kind of content, but I need a break from the gloom and angst that make up most of the other entries.