It's my birthday today and I don't know how to feel about that.
Principal Skinner and Edna Krabappel sitting at a picnic table at a party, Edna smoking a cigarette and saying she was a very depressed child
Today is my 39th birthday, which is basically the penultimate year for a milestone year. 40 is a birthday worth remember, a birthday that requires contemplation, reflection, introspection. 40 is the big year where everyone talks about big things happening and changes and fond memories.
No one talks about the 39th.
This year has not been great for me or my family so far; my father's health, as well as mine, has taken a turn for the worse and that affects our employment, and thus, our income. Things are pretty dicey at the moment and I'm wondering when things will let up, allow us to breathe and take stock.
One good thing that happen this year was finding out I was to be an auntie (gender neutral), which delights me, still! Recently, we found out my sister's having a girl, and my sister seems pretty happy and healthy so far (which is the most important thing in all of this).
Because of health issues, things I've been wanting to do have kind of taken a back seat, although I still read when I can. And while I don't really want to list all of the books I've been reading, since I plan on doing a dedicated post on books I've read and recommend, here are a few that I've liked so far:
Dungeon Meshi, vol 1 - 3 (this series is laugh out loud funny for me, and I haven't even started the anime yet)
Still reading Vixen: NYC by Jasmine Walls. I have one more volume to go and I plan on giving it a more thorough review, but spoilers: I love it and highly recommend it!
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, vol 1 and 2. Frieren is such a good time, reading these. The first chapter had me hooked and I'm eager to finish this wonderfully slow-placed manga, watch the anime and just bask in the slice of life nature of it all.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition Vol 2. I forgot how fast paced this series was. A lot has happened already. But I definitely remember why I loved it so much
Wires Crossed by Beth Fantaskey and Illustrated by ONeillJones. This is such a cute story about science, friendship and coming of age. Captured the awfulness of middle school quite well, with fun and engaging characters. I plan on getting this again, as a future book for my niece and possible future niblings to read.
And lots of Dragon Age lore. Comics, short stories, the Tevinter Nights anthology, the World of Thedas books.
Which all ties into the games I'm playing and it's Dragon Age. All of the Dragon Age. Dragon Age: The Veilguard was announced, to be released sometime this fall and that lit a fire under me to replay the entire series, to find the perfect canon playthrough to import/setup/however they're doing previous world states, into Veilguard.
It's been nine years (nine fucking years!) since Dragon Age Inquisition and I did not know hearing the fourth game in the series actually release this year would have me so hype. Along with reading the expanding lore around the series, I've also been watching lore videos, (Ghil Dirthalen always has me covered with lore) and even reading some of the newer BioWare social community posts (if you've ever been in the BioWare fandom, you know how scary that is.). Idk, I'm just really excited to play more Dragon Age, a series I've always loved, but it's definitely taken a seat to all the other games that I've been playing and loving and, ya know, the nine years since the last one.
All in all, the year leading up to this particular birthday has not been the best. Some high notes, but a lot of terrible, terrifying moments. I hope the road to 40 is less bumpy. Or at least more interesting.
If anyone is feeling charitable for my birthday, you can always buy me something on throne or donate to my ko-fi goal. And you can also find me on the usual places, although I still use blusky (God help me), tumblr and cohost the most.
And here's a dope beat to step to, until I see you next time, Ketall
