scary gxrl

Although I’m a little late on the uptake, I wanted to give the first quarter of 2024 the moment it deserves. January was quiet, starting with a fancy dinner to ring in the new year, then after that life turned into a rollercoaster.

Loads of cooking. Car repairs that took forever. Hearing one of my favorite albums live, and meeting the man himself, William Fitzsimmons. Loads of snow. Publishing a small volume of poetry. Taskmaster game night. Plumbing issues. Participating in a League of Legends tournament. Starting a book club with some of my Twitch friends. Multiple birthday parties. Moving to a new office and promoting the grand opening. Hosting our third annual Jenga tournament.

In spite of my excitement and dedication to making my “Jesus year” one for the books, so far it isn’t going too hot. Watch this space though. There’s still time; I need to keep reminding myself.

• Movies Watched: Date Movie, Scary Movie 4, The Iron Claw, Ricky Stanicky, Epic Movie, Dream Scenario, Superhero Movie, Disaster Movie
• Books Read: You, Again (Kate Goldbeck), Don’t Wait Til I Die To Love Me (Michael Tavon), Morning Glory Milking Farm (C.M. Nascosta), Pretty Boys Are Poisonous (Megan Fox), The Anomaly (Herve Le Tellier)
• TV Watched: Taskmaster, Love is Blind, Kitchen Nightmares, The Great British Bake Off, Love on the Spectrum US, Love on the Spectrum AU, Taskmaster AU, Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, Very Important People, Naked Attraction, Tales from the Crypt, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV

Top 10 tracks:

1. Clean (Noah Floersch)
2. Crush (FLETCHER)
3. Pocketknife (Eddie & Lights)
4. LosT (Bring Me the Horizon)
5. American Teenager (Ethel Cain)
6. Magic Lantern Days (mewithoutYou)
7. Watermelon Ascot (mewithoutYou)
8. Pale Horse (mewithoutYou)
9. Batman (The Front Bottoms)
10. Mexican War Streets (mewithoutYou)

Where do I even begin about 2023… On one hand, my mental health tanked several times, particularly around April, July, and October. I spent a lot of the year exhausted and overstimulated and just trying to survive.

On the other hand, we took four major trips throughout the year, hosted some pretty decent parties and dinners, saw a handful of concerts and movies in theater, and went on some fun outings. I also thrived creatively, completing a poetry writing challenge and reaching affiliate on Twitch.

I’m not saying toss 2023 in the trash entirely, but I’m very glad it’s a new year and a fresh start. Here’s to better things in 2024.

Top 10 movies watched in 2023:

1. Beau Is Afraid
2. Barbie
3. Carrie
4. The Descent
5. Inside [2023]
6. Re-Animator
7. Only Lovers Left Alive
8. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
9. Evil Dead Rise
10. The Human Race

Top 10 books read in 2023:

1. Summer Sons (Lee Mandelo)
2. Strong Female Character (Fern Brady)
3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Taylor Jenkins Reid)
4. I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Iain Reid)
5. Unmasking Autism (Devon Price)
6. little scratch (Rebecca Watson)
7. Book Lovers (Emily Henry)
8. A Novel Obsession (Caitlin Barasch)
9. A Simple Favor (Darcey Bell)
10. Academically Yours (Jennifer Chipman)

Top 10 tracks of 2023:

1. How Not To Drown (CHVRCHES)
2. Head in the Wall (Ethel Cain)
3. Crumbs (Rebecca Black)
4. I Can See You (Taylor Swift)
5. Inbred (Ethel Cain)
6. My Darling True (Nicole Dollanganger)
7. right where you left me (Taylor Swift)
8. Bad Man (Nicole Dollanganger)
9. Moonlite (Nicole Dollanganger)
10. Is It Over Now? (Taylor Swift)

How quickly things can change in a month. It seems like the job situation is stabilizing, and I took a risky move that looks like it’s going to pay off. For the first time in months I haven’t felt a pit of dread after the weekend on returning to work.

In my personal life, I got back to streaming with renewed energy and enjoyment, and have made a network of streamer friends who I virtually “hang out” with and game with. A delightful indie gem, Dave the Diver, took me by surprise and I had a lot of fun playing it.

I also finally checked a couple of dreamy friend hangouts off my list, hosting a tea party and visiting an insanely cool barcade. Will this rollercoaster of a year end on a good note?

• Movies Watched: Carrie (2002), Jason X, Funny Man, Snake Hotel, Puppet Master
• TV Watched: Taskmaster, Scream Queens

Top 10 tracks:

1. Is It Over Now? (Taylor Swift)
2. “Slut!” (Taylor Swift)
3. Suburban Legends (Taylor Swift)
4. Motorbike (Poppy)
5. Out of the Woods (Taylor Swift)
6. Style (Taylor Swift)
7. Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor Swift)
8. Lavender Haze (Taylor Swift)
9. Cheerleader (Ashnikko)
10. I Can See You (Taylor Swift)