October from a professional standpoint was a mess. My workplace feels like it’s in complete disarray, and every day I can hear the band playing as the ship sinks further into the water.

But October from my personal perspective was everything I wanted it to be. Kicked off the month with apple picking and a bonfire, got a tattoo I absolutely love, took an unexpected trip to Philadelphia, spent time with both sides of my family, and watched a decent amount of horror movies.

While my mind is already simmering on Christmas presents and holiday activities, the spooky season isn’t over for me yet. I’m going to keep indulging in the autumn vibes (and searching for a lifeboat).

• Movies Watched: The Descent, Re-Animator, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror, Retro Puppet Master, Joe Pera: Slow & Steady, Ernest Scared Stupid
• TV Watched: Taskmaster NZ, Taskmaster, My Cat From Hell, The Real World, Diners Drive-ins and Dives, Scream Queens

Top 10 tracks:

1. Right Here (Zara Larsson)
2. Inbred (Ethel Cain)
3. Head in the Wall (Ethel Cain)
4. Crush (Ethel Cain)
5. Is It Over Now? (Taylor Swift)
6. StuckInMyBrain (Chase Atlantic)
7. I Never Existed (Chase Atlantic)
8. Anything Like Me (Poppy)
9. Church Outfit (Poppy)
10. BLOODMONEY (Poppy)

Work was more than likely a nightmare but I’m far enough removed now that I’m only going to focus on the good things about September. I saw my friends a lot, which included a spooky escape room, bubble tea, a long-awaited concert, homecooked dinner, and baking ginger snap cookies. Halloween season is in full effect. At the end of the month, we returned to Chicago for the weekend to celebrate Travis’s birthday and do all the goth shit we could find. Additionally, I have a brand new gaming PC that has enabled my Baldur’s Gate obsession in between all the real-life adventuring. So it doesn’t matter that there were moments I was stressin’ or that I didn’t complete another month of album listening. I was busy getting into my element.

• Movies Watched: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Asteroid City, Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs, Carrie, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Trick ’r Treat
• Books Read: Unmasking Autism: The Power of Embracing Our Hidden Neurodiversity (Devon Price), Strong Female Character (Fern Brady)
• TV Watched: Taskmaster, How To with John Wilson, What We Do in the Shadows, Guy’s Grocery Games, Portlandia, Rock of Love, Tiny House Nation, I Think You Should Leave, Fear Factor, Snack vs Chef, Buy My House, Tattoo Redo, Diners Drive-ins and Dives

Top 10 tracks:

1. Head in the Wall (Ethel Cain)
2. Inbred (Ethel Cain)
3. Crush (Ethel Cain)
4. I Can See You (Taylor Swift)
5. Anything Like Me (Poppy)
6. Church Outfit (Poppy)
7. StuckInMyBrain (Chase Atlantic)
8. Gibson Girl (Ethel Cain)
9. Move (Milo Greene)
10. BLOODMONEY (Poppy)

Taylor Swift was right, August really did slip away like a bottle of wine. Other than seeing the Barbie movie with my mom and going to the Sylvan Esso concert with Melissa, the month largely consisted of watching Taskmaster, stressing about my car, playing Baldur’s Gate 3, and generally going on a mental health journey. I also failed to listen to an album every day. What can I say besides this autumn has to be better, so help me God.

• Movies Watched: Barbie
• TV Watched: Taskmaster, What We Do in the Shadows, How To with John Wilson, Muscles & Mayhem, My Strange Addiction, How To Build a Sex Room, Would I Lie to You?

Top 10 tracks:

1. Head in the Wall (Ethel Cain)
2. Inbred (Ethel Cain)
3. I Can See You (Taylor Swift)
4. right where you left me (Taylor Swift)
5. Casings (Ethel Cain)
6. Crush (Ethel Cain)
7. Move (Milo Greene)
8. Gibson Girl (Ethel Cain)
9. High Infidelity (Taylor Swift)
10. Ferris Wheel (Sylvan Esso)

As you can probably infer by how late this post is coming out, July was not great. It started with so much promise through a trip to Chicago and a Mega64 live show. Then shortly after we returned, Tim tested positive for COVID, and my positive test surfaced a week later. Most of the month was spent feeling sick, sad, and alienated.

The lingering COVID depression has taken ages to overcome. I’ve been intermittently trying to salvage the summer or simply trying to plan for a better fall. All I know is this year is flying by way too fast and I crave more happiness and light.

• Movies Watched: Tom Segura Sledgehammer, Hell Comes to Frogtown, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Dead Body, Drinking Games
• Books Read: Lazarus Rises: Amongst other things (Berklie Novak-Stolz), Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 1 (Naoko Takeuchi), The Dare (Harley Laroux), Academically Yours (Jennifer Chipman)
• TV Watched: Mega64, Tom Goes to the Mayor, The Righteous Gemstones, The Venture Bros, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Muscles & Mayhem, Diners Drive-ins and Dives, Impractical Jokers, Deep Fake Love, How To Build a Sex Room, The Great Food Truck Race, Guy’s Grocery Games, Taskmaster, Middleditch & Schwartz, What We Do in the Shadows

Top 10 tracks:

1. I Can See You (Taylor Swift)
2. right where you left me (Taylor Swift)
3. Cruel Summer (Taylor Swift)
4. Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince (Taylor Swift)
5. Enchanted (Taylor Swift)
6. Lavender Haze (Taylor Swift)
7. Style (Taylor Swift)
8. Hard to Love (Bully)
9. Okay Okay (Lights)
10. Crumbs (Rebecca Black)

This month was the definition of a mixed bag. A rollercoaster, if you will. It was the first full month of using a mood tracker app, and it’s interesting looking back at the mountains and valleys that defined my days. But not to bore you (or myself) with my tumultuous work situation, I’ll focus on the positives.

We finally installed a window AC unit in our bedroom and it’s been life-changing. I had a long overdue friend date to celebrate my birthday. My friends & I shared a delicious vegan dinner and I saw my first late night grindhouse movie. I finally started a skincare routine that makes me feel better about myself. I rediscovered my fascination with performance art. Tim and I took a weekend trip to Nashville for our anniversary. Sometimes it’s more healthy and productive to focus on the bright spots and let the moments of despair and chaos fade into the background. Onward and upward.

• Movies Watched: The Human Race, Angel, Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present, Skinheads USA: Soldiers of the Race War, Bigger Stronger Faster*, They Live, I’m Thinking of Ending Things
• Books Read: I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Iain Reid), Gang Bang Mom (Donna Allen)
• TV Watched: Too Hot to Handle, Reno 911!, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Righteous Gemstones, The Venture Bros, Documentary Now!, Trailer Park Boys, Kenny vs. Spenny, Muscles & Mayhem

Top 10 tracks:

1. Hits Different (Taylor Swift)
2. The Very First Night (Taylor Swift)
3. High Infidelity (Taylor Swift)
4. Paris (Taylor Swift)
5. Love It If We Made It (The 1975)
6. Cruel Summer (Taylor Swift)
7. Poison Oak (Bright Eyes)
8. Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince (Taylor Swift)
9. Secret (Missy Higgins)
10. Out of the Woods (Taylor Swift)