If I had to say one thing that makes me a bit sad about having snails is… theyโll never know how much I love them. I donโt think snails are capable of affection and the love I feel for some of them is just so deep. Itโs all I could think about when taking these photos:
Itโs not that I find them interesting or fascinating (at least itโs certainly not just that.) Itโs love like I felt for my rats or feel for my cats. Maybe thereโs a slight level of detachment due to being so aware of their fragility, as a way of protecting my heart. But I adore them. I literally love them. They canโt hear me, they canโt blink. If they feel the vibration of my voice, they tend to hide. They donโt even have a brain, at least not in the normal sense that youโd think of a brain. They are so different from me. But I love them.
I think rats and cats can understand affection. They know, on some level, that I feel love for them. At least I think they do. But even I canโt fool myself into thinking that my snails love me or even that they care for each other. Theyโre snails. So it does bum me out that they can never process me as a being that cares about them not even in the most basic of senses. But I guess thatโs alright.
In other news, knock HARD on wood, but I havenโt seen mites in my Roman snails in some time (maybe two weeks?) and the baby milk snails are growing really well. Their parents seem to continue on the road to recovery, moving a little bit every day, and you know, not dying. So thatโs promising.
In addition to this Iโm carefully looking after the clutch of Roman snail eggs. Iโm so excited for them to hatch.
Here is a video of one of my Roman snails being dumb the other day:
His mouth is open, if you can zoom in. A real winner of a gastropod. ๐
Last video, from a month ago. I forgot to upload it:
A little something for my friend Drake whose birthday is just a few days away!
๐ Artwork is ยฉ 2023 by Marina Neira. You may NOT copy, color, reference, repost or use this artwork in any way or claim it as your own. Only the commissioner/giveaway winner & those featured in the artwork may repost with credit and following my Terms of Use.
I canโt believe itโs already Monday again. I canโt believe itโs already almost 6pm. Today flew by, yet it also dragged on. I donโt feel well overall.
Last week, Akumin called again to reschedule my cervical MRI: in spite of all the problems, my insurance approved it and it was moved to Tuesday. That was a relief. So I got that done.
Unfortunately, I goofed and forgot about my blood test appointment. So that added a week of time to that. Iโll be getting the blood drawn this Friday. I felt very stupid.
Last Thursday I had another headache. The difference here was that it was the first time that it happened when my husband and I were intimate. Up until now, it had only been a โby myselfโ problem. So that put a temporary damper on the evening. It wasnโt terrible, as I stopped in time, but it left me with a burning in the area of what I now know is my occipital nerves under my right ear. Itโs a pressure, an ache, an annoying warmth. And that remained for days, varying in intensity, and I feel it even now. Itโs deeply annoying, and coupled with my PMS and with physical needs that I cannot take care of for the foreseeable future, I am literally crawling up the walls. Itโs the freaking worst.
CW: TMI ahead.
Sometimes I wish Iโd never discovered orgasms. A little over a couple of months ago, I didnโt need them, and I was fine. Maybe I wasnโt always, but I didnโt know that it was a problem. Now I know what they are, and how to have them. And I canโt. I canโt because if I do it I feel like someone is torturing me with an ice pick, hammer and vice to the head, all in one. All of that โand not taking care of myself is STILL HARD. The frustration Iโm feeling physically is so horrible, that if a solution to my headaches cannot be found, Iโll gladly take a pill to at least temporarily kill my libido. Because this is a horrible way to feel. Itโs horrible.
Aaaaanyway…
I meant to introduce you all to Punkim. As far as Charlie Bears go, Punkim is very basic looking, but heโs big and fluffy. I think heโs my most down-to-earth bear. I like him lots and lots.
Hereโs a couple of photos of Punkim before his outfit was complete. You can see his face (and his cute little bear pants) better:
And here he is in his full outfit:
Lately, Christopher and I have been playing a little of Ever17 every day. Itโs a game thatโs really important to him, and as we play, I can see why. Itโs been a wonderful routine especially on the days he is home earlier, or on the weekends, to play together for an hour while having a snack.
Iโve been eating crushed dry ramen while playing which makes me feel like an absolute beast, but to tell the truth itโs one of the most delicious things Iโve ever had. You smash the ramen, pour it in a bowl, and then mix it with the powder. Try it! I discovered it after seeing itโs sold as a dry snack in Asian stores and itโs 100% the same thing as normal dry ramen.
(And yes, this is completely safe to eat, though you have to be careful with your teeth, and I can only vouch for Nissin brand as being safe to eat like this, but I do believe most ramen is pre-cooked. Youโre just hydrating it.)
On Saturday night Christopher surprised me by taking me to our favorite ramen place. I was sure it had closed down. It really made my night!
Iโm doing my best to push through commission work. But to tell the truth I have no motivation for anything… not drawing, writing, reading, gaming… nothing… ๐
Maybe tomorrow Iโll concentrate on giving the house a good cleaning. I think that has been bothering me. Maybe it will help, if only I can muster the motivation.
Oh, yeah. I want to deeply, deeply thank everyone who got slots for the Winter Friends YCH. While Iโm still returning and reordering stuff from Amazon, overall my setup is improving daily. Getting used to some changes in my setup presents a challenge of its own, but Iโm doing my best. Once Iโm 100% all done, Iโll post photos of both completed setups.
Iโm most excited to get my Redbubble stickers for my desk. I canโt wait to cover the desk in new stickers. โจ ๐