Leaderboard

Christmas! In the spirit of which, I'd like to thank everyone for their continued presence and involvement. I have a full two weeks off from scholarly responsibilities, which I intend to use to catch up as thoroughly as I can— ideally completely. I'm not going to bet anything I can't afford to lose on it, I've learned better, but that's the goal. I hope you all have a good holiday, if it's one you celebrate!

Back to backlog blogging! Because BZP has kindly yet to stop me? *mildy crazed laughter mingled with “JUDGEMENT SHALL COME” doomfeeling* This is junk from January, trying to get through the horrifying amount of unedited art content from this year hahaha (*glances in terror in direction of digital doors bending at the baseboards with brain-lost bounty*) but posting it here helps somehow compartmentalize memories. It’s a profound blessing to have returning ability to do things! And I’m now in an awkward web of burying myself in new projects while trying to fully bury a few in the halfdone project graveyard. Are you just ever so excited to feel ✨kind of alive✨ again…and have no idea what to prioritize? because of the strange luxury of not being severely thrown by symptoms every second of your day? Right now tis still Xmasgift making/baking/wrapping rush! under TWO WEEKS until XMAS and ze MomFam gift delivery is done, at least! (But these are winter decors/celebrations to us given that we are that one weird *all neurodivergent Christian family who holiday history researched a little too hard, abandoned a lot of stuff like Christmas trees, specific dates, and became home religious celebration hermits and had no close family anyway, so I don’t think there is any real date-rush, haha! When will pro-poker bro show? We still don’t know. 😂 Perhaps Christmas Eve, unplanned… like last year?. When he majestically announced “totally forgot the address, somehow got here by ear 😎” Neurodivergent fam members, always there for you …even if they can’t quite remember *how* they got there…or when they were supposed to. Or birthdays. Even their own. 😂❤️ *[yes, Mom has recently realized she too is undiagnosed female ADHD+likely autistic and that’s why she’s always been a *Cool Weirdo Mom- after in late 2022 I was like “ MOM I’m ?autistic and nobody noticed because: GIRL, chronic illness isolation, homeschool” Genetics! So the family mysteries are unraveling-about why she married a clinical narcissist, was unable to escape/ get us out of that bad situation, and I why had to barely drag us out instead [I being the only one my dad couldn’t isolate her from\get rid of] while she continually got stuck in trauma freeze response. Life is a lot better with understanding, giving thanks.*contextual example of Cool Weido Mom: that time she ordered the stuff to make iodine at home and she and bro were out there on the deck like mad scientists mixing it up. Twas a grand success and one of those hilarious “if we tell anybody we did this, they’re probably going to call the police thinking it's highly illegal, haha” fam stories. Just like the time Mom ordered water kefir grains, they were incorrectly delivered to a neighbor, and the lady opened the envelope and came over acting SPOOKED thinking it was some illegal crystallized drug. It’s not like we didn’t tell her what it actually was, she just didn’t seem to believe us. We laughed so hard about that one later.] Also, I edited the last entry with this (I also would like to say I’m a constantly pothered pseudograndma at the cursing content of modern music and looked up the sanitized version of that song (having heard an instrumental cover prior and thinking it fitting for this situation).^^ : (her inaccurate notes VS a few of my actual diagnosis in the mychart, and where the independent MRI was done:) So yay! The hydroxy-crisis was averted without my mom synthesizing questionable-quality citrus alternatives, haha-or going MOO DENG. So happy! This experience thoroughly proved the need of hydroxy, and how, for whatever reason it immediately aids in my conditions unlike is expected when prescribed for ordinary autoimmune disease. I lacked it for a week. Results!: “Diagnosable” (126+ fasting) diabetes each day (like 15-20 higher than current prior normal) Immediate after-first bite of food GI fluid loss for hours. Splitting Headaches and inability to sleep Severe joint and spine stiffness/pain/shattering sensation. Also the visible lumbar spine swelling flaring profusely. Also rudolf-red. New pre/hypertension progression. Small fiber foot neuropathy very angry. And me getting a covidlike flu fever with hypoxemia for over two weeks because apparently this drug is my immune system in pill form. A weekish? back on it and some of these horrors are lessened /have subsided back to baseline. Mostly. Still higher blood sugars, but so grateful for my DRUGS hahaha. The hypoxemia weirdly has lasted…and apparently it gets through my ?ASD sensory oblivion when it drops below 90% and I flop over like “wow Mom i think I’m suffocating” haha. Yay for the finger crocodile because otherwise I’d have no idea what was happening. I don’t know if this is a certifiably true story, but I absolutely relate to the Epictetus leg break tale/quote in life. The knowing some things are bound to happen-but having your hands tied and eyes wide (especially with some sadly arrogant doctors): "there you are, did I not tell you that it would break?" Just the unsurprised resignation in the tone. And the grand reward of foresight being nothing but broken bones. 😂 🤦‍♀️ In other news, my two pituitary MRIs were supposed to be December 11, but on the eve-eve of this event, a nurse called saying insurance approval/paperwork was taking longer than expected, so tis rescheduled to January 10ish? Honestly I’ve been so weak off plaquenil, I’m not sure how well I’d react to the MRI contrast right now. Disappointing, but trusting the timing! I mean if there’s something monstrous in there it’s not going anywhere, haha. I never get hopeful for findings via scans, etc. Just reading stats of how often tumor/structural stuff is missed, misread, and knowing how many other diseases can present similarly. My mom always gets her hopes up for tests finding stuff, then crashes in disappointment at the dead ends. I learned to cope by expecting nothing, then am thrilled by the instance of actual diagnostic findings! I have been meaning to blog here ~1x week until I get through my 2024 amnesia content I can only half-remember, haha. Because infodumping it all here shall then force me to upload and organize the rest, I guess?! I hope to get back to that but soon ~bro bash~ should get me behind again because buzzzy bee-ing intensifies amid holiday happenings! Been behind because busy season!. WHAT EVEN IS FREE TIME? How do other people have time to watch tv, game etc? Where do you find the time? Also 8-10 hrs sleep per night now is glorious, but RIP to ~UNEARTHLY EARLY HOUR~ art endevours. ;_; SO MANY PSEUDOGRANDMAING THINGS TO DOooooOOOOOOoooo (Two days ago chaos example. Just night prior finished weekly cleaning, thenCookNook updates- new old glass spice jars procured and finally carpet tiling the box holders (because working with ~free trash~), then next day, mom off day, started with cooking, then measuring for dry good shelving given grid-down/emergency/EMP/nuclear war/famine prepping return. Then sawing CookNook cabinet peg leg. Then Walmart online grocery ordering (for mom to pickup) of stable goods we eat and now we’re slowly stocking up on. Then putting swingbuddy box back up! Then stagger-dragging garden rocks, fences and pots back to normal spots post generator hiding during Helene, haha. Then eating my daily meal and swinging 1.5 hrs to get that glucose into my cells.Then sewing amid the busy. Then dishes, more cooking for mom brunches through the week, prepping the next day’s french press coffee and creamer mixes, broth soups, portioning my meds and fiber in muffin cups, and doing the table setting(wrapped under handkerchief overnight). Then Mom got back with the huge dry good/food order pickup and wood for shelves. So after a few hours I finally got the stable foods all jarred/stored and then went to chop cabbage salads for us for the next few days, and majestically wheelchair fell over at 10pm with major splitting headache and spine puffing painfully. BUT GOT THE THINGIES DONE YAY. And my mom was doing stuff like insulating the AC, under the kitchen floor and calling lawyers/investing people all day. We are like “maybe we can watch a movie/rewatch a parade one off day” then this is how it goes when it’s not a doctor appointment day. Where do the hours go, hahaha? WHAT IS FREE TIME?) must finish mom winter coat gift but blogging now instead and thread tying off bro shirt gifts then cooking & baking for the next week & laundry tomorrow EDIT so it’s a day later and those last 3 are done 6hrs later haha. Freezer portioning the pressure cooked nightsoaked legumes and grains (makes it a ferment/become resistant starch!) freezing the bean broth for reheating, salad dressing for mom (she can digest oil and more sugar), mixing shelf stable icing, cooking tomorrow’s Asian dinner, Baking in small batches(toaster oven)- overnight baugette dough cutttable crackers, quick coffee cookies, cinnamon yeast oatbread nests of applesauce, etc etc. a lot of stuff! Also this is how I’m managing the meal storing now. a ~week of meals there in the chest freezer. Below that one layer, there are dozens of jugs, bottles, etc of frozen drinkable water. For power outage insurance/buying time prior to generator startup. Does anyone else bury-themselves-breathing in the ✨warm laundry✨ and fold for escape? Then after I do the stuffs, maybe I can actually finish that hummingbird painting I got too violently ill to finish for Mom in 2023?!? Or try to start the three embroidery stocking designs that 2023 was too intense to allow me to make? Also I need to write the greeting card recipients down so I can not double send them out in case of extras 🙈🤶 SO EXCITED woOOOoooooOoo *spins in ✨disabled workaholic✨madness* i was supine for a full 40mins yesterday and i am very proud of my self care skills certainly through this my spine should be healed very strongly restored i do expect i didn’t choose the self sabotage style here it’s the SurVIBE ~when ur lone caregiver fammember human works full time so u became the feral unhinged psuedograndma caretaker of the home~ edition hahaha Also random thought, but I’m hoping if my spinal edema is a progression to some sort of spinal cord injury, that the goat dewormer/FenBen might be helping- Given this rat reaction to such treatments? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4048737/ I mean, I’m taking it for Joe Tippens reasons/possible carcinoid/pancreatic/VIPoma/NET tumor/the continued suspicion from my own research, then also from my allergist without me stating my suspicion, then ER drs, and endocrinology (and my negative/triggering new/circa 2020 reactions to Epinephrine and positive reactions to octreotide to treat/treated the ?carcinoid crisises. That coupled with my pancreatic polypeptide +TTG, & cortisol elevations and ongoing occult (likely small bowel) GI bleeding that remains unsolved). My Son’s SwingBuddy Box- back up! With less paint and more mountain view than in 2022. So I can stare at his loving little soul as I swing, haha! Wreath made by aunt Jane! The strawberry thrills me(and he!) Anyway, onto the OLD art and ect! I’m not able to 100% guarantee I could bring myself to reread, so apologies for the unhinged hollerings that live rent free in my head. And now perhaps in yours too?! Will IG embeds ever be fixed? I'm afraid to officially ask. Or am I just doing it wrong like the other 90% of things I do? That’s why i’m linking to them because excess pics. Can’t remember what I’ve written here and embarrassed to reread, but whatever, haha. A bonus of ✨bonus time✨/dozens of duels with death is: apparently a jolly, perhaps grotesque, over-genuinity?🙈🙏🤷‍♀️ My entry design done for the BZPower/ @bzpgram 2023 Brickfair Tee shirt. “ “The Great Wave off Ga-Metru” Made in Pixlr E, using transparent layers, pen + paint tool and shape tool over a pasted together mess of Hahli Mahri’s delimbed hovering torso, Ga-Metru’s symbol …and….well…initially a generic wave swirl…that got happy-accidentally replaced with a vector of The Great Wave off Kanagawa …thanks to bumping into this Pixabay image and chasing it like a butterfly… Also, not clear on why it resembles a Caduceus. ~27 Hrs total -the internet and brain undeniably lagged after layer #484 Sorry if the Bionicle bits are inaccurate, dark reference photos & no physical set for reference. Or it there is some gigantic error in this I’ve neglected to detect…” Thanks to BZP for hosting! And Staff Xccj for aid in design idea plotting! https://www.instagram.com/p/C6MHYD6MYwB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Me and my bro, as baby snowmarshmallows. Photo size- 3.5x5 ??? hrs. A clipboard creation done mid med episode, in September social security offices and at last finished after holiday chaos lying on the couch! 😂I think I remember that snowday. Mom made Swiss Miss! she’s pure sweetness. Done for her, to slip into her thank-you-for-Christmas-gifts Koi Boy Joy card(soon to post, haha). She works so hard and has the biggest heart. ❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/C6MIoQesAvO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== hanks cards! Koi Joy Boy! From late 2022 paintings for Mom. ❤️ Sunny send outs as thanks cards for Christmas gifts + extras for my mom/the stash. Laminated my printed paintings prior & had the thank you calligraphy already drawn out, copied and cut. Origami paper and exceeding thank to Mom for providing Pastel papers! 15 min Spent making each card (assembly after printing/ laminating/prep work). Made 18 and this one extra little thankful green bunny one that I forgot to add a pic of hahaha *please forget if any viewer ever receives this in the future* 🙈 https://www.instagram.com/p/C6MKBjmsG4V/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== That aforementioned one extra little thankful green Bun. Leftover laminated 2022 drawing and scrap poly done from craft trunk scraps, haha. *please forget if any viewer ever receives this in the future, also sorry for my impaired craft quality, haha* https://www.instagram.com/p/C6UOM34u-ow/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== ½ : Gifts-January: My honorary Granny at age 17. We hadn’t any grandparents close and she sweetly adopted we three, my brother, mother and I. 5x7? Or 4x6? 6hrs drawing time, not so detailed given soft antique photo scan reference. Done to give her daughter after the funeral in January. She lived to be 95, I believe.. (math maddens me, hehe). With some lemon sunny honey cookies, of course! Baked in my little #cooknook and a batch for my mom as well. Lace Japanese-inspired gift fabric wrappings I made from the factory-shutdown swatch scraps I was gifted by kind Ms. Robin. In 2021 or ‘22? I give thanks for so unexpectedly receiving a lifetime supply of lace! I miss her and that old factory storeplace. ❤️ “I thank my [edited for BZP] upon every remembrance of you”.https://www.instagram.com/p/C6UTPuruQWi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== 2/2 : Gifts-January: drawing wrapping and some lemon sunny honey cookies, of course! Baked in my little #cooknook and a batch for my mom as well. Lace Japanese-inspired gift fabric wrappings I made from the factory-shutdown swatch scraps I was gifted by kind Ms. Robin. In 2021 or ‘22? I give thanks for so unexpectedly receiving a lifetime supply of lace! I miss her and that old factory storeplace. ❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/C6UTcp7O8bO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Angie Lee Angel! A doll drawing! January 16? For a thank you card! I tried to scan the original but found later, after sending the original laminated, that it didn’t work/save at all. Oh well. . So, the best images I have of it, turned into a quick pink thank you card.I am so grateful for the gift of this Angel doll from daughter of my honorary granny (maiden name was Lee) so I named her Angie Lee Angel in Granny’s honor. It means so much, this gift, as my granny gave me a porcelain Angel doll when I was a wee child that I cherished, but heartbreakingly lost when we had to escape my dad in 2022. I keep telling mom how happy I am that God gave a Granny-gifted Angel back to me ❤️ the doll went to the ER with me, after we were treated to my first restaurant visit in 6+ years. It was such a grand occasion for me medically, I couldn’t eat for days prior to make it there/just was so sick then. So great despite the disaster and aftermath month after! [BZP Edit] is good, so are burgers and doctors! ❤️😂🙏 ….Restaurant, ribs and emergency rooms! I learned it’s possible to be backed up to one’s ribs in spite of chronic fluid loss, and that Lactulose doesn’t work for me and engulfs my brain in lethargy. Recovery from this ER visit took a long time and months of glass-shard sensation from eating and drinking, given the repeating rib blockage. Grateful for somewhat better management of this with bottles of magnesium citrate, senna tablets and fiber supplements. I’ve found that my chronic fluid loss is far superior to rib backups, because at least I can continue to eat! Thanking the lord for the mercy of human adaptability, my hermit-like nature not caring to leave the home anyway, & modern medical devices… made primarily for old people. 😂🙏https://www.instagram.com/p/C6UmRwQPOS5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Amber! A “Graphite Bite- 3x3”. 4hrs. Pencil, mech pencil on watercolor paper. Sealed with spray fixative. An unpermitted portrait of her, because I’m afraid I’ve a knack of stealing people’s pet pictures (no Story on IG is completely safe…) for models and sending the sketches back like an awkward-art-attack! Thanks to all who’ve tolerated these takes, though full of artistic mistakes! Drawn on a clipboard in November when falling deeper in disease than I ever believed, something about sketching so soothes my soul. ❤️ Many thanks to @xccjason for allowing sketch sharing of so shy a model (and for absolutely making my day by showing the enlarged print framed!)! https://www.instagram.com/p/C6UqAUsMgf2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== I’m a bit afraid to post this drawing here in case it isn’t wanted by the skilled model and celebrity member here, so not knowing, I shall link instead!https://www.instagram.com/p/C6VkDUTuZ6e/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== 1/2:Cook Nook Cart! 🎶Hey, it’s Franklin🎶 Refashioned With Paint pen! 🎶Harbor Freight Again🎶 (Swipe for that to make any sense-Does anyone else remember that sweet show with the six year old turtle? 😂) After the holiday horror of my Misfit Meadows medical struggle, my mom got a gadget to make my life easier (when wheelchair houseworking). Enter: The Cook Nook Cart! A highly useful Harbor Freight find! -Redesigned! Grandmacore gingham galore, haha. Made to match my CookNook( soon IG will see its looks, tis in my mess of projects to edit)Glue and mat removal, wrapping the bright blue rubber band in ripstop strips (matching CookNook curtain), replaced the mat with a piece of cut up Black Friday banner tarp plastic from HF store display discards. Then took my leftover paint pen from gift wrap making for detailing done in Rapunzel/tangled type style . Wrapped the pressure pedal for flipping bar down with old clothesline rope and added the little fabric decor bits and made baby magnet bundles to add on. The scalloped white borders are cut from a shower curtain. Cook Nook Cart has stolen my heart! I use it to hold, fold and ferry laundry, food prep work brunch plate-packs for my mom, freezer retrievals, and unload the dishwasher onto it and roll about refilling the cabinets with it! Also to drag to the door when mom kindly uploads the glorious groceries. Highly recommend such an invention to any wheelchairers doing chores! And thanks to my thoughtful Mom galore! #grandmacore https://www.instagram.com/p/C6dB61qsCrK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== The CookNook Cart 2/2: My alien children stealing a ride with some Xmas gift socks because ✨why not✨ and slides of me being happy about poor people pseudo-baseboards fashioned and temporary glued into the puppymill kitchen + purple cabbage for the Win! Forgot it existed so one must celebrate by absolute accident matching it! 😂 https://www.instagram.com/p/C6dB88xMKG6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Just January learning living, spampics, and the first snow at Misfit Meadows! And basically being a happy weirdo 😂❤️.When my weighted sleep mask burst, bouncing bitty beads about, M’boy got some muscle mass (or got a bit more adorable baby bumpiness?), haha!.(Meaning an internal plush weight. Made from mask, old socks and some heavy metal brackets of sort that someone (exdad) apparently pocketed from from work (and I wasn’t aware!). He’s nearly three pounds now! They grow up so fast, awww…haha! Had my alien son since 2020 now( thus he also got a much needed magic eraser cleaning). I’ve never loved a doll so before. Also,to further solidify my status of cheerful weirdo: I never openly posted pics prior, but in 2022 fleeing home abuse, I concocted a secret superglue Velcro pouch in the back of this very baby Yoda doll for my mom and I to place the “burner” phone in while escaping. That made the perfect place to put this weight! Grateful for the luxury of not needing such a thing in this fine life of freedom we’ve been blessed to see! I also discovered how to carry my son on the back of my wheelchair 24/7, balconied in the little bag from his little sister Luna( my from 2023 gifted other alien friend. The methods of his wheelchair perching have been since these pics actively evolving, haha. Been very blessed with these two baby alien children. 😂❤️ also, was 1 happy vintage psuedograndma over learning my new hankerchief hat matches my Russian robe dress gifted from grandma, haha. Plus our first snow since living at Misfit Meadows! ❤️✨ https://www.instagram.com/p/C6dCF-4spFi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Sorry this isn’t real art content, but 🤷‍♀️) little felt handsewn goat plush made by a wee me for the doll @lottie_dolls . Had to drag it back out given the context of my current alternate medications. One day, if this treatment proves a continuing success, I hope to elaborate on that. 😂Slide for pics to prove I quite unbelievably survived beyond 2023 and SMILING! Haha. And because I was awake in the day(!), wearing my fave curtains + soft suede stringy key from barnfinds, penny + bell necklace (?girlautism=I don’t like jewelry but like jingling and weird things), so was like why not celebrate?!? With my alien children too, of course, hahaha! https://www.instagram.com/p/C7kIPI8Pafj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== 1/? Somewhat miscellaneous January post ER shatter content I enjoyed making during this new thrill of living-and eating- a lot more than before-like a real and happy human! AKA more learning-living with Mom at Misfit Meadows, in our odd little existence. So far that’s what my year has been, a blessing of little lessons on how to human( ✨disabled edition ✨). I was doing art at the best capacity I could in this era of swinging between life and death, promise I’m trying to post/edit it! The raw reality is healing is harder than I ever expected, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for its slow process. 🙏❤️ Slide for spam of my then existence. January Table setting adventures in honor of ✨family dinners✨ after a dehumanizing series of years for us. experimenting with Origami napkin friends and coffee filters then, haha. The cleaning day adventures! Aka feral wheelchair girl vs big home to clean! Mom is now working/being so hardworking busy, wish I could do more in terms of helping her. But things I cannot control, so off as the a discombobulated human cleaning cart, I roll! New Dry erase mirror graffiti greets her every few weeks, haha. The 1$ Alice in Wonderlandish coffee cup my visiting bro and I proudly purchased at goodwill post Xmas for mom. has become her official challis thanks to the trolley-troll (♿️) sneaking treats and cream upon it for mom-morning greetings. This “living” thing I am Very Much Learning 😂. I’ve had such an odd life, I feel like an alien playing Person. 2/? 🤷‍♀️Somewhat miscellaneous January content documented in a profound illness stupor. 😂 We had/have two resident fawns living in the misfit meadow’s lawns, along with two falcons and a herd of groundhogs, haha. ❤️https://www.instagram.com/p/C7kPuK0v7Et/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== BAMBI january “ I get a chance to live?!” Illness impaired Era content. Wheelchair cooking adventures, learning shared family dinners! Misc learning to make meals-on-wheels-content! Lots of learning to be alive and adapt. I better post my Cook Nook soon, so How I cook makes sense, haha! Onto the endeavor of shared family meals-our abuse and medically shattered family history never allowed such in a thing in recent years. In January I embarked on making recipes and meals mom and I could actually eat together/share. High protein things (like 20g pro per serving with nutrition/calorie calculations as well, yay for my scientific calculator from Saxon Math, haha) given doctor directions, and made main dish low carb with good carby stuffs on the side. Because my glucose reactions/low tolerance/trying to figure out what I can tolerate best. It’s April as I write this, and I can confirm I’ve gotten the hang of it! I also am enjoying an actual Sleep schedule too, so eating in the day is possible! Yay melatonin! More of my Cook Nook created thingies to post soon. Our current routine: We have brunch and early dinner at 3-5pm (when my medical mess/body allows me eating!) I prep-pack ahead 3 days of zip-bagged plated work-bunches for mom to heat there, I home-eat something unplanned that I’m medical-madness craving and cook in the morning, then I get dinner on ze table as soon as she’s home, typically 4pm. Eating twice daily is best for me given the disabling hours that follow symptomatically. Tis such a dream to dine together and enjoy a lot of the same treats!!! Grateful she does the dinner dishes while I snail-speed wheel to put the sides and sauces away and sweep! Yes, this is how dehumanizing our lives have been. We are learning how to Family Dinner. 😂😭🙏Thanking God for every minute! My DIY recipes of keto (as I’m a type ? Diabetic) lasagna w/egg white floof pre baked layers, egg white spinach quiches, high protein soups, bakes, sides, etc. done in instant pot and toaster oven from wheelchair. https://www.instagram.com/p/C7kRN4kv1B6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== /? January “ I get a chance to live?!” Illness impaired Era. Wheelchair cooking adventures, learning shared family dinners! Misc learning to make meals-on-wheels-content! Lots of learning to be alive and adapt. Learning how to get instant pot + toaster oven dinners on the table to share as soon as sweet mom stepped into the door, haha. In pleased psychotic pseudograndma-wheelchair-person fashion, indeed Petite high protein low carb chicken pot pies. (Medical issues making me calculate nutrition stuffs again. I was so rusty on adding up the calories on my diy recipes. The protein gram learning was new to me and initially so challenging! ). And other random meal makes. Because life is an ✨occasion ✨ https://www.instagram.com/p/C7kSyMpP1ve/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== ?/? January-learning-wheelchair-family-dinner-adventures contd. 🤷‍♀️😂 Me having to eat so many egg whites for protein led to me learning how to cook with and freeze the extra yolks. I use them in baking as 1 egg by adding 1/4c fluid and Xantham gum. Biscuits, bakes, and a lot of high protein DIY recipes by me. These were egg white soufflé sheets filled filled/topped with many mix ins of cottage cheese, spices and plenty, veggies, etc. love getting to feast with family at last❤️.https://www.instagram.com/p/C7kTuyrMHZt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== ?/? January me learning wheel living. Experimenting gleefully with my little CookNook Cart! The early beginnings of me learning to prep, pack, stack and load back my mom’s work brunch packs on it. I’d been doing all the cooking for my mom and I since around 2017? As it Twas fun (in between my medical inability to eat/even though I couldn’t enjoy too then). But my mom working is new so I hadn’t perfected how to pack good things for her. I now oilbrush the microwaveable plates and fill with treats (premade and frozen prior by me), and usually send a side instant pot soup in a heatable jar. Then stack and pack in a plastic zip bag. I am able to make them 3-4 days in advance thanks to our very cold (icy, actually 😂) refrigerator! So much easier with Franklin the Cart friend, hahaha.https://www.instagram.com/p/C7kVXbts7wr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Petite pies! January. Pumpkin pecan in pans from my gran’. A for mom surprise! Excess pics with smol friends. because that’s apparently how I show my happiness, haha. 🥧🥰https://www.instagram.com/p/C7kmftLsRrR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Bro’s poker chip collection photographed at Christmas!. Nothing can compare to my initial horror at my Christian homeschool kid big bro going Pro Poker player instead of PHD professoring. He’s the password child!. *not me crying because SCARY* playing at chess clubs got him here 🙈😂 We got to watch him on @bestbetpoker YT stream back in March. May his Mos Eisley Cantina-career prosper…#loveyoubro #proudofu #dontgetterminallypokedplease #moseisleycantinacareer #phd #notmecrying #dangerousjobs https://www.instagram.com/p/C7k0dRrsyi1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Ahhhh, why is it so soothing and inexplicably fulfilling to blog/write/chatter into the void at oneself as a form of pseudo-social interaction, haha? Happy ~unhinged~ holidays to all! PS: I'm sorry the images are GINORMOUS.

I feel like there's room for debate there. Even the worst of the serials and side stories have redeemable qualities, expanding the scope of the story, revisiting forgotten characters, exploring unseen locations, or introducing plot points that will be important later. For example, Federation of Fear is delightful dumb fun, throwing together a bunch of villains from previous years for a pointless adventure (the entire Bionicle storyline could function just fine without Miserix existing) but that story also introduces Tren Krom, who's vitally important to our understanding of the GSR and the Great Beings, and arguably single-handedly responsible for the heroes being able to win the final battle in 2010. Without Federation to set him up earlier, Tren Krom's role later in the story would have come out of nowhere. The dimension-hopping stuff gives us some fun what-ifs, especially Toa Empire and The Kingdom. Even weirder plotlines like the Shadow Takanuvas serve a purpose, demonstrating how dangerous and far-reaching the ambition of the Makuta could be, and showing that Toa of Light aren't the instant win button that many characters assumed them to be. I think the issue isn't so much that the serials and podcasts existed, just that they - and the rest of the story - were so spread out across different locations and mediums that it made Bionicle's story somewhat inaccessible and hard to keep up with. I think the web content tends to cop a lot of the blame for that issue, because it came out on a different website, only released sporadically, and sometimes had weird overlap that was hard to keep track of. But when you read everything in chronological order it all fits together pretty naturally.

I guess a part of me can respect LEGO for wanting to take risks and not just keep going with a sure thing, but I'd be lying if I said G1 getting canceled wasn't emotional for me. I don't know what it was specifically but BIONICLE was just a perfect storm for Zillennial obsession. In early 2009, I remember thinking what BIONICLE would be like ten years in the future. It felt like there was still so much to explore. Up until the end, I was buying every set and following the story, always anticipating what next year would bring. Then, it was like a switch flipped. I had zero enthusiasm for Hero Factory. I never recall even once looking forward to next year. I'd stare at the end-of-year BIONICLE comic teasers for the next year itching to know what was in store. Maybe it was just me growing up, but it seems like LEGO accidentally alienated BIONICLE's most loyal fans and failed to draw in as much new energy with HF (or all those weird other lines, Ben 10/Super Heroes/Star Wars). IMO, General Grievous and maybe K-2SO were the last LEGO sets to feel like BIONICLE sets.

IC: Gashril - Fort Razorfish The Shrill Blade listened, with a slowly growing smile - a real one, the Slugger's affable speech surprising her in a welcome way. She knew he was... she didn't want to say "softer", but he certainly wasn't as harsh as the average Skak, especially Sarke champs. Oh, and he was sharp too, with that question. "Mmmmm..." she rumbled pensively. "A real sharp question. You ask more of those than Zanakra did." She gave him a grin, letting him know that was a compliment. "Well... Seein' as we're bein' honest here, Razorfish wasn't our first choice. We had several leaders before this one. And on our trip around the island trying to make it into the fort of a leader that didn't lead to their own deaths for once, we wound up here." She rumbled again as she realized that didn't answer the question much. "Mmmmmm but why stay, though?" She scratched at the side of her neck, openly looking at nothing as she mulled it over. "Frankly, we haven't really had the time to think it over. T'harrak sounded the retreat, that sounded smart, so we went with the smart option. And trying out a leader who just saw- and might learn from- the previous boss's death could be promising... And frankly, it beats walking to the next place... again." She gave him an amused grin. "We left the other places after getting a good feel for them first. Haven't had time for that in Razorfish yet. Bosses who took over were always too big for their breeches- type to get themselves killed soon after. I dunno you that well yet, so I'm willing ta give you a shot."

This just reminded me of the Cult of Makuta/seventh tribe they were apparently thinking of adding to MNOG. For further reading, if anyone is interested: Also, I love that this topic, and the way it's been presented, even exists. Reminds me of old BZP lol.

Reviving my BZPower account only to have this thread be the first thing I read after probably 10+ years of inactivity... Love it. The premise can be divided into three conditions: 1. Toa Tahu (Mata) jumps into a volcano 2. A really dangerous secret cult is within the volcano 3. Toa Tahu (Mata) manages to single-handedly defeat the really dangerous secret cult. Given that the title specifically asks how crazy it would be for Toa Tahu (Toa Mata) to land himself in this scenario, we have a wide but defined timespan for when the premise would at all be possible: it must be after Tahu arrives on the shores of Mata Nui, and before the decisive battle against the Bahrag. Within the boundaries of this timeline, Tahu undertakes a quest to retrieve his six Great Kanohi. Being able to surf on lava, and having a well-documented habit of daring feats, Tahu may well have investigated the innards of a volcano in pursuit of his aforementioned objective. Toa Tahu (Mata) jumping into a volcano would not, in itself, be crazy. As for the existence of a really dangerous secret cult frequenting/living inside a volcano, to my knowledge there is no confirmed canon that supports the existence of this phenomenon. What we do have, however, is Ahkmou. Ahkmou is a recorded instance of a Matoran* being secretly in league with forces hostile to the ways of the Great Spirit. This does open up for the possibility that there may exist other Matoran who are secretly in allegiance with forces whose goals are incompatible with that of the Toa. Mata Nui is, ideologically, a monoculture--there seems to be no officially declared differences in philosophical or ethical matters between cultures, and so it is to be expected that any subculture that does uphold fundamentally different ideals than the norm would be acting in secrecy, rather than out in the open. As for the choice of a volcano, lava surfing is an activity available not only to Tahu, but to Ta-Matoran** overall. For now, we can conclude that the idea that there would exist a secret cult of Ta-Matoran in secret league with some subversive force is unexpected and unfounded, but not impossible--I would label this as wild but not crazy. The cult in this scenario is supposed to be really dangerous, but still get beaten by Tahu and Tahu alone. This is the most difficult condition to test, since 'really dangerous' is such a nebulous concept. Ahkmou for example was really dangerous in the sense that if left undiscovered, he could have kept up the plague in Po-Koro (and possibly spread it further), but if discovered he would not stand a chance against a single Toa, ie Tahu. Does their status as 'really dangerous' get revoked the moment Tahu appears, since their undisclosed machinations are no longer protected by the element of secrecy? Of course, one might also imagine that even a Toa might, if alone, face a decent challenge against a numerous enough force of antagonistic Matoran. Perhaps they are gifted with the knowledge of how to create the mindwarping sludge that infects masks, and are using the volcano to produce this substance? If so, Tahu could reasonably find the encounter 'really dangerous' despite being powerful enough to end them on his own. Conclusion: If this would have happened in some canon material, with a setup like the one suggested above or similar, I would not have questioned it for a second. Would have been wild, but not crazy. On the other hand, if someone like Greg F was to post an update to his social media today--decades after the Mata era--and say "oh btw, it is canon that Toa Tahu during his Mata years jumped into a volcano and found a really dangerous secret cult that he also defeated singlehandedly, we just never showed that", I would think "****** that's crazy". *While the premise did not require the cult to be made up of Matoran, I cannot think of any other lifeform established on Mata Nui at the time that would have the sapience and cultural context to form such a thing as a 'cult'--hence, my decision to work from the assumption that the cult consists of Matoran. **Whether a non-Ta-Matoran can lava surf, I'll leave for someone else to fill in.

The polar front jet is taking a bit of a trip down to Texas and through the South letting all that nice frozen air slide right through about 50% of the country. Should be a good time if you like to freeze your booty off. In other news, writing, working out, and reading is going well. Can't complain there.

Avak, for me, although Thok runs in at second not far behind, and I can definitely see the arguments for the others too. I just... I don't know, it may have been a remnant of my childhood 'always drawn to the engineer characters' trend, but I think its' more just the way he seemed to be the most down-to-earth of the Piraka a lot of the time - without the big schemes of Zaktan or as much casual backstabbing as some of the others - that just made him click with me more. The fact that his power, the ability to conjure up prisons specifically tailored to their target, was one of the most interesting out of the group definitely helped as well; the way it's less of a brute strength power than some of the others' emphasises him as a thinker who considers his enemies' weaknesses carefully before acting. I also find it interesting how, despite his implied reputation as the least trustworthy, in different scenes he seems to have a decent rapport with several of the other Piraka, which can't be said for most of the rest of the group. Aside from chewing him out for destroying any clues to the location of the Mask of Life in the Matoran history cave, he got along perfectly amicably with Vezok in Ignition #1 (to the point where Vezok had no reservations about telling him that he had an agreement with Reidak to betray the rest of the Piraka but agreed to let Avak live when that happened); and he seemed to cooperate well with Hakann in Legends #1, perhaps the closest than any of the Piraka came to looking like they had a friendship. It's a little detail that I find interesting, and would have liked to see it expanded on further. I have also long enjoyed his flipping Reidak to determine which of them got to stay with the boat in Legacy of Evil... proves he even has a bit of a sense of humour! xD

Now that I think about it, while Downfall is definitely up there, I wouldn't necessarily say it is automatically the *best* BIONICLE book, either. The one scene, the one we're all thinking of, is definitely top-tier BIONICLE writing, but I can see strong cases made for both Tales of the Masks and Time Trap as the best books beginning, middle and end.

I was planning on typing up a whole 2024 recap/my thoughts on the year, but no one cares about that so I'm not going to bother wasting anyone's time lol (not much of a state of the union I guess). So here's your obligatory "Happy New Year" blog entry. This is usually the part where I'd say something like, "I'm going to blog more", but I'm pretty sure I said that last year, and I completely failed lol. Blogs are pretty much on life support anyways. I feel like this is a fitting song to end the year on. See you in 2025, I guess? Do you have any New Year's resolutions or anything you're looking forward to? Happy New Year, and I hope 2025 treats you well.

Terminal Velocity Basically a statue of a cyclist and his racing bicycle. The speed is such that the wheels begin to melt, leaving a mark on the ground. 03/09/24

My interpretation of Lewa after his adaptive armor optimized itself to the vacuum of space when the Toa of air was teleported outside the Great Spirit Robot's body. Inspired by Cybertron/Galaxy Force Starscream!

Skip 2005 I would have made a new island with complete new cast of characters instead of reusing old ones all the time.

Recently the New Zealand Herald ran an article looking back at the 10 coolest Christmas presents of the 2000s, from Bionicle to Barbie, obviously featuring our favorite toy. Did you eagerly await Santa every year to bring you the latest heroes and villains? Were you an owner of any of the other toys on the list? Were you even alive twenty years ago? Let us know in the Talkback!View the full article

1) It was able to do so much. When you think of BIONICLE music, what do you think of? Techno? Tribal? Classical? The answer is yes. 2) It was the only franchise for young boys based on Polynesian mythology. 3) The process of collecting the various books and comics and working out how they all fit together was just as gratifying as collecting the sets themselves. The story was not spoon-fed to us, it took mental investment to appreciate how wide the scope of the story was and knew how to make us feel rewarded for putting in the time and effort to consume multiple different forms of media. 4) Everything to do with Mata Nui Online Game. Every time I play it I'm just stunned that it was produced and distributed over the internet for free.

IC/ Skrall/ On the road again Skrall let him finish, momentarily disarmed by the unexpected dropping of pretense. Something told her he was being honest. Then her face hardened again. Maybe he was. Maybe he had convinced himself that this was the truth. Maybe he was a very good actor. Why not limit the internal competition in advance? A fight your opponent doesn’t show up for is an easy victory after all. “That’s right. I’m dangerous." She twisted her arm slightly so the sun caught on her red trim. “That’s what this means. Skrall.” And fate decided long ago I’d stand alone. “And if it’s not me, unless we all fail and get punished - Skrall will win. If that bothers Tirveus he shouldn’t have sent any of us in the first place.” She gave the reigns a tug, making sure the spikit kept pace with the lead cart. OOC: @a goose @skrall

I'd argue the most dangerous villains are the Great Beings themselves. They're geniuses, and they could do so much good... but they're all ego, and no wisdom. They don't care who they hurt, they don't think about the consequences, and they leave their experiments and failures roaming free to continue causing damage. The entire Bionicle storyline is a cycle of flawed creators making flawed creations in their image, with each iteration becoming more distorted and unstable, and it all begins with the Great Beings.

I got the 25th Anniversary edition set of the Pod Race scene from The Phantom Menace where Anakin beat Sebulba in the Pod Race in the movie because it’s one of my favorite scenes in Star Wars and I like The Phantom Menace and it’s always been one of my favorite Star Wars movies. Here is a picture of it: I’ll take a picture of the set once I have built it.

Why doesn't Grogu just use the Force to heal you? Is he stupid?

Welcome to Bambi's Winter Wonderland! Woke up to see a nice layer of ice covering everything, so I decided I'd try and take a few pictures.

Wow, hard to believe it’s already been twenty years………. Even though it wasn’t best year for the theme set-wise or story-wise, it was the year I got into the sets and was the start of “my era” of Bionicle that lasted until the end of 2008. And I still really like Bionicle 3: Web Of Shadows and consider it the best movie of the original Miramax trilogy. And it was the first year the theme really struck gold with the titan sets in Keetongu, Sidorak and Roodaka. And 2005 gave a lot of people the book of Time Trap (which I haven’t at all read). Yeah…looking back…and as I got more into the Bionicle theme…2005 obviously pales in comparison to 2006-2007, the early years in 2001-2003, 2004 and arguably even 2008, but I wouldn’t even be here and even be a fan of Bionicle if it weren’t for the Toa Hordika and Visorak sets even though I’m still not a big fan of the Toa Metru as characters and a Toa team.

If you were a fan of the Bionicle model that made it into the Bricklink Designer Program but didn't get past the crowdfunding round, we've got some good news for you! The designer of that set, Sokoda, recently announced that they are joining The LEGO Group as a set designer! Of course there's already a slew of talented Bionicle builders and BZPower members at the company (Brickthing, Nuju Metru, Nukaya, DeeVee, Vezok's Friend, Djokson, and probably others I'm missing) but it's always awesome to see their ranks swell a little bit more. I can't wait to see the sets and projects they turn out!View the full article

The way I see it, any Matoran could become a Toa. It's just a matter of the need being there and the right circumstances aligning for new heroes to rise.

Evidence #1: Tahu Mata can surf on lava (see "water is for wimps" concept art) and therefore might have the desire to jump in a volcano. Evidence #2: lava resistant creatures living in a volcano would not be the weirdest thing on Spherus Magna. Evidence #3: non-lava resistant cultists hiding in a dormant volcano, but using a giant smoke machine to trick outsiders into avoiding the volcano would also not be weird for Spherus Magna. Evidence #4: Tahu is heroic and hotheaded enough to try and stop a dangerous cult single-handedly. Counterpoint #1: pre-2002 Tahu might do that, but for this scenario to make sense it requires post-2010 Tahu who would get at least Onua or Pohatu to back him up before engaging a dangerous cult in battle. Conclusion: idea is plausible.

I wish this were a poll topic so we could vote on precisely how crazy the BZPower population esteems this concept.

Thanks for still hosting and shipping these after successive centuries (and for BZP’s ongoing existence!) It’s bunches of benevolent of the site and brings the excite!

Tale of the Toa, Beware the Bohrok, Makuta's Revenge, and the Mask of Light novelization were all written by C.A. Hapka, who I do not think was part of the Story Team like Greg was. Since she was essentially writing out other people's ideas, there is a certain detachment in those books compared to Greg's. Of Greg's books, which I feel your question is more geared toward, I found Power Play and Prisoners of the Pit rather boring, for the same general reasons: 2006 and 2007 are quite similar years story-wise, with pretty interesting dark, gritty setups (Island of Doom and Dark Destiny for 2006, City of the Lost for 2007) and interesting conclusions (Inferno and Downfall). Legacy of Evil is one of my favorite books, but Power Play and Prisoners of the Pit felt somewhat phoned in by comparison, just connecting the two halves of the years. I believe it was Greg himself who once said, if there is any part of a story that is comparatively less important, it's the middle--people remember vividly their first impression, and the last impression, so what comes between is one tier lower in terms of importance.

🤷‍♀️❓The attention-span illiterate such as myself evade this minor inconvenience with audiobook aid. 🙈

You guys know how to read?

Well, I at least feel like I got decimated. Only second part in this series so I don't know if I'm supposed to have an intro, but here we go. What I Consumed: I started doing this in November, but last month I finished rewatching all the "scum and villainy" episodes of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars". I've always believed that a show like the crime and bounty hunter focused episodes of that show would be the greatest show of all time. Rewatching with a critical eye made me realize two things: 1) a lot of the early episodes of that show weren't...great and 2) Westerns, gangster films, and other similar genres inspired these episodes. This was all part of research for a project that I may or not may have put on the back burner now, but still fun. I watched "47 Ronin" that Japanese historical/mythological action movie from 2013 starring Keanu Reeves. I remember watching the trailer before it came out and have wanted to see it ever since. It was very mid and I'm struggling to think of anything I really liked about it. I did some digging and apparently the studio meddled with it to the point it became a disjointed mess. C'est la vie, I guess. I randomly got suggested this video called "Harry Potter Is Also Ableist". Now, I've never heard of this channel before and I've never read the books and haven't seen the movies since they first came out (borrowed the DVDs for the first five from the library), but I still love the character Luna Lovegood. Thus, I only watched the portion about how Luna is 110% autism coded. In fact I was probably watching it twice a day for a whole week and will probably watch it again after posting this. I reread "The Granger Girls" by Lara Jane Robinson one of my favorite books I've read in the last few years and I like it more now (4.5 stars vs. 4 stars). I won't say what I think about the book here other than I really like it, because I'll probably post about it in the last book you read topic. Although, honestly since I need to write a review for goodreads, I'll probably just post it to both places and maybe link it here if I feel like it, I don't know. It's probably been awhile since I read a book twice let alone in the same year, but since my computer was still broken and I wanted to read more print books, my eyes kept going to my signed copy of this book on my shelf. What I Made: I made these Christmas cards for my family; some have funny drawings in them. Also, I made an ecard for my friend's birthday. What's weird is, last year, I knew it was their birthday and I debated DMing them a happy birthday message, but got distracted and blew it off. This year, I started getting images for the card in late November and as soon as I got my new computer I made it in ellacard and had an agonizing wait until this month until I could finally give it. They actually really liked it! My writing marathon bombed due to poor planning, no other excuse, but I did write 7200 words, which beat my old record of words written in day. Yeah, waking up at one in the morning, eating mostly candy, struggling to came up with a plot on the spot, not a good time. I think I listened to all of Lindsey Stirling's discography except for her new album though. Still working on it at a slower rate. What Happened: Got a new computer to replace my old one and over the last few weeks I've slowly realized how much stuff I lost in the crash and I'm trying my best to live with that. Holidays felt busy. I think it was Christmas Eve 2020 where after finishing work at Fedex, I sat in my car in the parking lot and cried while listening to "Too Sad To Cry" by Sasha Alex Sloan (yeah I know, going against the title of the song my bad). Well, this Christmas Eve I laid in bed (despite saying I was going to get up) and listened to one of Chxrlotte's classic sad songs on repeat. I can't remember which one though, probably "Don't Save Me". Yeah, the days before my friend's birthday were not very good. I guess despite what I wrote last entry, some things never change. What's Next? I've had two chances to post this somewhere, but passed up both so I'll do it now. If I get asked what my new year goals are, I'm just going to quote "Hot Wheels: Battle Force Five": "I don't plan that far ahead; speed, power, and attitude, dudes!" Anyway, writing is going to be...interesting. Going to promote and record a Creepypasta. Want to revise and publish a short story, but got to figure all that out first. I wish I didn't also have to try and write a book while doing it, but that's what I get for failing my marathon. Got to download Lightworks on my new computer because it's time to get serious about starting a Youtube channel. I remember as a teenager wanting to be a Youtuber, but I never did it so we'll see how that goes. Life's funny like that. Yeah, that's as far ahead as I'm going to plan. See ya, next time. -JAG

I think 10 members is generous, Mushy

Rockets off your roof? Like fireworks? Sounds so…wartime like to one unaccustomed, haha! Those are great/admirable goals, I hope you and yours have a a fantastic 2025! My wee hermitty goals, hmmm, let’s see: OPEN THE PUPPY/KITTY PAPER CALENDAR 🥰 Organize the creations I made in the Fever dream of 2024 and hopefully blog stuff again here regularly (holiday happenings have that on the backburner-bro visit, burning my hands 🧑‍🍳haha, and bunches of board games to get caught up on together!) Jump back into art with my newly reclaimed cognitive/concentration abilities. It’s been 1.5 years since I was well enough to paint anything, and I’ve struggled to draw much given being trapped in a horrible medical device extremely I’ll for up to 12hrs a day for over 7 ish months in 2024. I was only sleeping like 1-4 hrs daily and doing anything else/cooking/cleaning etc at unearthly hrs because the postprandial symptom torture. Listen to more audiobooks as I can think again! Make more gifts for family ahead of time this year as I barely got any done in 2024. And hopefully draw some random art gifts for a few online peoples (can I call them pretend friends? I feel so weird claiming them, for I never feel worthy of it) And spontaneously leaving the scans in their inboxes (as cats do with prey-presents for favorite humans). I love it when I get a chance to mail them. (PS I haven’t forgotten, if certain kind cat owners are reading this-I promise! It’s a project high up on the Ta-Da! List!) Organize my closet/clothes. They’re in my mom’s extra closet now as per mobility issues and me needing her caregiving/personal care help more. I don’t have a clue what I own and it’s a mess of totes, haha! Finish the curtains for the laundry room for heat help! Give thanks more often -I cannot believe how my heath has improved over the year and how I got approved for disability/insurance in 2024. A full year now, as of today, of alternative (suspected but not legally DXed) cancer therapy. Thanks mom! Get more “prepper stuff” like shelf stable pantry goods, learn more about historical/ ancient food storage, etc. Use the magical mom gift big bouncey ball to exercise after eating sometimes instead of having to go outside 1.5 hrs on very bad weather days. Naps. Lots of Naps. And more religious study/prayer, my brain has been so feeble I feel I’ve been frightfully far away in moments of extreme illness. Guilt. Go to as few appointments/hospitals as possible? At this point I’m able to self medicate and am just tired of going to the ER and frightened-of-my-case-doctors , haha. Finish the 2023 dream stocking designs for my fam. I’m keeping our winter decor up until Candlemas(Feb 2) so tis inspirational! Working on them now!

Well, @Larry Berry you did overlook something 😛 Fanai uses her mask to detect people, because that is her job as a guard. While the "finding your phone" thing is a fun idea, the issue with applying it to an Elda is we already have a mask that does pretty much exactly what you describe. Toa Maru Sulov has the only Kimi in the game, although I don't see an issue with a mask that has a paired-down but similar powerset (maybe it can only detect objects, for instance, not people). It just would be a unique mask, not an Elda.

IC: Gashril - Spineless Bay, Razorfish As a fellow De-Skak, she could hear the edge of distrust in his voice. She'd be careful not to lay it on thickly. "I've seen a few times, when a leader goes down, the one who rises to fill the vacuum often ends up questioned by others," she explained quietly. "It's a delicate time, what comes next. You did a good job putting T'harrak in her place and galvanizing the troops, but what if we did something to really establish you? Show that you're not meant to be messed with. Like causing an upstart to try to take the 'throne', so to speak, then humiliate them enough to discourage anyone else from trying?" She shrugged. "Well I mean, I say 'we', but I don't wanna be too bold. I haven't really done much to earn anyone's trust yet, I get that. But what do you think, sir?" She tacked on that 'sir' with as genuine a nod of deference as anyone had seen.

BZPower member CareCreations recently shared their latest MOC over in the System-Based Creations forum. Go check out Terminal Velocity to see what happens when a cyclist goes so fast that their tires start to melt. I love the lighting and the silhouette effect it makes. You can feel the speed even though nothing is moving, and the result is awesome!View the full article

It's a hard pick. While Time Trap is probably the single best BIONICLE book as literature, I just can't deny that my favorite is Tales of the Masks. Each Toa and their Turaga have a unique relationship and more than any of the other books, that one reads like something written by a Chronicler for his fellow villager.

Having come back to the forum reminded me how I loved writing stories based on Bionicle so I decided I'm going to put a spin on the saga myself, starting with Tahu waking on Mata Nui to the very end. Lots of plot changes, lots of character changes, but should still be the same bones under all the fleshy bits.

OoC: All good! IC: Gashril - Razorfish common area She thought Fort Razorfish's new leader doth protest too much. But then again, she knew what she knew. Her face was touched with a doubtful frown at the suggestion T'harrak would run off to another fort, but that quickly changed to an eager grin as Sohmak mentioned trusting her to keep her folks aware of that. "Ah, I had a thought about that, actually, if you don't mind me being so bold." She dropped her voice, casting a suspicious glance around. "Not about the Tahtorak Beach squad so much- I told them to follow you already- but how to make sure the rest of the group doesn't get any ideas into their heads about power vacuums."

Mario Kart Wii with my bro yesterday. Hopefully MK on his Switch in a few minutes, the proper cord has been procured and I’m endlessly rejoicing as he remembered to bring it this time! And this December not nearly on my deathbed which makes gaming much more doable, haha! ❤️

I'm back, I suppose. Was last here in January 2021. Almost goes without saying but COVID stole all my time in 2021; did a lot of response work across my state and didn't get a lot of me time and eventually BZPower fell off my radar. Hoping to reignite my love for Bionicle writing again by being on the forums. I joined the Discord as well, you can find me on there as cloudywriting.

IC: Sohmak - Spineless Bay, Fortress Razorfish;Vaa But what do you want? was the question Sohmak really wanted to ask. He could almost feel the point of her falchion dangling over his head. Instead he returned Gashril's grin. "'ppreciate the vote of confidence. Reckon I already got this joint whipped into better shape than she ever did." He resisted the urge to spit like he did during his big speech, filling the room with his raucous laughter instead. After an uncomfortable few seconds, the warlord-in-light brought his voice low again. "T'harrak made the right call. Now we got a chance to build somethin' stronger than was ever 'ere before." He turned now to hold Gashril's gaze. "Last call she ever makes though. Keepin' 'er under heel, can't let her go running off giving other forts smart ideas too." Sohmak rose now to his feet, a colossus casting his shadow over the Shrill Blade. "Only shot-caller here's me. I'm trustin' you to keep your men aware o' that, savvy?" It was a bare-faced lie, and he didn't know whether he'd overplayed his hand trying to read Gashril's reaction to it. OOC: @ARROW404 apologies for the delay, haven't had the juice lately.

There's just a few days left to enter the 2024 Member Raffle #12 - our last of the year! One lucky member will walk away with LEGO Star Wars buildable figure 75524 Chirrut Imwe from Rogue One. Happy holidays to all and good luck to those who enter!View the full article

Approximately until next December, ish, if things don't change. And I got a lot to do during that time to get things ready so I'm going to use this handy dandy blog I paid $60 bucks for years ago to catalog it. I have a house to finish, writing to finish(both for clients and otherwise*), and family to prepare. Let's go. *in my time away, I've since become a semi-professional writer. Some of my work has been used in the animation and video game industries but the work is too inconsistent at the moment for me to do it full time. Thus, "semi"-professional.

...and a happy new year. Feels weird coming back on after...quite some time away. Doesn't feel like home but somewhere familiar. But thank you BZPower. For more than you'll ever know.

Cool robots, consistent world building and mysterious/eerie atmosphere. I was instantly hooked.

Not specifically Bionicle, although Bionicle does feature...! Link to DeviantArt for the full size version - and the full (LONG) description! - but in short? A selection of Lego characters who were significant to me during the years of my childhood in the fandom. Many themes and characters are represented, not all of whom I owned but all who had some impact in the way I perceived the LEGO world at the time. And also since I threw out all my childhood drawings a decade or so ago now (and have come to regret it!), I wanted to still have some existing artwork of the characters who I'd loved so much during that time. Years represented are generally 1998 - 2004, although there are a handful of exceptions. (My childhood Lego phase technically began in 1999, but a lot of the '98 sets were still around and still featured in the comics of the UK Lego Adventures magazine, which had been my entry into the world of Lego themes in the first place, so they were nonetheless relevant to me; and some characters like Captain Redbeard, while long gone from the shelves by then, were kept relevant by the Lego video games ^^) Anyway, this took me a while! I've been working on it, on and off around other projects, since March...!

What a great lineup! You captured that era of Lego well here - Love seeing the Rock Raiders, Junkbot, and Life on Mars minifigs. I imagine a lot of other BZP users also grew up in this era, so it's awesome to see a group picture summing up those sets.

IC: Mar (Ko-/Le-Wahi Border) It took a moment for me to notice Siika holding her fist out, but before I was able to really articulate an opinion about that, I'd reacted in the affirmative and bumped her fist right back. The journey along the side of the narrow bay between Ko-Wahi and Le-Wahi remained quiet and uneventful for a little while yet, but as we kept travelling forward, the way the body of water to our south grew wider as we went made me take notice and curse my own lack of forethought. "We're going to need to find a way to cross the water before we're done with this hunt, but, if they hid a boat somewhere I'm not seeing it" OOC: @Rahisaurus