oops

i guess i should update this huh?
it's currently my second day back at work after a near two month long strike. the strike was probably one of the least enjoyable experiences i've ever had, mostly because of how tight money was during it. i'm glad it's over and that i once again have some sense of schedule to keep myself occupied. probably didn't help that i had a family event that left me sleeping in a hospital to care for someone for a full week, during all of that. just thinking about it is making me tired all over again.

besides the strike, not a whole ton has changed. i still play vr quite a bit, have a few friends on there now that recognize me as such and it's nice to feel like i'm part of a group again. the last time i felt like this was all the way back in high school, so it's nice to feel young. i discovered vr music events during the strike and spent a lot of time going to them. they're a mixed bag, but overall a positive experience. i've also gotten into making avatars (making is a strong word for using vroid studio to create them considering that i don't make them from scratch, but i'm unsure what else to call it...). 

as for recent shows/movies/music/etc... let's see...
brat is my album of the year without a doubt, i still listen to it on repeat whenever i'm getting on vr, to hype myself up. von dutch is such a good fucking song and nothing's hit the same since. the whining, droning synth during the chorus is so impactful and i swear to god it's engraved into my eardrums sonically. honorable mention goes to the rise and fall of a midwest princess. the first time i heard pink pony club was an emotional experience and it's insane to me how relatable and grounded it felt (despite being someone who has zero musical talent or ability to entertain). i still get misty eyed when i hear the first chorus.

the bear is probably top three shows i've watched recently, along with the penguin (fuck you oz, you spineless, slimy, underhanded bastard). the bear was definitely a sleeper hit for me because i went into it without any context as to what it was about or the general themes. i adore the cast and the script's ability to make even characters that i found annoying or unimportant at first appeal to me in some way. the entirety of the body of characters are well rounded, imperfect and (for lack of a better word) incredibly relatable. i found myself more stressed watching this show than i ever have, purely because the performances are so strong. the last time i felt how i did watching the bear was the first time i watched hereditary, and that movie is my favorite horror movie of all time.

to expound upon my feelings about the penguin, i thoroughly loved it (despite ending the show last night despising the protagonist of the show). i would have watched it regardless of the context it was released in (being a bridge between the first and second 'the' batman films) just because the actors did such a damn good job at what they did. it's an extremely compelling crime drama first and a 'comic' show second. every single twist felt like a punch in the gut and it's criminal (pun intended) how well the script left me feeling disgusted with myself for finding affection for a man like oz after his actions in the finale. looking forward to seeing batman rip the penguin apart in the next movie.

i also just finished watching the first arc of arcane season 2, and christ is that show beautiful. the budget was not wasted in the slightest and i'm constantly finding myself noticing small details about things days after watching. plot, character affection and world context aside, arcane season 2 has been a technical marvel to behold thus far. the texture work, the animation, the facial expressions. it's a visual treat that doesn't skimp on anything. i'm hard pressed to find a show i'm recommending to more people than arcane currently, just because i want to yap about it so much. i won't get into any plot details here just because i think it's something best experienced firsthand.

i could probably keep talking about other things i've enjoyed recently (like the guardians of the galaxy trilogy, thanks babe) but i think i'll leave things off here for now. no one reads these but if you stumbled across this, thanks for your time. i'm going to return to living my life :)