After 13 years of this, it's still funny to me that detailing a full mental breakdown on tumblr is standard fare, but posting a nice selfie is a fraught decision.
I remember having a dream when I was 6 years old, it was very silly and I was super into dinosaurs, so it was something like finding and befriending a gallimimus in the California redwoods, and when I woke up I was filled with an inexplicable longing I had never felt before and didn't quite understand. For years I was confused about why I felt so strongly about befriending a dinosaur. Dont get me wrong, that sounds cool. But this went beyond cool. There was a warmth, what felt almost like a spiritual experience, that I was unable to replicate no matter how many times I daydreamed about dinosaurs in the woods
It wasn't until I was much older that I realized it was the first dream I had where I was a girl
kinda bullshit the English language doesn't have a discrete word for an unlit campfire. you light a campfire, but what is it before you light it? also a campfire, I guess. I need to invent a word that can be intuitively understood as "the arrangement of wood that is intended to become a campfire"
well "an arrangement of wood that is intended to become a campfire" sounds like it's just a bundle of sticks and I think there is a collective word for that maybe
It probably is kind of fun to be a parent bird and find big fat bugs to put in your child’s goalpost mouth. And the more you do it the larger your baby gets, which shows your progress. Mine is reaally big, think I’m going to get a high score this time. It has a unique skin too, I’ve never even seen this one before. Has anyone gotten that one, dark brown and white belly with stripes? It’s not even in my Wrenpedia, it has to be a really special unlock
when i was a teenager i used to catch myself thinking "i'm really glad i'm alive right now because of all the cool personal technologies that exist" and when i did i'd think it through and reckon that well, its not like teenagers in the 70s and 80s knew they didnt have ipods or facebook or whatever. they were also happy with the tech they had. and i'd reason that in the future there would be more fun technologies that i dont know i'm missing out on right now and the future will be an even cooler time to exist
anyway i was dead fucking wrong about that last part. i hate personal technologies now. i miss having an ipod that doesnt advertise shit to me and i miss when my htc wildfire didnt harass me 45 times a day to install an ai assistant and then install it anyway when i say no and i miss when the internet wasnt 5 websites all of which i have to log into and i miss when i didnt need an app to talk to my landlord. sorry past me you were actually right about 2009
What really makes this for me is that OP could have phoned it in on the chorus and just repeated the same fics, but no. They found a unique one every time. Class act.
… i started singing (could NOT help it, there was Zero Choice I HAD TO)— but needed to stop before the final chorus, bc i noticed i was going Very Hard when I basically just woke up and have almost not even spoken before this today so er. yeah. ouch rip my throat and vocal cords +_+
This is so important though: "You're gonna get in trouble for that" reveals so much. He was planning on nobody doing anything, not because nobody stands up to him, or nobody objecting to what he says. He expects good people to be goody-two-shoes rules followers, and he expects the rules to protect him no matter what he does.
Important lesson to learn from this standing up to fascists means getting into good trouble. Get into trouble if it's worth it. Fascists will never expect it.
one time I went over to a friend's house and their housemate was making paper in the living room, and we saw this big tub full of water they were using to dissolve old scrap paper into a slurry, and everyone was immediately like "oh, you need scrap paper?" and started turning out their jacket pockets and producing expired coupons and bus tickets and crumpled receipts and old shopping lists and whatever else they'd been carrying round with them for no good reason, and passing it all to the paper-making housemate to make sure it was suitable before it got torn up and dropped into the tub, while people took turns stirring the slurry with a big wooden stick. it was strangely ritualistic, like presenting an offering to some kind of temple elder for inspection before placing it in a watery shrine to be devoured and reformed. pulp for the pulp god.
Goddamit i hate this fucking post. I hate it because obviously if “twelve” followed the same pattern as the other teen numbers it wouldn’t be “twoteen” it would be “seconteen”. Think about it. It’s not “threeteen” it’s “thirteen” as in “third”. It’s not “fiveteen” it’s “fifteen” as in fifth. So with that in mind, you count “first, second, third, fourth, fifth,” and so on, so eleven would be “firsteen” and twelve would be “secondteen” or “seconteen”. “Firsteen, seconteen, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen….” It just drives me absolutely mad everytime i see this post that this obvious pattern was overlooked and i cant hold in my rage anymore.
I think this is exactly why thirteen is considered a ‘bad luck’ number.
Eleven and twelve have special names because as humans we can count to 12 on our fingers. But if we need to count to thirteen we’re outta fingers, bad news.
The 13th annual international gender census, collecting information about the language we use to refer to ourselves and each other, is now open until 13th August 2026.
It’s short and easy, for most participants it takes 5 minutes or less.
After the survey is closed I’ll process the results and publish a spreadsheet of the data and a report summarising the main findings. Then anyone can use them for academic or business purposes, self-advocacy, tracking the popularity of language over time, and just feeling like we’re part of a huge and diverse community.
If you think you might have friends and followers who’d be interested, please do reblog this blog post, and share the survey URL by email or at AFK social groups or on other social networks. Every share is extremely helpful!
Survey URL: https://survey.gendercensus.com
The survey is open to anyone anywhere who speaks English and feels that the gender binary doesn’t fully describe their experience of themselves and their gender(s) or lack thereof.
Thank you so much!
[ Link to survey ]
PS: You can see some regularly-updated statistics about incoming data here, with lots of demography and graphs to peruse!
There have been over 1,000 responses since midnight, bringing the total to comfortably over 14,000 so far - great stuff!
During its busiest hour the survey received about 10 responses per minute (one every 6 seconds):
43% of participants are newcomers, and the more the merrier - my eternal mission is to get as many different types of people as possible represented in the survey results.
Another struggle is getting older participants involved. The age structure of a population varies a lot from country to country, but let's use the USA as an example since they're over half of Gender Census participants so far. In the USA generally more than 60% of the population are aged 30 and over. [Source.] In the Gender Census, only 25% are aged 31 and over so far:
So, since the survey relies on spreading by word of mouth, this is where you come in.
Older age groups tend to show up in the survey coming from Facebook, mailing lists, instant messaging groups, and (somewhat) Bluesky. If you haven't already, might you consider sharing in any of these mostly super easy ways?
If you are on the Gender Census mailing list, forward the email to any LGBTQ+ family members over the age of 30. (If you're not on the mailing list, you could just email people with the survey link?)
Share this post on Facebook, to your own profile and to any local LGBTQ+ groups you think might be open to it.
Hop into the WhatsApp and Telegram channels and forward a message to a any queer groups you're in on those apps.
Share this post on Bluesky.
Or just share the survey link one-on-one: survey.gendercensus.com
We have gained about 500 mailing list subscribers this month, which is EXCELLENT in this department!
Shares here on Tumblr are also obviously always welcome, and here is the end-of-survey page with all the sharing links.
This year we're not reaching as many participants as the two previous years:
So every little helps, even if you only share it with one person!
Thank you so much everyone. ✨ This survey is powered by people connecting with their people and I love that for us.
[ Take part in the 2026 Gender Census before 13th August 2026 ]
tl;dr– things are cautiously on the up. I'm energized. I'm able to work on the computer a little more every day. London Comic Con was revitalizing in so many ways. I am currently healthy (still disabled, obv), and daily limits are still variable, but NHS is taking good care of me. I've added more recipes. The heat wave was killer, but I bought a window AC with the comic con earnings, and am planted in front of it. I feel more in control. I'm pacing myself through July, and am determined to finish this.
Below are more in depth bulleted updates on a variety of things, to skim through what interests you. Thank you, always, for being here, for your support while I make it through this, and you have my best wishes for the upcoming month.
Screenwork:
with my increasing vigor and eye recovery, my ability to work on computer screens is lengthening; which means more consistent progress on the final stages before the print run commences. this is great news.
pacing is still difficult and ability varies day by day, the perma-headache still lingers off and on, but I'm keeping my spirits up as much as I can. I can't tell you how hard the last couple years have been. I know many of you are going through it right now too– I see you. thank you all for being here, and I know I've said it a lot, but your patience and kindness in this has been a crucial part of my recovery; I really appreciate it.
London Comic Con:
a wild success!! miraculously, I got through it without even a hint of illness, not even con crud! I was, obviously, very careful, and am on a lot of medications to help with my immune disorders and everything; so something is working! I overdid it a little with just, being "on" and social for three days in a row, but that was inevitable. Meanwhile, my partner DID contract some horrible sickness that took him out for weeks! yet I still remained healthy, and got to take care of him for once!
Truly, attending LCC filled my heart containers. conventions were once a huge part of my life, and London Comic Con was a dream come true.
In literally the very last minute, I sold the last of the master editions I brought over from the USA– thank you!! lucky! 🍀
there was no time to sell or make more of my watercolor koroks or goddess statues; so I've listed them in my shop for anyone to adopt instead. I'll post a picture of them at the bottom of this update!
Attending also meant I had a fire underneath me to complete important UK business/tax stuff; now that is all settled, the way is paved for me to continue working here as a self-employed person! this may seem minor, but goodness, what a lot of paperwork and hoops to jump through, I am glad I had the con as a deadline.
I also must mention how incredibly touched I was, in getting to meet a few of you. I won't name names in case of privacy, but I cannot easily express what it meant to me, to meet in real life. It feels like we've been through the ringer together, and to hug you, to see you, to speak directly with you and see the emotion on your face; it was cathartic in an unimaginable way. I have never felt more seen, more cared for. Thank you. It's so hard to write these updates. I struggle every month with them, crying the whole time. I am so disappointed in how long I have taken, so sad. I worry about disappointing people, or worse, making them angry– a reflection of how I also feel, when I intended for this project to bring people together, making food and making merry. To meet some of you in real life, takes away some of the doubt. Thank you for waiting. THank you for your comments all this time; your supportive messages carry me onwards, make it possible for me to update at all, even when I struggle in answering. I read everything, I see every one of your likes, and am overwhelmed in gratitude. if this is parasocial, then it definitely goes both ways– projecting on to me, and my projecting on to you. What a relief it was, to cry together in the middle of the exhibition hall; a moment of connection in the midst of a project riddled with health issues that have been so isolating. I'm so happy we all happen to be alive at the same time, glad for Zelda, for cooking good food, for Kickstarter, in bringing us together; glad that things like this are still somehow possible. I'm going to finish this. I'm working hard. It will be worth it; it is worth it.
Health;
unfortunately I am still disabled(alas!), and work is still effected by that; but I am, miraculously, feeling better as time goes on. not necessarily linearly, but I feel the trajectory is onwards and upwards. it's been just over a year since my last emergency surgery, and I've finally kicked the last of the lingering pneumonia lung issues from earlier this year.
I cannot source a couple of my prescribed medications here; will run out sometime in the next month or so. Figuring this out right now.
Doctors appointments are still frequent, I'm still waiting on some specialist referrals, but doing my old solo physical therapy movements, and will start it in person again, along with occupational therapy, hopefully soon.
Inability to temperature regulate is one of my many long term fun health quirks, and is one of the reasons we're here in the UK now; where typically temperatures are consistent and quite temperate. The heat waves over the last month took me completely out on those days, but were nothing compared to the weeks of 100+ degrees in Denver. I am now armed with a window AC, so I'll keep cool in the future.
I qualified and received my UK access card, a sort of proof of disability card. As always with these things (I had a handicap car placard in the US), it's bittersweet– it will help me get easier access and help at various venues and events, but it's further evidence of my disabilities being Real. official. I know I talk about it more and more, the disability thing, the difficulties– but being disabled is one of those rare minorities that you can join at any time; that all folks eventually join, if they are lucky to live long enough. Having just turned 34, I'm dealing with it earlier than most, but later than some. There's a strength I am growing now, a resilience, that I hope will help me later. As a witness to this; I hope, somehow, remembering this saga will help you some day, when you or someone you love goes through it. That you can keep on, that a good life is still possible, and that we are all deserving and worthy of a good life.
Backer Survey: not yet.
Kickstarter advised me to put off the survey until closer to fulfillment, so I've been prioritizing working on the cookbook over posting it. That said; I know you've been expecting it for a while, and I want to get it out to you– many of you have moved and want to be able to put in your address, and your backer page names; I completely understand, so I've put it back on my list for this month.
Birthday
thank you for the birthday wishes!! I had a lovely afternoon tea and a stroll on the beach with friends visiting from the US.
Hoping you are all keeping cool in the northern hemisphere (breaking out those Noble Pursuits! ...or yigan pursuits! 🍌) or cozy in the southern hemisphere (might I suggest the Chateau Romani?), and enjoying some good food (did you try the Electro Green Curry from the last update??), wherever you are. ♥️
still fighting my way to the castle,
Aimee
ps– I have been absolutely riveted by the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. my partner has begged me to read them for over a year, I finally gave it a try, and am now obsessed, on the sixth book. So now I am recommending it to you! If you need a summer read– or especially, if you're looking to get back into reading, try it! It is very modern hitch hiker's guide to the galaxy, dungeons and dragons, hunger games, serious hijinks, if you enjoy rpgs, video games, talking cats– don't be silly, this one is for you. It's a heartening story against impossible odds, with a protagonist who refuses to be broken. We could all use a story like that. The paperback is on sale right now for $18.65, here's a link to it on my Bookshop.org, if you want to support indie!
...and without further ado; the first new set of adoptable original korok watercolors since last autumn! And further, the first set of little goddess statues, to keep you company while you sleep, work, or play! These are all original, unique, not prints, and are available now in my Etsy Shop, and come signed with adoption papers, from the UK. I find watercolor something I can still do when I can't do anything else; something tactile that my fingers enjoy, that can be relaxing even when the brain fog will not lift, I hope those moments can bring you joy now too.
What structure is more inherently haunted than a lighthouse? Okay, there may be a list but it isn't that long. Inspired by Lions Lighthouse in Long Beach!
In my shop!
If you find yourself feeling like you're in an AU of your own life... maybe you're just passing by a place where adequate safety precautions had been taken, and thus a disaster never happened.
romaincrisis
yousharknotpass
snowghoul
izzy806
pixelskylines
origamiaround
