Where Juniper is made to Gin

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We don't celebrate it (I'm in Europe, yo) and yes, I did have to go to work today and will have do my Black Friday shopping online.

Thanksgiving is such a funny thing to me! It's not that I don't celebrate it that make me think it's funny, but rather that Thanksgiving seems to be the major cooking day in the US. Is that right?

For me, my cooking highlight of the year is Christmas. We have a big Christmas dinner and I start planning the menu in November (5-6 courses, usually). Every year I will ponder what to cook and how to make a fancy dinner, while Christmas in the US seems to be focussed on coziness and Thanksgiving is all about the food (your turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes and cranberyy sauce - I never had a Thanksgiving feast and I'd really like to!). Or did I get that wrong?

Anyway, I wish you a happy Thanksgiving - and best of luck doing your Black Friday shopping. ;)

Life's crazy and busy and not always good these days, but I'm knocking on wood here that it'll get better. Starting wit hmy grandfather being in hospital right now (bit surprising to all of us - he was scheduled for physical rehab and during check-up they found irregular heart-rhythms or something; he's okay, though, and not all too keen on having to stay in hospital), to super stressful work days with clients that know no boundaries (as in the shitloads of work they push my way) and can't keep deadlines.

I can't find much energy to write, will try again tomorrow. Have I mentioned that I have a bursa inflammation? Not too impressed with that either.

Just a quick heads up: I'm going on a much needed (brief) vacation for a week. There will be sun, a pool, beaches, food, basically no internet, and family and friends! <3 I'm very much looking forward to it and will hopefully return well rested, slightly fatter, much happier, tannednot sunburnt, and with tons of new materials (and maybe even one of the holiday fics).

Have a good one, folks, and stay save & smutty!

This weekend is busy - like they all are, kind of - but in a good way. Yesterday, we went to a flea market another town over and then had dinner & drinks with friends, today some other friends are coming over so we can finally finish season 5 of Game of Thrones (yes, I know, we're behind).

The new job is working out well and, though my commute is only a third of what it used to be and I have more "free" time on my hands, I barely have the energy to write or read. I do way more writing in my new job (press releases and e-mails, mainly), so I'm still getting used to this sapping off my creative juices.

I've also noted that my online behaviour has changed, what with mobile devices and everything. A couple of years ago, I had a really old TV and so, in order to watch Netflix etc., I had to switch on my computer. The moment I got home, I opened my laptop and spent the evening surfing, writing and watching TV. When I come home now, I a) have a boyfriend that I talk to (vs. living alone before) b) have a proper TV and a connected PS4 that gives me Netflix and Amazon on a big screen. And I rarely switch on the computer anymore (because I also game on the PS4). It's not only changed my usage of devices, but also how often I actually post on my journal and how often I write. To me, that feels strange. I wish there was a proper (Android) app that would allow me to post and comment here - it would make my appearances more frequent, I suspect. At the same time, I will have to finally kick myself in the butt to get back my writing groove.

Does anyone of you have any tips how to get back into writing more? And have you experienced a shift in your use of devices as well?

I'll make it short. :)

- I'm good, just in sort of a writing-rut ATM
- I finally got a new job! Starting at the beginning of March, which is perfect. I'll be back at working at a PR agency again and I'm very much looking forward to that. Plus, the office isn't that far away, meaning I can ride my bike to work (vs. the previous commute via tram/metro/train where I contracted every damn cold that people had to offer). Yay!
- Boyfriend is doing better, health/back-wise. Things are almost back to normal.
- I just signed up for snape_potter's Snarry A Thon! <3

Now that the results from the election are in, I can barely find the words to express my feelings. I'm shocked, for one. I'm stunned and speechless. My Facebook timeline and our local media express the same sentiments. To my friends from the US: I'm sorry. I know most of you hoped for a different result.

First Brexit, now this. I can't say that I care much for this year.

Hello all! First things first: Have you seen the Halloween drabble that I got? nimrod_9 wrote me a lovely little drabble - go read it here.

Second: I took today and tomorrow off to relax before my birthday. And to have some quality writing time. I managed to finished my fic for Snarry Swap and work some on my Nano fic, so all is good.

Today we had another wonderfully sunny (and hot day). While yesterday was spent at the farmers' market, followed by some splashing around in a lokal lake (just one mosquito bite - whoo!), today we went to a open-air museum. Last time I was there I must've been like 12 or so. Seeing it with "grown-up eyes" was really nice! A lovely and well-curated spot - plus, we did something out and about in the sun. I loved spending my sunday like that!

Writing wise I didn't get much done the last couple of months weeks days. I still have to finish my BBTP ficlet thingy and then I'm continuing to write my entry for Mini Fest. Hopefully, I'll get that done before November comes around. And in between I'm re-writing an old NaNo-novel of mine. That one really needs some editing!