Winter Cycle

Watching the weather over the course of the past few weeks, I seem to have noticed a cycle:

-It starts off very cold and snowy.

-It then starts to warm up.

-The snow starts to melt. The grass is eventually exposed and I’d start thinking that this is it; There is no more snow and spring is on its way.

-Then we get a lot of snow, putting us back where we started.

I know no one can’t really do anything about it and the cycle will eventually end for the year. But it’s just so annoying to get my hopes up like that, only to be pretty much be told that I have to wait a bit longer since something else came up. Kind of like a kid wanting to go the park and being told they have to wait a little longer since their dad had something come up at work.

Like I said, I know there are things that will happen that are out of your control. But you can’t deny the feeling of disappointment that comes up when it does happen.

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Me and The Music I Like

A question I often hear is, ‘What kind of music do you like?’ And my answer is never the simple ‘pop,’ ‘rock,’ or any other genres.

Usually, I find the songs I like by chance. But rather than hearing those songs on the radio, I find them on YouTube, in anime or in video games.

Whenever I use YouTube, I often find anime music videos or AMV for short and go into them. And then I’m greeted by this glorious music that I love. And I want to play them over and over again.

As for video games, I will often find something that plays at a certain point of time in the game that I really enjoy as well.

So why is it hard to answer the question? Because the music I like can’t be categorized into anything of the music genres. While some songs, such as ‘Under The Tree’ from Attack on Titan can be considered heavy rock, other types of music I like can be considered pop.

So it’s like whenever I get asked that question, it’s more about what genre I like. And it’s never an easy question for me as I mainly focus on what sounds good to me; I don’t follow any genres.

Stories From YouTube

Plenty of YouTube channels often tell fictional stories of cheating. The formula is always like this: Someone cheats, the main character finds out, the cheater agrees to a divorce, and then they return, begging for a second chance.

These channels’ stories are fictional, but looking down at the comments shows how real they can be. People claim that the story is why they are single and that it can happen in real life.

And while I’ve always been single, I can see the possibility of one of those stories happening somewhere. The world is a vast place, and there are plenty of different people.

And honestly, it saddens me, as there are awful people that would cheat on their significant other. And then they string the victim along, not wanting to lose the clean house and the warm meals.

It’s sad: no one deserves to be cheated on, abused or taken advantage of. Everyone deserves to have someone that will love them no matter what.

And I learned all that from watching YouTube, not having an actual relationship.

Icy Deck

Yesterday, when I took my dogs outside, the deck outside was its usual self; No ice, making it easy to walk on since it wasn’t slippery.

Then after my nap, I went out to take out the dogs again. This time, there was a thin sheet of ice covering the deck. Thin but slippery enough for me to nearly slip a few times, especially when I was going down the stairs.

Seeing how quickly things changed did surprise me a bit; After all, things were fine before I went to sleep, and now I was nearly slipping down the stairs.

And I had heard talk about freezing rain, but the app I had mainly focused on another area nearby, so it isn’t the most accurate for my town.

That was when I realized something;

Always be prepared if any report mentions freezing rain or any concerning weather in

When the ‘Rents are Away

Usually, in winter, people like to go on vacation to a warmer location. As for me, I stay home with my dogs while my parents

While I admit I would like to travel more, staying home alone can be fun. While I do have to be responsible for the house and my dogs, I also find myself feeling freer as well. Like I can do anything I want.

And while people would want to throw parties while their parents are away, I’m not that person. I prefer eating out more and sitting on mom’s spot on the couch since she’s not around.

And, of course, I try my hardest to be responsible, setting up alarms to feed my dogs and checking for any messes they have left (they are housebroken, but both of them have a designated spot they like to pee at). And I also wipe down counters, do my laundry and take out the garbage on garbage days when my parents do as well.

Having freedom is good, but you need to be responsible as well.

Sluggishness and Motivation

We all had those days: the days where you just feel tired and want to curl up in bed. The days where your mind becomes sluggish. And when you don’t feel motivated at all.

Those are what I call ‘sluggish days’; the days I don’t feel perky at all, and just want to sleep.

Sure, it’s tempting to just lay on the couch all day and nap, but I don’t want to do that. I don’t think it would do any good if I sleep all day.

So whenever I feel like slacking off, I go to do something; playing games, going on a walk, drawing, etc. And when I do those things, I find my mind regaining its focus, and I feel motivated to get things done. To get my current task done.

Those things may not seem all that important to get motivated about, but they are to me. Everyone just has their own things that motivate them.

So yes, it is okay to have one sluggish day. But I think if you try to do something that you love to do on those days, then those days won’t be as slow and end up going by quickly.

Copic Manga

I’ve been seeing videos on YouTube on artists using copic markers to draw anime characters, such as the next generation of certain characters and characters in different styles. And I’ve always been impressed with how the markers can be used for shading as it makes the drawings more realistic.

So when at Indigo the past weekend, I saw a large sketchbook, and thought ‘This would be perfect for manga character drawing!’. So I bought it, along with some black tip markers. I bought the copic markers and white gel pens (for adding highlights to the lights) from Amazon, and sketching pencils from Walmart.

Today, I was finally able to work on my first drawing in the sketchbook. And while I did make some mistakes, such as forgetting to add the highlights to the skin, I’ve fallen in love with the markers, as I never seen my drawings look so..good.

What can I suggest for manga drawers? I’m only a beginner but I do have three suggestions:

-Use a separate sheet of paper to check your shades, to figure out which ones to use.

-Add in the highlights before putting in the basic colour (the darker parts can be added over the basic colour, but not the lighter colours)

-Use white gel pens to add in the highlights in your character’s eyes.

I hope to draw more in my sketchbook and improve along the way. Practice is what makes perfect after all!

Prologue To A Storm?

I always had mixed feelings towards mild weather in winter; when the temperature is warmer and when it’s rainy instead of snowy.

On one hand, I love it. I can easily go out on my daily walks without the snow bogging me down. And I don’t have to put on thirteen layers of clothing to stay warm.

But whenever this weather happens, I always feel like this is the calm before the storm. That the really bad, messy snow storm is right behind this warmer weather and will be happening soon. And this kind of weather is a warning, saying to be prepared for it to get very cold and snowy.

It’s a gut feeling I always get whenever it’s like this so I make the most of the time I have, going out on walks. And I’m always keeping an eye open, waiting for the first snowflake to fall.

New Year Rain

This New Years’ Eve, it’s going to rain. And while there are people that can see it as depressing, I think it can also be fitting.

Like snow, rain can wash away the past year. Like how you would take a hot shower to wash away a hard day of work. And it seeps into the ground, watering the seeds that will sprout in the spring.

It may not be as pretty as the snow or symbolize new possibilities. But it can symbolize the washing away of the old, and preparing the world for new life.

My Preferred Toy Drive Donation

Walmart has been hosting a toy drive where customers can donate toys and dry and canned foods for the less fortunate. It always tugs on my heartstrings when I see it, as I want to help those in need. So yesterday, after my shift, I bought two stuffed animals (or plushies) and donated them.

I know that the toy drive offers a list of the ‘hot’ and ‘popular’ toys, but I pick stuffed animals for a reason; whenever I imagine a child in need, I see them needing comfort and warmth. Something they can find when they hug a plushie as it’s soft and huggable. I also see them sleeping with the plushie at night, giving them a sense of reassurance and warmth.

That’s why I prefer to donate stuffed animals over action figures and toy cars; whenever I think about what would bring more comfort, I lean more toward plushies due to their soft nature.