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The side of my instant oatmeal cup informs me that it has baobab fruit powder in it and that baobab fruit has a sweet citrus flavor that will boost the taste of my oatmeal. That sounds hipster as hell. It’s also a lie since this oatmeal tastes like cardboard, which is probably why it cost less than a dollar at the supermarket.

Saw a bunch more of them meteors last night. Been seeing usually one or two a night all week, but there were like eight last night.

For those who have been keeping track of Kilauea's eruption, the USGS currently has a live stream of the summit. I have to admit, I've dedicated one of my monitors for it, even though they don't expect anything more to happen until tonight. It's been fascinating to watch the expansion of an island in real time! It makes me wish I could be there too, right on the front lines of geographic history. Sure, it's not as minute-to-minute exciting as the Middle East, but there's something about Mother Nature that never fails to capture the our attention.

Summer is for fun in the sun and, of course, ice cream. But did you know that no one person or place can be credited for the invention of ice cream? Some historians claim that a Roman emperor was the first when he demanded ice from the mountains to be mixed with fruit, while others claim that it was first invented in China as a milk and fruit-type dessert creation. Neither has any concrete evidence to back up the claim.

On the other hand, we can trace the origin of the popsicle back to 11-year old Frank Epperson, who in 1905 left a cup filled with powdered soda, water, and stirrer sitting on his porch in the winter. It just goes to show that all of history sometimes can't compete with a kid and his search for dessert.

I am not American, but I figure that since I am living here, I should ask: what does a typical fourth of July meal consist of?

There is tres leches cake in my fridge. I want a piece of cake, but I keep hearing the voice of my aunt saying "Joe, you haven't had any dinner yet. You need to eat an actual meal before you have any cake."

*sigh* I'm an adult...I make good decisions...

On this day in 1792, Benjamin Franklin first performed his famous kite experiment by storing electricity from a lightning strike into a Leyden jar. On this day in 2018, Elder Scrolls VI was announced. It's amazing to think we've come so far just to use electricity in the future to emulate life in the past.

Google is apparently celebrating the garden gnome today (just go with it) and in doing so is running a rather addictive game through their search pages in which you fling various garden gnomes Pumkin' Chunkin' style along a garden path to plant as many flowers as you can.

If you're looking to kill a few minutes (or an hour) take a look.

The 2018 Pulitzer Prize winners had some fantastic stories about the last year. The use of social media in reporting the California fires kind of reminded me of this forum. For all the strange things that happen here, this place is rather ideal for organizing resistance and relief efforts. Don't you think?

I hear there's a big movie out this weekend?

I can't believe it's been a month since we got the green light to make the season of my new show! Time has really flied while having fun!!

They've set a premiere date for the show, which is going to run over the summer. It's set to run Sunday evenings from May 27 until August! We're going to have a 13 episode season.

I hope you'll all love it! I want to have a big party when the first episode premieres! :)

As we're getting ready for the holiday, (Easter for some, April Fool's Day for others), I figured it would be nice to reflect a bit. The BBC's This Week in Pictures really hit the spot. Can you imagine playing soccer on an ice flow? It makes the local ponds we'd skate on back home look as safe as a skating rink!

I just spent an embarrassing amount of time looking at seeds online.

I'm getting sucked into my boyfriend's new hobby.

Okay, the situation is dire now. It's really time to move out of my parents' house. My brothers are talking about renting a house, and I don't want to be here alone with my mom and dad. (They're great, it's just... it's time.)

So... suggestions? I thought I'd ask here first in case someone has any advice re: Dreamers and housing. Or something.

Apparently instead of rebuilding our barn that came down in January, my brother has gotten it in his head that he’d rather have a greenhouse. He’s already gotten the structure built. On the plus side, he’s going to be growing vegetables in there (which he has told me he expects me to use when I cook – twist my arm…). On the downside, though, I’ve lost my workspace to work on my own vehicles. I don’t want to take up a bay at Rainbow Motors that would be better used on a customer’s car for my personal projects. Does anyone have a space they wouldn’t mind renting to me?

Good morning, Valarnet!

Earth Day technically isn't until April, but I figured I'd get an early start! Does anyone have any large plastic buckets or jugs they're planning on tossing in the recycling bin that they don't mind tossing my way instead?

I hope everyone out there's keeping safe and away from windows. I definitely put all those earthquake drills from grade school to good use today.

The good news is that I can verify that those same principles work just as well in a barn as they would in a classroom.

I know that last-minute Christmas shopping is a bit cliche, but I was definitely not the only one out and about getting gifts tonight. What I didn't expect was to see the Great Gonzo in a top hat trying to haggle with a street vendor. I think I heard something about fireworks and how his normal cannon wasn't flashy enough? It was far out. Definitely not something you'd expect to see on the city's sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style...

I got a very odd call from my mum and dad today saying that they wanted to fly from London and experience "an American Thanksgiving." I told them I'd come visit them for Christmas instead. The last thing I want is for Amy and Rory to be here when something happens, because honestly, something always does. And knowing how much my parents are like my dream parents it just seems a terrible idea.

Honestly, how do the rest of you handle that?

So according to Google it's the 131st Anniversary of the Hole Punch today. I have to admit I don't think I've used one since primary school back home. But good on it for keeping going.

Yesterday was the beginning of GeoWeek, or Geography Awareness Week put on by National Geographic. I admit, I haven't even thought about geography outside of the GPS on my phone since grade school. Some of the random facts online were pretty interesting, though.

Did you know that there are six cities in the United States with the name Peanut?

So, in case anyone was wondering, [Name of Insurance Company] does not cover Acts of Grimm.

During the chaos over Halloween a huge wolfish looking thing landed on my car and completely flattened it.

Better it than me, though.

Does anyone know how to store large amounts of cereal so that it doesn't go stale within a month?

Asking for a friend.

I wait all year for Count Chocula, Booberry and Frankenberry cereal to hit the shelves.

This year I'm stocking up.

Wow, so um... I've just been told that I need to hire an assistant in my job. Like, at my job. My work. So, yeah. Anyone know where I can find ... like, applicants? People who are looking for a job?

Ugh. I'm actually really good at what I do. I'm just bad at this part.

My brothers and I watched Beetlejuice today. I forgot how awesome that movie is! ha! And how young Alec Baldwin looks in it.

Good times.

I never thought I would say this about any fast food burger, much less about Burger King, but their new Rodeo King Burger is legitimately amazing. I am going to start putting onion rings on the burgers I make at home.

So I had this idea, is anyone at the Agency paying attention?

What if there was help for people to doctor their resumes with their dream skills? Something that if it was looked up would come up as true. I'm sure there are people with years of experience in fields but without the degrees to prove it.

Kanan

I got the job!

Apparently Carrots leveled up enough to get my tragic backstory. Yay. At least talking helped me come to the idea of looking at the traffic cams. Of course, since Carrots didn't level up enough to have access to the traffic cams at work, that meant going to visit the Mayor's assistant or whatever she was. Bellwether.

She's a sheep. Literally.

Anyway, we figured out That Manchas was taken by Timberwolves. Aka the most annoying idiots in existence. Then we found out where they took him, so we're on the way to find out more about the Timberwolves. Pretty sure that the Nighthowlers Manchas mentioned before are these assholes. Could be wrong, but it makes sense. I'd be concerned about them, too. They're fucking annoying.

After watching reruns of Criminal Minds all evening, I just have to say how glad I am that California no longer has rolling blackouts in the summer months. Especially with this mini-heat wave coming up. Orange County has enough to deal with without having to also worry about serial killers like the fictional Prince of Darkness running about.

On a much lighter note, who enjoyed the International Space Station's Photo Bomb during the eclipse last week?

Has anyone else had the people in their Dreams change on them? Ever since they started, my Dreams have always involved people from my hometown. At least, until last night. I haven't seen my friend in nearly a year, but lo and behold she popped into the Dreams this time. It probably should've felt odd to see her there, but at the same time, it felt right too. Even when I invited her to go swimming at midni- but it was nice to see her again, too.

AJKALJKALDFSJGL:SA

I seriously just won the lottery. THE LOTTERY. The actress that I was the body double for? She quit. Walked off the set. And there's all this legal battle crap about how she broke her contract... after the lead actor did, too. Well, they're desperate not to lose ALL the money they invested, so they asked me if I wanted to step into the part. So, of course I said YES! But now I'm FREAKING OUT because I don't know what I'm doing!!

Happy 4th of July! Please be safe and don't drink and drive. My brothers and I are volunteering with a program that offers free rides home tonight. Feel free to call if you're too drunk to drive home. [number].

For the first time in what feels like forever, I Dreamt about an adventure where I had to diffuse a bomb and didn't wake up to find a ticking explosive sitting on our kitchen table. I've checked the entire house and barn top to bottom to make sure the Dreams didn't leave a "gift" there instead, but I haven't been able to find anything. I know I should be thankful, but I can't help but worry that I missed something, somewhere.

I really don't want to have to buy a new fridge again.

I hear people are bursting into song. Is anyone else... um... jingling when they sing? Because I've been... uh.... jingling. At least, that's what my brothers call it.

I had a five-minute conversation with my boss in which I jingled the entire time.

I don't think he noticed.

It's all fun and games until someone gets a frozen water balloon to the head and starts bleeding.

Good evening, Valarnet!

Upon attempting to contact our old apartment manager for a reference, I found that my brother and I have apparently been blacklisted at what seems to be all complexes in and around Irvine. I was wondering if anyone here knows of any Dreamer-friendly complexes in or around there? We have no problem replacing or fixing things that are accidentally blown up by Dream bombs damaged due to the events here in the OC. Any and all suggestions and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

......

Goddammit Frank!! Frank dream you is a really fucking asshole and is getting on my last nerve!!!

Anyways with tat said, new dreams came in. Aunt May is awesome for an old lady.. Found out who's controlling the animals. Some hunter named Kraven, who of course was hired by Castle to attack me, just so the stalker can sit at a house roof across my dads and try to catch me unmasked and exposed. Luckily my power up device was malfunctioning..

Still.. Frank you owe me drinks if I'm going to be dreaming about you constantly trying to kick my ass!

I want these so bad. So bad I can almost taste it. And it tastes like strawberry cheesecake.

My mother showed up out of the blue last weekend for a visit. And she’s still here. I’ve been trying really hard to keep her out of my apartment so she doesn’t get assaulted by some random haunting, and so she doesn’t see the Hole in my bathroom.

It’s not like there aren’t a thousand things to do in Orange County to distract her with, but she’s starting to get fussy with me. Like she really wants to see my apartment. I’m not sure what to do.

I am supposed to be focusing on my schoolwork, but one of my friends in the UK sent me a link and now I am incredibly distracted by this...

We're tied in extra innings, there was just a rain delay.

I don't know if I can take much more of this.

ETA: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

OH MY GOD GUYS, SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS, BUT I HAVE WINGS. I HAVE WINGS. I woke up on Halloween with a set of wings!! I'm so excited! I can't fly yet, because I don't have Pixie Dust. :( I managed to fit them under a raincoat this weekend, but they don't fit under all my clothes. It's crazy, and awesome and I thought you guys would like to hear about it!

I had the WEIRDEST dream last night, and I think it was one of those DREAM dreams, you know? Like you guys all have?

But how do I know for sure?

I haven't been dreaming of the 30's for a while, but I guess the Dreams, or whatever controls them, decided to give me the motorcycle I drove in them. For something that's about 81 years old, this thing is surprisingly as good as new. Kinda can't wait to take it out for a ride.

( [Public post, cut for image] )

Other than the strange sickness that went around, September has been pretty good for me so far. We've moved into a new house and I started full time at Much Ado About Books. I am hoping the rest of the month goes as well.

OHMYGOD Words with Friends. I seriously thought I was gonna suck at this game. But guess what? I'm not terrible.

Does anyone else play?

I... I think I watched ten hours of Netflix today. I can't tell if I'm proud of myself, or a little embarrassed and ashamed. Either way, I think my butt's asleep.