u/minasweetgirl

We just had a plumber come and look at our sink and try to get it unclogged. He couldn't. Said that there's dried grease in the pipes. We don't put grease down the pipes, but the house is from the 80's. I we've been here 6 years, and have always had trouble with the sink. Usually we can get it unclogged on our own, not this time. Draino doesn't work. My husband tried to snake it, and nope.

That's when we decided to hire a plumber. He told us it would be $1200 to get it unclogged. Which is a lot of money for us. I don't know if there's anything else we can try before resorting to that.

I got prescribed metformin, and I just took my first dose this morning. 500mg twice a day. I've been super gassy, and feeling really lazy since I took it.

For years I struggled with sugar cravings and constantly feeling hungry. Even though I know I've eaten enough, and my stomach physically feels full, I still get hunger pangs. Nobody could tell me why. I also randomly started gaining weight really fast in my 20's, especially around my belly. My mom thought I was pregnant 😩. I always felt tired. I finally got diagnosed with PCOS at like 24, was thrown birth control at and told to lose weight.

I was finally able to convince at doctor to test my fasting insulin because I knew something wasn't right. I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant, and I'm still having times where I feel my blood sugar drop. This doctor was like well the good news is that you're not diabetic, your glucose looks normal and your body is producing insulin still.

I ended up going to another doctor in the same practice, for a completely different reason. She zoned in on my PCOS and insulin resistance. Wanted me on zepbound, but insurance won't cover it even though I have OSA. So she prescribed metformin. I'm hoping it'll help me.

My A1C is on the high side, but not enough to consider me prediabetic. Which is frustrating when trying to get treatment.

I hate having insulin resistant PCOS it's made loosing weight a nightmare. I used to be 140lbs and now 250. Was 260, but lost 10lbs recently from Vyvanse for my adhd. 70lbs was gained during my pregnancy over 4 years ago, and its just not gone away. 😩 I'll be happy to go back to 180/190 pre pregnancy, as long as I'm not carrying a lot of fat in my belly.

My daughter is starting pre-k in the fall. Our school district offers free pre-k, if they have spots open. Those considered disadvantaged get first dibs. We somehow qualified for pre-k, I think because I put we speak Spanish in the home. Which I do. I speak Spanish with my mom, she lives with us.

Anyway the school district language tested my daughter, and offered to put her in the bilingual program. Even though she refused to answer some of their questions lol. I said yes, that would be great.

My husband on the other hand doesn't think it's a great ideas. He feels like she's going to struggle in school because she doesn't speak Spanish. I told him that I know for a fact she knows Spanish. She's just stubborn, and refuses to speak it because he doesn't speak Spanish. (My husband is white. I'm half Mexican.)

I figured that if I put her in the bilingual track, it would force her to speak it and learn more. She's 4 years old, and it's pre-k, I'm sure she'll pick it up really fast. Especially if we start talking to her more in Spanish. Anyway rant over. Just frustrated with my husband, because I feel like he doesn't give her enough credit. I'm with her all day, and I've seen how she is with my mom. She understands Spanish, just refuses to speak it.

First thing I want to say is that I don't feel the book does a great job at recapping from the last book. I was confused for almost half it. Not because of Caspia. I clocked who she and Andreas was in like 2 seconds. All he had to say was >!"I come from a wealthy family."!< I was just so confused with Odessa's pov. There were characters mentioned that I had forgotten about, from the previous book. I was constantly like "who? What? Where? When? How?"

Also, I would have loved, at least, a couple more chapter in Ransoms pov. I feel like he was kind of kicked to the curb, even though he's an important character.

--------here is where the major spoilers start---------
I hope I did the spoiler tagging right. If not, I'm sorry. I tried my best. I'm on my phone.
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Another thing I did not expect >!mae to not be Odessa's biological sister!< it took me by surprise. Margot really did a good job keeping up with apperances with Odessa. I wonder how that's going to play out in book 3. I'm also wondering if Mae already knew, or how she found out.

All right here are my theories and thoughts. I do not believe >!ransom killed emery!< idk who it was, but I have a few thoughts. I saw someone mention >!graciella!< I'm not sold on that either. I do not believe she makes her way to calandra. I do find it interesting that one of the Vosters mention >!how 3 starling brought them to calandra, and 2 of them die but 1 survives!< if I remember correctly. So I think it's the 1. Also the fact that he mentions >!Vosters are long lived. So why can't starlings be long lived too?!<

The fact that I don't believe it's >!emery!< is because she's >!gone for 24 summers/years!< and Odessa is 23. I think Caspia >!visions show emery did return to Oleana, and is going after Caspia and Xandra!< which is catching up to where Odessa is in the story. Idk call me crazy, but I find it weird that it was glossed over. Like >!odessa never mentions it, or is wondering if ransom potentially killed her aunt!<

I also 100% believe the 1 eyed bariwolf is >!Xandra!< and is what started the lyssa infection because >!she is a starling, and the magic in calandra is wrong. Plus ransom had that vaccine his mom made!< I hope with that knowledge they are able to find a way to cure Ransom.

I do think >!emery!< is going to show up in book 3. It was too much cliffhanger in >!caspia's vision to not be significant!< I'm also wondering if >!Odessa is going to start having visions now. Since she is feeling the thrum!< I know a lot of people thinks it's >!caspia's vision!< but it happens in Odessa's pov, and that never really happens unless Odessa is >!reading about the visions!< and she's not. It just happens out of nowhere I feel. Again I could be reading too into it, but that's the feeling I get from it.

Also I do want to mention that Brother Skore, I believe, mentions that >!not all of caspia's visions come/came true!< yes Odessa does run into some of them irl, but there are ways to avoid it. As we've seen with >!Kos and the bread!<

Overall I did enjoy the book. There were parts that I got really frustrated with. Like what all the secrets???? Can't people just communicate with each other???? Would I give the book 5 stars? No, but I think 3 stars is good enough. It was a fun read, but wish it was fleshed out a bit more. Like why didn't we get more Ransom POV's????? What was he doing the entire time?

{Rites of The Starling by Devney Perry}

So I'm one of the students that took a class with Dr. Hossain. I did not do good in his class, I got a C. I mean I passed, but I'm not happy about it. Idk what is was with this class, but it felt like whatever we studied it didn't match up with his tests. Many of us kind of gave up towards the end.

I can take anatomy and physiology next semester, but I'm wondering if I should just retake the class. Will the grade hurt my chances of getting into the nursing program?

I'm also taking the time this summer to independently study anatomy and physiology, so that this doesn't happen again.

Just for background information. I have read several Grady Hendrix books, and I'm not the hugest fan of his work. Something about the way he writes doesn't do it for me.

Other books I have read:

September House - liked this one mostly until the ending

A Head Full of Ghosts - this one I really enjoyed
Diavola - this one was a DNF. Let me know if it gets better.

The Last House on Needless street - I was super confused most of this book. The ending was okay.

The Haunting of Gillespie House - I don't remember much of this one, but I believe I enjoyed the short story at the end of it more.

Middle of The Night - this one kept me on my toes

I Was a Teenage Slasher - I DNF'ed this one. I just couldn't. Maybe gory isn't my thing.

Mexican Gothic - This one was okay. Had a weird premise

La Hacienda - I liked this one a lot. Much more than Mexican gothic.

We Used to Live here - I'm going to be honest. I didn't get this one. I know there's supposed to be different timelines or whatever, it just makes it confusing. Then there's supposedly an ARG? It just felt like it did too much.

The Sun Down Motel - I liked this one a lot, until the very ending. It felt like a let down tbh.

The Guest List - this one I enjoyed quite a bit, and the ending was a bit sad. Still think about this one.

Wrong Place Wrong Time - I don't this counts as suspense/thriller or horror. I enjoyed it for the most part, when they tried to explain time travel or w/e it lost focus I feel.

Haunting of Hill House - I enjoyed it. Entirely different from the show, but for being written 60 years ago it holds up.

Hidden Pictures - this one I will say has kind of a sad/cute ending. I enjoyed the suspense of it.

Home Before Dark - the ending pissed me off so much with this book.

Pet Sematary - I didn't find this one scary, but I was kind of grossed out with the descriptions. I guess that is what Stephen King is known for, his disturbing writing. I enjoyed it nonetheless. I haven't read any of his other books.

I have some books I'm thinking of reading, I'm just in a reading slump.

-strange picture
-strange houses
-Stephen kings on writing and different seasons
-slewfoot (I keep dnf'ing and idk why)

But I feel like I want more of a truly scary haunted house story. More paranormal in a sense I guess. I was also reading a lot of romantasy for a while.

So a little backstory, real quick, on this house. We moved into the neighborhood in 2019. So we've been here for a few years, and have seen a few things with our neighbors house.

A month after moving in there was a bunch of cops cars in front of the house, and a forensics team. They were there for hours, not sure how long because I ended falling asleep. Clearly somebody died, but we never found out how. Wether it was a murder or from old age, we don't know. Never saw anything in the newspaper.

Anyway few months later a new family moves in. Everything seemed normal, until it wasn't. At one point I remember looking out the window, and I saw a man put a woman wrapped in sheets in the back of his car. Then he left. I remember asking my husband if I should call the cops, and he had said no. Maybe they were going to the hospital.

The next day cops showed up at the house, and they brought the man out. It looked like they were questioning him, and then they left. I will say that we have never seen that woman before, and haven't seen her since. It was really weird.

So after that things kind of calm down, and then my husband texts me that cops are about to show up at the house in front of ours. He was working at the police department at the time, and saw the police dispatch. Apparently the man in the house was getting a divorce from his wife. Now his wife, we've seen multiple times. Not the other lady. Anyway there was a restraining order set in place, and he had shown up at the house. It seemed like a very messy divorce. We would witness the cops showing up a few more times, until they move out and the house goes for sale.

The house ended up sitting vacant for over a year. There had been some contractor come by, and do some things to the house. Fix the roof, and the siding. Put in new windows, etc. the previous neighbors had been renters, so I guess there was some damage done.

Then one day the for sale sign goes down. The house is still sitting vacant at this point, but a white unmarked van would come by and then leave. It's extremely loud too, so we know when it shows up and leaves. It was like that for weeks. They would come by for 30 minutes to an hour, and then leave. Here recently the van has been staying there parked overnight. I've seen somebody come out of the van multiple times, and go into the house. Sometimes with a bag of fast food, or just a white shopping bag.

While all of that sounds normal, and maybe I've got a new neighbor. The thing is that we've never seen a moving van, or anybody moving furniture in. The house still looks vacant. The windows still have the new installation stickers on them. So something extremely weird is going on with that house.

I've joked with my husband that it must be some sort of meth lab, and that I hope it doesn't catch fire or explode. But now I'm thinking what if it's something more sinister? What if the house has bad energy all around, and attracts suspicious people?

Idk man, that van is only there at night. I've never seen it during the day. I try not to spy on the neighbor and mind my business, but I can't help but notice the sketchy behavior.

Anyway I stay on my side of the sidewalk, and I don't go near that house. It gives me creeps.

She hasn't even started school yet, and our school district lets us pick the school we want her to go to. As long as there's room available, and we're early enough for registration. We're hoping that she gets into the Montessori elementary school, which they consider a "magnet" school.

For some reason when they took her to get tested, I started tearing up. I looked at my husband and said "I don't know how I'm going to handle, when she goes to school in the fall." Then I just couldn't keep it in.

My daughter had not a care in the world, that she was walking away with a stranger. My husband was even like "I think she's ready"

It felt so embarrassing. It's not even the first day of school, and I'm already crying. The staff were sweet, they offered me sticker and a lollypop lmao. I told them I'm a stay at home mom, so I'm just emotional that she's going to be starting school soon.

I know I shouldn't take what my daughter says too seriously. She was having a meltdown on Mother's Day, after spending time with her cousins. I didn't go because I wanted the day to myself, and was turning in assignments before the end of the semester. Anyway she comes home in a bad mood, throwing a fit, because my husband had to go back to the car to get a late birthday present she got.

I'm getting on to her because she's kicking and throwing things. This is not like her at all, and I'm shocked. She then starts telling me that she likes daddy better. This crushed me. Since then she's been saying she loves daddy more. I seriously wanted to go hide in my room and cry for a bit.

At this point I'm kind of bitter towards my husband. I'm the one with her all day, everyday. I take care of her. I'm the one that deals with her temper tantrums. Also the one that sleeps next to her at night. My husband is an involved parent, but for whatever reason when she gets upset it sets him off and he can't handle it. Usually I have to get involved, or he just keeps escalating the issue.

So idk I'm just sad. When I was a little girl. I was super close with my mom. I guess I was hoping she would want to be close with me too. Maybe it's just the fuck you 4's and she knows what to say to hurt me, when she's mad.

My daughter just turned 4 and I was wanting to see if I can get her into Pre-K in the school district, I picked one of the Montessori schools as a school choice. Now I have to take her to get some testing done?

Like what are they testing a 4 year old on? She knows her shapes and colors. We've been working on letters and numbers. She struggles counting to 10, because it doesn't interest her. She'll start listing off random numbers.

But what are they testing them on?

I'm trying to remember when I was going into kinder, my parents put me in a private school. So I had to get tested, but all I remember seeing were shapes. I don't know what to expect, or how to prepare her.

Anybody that has any experience please let me know. Even just telling me it's just shapes or whatever is helpful. I'm just nervous for her.

So I took a really really long break from ddv. I think the last time I played Cinderella hadn't been added yet, but she had been announced. I got back in like a or two before Pocahontas was added.

I know they aren't doing outfit or decor challenges anymore. Which I get because it didn't matter, people would downvote if the the outfit and decor wasn't cohesive with the challenge that week.

I'm seeing people saying that they're doing worse, than before. I'm on the other hand doing better. I remember before the change I would consistently get 300-600 moonstones. The highest I got was 900 moonstones, before the change. I've done I think 3 or 4 challenges so far and I've gotten 1200-1500 moonstones. So I've been really happy, however I've seen people really upset.

Did they change the voting system itself? Is it algorithm problem? Or are there less people doing DreamSnaps?

Maybe it's just a combinations of things going on. It just sucks to see so many people upset.

So I just completed Tiana's friendship quests. While the storyline for it was really cute, and I liked how it ended with celebrating Mardi Gras, I just felt that it was quite short. Which got me into thinking about other things. So here is my list. (Also it's taken me since Tiana was added to get her to lvl 10. I tend of hyperfixate on the game, and then abandon it for a few months. Then the cycle begins.)

I would like to see more levels for the player. When we first start we level up, and get rewards. When the game first came out I thought they would add 10 levels for every dlc, or even for major updates. Which did not happen. Once we got to level 40, that was it. Which I found strange, since it's a live service game. Like what is the incentive to continue gathering things and crafting? I get that dreamlight is a reward, but that's it and nothing else.

I want longer friendship quests/maybe even more added quests to the ones we already have. Yes I know you can buy dreambundles in the premium shop, but it would be nice to get some during updates or with new dlc.

I want a better camera mode. At the current moment I'm frustrated with how limiting it is. Our character is stuck in one spot, and we cannot move them. We can't even zoom in or out, or even pan the camera to the left or right. I don't want to spend hours trying to get the pose right, with the other villagers.

I want more poses. Even just poses with can we do with villagers would be really cool. We can already do them with Sven, Maximus, khan, and Pegasus. Why not with the villagers in the area, or even just the ones that are following us around.

More base game hairstyles. There's not really a ton of options, and if you want more it's either through the premium shop or a dlc. Which isn't a whole lot either.

That's pretty much it. I hope we get to see more improvement with the game. It's one of my favorites, if not my favorite game. My replacement to the sims 4 unfortunately.