Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1504: Sitting in a Café

Posted on May 22, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

Doing the whole sitting in a café, idyllically, thing again. It’s not a bad way to be. Was hoping to be at work sooner, but you can’t win ’em all.

Was hoping to have coffee at home too, but the kettle that’s there is rusted heavily on the inside and so instead I’m sitting here, just vibing as the kids say. Just enjoying life, auramaxxing, that kind of thing. The weather is shit, but life is good.

Still losing a lot of money, but continuing on. That’ll stop soon. Tonight I’m getting back to cooking, prepping lunches, all those things. Getting back to being healthy, and working hard on it. Going to make the last of this year my year. Nearly halfway through, there’s still plenty of time to turn things around. Plenty of time to get into a better position, but need to make the most of every day and all that. And I will!

So I sit here and I beaver away on this bit of writing, and it’s a good day. It’s a bad day but it;s a good day. It’s heavy weather, but pleasant weather, and cool and warm and I’m already sweaty, but I won’t be later. I’ll be all snug and wrapped, and I can get on with the getting on and all that razzmatazz. And things will be fine and continue on, because I can make it happen so long as I put the work in, and by golly I’m gonna.

But right now, in this moment, sitting here is nice. Sitting here is pleasant. I’ve a moment to pause and think and relax a bit, so I am relaxing. I am taking it easy. Gotta do a big rush home this afternoon and that won’t be fun, but that’s for later. For now, I’m just gonna take it easy. I’m gonna enjoy my coffee and the easy music, and I’m gonna appreciate life as it currently is, because I’m alive and I can make things happen, and I will. I will work on it and make things happen.

Well, I hope I will. There is always no telling as to what will happen down the road, of course, but that’s not an issue right now. Right now it’s all about just getting on with the getting on, and moving out of survival mode and getting back into a position of improving. Lowering stress, calming down, appreciating what I currently have. Living life and all that.

I think this café is getting to me. I think its hipness is striking me down in ways I never expected. It’s changing my position in life and making me become “down” with the “lingo” of today.

But seriously, I’m just feeling happy. Sweaty, tired, wrecked, but happy. Things are okay, and they’re getting better. Just need to keep on working on it until they are where need to be, and where I need to be. If I don’t do that, then I’m backsliding. Rather walk forward.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 07:10:43

I thought I shared this earlier. Didn’t, apparently.

Anyway, bit of a mess, bit not a mess. Sits somewhere around there.

Written at Dirty Red.

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Yoshino Aoki: Curse

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

One listen.

Was a little blindsided by how short this song is. Not sure why – I saw the length – but I was. Still, I think I wrote well about something coming from it. I was hoping to get across a darkened space and that didn’t quite happen, but I’m still happy with the result.

Yoshino Aoki’s (青木佳乃) “Curse” (“呪い”) is from the soundtrack for Breath of Fire IV, Breath of Fire IV: Original Soundtrack.

I hope you enjoy.

—

The sound of a cymbal, or bell, or some sort of percussion whilst chanting steadfastly progresses. Something neutral and stale, but also something seemingly with menace. No malice, but menace.

The space is haunted and thick with some sort of evil, or rather a heavy, ominousness sensation. Perhaps some sort of despair at being able to prevent the inevitable.

It continues on, unabated, spreading what it must until it fades out and the song ends.

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Forming Breaking Mountains

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

Another wave photo.

Not sure about how this one looks overall, but the way the water is churning makes it look like mountains to me.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s “Monochrome Madness” for this week. The next one is hosted by Leanne and she has chosen “Woods, Rainforests and Bushland” as her theme.

This challenge is open to all, and I recommend joining in. If want to, check out more information about it here, and include the tag “monochrome-madness” when you share your photo. If you’d prefer not to join in, then at the least check out Leanne’s photography, and what other people submit.

I hope you enjoy.

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Backlit Dark Space

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

A slight story regarding to how I got to this photo.

Last week I was taking my camera in for servicing and decided to take some photos for the upcoming “Monochrome Madness”. Got the shots, put my camera in, headed on home. Had the cards with me and, once I got the camera back I was going to put them back in and move the photos over. Don’t have a reader. That’s fine.

Camera is still being serviced.

So I decided to do some digging as I don’t want to miss a week, found this photo. It’s an internal photo, sure, but streetlights are visible and provide some of the lighting, as well as add to the light line, so I feel it counts.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s “Monochrome Madness” for last week. It was hosed by Brian of Bushboys World and he chose “Street-lights by day and at night” as his theme.

This challenge is open to all, and I recommend joining in. If want to, check out more information about it here, and include the tag “monochrome-madness” when you share your photo. If you’d prefer not to join in, then at the least check out Leanne’s photography, and what other people submit.

I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1503: I’m Okay

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

So I’m sitting at a café right now and I don’t know the name of it. I think it’s Duoly Rob. I can’t tell from the writing as I’m reading the sign and from the inside it’s backwards.

Looking at the cash register, and it’s Dirty Red. Well, I was off.

Anyway, I’m sitting here, typing this out and it’s nice. I’ve just eaten and it’s something that isn’t junk food for a change, and I have to say it’s immensely refreshing. Too much junk, too much unhealthy stuff over the past few weeks. I’ve survived though and I’m here, and things can keep going. Things can keep getting better.

So I’m sitting here, and things feel good. I feel some relief, but I am also really tired. A lot of not enough sleep over the past few weeks, so it’s time to correct that. It’s time to turn things around, or rather keep things going in a positive direction. I think I can do it, and I know I can do it so I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna keep on working on getting better. But I have to put the work in.

There’s still so much uncertainty in my life, but I feel alright at the moment. I feel like things will be okay. Or rather, I feel more like things will be okay than I did a few days ago, a few weeks ago, a few months ago. Still a lot of uncertainty, but I’ll be okay. I’ll be alright. This is a good time to be alive.

I’m sore and I’m tired, but the move is mostly done now and I can rest a little easier. I can take it a little easy, but only a little. Still need to look after myself. Still need to work on getting better. But small steps.

There’s some sort of jazzy math rock playing in the café, and it’s raining outside and I’m in Glebe. It feels incredibly cliché, but I don’t care. I’m enjoying this. A few weeks ago I was here and it was raining and I was heading off to an aptitude test which I ended up passing, then declining the interview. It was upsetting in a way, but it was the right decision.

I was feeling heavy at that time, and I still feel heavy right now, but at least I’ve got some hope coming in, and not hope from desperation, but rather from knowing that I’ve come out okay. Knowing that my friends have my back, and knowing that I can be there for them when I can. Knowing that I won’t end up being homeless. It’s a better time. So I know I can succeed, and that’s my plan. I mean, it always is, but I’m really gonna be pushing hard as soon as I can. I’ve a lot to do still, so I need to get on with doing it, really.

But yeah. Things feel alright. I’m tired, I’m sore. I’m okay.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:58:82

This one is a bit lacking in energy, but that’s fine. I’m feeling pretty rough at the mo from lack of sleep and moving stuff, so this is about the most I can muster.

Written at Dirty Red.

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Smudges

Posted on May 19, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

Of the prettiest form, of course!

This is my submission into the three hundred-and-forty-ninth Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. The theme for this one is “The First Thing I Thought of…“.

The host of the Lens-Artists challenges cycles weekly between the following people:

Tina

Patti

Ann-Christine aka Leya

John Steiner

Sofia Alves

Anne Sandler

Egídio

Ritva

This one is curated by Tina. The next one is curated by Anne.

Because I’m bad at reading, I missed that Patti broke both her wrists in March. She’s sitting out for a while and hoping to make a full recovery by November. Go send her some love.

Also, Beth of Wandering Dawgs is joining the team. It’ll be great to see the challenges she contributes.

I recommend joining the community and participating in the challenges. They’re pretty straightforward, allow room for interpretation, and provide a good way to think about photography in general. If not, however, then at the very least you should check out what others submit to the challenges.

I hope you enjoy.

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Yoshino Aoki: The Distant Holy Lands

Posted on May 19, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

One listen.

Had this one queued up a few days ago, but stuff to handle. Anyway, I think I captured the area in which is song is used more than the song itself, but that also captures the song, so… yeah. I think I did a good job here too. Could be better, but it always can be.

Yoshino Aoki’s (青木佳乃) “The Distant Holy Lands” (“聖地はるかに”) is from the soundtrack for Breath of Fire IV, Breath of Fire IV: Original Soundtrack.

I hope you enjoy.

—

A descent upon an ongoing line that rises a little and has woodwind float on from it. More sound drifts and descends and rises here and there, and strings grow large, perhaps dramatic, but remain small. Slow, moving carefully. Moving in a way that suggests an unknown. Reverence, perhaps.

These sounds move with each other, around a space that seems untouched by time. Aged, but untouched. There is a stillness that carries the past without preventing it from being in the present. The sounds pull away, that descent changes shape for a moment, moves quicker. Stops, has a response, and then a return to the start.

Moving around the space the sounds do, and take their turns to find where they all meet. They carry that reverence; they carry that importance. They mark tradition and responsibility, and they hold still as they move and change. They move controlled, retempered, and they move toward a fade as the song ends.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1502: Everything Written and Then Some

Posted on May 19, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

So I’m sitting here, doing some stuff before I start work for the day/ Life is okay at this moment. I’m in a building and there are windows nearby, but the closes one that’s visible from where I am… isn’t that far away. The easiest one to look through is also not that far away, but it’s much farther.

Today is just another day. I head on home, pack the last of my stuff, head on over to the new place. Might pick up a few things along the way. Don’t know yet. But there is stuff to do and take care of and I’ll be taking care of it. Don’t have a choice at this point.

Saw my ex for the last time yesterday, and it hurt a little, but I’m not feeling it so much. Maybe it contributed to my intense dreams last night. Probably a lot of things did.

I’m really looking forward to eating something healthy soon. I’ve been subsisting on takeout far too much, and to be honest it’s not a great way to be. My gut is not happy. I’m not happy. But it’s kept me going.

Last few things to pack this afternoon and then I’m out. Back tomorrow morning to throw out more rubbish, but otherwise the work is done, and it’s a relief. Tiring, tired, very much looking forward to sleep which I won’t be getting tonight, but you make do with what you can at any given moment. Looking forward to having that rest.

So I’m writing in a new and familiar space, and I’m sitting here and feeling uncertain, but excited. The mood is down and up, but those waves are starting to settle. They’re settling and I’m feeling things return to me, and hopefully that means I’ll be writing less about myself and more about whatever else comes to mind. I don’t know if that will indeed be the case, but I hope. I always hope, and now is no different. There’s a lot to do over the next twelve months, anyway, and so I need to be able to get through it all. Need to end things on a bang, even if it is a very quiet and polite bang.

So… what now? I could say so much about moving house right now, but I’m yet to do it. I’m yet to actually be out, and doing so right now doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel good, or honest. I want those feelings and expressions to be fairly fresh, or at least tempered after the whole experience is done. That’s what I want, but I also want to start now. I don’t know. I’ve got other things to cover anyway, so I’ll probably get to those first. Get a few things out of the way, get back to getting everything written and then some.

For now I’ll just wrap this up and then get on with the other things. Then finish getting ready, and then start working.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:30:88

Not great, but an improvement.

Written at work.

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Last Night in This House

Posted on May 18, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

I’m trying to work out if I should write this under a time constraint or not, but it doesn’t matter anyway. I’m sitting here at this desk at night one last night in this house. Tomorrow I leave, then come back, because there’s still packing and work that needs doing. Right now I don’t do that. Right now I just prepare for tomorrow, and then once I’ve done that… yeah. Sleep, I guess.

Actually I’ll have to dismantle the desk, but once that’s done, rest.

There have been plenty of good times and plenty of bad times in this house. I’ll miss the suburb more than the house itself. I certainly won’t miss the Andrew Tate lookalike who couldn’t handle being told no when it came to blasting music. I won’t miss him. I also won’t miss the copious amounts of dust that this house collects.

I will miss being near a park and a pool and a Flower Power, but new things are on the way. I’ll survive this. I’ll get past it all, and maybe things will be better. Yet to be determined. I’ll find out soon enough.

I wish that this move wasn’t happening under such rough circumstances, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. All I can do is persevere.

So, I guess now it’s time for me to do a little bit of dismantling followed by some rest. I thought I’d have more to say right now, but I don’t, and that kind of sucks, but what am I gonna do? It’s all sorts of sad and all sorts of positive anticipation, but more sad than anything. But this still is fine and okay, and I’m gonna wake up tomorrow and do what I need to do.

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Wartortle

Posted on May 17, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

Here we have wartortle. Started a few days ago, finished today.

I tried to put it on a rock platform at sea, and it looks more like a cliff, and it ended up being during bad weather as that seemed to work best.

I hope you enjoy.

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