Not necessarily staying with it...

[tek2way]

I am under no delusion that I'm going to even come close to the level of constant journaling I did back in 2002-2005. I still want to at least "stick" with this, though. It feels more... hmm... "genuine" than modern social media, which seems to be all memes.

So how am I doing? Here's a rundown, I guess, since I feel kinda alien even to myself these days.

Tony in 2023:

• In November 2022, I got the urge to finish watching Kimagure Orange Road again, which I started in 2019. Doing so unlocked the floodgates of nostalgia, and I have been watching anime again, ever since. 80-90% is old stuff (dating back at least 20 years, and some even goes back 40 years). A list of series includes:
  • Super Dimension Fortress Macross TV (1982)/Do You Remember Love? Movie (1984)
  
  
  • Oh My Goddess! OVA (1993)/ Ah! My Goddess Movie (2000)
  
  
  • Bakuretsu (Sorcerer) Hunters (1995)
  
  
  • Urusei Yatsura (1981)
  
  
  • Tenchi Muyo (1992)/Tenchi Universe (1995)/Movies 1 and 3 (1996 & 1999)
  
  
  • Ranma 1/2 TV (1989)
  
  
  • Sailor Moon (1993)
  
  
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion (through End of Evangelion movie) (1995)
  
  
  • Slayers (1995)
  
  
  • ..and many more (Spy x Family is a favorite from this decade, at least :) ).


• In November 2022, I also finally sat down and listened to a song by Babymetal (specifically, a live video where they performed a cover medley of Painkiller/Breaking the Law with Rob Halford). I was struck by just how much fun it was to listen to them. I would later describe Babymetal's music as "where my love of anime, Jpop, and metal intersects". I'm going to see them in Nashville in September. Alone. I'm totally excited and scared out of my mind. :)



• I've been listening to a lot less metal over all this year. I still like metal, but it doesn't quite hit me the same as it used to. I guess that's okay, but it's certainly not what I expected. I'm sure that someone better-versed in trauma responses will make an observation about not "Needing" it anymore, since a lot that used to cause me turmoil is no longer a thing (though I still have plenty of issues).



• I got Covid-19 in January, and wound up having to go to the emergency room as a result, since I couldn't breathe. While there, I learned I had Atrial Fibrillation (Afib), Heart Failure, and Diabetes Type II. I quit vaping, and began studiously tracking my food intake to keep my sodium and carbohydrates within reasonable parameters. I also finally found a primary care doctor, and began trying to take care of myself. As of July 2023, my A1C is down to 5.2 from January's 10.7, my heart ejection fraction is back to normal, and I've lost literally 100 lbs. I'm not done, yet, but the progress makes me happy.



• I lost my job of 2 years, but was rehired by the company that I worked for from 5 years ago until 2 years ago (gotta love corporate shuffling). I will withhold excitement for when I see a paycheck stub, but it looks like I'm making more money.



• My father passed away on June 6, at 83 years old. I'm going to miss the old man, and I wish I had taken more time to talk to him, but there was no animosity -- I think we both realized that I had turned out like him after all.



• I have lost a lot of my desire to play RPGs. Much like metal, it just doesn't grab me like it once did. I still like reading about games, and I love watching documentaries about the history of the game. The Secrets of Blackmoor is rather good.

Well, I guess that's it for now. Take care, anyone who happened to stumble on this journal. With luck, I'll return in a day or two.

Comments

[air_n_darkness]

One of my associates is going to see Babymetal as well. Super stoked to hear all about that one.

I need to sit back down with Sailor Moon. I got really excited by the Cosmos trailer that released a few months back, because Sailor Starlights. No mech yet tho in our store, which is sadness.

Much solidarity on the health journey. I wound up in the ER on the verge of a DKA on my birthday last year. My numbers aren't as good as yours but I finally have an endo appt in Aug to figure out why my sugar is spiking with foods it shouldn't be spiking with. So hopefully something better soonish.

[tek2way]

I’m expecting to have a great time, because the girls in BABYMETAL just look like they’re having so much fun, I find myself involuntarily smiling. I’m sure I’ll do an update once I get back.

I’ve specifically been going through the 1993 Sailor Moon series, as that’s the one I watched and the only one for a long time. I stumbled on Crystal on Crunchyroll, and it’s not bad. I like that the character designs feel closer to the manga, but the modern 12 episode “seasons” make the storyline feel rushed, while simply retreading the story from before. I’m enjoying it, but it’s not perfect. I’m not even familiar with “Cosmos”, and given I have R and S on blu-ray plus another 30 episodes of Crystal, I can afford to wait. (I also have never been able to watch all of the original, so I have no exposure to the Starlights beyond images and certain early stages of the musical.)

I had to Google DKA to even know what it was. That’s scary. I’m glad you’re doing well enough, and hope the endo helps you figure that out.