⛤ July Q&A (Patreon)

blessed august! as my long awaited blood banquet sequel is finally rendering, I am playing catch-up with everything else in my life. I honestly don't even know where to begin clearing my head. it's so full I can barely function. so forgive me if I'm a bit slow and a bit unenthusiastic. the past months of incessant focused attention this video has demanded of me have left me utterly burnt out and easily overwhelmed. I can't wait to do something easy for a change. 

so I'll cut right to the chase. you've submitted questions - I'm here to answer them. 

Are you interested in Norse mythology? Not really. It doesn't grab my attention nearly as much as folktales and legends from other regions of the world and I can't say why.

Do you like grilled cheese sandwich? Yes. I make the best grilled cheese sandwich with a fresh sourdough loaf from a well known local bakery and cheddar jack. But only very occasionally because that sourdough loaf is like $6. It's still worth it because the texture of the pan fried (in butter ofc), airy, crispy, chewy bread and the gooey, melty cheese is to die for. 

What kind of food did you and Jack try in Denmark? Ironically - ramen. That's the first restaurant we tried out on our honeymoon in Copenhagen, as there are no ramen restaurants where I'm from in Germany and I can never pass up an opportunity to try a new food. We also had fish cakes - another thing we couldn't get many places. And I had meatballs with sweet pickles at a Danish restaurant, I can't remember what Jack ordered. Also, obviously, a giant cream puff - we couldn't escape those. There were tons, wherever we looked. Must have been the new trendy baked good when we were there. There's always one that's unnecessarily sensationalized. In the late 2010's it was macarons, a.k.a. the most underwhelming yet overpriced cookie in the world. Though the cream puff was quite good. Just, wow, so god damn much cream... 

Do you have Surf Shack diners in America? There's one in Florida from what I understand. 

Do you have a favorite kind of metal? Symphonic. I definitely lean towards metal that has a recognizable melody, a.k.a. music. I therefore also quite enjoy goth metal. Anything from Type O Negative to the old school Nightwish on the metal spectrum is right up my alley. 

If you don’t mind can you please tell me some cities around the world you’d like to visit? I have no idea. I navigate my travel destinations by landmarks, not cities or even countries. Like I would like to visit a warm water beach if I get a chance. I've only ever been to cold water beaches. And I'd love to visit all of the haunted houses and landmarks in the country. There's a show I used to watch called A Haunting and they would start their intro with "In America, there is real evil..." and I'm like "show me this evil you speak of". I would pay big bucks to have my bed levitated and shit thrown at me by ghosts. I would purchase a haunted house and not just because it seems that that's the only kind of house I may potentially someday be able to afford in my lifetime. 

Three years ago I installed a separate drainage system for my freestanding townhouse. I am now being told that it violates several HOA policies I was unaware of. The HOA has started issuing monthly fines until I remove it, but the fines are small compared to the cost of tearing up the system. However, the HOA chairperson said that if I contest the fines, they will retaliate by fining me retroactively from the date I installed the system. My lawyer says that this constitutes extortion, but I would need to get the chairperson on tape making the threat. What’s the best knot to use when securing a microphone under one’s shirt? I plan to wear a jacket, so if the knot is a little bulky that’s fine. I’ll be using hemp twine, since I already have some for my Etsy business. I find it to be both sturdy and easy to work with. Thanks in advance. I may not be the best person to ask that, seeing as how I've never had to undergo a sting operation on an extortionist HOA Karen. But I don't think the technique would matter, as even a phone recording in a pocket should do the trick. Stories like these is why nobody wants to live in a HOA neighborhood. I hope you give them hell just for being an entitled piece of shit. People like that don't deserve to be rewarded with compliance. 

That cardigan you wore in your recent livestream looked very nice, is it new? No, it's actually one of the first clothing items I bought after moving here. I agree it is very beautiful.

Have you ever knocked one of the candles down behind you and/or got burnt by one of them? I have never been injured by fire, but I have singed my hair and melted a nail or two which is easy enough to do in close proximity to fire. Most of the mishaps that happen with candles, however, are just me putting them out when I go on breaks and forgetting to light them again when I come back and going on my merry way filming all my shots without realizing I never lit the candles. And then having to do everything over again. It's not easy, doing the jobs of a whole production team by yourself. 

This might sound a bit strange but lately I’ve been feeling indifferent and passive about celebrating my birthday and I don’t find it exciting at all. I’ve even gone so far to have it hidden as a notification on facebook and the next step will be to figure out how these feelings came to be which brings me to the question: do you have any advice to give? Do not panic, this is completely normal. As you get older, birthdays just lose significance. After a certain age, we feel there are just more important things in life and we get worn out and less excited about things in general. Your priorities change and you don't care about the same things you used to care about anymore. I would only worry if you stop feeling excited about things and hobbies that used to bring you joy, as that is a blatant sign of depression. If you feel apathetic, unmotivated or struggle to function in your day to day life, talk to a mental health professional. But just on its own, not placing too much significance on your own birthday is just a sign of maturing. 

Do you have any favorite Italian desserts? Cannoli, hands down. Maybe followed closely by a good affogato. Conversely, I am not a big fan of tiramisu. It's one of those overhyped desserts that don't live up to their popularity. 

Do you have a theory as to why some people seem so shocked or doesn’t take you seriously upon finding out you’re aromantic/asexual? Society in general is slow to accept ways of living or ways of being that differ from the status quo. Just look at how long it took us as a society to even begin to wrap our minds around homosexuality and bisexuality. Other expressions of sexuality have not been a topic of discussion until fairly recently, so don't be too surprised if people aren't ready to hear it yet. Someday, this will all become normal and accepted, but until that day, try not to grow impatient with people for not being ready to hear it or consider it. The only way we change society is by being our authentic selves and allowing people to adjust to us. Some are closed-minded enough that they will outright refuse to acknowledge our authentic selves, but I believe the majority of people can and will learn, grow and support whatever makes us happy (that doesn't happen to cause harm to others). 

Do you have any favorite constellations? Not really, hydra is pretty cool though I guess.

Do you like crossword puzzles? Not so much that I would go out of my way to do one. Does anyone even do crossword puzzles anymore? With the decline of physical newspapers, I can't imagine many people are still used to seeing them. 

Do you like to swim? Yes. 

Do you like to run or jog? No, it's sweaty and hurts to breathe.

Have you ever used charcoal sticks for drawings? No. 

Have you ever eaten salmon foil packets? I have not eaten or prepared salmon that way. It seems easy enough, though, and I imagine it saves people time and effort washing dishes. I usually steam salmon in a frying pan and prepare my sides separately, as many require varying cooking times. Especially those pesky, tough sweet potatoes! Why must you be so delicious, yet take so long to cook! If I ever do try it out, I will let you know. 

thank you for your patience with this post and the newest video. the evening sun is shining right in my face but I finally get to check off another box of my ever expanding to-do list. I guess that makes me feel a little less shitty about myself. now I must go and give the beloved senior kitizen her nightly treat and joint supplement.

this is her, my blessed loaf. 

I hope you enjoyed the post and yes, I will kiss our cat for you. 😽 stay hydrated and use your sunscreen.