I wasn't sure what I planned to do for this but today lobbed a few things my way. My question to you, what are some every day things that have sparked a story or a character or a scene. There is so much out there, good and bad, that make its way into my stories. How about you?

Here's just the things from the last few days like somehow ending up on an Italian American substack It promises podcasts too and beyond thinking I need to find the podcasts, I am eyeing the ace/aro haunted challenge (see below) and I see two college kids finding haunts in Pittsburgh and doing an Italian-American history-haunts podcast.


Then I saw this video from my friend's hike to Lake Alma pop up

I had a few thoughts about a character, like me, who wanted to go on this hike and then see, from this clip, they were NOT at the top of the Island. I suspect that's because 240 people showed up. Look at that number and boggle. This would be a good opportunity to work on complex emotions like disappointment mingling with relief (because seriously that many people would have annoyed me)

And then this morning Mom tells me about these new shoes she got from Amazon. They're diabetic shoes like I told her to get and yes they're comfortable but they're going back.

Me: why

Mom: because the soles are a little worn AND someone wrote Cheryl F. in Sharpie on both shoes. You know what that means

Me: you got dead woman nursing home shoes.

Mom: exactly!

Me: who had the nerve to send back written on shoes and how did this seller have the balls to resale them as NEW. (mom go report them once you get your money back)

But also me...who was Cheryl F. What was her life like? Why does this feel like the beginning of a hallmark romance-mystery.


Open Calls


Gavagai Unthemed horror (it's some new social platform)


RDG Books Is Open To Horror Novels

Aspec Paranormal Anthology Stories that centre asexual and aromantic characters (or identities that fall under those umbrellas) in a paranormal context (low pay but I still might try it)

Waxen Volume 2 Occult/weird horror, with an eye for experimental work

HORRIFIC: Tales of the Dying and the Dead Theme: Body, erotic, folk, gothic, historical, humor, Native American, nautical, occult, paranormal, psychological, pulp, quiet, religious, splatterpunk, and supernatural horror.

one romance, one horor and one editor open call


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I tried to go to the foothills festival today (since there was no No Kings near me that wasn't at least an hour away and I'm not convinced I wouldn't have been fired if I had been seen). It was supposed to be at the art deco theater I had tickets for to see 'Night Mother. It wasn't open when I got there. I did see it in the news so where it was I have no idea.

Speaking of those tickets I went to the library to give them back.

Me: sorry I have an obligation friday. If you still have the list from the door prizes you can give these to someone else

Librarian - grabbing more tickets, can you go sunday?

me: nope I'm out all weekend

librarian - we'll think of something.

Me: use them yourself. It's a gift from me Byeeeeee!

So here was the history write up I've been planning to share for two days

Turns out not every ticket holder for the Uptown Upstairs history walk (there was over SIXTY of us, yay for that. They made over a grand on ticket sales) knew that Sixth Sense (the brewery I like in town) was a sponsor AND giving 25% off with the tour bracelet.

That included the bartenders (who asked management without a fuss) but damn, management TELL your bartenders there’s a damn event. Those poor women had no idea they were about to be overrun. I got a pumpkin spice martini (don’t judge) and I’m writing this down for me later vanilla vodka, bailey’s irish cream, cinnamon simple syrup and pumpkin spice liquor (that sounds pricey and unnecessary. I bet I could whip up the same pumpkin puree I use in coffee, yes it would be thicker but you wouldn’t need much). And I ordered their cheesy pickles (I haven’t been there in more than a year because someone new had taken over Arch and Eddie’s and it wasn’t as good. These were all new apps. I wonder if Arch and Eddie’s has these as they may be 2 different owners now) It was cream cheese, mozzarella and pickle spears in an egg roll wrapper. Very good but I got my 10$ app’s money’s worth out of it. there were FOUR of them. (I put those in the cooler in the car)

I can tell a) Lilian Jones Museum was not prepared for this many people b) again no one knows how to communicate. It was a good idea to break us into 4 groups (each group going to each of the four stops) BUT instead of letting the Leos (some young girl group who were our guides to the buildings) to rotate in a certain pattern, it was a fucking free for all and it caused problems.

I purposely joined the one going to the Masonic Temple first because it was the furthest down the hill and I thought ‘you have to hill climb to the rest and your car is at the top of the hill so start climbing while you’re fresh and at the end you’ll be on the same street as your car (as two stops were). I have always wanted in this temple but it IS an active lodge so no women allowed (we don’t have an Eastern Stars any more or I’d consider it. It’s all the way out in Vinton and I’m still considering it)

The temple was built in 1891 and it’s a cool building (I might think about trying the beauty salon in the downstairs as I need one. Mine closed) It was also four flights of stairs to climb. (it had a scary chair lift that no one offered to anyone because I wasn’t the only one with a cane) SO glad I picked this first. Also glad we stopped on the second floor first. It’s their social level with pool tables, kitchen and dining hall.

Upstairs just outside the temple itself is a masonic sword. This sword had been stolen by the Confederate soldiers by Morgan’s Raiders. However, Morgan was a Mason and he made them put the sword back (they kept the jewels and other bric a brac). The temple was interesting with three throne like chairs, some iconography with worlds on poles and naturally they told us nothing about any of that but went into every year of the history (no dudes, short keep it short).

( The Masonic Temple )


We walked to the next nearest building, the former Stiffler building (is it me or does everyone think of American Pie when they hear that surname?) And already it’s off the rails. Another group beat us to it so our guide (the adult leader of the Leo’s) decided we were walking up town and coming back to this. But that’s all the way up the hill and down two blocks. No way I was backtracking. I just joined the other group. Stop me if you can!

Anyhow, Stiffler’s was a department store opening in 1923 but before that it was the IORM building, the Improved Order of the Red Man (oh dear god), another one of those men’s orders that were so popular 150 years ago. It had a sister organization the Improved Order of Pocahontas. One person was shocked that the group didn’t let white people into it until the 1960s (a woman way too old for this to have been a revelation, seriously).

They hadn’t turned on power to the upstairs in years (this is where that new antique shop is. I think I was wrong about it closing, along with the quilt shop and the back in time toy store). I should have brought a mask. Taking pictures it looked like a damn snowglobe. There wasn’t much left (the idea that an exit door was bricked over was haunting). They did warn us it was creepy ….and it kinda was. There was a rack of old clothes. A forgotten piano. A Pocohantas/Redman portrait that was succumbing to the elements), an ancient kitchen and a room that had a large hole in the wall. I looked in there and took pictures. The columns were painted. It looks like silk wallpaper peeling off the forgotten walled up room.

( Stiffler's Department Store )


Now I’m more or less on my own so I hike up to the next building which was the one I wanted to see most. It was a used car dealership when I moved here (Dodge) and now it does a local taxi service but in the late 1800s it was the Grand Opera House. I KNEW it had to be something other than a car dealership in the pasts but I hadn’t known what. This one broke my damn heart. What remains tells you how beautiful this was but they gave us masks due to all the bird droppings inside (is this even safe for the workers down below?!?) We could only go so far because the floor isn’t safe (I repeat my question) .


I took all the pictures. ALL of them. Soon they will be all that’s left. One side had old shelves from the car dealership. The rest was the remnants of a fresco ceiling, hand drawn Greek goddesses and gods, cherubs, oh it had to have been beautiful once.


Funny thing is it never had permanent seating, just chairs that could be moved because a couple times a week they’d pick them all up so kids could rollerskate. It had live shows and in the 1920s-30s it had movies. Under the Gaslight was the last show there in 1937. A decade later it was Coll car dealership (which is what it was when I moved here) Which haha, THIS it the 1890s play that gave us the woman on the train track trope read more here.


I talked to the guide and commiserated. There’s not going to be any saving this building. It would take millions. It’s in private hands which takes it out of the realm of most grants. It’s going to go the way of the Memorial Building (they’re tearing it down right now). It’s a shame. This should have been saved. And seriously WHY if you had a damn business downstairs did you not at least keep the roof healthy?!?

( 1883 Grand Old Opera House )


I had one more building to hit, the old radio station. I’ve been downstairs when it was the radio station (they moved up the street to a less beat up place). I had no idea what this had been originally. I was there alone. The rest of my last group didn’t show up. We waited, the two young ladies so worried about me getting up the stairs. Babies, I’m fine. We waited more, no one showed and I said can I just go up alone?


Nope, they escorted me in case I fell (okay it’s sweet but it was obvious I could walk up effortlessly because either they built the stairs well and wide or they had be replaced sometimes in the century). So I get up there and the guide lit up seeing me (I think people skipped this building because from the outside it’s not as exciting) but as it turns out this was built as a Ford dealership in 1915.


Not only that, it has a ramp to the SECOND floor where the dealership was. Why? I don’t know. I mean there wasn’t much to see but I got some pics of the ramp (wait, girls you wanted me to walk down the ramp?!? Are you nuts?) And with that I was done. It was fun, worth the ticket price.

( Ford Dealership )

Okay I forgot I had a ghost thing today so you'll get the history stuff tomorrow.

As for the ghost thing, I went with TH to the Bossard Library for Stories of Ohio's Haunted Places. It was entertaining but not what I was hoping for. I was expecting paranormal investigation. I got stories instead. He was in his 70s and as he told the stories he'd reveal an antique that somehow linked into the story. So for me it sort of made them feel more like campfire stories than real but some I know of from other places like the Gray Lady of Camp Chase Cemetery in Columbus.

ALso he was a bit of a show man. Each item did a little 'haunted item' thing so he has some stage magic training. Over all he was fun.

Title: Can't Ever Keep From Falling Apart at the Seams

Summary: Angel has been pushed one step too far by Valentino’s abuse and comes undone. Luckily Husk is there to help him pick up the pieces only he’s not sure if his advice is helping.

Rating: teen

Notes: Written for whumptober 2025 for the day 9 prompt - “We’ll make it alright to come undone.”
Also written for Spikesgirl58’s six word challenge. The words were Pudding, Ground, Produce Continuous, Irony, & Illustrate and the lyrical titles bingo challenge for the prompt a 90s song. I chose Come Undone by Duran Duran

( story under here )

And now some stories.


Kiss Her Goodbye Torchwood

Remorse Babylon 5

I Will Never Forget This Hazbin Hotel

Made to Be Broken Oz

Ending and Beginning Oz

Merry-Go-Round Oz

Routines Oz

Holidays in Oz OZ

Always Going Home Torchwood

Hangover Hell FAKE

Fool Me Once T he Owl House

It's Rather Complicated Hazbin Hotel

On Little Cat Feet The Trixie Belden Mysteries The Three Investigators

TOH Cookbook zine: From scones to hearth (my art contributions!) The Owl House

Do We Have a Plan? Helluva Boss

This Business is Cereal The Owl House


That’s Entertainment! Torchwood


Distracted The Fantastic Journey

Does This Help You Addams Family

failure shouldn’t be this cute 陈情令 | The Untamed

Changes in Leadership Teen Wolf

Essentials. Torchwood

Had to be at my dentist this morning. I remember why I like him so much but damn I wish it wasn't 2-3 months even on an emergency appointment. He said that yes there is a bone spur and a broken buccal plate where they pulled out the tooth, so nothing unexpected there. It'll take months to fill in but that wasn't why I was there. My first crown is a problem child. It is 22-23 years old, had it put on in FL. It was a metal and porcelain style and I've spent two decades reacting to the metal in my gum. But it's now old. It's worn down badly in the back and it no longer fits well. Mostly it's a great place for food to get up under and be a pain in the ...well mouth. We're going to pull it off and replace it as soon as shit-ass insurance says yes. I go from there to the library because I won theater tickets. I was SO HAPPY! I won tickets to the Markay (the art deco theater saved from destruction and is such a nice place) I was thrilled until I got from there to my coffee house and looked up the play 'night, Mother Ooooo it's Halloween so surely this is horror, right? RIGHT? No, it sounds depressing AF about an epileptic divorced mom talking to HER mother about what to do when she dies because she's killing herself tonight. The whole play is two women. talking. ABOUT SUICIDE. Oh hell no. I'm taking the tickets back and telling them, thanks but see if someone else wants them because i have a conflict with the date (sounds better than I don't wanna see a play about suicide, not with my own issues) So disappointed. Wanna guess how many of the seven meds I was texted about that CVS actually filled? Did you guess one? Here's a gold star. I will never use their text service again. I had to go back up to Jackson later for the Uptown Upstairs history tour. I have a write up. Will share tomorrow (in theory) because I haven't had time to get the pics off my camera. I did have to get my ticket today at the Lillian Jones Museum (a cat followed me in. I should have carried him across the street which is where it lives and that's a busy road but I feared he'd cross back again) turns out the woman there got her nursing degree at my uni in the 1980s and remembers the people I started with. Speaking of nurses, the afternoon class did better and my majors did MUCH better this time

So I found out my friends who do paranormal investigations are doing a public investigation in MY area for once, out on the island in Lake Alma. It used to be an amusement park with casino (the turn of the century dance hall kind not the Vegas kind). There are a few known haunts. I was so excited until I read the fine print. It's at the TOP of the hill on the island which is rugged, steep and does not have a trail to the top. I couldn't make that hike in the daylight let alone in the dark.

I hate that my accident took so much from me. Sigh.

In happier news today was my local library's 50th anniversary at their location plus the opening of their imagination garden. It's a native flower and sound garden. I had to play with the metal flowers and make noise. I might go make more noise. The library had appetizers/desserts plus a local choir (that I hadn't known existed) who sang about 6 songs (not particularly well but they enjoyed themselves and hell, why not?)

CVS, upon me asking why text me to refill scripts and when I get there you tell me it was too early to fill them. WHY TEXT ME?, says and I quote 'we can't control the bot that texts' OMFG

(  rant that includes blood and gore )

So fannish 50 today is going to be ALL kinds of cool shit from NYCC. ... okay cool things that interest me because hey, this is my blog.

I did listen to this for the better part of a year but have yet to see the animation is this S2...3 I don't even know at this point (I don't have prime) but it looks good (did love the gaming sessions)


Don't know if I have other TADC fans on here but here's a sneak peek of S7 (an official one. I don't look at leaks) I do not like where they're taking Zooble/Gangle with the Jax bashing (yes he's a bullying ass but this isn't really better)


This song from Lackadaisy is really good. I do hope to see the animation come out now than Glitch picked it up (kinda, sorta) and I hope I can catch up so I too can be there complaining I wish she'd finish this (but no seriously, finish it)

Speaking of Glitch this is all cool. I will say I only got half way thru both Murder Drones and Gaslight District before I wandered off. They weren't bad but I got busy and only had time for half...but never went back.


And this second song from Hazbin is an absolute banger. If you listen to nothing else in this post, listen to this (also I wanna see her Fall!)


and here are two short videos. this first one is a lot of fun. Look at what they did to advertise Hazbin
in NYC it's so cool


all the new Hazbin merch take away me wallet



Also I got 3 handmade cards today from Cat Scarlet, Flippy and stonepicnicking_okapi thanks everyone they're cool