Last month I blogged how I achieved getting ten entries ahead of the My Darling Tragedy publishing schedule due to the week I took off from work. Earlier this month, I had a conflict with someone important to me and the emotional strain it caused disrupted whatever momentum I had going. Therefore, it took me two weeks, instead of the usual one week, to write Orly’s last journal entry. Consequently, I’ve slipped to having nine entries in pocket. Being upset also led to some destructive behavior—I deleted all my author Facebook posts and then my author Facebook page; I deleted all my monthly author newsletters on Substack; I deleted all my book posts on Bluesky; I deleted all the categories and tags on my author blog. I’m still upset by the originating conflict, but I’ve calmed a bit and now feel depressed more than anything else. It was a big deal that I finally finished entry 108: “Cavewoman” yesterday, but now my mind is blank as to what entry 109 will contain.
I bought my first painting in 2026: Fall in Love by Tomoe. I purchased it from a gallery in Kyoto. It was a therapeutic purchase. Prior to the conflict I mentioned, I had been feeling down about workload stress at my day job and spent a couple hours one evening after work browsing artwork online. I’m drawn to square paintings, but I especially liked this painting for its color palette, texture, and floral depiction. I said it was a therapeutic purchase as there is something restorative about witnessing beauty, maybe even in searching for it. Anyhow, I hung it in my office.
This morning I hosted Silent Book Club Virtual for the first time as the official host. There was next to no dead air which is what always made me nervous when I’ve stood in as host in the past. We spent the bulk of our discussion time talking about classics and the pressure often applied to read them. The arguments, including my own, were on both sides. I also announced a game of Book Bingo for the members to play for the remainder of 2026.
Spotify made some updates that will discourage listeners like me to repeat the same songs over and over again. As a result, over the past week I’ve listened to ILLIT and BABYMONSTER a little less, and listened to more of the music I listened to growing up and during college: Bauhaus, Joy Division, Current 93, Death in June, Sisters of Mercy, Sex Gang Children, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, Virgin Prunes, and even Kill Sister Kill. I wonder if Orly’s upcoming journal entries will see a shift in tone as a result as I do usually listen to music while writing. Maybe Orly and Rosanna will start wearing ripped fishnets and carrying lunch boxes.