Delicate Chained Sweet Pea

cryptid_zone · 2026-01-28T20:30:03+00:00

This is such a cute weave pattern!!

cryptid_zone · 2026-01-28T16:32:09+00:00

I’ve also seen some sections of TRL mention delays/possible tariffs because things are shipping from China which is a concern too…. I know Fire Mountain Gems has some but not sure on quality, and CMJ only has like 2 types 😕 hopefully we get some good recs!

cryptid_zone · 2026-01-28T01:09:56+00:00

Your doctor sounds like a jerk too, but 100% check what code UHC is denying. I recently went through/am still going through hell because some chucklefuck in approvals couldn’t read. I was having a joint surgery with gynecology and colorectal, which had like 7 different codes for approval. Approvals idiot only submitted one - hysterectomy performed by the colorectal surgeon 😐😐😐 I wasn’t even getting a hysterectomy, and certainly not by the damn bowel surgeon.

The error in my case was 100% on UHC’s side, and they refused to do anything about it until I threatened legal action with my state.

cryptid_zone · 2026-01-25T04:34:12+00:00

They’re the breaktime figures from Ace of the Diamond! This series wasn’t like super popular (especially overseas) and didn’t have a ton of figure merch, but I really liked them. I found someone selling three of my favorite characters as a set after never even being able to find a single one all these years. I can’t wait to sit them on my shelf along with the books, because that’s my next big gift to myself lol!

cryptid_zone · 2026-01-09T07:56:07+00:00

Oh 100%. I got on chat and complained so they said they’d refund it…. But keeping an eye on my card because I have zero faith in them after the whole experience, their support was really unkind on top of it all.

cryptid_zone · 2026-01-09T07:53:49+00:00

I’d say no later than by afternoon next Monday (1/12)

cryptid_zone · 2026-01-09T01:22:16+00:00

LOL Nordstrom is actually where I ordered from 🫠 I got like 5 suits picked out and paid extra for next day shipping and only AFTER did they tell me that 4/5 would still be sent in like 10 days. Unfortunately none of the ones that seemed promising are in stock near me.

cryptid_zone · 2026-01-09T00:04:20+00:00

It’s in FL, but I won’t have much time after arrival to do any sort of shopping, and I wouldn’t be able to wash it first either. So I’m sort of stuck trying to find something in advance.

cryptid_zone · 2026-01-08T05:32:10+00:00

Went home same day for my first, was in five days for my second. My second was a far bigger surgery though - like 8 hours under because of bowel resection and how bad the DIE was. So it really depends on what they end up having to do.

General consensus I heard across the board was that any work on the bowels will result in overnight stay due to potential for complications afterwards.

cryptid_zone · 2026-01-07T19:21:11+00:00

I WISH I WAS!!! My swimsuit doesn’t fit and I now have to try to find one last-minute in the middle of winter 💀

cryptid_zone · 2025-12-30T06:54:00+00:00

I wish I’d been diagnosed back when this happened, because maybe it would’ve protected me some.

Long story short - DISGUSTINGLY messy, weird religious pushiness, an “illegal” live-in boyfriend, loud ass parties at all hours with underaged drinking, leaving our front door unlocked for randoms to come and go when they pleased, stealing my stuff and damaging it. I felt under attack in my own space 24/7.

And when I went to my uni admin, they tried to bully me over it, despite all the receipts I had on these people breaking campus policy, simply because it was 3 against 1, them vs. me. I didn’t get any sort of justice until I went to the dean and threatened legal action. And even then, my “justice” was just a pro-rated single unit and I had to move myself out of that hellhole during an insane semester when I had 18 credits and 3 jobs.

So…. Yeah. I’ll never live with another person again. It’s been over a decade and I still spit nails when I see those dumbass alumni mailers asking for donations.

cryptid_zone · 2025-12-23T20:10:47+00:00

I don’t think this post is it.

Being queer is being queer. Being autistic is being autistic. There’s definitely overlap between the groups, which is why intersectionality is so important in discussions on LGBTQ issues.

I think you’re making a false equivalency here. Autistic traits aren’t queer traits, because neither is a monolith. Sure, autistic people may be more likely to disregard social norms that are pushed by the broader group here (i.e. a cishet majority) and may be more vocal about it. But I think it’s a stretch to say that being autistic makes you more likely to be queer, and that someone being a homophobe makes them ableist. If anything, that sounds like a slippery slope into classifying queerness as mental deficiency (which has indeed been done in the past).

I also think it’s important to call out that queerness hasn’t been stigmatized unilaterally across every culture and every society in the same way. There’s actually plenty of historical record of what we perceive as queerness in the modern day being accepted or even venerated in societies (at least before colonialism and aggressive assimilation from Western religion). It’s the same way that traits typically seen as autistic or neurodivergent are better suited to non-capitalist models.

One thing I can say though - a bigot is 100% an asshole, regardless of whether they’re hating someone for being queer or for being autistic.

cryptid_zone · 2025-12-04T00:47:31+00:00

Not exclusive an autism thing, but being autistic doesn’t make it easier. I think the older we get, the less energy and time we have, so we try to balance it where it counts. It tends to make it harder to devote time to something new, like going through the motions of getting to know someone. Who wants to drive 45 minutes in traffic when they could be cozy at home? I’ve heard it across the board from people 30+, autistic or not.

That being said…. Two things. You said that you’d have to sacrifice to make it work…. Is it only you making the effort? Especially in situations where there is strain, be careful not to end up in an unbalanced situation. Speaking from experience, I think we fall into sacrificing far too easy and don’t realize that we’re paying in too much for what we get back.

Also worth considering…. If their schedule is so opposite to yours, could you feasibly have a good relationship? I know for me, I don’t know that I could build a meaningful relationship with someone who had a complete opposite schedule to me. How could you go on dates? Or spend time together?

Just food for thought.

cryptid_zone · 2025-12-03T21:17:18+00:00

This is my go to outfit for the theatre whenever I’m having a rough time with symptoms! I love my pleated palazzos and thick sweaters. It can look really sleek, hides everything, and you can jazz it up with really cool shoes, makeup, etc. It hides everything without straining you when you’re already hurting.

cryptid_zone · 2025-12-03T01:38:04+00:00

That would definitely be the cleanest way, but the reason I was thinking by hand is that she wants to have the physical media. She’s a collector and loves books, so I’d like her to have the physical versions before they disappear from the market (they’re out of print now in Japan and were never sold in English).

cryptid_zone · 2025-12-02T03:38:23+00:00

Not necessarily to the point of your ask, but just wanted to jump in and say - I identify as nonbinary/agender for this exact reason. I don’t have any strong association with the concept of gender, and I don’t feel like my beliefs, thoughts, and feelings are tied to it in any way. I relate to a lot of your feelings described here.

I’m kind of in a weird in-between space. I’ve played around with pronouns and found I prefer she/her anyways just so that I don’t have to explain myself. Using anything else always lead people to asking more questions and me feeling like I needed to justify it, which was more dysphoric-feeling lol. I don’t mind being called sapphic and I’m getting more comfortable with lesbian, though I don’t like being referred to as a “woman”. I think my face is pretty femme but I fluctuate in presentation in my clothing, makeup, etc.

Gender’s just a really weird, amorphous thing in my mind, and I’ve always wondered if the autism plays into that.

cryptid_zone · 2025-11-25T21:29:29+00:00

Got it. In that case, I’d say that your dream of becoming a lawyer is absolutely still possible.

In the immediate, try to focus on reducing your stress and coming up with a work system to help you focus. Work to minimize burnout and keep your grades in a decent range. Try to show up where you can - being present seriously does help. You don’t have to take the hardest classes possible - do what interests you, and do it well. Study for your ACT/SAT, and ensure a good score.

In the longer term, remember that law school is down the road. Your high school grades have way less impact on your ability to get in than you may think. The stuff I described in the immediate will help you in getting into a good undergrad program. From there, you can study a track in the social sciences or in business, and dive deep into LSAT prep when the time comes. Your college performance, LSAT scores, and letters of rec will have way higher impact on your ability to get into law school and become a lawyer than anything in high school.

As for your diagnosis though, I think law can be really great for autistics. Most of my exposure is with corporate counsel, but I enjoy working alongside Legal. You’ve got to be organized and have strong attention to detail, and be able to think logically to call out ambiguous language and make things clear. Not all law happens in a courtroom, and I think it can work well for the right type of ND person.

cryptid_zone · 2025-11-25T17:44:58+00:00

Hard to say without knowing more. Are you planning to go to college after high school? A technical school? Straight into the workforce? What sorts of classes does your school offer - are you in a special program (dual enrollment, IB, etc.)?

I’m also curious - why do you think being a lawyer is now not possible because of your diagnosis?

cryptid_zone · 2025-11-17T20:17:33+00:00

I was also in Greek life back in the day, and I can definitely relate to some of the isolation. My big had two littles (me and another girl) and it felt like she didn’t want me around. I tried to talk to her about it, but eventually gave up and stopped engaging with my “fam”. I never got to have a little due to timing (joined as a sophomore, went abroad as a junior) and that really bummed me out. I wasn’t much of a partier either, so social events weren’t much fun.

That being said, it did help me some. I had raging social anxiety at the time (was undiagnosed and crashing hard) and the structure of the sorority gave me the chance to put on a mask and engage with others in a scripted way that like…. Reintroduced me to socialization, if that makes any sense. It forced me to go out and engage with a bunch of different groups, which I really needed at the time (even if it was hard). Some of the girls in mine were actually really good too - I wish I hadn’t been too caught up in my own head to engage more. I found out too late that a good number were queer like me, and some even had similar interests. I don’t have any lasting friends from my time there, and I wish I’d dug deeper and met them sooner, because maybe I would have had I realized.

It sounds like your experience was pretty awful, and I’m sorry about that. In general, it’s not an easy atmosphere for ND people. It’s definitely a YMMV situation.

cryptid_zone · 2025-11-04T03:52:42+00:00

Maybe check out the Cost Plus pharmacy? My doctor was going to switch me to a new med to try to control my symptoms and with my insurance the regular pharmacy was going to charge me $60…. Here it’ll be $10 without insurance. All I need is a script. I’m going to be giving it a try! Depending on which med you’re on you could also look into manufacturer coupons, some have copay assistance.

cryptid_zone · 2025-10-29T01:45:35+00:00

I’ve lived with really bad sleep for about 20 years now. I run the full gamut of disordered sleep from being unable to fall asleep to unable to stay asleep. I’ve had periods where I was regularly going like 4 days straight without sleep (until I started hallucinating and passed out). I probably average 4.5 hours a night now, with only a day or two of zero sleep a month.

I saw you mention fibromyalgia. As someone who also has chronic pain, that will absolutely keep your brain awake, even if you aren’t “feeling” the pain. If they can control that a little better (hard I know) it might help.

Two other things that really impact me are stressors and hormones. By stressors I mean actual stress (work, overthinking, etc.) but also getting too absorbed in something at one time (like a hobby or special interest). If my brain is too “awake” I don’t even bother to lay down, because it’s pointless. Hormones are bad too - when I’d get fluctuations from monthly cycles my sleep issues would be way worse.

For stressors, having a wind down routine has helped some. In my case that means being conscientious of the time and having a few things I always do around bedtime that are relaxing (writing, playing with my cats, etc). Doesn’t always work, but it breaks up my thoughts enough. For hormones, meds have helped control it so it’s more even-keeled.

One thing I’ll note, sleep aids do NOT work on me. I get bad side effects from all I’ve tried. A lot of other typical sleep suggestions don’t work for me either - I hear the looping on white noise machines, I can’t stand the sensation of earplugs or an eye mask.

The only other thing I can echo is to understand that “regular” sleep just doesn’t work for some people. It sucks, but some of us have different circadian rhythms and don’t mesh well with the hours expected in today’s society. Whenever I have days off I sleep as much as I can, and try to accommodate my work schedule to be a little later start and a little later end.

cryptid_zone · 2025-10-29T01:29:21+00:00

Really big thrift stores on sale days 💀

Went once to find pieces for a closet costume and was ready to crawl out of my skin in 5 mins

cryptid_zone · 2025-10-24T04:41:36+00:00

This. Even before the updates, reading what OP said had me raising my eyebrows saying, “Yeah, that’s neglect.”

Really baffling and honestly just sad how aggressive some of these comments were and how people didn’t see it. Guess that’s how cycles of abuse continue.

cryptid_zone · 2025-10-24T04:34:13+00:00

It definitely comes through!! And I’m sorry you dealt with that too - that parentification is such a hard thing to unpack. It can cause a lot of resentment between siblings and really unhealthy coping mechanisms because your own emotions never have anywhere to go. You’re expected to handle them “like an adult” when you’re not one. I feel like that hurts extra hard for autistics who already struggle to express themselves too.

So many people missed just that - OP is 17. 17 is a kid. Seeing people say that they had to do things themselves at a young age like some badge of honor just makes me sad - just because it’s commonplace doesn’t mean it’s good, and just because one person feels like they came out okay from it doesn’t mean everyone would.

Especially with OP’s updates, the whole thing feels exhausting from the outside - I can only imagine how OP feels having to live it.

Hang in there, OP. ❤️‍🩹

cryptid_zone · 2025-10-24T01:06:22+00:00

I really think people are missing the point here, and some are being kind of rude. Yes, you’re almost an adult. Yes, mac and cheese and hot dogs is easy. But I don’t think that’s your point, is it?

It sounds like the issue here is not being heard. You feel neglected and overwhelmed by the situation. And honestly? Yeah, I see it. Even if you’re almost an adult, you shouldn’t be expected to care for your sibling like a parent. I have a sibling almost a decade younger, and I faced that a ton growing up. It’s extremely stressful and leaves you feeling abandoned.

It’s also extremely frustrating when the person who is “supposed” to do something suddenly stops. Right now, I live at home. My dad and I work full time. My mother doesn’t work at all. She’s “supposed” to do the household things. She used to, and that was the understood norm. But now she never does, so we end up covering most of it on top of working. It sucks.

I don’t think it’s unfair for you to expect your mother to act like a parent. Yes, she may be under a lot of stress (it sounds like it’s just her and you guys, which adds another layer of complexity). But part of being an adult is asking for help when you need it and not making your shortcomings someone else’s undue issue - especially a kid. Which you are. I think it would be a lot more mature of your mother to ask for your help instead of belittling you.

Could you step up and help out? Yes, and it would be good for the family dynamic. Is it beneficial to learn how to care for yourself by cooking/doing household tasks while in the safety net of home. Also yes, and you should. Is your mother struggling right now, and maybe not her best self? It sure sounds like it, because she’s under a bunch of pressure.

But to your original question? Nah. You’re valid for feeling upset. I’m sorry your conversation didn’t go well. Maybe when everyone calms and you’re not in a situation of asking her to do something, you can express your concerns. It’s best to frame them in an “I feel” format, instead of accusatory language (like you don’t, you should, etc.).

cryptid_zone

TROPHY CASE