The Waiting Room of Chaos - 1

[clauderainsrm]

 While we are waiting for things to start, I spun the wheel for the first time to determine how many byes there would be for this "special event". 

For those new to the concept, a "bye" is a skip week. Maybe you're sick, or busy or whatever. Maybe you just don't feel like writing that week. You can use a "bye" (that's B-Y-E for those listening to this.) and survive another week without being eliminated. 

I put the options 0-3 (3 being the most byes we've ever had in a season. Pretty sure that was when we had over 300 contestants. Pretty sure this isn't going to get anywhere close to that, especially since I've been pretty clear that if you don't like the craziness and random, this time around might not be your thing!) 

The wheel landed on 2. 

So there you go - you have 2 byes to use between Week 1 and whenever we have 5 contestants left in the competition,  Granted, right now there aren't a lot of people anyway, so that might not take very long! But I'm hoping that once the word starts spreading more people will show up! 

The link to sign up is: therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1182845.html

***

So, how are you doing? 

What are you watching? Reading? 

I'm currently not reading anything. But I did just pick up The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, so hopefully I will be starting that soon.

I'm catching up on some shows - Shogun, Squid Games and Vice Principals.  

Comments

[marjorica]

Howdy! I used to play LJIdol as Marjory many moons ago.

Looking forward to meeting my Idol pals old and new.

I am older, fatter and ready to write!

[clauderainsrm]

Welcome back!

I just had to look up the last time you played. Per my spreadsheet, you were in Seasons 3-9! I was thinking "that wasn't THAT long ago, until I went back and looked. Season 9 ended March of 2015. Over a decade ago!!! :O

[hafnia]

Welcome back ♥

[rayaso]

Our participations didn't overlap, but I'm looking forward to your entries.

[halfshellvenus]

I remember that username. Welcome back!

[simplyn2deep]

I participated like 2 years ago, I think, and got fairly far (imo) for it to be my first time. Hopefully this time I get even further

I did not anticipate this being the summer of being busy, but I do remember intentionally praying for a good 2025, so I guess this is my own "fault"? LOL

I don't necessarily watch TV, but I watch compilation videos on YouTube and review videos for different TV shows...basically whatever YouTube recommends to me 🤷🏿‍♀️

I only seem to have the attention span for fanfic but I want to get I to audiobooks to participate in my sorority's book club.

I'll be going on a cruise to the Bahamas June 28-July 7. I'm looking forward to that

[clauderainsrm]

I checked the others before I left and can’t access excel on my phone apparently. But I definitely remember you! Welcome back!

[hafnia]

2 seems pretty standard, phew. I was half-afraid it would be 0! :D

re: how I'm doing — haha, uh, glad that I don't have any pending grants...? Just taking everything one day at a time, honestly. (For those that don't know: I still work in cleantech, specifically solar, so for my field it's a hell of a time.)

Watching: Murderbot! Episode by episode!
Reading: I just finished The River Has Roots (definitely recommend, it was lovely and not very long), and I'm waiting for my hold on The Voyage of the Damned to come in. Stephen Graham Jones is fucking great, Gary, so I hope you like the book!

[marjorica]

Murderbot is oddly moreish. We have been relying on our friend with an Apple TV subscription to visit us with more episodes.

[matsushima]

I participated as meepalicious in a past life… looking forward to jumping back in! I have ADHD. I thrive on chaos.

[hafnia]

YAY! ♥

[used_songs]

Hello. I'm a newbie here and looking forward to it.

I'm midway through season 2 of Severance. Apart from that I have mostly been rewatching Murder She Wrote.

I have a HUGE pile of new books to read and I am starting with Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng.

[clauderainsrm]

Welcome! Always nice to see new faces. This is going to be a weird introduction to Idol. 🤣.

I love Severance.

[gunwithoutmusic]

I'm trying desperately to catch up on Survivor, but the new seasons have been somewhat hit-or-miss for me in terms of keeping a hold on me. I've also been spending a lot of time of Final Fantasy XIV, which is a massive time sink but also my version of a cozy game, so at least I'm happy.

On the agenda for this week is deep cleaning the house, and I'm already dreading it. I'm trying to just go one room at a time, but that always seems to end up leaving a big pile of transient junk that just moves from room to room...

[eeyore_grrl]

So glad you're here, too. I didn't realize how much I missed some of y'all!!!

[bleodswean]

Good to see everyone!

I've been wrapping up the Tell Your Park Fire Story project, two interviews left after this village was decimated by the Park Fire last July. That's kept me busy and emotionally invested. Things will never be the same.

Reading / rereading Cormac McCarthy. Just finished Suttree. Now Outer Dark. You will love Graham Jones, if you don't already know him.

[swirlsofpurple]

You've done such amazing work on this project *hugs*

(that's B-Y-E for those listening to this.)

[muchtooarrogant]

Thanks, Gary! (grin) The first time I heard my screen reader say that in the context of LJI, probably around season 7, I'll admit I was kinda like, "Buy, By, Bye, huh?"

Wow, the Chaos Wheel is being pretty generous at the start. 2 byes is pretty standard.

Great to see all the returning players and new contestants as well. Welcome all! I can't wait for the season to start!

Dan

Re: (that's B-Y-E for those listening to this.)

[eeyore_grrl]

Nice to meet you. The chaos wheel is starting without much chaos. Don't get used to it. Lol.

[roina_arwen]

Two byes seems quite reasonable! Phew.

Currently, I’m watching “The Food that Built America” on Frndly TV (streaming service). There’s six seasons of it. It’s great to listen to when I’m working at home (like today) since watching is optional. The last episode was about the invention of Pop Tarts and Eggo waffles! Pretty cool stuff. (I’m in season four) It’s narrated by Campbell Scott, the actor who played Boris on “Royal Pains.”

[eeyore_grrl]

Yay another friendly face. Hi there!!

[halfshellvenus]

I'm currently reading The Staircase In The Woods, and recently finished This Is How You Lose The Time War (which was lovely). And I have 3 books waiting in the queue. If only I had more time to read!

On TV, we're re-watching Shetland, and just finished the most reason season of Slow Horses. I'm up-to-date on Severance, and HSH and I are almost done watching the most recent season of Survivor.

In the theater, we've recently seen The Accountant 2 (it and the first movie are currently streaming on Amazon Prime), and Ballerina (which was everything we could have hoped for and more, as a John Wick-adjacent movie).

Already biting my nails over whatever Wheel of Chaos winds up being...

[swirlsofpurple]

I watched the first two seasons of Slow Horses and enjoyed them, but couldn't deal with the whole overly contrived reasons/plots to keep the main character in the Slow Horses group.

Ooh, I've enjoyed the John Wick films, but was thinking of not watching Ballerina due to the lack of John Wick, but now I think I'll check it out.

[swirlsofpurple]

I'm watching murderbot. I listened to the audiobook a few years ago and loved it in spite of me usually not getting along with audiobooks (I have difficulty making them play at a speed that I need them to). So I thought I'd enjoy and am loving it!

[eeyore_grrl]

I need to check out murderbot. I've heard a lot of good about it. Good to see another familiar name.

[tonithegreat]

Hello idolers! Summer of 2025 chaos! Deadline to sign up on my 17th wedding anniversary? Dang but I’m feeling ye olde! But also glad to be here. I need to check out Murderbot. I think I want to read before watching? I do love me some Locked Tomb books which I believe are the same author?

[roina_arwen]

Congrats on 17 years!

[erulissedances]

I'm working a ten day shift to cover for my employee who is on vacation in Montana. I'm loving/dreading the start date of Idol because I quite literally have NO time in which to do anything personal in nature. If the grocery store didn't open at 6:00 am, so that I could catch it on the fly between work and home, my refrigerator would be empty. *sigh* Life could be worse, but it's dreadfully inconvenient right now. GRRRRRR

- Erulisse (one L)

[eeyore_grrl]

Finding the time I have. Finding my muse is the hard part. Good luck to you. Nice to meet you.

I still call this the GR ;)

[kizzy]

Why hello everyone! I've declared my intent! How's everyone doing?

:throws confetti:

Re: I still call this the GR ;)

[roina_arwen]

It’s a KIZZY! Yay!

[eeyore_grrl]

Just finished Aftermarket Afterlife but Seannan McGuire. It was great, as usual.

Not sure what's next.

Just spent a few days in the woods in a tiny cabin alone with a word processor. I got a lot of crud out, but not a lot of worthy writing. Oh well.

Now I'm visiting my bestie and crew in Portland for a few days. Yay.

[kizzy]

I'm currently not reading anything. I blame smartphones and my ambivilence of driving to the library only to rack up a ton of late fees because I won't have the time to read everything within the 2 week borrowing period. Yes, I have Libby but I find I dint like using it unless I'm on vacation somewhere. I know, it's weird.

Not watching much TV either except for overseas news programs in the wee hours while I have coffee or the occasional history documentary on YT. I'm finding that my patience for following ongoing storyline is dwindling. I blame what was my penchant for reality TV.

[roina_arwen]

Heh. I don’t watch news at all, unless hubby has it on. I still watch far too much reality TV; Survivor and such (all caught up), but also lots of cooking/baking shows. I’m waiting for the new season of Big Brother. It’s one of my guilty pleasures (the other being Love Is Blind).

[krispykritter]

It feels good to be back out here! So much has happened since I last was around. Most good.
I'm reading Enigma by Runix. I just started it so the jury's out right now.
I'm watching Murderbot and Hacks.

I be doing...

[murielle]

Fine, thank you, how are you?

Re-watching The Jewel in the Crown. Reading a huge bunch of things. It's how I roll.

I am also extremely nervous.

P.S. I just started playing June's Journey, and I'm obsessed!

Re: I be doing...

[vik_thor]

*chuckles* I actually started June's Journey als...

watching / reading / listening

[vik_thor]

MurderBot! I am watching it, and quite enjoying it! I've read most of the novellas, but not the not the most recent novel. I have been watching a lot of YouTube and Nebula videos. (listening a UsefulCharts video while typeing this, his [Preiew] video about the Classification of Plants and Fungi.

reading, I have been reading quite a bit less than previous years. - espcially novels / series. though am continueing to buy from authors I know / like.

Listening: mostly podcasts, not much music (especially new releases)

I am sorta studying / learning about the Eastern Orthodox branch of Christianity.

[chasing_silver]

Just got back from vacay and am now trying to get through our busy summer! We are trying to adopt a child and it is a process!

[mollywheezy]

I'm not signing up this time since chaos is my real life, but I hope to be able to be around to read, comment, and vote. :)

What's new with me? My mom moved in with my husband and me in January and my life is insane. We haven't killed each other yet, so we'll call it a win. ;)

I am going to have back surgery on July 1 (the main reason I am not signing up--no clue how brain fogged I will be or for how long) but hopefully when I come through the muddle, my chronic pain from sciatica will be fixed. \o/

I am reading constantly, which is the only way I am hanging on to any sanity, lol. I mostly read fantasy (I have quite enough reality IRL, thanks) and am currently enjoying authors CJ Archer, Molly Harper, Danielle Garrett, Larry Correia, and Sariah Wilson.

My mom, hubby, and I are watching Grey's Anatomy, a re-watch for hubby and me and a first for her.