Green Room - Week 1 - Day 11

[clauderainsrm]

 Obviously this is still very early. We haven't had an elimination and nearly everyone is still in the "I'm just happy to be here" mode. Including me. 

But while we are here, and feeling this way, I just wanted to say "Thank You".. Not just for coming out, although yeah, that has meant a great deal to me. But also for loving Idol in general. (Or for those newbies, taking the chance on Idol!) 

For those playing "Gary: The Home Game", this is the first year in a few that I'm not approaching my birthday wishing that I was dead. Which might be more real talk than anyone wanted, but is also the truth. Idol is just a part of that, but between my insomnia and Idol, that was the bulk of my last therapy session.  (I'm sure Idol will find a way to make it into most of the ones from now until the end! Hopefully in good ways!) 

Getting to Year 20 has been a goal post for me during the dark parts, and I'm not entirely sure what will happen after that is complete. But being here, with all of you, I just have to make sure you know just how much this means to me. 

Don't worry, I'll put the "I'm going to kick all your damn hippies/get off my lawn" face again. But I'm really feeling that gratitude tonight and I wanted to make sure to express it. 

***

Our first poll is happening, so please get out there and read, comment and vote for your favorites! Make sure to spread some love!  And tell your friends about what great stuff they are missing out on, and encourage them to come over to read some of it for themselves!  Idol has survived for 20 years by word of mouth! So do your part to keep that tradition going! therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1229460.html

There is also a non-mandatory prompt out there for the people who were going stir crazy having to wait until Tuesday for the next regular prompt! I wanted to make sure you had something to do!  therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1229917.html


***
For real though. I'm really happy to see all of you here. Except you.  You know who you are.  (No, the other one. The one standing behind... it doesn't matter... like I said, you know who you are! ;)   ) 

I hope this is a great season. From the Week 1 entries to the comments in the Green Room, it feels like we're off to a good start! 

Comments

[clauderainsrm]

It does however remind me that when Idol season is in play, the majority of people I end up talking to on a regular basis are Idol contestants who are active in the season, and when it's not going on, I go back into my cave. There are people that I haven't really interacted with much in years, because they weren't in Idol. Not that I didn't like them, but Idol tends to take up most of the oxygen in my life when it's happening, and when it's over I usually need to collapse for a bit and concentrate on non-Idol stuff. It makes me a shitty friend but an OK Evil Overlord.

[halfshellvenus]

Idol is a HUGE endeavor of effort and creativity, so I can see why it would tend to make interaction heavy or sparse, with little in-between.

But there's the option of inventing a different kind of post, like off-season Summer Re-Runs, where you check in with people and talk about books, movies, vacations, etc. Or gripe about your job. Whatever you're in the mood for.

Meanwhile, I have read all the entries (but not voted yet), and I'm back to reading Dungeon Crawler Carl #5!

[gardeningatnight]

You can message me anytime to rub it in my face that you have a cookie and I do not. You don’t have to wait for Idol to be in session. :p

[murielle]

Dear Great and Fearless Hippy Kicker,

It is a joy to be here. It is an absolute joy that you're here ( in every sense) and once again orchestrating this wonderful crazy carnival. Happy Twentieth! ❤❤❤

I'm reading, reading, reading!

Also, the Feast starts this evening, so I will be off reuniting with other loved ones for a bit, but I will get the reading done, and because the nonPrompt is so good and I knew instantly what to write about I want to do that too. I'm going to be one crazy old woman. So. What's new?

You have a great one, Great and Heavy Footed Hippy Kicker. You are loved and admired. ❤
M

[halfshellvenus]

I'm hoping your meds will continue to help you feel better, as well as meet ups with friends near and far.

Some of us don't offer the excitement of concerts or amusement parks, but OTOH, getting together with us is a lot cheaper. Basically time invested and the cost of an Internet connection. Plus, we don't know where to sic the cops on you if you DO start kicking us!

[kizzy]

This is 100% true.

[bsgsix]

Felt this deep into my heart, Gary. Truly. And I'm glad you're here, as much as I'm glad to be here with you all.

Now, back to kicking some hippies and getting these damn kids off my lawn. The grass finally looks GOOD leave it ALONE! ;)

Happy Friday, all! <3

(Debating what to write for the non-mandatory prompt. I think I have a fictional idea I'd love to toy with, to deviate from my non-fic tendencies... but we'll see. Sci-fi meets love meets the odd passage of time meets music. Something to kick around!)

[clauderainsrm]

Before anyone points out that it's WAY too late for me to be up - I requested Friday off! My boss said it was OK. Honestly I think she's relieved that I'm taking time for myself rather than just going until I collapse which is what I tend to do.

I WILL be going until I collapse, but with movies. :)

Tonight I watched The Stunt Driver, Charlie Harper and Primetime.

The first was slow in the beginning but picked up. You can wait to see it streaming.
Charlie Harper is a really good romance movie. Definitely enjoyed it. If you wait for streaming then you can just keep watching it on a loop!

Primetime - I've said this before and I'll say it again, When did Robert Pattinson become this good of an actor??? Was he always this good and I just didn't read the memo? I'd say this one doesn't HAVE to be seen in the theater, but if you can do it, you should.

[halfshellvenus]

I liked Robert Pattinson in Mickey 17 (never seen him do comedy before), and The Lighthouse looked intriguing.

[imafarmgirl]

I am glad you aren't wanting to die this birthday. That's important. I truly understand that struggle.

I am only awake because I had a low blood sugar and my continuous glucose monitor yelled enough to wake me up. But hey, tis an excuse to eat candy.

On a very much moreserious note, I will be doing all the kicking and no kicking of hippies shall be allowed because hippies rule.

[pixiebelle]

I’m really glad Idol has helped you, and I hope your birthday is wonderful. Also yay for taking the day off for you :)

I’ve said it a bunch already, but I’m really enjoying this season so far. I missed interacting with people. I missed writing and getting comments. I missed reading the types of things that only really get posted on LJ/DW because social media is dying.

It’s funny, my French teacher is a friend, teacher and therapist rolled into one. We talk about Idol and writing every class now. She’s familiar with it and some of the people (we couldn’t figure out what to call you, the person in charge, in French last time — we’ll have to come up with something!)

[pixiebelle]

Maybe it’s because I just woke up, but are there two posts for the option prompt? They’re the same post, right?

[gardeningatnight]

It's not just you. I noticed the same thing from my phone and from my laptop. It's the same post content, but one has 4 comments and one has 1 comment, so it's not DW loading funny -- I think maybe Gary had a saved draft that somehow got reposted?

Or he's been so busy that he forgot he posted that post yesterday.

[kizzy]

Today is my day off. I work tomorrow in the midst of the first nor'easter of the season, then vacation! Asked my husband what he wanted to do. He said "let's go away for a night or two and bring Shadow". We did this last year and ended up in ME. I know there's a few dog friendly places in both RI and CT. Hmmmm.

Haven't been sleeping well either. I've got a few physical things going on contributing to it. I funally threw in the towel about an hour ago even though I didn't want to.

[banyans_in_nola]

Unsolicited advice but Stonington in CT is really awesome and dog friendly!

[ofearthandstars]

I was going to ask you if you ever sleep given your posting and commenting hours, but I see we are insomnia twins. Yaaaaay? (I got to bed around 1 am and Cat woke me at 4 am, so it is going to be a Heavy Typo and Coffee Day.)

Happy Birthday, Gary. I hope the next year is kinder to you. ♥

[scribblesinblue]

More insomnia here! Fell asleep at 5ish, woke up at 8:30 and hit snooze a couple times…

[krispykritter]

(Feels Gary's forehead to check for a fever) Haha. Seriously, it's great to be back here writing and connecting with people again. And I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying the return of this mad and crazy thing called Therealljidol. I'll watch out for future kicks!

[ashelterofpages]

I found out Idol was happening by sheer chance and I'm already so glad I did. It seems so, so wonderful and supportive, even if there's competition to it too. Plus I do love a writing prompt/constraint.

[halfshellvenus]

Yay! I'm glad you found us too. It makes all that pimping worth it!

[gardeningatnight]

I’m really glad you’re not dead. I like knowing you and the joy when I discover our music tastes intersect in another obscure place. And that you laugh at the dumb stuff I say.

[scribblesinblue]

Happy to see you too, Gary. Even when I end up a victim of your hippie-kicking ways. :)

Duplicate post

[clauderainsrm]

No idea what happened. I moved the one entry posted in the comments there to the original before deleting it.

If you notice, both of them were posted *in the same minute*. But did not show up as duplicates until sometime late yesterday (I know this because I frequently read Idol comments/view community on my laptop *not* my phone. But I did both yesterday and did not see it!)

Maybe this was Idol's way of saying you deserve twice as much work!! Write TWO entries on the same thing! ;)

[hafnia]

I'm glad you're here, Gary!

I don't have Facebook but you know how to email me...you know, if you need to remind me that you've got cookies and I don't :)

[bleodswean]

Idol is obviously a labor of very deep, lasting love, G. I'm glad you're here! And there are many of us who NEED you here. (stay) I've gushed about Idol over the past twelve years and will continue to do so. I needed this and continue to need this and think gracious thoughts about you every day. THANK YOU for Idol and for YOU.

[xyla]

Yesss to all of this 💕

[thephantomq]

❤️❤️❤️ I'm glad it's going to be a good birthday without the extra suicidal weight. I've been there and it's roughhhh.

That said, Idol legitimately changed my life by bringing me my favorite adult human. The community here is great, too, so you've truly built a wonderful thing here, Gary. I know you're proud of Idol and you should be proud of yourself, too! It would not be the same without you.

[muchtooarrogant]

Very glad to hear that Idol's return is having such a positive effect, and it's fantastic having you back in your very best evil overlord form! :)

I have an idea for the optional prompt, but am not certain if I'll have the time to write it. It's a little dark, and I'm still thinking about how far to go with that, so we'll see. As always though, Idol has been exactly the motivation I needed to start writing again. I'll always be grateful to you and this community for that.

Dan

[banyans_in_nola]

I love the Hold Steady and I hardly ever see anyone talk about them, so the extra prompt was a great excuse for me to dive back into their music. Stuck Between Stations also immediately reminded me of the Noah Kahan song View Between Villages and those songs don't sound the same in terms of genre, but the lyrics have an interesting crossover. For those who are interested, the bridge of Stuck Between Stations goes,

"We drink and we dry up and now we crumble into dust, we get wet and we corrode and now we're covered up in dust"

and the second verse of The View Between Villages goes, "The things that I lost here, the people I know, They got me surrounded for a mile or two. The car's in reverse, I'm gripping the wheel, I'm back between villages and everything's still."

Similar undertonal message, no? Damn, art is so cool. Happy Friday, y'all.

[swirlsofpurple]

THANK YOU for creating this wonderful thing and working so hard at it.

I hope things keep getting better for you *hugs*

[xyla]

I'm not entirely sure what will happen after that is complete. But being here, with all of you, I just have to make sure you know just how much this means to me.
First, I hope that many good things will happen for you both during this season and after it, Gary!

Second,I'm also very happy and thankful that you are here and also to be here (especially after what happened last month 💀). I will continue to show up for any idols that take place. 🫂

Thank you for all your hard work with idol and for hosting this again!
(I forgot to tell you too - a story that I wrote for an older season of idol was published in an anthology this year!)