Week 14 – The Slowest Apocalypse

We’re heading closer to a full-on fuel crisis here in Oceana every day, and I’m starting to wonder: are we in the slowest apocalypse?

I feel like reality and the world I thought I knew have been unravelling thread by thread for the last decade. Who would have thought that the United States would ever elect the idiot host of The Apprentice to the presidency, not once… but twice?

And nothing has ever quite felt the same since the pandemic. We had the chance to make real changes to the world, but we decided to ‘go back to normal’ (and normal sucks). It was at the beginning of COVID that I realised how many truly awful and selfish people there are. I mean, why not let granny and the kiddies die so we can go to the pub on the weekend?

So much to say that it’s been a bit of a week, and I’m feeling the weight of everything that’s going on in the world (and has gone on since I turned 30 over 10 years ago – yes, I’m old now).

Speaking of birthdays and someone who loves apocalypse movies (nice segue), my husband turned 43 yesterday. He is not a fan of celebrating his birthday, so we had a lazy day and ate Chinese for dinner. We’ve been together since high school, and it’s awesome to have someone who shares so many of the same memories. 

The new EV, Elexio, has been going great! It’s been almost a week since we picked it up, and we are still at 60% battery. Mind you, we work from home, but Alex did some driving around the area to deliver amigurumi to kids in our area for Easter. I am trying to clear out some old inventory, so I thought I’d give them away to family in need of Easter gifts rather than keep them locked up in storage.

Week 5 of the stupidest war of the century.

It has been a crazy week.

In the last couple of days, Trump fired Pam Bondi (another woman who carried the torch for the Patriarchy has been burned by it). The alcoholic in charge of the US military, Pete Hegseth, fired 3 high-ranking military personnel. Are they pushing back against this illegal war in Iran?

Other shit from this week:

• Fuel is running out all over the world. Europeans are being urged to work from home. Leaders are warning about ‘tough times’ ahead (including the Prime Ministers of the UK and Singapore). Our PM in Australia is trying to keep everyone as calm as Hindu cows.

• Trump has threatened water and power sources in Iran (more war crimes). He’s also been crying about NATO and how no one wants to help him open the Strait of Hormuz. Spain shut their airspaces to the US military, and Italy have kicked them out of Sicily.

• Throughout all this, Israel continues to invade Lebanon, kill, and displace its citizens.

• Houthis have threatened to close trade routes in the Red Sea

• According to the Wall Street Journal, since Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs, the USA has lost nearly 100k manufacturing jobs and paid $264 billion in tariffs (not even a small % of their military budget)

• Here in Australia, our government has halved the fuel excise, so we’ll save around 25 CENTS per litre (which is now around $2.60 for standard grade fuel). Our PM gave a speech saying a lot of nothing. Will they lay the truth on people after the Easter long weekend?

I’ve been working on a couple of new patterns (1 which was released this week and will be linked below). I’ve also started the Coles River Kerchief by TL Yarn Crafts because I couldn’t wait to crack open the Scheepjes Whirl!

My sister finally finished the Angemon Doll custom order (I think I’ve been calling it Agemon – sorry! I don’t know anything about Digimon). The whole project took around 6 weeks! Each feather of the wing is a separate piece that needed to be sewn together. The whole thing is wired, and I will be very glad to have that order out of my inbox! The client was super happy with it, and he’ll be gifting it to his nephew, who is a huge Angemon fan.

I’ve been dealing with some health issues this week, so we haven’t watched much Breaking Bad. We aren’t far from the end now, though. My system has been quite overstimulated, so I haven’t been able to watch drugs and murder (but I have still been watching the news, so go figure).

I’m onto Season 2 of House. Man… I remember feeling sorry for him when the show came out – the angry, misunderstood, disabled man. But fuckkkk him. He is a truly awful human being. Why am I still watching it? Because my body is too on edge to choose something else right now. I’m stuck in a look of routine. 

I’m still reading Harrow the Ninth. I hate the 2nd person POV and how the story is ping ponging back and forth in time. I’ve thought about stopping, but I feel like I’m invested too much time into the story now. I’m crossing my fingers that the next book isn’t anything like this one.

The Fidget Bead Key Fobs are still selling on Etsy. Where are all the key fob people coming from?

I didn’t get around to rewriting any fidget patterns, but I did finish the Fidget Bead Bucket Hat! I’m so happy with how these turned out. I used shiny DK-weight cotton and sparkly beads. I have a few more skeins in pink, so I’m going to make at least 1 more for my baby cousins in Sydney.

This month, I also decided to start a free pattern per month. For April, the free pattern is the Spiderweb Drawstring Bag on Ravelry. Just add it to your cart, and it’s free at checkout. Yes, you will need a Ravelry account!

I am so close to being finished with the gothic poncho I’ve been working on for weeks. I am playing an ulcer-inducing game of yarn chicken. I found out this week that the yarn I’m using (Source of Fibre’s Drape) has been discontinued. So, I am screwed if I don’t have enough. I’m guessing it wasn’t a very popular yarn because I’ve scrolled through eBay, Ravelry stashes, and yarn groups. Nothing. Pray to all the yarn gods that I have enough. 

Shit feels heavy, so here are some things that you can actively do:

1. Build your community! Talk to your neighbours and help each other out where possible and when you have enough spoons.

2. Put some veggies in the ground or pots. We’re planning to start some potatoes and herbs this week.

3. Limit your time on social media and do something with your hands. Craft, draw, write!

4. Reach out to a friend or family member who makes you feel grounded.

5. Get outside if you can. Look at some birds. Touch some grass. Your nervous system will thank you for it. 

6. Prioritise your sleep. Sending so many good vibes to you all.