The Weekly Update: 5/28/17

 
 

I was all set to tell you all there had been no new disasters or incidents this past week, but then, Friday night, I tweeted a picture of me chillin’ with my cat homie and said I’m gonna miss him when I move… and then like a minute later I think he got startled and attacked my arm -_- And my arm was in prime attacking position since I was rubbing his tummy. Thankfully none of the marks were deep enough to actually draw blood, and they all seem to be healing fine, but it was still worrisome to me at first because my chronic illness makes me more susceptible to infections. Especially since I Googled about infection from cat bites/scratches and every site was like, “INFECTION! DEATH! PATHOGENS! YOU’RE GONNA DIE!” Oh, and of course it would be the one time my body decided to have some sort of reaction to tea tree oil (which I use as disinfectant for skin stuff), despite the fact that I’ve used it a million times before, but the redness went away in a couple hours. So… all crises averted, hopefully.


Blog/Bookish Updates:

I’m getting better at Twitter, guys! Not in the sense that my tweets are going viral or anything, just that I’m actually interacting with people in the bookish community more. Commenting on blogs can lead to kind of stilted conversation, just one comment then a reply, but Twitter, it turns out, is great for actually conversing. Even though the whole 140 characters thing is the bane of my existence and I end up having to spread out my replies over like three tweets lol. Anyway, if you’re not following me there, you should, and I’ll follow you back because I like following other bloggers over there πŸ™‚

Some not-so-good news though is that my Amazon lists went back to not filtering/sorting with all the options and doing the infinite scroll. I contacted support again, and apparently it’s something new with a site update, but they’ve had feedback about it from other customers too and are working on it… so I don’t know if that means people are complaining and they’re going to change it back for everyone? I also don’t understand why it hasn’t changed for everyone since all of you said your lists were still working normally.

 

Books I Received for Review:

Nothing! Still waiting to find out if I’m going to get a book I requested on NG though!

 

Books I Finished:

Alonso Munich is Now Dead by S. Gates
Triad Soul by 'Nathan Burgoine
 

And the reading slump continues, I guess, in the sense that I just haven’t been wanting to read much period, regardless of the book. But Triad Soul was good at least! Alonso Munich, not so much.

 

Song of the Week:

I haven’t found new music lately :-/

 

Laugh of the Week:

Instead of something from the internet, I have a special exclusive treat for you all this week—a comic I drew when I was in elementary school called “Carpet Tales”!

Carpet Tales

Amazing, right? One of my friends once pointed out that the carpet mutilated himself by cutting his fringes off. I like to think they grow back like hair in the Carpet Tales universe. Not that a hair bow is that much better… but it’s significantly better than a finger bow! #ItsAllRelative

 

In Case You Missed It:

5/14/17:
– I did the This or That Tag and talked about my bookish preferences (reading in bed ftw!).
– I reviewed Real Vampires Take No Prisoners by Amy Fecteau, a great end to a funny and intense M/M vampire series with characters I’m sad to say bye to. – I’m kinda bummed that hardly anyone read or commented on this one since I really liked the book, so you should go check it out if you haven’t πŸ™‚
– I reviewed Gone by the Board by August Li, a quick, light M/M paranormal romance with a unique creature.
– I reviewed Lux and Lies by Meg Collett, a YA dystopian with reality TV drama and complex characters.

 

The Sunday Post Link-Up:

Once again, I’m linking up to The Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer πŸ™‚

 
 
 
 

Talk to me!

Have you found any good books, music, or videos lately?
Are my Carpet Tales characters your new OTP? (Hint: The answer better be yes.)

 
 
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Your Thoughts

 

72 thoughts on “The Weekly Update: 5/28/17

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  1. Laura Thomas

    Cat scratches can be nasty. Glad to hear your doing okay. I followed you on twitter and look forward to chatting. I’ve not been there as much as I should lately. So many different ways to connect and chat and hard to keep with all of them at once.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Thanks, it’s good they were shallow. I don’t think he actually meant to hurt me. The only social media I really use for socializing are Twitter and GR. FB I just use for messaging some real life friends, and Pinterest I just pin this lol. So there’s not too much for me to keep up with.

  2. Greg

    Yikes the cat went berserk huh? I’ve gotten scratched up pretty good too a few times when something startles the cat and they’re like swipe lol. And rubbing their belly can be dangerous when that whole hind leg raking instinct kicks in… some are definitely worse than others! Glad you didn’t get infected or anything. I had one climb onto my shoulders once- using her claws naturally- that was not fun…

    Yay for Twitter. I’ve been pretty AWOL over there lately but trying to get back into the swing of things.

    Carpet Tales- nice cartoon! It was nice of carpet to share his fringes lol.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Yeah a little bit lol. Just grabbed onto my arm all the sudden with all four paws and teeth, but I don’t think he meant to hurt me since the marks are all shallow and there was actually only one tooth mark. Yikes about the cat that climbed you!

      Right? He’s a nice carpet. Much better than all those alpha males nowadays πŸ˜›

      1. Greg

        We used to have a cat who would lay on top of the fridge and when somebody opened the fridge she would swat at you. She was kinda mean… I called her bitch cat (though not when my mom could hear) lol

  3. chucklesthescot

    That’s one of the many reasons that I hate cats…ungrateful little gits! I think cats are mean in nature and just don’t like the things. I go to Twitter if I’m looking for some breaking news, to catch up on politics and sporting events. I don’t have time to be on more than a few minutes at a time. Most of my attention is on Goodreads and my blog. Not really a mad social media user! Despite the heatwave I’m getting some good reading done so that’s ok…

    1. Kristen Burns

      I don’t think he meant to hurt me though. He’s never done that before. Ugh, I pretty much avoid politics on Twitter because I’ve reached a point that I don’t even *want* to know anymore. I was never a Twitter person before though, so I’m happy to be finally getting the hang of it a little more!

  4. Wattle

    Cats can be such jerks. My boy attacks out of nowhere, particularly if there’s belly rubs involved (he’s so content and then he just goes nuts lol), I think it’s because they’re in a submissive position – and suddenly realise it. I’m glad you’re okay, but man, you should neeeever google infections from cat scratches, never! lol

    Aw your comic is so cute!

    1. Kristen Burns

      Lol I think in this case he really was just startled and also, like you said, in a submissive position at that moment, since he’s never attacked me at all before. Most of the time he literally just closes his eyes and purrs while I’m petting him. Seriously we should probably just never Google any health problems because the internet always tells us we’re gonna die.

      Thanks πŸ˜€

  5. Evelina

    Oh, how did I not catch on, you’re a spoonie too? What you got?
    I’ve been struggling with a mysterious side pain for the last few days, one I’ve had on and off for the past few years, and I just don’t want to know what it is. Worried now again -.-

    Cat scratches can get pretty bad, for some reason, they’re really slow at healing. But I think it’s fine if you disinfect. I usually use panthenol on these things to heal them faster πŸ™‚

    Meanwhile! I got two wisdom teeth pulled this week. That and the side pain = total zombie all week. And yet, I posted two posts AND the Sunday post! #soproud lol

    I can’t believe your Amazon is doing it AGAIN πŸ˜€

    Aw man πŸ˜€ how cute are those carpet tales πŸ˜€ oh my goodness πŸ˜€

    1. Kristen Burns

      Haha, I don’t talk about in every post, so I guess that’s how. CFS/ME. You?

      Ugh, every time there’s some new pain or thing, I’m just like, “Is this something legit that I should be worried about, or is this just the latest symptoms and it’d be a waste of energy to see a doctor?” It’s like the world’s worst game lol.

      Yeah, I think soap and water disinfected them well enough since these were so shallow. Idk what panthenol is, I’ll have to look that up.

      Oh yeah, the wisdom teeth. Hope you’re feeling better soon! But wow, you even managed to post and blog this week?!!?! I’m proud of you too lol.

      1. Evelina

        Ah, the good ole fatigue. Me? I don’t know. Something or other, I am undiagnosed cause the healthcare system sucks balls here. Can’t get to a doctor in weeks, and then they’re usually no good, have to be bribed, make fun of you. So I just don’t bother. Maybe I’m just generally a weakling. It’s better now that I’m freelance, but if I work a full normal working week, it’s all migraines, low blood pressure, zoning out and never enough sleep. I occasionally get mysterious pains here or there. Like currently πŸ˜€ and loads of small annoying problems, like ingrowing nails, eczema ON THE FACE (nooo so ugly ;_;) and all sorts of little nonsenses. Oh well! What you gonna do, right?

        It totally is the world’s worst game, you got that right πŸ˜€ and it’s not only that you’re a spoonie, BECAUSE you’re a spoonie, you’re also paranoid. Every little thing is OH I’M GONNA DIEEEE, or worse – they’re gonna perform alien abduction experiments (I mean, clinical tests) on me lol… Ugh.

        Panthenol is… this cream, based on either a group of vitamins, or just this chemical thing which is incredibly good for treating skin problems very fast. The active ingredient is dexpanthenol and it’s usually a salve. I’m gonna post a link, but it’s gonna spam me probably, so I’ll do that in another reply πŸ˜€

        1. Kristen Burns

          How lovely it would be if fatigue were actually the only symptom lol. (Although, honestly, fatigue is no joke.) But guuuurl, I feel you. Treatment of chronic illnesses and patients who have them is no better here in the US. I’ve been to A LOT of doctors, and most were rude and condescending or just didn’t care and wouldn’t even listen to my symptoms and misdiagnosed me with the most common ailment in their field and sent me off with a prescription I didn’t need.

          Actually, I’ve become more chill about random pains and things since I’m always just kinda like, “UGGGGHHHH another @$#*&%! symptom, just what I needed.” Whereas in the past I pretty much always thought I was dying lol. And yeah, not a fan of medical tests or procedures.

          1. Evelina

            Really! Must be a general trait of doctors then :/ I’ve had only one good doctor. She’s ancient and has throngs of people at her door. She is also slightly mean-looking at first sight, you could say strict, but she actually cares about the diagnosis. She’s a dermatologist, but diagnosed my spina bifida (back deformation I was born with) by just asking me one question, when other doctors didn’t see it from X-rays (unimaginable, huh? Not even her area!) Doctors like that are stunning. Too bad the rest bring shame to their profession. And they really seem to hate people with chronic stuff :/ it’s like they think we’re imagining it..? Ugh.

            1. Kristen Burns

              I’ve had similar experiences with incompetent doctors but then finding one who’s good like that but unfortunately not the right kind of doctor you need. Those kinds are just so hard to find. I’ve just lost a lot of faith in doctors. Great for emergencies, not always so great for chronic stuff.

              1. Evelina

                Not always so great for emergencies either. I only sprained my ankle very badly. Couldn’t walk, fell down. Got taken to the hospital by an ambulance, put in the waiting room and forgotten there for 4 hours. Later it turned out they’d forgotten to even sign me up. Doesn’t matter that the initial hours after the trauma are the most important, and what if it had been broken? Nobody even bothered to look. Thankfully, it turned out fine, but through no help of the doctors. About the only person who was actually helpful that I can think of what the physical rehabilitation specialist, who, ironically, is considered to be *below* the doctors. I guess he doesn’t adhere to the code of being utterly shit to your fellow human beings then, huh πŸ˜€

                1. Kristen Burns

                  That does sound pretty bad, but I’m sure I’d still be happy to have doctors around if I was ever dying or something, so they’re good in some emergencies. But considering we just had that whole other chat, you already know how I feel. It just sucks because there are some good ones out there, but they seem to be few and far between, and I don’t know how to find them, you know? It’s just kind of the luck of the draw. If my tennis elbow ever gets better, we can commiserate some more about our experiences via email or something lol.

                2. Evelina

                  Sometimes I wonder too… karma? πŸ˜€ πŸ™
                  Yeah, you can always message me on Twitter messaging or something πŸ™‚ hope it does get better soon!

  6. Cee Arr

    I recommend Witch Hazel gel for cat bites/scratches. Oh, and you can’t go far wrong with good ol’ soap and water. Honey is also antibacterial, in a pinch. And chamomile or lavender are pretty much cure-alls. (I’ve had a lot of ill-tempered kitties; can you tell? Lol.)

    Never Google medical stuff. It doesn’t end well.

    1. Kristen Burns

      I’ve never used witch hazel, I’ll look that up if it helps for other types of things too. And don’t worry, soap and water was what I used first πŸ™‚

      Yeah, Googling medical stuff is good in some ways but so bad in others lol.

  7. Michelle @Because Reading

    I am allergic to cats (I actually have one) When she scratches me I break out in hives and it itches something serious. So I have to be careful when I am around cats but I love them. Glad you are ok.

    I am trying to be better at Twitter but I can never think of anything to say and everytime I post something I keep thinking “Does anyone really care?” Lol but I still try. I actually like twitter better than FB.

    Have a great week, Kristen! Happy Reading! ox

    1. Kristen Burns

      Yikes, that sounds horrible about the scratches and the allergies!

      I mean, my tweets aren’t exactly clever lol. I just post things I’m thinking or whatever sometimes (usually bookish, but sometimes sims or life or whatever), and sometimes it sparks conversation πŸ™‚ But yeah, I just don’t like FB.

      Thanks, you too!

  8. Lola

    Cat scratches can be nasty, but most of the time if you clean them well it hopefully isn’t too bad. I once got a weird skin infection thing from a cat scratch, so i am always careful now when I get a scratch and try to clean it as well as I can. I hope your scratch marks are healing well, it does sound like a good thing it didn’t draw any blood though. I did just check the picture on twitter and the cat looks cute!

    I already follow you on twitter, but I am not on there as often. Actually that’s not true, but mostly I am on twitter for work related tweets. I never fully mastered the art of chatting on there as I always feel a bit awkward, then again the only place were I seem to be able to communicate with other bloggers is on blogs usually.

    That’s a pain your amazon list went back again to the wrong way. Let’s hope they fix it for everyone. I think my lists can still do the filtering thing, at least last time I checked.

    I also still have my weird reading mood. i picked up two books by two of my favorite authors and while I am enjoying them, still not as much as I could. Ugh it’s frustrating.

    That carpet comic is so cute! And yes I like to think their fringes grow back, like the hair on our heads. Now I am curious if you have drawn more carpet tales?

    I hope you’ll have a great week!

    1. Kristen Burns

      Yeah, thankfully these were shallow enough that cleaning them seems to have done the job. And he normally is cute! Lol.

      I’ve been completely forgetting to share my posts on social media lately. I’ve just been using Twitter for socializing, so I’m the opposite of you lol. But I get why it’s hard for you, I’ve never been good at socializing online either, so that’s why I’m happy I’m getting a little more comfortable there.

      Yeah, if lots of people are complaining to Amazon, maybe they will fix it. I just don’t understand why they’d take away price drop filtering and price sorting in the first place. And the infinite scroll is just the worst.

      Ugh, we really need to kick these weird reading moods!

      Hehe thanks πŸ˜€ I drew two more like this one, one where they got engaged, and one where they had a baby, but they weren’t really as cute lol.

  9. Laurie @ Bark's Book Nonsensr

    I hope you’re healing up nicely. Cat bites/scratches can be nasty. The Amazon filter has been sketchy for me for weeks. It works about 1 in 10 tries. Stinks. because I use my WL and buy a lot of books using the price drop feature. You’d think they’d want to fix that to keep getting those sales .but maybe they don’t need my money, lol .

    1. Kristen Burns

      Thanks, they seem to be healing fine πŸ™‚ Ugh, I just can’t understand why they’d change the filter like that. Maybe if their sales start dropping, they’ll be motivated to fix it.

  10. Becky @ A Fool's Ingenuity

    You tempted fate, that’s what it was. Sorry to hear about the minor cat related injuries. There are a whole heap of really terrible infections you can get from cat scratches (my friends younger brother was hospitalised over one and it took them ages to find out it was related to a cat scratch) but in most circumstances you’ll be fine otherwise everyone who as a kitten would die immediately as they are scratchy little suckers when they’re little. Really, Googling symptoms is enough to turn me into a hypochondriac. The internet can be a terrible place.

    And I still don’t completely get Twitter. I think I fail at the interaction part of the whole thing because it’s not like with a blog post because it’s a conversation. I am less good at actual conversations, especially with limited characters.

    Obviously your carpet couple are my new OTP. That bow is kind of creepy when you think about it, though. Here have a piece of me to wear in your hair. I think my being creeped out by it says more about me than anything, though.

    Anyway have a good week and hopefully the reading slump won’t last forever.

    1. Kristen Burns

      I guess I did tempt fate with my belly rubs lol. But no, he’s never done that before. He normally just lays there in bliss, eyes closed, purring. Yeah, I just figured with the way my life has been going, there was a good chance I’d be one of those people to get the terrible infection -_- Actually, tbh, I figured I’d prob be fine since they were shallow but was still concerned at first.

      I feel like maybe I finally get Twitter a little more? But not, like, completely. Just enough to socialize a bit.

      Yay, Carpet Tales OTP! Well, as I said, a bow made of hair is at least better than a bow made of fingers πŸ™‚ lol.

      Thanks!

  11. Barb (boxermommyreads)

    I love Carpet Tales. How awesome. I drew a comic when I was in school as well except all my people were squares. I guess that’s all I could really draw at that time (and probably still – haha). Sorry about the cat attack. They can be fickle that’s for sure. I’m in a sort of slump as well because I can’t get into my current book. I did read a Harley Quinn graphic novel last night because I wanted to read something, just not my current book. Hope you have a quiet and uneventful week!

    1. Kristen Burns

      Lol thanks πŸ˜€ Haha, you used creative license with the shape of your people. Thanks, I think he just got startled and didn’t mean to hurt me. Yeah, I’ve been thinking maybe I ought to read a GN to help with this slump thing. Thanks, you too!

  12. La La in the Library

    I think cat bite/nail puncture effects must have something to do with where a cat has been because I usually don’t have a reaction, but twice my hand and arm swelled up like balloons. The last time I had to have my hand drained! I haven’t been here in awhile, so be prepared for a commenting spew from me, ha ha. A couple of bloggers on Facebook were complaining about the Amazon thing. Michele from In Libris Veritas was one of them. She complained, too. I haven’t been on Twitter much lately because I get randomly attacked by people I don’t even know for stupid stuff. Most of the time they have misunderstood what I have said. You should hang out on Facebook with us. I even have Talitha commenting on there know. There is no character limit, you would like it. Have a wonderful week. When do you move?

    1. Kristen Burns

      It’s prob a lot of factors, like the individual cat, where they’ve been, how deep the bites/scratches are, the person’s immune system, etc. But yikes, that hand draining sounds awful. Good, I’m glad other people are complaining to Amazon people. Maybe they’ll change it back if enough people complain. Sorry you haven’t had good luck on Twitter :-/ I just stay away from anything that might cause drama. The lack of character limit is tempting lol, but I just really don’t like FB, and that’s where all the real life people are :-/

      Ugh, idk. Don’t get me started on this move thing -_- The date keeps getting pushed back.

  13. S. J. Pajonas

    I forgot to tell you that my lists started doing the same thing like two weeks ago! I wrote a very stern letter to Amazon about it and they gave site credit and told me they would fix it as soon as possible. So yes, we’re complaining! Sorry to hear about the cat attack. Hopefully you’re all healed up in a day or two.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Damn, you even got site credit? Lucky! Glad you complained too though. Maybe if enough of us complain, they’ll change it back. Thanks, you can still see the marks on my arm, but they’re pretty healed at this point πŸ™‚

  14. Samantha

    I started noticing my amazon wishlist doesn’t sort by price any more either. Then lots of people were posting about it on FB and everyone was pissed. hopefully they change it back!!!
    I never google medical stuff because it always leads to me thinking I am dying or a limb is going to fall off. The internet always gives you the WORST possibilities. Glad you seem to be okay!
    Have a great week!

    1. Kristen Burns

      Yeah, if enough people complain, maybe they’ll change it back. I just don’t see why they thought this was a good idea in the first place???

      Seriously, Googling medical stuff is both good and bad since it usually just convinces us we have everything and are gonna die. Thanks!

  15. Dina

    Wow, your Sunday post is so epic. I want to do something that is more interesting than what I already post. For a while there, I stopped posting Sunday and Saturday entries all together because they were getting kind of lame. Will try to work on it. I did notice that you are tweeting more and interacting more on Twitter. It makes me happy.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Thanks! The truth is, I just really like talking about myself and also sharing my random thoughts, haha. And I like sharing music and funny things. It has been fun using Twitter more!

  16. roro

    Hugs you so much. The scratches sound horrible. I made up stories with my mcdonald beanie babies instead of comics. So cool

  17. kris @ lemon-notes

    Kristen!!! DON’T GO SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET FOR INFECTIONS RELATED TO CAT BITES. I, your friendly neighborhood book blogger that doubles as an (almost) nurse, can always provide you with information regarding medical stuff! πŸ˜‰ (Seriously though, web MD is a scary place. Pet MD is even scarier because it’s about that fluffy perfect image of innocence and light in life possibly getting sick. Don’t do itttttt). I have a plethora of knowledge and a sizable enough debt to prove it πŸ˜›
    I HAVE noticed you’ve been more active on twitter, I applaud you. Some days, I’m a tweet machine. Other days, I just have nothing to saaaayy. I’ve been in a bit of a general slump this week. You know, that thinking too much thing that happens to everyone sometimes. Bah, it’ll pass.
    Okay, so Carpet Tales literally made me squeal in delight at the sweetness. I’m not kidding. I did it out loud. My bunny was not so pleased. Carpet Tales is my #1 OTP of all time. If you don’t make a continuation of this comic, I will slowly wither away into nothing. That is all.

    1. Kristen Burns

      Oh you’re going to nursing school? I didn’t even know that! (But I just checked your about page lol.)

      I don’t think I could ever call myself a tweet machine, still not on that level yet, haha. I have nothing to say on plenty of days, so don’t worry about that! Aww, yeah, we all get those general slumps sometimes.

      YAY CARPET TALES OTP! Hahahaha sorry, Kris’s bunny for making her squeal and startling you πŸ˜› But oh no, I don’t want you to wither away! I must make more!

  18. Dragonfly @ Our Familiarium

    oh my god. I can’t believe your cat attacked you! I was very upset when I googled about the turtle bites. I think you can find very dramatic articles on the web! Glad to hear you are fine though. Wow I never thought of twitter as a great way to converse! I thought it was worse than blog commenting! Glad to hear that’s not the case. I guess I just have to get better at it. So, please start drafting that discussion post where you tell us all how to get better like you did πŸ™‚

  19. Annemieke

    Haha that always happens. It is like homie cat smelled it and had to give you that one thing to type about. Glad to hear no blood was drawn though. I hope this week will actually be uneventful. πŸ˜‰

  20. Uma @ Books.Bags.Burgers.

    I’ve never been scratched by cats but my friend who has like 5 cats constantly comes to college with scratches all over her arms!!AND OMG CAN SO RELATE ABOUT GOOGLING HEALTH STUFF! I was once convinced my slightly swollen lymph node due to a cold was tumor :/ πŸ˜› Googling stuuf makes us go crazy! And omg Carpet Tales is so cute!! <33 And yay that you're doing great on Twitter..I think so far I suck at it πŸ˜› Have a great June πŸ™‚

  21. Lampshade Reader

    Cats can sometimes be unpredictable. Mine do that a lot; I think they get overstimulated. Hope you are doing fine.

    OMG I love Carpet Tales. SO CUTE.

    I follow you on Twitter. I haven’t utilized it too much though, might have to change that.

  22. Di @ Book Reviews by Di

    Argh! Kristen! I hope the cat scratches are better! I’m glad it was a mostly disaster free week though!

    Well done on not receiving any books!!! Wow! That’s an accomplishment! I kind of hope you DO get that book from NG though because… Well it’s just awesome to be accepted. πŸ™‚

    Bahahaha – I love your cartoon. I didn’t think about the mutilation aspect though. I guess I don’t delve that deep. πŸ˜‰

    Hope you’re having a great week!

  23. Victoria Grace Howell

    Oh no! I hope you heal up soon. I have a feisty kitty and sometimes she gets startled and her little claws go somewhere they shouldn’t. Twitter is also the bane of my existence. I’m not good at keeping my thoughts short. XD Best wishes!