blog!!

aug 11, 2026 --- clears throat.
i brought back the kpop section - i had moved it into its own site for awhile but no longer have the need of it seperately.
neotcg has a more updated branch called "collect-by-logs". "main" is no longer maintained. if I'm ever pinged on issues I'll fix them, but i am not sure when ill do features, updates, or new versions.
my own tcg has stayed in the lastest revision for a year or two now. It was mostly dropped due to attempting to keep hosting free or at least low cost, and it kept causing me to rework the entire backend to try out a bunch of different database, auth, and image hosting platforms. I *think* i've decided on a setup at a cost of $15 a month, which still allows me to host unrelated projects using the resources.
i'm hoping to start playing colorstcg again but am having a hard time picking it back up. Working on my tcg was what pushed me off of the neocities and other tcg online space due to being worried of being accidentally influenced to make design decisions based on what I was being exposed to. I think this was moreso invasive anxiety rather than it being anything that could realisticly happen though, so I'm not worried about it anymore.
I also have issues with trying to perfect the tcg project. It can't start off in a smaller version, it can't be missing all of these ideas I have, etc, etc. I made the project into being way too big instead of something more achieveable.
so, i'm trying to come back slowly. Instead of starting over, I'm attempting to rework my latest revision into using the setup I've decided on recently.
The hardest part of the project (which I believe is what pushed this to last so long) is the need to have user accounts. User accounts inherently require security in various layers: the stored login details with stable hashing, the authentication tokens verifying a login is still pure and real in order for logins to stick when the browser is changed, the ability to change login details, the ability for moderators to block, restrict, limit user accounts..... its quite.... scary? The beginning of this iteration I was building it entirely myself, which was quite extensive, and the following iterations were learning about new tools and frameworks I could bring in that could make it more secure with less manual coding. This current iteration I am no longer building the layers myself - but instead using an auth0 framework, with thankfully, offers a generous free tier that would not contribute to the monthly cost of hosting (hopefully)
with that out of the way, simple database management isn't too bad. there is of course the normal database design decisions, that if you don't design it well in the beginning, you'll have to do a lot of rework later on... but oh well.
Ive decided to never start a new iteration (ie. start from scratch) and instead continue reworking what I have, and start small. instead of building the entire infrastrcture base at once, I will build them in modules that work seperately.

however I can't count how many times through this process I've thought I was on track, but some chronic health issues have been making the earth spin faster and my will to do anything smaller. Its hard to describe, but its not motivation I've lost, but the will to sit and look at a screen for long periods of time due to pain. it also doesn't help that I havent had a pc for a few years now and have since been operating on a laptop...... with no place..... to put my monitor.... my desk setup prioritizes my whole kpop pc collection now LOL
I've been looking into alternative desk setups to combat this and have more room and comfort but no luck yet. you guys know those expensive sci-fi desk setups where you're laid back and they have the monitors up in the air to be in front of you? chat who wants to buy me one of those
also don't get me started about art either. I don't know how many times i've attempted to bring out my tablet, ipad, laptop, a piece of paper and pencil, - to try create something and I just can't start. i think the mediums I like to work is more on the traditional side but at the same time i like digital. speaking of - i hope to go back to school for art and design??

anyway, all that to say, well, hi. i hope you're doing well, and I hope I start updating things from here on out.

feb 26, 2025 --- so.... yeah.... 2 years later. yikes.
despite what my website shows, i'm still around. what happened you ask? well, starting around march of 2023, i started an automatic tcg project. i wanted the project to serve as a full stack learning opportunity, exploring frameworks and tools available for web dev. this, unfortunately, led me to have multiple itertions of the project, and i think i started from scratch over 6 times now. but! i learned a ton along the way, and I *think* i've started my final iteration a couple months ago (and development is going really fast, since i've built this dang thing so many times already).
that, along with transitioning job responsibilities three times (all promotions!) over the past two years, i've just been tired and busy.
anyway, i'm not sure what i want to be doing with my neocities - i now own a few domains and have the ability to host my own site, meaning i'm no longer limited to the static sites neocities offers. but! i don't want to leave the community, especially when it comes to webrings. i've spent time contributing tools to the tcg community side of the internet, and i would like to continue to contribute to neocities. i may just use both - neocities for my smaller collections and hobbies, with my hosted site having more dynamic content?
in terms of keeping my neocities updated - i've halted participating in any tcg until mine is released, so that will stay halted. I thought about turning these blog posts into dev blogs, so I at least have *something* to update. right now all of my design decisions are living in my notebook, and i'm not sure how i can transition my writing to here. i planned on finishing the backend and functionality before i worked on assets and design, so it means i don't have much visual content to show either.
well. i'm trying to hurry up and finish, and once i do, i'll spread the love here. lets cross our fingers that i'm back again soon. until then, enjoy the way my site is for now :)!

jan 8, 2023 --- i have been so distracted with my colors tcg side of the site i've left the personal side underun I'm hoping to make a few new sections of the site soon, specifically a cd section with some cool ui. I recently got a boombox and have been trying to listen to the radio or physical discs more to minimize relying on my phone as much. I want to get scans of the dvds and make a little digital library page, maybe using some embeds from spotify too.
I also want to do a shopping/ iso page for general things I'm wanting to collect or look for. This would be things like amazon wishlists. OH! AND! I'm hoping to get a page up where I plan my future home. This would of course be leaving out location details, but making a big wishlist for if I find a couch I really like, some art prints I want to get to hang, stuff like that. I think I would have a fun time putting it on the website so see something visually and so anyone else can come along for the ride and give input
I'm also thinking of changing the theme a bit around the personal side of the site, and figuring out how to host my extremely large art files since the art page is taking way too long.
Outside of the site, I started a career I really wanted after a lengthy application process, and i'm liking it alot so far. I can see myself continuing to grow in this career and not having to move far to move up. Its been a bit of a process to get used to the schedule after a couple months of a break, but I'm so far doing okay, especially since I'll be able to telecommute soon starting next month.

oct 30, 2022 --- i haven't been bored for the first time in awhile. i think my last year of university burned me out from doing any of my online hobbies, and I had left my pc sitting for months now. i couldn't even find the want or creativity needed to do personal projects. I had done some discord bots early this year which i need to post somewhere on the site, but for the following months afterwards MAN did i feel like i had nothing to do. i accidentally stumbled upon neocities - and the concept of personal websites. I somehow completly missed this growing up, but i guess i wasn't online very heavy in the time it was big. at least now, I've been spending my time making this website, and coding *so* many tools in order to play colorstcg. most players for colorstcg use etcg, which is a preset tool someone made to make card collecting less tedious. it uses php, which neocities doesn't support, so i've spent the last few weeks rebuilding what etcg does but as a neocities friendly js version. its been fun! i've reached a point with building the tools where i dont have much left I can automate, and i'm worried i'll go back to being bored. hopefully not, i've been having a fun time. also, please! check out! colorstcg! i'm making it my mission to drag more neocities people over into the community, because the more players the better. go read about it here

oct 15, 2022 --- i started playing colorstcg after seeing it on koinukos site. i've already become obsessed, as i am already really into trading card games. i've already made its own section on the site, where i organize my collection, as well as make tools for the community to use. the area is still in development, but you can check it out at colorstcg in the navbar. i started playing colorstcg after seeing it on koinukos site. i've already become obsessed, as i am already really into trading card games. i've already made its own section on the site, where i organize my collection, as well as make tools for the community to use. the area is still in development, but you can check it out at colorstcg in the navbar.
you can find out more information about colorstcg and how to play here.
if you sign up, let them know gloomlee referred you!

recent colorstcg cards

view the rest of my collection here

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