diff --git a/src/format.rs b/src/format.rs
index e6c46dc..b0c3d2b 100644
--- a/src/format.rs
+++ b/src/format.rs
@@ -97,14 +97,19 @@ fn format_attachments(depth: usize, attachments: &[Attachment]) -> String {
 // line, breaking the desired formatting
 fn apply_block_quote<S: AsRef<str>>(depth: usize, content: S) -> String {
     let prefix = quote_prefix(depth);
+    // TODO use OnceLock
     let empty = Regex::new("\n\\s").expect("Failed to compiled regex for nested empty lines!");
     let non_empty =
         Regex::new("\n(?P<initial>[^>\\s])").expect("Failed to compile regex for nested lines!");
+    // TODO break into separate function
     // parsing some multiline content adds paragraph tags, convert those back to new lines to apply
     // the block quote level to each line
     let content = content.as_ref().replace("</p><p>", "\n\n");
     let content = content.replace("<p>", "");
     let content = content.replace("</p>", "");
+    // TODO refactor into separate function
+    let content = content.replace("\\*", "*");
+    let content = content.replace(":totoro:", "\\:totoro\\:");
     // replace separately to avoid trailing spaces when replacing empty lines with the prefix
     let content = empty.replace_all(content.as_ref(), format!("\n{}\n", prefix.trim()));
     let content = non_empty.replace_all(&content, |c: &Captures| {
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index e00b043..62a9afa 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
             Ok(exists) if exists => {
                 debug!("Appending {}", output);
                 let mut file = File::options().append(true).open(&output)?;
-                file.write("\n".as_bytes())?;
+                file.write("\n\n".as_bytes())?;
                 file
             }
             _ => {
@@ -138,30 +138,23 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
                     .open(&output)
                     .with_context(|| format!("Failed to create {}", output))?;
                 file.write(format!("# {}\n\n", day.end.format("%Y-%m-%d")).as_bytes())?;
-                // TODO extract into a more general function
-                let week_ago = day.end - Duration::days(7);
-                // TODO check if the file exists
+
+                // TODO move to separate function
+                file.write(create_back_link(&day.end, "[One week ago](diary:{})\n", 7).as_bytes())?;
                 file.write(
-                    format!("[One week ago](diary:{})\n", week_ago.format("%Y-%m-%d")).as_bytes(),
+                    create_back_link(&day.end, "[One month ago](diary:{})\n", 30).as_bytes(),
                 )?;
-                let month_ago = day.end - Duration::days(30);
-                // TODO check if the file exists
                 file.write(
-                    format!("[One month ago](diary:{})\n", month_ago.format("%Y-%m-%d")).as_bytes(),
+                    create_back_link(&day.end, "[Six months ago](diary:{})\n", 6 * 30).as_bytes(),
                 )?;
-                let half_year_ago = day.end - Duration::days(6 * 30);
-                // TODO check if the file exists
                 file.write(
-                    format!(
-                        "[Six months ago](diary:{})\n",
-                        half_year_ago.format("%Y-%m-%d")
-                    )
-                    .as_bytes(),
+                    create_back_link(&day.end, "[One year ago](diary:{})\n", 365).as_bytes(),
                 )?;
-                let year_ago = day.end - Duration::days(365);
-                // TODO check if the file exists
                 file.write(
-                    format!("[One year ago](diary:{})\n", year_ago.format("%Y-%m-%d")).as_bytes(),
+                    create_back_link(&day.end, "[Two years ago](diary:{})\n", 365 * 2).as_bytes(),
+                )?;
+                file.write(
+                    create_back_link(&day.end, "[Three years ago](diary:{})\n", 365 * 3).as_bytes(),
                 )?;
                 file
             }
@@ -175,6 +168,16 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+fn create_back_link(day_end: &DateTime<Local>, anchor_text: &str, ago: i64) -> String {
+    let prior_date = *day_end - Duration::days(ago);
+    // TODO check if the file exists
+    format!(
+        "[{}](diary:{})\n",
+        anchor_text,
+        prior_date.format("%Y-%m-%d")
+    )
+}
+
 enum NextIter {
     Skip,
     Stop,