Tell Me Something Good August 17, 2017 10:11 PM Subscribe
This is a complementary post to Fizz's necessary post, but tell me something good, tell me that you like it, yeah! It doesn't have to be an amazing thing, but something that made you smile, or feel happy, etc.
I am about to pull warm sheets out of the dryer and put them on and go to bed before 1am for once. My friends who almost had the rental car disaster trying to get to a convention this weekend managed to sort this out and got there in one piece, and the friend who wasn't able to go is at least reasonably okay and we hung out online tonight watching sports anime. Oh, and I have been sent pictures of someone cosplaying my favorite incredibly minor Yuri on Ice character, and that made me smile.
posted by Sequence at 10:28 PM on August 17, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Sequence at 10:28 PM on August 17, 2017 [4 favorites]
Moving into a new apartment soon. The packing is ugh but the new place has a lot of improvements compared to my current situation!
Plus simple things, like the sunlight and a breeze, a really good strawberry shake on a hot afternoon, the succulents thriving in the garden...
Bonus: I also personally know the bassist from Rufus. The band autograph in our living room has "Tell me SOMETHING GOOD!!" scribbled on it :D
posted by Sockin'inthefreeworld at 10:30 PM on August 17, 2017 [10 favorites]
Plus simple things, like the sunlight and a breeze, a really good strawberry shake on a hot afternoon, the succulents thriving in the garden...
Bonus: I also personally know the bassist from Rufus. The band autograph in our living room has "Tell me SOMETHING GOOD!!" scribbled on it :D
posted by Sockin'inthefreeworld at 10:30 PM on August 17, 2017 [10 favorites]
In one hour and twenty-three minutes I will be able to distract myself from politics with a binge watch of The Defenders. I love Matt, Luke, and Jessica, so YAY.
posted by xyzzy at 10:38 PM on August 17, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by xyzzy at 10:38 PM on August 17, 2017 [5 favorites]
We just watched the series finale of Orphan Black and it was most satisfying.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:45 PM on August 17, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:45 PM on August 17, 2017 [3 favorites]
We just watched the series finale of Orphan Black and it was most satisfying.
We finally started watching the first season and love it (we're about 5 or 6 eps in)! It's nice to have a new good show to watch, and to know that from all accounts it stays good.
Went to a baseball game the other night, and the teenage son of my friend (who I haven't seen in at least a year, maybe longer) spontaneously gave me a big hug when he saw me, which made my heart melt. Also the game was excellent, and as we were leaving we ran into the drummer of my friend's all-time favorite band, who was super nice when we said hello.
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 10:55 PM on August 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
We finally started watching the first season and love it (we're about 5 or 6 eps in)! It's nice to have a new good show to watch, and to know that from all accounts it stays good.
Went to a baseball game the other night, and the teenage son of my friend (who I haven't seen in at least a year, maybe longer) spontaneously gave me a big hug when he saw me, which made my heart melt. Also the game was excellent, and as we were leaving we ran into the drummer of my friend's all-time favorite band, who was super nice when we said hello.
posted by the return of the thin white sock at 10:55 PM on August 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'm also moving into a new apartment! The first I saw it online I fell in love, but I got worried when its twin in the same building was snatched up quick. I had to wait some before seeing it in person because of scheduling and unwritten moving rules in current country, so I was supremely nervous the half week I had between making the appointment and seeing it.
While at the appointment another real estate agent with his client showed up, I might have hissed GO AWAY from the balcony and when I got back into the car, my agent asked if I wanted to put in an application. I said a resounding HELL YES, put in an application within the hour, and I move in on September 1st!
It has so many windows! Cross-breezes throughout the apartment! It's absolutely gorgeous and I am just so elated.
posted by lesser weasel at 11:07 PM on August 17, 2017 [18 favorites]
While at the appointment another real estate agent with his client showed up, I might have hissed GO AWAY from the balcony and when I got back into the car, my agent asked if I wanted to put in an application. I said a resounding HELL YES, put in an application within the hour, and I move in on September 1st!
It has so many windows! Cross-breezes throughout the apartment! It's absolutely gorgeous and I am just so elated.
posted by lesser weasel at 11:07 PM on August 17, 2017 [18 favorites]
Right now, it's Lin-Manuel Miranda in James Corden's Crosswalk the Musical: Hair (note: everything is pixelated, but there's simulated nudity)
posted by zachlipton at 11:12 PM on August 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by zachlipton at 11:12 PM on August 17, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'm having a baby in 16 weeks and I'm super psyched. I got so impatient for bubs the other day that when the cat wandered by when I was folding laundry I put one of the new bibs on her. She was...not impressed. But she looked very festive.
posted by supercrayon at 11:48 PM on August 17, 2017 [31 favorites]
posted by supercrayon at 11:48 PM on August 17, 2017 [31 favorites]
I get mild eczema on my neck once every few months, but only recently have I discovered that the snail mucin that I drunk-bought is pretty good at actually fixing it, not just protecting it like the colloidal oatmeal lotion, or temporarily stopping the itch like hydrocortisone.
YMMV, of course, but I am happy to have made this discovery.
posted by batter_my_heart at 11:50 PM on August 17, 2017 [4 favorites]
YMMV, of course, but I am happy to have made this discovery.
posted by batter_my_heart at 11:50 PM on August 17, 2017 [4 favorites]
fiona hippo exists and she is perfect
P E R F E C T
posted by poffin boffin at 11:54 PM on August 17, 2017 [23 favorites]
P E R F E C T
posted by poffin boffin at 11:54 PM on August 17, 2017 [23 favorites]
i love her
posted by poffin boffin at 11:54 PM on August 17, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 11:54 PM on August 17, 2017 [4 favorites]
I ran into my old boss today who I always thought kind of hated me and today he acted plausibly happy to see me and it was nice.
Also I thought my bed collapsed in the night and was dreading trying to fix it or going bed shopping, but when I got up it turned out to be a total non issue that was fixed by shoving part a into part b in two minutes.
Also, it's now the weekend.
posted by lollusc at 12:00 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Also I thought my bed collapsed in the night and was dreading trying to fix it or going bed shopping, but when I got up it turned out to be a total non issue that was fixed by shoving part a into part b in two minutes.
Also, it's now the weekend.
posted by lollusc at 12:00 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
There's a five year-old in Philly who likes to wear superhero costumes while helping his aunts take care of street cats.
posted by ActionPopulated at 12:07 AM on August 18, 2017 [24 favorites]
posted by ActionPopulated at 12:07 AM on August 18, 2017 [24 favorites]
I've been trying to adopt a dog for months and getting super discouraged because dogs are hard to come by in Vancouver but today I found out that a little Pomeranian just like I'd dreamed of will be coming to stay with me for a week and if after that week we're happy with one another, he'll be my new family member.
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 12:08 AM on August 18, 2017 [22 favorites]
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 12:08 AM on August 18, 2017 [22 favorites]
I posted something positive in that thread and now I feel like I wore a spinning bowtie to a wake. I got a response from the book's editor today and they passed the message on to the author (who has an astonishingly sparse web presence). I think half of Germany is on vacation this week.
posted by waninggibbon at 12:36 AM on August 18, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by waninggibbon at 12:36 AM on August 18, 2017 [7 favorites]
I continue to love the @mombetsu_land Twitter account. They're an aquarium on Hokkaido and post nothing but pictures and videos of their happy seals (like the one cuddling a seal plush doll from back in February).
posted by waninggibbon at 12:45 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by waninggibbon at 12:45 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
So I have a terrible job, but it pays me more than anything else comparable. That basically means I am stuck being treated like garbage for cash, which totally sucks. My wife has always been telling me to just quit and do something else, but in addition to being greedy, it is tough out there. So I have been putting up with it and promised myself I would stay here for another two years and then move on (I want to buy another rental property before I hit 40, so have a financial reason to suffer). Anyway, some stuff happened in the past few weeks that makes me question if it is really worth it to put up with it, but also, it is tough out there so even if I decided it wasn't worth it, it wouldn't be easy to find another job anyway.
BUT! This morning, out of the blue, an old acquaintance that I hadn't spoken to in ages sent me a message asking if would be interested in a freelancing opportunity that might lead to a permanent position! Of course I said yes, was offered the freelance work, and now I feel like I have options. Of course it might not pan out, or I might decide to stick with my original plan and suffer for another two years, but I feel pretty happy that I at least have a glimmer of a possibility for change.
In other good news, I am attaining inner peace. I mentioned this before, but even though I run every day, I haven't participated in a race for like twenty years. I recently signed up for a 10k and have started really taking my training seriously in the meantime. I haven't been drinking and have been following a serious training program to prepare. Up until a couple days ago I was worried about how I would feel if I spent two months of my life seriously working towards this 10k race yet still didn't reach my goal. The other night it hit me like a lightning bolt: it's fine. In fact, missing my target could be better than meeting it. Failure is good for the spirit, and if I do succeed it will probably send me into an ultra competitive spiral, and who needs that, anyway? So, I am going to continue seriously training, staying off the booze, and doing my absolute best. If I don't hit my goal, hey that's great, I will know I put 100% into it, and that I couldn't have done any better.
posted by Literaryhero at 1:37 AM on August 18, 2017 [20 favorites]
BUT! This morning, out of the blue, an old acquaintance that I hadn't spoken to in ages sent me a message asking if would be interested in a freelancing opportunity that might lead to a permanent position! Of course I said yes, was offered the freelance work, and now I feel like I have options. Of course it might not pan out, or I might decide to stick with my original plan and suffer for another two years, but I feel pretty happy that I at least have a glimmer of a possibility for change.
In other good news, I am attaining inner peace. I mentioned this before, but even though I run every day, I haven't participated in a race for like twenty years. I recently signed up for a 10k and have started really taking my training seriously in the meantime. I haven't been drinking and have been following a serious training program to prepare. Up until a couple days ago I was worried about how I would feel if I spent two months of my life seriously working towards this 10k race yet still didn't reach my goal. The other night it hit me like a lightning bolt: it's fine. In fact, missing my target could be better than meeting it. Failure is good for the spirit, and if I do succeed it will probably send me into an ultra competitive spiral, and who needs that, anyway? So, I am going to continue seriously training, staying off the booze, and doing my absolute best. If I don't hit my goal, hey that's great, I will know I put 100% into it, and that I couldn't have done any better.
posted by Literaryhero at 1:37 AM on August 18, 2017 [20 favorites]
I found the Steven Universe soundtrack vol. 1 on Spotify and have been listening non-stop for a couple of days. Some of the songs make me cry if I'm already kind of sad (Do It For Her, Here Comes A Thought) but others really cheer me up and make me feel empowered (Stronger Than You, the full theme song) and others are just delightful (The Jam Song). I highly recommend listening on repeat if you like the show.
posted by rawrberry at 2:51 AM on August 18, 2017
posted by rawrberry at 2:51 AM on August 18, 2017
my cats continue to be perfect and every day they exist is a day worth getting through
posted by Anonymous at 3:54 AM on August 18, 2017
posted by Anonymous at 3:54 AM on August 18, 2017
Tonight was Day 1 of the Men's Gymnastics P&G (National) Championships. This is the real beginning of the international competition season, the first one since the Olympics last year. John Orozco, who made the Olympic team but had to drop out due to an injury, has retired. Danell Leyva, the "reserve athlete" who replaced Orozco, won silver on parallel bars and horizontal bar in a triumphant showing, and immediately retired. He is now in California doing various things, among them swimwear model, which is breaking nobody's heart. Jake Dalton and Chris Brooks, also members of the Rio Olympic team, both announced their retirements this week. Sam Mikulak, who has been national champion for the past four years, tore his achilles tendon (again) at the Winter Cup in February. He is at nationals, competing only high bar and pommel horse, but he hit both routines and hopes to make the World Championships team. Alex Naddour, who won bronze on pommel horse in Rio, still looks terrific.
The vacuum left by the many retirements this year, both among Olympians and among gymnasts who took their last shot at making an Olympic team at last spring's Olympic trials, has opened opportunities for gymnasts like Yul Moldauer, a University of Oklahoma sophomore who has only been competing as a senior for two years but is a solid two points ahead in the all-around after the first day of competition. Moldauer is known for excellent form and for very pretty gymnastics, a real pleasure in a sport that's been kind of taken over by big-shouldered strong men in recent years. Here is his floor routine from today. Try to make a note of his name so that when the men's team is named for the 2020 Olympics in Paris, you can say, "Oh, yeah, I've heard of that guy."
Akash Modi, who has been around for awhile biding his time behind the big names, has also come out big this year and is in second place behind Moldauer. He is in first place on parallel bars.
I mention all of this because it's very exciting for men's gymnastics fans, who have been kind of biding our time since the Olympics, waiting to see how things shake out. Also because I get to watch the championships with my 10-year-old, a gymnast himself. This week, he and his coach talked seriously about him going elite this year, but they decided he'd compete as a Level 7 (out of 10) this year, with the intention of going elite as a Level 8 next year. I knew he was good, but he's been with a new coach the past five or six months who works him hard, which he loves, and apparently he's even better than we thought. Gymnasts who compete as elites have to learn additional routines called Technical Sequences, which are set routines that emphasize fundamental skills and good form. Elites are eligible, if they do well enough at nationals, to be named to the Junior National team starting at age 11. The athletes at National Championships, and competing internationally, as well as those who get college scholarships, have nearly all been on the Junior National team from a young age, so my son is very excited that his coach thinks he has that kind of potential. His goal is to compete at the college level.
Anyway, we're very excited about gymnastics around here this weekend.
Day 2 for the men is on Saturday, and will air on NBC in the afternoon.
posted by Orlop at 4:25 AM on August 18, 2017 [11 favorites]
The vacuum left by the many retirements this year, both among Olympians and among gymnasts who took their last shot at making an Olympic team at last spring's Olympic trials, has opened opportunities for gymnasts like Yul Moldauer, a University of Oklahoma sophomore who has only been competing as a senior for two years but is a solid two points ahead in the all-around after the first day of competition. Moldauer is known for excellent form and for very pretty gymnastics, a real pleasure in a sport that's been kind of taken over by big-shouldered strong men in recent years. Here is his floor routine from today. Try to make a note of his name so that when the men's team is named for the 2020 Olympics in Paris, you can say, "Oh, yeah, I've heard of that guy."
Akash Modi, who has been around for awhile biding his time behind the big names, has also come out big this year and is in second place behind Moldauer. He is in first place on parallel bars.
I mention all of this because it's very exciting for men's gymnastics fans, who have been kind of biding our time since the Olympics, waiting to see how things shake out. Also because I get to watch the championships with my 10-year-old, a gymnast himself. This week, he and his coach talked seriously about him going elite this year, but they decided he'd compete as a Level 7 (out of 10) this year, with the intention of going elite as a Level 8 next year. I knew he was good, but he's been with a new coach the past five or six months who works him hard, which he loves, and apparently he's even better than we thought. Gymnasts who compete as elites have to learn additional routines called Technical Sequences, which are set routines that emphasize fundamental skills and good form. Elites are eligible, if they do well enough at nationals, to be named to the Junior National team starting at age 11. The athletes at National Championships, and competing internationally, as well as those who get college scholarships, have nearly all been on the Junior National team from a young age, so my son is very excited that his coach thinks he has that kind of potential. His goal is to compete at the college level.
Anyway, we're very excited about gymnastics around here this weekend.
Day 2 for the men is on Saturday, and will air on NBC in the afternoon.
posted by Orlop at 4:25 AM on August 18, 2017 [11 favorites]
I just moved and couldn't find the hardware for the shelving I wanted to put up in the garage, but my housemate found it (in a place I *swear* I looked at least 3 times, of course) so today there will be shelf assembly. I am looking forward to the illusion of control!
Also, the coffee turned out really well today.
posted by catlet at 4:35 AM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Also, the coffee turned out really well today.
posted by catlet at 4:35 AM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Okay, something good: following Metafilter research on travel mugs I finally splashed out on a new Zojirushi, replacing my not-particularly-old Oxo Good Grips, which was doing a terrible job of keeping my coffee hot on my commute in to work. So this morning I had piping hot coffee on the train! So, thanks AskMe, once again you save the day. (It's the little things.)
posted by Ziggy500 at 4:42 AM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Ziggy500 at 4:42 AM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Someone's giving me an extensive Apple //e system this weekend.
And I'm going to Janchenko's for a cinnamon bun and coffee on the way to work.
posted by scruss at 5:00 AM on August 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
And I'm going to Janchenko's for a cinnamon bun and coffee on the way to work.
posted by scruss at 5:00 AM on August 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
They filmed the Broadway production of Newsies, and are showing it occasionally in movie theaters now. I saw it a week ago, and it was so fun and so satisfying. The good guys win. The, poor, young, underprivileged good guys win over the wealthy, powerful, mean bad guys. The, poor, young, etc. good guys win while singing and dancing all over the place, and I really mean all over the place. And it's apparently based on something that really happened.
I know musicals aren't for everyone, but wow, I haven't seen anything that satisfying since the damn election.
Here's the curtain call.
(Also, I think I bought a house yesterday.)
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 5:01 AM on August 18, 2017 [10 favorites]
I know musicals aren't for everyone, but wow, I haven't seen anything that satisfying since the damn election.
Here's the curtain call.
(Also, I think I bought a house yesterday.)
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 5:01 AM on August 18, 2017 [10 favorites]
2 things:
1 - Half of my job is running the Lean program where I work (we call it something else, natch), and I won't go into too much detail, but the program we are using is not very good at all, is very poorly implemented, and it has been a capital-S Slog. Everyone here hates it. I got that part of my job because I like the general concepts and am a high-energy positivity cheerleader-type, and I fucking hate it. But! I was going through and archiving some paperwork this week, and the progress we have made at the shopfloor employee and supervisor level in the past year jumped out at me, and gave me so much joy.
2 - Tomorrow, I'm going to my first photography class! I bought a fancy mirrorless camera, but don't really know what I'm doing, other than just playing around with settings and going and taking pictures and printing/framing the ones I like. Then after that, I'm planning on grabbing a drink with a person from church who I'm acquaintances with. She's really fantastic, and we both have said in the past "Hey! You seem cool! We should hang out sometime!", and we're finally making that happen.
posted by Fig at 5:15 AM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
1 - Half of my job is running the Lean program where I work (we call it something else, natch), and I won't go into too much detail, but the program we are using is not very good at all, is very poorly implemented, and it has been a capital-S Slog. Everyone here hates it. I got that part of my job because I like the general concepts and am a high-energy positivity cheerleader-type, and I fucking hate it. But! I was going through and archiving some paperwork this week, and the progress we have made at the shopfloor employee and supervisor level in the past year jumped out at me, and gave me so much joy.
2 - Tomorrow, I'm going to my first photography class! I bought a fancy mirrorless camera, but don't really know what I'm doing, other than just playing around with settings and going and taking pictures and printing/framing the ones I like. Then after that, I'm planning on grabbing a drink with a person from church who I'm acquaintances with. She's really fantastic, and we both have said in the past "Hey! You seem cool! We should hang out sometime!", and we're finally making that happen.
posted by Fig at 5:15 AM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
I saw a big, beautiful coyote on a bike ride this evening
You saw a coyote riding a bike and there's no photo?
posted by arcticseal at 5:31 AM on August 18, 2017 [34 favorites]
You saw a coyote riding a bike and there's no photo?
posted by arcticseal at 5:31 AM on August 18, 2017 [34 favorites]
I live in an urban neighborhood that's so diverse nobody is in the majority. We've got a plurality of everybody. One of the reasons why that's fantastic and folks might like more diversity in their neighborhood is that the food scene is very, very good. To paraphrase Johnny T, we've got the best cuisine from all over the place. It never gets old.
We also have amazing community gardens in bloom. People are still inspired to get out and put in the work to make their neighborhood a little more beautiful.
posted by jazzbaby at 5:36 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
We also have amazing community gardens in bloom. People are still inspired to get out and put in the work to make their neighborhood a little more beautiful.
posted by jazzbaby at 5:36 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Tomorrow is our 26th anniversary. 11 months ago I lost my job and my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, all in a 24 hour period. Her first post-radiation mammogram was clear, and my career (and income) is on its way back to where it was. I feel like we are finally turning the corner and putting a really shitty year behind us.
We are celebrating by attending a Smithereens concert.
And our daughter starts her senior year of college on Monday, which is both happy and sad. I'm excited to see what where life takes her, but I'm also fairly certain she'll never live at home again for an extended period of time. We have a great relationship, but she has stuff to do, and It will likely not be near home.
posted by COD at 5:52 AM on August 18, 2017 [23 favorites]
We are celebrating by attending a Smithereens concert.
And our daughter starts her senior year of college on Monday, which is both happy and sad. I'm excited to see what where life takes her, but I'm also fairly certain she'll never live at home again for an extended period of time. We have a great relationship, but she has stuff to do, and It will likely not be near home.
posted by COD at 5:52 AM on August 18, 2017 [23 favorites]
fiona hippo exists and she is perfect
FiFi is at MY ZOO!!! I'VE SEEN HER IN REAL LIFE!!! She is exactly as perfect as you think she is. My daughter works at the zoo and gets to see her before the crowds set in so I get almost daily videos of the little chubbers doing hippo things. She's so awesome (my daughter AND the hippo).
It's Friday, the Reds somehow managed to win against the Cubs last night in a roller coaster game, we're going swimming with friends on Sunday before we celebrate one of their spawn's 15th birthdays, my kitten is the sweetest loviest little thing ever (when she's ready for cuddles she comes out of nowhere and JUMPS on you and sticks her face in your face and purrs and purrs and purrs and purrs and I LOVE HER SO MUCH), I have coffee and work is getting busy but not too busy. My son goes back to college next week and my daughter starts her senior year of high school on Tuesday but there will be time for the weeping; just not yet.
posted by cooker girl at 6:09 AM on August 18, 2017 [11 favorites]
FiFi is at MY ZOO!!! I'VE SEEN HER IN REAL LIFE!!! She is exactly as perfect as you think she is. My daughter works at the zoo and gets to see her before the crowds set in so I get almost daily videos of the little chubbers doing hippo things. She's so awesome (my daughter AND the hippo).
It's Friday, the Reds somehow managed to win against the Cubs last night in a roller coaster game, we're going swimming with friends on Sunday before we celebrate one of their spawn's 15th birthdays, my kitten is the sweetest loviest little thing ever (when she's ready for cuddles she comes out of nowhere and JUMPS on you and sticks her face in your face and purrs and purrs and purrs and purrs and I LOVE HER SO MUCH), I have coffee and work is getting busy but not too busy. My son goes back to college next week and my daughter starts her senior year of high school on Tuesday but there will be time for the weeping; just not yet.
posted by cooker girl at 6:09 AM on August 18, 2017 [11 favorites]
We got two kittens this spring who are now about 6 months old, and are stupid little annoying delightful heartwarming wonderful adorable fiends.
posted by rmd1023 at 6:18 AM on August 18, 2017 [9 favorites]
posted by rmd1023 at 6:18 AM on August 18, 2017 [9 favorites]
I've never really gotten along well with my father, as he's kind of a misogynist--not as bad as my brother is, but he's definitely a jerk sometimes.
But I moved far away and started standing up for myself a bit (mostly but just refusing to speak to him when he's being a jerk), and ...I think he's listening. He asked me about some race and gender stuff this week and wanted to know how to send me an anti-racism picture he found online that he'd thought I'd like to see, and also which charities would be good to donate to.
He's almost 70, and I was sure I was going to have to dodge him and his terrible behavior for the rest of his life. But we're talking more--and I learned some family history about my great uncles and my grandfather this week, which was also pretty nice. He doesn't really talk about that much, so I just don't know details. It was great to have a real conversation with him this week.
My mother's birthday is today. We're driving to Tampa to meet them for the weekend. I think it might be fun? I can't believe I'm cautiously optimistic about this.
posted by PearlRose at 6:20 AM on August 18, 2017 [28 favorites]
But I moved far away and started standing up for myself a bit (mostly but just refusing to speak to him when he's being a jerk), and ...I think he's listening. He asked me about some race and gender stuff this week and wanted to know how to send me an anti-racism picture he found online that he'd thought I'd like to see, and also which charities would be good to donate to.
He's almost 70, and I was sure I was going to have to dodge him and his terrible behavior for the rest of his life. But we're talking more--and I learned some family history about my great uncles and my grandfather this week, which was also pretty nice. He doesn't really talk about that much, so I just don't know details. It was great to have a real conversation with him this week.
My mother's birthday is today. We're driving to Tampa to meet them for the weekend. I think it might be fun? I can't believe I'm cautiously optimistic about this.
posted by PearlRose at 6:20 AM on August 18, 2017 [28 favorites]
I had a long day at work yesterday - started at 4am and didn't get home until about 6pm. As you can probably imagine, I was somewhat stressed and absolutely shattered so I went upstairs for a quick nap.
After only twenty minutes, I was awoken by a loud meow and the sight of this black and white kitty jumping on the bed. He proceeded to give me a headbutt then settled down for a brief nap himself whilst snoring loudly.
After some initial sleepy confusion, this amused me and made me smile...
...because I don't own a cat.
posted by garius at 6:20 AM on August 18, 2017 [46 favorites]
After only twenty minutes, I was awoken by a loud meow and the sight of this black and white kitty jumping on the bed. He proceeded to give me a headbutt then settled down for a brief nap himself whilst snoring loudly.
After some initial sleepy confusion, this amused me and made me smile...
...because I don't own a cat.
posted by garius at 6:20 AM on August 18, 2017 [46 favorites]
...because I don't own a cat.
You used to not own a cat.
posted by PearlRose at 6:22 AM on August 18, 2017 [46 favorites]
You used to not own a cat.
posted by PearlRose at 6:22 AM on August 18, 2017 [46 favorites]
The latest episode of Levar Burton Reads is the amazing "1000-Year-Old Ghosts" by Laura Chow Reeve.
Today, i intend to find everything else she's ever published.
posted by platitudipus at 6:25 AM on August 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
Today, i intend to find everything else she's ever published.
posted by platitudipus at 6:25 AM on August 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
My 10 year old rescue pup is asleep on my feet and snoring away while I plough through someone's draft thesis. This week, I'll take that.
posted by Chairboy at 6:27 AM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by Chairboy at 6:27 AM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
I moved to New England last fall after a life of living almost exclusively in places with very hot and sunny climates, so I was not very well equipped emotionally to deal with the winter. For months, everyone kept telling me "Wait for the summer; the summer is beautiful here."
Yesterday after work I drove my motorcycle, Hank, out to Walden Pond and went swimming. The air was cool and the water was warm. For the second time ever, I successfully swam all the way across, so I'm feeling really good about that. It didn't feel any easier than the first time, but my arms aren't screamingly sore this time around, so that means I can do it again and get better.
The summer is beautiful here.
posted by solotoro at 6:28 AM on August 18, 2017 [14 favorites]
Yesterday after work I drove my motorcycle, Hank, out to Walden Pond and went swimming. The air was cool and the water was warm. For the second time ever, I successfully swam all the way across, so I'm feeling really good about that. It didn't feel any easier than the first time, but my arms aren't screamingly sore this time around, so that means I can do it again and get better.
The summer is beautiful here.
posted by solotoro at 6:28 AM on August 18, 2017 [14 favorites]
I've actually made a promise to myself to keep track of these kinds of things and put them on my blog every week. Here's my list so far of things that cheered me:
* I found a couple of quiet and isolated nooks of Prospect Park last weekend that let me look at pretty trees and babbling brooks and not encounter any other people. One of them was by the edge of the lake - I sat on a treestump and watched turtles for a good while. (I also happened to see a couple of cases where persistent manturtles were trying to make a move on ladyturtles; this looks like an old form of weird juju I used to have is coming back, in which every time i walked up to a zoo enclosure or a pen of animals, within a few minutes a couple of them would start Doing It. I take this as a hopeful sign that my own love life will heat back up soon as well.)
* I made a peach pie and ate the whole thing myself (it was of a size suitable for one person, but still).
* I learned that they're doing a film adaptation of Good Omens and they've cast David Tennant as Crowley.
* Panetone officially named a shade of purple after Prince.
* One of my coworkers is heavily into English football, but said that part of what he likes about it is the good-natured smacktalk rival supporters have between games. So he's randomly assigned the other two of us in the office teams to support just so he can do that. However, I know nothing about sports and so we've been ribbing each other about that instead. It's a profoundly dumb thing to razz each other about, but its very dumbness feels normal.
* My book club was yesterday, and a few of us went out to a bar afterward - including the guy I have had a tiny and futile crush on (he's got a girlfriend and they've been together for 7 years so ain't nothing changing that, so I just sign and admire from afar). I tipped him off to that short story about the alternate universe where the Beatles went on SNL.
* I laughed louder and longer than I probably should have when the same work colleague who was into English football looked up one day and said "you know, I don't know why, but I've alwyas had the feeling that if you ever met Trump, he would just sort of....smell bad."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:34 AM on August 18, 2017 [8 favorites]
* I found a couple of quiet and isolated nooks of Prospect Park last weekend that let me look at pretty trees and babbling brooks and not encounter any other people. One of them was by the edge of the lake - I sat on a treestump and watched turtles for a good while. (I also happened to see a couple of cases where persistent manturtles were trying to make a move on ladyturtles; this looks like an old form of weird juju I used to have is coming back, in which every time i walked up to a zoo enclosure or a pen of animals, within a few minutes a couple of them would start Doing It. I take this as a hopeful sign that my own love life will heat back up soon as well.)
* I made a peach pie and ate the whole thing myself (it was of a size suitable for one person, but still).
* I learned that they're doing a film adaptation of Good Omens and they've cast David Tennant as Crowley.
* Panetone officially named a shade of purple after Prince.
* One of my coworkers is heavily into English football, but said that part of what he likes about it is the good-natured smacktalk rival supporters have between games. So he's randomly assigned the other two of us in the office teams to support just so he can do that. However, I know nothing about sports and so we've been ribbing each other about that instead. It's a profoundly dumb thing to razz each other about, but its very dumbness feels normal.
* My book club was yesterday, and a few of us went out to a bar afterward - including the guy I have had a tiny and futile crush on (he's got a girlfriend and they've been together for 7 years so ain't nothing changing that, so I just sign and admire from afar). I tipped him off to that short story about the alternate universe where the Beatles went on SNL.
* I laughed louder and longer than I probably should have when the same work colleague who was into English football looked up one day and said "you know, I don't know why, but I've alwyas had the feeling that if you ever met Trump, he would just sort of....smell bad."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:34 AM on August 18, 2017 [8 favorites]
Tonight I start a road trip to Nashville for the eclipse. Tuesday I'll drop my wife off at the Louisville, KY airport so she can fly home (she's smarter than me) and my son and I will continue on a road trip across Ohio, stopping in Cleveland for the night, before heading back home. We hope to see Niagara Falls and all the shittiness that goes with it.
Also, when I was a kid, the big treat was to eat at a restaurant in the mall called The York Steakhouse. It was a cafeteria style place and I can still smell the buttered rolls, taste the salad dressing, and see the cooks tossing steaks on the grills. Turns out the last remaining York Steakhouse is in Columbus, Ohio, which we'll be driving through. I expect it will be terrible, but dammit I'm gonna stop and get myself a #4 medium rare.
posted by bondcliff at 6:52 AM on August 18, 2017 [10 favorites]
Also, when I was a kid, the big treat was to eat at a restaurant in the mall called The York Steakhouse. It was a cafeteria style place and I can still smell the buttered rolls, taste the salad dressing, and see the cooks tossing steaks on the grills. Turns out the last remaining York Steakhouse is in Columbus, Ohio, which we'll be driving through. I expect it will be terrible, but dammit I'm gonna stop and get myself a #4 medium rare.
posted by bondcliff at 6:52 AM on August 18, 2017 [10 favorites]
Here are Licorice, Fennel, and Aniseed. According to my spreadsheet, they are my 99th, 100th, and 101st foster pets. They are very small, but finally starting to fatten up a bit.
posted by little cow make small moo at 7:07 AM on August 18, 2017 [22 favorites]
posted by little cow make small moo at 7:07 AM on August 18, 2017 [22 favorites]
Turkeys successfully de-treed themselves this morning, among much flapping of wings.
I also seem to have been chosen by a scrub jay to provide food, and as I love scrub jays I consider this a high honor. She (I've decided it's a she) flew into my covered porch a few mornings ago, squawked quite expectantly, and waited until I came to the screen door and saw her, then flew off to wait in a nearby tree for me to do something about it. I suspect she was actually teasing the cats, but I have been well trained by scrub jays in the past and I went rummaging through my pantry until I found a bunch of walnuts (I don't really like walnuts) and left five or six out on the porch for her. I did not see her again, but the walnuts were gone by the time I got home from work. Repeat of that on Tuesday and Wednesday. Didn't hear her yesterday, but she just stopped by again. All I have are sliced almonds, so there's now a trail of those on my porch for her.
OOOH HA, I JUST CAUGHT HER EATING THEM! Yay!
And I need to remember to stop at Trader Joe's and buy more nuts, because I'm apparently running a scrub-jay drive-through (fly-through?) now.
posted by lazuli at 7:10 AM on August 18, 2017 [14 favorites]
I also seem to have been chosen by a scrub jay to provide food, and as I love scrub jays I consider this a high honor. She (I've decided it's a she) flew into my covered porch a few mornings ago, squawked quite expectantly, and waited until I came to the screen door and saw her, then flew off to wait in a nearby tree for me to do something about it. I suspect she was actually teasing the cats, but I have been well trained by scrub jays in the past and I went rummaging through my pantry until I found a bunch of walnuts (I don't really like walnuts) and left five or six out on the porch for her. I did not see her again, but the walnuts were gone by the time I got home from work. Repeat of that on Tuesday and Wednesday. Didn't hear her yesterday, but she just stopped by again. All I have are sliced almonds, so there's now a trail of those on my porch for her.
OOOH HA, I JUST CAUGHT HER EATING THEM! Yay!
And I need to remember to stop at Trader Joe's and buy more nuts, because I'm apparently running a scrub-jay drive-through (fly-through?) now.
posted by lazuli at 7:10 AM on August 18, 2017 [14 favorites]
After my chatty, funny ninja kitty passed away in June, I kept an eye out on my big fluffball. The last time he lost a friend, he was two years old and went into a depression. Miss Ninja Kitty became his companion a couple of months later and he just loved her to pieces.
Thankfully, with lots of play and cuddles and being taken care of while I was in Norway by the Mefite who posted this thread ;) my big fluffball was doing okay. However, when I returned from vacation he got very excited and started looking in all of his best friend's usual spots, then trotting over to me wide-eyed and expectant. He thought I'd gone on vacation to find her...
I started looking for a young cat to adopt. Found one very quickly! She had been abandoned with her mom and five siblings, taken in by a hoarder, then rescued from the hoarder by a foster org. Now she lives with big fluffer and I, and she is sweet and feisty and adorable. Meet Tara of the many colors! It was the name her foster family had given her, they were on the letter N but the kids wanted to name mama cat Tsuki so instead it was T :) I kept her name because of Tara.
On preview, omg those little foster sprites!! ^_^
posted by fraula at 7:12 AM on August 18, 2017 [10 favorites]
Thankfully, with lots of play and cuddles and being taken care of while I was in Norway by the Mefite who posted this thread ;) my big fluffball was doing okay. However, when I returned from vacation he got very excited and started looking in all of his best friend's usual spots, then trotting over to me wide-eyed and expectant. He thought I'd gone on vacation to find her...
I started looking for a young cat to adopt. Found one very quickly! She had been abandoned with her mom and five siblings, taken in by a hoarder, then rescued from the hoarder by a foster org. Now she lives with big fluffer and I, and she is sweet and feisty and adorable. Meet Tara of the many colors! It was the name her foster family had given her, they were on the letter N but the kids wanted to name mama cat Tsuki so instead it was T :) I kept her name because of Tara.
On preview, omg those little foster sprites!! ^_^
posted by fraula at 7:12 AM on August 18, 2017 [10 favorites]
Here are Licorice, Fennel, and Aniseed
Yay! I almost named one of my cats Fennel, too. If I had adopted a boy-girl pair I was going to go with Fennel and Poppy, since they both grow wild in California, which is another thing that is good.
posted by lazuli at 7:13 AM on August 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Yay! I almost named one of my cats Fennel, too. If I had adopted a boy-girl pair I was going to go with Fennel and Poppy, since they both grow wild in California, which is another thing that is good.
posted by lazuli at 7:13 AM on August 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Sleepy Dog pics (see my earlier post). Sorry they're on FB, but they're public.
posted by Chairboy at 7:13 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Chairboy at 7:13 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
OMG Tara! I love torties.
posted by lazuli at 7:14 AM on August 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by lazuli at 7:14 AM on August 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
I have a couple more good things:
* I work in a dog-friendly shared-office-space kind of place, and there's a guy in a one-person space 3 doors down the hall that brings his dog Winnie in once a week. Winnie is a gorgeous little thing; some kind of sleek greyhound-y body, but she's got the ears of a lab, and jet black. And she's a nearly-grown puppy, so she's really friendly, and I always seem to run into them right after I've been eating something so Winnie is even more inclined to jump up and lick me in the face than she already was. I ran into Winnie about 5 minutes ago.
* There is a house on my block that's being fixed up for resale by a couple that's been at it for a couple years now; they have a big slobbery pit bull named Nesta that they sometimes let run around in the fenced-in front yard. If I am walking by the house when Nesta's out there, he always runs up to the fence and insists on licking me in the face as well.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:18 AM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
* I work in a dog-friendly shared-office-space kind of place, and there's a guy in a one-person space 3 doors down the hall that brings his dog Winnie in once a week. Winnie is a gorgeous little thing; some kind of sleek greyhound-y body, but she's got the ears of a lab, and jet black. And she's a nearly-grown puppy, so she's really friendly, and I always seem to run into them right after I've been eating something so Winnie is even more inclined to jump up and lick me in the face than she already was. I ran into Winnie about 5 minutes ago.
* There is a house on my block that's being fixed up for resale by a couple that's been at it for a couple years now; they have a big slobbery pit bull named Nesta that they sometimes let run around in the fenced-in front yard. If I am walking by the house when Nesta's out there, he always runs up to the fence and insists on licking me in the face as well.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:18 AM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
I start nearly 2 weeks of vacation this afternoon! Other than a short trip to see the eclipse mainly staying home and doing stuff around the house, including getting a new and bigger deck built. Looking forward to fall evenings looking out over the river!
posted by TedW at 7:24 AM on August 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by TedW at 7:24 AM on August 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
You know what really cheered me this morning? Sheetcaking.
posted by Stanczyk at 7:24 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Stanczyk at 7:24 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
I LOVE all the animal/pet stories and photos here--so soothing and friendly and stress-reducing!
Here's Phoebe, my lovely little girl. I'm so grateful that she waited nearly a year at the shelter to meet me!
posted by bookmammal at 7:28 AM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
Here's Phoebe, my lovely little girl. I'm so grateful that she waited nearly a year at the shelter to meet me!
posted by bookmammal at 7:28 AM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
Also, I have my initial meeting with my line manager at my new job next week. I've been working as one of the artists on an outreach programme for young people in a disadvantaged area of Edinburgh, and the current outreach co-ordinator is leaving, so I applied for the role and got it (yay!) I'm super stoked to get started and help to develop the programme further as we also just got three years of funding for this project too (double yay!) after years of on/off/on again. The kids there are brilliant so I'm really happy to have the chance to make a bit more of a difference there on a regular basis.
posted by Chairboy at 7:28 AM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Chairboy at 7:28 AM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Two recent packages received: three magnets of Barack and Michelle Obama, and two Limetown pins. We ordered the magnets, because we've had GWB and Laura on our fridge for years, which was kind of funny-haha, but has gotten to be more tragic as the angry orange one spirals out of control, and I got the pins after asking the nice folk(s) who make Limetown offered to send me a pin after I asked where I could buy one, or a sticker. (Also, they said "Lots more coming down the road for Limetown. Stay tuned!" !!)
Also, we should have a complete master bathroom again this weekend, which is pretty exciting. The problem with doing it yourself is it only moves as fast as you do it. The benefit is that you save a ton of money and feel empowered to do more around the house.
EmpressCallipygos: I work in a dog-friendly shared-office-space kind of place
Apparently, I do, too, because this morning I was greeted by a shaggy little doggo, which was nice. He's only visiting for a while this morning, not a repeat visitor.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:39 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Also, we should have a complete master bathroom again this weekend, which is pretty exciting. The problem with doing it yourself is it only moves as fast as you do it. The benefit is that you save a ton of money and feel empowered to do more around the house.
EmpressCallipygos: I work in a dog-friendly shared-office-space kind of place
Apparently, I do, too, because this morning I was greeted by a shaggy little doggo, which was nice. He's only visiting for a while this morning, not a repeat visitor.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:39 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
A few good things:
My dog has started doing this thing where he makes a lip smacking sound every time I put food in his bowl. He doesn't always immediately go eat, but he watches me put food in his bowl, eyes it greedily, and smacks his lips. It's really cute.
I've started getting really into tacky nail bling, and a few of my aliexpress purchases of cheapo sparkly crap have started to roll in. It makes me happy every time I look at my fingers.
A couple of coworker buddies and I went to the Murakami exhibit at the MCA on Tuesday. It was so, so good.
Our company summer party is going to (finally) happen next weekend. I started planning it back at the beginning of April. I'm pretty thorough with budgeting, and had per-head pricing estimates prior to booking anything to cover a variety of scenarios. Now only week away, I have final exact numbers. The difference between my original estimate and actual is $1. This pleases me.
posted by phunniemee at 7:47 AM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
My dog has started doing this thing where he makes a lip smacking sound every time I put food in his bowl. He doesn't always immediately go eat, but he watches me put food in his bowl, eyes it greedily, and smacks his lips. It's really cute.
I've started getting really into tacky nail bling, and a few of my aliexpress purchases of cheapo sparkly crap have started to roll in. It makes me happy every time I look at my fingers.
A couple of coworker buddies and I went to the Murakami exhibit at the MCA on Tuesday. It was so, so good.
Our company summer party is going to (finally) happen next weekend. I started planning it back at the beginning of April. I'm pretty thorough with budgeting, and had per-head pricing estimates prior to booking anything to cover a variety of scenarios. Now only week away, I have final exact numbers. The difference between my original estimate and actual is $1. This pleases me.
posted by phunniemee at 7:47 AM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
I just bought a new house and in the first week of ownership a variety of unforeseen expenses have brought me low. However, when I mowed my tiny lawn a couple days ago, I found three young toads living in the grass. I will create a hospitable habitat for them in the next little while so they stick around.
posted by matthewfells at 7:52 AM on August 18, 2017 [9 favorites]
posted by matthewfells at 7:52 AM on August 18, 2017 [9 favorites]
After four years of professional-level hoop jumping, my sister-in-law is finally adopting my newest nephew. He's six and he loves spiders and our family is over the moon happy to have a new member. This event shines the brightest light into what has been an otherwise shit-dark year.
posted by msali at 7:54 AM on August 18, 2017 [12 favorites]
posted by msali at 7:54 AM on August 18, 2017 [12 favorites]
I can confirm that Fraula has the best kitties! Cat sitting the big fluffy one was a pleasure!
posted by ellieBOA at 8:07 AM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by ellieBOA at 8:07 AM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Our son was in a situation recently where it would've been so easy for him to give in to peer pressure and do something he didn't feel comfortable doing.
Instead, he removed himself from the situation, and texted with me and my husband until someone was able to pick him up.
posted by Lucinda at 8:21 AM on August 18, 2017 [23 favorites]
Instead, he removed himself from the situation, and texted with me and my husband until someone was able to pick him up.
posted by Lucinda at 8:21 AM on August 18, 2017 [23 favorites]
These Josh Ritter songs always make me happy, even if some of them are sad:
The Bone of Song
The Temptation of Adam
The Curse
Getting Ready to Get Down
posted by that's candlepin at 8:48 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
The Bone of Song
The Temptation of Adam
The Curse
Getting Ready to Get Down
posted by that's candlepin at 8:48 AM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
More medical tests results today and the polyp (a relatively new word to my vocabulary but probably a permanent one at this particular age*) that appeared a year ago has remained at exactly the same size after a scan a few weeks back and "no action is required". I'll take that.
* Too old for Radio One or avocado toast, too young for Saga cruises, and way too young for Stannah Stairlifts.
posted by Wordshore at 8:55 AM on August 18, 2017 [11 favorites]
* Too old for Radio One or avocado toast, too young for Saga cruises, and way too young for Stannah Stairlifts.
posted by Wordshore at 8:55 AM on August 18, 2017 [11 favorites]
Next week, my wife starts her new teaching job. She stopped 12 years ago when our first son was born, and neither of us realized the incredibly tough slog it would be to get back in - basically, you can't get into most teaching positions here without an evaluation that is more than a year old. And if you can't get a job, you can't get an evaluation. But with some hard work in some teaching aide positions, she's gotten a contract from a charter school for the next year to teach. And after that, the doors are all open again. Plus, she got to go see the location she's teaching at and see her classroom yesterday and she's pumped; it's a beautiful building and a wonderful room.
As for me, this summer has been the slow admission to myself that I no longer really have a passion for what I do, and starting the discussion with myself about what that means and what to do about it. I don't have any answers yet. But I'm also trying not to stress about it, because I don't think that will help. But I've really reconnected with my love of tabletop RPGs, and the decision this summer to see if the two boys down the street who play with my boys constantly wanted to try some D&D has lead to their dad revealing his love for tabletop RPGs and joining us. And now he and I are talking to some other dads in the area who apparently also used to play about maybe forming a group as well. I discussed it with my wife last night, about how there might be a group of Dads playing as well, and said we could call it "Daddies and Dungeons" and she said "I bet some of the Moms might be really into that" and then we realized how that all sounded. So I'll work on a better name before pitching it.
posted by nubs at 8:57 AM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
As for me, this summer has been the slow admission to myself that I no longer really have a passion for what I do, and starting the discussion with myself about what that means and what to do about it. I don't have any answers yet. But I'm also trying not to stress about it, because I don't think that will help. But I've really reconnected with my love of tabletop RPGs, and the decision this summer to see if the two boys down the street who play with my boys constantly wanted to try some D&D has lead to their dad revealing his love for tabletop RPGs and joining us. And now he and I are talking to some other dads in the area who apparently also used to play about maybe forming a group as well. I discussed it with my wife last night, about how there might be a group of Dads playing as well, and said we could call it "Daddies and Dungeons" and she said "I bet some of the Moms might be really into that" and then we realized how that all sounded. So I'll work on a better name before pitching it.
posted by nubs at 8:57 AM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
Good news Wordshore!!
Too old for Radio One or avocado toast,
I won't argue with you about Radio One (mostly because I have no idea of its programming) but as far as I'm concerned, there is no "too old for avocado toast." I'll be 47 in a couple of weeks and at the rate I consume avocado toast, someone will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands when I reach the ripe old age of death.
posted by cooker girl at 8:59 AM on August 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Too old for Radio One or avocado toast,
I won't argue with you about Radio One (mostly because I have no idea of its programming) but as far as I'm concerned, there is no "too old for avocado toast." I'll be 47 in a couple of weeks and at the rate I consume avocado toast, someone will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands when I reach the ripe old age of death.
posted by cooker girl at 8:59 AM on August 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
The Vancouver Aquarium has a baby otter named Hardy and you can watch him do cute things via this live webcam.
posted by delight at 9:58 AM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by delight at 9:58 AM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
Yesterday I finished a project at work, which meant I had the rest of the day free, so I walked around downtown looking for a new place to eat. I spotted a new-to-me Korean restaurant with a rainbow flag in the window and a sign that said, "We stand with our Muslim neighbors". So I found a welcoming, inclusive place that does a nice kimchi bimbambap. Good food and good vibes.
posted by creepygirl at 10:12 AM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by creepygirl at 10:12 AM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
Baby Rose is becoming a nonstop dancing machine.
posted by saladin at 10:24 AM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by saladin at 10:24 AM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Mac Demarco's latest album is really good. I've never heard anything like it and I'm worried that I'm going to get burned out on it. It's so mellow and sad and perfect. And I just went bonkers with a mid-life crisis and put a ridiculous sound system in my car and it sounds really good on it and has made my commute ultra pleasant. Check it out.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 11:02 AM on August 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 11:02 AM on August 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Steve Bannon just got fired.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:56 AM on August 18, 2017 [17 favorites]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:56 AM on August 18, 2017 [17 favorites]
I have a job where it is finally, finally OK to be me, in my general loud, random and non-gender-conforming way. For the first time, everything that I am seems to be an advantage and not something to hide or work around in order to be acceptable.
I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it hasn't yet.
I wish everyone could experience this.
posted by emilyw at 12:15 PM on August 18, 2017 [17 favorites]
I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it hasn't yet.
I wish everyone could experience this.
posted by emilyw at 12:15 PM on August 18, 2017 [17 favorites]
Michael Franti and Spearhead - Say hey! (I love you.)
This song never fails to make me smile, and my son always tries dancing with it.
posted by 80 Cats in a Dog Suit at 12:16 PM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
This song never fails to make me smile, and my son always tries dancing with it.
posted by 80 Cats in a Dog Suit at 12:16 PM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
My household had an eventfully shit week, but our friends (many of whom met through Metafilter or via Metafilter-adjacent communities) really came through when we needed them, and I can't help but feel good about it, even if I'd rather the originating shit hadn't happened.
On a far lighter note, the theme at karaoke club last night was "Eclipse-eoke" and we basically did 3 hours of moon and sun and darkness themed songs, and others in the crowd figured out what we were doing and joined in and it was a really good way to end the week, and even though karaoke is a team sport and not a competition, I still feel like I won the night by doing Duran Duran's "New Moon on Monday" because the the eclipse is also on Monday, and no one can take that away from me. (And I don't think anyone in the crowd actually knew the song beyond the chorus which is good because I certainly didn't remember it as much as I thought I did.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:27 PM on August 18, 2017 [7 favorites]
On a far lighter note, the theme at karaoke club last night was "Eclipse-eoke" and we basically did 3 hours of moon and sun and darkness themed songs, and others in the crowd figured out what we were doing and joined in and it was a really good way to end the week, and even though karaoke is a team sport and not a competition, I still feel like I won the night by doing Duran Duran's "New Moon on Monday" because the the eclipse is also on Monday, and no one can take that away from me. (And I don't think anyone in the crowd actually knew the song beyond the chorus which is good because I certainly didn't remember it as much as I thought I did.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:27 PM on August 18, 2017 [7 favorites]
After fourteen months (and two false confirmations) waiting for my ex fiancé to finally finish the paperwork to take over the mortgage on the house we bought together two years ago, I finally received an official solicitor's email today that I am freee of it all! The relief is immense. Celebrations ahoy!
posted by iamkimiam at 12:35 PM on August 18, 2017 [10 favorites]
posted by iamkimiam at 12:35 PM on August 18, 2017 [10 favorites]
I have a glorious new laptop coming in the mail any day now, and I'm pretty excited to play around with it. It will be one of the nicest things I've ever bought myself, and I'm looking forward to using it as a platform to help expand my photography skills, which is itself a long-term project of mine. I was able to afford it through my new(ish) job, which pays much better than my last one.
Also, I'm going hiking and camping this weekend! I was planning to do a pretty adventurous hike but the weather is looking a little unsettled, so I'm just going to go to one of my favorite easy-to-get-to spots and do some exploring of nearby areas that I haven't been to before. My hope is that the indifferent weather forecast will keep the crowds down, and that I'll be able to get a choice campsite and enjoy a little solitude in a spot that I love but which I sometimes avoid because it has a tendency to fill up on summer weekends. I'm going to work on my bushwhacking and wilderness navigation skills, hopefully getting to some interesting off-trail locations that I've had my eye on for a little while now. I will also work on my photography.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 12:50 PM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Also, I'm going hiking and camping this weekend! I was planning to do a pretty adventurous hike but the weather is looking a little unsettled, so I'm just going to go to one of my favorite easy-to-get-to spots and do some exploring of nearby areas that I haven't been to before. My hope is that the indifferent weather forecast will keep the crowds down, and that I'll be able to get a choice campsite and enjoy a little solitude in a spot that I love but which I sometimes avoid because it has a tendency to fill up on summer weekends. I'm going to work on my bushwhacking and wilderness navigation skills, hopefully getting to some interesting off-trail locations that I've had my eye on for a little while now. I will also work on my photography.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 12:50 PM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Working one and a half jobs, paying off debts and have a crush on a waitress.
I have a lease, car insurance and good friends. Went to a library sale. Bought some single malt whiskey today, along with a butterfly chair. Also taking up my hobby of picture framing and working on a poem. Little lonely but life is Better.
Sending in my mefi donation this weekend which I shall send in a donut shaped frame.
posted by clavdivs at 1:52 PM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
I have a lease, car insurance and good friends. Went to a library sale. Bought some single malt whiskey today, along with a butterfly chair. Also taking up my hobby of picture framing and working on a poem. Little lonely but life is Better.
Sending in my mefi donation this weekend which I shall send in a donut shaped frame.
posted by clavdivs at 1:52 PM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Thanks for all the new pet pictures and stories! Here's Tommy being super-casual.
I'm having fun reading the archives of Blue Milk Special, a hilarious Star Wars original trilogy parody web comic I stumbled on a few days ago.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:53 PM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
I'm having fun reading the archives of Blue Milk Special, a hilarious Star Wars original trilogy parody web comic I stumbled on a few days ago.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:53 PM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Job interview in my field coming up on Tuesday. Best news in awhile!
posted by haunted by Leonard Cohen at 2:07 PM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by haunted by Leonard Cohen at 2:07 PM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
I've been kind of a perpetual student for most of my adult life, but my abject terror at my impending graduation is slowly being replaced by a more familiar kind of anxiety -- which is a good thing, because I'm anxious at the thought that oh wow, there are a lot of possibilities for my future. Some are better than others. My dad thinks I should go into politics or activism. My mom thinks I should be a park ranger. My girlfriend thinks I should make musical instruments, or get a temp job. My professors think I should go to grad school and teach.
It's funny being an older student and talking about this, because pretty much every one of my friends has been in this position before, so I feel kind of sheepish acting as if I'm the first person to have made this realization. I'm sure every college senior goes through what I'm going through.
But! The great thing about it is that I have lived my entire life with major depression, and in spite of it, for kind of the first time, I'm thinking in terms of the future. Don't get me wrong, I'm very depressed, but being depressed and still fantasizing about the future is sort of a new way of thinking for me. I have potential! Which includes the potential to fail miserably, but it's potential nonetheless. These are baby steps in the direction of actually being able to imagine what my future might look like, but in the meantime, at least I've got a vague, blurry image.
Get ready for embarrassingly naive AskMe posts about what to do with my life. But hey, embarrassing questions are better than assuming there's no point asking, right?
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 2:41 PM on August 18, 2017 [12 favorites]
It's funny being an older student and talking about this, because pretty much every one of my friends has been in this position before, so I feel kind of sheepish acting as if I'm the first person to have made this realization. I'm sure every college senior goes through what I'm going through.
But! The great thing about it is that I have lived my entire life with major depression, and in spite of it, for kind of the first time, I'm thinking in terms of the future. Don't get me wrong, I'm very depressed, but being depressed and still fantasizing about the future is sort of a new way of thinking for me. I have potential! Which includes the potential to fail miserably, but it's potential nonetheless. These are baby steps in the direction of actually being able to imagine what my future might look like, but in the meantime, at least I've got a vague, blurry image.
Get ready for embarrassingly naive AskMe posts about what to do with my life. But hey, embarrassing questions are better than assuming there's no point asking, right?
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 2:41 PM on August 18, 2017 [12 favorites]
Here is my cat being maybe just a liiittle bit salty over the fact that I interrupted him while he was contemplating jumping up onto the kitchen counter.
posted by janepanic at 2:58 PM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by janepanic at 2:58 PM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
Here are Licorice, Fennel, and Aniseed. According to my spreadsheet, they are my 99th, 100th, and 101st foster pets. They are very small, but finally starting to fatten up a bit.
posted by little cow make small moo at 10:07 AM on August 18 [10 favorites −] Favorite added! [!]
I love little cow make small moo's user name!!!!
posted by Gyre,Gimble,Wabe, Esq. at 3:55 PM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by little cow make small moo at 10:07 AM on August 18 [10 favorites −] Favorite added! [!]
I love little cow make small moo's user name!!!!
posted by Gyre,Gimble,Wabe, Esq. at 3:55 PM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
I am gifting myself permission to drive south for the eclipse. The other person who was going with me backed out so I've been internally debating about going it alone. I decided to be brave and just do it: forget making it perfect or worthwhile or even reasonable because I'm gifting myself an option to do something just for me.
I'm leaving early enough on Monday to get within 30 mins of my possible target boonies location by 11:30AM. There's a supposedly good greasy diner barbq buffet that I'll go in and experience. Who knows - it may be good!
Then there's an isolated churchyard 30 mins down the road where I may wait. If traffic is non-existent or light, I may wander further south to a boat ramp place and watch the event from there.
I'm provisioning frozen water bottles, bug spray, sun screen, a book or two and a beach lounge chair. For cappers, I'm picking up a cheap bottle of champagne to have a wee toast to the event. Since I'm driving it will be a ritual small amount but still symbolic of ..... something.
Hugs to all who need em.
posted by mightshould at 4:34 PM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
I'm leaving early enough on Monday to get within 30 mins of my possible target boonies location by 11:30AM. There's a supposedly good greasy diner barbq buffet that I'll go in and experience. Who knows - it may be good!
Then there's an isolated churchyard 30 mins down the road where I may wait. If traffic is non-existent or light, I may wander further south to a boat ramp place and watch the event from there.
I'm provisioning frozen water bottles, bug spray, sun screen, a book or two and a beach lounge chair. For cappers, I'm picking up a cheap bottle of champagne to have a wee toast to the event. Since I'm driving it will be a ritual small amount but still symbolic of ..... something.
Hugs to all who need em.
posted by mightshould at 4:34 PM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
Once a year I get to go to Hawaii on the company dime for a corporate retreat/planning event and am posting this from Kauai (while waiting to switch over my laundry).
We're a small company, so we spent an evening all playing Quelf and it's the closest I've come to wetting my pants in a long time. We live together (split between two condos) and eat together, socialize together, etc. We all work from home across the US/Canada and as an introvert, it was getting completely out of my comfort zone to try this out.
It was a huge leap of faith for me to join this company and it's been so satisfying to prove to myself I could try a new career and be successful at it.
posted by Twicketface at 5:16 PM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
We're a small company, so we spent an evening all playing Quelf and it's the closest I've come to wetting my pants in a long time. We live together (split between two condos) and eat together, socialize together, etc. We all work from home across the US/Canada and as an introvert, it was getting completely out of my comfort zone to try this out.
It was a huge leap of faith for me to join this company and it's been so satisfying to prove to myself I could try a new career and be successful at it.
posted by Twicketface at 5:16 PM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
All 3 dogs pooped at exactly the same time when I let them out this evening, which is a rarity. I think it's only happened once before.
I get super amused when I get 2 simultaneous pooping pups (to the point where I'll mention it to my husband), so this is how I imagine all the eclipse-excited folks are going to feel come Monday (minus glasses, plus poop bag (but only 1!!))
posted by Fig at 5:25 PM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
I get super amused when I get 2 simultaneous pooping pups (to the point where I'll mention it to my husband), so this is how I imagine all the eclipse-excited folks are going to feel come Monday (minus glasses, plus poop bag (but only 1!!))
posted by Fig at 5:25 PM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Had some great sex this morning. Sweaty, happy, fulfilled, smiling in bed before hopping in the shower and getting to work by 6:30am.
That shit was good.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 5:27 PM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
That shit was good.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 5:27 PM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
In the last 3 weeks my daughter & I composed 8 new songs, and her 3rd book is coming along nicely.
She will be 8 in exactly two months.
posted by growabrain at 6:48 PM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
She will be 8 in exactly two months.
posted by growabrain at 6:48 PM on August 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Had some great sex this morning. Sweaty, happy, fulfilled, smiling in bed before hopping in the shower and getting to work by 6:30am.
I'm happy for you.
But I"m also sitting here chewing ice and peeling the label off my beer, if you get my meaning....
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:26 PM on August 18, 2017 [8 favorites]
I'm happy for you.
But I"m also sitting here chewing ice and peeling the label off my beer, if you get my meaning....
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:26 PM on August 18, 2017 [8 favorites]
By this time next week, I will be on a plane to Greece. It's been a rough year full of stress and heartbreak and for ten glorious days I'm going to leave it all behind and just swim and write in my journal and eat fantastic food and maybe maybe scuba dive? It was a spontaneous decision to book this trip and I won't know anyone else going and I'm scared but so excited.
posted by silverstatue at 8:53 PM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by silverstatue at 8:53 PM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
I told myself when I got back from vacation I was going to start actively looking for a 3rd horse since my #1 horse had to be retired this spring due to a neurological condition. Didn't take me long to find this lovely retired racehorse whose registered name is Captain Ben, who my daughter's calling Cinnamon on account of his color but I'm calling Bunny. Teetering perilously close to crazy horse lady status here on my new farm.
posted by drlith at 9:08 PM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by drlith at 9:08 PM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
Two weeks ago, my eldest son texted me to say a coworker had just sold him a pair of tickets to the Green Day show at the Coliseum the next night, and would I like to join him? I'm not the world's biggest fan of the band, although I do enjoy their hits, and I didn't know if they were worth seeing live, but I said "Absolutely!" mainly to jump at the chance to hang out with my son. Turns out the band was hella excited to be playing for a hometown audience, and the crowd was hella excited, and the band's set lasted well over two hours, and a good time was had by all.
posted by ogooglebar at 9:09 PM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by ogooglebar at 9:09 PM on August 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
@hippybear It's a yoga retreat. A while ago I took a couple yoga classes at a new studio, and then got distracted and never went back but.....stayed on their email list. They send emails every now and then that I never read. THEN a couple months ago, I was having a really sad night and I happened to read their email about a trip to Greece. And I said, what the hell. Let's go to Greece. And here I go! I will do a little yoga each day and a whole lot of other fun stuff :)
posted by silverstatue at 9:11 PM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by silverstatue at 9:11 PM on August 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
I got tickets to see Regina Spektor!!
posted by Sassyfras at 9:11 PM on August 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Sassyfras at 9:11 PM on August 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
I've been kind of paralyzed by choice about where to go for the eclipse, and my long suffering husband that I don't deserve finally said, "Let's go where you can go look at rocks for fun," because I've been really stressed out by my climate change research. So I've chosen our place so that I can run around and look for some nice Cretaceous & Jurassic fossils where we're going to camp for the eclipse (while we wait). He's going to look for awhile too but spend the rest of the time reading which is just so nice of him. And I'll be able to go over a lot of terrain because I've been running so much as a way to channel my rage, so bonus I guess.
But before and afterwards we're going through some classic 3.5+ billion year old rocks that I haven't really looked at since undergrad, so I've been boning up on some hard rock geology which I'm not normally that interested in. That's been really fun - it's always fun to learn new things or relearn things from a different perspective. And this trip, while I have a chance to pick up some rubies and turquoise (all very small) and other minerals, which, eh, I also have a chance to find some 2+ billion year old bacteria and 3.8 billion year old pillow basalts. Pillow basalts formed when lava extruded in the ocean (pillow lava). You can go to Hawaii and see pillow lava today. And it's so just so cool to see a process that's been around almost as long as the earth has that you can also see happening right now represented in the rocks. Kind of makes you feel small and yet mighty at the same time - it just puts some things into a different perspective.
But it's the bacteria I'm really fucking excited about. They're a particular kind called stromatolites, which are essentially layers of bacteria, or microbial mats, that form on top of each other and accrete into these wavy looking structures over time. I fucking love them. Best of all, like the pillow basalts, you can find them today in places like Shark Bay, Australia. And they have a different kind of chlorophyll than other plants and algae, a 5th kind, called chlorophyll f. Isn't that just the neatest?! I love them so much! Anyway, I have dozens and dozens from all over the world but none as old as the ones I might find on this trip, over 2 billion years old!!!!! And it's all thanks to my husband who's letting me loose at perhaps his own expense (with boredom) and telling me to have fun.
Plus, you know, eclipse totality. So despite everything, it's just one of those times when I feel so goddamn lucky to be alive and overwhelmed by how just how neat and awesome and glorious this planet really is.
posted by barchan at 9:12 PM on August 18, 2017 [14 favorites]
But before and afterwards we're going through some classic 3.5+ billion year old rocks that I haven't really looked at since undergrad, so I've been boning up on some hard rock geology which I'm not normally that interested in. That's been really fun - it's always fun to learn new things or relearn things from a different perspective. And this trip, while I have a chance to pick up some rubies and turquoise (all very small) and other minerals, which, eh, I also have a chance to find some 2+ billion year old bacteria and 3.8 billion year old pillow basalts. Pillow basalts formed when lava extruded in the ocean (pillow lava). You can go to Hawaii and see pillow lava today. And it's so just so cool to see a process that's been around almost as long as the earth has that you can also see happening right now represented in the rocks. Kind of makes you feel small and yet mighty at the same time - it just puts some things into a different perspective.
But it's the bacteria I'm really fucking excited about. They're a particular kind called stromatolites, which are essentially layers of bacteria, or microbial mats, that form on top of each other and accrete into these wavy looking structures over time. I fucking love them. Best of all, like the pillow basalts, you can find them today in places like Shark Bay, Australia. And they have a different kind of chlorophyll than other plants and algae, a 5th kind, called chlorophyll f. Isn't that just the neatest?! I love them so much! Anyway, I have dozens and dozens from all over the world but none as old as the ones I might find on this trip, over 2 billion years old!!!!! And it's all thanks to my husband who's letting me loose at perhaps his own expense (with boredom) and telling me to have fun.
Plus, you know, eclipse totality. So despite everything, it's just one of those times when I feel so goddamn lucky to be alive and overwhelmed by how just how neat and awesome and glorious this planet really is.
posted by barchan at 9:12 PM on August 18, 2017 [14 favorites]
Tonight and last night I was lucky enough to hang out with two different groups of my amazing women friends. We ate good food, knit, talked about books and politics and life and just laughed and enjoyed each other's company. I am so grateful to have such wonderful friends!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:52 PM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:52 PM on August 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
We saw Bill Kirchen and Redd Volkaert tonight and they closed the show with a kick-ass "The Tmes They Are A-Changing." That's the second concert in eight days to feature that song—new life for an old warhorse.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:03 PM on August 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:03 PM on August 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
At my birthday dinner tonight I had THREE cakes and FOUR different types of grilled meat (like, four different species of animal).
posted by btfreek at 11:42 PM on August 18, 2017 [8 favorites]
posted by btfreek at 11:42 PM on August 18, 2017 [8 favorites]
barchan, I always love your comments in these threads, especially as by about the third line, the "oh, I think I recognise who this is" gets totally confirmed by a mention of a rock sliding into the story. I'll be cycling by William Smith (father of stratigraphy)'s house later today on my return from brunch with my friends to celebrate one of their birthdays, and also, peripherally, mine. But your mention of pillow lavas reminds me of the path I didn't take, and my A level (high school) geology field trips, including to Newborough Warren, apparently Britain's best pillow lava. I'd love to see stromatalites, but there's none here that I know of, despite how lucky we are to have some of nearly everything from (late) pre-Cambrian to Tertiary. Anyway, perhaps I'll go looking at rocks properly some day. Just had to say thanks for the geology enthusiasm.
posted by ambrosen at 2:44 AM on August 19, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by ambrosen at 2:44 AM on August 19, 2017 [2 favorites]
Were you at the Lucinda Williams/Mary Chapin Carpinter show at Wolftrap, Johnny Wallflower? I was there too, after seeing Lyle Lovett the night before!
posted by drlith at 5:42 AM on August 19, 2017
posted by drlith at 5:42 AM on August 19, 2017
grass frogs in the back yard at night
posted by flabdablet at 5:52 AM on August 19, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by flabdablet at 5:52 AM on August 19, 2017 [5 favorites]
I have a glorious new laptop coming in the mail any day now
anticipation of a new lenovo's arrival
posted by flabdablet at 5:58 AM on August 19, 2017 [14 favorites]
anticipation of a new lenovo's arrival
posted by flabdablet at 5:58 AM on August 19, 2017 [14 favorites]
A year ago I was in constant intense pain, nearly immobile. I'd always been clumsy and limited when I tried anything active or sports-y. My family viewed complaint as weakness so I said little. Things slowly went from bad to worse until I could no longer walk.
Last October I got a new hip after learning I'd had a lifelong deformity (I'm 59).
In the next three weeks I plan to (among other things) go biking, hiking, skydiving, and ziplining--the latter at the longest/fastest/highest zip in the US. As I do most mornings, I just swam half a mile in a decent crawl after a lifetime of failure to learn. I'd never dreamed of such things prior to the surgery, seeing myself as a hopeless paperweight.
They say it's never too late to have a happy childhood... I can't even express the elation and gratitude. It's crazy.
posted by kinnakeet at 6:24 AM on August 19, 2017 [34 favorites]
Last October I got a new hip after learning I'd had a lifelong deformity (I'm 59).
In the next three weeks I plan to (among other things) go biking, hiking, skydiving, and ziplining--the latter at the longest/fastest/highest zip in the US. As I do most mornings, I just swam half a mile in a decent crawl after a lifetime of failure to learn. I'd never dreamed of such things prior to the surgery, seeing myself as a hopeless paperweight.
They say it's never too late to have a happy childhood... I can't even express the elation and gratitude. It's crazy.
posted by kinnakeet at 6:24 AM on August 19, 2017 [34 favorites]
kinnakeet, I feel so happy for you!
posted by runcifex at 6:57 AM on August 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by runcifex at 6:57 AM on August 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
That Crosswalk the Musical video that zachlipton posted above is so good that I'm tempted to make it its own FPP. Or at least one in FanFare, but I don't know if that's against the rules.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 7:47 AM on August 19, 2017
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 7:47 AM on August 19, 2017
kinnakeet, that's great!
So yesterday I said that I wasn't drinking to prepare for my 10k race, but today my wife said that she felt like drinking a little after the kids went to bed but didn't want to do it alone. Bad news: I am drinking during training. Good news: it is glorious!
posted by Literaryhero at 7:47 AM on August 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
So yesterday I said that I wasn't drinking to prepare for my 10k race, but today my wife said that she felt like drinking a little after the kids went to bed but didn't want to do it alone. Bad news: I am drinking during training. Good news: it is glorious!
posted by Literaryhero at 7:47 AM on August 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
Yesterday, my cats almost snuggled together! A little backstory: The orange and white floof, Puddle, has not been keen on his little black and white brother, AC, since the day I rescued AC almost five years ago. They have only reached a detente now, and I never ever thought Puddle would allow AC to be this close to him. So maybe in another few years I'll be able to post a snuggling picture.
Today, I am heading to lunch with some friends and my friend's dad who's in town. Then I'm going to go get some cool knobs for this Ikea shoe thing I've had for awhile.
I've been on vacation for almost a whole week now, and lunch today will be my first meaningful social interaction aside from phone calls with my family. I finally admitted to myself yesterday that I need to get help for my depression and anxiety because my coping techniques are just not hacking it, so I'm going to get some appointments set up on Monday.
posted by Mouse Army at 8:21 AM on August 19, 2017 [11 favorites]
Today, I am heading to lunch with some friends and my friend's dad who's in town. Then I'm going to go get some cool knobs for this Ikea shoe thing I've had for awhile.
I've been on vacation for almost a whole week now, and lunch today will be my first meaningful social interaction aside from phone calls with my family. I finally admitted to myself yesterday that I need to get help for my depression and anxiety because my coping techniques are just not hacking it, so I'm going to get some appointments set up on Monday.
posted by Mouse Army at 8:21 AM on August 19, 2017 [11 favorites]
Scrub jay update: She wasn't a fan of the sliced almonds (I imagine they'd be hard to eat with a beak) but she accepted my offering of some of the whole raw almonds that I remembered to buy yesterday. The cats are still fairly grumpy about this whole "corvid on the porch while they're stuck inside" thing, but I think it will help build up their character.
But now the hummingbird feeder's empty and I must tend to my other avian overlords.
posted by lazuli at 8:43 AM on August 19, 2017 [9 favorites]
But now the hummingbird feeder's empty and I must tend to my other avian overlords.
posted by lazuli at 8:43 AM on August 19, 2017 [9 favorites]
Mouse Army, that's kinda anti-eponysterical!
posted by runcifex at 8:44 AM on August 19, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by runcifex at 8:44 AM on August 19, 2017 [2 favorites]
I finally admitted to myself yesterday that I need to get help for my depression and anxiety because my coping techniques are just not hacking it, so I'm going to get some appointments set up on Monday.
Good for you!
posted by lazuli at 8:49 AM on August 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
Good for you!
posted by lazuli at 8:49 AM on August 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
It poured rain yesterday, torrential at times; looks like we got several inches of much-needed rain. Just went to look at my garden and everything is okay. I've always intended to do successive plantings, finally got to it this year and there are new beans, peas, spinach and chard. I hope the kale comes up as it likes cold weather. The tomatoes are coming in, and there is little more satisfying than a home-grown tomato.
My dog just came in. He found something gross to roll in, so it's bath time.
posted by theora55 at 8:56 AM on August 19, 2017 [3 favorites]
My dog just came in. He found something gross to roll in, so it's bath time.
posted by theora55 at 8:56 AM on August 19, 2017 [3 favorites]
This. I'm also enjoying the absurdity of Borderlands 2 very much.
FACESHOOTING O'CLOCK!
posted by lmfsilva at 8:56 AM on August 19, 2017 [3 favorites]
FACESHOOTING O'CLOCK!
posted by lmfsilva at 8:56 AM on August 19, 2017 [3 favorites]
Ambrosen, there's lots of stromatolites near* you! If you poke around Ian West's fantastic geology pages you might find a few localities you can explore. And there's a famous locality in Lulworth Cove in Dorset where stromatolites formed around trees that became submerged in the Jurassic. There's lots of stromatolites there on the Jurassic Coast because there were so many hypersaline places in the Jurassic, and I've even seen some in Portland among their famous limestones - even found a few absolutely rounded ones there on Chesil Beach.
Also haven't had a chance to go to the Cotswolds, but there's lots of Jurassic there, so keep your eyes peeled - it's possible you could even see a stromatolite in a building stone sometime.
*smiling* I have a reproduction of Smith's geologic map on my wall in its original, full sized ~2x2.4 meter (6x8 ft) glory. It's HUGE. What an achievement it was! And thanks for the compliment, *giggle* I know I'm a one trick pony but I'm really passionate about it so who cares!
*that is, "near" in my western North American eyes
posted by barchan at 9:09 AM on August 19, 2017 [3 favorites]
Also haven't had a chance to go to the Cotswolds, but there's lots of Jurassic there, so keep your eyes peeled - it's possible you could even see a stromatolite in a building stone sometime.
*smiling* I have a reproduction of Smith's geologic map on my wall in its original, full sized ~2x2.4 meter (6x8 ft) glory. It's HUGE. What an achievement it was! And thanks for the compliment, *giggle* I know I'm a one trick pony but I'm really passionate about it so who cares!
*that is, "near" in my western North American eyes
posted by barchan at 9:09 AM on August 19, 2017 [3 favorites]
I went back to work on Wednesday after 6 weeks off. I was dreading commuting and having to conform again to a schedule, but it was all good.
I'm a reference librarian at a small public university in the rural US south. I have wonderful coworkers and I work with wonderful students. They give me hope. Yesterday I got a big hug from a student, an immigrant from Kenya who is going to be a nurse practitioner. I had a great conversation with another student, a local rural African American woman who is a history major. We talked about the insanity of the past week. She told me she doesn't want to take an African American history course this fall because it's too close to home, to her lived experience, and she feels fragile right now. I felt honored that she felt she could discuss this with me, a white woman old enough to be her grandma. Just before I left work I ran into one of my favorite young professors who's become a dean but still wears his same ratty old jeans. We got each other laughing quite hysterically over some idiotic new policy.
When I got home I met two new neighbors, got a felafel at my local Jordanian-immigrant-owned hole in the wall restaurant, and hung out with some other neighbors.
On Monday, if it's not too cloudy at work, I'll watch a 97% eclipse with hundreds of college students. The last one I remember seeing was in the early 1960s.
posted by mareli at 9:43 AM on August 19, 2017 [11 favorites]
I'm a reference librarian at a small public university in the rural US south. I have wonderful coworkers and I work with wonderful students. They give me hope. Yesterday I got a big hug from a student, an immigrant from Kenya who is going to be a nurse practitioner. I had a great conversation with another student, a local rural African American woman who is a history major. We talked about the insanity of the past week. She told me she doesn't want to take an African American history course this fall because it's too close to home, to her lived experience, and she feels fragile right now. I felt honored that she felt she could discuss this with me, a white woman old enough to be her grandma. Just before I left work I ran into one of my favorite young professors who's become a dean but still wears his same ratty old jeans. We got each other laughing quite hysterically over some idiotic new policy.
When I got home I met two new neighbors, got a felafel at my local Jordanian-immigrant-owned hole in the wall restaurant, and hung out with some other neighbors.
On Monday, if it's not too cloudy at work, I'll watch a 97% eclipse with hundreds of college students. The last one I remember seeing was in the early 1960s.
posted by mareli at 9:43 AM on August 19, 2017 [11 favorites]
Caturday snuggles. And a friend who bought 50 pairs of legitimate eclipse glasses.
posted by Stewriffic at 9:45 AM on August 19, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by Stewriffic at 9:45 AM on August 19, 2017 [7 favorites]
I discovered pistachio angel cake. Fabulous with my strong Sumatra/Espresso coffee. Today is game day at our house so I can dragoon people into playing Crazy Rummy. I'll be rearranging my furniture yet again but I think it's going to be the best plan yet (gamer guys muscle). And I'm looking forward to the Asheville Mefi Meetup tomorrow!
posted by MovableBookLady at 10:04 AM on August 19, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by MovableBookLady at 10:04 AM on August 19, 2017 [2 favorites]
I've been undergoing psychotherapy for some time [because debilitating #@$3#*&] and recently I think we're beginning to cut to the cause(s), like scary childhood stuff, etc. The thing appears way deeper than I first expected, and I'm beginning to see its damage to my grasp of... causation, among others. The good thing, of course, is that greater insight is better than a lack or absence thereof.
posted by runcifex at 10:24 AM on August 19, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by runcifex at 10:24 AM on August 19, 2017 [7 favorites]
I'm reading an ARC copy of a dystopian SF novel that is being published in a month or so. My best friend, I'm so proud of her, and I've watched her develop as a writer over the last 7 years, releasing her first short story collection and now this upcoming novel. I'm the first person (aside from her editor) who has read her book and it makes my heart happy, her success, her passion. I'm reading it slowly, which is killing her, but I'm savoring every page and every word because they mean so much to me.
posted by Fizz at 11:41 AM on August 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 11:41 AM on August 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
A stray cat fell into a lynx's enclosure at the St. Petersburg Zoo, and they started grooming each other. I've watched this video seven times already.
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 12:21 PM on August 19, 2017 [17 favorites]
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 12:21 PM on August 19, 2017 [17 favorites]
That video made me cry--in a good way--and I'm not sure why. Thanks for posting.
posted by bookmammal at 12:38 PM on August 19, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by bookmammal at 12:38 PM on August 19, 2017 [2 favorites]
This article says the zoo brought the cat in on purpose when she was six weeks old, so it may just be that they're very good friends. The music in that video is tear-jerky, though!
posted by lazuli at 12:57 PM on August 19, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by lazuli at 12:57 PM on August 19, 2017 [7 favorites]
I am arranging a get together for a group of former colleagues who I last worked with ten years ago. Apart from the fact that I am amazed that we still want to connect, we all met while working for an hiv service organization and although many of my former colleagues have HIV, they are all still alive and doing well. I remember the 80s when an hiv diagnosis really was a death sentence and I am just so thrilled that thanks to activism and meds my friends are still here. When I realized this fact I cried out of sheer joy and gratitude.
posted by biggreenplant at 1:08 PM on August 19, 2017 [10 favorites]
posted by biggreenplant at 1:08 PM on August 19, 2017 [10 favorites]
I knocked about two dozen doors for the county Democrats today in a new building near my house. First time ever and I had an awesome trainer with me all day. Basically everyone we met was super excited to see us and wanted to know more about getting involved after this week of shit. We met an Iraq veteran with grenade blast scars and a near-spherical service pug who sat on my foot as his owner explained how thrilled he was that we were there, and how he pulled his life back together with Zoloft and community service and medical marijuana and now wants to help others in even more ways. Evidently in the past year since the election he's moved states, set up a foundation to help other vets do community work in tough neighborhoods and taken up denouncing toxic masculinity on Facebook as a hobby. It was an amazing conversation that I did not expect to be having today.
posted by deludingmyself at 2:04 PM on August 19, 2017 [23 favorites]
posted by deludingmyself at 2:04 PM on August 19, 2017 [23 favorites]
I went to dog agility class today and we (the Boss and I) managed some tricky work, including a very good set of weave poles without an error, and a Jakko (sp?) turn.
Plus, there were donuts.
And a corgi, who is adorable. And a bearded collie who looks lovely with her flowing coat as she jumps over the obstacles.
Small victories.
posted by suelac at 9:09 PM on August 19, 2017 [5 favorites]
Plus, there were donuts.
And a corgi, who is adorable. And a bearded collie who looks lovely with her flowing coat as she jumps over the obstacles.
Small victories.
posted by suelac at 9:09 PM on August 19, 2017 [5 favorites]
deludingmyself, that's awesome, and knocking doors is the best! Go, you! I'm so glad you had such a positive experience and such a good conversation.
posted by dogheart at 9:28 PM on August 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by dogheart at 9:28 PM on August 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
After decades of looking at a stamp-sized picture and promising ourselves to get a larger TV, we yesterday got ourselves one. Some wall-covering West Wing binge watching ensued.
posted by Namlit at 12:17 AM on August 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Namlit at 12:17 AM on August 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
Bees really like thistles.
arcticseal: "You saw a coyote riding a bike and there's no photo?"
Those rocket propelled bikes are so quick they are are hard to get pictures of.
posted by Mitheral at 1:52 AM on August 20, 2017 [7 favorites]
arcticseal: "You saw a coyote riding a bike and there's no photo?"
Those rocket propelled bikes are so quick they are are hard to get pictures of.
posted by Mitheral at 1:52 AM on August 20, 2017 [7 favorites]
After decades of looking at a stamp-sized picture and promising ourselves to get a larger TV, we yesterday got ourselves one.
Same here on friday. It looms over us and blots out the sun. Younger step-daughter can't get over the fact that the remote has YouTube and Netflix buttons, while she and the better half have been binge-watching the Gilmore Girls on it all day yesterday. The latter has declared GG her new Favourite Show Ever (she's a long time lurker here and tried it because so many of you have had good things to say about it).
posted by Chairboy at 3:40 AM on August 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
Same here on friday. It looms over us and blots out the sun. Younger step-daughter can't get over the fact that the remote has YouTube and Netflix buttons, while she and the better half have been binge-watching the Gilmore Girls on it all day yesterday. The latter has declared GG her new Favourite Show Ever (she's a long time lurker here and tried it because so many of you have had good things to say about it).
posted by Chairboy at 3:40 AM on August 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
I got home in the dark at five and I could hear the fan over the range and the yard smelled like bacon. Who is making bacon at five a.m.? Our almost tame fox sniffs and points and thumps her tail on the deck. She's got her kits under the deck again cause bacon. When I go in the the dogs are thumping the floor cause bacon.
I didn't think I was hungry but the kids got some really good things happening in the kitchen and during the night they fought and killed and somewhat inexpertly slaughtered this fence-destroying pig that weighed more than the three of them and whose bacon we are now going to eat and there are odd cuts in the chest freezer with bizarre labeling and they couldn't hoist it in the barn so most of it is still in the pasture but they tried.
"Top of the right front leg." "Its ass." "Liver with something hanging off of it." "I don't know what this is but it looks good." The only thing I unwrapped that made any sense was the tenderloin so I'm making that tonight. Not all of this can we use but they tried. They tried really hard.
Apparently 13 had it around the head and was getting bashed into trees when Elven put an arrow in it point blank and nine did something incredibly inventive that I will not describe here.
"Oh hey! Thought we'd have this done before you got home. It's so good without all the preservatives. With a fritatta and homefries and biscuits mind you." I'd eat it even if it sucked but it didn't.
We'll sleep all day. They are banged up. They got charged. Knocked over multiple times and they prevailed. I love it that they get along so well and cooperate. I think that rare for three unrelated children spanning the two sides of puberty.
No, no, I'll do the dishes but may I feel your back? Where's the hurt? That hurt? That? I don't think anything is broken. Why didn't you just shoot it? It was so fast. Your son was coming up right behind it. He was trying to save me and it was after me and I couldn't get far enough away to shoot it. You're awesome. You know that?
I was very pleased. They'd never done something like this on their own before and now they know they can and I'm getting served? Hell yeah. We are going to watch inappropriate movies when we wake up and eat more pork. Their mom's get home tonight. Yaay!
And yeah, foxes and dogs got some bacon and some of it wasn't bacon just odd things the kids fried and called bacon. 9 was lowering strips of it through the slats of the deck and the kit's were jumping.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 4:32 AM on August 20, 2017 [14 favorites]
I didn't think I was hungry but the kids got some really good things happening in the kitchen and during the night they fought and killed and somewhat inexpertly slaughtered this fence-destroying pig that weighed more than the three of them and whose bacon we are now going to eat and there are odd cuts in the chest freezer with bizarre labeling and they couldn't hoist it in the barn so most of it is still in the pasture but they tried.
"Top of the right front leg." "Its ass." "Liver with something hanging off of it." "I don't know what this is but it looks good." The only thing I unwrapped that made any sense was the tenderloin so I'm making that tonight. Not all of this can we use but they tried. They tried really hard.
Apparently 13 had it around the head and was getting bashed into trees when Elven put an arrow in it point blank and nine did something incredibly inventive that I will not describe here.
"Oh hey! Thought we'd have this done before you got home. It's so good without all the preservatives. With a fritatta and homefries and biscuits mind you." I'd eat it even if it sucked but it didn't.
We'll sleep all day. They are banged up. They got charged. Knocked over multiple times and they prevailed. I love it that they get along so well and cooperate. I think that rare for three unrelated children spanning the two sides of puberty.
No, no, I'll do the dishes but may I feel your back? Where's the hurt? That hurt? That? I don't think anything is broken. Why didn't you just shoot it? It was so fast. Your son was coming up right behind it. He was trying to save me and it was after me and I couldn't get far enough away to shoot it. You're awesome. You know that?
I was very pleased. They'd never done something like this on their own before and now they know they can and I'm getting served? Hell yeah. We are going to watch inappropriate movies when we wake up and eat more pork. Their mom's get home tonight. Yaay!
And yeah, foxes and dogs got some bacon and some of it wasn't bacon just odd things the kids fried and called bacon. 9 was lowering strips of it through the slats of the deck and the kit's were jumping.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 4:32 AM on August 20, 2017 [14 favorites]
I'm officially an empty nester, which is weird so far. Actually, it's not weird, it's REALLY FUCKING HARD.
As a single mom, I raised three kids alone for the past 15 years (dad fell off the planet although he lives down the road), and this past week I took Thing 3 to his new apartment for his freshman year at UMass-Boston (my undergrad alma mater). UMass has no dorms, so students either commute or rent apartments; he's got a doozy of a place that he's sharing with 3 roommates. Out one window is the city of Boston, out the other is Boston Harbor. It smells like the ocean, he's got a beach within 20 seconds walking distance, and the seagulls are joyously loud.
Of my three kids, he's had to overcome some terrifying mental health challenges and has been hospitalized and did a stint at McLeans' OCD Institute his junior year. So he's the kid I worry about the most; the one whose texts reveal underlying anxiety; whose missed calls can put me quickly into a panic mode.
But he's been stable for a long time, worked construction all summer, has a lot of friends, makes movies and is overall a gregarious little nutjob. He contacted mental health services at college and has an appointment to check in; before he moved he met with his psychiatrist who told me this kid is ready to launch. I couldn't be prouder and I may actually be crying a bit right now.
Since he's moved in, I've gotten one text asking: "How do you cook rice?" which I ignored (it's part of the OCD treatment--he has reassurance-seeking OCD and it's important that I ignore him when he calls or texts...I'm not a monster) and then several hours later, "I figured it out!" and another one telling me he's riding his bike along the Harbor into the North End with his new friends. He also went to his first college party and was home by 1.
So I went to Market Basket to fill up the fridge and was sort of stupidly flummoxed at what food to buy since I'm only feeding myself. I don't even know what I like to eat anymore. I got the fixings for black bean chili and curried veggie soup; spent hours chopping and cooking then looked at it all and ate a bag of popcorn while lying on the sofa watching Top Chef. I then slept on the sofa which felt sort of naughty but awesome.
Friends have asked what I'm now going to do with myself and the truth is I have no freaking clue. So far, I've been actively ignoring the upcoming school year and taking the dog for walks; inventing a new life is sort of the last thing I can get my head around.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 6:24 AM on August 20, 2017 [23 favorites]
As a single mom, I raised three kids alone for the past 15 years (dad fell off the planet although he lives down the road), and this past week I took Thing 3 to his new apartment for his freshman year at UMass-Boston (my undergrad alma mater). UMass has no dorms, so students either commute or rent apartments; he's got a doozy of a place that he's sharing with 3 roommates. Out one window is the city of Boston, out the other is Boston Harbor. It smells like the ocean, he's got a beach within 20 seconds walking distance, and the seagulls are joyously loud.
Of my three kids, he's had to overcome some terrifying mental health challenges and has been hospitalized and did a stint at McLeans' OCD Institute his junior year. So he's the kid I worry about the most; the one whose texts reveal underlying anxiety; whose missed calls can put me quickly into a panic mode.
But he's been stable for a long time, worked construction all summer, has a lot of friends, makes movies and is overall a gregarious little nutjob. He contacted mental health services at college and has an appointment to check in; before he moved he met with his psychiatrist who told me this kid is ready to launch. I couldn't be prouder and I may actually be crying a bit right now.
Since he's moved in, I've gotten one text asking: "How do you cook rice?" which I ignored (it's part of the OCD treatment--he has reassurance-seeking OCD and it's important that I ignore him when he calls or texts...I'm not a monster) and then several hours later, "I figured it out!" and another one telling me he's riding his bike along the Harbor into the North End with his new friends. He also went to his first college party and was home by 1.
So I went to Market Basket to fill up the fridge and was sort of stupidly flummoxed at what food to buy since I'm only feeding myself. I don't even know what I like to eat anymore. I got the fixings for black bean chili and curried veggie soup; spent hours chopping and cooking then looked at it all and ate a bag of popcorn while lying on the sofa watching Top Chef. I then slept on the sofa which felt sort of naughty but awesome.
Friends have asked what I'm now going to do with myself and the truth is I have no freaking clue. So far, I've been actively ignoring the upcoming school year and taking the dog for walks; inventing a new life is sort of the last thing I can get my head around.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 6:24 AM on August 20, 2017 [23 favorites]
Speaking as a person with an unexpectedly new life, yes I said yes I will Yes, let me first offer a hug and a big high-five for the wonderful developments for your child. It sounds like he's off and running with a new life of his own.
Embrace your freedom. Now that you have time, and don't mind a little naughtiness, you may surprise yourself. Anyway, congratulations and best wishes for fun things ahead!
posted by kinnakeet at 8:16 AM on August 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Embrace your freedom. Now that you have time, and don't mind a little naughtiness, you may surprise yourself. Anyway, congratulations and best wishes for fun things ahead!
posted by kinnakeet at 8:16 AM on August 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'm frustrated with many areas of my life right now but also trying to acknowledge to myself that my life is stable and good in so many ways, and better than it was a few years ago.
I like my job, i like my boss, there are some annoying work politics but not to the extent that I feel threatened or am constantly stressed.
I know a lot of really great people, people who will get dinner or coffee with me and with whom I can have very thoughtful conversations, who will help me out if I'm stuck on the side of the road, who will sing with me.
I have a small apartment full of books and art and musical instruments.
I very rarely feel unsafe.
I'm in a place where my most pressing needs are met and I am free to work on other things.
I bought shampoo that cost over $10 for the first time in my life the other day. It feels really nice and I'm excited about using it.
posted by bunderful at 12:37 PM on August 20, 2017 [7 favorites]
I like my job, i like my boss, there are some annoying work politics but not to the extent that I feel threatened or am constantly stressed.
I know a lot of really great people, people who will get dinner or coffee with me and with whom I can have very thoughtful conversations, who will help me out if I'm stuck on the side of the road, who will sing with me.
I have a small apartment full of books and art and musical instruments.
I very rarely feel unsafe.
I'm in a place where my most pressing needs are met and I am free to work on other things.
I bought shampoo that cost over $10 for the first time in my life the other day. It feels really nice and I'm excited about using it.
posted by bunderful at 12:37 PM on August 20, 2017 [7 favorites]
I let the milkweed go nuts in the front yard hoping to get some monarch caterpillars and there are a few out there now. They really are very hungry.
In addition to being beautiful and magical they poop like the dickens which just adds to their already impressive metaphorical flexibility. Have at it, poets.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:11 PM on August 20, 2017 [5 favorites]
In addition to being beautiful and magical they poop like the dickens which just adds to their already impressive metaphorical flexibility. Have at it, poets.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:11 PM on August 20, 2017 [5 favorites]
That Apple //e system I mentioned? Turns out it's a //e and a very complete IIgs system.
posted by scruss at 1:32 PM on August 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by scruss at 1:32 PM on August 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Yesterday, my cats almost snuggled together!
Mouse Army, my two kitty boys have the same kind of relationship, and I treasure the handful of pictures where Tommy has snuck up on his sleeping brother and curled up with him.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:41 PM on August 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Mouse Army, my two kitty boys have the same kind of relationship, and I treasure the handful of pictures where Tommy has snuck up on his sleeping brother and curled up with him.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 1:41 PM on August 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
I forgot to order eclipse glasses, but then I remembered I'm married to a welder who's big on safety, so problem solved!
posted by kamikazegopher at 2:38 PM on August 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by kamikazegopher at 2:38 PM on August 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
I saw this poem on the Tube today:
The Butterfly
Arun Kolatkar
There is no story behind it.
It is split like a second.
It hinges round itself.
It has no future.
It is pinned down to no past.
It's a pun on the present.
It's a little yellow butterfly.
It has taken these wretched hills
under its wings.
Just a pinch of yellow,
it opens before it closes
and closes before it o
where is it
posted by Pallas Athena at 3:24 PM on August 20, 2017 [7 favorites]
The Butterfly
Arun Kolatkar
There is no story behind it.
It is split like a second.
It hinges round itself.
It has no future.
It is pinned down to no past.
It's a pun on the present.
It's a little yellow butterfly.
It has taken these wretched hills
under its wings.
Just a pinch of yellow,
it opens before it closes
and closes before it o
where is it
posted by Pallas Athena at 3:24 PM on August 20, 2017 [7 favorites]
The gluten free blackberry breakfast muffin-cake I threw together at 10:30 last night turned out to be very tasty! It is a lovely shade of purple, too. Sprinkled before baking with gold pearlized sugar makes it more fun and added a nice crunch.
That sugar is my new favorite baking thing. Aside from the magical flavor additive that rounds out flavors so well. Some people prefer the Princess Cake and Cookie flavor, but I don't like almond.
I bought the sugar to put on top of some Unicorn Bars that I made for a party last month, in lieu of frosting. The recipe translated seamlessly to a gluten free cup for cup, or 1 for 1, flour blend. I even sized mine up to 1.5x and tinted some of the batter to add colorful swirls in addition to the sprinkles. Simple and hard to mess up, just what I like in a recipe.
posted by monopas at 4:19 PM on August 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
That sugar is my new favorite baking thing. Aside from the magical flavor additive that rounds out flavors so well. Some people prefer the Princess Cake and Cookie flavor, but I don't like almond.
I bought the sugar to put on top of some Unicorn Bars that I made for a party last month, in lieu of frosting. The recipe translated seamlessly to a gluten free cup for cup, or 1 for 1, flour blend. I even sized mine up to 1.5x and tinted some of the batter to add colorful swirls in addition to the sprinkles. Simple and hard to mess up, just what I like in a recipe.
posted by monopas at 4:19 PM on August 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
IF YOU
If you were going to get a pet
what kind of animal would you get.
A soft bodied dog, a hen–
fur and feathers to begin it again.
When the sun goes down and it gets dark
I saw an animal in the park.
Bring it home, to give to you,
I have seen animals break in two.
You were hoping for something soft
and loyal and clean and wondrously careful—
a form of otherwise vicious habit
can have long ears and be called a rabbit.
Dead. Died. Will die. Want.
Morning, midnight, I asked you
if you were going to get a pet
what kind of animal would you get.
–Robert Creeley
posted by Joseph Gurl at 4:45 PM on August 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
If you were going to get a pet
what kind of animal would you get.
A soft bodied dog, a hen–
fur and feathers to begin it again.
When the sun goes down and it gets dark
I saw an animal in the park.
Bring it home, to give to you,
I have seen animals break in two.
You were hoping for something soft
and loyal and clean and wondrously careful—
a form of otherwise vicious habit
can have long ears and be called a rabbit.
Dead. Died. Will die. Want.
Morning, midnight, I asked you
if you were going to get a pet
what kind of animal would you get.
–Robert Creeley
posted by Joseph Gurl at 4:45 PM on August 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
I was feeling super-frustrated with HackerNews being all enthusiastic about (and so selectively-uncritical of) that Damore manifesto shit and not having the time to personally make the sort of detailed rebuttal that might change some minds... and then sciatrix knocked one out of the park! So that was a good thing.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:43 AM on August 21, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 7:43 AM on August 21, 2017 [3 favorites]
I just looked up at the sun (with appropriate AAS approved and ISO certified eyewear) and a sky monster had taken a bite out of it. It was pretty amazing.
posted by solotoro at 11:25 AM on August 21, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by solotoro at 11:25 AM on August 21, 2017 [3 favorites]
Recently diagnosed with kidney cancer, I put up a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses (link in profile), not expecting much.
In four days, 115 people have contributed almost half the total goal.
I'm just blown away. Thank y'all MeFites (and everyone else).
I even squeeeeed a bit when Cortex contributed.
posted by mrbill at 7:44 PM on August 21, 2017 [8 favorites]
In four days, 115 people have contributed almost half the total goal.
I'm just blown away. Thank y'all MeFites (and everyone else).
I even squeeeeed a bit when Cortex contributed.
posted by mrbill at 7:44 PM on August 21, 2017 [8 favorites]
I had some doubt as to whether comment would fit best here or in the other thread (the fucking fuck 3.0 thread). But here it is.
I am beginning to accept that I may have some kind of psychiatric condition, and one of its factor(s) may be early traumatic experiences. I'm assessing whether I shall seek a formal psychiatry diagnosis, which is a quirky thing in my country (as is healthcare in general), and may not amount to much substantial help.
Meanwhile I am benefiting from psychotherapy for the psychological care, in terms of safety and self-knowledge, and the ability to face up "the fucking fuck". We'll dig into this further in the coming weeks, hopefully, and I'll try not to shirk away (which, paradoxically, is possible).
posted by runcifex at 7:41 AM on August 22, 2017 [4 favorites]
I am beginning to accept that I may have some kind of psychiatric condition, and one of its factor(s) may be early traumatic experiences. I'm assessing whether I shall seek a formal psychiatry diagnosis, which is a quirky thing in my country (as is healthcare in general), and may not amount to much substantial help.
Meanwhile I am benefiting from psychotherapy for the psychological care, in terms of safety and self-knowledge, and the ability to face up "the fucking fuck". We'll dig into this further in the coming weeks, hopefully, and I'll try not to shirk away (which, paradoxically, is possible).
posted by runcifex at 7:41 AM on August 22, 2017 [4 favorites]
Mr bill and runcifex, I'm sorry you're both going through rough times right now, but I'm glad that you are both getting some good help. All the best to you both!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:06 AM on August 22, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:06 AM on August 22, 2017 [4 favorites]
On Sunday I got home from a week at the beach: we had a big ol' rented house at the Outer Banks, filled with two of my nieces and their husbands, a nephew and his wife, their assorted seven kids, a sister and her husband, another sister I never knew I had and just found out about a few months ago, New Sister's daughter and her three sons, and me. Lots of pool and beach time, a trip to the aquarium, and another to the Wright Brother's monument. The kids made the adults dinner one night, too, which led to some, ah, interesting dishes.
Generally speaking the week went well: a little yelling, a little hugging, a lot of laughter and family stories. They all want to do it again, so I'd say that it was a success!
posted by easily confused at 8:41 AM on August 22, 2017 [1 favorite]
Generally speaking the week went well: a little yelling, a little hugging, a lot of laughter and family stories. They all want to do it again, so I'd say that it was a success!
posted by easily confused at 8:41 AM on August 22, 2017 [1 favorite]
> Mr bill and runcifex, I'm sorry you're both going through rough times right now, but I'm glad that you are both getting some good help. All the best to you both!Thank you, hurdy gurdy girl. What I'm undergoing, compared with mrbill's, is insignificant.
posted by runcifex at 9:28 AM on August 22, 2017 [1 favorite]
I feel I need to tell people about this
I was looking for Rotten Tomatoes early reviews for IT (which I did not find) but I saw that at the same time IT is released, by some amazing coincidence, there will also be a film called CLOWNTERGEIST
I have yet to pronounce this word with a straight face
posted by Countess Elena at 12:41 PM on August 22, 2017 [6 favorites]
I was looking for Rotten Tomatoes early reviews for IT (which I did not find) but I saw that at the same time IT is released, by some amazing coincidence, there will also be a film called CLOWNTERGEIST
I have yet to pronounce this word with a straight face
posted by Countess Elena at 12:41 PM on August 22, 2017 [6 favorites]
> Thank you, hurdy gurdy girl. What I'm undergoing, compared with mrbill's, is insignificant.
It's not a contest! The best of luck to you, too.
posted by mrbill at 11:07 PM on August 22, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's not a contest! The best of luck to you, too.
posted by mrbill at 11:07 PM on August 22, 2017 [1 favorite]
The only winning move is not to play.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:29 AM on August 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:29 AM on August 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
I have just remembered that my all-time favorite movie gets a 40th anniversary re-release in 4K format, in some US cinemas from September 1st for a week, and in some UK cinemas on September 18th only. I am so there, and am happily starting to put together a post for the blue about this.
posted by Wordshore at 4:34 AM on August 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Wordshore at 4:34 AM on August 24, 2017 [1 favorite]
I just learned about the American Saint Katherine Drexel, who is known for anti-racism and fighting the KKK.
In 1922 the Ku Klux Klan started to target Mother Katharine and her work. The sisters received a letter that “‘threatened to tar and feather the white pastor at one of Drexel’s schools and bomb his church’ in Beaumont, Texas.”posted by corb at 7:32 AM on August 24, 2017 [3 favorites]
The sisters then did what they knew best. They prayed. According to one account, “days later, a tornado came and destroyed the headquarters of the KKK killing two of their members. The Sisters were never threatened again.”
I have a twelve year old bunny, Mr. Munch - up until this week, he was unneutered (and apparently had already exceeded the life span for an unaltered rabbit!). A couple weeks ago, I took him in for a nail trim, and when they flipped him over, they saw a swelling and a suspicious mass in one of his testicles. The best option was neutering, which we scheduled for this week, but there are a decent number of risks in an older bunny.
I am so very happy to say that he made it through the neutering. I worked from home yesterday, and was able to check on him every couple of hours. He's almost back to himself and ready for full run of his room again. We're still not 100% in the clear, but I am so relieved that this part, at least went well.
posted by needlegrrl at 11:43 AM on August 24, 2017 [6 favorites]
I am so very happy to say that he made it through the neutering. I worked from home yesterday, and was able to check on him every couple of hours. He's almost back to himself and ready for full run of his room again. We're still not 100% in the clear, but I am so relieved that this part, at least went well.
posted by needlegrrl at 11:43 AM on August 24, 2017 [6 favorites]
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Also I discovered that turkeys roost in trees, and the dozen-strong flock that's been gobbling around my property seems to like sleeping 20 feet up in the live oaks along the creekbed, which I discovered only a few days ago and cracks me up -- I discovered this because roosting turkeys are neither graceful nor quiet, and the thought of sleepy klutzy turkeys falling out of 20-foot live oaks kind of amused me -- but everyone I've shared this with has been fully aware that turkeys roost in trees (including my hiking friend today!), so that may make you less happy than it made me. I saw the turkeys gathering this evening for their daily flinging-themselves-into-the-oaks, though, and it still made me very happy.
posted by lazuli at 10:23 PM on August 17, 2017 [27 favorites]