I can see why ‘spring cleaning’ is a thing. Opened the curtains up to let some sunshine in, and now I can see all the accumulated dust. I blame the cat.
Had the most horribly vivid dream I was pregnant and lost the baby, a feat made wholly impossible by the simple fact I'm a dude. While I often (like weirdly often) have pregnancy or baby related dreams I rarely have them about myself, so this one was a trip.
If you believe that dreams have some form of meaning, pregnancy dreams mean that "it’s time for you to re-imagine your life and have some confidence in your potential." Or that something new is about to happen. But of course, again, this is if you believe in dreams and believe that they are trying to tell you something.
I had a dream about meeting/talking with one of the voice actors on Critical Role, which means like seeing a celebrity represents your beliefs or understanding of them, whereas dreams about being good friends with celebrities represent your idealised version of someone you know in your life. So 🤷 it's all woo-woo stuff.
That is most definitely a trip especially the fact that you regularly have pregnancy/baby dreams, as a guy. Do you have any theories as to where it might come from?
No idea! On average I reckon I have a about one a week, this week I've had two. I often joke that I've delivered so many babies in my dreams I could probably do it for real at this point.
What's extra weird is I'm someone who probably won't have kids for moral and ethical reasons.
Tbh their DT might be quieter but has a wider range of posters (and always will I think, since reddit is still going to be dominant for quite a while). Over here I think it's turned into a chatroom mainly for 5-7 regulars lol. Including yours truly.
The daily thread seems a bit like a copy of all the all posts which would pretty much instantly get downvoted in the before times. Much less conversation. I've not re-subbed to it since I was permanently suspended on my old account. I have a look it at now and then and yeah, we killed the old daily thread. I've noticed that most of the people who didn't come across to here have stopped posting in that dt as well. No surprise, it's a bit shit.
I put a job on airtasker for someone to remove my pile of rose prunings, but apparently that is going to cost way more than I expected. So I'm buying a second hand mulcher this morning and will instead obliterate them into little bits to be buried at the bottom of the new vegie garden beds.
It should help. I have had a mulcher before that didn't work that well and tended to clog, this one is a different style (it is a crusher rather than blades) that is supposed to work better for dry twigs etc. rather than leafy waste. The leafy stuff I can just run over with the lawnmower anyway, it's the twigs I need a mulcher for so hopefully I'll have better results.
There are billions of thorns. I expect the mulch to be quite prickly, which is why I'm going to bury it. Hopefully I can manage the process with less bloodshed than was incurred cutting the thing down. At least it doesn't have it's kikuyu ally for protection this time.🙂
One of the lowest end... Ozito silent shredder. From the reviews it should work pretty well as long as you don't try and put through green leafy stuff which just clogs it up.
I just added up everything I have spent on my garden project so far. Boy those little costs can add up! I'm way over my initial rough budget, my general spending account has been completely obliterated.
Fortunately the Marketplace sales have also been going well. My BBQ has just gone off to join a youth group.
PSA if you've flown with Qantas in the last 12 months login to your frequent flyer account before August 30 to claim your bonus 1000 Qantas Points or 30 Qantas Status Points. I don't know if you just don't get them or if they choose for you if you don't pick by then.
There was a message waiting for me in the Qantas app saying to pick which type of points I want, then it said the points would take up to 4 business days to appear in my balance.
Decided this afternoon to pack some bread and sausages into a bag and head down to one of the local parks for a BBQ. We've been meaning to go down there for a while, as they've had it closed while they renovate. It's great because they decided to restore part of the creek/wetlands that used to be there many years ago. Now it's a small lake with a little bridge and reeds and other wetland plantings, and the birds have come back! The kids loved it and there was even a cormorant or two! We spent the afternoon barbecuing sausages and bird watching. Then we capped it off with a trip to the 7/11 and Mr Peeler had his first Slurpee. Then he had his first Slurpee brain freeze 😂
There aren't exceptions for if you aren't consuming alcohol, haven't at that location, and/or do not intend to. The law in practice entitles you to bottled water if drinkable tap water is not an option.
So, if you're buying food at a Guzman y Gomez or Schnitz that has beer for sale at that moment, you can ask for water for free.
Cooking dinner: pasta, with bacon, 1/4'd cherry tomatoes, broccolini, garlic mince, butter, and some love. I will add a picture to this post if I remember to take one lol.
I think I'll make some crumpets today. They are a lot of work but delicious and worth it. I can have only one for breakfast and one for lunch because diet. "I am strong enough to resist temptation!!"
It's a semi sweet yeasted batter ( no eggs, eggs in batter make pancakes ) , you let it sit for a few hours for it to aerate , they are cooked in metal rings on a griddle or fry pan an turned over once. The supermarket ones aren't turned over and grey . These are creamy white.
When I was really poor I used to make these a lot, they are super cheap, healthy because of the yeast and milk and yummy.
here is a pic of the last batch I made, they are about 1" high and 3" across
Everything's paid up for the conference I'm going to, got accom sorted and the bank balance isn't looking fab, but with all the food I've got in the fridge and bills paid up, plus no more cat indulgences, I should be fine until the next pay. After that... I think eating out is gonna take a back seat for a while. Might look into weighing up cost of car + maintenance sooner rather than later if it increases options of picking up low stress side gigs. Or maybe I could just indulge in living off my savings for a month once the casual stuff ends, and decide on the car when life plans are a bit more firm. Whatever it is, I'll be doing a lot more home cooking and enjoying it
E: speaking of, broc head #1 vanquished - along with a half open bag of green beans. So good using a more powerful stove, a decent wok, and shaoxing wine (how good is shaoxing wine). Haven't used fresh ginger + garlic in a while too. Could eat this dish on its own tbh.
Because it's got a chemical in it that when it gets overused can cause hospitalisation. So they recategorised it now and it'll only be available at the chemist.
This is totally anecdotal from my own observations, but new generation of parents are very trigger happy with medication for infants. I’ve seen friends load up their kids with panadol, nurofen etc and repeat it all within hours. For the tiniest ailment. Perhaps there has been a rise in misuse due to no common sense.
It's a lovely day outside, and apparently people are chosing to spend it on Marketplace buying things. Lots of items walking out the door today! Some days Marketplace is just a sea of scammers and "is this available" ghosters, but today is not one of those days.
I've been reading that Wendy's (USA burger chain) is coming to Australia. I tried it tonight and all I can say to those looking to do it is.. don't bother. We have enough sub-par US burger joints. If you're going to bring something over, bring Arby's and don't bloat the prices.
Also, if you're bringing chains over.. bring the full menu AND free refills on fountain drinks. Oh and bring Lemonade (traditional not the Sprite kind) to your fountain drinks! Minute Maid or Tropicana, depending on if you're a Coke or Pepsi shop. It's so god damned refreshing.
Ok rant over. Thank you for your time and consideration.
As an American, you have them flipped. Wendy's is expensive but it's generally significantly better than Arby's. Arby's always tasted extremely bland and gross to me. Leathery, wet "roast beef", bad fries.
I haz sads. I think I finally have to admit after 3 years of constant use, my Hush Puppies are dead. My feet are starting to ache a little. It’s surprising how annoying and stressful it is to find new shoes.
Plans to be away this weekend were a bust, but I can’t really complain since I snuck a mad day trip to Coffs while over the border last week.
If anyone loves this random last min trips, I also noticed that flights to Byron have been $120-180 for a single leg. Not bad if you can get a few days off and need a change of scenery.
I noticed the trend for Spring Cleaning, definitely joined the crew… I’m going to attack some grout this week. I hope it comes up.
What would you call this? A buffet, bureau, kitchen hutch, cabinet, the big wooden thing with doors, the thingy, mummy's big dust collector? No answers are wrong.
The bastard offspring of a secretaire and a credenza. A secretaire has the upper glass fronted cabinet on top of cupboards, but usually a pull out writing surface too and some drawers. A credenza has the cupboards below only and a flat top surface for putting dishes on.
Kitchen buffet sounds about right.
Neoguri ramyun review : very nice. Not spicy enough to frighten the horses, but a definite hint of chili. The seafood was a couple of slices of crabstick which was not enough from my perspective. I added a diced avocado to the final dish and that was very nice. When doing it again, I'm going to add a cupful of marinara mix as well as avocado and a bit more chili. That would be ace. I did enjoy the kelp-y bits. Dashi vibes were strong.
Probably not. Definitely not enough to bring up the sweat in the eyebrows and back of the neck. Just enough to know that somewhere, somehow, chili is involved. My current chili tolerance is almost zero, and this was a bit weak for me. You'd get more hit from a teaspoon of dijon mustard or a generous sprinkle of black pepper.
Edit: this would be a good gateway drug.
🎼🎶I'm a g-nu, I'm a g-nu
The g-nicest work of g-nature in the zoo!
I'm a g-nu, how do you do?
You really ought to k-now w-ho's w-ho!
I'm a g-nu, spelled G-N-U
I'm g-not a camel or a kangaroo
So let me introduce
I'm g-neither man or moose
Oh, g-no g-no g-no, I'm a g-nu! 🎶🎶🎶
Between anxious thoughts and swampy stagnation,
I fear the space I inhabit is above my station.
The sum of my parts is greater than this shell,
Though I still feel I'm wading through the pits of hell.
Remember, an empty shell is tangible potential,
So I smack down this crisis existential.
A mere intermission between trauma and healing,
I can sit and be okay with this dreadful feeling.
I have come so far to be where I am now,
I just wish things came easier to me somehow.
Used and parentified, a mummy bang-maid
Trauma so deep I feel my soul fade.
But I'm still here despite them and their demons,
I'm so much more than their bastard-heathen.
It'll take time and I shouldn't be so hard,
On myself for coming as far as I have.
The answer is yes because eggs come in all different sizes so you want one that hugs the egg tightly so went you crack the egg with a knife it doesn't roll on to the table spilling your precious yolk :(
Those springy ones if not held correctly can launch an egg across the table like a missile :)
@wscholermann@bot001 is not ideal but you can get the 901 which is slightly further to walk than the Skybus but gets you to Broadmeadows train station and continues to Morang.
Exercises completed, felt somewhat arduous. I'm still getting my energy back from my recent flu, but don't want to lose what fitness I've gained. I'll be right for return to work tomorrow I reckon! Looking forward to it as well.
Morosely drinking red wine,
Wishing I could unwind
The cold dead hands of time.
They clutch my heart
In their firm grasp
I gasp
Pain shoots through my psyche
I got out, I know I'm lucky
But it hurts so goddamn much
I'm losing my grip on reality, I'm out of touch
You compliment me, I blush
I've been taught I'm a burden
And my efforts at creation
Are futile and wasted.
I'm hated and wasted.
...
Please don't worry, I'll be fine,
(I always am, in the end)
I'm merely, morosely, drinking red wine.
Before I forget again, here is another piece of advice my neurosurgeon gave me to help me cope with sciatica.
Each day try to do 8 hours lying down, 8 hours upright and 8 hours sitting and try to take breaks in all of them. Like, if you are sitting get up after a few hours and do some walking. If you are upright take a rest sitting. With lying down get up in the night for a few minutes if you can.
It's my Friday night after working this weekend. Mrs_Owl has an early start, so I'm on the sofa tonight = staying up until 4am watching/passed out in front of YouTube on the PC. Spent the last 20mins trying to remember a banging house track from my 90s clubbing days. Found it!
Those first 4 notes and I was instantly transported back to that scene in the show! Thanks for bringing back memories of that show, I watched it many years after it aired but it's one of my favourites - captured that early 00s vibe so perfectly and such relatable characters who still exist on the north side...
Today's absolutely weird dream after weeks of not having any:
wordy description of dream
went to a lecture in a fairly large auditorium with old-ish seats that had cheap wood veneer, no idea what the topic was about but my boss was there seated next to me taking notes... so it would've been work related and entirely benign. I'm sitting at the end of the row. Anyway, out of the blue someone yells "GET DOWN" - split seconds before the heart stopping sound of a gunshot - and then a whole lot of screaming and scrambling as everyone is crouched on the floor or bent over.
I hear a soft slide and thud, and a man of African origin - Somali perhaps - lies dead, sprawled over a couple of empty seats just two seats away from my boss and me. People are curious and get up slightly for a better view but multiple voices ring out again: "GET DOWN!!!" Stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp. A herd of SWAT police materialise as if they've been there the whole time, they yell "CLEAR" to each other and a pair jog over to where I am, everyone else still frozen in terror, pindrop silent. One of the men looks around, looks at the body, makes a hand signal, and a very calm male voice immediately comes on the PA system asking us to please exit the hall in an orderly fashion. Voices rise again as everyone starts to make sense of it all, but staff and police start guiding the masses out. The SWAT guy asks my boss and I to stay behind while other police rush in to cordon off the dead body (where did they come from???), and as I try to put myself together I notice...
The dead body has bright orange blood. Boss and I look at each other with the same face of horror and bewilderment and in that moment we're all just humans going what the fuck.
Anyway, the dream went on for quite a bit longer but it was all paperwork? Yes, I had a detailed and extensive dream that included paperwork and small talk and seeing various professionals turn up.
Brains, man.... I wonder if it'll make a part 2 of this lol.
I didn't end up going to the warehouse sound system event...
But..
Seeing the photos makes me regret I didn't. Looked like a proper abandoned warehouse gig. Hope there are more of them and maybe some daytime park partays come summer.
And..
Reading the comments on it, there are always people who lose things and ask if anyone has found it. This time one was a samsung s23.
So..
Back in my prime raver days the most you'd lose is a jacket and maybe a pinger and not a $1300 phone.
I'm not sure what the moral of that story is because there are a few.
Was it virus and others? Used to enjoy some of their gigs back in the day. Electronic underground music is not my vibe anymore but I'm glad they're all still into it and it's still happening.
Whoops, I didn't realise the time and I've been playing Baldur's Gate 3 because I passed a bit of a boss that I didn't want to fight again. Still in the Shadow Lands but I'm getting there in the better timeline.
Attempt number 11 or 12 of a Dead-is-Dead campaign of X3 Terran Conflict. If you die, there's no going back to a save game, you are dead and it's game over (modern games usually call this hardcore mode). I've lasted to the second night a few times, but usually die with about with 2-4 hours of game time.
Tonight, I died on about the fifth night. I had a TM, 400mj of shields protecting me, about 12 Million cr in my account. It looked like this was finally the one I'd make it through nine campaigns.
I wasn't even in combat. Some stupid Strong Arms trader crashed into me coming out of a jumpgate and I was immediately attacked and killed. I had trained over 10 marines and was getting ready to go capture my first corvette. Once in a Corvette, my odds of survival in any normal encounter shoot up 100x.
So frustrating to get so close and lose everything! Roughly 20-25 hours lost. I've said this to myself after a few previous attempts, but I don't know that I have the heart/patience to go back to the start yet again.
Silly question, but it’s time to update the numbers on Melbcat’s tag. So can you order pet ID tags with phone numbers on from local pet shops online? It doesn’t seem like you can. And I want one with her name on the front and 5 lines on the back.
The last few times I’ve just got them from whatever website and hoped for the best, but any one of them could be shady.
Sorry no direct experience with online, last time I got tags it was in person at a pet supply store where they had an automated machine. Could only fit 2 phone numbers on the back because of the size of the tag, so that would be something to consider if you want to put a lot of text in.
Maybe try Etsy? Look for sellers located in Australia that have a high number of good reviews. I’ve had good success using Etsy with this strategy.
Thanks, I’ve found a site that costs a bit more but looks reputable and has a max of 5 lines. I wanted to add a few numbers plus that she’s microchipped and needs daily medication
Seagoon's movies. This weekend it's "All the Pretty Horses". What an amazing beautiful movie. It has been a long time since I'd read the book but watching this evoked the same feelings I had reading it. A story that is written to evoke the same emotions the lead character feels. Confusion. It starts with an injustice, he loses the family ranch, but he accepts it because he understands it's the law and he respects the law. He goes to Mexico where there is injustice and no law. It's just crazy . He and his pal barely escape. Coming back to America he speaks with a sympathetic judge and starts to understand his own experience.
Watch but don't expect a narrative that goes a to b.
Wives and Daughters costuming you may not be 100% but boy do I love you! The BBC really did just go absolutely off tits with its adaptations for a while there.
Great. PFAS chemicals (which are forever chemicals) have been found in ‘eco friendly’ paper straws, so they’re probably in paper bowls too. I’ve been going through it physically so was feeding my pet from those to make dishes easier…
Semi-rest and clean day. Dishes, laundry, make stew later, dust bust, might walk to aldi. Clothes I scored yesterday fit well, which is nice. I've decided I love dresses after all. I just need a couple more cute necklaces. Op shop mission and aldi maybe then. I have coles, woolies and aldi all about 5 mins walk from here. Plus another coles and woolies maybe 6 mintutes walk. The balaclava shopping strip is really good. Has the old footscray vibe to it with the (not so) cheap (anymore) stores and heaps of independent takeaway food. There's also a barber called edward scissor hands, which is about the only hipster themed thing I've ever not cringed at. Instead of random roaming junkies it seems like drunks and it's not close enough to the south yarra end of chapel street to be full of cashed up looking real estate agents in adidas.