Gravity-free (thread)
October 16, 2023 12:09 PM Subscribe
Fred Richard's Floor Exercise @ 2023 World Gymnastics Championships. Unfettered by earthly bonds (especially starting at :30). You might not be able to flip like Fred, but you can participate in this week's free thread!
(of course, the high bar had its revenge)
(of course, the high bar had its revenge)
Well, of course it had its revenge. It's a very high bar to pass.
posted by hippybear at 12:21 PM on October 16, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 12:21 PM on October 16, 2023 [2 favorites]
Hello gravity-free thread. You're doing really good. Also, Fred & Simone are.
posted by flamewise at 12:25 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by flamewise at 12:25 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
I was able to bust out one of my favorite t-shirts last week. This pleases me.
posted by May Kasahara at 12:49 PM on October 16, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by May Kasahara at 12:49 PM on October 16, 2023 [6 favorites]
US MAG were the glow-up federation at worlds this year
posted by fluttering hellfire at 12:56 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by fluttering hellfire at 12:56 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
Every time I see a top flight gymnastics performance, all I can think is:
1) Boy howdy I'd be dizzy as hell
2) How does everyone see how many rotations, twists, etc these athletes are doing in real time. Even when I slow the videos down I can't even really tell what's happening because I get all twisty.
posted by drewbage1847 at 1:11 PM on October 16, 2023 [6 favorites]
1) Boy howdy I'd be dizzy as hell
2) How does everyone see how many rotations, twists, etc these athletes are doing in real time. Even when I slow the videos down I can't even really tell what's happening because I get all twisty.
posted by drewbage1847 at 1:11 PM on October 16, 2023 [6 favorites]
I didn't think anything was worse than duck mating, but look, here's the frogs (NYT link):
This weekend, I shopped for Halloween costumes that frankly, I'm just going to wear as real life clothes, got eclipse glasses and watched an eclipse, went to Maker Faire, which was amazing, went through a corn maze, and did set painting.
I am stuck answering phones totally by myself today, I really, really, really am sick of this. Supposedly we're less short staffed next week, but I'll believe it when they aren't begging me to sign up for more shifts again. Supposedly this is my only phone shift of the week, but again, I'll believe that at 5 p.m. Friday.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:19 PM on October 16, 2023 [4 favorites]
This weekend, I shopped for Halloween costumes that frankly, I'm just going to wear as real life clothes, got eclipse glasses and watched an eclipse, went to Maker Faire, which was amazing, went through a corn maze, and did set painting.
I am stuck answering phones totally by myself today, I really, really, really am sick of this. Supposedly we're less short staffed next week, but I'll believe it when they aren't begging me to sign up for more shifts again. Supposedly this is my only phone shift of the week, but again, I'll believe that at 5 p.m. Friday.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:19 PM on October 16, 2023 [4 favorites]
Ooh, I'm really high up in the comments today -- film student update:
OK, I've been talking about my interview for like a month now -- here's what I turned in for a grade.
So, I've also talked about my Rules for College, things I think I did wrong the first time around -- the rule I think I've talked about before was Ask The Professor For Help, but I don't think I've talked about another one: Participate. When I was in college before, for theater, I didn't go to my own department's shows, I didn't offer to help with projects, I flaked and skipped things I did get roped into helping with, I was focused on my stuff and didn't think about the rest of the theater department and I know that was not just unhelpful to everyone else, but it didn't help me either.
My first attempt to Participate was joining the film appreciation club, which is OK but I haven't really made any friends there but there's only been a couple meetings I've been able to get to.
Last Tuesday, I saw a post on the 'local actors wanted' Facebook group and I recognized the poster from the film appreciation club: they were holding auditions for a student film project.
My first reaction was, off hand, I didn't know any male, any age, actors to recommend, and kept scrolling.
Friday, it hit me: my rule is Participate, and this is participation. I once wanted to be an actor, and despite being a theater tech I took a lot of acting classes, but it ended up not really being my thing. When I talk about my theater background I generally say I can act, but I'm not really an actor.
One Facebook Messenger message later, I was signed up to audition. I went to the auditions Sunday night, nervous as heck. The first part of the audition was essentially an improv game where you draw a line from a hat and read it several different ways based on the emotion the director called out.
I suck at improv.
However, I nailed the cold reading for the part I wanted...
...and I got the part!
It's four lines, two of which are just saying another character's name to get their attention, but, hey, I'm acting!
Acting for the first time in almost thirty years, and that was G-Man #2 in You Can't Take It With You, which I had to think really hard to remember what the last thing I acted in was, because who remembers G-Man #2? My friend Doug got G-Man #1 and he had way more lines!
And now I'm like, what the fork was I thinking, now I actually have to go and actually act on camera next Saturday.
But I'm Participating, and them's the rules.
posted by AzraelBrown at 1:26 PM on October 16, 2023 [27 favorites]
OK, I've been talking about my interview for like a month now -- here's what I turned in for a grade.
So, I've also talked about my Rules for College, things I think I did wrong the first time around -- the rule I think I've talked about before was Ask The Professor For Help, but I don't think I've talked about another one: Participate. When I was in college before, for theater, I didn't go to my own department's shows, I didn't offer to help with projects, I flaked and skipped things I did get roped into helping with, I was focused on my stuff and didn't think about the rest of the theater department and I know that was not just unhelpful to everyone else, but it didn't help me either.
My first attempt to Participate was joining the film appreciation club, which is OK but I haven't really made any friends there but there's only been a couple meetings I've been able to get to.
Last Tuesday, I saw a post on the 'local actors wanted' Facebook group and I recognized the poster from the film appreciation club: they were holding auditions for a student film project.
My first reaction was, off hand, I didn't know any male, any age, actors to recommend, and kept scrolling.
Friday, it hit me: my rule is Participate, and this is participation. I once wanted to be an actor, and despite being a theater tech I took a lot of acting classes, but it ended up not really being my thing. When I talk about my theater background I generally say I can act, but I'm not really an actor.
One Facebook Messenger message later, I was signed up to audition. I went to the auditions Sunday night, nervous as heck. The first part of the audition was essentially an improv game where you draw a line from a hat and read it several different ways based on the emotion the director called out.
I suck at improv.
However, I nailed the cold reading for the part I wanted...
...and I got the part!
It's four lines, two of which are just saying another character's name to get their attention, but, hey, I'm acting!
Acting for the first time in almost thirty years, and that was G-Man #2 in You Can't Take It With You, which I had to think really hard to remember what the last thing I acted in was, because who remembers G-Man #2? My friend Doug got G-Man #1 and he had way more lines!
And now I'm like, what the fork was I thinking, now I actually have to go and actually act on camera next Saturday.
But I'm Participating, and them's the rules.
posted by AzraelBrown at 1:26 PM on October 16, 2023 [27 favorites]
Taskmaster continues to give me hope through the work week. Just make it to Taskmaster, and it'll be alright.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 1:26 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 1:26 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
Since it's a "free thread" let me just say that after tasting lactose-free milk for the first time, I just can't drink the stuff. It's SO damn sweet. It tastes like milk that has been left in a bowl of sugary cereal for hours. The taste of it really took me by surprise. I thought there was something wrong with it until some light web searching informed me that rather than removing the lactose, enzymes are added to break it down, which results in freeing the sugars* and sweetening the taste of the milk.
*yes I realize that may not be the most scientifically accurate description of what happens in the course of making the milk lactose free, but it's the best I can recall from my cursory search.
posted by sardonyx at 1:26 PM on October 16, 2023 [4 favorites]
*yes I realize that may not be the most scientifically accurate description of what happens in the course of making the milk lactose free, but it's the best I can recall from my cursory search.
posted by sardonyx at 1:26 PM on October 16, 2023 [4 favorites]
As En Vogue used to sing:
Free Your Lactose
And The Sweet Will Follow
posted by hippybear at 1:30 PM on October 16, 2023 [2 favorites]
Free Your Lactose
And The Sweet Will Follow
posted by hippybear at 1:30 PM on October 16, 2023 [2 favorites]
AzraelBrown: "my rule is Participate, and this is participation."
The problematic Woody Allen said "Showing up is eighty percent of life" -- and here you are, just showing up and getting it done and whatnot!
posted by wenestvedt at 1:36 PM on October 16, 2023 [3 favorites]
The problematic Woody Allen said "Showing up is eighty percent of life" -- and here you are, just showing up and getting it done and whatnot!
posted by wenestvedt at 1:36 PM on October 16, 2023 [3 favorites]
I went on a date this weekend! For the first time in...let's leave it at "a long damn time". We had a pleasant time, but she declined a second date. Oh well, I didn't really expect to hit a home run right out of the gate (or whatever, I'm not a sportsball person). The thing is at least I'm out there trying...likely only until I get thoroughly disappointed in the process all over again and lapse back to my normal grumpy cynical self...
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:37 PM on October 16, 2023 [13 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:37 PM on October 16, 2023 [13 favorites]
Also, on the basis of this post I ordered The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht, and it arrived yesterday.
I must say, as good as it is, after seeing that video full of gorgeous craftsmanship, I was expecting big beautiful pictures to really showcase all that amazing work. Unfortunately the images are very much on the small underwhelming side, and aren't printed with as much fine definition as I'd hoped. I ended up using a magnifying glass to appreciate the subtle details - which also magnified the seemingly low print DPI. I begin to wonder if I got sold a cheap rip-off...
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:53 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
I must say, as good as it is, after seeing that video full of gorgeous craftsmanship, I was expecting big beautiful pictures to really showcase all that amazing work. Unfortunately the images are very much on the small underwhelming side, and aren't printed with as much fine definition as I'd hoped. I ended up using a magnifying glass to appreciate the subtle details - which also magnified the seemingly low print DPI. I begin to wonder if I got sold a cheap rip-off...
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:53 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
When college professors get together conversation will inevitably involve excuses students give for missing classes, assignments, and exams.
posted by tommasz at 2:51 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by tommasz at 2:51 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
I think my skunks have moved out of the A-frame.
Big shout-out to Rachel Maddow for the hours of her show on YouTube. Between loud liberalism and also a light on all night, I think they sought quieter quarters.
There's just a hint of leftover [I hope] smell left.
posted by MtDewd at 3:30 PM on October 16, 2023 [4 favorites]
Big shout-out to Rachel Maddow for the hours of her show on YouTube. Between loud liberalism and also a light on all night, I think they sought quieter quarters.
There's just a hint of leftover [I hope] smell left.
posted by MtDewd at 3:30 PM on October 16, 2023 [4 favorites]
@sardonyx, it's so sweet. The lactose-free yogurt tastes like a pop tart dissolved in pudding, utterly tangless. Just to cover all the possibilities, I also tried A2 milk. None of these milks are compatible with my rapidly-aging body. (Planet Oat is tasty for chai)
posted by Jesse the K at 3:37 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Jesse the K at 3:37 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
anyone here do community sports, and try to organize a team, and have it blow up in your face?
that's me today.
posted by elkevelvet at 3:40 PM on October 16, 2023 [5 favorites]
that's me today.
posted by elkevelvet at 3:40 PM on October 16, 2023 [5 favorites]
SOUP for lunch today. Better-than-boullion beef base, korean soup soy, brown rice, browned beef, kimchi, lao gan ma spicy chili crisp, green onion, thai basil leaves, and a few misc herbs. so good
posted by seanmpuckett at 3:42 PM on October 16, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 3:42 PM on October 16, 2023 [4 favorites]
MTDewd: I prefer to believe that your skunks have become liberalized and have gone out to petition for ballot measures and to do recruitment as part of a voting drive.
I'm not going to say they will be effective in their efforts, but Maddow is pretty persuasive. Have you heard her podcast about fascists trying to take over the US during WWII?
Here are all the episodes, and here is all the ancillary material.
I entirely adore Maddow, but I have grown over time to hate her MSNBC persona and am glad she's only doing that once a week now. I watched a dear friend of mine dive down the same rabbit hole that we often accuse FoxNews viewers of going down, only in his case, he was becoming increasingly unwell from what he was taking in on MSNBC and Maddow was his prophet.
This podcast version of Maddow, it's one I really love. She's really great when she's got a target in her laser sights, and she's less great when she's spinning her rhetoric for hours on end every night.
posted by hippybear at 3:46 PM on October 16, 2023 [5 favorites]
I'm not going to say they will be effective in their efforts, but Maddow is pretty persuasive. Have you heard her podcast about fascists trying to take over the US during WWII?
Here are all the episodes, and here is all the ancillary material.
I entirely adore Maddow, but I have grown over time to hate her MSNBC persona and am glad she's only doing that once a week now. I watched a dear friend of mine dive down the same rabbit hole that we often accuse FoxNews viewers of going down, only in his case, he was becoming increasingly unwell from what he was taking in on MSNBC and Maddow was his prophet.
This podcast version of Maddow, it's one I really love. She's really great when she's got a target in her laser sights, and she's less great when she's spinning her rhetoric for hours on end every night.
posted by hippybear at 3:46 PM on October 16, 2023 [5 favorites]
anyone here do community sports, and try to organize a team, and have it blow up in your face?
I was a part of the flailing beginnings of curling in the area here, and it's enough of a "sport of the bourgeoisie" in these parts that I might as well want to take up polo or skiing.
So sort of that, but not that.
posted by hippybear at 3:48 PM on October 16, 2023 [2 favorites]
I was a part of the flailing beginnings of curling in the area here, and it's enough of a "sport of the bourgeoisie" in these parts that I might as well want to take up polo or skiing.
So sort of that, but not that.
posted by hippybear at 3:48 PM on October 16, 2023 [2 favorites]
Organizing groups is HARD. Just saying. God, it's hard just trying to get theater people to all show up at the same theater on the same night with paid for tickets alone, I can't imagine getting an entire sport together on a regular basis.
It's four lines, two of which are just saying another character's name to get their attention, but, hey, I'm acting!
That's officially four more lines than I have in almost every show that I've done IRL since 2021 (with a few exceptions)! Congratulations!!!
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:49 PM on October 16, 2023 [6 favorites]
It's four lines, two of which are just saying another character's name to get their attention, but, hey, I'm acting!
That's officially four more lines than I have in almost every show that I've done IRL since 2021 (with a few exceptions)! Congratulations!!!
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:49 PM on October 16, 2023 [6 favorites]
jenfullmoon: you are a part of the unsung backbone upon which most theater is built. Unrecognized for being there, but utterly missed if they are not. I have never seen a production in which you have been involved, but I truly thank you for being there for those audiences. Because I've seen plays with the equivalent of you there, and I would have missed them if not there.
I feel like this is a very clumsy appreciation for something I feel really deep grateful for. So please take what you read here and deepen the feeling by several fathoms. Non-creepy internet stranger hugs, and please keep doing your thing.
posted by hippybear at 3:54 PM on October 16, 2023 [10 favorites]
I feel like this is a very clumsy appreciation for something I feel really deep grateful for. So please take what you read here and deepen the feeling by several fathoms. Non-creepy internet stranger hugs, and please keep doing your thing.
posted by hippybear at 3:54 PM on October 16, 2023 [10 favorites]
Today was the second official Poop Monday here. This new and exciting weekly tradition that I am still trying to sell myself on is not fun at all but makes the rest of my week way less poopy. So I can proudly say that Poop Monday 2 was a success.
If it isn't totally obvious the new routine is to concentrate on and abolish all the poop (litter boxes for two cats, deep cleaning the bathroom) in my life. Then I consider peeling off my whole entire skin and abolishing that too but settle for a long shower.
Also I started the day by filling the slow cooker with browned meatballs and gravy/red sauce (Poop Monday must always begin with dinner squared away) and managed a few loads out of my laundry mountain. So now the house feels and smells nicer and that's what Poop Mondays are for.
For anyone who might like a really good family red sauce, I present the recipe for my husband's Nana's Gravy:
Make or buy really good meatballs. Brown them with lots of whole cloves of garlic (remove garlic and add more as it browns to prevent it from burning). Add browned meatballs and all of the garlicky drippings from the meatballs to some strained tomatoes or tomato juice. Add a bit of salt. Cook low and slow until you can't wait to eat it anymore. If you're Nana you add hot Italian sausage links and whole pieces of bone in chicken as well. If you're me you just do the balls and add some oregano, crushed garlic, and a bit of sugar when you add the salt. Nana cooked it on the stove, mine goes in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low. So delicious.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 5:21 PM on October 16, 2023 [9 favorites]
If it isn't totally obvious the new routine is to concentrate on and abolish all the poop (litter boxes for two cats, deep cleaning the bathroom) in my life. Then I consider peeling off my whole entire skin and abolishing that too but settle for a long shower.
Also I started the day by filling the slow cooker with browned meatballs and gravy/red sauce (Poop Monday must always begin with dinner squared away) and managed a few loads out of my laundry mountain. So now the house feels and smells nicer and that's what Poop Mondays are for.
For anyone who might like a really good family red sauce, I present the recipe for my husband's Nana's Gravy:
Make or buy really good meatballs. Brown them with lots of whole cloves of garlic (remove garlic and add more as it browns to prevent it from burning). Add browned meatballs and all of the garlicky drippings from the meatballs to some strained tomatoes or tomato juice. Add a bit of salt. Cook low and slow until you can't wait to eat it anymore. If you're Nana you add hot Italian sausage links and whole pieces of bone in chicken as well. If you're me you just do the balls and add some oregano, crushed garlic, and a bit of sugar when you add the salt. Nana cooked it on the stove, mine goes in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low. So delicious.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 5:21 PM on October 16, 2023 [9 favorites]
Day 16 of the 31 Days of Horror movie challenge continues apace. The theme tonight was Your First Horror and the selection was The Lost Boys. I would have been 10 at the time, and absolutely hectored my parents into taking me. They did, and as a result, suffered for months on end of me pretending to be a vampire. (This is the same mom who gamely endured me dragging her to The Crow when I was 16.)
Pleased to report The Lost Boys still holds up. And at 46, to me, Grandpa is living the dream: growing his own weed, having weird hobbies, owning a ranch house just outside of town (beach adjacent!), and an enviable snack drawer in the fridge.
posted by Kitteh at 5:48 PM on October 16, 2023 [4 favorites]
Pleased to report The Lost Boys still holds up. And at 46, to me, Grandpa is living the dream: growing his own weed, having weird hobbies, owning a ranch house just outside of town (beach adjacent!), and an enviable snack drawer in the fridge.
posted by Kitteh at 5:48 PM on October 16, 2023 [4 favorites]
I didn't do amazing all-day meatballs, but I did have just enough spoons left when I got home today, to brown some Italian sausage bits, and put them on a little pizza I made with a store-bought naan and some sauce and cheese. Humble but happy-making.
My original plan was just to do a frozen pizza, but at the last moment, I realized I had the resources to aim a little higher, and I don't honestly think it even took any more time than the frozen pizza would have. I had the sausage almost done by the time the oven finished preheating, and a frozen pizza would have taken a couple of minutes longer in the oven than the fresh one, so I think it was a scratch on time.
posted by notoriety public at 6:09 PM on October 16, 2023 [3 favorites]
My original plan was just to do a frozen pizza, but at the last moment, I realized I had the resources to aim a little higher, and I don't honestly think it even took any more time than the frozen pizza would have. I had the sausage almost done by the time the oven finished preheating, and a frozen pizza would have taken a couple of minutes longer in the oven than the fresh one, so I think it was a scratch on time.
posted by notoriety public at 6:09 PM on October 16, 2023 [3 favorites]
Poop Monday must always begin with dinner squared away
One could say it's a required prerequisite!
but then maybe I interpreted that statement incorrectly
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:17 PM on October 16, 2023 [3 favorites]
One could say it's a required prerequisite!
but then maybe I interpreted that statement incorrectly
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:17 PM on October 16, 2023 [3 favorites]
I went on a date this weekend! ... lapse back to my normal grumpy cynical self
Heh - now I'm curious whether it was the beginning or the end of my comment that got the favorites.
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:19 PM on October 16, 2023 [3 favorites]
Heh - now I'm curious whether it was the beginning or the end of my comment that got the favorites.
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:19 PM on October 16, 2023 [3 favorites]
Okay, I just have to question the pairing of Poop Monday and... browned meatballs? Isn't that a little too on the nose?
posted by MrVisible at 7:27 PM on October 16, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by MrVisible at 7:27 PM on October 16, 2023 [7 favorites]
I'm just very proud of anyone for achieving Poop Monday but am wondering what this has to do with cleaning out the cat boxes?
posted by hippybear at 7:40 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 7:40 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
Okay, I just have to question the pairing of Poop Monday and... browned meatballs? Isn't that a little too on the nose?
What, you'd prefer bratwursts? Brownie logs, perhaps?
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:10 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
What, you'd prefer bratwursts? Brownie logs, perhaps?
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:10 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
That’s a fun video obfuscation!
I started a new medication for migraines this weekend (emgality) and I’m feeling the most human I have in 2 months!
posted by ellieBOA at 11:54 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
I started a new medication for migraines this weekend (emgality) and I’m feeling the most human I have in 2 months!
posted by ellieBOA at 11:54 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
Hello all. I am going to see an exhibition of Gyles Brandreth's jumpers today. I don't care much for him but an excursion needs a goal. And jumpers are ok in themselves I suppose. It's my weekly expedition with my father; suspect he will have coruscating comments.
In life news, I am failing at general house cleanliness - the kitchen has gone feral. Thinking of stopping life coach sessions for the moment as not sure they are currently helping. In more positives, I finished an end of project report on which I have been procrastinating at work, and I've been asked to do a book introduction (republished children's book series, I've already introed two others in the series), which is very pleasing. Tight deadline, so I am currently carrying the book around (I have read it before) so it can ... something ... between itself and my subconscious.
posted by paduasoy at 12:58 AM on October 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
In life news, I am failing at general house cleanliness - the kitchen has gone feral. Thinking of stopping life coach sessions for the moment as not sure they are currently helping. In more positives, I finished an end of project report on which I have been procrastinating at work, and I've been asked to do a book introduction (republished children's book series, I've already introed two others in the series), which is very pleasing. Tight deadline, so I am currently carrying the book around (I have read it before) so it can ... something ... between itself and my subconscious.
posted by paduasoy at 12:58 AM on October 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
But I'm Participating, and them's the rules.
posted by AzraelBrown
That is so cool! I really enjoy following your posts, and the film was really fine. Maybe I'm biased because I am a horse-person and a woman, but I could totally smell the place. And I loved the rounding thing, I've always wondered how they did that.
On the other hand, your post also directly addressed the stuff I'm struggling with, even words I had forgotten. My PTSD mainly comes from violence from my ex-husband, who was jealous of my work. If I was succesfull, he would beat my up, sometimes till I feared for my life. And one of our differences was exactly that I was raised to participate. My family was a mess, and I wouldn't have been is a violent relationship if they had been normal, but one value they did imprint on me was that I had to get in there and be part of whatever was going on. And that led to good things, that again led to violence. So now, every time I have done what is objectively the right thing, I am haunted by nightmares and anxiety. Therapy has helped a lot, but these days I need to do more than usual at work and the PTSD has flared back up. It's shit.
Anyway, this is obviously not to discourage anyone, my story is bleak and unusual. AzrealBrown has it right! I just needed to vent a bit.
posted by mumimor at 3:39 AM on October 17, 2023 [10 favorites]
posted by AzraelBrown
That is so cool! I really enjoy following your posts, and the film was really fine. Maybe I'm biased because I am a horse-person and a woman, but I could totally smell the place. And I loved the rounding thing, I've always wondered how they did that.
On the other hand, your post also directly addressed the stuff I'm struggling with, even words I had forgotten. My PTSD mainly comes from violence from my ex-husband, who was jealous of my work. If I was succesfull, he would beat my up, sometimes till I feared for my life. And one of our differences was exactly that I was raised to participate. My family was a mess, and I wouldn't have been is a violent relationship if they had been normal, but one value they did imprint on me was that I had to get in there and be part of whatever was going on. And that led to good things, that again led to violence. So now, every time I have done what is objectively the right thing, I am haunted by nightmares and anxiety. Therapy has helped a lot, but these days I need to do more than usual at work and the PTSD has flared back up. It's shit.
Anyway, this is obviously not to discourage anyone, my story is bleak and unusual. AzrealBrown has it right! I just needed to vent a bit.
posted by mumimor at 3:39 AM on October 17, 2023 [10 favorites]
... at 46, to me, Grandpa is living the dream: growing his own weed, having weird hobbies, owning a ranch house just outside of town (beach adjacent!), and an enviable snack drawer in the fridge.
that is living the damn dream. An old friend (my oldest friend - we met in a tree at college) was in town unexpectedly. We live on other sides of the ocean and until we moved over here, hung out a lot, went through a lot over the years. (Getting old has some real specific benefits to offset the, at times harrowing, proximity to death and wildly painful joints - among them is the view. To look at the years arrayed out behind you - and then to have someone with whom you've lived those years and remembers ridiculously small, specific points that maybe it seemed at times you had even made up whole cloth, they seem so obscure - but no, there really was a time/ a person/ a situation when . . .) We are both looking at life post-kids in the house and you start to poke around with the idea of where do you wanna be now - (within constraints, of course) - and some variation of 'Grandpa's' set-up sounds pretty ideal...
The weather snapped Saturday and Fall finally broke through. September was weirdly grim - it was so warm (almost 20C almost every day which for us is not at all normal) you felt at odds with the world. Now it is as expected, cooler going on brisk, dark by 7PM, some days raining off and on for no apparent reason and in contravention to the weather forecast... the next three months, until the end of January, are the absolute pits and the price we pay for the summer. But there's something mete and right in the expense - I know, that's Protestant to the point of delusion - but it's almost as valid a framework as any.
posted by From Bklyn at 3:43 AM on October 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
that is living the damn dream. An old friend (my oldest friend - we met in a tree at college) was in town unexpectedly. We live on other sides of the ocean and until we moved over here, hung out a lot, went through a lot over the years. (Getting old has some real specific benefits to offset the, at times harrowing, proximity to death and wildly painful joints - among them is the view. To look at the years arrayed out behind you - and then to have someone with whom you've lived those years and remembers ridiculously small, specific points that maybe it seemed at times you had even made up whole cloth, they seem so obscure - but no, there really was a time/ a person/ a situation when . . .) We are both looking at life post-kids in the house and you start to poke around with the idea of where do you wanna be now - (within constraints, of course) - and some variation of 'Grandpa's' set-up sounds pretty ideal...
The weather snapped Saturday and Fall finally broke through. September was weirdly grim - it was so warm (almost 20C almost every day which for us is not at all normal) you felt at odds with the world. Now it is as expected, cooler going on brisk, dark by 7PM, some days raining off and on for no apparent reason and in contravention to the weather forecast... the next three months, until the end of January, are the absolute pits and the price we pay for the summer. But there's something mete and right in the expense - I know, that's Protestant to the point of delusion - but it's almost as valid a framework as any.
posted by From Bklyn at 3:43 AM on October 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
oh, mumimor, I was sorry to read that. You always seem such an amiable, empathic, thoughtful, interesting and civilised soul that learning of your marital history has me scratching my head and thinking how can that be, how harsh life can be to thoroughly decent and deserving folks. And then you quietly mention your own family background and that this is part of the why in such a calm, non whiney way that I think, mumimor really is a kind, empathic, thoughtful, interesting and civilised soul...
posted by dutchrick at 5:23 AM on October 17, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by dutchrick at 5:23 AM on October 17, 2023 [7 favorites]
jenfullmoon: you are a part of the unsung backbone upon which most theater is built. Unrecognized for being there, but utterly missed if they are not.
I saw a kid once with a t-shirt that said "Jones High School Theater Crew" on the front. On the back? "Without us, you're all just a bunch of ugly people in the dark."
Having done my fair share of tech, I echo hippybear's comment. I'm sure you are already aware of how essential you are when you are tech, tho.
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 5:58 AM on October 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
I saw a kid once with a t-shirt that said "Jones High School Theater Crew" on the front. On the back? "Without us, you're all just a bunch of ugly people in the dark."
Having done my fair share of tech, I echo hippybear's comment. I'm sure you are already aware of how essential you are when you are tech, tho.
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 5:58 AM on October 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
I was a part of the flailing beginnings of curling in the area here
funny you should mention that, hippybear.. we've been entering a team to the Fun League for a few years: it's competitive but laid back, mixed teams, wide range of ages (you see some folks using the different assists leaving the hack and launching rocks etc). It's how I fell in love with curling. Sunday someone is yelling into the phone how I fucked them over and did a "jerk move" and I was so bewildered. I think it ended a friendship and my curling season before we even got started, I will be sore about this for a while.
I am a horse-person and a woman
mumimor, a friend of mine in her 70s is a horse woman. She took in a rescue mule to solve the problem of her neighbour's dogs terrorizing her (at the time) three horses, it worked a charm. Coyotes stay away, too. The mule won't let anyone but my friend near, and he only lets her ride him (of course). I call her "The Gal from Spirit River" where she's from, when she moved here she worked serving at the bar in town, a rougher joint, and she did her share of showing much bigger people to the door (I'd say she is all of 5'2" and that's generous). Her first year in town, her husband was away for work (extended) and a man entered her apartment. She showed him off with a cast iron frying pan, hit him upside the head. She said "I got him good. But I was worried, maybe too good." The guy left her apartment and never returned.
posted by elkevelvet at 7:21 AM on October 17, 2023 [4 favorites]
funny you should mention that, hippybear.. we've been entering a team to the Fun League for a few years: it's competitive but laid back, mixed teams, wide range of ages (you see some folks using the different assists leaving the hack and launching rocks etc). It's how I fell in love with curling. Sunday someone is yelling into the phone how I fucked them over and did a "jerk move" and I was so bewildered. I think it ended a friendship and my curling season before we even got started, I will be sore about this for a while.
I am a horse-person and a woman
mumimor, a friend of mine in her 70s is a horse woman. She took in a rescue mule to solve the problem of her neighbour's dogs terrorizing her (at the time) three horses, it worked a charm. Coyotes stay away, too. The mule won't let anyone but my friend near, and he only lets her ride him (of course). I call her "The Gal from Spirit River" where she's from, when she moved here she worked serving at the bar in town, a rougher joint, and she did her share of showing much bigger people to the door (I'd say she is all of 5'2" and that's generous). Her first year in town, her husband was away for work (extended) and a man entered her apartment. She showed him off with a cast iron frying pan, hit him upside the head. She said "I got him good. But I was worried, maybe too good." The guy left her apartment and never returned.
posted by elkevelvet at 7:21 AM on October 17, 2023 [4 favorites]
I found my pens!
My desk is so ricketty without tons of stuff on it, I've got a lot more space but somehow I'm able to consume all horizontal area. My hands are bad, bad, and my energy low, but it's gloriously quiet and sunny. Except for the calls, texts, and emails from a certain communications company who wants their ancient router back right away, the one they charged me fiber prices for that isn't fiber atall, and they won't accept the router back at any of their many store locations nor allow their employees to take it away although they trust the employee with a new router that is actually fiber, so. Lucky, all these problems now belong to us, once capitalist payment at a time, wondering if 4 cans of extra fat foam is gonna fill the decomposing oatmeal cracks that pretend to be our porch walls. My laurel is nearly 7 feet tall and I'm still picking peppers. It doesn't hurt so much to bend over and pick things up so that's good.
posted by winesong at 8:30 AM on October 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
My desk is so ricketty without tons of stuff on it, I've got a lot more space but somehow I'm able to consume all horizontal area. My hands are bad, bad, and my energy low, but it's gloriously quiet and sunny. Except for the calls, texts, and emails from a certain communications company who wants their ancient router back right away, the one they charged me fiber prices for that isn't fiber atall, and they won't accept the router back at any of their many store locations nor allow their employees to take it away although they trust the employee with a new router that is actually fiber, so. Lucky, all these problems now belong to us, once capitalist payment at a time, wondering if 4 cans of extra fat foam is gonna fill the decomposing oatmeal cracks that pretend to be our porch walls. My laurel is nearly 7 feet tall and I'm still picking peppers. It doesn't hurt so much to bend over and pick things up so that's good.
posted by winesong at 8:30 AM on October 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
I spent the weekend visiting a friend for an "artists retreat". we did get a lot of creative stuff done! I worked on my book and made very satisfactory progress.
these retreat weekends also include watching horror movies and spoiling my friends one silly little senior doggo and three adorable kitties. I got lotsa furry lovin'
the movies:
Birth/Rebirth - ooh thats a weird one, didn't really stick the landing but very good performances
Malum - a good one if you don't mind some gore and jump scares
The Burning Sea (yes, I know this is a disaster movie) - quite a good disaster movie with some great visual set-pieces of very large scale catastrophe
Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes - oh Dieter, oh Margot...oh Germany.
The Quake (yep, disaster) - not as good as the Burning Sea, the plot was a bit loose in some vague way. but it was fun!
lots of snacks were had, lots of wine was consumed in a moderate and timely fashion.
posted by supermedusa at 10:24 AM on October 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
these retreat weekends also include watching horror movies and spoiling my friends one silly little senior doggo and three adorable kitties. I got lotsa furry lovin'
the movies:
Birth/Rebirth - ooh thats a weird one, didn't really stick the landing but very good performances
Malum - a good one if you don't mind some gore and jump scares
The Burning Sea (yes, I know this is a disaster movie) - quite a good disaster movie with some great visual set-pieces of very large scale catastrophe
Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes - oh Dieter, oh Margot...oh Germany.
The Quake (yep, disaster) - not as good as the Burning Sea, the plot was a bit loose in some vague way. but it was fun!
lots of snacks were had, lots of wine was consumed in a moderate and timely fashion.
posted by supermedusa at 10:24 AM on October 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
The Netherlands just won against South Africa at the Cricket World Cup.
And Afghanistan handily dispatched England a few days ago.
I know not many cricket fans here. But both results are seismic shocks alone, but together….. Just fantastic for the game globally.
(the Afghan team has been based outside of Afghanistan for a few years - and apparently annoy the hell out of the Taliban leadership - they still play under the prior flag etc - so that and taking down England in such a clear way make them really quite likable…)
(Awaiting NZ collapse now Williamson broke his finger… *sigh*)
posted by inflatablekiwi at 11:02 AM on October 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
And Afghanistan handily dispatched England a few days ago.
I know not many cricket fans here. But both results are seismic shocks alone, but together….. Just fantastic for the game globally.
(the Afghan team has been based outside of Afghanistan for a few years - and apparently annoy the hell out of the Taliban leadership - they still play under the prior flag etc - so that and taking down England in such a clear way make them really quite likable…)
(Awaiting NZ collapse now Williamson broke his finger… *sigh*)
posted by inflatablekiwi at 11:02 AM on October 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
I'm a casual cricket fan in that I understand the very basics of the game and will watch a match if I happen to come across at an opportune time. Those are two astonishing upsets. How much does the cricketing world invest themselves in the Cricket World Cup matches and results? I know how much attention some of the individual test matches between nations receive.
posted by mollweide at 12:22 PM on October 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mollweide at 12:22 PM on October 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
I think a fair amount of investment. Given the World Cup is in India this time it has a huge audience. I was on a call with colleagues in Hyderabad today and they shut down everything over the weekend for the India / Pakistan game. NZ plays India this Sunday….if we win I’ll shut the hell up about it on Monday and remind them they are still odds on favorite to take the trophy if they being it up . If we lose then I’ll let my India colleagues go to town on me and give me a rough time on the result. It’s very bonding.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 1:33 PM on October 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by inflatablekiwi at 1:33 PM on October 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
MetaFilter: My colleagues go to town on me and give me a rough time. It's very bonding.
posted by hippybear at 1:49 PM on October 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 1:49 PM on October 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
Yup - walked into that double entendre, didn’t I? Reminds me that I saw the “Mr Rooter - Rooting with a smile” plumbing van here in Utah the other day. Cracks me up every time…..that would be damn near indecent (but still hilarious) in the South Pacific.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 2:43 PM on October 17, 2023
posted by inflatablekiwi at 2:43 PM on October 17, 2023
The For Sale sign is in the yard and the listing will go live on Friday. I need to pack up all these pictures/frames before then. I'm fairly certain we'll have people coming soon to see the house. It needs to be at least presentable. I also need to clean up the back bedroom and office now that most of the furniture is out. I'm so overwhelmed with everything, it's almost like paralysis. Thus, I'm sitting her on MeFi and binge watching M*A*S*H.
Over the weekend, I made mac and cheese, so that's dinner all week.
OK. I'm really getting off now.
posted by kathrynm at 4:47 PM on October 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
Over the weekend, I made mac and cheese, so that's dinner all week.
OK. I'm really getting off now.
posted by kathrynm at 4:47 PM on October 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
I’m unemployed and mostly broke and tired and had an attack of body dysmorphia last night that almost kicked me to self-harm.
But I started writing something that looks like it might become a queer fantasy novel with a trans protagonist and her lover and a guy who is so devoted to the idea of ordering things he wants to kill anything that seems to disturb that order (and is the villain) and it’s going well. I know I’m early for NaNoWriMo but fuck timing.
Tomorrow morning I’m going to get up and shower and shave a lot of stuff, then maybe dress up myself just to feel less distant from myself.
But I am so, so tired of all the shit in the world.
And a friend of mine is driving me mad because they went to Disney World, and it reminds me so much that I couldn’t if I wanted to, because Themselves help me if some shit decides that me being myself is grounds to file some kind of criminal complaint.
posted by mephron at 5:43 PM on October 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
But I started writing something that looks like it might become a queer fantasy novel with a trans protagonist and her lover and a guy who is so devoted to the idea of ordering things he wants to kill anything that seems to disturb that order (and is the villain) and it’s going well. I know I’m early for NaNoWriMo but fuck timing.
Tomorrow morning I’m going to get up and shower and shave a lot of stuff, then maybe dress up myself just to feel less distant from myself.
But I am so, so tired of all the shit in the world.
And a friend of mine is driving me mad because they went to Disney World, and it reminds me so much that I couldn’t if I wanted to, because Themselves help me if some shit decides that me being myself is grounds to file some kind of criminal complaint.
posted by mephron at 5:43 PM on October 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
nephron, I would totally read that novel.
I have several colleagues from India, so Cricket is an ongoing conversation in my team's standup these days.
My contribution to indulging in media that invokes the spooky season is listening to the audiobook of Bright Young Women (and screw you autocorrect for trying to correct my misspelling of women to men) and it is good. I have the digital version on hold at the library, but when I learned that the audiobook was read in part by Sutton Foster, I used up some credits to purchase it.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 3:45 AM on October 18, 2023
I have several colleagues from India, so Cricket is an ongoing conversation in my team's standup these days.
My contribution to indulging in media that invokes the spooky season is listening to the audiobook of Bright Young Women (and screw you autocorrect for trying to correct my misspelling of women to men) and it is good. I have the digital version on hold at the library, but when I learned that the audiobook was read in part by Sutton Foster, I used up some credits to purchase it.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 3:45 AM on October 18, 2023
theBigRedKittyPurrs, if I start putting it out online, I'll let you know.
posted by mephron at 7:59 AM on October 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mephron at 7:59 AM on October 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
I Turned Bottles of Amazon Drivers' Pee into a #1 Bestseller: Amazon don’t care about their workers’ bladders, but do you know what they do care about? Selling stuff.
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:34 PM on October 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:34 PM on October 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
We got an Amazon holiday gift catalog in the mail yesterday.
I'll just put that there and let y'all consider that.
posted by hippybear at 3:42 PM on October 18, 2023
I'll just put that there and let y'all consider that.
posted by hippybear at 3:42 PM on October 18, 2023
We got one from Target as well as Amazon. It's no Sears Wish Book, that's for sure.
posted by mollweide at 6:15 PM on October 18, 2023
posted by mollweide at 6:15 PM on October 18, 2023
Just got my high dose flu shot and updated covid vaccine (Phizer XBB).
That's at a city of Toronto clinic, so they are available now. Haven't seen many drug stores offering it yet
There is no charge
Even had a prominent sign saying they don't care about immigration status , no OHIP card required.
That makes 7 covid vax shots for me. How did that happen? Still remember struggling to get the first two.
posted by yyz at 7:31 AM on October 19, 2023 [3 favorites]
That's at a city of Toronto clinic, so they are available now. Haven't seen many drug stores offering it yet
There is no charge
Even had a prominent sign saying they don't care about immigration status , no OHIP card required.
That makes 7 covid vax shots for me. How did that happen? Still remember struggling to get the first two.
posted by yyz at 7:31 AM on October 19, 2023 [3 favorites]
I got suspended from work without pay. They wrote down every single tiny thing I did, made it sound like I was being deliberately disobedient every time even though I said I just goddamned forgot. They wrote the word "fail" over and over and over again and then said, "You're not a failure!" Bullshit. I am absolutely a failure. I don't know what to do to not keep failing with these people any more.
They basically said I need to get diagnosed with a disability/something medical and that might be the only way I save my job. "We can make accommodations" (of what?! they won't let me out of anything I suck at, I don't even know what to ask for other than leave me the fuck alone and stop nitpicking every tiny thing I do, which they won't do). I don't know if going on medical leave would make me less likely to get fired or what either, I'm afraid if I come back as much of a trainwreck as I already am that will only get me in more trouble.
I am crying and on hold with my HMO begging for diagnosis of something. I note it's after 5 p.m. and Kaiser, if you've read the news on that one.
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:11 PM on October 19, 2023 [4 favorites]
They basically said I need to get diagnosed with a disability/something medical and that might be the only way I save my job. "We can make accommodations" (of what?! they won't let me out of anything I suck at, I don't even know what to ask for other than leave me the fuck alone and stop nitpicking every tiny thing I do, which they won't do). I don't know if going on medical leave would make me less likely to get fired or what either, I'm afraid if I come back as much of a trainwreck as I already am that will only get me in more trouble.
I am crying and on hold with my HMO begging for diagnosis of something. I note it's after 5 p.m. and Kaiser, if you've read the news on that one.
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:11 PM on October 19, 2023 [4 favorites]
rock and roll is dead people - listening to the rolling stones' hackney diamonds and i swear they used autotune on depending on you - it's very subtle, but i swear i hear it
paul mccartney kicks ass on bite my head off, though
posted by pyramid termite at 5:37 PM on October 19, 2023
paul mccartney kicks ass on bite my head off, though
posted by pyramid termite at 5:37 PM on October 19, 2023
jenfullmoon I am so very sorry. I’ve been in jobs where the employer nitpicked every damn thing. You deserve better.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 5:53 PM on October 19, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 5:53 PM on October 19, 2023 [2 favorites]
well, this is basically a so-so rolling stones record - there's lots of guitar riffs, lots of jaggeresque howling but i don't really think they came up with much in the song department
i like the muddy waters cover, though
posted by pyramid termite at 6:14 PM on October 19, 2023
i like the muddy waters cover, though
posted by pyramid termite at 6:14 PM on October 19, 2023
jenfullmoon, that is horrible. Something similar happened to me once and I'm still struggling to believe in my capability to work, though I do it every day. You should get some council, not because there is anything wrong with you, but because you need help to get though this.
Are you in a union? My union helped me a lot back then.
posted by mumimor at 12:44 AM on October 20, 2023
Are you in a union? My union helped me a lot back then.
posted by mumimor at 12:44 AM on October 20, 2023
It has become clear that my current work laptop and home office dock are in the process of murdering each other and I need to replace the dock and purchase a new thunderbolt cable. However all the options I have managed to find for compatible docks and cables, are painfully expensive and I am internally crying over here.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 12:36 PM on October 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 12:36 PM on October 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Hav you looked at monoprice? They usually have surprisingly good deals on things like that.
posted by hippybear at 12:44 PM on October 20, 2023
posted by hippybear at 12:44 PM on October 20, 2023
I have not checked Monoprice and frankly I’m surprised that:
1. I forgot
2. That my spouse had not suggested that already.
I’m off to Monoprice. There have also been rumblings of a road trip to the closest Micro Center (2 -3 hours away) in our near future to help a nibling put together a gaming machine, so I should probably check if that can be made a reality sooner rather than later.
And in a slice of life moment, Mayhem just dropped a ball on the bed, so I must pay tribute to the feline and throw it. (Note: the ball was thrown. She was displeased with my attempt).
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 6:03 PM on October 20, 2023
1. I forgot
2. That my spouse had not suggested that already.
I’m off to Monoprice. There have also been rumblings of a road trip to the closest Micro Center (2 -3 hours away) in our near future to help a nibling put together a gaming machine, so I should probably check if that can be made a reality sooner rather than later.
And in a slice of life moment, Mayhem just dropped a ball on the bed, so I must pay tribute to the feline and throw it. (Note: the ball was thrown. She was displeased with my attempt).
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 6:03 PM on October 20, 2023
I am a union member. They can't do much for a genuine fuckup. Already had that conversation last time. At this point I wait to get fired because once I'm suspended, it's just waiting for them to pull the trigger (again, per union, because I can't shape up). My union kinda whopping sucks, but I also give them no innocence to work with. From what people told me today, it doesn't work to fight here.
I have now talked to several medical professionals and made various medical appointments and cried and cried and cried and said The Bad Word multiple times that makes them hustle on getting you appointments, and swore I have no firearms in the house and that I literally can't swallow a gallon of pills.
Beyond that, had friends take me out today and am busy the rest of the weekend, so I am trying to distract myself before the axe falls.
I truly have no idea how to get a job again when I am literally too stupid to work and have no excuse for this.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:12 PM on October 20, 2023
I have now talked to several medical professionals and made various medical appointments and cried and cried and cried and said The Bad Word multiple times that makes them hustle on getting you appointments, and swore I have no firearms in the house and that I literally can't swallow a gallon of pills.
Beyond that, had friends take me out today and am busy the rest of the weekend, so I am trying to distract myself before the axe falls.
I truly have no idea how to get a job again when I am literally too stupid to work and have no excuse for this.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:12 PM on October 20, 2023
Hopefully, you will get help to figure out how to handle this. You aren't stupid, that's for sure. You are special, and some people need help to figure out how to make that work for them instead of against them. Good luck!
And here is the best puppy video I have ever seen in my life, to cheer everyone up.
posted by mumimor at 1:14 AM on October 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
And here is the best puppy video I have ever seen in my life, to cheer everyone up.
posted by mumimor at 1:14 AM on October 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
You are not too stupid to work. You have a brain that doesn’t do things the way they want it to.
It sucks to get a diagnosis of anything like autism or ADHD or similar once you’re past fifteen. It’s damn near impossible and it’s insanely expensive along the way. The barriers just to get basic screening are ridiculously difficult, and Bog help you trying to get treatment past that without really good insurance or being rich (or often both).
I hope this entire situation ends with you in a good place, or at least a place you can move towards a good place from. But you are not too stupid to work.
posted by mephron at 10:22 AM on October 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
It sucks to get a diagnosis of anything like autism or ADHD or similar once you’re past fifteen. It’s damn near impossible and it’s insanely expensive along the way. The barriers just to get basic screening are ridiculously difficult, and Bog help you trying to get treatment past that without really good insurance or being rich (or often both).
I hope this entire situation ends with you in a good place, or at least a place you can move towards a good place from. But you are not too stupid to work.
posted by mephron at 10:22 AM on October 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
My dad has been cleaning out his garage and came across a box of coins and paper money that his dad set aside to pass on to my siblings and me “when we were old enough”. Since all three of us have been out on our own for a bit, my dad decided we were old enough.
The package arrived this afternoon and it is a little time capsule. A commemorative silver dollar from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Three Reichbanknotes from the early 1920’s (and my studies in German have paid off to the point that I was easily about translate the language on the notes). A silver dollar from 1944. A coin from 1943 Germany.
I was genuinely startled by the coin. My grandfather served in the Army and was stationed in France during World War 2. The only thing he ever said about his time there was that he was charged with going to Paris to pick up the officer’s liquor rations as he did not drink, so the officer’s knew that there they would get their full amount. (He also developed a taste for fine champagne from his time in France, which is kind of hilarious as he was a teetotaler otherwise). It never occurred to me that he would bring back that kind of souvenir from his time there. I’m not sure how I feel about it.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 5:57 PM on October 21, 2023
The package arrived this afternoon and it is a little time capsule. A commemorative silver dollar from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Three Reichbanknotes from the early 1920’s (and my studies in German have paid off to the point that I was easily about translate the language on the notes). A silver dollar from 1944. A coin from 1943 Germany.
I was genuinely startled by the coin. My grandfather served in the Army and was stationed in France during World War 2. The only thing he ever said about his time there was that he was charged with going to Paris to pick up the officer’s liquor rations as he did not drink, so the officer’s knew that there they would get their full amount. (He also developed a taste for fine champagne from his time in France, which is kind of hilarious as he was a teetotaler otherwise). It never occurred to me that he would bring back that kind of souvenir from his time there. I’m not sure how I feel about it.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 5:57 PM on October 21, 2023
And here is the best puppy video I have ever seen in my life, to cheer everyone up.
That is a legit noise complaint, indeed! I love fluffy white pups.
I went to Maker Faire (again) today, which was very cool. So that helped.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:05 PM on October 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
That is a legit noise complaint, indeed! I love fluffy white pups.
I went to Maker Faire (again) today, which was very cool. So that helped.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:05 PM on October 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
My job hunt is definitely in the final stages. I'm waiting to hear about a permanent position in the next few days, and if that falls through, I have two long-term temp positions waiting to pounce on me; one of them open-ended temp-to-perm, the other a definite 2-3 year post. And all of them would be an improvement over my current oddball part-time thing that doesn't have health insurance.
So this weekend I've been concentrating on the big bake sale my community garden does every year - because our garden goes BIG. One of the garden's founders is still a member, and he sets a high bar - at one time he and his wife were considering opening a bakery, so they joined the Culinary Institute of America's baking program. But then after getting through the program, they looked at each other and realized "what are we thinking, we don't want to open a bakery! Let's just be really good at baking and leave it at that." So he regularly bakes things and shares them with the garden members - we have a plum tree in the garden, and invariably there will come a day when he'll go pick a bunch of things and make a tart or a cake or muffins, and send out a group email to the garden members announcing it and saying "if you want a piece come by the garden today at 4". Last year he brought all of the following to the bake sale:
* lemon blueberry brioche buns
* gingerbread cookies hand-stamped in an antique German press
* spanakopita
* turkey curry empanadas
* Chinese pork bao buns
* foccacia topped with cherry tomatoes and herbs from his patch
And his wife also made 4 sourdough boules.
And that was just HIM. We also had 4 completely different chocolate cakes, each of which coincidentally catered to people with different diets (one was gluten-free, one was vegan, one was dairy-free....); we had 3 different zucchini breads, 4 different cookies, lemon-poppyseed muffins with cardamom frosting, and something called "red wine red velvet cupcakes". At some point mid-day during last year's sale, a barista from the coffee shop across the street came by on her lunch break and bought up a bunch of things. After she paid, she looked around furtively, then leaned in towards us and whispered - "your stuff is better than ours, shhhh!" And then ran away.
I was just going to make three things this year - I ended up making five; an apple cake, a honey-spice cake, mocha-chocolate-chip cookies, a savory quick bread with bacon and gruyere cheese, and a buttered-walnut-coffee cake. I live around the corner from the garden and was going to be around all day yesterday so I offered other bakers the chance to drop things off with me, and the vegan rice krispie treats and the chocolate-banana bread are also in my bag waiting to be brought over. Someone is bringing rosewater shortbread, there's a couple different scones, and our star baker has only said that he will bring "whatever is missing". It seriously gets like the Great British Bakeoff up in there.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:14 AM on October 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
So this weekend I've been concentrating on the big bake sale my community garden does every year - because our garden goes BIG. One of the garden's founders is still a member, and he sets a high bar - at one time he and his wife were considering opening a bakery, so they joined the Culinary Institute of America's baking program. But then after getting through the program, they looked at each other and realized "what are we thinking, we don't want to open a bakery! Let's just be really good at baking and leave it at that." So he regularly bakes things and shares them with the garden members - we have a plum tree in the garden, and invariably there will come a day when he'll go pick a bunch of things and make a tart or a cake or muffins, and send out a group email to the garden members announcing it and saying "if you want a piece come by the garden today at 4". Last year he brought all of the following to the bake sale:
* lemon blueberry brioche buns
* gingerbread cookies hand-stamped in an antique German press
* spanakopita
* turkey curry empanadas
* Chinese pork bao buns
* foccacia topped with cherry tomatoes and herbs from his patch
And his wife also made 4 sourdough boules.
And that was just HIM. We also had 4 completely different chocolate cakes, each of which coincidentally catered to people with different diets (one was gluten-free, one was vegan, one was dairy-free....); we had 3 different zucchini breads, 4 different cookies, lemon-poppyseed muffins with cardamom frosting, and something called "red wine red velvet cupcakes". At some point mid-day during last year's sale, a barista from the coffee shop across the street came by on her lunch break and bought up a bunch of things. After she paid, she looked around furtively, then leaned in towards us and whispered - "your stuff is better than ours, shhhh!" And then ran away.
I was just going to make three things this year - I ended up making five; an apple cake, a honey-spice cake, mocha-chocolate-chip cookies, a savory quick bread with bacon and gruyere cheese, and a buttered-walnut-coffee cake. I live around the corner from the garden and was going to be around all day yesterday so I offered other bakers the chance to drop things off with me, and the vegan rice krispie treats and the chocolate-banana bread are also in my bag waiting to be brought over. Someone is bringing rosewater shortbread, there's a couple different scones, and our star baker has only said that he will bring "whatever is missing". It seriously gets like the Great British Bakeoff up in there.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:14 AM on October 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I made some amazing cinnamon rolls this weekend. They are a ridiculous process to make, involving way too many steps and I ran my stand mixer for about 40 minutes to get the dough fully formed, but after that and the overnight and the rest of the process the end results are pretty really great. Here's the video of the recipe, which I had to watch a bunch of times, and there's a link in the "more" of the video description that gets you into the actual NYT recipe without a paywall.
The only real change to the recipe I made, aside from not finding their fancy sugar so subbing a different fancy sugar, is that I cut the "15 piece" log into 16 pieces and froze half of it before the final rise, along with 1/2 of the icing. I don't know if this will thaw out and bake well, but hey, there's only two of us, so we'd end of throwing out half of them if I'd made the full batch.
posted by hippybear at 3:03 PM on October 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
The only real change to the recipe I made, aside from not finding their fancy sugar so subbing a different fancy sugar, is that I cut the "15 piece" log into 16 pieces and froze half of it before the final rise, along with 1/2 of the icing. I don't know if this will thaw out and bake well, but hey, there's only two of us, so we'd end of throwing out half of them if I'd made the full batch.
posted by hippybear at 3:03 PM on October 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
....we...
....we had to end our bake sale a full two hours early because we had sold LITERALLY EVERYTHING.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:56 PM on October 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
....we had to end our bake sale a full two hours early because we had sold LITERALLY EVERYTHING.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:56 PM on October 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
I just spent the last hour putting together a pot of cassoulet - it's a French peasant stew, sort of a grown-up beanie-weenies with mirepoix, garlic, and duck (or chicken, or whatever! It's a peasant dish!) added. To honor the peasant style I'm not cooking and removing and re-adding stuff, I'm thumbing my nose at the snooty courtly French chefs by just adding each ingredient as I go and leaving it in there.
For the hell of it and because I'm behind on my carcinogen consumption this month, I started this out yesterday by dumping the canned beans and diced tomatoes into a disposable aluminum pan and smoked them for a couple hours before popping them in the fridge overnight.
The stew is in the oven for a slow bake, and smells amazing!! Unfortunately I got too late a start for this to be my dinner, so I guess it'll taste even better tomorrow...
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:19 PM on October 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
For the hell of it and because I'm behind on my carcinogen consumption this month, I started this out yesterday by dumping the canned beans and diced tomatoes into a disposable aluminum pan and smoked them for a couple hours before popping them in the fridge overnight.
The stew is in the oven for a slow bake, and smells amazing!! Unfortunately I got too late a start for this to be my dinner, so I guess it'll taste even better tomorrow...
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:19 PM on October 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Oh - and I'm adding in some kale at the end, to assuage my American guilt over the amount of pig fat involved in its making. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:21 PM on October 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:21 PM on October 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
9pm, cooking properly done. Despite the lateness of the hour I had to at least try a bite...oh my god. Oh. My. God. This is AMAZING. After all that cooking time the smoke has mellowed into a lovely present-but=background flavor in the savory complex melange. And actually the kale adds a perfect fresh green note. Definitely a dish I'll be adding to my regular cold-weather rotation!
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:13 PM on October 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:13 PM on October 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Greg_Ace, that was an adorable pair of comments. :-) I'm reminded of when I tried making cassoulet myself during the early pandemic days; my office never closed, and it was 10 minutes walk to a Wegmans where they had red-rope-type barriers around the "chicken/pork/beef" part of the meat section, but the game meats and sausages section was nearly abandoned, so I was using things like duck and boar in mine.
When I was making it, my roommate walked into the kitchen as I was searing all the meat with wide eyes and reverently whispered, "it smells like meat heaven in here."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:25 AM on October 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
When I was making it, my roommate walked into the kitchen as I was searing all the meat with wide eyes and reverently whispered, "it smells like meat heaven in here."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:25 AM on October 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
Mmm, meat heaven! 😄
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:50 AM on October 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:50 AM on October 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
I don't see another free thread and I don't want to be at the top of the next one, so here goes.
I spent today on the phone with various medical offices and otherwise, and got nowhere. Lots of refusals. I have now dropped my PCP, who I met for the first time today (I always had a bad feeling about her but could never peg why because I'd never talked to her before). I apparently said the wrong word (the "w" one I have problems at) and she said she couldn't help me and I'd have to go through workman's comp to get ANY kind of assistance, insurance won't do fuckall for me because I said the "w" word at all and said I had to go through my job and MAYBE they might help. Luckily for me I have a friend at workman's comp and while she sent me the paperwork to file a claim, I was all "what the heck would I file for, I'm not injured and I didn't trip on the sidewalk," finally talked to her about it, and frankly it sounds like a long shot and not going to work out if I did that anyway. Am also afraid that would just cause a big ol' war with my employer and I am definitely going to lose if I do anything to provoke that. Friend suggested I just make another doctor's appointment and phrase things differently so they don't think it's a work-only issue. I have now switched PCP's and done so, that won't be till the end of next week though.
I did not expect it to go to the point of workman's comp discussion today, that scared the bejeesus out of me.
I have sent various pleas for assistance to a former boss who went on stress leave once upon a time, and some other friends who have more knowledge on the topic, we'll see if I get responses there. I note that I talked to a friend of mine about how easy it was for her to be offered psych meds and the answer was, pretty damn easy :P (disclaimer: friend's husband is dying, so...). I always figured I'd have them throwing prescriptions at my head after 5 minutes of me talking, not being all "nope" about the whole thing. It's very bizarre how I've been dreading having this medication conversation for years and this is how it goes.
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:34 PM on October 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
I spent today on the phone with various medical offices and otherwise, and got nowhere. Lots of refusals. I have now dropped my PCP, who I met for the first time today (I always had a bad feeling about her but could never peg why because I'd never talked to her before). I apparently said the wrong word (the "w" one I have problems at) and she said she couldn't help me and I'd have to go through workman's comp to get ANY kind of assistance, insurance won't do fuckall for me because I said the "w" word at all and said I had to go through my job and MAYBE they might help. Luckily for me I have a friend at workman's comp and while she sent me the paperwork to file a claim, I was all "what the heck would I file for, I'm not injured and I didn't trip on the sidewalk," finally talked to her about it, and frankly it sounds like a long shot and not going to work out if I did that anyway. Am also afraid that would just cause a big ol' war with my employer and I am definitely going to lose if I do anything to provoke that. Friend suggested I just make another doctor's appointment and phrase things differently so they don't think it's a work-only issue. I have now switched PCP's and done so, that won't be till the end of next week though.
I did not expect it to go to the point of workman's comp discussion today, that scared the bejeesus out of me.
I have sent various pleas for assistance to a former boss who went on stress leave once upon a time, and some other friends who have more knowledge on the topic, we'll see if I get responses there. I note that I talked to a friend of mine about how easy it was for her to be offered psych meds and the answer was, pretty damn easy :P (disclaimer: friend's husband is dying, so...). I always figured I'd have them throwing prescriptions at my head after 5 minutes of me talking, not being all "nope" about the whole thing. It's very bizarre how I've been dreading having this medication conversation for years and this is how it goes.
posted by jenfullmoon at 5:34 PM on October 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
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