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January 29, 2024 1:43 AM Subscribe
After last week's epic thread of The games MeFites play - which you can still contribute to - this week there's no optional topic. It's just ... you. Talk about anything and everything in your life and your world as this is your free thread.
I finished Richard Osman’s The Last Devil to Die last night and it was a bittersweet read. There are a couple of quotes about the anticipation of loss that really hit. (No worries, the gang is still together).
While I was finishing the book, spouse came in to inform me the father of one of our closest friends passed away. So that was a weird synchronicity.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 2:43 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
While I was finishing the book, spouse came in to inform me the father of one of our closest friends passed away. So that was a weird synchronicity.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 2:43 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
My dream the night before last was a sci-fi Terminator thing, but the friendly "fleshy Terminator" was played by Sam Elliott, and at one point he got all his flesh blown off by an evil Terminator, but survived, and for the rest of the dream my friendly Terminator companion was a full-on metal Terminator that talked like Sam Elliott, and that was probably the best dream I've ever had and will have.
posted by Shepherd at 3:19 AM on January 29 [18 favorites]
posted by Shepherd at 3:19 AM on January 29 [18 favorites]
I kinda wish Dolly Parton had sung 10 to 2 instead.
posted by DreamerFi at 3:45 AM on January 29 [39 favorites]
posted by DreamerFi at 3:45 AM on January 29 [39 favorites]
Also the mandate to RTO for three days starting the beginning of May came down last week. It went over as well as expected. It was highly entertaining to see the CEO and CFO squirm during the global all hands. Especially when they were asked if the RTO was going to be supported with the return of the internal travel budget, since face-to-face time is so important and so many of us work in international teams.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 3:48 AM on January 29 [12 favorites]
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 3:48 AM on January 29 [12 favorites]
It is 6:45 on Monday - the first day of my new job. I don't have to go in today, I have the new-hire orientation - which is done via Zoom, so I can "work from home" today. I've still returned to my "work week" morning schedule - wake up at 6, shower right away, make the coffee and take that to my room where I have a leisurely hour or so of sipping coffee and nibbling some kind of breakfast while listening to the radio and pulling myself together; then at 7:30 I finish getting ready and leave the house by 8. I don't have to start the Zoom until 10, but I'm going to go out at 8 am anyway just to get back into the habit; I'll walk something to the post office 4 blocks away and pick up one or two basic groceries.
All through the past month my daily schedule was a very different one, because of the play I was working on; I wasn't getting home from the theater until about 11 pm, and I would eat something quick and cheap before trying to go to bed and usually not falling asleep until a little after midnight. I'd still wake up with the sun, so my sleep schedule was usually shot.
This is MUCH better.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:49 AM on January 29 [36 favorites]
All through the past month my daily schedule was a very different one, because of the play I was working on; I wasn't getting home from the theater until about 11 pm, and I would eat something quick and cheap before trying to go to bed and usually not falling asleep until a little after midnight. I'd still wake up with the sun, so my sleep schedule was usually shot.
This is MUCH better.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:49 AM on January 29 [36 favorites]
The Netherlands is no paradise in fact, I sometimes think we got all the basics right, social and material infrastructure in decent shape, pretty well governed, a functioning democracy, while forgetting the importance of the glossy patina of life. Be that as it may, from time to time, things happen here, often due to a hard headed pragmatism and a refusal to bow to punitive principal, that give me hope and belief that better is possible. Here's one such today:
https://nltimes.nl/2024/01/29/safe-haven-rooms-open-amsterdam-rotterdam-anonymously-giving-babies
posted by dutchrick at 3:59 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
https://nltimes.nl/2024/01/29/safe-haven-rooms-open-amsterdam-rotterdam-anonymously-giving-babies
posted by dutchrick at 3:59 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
Or maybe not. Aaagh. Must do better.
posted by dutchrick at 4:02 AM on January 29 [1 favorite]
posted by dutchrick at 4:02 AM on January 29 [1 favorite]
Dutchrick: try this -
1. Type a phrase or word
2. Highlight that word and then click on the word "link" just below the comment window
3. Paste the link into the pop-up box that comes up
You get this.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:22 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
1. Type a phrase or word
2. Highlight that word and then click on the word "link" just below the comment window
3. Paste the link into the pop-up box that comes up
You get this.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:22 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
There are a lot of things that are pretty stressful these days. I will probably post more later when things get settled. But I am grateful that I am slowly reconnecting with an old friend who kind of vanished into thin air a couple of years ago. He is probably on the Asperger Spectrum, and has difficulty maintaining a connection with other people. I am glad to see that he is all right, and we are starting to talk again.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 4:24 AM on January 29 [8 favorites]
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 4:24 AM on January 29 [8 favorites]
And I 'principal'd 'principle!! God help my tainted soul, back to bed, reset the alarm, start the day a new, this time as a competent functioning human!
posted by dutchrick at 4:24 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
posted by dutchrick at 4:24 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
Thanks for the help Empress, add me to the long list of your grateful subjects!
posted by dutchrick at 4:26 AM on January 29 [2 favorites]
posted by dutchrick at 4:26 AM on January 29 [2 favorites]
Oh, one other side effect of this new job -
I am going to be able to work from home a day or two each week. For the first few weeks I'm going to go in every day still to really learn the ropes; my roommate and I also need to figure out a good schedule for my working from home so I don't mess with his own schedule (we both did WFH during the pandemic and that got kind of annoying). But that also will let me get my home office in order; it's become a quasi storage room, and that really needs some tending.
So I'm going to be doing a LOT of cleanup and decluttering in there over the next few weeks. I may even get rid of a piece of furniture.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:29 AM on January 29 [11 favorites]
I am going to be able to work from home a day or two each week. For the first few weeks I'm going to go in every day still to really learn the ropes; my roommate and I also need to figure out a good schedule for my working from home so I don't mess with his own schedule (we both did WFH during the pandemic and that got kind of annoying). But that also will let me get my home office in order; it's become a quasi storage room, and that really needs some tending.
So I'm going to be doing a LOT of cleanup and decluttering in there over the next few weeks. I may even get rid of a piece of furniture.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:29 AM on January 29 [11 favorites]
This is week 3 of my own new job--admin assistant to a pair of psychiatrists at a Developmental Disability clinic run by three different organizations under one roof--and I love the hours (9-1 M-F) and the pay ($30/hr), and I realize I am just someone who needs a routine and a schedule to function (my executives need structure).
posted by Kitteh at 4:51 AM on January 29 [11 favorites]
posted by Kitteh at 4:51 AM on January 29 [11 favorites]
Diva Grigio Anguilla is a machine for turning cat food into loud sounds.
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:58 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:58 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
Anosmia sucks!
posted by DJZouke at 4:59 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
posted by DJZouke at 4:59 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
I am kind of really up and down - had a personal life crisis last night that had me up and agitated until 2am that left me unable to prepare really well for the amazing public defender training opportunity I got into for today. I’m really struggling right now with the gap between what I want to do for the world and what I want to do for the people I love. I am having a lot of amazing opportunities to do good work in the world but I am deeply worried it is going to be at the expense of my loved ones who really need my presence in a location far from my law school. I don’t really know what to do - law school is not forgiving about distance.
posted by corb at 5:13 AM on January 29 [17 favorites]
posted by corb at 5:13 AM on January 29 [17 favorites]
I have five days left of a prophylactic dose of Tamiflu, and am enjoying this odd sense of invulnerability: For once, the kids brought home a terrible cold (which turned out to be flu) that I didn't catch! After being miserably sick a few months ago with one of these bugs that leaves you coughing for weeks (and yet never set off any positive test), I was sure I'd get this one as well. But no! Between the flu shot and the pills I seem to be fine. Which is good, because it takes a lot of energy to deliver a constant never-ending supply of drinks (hot and cold), popsicles (only cold), cough syrup and pills to the various plague-rooms of the house.
posted by mittens at 5:31 AM on January 29 [9 favorites]
posted by mittens at 5:31 AM on January 29 [9 favorites]
Well, if it isn't one of MetaFilter's favorite jokes.
posted by Tehhund at 5:53 AM on January 29 [20 favorites]
posted by Tehhund at 5:53 AM on January 29 [20 favorites]
I kinda wish Dolly Parton had sung 10 to 2 instead.
You want to work 16 hour shifts?
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:17 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
You want to work 16 hour shifts?
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:17 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
I'm seeing my endocrinologist this week. Last week, she rushed a new thyroid med prescription to me when my blood test came back a little off. She's great, and hopefully I'll start sleeping a little better soon. Haven't done too well the past few nights.
posted by May Kasahara at 6:24 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
posted by May Kasahara at 6:24 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
I don't remember anything about my dream except that Donald Trump had a very large vat of chicken broth upended over his head, so I'm going to assume it was a good dream.
posted by emjaybee at 6:27 AM on January 29 [14 favorites]
posted by emjaybee at 6:27 AM on January 29 [14 favorites]
You want to work 16 hour shifts?
This reminds me of a joke about being self-employed. You get to work half-days, can choose which 12 hours of the day they are, and you also get to sleep with the boss' wife.
posted by mikelieman at 6:36 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
This reminds me of a joke about being self-employed. You get to work half-days, can choose which 12 hours of the day they are, and you also get to sleep with the boss' wife.
posted by mikelieman at 6:36 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
Caught up on a couple of Oscar-nominated movies this weekend. "American Fiction" was an absolute delight. I was expecting something Very Serious, but it was funny and sweet and sad. "The Boy and The Heron" seemed to revisit a lot of familiar Miyazaki territory, but was beautiful as always.
posted by briank at 7:04 AM on January 29 [3 favorites]
posted by briank at 7:04 AM on January 29 [3 favorites]
Older-Than-Average Film Student Update:
Difficult week this week, emotionally: in the 16mm film class we did "cameraless movies", where we took scrap film from the editing room garbage bin and scratched, drew, modified, and in one guy's case, burned, the film to make a sort of animation. Mine turned out OK, but it wasn't what I expected; I know how 16mm film works, I've been projecting it since the 1980s, and I tried 'drawing' the sound track which didn't work. In Animation class, my usual enemy -- technology -- had me swearing at the computers a lot when trying to do our first real hand-drawn (on computer) project, a bouncing ball. Here's what I did in class; our homework is to do a "softer" ball and a "harder" ball, which I finished but don't like too much.
Thursday night was an audition for a student project where the guys in charge have expressed that they want my participation -- it required a monologue, then reading from the script. I got about 3/4 through my monologue, stumbled on a couple words, and...that absolutely deflated me, I couldn't get back on track, I jumped over that paragraph, continued a few lines, and ended early. My reading was pretty good (although they wanted something more "bartender in The Shining", which I couldn't remember well enough at the time to try to include, but on watching clips post-audition I should be able to capture well if I make callbacks).
Then -- after almost two months of memorizing, practicing, and a rehearsal last weekend -- on Saturday we got into a 140-year old church, I dressed up like a 1910s preacher, and did my Billy Sunday speech in front of the camera.
For all my solid rehearsal at home, once I was in the space, with the crew, in costume, I had trouble getting all the way through in one take. None of my takes were particularly great. This was filmed on real, black-and-white, Kodak 16mm film so we couldn't just let the cameras run, it had to be done correctly when the camera is rolling. My best take was a dress-rehearsal, didn't get on film. We did 3 takes on film; my last take was OK, I had a few spots where I hesitated a bit, trying to remember my next line; the first take I stumbled near the end, the second take I stumbled near the beginning, and although the director wanted it all in one take, he said he has no problem editing in some audience reaction shots to get one good scene.
So, my brain is a neurotic, barbed-wire-ball of anxiety. Despite me checking in with the director throughout the shoot on whether what I'd been doing meets his expectations and getting affirmatives, all my internal voice has done for two days is tell me what a bad job I did, how the director is lying to me, he's never going to cast me again and he's probably telling the other student projects not to cast me either because I suck. He's going to destroy the film and tell me that there was some technical reason he can't use it. Or, almost worse, the whole reason he asked me to do it was so he knew I'd fail and this is all a plot to expose me as a horrible performer, people are going to see it and laugh at me.
That voice has been in my ear a long time, it always has a lot to say about everything, so I've gotten pretty good at ignoring it.
Plus, I have a long string of perfectionism which goes back to the reason I originally dropped out of college, something I have to consciously fight against with facts.
My animation class is a 100-level class on a subject I have literally never done before, and turning in anything remotely close to the assignment gets 100%.
The cameraless-film is about getting your hands on film and understanding the physicality of film, and I did learn a lot, more than I had considered about film despite the decades of handling it.
Flubbing an audition, missing what the director wants from the character that you were literally handed seconds ago, is not unusual and I gotta dust myself off and do better the next time around.
And, Sunday I watched a film by Alejandro Jorodowsky, and I am definitely a better actor than a chunk of the people in his cast, which goes to show that the actor is really just a component of the system; what the director is trying to express with his film is not my performance in its entirety, the reason he gave me positive feedback is because he was getting what he wanted from it, not necessarily what I was aiming for, and that's not for me to internalize or criticize.
So, it's a new week, time to take a deep breath and start anew. Out of everything I learned this week this is probably the biggest lesson, but the hardest homework to finish.
posted by AzraelBrown at 7:04 AM on January 29 [15 favorites]
Difficult week this week, emotionally: in the 16mm film class we did "cameraless movies", where we took scrap film from the editing room garbage bin and scratched, drew, modified, and in one guy's case, burned, the film to make a sort of animation. Mine turned out OK, but it wasn't what I expected; I know how 16mm film works, I've been projecting it since the 1980s, and I tried 'drawing' the sound track which didn't work. In Animation class, my usual enemy -- technology -- had me swearing at the computers a lot when trying to do our first real hand-drawn (on computer) project, a bouncing ball. Here's what I did in class; our homework is to do a "softer" ball and a "harder" ball, which I finished but don't like too much.
Thursday night was an audition for a student project where the guys in charge have expressed that they want my participation -- it required a monologue, then reading from the script. I got about 3/4 through my monologue, stumbled on a couple words, and...that absolutely deflated me, I couldn't get back on track, I jumped over that paragraph, continued a few lines, and ended early. My reading was pretty good (although they wanted something more "bartender in The Shining", which I couldn't remember well enough at the time to try to include, but on watching clips post-audition I should be able to capture well if I make callbacks).
Then -- after almost two months of memorizing, practicing, and a rehearsal last weekend -- on Saturday we got into a 140-year old church, I dressed up like a 1910s preacher, and did my Billy Sunday speech in front of the camera.
For all my solid rehearsal at home, once I was in the space, with the crew, in costume, I had trouble getting all the way through in one take. None of my takes were particularly great. This was filmed on real, black-and-white, Kodak 16mm film so we couldn't just let the cameras run, it had to be done correctly when the camera is rolling. My best take was a dress-rehearsal, didn't get on film. We did 3 takes on film; my last take was OK, I had a few spots where I hesitated a bit, trying to remember my next line; the first take I stumbled near the end, the second take I stumbled near the beginning, and although the director wanted it all in one take, he said he has no problem editing in some audience reaction shots to get one good scene.
So, my brain is a neurotic, barbed-wire-ball of anxiety. Despite me checking in with the director throughout the shoot on whether what I'd been doing meets his expectations and getting affirmatives, all my internal voice has done for two days is tell me what a bad job I did, how the director is lying to me, he's never going to cast me again and he's probably telling the other student projects not to cast me either because I suck. He's going to destroy the film and tell me that there was some technical reason he can't use it. Or, almost worse, the whole reason he asked me to do it was so he knew I'd fail and this is all a plot to expose me as a horrible performer, people are going to see it and laugh at me.
That voice has been in my ear a long time, it always has a lot to say about everything, so I've gotten pretty good at ignoring it.
Plus, I have a long string of perfectionism which goes back to the reason I originally dropped out of college, something I have to consciously fight against with facts.
My animation class is a 100-level class on a subject I have literally never done before, and turning in anything remotely close to the assignment gets 100%.
The cameraless-film is about getting your hands on film and understanding the physicality of film, and I did learn a lot, more than I had considered about film despite the decades of handling it.
Flubbing an audition, missing what the director wants from the character that you were literally handed seconds ago, is not unusual and I gotta dust myself off and do better the next time around.
And, Sunday I watched a film by Alejandro Jorodowsky, and I am definitely a better actor than a chunk of the people in his cast, which goes to show that the actor is really just a component of the system; what the director is trying to express with his film is not my performance in its entirety, the reason he gave me positive feedback is because he was getting what he wanted from it, not necessarily what I was aiming for, and that's not for me to internalize or criticize.
So, it's a new week, time to take a deep breath and start anew. Out of everything I learned this week this is probably the biggest lesson, but the hardest homework to finish.
posted by AzraelBrown at 7:04 AM on January 29 [15 favorites]
I am always planning a trip, as it seems like my preferred coping mechanism for [gestures broadly at everything].
This year, I think Comrade Doll is going to fly over and bring her Mama back to stay with us for a few months. She's very lonely in that little studio apartment and doesn't have much to look forward to these days.
While she's here, I think we're maybe going to take her to Cape Cod for a few weeks. I'd like to show her something lovely in America, and she's seen the sea, but never the ocean. I think even a 77 year old with cranky joints will enjoy sitting on various beaches and browsing tiny, quaint downtowns.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:21 AM on January 29 [11 favorites]
This year, I think Comrade Doll is going to fly over and bring her Mama back to stay with us for a few months. She's very lonely in that little studio apartment and doesn't have much to look forward to these days.
While she's here, I think we're maybe going to take her to Cape Cod for a few weeks. I'd like to show her something lovely in America, and she's seen the sea, but never the ocean. I think even a 77 year old with cranky joints will enjoy sitting on various beaches and browsing tiny, quaint downtowns.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:21 AM on January 29 [11 favorites]
corb, many sympathies. I seem to be entering another season of divided loyalties, too. I hope your training goes as well as it can on mumblety hours of sleep.
posted by eirias at 7:21 AM on January 29 [2 favorites]
posted by eirias at 7:21 AM on January 29 [2 favorites]
In other news, I was today years old when I learned that the bergamot in my garden is completely unrelated to the bergamot in my tea. I feel a little bit deflated. Plant people, why you gotta be like that??
posted by eirias at 7:29 AM on January 29 [14 favorites]
posted by eirias at 7:29 AM on January 29 [14 favorites]
Dirty Old Town, that sounds lovely. I'm currently falling out with my sister over her recent signaling that she won't be more help with our elderly mom. Family, yeah.
posted by Artful Codger at 7:35 AM on January 29 [2 favorites]
posted by Artful Codger at 7:35 AM on January 29 [2 favorites]
I have the flu. I got the flu vaccine, and I went to urgent care as soon as I got sick and caught it early enough to get Tamaflu, so I don't have as bad a case of the flu as I could have. I was pretty sick for a couple of days, but it's day 4 and I think I'm on the mend. I can't really complain.
Here's what I am complaining about: I asked the NP at urgent care how I would know when I wasn't contagious anymore, and she said that the official rule is that you're not contagious 24 hours after you stop having a fever. When she took my temperature, it was elevated (100.1 degrees F), but not officially a fever, because officially a fever is 100.4 or over. She said that I had never been contagious, since I didn't have a fever, and I could go back to work whenever I felt like it. But I checked, and that is not the recommendation. The thing on the Cleveland Clinic website says that *a good rule of thumb* (not an iron rule of contagiousness) is that you're not contagious after you've been fever-free for 24 hours *without taking any fever-reducing medicine,* which I definitely had done when the NP took my temperature. So basically, she gave me permission to spread my nasty germs to all manner of potentially-immunocompromised people, which I didn't do, but it still bugs me that she didn't tell me to stay the fuck home.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:37 AM on January 29 [10 favorites]
Here's what I am complaining about: I asked the NP at urgent care how I would know when I wasn't contagious anymore, and she said that the official rule is that you're not contagious 24 hours after you stop having a fever. When she took my temperature, it was elevated (100.1 degrees F), but not officially a fever, because officially a fever is 100.4 or over. She said that I had never been contagious, since I didn't have a fever, and I could go back to work whenever I felt like it. But I checked, and that is not the recommendation. The thing on the Cleveland Clinic website says that *a good rule of thumb* (not an iron rule of contagiousness) is that you're not contagious after you've been fever-free for 24 hours *without taking any fever-reducing medicine,* which I definitely had done when the NP took my temperature. So basically, she gave me permission to spread my nasty germs to all manner of potentially-immunocompromised people, which I didn't do, but it still bugs me that she didn't tell me to stay the fuck home.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:37 AM on January 29 [10 favorites]
We actually went to see CD's Mama (who, after umpteen years is really my Mama now, too) in Romania for the holidays. Thing was, our plan to take her with us to Budapest for New Year's didn't work out because she fell the week before we got there. So we ended up seeing her for five days instead of ten. It was a bummer.
But we've applied to renew her ESTA so she can come for three months and hopefully she'll get to spend the summer here. I think it will be really restorative for her to have something to look forward to beyond the TV news or going out to buy fresh bread.
Gotta take care of the Mamas.
I've been working on my Romanian so I can speak more with her. She hates Romanian, but her primary language is Hungarian and I've tried and I just can't learn it.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:46 AM on January 29 [11 favorites]
But we've applied to renew her ESTA so she can come for three months and hopefully she'll get to spend the summer here. I think it will be really restorative for her to have something to look forward to beyond the TV news or going out to buy fresh bread.
Gotta take care of the Mamas.
I've been working on my Romanian so I can speak more with her. She hates Romanian, but her primary language is Hungarian and I've tried and I just can't learn it.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:46 AM on January 29 [11 favorites]
I had a busy week on my hobby project. Last week I tested the random access latency on the 16MB of PSRAM I put onto the Teensy 4.1 microcontroller in my design, and found it to be insufficient to deliver a byte in the same Apple II bus cycle, it would always require 1 stall cycle. So I started looking at doing it with an external SRAM on the board, which would be much faster, but also much smaller, because SRAM is big and expensive- I could maybe have done 1MB. Figuring out how to cram it on the board turned out to be very challenging, but then I had an epiphany.
I was looking at the PSRAM in the first place because while the Teensy has a fair bit of fast memory, the most I could allocate to expanded memory to provide to the Apple II would have been around 256k, which would not really have been worth it, hence trying to do 1MB of SRAM which would have had somewhat more of a benefit. But then I had the idea that I could do a pretty good multilevel cache with 256k of L1 cache from Teensy main memory (which would be reliably accessible in the same cycle), and then have the 16MB of PSRAM memory be an L2 cache. Do a little cache management in software on the Teensy, and one should be able to get extremely high hit rates on random access (probably 99%+). Streaming access would obviously get nailed with a cache miss on each line, but that would only be every 32nd byte, as that would be the native cache line size due to the way the PSRAM controller works. I could probably even avoid the stall a lot of the time on streaming access if I implemented some kind of prefetching algorithm that looked for streaming access patterns.
I have to say that it is honestly fun as hell to get some use out of the Computer Architecture classes I took in college 25 years ago.
Otherwise, the v2 PCB design is nearly done, and I might even have the order made by the end of the week. Fulfillment might be delayed by Lunar New Year, but if it takes a little while to get the boards done, I feel like I could use the break.
posted by notoriety public at 7:52 AM on January 29 [8 favorites]
I was looking at the PSRAM in the first place because while the Teensy has a fair bit of fast memory, the most I could allocate to expanded memory to provide to the Apple II would have been around 256k, which would not really have been worth it, hence trying to do 1MB of SRAM which would have had somewhat more of a benefit. But then I had the idea that I could do a pretty good multilevel cache with 256k of L1 cache from Teensy main memory (which would be reliably accessible in the same cycle), and then have the 16MB of PSRAM memory be an L2 cache. Do a little cache management in software on the Teensy, and one should be able to get extremely high hit rates on random access (probably 99%+). Streaming access would obviously get nailed with a cache miss on each line, but that would only be every 32nd byte, as that would be the native cache line size due to the way the PSRAM controller works. I could probably even avoid the stall a lot of the time on streaming access if I implemented some kind of prefetching algorithm that looked for streaming access patterns.
I have to say that it is honestly fun as hell to get some use out of the Computer Architecture classes I took in college 25 years ago.
Otherwise, the v2 PCB design is nearly done, and I might even have the order made by the end of the week. Fulfillment might be delayed by Lunar New Year, but if it takes a little while to get the boards done, I feel like I could use the break.
posted by notoriety public at 7:52 AM on January 29 [8 favorites]
What would you offer if Texas seceded and after re-re-re-invading it and the US had a national "Rename Texas" contest.
I'd go with Obamexico or Bidentown.
posted by MonsieurPEB at 7:55 AM on January 29 [6 favorites]
I'd go with Obamexico or Bidentown.
posted by MonsieurPEB at 7:55 AM on January 29 [6 favorites]
Spring semester starts in a week, and though I very much like teaching, I've been having bad teaching dreams (the ones where you're suddenly supposed to teach a different subject you know nothing about, can't find your classroom, your syllabus is actually a grocery list, etc.) for the last few days. My dad retired from teaching 30 years ago and still has them. ugh.
posted by pangolin party at 8:05 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
posted by pangolin party at 8:05 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
I quit teaching 14 (yikes) years ago, and I still get dreams. Usually, it's that I decide I need to learn more about what high school student life is like, so I decide to re-enroll while maintaining my teaching schedule. It doesn't go well, and involves multiple differing summons to the principal's office.
posted by HeroZero at 8:19 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
posted by HeroZero at 8:19 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
....a national "Rename Texas" contest.
New New Mexico
posted by Artful Codger at 8:23 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
New New Mexico
posted by Artful Codger at 8:23 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
I kinda wish Dolly Parton had sung 10 to 2 instead.
9 to 5 is a pro-union song/film designed to be palatable even for a right wing audience (bless your universally loved cotton socks Dolly Parton). Hard working for the man isn't praiseworthy. It's made clear that the eight hour workday is an oppressive tool of control which we resist when we can and aspire to escape when we can't. "You've got dreams they can never take away..."
And that's when we had eight hour workdays.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 8:24 AM on January 29 [12 favorites]
9 to 5 is a pro-union song/film designed to be palatable even for a right wing audience (bless your universally loved cotton socks Dolly Parton). Hard working for the man isn't praiseworthy. It's made clear that the eight hour workday is an oppressive tool of control which we resist when we can and aspire to escape when we can't. "You've got dreams they can never take away..."
And that's when we had eight hour workdays.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 8:24 AM on January 29 [12 favorites]
I'm happy Empress has a job again, just wanted to mention that :)
I didn't update the games thread last week because clearly that was very busy and anything I posted in there that was non-game would have been missed, so here we go. I forget if i mentioned anything elsewhere.
Monday: took the day off from work to get a typing test done to apply elsewhere. I got a 99 WPM with only one error I did not catch. (For those wondering if that's good or not, the minimum required for this test is 40 WPM.) Someone please explain to me how I can do that but can't stop screwing up at work?
On Tuesday, I talked to Union Guy, who said he'd had it heavily hinted by my employer that I'm going to get fired in February because I can't stop screwing up and I need to get the hell out of there, hint hint go on leave again. Then we both met with Disability Services, and I came up with a few accommodations that we all thought would be refused by my management, and indeed they were. What THAT means is that when that happens, DS can put me on leave all by themselves without a doctor's note, at least through mid-March. So I had my last day in office/working there on Friday and after that, I probably will never return to work there again, one way or another, except to return my equipment when my employment ends. I said my farewells to the coworkers who'd care and got some people who will be references for me.
The spectacular good news is that DS had originally mentioned that if your accommodations were refused, you can go on leave, but you're not eligible for DS to try to reassign you to another job unless the word "permanent" is put on your doctor's note. Obviously we don't know if this is permanent or not, and also the doctor has made it clear he's not going to lift a finger any further with regards to further assistance/inquiries from DS, as DS asked for more medical clarification and he Would Not. (I asked if I can change doctors and was told I'd have to ask him directly to switch. I am terrified to do that and piss him off further.) However, my DS rep met with everyone else in the office, including whoever the executive director is and the legal department, and they are all willing to make an exception for me and let me try to get reassigned into another job. I have that meeting on Tuesday.
I'd rather get a less heinous job here (if that exists) and not lose my therapy health insurance--and also the giant organization I'm working at applying at otherwise that it's supposedly harder to get fired from will be a massive pay cut and they don't do supplemental insurance. I literally can't get another job here other than this, so I'm super grateful that now it's a possibility. I don't know if I'll qualify for anything else or if it's doable or if anyone else will agree to take me in, but now I have a shot. So, YAY.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:25 AM on January 29 [16 favorites]
I didn't update the games thread last week because clearly that was very busy and anything I posted in there that was non-game would have been missed, so here we go. I forget if i mentioned anything elsewhere.
Monday: took the day off from work to get a typing test done to apply elsewhere. I got a 99 WPM with only one error I did not catch. (For those wondering if that's good or not, the minimum required for this test is 40 WPM.) Someone please explain to me how I can do that but can't stop screwing up at work?
On Tuesday, I talked to Union Guy, who said he'd had it heavily hinted by my employer that I'm going to get fired in February because I can't stop screwing up and I need to get the hell out of there, hint hint go on leave again. Then we both met with Disability Services, and I came up with a few accommodations that we all thought would be refused by my management, and indeed they were. What THAT means is that when that happens, DS can put me on leave all by themselves without a doctor's note, at least through mid-March. So I had my last day in office/working there on Friday and after that, I probably will never return to work there again, one way or another, except to return my equipment when my employment ends. I said my farewells to the coworkers who'd care and got some people who will be references for me.
The spectacular good news is that DS had originally mentioned that if your accommodations were refused, you can go on leave, but you're not eligible for DS to try to reassign you to another job unless the word "permanent" is put on your doctor's note. Obviously we don't know if this is permanent or not, and also the doctor has made it clear he's not going to lift a finger any further with regards to further assistance/inquiries from DS, as DS asked for more medical clarification and he Would Not. (I asked if I can change doctors and was told I'd have to ask him directly to switch. I am terrified to do that and piss him off further.) However, my DS rep met with everyone else in the office, including whoever the executive director is and the legal department, and they are all willing to make an exception for me and let me try to get reassigned into another job. I have that meeting on Tuesday.
I'd rather get a less heinous job here (if that exists) and not lose my therapy health insurance--and also the giant organization I'm working at applying at otherwise that it's supposedly harder to get fired from will be a massive pay cut and they don't do supplemental insurance. I literally can't get another job here other than this, so I'm super grateful that now it's a possibility. I don't know if I'll qualify for anything else or if it's doable or if anyone else will agree to take me in, but now I have a shot. So, YAY.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:25 AM on January 29 [16 favorites]
a couple of Saturdays ago a few friends got together for a Robbie Burns dinner, lovely time, but the host's partner and I got into it about climate change (!) and he sent me a link to a video for my feedback, sooo.. it was a Tucker Carlson interview with Dr. Willie Soon. I finally watched the video last night, incognito mode because I do not need my feed getting bunged up with that stuff. On the plus side, this is a handy video rebuttal if you find yourself in similar circumstances. What a striking contrast: here is some (random to me) YouTuber with a channel that devotes an entire series to short but fairly methodical rebuttals of some of the common myths/disinformation points raised re: climate change. You will note the inclusion of researchers' names, specific articles are cited, it's just a reasonable series of videos to these biased eyes. The Tucker Carlson interview is pure theatre, Dr. Soon slips in some anti-vax stuff and even brings in God at the end.. Anyhow, eye-opening if you do not venture into those spaces.
posted by elkevelvet at 8:25 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
posted by elkevelvet at 8:25 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
butts.
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 8:29 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 8:29 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
I had a work crisis last week that evaporated in the most annoying way possible - false alarm, why so stressed?
The weekend was good though, I took an art workshop, which was a bit of instruction and then lots of time to play with new techniques and materials. And finished redoing closet shelving, which also involved monkeying with power tools I don't use often.
Obamexico has a real nice ring to it, I'd vote for that. But in the interest of minimal disruption to state lists and tourism, I'd contribute Taco Area X (TX).
posted by mersen at 8:31 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
The weekend was good though, I took an art workshop, which was a bit of instruction and then lots of time to play with new techniques and materials. And finished redoing closet shelving, which also involved monkeying with power tools I don't use often.
Obamexico has a real nice ring to it, I'd vote for that. But in the interest of minimal disruption to state lists and tourism, I'd contribute Taco Area X (TX).
posted by mersen at 8:31 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
In other news, I saw the ex-friend at an event this weekend and like Brave Sir Robin, I literally ran away and hid as far away as I could, ex-friend ignored my existence after that (not sure if they spotted the literal running away, but they might have) and did the same. I feel shitty about my behavior, but honestly, I didn't know what to say/do and I'm out of ability to fake normality and okayness and have public polite conversation around mutual friends who don't know what's going on, either. The friends I was with are new ones who don't know how close we used to be and I'm not even sure if they know that I know ex-friend, anyway, since they came along after the bad thing happened.
I feel bad that I chose to deliberately be such an asshole, even if I'm not happy with what they did either. I made things awkward and weird, I chose to do that after over a year of thinking about it, I thought I'd be fine with blowing it up and surprise, I'm not. But it feels like there's no way to come back from me being a blow-it-up asshole, either. I doubt they want to hear further apologies out of me.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:32 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
I feel bad that I chose to deliberately be such an asshole, even if I'm not happy with what they did either. I made things awkward and weird, I chose to do that after over a year of thinking about it, I thought I'd be fine with blowing it up and surprise, I'm not. But it feels like there's no way to come back from me being a blow-it-up asshole, either. I doubt they want to hear further apologies out of me.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:32 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
started and finished bell hooks' The Will to Change: Men Masculinity & Love over the weekend and it felt like years worth of therapy compressed into a singular experience
I grew up in a toxic patriarchal household and experienced regular emotional and semi-regular physical abuse and I really wish someone had told me a book like this existed a long, long, long time ago. it really should be required reading and it's one that I hope to be able to share with my friends and anyone else looking to break the cycle
posted by paimapi at 8:32 AM on January 29 [8 favorites]
I grew up in a toxic patriarchal household and experienced regular emotional and semi-regular physical abuse and I really wish someone had told me a book like this existed a long, long, long time ago. it really should be required reading and it's one that I hope to be able to share with my friends and anyone else looking to break the cycle
posted by paimapi at 8:32 AM on January 29 [8 favorites]
Listening to Jan Johansson while trying to grade papers. It is so beautiful, melancholic and precise.
The grading is going slow, but maybe it's just been too many hours, and I should take a break. I do need to send them all today, though.
For the first time at this university where I have taught since 2016, I have received my new contract before the semester begins. But the pay is unreasonably low, so I am thinking a lot about what is next.
Hugs to everyone!
posted by mumimor at 8:34 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
The grading is going slow, but maybe it's just been too many hours, and I should take a break. I do need to send them all today, though.
For the first time at this university where I have taught since 2016, I have received my new contract before the semester begins. But the pay is unreasonably low, so I am thinking a lot about what is next.
Hugs to everyone!
posted by mumimor at 8:34 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
I recommend the documentary, Casting JonBenet, currently on Netflix. It's not so much an investigation into the murder, but rather a collage of public reactions to it. The framing device, a collection of auditions for various roles in a film about JonBenet, was an interesting way to portray different perceptions of the people involved in the case. Stick around for the last scene, which makes a point about the conflicting interpretations in an effective way.
posted by SPrintF at 8:41 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
posted by SPrintF at 8:41 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
I'm in a season of learning to let go, and it is so hard. I have faith that I will find my way through, but forging new neural pathways and letting the old ones die out has me feeling so out of sorts. This is a new account after I buttoned the one I had for over 15 years, too much was attached to it, and I'm finding myself grieving even that. I'm proud of myself for doing the hard things and I know that there's so much awesome life on the other side of it and I'm super grateful for this whole journey but man am I tired right now.
I have some awesome new friends in my life, friends who are really aligned with the person I'm in the process of becoming, and I am so happy about them. I'm meeting one of them after work today, and I'm doing art with another one this coming weekend.
I have some changes coming at work and I don't know yet what kind of impact they'll have on me but I'm excited for the disruption and potential new challenges.
Mostly, I'm just getting to really know myself for the first time, to learn to love the parts of me that I've been afraid to examine too closely, much less show to others, and I'm alternately feeling really terrible and really awesome. It's a trip.
posted by The Vintner of Our Disco Tent at 8:47 AM on January 29 [10 favorites]
I have some awesome new friends in my life, friends who are really aligned with the person I'm in the process of becoming, and I am so happy about them. I'm meeting one of them after work today, and I'm doing art with another one this coming weekend.
I have some changes coming at work and I don't know yet what kind of impact they'll have on me but I'm excited for the disruption and potential new challenges.
Mostly, I'm just getting to really know myself for the first time, to learn to love the parts of me that I've been afraid to examine too closely, much less show to others, and I'm alternately feeling really terrible and really awesome. It's a trip.
posted by The Vintner of Our Disco Tent at 8:47 AM on January 29 [10 favorites]
She hates Romanian, but her primary language is Hungarian and I've tried and I just can't learn it.
Yeah, I’ve dipped my toe in both languages and while neither one is easy, Romanian at least has enough Romance roots that I could feel my way through. Hungarian is opaque, and I am not the least skilled learner.
I mentioned once before on the blue that my sweetie from twenty years ago was the Canadian daughter of two European immigrants, who had married in Germany. Her dad was German but her mom was born in Hungary and lived there until age… seven, maybe? She had then lived in West Germany until she and her husband relocated to Canada when she was maybe 28 or 30.
I asked her once and which of the three languages (Hungarian/German/English) was most comfortable for her, and she said none of them was she entirely at ease in. That was heartbreaking.
In similar language history, my best friend for years was the daughter of two Latvian immigrants to Canada; they had likewise lived in East Germany for a time before emigrating and before their daughter was born. I was out once with my friend and her mother, and they were chatting in Latvian too quickly for me to follow. It occurred to me at that moment that while English was our usual language of choice for the three of us to talk in, the daughter and I both had had years of French in school and the mother knew almost no French; at the same time, I had studied German for four years — the mom was fluent and the daughter knew nothing of it, so all three sides of the triangle had functionally a secret language for any given two that the third could not penetrate.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:48 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
Yeah, I’ve dipped my toe in both languages and while neither one is easy, Romanian at least has enough Romance roots that I could feel my way through. Hungarian is opaque, and I am not the least skilled learner.
I mentioned once before on the blue that my sweetie from twenty years ago was the Canadian daughter of two European immigrants, who had married in Germany. Her dad was German but her mom was born in Hungary and lived there until age… seven, maybe? She had then lived in West Germany until she and her husband relocated to Canada when she was maybe 28 or 30.
I asked her once and which of the three languages (Hungarian/German/English) was most comfortable for her, and she said none of them was she entirely at ease in. That was heartbreaking.
In similar language history, my best friend for years was the daughter of two Latvian immigrants to Canada; they had likewise lived in East Germany for a time before emigrating and before their daughter was born. I was out once with my friend and her mother, and they were chatting in Latvian too quickly for me to follow. It occurred to me at that moment that while English was our usual language of choice for the three of us to talk in, the daughter and I both had had years of French in school and the mother knew almost no French; at the same time, I had studied German for four years — the mom was fluent and the daughter knew nothing of it, so all three sides of the triangle had functionally a secret language for any given two that the third could not penetrate.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:48 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
I was late for something today, because I looked at the clock, and decided the difference between 10:58 and 11:00 was 20 minutes.
I think, in the future, science will decide that mental decline starts at a younger age than we've so far been able to admit to ourselves.
And if I repeat this story over and over, I'll have an excuse.
posted by Western Infidels at 9:04 AM on January 29 [10 favorites]
I think, in the future, science will decide that mental decline starts at a younger age than we've so far been able to admit to ourselves.
And if I repeat this story over and over, I'll have an excuse.
posted by Western Infidels at 9:04 AM on January 29 [10 favorites]
Yesterday I walked down the driveway of our apartment complex to the street, turned and in an arbor vitae shrub there I heard a house finch -- which are our best singers hereabouts -- singing. On January 28th. He was a little tentative but still that is early. Even on the cross quarter calendar, Spring doesn't start until Groundhogs day. My mind was boggled
posted by y2karl at 9:10 AM on January 29 [6 favorites]
posted by y2karl at 9:10 AM on January 29 [6 favorites]
....a national "Rename Texas" contest.
New New Mexico
New Old Mexico
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:20 AM on January 29 [6 favorites]
New New Mexico
New Old Mexico
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:20 AM on January 29 [6 favorites]
I was late for something today, because I looked at the clock, and decided the difference between 10:58 and 11:00 was 20 minutes.
The scene: 26-year-old ricochet biscuit has just spent months travelling across Canada, finally runs out of money in Vancouver, and is relying on his rail pass to return to Ontario. My recollection is that it was valid for n days out of a preset n*5 (or so) days and you had to activate it for the days you needed, essentially trading in some of your n days in return for a ticket that would have you aboard for those days. I had three days remaining: just enough to get me home.
My train was leaving at let’s say 1400 hours, which despite being an otherwise moderately sensible grownup, I had absentmindedly equated to 4:00 pm. It was only because I was so broke that I turned up at the station hours early to sit and read that I did not miss my train. Had I not been penniless, I likely would have been enjoying a final meal a few blocks away as my train departed. The walk home would have been 4,464 km.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:20 AM on January 29 [16 favorites]
The scene: 26-year-old ricochet biscuit has just spent months travelling across Canada, finally runs out of money in Vancouver, and is relying on his rail pass to return to Ontario. My recollection is that it was valid for n days out of a preset n*5 (or so) days and you had to activate it for the days you needed, essentially trading in some of your n days in return for a ticket that would have you aboard for those days. I had three days remaining: just enough to get me home.
My train was leaving at let’s say 1400 hours, which despite being an otherwise moderately sensible grownup, I had absentmindedly equated to 4:00 pm. It was only because I was so broke that I turned up at the station hours early to sit and read that I did not miss my train. Had I not been penniless, I likely would have been enjoying a final meal a few blocks away as my train departed. The walk home would have been 4,464 km.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:20 AM on January 29 [16 favorites]
This weekend was such a mixed bag for me. Got some things done! Got some things cleared out. something new came in. (*sigh*)
Still having to use the bathroom in our ADU since the house's one bathroom is currently a pile of rubble. But hey, whirlpool tub is in place. Weird how much effort goes into a 48 sq ft space. Also, the tile is delayed.
Antique dog (19) seems to be recovering from a bad fall from a bed last week, but he's definitely not bouncing all the way back and is increasingly frail and losing weight. I know I'm going to have make that damnable call sooner rather than later.
Trying to work on projects to clear up more space - getting told that those aren't the projects I need to be working on. Working on others and getting them done so there's that.
Making a couple of great dinners to enjoy. Still trying to get motivated to make "great and healthy" rather than "great and made of half cheese" to feel better and be healthier
Laundry never ends.
Want to take a nap, take a trip, but no time, no money.
I'm whining and I have no business doing so because I'm in a much better position than most people. I hate that I'm whining.
Really enjoyed finishing Nettle & Bone - need to read something else quirky and fun. Need to figure out why my library card is no longer valid.
So... mixed bag. Such is life.
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:26 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
Still having to use the bathroom in our ADU since the house's one bathroom is currently a pile of rubble. But hey, whirlpool tub is in place. Weird how much effort goes into a 48 sq ft space. Also, the tile is delayed.
Antique dog (19) seems to be recovering from a bad fall from a bed last week, but he's definitely not bouncing all the way back and is increasingly frail and losing weight. I know I'm going to have make that damnable call sooner rather than later.
Trying to work on projects to clear up more space - getting told that those aren't the projects I need to be working on. Working on others and getting them done so there's that.
Making a couple of great dinners to enjoy. Still trying to get motivated to make "great and healthy" rather than "great and made of half cheese" to feel better and be healthier
Laundry never ends.
Want to take a nap, take a trip, but no time, no money.
I'm whining and I have no business doing so because I'm in a much better position than most people. I hate that I'm whining.
Really enjoyed finishing Nettle & Bone - need to read something else quirky and fun. Need to figure out why my library card is no longer valid.
So... mixed bag. Such is life.
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:26 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
ricochet biscuit! I did very similar things when I traveled Canada by train. I found the train schedules would not stay in my brain even though I'm normally pretty good at schedules and remembering times.
posted by joannemerriam at 9:34 AM on January 29 [3 favorites]
posted by joannemerriam at 9:34 AM on January 29 [3 favorites]
this year has been pretty terrible for me so far, and this past week was a doozy. I will not regale you all with the gory details. I hope things are going better for everyone else, and will get better for me. I'm going to keep working on it.
posted by supermedusa at 9:39 AM on January 29 [12 favorites]
posted by supermedusa at 9:39 AM on January 29 [12 favorites]
I had a great volunteer shift yesterday where my partner and I got to hold space for someone who hadn't felt seen or heard for a long time.
Two recent favorite jokes
REM for birds
Bugs and Oates
posted by Gorgik at 9:59 AM on January 29 [9 favorites]
Two recent favorite jokes
REM for birds
Bugs and Oates
posted by Gorgik at 9:59 AM on January 29 [9 favorites]
Bug and Oates
Here’s my The La’s version:
There she goes
Digging through terrain
Clawing to obtain
The ants that it contains
posted by notoriety public at 10:11 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
Here’s my The La’s version:
There she goes
Digging through terrain
Clawing to obtain
The ants that it contains
posted by notoriety public at 10:11 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
Texas -> Chihuahua Grande: not as tough as it thinks it is, Emperor has no clothes, etc.
(Chihuahuenses, disculpame)
I do data analysis and have been increasingly depressed over the last few years about how... useless it all seems? I really wish James C. Scott would write a sequel to Seeing Like A State for corporations and their KPIs. That insistence on legibility is such a hallmark of authoritarianism, no matter the domain.
posted by McBearclaw at 10:22 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
(Chihuahuenses, disculpame)
I do data analysis and have been increasingly depressed over the last few years about how... useless it all seems? I really wish James C. Scott would write a sequel to Seeing Like A State for corporations and their KPIs. That insistence on legibility is such a hallmark of authoritarianism, no matter the domain.
posted by McBearclaw at 10:22 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
Heard again recently: Halestorm's "It's Not You." It has a count-in on the cowbell. Three hits: Tonk. Tonk. Tonk.
I can't stop thinking about the tonk. I am now 100% convinced this is where the "tonk" in "honky tonk" comes from. The cowbell. Thereby handily and incontrovertibly solving (half of) the mystery wikipedia authoritatively says has been ongoing since 1874. The "honk" half of the mystery is beyond the scope of this paper. Though I suspect some sort of brass instrument, harmonica or a particularly skilled goose.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
posted by howbigisthistextfield at 10:25 AM on January 29 [8 favorites]
I can't stop thinking about the tonk. I am now 100% convinced this is where the "tonk" in "honky tonk" comes from. The cowbell. Thereby handily and incontrovertibly solving (half of) the mystery wikipedia authoritatively says has been ongoing since 1874. The "honk" half of the mystery is beyond the scope of this paper. Though I suspect some sort of brass instrument, harmonica or a particularly skilled goose.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
posted by howbigisthistextfield at 10:25 AM on January 29 [8 favorites]
I think, in the future, science will decide that mental decline starts at a younger age than we've so far been able to admit to ourselves.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Western Infidels, but (some) scientists have been on this beat for a while, and agree with you.
posted by eirias at 10:29 AM on January 29 [2 favorites]
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Western Infidels, but (some) scientists have been on this beat for a while, and agree with you.
posted by eirias at 10:29 AM on January 29 [2 favorites]
Western-type geetars (eg Telecasters) "honk", and the sound of a cheap upright piano with bad felts and a bunch of junk on top is a "tonk"?
All I got.
posted by Artful Codger at 10:30 AM on January 29 [3 favorites]
All I got.
posted by Artful Codger at 10:30 AM on January 29 [3 favorites]
PSA for all the stubborn "it's but a minor flesh wound" types, a co-worker's parent took a fall and banged their arm quite badly, didn't think it was worth getting it looked at, long story short: arm has been amputated. They're getting fitted for a prosthetic in the next few weeks.
be safe out there
posted by elkevelvet at 10:33 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
be safe out there
posted by elkevelvet at 10:33 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
Cannot stand my levels of pointless anger. My elderly, active, healthy and powerful mother
committed suicide at a European suicide clinic in 2022. She had warned me she would do it,
but there was no letter of explanation. I still feel profound shame that I failed her, but fury that she pretended it was all about her and the failure of her children to love her. I have a pretty good psychiatrist (United Healthcare). But I still feel rage. Our father died in a car accident in 1971. Our beautiful sister died - very prematurely - of cancer in 2001.
If my mother was alive - and I replay this in my mind - I want to say: "How dare you? Why did you create an easy exit for yourself?". We - the 3 surviving children - have been left with a legal nightmare. An estate whittled to almost nothing by legal fees. Which is fine (from experience), we are happy we are not out of pocket! But - hey - again. It's all about you?" . Why?
"
posted by Jody Tresidder at 10:37 AM on January 29 [15 favorites]
committed suicide at a European suicide clinic in 2022. She had warned me she would do it,
but there was no letter of explanation. I still feel profound shame that I failed her, but fury that she pretended it was all about her and the failure of her children to love her. I have a pretty good psychiatrist (United Healthcare). But I still feel rage. Our father died in a car accident in 1971. Our beautiful sister died - very prematurely - of cancer in 2001.
If my mother was alive - and I replay this in my mind - I want to say: "How dare you? Why did you create an easy exit for yourself?". We - the 3 surviving children - have been left with a legal nightmare. An estate whittled to almost nothing by legal fees. Which is fine (from experience), we are happy we are not out of pocket! But - hey - again. It's all about you?" . Why?
"
posted by Jody Tresidder at 10:37 AM on January 29 [15 favorites]
Divorce went final last month. C’est la vie.
posted by bacalao_y_betun at 10:40 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
posted by bacalao_y_betun at 10:40 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
Jody Tresidder, I'm so sorry. I've had over 5 years to think about the things I'd like to tell my mother, but there is no comparison to what you describe.
I have no advice, just a fervent hope for you that you can release that shame, that fury.
posted by elkevelvet at 10:46 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
I have no advice, just a fervent hope for you that you can release that shame, that fury.
posted by elkevelvet at 10:46 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
Reading peoples' comments in the thread from Jan 10 "How Not to Speak to Someone with ADHD" woke me up to the possibility that I have it. It's not really something I've considered before, but seemed very obvious in retrospect. I found an ADHD thread on another forum, read a book that was mentioned there (ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction), recalled a lot of stuff from my childhood and made a bunch of connections.
I would describe myself as high-functioning, as an adult -- I've got habits/strategies that mitigate a lot of it, and I don't have problems with my relationships or work; I seem to have found the right environment/life circumstances for getting along fine most of the time. Reading about RSD gave me a name for one of the worst phases of my childhood, and I definitely had more trouble coping with ( everything ) than I do now. But still the self-knowledge is very good to have.
In the DSM, as an adult if you meet 5 of 9 criteria for either "inattentive type" or "hyperactive/impulsive type" or both, you officially have ADHD. I have a hard yes on 4 of the "inattentive" criteria plus another 2-3 more where my answer is "yes in childhood, borderline now."
The authors of the book (both psychologists with ADHD themselves) proposed a new term, VAST -- Variable Attention Stimulus Traits. They argue that there's not a "deficit" of attention, and that these traits are not necessarily a disorder but a mix of advantages and disadvantages, with the balance coming down to one's environment and ways to manage it. The acronym is awful as a search term, but I appreciate their overall thinking on it.
posted by Foosnark at 10:48 AM on January 29 [2 favorites]
I would describe myself as high-functioning, as an adult -- I've got habits/strategies that mitigate a lot of it, and I don't have problems with my relationships or work; I seem to have found the right environment/life circumstances for getting along fine most of the time. Reading about RSD gave me a name for one of the worst phases of my childhood, and I definitely had more trouble coping with ( everything ) than I do now. But still the self-knowledge is very good to have.
In the DSM, as an adult if you meet 5 of 9 criteria for either "inattentive type" or "hyperactive/impulsive type" or both, you officially have ADHD. I have a hard yes on 4 of the "inattentive" criteria plus another 2-3 more where my answer is "yes in childhood, borderline now."
The authors of the book (both psychologists with ADHD themselves) proposed a new term, VAST -- Variable Attention Stimulus Traits. They argue that there's not a "deficit" of attention, and that these traits are not necessarily a disorder but a mix of advantages and disadvantages, with the balance coming down to one's environment and ways to manage it. The acronym is awful as a search term, but I appreciate their overall thinking on it.
posted by Foosnark at 10:48 AM on January 29 [2 favorites]
I had a bad interaction between two meds yesterday, so I spent most of the day doing nothing and now I am behind organization of my birthday party.
I am annoyed at my hipocondriac sibling.
The two things are loosely connected.
posted by thegirlwiththehat at 10:53 AM on January 29 [1 favorite]
I am annoyed at my hipocondriac sibling.
The two things are loosely connected.
posted by thegirlwiththehat at 10:53 AM on January 29 [1 favorite]
howbigisthistextfield: "Heard again recently: Halestorm's "It's Not You." It has a count-in on the cowbell. Three hits: Tonk. Tonk. Tonk."
I knew it was never going to happen, but when AC/DC needed a new temporary lead singer, I tried so hard to put it out into the universe that it should be Lzzy Hale. She sings the absolute fuck out of AC/DC songs.
Shoot to Thrill - Shake a Leg - You Shook Me All Night Long
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:57 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
I knew it was never going to happen, but when AC/DC needed a new temporary lead singer, I tried so hard to put it out into the universe that it should be Lzzy Hale. She sings the absolute fuck out of AC/DC songs.
Shoot to Thrill - Shake a Leg - You Shook Me All Night Long
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:57 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
Elkevelvet,
Thank you. We are so many, the silently in trouble.
I wish us all well...we are not alone. I think!
posted by Jody Tresidder at 11:00 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
Thank you. We are so many, the silently in trouble.
I wish us all well...we are not alone. I think!
posted by Jody Tresidder at 11:00 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
Metafilter: thinking about the tonk
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:03 AM on January 29 [3 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:03 AM on January 29 [3 favorites]
I just got a text message from a friend, and their autocorrect turned "surreptitious" in "syrup petitions". So that's going to be my new username.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:05 AM on January 29 [11 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:05 AM on January 29 [11 favorites]
This week in Sunday dinners: tamale shepherd's pie from Post-Punk Kitchen. Which has a distinctly "midwest family Taco Tuesday" vibe, but is cheap and easy and tasty and makes a lot of leftovers. I buy way too many fake-meat frozen lunches and am trying to add to my repertoire more soups, stews, and casseroles that I can turn into several days of work lunches.
Finally have an appointment to talk to someone about migraine management. We've been having wild weather swings in Wisconsin and I lost most of the last week to a migraine/pre-migraine/post-migraine and yet I've just been dragging my feet on getting an appointment.
posted by Jeanne at 11:07 AM on January 29 [3 favorites]
Finally have an appointment to talk to someone about migraine management. We've been having wild weather swings in Wisconsin and I lost most of the last week to a migraine/pre-migraine/post-migraine and yet I've just been dragging my feet on getting an appointment.
posted by Jeanne at 11:07 AM on January 29 [3 favorites]
By the by, a shoutout of thanks to the anonymous poster of this question, as spouse is experiencing the same exact situation right now and about to lose his mind. He plans on reading the answers later.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 11:11 AM on January 29 [2 favorites]
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 11:11 AM on January 29 [2 favorites]
Wakka wakka boo boo.
posted by sammyo at 11:12 AM on January 29 [1 favorite]
posted by sammyo at 11:12 AM on January 29 [1 favorite]
The origin of the term honky-tonk is unknown, according to Wikipedia. :/
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:13 AM on January 29
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:13 AM on January 29
No one wants to hire me! I have about a decade of experience, but my field saw a bunch of layoffs last year and apparently all those candidates have more than ten years of time. I'm lucky that I can take a little while without being super stressed about rent and bills but it's been over eight months already.
posted by wurl1tzer_c0 at 11:14 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
posted by wurl1tzer_c0 at 11:14 AM on January 29 [5 favorites]
Wife wanted robot vacuum. Cat learned pressing the button makes the spinny brushes go, so he presses the buttons. Yesterday he sat and blocked the vacuum from returning home. I posted a video to Mastodon.
About an hour later I was kicking myself for missing the obvious (Jurassic-era) meme joke here. Cats, informing vacuum that it's base now belongs to him.
posted by caution live frogs at 11:18 AM on January 29 [10 favorites]
About an hour later I was kicking myself for missing the obvious (Jurassic-era) meme joke here. Cats, informing vacuum that it's base now belongs to him.
posted by caution live frogs at 11:18 AM on January 29 [10 favorites]
I knew it was never going to happen, but when AC/DC needed a new temporary lead singer, I tried so hard to put it out into the universe that it should be Lzzy Hale. She sings the absolute fuck out of AC/DC songs.
She does. Their cover of Gaga's Bad Romance is probably the best thing on their covers album.
posted by howbigisthistextfield at 11:26 AM on January 29 [1 favorite]
She does. Their cover of Gaga's Bad Romance is probably the best thing on their covers album.
posted by howbigisthistextfield at 11:26 AM on January 29 [1 favorite]
This year is the first time I've done a "dry january" sort of thing (by accident for the first two weeks, and then after that just thought eh heck, might as well finish the month and make it official).
Do I feel better? Look better? Have I lost any weight or slept more soundly? Do I have more peaceful mornings and fewer regrets? Reader, the answer to all of these is no.
Looking super forward to Feb 1.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 11:30 AM on January 29 [15 favorites]
Do I feel better? Look better? Have I lost any weight or slept more soundly? Do I have more peaceful mornings and fewer regrets? Reader, the answer to all of these is no.
Looking super forward to Feb 1.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 11:30 AM on January 29 [15 favorites]
We're just trying to drink less, mixing in NA stuff to lessen the overall amount of booze.
Call it "Moist January."
Athletic brand NA beers continue to be the most reliable. Lyre's "Amafli Spritz" taste shockingly like an Aperol Spritz.
And Giesen non-alcoholic wine tastes like you filled your wine glass with the drippings from the bar mat. BLECCCCH.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:36 AM on January 29 [3 favorites]
Call it "Moist January."
Athletic brand NA beers continue to be the most reliable. Lyre's "Amafli Spritz" taste shockingly like an Aperol Spritz.
And Giesen non-alcoholic wine tastes like you filled your wine glass with the drippings from the bar mat. BLECCCCH.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:36 AM on January 29 [3 favorites]
Do I feel better? Look better? Have I lost any weight or slept more soundly? Do I have more peaceful mornings and fewer regrets? Reader, the answer to all of these is no.
It's a year and three days since I stopped drinking alcohol altogether. My blood pressure is a little better, which was the point of quitting, and my psoriasis is a little better too.
But cutting out alcohol absolutely does not feel like it has been transformative.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 11:40 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
It's a year and three days since I stopped drinking alcohol altogether. My blood pressure is a little better, which was the point of quitting, and my psoriasis is a little better too.
But cutting out alcohol absolutely does not feel like it has been transformative.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 11:40 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
"Moist January" I've seen that movie
posted by elkevelvet at 11:40 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
posted by elkevelvet at 11:40 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
I made what was mostly cassoulet last night... I'm quite pleased with the results...
Beans, chicken thighs & creole pork sausage, + mirepoix in a dutch oven.
posted by djseafood at 11:49 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
Beans, chicken thighs & creole pork sausage, + mirepoix in a dutch oven.
posted by djseafood at 11:49 AM on January 29 [4 favorites]
Last week was difficult and the weekend didn't particularly help. Our apartment is a small one-bedroom, and my partner has been unemployed for the past couple months, so, beyond the reduced income stress, I have had little-to-no space to myself. The negative effects of this are cumulative. She's also been trying to consolidate things (so we can stop paying for a storage facility -- we ended up stuck in this apartment after getting kicked out of a small house double the size (the owner decided to sell and the real estate agent was evasive and refused to seriously discuss selling to us even though we were prepared to purchase it and the owner expressed interest in selling to us)) for the past week, but since there is no place to escape the activity of her moving everything around, this only increases my discomfort. I can go for walks or go out places, but that's all public -- I need space alone, where no one can see me so I don't have to worry about any masking. And so I can work on music.
(I adore my partner, and none of this is meant to sound negative or complainy about her. Also, I've never been able to unmask around anyone at all, so this isn't some issue unique to our relationship.)
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 11:51 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
(I adore my partner, and none of this is meant to sound negative or complainy about her. Also, I've never been able to unmask around anyone at all, so this isn't some issue unique to our relationship.)
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 11:51 AM on January 29 [7 favorites]
But cutting out alcohol absolutely does not feel like it has been transformative.
...I kind of have found it 'transformative' (been 3? years now? Time and I have a bit of a fractious relationship) which I think is very odd. I get that I was probably drinking too much but - maybe I just didn't realise how much how much was? But I had a bunch of quality-of-life issues clear right up (sleep, weight, low-grade depression, chronic acid reflux) - it's kind of annoying, frankly as my doctor said when we talked about it, "Wine's nice though, isn't it?" "Yes it is - but somehow not for me anymore." *head scratch*
And as much as I think I'd like to have 'a drink' I don't, actually. I've had a glass here and there (mostly to toast special occasions of one sort or another) but no desire for a second (often because of issues with my gut... tmi). Don't know quite what it means, if anything.
Watched "The Holdovers" last night and - having been a 'holdover' back in the 80's not far from the fictional school of the movie - was waiting for the slug of queasy nostalgia, which thankfully never came because it was a really good movie, a good story told by a very good story-teller: And specifically for the character of Mary Lamb. I'm gonna posit that it's a quietly revolutionary film, one which has recalibrated the mean for how 'minorities' are portrayed in films populated by and 'about' white folks. Wildly heartening (the gas lighting of American films on the subject of race is something I ... hate.) Strong recommend.
In less happy news I have been hate-solving "Spelling Bee" puzzles in the NYTimes lately - and that tells me I'm maybe not as great as I tell myself. (I saw a picture of the guy who 'edits' it the other day. I had to actively not clip it out, buy a dart board, attach it to the dart board and then fling darts at it for hours a day...)
posted by From Bklyn at 11:58 AM on January 29 [10 favorites]
...I kind of have found it 'transformative' (been 3? years now? Time and I have a bit of a fractious relationship) which I think is very odd. I get that I was probably drinking too much but - maybe I just didn't realise how much how much was? But I had a bunch of quality-of-life issues clear right up (sleep, weight, low-grade depression, chronic acid reflux) - it's kind of annoying, frankly as my doctor said when we talked about it, "Wine's nice though, isn't it?" "Yes it is - but somehow not for me anymore." *head scratch*
And as much as I think I'd like to have 'a drink' I don't, actually. I've had a glass here and there (mostly to toast special occasions of one sort or another) but no desire for a second (often because of issues with my gut... tmi). Don't know quite what it means, if anything.
Watched "The Holdovers" last night and - having been a 'holdover' back in the 80's not far from the fictional school of the movie - was waiting for the slug of queasy nostalgia, which thankfully never came because it was a really good movie, a good story told by a very good story-teller: And specifically for the character of Mary Lamb. I'm gonna posit that it's a quietly revolutionary film, one which has recalibrated the mean for how 'minorities' are portrayed in films populated by and 'about' white folks. Wildly heartening (the gas lighting of American films on the subject of race is something I ... hate.) Strong recommend.
In less happy news I have been hate-solving "Spelling Bee" puzzles in the NYTimes lately - and that tells me I'm maybe not as great as I tell myself. (I saw a picture of the guy who 'edits' it the other day. I had to actively not clip it out, buy a dart board, attach it to the dart board and then fling darts at it for hours a day...)
posted by From Bklyn at 11:58 AM on January 29 [10 favorites]
I was messaging a friend on Facebook and their predictive text editor is vicious. It changed every other word to something and got qwerty you upped to death. I type in 'I hate Autocorrect' and it comes out 'I have Autocorrect.' Injury, meet Insult.
Why I oughta...
posted by y2karl at 12:14 PM on January 29 [4 favorites]
Why I oughta...
posted by y2karl at 12:14 PM on January 29 [4 favorites]
I made cassoulet for the first time a couple months ago, I really liked it.
You might also like to try feijoada, a Brazilian meat and bean stew. I used a recipe similar to this one, but with 2 lbs of beans and ~1/3 less meat, also about twice as much garlic because I love it so. Even with my changes it tasted plenty meaty and satisfying. I filled up my freezer with most of it and occasionally I'll pull one out for a quick yummy meal.
Speaking of dry/moist January, we've been having a very humid one in my part of the PNW. An "atmospheric river" came through this weekend, resulting in lots of rain (not unusual for this time of year) and over 90% humidity (very unusual)! Fortunately the temperature was below 60°F so it didn't feel like a sauna.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:38 PM on January 29 [2 favorites]
You might also like to try feijoada, a Brazilian meat and bean stew. I used a recipe similar to this one, but with 2 lbs of beans and ~1/3 less meat, also about twice as much garlic because I love it so. Even with my changes it tasted plenty meaty and satisfying. I filled up my freezer with most of it and occasionally I'll pull one out for a quick yummy meal.
Speaking of dry/moist January, we've been having a very humid one in my part of the PNW. An "atmospheric river" came through this weekend, resulting in lots of rain (not unusual for this time of year) and over 90% humidity (very unusual)! Fortunately the temperature was below 60°F so it didn't feel like a sauna.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:38 PM on January 29 [2 favorites]
I get that I was probably drinking too much but - maybe I just didn't realise how much how much was?
I have been left wondering whether maybe I just actually don't drink that much, and cutting it out is just not going to make that big a difference. There's a lot of booze around, and my social circles are very drinky, but do I myself actually ever have more than 4-5 drinks across a week? Maybe when it's my birthday. I do plan to keep track more officially for awhile just to get some metrics.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 12:47 PM on January 29 [2 favorites]
I have been left wondering whether maybe I just actually don't drink that much, and cutting it out is just not going to make that big a difference. There's a lot of booze around, and my social circles are very drinky, but do I myself actually ever have more than 4-5 drinks across a week? Maybe when it's my birthday. I do plan to keep track more officially for awhile just to get some metrics.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 12:47 PM on January 29 [2 favorites]
I got my job back.
I left in early October as a direct protest against the new "leadership" at the college where I work. I filed for unemployment based on a hostile work environment and got it, to give you an idea of how much fun it had been around here. As of three weeks ago (in a Board meeting that should have been televised; OMG the drama) that leadership was gone. A week later, the new new leadership called to see if I would please consider returning as an emergency hire. And here I am.
I started back last Thursday and the outpouring of love from the campus has been overwhelming. I got flowers and chocolates and a welcome back banner and I don't think I've ever been hugged so much in one day before. I think people are seeing my return as a sign that the ship of college is righting itself and we're going to return to some semblance of normality now after all the craziness of the last year. I hope they are right - I am, myself, cautiously optimistic. There's a lot of work to be done. Wow is there a lot of work to be done. OMG nothing has been done since I left. But I have never been so happy to go to work in the morning as I have been the last few days. Now I just need to bring back all my plants and art and my office will start to feel like my second home again.
posted by mygothlaundry at 12:47 PM on January 29 [59 favorites]
I left in early October as a direct protest against the new "leadership" at the college where I work. I filed for unemployment based on a hostile work environment and got it, to give you an idea of how much fun it had been around here. As of three weeks ago (in a Board meeting that should have been televised; OMG the drama) that leadership was gone. A week later, the new new leadership called to see if I would please consider returning as an emergency hire. And here I am.
I started back last Thursday and the outpouring of love from the campus has been overwhelming. I got flowers and chocolates and a welcome back banner and I don't think I've ever been hugged so much in one day before. I think people are seeing my return as a sign that the ship of college is righting itself and we're going to return to some semblance of normality now after all the craziness of the last year. I hope they are right - I am, myself, cautiously optimistic. There's a lot of work to be done. Wow is there a lot of work to be done. OMG nothing has been done since I left. But I have never been so happy to go to work in the morning as I have been the last few days. Now I just need to bring back all my plants and art and my office will start to feel like my second home again.
posted by mygothlaundry at 12:47 PM on January 29 [59 favorites]
Can I just say I hope all of you are having a good day?
Sincerely.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:57 PM on January 29 [15 favorites]
Sincerely.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:57 PM on January 29 [15 favorites]
Mygothlaundry, that's wonderful!
....I have literally just finished the orientation where I'm working, and I know it's gonna be great. But life being life, there is one small problem - the benefits and the PTO don't kick in until 90 days from today. Which means a) I have to continue my COBRA for just a couple more months, but also means b) I won't be able to use the PTO until May....and that in turn means that my hoped-for quick trip to see the April eclipse as a total eclipse can't happen.
....Unless I had a chat with my boss, but I was feeling uneasy about asking about that kind of thing so soon anyway; so, I think I'm out of luck.
But - honestly, I consider that a small price to pay when the job itself seems like it's gonna be such a good fit. So - it's more "aw, that's a bummer" more than anything I'm sad or outraged about.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:03 PM on January 29 [7 favorites]
....I have literally just finished the orientation where I'm working, and I know it's gonna be great. But life being life, there is one small problem - the benefits and the PTO don't kick in until 90 days from today. Which means a) I have to continue my COBRA for just a couple more months, but also means b) I won't be able to use the PTO until May....and that in turn means that my hoped-for quick trip to see the April eclipse as a total eclipse can't happen.
....Unless I had a chat with my boss, but I was feeling uneasy about asking about that kind of thing so soon anyway; so, I think I'm out of luck.
But - honestly, I consider that a small price to pay when the job itself seems like it's gonna be such a good fit. So - it's more "aw, that's a bummer" more than anything I'm sad or outraged about.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:03 PM on January 29 [7 favorites]
So, my beard is ungraying itself.
I thought I was going a bit nuts, imagining things, but no! I looked it up, it definitely can happen and is not actually super rare.
I'm actually a bit unhappy about this because it was a nice grey beard with a few dark stragglers, typical for someone in their 50s. But now it's gotten all weird and mottled looking, I actually look a bit unwell in my bathroom lighting due to the strangeness of how these darker hairs are coming in.
Anyway, I don't know how long this will go on, to what extent it will grow, and when it will revert. But it really is the darnedest of things!
posted by hippybear at 1:04 PM on January 29 [9 favorites]
I thought I was going a bit nuts, imagining things, but no! I looked it up, it definitely can happen and is not actually super rare.
I'm actually a bit unhappy about this because it was a nice grey beard with a few dark stragglers, typical for someone in their 50s. But now it's gotten all weird and mottled looking, I actually look a bit unwell in my bathroom lighting due to the strangeness of how these darker hairs are coming in.
Anyway, I don't know how long this will go on, to what extent it will grow, and when it will revert. But it really is the darnedest of things!
posted by hippybear at 1:04 PM on January 29 [9 favorites]
I am ashamed to admit how much of my brain is occupied with the Sydney Sweeny "Hot Ones" image. Something about it goes straight past any gate-keeping my brain attempts. She's obviously a very nice looking human, but I've never seen her act and this image aside I had her in the "attractive young actor I know nothing about" bin in my head, which is where most of these folk live. Anyway, some of those tweets in the linked thread are quite funny--I know people in my own life (especially when we were all younger) who legit expected a reaction like Sweeny is giving to the mundane BS they shared or did. (I hope I'm not one of them.)
Aside from that I need to remember to call the coop today to find out what I owe, pay it, and get them to send the propane truck over. It's 60 degrees F out now, contrast to two weeks ago when it was 20. Those cold spells cause the propane to disappear like it's going out of style.
posted by maxwelton at 1:06 PM on January 29 [1 favorite]
Aside from that I need to remember to call the coop today to find out what I owe, pay it, and get them to send the propane truck over. It's 60 degrees F out now, contrast to two weeks ago when it was 20. Those cold spells cause the propane to disappear like it's going out of style.
posted by maxwelton at 1:06 PM on January 29 [1 favorite]
We took Spike in for a checkup, regular vax, and "senior cat" bloodwork. He's 10.5 years old. He had a bit of a weepy eye this weekend (just tears and frequent washing) but it has cleared up. A little sluggish since his brother Vash died early December. I get the feeling the vet was like "why are you bringing this perfectly healthy cat in here" but we just want to make sure he's doing well for the long haul.
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:20 PM on January 29 [7 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:20 PM on January 29 [7 favorites]
Wow, mygothlaundry, I'm so happy that you got your job back, but holy fuck does that sound traumatic. I hope your work life is nothing but blissful smooth sailing for a while, because it sounds like you've had enough drama to last a decade!
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 1:37 PM on January 29 [3 favorites]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 1:37 PM on January 29 [3 favorites]
I'll get back to reading the thread 1)After I type this and 2)After I get more work stuff done.
Saturday I spent some time in LA amongst the analog synth crowd in for the convention in Anaheim. Very glad I went, even though it was mentally and physically exhausting. I'm (finally) planning a memorial for The Late Mr. Nerd for the 10th anniversary of his passing, so it was good to talk to a few people and let them know where to find info. Saw people I hadn't seen for years (or ever IRL), got many hugs and well wishes. Dinner was fun--I had Ramen in Little Tokyo with two lovely Italian men (one I know well and his friend), who walked me back to my car.
I'm usually so removed from my widowhood status that it felt weird spending a day immersed in it. But overall it was a great feeling, because all I felt was love from those folks. :)
posted by luckynerd at 1:40 PM on January 29 [7 favorites]
Saturday I spent some time in LA amongst the analog synth crowd in for the convention in Anaheim. Very glad I went, even though it was mentally and physically exhausting. I'm (finally) planning a memorial for The Late Mr. Nerd for the 10th anniversary of his passing, so it was good to talk to a few people and let them know where to find info. Saw people I hadn't seen for years (or ever IRL), got many hugs and well wishes. Dinner was fun--I had Ramen in Little Tokyo with two lovely Italian men (one I know well and his friend), who walked me back to my car.
I'm usually so removed from my widowhood status that it felt weird spending a day immersed in it. But overall it was a great feeling, because all I felt was love from those folks. :)
posted by luckynerd at 1:40 PM on January 29 [7 favorites]
Two weeks ago today I fell on ice, slid backward(!) down a steep hill, and rammed into a signpost with my left hamstring. I calculated that I hit it at about 19 mph (30 kph). The massive bruise has faded away but my calf is still swollen and somehow I now have tendinitis in the Achilles and its neighbors. Hard to walk uphill or down stairs. Been staying home and keeping the leg elevated as much as I can. Taking Aleve. It occurred to me a couple of days ago that it's a good thing I didn't hit on my spine.
I did go up on the mountain on Saturday for nordic ski patrol duty but stayed in the cabin giving warmth and advice to whoever came in. Just as well--it rained all day.
Yesterday my wife awoke with Covid symptoms and a test soon confirmed it. She doubtless picked it up at her mother's assisted living where they've had several cases recently. So far I'm asymptomatic and tested negative. We sleep together--maybe my CPAP protected me so far. I slept on the sofa last night (we only have one bed right now) and am wearing a KN95 when I (briefly) need to be in the same room as her.
posted by neuron at 2:01 PM on January 29 [6 favorites]
I did go up on the mountain on Saturday for nordic ski patrol duty but stayed in the cabin giving warmth and advice to whoever came in. Just as well--it rained all day.
Yesterday my wife awoke with Covid symptoms and a test soon confirmed it. She doubtless picked it up at her mother's assisted living where they've had several cases recently. So far I'm asymptomatic and tested negative. We sleep together--maybe my CPAP protected me so far. I slept on the sofa last night (we only have one bed right now) and am wearing a KN95 when I (briefly) need to be in the same room as her.
posted by neuron at 2:01 PM on January 29 [6 favorites]
So, my beard is ungraying itself.
That's wild, I've never heard of that phenomenon. Mine has started to get gray in the past maybe 5 years (though not the rest of my head hair). I don't particularly care, it doesn't bother me, but whenever I ponder the idea of hunting for a new job I begin to wonder if I should dye it to hide the gray, at least long enough to get hired. Age discrimination is definitely a thing for men as well as women (outside the C suite and boardroom, anyway). Other than the graying beard I look younger enough that I could probably pass for 50, so even a temp dye job could be helpful.
Of course parts of my brain still think they're about 12 years old, but that's a topic for another thread.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:26 PM on January 29 [5 favorites]
That's wild, I've never heard of that phenomenon. Mine has started to get gray in the past maybe 5 years (though not the rest of my head hair). I don't particularly care, it doesn't bother me, but whenever I ponder the idea of hunting for a new job I begin to wonder if I should dye it to hide the gray, at least long enough to get hired. Age discrimination is definitely a thing for men as well as women (outside the C suite and boardroom, anyway). Other than the graying beard I look younger enough that I could probably pass for 50, so even a temp dye job could be helpful.
Of course parts of my brain still think they're about 12 years old, but that's a topic for another thread.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:26 PM on January 29 [5 favorites]
My kid's hair has started to turn gray.
Friends, he turns 15 years old in 3 weeks.
I started graying in my 20's, as most of the men in my family do. (No complaints, though, as they also bury us with full heads of hair.)
My Dad had a bright white curly lock of hair atop the middle of his forehead at 17, straight-up like the golden age Superman.
But 10-15 gray hairs on a happy-go-lucky, healthy (nearly) 15 year-old? Wow. I Googled it and it seems within the realm of Things That Just Happen Sometimes, but it's wild.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:32 PM on January 29 [4 favorites]
Friends, he turns 15 years old in 3 weeks.
I started graying in my 20's, as most of the men in my family do. (No complaints, though, as they also bury us with full heads of hair.)
My Dad had a bright white curly lock of hair atop the middle of his forehead at 17, straight-up like the golden age Superman.
But 10-15 gray hairs on a happy-go-lucky, healthy (nearly) 15 year-old? Wow. I Googled it and it seems within the realm of Things That Just Happen Sometimes, but it's wild.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:32 PM on January 29 [4 favorites]
Unfortunately I inherited the Early Male Pattern Baldness gene rather than the Full Head of Silver-White Hair one. C'est la vie.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:36 PM on January 29 [4 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:36 PM on January 29 [4 favorites]
So, my beard is ungraying itself.
That's wild, I've never heard of that phenomenon.
I really thought I was going mad, but I looked around, and it is documented that follicles can produce hair that are gray toward the end and dark at the root. I think that is part of what is going on with me, but I'm also growing new beard hairs that are starting their life the color of when I was 20.
Mid-50s. They're a rollercoaster of hormones, I guess.
posted by hippybear at 2:47 PM on January 29 [2 favorites]
That's wild, I've never heard of that phenomenon.
I really thought I was going mad, but I looked around, and it is documented that follicles can produce hair that are gray toward the end and dark at the root. I think that is part of what is going on with me, but I'm also growing new beard hairs that are starting their life the color of when I was 20.
Mid-50s. They're a rollercoaster of hormones, I guess.
posted by hippybear at 2:47 PM on January 29 [2 favorites]
I've been getting into putting some work into recording my "ambient" "lo-fi" "soundtracky" guitar looping and am actually for the first time ever about to embark on putting together some tracks for a self-released EP or two. It's all very home-made: guitar into pedalboard with all sorts of effects, filters and old school loopers, all that out of a lovely 80's Roland amp, sound picked up by my latest cheap-but-very-good tool, a Boss BR-80 digital recorder which has a pair of quite nice microphones in it. The Boss is a bit of a multitool, I can mix and do a rough master on the little machine itself, and my also new Koss Porta Pro headphones, so it is perfect for laying in bed/sofa and EQ the tracks etc. The thing runs maybe four-five hours on two batteries. Very chill way to record/mix tracks and a nice mix of lo-fi and sorta-almost-hifi. I love it and it is making me get into mixing/mastering, learning more how and why things work or don't. My music definately isn't hi-fi so I don't really care about how it sounds as far as it is somewhat listenable on modern devices and not too hissy/lofi in a digital way.
Count me in as someone who has been drinking less and going a week every couple of weeks without altogether. Does help with digestion/throat issues and I've also lost some weight. I've been increasingly not-drinking in situations and times when I definately would drink in the past. I've found it increasingly easy to not drink, as someone who definately had a bit too loving relationship with wine 15-10-5 years ago. I'm definately also not going to stop drinking, and turning fourty and being single and happy I definately also have less fucks to give about anything or anyone who has thoughts about my lifestyle (my Dad mostly).
posted by fridgebuzz at 2:51 PM on January 29 [5 favorites]
Count me in as someone who has been drinking less and going a week every couple of weeks without altogether. Does help with digestion/throat issues and I've also lost some weight. I've been increasingly not-drinking in situations and times when I definately would drink in the past. I've found it increasingly easy to not drink, as someone who definately had a bit too loving relationship with wine 15-10-5 years ago. I'm definately also not going to stop drinking, and turning fourty and being single and happy I definately also have less fucks to give about anything or anyone who has thoughts about my lifestyle (my Dad mostly).
posted by fridgebuzz at 2:51 PM on January 29 [5 favorites]
I really, really love my remaining felines Menace and Mayhem, but I may have to murder both of them. It is very apparent that the only thing that kept them from torturing each other was old man Wigford and Wigford is gone. Unfortunately “get another cat” is not a viable option (my allergist will fire me). They have a vet exam next month, then spouse and I are going to get serious about winter-proofing the sunroom this summer because it is really clear that they CANNOT be in the same space together.
I’m hoping that the vet will allow valium in the short term, because I am officially out of ideas and trust me when I say I have tried everything.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 3:20 PM on January 29 [4 favorites]
I’m hoping that the vet will allow valium in the short term, because I am officially out of ideas and trust me when I say I have tried everything.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 3:20 PM on January 29 [4 favorites]
needs more Ricky Jay. one of the things I like about metafilter is that when you go to a subject matter and go-a searching, little cornucopia of wonderful post. the only thing to be added to Jay's work on playing cards as a weapon, positing that those thin sticks of gum from whacky packs could double even treble the damage If said gum shatters upon impact.
posted by clavdivs at 4:06 PM on January 29 [1 favorite]
posted by clavdivs at 4:06 PM on January 29 [1 favorite]
Our big girl kitty Irene suddenly presented with a drooling face and inability to eat, so off to the vet she went. (Thanks to Oldest Son, the first time I have had to lean on either of my kids to help this way with one of the cats)
Poor girl ended up having one of her canines sideways in her mouth! A quick extract, some pain pills and antibiotics, and she's back to her normal self. (No idea how old she is..she showed up from an abandonment situation in the winter of 2013/14 fully grown, so....12? 14?)
Myself I have been discharged by my workmans comp doctor. There's nothing left to do for my shoulder; he says it's not surgery worthy, and that I should just keep doing exercises at home (I have a physical job involving lifting, pushing, pulling...I think exercises are just more work). So for now I get to live with sharp pains/achy pains/pain that comes and goes in both the top of the shoulder as well as the middle of the arm. Yay.
posted by annieb at 4:32 PM on January 29 [5 favorites]
Poor girl ended up having one of her canines sideways in her mouth! A quick extract, some pain pills and antibiotics, and she's back to her normal self. (No idea how old she is..she showed up from an abandonment situation in the winter of 2013/14 fully grown, so....12? 14?)
Myself I have been discharged by my workmans comp doctor. There's nothing left to do for my shoulder; he says it's not surgery worthy, and that I should just keep doing exercises at home (I have a physical job involving lifting, pushing, pulling...I think exercises are just more work). So for now I get to live with sharp pains/achy pains/pain that comes and goes in both the top of the shoulder as well as the middle of the arm. Yay.
posted by annieb at 4:32 PM on January 29 [5 favorites]
Just checking back in to say the training went surprisingly well! Now I go home to sleep and crash.
posted by corb at 4:42 PM on January 29 [9 favorites]
posted by corb at 4:42 PM on January 29 [9 favorites]
One of our infants (13 mo) at work is in the hospital with RSV pneumonia. Right after recovering from COVID. Poor thing. I love that little girl. She cracks me up. I ask for a piece of cracker and she offers it to me and then snatches it right back. The 10 mo old has picked up on the game. Then there's the 19 mo old in the toddler room who goes around pointing to everything saying "What this" and "What you doing". He showed me Big Bird last week and said, "I got Big Bird" and the next day told me "I bring Cookie". He's my papa bear.
I finally get Head Start figured out and my boss says she wants to apply to be a Universal Pre-K site. Same shit, different program. But it's starting out from scratch for me. I really want to ring her neck sometimes.
Talked to my therapist today about being happy and not feeling my age but being sad because it's taken until my mid to late 40s to get there. Also about working on social anxiety. I was planning on going to the Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast at church but then not being able to make myself go. It's a new parish for me and I don't have the same sense of belonging as my old one.
I hung pretty well with the teens at ballet class last week, at least while at the barre. Learning choreo was a different story. The instructor suggested I try on level down, which I can just make getting out of work at 5. I'm kinda proud of myself. I did take the adult class last winter and spring, but the owner decided that only 2 students wasn't worth running it.
I have an appointment on Feb 16 to talk to my psych NP about ADHD.
And Friday I finally was able to see my neurologist to get something to break the 2 week migraine I had. I've never had anything like that happen before. I hope I never do again. The pain wasn't severe, but really annoying. The worst part was the nausea.
posted by kathrynm at 5:17 PM on January 29 [7 favorites]
I finally get Head Start figured out and my boss says she wants to apply to be a Universal Pre-K site. Same shit, different program. But it's starting out from scratch for me. I really want to ring her neck sometimes.
Talked to my therapist today about being happy and not feeling my age but being sad because it's taken until my mid to late 40s to get there. Also about working on social anxiety. I was planning on going to the Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast at church but then not being able to make myself go. It's a new parish for me and I don't have the same sense of belonging as my old one.
I hung pretty well with the teens at ballet class last week, at least while at the barre. Learning choreo was a different story. The instructor suggested I try on level down, which I can just make getting out of work at 5. I'm kinda proud of myself. I did take the adult class last winter and spring, but the owner decided that only 2 students wasn't worth running it.
I have an appointment on Feb 16 to talk to my psych NP about ADHD.
And Friday I finally was able to see my neurologist to get something to break the 2 week migraine I had. I've never had anything like that happen before. I hope I never do again. The pain wasn't severe, but really annoying. The worst part was the nausea.
posted by kathrynm at 5:17 PM on January 29 [7 favorites]
So I got the surgery done. It's all kind of a blur now, but I did play a bunch of Tetris in the days right after I got home so hopefully that'll prevent this adding to my already impressive trauma load. (In case you didn't know, there's recent research that says Tetris can help keep experiences from becoming traumas, it's pretty neat.) Hopefully this exciting surgical intervention takes care of the sheer, raw pain portion of my existence, and I can move on to more amusing pastimes.
But then, just as I start feeling better after the surgery, there's a phone call. Some of my test results are off. I've been referred to a specialist, and they'll be in touch to set up an appointment.
Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnn......
posted by MrVisible at 7:03 PM on January 29 [8 favorites]
But then, just as I start feeling better after the surgery, there's a phone call. Some of my test results are off. I've been referred to a specialist, and they'll be in touch to set up an appointment.
Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnn......
posted by MrVisible at 7:03 PM on January 29 [8 favorites]
... a national "Rename Texas" contest.
South Oklahoma. Let's be like Virginia/West Virginia.
It's the only way to be sure.
posted by TrishaU at 1:21 AM on January 30 [1 favorite]
South Oklahoma. Let's be like Virginia/West Virginia.
It's the only way to be sure.
posted by TrishaU at 1:21 AM on January 30 [1 favorite]
Fingers crossed for all you folks with medical issues!
Here at work I've been suddenly called in to a sudden union board meeting, division committee meeting (I'm the union rep there) and all hands meeting. We're in good shape financially, so I expect it's just some reorganisation shenanigans.
posted by Harald74 at 1:22 AM on January 30 [8 favorites]
Here at work I've been suddenly called in to a sudden union board meeting, division committee meeting (I'm the union rep there) and all hands meeting. We're in good shape financially, so I expect it's just some reorganisation shenanigans.
posted by Harald74 at 1:22 AM on January 30 [8 favorites]
Good luck today Harald74. Thank you for being a union rep - an invaluable role.
posted by dutchrick at 1:37 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
posted by dutchrick at 1:37 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
I'm in Norway, so it's union rep on easy mode compared to the US, I think.
posted by Harald74 at 1:40 AM on January 30 [1 favorite]
posted by Harald74 at 1:40 AM on January 30 [1 favorite]
I stumbled upon qi gong 5 years ago. I happened upon pranayama breathing techniques about the same time. Frankly, they've changed my life. At it's simplest, they've given me the means to a complete reset whenever life gets tricky, a means to calm myself when stress surges, a means to balance myself physically in the material world, a means to balance myself internally, psychologically..... 15 years ago I'd have dismissed both as voodoo, superstitious nonsense but 15 years ago I was less open, more intolerant, more convinced of my personal wonderfulness and more impressed by intellect. Even today, I do not dwell too much on the hows and whys of the workings of these 2 practices but rather smile with appreciation and gratitude at their effects. These are little short of astonishing.
posted by dutchrick at 3:37 AM on January 30 [4 favorites]
posted by dutchrick at 3:37 AM on January 30 [4 favorites]
My local library thanked me over the phone today for my latest graphic novel donations, and said in a happy/surprised tone of voice, "they are always in such good condition!"
(My local library welcomes book donations - books that are
a) less than 5 years old; and
b) in good condition; and
c) that the librarians think people will want to borrow
stand a very good chance of being added to the permanent collection. All books that don't make it into the permanent collection get sold to the general public at a low price to help raise money for the local library.)
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 4:05 AM on January 30 [8 favorites]
(My local library welcomes book donations - books that are
a) less than 5 years old; and
b) in good condition; and
c) that the librarians think people will want to borrow
stand a very good chance of being added to the permanent collection. All books that don't make it into the permanent collection get sold to the general public at a low price to help raise money for the local library.)
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 4:05 AM on January 30 [8 favorites]
There are some magnificent very tall eucalypt trees (the tallest in the whole suburb by far!) across the road from me in a public park that endangered red-tailed cockatoos roost in twice a day, almost every day - and my local council just sent me a letter saying that they are suffering from sawfly infestation. I am really worried about the trees being removed. I would be devastated.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 4:07 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 4:07 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
Fingers crossed it doesn't come to that chariot pulled by cassowaries.
posted by dutchrick at 4:46 AM on January 30
posted by dutchrick at 4:46 AM on January 30
I realised I missed the most recent Tom Waits thread by long enough, so I'll recount this story in here. I only just remembered it when I wrote an awk script to decode a MSG.DAT file from a Citadel BBS I ran in 1997, where I told the tale with fresher memories.
How did I get into Tom Waits? Well see, Seattle used to have this amazing all-ages/all-hours scene at music venues and also at greasy spoons. Forget Denny's: that was for squares. We had Beth's Cafe on Aurora, The Doghouse... a bunch of others. You'd just sit down with other teenagers, drink bottomless cups of coffee, eat onion rings, draw with crayons so the staff would put it up on the walls, and listen to the Doors in the jukebox that still had the same 45s from the 60s or 70s. Misfits would hang out, and get jobs at these places, and it had a family feel sometimes.
Anyway, I'm out with my friends. We're late-stage GenX, so two of them were named Jessica. We're sitting in a booth and talking about whatever silly things, and one of the Jessicas starts making eyes at a guy in the next booth over. Eventually, she starts trying to chat him up.
So yeah, I'd like to thank Soundgarden for recommending Tom Waits to me.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 5:17 AM on January 30 [27 favorites]
How did I get into Tom Waits? Well see, Seattle used to have this amazing all-ages/all-hours scene at music venues and also at greasy spoons. Forget Denny's: that was for squares. We had Beth's Cafe on Aurora, The Doghouse... a bunch of others. You'd just sit down with other teenagers, drink bottomless cups of coffee, eat onion rings, draw with crayons so the staff would put it up on the walls, and listen to the Doors in the jukebox that still had the same 45s from the 60s or 70s. Misfits would hang out, and get jobs at these places, and it had a family feel sometimes.
Anyway, I'm out with my friends. We're late-stage GenX, so two of them were named Jessica. We're sitting in a booth and talking about whatever silly things, and one of the Jessicas starts making eyes at a guy in the next booth over. Eventually, she starts trying to chat him up.
- Jessica
- So what's your name?
- Chris
- [clearly uncomfortable at the attention] Heh, uh...
- Chris's Friend
- Ha! This is Chris!
- Jessica
- Hi Chris, so what do you do?
- Chris's Friend
- He's in a band!
- Chris
- Heh, yeah...I guess I'm in a band...
- Jessica
- Oh, cool! What's the name of your band?
- Chris
- Eh, it sucks
- Jessica
- [gets an idea] Okay, so if we went out to buy a CD right now, what should we buy?
- Chris
- Tom Waits, definitely!
So yeah, I'd like to thank Soundgarden for recommending Tom Waits to me.
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 5:17 AM on January 30 [27 favorites]
Amazing story, well told.
posted by mumimor at 6:52 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
posted by mumimor at 6:52 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
We're late-stage GenX, so two of them were named Jessica.
preach it
posted by elkevelvet at 7:36 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
preach it
posted by elkevelvet at 7:36 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
Some years ago, I intentionally self-orphaned and immediately went no contact after a traumatic event, when I discovered my parents collaborated to sexually humiliate my teenage child. All of the enablers on my mother’s side of the family had to go, too. Today I’m only in touch with 2 far-flung relatives on my paternal side, and it is BLISSFUL.
I’m so grateful for the peace this has brought me and my little tribe. It has somehow nudged introverted me to make 2 real and true local friends in 2017, and 2021. Cheers to my chosen family. There are good people in the world.
posted by edithkeeler at 7:46 AM on January 30 [14 favorites]
I’m so grateful for the peace this has brought me and my little tribe. It has somehow nudged introverted me to make 2 real and true local friends in 2017, and 2021. Cheers to my chosen family. There are good people in the world.
posted by edithkeeler at 7:46 AM on January 30 [14 favorites]
that is a great story rum-soaked space hobo! Chris Cornell was a fine looking man (RIP) and I woulda probably flirted too. (I am an...early stage gen-x?? my name is not Jessica). I hope you meet Tom Waits some day so you can tell him that story.
posted by supermedusa at 8:20 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
posted by supermedusa at 8:20 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
Tom Waist, upon hearing this story:
I used to know a sword swallower named Chris. Short for Chrysanthemum. She used to make little cakes in the shape of dolphins, give 'em to hobos that slept under the bridge. Pretty sure I saw a ghost on that bridge. Civil War ghost, just a-dancin' and a-cryin'.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:44 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
I used to know a sword swallower named Chris. Short for Chrysanthemum. She used to make little cakes in the shape of dolphins, give 'em to hobos that slept under the bridge. Pretty sure I saw a ghost on that bridge. Civil War ghost, just a-dancin' and a-cryin'.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:44 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
early stage gen-x?? my name is not Jessica
throw your copy of Infinite Jest in the garbage already, the Unabridged Free Thread is where it's at
posted by elkevelvet at 8:54 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
throw your copy of Infinite Jest in the garbage already, the Unabridged Free Thread is where it's at
posted by elkevelvet at 8:54 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
I mean if you're early stage Gen X, your name is probably Jennifer.
Random sidebar: how weird would it be if, upon retiring (maybe 4-8 years) I decide to go by my middle name after a lifetime of using my first name? I hate my first name. It's absolutely from the first page of White Guy Gen-X First Names.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:01 AM on January 30 [4 favorites]
Random sidebar: how weird would it be if, upon retiring (maybe 4-8 years) I decide to go by my middle name after a lifetime of using my first name? I hate my first name. It's absolutely from the first page of White Guy Gen-X First Names.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:01 AM on January 30 [4 favorites]
"and with that, DOT provoked the longest Free Thread in history as MeFites scrambled to guess his name, The End"
posted by elkevelvet at 9:03 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
posted by elkevelvet at 9:03 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
I'm tempted to just say my first name, as it's not a huge secret, but then, I do speak critically of the company where I work occasionally and cops almost constantly, so maybe just DOT is good.
I'll neither confirm nor deny, but I will swear, hand on my copy of Leonard Maltin's Film Guide that it would 100% be in the first 12 guesses of basic ass Gen X white guy names.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:18 AM on January 30 [1 favorite]
I'll neither confirm nor deny, but I will swear, hand on my copy of Leonard Maltin's Film Guide that it would 100% be in the first 12 guesses of basic ass Gen X white guy names.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:18 AM on January 30 [1 favorite]
haha no my sister is the obligatory Jennifer in our family
posted by supermedusa at 9:21 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
posted by supermedusa at 9:21 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
how weird would it be if, upon retiring (maybe 4-8 years) I decide to go by my middle name after a lifetime of using my first name?
My first name is my Dad's, but since birth I've been addressed by my second name (from my Mom's cousin). So - a lifetime of dr/dentist/officialdom waiting rooms where they call out my Dad's name. Banks, insurance, licences, credit checks... it messes them all up. Online forms...
So, is it wierd? YES.
Here's a better idea - come up with a punchy nickname that you like, and just have friends and family use it.
posted by Artful Codger at 9:28 AM on January 30
My first name is my Dad's, but since birth I've been addressed by my second name (from my Mom's cousin). So - a lifetime of dr/dentist/officialdom waiting rooms where they call out my Dad's name. Banks, insurance, licences, credit checks... it messes them all up. Online forms...
So, is it wierd? YES.
Here's a better idea - come up with a punchy nickname that you like, and just have friends and family use it.
posted by Artful Codger at 9:28 AM on January 30
Bumbalina is TAKEN btw
posted by elkevelvet at 9:36 AM on January 30 [1 favorite]
posted by elkevelvet at 9:36 AM on January 30 [1 favorite]
Bah, we should all go by our stripper names: first pet name + street you grew up on.
Ginger Blanchard
posted by Artful Codger at 9:39 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
Ginger Blanchard
posted by Artful Codger at 9:39 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
how weird would it be if, upon retiring (maybe 4-8 years) I decide to go by my middle name after a lifetime of using my first name?
I don't think that would be weird at all. You have every right to be addressed however you choose, and just saying "from now on I'm going to be Fred" is entirely fine.
As someone who moves through several different spaces with different names in some of them, I can also tell you that it isn't difficult to get used to being called something different and answering to it.
posted by hippybear at 9:41 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
I don't think that would be weird at all. You have every right to be addressed however you choose, and just saying "from now on I'm going to be Fred" is entirely fine.
As someone who moves through several different spaces with different names in some of them, I can also tell you that it isn't difficult to get used to being called something different and answering to it.
posted by hippybear at 9:41 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
So my regularly used name is just the shortened version of my actual first name. (Bet you can't guess what they are... oh wait, it's in my profile)
The only time I ever hear my actual first name is when my wife, my mom, my sister are upset with me. (or someone wants something from me officially) It's been that way for 35 years.
Y'all, I have an actual mild panic response to my first name for that reason.
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:41 AM on January 30 [4 favorites]
The only time I ever hear my actual first name is when my wife, my mom, my sister are upset with me. (or someone wants something from me officially) It's been that way for 35 years.
Y'all, I have an actual mild panic response to my first name for that reason.
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:41 AM on January 30 [4 favorites]
> Bah, we should all go by our stripper names: first pet name + street you grew up on.
you're not getting my password recovery answers that easily
my parents called me sean michael when i was in the shit. one of the reasons i hate both my names.
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:41 AM on January 30 [4 favorites]
you're not getting my password recovery answers that easily
my parents called me sean michael when i was in the shit. one of the reasons i hate both my names.
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:41 AM on January 30 [4 favorites]
I am actually going to need to find a work suitable nickname. Because:
* the CEO has the same first name as me,
*she uses the same diminutive of that name as me,
* we also have very similar sounding last names, and
* I am one of three EAs supporting the leadership team, including said CEO.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:44 AM on January 30 [5 favorites]
* the CEO has the same first name as me,
*she uses the same diminutive of that name as me,
* we also have very similar sounding last names, and
* I am one of three EAs supporting the leadership team, including said CEO.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:44 AM on January 30 [5 favorites]
my wife, my mom, my sister
Took me a second to parse these were different people. Even started to draw a diagram to try and figure it out.
(Getting up "early" is the pits, the propane truck woke me up. Grateful for the delivery, mind, the tank was registering empty, which usually calls for an "inspection" and a fee. House is a disaster and driver was not Sydney Sweeny, so inspection wasn't going to happen in any case...)
posted by maxwelton at 9:53 AM on January 30 [1 favorite]
Took me a second to parse these were different people. Even started to draw a diagram to try and figure it out.
(Getting up "early" is the pits, the propane truck woke me up. Grateful for the delivery, mind, the tank was registering empty, which usually calls for an "inspection" and a fee. House is a disaster and driver was not Sydney Sweeny, so inspection wasn't going to happen in any case...)
posted by maxwelton at 9:53 AM on January 30 [1 favorite]
my wife, my mom, my sister
Shades of Chinatown if you parse that wrong.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:02 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
Shades of Chinatown if you parse that wrong.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:02 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
Ooh can we do the stripper names. I have a lot of choices for last names, which makes it a bit confusing, but my favorite is Jewel Strand. Why didn't I just go with that for my MeFi handle?
posted by mumimor at 10:03 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
posted by mumimor at 10:03 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
My real first name is a relatively common British first name but pretty rare in the United States, but it's becoming more common although still "exotic" in general. I think in my life I've only ever met three or four people, in person, with the same first name (but I don't get out that much).
By pure accident this fall I sat next to somebody else in class with the same name, and we were put into groups based on where we sat, so now we're a team I guess. That class ended, new semester started, and guess who sat close enough to me in another class to get wrapped into my team again? That other guy.
(He's nice, I have nothing against him, other than I'm accustomed to this being my name, not anyone else's)
(My Minnesota-born-and-raised parents deliberately picked unique names for me & my siblings from the UK to explicitly avoid the GenX/Millenial issues of being one of five people in your kindergarten class with the same name; my social media links in my profile will get you my first name if you're that curious. My brother (RIP) got "Simon".)
posted by AzraelBrown at 10:05 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
By pure accident this fall I sat next to somebody else in class with the same name, and we were put into groups based on where we sat, so now we're a team I guess. That class ended, new semester started, and guess who sat close enough to me in another class to get wrapped into my team again? That other guy.
(He's nice, I have nothing against him, other than I'm accustomed to this being my name, not anyone else's)
(My Minnesota-born-and-raised parents deliberately picked unique names for me & my siblings from the UK to explicitly avoid the GenX/Millenial issues of being one of five people in your kindergarten class with the same name; my social media links in my profile will get you my first name if you're that curious. My brother (RIP) got "Simon".)
posted by AzraelBrown at 10:05 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
Build a hundred bridges and do they call you "Drew the Bridge Builder"? No! But you forget one conjunction.... :) (or maybe that should be Andrew the...
posted by drewbage1847 at 10:10 AM on January 30 [4 favorites]
posted by drewbage1847 at 10:10 AM on January 30 [4 favorites]
I don't like my name. Everyone in my family except my youngest brother and I got names that make sense internationally. I've spent a lifetime trying to either teach people how to pronounce my given name (not possible) or invent alternatives that I can live with. I haven't been that good at naming my own kids, though. So often when we try to amend the mistakes of our parents, we create new problems.
posted by mumimor at 10:13 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
posted by mumimor at 10:13 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
Unfortunately I inherited the Early Male Pattern Baldness gene rather than the Full Head of Silver-White Hair one.
I was volunteering once, and my partner and I were working with a very amusing "older" woman. We needed info, and asked for her DOB. She answered (my birthday but a year earlier). I was like "hey, that's my birthday but I was born in '67!". I was mid-40s at the time.
She lamented, loudly and with significant emotion "I can't believe I'm older than a bald guy!!!"
posted by Gorgik at 10:15 AM on January 30 [8 favorites]
I was volunteering once, and my partner and I were working with a very amusing "older" woman. We needed info, and asked for her DOB. She answered (my birthday but a year earlier). I was like "hey, that's my birthday but I was born in '67!". I was mid-40s at the time.
She lamented, loudly and with significant emotion "I can't believe I'm older than a bald guy!!!"
posted by Gorgik at 10:15 AM on January 30 [8 favorites]
I started using a nickname in lieu of my birthname about 10 years ago. I've wanted to change it legally for years, but I can't settle on a middle name.
posted by luckynerd at 10:26 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
posted by luckynerd at 10:26 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
haha (I have an actual stripper name but enough about that) mine is pretty good (and not related to any security questions) Tiger Thorneycroft. I coulda made a killing!
I have a very normal Anglo (but not common) first name, to go with my quite uncommon and quite funny/mockable last name. that was fun! but I did not change in when I got married. you get used to the funny last name, it becomes a point of pride to own it. I used to dislike my first name, but I have come to feel it suits me well. Never went by a diminutive. (ugh)
posted by supermedusa at 10:35 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
I have a very normal Anglo (but not common) first name, to go with my quite uncommon and quite funny/mockable last name. that was fun! but I did not change in when I got married. you get used to the funny last name, it becomes a point of pride to own it. I used to dislike my first name, but I have come to feel it suits me well. Never went by a diminutive. (ugh)
posted by supermedusa at 10:35 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
I was named Kathryn in honor of both my grandmothers (coincidentally both named K/Catherine Elizabeth), but with a third spelling. My middle name is for one of my great grandmas and I took Elizabeth as my confirmation name (see honoring my grandmothers).
I knew I was in trouble when I heard Kathryn Susan Elizabeth (which I heard regularly even though I wasn't a bad kid)
posted by kathrynm at 11:01 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
I knew I was in trouble when I heard Kathryn Susan Elizabeth (which I heard regularly even though I wasn't a bad kid)
posted by kathrynm at 11:01 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
my middle name (and confirmation name) is Elizabeth too :)
posted by supermedusa at 11:06 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
posted by supermedusa at 11:06 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
the plot will eat itself
these are Borgesian layers, people
posted by elkevelvet at 11:10 AM on January 30
these are Borgesian layers, people
posted by elkevelvet at 11:10 AM on January 30
Ginger Tomahawk, which sounds way more badass than I am...
And my name is in the "top 10 John Hughes movie evil rich high schooler" names...
posted by Windopaene at 11:14 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
And my name is in the "top 10 John Hughes movie evil rich high schooler" names...
posted by Windopaene at 11:14 AM on January 30 [3 favorites]
Blerg...I got an RSV shot yesterday, and it kicked my ass far more than any other one I've gotten. It feels almost flu-like, but without congestion, for which I'm grateful. But still - fever, ache all over, brain fog, no energy. I slept until almost 11am, I'm sitting here with some weak tea and losing myself in this fascinating thread.
My stripper name would be Boots Patrick, I guess. My actual given name is pretty boring, apart from my middle name being that of my dad's best friend. Who I never met, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:16 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
My stripper name would be Boots Patrick, I guess. My actual given name is pretty boring, apart from my middle name being that of my dad's best friend. Who I never met, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:16 AM on January 30 [2 favorites]
I've never lived on a street that has a name so I guess my stripper name is Riley Sixtieth.
More interesting naming in my family: On my Mom's very Catholic side, the oldest daughters have the first name "Mary", and a common name for their second name, which is the name they actually go by, to distinguish them from all the other Marys. I think there was an earlier generation where all the women were named Mary [something], I can't remember exactly.
posted by AzraelBrown at 11:18 AM on January 30 [1 favorite]
More interesting naming in my family: On my Mom's very Catholic side, the oldest daughters have the first name "Mary", and a common name for their second name, which is the name they actually go by, to distinguish them from all the other Marys. I think there was an earlier generation where all the women were named Mary [something], I can't remember exactly.
posted by AzraelBrown at 11:18 AM on January 30 [1 favorite]
I'm also in the numbered street gang, but "Felix 76" sounds enough like a stripper name to work anyway.
I know someone who hung out with Tom Waits once, and during a lull in the conversation my friend said "I'm going to step out into the alley out back for a smoke. Anyone want to join me?"
A couple people got out their cigarettes and stood up to join him, and Tom stood up to say "Well...I'll come for the alley!"
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 11:34 AM on January 30 [5 favorites]
I know someone who hung out with Tom Waits once, and during a lull in the conversation my friend said "I'm going to step out into the alley out back for a smoke. Anyone want to join me?"
A couple people got out their cigarettes and stood up to join him, and Tom stood up to say "Well...I'll come for the alley!"
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 11:34 AM on January 30 [5 favorites]
I'd have to massage the rules a little but I'm ohsoclose to Beauty Trans Canada it hurts
posted by elkevelvet at 11:41 AM on January 30 [5 favorites]
posted by elkevelvet at 11:41 AM on January 30 [5 favorites]
I was just thinking today that you could predict an unnerving amount of my life with these five facts: dad worked in telecom; grandparents were world travelers; saw A Nightmare on Elm Street at barely ten years old; used to do hallucinogenics; was falsely arrested as a young adult.
Like... you'd have my job, hobbies, socioeconomic status, and political/philosophical leanings all right there, pretty much. Good gawd, you add in born in the South, autistic, and Gen X, and you can go ahead and write my bio.
Anybody else break down to such a short list?
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:11 PM on January 30 [3 favorites]
Like... you'd have my job, hobbies, socioeconomic status, and political/philosophical leanings all right there, pretty much. Good gawd, you add in born in the South, autistic, and Gen X, and you can go ahead and write my bio.
Anybody else break down to such a short list?
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:11 PM on January 30 [3 favorites]
Well, not yet Dirty Old Town, because I'm in denial and also because I've not found the way to get my vectors out of the chat-stochastic-parrot-GPT.
"One of these numbers had got to be the Badger Dimension, and someone is the High Ruler of the Badger Dimension..."
posted by k3ninho at 2:05 PM on January 30 [1 favorite]
"One of these numbers had got to be the Badger Dimension, and someone is the High Ruler of the Badger Dimension..."
posted by k3ninho at 2:05 PM on January 30 [1 favorite]
There's nothing you could predict about my life from any five facts about my early life. By all accounts I should be a pastor or serving in music ministry somewhere with a wife and three kids, very happily Presbyterian.
Okay, so the Presbyterian upbringing fucked me up for life, but none of the rest of that is reflected in my current circumstance.
posted by hippybear at 2:57 PM on January 30 [3 favorites]
Okay, so the Presbyterian upbringing fucked me up for life, but none of the rest of that is reflected in my current circumstance.
posted by hippybear at 2:57 PM on January 30 [3 favorites]
If I get to fudge the first/ grew up, then I'm either Maisy McNair or Sunday Sophia.
posted by porpoise at 3:30 PM on January 30
posted by porpoise at 3:30 PM on January 30
We're in the middle of maaaaybe buying a house? Which is stressful and full of minefields and has forced both Flight Hardware, do not touch and me to seriously ratchet up our emotional communication skills. Today was good, and I'm cautiously optimistic. After all, It's Never About the Copper Sink.
However, on the DIY front this means I need to finish up Project Lodestone so I can make some progress on Project Albatross.
Fun times.
posted by tigrrrlily at 3:30 PM on January 30 [5 favorites]
However, on the DIY front this means I need to finish up Project Lodestone so I can make some progress on Project Albatross.
Fun times.
posted by tigrrrlily at 3:30 PM on January 30 [5 favorites]
There needs to be a word for the feeling that's exactly in between "oh good the specialist had an appointment in just a couple of weeks" and "wow the specialist really wanted to see me quickly, I hope that's not a bad thing."
posted by MrVisible at 3:46 PM on January 30 [7 favorites]
posted by MrVisible at 3:46 PM on January 30 [7 favorites]
I recommend "the specialist may be more interested in filling the hole in their schedule." Easier on one's peace of mind, at least.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:20 PM on January 30 [4 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:20 PM on January 30 [4 favorites]
Bah, we should all go by our stripper names: first pet name + street you grew up on.
Tabitha Coggeshall
(The Bawdy Baroness of Burlesque)
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 5:50 PM on January 30 [4 favorites]
Tabitha Coggeshall
(The Bawdy Baroness of Burlesque)
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 5:50 PM on January 30 [4 favorites]
"Never ascribe to medical concern that which can be explained by scheduling expedience."
-alternatively -
"Never ascribe to medical concern that which can be ascribed to an opportunity for more medical billing."
(I hope it turns out so.)
posted by From Bklyn at 1:58 AM on January 31 [2 favorites]
-alternatively -
"Never ascribe to medical concern that which can be ascribed to an opportunity for more medical billing."
(I hope it turns out so.)
posted by From Bklyn at 1:58 AM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Bah, we should all go by our stripper names: first pet name + street you grew up on.
Tubbs Bellingham at your service!
posted by dutchrick at 2:31 AM on January 31 [3 favorites]
Tubbs Bellingham at your service!
posted by dutchrick at 2:31 AM on January 31 [3 favorites]
The weather in my city hit 44C (111.2F) today, which has never happened before in my lifetime. :(
And they are saying tomorrow will be 45C (113F) in some parts of the city tomorrow. :(
Normally summer only ever reaches 40C, 41C, 42C (107.6F) - and only a handful of times a year
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 3:22 AM on January 31 [7 favorites]
And they are saying tomorrow will be 45C (113F) in some parts of the city tomorrow. :(
Normally summer only ever reaches 40C, 41C, 42C (107.6F) - and only a handful of times a year
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 3:22 AM on January 31 [7 favorites]
I've also decided y'all are the right kind of people to be exposed to Older Gentleman Pushing Dog on Spinning Seesaw (again, if you saw it already years/decades ago).
"Oh, hello again (wag wag wag)"
posted by tigrrrlily at 8:45 AM on January 31 [5 favorites]
"Oh, hello again (wag wag wag)"
posted by tigrrrlily at 8:45 AM on January 31 [5 favorites]
tigrrrlily just gave me the old guy goals
posted by elkevelvet at 8:55 AM on January 31 [3 favorites]
posted by elkevelvet at 8:55 AM on January 31 [3 favorites]
Streak Crossroads ftw
posted by MonsieurPEB at 9:15 AM on January 31
posted by MonsieurPEB at 9:15 AM on January 31
my sister is the obligatory Jennifer in our family
The obligatory Jennifer HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH
I found one job listing at my org that I actually like, except for two issues: (a) mentions of overnight travel, which I have zero interest in doing that level of commitment for in a job as a generic clerical worker who only does 8-5 and then does theater at night, and (b) it's for a notoriously awful department that, according to former coworkers, (a) can you after your probation is up, (b) really, really don't support you and just leave you to the wolves. Now, admittedly these stories are several years old by now and I don't know if it's still that bad (I know one employee there that clearly has lasted more than six months) or if this job would qualify in whatever areas were problematic there, but....anyway, I've sent messages to my people asking if this place is still as bad as I've always heard.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:21 AM on January 31 [3 favorites]
The obligatory Jennifer HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH
I found one job listing at my org that I actually like, except for two issues: (a) mentions of overnight travel, which I have zero interest in doing that level of commitment for in a job as a generic clerical worker who only does 8-5 and then does theater at night, and (b) it's for a notoriously awful department that, according to former coworkers, (a) can you after your probation is up, (b) really, really don't support you and just leave you to the wolves. Now, admittedly these stories are several years old by now and I don't know if it's still that bad (I know one employee there that clearly has lasted more than six months) or if this job would qualify in whatever areas were problematic there, but....anyway, I've sent messages to my people asking if this place is still as bad as I've always heard.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:21 AM on January 31 [3 favorites]
So I continue to be a paying member of the U2 fan club, and the fan club gift for this year just arrived and it's a doozy! A 12" square [record album sized] 100 glossy page hardbound book "U2 The Complete Lyrics 1979-1988 Vol. 1". Covers everything from their first single to the end of the Rattle And Hum era. New essays by producers and band members and beautiful layout and design...
I've been a member of this fan club for decades and have gotten some lovely things from them in the past, but this one feels pretty next-level to me. If you like U2, you can probably buy a fan club membership for the year to get this book if you feel like you need it.
Honestly, I had NO idea what it was when it arrived. I was thinking I must have paid for some Kickstarter 5 years ago that finally got fulfilled, but no! It's a truly lovely book, and a real surprise.
posted by hippybear at 8:51 PM on January 31 [5 favorites]
I've been a member of this fan club for decades and have gotten some lovely things from them in the past, but this one feels pretty next-level to me. If you like U2, you can probably buy a fan club membership for the year to get this book if you feel like you need it.
Honestly, I had NO idea what it was when it arrived. I was thinking I must have paid for some Kickstarter 5 years ago that finally got fulfilled, but no! It's a truly lovely book, and a real surprise.
posted by hippybear at 8:51 PM on January 31 [5 favorites]
It's February 1st, which is marks five years of sobriety for me. FIVE YEARS. I am amazed and pleased and it was the hardest but most worthwhile thing I have ever done for myself and for my family.
posted by Kitteh at 5:17 AM on February 1 [20 favorites]
posted by Kitteh at 5:17 AM on February 1 [20 favorites]
Heartfelt congratulations, Kitteh. That is a massive achievement. What a gift to yourself, what a gift to your family, what an unburdening of you all!
posted by dutchrick at 6:43 AM on February 1 [1 favorite]
posted by dutchrick at 6:43 AM on February 1 [1 favorite]
I have officially Survived January and am still employed, albeit on leave.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:20 AM on February 1 [8 favorites]
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:20 AM on February 1 [8 favorites]
A half huzzah to that, jenfullmoon. Sending you positive employment vibes.
Activist investors are reviewing my division for inefficiencies right now. I should be okay, but fingers crossed.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:52 AM on February 1 [3 favorites]
Activist investors are reviewing my division for inefficiencies right now. I should be okay, but fingers crossed.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:52 AM on February 1 [3 favorites]
(For the young and/or non-corporate... That's not great )
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:02 AM on February 1 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:02 AM on February 1 [1 favorite]
Good luck with the Bobs, DOT.
posted by tigrrrlily at 11:52 AM on February 1 [4 favorites]
posted by tigrrrlily at 11:52 AM on February 1 [4 favorites]
I am 4 days into the new job and working my way through a list of Mandatory New Employee Training Courses as long as your arm, including three courses addressing sexual and gender-based harassment.
I really appreciated that one of them mentioned a statistic that 60% of men say they feel uncomfortable working alone with a female colleague because they fear being accused of sexual harassment, and then followed that up by saying -
"Hey, men? If you don't want to be accused of sexual harassment, then just don't harass anyone."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:33 PM on February 1 [5 favorites]
I really appreciated that one of them mentioned a statistic that 60% of men say they feel uncomfortable working alone with a female colleague because they fear being accused of sexual harassment, and then followed that up by saying -
"Hey, men? If you don't want to be accused of sexual harassment, then just don't harass anyone."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:33 PM on February 1 [5 favorites]
DirtyOldTown: Activist investors are reviewing my division for inefficiencies.
Well good luck, but that smells like bullsh_t, they're activists after the management (which still can roll downhill on you) or not really activists, instead an excuse for capital to make you unhappy.
"I do not dream of labor, I dream of my entertainment streams." -- Murderbot.
posted by k3ninho at 12:53 PM on February 2 [1 favorite]
Well good luck, but that smells like bullsh_t, they're activists after the management (which still can roll downhill on you) or not really activists, instead an excuse for capital to make you unhappy.
"I do not dream of labor, I dream of my entertainment streams." -- Murderbot.
posted by k3ninho at 12:53 PM on February 2 [1 favorite]
Today, I have done nothing. Well, almost nothing since I have actually made a chicken stock and a cucumber salad.
I feel bad about it, but now I need to walk the dog and then it will be bed time. I hope tomorrow will be a better day
posted by mumimor at 1:00 PM on February 2 [2 favorites]
I feel bad about it, but now I need to walk the dog and then it will be bed time. I hope tomorrow will be a better day
posted by mumimor at 1:00 PM on February 2 [2 favorites]
I was this many years old today when I learned that Malk really exists.
posted by kathrynm at 6:52 PM on February 2
posted by kathrynm at 6:52 PM on February 2
Where else would you get the necessary Vitamin R?
posted by tigrrrlily at 9:20 PM on February 2
posted by tigrrrlily at 9:20 PM on February 2
Four days ago I made a comment above about hearing a house finch singing -- rather tentatively to my ears -- in a tree on our property. But by the time I pulled my phone from my pocket, it had stopped.
Tonight I went out in our western courtyard just before sunset and heard it full throatedly warbling in our birch tree. It was singing its heart out. Also earlier than any year I can recall other than Monday this week. But I had left my phone in my apartment. So, I ran back to get it. Of course, the sun was just set by when I got back and our house finch had called it a night. Perhaps tomorrow...
posted by y2karl at 10:11 PM on February 2 [3 favorites]
Tonight I went out in our western courtyard just before sunset and heard it full throatedly warbling in our birch tree. It was singing its heart out. Also earlier than any year I can recall other than Monday this week. But I had left my phone in my apartment. So, I ran back to get it. Of course, the sun was just set by when I got back and our house finch had called it a night. Perhaps tomorrow...
posted by y2karl at 10:11 PM on February 2 [3 favorites]
My "stripper name" is more like a browser game: "Blitz Beach".
posted by Tool of the Conspiracy at 3:01 AM on February 3 [1 favorite]
posted by Tool of the Conspiracy at 3:01 AM on February 3 [1 favorite]
That is great to read, y2karl, even better to hear of course. Last evening, my son levered me out of my armchair (I was head down preoccupied with whatever and unwilling to enjoy), and ordered me to the south facing window overlooking the 17th and 18th century roofs and gables of this ancient university town. It was a windy night, broken grey blue clouds drifted from right to left, trailing grey fringes in the foreground and opening up pink and red spaces behind. Huge flocks of starlings whirled and dived, dissolved into smaller groups, swooped hither and thither, then turned and raced up to the heavens, uniting in one great murmur only to dive and divide again, perfect black silhouettes in perfect harmony and unison against the troubled and unsettled clouds. 5 minutes of bliss. Thanks, son.
posted by dutchrick at 4:32 AM on February 3 [3 favorites]
posted by dutchrick at 4:32 AM on February 3 [3 favorites]
So this is the first completely free weekend I've had since November, and it is the first weekend since JULY I have the mental relief of knowing that income is incoming and I don't have to worry.
...I of course am going to spend said weekend cleaning my office. I've told people at work that the reason I'm not working from home right away is because "I'm getting my feet wet around here still" but the real reason is because my office/craft room looks like a Michaels' exploded in there.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:39 AM on February 3 [2 favorites]
...I of course am going to spend said weekend cleaning my office. I've told people at work that the reason I'm not working from home right away is because "I'm getting my feet wet around here still" but the real reason is because my office/craft room looks like a Michaels' exploded in there.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:39 AM on February 3 [2 favorites]
k3ninho, the inefficiencies they're looking for are headcount, sure. But also what our operating budget is. And even, possibly, whether my division should be part of the company or should be sold off or spun off.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:03 AM on February 3
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:03 AM on February 3
Okay! I'm holding off the office cleanout by doing the pantry first - and I was about to post an AskMe about something, but answered my own question AND figured out the beginnings of this week's dinner meal plans...
So, in 2018 I was on a trip to Berlin with a friend, and we visited this craft market. One of the vendors was this person selling little plastic baggies of mixed dried herbs and spices, some with some freeze-dried veg. They were cheap and I like cooking, so I thought "ooh, cheap souvenir" and got a couple. However - it was not until I got home and was unpacking that I remembered "oh yeah, I can't read German and I have no idea what the fuck is in these."
I was going to post an AskMe about these finally, asking if someone could help me figure out what to use them for - and in the process, I finally used Google Translate to actually translate the ingredients. And - that actually answered my question:
1. The first pouch is a spice blend for Sauerbraten, but it says right on it that they can also be used for pickles and marinades. And it's a pretty basic pickling-spice blend. So I may instead save that one for making pickles this summer.
2. The second one wasn't actually spices - it was an assortment of different freeze-dried vegetables. Kind of like the dried porcini I also have in my cabinet. I did a bit more digging online and discovered a company selling a similar blend for use as a straight-up vegetable soup - one cup of the blend in 6 cups of water and you have a near-instant veg soup.
And then I remembered I also have some barley in the cupboard....and I did also do a grocery run and picked up these packages of cut-for-stir-frying meat: one package of chicken, one of beef, and one of pork. (I was stocking up a bit.)
So I bet I could make a pretty quick-and-dirty soup by chucking some of this dried veg blend, a couple dried porcini, and some barley into a pot with a proportional amount of water, and then brown some of that beef and chuck that in too. Boom - beef barley veg soup.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:33 AM on February 3 [2 favorites]
So, in 2018 I was on a trip to Berlin with a friend, and we visited this craft market. One of the vendors was this person selling little plastic baggies of mixed dried herbs and spices, some with some freeze-dried veg. They were cheap and I like cooking, so I thought "ooh, cheap souvenir" and got a couple. However - it was not until I got home and was unpacking that I remembered "oh yeah, I can't read German and I have no idea what the fuck is in these."
I was going to post an AskMe about these finally, asking if someone could help me figure out what to use them for - and in the process, I finally used Google Translate to actually translate the ingredients. And - that actually answered my question:
1. The first pouch is a spice blend for Sauerbraten, but it says right on it that they can also be used for pickles and marinades. And it's a pretty basic pickling-spice blend. So I may instead save that one for making pickles this summer.
2. The second one wasn't actually spices - it was an assortment of different freeze-dried vegetables. Kind of like the dried porcini I also have in my cabinet. I did a bit more digging online and discovered a company selling a similar blend for use as a straight-up vegetable soup - one cup of the blend in 6 cups of water and you have a near-instant veg soup.
And then I remembered I also have some barley in the cupboard....and I did also do a grocery run and picked up these packages of cut-for-stir-frying meat: one package of chicken, one of beef, and one of pork. (I was stocking up a bit.)
So I bet I could make a pretty quick-and-dirty soup by chucking some of this dried veg blend, a couple dried porcini, and some barley into a pot with a proportional amount of water, and then brown some of that beef and chuck that in too. Boom - beef barley veg soup.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:33 AM on February 3 [2 favorites]
Sounds good, Empress.
I'm making a ragu bolognese. It's for tomorrow, when my daughter and I have planned to make lasagne verde for the first time. I'm sort of going with this recipe, my favorite, though I didn't have tomato paste (weird), so I'm going with crushed tomatoes instead. I've also added a bit of oregano. Just call me wild.
posted by mumimor at 12:35 PM on February 3
I'm making a ragu bolognese. It's for tomorrow, when my daughter and I have planned to make lasagne verde for the first time. I'm sort of going with this recipe, my favorite, though I didn't have tomato paste (weird), so I'm going with crushed tomatoes instead. I've also added a bit of oregano. Just call me wild.
posted by mumimor at 12:35 PM on February 3
All this talk of soup and pasta sauce reminds me I have chicken thighs and leftover smoked pork shoulder (though sadly no smoked brisket) in the freezer, so I've decided to make a big pot of Brunswick stew this weekend. And since that will use up my stock of, er, stock, I might as well make more of that too*. Off to the grocery store I go...
*Instant Pot chicken stock FTW!
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:38 PM on February 3 [2 favorites]
*Instant Pot chicken stock FTW!
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:38 PM on February 3 [2 favorites]
Jerk chicken legs and rice 'n beans. Roasted sweet potato. Life is good.
posted by Artful Codger at 4:13 PM on February 3 [2 favorites]
posted by Artful Codger at 4:13 PM on February 3 [2 favorites]
It's a roast chicken kind of night here, with broccoli, small potatoes, and tomatoes roasted on a sheet pan to accompany. And perhaps some gin, inspired by the martini thread a few doors down. And with a chicken carcass on hand, stock will be made, and that will be the basis for a fish chowder in a few days.
posted by mollweide at 4:20 PM on February 3 [2 favorites]
posted by mollweide at 4:20 PM on February 3 [2 favorites]
Okay:
I did get to starting some stuff on my office after all, and there's been progress. I'm going on a midmorning Ikea Run to get a couple of small cube storage pieces to stack on top of what's there to expand the vertical storage, and then will re-org what's going up there.
I've already done some purging of some craft supplies, and have consolidated the bulk of the "crafty stuff" to a couple of small cubbies. Sorted what was in my desk better. I'm putting off a couple of dark corners (my paper tray, and this big Thing in front of the closet in there) until I get that storage, and then may also hang some of the pictures I haven't yet. There'll be room in both my office and in my room.
Last night's dinner was a risotto with black-eyed peas - I had some BEP's to use up for that. There's some leftovers of that for later in the week, or if I get desperate and need a grab-and-go lunch. I may also throw a cake in the oven while I'm trying to wrestle with assembling the Ektorps, and I'm leaning towards the beef barley soup experiment tonight.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:32 AM on February 4
I did get to starting some stuff on my office after all, and there's been progress. I'm going on a midmorning Ikea Run to get a couple of small cube storage pieces to stack on top of what's there to expand the vertical storage, and then will re-org what's going up there.
I've already done some purging of some craft supplies, and have consolidated the bulk of the "crafty stuff" to a couple of small cubbies. Sorted what was in my desk better. I'm putting off a couple of dark corners (my paper tray, and this big Thing in front of the closet in there) until I get that storage, and then may also hang some of the pictures I haven't yet. There'll be room in both my office and in my room.
Last night's dinner was a risotto with black-eyed peas - I had some BEP's to use up for that. There's some leftovers of that for later in the week, or if I get desperate and need a grab-and-go lunch. I may also throw a cake in the oven while I'm trying to wrestle with assembling the Ektorps, and I'm leaning towards the beef barley soup experiment tonight.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:32 AM on February 4
I made chicken stock last night, then this morning I set it back on the stove to simmer and reduce to almost a demi-glace. I portioned that out into two ice cube trays and popped them in the freezer. Once that's ready to come out of the trays I can dump the cubes into a zip-top bag for efficient long-term storage in a small corner of my freezer (it's not a very big freezer and cooking for myself usually means lots of leftovers; I often find myself playing a form of Tetris to get everything to fit). Concentrated stock cubes like that will probably keep for absolute ages, but it never lasts me long enough to find out....
One more cup of coffee then it's on to the stew!
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:06 PM on February 4 [2 favorites]
One more cup of coffee then it's on to the stew!
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:06 PM on February 4 [2 favorites]
I forgot to add that all I need to do to use a cube of concentrated is dissolve it in 2 cups of hot water and hey presto, instant broth. Another advantage to such cubes is they're great for making sauces or gravy, by just adding a little water.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:01 PM on February 4 [1 favorite]
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:01 PM on February 4 [1 favorite]
Brunswick stew? More like Brunswick stew-pendous! It turned out very well, though I think next time I'll use less or no brown sugar - the barbecue sauce is sweet enough on its own for my taste. But I'll definitely be making it again!
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:15 PM on February 4 [2 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:15 PM on February 4 [2 favorites]
My spouse can't eat poultry (allergy) so today, I adapted a butter chicken recipe to use pork tenderloin. They were using scraps of bread to soak up every iota of sauce, and there were no leftovers, so it seems like it went over.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 5:24 PM on February 4 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 5:24 PM on February 4 [1 favorite]
I have been needing a new immersion blender for a little while, since the motor on my old one died. Finally got it and I made an aioli to go with some roast kabocha squash and broccoli. Very nice, and something I should do more often - it's hardly any work to make. (But I did spend way too much money on a kabocha squash.)
posted by Jeanne at 5:34 PM on February 4
posted by Jeanne at 5:34 PM on February 4
I love having cubes of stock in the freezer for adding to just about anything. It really makes a dish go from meh to yeah! really fast. I don't normally concentrate them, but that's an excellent idea, Greg_Ace!
posted by mollweide at 6:06 PM on February 4
posted by mollweide at 6:06 PM on February 4
Though you can still comment here, there is a new free thread for a new week.
posted by Wordshore at 2:25 AM on February 5
posted by Wordshore at 2:25 AM on February 5
I'mma keep the "house cleaning" comments in here then -
I had the slightly genius idea for Phase 2 of Office reorg.
* I have this small low bookshelf that has been taking up space in my apartment; it used to hold all my DVDs until that collection grew too big. It's a fairly sturdy piece of furniture, it's just a little old. I tried posting it on Buy Nothing but there were no takers.
* I only got one of the two Ikea things I was going to get; I wasn't sure I'd need both. I've been putting them on top of my existing shelves to give me more vertical storage. And while there was some improvement with just the one...even more would help.
* Finally it hit me that the small low bookshelf WOULD probably fit on top of the existing shelves itself....and while I don't want to put anything TOO heavy on it, it'll probably be fine for the lighter-weight things I was going to store up there anyway.
I think I've solved two problems.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:04 AM on February 5 [1 favorite]
I had the slightly genius idea for Phase 2 of Office reorg.
* I have this small low bookshelf that has been taking up space in my apartment; it used to hold all my DVDs until that collection grew too big. It's a fairly sturdy piece of furniture, it's just a little old. I tried posting it on Buy Nothing but there were no takers.
* I only got one of the two Ikea things I was going to get; I wasn't sure I'd need both. I've been putting them on top of my existing shelves to give me more vertical storage. And while there was some improvement with just the one...even more would help.
* Finally it hit me that the small low bookshelf WOULD probably fit on top of the existing shelves itself....and while I don't want to put anything TOO heavy on it, it'll probably be fine for the lighter-weight things I was going to store up there anyway.
I think I've solved two problems.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:04 AM on February 5 [1 favorite]
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This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
So, a picture of a very small painting I am working on to submit to a group show, the only stipulation is that all art submitted has to be on a 6 by 6 inch wood panel.
This is my very small piece in front of a very large painting I did 18 years ago, and I quite like the contrast, hence the share.
It holds its own, I think.
Have a lovely week.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 2:39 AM on January 29 [25 favorites]