These are the days when you wish your bed was already made
September 30, 2024 7:30 AM Subscribe
Monday. Stress. Masonry magazine. Free thread.
Masonry magazine has an article titled "Unusual Ways to Relieve Stress" and sadly, none of those stress relievers involve the art and craft of building and fabricating in stone, clay, brick, or concrete block.
It's your semi-regularly-scheduled free thread! What are your unusual stress relievers? If you don't have any, what are you up to on this (for me) rainy and gray Monday?
Extra love to any MeFites or family of MeFites affected by Hurricane Helene.
Last week's free thread.
Masonry magazine has an article titled "Unusual Ways to Relieve Stress" and sadly, none of those stress relievers involve the art and craft of building and fabricating in stone, clay, brick, or concrete block.
It's your semi-regularly-scheduled free thread! What are your unusual stress relievers? If you don't have any, what are you up to on this (for me) rainy and gray Monday?
Extra love to any MeFites or family of MeFites affected by Hurricane Helene.
Last week's free thread.
A cup of tea. 15 - 30 minutes on the rowing machine. Sleep.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 7:41 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 7:41 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
Every so often, I have a day when I don't really feel like doing anything more than making a cheese sandwich - and not even a good cheese sandwich, just a slice of American cheese on white bread, 25 seconds in the microwave - but I rouse myself to get to the grocery store (Mo's Asian Market for light soy sauce and vegetarian oyster sauce, shiitake mushrooms and green peas from the Pick n Save across the street) and cook something (fried rice).
And sometimes it's pure obligation, and sometimes it turns out badly, but every so often there's a moment where everything smells just right and the diced shiitakes and the rice and the scrambled eggs look beautiful together even though they're just various shades of yellow-brown, and I think, why don't I do this all the time?.
Which is to say: for the FIRST TIME, I have cooked fried rice from scratch and not been disappointed. And even though this involved me spilling an ENTIRE CUP OF SHORT-GRAIN RICE on the floor because I accidentally flipped it bottom-side-up, this was very satisfying, and good stress relief.
This week I started the house-buying process in earnest (that is, I put in an offer, negotiated an offer, dropped off the earnest money, got an inspection done, and might be almost done with the mortgage paperwork depending on what other documentation they need from me) while also doing a banned books panel and a bunch of teaching, so I was, as it turns out, desperately in need of stress relief.
posted by Jeanne at 7:44 AM on September 30 [14 favorites]
And sometimes it's pure obligation, and sometimes it turns out badly, but every so often there's a moment where everything smells just right and the diced shiitakes and the rice and the scrambled eggs look beautiful together even though they're just various shades of yellow-brown, and I think, why don't I do this all the time?.
Which is to say: for the FIRST TIME, I have cooked fried rice from scratch and not been disappointed. And even though this involved me spilling an ENTIRE CUP OF SHORT-GRAIN RICE on the floor because I accidentally flipped it bottom-side-up, this was very satisfying, and good stress relief.
This week I started the house-buying process in earnest (that is, I put in an offer, negotiated an offer, dropped off the earnest money, got an inspection done, and might be almost done with the mortgage paperwork depending on what other documentation they need from me) while also doing a banned books panel and a bunch of teaching, so I was, as it turns out, desperately in need of stress relief.
posted by Jeanne at 7:44 AM on September 30 [14 favorites]
I, for one, cannot believe it will be October tomorrow. Yeesh. (But this means a new Halloween mixtape from my old friend Jack Fear! The new one is all the way down at the bottom.)
Busy week: I grew four cannabis plants for the first time in the ground this summer instead of fabric pots. Shepherd helped harvest one of them yesterday--she was a good six feet tall; heck, they all are--and it took us 90 minutes total. Only three more to go! (If all goes to plan though, SO MUCH WEED. Shepherd doesn't really imbibe so uh, it's all me.)
Headed to TO on Thursday for Henderson Brewing's 2nd annual Picklefest; my sister from SC and my bestie from DC will be joining me again. Given how much we dislike my Republican BIL, I consider these trips to my sister's feminism top-up.
Looks like the GSP airport is open and operational so my sister should be able to fly out from Greenville (it's an hour south of Asheville). Still no power for them and for my mom, and Duke Power's best guess is Friday (!) by 2 pm last I heard.
posted by Kitteh at 7:54 AM on September 30 [5 favorites]
Busy week: I grew four cannabis plants for the first time in the ground this summer instead of fabric pots. Shepherd helped harvest one of them yesterday--she was a good six feet tall; heck, they all are--and it took us 90 minutes total. Only three more to go! (If all goes to plan though, SO MUCH WEED. Shepherd doesn't really imbibe so uh, it's all me.)
Headed to TO on Thursday for Henderson Brewing's 2nd annual Picklefest; my sister from SC and my bestie from DC will be joining me again. Given how much we dislike my Republican BIL, I consider these trips to my sister's feminism top-up.
Looks like the GSP airport is open and operational so my sister should be able to fly out from Greenville (it's an hour south of Asheville). Still no power for them and for my mom, and Duke Power's best guess is Friday (!) by 2 pm last I heard.
posted by Kitteh at 7:54 AM on September 30 [5 favorites]
My stress relief this week, was going out and cutting down the bushes on the edge of my backyard. Unfortunately, I now have to wait until they grow back now, for my next session.
posted by storybored at 8:02 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
posted by storybored at 8:02 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
I have a mantra for when I can't stop mental spiraling (normally in bed) about work, "This is not their time. This is your time."
Side note, the level of effort required in the article's suggestions ramps considerably after the first three. OJ, chew gum, warm hands...install an aquarium!
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 8:10 AM on September 30 [6 favorites]
Side note, the level of effort required in the article's suggestions ramps considerably after the first three. OJ, chew gum, warm hands...install an aquarium!
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 8:10 AM on September 30 [6 favorites]
I still have the Microsoft solitaire games on my computer that were used to help people learn to use the mouse - Freecell, Hearts, Spider. I transferred them from computer to computer, from update to update. They still work. When I just can't stand anything, I open my laptop and play one game of each.
The only difference is that the ending animations in Spider and Freecell are lightning fast with the faster processor, instead of languidly bouncing around the screen.
I suppose I could play solitaire with real cards but that's what I have a physical crossword puzzle book for.
posted by Peach at 8:19 AM on September 30 [4 favorites]
The only difference is that the ending animations in Spider and Freecell are lightning fast with the faster processor, instead of languidly bouncing around the screen.
I suppose I could play solitaire with real cards but that's what I have a physical crossword puzzle book for.
posted by Peach at 8:19 AM on September 30 [4 favorites]
I have my 4th interview for a job I applied for nearly 8 weeks ago, this is supposed to be the last but you never know these days.
Happy that I'm still in the running but sheesh!
Get it mooving!
posted by djseafood at 8:30 AM on September 30 [17 favorites]
Happy that I'm still in the running but sheesh!
Get it mooving!
posted by djseafood at 8:30 AM on September 30 [17 favorites]
I realized upon reading this that I have no stress relief mechanism beyond jaw-clenching and exercise. (And drinking, but I can't drink at work and work is my main source of stress. So it's a fairly useless stress reliever.) It used to be yelling and exercise, but now I live with a person and an easily-startled animal so no more yelling. Maybe there will be something in this thread I can take up.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 8:39 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 8:39 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
A broken foot and related surgery have left me mostly sedentary for two months now, and that's demonstrated HOW DESPERATELY I want to be able to burn stress by moving. Other disabilities mean I can never move a LOT, but this degree of stuck-in-bed is something else again!
posted by metasarah at 8:52 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
posted by metasarah at 8:52 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
A lot of my stress comes from undone chores I ought to be doing, hanging above my head. The Chores of Damocles. So, do them, I guess?
I got my flu vax and 2nd shingles vax yesterday, so I can check those off.
Got a reminder to do the fall hvac maintenance so I guess I get that scheduled next.
posted by notoriety public at 8:59 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
I got my flu vax and 2nd shingles vax yesterday, so I can check those off.
Got a reminder to do the fall hvac maintenance so I guess I get that scheduled next.
posted by notoriety public at 8:59 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
Heh, I had "Walk Like an Egyptian" in my dream last night, while I saw thick black outlined egyptian art in 3d space walking around a city scape, then the song popped in my head.
Crying and laying in bed and depress napping for 3 hours the past two days has been my "destresser" I guess.
A job would also be nice. I'm not sure how to human enough go get an interview and when I get one to actually apparently be human enough to hire.
video games are too much work, I have no desire to do jack shit. I jsut sit and stare I guess that's it. "meditate" by depressively staring?
Good luck djseafood, I feel your pain! (this is my last month of unemployment, IDK what to do after this).
posted by symbioid at 9:01 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
Crying and laying in bed and depress napping for 3 hours the past two days has been my "destresser" I guess.
A job would also be nice. I'm not sure how to human enough go get an interview and when I get one to actually apparently be human enough to hire.
video games are too much work, I have no desire to do jack shit. I jsut sit and stare I guess that's it. "meditate" by depressively staring?
Good luck djseafood, I feel your pain! (this is my last month of unemployment, IDK what to do after this).
posted by symbioid at 9:01 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
Knitting/crocheting for me, also reading or doing anything else to think about something else. I also like drinking alcohol on my patio in good weather to chill out.
NYT endorses Harris. That's big of you to get around to on Sept. 30.
Petty bitch: now that I'm in the office five days a week, I am having a hard time figuring out how hungry I am going to be throughout the day and how much food to bring from home to deal with that. There's food options here, but not that many or all that great and after 1:30 the cafeteria shuts down. I don't want to have to eat a breakfast, for example, because then there's 10 damn meals to bring from home and I'm very low energy in the morning, I roll out of bed 15-20 minutes before I have to leave as is and I'm not waking up at 5:30 to eat when I want no food. But working at 7:30 leads me to getting weirdly hungry at 8:30 at times and arggggggggggh. Some days I don't have that much hunger and some days I am just so hungry and I can't figure out how to gauge how much food to bring. Sometimes I can't finish eating all the food before it goes bad, other times I could eat it all by 10 a.m. and still need another meal at 2. Last week I had to go to KFC after work and get a ton of chicken to stuff my face to get the week's hunger to go away. BLECH, this is a pain in the ass. Maybe I just need more protein instead of getting pasta and egg salad for lunch?
This weekend, I went to a hippie festival and the local Renaissance faire and had a good time at both. I got a lot of compliments on my outfit and I didn't buy any new clothes, so good for me there. I stuck to pretty cheap stuff.
I participated in a tarot reading circle and asked a question as to what to do about a friend situation that has been awkward and weird for quite some time. The answers I got were that it's a mutual problem tying us up, "you have to talk to them about it" and "what do you want out of the situation?" Unfortunately what I want is "to have things the way they were before" and I don't think that's an option, so I don't know what to do there. I also just don't WANT to have an open and honest conversation with them directly because that is not my strong suit in life and I don't want to make things weirder and worse since it's really My Problem to deal with. I just wish I could figure out on my own how to "make things better" in my head without having to Talk. Also BLECH.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:17 AM on September 30 [6 favorites]
NYT endorses Harris. That's big of you to get around to on Sept. 30.
Petty bitch: now that I'm in the office five days a week, I am having a hard time figuring out how hungry I am going to be throughout the day and how much food to bring from home to deal with that. There's food options here, but not that many or all that great and after 1:30 the cafeteria shuts down. I don't want to have to eat a breakfast, for example, because then there's 10 damn meals to bring from home and I'm very low energy in the morning, I roll out of bed 15-20 minutes before I have to leave as is and I'm not waking up at 5:30 to eat when I want no food. But working at 7:30 leads me to getting weirdly hungry at 8:30 at times and arggggggggggh. Some days I don't have that much hunger and some days I am just so hungry and I can't figure out how to gauge how much food to bring. Sometimes I can't finish eating all the food before it goes bad, other times I could eat it all by 10 a.m. and still need another meal at 2. Last week I had to go to KFC after work and get a ton of chicken to stuff my face to get the week's hunger to go away. BLECH, this is a pain in the ass. Maybe I just need more protein instead of getting pasta and egg salad for lunch?
This weekend, I went to a hippie festival and the local Renaissance faire and had a good time at both. I got a lot of compliments on my outfit and I didn't buy any new clothes, so good for me there. I stuck to pretty cheap stuff.
I participated in a tarot reading circle and asked a question as to what to do about a friend situation that has been awkward and weird for quite some time. The answers I got were that it's a mutual problem tying us up, "you have to talk to them about it" and "what do you want out of the situation?" Unfortunately what I want is "to have things the way they were before" and I don't think that's an option, so I don't know what to do there. I also just don't WANT to have an open and honest conversation with them directly because that is not my strong suit in life and I don't want to make things weirder and worse since it's really My Problem to deal with. I just wish I could figure out on my own how to "make things better" in my head without having to Talk. Also BLECH.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:17 AM on September 30 [6 favorites]
NYT endorses Harris. That's big of you to get around to on Sept
Hey if those fuck knuckles can do it maybe some other assholes can too. Hopeful!
Having an aquarium is VERY relaxing, I can attest. Requires very little maintenance too, if that worries you. Can't wait to have a second one but cost is putting me off for what I want to build (one with a cave, mister, waterfall, custom made ledges for plants, etc. Hope to get around to it this winter).
posted by tiny frying pan at 9:34 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
Hey if those fuck knuckles can do it maybe some other assholes can too. Hopeful!
Having an aquarium is VERY relaxing, I can attest. Requires very little maintenance too, if that worries you. Can't wait to have a second one but cost is putting me off for what I want to build (one with a cave, mister, waterfall, custom made ledges for plants, etc. Hope to get around to it this winter).
posted by tiny frying pan at 9:34 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
Ooh - stealth free thread, have to look inside to find it!
My wife says the things that she sees reduce my stress are creative, particularly physically-active creativity (like building things vs writing). Non-physical creativity helps too; I have noticed that if I sit and sketch without any real aim for producing great art, that I feel better when I'm done. I don't always recognize how stressed I am, it has to get to a point where I can tell I'm breathing weird or my heartbeat is racing before I know I need to step back and seek out calm.
The past 4 days, Thursday through Sunday, I attended the FM LGBT Film Festival, and enjoyed the selections a lot. I do fit the queer label but it doesn't show on the outside, so I don't always feel connected to the local queer community, but it really did feel good to just spend time in a big room where mostly everyone is sorta like me.
A couple times I got to see Bee, a young person who I initially knew as their old name, who seems to be growing into their identity. I had to go back and rewrite that sentence a couple times because I'm old and still figuring out how to do pronouns right, but I'm getting there. Their name announcement on Facebook just a couple weeks ago came with a "you can still call me [redacted] that's OK" but I'm trying to be really good about it, and the first time I said "Hi, Bee" they seemed to be happy about the acknowledgment.
My biggest recommendation from the film festival: Gondola. Filmed in the Eastern-Europe Georgia, it is a delightful, goofy movie about women falling in love, and it's very unique in that it's a feature length film with almost no dialogue at all, and most of those are indistinct, non-word communication.
Other than that, not much new on any front; of the two projects selected for 16mm film class, neither showrunner has contacted me about joining their team, so I guess I get to find out what I can do during class on Tuesday. That's one drawback of not living in the dorms: everyone else lives down the hall from each other, eats meals together, so they can commiserate about the production whenever they feel like it. (It's partly my fault in that I haven't reached out either, but I'm not sure the protocols of the whole thing).
posted by AzraelBrown at 9:42 AM on September 30 [6 favorites]
My wife says the things that she sees reduce my stress are creative, particularly physically-active creativity (like building things vs writing). Non-physical creativity helps too; I have noticed that if I sit and sketch without any real aim for producing great art, that I feel better when I'm done. I don't always recognize how stressed I am, it has to get to a point where I can tell I'm breathing weird or my heartbeat is racing before I know I need to step back and seek out calm.
The past 4 days, Thursday through Sunday, I attended the FM LGBT Film Festival, and enjoyed the selections a lot. I do fit the queer label but it doesn't show on the outside, so I don't always feel connected to the local queer community, but it really did feel good to just spend time in a big room where mostly everyone is sorta like me.
A couple times I got to see Bee, a young person who I initially knew as their old name, who seems to be growing into their identity. I had to go back and rewrite that sentence a couple times because I'm old and still figuring out how to do pronouns right, but I'm getting there. Their name announcement on Facebook just a couple weeks ago came with a "you can still call me [redacted] that's OK" but I'm trying to be really good about it, and the first time I said "Hi, Bee" they seemed to be happy about the acknowledgment.
My biggest recommendation from the film festival: Gondola. Filmed in the Eastern-Europe Georgia, it is a delightful, goofy movie about women falling in love, and it's very unique in that it's a feature length film with almost no dialogue at all, and most of those are indistinct, non-word communication.
Other than that, not much new on any front; of the two projects selected for 16mm film class, neither showrunner has contacted me about joining their team, so I guess I get to find out what I can do during class on Tuesday. That's one drawback of not living in the dorms: everyone else lives down the hall from each other, eats meals together, so they can commiserate about the production whenever they feel like it. (It's partly my fault in that I haven't reached out either, but I'm not sure the protocols of the whole thing).
posted by AzraelBrown at 9:42 AM on September 30 [6 favorites]
The usual stuff hasn't been working as well, largely because apparently when my boss is under the weather she makes Miranda Priestly look like Mr. Rogers and she was ill all last week. I've tried confining all my communication to email and text.
I also started flirting again with the neo-Pagan side of things (I dip my toe back in every so often) and issued a sort of prayer/spell/whatever you want to call it to just...stop her shouting. Not by controlling her, I just sort of...tried to create a sort of vibe around myself that keeps her from wanting to shout. She can tell me the same information, she just can't shout. ...so far so good. I've also mixed up an oil that's supposed to have a similar protective effect and I've been using that in an oil diffuser - so if it's total bunkum, at least it smells nice in my room.
I also dragged myself out to a knitting group and got a little bit into a project that has been on the backburner for a long time. This is only a once-a-month thing.
But the biggest thing I did was little domesticity - that always sort of grounds me. Making some kind of food and tidying up a bit. I resorted my DVD collection and a couple of bookshelves; I discovered I have a bunch of duplicates, and tonight I'll try throwing some of those at Buy Nothing. I'm all set for food for a while (last free thread I talked about the chest freezer) and the only thing I potentially could make for a while is a cake, and yay cake.
I also was out with my photo group on the weekend - it's a photo group that does urban street photography and the leader is a darling and one of those excited-about-everything people, and once a month he leads people on a walking tour of some spot in the city and we all just take photos. This month it was this one tiny private alley in the city, and I just plum wasn't feeling it. So after about an hour I innocently said that if we sort of ran out of steam, I knew of an awesome old-school candy store that might make for some other photo ops, and it was just a couple blocks away. The group was intrigued, so I lead them there - and they all lost their collective minds over it. I got some cool photos there too - but I also got about $50 of candy which also helped me quite a bit.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:45 AM on September 30 [7 favorites]
I also started flirting again with the neo-Pagan side of things (I dip my toe back in every so often) and issued a sort of prayer/spell/whatever you want to call it to just...stop her shouting. Not by controlling her, I just sort of...tried to create a sort of vibe around myself that keeps her from wanting to shout. She can tell me the same information, she just can't shout. ...so far so good. I've also mixed up an oil that's supposed to have a similar protective effect and I've been using that in an oil diffuser - so if it's total bunkum, at least it smells nice in my room.
I also dragged myself out to a knitting group and got a little bit into a project that has been on the backburner for a long time. This is only a once-a-month thing.
But the biggest thing I did was little domesticity - that always sort of grounds me. Making some kind of food and tidying up a bit. I resorted my DVD collection and a couple of bookshelves; I discovered I have a bunch of duplicates, and tonight I'll try throwing some of those at Buy Nothing. I'm all set for food for a while (last free thread I talked about the chest freezer) and the only thing I potentially could make for a while is a cake, and yay cake.
I also was out with my photo group on the weekend - it's a photo group that does urban street photography and the leader is a darling and one of those excited-about-everything people, and once a month he leads people on a walking tour of some spot in the city and we all just take photos. This month it was this one tiny private alley in the city, and I just plum wasn't feeling it. So after about an hour I innocently said that if we sort of ran out of steam, I knew of an awesome old-school candy store that might make for some other photo ops, and it was just a couple blocks away. The group was intrigued, so I lead them there - and they all lost their collective minds over it. I got some cool photos there too - but I also got about $50 of candy which also helped me quite a bit.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:45 AM on September 30 [7 favorites]
Oh, and I got back in the blog saddle a bit by watching another film on the docket; this time it was Little Big Man. I may try writing the review tonight even.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:55 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:55 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
Early prepping for the winter months. Locate golashes, snow shovel, rock salt, mittens, etc. Bring in patio furniture...do some weeding, and cutting back of perennials. I found a potato in the bin which is sprouting little things. I want to plant it but am stumped should it go in soil or water? Do I cut it in half horizontally, because it is whole now. Checked progress of peach seed which is wrapped in wet paper towel in refrigerator to see if it is sprouting...nothing yet. A peach pit is incredibly hard to split open. I thought a squeeze with a pair of pliers would work. No dice. Ended up putting it in a vice and hammering an old knife into the seam. Finally it worked...
posted by Czjewel at 9:55 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
posted by Czjewel at 9:55 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
Pop that potato in soil! I've successfully grown a great plant that way before.
posted by tiny frying pan at 10:07 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
posted by tiny frying pan at 10:07 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
Also, cut the sprouted eyes into their own chunks. Plant in soil.
I haven't grown potatoes in years as I can never remember to buy seed potatoes until they are long out of stock. Fun to grow/harvest and eat however.
posted by Windopaene at 10:19 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
I haven't grown potatoes in years as I can never remember to buy seed potatoes until they are long out of stock. Fun to grow/harvest and eat however.
posted by Windopaene at 10:19 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
Ooh - stealth free thread, have to look inside to find it!
Oh yikes, definitely not my intention! Will ask the mods to fix!
posted by cooker girl at 10:21 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
Oh yikes, definitely not my intention! Will ask the mods to fix!
posted by cooker girl at 10:21 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
This weekend I attended the local Native community garden’s harvest ceremony (inspiring my earlier post on the Three Sisters). It was a lovely time, and one of the elders had a table with supplies for making healing hoops. She offered to teach my partner how to make a dreamcatcher, which I sat and watched for a bit (as while my partner is Native I am not and I hadn’t specifically been invited to join in) until she fixed me with a stare and asked, “Why aren’t you making one?” In the elder sort of way that is probably not, in fact, a question.
So now I have a rather wonky handmade dreamcatcher/healing hoop, with a squash flower and sweetgrass from the garden. It was very meditative to make. The woman who taught us was incredibly sweet and patient (if direct/blunt, but as an autistic I have no problem with this) and sat with us for about an hour and a half teaching us, and we’ve been invited to the healing arts meeting on Thursday, which she helps run, so I’ve been thinking of whether there’s something I could make her as a token of appreciation. Maybe just an illustration related to the garden.
posted by brook horse at 10:43 AM on September 30 [7 favorites]
So now I have a rather wonky handmade dreamcatcher/healing hoop, with a squash flower and sweetgrass from the garden. It was very meditative to make. The woman who taught us was incredibly sweet and patient (if direct/blunt, but as an autistic I have no problem with this) and sat with us for about an hour and a half teaching us, and we’ve been invited to the healing arts meeting on Thursday, which she helps run, so I’ve been thinking of whether there’s something I could make her as a token of appreciation. Maybe just an illustration related to the garden.
posted by brook horse at 10:43 AM on September 30 [7 favorites]
NIN as yacht rock may also be good for some stress relief.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 10:46 AM on September 30 [6 favorites]
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 10:46 AM on September 30 [6 favorites]
For the last couple years I've been working on my "Tart Tatins" - because, the thing is, you get this salty caramel flavour suffused into and with the apple flavour, and then a good crust as a sort of background, and, well. It heals wounds. I probably make one a week. -ish. If they come out really poorly, you throw some whipped cream on them and, you know, - all is forgiven.
We have four apple trees, and a couple in the abandoned lot next door, and I'd swear year before last (they produce every other year) I used some to make a very acceptable Tart or six. A neighbour introduced us to "early apples" and they made a terrible Tart but extraordinary apple sauce. I mean, like, intergalactic.
For a bunch of reasons we haven't picked the apples, not really, this year and the poor trees are erupting with them, as though every single blossom has become a piece of fist-sized fruit. A couple of these trees are "early-apple" producers and last week walking by, I plucked on to eat - normally not so great - and damnit but it was delicious. I walked around in a daze, eating this apple wondering why I had done to deserve such luck.
On the weekend I was on the garage roof, replacing the roofing, and some other neighbours came over to pick up a pile of discarded wood from some other work we've got going on. They're going to use it for a bonfire for the 3rd of Oct (German re-unification). It was a beautiful fall day and I realised I have to re-read Christa Wolf because she was from the area - I remember in college reading (in English translation) her description of going to see some friends to pick Cherries, kinda, sorta in the same area. How much did she get right? Would I still be able to feel it in the people around me? Like an ass I was kinda staring at them as this was all going through my head but luckily I was far enough away that they most likely couldn't see my expression.
In Hamnet there's a section where Agnes and the 'Latin Tutor' meet up in the apple-crib. I'm thinking maybe of building one here, in the kitchen. A big rack filled with apples. Might not be a bad idea. Might also be a really bad idea. But it might not be. This time of year, until about January, is tough and I know not to listen to anything my brain tells me in this time. Hence reluctance about how good an idea an apple rack really is. Might smell nice. But it might also be simply nuts.
posted by From Bklyn at 11:16 AM on September 30 [6 favorites]
We have four apple trees, and a couple in the abandoned lot next door, and I'd swear year before last (they produce every other year) I used some to make a very acceptable Tart or six. A neighbour introduced us to "early apples" and they made a terrible Tart but extraordinary apple sauce. I mean, like, intergalactic.
For a bunch of reasons we haven't picked the apples, not really, this year and the poor trees are erupting with them, as though every single blossom has become a piece of fist-sized fruit. A couple of these trees are "early-apple" producers and last week walking by, I plucked on to eat - normally not so great - and damnit but it was delicious. I walked around in a daze, eating this apple wondering why I had done to deserve such luck.
On the weekend I was on the garage roof, replacing the roofing, and some other neighbours came over to pick up a pile of discarded wood from some other work we've got going on. They're going to use it for a bonfire for the 3rd of Oct (German re-unification). It was a beautiful fall day and I realised I have to re-read Christa Wolf because she was from the area - I remember in college reading (in English translation) her description of going to see some friends to pick Cherries, kinda, sorta in the same area. How much did she get right? Would I still be able to feel it in the people around me? Like an ass I was kinda staring at them as this was all going through my head but luckily I was far enough away that they most likely couldn't see my expression.
In Hamnet there's a section where Agnes and the 'Latin Tutor' meet up in the apple-crib. I'm thinking maybe of building one here, in the kitchen. A big rack filled with apples. Might not be a bad idea. Might also be a really bad idea. But it might not be. This time of year, until about January, is tough and I know not to listen to anything my brain tells me in this time. Hence reluctance about how good an idea an apple rack really is. Might smell nice. But it might also be simply nuts.
posted by From Bklyn at 11:16 AM on September 30 [6 favorites]
You guys are getting stressed? (j/k)
In the last decade or two of my life I've managed to prevent a significant amount of stress by just giving up. That sounds glib, I know, but it's only a slight exaggeration. Not the important stuff, that I can do something about, but you might be surprised how many things (most of which you have no control over anyway) you can stop caring about and still get along just fine. It's quite freeing.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:17 AM on September 30 [10 favorites]
In the last decade or two of my life I've managed to prevent a significant amount of stress by just giving up. That sounds glib, I know, but it's only a slight exaggeration. Not the important stuff, that I can do something about, but you might be surprised how many things (most of which you have no control over anyway) you can stop caring about and still get along just fine. It's quite freeing.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:17 AM on September 30 [10 favorites]
I've been retired for a couple of years now, but this morning I woke up from a dream about Windows configuration files. In the dream, I was stressed because a web search for information about the INI file structure unaccountably took me to a tourist website about a village in Iceland! Man, dreams are weird!
posted by SPrintF at 11:17 AM on September 30 [7 favorites]
posted by SPrintF at 11:17 AM on September 30 [7 favorites]
Candy and Diet Coke at my desk
Venting to my husband
A very loud playlist made up of soundtracks and musical theater songs for the drive home as I sing along at the top of my lungs. I figure that the people who see me when we are stopped at lights or in slowdowns get a laugh as well.
Writing in my paper calendar and making sure all the electronic versions match up.
What is with people starting meetings 5 minutes early in Teams?
posted by soelo at 11:29 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
Venting to my husband
A very loud playlist made up of soundtracks and musical theater songs for the drive home as I sing along at the top of my lungs. I figure that the people who see me when we are stopped at lights or in slowdowns get a laugh as well.
Writing in my paper calendar and making sure all the electronic versions match up.
What is with people starting meetings 5 minutes early in Teams?
posted by soelo at 11:29 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
Candy and Diet Coke at my desk
Not Mentos, I hope.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:44 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
Not Mentos, I hope.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:44 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
I do agree that giving up is frequently the best option!
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:46 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:46 AM on September 30 [1 favorite]
That's awesome SPrintF
Not sure if I've have ini files in my dreams, but so much other random shit creeps in. So fun.
And yes Greg_Ace at some point, giving up seems like an OK strat. We do the good we can do, and we fight for that as we can. Just wait until you get old, and sort of own your house, and you are set for retirement...
Then what do you do?
I'm very unlikely to come up with some cool idea that will make me a billionaire. I would do a lot more with billions than our current billionaires seem to be doing for good.
Dreams are so fun!
Been having a bunch lately where the plot points are things that are happening in real life.
(We have blocked off 3/4 of our backyard to try to get it to not be a mudpile. Dogs don't approve. Rabbits think it's pretty solid, as do the birbs that are eating all my grass seed, but I digress... And young dog, Mab, (Queen of the Faeries), is fucking Houdini in standard poodle form. So I keep having dreams where she has torn giant holes in the fencing we have, (which she does fairly frequently IRL...) )
posted by Windopaene at 11:53 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
Not sure if I've have ini files in my dreams, but so much other random shit creeps in. So fun.
And yes Greg_Ace at some point, giving up seems like an OK strat. We do the good we can do, and we fight for that as we can. Just wait until you get old, and sort of own your house, and you are set for retirement...
Then what do you do?
I'm very unlikely to come up with some cool idea that will make me a billionaire. I would do a lot more with billions than our current billionaires seem to be doing for good.
Dreams are so fun!
Been having a bunch lately where the plot points are things that are happening in real life.
(We have blocked off 3/4 of our backyard to try to get it to not be a mudpile. Dogs don't approve. Rabbits think it's pretty solid, as do the birbs that are eating all my grass seed, but I digress... And young dog, Mab, (Queen of the Faeries), is fucking Houdini in standard poodle form. So I keep having dreams where she has torn giant holes in the fencing we have, (which she does fairly frequently IRL...) )
posted by Windopaene at 11:53 AM on September 30 [3 favorites]
"dentist
clothes shoppi
too fancy weed store..."
Awesome advice
posted by Windopaene at 11:57 AM on September 30
clothes shoppi
too fancy weed store..."
Awesome advice
posted by Windopaene at 11:57 AM on September 30
At the age of 59, I have discovered a proper autistic stim: flap arms slowly like a cormorant and say "bloop, bloop, bloop" in time with the flaps. Best done in solitude or in the company of other autistic humans.
And in November, I return to Fes for a weekend! I'll be with a multinational group of Sufis and Sufi-adjacent folks, and prayer and visits to centuries-old Sufi lodges will be the focus, Insha Allah. Fes is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from my home in southern Spain, so this is easy, low-cost travel.
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 11:58 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
And in November, I return to Fes for a weekend! I'll be with a multinational group of Sufis and Sufi-adjacent folks, and prayer and visits to centuries-old Sufi lodges will be the focus, Insha Allah. Fes is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from my home in southern Spain, so this is easy, low-cost travel.
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 11:58 AM on September 30 [2 favorites]
What is with people starting meetings 5 minutes early in Teams?
Habitually dismiss instead of snoozing the meeting reminder and are too lazy to set a 1 minute warning, thus missing the meeting altogether. (This is me if I don’t set the 1 minute reminder).
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 12:18 PM on September 30 [2 favorites]
Habitually dismiss instead of snoozing the meeting reminder and are too lazy to set a 1 minute warning, thus missing the meeting altogether. (This is me if I don’t set the 1 minute reminder).
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 12:18 PM on September 30 [2 favorites]
What is with people starting meetings 5 minutes early in Teams?
The VP of Whatever wants company while he finishes his sandwich
posted by AzraelBrown at 12:25 PM on September 30
The VP of Whatever wants company while he finishes his sandwich
posted by AzraelBrown at 12:25 PM on September 30
I look at it the same as people wandering into the conference room 5 minutes before the meeting starts. They're looking for small talk or that "in the hallways/by the watercooler" chat that they used to get in the office.
posted by cooker girl at 12:40 PM on September 30 [5 favorites]
posted by cooker girl at 12:40 PM on September 30 [5 favorites]
The Serenity Prayer helps me with the worst of the anxiety, as does telling myself that if I get something done in the day, it's good enough, and thus I don't have to fret about everything at once, that sort of mental logjam that's both the cause and the result of stressing too much.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:59 PM on September 30 [3 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:59 PM on September 30 [3 favorites]
This past weekend was the Harvest Festival at the community farm where I volunteer. I have been in the ticket booth for a few years now: one other regular (adult) volunteer and I, plus a couple of high school kids who need community service hours.
In the past, there have been pony rides, but very few tickets are ever available -- like "fifty" because apparently the ponies can only work for a few hours and then they leave. They're like child actors. It's been my job to tell little kids who waited in line, "sorry, the ponies are all done" even though they can see a line of kids still getting their ride. EVERY YEAR I MAKE LITTLE GIRLS CRY. No one else -- no one -- will take this job.
Well, this year we had two pony companies, and we sold like 250 tickets, so only one kid got turned away. They even brought a full-size horse, and one adult bought a ticket for herself!
In summary, not making kids cry is a great way to be free to appreciate the fact that summer is ending, the harvest is in, and it was a joy to work this summer alongside friends and neighbors to feed hungry people in our town. The final hayride up to the high ground at sunset, where we paused for a toast, didn't hurt -- and having one of my kids there (who'd been driving a tractor all day) was the cherry on top of a great day.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:14 PM on September 30 [15 favorites]
In the past, there have been pony rides, but very few tickets are ever available -- like "fifty" because apparently the ponies can only work for a few hours and then they leave. They're like child actors. It's been my job to tell little kids who waited in line, "sorry, the ponies are all done" even though they can see a line of kids still getting their ride. EVERY YEAR I MAKE LITTLE GIRLS CRY. No one else -- no one -- will take this job.
Well, this year we had two pony companies, and we sold like 250 tickets, so only one kid got turned away. They even brought a full-size horse, and one adult bought a ticket for herself!
In summary, not making kids cry is a great way to be free to appreciate the fact that summer is ending, the harvest is in, and it was a joy to work this summer alongside friends and neighbors to feed hungry people in our town. The final hayride up to the high ground at sunset, where we paused for a toast, didn't hurt -- and having one of my kids there (who'd been driving a tractor all day) was the cherry on top of a great day.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:14 PM on September 30 [15 favorites]
Lol, mentos + soda overflow at my desk just before we move over to the other part of the office. If I was evil, I'd do it in a drawer. I am sure everyone else knew, but I didn't realize that it is still Monday. I did my Tuesday stuff overlapping on the call. Well now I can clean out my desk and maybe leave early tomorrow. Wednesday is a half day and then we are leaving for a week of leaf peeping!
posted by soelo at 1:40 PM on September 30 [1 favorite]
posted by soelo at 1:40 PM on September 30 [1 favorite]
What is with people starting meetings 5 minutes early in Teams?
Nobody wants to be late so everyone's overcompensating.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:49 PM on September 30
Nobody wants to be late so everyone's overcompensating.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:49 PM on September 30
Sometimes you're warned to log into (anything, not just Teams) early in case you have Technical Difficulties and that gives you time to reboot or whatever.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:57 PM on September 30 [2 favorites]
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:57 PM on September 30 [2 favorites]
I'm finally learning the wisdom of "five minutes early is on-time, and on-time is late". And the still frequent glitchiness of virtual meeting systems, as mentioned.
posted by Artful Codger at 2:02 PM on September 30 [3 favorites]
posted by Artful Codger at 2:02 PM on September 30 [3 favorites]
Stress. Lemme tell you about stress.
1) We're in the final week leading up to the party we're pulling together for my Mom's 90th birthday. Approx 3 months of difficult siblings and fretting Mom. Booking a place, catering arrangements, liquor licence, glasses rental, booking a hotel cos we don't live there and Mom's place will be full, etc etc. Today we made two lasagnas for the post party family dinner. Making a Spotify playlist. If you're in Southwestern Ontario this weekend, and at 12:01 AM of Oct 6, you hear this great big "Thaaaank Gaaaaddddddd! It's overrrrrrr!" ...that will be me.
2) The City wants to run construction trucks behind our back yard for like 3+ years, starting this fall some time. We only found out about it late July. Instant stress. I've ended up as sort of the point person and petition starter. Through some clever networking and sh1t-disturbing, my petition made it to 800 this week and it's still growing. Our city councillor offered me a 30 min meeting this Wednesday which I've accepted. Just a few minutes ago they sent me their agenda, and it screams "we're gonna listen to you and have a nice chat for maybe 18 min, and then we are going to, slowly and patiently, explain why we're not gonna grant a consultation". Then "thank you for expressing your concerns" and the connection will drop.
Right now I don't know whether to still take the meeting, or tell them that I caught the spoiler alert and that i want something more productive, and either redo the agenda, or reschedule for a longer meeting where I have to present.
Anyway, if you're in Toronto day after tomorrow, and you hear a great big "fuuuuuuck aaaaaAAAAWWWFFF!" at about 4:35 PM, that will be me, too.
...and I am well aware that these problems are Small Potatoes compared to others' difficulties, and reek of privilege, which I have in abundance. Still, I haven't been getting much sleep lately.
Last year at about this time, we were just about to fly off to France. - sigh - Now I'm wistfully humming "Free Man in Paris".
posted by Artful Codger at 2:14 PM on September 30 [4 favorites]
1) We're in the final week leading up to the party we're pulling together for my Mom's 90th birthday. Approx 3 months of difficult siblings and fretting Mom. Booking a place, catering arrangements, liquor licence, glasses rental, booking a hotel cos we don't live there and Mom's place will be full, etc etc. Today we made two lasagnas for the post party family dinner. Making a Spotify playlist. If you're in Southwestern Ontario this weekend, and at 12:01 AM of Oct 6, you hear this great big "Thaaaank Gaaaaddddddd! It's overrrrrrr!" ...that will be me.
2) The City wants to run construction trucks behind our back yard for like 3+ years, starting this fall some time. We only found out about it late July. Instant stress. I've ended up as sort of the point person and petition starter. Through some clever networking and sh1t-disturbing, my petition made it to 800 this week and it's still growing. Our city councillor offered me a 30 min meeting this Wednesday which I've accepted. Just a few minutes ago they sent me their agenda, and it screams "we're gonna listen to you and have a nice chat for maybe 18 min, and then we are going to, slowly and patiently, explain why we're not gonna grant a consultation". Then "thank you for expressing your concerns" and the connection will drop.
Right now I don't know whether to still take the meeting, or tell them that I caught the spoiler alert and that i want something more productive, and either redo the agenda, or reschedule for a longer meeting where I have to present.
Anyway, if you're in Toronto day after tomorrow, and you hear a great big "fuuuuuuck aaaaaAAAAWWWFFF!" at about 4:35 PM, that will be me, too.
...and I am well aware that these problems are Small Potatoes compared to others' difficulties, and reek of privilege, which I have in abundance. Still, I haven't been getting much sleep lately.
Last year at about this time, we were just about to fly off to France. - sigh - Now I'm wistfully humming "Free Man in Paris".
posted by Artful Codger at 2:14 PM on September 30 [4 favorites]
Just here to say how much I love the post title!
posted by pulposus at 4:53 PM on September 30 [3 favorites]
posted by pulposus at 4:53 PM on September 30 [3 favorites]
And both Dikembe Mutumbo and Pete Rose died today. One seems to have been a much better human than the other…
posted by Windopaene at 5:03 PM on September 30 [1 favorite]
posted by Windopaene at 5:03 PM on September 30 [1 favorite]
I have rediscovered the joys of buying paper books, but have been indulging slowly as I am Very Picky.
There are SO MANY romantasy books out there y'all. I'm not really into elves or werewolves romantically, so I go for what I call Cozy Horror (T. Kingfisher) or Cozy SciFi ( Becky Chambers, Naomi Kritzer). Other recs are welcome.
posted by emjaybee at 5:09 PM on September 30 [2 favorites]
There are SO MANY romantasy books out there y'all. I'm not really into elves or werewolves romantically, so I go for what I call Cozy Horror (T. Kingfisher) or Cozy SciFi ( Becky Chambers, Naomi Kritzer). Other recs are welcome.
posted by emjaybee at 5:09 PM on September 30 [2 favorites]
What is with people starting meetings 5 minutes early in Teams?
If it's 1:55 and I have a Zoom meeting at 2:00, I have five minutes to do something trivial, but the second I stop actively thinking about the fact that I have a meeting at 2:00, my brain will drop the meeting thread and I won't think of it again until 2:10. So I start the meeting at 1:55, and just leave it on while I do my trivial task.
posted by BrashTech at 5:12 PM on September 30 [6 favorites]
If it's 1:55 and I have a Zoom meeting at 2:00, I have five minutes to do something trivial, but the second I stop actively thinking about the fact that I have a meeting at 2:00, my brain will drop the meeting thread and I won't think of it again until 2:10. So I start the meeting at 1:55, and just leave it on while I do my trivial task.
posted by BrashTech at 5:12 PM on September 30 [6 favorites]
I think most of my stress relievers are pretty common - pet the dog, eat the sugar, drink the alcohol, scream the primal scream, google pictures of animals (I like otters, but Moo Deng and Pesto are trendy, qnd I am not immune to trends), yadda yadda.
I am too lazy to keep up with my own aquarium, but my city has a neat aquarium and a fun zoo, and if I have been having a really bad week, a trip to look at some fishes or watch some chimps hang out can do wonders for my mood.
posted by the primroses were over at 5:21 PM on September 30 [1 favorite]
I am too lazy to keep up with my own aquarium, but my city has a neat aquarium and a fun zoo, and if I have been having a really bad week, a trip to look at some fishes or watch some chimps hang out can do wonders for my mood.
posted by the primroses were over at 5:21 PM on September 30 [1 favorite]
My stress relieving hobby is making Ukrainian style eggs - the ones where you make a pattern in wax, dunk in some dye, rinse repeat. I learned when I was a kid because the mom of my classmate did them and thought our grade school class. I made more off and on over the years, but then really got into it again when I was on stress leave and saw some TikTok creators doing them.
It’s a very absorbing art form. I like thinking through a design, I like the smell of the beeswax, and I like how you don’t really know how it’s going to turn out until you melt all the wax off and see the final product. Basically, I can’t think about my stress when my brain is so engaged with this process. I probably made an egg a week over the course of three months leave? I gave some away, so I don’t have that many anymore. I’ve also made some into Christmas ornaments.
Right now I’m working on having a variety for each season to put out on display through the year.
posted by eekernohan at 5:48 PM on September 30 [6 favorites]
It’s a very absorbing art form. I like thinking through a design, I like the smell of the beeswax, and I like how you don’t really know how it’s going to turn out until you melt all the wax off and see the final product. Basically, I can’t think about my stress when my brain is so engaged with this process. I probably made an egg a week over the course of three months leave? I gave some away, so I don’t have that many anymore. I’ve also made some into Christmas ornaments.
Right now I’m working on having a variety for each season to put out on display through the year.
posted by eekernohan at 5:48 PM on September 30 [6 favorites]
I don't really have good ways to destress right now besides alcohol and it's not great. Exercise is good but I've been working my body too hard at the day job and have to watch it. You can work your fingers pretty hard before the bone shows, but the sprains and tendonitis and carpal tunnel show up far sooner...
I yelled at my mother and hung up on her for the first time in my life. She's held my parent plus student loan over my head for over ten years now (I pay it, it's a couple years away from paid off) and it's destroyed my relationship with her. The loan over head that is, not the yelling.
I don't really know how to recover from that one. I feel like a terrible person for getting worked up about it, but I just can't comprehend her perspective on these things. She's very financially comfortable. I am doing better, but have had rough years. I want to be clear I am up to date on payments, but have been erratic with the timing over the years.
I wish therapy and medical care was more accessible.
posted by jellywerker at 7:53 PM on September 30 [3 favorites]
I yelled at my mother and hung up on her for the first time in my life. She's held my parent plus student loan over my head for over ten years now (I pay it, it's a couple years away from paid off) and it's destroyed my relationship with her. The loan over head that is, not the yelling.
I don't really know how to recover from that one. I feel like a terrible person for getting worked up about it, but I just can't comprehend her perspective on these things. She's very financially comfortable. I am doing better, but have had rough years. I want to be clear I am up to date on payments, but have been erratic with the timing over the years.
I wish therapy and medical care was more accessible.
posted by jellywerker at 7:53 PM on September 30 [3 favorites]
Brat Summer is over besties, it's time to enter your historical era
posted by Gorgik at 9:39 PM on September 30 [5 favorites]
posted by Gorgik at 9:39 PM on September 30 [5 favorites]
Mod note: Many deleted: Extended rant / derail / fight about a misspelling of Barbra Streisand's name in an entirely different thread and related deletion. Hippybear, I'm giving you (at least) a time out. Just as an informational note, because I'm pretty sure no one has misused it before, the free thread is 100% for casual friendly chatting and community fun and relaxation. It is absolutely not meant to be hijacked for complaining about other users, other threads, the site, the mods, or pursuing or instigating conflict.
posted by taz (staff) at 1:27 AM on October 1 [20 favorites]
posted by taz (staff) at 1:27 AM on October 1 [20 favorites]
Foil, Arms and Hogg: Home Appliances Throw a Party.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 2:37 AM on October 1 [3 favorites]
posted by TheophileEscargot at 2:37 AM on October 1 [3 favorites]
I've been in homeless accommodation for a few weeks now and I can tell you that having a warm room, a bed and regular food have all reduced my stress levels compared to where they were out on the street.
Finally getting to see a psychiatrist and getting back on meds for bipolar disorder helped as well.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 3:07 AM on October 1 [22 favorites]
Finally getting to see a psychiatrist and getting back on meds for bipolar disorder helped as well.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 3:07 AM on October 1 [22 favorites]
Very good to read that some of your recent hardship has come to an end and that things are so much better now. An invaluable reminder not to take the basic building blocks of life for granted - for which many thanks thatwhichfalls
posted by dutchrick at 3:40 AM on October 1 [3 favorites]
posted by dutchrick at 3:40 AM on October 1 [3 favorites]
I worry at my fingernails. It’s not a great plan, honestly.
Life is okay. Spurred by a tag-along opportunity with my in-laws, my little family finally booked our first real vacation since 2019, a week+ of travel. Yesterday I totted up the leave time that that plus Thanksgiving plus etc etc will cost and I am trying not to worry at my fingernails about it. I tell myself: You will still have hours in the bank after this, and: Normal people take actual vacations instead of saving most of their annual leave for family doom, and: If doom does come you can just use sick leave, at this rate if you don’t take a real vacation you will burn out years before you’re eligible to reap retirement benefits for having hoarded it anyhow. It doesn’t help, I still fret, but we’re doing the thing and hopefully it will feel better once we do.
Hopefully this is not excessively political: I voted recently, absentee because I’ll also be traveling briefly around Election Day and didn’t want to chance it. All the press recently around our newly-centenarian Jimmy Carter wanting to hang on until Election Day made me wonder, what happens if I keel over before November 5? Does my ballot get counted? Is it supposed to?
posted by eirias at 6:15 AM on October 1 [3 favorites]
Life is okay. Spurred by a tag-along opportunity with my in-laws, my little family finally booked our first real vacation since 2019, a week+ of travel. Yesterday I totted up the leave time that that plus Thanksgiving plus etc etc will cost and I am trying not to worry at my fingernails about it. I tell myself: You will still have hours in the bank after this, and: Normal people take actual vacations instead of saving most of their annual leave for family doom, and: If doom does come you can just use sick leave, at this rate if you don’t take a real vacation you will burn out years before you’re eligible to reap retirement benefits for having hoarded it anyhow. It doesn’t help, I still fret, but we’re doing the thing and hopefully it will feel better once we do.
Hopefully this is not excessively political: I voted recently, absentee because I’ll also be traveling briefly around Election Day and didn’t want to chance it. All the press recently around our newly-centenarian Jimmy Carter wanting to hang on until Election Day made me wonder, what happens if I keel over before November 5? Does my ballot get counted? Is it supposed to?
posted by eirias at 6:15 AM on October 1 [3 favorites]
Oh, hey, I missed this. Well, happy SPOOPY SEASON friends!
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:28 AM on October 1 [2 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 6:28 AM on October 1 [2 favorites]
The answer to your question, eirias, is, as with just about everything: it depends.
posted by cooker girl at 6:30 AM on October 1 [2 favorites]
posted by cooker girl at 6:30 AM on October 1 [2 favorites]
Hey MeFites, my Internet pal Jack Fear (another Barbelith alumnus) has released this year Halloween Mixtape! It's titled: "Lady, That's My Skull." You find the archives here.
posted by Kitteh at 6:30 AM on October 1 [6 favorites]
posted by Kitteh at 6:30 AM on October 1 [6 favorites]
thank you Kitteh
my Lions Club coordinates a kids' Halloween Party every year and I've been playing the same Halloween mix CD for at least 3 years.. not from sheer laziness or lack of care, just always catches me off guard and I never get my shit together to find new tunes, and it has been bugging me so much! this is perfect
posted by ginger.beef at 7:44 AM on October 1 [2 favorites]
my Lions Club coordinates a kids' Halloween Party every year and I've been playing the same Halloween mix CD for at least 3 years.. not from sheer laziness or lack of care, just always catches me off guard and I never get my shit together to find new tunes, and it has been bugging me so much! this is perfect
posted by ginger.beef at 7:44 AM on October 1 [2 favorites]
"Knowing what the world holds and its ways, I desire nothing from it, nor chase after its prizes. My one craving is to be at peace, my one pleasure to live free of troubles."
And so Kamo no Chomei built himself a little hut ten feet square and lived there alone in a green valley with wisteria and the golden oriole to help his meditations in early 13th century Japan when sixty. A decade earlier, he abandoned his old home, took the tonsure (became a monk) and turned his back on the world.
Unlike Chomei who never had wife and children and so "no close ties that were difficult to break," I am happily married and love my children. And they love me. How could my breaking those ties be anything but a betrayal of not only them but also of myself? And yet and yet and yet..... how powerfully the Hojoki, (the essay in which he depicts and accounts for his path) speaks to me! How much I crave solitude and silence. How much I delight in being alone. How much easier it is to let go of my ego when alone and others are not requiring me to be this thing they call myself? Is it cowardice that holds me back? Am I missing something? Will I die without this experience? I am already 74. Is this simply one more of the antagonisms, the irresolvable contradictions of a human life? The questions are real not rhetorical for all that I am a happy man. Off now to cook dinner for my family!
posted by dutchrick at 8:58 AM on October 1 [4 favorites]
And so Kamo no Chomei built himself a little hut ten feet square and lived there alone in a green valley with wisteria and the golden oriole to help his meditations in early 13th century Japan when sixty. A decade earlier, he abandoned his old home, took the tonsure (became a monk) and turned his back on the world.
Unlike Chomei who never had wife and children and so "no close ties that were difficult to break," I am happily married and love my children. And they love me. How could my breaking those ties be anything but a betrayal of not only them but also of myself? And yet and yet and yet..... how powerfully the Hojoki, (the essay in which he depicts and accounts for his path) speaks to me! How much I crave solitude and silence. How much I delight in being alone. How much easier it is to let go of my ego when alone and others are not requiring me to be this thing they call myself? Is it cowardice that holds me back? Am I missing something? Will I die without this experience? I am already 74. Is this simply one more of the antagonisms, the irresolvable contradictions of a human life? The questions are real not rhetorical for all that I am a happy man. Off now to cook dinner for my family!
posted by dutchrick at 8:58 AM on October 1 [4 favorites]
Today was my first day at my new/old job. (I was rehired.) Some mothe--person in IT gave me an all new email rather than simply reactivating the old one. I have spent two days tracking all of the instances of this down and trying to have them changed. It's been awful. It's not just that it's annoying, it's that I am barely clinging onto my last bits of patience in explaining the issue.
I've got to find good vibes though, because tonight is birthday night for Comrade Doll (Mrs. DOT).
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:47 PM on October 1 [6 favorites]
I've got to find good vibes though, because tonight is birthday night for Comrade Doll (Mrs. DOT).
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:47 PM on October 1 [6 favorites]
Hm, why is it "spoopy" rather than "spooky?"
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:12 PM on October 1
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:12 PM on October 1
On October 15th, 2009, Flickr user Mike Woodridge uploaded a photo of a Halloween sign with the word "Spoopy" written in a skeleton-style font (picture)
After that it went viral, and here we spoopily are...
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:28 PM on October 1 [2 favorites]
After that it went viral, and here we spoopily are...
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:28 PM on October 1 [2 favorites]
Okay, let me tell a very long, very unsatisfying story that is both spoopy, and originally intended as stress relief. I got almost no sleep last night due to pain and just my usual many-years-long bout of insomnia, plus I had some sort of stressful stuff going on at the end of last week, and further stressful stuff coming up this week, and then late last night we got a weird phone call with nobody on the line but ambient noises, and we hung up figuring we'd been butt dialed, then it rang again and we just picked up without answering just to hear what was happening on the other end, and it turned out to be my parents ... who had just had a weird call exactly like we did, and was calling us to see if we had called them (this is all transcontinental and not happening at a normal time for us to contact each other); they only called once, so they were not the first strange call. So THAT was weird. And somewhat stressful.
But that's not even the story!!! The story is that because I was feeling rather stressed and achey, blah blah, tonight, I made myself a cocktail to drink while dinner was cooking. In the cocktail was four ice cubes, some lemon juice, a shot of brandy, about a tablespoon of Amaretto, and topped off by club soda up to the top of the (short) rocks glass. I only managed to drink about a third of it before dinner was done, and we decided to go ahead and eat. The glass was sitting by my laptop on my desk in the bedroom. When I went back to my desk after supper, there was ... something ... in my drink. I know not what! It's about 2 inches long, and about a quarter inch wide. It's soft and dark. It does not have head, legs, wings or tail. It pulls apart, but it does not dissolve or fray, so it has some kind of substance integrity. There's no one here but my husband and me, and we were both in the other room eating. I did not have an overhead fan or a window open (not in the bedroom, or anywhere else in the apartment, and also it's not windy out). We don't have a pet in the house (sadly). We share a building cat, but she wasn't here.
We looked at it with magnifying glass and flashlight, but we can't make heads or tails of it. Tomorrow, Mr. taz will pull out his microscope and have a look. But tonight, I'm just feeling a little spoopy. I don't see how this ... whatever ... thing, substance, ectoplasm (jk) could have come from any of the drink ingredients without me noticing. I mean these are small amounts, and the kitchen was bright, and it's just too damn big not to notice while making the drink, and then also having several sips. Impossible. So it was somehow introduced while we were in the other room. But how? And what the hell is it?
And hopefully there won't be any more like items showing up in the middle of what is probably going to be not exactly a restful night. :(
So, yeah. Unsatisfying end of only slightly spoopy story, but I'll update with whatever we manage to find out tomorrow.
posted by taz at 2:08 PM on October 1 [6 favorites]
But that's not even the story!!! The story is that because I was feeling rather stressed and achey, blah blah, tonight, I made myself a cocktail to drink while dinner was cooking. In the cocktail was four ice cubes, some lemon juice, a shot of brandy, about a tablespoon of Amaretto, and topped off by club soda up to the top of the (short) rocks glass. I only managed to drink about a third of it before dinner was done, and we decided to go ahead and eat. The glass was sitting by my laptop on my desk in the bedroom. When I went back to my desk after supper, there was ... something ... in my drink. I know not what! It's about 2 inches long, and about a quarter inch wide. It's soft and dark. It does not have head, legs, wings or tail. It pulls apart, but it does not dissolve or fray, so it has some kind of substance integrity. There's no one here but my husband and me, and we were both in the other room eating. I did not have an overhead fan or a window open (not in the bedroom, or anywhere else in the apartment, and also it's not windy out). We don't have a pet in the house (sadly). We share a building cat, but she wasn't here.
We looked at it with magnifying glass and flashlight, but we can't make heads or tails of it. Tomorrow, Mr. taz will pull out his microscope and have a look. But tonight, I'm just feeling a little spoopy. I don't see how this ... whatever ... thing, substance, ectoplasm (jk) could have come from any of the drink ingredients without me noticing. I mean these are small amounts, and the kitchen was bright, and it's just too damn big not to notice while making the drink, and then also having several sips. Impossible. So it was somehow introduced while we were in the other room. But how? And what the hell is it?
And hopefully there won't be any more like items showing up in the middle of what is probably going to be not exactly a restful night. :(
So, yeah. Unsatisfying end of only slightly spoopy story, but I'll update with whatever we manage to find out tomorrow.
posted by taz at 2:08 PM on October 1 [6 favorites]
taz I am strangely invested in your slightly spoopy story and look forward to an update.
Spouse has the first of a series of follow-up appointments tomorrow. His current level of physical activity is restricted to “brisk walk” which he is NOT HAPPY about.
While air travel is out (I really need to cancel those tickets, even though part of me is “eff it, not like I’m getting the money back anyway”) we maintain hope that the GP will at least OK a short road trip. So I’ll take on the stress of planning a last minute road trip into western New York. Buffalo seems to have some fun stuff going on right now. Passports are up to date, so maybe a visit to one of the cuter towns near the Falls. Spouse and I can ooh and ahh over the leaves and kiddo can be bored.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 3:22 PM on October 1 [4 favorites]
Spouse has the first of a series of follow-up appointments tomorrow. His current level of physical activity is restricted to “brisk walk” which he is NOT HAPPY about.
While air travel is out (I really need to cancel those tickets, even though part of me is “eff it, not like I’m getting the money back anyway”) we maintain hope that the GP will at least OK a short road trip. So I’ll take on the stress of planning a last minute road trip into western New York. Buffalo seems to have some fun stuff going on right now. Passports are up to date, so maybe a visit to one of the cuter towns near the Falls. Spouse and I can ooh and ahh over the leaves and kiddo can be bored.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 3:22 PM on October 1 [4 favorites]
I was just informed that Cleveland is the preferred roadtrip destination, due to the existence of a Micro Center in the vicinity.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 4:57 PM on October 1
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 4:57 PM on October 1
I had some very odd and random dreams last night, but out of that morass came what will be my new mantra as I turn out the light, pull up the covers, and close my eyes every evening: "Takin' care o' bedness..."
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:43 AM on October 2 [2 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:43 AM on October 2 [2 favorites]
Cleveland is the preferred roadtrip destination
Years ago, I was going on a trip with my mother to Cincinatti and Columbus and I was talking to a woman in New Jersey about being off work the next week. She asked me where I was going, and I told her "Ohio". She replied, "Oh, so you like cows and farms and stuff?"
posted by soelo at 8:49 AM on October 2 [1 favorite]
Years ago, I was going on a trip with my mother to Cincinatti and Columbus and I was talking to a woman in New Jersey about being off work the next week. She asked me where I was going, and I told her "Ohio". She replied, "Oh, so you like cows and farms and stuff?"
posted by soelo at 8:49 AM on October 2 [1 favorite]
Taz, the suspense is killing me - what the hell was that thing in your drink?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:48 AM on October 3 [2 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:48 AM on October 3 [2 favorites]
Sorrrrrry! I got busy with some other stuff! So. The spoopy has been examined, and it has SEEDS. Mr. taz believes it is a partial rib from the inside of a pepper, and I think he's probably right, but it's still pretty weird. We figure it must have come from one of the ice cubes, but it was too big, so it must have expanded. Also it was very dark, which I would have noticed in a cube. (they came from an ordinary ice cube tray, and I took them out by hand one by one.)
So if it's a bit of pepper innards, it had to be quite light colored and small when it somehow got into the ice cube tray (another odd thing because of how I fill the trays: I hold in one hand and pour water from the Brita filter with the other and then put into the freezer), and then expanded and turned dark once it melted into the drink.
At any rate, the anti-climactic answer is that it seems to be non-alien non-supernatural organic matter that is most likely pepper reproductive parts.
posted by taz at 9:03 AM on October 3 [1 favorite]
So if it's a bit of pepper innards, it had to be quite light colored and small when it somehow got into the ice cube tray (another odd thing because of how I fill the trays: I hold in one hand and pour water from the Brita filter with the other and then put into the freezer), and then expanded and turned dark once it melted into the drink.
At any rate, the anti-climactic answer is that it seems to be non-alien non-supernatural organic matter that is most likely pepper reproductive parts.
posted by taz at 9:03 AM on October 3 [1 favorite]
My kid asked for help picking out a horror movie to watch with his girlfriend.
"You could watch this one, if you want to take it easy on her."
Her: "I'm not five years old!"
"I know. This movie is rated R and pretty scary. What I mean is it doesn't like, have anyone being cut in half lengthwise or pushed through a deli slicer."
"Oh."
Kiddo: "Yeah, we uh, watch some messed up stuff."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:39 AM on October 3 [1 favorite]
"You could watch this one, if you want to take it easy on her."
Her: "I'm not five years old!"
"I know. This movie is rated R and pretty scary. What I mean is it doesn't like, have anyone being cut in half lengthwise or pushed through a deli slicer."
"Oh."
Kiddo: "Yeah, we uh, watch some messed up stuff."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:39 AM on October 3 [1 favorite]
Fridge update: I asked about the fridge, not the freezer, they refuse to work on it until I clean out the entire freezer. I have been slowly cleaning that out, but haven't finished yet, and I can't get any of my friends to take anything in it. Sigh.
Also, I have to get my oil changed and great, another reason to have to be out of the office when I'm not supposed to be. Two more months of this to go.
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:18 PM on October 3 [1 favorite]
Also, I have to get my oil changed and great, another reason to have to be out of the office when I'm not supposed to be. Two more months of this to go.
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:18 PM on October 3 [1 favorite]
So, the community garden bake sale will be in a week. And this is not your average bake sale....one of the founding members is an AMAZING baker. I think the backstory is that at one point he'd considered moving back to his home country and opening a bakery, so he went through the baking program at the Culinary Institute of America first; but then after going through the whole program, he realized "....screw that, I don't wanna run a business." So he decided to just....be good at baking.
He has just announced to the group his plans for what he's making this year:
a plum torte, using plums from our garden's tree
a plum pie
curry turkey empanadas
salmon or tuna empanadas
spanakopita
Chinese roast pork buns
ricotta cheese cake
some loaves of sourdough
"and maybe a few other things".
This dude is FREAKIN' AMAZING. There are people in the neighborhood that come and drop like $50 at the sale buying up two or three of everything, and one told me that she does this because she goes home, wraps everything up and freezes it, and then spends a year gradually eating her way through it - and then after a year she's all "yay, it's time for the bake sale again, time to reload!"
It's like the GREAT BRITISH BAKEOFF in there, seriously.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:36 PM on October 3 [5 favorites]
He has just announced to the group his plans for what he's making this year:
a plum torte, using plums from our garden's tree
a plum pie
curry turkey empanadas
salmon or tuna empanadas
spanakopita
Chinese roast pork buns
ricotta cheese cake
some loaves of sourdough
"and maybe a few other things".
This dude is FREAKIN' AMAZING. There are people in the neighborhood that come and drop like $50 at the sale buying up two or three of everything, and one told me that she does this because she goes home, wraps everything up and freezes it, and then spends a year gradually eating her way through it - and then after a year she's all "yay, it's time for the bake sale again, time to reload!"
It's like the GREAT BRITISH BAKEOFF in there, seriously.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:36 PM on October 3 [5 favorites]
he realized "....screw that, I don't wanna run a business." So he decided to just....be good at baking.
I totally get that. Earlier in my life I thought about how much I enjoyed cooking and whether that might be a viable career path for me. But then I read books like Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential and Bill Buford's Heat, and while I thoroughly enjoyed both books they made me realize that hell no I am not cut out for restaurant work.
But if I didn't live 3000 miles away, hell yes would I come and drop some coin at that bake sale!
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:18 PM on October 3 [1 favorite]
I totally get that. Earlier in my life I thought about how much I enjoyed cooking and whether that might be a viable career path for me. But then I read books like Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential and Bill Buford's Heat, and while I thoroughly enjoyed both books they made me realize that hell no I am not cut out for restaurant work.
But if I didn't live 3000 miles away, hell yes would I come and drop some coin at that bake sale!
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:18 PM on October 3 [1 favorite]
Also, "some loaves of sourdough" would be a good username.
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:18 PM on October 3
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:18 PM on October 3
I am officially a Loop earplug convert. I ordered a pairs for sleeping and concerts at a friend’s suggestion. I tested the sleeping plugs out on a trip a couple of weeks ago and actually slept. I took the concert plugs to Dave & Buster’s last night (a place I usually avoid as it is so loud) and the experience was so much better that I came home and ordered a third pair, designed for social situations (like Dave & Buster’s) to just keep in my everyday carry from now on.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 4:30 AM on October 4 [1 favorite]
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 4:30 AM on October 4 [1 favorite]
But if I didn't live 3000 miles away, hell yes would I come and drop some coin at that bake sale!
He's not the only intense-level baker, either! The first year I was with the garden one guy brought red wine red velvet cupcakes, another year someone brought these blueberry and white-chocolate-chip cookies (the blueberries were juiced and so the cookies were blue with the white chips - looked weird but tasted fantastic), someone brought 3 different kinds of shortbread last year, and one year we had four completely different chocolate cakes that each happened to cater to a different special diet (we had the standard cake, the gluten-free cake, the vegan cake, the keto cake....)
But those pork buns....they come every year. My first year with the sale we had two instances where someone wandered by and bought a few things including one of the pork buns, and then wandered off - but then returned five minutes later with a slightly eager look and asked, "Can I get another one of those pork buns?....."
Last year there was also this vegan bakery and coffee shop around the corner, and one of the baristas came over to us on her lunch break; she bought up about five or six things, and then before she left, she looked around herself as if she was checking to see if anyone was listening. Then she leaned in, whispered to us "Your stuff's better than ours!" and ran off.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:44 AM on October 4 [1 favorite]
He's not the only intense-level baker, either! The first year I was with the garden one guy brought red wine red velvet cupcakes, another year someone brought these blueberry and white-chocolate-chip cookies (the blueberries were juiced and so the cookies were blue with the white chips - looked weird but tasted fantastic), someone brought 3 different kinds of shortbread last year, and one year we had four completely different chocolate cakes that each happened to cater to a different special diet (we had the standard cake, the gluten-free cake, the vegan cake, the keto cake....)
But those pork buns....they come every year. My first year with the sale we had two instances where someone wandered by and bought a few things including one of the pork buns, and then wandered off - but then returned five minutes later with a slightly eager look and asked, "Can I get another one of those pork buns?....."
Last year there was also this vegan bakery and coffee shop around the corner, and one of the baristas came over to us on her lunch break; she bought up about five or six things, and then before she left, she looked around herself as if she was checking to see if anyone was listening. Then she leaned in, whispered to us "Your stuff's better than ours!" and ran off.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:44 AM on October 4 [1 favorite]
[sneers, puts on Billy Idol voice]
IT'S A NICE DAY FOR
LIGHT SWEATER
IT'S A NICE DAY FOR A
CARDIGAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:11 AM on October 4 [6 favorites]
IT'S A NICE DAY FOR
LIGHT SWEATER
IT'S A NICE DAY FOR A
CARDIGAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:11 AM on October 4 [6 favorites]
He eats a standard cake
He eats a gluten-free cake
He eats a vegan cake
He eats a keto cake
--Chumbawumba, Cakethumping
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:06 AM on October 4 [3 favorites]
He eats a gluten-free cake
He eats a vegan cake
He eats a keto cake
--Chumbawumba, Cakethumping
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:06 AM on October 4 [3 favorites]
« Older time | "Wicked, complex, systemic… a task for the... Newer »
My unusual stress reliever is shuffling a deck of cards. I don't know why, it just calms me down.
posted by cooker girl at 7:33 AM on September 30 [6 favorites]