Whether you’re eating turkey or hotel cheese and chocolate strawberries, have a wonderful day! Forget Thanksgiving if you wish, but I should mention that I’m grateful for all of you and Nicole and Mallory and art history and food and all things that are still good and right in this world. Open thread like the wind!
(See you back here on Monday.)
Tags: open thread
CAT THREAD
If open thread happens tomorrow, too, we’ll just have DOUBLE THE CATS
Bonny has been a naughty fuzzbutt with my knitting (pls ignore mess)
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And I also wanted to show you this one of Anne and Bonny, which I think accurately displays their respective personalities
Saffron has temporarily vanished, she has a hiding place in the flat I’ve not found yet. So here she is a few years back about to join me in the bath.
And fatboy in a box. He is currently in the bag of carrier bags behind the TV.
The other night, I slid off my pillow as I slept, and my angry old cat seized the opportunity to sprawl on top of it. I woke up around 4 AM because, not satisfied with simply stealing my pillow, she had also begun to whip me rather vigorously in the face with her tail.
Moxie sometimes tries to hump my leg at night. Why can’t he cuddle and steal pillows like normal cats?!
Bonny sneaks into bed, climbs under the covers, applies just enough claw to get my husband and I to shuffle apart, and then squeezes herself into the gap.
There are no normal cats.
My rabbits have started humping each other. They are both spayed/neutered and even though they’ve been living together for a year and a half, I’ve only recently noticed this behaviour. It’s a bit alarming – they just jackhammer away at each other with wild abandon.
When Saffron wants attention when I’m working, she stands on the windowsill behind me and hits me repeatedly on the head with her tail. Normally when I’m on a work call.
I won’t be on the Toast tomorrow, so I’m glad I get to post these now!
Moxie will not stand for lip chap to be on my desk. Yesterday he was very sleepy and lazy so I decided to taunt him with it. Here is his attempt to get rid of it without actually having to get up.
Stage 1: The Staredown
Stage 2: Intimidation
Stage 3: Use of Supernatural Cat-Stretchy Abilities
I heart Moxie.
I actually cackled out loud at that sequence. Well played!
I’ve miiiiissed Moxie since I haven’t been on open thread for a while! He’s such a funny little darling.
Atticus is currently trying to circumvent the barrier to the mantle I’ve put up this morning, with, of course, an alarming degree of success. But here he is in a moment of Extreme Cat Dignity:
Belleh rub time!
No pics of my cats. They are locked up in the back bedroom for trying to steal a bite (or two, or ten) of everything I’m making. Raw dough? Check. Sweet potato? Check. Flour? I’d like to lick that.
My cat literally started licking flour while i am making clover rolls omgggg
Same here! Was also making clover rolls while the goddamn cats waited for their opportunity.
They also like licking vegetable oil for some reason. 🙁
You guys, a house burnt down on my street last week. A lady died and it was horrible, and I just learned yesterday that the neighbourhood’s beloved cat died from smoke inhalation. This cat loved everyone, and would just do the rounds from house to house, demanding belly rubs. There’s so much sorrow on my street now.
Oh, poor little kitty. And the poor woman, too.
Oh that is so sad all around.
Cats are great knitting helpers.
He was worried your project wouldn’t get enough cat hair on it, so he decided to help you knit it into the piece as well
Who else is at work? (it’s not a holiday in Canada)
How will we entertain ourselves!?
I am not technically at work since I finished 3/4 of an hour ago, but I am gaining brownie points and time off next week by hanging about waiting for an OPEC meeting to end and one of our American lot to send me a report on it to edit, since all the US editors are giving thanks. Apparently it’s of earthshattering importance that it goes online tonight. As I work at home and wasnt’ planning to go out anyway it is very little problem for me to sit around and wait for it.
We will have to talk amongst ourselves, I suppose! Let’s see if I have any good links…. Hmm, not at the moment, so I’ll say this: I’m going to VEGAS tomorrow! I’ve never had the urge to go but three weeks ago my boyfriend and I were like “let’s just fucking do it.”
We’re taking a helicopter tour of the grand canyon and I could not be more excited.
Any good Vegas stories or suggestions or warnings?
Vegas! Don’t forget to eat – that happens to me when I go. I like old vegas/fremont more than the strip, it seems a bit less manufactured to me. I have also enjoyed “Slots of Fun” by Circus Circus for a weird old experience. Do you like dive bars? Look up “The Double Down” it’s an old punk bar somewhere off strip.
100% forgot to eat!
That helicopter tour of the grand canyon is AWESOME, have fun! I also enjoyed the Wicked Spoon – the food was delightful and I really, really loved all the tiny cool single-serve containers.
Look for the Drink & Drag (or is it Drag & Drink) on Fremont. It’s a bit tucked back, but so worth it. It’s a bowling alley/bar staffed by drag queens and pretty boys in underpants. I got the most epic free pour of my life there. We ordered vodka and pineapple juice and I believe it was 3/4 vodka in each serving. Fremont is the best.
I am at work (and also Canadian) but only until noon, so at least that’s some comfort.
Also Canadian, also at work. I am entertaining myself by reflecting that, between the state of the world this week and various family crises and dramas that are either very recent or ongoing, I’m SO GLAD I am not a USian with an obligation to find something to celebrate right now.
If I am gonna be thankful for anything, I’m glad that after work today and tomorrow, and all weekend, I can be cranky and antisocial and do nothing but play video games and watch cartoons. I’ll be festive later. (Maybe.)
I am at work and have spent most of the morning in an underslept stupor.
I went to the symphony last night! It was pretty great, but I forgot that my tendency is to sort of check out and start rehearsing funny stories in my head, or plan out my retirement, or … I think last night it was structuring an academic event I’m hosting in a few months. So, maybe I missed most of Petrouchka. Whatevs.
Also at work and in Canada! How I am going to distract myself without a bunch of internet to read!? It’s also blizzarding where I am today and I really wish i was just curled up at home in bed with my cats.
Me! But my boss took us to lunch so I got Swiss Chalet lunch, which was unexpected. (Not for holidays but for office birthdays, instead.)
EATING MY FESTIVE LINDOR TRUFFLES NOW THANK YOU
mmmm, lindor…
Also at work, just finished a rushed project early but my manager has been missing for over 45 minutes so I can’t do anything else, doubling down on Canadian exceptionalism by catching up on the latest Sloan album.
My god, they’re still putting out albums? I am OLD.
they finally did that thing they kept threatening in the 1990s where each of them gets to fill one side of a double album!
My manager called a team-wide work from home day for today (we do it once a month to test our business continuity plan) so I’m working but still in pajamas.
UGH I will have to actually write my paper and there’s no internet to distract me 🙁 🙁 🙁
I forgot that there might be an open thread today, so I didn’t check the Toast and have been working all day instead, like a CHUMP.
SO I am learning to knit and am apparently doing quite well? I got a persona to teach me how to make toe-up socks in the round and she said I mastered the cast on faster than anyone else she taught?
So, I am being smug.
Anyway, I am making some socks right now, and also some fingerless mitts for my mum. When I’m done, I’m going to make myself a BisexuCowl. (Cowl in the colours of the Bi Flag)
Thanksgiving doesn’t happening where I am (The British don’t GIVE THANKS. It was rightfully ours anyway) and the internet is so quiet. So quiet.
You should be smug! I am extra impressed with this given that you just learned. I still knit mostly flat things, and find it NOT AT ALL RELAXING.
Awesome! I have been knitting for three years and have still only managed one successful pair of socks, so you should totally be smug.
This year I’m knitting an alot for my mom for Christmas. She’s such a grammar nerd, she’ll love it.
An alot!!!! Thank you for bringing this pattern to my attention.
I am now regretting more than ever being taught four times how to knit and forgetting it every time. I want that alot! [My auto-correct remade that into a lot…]
That looks better than my first sock did! Can I ask, are you using the Silver’s Sock Class tutorial? That’s what I did, and it looks really similar! Good luck with the rest.
Also yes on the internet being eerily quiet today…
Hah, I found the tweet about my first sock. It has a picture, too – including the boy’s hairy leg. https://twitter.com/HedInTheCloud/status/33724214…
possibly, I don’t know! I’m using the pattern and advice given to me by the manager of one of my local yarns stores. I gave her £15 to teach me and she was very good.
I quoted you at MrChouffe and he got a big laugh out of the British thanks-owing 🙂
Nice! I didn’t tackle socks for like six years after learning to knit.
(And I’ve never done toe-up — I usually just modify the standard Beretta socks pattern as needed.)
I’m thinking about leg warmers seriously, for the first time in my life. I’ve never worn skirts and dresses to this extent, or had to commute by bicycle through the winter, before.
Leg warmer patterns plz!
I would like to learn to knit socks but am failing. I envy your sock precocity.
I wouldn’t have been able to do it without someone to show me. Youtube videos have been good for everything except this, which is fairly complicated. If there’s a yarn store near you, it might be worth seeing if they do one-on-one lessons? I find it easier if there’s someone there to say ‘oh, here’s how to fix that’ if I make a mistake.
I just came back from my first knitting lesson! If everything goes well, I’ll have a lovely soft merino wool hat in a couple hours.
Excellent sock! I am a big fan of the toe-up sock as it means you can try it on as you go – useful for people with yeti-sized feet (ie me).
Looking great! And you should be smug, I’ve knit all kinds of things and I still can’t figure out toe-up.
We had our dinner very early and so I now have time to watch Inspector Lewis and knit. I’ve got a shawl going.
I am very glad I don’t work tomorrow because it’s been a struggle getting through today without Toastie things. yayyyyy Canada.
I am feeling ill and tired, and guilty about it because I feel like everyone around me is working much harder. I also have lots of coursework deadlines coming up fast, so need to be working, but am not feeling up to anything much. 🙁 Body, why are you useless?
Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating it!
Oh noooo bodies are so inconvenient sometimes, right? Try to be super nice to yours (and yourself) if you can, okay? I also feel the pressure of Looming Coursework Deadlines, so I am right there with you on the tiredness and stress. The good–yet stressful–news is it’ll be over soon enough, and hopefully you’ll have some time to recuperate before your next semester or quarter or however your schedule works! Sending you super good vibes and wishing you well!
Sadly no – I have six pieces of cousework to do over the Christmas break – but I will not have lectures, so that should help. Good luck to you too!
I’m excited about Thanksgiving this year precisely because I don’t have to spend it with extended family. Which is kind of a terrible thing to say but considering how much they stress me out and make me feel terrible, I don’t feel THAT bad saying it.
Instead, I’m home with my dad and brother (mom’s at work) and we’re probably going to eat corn dogs and play Scrabble to reenact the Thanksgiving we spent at a deer lease a million years ago. It’s my dad’s favorite Thanksgiving memory.
The bad news is, I have a thousand things to do before the semester ends, so while I’m at home, I’m trying desperately to catch up on research and reading. Anyone else in the same boat?
Bad: I had a dentist appointment at 8 AM – not the best way to start off the day! I hadn’t been to the dentist in about 4 years years, so I was long overdue. I don’t have any cavities or other issues, but I do have to go back in 3 weeks for another cleaning because the hygienist didn’t have enough time to tackle all my teeth. That’ll teach me to neglect my dental health.
(ALSO, THE DENTIST IS EXPENSIVE, HOLY FUCK. This was my first visit where I actually had to pay for it myself because I was on my parents’ insurance before. Husband’s insurance will pay back most of it so it’s not a huge disaster, but it took some effort to keep my facial expression steady when the receptionist said, “That will be $400.”)
Good: I might be getting my current job contract extended for a few months! This is not the most thrilling or fulfilling job I’ve ever had but it sure beats unemployment, so I’ll take it until something else turns up.
I haven’t been to the dentist since August of 2013 and I’m absolutely petrified of going again. I want to find a dentist who will take my insurance and also stone the fuck out of me.
Excellent news on the contract! Here’s hoping it gives you the time you need to find your best job.
Happy thanksgiving everyone! I have a cold and my dog has explosive diarrhea. I made a pie anyway. Thank goodness we are not hosting – that would be a disaster.
Aw, poor both of you. Hope you’re both on the mend soon. And that the pie is delicious.
I’m sitting on the counter eating generic brand “Crispy Fried Onion Bits” from the can because I am functionally useless in the kitchen and my mom told me to stop helping.
This actually sounds pretty great to me. Is it great for you? I hope it can be great for you.
I am having an orphan thanksgiving this year being across the country from all of my family. So far I have started assembly my book christmas tree, had my pick of parking spots, am cooking great vegan food, and have unobstructed access to the complex’s washer and dryer. It’s like it’s my birthday!
I’m making vegan food too! What are you making?
Fallen London thread! What has everyone been up to this week?
I spent the week digging around in the Forgotten Quarter looking for eyeless skulls. I just need one more and then I can enter the Cave of the Nadir. I’ve gone mad from nightmares several times (it seems like the laudanum is becoming less effective as time goes on) but I’ve also made a tidy profit from relics, brass rings and the advanced items I was able to create from all the clues and secrets I found. And my Watchful has gone up about 13 points.
Also, somebody has undertaken to seduce me! I am in no way opposed to this.
I just played through the Dadd Wing story that was for Sunless Sea backers and it was wonderful. It had Parabola and my favorite bad ideas. A++ would play again.
Also: Inpiun! I forget your Toast name, but I have memorialized our rat posting war in a Tumblr post and Failbetter Games has reblogged it. B) http://toushindai.tumblr.com/post/103641621510/th…
It’s not over yet. So not over. You’ll have to add a follow-up to your post.
I’m hunting strange creatures for the tiger labyrinth, and getting horribly injured and spending days in bed. Also, I think I might have got involved in some kind of criminal enterprise by accident.
I’m actually really disappointed that this comment wasn’t one that wound up outside the thread. It would have been wonderful without context.
Grinding, grinding, grinding … and regretting not buying the Sunless Sea pledge level that included the Dadd Wing, because damn those snippets look tantalising.
I’ve been collecting antique mysteries so I can get into the Royal Bethlehem. I stole most of them from Feducci, but also traded in a trade secret and all my jade. I now I have 49 of them! Also I went to Wilmot’s End for the first time ever and came away with a whirring contraption, which I haven’t decided on a use for yet.
I’m so looking forward to the Cave of Nadir! How many eyeless skulls do you need? I have 2 saved. How did you get to archaeologist 5 – just by repeating the thieves’ cache and shrine of Deep Blue Heaven? I’m only on archaeologist 3 and don’t know how much energy it’ll take to get to archaeologist 5.
You only *need* one. There’s one option for getting into the Nadir that I think takes something like four or five more, but that’s not the only choice–I had so much difficulty securing my first skull that I went for the option to pay a chunk of Echoes instead. Much preferable, for me.
Thanks! I understand it better now – you *need* the first one, then the rest are if you want to buy a ray-drenched cinder with skulls instead of cash-money. I’ll ponder my strategy for the future…
To get into the Cave once you’re found it, you need a Ray-Drenched Cinder. You can buy one for 400 Echoes (lol nope) or 50 Fate (also lol nope), or you can get one from the Revolutionaries in exchange for 5 eyeless skulls or by trading in favours IF you have Connected: Revolutionaries of at least 100.
And yeah, to get your archeologist up, you just have to keep doing expeditions.
Thank you! Hmm, I’ll work on my archaeologist quality first then, and make actually getting into the cave a long-term strategy. Would you like to borrow a skull if you’re wanting to get in the cave soonish? As you say you’re only one shy of the 6 needed. It’ll probably be ages before I get round to doing it, and you could source another skull to return to me? I’m BaronBenas on Fallen London.
ALSO also, I got an opportunity card to cash in my Counting the Days and Spending Secrets, and I picked an option that was “a matter of luck (pretty good odds)” and failed and lost all my Counting the Days quality D:
I am DEATHLY BORED. All of my stats are between 50 and 60, which is apparently a VAST AND EMPTY WASTELAND, where you’re not getting any new stories in the starting areas but you aren’t quite high enough to do anything in the higher-level areas. So I’m boredly grinding away at my Dangerous. Maybe I’ll die of Wounds, that would be an interesting change at least.
did you choose an Ambition? I remember going through a lot of my Ambition when in the 50s and 60s. (Light fingers!) Also buying a piece of equipment or a nice animal companion might artificially bop you up faster so that you can do more interesting things. (I am SO fond of my Malevolent Monkey, who still needs a name, and also Nemo, my Salt Weasel).
As for me, I just got back from a big archaeological dig of the Serpent Gallery (where a strange orchidean dream man helped me frustrate my rivals and gifted me boxes of tools and lemonade). I am now grinding away a bit myself: catching animals for the Tiger Labyrinth, alternating with educating Lyme, a very slow Clay Man, and teaching him how to do things like use a fork and greet small children without terrifying them.
Yes, I have a Nemesis, but I tore through it at earlier levels — since it was mostly Dangerous, which is one of my preferred skills — and now to advance it any further I have to get to the Shuttered Palace. Whatever I do, I have a fair amount of grinding to do to get there, either on my skills or on collecting items to unlock the 60+ zones, but I’m feeling more cheerful about it today than I was yesterday because I did finally get my Dangerous up to like 59 and now I can do something else.
oh, that’s good – glad you are enjoying it again. For whatever reason I disliked Dangerous at first but it is really interesting in the end, especially once you begin capturing animals for Mr. Inch and dangerous animals pop up all over the map. It’s funny how we do all have quite strong different preferences in the game — mimicking real life? in opposition to real life? Mine is Watchfulness.
When you get to the Shuttered Palace, if I may make a suggestion, do avoid the Chamberlain’s games. He really does strip you naked and throw you into the moat if you lose, and it costs a fair bit of Persuasiveness too. Very unpleasant! I learned the hard way.
I am so grateful the open thread is here today! It’s not a holiday where I am (the Netherlands), and work was so frustrating today that I cried for the first time. I mean, on the one hand, it’s fantastic that it took almost eleven months – during my PhD I was crying at work almost weekly. But it still sucks, because I was hoping I’d never have that powerless feeling again.
On the other hand: deadline for this blasted thing is next week, so the agony can’t last much longer. And I am going to drink wine tonight. Lots of wine. (I have such healthy coping mechanisms)
It’s healthier if you’re not drinking alone, right? Well, in that case, I will join you with a glass. Skål from the south of Sweden!
Wine on Thanksgiving: it’s not just for making it through awkward mealtimes gatherings!
Sorry to hear you had a shitty day.
Cheers to you, and hugs if you want them. Hang in there. You’re tougher than you think.
Tongue-in-cheek aside: I feel that crying at work (or in public in general) is one of those .•*¨*•♫♪sisterhood.•*¨*•♫♪ things, like, just think of how many amazing women who have gone before us have also cried at work, and now you are carrying the torch. Welcome to the sisterhood! 🙂
Awh, thank you all. It’s so nice to be able to come here and get sympathy basically on demand 🙂 Plus, the boy apparently intuited from my “I’m gonna skip yoga and will be home later than expected” text that I was having a bad day, and bought me The Wolf Among Us (a game based on the Fables comic) in the Steam sale. So I’m feeling much better!
A GAME BASED ON FABLES, IN THE STEAM SALE, you say??
I think it’s no longer on sale, but still totally worth it. I played it for an hour last night: it’s lots of fun, and captures the spirit of the comics pretty well! I wish you could play as Snow as well as as Bigby, but eh, can’t have everything.
Another toastie in the Netherlands! Does that mean we can organise a meetup? 😀
Happy Thanksgiving Toasties! I haven’t showered or changed out of my pjs yet, but I HAVE had a bunch of appetizers and a glass of wine, so I’m calling this day a win. I am SUPER THANKFUL for you guys because you make The Toast what it is. Wishing you all love and happiess and warmth and your favorite kind of pie.
Happy Thanksgiving right back at you, Nicole! I took a long, luxurious bath and put on clean pajamas, and soon I’m going to have a glass of (not hard) cider and applejack and get back to cooking*, so I am also calling this day a win. I’m tremendously thankful for so many things in my life, including this community that makes every day a little brighter with its unparalleled combination of thoughtful reflection and generous support.
*I did a big chunk of prep work yesterday for today’s feast. We’re having vegetarian shepherd’s pie with mushrooms, carrots, turnips, and a sherry-mushroom gravy, all covered in scallion-cheese potatoes; pan-roasted Brussels sprouts; sage and celery stuffing (YES I KNOW, if it’s not stuffed into something it’s really dressing); pumpkin pie; blueberry pie; a tiny chicken I’m roasting just to make gravy and leftovers for sandwiches.
Here’s to late PJs, late showers, and early wine.
Turkey hash for breakfast, yay! Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
I feel like Toast group skype calls should be a thing.
Or like a massive group chat, until official Toast Chat is available.
Thanks for all the encouragement last week about finding somewhere to do Thanksgiving! I’m off in a couple minutes to a friend’s house (I almost never see this friend except when she invites me to random things; last time it was the Super Bowl). I made my awesome orange-bourbon cranberry sauce and my family’s traditional oyster casserole (which I have never made before so hopefully it turned out well). I’m looking forward to this!
That sounds DELICIOUS.
Yes, recipes please, if you don’t mind sharing! Yum.
Hello! Parsnips are in the oven, MrChouffe just shoveled the drive and cleared my car, laundry is in the dryer, fire is in the fireplace, mimosas are going in my belly, and oh yeah I chopped about 16″ off my hair yesterday afternoon. It was to my hips, now it is not quite shoulder length. FREEDOM.
Congratulations on the hair! That is awesome. I did the same almost a year ago. I’m never going back.
Congrats! My hair was not as long as yours was, but cutting it short(er) was the greatest. Now I grow mine out for as long as I can stand it just so I can experience the feeling of cutting it off again.
that is impressive haircutting skillz! I was terrified when mine went from waist to shoulderlength – I’d lost most of it from stress and illness, so it looked ridiculous being that long and so thin. I just assumed I’d grow it again as soon as there was enough of it but I like it shorter now.
I did that same cut (15″ in my case, chopped it when I could sit on it) years ago and it is AMAZING. Your neck thanks you! Enjoy swishing your hair around all the time always!
Happy Thanksgiving, Toasties! I went to Sleep No More on Tuesday (#5!) and I got the Manderley 6th floor 1-on-1, so obviously I assumed it was a gift from the Toast spirits.
TELL US MORE PLEASE.
WELL. (SPOILERS, obviously)
I had spent some time with the Porter downstairs and decided to go up to the 5th floor to see if I could find the Nurse. She was nowhere to be seen, so I headed for the stairwell when a woman came down from the 6th floor. I started to follow her, and she immediately turned and took my hand. She put her fingers on my wrist, smiled, and led me upstairs.
She told me that she had been waiting for me, and I looked the same as I did in her dream last night. She asked if I wanted to go to Manderley one last time, and I nodded (OBVIOUSLY). She started leading me down a hallway while reciting the opening to the movie/book. The lights turned off, and she recited it again with a voice on an overhead speaker. There were no lights except one spotlight on an old wheelchair. She led me to the wheelchair, had me sit down in it, and then all the lights went out again.
She pulled down the back of the wheelchair so I was laying flat. Some lights came back on, and there was a diorama on the ceiling. At first, a small house and a dirt road. Then, as she recited the lines as Maxim and the 2nd Mrs. DeW return to Manderley (“The road to Manderley lay ahead. There was no moon. The sky above our heads was inky black. But the sky on the horizon was not dark at all. It was shot with crimson, like a splash of blood. And the ashes blew towards us with the salt wind from the sea.”), she pushed the chair back to reveal Manderley on the ceiling on fire. (Ok, not literally on fire, but orange lights).
She pushed the wheelchair back, lifted it up, and led me to the door while she reminded me that we could never go back to Manderley.
This seems like as good a day as any to step into the commenting life at the Toast rather than just enjoying everyone else’s wittiness. A very happy Thanksgiving to all! Anyone else celebrating alone? This is my first year doing so (living in Sweden, family in the US), and I had been thinking it would not be a big deal, but I am fairly bummed out!
Then again, it could just be the early darkness. Any other Toasties in Scandinavia??
I am. Good thing you got the memo about how we all have names beginning with MAL. You can start counting down to Christmas on Sunday; light the first candle, drink mulled wine until your mouth feels uncomfortably sticky and stick cloves into an orange. We’re not good at exciting celebrations here.
Meenalives was so right a few weeks ago about how expensive it would be to placate the Cardsharp Monkey – I spent most of the week trying to get enough Prisoner’s Honey to give him a bath in it. It worked, though!
Also I absolutely did not receive my first stabbings and deliver same. Is it wrong that I kind of enjoyed getting my ass kicked?
(edit: ach, this is for winterbymorning’s Fallen London thread)
These are really the best posts that go AWOL. A little surreal frosting on the daily cupcake.
Out-of-context Fallen London comments are the best comments!
I felt so useless at work today I decided to take an afternoon off to be useless on my own time. Also to play Dragon age inquisition. People keep yelling at my poor character (really Leliana, she’s the chosen of andraste and everything she does is perfect! Maybe you should stop questioning!)
Leliana actively sideyes my Vashoth mage Inquistor every time we speak. Like excuse me Leliana, but you’re the one who likes to fake it for the maker, here.
I’m definitely believing BourneApprox that Leliana yells at everyone ’cause my Trevalyan is ON FIRE for the maker and she still hates me.
Fake it for the maker! That is possibly the best DA idiom/pun/whatever I have ever heard.
I wish I were playing Dragon Age so much right now, but I am several hundred miles away at my parents’ place. BUT I WANT IT NOOOW.
Without spoilers, how far are you? I just did a quest which may have featured the hardest choice I’ve ever made in a BioWare game, and I still feel kind of guilty, gnnnh. Also, Leliana just likes to yell at everyone. She’s like ME3 Liara. I managed to get a “Varric Greatly Disapproves” too, which nooooo. The worst part is that I totally deserved it. 🙁
At least my boyfriend Blackwall approves of everything I do. I’m pretty sure he’s the Ron Swanson of Thedas – besides the beard and disapproval of Vivienne, I also came across him doing some woodcarving at the stable. Also, I have a bad feeling he’s gonna break my heart – relationship’s been too quiet so far.
I’m just about to do the ‘in your heart shall burn’ quest (I enjoy how poetic the mission titles are!). I did the templar sidequest, as my religious nut mage believes all mages should be locked up (uh, well, apart from her OBVIOUSLY but, chosen of andraste, and all that – gotta make an exception there!) so I imagine it’s all kicking off at redcliffe now.
Sera hates me, as does Solas, but eh, they’re peasants, Lady Trevalyan need not trouble herself with their opinions.
(Incidentally I’m really, really loving the music this time around – kinda wish I’d bought the deluxe edition with the soundtrack in it!)
Sera hates me too, but mostly because I am a mage, and Sera is TERRIFIED of magic. Between my atheism, pro-mage-freedom-ishness, and uncouth Vashoth horns, Vivienne hates me. Cass just kind of tolerates me. Solas wants to have my babies, that is if I were an elf, but I’m not, and he’s RACIST. I’ll probably roll a pro-Andrastian crusader lady to side with the Templars and get into Cullen’s handsome pants for my second game, because I am *definitely* playing this 100-hour game a second time.
Music is so amazing. Looks like the soundtrack is finally available on iTunes!
In Your Heart Shall Burn is a fun quest… 🙂
I’m just sharing this everywhere. My husband showing our friend’s daughter how to hand feed chickadees: http://youtu.be/JhAUM2PJiwo
That’s awesome.
I’ve now passed the “Rory steals a yacht” portion of Gilmore Girls. I feel like I’ve been waiting for it for as long as I’ve been watching the show and it was just as stupid as I thought it would be. “One person doesn’t think I’ll be a great journalist so I’m going to give up on my dreams, steal a yacht and drop out of school!” Not everyone is going to think you’re perfect, Rory.
And now Logan and Zach have both demonstrated that they, like all men in the world of Stars Hollow, get dangerously jealous at the drop of a hat. Your girlfriend is talking to her ex? Better imply she was cheating, invite yourself along with them and then be a massive dick to him! Your best friend/bandmate is going to write a song named after your girlfriend because you refused to do so? Better flip out and break up your band! I’m glad that both situations end in breakups but it’s all undermined by the knowledge that both couples will be back together soon.
Oh man, I don’t know how much longer I can last. I’m in season 2, where Rory is slowly falling for that dirtbag Jess, and it’s so painful. I just want her to hook up with Paris and forget all these obnoxious men.
Ugh ugh ugh Zach.
Why’d you leave us, Dave Rygalski?
This so much. I just watched the episode where he makes his case to Mrs Kim for taking Lane to the prom and, just like I remembered, it’s the most goddamn romantic thing I’ve ever seen.
I am late to this, but this means you are also past the point where Mrs. Kim is just radically transformed to the extent that she’ll now plan a tour for her daughter’s band? It’s just this. . .insane plot line that makes no sense with her character whatsoever. And it gets worse from there.
I am thankful for The Toast and Toastie Twitter. I am less thankful for the 60-minute warning my parents (and I, because I stayed over last night) got that my cousin is bringing a guest to dinner, just as we were finishing setting the table.
I was actually just coming here to tell everyone that I totally set boundaries today by telling a friend that she couldn’t last-minute invite the obnoxious dude she’s dating to our Friendsgiving! She always randomly brings awful dudes over without asking anyone and then they are obnoxious and talk over everyone and mansplain and ruin all the fun. I feel kinda bad because now she probably won’t come and I really wanted to see her, but it’s supposed to be a small party for close friends and you can’t just invite randos on the day of!!
You were right to do so! I told a friend of mine that her obnoxious mansplainy husband was not invited to my birthday after a semi-disastrous get-together a few weeks before and have not regretted it for an instant since. Creating a positive environment for people who don’t antagonize everyone is often more important than magnanimity. And at least that guy is a known quantity; I can’t even imagine what it’s like when the person is a surprise guest you’ve never met before on a major holiday.
And a second post, because I have two different things to talk about: I am in Russia, so no Thanksgiving for me. I’ve spent about five Thanksgivings in the past in Boston away from my family, and they’ve always been terrible. It just feels completely wrong and sad to be going to a friend of a friend’s for Thanksgiving with strangers because it’s my only option instead of being with my big loud family. But last year I was abroad and it actually was okay, and today has been fine too. I thought last year it was because I had a Friendsgiving on the weekend, but I think it’s actually being abroad that helps. When I’m in the US and everyone but me seems to be with their family and I’m off work so I have nothing to distract me, I get very sad. When I’m in a country where no one talks about Thanksgiving and I have to work and it’s just a normal day, it’s actually okay.
I would still like some turkey and gravy though.
Aww, happy ordinary day! Glad it isn’t a sad one. The one Thanksgiving that I was in Russia, I managed to find a turkey at the market from the one local guy who raised them. It cost me like 900 rubles, which was almost 40 bucks at the time. I got home and discovered it was too big for my little Soviet oven. Womp womp.
Oh, I understand on that. This is my ninth Thanksgiving in a row away from the States, but it was much harder when I was in university and had a totally open, empty day, it was MUCH worse. It’s just an ordinary workday now, which is not too bad, really. Now it’s just a normal day + chatting with my parents in the evening, and they’re busy with their friends and stuff, and it’s so much easier.
if you are in Moscow, starlite diner has a thanksgiving special!
I’m not, but thanks!
I am making a pecan pie (in a square pyrex because I forgot that I don’t have a pie pan…oops), and challah to take to the boyfriend’s family dinner, and wine for a friend’s party later. I am covered in flour, listening to Boccherini, and supremely happy. It’s also sunny for the first time in like a week which may also have something to do with it.
Happy Thanksgiving, Toastdom!
Happy Thanksgiving, American Toasties!
Also Canadian, also at work. US holidays are the worst because all the sites I normally read stop updating and I have no content to read in between bouts of productivity! Where is my reward for doing work if there are no blogs to read??
Are there any great Canadian blogs we can share?
Haha, I think all the things I normally read are American! How unpatriotic of me. 🙁
Nicole’s Canadian, so The Toast counts as CanCon, doesn’t it?
If you’re of the sciencey persuasion, Science Borealis is an aggregator of Canadian science blogs, and there’s some great stuff there http://www.scienceborealis.ca (I’m the physics editor and one of the admin people.)
I’ll admit it, I’m bitter. My parents, the only family I have, have once again decided to spend their thanksgiving on a cruise. And have in the 7 years I’ve lived here, visted as a unit ONCE. Yes, in all the other ways their supportive and awesome, but com’n planes go both ways.
So instead of making a big bird (which as I went to culinary school would have been amazeballs), I’m making myself duck. And having champagne .
The rest of it sucks, but duck and champagne sound AMAZING and the perfect choice. Brava.
Be right over for that
Elegant solution.
duck, tho
Last night I discovered that my benefits cover the cost of an IUD.
So, Christmas present to myself: an IUD!
Should I get the copper or hormonal one, guys? I have no allergies to worry about — I’m weighing the “weirder side effects vs. lighter periods” options on the hormonal one.
Hello! I got my mirena about one month ago. I chose it because I was coming off 10 years of the pill, which I would often use to skip periods all together, and the idea of going from no period to the super period that can come with copper was too much for me to take. I have had no side effects so far at all. My moods feel a liiiiitle more balanced since coming off the pill, but nothing else has changed at all.
If it makes a difference, my doctor said that about a quarter to a third of her patients who go for the copper one ask for it to be removed and replaced with the hormonal one. That being said, everyone’s circumstances are different.
Obviously everyone is different, but I have the copper one and it’s sometimes frustrating. Last Tuesday I had such agonizing cramps with the onset of my period that I nearly had to leave school. I’ve had it a year now and my periods are calming down, but they were mighty floods for the first several months.
I plan to keep it until I start trying to get pregnant, but if I succeed in that, I’ll probably get a Mirena after giving birth.
I’ve had a copper one for about two years now, and I loooooooove it. First six or so periods after I got it were like The Great Menstrual Flood but it levelled out pretty well, and I’ve not had any long term side effects. I highly recommend it!
I got mine yesterday! I’m spending today recovering with wine and pie by the woodstove. I went with copper, because I was feeling so much more energetic after being off the pill for a month that I didn’t want to go back on hormones.
Thanks, team!
I don’t mind getting a heavier period (a Diva cup makes you feel invincible) but I certainly wouldn’t want them to happen more often….
I think my main fear is the mood side effects. I was leaning toward the no-hormones side, even though I’ve been off and on hormonal BC for a long time and haven’t noticed anything terribly intense either way. I’ll probably do some more research and talk to the doc.
I just want to say that I put off getting an IUD for years because I was afraid of how much it would hurt to get put in. When you google IUD insertion stories, the whole internet seems to agree that it is True Hell. But I just finally got mine on Tuesday and it was like 20 seconds of quite horrible pain and then wasn’t so bad at all, really. One day of cramps equal to those I feel on a bad period day, and some bloating and feelings of fullness or whatever, and maybe the next few months might be filled with spoting and mood swings, so I can’t speak to any of that! BUT! Insertion was not that bad. (for me)
I’ve had a copper one I loved, after my first kid, and a copper one I HATED after my second kid, and after two years of thrashing, a hormonal one I love. So – experience, and don’t be afraid to change if things are not so good.
Also the first kid (now 20, so) got a hormonal one and LOVES loves loves it. And the younger has requested a hormonal one because periods. She really doesn’t want to think about sex at all but the idea of skipping her period is riveting.
Thanks to the people who gave me squatting tips in the “How to Lift a Man Overhead” comments! One of the suggested videos said to press your knees outwards, and now my knees don’t hurt. I’ve been trying goblet squats, although a passing personal trainer said it was less strain on the spine to use dumbbells held at the sides. Drive-by mansplaining or helpful tip?
My beloved developed appendicitis on Tuesday, right before we were about to start the 7-hour drive to his family Thanksgiving, so we’re having a quiet day at home. I will be making stuffing and pumpkin pie, because those are the best parts of the meal.
Hey I totally missed that thread – I want to start squats, but they never feel hard for me, if that makes sense – I think I must do them so wrong. can you re post some of the best videos?
I hope you have notifications turned on, because I forgot to come back yesterday… Here’s the post on lifting a man overhead, and this is the link that was most immediately helpful for me.
RIP PD James.
🙁 Man I love her.
Oh no!
Oh man.
Oh, I’m so sad! Many years ago (oh the ’90s) my mom told my high school I had a dentist appointment, and I left school early to go wait in line to see P. D. James at a book signing. She was so small, and carried a handbag just like the queen. I told her how much I loved her books, and she said, “oh, I do hope you’ll like this new one.”
Oh hey Canadian Toasties! Let’s talk politics.
I met Tom Mulcair this week at a fundraising event, and was super inspired. What are you thinking for next year’s federal election? If we wish hard enough, could we get an NDP PM?
I don’t dare to dream that high; however, the redistricting in Saskatchewan to more fairly represent urban vs rural voters, along with the fact that Maurice Vellacott won’t be running again next year, gives me hope that the Conservative stranglehold on Saskatoon might ease. Fingers crossed?
I am super depressed by Canadian politics in general, as an Albertan, but yessss NDP PM! I think there’s totally a chance, if Harper continues as he has been. The Liberals have really lost a lot of steam the past few years, and I think the NDP is stronger than ever even in more conservative areas. My grandparents in Nova Scotia have always been pretty conservative, but even they voted NDP in the last election, and I think they’ll do so again.
Yay for grandparents who don’t just vote the same way because that’s how they’ve voted for the past 50 years! (I <3’d my grandparents dearly, but their voting habits confused me so much.)
I am going to be a crotchedy old lady and mutter angrily that we aren’t going to get anywhere sensible without overhauling the voting system, and like fuck that’s going to happen any time soon. >:(
I would very much like an NDP PM, but QC is weird, and I’m not sure if the last elections results could be replicated in the rest of Canada.
I’m from BC and we got SO CLOSE to getting proportional representation a few years back (57.7% voted for it, but we needed 60% to bring it into effect). I really think that would have made such a difference in provincial politics, and even more so for federal.
I don’t like that we’re discussing the election so much so far out. Not that that’s your fault, obviously, I blame Harper and the whole fixed elections thing. Although if I’m being fair, elections where a majority government was clearly going to wait til near the end of their term have probably always been discussed way in advance.
I think an NDP PM is fairly unlikely. I think it could maybe possibly happen, but it would probably be a minority or a coalition, so then I worry that the Liberals would hold them back. Mostly I expect that we’ll continue to be stuck with Harper, but perhaps living in Alberta has made me too pessimistic.
That seems like a lot to hope for. Granted, I was disappointed in Mulcair as NDP leader in the first place (I was pulling for Peggy) but he has since impressed me. But here in Toronto, where we just replaced a rich white boor with a right white elitist as mayor, it feels hard to be hopeful. I think Justin (note if you don’t always think/say his name in a French accent you’re doing it wrong. 🙂 ) is more likely, and would also be acceptable. What I would love and also think might even possibly be possible, is a Liberal minority with the NDP opposition.
We’d just have to get rid of Alberta. (sorry Albertans!)
THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.
I know it’s not the conventional wisdom, but I <3 minority governments. Curbs nutbars like Harper from decimating the nation, and you can get great legislation out of it.
That Chow was the John Tory of an election that John Tory ran in baffles me to no end. What happened with her campaign?! It just fizzled as soon as the actual campaign started. She would have been a great mayor for Toronto 🙁
I am also into minority governments! Wonderful things can happen when parties are forced to work with each other. And “Chow was the John Tory of an election that John Tory ran in” is so accurate and I saw elsewhere in here that you run a science blog, so congratulations, Steph, you are this week’s internet crush!
Aww, shucks 🙂
I also like the idea of minority gov’ts! I really like the idea of needing support from more than one party to do things. I feel like reduces the chances of really horrible things happening at the very least!
I’m in Alberta and I don’t blame you for wanting to get rid of us. I loathe the politics here.
Hmm, right now, I’d be happy with either the Libs or NDP winning. But maybe that’s because the NDP just ended up leaving a really bad taste in my mouth after the last Ontario election (the campaign just deviated so far to the right!)
It’s been such a long five years, federally….
I loathe Horvath. I still voted NDP because I liked my candidate – who told me to my face that she was not a “Horvath NDPer” and she supported traditional dipper values like fighting poverty, providing affordable childcare and housing, etc. But I’m actually GLAD our Premier is Wynne not Horvath. Fuck Horvath. How does an NDP platform not have words like “poverty” or “social justice” or really any of their core values, and instead talk about “business” like 8 different places?
I actually voted for Horvath for party leader, back when I lived in Ontario ages ago. That she has done such an about face is just…. I don’t even know. Ugh ugh ugh ugh. (Sigh.)
Craft and/or sewing thread!
I finished my first me-made coat! I wore it out to a sewing show, and my mum came up from London to come too, and she loved it and old ladies stopped to tell me they liked my zip placement. Basically, a win! Photos here: https://craftalchemy.wordpress.com/2014/11/22/v14…
What have you been making/made this week, Toastfolks?
I have spent all week sewing up my horse’s blanket, if that counts?! He appears to have spent most of last winter rubbing his backside on a thorn bush. I should have done it last spring but I didn’t…
This was stage one, tacking it all together, and now I’m putting a patch over it. I’m bored now.
Oooh, fabulous coat! Well done!
The contrasting panels, and zippers, and the bit of red – it’s all making a really stylish, cool coat.
I am making a leather tablet case on a strap (basically a tablet purse) for my mom. It’s tooled and dyed so the flap looks like leaves and the body looks like wood. It’s also a prototype so if I don’t like how it turns out my mom may get her Christmas gift late while I refine the pattern.
That sounds lovely! Photos when you’re finished?
Fantastic coat! And it really suits you.
I picked up knitting needles again recently and am making myself a sweater. I FINALLY learned to purl as well. Will post a pic eventually, still working on getting the swatch right (the kind ladies at my local yarn store are tutoring me).
I also made some KICK ASS HUMMUS from the Guardian recipe linked below. American Toasties, if you use 1 1/4 – 1 1/3 cups of dried (not canned) chickpeas and cut down just a wee bit on the tahini, you will be all set. (I will be buying myself a food scale for Christmas to avoid future conversion confusion.)
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmou…
Good luck with the sweater!
GORGEOUS!
That coat is fabulous!
I’ve been doing a bit of cross-stitching this week — I found a project that I started literally years ago, a huge Nativity scene that’s all gorgeous jewel tones and gold on navy blue fabric, and decided to pick it back up. I’ve also been planning my Christmas sewing. I’m making a casserole tote for my husband, and… something… for my mom. Probably just some patchwork potholders, maybe some oven mitts. My husband is insisting that he wants to go to JoAnn tomorrow (and ignoring all of my protests that, look, I worked three Black Fridays at JoAnn, if you’re not buying a million yards of flannel or a sewing machine you won’t save enough money to make the hassle worthwhile, why do you want to do this), so I’ll probably go with him and pick up all the little bits I need for those projects, plus a new embroidery hoop and some black floss (the one color I am inexplicably missing from my Nativity scene kit).
Good luck with the queues, and with the Christmas presents! (We have nothing like JoAnn in the UK and I can’t quite imagine what a big fabric shop is like.)
Thank you! We did brave the queues, but we waited until midafternoon, when the real lunacy had died down; still longer-than-usual lines, but much shorter than they would have been in the morning, and actually we did save a bunch of money so I guess the husband wins this one. I have acquired a bunch of cute blue and brown calicos, insulated potholder batting, various threads, and the much-needed black embroidery floss. (In related news, here is a tip for stitching in black on navy-blue fabric: don’t fucking do it, it sucks.)
I’ve never cross-stitched on dark fabric! I’ve seen tips for working with black fabric, does the navy blue require different/additional techniques?
I hope not! I have never heard of special tips or techniques for working on dark fabric. So far the only real differences I’ve found are that I don’t have to be as strategic about hiding tails of dark-colored thread — I can go ahead and tuck them under areas of light-colored stitching, because the fabric itself is dark enough to keep them from showing through — but, on the other hand, I REALLY, REALLY DO need good light to work on it. I might actually buy one of those schmancy craft lights with the magnifier in it.
I cut all my hair off on Monday, too! I had quite the mane and now I have Taylor Swift hair.
ETA: this is a reply to @houblonchouffe!
I’m pretty disappointed in Canadian politics right now. I love my NDP MP and so I’ll be voting for him (as will everyone else because he’s been our MP forever and everyone loves him), but the overall federal politics are not inspiring. I like Mulcair, but I don’t think the NDP are likely to take control. I despise Harper, and I’m really afraid he’s going to stay in power because there are SO MANY people who don’t pay attention to anything he does or don’t care about the blatant abuse of democracy he promotes and just here “more jobs”. And even if they don’t, Trudeau is not exactly promising despite how much I love watching him make the Conservatives rage.
(this was supposed to be a reply to robotsneedlove)
Yep — I have no desire to see them in power, but I wish the federal Liberals would get their butts together, because having three strong federal parties is the only way we’ll get some parliamentary and electoral reform.
Something weird is going on in the comments–when I hit “Reply” it pops me to an ad page (Zulily, Walmart, etc) but sometimes it just opens a normal reply window? Is this me or something else? (I TRIED TO SUBMIT THIS COMMENT and it opened a totally different page!)
Not just you. Email Nick with a description of what you clicked (which page, what link) and the URL for where it took you, and any other details. He’s trying to track it down.
For the Fallen London Thread:
Been working on writing and editing my short story. I finally figured out that I need to do other things to get more items to improve the potential.
I accidentally got stuck in the insanity storylet and just didn’t know what to do for about a day and a half.
And, I may have killed the Cheery Man’s daughter, so.
As a Canadian, there’s only one time of year I find myself wishing I were an American, and that is around American Thanksgiving. Deep fried turkey?! Turkey AND ham?! AMAZING. Forget the fourth of July; I think American Thanksgiving is your true patriotic holiday. Wishing you all warm hearths and full tummies and tight hugs today. To my fellow Canadians (and other non-Americans): Happy Thursday 🙂
I am DELIGHTED and also AMAZED that this has come to local news last night, literally right over the Thanksgiving holiday, like is there a more awkward time?
http://folioweekly.com/CLAY-YARBOROUGH-GUARDIAN-O…
Original title: CLAY YARBOROUGH, GUARDIAN OF CIVIC VIRTUE, DOESN’T CARE FOR THOSE BOOBS, MOCA
Story: Last Friday, MOCA Jacksonville finished installing an exhibition of photography by Angela Strassheim in the atrium, which is visible from the lobby, which you have to go through to get to a cafe that everyone in City Hall likes because it’s right next door and has cloth napkins and wine. One of the photographs is of a nude pregnant woman napping on a couch. You can see her nipples, but not her crotch.
Clay Yarborough is well known around these parts for being ultra-religious in an extremist sort of way. He publicly said that he doesn’t think non-Christian prayers should be allowed in public places, also that gays shouldn’t hold public office, and similar things, so you have an idea of what he’s done in the past (he’s president of the city council).
MOCA Jacksonville is a contemporary art museum, fairly small, but with a really fantastic exhibition series the last few years, definitely going for appealing to the public but also bringing in some conceptual stuff, too. Project Atrium is a series of large-format installations/exhibitions in the atrium behind the lobby that has received funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation in an effort to bring lesser known, younger artists into the public eye. Pretty awesome stuff! The Strassheim photographs in there now are a sort of look at girlhood and growing up, and the pregnant woman can be seen as the beginning or the end. It is positioned directly below a group of children dissecting a cat, fwiw. (I find the juxtaposition to be hilarious in a morbid way.)
Jacksonville is fighting tooth and nail to be a modern, progressive city, but it’s the conservative, religious folks are so powerful that they keep pulling it back, and here’s a great example.
I dunno how much wider publicity this brouhaha will get after the holiday (I mean, really, complaining about it two days before Thanksgiving, Clay??), but I’m laughing at how he’s embarrassing himself, and also sad that there are people who likely agree. Luckily, most comments and social media stuff so far is also laughing at him and supporting the museum, and they’ve got a Twitter hashtag going: #IStandWithMOCA – it was trending locally last night when an interview with the museum director aired on tv.
I’m fixing to go meet my family for Thanksgiving dinner and I am SO looking forward to laughing and laughing if the topic comes up (but maybe not arguing about porn with the more conservative ones).
So I made a fruitcake for the first time at a baking party last Sunday, and I’m proud to report that it’s reached something like an early maturation just in time for Thanksgiving – no small thanks to all the rum I’ve been sinking into it.
If you’ve got fruitcake trepidations, I highly recommend making it yourself. That way you get to decide the nut proportions (lots of crushed walnuts, a scattering of halved pistachios) and omit all the garbage fruits.
Omit all the garbage fruits, yes!!! Fruitcake is divine when it contains only your favorite fruits.
Seconding! I thought I hated fruitcake my whole childhood, only to discover that I just hated my grandma’s dry-as-toast version made with supermarket “fruitcake” mix (not even boozy!). It’s glorious when done well.
So I was smoking a cigarette Monday and realized its gross, so I finished it and left the box there on the smoking bench for someone else to find and enjoy.
Best thing though, is, I made myself a nest! I bought a shikibuton and set up my room so I can actually lay down and sleep there. So now I have a place to meditate, or nap, or watch a movie by myself. It’s super rad.
Family Thanksgiving meal will be taking place at the casino buffet up the street, and I think I can handle that.
Things are looking up!
Thank you everyone, this community has been lovely.
Yay! Good job quitting and building yourself a comfy place. Happy Thanksgiving!
I am in a library with the world’s squeakiest door, and how none of the librarians have gone looking for a can of WD-40 is a mystery for the ages.
One of the doors into the auditorium makes a tiny mooing sound that we (the tech kids and I) have been unable to suppress. WD-40 on hinges and latch does nothing. It increases the hilarity factor every time it closes.
I am driving 6+ hours tomorrow to see a boy, after having worked an eight hour overnight Black Friday shift. I am pretty sure everyone in my life thinks I am crazy. I am looking forward to it.
Oh, also I have two pecan pies: one of them is much prettier, but it’s in a cermanic pie pan with a crack in the bottom which makes me nervous when I think about trying to transport it long distances. The other one turned out pretty ugly because it was overfilled, but it is in a sturdy glass pie pan. They are both delicious. Which one should I bring with me to boy’s parent’s house? The pretty one and just swaddle it gently for the journey, right?
Both and share the one that still looks nice when you get there. Eat the other all by yourself.
I’m from BC and we got SO CLOSE to getting proportional representation a few years back (57.7% voted for it, but we needed 60% to bring it into effect). I really think that would have made such a difference in provincial politics, and even more so for federal.
That was a heartbreaking referendum 🙁 The (later) Ontario vote on it was so depressing — and it was a much easier system to explain succinctly! I’m guessing Saskatchewan will be the first to try it provincially — there’s no way we’ll get it federally until at least one, and probably several, provinces switch to it. (It being any stripe of PR, though I’m a fan of MMP)
OH MY GOD, what even was that – there was like no accessible, broad public information on that at all. Most Ontarians saw it on the ballot and were all “Huh? What’s that?” and left it blank.
SERIOUSLY. You can’t have a referendum on electoral reform and NOT ACTIVELY FOSTER ANY DISCUSSION WHATSOEVER ABOUT. I am an angry metaphorical arm-flailer when it comes to Canadian politics generally, but I was SO FLAILY during that whole campaign. And because it was so roundly ignored/defeated, it will be AGES before anyone tries to run it up the flagpole again. >:(
It really depends on what you want. I didn’t want hormones, and figured that my flow was light enough and my cramps absent enough that I could get the Paragard and handle increases there pretty well. Which has been true. However, if I had to do it again (and I won’t until after I’m done with babymaking), I think I would choose Mirena. I was a little freaked out about the not getting periods thing, but one weird side effect of the Paragard, which I had never heard of but is apparently not terribly rare, is that my cycles have gotten shorter, i.e., I get my period more often and that is kind of annoying.
Another factor to consider (which you should ask your OBGYN about) is that the Paragard is an eensy bit smaller, so if you have a smallish uterus, it may work better for you. My OBGYN didn’t think Mirena would fit me, but he was really very opposed to my getting an IUD in the first place, so who knows. I was pretty dead set on getting Paragard anyhow.
I have the copper one because I wanted to get off the pill for something non-hormonal. I definitely have worse periods but not so bad that I want it out. Plus it was horrible to get in so I’m leaving it there until it expires.
Inspired by the Helman’s mayonnaise ad where a white lady puts a spoonful of mayo on some leftover cranberries and turkey and calls it a casserole, what is your crazy relatives’ weirdest thanksgiving side dish?
At work, a woman told me about “grape salad”. It is the following.
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c brown sugar
grapes
Please top that.
Lima beans. I don’t care what anyone says, lima beans are the hate-sex child of desert dust and elementary school paste. Compared to lima beans, almonds are decadently succulent. There can be no crazier side to serve at Thanksgiving–or any meal–than lima beans.
Lima beans are one of those starvation foods that crept under the wire due to nostalgia. No more, lima beans. It ends here.
ambrosia. My mother finally stopped making this for Thanksgiving… she had just been doing it out of inertia for years, I think. It is a “salad,” and it is chewy!! I may have forgotten some ingredients because it’s been awhile, but:
–mandarin orange slices from a can
–maybe some pineapple?
–coconut flakes
–little tiny marshmallows
–orange juice as a dressing
In my family this is called 5-Cup Salad, because its ingredients are:
— 1 cup mandarin orange slices from a can
— 1 cup pineapple tidbits (the little ones) from a can
— 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
— 1 cup tiny marshmallows
— 1 cup sour cream
I think my family makes theirs with whipped cream… but it’s more an Easter thing for us
pineapple is definitely a part of it. Also apple chunks were a part of it in our house until I looked up Ambrosia and decided this was NOT the food of the gods I was looking for and I organized a children’s revolt.
Does everyone make little smokies in a crock pot with one jar of grape jelly and one jar of mustard? Is that how it’s made, or is that just my family? Today though a cousin brought Glazed Spice Bars and told us that the icing is made with mayonnaise, vanilla and powdered sugar.
(Have eaten this very grape salad, and it is the most oddly compelling thing. I can never decide if it’s good, but I can’t stop eating it.)
My family often eats this as a dessert, but with Greek yoghurt instead of the cheese and sour cream. I really like it, but calling it a ‘salad’ is a bit confusing…
This isn’t a regular at our holiday gatherings, but my family does have a dish in our repertoire that involves creamy citrus Jello topped with fruit and CHEDDAR CHEESE. I think it came from some of my mom’s family’s neighbors in the seventies. I weirdly loved it as a kid and once requested it be served at my birthday party!
A Tribe Called Red releasing Burn Your Village To The Ground in honour of American Thanksgiving is everything today. Everything.
Soundcloud link: https://soundcloud.com/a-tribe-called-red/burn-yo…
Their messaging:
“On this fourth Thursday of November, you might ask yourself: do Indians celebrate Thanksgiving? Well… Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday for Native people. In a way, each day is a day of thanksgiving to the Creator for the original people of Turtle Island. This doesn’t mean that we don’t enjoy turkey, pie and family as much as the next person, but at the same time the Thanksgiving myth largely shared in mainstream culture perpetuates a one sided view of a complicated history surrounding this holiday. Here’s an informed indigenous view on Thanksgiving: b lhttp://blog.nmai.si.edu/main/2013/11/do-indians-celebrate-thanksgiving.html
This doesn’t prevent us from “celebrating” in our own way by giving you a new song called Burn Your Village To The Ground.
artwork by Sovereign State: sovereignstate.ca”
The sample is from this glorious Addams Family scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VbYZDohsHk
Hooray! Another A Tribe Called Red fan!
Yes! I’ve seen them three times. And that’s all since I have a kid, and don’t get out as much!
ooh, how exciting that there’s an early open thread! I always miss the regular one due to the time difference.
Here in Australia it’s just a regular old Friday, so I’m at work attempting to concentrate. It’s been a bit of a sad week here, one of our South Australian cricketers got hit in the head by a bouncer on Tuesday and died yesterday. Complete freak accident, and everyone is so shocked. He was about to be recalled into the National side to play India next week, and would have turned 26 on Sunday. RIP Phillip Hughes.
Our office put up our Christmas decorations yesterday, so that cheered things up a bit, it’s always much nicer to come into an office covered in tinsel!
Going to have a quiet weekend, just got a hair cut tomorrow, which is good since my colour really needs doing, and my lovely hairdresser and his husband just moved into their new salon, so I’m very excited to see the fabulousness.
Happy Thanksgiving to all the US Toasties!
Thank you! May your day be filled with good food and camaraderie as well.
Sounds like an enjoyable weekend — I always look forward to getting my hair cut because I love feeling spoiled and beautified. If I don’t end up someday as an old woman who merrily goes to the salon for minor reasons every week or two, I’d be surprised.
Reading/books thread!
I got Shirley Jackson’s Hangsaman after someone mentioned it here around Halloween, and I finished it this week. I enjoyed it but am deeply confused. Anyone want to attempt to dissect it with me?
What books are you asking for/hoping to get/getting for others for the holidays?
Nope, but I keep hearing about Shirley Jackson! Adding her to my list.
I’m thinking of my dad The Martian for the holidays — he works as an engineer for a space agency and likes sci-fi, so it seems fitting. I won’t be buying my sister books this year because I just bought her Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye series for her most recent birthday and I want to switch things up a little. As for myself, what I’d really love is just an iBooks certificate so that I can guiltlessly buy a few front-list books when they come out instead of waiting months for a library copy.
If you’re familiar with the BookRiot podcast, they do a great holiday gifting guide episode every December.
Shirley Jackson’s pretty rad. When MEN diss on female writers being all about love and shit, I like to point out how Shirley Jackson and Mary Shelley were both major influencers on the horror genre.
I just read Ann-Marie MacDonald’s new novel Adult Onset and it was so OOOF to me many times. I don’t think it will be as bit a hit as her first two novels because it doesn’t have the epic scope, or big trauma, of them, but it was very close to home for me some of the time.
I just requested Hangsaman from the library, so I’ll check in with you in a week or so and see if you’re still up to talking it through.
Yay. I definitely will be.
Reading All The Light You Cannot See and loving it to death.
I really am hoping for Part II of Mark Twain’s autobiography.
Science Borealis is awesome! I just discovered it but can’t stop reading the archives. Good science writing *and* it’s Canadian? My patriotic nerd heart is so happy.
Yay! 😀 I’m so glad you’re enjoying it.
Also, just wanted to check in after everyone was so helpful last week during my meltdown. This week has been better, probably because I only had to commute twice, and Thanksgiving/harvest festival is our favorite holiday. No major progress during therapy, but just being able to talk through how I was feeling was good.
AND, I heard from daisy again after I forwarded all your messages. She says she’s getting help from IRL friends and family and the crisis has passed.
Glad to know this week has been better. And glad you have therapy. If I remember correctly, it’s marriage therapy, for both of you. I hope you can ask that therapist for referrals to therapists just for yourself, separate from what your husband needs. I think of you often. Thanks for the update.
And what a relief to hear about Daisy. Thanks for the news. You are a very fine person to be a support to her when you are so overburdened with your own challenges. I am so proud to know you. Toast people are the best.
Yes, it’s couples therapy. Though, my new GP gave me homework to find a therapist for myself whose schedule is convenient for me, so that’s something I’m working on.
A thing I have recently realized about myself is that I am desperate to find my in-crowd, my group that I’m unquestionably a part of, and that is part of why I’m always reaching out to offer help — “maybe *this* person will be the key to my in-crowd.”
Toast people *are* the best, though! <3 <3
Aw man, finding an in-crowd …. I was sort of hoping that whole thing was some sort of myth created by high-school movies, so I wouldn’t have to feel so bad about never finding one.
Oh, it well might be; it’s just a thing I’m dealing with — doesn’t make it a universal truth.
I think that’s a pretty common anxiety. I don’t believe I’m just projecting my own related anxiety (the constant feeling that I’m an outsider looking in, wherever I am) onto other people, because I’ve heard so many people echo the sentiment if not the words.
I don’t mean to diminish the effect of the anxiety or desire — because the feeling is the same, whether it’s common or uncommon! I guess part of what I’m saying is that plenty of people who look from the outside as if they’re indubitably part of an in-crowd feel the same way you do.
In any case, thanks for the update on yourself and on daisy, and I’m glad you’re getting such valuable homework and making some incremental changes.
I’m really encouraged to hear both of these things.
Thank you for your updates, and I hope things continue to get better for you and daisy both.
Thanks, Charlotte. Also, your username makes me smile every time I see it.
Since Serial is off does anyone want to talk about With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus at all? Or any other comedy podcasts ala CBB or Call Chelsea Peretti? Happy Thanksgiving, Toastrons! Hope you all have an amazing time with your friends and/or family
Drinks! Calling anyone with any boozy inclinations.
My family goes out for dinner every Thanksgiving and all I seem to order to drink, ever, is an Old Fashioned (or two). What can I say — I’m a lady who appreciates bourbon, bitters, and the comfort of habit. But I want to try something new and have no idea where to go from here. Any advice? Or just tell me your favorite drink and why you like it — I’m all ears.
Have you had a boulevardier? It’s bourbon, campari, and vermouth in equal parts. I think it is delicious (also very easy to make at home!).
If you’ve got a good bartender, I also like to give them parameters and let them be creative. Like “I usually drink bourbon, but I’m getting the fish” and a lemony, light, fresh drink appears that is bourbon-based and goes perfectly with the fish. (True story. I should’ve written down what it was, because it was amazing.)
I’ve never had one! I actually tried to ask for this at dinner, but the bartenders didn’t know what it was (my atrocious French pronunciation may have been part of the problem) and I couldn’t remember the contents off of the top of my head. Now very determined to successfully try it going forward.
Ah, bummer. Do keep trying. You’ll have better luck at a cocktail bar than a corner pub.
This isn’t my favourite, but last week I made a martini with sweet vermouth and some black walnut bitters and it tasted bizarrely like root beer. Nicely. But bizarrely.
Sounds good. Yours is the kind of story that makes me wish I had a proper “liquor cabinet” — the freedom to make strange and interesting combinations to figure out fun drinks!
A Sazerac. Be careful with the absinthe, though, it has a tendency to take over.
It doesn’t have bourbon in it — although try making a Mint Julep at home for a bourbon based drink , it’s so refreshing — but I would recommend trying a Sidecar. Basically it’s the world’s best boozy lemonade that will knock you on your ass faster than you can throw them back because it is 75% 80 proof booze .
Sidecars:
2 parts brandy (or cognac, if you’re feeling fancy)
1 part 80 proof orange liqueur (like Cointreau)
1 part lemon juice
Pour each ingredient into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake and serve up in a martini glass with a sugared rim and a twist of lemon (This is the one drink where the sugared rim is actually necessary because the lemon juice makes it north of the zingy side of sour).
But it is delicious and citrusy and you can pretend that you’re a brassy, glamorous broad slinging back martinis in the Prohibition era when you drink it!
I’m at home with the cats (mine and my roommate’s). I’ve done homework and they’ve lounged around and grumbled at each other for existing.
And since I had an abundance of canned beans and found ground turkey, I had turkey chili for Thanksgiving. Lazy single person meal with enough leftovers for the weekend, GO!
Waitwaitwait I’m from Edmonton, too! (I’m one of those quiet Toastrons who reads everything, but never feels like I have anything valuable to add to the conversation… Which is totally that gross kind of false modesty that sounds pretentious and blech, I know, so I’ll stop it, and maybe chat with some of the brilliant folks who frequent this fine corner of the internet.)
And much better than Remedy?! I’m intrigued.
I never have anything worthwhile to add, personally, but that never stops me. (Ok, it does sometimes, but rarely!)
And yes! I don’t know about the new Nosh as I haven’t been, but the first location is phenomenal. Same kind of food – lots of wraps and great chai, but with nice little side salads and much tastier condiments and seasoning in general. Great service too.
I am also in Edmonton! Is this 5 of us? I live right near 124th street.
Are we saying THIS Saturday? Lets do it!
Is there going to be regular Toast content today, does anybody know? (Two workdays without Toast is TRULY KILLING ME)
Seconding. I’ve been refreshing maniacally to see if there would be a link roundup at least.
I think we’re SOL. Time to stage a Canadian takeover of the Toast!
TWO ALL-CANADA DAYS IN A ROW
Do you guys find it sort of weird how everyone’s all “LOL Ghomeshi has to move back in with his moooooooooom” as though that’s a worse fate than death?
Personally I was hoping he’d be forced to move to the bottom of a well, somewhere far away where nobody ever lives, but people can visit to throw mud on his head, but that’s just me.
I would happily cross the ocean to drop mud on his head.
Yes! Altho if you’re a mega-hipster and the face of ‘hep young Canadians’ I guess it probably IS pretty bad to move back in with mum (into her basement?)
I do think that is a little funny, since living with mom is like dating-death (not that anyone’s going to be rushing to date him… waitaminute, Charles Manson’s getting married) but I’m super disturbed by all the supposedly progressive people who think it’s cool to joyously surmise that he’ll get raped in jail.
Okay, crowd-sourced link roundup! Go!
I’m listening to a radio interview of one of the Internet Archive guys. He just said that they have a $12 million annual budget, and their servers are in a former Christian church. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/nine…
Also, these phenomenal photos were in an archive, and nobody asked for them for a long time, but then suddenly someone did, and it got called “UNEARTHED” as though they were hidden in a tomb guarded by a vengeful spirit. (Look, corporate archives have finding aids, guys.) https://fstoppers.com/editorial/treasure-chest-un…
I have a rather depressing link: apparently the new Wonder Woman is even worse than suspected on the basis of past quotes from the creators. I haven’t read the book, but I hate the way she looks now. It’s more Wonder Teenager than Wonder Woman. I didn’t love everything about the Azzarello/Chiang run, but at least there was no doubt that their Wonder Woman was a Woman. http://www.themarysue.com/wonder-woman-36/
Randall Munroe is on holiday this week, and so the xkcd “What If?” feature has been turned in by his opposite number in a terrifying hell-dimension: http://what-if.xkcd.com/120/
Also someone posted this in a previous link roundup and it is too good not to share again: Smart Bitches, Trashy Books review of “The Billionaire Dinosaur Forced Me Gay” by one Hunter Fox: http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/the-bi…
SCUBA DIVING IN BLOOD, I had to immediately click away.
And then start considering writing a horror story where I could use that….
I think my favourite part of the alternate universe “What If?” excerpts is that they’re all from the same alternate universe.
Wow, those photos!
Sure! For the cranberry sauce: 1lb fresh cranberries, 1 1/4 cup sugar, 2 cups orange juice, a good splash (maybe a shot?) of bourbon. Combine ingredients in a saucepan and cook on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes or until all the cranberries are broken up. Chill overnight.
Oysters Ida (named after my Grandma’s best friend who originated the recipe)
2 pints Oysters (canned)
1 cup bread crumbs
2 cups club cracker crumbs
1 cup melted butter
8 TBS oyster juice
4 TBS cream
1 TBS Worchestershire sauce
Parsley
Mix bread, cracker crumbs and butter
Mix cream, Worchester sauce and oyster juice
Layer in casserole dish 1/3 crumbs, 1/2 oysters, 1/2 liquid. Repeat and end with crumbs
Bake at 450 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle parsley on top.
So not to bring down everyone but my grandma died on Wednesday so our thanksgiving is really kind of quiet and sad and now I have to go from my sister’s place back home to Pittsburgh on Sunday instead of going home to sleep in my own bed. At least we have lots of wine.
Oh no, I am sorry.
Oh, I’m so sorry. I’ll be thinking of you.
So… thoughts on that Star Wars teaser? Mine, in order:
– that’s a lot of black screen
– ok, I guess the robot’s cute
– yeah, yeah, ponderous voice-over, we get it
– a cross-shaped light saber? Who thought THAT was a good idea.
– damn. The Millennium Falcon’s still pretty cool.
The music. I was unconvinced by the visuals (there’s too little *there* to really get any idea of story or theme) but then – the Falcon kicks off into a blue sky, the main theme strikes up and damn if I didn’t feel like I was ten again.
(10 for the Phantom Menace, 13 for Clones, 16 for Revenge of the Sith. I am a child of the prequel trilogy.)
Oh, the music. I will never not get chills when I hear that music! The Falcon has no equal but I do love me an x-wing fighter, too.
I am a child of the original trilogy, and I am reservedly hopeful about this new movie after the mediocre-bad-worse disappointment of the prequel trilogy. JJ Abrams, give me some kickass women in this film or I will disavow all Star Wars movies that are not IV, V, and VI.
Oh man. The Falcon does look fantastic, and also I am MEGA-SOLD on what I choose to believe might be ROGUE SQUADRON, and also I love stupid novelty lightsabers so I am ALL IN.
I want the dental care my dogs get. They get general anesthesia for everything, even for cleanings. And nothing costs half as much as my dentist visits, not even extractions. When I went recently to pick up the smaller one after dental work, the staff had trouble finding her. Because she was not in her assigned recovery crate. Because vet techs were taking turns carrying her around, cuddling her. Not that I want dental staff to cuddle *me*. My little dog gave enthusiastic consent, I’m sure.
ETA: intended as a response to aravisthequeen
ADORABLE. I too am envious. What kind of dog do you have that even vet staff, who see all the cutest animals all day long, were taking turns snuggling?
I’m pretty sensitive to the moods thing with hormones, but I’ve had my mirena for about 3 months now and I really haven’t felt like it’s affected me much. I think the danger zone is the first 2-3 months, when everything is settling in, but my experience with the iud so far is that my libido and moods are perfectly fine. Of all the hormones, this is supposed to be the least impactful of them all.
I got it because I have a super heavy period- I actually could flood a diva cup in about an hour during my worst days. Although the IUD has had some spotting action, I haven’t had a real period since I got it. FREEEEEEDOM.
Dude. O.O We could make this happen with Neatchat or something! … though we should probs clear it with Mallory 1st!
Would google hangouts or skype work?
Guys I’m taking a med for something (SNRI, I’m crazy, surprise!) and it makes me sooo sleepy. Did anyone else experience this? Did the somnolence eventually go away? It’s super annoying.
I am resisting taking fluoxetine (Prozac) again for that very reason. It saved my life a few years ago. But the sleepiness was too much after a while. I was on a higher than usual dose, so maybe I should try it at a more maintenance level.
But there are so many drugs in these categories. Ask your doc to line up a few alternatives for you to try. There might be something just as effective with side effects that are more tolerable.
Above all, kudos for addressing your emotional health. You deserve the very best.
Guyz…guyzzzzz, GUYZZZ.
oh boy.
Last week I said I was looking forward to being thankful for a fling with my college friend who I had a fling with once about 5 years ago. Oh man. I spent about 40 hours with him at the start of the week, just walking about, talking, and going back to bed. It was…mind blowing. Mind. Blowing. And then I had to take a bus back to our mutual home state, and it was soo sad and I was swamped with actual FEELINGS, and it was terrible.
And then he came over on thanksgiving night, and it was just like being a teenager. I was like, “mom and dad, we’re going to watch movies downstairs. OK BYE!” and he was all, nice to meet you, how was your thanksgiving? etc, etc. And then we went downstairs and watched movies, and “made out” (As a lady that’s all I’ll say, but that poor couch is not the same this morning.) And then, THEN I admitted to having FEELINGs and he admitted to having feelings and it being all complicated with distance and stuff, but also…and then it was 4am and he had to go home and we have made one more possible plan to sneak away before I fly back to my coast and EEEEE….I do not know where this is going but I feel so light about it, and butterflies in my stomach and and and.
Promising! Are you/he really tied to the places you currently live?
HAHA, I HAVE NO IDEA. HAHAHAHA, OH MY GOD.
Oh my goodness you guys I am so bored. I accidentally worked way too efficiently at work yesterday so now I’m all finished my work for the week and then some. And it’s only 2pm on Friday right now. What the heck am I going to do for the next 2.5 hours??!?!!? I’ve been refreshing this page and twitter, and it is not. helping. I’m so burned out and depressed by all of the social justice stuff I’ve been reading lately, so I feel like I need to take a break. I’m depressed enough as it is, y’know?
:/
Hey, I totally sympathise re feeling depressed by trying to educate oneself on social justice. There’s a reason why the burnout rate is quite high among people who work in such fields. Occasionally do give yourself a break; you’ll then have more energy afterwards to do your bit. x
Three unlikely but true things that have happened in my life recently:
1. I recently found out that I’d accepted a dinner party invitation 2 weeks before my thesis deadline then I’d have spent the evening sitting next to Lionel Ritchie. I COULD HAVE BEEN THE ONE TO TELL LIONEL RITCHIE ABOUT LIONEL RICH-TEA BISCUITS! I could have irritated him all night by asking him ‘Hello! Is it wine you’re looking for?’ and ‘Hello! Is it salt you’re looking for?’. Crushed.
2. I couldn’t find a job to get me through the last year of the PhD for ages and was panicking about rent when suddenly I got offered a part-time job sorting out the chattels of an Earl’s estate. I had to work out what belonged to the Earl and what belonged to the Dowager Countess. Issues I had to contend with include ‘But how do I know *which* Louis XIV mahogany marble-top chest-of-drawers this legal document is referring to?! There are six! Why was this stupid lawyer not specific enough?!’
3. I now have a temporary job sorting out a man’s stamp collection. I know nothing about stamps.
what is the job title for these gigs? It sounds like fascinating work! How did you get started in it?
do they have good paintings, too?
(sadly, I am in the US, am sure we do not have the same job titles, or positions (or possessions!) so it is purely academic curiosity causing me to ask).
I asked the first question to the solicitor (who was my de facto boss – the Earl himself I’ve only met twice) a while ago when I had to fill in something which asked for my employment history. His answer: ‘Erm…Compiler Extraordinaire?’
Trying to untangle the complicated legal knots was quite interesting and challenging. But once I’d done that, a lot of it was just data entry – so not quite as fun as it sounds, alas! And yes, they had lots and lots and lots and lots of paintings, with a small but significant percentage by top tier artists.
I hadn’t realised quite how considerable inherited ancestral wealth was in England. The aristocrats as dying breed, impoverised in crumbling mansions, etc popularised by Brideshead Revisited and so forth, is such a complete myth. Even if they are cash-poor, it’s only because they’ve chosen not to sell their £2 million assets…
Hooray for anyone who voted in today’s Victorian election! (Victorian Australia, not Victorian England.) And large drinks for those who worked in it!
My little dogs are an unusual breed, so they naturally attract attention. Vet staff know the breed is typically standoffish, quick to nip and slow to make friends. My little female is an amazing exception, outgoing, patient, asking to cuddle. That combination of factors wrapped up in a cute little dog is irresistible.
My matched pair of unusual dogs makes me very visible. I value my anonymity online, so I do not type their breed. But you will find them by searching “Belgian barge dog”.
Not good pets, BTW. Any Toastfriend considering dog adoption should avoid this breed. They were bred to be guard dogs, not companions. The are willful and actively resist training. More like cats, they just don’t care whether you are pleased with them. They end up in shelters after being abused for refusing to obey. Only experienced dog people should take in these animals. Choose a companion breed.
ETA: intended as a response to annieleeroth
Toasties! Darren Wilson has resigned from the Ferguson police force!!!
I'm seriously considering sending a letter of complaint. What's been irritating me is that they keep making these gross 'mistakes' then using them to start discussions, thus more article fodder, thus more readers. Mostly discussion is good, but you can open a discussion without doing something this heinous to start it off. Publishing this letter was wholly unnecessary, and far far more destructive than a subsequent discussion might be constructive. Discussions and testimonies about rape and sexual abuse have been going on without the need for things like this. There are so many horrible victim-blaming things going on in this world, so many miscarriages of justice when it comes to rape that the Guardian had no need to publish this letter in order for survivors of rape to have something to kick against.
I'm sick of trying to look for positives in a situation like this. It should not have happened full stop.
HOW CAN YOU NOT HATE LOGAN? Every time he calls her "Ace" I want to invent a time/fiction travel machine so I can go slap his stupid face. I mean Dean and Jess are terrible too but UGH THIS GUY. Also, I am both annoyed with Rory for not being into Marty, and annoyed with the show for perpetuating the whole 'girls ignore the nice guy for the asshole' stereotype with that plotline.
Okay, granted I don't necessarily have the best taste in men (I have a tendency to go for the selfish… Urgh) HOWEVER I believe Logan is not the worst because At Least he is not terribly boring, and leads to Rory having some adventures. This is my defense 😉
I may be remembering things poorly but – is Marty not a massive arsehole??? Like THE guy who is like: "I was so nice to you – such a good friend! Yet WHERE is my sexy reward?? Bitch!" YUCK.
I guess I’d prefer if she’s gonna have adventures she have artsy adventures with Jess, so maybe we just have slightly differing questionable taste in men.
Marty had potential to go that way, but he never expressed any resentment, was just like “Hey, it’s hard for me to be just friends with you because I like you” and she was like “I like Logan” and he was like “I know” and went away sadly. And that was after she invited him to watch a movie and was hanging out with her legs all draped over him, then dragged him out to hang out with Logan the second he showed up. So I’m more annoyed with the show’s producers for perpetuating the “girls picks rich asshole over poor nice guy’ stereotype than I would theoretically be with Marty if he were a real person.