Buckwheat

18 hours ago, HexMachina said:

I've not heard that one. Did you ever get "Make sure you wear clean underwear when you go out because you never know when you'll get hit by a bus."

Erm, in hindsight what a thing to say to a 5 year old.

Huh. Do your washing machines even have that function then?

I have always heard that the underpants must be washed on such high temperatures to kill all the bacteria and viruses. (Also, in my experience, that washes away all the leaked period too.) And obviously only white cotton fabric can survive this.

15 hours ago, Tears of Lys said:

For us it was, "Wear clean underwear because you may end up in the hospital!"

It WAS kind of a good thing no matter where you end up.    

Yup, this is what I heard too.

Just now, Mr. Chatywin et al. said:

That seems rather hot. 

Yeah, that is kind of the point.

15 hours ago, Mr. Chatywin et al. said:

Just saying, white or light colored underwear, especially for most men, bad idea. But ladies, don't think that it isn't an issue for you too. Darker colors work better unless you need something for a specific outfit. 

Don't mothers and grandmothers teach everybody that underwear must be white to be able to be washed on 90° C in America? It is something of a stereotype here.

7 hours ago, Toth said:

Well, the most comparable story I have is one new colleague last year demanding to know how a student like me sneaked into the staff room in the most conceited "I am worth so much more than you" way possible. Then again, the guy was an absolute psycho and now everyone who acted only bemused at my open hostility towards him is now saying they knew all along he was creepy, now that he has been fired.

Yeah, I had one of the coworkers not recognise me entering the staff room too. Right now, due to teacher shortages, our school employs two uni students who are also sisters of the high school students attending our school. With both of them, I had my mental moment of "what is student xy doing in the staff room", before realising it was actually their older sister!

I also once showed a photo of myself as the class teacher and my students (15-16 years old at the time) to my coworker. He couldn't find me on the photo and said there were only students in it.

7 hours ago, Toth said:

Also congrats to household merger of course!

Thank you!

On 4/13/2024 at 3:55 PM, Toth said:

Yesterday I was wished good luck for my high school final exam by an unknown student while I was camping outside the exam room for my monitoring duty.

I... I really never get to look my age, can I?

When I started working at a high school, one of my new coworkers (who didn't yet know me) tried to send me to change my shoes (as the students are obliged to do). We should be flattered!

In other news, the boyfriendperson and I are moving in together! We just signed the rent contract today. I am very excited about it.

On 4/8/2024 at 11:16 AM, RhaenysBee said:

Awwww, what great news! Huge congrats to you for such progress! You are slaying that dissertation, I’m sure it’ll be finished for good soon. How will you celebrate?  

Don't talk about it too quickly, first I have to actually finish the thing and then think about celebrating.  

On 4/8/2024 at 11:16 AM, RhaenysBee said:

spring is the same, in that it’s essentially summer. I’ve never been a huge fan of the heat, especially its coming on so suddenly and since hormone therapy, I’m even less so. But I really enjoy the sun, the birds chirping, the blue skies.

I’m doing fine, I’ve been back on a reading streak and had luck with picking some really lovely books too. Took a little Easter trip to Italy with my dad and his new crew. It reminded me that I actually love traveling I just can’t really afford it anymore  I also got through a very stressful work period and now the back pain it yielded is beginning to subside as well (at least I’m hoping the back pain was stress related, not anything else - but just in case, beside the hoping, I’m awaiting a CT scan too). And so the whole ordeal yields more than extra trips to the doctor’s, I’m hyping myself to ask for a raise. Which I don’t expect to get, but it should at least train me to be braver in life. I also regularly swim now, and i don’t get how and why I lived without this thing for 17 years. 

Great about reading! I finally read The Hobbit for the first time recently. Mostly, I am on the "mandatory reading for my students" reading list.

We only had Easter Monday off, so no real chance of a longer trip. Maybe in summer I will manage to travel some - hopefully after I've finished the dissertation. Work is stressful here too, as always.

Good luck with the raise! Fingers crossed you get it.

And congratulations on doing more sport. I should do that too. At some point ... as I keep telling myself.

*pokes thread*

So how is ... anybody still reading this thread?

I am this close to finishing my dissertation. Really stressed about that whole thing these days, but I am finally optimistic about finishing this whole ordeal. I just need to get feedback from my advisor and the commitee, I hope I won't have much to redo and correct at this point.

Work is obviously stressful as always, but I am handling it. I guess.

Spring is here too and it is unbelievably warm for the beginning of April right now.

Moooorning. It is 8.32, when 24 hour ago it would have been 7.32. They took an hour off our sleep and now I'll have to go to work when it is still dark again. Uh. Why are we still doing this again?

4 hours ago, Pebble thats Stubby said:

It was supposed to be when I started,  but that book is very old and manky looking.  I'd expect part 2 to be the cleanest least worn book

 

No, it is just going to be BB's favourite!  

On 2/23/2024 at 9:47 AM, Fragile Bird said:

I don’t know what you guys have in the US, but there are no “watch repair shops” that I’ve ever seen in Canada. You go to a good jeweler, the kind that sells watches. They usually have a repair person on staff.

Surprising. We have separate jewellery shops and clock/watch shops where you can buy clocks and watches and have them repaired too. They are not the same as jeweller's shops.

16 hours ago, Pebble thats Stubby said:

no reaction to your likeness getting pollinated?

 

I also put a lot of work in coming up with the tiltles to all those books.  hope you niticed the top one was PART 1.  so still not finished....

I thought what the Black Bear was reading was Part 2!

On 2/20/2024 at 2:00 PM, Pebble thats Stubby said:

hi thread.  its been a long time.

So anyway I started doing the spring decorating game drawing.  got a bit carried away and decieded that its a little too early yet to start the game so have not created the thread.   

 

anyway  here is my artwork for your enjoyment.   zoom in to catch the details of this sring from a distant future in an alternative timeline.

 

https://i.imgur.com/71gku13.png

Awwwwww, so optimistic of you!  

10 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Yes that’s what I meant too. I find it barbaric that these added holiday days should be worked off on Saturdays. But it’s nice that your school will dedicate the day for a uni fair and at least educational films, still better than maths tests like we used to have  

I think they are having a film and a few actual classes, I am sure none of them are going to write a test on that day ... they can also volunteer with the presentations for the primary schoolers who will visit our school.

10 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Well I’m enjoying the fact that some of my extra small jeans are getting too tight, so that should be a motivator to keep at it. One of these days I may even hit my pre Covid golden age weight and have a healthy BMI  

 And I am here with my jeans which are getting decidedly too tight - I had to buy a size bigger than usual the last time I went shopping. I gained some weight in the past few years and I don't like it. I am trying at least to eat less sweets.

10 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

yay for a productive day! There’s nothing like going to bed with fresh linen on..! Just feels and smells so nice. Oh I need to buy a new bed linen set as well (I accidentally shrunk a duvet cover in the washing machine). Hope the weekend’s been going great! 

The weekend was fine, I met with some friends whom I haven't seen in a long time. One of the friends finished his PhD and celebrated, so we got together.

Just a short week in front of us ... but then I already got a class to substitute for somebody tomorrow, so well, some extra work again. Oh well.

4 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Ah so it was one of those modern adaptations? some years ago I saw a modern adaptation of Hamlet, it was mind-blowing in the positive sense. But I remember the modern adaptation of Hair from high school, it was…. something to see a story about 60s America and hippie culture with all white sets and costumes… I guess this minimalist approach can go both ways. And first row balcony is one of the best places to sit  

I think the text was quite faithful to the original, just the staging was somewhat oddly modern for it.

4 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Nooooooooooooo! I thought only this country still practiced this barbaric custom to “make up” for holiday days by working a weekend day.  ugh that’s bad, bad, bad. Well strength and loads of coffee to you and the cranky teenagers in those Saturday classes!

Actually, the holiday is on Thursday, and we are getting Friday off as an extra day to make it a long weekend - we don't have to make up for the actual holiday, but for the Friday. We are going to have only a few classes, if any - the elder students have the day off to visit universities (to better decide what they want to do after seconday school) and we get a bunch of primary school students to see our school. I don't know yet what I will be doing on these days, but I fear I will have to go with the rest of the students to see a film about the holocaust - again, after seeing it with the elder students today. I would rather not.

4 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Just random bits and bobs, funky socks, fuzzy slippers, a couple sets of those trendy glass types , because I have this mental image of me having pink breakfast smoothie from a trendy glass wearing fuzzy socks and something pink. It’s entirely silly but fun and somehow healing.

Funky socks are always a good idea.  

4 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

No class, just me swimming at a pool, at my own little pace because I have the fitness level of a snail. First time I went I thought, okay, it’s been 17 years, let’s do a quarter of what I used to back in school…. Ahaha. So next time it was even less and with a break in-between. I do want to work it up to the level that I can do 1000m in one go and that’s still nowhere middle school Rhaenys’s regular swim practice. Oh well, it’s the intent that counts. 

In sports, it is certainly the intent that counts - and the perseverance! Keep going and I am sure you will soon see progress.

Or something something encouraging sports saying.

I am having a surprisingly productive afternoon - I was home quite early, so I have already cleaned the bathroom (it was high time for that), changed the bedsheet and the covers, washed the bedding and clothes and hung that, and cooked lunch, ate and even washed the dishes afterwards. Whew. I guess the weekend can start now?

28 minutes ago, RhaenysBee said:

Nice! I’ve never seen that in theater before. How was it? 

The best part was sitting in the first row on the balcony. I am the weird person who likes sitting up there.

The performance was nice, sometimes funny in a ridiculous way. I didn't care much for the scenery, it was an odd choice. They just made the stage look like it was a light grey box and the walls kept moving higher and lower. No scenery that would make it clear where the characters are, to put the story in some context.

28 minutes ago, RhaenysBee said:

Yay for long weekends! Hope you enjoy some down time!

Thanks, I need it.  But then, the week after that, we are making it up with a work Saturday, so I will need all the extra energy for that.

28 minutes ago, RhaenysBee said:

Indeed and thank you! Well it was payday today so the self indulgence definitely started  

swimming is great, it’s been 17ish years since I stopped swimming, never thought I’d love getting back to it so much. 

What did you buy?

Where do you swim, do you do it alone or are you joining some organised classes? I love swimming in the sea in the summer. Pools work too, but I still much prefer the sea.

18 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Work is curiously intense for January over here as well. Not a fan of this new way of project management. Also not a fan of doing the project management for not the salary of a project manager. Moan moan.

Well, that definitely doesn't sound like a fair arrangement! I hope you get a raise.

And welcome to February! January just breezed by me. I cannot believe half the school year is already over.

18 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Aww so lovely! what did you see at the theatre? We saw a Somewhere in Europe musical in early January for my dad’s birthday and I’m taking my mom for Fiddler on the Roof on Saturday as her Christmas present.

Shakespeare - Twelfth Night.  

18 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Congrats on finishing the project! Do get some well deserved time off and enjoy a good rest!

Thank you. Next week is going to be a bit shorter for me because of a national holiday, so I hope I get just a short rest then.

18 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Today was a rut. I blame myself and binge watching and shitty self discipline and time management. But I also like the idea of blaming the thing on a deeper psychological dimension that subconsciously sabotaged me. Namely, today is the one year anniversary of my first attempt at breast cancer surgery (which failed and I was rolled back from the OR and sent home). Today is also the two year anniversary of my taking Prince William to the vet’s to be put down and carrying his lifeless body into the car and into the pet crematorium in my own bare arms. God what a weird day. I get these flashes of memories of random details at random times. I suppose the takeaway is that it’s been 1 year and I’m still here and still going strong. Resilience is cool and shit. And the silver lining is that in the past year I grew as a person more than I did in five regular years and that yesterday was the 1 year anniversary of meeting my hospital bestie. Anyway, I’m ready to switch to February and celebrate a very pink and very self indulgent Valentine’s Day (which is the 1 year anniversary of my actual surgery). 

I’ve also gone swimming twice this month and I can’t wait to go again next week. Very therapeutic. 

I am sorry it is a bad time of the year for you - but it has been a year, you are still here, a stronger person than you were. So I congratulate you for that!  I wish you as indulgent a Valentine's Day as you see fit.

Swimming sounds great.

I managed to finish a project day at work. Big thing. I am so relaxed after that now. Everything went as smoothly as one can hope for. Now I need some time off.

As always, how is everybody reading this thread?

Emmmm ... *pokes thread* Anybody here?

I had hoped work was going to be slightly less crazy in January. Alas, I was wrong - works still keeps on piling up. But sometimes I can even afford a day off. Or half a day at least. Yesterday, I dragged the gentleman to the theatre! That was interesting.

I have a slight cold, which I hope gets better by Monday and not worse.

How are my fellow spammers, if there are any left?

I was supposed to drive to my boyfriend's town this afternoon, but the highway is closed because of snow. Apparently a truck had some sort of an accident in the snow. So I am stuck in the boring tiny town where my workplace is. I will drive tonight or maybe I will sleep here and go tomorrow morning, if the road doesn't open soon.

I generally like snow, but it is annoying on roads.

23 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

how was your NYE? 

I played board games with the gentleman and my brother. It was nice.  I am glad yours was glorious!

Happy New Year, all!

And happy @The BlackBear day, too!

Happy New Year, all!

On 12/28/2023 at 5:19 PM, First of My Name said:

I hope you have a good time in Italy! What part are you visiting?

Ravenna! We are just travelling back today. I enjoyed the days there.

New job sounds important. And exciting!

20 hours ago, Fragile Bird said:

Nonsense!

How are you doing, Bird?

23 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

I tried. Dogs are my life line.

Dogs are a great therapy.

23 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

no, I’m worse  but thanks anyway  I’m home now, I showered off these horrendous three days, I journaled my emotions, I’m going to do some guided meditation and relaxation, I was wise enough to have kept my therapy appointment this week in spite of the holidays, and I didn’t drink or take a Xanax, so kudos for me. It’s upwards from here. (I promise I’m not as unhinged as I often sound, I’m just having a bad week or year or… 4 years, really)

It looks like you know what to do to take care of yourself - congratulations. I really really hope things turn up for you in 2024. And if you ever need to vent over the internet, you know where my inbox is.

On 12/24/2023 at 9:44 PM, RhaenysBee said:

 

I’m doing absolutely nothing and feeling even less. I don’t like Christmas. - yes, I said that, and I know my ten years ago self wouldn’t believe we are the same person. Well we aren’t, bless her heart. But yeah, I’m officially past my Christmas is fun era. Still, I hope most people love and enjoy it as much as I used to.

I’ll stop being philosophical because I’m two sentences from bawling my eyes out. I will probably turn off the fireplace asmr on tv and go to bed. 
 

 Find comfort in small things.

On 12/24/2023 at 9:44 PM, RhaenysBee said:

update: I got out of my head and went to bed and I’m just on my phone (still better than in my head). Might read a bit. I’m rereading Harry Potter because it makes me fuzzy and warm like nothing else. 

Harry Potter is a good way to make yourself feel better. Now it is a few days after your post, I hope you are feeling much better now.

7 hours ago, First of My Name said:

Hey Buck. Well I started a new job, which allowed me to quit the job I didn't like, and I'm finally making enough to start saving some money instead of just spending.  And it's at my old school (the journalism academy) so I'm working together with a lot of old classmates and teachers.

Yay! What is the new job about?

7 hours ago, First of My Name said:

I haven't kept up with the thread, how have you been doing?

Unfortunately, it is mainly just RhaeB and myself keeping the thread around these days, and we are also sometimes too busy to post. Myself, I still work as a teacher - for the fourth year in the same secondary school. But this week I have a vacation and I am visiting Italy for a few days.