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RhaenysBee

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  1. It’s 6am and it’s 23C… I think it never for a second went below this. This is the worst. Any daytime high is bearable if it drops to 18ishC at night because you have a chance to air out and cool down the house a bit. With 23C at night… no chance of that.
  2. I took a sewing class this weekend. It was 30ishC in the workshop room because they didn’t have an AC, but it was worth every minute of melting and every penny of the fee because it was the most rewarding, fulfilling and endorphin inducing chunk of free time I’ve had in ages. You know, I love love love to learn new analogue skills, I love manual hobbies. I would never in a million years trade this weekend for a generative AI online course in an air conned room frying my brain in front of yet another screen, no matter how much more future forward and marketable that would be. I don’t care about AI, I don’t care about design thinking and agile and learning experience design and digital learning, god knows I don’t give a shit. I mean I try to, on weekdays between 9 to 5, but in my heart I want more sewing classes and an embroidery class and a class where they teach me how to make homemade pasta from scratch and a pie making class and a flower/wreath arrangement making class and an entire course on creative writing. Well. I will bask some more in this feeling of accomplishment and meaning.
  3. It’s the second 35C day in a row. Mind melting. Of course I’m drenched in sweat ten times a day regardless of the outdoor temperature because of my lovely hot flashes so what am I even complaining about. We are supposed to have a “cool” wave early next week and it will drop to 28-29c. Can’t wait.
  4. Well… at this point the best we can do is have motivational talks with ourselves as if in the mirror in the morning this is gonna be a great day! This is gonna be a great day!
  5. I watched episode 2. I have alllllllll kinds of issues but was asked to give the benefit of the doubt to this season, so I’m trying to. The funny thing is, I pick my YA action novel over Witcher season 3 every single evening because I just don’t care. My top issue is that the show reimagined the personality of a few characters without much establishing, it sucks the spice out of the story which becomes too sterile. The dialogue doesn’t flow, the scenes are lackluster, not inventive and spark no emotion in the viewer. The other is the show’s lack of respect for its characters and story. How am I supposed to be invested in something if it doesn’t take itself seriously? The third is world building through mostly character, I simply have no idea who this random person is on the screen that we spent a total of 5 minutes with in previous seasons and so I couldn’t give half a shit about them if I tried. The fourth is costume design, especially makeup and hair.
  6. i watched one episode and I hate it and I’m not surprised Henry doesn’t want to be on board with this nonsense. It’s not funny, it’s not adventurous, it’s not dramatic, it’s not interesting, it’s not anything at all other than a waste of money. The only thing that comes to mind so far is the look how they butchered my boy meme and I wasn’t even particularly into the books. Ugh it’s painful to watch.
  7. I finished The Idol. Well, wasn’t that an interesting one? I still don’t hate it and massively appreciate the try. The script would have needed a few more drafts, but I do believe they have the potential to do improve the shortcomings if they get a second season. Lily Rose Depp was quite incredible and I was surprised what a deep performance she delivered (though I do hope her parents don’t watch this ). I’ll be looking forward to seeing her in other movies (and in more conservative roles as well, just for the sake of variety). It took solid talent to bring this character to life and make the audience like her. I cannot put into words how much I appreciate the fact that this show had a story to tell and was actually about something. It had underlying themes and wanted to say more than your average 2020s tv show. And all the while it managed to stay commercial and perfectly marketable by being explicit and visually well designed. Since these were both parts of the story as well, the show even felt authentic, at least more so than much of what’s on the streaming platforms. About the story itself. so yeah sorry not sorry I actually appreciated this show in spite of all its many flaws because it made an effort and even worked in a couple aspects.
  8. I binged Love and Death over the past two days. I did enjoy it as I watched but in retrospect it was a bit anti climactic and lackluster. Elizabeth Olsen was great, she and her character carried the show, though I enjoyed many of the smaller characters as well. I think the editing/writing had quite a bit of room for improvement, there was a fair bit of screen time spent on bits and bobs that added nothing to the story at the expense of (better) establishing plot points or layering characters. But overall it was quite a decent true crime drama.
  9. Well episode 4 was definitely a slide downward the slope. But I do think it had something before it was suffocated with shock value and superficial tropes.
  10. I’m watching The Idol and contrary to expectations, I don’t hate it. The male lead is atrocious and pretty much weighs down the entire series. But Lily Rose Depp is actually excellent which was a pleasant surprise for me. The writing has a lot of potential even though it’s also balancing on the same edge of depth and commercialization the story is about. It was an intriguing watch.
  11. why do murals worry you, again? We have a… let’s Google this and learn a new word today instead of describing it… a council cleanup. That’s a rather lame word, sorry. Anyway, we have that today, and my minimalist and hoarder identities are fighting over what I should dump and what I should keep. I guess the damaged mirror that I never bothered to get recut and framed is finally going. If I didn’t do it in 3 years, I’m not going to. Same for leftover ikea parts and a Facebook marketplace retro phone table. Hmm, I will probably go with the if I didn’t touch this in over a 1 year, it’s going rule.
  12. I want to put a 200x200 wall mural in my kitchen, but I’m concerned about how soon I would start hating it. And maybe that money should go to getting a new coffee table and accent chairs or reupholstering the dining chairs. Or you know… a fooking cordless vacuum which costs more than any of the other options
  13. On the topic of the pill - it can and should be used to regulate periods, ie hormones and handle bad period symptoms. The doctor’s viewing it as a contraception only is ridiculous. There are however also herbal hormone regulators which may be worth looking into, not sure if this was mentioned as I only skimmed through, but chasteberry pills are also a common over the counter option for period relief. I’m trying to purchase a cordless vacuum cleaner that doesn’t cost €500+ but say stays within a reasonable 250-350 range. It appears that Tesla produces a cordless vacuum cleaner at a reasonable price. Anybody ever tried this or owned other Tesla household appliance?
  14. I finished The Scarlet Letter which seemed like it was going to be incredibly dull and predictable because it was so obvious who everybody was at the very moment they were introduced. Turns out (once again, not that shockingly) that stories have a way of working without compulsive subversion as well if one digs deep enough into the human psyche. It was an amazing, enriching and thought provoking read, highly recommend to anybody who hasn’t yet read this classic. I also finished two installments of Carline Taggart’s Her Ladyship’s Guide books that I’ve been missing from the collection for several years. These two little books, HLG to the Art of Conversation and HLG to Modern Manners were my last book depository order. RIP book depository. The former one was the more interesting, Modern Manners just screamed it was written by someone of an older generation as it was technologically outdated. Which is not a problem, but still made the otherwise super short read a bit tedious. Still, I’m glad that I have all the volumes. (Yes, etiquette is has been one of my obscure interests, I have an entire shelf of my bookcase dedicated to it) I do read other books too (beside the ones I post here) and even though local contemporary authors’ works are not relevant to the vast majority of this thread, I do want to mention one. This book reached so deep into my soul and squeezed my heart so tightly as no other has in quite a few years, I still think about it weeks and weeks later. The title is Szívhang (which would translate to (fetal) Heartbeat) by Czako, Zsofia. I would say you do have to be a woman and from Hungary to fully appreciate the soul gripping ingenuity of this book, but I also hope it will one day be translated because the author would just deserve that kinda recognition in my opinion. I did immediately buy her other book as well. After all this I wanted something lighter so I read the first volume of Anthony Horowitz’s adult crime series, The Word is Murder. I quite forgot how much I absolutely adore his style of storytelling. (the Alex Rider series was probably my most favorite adolescent read after Harry Potter, I reread and purchased the whole thing in English as an adult). The Word is Murder is narrated in the most fascinating way, I loved the pacing, the characters, the tension. I’m anxiously waiting for the rest of the novels to be in stock at any of the local retailers because well… my heart still bleeds for bookdepository. Then, I listened to a thing titled Stolen Focus which is about how we lose the ability to focus due to technology, more specifically constant internet access and dependability via mobile phones. It was okay. I had the feeling that this book tried to shoehorn the focus into anything and everything it touched. Certainly there are takeaways and Insightful observations, but narratively it didn’t do much for me. And then. I listened to this. I did prefer the first book, because I found it a bit easier to follow due to the linear structure and smaller time period and the stronger storytelling. But The Secret History of the Mongol Queens was a great listen, incredibly solid on piecing together the stories, but also fair and transparent about what was ambiguous and provided more (or even more, I’m not sure) insight into mongol culture and society, which I enjoyed a lot. Footnote for HBO: If expertly written, it would also make for a successful several season historical series. I’m starting the latest (and possibly last, though we had thought this a couple times before) Alex Rider book. Haven’t picked a new listen yet, I always find it difficult to pick from my audible wishlist.
  15. I watched season 3 of The Great. It’s getting a bit tired in spite of the big plot event. Overall it’s still enjoyable but definitely a tad cruder than previous seasons with less nuance and layers. The subverted tropes and the themes are terribly tired and flat as are nearly all 2020s themes and subverted tropes. The characters are overacted more often than not at this point and for me this has surpassed the comic relief proportion and stepped into the annoying and secondary stress inducing territory. the did however do a good job of weaving new agendas for some characters, whose previous roles ran out. For other characters it’s more like trying to make fetch happen, and it’s really not happening. I also enjoyed the grace with which they handled the main event of the season. The pacing and the structure of the season was good, they had time to resolve the main event. The costume design is still beautiful, especially Catherine’s and Elle Fanning acted the stars down from the sky. I hope she wins the Emmy for this season.
  16. I know a school environment is different from corporate, but I would 100% take one day, especially a Friday off with one day notice, and not give a reason. I would also resign on the spot if anybody ever denied my request for taking a paid holiday day. Then again, this is the common practice in my field, and wouldn’t be out of the norm for any company I would be willing to work for. My job can also totally wait one day and doesn’t need substitution and I’m workaholic enough that I would (re)arrange my work in way that the day off doesn’t negatively impact it. But I can see that this would be problematic if the person didn’t consider the requirements for the business to run as usual in her absence or if it’s contrary to the norms of the workplace (though I agree with DMC that they sound awful and I wouldn’t sign up for them ) . /entitled millennial opinion I’m so hungry. Trying to do a reflux relief diet, I don’t know how people are vegans and vegetarians, I need to eat every two hours and I’m still hangry all day. Boy I want some Shepards pie or lasagne or something with nutritional value
  17. My radiation therapy concluded. It feels weird because now they are like ‘Kay, see you in November. And I have all this anxiety about what if something goes wrong in the meanwhile. I hate my brain. It will be fine. As soon as my reflux symptoms go away I will celebrate this milestone with a nice drink and a nice cake. In other news, I’m on such a reading roll. I have finished 7 books that I had piled up over the past months. I may actually finish all the books waiting to be read on my shelf and I can greenlight my buying more books! Lovely.
  18. I really feel this right about now. I lost a lot of faith in humanity yesterday and since.
  19. Well… that entirely depends on the field, the time, the location of the university education. Some university educations in the world will get your a $500 hourly income. Others will get you a $10 hourly income. Some will get you knowledge, understanding, scientific method, critical thinking, applied skill, sophistication. Others will get you a piece of paper. Some will get you social respectability and status and power. Others will get you McDonald’s job offers and snarky opinions and absolute doormat treatment from society. Some will make you happy, others will burn you out. What is the value of higher education even measured in? I went to university because it was never even a real option for me not to. It’s the done thing. It’s a class thing. I can tell you that my labor market economics class lied: postponed employment and the sacrificing of present income for future larger income is not necessarily and always an investment that financially returns. My parents also lied: my market compatible university education didn’t set me up with financial comfort and/or success . I could do the same job and earn the same income with a different degree, and I could have three to ten times my income with the same degree and a differnt personality. Motivational leaflets and education fairs also lied: my university education wasn’t an enjoyable or fulfilling experience and I did not find the meaning of life in my field. So what did my university education give me? I’d like to believe that it gave me structured and methodical and critical thinking, a sense of nuance, relativity and openmindedness, a respect and appreciation for knowledge and the scientific method, but also for varying opinions, the ability and drive and look at everything from a 360 degree angle, communication skills and the ability to write or speak infinite amount of meaningless bullshit about virtually anything in the world. Did my secondary school also lay the foundations for that? 100%. Did my upbringing also lay the foundation for that? 100%. Did I enjoy university education? Not really. Would I have rather worked a full time job for those 5 years? God no. Would I do it all over again? 100%. Why? Because regardless of external indicators and measurements of value, the things listed above are valuable to me and make me value myself as a person. Would I do another degree with higher market value to be in a better paying field? No way in hell. Would I do another degree out of interest and desire for knowledge regardless of its market value as a hobby alongside my full time job? Still no. Would I do another degree out of interest and desire for knowledge if I could retain my current living standard via passive income rather than my full time job? 100% yes. Yes, I know, I’m a spoiled and entitled millennial, who is unaware of her privilege and managed to make the OG question about herself.
  20. I’m watching Bones. Still. Heaven only knows why… this show has zero self reflection. Like its self reflection is in the negative. Don’t you realize how absolutely nonsensical and stupid what you are doing is? this show retcons itself to then go ahead and NOT change the plot. this show will have a flashback episode to let you know that there’s NO background for this or that relationship. this show will play every plot contrivance known to the human brain and then backtrack and NOT do the plot line they contrived. who does that? I can’t even. Soaps at least actually spin the plot, they don’t just pretend to spin it then back out of it. Uuuuuuugh I hate Angela so much. which was the last character I hated to this extent? I can’t remember. I can’t stand Angela, she is the wooooooooooooorst.
  21. Potato salad is basically potatoes and red onion floating in some vinegary juice, no?
  22. Yes, exactly the reason why I gave up, I had a dedicated ant treatment time inserted in both my morning and evening routine, and that was just ridiculous. Hope your ants go away!!!! We have 10% and 20% vinegar in grocery stores. I usually buy 20% because I only ever use it for lime scale removal. For the occasional cooking I do I use apple cider vinegar. @Cas Stark I like to coexist with spiders too though I have a feeling I have been bitten by them on occasion. Still, they are useful creatures that eat fruit flies and don’t bother anybody in a dark corner. No issue with them or bees either. I don’t even kill wasps. But I do religiously kill flies, ants and mosquitoes because they annoy the shit out of me. In return I empower any invading alien or returning dinosaur to squash me if I annoy them too. And I have a serious tick phobia and nobody will ever convince me that those vile fuckers have use and should be allowed to exist.
  23. Today I cooked for the first time in months Vegan borscht. Well, vegan as long as you don’t dump two table spoons of sour cream in your plate like I do. It turned out nice because for once I didn’t skip any ingredients. will have to freeze like two litres of it because I forgot to halve the recipe.
  24. Wow! I’m so impressed to hear the vinegar truck worked for you. What kinda vinegar did you use? Regular household 20% white vinegar? The other year I had ants too, and I was adamant to get rid of them in a “natural” way. Tried the peppermint, tried tea tree oil, killed the “scouts”, bathed the base boards and door frames in vinegar for weeks. The things just wouldn’t go away. After four weeks in a stinking home, I caved and bought ant repellent. Two hockey puck sized metal boxes that you had to pluck two holes in and place in the ants’ path for them to walk through like a miniature tunnel. I think the idea was that they would march the chemicals back to the nest. It’s chemical and cruel, but after 4 weeks of struggle, my place was ant free in two days, so I guess I’ll just live with this on my conscience.
  25. Take comfort in knowing that she knows you care and support her as best as you can even if you can’t understand, which gives just as much strength as talking to people who do understand. The warmest wishes for healing and recovery and strength to your friend <3 even from across the globe we who are in some form of this plight stand by her in spirit.
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