TTTNE 476 - the ghost of series past

[Pebble thats Stubby]

The simple answer would be     Everything.

 

for a several day con it was not really big and sprawling.  

the weather was fantastic,  location wonderful and very seanic.  

ultra friendly and very relaxed

So freaking many of our group Board members  about hald of us staying in the camsite cabins which made this a private party 2nd con center.

Great food.

awesome program,  and being able to attend the things you wanted.  they capped the capacity at a sensible amount.

Not crowded.

not expensive.

nearly midnight sun

BWB BBQ

even the ferry was a fun time.

 

 

these are just a few things.

 

We had such a great time several of us where talking about going back even even if the anniversary con never happened.     Archipelicon is run by the same team that ran Helsinki (it was their consolation con when they lost out on the 2015 worldcon bid.)  but Unlike Helsinki the venue is better suited to the size of the con,  I think Archipelicon was capped to about 700 attending - this one will be capped at a similar level.

 

Its just awesome in every way.   I seriously can't hype this enough.

 

Yes I know its 5 years from now and no-one can make commitments that far, but do make a note of the date  I expect it will sell out early mid 2024 due to the awesome success of the last one (although that had GRRM as GoH, this one won't)   You won't want this to creep by you then for it to be too late only for you to (by then) know you could have attended.

 

I would be booking in my vacation time already for this, but I'll be retired by then anyway.....  but then I know I will be going if at all humanly possible.  even if I have to smuggle myself out of the UK and swim there.

 

as to birthdays  it will be Beth's 40th  and Lada's 39th  not sure you know them.

 

[RhaenysBee]

Hi all! 

quick survey: 

would you give a thank you for your patience note and bottle of wine to an incredibly rude and grumpy neighbor after an overlong (and likely annoying) reno in order to soften her into acting like a human being?
(She had been incredibly rude and grumpy before the reno too, not just to me, so I have reason to suspect this is may be her general demeanor rather than person hatred directed at me and my reno)

also, if I were to do this, I’d give a note and a bottle of wine to all neighbors. Is this unnecessary? Or inconsiderate with regard to the pandemic? Is it even okay to gift a bottle of wine in 2020, not knowing if the addressee consumes wine in the first place?

 

[Buckwheat]

3 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Hi all! 

quick survey: 

would you give a thank you for your patience note and bottle of wine to an incredibly rude and grumpy neighbor after an overlong (and likely annoying) reno in order to soften her into acting like a human being?
(She had been incredibly rude and grumpy before the reno too, not just to me, so I have reason to suspect this is may be her general demeanor rather than person hatred directed at me and my reno)

also, if I were to do this, I’d give a note and a bottle of wine to all neighbors. Is this unnecessary? Or inconsiderate with regard to the pandemic? Is it even okay to gift a bottle of wine in 2020, not knowing if the addressee consumes wine in the first place?

I wouldn't ... first time I hear of something like that. Here we usually post a note for everybody to see before renovating anything just to inform them in advance that there might be some noise starting on day XY, thank you for your undestanding.

[First of My Name]

On 9/30/2020 at 7:40 PM, Buckwheat said:

Train is ... an option. Not a realistic one though, trains suck in this country. So I drive a car, mostly. Sometimes I can combine the car drive with some coworkers and pick somebody up or ride with somebody - today I joined a coworker in her car.

I do not like long commutes at all. I think driving exhausts me more than all the other parts of the job, honestly. I feel way less tired today when I didn't drive because my coworker did, than I do on days when I drive.

My new workplace is in a city I never imagined myself living it, so I have some mental reservations, I suppose; and I also keep thinking what's the point of moving there if I am only going to work there for a year - I mean, I don't know that, but my current contract is a year and I have no idea what happens then. Also, financially ... it makes a little bit more sense to stay with the parents and not pay a third of my salary for a flat, when instead I could save that up and actually afford to start buying something in a few years, possibly. So it is a hard decision.  

Hm, yeah, that's difficult then. Annoying and tiring commute now or money for your own place later?

2 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Hi all! 

would you give a thank you for your patience note and bottle of wine to an incredibly rude and grumpy neighbor after an overlong (and likely annoying) reno in order to soften her into acting like a human being?
(She had been incredibly rude and grumpy before the reno too, not just to me, so I have reason to suspect this is may be her general demeanor rather than person hatred directed at me and my reno)

Is reno renovation? Then sure, it'd be a nice gesture. (Though if she's been that rude then I don't think I would do it.) 

On 10/1/2020 at 3:08 PM, RhaenysBee said:

To be fair I only listen to non fiction. Couldn’t possibly imagine listening to a novel. 

Ah yeah, I've hardly read any non-fiction in the last years.

[RhaenysBee]

35 minutes ago, Buckwheat said:

I wouldn't ... first time I hear of something like that. Here we usually post a note for everybody to see before renovating anything just to inform them in advance that there might be some noise starting on day XY, thank you for your undestanding.

I did that back in November, the lady at one point threatened to call the police on my contractor about the noise instead of contacting me and requesting that I talk to the builders.  and of course the work stretched out and it wasn’t over in February like my note promised but the noise was definitely sporadic, like two-three days every two months or so. 
 

38 minutes ago, First of My Name said:

Hm, yeah, that's difficult then. Annoying and tiring commute now or money for your own place later?

Is reno renovation? Then sure, it'd be a nice gesture. (Though if she's been that rude then I don't think I would do it.) 

Ah yeah, I've hardly read any non-fiction in the last years.

Yep, renovation indeed. Well I’ll think about it. I had a little encounter with her as I left the flat (like an hour or two after I came up with this wine idea) and she was soooooo rude I couldn’t believe it. I mean at every turn,  she is so needlessly rude I’m not even sure I want to make an effort.  

I really got into it lately. I find that non-fiction amazingly fills the Intellectual void in my brain that has come to miss university over the past year or two. I do still feel that I’d like to do another Msc at one point (I still have like six free semesters to use), but I’m very much undecided about what that could/should be. Maybe I’ll just do a technical course. But non fiction so far has proved to be great at quenching my general knowledge thirst. Maybe it’s just me but I’ve been feeling increasingly dumb since I graduated. 

[Pebble thats Stubby]

box of chocolates may be the safer thing to gift if you don't know their drinking habits.  (although if this was in about march I'd say a pack of toilet roll).  but then it really depends on how much of a pain you think your reno has been.  

 

Our street is very friendly so have done similar and received similar from neighbours.  other places we lived we wouldn't.

[RhaenysBee]

1 minute ago, Pebble thats Stubby said:

box of chocolates may be the safer thing to gift if you don't know their drinking habits.  (although if this was in about march I'd say a pack of toilet roll).  but then it really depends on how much of a pain you think your reno has been.  

 

Our street is very friendly so have done similar and received similar from neighbours.  other places we lived we wouldn't.

Actually I thought about that too but it’s such an unsafe territory, some people are diabetic, some lactose intolerant, some just generally avoid chocolate in favor of healthier sweets, so many toes to step on. I do love the toilet paper idea, totally safe and on point.
And honestly, I don’t think my reno has been a pain since December. Tearing down everything is noisy and getting concrete up to the fourth floor is bothersome but that lasted two weeks. After that drilling and hammering was sporadic rarely longer than half a day. And it’s been dead quiet since April. Putting in the kitchen and the furniture was loud this week but again, only two and a half days, strictly during working hours. 
this house is a lot of great things but hardly friendly. The neighbors in my building are so much nicer, which is ironic because the house, the street and the entire neighborhood is... unpleasant compared to the other place (where the reno took place).

[Pebble thats Stubby]

yeah  but chocolate is good as they can always be re-gifted a lot easier or (normally) taken into the office.    If December was the problem time that was when any token gift should have been given if you where going to.  doing so now is just weird.

[Buckwheat]

1 hour ago, RhaenysBee said:

this house is a lot of great things but hardly friendly. The neighbors in my building are so much nicer, which is ironic because the house, the street and the entire neighborhood is... unpleasant compared to the other place (where the reno took place).

Wait. This isn't your building, but sister's? Why are you bothering with that again? Let her deal with it, she's the one who is going to live there, right?

Or maybe I am just petty for some reason today.  

[RhaenysBee]

22 minutes ago, Buckwheat said:

Wait. This isn't your building, but sister's? Why are you bothering with that again? Let her deal with it, she's the one who is going to live there, right?

Or maybe I am just petty for some reason today.  

Yep, sister’s. Well I see your point. It only irks me because I used to be this woman’s neighbor for 5 and a half years and it just baffles me and pisses me off that she’s so impossibly rude. I mean I don’t like a lot of people but I would never ever in my wildest dreams be so disrespectful and rude to another person.  

[Buckwheat]

23 minutes ago, RhaenysBee said:

Yep, sister’s. Well I see your point. It only irks me because I used to be this woman’s neighbor for 5 and a half years and it just baffles me and pisses me off that she’s so impossibly rude. I mean I don’t like a lot of people but I would never ever in my wildest dreams be so disrespectful and rude to another person.  

I see. I didn't know you lived there - I thought you always lived where you live now and the flat being renovated now was bought (I assume it was bought, not rented, if you renovated it?) specifically for her.

[Buckwheat]

4 hours ago, First of My Name said:

Hm, yeah, that's difficult then. Annoying and tiring commute now or money for your own place later?

The commute seems a lot easier and shorter when we manage to organise ourselves so that we share the ride in one car. This week is good for that. On Tuesday, a coworker picked me up, today I picked another coworker up and drove her, and tomorrow we are combining so that part of the time there will be three of us in one car.

But it is annoying how often I have to go tank gas and how much time is lost daily on the ride. Although the talks with coworkers are usually nice and helpful, as I get a lot of informal advice and suggestions about my work and information around it during the car ride, so the time is not really lost.  

Got paid my first salary at this job a few days ago, which is great too.  

[RhaenysBee]

31 minutes ago, Buckwheat said:

I see. I didn't know you lived there - I thought you always lived where you live now and the flat being renovated now was bought (I assume it was bought, not rented, if you renovated it?) specifically for her.

Nope, it’s not that straightforward. 

Flat A is a studio that my parents bought 25 years ago (I was 2-3ish at this point). They did it up a little and rented it out for 15 years. Then it was renovated in part in 2011 when I started uni and I lived there for 5 and a half years. Then it was rented out again for a year and a half and we started a full renovation last November so sister could move there. 

Flat B was bought in 2017, and I immediately moved in along with a good friend who was my slightly messy flatmate  for a year. Then she moved to the UK, I lived alone for 10ish months then sister moved in with me in August 2019 to start uni and she was supposed to move to flat A in February first, then the reno stretched out so it became May, then Covid happened and it became September, now it’s end of October (it is actually going to happen this time because we are all done we just need finishing touch-ups and some decorating). 

42 minutes ago, Buckwheat said:

The commute seems a lot easier and shorter when we manage to organise ourselves so that we share the ride in one car. This week is good for that. On Tuesday, a coworker picked me up, today I picked another coworker up and drove her, and tomorrow we are combining so that part of the time there will be three of us in one car.

But it is annoying how often I have to go tank gas and how much time is lost daily on the ride. Although the talks with coworkers are usually nice and helpful, as I get a lot of informal advice and suggestions about my work and information around it during the car ride, so the time is not really lost.  

Got paid my first salary at this job a few days ago, which is great too.  

This sounds like a sustainable system though I absolutely understand that the commute still feels like a strain. But it’s great that you get to make such good use of the time! Nice way to bond with colleagues as well. 

Ah, congrats on the salary!  

[Buckwheat]

@RhaenysBee, good luck with the finishing touch ups and decorating. I assume this can all be done while the flat is already being lived in, which also means - enjoy having your solitude again!

Thanks! Right now I am a bit annoyed because students are being silly (see GenChat). But I am sure the other classes will be better. It is Sunday, but I still need to work some to prepare for the next week ...

[RhaenysBee]

5 hours ago, Buckwheat said:

@RhaenysBee, good luck with the finishing touch ups and decorating. I assume this can all be done while the flat is already being lived in, which also means - enjoy having your solitude again!

Thanks! Right now I am a bit annoyed because students are being silly (see GenChat). But I am sure the other classes will be better. It is Sunday, but I still need to work some to prepare for the next week ...

Nope, it’ll be at least two weeks before the flat is functional to live in. We plan to move her stuff during her autumn break (this is the last week of October) and she’ll move in early November. But solitude is neigh indeed.  

sorry about the trouble And do make sure to rest too, it’s Sunday after all!  

[Buckwheat]

5 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Nope, it’ll be at least two weeks before the flat is functional to live in. We plan to move her stuff during her autumn break (this is the last week of October) and she’ll move in early November. But solitude is neigh indeed.  

sorry about the trouble And do make sure to rest too, it’s Sunday after all!  

Yay, I hope the last two weeks run smoothly and that sister starts being an adult soon.

Well, about Sunday ... most of it was spent working. It is like that because I am a beginner, I know it will get easier later. I have a lot of tests to prepare these days, as next week four of my groups are going to take tests. But now I have most of Monday's and Tuesday's classes prepared.  

[RhaenysBee]

5 hours ago, Buckwheat said:

Yay, I hope the last two weeks run smoothly and that sister starts being an adult soon.

Well, about Sunday ... most of it was spent working. It is like that because I am a beginner, I know it will get easier later. I have a lot of tests to prepare these days, as next week four of my groups are going to take tests. But now I have most of Monday's and Tuesday's classes prepared.  

Heh, what makes you so optimistic?  

right, makes sense! Fingers crossed it gets easier soon  ah, tests already? poor students. Yay for the Prepped classes though! Will your school have an autumn break as well? 

[Buckwheat]

5 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

Heh, what makes you so optimistic?  

right, makes sense! Fingers crossed it gets easier soon  ah, tests already? poor students. Yay for the Prepped classes though! Will your school have an autumn break as well? 

No idea, I haven't met you sister maybe?

Don't pity them, I am still annoyed at the ones who cheat.

Yes, autumn break is going to be in the last week of October. But as a teacher, we don't really get so many days off as the holidays are long. So I will possibly get something to work on then too.

[RhaenysBee]

5 hours ago, Buckwheat said:

No idea, I haven't met you sister maybe?

Don't pity them, I am still annoyed at the ones who cheat.

Yes, autumn break is going to be in the last week of October. But as a teacher, we don't really get so many days off as the holidays are long. So I will possibly get something to work on then too.

There, you hit the nail on the head  (really though, sister is an awesome person but admittedly not easy)

Well I suppose that’s just something students will always do. What do they do when you catch them at it?

ah see. Hope there’ll be one or two extra days for you to rest At least? Teachers work hard and deserve a break too. Kids are tiresome. :p 

[RhaenysBee]

also I had the most millennial doctor today. It was as if he just stepped out of a millennial meme. I’ve never seen a more millennial person in the world. Or maybe it’s just that the concepts “doctor” and “millennial” rarely mix in a country where most of the doctors are 50-70 years old. It was endearing but all awfully funny.