Malcador Posted January 28, 2015 Posted January 28, 2015 My wife's family is having a reunion next weekend. In Michigan. WTF? Don't they have enough sense to go somewhere warm? Actually I thought she said THIS weekend at first. That would be trouble because there is something happening Sunday that is kind of a big deal to me. Now that is strange to me, family that enjoys seeing one another. I'd go armed if mine wanted to meet up Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
LadyCrimson Posted January 29, 2015 Posted January 29, 2015 Memory Lane: for some reason today I miss my grey dwarf hamster. The way she'd hind-leg bear-dance on top of her plastic igloo to greet me when I came in the door. I'd get another one but it wouldn't be the same (the other one I acquired along with her was very different). Funny how even the smallest creatures can have such varying "personalities." I've been eating a bit more overall this month but still my clothes are getting too baggy (!) so since my appetite is returning I decided I'm going to make some greasy sausage/peppers and rice for dinner. Along with the usual yogurt. And some Cuties mandarin oranges. Tis the season and they are so juicy/delish. 1 “Things are as they are. Looking out into the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.” – Alan Watts
Woldan Posted January 29, 2015 Posted January 29, 2015 Bought a camera tripod. Sounds easy, but finding one that is tall enough to make comfortable shooting possible but can also be collapsed into a nice handy package for mounting it on the side of my back pack was pretty hard. Not to mention the other parameters like weight, ease of use plus durability - the tripod will be banged around in the mountains, thats for sure. I gazed at the dead, and for one dark moment I saw a banquet.
LadyCrimson Posted January 29, 2015 Posted January 29, 2015 ^^ Been there. Don't have an issue with height usually (haha) but I still haven't found one that feels stable but isn't too heavy and has the positional flexibility I want. I may not hike in tall mountains, but I still like having a tripod when I take walks in parks or whatever. Sometimes a monopod doesn't cut it. “Things are as they are. Looking out into the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.” – Alan Watts
Woldan Posted January 29, 2015 Posted January 29, 2015 (edited) Its pretty to tough have durability and stability in a light weight package. There are some made of carbon fiber, it flexes less than a heavy duty steel construction but the $$$ . I went with a 165cm tall one, I'm 185 so its definitely not perfect but anything bigger would have been, well too big for my backpack, the 165cm is already pushing it. Thankfully the display of my camera can be moved around so I do not have to do an awkward semi-crouch, I just flip it up. So when climbing and camping in the mountains I'm now carrying 30-35kg of gear plus another 5kg of camera equipment. Edited January 29, 2015 by Woldan I gazed at the dead, and for one dark moment I saw a banquet.
Guard Dog Posted January 29, 2015 Posted January 29, 2015 My wife's family is having a reunion next weekend. In Michigan. WTF? Don't they have enough sense to go somewhere warm? Actually I thought she said THIS weekend at first. That would be trouble because there is something happening Sunday that is kind of a big deal to me. Now that is strange to me, family that enjoys seeing one another. I'd go armed if mine wanted to meet up I hear you. My family is so long out of touch it would take a team of private detectives to track them all down! "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell
ManifestedISO Posted January 29, 2015 Posted January 29, 2015 I thought of some advice to give to myself, since I have a habit of knocking on wood, and all that. In life, when something good happens, do not analyze it, do not judge it, or peel it apart for obvious deceit ... just let it be, enjoy it, look forward, and save a place for the next good thing. Today's impetus was literally a simple hug from someone. Yeah, she is inarguably bangin', but the honest contact reminded me with such clarity that human beings thrive on little things. The smallest detail can engender extraordinary emotion ... something as simple as remembering your name. 4 All Stop. On Screen.
BruceVC Posted January 29, 2015 Posted January 29, 2015 I thought of some advice to give to myself, since I have a habit of knocking on wood, and all that. In life, when something good happens, do not analyze it, do not judge it, or peel it apart for obvious deceit ... just let it be, enjoy it, look forward, and save a place for the next good thing. Today's impetus was literally a simple hug from someone. Yeah, she is inarguably bangin', but the honest contact reminded me with such clarity that human beings thrive on little things. The smallest detail can engender extraordinary emotion ... something as simple as remembering your name. This is a very profound post my friend Thats why I interact with all types of people in RL on a regular basis. I talk to strangers all the time, within reason of course. I'll chat to people in lines at supermarkets, at coffee machines and of course in bars. I am student of human beings and how we interact with each other and I find you can always learn something new and positive from a stranger if you open yourself up to the possibility...and thats means also chatting to the local beggar outside your favorite McDonalds Sometimes my friends and family roll there eyes when they see me talking to some people but they understand my motives 1 "Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss” John Milton "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” - George Bernard Shaw "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela
Gfted1 Posted January 29, 2015 Posted January 29, 2015 In life, when something good happens, do not analyze it, do not judge it, or peel it apart for obvious deceit ... just let it be, enjoy it, look forward, and save a place for the next good thing. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." I take it you are a single person with no roommates? 1 "I'm your biggest fan, Ill follow you until you love me, Papa"
Labadal Posted January 29, 2015 Posted January 29, 2015 Called in sick. My throat is killing me. Thought I'd choke, they were that swollen. Feels a tiny bit better today, but no more work this week.
Woldan Posted January 29, 2015 Posted January 29, 2015 (edited) I thought of some advice to give to myself, since I have a habit of knocking on wood, and all that. In life, when something good happens, do not analyze it, do not judge it, or peel it apart for obvious deceit ... just let it be, enjoy it, look forward, and save a place for the next good thing. Today's impetus was literally a simple hug from someone. Yeah, she is inarguably bangin', but the honest contact reminded me with such clarity that human beings thrive on little things. The smallest detail can engender extraordinary emotion ... something as simple as remembering your name. I don't know, good stuff happening makes me suspicious, I just have to pick it apart to analyze it piece by piece. Stuff can never be ''good'' as long serious doubts linger in the back of my mind. Edited January 29, 2015 by Woldan 1 I gazed at the dead, and for one dark moment I saw a banquet.
ManifestedISO Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 In life, when something good happens, do not analyze it, do not judge it, or peel it apart for obvious deceit ... just let it be, enjoy it, look forward, and save a place for the next good thing. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." I take it you are a single person with no roommates? True, yes, how do you know, is it obvious ... do married people change their DNA when exchanging rings, or something. All Stop. On Screen.
ManifestedISO Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 I thought of some advice to give to myself, since I have a habit of knocking on wood, and all that. In life, when something good happens, do not analyze it, do not judge it, or peel it apart for obvious deceit ... just let it be, enjoy it, look forward, and save a place for the next good thing. Today's impetus was literally a simple hug from someone. Yeah, she is inarguably bangin', but the honest contact reminded me with such clarity that human beings thrive on little things. The smallest detail can engender extraordinary emotion ... something as simple as remembering your name. I don't know, good stuff happening makes me suspicious, I just have to pick it apart to analyze it piece by piece. Stuff can never be ''good'' as long serious doubts linger in the back of my mind. Me too, exactly, all the time. Good things usually are a portent of evil, I have always thought. Which is why I'm saying now, to hell with that. I want my life to be defined by accepting positive interactions, not the fear and uncertainty and doubt I'm so accustomed to sleeping with. 1 All Stop. On Screen.
LadyCrimson Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 Today I signed up for the ballroom lessons to check that one place out and brush up. Later there's another spot for a more casual group weekly meetings. I also applied to volunteer for one of those meals on wheels kind of non-profits. There's an outdoor trail/park building/upkeep volunteer program I'd love to get into as well, they're hard work but kinda like weekend camp-outs and always sounded like fun. But they apparently fill up fast when they do their things (which isn't too often I think). Maybe I'll get into one of them this year. 1 “Things are as they are. Looking out into the universe at night, we make no comparisons between right and wrong stars, nor between well and badly arranged constellations.” – Alan Watts
Labadal Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) Today I signed up for the ballroom lessons to check that one place out and brush up. Later there's another spot for a more casual group weekly meetings. I also applied to volunteer for one of those meals on wheels kind of non-profits. There's an outdoor trail/park building/upkeep volunteer program I'd love to get into as well, they're hard work but kinda like weekend camp-outs and always sounded like fun. But they apparently fill up fast when they do their things (which isn't too often I think). Maybe I'll get into one of them this year. They scare me. I blame Twin Peaks. Almost 3 AM and I can't get no sleep, so if my posts seem like I am rambling, I am. I'm used to this sleep problem, but I guess I won't actually sleep at all. My throat is killing me. I'm fully awake. Body is tired but I'm not sleepy at all. Managed to sleep for 4 hours yesterday, at least. Going to aimlessly browse the net until I get tired of it and go to bed. Edited January 30, 2015 by Labadal
Woldan Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) Me too, exactly, all the time. Good things usually are a portent of evil, I have always thought. Which is why I'm saying now, to hell with that. I want my life to be defined by accepting positive interactions, not the fear and uncertainty and doubt I'm so accustomed to sleeping with. Well, report back about how it worked out for you in a couple of months or so, I'm too much of a wuss to change my ways in this area. For me its like letting down my guard, and this world is an merciless bastard. Edited January 30, 2015 by Woldan I gazed at the dead, and for one dark moment I saw a banquet.
Heijoushin Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) Today when I woke up and looked outside, the world was completely white. It's snowing heavily in Tokyo today. Here's a line from Rurouni Kenshin: 「春は夜桜 夏には星 秋に満月 冬には雪 それで十分酒は美味い」 Translation: In spring, we watch the Cherry Blossoms at night In summer, the stars In autumn, the full moon and in winter, the snow. That alone is enough to make your sake delicious. Not that I'm a big weather person. But it's a good reminder to appreciate the little things in life. Edited January 30, 2015 by Heijoushin 4
Enoch Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) The ol' water heater started leaking last weekend, reminding me yet again that it's overdue for replacement. It was dripping very slowly around the pressure relief valve, which had a fair amount of visible corrosion. The unit itself was 18 years old, which is a fair bit beyond the estimated lifespan of such things. I got a local company to come replace it yesterday. I'm not daring enough to attempt this kind of thing myself-- I'm generally OK with simple plumbing stuff, but I get nervous when gas lines are involved. Plus, it's a 75-gallon unit, so just moving it is a 2-man job. So we got some recommendations from the neighborhood email list and picked a local company. I took the day off work and stayed home with the baby to supervise. As I think I've mentioned here previously, the little guy's daycare is in the building where I work. That's fantastically convenient on most days, but it means that, if I'm not going into the office, I have to either be watching him or find somebody else to do so. Also, my employer's leave policies are generally friendlier than my wife's, so a father-son play-day made sense. The youngin' is now 11 months old, by the way. He remains a bit behind on the gross-motor-skills stuff, and is only barely crawling. He can transition from sitting to a crawling position and back again, but, at present, he hasn't quite mastered shifting his weight and moving each knee independently as one does when crawling-- he just barely did it today for a step or two. Instead, for the most part, he moves like a Knight. From his typical sitting position, he goes sideways and a little forward to all-fours, then pushes backwards while pivoting over the other knee and gets back into a sitting position. It looks to me rather like a Knight using 2 moves to move 2 spaces forward, except that he ends up facing in a direction opposite to the one in which he started. Edited January 30, 2015 by Enoch 2
Azdeus Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) Today when I woke up and looked outside, the world was completely white. It's snowing heavily in Tokyo today.---- Not that I'm a big weather person. But it's a good reminder to appreciate the little things in life. I've taken two turns outside this night to keep the driveway clear, it's much easier to brush it away now than wait until tomorrow and have to shovel it instead. But still, it's lovely to look at. Now, some well deserved bedtime and gather energy, for tomorrow I GM Shadowrun and it has to be glorious! The ol' water heater started leaking last weekend, reminding me yet again that it's overdue for replacement. It was dripping very slowly around the pressure relief valve, which had a fair amount of visible corrosion. The unit itself was 18 years old, which is a fair bit beyond the estimated lifespan of such things. I got a local company to come replace it yesterday. I'm not daring enough to attempt this kind of thing myself-- I'm generally OK with simple plumbing stuff, but I get nervous when gas lines are involved. Plus, it's a 75-gallon unit, so just moving it is a 2-man job. So we got some recommendations from the neighborhood email list and picked a local company. I took the day off work and stayed home with the baby to supervise. As I think I've mentioned here previously, the little guy's daycare is in the building where I work. That's fantastically convenient on most days, but it means that, if I'm not going into the office, I have to either be watching him or find somebody else to do so. Also, my employer's leave policies are generally friendlier than my wife's, so a father-son play-day made sense. I'm glad the heater we have is still working, and simple enough that I can mend it myself. It is terribly inefficient though. Edited January 30, 2015 by Azdeus Civilization, in fact, grows more and more maudlin and hysterical; especially under democracy it tends to degenerate into a mere combat of crazes; the whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary. - H.L. Mencken
Guard Dog Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 Something strange happened an hour ago. I let my dogs Tommy & Sunny out to do their business. I'm standing on the porch waiting for them when suddenly Sunny gets this look on her face and goes tearing off down the hill and into the woods near the creek. Of course Tommy is right after her. Knowing that nothing that interests her so could be good I grabbed a flashlight, a small mini-mag light and go after them calling them back. I get half way down the hill then hear the most hellacious dog fight ever. It lasted a second or two then both of them came running out together, bolted past me towards the house. I called them over and except for a scratch on Sunny's muzzle they were both fine, although a little wet and muddy. I seriously doubted they scuffled with each other so now I was curious what the hell just happened. I started down the hill towards the woods and I got to the edge of the treeline when I noticed neither of them was with me. The were both at the top of the hill by the house watching and I could hear Sunny whining. These two follow me EVERYWHERE. But they would not get near those trees. This made me even more curious so I walked into the treeline. The first thing that struck me is it was dead quiet. No birds, no crickets, no leaves rustling. Just the sound of the creek which suddenly seemed unusually loud. I took two more steps in and realized this was not a good idea. It's pitch dark, I have no weapon of any kind and a small flashlight powered by 2 AA batteries. I'm wearing no shirt and sweatpants & flip flops. I'm in no shape for fight or flight if there IS something nasty enough down to turn back both of those two big dogs. So I got the hell out of there. I took the pups inside and cleaned them up but I was still very curious. I went upstairs to my office in the loft, pulled a chair to the window and opened it and set my Winchester .300 on the sill. It has a Nikon P223 scope which has a unusually large aperture for a rifle scope so it's good in low light. I watched the treeline for a good 40 minutes but nothing ever came out. Don't know what the heck it was and that is one mystery that may never get solved. 6 "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell
Leferd Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 It's the Others. "Things are funny...are comedic, because they mix the real with the absurd." - Buzz Aldrin."P-O-T-A-T-O-E" - Dan Quayle
BruceVC Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 Something strange happened an hour ago. I let my dogs Tommy & Sunny out to do their business. I'm standing on the porch waiting for them when suddenly Sunny gets this look on her face and goes tearing off down the hill and into the woods near the creek. Of course Tommy is right after her. Knowing that nothing that interests her so could be good I grabbed a flashlight, a small mini-mag light and go after them calling them back. I get half way down the hill then hear the most hellacious dog fight ever. It lasted a second or two then both of them came running out together, bolted past me towards the house. I called them over and except for a scratch on Sunny's muzzle they were both fine, although a little wet and muddy. I seriously doubted they scuffled with each other so now I was curious what the hell just happened. I started down the hill towards the woods and I got to the edge of the treeline when I noticed neither of them was with me. The were both at the top of the hill by the house watching and I could hear Sunny whining. These two follow me EVERYWHERE. But they would not get near those trees. This made me even more curious so I walked into the treeline. The first thing that struck me is it was dead quiet. No birds, no crickets, no leaves rustling. Just the sound of the creek which suddenly seemed unusually loud. I took two more steps in and realized this was not a good idea. It's pitch dark, I have no weapon of any kind and a small flashlight powered by 2 AA batteries. I'm wearing no shirt and sweatpants & flip flops. I'm in no shape for fight or flight if there IS something nasty enough down to turn back both of those two big dogs. So I got the hell out of there. I took the pups inside and cleaned them up but I was still very curious. I went upstairs to my office in the loft, pulled a chair to the window and opened it and set my Winchester .300 on the sill. It has a Nikon P223 scope which has a unusually large aperture for a rifle scope so it's good in low light. I watched the treeline for a good 40 minutes but nothing ever came out. Don't know what the heck it was and that is one mystery that may never get solved. Thats actually quite a scary story, its enough to almost put me off living outside a big city 1 "Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss” John Milton "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” - George Bernard Shaw "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead" - Nelson Mandela
ShadySands Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) Yeah, I had to deflect with humor because, honestly, that gave me the chills GD, what big(ger) animals do you have around there? Edited January 30, 2015 by ShadySands 2 Free games updated 3/4/21
ManifestedISO Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 For real, that was the most vivid, ominous post I've read here. Gonna clutch my beer a little more tightly, now. 2 All Stop. On Screen.
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