Real Life and What's Happening...

Best Selling RPGs - Available Now @ DriveThruRPG.com
I’d stand to benefit. Lifting weights is okay but cardio I find a bit boring.

TIL there are jacarandas in Australia.
As someone from Sydney, my reaction to his post was, "Oh, yeah. Agemegos Agemegos lives in Australia."

I've always assumed they were Australian, so TIL learned they come from Butcherland.
 
Jacarandas are a pretty common imported tree in the Phoenix, AZ area too, IIRC.

This weekend I took a trip down memory lane—I spent some time browsing through the Labyrinth Books holiday catalog, which arrived in paper form through the post. Labyrinth is a retailer of remaindered books, mainly from university presses. Their headquarters is in the Princeton area, but I think their warehouse (or one of them, anyway) is actually not too far from where I live in NE Ohio.

So why is this a trip down memory lane? I used to buy a lot of books this way—out of paper catalogs of markdowns, either from specialty companies like Labyrinth or more general retailers like Barnes & Noble. In fact, I’d guess that a good portion of my nonfiction collection was acquired this way. Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, I would eagerly page through catalogs when they arrived, looking for interesting bargains.

Eventually, Amazon and other online book sites more or less took over as my main route to purchase books. I still buy things at local bookstores, especially second-hand ones, but I think this was the first book catalog I’d received in paper format in a long time. Even publishers send them out in e-format nowadays.

I realized that I miss the experience of paging through the catalog, happening on books I’d never heard but which look intriguing. It’s the same thrill of discovery you can experience in a good bookstore, but that I seldom experience online. There I can find just about anything, but I have to search for it—and I don’t find much by serendipity.
 
Three real estate agents have called in today to ask whether I know anyone in the area who wants to sell or let their house. It's getting so a bloke can't mop his floors in peace.
I hear you. I get offers in the mail regularly. I'd consider it but are kids are just settling in to school and I've battled the schools enough to get their needs that I don't feel like I can leave the school boundaries. I haven't seen a home last a week here.
 
Work has lost some midwives recently. Their manager was in here today and jokingly asked if I could fill in. Equally joking, I told her I have no medical training but I'm pretty good at getting the last of the toothpaste out of the tube so I'm willing to give it a try.

I don't think she'll ask again.
 
In recent times (and I do apologize beforehand if this touches upon the "no politics" rules of the forum), I've come used to a lot of talking heads on national news blatantly lying. But this one took the cake so far... A person was telling that ALL the intensive care patient beds are taken, expect perhaps one. Well yesterday they supposedly had all the beds taken.

Two quick web searches (from government websites nonetheless) later, I noticed that the ERs here are operating at roughly 10% capacity. Also I have several friends in that industry and in different cities.
 
In recent times (and I do apologize beforehand if this touches upon the "no politics" rules of the forum), I've come used to a lot of talking heads on national news blatantly lying. But this one took the cake so far... A person was telling that ALL the intensive care patient beds are taken, expect perhaps one. Well yesterday they supposedly had all the beds taken.

Two quick web searches (from government websites nonetheless) later, I noticed that the ERs here are operating at roughly 10% capacity. Also I have several friends in that industry and in different cities.
Wonder if this is one of those cases where the number currently in use is compared to a number minus recent additions. Here we have vaccination rates calculated based on previous census numbers and were in a high growth area so it's not that hard to get over 100%.
 
In recent times (and I do apologize beforehand if this touches upon the "no politics" rules of the forum), I've come used to a lot of talking heads on national news blatantly lying. But this one took the cake so far... A person was telling that ALL the intensive care patient beds are taken, expect perhaps one. Well yesterday they supposedly had all the beds taken.

Two quick web searches (from government websites nonetheless) later, I noticed that the ERs here are operating at roughly 10% capacity. Also I have several friends in that industry and in different cities.

I’m reminded of the time I was watching the BBC and they were interviewing someone who only spoke Chinese, and per the translator the woman was outraged and full of vitriol.

If you understood Chinese she was pretty much saying “It is what it is.”
 
Apparently there is a Christmas tree shortage in Illinois. I just use an artificial tree, anyway, because I'm allergic to real ones. So... shrug.
 
IMO, real Christmas trees are too much hassle anyways. My apartment building doesn't even allow them (or real garlands/wreaths either) for fire safety reasons.
Yea, they get needles everywhere.

I remember one year when I was a kid we didn't rid of our tree until like end of January. We used hedge snippers to cut off branches and throw them in the lit fireplace. Each branch gave a satisfying WOOSH of explosion as all it's needles burned up in a few seconds.

It now makes me worry when we have a real tree about constantly checking on how dry it's getting as a whole tree going woosh in the living room could be a problem.
 
We moved to an artificial tree around 20 years ago and never looked back. Much easier to deal with, less hassle, less clean up etc.
 
In recent times (and I do apologize beforehand if this touches upon the "no politics" rules of the forum), I've come used to a lot of talking heads on national news blatantly lying. But this one took the cake so far... A person was telling that ALL the intensive care patient beds are taken, expect perhaps one. Well yesterday they supposedly had all the beds taken.

I agree there is lots of lying going, but I am sitting in an ICU with literally 1 empty bed out of 28. Three days ago the ICU 3 patients over capacity opening a 3rd ICU.

During this time the ER was both insanely busy and very quiet. ER numbers don't necessarily indicate ICU bed occupancy.

In general all ICUs are pretty busy this time of year. Operating rooms are open again, flu is here, and there are lingering covid patients.

This does keep the newstainment industry from painting dramatic issues for views.
 
We are going to get a tree this weekend. Probably spend around $90 for a 7 foot Fraser. We have considered getting an artificial since we moved into the house but I’m not spending $500 to get one that I might not even be happy with in the long run.
 
I’ve worked the block of time right after Thanksgiving three times over the last decade or so. For the second time (and under a totally different boss) I’ve been instructed to drop everything and cover for someone else, despite my work being a higher priority than theirs.

I await the complaining of the amount of OT I’m going to end up logging, so I can point to the e-mail and say “Take it up with her.”

Then again, she is the one I harp about in this thread who gets away with everything
 
I refuse to put up Christmas decorations. It's a thing. My wife and kids can put them up, but I want nothing to do with them.

This comes from my mother. So I grew up in an old plantation house. Like, giant house, 5 bedrooms, multiple parlors, two dining rooms, a living room, a library, it was huge.

My mom loves Christmas decorations. We had a tree for EVERY ROOM IN THE HOUSE. I mean this almost literally. There was a tree in both front parlors. There was a tree in the living room, both dining rooms. Every person's bedroom had a tree (that was decorated based on their interests). The top of the stairs in the hall had a Christmas tree. The BATHROOMS had Christmas trees.

One of the dining rooms became a miniature Christmas village (I always wanted to play a battle scene with minis in it, never did) that took over most of the room.

The outside was covered in lights. I even climbed 40 feet every year up a Magnolia tree to put a lighted star near the top.

Every year it was a 1 week ordeal to get decorations out of the attic, and put them all up. Then another week to pack them all up and put them back in the attic.

After doing that for most of my childhood/teenage years, I just never wanted to put up another Christmas decoration again.
 
I
I'm battling an eye-strain headache after receiving a new pair of reading glasses on the weekend. I think I did too much swapping back and forth, which really drives home how many interruptions there are to my reading time.
Yeah gettind old sucks. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that I need to buy new books in PDF and not print. At least that way I can zoom in without reaching for my glasses
 
I refuse to put up Christmas decorations. It's a thing. My wife and kids can put them up, but I want nothing to do with them.

This comes from my mother. So I grew up in an old plantation house. Like, giant house, 5 bedrooms, multiple parlors, two dining rooms, a living room, a library, it was huge.

My mom loves Christmas decorations. We had a tree for EVERY ROOM IN THE HOUSE. I mean this almost literally. There was a tree in both front parlors. There was a tree in the living room, both dining rooms. Every person's bedroom had a tree (that was decorated based on their interests). The top of the stairs in the hall had a Christmas tree. The BATHROOMS had Christmas trees.

One of the dining rooms became a miniature Christmas village (I always wanted to play a battle scene with minis in it, never did) that took over most of the room.

The outside was covered in lights. I even climbed 40 feet every year up a Magnolia tree to put a lighted star near the top.

Every year it was a 1 week ordeal to get decorations out of the attic, and put them all up. Then another week to pack them all up and put them back in the attic.

After doing that for most of my childhood/teenage years, I just never wanted to put up another Christmas decoration again.
I get that. Even something nominally fun can be destroyed by a Superfan.
 
After two weeks of nothing sugary at all outside of fruit. I got myself a single, regular size candy bar to enjoy.

They didn't have the candy bar I really wanted (a Reese's Fast Break, which is seeming to be increasingly more rare), so I got a Butterfinger. I forgot how much Butterfinger sticks to your teeth.
 
I

Yeah gettind old sucks. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that I need to buy new books in PDF and not print. At least that way I can zoom in without reaching for my glasses
Bingo! It's why I demand decent font type and PDF's with my physical books. Close up reading vision for most of us goes with age. It bites and even with prescription reading/computer glasses it's a pain in the backside. I've got three different glasses these days.

One pair for normal wear that are bifocal lens (my distance vision is still pretty good), my prescription reading/computer glasses and my safety glass (with light sensitive tint) motorcycle goggle/sunglasses. The price for all three is pretty disgusting I'll add in my opinion. Even with insurance I still paid over $1,400.00 for all three. Our medical, dental and education system sucks ass, even if you made a decent living in this country.
 
Bingo! It's why I demand decent font type and PDF's with my physical books. Close up reading vision for most of us goes with age. It bites and even with prescription reading/computer glasses it's a pain in the backside. I've got three different glasses these days.

One pair for normal wear that are bifocal lens (my distance vision is still pretty good), my prescription reading/computer glasses and my safety glass (with light sensitive tint) motorcycle goggle/sunglasses. The price for all three is pretty disgusting I'll add in my opinion. Even with insurance I still paid over $1,400.00 for all three. Our medical, dental and education system sucks ass, even if you made a decent living in this country.
Eyebuydirect my friend. Probably someone else is cheaper or better but I spend about $100 for glasses these days.
 
I ended up spending three hours doing the work of my coworker I mentioned in my last post. I got told to do it because they were off today.

They showed up this morning, informing me they’d cancelled their day off. I informed them of the time I spent on their work while they were off. Instead of a “thank you” or offering to help with the audits still in process for their work I took, they ignored what I said and talked at me about their Thanksgiving. Now they’re doing literally nothing, as I took all their active work, as I try and get help on two items I put to the side because I had to do their work.

I’m not a happy camper.
 
I got my Covid booster shot last night, nothing happened... until this afternoon... when was I hit with a sudden overwhelming need for a nap.
So I took a nap, and it was blissful! A very happy nap full of dreams about toys and games and project ideas.
I need to take naps more often.
 
Last edited:
No tree, no x-mas shit, no hassle. IMHO YMMV etc.

I canceled Christmas 15 years ago. Best decision I've ever made - it must have been what VE day felt like :smile: With the exception of my mum (who still insists on buying me something), my friends and family all love it as it's one less hassle they have to deal with on Christmas.
 
I got my Covid booster shot last night, nothing happened... until this afternoon... when was I hit with a sudden overwhelming need for a nap.
So I took a nap, and it was blissful! A very happy nap full of dreams about toys and games and project ideas.
I need to take naps more often.
I hated naps when I was young but I was stupid. Naps are good.
 
One of the benefits of working from home is I'm more efficient when I sleep less at night and take naps in the afternoon. I remember being tired and useless some afternoons but being stuck at the office - what a waste of my time that was.
 
I canceled Christmas 15 years ago. Best decision I've ever made - it must have been what VE day felt like :smile: With the exception of my mum (who still insists on buying me something), my friends and family all love it as it's one less hassle they have to deal with on Christmas.
I tried to cancel Christmas with my mom because we always had trouble picking presents and Christmas break would be wasted with everyone running around shopping at the last minute... I would love to cancel Christmas with my wife, but she's not having it, plus we have little kids... Maybe when they're grown and she gets tired of having to wait for Christmas eve for me to wrap the things she bought herself...

Note - that's just cancel the presents part of Christmas, I still love the tree and decorating the house (well, sometimes that's a chore) and adding to the Lego Christmas Village display.
 
Banner: The best cosmic horror & Cthulhu Mythos @ DriveThruRPG.com
Back
Top