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McAnally's (The Community Pub) => The Bar => Topic started by: Regenbogen on January 03, 2023, 03:16:15 PM

Title: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on January 03, 2023, 03:16:15 PM
New year. New weird. For all the weird people and those who pretend they are not but evidence suggests the opposite. LOL

Welcome to a new year everyone!
May it be waaaay better than the last ones.
May a lot of luck, health and the force be with you.
May burning buildings not be your fault (this one had to be there, obviously ;D).
May the bottom never be visible in your full coffee mug.
May your bread and your jelly be free of mold.
May your bookshelves always be full of books.
May you see magic but no dead people.

May you feel happiness and joy and bring those to other people as well.

Greetings

Regenbogen
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 03, 2023, 10:15:19 PM
Yay!
Thank you for creating a New Weird and for the lovely wishes!
I add:
May you always have a warm blanket in the cold nights
May you always had a good AC in the Summer heat
May the electric power never fails you
May you always find something to wonder

This week I am working but next week I began my annual leave. I am really tired, so looking forward to it
In Christmas' Eve the TV did a rerun of the last World Cup match and the awards ceremony, timed so at 12:00, when everyone was raising their cups for a Christmas' toast, Messi was also raising a cup, the World Cup trophy  :D. Apparently it was a success, as most people I know watched that. We did it.

A couple of days ago we watched Glass Onion (Knives Out 2). It was fun! We enjoyed it.

I need a cup of coffee right now, you only reminded me about it  :)  *goes for a mug*
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 11, 2023, 09:46:35 PM
Sorry about the double post

Argentina won the Golden Globe for non-English language movie! I am happy about that. It is the movie I told you about I believe, the one about the trial to the last dictators in Argentina. There is a teenager in a major role and I know the parents of the actor playing it.  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on January 12, 2023, 05:32:57 PM
It is only a double post, if it is on the same day IMO  ;) .

Quote
There is a teenager in a major role and I know the parents of the actor playing it.
Wonderful, what an honour.

I am looking forward to the safe-the-puppies- anthology with the Mouse and Cerberos short story. There will also be one by Patricia Briggs. Theoretically she could write anything out of her werewolf world, because they all are puppies somehow, lol.
I hope our favourite author is done with the Olympian Affair and already writing 12M.

I am reading Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett at the moment and parallel listening to the first book of the Dragon Gate series by Lindsay Buroker for commuting and sports. The book is good, I like the characters and the idea.

It is a fantasy world, in which there are mages (as arrogant and often brutal rulers) and "vanillas" as their servants, slaves or free but oppressed people. Most vanillas despise the mages.

Legend says there once have been dragons and they gave the mages their powers. But they left generations ago. So there are archeologists from both sides searching for a dragon gate. And one "vanilla" found it.
There are different theories about how humans got magic: the mages think dragons gifted some humans with magic to have more powerful allies. Some humans think that too, but that the dragons left, because the humans abused their  powers.
Another theory says that the proximity to dragons caused some humans to develop magic and it was never the dragons' intention.
The last theory seems more likely now, that the archeologist's son seems to have developed magical powers due to the proximity to a dragonmade artifact he's been carrying with him for several years now.

Some mages stole the gate and captured the archeologist and her son to help them open it and bring the dragons back. So far they haven't been successful yet.

I won't say more here. I like the book and I definitely want to read more of it, so I thought I want to share that with you, should you not know it already.
I like the different POV s. Sometimes it's the boy, sometimes the archeologist, sometimes a human mercenary, sometimes a mage ... My favourite character is one of the mages, he sounds interesting.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 12, 2023, 09:11:06 PM
Hi Regen!

I want to read the puppies story too.
Sadly, I do not think Jim finished The Olympic affair yet. He has not posted "The end". But hopefully we are close.
I have not read Reaper Man yet but it is somewhere in my bookshelves. It is not digital but old traditional paper.
I had not heard of that Dragon Gate series, it sounds interesting.

Yesterday I watched the first episode of Willow, the series. A few days ago I watched the movie again, so I had it fresh. I was not impressed with the premiere, but it is good to see Willow (the character) again. I always love him. I did not adore the movie either but I liked some parts and I was a fan of Val Kilmer's Madmartigan and of Willow himself. I will probably keep watching the show, for the old times' sake.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on January 13, 2023, 12:12:55 AM
There are 6 books of Dragon Gate. It seems to be finished.

We are also watching Willow lol. I liked the movie and Madmartigan too.
I remember having seen it with the first20 minutes or so missing on TV as a child. My father tried to record it when they showed it another time, but the recording was so bad, one could just guess how everything looked like by the colours. At this time good fantasy films were rare, so this was very precious. Some time after that I went to a store in the city my school was, as I was waiting for my bus home and I still had some time to spend until it arrived. And I found the VHS per chance while browsing through the store. I had to have that. The next day I came back with all the money I could scrap together but it wasn't enough. One of the workers there found me while I tried to find some last coins in my pockets. I needed about 50 Pfennig (not much) more and I told him. He was so nice that he said, "don't worry just buy it, I pay the rest". I am sure he was a fellow fantasy fan  :D. And this is how I bought my first VHS, lol. I still have it, though I can't play it any more. I kept it for nostalgic reasons.

Later I discovered that George Lucas wrote sequels to the film. I read them, but the writing was very confusing. I decided that George Lucas would do better to stick to movies and keep his hands off trying to write books, lol.
At first I thought the new series is supposed to be the first book, but they did something completely different.
In the book, teenage Elora Danan was a spoiled princess at first and there was some kind of dragon  who was sometimes a man (but it wasn't always clear which form he was in at the moment) who seemed to be able to travel through the castle walls. And there was some type of red haired warrior woman who was ordered to teach Elora how to fight. There was no other princess, nor a twin brother prince nor a missing or dead Madmartigan (or at least I can't remember). All in all I had the impression that the book was taking itself very serious.

So I am kind of glad the series is sometimes a bit humorous. The plot isn't very good IMO, but it is nice and sometimes fun to watch.
A typical fantasy story: some royalty has been abducted and a bunch of heroes bands together to find them. And they have to go through some dangerous terrain because it's the only way. And some wise person knows how to face the danger even if he should not know because it is soooo very dangerous, that no one ever succeeded or survived to tell the tale. So no one could know, but yet he does, which is not logical but screw that LOL...  ;D
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 13, 2023, 02:56:19 AM
I knew there were sequel books but apparently Lucas himself regretted those books, so I knew the tv show would not be following the books. Perhaps they rescue some ideas though. I do not know.
When I watch more episodes I'll let you know what I think. So far it reminds me as a cheap Wheel of Time (the show, I had not read the books).
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 26, 2023, 09:48:14 PM
I just wanted to tell anyone that I am alive and well, only I am in a cloud of lazyness, as I am still on my annual leave.
I hope everyone is doing well.
Oh, I finished Willow. The latest episodes were better than the first ones but in general I was not thrilled with the show (but I am so glad to have seen Willow himself again).
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on January 27, 2023, 12:41:53 PM
Maen everyone!

I wasn't that thrilled with Willow either, but I did enjoy the show. It was nice food for the soul.
I watched the Sandman and I liked it a lot.

I have been busy. And sad, because my father is in the hospital right now. I hope he will get well enough to be released next week. The prognosis is 1-2 months now.
I hope he can go home next week so the children can see him. In the hospital there is only one visitor allowed per day
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 28, 2023, 10:49:46 PM
Regen, I am so, so, sorry about your dad. I hope he can be released soon so he can have visitors. I send you a big, big hug. Here:    ((((((((((((((((((Regen))))))))))))))))))

Sandman is a great show, I loved it. I am also a fan of the comic, so I am perhaps biased. I was surprised because the battle with Lucifer, one of my favorite issues in the comic, is even better in the show! I also think the main character was well cast (I did not know the actor before this).
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on January 29, 2023, 11:03:47 AM
Thank you, Dina.
It looks like he might be released on Wednesday. If all goes well. He is a bit better now. He is eating a lot, which is good, because he needs some calories.


I liked the battle, too. I liked the actress who played Lucifer. My husband first didn't believe me, when I said, hey, that's the one who played Brienne of Tart in GoT!
I have only read the beginning of one comic, so the first episodes were familiar. I imagine they did a good job with it, though I am sure there are several swapped genders in the series. Joanne Constantine???? LOL
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 30, 2023, 09:49:34 PM
Of course she was Brienne! I like that actress too. I am watching her now in "Wednesday" (I just watched 2 episodes, so no spoilers, please). I am enjoying that show too.
About Sandman, the fun thing is there is actually a Joanna Constantine in the comics. Only she is an ancestor of John. She met Morpheus in the old times and, if I remember correctly, she was in the first meeting between Morpheus and Hob Gadling.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on January 31, 2023, 08:30:50 PM
About Sandman, the fun thing is there is actually a Joanna Constantine in the comics. Only she is an ancestor of John. She met Morpheus in the old times and, if I remember correctly, she was in the first meeting between Morpheus and Hob Gadling.
Oops. Now I am speechless. LOL
We have watched the first episode of Wednesday, too. Or was it the first two episodes? Can't remember.

Mini likes to watch Demonslayer. But she has to earn it by cleaning her room or doing household chores, mwahaha!
If I want to annoy her, I throw in which Japanese words I understood and what they mean, lol.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on February 01, 2023, 06:48:11 PM
You are mean  :)

About Sandman, it is clear they mixed the two characters (Johanna and John) for some reason, probably because they did not want to include a character (John) that had appeared before in movies and shows, so making him too mainstream.

I watched several episodes more of Wednesday and I am really liking it. Funny enough, I like a character (Enid Sinclair) who is cute and sunny and pretty much not Wednesday but she is proud of herself.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on February 04, 2023, 05:45:31 PM
Hello Weird!
Hello Regen! What is the latest about your dad?

I finished Wednesday. In whole, I liked the show, but I think the last two episodes were weaker than the rest, and a death or two made me sad. I am now watching the season 2 of The Legend of Vox Machina, an animated show about an RPG campaign. I had liked season 1, even when the humor is not always my preferred flavor. Season 2 seems good but I barely began it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on February 09, 2023, 03:01:53 PM
Hi.
My father is still in the hospital. They postponed his release twice now. The new date is on Monday. We'd like to have him at home. My mother and I have started to make space in the living room so we can put a bed there. He should sleep downstairs at night, because we don't trust him with the stairs alone.


I have started watching the German series "Dark". Interesting. I almost laughed as I realised that finally someone is portraying German weather accurately, lol. A lot of rain. Though nobody seems to have an umbrella except one. If one asked the actors how it was on the set, I am sure they tell them "wet".  ;D
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on February 09, 2023, 06:31:36 PM
I hope this time is true and he is released on Monday.

LOL about "Dark". I think the show is on my Netflix but I have not seen it. It is true that sometimes weather characterizations are not good. I did not know Germany was so rainy, but I can tell I was surprised by how rainy was the end of year in Paris, and I've been told it is quite common. You don't see that in the movies  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on February 09, 2023, 09:03:43 PM
Autumn is always rainy and windy. Summer can be too. Usually it alternates between hot and dry days and days with pouring rain.

Dark is, well, dark, lol. It is more tragic mystery, no fun, at least not intended. The rain is intentional to increase the dark atmosphere. I like it, but my husband is annoyed by the music, meaning the background music which I admit is often overly dramatic. Nothing is happening, but it sounds like there is always some evil menace in the background.
I like the ideas though. I am at episode 10 or so. Maybe I'll watch another one today, because he is asleep on the sofa.  ;D
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on February 10, 2023, 01:34:44 AM
I normally ignore the background music, but it bother me too when it is too invasive.
Yes, I know Dark is...dark  :)

It has been too hot this week but apparently it will be the last week, and the next one will be milder.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on February 14, 2023, 03:59:24 PM
Hi!
Regen, I hope your father is at home by now.

Here temperature is more tolerable, thank God. Also, I can work from home today so I am enjoying it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on February 15, 2023, 08:37:20 AM
Hi!
Regen, I hope your father is at home by now.

Here temperature is more tolerable, thank God. Also, I can work from home today so I am enjoying it.
Hi, Dina.
Sadly he ist still in hospital. We are thinking of transferring him to my hospital which has a very good palliative care unit. What medical care he needs right now, we can't provide at home. He sometimes gets better for a few days and then he gets worse again.


It is still cold here, though not as cold as last week (-10°C) but no snow.
Today is about -2°C with a tiny bit of rain, which means it may be slippery in some places and in the afternoon it will be sunny and +4°C.

I am on sick leave with purulent tonsillitis. Everything hurts. Even the parts far away from my throat, though it's been better since yesterday evening. The doctor gave me antibiotics yesterday. This means I am not allowed to visit my dad. So we wait until next week with the decision where to take him. I hope I'll be healthy again by then.


Book update:
I have finally finished reading "Dead Man's Hand". Now I am back at "Soul Music" by Pratchett. And waiting for the "Instinct" short stories in march: the Cerberus/Mouse story and there will be a story from the Mercy verse by Patricia Briggs (something about the cat which got adopted by a mysterious crippled werewolf with memory loss; in the last book his identity was revealed and he started to remember).
Later in the year (summer or autumn) there will be a new Mercy Thompson book I am looking forward to. And the next book by Jim's son will be out, which I also plan to read.
And I have the feeling that I will soon want to reread all the Lord John novels and short stories by Diana Gabaldon. He is an interesting and likable side character from her Outlander novels. So likable that he even got his own spin off series. I have reread this several times already, lol. He is a gay officer in the British army from a wealthy aristocratic family. The books are mostly about him solving riddles and crimes and in the process uncovering secrets and trying to avoid scandals.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on February 16, 2023, 03:06:54 AM
Sadly he ist still in hospital. We are thinking of transferring him to my hospital which has a very good palliative care unit. What medical care he needs right now, we can't provide at home. He sometimes gets better for a few days and then he gets worse again.
Sorry to hear that, Regen. But sometimes, there is only so much we can do. Transferring him to your hospital sounds like a very good idea, all things considered. And perhaps it will be easier for your mom too. I wish I could give you a long, tight hug in person, but please, accept my virtual one.

Now, about your tonsillitis, that sucks. Hopefully the antibiotics you are taking will control it soon. As you said you are better, it seems that it is working. Silver lining...you have time to read! Or do duolingo! Or watch TV, whatever you find more interesting right now.

I've got a few bad but expected news at my work (I think I already told you about how I am probably going to loose one of my jobs soon). As this is not a surprise, I am mostly resigned. I receive a formal communication, I have 10 days to present a reconsideration appeal. I am pretty sure this will be ineffective, but I will do it anyway because I have nothing to lose. And then I will focus in trying to renew my main job. Hopefully it will work.

The weather is being quite nice now but there is a fair chance of raining tomorrow. We will see. I am looking forward at the weekend though because it is XXL. Monday and Tuesday are Holidays for the carnaval (Mardi Gras, if it is clearer to you). And there is a chance that I stay at home on Friday unless we had a meeting or something. If that works, hubby and I have plans I will tell you about in a later entry  for this bulletin  ;D

Enough for now. Get well soon, Regen!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on February 20, 2023, 06:38:03 PM
Hello people!
I hope you are healthy again Regen, and wishing all the best to your dad.
We had a polar wave! Around 10 C  in Feb 17! Incredible. But now we are having 27 again, a good temperature. I am on Holiday but I need to go to buy some things, so I need to go. But I wanted to say hello to the Weird  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on February 28, 2023, 08:37:34 AM
Hi everyone!

Mab is still sending frost and some snow. But there are already some spring flowers peeking out.

I need to wash my cat today. She is quite dirty and isn't capable of cleaning herself
properly any more.
Last week I tried to clean her in the bathtub, but as expected she was not amused, lol. But I managed to get her belly clean at least.
So I keep doing it with two bowls of water and washcloths. Sometimes she even lets me blow-dry her fur.


I am doing a reread of the Lord John books by Diana Gabaldon. IMHO he is the most interesting and fun side character of the Outlander series (the books, not the TV show). And sometimes parallel listening to Codex Alera.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on February 28, 2023, 12:31:56 PM
Hi Regen!
Here is hot again, but I do not think it will last too long.

About your cat, have you tried with a dry shampoo? It could be a good option. And most cats like to be rubbed with a towel or something as you have to do when you removed the shampoo. In any case, I hope the cat enjoys her bath, wet or not  :)

I've been enjoying Last of Us. Never played the game, but the show is good (I have not seen the last episode yet). I am also looking forward to The Mandalorian season 3, which arrives tomorrow. Oh, I am also, slowly, watching the season 2 or the Hardy Boys. I think I only read one Hardy Boys book when I was a child, but I've read a couple of Nancy Drew ones and played several ND books, so I am familiar with the characters, as they are Nancy's friends. Not in the show though, no Nancy. Season 1 has been interesting in a nice way, but it has a supernatural twist I am not sure I like. It also starred Linda Thorson, and actress I know since "The Avengers" show and who also appeared in one interesting Star Trek TNG episode. I am just beginning with season 2, it appears like the supernatural twist of s1 carried on to s2, but I am interested so far. Two of the characters are now played by different actors, LOL.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on February 28, 2023, 01:11:08 PM
Oh, the Mandalorian! Yay! Will definitely watch it.
Honestly, I have only heard or read of Nancy Drew as a mention or comparison in some books, but not who she is. I admit, I had to ask Dr. Google for further information.

We are watching Breaking Bad. I never informed myself before, what it was about, and honestly I wouldn't have watched it after the information. But my husband saw the first episode and convinced me. LOL, I thought it was about two guys breaking out of prison. But that was Prison Break, lol.
We are at season 2 or 3, not sure, but I like it.
Micro asked me what it was about and I told her, it is about a chemistry teacher and criminal activity. Boring and not for children.  ;D
One of the actors is Q from Star Trek. :D
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 02, 2023, 10:05:21 PM
Ah, I did not know Q worked there. I am not interested in the BB story myself, but everybody says it is very good. Also, you made me laugh with your confusion with Prison Break. What is fun of the latter, for me, is that both main actors worked in the Arrowverse as friends (villains, cold and heat based).

I watched the first 2 episodes of Picard, so far it is fun.

About Nancy Drew, I read a couple of books when I was a child, but the translation was not very good and it showed because the writing sounded too artificial. But I played a lot of the computer games by Her interactive, which are perfect for me because they are text and puzzle based. I like them.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 14, 2023, 12:51:54 PM
Hi people! I just wanted to say hello, as it is been a while.
We are surfing a heat wave, but apparently it is going to recede starting today. I hope so. It has been exhausting to go to work with this heat, thanks God for the air conditioning in buses. That was not so common a few years ago.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on March 22, 2023, 01:57:20 PM
Hi, I am here! Was just busy for a while. Now everything starts to go normal again.
I have read the news about JB having finished The Olympian Affair and started the next Dresden.

I am still re-reading the Lord John series, occasionally taking a break reading this and that short story.
I plan to read "Der Schwarm" by Frank Schätzing afterwards. They recently made a TV adaption, but I didn't have time to watch it. My cousin's wife told me, the book was great but since the TV series she could not bring herself to eat any more fish, lol.
So I decided to eat the yummy fish at the family gathering and read the book after that.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Swarm_(Sch%C3%A4tzing_novel)
I don't know if I will like it, but I got the book for free on prime reading for quite a while now.

Spring time is here, the birds are back and today it has been sunny and warm 18°C.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 22, 2023, 03:51:08 PM
Oooh, I did not know that. I had checked his twitter a few days ago, with no news! I am super happy to hear that.
We had a few hard days, as hubby had trouble with his legs again and we had to go to the hospital, but luckily he was only given an at-home treatment with antibiotics, and he seems to be responding well. So I am relieved.
Next week I will begin my classes, I am anxious but also happy, I like to teach.
I will check that series later. I would have no problem as I do not eat fish anyways (I am probably allergic to them).
Here is Autumn! And it shows! It came with cloudy, cool days. Around 20ºC but with a nice breeze, so it feels a touch cooler. I love days like these ones.
I need to work a little, but I wanted to say, welcome back and ((((((((((((Regen))))))))))
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Don on March 24, 2023, 12:05:23 AM
I read the news today, oh boy..

I'm excited for the new Cinder Spires, and it's interesting that Jim gave a prediction on how long he's going to take to write the next Dresden.

I am still alive.  Hope all is well in the Secret Hollowed-Out Volcano. 

Hi Dina!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 24, 2023, 05:10:38 AM
((((((((((((((((((Don)))))))))))))))))))))))
So happy to see you!

Well, the SHOV is mostly deserted these days, but lights are stil on for the occasional patron. For those who want to visit, like you.
And yes, we have news! New book is coming! I will need to reread TAW in the next weeks. Meanwhile, next week I begin my classes, but tomorrow is a free day, so long weekend. Still, March 24 is a day of remembrance of the last dictatorship and how much it costed our Country. It is not a happy day, but at least I welcome the fact that I do not need to work.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on March 25, 2023, 11:24:40 AM
Hey, Don!

*** lights some lava lamps***

I think I'll reread TAW some time in summer. Then it is fresh in my mind.  ;D

I've just finished Academ's Fury in my first read through. I had some problems with the first Alera book. It took me a long time to finally finish it and several attempts to get past the first pages. Just didn't hook me that well at the beginning.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 25, 2023, 07:18:09 PM
I never read Alera, I did not find the premise interesting.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on March 26, 2023, 07:14:35 AM
[quick "I'm still alive" post]
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 26, 2023, 08:12:33 AM
(((((((((((PD)))))))))))))))) Always good news!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on March 26, 2023, 09:30:02 AM
((((((((Dina))))))
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 27, 2023, 12:37:35 PM
How are you doing?
I am more or less ok, tomorrow I have my first class in the year, I am getting read for it. This will be the first totally in-person year since the pandemics, because last year we had some troubles with the computers, so we decided to make some of the practices on-line (and some of them in person). I miss the virtual classes, even when I love the in person exchange with the students. It is only that it was so good to be at home, skipping the commute, and having all the material in power points and things like that instead of several papers.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on March 27, 2023, 04:13:35 PM
Oh, I'm doing well. Gotta lot of catch up reading to do. Thing is, the back log keeps growing because I keep getting new books to read and I forget about the beck log. Need to fix that.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 27, 2023, 11:24:22 PM
 :D The struggle is real.
Did you read the news about Cinder Spires? Jim has finished book 2! He also began writing the new Dresden one.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Don on April 02, 2023, 05:50:59 AM
((((((((((((((((((Don)))))))))))))))))))))))
So happy to see you!

Well, the SHOV is mostly deserted these days, but lights are stil on for the occasional patron. For those who want to visit, like you.
And yes, we have news! New book is coming! I will need to reread TAW in the next weeks. Meanwhile, next week I begin my classes, but tomorrow is a free day, so long weekend. Still, March 24 is a day of remembrance of the last dictatorship and how much it costed our Country. It is not a happy day, but at least I welcome the fact that I do not need to work.

I get to listen to audiobooks while I work, so I have the book and audiobook of TAW.  I enjoyed it more the second time than the first.

I hope your classes are going well..  And days of rememberancve are at least handy reminders of something horrible so that history is less likely to repeat itself.  Although it always seems to anyway :/

Hey, Don!

*** lights some lava lamps***

I think I'll reread TAW some time in summer. Then it is fresh in my mind.  ;D

I've just finished Academ's Fury in my first read through. I had some problems with the first Alera book. It took me a long time to finally finish it and several attempts to get past the first pages. Just didn't hook me that well at the beginning.

Hey RB!

I really enjoyed the first Alera book.  Don't want to put any spoilers here, but I found the way the tension built up in the middle to be fun.

I never read Alera, I did not find the premise interesting.

Game of Thrones Lite  :P

There's an interview when someone asked Jim if he read the ASOIAF series, and he said that he didn't..  but I think he was fibbing.  Alera was started before GoT came out on HBO, and there are too many parallels for it to be coincidence.  But that's just my opinion.

[quick "I'm still alive" post]

Glad to see you are also alive.  Serious time has passed, and I would guess that not all of us still are.  I think about the old crew a lot and wonder how people are doing.



Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 02, 2023, 06:05:48 AM
(((((((((Don))))))))))))
Yes, my classes are going well so far. And you are right about remembrance days.
I am glad you can enjoy audiobooks!

I have never read ASOIF either. I watched GoT but I won't be fooled again, so no House of Dragon for me.

I watched Last of Us. It was a good one.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Don on April 02, 2023, 06:12:46 AM
I have not watched Last of Us yet. 

House of the Dragon was alright.  People seem to really like it, but I didn't get too excited over it.  I listened to the audiobook, so now I know what happens.

I'd like to know how the original series turns out, but the author keeps working on spinoffs rather than finishing what he started.  It's annoying.  But I can't blame him.  Those spinoffs are making him a lot of money, and he deserves to enjoy his success.

But it's annoying.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 02, 2023, 08:24:31 AM
I totally get it. Of course it is his right and he can write whatever he pleases, but it is annoying for old readers.

For a couple of weeks I watched just so much Pedro Pascal  :). "Last of us" and "the Mandalorian" overlapped for a while. Now, it is only the Mandalorian. Which is going well but not as well as season 1, in my humble opinion. Season 2 was a mild one.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 07, 2023, 11:10:07 AM
Alera is good, but I never felt like I couldn't stop reading, sometimes it has its lengths.

We are still watching Breaking Bad, though I think it's the last season. There have been funny moments.
Mini is watching Stranger Things with us. We had only seen the first 3 seasons before.

Last of us is some zombie stuff, isn't it? But I think it isn't free yet on prime.
The Mandalorian will have to wait until after Breaking Bad and Stranger Things.

I am not sure if I want to see House of Dragons.
I've read ASOIAF in parts. I have never owned the books, but got them from a friend. So I didn't remember the titles of the books I already knew. The friend moved away and our constant book flow back and forth suffered from the distance. But she once gave me another of the books, convinced that I had read everything before that. But I was confused. It was the part, when Sansa was Alayne. It took me a long time to understand who this Alayne was. So there must have been a book missing in between.

All in all I liked the books, but I am no fan of multiple POVs. This basically doesn't get the story very far but only makes a fat book. Especially when it's too many POVs.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 07, 2023, 07:01:51 PM
Hello everyone!
It is Good Friday. Here what we call the Holy Week is Thursday is a day without school, banks, and most people do not have to go to work, but other people have to. Good Friday is like a Sunday. For us Catholics these are days of introspection. But if you celebrate, I wish you a happy Easter Sunday!
We are also having a new raise in the temperature, not a heat wave. It is quite nice.
Last of us is in HBOmax for me. It is based on a game and yes, it is a zombie stuff indeed only the monsters are not real zombie but fungi infected people. The show is actually quite good, zombies are just the excuse for other things and for the post-apocalyptic word.

The Mandalorian is not so good this season as the previous ones, I think.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 09, 2023, 09:03:40 AM
Hey everybody!
The kids have found all the chocolate eggs and bunnies I have the Easter Bunny has hidden outside.
At noon we are going to a restaurant with my mother. I'll take the bike, because there will be a lot to eat in the next days. We have 8 coloured eggs left.

I have started reading "Der Schwarm" by Frank Schätzing. It is a good book, though all the people, no matter who it is, are talking exactly like the author in direct speech. In a somehow pompous way, lol. Like one does, when one wants to sound intelligent.
But it is well written. And so far it is interesting.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 10, 2023, 11:58:08 AM
Hi there! In general, we do not have eggs hunting. It is not a tradition here, but some people who loves to follow the USA trends is beginning to do it now. Anyways, as we have no children, hubby and I bought a nice chocolate egg, with pistachios and sea salt. It was delicious!  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 11, 2023, 07:51:18 AM
Egg hunting is an old tradition here. Though nowadays you just hide chocolate eggs and the painted eggs stay in their basket inside. At least this is what we do. Usually one hangs some empty painted eggs on twigs of catkin bush (?). Outside I have coloured plastic eggs.

About the book I am reading: I take back my comment about direct speech. I'm on page 60 now and it has become more normal speech. Or perhaps I just got used to it.  ;)

Parallel I am listening to Alera 3. But either my phone is starting to get worse or there is something wrong with the last update of the app. Probably both. The app fails a lot or doesn't even start. I already tried deleting and reinstalling. Power off, power on, deleting unused data, ... Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
Sometimes I seem to generate some kind of murphyonic field, lol. Each device I have develops some quirk once I start to use it. Even wrist watches.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 12, 2023, 05:54:58 AM
I am sorry about your difficulties to reread Alera with your phone.
I have a friend who always created a murphyonic field around him  :). That also happens when there are several coworkers wanting to use the same things, like a printer, or even a coffee machine.

We saw The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent in Amazon and we liked it. It was fun.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 15, 2023, 07:25:15 PM
Well, nobody is posting, so sorry for the double post.

My classes are going well but I feel my students are lazier every year. Perhaps it is a side effect of the pandemics, I know I am a little lazier myself, because I had a lot of cool things in power point, pdf, etc and now I have to go back to my sheets of paper and to the blackboard (actually it is a green one). Other years I had the problems anew every year, but I do not have the energy now.

I began watching Superman & Lois season 3 and Holy ...! I mean, the superman stuff is fine it appears to be a cool villain (I only watched 2 episodes so far) and the FX are the best of any DC show. But what really blew my mind was the storyline about what is happening with Lois. I am quite invested.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 16, 2023, 09:27:43 AM
Hi, Dina.
I understand your feelings about going back to paper and your green blackboard. Is there no computer for powerpoint and a beamer?

I haven't heard of Superman&Lois. Sounds interesting. Is it on Netflix?

We've had Micro's birthday party yesterday. I made two sorts of muffins: lemon and raspberry. And a cheesecake.
In the evening we made hamburgers. Some patties with meat and some with cauliflower. It was nice.

After the guests were gone we started the newest season of the Mandalorian. Only the first episode so far.
I kind of miss his old space ship. One could get up and walk around while travelling. But in this small one all he can do is sit in his seat. Also I am always wondering where they all have their toilets, lol. I mean he can't just stop in the middle of space and get out. *shrugs*
Also I looked intensively to see how Grogu got out of the ship after landing. But one didn't see it, though the ship was in sight all the time. He just suddenly appeared beside Mando in his hovering half sphere. And where did he store that in the small ship?
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 16, 2023, 10:48:31 AM
Hi Regen!
Yes, we have a computer and a beamer (I did not know that was the name of the thing). in fact, in the classes of theory, which are like lectures, professors always use the beamer. But in the practical classes, like the one we teach, we often make the students themselves walk to the green blackboard ( :)) and explain one problem to their classmates, with our help/guidance, of course. So we only use the beamer for some bits of general explaining in the classes or when we decide to explain a whole problem ourselves because it is too complicated, tricky or whatever. In any case, we also give time to the students to do consultation (more privately) and that means I have to approach them with my papers on hand. During the pandemics we had zoom small rooms where we shared our screen with the resolutions to help them with problem-solving. We also had, and still have, a forum where students could ask their questions beforehand and we answered them, but now they do not use it. Apparently they prefer to ask us face to face instead of writing in the forum.

Ohhh, Superman & Lois is a show which is in season 3 now! It is more or less Arrowverse. I mean, producers are the same of the Arrowverse, there are some things in common, and Superman himself is the one who appeared in Supergirl, but in season 2 it was established they are living in another...dimension, universe, reality, whatever you call it. In summary, it shares things with the other Arrowverse shows but it has its own continuity. Easy to follow I guess. I believe in USA it was in CW network, but I have it in HBOmax.
Which is completely different about Superman & Lois it is that it is a show about the family, because Superman and Lois have two teenager boys, Jordan and Jonathan. The show has moments that are more "traditionally Superman" with him fighting supervillains and environmental catastrophes and things like that, but mostly it is about how to raise a family when you are a superhero.
The show begins with the family moving to Smallville from Metropolis, and what it means for them. I personally think the series has very good moments, and very bad ones too. And the worse is when is boring. For example, in my opinion in previous seasons it spent a lot of time with the family life of Lana Lang...who I do not care about. I believe the show starts weakly but it gets better, with a few abysmal episodes here and there. I also did not like season 2 main villain. But the show is quite watchable anyways. The acting of the main characters is very good.

I am so glad Micro had a good birthday party! It sounds like you did a great job with the food. I do not think I had cauliflower burgers. I had other kind of veggie burgers, like lentils, chickpea, rice, soy, and other combinations, but not cauliflowers. And you made two kind of muffins? And a cheesecake? That is awesome!

Yes, Grogu seems to magically grow his half-sphere around himself when needed  :). Last night we watched the last episode they aired and we laughed, because they gave Grogu a way of communicate with people! (Not a speech, do not worry).

I watched the Ahsoka trailer the other day, and it intrigued me and let me wanting to see more, so I guess it was good. Also, the story of the Mandalorian hints to have some connections with what is going to happen in Ahsoka.

We also watched Picard last night. The end is near! (one week I believe  :))
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 16, 2023, 11:33:19 AM
Oh cool. I need to watch Picard, too!!!! We had to finish Breaking Bad first, which we called "zerbrochenes Bad" in German for fun since the bathtub episode in season one, lol. The one where the bathtub breaks through the floor, because (no spoiler) it was filled with disgusting bathtub destroying stuff. "Zerbrochenes Bad" means "broken bathroom". It is funny, because the English word " bad" means "bath(room)" in German. Yeah, well, the bathtub scene...  ;D  ;D  ;D


To be honest, I didn't bake the cheesecake. I always have some ready to eat frozen one in storage to safe time and for emergency need of cake. For example once my cat ate from the origininal cake and walked over the rest. It could not be served to the guests, so I put the emergency cake out of the freezer into the oven and 20 min. later everyone had cake.
Nobody ever noticed that I didn't bake it myself, muahaha! Except the guests who saw the cat incident. I just left the cake alone for a few seconds to fetch the coffee mugs. About half the cake could be saved and we ate it the next day.


I am so looking forward to Olympian Affair! But for now I am content with my current book.
The audible app sometimes works, sometimes not. If it works, I have to use it immediately or it will stop again. But most of the time when I want to use it, it doesn't work. I wanted it for household chores and for my way to work. Maybe I'll find a way to repair it, but at the moment I have no idea what to try next, because I have already tried everything.
Probably I'll have to look for a new phone soon. Not just because of the app, but because there are other things no longer working properly. And most of the time it is like with washing machines: the repair costs more than a new one.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 17, 2023, 12:03:20 PM
Hi Weird!
That is hilarious about Breaking Bad  :) I've read something about an actor of BB appearing in the most recent episode of The Mandalorian, but I could not tell you who as I do not watch BB.

That is perfectly fine about the cheesecake. You baked 2 kinds of muffins! Here they sell a box with powder to make cheesecakes that does not need baking. I did it 2 times if I recall it correctly. It was long ago though. I still think sometimes the time you save is worthy to buy the cheesecake, even when is more expensive.

I get it about the phone, I changed it last year for that reason. For example, I could not play Pokemon Go anymore  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 18, 2023, 01:57:12 PM
Hi Weird!
That is hilarious about Breaking Bad  :) I've read something about an actor of BB appearing in the most recent episode of The Mandalorian, but I could not tell you who as I do not watch BB.

Oh, OK. I didn't notice anyone. Maybe he was one of the non-humans.
There was Christopher Lloyd and Jack Black in the same episode.

We watched all available episodes in one day, lol. It was the day after the birthday party and we decided to watch the first two, as some of them are only about half an hour. And somehow we didn't stop.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on April 18, 2023, 02:32:21 PM
:D The struggle is real.
Did you read the news about Cinder Spires? Jim has finished book 2! He also began writing the new Dresden one.

That's good news.

And "Peace Talks" is brilliant. Now I have to get "Battle Ground" ASAP.
@Regenbogen - Season 3 is meant to be the best.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 18, 2023, 11:44:07 PM
Oh, OK. I didn't notice anyone. Maybe he was one of the non-humans.
There was Christopher Lloyd and Jack Black in the same episode.

We watched all available episodes in one day, lol. It was the day after the birthday party and we decided to watch the first two, as some of them are only about half an hour. And somehow we didn't stop.

LOL! it is addictive that way.
I think it was the episode following the one with Christopher Lloyd that featured that person.
I am looking forward to the finale!  :)

That's good news.

And "Peace Talks" is brilliant. Now I have to get "Battle Ground" ASAP.
@Regenbogen - Season 3 is meant to be the best.

((((((((((((((((PD)))))))))))))))))))) Good to see you!
BG is an incredible ride. fasten your belt  :)  (No Spoilers here in Weird, so I won't tell you anything else.)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on April 19, 2023, 08:19:22 PM
As soon as I saw that a Fomor with an oversized eye covered with a patch had arrived, I immediately thought of Balor. And then it turns out she's not a Fomor, but a Titan - who takes out Mab, without breaking a sweat, mind, before blacking out Chicago. I was like:  :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

It's good to get back into the series, and has the unresolved sexual tension between Harry and Lara ever been higher?
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 19, 2023, 11:23:15 PM
Uh, that is a little complicated to answer. And as I said, no spoilers in Weird.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on April 20, 2023, 04:03:15 PM
Oh, Jim just announced on Twitter that Book 2 of Cinder Spires will be released on November 7.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 20, 2023, 04:56:11 PM
Uh, that is a little complicated to answer. And as I said, no spoilers in Weird.
LOL


@PilgrimDan

Well, fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the book. Do you already have it?

Oh, Jim just announced on Twitter that Book 2 of Cinder Spires will be released on November 7.

*dance of joy*

I hope the next Dresden will go as smoothly as this one.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on April 20, 2023, 07:36:25 PM
@PilgrimDan

Well, fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the book. Do you already have it?

Just got it today. Banging opening. Literally.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 20, 2023, 11:31:58 PM
Get ready, PD! It is a ride!

Oh, Jim just announced on Twitter that Book 2 of Cinder Spires will be released on November 7.
Yay!!! It is so good to have a date  :D :D :D :D :D :D
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 22, 2023, 10:39:16 PM
Hi Weird!
That is hilarious about Breaking Bad  :) I've read something about an actor of BB appearing in the most recent episode of The Mandalorian, but I could not tell you who as I do not watch BB.

Aaaah, I just noticed I am so stupid! Of course there is this actor in plain sight. It's Moff Gideon. I saw him first in Once Upon A Time. He played Regina's mirror, as in "mirror, mirror on the wall".

@PilgrimDan

Have you finished the book? Did you manage to sleep between?  ;)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 22, 2023, 10:56:42 PM
Hi!
No, that is not who I was talking about. Moff Gideon appears in several chapters, the person I was talking about had appeared only in one episode (perhaps two, I have not see the season finale yet). I finally checked and according to what
I read the actor I was talking about played a character called Skinny Pete in BB.

We never watched Once Upon a Time for two reasons 1) I thought it sounded like a ripoff of the comic Fables, and I did not want to support it  :) 2) we were tired of the character of Cameron in "House" so we did not want to see the actress again (Jennifer Morrison).

On Thursday my colleague was ill and I was the only teacher in my class. It was exhausting because it had a while of exercise in computers and another about pen & paper excercises. It was logistically bothersome to be alone. But I think it went well anyway.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 22, 2023, 11:21:00 PM
Oh, Skinny Pete! Didn't notice him. But I googled it. He was there at the end of the second to last episode, not very noticeable, one of the
(click to show/hide)
. Wouldn't have recognised him. Skinny Pete always wore his beanie, he was one of Jesse's friends and fellow drug users/drug dealers.


It is always bad to work alone when it is supposed to be a team. Or doing the job of two or more persons while being expected to achieve the same quality, speed and workload, as if they were there. One can manage for a time, but it gradually exhausts you.
Glad you made it.  8)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on April 25, 2023, 03:09:24 PM
Get ready, PD! It is a ride!
Yay!!! It is so good to have a date  :D :D :D :D :D :D

That's putting it mildly. I seriously think Jim may have outdone himself here.
Rudolph is a stupid trigger happy SOB and I hope he doesn't just get drummed out of the CPD but serves serious jail time.

Oh, and "Christmas Eve" is adorable. The notion of Mab doing something so ordinary as watching a Disney movie is hilarious.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 25, 2023, 10:52:11 PM
(((((((((((PD))))))))))
I agree with both statements. Besides, Christmas'Eve really moved me, my eyes were shiny.

I have been quite busy these days doing some paperwork and other formal things Boring but necessary stuff. Also, my colleague is healthy again, so today was a normal class, without any problems. It went well.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on April 26, 2023, 04:09:10 PM
I also think Mab is right in her assessment of Disney movies weakening humanity's psychological defenses against Faerie, especially its more malicious inhabitants.

A side note: I swear Jim quoted James Earl Jones as Thulsa Doom from the 1982 Conan the Barbarian movie with the line: "What is the sword compared to hand that wields it." (Jones straight up steals that movie with every scene he's in BTW.) Of course, Doom is neglecting an even more important point: what is the hand the wields the sword compared to the will that drives the hand?
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 26, 2023, 04:18:26 PM
Agree again.

I remember when Disney released a Tinker Bell movie (I do not remember the name) when she faced a Winter fairy. I laughed a lot because the blurb reminded me to JB sidhe. i know I posted that in this forum and all. That is why any references to Disney faeries in canon makes me chuckle.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on April 26, 2023, 05:49:34 PM
I actually admire Mab. She's a monster yes, but she is unfailingly attentive to her duties and the needs of her vassals. And look at how she supported Harry when he insisted they had a duty to recompense the fallen and their families. Granted, some of that was self interest, but she also correctly points out that they have a moral duty, as well.

Other things:
Freydis shoving a grenade into the Kraken's head wound to blow it up: Hell yeah.
Harry and Lara are now betrothed? Dear God.  :o.
For all the White Council losing their "s" over Harry, look at how Michael reacts to him. With exactly the same trust that he always has.
"You think your mother and I are blind, as well as old?"
Marcone is a Knight of the Blackened Denarius? That's fairly terrifying.
Ordinary Chicago residents fighting back to save their city.
Any scene with Maggie, Harry and Mouse together.
And, of course, Butters. Pick a scene, any scene, with him in and tell me he's not stone cold awesome in it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 27, 2023, 10:58:01 PM
I do not know if I "admire" Mab but I respect her. I also can understand her a little.
i love Butters and in BG he was awesome. And Michael, of course.

Today was a good class. Also, the weather became suddenly warmer. it feels nice.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 28, 2023, 12:02:18 PM
I love Mab. I remember feeling very excited when she first appeared in Summer Knight. 8)

PD, if you want more... I don't know if you know already, but there are several other interesting microfictions on Jim's website. Just look at the upcoming works page.


I am still reading "Der Schwarm". I'm at about 60%. It's 1000 pages. I like it a lot. I know people who couldn't read it because of the boring parts. The boring parts being mostly scientific stuff (biology, geology,...), so not boring for me. But I can understand how someone who wasn't interested in this stuff before can get bored by it, lol. The book is basically one about an apocalypse with fantasy and science fiction elements but so far with plausible explanations, at least for how it is all happening. At this point they are getting nearer to why and a theoretical who.


My audible app sometimes works, but most of the time not. But I managed to continue anyway with Alera, because the newer kindle e-books all have audible function. You can use it via Bluetooth.

Last week I worked the nightshift, so this week I am at home. Yay! I always use the time to read a lot and to sleep at noon. I need the sleep because of the jet lag.

Today it is raining, yesterday it was cold, but the other days it will get warmer. Everything is green, birds are singing, insects crawling.... Spring time is here.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 28, 2023, 12:28:32 PM
Hi Regen!
Yes, Mab is an awesome character.
I am now feeling a little disappointed about Marcone or, better said, about the Marcone-Dresden interaction. But most of the other characters are so good.
I hope you can get some well-deserved rest.

Oh, i finished the Mandalorian, and I liked it. Grogu is such a badass.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 28, 2023, 02:04:25 PM
The Mandalorian was great. Grogu made my day. Badass and cute at the same time.
Now we are watching Manifest. The one with the plane that disappeared and came back 5 years later.

I am disappointed by Marcone's decision. OK, it kind of was obvious, but I honestly hoped the helicopter scene in Small Favor was misleading. IMO it was a stupid and risky decision and also against what I thought of his personality.


Edit: BTW I just finished washing the cat. She was very grumpy, because she just wanted to sit on my lap and do nothing. I even earned an impressive hiss. But she stayed and even let me blow-dry her fur, lol.

Yesterday she pissed down the basement stairs, yay.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 01, 2023, 06:00:12 PM
Hi Regen!
Agree about Marcone. I also do not want that Harry seems to have "warmed" at him. I liked him better when Harry, even respecting the man and knowing that sometimes they have to work together against worse threats, considered him scum.

Of course the cat is angry at you, annoying human who do not let her being lazy.

I have a busy week in front of me. Besides the normal work, I have to do a presentation for the process of confirming my job as I told you some time ago. Then next week will be the actual class (that is part of the process) and then...to wait for the outcome.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 01, 2023, 08:24:44 PM
Hi, Dina! I know what job you are talking about. I wish you good luck.


About the cat, in case you wondered: I need to do the hygiene stuff for her, because she is too old to do it herself. And she smells of urine if it isn't done. Usually she lets me wash most of her body without getting angry. She only hates getting her butt, her tail and her feet washed.
But despite growling and hissing she doesn't attack me. I think deep inside she knows I am helping her.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 01, 2023, 09:07:10 PM
Hi Regen!
Yes, I remember you talk us about your senior cat before. I am sure she knows you are doing it to help her, it is just that she can't help feel uncomfortable when you mess with some parts of her body. I am sure she trusts you and even when it annoys her she really does not resent you for it. Besides I bet she likes feeling clean after the bath. Cats hate being dirty.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 04, 2023, 11:51:44 AM
May the 4th be with you, my friends!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on May 04, 2023, 04:19:17 PM
:D HAPPY STAR WARS DAY, EVERYONE!! :D
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 04, 2023, 06:00:54 PM
When you look at the dark side, careful you must be. For the dark side looks back.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on May 04, 2023, 06:49:39 PM
Thank you, Yoda Nietzsche.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 04, 2023, 09:38:39 PM
Welcome you are, hmm hmm.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 04, 2023, 10:51:46 PM
 :D I love my friends here.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 10, 2023, 05:35:06 PM
I just wanted to report that I am alive and well  :)
I already did the thing I had to do and now I just have to wait to see if I can keep my job.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 10, 2023, 08:20:03 PM
((((((Dina))))))
I'm alive as well and wish you luck. 8)

I have finished the 1000 pages book. The book was good, the ending was OK, it didn't quite satisfy me. Too easy.
All in all I was mostly drama, apocalypse, death, fear, nature strikes back, ...

Now I read something light and funny: The utterly uninteresting and unadventurous tales of Fred the vampire accountant.


Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 11, 2023, 01:09:03 AM
((((((((((Regen))))))))))))
Thank you!
Sorry about the book but the other one sounds so fun  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 13, 2023, 01:49:18 PM
It is fun and the other one was fun too. Just in an apocalyptic way, lol.

Just got home from work. Now I'm going to bake a cake for Mothers' Day tomorrow.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 14, 2023, 12:13:39 AM
Ah, here Mother's day is in October, but i wish you a wonderful Mother's Day!! Hubby adds his good wishes too!  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 14, 2023, 01:35:06 AM
Ah, here Mother's day is in October, but i wish you a wonderful Mother's Day!! Hubby adds his good wishes too!  :)
Aw, that's sweet. Thank you both.  :)
Saturday I bought a new thermos for my coffee and I tried to understand the instructions in Spanish. I didn't know the words for hot and cold yet. But there was only one sentence I couldn't make sense off without reading the translation.

I just woke up. It's 3 a.m. but I will sleep 2 hours more now before work. Micro already placed her presents for me on my place at the table: a paper heart and a paper butterfly she made with a piece of chocolate as its body. Cute. :)

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 14, 2023, 04:03:52 PM
Sorry for the double post.

I couldn't sleep any more after 3 a.m. So I'm very tired now. My mother couldn't sleep either, so we were both tired today.  ;)
Mini gave me a the picture of a duck she painted herself. Very cool, looks almost real. She's an artist.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 15, 2023, 12:33:55 AM
I am sorry about the lack of sleep and having to work on Mother's Day, but what you told us about the presents is so sweet!
I hope you and your mom enjoy yourselves even when we know you are grieving.
It seems like you really have an artist in the family, I admire that. I am almost a disaster at art. I managed to do a few things not horrible at school in drawings and paintings. Anything 3d or musical is a complete, unrestrained disaster for me. Luckily I can write more or less well.
I do enjoy arts even when I cannot produce it, and that is why I admire people with talent for that.

I thought the word for "hot" was popular, as I've seen many sitcoms or things like that using the word "caliente" for Latinas.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 16, 2023, 06:07:07 AM
I admit I've heard the word caliente before but not in connection to a woman. After I looked it up, I was like "of course, why didn't I know it " lol. Should have been clear when reading about a thermos there should be words like hot and cold. But now I won't forget it again.
But one doesn't hear a lot of Spanish here.
Mostly it's in music.

About art: in my family as well as in my husband's family there are lots of people either good in drawing or music or mostly both. One of my nieces for example is an extraordinary singer. And my daughter can also sing and would be able to play an instrument, if she wasn't too lazy to exercise, lol. But her talent for drawing is extraordinary. She exceeds all of us by far. She also reads a lot and writes her own stories, mostly fan fiction about a character from Percy Jackson and about some anime she likes to watch.
 On the other hand she is bad at maths. Except geometrical forms as long as she doesn't have to calculate with them.
And she is somewhat confused or clumsy in daily life. Tends to loose concentration and starts to dream. It is cute as long as you don't need something from her.


As for the grieving. Of course we are, but he would have wanted for us to go on, so we do. It's harder for my mother, because she has to live alone now. There are very nice neighbours and friends helping her with all kinds of things. She goes out once in a while or goes on day trips. So she is quite occupied at the moment.
Winter will be difficult, because there is not much to do outside and more time to think. But I'll see that she won't be alone then. Especially Christmas.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 16, 2023, 12:31:17 PM
Hi Regen!
Music? That is interesting. What music in Spanish do you hear?

That is awesome about your artistic family. My family was never too artistic but my mom had a cousin who is a good singer and pianist. And her children are very artistic. Her son plays the guitar and the piano and is a good (but not extraordinary) singer. And her daughter can sing but she is amazing drawing. And she has a phase where she painted walls, like graffiti, she was great at that. I hope she is back at that sooner or later.

I am good but not extraordinary at maths though.

Of course he would have wanted for you to go on and I am so glad you are doing it. And yes, your mom will be needing help in Winter.

I need to leave now, I have a class. See you later!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 20, 2023, 03:00:21 AM
Today it was very rainy, so I arrived home cold and wet. While I took a shower, hubby called delivery and we had a delicious lent's stew. Comfort food rules  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 24, 2023, 03:35:48 PM
Hi, sorry it took me so long. I worked some nights and got sick afterwards. There is some sort of cold almost everyone has and now I have it too. The sort with coughing and the nose is closed. We took turns. First Mini, then my husband, then myself and now Micro.

LOL Micro is reading a funny text for school. OK, the text isn't funny but she is laughing anyway. It's about Michelle Obama. She has problems reading the English names and cities. That's why she is laughing.
Chichachoo! LMAO Chicago.


@Dina.
About the Spanish music. It's mostly party songs for summer with Spanish texts. They are occasionally played in the radio.

Micro is still in a good mood because of the funny text, even though she is doing maths now. If I had known, I would have let her read names of US cities before every dull homework, LOL.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 24, 2023, 06:47:16 PM
Hi Regen! Sorry about the sickness, are you well now? We are also having a lot of cold because we are alternating mostly warm days with cool ones (still not real cold, except like in the middle of the night). The rain I told you about last Friday did not harm me, but many colleagues caught the cold. The weekend was without rain, Monday there were some falling drops, but very lightly. And then last night and today are very rainy.

Luckily I have a long weekend. Tomorrow is a holiday and Friday is what we called a "bridge holiday". This is our system: Some holidays have to be celebrated/remembered (most are sad things, like the anniversary of the death of some important person) always in the same day while other can be moved in the week to make a long weekend. That is, if the celebrating day happens to be a Thursday it is moved to the Friday or next Monday. The idea is that long weekends help tourism and are good economy. it has actually worked quite well.
Well, when some Holidays that cannot be moved happen in a Tuesday or Thursday there is the "bridge" when the previous Monday or following Friday are declared a holiday too. All for creating a long weekend. There are some small letter arrangements I am not too familiar, for example, I believe the actual holiday is a day where you have to pay double to your employess if you want them to work (like a Sunday) while the actual holiday you pay 1.5 X, like a Saturday. Or something like that. More stores are closed on the actual holiday than on the bridge day.
Well, May 25 is one of those Holidays that cannot be moved, so Friday is a bridge holiday. It is good for me because my classes are Tuesday and Thursday, so this week was not only short but light (my class yesterday was a good one, and we even finished half an hour early).
May 25 is one of our most important civic days. You are supposed to wear the cockade (I hope that is the world) from 18 to 25. Most people does not, but TV hosts, ministers and other high ranking workers, teacher and school children are encouraged to wear it. I had mine yesterday.
That is because on May 18, 1810 people in Buenos Aires began opposing the authority of the viceroy (the ruler the king of Spain appointed in America) and on May 25 the viceroy was demoted and a first government was elected among our citizens (it was an ensemble of 9 people). The actual independence of the country did not happen until 1816, but May 25 was the beginning of all.

Sorry for the history lesson, i thought some of you may be curious. Also, May 25 1810 is said to have been a rainy day so every time it rains on May 25 we feel it is fair. Rain is expected for tomorrow too. Traditionally, on May 25 we eat some traditional food, for example, locro (a corn-based dish I never made myself. I am actually not a fan), "pastelitos" (a pastry for tea time or breakfast, normally with a confiture of sweet potato or quince) and, of course, empanadas. I often do them but I think this year I will be calling delivery, because I did not do the grocery shopping  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 24, 2023, 07:43:37 PM
((((Dina))))
I wish you a nice national holiday!

We have Pentecost Sunday and Monday. And there are two weeks of school holidays. The public bath opens this Saturday.

We planned to make a trip to England but abandoned the idea because of several reasons. Me having lots of doctors appointments due to my bad right knee and probably I broke my left foot a few years ago and didn't notice. Oops. Only now I realized that my little toe feels numb and there is a point at the side of my foot which hurts when I put a finger on it.
The doctor wasn't sure so I have to go to a specialist who does MRT for the foot and the knee.
She gave me some happy pills against the pain. Though I haven't tried them yet.

On the upside we are all on vacation. We plan to visit some castles in the vicinity or swim in some lakes, maybe even stay somewhere for one night.
If the weather is not good for outdoor activities we could go to the cinema. Arielle is starting in June. We grown-ups could go see Guardians of the Galaxy 3 or Renfield. Nicolas Cage as Dracula! The man of the thousand faces, lol.

I do still have the cold, but no more fever.


We have bridge days too. When a holiday is on a Thursday those who are fast enough can take the Friday off to have a long weekend.


And I succeeded in infecting a colleague with the Dresden Files, mwahaha!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 24, 2023, 08:03:36 PM
Thanks for the wishes. I wish you some super happy vacations!
But what the...fudge? How could you break a foot without knowing it? Well, whatever the case, I hope the doctors and pills help you. But try not to get too in love of them pills.

The plan of visiting castles sounds wonderful, especially considering there is no castle near here (where there are a couple of castle like things, but they are from XIX century or the first decades of XX.

I have two questions. What is a public bath, like a community swimming pool? and what is Arielle?

I laughed at the trailer of Renfield. Did I tell you I watched "the unbearable weight...". It is with Nicholas Cage playing himself, and Pedro Pascal playing a character who is not Pedro Pascal. I liked it a lot. Good fun.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 24, 2023, 08:32:31 PM
Thank you. The public bath is a community swimming pool with several pools (a long one only for swimming, a deep one for jumping, a big one for just having fun and not so deep for those who can't swim yet, mostly children, and a small one for babies and toddlers) and wide arias of grass under the shade of trees to spend the day or however long you want to stay there.

Apparently one can break one's anything with a very narrow break, a hair's breadth. And I didn't notice because the foot hurt anyway so that small hurt was overruled by the bigger ones. My husband would say, because I am not able to feel pain, lol. But this is not true. Just a joke between us. What is true is that my pain tolerance seems to be pretty high. As it is with most people with chronic pain.
The joke started during Mini's birth: the peak on the apparatus showed high labour, but I only felt a little tickle and this only when he told me that there was a high peak at the moment.

Arielle is the little mermaid. It's the movie with real persons.

I wasn't able to watch the Renfield trailer yet. But I will correct that now.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 24, 2023, 08:54:03 PM
Ok, yes, we have some of those community pools, not so much as we had before. Capitalism, now you have some private places, but only a couple public ones. I have not been in a while so I do not know if they are well cared of, but when I was a teenager I went to one that was aside of a big park. It was nice, but not like the others. This was just a complex of two or three pools (an Olympic one, a smaller one and I believe there was a very low one for little children) with the changing rooms and things like that and then, outside, you have a park. But they were not really connected. Most of the other places I remember you have the pool and the green areas more or less integrated. 

Yes, I've heard that high tolerance to pain is an adaptation of chronic pain, and I am really sorry you have the latter. I think I am quite average but sometimes something very minor, like a small cut, hurts me a lot. Anyways, what you mentioned about Mini's birth impressed me. Respect.

Oh! I should have guessed. We spell the Little Mermaid Ariel (which is fun, because that is a male name here). I saw it was coming to cinemas and it looks good, but I will wait until it arrives to Disney+

I just heard that Tina Turner left this world  :'(
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 24, 2023, 09:18:46 PM
Oh no. Tina Turner. I have not heard that before.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 24, 2023, 09:49:02 PM
I think it was announced not long ago, hubby told me. I admit I was never what we can call a fan. I just liked to hear her songs on occasion. And I liked her. And of course, I respect her career. It is a sad day for music.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 24, 2023, 10:51:45 PM
It was just today. I looked it up. She died in Switzerland after a long lasting disease they said.

I am tired now. Going to sleep soon. We just watched the last episode of Sweet Tooth. I hope there will be more some day. It looked like it should continue. A new mission and a new opponent were introduced. We'll see. It was nice, interesting ideas.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 24, 2023, 11:14:29 PM
It is that second 2? i have not watched it yet (I watched all season 1 though). So many shows to watch...
This week is the show finale of The Flash and I watched the Titans finale a few days ago.

Sleep well! (((Regen)))
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 25, 2023, 11:23:26 AM
Yes, it's season 2. Oh, I haven't seen the Titans yet. Is it good?
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 25, 2023, 06:57:56 PM
Quite uneven. The main storyline is fine, but there are too many silly things. And the ending feels rushed after several new paths were outlined. But I did like the costumes. There is also an episode full of cheap cameos...some of them i could not help but like, because I am such a silly DC fan  :D

I think I will use the long and rainy weekend to catch up with some shows. I have not see the last Mrs. Maisel season for instance. And I suppose I should watch Carnival Row. I watched the first season because I loved the setting and the main actors, but I have to confess I was bored. So I am not enthusiastic about the new season, but I probably watch it. Just for closure.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 28, 2023, 05:33:58 AM
So, we started with Titans. Only episode 1 so far, but it starts promising.

I also watched Carnival Row. Because there were wings and because I realised that Orlando Bloom actually looks better with age, lol. I have not yet seen season 2.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 28, 2023, 07:46:18 PM
Sorry, are you watching Titans season 1 or season 4, which is the final one? i was talking about season 4. I think the first season began weak but got better.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 28, 2023, 11:06:27 PM
Sorry, are you watching Titans season 1 or season 4, which is the final one? i was talking about season 4. I think the first season began weak but got better.
Season 1.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 28, 2023, 11:32:26 PM
Ok, in my opinion the first episodes are weak but it becomes more interesting later.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on May 29, 2023, 08:30:57 AM
Cool. I liked the first one.

I also watched the first two episodes of "Der Greif" (the Griffin). It's on German Amazon prime. It is a new series made of a young adults book by Wolfgang and Heike Hohlbein, famous German fantasy authors. There are a bunch of books for kids from 10 years and older. I read them all as s kid. For adults he writes more like horror, but there is fantasy also.
I remember the Greif being one of the last ones I read by him and his wife. But I don't remember much.
It's about a boy who inherited a duty from his family, he at first didn't believe in: to be the guardian of the Black Tower. The Black Tower is a very big one, there are whole dangerous worlds in each of its floors and under the roof the griffin lives. Nobody has ever been there and come back alive.
The griffin rules the tower, but he is cruel.

All I remember from the book were the big tower and the griffin.

Of course the boy is special, because he is the only family member who can wish himself into the tower and out again. All the others (OK, so far only his older brother is left) have to take a secret portal.

And I suppose the endgame will be that they fight the griffin and free the people living in the tower.

And there is always at least one character who is not what he seems to be. At first I thought it was the new girl, but now I think it is someone else. How fortunate I don't remember the book. I don't remember if there even was a girl. Or a brother... Maybe they are free creations for the series or maybe they were in the book but with lesser roles.

I like how they made the tower look. And they made the time look like the early 90s when the book was written.

I'll definitely watch the rest of it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on May 30, 2023, 02:31:12 AM
That sounds interesting (The Griffin).

I had some very good news today at work, so I am superhappy. I am also very tired and I need to go to bed soon (((((everyone))))))
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on June 01, 2023, 06:15:11 PM
I went biking along the river with my husband today. The kids wanted to stay at home. Better for us. No complaining, mwahaha!
My PT told me to use the bike every day. It's good for my knee. And as I like biking anyway that's not so bad. It's just that I don't always find the time. Thank God we also have an exercise wheel at home that my husband bought about 20 years ago, when he tried to loose weight. So there is also fun in biking when it's icy outside or when it's raining. I placed it in front of the TV, lol. And I could read while using it.

Tomorrow my mother is going to have surgery and I'll have to sleep at her home, because the doctors said they can only send her home if someone stays with her all night in case she starts to bleed. She is taking heparin so there is a risk. The surgery is not big, just a small knot that has to be cut out.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on June 01, 2023, 11:52:58 PM
That sounds so good about biking along the river with your husband. And I am glad you have the wheel at home, for when weather is not good. And you can enjoy the TV or a book while doing exercise. I hope it all helps you indeed with your knee.

Wishing the best for your mom, try to have some fun together at night. You will be children-free for a night, so perhaps you can find some rest  :D. Next time we talk, please, tell us how it went.   
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on June 03, 2023, 09:45:51 AM
I am back. All went well. No bleeding. She has to get the dressing changed every day. Today I drove her to the hospital for that. Tomorrow she is allowed to drive on her own.
After the hospital we went to two cemeteries to water the plants on 6 graves. 3 of our family and the others of the neighbours' family, because they are on vacation. It is not hot, just warm, about 20-26°C. But there is a dry wind and there has been no significant rain for weeks now. So the ground is very dry.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on June 03, 2023, 06:21:59 PM
Super glad to hear about your mom!
Wow, I am surprised to hear about the cemeteries. Here people is going less and less to cemeteries. I have not been in years.
We have 23 C which is a record or something for June. Winter begins on june 21 and here we have such warm temperatures, it is incredible. It is quite clouded though, so perhaps it will rain later.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on June 04, 2023, 05:25:57 PM
Oh, it's warm then for winter or soon to be winter.
Today we were quite lazy and tired. But that's OK to be on a Sunday. I even fell asleep in the afternoon.

About the cemeteries: I think it is quite usual to take well care of the graves in rural areas. You see lots of people frequenting their cemeteries. When my grandmother was still alive I always had the feeling all the old widows of the village took part in some sort of competition whose grave looks best. Mostly it was about how well kept the flowers were. I do believe there is still some of this spirit alive, inherited by the daughters and granddaughters. Yes, it is mostly women caring for the graves.

The cemetery in my village is also used as a shortcut during the day, but I guess every cemetery in the right position with one gate on each side can be used that way. You are just not allowed to drive through with any vehicle, but walking is OK. It is not that big. When I walk through I often visit my grandparents' grave to say hello.
There are two bigger family graves of my family in this cemetery. But only one is occupied by more than two people yet. There are my great grandparents and their children and one grandchild (my mother's cousin, who died young of a heart attack). This one is mostly tended by another of my mother's cousins, but she lives a few villages further away and so we water the grave too.

My mom decided that when it is her time, she would rather share a grave with my dad in the cemetery of her village and not in the family grave. That's why we water 3 graves now. My mom's brother took over the family grave a few years ago, but I think my mom doesn't trust him to water the plants correctly, lol. 
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on June 04, 2023, 10:07:17 PM
Yes, it is ok to be lazy on a Sunday!
We had some rain, but only for short periods of time.
It is very interesting all what you told me about the cemetery. I think here too it is more common to go the cemeteries and taking care of the family graves in rural villages. I also liked what you told us about it being a normal walk. For us, it is such an event to go to the cemetery that it is loaded and for me particularly it has become something that makes me too sad. So, I do not go there, and it is a circle, because more time I stay away more difficult it is to go.

In other topics, I saw Shazam 2 yesterday. I liked the first one better. This one was quite meh.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on June 13, 2023, 01:06:11 PM
Hello people, how are you doing?
Here the cold has arrived on the weekend and today we have 3 C. Yesterday, with more or less the same temperature was difficult, but today I got to dictate my classes by Zoom (due to reasons not worthy to mention), so I can stay at home. I need to get out later to do a few errands, but the temperature will be higher by then.
They are forecasting a cold rest of the week but with temperatures a little higher.

I have to do some work but I wanted to say hello to everyone.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on June 14, 2023, 06:07:58 AM
Hello!

I wanted to write for a few days, but I was so busy I always forgot.
Work was fun (as fun as work can be), we have a nice new colleague who I knew before and was looking forward to working with her.

Today's my mother's birthday. In the evening she wants to take us to the Greek restaurant we all like.

I have to make a decision concerning my knee. Either do surgery or try an alternative method I would have to pay for almost half of my monthly salary. At the moment I am leaning towards surgery, but I have to wait for an other doctor's opinion.
Could be that if I do the costly treatment, then I would need surgery anyway but have a few months without much pain.
Could be that after the surgery I would need the costly treatment anyway in addition.
But I had the feeling that the doctor where I was, was in favour of the costly treatment though she seemed quite honest with her opinions. She even was the one to suggest I look for a second opinion.
So I'll wait until July after the second doctor to make my decision. And to see how the knee feels until then. And if I find people who did the treatment and if it was worth it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on June 14, 2023, 01:00:24 PM
Hi Regen!
Happy birthday for your mom! A Greek restaurant sounds great. There are not many Greek restaurants here, I think I never been in one. But there are a few stands in some places which have different foods of the world. I tried there some things like gyros and I liked them a lot.
Speaking of food of the world, we had Mexican a couple of days ago. I just had a sudden wish of quesadillas, which I love.
The nachos were very good, homemade ones.

I am so glad you are having a good time at work.

About your knee, I am crossing fingers whatever you chose is the better for you. I believe you are wise in waiting for a second opinion. I would do the same.

The lowest temperature today was as low as yesterday and Monday, but the highest is forecasted to be higher now. We will see. Apparently we will have 15 C.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on June 14, 2023, 11:26:31 PM
Thanks, Dina.
Today the knee was a bit better. Saturday for example it was s lot worse.

A few days ago we put the cat into a small bath tub and she liked it. She was really cute. I think she enjoyed the warmth of the water for her aching joints.


Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on June 15, 2023, 11:59:31 AM
I'm glad about your knee.

aww, so cute. I am sure she enjoyed it, many pets has been treated that way, with warm water. They like the lack of gravity.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on June 15, 2023, 12:32:22 PM
It is said that cats don't like water. Yet tigers can swim and do so when they have to.
Mine doesn't like having wet feet but everything else can be wet and she doesn't care.

I was at the river today and it has significantly less water than 3 weeks ago in comparison. I even walked a bit into the water, but not too far, because it was getting deep there.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on June 17, 2023, 07:18:35 AM
Hi!

Yes, I think all cats can swim if prompted. I believe tigers sometimes do it on purpose even.

I hope you enjoyed your walk by the river, even with less water. Luckily here is slightly warmer, but still cold (as it should, Winter is coming). Yesterday (Friday) was hubby's birthday. I made a cake, which looked like a "Nail it" product but it was tasty so I call it a win. And we had a laugh about it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on June 17, 2023, 08:40:57 AM
Happy belated birthday to your hubby! LOL about the cake.
Taste is all that counts.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on June 17, 2023, 06:17:00 PM
 :) He says thank you! (He actually said it in German but I have not the skill needed for writing it)

Today is coldish but it is sunny. I went for a short walk and to buy something I needed, and it was nice. But I was sad to see  a store my family used to buy towels and things like that since like 50 years ago is gone  :'(. Now it is a tatoo parlor. I felt that a little piece of my childhood is gone. But objectively I understand it is ok, things change.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on June 18, 2023, 07:54:59 PM
:) He says thank you! (He actually said it in German but I have not the skill needed for writing it)
LOL , now I wonder what he said. Dankeschön maybe?

But I was sad to see  a store my family used to buy towels and things like that since like 50 years ago is gone  :'(. Now it is a tatoo parlor. I felt that a little piece of my childhood is gone. But objectively I understand it is ok, things change.
That's sad. But sometimes change is not so bad. Personally I don't need a tattoo, but towels are more useful to me. There are people who prefer tattoos over towels though.

In my home village, where once was a store for renting videos, there is now a Turkish fast food restaurant. While I miss the videos, I see that there is no more use for shops like that any more. They even never switched to DVDs. They were just gone some day.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on June 19, 2023, 08:50:30 PM
LOL , now I wonder what he said. Dankeschön maybe?
;D Probably. I would have written it Dankeshen maybe.

Yesterday marked six months since we won the World Cup, and the Argentinian association of football (soccer) made a celebratory video which was quite fun. As it was our third championship, we now have 3 golden stars. And the video was mostly a reference to that in comparison with the 3 stars of the Michelin chefs. I guess a mockery to France, who got the second position.

Yes, I understand change is sometimes good, even with stores. For example, in the same building of my appartment there was a real state place and now there is a small grocery store, kind of a 7/11. For me, that was an improvement  :D

Now that I had good news about my job, I decided to buy "Instinct", the book with the short Mouse story. I have not read it, but it is already in my kindle, and that is good.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on June 25, 2023, 09:33:24 AM
Sorry about the double post, but it has been a while and I wanted to comment I read "The fugitive" (JB short story about Mouse and Cerberus) and I loved it. So epic and cute at the same time.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on June 30, 2023, 07:05:15 AM
Hi!
(((((Dina)))))
I also liked the short story. Jim Butcher will be at Supercon this weekend. I hope there will be videos on YouTube or so. And I hope (admittedly to our own advantage  ;)) that after that he will be full of energy and creativity to put that into Twelve Months to make it the best not planned novel ever.  ;D

Yesterday at work I got startled that this Saturday it will already be July! June has gone by so fast. How did that happen? Maybe because I had lots and lots of appointments with doctors and PT.
My PT guy is Spanish by the way. Sometimes he has another Spanish guy with him and they talk to each other about the job and I noticed I did understand at least what they were talking about, just enough to guess what they meant. Sometimes it's just single words, though. But hey I never took a real language course, just Duolingo.
The other guy's German is not so good yet, so he talks in a mixture of German, English and Spanish.

The left knee is not OK now but I can use it and I am mostly without much pain. But sadly my right knee is not getting better. Next week I will have an appointment with another specialist to talk about how to proceed.
My PT guy managed to improve the flexibility of my muscles and tendons but there is still some swelling and I am not able to walk correctly.

And of course I know I need to loose weight, but we all know that as always easier said than done especially when you are limited in movement. I know how to do it, I have lost 15 kg already 3 times, but it always took 1 year and I always got it back afterwards and I am not a nice person when I can't eat what I want, lol. And back then I was still able to run.
I think I could do it again though, but honestly I am afraid of myself in the process.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on June 30, 2023, 11:12:12 AM
Short post because I have no time. I hope they find a way to help you with your right knee. And congratulations, it is not easy to understand Spaniards when they talk to each other.
And I hope the same about Jim  :)
(((((((Regen)))))))
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Fcrate on July 01, 2023, 06:42:58 PM
Hello weirdlings :)
Sorry I haven't been on, I missed you guys.
How's everyone doing?  Myself, I have a couple of mulberry trees (one white, one black) that yield about 26 kg/week each from mid-april to the beginning of June. The white ones are so sweet, if you eat a cookie afterwards it tastes bland. So naturally I ate (directly from the tree) whenever I got hungry, and gained 6.5 kgs LOL.
Its apple season now though, so I'm using that to get rid of that extra weight.
@Regen: I know that struggle, I gain weight easily as well. I made a few changes to my diet a few years ago, and now I'm only 12 kg overweight instead of 35. :D But these 12 kg are horrible. I lose 3, gain 10, lose 7, etc etc. And I have a very physical job as well, which helps a lot. You, though, are screwed :D You have to take the hard road.
PS: Thanks for the PM :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on July 01, 2023, 07:18:10 PM
(((((Fcrate)))))  :D
Glad to see you back here! I hope you are well. The mulberry tree sounds nice.
Our apples will be ripe in late August or early September, depending on how the summer was. The plums are also ripe in late August. So there will be cake, cake and for variety also some cake, lol.

I have a new bicycle, and when I have the time I drive around a lot. Today I was lazy, or better to say: I didn't trust the weather, lol.
Mini is at a festival with friends in the next village. June and July (especially July) are always packed with different kinds of festivities you can attend. Often several at the same day. Last weekend there was one almost directly in front of our house. I went there for the start to say hello to my former marching band, wanted to hear what the mayor had to say and to see if they have something nice to drink.
They did and I bought a cocktail. After that I walked around a bit and tried to decide where to sit. It was rather full with people, but usually there is akways room for one more person. But I couldn't decide where, so I just went home again with my cocktail, enjoyed the peace hidden behind the house and brought back the empty glass later.
On the next day the whole family went there for lunch, as did all our neighbours, because why not? No need to cook yourself, yay.
Tomorrow we will be at another festival at the river. Probably they will have fish. The plan is to have lunch there too. Maybe I'll eat some fish or maybe they have salad or other non fat stuff.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on July 02, 2023, 07:13:25 AM
(((((Fcrate)))))))
I am so glad to see you! I wondered a lot how you were doing.
Excellent about the mulberries! Not about your weight though, I wish you the best for getting rid of the extra kg. I do have a lot of extra weight, but I do not feel like talking about it right now.
I have been well, quite busy. And luckily I was confirmed in my position at the university so I am very happy. Unless I do something really, really wrong I have a job for the next 3 years. I am also finishing the semester now, so I am planning the exams and things like that.

((((Regen)))) That is hilarious about the festivity in front of your house. I hope you have fun in today's one and in the rest of your Summer  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Fcrate on July 04, 2023, 02:49:26 AM
Glad you're both OK.
@Regen: Healthy food sucks. The whole point of eating at a festival is to get the deliciously lethal fried foods. I can never resist eating fattening stuff, when they're available. For example, a month ago my sister came from USA on vacation, and she got me about 1.5-2kg of various delicious chocolates. I ate them in 5 days, and that's me controlling myself. The only way I can lose weight is to deny myself access to any of that.
@Dina: That's great about your job. To be honest,  it blows my mind that you have such high standards for teaching positions, and it bodes well for your country's future. Here, you're a TA until you get your PhD, then you're job is safe for life. At least in public universities.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on July 04, 2023, 03:45:27 AM
((((((Fcrate))))))) It is ironic that you said that about public universities right now. Just yesterday there was some outrage because one of the most viable candidates to be our next president has said that even when Argentina has a lot of universities, some of them are empty and 50% of the students are foreigners. None of those things is true, and the latter is a racist-fueled thing, because she is not worried if we have German or Swiss students. She is worried because we have Colombian, Venezuelan or Peruvian students. And even if we had so many Foreign students, that would not be a bad thing. It is true that in the last few years the number of foreign students has raised but that has to do with the situation of the country. We are so poor that is economically easy for our neighbors to come here. And we have a good and free education. But in other years, when the cost of living is not so cheap here for foreigners, they do not come.
I had several foreign students this year. Some were really not good, some were excellent. A few abandoned my classes. I hope the remaining ones do good in the exams.
In my university specifically, the idea is that you can be a student TA, a TA when you are a graduate, a thing I do not know how to translate but it would be like Head of the Assistants when you have a Ph.D., and a Professor when you also have several years of experience and a good enough résumé. Problem is...we have more Doctors than Professor and Head of the Assistants positions, so most TA are Doctors too, at least the full-time ones.
I have a ph.D and I've already been a Head of Assistants for some years. It was a part-time job while I also had a researcher position that did not involve teaching. I tried to be a Head of Assistant in a full-time position (research+teaching) but I could not win (it was quite competitive) so the last times I applied for full-time TA again. And that is what I confirmed this year. So yay!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on July 14, 2023, 09:06:26 AM
Hey, weird people!
How are you.
I was very busy again. But now I hope there is more quiet. It's always like this in July. Everybody wants to squeeze their stuff in before the summer holidays. I had to work last weekend and this Sunday I'll take over the shift of a colleague who is still too sick to come. But Saturday is free. I hope to be able stay in bed long and maybe go biking or swimming during the day.

My knee is still bad, though. The other doctor said it needs surgery. OK, at least I know now. There is still swelling and I can't walk properly.

Micro maybe needs glasses now, but the doctor wanted to make another test in two weeks to see for sure, if she can still go without. It wouldn't be so bad, we all wear glasses. And there are nice ones these days, one doesn't have to wear the uglies like in my youth, lol.

I often didn't wear mine, because they looked ugly and they were heavy on my nose. Only for school when I needed to see. On other occasions I rather went half blind.
Like once I was at the fair with some friends and the others wanted to shoot with guns to win prices. They insisted I shot too, but I didn't even have my glasses with me and could only see funny colours. Surprisingly I hit some by chance, so we still won some sweets and a stuffed animal.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on July 14, 2023, 02:30:42 PM
Hi everyone!
I am doing well but most people around here have a cold or something. It is cold (today is the coldest day in the year, but it does not feel so bad because ir is mostly sunny) but a few days ago it was warm and so some people was caught without the right clothing for the weather. Also, it has been rainy the last few days, but luckily not today.
((((Regen))) Sorry about your knee. I do hope you enjoy your Saturday and yes, if micro has to wear glasses is not to bad. I use my glasses quite a lot but only if I have to read. Anyways I like them.
I have been having trouble with the login here at the forums. I always got a privacy warning and even when I used the " I trust the site" button, it made me do that every time I loaded a page (the login, the front page, every thread). It was super annoying! But then I tried using Edge, and even when I received the same warning I could add this to the exception list or something and I think the problem is solved now. Only I normally use Chrome at home, so I will need to remember to use Edge when I want to come here.
It is only 11;30 but I am beginning to feel like eating something. For lunch, I have a few mini milanesas (I believe they are like schnitzels) and a tomato and onion salad, but I think I will made me an instant soup now, as a "pre-lunch".
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on July 15, 2023, 09:29:15 AM
@Dina
Oh, that's inconvenient about the site. Maybe they changed something. I am using my phone and it uses chrome. Every few months I delete my browser history and all the cookies. I did that last week. I was told only once after opening the site that it wasn't secure, but it does that every time after deleting. Even now there is still a small exclamation mark in a red triangle, which usually went away after I said "open anyway". But this is all there is.

Hope you enjoyed your lunch. Yes, milanesas are like Schnitzel. Yummy.

I need to clean our rubber pool today. I would like to soak myself in cold water. There was a storm a few days ago and it removed the protecting sheet on top of it, so that there are apples, branches, leaves and insects in the water now. I intended to do it yesterday but I had so much else to do and after that my knee hurt too much, so I left it for today.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on July 16, 2023, 01:07:52 AM
Hello there!
I believe it was an automatic update in my windows which caused me the problem with the forum, but today I manage to login without problems using Chrome! So I am super happy.
I enjoyed my milanesas a lot, thank you.
I hope you could do the pool cleaning and you are not in much pain.
I had an active Saturday, with many house chores and then I baked a cake. We have not tried it yet but at least it looks good.
Also, I did a little work for my teaching, as on Tuesday we have the last exam.
So it was good but I am tired. Luckily we had some sandwiches for dinner so I do not need to work for that  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on July 20, 2023, 09:47:32 PM
Here in my country, it is Friends Day! I will do a specific thread about this, but to my friends here in Weird, have a very HAPPY DAY!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on July 21, 2023, 01:11:29 PM
*materialises and waves "hi"*
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on July 21, 2023, 04:58:11 PM
Here in my country, it is Friends Day! I will do a specific thread about this, but to my friends here in Weird, have a very HAPPY DAY!

Happy friends day!

*materialises and waves "hi"*
Hi  8)


@all:
Sorry that I didn't write sooner. There was and still is birthday preparations, which go very slowly, because parallel I need to take the cat to the veterinary quite often now. She is living her last days.  :'(
Her kidneys are very bad and her liver isn't better. There is cat- pee everywhere in the house and also sometimes little brown things that are not chocolate.
She can't walk straight any more, is very weak and doesn't eat and drink well. We'll see how she is during the weekend.

We are very sad and hope he can go without too much suffering.

On Monday I will get some more medicine and then we'll see.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on July 21, 2023, 10:12:43 PM
((((PD)))) Hi!

@Regenbogen. thank you!
I am sorry to hear about your cat. My last cat, who died many, many years ago, had kidney failure in the end too. Apparently he was in not pain and it was more or less quick. It was very sad too, we loved him so much. But it is the circle of life and so on. The only thing you can do is make her feel comfortable and loved, so she can go to rest happily. The memories will be always with your family. I am sending you a big, big hug. I am sure you need one.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on July 27, 2023, 04:45:19 PM
Hi @all.
I told you about our old and sick cat. She died. :'( 
On Sunday she got worse. Before that she could at least eat and drink from a spoon and she wanted to. On Sunday she wasn't able to get up any more and she couldn't even swallow her water when I put it into her mouth with a syringe.

We then decided to let her go and I planned to call the vet Monday morning to tell him, so he would put her to permanent sleep.

She was with us all afternoon and evening and when we went to bed we took her with us, because we didn't want to leave her alone on the sofa. In her condition she would have fallen down.

So she died at night in our bed.

I am glad we didn't need to put her down in the end. And that she went in her sleep in a peaceful and painless way.

She was the first cat we had who died of old age. All the others were hit by cars when they tried to cross the busy street to get to the fields with the best mice.

We are very sad. My best friend said something beautiful: now she is in heaven on my father's lap purring while he is petting her. At his foot is a dead mouse she brought as a gift.


I gave Blood Rites to my colleague and told her not to read the text on the backside of the cover, because there is a massive spoiler there. And after that I want to know, if she found out about who Thomas is on her own. LOL

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on July 28, 2023, 12:34:07 PM
Hi Regen! I am very sorry about your cat, but I think is lovely that she died surrounded by you. I am sure she felt so loved and it is also good that she died in her sleep. A good way to go, I'd say. And I am also glad you did not need to take her to the vet. It is horrible to make that decision. It was her time to rest, she deserved it.
I thought about her with your dad too but I did not picture a dead mouse  :)
Of course you are very sad! I am sending you a big, big hug.

About BR. When I was about 20 years old I stopped reading the backside of the books. I do not remember what specific spoiler was too much for me, but I decided enough is enough. Sometimes I read the blurb in internet but in general I try not to. Better safe than sorry.

Here weather is completely crazy. We had several very cold days and then we have super warm days (one day it was 27 C and so humid...it was sticky. Then we have normal cold days for winter. I have 7 C now, but they are forecasting 25 C for Sunday!

I am planning to do a short walk later following a Pokemon Go route. At heart, I am such a child  :), I have fun with those things.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on July 30, 2023, 07:24:47 PM
@Dina.

Thank you for your kind words ((((hugs back))))
Did you have fun with Pokemon Go?

We've had rain and thunderstorms these last few weeks. The rain is much needed though. There will be heat again in August. I need some warm and dry days to put the big carpet out to dry after washing. I noticed it still smells of cat piss in some places.

Maybe we'll travel to Austria for a few days during the summer holidays. We want to see my husband's stepmother again. And make a trip to his home town, meet some relatives and jump into the lake. One can also take a boat. There is a beautiful view at the mountains in the middle of the lake.

We started to watch Strange New Worlds. I like it a lot.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on July 31, 2023, 12:55:52 AM
Hi Regen!
At first, it was complicated because I began following the route in the inverse direction, and it did not count. But then, it was good and fun. Now I saw there are several routes around my home, so perhaps when I have the time I will walk some more, following the routes. Perhaps tomorrow, that it is supposed to be warm. I have to wotk all the morning and  part of the afternoon, but I may be able to get home relatively early.
Rain is very much needed here too, but luckily we had some in the past days.

Ohh, the travel to Austria sounds awesome! I have a cousin who is going to Czechia for work for 3 months (starting Aug 1). I do not remember the city but he told me is closer to Vienna than to Prague. At the end of his time, he wil visit Vienna. I envy him a lot. Also, as a child I was such a fan of Empress Sissi that I always got excited when I hear "Vienna"  :). But all what I have seen in movies and internet about Austria is beautiful. I hope you and your family enjoy the lake and the mountains  :)

Yes, I have not seen the last episode yet but I like Strange New Worlds a lot (season 1 better than season 2 so far).
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on July 31, 2023, 09:42:56 AM
Quote
  I have a cousin who is going to Czechia for work for 3 months (starting Aug 1). I do not remember the city but he told me is closer to Vienna than to Prague 
Cool. He'll probably be in or near Brno. My grandmother grew up in a small village in that area.

I admit I've never been in Vienna. Just once for half an hour at the train station on my way to Linz, which doesn't really count in my opinion. Not that I saw anything. But I want to see it some day. My husband doesn't like cities, he prefers nature. When we go there, I'll send pictures. Promise.  :)
I am still trying to convince him of a day trip. I'll take crutches with me, so I can walk.

Strange New Worlds is awesome. I like their joice of actors. At first I was in doubt about Spock, but I soon changed my mind. And Christine Chapel! Once I noticed who this is, I said to my husband, hey she's always been in love with Spock. He couldn't even remember her. In the old series she always had cool hair. Woven somehow. I tried to do my hair like that, but I didn't succeed, lol. One probably needs a second person to help. And very likely longer hair than I ever had. I always felt pity with her, because Spock didn't love her back.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on July 31, 2023, 11:01:15 AM
Yes, I think that is city, the pronounciation was weird. In Spanish you don't really have a way to pronounce Brno, so I believe he said something like "Brun". He told me it is a place with many students. He is an Engineer and is going to be in an Institute which does language processing or something like that.

I do remember Christine Chapel from the original TOS. It was the main character played by Majel Barret, Roddenberry's wife. She also played the original Number One, who only appeared in one episode I believe. And an Orion. Of course, she later played Lwaxanna Troi and is generally the computer voice.
I have quite curly hair, so I could never dream with styling my hair like Chapel (Lwaxanna perhaps, now that I am older...)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on July 31, 2023, 11:51:53 AM
Really? She played Lwaxana? I never noticed. Well, probably because I always only wanted to see her hair and never looked at her face, LOL.

We say Brünn in German.


I forgot to tell you something funny:
Our neighbour is sometimes a bit clumsy and he managed to saw into his main water pipe. So he has no water in the house at the moment. The funny thing is, that nobody knows why he did work near the pipe in the first place, because his wife said, they have an appointment with a plumber anyway next week. LOL.
They are renovating inside and essentially all the workers need at the moment, is water. So for now they are using our outside water with their water hose. The wife was pissed but in an eyerolling way, like she knew what she had to expect when she married him, loves him anyway, but this situation now sucks, LOL.

Also there will be a new house next year, because one of their daughters will build one in their garden, so we will get nice new neighbours, but will have to endure construction again. She'll move in with her husband and child
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on August 02, 2023, 01:13:31 AM
She is! I actually learnt that Lwaxanna was Majel Barret, the computer voice and Roddenberry's wife, before learning that she was Chapel. Besides, Chapel is blonde and Lwaxanna is a brunette, so I never realized they were the same person until I've read it. I am quite a trekkie, so now I am very used to the idea, but I remember I was flabbergasted when I learnt it.

That is funny about your neighbors! And I am glad you will have nice neighbors in the future.

I confirmed that my cousin is going to Brno! He is on the plane right now. He will spend a night in Madrid and then keep flying to Vienna. Then he will take a bus to Brno.

In other news, on Friday a colleague of my hubby, who has an avocado plant at home, gifted him (well, us) with 3 very, very big avocados. We spent the weekend enjoying avocado toasts, and we also had nachos with guacamole...I have a small container with an avocado "purée". And I still have a full avocado (but I think it is getting wasted).
'
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on August 08, 2023, 02:42:18 AM
You know, it's been a minute since I've been here, but I'm just now noticing that the symbol for the spoiler tags is actually a radioactivity symbol. That humor was lost on me when I was younger. Also hi. :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on August 08, 2023, 11:40:07 AM
*glomps DC*
Hello there! How are you doing?
Here, all is good. I confirmed my teaching job, so I will have a salary for most of the dark times that lay ahead (elections are coming in my country!)
You made me laugh about the spoiler tag. Your younger self was so unobservant  :). But in your defense, I do not think you used that tag too much. You were mostly here and in the RPG, not so much in the discussions.
Do you know that the second Cinder Spires book is coming? November 7

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on August 11, 2023, 08:09:03 AM
You know, it's been a minute since I've been here, but I'm just now noticing that the symbol for the spoiler tags is actually a radioactivity symbol. That humor was lost on me when I was younger. Also hi. :)
LOL
I think everybody has these moments, when we come back to stuff we have read, seen or heard in our youth. And we go : ooops, THAT's what it meant.


We have found accommodation in Austria near my husband's stepmother's home. So we will meet her next week, go see the city, go see the lake, maybe go up a small mountain and generally have fun.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on August 11, 2023, 01:44:55 PM
Yay! I hope you have a lot of fun.

We are having normal cold weather these days, but they are forecasting warm weather again for next week. It is incredible, around 23 C in August, they say. In July there was a day of 29!

I saw the Barbie movie! I liked it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on August 12, 2023, 06:20:40 PM
I'll wait for Barbie on TV, Netflix, Disney or whatever. Where I have the possibility to shut it off, if it annoys me, lol. I am glad none of the girls wanted to see it.
But maybe it is like Baywatch with Dwayne Johnson. We watched it with extremely low expectations and it was very funny.


We have arrived in Austria. Very cool. We stay in a house in the outskirts of Linz. There is a garden with fruit trees and some wine, though it's not ripe yet. I am sitting on the terrace outside enjoying a cup of coffee and watching the sun go down.
Tomorrow we will meet with the mother-in-law and go to a restaurant.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on August 12, 2023, 07:51:02 PM
Hello Regen!
I think the movie will probably be boring for your girls, especially for micro.

That sounds great about Austria! Enjoy it
Tomorrow we will have the primary elections. I should be excited, but as I am pretty sure my option will loose, I am not (I am not going to say more as we are not supposed to talk about real life politics).
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on August 14, 2023, 12:00:09 PM
And it was completely shocking and (for me) really bad. But it is a primary, we will see what happens in October, in the "real one"
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on August 16, 2023, 03:23:13 AM
*glomps DC*
Hello there! How are you doing?
Here, all is good. I confirmed my teaching job, so I will have a salary for most of the dark times that lay ahead (elections are coming in my country!)
You made me laugh about the spoiler tag. Your younger self was so unobservant  :). But in your defense, I do not think you used that tag too much. You were mostly here and in the RPG, not so much in the discussions.
Do you know that the second Cinder Spires book is coming? November 7
HI DINA! Yeah, I knew the new book was coming out. I have to find my copy of the first book somewhere and scarf it down before then, though, which is a great tragedy.  ::)
In my defense, I did spend a lot of time in the forum spoiler threads but I didn't spend a lot of time posting, just reading. I've since learned a thing or two about storytelling and I don't spend time arguing on the internet with strangers.  :P

LOL
I think everybody has these moments, when we come back to stuff we have read, seen or heard in our youth. And we go : ooops, THAT's what it meant.


We have found accommodation in Austria near my husband's stepmother's home. So we will meet her next week, go see the city, go see the lake, maybe go up a small mountain and generally have fun.
I've had those moments a lot, but in this forum in particular I was like...15 when I joined?
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on August 16, 2023, 11:24:16 AM
Yes, you were such a sweet kid  :)
Seriously, I love you (((((((((DC)))))))))))
How are you doing?
Here we are all in shock about who won the preliminary election, we will  see what happens in October.
Also, they are forecasting 27 C for today, which is super crazy, we are in the heart of Winter right now. There is raining a little and perhaps tomorrow the temperature will drop.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on August 18, 2023, 02:31:53 AM
Sweet like sweet tea.  ::)

Thankfully I am no longer like that.  :P
I've been okay. This week in particular at work has been infuriating because of some less than stellar proofreading on my/my bosses' part and I'm the one who takes the brunt of complaints/questions when people get stuff with typos.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on August 18, 2023, 03:53:46 AM
I am sorry to hear about that. Hopefully next week will be better.
We had a big storm today, with some streets flooded, a few trees broken by the wind (one of them totalled a parked car), things like that. Hopefully I had wisely decided to stay at home. Hubby had no real problems either as the storm was very bad in the wee hours of the morning and also in the afternoon, when he was safely at his workplace. By the time he had to come home, the rain has stopped. It was still windy but not too cold.
Tomorrow after work I plan to go to a sort of march against some of the things the presidential candidate has said. Luckily they are not forcasting rain.

Ohh, this weekend (Sunday) is Children's Day here, and I just saw that our cable service is going to offer the last Spider-man movie for free (the animated movie with Miles Morales). We are planning to watch it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on August 27, 2023, 03:25:27 PM
Hey weird people! I am back home.
The trip to Austria was good. We did not do a lot of sightseeing, it was mostly relaxing, but we managed to go to a museum of art, which was mostly boring for Micro, but interesting for Mini and amusing for us grown-ups. One room made us laugh a lot, though it was somehow disgusting: it looked like a room full of waste, but the artist sometimes did something with it. There were sections with old bottles standing around, an almost full body plastic with two heads which looked like something a mentally ill serial killer would leave for people to find and be shocked. But what amused me the most, were patches of wiry dark hair nailed to the wall. I hope the hair was from the artist's beard, lol.

There were several themes, so there was art for every taste, not just the weird stuff.

We managed to go swimming in a lake twice and we rented a small boat in my husband's town of birth. And we tested two ice cream vendors, one before the boat trip and one after, lol. Just to be able to compare, of course.


Sad news:
Did I tell you that our cat died in the last week of July? We were with her all the time. This was the first cat who had a good death in my opinion. We noticed on Sunday that she would go now, because she even refused to drink and she had trouble standing up. She died during the night from Sunday to Monday.

But there is good news, too:
One of my husband's colleagues told him that his cat is pregnant. We said we would take 2-3 babies. The kittens are very cute and we will have them at the end of October. They are mostly dark, one I think is almost completely black, as far as can be seen in the pictures.

So there are kittens to look forward to.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on August 28, 2023, 10:26:07 AM
(((((((Regen)))))))) Hi!
Glad to hear you had a good time in Austria!  :)
The museum sounds super weird but I read you said this is not all what there is there. You made me laugh about the hairs...hope is from the beard too. That reminded me I had a classmate (from high school) who is now a photographer who made a super-weird (for me) exposition with pictures related with the female condition...including the period. I actually think she exposed it in Austria too.
Great about swimming in the lake. Here Winter finally is normal, which means it is cold (not freezing cold, Buenos Aires is never that cold, but still).
You had told us about your cat dying, but I am super happy about the kitten news. Are your children excited? It is good that you will have more than one baby cat, so they can play with each other and not only with humans.
Well, I have to leave now. I have to collaborate in a few classes this semester, even when it is not my teaching semester See you around!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on September 02, 2023, 04:31:17 PM
So, I drove my bike along the river on both sides today, to see how it looked like after all the storms and the almost flood. It's OK now, though there was a tree across my way, but I managed to climb over it with the bike.
There is still a lot of water in the river, but no more danger that it will spill over. We were lucky, the rain stopped in time.
The last two weeks the temperature dropped from 36 to 16°C. Now it is 27°C. That's perfect for me. And everything is green again.

We visited the kittens yesterday. So cute! We will get all three of them. They are already bigger than my hand, toddle around a bit, but their eyes are still blue.
It's one male and two females. The male is very dark, but not completely black. I call it dark grey with light black stripes, lol. One can see the stripes only in sunlight.
The females are both dark grey with black stripes. One has tiger stripes and one has more rounded lines. I don't know the English name for that kind of colour scheme. In German it is called "gerädert". Our old cat was coloured like that, too. But she was brown, black and red-brown.

The kids are very excited. Now we can think about names.
Do you have any ideas?

I would like to call the male Loki, but then I would need fitting names for the girls.
Or maybe all names starting with the same letter.
Nero would be a cool name, but then I would have to worry if he will burn down the village.  ;D

For the girls I have maybe Mara, Dora, Mia, Cleo, Nora...
Short names. I am open to everything, except names like Fluffy Puffcake, Sugar Candy Cotton or something cringy like that, lol.


Edit: lol
We had a discussion about names and I threw in Leonardo. Micro and my husband immediately said Mona and Lisa.
Leonardo, Mona and Lisa. The more I think about it the better it sounds.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on September 02, 2023, 06:37:01 PM
((((Regen))))
Beginning by the end...I love Leonardo, Mona and Lisa!
The kitten sounds so cute. I bet the whole family is all excited, with good reason. Kittens are just the best.
It is good that all is right with the weather and river around you. Here we finally had a few days of normal cold Winter days but since yesterday we are having cold nights and early morning and warm afternoons. It is supposed to rain today.

A paper I've sent has been accepted for publication. I am super happy  :)

Next week I will have several meetings and administrative things, quite boring.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on September 04, 2023, 09:40:13 AM

A paper I've sent has been accepted for publication. I am super happy  :)

Next week I will have several meetings and administrative things, quite boring.
That's great. About the paper. What's it about?

Administrative things suck.

We agreed and decided on Mona for the striped kitten. Alternatives for the others are  Loki and Cleo or Luna. But I have the feeling it will be Leonardo and Lisa. These are the names we all agreed on immediately.


I have to take Micro to the dentist today  :(.
There is some swelling around one of her teeth and it hurts. Please wish us luck that it is nothing complicated.

And I am in the middle of selling the rest of our old cat's special kidney food. The rest  will go to the shelter, if they can use it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on September 05, 2023, 12:42:01 AM
I have been wishing luck to micro (and you).

Paper: I do not remember if I told you I work with a species of fruit fly. We got (from databases) sequences of a fragment of DNA from flies of several countries, calculated some basic variability indexes, and suggested a possible history for the origin of the species and its spreading for the continent. I will not give more details here.

I am sure the shelter would welcome the food.
I promise to do a better post tomorrow, as I am too tired to human right now  :D
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on September 05, 2023, 09:35:44 PM
Hi again. We had a nice but cold day, it was good.

I am watching Ahsoka, so far I am liking it a lot but that is not surprising as it is a sort of sequel to Star Wars: Rebels. That is an animated show that I loved (even when it broke my heart).

I began also watching Futurama, the new reboot. The first episode was super meta, the second one was more normal. That is all what I watched so far. And speaking of the Groening shows,  I was reminded that I have to watch the last season of Disenchanted too.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on September 06, 2023, 02:51:01 PM
We finished Disenchantment 2 days ago. I am almost a bit sad, that it's over now.

The fruit flies sound interesting.

Micro's tooth is purulent. She already had parodonthosis there and the tooth was repaired, but now it has to be removed. She is lucky that it is still a baby tooth and the adult one is already near. So she has to take antibiotics and then the doctor will remove the tooth in 2 weeks. Until this time the tooth is open.

We are watching Killing Eve. Very funny and crazy.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on September 06, 2023, 06:35:18 PM
Thank God it is a baby tooth, it won´t hurt. Still, crossing my fingers for her. By the way, we call those teeth "dientes de leche", meaning "milk teeth".
I´ve heard good things about Killing Eve, but I´ve never watched it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on September 08, 2023, 12:26:19 AM
Thank God it is a baby tooth, it won´t hurt. Still, crossing my fingers for her. By the way, we call those teeth "dientes de leche", meaning "milk teeth".
I´ve heard good things about Killing Eve, but I´ve never watched it.

We also call them Milchzähne, milk teeth.
I think you can say milk tooth in English as well.

Killing Eve is great. I think we are in season 3 or so, and Eve is still alive, LOL. The killer is great, they chose a fitting actress.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on September 10, 2023, 09:43:34 PM
I am having a fun problem with my Paramount+ subscription. When you choose the language as English and the subtitles in English too, it shows the subtitles BOTH in English and in Spanish. For example, the character says "why?" and the subtitle writes "why? Por qué?". it is super annoying. For a while it appears to be solved, and then it begins again.
I had to watch the last Strange New Worlds episodes with Spanish subtitles, and I guess I am going to do the same with the current season of Lower Decks.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on September 12, 2023, 11:19:26 AM
I am having a fun problem with my Paramount+ subscription. When you choose the language as English and the subtitles in English too, it shows the subtitles BOTH in English and in Spanish. For example, the character says "why?" and the subtitle writes "why? Por qué?". it is super annoying. For a while it appears to be solved, and then it begins again.
I had to watch the last Strange New Worlds episodes with Spanish subtitles, and I guess I am going to do the same with the current season of Lower Decks.
So you usually watch with English subtitles? And now there is double text. That's annoying, indeed.

Today was the first day of school here. Micro is already home, Mini will come in 20 minutes, except if she talks with her classmates longer.

I am just a little bit annoyed, because I have trouble writing in English with my new phone.
I still have to find out how to change autocorrection to english. Because I have to tip back at every single word to correct it back to what I have written.

Would I just let it be like autocorrection corrected, it would look like this:

World Internet justieren let IT be live  autocorrection corrected, IT World Look live this.
LOL
So, sorry if there are any weird words in my text.

But at least the program is learning, not like the one I had before.
And the rest is also a great improvement. I can continue with Codex Alera, because my Audible app is working again. There seemed to have been an update a few months back which was not compatible with my old android version. I could open the app, see my books, but not listen to them.

Today I finally got to defreeze my deep freezer. During the last weeks we ate a lot of the food that was stored there.
Micro once left the door open, and so there was a thick coating of ice, which had to be removed. And of course the freezer was quite full.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on September 12, 2023, 07:02:39 PM
If I can, I watch with English subtitles. If the option is not available, I watch with Spanish subtitles. Spanish dubbing is my least chosen option. In this case, I guess I will watch with the Spanish subtitles.

I hope your girls had a good first day. Yesterday I was watching an article about funny tweets (well, X now) and there was one where a parent asked their 3rd-grader son how his first day has been, and the boy told a long story about a bug that he found in the yard...and nothing else  :D

You made me laugh about your phone. Autocorrection is always a problem, even when you have the right setting  :) But it is good that it learns, that is always useful, especially if you use the...swipe? The thing when you do not write every letter but move your finger in the pattern of the word you want to write. My phone never understands that I want to write "Cómo" and tries to write "Chino" ("how" vs "Chinese"). Note that "Chino" is a common word for Buenos Aires inhabitants to call the small self-service stores on each block (that is because most of them are from Chinese people, sometimes Korean ones too).

Freezer surprises! Something you forgot that were there? There is a comic-strip by an Argentinian author (Sendra) about a child called Matias, it is published everyday in the journal. Well, i remember once when he asked his mom what would be the dinner and she answered "brown thing with carrots and peas". When he, confused, asked what she meant by "brown thing" she answered she had found a bag of a brown thing in the bottom of the freezer and she placed it in the pot just like that  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on September 21, 2023, 06:21:26 PM
Anyone alive here?
Today is the official start of Spring here. It is cloudy but at least it does not rain yet, which is good because traditionally students make picnics (even when the tradition has weakened with the pandemia). I will write more about this another day. Meanwhile, have a nice Spring or Autumn, whatever you are  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on September 24, 2023, 04:46:16 PM
Hey there. I'm Autumn. ;D

I've had my knee surgery last week. As of today, I am allowed to go without crutches, but I have to be careful not to exaggerate what I'm doing. So no jumping up and down with one leg, jumping from the roof and landing on one leg or such stuff, lol.

I have finally finished Alera. I have the feeling, he might return there for the next story after Cinder Spires, and he also said he wanted to write epic fantasy.
Well, wasn't Alera just that? OK, he wrote it because of a bet, but it is Fantasy, it is another world, there are fantastic creatures, and they are doing the fighting with swords and so on.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on September 24, 2023, 07:38:26 PM
((((((((Regen))))))))))
Congratulations about your surgery! It sounds as all is going well, so, jokes aside, take a lot of care of yourself.
Any news about the kitten?
I have not read Alera, but according to what I hear about people, it is epic fantasy all right.

Apparently our young people have forgotten about the picnic tradition, there were only a few of them doing it. It seems that after the pandemics, the tradition was lost. But many of them gather for a pizza or something and there were sweet couples everywhere. Also, for reasons I am not sure but I think they are related to a TV show, yellow flowers were the must.

I bought Warriorborn, the Cinder Spires Novella, but I had not read it yet. I also watched "Fast X" and oh, those films have no sense at all, but there are a lot of explosions and excitement.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on September 24, 2023, 09:47:57 PM
Explosions are always fun ;)
That's sad about your tradition.

The kittens are getting bigger. They already eat some meat and run around chasing each other and fighting. Absolutely adorable!
We have decided: the male will be Leonardo now, not Loki.

Btw we are watching Ragnarøk on Netflix. It's  a fun Norwegian series. The theory is: Ragnarøk has already happened. The gods lost, but the Jötnar are still there. Disguised as a family.
And it seems like Ragnarøk is supposed to repeat itself, because there are some people who can be awakened to be the gods. One boy is supposed to be Thor, he has a brother who (surprise!) has a different father: the Jotun family father.
In the episode today he had a tapeworm. A very big one, which has survived its extraction. LOL the Midgard Serpent is a tapeworm!!!!

Then there is an old one eyed man in a wheelchair. Surprise! Odin.
And LOL he is called Wotan Wagner. Wagner!!!!!  ;D
Yes, I am having fun with this.
Now there is a valkyrie. They didn't say she was, but today she chose a boxer to fight for their cause.


I also have purchased Warriorborn and have already started reading it. So far it is interesting.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on September 25, 2023, 09:57:35 PM
I am sorry, I thought I had already answered this.

Yes, it is a shame about the tradition, perhaps it will be resurrected some year.

Ragnarok sounds fun, I am not sure I have it in Netflix (different countries have different shows available, of course.) Wotan, of course. But Wagner  :)

I began Warriorborn but I've read too little so far.
In other topics, I am planning to go to the theatre to see Hunting in Venice tomorrow, the Agatha Christie's adaptation by Kenneth Branagh (spelling?). I have read lots of A. Christie's books, I love them, but I know this movie is only loosely inspired by one of them. I am not sure what to expect, and that is good.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on September 27, 2023, 12:45:01 PM
Hi Weird!
I enjoyed the movie. It has a different feeling than most Agatha Christie's adaptations but the core of her novels were there. There was something unexpected with a character, and Venice is a really good setting for a mystery. And Kenneth Branagh does a fantastic job.

I also finished Warriorborn, and I liked it. Looking forward to the aftermath of it in the next book  :). I commented a little more in the CS spoilers section.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on September 28, 2023, 02:13:49 AM
Welp, as of today I'm looking for a new job. My current job has decided to do my previous supervisor dirty, and I'm not really interested in sticking around for the shi...spiral that will probably happen.

Also. ((((Dina)))) ((((Regen))))
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on September 28, 2023, 12:40:39 PM
(((((((((DC))))))))))) It is always good to see you here.
Well, on the bright side, perhaps you can take a few days for resting? Best wishes for you finding a better job!

Have you read Warriorborn? (or, actually, have you read The Aeronaut Windlass first?). I like Benedict and I think he was underused in TAW so I enjoyed seeing him as the lead character.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on September 29, 2023, 03:17:07 AM
I've read the Aeronaut's Windlass, but it's been a few years since the last time. I haven't read Warriorborn but I don't know if I will before the new book comes out.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on September 29, 2023, 03:48:53 AM
You should, it is not expensive and I am pretty sure it kickstarts the next book.
Also (((((((DC)))))))))

I forgot to rant a little about Haunting in Venice. it is quite a dark movie. Literally dark, I mean. It is difficult to see. It seems to be a trend lately and I do not like it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on September 29, 2023, 02:15:34 PM
Hi!
(((((DC))))) (((((Dina)))))

I finished Warriorborn today. So I can finally read through the spoiler section. I liked it a lot. I'm also quite fond of Benedict. :)

I've read the Aeronaut's Windlass, but it's been a few years since the last time. I haven't read Warriorborn but I don't know if I will before the new book comes out.
I have to agree with Dina. It's worth reading.
I hope you find a new and better job soon. I just changed departments about one year ago. I am much happier now. People ask me, if I now have no more night or late shifts or weekends, and when I say no, the same, they are surprised. I didn't leave because of the work, I left because of the management. I can deal with the work. I even like working at night, which most people not working night shifts don't understand.

@Dina: someone should tell them to turn on the lights in those movies.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on September 30, 2023, 07:15:14 AM
@Dina: someone should tell them to turn on the lights in those movies.
Yes!  :)
On the good side, the sound in the cinema was good and it has the advantage that some things could be heard like coming from a side (not the front) of the room. It helped a lot with the immersion in the dark, supernatural story.

Today was a sunny day and I was alone in my office/laboratory for several hours, so after lunch I did a short walk around the campus. It felt good.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on October 04, 2023, 12:10:20 AM
You want me to read a story written by Jim Butcher? Twist my arm, why don't you?  ::)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 04, 2023, 12:34:58 AM
Yep! We are cruel that way.
(((((((DC)))))))))))
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 05, 2023, 01:08:49 AM
LOL! Harvard made me so happy yesterday.
They welcome a former president of us (Argentina) and the girl who was making his introduction and reciting his résumé said he had been president of Venezuela from 4 years. It was so fun! Especially because he hates Venezuela so much...He based some of his campaign in "do not let Argentina became Venezuela"  :) :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on October 07, 2023, 07:58:59 AM
LOL! Harvard made me so happy yesterday.
They welcome a former president of us (Argentina) and the girl who was making his introduction and reciting his résumé said he had been president of Venezuela from 4 years. It was so fun! Especially because he hates Venezuela so much...He based some of his campaign in "do not let Argentina became Venezuela"  :) :)
:) did they show his face when she said that?

You want me to read a story written by Jim Butcher? Twist my arm, why don't you?  ::)
Muahahaha!!!

I'm reading that new spin-off story from the Percy Jackson world. The one with Nico di Angelo and Will Solace, if you know who they are.
I do it in secret, because I intend to buy it as a surprise gift for Mini (probably for Christmas, but we'll see, I'm not opposed to give it to her for an exceptional good grade, if there should occur some in the next weeks, lol) and I have to restrain myself to not say anything about it. Which can be difficult, because we usually talk about what we are reading.

We were hoping to visit our future kittens this weekend, but both my husband and I are ill.

I'm looking forward to next weekend. A long time friend of mine will come to visit us with her kids. They live about 5 hours away and she visits her parents 2 or 3 times a year. This time she'll stay about one week, so there is time to see each other.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 08, 2023, 01:14:19 AM
((((((((Regen))))))))))))
:) did they show his face when she said that?
No, not really, they were showing the girl doing the introduction, but they later showed him smiling and sending greetings to "president Maduro and his horrible dictatorship".

I hope you enjoy your secret reading!

Sorry you and your husband are ill. Get better soon! We are both with a sort of a cold too. He began before, with a lot of coughing and later a running nose. He is quite better now. But on Wednesday I was on a bus with air conditioning and even when I covered myself I think that is why my throat was sore and I began coughing. Today he is almost well, but i have the (not so bad) running nose and the very annoying coughing. My throat is not sore but it itches and it is too dry.

I hope that does not prevent you to have fun with your friend.

I finished watching Ahsoka and I liked it. I am very interested in what the future has in mind for Star Wars.

After watching so many ads about Lupin season 3 in Netflix I finally decided to begin watching the show. It is weird. I watched 4 episodes and I have a ton of critics, I do not think it is that good, BUT it is addictive. I want to keep watching!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 14, 2023, 07:53:42 PM
I am now in chapter 8 (or the third episode of season 2) and ir is a touch better. Nothing mind blowing but still fun to watch.

I do not remember if I told you that a while ago (several weeks!) I have a falling in the bus. Nothing serious, a few bruises that were healed in a few days, but I had a minor pain in the larger toe of my left foot. And that pain lingers, never getting better. So I went to the doctor, got X-rays, turns out it was nothing serious, basically a bruise. But he recommended me some kinesiology. I went to a professional twice so far, and i had not noticed any changes yes. Let's see what happens next week.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on October 15, 2023, 02:18:14 PM
((((Dina))))

Sorry to hear about your hurting toe. Maybe it is some hurt in the joint. They take months to heal. I once had one in the thumb and middle finger of my right hand from a bad accident while skating. Actually I am sure it was a pretty impressive stunt from the viewers' point over view, lol. I remember it was early spring, I was still young and slender and living alone in the city. There were still a lot of pebbles on the streets from winter. They are thrown there to reduce the slipperyness when there is ice on the streets.
I crossed a big street at the traffic lights, one of those where all the heavy trucks were driving. So there were some depressions in the street from their tyres, and in there lots of pebbles. One can't skate through pebbles, so I decided to jump over them, not for show, but because I was too fast to stop in time. So I took two nice jumps and while in the air during the last jump, I noticed I would land exactly on the edge of the sidewalk.
As I didn't want to break my leg I did something that resulted in a somersault. Somehow I came to my feet during the movement and just drove on until I was out of sight. Then I looked down and my whole right arm was scratched open, as was my right leg. There was blood too. I think I rolled over my right side and came to my feet as if on purpose, lol.

What I wanted to say. The thumb was ok after a few weeks while the middle finger took half a year to stop hurting.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 16, 2023, 12:19:13 AM
Ouch Regen! I am hurting just imagining it.
My pain is quite bothersome actually because sometimes it is random. Other times I can predict "if I place my foot this way it is going to hurt, if I place it this other way it won't" but sometimes I am comfortable, painless and it suddenly begins to hurt. Anyways, I have sessions Wednesday and Friday this week, I'll let you know how it goes.
Next week we have the presidential elections. I am quite terrified but that is pretty much the only thing I will say about that.
Also, today was Mother's Day here, so congratulations Regen! And congratulations to any mother reading this, and to the mothers of every forumite  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on October 16, 2023, 07:49:41 AM
Also, today was Mother's Day here, so congratulations Regen! And congratulations to any mother reading this, and to the mothers of every forumite  :)

Thank you.  :-* Here, Mother's Day is on the second sunday in May.

I wish you luck and may the painless toe soon be with you.


My PT will last till the end of the month. But I think I know now how to go on. They showed me a lot of exercises. I just have to remember doing them.
And also a lot of cycling is good for the arthrosis.
Maybe I'm going to decide to have surgery on the left knee as well. But not until next year. Perhaps it won't be necessary, if I continue my exercises and stretching.


I am still reading the secret book. Mini has not noticed yet, but she told me that she found a new book online (this book), but there is no translation yet. Aaaaww, what a pity, lol. I know the translation will be out soon, because I have already preordered it. Muahaha!

The book is nice, but a little bit too focused on the romantic side for my taste. But I know for a fact that Mini is very fond of said romantic side. So definitely the right book for her.
For me, I like the ones with focus on the adventure, a little character development and if the protagonist finds love in between, I'm ok with it, but it is not a necessity.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 16, 2023, 08:30:23 PM
((((Regen)))) I hope it all goes as well as possible with your knees.

I share your feelings about romance and adventure in the books. In general, I prefer that my adventure books are adventure books, with romance being the spice and not the main course.

We are having very nice, sunny days lately. October is a month I would suggest to visit Buenos Aires. Weather is nice and there are flowering trees that make it prettier than ever.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on October 17, 2023, 01:54:35 PM
Sounds nice. We are having some cold days now after an unusually warm October.
Now it is freezing in the mornings (below 0) and about 10-15°C in the afternoons.
But it looks beautiful. Leaves falling, trees and bushes in green, red and yellow. Fog at ground level near the river. Looks mysterious. 🙂

I'm excited because this week I will see my old friend again, who lives 5 hours away. Her kids have their autumn holidays and they always come for a week to visit the family. And friends. 😊

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 17, 2023, 11:23:28 PM
Ah, I can imagine it looking so beautiful.
I am curious about the concept of Autumn holidays. How is the school year in Germany? I mean, when it begins, when it ends, when are the Holidays? Inquiring minds want to know.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on October 19, 2023, 07:36:17 AM
Ah, I can imagine it looking so beautiful.
I am curious about the concept of Autumn holidays. How is the school year in Germany? I mean, when it begins, when it ends, when are the Holidays? Inquiring minds want to know.

Hi, Dina. This looks like a simple question, but I'm afraid there is no simple answer, lol.

Because there is no answer for all of Germany.  As you might know, Germany has 16 federal states. And each state has it's own rules regarding political decisions for it's own state. While there is a government for the whole of Germany with a constitution for the whole country, there are little intern governments representing and caring for each federal state, elected by the people of that state for that state alone. It would be too complicated to explain here in detail.

So, the school system can be slightly different in each federal state. The kind of schools there are, at what age school starts, how stuff is taught and so on.

Also the holidays are not at the same time. But what they all have in common: there are long summer holidays after which the new school year starts. In Bavaria they are six weeks usually the whole of August, beginning in the last week of July, sometimes on the last day of July and ending at the second Tuesday of September. 

In other states they start in the middle of July , end at the end of August. Or start at the beginning of July and end in the middle of August.

I think all of them have autumn holidays, but some one week, some two weeks. We have one week, my friend from Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate) has two weeks.
Then there are the Christmas holidays.
We have 14 days starting at the 23rd, they have 10 days starting at the 27th.

I did some research, but I won't go into detail for the other holidays:
So there are summer, autumn (around All Saints Day), Christmas, Easter and Pentecost holidays, which vary in length and starting date (except for summer, all the other holidays are either one or two weeks, depending on the federal state), some have additional winter holidays (in February, varying between 2 and 5 days), some don't.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 19, 2023, 12:28:03 PM
Oh, that was very interesting. I had never thought there would be such statal differences. Most of my country had the same schedule, with the only exceptions being places were Winter are too cold, so they have larger Winter holidays and more classes in the Summer.
Thanks for your detailed explanation!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on October 20, 2023, 08:43:55 AM
Hello again. How's everyone doing?
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 20, 2023, 11:48:00 AM
(((((((((((((((PD)))))))))))))))))))))))
Happy birthday! I just got up but I will do the thread now.
I hope you are doing well. I am mostly nervous because Sunday are our presidential elections. I can't think in much more.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 20, 2023, 10:47:07 PM
https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/dd454/Paulette72/IMG_20161124_124200_zpsbn5vq8zl.jpg?width=320&height=320&fit=bounds

The picture is old, but it shows some good moments of Buenos Aires, like the ones we are living now. They are also pink-flowered trees and near my university we have some ligher pink ones and some yellow-flowered bushes, which I love.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on October 21, 2023, 09:55:30 AM
Hello from Norway, the Weird. I'm having a pleasant little vacation. My friends are making apple cinnamon pancakes for breakfast.  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 21, 2023, 06:39:43 PM
*glomps DC*
That is awesome!
It seems like a weird choose for a vacation, but I heard it is beautiful, so enjoy yourself!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on October 21, 2023, 06:53:36 PM
Norway sounds like an awesome place for a vacation.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on October 21, 2023, 07:09:37 PM
Well, I'm here visiting a friend. It's been quite nice, though today the weather took a dip below freezing and it started snowing. One thing I've really appreciated is the public transit. My friends don't own a car which is a bit weird being from the US, but we haven't really needed one. It's a pleasant surprise.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on October 21, 2023, 08:07:47 PM
I hope you enjoy your vacation.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 21, 2023, 11:01:05 PM
Ah yes, I've heard that in most Europe public transportation is good. It is the same in my country. Pretty much every Argentinian going to USA (except NYC or something like that) comments about how weird it is that you are expected to have a car and always use it. I often wonder how people who cannot drive (impaired people or elder people) manage.
How long does the daylight last right now?
Also, have you tried Fernet? It is an Italian alcoholic beverage, but I heard that it is quite popular in Scandinavia. Or here. It is huge here (I am not a fan, but I tolerate it mixed with Coca-Cola)

It is so good to see both of you here, boys. 💗💗💗
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 27, 2023, 11:42:10 PM
Hello people! Sorry for the double post but I wanted to tell you that this was an exhausting week for my country. On Sunday, we have the general elections. No candidate got the % of votes needed for winning in one round, so we now go to ballotage, that is, a second round with only the most voted candidates competing for the presidency.
At least we already defined governors, senators, majors and all that. That is something.
The definitive election will be on November 19. But when I said it was exhausting week, it was because a lot happened in these 5 days.

Let's see how things go in my country, with the presidential elections.
1) There is a preliminary election, with includes elections within the parties. And only the parties obtaining more than a certain % of the votes (3% I believe, I do not remember it) can go to the general elections.
2) General elections, with those parties that reached the threshold only (and one candidate for party, as this is not an internal election). There are two ways one candidate can win the presidency at this stage. a) they got more than 45% of the votes. b) they got at least 40% and at least 10% of difference from the forerunner.
3) if there is no winner in the general elections, the two candidates with more votes go to ballotage (battle royale!)

Well, in this case, preliminary election gave 5 parties, only 3 of them with real chances.
In the general election, party A got around 37%, party B 30%, party C 23%, party D got 7% and party E got 3.

Now is when things got interesting. Party C did all their campaign saying their goal was to destroy party A for ever. Of course they also said bad things about the other parties, but not so bad. Party B said that party A and party C were awful, and really insulted them, especially one of the groups conforming party C (which is made of several groups). Well, after the elections, the candidate of party C and some of their supporters said they will vote for candidate B and asked their voters to do the same. But other members of party C rejected that! Most of them said both parties were bad, but every voter should judge if their vote blank (white? Vote for no one) or choose one candidate. But some others said they support candidate A because candidate C is truly awful.
In case you are interested, party E said they would never vote candidate B, but no necessarily are all going to vote for candidate A. Party D is much of a mystery but their candidate said he will no vote any candidate. Their supporters can do the surprise.
So, basically party C is a turmoil and will probably be broken. Party B is compromising with party C and some of their voters are no happy.
So, there are insults, shock and outrage all around. Party A is mostly eating popcorn but as you can imagine, things are very interesting. And will probably be in the next few weeks.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on October 28, 2023, 05:07:46 PM
@Dina

This really sounds exhausting. I hope the one winning in the end will be the one you would have supported.

@DC

Have fun in Norway. I would like to visit the country some day. We are planning a trip to Ireland for next year and stay with friends for a few days. After that maybe a road trip with bed and breakfast. Not sure yet. There are several places we want to see again and want to show to the kids.


We will have our kittens on Wednesday!


Edit:
Forgot to say: I'm still reading the new Percy Jackson adventure. It is nice and funny as always. The spin-off was good (the one with too much romance), but the secret is almost out. I did not betray anything, but she found the book on my kindle. What she doesn't know yet is, that the translation is already out. A good thing she did not want to go into the book shop last week, because she would have to run through the cold rain to get there, lol. I went through the rain but did not run, but walk slowly. Doesn't matter, if you get wet anyway, lol. The book was on display for everyone to see.

My next book will be the new one by Butcher junior.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 28, 2023, 06:27:11 PM
Yay for kittens!  :)
Please tell us about them getting home. I am super happy they will be together.

Your future trip sounds great.

You made me laugh so much with your stories about the big secret. And I hope your daughter enjoys the book when she got it. Also, Butcher Sr. next book is about to arrive too!

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on October 29, 2023, 04:22:09 PM
Yay for kittens!  :)
Please tell us about them getting home. I am super happy they will be together.

Your future trip sounds great.

You made me laugh so much with your stories about the big secret. And I hope your daughter enjoys the book when she got it. Also, Butcher Sr. next book is about to arrive too!
I definitely will tell you about the kittens.  :)
At work, I always have to show the pictures. Aaawww cute! 😆

Yes, the new book by Butcher Sr.! Soon. But I will finish Percy Jackson tomorrow. I need something in between.

Funny, there are so many months without new books and then they all seem to pop up at around the same time.
I still have not started the new series by Benedict Jacka. But of course there is no rush. It just always feels that way, when there are new books I've been waiting for.  ;D

I have not informed myself, but it seems that there will be at least 2 more Percy Jackson books, though usually they come in bundles of 5. He needs to do 3 quests and this book is only about the first. It is situated between the Heroes of Olympus and the Trials of Apollo, so after the first 10 books with mainly Percy as main character. And it is called book number 6. ??? Confusing, isn't it?
I like Percy. Sometimes he behaves a bit like a teenage Harry Dresden, lol. Only without all the attraction to good looking girls. And he has a cool mother who is still around.

Well, I don't know. I think I will start with Long Past Dues and see, if I can finish it before The Olympian Affair is published. And if I am still reading it: will I be able to continue or will I choose to start the OA? I'm not sure. It's no DF book, so there's no addiction, lol. I do not prefer the one or the other, but looking forward to both of them equally.

Mini is trying to read the secret book in English. I don't think she'll get far. She's 13 now and only learning English for 4 years, but she seems very motivated. Who knows. I know that it took me a long time to be able to understand most of what I'm reading. And I still can't always understand some of the details. Or I interpret them in a different way from the context. I think she will still be happy to have it in German. She has read all the other books several times, so I am sure she'll do that with this one as well.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on October 30, 2023, 07:00:24 PM
Let us know if you liked the ending. It is very sad when a book ending disappoints you (Foucault's pendulum, the Eco book, came to my mind).
Long past dues is the one by Butcher Jr?

And I feel the same about reading in English. I have been doing it for year but they are things I do not get, not only entire words I do not know but also ways to interpret words I do know. Languages are fascinating that way.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on October 31, 2023, 07:36:29 AM
Yes, Long Past Dues is the second book of James Butcher's series. The first was Dead Man's Hand. And as I write this, I notice that both book titles are three words with 4 letters for each word, if you count "man's" as a whole word. I wonder if it was on purpose and if he continues this in future books.

I can't remember any Percy Jackson book having an unsatisfying ending. Or even a cliffhanger. But I can be wrong with the cliffhanger. If there was, it wasn't so bad, because I always was ok waiting for the next book.
This one had a nice ending, too. And one knows that the series is not finished yet. I did not even miss the lack of an overall evil threat. Probably there is one, I just don't know it yet.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on November 05, 2023, 04:01:35 PM
Sorry for the double post.
I've realised that I had ordered the printed version of The Olympian Affair which will arrive at the 17th. That's OK, so I won't have to choose which book to read, lol.
Maybe I'll get the audio too. The first one was very good. I alternated between reading and listening. Listening during my commute and during the night shift, before my phone started to break. Most apps were no longer compatible after the updates. Now I have a new phone and everything works fine.

Maybe we'll watch the newest episode of Loki today. Later. My husband fell asleep while cuddling with one of the cats. LOL, I can hear him purring. The cat, not the husband!
The females are both sleeping on the sofa. The male is quite funny, when he wants a belly rub. He throws himself on his back and puts both front paws in the air with toes stretched out.

Yesterday we visited a museum. They had an exhibition with paintings by a famous comedian (Otto Waalkes). I didn't know he was so talented. There were paintings in lots of different styles. Some were his own inventions, but mostly he sort of copied existing famous paintings while giving them his special touch of humour. Kind of like high quality memes. Very cool and funny. We took 3 hours just for his paintings.
I like him a lot. I grew up with his jokes . He is funny, a very talented musician and now I know he is also a talented artist.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on November 06, 2023, 12:18:41 PM
Ey there!
Well, it is good that perhaps you are not so rushed with two books to read at the same time. One book first, then the other. Also, delayed gratification for Jim book (at least, I hope it will be pleasant to read it).

I still did not begin watching Loki but I finished watching the current season of The Dragon Prince (it is an animated show) and watched 6 episodes of Star Trek Lower Decks. Also, I began watching Bodies, a sci-fi show which is on Netflix. It is based on a Vertigo Comic I had not heard about.

Glad you have fun with the museum. It is so good when people we already admire surprised us with more talents!

And...kittens! How are they doing? How is your family adjusting to them? At least they are already cuddling with your husband, so it seems that they feel at home already.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on November 07, 2023, 08:33:51 AM
And...kittens! How are they doing? How is your family adjusting to them? At least they are already cuddling with your husband, so it seems that they feel at home already.
The kittens are fine. They have adjusted to living with us. 2 days ago, they have started to sleep on our laps or directly beside us on the sofa. They play a lot, like kitten do and are fun to watch and play with. We are still practising to tell them apart, lol. They are all black, but with different white spots, you can't see all the time. By now there are differences in behaviour and I started to recognize them by touch. Leonardo is quite talkative and the biggest, Mona always seems very busy. Lisa is the smallest and does elegant jumps. I think Leonardo might have longer fur, when he is older. Lisa feels similar, but her fur will be shorter. Mona has short shiny fur.


I think I will have to stay away from the Cinder Spires spoiler section for a while. But I will read the book as soon as I have it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on November 07, 2023, 11:49:40 AM
The book has arrived!
No time to read it yet, so I will stay away of the spoilers too, as I always do.

I love your description of the kittens and how you can tell them apart. I am sure it will be easier when they are older, but it is great that you are already finding ways to do that. Enjoy them! Especially their antics as they are so young.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on November 10, 2023, 03:18:03 AM
I've finished The Olympian Affair and I have one thing to say: where sequel?  ;D
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on November 10, 2023, 11:26:41 PM
((((((((DC)))))))))))
I've only read the prologue and ch.1 so far, I've been busy. I hope I can read it on the weekend.

My foot is still sore, even after several kinesiology sessions. My doctor asked me an MRI (I think that is the proper English acronym. For us is Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (RMN) but apparently is nothing wrong. I am in less pain when walking, but when in bed or with the feet raised or sometimes when I am just sitting for a while it just hurts. I do not know what happens, but my doctor gave me more kinesiology sessions.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on November 14, 2023, 08:46:00 AM
My book has arrived earlier than expected. I'm in chapter 3 now. :)

@Dina
That's weird, that your foot hurts more without movement and weight on it. I have no idea why that can be.
I hope the doctor can help you there.

My knees hurt, if I don't move them. That's because of the arthrosis. My foot has arthrosis, too. But it hurts most while standing and a lot when walking, especially with the wrong shoes. But not at all while doing nothing.

Could it be that there is some inflammation in the tendons? Do you take pain killers. Most pain killers also go against inflammation.
I also do foot massages, foot baths and I roll my foot on a hard massage ball with some kind of spikes. That's good for the blood flow. And sometimes I use a bandage for the foot, but I guess that's the same effect as kinesiology, by distributing the feeling of pressure to other areas and making your brain concentrate on the feeling in those other parts while being able to blend out the original pain.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on November 16, 2023, 11:22:30 PM
I am only in chapter 6. I am so interested because I like some of the characters so much.
The following day I got the result (information? Summary? Detail? I do not know the name. In Spanish it is informe) of the MRI (It is not the images, which I got  in the moment, but the text were a doctor or technician analyzes it). It says that I had a bunion (I already knew that, it is not super serious) and also "sesamoiditis". Which is what my doctor suspected with the first X-Ray. If I understood correctly, sesamoid bones are small things tangled with the tendons, so you were right in asking about tendinitis. So, more kinesiology, time and patient. The bunion was not a problem before, unless I had been wearing very slender shoes, but since the fall it seems to be much more sensitive.
I do not know why it hurts when not doing nothing but I suspect it is that when I remain still the inflammation is affected by gravity.
I had taken an ibuprofen (which is good against inflammation) last night (as I had a kinesio session some hours before and I won't have another one for a few days) and I slept better. The effect remained, as in general I was more or less all right today.
And definitely the shoes are important. I also hope your doctors help you with your knees and feet, with or without surgery.
Yes, in kinesio I sometimes roll balls, spiky cilinders and things like that.

Presidential elections are on Sunday! Next week I will tell you how it went.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on November 17, 2023, 11:07:22 AM
@Dina
Oh dear. I'm feeling with you. I don't have hallux valgus myself, but I know some who do, including my mom. So I guess it'll come to me too, some day. Because it runs in families and I also have the kind of foot form which results to that some day.
But I do have the inflammation. It is annoying and it hurts. It is annoying because it hurts. But I have had good results by wearing the right shoes with extra soft soles and doing some of the things you mentioned. Also sometimes cooling the foot helps and sometimes warmth is better.
I'd like to not have to take ibuprofen for a longer period, because it does funny things with my blood pressure. So I try to get by without medication until it gets so bad that I have to take it again. Then I alternate between those causing low and high blood pressure, damaging my liver and damaging my kidneys, in the hope to give everything time to heal in between.

The Olympian Affair: I'm still just in chapter 3. The book is big and I can't take it with me everywhere as I would my kindle. My good friend made a crocheted bookmark for me. It's the form of a black and white cat and I made a picture of it while it was between the pages. And I told her how fitting it is especially for this book. ;D She should definitely read it, too.

Next week we will have a concert with our choir. It's the 30th anniversary.  I am a member for 22 years now.

The kittens are still cute and fun to play with. Yesterday Mini's best friend was visiting and she was very shy and seemed a bit afraid of the cats, though she was looking forward to playing with them. They have a dog. She would like to have cats of her own, but her father is allergic, so we told her she could be godmother of our cats, lol. She's very proud of that. :) personally I think young dogs can hurt you more when playing with you. Also depending on how strong they are and how tall you are, they can run you over. Ok, technically a cat can run you over too and they have very pointy teeth and claws, but it never happened to me. And they are usually much smaller than dogs. The rug rat races excluded.

There are some not so nice names for small dog races.

Like Trethupe:
If you step on the dog, there will be a honking sound.

Halbe Leberwurst: a half liver sausage (not sure if this one is official though, my dad used to say it)

Wadenbeißer: bites you into the calves, meaning the dog is so small, it can't reach further up.

There are no such names for cats though. At least I don't know any.

But imo there are less weird looking cat races than weird looking dog races. Except those without hair and those almost without noses. Poor things.


So maybe I'll read some more today. My favourite characters are Grimm, Benedict and Rowl. But I am generally not so addicted to books that constantly change between different characters. Just when I have adjusted to one, suddenly everything is from another's point of view. Makes it hard for me to stay in the flow of the story.


Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on November 19, 2023, 12:12:51 AM
Thanks Regen!
I know hallux valgus runs in the families, but I do not remember any of my parents complaining about it. Even when it is super obvious when you look at my feet, so far it only bothers me if I use really slender shoes, what I try not to do. So do not worry. If you ever develop it, I do not think it will be too bad if you do not have it yet.
I am glad to hear you found several remedies for your inflammation. I hope mine will recede, as it was triggered by a falling and hopefully will get better, but if not, I will learn to live with those things that helped me. I try not to take painkiller or anything so I could track how the thing is going. The day I told you I had taken ibuprofen, it was really bothering me, but it has been moderately good since that moment. Today in particular there are moments I do not feel any pain at all, and others were it really hurts, mostly when I leave it still for too long and then try to move it.

I had a very lazy Saturday and I did not feel like reading the Olympian affair. I had been so emotionally depleted by the political climate, that I ended reading silly things on internet and playing small games, things like that. But I will try to read some tomorrow to distract myself for the news until the results are announced.

I loved your story about Mini's friend. I am sure she is a proud godmother.

I remember you telling us about your choir before. I hope the concert is awesome and that you enjoy the celebration.

We have a word meaning the same like Wadenbeißer for small dogs. It is "Garronero" as garrón is a name for the calves. But I do not remember other names like that. We have cuzquito but that means that it is a small dog and nothing else.

I had a few news about some friends, and I was happy to hear them. One of them is having twins soon! He has twin brothers himself and I hope they help him  :D

Well, I try to write soon, meanwhile I hope your weekend goes well. ((((((everyone))))))
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on November 19, 2023, 11:52:56 PM
Well, and the new president is the one I dreaded. He won for a broad margin. I am confused, sad, and scared, but hopefully I am the one in the wrong and my people voted what is best for the Country. I do not know, I am utterly devastated, but I wanted to let you know.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on November 28, 2023, 10:35:36 AM
Well, and the new president is the one I dreaded. He won for a broad margin. I am confused, sad, and scared, but hopefully I am the one in the wrong and my people voted what is best for the Country. I do not know, I am utterly devastated, but I wanted to let you know.
Oh no, I saw the news. Only time will tell. I hope you and yours are well.

@all:
My mother has covid. I'm glad that the current version seems to be rather mild to what we've experienced before. In her case it's not the danger of the illness itself what is bad, but she would have had surgery next week. She is getting a new joint in the hip. But now, being ill, she will have to wait for the next appointment. Those sometimes take months. For now she just has a sore throat and a little fever. And she is annoyed because she already had to wait for the surgery for months.

The upside is: she will be home at Christmas. For which I am very glad, because I don't want her to be alone in some hospital. It's the first Christmas without my father and also it was his birthday.

Books: I am still not done with Olympian Affair. I think it is because the book is so large and it is not easy to read one-handed or take it with me.  :) So I got myself the audio version. That's better. I'm in chapter 8 now.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on November 28, 2023, 11:26:27 AM
Thanks for your good wishes!

I am sorry about your mother having COVID and having to wait but really, it is so good that she will be at home for Christmas. The first Christmas without you loved one is always bad. It will be bad for you and your girls too, so it is good that grandma is home.

I am around ch. 20 of The Olympic Affair and quite interested but I've been busy and I could not read too much. Like you, I have some trouble focusing with the constant changes in each chapter (I mean, we follow different people every chapter).

I've been better of my toe but yesterday I did a short run at home to answer the phone and it really hurt. It was super sore all day, but today is better.
((((((((everyone))))))))))))
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on December 01, 2023, 11:27:59 PM
Gwen is the best character in The Olympian Affair. Can't wait for you guys to read the rest of the book and agree with me.  ;D :P

Boo, COVID. Not a fan, to be honest. I took the past two days off because I wasn't feeling well. Got home yesterday at around 10:30, laid down on the couch...woke up around 17:00. :o

Apparently I was even more tired than I thought I was, but the nap was nice.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 02, 2023, 09:33:46 AM
(((((((((((((DC)))))))))))))))))
Sorry about Covid! And yes, sometimes you need a nap, even if it is a super long one. I had one of those days a few days ago. I did not take such a long nap but stil. I took a nap. I think most of anything I am emotionally tired. This has been an stressful year. And besides, I've been sleeping uncomfortably due to the heat (A couple of days that were not so hot to put on the fan, but enough warm to feel uncomfortable. Luckily today, after a storm, the temperature is more pleasant.

Gwen and the aetherialists are my favourite characters in the first CS book. I still had no time to keep reading TOA but I hope to do it this weekend.
I also like Grimm, of course, but he is quite a more polite Harry Dresden. I think I am liking other characters in this book.

Doctor Who specials are on Disney+! I watched the first one and I loved it and I am looking forward to the second one tonight.

My foot was extra sore two days (after what I told you about in my previous post) but it is much better now.

 
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 03, 2023, 02:52:20 PM
Hello!
I've been down with covid, too, but I'm a bit better now, though my head hurts more than yesterday. I guess I exaggerated with showeling snow for 2 hours. Technically I would have showered for 1½ hors but then the guys with the municipal snowplough came through and I had to do the sidewalk again, this time including the heavy ice plates from the street. Yay. In my street the sidewalk is on the same level as the street,  which us not usual, but only because the street is so narrow. So this happens a lot. I am grateful they are making the streets safer to drive, and I tried not to get angry at them, but I only managed because I didn't have the energy to get angry, lol.

There is a lot of snow now, and I hope I can send Micro sleighing with her friends. It is good heavy snow for building snowmen and other stuff. And she is the only one without symptoms.

I hope the snow stays for a while now.


The kitten have grown a lot. The tomcat has very big paws and thick fur. I guess he'll become a tall one.

@DC
Napping is always good.
I am at chapter 25 or so in the audio book. Almost half the book. I am alternating between reading and listening. Though these last sick days I preferred listening, because I could lie down with closed eyes and still go on with the book.

@Dina:
We have watched both Dr Who specials yesterday. Very cool. I wonder if they will do a season with Tennant and Tate after that. Apparently Jodie Whittaker reincarnated to become David Tennant again. I didn't see this. Looking forward to the third special.
Hope your foot gets better soon


Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 03, 2023, 08:14:12 PM
Hello there! I hope you are better now.
I never been in a place with a lot of snow, so my poor mind always struggles imagining that. Rationally I know some things but I am sure I miss a lot and I cannot completely gather the concept.
Ugh, having the sidewalks at the same level than the street sounds so dangerous. And Charly would complain so much (Charly is a forumite who goes by the name Cenwolfgirl even when they identified as not-binary now. They had not come here in a while). Charly is visually impaired (severely so) and the fact that their walking cane cannot tell when the sidewalk ends is always a problem.
I've seen pictures of several places of Germany this week, all covered in thick snow. Absolutely stunning postcard images, but I imagine it can be quite complicated for everyday living there. Anyways, I hope both your children have fun. And make sure the fur babies are warm!

I've seen the second Doctor Who special too and I liked it. It was both scary and emotional. Yes, Jodie's Doctor reincarnated in David Tennant so he is now the Ten and Fourteenth Doctor. He is not exactly the same person, he is more mature, sad and open. And no, apparently there will be not a season with them. At the end of the 3 special or at the beginning of the Christmas' special, Tennant will regenerate in the 15th Doctor.

I think I am in ch, 33 or 34 of TOA now. Super interested! There is a lot of action including a
(click to show/hide)

I also watched until episode 3 of Wheel of Time season 2. I have not read the books, but the show has an interesting world and the show looks beautiful. But the first season was not so interesting in itself. Season 2 is much more interesting for me for some reason, but every episode is so long I only watch one at the time.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 04, 2023, 01:52:00 PM
Hi, Dina.
There's no problem with the sidewalk, being not distinguishable from the street, because we live in a cul-de-sac and also in a small village with only those living in the street going through. As we live almost at the end of the street, there are not many people driving by. Most are walking in the middle of the street anyway. The street is so narrow a proper sidewalk would only be in the way. Nevertheless it IS a sidewalk and as such we have the duty to keep it free from snow and ice.
I usually also showel for our elderly neighbour. My mother had one of her neighbours showel for her.
The snow is great, but it took me by surprise, because I was sick and didn't follow the weather forecast. It was long ago we had that much snow in December. And it was from zero snow to 45 cm in one night. They cancelled flights, trains and trams in the cities, because they were not able to remove those masses in time. This is rare outside the mountains, especially for December. Usually there is more snow and colder temperatures in January. The communities are equipped and prepared to deal with sudden snow and ice, but not with so much at such short time.  But it definitely is a sight, if you don't have to get to work somehow, lol.

Now I'm going to take a hot shower and then grocery shopping.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 05, 2023, 11:41:14 AM
Hi Regen! I hope your shower and grocery shopping went well.
Oh, I understand about the sidewalk now. I am glad it is not dangerous. So, cleaning the sidewalks of snow is your responsability? I mean of the people living there? It is good that neighbors help each others, especially with the elder people.
I also get what you mean about nothing prepared for so much snow in such short time. It is more or less like when it rains too much. For example, rains are common on my city, and there is not a problem, but sometimes it rains a lot in just a few minutes and the street drains are not enough. Then the streets are flooded.

I had to stop myself from reading too much yesterday night because I had things to do and then I had to go to bed. It is definitely quite interesting now, but still do not like too much that we have so many "groups" to follow.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 05, 2023, 05:03:02 PM
@Dina:
Yes, keeping the sidewalk free of snow and ice is in the responsibility of the owner of the estate. One doesn't have to do it oneself, but one has to make sure it is done. Some of our neighbours don't have any sidewalk at all and some have a lot. Theoretically, if someone slips on my sidewalk and hurt themselves, because I didn't clean it, they could sue me, but I have never experienced this and never did it myself.

I get what you mean about the book. I like it a lot, but sometimes it is hard to keep the flow, because of the often changing viewpoints.

Today I visited my mother. To see her again after covid and to help her with her phone. I also helped her find a good and cheap tablet online, because she wants to read the newspaper with a bigger screen she can take with her in her purse.
She is well again.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 06, 2023, 05:30:28 PM
@Regen,very good about your mother!

We are having a lot of rain, but apparently it will stop tomorrow.

I have very little time to post, I just wanted to say hello and I will be back when I have more time.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 06, 2023, 08:33:25 PM
The snow is receding, but it will come back soon. Meanwhile we had melting snow which froze over night and ice rain, but not much. It vanished in the sun at noon.
Tomorrow I am going to the Greek restaurant in my mother's village. Yummy. She has a discount there she needs to use in 2023. What a pity, lol.

I finished TOA yesterday and am still browsing through the sub and reddit.

Jim's progress bar for the 12M is still at only 26%, so I don't think there is hope for the book in 2024. But I hope we can read it in 2025.
I mentioned this on purpose, because often there was a change after I complained. ;)

I still have the new Jacka book to read and I have started "The Eye of the World". Next summer there will be a new Mercy Thompson book.
I tried The Eye of the World as audio, but the narrator annoyed me. He sounded like some overly confident arrogant guy, who thinks he is cool, but isn't. I couldn't continue. There was no emotions, no nuances. It always sounded the same.
But maybe I am spoiled with James Marsters. Even Jim himself in "The Law" was better than that, lol.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 07, 2023, 11:32:13 AM
Well, at least snow is giving you a respite.

Enjoy your Greek food  :)

I hope you liked TOA. About 12M, yes, I saw it is still in 26%. You made me laugh with the description of the reader of the Eye of the World. That reminds me I plan to watch more of the Wheel of Time season 2 show. I am in episode 3.

Tomorrow is a day off! It is a religious Holiday (Virgin Mary's conception) and it is the day traditionally destined to decorating the Christmas Tree. Nowadays people tends to do that whenever they feel like that. I have done it much later too, but when I can, I try to do it December 8th. So, my plan for this year is doing on time. I already retrieved the decorations from the top of the wardrobe, so the first step is done.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 10, 2023, 07:13:58 PM
We did enjoy the food. Next year the restaurant won't open at noon anymore. They didn't say why. But I guess, there are not so many people eating there and it would cost them more to be open than they earn at that time of day.

Yesterday we watched the third Dr Who special. I liked how they let David Tennant
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TV Wheel of Time was good. I have not read the books yet (the narrator and I preferred the Butcher- and Jacka- books in between), but I liked season 2 a lot. Looking forward to the book. I think I will read it after the new Jacka book. Which is also very good and the beginning of a new series.

An Inheritance of Magic: a young man, who has been taught a bit about drucraft (what wielding magic is called in this universe), tries to learn more about the craft and make a living with it. But obtaining knowledge is difficult, if you are not rich and privileged. And so he has to face some (dangerous) obstacles, including members of privileged drucraft families trying to throw stones in his way.

I like it a lot. It us a promising first book.
And the author also included a pun on Harry Potter and the Dresden Files, like he did in his first Verus book: the protagonist tried to make a drucraft sigl work and used words to try to activate it. The list included expelliarmus and forzare, LOL.
In the first Alex Verus book he mentioned a wizard in the USA who even advertises openly  in the phone book.
Another fun fact: Jim Butcher praises the first Verus on the cover and iirc Jacka said he believed that helped a lot with the sales. In fact, if you are searching for either DF or Verus on amazon, you eventually get both as a result.
To close the circle, there is a praise by Benedict Jacka on Peace Talks. At least it is on my version.


Edit spoiler tags
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 10, 2023, 07:42:08 PM
Hello there!
It is good that you enjoyed the food. You are probably right about the reason why they won't open at noon. It is quite common in some places here to open only at night for the reason you mentioned.

I saw the third special too.
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I watched until episode 6 included of Wheel of Time. I am so anguished about A
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.  This season is definitely much better than the first one. I've read a few comments from people who read the books and it says that there are a lot of changes in the adaptation but that they are good. They kept the feeling of the story and the books are simply too big. So get ready  :)

I laughed at the references you mentioned to both wizards called Harry. I remember the Verus one was commented in this forum years ago. I had never read them though. The new book you mentioned sounds interesting too.

My Christmas Tree is up!  Also, my foot is getting better, this past week it hurt less, so i am happy. And today is a sunny day so I feel happy even when today begins the new presidential run.



Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 10, 2023, 11:40:33 PM
I'm looking forward to the new Doctor too, though I am hoping he is going to wear some trousers, lol.

We'll traditionally put up the tree on the 23rd.

Now I need to sleep. I am up late today, because I had to tidy and clean a lot. Tomorrow we will get a visit from some guy from a firm that does windows and doors. We need new windows, because ours are very old and they don't shut completely. They are wood and have lost form over the years and in winter we are loosing heat. It's going to be a big investment, but it needs to be done, because in the long run it will safe us heating costs. I am a bit anxious about how big the amount will be. If we can afford to do all windows at once or if we have to do it in parts. And how long it will take. At least we don't need to renew the basement windows. This has already been done by the previous owner.
After that in a few years we will start isolating the roof. It's an old house.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 11, 2023, 11:19:20 AM
Ooof, refactions at home are complicated.
Best of luck with the windows man. Oh, take care of the kittens. Sometimes they freak if there is a stranger in the house.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on December 15, 2023, 10:17:05 PM
As someone who has read the Wheel of Time books (very recently, too) my biggest complaint about the show is that they very awkwardly downplay important book moments. The season finale for season 2
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Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 16, 2023, 12:45:16 AM
*glomps DC* So good to see you here!
How was your time abroad? (You are back home, right? Getting ready for Christmas?)
I did not read your spoiler, because I have not seen The Wheel of Time yet. I mean, I still have 2 episodes to go, and I am planning to watch them this weekend. I will revisit your post later.
I wonder if I will be able to read more of the Cinder Spires book. I read a touch more on Monday but I am still far from the ending.
I won't comment about the situation on my country but I will say that it is a terrible moment for doing some expenditures I need to do. We need a new water heater (I feel like Harry, taking cold showers) and new earphones for hubby. Of course, he has some cheap extra earphones for now but the fancy ones he bought last year are malfunctioning, so we will have some new ones. We hope we are able to buy those two things with small payments.

Oh, I watched the new Indiana Jones movie! I could not like the character of Helena (the female lead) no matter how much I tried. I found her rude and selfish. But in general, I liked the movie. I think it felt like a real Indiana Jones movie (unlike Cristal Skull), Also, the original movies were not perfect either. My generation loves them because we were children and we enjoy them, but they were not so much better than this one. It is only that now we are older. BUT as all the Weird Citizens (SHOV residents) know, I am not such a mature and serious person, so I can still enjoy the thrilling of a Treasure Hunt and some silly adventure  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 17, 2023, 07:51:16 AM
There is a new Indiana Jones? Oh, I'm so not informed.

The windows guy was here and he appeared trustworthy, unlike the other candidates we had in the past years. We have not decided yet, but will do so this week.

@DC
Oh, it is usually bad, when they change important things in the TV adaption. Someday I'll read all the books, but by now I only know the TV version, and I felt it was a cool scene.
I hope this will not change the plot too much in future. As long as I haven't read the books, I won't notice, so probably this is a case of best first watch then read.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 17, 2023, 09:08:47 AM
Hi Regen! Yes, there is an Indiana Jones from this year. As Harrison Ford is not young I imagine this will be the last movie. They said they were not trying to do a pass-the-torch movie with the female character, but I do not know. Perhaps they were probing the waters  :)

Good luck with the window.

I watched Wheel of Time. So, my comments.
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Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 17, 2023, 12:06:08 PM
Ah, good, I'll see where I can find the film. Definitely want to watch it. Harrison Ford !!!  ;D

WoT:
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I just came home from a meeting with my violin teacher. Most of the time, he doesn't teach anymore, we just meet regularly to play together. We didn't manage to play all the Christmas songs yet, so we decided to meet again on Friday to play the rest. Because he said, they need to be played before Christmas, lol.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 17, 2023, 09:35:27 PM
I have it in Disney+, which is why I watched it a few days ago, when it appeared there. It has a deaging part which was excellent, in my humble opinion.

WoT
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I think I like your violin teacher  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on December 17, 2023, 11:40:58 PM
The one thing I will say about that character
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There is one thing I'm really, really hoping the show doesn't do. I'll know early next season if they are planning on doing it though.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 17, 2023, 11:43:21 PM
We just watched Indiana Jones. Dina, you were right. It felt like one if the old movies. I also liked it. Funny: once they entered a building at night, didn't stay long and when they got out, it was day. LOL. May have missed something in between, but my husband also said: "didn't they go in at night?"
Did you notice Antonio Banderas? At first my husband didn't believe me, but it was him.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 17, 2023, 11:45:46 PM
The one thing I will say about that character
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There is one thing I'm really, really hoping the show doesn't do. I'll know early next season if they are planning on doing it though.
Ok. I plan to continue reading the first book once I have finished An Inheritance of Magic. Looking forward to it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on December 17, 2023, 11:57:33 PM
The first book is definitely a little bit of Early Installment Weirdness like most people think Storm Front and Fool Moon do. I listened to the audiobook with I think Michael Kramer and Kate Reading? I definitely didn't love it, but I had free Audible credits and wasn't sold on the series yet. :P
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 17, 2023, 11:58:09 PM
We just watched Indiana Jones. Dina, you were right. It felt like one if the old movies. I also liked it. Funny: once they entered a building at night, didn't stay long and when they got out, it was day. LOL. May have missed something in between, but my husband also said: "didn't they go in at night?"
Did you notice Antonio Banderas? At first my husband didn't believe me, but it was him.
I do not remember the building thing, but the time is quite random in the movies  :)
I've noticed Antonio Banderas but it took me an embarrassing long time. When I heard him talking I immediately thought he sounded like him (which is weird because I am not good with voices and accents, I am more a faces person) but I did not think he looked like him. Until they showed a closer look and then I said "oh yes! He is Antonio Banderas!".

DC, I guess we will talk after the new season  :). Also, about that character, yes, as a not book reader i have not idea what is going on with that.
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Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 18, 2023, 12:56:23 AM
The first book is definitely a little bit of Early Installment Weirdness like most people think Storm Front and Fool Moon do. I listened to the audiobook with I think Michael Kramer and Kate Reading? I definitely didn't love it, but I had free Audible credits and wasn't sold on the series yet. :P
LOL. I have mentioned this before. I could not continue listening to it. Kate Reading is great. She did the Codex Alera and I liked it a lot. But I did not like Kramer's way of talking. It didn't fit this kind of story and I was too annoyed with him so I could not bring myself to listen to more. I also had a free Audible credit. I guess Kate Reading does the female parts? Maybe I'll try again.
I also have the ebook. They synchronize with the audible version. So sometimes I switch between reading and listening, depending on where I am and what I do. I could read the male parts and listen to the female ones.

@Dina:
I noticed the similarity to Banderas at first sight, but then I wasn't sure if I was correct until he looked directly into the camera.
You told us about the Spanish actor in WoT. I liked him, but didn't know him before.

On the 20th there will be the new Percy Jackson series on Disney+.
Mini and me are very excited. We both loved the books but were disappointed by the movies. The author wasn't thrilled either, so he decided to play a more active role in a new adaption. In an interview he said, he was happy with the outcome. I'm looking forward to it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 18, 2023, 04:07:53 AM
I've saw the ads for Percy Jackson in Disney+. I have not read the book but I have the feeling a series will be better than a movie. And yes, I also read that the author was quite involved in this show, so hopefully it will be good and you and your girl/s will enjoy it.

I forgot to say that I managed to read more of the CS book, I am in chapter 53 I believe, so the end is near and things are. of course, looking...well, grim. Or Grimm  ;D. I want to finish reading it so I can visit the forums and post about it.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Doroga's Cousin on December 19, 2023, 01:01:26 AM
Oh yeah the actor who plays Logain is fantastic.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 19, 2023, 03:31:21 AM
I've finished the book!
Even when it took me forever to get invested in it, I really liked it! I am going to write in the CS forums soon.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 22, 2023, 12:39:02 PM
Just came back from my violin teacher. He is satisfied now that we have finally finished the book with the Christmas songs.
But he had to play almost blind, because he couldn't find his glasses, lol. He asked if it was normal for old people to forget for example where they have put their glasses, and I said sorry but yes, this kind of knowledge is widespread. ;D
He sometimes is confused, but he has only two students at the moment. His partner and me.


Mini and I have watched the first two episodes of Percy Jackson and we liked it a lot. Most of it was almost like in the book. The new episodes will be out every Wednesday from now on. It looks like they are doing one season for each book, which I think is the best way to go about it. Also the actors will age with each season, which will be a bit like the Harry Potter cast aging with each film, just like in the books.


I have still not yet finished An Inheritance of Magic. It will definitely take me until after Christmas, because the days before there is usually not much time for reading, though I can do a re-listen of the DF while preparing for the holidays. I'm at Death Masks right now.

Today there will be one last pre-Christmas dinner with my husband's computer club, which is every year. They don't do much except this one dinner once a year any more, lol. But the club still exists officially recognised since their youth. It's funny, because I knew some of the members or their wives before.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 22, 2023, 10:20:53 PM
Yes, it is perfectly normal to forget those sorts of things. But do not be sorry, at least for him it is good news that what happens to him is normal, and not a bigger problem.
I am glad you are enjoying Percy Jackson. I may watch it in the long weekend.

I am thinking I may do a quick reread of The Aeronaut Windlass, especially because I was checking some inconsistencies between the two books and I was hooked again. I loved that book.

The dinner with the computer club sounds great. Some  of my best friends are from long ago when we were in a Star Trek fan club  ;D, so I think I understand the situation more or less well.

Hubby and I are going to spend Christmas's Eve alone but on Christmas Day we will go to my cousin's home. The family is a quite sad because yesterday they have to help their doggy to cross the rainbow. I will miss the sweet one myself. I bet there will be tears. But at least they have a cat that (I bet) will suddenly become even more spoiled. Besides that, with the terrible situation, they won't be the happiest Hollidays ever, but I hope being together will be enought to be happy. It will be the first time I met my cousin's son after he came back from Europe (I told you he was in Brno for 3 months+ and he was back mid November) so that is enough to make me smile.

Well, in case I do not "see" you before then, HAPPY HOLLIDAYS FOR EVERYONE!!!!🎄🎅🏽✨
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on December 23, 2023, 11:59:57 AM
Hello all! I saw "Godzilla Minus One" last night and it's superb, maybe even better than the original 1954 movie, which it very much resembles. Let me just say, for those who have not seen it yet.... one, GO SEE IT! two, this Godzilla is *not* the friendly if grumpy monster we see in the 1970s run. This Godzilla is legit terrifying, and unstoppable and three, it has a real emotional core to it and it *does* hit you hard in the feels. It was strange seeing this after the trailer for "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire", which is a far more fantasy styled movie with an essentially heroic Godzilla. It just proves Big G is a monster for all seasons, I guess.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 23, 2023, 08:14:29 PM
Happy Holidays for everyone

@PilgrimDan:
Is this a new movie? Where did you stream it? Or did you see it in a cinema? Sounds interesting.

@Dina:
Star Trek fan club!!! I would have joined you. I knew nobody who liked Star Trek. But I have realised a few years ago, that I was just unlucky to know too many people who didn't share my interests, be it Fantasy or science fiction. It was just a bubble and later I got introduced to other bubbles, so I knew I wasn't the weird one. THEY WERE.  8) ;)

I hope your cousin's son talks a lot about his experiences in Brno. And also sad about the dog. :(


Today I have prepared the dips for our fondue tomorrow. My mother will come and maybe my brother-in-law. I have invited him, because his girlfriend broke up with him at the beginning of December and he will be alone at Christmas. But he told us, he already has a new one and not yet sure if the will spend the Holidays together. Ok, he is living his second youth or so, lol. He is 60.


We put up the tree today. The cats are extremely interested and I had to spray them with water several times because they would not stop trying to eat the branches and jump on them, lol. Now they are tired and my husband and the kids are starting to decorate the tree.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 23, 2023, 09:41:33 PM
((((((((PD))))))))))
I have seen the Godzillas (I think pretty much all of them, but I am not a super fan. So I guess I will wait until it is in some stream.

Regen: Oh yes. I knew my hubby from the university but watching Star Trek was one of the things that united us (for example, he did not have cable TV so he came to my home to watch some Star Trek) and so, we joined the same club together. It helped a lot to see there were a lot of people crazy like us  :)

I hope you have fun with your family, with or without your brother-in-love. Fondue sounds awesome!!

The mental visuals of your three kitten watching the tree is amazing. I hope the tree is all decorated now and all pretty, ready for the kitties first Christmas  :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 24, 2023, 12:05:41 AM
LOL. I'm the only one still awake. And I just found Mr da Vinci near the top on the tree, looking at me with innocent cat face. Like: I really have no clue, how I got up there. One moment I was on the floor and the next... just like magic!  ;D
And some of the decorations on the floor. We chose a non poisonous tree with soft needles and only wood, straw, plastic and wool as decorations. And we attached it to the ceiling which we never did before with other cats, but I had a feeling, this time it would be necessary.
Before I go to bed, I'll put some cloths around the tree with some spray on them which should keep them from going near, though it never worked with any of our other cats.
I wonder what I will find in the morning. Very exciting. 8)
I don't worry. They should not be able to hurt themselves. We even shut down the electricity for the lights.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 24, 2023, 12:28:25 AM
LOL, I have such a fun imagining that. But I am glad you will cover it so the kitten would not be in danger.

Did I ever tell you I play Pokemon Go? (I know I spoke about that here in Weird but I do not remember if you, Regen, were present. I comment it now because it is so fun these days. The pokestops and all the backgrounds are sporting Christmas' decorations and...snow. Lots of snow. There is also a Winter event featuring ice pokemon. Problem is here is Summer, we are having around 32 C and we even have a pokemon who has a form for each season and it is now wearing his Summer form. So...contradicting and funny.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 24, 2023, 07:50:38 AM
LOL, I have such a fun imagining that. But I am glad you will cover it so the kitten would not be in danger.

Did I ever tell you I play Pokemon Go? (I know I spoke about that here in Weird but I do not remember if you, Regen, were present. I comment it now because it is so fun these days. The pokestops and all the backgrounds are sporting Christmas' decorations and...snow. Lots of snow. There is also a Winter event featuring ice pokemon. Problem is here is Summer, we are having around 32 C and we even have a pokemon who has a form for each season and it is now wearing his Summer form. So...contradicting and funny.
Yes you told us about Pokemon Go. How cute they decorate for the season.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: PilgrimDan on December 24, 2023, 10:54:52 PM
Happy Holidays for everyone

@PilgrimDan:
Is this a new movie? Where did you stream it? Or did you see it in a cinema? Sounds interesting.

Yes, it's a new movie. I saw it at the cinema.


And.... MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY! ;D
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 24, 2023, 11:07:12 PM
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  :)🎅🏽🎄✨🎁🎉🥂
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 25, 2023, 01:46:24 PM
Merry Christmas




... and happy birthday, Dina!
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/17/04/a9/1704a9d005a29dc8b8e6deaed1041245.jpg)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 25, 2023, 06:12:31 PM
I loved that so much! Thank you  :D

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on December 31, 2023, 10:37:12 PM
I WISH EVERYONE AN AWESOME NEW YEAR!!!  :D
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on December 31, 2023, 11:58:03 PM
Happy new year

Just went back inside after the fireworks. The cats were OK. I stayed inside for 10 min after midnight and played with them, turned the TV on and let some music play. The were not relaxed but they were also not panicked. This is a good sign. Will repeat this next year.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 02, 2024, 09:12:45 PM
Hello there!
Fireworks are being less and less frequent here, in part for the campaign about noise being bad for pets, children, and some  mental conditions, and part because of the crisis. Not many people can invest in fireworks. Even when I understand all that, I miss when they were tons of them. It was fun. I always loved them.
Today was nice, warm and sunny but not too much on either thing. I hope it remains like that tomorrow when I am back to work (today I was excepted due to a medical appointment, which actually has been for December, but they rescheduled me and the first available time was the first workday of the year.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 15, 2024, 11:31:00 AM
Hello people!
Well, nobody being here in a while so I will do a double posting.
I wanted to tell you I just began my annual leave! I will stay at home but i plan to sleep in, read and watch TV, basically. I am also thinking in visiting a couple of museums, let's see if I manage.

I am watching Percy Jackson. I am liking it quite enough (remember I did not read the books) but the inconsistency in Percy's knowledge about mythology drives me crazy. One moment they babble about how much Sally and Grover prepared him through stories and games, and he knows several things. Then in the same episode, for instance, he does not know what Atropos cutting a thread means. Also,
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Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Fcrate on January 17, 2024, 04:36:45 PM
Hello everyone :)
I haven't checked in for a few months, and for that I do apologize, but I get that way sometimes.
So when I first clicked on this topic, it got me to a few pages back, and I did read about Regen's cat dying. I'm so sorry...  I feel your pain. Part of the reason I didn't check in often was because my oldest companions (My dog, Rex, and my cat Minion) died within a few weeks of each other. Minion ate something poisoned by one of my neighbours, and Rex... I had to put him down.
On to happier news: my Puppy just got a litter of puppies, and they are adorable. Still 10 days old. Puppy herself always gets mastitis a couple of weeks after giving birth, and subsequently refuse to nurse the pups, so this time I'm playing it a little smart, and giving her an ongoing half dose of antibiotics. Hopefully this time it'll be alright. So far so good :D .
How is everyone doing? Dina? You and hubby ok? Regen? You and your family?
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 18, 2024, 12:42:41 PM
Fcrate!!!
I am so happy to see you!
I am truly sorry about Rex and Minion. I had a couple of cats who died of poisoning due to neighbors like 25 years ago and it still pains me when I think on them. And of course having to put a pet down is one of the worst experiences ever. The only consolation left for any of us in those situations is that we gave the pets our love and that we did we best we could to help them or to have them comfortable. I am sure they know.
On the other side of the wheel, puppies! Did you read that Regen had three kitten too? So cute. I hope the treatment help the mom of your puppies.

Me and hubby are more of less fine. I had a fall several months ago (just a common fall, nothing serious per se) that left me with an annoying but not incapacitating pain in my left foot. The technical name is sesamoiditis, it is like a bruise in small "floating" bone. It also somehow increased a previous issue that I think it is called a bunion (hallux valgus), which was only a minor inconvenience before. In short, I have a pain in what i think you call the ball of the foot. It has been getting better. I did kinesio, magnetotherapy and I finally decided it was not helping me anymore so I stopped doing that. Now, precisely today I have an appointment to have some special soles made for me, which should be softer and help with the position of the toes. So I expect I will be even better.

Also, we have a new president and things are quite dire in my country. Savage devaluation, inflation, recession, all is terrible. The followers of the new president think we are facing a few bad months, like growing pains, and then we will begin to improve. I do not share their vision, but perhaps (hopefully) I am wrong. I will let you know next year (for example)

On the bright side, I am on my leave and I've been sleeping in and being lazy.

Oh! I've also read The Olympian Affair, the last JB book (and previously, the novella Warriorborn). I liked both of them.

Enough for now, hope to see you soon!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on January 19, 2024, 08:56:37 AM
Hello everyone :)
I haven't checked in for a few months, and for that I do apologize, but I get that way sometimes.
So when I first clicked on this topic, it got me to a few pages back, and I did read about Regen's cat dying. I'm so sorry...  I feel your pain. Part of the reason I didn't check in often was because my oldest companions (My dog, Rex, and my cat Minion) died within a few weeks of each other. Minion ate something poisoned by one of my neighbours, and Rex... I had to put him down.
On to happier news: my Puppy just got a litter of puppies, and they are adorable. Still 10 days old. Puppy herself always gets mastitis a couple of weeks after giving birth, and subsequently refuse to nurse the pups, so this time I'm playing it a little smart, and giving her an ongoing half dose of antibiotics. Hopefully this time it'll be alright. So far so good :D .
How is everyone doing? Dina? You and hubby ok? Regen? You and your family?

(((((Fcrate)))))
I am so sorry that you lost Rex and Minion. I send you my condolences and feel with you. And thank you for your kind words.
I hope Puppy will be well again soon and be able to feed her puppies again.

Family is fine. My mother finally had surgery and has a brand new joint in her hip. She is a bit frustrated that she can't move well yet, but she is known to be impatient with such things. And the surgery was on Monday, so everything still very fresh and hurting. But she will get better.
We have adopted 3 kittens. It has been a long time since we had kittens in the house and we are still surprised at which places they appear sometimes, lol. Like high up on cupboards or on doors. Bella's last years have been very quiet, in the sense of her no longer jumping somewhere dangerous or stealing food when you just turned away for a second. But the cats are cute and funny and until summer the only dangers they'll face will be those indoors. There is no danger from the new neighbours. Most of them have cats or dogs of their own. So no deliberate poisoning. And the one neighbour who puts out poison against snails usually tells me before, do I can keep the cats indoors until she is done.

@Dina
Yes, there are lots of inconsistencies even in the Percy Jackson books too, though I think his school friend not knowing how his stepfather looks like is more due to the fact that they are originally supposed to be in some sort of boarding school and there is  no visiting parents with friends at all and I guess Percy doesn't like having a picture of Gabe with him, because he hates him. I can't remember Grover commenting on Gabe at all in the books. I remember they saw the news, but I think Percy didn't talk about it at all with his companions. Maybe it is time for a reread, lol.
But overall I liked the characters and so far they chose the actors well.

In the beginning of the first book there is a mention that they are on a trip to a museum with their Latin teacher, but somehow the teacher seems to expect them to be able to read ancient Greek. As if it was the same as Latin. And Percy notices that in fact he has no problems reading ancient Greek despite his dyslexia. There are several cases in the first chapters where Latin is supposed to be equal to ancient Greek and this threw me in my first read. But I read on and now I just make fun of it, because the rest was very well written.

The way Percy snd Annabeth behave in the series is way more alike to the books than it was in the movies, if you have watched them. At first they were not friends.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on January 20, 2024, 12:25:12 PM
Sorry for the double post.

Yesterday we watched the newest episode of Percy Jackson together and again I have to say: they totally nailed the interaction between Percy and Annabeth. Grover is also great.

But Mini and I noticed that we needed to reread the books. Especially me. So I began reading the Lightning Thief again.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 21, 2024, 09:08:38 PM
Hello everyone!
I also watched the newest P. Jackson episode yesterday. I really liked the idea of the casino, especially because in real life casinos are, per design, something like that. They only made it more intense. However, I do not see how that would work in the long term.
(click to show/hide)
But I know I am nitpicking. I like the show (mainly because of the kids). I watched the movies but long ago, so I do not remember very well what you said about the differences in Annabeth and Percy relationship, but I also like their relationship on the show. On a side note, I have to admit one of the reasons I never read the books is that the central trio reminded me too much of the Harry Potter trio, with Grover being the magical-native one teaching the muggle-born Percy about the world, and super clever Hermione = Annabeth.
I am glad to hear your mother is doing well. Of course I can imagine her being frustrated and annoyed, but hopefully that will be better in a while, when she can move more easily.

I have not taken the Christmas tree out yet. I like to see it, so I will have it a few more days  :D

As I am on vacation, i've been watching a lot of TV. I finished The Crown and I also caught up with Star Trek Prodigy. Now I am up-to-date with all the Star Trek shows  :). I also finished Reacher.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Fcrate on January 22, 2024, 09:31:45 PM
Thanks Regen.
I love kittens :D Congrats. I wish your mother a speedy recovery.
@Dina: How was Reacher? The first season was very good. But I haven't watched the second one yet.
I'm currently watching Outer Range, which was recommended to me by a friend. I like it a lot, and I do hope they finish the second season. They're a little slow about it though.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 22, 2024, 09:51:47 PM
Hi Fcrate!
I enjoyed Reacher, it was very entertaining. but he kills a lot of people much more happily than I remember in season 1. Also, the ending has a few things that stretch the credibility even more than the rest of the show. Be ready to roll with it and enjoy.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Fcrate on January 25, 2024, 06:52:58 PM
Well, a little gratuitous violence never hurt anybody..except for the victim, that is. :D
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 25, 2024, 08:44:14 PM
 :)
It is fun to watch.
I've finished American Gods, a show I had abandoned before, and I am sad to report that the show ends without resolving anything, as if it was expecting a new season that never came  :'(
I am playing a Nancy Drew game I bought a few months ago and had no time to play before. These Nancy Drew games are story and puzzle centered, which is right in my alley. They still sometimes frustrate me, like when I need to do a quest so my silly character can learn the Greek alphabet or when she refuses to see what is obviously happening, but in general I like them. I am also planning to caught up with Stray, the game about a stray cat that was a hit a while ago. i bought it, played it for a while, got frustrated in a part I could not pass, and abandoned it. I will try again, perhaps with hubby help.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on January 27, 2024, 07:30:31 AM
There is a new season of Outer Range? Or are they still working on it? I haven't watched Reacher. Not sure if I should. Didn't sound interesting.

We are watching some Korean series, which is quite well made and a little bit disturbing and tragic. It's s horror series called "Sweet Home". It's the typical monster apocalypse, but they managed to do it well. There is a virus and some humans transform into different kinds of monsters. When they do, most of them can't seem to remember who they were and can't control themselves. But there are nuances. Some seem to be able to control it and there were monsters saving people. And there are some who don't transform permanently. They can transform at will. And of course there are evil monsters killing people on purpose and there is the government/military which kills monsters and humans alike. The monsters and the humans who can control their monster can not die except by being burned to death.

Not a new idea in many variations, but I like the characters.

We will visit my mother today. She is in a rehab center 2 hours away. LOL, at first she was in a very luxurious room. She was very surprised about it and sent pictures. But now she had to move to one of the normal rooms. They just put her and some others in the special rooms for a few days, because the normal rooms were not yet availlable.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 28, 2024, 10:56:07 AM
Hi everyone!

Regen, that show sounds so bonkers! I have never watched a Korean series, I am afraid if I begin I will fall thought the rabbit's hole and I won't be able to stop  :)

I hope the visit to your mother went well. She must have been so disappointed when she discovered her accommodations were being downgraded.

I am slowly watching the "What If...?" show because I try to watch all things MCU, but so far it is quite boring. The Christmas episode and the Sakaar one, were those I liked better so far, but nothing impressed me too much. When i finish this, I am planning to watch "Echo", which seems to be a very different kind of show, much darker and sad.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on January 28, 2024, 01:13:30 PM
@Dina
Echo sounds interesting. I've just watched the trailer.
Sweet Home is on German Netflix in dubbed version. We are watching the second season now. Mini was like: oh no! Please no more characters whose names I can't remember. To our ears they all sound similar and I am never sure who they are talking about when I can't see the actor's face. We just call them "the firefighter" or "the boy with the wing-like arm" or "the shop-owner's wife", "the ballerina" and sometimes "the asshole" or "the nice soldier" or "the idiot". LOL

My mother is well. But she will definitely mention the room change in the questionnaire at the end of her stay. Not only the downgrade but also the fact that she had to move after a few days. We are talking about people who can't walk and can't pick up stuff from the floor very well. When we arrived, I had to pick up a big plum from the loor, because she dropped it yesterday and her grap help thingie couldn't grab it. But everything else is OK there. The only thing that's bothering about her new room is, that she does not have a refrigerator any more. So she had to drink the bottle of beer we brought as soon as possible. We got the bottle as a present from the Hundertwasser museum beside a local brewery. We went to the museum and after the visit you could exchange your ticket into a bottle of beer of your choice. The kids got bookmarks with a painting of the artist.
As I don't like beer, we decided to give my bottle to my mother.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on January 30, 2024, 10:49:18 PM
Hello everyone!
I watched one other episode of What if...? and I really liked it. It is about a new superheroine, an original one, called Kahhori, who is from a Mohawk tribe when America was first conquered by Spain. I liked that all the episode was spoken in Mohawk or Spanish and it featured a full change of history. Also, there is a Heaven like place which has an Avatar (the last airbender) vibe.
I have a friend who is into Korean series and has the same problem about the names. She laughs at herself because sometimes she is very confused.
I hope your mother is well, and that she enjoyed her beer, even if she had to drink it fast. The story made me laugh.
We finally watched Oppenheimer (it is on demand now). I think it was excellent and very interesting.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on February 02, 2024, 10:36:45 PM
Sorry about the double post. I hope everyone is doing well  :)

I've finished Percy Jackson. It was all right and a little bittersweet due to seeing an actor that is no longer among us.

We had been having a super light Summer but this week is very hot and i am tired just because it is hot.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on February 02, 2024, 11:31:51 PM
We finished Percy Jackson, too, today.
We are also watching "The end of the f****ng world". A series about two troubled teenagers.
I am also near the end of my re-listen of Turn Coat (I started with Storm Front) and again I have to say that James Marsters does an incredible job. It really feels as if Harry himself was telling me his story.
After that maybe I'm going to reread the Iron Druid books. They have their flaws, but I liked their humour. There are also many funny short stories from the dog's point of view, which is hilarious.
I got the idea because my daughter was telling me about a black and a red squirrel she saw running up a tree. She tried to take a picture of both, but most of the time only got either one tail or just some blurred black and red stripes.
I told her, the squirrels were probably plotting how to take over the world, so of course they would not want proof of their meeting. She didn't believe me, so I took out the short story "a squirrel on the train" by Kevin Hearne, and there it was, lol. He knew all along.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on February 05, 2024, 02:37:37 PM
Hello everyone!
It is finally cooler, so I guess they were just a few very hot days.
I loved the story about the squirrels  :)

I think I did not tell you the other day I went to a Museum, it is the Latin American Art Museum here in Buenos Aires. I am ashamed to admit that I had never been there before, even when it opened more than 20 years ago. I finally decided to use one day of my holidays to go there. It is not a big one, but it has some interesting pieces and I enjoyed it. There are a couple of Frida Kahlo's works, one of Diego Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros, one Botero. Of course, several Argentinian ones.It was a pleasant visit, and there was an exposition of a female artist who does things Nature related, mainly with water and seeds. I had a good time, but it was a torrid day, so the commuting was tiresome. I arrived home more tired than I should, but AC was a good thing.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on February 13, 2024, 02:41:19 PM
Hello, everyone!

I wanted to write earlier but I always got distracted.
@Dina: the museum sounds interesting.

My mother is home again. She is doing well considering the circumstances and she needs some help with daily stuff, so I visit every day.
The weather feels more like spring now. I will have to cut the plants soon and do some wheeding.
The cats are well, too. They are like some black furred destroyers. But mostly it is paper or cardboard boxes. And fortunately we still have the old sofa in use though it is starting to fall apart, lol.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on February 17, 2024, 11:24:58 AM
Hello! I just realized i never answered this post.
I am super glad your mom is at home and that she is doing well. I am sure she enjoys you visiting her everyday.
And I am sure the furred destroyers are the delight of your family, so do not even try to pretend that they annoy you.

I just watched a movie in Netflix which is called Apollo 10 1/2. It is an animated film about a child growing up near NASA around the Moon landing, and how he imagines he goes to the moon himself but cannot tell anyone. I liked it because it shows life at the time, and it also got me thinking. In the movie, they got color TV in 1969 (but not all the shows were in color). That also reminded me the show The Avengers (the one about British spies John Steed and Emma Peel or other women, unrelated to Captain America and his friends). That was a 60's show that in one season began being "in color". When did color TV arrived to your countries. It arrived here in 1980! My family, like many others, got one in 1982, for watching the World Cup. It was ironic that even when the 1978 World Cup was in Argentina, and filmed in color, we could not see it in color until many, many years later. I fully remembered the emotion of having the color TV.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 03, 2024, 12:42:54 AM
Anyone here?
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Fcrate on March 05, 2024, 04:33:30 PM
I'm here now :D A little busy these days, well not really busy, but farm work takes longer when you have 3 puppies running under your feet the whole time. I have to do the puppy shuffle, as I explained it before. Raise your right foot no more than 5 cm, move it forward slowly, nudge the puppies to the right, put your foot back on the ground. Repeat with the left foot, and have infinite patience :/ Can't wait till they're old enough to handle a couple of light kicks to teach them to get out of my way :D
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on March 06, 2024, 09:40:03 AM
@Fcrate: lol. Puppy shuffle. I know the kitten shuffle. It's almost the same as the old cat shuffle. Old cats tend to suddenly appear behind your feet without you noticing.

@Dina.
I am so sorry, I did not answer sooner. When I read your post about the color TV I immediately did some research, asked my mother and so on. And then all kinds of stuff came up and I was too busy to answer and completely forgot about it. At work there are several sick colleagues we have to compensate for and one of them will soon be at a rehab facility for several months. My mother still needs help, so I am responsible for two households. The usual chaos, lol.


But now I am here and have some time to breathe.

I researched that it was technically possible to have colour TV in Germany since 1967.

My mother can't remember since when they had a colour TV.  But she remembers that my grandparents bought their first black and white TV in 1960 as a special occasion for her younger brother's birth. My grandmother had several still births after my mother was born. There are 6 years between my mother and my uncle. So they celebrated his birth with a TV for the family.
I guess they didn't immediately replace it 7 years later. Those old TVs were very robust and ran for decades. Maybe I'll ask my uncle, because he might remember when the colour came during his childhood.

And this Sunday I will see my father's sister. She used to be the one remembering all the family history from my father's side of the family.
But I think she will tell me that they did not have any TV until they all moved out and had their own families. My other grandmother was an early widow with 4 children. She would not have been able to afford such luxury. And also my father was older than my mother, while she was the oldest child in her family and he was the youngest.   His oldest brother was born in 1943. My father told me they used to beg for bread each morning at the back window of the local bakery. They always sent the youngest kids and usually the journeyman gave them bread and even some sweet baked goods.

During my early childhood I can remember that we didn't watch TV very often. We mostly worked or played outside or read the newspaper or books. My parents liked to sit outside for hours during summer evenings, even when it was raining (my father had built a roof over the terrace for this purpose.)

The TV was mostly used for watching the news at 7pm, my father watching car races (boring for me, at least after the first 5 minutes, lol), my mother watched her favourite soap once a week, and I watched "Die Sendung mit der Maus" (a famous informative children's show we still watch every Sunday. Maybe your hubby wants to try it some time, they are nice, easy language for children but not boring or annoying).

Later in my childhood, when I was about 10 or so, there was an increasing amount of children's shows or Anime shown. But I wasn't allowed to watch too much, because my parents said it would make me stupid, lol.

When I was older I bargained for TV time on Wednesdays, because they would show Star Trek. And my father liked the Star Wars movies and generally science fiction, fantasy and documentaries we could watch together. Usually once a week on the weekends.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 07, 2024, 02:11:14 PM
Hello Weird!
Fcrate, I am glad all is well, and the puppy shuffle is so real. Or cat, as Regen said.
That reminds me, did you ever googled "cat" or "dog" and clicked in the paw print? So cute.I

Regen, I hope your mother is doing well.
I am glad my question send you in a family history trip  :). Thanks for the recommendation for hubby, I told him.
I watched a lot of TV in my childhood, especially in weekends. I usually spent Saturdays in my grandma and grand-grandma house and they napped after lunch, so I watched TV. Mainly local children shows, but also animé (Heidi, Kimba, Astroboy, Speed Racer_which is called Meteoro here.) and Maya the bee. And of course, everyone watched the news in the evening and night shows. When I was still a child by older I watched several series and I remember one animé that was called Angel the flower girl here but is called something like Lun Lun in the original, I think.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on March 08, 2024, 05:29:01 PM
Hi. :)

My mother is OK, as far as she can be with her bad knees. The right one seems to look worse than before the hip surgery. She can't set it straight any more it just bends to the inside. One can literally see how it must hurt to walk with this.
She will need to replace the joint as soon as possible, but she is afraid because we know so many people who got infections or who didn't heal well. But I also know some who are well. But I have to admit, those are mostly people under 60. Though my uncle is older and he does well with his new knee, even though he is overweight.

I have to go to work now. I am doing the night shift.

'See you soon'
R
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 09, 2024, 10:56:18 AM
Ow, that sounds so painful. I understand the doubts but if it is so bad as you said, the surgery seems to be the best option.

I am so tired. This week I had a couple of doctor and dentist appointments and it tired me. Mentally too, I dislike going to those places.
On the bright side, I just found that Sunday know is the Oscars awards show, so I now I have plans. I live such an adventurous and exciting life  :D
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on March 14, 2024, 08:58:33 AM
I am feeling with you. Too many appointments also tire me. Especially dentists.
Next week I have an appointment to do MRI of my other knee. Doesn't look so well. The orthopaedist said I probably won't be able to keep the meniscus. At the moment, it isn't in the right place and can't fulfill it's purpose. But he is waiting for the MRI to help him decide how to operate.
Funny though, this one hurts less than the other one. He told me which movements I should avoid to not make it worse. Oops. And I did all that. So now I am waiting for the appointments and then he will tell me when the surgery will be. Yay.
But at least after that I have the chance of less pain, hopefully for several years. One should always prefer less pain to more pain.  ;D

Two weeks ago the tomcat has been neutered. Which was perfect timing, because last week little Lisa was on heat for the first time. As we don't let them outside yet, she at least can't get pregnant now.
Da Vinci is well. He is a big and heavy one with thick fur and a broad face. The ladies are well, too. Lisa is the smallest and still looks like a cute kitten, while Mona already looks like an adult. There is some hierarchy when it comes to the food. Lisa often waits until the others are almost done feeding, as long as she is not too hungry. But don't worry, she is getting enough food.

Today, I have no appointments. And also I am on vacation. My boss wanted us all to take a few days during the first quarter of the year, so that there won't be too many missing too long during summer time. So I decided to throw a few random vacation days into March. Honestly, I am quite happy about them now because of all the appointments. I am doing computer stuff and some gardening in my spare time. Sadly the week goes by so fast. It's Thursday already.
My life is exciting, too. LOL


Edit: oh, and I completely forgot to ask my aunt about the colour TV.   But we had much fun together and talked a lot about other stuff.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 18, 2024, 09:22:18 PM
Hi!
Speaking of dentist, I just made a panoramic RX of my mouth, which I had not done in decades. It is so weird to see your own mouth that way.
I wish you luck with your MRI and with the operation if/when it happens. All the good vibes to help you be pain-free.
I am sure your three cats are so cute, even if two of them look all-grown-ups now.
I hope you enjoyed your vacation and gardening.
About your aunt, well, he important thing is that you had a good time talking with her, even if no colour TV were mentioned.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on March 24, 2024, 11:15:43 AM
Hi, everybody!
I've just watched Sendung mit der Maus, like every Sunday. There was a funny episode of Shaun the Sheep in it.
This week I will start painting eggs for Easter. Maybe I'll let the kids help...  ;D

Also I have started a new book a colleague gave to me. It is called Ever After, is about decendants of fairy tale creatures in modern time London. Well, and after I read a few pages, I realised that it isn't a translation but was originally written in German. I can't say what gave it away specifically, just that some phrasings would not exist in a translation from English. I researched the author and found out that she often gives her books English titles. Weird, but OK. I can't say anything about the quality of the book yet, as I am only in the first chapter, but I am looking forward to the rest. My colleague said it became surprisingly exciting. Though I don't know about her tastes yet. Could be that her exciting is different than my exciting. I've given her the first two books of the Dresden Files. We'll see, how she likes it. The chances are not great, because she only reads in German. And I have told you some while ago, that the translation is not that good in my opinion.

Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 24, 2024, 07:52:51 PM
Hi everybody!
Regen, that sounds good. It reminded me to one of my favourite comic books, Fables. It is different though, because in Fables the stories themselves, like Snow White and Cinderella are around, not their descendants. Also, that reminds me I have to read the Fables "revival" which was done several years after the original run.

Today is the beginning of the Holy Week. It is the day we remember Jesus in the Olive Tree forest and it is traditional to have a few olive branches (they are sold for whatever you want, as a charity thing) and have them blessed in the Holy  Mass. We have a super long weekend this year. Good Thursday and Friday are off days, but we also have the following Monday and Tuesday off, because Tuesday is the day we remember the Malvinas (Falklands) war and then Monday is a bridge.
On this Tuesday I begin dictating my classes. Looking forward to meet the new students!
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on March 31, 2024, 08:28:14 PM
Happy Easter Sunday for everyone!  :) :)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 01, 2024, 10:33:54 AM
Happy Easter Sunday for everyone!  :) :)
Thank you. You, too.
We are partying a bit today. It's Micro's birthday. I got her some Lady Gaga music and we are listening to her right now.
My husband is behind the house to finish setting up the big trampoline. All the relatives collected for that and she doesn't know of it yet. We had planned to set it up yesterday while she was with her grandma, but it proved to be more difficult than expected, lol. So it will be done today.
I guess she will be outside soon and jumping in the rain and wind.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 02, 2024, 05:59:41 PM
Sorry for the double post: update.

Micro jumps a lot and has a lot of fun.
Today, my cousin visited with her sons. The older one has a brand new diving licence now, and he was allowed to drive the car. When they left, he had a proud grin on his face for being able to get out of the parking spot on one try. Very cute. 😍 He seems to have fun driving a car.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 02, 2024, 06:18:56 PM
I hope she had a great birthday and enjoyed the trampoline  :)

I've been sick since several days ago. A nasty stomach flu, made worse by the fact that I decided to eat a few pieces of chocolate egg for Easter Sunday. I knew I was already ill, in fact that is why my Sunday forum post has been so brief, I had not energy for writing. But I love my traditions, and I was not going to cut that one, no matter what. So I am paying the consequences now. It is fair, I am not complaining. I made my bed.
On the bright side, still is holiday days, so no problems yet. I will probably take a sick day tomorrow and be back at work at Thursday (when I have classes). That assuming I will be better...
I took the time to watch some tv though. I watched Wonka, which was cute and nice. Also, watched a movie that I had long ago in my watchlist. It was called all the bright places I think (Violet and Finch in my Netflix). It was with Elle Fanning. It was about teenagers and their mental health, suicide included. Even when the themes are sad and dark, the movie itself is quite gentle and bright.
Last, I began watching X-men97 (which is a new animated show that follows the story of a show from the 90's that ended in 96 I think. So this is as if the show has continued organically but it is actually done now). I remember having watched some of the seasons of the old show, but I do not think I watched the last one. Anyways I enjoyed the few episodes that aired so far.

LOL! We were posting at the same time.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 02, 2024, 06:32:43 PM
Mine came first. I won. LOL
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 02, 2024, 10:33:51 PM
I know  :)
When I went to send mine it give me the warning "someone else posted while you were writng". It made me happy because it reminded me all times when I saw that warning all the time.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 02, 2024, 11:30:29 PM
Aaaaw, I'm so sorry. Now it's basically just the two of us and occasionally fcrate. I am sure there will be more activity once the next book will come to an end. But everywhere else here there are always the same few people posting. Where have they all gone? Reddit? When you look there, there are several new posts each day, even if most of them are just some memes.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 03, 2024, 09:12:34 PM
I imagine other media like X or Instagram. I do not know about Reddit, I checked it from time to time (I have an account but I am not subscribed to the subreddit, There was some movement in the Cinder Spires subreddit, but not too much either). It is really sad. I wish you had met us at the time. It was super fun to post. I remember, for example, watching the 2012 olympic games opening while posting in real time here. I asked for Mary Poppins and I got it and Shades of Grey and Pilgrim Dan had a serious laugh. They are part of the British chapter.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 07, 2024, 04:39:31 PM
Must have been fun times.  8)

We've had guests this week for every day now except today. I am glad to be at home alone now without any other people than my closest family.

I did some Spanish lessons today on duolingo. And my husband is making Gulash for us all. We've had a lot of cake and pizza this week so I am looking forward to something else now.

The cats finally destroyed our sofa. Ok, it was old already and falling apart, but now it looks that way. We are going to have to replace it soon, but I am afraid they will just treat the new one the same, lol. But maybe when we let them outside they would prefer to destroy trees instead.
But first the females need to be castrated, too. We prefer them not to produce more cats.
LOL, our neighbours once had two female cats who got pregnant at almost the same time. Each gave birth to 5 kittens. So they had 10 kittens in the house. Both cats had each one grey, two grey and black striped ones and two black and white ones. And they helped each other out with the kittens. It was very cute, but we would not want that. It was hard to find trustworthy people to take the babies when they were weaned.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 08, 2024, 11:14:50 AM
Hello Weird!
Yes, they were fun times.
oh, guests can be fun, but so tiring. It is a good feeling to be alone with just your family again.
How is your mom doing?

I do not think I ever had true Gulash but I do understand the feeling of having good food after too much garbage food.

Poor sofa. We had a killer sofa here in Weird, it ate whatever you put in them and once or twice we had to save people from it. It must be around somewhere.
In all seriousness, I think that death by cat is a good and worthy death for an old sofa. But yes, you better not buy a new one until the cats are used to play outside. And I would not want 10 kittens either, no matter how cute they are.

We watched Madame Web. Everyone on internet was like "this is the worst picture ever". To be honest, I did not think it was that bad. Oh granted, it was bad. Lots of exposition and in general it seems like the pilot of a TV show. The main problem is I could not like any of the many characters.

I am still having troubles with my health, I think it was an stomach flu and I am not completely well. Anyways, I have a doctor appointment next Friday. Also, last Friday I had dentist and a root was removed. It was not too bad, but I hate to have an empty space. Also, I have a tooth that moves a little, so she gave me a medicine that helps with that.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 10, 2024, 11:10:02 AM
My mom is still hurting. The hip doesn't get better. Soon, she'll have an appointment with the orthopaedist. Let's see what he says.

OMG a killer sofa. I somehow get the feeling that mine is mutating. Once it dies, it will become a zombie sofa. It belonged to a dead man, btw. The man who owned the house before us. He bought the sofa and died 3 months later. It is dark red.
So far we have it under control. Necromantic power runs strong in our family. But soon, it will break free and roam these boards to devour whatever and whoever is in it's way. MWAHAHAHAAAAA! ****echos of manic laughter slowly fading into the void****
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 10, 2024, 12:42:15 PM
I am sorry about your mom, and I hope doctors can help.

Oh, that is awesome about the sofa.
Our poor sofa had been thrown as garbage, left outdoors when it was so used to the comfort of a cozy house. Feeling unloved was the true reason behind his wild behaviour. Shades gave it a home here, and at least it tolerated most of us. (yes, we had some fun with this backstory and it became a running gag)
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 21, 2024, 08:16:11 PM
Hi, weird!
How are you? How is life?

Our sofa is still kind of alive, but it won't be much longer now. Nothing new, nothing worthy of writing here happened. I just wanted to say hi.

Hi.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Regenbogen on April 22, 2024, 09:38:44 AM
Double post: now there's news!
It snows.
But it is April, so no big deal. And it's not much. But it is cold. April is famous for it's crazy weather. I hope the plants survive, but probably some will not.
Title: Re: New Weird
Post by: Dina on April 22, 2024, 12:42:49 PM
Hello! I like that you posted, even if it is to say hello.
And I bet things are beautiful with the snow now. I heard something about the beginning of Spring being quite cold in Europe.
We are having rain and wind. More wind than rain, so it is not a pleasant day. But it is not cold.
I am sad because my football team lost yesterday against its classical rival. The worst thing is that we did not play well. Sigh, well, on Wednesday we have another match, in another phase of another Cup. Sports life continues.

In a serious note, tomorrow we have a manifestation in defense of public education. I hope it is massive, we willl see. Our president is reducing the resources for education and other things. I will not say more because real lfe politics are banned here, but it is an important thing and I wanted to mention it.