Discussion Thread: Sunday, 2 March 2025

10 years sober tomorrow. A day of reflection today.

Well done, mate!
👊
Happy you are doing so well. 😘
Yeeaaah boi! That's hard work.
That’s a massive achievement! I’m so pleased for you! 🥳
🥇🎉
Congrats man!
Not an easy thing.
💪🏼 🤜🏼🤛🏼 Well done mate, very well done!

Just got off the phone with my younger son (the one in Florida). He's given in his notice effective immediately, and his wife starts her new job in Germany in April, so they're getting out as soon as they can. They expect to fly out at the end of this coming week, leaving all accumulated stuff behind bar photos and important documents. I wasn't expecting them to go for another month or so, but he reckons the USA is turning extremely nasty on the street so the sooner the better. They're going straight to Germany but plan on coming home for a visit over next Xmas or so. I'm more than a little relieved that they're leaving the USA.

they’re getting out as soon as they can
This whole thing is so ominous.
- He describes the situation as a powderkeg. He's pretty good at reading the room too. So is his wife, who is a very sharp observer indeed.
Great news. I'm sure it'll be a big relief once they're actually out.
- Counting the days.
My Canadian son in law is frightened, n/k, and the Young Seagoons are staying in NZ and then Australia as long as they can.
- They're smart people.

Or your brain might be sensible not wanting you to be exposed to more of the same.
Enjoy your day with Mickey! It will be reciprocal - he can provide comfort and cuddles to you too 💕
Feel better soon :)

Alrighty. Going to Adelaide to see my friend in a couple of weeks!!!!

Fuck it'll be good to see someone from my tribe. I've spent so much time meeting new people which is great.

But it will be nice to see someone I haven't seen for a decade that knows me back to front, even to this day.

Melbcat is so cute. She’s doing so well for her age and I wish she could stick around forever.

I’m not sure what the future is going to bring but if I can sort out my health and maybe move to a better area I’d love to foster cats.

so many hugs

late last night someone opened the garden taps full on, the noise woke me up, had to go out and switch them off, the courtyard was flooded

now the neighbour is using power tools again

none of these things is dangerous or stressful if it was an isolated event but when shit like this happens everyday it wears you down

I'm looking forward to some peace and quiet

courtyard was flooded
ohh jeez. I my water paranoid self feels this.
That’s bizarre. Were they trespassing? That would absolutely stress me out
You can buy vandal-proof garden taps at Bunnings. The tap handle is removable so passing arseholes can’t open it. (unless they happen to be plumbers with a tap handle in their toolkits)

Second day in a row I've collapsed on the bed in the afternoon and needed a nap when I normally never do. Done f all this weekend, didn't even leave the house. I feel all weird and lethargic and not good mentally and physically... at least I'll be on my feet and outside tomorrow but rn I feel so unprepared for it. I should at least drag myself to go make and eat some kind of dinner. blah

Feels. I did leave my apartment for a couple of hours but have found myself in the worst head space I've been in for a while today/tonight. Not sure what's going on.
- I feel like it’s going around

yay, every single room and cupboard is sorted and ready to pack except my husband's office.

Now I have to list what kind of boxes I need and how many, then order, then start packing.

I get the new keys on Friday. 🙂

That is so exciting! Hope it's all smooth.
- for once I'm leaving a place, not going to
  so it's more relief than anything

Bah. I’m still sick. Runny/blocked nose with it dropping down into my throat.

Don’t like this :/

Sick leave!

I'm going through my shirts drawers and I'm singing Am I Ever Gonna Wear This Thing Again. No Way........you can guess the rest.

I've been doing that. I now have few clothes and shoes.
I need to do this. The difficulty is finding comfortable replacements
- Very true

Breakfast and groceries done.
Time for second sleep.

Ty for waking up to make us breakfast chef
- The work is obvious and important.
second sleep
So hawt right now.
I just woke up and 2nd sleep looks real good shortly.

🫶🫶🫶🫶

I have just worked out I have enough sick leave available to take all of March off. Tempting to book off due to existential angst, but it's probably a better idea to just cut down on the doomscrolling.

Maybe take 1 week off in the 2nd half. Gives you something to look forward to!
I've stopped reading the news entirely. I understand it's a somewhat privledged position, but my mental health suffers greatly from dooms rolling.
Wont time off lead to more doom scrolling?
- Probably not, because at home I can break myself away to do something else when I realise I've been wallowing too much. At work I'm often stuck at my desk with not much happening and I can't do anything else much because I am "monitoring", but there's not enough to do to keep me fully occupied so I end up mindlessly scrolling reddit and things.
If you can wait until April stacking leave with Easter and/or ANZAC gets a longer break as a freebie (for most people).
- I don't get public holidays off, so it doesn't add anything for me to take leave then (and if I do I lose out on penalty rates, so would prefer to work anyway). I do get next year's sick leave credited mid April though, so I technically could get a much longer break by taking it then.

There’s all this stuff I was going to do but I’m so tired. I went back to bed and napped.

If I had more energy I could do stuff rather than stressing myself out on social media and doomscrolling

Pre-phone call

Post phone call

Also have had my first (of this round) fuck wits on marketplace. No mate, the price you saw online is American dollars, so no, I won't be selling you this thing for literally less than half price 2nd hand.

Fuck wit.

That is the squint of disapproval. It's a fine line.
You woke her up. How rude!
How dare you wake her up!

I suppose I should get out of bed

Wow it’s still so warm. I’m someone that needs a blanket though so I wish I had one of those thin cotton blankets.

I could crochet one now I’ve learned a bit but think of how long it would take and the price of the yarn. Cotton yarn does cost more than the bog standard acrylic

Edit: Huh. They sell literal cooling blankets

I love my cotton blanket. Mum has been picking them up from op shops the last few years. Heavy enough as I need to sleep with some weight but still cool enough to use in summer.
I've seen ads for those cooling blankets but haven't been game enough to make the jump.
- I should really check the op shops but they haven’t had much good and I worry about secondhand bedding

Thanks everyone for the kind words ❤️

I've decided to take most of tomorrow off (I have 1 meeting I need to attend) and spend the day just relaxing.

Time flies, and life changes so gradually that sometimes you don't notice how different a person you've become.

Goodnight from me and Nest Cat ❤️

Currently obsessed with the Heritage album by Opeth. A slab of prog rock goodness.

Fuck yeah!
Pale Communion is my favourite of the no death growl years. The Last Will And Testament is a great blend of old and new Opeth. They're a great band with so many eras to keep you busy
- They really shine without the cookie monster vocals. I would love them to have a female vocalist as well.

Took myself to the movies to see the national theatre production of Macbeth (with David Tennant). They have a bunch that have been filmed while on West End and are now touring in cinemas around the place. Really enjoyed it - Macbeth, awesome stage and music design, David Tennant in all his kilted glory.

Now I am just fighting the urge to nap instead of putting the groceries away. Sigh.

Body is bruised and battered and burnt, but still managing to pull up for Sunday arvo dance party. Alfie is not a happy participant.

quiz

25/50 and apparently that's better than average.

40/50, which I find myself very pleased with
- You can be on my pub quiz team
15/50 and apparently that's worse than average. By which they presumably mean the average of all people doing the quiz, as its pretty standard for my own personal average.
- I'm glad I'm not the only 15!
35/50 with a few lucky guesses
Oof
25
25 too, tough one

Gym done (2 days in a row which I'm super happy with after taking a month break, aiming for 5 in a row this week).

Shopping done

Dont have to plan for my week of work ahead.

Time to chillax.

Three batches of boxes disposed of, more to come. Phew.

The cats must be in heaven with all the boxes.
- Many have the corners gnawn off. Cat confetti everywhere 🎉

looks at next week's forecast good old Melbourne "autumn", which really starts in late March or early April

As long as we don't get a 30 degree day in April I'm happy

We just did Hoopla in South Morang. It's a good play centre. Plenty going on and enough to keep the kids busy.

We'll have to go again because their ticketing isn't very clear and I bought tickets for ourselves as well. They credited back the difference so that's a free trip

new moon landing

cool
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-02/private-lunar-lander-blue-ghost-touches-down-on-the-moon/105000988

If you don't feel you can enjoy a street party without money that is an indictment on society, not you. These sorts of events should be a community celebration that everyone can be a part of, and in the past they were. Buying things used to be an extra option, not the core part of festivities, but our society has moved more and more towards making everything about just shopping in slightly different ways. As a society we seem to have lost any ability to have social connections without spending money - we meet in shops and restaurants, and more and more often we are expected to pay for "experiences", whereas once we would have met in people's homes and experiences were just things that happened to us, not something to buy.
- I was thinking about this as well. When I grew up in Brunswick circa 90's to early 2000's, it was not as commercial as it seems to be these days.
  Always lots of local bands, free stuff to do, lots of stalls just to hang out and talk.
  I miss the old days of Brunswick.
- Playing cards used to be a big thing
self protection is not attention seeking
and there are free bands t o see at the street party, don't need money for that 🙂

I've been trying not to count the chickens before they hatch when it comes to uni and careers. But it is so hard not to.

an important part of planning is having hopes and aims , all we can do is work toward those and if opportunity comes be ready
good luck 🤞

Beep Beep 🚚
🍏🍎🍐🍊🍋🍈🫐🍓🍇🍉🍌🍒🍑🥭🍍🥥🥦🥑🫛🍆🍅🥝🥬🥒🌽🥕🥐🍠🫚🥔🧅🥯🍞🥖🥨🧀🧇🥞🧈🍳🥚🥓🥩🍗🍖🫓🍕🍟🍔🌭🥙🧆🌮🌯🥗🍲🍜🍝🥘🍛🍣🍱🥟🦪🍥🍘🍚🍙🐠🍤🪼🦀🐙 🍗🥮🍢🍡🍧🍰🧁🥧🍦🍨🎂🍮🍭🍬🍫🥜🌰🍪🍿🍯🥛☕️🍵🍺🍶🥤🧋🧃🥂🍷🥃🍸🍹🧉🔋

Poached eggs on toast with bacon, and a nice cup of tea please chef.
- 🥚🥚
  🥓🥓
  🍞🍞
  ☕️
I want some of Force's salmon! and a big serve of broccolini.
- 💨🚬🍣
  🥦
A big stack of pancakes please, drizzled with syrup and topped with a big blog of cream.
- 🧁
  🍯
  🥞
  🥞
  🥞
  🥞
  🥞
Potato salad and some smoked salmon please
- 🥔🥗🚬🐟

Almost finished the bag, noticed I screwed it up and unraveled

( we have all done this, the public only sees the things we finish, not the ones we undid )
- I’m starting again and hopefully have more of an idea this time

Anyone rec a composite material post huckster in melbs? Wanna put in a tap post, leaning comp as they purty and avoid most issues.