Discussion Thread 🐥 Monday 5 May 2025

I washed my hair. Made it through work. Left work on time 🎉 big batch of black beans in the instant pot to get me through lunches for the rest of the week. Fighting a stinking headache but life is feeling...beige today. Not black. I will take that.

You absolutely smashed it today!! 🎉 That sounds like a win on a lot of fronts, much less to have to handle along the headache. Hope you can hit the hay early and it resolves quickly
- Thanks mate. I'm out of whack. Good food and sleep will help I am sure
hugs
one day at a time 🐱
but you are doing more than just that, you are making good positive efforts that make your whole week better 🌞
Good for you. Just clean hair makes s as huge difference

Well said! Nobody ever claimed that growing up was easy, but you've been through the wringer alright. Props to you for realising this. You've got this in so many ways.
- Cheers!
Yay! What a great year. Big happy hugs 🤗
- Hugs :)
I can't believe it's been a year. You've extended yourself in so many ways! Good on you for taking a shit experience and growing through it 🌱
- Thank you 🫡

What the hell, it's so warm outside?! Was expecting to be freezing on my walk home from work but no...

The weather’s broken again :(
- I guess I'll make the most out of it and try and leave work on time tomorrow for a nicer walk!

Tired. Ready for some me time.

Edit: I'm soooooo zonked. Wish I could crash now.

I’m right with you there! Almost can’t be stuffed cooking tonight but I know I need to.
- I'm using up my old frozen gyozas tonight. No cooking nope.

Gina Rinehart blames Trump scare campaign for Liberal election loss

it's always gotta be "scare" with these fckin moles, they're literally incapable of realising sane adults looked at their behaviour and decided to use their vote to stop it.
click baitin'
The funny part is she thinks she worked hard for her money, when all she did was inherit and steal/withhold money from her kids trust. She's desperate for legitimacy, yet it's the only thing she can't have. Born with everything she's ever needed, she has no idea what real people value. She has no value to us at all and she has no real friends. She is an empty vessel.

still illegal to stick my bosses face in a puddle until the bubbles stop? Asking for a friend.

Only if someone sees you.
- sneaky. I like it
Just be sure to use some Mr Matey so there's plenty of bubbles.
- YARRRRR

Such a beautiful night for a walk, that sunset was stunning!

I watched this show called Toxic Town on Netflix. I don't want to give too much away but it was about a group of mums in the uk who took the local council to court because their babies were born with limb deformities. Based on a true story. It was really good. 5/5 🍿

Holiday booked for the end of July. It's 82 days too far away.

I've been dealing with hot flushes for a few months now (not typical for a bloke obviously) but just hasn't been a priority to deal with. Then for some reason the flu vaccine kicked off a dramatic intensification that is still with me three weeks later. Full body aches, headache, swollen lymph glands in my neck.

The working theory is that a simmering CMV or EBV infection had room to boil over while my immune system was distracted. Kissing too many boys?

Anyway, I've never been sick like this for this long.

About ready to politely request an induced coma.

thank you for reminding me to get my flu shot!
- Get it up ya! Might be a voucher for a free one through your health insurance or work too
Boy germs ew
- You're right, I'd better ask if they think it's cooties and how long I have left to live.
Reminded me as well to sign up for one.

I don't care how warm it is, I am wearing my hoodie in protest of climate change at this point.

This weather is nuts. Sunny and a hot dry wind in May? My washing is appreciating it but it’s discombobulating me.

Good for me in that there's less of an adjustment post-Soup, but also wtf. If this is the new norm, well...
The deciduous trees in my backyard aren't dropping leaves, they're not even changing colour anymore. Half the leaves changed colour and dropped earlier in autumn and then with all the warm weather, the process completely stopped. Even noticed around the inner city, a lot of the plane trees are still mostly green. Nature is confused too!

I am currently and slowly putting masking tape all around the big ornate mirror before I paint the frame. It's very fiddly. After masking tape around edges then I'll tape paper to cover the glass. I've never seen a window or mirror cleaned up well after paint drips so I'm taking a lot of care.

Reasons my stairs are not being done with a spray gun. It would take half a year* to tape everything off properly.
*Slight exaggerations maybe present
- I considered taking the mirror out the frame but it is so big the risk of breakage is too high
  I'm using a small detailing brush to paint the frame
  so much work and I'm not even restoring, I'm just painting over the old paint but properly

Jesus that meeting was brutal, I almost fell asleep several times.

My pet hate is when someone does a power point and puts in so much information that the text is so tiny you can’t see it on screen..

Miss Meow's garden theme scratching post arrived. Except it is actually a children's foam couch ☹️

Now I have to take it back to the post office for a refund.

Edit: scrap that, I'm keeping the couch. I just had a look at what it is, and it is very similar to the foam mattress I was thinking of getting for the back of the van. And it's worth over twice as much as the cat tree. So I've just ordered another cat tree and won't return the couch.

More Edit: I just unrolled it. This thing is massive! It's basically two single mattresses on top of each other, which fold in the middle. Plus two wedge shaped cushions. It could easily be used for two single beds or one double bed.

That's incredibly lucky. I love it when you accidentally get free things in the mail like that. I bought a digital radio for my mum once and got a free keyboard out of it because Dick Smith put the same tracking number on it, absolutely no way for them to trace it
lol that's a bit of luck.
until you described the size I was gonna say keep it. We got one of those toddler couches from clarke rubber and it's perfectly cat sized.

Fish and chippies at Gage Road

I think I need to make a sign that says "Go away, I'm napping" When I take my breaks.

My friend has a t-shirt that says "fuck off I'm coding" on the back. If anyone bothers him while he's in the zone he packs up for the day and goes home.
- I need a shirt that just says "fuck off", both sides, and if anyone bothers me when I'm out, I get to go home.
- Sounds cool though I need something more friendly than that.
  I was thinking fake glasses with googly eyes.

I just went through 2 sets of Lego to make sure all the pieces are there so I can give them to my neices and nephew. Moshi monsters and Smurfette are all there. That took an hour of my life.

I managed to drift in and out of sleep til a phone call from my mum at 12 "your aunt wants to watch the ABC again, what channel is it??!"

After which I ate lunch and then pretty much slept non stop until 7:15 this morning. 😴 I so bloody needed it. Not feeling too hot about going to work today because this week will require my full concentration, but I guess I gotta pay my rent... Firstly, though, this electrician dude needs to finish up. Landlord has got him to come and replace the switchboard I think. Luckily I've had my shower and boiled my water. ... tempting to slide back under the covers in my work clothes... 🥱🛏️

managed to drift in and out of sleep til a phone call from my mum at 12 “your aunt wants to watch the ABC again, what channel is it??!” "its 12am. Piss off" Woulda been my answer.
- That would've been appropriate except she called at 12 noon lol. I have been that tired

In a plot twist Miss Meow's missing garden themed cat tower arrived this afternoon - it was actually the other (slightly more expensive) tower which the couch was sent instead of. When I went through the refund process for that one they offered me $16 to keep the couch. And the one other one has been marked down $5 since I ordered so I was able to claim that too. I've now re-ordered the right cat tree and can keep the couch legitimately.

I'm looking forward to being able to take some stuff to the new house this week, things are a bit chaotic with both packing happening and new stuff starting to come in.

Noooo, I have to be in an afterwork meeting.

So tired!

Home ownership + insomnia = sanding stairs at 4am 😹

If the weather clears up a bit, then the early early morning of Wed & Thur you can see the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, if that's your jam. Apparently those mornings when the moon has set is when the shower will be at it's peak.
- I'll see if my view points the right direction
- It’s a shame I can’t see much and it’s not safe to walk around at night. I can only see the saucepan constellation and Betelgeuse (?)
I can relate

sky pretty

i bought 20x 55 ml Guerlain body lotions and shampoos at 50c a piece from op shop. delicious fresh citrus herb scent

that's about $500 worth

winning

I found the cannibal boat. Hiya Batavia

nom nom

sick of housework, garden and working on furniture, I'm taking the day off and going into brunnie 🙂

no beach today, will do tomorrow 🙂🌞

will read a book on the train

Monday grumble grumble Need coffee...

Mrs B wanted a massage so she booked herself in for one and called it a mothers day present. No worries, happy to foot the bill for that. But still leaves us needing something to unwrap on the day, Any shame in giving her a new ryobi blower? She was adamantly against getting one in the first place but grew to use it almost more than i did by the end. And we deffo need another battery cause the 2 recovered isnt enough to mow/whippersnip the whole yard.

For context she is a practical person. I've been told if I buy flowers again shes divorcing me. She likes stuff she can use.

If that's what she would like then go for it.
- I mean, I feel like she'd like it more for me not wasting money and the join account not having to wear the blower yeah.
Can you get a voucher for another massage? I love practical as much as the next mum, but replacing stolen goods and calling it a gift is a stretch too far for me.
- Massage is already done and paid for. I'm not gonna get her ANOTHER massage. Its gotta be something she can unwrap. And this seems a bit better than her idea of a new phone case.
Get both and say the flowers are for you.
- she'd still get upset. She says flowers are a waste cause all you can do is look at them. I havnt pointed out that arguably books are the same.
- this is the way

Appliances Online price matching was very easy. I found a good price on Amazon but didn't want to actually shop on Amazon. A few minutes on chat and I had $180 off. Very nice.

This means I am getting the upgraded toaster oven to the one I currently have, which has air fryer mode. My old one is getting very tatty and is just a standard oven, but I use it all the time. There are very few days I don't cook something in it. I made the mistake of using a corrosive oven cleaner on it and it did not go well. It still works fine but the inner surface is now all visibly damaged.

AO has been really easy to deal with in my experience, praying that aspect doesn't get enshittified..

It's 9 years on and "oh hey, thanks for checking in, I'm 🎵 still a piece of garbage 🎶" lives rent-free in my head

That's such a classic
My favourite memes squatter is the FRE SHAVOCADO vine
- Oh god now that one's re-lodged itself into my brain. ... Quick, look at all of dose chickens
- Road work ahead? Ah, yeah, I sure hope it does.

Some dude on the other place mentioned, on a thread about uniquely Australian things, that Musk Sticks were made from Musk Deer glands.

Maybe we were able to import the musk essence via the British Empire in the early 1900s, when musk sticks are first mentioned. But I doubt we were importing full on musk deer glands.

I've tried to do some research, but the first mention of musk sticks in Australia was 1927, and referenced that musk sticks had been around for 25 years at that point. Could we have imported musk essence circa 1902? Or would it be more reasonable to assume we used the Australian muskwood, or synthetic musk?

Open to other references/sources here!

Musk deer glands would have been MEGA expensive even then - I very much doubt that the real thing was used in confectionery. Fancy mega expensive perfume etc. yes, but sweeties???
Although, there is a mosque in central Asia somewhere where they mixed real musk deer glands with the mortar. This was back in the 16th century or so, and on hot days you can still smell the musk in the mortar apparently. Conspicuous consumption has been around forever.
Synthetic musk was invented in 1888 and while initially toxic probably got refined. Musk sticks were apparently around as early as the 1900s.
I’m trying to find a good source on whether musk deer ever got introduced to Australia but am getting the run around and the answer may be no
- Yeah I was thinking we would have used synthetic musk rather than importing musk essence. I don't believe we ever introduced musk deer to Australia (their tusks are so cute!!), so it must have been either imported essence, muskwood, or synthetic (imported or made here). I just haven't found a lot of resources on its history in Australia, plenty about the trade of musk deer glands and how rich people liked the perfumes and sweets made with such ingredients lol

why does Gina Reinhardt the wildebeest, need to push her snout into everything?

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

some hot chips would be nice for lunch chef 🙂
- 🔥🍟
Hash browns with some gravy on the side, roasted pork belly, and some sauteed broccolini with garlic and blue cheese
- 🥔🥔🍯🔥🐖🌳🧄🤮
Pea & ham soup from the lunch menu please chef. With crusty bread and a beer.
- 🫛🍖🍲🔥🍞🍺

It's 3 minutes past 2 o'clock, leave the platform Watergardens!