Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

It’s time for the GOP to dust off that post-2012 autopsy, completely ignore it, and light the party on fire again.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

You cannot shame the shameless.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

I’m sure you banged some questionable people yourself.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Joe Lieberman disappointingly reemerged to remind us that he’s still alive.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Ah, the different things are different argument.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the GOP

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

You are here: Home / John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House" / Open Thread

Open Thread

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I’m in a bit of a funk. I’m tired of cooking and not interested in trying to think of new shit to make every night. I’m not interested in any of the restaurants around me. I don’t want to drive all the way to Pittsburgh to find something I want.

Similarly, I can not find a show to dig into. I’ve been watching Shannara from a couple years ago on Netflix, but it is not very good. I am excited for the Wheel of Time, but that doesn’t come out for a few days.

And I need a new game. I was playing New World, but hit level cap and am on a shitty server and there is never anyone to do anything.

Most irritating, I need to get a new pair of readers because my lenses are not where they need to be so I can read easily.

Or maybe I am just fussy and pissy because of the time of year.

I dunno. I mean, I do realize how lucky I am these are my problems, but they still honk me off.

Reader Interactions

107Comments

  2. 2.

    Jerzy Russian

    Similarly, I can not find a show to dig into.

    My solution to this problem is to binge watch very old shows/series. I am currently doing the original Star Trek series. I remember most of the basic plot outlines, but there are many details and scenes I don’t remember. As kids we would watch the reruns after school, and we got to the point where we could identify what the episode was by watching the first 15 seconds or so, and in most cases repeat most of the dialog, etc. All of that is gone now, so they are (almost) like new.

  4. 4.

    steve g

    Heh. I read Balloon Juice when I’m feeling that way. Maybe some others too. There’s usually something to get distracted by.

  6. 6.

    Mallard Filmore

    An OT thread! I do not have a lot of confidence that getting Trump’s documents to the House will have much impact on the elections next year. The GOP is too far gone to admit that they almost gave the future to China.

    The DOJ prosecutions is where my hopes lie. The President (Biden) is part of the executive branch, and the DOJ is part of the executive … so does Trump have any say about whether the President can share Trump’s papers with the DOJ? After all, it is not a question of one branch of the government gaining or losing power or privilege, which is what the GOP is arguing in court. This is one branch sharing with itself.

  7. 7.

    PJ

    My unsolicited advice: express yourself in a new and unexpected way (that is not illegal or otherwise subject to fines).  Take a class in something you have been thinking about for a while, or have never thought about before. Surprise yourself with what is inside you.

  8. 8.

    Doug R

    Do you have Disney+?

    Because Shang Chi and Jungle Cruise just hit the no extra charge and Free Guy’s been on there for a couple of weeks.

    Plus if you like the Marvel Universe, What If is pretty cool.

  9. 9.

    Joe Falco

    John, just do what all the other WoW players are doing: play Final Fantasy XIV. There’s a new expansion coming out in a few weeks so you’d have plenty of time to play and catch up on it by the time it’s released.

  10. 10.

    BigJimSlade

    @PJ: Yeah, John, what PJ said.

    Paint (your feet in a bathtub, lol), take up guitar, sing. Maybe you’ll find you’re a great heavy metal singer!  Or soul. “I’m a Co-o-o-o-le man” (to the tune of Soul Man). We wait, expectantly!

    Or clean parts of the house you usually ignore. I’ve done some of that recently.

  11. 11.

    NotMax

    Early reviews for The Wheel of Time are … mixed, to put it charitably.

    Let’s see, things which may scratch your watching itch and are probably right up your alley, if you haven’t already seen them. Both are a hoot, in each’s own way.

    1) Low budget, lovingly skewering the whole gamerverse: The Gamers: Dorkness Rising. Not streaming free anywhere at the moment but only 99 cents to rent on Prime as we speak.

    2) On Netflix, The New Legends of Monkey. Two seasons. Surprisingly well produced, an entertaining romp.

    3) Outlier, as tastes do vary so much, is The Freak Brothers on Tubi. The Fabulous Furry ones do a group Rip van Winkle and awaken in 2021 San Francisco. As throw everything against the wall and see what sticks raunchy (and sophomoric) as were the comix.

  15. 15.

    Chetan Murthy

    Today’s the second consecutive day I felt brave enough to take the train downtown to my gym and swim.  It’s a great feeling, after a modest (ok, ok, half a hour, it’s been nearly two years!) bit of exercise, to just walk around, feeling that …. feeling.

    I’ve been trying to learn how to bake, bit-by-bit.  And someday soon (like, this week) I’m going to start trying to make croissants.  That’ll be an adventure!

    I re-watched The Brokenwood Mysteries.  It’s really …. soothing.  Also completely fanciful, b/c no rural farming town would have all those amenities.  I wonder what real life in NZ is like?  What the big cities are like?  So looking forward to someday flying out there to find out.

  16. 16.

    Richard

    I’ve been looking at corn pudding recipes.  They look tasty and they come in several styles. Yes  seriously they help me relax. When it is finally time to pass out, i use Horrorbabble,  discworld, or Journey to  the Microcosmos on you tube. Sometimes i check in on that edgy Jared Rydelek guy, the weird explorer who talks about fruit.

  18. 18.

    AJ

    @Joe Falco: I enjoyed the crafting and world exploration in FF XIV a lot.

    But I was too used to the relative freedom of roaming in Skyrim and Wow to tolerate the MSQ. Not saying it’s objectively bad, I know many people love it or find it only mildly annoying, but for what I want in a game it was not my cup of tea after I finished the grind to 60.

  19. 19.

    Another Scott

    J has been watching “The Librarians” on Ovation.  It’s decent escapism and entertaining.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  22. 22.

    Canadian Shield

    Pick the next country you’re going to visit (who knows when #pandemic), and start researching best street food, cities, restaurants, attractions, etc. on YouTube. It doesn’t just kill time, it’s very entertaining and you have the bonus that you are doing legitimate research (and not just killing time/entertaining yourself with videos). My spouse and I are working on Japan via YouTube ahead of a retirement trip in ~3 years (we are fortunate to be in that position). It doesn’t have to be another country, could also be other city or state/province.

  24. 24.

    Atticus Dogsbody

    Wheel of Time… gahhhhhhg!

    I bought the first book when it came out thinking it would be a trilogy as per usual. I finished 3, bought 4 when it came out, bought 5, then 6, then I gave up. The motherfucker died before he could finish the series.

    When I realized the Song of Ice and Fire was the same long-winded money grubbing shit, I didn’t bother.

  25. 25.

    CaseyL

    I feel ya, John.  Ennui, it’s called.

    I like @PJ:’s advice: take up a new hobby/interest, with no intent of mastery but just simple curiosity.

  26. 26.

    Gretchen

    I like Kim’s Convenience when I need something soothing.  The family love and annoy each other equally, and most of their problems are small.

  28. 28.

    Thor Heyerdahl

    Canadian Men’s national soccer team beat Mexico 2-1 in a snowy, cold Edmonton (Iceteca is the nickname being used often here). First win for the Canuck men against Mexico since 2000 and first in World Cup qualifying since 1976. We’re enjoying being at the top of the CONCACAF table.

  29. 29.

    Thor Heyerdahl

    Canadian Men’s national soccer team beat Mexico 2-1 in a snowy, cold Edmonton (Iceteca is the nickname being used often here). First win for the Canuck men against Mexico since 2000 and first in World Cup qualifying since 1976. We’re enjoying being at the top of the CONCACAF table.

  30. 30.

    Thor Heyerdahl

    Canadian Men’s national soccer team beat Mexico 2-1 in a snowy, cold Edmonton (Iceteca is the nickname being used often here). First win for the Canuck men against Mexico since 2000 and first in World Cup qualifying since 1976. We’re enjoying being at the top of the CONCACAF table.

  35. 35.

    Quinerly

    Wide awake now. Can’t sleep. Been house hunting for 5 weeks on my Santa Fe visit. About 12 days ago an owner accepted my offer as the back up offer on what l consider would be my dream house out here… That is if l am truly going to make this life change. Sooo… I went to bed really early tonight because l had planned to head over to Bandelier tomorrow. Have been trying to get this house off my mind since I have been told contracts are rarely falling through in this crazy market. Around 9:30 pm, my realtor started texting, emailing, and calling. I was dead asleep. Looks like the house can be mine… The contract in first place has fallen through. I’m in shock.

  39. 39.

    frosty

    John – Hobbies – Buy a Hohner Special 20 in C and Harmonica for Dummies. It’s written by a good player and gets good reviews. Or Blues Harmonica for Dummies. Same author.

  40. 40.

    Tony Jay

    Just rediscovered Ultraviolet from the late 90s. Modern take on vampires that only comprised six episodes so it didn’t outstay its welcome/have a chance to ride the Buffy-boom. Young Idris Elba being preternaturally cool. Jack Davenport deploying ‘constipated but busy’ expressions. Susannah Harker’s enormous eyes.

    Did you ever give Legion a spin? Based (very) loosely on the Marvel character but with its own 60s crazy bizarre vibe. Everyone in it is having the biggest blast.

    Doom Patrol. I’d happily watch a full episode of Diane Guerrero and Brendan Fraser swear at each other.

    Or take up knitting. Winter, as they say, is coming.

  41. 41.

    Quinerly

    @Steeplejack: 4th house l really looked at. The market is insane. Houses going under contract in 6hrs after going on the market kind of craziness. Terrible time to try to buy here but all my research tells me the market will be hot for at least 3 more years. Talked to my financial guy and he said go for it. I turned 60 during this last shitty year… So it’s now or never. It’s in a community about 12 miles out from SF. Doesn’t have a subdivision feel though… All the houses are on 2 acres plus. This one looks out on 62 acres of green space that will never be developed. Has gorgeous mountain views, dark sky community.  Walking trails, microbrewery tap room, 3 restaurants, grocery store, 2 dog parks, pool, community center, community water (that’s a big deal. I know too many people out here with well or shared well problems). The house itself is 3 bedrooms, has passive solar, radiant floors, 2 minisplits, updated huge kitchen. Love the outside space.. Kiva fireplace, built in gas grill and smoker, small greenhouse and koi pond. Go back to look at it tomorrow. Really curious why the first contract fell through. There was a bit of a bidding war on it. There were 4 of us submitting contracts. Two buyers kinda ran up the price. I was the first to drop out. Then apparently 2 people just walked away. I was shocked when my offer was picked as back up. Never dreamed the main offer would fall through.

  44. 44.

    Quinerly

    @frosty: STL has been home since going there for law school in 1982. I have just become sick of city living during Covid. I want some space. I want a next chapter. Hard to explain. I don’t even want to do the stuff l used to love in St Louis. And, for some reason, l can barely tolerate the people l used to hang with. Plus, l am sick of Missouri politics.

  46. 46.

    Quinerly

    @NotMax: you funny… I did get that floor finished just before l left on the CO camping portion of the trip on 9/3. Someone else can love that bathroom as much as l love it.

  48. 48.

    Ruckus

    @Chetan Murthy:

    I very, very much recommend NZ.

    I did a 3 week motorcycle tour in 2003 that covered both islands and while of course I couldn’t see everything, I saw plenty, met plenty of people and and had an incredible time. It’s on my bucket list to go back at some future date if I can. If you need hints or ideas – ask.

    Car this time and if you go that way, never, ever forget that they drive on the wrong side of the road…..

  49. 49.

    Mak

    For the READERS: Costco – 3 pair for about $20 ($15 on sale). At this point, my wife & I have a dozen pair placed strategically throughout the house. Even when you lose them (which we still manage to do), just wander around a bit and you’re bound to find another pair before long.

  50. 50.

    sab

    @Quinerly: House prices here in Ohio are also nuts. People are buying houses without inspection 20k over listing price. My stepdaughter was renting next door until landlady decided to sell. She had done nothing to maintain it for 15 years.Roof leaked. Basement floods.  She got 6 offers the first day. I feel sorry for the kid who bought it. Also a very aggressive doe deer who gives birth in the backyard every year so cannot go into the yard until the fawn is big enough to jump the fence.

  52. 52.

    lol chikinburd

    @Joe Falco: Yeah, there’s no way anyone starting now will “catch up” with the story between now and launch — I started in early June, and it took me two months to finish the MSQ included in the free trial, and another two months to finish the rest of the existing story.

    Story skips can be purchased, but it’s a huge mistake — the game’s story is its greatest asset, and playing it is like bingeing top-quality television.  It’s just that there’s that “first season” you have to churn through for the world-building before you can get to the good stuff where it starts paying off.  That said, the free trial should be a no-brainer just for Heavensward (and then later there’s an expansion that’s even better than Heavensward).

    (Also would second Valheim, though it’s been a minute since I last played.)

  53. 53.

    Ruckus

    @Mak:

    I have 3 readers around my apt, 1 in my car and carry one pair with me when I go to the store. Never more than a few feet away at any time. If it wasn’t for the alternative this getting old crap would be getting old.

  55. 55.

    sab

    @Ruckus: At least you are in a dry climate. I think of myself as very healthy for my age ( 67) but we went out to breakfast the other day and my good knee wasn’t working much. It hurt and didn’t want to bend at all. So the bad knee had to do all the work, and I limped. Embarrassing.

  56. 56.

    Quinerly

    @sab: I just hope if go through with this that the market stays somewhat hot in my inner city historic district. My home is 1880’s restored Victorian that l purchased really cheap in 1993. I have put my heart and soul in that house. It’s 4 stories including the walk out basement. I have come to realize it would be nice to be all on one level. I guess l’m going through a true life change. I was out here for my yearly trip 2/2020 until 3/15/2020 when l literally fled Covid as it was hitting the 4 Corners area (was in Gallup, Window Rock, AZ, Farmington, NM and Canyon de Chelly for those first 2 weeks in March, 2020). Newly adopted JoJo and l shut down when we got back to St Louis. I barely poked my head out to do any of my regular stuff this past summer. I started concentrating on planning this trip the minute l got vaccinated in March, 2021. So in a way l feel more connection here than in St Louis. Honestly, l barely remember the summer of 2020. This timeline is very disconcerting.

  57. 57.

    NotMax

    @sab

    Heck, some of us chalk up limping as a good day. One thing for sure, the more the years advance, the closer a friend a banister or railing becomes on stairways or inclines.

  60. 60.

    Ruckus

    @sab:

    First, it’s not always low humidity out here, it’s 81% currently. Second I’m 72 and I have more than enough joint pains and on top of that neuropathies enough for a couple of people and none of the available meds work for me – some have  severe side effects, like massive hallucinations. In the last 15 minutes my right hand, my dominate hand, has given me 2 major trips to level 8. And yet I’m typing with it now. I never know what is going to happen in the next minute, good/bad/in the middle. I’ve been hit head on by a truck, and I was not in a vehicle at the time. The freaks are the ones that get old and don’t have issues/pain/tongues without bite marks. I live in a senior’s apt complex, have to be over 55 to rent here. The youngest I know is 57 and the oldest is 95. The 95 yr old survived a case of Covid earlier this year. A friend the same age as me has polio she acquired when she was an infant, has been back in her wheelchair for going on 30 yrs now. My life is better than a lot of people I know. How that is I’ll never know or understand.

  61. 61.

    Ruckus

    @NotMax:

    I also have a disease that effects balance. Called meniere’s, It affects the working of the inner ear, which controls your sense of balance. Life is fun. And I’m no where near as bad off as some my docs have told me about.

    Life isn’t simple, it doesn’t get easier as you geezer up.

  62. 62.

    sab

    @Ruckus: I am sorry. I wasn’t meaning to make light of your health. My husband is younger than you but with major arthritis in his back and hip, and scholiosis, and four collapsed disks, and cluster headaches. I have been living side by sidewith hith him for twenty years trying to be unobtrusively helpful and supportive. It’s just odd to suddenly have my own health issues after being so long only concermed with his.

  63. 63.

    Antonius

    If you haven’t tried it, my wife really likes Guild Wars 2, and it seems to have a compelling story.

  64. 64.

    Narya

    @Chetan Murthy: I looked at croissant recipes for years and didn’t believe them. Went to pastry school, ended up working in a bakery for two years…making thousands of croissants per week. I had a dough sheeter at the bakery, which makes it easier, but a well-laminated piece of dough is a thing of beauty. I’d walk/talk you through it if you wanted.

  65. 65.

    Ruckus

    @sab:

    Wasn’t taking offense and didn’t think you meant it that way.  I wasn’t going to retire back in July but I’d like to enjoy as much as I can for as long as I can. As I said, I’m not as bad as many that I know are and some are a lot worse. The big deal is that we are still living and still enjoying some things, even as we can’t do things we used to do, a very short time ago.

    I try to never make fun of any one’s health. I’m sorry that you are having issues. I’m just saying that we all have issues of living and the older we get the worse they can and do affect us and it’s not an equal opportunity thing. I see no reason for it, other than we are mortal and failable and life is unfair, uneven, unpredictable and all there is.

  68. 68.

    lowtechcyclist

    @sab: ​
     

    @Quinerly: House prices here in Ohio are also nuts.

    I think it’s happening pretty much every place that people actually want to live. I’m the HOA treasurer for a neighborhood about a half-hour south of Annapolis, and this year we’ve had a ton of turnover, with homes selling for way above what they were selling for in 2019.

    And same thing where my in-laws live in Plant City, FL (about 45 minutes inland from Tampa on I-4). My wife’s grandmother died last year, and as soon as we can get everything of sentimental value out of the house, we’re selling it. In the meantime, we keep getting letters from realtors who want to take it off our hands for increasingly crazy sums.

    And if you want to do a major home renovation or addition, now is NOT the time, because everybody’s building houses like crazy on account of the market, so building materials are in short supply and insanely expensive compared to 2019.

  69. 69.

    satby

    For people with SAD, the light change really is hard. It never used to bother me, but as I’ve gotten older it does now. I use a full spectrum light at night to extend the “daylight” feeling an hour or so more. This year has been especially tough though, because my eyesight just makes it really unsafe to drive at night, so a lot of my activities are going to be very restricted. Coming after of almost two years of covid restrictions you’d think I would have adapted, but nope.

  70. 70.

    raven

    @lowtechcyclist: We’re at the end of a total rebuild of our next door rental. Material prices are high but not as bad as they were a year ago.  I guess we’re glad the bulk of our material were purchased in August and September!

    We had the 100 year old house insulated with foam Oct 30 and the dude just cashed the $4500 check!!!

  71. 71.

    satby

    @lowtechcyclist: Yeah, it feels like another bubble to me. The last one left me $45k underwater in MI when it burst, and I bought after it had started to deflate, but it had lots further to fall. Wiped me out financially when I lost the job and then the tree landed on it, causing $50k more in estimated repairs when I was trying to short sell. I don’t expect to ever purchase another property, but I would have a strong aversion to in a hot market unless I won the lottery. Which isn’t likely since I don’t play.

  77. 77.

    debbie

    @lowtechcyclist:

    And if you want to do a major home renovation or addition, now is NOT the time, because everybody’s building houses like crazy on account of the market, so building materials are in short supply and insanely expensive compared to 2019.

    There are literally one or two renovation projects on each block in my neighborhood. I was assuming it was because people were choosing to stay put rather than buying a bigger, better home (and also improve future purchase price). Both might matter more than cost of materials?

  80. 80.

    Quinerly

    @Betty: thank you. It is amazing out here. This is my 11th trip since l started coming out in 2011. My first trip was my 50th birthday present to myself. It certainly has been a progression as l think it through.

  82. 82.

    Rich Webb

    Cole, maybe try No Man’s Sky? It’s SF rather than fantasy, imagined more or less as if the magazine covers from the golden age of SF became real. I think it’s a hoot and have spent far, far too many hours on it. Drop by the r/NoMansSkyTheGame subreddit to get a flavor of what’s up.

    Or … go hardcore and try Kerbal Space Program (subreddit r/kerbalspaceprogram for previews). Where No Man’s Sky uses storybook physics, Kerbal is the real deal. Learn how to do a prograde burn at apoapsis to circularize an orbit! Do transfer orbits to the Mun [sic] and back! Nerdy fun!

  83. 83.

    JML

    I started watching Foundation this week, while waiting for Wheel of Time and Hawkeye to start up (free three month trial of Apple+; looking at what’s on offer, I think I’ll be able to binge through what I want and drop it in Feb pretty easily). So far I’m liking it; Jared Harris was great casting, and I went in assuming there were going to be significant deviations from the books (which I barely remember, since I read them in high school while attempting to show off).

  84. 84.

    syphonblue

    I was just coming in here to say John should play FFXIV since he’s in to MMOs, and am pleasantly surprised to see a bunch of other people said the same already. The ARR MSQ is…bad. It’s entirely too long and not very interesting, but I just finished Heavensward and that is going in my Top 10 GOTY list for this year. It was really fantastic. I’m itching to start Stormblood now!

  85. 85.

    Kosh III

    On Netflix, check out Sex Education, Locke and Key, Kim’s Convenience, Never Have I Ever and New Adventures of Monkey.

    House prices here in Nashville are going sky high.  A condo in my complex was snatched up the first day on the market.  It is 40k over what we paid just 13 months ago and it’s a 400 sqft smaller condo than ours and has no balcony.

  86. 86.

    xephyr

    As we know, good books are part of an effective arsenal for countering the madness and general malaise. You might want to check out the Murderbot Diaries (Martha Wells) – first book is All Systems Red. Working outdoors is also good medicine, but you already know that.

  87. 87.

    Groucho48

    Shannara was a surprisingly decent…not great…series, considering it was an MTV production.

    The series I recommend to all and sundry is Halt and Catch Fire. As good a series as I’ve ever seen. It’s currently available on Netflix.

    “Halt and Catch Fire was a TV series that premiered in 2014, ran for four seasons, and went hugely unnoticed. That it flew so far under the radar is a pity, because its decades-spanning story about technological innovators, their successes, failures, and the friendships that pin it all together, is as compelling and addictive as any of the better-known “prestige” shows that captured awards and imaginations at the time.
    Created by Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers, Halt and Catch Fire begins in Texas in the 1980s at small electronics company Cardiff Electric. Under the guidance of ex-IBM whiz-kid Joe MacMillan (Lee Pace) and company exec John “Bos” Bosworth (Toby Huss), a group of engineers led by Gordon Clarke (Scoot McNairy) attempt to create a home computer to compete with the industry giants.
    They recruit a young programmer named Cameron Howe (Mackenzie Davis), a prodigious and fiery talent. Meanwhile, Gordon’s equally gifted wife, Donna (Kerry Bishé), begins the story by looking after their children and working a job that fails to recognise her worth. As her lack of fulfilment grows, she too is drawn into the project, which culminates in a race against the clock to be ready for the make-or-break industry convention, COMDEX.”

  88. 88.

    pensive

    @xephyr: Am currently working through Murderbot on audiobook and they are so so good!  Only one more to go (book 6) and then she needs to write faster dammit!

  90. 90.

    different-church-lady

    @debbie: The Answer: money is dirt cheap right now. Costs next to nothing to get loans for anything you want. I believe that’s what’s really driving the building boom.

  91. 91.

    marcopolo

    Late to the thread, but read a damned book or two. Lol.  Honestly, most of the stuff I see on TV is just junk atm.  For example, take the Foundation thing.  It’s a bleeding mess.

    And if anyone here wants a lovely book (short one but still) to read, let me recommend Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers.  And if you like it check out the rest of her work.

    On a moon called Panga where AI and robots are a distant myth, Dex is an adventurous and friendly tea monk who travels the land meeting villagers and townsfolk. Dex custom-blends tea fit to the folks’ needs and personalities, and they confide their misgivings to the monk. One day, Dex meets a robot named Mosscap and they are thrown into a road-trip with a question on their minds: “what do people need?”

    Also, have a lovely Wednesday everyone.

  93. 93.

    Gammyjill

    @Quinerly: In July 2007 I was visiting Santa Fe from Chicago. I hadn’t been in many years and I came out to visit a jeweler whose work I wanted to sell in my store. I was staying in a hotel near the Plaza and the second day I was there, I stepped outside and said to myself, “This is where I want to be. I don’t know for how long, but this where I want to be”.

    i was divorced, in my mid-50s, my kids were grown, and I had enough money to live anywhere. So I looked at houses on that visit, then went back to Chicago and closed my store and put my house on the market. In August I went back to SF and bought a house in Estancia Primera (a development off Hyde Park Road), and moved in October, 2007.

    I lived there for 8 wonderful years, finally moving back to Chicago in 2015 to be closer to my grandchildren. But they were the best 8 years of my life. If you’re interested in fabulous adult classes, check into RENESAN. http://www.RENESAN.org

    Anyway, good luck with your move.

  94. 94.

    marcopolo

    @Atticus Dogsbody: I was working in a bookstore when WoT came out.  I was in charge of the SF/Fantasy books and read it and it was  okay.  Good world building, so so writing.  I think I made it through the first 4 or 5 before I said eff this.  Maybe the thing that bugged me the most was just huge hunks of repetitious writing from one book to the next.  And, then, like you said, it appeared it would never end.  I do not regret this decision.

  95. 95.

    Pharniel

    @Joe Falco: It helps that FF XIV is very good. The start is still rough, but man, the story is strong enough to get feelz. And the music is amazing.

     

    If you hate yourself, Genshin Impact is right there. Breath of the Wild Gatcha.

  97. 97.

    way2blue

    No suggestions to offer for the menu blahs or the gaming blahs.  But I’m just finishing Netflix/The Serpent.  Intense plot, based on true events of a con artist preying on young & naive ‘long hair’ travelers in SE Asia.  The series appears to be shot with mid 1970s quality gear.  Very cool…

  99. 99.

    JCNZ

    For the home cooks among us, there’s a very good Australian site called Recipe Tin Eats (Australians keep their favourite recipes in a tin, apparently  (recipetineats.com). Great roasts and stews and baking ideas – very well laid out and easy to follow.

  100. 100.

    cain

    My favorite game is Dishonored 1 and 2. Such great games, I’ve put in so many hours in them – each time I play there is something new.

    ETA – WOW! #100!! YES! YEEEEESSSSS!!

  101. 101.

    cain

    @Gammyjill: i was divorced, in my mid-50s, my kids were grown, and I had enough money to live anywhere. So I looked at houses on that visit, then went back to Chicago and closed my store and put my house on the market. In August I went back to SF and bought a house in Estancia Primera (a development off Hyde Park Road), and moved in October, 2007.

    I got real confused when you used ‘SF’ as I thought you were going to New Mexico but then realized that SF was “Santa Fe” not San Francisco. :-)

    ETA looked up the area here – https://estanciaprimera.org/ – very pretty!

  104. 104.

    Gammyjill

    @cain: Thanks for the note and, yes, Estancia Primera is a nice place to live, though it’s not as easy to walk into town as they imply. There’s a large hill between town and the houses.

  105. 105.

    Ruckus

    @raven:

    I have over half a million miles on motorcycles, I rode for 54 yrs. Long, long ago even road raced for for about 4 yrs. Have crossed the US twice. Amazingly the decision to not ride any longer was easy.

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