I told her quite clearly over there phone that I don’t want to be used and manipulated into trying to influence everyone else into making a decision on the will and approving things.
I told her quite clearly I would not get involved and if I needed the inheritance I would not intervene and get involved.
All she wanted to do was try and use me to influence the outcome and kept talking negatively about everything.
She tried manipulate me again and I told her not to.
I didn’t really want to talk to her but I’ve had it with her.
Edit: and I’ve slightly burnt my fish fillets thanks to her.
Some of the family already don’t like her, I did lie and say I don’t speak to any of them and haven’t in months but she effectively pocketed money she wasn’t entitled to and she was caught out and now making it like she’s the victim which is why she’s being scrutinised so much by the family and all the paperwork is under a microscope now.
I will be ignoring her now if she tries to call, I’ve been ignoring her texts already.
If that was my fam they might mumble a little but do and say nothing when they are ripped off.
The ones doing the ripping off are always the mean selfish ones yet no one says or does anything. I try to stick up for family but the victims are too frightened. 🤷♀️
Sorry, incase it wasn’t making much sense, my aunty is the one who pocketed money that she wasn’t entitled to so everyone else is making her return it in full before they let my aunty execute the will.
Thanks, I’d actually been steeling myself for it because I’d had enough of it, I was pretty angry and had to hold my emotions in check and be mostly polite but I didn’t appreciate what she tried to do again and talking negatively about all her dealings with family, ironically as she’s about to jet off to London with her family, oh woe is me.
Trying to rest at home and make dinner and play videogames and it probably pushed me over the edge, grrr!
It’s ok about the fish, I have lots more where they came from thankfully!
So the cola experiment was a success 💪🏼 The Minipeelers gave it double thumbs up, mixed with either straight soda water, lemonade or a sprite slushy, and Mr P mixed it with soda water and a dash of bourbon and said it was magnificent. However, next time I make it I will halve the amount of star anise (which I felt to be just a little too "there"), double the vanilla and add some extra of the browning syrup I made. All in all I am happy with the experiment and keen to make more!
It's really worthwhile! The ingredients I originally used were:
But there are lots of cola recipes out there. The only odd part is the browning syrup; you have to get sugar and basically cook it until it's melted and almost burnt, just a little burnt even, then add water a drop or two at a time (or it'll spit and hiss everywhere lol) and mix it in until it cools sufficiently to add the rest in. Funny you mentioned a soda maker, it was this ingredients list which inspired me to make my own:
You might be able to find a browning syrup substitute online, admittedly I didn't search for long. You can buy Parisian essence online at cake decorating ingredients supply places, but it looked a bit pricey to me and I didn't want to buy something and then not use it. Cheaper to burn sugar in a saucepan! The saucepan cleans up ok afterwards, but I'll warn you it is a bit stinky to make if you go down that route. If you look up a few recipes you'll get the gist of what it involves. I didn't add salt to mine, which some recipes call for. Here's the method:
Edit: so I had to make the browning syrup, jar it and cool for a day, then make the Nuka cola itself and leave it for a day. I believe there is too much anise in the recipe and not enough vanilla, and I love anise. If you hate anise, definitely use less!
::: spoiler Not that exciting in comparison to everyone else living their best life here I guess
but my dad's old friend from his HS and early adult life msgd me today. She has photos of when I was a kid. She's gonna send them to me. The gratitude I feel to her is immense, I couldn't express it properly to her. I'm so happy to finally have some childhood photos.
I'm gonna surprise dad with them, he doesn't have any of me either so I hope he'll be stoked too.
This friend of dad's has done me such a solid, I thanked her so so much. I don't even care if dad doesn't care, I'm just happy to have some photos of my childhood.
She's sending them in the mail tomorrow! Physical photos! Omg omg omg!
:::
Another benefit to WFH: taking a shit in peace. The bloke in the stall next to me before was going to a logie! Seriously, I'm quieter having sex than this dude was in the bathroom. if you gotta groan moan and grunt and gasp like that go to a bloody doctor bro.
Ewwwww, this I do not miss about working in offices. My co-working has a separate unisex toilet, I use that. So do a few other people, and the ventilation is quite poor in there, so opening the door sometimes comes with a smelly surprise.
yeah bit worried about the folks up there. But its not all terrible news! my old man is up in north nsw and has spent the week sending me screenshots of all his weather apps so he is having a great time!
yeah near the coast. He isnt worried. Gets pretty sketchy up there all the time, and his house is like 100 years old with a full offgrid solution. His biggest concern will be having the 3 kelpies in the house for a prolonged period of time.
To take my mind off dad not responding to me at all (I'm totally not teary, nope, not at all), I have applied for 5 jobs in the animal industry. An animal tech one, a customer service one at a shelter, and a few animal attendant ones. I edited up my cover letter and everything.
I'm just waiting to be okay holy crap. Gonna listen to Montaigne to get all my feelings out in a totally healthy way, yep, mhm
while it's a bit of a fuss it's nothing compared to moving a household from Europe to the US or shipping a pet cat overseas. It was exciting moving from Europe, there was a sea shipping container on a flat bed truck!! It was cool, even if I say so myself.
Back in the 60s my parents moved the whole family from England to Australia - all the big furniture (including a piano) went in a shipping container made of wood (!!) which was just plonked by a crane onto the front lawn of the house we moved into in Ringwood. Once emptied, the timber was repurposed by Dad into the lining of the garage so he could put hooks & shelves anywhere not just into the structural supports. We moved out of there in 1988, and the lining timbers were just as good/bad as new. The timber was kinda hairy and shed splinters all the time, but was structurally strong. I wonder to this day just what that timber was and where it came from. I've never seen anything like it since. Nearest guess would be messmate, but this stuff didn't warp like messmate does.
Ringwood would have still been nearly rural at that time! They were probably there when they moved the clock tower! My family would have moved to the area not long before you moved out. Now every time I look at the older houses I'm going to wonder if it has a garage lined with shipping container!
Edit: I have just noticed the excessive number of exclamation marks!!! I'm sorry! I got a bit over excited!!
It was. There was still a cattle/sheep/horse/pig market in Croydon, the Ringwood one had closed recently for large animals but you could still get goats and chickens there. Actually, we pre-dated moving the clock tower - which was opened by my granddad and there's still a plaque on it with his name. We even pre-dated Eastland! The first version of that was built while I was in secondary school. My grandparents moved there in the early 1950s after my grandad left the army, and bought a large house on Warrandyte Road which is still there. The house was built in the 1910s for the manager of the antimony mine in Burnt Bridge, and it had a circular carriage drive, carriage house and stables, a hutch in the whacking great kitchen for bread and milk & meat deliveries, a huuuuge bath with a mahogany surround - and outside toilets. One for the gentry, and another one for the servants. And I think from memory about 6 bedrooms, though some of those had been re-purposed as the library etc. Great place for a family to grow up, but suburbia covers all eventually.
Funnily enough my family moved to the area (Croydon Hills) after my dad left the army. Not quite so fancy a house for us, and Eastland (in its early brown brick square format) was already there. I had a look at some records and we moved in '82, and I've mostly been in the area since then. Suburbia is definitely covering everything, and in higher density than ever before too.
Having been in the same place nearly 20 years I find the thought of moving a bit terrifying. But at least I have a lot of decluttering done, it at least seems manageable.
My last move was only three blocks. The one before that was technically only two houses, but I had a holiday for 6 weeks and put everything into storage during that time. Moving to another country is totally outside the scale of my expertise.
That sounds like me. The last assignment I did I was still recovering from Covid and did a bit of a rush job on, and got 90%. They seemed to particularly like the section I had only done a rough outline of, intending to go back and add some detail and references later. I never went back and just assumed it would get me a few points but not a passing grade for that section, so I guess a rough outline was all they really wanted.
I made breakfast, lunch and dinner (and coffees / drinks) at home while WFH today. My usual approach is not to clean up after each meal and leave it all to the end of the day. By the time I've finished making dinner and eating, my kitchen is a bomb site and takes a loooong time to clean up. It's a real drainer and crappy end to the day. Trying to save money not buying food out as much but that means the kitchen mess multiplies. Thankfully no cooking at all tomorrow, I've got enough leftovers. I need a break!
People using their phones while driving. Especially when they have their kids in the car. Like are you kidding me?
Positive of the day:
Looks like it’ll be a beautiful day! Hoping to get the paddleboard out again (although my knee is still very bruised) or at the very least have a swim!
My workplace is full of 18-21yo university students. I have given up trying to swerve and dodge out of their way because they're walking down corridors with their heads buried in their phones and weaving all over the place more than a Ranger driver on the freeway.
Now I just walk a straight path (off to one side, not in the middle of the walkway) and just let them crash into me. They wake up startled from their trances and frantically apologise for not watching where they're going... and then proceed to re-bury their heads in their screens and carry on as they were :|
Boyo was mystified by the sheer volume of people in Japan who managed to navigate streets/crowded stations while hardly looking up from their phone - but probably because that was the first time in a while he'd been in a crowded place like that! It's wild to think about though. I feel bad playing PoGo while walking around!
It's definitely a big city thing. You grow up learning to sense people around you and their trajectory without having to have eyes on them, because there's just too many people around.
The next person to blow smoke in my face in a public place is gonna discover what it feels like to have said cigarette smothered out by their colon after I lodge it up their with my boot. Same goes for vapes in which case I hope it explodes up there.
I loathe them. The revving, the constant rumble, it grates on me to the point I might turn into a mindless murderer. We have a guy who uses it almost daily at work, and just lets it idle and...urgh.
Feckin' great for clearing out the aircon filter or a PC case. Also occasionally used when His Lordship wants a quick dopamine hit clearing off the terrace. Air machine go VOOOM
skin is crawling with excitement about this campervan. Cant pick it up till next week cause cant get the towpack fitted till next week which means we will miss the public holiday. Not the end of the world, cause we probably need to set it up first, clean it all out and get it all kitted out for us anyway. But still. Its exactly like buying a new car or ordering a new phone online. You spend all this money but then have to sit and wait and you cant play with your new toy.
plot. PLan. Ooooh you wanna put a buncha usb ports in there. Ya wanna do up even fancier LEDs and shit. Get some ideas going! https://caravanmods.com.au/
thats the plan. Trouble is being a bit older I'm not 100% sure what parts I need. The toddler bed divider is a must, but the instructions talk about an existing support pole that I'm not sure mine has.
Definitely worked up an appetite for tonight's dinner thing. Another long hot sweaty day especially after going to bed at 1am with the random cleaning and shit. Need to hurry up and shower and hoof it over there soon though. Thankfully REA is coming between 10 and 12 tomorrow which gives me time to vacuum the joint and clean the stove.
I had a look at the job and still have no idea what it was, but it is at the other end of the street from Big Pig. Some sort of warehouse or something yet to be identified.
I just realised that even though I was just involved in lots of peripheral fire brigade organisation stuff revolving around that I never actually looked at what was on fire 🤣 So yeah, something big was burning but I have no idea if there was any pig involved.
I found an opportunity to start an online store and I'd like to ask the DT brainstrust on some feedback. I'll mark it all as spoilers because people may not want to read my full ramblings or some of the subject matter:
::: spoiler Business talk
So I've been looking at business where I work to try boost my other business offer, selling marketing software subscriptions, and I came across a lingerie wholesaler.
They just had an open submission to sign up as a stockist so I thought I'd check it out. I have an ABN and a registered company so I could just do it, and there was very little vetting on their side.
Once approved I had access to their entire catalogue and they do dropshipping, where you don't need to stock the product yourself. Essentially someone buys the product from you, then you buy the product from the wholesaler and they ship it to the person for you.
These guys have way more than lingerie. You can stock a whole sex shop with what they have. But I've decided to keep it simple, try focus on a few core products I think would move, and have picked more socially acceptable things that you could actually advertise on social media.
Instead of uploading everything, I'm focusing on things that could target the rave, festival, club scene. So it can still be seen as fashion instead of getting labelled as a sex store and getting banned from every online platform. I'm offering a few best selling items in the hope they will have a broader appeal to try get some cut-through.
I came up with an idea for a store name and a design, here's the URL, the store is up and running: https://lxix.store/ LXIX is the number 69 in Roman Numerals so it looks fancy but is a sex joke over two thousand years in the making.
Let me know what you think of the website. It's a little rough in areas and doesn't have everything, but I'm hoping it looks trustworthy enough someone might click through from a Facebook ad and trust it enough to convert and buy.
It's almost impossible to grow a social media following organically these days, so I'm expecting to put a bit of money into ads. My only problem is I have no assets aside from the so-so product images from the wholesaler and the brands themselves.
I'm hoping the way I can make this work is I'm hooking up every tracking pixel to just about every social media account I can find. My plan is to eventually get to know my target audience enough I can create ads and remarket to them effectively enough I can build a mailing list, introduce new products as if it's a 'launch' to capture previous customers again, and just grow the database of customers and like customers.
But I need actual sales to keep this going and achieve any of that. I only took the 'Coming Soon' off the website last week so it's still early days, but I want to make sure this website looks like it will work. The marketing software and business consulting was a slog because I don't have a network or capacity to follow up with people effectively. If I get things right here I could just run an ad and get returns.
I'm also considering reaching out to people and sending free product for content. But that's also a case of choosing the right people, as it still costs me money when I have no cashflow at the moment.
Also, I've searched for the most popular products on the wholesaler's store to find other websites selling the same stock. A lot of them are basic and ugly websites that don't look all that maintained. You can upload a CSV of the wholesaler's catalogue to your store, and I think a lot of people just do that. So they have basic images and descriptions, and are hoping for more of a 'build it and they will come' approach.
I also want to do a lot of SEO work and try be the top rank for a few keywords. That can supplement ad spend and helps with building a following long term. I don't think anyone but the big stockists are doing the same.
I'm just worried I could have a theoretically perfect online store, but can't realise any actual sales because my ads aren't good enough or I don't have enough capital to spend on advertising to figure it out. Any feedback is recommended because I feel like I could make this work.
:::
The store name/URL is wonderful - definite winner, there. It's memorable and easy to type.
There's something really off about the models. If those are real women, they've been airbrushed into the uncanny valley. If they're AI-generated, that would make sense. I have no idea how you could go about fixing them, but yeah - that'd be my first priority in your shoes. Photoshoots and models are super expensive, I realise.
I don't know about the rave scene or what what the GenZ crowd in general are into. I can say that I doubt any of this stuff would appeal to my wife though. Possibly the red one? By targeting a crowd, are you turning off a large potential client base?
The website itself looks basic - like a template off square or wordpress or something. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I'd emphasise that you are real some more - ABN, Contact details etc.
The three things I care about as a customer are: Quality, Price and how long it takes for my stuff to arrive. I'm variable on #2, depending on #3. I'll pay more to have my stuff sooner. If it's going to take two weeks to come from China, be super clear about this.
As to quality, be really upfront about that. If the quality of the product is dubious, don't try and spin it as excellent quality.
There's probably a lot more to cover. At a glance, the range of products looks really limiting. I'm at work and can't really be closely scrutinising a lingerie store, so I only spent about 2 minutes on the site. A wider range will probably increase the trustworthiness of the site.
Thanks for the feedback. I wanted to start with a limited range but I could add more accessories to pad out the listings more.
The photos aren't great. I'd really like to get photos of real women on there. Ones where they're wearing things as part of an actual outfit, there's a background, they've got tattoos and coloured hair and whatnot. I could reach out to people and see if they'd take photos in exchange for free product.
I want to target a specific crowd to start with so it's easier for me to target ads. No one knows about the store so I don't need to worry about excluding anyone. If I target a segment I can put new products on the website that may encourage return customers as well.
I'll add more company details so the website feels more legit. I can do some website updates but I'm not a front end designer and that will take a while. At the moment I don't mind if it comes across as one person doing their best, and I can spruce it up and add nicer details later.
The product is already here in Australia but I haven't actually seen any of it yet to attest to quality. I might order some of it to check it out for myself, then I have some on hand for potential local models. I might be able to take some real photos myself of flat lays on a bed or something.
This has given me a bit more to go off so this has been really helpful, thank you.
Maybe make all the descriptions 3 lines long (maybe a blank line after short descriptions) so that the 'add to cart' buttons line up nicely. Otherwise it looks great.
I'll see if I can add some spaces or a line break to shorter product titles. Then I can look into some more consistent formatting so they're always the same height. This is partially an exercise in learning web design for myself more as well
I’m no expert but I’d be wary of anything that at some point could leave you holding the bag.
Say if someone does an order with you but you’re relying on someone else and the goods are late or don’t arrive. Worse the dropshipper could take the money and phoenix.
Also be careful as Mastercard and PayPal have cracked down on anything of an adult nature so if they flag something you might not get paid. No idea how strict it is and it might be ok to pay for underwear but the association with the other goods might call attention.
Also the website is clever but I wouldn’t parse that, I’d just see random letters that might look a bit sketchy and probably not click.
Sorry! I’m just a bit wary and raised some risks you might want to consider, the side hustle isn’t a bad idea.
Edit: Oh yeah and the AI or photoshop point is a fair one. I’ve only hovered for a preview but if the models look unnatural that might be a turnoff. Because AI doesn’t cost much it’s being used a lot for scams, and while the business is above board that sort of appearance might make ads look sketchy.
If it was me advertising stuff I’d just go on Model Mayhem and hire an amateur model with a TFP arrangement (time for prints) which means they do the shoot for free in exchange for the right to use the pictures. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_for_print
However if these pictures are being supplied by someone else, which it’s likely they are, then I’d be a little bit cautious because with a lot of image doctoring you might not be getting an accurate idea of the product or its quality (which you could be blamed for if they are shady). The pictures might have even been stolen from elsewhere.
Edit 2: Also if you go ahead maybe show it to someone who is in the demographic you’re aiming at, check if it’s something that they and their friends might buy before making any commitments or putting any money down. Subcultures can be finicky and fashions can change. What looks right to someone outside might not be accepted by them. That’s not to say they couldn’t be creative and find stuff that works, just that if it doesn’t hit particular notes sales might be lower.
These are all good points. The wholesaler seems pretty established, I've seen their products listed on large, real company websites. The issue I could have is someone orders something from me and it's actually out of stock on the supplier side as someone else has bought the last one. I'll figure that out if it happens.
I'm expecting people to see ads before they see the URL, so they'll see the logo with LXIX in it then see the URL. I hope that makes it seem less spammy. I get what you mean though, most junk URLs are just a random string of letters.
Thanks for the tip on Model Mayhem as well. That's exactly what I need right now. I need assets of real people wearing the clothes, especially videos. I can edit those into ads that will grab a lot more attention if done right.
I'll try find some 20 year old girls to show the website to as well. The main thing I want to check is if they'd wear the items, and trust the website from seeing it in an Instagram or Tiktok ad to convert to a sale.
Nice. If you can get fancy you could also include at least one bigger girl so customers can see what it might look like on them and see immediately that it’s got their size.
Some of the products have a larger woman modelling them, but she has the same tan and hair as the other woman. She just looks like a larger version of the other model.
If I reach out to people to model the items myself I'll just want anyone that can wear them in their own style. Body shape doesn't really matter, as long as they can show how versatile this stuff can be.
At the moment I've picked things that are one size. I'm having trouble getting the sizing options to display properly so I'm just working around it for the moment
Ooh decals. I'm a bit addicted to those. That's going to be the worst thing about moving, I'll have to leave my wildflower meadow behind!
I also added a few decals to the walls at work, but they've just been doing some work and unfortunately they have been lost. But I do have a spare copy of one of them in my locker so, as soon as they finish painting, Gunther (which is what I named the little guy peering up from the bottom of the wall), can return. Thomas, the rat peering out of his hole, may be lost forever.
Empty inbox achieved. Vet visits booked for both Miss Meow and Mr Woof to have checkups. Car service enquiry sent. It looks like I'm having an efficient day today.
I've only ever had them both (also hearthstone) at the same time, so I can't really separate them. I enjoyed them both, though. I like that island is distinct from Skyrim. I find the ash depressing after a while though and look forward to getting it over and done with.
I'm not a fan of the plane of oblivion inside the books, either. Some people love that aesthetic, I did not.
On Dawnguard, I never liked the castle either. Also depressing and wouldn't want the vampire life. I completed the vampire tree for the achievement, then cured vampirysm immediately.
I think I prefer Dragonborn because it is open world like Skyrim, it isn't linear, there are quests unrelated to the main quest to do (like in Raven Rock, and Skaal Village). There's cool Morrowind vibes towards the south with the Telvanni wizard and his mushroom house. And the voice acting feels real, as in there is emotion and nuance, and there is humour in the way they speak. It feels fun and interesting! I like the mash of Nord and Dunmer culture on the one island, and the Skaal being removed from Nord culture and having their own belief and culture.
I dislike Dawnguard because of it's linear-ness. It's feels very one-track, and you have to take Serana with you (I like my follower Borghak the Steel-Heart and she's my bae). I dislike vampirism, and I dislike being led on a one-track quest system. I have both installed, and honestly I think I'll just avoid Dawnguard this play through haha.
The ash can get depressing, but I don't mind it - it just looks like snow to me 😂
Yeah, I can appreciate that. I liked Serana however. She's sarcastic and sassy and can hold her own in a fight. She has more depth than the average NPC. Plus huskies!
I hated that long quest through that valley with the urn though. It sucks on survival mode.
I'm remembering in the at school 1960s school kids used to be helped to set up their own bank accounts with the state bank of victoria and we would have an account book and could bring in money every week to deposit. Even the girls!!
For most of my life bank interest has not really been a thing, and for a long time they charged fees, so banking cost money instead. The last few years with high interest rates - plus an online bank that lets me earn interest on all my money without locking it away and jumping through hoops for "bonus" interest - has been great.
I remember we earned something like 3¾% on those accounts. When my kids started PS I set up Commonwealth accounts for them to do school banking, thinking they'd get lessons like I did. Nope, just give us the money quick so we can bank it and get the bonus they give schools for doing it. When I went to close those accounts a few years later after they closed the local branch so the school stopped school banking, it took ages, and I had what felt every staff member in the bank one by one come out and ask me questions about why I was doing it. They know those accounts lead to adults mostly keeping the same accounts and do not want you to close them!
I think that was still around when I went to school, but it was being phased out and wasn't at my school. I'm pretty sure I had a money box the bank produced as a promo when I was in primary school.
I do remember going to the bank to open my first bank account when I was in my early teens. It was when EFTPOS was just starting out and ATMs were still a fairly new concept, so getting a debit card seemed like a really exciting innovation to be involved in. I think I had to be 18 to get my first cheque book though, which was how all my bills were paid until the online options were introduced.
I’ve got 2 episodes to go in the latest Kdrama that I’m watching (It’s Okay Not To Be Okay) and URGGG the temptation to just read what happens in them is really getting to me. I have no idea where the storyline is going to go and of course the last episode ended up with a big cliffhanger. It’s been an absolutely batshit ride - as a lot of Kdramas are, tbh, but this is a different level and I have no idea what they’re gonna pull in the last 2 episodes.
I was feeling a bit down today but the man is here and he always makes me feel better. That and a trip to bunnings. ❤️
hugs 🙂
Thanks mate. I'm all good now 🙂
A Bunnings date, as my OH would say (we don’t get out much, lol)
I love that 😂
I hope there were sausages involved.
Hope you feel better CEO!
There was no sausages from bunnings
Aww
Phoar. I held back so much when my Aunty called.
I told her quite clearly over there phone that I don’t want to be used and manipulated into trying to influence everyone else into making a decision on the will and approving things.
I told her quite clearly I would not get involved and if I needed the inheritance I would not intervene and get involved.
All she wanted to do was try and use me to influence the outcome and kept talking negatively about everything.
She tried manipulate me again and I told her not to.
I didn’t really want to talk to her but I’ve had it with her.
Edit: and I’ve slightly burnt my fish fillets thanks to her.
wtf
if I was so blunt and assertive the manipulators in my fam would then ring up other people and tell them lies, saying I abused them
I just ignore them now
Some of the family already don’t like her, I did lie and say I don’t speak to any of them and haven’t in months but she effectively pocketed money she wasn’t entitled to and she was caught out and now making it like she’s the victim which is why she’s being scrutinised so much by the family and all the paperwork is under a microscope now.
I will be ignoring her now if she tries to call, I’ve been ignoring her texts already.
If that was my fam they might mumble a little but do and say nothing when they are ripped off.
The ones doing the ripping off are always the mean selfish ones yet no one says or does anything. I try to stick up for family but the victims are too frightened. 🤷♀️
Sorry, incase it wasn’t making much sense, my aunty is the one who pocketed money that she wasn’t entitled to so everyone else is making her return it in full before they let my aunty execute the will.
If I was that blunt and assertive I would have told her to fuck off and leave me alone.
I don’t have anything to do with her except for her being the executor of the will.
I dream of telling some family members to fuck off and leave me alone
You did the right thing, some times people just want to complain and victimise themselves, and then rope in other family members to validate that.
You shouldn't be made into her flying monkey and I'm so happy you stood up for yourself!
Sad about the fish, but there will be more fish in the future!
Thanks, I’d actually been steeling myself for it because I’d had enough of it, I was pretty angry and had to hold my emotions in check and be mostly polite but I didn’t appreciate what she tried to do again and talking negatively about all her dealings with family, ironically as she’s about to jet off to London with her family, oh woe is me.
Trying to rest at home and make dinner and play videogames and it probably pushed me over the edge, grrr!
It’s ok about the fish, I have lots more where they came from thankfully!
Happy you told her how you feel :) Sad about the fish :(
I’m sad for the fish too, first time trying out the battered fish from Aldi.
So the cola experiment was a success 💪🏼 The Minipeelers gave it double thumbs up, mixed with either straight soda water, lemonade or a sprite slushy, and Mr P mixed it with soda water and a dash of bourbon and said it was magnificent. However, next time I make it I will halve the amount of star anise (which I felt to be just a little too "there"), double the vanilla and add some extra of the browning syrup I made. All in all I am happy with the experiment and keen to make more!
When is the DT bar opening? 🍹
Now that would be something!
That is so cool 😎
I'm happy when I get the ratios of cordial correct and here you are making syrup. Fantastic!
I bugger up cordial all the time lol
yum, you have inspired me to try to make some. I have a soda maker and bottles so it shouldn't be too hard. 🤞
It's really worthwhile! The ingredients I originally used were:
But there are lots of cola recipes out there. The only odd part is the browning syrup; you have to get sugar and basically cook it until it's melted and almost burnt, just a little burnt even, then add water a drop or two at a time (or it'll spit and hiss everywhere lol) and mix it in until it cools sufficiently to add the rest in. Funny you mentioned a soda maker, it was this ingredients list which inspired me to make my own:
Horrific, if you ask me.
Oh that looks easier than the one I saw (Open Cola). That was asking for essential oils for flavouring and phosphoric acid from the brewing websites
The caramelisation looks delicate as though
You mean you don't have neroli oil in your pantry? ( I've never even seen it )
Sorry, I drink a quart every day and just ran out /j
You might be able to find a browning syrup substitute online, admittedly I didn't search for long. You can buy Parisian essence online at cake decorating ingredients supply places, but it looked a bit pricey to me and I didn't want to buy something and then not use it. Cheaper to burn sugar in a saucepan! The saucepan cleans up ok afterwards, but I'll warn you it is a bit stinky to make if you go down that route. If you look up a few recipes you'll get the gist of what it involves. I didn't add salt to mine, which some recipes call for. Here's the method:
Edit: so I had to make the browning syrup, jar it and cool for a day, then make the Nuka cola itself and leave it for a day. I believe there is too much anise in the recipe and not enough vanilla, and I love anise. If you hate anise, definitely use less!
I messaged a dude on marketplace to buy something and it turned out to be a guy I was in a band with 25 years ago 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Holy shit lol
small world
My first marketplace sale turned out to be the wife of someone I work with. It made delivery easy.
What are the chances…
Discount? Hehehe
::: spoiler Not that exciting in comparison to everyone else living their best life here I guess but my dad's old friend from his HS and early adult life msgd me today. She has photos of when I was a kid. She's gonna send them to me. The gratitude I feel to her is immense, I couldn't express it properly to her. I'm so happy to finally have some childhood photos.
I'm gonna surprise dad with them, he doesn't have any of me either so I hope he'll be stoked too.
This friend of dad's has done me such a solid, I thanked her so so much. I don't even care if dad doesn't care, I'm just happy to have some photos of my childhood.
She's sending them in the mail tomorrow! Physical photos! Omg omg omg! :::
That's fucking awesome!
That's really nice. 🙂
Wholesome & compassionate > exciting.
It's incredibly kind! She was looking for her nieces photos and found mine! I'll have to find something nice to send back as thanks!
That is awesome!
That's really nice, I wonder if there's a good way to preserve them so you don't lose them.
I'm gonna see about photocopying then, mostly so dad has them too (we both don't have any), but also so I can preserve them!
Thanks for paying for my 2nd playthrough of cyberpunk 2077, shitty workplace.
Do you have Phantom Liberty? That was a wild ride.
I do! I'm starting from scratch because I want to try a netrunner build instead of sandevistan
I tried to do a netrunner build awhile ago but whenever I started using skills everyone would get alerted after they changed things.
That's why I went with the sandy build. By the time they reacted it was too late.
Katana and sandy with double jump was insanely good.
I had a mix of stuff in the end, rocket arm is always fun.
Another benefit to WFH: taking a shit in peace. The bloke in the stall next to me before was going to a logie! Seriously, I'm quieter having sex than this dude was in the bathroom. if you gotta groan moan and grunt and gasp like that go to a bloody doctor bro.
I only make heaps of noise in the bathroom when the person in the stall next to me is on the phone.
Ewwwww, this I do not miss about working in offices. My co-working has a separate unisex toilet, I use that. So do a few other people, and the ventilation is quite poor in there, so opening the door sometimes comes with a smelly surprise.
There was a secret toilet in the building where the office is.
I can't do the whole side by side thing.
dont mind it for sitting down, not a massive fan of it for standing up though.
"yeah nah sorry new manager, my cat has anxiety issues so I'll need to work from home for the next few weeks"
your still working for them after they are withholding pay?
They came to their senses when I mentioned fair work.
3 weeks to go.
funny that
The new management are just ignoring me now lol
I'm doing very little work. Just trying to tie stuff up for my work mates
Looks like QLD is going to cop it bad with that cyclone, apparently i's not going to make landfall later in the week.
Hope everyone is able to keep safe there.
yeah bit worried about the folks up there. But its not all terrible news! my old man is up in north nsw and has spent the week sending me screenshots of all his weather apps so he is having a great time!
My brother is near Caloundra and scored a free trampoline appearing in his yard in the last big storm. Could end up with a boat this time...
Hopefully not near the coast, it's expected to affect some of northern NSW as well.
yeah near the coast. He isnt worried. Gets pretty sketchy up there all the time, and his house is like 100 years old with a full offgrid solution. His biggest concern will be having the 3 kelpies in the house for a prolonged period of time.
Another wave.
Was perfect out there tonight.
Dude these shots are unreal!
To take my mind off dad not responding to me at all (I'm totally not teary, nope, not at all), I have applied for 5 jobs in the animal industry. An animal tech one, a customer service one at a shelter, and a few animal attendant ones. I edited up my cover letter and everything.
I'm just waiting to be okay holy crap. Gonna listen to Montaigne to get all my feelings out in a totally healthy way, yep, mhm
Edit: get on Montaigne's first albums people!
Glorious Heights - Montaigne
This is my fkn anthem
eeek, the moving is getting all done
while it's a bit of a fuss it's nothing compared to moving a household from Europe to the US or shipping a pet cat overseas. It was exciting moving from Europe, there was a sea shipping container on a flat bed truck!! It was cool, even if I say so myself.
Back in the 60s my parents moved the whole family from England to Australia - all the big furniture (including a piano) went in a shipping container made of wood (!!) which was just plonked by a crane onto the front lawn of the house we moved into in Ringwood. Once emptied, the timber was repurposed by Dad into the lining of the garage so he could put hooks & shelves anywhere not just into the structural supports. We moved out of there in 1988, and the lining timbers were just as good/bad as new. The timber was kinda hairy and shed splinters all the time, but was structurally strong. I wonder to this day just what that timber was and where it came from. I've never seen anything like it since. Nearest guess would be messmate, but this stuff didn't warp like messmate does.
Ringwood would have still been nearly rural at that time! They were probably there when they moved the clock tower! My family would have moved to the area not long before you moved out. Now every time I look at the older houses I'm going to wonder if it has a garage lined with shipping container!
Edit: I have just noticed the excessive number of exclamation marks!!! I'm sorry! I got a bit over excited!!
!
!
❗️❕️‼️⚠️
It was. There was still a cattle/sheep/horse/pig market in Croydon, the Ringwood one had closed recently for large animals but you could still get goats and chickens there. Actually, we pre-dated moving the clock tower - which was opened by my granddad and there's still a plaque on it with his name. We even pre-dated Eastland! The first version of that was built while I was in secondary school. My grandparents moved there in the early 1950s after my grandad left the army, and bought a large house on Warrandyte Road which is still there. The house was built in the 1910s for the manager of the antimony mine in Burnt Bridge, and it had a circular carriage drive, carriage house and stables, a hutch in the whacking great kitchen for bread and milk & meat deliveries, a huuuuge bath with a mahogany surround - and outside toilets. One for the gentry, and another one for the servants. And I think from memory about 6 bedrooms, though some of those had been re-purposed as the library etc. Great place for a family to grow up, but suburbia covers all eventually.
Funnily enough my family moved to the area (Croydon Hills) after my dad left the army. Not quite so fancy a house for us, and Eastland (in its early brown brick square format) was already there. I had a look at some records and we moved in '82, and I've mostly been in the area since then. Suburbia is definitely covering everything, and in higher density than ever before too.
This is an awesome story. 🙂
Having been in the same place nearly 20 years I find the thought of moving a bit terrifying. But at least I have a lot of decluttering done, it at least seems manageable.
My last move was only three blocks. The one before that was technically only two houses, but I had a holiday for 6 weeks and put everything into storage during that time. Moving to another country is totally outside the scale of my expertise.
refined Aussie with no friendly foes and few idioms
I can understand other colloquialisms very well so most people don't even notice I speak Aussie other than a mild accent
I expect my accent is a bit more broad since I moved back
I have now tried pistachio spritz bubbly. I shall not do so again.
Hmm not sure you could convince me even if it was free.
That sounds … interesting
Same mob makes one of the lemoncellos that are all the rage right now. It's not awful, just peculiar.
Tried making it a few times and I just don't see the appeal (or I'm just really bad at making it).
Okay I said I wouldn't care if dad didn't care about these photos, but he's seen my message and hasn't responded.
I just need to chill! It's a workday! It's gonna bring up a lot of feelings from the past for him! Not everything is about you Spud, gah!
After an almost 2 month wait I got my final 2 assignment results back from last teaching period.
I was pretty certain I nailed one and the other I was iffy about.
The one I nailed, I "only" got an 82. Which is good and I am happy about but I thought I would have done better.
The one I was iffy about, 90. Now, that, I am chuffed about.
The 90 also did some heavy lifting and put me in HD for the overall unit.
That sounds like me. The last assignment I did I was still recovering from Covid and did a bit of a rush job on, and got 90%. They seemed to particularly like the section I had only done a rough outline of, intending to go back and add some detail and references later. I never went back and just assumed it would get me a few points but not a passing grade for that section, so I guess a rough outline was all they really wanted.
I made breakfast, lunch and dinner (and coffees / drinks) at home while WFH today. My usual approach is not to clean up after each meal and leave it all to the end of the day. By the time I've finished making dinner and eating, my kitchen is a bomb site and takes a loooong time to clean up. It's a real drainer and crappy end to the day. Trying to save money not buying food out as much but that means the kitchen mess multiplies. Thankfully no cooking at all tomorrow, I've got enough leftovers. I need a break!
This is exactly why I desperately miss having a dishwasher 😭
Gripe of the day:
People using their phones while driving. Especially when they have their kids in the car. Like are you kidding me?
Positive of the day:
Looks like it’ll be a beautiful day! Hoping to get the paddleboard out again (although my knee is still very bruised) or at the very least have a swim!
My workplace is full of 18-21yo university students. I have given up trying to swerve and dodge out of their way because they're walking down corridors with their heads buried in their phones and weaving all over the place more than a Ranger driver on the freeway.
Now I just walk a straight path (off to one side, not in the middle of the walkway) and just let them crash into me. They wake up startled from their trances and frantically apologise for not watching where they're going... and then proceed to re-bury their heads in their screens and carry on as they were :|
It's already happened twice today.
I do this too. If you're walking in a crowd and not willing to look up from your phone, then I'm not going to try and avoid you.
Boyo was mystified by the sheer volume of people in Japan who managed to navigate streets/crowded stations while hardly looking up from their phone - but probably because that was the first time in a while he'd been in a crowded place like that! It's wild to think about though. I feel bad playing PoGo while walking around!
It's definitely a big city thing. You grow up learning to sense people around you and their trajectory without having to have eyes on them, because there's just too many people around.
The next person to blow smoke in my face in a public place is gonna discover what it feels like to have said cigarette smothered out by their colon after I lodge it up their with my boot. Same goes for vapes in which case I hope it explodes up there.
It's not hard to blow smoke/vape out of the side of your mouth so people don't cop a facefull.
Dumbasses.
Leaf blowers.
Please get a big broom or rake instead.
I loathe them. The revving, the constant rumble, it grates on me to the point I might turn into a mindless murderer. We have a guy who uses it almost daily at work, and just lets it idle and...urgh.
I have a blower....it never gets used for leaves.
Feckin' great for clearing out the aircon filter or a PC case. Also occasionally used when His Lordship wants a quick dopamine hit clearing off the terrace. Air machine go VOOOM
When I used to do removals, I'd be in the truck which is pretty high up and you can see into everyone's car.
80% of people were looking at their phone while driving.
It's fucking crazy. You're not that fucking important. Fuck those people.
This is nice. It’s so lovely to cuddle with Melbcat while playing computer games in bed and stroke her soft fur.
skin is crawling with excitement about this campervan. Cant pick it up till next week cause cant get the towpack fitted till next week which means we will miss the public holiday. Not the end of the world, cause we probably need to set it up first, clean it all out and get it all kitted out for us anyway. But still. Its exactly like buying a new car or ordering a new phone online. You spend all this money but then have to sit and wait and you cant play with your new toy.
plot. PLan. Ooooh you wanna put a buncha usb ports in there. Ya wanna do up even fancier LEDs and shit. Get some ideas going! https://caravanmods.com.au/
thats the plan. Trouble is being a bit older I'm not 100% sure what parts I need. The toddler bed divider is a must, but the instructions talk about an existing support pole that I'm not sure mine has.
Easy to add, i gutted and refitted a mate's winnebago a few years back during covid :) assuming standard ply floors?
I assume so, not 100% sure. The bed ends deffo are.
I have just bought more packing boxes. 25 for books and 25 big boxes should be enough. I have other boxes already. 🤞
just submitted a quote enquiry for movers for 2 weeks from now 😬
Definitely worked up an appetite for tonight's dinner thing. Another long hot sweaty day especially after going to bed at 1am with the random cleaning and shit. Need to hurry up and shower and hoof it over there soon though. Thankfully REA is coming between 10 and 12 tomorrow which gives me time to vacuum the joint and clean the stove.
Car door lock replaced post-attempted break in. Surprisingly easy to do. Should've done it sooner.
tonight I am paging thru "How to Make Yourself Miserable, a Vital Training Manual" to see if I have been doing it right. I think I have.
😬🤣
Have you got stuck in the old photos reminiscing rabbit hole yet?
I have no old photos. Maybe a few from decades ago.
Hammering your thumb would be pretty high up on that list, instant success as well.
The book is about existential misery, an injured thumb is a good start.
You could worry if you are going to get gangrene.
Back down the bellarine for the night, hopefully 2. All about watering :(
But first chillies are turning!
I think the blood and bone gave it a bit of a kick.
And the flower patch is lurvly. So glad I got my way with that.
it all looks so good 🙂
While on my fixing procrastination spree, replaced the busted fridge bulb, got a light in the fridge again.
winning 🙂
Baleeted
Boxes come tomorrow , that means I will start packing in earnest. Since I have already cleaned and sorted everything it shouldn't take long. 🙂
wup, something on Cochrane's road is on fire
hopefully not his coch or else thats gonna be awkward AF.
I stand corrected, apparently it's on ebden. Better fuckin' not be Big Pig
I had a look at the job and still have no idea what it was, but it is at the other end of the street from Big Pig. Some sort of warehouse or something yet to be identified.
yah theres some car shops and a warehouse and an aluminum moulders and a garage bro gym there. (I know it quite well)
I just realised that even though I was just involved in lots of peripheral fire brigade organisation stuff revolving around that I never actually looked at what was on fire 🤣 So yeah, something big was burning but I have no idea if there was any pig involved.
Just saw it on the news, a place at 1 Elden Street is on fire and they’re trying to contain it at the moment.
Saw it out my window before the firetrucks started lol
There’s been a bit of stuff on fire lately
I found an opportunity to start an online store and I'd like to ask the DT brainstrust on some feedback. I'll mark it all as spoilers because people may not want to read my full ramblings or some of the subject matter:
::: spoiler Business talk So I've been looking at business where I work to try boost my other business offer, selling marketing software subscriptions, and I came across a lingerie wholesaler.
They just had an open submission to sign up as a stockist so I thought I'd check it out. I have an ABN and a registered company so I could just do it, and there was very little vetting on their side.
Once approved I had access to their entire catalogue and they do dropshipping, where you don't need to stock the product yourself. Essentially someone buys the product from you, then you buy the product from the wholesaler and they ship it to the person for you.
These guys have way more than lingerie. You can stock a whole sex shop with what they have. But I've decided to keep it simple, try focus on a few core products I think would move, and have picked more socially acceptable things that you could actually advertise on social media.
Instead of uploading everything, I'm focusing on things that could target the rave, festival, club scene. So it can still be seen as fashion instead of getting labelled as a sex store and getting banned from every online platform. I'm offering a few best selling items in the hope they will have a broader appeal to try get some cut-through.
I came up with an idea for a store name and a design, here's the URL, the store is up and running: https://lxix.store/ LXIX is the number 69 in Roman Numerals so it looks fancy but is a sex joke over two thousand years in the making.
Let me know what you think of the website. It's a little rough in areas and doesn't have everything, but I'm hoping it looks trustworthy enough someone might click through from a Facebook ad and trust it enough to convert and buy.
It's almost impossible to grow a social media following organically these days, so I'm expecting to put a bit of money into ads. My only problem is I have no assets aside from the so-so product images from the wholesaler and the brands themselves.
I'm hoping the way I can make this work is I'm hooking up every tracking pixel to just about every social media account I can find. My plan is to eventually get to know my target audience enough I can create ads and remarket to them effectively enough I can build a mailing list, introduce new products as if it's a 'launch' to capture previous customers again, and just grow the database of customers and like customers.
But I need actual sales to keep this going and achieve any of that. I only took the 'Coming Soon' off the website last week so it's still early days, but I want to make sure this website looks like it will work. The marketing software and business consulting was a slog because I don't have a network or capacity to follow up with people effectively. If I get things right here I could just run an ad and get returns.
I'm also considering reaching out to people and sending free product for content. But that's also a case of choosing the right people, as it still costs me money when I have no cashflow at the moment.
Also, I've searched for the most popular products on the wholesaler's store to find other websites selling the same stock. A lot of them are basic and ugly websites that don't look all that maintained. You can upload a CSV of the wholesaler's catalogue to your store, and I think a lot of people just do that. So they have basic images and descriptions, and are hoping for more of a 'build it and they will come' approach.
I also want to do a lot of SEO work and try be the top rank for a few keywords. That can supplement ad spend and helps with building a following long term. I don't think anyone but the big stockists are doing the same.
I'm just worried I could have a theoretically perfect online store, but can't realise any actual sales because my ads aren't good enough or I don't have enough capital to spend on advertising to figure it out. Any feedback is recommended because I feel like I could make this work. :::
Quick thoughts:
There's probably a lot more to cover. At a glance, the range of products looks really limiting. I'm at work and can't really be closely scrutinising a lingerie store, so I only spent about 2 minutes on the site. A wider range will probably increase the trustworthiness of the site.
Thanks for the feedback. I wanted to start with a limited range but I could add more accessories to pad out the listings more.
The photos aren't great. I'd really like to get photos of real women on there. Ones where they're wearing things as part of an actual outfit, there's a background, they've got tattoos and coloured hair and whatnot. I could reach out to people and see if they'd take photos in exchange for free product.
I want to target a specific crowd to start with so it's easier for me to target ads. No one knows about the store so I don't need to worry about excluding anyone. If I target a segment I can put new products on the website that may encourage return customers as well.
I'll add more company details so the website feels more legit. I can do some website updates but I'm not a front end designer and that will take a while. At the moment I don't mind if it comes across as one person doing their best, and I can spruce it up and add nicer details later.
The product is already here in Australia but I haven't actually seen any of it yet to attest to quality. I might order some of it to check it out for myself, then I have some on hand for potential local models. I might be able to take some real photos myself of flat lays on a bed or something.
This has given me a bit more to go off so this has been really helpful, thank you.
Maybe make all the descriptions 3 lines long (maybe a blank line after short descriptions) so that the 'add to cart' buttons line up nicely. Otherwise it looks great.
I'll see if I can add some spaces or a line break to shorter product titles. Then I can look into some more consistent formatting so they're always the same height. This is partially an exercise in learning web design for myself more as well
I’m no expert but I’d be wary of anything that at some point could leave you holding the bag.
Say if someone does an order with you but you’re relying on someone else and the goods are late or don’t arrive. Worse the dropshipper could take the money and phoenix.
Also be careful as Mastercard and PayPal have cracked down on anything of an adult nature so if they flag something you might not get paid. No idea how strict it is and it might be ok to pay for underwear but the association with the other goods might call attention.
Also the website is clever but I wouldn’t parse that, I’d just see random letters that might look a bit sketchy and probably not click.
Sorry! I’m just a bit wary and raised some risks you might want to consider, the side hustle isn’t a bad idea.
Edit: Oh yeah and the AI or photoshop point is a fair one. I’ve only hovered for a preview but if the models look unnatural that might be a turnoff. Because AI doesn’t cost much it’s being used a lot for scams, and while the business is above board that sort of appearance might make ads look sketchy.
If it was me advertising stuff I’d just go on Model Mayhem and hire an amateur model with a TFP arrangement (time for prints) which means they do the shoot for free in exchange for the right to use the pictures. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_for_print
However if these pictures are being supplied by someone else, which it’s likely they are, then I’d be a little bit cautious because with a lot of image doctoring you might not be getting an accurate idea of the product or its quality (which you could be blamed for if they are shady). The pictures might have even been stolen from elsewhere.
Edit 2: Also if you go ahead maybe show it to someone who is in the demographic you’re aiming at, check if it’s something that they and their friends might buy before making any commitments or putting any money down. Subcultures can be finicky and fashions can change. What looks right to someone outside might not be accepted by them. That’s not to say they couldn’t be creative and find stuff that works, just that if it doesn’t hit particular notes sales might be lower.
These are all good points. The wholesaler seems pretty established, I've seen their products listed on large, real company websites. The issue I could have is someone orders something from me and it's actually out of stock on the supplier side as someone else has bought the last one. I'll figure that out if it happens.
I'm expecting people to see ads before they see the URL, so they'll see the logo with LXIX in it then see the URL. I hope that makes it seem less spammy. I get what you mean though, most junk URLs are just a random string of letters.
Thanks for the tip on Model Mayhem as well. That's exactly what I need right now. I need assets of real people wearing the clothes, especially videos. I can edit those into ads that will grab a lot more attention if done right.
I'll try find some 20 year old girls to show the website to as well. The main thing I want to check is if they'd wear the items, and trust the website from seeing it in an Instagram or Tiktok ad to convert to a sale.
Nice. If you can get fancy you could also include at least one bigger girl so customers can see what it might look like on them and see immediately that it’s got their size.
So many things only have straight sizes
Some of the products have a larger woman modelling them, but she has the same tan and hair as the other woman. She just looks like a larger version of the other model.
If I reach out to people to model the items myself I'll just want anyone that can wear them in their own style. Body shape doesn't really matter, as long as they can show how versatile this stuff can be.
It's all one size?
Size range is S-M-L-XL-LX-IX
I could add to cart without selecting a size, that's why I asked.
At the moment I've picked things that are one size. I'm having trouble getting the sizing options to display properly so I'm just working around it for the moment
Can't sleep. Got overexcited ordering wall decals online. Goodbye bland as fuck everything!
Ooh decals. I'm a bit addicted to those. That's going to be the worst thing about moving, I'll have to leave my wildflower meadow behind!
I also added a few decals to the walls at work, but they've just been doing some work and unfortunately they have been lost. But I do have a spare copy of one of them in my locker so, as soon as they finish painting, Gunther (which is what I named the little guy peering up from the bottom of the wall), can return. Thomas, the rat peering out of his hole, may be lost forever.
It's my first of probably 4 or 5 sleep interruptions. I'm going to shop for decals as well lol
This one is going to be the last to arrive. Grrr!
That's beautiful!
I went to bed at 9, woke up at 11, been twiddling my thumbs wide awake since.
Shopping time!
I hope everyone has a great night ❤️
Empty inbox achieved. Vet visits booked for both Miss Meow and Mr Woof to have checkups. Car service enquiry sent. It looks like I'm having an efficient day today.
I rarely manage to get it quite empty. If I can see all the inbox without a scrollbar, I'm content enough.
Empty is always a temporary state. I cleared it yesterday and it only lasted 40 seconds. I'm up to 5....make that 6 emails sitting there again now.
I miss sleeping a whole night.
It's been around 8ish months now.
Maybe I will try they sleeping pill that has sleep paralysis as a possible symptom
Skyrim - Dragonborn DLC is way better than Dawnguard DLC. Fight me! 😂
I've only ever had them both (also hearthstone) at the same time, so I can't really separate them. I enjoyed them both, though. I like that island is distinct from Skyrim. I find the ash depressing after a while though and look forward to getting it over and done with.
I'm not a fan of the plane of oblivion inside the books, either. Some people love that aesthetic, I did not.
On Dawnguard, I never liked the castle either. Also depressing and wouldn't want the vampire life. I completed the vampire tree for the achievement, then cured vampirysm immediately.
I think I prefer Dragonborn because it is open world like Skyrim, it isn't linear, there are quests unrelated to the main quest to do (like in Raven Rock, and Skaal Village). There's cool Morrowind vibes towards the south with the Telvanni wizard and his mushroom house. And the voice acting feels real, as in there is emotion and nuance, and there is humour in the way they speak. It feels fun and interesting! I like the mash of Nord and Dunmer culture on the one island, and the Skaal being removed from Nord culture and having their own belief and culture.
I dislike Dawnguard because of it's linear-ness. It's feels very one-track, and you have to take Serana with you (I like my follower Borghak the Steel-Heart and she's my bae). I dislike vampirism, and I dislike being led on a one-track quest system. I have both installed, and honestly I think I'll just avoid Dawnguard this play through haha.
The ash can get depressing, but I don't mind it - it just looks like snow to me 😂
Yeah, I can appreciate that. I liked Serana however. She's sarcastic and sassy and can hold her own in a fight. She has more depth than the average NPC. Plus huskies!
I hated that long quest through that valley with the urn though. It sucks on survival mode.
Aw man yeah true, the huskies are fucking awesome!
That valley quest makes me want to fus roh dah everyone off a cliff 😭😂
Beep Beep 🚚
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lots of anxiety reducing no calorie belgian chocolate please
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thank you so much 😋
Crab linguine, please!
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Thank you, Chef!
I'd like some cholesterol with sriracha and hot chips please
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I'm remembering in the at school 1960s school kids used to be helped to set up their own bank accounts with the state bank of victoria and we would have an account book and could bring in money every week to deposit. Even the girls!!
I had a "State bank" account and I remember actual interest accumulating in there.
For most of my life bank interest has not really been a thing, and for a long time they charged fees, so banking cost money instead. The last few years with high interest rates - plus an online bank that lets me earn interest on all my money without locking it away and jumping through hoops for "bonus" interest - has been great.
I remember we earned something like 3¾% on those accounts. When my kids started PS I set up Commonwealth accounts for them to do school banking, thinking they'd get lessons like I did. Nope, just give us the money quick so we can bank it and get the bonus they give schools for doing it. When I went to close those accounts a few years later after they closed the local branch so the school stopped school banking, it took ages, and I had what felt every staff member in the bank one by one come out and ask me questions about why I was doing it. They know those accounts lead to adults mostly keeping the same accounts and do not want you to close them!
Can definitely see why they stopped the scheme. Would not pass the pub test if proposed today, unless perhaps a publicly owned bank still existed.
I think that was still around when I went to school, but it was being phased out and wasn't at my school. I'm pretty sure I had a money box the bank produced as a promo when I was in primary school.
I do remember going to the bank to open my first bank account when I was in my early teens. It was when EFTPOS was just starting out and ATMs were still a fairly new concept, so getting a debit card seemed like a really exciting innovation to be involved in. I think I had to be 18 to get my first cheque book though, which was how all my bills were paid until the online options were introduced.
I’ve got 2 episodes to go in the latest Kdrama that I’m watching (It’s Okay Not To Be Okay) and URGGG the temptation to just read what happens in them is really getting to me. I have no idea where the storyline is going to go and of course the last episode ended up with a big cliffhanger. It’s been an absolutely batshit ride - as a lot of Kdramas are, tbh, but this is a different level and I have no idea what they’re gonna pull in the last 2 episodes.