The algorithm threw this at me yesterday and I love the humor and the animation, and the song is catchy as hell too.

$30 a ticket to tour five historic homes that showcase different architectural styles over the years. I did it a couple years ago and they included Victorian, Craftsman, Tudor, Spanish Revival, and Mid-Century Modern houses, all absolutely gorgeous. They pick a new selection of houses every year, it's a must for anyone into architecture (or landscaping & interior design)!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/46789024

Beer was from a bar where the Tall Ship Providence is docked, which even down rigged was pretty cool to see.

Beer was from a bar where the Tall Ship Providence is docked, which even down rigged was pretty cool to see.

It's fun to see them hybridize, a few years back I grew standard green tomatillos, followed the next year by some purple and yellow varieties in the same spot. I haven't purposefully planted them since, but these multicolor volunteers keep coming back. This year I'm seeing two distinct growth patterns, with some staying low to the ground and others getting quite tall.

For those who don't know, it's an app for blind people to make video calls for help with visual tasks. I've had it downloaded for a while, but there's a 10:1 ratio of volunteers to blind users (which is a good thing!), so I've never managed to be the first person to respond.

Well the other night when I swiped to answer a call, I was the first one and got to assist a guy with matching pants and tops while packing an outfit for his little girl. Was a quick call but felt good to be able to help, and I'd encourage others to sign up as well!

Posting in case this helps someone else. This Leaps and Bounds cherry toy was the very first toy I bought for her as a kitten, and she must have imprinted on it, as six years later it is still the ONLY toy she will play with.

They're rather fragile, easy to crush if stepped on, and fall apart after a few months of regular play. Knowing how much she loved them I would grab spares whenever I could, but a few years ago they went out of stock and didn't come back.

Every time I brought out a fresh cherry from the dwindling stash she would get SO excited, so I searched high and low, desperate to find more. If you read the reviews on Petco, there's other people with cats who've fixated on these cherries, and I found similar threads on Reddit.

It's been years, but I still search semi-regularly, and imagine my joy when I realized they were back in stock! Stupidly, it's listed as part of a random assortment, so I decided to order 100 of them, hoping for a third to be cherries but happy to get any at all.

32 pairs - 64 cherries! A lifetime supply of her favorite toy for my picky little baby <3

My sweet husband baked my favorite carrot cake for my birthday. I dedicated about a third of it to be consumed in pure hedonism (straight from the platter with a fork) while the rest was portioned and frozen for later, sensible treats.

Was my first time canning beans, had a bit of syphoning but otherwise went well!

Shot from the night before which shows the interior:

I pressed slices of firm tofu on towels to pull out excess moisture before marinading it in a blend of garlic, ginger, lime, fish sauce, and hoisin, and then searing. Topped with fresh mint, cilantro, parsley, cucumber, and serrano, as well as some quick pickled carrot, red onion, and radish. I also added some leftover herbed yogurt sauce for the heck of it, which turned out pretty good.

I'm forever astounded by the natural diversity in California. It's been a few years since I've visited Kings and Sequoia National Parks, and standing beneath these giants is just as mind-blowing as when I was a kid.

There were two sequoias near General Sherman where the trail led right through them and you were able to touch the bark. It was so unexpectedly soft, fuzzy textured and springy to the touch. Absolutely loved it, will have to come back and camp beneath these giants some day.

My neighbor's son passed away in April last year and what would have been his son's 23rd birthday is coming up at the end of the month, so I know the next few weeks are going to be really hard on him.

We're friends, but not super close. I'd like to do something for him, but can't think of much beyond bringing over food and/or flowers. Any suggestions?

So I've got two female cats, a 1 year old and a 6 year old, and the younger one has such an ammonia stench to her pee that it's utterly noxious.

Common suggestions online are that the cat is dehydrated - which with two water fountains, wet food twice a day, and the sheer monsterous size of the pee clumps, is not the case. They've got three litter boxes which are scooped daily, so it's also not like we're leaving things to fester and grow more pungent. It's not a new development, her pee has always been really potent, so I'm also not thinking UTI.

I've tried sprinkling baking soda in the litter after scooping, which helps a bit with residual smells, but I'm looking for any suggestions to counter this constant ammonia assault.

The culprit:

I feel like I'm the only one in my life who holds this opinion, but I have never tasted a combination of chocolate and fruit that wasn't significantly worse than the individual components.

• Chocolate covered raisins? Blegh.
• Chocolate dipped strawberries? I'll eat the shell then the rest.
• Raspberry bits in fancy chocolate? You've ruined it.
• Candied apple? Just plain caramel please, no chocolate.
• Chocolate fondue? I'll stick to the marshmallows and graham crackers, thanks.
• Gorp mix? I'm selecting handfuls with either raisins + peanuts or m&ms + peanuts, no blending.

Now I know taste buds are subjective, but how is it that folks will say a mixed bowl of m&ms and skittles is diabolical, yet happily chow down on other fruity chocolate combos? Give me my delicious fruit and chocolate - separately!

I figure the one just sat around for longer, as I've had extra blue-y cheese develop in my own fridge. Just never seen such a striking difference at the store, which I found mildly interesting.