Chit-Chat: What's On Your Mind Today?

[Dimity]

39 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

There’s no way to know that about this thread or any other.

The anonymity of the Internet!  I think most of us are being honest with the things we share - and whether we are male or female, young, middle or old.  But the reality is - how can you know?  But that aside I think the mods are not really talking about participants they are talking about readers and to put things in dollars and cents the advertisers who may be ok with "adult content" but then again may not be.

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, PRgal said:

I'm surprised your sister's condo has a combo like that.  Most condos around here (Toronto) have stacked machines.

She's in Kincardine, if that means anything to you? 
She and I rarely see each other in person, and I haven't been up there since my niece's first marriage, about 18 years ago (it's easier for her and her DH to travel).
But she FaceTimes a lot, and posts a lot of pictures online, so I feel like I've been in her home.

 

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

I'm watching the Opening Ceremonies, and it's quite interesting.  We just had a door shut to shut us, the viewers, out of a menage a trois, representing Paris as the city of love.

But I missed the very beginning, so I'm a little confused about how this is all happening.  If you were there, you wouldn't be able to watch much (if anything) of the ceremony.  It seems rather spread out over the city.  And the last I saw of the parade of nations, they were only up to C -- I have no idea what happened to the boats full of athletes.  I'm thinking having all this in a stadium might be better.

I'm just really excited about them cleaning up the Seine enough to make it swimmable for the Olympics. I'd love to be able to swim in the Seine. Or, at least, I think I'd love it. ;)

[athousandclowns]

In my condo I have the craziest washer dryer set up ever! I rented a 2/2 in sane community and it had a laundry room in guest bathroom with lots of cupboards and door shutting it off from tub and toilet 

Then i more or less was forced to buy this  place which is 2/1 and the washer and dryer are in the one bathroom with I set of cabinets over them.  They are about a foot and a half feet  directly across from tub.  The top of both washer and dryer have cleaning supplies all over them. . One cabinet has cleaning supplies and soap and other side my towels so bed linens are in a bin in my closet up high.  

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

She's in Kincardine, if that means anything to you? 
She and I rarely see each other in person, and I haven't been up there since my niece's first marriage, about 18 years ago (it's easier for her and her DH to travel).
But she FaceTimes a lot, and posts a lot of pictures online, so I feel like I've been in her home.

Not really.  I had to look it up.  It's like 3 hours from Toronto by car.  Maybe it's more of a thing there?  I have never seen it here.  But I've also never seen newer builds where units are like a teeny 300 square feet.  Before we got married, my husband had a one bedroom that was 600-ish square feet and it was a small stackable machine.  His building was completed maybe in 2000? 

[shapeshifter]

56 minutes ago, PRgal said:

Not really.  I had to look it up.  It's like 3 hours from Toronto by car.  Maybe it's more of a thing there?  I have never seen it here.  But I've also never seen newer builds where units are like a teeny 300 square feet.  Before we got married, my husband had a one bedroom that was 600-ish square feet and it was a small stackable machine.  His building was completed maybe in 2000? 

Their place is not more than 5 years old, and pretty roomy. 
It cost almost twice what I have to live on for the rest of my life.

[StatisticalOutlier]

20 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

For me, the nice thing would be no toxic, scented dryer sheets gassing outside and into to the neighbors' windows.

I like to do a very slow roll on my bike through neighborhoods on Sundays, and you can tell a lot of people are doing laundry by the smell of those dryer sheets out in the streets. 

19 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

I see a lot of those on the boats on the sailing shows we watch on YouTube. They don’t seem practical for us land people…

Unless you're land people who have wheels on their house.

There are two kinds of combo washer/dryers--vented and ventless.  The ventless ones are the ones that people complain about leaving their laundry damp after a dry cycle.

I've had a vented combo washer/dryer for 20 years and while I wouldn't choose to have it over a separate washer and dryer, I don't want to give up the space.  I can't imagine having to go to a laundromat whenever I need to do laundry.

But I'm a laundry hobbyist who accepted the challenge of making the combo unit work to suit me.  For example, to dry a set of sheets, I fold them as if I'm going to store them before putting them in the dryer.  Sounds crazy, but it works.

I'd even consider a ventless one if I didn't have an outside wall to install a vent on, to keep from having to go to the laundromat.  I love being able to wash a couple of sets of gross exercise clothes without having it be a huge production.

 

 

[Cementhead]

1 hour ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

I like to do a very slow roll on my bike through neighborhoods on Sundays, and you can tell a lot of people are doing laundry by the smell of those dryer sheets out in the streets. 

 I used to work in an office building where a young brother & sister in their very early 20s worked and I could always tell when they had arrived in the mornings by the smell of their fabric softener wafting down the hallways before I could even see them.  Mom needed to slow her roll on the amount of softener big time! 

[Dimity]

Just catching up on the Opening Ceremony for the Olympics.  Teared up at the elderly French athlete lighting the Olympic flame and totally lost it when Celine sang.  I better avoid watching sad movies today I am obviously very emotional!

[Browncoat]

Incidentally, and I only just found it myself, there's a thread for all things Olympics:

https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/8853-2024-paris-olympic-games/

 

[emma675]

8 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

Incidentally, and I only just found it myself, there's a thread for all things Olympics:

https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/8853-2024-paris-olympic-games/

 

Come join us! We discuss everything from the athletes to the individual competitions to the outfits, it's super fun.

[EtheltoTillie]

5 hours ago, emma675 said:

Come join us! We discuss everything from the athletes to the individual competitions to the outfits, it's super fun.

So many events!  Thanks to whoever created all the event threads. 

[annzeepark914]

I'm on my way to the O's thread but wanted to say that I enjoyed watching the opening ceremony yesterday afternoon. The only thing I have a quibble with the French organizers is:  gee, all the athletes marching into a stadium in all their different uniforms is what I love about the Olympics (cheering for our good neighbors in Canada & Mexico, huzzahs for my ancestral tribe--the Swedes, and then that wonderful feeling I get when Team USA arrives)...I missed this sorely yesterday. I know I'm not the only one. But the French put on a very memorable show. I was *sure* the acrobats on Notre Dame's scaffolding were faking it...how could that be real??? Egads...I understand now that it was the real deal 😱. Merci for a stunning, unforgettable opening ceremony 💚💙🎉

[PRgal]

2 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I'm on my way to the O's thread but wanted to say that I enjoyed watching the opening ceremony yesterday afternoon. The only thing I have a quibble with the French organizers is:  gee, all the athletes marching into a stadium in all their different uniforms is what I love about the Olympics (cheering for our good neighbors in Canada & Mexico, huzzahs for my ancestral tribe--the Swedes, and then that wonderful feeling I get when Team USA arrives)...I missed this sorely yesterday. I know I'm not the only one. But the French put on a very memorable show. I was *sure* the acrobats on Notre Dame's scaffolding were faking it...how could that be real??? Egads...I understand now that it was the real deal 😱. Merci for a stunning, unforgettable opening ceremony 💚💙🎉

But Celine's comeback was AMAZING!

[annzeepark914]

5 hours ago, PRgal said:

But Celine's comeback was AMAZING!

Amen!!!

[Dimity]

Speaking of the Olympics my granddaughter (age 6)  is watching and especially loves the swimming, anyway she was very annoyed that the men were swimming "without shirts!!"  I guess most of the boys she knows wear those swimming tops that are meant to discourage sunburn and she was just appalled at all those bare chests 😀.

Reminded me of me refusing to watch the women's beach volleyball because of the "girls must wear as little as possible" rule!  Which apparently has been changed - and about freaking time.

Edited July 28 by Dimity

[Anduin]

3 hours ago, Dimity said:

Reminded me of me refusing to watch the women's beach volleyball because of the "girls must wear as little as possible" rule!  Which apparently has been changed - and about freaking time.

Really? That's good to hear. Because if I want to watch sport, I'll watch sport. If I want to watch women running around in their underwear, I'll watch that instead. I don't want to watch sport wishing I was watching the other.

[Salacious Kitty]

The US team that played today wore bikinis. Their opponents wore leggings. I guess it's preference due to weather. 

[Dimity]

1 hour ago, Anduin said:

Really? That's good to hear. Because if I want to watch sport, I'll watch sport. If I want to watch women running around in their underwear, I'll watch that instead. I don't want to watch sport wishing I was watching the other.

I may have fallen for the old FOAF story.  I don't have first hand info so sadly may have been misled.

[Quof]

Well, thanks, guys. At the bottom of this page I now have an ad for "training invisiwear bikini underpants".

[shapeshifter]

I went to look at a condo this weekend, and will probably put an offer on it. 
There are only 16 units, and it's self-governing, so each neighbor has an impact. 
I met a few, and they seemed nice enough, although I question their ability to scrape together enough money for the new roof. 
But it is on the beach, no stairs, and turn-key gorgeous inside with updates. 
Anyhoo, I caught a quick glimpse of one owner today who was wearing a t-shirt with a screen print of a yellow banner and some black lettering that looked vaguely familiar from a recent meme that I can't quite recall.
Google didn't help.
Does anyone here have a guess as to what it might have said? 

There's a high chance I will be out-bid, but the mystery of the t-shirt graphic is distracting me.

[Mindthinkr]

@shapeshifter Fingers crossed for you. No idea about the tee, but you’ve piqued my interest. 

[Ancaster]

14 hours ago, Dimity said:

I may have fallen for the old FOAF story.  I don't have first hand info so sadly may have been misled.

FOAF?

[chitowngirl]

Friend of a Friend

2 minutes ago, Ancaster said:

FOAF?

 

[ECM1231]

The condo sounds fantastic, @shapeshifter. Good luck!

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

I loved when there was a treat in my lunch: especially if it was a Ho-Ho, Ding Dong, or Twinkie! 

(From the Pet Peeves thread)

I couldn't stand the first two, but I liked Twinkies and used to occasionally get one as a treat in my lunch.  I can kind of recall the taste, but I wonder if I'd still like it as an adult, or recoil in horror and wonder what my child self was thinking.

Edited July 29 by Bastet

[ebk57]

22 minutes ago, Bastet said:

(From the Pet Peeves thread)

I couldn't stand the first two, but I liked Twinkies and used to occasionally get one as a treat in my lunch.  I can still kind of recall the taste, but I wonder if I'd still like it as an adult, or recoil in horror and wonder what my child self was thinking.

My Twinkies story - my bro went to the Peace Corp in Kenya way back in the day.  We sent him care packages.  Once we stupidly sent it surface mail instead of air mail.  That particular package had homemade treats and some store-bought treats.  It took many, many weeks to get there and the only thing still edible was the Twinkies.  Because they are made of things not found in nature.

[shapeshifter]

I love today's Google Doodle: https://doodles.google/doodle/paris-games-artistic-gymnastics-day-2/

[Anela]

7 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I love today's Google Doodle: https://doodles.google/doodle/paris-games-artistic-gymnastics-day-2/

That’s really cute.  

[Calvada]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

(From the Pet Peeves thread)

I couldn't stand the first two, but I liked Twinkies and used to occasionally get one as a treat in my lunch.  I can kind of recall the taste, but I wonder if I'd still like it as an adult, or recoil in horror and wonder what my child self was thinking.

There were lots of classmates in my school cafeteria who had things like this in their lunches and I felt so sorry for myself because I had "only" baked from scratch cookies and bars made by my grandma who lived with us.  I'm in my 60s now and I cannot tell you how much I would love to have a cookie baked by Grandma just one more time.  

I don't think Twinkies are the same as they were when I was a kid.  Haven't they changed the filling?  Less cream-like and more chemical-like?

I had a friend who always had those things that were covered in pink coconut.  What were they called?  Snow Balls?  I didn't envy her those!  Even as young child I thought they looked toxic.  I live in Wisconsin; you're not supposed to eat colored snow 🤣

[Dimity]

I went home for lunch in elementary school so didn't get too many chances to have snack cakes.  In  high school though I bought my lunch most days (a very bad habit I've never really broken) and in our cafeteria we had a bank of machines all along one wall where you could buy candy, potato chips, soft drinks, twinkies - basically anything you can think of that is not nutritious - oh they did have apples (I don't think those were big sellers).

Anyway my favourite was the luna half moon 

 

which I had again recently and found it still tasted the way I remembered. 

Edited July 29 by Dimity

[Absolom]

I loved the gooey brownies.  My mother would buy them once or twice a year. Packaged cookies and treats were really looked down on by my mother.  She thought the other mothers would think she was a horrible mother if I was seen with them.  

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

(From the Pet Peeves thread)

I couldn't stand the first two, but I liked Twinkies and used to occasionally get one as a treat in my lunch.  I can kind of recall the taste, but I wonder if I'd still like it as an adult, or recoil in horror and wonder what my child self was thinking.

I miss Drake's Cakes, which started in NYC in the 1800s and branched out to the Mid Atlantic and Southeast. My favorites were the Yodels because they fit so well in my lunch box. I also loved Ring Dings and the mini coffee cakes. They're still around after being owned by several companies over the years, most recently being bought by the company that makes Little Debbie cakes. I'm not sure they're still as good as they used to be. Because I'm perpetually dieting and trying to eat healthy I haven't eaten any of them in years. But boy, would I love to have a Yodel right about now! I used to love them cold from the refrigerator. My husband liked them frozen.

[Mondrianyone]

My mother was another one of the moms who thought store-bought snacks were a waste of money, so we never had them. I was a child filled with resentment as a result. When I went to college, I would start every morning in the little concession on campus with a cup of coffee, the Times crossword puzzle (which I'd do in pen), and a Drake's cinnamon crumb cake. You can move on from an underprivileged childhood.

[Anela]

If I had to choose from these in a gas station or store, I think I'd choose the Twinkie. I was in one over a week ago, and I wanted a jam-filled or custard-filled doughnut, but they didn't sell them. 

I miss a local Chinese place that was a buffet-style restaurant, before Covid. They closed last year. I liked the little doughnuts they sold. 

[Calvada]

15 minutes ago, Dimity said:

I went home for lunch in elementary school so didn't get too many chances to have snack cakes.  In  high school though I bought my lunch most days (a very bad habit I've never really broken) and in our cafeteria we had a bank of machines all along one wall where you could buy candy, potato chips, soft drinks, twinkies - basically anything you can think of that is not nutritious - oh they did have apples (I don't think those were big sellers).

Anyway my favourite was the luna half moon 

 

which I had again recently and found it still tasted the way I remembered. 

As I said above, when in school K-12, I never had Twinkies etc.  However when I was in college there were vending machines in my dorm that had Hostess fruit pies.  If I was up late studying, one of those cherry fruit pies would keep me going.  I wonder just how much sugar was in one of them.  

[ECM1231]

29 minutes ago, Dimity said:

Anyway my favourite was the luna half moon 

I've never seen that particular snack cake; I wonder if it's strictly Canadian?

In elementary school I always purchased the hot lunch and for the life of me cannot remember if there was any type of dessert included. I do recall that it came with those half-pint containers of milk.

In high school I purchased hot lunch, too, and on those days where nothing seemed appealing, I'd buy a package of Linden chocolate cookies, 3 to a pack. Senior year I also had 2nd period free, and I'd buy a buttered roll and chat with my friends who also had a free period.

Edited July 29 by ECM1231

[emma675]

8 minutes ago, Mondrianyone said:

My mother was another one of the moms who thought store-bought snacks were a waste of money, so we never had them. I was a child filled with resentment as a result. When I went to college, I would start every morning in the little concession on campus with a cup of coffee, the Times crossword puzzle (which I'd do in pen), and a Drake's cinnamon crumb cake. You can move on from an underprivileged childhood.

Ha, we had similar mothers/childhoods! I love my mom but I was so jealous of my friends that had Ding Dongs, Twinkies, chips, Kool-Aid, etc. while I had apple slices, orange wedges, crackers, and homemade cookies. As an adult, I realize how much she actually cared about us and our health,  but I have a wicked sweet tooth and I blame my childhood lack of store bought sweets, lol.

[ECM1231]

21 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

But boy, would I love to have a Yodel right about now! I used to love them cold from the refrigerator.

I'd eat all of the chocolate first, and then unroll the roll, lick off all the cream, and then finally eat the chocolate cake. 🤣

[shapeshifter]

One of the first jobs Mom had when she went back to work in the 1960s was as a tour guide for Sara Lee, "the largest and most modern bakery in the world" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080721000049/http://www.saraleebakery.com.au/special.php?page=history.html). 
I think she brought home "Danish pastries."

Dad was more into baking than Mom. 

[PRgal]

We didn't keep much sugary foods in our house when I was growing up.  Even condiment wise, we really mostly relied on soy sauce and chili sauce.  We didn't even use oyster sauce much when it comes to Chinese/East Asian sauces/condiments.  As for sugary stuff, there wasn't much of that either.  My parents would buy goodies from Hong Kong style bakeries, first in Chinatown (when I was very, very young), and then in Scarborough or Markham as I got older (and as the Chinese community expanded/moved out of (downtown) Chinatown and to the suburbs).  Of course, there was Halloween candy, but I never really finished the treats I got (there were 100 houses on my street and each house was quite generous).  I never really developed THAT big of a dependency on sugary snacks, so I can't really say what I love the most.  I DID have a "sugar phase" in high school when I drank Frappuccinos and liked flavoured syrup in my coffee, but it didn't last too long.  I no longer add sugar to my coffee and the last time I had a Frappuccino was probably 20 years ago.

[shapeshifter]

7 minutes ago, PRgal said:

We didn't keep much sugary foods in our house when I was growing up.…

We didn't have too many sweets, except a bag of Milano cookies or some chocolate chip cookies from the bakery of the grocery store — and it was just understood that you didn't eat more than 2 per day. 

7 minutes ago, PRgal said:

I DID have a "sugar phase" in high school when I drank Frappuccinos and liked flavoured syrup in my coffee, but it didn't last too long.…

I had a Mountain Dew phase from the machine outside the painting studio I lived in for a while. I now realize it was the caffeine that was attracting me. Maybe you too? 

7 minutes ago, PRgal said:

I no longer add sugar to my coffee…

Same.
I mostly have decaf tea or coffee with unsweetened soymilk.

[Browncoat]

We always had sweets and snack foods.  And soda.  For a very long time, I drank soda with every meal, and chewed gum, too.  It's a wonder I have any teeth at all. When I stopped chewing gum, I stopped getting cavities.  I no longer drink soda, either, for the most part -- very occasionally I'll have a root beer or Sprite -- but I always have sweets and chips.  

I never liked Twinkies, though.

[ebk57]

59 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

and it was just understood that you didn't eat more than 2 per day.

My mom was like this about Halloween candy, which is why our hauls lasted almost until the following Halloween.  It worked out.

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

We didn't have too many sweets, except a bag of Milano cookies or some chocolate chip cookies from the bakery of the grocery store — and it was just understood that you didn't eat more than 2 per day. 

I had a Mountain Dew phase from the machine outside the painting studio I lived in for a while. I now realize it was the caffeine that was attracting me. Maybe you too? 

Same.
I mostly have decaf tea or coffee with unsweetened soymilk.

Probably!!  The first time I had a latte without any sugar was pure bliss and I didn't even realize I forgot the sugar until half way.  By then, I was "eff it.  Let's just finish it" and never looked back.  That was in 2002.  

[annzeepark914]

@shapeshifter 🤞🙏🍀 that you get this condo. It sounds wonderful (& no grouchy landlady to drive you crazy 😁).

[Yeah No]

That's so funny that as a kid you can feel deprived over not having store bought snack cakes! I totally get it! My mother gave them to me because she worked and it was enough to be making my sandwich, etc. let alone a homemade dessert. My mother liked to bake but she didn't have time to do it all the time. My house never lacked for store bought cake because my father had to have his cake for breakfast and dessert. We always had a box of Entenmann's around, like the crumb cake or doughnuts. I grew up loving the Sara Lee coffee ring with the pecans and icing. Back in those days I'd remove the pecans. I didn't like fruit or nuts on my cake back then. We also loved their All Butter Pound Cake. I still see it in the supermarket!

If anyone remembers the A&P supermarket, we often had some kind of Jane Parker baked product in the house too, like the chocolate layer cake.

Believe it or not, I didn't like Twinkies! I only started liking them toward the end of my teenage years for a brief period. I continued to eat snack cakes until my 20's when I decided I needed to eat healthier. Back then I could eat them and not gain weight. In my mid 20s I joined a gym like everyone was doing back then, and did a ton of serious bike riding, like 30 mile rides. For a brief period Drakes Cakes made "reduced fat" versions of some of its cakes and I ate those but sparingly. And in my 30s I stopped eating any of that at all. The worst I'll eat is a sugar free Voortman's cookie every now and then. Forget it, if I ate baked cakes and cookies on any regular basis I'd weigh 300 lbs. in no time...

Edited July 30 by Yeah No

[bluegirl147]

16 hours ago, Dimity said:

Anyway my favourite was the luna half moon 

I think they might still be around but are called Moon Pies.

[Quof]

Absolutely not a moon pie. 

Lune Moons, as we called them, were made by the company Vachon. They were yellow/vanilla or chocolate cake, with white filling, and not coated in chocolate.  Vachon made other goodies like the Joe Louis and the Oh Caramel (now called the Ah Caramel????).  Rumor had it they were filled with embalming fluid so they never spoiled, although the Oh Caramel didn't hold up well in your lunch bag at school.   

We referred to the whole lot of them as "Vachon cakes" ("aw, there are no Vachon cakes left to put in my lunch").  In hindsight, they were all disgusting.  But young Quof loved them. 

Edited July 30 by Quof

[shapeshifter]

23 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

@shapeshifter Fingers crossed for you. 

I should find out shortly after 10am tomorrow (Wednesday) if my offer was accepted, or if I was out-bid. I feel reasonably comfortable with my offer. It is high enough that if I am out-bid I *shouldn't* mentally kick myself, but not so high as to cause anxiety about my future. IDK. Maybe I should have gone higher. 🙃

9 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

@shapeshifter 🤞🙏🍀 that you get this condo. It sounds wonderful (& no grouchy landlady to drive you crazy 😁).

Thanks for the support from everyone upthread. I do appreciate it. 
But, as is my habit, I'm also worried about the adage "be careful what you wish for." In this case, no crazy landlady, but 15 other condo owners who have to agree on, for example, what to do about the roof that needs replacing. 
But being able to see the sunrise over Lake Ontario every morning should mitigate any of my anxieties about the day ahead. 

[Yeah No]

50 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Thanks for the support from everyone upthread. I do appreciate it. 
But, as is my habit, I'm also worried about the adage "be careful what you wish for." In this case, no crazy landlady, but 15 other condo owners who have to agree on, for example, what to do about the roof that needs replacing. 
But being able to see the sunrise over Lake Ontario every morning should mitigate any of my anxieties about the day ahead. 

Awww, Shape, it's always a crap shoot when you rent or buy anything and having bad prior experiences makes it feel like only more of a risk. I'll keep my fingers, toes and everything else crossed for you. 🤗