Small Talk: The Quiver

[statsgirl]

I envy you your commutes. If I can avoid rush hour, mine is about 75 minutes.  Rush hour (which starts at 3 and ends at 8 p.m. here) pushes it to two hours or more.

The record was one snowstorm when the didn't close down the facility soon enough.  It took me 3 hours, 45 minutes to make it home. With snow tires.

[bijoux]

10 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Ok I'm hoping for some sort of extra pep talk here to psych myself up.

Do any of you drive everyday?

Would you say a 15-20 min drive (one way) to school/work is far or fairly normal?

I'm not the keenest driver so really psyching myself up to drive every day for the next few years.

Yes, I drive on a daily basis. And yes, that seems fine to me. 

6 hours ago, Chaser said:

I actually like my commute. I’ve found I need the time to reset. 

You know, that's one of the things I really came to unexpectedly enjoy when I had about an hour's commute each way one year. When there were heavy snows, it absolutely sucked and I'm pretty sure I bitched about it here. But having that time to myself was actually great. I was mildly resentful when colleagues started carpooling with me despite it being both ecologically and financially beneficial. Like, why did we have to talk on our way back from work? We all held classes, use the time to decompress. 

[AudienceofOne]

6 hours ago, tv echo said:

What am I going to do with my newly freed up time after that?

Have you met Korea?

I'm only kidding, I just mostly watch Asian dramas these days and only dip back in to the US and Canada when something comes up that I've been previously watching. After Arrow and the Good Place ends, I'll have very little American TV I can be bothered watching. It's all banal and it's all repetitive. 

[Mellowyellow]

1 hour ago, AudienceofOne said:

Have you met Korea?

I'm only kidding, I just mostly watch Asian dramas these days and only dip back in to the US and Canada when something comes up that I've been previously watching. After Arrow and the Good Place ends, I'll have very little American TV I can be bothered watching. It's all banal and it's all repetitive. 

Omg if you watch Asian dramas you need to watch Goodbye My Princess. I'm trying to adapt it for an Olicity fic right now. It is so so so good. I cried and cried and cried. When I get stressed about actual real life stuff I put it on and cry some more.

Sooooo good. Heart eyes galore.

[BkWurm1]

On 1/6/2020 at 6:55 PM, Mellowyellow said:

Ok I'm hoping for some sort of extra pep talk here to psych myself up.

Do any of you drive everyday?

Would you say a 15-20 min drive (one way) to school/work is far or fairly normal?

I'm not the keenest driver so really psyching myself up to drive every day for the next few years.

I bet you will quickly get used to it.  Whatever is normal becomes normal. I worked about 20-30 miles from home all my life.  (35-60 minutes each way depending on rush hour).  Charge your phone, put on some music or get into podcasts, lol.  Also you'd be amazed how easy it is to dry your hair with the air vents in the morning with all the extra time.  ;D

 

Off topic, but are you far away from the fires?  You safe?

[AudienceofOne]

11 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Omg if you watch Asian dramas you need to watch Goodbye My Princess.

Don't watch a lot of Chinese stuff usually because their level of censorship bothers me on a fundamental level (it's seriously out of control).

But if you do like Chinese stuff, then everyone's going crazy over The Untamed.

[Mellowyellow]

36 minutes ago, BkWurm1 said:

Off topic, but are you far away from the fires?  You safe?

*huggles*

Yes we are very far far far away and perfectly fine (well we're caught up in the smog but so is most of Australia).

I worry about the little critters the most. Doesn't matter how much we or anyone else donates to help them, their homes are gone. I just feel very unsettled by this.

There is a bigger chance of rain next week so everyone is looking out for that. It hasn't rained in so long that rain, the smell of rain is like a treat now.

 

[Mellowyellow]

44 minutes ago, AudienceofOne said:

Don't watch a lot of Chinese stuff usually because their level of censorship bothers me on a fundamental level (it's seriously out of control).

But if you do like Chinese stuff, then everyone's going crazy over The Untamed.

Oooh yes that is next on my list after I get over my obsession with Goodbye My Princess. Haha I have to stop rewatching it because I am in a vicious cycle.

Tell myself I will just watch a few clips to generate enough mood to write the Olicity fic --> get lost in it and start bawling so nothing gets written only lots of crying.

[Mellowyellow]

Guys!!!!! I unleashed Harry Potter on my kid!!!!

He loves it!!!! We have to watch him and make sure he's not reading under the covers with his torch.

Any other childhood book recommendations? He's read all of the last lot of books you guys recommended many years ago.

He's 7 if that helps! I've got the usual Aussie authors but would love to find some other authors that maybe we haven't heard of.

He's finished all of the usual stuff like Zac Powers, Diary of a Wimpy Kid etc

***

ETA: I have discovered drop off play dates!!!! Omg they are amazing. You do not have to talk for hours with people you don't really know!!!!! 

I've always been super paranoid so I've sat in on every play date for years.

One of the mums introduced me to it. She was super blunt and basically said she's happy to feed and entertain kids but she ain't hanging around to socialize for hours.

My turn to host next week with just me and the kids and no awkward parents! Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooot! The awesome mum told me she was going to go do her hair on that day 😂

It's such a revelation!!! Although the kid looked at us really funny when we gave him the "What to do if they try to kill you or are pedophiles speech."

He was all "Guys why are you dropping me off if you're worried about this?"

Edited January 10, 2020 by Mellowyellow

[BkWurm1]

Quote

Any other childhood book recommendations? He's read all of the last lot of books you guys recommended many years ago.

Check out Beverly Cleary if you haven't yet.  She has a number of great series but my fav will always be the Mouse and the Motorcycle Series.  

Another multi book series that I remember enjoying starts off I think with Bunnicula or Howliday Inn.  It's told from the PoV of a dog and a cat.  It's got some safe chills in it. 

I also remember devouring the Encyclopedia Brown series (kid solves mysteries based on his knowledge and powers of observation) 

And for you, have you heard about the Netflix show, Spinning Out, yet? It seems made for you with your love/obsession of figure skating.  

 

 

Edited January 10, 2020 by BkWurm1

[Starfish35]

22 minutes ago, BkWurm1 said:

Another multi book series that I remember enjoying starts off I think with Bunnicula or Howliday Inn.  It's told from the PoV of a dog and a cat.  It's got some safe chills in it. 

I remember that series - it was cute. 🙂

[calliope1975]

I loved the Bunnicula series. I also recommend the Percy Jackson books. 

[Mellowyellow]

Thanks guys! 

I've put Percy Jackson on the list for later (depending on how he goes with the later Harry Potter books) as it seems a bit more grown up.

Bunnicula looks amazing. He is going to love it. He loves zombies, vampires and ghosts and cute stuff so this is probably perfect for him.

@BkWurm1 I totally forgot about the Mouse and Motorcycle! I got him the Henry Huggins series which he loved. 

I was so sad cuz I loved Ramona and he didn't  care for it at all. I thought he'd love all of Ramona's trials and tribulations. Alas he told me he didn't identify with Ramona's feelings because he's not raised by 90s style parenting. Which makes sense but I'm sad cuz I waited 20 years to bond with my kid about Ramona.

Re Spinning Out: Tried one ep. The people are too crazy in it!!! Everyone is a hot mess with issues!

The real life munchkins I'm obsessed with are really nice young girls who are as tough as nails and bring it when it counts.

[scarynikki12]

27 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

Bunnicula looks amazing

It's one of the funniest books I've ever read. Not just children's books, all books. The follow up books are funny too but nothing beats the first one.

[Mellowyellow]

Quick question guys!

In regards to Half Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows are they MUCH darker in tone than say the first few books?

He's just finished Chamber of Secrets and I vaguely remember Goblet of Fire, Order of Phoenix were fine, darker but not too bad. Just wondering if he'll be ok to keep reading or should I prepare him to stop. 

He stopped Artemis Fowl because it got too dark for him. As in very violent descriptions for a 7yo.

I didn't read the last two HP books so have no idea what they are like.

 

[scarynikki12]

Yes in that the death count continues and there are darker themes explored but it’s offset by humor and action. It really depends on the kid. If he’s doing fine now I think he’ll be fine as you continue but if not then just pause until he’s ready. 

[Mellowyellow]

Thought it might amuse you guys that the 7yo's favorite character is Hermione and although he doesn't ship or care about shipping he looked very puzzled when I asked him about it and told me that everyone should want to marry Hermione.

So cute how he just assumed everyone is supposed to think Hermione is a catch and why would you think differently 😂

[statsgirl]

Maybe he might like Anne of Green Gables then.

[Starfish35]

Oh no. 😢

Stan Kirsch Dies: ‘Highlander: The Series’ Actor Was 51

Edited January 14, 2020 by Starfish35
Updating link

[BkWurm1]

On 1/13/2020 at 11:16 PM, statsgirl said:

Maybe he might like Anne of Green Gables then.

Also Secret Garden.  Cranky girl but Dickon and his animals!  Kids doing sneaky things.  Gardening! (But have fun with the Yorkshire accent, lol) My mother read it and A Little Princess to me around your son's age.  

Edited January 15, 2020 by BkWurm1

[BkWurm1]

On 1/12/2020 at 7:08 AM, Mellowyellow said:

Quick question guys!

In regards to Half Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows are they MUCH darker in tone than say the first few books?

He's just finished Chamber of Secrets and I vaguely remember Goblet of Fire, Order of Phoenix were fine, darker but not too bad. Just wondering if he'll be ok to keep reading or should I prepare him to stop. 

He stopped Artemis Fowl because it got too dark for him. As in very violent descriptions for a 7yo.

I didn't read the last two HP books so have no idea what they are like.

 

He's not going to get as much out of the later books until he's older. The more emotional stuff probably will go over his head.   Beyond things getting a bit darker, there's a lot of snogging and talking about snogging going on, lol.  Not sure where he is at with mushy stuff like that, lol.  You can always pause and save the rest for later.  When he's older he can reread the early books before reading the later ones.  If he'd been reading them as they came out, he'd have to wait a year between them anyway.  

[Mellowyellow]

6 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

He's not going to get as much out of the later books until he's older. The more emotional stuff probably will go over his head.   Beyond things getting a bit darker, there's a lot of snogging and talking about snogging going on, lol.  Not sure where he is at with mushy stuff like that, lol.  You can always pause and save the rest for later.  When he's older he can reread the early books before reading the later ones.  If he'd been reading them as they came out, he'd have to wait a year between them anyway.  

Ooh I didn't realise there was snogging.

Lol now I'm really glad I never read the rest of the books!

He definitely won't be into any snogging! Thanks for the warning!

[lemotomato]

Question for the former OUAT watchers on here: did the show explain why Emma (and Snow and Charming) weren’t around in grown up Henry’s life in season 7? I stopped watching round season 3, but Matt M’s tweet comparing it to Arrow 809 made me wonder about just how messy it was. 

[scarynikki12]

16 minutes ago, lemotomato said:

Question for the former OUAT watchers on here: did the show explain why Emma (and Snow and Charming) weren’t around in grown up Henry’s life in season 7? I stopped watching round season 3, but Matt M’s tweet comparing it to Arrow 809 made me wonder about just how messy it was. 

When Henry was 18 he started realm hopping. Emma, Hook, and Regina tracked him down a couple years later. This is when we learned that Emma was pregnant so she and Hook returned to Storybrooke for the pregnancy and birth while Regina stayed with Henry to maintain their codependent relationship. Fast forward a few years and Henry is married with a young daughter when yet another curse gets cast. This one sends him, his family, Regina, and select characters (the ones not leaving the show) to a neighborhood in Seattle to live under false personalities and memories. The twist was that they were sent back in time to when Henry was still a teenager which is why they don’t go back to Storybrooke or interact with the other characters until the series finale. 

[lemotomato]

Thanks, @scarynikki12. That’s even messier than I imagined. 

[Mellowyellow]

I'm feeling nostalgic about my Arrow adventure on this board but there's no thread so please move if this this in the wrong place Mods!

It's really ending!!! 

I remember S5 being a great distraction for me when the kid first started preschool as a 4yo. First time he was not in my care ever. Haha I was too busy raging about the break up and it kept me from hiding in the bushes to spy on the kid too many times (I did hide some mornings but I went home early for any potential Olicity episodes).

Now he's 7 and he's skipping a grade which I'm crazy worried about (he's still so little) but the finale is timed on the exact day he starts year 3 which will be a fantastic distraction.

Gosh I feel like I've grown with the show and with you guys no matter what! 🥰😍😘🤗

[lemotomato]

15 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

@lemotomato you have a lot to answer for!

I'm watching Worst Cooks in America this season (don't judge Alton is on so I have to watch) and now everytime I see a recent pic of KC I expect her to scream "Stop whining and grate the ginger."

She's like Anne's twin!!!!! 

lol, sorry! It sort of makes the show even funnier, though, doesn't it? 

[Mellowyellow]

1 hour ago, lemotomato said:

lol, sorry! It sort of makes the show even funnier, though, doesn't it? 

Between KC twinning with Anne and Alton on Twitter it's an excellent season of Worst Cooks 😂

[lemotomato]

On 1/20/2020 at 6:47 PM, Mellowyellow said:

I'm feeling nostalgic about my Arrow adventure on this board but there's no thread so please move if this this in the wrong place Mods!

It's really ending!!! 

I remember S5 being a great distraction for me when the kid first started preschool as a 4yo. First time he was not in my care ever. Haha I was too busy raging about the break up and it kept me from hiding in the bushes to spy on the kid too many times (I did hide some mornings but I went home early for any potential Olicity episodes).

Now he's 7 and he's skipping a grade which I'm crazy worried about (he's still so little) but the finale is timed on the exact day he starts year 3 which will be a fantastic distraction.

Gosh I feel like I've grown with the show and with you guys no matter what! 🥰😍😘🤗

This is only the second show I've ever stuck with until the very end, and the first fandom I've gotten super involved in, so the fact that it's all over next week still hasn't sunk in for me yet. I'm waiting for the nostalgia to kick in, but I think the wait-and-see part of me is holding back the feelings until after the finale airs. (That's definitely something I learned from watching Arrow!) But regardless of how it turns out, I'm glad that my show experience is most likely going to be a net positive one. I'm thankful for this board and everyone here for all the flailing and massive gif posting during the happy times and all and snarking/ranting through the tough times. 

It's been a wild and mostly fun ride. We should all get t-shirts or a badge or something for making it until the end.

[Mellowyellow]

I think I'm in a really good place with Arrow right now. I'm not rattled by any spoilers. I'm not temperamental in my fanfic writing. I think I'll be able to see it out nicely. I thought I'd be too ragey to end the journey but I'm feeling super zen.

On another note I got two warnings on a figure skating forum during my arguments with various people so I think I've truly found a new hobby 😂😅

I wonder if I got more fiesty after my Arrow years hence getting into trouble 😝😇

 

 

[tv echo]

Oh, it's so sad about Kobe Bryant and his daughter! I feel so bad for his family and friends. 😢

[bijoux]

3 hours ago, tv echo said:

Oh, it's so sad about Kobe Bryant and his daughter! I feel so bad for his family and friends. 😢

I read about this yesterday, and that four of his daughters were/might have been with him. Are the other three okay? 

[scarynikki12]

51 minutes ago, bijoux said:

I read about this yesterday, and that four of his daughters were/might have been with him. Are the other three okay? 

Only Gigi was with him so the other girls are physically ok. 

[Mellowyellow]

I don't know how accurate Aussie news is but another child on board that helicopter had BOTH her parents with her. Those people had two other kids at home who are orphans now. That broke me up the most. 

 

[tv echo]

Hey - if you have an extra US $350 lying around, you can get your own Baby Yoda life-size doll...
https://www.sideshow.com/collectibles/star-wars-the-child-sideshow-collectibles-400369

[Mellowyellow]

Ok guys so the kid is solidly hooked on Harry Potter and wants to read Half Blood Prince etc

Is it very smoochy smoochy?

He reckons he'll be fine ignoring all the smoochy smoochy but I'm wondering just how much there is.

Is it more or less smoochy smoochy than say Olicity?

[way2interested]

Just now, Mellowyellow said:

Ok guys so the kid is solidly hooked on Harry Potter and wants to read Half Blood Prince etc

Is it very smoochy smoochy?

He reckons he'll be fine ignoring all the smoochy smoochy but I'm wondering just how much there is.

The most in the entire series, yes, but ultimately it's a subplot, at least I feel. The actual kissing, although the most in this book, isn't really long and very tame, but the drama surrounding relationships is definitely a presence in the story.

17 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

Is it more or less smoochy smoochy than say Olicity?

Lol waaaaaaaay less than Olicity. 

[scarynikki12]

It's smoochy in both an annoying way and an implied way. The annoying way is intentional and the implied way is just that the characters leave to make out in private. The rest of the story is way more important so I think he should be fine.

[Mellowyellow]

1 hour ago, way2interested said:

 

Lol waaaaaaaay less than Olicity. 

Haha Excellent! That's very reassuring.

I don't think he'll mind relationship drama. He's currently fascinated with how to pick the right spouse for yourself (no smoochy smoochy, just straight to marriage 😂) so he'll enjoy reading various interactions between characters.

@scarynikki12 anything implied will go over his head.

Thanks guys! 

[Mellowyellow]

@BkWurm1 moving here so as not to veer too off topic

Didn't like Good Place ending at all. One thing it did confirm for me was that no one should be complaining about the BBT's ending. They practically gave fans everything they wanted. Could argue about Raj but that's it and it's not like they did anything terrible to him. He could very well have gone on and lived happily ever after and found the ultimate romance.

One thing I love about BBT is that occasionally they drop hints about the far future in Young Sheldon (Amy in labour). I love YS and I feel like BBT never had to try and service YS. 

HIMYM remains the worse ever by far. I may not have liked the Good Place ending but it was nowhere near HIMYM.

I would love to know if the Veronica Mars people think their ending was worse!

[lemotomato]

46 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

I would love to know if the Veronica Mars people think their ending was worse!

I can only speak for myself, but I hated the ending to Veronica Mars. And then the hate was compounded after the smug, dismissive interviews by Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell defending it. In terms of ranking which is worse, I’ll go with VM because it’s fresher in my mind than HIMYM.

[apinknightmare]

I really liked The Good Place's ending - I thought it fit well with the theme of the show and really liked the way that those characters went on to help make other people better. I think it helps that I don't have a firm belief of what a real "good place" should be like, so I'm willing to go with what TGP has in mind for its universe and what the Arrow has in mind for its universe. They're different but equally satisfying for me, just based on how I feel about the characters and their journeys. 

[BkWurm1]

1 hour ago, lemotomato said:

I can only speak for myself, but I hated the ending to Veronica Mars. And then the hate was compounded after the smug, dismissive interviews by Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell defending it. In terms of ranking which is worse, I’ll go with VM because it’s fresher in my mind than HIMYM.

I was watching the new episodes with friends that I don't see often enough so by the time we finished, I'd been spoiled on the ending and basically I have rejected the very ending as never having happened.  It's fiction.  I'm choosing my own happy ending.  Where I ended it was lovely, lol.  (I watched it all, just reject it)

I kind of feel HIMYM was worse because it sort of retroactively screwed the characters and relationships making ever watching it again a mess.  VM made a really dumb choice because the creator had weird ideas about re-upping her dedication through fresh pain.  I felt she already had plenty to drive her (and neither of them would just left the backpack sit unopened in her car at that point-  totally out of character for all involved so it shouldn't have happened anyway.)  She didn't need a cheap move like what they did at the end.  BUT as bad a "twist" as it was, it does nothing to hurt my love for all that came before.  

I really have to than the comic universe for setting the idea of a multiverse in my head.  I'm at the place where anytime i don't like how a show ends i just assume it ended only on that earth and my version happened everywhere else, lol

[Mellowyellow]

Guys out of curiosity how is your city/town reacting to coronavirus?

It's really big deal in the news here. Seems to be the topic no matter where you go.

[BkWurm1]

1 hour ago, Mellowyellow said:

Guys out of curiosity how is your city/town reacting to coronavirus?

It's really big deal in the news here. Seems to be the topic no matter where you go.

It's in the news all the time but there are no cases in my state.  Just a few on the coasts. I will say that when I went into the doctor's office a week back for a routine appointment they now ask if I've recently come from China.  Before is was just out of the country.    

[bijoux]

I loved The Good Place finale, it was just right for what the show was. 

Coronavirus is definitely on the news, especially since there were three Croatian citizens in Wuhan asking to be evacuated when it broke. And everyone is aware of it. So much so that a girl fell while I was teaching my fourth grade class (not fainted as far as I could tell, just her legs giving out) and then threw up a few times in quick succession on Friday, and this group of 9 and 10-year-olds asked me if it was Coronavirus. So you know, fun times. 

[Mellowyellow]

Guys I can't believe I'm asking this but is there an actual phoenix in HP and the Order of the Phoenix?

I cannot for the life of me remember and can't find anything on google

I have to let a 7yo boy down very gently if there is no phoenix! Think of it as the one Olicity scene he's been looking forward to!

[way2interested]

19 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

Guys I can't believe I'm asking this but is there an actual phoenix in HP and the Order of the Phoenix?

I cannot for the life of me remember and can't find anything on google

I have to let a 7yo boy down very gently if there is no phoenix! Think of it as the one Olicity scene he's been looking forward to!

The Order of the Phoenix is the name of the secret organization Dumbledore had to work around the law, but Dumbledore has a phoenix named Fawkes. His big moment was in the second book though. I think he might be in book five but not in a big way (although in the movie he's Dumbledore's escape plan which was a cool moment) 

[Mellowyellow]

16 minutes ago, way2interested said:

The Order of the Phoenix is the name of the secret organization Dumbledore had to work around the law, but Dumbledore has a phoenix named Fawkes. His big moment was in the second book though. I think he might be in book five but not in a big way (although in the movie he's Dumbledore's escape plan which was a cool moment) 

Thank you so much!!!! You are the best!

I googled Fawkes and he's in the big battle in book 5. I'll just remind the kid it's the same Phoenix in case he's expecting something else!

[scarynikki12]

@Mellowyellow Fawkes is the only Phoenix in the books. We meet him in Book 2 to set up him helping Harry in the Chamber and we see him again a few more times after that. He plays a major role in book 5 by swallowing one of the Avada Kedavras that Voldemort casts during his face off with Dumbledore at the Ministry.