Small Talk: The Library

[dusky]

I feel very guilty, I got my awesome Secret Santa present before Christmas and opened it on Christmas morning, it was a wonderful limited edition print of a dragonfly and a Buffy comic book accompanied by snarky comentary of the comic book. I wanted to take a picture and post it in the other place but had some issues. Mainly that my smart phone isn't all that damn smart. (or it just might be me).

 

I was the Secret Santa of the awesome queen of cupcakes, CKO,.

 

My changing offices and the winter have been somewhat stressful, the new office is much closer to home but much much busier and I am just not comfortable there yet.

 

I am overly invested in football today and very thankful that I have tomorrow off.

 

My daughter's father sent me an email inquiring about her, can I just reply "fuck off" ?

 

I feel I have been a bad internet friend, I will try to do better, I love you guys

Edited January 18, 2015 by dusky

[Erratic]

FOOTBALL!!!

[trudi-tru]

Calm down, Erratic.

 

I was your Secret Santa,  romantic idiot. I actually bought some stuff off amazon India initially, but it wouldn't take my credit card, so I opted for the books.

 

That was quite an adventure, KPC. The play sounds like it was worth it, at least.

 

My daughter's father sent me an email inquiring about her, can I just reply "fuck off" ?

He would certainly deserve it.

We love you too, dusky.

[buffyjunkie]

 

Calm down, Erratic.

Not possible Trudi-tru.  Erratic and I are both very tense right now. 

 

Dusky I was your Secret Santa.  Fess up; who was mine?

[dusky]

Thank you so much Buffyjunkie, I was pretty sure it was you but your name change made me over think it just a bit.

[Barphe]

Since you NEED to know,Erratic ....

it was I.

Generally, I say that im from DC, but I'm in a Maryland suburb.

So, to whom do I owe thanks?

[Erratic]

Thanks so much, Barphe :) you rocked it!

[KittenPokerCheater]

I was your Secret Santa Buffyjunkie!  

 

I even called the people to make sure they knew it was a SS gift, so I hope they didn't put my name/state anywhere on the packaging.

 

We missed you Dusky- glad you are back!  I would be very, very tempted to tell your Ex to fuck off.

 

Did the football games end as everyone wanted them to?  

Edited January 19, 2015 by KittenPokerCheater

[Erratic]

Did the football games end as everyone wanted them to?

No.

[romantic idiot]

Trudi, thank you !! I did love the books, they were perfect. And timely. 

 

And it's weird that Amazon wouldn't take your credit card, when Amazon.com takes mine. I'll flag it to my friends who work there. Maybe it's because of our security settings? (RBI mandates that all online purchases in India also have a third level of verification, apart from your card number, cvv and third piece of authentication information used).

[buffyjunkie]

Thank you so much KPC. There were no names or addresses revealed and I was completely flummoxed. I am now consuming the remains of the jam in some high-end PBJs.

Also, I am sharing Erratic's pain. Sigh.

[cko]

I was the Secret Santa of the awesome queen of cupcakes, CKO,.

 

 

Thank you, dusky, I love it. I use it at work every day and it generates quite a bit of pre-meeting chit chat, which pleasantly and conveniently slides into NYC chit-chat, and TWOP Meet Market explanations, quite happy-making. I did not guess it was you, so a pleasant surprise all the way around!

 

AnnieF guessed correctly; I tried to think of how to make myself anonymous but oh well!

 

I love Secret Santa. And...hope everyone is doing well. Things pretty quiet here in my corner of the world; Dad seems to have stabilized and is doing okay, but we are all more watchful, which is weirdly exhausting, but it could be worse, so we are bucking up.

 

Any meet-up plans for the year ahead? I'd love it...

[Erratic]

http://m.imgur.com/NZkqhB6

This actually makes pretty decent sense...

Edited January 20, 2015 by Erratic

[Loandbehold]

It's like when Asimov tied his robots novels to his Foundation series. 

[Harvester]

I've been thinking about scheduling a summer vacation. A meet-up could fit in nicely. I might also be going to San Francisco for a conference this summer, so that is almost a built-in mini con.

[trudi-tru]

I got my Secret Santa gift! Boliver cross stitched the quote "don't speak latin in front of the books" and a bookcase mantle pattern and got me a round embroiding hoop to hang it. It's really awesome and skillful.

Thank you, Boliver!!!

I love how thoughtful all the gifts are. You guys are the best.

[Barphe]

I'm still wondering who my SS was.... 

[Endeavour]

I am now all caught up on Arrow. Just in time for tonight's ep which I'll watch in a little bit. Woot!

[KittenPokerCheater]

Yes, who was Barphe secret santa?

 

I just watched Arrow- I'm not going to post anything else to respect everyone spoiler phobia.

 

Work tomorrow!  Outside, but I'm going to make sure I wear lots and lots and lots of layers.

[trudi-tru]

Yay!

 

I know who Barphe's SS is, but I'm not telling. Muahahhaa.

 

Erratic, did you hear Kelly Clarkson's new single? I'm not feeling it.

[Erratic]

I have only heard it once, trudu. The DJ was so excited and pumping it up like it was the new 'My Life Would Suck' or the like. Yeah. It was okay. I didn't hate it, but it sounds like a song that someone trying to write a Kelly Clarkson-sounding song and failing would write.

[Loandbehold]

1995 Commercial advertisement for "The Facebook" http://sploid.gizmodo.com/hilarious-ad-shows-how-facebook-wouldve-been-if-it-exis-1680846713?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_facebook&utm_source=gizmodo_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

[Chyna]

I just watched Arrow- I'm not going to post anything else to respect everyone spoiler phobia.

 

 

If only The CW was as careful about spoilers as you, KPC. In the middle of the episode, they aired a commercial with a huge spoiler! It was a general ad for The CW's superhero/supernatural-type shows, and the final shot was

Laurel as Black Canary

. I figured things were probably going that way, but they still ruined the impact of that scene near the end of the episode.

[trudi-tru]

trudu

Is that my new nickname? ;-)

 

Welcome back, Chyna. How was the trip? Did the girls love the Harry Potter theme park?

 

And it's weird that Amazon wouldn't take your credit card, when Amazon.com takes mine.

I don't know. I have no problem shopping on Amazon.com.

[Chyna]

The Harry Potter stuff at Universal was fantastic--the new Diagon Alley section was pretty amazing, and the Escape from Gringott's ride is their best one yet.

[Erratic]

Oh, hey, do you want a 'my thing' update?

We got the Home Study report back. Apart from a few factual errors (names/dates wrong from family history stuff) we are approved, so we now wait for the changes to be made, sign off on the report and get licenced sometime in the next 30 days or so.

Then we start the wait. The real wait, not the paperwork wait.

Then we start prepping. It is tricky to prep for a child aged 0-5 that might arrive in a month or in six months, might be one or two children, boy(s) or girl(s).

Shit is getting real at Casa Erratic

[Endeavour]

Yay! Congrats Erratic!

[trudi-tru]

So happy you guys got your approval, Erratic.

 

We'll be waiting here with you.

[AnnieF]

Very exciting, Erratic! Will you need to buy furniture in a hurry (cribs or beds) once you learn who's coming to Casa Erratic?

[Chyna]

I have some acquaintances (a male couple) who applied to be adoptive parents and then were selected by a birth mother only a few weeks later--and the baby (a little girl) had already been born! That was a speedy trip through Babies R Us, I tell you what.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Chyna

[Erratic]

We are going to start buying stuff that can be adapted to the wide age group- one of those 4-in-1 cribs that goes from new born cot to a toddlers bed, and I think there are car seats too that can be adapted from 2lbs to 40lb capacity that may work. And we already have baby gates for all our stairs.

Apart from that, we are struggling with the shopping thing, so yeah, if we get 24 hours notice, we will need to find an all night Babies-R-Us pronto!

Any helpful advice would be welcomed.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Erratic

[KittenPokerCheater]

Shit is getting real at Casa Erratic

 

WOOT!  CONGRATULATIONS!!!!  THIS CALLS FOR EXCESSIVE USE OF EXCLAMATION POINTS AND CAPITALIZATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I am SO HAPPY for you guys, and children who will be so lucky to have you.

 

Does old navy/baby gap have a good return policy (i.e. if the clothes don't fit the baby)?

 

Do you have beds/cots for them?  And sheets and pillows?  I always feel like the first night in a new bed is especially awesome.  It's sort of like having a a nest within a home.  But that's just me remembering the moves I had as a kid, and feeling like my bed was a safe place.  Your kids will be in a safe place the second they see you.

 

I write this knowing zilch about raising kids, I'm coming from my own "I was a kid experience."  AnnieF, however is a genius.

 

So my skin issues are so bad my doctor put me on steroids.  Oh the jitters.  And they're not even the kind that will make me look ripped.

How is everyone else doing?  LnB?  Val?  Barphie's SS? Bueller?

Edited January 24, 2015 by KittenPokerCheater

[Loandbehold]

That is wonderful news Erratic! Maybe, in preparation for whenever the bundle(s) of joy arrive(s) on your doorstep, you should practice by taking care of an egg. Or, just watch a Buffy episode. I understand that it's practically same as the working with the real thing. 

 

As for me, I'm busy. And very tired. I've written four briefs so far this month and have another one due in a couple of weeks. I plan on taking a staycation the week of President's Day. Besides that and dealing with my own medical issues, we've been working to get my mother's long-term care plan to cover some of her costs at the assisted living facility. She will be getting an assessment tomorrow and we've spoken to her neurologist and the facility. The neurologist says mom is definitely entitled due to her mental condition, while the facility believes that she doesn't meet the "severe cognitive impairment" criteria. So, we upped the level of care they give her so she can hopefully qualify under the inability to do "two aspects of daily life" criteria if she doesn't meet the other. If we can get her covered, she can probably stay at the facility for about two years. If not, she'll have to move this summer to a nursing home. At some point, my stress level will drop to somewhere in the barely manageable range. Or so I'm told. 

 

KPC, sorry to hear about the skin issues. I also heard there was a water main break not far from you. Was your water cut off? 

 

I'm really enjoying the second season of Downton Abbey. So, the war has come to this little hamlet big time. 

 

I hope everyone else is doing well. Oh, and btw, if nobody claims to be barphe's Secret Santa, I'm going to take credit. You have been warned. 

[Erratic]

Oh, better health to L&B and KPC!

[AnnieF]

Erratic, you've probably thought of this stuff, but I'll put down what springs to my mind anyway. ;) Medicine cabinet-type stuff, like baby and children's Advil and Tylenol, bandaids in various sizes with, I dunno, Spongebob or something on them, a mild disinfectant for owies, hot-cold packs, various types of thermometers (oral, ear, forehead). What else...my older son had ear infection after ear infection, and it helped him to lie with his ear on one of those pillows full of seed husks or whatever that you can heat up in the microwave. Popsicles are handy to have lying around in the freezer, especially the kind that you want for just after your kid has been barfing and you're just trying to get something sorta foodlike into them to see if it'll stay down. So, frozen sugar-water, essentially, heh. Those last forever.

Hmm, if I think of anything else I'll edit. I hope this isn't all "duh, Annie, we got all that shit already." :-)

ETA: a million washcloths. Seriously, whether the kids are quite wee or somewhat bigger, you will go through so many friggin' washcloths all the time. Or I did anyway, because I didn't use throw-away wipes for anything but diaper clean-up. For all other yuck (snotty noses, dirty hands, whatev) I used washcloths, because they were washable and reusable and cheaper. )

EATA: Crayons and big pads of paper. And other art supplies that are nontoxic. If the kids are a bit older and have some problems, doing art might be a really good thing for them. Heck, it's good for all kids. My boys created a huge drawing of a candy factory that spread over several large pieces of art paper when they were around 7 and 10, and it is a thing of beauty, all made by themselves. These days they create in Lego, and it is glorious to see and hear what they make. So, yeah, anyway, these kinds of toys that allow creative play will vary depending on the age of the kids, but I think stashing away some art supplies is a good idea.

Edited January 24, 2015 by AnnieF

[Harvester]

Erratic, I am so excited for you!

[Chyna]

Everything AnnieF said (oh my GOD the washcloths), plus: kid-sized toothbrushes and kid toothpaste; baby lotion, soap, and baby shampoo (all good for toddlers and older kids too), and a kid-sized nail clipper. 

 

For cold packs, I highly recommend Boo Boo Buddy brand. The plastic is more malleable than most, so they're squishy even when they're cold. And they come in fun shapes--a smiley face or a ducky makes a nice distraction when a kid has banged their head (which they do a LOT). I always give those for baby shower gifts.

[AnnieF]

Baby fingernails are fucking death blades. Sharper than sharp, those little bastards. Keeping them clipped is essential to your own safety.

The malleable cold packs are definitely the way to go.

Stepstools, maybe? If the kid/s can wash their own hands, will they be able to reach the sink, or do they need a step. It was a glorious day in the F household when the F-let was tall enough to reach the sink without a stool. :-D

Edited January 24, 2015 by AnnieF

[Chyna]

Baby fingernails are fucking death blades.

 

 

Mr. C called them "tiny talons."

[AnnieF]

Mr. C called them "tiny talons."

No lie. Sharpest thing on Earth.

[buffyjunkie]

 

we are approved

YESSSS!  Yippee Yai Yey!  Way to go Team Erratic.  Channeling the Beates "Love is all you need."  (although the previous mentioned items are very useful.) 

 

Health vibes to KPC and LNB.  I feel for you.

 

We are having a blessedly low-key weekend here.  That has resulted in a delayed Christmas-cookie-baking binge and a subsequent "Cookies and Cocktails" party with a friend.  So far we've only had the lemon spritz cookies with the lemon fizz drinks.  Will post more later.

[Erratic]

1. You guys rock!!!

2.

Erratic, you've probably thought of this stuff

I love the optimism :)

[Valny]

we are approved 

Was there ever any doubt? I think not.  Excellent news Erratic massive congrats! Is Kory exited?  When the time comes, are you planning on buying little Oiler t-shirts?  :)  

 

How is everyone else doing?  LnB?  Val?  Barphie's SS? Bueller?

 

  Aside from some insomnia last night, fine KPC, thanks for asking.  Hey KPC, I was watching This is Where I Leave You....and I thought a while back you had said you were an extra in that film for a scene at a wake? I was looking but I don't think I saw you. Am I getting my films mixed up?

 

Health & general good vibes for L&B, you have a lot on your plate and you're doing an amazing job.

KPC- Hope the steroids help your skin condition. KPC smash!

[romantic idiot]

KPC you were? Where where? I have that movie! 

 

And Erratic, this is excellent news. I'm just settling in in Dubai (did tell you guys was going to be here for 6 months (hopefully) right? So will post more later. 

 

But this is most excellent news.

[Erratic]

Dubai? How nice! We certainly need some details.

[Loandbehold]

I agree, romantic idiot, we need, as the kids today say, the deets on Dubai. 

 

Just came back from my mother's evaluation. The nurse said that she believes my mother definitely needs the care she is receiving and that will be her recommendation. That's good news. It was funny, my mother was probably more "with it" at this meeting than she has been for a long time. It took all of my self-control not to kick her under the table when  she was remembering things, like people's names, the date, etc. Actually, the nurse was laughing with us quite a bit. She wasn't someone who was just going down a checklist and not interested in anything that wasn't within the four quarters of the paperwork. After it was done, my brother took her to the nurse's station so that she could get a copy of mom's meds, while I went back to her room. During that time, she asked him some more questions. When she dropped me off, he wondered if some of what he said was not in the "right" area because he was talking about mom's apathy. I told him that I think the way we spoke to her came across as very honest. We didn't seem to just try to say a bunch of "magic words," but talked about mom's overall condition and why she definitely needed to be at the facility. Now, we have to wait for the decision. The insurance company either will, or already has sent out forms to mom's neurologist and the facility for information. I will probably have arthritis from keeping my fingers and toes crossed for the next 4-6 weeks (hopefully less, but that's the timeframe I was given).

 

For those in the Northeast, get ready to batten down the hatches. If the weather reports are to be believed, we have a blizzard warning for a storm starting tomorrow, with snow expected to dump 20-30 inches by Tuesday evening. They're talking 50 mpg winds, white-out conditions, and 2-4 inches an hour at the height of the storm. I'm sure the governor will issue a state of emergency and tell everyone to stay off the streets and inside the house unless it's an emergency. Oh, and all state offices will remain open. Take care of the family, but remember you have to put in for the time if you don't report to work. Even if there is no public transportation and all the bridges and tunnels are closed. 

[cko]

So happy and in awe of Erratic and Mr. E (wait, is that his name on here?). You are beautiful people and will make a wonder of a home even if you run low on washcloths. Which yeah, with two nephews often underfoot, I didn't know before about the washcloths.

 

Love and strength to all of you, and thanks for the support with my dad. Hoping he will be out of hospital in a day or so, but every time it gets tougher, right? We're in in for the whole haul, be it long or short, but as a lot of you know, this part of life is tough, very tough.

[Erratic]

cko, much love and strength to you and your dad. Same to you and your mother, L&B.

And stay safe and warm, New Yorkers! Eek! Let's hope it isn't as bad as predicted.

cko, I believe we flirted with 'Mr. E' for a while, but he isn't enigmatic enough, so we stick to 'Kory' now :)

[Chyna]

Dubai? Can't wait to hear about it, romantic idiot! 

[Valny]

For those in the Northeast, get ready to batten down the hatches. If the weather reports are to be believed, we have a blizzard warning for a storm starting tomorrow, with snow expected to dump 20-30 inches by Tuesday evening. They're talking 50 mpg winds, white-out conditions, and 2-4 inches an hour at the height of the storm. I'm sure the governor will issue a state of emergency and tell everyone to stay off the streets and inside the house unless it's an emergency. Oh, and all state offices will remain open. Take care of the family, but remember you have to put in for the time if you don't report to work. Even if there is no public transportation and all the bridges and tunnels are closed. 

 Snowcalypse 2015!  You know, when I was in a couple of  supermarket today I was wondering was it was so jammed in the parking lots, long lines, then it hit me everyone is doing what they always do and stocking up on all sorts of things for this oncoming snowstorm. If it's what they predict, then it better be enough to close my work place,or enough for me to say,  hell no, I'm not driving in that! Luckily they're pretty cool about taking time off for bad weather at work, so I don't ever bad about taking a snow day, even though some brave souls take the ride in. Better safe than sorry I say. And I could use a day off to catch up on important things like you know, Netflix watching!  :)

I just hope it doesn't get bad enough that the electricity goes off. Did I just jinx myself? Uh oh.

Stay safe East Coasters!