Small Talk: a.k.a. 'The Meet Market'

[pezgirl7]

Sorry, now I'm not sure if there is a mobile version. I think if it's asking you to download the app, then it has detected that you are on a mobile device and should be serving you the mobile version, but it's not a separate m.com site, it just changes a few things for mobile. But I could be wrong, sorry I can't help more!

[Shanna Marie]

I'm going insane here. I was out last night and set my VCR for the episode (yeah, I'm old school). It turned out that I should have checked the tape because it only got the first 20 minutes. Argh. But, I figured, it'll be up OnDemand probably starting around midnight. So I got up early this morning to watch before yoga class. Nada. Still not there at lunch. Still not there at dinner. Still not there in the evening. So I checked around, and nothing from the whole weekend was updated. Then I checked the cable company web site, and I guess they're having technical difficulties because they had a message that you can't log into your account, you can't log into the "watch online" feature, and the online OnDemand menu doesn't include anything from this weekend. I've been avoiding the forum all day because I don't want to be totally spoiled. On the up side, I got tons of work done today. But wouldn't you know it, the one episode I wanted to see (and the first 20 minutes were good), my recording fails, and then this is the weekend that the OnDemand system fails.

 

If it's still not up in the morning I may resort to buying it for Amazon streaming.

 

Note to self: check to make sure there's enough tape. I'd thought I'd only taped one thing on that tape, and I checked to make sure it was cued up, but I really should have checked beyond that. I've just about stopped taping things unless I want to watch something the same night, since OnDemand is usually so reliable. Unless I'm depending on it. Grrr.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Shanna Marie

[Curio]

There's always Project Free TV, but some computers handle the spam and pop-up ads better than others...

[OnceUponAJen]

All I can say is, I love my DVR.

Edited March 24, 2015 by OnceUponAJen

[yeswedo]

The first rule of Small Talk (and practically the only rule) is don't talk about the show.

Hid a couple of posts related to OUAT. i will look at moving them later on today when i am not on my iPad. Carry on.

[sharky]

Oh bless my dear DVR. The poor thing needs some attention though. I have a few shows that I need to catch up on and some that have been sitting there for AGES! I still haven't started Fargo yet and that aired last year. And I've stalled on Game of Thrones. I'm in the third season and I know what's coming up so I'm avoiding it.

 

Also, I found this cool website recently called Free Preview TV. I'm a cheapskate who doesn't want to pay for premium channels so I wait until preview weekends to catch up on things like Game of Thrones and Outlander. Anyway, the site lets you know when your cable provider is going to have a free preview weekend. Of course, this means I now have Outlander reruns and tons of moview queued up for next weekend so I should probably go clean off that DVR of mine.

[OnceUponAJen]

I like the free preview weekends too, sharky. Good to know about that site. They have those weekends pretty often, so why would I want to pay for it?

[Shanna Marie]

I've held off on the DVR because most of the time I don't really need it, so why pay extra every month for it? (Yes, I'm cheap.) Normally I'm very good about being able to program the VCR for the rare times when it's a channel I don't get OnDemand or when I don't want to wait until the next day for OnDemand. This was just a perfect storm of everything screwing up, with the weekend OnDemand failed entirely being the weekend I was out and the one time I messed up a recording.

 

And it seems that my cable provider isn't one of the "approved" ones to watch new episodes online. For crying out loud, it's TimeWarner. They're shutting out something that big?

 

I'm going to go check OnDemand again. They had Friday night's shows up, last time I checked, so maybe they've made their way to Sunday. And then I will Twitter Shame them if not, and see if I can stream via Amazon because I'm getting twitchy.

[Dani-Ellie]

I was going to ask if you'd be able to tweet at them. I've always had good luck with poking Comcast when something's not available when it should be. It may be coincidence but every single time I've tweeted at them asking to look into it, the missing content has been added within a few hours.

 

(I also still use a VCR, so I feel you. I tape one thing a week, that's not worth the extra money for me. I actually have to fix my tape because my cable cut out in the beginning of the ep so I missed a couple of minutes.)

[HoodlumSheep]

I wish I could say we still use a VCR to record stuff, but we can't figure out how to work it any more now that we finally got those stupid cable boxes. We can still use them just fine for watching movies and such, but we just can't get it to record anything anymore. We tried following he directions they give you about how to record when you're using a cable box, but it's never worked. If I miss something (especially on the main networks) I just have to try watching it online.

[Shanna Marie]

I tried the Twitter shaming, and they actually responded. The latest tweet, they asked me the episode number that's missing. I can't believe I'm the first person who's griped. If I am, this show is in serious trouble.

 

Without telling anything about the episode, is it worth buying on iTunes or Amazon, or will it make me angry that I spent extra money on it? Should they be rewarded for this, or should I wait to see if it pops up later in the week? Usually the next day is a repeat of the broadcast version, with full commercials, then around Thursday they put it up again, with just one commercial or promo in each commercial break. Often when they fail on the first posting, it eventually shows up on the second one.

 

I'm trying to keep the tweets light and funny, "thanking" them for my improved work productivity, but suggesting that I'm getting twitchy not being able to discuss.

[OnceUponAJen]

Personally, I would buy it. I think it's one of the better episodes this season.

[YaddaYadda]

You're griping with OnDemand (which does suck), but Hulu fucking blows chunks.  I started watching Jane the Virgin on Hulu and the episodes skipped from like episode 4 to episode 11.  So I stopped.  And they just did the same with Once, where it skips from episode 1 to that God awful episode 5.  But Once is the only show I actually keep on my DVR.

 

Coming from Canada and being stuck with Time Warner, I miss the whole Fibe experience with Bell and being able to record 6 shows at once and all of that good stuff.

Edited March 24, 2015 by YaddaYadda

[Dani-Ellie]

So ... I went to the animal shelter today to fill out a kitten adoption application for when I’m ready. (They're still two or three weeks from having kittens available, anyway.) The whole act gave everything a bit of finality that I wasn’t really anticipating. I still miss my little munchkin.

[Souris]

Hugs, Dani-Ellie! Of course you still miss her.

[Dani-Ellie]

Thank you. I guess I just wasn't expecting it to hit me that hard. Clearly I'm not ready yet but the shelter holds the applications for six months so I'll at least have some ducks in a row for when I am. :)

[daxx]

Happy Easter!

[HoodlumSheep]

Happy Easter! Happy Spring Break (if that applies to anyone here)!

[Shanna Marie]

I'm just glad I survived Holy Week. It's been busy. Choir rehearsal Wednesday night, Maundy Thursday service Thursday night, a big classical music production for the Good Friday service, then three services this morning. Whew. I kind of wish we had a new episode on tonight because it would be lovely to just veg out, but I guess I can catch the PBS lineup tonight. I'm trying not to take a nap so maybe I can get to bed early.

 

Oh, and I got to sight read bits of the music this morning. I normally sing second soprano, but we suddenly had a rather drastic shortage of first sopranos, so they were being lost against the orchestra, and since I'm actually a first and only sing second because that's usually where I'm needed (I don't really have the soprano personality, so I'm the one willing to shift, and I can actually find those tricky middle notes), I changed parts. A few more firsts showed up for the last service, so I switched back to what I normally sing. It was kind of fun getting to sing high notes again, but it's a little unnerving to be sight reading that high in front of people.

[OnceUponAJen]

Happy Easter everyone! I'm a first soprano who's sitting out this year due to heart-related health issues. Nothing too serious, but I've been a bit too busy lately, so I'm taking a break. I hope to get back to it though, because singing is one thing that I can admit that I have a talent for. It feeds my soul. I had a beautiful Easter nonetheless!

[Shanna Marie]

I'm a first soprano who's sitting out this year due to heart-related health issues. Nothing too serious, but I've been a bit too busy lately, so I'm taking a break. I hope to get back to it though, because singing is one thing that I can admit that I have a talent for. It feeds my soul.

I totally understand. I missed a huge chunk of last year due to a case of bronchitis that lingered forever so that even after I was done with the serious coughing, the exertion of singing set off coughing fits. I kind of enjoyed the time off, but I also missed it because I hadn't realized what a big part of my self expression that is. I sing in the car and around the house, even when I'm not singing seriously, and I couldn't do that at all for several months.

 

I think I might have been a Disney princess in a former life. A few weeks ago, I had a plumber in doing a bunch of jobs around the house, so he was here all morning, and that made me conscious of my weird little home alone all day habits (I work at home). I have a tendency to burst into song randomly, and I also talk to inanimate objects ("what are you doing here?" "That's not how you're supposed to work," "Now I'll just move you over here"). And that's when I realized -- hmm, bursting into song and carrying on conversations with household furnishings. Either I'm insane, or I'm starring in a Disney cartoon. I have not, however, named or made clothing for any household pests.

[Lieutenant]

It's a fun night out here!  Have tornado warnings popping up all over.  Just had a "baby" tornado roll through town last week (tho I'm not convinced it wasn't just some epic straight-line winds) that blew the roof off our city library and snapped whole mile sections of power poles off at a time.  Whee.  That being said, I love this kind of weather.  Makes me want to watch Twister, lol.  I remember when we had some family visiting from the East coast one summer, and a big super cell was lurking around the edges of town.  Everyone in town was going about their business, taking walks, driving, etc.  My poor cousins were freaking out, wondering why the streets weren't deserted yet.  I dunno.  I guess when you grow up with it, you know when it's time to take it seriously, and when it's just a big 'ol storm.  I've lived in some places that set their sirens off if winds so much as gusted strongly in conjunction with scary clouds.  Where I grew up (and currently live), sirens only go off if there's a freaking twister coming into town LIKE NOW.  It's kinda interesting (and funny) to experiences the little differences in geography across the US, and how folks react to different weather events.

[OnceUponAJen]

I grew up with tornadoes and they still make me a little nervous. We had an F5 go through a few years ago that ran practically into the next state. Worse, I live at the juncture of an interstate & highway where these tornadoes seem to track. If I had been outside, I probably could have seen it from my neighborhood.

[Lieutenant]

Yeah, they can wreak some serious havoc.  I live near enough to both Joplin, MO and Moore, OK.  Those two twisters were particularly bad.  Went with my cousin's church group to help with some cleanup in Moore in 2013.  Pretty sobering.  I've experienced smaller earthquakes and twisters.  Haven't had the pleasure of a hurricane.  Those don't look like fun at all.  Flooding absolutely sucks, and that's just what I've seen from big rains/flash floods.  I couldn't imagine something like Katrina.  But the upside with those is you know it's coming; like days, if not a week+ out.  

[Souris]

Since I live in NC, I'm much more familiar with hurricanes than tornadoes. I think tornadoes are MUCH scarier, because you get days of warning with hurricanes so can get the hell out of town. My cousin's wife grew up in Texas, and when she was a kid, they were hit by a tornado. The family huddled in a closet under the stairwell, and that closet and the stairwell were about the only things left of the house afterward. Tornadoes scare the crap out of me.

[Shanna Marie]

I spent part of my childhood in Oklahoma, and tornadoes do scare me somewhat. Not to a panic, but I watch the radar when things are brewing. I'm somewhat shielded geographically in my current neighborhood because the landscape tends to throw them up in the air so they hopscotch my neighborhood. They'll hit all around but jump over us.

 

In North Texas we get big, nasty hail. And lately, earthquakes. Lots and lots of little earthquakes. I don't believe we've gone over a 3.8, but when you get 11 in one day, even when they're small they start to get unnerving.

 

We sometimes get the far outer bands of hurricanes that hit Houston, but this far inland it's just really windy and bad thunderstorms.

[HoodlumSheep]

I live in Michigan, and tornadoes aren't entirely out of the question. I think I only remember once or twice having to go to the basement. All I remember is the people on the weather station telling us to go to one corner (like NW or something), and our cat went to hide in a completely different direction. I'd sooner trust our cat, than people (natural instincts and all).

The southern part of the state is more likely to get them. We'd be more likely to get shear winds. Living 10 minutes from some dunes has helped cut down on bad weather, I think.

[Dani-Ellie]

You guys! If all goes according to plan, I will have a new little kitten on Sunday. :) I still miss my little Cinnamon like crazy but I'm very excited about welcoming Gracie. (Yeah, I've totally already named her. :D)

[Lieutenant]

Awwww- yay!!  You should totally post a pic of her when/if she comes home, Dani!  Kittens are just the best.  End of story.

[Souris]

Congratulations, Dani-Ellie! I want pictures when you get her. :)

 

A friend has a cat named Grace. She was the runt of the litter and so small for so long that the vet thought she was going to be a dwarf. But she finally grew into a small but normal-sized cat.

Edited April 11, 2015 by Souris

[Dani-Ellie]

Thank you, guys! I will definitely post a picture when she comes home.

[Alex]

Please Dani ! I'm very happy for you and wish joy to both of you!

[FurryFury]

Congratulations! My living situation doesn't allow me to have pets, but I grew up with cats and I SO want a one (favorite breeds: munchkin, ragdoll and scottish fold, but I'd settle for any cat except for those without fur).

[Dani-Ellie]

Thank you, guys! Gracie's home and adjusting nicely. She's seven weeks old today. I've had her all of two hours and I already adore her.

 

Edited April 12, 2015 by Dani-Ellie

[Shanna Marie]

Aww, what a cutie!

 

It's too bad that I'm so allergic to cats that looking at the picture just made me sneeze. Or maybe it's this stupid cold. I was very, very silly the other day and tempted the fates. Last fall, I went on an organizing binge and completely purged, organized, and restocked my bathroom cabinets and drawers. One thing I did was make sure I was ready for cold/flu season by throwing out all expired medications and stocking up on the things I usually need, and then I put them away in one place where they'd be easy to find. And then I got through the whole winter without a single cold, barely any sniffles. Friday morning, I was putting something away and noticed my cold supplies stash in its designated spot so that I wouldn't have to go digging through every drawer when I got sick and remarked to myself how fortunate I'd been to not even have to use it all.

 

The sniffles and sore throat started that afternoon, and it escalated from there. Ah well, at least I had everything I needed in a convenient, easy-to-find spot.

[OnceUponAJen]

Congratulations, Dani-Elle!

[RadioGirl27]

Dani-Elle, she is so cute!!!

[Souris]

Aw, such a little cutie, Dani-Ellie! I want to pet her! She looks like my gray girl that's peeking from under the rug in my avatar.

[Lieutenant]

What a cutie!  I love that gorgeous gray color.  Very striking.

[tennisgurl]

Awwwwwwww Kitty!

[Dani-Ellie]

Thank you all! She seems to be settling in with me fairly well. She's exploring and not hiding, at any rate! :)

 

Ugh, Shanna Marie, that stinks. I managed to go the whole winter without getting sick and then I got a cold at the beginning of March that morphed into a sinus infection. It was like a winter's worth of sickness right as winter was ending, heh.

[Crimson Belle]

Very cute kitten. Similar color to my baby that turned 18 this week, give or take a few days.

[HoodlumSheep]

She looks so precious, Dani-Ellie!

Edited April 12, 2015 by HoodlumSheep

[tennisgurl]

So, this might be a little weird and off topic, but I wanted to ask for some advice, being as this is my favorite board to frequent. I watch a lot of TV shows, and one of my favorite shows had a REALLY disappointing season, with a really terrible ending. And, its not like with Once, where, while I always root for the show to be good, and certainly do get upset with it, I have fun criticizing it and questioning the writing and things like that. I really loved this show, and was extremely invested in the characters, and this season, everything just fell apart. It felt like the writers just didn't care at all, and it hurt. I trusted that they knew what they were doing, and it feels like they have lost their way, and no longer care about me, as a viewer. Honestly, its kind of disturbing me that I am THIS upset about a TV show. I feel sad, betrayed, and I feel like I cant talk to anyone in the "real world" about being this upset over a bunch of damned fictional characters, so I wanted to come here for some advice. I have tried to read tumblr, fanfic, watch videos abiut the show, and sometimes it makes me feel better, but a lot of times, I just feel worse. I feel like it might have to do with some other issues in my life (I have anxiety and mild depression, plus a lot of changes in my life right now) and I just want to be able to talk to people who are as obsessed with TV as I am, who could maybe give me some advice on how to feel better, or at least listen to me get this little rant out. 

 

Or I can just look at Dani-Ellie`s super cute kitten! 

[Camera One]

When that happens to a show I really like, I mentally decide that Season X was the final season and that season finale was the series finale, and everything after that is crappy fan fiction.

[Souris]

So, this might be a little weird and off topic, but I wanted to ask for some advice, being as this is my favorite board to frequent. I watch a lot of TV shows, and one of my favorite shows had a REALLY disappointing season, with a really terrible ending. ... I have tried to read tumblr, fanfic, watch videos abiut the show, and sometimes it makes me feel better, but a lot of times, I just feel worse. I feel like it might have to do with some other issues in my life (I have anxiety and mild depression, plus a lot of changes in my life right now) and I just want to be able to talk to people who are as obsessed with TV as I am, who could maybe give me some advice on how to feel better, or at least listen to me get this little rant out. 

 

Oh, I am so sorry! I have been there. Multiple times. It sucks. I was a huge part of two TV show fandoms years ago, and both shows ended up pissing me off royally to the point that there may have been a few tears shed. And there have been multiple other shows I loved that went downhill and crashed and burned (at least IMO). It seems too often to be the almost-inevitable way of TV shows. Very few keep up their quality for more than a few seasons.

 

Watching a TV show every week and being involved in a fandom makes it a part of our lives, which opens us up to being burned by it. I swore off emotional investments in TV shows for like seven years after the last one. Captain Swan sucked me back in, and, well, of course Once is repeating the pattern!

 

I'm not sure I have any advice to impart on making it easier, as I think time and distance are what ultimately made me feel better and let me forget about them. I tried finding fun things to watch instead that amused me but didn't tempt me to get emotionally involved. Look for fun, entertaining things that have nothing to do with that show -- whether it's another TV show, a series of books, or something diverting in real life.

[Dani-Ellie]

When that happens to a show I really like, I mentally decide that Season X was the final season and that season finale was the series finale, and everything after that is crappy fan fiction.

 

That's kinda what I had to do with Charmed. (Not that Charmed was ever really a great show to begin with but I loved it anyway.) Seasons 1 through 3 are Charmed, and 4 through 8 are like, Charmed 2.0. I liked Paige but them killing Prue upset me a lot.

[OnceUponAJen]

I had to leave a show once that I really liked. The characters I liked were being marginalized and to me it just ruined the whole dynamic of the show. I did go to fanfic for a while, until I found other shows to replace it.

Edited April 13, 2015 by OnceUponAJen

[Shanna Marie]

I vote for looking at the cute kitten picture. In fact, I came here to do that after this week's episode.

[FurryFury]

I watch a lot of TV shows, and one of my favorite shows had a REALLY disappointing season, with a really terrible ending. ... I have tried to read tumblr, fanfic, watch videos abiut the show, and sometimes it makes me feel better, but a lot of times, I just feel worse.

 

I had this experience with BSG, which I really, really, really loved for the first two seasons. My way out? Stopped reading anything about it, at all. Never rewatched it since the finale, never participated in discussion other than saying how much it sucks. Try not to think about it much.

Still hurts 7 years (or 6, I don't remember exactly) years down the line, but not that much.

 

I was also very disappointed by season 3 of Nikita, but this time, I've just made a decision to skip watching s4 and pretend it ended with s2. Worked like a charm.