Small Talk: Chili's

[Kalliste]

haha, were you guys responsible for crashing the CA immigration site?

In all seriousness, the situation really does suck. My Twitter feed has been full of things that have happened to minorities today because of the election result. Lots of people in hijab getting harrassed and black people being told to grow cotton or sit at the back of the bus.

It's like over night the country reverted back to its state 50+ years ago. So sad.

[Pixel]

It is a horrifying thing that's happened.  It's not about politics for me, it's about installing this horrible, horrible man into the highest office of power in the world.  It's sickening. I can only hope he can be controlled. In any case, I don't want to derail this happy place with politics - there are threads for that on this site, and I actually came over here to get away from the anxiety those were causing me.

I have seen a movement for wearing safety pins starting to pick up steam. Apparently it started when they had similar highly charged racial or religious or whatever based incidents after Brexit. It signifies to those in those targeted groups that you are a safe person for them to talk to, to sit by, to whatever.  I like that.  I might pick up one of those big safety pins, decorate it with a heart or some other charm, and start wearing it. All other things aside, I want everyone to feel safe in their home country. 

I'm off to place my picks for Fantasy Movie League this week, if it's not already too late!

ETA:  Well, shit. It's too late.

Edited November 11, 2016 by Pixel

[King of Birds]

You missed FML ... again? Oh well, it's not like I'm doing great either.

I didn't hear about that safety pin movement- gotta link for that?

[MichelleAK]

4 hours ago, King of Birds said:

You missed FML ... again? Oh well, it's not like I'm doing great either.

I didn't hear about that safety pin movement- gotta link for that?

KOB, here is a link to the HuffPo article:  The Incredible Reason You Might Start Seeing Safety Pins... 

I like this idea. It can be as subtle or as in your face as you want.  

[Pixel]

Thanks for the link, MichelleAK. I had just been seeing it on my FB feed all day, so I didn't have a link. 

I'll be back to FML regularly now after this week. I've seriously been election obsessed, but now that's it's over I'm going to go back to ignoring politics. I can't handle the constant stress. I was going to deactivate FB and go on news blackout to decompress, but I like seeing the funny stuff and what my friends had for dinner. I'm not going to sit around and whine that our president is an asshat.  I'm just going to try to be a champion if I see injustice. Like a trashy Wonder Woman.  

[Kalliste]

I've seen the safety pin thing too, only on Twitter though.

Hopefully once the initial storm passes things will calm down. 

On a happier note, I'm off work for 2.5 weeks! It's been 5 months in the waiting and today I found out it's going to be cold and raining in Wellington for the first couple of days I'm there... thanks New Zealand. I'll have to work around that somehow.

One thing I found fascinating about the world we live in today is that I booked an eyebrow wax for my 1st day in Wellington and it was faster and easier than trying to do it with the place that is 10 mins up the road. Hooray for the internet!

[King of Birds]

@Kalliste - I was reading today that in Australia they get over 90% of the population  to come out for voting ... because you get fined if you don't! I figure it's true (not like I was reading Brietbart) but curious how much the fine is?

Thanks Michelle for the link!

[Kalliste]

@King of Birds

The difference here is that voting is mandatory so the majority of people do go and vote however that doesn't mean they are all legitimate votes. We have issues with high numbers of donkey votes which I don't really understand. If you've spent time lining up to vote why not actually vote.

The fine is minimal, $20. So it's not much of a deterrent :P although I don't think many people know how much it is, just that they could be fined for not voting. Same as not participating in the census.

[possibilities]

That's interesting. I think the difference is that in the US, it's not really been in our history to care if everyone votes. It's long been a battle to get various populations the right to vote (or to exclude certain people from doing it)-- women only got the right in 1920, and at various times there have been poll taxes and literacy tests and ... well, I don't want to get into all the barriers and exclusions, they're well known. But basically we only care about winning, here. If we had a tradition of voting being both allowed and encouraged and important, I think more people would do it-- you would be taught how to do it (I keep being surprised by how many people don't know how or where to register, or when election day is, etc), there would be more of a tradition of doing it, there would be more encouragement, fewer obstacles, etc. At least that's how I imagine it. I don't think I'm being controversial here. It's in our Constitution. I think we've had a lot less emphasis on civics in our schools than we used to, also. I've heard of other countries requiring people to vote, but I didn't know Australia was one of them. I like the idea of automatic voter registration, which we don't have here. It's like we have all these separate layers of bureaucracy. You have a birth certificate. But if you want a copy, you have to do a bunch of stuff to get one. You also need to do something ELSE to deal with social security, and to apply for benefits once you become eligible. And a passport is a separate procedure, and registering to vote is its own separate process. Pretty much everything you do requires a separate paper trail and hoops to jump through. Sometimes they don't even happen in the same office. It's ridiculous. You can't just do it all at once. But if we were encouraging people to participate, there would be a process that streamlined it, notified people, encouraged them, told them how it works, etc-- and it would be automatic, not "everyone for themselves". I realize some of these processes are more transparent than others, but a lot of it just feels to me like it's unnecessarily complex and obscure.

Having said all that, I am usually somewhat of a political junkie but I am very happy to find refuges from the topic at the moment. It's gotten very painful and scary and upsetting.

I've been so cranky and demoralized lately-- even if you don't factor politics into my mood, my personal life has kind of been getting me down, so I've not been very chatty. I finally had the energy to have an actual conversation yesterday, and so I called a friend I hadn't heard from in a while, and discovered she was in the hospital. So that wasn't exactly a fun morale booster, though I was glad I was able to reach her and find out what was happening.

[Kalliste]

You also have to register to vote here (I don't really know why) but it's not difficult. You fill out a form, someone signs it to confirm you are who you say you are and then you send it off to the electoral commission. We also have all those other hoops too, want your drivers licence? The laws are different in all states (whyyyyy). Want a passport? You have to go to the Post office (whyyyyy?) and do an interview. Want to receive welfare payments? That's another department.

There is still lots of red tape here but not nearly as much around voter registration and who is eligible to vote. You only have to register once but you're expected to let them know when you move address and you are then always eligible to vote. Our campaigns also don't go for an exhausting 18 months :P

Hope things look up @possibilities and also that your friend is ok.

[Babalu]

I just read about the earthquake and tsunami in New Zealand, @Kalliste. This is the second time in recent years that Christchurch has been severely affected by an earthquake. I hope it doesn't impact your vacation, and even more I hope the people of Christchurch are all right - the report I read said didn't have a lot of details other than the earthquake was 7.8 magnitude and they were still assessing the damages.

[Kalliste]

Thanks @Babalu I'm hoping not, everything we have planned is on the north island so I think we should be ok.

It was a big one though, the reports are saying 2 dead currently and there has been quite a lot of damage down in Christchurch, again. It seems like they're never going to be able to repair everything. They were still working on damage from the last big quake that hit them.

Edit: Looks like Wellington was hit as well, not as bad though but the CBD has been closed today. They're hoping to have everything assessed today so fingers crossed my hotels pass the check. 

[King of Birds]

Posting now- I don't have time yet but come back over the weekend. I know you've missed it! I haven't done a poll IN AGES.  But I'll have a new one. Or maybe even TWO. 

ETA- here ya go!  One is Thanksgiving related. One is about TV character alter-egos. Enjoy!

Edited November 19, 2016 by King of Birds

[MichelleAK]

The second poll didn't accept my vote.  I voted for pan stuffing and cranberry sauce in the first poll.  We will also have mashed potatoes, but I'll probably just have stuffing; I don't need that many carbs. We'll have a green bean casserole, but I don't like that at all.  

[King of Birds]

2 minutes ago, MichelleAK said:

The second poll didn't accept my vote.   

I happened to be here, I see what was wrong and fixed it, so go forth and vote!

[Babalu]

Normally I would be all about the mashed potatoes, but this year we're having ham, probably with sweet potatoes and green beans. My husband doesn't really like the traditional Turkey dinner, and I usually tell him he can put up with it once a year, ya big baby, but this year (and this year only) I'm giving in. Mostly because we're still getting organized and I want fewer dishes to wash.

[sacrebleu]

aaaaand just in time for Thanksgiving, scientists explain how to eat as much as possible! http://www.popsci.com/how-to-consume-as-much-food-as-possible-this-thanksgiving#page-3 

[King of Birds]

After reading I didn't know if that article is trying to help you engorge or was a goof- and then saw this on top:

Note: This advice is not conducive to a healthy everyday diet. But then again, neither is Thanksgiving.

Hope you all have a great day and don't run out to stand in lines at stores opening late for "Black Friday."

[Pixel]

What up, peeps? Where is everybody? 

I spent Thankgiving with my Trump-supporting brother and his family. I was Thankful that everyone was smart enough to not discuss politics. Now, it's time to shop for Xmas. I have no idea what to get anyone. 

[Kalliste]

I got back from NZ late last night.

Back to the real world of boring breakfast, flies, spiders and hot weather. I guess summer happened while we were away.

I am glad I am not at work today though. I took a few days off so I could get back into real life before going back to work

[MichelleAK]

Had a nice Thanksgiving with the family. We decided to do a "secret Santa" for Christmas this year, for the six adults participating (my mom already bought gifts, so she is a special case this year).  This will make things easier, and keep gift costs lower.  We can buy for others, but there is a $25 maximum. 

Back to work tomorrow after 4 days off.  I did get my Christmas tree up, and most of my other decorations, so the living room looks pretty for a change. 

[Glory]

I have two Christmas gifts left to buy. Three if you count the one that Guts is responsible for.

Now I can enjoy my favorite month of the year in peace! 

Thanksgiving was fine. I only heard one utterance of "Mark my words, Obama is going to jail" so I will call that a win. I ate too much food and had no room for dessert, though, so that wasn't my finest move. 

My in-laws are still in town through tomorrow. I'm looking forward to having my house back. 

[Pixel]

22 hours ago, Kalliste said:

I got back from NZ late last night.

Back to the real world of boring breakfast, flies, spiders and hot weather. I guess summer happened while we were away.

I am glad I am not at work today though. I took a few days off so I could get back into real life before going back to work

How was your trip? 

Next year I think I'll take the kids on a cruise over Thanksgving. 

[King of Birds]

3 hours ago, Pixel said:

Next year I think I'll take the kids on a cruise over Thanksgving. 

Hm, any cruise at this time of the year would need to be near the equator or further south. Is Hawaii even a good place to check out in November? I doubt it.

See this is the thing with the internet-destruction of the "travel advisor" for those of us completely clueless about what time of the year to go where. I mean, what's best for Hawaii- April? @Pixel I figure you know that one. What's best time to visit Ireland?  When do I crash Oz and annoy Kalliste? These are things I need to know. 

[Kalliste]

The trip was good, although I don't know that I'd go back to Auckland city.. it felt like a run down Melbourne. If I were to go back I'd probably be more adventurous and drive up one of the coast lines and see what was around. Wellington is quite lovely though but so windy! We had the worst turbulence flying from Auckland into Wellington... it was all cloud and then suddenly there was water, I've never been so happy to see land in my life.

There was also all these new places and brands to find out about! NZ seems to have a lot of independent icecream makers but you can still buy them in supermarkets... we bought so much icecream. It was quite disappointing to come back to our supermarkets that have very minimal range.

The highlight was Waiheke Island which was about 20km from Auckland. It's a beautiful island but so expensive if you wanted to live there. Most of the land cost around $600k NZD without a house and more than a million with one. The houses were also pretty unspectacular. Maybe one day though :D

As for best time to come here @King of Birds it really depends on where you're going and what type of climate you like. My city is cold in winter but hot in summer but is also quite dry heat rather than humid but if you go up north it's nicer late autumn and hot and humid in summer, far north and you'll only get wet/dry seasons... and crocs. 

[Glory]

@King Of Birds

I have a girlfriend that is a travel adviser! She loves it. She loves to travel though, so she mainly picked it up as a hobby. Still, she can sometimes get us good deals for hotel rooms beyond what I can get from Starwoods Preferred Guest. 

[Babalu]

11 hours ago, King of Birds said:

Is Hawaii even a good place to check out in November? I doubt it.

See this is the thing with the internet-destruction of the "travel advisor" for those of us completely clueless about what time of the year to go where. I mean, what's best for Hawaii- April? @Pixel I figure you know that one. What's best time to visit Ireland?  When do I crash Oz and annoy Kalliste? These are things I need to know. 

Any time is a good time to visit Hawai'i, at least if you live in a place that has winter. Before we moved there, we would vacation for a week most winters. Occasionally, we'd run into people from California who thought it was too cold in January, and, when we lived there, I'd sometimes see my co-workers in down jackets and Uggs (because the mid-60s is so cold!) Sometimes it rains or is voggy (volcanic fog) for days on end, but that's bad luck. The north shores also tend to be rainier and have more turbulent waves in the winter.

The last time we were between cats for a few months, we decided to take a longer-than-normal vacation, so we went to Sydney and Cairns after my husband vetoed New Zealand because it's too cold in June. Sydney ranged from warmish to cool and rainy, but Cairns was hot and dry (closer to the equator). 

My dream is still to do a NZ cruise, but I probably should have done that when I lived in the Pacific. I especially want to go to the South Island. @Kalliste - did you get there? It seems like a lot of people rent camper vans to explore NZ, but I think the negatives of driving and camping outweigh the positives of seeing the land up close and flexibility for me.

[Babalu]

Double post, sorry.

Edited November 29, 2016 by Babalu

[sacrebleu]

Heeeeey @Glory My best friend is turning 40 in Feb, and wants to go to Vegas, so if your friend can clue me in to any deals...

Other than Vegas in Feb, and the US Open trip in September, my big trip this year is to Seattle and Victoria in May. 

My Thanksgiving was really nice. I'm the cook in the family, but my place is too small to host my family, so I bring everything over to my brothers and he and his wife host. They clean, I cook, it's the perfect division of labor.

[Pixel]

I agree with Babalu. I feel like the weather in Hawaii is pretty consistent. I've never based my travels there on anything except when my in-laws decide to bring us over, and it could be anytime.  I feel like the weather is pretty much the same no matter when I go - and I've been there in December, in February, and in the middle of summer.  The one trip where the weather was not good was a couple of years ago, I think there was a hurricane or something and even though the general weather wasn't much different, the humidity was unbelievable. My in-laws live in Kihei, which is the "desert" side of Maui, so humidity usually isn't an issue there.  You have to travel an hour and a half to Lahaina to really enjoy the jungle humidity if you're on Maui.

The nice thing about February, though, is the place is filthy with whales, and you can see them spouting constantly in the distance.

[King of Birds]

5 hours ago, Pixel said:

the place is filthy with whales

Filthy With Whales! Bravo! Potential handle for another time /place.

[Kalliste]

@Babalu some parts of NZ aren't that cold during winter. Wellington, for example generally doesn't get below 0C in winter. Where as my city sometimes makes it as low as -8C and we complain about it endlessly :P My bf and I did consider moving to Wellington because it's pretty and it doesn't get as hot or as cold as where we live now. And Waiheke that I mentioned above was also a good climate, if you can afford to stay there :D

We didn't go down to the south island. I wanted to but we decided we'd do the north island this year and maybe do the south island next year.. although I don't know how I feel about flying into Wellington Airport after my recent experiences.

It's actually fortuitous we didn't go south because I wanted to take the ferry down and then go through Picton and Nelson which didn't fair so well in the earthquake. 

[Glory]

21 hours ago, sacrebleu said:

Heeeeey @Glory My best friend is turning 40 in Feb, and wants to go to Vegas, so if your friend can clue me in to any deals...

Other than Vegas in Feb, and the US Open trip in September, my big trip this year is to Seattle and Victoria in May. 

My Thanksgiving was really nice. I'm the cook in the family, but my place is too small to host my family, so I bring everything over to my brothers and he and his wife host. They clean, I cook, it's the perfect division of labor.

Vegas is actually easy. You can get most of the best deals online. Hotels.com usually has good bundles of airfare/hotels. You don't need a car if you stay on the strip so don't be sucked into a rental. Sometimes you can find cheap flights if you don't mind Spirit or Frontier that make booking separately more appealing, but most of the time those packages really are your best bet. 

I love Vegas. It's pretty much my favorite place on earth. Guts and I got married there! 

The Mirage is one of my favorite places to stay. It's right in the middle of the strip and most of the hotel rooms have been recently renovated so it's quite nice. If you don't mind being on one end of the strip or the other, I like New York, New York. The rooms are not the best, but I like their casino a lot and they have a bunch of good restaurants inside that won't break your budget. 

If you're going for pool time - the Bellagio or Mandalay Bay are must stays as they have GREAT pools. The Flamingo just re-did their 21+ pool but it's kind of  a party spot and the rest of the hotel is pretty shabby. The difference 5 years made at that place was astounding - the grounds are just really unkempt. 

I'd like to stay at the Venetian or Palazzo one time. The Palazzo is more expensive but every single one of their rooms is a suite. Plus they have a great casino and they're connected to the Venetian which also has great food. It's more in the middle too. 

What else do you need to know? I'm a walking Vegas tour book. I was there three times in the last 15 months!!

[King of Birds]

Okay you all have to watch this, and then - show of hands! Could any of us do this no-hands challenge?

I'll go first. NO. NOPE.

[Kalliste]

Um probably not :P I don't know how you'd get it over your butt.. he has the advantage of having a small one :P

[possibilities]

Holy shit, I don't even have a sense of how to try it. I watched the videos, but it still seems like an impossible task.

Oh-- wait... I bet I could do it if I was sitting down. Stick legs into pants. Then lie back and raise legs up and let gravity + wiggling do the work.

[Kalliste]

Uhm, blackcurrant isn't common in the US? I can't imagine life without Apple and Blackcurrant juice or blackcurrant candy.. mmm!

[possibilities]

It sounds yummy, but I've never seen it around here. Interesting history, with the pine disease. I wonder why no one tried planting the resistant varieties.

[Pixel]

I think I might be able to do the pants thing. My hips aren't very wide and I have no ass to speak of. 

[King of Birds]

13 hours ago, Pixel said:

I think I might be able to do the pants thing. My hips aren't very wide and I have no ass to speak of. 

Well this would be the part of the game show where the MC would say ... "okay Pixel, name that tune!"  and you'd get a-wriggling. 

As this is the internet, and frankly I know better than to mess with you, I'll decline to say "Pants that ass!"

[Pixel]

1 hour ago, King of Birds said:

Well this would be the part of the game show where the MC would say ... "okay Pixel, name that tune!"  and you'd get a-wriggling. 

As this is the internet, and frankly I know better than to mess with you, I'll decline to say "Pants that ass!"

Ha! I've got the no ass part covered, but don't know if I'm flexible enough. I'll try it tomorrow morning with my yoga pants. 

[smrou]

I'm familiar with the no hands thing from a commercial the Norwegian curling team did a couple years ago that came across my FB feed. I have no hips or ass to speak of, which would be an advantage, but I have a huge belly that I think would present a challenge.

Edited December 5, 2016 by smrou

[MichelleAK]

Whooo!   It was a balmy -5F (-20C) at my house this morning.  I think that's the coldest it's been in over two years. The past two winters have been really mild here in Anchorage; even on my side of town (where it is colder in the winter/warmer in the summer than the west side of town) I don't think it's gotten below zero.  Temperatures are set to go back up today, although only into the low teens.

Finally did a bit of online Christmas shopping yesterday. Since we decided to draw names for presents, I have far fewer gifts I have to worry about.  And the person whose name I drew requested items I can find easily in town. Takes a lot of pressure off this time of year.

[possibilities]

I tried the pants challenge but I used sweatpants and they just kept stretching when I tried to wiggle my leg, so that was a bust.

I used to like giving and receiving presents, but these days I just think it's a hassle.

It snowed here last night and when I woke up all the trees were coated and the ground was white. I had heard to forecast but it still had a big impact on me. All I can say is: "well, it's better than freezing rain."

[King of Birds]

22 hours ago, MichelleAK said:

Whooo!   It was a balmy -5F (-20C) at my house this morning. 

I woke up and it was in the HIGH 40s yesterday.  Oooof!  And it snowed in Hawaii!  Egads.

Okay so if sweatpants don't work .. I'll have to go back and look at the video I posted. Were they putting on jeans? I'm gonna try the trick this morning. I'll report back after I get off the treadmill.

[MichelleAK]

Woot!  I finally bought a new TV.  My previous TV was 8 years old.  It still worked fine, but was only 37 inches and 720dpi.  Bought a nice LG 55" 4K HDR at Costco last night.  Looks huge in my tiny living room, but will be great for movies and sports.  Looking forward to having a Lord of the Rings extended version marathon over the 4-day Christmas break.  And it's nice having everything HDMI now. I recently upgraded my cable to a Tivo box, so everything is literally plug and play.  No more "component out/in" cables. I was planning on getting a soundbar, but the speakers in the TV are really good, and all I need in that small space.  Extra speakers would be overkill.

KOB:  the high 40s?  I hope you bundled up when you went outside! 

[King of Birds]

Update (because I know you were all waiting with abated breath)  - I had to scramble a bit post workout and had no time to try the "no hands pants your ass" trick. Alas.

[frenchtoast]

I'm not going to even try because I have a huge ass and birthin' hips. I have a hard enough time getting jeans on that fit in the first place. 

[Glory]

1 hour ago, frenchtoast said:

I'm not going to even try because I have a huge ass and birthin' hips. I have a hard enough time getting jeans on that fit in the first place. 

Sits with Toast. Ditto. 

I got a new stove yesterday. It's beautiful! 6 burner range with turbo boil and TWO ovens! One with convection. Christmas Eve dinner is at my house so it's perfect timing! 

Now I just need a new fridge and my appliances swap will be complete. We've been slowly swapping out appliances since we bought our house a few years ago. Guts and I have decided we'll stay in this house for a good few more years yet so I don't feel so bad splurging on a stove. 

I'm already planning our spring "projects". New landscaping in the front yard, a new driveway, and hopefully new siding on the house. 

If I had unlimited funds I'd put in a larger kitchen island and new countertops, too. But alas, I do not. I will go buy a lottery ticket tonight, just in case. 

[frenchtoast]

*steals @Glory's stove* I have a wall oven, and I love it. (Though the next one will be French door opening rather than a pull down. It's hard to reach in.) But it's only one and I really need two for Christmas Eve. I saw those cheapish electric roasters before Thanksgiving and I was tempted. I've managed before and I will again but it would make my life a whole lot easier if I had two.