Groupthink

  Happy Saturday night, friends! We had a delicious meal, great company, & I can't wait to be home & in pj's. So many leftovers & pie for breakfast upcoming. What are you up to?

  Happy Sat., folks. What are you up to this weekend? I'm going to clean up a bit, so we can put up our tree. We got a new tree this year, so we're going to put up TWO! I'm so excited! When I was young, one of my best friend's moms had like 5 trees, and I always thought she was nuts. Now, I ASPIRE to that level of holiday cheer/insanity.  How about you? Anything fun planned for the weekend?

 Yep, it's Friday- even though it feels more like a Saturday around here.  I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving Thursday.   Yesterday I got my hair done and then we went to the dump.  Halfway there we realized that going to the dump on Thanksgiving was an homage to Arlo.  We high fived and laughed at it being a great way for expats to celebrate.   This weekend is going to be a busy one with holiday more holiday events than we have time for.  OK, on to the fucks. Fuck my fridge I guess.  The ice maker's motor has just been spinning all morning for no good reason.  I don't think it can be shut off so hopefully it doesn't burn out.  The laundry machine debacle has been quite enough TYVM. Fuck figuring out how to deal with fucking coyotes?!  We're pretty sure that's why Finn wandered away the other day.  Yesterday morning, it strolled up our lane in broad daylight-nice as you please and like it belonged here.  The...

  Morning, y'all! I figured lots of folks are up doing prep work for Thanksgiving, and I'm doing a lazy ass T-Gives dinner, so I'd throw this one up, so others who are doing more (probably most) don't have to worry about it. :)  So, if you're celebrating, happy American Thanksgiving!  And, even if you're not, what you doing, eating, buying today? Right now, Homey and I are watching the parade. I put some Bailey's in my coffee. He said it's too early for alcohol. But I told him you can have morning alcohol on vacation, holidays, and Sundays. :) Anyway! Whatever you're doing, I hope you have a good day!

  Morning, y'all, how you doing? I thought I was all set for Thanksgiving dinner but I need potatoes. But also? I completely forgot about tonight's dinner and tomorrow's breakfast and lunch... 🤦 I was too focused on that damn tofurky, y'all.  Anyway, Homey and I will be hitting up a couple of grocery stores and maybe a bakery this morning. Hopefully, he can run interference for me.  After that, I am going to come home and RELAX. How about you?

  Yes, it's another ai cat in a coffee shop! I hope everyone is as warm and cozy as this guy is.

 Happy Monday!  It's U.S. Thanksgiving week.  How's your planning going?   This week, my bestie is returning after a month & a half away and I'm looking forward to seeing her.  I was thinking about what a remarkable thing close female friendships are.  I'm talking the feels natural to hold hands during a sad movie, intuiting the right questions to ask, flowery sentimental card giving ones. Soul mates aren't just our romantic partners and I love that I'm able to experience that.  Do men have friendships like that?  IDK.  Anyhoo, as soon as the rain breaks for a while we'll be decorating the ATV with holiday lights for the shire's Light Up the Night ATV parade.  I have to decide what snacks to bring for sharing and pull out my giant thermos for (spiked) hot chocolate.  

Good morning, GT. Happy Sunday! We got a tiny bit of rain last night and it was wonderful. I’ve missed the rain and it brings me so much joy to get even a tiny bit of it. I hope we get more in the next few days.  Speaking of the next few days, can y’all believe Thanksgiving is in like 4 days?!? WTF! This year is flying by and I do not like it. I feel so unprepared for the holidays and it makes it hard to enjoy the holiday season when everything feels so rushed and hectic.  Anyway, I haven’t been sleeping the best and it’s catching up to me. I felt SO drained yesterday. I kept dozing off while trying to watch tv and read. No bueno. I really need to fix my sleep routine but I’m not really sure why things are thrown off to begin with. Bleh.  How are y’all doing today? Are y’all ready for Thanksgiving? What's going on in your world? 

Happy Saturday night, groupthink! *Somebody* forgot to schedule a post today. 🤦‍♀️ Very sorry about that. We're home from a lovely dinner & watching a little sportsball. What's going on?

Mornin', y'all--happy weekend. What are you up to today?  This week wiped me the damn eff out. Thank goodness, the only things I have planned this weekend are "stay alive" things (shopping, cooking), a little bit of work, and a yoga class.  How about you? Anything fun planned?

 Friday's here.  How are you holding up?   Today, my fuck yeah is for the little things.  This week, I bought the milk duds and signed up for the $6.99 a month BBC plan. I got the grapes AND the oranges at the grocery store. Last night there was bacon & sausage because, why not?  We deserve good things dammit.  As for the fuck its, mom is up to her old tricks.  I am standing firm on not running myself ragged and getting sick again for her.  At some point the mother has to learn how to take care of herself a little, right?   And as always, fuck that evil clown show of a political party.   Side note since I watched BBC docs last night.  Queen Victoria was a terrible person.  Who knew?  What's on your fuck list?

  Good morning! It's finally properly cold outside. I'll be needing socks & boots for the first time all fall & everything, lol. Having a fire is quite nice, too. I'm making chicken & veggie soup with homemade stock & ignoring things for a day to even out & little.  Ruby has irritated her eyes somehow & has drops now. Omg, she hates them so much! She lays down on the floor for them no problem, but then uses her short stature to her advantage to spin her body around sort of like a pinwheel. It's a very effective maneuver. And funny, too, but she needs the drops, dang it.  What's happening in your neck of the woods today?

  Mornin', y'all--how are you doing? What are you up to today?  I have classes and a couple of conferences today, then Buster has a check up. After that, I'm making mushroom ravioli in a mushroom cream sauce. Def. looking forward to that.  How about you ?

  What is Tuesday bringing for you today? I'm having a talk today with my financial advisor about my pension, now that I've retired.

Monday again! It's still raining here. I cannot remember the last dry day.  I'm celebrating, not complaining- although I did not miss the mud!   I am full of sarcasm and irritation this morning. I'll keep this short so I don't poison the air lol.    I just realized that I have less than 4 weeks before I head off to the states for the holidays.  I need to sort through the things I bought and figure out what I still need.  I think I'll take care of that today. How are you doing?

  Good morning, GT.  It's a chilly morning here in SoCal and Cosmo and I both need to get up to use the bathroom but we don't want to leave the warm bed. We'll see how long we can hold out.  It's going to be a lazy day here. Maybe a bit of cooking but that's about it.  How are y'all doing? 

Happy Saturday night, groupthink! How's it treating you? We've had a nice mix of being lazy & social. I do wish we had cleaned the kitchen before leaving. Coming home to dirty dishes bugs me! Anyway, they'll be done soon & then we're watching a little football/dozing off on the sofa early, lol. Hot cocoa sounds nice, too. What are you doing? 

  Hey, y'all, I hope you're all coping... if you are, can you share the secret?!  My plans for the day include getting a free birthday coffee, and having dinner with my brother's family and the baby nibs. At least some time with those little faces will be a good distraction.  How about you? Are you doing ok? I hope you're doing something nice for yourself and your people this weekend. 💜

 I don't know about you guys but this week FLEW by for me. I got my new laundry machines in yesterday. The delivery guys also left us a hole in the wall so there's that.  Mr isn't the kind to pay for delivery but opted for the convenience this time.  He saw the hole and said "Jeez I could have done that" lol. I don't have any specific fuck it's.  It's really *gestures around* most of everything.   But fuck yeah to being able to wash and dry things.  Fuck yeah to all of this blessed rain here. Fuck yeah to y'all. And happy Friday.

  Good morning, y'all! My uncle needed to reschedule again so my day has really opened up. Maybe the rage will wear off a little by then. Probably not--the news is bleak. Care to talk pie? They're my favorite dessert to bake & eat & it's such a relaxing thing to do when it's cold & gross out. My fave crust recipe is pretty basic, a Cook's Illustrated shortening one. Butter or shortening for you? How about favorite pies? Pecan is mine but I can't think of a single miss besides lemon shoofly. Skip that one, lol. Or talk about whatever. It's nearly the weekend, thank goddess.

    Morning, y'all--how are you doing? This week is a draggin' for me. How about you? I'm still def. in the post-election fear/depression/rage spiral, which isn't helping. I'm going to go to a public library this afternoon to grade, so that'll be nice, anyway. What do you have going on?

  I STILL have not been able to get my file cabinet frames! I walked down from my doctor's office, and headed off in what I thought was the right direction, but I had the wrong address; it was 1980 Eglinton, not 1880 Eglinton, so I walked about a mile in the wrong direction. I may go back again later this week. My cholesterol is down a smidge, and taking all my risk factors into account, I have about a 6% chance of dying from a heart attack in the next 10 years, so my doc says to keep on with the eating habits that I've been following, and maybe bump up the cardio a bit; I walk a minimum of 3 miles a day, but a bit more and a bit more briskly might help. How's everybody else today?

 Good morning. It's Monday and I feel ready to start getting back to business.   I was up and at it pretty early because Finn refused to pee last night.  Poor guy was jumping out of his skin this morning. I have been low key worried about my healthcare because my US insurance is through the ACA marketplace.  Yesterday I read that it is funded through 2025 so I can put that one on the back burner for now.   And for yourselves or the people you know, a reminder that abortion medication can be dispensed by mail.  One does not need to be pregnant to access this service.  A "just in case" prescription is a thing and some orgs have sliding scale fees.   Pass it on.   Anyhoo, what's on your mind and list today? ETA-  Wishing our Goddess a very Happy Birthday as well.

  Good morning, GT.  Cosmo and I fell asleep in the den and it got super cold in there so we put on a fire. First fire of the season and it’s wonderful. Installing an electric fireplace insert was the best decision I made last year. On another cold note, someone gave me a Keurig awhile back and since I'm not much of a coffee drinker it's a bit of a waste on me except for during the cold months. I just placed an order for a bunch of apple cider, hot chocolate and tea k-cups. I know it's cheaper to just make them the usual way, but the Keurig is just too easy.  Anyway, we are going to get up to about 80 degrees today so I want to get a jump start on organizing the outdoor sheds before it gets too warm. I’m not going to go crazy with organizing, but I do want to get rid of four old storage boxes. Other than that, Cosmo and I will be taking it easy since he needs to take it easy on his foot.  How are y’all doing today? 

  Happy Saturday night, friends. I'm following through & actually going out tonight despite the cold, rain, & feelings. It'll be good for us, plus the party is at a really fun lgbtq+ bar. The promise to be home by nine helped too, lol.  Sending love & hugs to you all. <3 I hope you have the kind of weekend you need.  What's going on? I'll pop back in later.

      I'm just sending you all lots of healing, restful, and strengthening vibes this weekend. What are you doing to rest, recover, revolt?

 Sigh.  The biggest fuck it of all time is upon us.  Sending strength and comfort to all of you as we try to make sense of all of this. For what it's worth, I'm glad you're all here and that we're not doing this alone.  Y'all are some of the brightest, kindest and funniest folks I know.  I'm glad to call you friends. So fuck yeah to that.  As always, fuck its and fuck yeahs (big and small) are welcomed below.  GIF it out if the words aren't there yet. 

Good morning! It's another stormy day here which is great for afternoon depression naps. I'm not looking forward to running errands, but have a nice little noirvember list of movies to watch. That will be a nice distraction, hopefully. Hugs & kind thoughts sent to everyone. This sucks. <3 What's up?

I got nothing cute or fun for us today. I'm just in shock.  I guess it shouldn't be shocked, but it still does surprise me every time I find out how much Americans hate each other, and themselves. Because let's be honest: This isn't going to help anyone. He doesn't want to help anyone. This man only wants to inflict pain.    

 Hopes, fears, analysis, gifs, snack talk- whatever you've got for this evening's journey, here's a spot for it!   Whatcha doing tonight?

  So ... it's here, all you USians, although I understand that the final results may not be in for days, which might mean some nailbiters if the result seems to be a close-run race. I'm sure everyone will be glued to their phones and computers all day.

 It's Sunday night. The dog is snoozing, the clock has changed and we did get our first little bit of snow today after all.  It's reassuring to me- these rhythms that tell me all is as it should be.  I've never been much one for hope but faith, that's the thing.  The universe is unfolding as it should, whether or not it is clear to me why.*   So for this week, that will be my meditation. And I will remember to breathe.  How are you doing?

  Good morning, GT. Happy Sunday! I totally forgot we changed the clocks today and was wondering why I was up at such an odd time. The time change has also thrown Cosmo off and he's not sure if he wants to get up or stay in bed. Anyway, it rained last night which was unexpected but very much welcomed. I hope it's a sign of more rain to come.  Today I'll be heading out to the cemetery and then I want to come home and tidy up my bedroom. I have a pile of clothes that need to be put away and I also need to dust and vacuum. Bleh. Later I need to mail out a card for my cousin who is getting married next weekend. I won't be attending the wedding but I figure I should send a card and some money. I'll also need to send one on behalf of our grandmother. I usually prefer to send a gift, but there's no registry so money it is. How much money is typical to give for a wedding gift?  Anyway, how are y'all doing today? 

Happy Saturday night, groupthink! Good vibes sent to you all while we wait out this last bit. I hope you have some treats & distractions handy tonight. Pal's picking up nachos on his way home from his show & we're watching hockey. It's been a relaxing afternoon here & much needed. I hope the same for you. <3 What's going on? 

  Welcome to the weekend folks. What are y'all up to, this first Nov. weekend? Confession: I watched my first Christmas movie of the year last night. I'm SICK! I have a PROBLEM! We are set to have a cooler weekend (FINALLY), so today the plan is a solo hike, a pottery class date with Homey, and cheesy spaghetti squash casserole with some crusty bread for dinner. Tomorrow, the plan is hot yoga and doing some work at the library. I def. need a cozy, quiet weekend, so I'm looking forward to it. How about you ?

Welcome November!  I am pre-posting because I had my vaccines and already am feeling like dog shit.  So fuck that. And I cannot wait until they come up with a combination flu/covid vaccine.  Not having a "good" arm to sleep on is bull.  In the fuck yeahs, Mr is going on a guys' ATV run so I'll have a large part of the day to myself.   In other fuck yeahs, I am continuing to pick away at my holiday shopping which should leave me with a bit less travel angst.   I don't have anything more.  I'm sure y'all can pick up my slack just this once please?  Happy Friday!