u/donut-is-appalled

He sneered at my gift of a (osmium!) cup of coffee. And when I expressed trepidation about him getting bitten by a stray dog, he called me “Garden Rake” and told me to go home!

The absolute audacity of that guy! I hate him!

So I was at my neighborhood Publix on Friday and they’ve got signs everywhere about how they’re closing for business on August 22nd at 7 pm and will be renovating and won’t reopen until winter of 2027

How does that even work?

What happens to all the employees, most of whom I’ve known for almost 20 years of shopping there? Will they get transferred to other Publixes, or are they just SOL?

What kind of grocery store renovation takes a year and a half?

And found my way here via r/dungeoncrawlercarl when I needed some recommendations for what to read after DCC.

I’ve loved reading all my life, and I read all kinds of genres.

I am on book 3 of The Expanse novels, having devoured the first two entries in the series last week.

Reading doorstopper books is nothing new to me, but if you’d told me I’d speedrun more than 1000 pages in five days, I’d have laughed.

One thing I really like, so far, is how the reader is lulled into a false sense of security with the plot. The major events happen and I’ll think, ok, the adventure is over, time to wrap things up, and then I’ll check my kindle and see that, nope, the book is only 60% done.

And it doesn’t make me sigh and go, “when will we be done with this?” It makes me happy to know that I get to stay in this world a little longer, with these characters I like and care about (even the ones I don’t like, or the ones I predict will get eliminated).

Holden is a mix Carl (from DCC) and Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan (from Clear and Present Danger), “boyscouting”it up around the galaxy, and it’s just such a relief and a comfort to have someone in charge of things that’s competent and has some sense of ethics, unlike in real life where there’s *gestures broadly*

I don’t really have a point in this, I guess, beyond, I’m happy to be here, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Like, I know Rand Paul released/leaked it, but how'd he get it in the first place?

Sat in the auditorium for pre-planning professional development, and the person leading the session clicked “play” on a laptop and we watched an AI generated video of an uncanny-valley woman (“AI Generated” was clearly in the upper corner of the screen) on the big screen before being dismissed for lunch.

In all my years of teaching, I’ve never seen anything like this. I. Am. Shooketh.

I just had to do this (SAHM venturing back into the classroom as a substitute teacher). All I owned were shorts and t-shirts and a bunch of fancy dresses I never wear because why would I wear a dress to carline? And don't even get me started on my lack of non-casual shoes!

I also hate (with the passion of a thousand burning suns) going shopping in-person-- the armloads of possibilities, the mild/moderate aerobic wrestling myself in and out of my own clothes and into and out of the avalanche of things that look good on the hanger and not on me, the salesgirls who mean well, but see that I'm older and not the stick-girl I was in my twenties, and who don't know what to do with me.

So what I did was (and I'm 46), so your mileage will definitely vary:

* I found some linen trousers I really liked from Quince and I ordered them in a bunch of colors and sizes, tried them on at home in my own bathroom with my own mirror (so I know it's not a magic mirror like they have some places that make you look amazing and then you go home and you're like, oh no). I kept the ones that fit and the colors I liked, and sent back the ones that didn't work (love those free returns!).
* I also found nice cotton khaki capris from Banana Republic from Costco (more on that below) in dark brown, navy, and black.

So then I had bottoms: khaki, navy, and black, that looked tailored and were comfortable. Now I needed tops.

Amazingly enough, I've had good luck with Costco online for some pieces-- I avoid the polyester/rayon/etc and stick with natural fibers:

* cute (shockingly, because Costco, you know?) cardigans from Gap and Nautica in navy and black (without large branding symbols, because that's not my style)
* flattering and comfortable linen blouses in pale green and seersucker
* cotton gauze shirts with rolled cuffs at the sleeves in white and hunter green and navy
* short and three-quarter sleeved tops with contrast stitching at the collar, cuffs, and hem. They wear like t-shirts, but are polished looking, you know?

So with tops and bottoms sorted, all I need to do now when I get a call to go sub is reach for anything-- everything goes with everything else. I'm not a fashion plate, but I feel more confident and less schleppy than in my usual "uniform" of shorts and American Giant t-shirts and Birks or Crocs or flip flops.

I used to wear ballet flats when I was teaching a decade ago, but a pair of low-top Chuck Taylors in a fun color is my go-to "grown-up shoe" now.

Anyone have any other good sources for "grown up lady clothes?" Pockets are a must, and crop tops need not apply.

Hey everybody, my elderly mother lives over on the UCF side of town. She bought her house in 1999 and her yard doesn't have an irrigation system.

She's a cancer survivor, a retired teacher, has always been active and loves gardening. Last week, she got so overheated and exhausted while moving portable sprinklers around her yard that she got really ill and is still recovering.

My sister and I have decided that we're going to have an irrigation system installed for her.

Does anyone have recommendations for a solid, reliable irrigation company in Orlando? Thank you in advance!