sidewinder

Exercise and CBD for sure. I don’t exercise as much as I’d like but I do walk my dog 3 times a day. Try to jog 2-3 times a week, thinking I should get back on my bike on alternating days that I don’t jog. Since I really don’t like jogging but used to cycle a lot. As for CBD, I take it in the evenings a few times per week when I’m feeling anxious and think it’s gonna keep me up. I’ve got a xanax script for anxiety but hardly touch it (like once a month) because I know it can be habit forming and docs are stingy with it. Speaking of, I better head to bed so I wake up early enough for a jog before work.

I revisited both yesterday, enjoyed Room(s) more than Vapor City as it just seemed more eventful and engaging. Both made for good driving (alone) at high volume while running some errands not that close to home. I remember just not being into either as Footwork wasn't and still isn't really my thing, but they're good albums.

Just skipped through these 2 tracks a little bit, might check this out. Last one I listened to was Vapor City, don't remember liking it or Room(s) very much. My opinion could be different now though.

That's another thing I worry about, but really it's more about what I'm accustomed to and how much of a change it would be, as opposed to actually an age problem. (I'm 44). My mom moved back to Belgium in her late 50s. Then again, she wanted to be close to her mom and sisters, and had started a long-distance relationship...but she was also leaving her 3 kids in the US. She needed to be with her mom before it was too late. And I think that's gonna be the same for me.

Truth, and I've already been living away from my immediate family for 14 years at this point (since moving to Seattle). I don't even see my dad in Houston very often, after the first 5 years I stopped going back every year to visit because I don't like the place and was holding out for him to come visit here (he still hasn't). I enjoy spending time with my extended family when I go visit Belgium every few years, but there's no denying we're not as tight as we used to be (how can we be after so many years?). And my French is elementary and rusty, basically it's small talk level which is fine for a few days. I think it would come back and expand pretty quickly though, immersion is the best way to learn and it's my native tongue. My girlfriend, on the other hand, I'm not sure about. She took some French in school and can understand some, but doesn't put any effort into learning (save for a few weeks of using an app every few years). If we moved, we'd likely go to a big city where English is pretty common – I'd need a mostly English-speaking job myself anyway. But back to the point, it would be nice to see the extended family a little more often, my mom of course, and my sister with 2 kids that's in England. They're both under 10 and I've only seen them 2 and 3 times. I don't love kids and don't want any of my own, but these are my niece and nephew, would be nice to know them better. Even my niece in Houston (who is now 21) feels like a stranger as I moved out of town when she was about 7. Damn, that just hit me. That's 2/3 of her life I've lived away and only seen her on short visits.

For the purpose of this conversation I'll call the US "my country" even though I was born and raised in Belgium and still hold that as my only citizenship (after being here 35 years ?). My parents brought me and my siblings to the US when I was 9 for what was meant to be a few years transfer for my dad's job. A couple of moves within the first 6 years and it was pretty clear they weren't planning to move us back. They had nothing against Belgium, I think they just got used to living in the US, that's all. Extended family was visiting frequently, and we'd go back and visit every few years as well. Anyway at 16 we moved down the Texas (bleh) and I spent my formative years there. Didn't leave till I was 30, when I moved to Seattle with an ex girlfriend and I've been here since. I like it here in Seattle but I'm also kind of sick of the vibe (and cost), even though it's the most beautiful place I've lived. I think moving around a lot throughout my life it's hard to feel settled down and want to stay in any one place forever. Also I have no family in Seattle – my dad and one sister still live in Houston, my mom moved back to Belgium where all my extended family is, and my younger sister lives in England since about 2008. Most of the time I'm fine with that but deep down maybe I'm not, and I'm missing out on nieces and nephews growing up, etc. There are a few other places in the US I probably wouldn't mind living, but is it worth the move? Throughout my entire time living in the US I've thought about moving back (to Europe in general, not necessarily Belgium). I've missed and grown apart from my extended family, I disliked some American attitudes (driving habits, healthcare system, etc.), missed the European lifestyle, etc. but what did I even really know when I was 9? Mostly it's about still feeling like I don't belong in the US. But if I moved back I would most certainly feel like a foreigner, like I do when I visit. Anyway, we're all aware of the political climate in the US and like many, I don't think I can take another 4 years of this dumpster fire because there's irreparable damage being done to American society. The question is, would I be any happier? Every place has its social and political issues. Would I be able to find a great job? Would it pay as well? (No). Would I just be trading in one set of problems for another? There are obvious advantages like being close to family, and especially my mom as she gets older. But damn I've been here 35 years now and even if I've never felt like an American I sure am used to the American lifestyle. I really suck at making big decisions which is why I've never pulled the trigger. Ideally I'd get a job over there and test the waters for 2-3 years, giving myself the opportunity to come back. Guess I can always do that (after I finally get dual citizenship). Anywho I'm rambling now. But the answer to the question is Yes, I would leave "my country" and why? Because it's burning.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1B490bX04xm6fouQmRRO9g

Ohhh, didn't realize she was out for good (?) after last season. Somehow didn't notice she wasn't in the first s10 episode.

Started Shameless season 10, which I wasn't expecting to land right now. Soundtrack is as shitty as it's always been.

I like 88 but goddamn Apple iPhone music player for randomly restarting tracks after you pause them. Sometimes it picks up where you left off after being paused for a long time, sometimes it restarts them after being paused for a couple of minutes. Really fucking annoying even for short tracks, Super duper goddamnwtf annoying when it's long tracks. I looked into this issue once because it's so goddamn annoying and apparently it's "by design". ? So I just don't want to bother playing this if I'm not able to listen to the whole thing in one sitting. But also maybe screw you Actress for not breaking it up into individual tracks? ?

What the what. Do we know for sure the preview track is correct? LOL

Heard a couple of loud trucks go past my house early this morning while I was still sleeping. Saw & heard another one pass when I was coming back from walking the dog. Dump truck, very loud going up the slight hill. Heard 2 more since. What the fucking fuck? There are no construction projects on my street for blocks in either direction (none that I know of for miles, actually). I'm one block from an arterial street and suspect they're taking a "shortcut". Although I really don't see how what "cutting" through my street would save them any time at all. If anything they could lose time. Where the fuck are they coming from and why aren't they using the arterial? GTFO. If this happens again tomorrow I need to track down the source and complain.

I really wish they hadn't stopped after 3 seasons! I really, really enjoyed that series. Just looked up on IMDB to confirm that there wasn't another one planned, and it actually does show S4 with titles for the first 2 episodes, a description for the 1st, and thumbnails for all episode placeholders. But no dates. Very confusing. Ah ok, Wiki coming through with better info: "The upcoming fourth season is set in 1950 in Kansas City, Missouri, and features a cast led by Chris Rock, Jason Schwartzman, Jessie Buckley, Ben Whishaw, and Timothy Olyphant. The season was scheduled to premiere on April 19, 2020, but it was delayed indefinitely after production was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic." https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2802850/episodes?season=4&ref_=tt_eps_sn_4

Started watching the Japanese/British crime drama Giri / Haji on Netflix this week. Pretty good! Recommended. First episode is mostly Japanese with subtitles for the set-up, but it seems to be mostly English going forward.

Yup, better roll the dice and get cool fast! Any reputable shop should guarantee their work, although it's certainly a hassle if you have to take it back.

I ended up buying a new-to-me car from Michigan and it finally arrived last Friday – it took like 3 weeks to do paperwork and about a week and a half in transit. Part of the reason paperwork took so long aside from the sales guy being generally inept was that they mailed the docs I needed to sign to the wrong address. When I provided them copies of my driver's license and insurance, I made it very clear in my email what my current address was (not the one on the DL). So they overnighted the stuff and after a day and a half I'm like, where's the stuff? And after confirming the address he told me they mailed it to the wrong place. Apologized and admitted I had provided my current address. So that accounts for about a week of the process – me tracking it down, sending it back, them sending docs again with the correct registration address on them, etc. So why am I bringing this up since the car was delivered last Friday? Because one would expect that my copies of the signed documents would have been in the car, along with a temporary plate providing proof of registration. But neither were in the car, so I inquired. Sales guy says he'll check with the finance manager, as those things should have been included. A day or so later I follow up and he tells me she overnighted them. Another day goes by and I say I haven't gotten them, and ask to confirm the address. Guess where they fucking sent it?!!! Un-fucking-real. You'd think after the initial mistake and having to redo paperwork they'd remember this shit. So I've been driving around the past week with no temporary plate, just a dealer advert plate basically so at least it's clear the car was recently purchased, but nothing displaying that it's registered. Luckily I was wise enough to take photos of all the sales documents I signed before sending them back, so I can use that if needed, but could still wind up with a ticket. It's a calculated risk, I could always drive my older car but I waited so long for this new one I can't help myself – it's more fun to drive. I just can't believe these incompetent fools at a reputable dealership group.

I voted for "I don't like chat rooms" but it's not so much because I think they've had their time, as I was never that into them. I just don't spend enough time on the forums so sit and inject myself into chat vs hopping into specific threads that interest me.

I turned 44 on Friday and took a selfie for posterity.

"The inscrutable shoegaze legends..." ?

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)

I'm getting that feeling too, except for some departments that need to be on site. I still look forward to the opportunity for in-person collaboration a few times a month or even 1-2 times per week, but have started to think about whether I really need to be here. I was surprised to hear "moving" brought up on an organization meeting today, in fact. Apparently some folks have already brought up that they'd like to move, and leads advised talking to HR first mainly for tax implications. I've thought about moving to another nearby town, mostly for more affordable homes and a slight change of scenery but now also because I don't need to be as close to the office. But maybe it's worth expanding my options even more. Kinda tired of Seattle tbh and this autumn I'll have lived here 14 years, which was the limit I told myself I had to live here, in order to surpass my previous longest city of residence, Houston, since I never liked it and really wanted it stripped of that crown. I think in general we're likely to see a shift back to suburbia and more sprawl as people want more space for their money, don't need to be as close to the city for remote work, and want to be away from dense populations. That's not for everyone, of course, but certain age groups as well as families.

I was surprised to see Watchmen on Hulu the other day, didn't notice other content. But yeah, I assumed it was from previous deals or perhaps a way to entice Hulu users to sign up for the HBO Max add-on. As required by the FTC, I must disclose that I'm an HBO employee when commenting on public social platforms. But I know nothing about licensing deals. ?

Cool, thanks for clarifying. I was assuming based on the RYM dates and album release that yes, the previous members would have a lot of writing credits on Electra 2000, but also wrongly assumed they performed on the album. Difficult to know without looking at join/departure and recording dates – and liner notes ?. I gave up my CD collection some years ago. ETA: Anyone ever heard the 1991 album Fillet Show? I haven't, wonder if it's worth seeking out. I'm a big fan of Electra 2000 fwiw.

Guessing you mean the last lineup before hiatus, as some original members have left before and after Electra 2000. So probably Matt Talbott, Bryan St. Pere, Jeff Dimpsey, and Tim Lash. From RYM: Matt Talbott (vocals, guitar), Andy Switzky (guitar, vocals, 1989-93), Akis Boyatzis (bass, 1989-90), Jeff Kropp (drums, 1989-90), Bryan St. Pere (drums, 1990-2000), Joe Futrelle (bass, 1990), Rod Van Huis (bass, 1990-91), Balthazar De Ley (bass, 1991-93), Jeff Dimpsey (bass, 1993-2000), Tim Lash (guitar, 1993-2000)

Curious what you all thought of the Failure comeback album The Heart Is a Monster 5 years ago? Don't recall if there was a thread. Seems like the general consensus was similar to this one, that it was a really solid comeback album. And I agree. I gave it 4 stars, but to be honest I haven't played it much - maybe 3 to 5 times. Might be the case for this one too, simply because I don't listen to this type of stuff that much anymore. Plenty of rock, still, but I guess comeback albums just have a tendency to fade away. But this is definitely great and probably stronger than Failure's comeback. BTW who's in the band for this album?