2017: the year I moved into a 2nd floor apartment and gained a view. Mostly of the Hiawatha Fie station, but I'll take what I can get!
Book: Yes, I'd forgotten you're moonlighting as a criminal mastermind now. Got your next heist planned? Simon: No. But I'm thinking about growing a big black mustache. I'm a traditionalist.
'War Stories'
Goodbye and Good Riddance 2017: That'll put marzipan in your pie plate, Bingo!
Every year we watch the Charlie Brown special, do the Snoopy dance, wish everybody a Merry Thanksgivukkahmas, and thank our Secret Santas in the good riddance thread. Which is this one, in case you were wondering.
Go away, 2017. You have a lot to turn around, 2018. Bring it on.
quester - Jan 04, 2018 4:04:54 pm PST #105 of 162
Danger is my middle name, only I spell it R. u. t. h. - Tina Belcher.
aurelia - Jan 06, 2018 10:03:53 am PST #106 of 162
All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story. Tell me a story.
Emily, thank you for the archery range gift certificate! That's just what I need to shift me from idly thinking about it to actually going!
billytea - Jan 06, 2018 2:18:09 pm PST #107 of 162
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.
Happy new year everyone! I feel I've been around less this past year. A lot of that was just the politics train wreck; I found it harder than usual to engage after that.
My 2017 was, at a personal level, pretty good, even if I also spent a lot of it more worried for the state of the world than any time since leaving the borderline apocalyptic FAC. Our most momentous event was building an extension on the back of the house so Biyi's parents can have their own space, and finally getting the back yard landscaped. I've uploaded some photos to flickr, for instance: [link] It's mostly native plants that cope well with dry conditions; we also have some bamboo and three citrus trees (lemon, lime and mandarin). The planter box in the corner, which we built for Biyi's mother, is mostly a herb garden, but Ryan is growing a couple of tomato plants in there too.
Speaking of, Ryan has now finished Year 3. This year he started playing saxophone, which is fun. He's been doing tunes like the Star Wars theme and the James Bond theme. Here's a photo of him, taking an archery lesson with one of his friends. [link]
In conclusion, I present this photo of a meerkat, just because. [link]
meara - Jan 06, 2018 2:50:55 pm PST #108 of 162
I don't know why I am so jealous of people with citrus trees. I don't even use that much citrus. But somehow it just seems the ultimate luxury to me (next to also having an avocado tree)
DebetEsse - Jan 06, 2018 3:34:54 pm PST #109 of 162
Woe to the fucking wicked.
Well, that seems like as good a segue as any.
At the end of May, we bought a house. It was built in 1933 and I think the lemon tree in the back yard was planted about then. It still needs a lot of work (It feels like we'll NEVER finish paint-scraping), but it's a good house.
The "we" in the previous paragraph is me and my fiance (since March. He proposed during a dress rehearsal. Worked it into the opening number of the show. Well done, him). What with the whole "rock in the middle of the ocean" thing, and his brother being in Vietnam, we're not getting married until July of this year, which is kind of the "we need to be done scraping paint" deadline.
I've been super busy with work and theatre stuff, but I have been reading, so I think I feel like I'm around more than it looks like I'm around.
DavidS - Jan 06, 2018 5:42:41 pm PST #110 of 162
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
Here's a photo of him, taking an archery lesson with one of his friends.
Awww, looking so cute with his blue glasses (which I totally validate).
DavidS - Jan 06, 2018 5:43:23 pm PST #111 of 162
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
The "we" in the previous paragraph is me and my fiance
Good news! Let's highlight the rare examples of that in 2017.
Scrappy - Jan 07, 2018 7:14:44 am PST #112 of 162
Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
Lovely backyard and Ryan is such a handsome and adorable young man!
Beverly - Jan 07, 2018 7:53:16 am PST #113 of 162
Days shrink and grow cold, sunlight through leaves is my song. Winter is long.
Ryan is definitely both handsome and adorable--that's a very good looking family, in fact. The back yard looks very spruce and ready for gardening.
Good to see you, Mr. Tea!
Zenkitty - Jan 07, 2018 3:18:39 pm PST #114 of 162
Every now and then, I think I might actually be a little odd.
billytea, Ryan is as adorable as ever! I'm glad your family is doing so well, and I hope you're able to be around here more in 2018!
Actually, I hope I'm able to be around here more in 2018. It's been a rough year, emotionally.
Debetesse, just in case I didn't say it before, Congratulations! on both house and fiance!