I think we’re a bit overdue for another open thread for personal stuff. As per usual, no trolls, no flames, no being a butthead.
I’ll paste in some recent personal comments from other threads.
Categories
Open Thread for Personal Stuff: November Rain Edition
My brother just called me a “pussy” for saying that the hike was life-threatening in some parts. Thanks, bro. It really hurt when he said that to me, but I’m not going to confront him about it because I hate arguing with him and because he doesn’t have much self-awareness in the first place these days.
::snort:: Brother sounds like a case of the acorn not falling far from the tree, sometimes.
That, or he’d rather not remember how scared he would have been, too. Idiot. Macho man, beats chest, blah blah blah.
HUGS
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WeeBoy — little help it is, but my brother swims in a t-shirt cuz somehow that boy burns way easier than I do (shit, he’s 25, I might need to get over calling him “that boy” huh? Or do I get to keep that privilege as the first-born?)
Beagle Kisses
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You get to keep that privilege as a family member, says the 5 foot older sibling who still refers to her 6 foot something younger brother as “Little (brother’s name)”.
My little 180cm brother’s 30 and I still call him “the boy” a la Homer Simpson
Oh, he’s very different from my dad. Unlike my dad, my brother is actually sensitive and caring for the most part – most of his assholish behavior is due to him being unaware of the fact that he isn’t as nice as he thinks he is. That’s how he is at least in my experience. He has never been abusive towards me. I just wish he had more self-awareness.
Yep, my little brother is the baby of the family 6’4″ and BIG. Built like a tank. We call him the Wee Fellah. And he’s 44. But he’ll always be the baby.
Ally, he’s probably also talking himself into a new version of the story where he wasn’t so scared. In a week or so, it will have been like a stroll through the back yard, because he’s just so awesomely superior. (/armchair psychology)
My apologies for a derail, but this IS a thread for personal stuff, so.
I have been attempting to develop my appreciation of jazz lately. I enjoy listening to it, but my musical ignorance has prevented me from appreciating it on any but superficial levels. So I’ve been reading and listening, listening and reading, and good heavens but it gets frustrating at times. It seems as if most of what’s available by way of tutelary information assumes a degree of knowledge and understanding that I do not possess. E.g., an explanation of ‘swinging’ will include a reference to ‘shuffle accented triplet rhythms ‘ as if that should mean something to the reader. For the musically adept among you, what sorts of basic musical knowledge do you think would be helpful (or essential) to proceed with such an endeavor? To clarify, I do not play any instruments; I am seeking to enhance my experience as a listener, whether to live music or recordings. Simply listening, without a theoretical understanding, can take me only so far.
I can still remember the thrill of finally comprehending the relationship between chords and scales (after about six months of research). I’d really love having that kind of breakthrough with things like syncopation and swing.
He just apologized to me via SMS, saying that he’s sorry for taking his anger at my dad on me. My dad also apologizes to me from time to time, but’s not really apology so much as “I’m going to dryly express regret and then tell you why I did nothing wrong.”
Robert, not a derail! I’m sorry I can’t help, I know nothing at all about music.
Ally, I’m glad your brother’s not like your dad. That’s a plus all on its own, even if he does act the douchecanoe at times.
I’ve just put up a blog post of the pics I’ve done during this week off.
http://vignettesacrosstheveil.wordpress.com/2013/11/05/new-pictures/
Robert, you take your hobbies WAY more seriously than I do. I’d never particularly enjoyed jazz (insufficiently melodious), but I’m learning to appreciate it a little bit. My radio station is very music-centric, and the presenters are also the programmers, and they give you a little history and context of what they play. They also will answer emails. http://www.ckua.com
Ally: “so long as you live close to him”? I’m so sorry.
Robert: I’d look into taking either a Music Theory 101 course, or a Music Appreciation course (community college), and moving on from there.
The other thing would be to get a “history of jazz” book and follow the arc of the music as it developed.
That way the changes in jazz can build, and the layering effects (and the various schools) won’t be tossed on your head all cock-a-hoo.
Yeah, it sucks pecunium. Granted, now they’re okay with us going on hikes only if we tell my dad or one of his siblings and receive permission from any one of them. And we have to tell an uncle/aunt/parent about what exact route we’re taking and when we’re coming back.
I don’t even want to hike anymore. They and their infantilizing rules can go fuck off.
What does, “live close to him mean”? It’s like he thinks he’s a mid-Republic Roman Paterfamilias.
Hugs.
That was intended to be a general statement, although I ended up conveying a different idea. My fault for trying to comment while under the influence. Basically, if any of us disobey him regarding hiking, then he will kick me and my brother out of his house, and if my cousin disobeys my dad or my dad’s younger brother, he too will be kicked out and excommunicated.
Pecunium — he probably does. My father spent the first 4~ of my years in Pittsburgh calling at 4:30~4:45 (when he knew I had a 9-5 job), and making all sorts of demands, like how dangerous it was to stop at subway for dinner when I had to walk by it anyways.
It was only after I got a new phone number and asked my mother not to share it that he finally got over trying to control my every move.
I mean, one of our worst fights when I was growing up was over whether I’d wear my coat while ice skating indoors (too bloody hot for that!)
Everyone here has all the internet hugs and kittens, if they want them, from me.
My quick brain dump: My nana in England is dying. I am trying to fit time into my schedule to visit my aunt once a month – she had early-onset dementia and lives an hour away, but visiting more often will help take pressure off my dad. My stepfather’s lymphoma is in remission (yay) but he and my mum may lose their Florida house as he got sick while there (we’re Canadian) and their US insurance company is refusing to cover anything, claiming ‘pre-existing condition’ bc he had a puffer 2 years prior. $120K total. $13K for an MRI (they got a bill here for MRI’s too, totaling $200 for 3 MRI’s. Why are some USians against this new health insurance thing???)
@Amy
OMG it finally happened. Blockquote monster. I feel like I’ve been christened.
And.. some whimsy for the OT;
An animalistic view of Australia
Tracy, I am so sorry, that’s a pile o’ shit for anyone to have happening.
But welcome to the Eaten By Blockquote Monster club!
Ally – does your brother have a job? I guess it’s too much to hope that the two of you could get a flat somewhere … though I guess even if that were possible, since you work with your scuzzbucket parental alien, he’d get you booted out of work, or something equally disgusting.
Pecunium, love that! I’ve always thought (ie. since a kid) that WA looks like an Airedale’s head, but never thought of the eastern states looking like a cat.
Or Tas being cat food, for that matter. Must tell my Taswegian colleague that. It’ll make a change from two-headed Tasmanian jokes.
More hugs to all.
kitteh, my brother does have a job, but it’s not a permanent job. He works as a freelance developer so he really is limited to getting job contracts and so on. But he will make quite a bit of money for the job, and he told me not too long ago that he’s trying to save a good chunk of the money for a deposit fee once my brother and I are able to move to a new place.