Salon post: February 16

[jenett]

Welcome to this week's salon post!

Topic of the week
What's a new thing you've tried recently (for broad definitions of recently) and what did you think about it? Could be a new food, a new activity, a new kind of thing to watch or read or make or do....

What I've been up to:
Playing catchup from last week, and looking at a project that may eat a chunk of my spring and summer, but be really helpful if we do it. So that's a thing.


House rules:
This is a public post, feel free to encourage other people to drop by, just note the 'if posting anonymously, include a name people can call you in responses' rule.

* Consider this a conversation in my living room, only with a lot more seating. I reserve the right to redirect, screen, and otherwise moderate stuff, but would vastly prefer not to have to.

* If you don't have a DW account or want to post anonymously, please include a name we can call you in this particular post. (You can say AnonymousOne or your favourite colour or whatever. Just something to help keep conversations clear.)

* If you've got a question or concern, feel free to PM me.

Comments

[adrian_turtle]

I tried Dystopia Rising, a zombie larp that was spectacularly Not My Thing. One of my sweethearts has been deeply invested in it for the last year or so, and I wanted to give it a try. It's not the War of All Against All kind of dystopia. And the rules show they're being careful to protect players from various kinds of bigotry (as other players are overexited and thoughtless.) Still....bored, confused, uncomfortable, all the wrong kinds of scary.

[sporky_rat]

Which DR group did you try? I play with the one in Arkansas, and have discovered what with travelers that different groups have different cultures. DR:AR is ... Well, I have found them to be surprisingly good about new people and people with disabilities of various sorts that can be worked with and around (there's only so much you can do with an outdoor setting that doesn't do well with wheeled mobility aids or unaccompanied full blindness) and Krista is Not At Home At All to bigotry and as she's not, so are none of the home players.

I find it refreshing after some of the other larping experiences I've had.

[adrian_turtle]

I went to the one outside Boston. I didn't see any bigotry, and the only accessibility problems were intrinsic to the outdoor setting. (In February. Last weekend. Jennet may recall the ice, which was worse 50 miles inland.) I wore an orange headband (marking me as a noncombatant) and I'm sure everybody was politely willing to leave me out of the combat part of the game...but combat is a huge part of the game. And when the town was attacked, it was just baffling. I couldn't tell who was attacking and who was defending and what direction was "away." A lot of the non-combat part of the game is costuming/props/makeup. It turned out that I found that disgusting, rather than excitingly creepy.

So, it's great that you enjoy it. And I don't think the MA group is doing anything wrong for the people whose thing it is. But it's really not my thing.

[jenett]

Oh, that sounds frustrating.

(And I somehow think it's harder when it's "This is a thing that's doing the right things to run well, and it really doesn't work for me")

[adrian_turtle]

I actually find it more frustrating when it's the other way around. This larp is obviously not my thing, so I should obviously walk away at once. Just z as obviously, they are doing many things right and I can recommend them.
It was harder for me with a synagogue I tried 20 years ago. They were feminist and queer-friendly, welcomed people with no Jewish education, and sang familiar tunes. But several popular perfumes give me migraines, and many of their congregants considered "putting on perfume" an important part of getting dressed up to go to synagogue. I might be able to fight it effectively now, but back in the 20th century I couldn't. And it was frustrating, and felt like a real loss. Fortunately I found an even more liberal synagogue that asks people not to wear anything scented, as part of their accessibility policy. (I mean, they're more feminist, queer-friendly, anti-colonialist, anti-racist, anti-monarchist, etc...they pray in Hebrew a lot and many of them keep kosher, so my mom thinks they're conservative or orthodox.

[jazzyjj]

Well, this is perfect timing because just this morning, I tried out a taxicab company that a neighbor friend recommended. Actually several years ago I took a cab home and my work supervisor at the time--who happens to be a junior high classmate and good buddy of mine--called this particular cab company and ordered me a cab. I had a good experience with them back then, and today I had a good experience with both cabs. I ordered them myself, and both dispatchers with whom I spoke were great. I haven't yet checked out their website, but I will definitely do that. Actually the driver on the way to the local YMCA insisted on me not paying, but I persisted with him and he reluctantly relented.

[jenett]

That sounds like an exciting new option for you!

[senmut]

I started a peg loom project last night? I'm not sure what I think of it yet. I shall finish it out and decide then.

It may just be that the weight of the yarn I am using is not conducive to pretty on this style loom.

[orcofnewyork]

Sounds interesting! Hopefully the project will come out well. I know I don't like most of my projects while they're in progress. If the weight ended up being a factor you can always adjust for the next project.

[senmut]

Yep, I sure can!

[jenett]

I haven't done weaving in years and years. But I agree that trying it makes a lot of sense. (And hey, you'll probably learn things about the process that will help with the next thing.)

[senmut]

I want to get one of the triangular looms eventually. But the peg loom was a compromise to my time and ability to concentrate.

[alexseanchai]

You inspired me to set up my new loom for the first time.



It's going to be a drawstring bag when there's about eight, ten more inches of it.

[senmut]

Awesome. In theory, I'm making a scarf. We shall see.

[raisedinsuburbs]

I recently tried to make Mochi at home. First time was pretty good, but my attempt on Tuesday was pretty disastrous! Going to try again tomorrow.

[orcofnewyork]

Oooh, neat! Are you doing boiled and grilled type mochi or just boiled? We made some in the Home Ec Club of the school at teach at here in Japan last month. I was definitely struggling to get the mochi to the right consistency before boiling.

[raisedinsuburbs]

Just boiled. I am using a pyrex dish (with a tea-towel wrapped around the lid) balanced on the lip of the saucepan to steam it.

[rosefox]

The hamburger I got yesterday came with a little side dish of grainy mustard. I've never had mustard on a burger before, but I like grainy mustard, so I put some of it on the hamburger bun. It was very good.

[orcofnewyork]

Glad you had a good experience! I love grainy/spicy mustard and actually actively dislike ketchup (or mayo) on burgers or hot dogs. Mustard on burgers and hot dogs is common in the NYC metro area but unusual in other places from what people tell me.

[rosefox]

This was at Old Town on 18th Street. Consistently disappointing fries but really excellent burgers, and the 1890s ambience can't be beat.

[orcofnewyork]

Ohhh, 1890s ambience sounds lovely! It is disappointing when burger and fries quality don't quite match up with each other, but atmosphere can make up for it. At least the fries are consistently disappointing? Sometimes it's worse when a place is hit or miss and you have no idea if you're there on a hit day or a miss day.

[jenett]

Grainy mustard is one of my favourites (I don't usually put it on burgers, but I've liked it when it appears as a thing.)

[raisedinsuburbs]

Beef and mustard is life! It's super nice. My stepson didn't understand the difference between English and American mustard and slathered some really nicely cooked roast beef with English Mustard. The look of betrayal on his face at his first bite!

[adrian_turtle]

Lamb with mustard is delightful as well. I often add a bit of mustard to lamb stews.

[rosefox]

Oh dear, yes, that would be quite different!

[mrissa]

Last night as part of T's birthday dinner we were served "sesame tofu," which I thought would be tofu cooked with sesame oil and/or sesame seeds, which I would like. Instead it was a tofu-like substance made from sesame paste, charmingly different, also liked by the me.

Also I have been giving my chapters titles. CHAPTER TITLES. I have always wanted them and now I have them and they are GREAT.

[jenett]

I saw the thread about chapter titles. They are indeed a great thing.

The sesame tofu sounds most intriguing! (And something I'd be more likely to eat, actually, since I try to avoid soy.)

[silveradept]

I have been doing a lot more of cooking by technique and eyeballing things than by following the recipe in exactness. This morning, I ended up making Toad in A Hole solely from the instructions that someone else told me, and they said the end result was delicious. (Also a smidge overcooked for maximum yolk flow, but still good.

[kyrielle]

Changing up how I pack my kids' lunches, or rather the youngest's. He's now on a medication that can suppress appetite, with the side effect that he's not as likely to eat anything and everything at lunch, but rather it has to be foods he likes. Sadly, cheese, pizza, etc., are not on that list, so his lunches have become a bit low-protein. :P But he is eating them and we compensate at breakfast and dinner, so I'd say it's going well.