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floor cry - swimming team

July 21, 2019

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Dex said...: My parents should be going to Sandness for a long weekend tomorrow so I can hopefully have a few days of quiet at home. I am glad to have them back though, despite the fact that their lives are way too busy for my normal speed to cope with :); 21 June 2023 at 21:37
Dex said...: Do you have any takeaways in Blair? I imagine your family are such good cooks that you hardly ever get takeaways. I'm definitely the kind of person who gets the same thing every time. Since my parents are in Sandness, I ended up getting some pizza tonight. I'm surprised I managed to survive 3 months on my own :); 22 June 2023 at 21:24
Louise Boyd said...: First of all: Love you, too, buddy. BFFs forever.
Even if I finally find that elusive door to Faerie where I'll inevitably be eaten by something ethereal and terrifying, still besties :)

Second of all: Jason Statham's face is smug! So smug. I think it's because he was a top-level diver before he was an actor.
All athletes are smug. Something about being, I dunno, physically above average capable just makes you act superior.
Something I am not!
I'd love to say my body wasn't being a brat right now but it's being SUCH a brat.
Foot's painful and weird, get exhausted from doing really basic things, anxiety's through the roof, not managing anything more than basic yoga so I feel achey all the time, the stormy weather's giving me tooth and jaw pain, and migraines.
...
I AM FALLING APART!
My Raynauds symptoms are easing off, though, so that's something?
Ugh, such a whiner, but I just want my body to do the things it's meant to, y'know?. I don't abuse it with alcohol or drugs, I move it daily, exercise at least 5 times a week, I don't starve it, I eat fruit and veggies every day and drink all the water.
What more does it want?! >_<
...
And how are you? :)
Hope you didn't catch a cold from getting caught in the rain.
Was it a really vicious downpour?
We got one on Tuesday and it flooded the street temporarily =/
My dad was out walking and got absolutely drenched 0_0

I'm sorry I never really have anything important to say as my life is very boring. I am very fed up with work and just the general state of everything so sometimes think it's better to keep all my negativity on the inside even though I love sharing everything with you :) I wish I could just spend all my time doing things with you, Kerry and Freya :)

BOY. Don't bottle it up. At least not all the time. If you need to vent, do it.
If work's pissing you off, have a tantrum about it, do as Freya does and punch a pillow! It's very cathartic, I hear.
If you're her punching pillow, who'd be yours?

We have shit takeaway in Blair. Truly awful. Our Chip Shop is the greasiest place in Scotland.
I'd kill for good pizza delivery *-*
Or dumplings! I've always wanted a proper Chinese takeaway like the Americans do, with the cartons. I realise that's contradictory because western Chinese food is abysmal but I still want it!
And fortune cookies!
I love the way they taste, even though they taste of nothing 0_0

Ps. Sarah's all good. Back to her big sister-y self, and bugging me every ten minutes because I'm rewatching Hannibal and it's her favourite show.
Did I force you to watch that?
I'm gonna need to send pigeon messages to Kerry to force you to watch it if I haven't.
Got through any more Good Omens?; 22 June 2023 at 22:35
Dex said...: For some reason, I always feel guilty when my parents go for a walk and it ends up raining heavily! I hope your dad wasn't any the worse for wear when he got home. It has been a long time since I have got really soaked by the rain. I did love coming home after a drenching though :)

I wish your body treated you better. It certainly sounds like it should considering how well you look after it. Exercise, no alcohol or drugs, balanced diet... You are literally doing what all the guide books say! I hope the aches and pains haven't interfered too much with the things you like doing. I like to imagine you enjoying your summer, relaxing in the sunshine with Charlie and a good book. Although, knowing you, several books :)

The Fort is the fish and chip shop that we normally go to, although we don't go that often. It's call that because it is near Fort Charlotte with its cannons pointing out to sea :) There used to be a noodle bar in Lerwick that used the American style cartons but it has sadly closed very recently. There are still five Chinese takeaways in Lerwick though!

Do you still get doughnuts brought back to you when one of your family goes somewhere with a proper doughnut shop? That's the kind of takeaway I would like - a box of fancy doughnuts :) Or will you make me ridiculously jealous and say that your sisters can make homemade doughnuts!

I like to think that Freya's punching pillow is affectionate :) I just wish she would come up here again soon so neither of us needs a punching pillow :)

You managed to make me watch seasons 1 and 2 of Hannibal :) But I do still have to watch season 3. I'm sorry that I haven't watched any more of Good Omens. Hopefully another episode this weekend though.; 23 June 2023 at 22:40
Dex said...: There was a carnival in Lerwick today. Obviously, I didn't attend but I found out after having a lot of trouble parking on my way to Kerry's. One of the streets near her was closed to cars so they had all parked in road I normally park when I go to her house. I don't remember much about the carnivals when I was growing up but I think there were a lot of people on floats while members of the general public threw coins at them!

Also, it is very misty here this evening!; 24 June 2023 at 23:42
Dex said...: My sugar adventure this weekend was an apple and berry pie that I bought from Tesco. I know it's nothing on your sisters' baking :); 25 June 2023 at 20:32
Dex said...: Apparently my parents have been getting very nice sunsets at the house in Sandness. I'm sure I've told you this before but Sandness is on the west side of Shetland and the house looks out onto a loch while the sea and horizon are further in the distance. There's also an island called Papa Stour which hardly anyone lives on. So they get to see the setting sun sink behind the island and it does look really nice when it happens.

Our old neighbour in Sandness used to be a schoolteacher in Papa Stour and she actually wrote a book about her experiences there. She died a few years ago so now our neighbours are a young family. Freya very much enjoyed playing with them when she visited :); 26 June 2023 at 20:44
Dex said...: I think I'm really going to have to start making my own lunches to take to work! It really is very expensive going out to get something every day. I just need to think of some ideas... I can make coronation chicken. And that's about it :); 27 June 2023 at 21:03
Dex said...: I hope your monthly for June is going okay. I do always think about how stressed you might be towards the end of each month when it comes to getting it all ready for posting. But I always think it's worth it :); 28 June 2023 at 20:34
Louise Boyd said...: As expected, I've procrastinated myself into an end of month scramble to the finish line with the Monthlies, but I'm not mad at myself about this time.
There was sun to be soaked in, vitamin D to be converted, and actual warmth to be felt in my bones.
I wasn't gonna miss that for some efficiency!
Plus my laptop doesn't work unplugged anymore, so I couldn't even work outside if I wanted to :)
But will I fork out £200 pounds minimum for a service at Apple headquarters? No I will fucking not ^-^

Every time you talk about Sandness, I feel like I'm seeing scenes from a movie in the 90s. Soft focus, perfect dramatic lighting, and a little grainy for texture.
Sounds fucking magical, frankly.
If I had a beach house to escape to, I'd probably squat there until my food ran out =/
Is it pretty isolated or near civilisation?
Please tell me Freya hunts for creatures on the beach? How does she feel about sand worms? I was terrified of them when I was little, I would hop around on the beach like a bouncy lunatic trying not to step on any 0_0

It's criminal you haven't watched season 3 of Hannibal. CRIMINAL. It has one of the best cliffhangers in tv history. Has Kerry watched it? We seem to have freakishly similar (and awesome) tastes in tv, so I wouldn't be surprised ^-^

Ps. Papa Stour sounds like a Smurf and I love it :):):)

Pps. I reached a new level of pitiful today while helping my parents chop up branches in the garden by developing a nasty blister on my thumb in the first twenty minutes.
These peach soft mitts aren't used to manual labour :); 28 June 2023 at 21:33
Dex said...: You definitely made the right decision about the sun :)

There are maybe a couple of hundred people living in Sandness but they are spread out over quite a large area. Our house is on a little road with a few other houses but they are all quite spaced out. So not entirely isolated but fairly quiet :) I don't know if I could cope living in a house that was totally isolated. I'm too paranoid :)

If I didn't have to work, I would definitely live there. And have you as my neighbour so we could eat sugar and watch tv together :)

Freya loves nature so I'm sure she would love hunting for sea creatures on the beach. I didn't go with her when she went to Sandness but I wish I had. Are sand worms the ones that leave lines in the sand? Rather than the ones from Beetlejuice :)

I don't think you are pitiful at all. I just hope you're okay. I wouldn't be any good at chopping branches. What do you use? I like to think an axe or a chainsaw :)

I promise I will watch Hannibal season 3 one day! :) I don't think Kerry has seen it but I'm sure you both still have plenty of tv in common :); 29 June 2023 at 21:53
Dex said...: I'm very glad it's the weekend. Today was the last week before the school holidays and it is always one of the worst weeks for us with all the schools trying to get their HR paperwork sent in before they go on holiday. Just a very boring insight into my work life :); 30 June 2023 at 23:04
Dex said...: It is raining so heavily here today. The rain is pouring from the drainpipes like a waterfall!; 1 July 2023 at 17:32
Dex said...: Doing my usual initial scroll through of your monthly to find the Charlie photos :) Also, I love your Calpol t-shirt and plant roots :)

You'll be glad to know that Kerry did make me watch Derry Girls :); 2 July 2023 at 13:13
Louise Boyd said...: I am glad! It's an epic show. And the nostalgia bomb it provides my millennial ass is incomparable.
Favourite Derry girl. Go.

Have you ever trapped the fleshy part of your palm where it meets your fingers between the handles of secateurs?
WELL I HAVE 0_0
My blister-free hand is now sporting a massive bruise and an equally massive blood blister.
I shouldn't be allowed outside *-*

I've always liked the idea of living somewhere reasonably isolated, like in the middle of a meadow or a forest, because, y'know, lack of noise pollution.
But I just know that I'll be the person some eldritch horror creeps out of hiding to eat as a snack.
I have zero doubts about this. It would happen, and no one would know, and my book collection would remain unread forever >_<
...
Yes, I'm more concerned for my books than myself. It's not weird.
Plussssss, I get spooked by the hedgehogs having their usual bang-session outside my window every summer :)
Don't know why under my window's a hotspot for reproducing but it is and hedgehogs pant and wheeze when they fuck.
...
Just thought you should know :):):):):):)

Has the rain stopped on the island yet or is it an Alice's tears situation? If you start doing the lobster quadrille, you're in trouble, bestie.
...
Has it, though? I'd like you to have sun, and lots of it.

Ps. I'm not allowed to use the chainsaw. Self-explanatory ^-^; 2 July 2023 at 21:56
Dex said...: Out of the main group, definitely Clare! Out of the supporting characters, Sister Michael and Uncle Colm :)

Your poor hands! I haven't used secateurs since I was at school but I can imagine it is very easy to do that. In fact, I'm almost certain I have done that! It's probably best that I keep away from chainsaws too :)

If you disappeared and I found your book collection, I promise I would try to read them all. Definitely if I lived somewhere isolated, you would be one of the very few people I would share the location with :)

Thank you for sharing those hedgehog facts! I like hedgehogs but I would be very creeped out by those sounds happening under my window!

We actually have had okay weather until this weekend when it really did rain as heavily as I think I've seen it up here. I promise I didn't do the lobster quadrille though :) I know that lots of sun is wasted on an inside creature like me but I still enjoy it. I hope you get lots of sun too :); 3 July 2023 at 20:44
Dex said...: It doesn't look like Freya will be coming up here this summer. Her mum is just too busy at work (she's training to be a nurse). Hopefully I'll be able to go down to Aberdeen and visit them at some point.; 4 July 2023 at 19:16
Dex said...: I got some homebakes today at work. The highlight was definitely the Biscoff square. It was a bit like a piece of fudge but made of Biscoff :); 5 July 2023 at 20:53
Dex said...: It seems like it is your turn for Alice Tears today according to the Met Office! I hope you are watching or listening to it from the most comfortable place in your house!; 6 July 2023 at 18:30
Dex said...: It is supposed to be very, very sunny here tomorrow!; 7 July 2023 at 19:41
Louise Boyd said...: Ack! I'm jealous. If the weather report's to be believed, it's gonna pour here for two weeks straight x_x
If you don't go and bask in all that vitamin D for at least five/ten minutes, I'll know, I'll feel it in my bones and the gods will smite you.
...
Probably.
I dunno, we're not that close but I just feel like Eros or Hermes would do me a solid :)

No Freya this summer :(
No fairy queen adventures by the sea :(:(
No cupcake death-matches :(:(:(:(:(
So sad, but it's pretty of awesome what her mum's doing. I can barely manage myself, the idea of being a parent and training to be a nurse is some next level human behaviour.
If you do go and see her, you should take her to the Cruickshank Botanic Garden. It's one of the few things I remember visiting as a kid when we lived there, and it's very pretty. Fit for a fairy queen ^-^

If you disappeared and I found your book collection, I promise I would try to read them all. Definitely if I lived somewhere isolated, you would be one of the very few people I would share the location with :)

This made me SO happy. But you wouldn't find my book collection, you'd be led there by the map I'd've previously made you in case of my disappearance :)
There will also be snacks for the end of your journey, I pinkie swear it.
But if you bend any of the spines of my beloved books, all snack privileges will be magically revoked ^-^

Ps. Sister Michael is the bitch queen of my heart.
Uncle Colm causes me pain. I have relatives who talk like him and I swear I feel the life draining out of me x_x; 7 July 2023 at 21:43
Dex said...: I think today was supposed to be our only nice day for a while so I probably should have made more of it. I did go out in it for half an hour though so you didn't smite me :) One of the things I wish we could do was just both sit in your garden and read for an afternoon. I think that would be really nice. Charlie could obviously join us :)

I will definitely take Freya there if I get the chance! I still reckon that you and Freya would get on so well and you would be her favourite person. Kerry and I are talking about going to Aberdeen for New Year. She's spending Christmas with her family in Inverness like last year but thinks she will be ready to escape after a few days :) Did I tell you my parents are already planning on going back to Philippines in November for a few months again?

I promise I would never bend the spines of your books! I know that would be unforgivable!

I definitely think Uncle Colm wouldn't be my favourite if I had experience of relatives who talk like him :); 8 July 2023 at 22:55
Dex said...: I don't know why I bothered buying some magnums today. I'm always disappointed by them. Have you had much ice cream this summer?

Did you have ice cream vans driving around Blair when you were a kid? I always remember hearing the music as it came up our road, then rushing around the house trying to find some change, then throwing myself in front of the van to stop it from leaving :); 9 July 2023 at 20:06
Dex said...: Lerwick could definitely do with a Starbucks. I would buy frappuccinos every day!; 10 July 2023 at 20:09
Dex said...: Have you ever had a soft pretzel? I've just been re-watching The Office and remembered Michael Scott and his sugar high soft pretzel!; 11 July 2023 at 19:10
Dex said...: Apparently, there's going to be Japanese bakery and coffee shop opening up near work!; 12 July 2023 at 20:33
Louise Boyd said...: Oh, I kinda hate you right now (not really, never, isn't possible).
I wonder if they'll have mooncakes!
I've always been super intrigued even though the words sweet bean paste kinda make me shudder *-*
When it comes, you gotta tell me everything about it: what they sell, what the decor's like, IF THEY SELL BOBA >_<
I'm so excited about this and I don't even live there :)

I have had a soft pretzel, many in fact, and I fucking love them.
The ones I've had have been salty, though, which as someone who detests the taste of salt is kinda weird but they're so soft and doughy and sofffffft.
Plus, if you dip them in Nutella it's like eating a giant Choc Dip ^-^
I thought Tesco sold them. I was 90% sure they did. I think you should look the next time you're in.
Which reminds me! The dad-monster brought me home one of their famed chocolate croissant a few days ago, the ones I dream about in my sleep.
...
It was not good :(:(:(
How could they ruin something so perfect?
First they're chocolate filled doughnuts. Now this!
I'm telling myself it was just a bad batch, but I dunno, man, I'm suss <_<

If you're in Aberdeen for New Years, potentially with my favourite fairy queen, does that mean you'll get to see her all hyped up on sugar and dressed in unicorn sparkles as the clock counts down?
Because that would be immeasurably cool.
...
I don't know how late kids stay up. Would Freya even see midnight?
I know nothing of the small beings 0_0

One of the things I wish we could do was just both sit in your garden and read for an afternoon. I think that would be really nice. Charlie could obviously join us :)

Fantastic plan. Highly approve. How do you feel about garden matter being balanced on you when I get bored. Like Buckaroo.
It's what I do to Charlie. He's not a fan =/; 12 July 2023 at 22:38
Dex said...: I think I wouldn't care how many things you piled on me :)

I remember you describing bubble tea to me and thinking that I will probably never get to try it! I really am genuinely excited to go to this place when it opens. I will definitely send you the menu when it's available so you can highlight mooncakes and the like :)

I'm very sorry you were so disappointed by the chocolate croissants. Was it the actual chocolate inside the croissants that tasted so bad or was it everything? You definitely have to make sure you buy and eat the croissants the day before the actual best before date on the bag. Anything later than that and it is like eating cardboard :)

I'm so jealous :) I don't know if I've ever seen anywhere up here that has sold soft pretzels!

I really hope I get to see Freya the way you describe :) I don't think I stayed up to midnight when I was a child on Christmas. I think I was too excited to get to sleep and wake up in the morning :) We were always allowed to open one present in the morning (usually the best one) and then the rest after lunch. My best present was definitely Skull Mountain from Mighty Max :); 13 July 2023 at 22:15
Dex said...: Please promise that you'll demand I got to the cake fridge next Friday!; 14 July 2023 at 23:29
Dex said...: I'm really not looking forward to the Tall Ships. Lerwick is going to be full of people. Even the bottom floor of our building at work is being taken over to function as some kind of hub! I'll definitely have to bring my own lunches as I don't think I'll want to go outside. I'm such a positive person :); 15 July 2023 at 16:52
Dex said...: My mother wants an air fryer for her birthday! Does your family have one of those?; 16 July 2023 at 23:32
Dex said...: I have a couple of days of this week (Thursday & Friday). Hopefully my parents will go to Sandness, and my brother will be working. Then I can stay in the lounge all day with sugar and tv :); 18 July 2023 at 17:02
Louise Boyd said...: I just discovered Blogger's been putting messages into spam. 51 of them. For no reason.
...
It put you and ME in spam, Dexterous.
So rude!
I gotta check that more often, now =/
Anyway, I unspammed them and now everything makes sense.
The last few messages were so disjointed *-*

Air fryer's are kinda cool, we have one, but I'm not that fussed about it.
I mean, if it was just mine, I'd be making mini pizzas and Nutella hand pies (you use bread, it's genius!) in it, instead of, I dunno, potatoes and veggies and whatnot like the fam are.
But I get the appeal. It's like a really fast, tiny oven.
I'd prefer a toaster oven, though. Like the Americans have.
I could warm pop tarts in it :)
Are you gonna get her one? Or is this a joint present kinda deal?

I cannot wait to see this menu. And tormenting you because I'm horrendously jealous of all the Japanese delicacies you'll get to devour.
You do realise you'll have to try everything. The whole menu. I don't care if it takes you months, but it MUST happen.
For my sake :)

Sarah made maple, coconut, chocolate covered flapjacks.
...
*ascends*
*-*

Enjoy your days off, Dexterous! May they be filled with quietude and glucose highs ^-^

Ps. GO TO THE CAKE FRIDGE OR I'M REVOKING BFF PRIVILEGES ... :D

Pps. The croissant pastry tasted and had the consistency of a French Stick. It was freshly made. Someone in the bakery needs a lesson in over-kneading your dough <_<
The filling was good, though. Not as I remembered it, but still good. I would actually spread it on a piece of French Stick.
It makes no sense.; 18 July 2023 at 22:30
Dex said...: Oh! They put us in spam! How dare they?! :D I did notice that one of your messages had disappeared and almost thought I had imagined it :) I like writing to you as often as I can, usually every day, so if a couple of days go by and I haven't left you a message, it will almost certainly be in spam. Just so you know, I would never disappear on you. You're my best friend and I hope you always will be :)

Air fryer has been ordered and should be here shortly! I wasn't that excited but then you said Nutella hand pies :) And my mum is excited and that's the most important thing. I can see her using it a ridiculous amount over the next couple of months :) When was the last time you had a pop tart? And of course I must know what flavour it was :)

I will definitely have to go to the Japanese bakery as often as possible to try (and obviously fail) to make up for not being able to devour your sisters' baking :) I hear it's opening in August so I will keep you updated!

I will definitely go to the cake fridge on Friday! I need those BFF privileges :D I really hope you get to try and perfect chocolate croissant one of these days.; 20 July 2023 at 00:15
Dex said...: If you ever want to check out what they have at the cake fridge and tell me what to get :)

https://www.facebook.com/rachaels.shetland/; 20 July 2023 at 22:34
Dex said...: I was very boring and went for the millionaire's shortbread. It was so good though!; 21 July 2023 at 16:28
Dex said...: My mother's air fryer has arrived. No doubt she will be practising with it for the whole of next week!; 23 July 2023 at 01:35
Louise Boyd said...: I can't believe you gave me Fridge Cake insider info.
Now I have all the power!
...
Or just a whole bunch of treat envy.
Those Caramel Cornflake Brownies looks so fucking good *-*
And the Biscoff Millionaire Shortbread. The base looks like it'd be Digestive-y?
...
Cinnamon Roll Cookie Bars! >_<
And I don't know if this is meant to be banoffee or tiramisu or something else entirely but I have a STRONG urge to put in my face:

YUM

You're so lucky, that fridge is like kid palate (aka. my palate) heaven 0_0
Rachael, whoever she may be, is a good, GOOD human.

When your parents get something like an air fryer, are you used as the guinea pig for whatever they make?
No matter how wrong-looking, are you the tester monkey?
Happy Birthday to your mum, btw! I forgot to say!

Just so you know, I would never disappear on you. You're my best friend and I hope you always will be :)

Never getting rid. Pinky swear.
You're mine too, if that wasn't clear.
I've loved all my past bffs, still do, but you're my favourite :)
*virtual arm punch*
...
To restore balance ^-^

The last Pop Tart I had was a S'mores one and honestly, it was pretty disappointing :(
I'm convinced the only truly worthwhile flavour is your classic chocolate. It never fails me.
But I'm super intrigued by the cinnamon roll flavour. Because, y'know, cinnamon rolls >_<
Your flavour of choice? And you do you eat them hot? And how?
I like 'em untoasted (mostly because i'm lazy) and all the edges must be eaten first and then the gooey centre :)

Sorry I've been so sporadic with messages lately, dearest Dexterous. I know you don't mind, I'm just so sleepy at the moment. I think it's the way the weather's fluctuating. As soon as I get even the tiniest bit cold right now I basically flake out on life =/
I shouldn't complain what with some countries literally being on fire right now, but I'd really like the sun to come back :( Just for a few weeks, to end the summer off with a good dose of vitamin D to get me through the other nine months of the year 0_0
Is it just as bad in Lerwick?; 24 July 2023 at 18:52
Dex said...: It is Tall Ship week here in Lerwick. It doesn't officially start until Wednesday but it is already starting to get busier. Apparently the last time the Tall Ship were up here, the weather was horrendous so hopefully it will be different this time. But we did have some very heavy rain showers today!

I think I've only ever had toasted chocolate pop tarts. Such a sheltered life :) I didn't even know you could eat them cold! It the centre still gooey even though it is cold? Have you ever made proper S'mores?

Thank you! My mum's birthday isn't until 2 August but she is very impatient :) She even cleared a space for the air fryer in the kitchen weeks ago! They were away in Sandness this weekend so she hasn't had chance to use it yet but I'm sure I will be the guinea pig for her food experiments :)

Cake fridges are weird but I'm glad they exist :) I'm hoping you will sometimes have a look at her page on Thursday nights and order me what to buy the next day :) I like to think that a walk to the cake fridge would definitely be our regular Friday thing if we were neighbours :)

Also, you never have to apologise for not messaging more regularly :); 24 July 2023 at 20:06
Dex said...: Apparently the new Japanese bakery is opening tomorrow...; 25 July 2023 at 20:13
Dex said...: Today was the official start of Tall Ships! So many people around. And there was a parade of all the crews this afternoon. I could see a little of it from the office window. I think there will be a lot of concerts over the next few days. And street food. And apparently a fun fair!; 26 July 2023 at 19:52
Louise Boyd said...: You sound so excited about this.
My antisocial friend.
I'm suspicious <_<

Did the Japanese bakery open? Have you been?!
If there aren't kawaii faces on everything I'm gonna been beyond disappointed *-*

Okay, seeing as we're sadly not neighbours - because I'd love to have a cake fridge tradition with you - I'll have to live vicariously through you by making you get the... Stroopwaffel Brownies or the Biscoff Rocky Road! :D
Or anything you want because I'd feel bad making you get something you didn't want!
Or whatever!
You do you!
...
*is crazy*

Ps. The centre of an untoasted Pop Tart is not as gooey as a toasted one but still gooey enough to be worth not heating it, if that makes sense.
It's equally as good, is what I'm trying to say.
But I have broken tastebuds so I might wrong =/

Pps. I've never had a S'more and I'm starting to wonder if I'd actually like one 0_0; 27 July 2023 at 18:31
Dex said...: Please rest assured, I am not excited at all by Tall Ships. Annoyed at all the people and noise would be a closer description of my attitude. At least you know I haven't been taken over by pod people :)

I think you make excellent choices! :) Definitely if we were to go to the cake fridge together, we'd get a box each of the thing we liked the most, and maybe negotiate about sharing :)

I will have to try a cold Pop Tart one day! Any other foodstuffs you eat differently? I like knowing these things about you :)

I am curious about S'mores. I do wonder what a graham cracker tastes like...; 27 July 2023 at 21:34
Dex said...: I went for the Stroopwaffel Brownies. You made an excellent choice :); 28 July 2023 at 20:20
Dex said...: Tall Ships is still going on (I think this is the last official day) but Kerry and I went to see Barbie this afternoon at Mareel. Definitely a better use of our time than fighting our way through crowds :); 29 July 2023 at 22:58
Dex said...: I hope you are getting on okay with your July monthly. I'm always thinking about how stressful it must be getting it all prepared in time! You could definitely be the editor of your own magazine with how amazing you are at it!; 30 July 2023 at 14:13
Dex said...: Another thing that my mother has bought is a Tassimo coffee machine. Which she uses mainly for hot chocolate!; 31 July 2023 at 19:59
Louise Boyd said...: Oh wow. That must be an elder parental thing because my dad did the same and it's basically a dedicated hot chocolate machine 0_0
Honestly, I'd rather just use the powder and milk that doesn't taste weird *-*
And also makes a decent sized mug! I'd need three tassimo HC's just to make one mug >_<

You could definitely be the editor of your own magazine with how amazing you are at it!

You're delusional but I'll take the ego boost because I feel like I've been phoning it in the past few months =/
My brain's so mushy after writing reviews that I don't have enough brain power to do anything but burble my way through everything else.
All those artists producing glorious things and the most I can manage are heart eyes gifs -_-
It's up, though! Another month done! Not to start all over again...

You saw Barbie? So jealous!
What did you think? Was Ryan Gosling as perfect a Ken as he seems in the trailers?
I'm deaf to negative reviews for this, so if you didn't like it I won't be able to hear it :))))
I wasn't even a Barbie kid, except to chew on their hands and feet (I was a biter), but I'm so absurdly excited to see this fucking movie *-*

How's Tall Ships going? Are you holding in your antisocial curmudgeonly ways or have you gone full surly goblin?

Ps. I went for the Stroopwaffel Brownies. You made an excellent choice :)

You're welcome. I hate you :); 1 August 2023 at 18:07
Dex said...: Our parents do like their gadgets :) I'm sure all this caffeine in the evenings isn't helping me to sleep! I haven't had the hot chocolate yet but I'm ready to be disappointed :)

I just love that you manage to find so many things that you enjoy. And you really get that enjoyment across in your monthlies. Finding stuff you love is a very underrated skill!

I think you'd really like Barbie even if there is no biting involved :) So many good actors but Ryan Gosling was definitely my favourite part of the film. The song with all the Kens is the highlight!

Tall Ships is thankfully over! There were so many extra people in Shetland that week that it affected the mobile phone signal due to all the extra traffic!

My parents thought you made an excellent choice too. They had half :); 1 August 2023 at 19:18
Dex said...: I forgot to tell you one of the worst things about the Tall Ships. The crew of one of the ships would play the drums at 7am in the morning. It could be heard all over town!; 2 August 2023 at 20:36
Dex said...: After Barbie last Friday, Kerry and I are going to see Oppenheimer tomorrow night. Not sure how I'll cope with sitting 3 hours in a cinema!; 3 August 2023 at 20:19
Louise Boyd said...: I know for a fact that I wouldn't last the whole of Oppenheimer because I'm a longtime member of the sensitive bladder elite!
I've always dreamed of there being an intermission in movies, like the theatre, for those of us who want the giant coke and need the giant coke because being part fish require fizzy sustenance, but don't have the capacity to hold onto that much liquid for an hour and a half, let alone the movie standard these days of two hours!
Three hours might injure me 0_0
And I hate missing parts of a movie >_<
So... godspeed, my dearest friend, I'll pray for your bladder and hope you don't get cinema seat sores :)
Also, tell me what you think of the movie afterwards, because the internet's lost its damn mind and I can't tell if it's gonna be any good =/

The crew of one of the ships would play the drums at 7am in the morning. It could be heard all over town!

I'm starting to think you live in some secluded hellscape 0_0
That's so evil. 7am?! Fuck, I'd jump in the sea. (totally wouldn't, absolutely fucking not).

Have you seen any of the interviews with Ryan Gosling for the Barbie movie?
It's adorable, he literally cannot put Ken back in the box, he's gone full himbo.
I can't wait to see him sing his little song >_<

Ps. I have been eaten alive by midges and mozzies, neck to feet, my torso looks like I've got the pox 0_0
I love Summer =/; 4 August 2023 at 17:47
Dex said...: Hi Lilliputty :) I somehow managed to last the 3 hours but it was a struggle! If you go to the cinema, would you always try to get an aisle seat?

Ugh, Oppenheimer! What a pretentious piece of nonsense! Every scene lasted about 30 seconds and almost every one had some kind of loud noise (either dramatic music or a cutaway to an explosion). The huge number of famous actors was just distracting, some of the accents were dreadful, one plotline was filmed in black and white for absolutely no reason, it turned into a political thriller for about 5 minutes at the end, a suicidal ex-girlfriend was included for no reason... It clearly wanted to be JFK but was so poorly structured that it was impossible to become interested in anything. Which, considering that it is a genuinely interesting subject, takes some doing!

I'm sorry to be so down on it but I would definitely recommend Barbie over it :) Much shorter and, I haven't seen any Ryan Gosling interviews, but it makes me happy to think that he really is Ken :)

If it's not 7am drums, it's midges and mozzies! Why are there so many things determined to ruin summer for us?! I'm really sorry about all the bites. Hopefully it's just marks and you are not really itchy too!; 5 August 2023 at 15:04
Louise Boyd said...: I think that's my favourite opinion you've ever given on something :D
And kind of what I expected.
I really do like Nolan as a director (Inception, The Dark Knight, Memento, Interstellar, The Prestige) but he does have a taste for the... grandiose, shall we say.
And yes, much noise.
Me and the siblings went to see Inception three times at the cinema and each time I came out wondering if my ears would ever be the same again *-*
It's a real shame about Oppenheimer, but I've kinda had the ick ever since it was announced.
Why are we making a film about a man who created a weapon of devastating power and in doing so murdered hundreds of thousands of people who very much did not deserve it?
I know the fact that he could create the atomic bomb is something to be admired in terms of genius, but it's the absolute wrong use of intellect.
Maybe Nolan should've made a movie about the people Oppenheimer murdered by proxy instead of a man who unequivocally refused to apologise for what he'd done? Just a thought.
I imagine there a lot of people in the asian community who are really fucking upset right now, and I don't blame them.
Does the movie address any of that? Or is just another glory-fest for yet another white man who made a fucking mess of everything due to ego?
...
I'm so watching Barbie instead.
I knew you wouldn't steer me wrong :)

Sorry to report but I'm itchy as fuck. I'm gonna have marks for months from all the scratching I've done because I have no self control.
Everyone's always saying don't scratch, you'll scar up!, and yeah, totally, but also I'VE BEEN BITTEN BY MULTIPLE BUGGY VAMPIRES AND THEY LEFT POISON BEHIND, YOU TRY AND NOT ITCH YOURSELF INTO A STUPID!
...
:D
Happens every year.
It will teach me to take photos down by the ponds when it's hot. It's midge central down there.
We have baby frogs, though, and I'm too excited about them not to visit :)

Ps. Congrats on your bladder control! I'm impressed. And no, I hate aisle seats :)
I like in the middle and about two thirds of the way up.
Not the very back like I did as a teenager, but nowhere near the front. Fuck no. That way leads to a crick in your neck and eye strain 0_0
Where's your seat of choice?; 6 August 2023 at 18:01
Dex said...: I'm so sorry I forgot to reply yesterday, Lilliputty. I was in a bad mood all day because my parents (who were in Sandness) arranged for a painter to turn up on Sunday morning at 9am so I had to wake up to open the door. And then I spent the night sleeping on the living room couch because the wet paint meant I had to leave the front door unlocked and open a little bit so it could dry. He was painting the door and window frames of the sun lounge (which is where our front door is). The living room and sun lounge (I'm sorry if that sounds pretentious - it's basically a conservatory!) are practically the same room so I thought it would be safer to sleep on the couch so I could fight off any intruders :)

I know this is unforgivable but I had never seen any Christopher Nolan films until Oppenheimer! I'm probably just too big a fan of Batman Returns to really get into a serious Batman film. Such a philistine :) Is Inception your favourite Nolan film? Oppenheimer probably was a good film but my brain power is so low these days that it was just too much for me :) There was definitely moral discussions in the film about the use of the bomb but it all felt very clinical. And Kerry did say she struggled to tell the difference between all the random white men in the film :)

I'm sorry Maggot. I always take the aisle so I can make a quick getaway afterwards :) And even though I somehow got through Oppenheimer, I'm one of those people who psychologically needs to go to the bathroom as soon as I'm trapped somewhere :) I'm sure you could convince me to join you in the middle though. Would we wait until the end of the credits before leaving so we avoid the crowds?

I'm sure seeing the baby frogs were worth a little bit of itchiness :) I haven't seen a frog in so long. I used to think they were so much fun to watch :) Do you ever hold them in your hand and watch them hop off? I'm definitely the same as you and have no self control when it comes to scratching!; 7 August 2023 at 19:50
Dex said...: I meant to say that I found a place that does bubble tea! I'm not sure about the Japanese cafe (as they haven't opened yet) but there's another please across the road from the office. I didn't realise (or had completely forgotten what you told me) that there are different flavours of bubbles and that you can put them in different drinks! What do you think would be a good combination?; 8 August 2023 at 20:00
Dex said...: Did I tell you that Kerry and I are thinking of spending a few days in Aberdeen at New Year (I know it's terrible to be talking about New Year plans in August!)? She's going to spend Christmas with her family in Inverness but thinks she will almost certainly want to escape after a few days with them :) I really will need to see what Freya is doing for Christmas as it would be nice to spend a few days with her too!; 9 August 2023 at 19:25
Dex said...: I suppose I could go to the cake fridge tomorrow...; 10 August 2023 at 18:47
Dex said...: Just so you know, I went for the 'classic millionaire's shortbread' :); 11 August 2023 at 20:52
Dex said...: I hope your weekend is going okay, Lilliputty. I wish I had more news to tell you but things seem to have calmed down after Tall Ships. My parents are going back to the Philippines for a few months in November and have booked their tickets. Somehow, even though they are very thorough when planning their travels, it is always a very stressful process :) They are also talking about going to Aberdeen in September to see Freya on her birthday. And then West Kirby to visit my dad's brother. We used to have a few family members living there or thereabouts but now it is just him.; 12 August 2023 at 14:25
Louise Boyd said...: I know you've told me this before but what with my bucket-with-no-base brain, I've forgotten... is your dad from Lerwick?
My brain's convinced itself he's from Edinburgh.
But that's just nonsense, right?

I'm glad everything's calmed down and the ship people have sailed off to annoy other islanders.
A town event shouldn't feel like such an invasion when you can hide in your house, but it always does =/
We had the Gran Fondo go through town a week ago and we couldn't drive to my gran's because the road was blocked off.
Cycling's cool and all but my gran's an old lady, we need access to her!
Oh well, did you partake in any of the festivities or were you and Kerry hermit-ing it up plotting their downfall?

Bubbbbbbleeeee teeeeeaaaaaaa!
Have you tried it yet?
Is the place called Juice Culture?
If so, for a fruit tea, I'd go... Lychee with green apple bubbles.
And for milk tea... Tiramisu.
Fuck! I'm so jealous >_<
Your little island gets way more interesting stuff than my tiny town.
If only you had more trees, you'd be perfect *-*

Kerry did say she struggled to tell the difference between all the random white men in the film :)

Legend behaviour.
Your gf's cool.
You will only be cool if you watch Inception :)
...
Joking aside, it's an epic movie. Cerebral (literally at times)and surprising and everyone's fantastic in it.
My favourite part, though?
Tom Hardy is intelligible.
No mumbling, no dodgy accents, just his good and posh boy accent and a lot of flirting with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Its a real good time :)

Ps. I can't believe you slept with the front door open.
I'd've been freaked out and not slept at all! Just watched the door and waited for Bigfoot to enter and steal all my stuff *-*; 12 August 2023 at 23:18
Dex said...: My dad is from England, although I don't really know what part! My grandfather (who died when I was very young) had a job where they moved around a lot so I don't think there is one particular place where he describes himself as being from, although it is definitely north of England. My dad and I both have very accentless accents :) Where are you parents from? I'm very sorry as well if you have already told me this!

What is Gran Fondo?! I'm going to guess that it's a bicycle race. The thing I don't like about big events is that it is assumed that everyone is going to be having too good a time to care about how annoying everything is. They don't take into account miserable assholes like me who just want to go about their daily routines and keep out of the way :) If you hadn't already guessed, Kerry and I were hermiting :)

I really do love that you looked up Juice Culture. And that you have given me suggestions. You really are the best person :) Actually, it was a place called Teamore that we went as it is right across the road from work. But they don't have as much of a selection as Juice Culture. I don't think I've actually ever been there so I will definitely have to go shortly!

Hopefully one of these days I will be cool enough to watch Inception :) Speaking of Tom Hardy, I still haven't got around to watching Mad Max: Fury Road even though I bought it on Prime. I'm guessing he might mumble quite a bit in that? :)

I did put something heavy just next to the front door so Bigfoot would struggle to open it :); 13 August 2023 at 20:13
Dex said...: I managed to do myself a ridiculous injury last night. I walked into a door and now have a large cut just above my right eyebrow! In our house, the main hallway has a door about half way that can be used to separate my bedroom and my brother's bedroom from the rest of the house. Well, I was making my way to the bathroom at about half 11 and I didn't realise it was closed. I'm such an idiot! I wasn't even moving quickly so I have no idea how I did so much damage to myself!; 14 August 2023 at 22:08
Louise Boyd said...: Noooooooo not your poor noggin! :(:(:( There's important stuff in there!
Does it hurt? That feels like a dumb question, but does it?
Did you bleed horribly?
Was someone there to take care of you?
Did you get an excellent plaster?
...
I can ask these questions without barfing because I don't have to look or tend to your injury :)
Blood is gross, it's should stay inside the body.

Sidebar: You're no more an idiot that the rest of us; I walk into stuff all the time *-*

How the hell did your dad end up in Lerwick of all places?
And where the hell did I get Edinburgh from? =/
My dad's from Glasgow, Ibrox specifically, and my mum was born in Wales to a Glaswegian/Irish father and Scottish/Belgian mother, but moved to the suburbs of Glasgow when she was... nine, I think?
We're all a bit of a mishmash :)
I was born in Aberdeen but we moved when I was three, so I have no memories of the place. I don't really feel like I belong to anywhere except my house and myself.
I don't know if that's weird or not, but I have no national identity, and also, like you, not being heavily accented only heightens that feeling.
I'm not bothered, though. I think other people are more bothered than I am. Like when I tell people I hate cheese and alcohol and they go fucking feral ^-^

Go to Juice Culture and get bubble tea, your brainpan deserves it after being abused by an inanimate object.
And I like looking up the things you have access to in your tiny island! It's like going there with you but in my mind palace ^-^
Plus, you know how much I like bossing you around :)
I'll be sure to check the cake fridge's menu on Thursday just in case you feel like a visit.
I can't believe I missed out on forcing you into Boost Brownies this week! Ugh!

Hope your precious noggin feels better soon, dearest!

Ps. Tom Hardy says about five words in Fury Road, so it doesn't matter that much, but yes, he does indeed mumble his face off.
Worth it, though, that movie's epic. Watch it already!; 15 August 2023 at 17:50
Dex said...: My cut does seem to be healing. I've been putting manuka honey on it as I use that for everything :) I hope it doesn't scar...; 15 August 2023 at 19:02
Dex said...: I always wish you were here to make me feel better about the stupid things I do :) It did look very bloody when I initally looked in the mirror but was much better after I washed the wound! I did just about manage to take care of it myself but my mother definitely thinks I should have woke her up as soon as it happened :) Surprisingly it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would! And it is looking much better today :)

I was definitely very boring in going for the millionaire's shortbread last week. I need you to make me try new things :) It would be nice if we could go places together in our minds, like some kind of joined up dream :) I really should go to Juice Culture to get bubble tea! Maybe when the tourists have gone away :) Have you had anything lately to make me jealous?

I really like learning about your family. Do you parents tell you lots of stories about when they were young? I'm actually terrible at taking an interest in my parents' past! I mean, my mum grew up in Philippines under a dictatorship and I've never asked her about it! And I feel like I totally get what mean about not feeling like you belong to anywhere but your house. I only like identifying with my favourite people such as you :) And I would never judge you for hating cheese and alcohol! I like cheese (although really only cheddar) and dislike alcohol (the taste just makes every drink worse for me).

I promise I will get around to watching Fury Road :); 16 August 2023 at 20:19
Louise Boyd said...: You gotta love that bee vomit is both delicious (to some, not me) and physically restorative!
Personally I prefer aloe, but that's because I don't like being sticky =/
How's the wound doing?
I always get really annoyed when something really hurts and it feels like it should be this massive thing but in actuality it's teeny tiny >_<
That's what happened when I cracked my head into the dinner hall roughcast wall in primary school :)
I bled so much, like a tap, my mum always says, and I didn't even get stitches! Just butterfly stitches and a tiny scar for my trouble, which you can only see when I make my Pikitis face:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/16/09/8d/16098d6acf44aa0fd230c7ec8ee58db9.gif

Very disappointing
But now we can be scar buds :D

This might be weird, but I like asking my parents about their history, but it also makes me feel kinda weird because I didn't exist before them, my whole being from start to now, they've been witness to, and it feels so fucking strange to know they had a whole life where I wasn't even cluster of cells yet.
Does that make sense?
I feel that way about my sisters as well.
They were a family before I came along, but they're the way I've known our family always to be. Five. We're five. Not four. Five. And that's just... I think about it a lot, and it wrinkles my brain.
Existing is bizarre. The fact that I lived inside my mum is bizarre. That I wouldn't exist at all unless my parents met because of a Moody Blues record in high school is fucking bizarre! *-*
...
Do you think about this stuff or am I the only weirdo in the room who's plagued by existential ponderings?

Prepare to be jealous.
Sarah made Maple Syrup Chocolate Flapjacks and this cake that's hard to describe but it was your basic vanilla cake with a ribbon of chocolate through the middle, and a coconut top that tasted like a brandy snap.
We are so spoiled 0_0
But I'm still jealous of the stroopwafel brownies >_<
This week I think you should go for... Kinder Cookie Bars... or School Cake. Those sprinkles are calling to me :)

Ps. You belong to me, too, you lovable weirdo. Most muchly.
We both think alcohol tastes rank and have a high appreciation for dream pop. It was fated! Thank fuck for Fright Night and my need to spew my opinions all over the internet :)
That's a question I've never thought about before, how did you find my little corner of the interweb?; 17 August 2023 at 17:44
Louise Boyd said...: Pps. You definitely should've woken someone up! What if you'd had a concussion! Your poor headdddd >_<; 17 August 2023 at 17:45
Dex said...: I don't much like being sticky either so I totally get your avoidance of honey on your skin. My skin really seems to take to it though :) I don't know what I would have done without it when I had that really bad case of acne in 2020! My cut is definitely healing so I will let you know if we will be scar buddies :) I hope I get to see you Pikitis face one of these days :) Also, what are butterfly stitches?

I was actually going to ask in my last message about how your parents met but I thought I might be asking something too personal :) I'm not surprised at all that it had to to with music :) And everything you said about wanting to know your parents and sisters history before you were born, and all those existential thoughts you have about how you came to be, that just makes you an amazing human being in my eyes :) I wish I thought about these things more. I wish I could spend nights talking about these things with you over hot chocolate. I would definitely also bring any leftover traybake :)

Both the flapjacks and the cake that Sarah made sound amazing! Ugh, I genuinely wish your sisters had their own cake fridge up here. I would be dropping by every day :) I suppose I will have to make do with Kinder Cookie Bars and School Cake. I do love having you choose things for me :)

Asking about which Fright Night you were watching is one of the best decisions I ever made :) I think I came across your blog way before that. Because I remember you took that long break from posting anything and I was so happy to see you back that I was determined to leave you a message (it took a lot for me to communicate with anyone in those days). I'm so glad that we became best friends and have managed to stay like that for 10 years. I sometimes do feel so guilty about messaging you so much but I genuinely do worry about how easy it is to drift apart. I really do love having you in my life :)

Kerry did make me set an alarm for 2am on the night I injured my head so I could text her and let her know I wasn't dead :); 17 August 2023 at 22:36
Dex said...: The Kinder Cookie Bars were excellent :D; 18 August 2023 at 22:26
Dex said...: Did I tell you I went to the Japanese coffee shop the other day? I just got a hot chocolate so it wasn't anything particularly different but I will go again and be a bit more adventurous :); 19 August 2023 at 12:19
Dex said...: My cut has almost completely healed. Hopefully I can stop putting honey on it after today :); 20 August 2023 at 19:46
Dex said...: Big question. Do you know what kind of cake you are getting for our birthday?; 21 August 2023 at 19:33
Dex said...: Just so you know, I ordered you something very small for our birthday. I really hope you don't mind that it's nothing much.; 22 August 2023 at 18:44
Dex said...: It looks like I'll be spending Christmas in Aberdeen with Freya :); 23 August 2023 at 18:12
Louise Boyd said...: Christmas with the Faerie Queen :D
I wonder if she's the grumpy gus-let morning type on Christmas Day or she's basically awake from Christmas Eve onwards, terrorising the presents under the tree.
I'm hoping for tiny terror :):):)

How's the face doing? Are we scar buddies or did the honey work its magic?
It's okay if you don't have a cool scar like me, we'll still be bashed-our-heads-off-inanimate-objects-when-there-was-absolutely-no-reason-for-it-to-happen-buddies ^-^

I can't believe you went to the Japanese coffee shop and got hot chocolate -_-
What am I going to do with you, Dexterous?
It better have at least been excellent HC!
Next time you're getting boba <_<
Does it have a website yet? I wanna see the menu so I can boss you around into eating interesting things!

Are you and Kerry doing anything on Sunday? And by anything I mean lounging around eating cake and binging tv because that's what our species likes to do on the days of our birth :)
I also ordered you a little thing, which should be there by Saturday! Or Friday! It's up to the postal service! :D
And we could never send each other a present again, not a single one, and it wouldn't matter a damn. Presents a friendship does not make.
Plus, you've spoiled me rotten over the years *-*

Would it be wrong just to eat an entire tub of Biscoff ice cream on our birthday instead of having cake?
It's what I'm in the mood for 0_0

Ps. I sometimes do feel so guilty about messaging you so much but I genuinely do worry about how easy it is to drift apart. I really do love having you in my life :)

I love your messages, please don't stop sending them!
And it's a valid concern because I do drift away from people. Not on purpose, I'm just not naturally all that communicative, which can lead to, as you see all the freaking time, days of silence.
But I'm always thinking of you!
That's the weirdest part: people I haven't spoken to in years, I still consider friends =/ But they probably don't feel the same because I don't keep in touch.
Which is why your daily messages are so important to me! No matter how small, they keep me present. No idea how much I appreciate that, Dexterous :); 23 August 2023 at 23:25
Dex said...: Since Kerry and I will be spending a few days in Aberdeen at NY, and she's going to Inverness with family for Christmas, it seemed like a good idea to try to get a few days with Freya. I bet she is a tiny Christmas terror and I'm still going to spoil her rotten :) My parents said that when they stayed with them, she would come into their bedroom in the mornings and lie on their bed to tell them stories :)

Maybe it will go away eventually but for now we are definitely scar buddies! I'm sure mine isn't a cool as yours :) It does take a special kind of person to bash their face in by walking into a door in their own house on their way to the bathroom late at night :)

I can't find a menu online but I will try to see if they have anything different that I can tell you about so you can order me to try it :) I don't think they have boba though so I may just have to go to Juice Culture for that :) The hot chocolate was nice. It had salted caramel syrup and marshmallows.

We are going to Sandness for my birthday! Just for Saturday night but I'm sure we will be lounging around on Sunday :) Although Kerry doesn't really eat cake. I'm sure she will be happy with wine and crisps while I eat the cake :) I really wish I could buy you a ridiculous amount of presents as I loved shopping around for you. I found so many things that I like over the years that I'd never have looked for on my own :)

I think you should be allowed to eat whatever you like on our birthday! An entire tub of Biscoff ice cream sounds entirely acceptable :) Maybe you could make some kind of Biscoff ice cream sandwich :)

I'm afraid you are going to be stuck with me forever :); 24 August 2023 at 09:32
Dex said...: I think the present you sent me arrived yesterday Thank you :D; 25 August 2023 at 09:16
Louise Boyd said...: There should be something a little extra arriving on Tuesday because I'm forgetful and thought I'd bought it already! *-*
Not smart, that is I.
:)

I'm gonna say it now because you're away and I'll most likely be drowned in family tomorrow:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEXTEROUS! :D :D :D

Hope it's an enjoyable one and I didn't fuck up your present!
And that you went to the cake fridge yesterday because Mini Cherry Bakewell Loaf Cakes sound fucking stellar.
...
I'd be getting the Oatmeal Raisin NYC Cookies to spite the haters <_<
Shame about your raisin detestation, you're missing out :); 26 August 2023 at 23:02
Dex said...: Happy birthday, Lilliputty. I'm just in Sandness tonight but I promise I'll write a longer message tomorrow!; 27 August 2023 at 01:39
Dex said...: Happy Birthday again, Lilliputty :D Arrived back in Lerwick at about 5.30 and immediately tore open the present you sent me. Thank you so much! I love that you remembered that I have been reading those books and the tv series is supposed to be a very good adaptation. I've actually read all the books that the episodes are based on so I'll be able to compare and contrast :) And you really shouldn't have got me an extra present but I'm very glad that you did :)

I'm sorry I didn't go to the cake fridge last Friday. I really should have since I was off work and it was our birthday but I was too preoccupied with getting ready for Sandness even though it's only a 45m drive and we were only staying one night :) We didn't do much at all except watch tv, eat and playing trivia games :)

I hope your day hasn't been too stressful. And that you got the Biscoff Ice Cream :) I would definitely have brought you Oatmeal Raisin NYC Cookies and Mini Cherry Bakewell Loaf Cakes if I could have!; 27 August 2023 at 19:37
Louise Boyd said...: I cackled when I opened my present :D
Now I can wander the streets of vile ol' Ankh Morpork and live like the cretins do ^-^
Thanks so much, Dexterous :) I didn't even know someone'd created a map for such a wondrous place!

Did you have a nice day?
Mine was good, a little tiring but i got stuffed full of good food, spoiled with presents, and watched John Wick 4 to end it all. I love watching Keanu punch people so I can't really complain :)
And my cake was pecan pie/coffee cake.
So good, I felt pleasantly sick afterwards :)
And Sarah made Oatmeal Raisin cookies.
See, spoiled ^-^

I was too preoccupied with getting ready for Sandness even though it's only a 45m drive and we were only staying one night :)

Yet another thing we have in common!
I'm an overpacker. You should have seen my luggage when I was kid; we were allowed a bag in the car with us and I used to stuff my rucksack with EVERYTHING. Cds. Toys. Colouring in books. My favourite pillow. It was nuts and I couldn't move my legs the entire trip 0_0
It'd be much the same now, just books, snacks and the pillow ^-^

Happy Birthday, again, dear boy!; 28 August 2023 at 01:12
Dex said...: I hope you've fully recovered now but that sounds like an excellent day :) And that is definitely a birthday cake I would monster! I'm so glad that Sarah made you the cookies too. My day was very quiet but nice. Kerry and I ended up just watching Taskmaster on the couch while she drank wine and I ate crisps. We probably could have just done those things at her house rather than going all the way to Sandness :)

I love that you were that kind of kid. I can just picture it in my head :) The stupidest thing I used to do was take giant film guides on holiday with me! Even when we went abroad! My parents are overpackers too and they always have a checklist they go through when packing to go on holiday. I don't know how they went on mountain walking holidays with the amount of things they took :); 28 August 2023 at 19:25
Dex said...: I think I will watch some Campion tonight :D; 29 August 2023 at 19:05
Dex said...: I have another long weekend starting from this evening :) I will definitely be going to the cake fridge on Friday!; 30 August 2023 at 19:13
Dex said...: I had a long walk today for the first time in ages. Well, long for me. So I bought myself some jam doughnuts from Tesco on my way home as a reward :); 31 August 2023 at 12:37
Dex said...: I was intending to go to the cake fridge today but I opened a box last night and some amazing person had sent me chocolate pretzels! Thank you so much :D I know what I'm eating tonight!; 1 September 2023 at 13:10
Dex said...: I've monstered all of the chocolate pretzel truffles :D; 2 September 2023 at 15:01
Dex said...: My plan is to go down to Aberdeen on the boat on 22 December and then to spend Christmas with my cousin. Kerry and I then have something booked for 29 December for New Year. So I will hopefully get 6 whole days with Freya!; 3 September 2023 at 16:28
Louise Boyd said...: Just shy of a week of Fairy Queen Freya sounds too good to be true.
Make sure to bring your dressing gown so she can swish around like a superhero :)
Such a cool kid.

I can't believe you nommed all the truffles already!
You absolute monster!
Proud of you ^-^
I'm guessing they were good if you went feral, I've never tried that brand before so I'm super glad they were worth sending!
I'm not really a feeder but I do like making sure you're sugared up :)
I've only got half a cookie left from my birthday and I'm devastated >_<

How's Campion? I asked my mum about it and she remembers it being pretty enjoyable, plus the bonus of one of her favourite Dr Who's as the star ^-^
The fam says happy birthday by the way! I forget to say because apparently after Sunday my brain turned into a mushy puddle and forgot how to communicate 0_0
I didn't even look at my presents properly until yesterday =/
I blame the Monthlies. I gotta stop leaving it until the last minute.

It's so freaky sunny and warm here, I think Scotland's gasping out one last breath before Autumn hits.
I'm not ready for it to be cold and rainy all the timeeeee >_<; 3 September 2023 at 22:19
Dex said...: My mum did say my cousin had told Freya and she seemed excited so that's hopefully a good sign :) I booked my boat ticket tonight too. She really did love stealing my dressing gown :)

Such a monster :) You have definitely done an excellent good job over the years of keeping sugared up. You really are the best :) I hope someone brings you some more cookies very shortly. Or at least some doughnuts. I wish we had a doughnut shop up here! Maybe when I'm in Aberdeen, I can get some of the Krispy Kreme doughnuts...

Your family are just the nicest bunch for remembering me! The Campion tv series really is an excellent adaptation of the books. Thank you so much for sending it to me! I've actually read all the books that the episodes have adapted so I can enjoy judging them against the books which is one of my favourite things to do :) They do stick very closely to them which I appreciate a lot!

What presents did you get? I just know your family are ridiculously good present givers! :)

I'm jealous of your sun, although also very glad as I love the thought of you enjoying the nice weather :) Unfortunately, I think autumn may have already started up here!; 4 September 2023 at 22:20
Dex said...: I may have been pessimistic about our weather. It was actually quite nice here today :) Although the office was full of flies and there were 2 massive cruise ships in!; 5 September 2023 at 21:17
Dex said...: My mother has been struck down with what I'm assuming is covid or something very similar. She's okay, just coughing a lot and not being very active. Although I'm sure she still does more than me :) She still insists on doing all the cooking and is obsessed with making everyone coffee with her new machine :) At least she is ill now and not in a couple of weeks time when they are supposed to visit Freya. I hope your family are okay and have managed to avoid things like covid!; 6 September 2023 at 18:17
Louise Boyd said...: Noooo, that sucks :(
Covid sucks!
All the healthy vibes and thoughts sent in your mum's (and the rest of the Eva fam's) direction.
At least it's now instead of when the pandemic started, and now Covid's basically a bad cold.
A cold in the summer sucks especially though *-* The only reason for sneezing in the summer is hay fever, and even that's a pain the arse!
I hope she's better soon for Freya, no one should miss out on her, especially not because of the C word.

The Boyd fam is fine and healthy, we've managed to avoid Covid thus far *touch wood* and hopefully we'll keep our streak going until it ultimately fucks off or is something we take a yearly jab for, like the flu.
I don't want to get stabbed yearly though, so let's hope that doesn't happen ^-^

I have your Cake Fridge order ready, if you plan on going!!:

Tunnock's Teacake Brownies - because I need to know what that's like!
Churro Cookie Bars - because churros.
Biscoff Millionaire Shortbread - self-explanatory

This is a Sarah approved list by the way; I showed her the menu while I was choosing.
She's painfully jealous of the magical cake fridge :); 7 September 2023 at 18:23
Dex said...: Having you and Sarah give the cake fridge the Boyd seal of approval really is the highest praise anything can get! I really do love that you have both had a look at it. And I always want to know your recommendations :) Those are excellent choices. I mean, Biscoff & Tunnock's Teacakes, what is not to like?! And I'm definitely intrigued by the Churro Cookie Bars! Also, I bet Sarah and Emily would have the best cake fridge!

Thank you for sending my mum healthy vibes. She definitely could use them! It really is just a cough and being tired because of the coughing. Hopefully it will be better by the 18th (that's when they are going). At least I'll be able to see Freya when I video call them :)

I'm very glad your family are doing okay. Knowing that is one of the few things that makes me genuinely happy! And Charlie of course! I am a bit more used to being stabbed since covid but I still don't like it at all!; 7 September 2023 at 22:32
Dex said...: My parents went to Sandness today but they are already back because my mother's cough was so bad when they were there!; 8 September 2023 at 21:31
Dex said...: Darn! I was a week late for the Tunnock's Teacake and Churro Cookie Bars. But I managed to nab some Biscoff :); 9 September 2023 at 16:33
Louise Boyd said...: NIce! Biscoff is always the right answer!
But, wait, a week late?
Did I read the wrong menu?! 0_0

How's your mum doing, Fungus?
I've heard the cough can be pretty exhausting, and for someone like your mum, a veritable energizer bunny, she must be out of her mind frustrated *-*
Your folks won't have to cancel on tiny perfect Freya will they? That'd suck!

I feel like I should have stories, but all I've been doing is taking book photos in the sunshine and getting eaten alive by bugs =/
I do keep almost falling in the pond, for some reason. Apparently I possess even less balance when next to water *shrug*; 9 September 2023 at 21:55
Dex said...: She tends to post on the Thursday night on her Facebook feed the items that she is selling the next morning. So maybe she just hadn't posted for that week when you looked. But I really do love you looking :)

She is a little bit better today, thank you for asking :) She certainly isn't very good at resting. I definitely would use it as an excuse to stay in bed all day :) They are only going a week on Monday so she will hopefully be feeling okay by then. I am very jealous that they will be getting to see Freya :)

Please don't feel bad about not having stories. I hardly ever have stories for you :) I'm very happy just knowing that you have been enjoying the sun by doing very little. That really is the best thing to do :) Do you have a nice place to sit by the pond? I keep meaning to ask, is it a lot of work having a pond in your garden, or does it tend to take care of itself?; 10 September 2023 at 21:36
Dex said...: I really have been enjoying the Campion dvd. Watching it again tonight. I'm sorry I've turned into such an old man but thank you so much for encouraging it :) Did you ever watch the tv series Grimm? It's the next thing that Kerry is threatening me with :); 11 September 2023 at 21:55
Dex said...: My favourite thing: Charlie guarding a basket of your books :D; 12 September 2023 at 18:28
Dex said...: I do love how much fan art you post in your monthlies :); 13 September 2023 at 21:53
Louise Boyd said...: I'm overrun with fanart, I had to make specific folders in my insta faves just to keep track of everything.
Everyone's so fucking talented *-*
It's shame when I post it, though, that it crashes everyone's browsers :)

Nooooooo not Grimm!
I watched that entire show and truly wish I could scrub it from my brain.
Everyone's so annoying and stupid >_< And that's saying something because specially Canadian-made fantasy shows have... lovable craptacular quality to them.
Lost Girl
Supernatural
Dark Angel
etc.
And if you're bottom of the rung?
Ooft, not good.
...
Good luck! :D

How's the mater doing? Her cough any better?
We've apparently got a Covid outbreak here in town, specifically the vet's surgery, and all I can think about are the fluffy babies and if they're being looked after okay >_<

Okay, I think I've got the right menu this time for the cake fridge, and if you don't get a Cornetto Brownie, I might have to disown you.
This woman, I swear, she's a genius!
I might have to get Sarah to figure out that recipe 0_0
You also absolutely need to get Fudgy Crunchie Slice. It would be illegal not to.

Ps. Ponds are hard work.
...
Which is why ours is stirrable ^-^
So much leaf gunk, but the frogs and insects love it, so we're not fussed.; 14 September 2023 at 18:00
Dex said...: I do manage to open your monthlies. It just takes a little time :)

I've just checked her facebook page and you are definitely looking at the right thing! Thank you for choosing for me. You make the best choices :) I will drop by on my way to work. Very intrigued by the Cornetto brownie! And I bet Sarah has a ton of good ideas for baking!

Oh dear. I may have to see if I can get out of watching Grimm... Kerry does really enjoy making me watch nonsense though :) Or quiz shows. She is ridiculously good at trivia! I can barely remember facts about the things I enjoy but she seems to store away so much random information!

My mater's cough is definitely a lot better, thank you for asking :) Hopefully they will get away to see Freya on Monday as planned. I really hope your family manage to avoid the outbreak. Hopefully it's just a mild cough that most people are having to deal with and the fluffy babies are being looked after properly!

Do you still get a lot of baby frogs in the pond? Or maybe it's the wrong time of year. I don't know much about nature :); 14 September 2023 at 21:07
Louise Boyd said...: Did you get the Cornetto Brownies? Did you, did you?!
Sarah and I are very invested in this, and she's promised me she'll try and hack it :D

Quiz shows you say?
My liking of her your gf increases daily.
Is she an Only Connect-er? A University Challenge-r? A Richarch Osman's House of Games?
I'm all three, but Only Connect's probably my favourite, even if I hardly every get any answers but the word puzzles at the end ^-^
I'm oddly gifted with word puzzles.
I think you, me, and Kerry would make an excellent quiz team, we'd all bring things to the table.
I can mostly only offer pop culture, literature, the arts, a little art history, and sometimes I random fact that is currently lurking in my brain and will disappear in a few days :)
Does Kerry have history facts? I feel like she'd have history facts. Or Geography! I don't know why <_<

I'm afraid the baby frog season has been and gone, it normally happens at the beginning of the Summer, and it always makes me laugh because y'know that Paul McCartney song, The Frog Chorus?
Very sweet and adorable frog nonsense.
Well... now, because I've heard the croaky chorus the frogs make when they're doing the nasty, I can't help but help think there's something suss about The Frog Chorus.
Did McCartney write a song about frog's fucking?
The puerile part of me hopes so :D; 15 September 2023 at 18:19
Dex said...: My belly has only just recovered from the Cornetto Brownies! I love our new arrangement of having you pick out my Friday sugar rush :D I only wish you were here to share them with me. I really hope that Sarah gets around to making her version as I imagine they might be even better!

I would genuinely pity anyone having to face you and Kerry in the same quiz team. I just knew you would be excellent at word puzzles and quizzes :) She has become really good at geography in the last 12 months as she wanted to improve her knowledge. I also know a few more things as well since she makes me do the same online geography games :) We even got each other globes for presents last Christmas by pure coincidence!

I've never actually properly watched Only Connect. I think it intimidates me a little bit because it seems so smart! I did enjoy seeing VCM on Taskmaster though :) Kerry is scarily good at House of Games! I am terrible :)

Okay, I'm off to listen to The Frog Chorus :); 15 September 2023 at 22:59
Dex said...: It is probably dangerous for my health that I have now learned how to cook onion rings in the air fryer :); 16 September 2023 at 17:39
Dex said...: Is it your mum who is really into reading sci-fi? Sorry for the random question but I seem to remember you telling me that and I like knowing things about your family :); 16 September 2023 at 18:07
Dex said...: Parents should be on the boat tomorrow night to see Freya. Lucky them!; 17 September 2023 at 20:14
Dex said...: Frozen pizza pretty sums up how I live when I'm left on my own :); 18 September 2023 at 20:14
Louise Boyd said...: You say that like frozen pizza isn't a legit dinner!
It's got all the things: carbs, veggies, protein! And you don't have to do a damn thing except put it in the oven.
Or the microwave if you're being a monster and eating those toxically good deep dish mini pizzas.
Either way, congratulations on feeding yourself, Dexterous, and not just eating cereal like a monster :)
Bonus points if you had air fryer onion rings on the side - genius!

Have your parents reached the tiny sprite yet?
It's so weird that she'll be a grown up some day. It makes no sense how we all do that. Logically and biologically I understand, but it's still bizarre watching it happen *-*
It doesn't help that I've been the same height since I was a preteen x_x
I so wanted to be tall >_< If only so I could reach high up things; the world was not designed for short people.

House of Games is a recent puzzling discovery for me and the fam. I turned in on one night in lieu of there being anything else, and was instantly hooked. A quiz with pop culture that required logical thinking instead of just knowing facts?
Fuck yeah!
I actually get a decent amount of things right on HoG, unlike University Challenge and Only Connect.
UC requires too much academic and scientific knowledge, but if a literature or art question comes up I'm pretty good at guessing correctly.
And OC is just fucking insane; the contestants on that impress me far more because they not only know the weirdest shit but they can apply it these crazy puzzles! Madness. Enviable madness.
I can only do the Missing Vowels round, but I kinda slay at it ^-^
I'll leave Geography to you and Kerry, though. I know not where places are :D

I've often wondered that if went on Mastermind and chose my specialised subject, that I'd totally choke, forget every Buffy fact (yes, that would be my chosen subject!) I've ever hoarded inside my brain, and lose miserably.
Like whenever I have to remember anyone's name. It's like I've got Face Blindness, but Name blindness, because I can clearly see the person! I'm really good with faces! But names? Not a fucking chance x_x; 19 September 2023 at 17:29
Dex said...: I haven't yet built up the courage to use the air fryer but I promise I will try shortly. I really want those onion rings :) But I did make a coffee (caramel macchiato to be specific) using the machine tonight. First time for me. I'll definitely now be using it for hot chocolate :)

They should have seen Freya this morning :) The boat gets into Aberdeen ridiculously early at about 7.30am and my mum said they would be the ones taking her to school. The school run (or rather walk) is my parents job when they are down there. I might get a video call tonight :) Hopefully I get to see plenty of Freya before she grows up!

I will have to watch Only Connect one of these days. I want to see the Missing Vowels round that you are amazing at :) I just know I'd be completely lost. This isn't false modesty but I'm really not smart at all and my brain doesn't work quickly enough for quiz shows. I remember watching University Challenge when we used to go down to West Kirby - unlike our household, my granny and uncle were tv people :) My dad and uncle are both so well read that they genuinely did okay but I never knew anything and I wouldn't do any better today.

I think I must have Face and Name blindness :) I genuinely think that you and Kerry would make an amazing quiz pairing! And she loves Buffy too :) When we watch quizzes together, really the only things I think I know more about are sports history and very old films / tv shows.; 19 September 2023 at 20:26
Dex said...: When I watch HoG with Kerry, she has usually answered the question before my brain has finished processing it :); 20 September 2023 at 20:49
Dex said...: I have today and tomorrow off work. Definitely a good excuse to go to the cake fridge again :); 21 September 2023 at 12:57
Louise Boyd said...: And I have your order ready:

- Kinder NYC Cookies
- Dairy Milk Brownies
- Malteser Millionaire Shortbread

We want sugar, we want chocolate, we want to feel delightfully ill once they've been consumed! ^-^

When I watch HoG with Kerry, she has usually answered the question before my brain has finished processing it :)

This is Sarah. 100%
I know she's not smarter than me, and we both read quickly, but I just think her brain works at a faster pace 0_0
So frustrating >_<
She was doing it tonight and I was only a third of the way through reading the question!
This is why I hate timed puzzles. I rarely play them by myself. Solitaire? Never with a clock. Those games where you have to figure out how to rescue a bear before it drowns or is massacred by killer bees? No fucking way. MarioKart? I'll play, but I'll be stressed the entire time >_<

Sports history?!
Are you a secret sport-o, Dexterous?
Do you watch... football?! :O

Okay, surely by now you must have Freya tales for me.
A crumb.
A silly thing she said.
An adorable outfit!
I don't have adorable fairy queen relatives masquerading as cousins, I gotta live vicariously through you.
Now, gimme.
:); 22 September 2023 at 01:17
Dex said...: Obviously, I had to check here first thing this morning to see if you had left my order :) It was very difficult deciding between the Malteser Millionaires and the Kinder Cookies but I went for the cookies. I'm very happy with that decision :)

You are definitely very smart! But I'm glad to know you are like me when it comes to processing :) I never did like playing timed games either. Too much pressure. And I would be terrible at any quiz show where I had to buzz quickly! I think you are the only person I would enjoy playing Mario Kart with. It would be more fun and less stressful :) I'm not surprised at all that Sarah is ridiculously good at HoG!

Actually, I hate watching live sport and following teams, players etc.! I just know quite a lot about sports history :) Tennis is probably the one I'm most knowledgeable about. My brain hardly remembers anything useful but the amount of useless knowledge in my head about tournaments, players, rankings etc. from the 70s/80s/90s would bore the pants off anybody :)

It was Freya's birthday on Tuesday (she's 6 now) so she was telling my about all the food she had. I particularly remember profiteroles and that she stuck her face in a chocolate fountain :) She's also been 'teaching' my mum and dad about numbers. Apparently my mum is a terrible student while my dad is the star pupil and gets the smiley faces on his work :); 22 September 2023 at 11:36
Dex said...: I had another video call last night. Freya was just wanting to say 'goodnight cupcake' :); 23 September 2023 at 14:50
Louise Boyd said...: Shut up.
Just shut up.
She's the worst, I love her, how dare she.
"Goodnight cupcake."
...
*dies
How do you not just squish her into oblivion every time you see her? *-*
And 6?!
Happy Birthday to Freya the fairy queen, and apparently a professor, now?! She's gonna take over the world in the nicest way possible.
Six is a killer time to be alive. You're still small enough to get away with murder, but old enough to decide what you wanna eat and watch, and you can stick your face in a chocolate fountain like an absolute goblin and NO ONE will give you shit about it!
Yeah, totally killer.
I wish I was six >_<

Okay, but why is that knowledge in your head, Dexterous?
How did you obtain it?!
This is absolutely flabbergasting me.
Sport. Of all things. SPORT! 0_0

You're welcome for the cookie recommendation, I'm not jealous at all <_<
I did have two kinds of limited edition Tesco cookies the other day, though.
I can't remember the exact flavourings but one was chocolate latte flavoured and the other had honeycomb in it.
SO fucking good *-*
No one else was that fussed over them but I went feral :)
If you're in Tesco, have a look-see for them, especially since the cake fridge's taking a week off!; 24 September 2023 at 01:20
Dex said...: Freya was very much on a sugar high after the chocolate fountain :) I think my cousin is glad to have my parents down there to help look after her. I don't know if they have the energy to keep up with her all the time though :) I definitely feel like I am missing out!

I just really like watching old tennis matches. So I only like sport in the least sporty way possible :) I think that's something I get from my dad. He doesn't follow any sports but he loves reading about the history of cricket and motor racing. We really are some family :) Do you like any sports?

You definitely deserve to be brought things like that as often as possible. And I'm such a sucker for any limited editions desserts/sweets/snacks on offer at Tesco :) I really hope the chocolate latte and honeycomb cookies are in Tesco today! I really do love coffee flavoured things.; 24 September 2023 at 14:17
Dex said...: Freya now has a little electric car to drive around in. I'll look forward to getting run over repeatedly at Christmas :); 25 September 2023 at 20:04
Dex said...: Sadly, I couldn't find the limited edition cookies in Tesco. I ended up buying a tub of Heroes instead :) Is it weird to keep them in the fridge?; 26 September 2023 at 18:23
Louise Boyd said...: Heroes, as in Miniature Heroes?
If yes, then it's not something I'd personally do, but I don't think it's necessarily weird?
Cold chocolate's a thing.
Tiny chocolate should absolute be a thing!
I keep meaning to try it but I'm too impatient. See chocolate, eat chocolate. It's what must be done, for everyone's sake, lest I get hangry :)
Sucks you couldn't find the cookies, though!
Do you have any Halloween stuff in Tesco yet?
I'm jonesing for a Reese's pumpkin shaped peanut butter cup *-*
Why is holiday food the best food?

Excuse me?
She has a car?!
I suggest you lie down and let her run over you, Dexterous, it'd be an honour to be flattened by her.
The shit kids get is wild. We these pedal go-karts which I couldn't steer for shit but absolutely loved. My sisters are I were menaces on the street, almost got knocked down a few times!
Imagine what bedlam we could've gone into with electric go-karts?!
Holy shit, my mum would've lost her mind 0_0
Has Freya named the car? I feel like that's something all kids would do, or at least I would've done when I was little.
If she's named it something generic and awesome like... Brian, I'm gonna lose my fucking mind *-*; 27 September 2023 at 01:17
Dex said...: You're right, potential hangriness is definitely an issue with cold chocolate :) You have to put it in the fridge for a few hours when you get home instead of monstering straight away. It certainly takes some planning to make sure you have already have a supply of cold chocolate while you wait for the new purchases to cool down :)

They have definitely started selling Halloween sweets in Tesco. I think that's why all these tubs of Heroes, Celebrations, Quality Street etc. are on offer making me buy them :) I'm assuming that pumpkin shaped Reese's peanut butter cups is an actual thing :) I would love to go around Tesco with you just before Halloween and fill our baskets up with themed sugar before going home to watch slashers :) I would get some vampire teeth!

I like the thought of you and your sisters menacing the neighbourhood with your pedal karts like some tiny gang :) I'm jealous as I don't think I ever had a pedal kart! Also, I'd almost forgotten that we had a go kart track in Lerwick for a little while. I never actually went but it definitely existed! :) I promise I will ask Freya if she has named her electric car the next time I speak with her and hope that it is Brian! :D; 27 September 2023 at 20:24
Dex said...: My sibling has been clearing out his bedroom this week. He really is one of the world's biggest hoarders. I don't know if I've told you that. His room is so bad that it really should be on tv getting a makeover :); 28 September 2023 at 19:29
Dex said...: No cake fridge today but someone did bring in some homebakes. It was actually really nice. Just a simple sponge with some strawberries and white chocolate.

Freya hasn't named her car yet but I'm sure she will come up with something now we have put the idea in her head :) I do love when she tells a story about something ridiculous she has done and makes herself laugh at her own ridiculousness :)

I hope your September monthly is coming on okay.; 29 September 2023 at 19:54
Dex said...: I've just been re-watching the first season of Archer today. That's another thing you introduced me to when you sent me the dvd for our birthday all those years ago :); 30 September 2023 at 18:47
Dex said...: I don't know how you always get your monthlies posted on time! I'll see how my browser copes with it this month :); 1 October 2023 at 18:07
Louise Boyd said...: How do I make it on time?
Blind panic.
Every month.
It looks like something that gets written gradually, but no, without fail, the entire thing (bar the reviews) gets done two days before deadline.
I've been pulling this shit since primary school 0_0 I'll never learn, procrastination is my superpower.

Isn't there a new season of Archer coming soon? And isn't it maybe possibly the last one?
I really need to catch up; the last episodes I watched were set in space, and I can't even remember what season that was =/
I love cartoons but I get so distracted when I watch them! >_<

*waits with bated breath for Freya to name her car*
...
It's gonna be amazing, I can just feel it *-*

What kind of hoarder are we talking here? Random junk or junk with meaning? <_<; 1 October 2023 at 21:42
Dex said...: I would say the bad kind of hoarder but he does probably have quite a lot of interesting things :) I was thinking the other day how similar my father, brother and myself are when it comes to our interests. We all like different things but love collecting and getting really into pointless hobbies :)

I think we probably approached our school work the same way :) I always felt I was just smart enough to get away with doing the minimum amount of studying. Sadly things didn't work out like that after high school. Although I do tend to still be a bit like that with everything :)

I actually stopped watching Archer during season 5 but I still absolutely love the first 3 seasons :); 2 October 2023 at 20:01
Dex said...: I meant to ask, I know that your house is full of so many interesting things, but do your family collect anything in particular? I already know about your books :); 3 October 2023 at 19:22
Louise Boyd said...: I don't think as a family we collect anything in particular.
Maybe art and plants?
The parentals have more collectables I think, especially my dad; he gets kind of obsessive about certain things, which is why there's a multitude of buddha heads dotted around the house, and glasses, he loves a good glass, most of which really are only for decoration and entirely pointless :)
I prefer a good mug, personally.
EXCEPT! I recently found out port sipping glasses exist and they look like adorable pot-bellied creatures and I need to drink Nesquik out of one, I just need to:

https://flowbarware.co.uk/cdn/shop/products/PortSipperssetof4_1238x.progressive.jpg?v=1665566483

They're so cute *-*

What's your current pointless hobby, Dexterous?
And is it pointless if you enjoy it?
I'd call that rather pointed, myself.
I'm crap at hobbies. I always wanted a thing to get weird over and get excited to do all the time, which I guess do with reading, but it feels not hobby-like enough?
I watch all these people online making stuff all the time and I wish I was like them >_< but I don't have the urge! Or I do have the urge, just not the urgency, I you know what I mean?; 3 October 2023 at 21:36
Dex said...: I still maintain that your house and garden are entirely magical places and I will not be convinced otherwise :)

You definitely need to get one of those glasses! You will look so classy :) This is shocking but I'm not entirely sure I've ever had the Nesquik drink!

For what it's worth, I think your reading is very hobbyish :) Certainly much more of a hobby than anything I do. At the moment, I'm very into my old film guides :) I wish I had a more active or creative hobby but I seem to like doing very little much more. So I think I know what you mean :); 4 October 2023 at 19:26
Louise Boyd said...: I'm sorry, I have to ignore everything else you said because... YOU'VE NEVER HAD NESQUIK?! x_x
How?!
It's like a staple of a preteen's diet!
How did you survive?!
...
I am in shock *-*

Ps. Sarah used to read these massive film guide compendium things when she was a teenager. I think they were published by Virgin? Or Halliwell? I can't remember, but they were massive and she'd take them everywhere.
Is that what you're reading?; 4 October 2023 at 21:23
Dex said...: I really don't know! I blame my parents for never buying it during the weekly shop :) I've had Nesquik cereal at least so I am hoping that makes up for something in your eyes :) Is the Nesquik drink just like the chocolate milk leftover after eating the cereal?

I used to take my Halliwell's film guide on holiday with me when I was a teen! I feel like I should be high fiving Sarah right now :); 5 October 2023 at 19:39
Louise Boyd said...: You should totally high five Sarah, you're both film nerds and took those gigantic tomes on holiday ffs!
I've been whacked with a Halliwell, it's painful x_x

Nesquik cereal milk is almost like the drink, but it's not as good.
I really think this needs remedied, Dexterous, drinking the Quik is a significant tastebud milestone in every human's life.
And you have to try every colour! ← yes, colour, not flavour.
Brown, pink, and yellow.
So you know which camp you're in.
I'm Camp Brown, who occasionally vacations in Pink, and shuns Yellow entirely.
Yellow is a crime against flavoured milk <_<

It's fridge cake order time!

- Mint Aero Brownies - I hate you
- Reese's Cookie Bars - I hate you more
- Banoffee Slice - ffs, this is killing me
- Guiness Cake - going rogue, but this could be... good?

I know I have Sarah, and Em when she gets the urge to bake, but dear sugary hell, I'm so jealous of your access to this fridge!
Mint Aero Brownies?!
...
>_<; 6 October 2023 at 01:20
Dex said...: I'm so sorry, Lilliputty! I must have been in a sugar coma last night from the banoffee slices that I completely forgot to thank you for your recommendations! Best person ever!; 7 October 2023 at 17:58
Dex said...: I don't ever remember whacking my sibling with a Halliwell but I'm sure it must have happened :) Is Sarah still quite the film buff?

Oh, they come in different flavours?! I didn't even know that! Banana milk does not sound like my cup of tea either but I'm sure I could manage chocolate or strawberry. Or brown and pink if you prefer :) I'll definitely buy some from Tesco. I might wonder where they have been all my life :)

I really wish we could go to the cake fridge together. We could definitely get a selection to share so I didn't have to make the painful decision to forego Mint Aero Brownies in favour of Banoffee Slices :); 7 October 2023 at 18:05
Dex said...: Freya took my mum's ipad when I phoned and made me watch her drinking a hot chocolate :)

Also, Kerry and I watched Totally Killer last night. Time travelling slasher film. Completely ridiculous but entertaining!; 8 October 2023 at 19:46
Dex said...: It's so cold up here today, Lilliputty. I'm currently in my dressing gown and under a thick blanket in the lounge. I also need to make up my bed as I washed my bedsheets this morning and hung them outside to dry. It looked like it was going to be a nice day and I even checked the weather forecast but there were showers this afternoon so they are still wet. Does your family hang clothes outside? I always used to think it was a normal thing to do but apparently a lot of places don't!; 9 October 2023 at 19:21
Louise Boyd said...: If it's not raining, the laundry goes outside. Without. Fail.
Using the tumble-dryer is bonkers expensive, and the wind is free!
I'm not allowed to put it outside when it gets cold, though (which is 90% of the year) because of my silly circulation. Poor me :D
Do people hang their stuff inside? Doesn't it smell weird? Whenever we're forced to do it, the clothes always end up smelling musty =/

I know being cold sucks, totally sucks, sucks abominable snowman balls sucks! I hate it!
But being bundled up is kinda nice, though, right?
Piles blankets, hot drinks, binge watching something. That's my idea of a good night in ^-^
A time-travelling slasher film would be totally appropriate viewing for this set up.
Totally Killer's in the TBW list, but I'm a little scared because Kiernan Shipka annoys the crap out of me =/
She was amazing in Mad Men but everything else? Sub par.
I'll trust yours and Kerry's judgement, though.
I'm off to watch the Little Mermaid live action because I'm a masochist and need to know how badly they've fucked up my favourite Disney.
...
I'll watch something gory tomorrow.
Wish me luck!

So she just... forced you to watch her drink hot chocolate?
Did she talk to you or was this simply the act of a queen demanding her subject observe her enjoying the good things in life while they remain hot chocolate free?
Like... I'm only half-kidding when I think she's a fairy queen, but she tips the scales with every new thing you tell me *-*

You went Banoffee? Good choice, good sir!
I would've chosen... one of everything!
No, seriously, it's probably for the best I'd need to hop a body of water to accompany you to the cake fridge because we'd be stuck there forever, camped out in the cold, waiting for me to make a decision x_x
I'll just continue to choose for you and con Sarah into making dupes for me :)
When she's not making FUCKING AMAZING NUTELLA-FILLED BRIOCHE BUNS THAT IS >_<; 9 October 2023 at 22:49
Dex said...: It must rain more in Shetland than it does in Blair :) We would always hang our clothes outside to dry if the weather was okay but a common scene is one of us running outside to take the washing in when we realise it has started raining and then hanging it in the upstairs landing instead :)

I really feel sorry for your poor circulation during winter. I wish your body was a bit easier on you! I hope that you manage to keep warm as often as possible. Is your house generally quite warm? I'm sure that Charlie always steals the warmest spot :)

I haven't seen any of the live action Disney remakes! Are any of then good? I think I've probably told you that The Little Mermaid was the one I watched the most when growing up so I will need to know your opinion of the remake! Also, I don't know if I would want to go on record as recommending Totally Killer :) But it manages to do the slasher elements reasonably well despite being very ridiculous so I hope you do manage to watch it all bundled up with hot chocolate :)

Freya is always talking :) But she did put the hot chocolate right next to the screen so I could witness the drinking up close :)

Nutella-filled Brioche Buns! Do you ever just hear something and think that's just totally me? Because that's how I feel right now :) Do you have them warm?; 10 October 2023 at 19:47
Dex said...: It is very windy here today. But it is nice being inside on evenings like this :) Hopefully it calms down by the weekend though as my parents are travelling back on the boat on Saturday night :S; 11 October 2023 at 19:09
Louise Boyd said...: I don't get motion sickness but the idea of being on a boat during high wind gives even me a swirly feeling in my belly =/
Fingers crossed for good travelling weather!
They must be sad to leave little Freya. I would be. Even if she is a hot chocolate temptress!

The Brioche buns were eaten warm by some, which was apparently most excellent, but I ate mine cold because I'm lazy ^-^
Still so good though.
I went through this devastating phase earlier in the year where the taste of Nutella turned my stomach. I couldn't even smell it without feeling sick. It was the weirdest thing 0_0 And I missed out on so many yummy things >_<
So glad that's over and I can shove bread and chocolate into my face again :)

Okay, I can confirm: The live-action Little Mermaid is a complete and utter dumpster fire. Watch at your own peril x_x
I need someone to scour my brain clean.
It was so shiny and they added plot that didn't need to be plotted and the guy they had as Eric was such a milquetoast waste of breath.
I know Eric's a himbo, but he's my himbo and they made him so blandddddd >_<
Not to mention Akwafina as Scuttle. I like Awkwafina, she can be funny sometimes, but holy shit, she ruined my beloved seagull.
And I hate how plastic-y real everything looked!
Disney really are on a mission to fuck their OG movies up 0_0 and this one... oh, this one's gonna hurt for a while.
...
AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN LET HER HAVE HER AWESOME SLUTTY SPARKLY DRESS MOMENT AT THE END!
That might be the part that hurt the most -_-
Don't watch it, Dee, save yourself.; 11 October 2023 at 21:48
Dex said...: At least they will be going to see her for another week in November before they go to The Philippines :) She did actually make them phone me tonight as she wanted to talk to me :)

They really do sound delicious! But I didn't know you had an aversion to Nutella! I'm very glad it has passed! Obviously, I would never have let it get in the way of our friendship :)

Thank you for the warning about Little Mermaid! I think you always give these things a fair chance so it really must be terrible! Maybe you should re-watch the original to wipe this new one from your memory, and especially to re-live the sparkly dress moment :) If only they could have gotten a younger Ryan Gosling to play the Disney version of Ken :) Was Ursula at least terrifying when she turns into a giant? That used to scare me when I was a kid!; 12 October 2023 at 20:48
Louise Boyd said...: Ryan Gosling should just be the official himbo in all movies from here to eternity, right?
I think we should petition that.
...
I'm joking but I genuinely think if I put that on Change.org, a ridiculous amount of people would sign it 0_0

It wasn't terrifying when Ursula quadrupled in size :(
Not even a tiny bit, it was so disappointing, and a lot of it had to do with Melissa McCarthy.
I love her, I do, her role as Sookie in Gilmore Girls was when I first got all gushy over her, but I loathe the roles she's been taking since, and Ursula might be the biggest offence yet.
She's too sweet. Ursula's not sweet, she's a boss bitch with a sharp tongue, a veritable lounge lizard... uh, octopus, and McCarthy was not giving out the right vibes.
However! At least they didn't try and give her a sob story as her villain arc like they did with Maleficent and Cruella.
I hate when they do that; just let the villain be a dick and enjoy themselves! *-*

Dexteroussssssss you gotta go to cake fridge, you just gotta, she's giving away a free brownie to each customer!
If you don't go, I'll be so mad at you *-*
Here's your order, be a good Fungus and do as you're told :)

- White Ferrero Brownies
- Cinnamon Roll Cookie Bars
- Biscoff Millionaires or Milkybar, I'm not sure where you stand on white chocolate!

I'm not jealous, not jealous at all <_<; 13 October 2023 at 01:23
Dex said...: I used to think I was more of a dark chocolate person than a white chocolate person. Now I think I am more of an all chocolate person :) But today I went for white chocolate. It was a difficult decision but the Milkybar Millionaires just looked so good. And they really were! :) Thank you again for taking the time to look over the menu. It does seem a cruel thing to ask you to do but I love getting my orders from you. And it's how I find out about free brownies :D

This is terrible but I can't remember if you've seen Barbie yet or not! If not, I hope you get to see it soon. I never like second guessing if you will like something or not but I definitely found a lot of it entertaining. Admittedly, it was mainly the bits with Ryan Gosling :)

Ugh, ever since the Star Wars prequels, there has been this obsession with giving everything a backstory! But at least I get to listen to your criticisms. I love that :); 13 October 2023 at 19:48
Dex said...: I'm not sure my parents will enjoy their trip on the boat tonight. It does sound quite windy :S; 14 October 2023 at 12:48
Louise Boyd said...: Do they get motion sickness like you?
I find you weirdos fascinating. A little rocking on some H20 and you completely fall apart :)

It is cruel to make me choose delicious treats for you. Despicable in fact! I'm still not over the Aero Brownies.
But you know how much I like bossing you around (Freya and I obviously have this in common), and it forces you to walk up a hill to get cake.
Endlessly entertaining ^-^
Plus my dad brought me sour gummy spiders, a slice of Tiffin, and Sarah made oatmeal raisin cookies and two giant loaves of bread.
It would uncouth of me to be mad at you when we're both getting treats :):):)

I have a weird question for you:

2+2x4=10

Right or wrong? <_<

I haven't seen the Barbie movie yet, and honestly I probably won't until it comes out on dvd or a streaming service.
The cinema's a pricey bitch! And I like to be able to pause movies so I can pee :) Can't do that in the cinema. Or wear your pyjamas! That would be a really weird cinema experience if you could =/
But I will see Ryan Gosling be king Himbo at some point! I trust your judgement, though. It's got the Dex stamp of approval, which is a very significant stamp ^-^
I did successfully counteract the travesty that was The Little Mermaid by watch No One Will Save You, an alien home invasion movie with barely any speaking and bonkers twist.
It was awesome. Highly recommend. 4 stars!

Ps. White Chocolate is putrid, but I approve of your choice.
Was the free brownie good? I love sprinkles on things 0_0; 15 October 2023 at 01:22
Dex said...: Actually my parents seemed completely fine after all that :) Although the boat was a few hours late arriving and there were definitely some passengers disembarking who looked distinctly the worse for wear :)

Sour gummy spiders! I'm glad you are starting on the Halloween sweets :) I think the fact that you have amazing baker sisters always makes me feel a little better about asking you to order me to the cake fridge :) And your sisters may even feel like re-creating some of the bakes! Really I'm the one who should always be jealous :) But the free brownie was very good.

2+2x4=10... I think that's right. I seem to remember being taught to do the multiplication first. Was there a particular reason? :)

I would definitely buy a film guide written by you :) And I totally agree about the preference of watching a film at home in pyjamas and with bathroom breaks!; 15 October 2023 at 19:50
Dex said...: Freya (and her mum) bought me some Krispy Kreme doughnuts for my parents to bring back with them. The whole box was demolished yesterday :); 16 October 2023 at 15:44
Dex said...: I see that there is some rather stormy weather forecast for Blair towards the end of the week! I hope you and Charlie manage to stay inside and enjoy it from somewhere very warm and comfortable :); 17 October 2023 at 19:31
Louise Boyd said...: Charlie and I are safely ensconced inside, avoiding the wind and inevitable rain; I love stormy weather ^-^
Charlie not so much, but he does insist on brooding outside for at least a little while like a fuzzy Heathcliff glaring at the moors.
It's kind of adorable.
Does Lerwick just become like a giant wind tunnel when it's windy? What with your lack of trees :)

Krispy Kreme, you say? Isn't she the sweetest little monster :)
I need details, though: were they glazed? All one flavour? A selection? Filled?!
My favourite Krispy Kreme doughnut has to be the Reese's Pieces one =/ Total trash but so good.
If you had to choose between the perfect doughnut and the millionaire's shortbread, what would you choose?

Okay, what the actual fuck? 2+2x4=16!
If you wanted 10, you'd have to do 2+(2x4)!
At least that's the logical way and the way I was taught 0_0
You're not wrong, though (although my dad who's a maths guy says writing equations like that goes against the fundamental laws of mathematics, so...), it's called PEMDAS: parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction.
That's the order you separate equations into so they can be calculated, and if there's no parentheses you automatically do the multiplication first.
...
I understand all this, I swear, but I was never taught this way x_x
And it absolutely wrinkles my brain why you would take the parentheses out in the first place.
What's the point?
It's like taking commas out of a sentence, the entire structure of it fails to make sense and in order to figure it out, you have to put the commas in yourself.
...
WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT?!
I swear to all that's holy, mathematicians are the fucking worst >_<
I know English is hard, and the rules are ever-changing, and you can pick and choose what style you want to use in your writing; it's absolute chaos and I'm frigging blessed to have a pretty good natural understanding of it.
But Maths? It's supposed to be made up of pure logic. There's always an answer to every equation/problem/formula. So why would you inject chaos for no good reason? Why would take away its grammar to make it harder?!
...
I'm very worked up about this, you might've noticed 0_0
Sarah found it on Tumblr and got absolutely ripped into for getting 16 and not knowing the PEMDAS rule. Absolutely destroyed.
But everyone in my family got 16, even my maths freak dad, and my brain's been on fire ever since.
Wtf is going on, Dexterous, and why are you in on it?! <_<

Ps. I HATE MATHS! A CURSE UPON ITS HOUSE! *stares into the void*
I love calculators, they're the best invention ever *-*; 18 October 2023 at 18:06
Dex said...: It was a mix of filled doughnuts. There was caramel, nutella, coffee... I really wish we had Krispy Kreme up here. I'm going to spoil Freya and me with them at Christmas :)

Charlie as Heathcliff in a storm just seems so right :) The weird thing about Shetland is that no matter how windy it gets, no one seems to mind very much. Apart from if the boats are cancelled which makes everyone act as if the apocalypse is happening :)

I'm sorry about the maths. Sarah did not deserve to get any criticism at all. I don't get it either (it was just a vague recollection of what I thought I was taught at school) and I really would feel much happier with brackets! But it was a brilliant outpouring of totally justified anger from an amazing human!; 18 October 2023 at 23:48
Dex said...: I do enjoy hearing the wind blowing in the trees at the back of our house while I am warm in my bedroom :)

Time for tea, Taskmaster and chocolate pretzels :); 19 October 2023 at 20:45
Dex said...: Hi Maggot. How is the weather in Blair? It's okay in Shetland. Just a bit windy but not much rain. However, the boats from Aberdeen have been cancelled as it is apparently very bad down there so our supermarkets are running very low on certain items. Sliced bread, fresh fruit and vegetables are like gold at the moment!; 20 October 2023 at 19:23
Louise Boyd said...: The weather's pretty terminal here =/
Windy as hell, non-stop rain and cold as fuck. All the roads are blocked and we're basically stranded like a little island, but it's meant to start clearing up after tomorrow.
Unless Zeus decides to fuck around some more and drown us completely :)
I love global warming.

Did you go to the cake fridge?!
I thought it was Wednesday yesterday and forgot to give you your order >_<
I'm so stupid! And mad! There were Munchies Brownies and Biscoff Mini Loaf Cakes FFS!
Ughhhhhhh!

Coffee doughnut. Coffee. Doughnut. COFFEE DOUGHNUT?!
That sounds like fried heaven *-*
I'm weirdly craving coffee at the moment. Well, coffee flavoured milk, which is essentially how I drink it. The less it tastes of coffee the better!
Such a basic bitch -_-
But I've got a Cookie Straw and I wanna slurp coffee through it!

Hope you survive without sliced bread, Fungus! I know you don't care about the fruit and vegetables :D

Ps. I've been told I'm at my most eloquent when I go off on one :); 20 October 2023 at 23:19
Dex said...: I'm sorry, Lilliputty. It sounds much worse in Blair! I hope you are managing to keep warm and comfortable. And that you are well stocked with all your favourite foodstuffs! :)

Please don't worry about forgetting the cake fridge this week. I did too! And it is probably for the best that I didn't go as I really have been eating so much over the last few weeks. Obviously, I am still planning to go next week :)

I can't even remember the last time I bought a vegetable :)
Fortunately, I don't eat much bread at home. And if we do, it is usually rolls. And the supermarkets don't usually run out of those as they sell the ones from the local bakeries. I'm assuming our local bakeries don't make sliced bread!

I did like that when I clicked on the link to the cookie straw, the website asked if I would accept their cookies :) But I didn't even know cookie straws were a thing! What have you been using them to drink? Nesquik? I definitely agree about coffee being better the less it tastes of coffee :) Maybe a frappuccino from Starbucks would be good to try it with...; 21 October 2023 at 14:31
Louise Boyd said...: If this weather has taught me anything, it's that I need my dad to be able to go outside 0_0 He's like a caged bear right now.
Does anyone in your family do this? Make themselves a grumpy, short-fused nuisance when they're trapped at home? Start projects that end up involving everyone and all you get is snarled at?
It's insufferable, I kept picturing bludgeoning him with toaster *-*
To be fair, I do that most days with at least one of my family members, but wow, today was one for the books!

Don't speak to me of Frappuccinos, you monster >_< It's been ten thousand years since I've had one!
You should absolutely get all the Starbucks/Costa when you're in Aberdeen at New Year's though.
The biggest Frap available.
And whatever season hot chocolate they have!
I love seasonal drinks. Seasonal anything, really. I still think about those chocolate Santa lollipops M&S used to sell; they tasted terrible but I loved them. Something about the texture and the fact that it was chocolate on a stick.

I was wondering if I was sending you too often to peruse the magical cake fridge 0_0
Every two weeks a better fit?
I'll still look every week, 'cause, y'know, yum, but I guess I could stop sending you up the hill like a sugary pilgrim so often :)

Ps. This is the sort of shit that's going on here at the minute:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-67180162

The trees are waving *-*; 21 October 2023 at 22:36
Dex said...: I totally sympathise, Lilliputty. I hate whenever either of my parents starts some kind of home based project! Are you like me and sometimes wonder if it's because you like to live a fairly quiet life while causing as little disturbance as possible to other people that you tend to get very annoyed when anyone disturbs you? I do struggle to understand why anyone would go out of their way to bring stress on themselves. My dad has never been the kind to do big projects but he always worries about little things and it is always very obvious when he's worried! My mother on the other hand seems to always planning some kind of big project! Although she has been a bit quieter recently... :)

I would very much like for you to continue sending me up the hill like a sugary pilgrim as often as possible. I actually love when you do that :) But it really doesn't matter if either of us forgets occasionally as I'm sure we will make up for it later on :)

I wish you and I could both just spend Christmas consuming Starbucks Fraps, hot chocolate and Krispy Kreme doughnuts :) The frustrating thing is that nowhere else seems to do iced coffee anything like as good as Starbucks! Surely it can't be that difficult! Living in Shetland, we have had to live without M&S so I have never experienced the chocolate Santa lollipops but they do sound both terrible and amazing :)

The weather really is mad! I hope it calms down in Blair today. The wind seems to have died down here but it is very wet. At least the boats should be arriving later on.; 22 October 2023 at 13:49
Dex said...: I forgot so say that I'm off work for the rest of the week. Just using up some holidays. We'll see how well I do with spending all day in the same house as my parents for 6 whole days...; 23 October 2023 at 19:49
Dex said...: Have you ever had those Candy Kittens sweets? They are nice but I hardly ever buy them as they seem too expensive for sweets!; 24 October 2023 at 18:17
Louise Boyd said...: That's because the Digestive Biscuits heir created them.
Fucking nepo babies, don't they have enough money already?!
Boycott the Kittens, Dexterous, and buy Haribo! The fizzy kind if available :)

How's the time off going? Cohabitating with the rentals okay?
I'm fit to kill mine :)
Sarah's gone to London for a week for a holiday before her birthday, and me and Em are being forced into mass DIY for her benefit :) :) :)
Can you tell that I'm livid? :) :) :) :) :) :)

Are you like me and sometimes wonder if it's because you like to live a fairly quiet life while causing as little disturbance as possible to other people that you tend to get very annoyed when anyone disturbs you?

THIS! That explains it so well.
It's like that line from J. Alfred Prufrock:

Do I dare
Disturb the universe?

No I bloody don't dare, Mr. Eliot. I'd like to leave it to its nap, quite frankly *-*
But everyone else feels the need to disturb and we get dragged into the mess >_<

Do you know why Starbucks drinks are better than everyone else's?
They have special milk. It's treated differently so it's thicker, more like cream, and that's why their drinks have the good consistency's and everyone else's are watery disappointments.
The things you learn from baristas on Youtube ^-^; 24 October 2023 at 22:05
Dex said...: I'm sorry, they will be boycotted starting from now! They really aren't worth the price anyway. And I do like Haribo :) Although I am more of a starmix person...

Oh! Room renovation?! Are you doing it while she's away as it is some kind of birthday surprise?! Whatever the reason, I wish you weren't being roped in!

I know that things need to be done sometimes but definitely not as much as most people seem to think! I'm glad we both like to leave the universe to nap. I promise that is what we would do most days if I had the magical powers to transport us somewhere quiet :)

Thank you, that is actually really interesting about Starbucks! Annoying though, as it means there is little hope for those of us who don't live near one :); 26 October 2023 at 00:09
Dex said...: Today I bought some of those Lu biscuits. They were filled with Nutella!; 26 October 2023 at 20:08
Dex said...: I hope you have plenty of Halloween sweets to keep you company this weekend :); 27 October 2023 at 19:25
Louise Boyd said...: I have a pumpkin shaped Reese's PB Cup, so I'm relatively happy :)
Have you hoarded up? You and Kerry gonna binge watch horror movies all weekend?
They put the latest Scream on Prime or Netflix, I can't remember which, so I might give that a go.
Or just watch something reliable like Penny Dreadful for the fiftieth time ^-^ I love Eva Green so much, it's sickening.

Okay, renovation update: it's not as hellish as expected, but I still don't like it <_<
Oh, and Sarah came back early! She got sick :( Not Covid sick, just regular sick sick, which is good but still blows; she was only there for two days before it started. Total waste of a trip, and she came home to DIY madness 0_0
She thinks she's cursed, and I think she might be right... x_x

I so didn't mean to rub Starbucks in your face >_<
They make terrible coffee, anyway!
What you need to do is buy a tub of ice cream and make milkshakes. Milkshakes are better than Frappuccinos!
And you don't have to pay your soul for just one cup 0_0
Have you ever dunked chips in a milkshake? I really want to.; 28 October 2023 at 00:01
Dex said...: Kerry really likes the newest Scream film so that is a definite recommendation :) I quite liked it too but still prefer 90s Scream :) We are actually intending to watch Freaky tonight, the serial killer body swap film. Have you seen it?

I'm really sorry to hear that Sarah had to cut her holiday short. I'm glad she's home though and not stuck in London. I hope it is not noisy DIY! I don't suppose there is an estimate for when it will be over? I wish you could escape to somewhere quiet in the meantime. With your books of course :)

You never have to be sorry for shoving all these unattainable things in my face :) Do you ever make milkshakes at home? I can definitely imagine you making them :) She could make one this weekend and dunk some chips in it :) I didn't know that was a thing!; 28 October 2023 at 16:24
Dex said...: We also watched The Babysitter with Samara Weaving.; 29 October 2023 at 15:24
Dex said...: Here's a completely random question, Lilliputty. What is your favourite kind of pie? Sorry for being so ridiculous :); 30 October 2023 at 18:42
Dex said...: Happy Halloween, Lilliputty! I hope you eat plenty of sweets and watch plenty of films!; 31 October 2023 at 17:42
Dex said...: There were quite a few children along our house last night but fortunately there are still a few swizzels, skittles and maltesers left for me :)

It is my sibling's birthday tomorrow but my parents are going to Sandness so we are having a small birthday meal tonight. I think it's just steak and onions rings and cake :) He's going to be 43. How did we all get so old?! We are both still living at home so it seems like hardly anything has changed!; 1 November 2023 at 17:37
Louise Boyd said...: Happy belated Halloween, Dexterous :) and happy birthday to your brother!
Sorry I missed you yesterday, but it's been kind of a clusterfuck here.
First it was DIY, then Sarah coming home from London 'cause she got sick, days of that going on, and now she's in the hospital having had minor surgery, and they're still figuring out what's going on (it's nothing fatal or scary, just an infection they can't place, they'll figure it out), and then my gran was in hospital today because she has some fluid on her lungs! She's home now with water pills and strict orders to not act like she's 50 instead of 96 (something we've been trying to get her to do for years! But corralling an extroverted, ADHD monster is near impossible >_<).
She's going back for a scan of her heart pretty soon because, well, she's old and her ticker's not as effective as it used to be but the doctors said she's doing pretty fucking well for someone who's nearly 100.
But as you can imagine, it's been pretty damn stressful in the Boyd residence for the past week. I'm fucking knackered but with adrenaline pumping through me like I've drunk ten red bulls.
It's insane and not over.
I didn't even manage to watch anything spooky on Halloween! Except Hocus Pocus but that's a must :)
How was Freaky? I wasn't majorly impressed when I watched it, but I do love Kathryn Newton. She's a sardonic nightmare *-*

Ps. We're not old! We're just well baked ^-^

Pps. My favourite pie has gotta be apple and blackberry. I know it's basic as fuck but it's just so tasty.
I'm assuming you meant sweet?
What's yours? And why the pie question?!

Ppps. I CAN'T BELIEVE I FLAKED ON HALLOWEEN CAKE FRIDGE WEEK! I'M SO MAD. THERE WERE BLOOD SPATTERED BAKED GOODS! FUCK! >_<; 1 November 2023 at 23:37
Dex said...: You know you never have to worry about delayed replies to my extremely important messages about things like pies :) It really does sound like you've had quite a week! Your gran does sound amazing though. Maybe you could get her into books because it is one of the best things about staying home :) I really hope Sarah is okay too but at least it's nothing serious. I wish I could just teleport us both somewhere quiet but I'm sure your family are very glad to have you around during stressful times. I definitely would be :)

It would have been terrible if you hadn't managed to watch Hocus Pocus on Halloween! You definitely never deserve to miss that tradition! Freaky was okay although I really don't like Vince Vaughn at all. I think that dislike dates all the way back to the 90s :)

Don't worry about missing the Halloween Cake Fridge week. We'll catch them next year :) I think the next time you order me to go, I will get at least 2 boxes to make up for it :) I do really wish you were here to go with me.

I don't know why I ask most of the stupid questions I do :) But I always love your opinion on different foods and I was sure you would recommend an excellent kind of pie :)

I'll definitely tell my sibling that he is well baked if he starts worrying about being old :); 2 November 2023 at 20:11
Louise Boyd said...: Oh, I don't like Vince Vaughn, either. Never have, there's something skeezy about him, and self-important, even more than your average celebrity.
I really believe he loves the sound of his own voice *-*
The Babysitter is infinitely better imo, but I do have the biggest crush on Samara Weaving, especially when she's fucking people up :)
I genuinely love the movie, though, and the sequel. It's so bloody and funny. Funny horror is the best sub-genre.
Have you seen Guns Akimbo? With Daniel Radcliffe and her? It's bonkers and she's an absolute nightmare in it :)

Sarah update: she's had another surgery and we're hoping for an upswing in her condition going forward, but she could be in the hospital for over a week, which sucks in itself, but it's her birthday next Wednesday :(
I really hope she gets out before then so she can at least be at home and feel like crap!
I've never stayed in hospital before =/ Have you?

You wish I was there to trek to the cake fridge? I I was there to trek to the cake fridge! I'd camp out and buy all the things. We'd have to take a wheelbarrow to get it all home 0_0
I'm still so annoyed I missed Halloween week. Everything looked so goooood >_<
Oh well, just gonna have to force you to go this week :)
Your order, good Sir Fungus:

- Tunnocks Teacake Millionaires (holy shit)
- Cinnamon Roll Cookie Bars
- Choc Orange Toffee Crunch Brownies

They're not Halloween-y but they do sound pretty awesome.

You didn't tell me your favourite pie!; 2 November 2023 at 22:37
Dex said...: Obviously, I had to go for the Tunnocks Teacake Millionaires. You really do suggest the best things :) I wish I could have brought some to you and Sarah and Emily. I'm definitely sending Sarah all the get well vibes so she can make it home in time for her birthday. But I'm sure the family will spoil her rotten if she does have to celebrate her birthday belatedly because you really are the best collection of humans out there :)

I've never stayed in hospital either but both my sibling and dad have experienced it in the last few years. My brother had a blood clot and had to stay there for a week or so as the doctors decided he had a bunch of other things wrong with him :S And my dad was there for a similar length of time. This is terrible but I can't exactly remember the reason he was there! Maybe just the ravages of old age :S Have you been able to visit Sarah quite often?

I definitely remember you talking about Guns Akimbo! Is that the one where he has guns stuck to his hand? :) One of my favourite things ever was watching Samara Weaving punching a little shit of child in the face in Ready Or Not :)

Is it okay to choose Banoffee Pie? And a classic Apple Pie is always welcome :) Can your family make Apple Pie?; 3 November 2023 at 20:28
Dex said...: I'm so glad you got your October monthly posted despite everything that is going on at home. You really are amazing.; 4 November 2023 at 14:34
Dex said...: Did I tell you my parents are going away again next weekend? For 3 months! They are going to spend a week or so in Aberdeen with Freya and then head off to the Philippines.; 5 November 2023 at 15:52
Louise Boyd said...: Genuine question: are your parents ever home?! 0_0
And what does the Philippines at Christmas look like? Is it obscenely beautiful and not dreary and horrible like it is here?
I used to wish for snow, but I'd genuinely be happy to spend Christmas somewhere sunny and warm to escape our weather. I miss the sun already *-*
...
I know you're spending New Year's with Kerry and Freya (so lucky!) but does that mean you'll be on your own for Christmas?

Is it okay to choose Banoffee Pie?
...
Dexterous, you can choose any damn pie you want! Especially one as awesome as BP.
You scared of me or something? I know I'm bossy, but damn, I'm not rabid ^-^
Have you ever had Pecan Pie? I'm itching to try. I love nuts! ... If you laughed, I'm proud of you :)

Is Ready or Not the best Samara Weaving movie? I think it might be. Although, I can't watch the bit where she impales her hand on the nail while climbing out of whatever that pit was in the stable.
Can't do it.
I love horror, but as soon as it gets realistic/body horror-esque, I'm out. Can't look.
I can watch a vampire tear the throat out of a human, but any for of cutting and impaling? *dry heave*
Makes absolutely no sense :)
...
I didn't know she was in Scream VI! I definitely have to watch it, now!

A blood clot? Holy shit, that's not fun. I'm guessing he's okay now, yeah?
Sarah's still in hospital, might be coming home tomorrow, but it's unsure because she's still feeling absolutely fucked up =/
It's all very stressful, I don't think my adrenaline's gone down for a week and I'm genuinely stressed out about her coming home because we're talking a 10-12 week recovery period.
I have never looked after anyone like this before and it's terrifying *-*
...
I think I'm gonna comfort watch all my favourite things so I don't go batshit crazy.
well, more so :)

Ps. Guns Akimbo is indeed Daniel Radcliffe with gun hands. It's great, you should watch it.
And his movie Horns, if you haven't already. It's not fun but it's really good, a genuinely great adaptation of an okay book. I love when that happens ^-^; 5 November 2023 at 18:32
Dex said...: They have certainly been here a lot less since my mum retired! I definitely miss them when they aren't here but I also like having a quiet house :) I did spend a few Christmases in the Philippines when I was a child but the warm weather always felt wrong! I think I was too young to appreciate it. I much preferred Christmas at home or at my granny's in West Kirby. For some reason, I've always preferred staying home :)

Actually, I'm spending Christmas with Freya (23-28 December) and New Year with Kerry (29 December-1 January). I feel a bit guilty leaving my brother home alone though. He usually has to work either Christmas or New Year.

I think I am becoming less okay with violence in films as I get older. Any kind of nasty violence just completely turns me off. I much prefer my violence to be closer to Tom & Jerry in terms of ridiculousness :) And I can confirm that Samara Weaving is in Scream VI!

I like to know that you approve of my choices. It's important to me, even with things like pie :) No, I've never had Pecan Pie but I am very curious to try it. I don't know if there is anywhere up here that would sell it... I know you love nuts :) Favourite kinds?

It was a few years ago so my brother is completely fine now, thank you :) I'm sure Sarah will be too. And I know you will do an excellent job of taking care of her when she is back home because you are an awesome human being. I just wish I could teleport us somewhere quiet from time to time so you could get a bit of a break from the stress. You definitely deserve to watch all your favourite things over the next few weeks :)

I really do think you are an excellent reviewer of books, films and tv. I would buy your guide for sure :); 6 November 2023 at 18:46
Dex said...: I hope things are okay with Sarah today. And with you. I definitely don't like to think of you being stressed. I wish I could bring you a hot chocolate with marshmallows like I had today!; 7 November 2023 at 20:10
Louise Boyd said...: Tiny marshmallows or regular sized? o_O

Things are definitely okay with Sarah; she's home now, we got her back yesterday and she looks so much better than I was expecting. When she left she was basically the walking dead but now she's got colour in her cheeks and she's sassing me every second sentence :)
Obviously she's still in pain and feeling lousy, with weeks of recovery to go, and it sucks that she'll spend her birthday laid up on the couch and not really up for eating much, but at least she's not stuck in a hospital bed on her own!
And there's presents. Everyone loves presents!

I forgot you'd be with the fairy queen for Christmas! You're so lucky *-*
Forgive me if you've told me already, you know I have no memory banks just empty voids, but what are you gonna get the little wonder?

Nut preference: Pecan, pistachio, peanut (specifically when they come in their shells), walnut (but only with coffee based desserts).
I fucking loathe macadamia, though. So buttery. Yuck :(
Your turn.
We share the most important info :)

I gotta workshop a name for this fictitious guide of mine.
Maybe Lilliputty's Listicle?
Or The Maggot Review?
Or, just a suggestion: A Feral Goblin's Guide to Awesome Stuff?

We're polar opposites when it comes to violence in the movies, the more violent the better for me!
I mean, not gore, I don't want to feel vomit-y, but I really enjoy people getting kicked in the face in creative ways 0_0
How do you handle watching horror with Kerry? She's a fan, right?; 7 November 2023 at 22:08
Dex said...: Tiny marshmallows :) I know this will sound really stupid but I had no idea they would completely dissolve in the hot chocolate!

I'm really glad Sarah is home. The sassing is definitely a good sign :) She definitely deserves to spend her birthday at home surrounded by family and presents. And she will hopefully make up for the cake and other favourite foodstuffs that she might have wanted by eating double of them another day :) Is Sarah really into her books as well?

I really have no idea what to get Freya! Maybe some books. Or something she can use for drawing. Or she did mention a make up phone whatever that is :)

I think we like the same kind of nuts as I am struggling to add to your list :) Do you like coffee and walnut cake? I had it for the first time not that long ago and it was really good. I mean, it was just a Tesco version but still nice :) Also, did you hear they are going to stop selling Caramac?!

I vote 'A Feral Goblin's Guide to Awesome Stuff?' You can definitely assume that I am pre-ordering it in my head right now :)

Kerry does like her horror and I'm okay with slasher films like Scream. And I'm sure I'd be okay with watching people getting creatively kicked in the face :) But an example of the kind of violence that I really hate is the new Halloween films. Fortunately, Kerry hates them with a passion too :); 8 November 2023 at 19:18
Louise Boyd said...: A Feral Goblin's Guide to Awesome Stuff it is.
T'was my favourite, anyway :)
I might even have to rename the blog, or have it as a subheader!

I am DEVASTATED about Caramac! :( :( :(
It's in my Top 5 sweets; how dare they stop making it >_<
Nothing else tastes the same; Dairy Milk's version's too creamy. Caramac shouldn't melt on your tongue! You gotta crunch it!
Ack!
I might need to unleash my inner goblin and create an apocalypse stash. I've got two in my room, already, a couple dozen more should be a good start, yeah?
:(

Confession: I've never actually watched any of the Halloween movies all the way through. I've seen bits and pieces over the years but it's just never interested me all that much.
I just don't get what's so scary about a silent bloke in a mask =/

Is a make up phone, this?:

Kids gets the wildest shit.
I'd take a tamagotchi over a makeup phone, though.
Even if I did always accidentally murder mine x_x

It's that time again! If you so wish to venture to the cake fridge, this is what I think you should get:

- Milkybar Speculoos Cookie Bars
- Banoffee Slice
- Wispa Gold Brownies

Or if you're feeling savoury, the oatcakes. They look kind of immense!

Ps. Tiny marshmallows are the best marshmallows, bar Flump, but they'd be disgusting in hot chocolate.

Pps. Coffee and walnut cake is a superior cake. Top tier. Fucking delicious.; 9 November 2023 at 22:11
Dex said...: Well, your blog is full of awesome stuff although I really don't think you are a Feral Goblin at all :)

I wonder how long Caramac lasts! You should definitely gather a large stash for the apocalypse. I'm assuming we will be spending it hiding somewhere quiet and watching/reading all our favourite things. You could definitely give me a list of other foodstuffs we would need so I could bring them :) Obviously, items from the cake fridge would be included. Thank you for looking again. Those are excellent choices :) There better be some Speculoos left by the time I get there! I don't think I've ever gotten something savoury from the cake fridge but maybe tomorrow will be the day...

For some reason, I can't see the link to the make up phone. But I will just assume it is :) I never had a tamagotchi when I was a kid. Even that was too much responsibility for me :); 9 November 2023 at 23:09
Dex said...: The Milkybar Speculoos Cookie Bars were so good, Lilliputty! You really do know me so well. I am definitely glad to have you around to make these amazing choices :); 10 November 2023 at 20:16
Dex said...: I may have had to go and buy a coffee and walnut cake this morning after talking about it :); 11 November 2023 at 10:56
Dex said...: Ugh, we've just had people dropping by our house unannounced and staying about 3 hours. Does that ever happen to your family? It really shouldn't be allowed! :); 12 November 2023 at 16:27
Louise Boyd said...: That never happens to us. We're too antisocial ^-^
I would hate it, though, interlopers are not welcome in my space.
Did you hide the entire time? I would've *-*

My dad went to fetch me some Caramac.
...
There was none x_x
And I've been looking around the internet and it's either sold out or being sold at obscene prices.
I hate this place :(
I'm gonna miss it so much! Caramilk tastes so weirdddddd >_<
Speaking of weird tastes, Em bought me a bottle of orange Lucozade - my favourite - and it tastes like Fanta.
I like Fanta, it's my top orange flavoured soda/pop/whatever you wanna call it, but it's not Lucozade.
They stole my weird tang, Dexterous.
Why are they stealing all the things I love? x_x
I swear to all the devils in hell, if they come for Speculoos, I'm gonna go apocalyptic.

This is a makeup phone:

https://www.claires.com/purple-rainbow-bling-cell-phone-makeup-set-5508.html?lang=en_GB

My bad, I fudged the coding when I was typing :)

Have you ever seen Romeo + Juliet, the Baz Luhrmann version?
We've probably talked about this before but I gotta check, 'cause I'm watching it for the 100th time and fuck, it's perfect.
It still wrinkles my brain how Luhrmann got these performances from a bunch of Americans (typically they can't speak with the right cadence for Shakespeare, unlike the Brits who do it naturally, so I prefer them to stay away and leave it to the professionals unless it's a modern adaptation and they aren't speaking in verse).; 12 November 2023 at 21:43
Dex said...: I'm very jealous of how antisocial your family are :) We are relatively antisocial. I pretty much just spend time with Kerry, my brother plays darts on Fridays, my dad only goes out when he's with my mum... Really, it's my mum who lets the side down by having plenty of friends :) I had to stay in the dining room to finish my lunch but retreated to my room as soon as I finished. Fortunately, my mother had herded them into the lounge so they didn't interrupt my lunch too much.

I've been looking for Caramac too and cannot find it :( I'm sure there are other chocolate bars that they could have discontinued instead of Caramac! Hopefully the cake fridge have a stash and will make something this Friday although I suppose I can settle for Speculoos :) I haven't had Orange Lucozade in so long although it was always my Lucozade of choice :) Why do good things have to change, Lilliputty?!

I know nothing about coding so cannot judge at all :) Thank you for the link. I do love that you always try to help me find things :) For some reason, I thought make up phones would be something much more complex :) I just hope I manage to buy her something she likes.

No, I've never seen Romeo + Juliet although I remember having a video of some film that I watched all the time and it was one of the trailers at the beginning :) I absolutely love it when you talk about Shakespeare though! Do you have any other favourite adaptations of his plays?; 13 November 2023 at 20:33
Dex said...: I forgot to mention that it is Kerry's birthday on Thursday. She is being taken out for a meal with her mother when all she wants to do is drink wine and watch Taskmaster :); 14 November 2023 at 20:14
Louise Boyd said...: Poor Kerry, it's so annoying when all you want to do is go into goblin mode and your family won't let you *-*
Will she at least get to drink wine and Taskmaster it out with you later on in the evening?

There's always one in a family of introverts who goes over to the extrovert side.
It's my dad's mum, for us. I swear she knows everyone in town. Every-one 0_0
And she's constantly getting visitors. I can barely handle the postman! I'm really grateful when they drop the packages, knock, and run before we have to interact x_x

The full list of Shakespeare adaptations that get the Lilliputty seal of approval:

The Straight Retellings:

- Much Ado About Nothing, the Kenneth Branagh version (Emma Thompson is glorious as Beatrice, and Keanu saying "Borachio" is a thing of dopey glory and lives in infamy in our house)

- Twelfth Night, the Helena Bonham Carter version (one of my favourite comedies, and Nigel Hawthorne is a true theatrical darling as Malvolio)

- A Midsummer Night's Dream, Stanley Tucci as Robin Goodfellow (aka. Puck) was a stroke of casting genius. My favourite play with a madcap collection of actors and I love this adaptation very, very much, even with its flaws.

- The Tempest, with Helen Mirren. Genderbending her from Prospero to Prospera worked really well, but it was Ben Whishaw as Ariel and Djimon Hounsou as Caliban that really stole the show. His Caliban hurt my heart even more than Caliban normally does.

- The Hollow Crown, I'm not much for Shakespeare's historical plays but this double mini-series really highlights how fucked up royalty really are and how much fun it is see them bloody themselves up in the name of the crown. And everyone's fantastic in it! Maxine Peake has a very minor role in the first series with Tom Hiddleston (who was so fucking exceptional, he's wasted as Loki, as much as I love him in that role), and she takes up so much space without trying, it's glorious to watch. Also her character's name was Doll Tearsheet. How great is that? I love finding truly brain-altering names in fiction.

- Taming of the Shrew, the BBC's Shakespeare ReTold version (all four episodes are worth a watch, but Shirley Henderson letting her inner feral goblin loose is a thing of beauty. Also Rufus Sewell in a skirt; he's the perfect Petruchio)

- Shakespeare: The Animated Tales, the siblings and I were obsessed with this series when we were little, the animation/claymation is really ugly but in this luxurious way. Does that make sense? Like the 80s as a genre: ugly but delicious.; 14 November 2023 at 22:24
Louise Boyd said...: The Modern Takes:

- Get Over it (AMND), you've seen it, you know why.

- 10 Things I Hate About You (TTotS), the 90s were a golden age for American retellings and I genuinely don't think Julia Styles has ever been as perfectly cast as she was as Kat Stratford.

- She's All That (TTotS), it's such trash, I can't excuse my love for it, but it floods me with endorphins whenever I watch it.

- Never Been Kissed (AYLI), obviously they miss out the cross-dressing (sadly), but I genuinely think this gets the essence of the play, whilst still being accessible for those who don’t relate to Shakespeare. Plus Drew Barrymore; she’s a gift and I love her.

- Warm Bodies (R&J), Romeo and Juliet but make it zombies? Fuck yeah!

- L.A. Story (AMND), this one’s really loose but… I’ve always loved it, relation to Shakespeare or not. Steve Martin kills me, as do narrative messages delivered in unexpected places.

The Character Expansions:

- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, not a Shakespeare play but Tom Stoppard's expansion of two minor but significant character from Hamlet. It's gorgeous and funny and devastating; Gary Oldman and Tim Roth eat up the screen with their chemistry.

- Ophelia, Daisy Ridley is so miscast, but I can forgive that because finally getting to see Ophelia, probably the most abused woman in the bard's repertoire, escape Hamlet (fuckboy) and her abusers is fucking glorious. It's also really pretty and the music's on point.

- Rosaline, I'll watch anything with Kaitlyn Dever in it, even trash like this. I always felt sorry for Rosaline in the play, though, Romeo ghosts the shit out of her with Juliet in the typical emo fuckboy behaviour Shakespeare was so fond of, so it was kind of awesome to see her story fleshed out sans Romeo.

And lastly, the stories of Shakespeare himself:

- Anonymous, I don’t buy into the idea that Shakespeare was just the poster-boy for someone else’s genius, but it’s an interesting concept because some of his accounted history does play into the idea. … I still don’t believe it, though, but it does make for a kickass movie and a truly gorgeous prologue and epilogue from Derek Jacobi.

- Shakespeare in Love, I hated this movie so much for years after its release, solely because Gwyneth Paltrow is the worst, but I love it now. It shouldn’t work, it should come off as twee and overly dramatic but it just… works. Even Ben Affleck’s great in it =/ I’m putting that down to Tom Stoppard being co-writer on the screenplay.

Okay, I think that’s everything, but also I feel like I’ve forgotten something *-*
Either way, if you ever want to watch something Shakespearean, save this list because I’m always right :); 14 November 2023 at 22:30
Dex said...: Maggot! You really are the most amazing human! I almost have no words. Of course I am going to save this list! I love this so much even though I feel slightly ashamed of how little I know :) I just want to read about how much you love Shakespeare's plays and watch all your favourite adaptations with you. I've genuinely spent the last hour reading and re-reading it in between looking up all the references on google :); 15 November 2023 at 19:12
Louise Boyd said...: Okay, that makes me stupid happy that my Bard-based waffle inspired multiple googling ^-^
It's never been hard for me to appreciate Shakespeare, though, because the rentals basically raised me on it.
Of course, I don't instinctively pick up on the intricacies of the language, the puns (Mercutio jokingly saying "Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man while he's bleeding out from a stab wound is so dark, and heartbreakingly funny), and the double entendres Will S. was so fond of - I'm not a savant, low level smart at best, but I never struggled with the narrative like so many people do, I give full credit to my parents influence for that.
So much of it has to do with the delivery of the lines anyway, which is why his plays (and plays in general) work best performed, be it on stage, or screen, or audio.
I think I was... nine (?) when I saw A Midsummer Night's Dream performed at The Swan in Stratford and, you know my memory is black hole, but I can vividly remember sitting up in the gods, a little dizzy because theatre seats are really steep, really close together, really uncomfortable, and I genuinely felt like I was gonna tip out of my chair and splat on the stage, but even in that state of tentative vertigo, I was besotted with what was being played out in front of me.
It's actual magic, the theatre, and one day I'm gonna make it back.
It doesn't have to be Shakespeare (I'd love to see Wicked and Heathers: the Musical, and Beetlejuice! And Hadestown!), I just want to feel that surreal thing of being a known observer to an unfolding plot.
But definitely not Panto. I don't fuck with Panto! I have PTSD from Dracula coming into the audience and scaring the bejeesus out of tiny me 0_0
Audience participation is terrifying >_<
You should watch some of the stuff I listed, though, even if Shakespeare isn't your thing, because they're fantastic stories.
If I had to recommend one? Much Ado About Nothing. Kenneth Branagh might make trash now, but he made movie magic with Much Ado, and the story's so ridiculous and emo, but fuck it's quick. You know that quickdraw intelligence comedians have where you feel sort of whiplashed by the speed of their comebacks? That's how 90% of the communication between the characters occurs in this play, especially between Beatrice and Benedick, arguably one of my first ships.
Yeah, definitely watch this one, it's perfect, and easier work than Macbeth (although McAvoy does a fine job in the Shakespeare ReTold series, that's worth a watch, too).
...
I really do waffle about the Bard x_x
But you like it so it's fine ^-^

Okay, Fungus, it's Cake Fridge order time, which I wasn't going to do this week but there's:

- S'mores Cookie Bars
- White Toblerone Brownies
- Oreo Brookies

I couldn't help myself, they sound so gooooood.
The Toblerone Brownie is a punt, though, because, y'know, white chocolate, but I was intrigued <_<
I'd say you should get something for Kerry as a post-birthday recovery thing, but I think she's appreciate wine and something savoury more than cake :D; 16 November 2023 at 18:29
Louise Boyd said...: Malteser Tiffin!
How did I miss that?! >_<

Ps. Happy Birthday to Kerry :); 16 November 2023 at 18:32
Dex said...: I really like the look of those cake fridge choices. I'm so glad you changed your mind about ordering me to go there this week. Thank you :) I bought Kerry plenty of wine yesterday so she is well stocked up :)

I hope you will be able to give me an education in Shakespeare one of these days. I'm sure my dad knows a bit about Shakespeare but the plays were never part of my childhood. I certainly never had an incredible theatre experience when I was 9 years old watching A Midsummer Nights Dream :) I don't think I've watched a full performance of any Shakespeare play. Hopefully we can go and see one some day but that we have plenty of space and comfy chairs in which to enjoy it :)

I have tried reading Shakespeare but I found it quite difficult. Maybe I would find watching a performance a bit easier :) But I would never be able to appreciate the language or the acting as much as you. Your parents did an excellent job :) Still, I would love listening to you telling me about all the things I should have appreciated :) I don't find your words to be waffling at all :D

I promise I will watch Much Ado About Nothing! I do worry that I won't be quick enough to keep up though :); 16 November 2023 at 19:55
Louise Boyd said...: The nice thing about Much Ado? The language may be fast but it rolls right through you, barely any work involved, the emotion each character's putting out is what matters.
You'll be fine, I have faith in your brain :)

Y'know where I'd love to see some Shakespeare? New York, Shakespeare in the Park.
It's a cliché, and the chances of being close to the action are slim, but it feels right to have the Bard performed out in the open. Especially his pastoral plays.
I think I'd hate New York, though =/ I'd just have to be airlifted in and straight back out again once the play was over.
...
I'd snag a soft pretzel first, though. That's a no-brainer ^-^

Which of the plays did you try and read? Did I send you A Midsummer? I've genuinely forgotten basically everything I've gifted you over the years, except for a few select things 0_0 My brain is the worst!
In school, did you have to do that thing where you'd read the play out loud but everyone in class would get a turn?
I loved doing that, even if I was nervous as shit about it - I don't do public speaking, even in the smallest of publics x_x
You'd never catch me on stage. Behind the scenes, though, for sure. I was a proud member of the set design crew in high school for the shoddy productions we put on - although Rocky Horror was pretty spectacular, my childhood bestie was Magenta, her hair was enormous :) - I have vivid memories of being a little high on the caffeine powder and painting a fake wall whilst giggling uncontrollably.
Good times :D
Did your school put on productions?

Okay, tell me what you got from the cake fridge, make me jealous.; 17 November 2023 at 18:16
Dex said...: Thank you for having so much faith in my brain :)

You did send me a lovely copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream. A Wordsworth edition with a fairy on the cover :) I can always tell you the presents you have sent me as I have a special section of my bedroom where I keep them all, except things like the Mario lamp which I keep on my bedside table. And the ones I have eaten :) The presents are a reminder of how lucky I am to have you as my best friend. Not that I need much reminding :)

They do sound like good times :) And I'm sure you did an excellent job on the sets as I've seen the windows displays you and Emily have made :) I don't remember doing any plays in high school and the only one I remember from primary school was a 'This Is Your Life' for Santa Claus. I played his French travel agent. It was very embarrassing :S

Yes, we did to that thing in school where everyone read out the play in class. I liked it too :) The only thing I didn't like about it was when I got a good character and then had them taken away from me. Obviously, I always deserved the best characters :)

I wish you could get a soft pretzel and watch Shakespeare in the Park in New York with no large crowds. I went for the Oreo Brookies today. It was a very tough decision between those and the S'mores Cookie Bars but I always knew I was getting the Brookies after reading your order and going on to her facebook page to look at the photos :) I really need you here so we can get a box of goodies each and then share!; 17 November 2023 at 21:45
Dex said...: Is it okay to buy a big box of Ferrero Rocher and eat them all myself?; 18 November 2023 at 15:35
Dex said...: The parents are going away on the boat tonight for 3 months so things are quite stressful today with all of their preparations! And the weather isn't the best for sailing!; 19 November 2023 at 12:56