Lavos in Chrono Trigger. 😭

Shopping where the deals are. Don’t be loyal to a brand. It’s easy, but if you’re going to keep going to get Hellmanns mayo at full price, Aldi has one that’s their home brand that tastes just as delicious at a fraction of the price.

I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs. I do a lot of cooking at home, and I teach myself to make delicious and nutritious foods that may be copycats of what we’d get at restaurants. It’s a fun little challenge at a much cheaper price for way more than just one portion.

Sometimes I just want to go vego for a few days or weeks, so I go online and find some budget food recipes (beans, lentils, rice, etc.), and I usually find some really good ones.

Back home in Canada, I was couponing a lot. This was 8+ years, ago, I don’t know what it’s like now. Coupon culture is not a thing in Australia, but I shop mostly at Aldi. There’s a Coles and Woolies just across the street, so I do my research on what’s cheapest, and buy that item there.

I buy in bulk if I know I’m going to eat it all. I go hard on the pantry items.

Shop what’s in season.

Shop your local Asian grocer! Sometimes they have stuff way cheaper than supermarkets.

I thought I had good sourdough until I went to a cafe near Warburton, Victoria, and wow they do an amazing sourdough. The sandwich was simple, but the bread made such a difference.

Irish soda bread is so unique to Ireland, I’ve not been able to find it anywhere outside of that country… So we overdose whenever we go back 🤤

But in actuality, I love any bread that is fresh from the oven. I’d devour an entire focaccia if I was allowed to.

I love a good seeded, bouncy (not to be confused with airy), tangy sourdough bread. I’ll eat it untoasted or toasted with butter, or in a sandwich. Everyday if I could.

I am also partial to any naan, and Irish soda bread. Naan to be eaten with curries, and Irish soda bread toasted with butter.

I do this sometimes, especially when I am stressed out and just need time to relax and forget everything for a while by immersing myself in whatever I’m listening to. Same with just sitting on public transport. Sometimes, I just stare out the window, and everything I hear is just sound because I’m just in the moment. I’d otherwise be on my phone like everyone else.

No, you’re not weird.

Can confirm, ants in Australia are evil.

Though I haven’t done research on this topic, I do have a first hand account of how freaky red bull ants are.

I’ve gone hiking and sometimes I come across them. I usually hike with poles, so I always look before I plant. I planted by a red bill ant once, and it really took offense. It kept facing me no matter which direction I was from it, like it was waiting for an opening to climb my shoe, sock, and get my leg. I have been “stalked” when taking small steps away.

I don’t think they sting, but their mandibles, though. 💀 Not sure if there’s any documented deaths caused by this ant, but it sure would hurt being bit. Same with bull ants. Deaths from anaphylaxis probably, though.

I’ll sometimes boil water and steep a few tea bags in a 1 bottle. Put it in the fridge and have it the next day. There are plenty of types of tea out there, so it’s flavoured water.

I sometimes prefer this to fruits and veg because by the end of the day if I’ve forgotten to eat the fruit and veg, they just go mushy and it gets wasted.

The stairs jumped out and tripped me, now I have a bruised toe.

Why not do a basic food safety course? It could help you find a job (a server, anyone even passing food to customers in a container is considered a food handler like a cashier, even a dishwasher because they handle clean dishes that touch people’s food), and it’ll help you keep you from getting sick.

One of my first jobs between school years was as a busser before I worked a summer in a chocolate factory. From there, you talk to people and get their insights from their previous jobs, and you figure out if it’s something you could stay in longer or if it’s just a job to pay the bills.

“I’m so hungry, I could eat the ass out of a low flying duck.” “Fuck me dead.”

• Australia

Might not be idioms, but they do put some weird images in to one’s mind.

That’s awesome. I’m going to have to look in to this more seriously. Thank you for adding more fuel to a tiny little flame. 😊

Australia, yes. I especially hate the ones that have a button to turn on and have so little power that if you rubbed your hands together fast enough, they’d dry faster via friction than using the dryer.

I highly doubt they do. They probably just get tested and tagged, and maybe to make sure the filters are cleaned/replaced. Otherwise, I really don’t know. Do the daily cleaners even wipe those down? I’ve more often seen people cleaning the traffic lights (3 times in my entire life) than I see anyone go near a hand dryer with a cloth (none).

Environmental Health Officer here… I had a classmate who did a study on this, specifically the Dyson-type where you stick your hands in downwards.

Next time, take a look at what’s there in the 2mm gap on the bottom inside where the water, etc. collects, and where the forced air blows all that material. Remember to not breathe.

There’s a reason why we direct food businesses to use paper towels in the kitchen, not hand dryers. Also, because ain’t nobody got time to properly wash their hands for 30 seconds and then stand there completely drying their hands when they have 20+ chits on the go.

Edit: Forgot to mention, the majority of people don’t know how to wash their hands properly, especially under the nails (both men and women). They’ve just used the hand dryer. Now you use the hand dryer. Multiply that by how many days it is before these things actually get cleaned and sanitised only to be contaminated again by the first user until the next clean and sanitise, if ever. Humans are filthy. 💀

I don’t know what kind of schedule you have, but if you’re able to, get a job on the hill, even if it’s one day a week. I used to work part time every season, and I got a free seasons pass. I can’t remember about rentals but I had my own board. I got to know all of the rentals people so I got to take out some skis every now and then for free if they weren’t busy.

If instructors have lessons scheduled but they haven’t been filled, sometimes you can hop in for free or at a discounted rate.

For all beginners, I highly highly recommend to take a few lessons first because A) you pick up bad habits from friends, and B) first and foremost, you need to be confident with your stopping, not following your friends down double blacks. You’ll end up hating yourself and giving up on the sport.

If working is not possible, then you could look at volunteering. My mountain would give one free daypass every shift you worked, so you could very easily volunteer in the morning and hit the slopes in the afternoon or another day.

Re: driving… Snow tires. Get some good ones, and practice driving in snow until you’re comfortable before going up a mountain. I also used to drive long distances over mountain passes and have seen some bad things.

I do remember using a pedal, and I don’t remember it being too hard. I do recall, however, one of the troublemakers in class would put the pedal to the metal and the teacher would give him an earful.

What are some of the things that you’ve sewn? I need a little inspiration, maybe it’s time I pick it up as a hobby and not just for school.

Play guitar, or sew. Guitar because I play woodwinds, so when I’m sick, I’m pretty useless. At least with a guitar, I can cough my lungs out and still somewhat play guitar if I’m not heaving for air. Or someone else can sing for me.

Sewing because then I wouldn’t have to resort to a single needle and thread and have no idea what I’m doing when patching something up. If I could remember how to use a sewing machine from home economics class in highschool, then I could start a little hobby business on the side, and I wouldn’t have to give up my favourite pair of jeans. :(

Personally, I keep it until it’s got mould. The days recommended really depends on how many times the fridge is opened and how long the fridge is opened for.

Example: I’ve had a opened tub of hummus in my fridge for 2 months and it’s still been fine. I also eat yogurt way past its best before date, so. Shrug None of it would last a week in a share house.

Depends on the food item, but for tomato/pizza sauce, it’ll be the mould if you haven’t cross contaminated the sauce with something else (ie scoop out sauce with spoon, touch spoon to pizza dough, scoop more sauce with same spoon; or wiping finger along rim, licking off finger, and repeat).

It’s why I ended up quitting that job. I couldn’t get ahead because documenting everything took up so much of my time. In the end, the entire chain up to CEO still sided with my shite in the rain of a manager because she sucked enough under the table 🙄

Stock Android on Samsung S23 because it was $400 at the time (JB-Hi-Fi had a steal of a deal), and current phone at the time was dead, so I needed something. Otherwise, I’m not sure where I would have gone, but definitely not Apple. All of my workplaces use iPhones and I hate it.