• Bottom_racer@aussie.zone
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    4 months ago

    All those cold swims paid off last night.

    I’m in a house built in 1910 with no insulation, sisalation etc. Slept with the windows open and felt nothing.

    Would’ve burned through a lot of previous midnight snacks it’s basically cheating.

    So in this weather we switch from steamed dims sims to deep fried dim sims because it’d be a health hazard if the blood wasn’t loaded up with stuff to burn.

    So the science is true: Get in cold water = can deep fry shit.

  • Taleya@aussie.zone
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    4 months ago

    Was mentioning this is the first house i’ve lived in that hasn’t fucked me on a cold snap, and how when i woke up it was 20c and it stays 20c!!

    Coworker overheard last part and tried to oppression olympics snipe me. Nosy bitch got a short, sharp lesson on exactly what growing up in a holmesglen concrete prefab special was like.

    I ain’t wearing guilt, i’ve done my fucken time and then some.

    • Catfish@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      She can fuck right off and so cal the bills needed to get this place out of single digits and me be able to tell what colour my skin is.

  • Gibsonisafluffybutt@aussie.zone
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    4 months ago

    My new rule is that when it gets below a degree in temperature, I huddle in bed with Gibson and listen to audiobooks.

    Nothing of value can be done at this time lol

  • TinyBreak@aussie.zone
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    4 months ago

    I know our cold tolerance is all different but maaaaan people watching is insane today. The battle between fashion and function. Cool guys who chucked on a vest and went “that’ll do” or insisted a cap is good enough over a beanie. The Middle aged professional looks great in her business gear, but I’m questioning pants that are basically 3 quarters in length cause she’s gotta be regretting the amount of skin exposed on her legs. Then sensible ones who layered up, people who tried to make the puffer jacket cool (largely successfully I must say) and then there is those of us who went “fuck it, warm is more important” and just threw something together. I don’t think my gloves are even the same colours, if anyone asks I’m just gonna say I can tell which is my left and which is my right.

    • melbourne_wanderer@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      as a research academic (I.e. very few student facing days), my “middle aged professional” cold weather gear is a pair of blunnies (over thick socks), jeans, shirt and v-neck jumper under a long wool coat with a scarf/cowl.

      basically, switch the blunnies for other shoes, drop the coat and scarf and it’s all remarkably similar to my all-weather, middle aged professional look.

      more effort made on occasion when visiting 50 Lonsdale.

      edit: this is also remarkably similar to my all-weather-all-purpose middle-aged-lesbian look

    • MeanElevator@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      Coming from a colder climate, it amazes me how much emphasis there is here for ‘looking the part’ instead of being comfortable.

      • TinyBreak@aussie.zone
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        4 months ago

        I think the difference is death. Ok not really. But in anything colder than this you’ve simply gotta treat it more seriously.

        • MeanElevator@aussie.zone
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          4 months ago

          Hahaha…yeah exposure is definitely more a thing in Canada. I don’t get why someone would choose to be uncomfortable, even for a few minutes. The cap example is hilarious. If you’re worried about ruining your hair, you’re not going to wear a hat regardless. Throw a beanie on and keep the ears warm dang it!!

          • TinyBreak@aussie.zone
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            4 months ago

            one dude had an answer to that: Over ear headphones. Honestly a pretty elegant solution. They were both really strange. one guy had a cool hoodie and a vest and that was it, which didnt seem enough. Another was cap and jumper as if he didnt feel the cold but with a scarf on as well. Its like bro are you cold or not?

    • Rusty Raven @aussie.zoneM
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      4 months ago

      I used to have a great cold weather look when I was working in the city (many years ago). Long black coat, suede gloves with fur trim, and a black fur scarf and hat. Now that I I only have a few minutes passing between car and buildings I am much more the random hodge-podge look.

      • TinyBreak@aussie.zone
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        4 months ago

        Back in the day when I was a young fella I put in a lot more effort. Nice black business jacket, matching scarf and gloves. These days…. Haha less so. Works lucky I put on pants that arnt trackies.

  • Pilk@aussie.zone
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    4 months ago

    Do you wear a wristwatch?

    If so, is it because you use it, out of habit, as a fashion thing, something else, or a combination of the above?

    Mine keeps breaking and I’m thinking of just replacing it with some jewellery (simple chain bracelet?) on that side to fill the void.

    • underwatermagpies@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      Yep, I wear an analogue watch every time I leave the house, and use it to know the time quickly. It also looks pretty, because I like my functional things to be decorative if they can be, but it’s primarily functional.

    • CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      When you say “breaking” what do you mean? Stop working? Crack the screen? The band falls off?

      Yes, I wear a garmin. It counts my steps, tells the time, records shit. Before that I wore an analogue.

      • Pilk@aussie.zone
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        4 months ago

        It’s got a separate second hand that keeps falling off with bumps, and the rogue hand gets caught in the hour and minute hands. Fixable but doesn’t seem to stick. And it makes me realise I barely ever look at it to tell the time, I just feel naked without it.

        • CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone
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          4 months ago

          Ok, so it’s shit. Get a decent watch like a Lorus. They are Seiko’s cheaper range but built to last.

          You’re not using your watch because it’s disappointing you.

          • Pilk@aussie.zone
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            4 months ago

            It was good back in the day, but I think it’s just old now. It’s been through a few battery replacements and had the glass replaced once. The Horse don’t seem to make watches with separate second hands anymore, so I wonder if it was a known issue.

            I’ll make sure to check out Lorus.

    • imoldgreeeg@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      I have a older style garmin (that’s small and has an actual working watch face so it doesn’t look like a fitness tracker). I mainly wear it for the tracking and stress/HRV tracking but the watch bit is handy when I’m in meetings or dealing with public transport or trying to put down the phone. I lived happily without a watch for many years but since I got it I’ve worn it all the time. If it broke I’d probably go without again until I found something I like that fits.

    • tone212_@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      I wear my Apple Watch mainly to track exercise and a bit out of habit. I don’t really use the watch that much though outside of tracking workouts, so recently decided to buy a cheap Casio watch (this one as it was on sale) when I just want something on my wrist as a fashion thing.

    • StudSpud The Starchy@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      I don’t wear a wristwatch at all, or bracelets. I hate the way they feel. Generally just check my phone for the time.

      #justmillenialthings

    • tombruzzo@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      I do. I used to wear one all the time as a kid so it’s partially out of habit. I don’t like having to pull my whole phone out just to check the time when I can do it causally on my wrist, and I have a smartwatch but the screen never turns on when I want it to.

      I bought an automatic Steeldive watch off Aliexpress that’s pretty good and one of the cheapest solar watches from Citizen I could find. Solar watches are great, they’re so light and require almost no maintenance.

      I’m not into watches for the fashion so I find so many of them incredibly ugly for everyday wear

    • T156@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Yes, both for health tracking and because it’s handy for notifications and calendar alerts. It’s also a bit of a habit for time-keeping at this point.

      Although I’ve found fancier, newer watches to be much worse for that. I replaced my old Garmin with a Samsung Smartwatch, since the corner broke off the Garmin, and the Samsung one had a metal frame that seemed more durable. However, the software is both worse and more fiddly than the garmin, which is itself worse than the software on the Pebble (RIP) I had a long time ago.

  • CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone
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    4 months ago

    Just for a bit of fun, I decided to get on the little dog’s bed and mess up his blankets. Oh boy. He did not like it one little bit. He tried to nuzzle me off, snorting like a horse.

  • LowExperience2368@aussie.zone
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    4 months ago

    Gratitude thread! What are you grateful for today? :)

    I’m grateful for not cancelling my gym class booking today. Although I was tired and couldn’t give it my all, it was better than nothing. Also grateful for my mum being patient with me despite me being irritable.

    • Seagoon_@aussie.zoneOP
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      4 months ago

      I am grateful for living in a nice apartment with nice little terraces I can garden on and I am grateful for living near beautiful parks.

      And I am grateful to all the people who make beautiful movies and tv for us to watch. It truly is a gift.

    • dumblederp@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      I’m grateful for all the birds I saw today while enjoying the sunshine.

      I’m grateful for this warm bowl of porridge.

    • Catfish@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      It’s my Friday! There are cats Boyo didn’t turn the freshly made bed into a burrito rolled dog nest in one day

    • CEOofmyhouse56@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      I am grateful to have insulation in my house. Seriously all those people who don’t, especially renters, my heart goes out to them.

    • underwatermagpies@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      I am grateful for central heating. And to have a roof over my head in this cold weather.

      I’m also grateful to the ABC for streaming ER on iview and keeping me entertained.

    • Gibsonisafluffybutt@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      Grateful for fluffy butt

      For somewhere to live that’s all to myself

      For the studio I can lose myself in when I need to

      And for a plethora or media to watch when I want to rest my mind

  • Baku@aussie.zone
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    4 months ago

    I got some news about the other kid. Apparently they are actually fully decided on moving him elsewhere. Their original plan was to move him out tomorrow, and have me move back in later tomorrow, but that didn’t end up happening because their plans fell through. So instead I’m staying in another hotel until Tuesday morning, and he’ll be leaving on Monday night.

    Also, kind of ironic, but the hotel I’m now staying at is the same one I lived in for a few months in 2018 after getting kicked out of another place in the country. Ironically in those days I was being moved close to every week and basically toured the entire west and south west of the state. Then I moved into this hotel and things started to settle down.

    I’m in a different room on a different floor, but it’s really interesting seeing it from a different perspective. 6 years ago I was still me, but so different it doesn’t even feel like I was. I was never expecting to come back here. I’m also loving the irony that despite how many places I’ve been at, and how much has changed in the world, system, and me, I’m still moving around every week. That doesn’t really make me sad though, because at least this time it’s a mutual thing and I have some say in where I’m going and when. Last time I was here I was only here because somebody declared that I would be, and that was the end of the story. Also I could’ve chosen somewhere else, or another Airbnb.

      • Baku@aussie.zone
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        4 months ago

        Try not to think about 2016 being 8 years ago and 2014 being a full decade ago then. Because that sent me into a spiral at the start of the year

        • Catfish@aussie.zone
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          4 months ago

          It was more about how young you must have been to still be a minor now. Some People suck.

            • Catfish@aussie.zone
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              4 months ago

              Very very rude words!

              If you want a Mad Internet Aunt or eight you’re probably in the right place.

              • Eagle@aussie.zone
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                4 months ago

                Make that 9… you’re a good egg Baku, and my mind boggles at what you’ve been through.

                • Baku@aussie.zone
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                  4 months ago

                  Thanks eagle and catfish. I’ll probably reminisce and share some stories over the next few days as I collect myself and settle in.

                  2018 was an absolutely wild year. I got kicked out of 2 places, moved 11 times, and had to travel about 300km between each new place. I’ve only moved about 25 (I think) times since I was born, so almost half of them happened in 2018 alone

            • Nath@aussie.zone
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              4 months ago

              My kids are 9 and 12. So you’d have been in between them in age. The idea of either of them being set adrift, alone, in a hotel is setting off all my daddy instincts.

              I am sad that this was your childhood. As he’s probably a bigger train nerd than you, I see a lot of parallels between you and my eldest.

              You’ve clearly managed to navigate the state system. So I guess we need to recognise also that something in the system is working. I worry about your support system when you turn 18. Do they just set you adrift and wish you luck in life on your birthday?

              • Baku@aussie.zone
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                4 months ago

                I wasn’t alone back then, I did have support workers (contingency hotels in Vic are run under more or less the same conditions as resi, so 24/7 workers and such).

                I wouldn’t really give the system that much credit, because I know a lot of people it hasn’t worked for, the other kid who moved in is probably one of them. On my end, all I can do to get my needs met is being proactive about sending emails and text messages, and pretty much harassing people on the daily until they get things sorted. But that only works because the people within my care team are all receptive, have a good relationship with me, and do their jobs. If my case manager decided she didn’t want to follow something up for me, then it wouldn’t matter what I said or how often I said it, it would never happen.

                It used to be the case (as recently as a couple years ago) that the day before your 18th birthday you would be kicked out. Nowadays it has changed a bit, and there are more support options. I’m eligible for a service that some other people aren’t (which I don’t really want to get into, it comes down to personal reasons), which offers subsidised housing (although operates differently to the housing commission). There’s about a 9 month waiting list for that, which I only got onto recently. In the meantime though, I can stay in my current space until I’m 19. They’re not huge fans of that, and as soon as somewhere comes up, the expectation is definitely that I take it and move out ASAP, but the option is there to stay around until I turn 19. I will lose most of my support network once I move, but in their place, something else will take it for a few years.

                I don’t know what the “standard” pathway is for moving out, so I also don’t know what the backup is if my current plan falls through for whatever reason. But prior to this extension and moving into lead tenant, my plan after moving out was to live in a car

                • Nath@aussie.zone
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                  4 months ago

                  The Car thing should be your fallback plan to keep you off sleeping on the street. It’s only a step up from that, and certainly not something you should be planning for. YouTube videos make it look a lot more glamorous than it actually is. I slept for a week in a van while I drove around in New Zealand. It was fully kitted out with kitchen, actual bed, power, water, the works! And a week was long enough - I would not have wanted to live like that longer term.

                  The dodgiest one-bedroom shoebox with a bathroom and toilet would be better than any car.

  • Baku@aussie.zone
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    4 months ago

    So I’m officially creeped out. Tonight’s my last night here and 10 mins or so ago I heard something. Chalked it up to old house + cold weather (and warm heater). But when I went for my final dunny run, I opened the bathroom and the manhole thingy is halfway down and it has a staircase built into it. The noise I heard definitely didn’t sound like a clunk, which is the noise I’d expect it to make

    This is the sort of thing that’s too concerning for me to be able to just go to sleep and act like everything’s okay, but at the same time not enough to actually call the police (who are pretty much the only people I could call at this hour). It’s also a lot colder in here than it has been any other night, kind of like a door was open. All of my doors are locked and have been all night. I checked all the spare rooms, nobody’s here. But I can’t even close the damn thing because it’s too high to reach.

    It looks like it has some sort of latching mechanism which should’ve prevented it from coming open by itself. And of course every little creak is freaking me out now

    Edit: I did about the most balanced thing I could think of. I grabbed a knife and barricaded my bedroom door (there’s no lock). I’m getting a lift out of here at 9:30, in the meantime I’m staying here. It’s probably an over reaction and just an old house being an old house, but I don’t fuck with this kind of shit. I don’t feel safe, but I don’t have any confirmation of anything, so I’m staying right here

    • Duenan@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      It’ll be ok Baku. Unfortunately I have been creeped out by sounds which then triggers your mind to everything as you try and sleep and you’ll overthink things.

      The noise could have been anything including possums or something or the pipes but it’s not going to make you feel any better about it for awhile.

      Best thing to do is to try and put on some relaxation sounds or a podcast/audio to fall asleep with or if you have earplugs that would help.

      • Baku@aussie.zone
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        4 months ago

        The noise I heard sounded similar to my footsteps, but I just assumed my backpack must have slipped over or something fabric-y fell off something else. The pipes also made a jarring noise when I turned on the tap which they so far haven’t done either.

        I think I can hear either possums or foxes outside, something sounds like a child screaming in the distance. That is not helping the vibe. In any case, something doesn’t feel right and I’m going to stay in my room until morning

    • melbaboutown@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      That does sound creepy. Maybe the metal of the latch shrunk in the cold, and you heard it fall open?

      Maybe it could have been pushed shut with a broom if one was available. I’m not familiar with manholes. But definitely do what feels safest and stay in your room.

      • Baku@aussie.zone
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        4 months ago

        After not hearing anything for a few hours, I actually did go out to try and push it closed. It’s not a latch, it has some sort of key, but I can’t actually turn the key to lock it because it’s too high up and not really usable by anything except finger

        Thank you. Something about the situation felt and still feels off, and I’ve never really been in this situation before so don’t know how to react

      • just_kitten@aussie.zone
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        4 months ago

        Absolutely glorious WFH today, I don’t want to return to it full time personally, but on days like today it’s perfect. No need to drag myself out of bed to brave the cold and a car that takes forever to get warm, get all the sun I need in my light filled study (with jazz on in the background to lift the mood even more) - even get to do a load of laundry while I’m at it. Knock off early, soak up more rays… cook dinner while it’s still light out… so happy I have this option.

    • TinyBreak@aussie.zone
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      4 months ago

      yeah thats a bad combination cause theres little worse in life than a cold toilet seat on a bare bum.