#bbq cook center

[lakewoodtrash]

Patio - Natural Stone Pavers

A transitional backyard patio design example with a gazebo

[kristopheredwards]

Gazebos Patio Orange County Inspiration for a coastal courtyard stone patio remodel with a gazebo

[markwickens]

Orange County Outdoor Kitchen Outdoor Kitchen Mid-sized minimalist backyard tile patio kitchen photo

[chronicallycouchbound]

Let People On Food Stamps Eat Hot Meals

Particularly on cold, rainy days (like today), while unhoused, sometimes all I want is a hot meal but it’s so difficult (if not impossible) to cook outside in the rain.

On top of this, I’m physically disabled and chronically ill. Medically, I’m supposed to have assistance with making meals as part of in home care. But I can’t get in home care without a home.

I just finished making dinner for my partner and I, it took 2 hours (3 if you include clean up). My knees are burning, my back is aching in it’s core, I feel like I’m about to faint, and all my joints are screaming. But it’s the only way we could have a hot meal today and get some protein, which is vital for our health conditions.

People judge us for using what little funds we have on McDonald’s some days. Because sometimes, it’s the only hot meal we’ve had in days. And sometimes I’m physically unable to stand, move, and do all the actions needed to cook. Or I faint while cooking. Or the rain doesn’t let up. Or we don’t have access to a kitchen for the day. Or the fire danger outside is too high. The list goes on.

Without my own kitchen to use, I don’t get to sit down while I cook (right now, everything is wet from the rain), I can’t meal prep, I can’t stock up on freezer meals, I can’t use an oven or a microwave to reheat leftovers, I can’t just reach across the kitchen for a fridge item (we have a small amount of fridge space friends let us use), everything about cooking is exponentially harder.

And even if I had 24/7 access to an accessible, full kitchen, it’s not even physically safe to cook my own meals. Even then, having a pre-made, hot, ready-to-eat meal could keep me safe and give me independance.

And all the safety needs for hot meals aside, emotionally, hot meals are also life saving and comfort. Meals are a part of community, culture, love and art.

So many gatherings we have as communities center around food. Most people in the United States would think of ones that often hold great value to Western culture. Mother’s Day breakfast. Spaghetti fundraisers. Wedding cakes. Birthday dinners. Bake sales. Carnival treats. BBQs on weekends. Holiday roasts. Lunches with friends. Casseroles brought to grieving neighbors.

Our world revolves around food.

I firmly believe that no poor person could ever “take advantage” of a system designed to feed us by using food stamps on hot food. This restrictive rule serves no purpose but to punish the most vulnerable of poor people— unhoused, disabled, and those of us living in unsafe conditions.

It also serves to restrict our access to joy and comfort. The joy can sometimes come from the food itself, but also the joy from having shared experiences solidified by the sounds of laughter and forks clinking on plates. The comfort can sometimes also be from the food itself, but also the experience of being loved and cared for while your close friend brings you pizza from your favorite restaurant because you lost your drive to eat three weeks ago and they worry about you. They know you. Those slices of pizza bring color back into your world.

Poor people deserve to be able to have the comfort, joy, and care that goes into a hot meal. We deserve the autonomy to choose foods that are best for us ourselves. We deserve to be able to eat in ways that are accessible to us.

Above all, we deserve access to hot meals.

Originally posted to my blog on 6.3.22

[twstfanblog]

Savanaclaw Random Headcanons

Ruggie's grandma actually warned him to not get involved with Leona before he went to NRC. Dealing with royals as a poor folk rarely ends well. He was grounded when he came back on winter break to tell her he was basically his errand boy.

Jack is confused constantly as an upperclassmen. Other first years ask him questions and he just goes 'How would I know that?'

Now he's known as a mean senpai to a few first years.

Ruggie actually made an insane amount of money in his first year by doing cooking challenges. People would bring him things they think couldnt possibly be made into a meal. And Ruggie would prove them wrong and get a free meal and 50 madol.

Leona tried to trip him up by just giving him a knife to cook.

Ruggie just sold the knife and bought some canned soup.

Jack actually ties down his ears sometimes. Just so his emotions aren't being on display 24/7. His tail is a lost cause.

Leona can and will fall asleep in under a minute. Its not a heavy sleep and he can still follow conversations. He does it during dorm meetings mostly.

If everyone thinks he's trying to sleep, the other savanaclaw memebers won't get into so many shouting matches.

Jack is the only one who can handle smelling salt in close range. Never use them on him. But he can at least hold them.

Ruggie has bitten into a rock before and left marks.

Leona sleeps with his hair in a loose bun to act as a pillow.

After his overblot, Leona makes it a habit to have more dorm centered activities to show he cares.

The dorm favorite is the pool party/ BBQs

Ruggie can tell the price of anything you bring him. Only with an error of a penny or two off normally.

Jack has used Epel as a weight before and didnt have the heart to tell him he weighed next to nothing.

It's a dorm rule to eat at least one piece of fruit a day. (To avoid scurvy since all of them would rather just eat meat all the time)

Leona has found Ruggie passed put more than once. He always takes him back to the dorm, and Ruggie will wake up in Leona's room, thinking he fell asleep cleaning his room.

Leona makes a just barely there effort to be nice to Jack since he looks up to him so much.

It's the most basic thing, but it's enough to turn heads of people who know Leona.

[cyarsk52-20]

🍲Black food history

:1. Fried Chicken: Originated in West Africa, brought to Americas by enslaved people

.2. Gumbo: African, French, and Indigenous fusion dish from Louisiana.

Barbecue: African and European influences merged in Southern BBQ.

Soul Food: Post-Civil War cuisine developed by African American women.

Juneteenth: Celebratory foods like red velvet cake, strawberry soda.

African Diasporic Cuisines: Caribbean, Latin American, African American.

Foodways of Enslavement: Cooking techniques, ingredients.

Freedom Food: Post-Emancipation culinary innovations.

The Black Chef''s Movement: Modern culinary activism.

Black Food Culture Preservation: Efforts to document, celebrate heritage. 🍲Books:

"High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America" by Jessica B. Harris

"Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine" by Adrian Miller

"The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink" by Andrew F. Smith 🍲Documentaries:

"The Search for General Tso"

"Soul Food Junkies"

"The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross" 🍲African American culinary contributions are vast and diverse, reflecting the community''s rich cultural heritage. Here are some key aspects: 🍲Traditional Dishes

Fried Chicken

Barbecue (ribs, brisket, etc.)

Gumbo

Jambalaya

Soul Food (mac and cheese, collard greens, etc.)

Cornbread

Red Velvet Cake

Sweet Potato Pie 🍲Culinary Influences

African (fufu, jollof rice)

Caribbean (jerk seasoning, curry)

Southern American (biscuits and gravy)

European (French, Spanish, Italian) 🍲Historical Context

Slavery: Enslaved Africans brought culinary traditions.

Reconstruction: Freedmen established restaurants, food businesses.

Great Migration: African Americans introduced Southern cuisine to urban centers. 🍲Iconic Figures

Abby Fisher (first African American cookbook author)

Nat Fuller (renowned chef, Charleston)

Edna Lewis (celebrated chef, author)

Leah Chase (legendary New Orleans chef) 🍲Modern Contributions

Innovative chefs (e.g., Marcus Samuelsson, Carla Hall)

Food media (e.g., "Soul Food Junkies," "High on the Hog")

Food festivals (e.g., Essence Food Festival)

Food justice movements (e.g., Soul Fire Farm) 🍲Regional Cuisines

Southern (e.g., Lowcountry, Cajun)

Caribbean-American (e.g., Haitian, Jamaican)

West Coast (e.g., California soul food)

Midwestern (e.g., Detroit-style soul food) 🍲Books

"The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink" by Andrew F. Smith

"Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine" by Adrian Miller

"High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America" by Jessica B. Harris 🍲Documentaries

"The Search for General Tso"

"Soul Food Junkies"

"The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross" 🍲Websites

The Southern Foodways Alliance

Black Food Studies

The Food and Culture Exchange

[monosanimegenericzone]

Hunter x Hunter: Assorted Troupe speculations

its just funny headcanons i have in groups of 12 bcs if i make an individual post for each of these i would flood the tag like no one's business.

Table of Contents:

cooking

how ended up in meteor city

drivers license

irl ethnicity equivalents (hc)

tea coffee or beer

adding pagebreak bcs i know this gon be long as shit-

Can they cook?

Nobunaga: he can make a mean onigiri. maybe fried fish if he wants but nah. dont let him cook he will fuck it up somehow.

Feitan: yeah he cooks but only what he likes. better be prepared to eat spicy if you eating his food.

Machi: also really good with riceballs and sushi. doesn't put in a lot of effort. makes a gnarly miso soup tho

Phinks: no. if he could live off of protein shakes he would.

Shalnark: do not let this man touch the stove.

Franklin: yeah but its basic. makes some nice pancakes.

Shizuku: no. do not let her near the knives.

Paku: yes. girl chefs up some nice ass food. and its the fancy shit too bcs i know shes loaded.

Bono: yes. usually in small portions though

Uvo: bbq master.

Kortopi: sandwich

Chrollo: duh. he's good at everything for apparently no reason.

How did they get to Meteor City?

Nobunaga: Born in. Forfeited to the care centers.

Feitan: Abandoned at an older age. If i had to guess close to 4 or 5

Machi: Abandoned as an infant. Ran away from care center.

Phinks: Born. parents taken by illness.

Shalnark: Abandoned. *looks at kurta shal headcanon* i mean what-

Franklin: Born. Forfeited to the care centers

Shizuku: Born, parented by the church.

Paku: Abandoned as an infant. Found in the wasteland

Bono: Exiled. Born and raised outside of the city

Uvo: Abandoned at young age. (2-3)

Kortopi: Rescued from the nearby river. Scrapper child.

Chrollo: Born, abandoned by meteorite parents.

Can they legally drive?

Nobunaga: yes

Feitan: no

Machi: no. she can drive just not legally.

Phinks: no

Shalnark: yes, but it was a mistake.

Franklin: no. boy too big ;-;

Shizuku: yes. and she's responsible.

Paku: yes. she can go 0-60 in any vehicle, just watch-

Bono: no

Uvo: no, boy extra too big

Kortopi: no, boy too small

Chrollo: yes, but only if no one else wants to.

Ethnicity headcanons

Nobunaga: Japanese

Feitan: Chinese

Machi: Japanese/?? (still doing research on the origins of Komacine)

Phinks: Italian/Egyptian

Shalnark: German

Franklin: French/Malaysian (also still digging)

Shizuku: Japanese

Pakunoda: Russian

Bonolenov: Maori/African (Zulu)

Uvo: Spanish/Kenyan

Kortopi: Indian

Chrollo: Greek/Korean (alt. Japanese bcs i cant make up my mind)

Tea, Coffee, or Beer

Nobu: Beer

Feitan: Tea

Machi: Tea

Phinks: Beer

Shal: Coffee

Franklin: Beer

Shizuku: Beer

Paku: Coffee

Bono: Tea

Uvo: Beer

Kortopi: All. Caffeine is caffeine

Chrollo: Tea

[mynameisvarian]

The Boxleitners AU (WordGirl)

Basically a Becky Boxleitner AU but I give Steven himself more character development and plot relevance before ultimately being fused to a mouse.

Before Squeaky (Season 1-2-3)

●•• Steven Boxleitner's fusion with Squeaky occurs much later than in the show in order to give him a much more in-depth character development to show his relationship with his daughter and his positive impacts on the people of fair city as a whole before his descent and transformation into Dr. Two Brains.

●•• With her identity as a superhero with an advanced vocabulary that's only know by her companion and sidekick, Captain Huggy Face. Becky Boxleitner is unable to talk much about her problems and difficulties with her own father because of the fear that all her hero-ing would get him hurt one day if he did find out.

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└ • Though during somewhere between Season 3 and before it's finale, Steven does manage to figure out her identity and tries to be helpful by providing help whenever she needs it.

●•• The Boxleitners live in a fairly nice neighborhood that's located near the outskirts of the city that is also coincidentally the same neighborhood that a decent amount of WordGirl's enemies inhabit, Their house is right next to the Butcher and Granny May's houses with Maria the Energy Monster secretly living in one of the powerlines across the street.

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└ • Steven has become friends with many of his definitely not villains in their civilian identities neighbors, Examples are:

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└ ✧ The Butcher (Jerald T. Butcher) - Jerald is surprisingly great friends with Steven as they'd met when Jerald had decided cook some bbq but unfortunately broke his own barbecue grill on accident though he ultimately met up with Steven when he'd heard that the man was inventing a machine that cooked meat much faster, This little interaction had then led to become the thing many of the neighbors look forward to every week, The Weekly Neighborhood Barbeque.

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└ ✧ Granny May ( Granny May) - May has always treated the Boxleitners as close family ever since the day that they'd started visiting her when during one of the neighborly bbq she'd let slip that she felt alot more lonely since her family and grandkids were off on vacation with even her own mom being busy aswell and that she wished more people visited her more often, the next day Steven brought his daughter and their pet monkey over and chatted which eventually turned into them baking cookies and listening to Granny May's childhood stories every Friday after Becky gets home from school. (Colonel Mustard, Granny May's cat has also taken a liking to them)

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└ ✧ Mr. Big (Shelly Smalls) - With Wordgirl being able to foil his plans quickly he went under a fake name (Dr. Small) to seek the help of Steven Boxleitner to make a mind control bunny button which he ultimately used on Steven after the man found out about his true identity. Although even after being mind-controlled Steven still forgives Mr. Big and still do business with eachother like the time Shelly requested for a perfume that naturally causes bunnies to follow him.

➜ This leads to an episode that centers around Mr. Big using the bunnies against Wordgirl with steven on the other hand wasn't told what the perfume was for.

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└ ✧ Energy Monster (Maria the Energy Monster) - Though their interaction was short, Maria had managed to convince Steven that teenage girls turn into large Electrical Monsters when they hit puberty after he'd given her a device that turned certain Electrical charges into sounds that then let her communicate.

➜ In an altered version of "Dinner or Consequences" Maria doesn't have the device removed and is able to communicate throughout the show permanently.

★ Becky is aware of their true identities but ultimately keeps quiet so her dad's new found friendship with them wouldn't end.

●•• Steven's assigned government owned lab and Becky's school that's just a few blocks away is located near the epicenter of the city so he normally just drops her off there when he's going to do some experimentation in the laboratory and if ever Becky gets out of school early she'll just walk to her dad's workplace to see and make sure that Steven hasn't accidentally blown himself up because of being too distracted and wait for him to finish so he can drive both of them back home. (On occasions, she'll just turn into wordgirl and fly back to their house if her dad was just at home.)

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└ • Becky had once been in the presence of a dozen miscoloured mice on one faithful afternoon when she'd decided to visit Steven, Each cage had been surprisingly lavish and contained three mice each plus everything their little mouse sized hearts desired, When asking about the indoor mouse zoo she was told that they were rescued from an illegal smuggling case in the far north of the city with the smuggler subjecting the mice to harsh living conditions to which made Becky automatically angry at herself for being unable to help these poor creatures as WordGirl.

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└ • Upon noticing his daughters clear reaction and the regret plastered all over her face, Steven placed his hand on Becky's shoulder and added that the mice were only temporarily in his care so they could be relocated to a place where all their needs will be met and that earlier today a nice elderly couple had generously donated over a pound of fruits and cheese for the poor mice which seemed to make his daughter's mood lift. He failed to mention how the perpetrator hadn't been caught yet and is probably roaming the city doing illegal smuggler things.

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└ • At one point, Steven had introduced Becky to a little lab mouse that he'd affectionately named "Squeaky" in the count that the little mouse was the most noisiest and the most likely to bite her fingers if given the chance. He'd mentioned aswell that squeaky was one of the mice that was rescued from the smuggler incident so the hostility to humans was understandable.

➜ On a side note, Her dad had shown her how squeaky could break down walls and walls of drywall to get to a singular piece of cheese, It's unsure if Squeaky was experimented on by the Smuggler or if the small mouse was always like this.

●•• Steven still makes the mind-reading device but for different reasons such as to read squeaky's mind to figure out the smuggler's identity and if more animals were being illegally brought to fair city and maybe be able to help the authorities catch the criminal but with a lot of things happening here and there the mind-reading device didn't get to the testing phase until season 3.

----

The timeline is pretty messed up but basically any episode that's set in Season 1-3 that contains Dr. two brains as a main character is instead placed into Season 4 or tweaked so that it's Steven instead, The invasion of the bunny lovers is also put into Season 2 rather than 6.

This post is prone to being edited due to me always getting ideas on how to improve an AU so don't expect this to stay the same :D

(If you saw the sudden style change between images, Image 1 was drawn directly on FLIPACLIP while Image 2-3 was sketched on paper then placed into FLIPACLIP)

[ultio-angelus]

Midnight @ The House of Asmodeus - Blitzø

@helluvaoutlaw

He found a way to get in. Hot damn, there’s a back entrance.

Blitz knew he’d normally never get access to a place like this. He’d spent enough time sneaking into group homes and rehabilitation centers to know a thing or two about breaking in to a moderate-to-severely guarded business.

He’d just had one of his shittier weeks as of late, and he needed a fucking break. He told Moxxie to clear his schedule and off he went into the night, hopping through stranger’s yards and over their fences, bouncing on steel trash cans and swinging off fire escapes. Parkour was a skill of his that never truly left him post-circus.

A few rooftops later and he was passing over the wall at the lustful lounge, boots silent on the cement leading to the back entrance. He hid behind a nearby loading truck, watching as a few spritely demons carried barrels of alcohol to and from, chatting amongst each other. The door was being held open by a stopper and before long he was inside, successfully avoiding the eyesight of any unwanted attention (aside from one cook that almost took a finger off him before he admitted to “getting turned around on his way to the shitter.”)

Blitzø exhales a sigh of relief once his feet finally hit velvet flooring, thumping base rattling his chest in the best way. He avoids getting too terribly close to the stage—hoping to avoid another encounter with Fizzarolli or Asmodeus. The imp wastes no time ordering himself a glass of whiskey at the bar before finding a comfortable table, adding water and a BBQ bacon burger for dinner once the succubi waitresses noticed his arrival.

The lights go down and he smirks, preparing himself for whatever form of entertainment was coming to greet his senses tonight. What a great night to taste victory.

[kitchenwitchtingss]

WITCHY SAGE SKEWERS

They've got witches at the barbeque now????

I rarely ever see witchy grilling recipes for summer, so when in doubt, make your own!

The witchy part comes from the seasonings mostly, but also the intentions. Any food cooked with good intentions goes much farther than that with none.

That being said, sage, rosemary, black pepper, and thyme are kinda like the go-to bad vibes be gone type herbs lol.

I use bok choy and yellow squash in this recipe, but you can totally use whatever vegetables you have on hand at the time.

Oh! You could also try to spice the recipe up by subbing the butter for some sort of BBQ sauce. Sounds yummy.

INGREDIENTS (seasoning measurements are just suggestions):

4 chicken thighs, skinless + boneless (can be substituted for pork, tofu, or any fatty meats)

1 yellow squash, washed.

1 bunch of bok choy, washed.

1/2 tbsp Dried Sage

2 cloves Garlic, Minced

2 tsp Ground Thyme

1.5 tsp Black pepper

1 tsp Onion powder

1 tsp brown sugar (you don't need it if you don't really want anything too sweet)

1 tsp honey (or more brown sugar)

1 tsp salt (plus more for the chicken)

0.5 tbsp Paprika (plus another half for the butter)

1 tsp Dried Rosemary

1/4 cup (4 tbsp) Unsalted Butter

Zest of half an orange (if you don't like orange, you could use lemon instead.)

1 tsp orange juice (or more to taste)

You can add lemon juice if you like a little more tang along with the orange juice

PREP: Mince garlic, soak wooden skewers, wash veggies. Slice yellow squash vertically into thin slices, along with bok choy, slicing vertically across the center. Set aside.

DIRECTIONS

Cut chicken thighs into about one-inch pieces. Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, paprika, brown sugar, ground sage, and onion powder. Massage chicken until coated nicely. I like them pretty seasoned but really it's up to you!

Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 12 minutes so they don't burn on the grill.

In a bowl, combine mix melted butter, minced garlic, onion powder, salt, paprika thyme, black pepper, honey, and rosemary together in a bowl. Add in orange zest and a tsp of orange juice. I also added a little bit of lemon juice. Set aside.

Toss chicken thighs, bok choy, and yellow squash in olive oil.

To assemble skewers, string on a piece of bok choy, gently folded over itself a couple of times, and pierced through to keep it folded on the skewer. Then, string on a piece of chicken. Next with your thinly sliced yellow squash fold that over just like the bok choy. You could also cut it into bite-size pieces and pierce right through it without needing to fold it over itself. Repeat this pattern until the skewer is full.

Heat the grill, clean the grates, and oil them. On medium high-ish heat, cook the skewers on each side for 5 minutes. Each time you flip the skewer, brush on your sage butter sauce. Make sure the chicken is done before taking it off the grill. It could take more than 5 minutes on each side to cook. To be safe, I cook them for another 3-4 minutes after flipping both sides.

Take off the grill and brush with more sauce if desired!

Enjoy! I made these with some herb-crusted potato wedges and grilled peach salad. They were delightful.

RECIPE NOTES:

I love skewers because you can put any fruits, veggies, and meat on it, and it works. A fun lunch idea is to skewer some peaches, cook them slightly on the grill, and throw it into some sort of salad. Very tasty lol.

I like using Bok Choy because it's very absorbent, and any marinade you put it in, it will soak up all the flavor. Just be careful not to share it on the grill.

Yellow squash is also what I use in this recipe, but the good thing about skewers is that you can use any vegetable. The more colorful, the more fun!

[macthekat82]

Roll for build challenge

Inspired by @hiphiprenee over on tiktok I made my own Roll for build list. I am mostly using her lists but I have modified them, since I am not building for content, I want houses I actually want. You are all welcome to use or modify it all you want. 

You can either roll everything beforehand or do a few rolls and build, and then give yourself another challenge. Roll either a physical die or a online dice roller. 

I have tagged my build I do with this as #roll4build on the gallery and I am macthekat82 on there as well. 

Type of build 

Micro home  (4-32 tiles)

Tiny Home  (33-64 tiles)

Small home  (65-100 tiles)

Starter home (max §20.000 + 2000 per bed)

Regular home

Lavish home 

Open concept or closed concept?

Open concept (Even)

Closed concept (odd)

Household type

Single sim

Couple

Family

Roommates

Style

Cape cod

Contemporary

Shotgun

Mid-century modern

Victorian

Tudor

Georgian

Mediterranean

Cottage

Container or mobile home or pre-fab

Colonial

Craftsman or arts-and-craft

Ranch

A-frame

Bungalow

Abandoned

Tropical

Farmhouse

 Roll for twice

Dealers choice

Colour scheme

Earth tones 

Natural materials

Pastel

Cool tones

Jewel tones

Monochromatic 

Bold

Duo chromatic 

If you want more of a challenge do as many of the following as you feel like. 

Exterior features (roll twice)

Pond

Vegetable garden

Sandbox

Patio

Porch

Driveway or garage

Shed

Hot tub or pool

Fire pit

BBQ area

Play area (monkey bars, swing set etc)

Craft area

Tower, spire or turret

Chimney

Second structure

Basement

Greenhouse

Farm animals

Roll one more time!

Dealers choice

Interior style (reroll if you don’t have the items for it)

Cottage chic or cottagecore or English country 

Southwestern

Minimalist or modern or Asian Zen

Mid Century modern 

Farmhouse -  modern or traditional or French Country

Maximalist or Bohemian

Transitional Style (traditional + modern elements)

Eco friendly 

Traditional japanese 

Shabby chic or coastal

Very gendered

Hollywood Glam or Hollywood Regency

Rustic

Industrial 

Child friendly or child centered

Scandinavian

Mediterranean or middle eastern

Art Deco

Grandma chic 

Dealers choice

Bonus room/area

Office

Storage room or pantry 

Gym

Art studio

Nursery

Game room

Home theater 

Music room/studio

Craft room

Guest bedroom

Greenhouse

Hidden room

Spice roll

No CC

Travel

So many plants

Ups another child 

A dark secret

They really love cooking

Pets are the best!

Obsection!

A big collection

SPORTS!

A lot of clutter

A supernatural lives here

[itsallwearecalledtodo]

Describe your perfect burger (bread type, ingredients, type of patty and how much, cheese type, condiments) and what kind of side do you like (regular fries, curly, country potatoes, etc.)

man...what a question.....

well for bread type you gotta go with the classic brioche bun, lightly buttered and toasted. honestly I love a classic type of burger in general – crispy lettuce, juicy sweet tomato (i actually don't like tomatoes that much by themselves but there is nothing quite like a fresh july tomato on a burger), crunchy dill pickle chips, and a few slices of red onion with a little bit of ketchup and regular yellow mustard. i don't like cheese actually so i usually ask for no cheese. because the risk of food-borne illness is significantly higher with ground meat, that patty has gotta be cooked well done. i will be bringing up spelunkers again bc that patty was cooked absolutely perfectly. juicy in the center yet crispy on the edges. beef is great, but i've been privileged enough to try bison, venison, and elk burgers in the past. bison tastes pretty good, i think! there are some veggie burger options that i like, too, like black bean and chickpea burgers.

there are so many great ways to eat a burger. if there are caramelized onions available i will definitely be indulging in those. sauteed mushrooms are another great topping. my mom likes to put salsa and guac on her veggie burgers! some people say fancy mustards can elevate a burger but honestly i think a gourmet burger is an oxymoron. it is, quite frankly, anti-proletariat. locally sourced fresh produce and meat will make for a better burger than any expensive imported condiment!

and i love fries, i really do. they're great at a restaurant or fast food place in any shape or form. the spelunker flies were excellent. however, i think the best side for a backyard bbq burger is fresh sweet grilled corn, specifically new jersey sweet corn. pennsylvania sweet corn is a close second but only within a certain distance of nj or else it's really bad corn. sorry rest of the usa but your sweet corn just isn't very good!

long answer for such a simple question but i have a lot of strong opinions! and i hope that if you have strong opinions you will regale me in a similar way.

[whiteshipnightjar]

Does art make a difference?

Aw, sure. Of course there are degrees of extremity to the potential change that art can effect, depending on how many people are able to engage with it. The Beatles made a huge difference in the world. But Henry Darger, Jeff McKissack, Karen Dalton, Pauline Oliveros, Kenneth Patchen – there are so many folks who have made great art and not gotten massively famous for it, yet I think there are all sorts of ways their work informs and shapes other people’s work, and brains, and decisions.

Should politics and art mix?

Well, everything mixes, the New Statesman! That’s like asking if a knee-reflex hammer and a quadriceps tendon should “mix”.

Is your work for the many or for the few?

That’s for the many/few to say. I just crank out the hot jams.

If you were world leader, what would be your first law?

Gravity. I feel like we need to tighten up the constitutional protections that particular law enjoys. It’s a ticking time bomb, if you ask me.

Who would be your top advisers?

Cute angel on one shoulder, cute devil on the other.

What, if anything, would you censor?

Maybe we could all agree to not bust each other’s chops all cut-dang day.

If you had to banish one public figure, who would it be?

Don’t know, banishment might be a little extreme, but I’d sure like to take that Stephen Hawking dude down a notch or two. Right? Are you with me?

What are the rules that you live by?

Basically, “bros before hos”. I feel like if you stay true to that, everything else just kind of falls into place.

Do you love your country?

I love William Faulkner, Dolly Parton, fried chicken, Van Dyke Parks, the Grand Canyon, Topanga Canyon, bacon cheeseburgers with horseradish, Georgia O’Keeffe, Grand Ole Opry, Gary Snyder, Gilda Radner, Radio City Music Hall, Big Sur, Ponderosa pines, Southern BBQ, Highway One, Kris Kristofferson, National Arts Club in New York, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Joni Mitchell, Ernest Hemingway, Harriet Tubman, Hearst Castle, Ansel Adams, Kenneth Jay Lane, Yuba River, South Yuba River Citizens League, “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, “Hired Hand”, “The Jerk”, “The Sting”, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, clambakes, lobster rolls, s’mores, camping in the Sierra Nevadas, land sailing in the Nevada desert, riding horseback in Canyon de Chelly; Walker Percy, Billie Holiday, Drag City, Chez Panisse/Alice Waters/slow food movement, David Crosby, Ralph Lauren,San Francisco Tape Music Center, Albert Brooks, Utah Phillips, Carol Moseley Braun, Bolinas CA, Ashland OR, Lawrence KS, Austin TX, Bainbridge Island WA, Marilyn Monroe, Mills College, Elizabeth Cotton, Carl Sandburg, the Orange Show in Houston, Toni Morrison, Texas Gladden, California College of Ayurvedic Medicine, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Saturday Night Live, Aaron Copland, Barack Obama, Oscar de la Renta, Alan Lomax, Joyce Carol Oates, Fred Neil, Henry Cowell, Barneys New York, Golden Gate Park, Musee Mechanique, Woody Guthrie, Maxfield Parrish, Malibu, Maui, Napa Valley, Terry Riley, drive-in movies, homemade blackberry ice cream from blackberries picked on my property, Lil Wayne, Walt Whitman, Halston, Lavender Ridge Grenache from Lodi CA, Tony Duquette, Julia Morgan, Lotta Crabtree, Empire Mine, North Columbia Schoolhouse, Disneyland, Nevada County Grandmothers for Peace; Roberta Flack, Randy Newman, Mark Helprin, Larry David, Prince; cooking on Thanksgiving; Shel Siverstein, Lee Hazlewood, Lee Radziwill, Jackie Onassis, E.B. White, William Carlos Williams, Jay Z, Ralph Stanley, Allen Ginsberg, Cesar Chavez, Harvey Milk, RFK, Rosa Parks, Arthur Miller, “The Simpsons”, Julia Child, Henry Miller, Arthur Ashe, Anne Bancroft, The Farm Midwifery Center in TN, Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, Clark Gable, Harry Nilsson, Woodstock, and some other stuff. Buuuut, the ol’ U S of A can pull some pretty dick moves. I’m hoping it’ll all come out in the wash...

Are we all doomed?

If we keep our expectations pretty low I think we might be fine. I mean, we’re definitely all dying at some point. There’s no getting around that. But between now and then, things might start looking up!

— Joanna Newsom for The New Statesman, 2008

[typosandtea]

hello tumblr user typosandtea, please take 🏡 for one or several of your oc for the muse asks! happy friday

("Home headcannons" from these oc asks)

Thankyou for the ask :D

Several you say? Hell yeah everybodyyyyyyyy is here!!

111mutant timeline

Murphy

Murphy's home post war is a secret little hideyhole in top of a multi story building with collapsed internal stairs. It's in the city not to far from both diamond city and the airport (since she is sort of bos aligned..). It's a bit bare since she is limited by what she can carry while flying to take up there, but fortunately there was already a couch, cooking station and table etc. since it was an apartment. She hung some dim string lights and patched most of the external holes so that she can sleep in the day. All in all very cozy with as many blankets as she can find since Boston is cold as hell compared to north Aus where she is from. The cooking stove doubles as a heater like one of the old style wood stoves. She thinks nobody can reach her up there but forgets about ladders, the fact that some people are really good at climbing and also jet packs ahaha.

Nathan

Postwar mutated Nathan doesn't really have a home since he isn't lucid most of the time and usually decides yeah this cave/mud hole /building is good enough. Always on the move, lost and wandering without conscious purpose. Prewar Nathan lived in sanctuary veterans estate with Murphy after they were both discharged for injury after anchorage. Nathan did most of the cooking since Murphy is a shockingly bad cook if it's not BBQ haha. He was a good cook, excellent pies of all kinds 👌. They shared the chores equally since Murphy was pregnant and then caring for Shaun and Nathan was learning to live with permanent injuries sustained in anchorage. Nathan liked to knit.

Tangos timeline

Tango

It's been a long time since Tango has settled anywhere, making friends for the first time in their life will do that to someone. They still visit Bobby and Darren occasionally but it's a long way from Boston so not recently. They occasionally hang around sanctuary and then later the castle while they sometimes help general Preston build up the minutemen (when they feel like it, Tango is very self-centered in the beginning). Is at the castle a lot more once they rescue curie and help her with her quest! Joined the bos in Cambridge thinking that Danse and co was the entirety of it, very rude shock when prydwen turned up. Worlds most difficult knight. They could be found at the airport sometimes. Has a habit of just disappearing on people including Danse (especially when they are rostered on for night patrol or cleaning) They do have a few small hidden garages dotted around so they can resupply, clean and preform maintenance on themselves in peace(they are a bit vain), very few people know about those though, Tango just up and disappears for a while to most people! The garages are well stocked with tools, power armor parts (that usually require mods to fit Tango) ammo and rifles in various states of repair.

Darren & Bobby

Since I've yet to speak about these idiots much: Darren and Bobby are the pair of robobrains responsible for turning the scavver into Tango! Partners that like to bicker and are disgustingly in love (in Tangos opinion). They are inside an old general atomics military facility which they have since turned into a home after overcoming most of their programming and being the remaining living residents, though there are some Mr.handies that they send on fetch quests for materials sometimes. Home for them is well hidden and secluded deep in the facility with only one partially collapsed tunnel left into the wing, they like it this way to keep others out! Very sciencey evil lair vibes with homely touches like and art and a cute little wine cabinet (robobrains and other biorobots like tango can drink as a little treat <3) Darren insists on coasters for all liquid containers even beakers and Bobby thinks they are pointless. Both like it very clean and it's spotless by wasteland standards.

Thorn

Thorn is this timelines 111 resident, though there is not a sole as such in the story, the quests are taken by a bunch of different people! Thorn takes the shortest most selfish route possible to get to fort Hagen with Nick. Once they get there she turns on and attempts to murder Nick and convinces Kellogg to take her straight to Shaun. From then on she and Kellogg live at the institute while she becomes a merciless director under fathers praise and an effective killer under Kellogg's tutelage (and eventual partnership). The world is a crueler place for her presence.

Libby

Libby is a ~100yo ghoul (she stopped counting) with a smart mouth and a knack for shotguns and explosives. She's also a recent minuteman recruit by Tango. After helping to take back the castle she is promoted to a squad leader, their shared quarters are often full of laughter and sarcastic jokes. The whole castle is bustling with life and activity usually, even the nighttime quite is a rhythm of watch changes and radio whispers.

Slick

Slick is a young ex gunner that was captured during a mission at gunners HQ well after the castle is established. He defected after he was treated better in minutemen custody than he was as an active low level gunner! Also lives at the castle now, is one of Libby's squad as they really hit it off as friends during his capture. He loves that the castle is always busy, full of people working together, he doesn't have to worry about getting disciplined for breathing wrong or minor mistakes like he did in the gunners and is so grateful for it.

[amybizarre]

Original (Sensory Overload)

(Just wanted to say real quick, that this was my first time trying to write about a topic like this. Feel free to give me feedback on how I did. Especially if something doesn't seem right. I would greatly appreciate constructive criticism! ^^

Also lil CW: Overstimulation for poor Wals.)

You had decided to throw a party in your back yard. The weather was beautiful and warm. Perfect opportunity for a BBQ! 

Naturally you had invited everyone over and asked them to contribute to the party by bringing something along.

You were the host, so you provided the location, the grill, the charcoal and your favorite food.

Howdy and Barnaby had brought a selection of meat and sausages.

Sally had brought vegetarian options for grilling.

Poppy had made a few salads.

Julie had brought paper plates, cutlery and napkins.

Eddie and Frank had taken care of drinks.

And Wally had brought a basket full of apples, that Howdy couldn't seem to remember selling.

Generally speaking the evening had come along great. The delicious smell of burning charcoal and grilled food wavered through the air. Music and chatter filled the background. Everyone was gathered around your garden table and having a good time.

Howdy had taken your spot by the barbeque so you could sit down and eat as well. Now he was enthusiastically clinking the metal tongs in one of his four hands and chatted with Barnaby. They were sharing the newest puns and jokes, their loud laughter occasionally interrupting them.

Frank was doing his best not to let it bother him, while he told Eddie about the latest discoveries he made with his studies, while sipping a non-alcoholic cocktail. The mailman was listeneing intently of course. His chin propped up on his hand and a light blush dusting his cheeks.

Julie had been the first to finish her food and had taken it upon herself to be the DJ for tonight. Sally had soon joined her, demanding a karaoke event.

Poppy and Wally sat next to each other. As you were eating, you complimented her on her salad.

"I just don't know how you do it, Poppy! It's so juicy and fresh! But at the same time not soggy at all!" You exclaimed after swallowing another mouthful of her layered salad.

She chuckled and covered her beak with her wing. "Oh dear. It really isn't anything special."

You delved into a conversation about her recipes and neat little cooking tricks with her. All the while Wally was drawing quietly beside Poppy. He stopped every now and then to listen to the two of you talk with a curious tilt of his head. Sometimes (notably when the background noises got particularly loud) he just freezed though, staring blankly at his artwork. You didn't pay too much attention to this behavior just yet. Simply brushing it off as him thinking about how to continue his drawing.

"Alright everyone, that was the last sausage!" Howdy shouted over the remaining chatter. "What do we do with the remaining embers?"

You thought for a moment. "Hmm, what about a bonfire?"

General agreement was voiced throughout your back yard. With a nod and a smile, Howdy took the tray with gleaming embers out of the grill. He went to the fire pit in the middle of your yard and dumped them in there. With a few branches and other pieces of wood piled on top of the embers, the fuzzy green caterpillar quickly ignited a neat little bonfire, that quickly became the new center of attention.

Now that their appetites were satisfied, the neighbors each grabbed their chairs and put them down in a circle around the bonfire.

Poppy however got up and started clearing the table. As soon as you saw this you jumped to your feet as well.

"Woah there, young lady!" You scolded the older momma bird light heartedly. "You're my guest. Don't even think about cleaning up!"

Poppy chuckled gently. "But I insist, my dear. After making a mess with the others, I ought to help clean it!"

"Not if I clean it first-!" You scrambled to gather the empty plates and bring them to the trash.

Poppy shook her head with a patient smile and kept on gathering the glasses, that were no longer in use. Albeit a lot calmer, than your frantic self. Before she brought the glasses inside however, she placed her wing gently on Wally's back, making him look up at her.

"I'll help Neighbor with the dirty dishes and such, okay? So I'll be inside if you need anything." She told him. Wally nodded.

"Okay, Poppy."

She smiled and brought the dirty glasses in her wing inside. Wally stayed behind at the table, trying to finish his drawing. But he found it hard to focus.

A lot was going on in your small backyard. He put his crayon down and leaned back in his chair. For a moment Wally just watched the sun setting behind the trees in the distance. It was a pretty sight. He felt his fingers itch with the urge to capture the gorgeous orange sky in his sketchbook. But he figured it would look better with watercolors instead of crayons, so he decided against it.

Wally closed his eyes, keen on enjoying the fleeting warmth of the sunrays on his felt. Spring had just begun, so it would cool down quickly as soon as the sun had went to sleep. But with his closed eyes came a heightened sense of hearing.

The voices of his neighbors met his ears, all talking at once. He tried not to grimace, when he reopened his eyes. They were oddly loud today. But it wouldn't be very neighborly of him to tell them to shush. They listened to him patiently whenever he talked as well, after all.

He looked over to them. Barnaby and Howdy were laughing again. Wally was sure one of them told a joke. He wanted to laugh as well, so he tried to listen to their conversation only, from his spot at the table. But then you returned and gathered more things from the table, still as frantic as before. Wally looked at you, but you could only smile apologetically as you were already back on your way, arms full.

Oh. Okay, then. A cold breeze wooshed through the yard. Wally shivered. His cardigan wasn't the best at keeping the wind away. The breeze also flipped a page of his sketchbook, reminding him it was still there. He stared at it for a moment. He didn't feel like drawing anymore. So he packed up his crayons and shut his sketchbook before stashing everything away in his backpack between his feet.

After that he got up. Wally tried to bring his chair over to the bonfire like the rest of his friends. But it wasn't as easy as it looked. He didn't understand why.

"Need help with that, little buddy?" His best friend Barnaby asked.

Oh, Wally never noticed him approach. He gave his friend his usual droopy smile.

"Yes."

"Alright! No problem pal! Let's get you sit-uated!" Barnaby chuckled. Wally understood the joke and laughed with his firend.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. That was a good one, Barnaby."

"Thank you! You always know how to chair-ish a good pun!" The beagle grinned and put down Wally's chair beside his own and Howdy's. The caterpillar perked up at the pun.

"Hm? What type of jokes are we on now?"

"Chair-ful furniture puns!" Barnaby beamed, causing Howdy to slap his thigh and start laughing.

The noise reverbrated loudly in Wally's ears. He tried to ignore it and climbed back onto his chair. Barnaby sat down beside him.

"Ah, now that's a more sit-able position to share puns in, aye?" Howdy asked Barnaby once he was sitting. Both started laughing again.

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Wally laughed with them out of habit. This was getting a bit much now, now that he sat right beside them. He tried to distract himself by watching the bonfire.

He welcomed it's heat on his face. A part of him just hoped it wouldn't melt the wax he put in his hair today. The wriggly dance of flames had always mesmerized him. How their shapes bent and changed at a constant. He always found them hard to draw.

Wally found himself unable to fully enjoy the fire however. He wasn't reacting much to the jokes his friends were telling, though they didn't seem to mind. It made him feel guilty, that he wasn't enjoying them as much as usual. He wasn't sure what was different today.

"Well Barn, I just want to say: You'll always be a chair-leader in my book!" Howdy told Barnaby between chuckles and again, both couldn't help but laugh.

This time Wally didn't join them and it made the guilt in his stuffing knaw a bit harder on him. As the sun continued to set, the sky grew dark and the fire brighter.

Wally's discomfort only seemed to grow as well. It became cooler and the wind had picked up a little. His back felt a little too cold. And because of the fire his front side, especially his face, now felt a little too hot. He wanted to turn around, but didn't know how. Chairs were meant to be sat in. Wally was pretty sure he was doing it right.

But his back was still cold. How could there be a gust of wind and the fabric of his shirt both on his back at the same time? He didn't know. Wally leaned forward to escape the cold. But it made his face way too hot. Ugh, that was also unpleasant.

He shifted around a bit more, but couldn't find a comfortable position.What did Barnaby call such a predicament? Stuck between a rock and a hard place?

The music that had been playing in the background so far was turned to a higher volume. Now played a sweet love song, that Eddie asked Frank to dance with him to.

Wally's smile faltered. Why did the music also have to be loud?

Suddenly everything was loud. The music, the voices and laughter of his friends, even the crackling of the fire.

Suddenly everything became too much. Too warm. Too cold. Too uncomfortable. To loud. Too everything.

Wally didn't know what to cover with his hands first. His ears or his face. He settled for his ears and curled a little inwards, looking down at his lap.

The flickering light of the flames on his striped pants assaulted his vision. He winced slightly and closed his eyes tightly.

"Buddy? Pal? Are you okay?" Barnaby. Next to him and unbearably loud.

His friend placed his giant warm paw on Wally's cold back. It felt like it was burning.

Barnaby asked again if he was okay.

But Wally didn't react. He couldn't. He felt too overwhelmed with everything.

Just then you exited the house again. In your arms you carried a stack of blankets to offer your guests. Making your round and asking your neighbors with a cheery smile, the blankets in your arms quickly became less.

Since Eddie and Frank were still dancing you decided to spread a bigger blanket on both of their seats.With a small smirk you head over to Howdy, Barnaby and Wally.

When you saw Barn's and Howdy's worried expressions however, your smirk quickly faltered.

You could tell just by his pose and expression, that something wasn't right with Wally. Barn kept trying to talk to him, but nothing came of it.

"Is everything okay?" You asked worriedly, handing Howdy the last two blankets.

Welp, bit of a dumb question to be fair. Obviously something was not okay.

Barnaby met your worried gaze. He seemed a bit helpless."I don't know. Normally Wally tells me what's wrong, but I can't get him to speak." The blue dog admits.

As Wally's best friend he was normally the one taking the caretaker role, since he usually knew when something was up. But today was something knew, he found himself at a loss.

You hummed and crouched down beside Wally to get a better look at him. He appeared troubled, almost panicked even. His eyes were snapped shut and when he opened them shortly, they darted around frantically.

You tried to follow his gaze in hopes to find a clue, but only ended up looking at the whole scene in your backyard.

The rest of the neighbors hadn't noticed anything, and were still partying away.

Hm.

Just then you noticed the music was louder than before. One puzzle piece began moving.

When the song switched to a quicker, more cheerful one Wally winced, drawing your attention back to him. Another puzzle piece started moving.

Barn tried to comfort his smaller friend by rubbing his back, but it only made him curl up more. The third puzzle piece moved.

And when Wally whispered "Too much" in a barely audible volume it finally clicked.

Poor guy was hopelessly overwhelmed.

"Hm, Barn. I think I know what's up." You said quietly.He looked at you in relief and also confusion, when you gently took his paw off of Wally's back.

"You have an idea, Neighbor?" Barn asked, hopeful.

You nodded and tried to nudge Wally off of his chair.

"Yeah, I think our little friend is done partying tonight."

Barn tilted his head, still slightly confused. But you wave him off gently.

"Don't worry, Barnaby. I got this handled. You just enjoy the rest of the evening, okay?"

He didn't protest, so you tried to silently urge Wally to get up again.

When he refused to move you sighed softly and picked him up. Immediately Wally went limp in your arms and his hands fell from his ears. His eyes remained shut though.

Going limp was something he always did, when being handled. You lovingly called this quirk "puppet mode".

You rested Wally's weight on your hip and made your way back into your house. On the way you glanced down at your little companion, who's head leaned against your shoulder.

As soon as you reached the house, and the door shut behind you two, Wally's eyes opened again. He blinked a few times and lifted his head.

It had become notably more quiet. Your house was effectively keeping all the noise outside. The temperature in the hallway was nice and it was dark.

You were happy to see Wally slowly calm down.

"Yeah, that's a lot better, hm?" You mumbled quietly as you brought him up the stairs. Wally nodded and took in his surroundings. You guessed that after completely shutting off he needed a moment to ground himself again and figure out where he is exactly. You were sure he knew your house, so you remained quiet as you brought him into the guest room. Not bothering to turn on the lights, you crossed the room and sat Wally down on the bed. The little puppet got comfortable by curling up again on his side. You smiled a little and draped the covers over him to maximize coziness.

Wally snuggled into the covers and pulled them over his head. Your smile grew a bit softer.

Deciding to give him the time he needed to fully calm down and recover, you quietly got up to leave him be. In the doorframe you stopped to look back at him.

Wally looked so tiny in the quiet and dark room. You wondered what else you could do to accommodate him. You wanted to be there for him, but on the other hand reducing sensory stimuli was the main goal right now. Your presence could potentially already be too much.

But... It wouldn't hurt to quietly set down a glass of water and plate with apple slices, right?You figured it was the least you could do. Down to the kitchen you went. A glass was quickly filled up with water. An apple was washed just as quick and thanks to your neat and handy apple slicer it was cut quickly as well. With both items in hand you went back to the guest room and placed them on the nightstand.

You cast one last glance at Wally. He was still hiding under the covers. But at least his breathing was slow and steady now.

The front door opened, demanding your attention. You left the guest room and quietly shut the door.

On your way down the stairs you saw that it was Barnaby. Ah, he probably wanted to check in.

He smiled nervously at you and fiddled with his paws. "Sooo, how's Wals?"

You smiled back gently and descended the rest of the stairs. "He's doing fine. Just resting upstairs now."

Barnaby released a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness... You see, that was the first time that happened since I've known him. I honestly wouldn't have known what to do-"

"It's alright, Barn. We live and we learn. Nobody's perfect and that's okay." You place a hand on his arm in a reassuring manner.

He nodded. His gaze wandered up the stairs, still worried. You guessed he felt equally as bad about leaving his buddy alone as you did.

"What do you say to us sitting down in the kitchen? Can I offer you anything? Some tea maybe?"

"Ah, that actually sounds very good."

And thus you found yourself sitting in the kitchen with Barnaby until late at night, just quietly chatting away over a cup of tea.

[the-prophesied-disco-gay]

At my last job, before disability finally dragged me kicking and screaming from the regular workforce, I had a team lead named Rob.

Rob is what happens when a feral ADHD cryptid is raised to be a white middle management corporate shill. About 40% of my job was managing my manager and keeping him from wandering into random offices or setting things on fire.

On that last duty, I failed. Twice.

About 2 years into his time there, Rob decided that Wednesdays were going to be Rob Makes Lunch For The Call Center day. Bless that man. For this purpose, there was a grill just outside the outer door to the break room. That grill was a faithful servant to the end. Most of us were the kind of poor that meant Wednesday became the day we got to eat twice in one day. More than once I saved money by not eating Tuesday or Thursday at all because I'd get that Wednesday meal, so that was 3 days I didn't have to buy food.

We had a memorial service for the grill after he accidentally set it on fire. It was lovely.

Rob carried on with his sacred BBQ Dad calling, thanks to the fully functional kitchen in the showroom downstairs and the toaster oven in the break room.

We did not have a memorial service for the toaster oven a few months later, but that fire did bring an end to Rob Being Allowed To Cook At Work. His boss (my actual boss as well) made him an Achievement certificate, those award things that look kinda like a diploma? Anyway it had a big gold star on the bottom and said "Rob Started The Fire" in gold letters. He framed it and hung it over Rob's desk. It was fantastic.

All that to say:

I learned TODAY that that was a reference to The Office.

I swear sometimes it feels like I grew up in some alternate dimension juuuust out of phase with this one because I don't think I've ever gone an entire week of my adult life without hearing some variation of "what?!? You haven't seen that?! Ever??" My spouse and partner are on a Quest to introduce me to all the things I missed (Indiana Jones, James Bond, Gargoyles, Steel Magnolias, just to give an idea. None of us have the time for a full list including music and TV) and they are both regularly flabbergasted to discover entire cultural touchstones I've never touched.

Turns out being raised in a very right-wing "traditional values" household, only allowed close contact with similar households, is not all that different from being raised in a cult. The isolation from the mainstream culture of one's country has lifelong impact and makes for some really weird adults (me) 🤣