#pers com

[gettothedancing]

Old link broke, here's a replacement from Six Sisters' Stuff

Lemon Bar Cookie Cups http://eat-goodfood.com/lemon-bar-cookie-cups/

[gettothedancing]

So about Election Day...

If you've been reading my read-more posts, you already know that I had a huge crush on my coworker since March. I've had to fix some termite-related stuff in my kitchen, so he got a key and fob made for me so I can go use HIS kitchen whenever. And so we've been having dinner together for a week or two.

On the 5th, we had just finished dinner, and I was getting ready to leave. He said he had to tell me something, and then said he would tell me later, but when I said, "I'm already in enough suspense today!" he relented. He carefully went through any potential obstacles to us dating. English is not his first language, though he is nearly fluent. So he sometimes paused to make sure the words were right in his head before he said them. <3

He had an online class, so we had to cut the conversation short and continue the next day. But it wasn't a cliffhanger, because we both were clear that we liked each other when I left. I saw him the next evening to have dinner and finish our conversation. With the basic facts out of the way, it was much more romantic <3

Unfortunately, he works 9-5 weekdays while I work both morning and evening shifts on any day of the week. So unless my evening shift is on a weekend, we don't see each other at all those days. We make food independently and together. We're going to an art gallery tonight <3

We're in the same church and vote/think very similarly. We're both family-oriented and serious people, but we find each other funny. He IS younger than me (and I've never dated someone younger), but I don't think it will be an issue. I thought he was older than me until we talked about it, actually. We disagree on only one issue, but we are talking about it consistently, and we are both respecting each other's views and working on a compromise.

It's only been a week, but I'm very happy that he liked me back all this time and that I wasn't imagining it! We are not telling our parents or coworkers yet (because they will ALL say 'I told you so') but we will soon. His mom is visiting from Brazil for 2.5 weeks in mid-December. I don't speak Portuguese but she is good at English, and a pianist like me, so I hope she likes me!!

[gettothedancing]

No one panic,

I changed my name to 'eggnogablog' for December again.

The icon and header image are below. I apparently saved the icon-pic from @autumnal-thunder years ago and don't know what post it's from anymore, but credit where it's due. The header is a pic of my family's Christmas tree from 2015.

[gettothedancing]

Relationship Doubts and Venting

For context, I've never had a long-term relationship before. I was technically 'with' a guy for two years, but after 6 dates our first month, I had to move, and so only saw him twice more in person after that. He insisted on EMAIL communcation only. So we essentially made no progress on actually getting to know each other.

So now, I've been with my current boyfriend for 5 months, and have known him for 6. We met on a dating app. We find each other very attractive, we're both conservative and want multiple children, we're both deadset on no sex before marriage, and we get along quite well. I enjoy being around him, and I've introduced him to my church and my coworkers on different occasions, starting from our first month together.

But on our last date, he started asking me questions about how my denomination handles weddings and what I would like my own wedding to be like. I was honest about what I liked, and finished by saying I wasn't ready to be engaged yet. But from things he's said, I have a feeling he's decided that I'm the one and is only waiting until I say something similar back to make it official.

That's so exciting, and flattering, and yet I know I'm not ready for it.

I still have a lot of concerns and unknowns about him. In no particular order, please enjoy all my concerns:

1: I still haven't met any of his family. We almost went bowling with his sister but she had a last-minute scheduling conflict. He's been living with his brother for several years, but he didn't even tell that brother about me yet. He says this brother is just very quiet and that they aren't close. But they've lived together for over 10 years, and my BF drives an hour EACH WAY to see me for every date. Where does the brother think he's going?

2: We never go to his area, partly because my work schedule is much less forgiving than his. This also means I've never seen his bedroom or home, including pictures. I've asked about this more than once, and he kinda dismisses it, saying it's just nicer to be in my area/house.

3: He's eight years older than me. I'm okay with the age gap in theory. In practice, we definitely grew up in very different eras and families. He's one of five kids, and I'm one of two sisters. I think he was harshly disciplined, and he indicated that he would physically discipline any children he has, though he added caveats restricting that discipline to certain behaviors from boys over the age of 15. But it still concerned me, because it wasn't coming from a place of "last resort" so much as from a place of "I got this so he would too."

Similarly, we don't agree on circumcision. His arguments for it consisted of "I was," "it's ugly otherwise," "he'll be bullied if he doesn't get it," and "there are some slight health benefits I think."

4: He was raised Catholic. I don't have an issue with Catholics generally, but I have known of several Catholic-CS couples who did not work out because of the vast denominational differences. I've also been personally warned by more than one CS woman of marrying a Catholic man, because they were prevented in their marriages from practicing their faith by their own Catholic husbands. TBF to my BF, he doesn't seem like he would be this kind of husband, but I don't know for sure because he doesn't seem to understand how different our beliefs actually are?

While my BF says he is looking for a new denomination, he's fundamentally incurious about other denominations, including my own. It seems like he is only looking to leave Catholicism because of political disaffection with Pope Francis and not because of an actual theological disagreement. He did Lent this year same as he ever did. He even admitted to not knowing the difference between Catholic and Protestant beliefs. He thought Peter wrote one of the Gospels (and he went to Catholic schools all his life).

It's just baffling to me that he isn't really interested in learning about different theologies and practices, while still claiming that he IS interested. It's words with no action following. I keep trying to show him stuff about my Bible study or my church. He's gone to a few services with me, but he never wants to talk about the content after. He just says the people there are nice.

Occasionally he makes jokes about wearing cult robes or bringing a goat to sacrifice to my church. This is because CS is often excluded from mainstream interfaith discussions and derided as a cult. Obviously, it's not a cult by any definition. I'm sensitive about this sort of joke, as not only do I truly hate cults like Scientology (for which we are also mistaken a lot unfortunately) and what they do to good people, but I was teased and bullied for my religion several times as a child and teenager.

5: Really, more than anything else, it's the incurious nature that concerns me. I'm not wealthy or an elite or anything, and never will be at my income level. But I do deeply value education, art, and learning. These are the things my family values too. I don't think I can be with someone permanently who doesn't value those things. I don't want to be overly pushy or self-centered either: it's not as if I want someone who only likes the stuff I like. But I don't want to only have small talk forever.

The few times we've had deeper discussions, he ends them as fast as possible, and his statements are rather vague and disconnected. While I wish we did agree on circumcision as an issue, I was more concerned with how poorly he defended his opinion, as well as how dismissive he was of my thoughts. I mean, I guess since I'm not a guy my opinion doesn't matter as much? But my arguments weren't about personal experience, but about empirical evidence and psychological studies. Idk. I regretted that conversation a lot; I got into lawyer-mode and was too blunt. For a few weeks afterward, he seemed like he was upset, but when I asked, he insisted he wasn't and that he didn't care. He also became more vulgar in our conversations after that. I had to ask him to scale it back.

None of these things individually are "dealbreakers". I'm not afraid of compromise and of us being our own people. But we do need to know some big things about each other and come to some important agreements before I would be ready to get engaged to him.

I'm hoping that when he meets my dad and stepmom next week, that will give me further insight. Good kissing and political agreement alone cannot a good marriage make.

[gettothedancing]

Night shift crush issues

Crush wanted to hang out. I said sure, I can have breakfast with you after my shift. I guess I forgot to tell him that they have just switched me to nights (he works 9 to 5). I explained that my sleep schedule now has me awake 3 pm to 8 am, and that I'd like hanging out with him in the evening if he has time. But he said it was "fine" and that we would find another day.

I'm pretty bummed about it because I wanted to hang out with him on my birthday tomorrow. I guess he doesn't know when it is. We work at the same place, so I forgot that he doesn't check the schedule like I do and didn't know about the night shift. But being on nights is pretty socially isolating already, so I was very excited to have him want to hang out, and thus crushed when he retracted his invite.

I have regularly rearranged my schedule to hang out with him because I really enjoy his presence. Even if I didn't like him that way, I'd probably still do that. He's already one of my closest friends. I was never the type to have a LOT of personal friends, but I am quite close to the 3 to 5 that I do keep. I haven't told him when I rearrange things to keep an appointment with him because I thought it would look desperate.

He's younger and more popular than I am. But he also has a very defined idea of his own schedule. He always gets up at 6 am for example. If I'm not available at the time he wants to meet, he never finds a way to be available at my time, but simply puts off hanging out until my times align with his.

It's little things like this that remind me that this is not a mutual crush. I hate feeling upset about the realization, because I know he doesn't like me, but people also keep thinking we're dating because he literally doesn't hang out with anyone else. He focuses on me so completely when we DO hangout, but then goes silent while he focuses on work for a few days, and then the focus is back and it's blinding.

He's recently divorced (very recently) so I get why he wouldn't ask me out even if he was interested. But in that case, I wish he would tone down the focus and stop getting my hopes up. People keep noticing and teasing me about it. We've been mistaken for a married couple by retail workers several times. He never denies it, while also never touching anything but my shoulders and hair.

I feel like I can't move past my interest in him because of this consistent attention and focus, but we're also paralyzed by his lack of clear intent and the timing of his divorce. I can't confess my feelings, and I have no idea how he feels because of all the mixed signals and timing issues. Every time we hang out, I hope that I'll finally be able to tell how he feels, and I never get enough clues in either direction to either confess or to move past my feelings.

By the way, I turn 30 tomorrow. People at work are so loving to me about it. I'm one of the youngest people there, so many coworkers and patients treat me like a surrogate daughter/niece/granddaughter. No one has made unkind remarks about my still being single. They all know I love my little nephew so much and that I want to be a married mom someday, so aside from the occasional insensitive joke from some of the older African men about how to "get me a baby", they are encouraging and don't talk about it too much around me.

[felassan]

SAG AFTRA news update:

"SAG-AFTRA Members Who Work on Video Games Go on Strike July 25th A.I. Protections Remain the Sticking Point SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, acting under the authority delegated by the SAG-AFTRA National Board, and with the unanimous advice and counsel of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee, called a strike of the Interactive Media Agreement, effective July 26 at 12:01 a.m. Today’s vote to strike comes after more than a year and a half of negotiations without a deal. The convenience bargaining group with whom SAG-AFTRA is negotiating includes Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Llama Productions LLC, Take 2 Productions Inc., VoiceWorks Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc. Any game looking to employ SAG-AFTRA talent to perform covered work must sign on to the new Tiered-Budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement, the Interim Interactive Media Agreement or the Interim Interactive Localization Agreement. These agreements offer critical A.I. protections for members. Negotiations began in October 2022 and on Sept. 24, 2023, SAG-AFTRA members approved a video game strike authorization with a 98.32% yes vote. Although agreements have been reached on many issues important to SAG-AFTRA members, the employers refuse to plainly affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their A.I. language. “We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough. When these companies get serious about offering an agreement our members can live — and work — with, we will be here, ready to negotiate,” stated SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.   “The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually. The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games. That includes the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and they deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as performers in film, television, streaming, and music: fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the A.I. use of their faces, voices, and bodies. Frankly, it’s stunning that these video game studios haven’t learned anything from the lessons of last year - that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to A.I., and the public supports us in that,” said Crabtree-Ireland. “Eighteen months of negotiations have shown us that our employers are not interested in fair, reasonable A.I. protections, but rather flagrant exploitation. We refuse this paradigm – we will not leave any of our members behind, nor will we wait for sufficient protection any longer. We look forward to collaborating with teams on our Interim and Independent contracts, which provide A.I. transparency, consent and compensation to all performers, and to continuing to negotiate in good faith with this bargaining group when they are ready to join us in the world we all deserve." said Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee Chair Sarah Elmaleh.  For more information and to search whether a video game is struck, please visit sagaftra.org/videogamestrike."

[source]

[emilnikos]

ok now that we're done with all that lets go make potions (mabel juice)

[gettothedancing]

#this thing moves like a Spider-Man villainess named Crimibelle who leaps across rooftops in a mechasuit that looks like a ballroom gown #squid #please someone understand my vision

Listening 👂 and applauding 👏

[gettothedancing]

Tagged by @walden-west

Last song: Introduction to the Snow (Miracle Musical)

Favorite color: Indigo

Currently Watching: MasterChef's latest season

Last movie: Double Indemnity

Currently reading: Mao: The Unknown Story (Jung Chang and Jon Hallliday)

Sweet/Savory/Spicy: Savory for the moment, can't handle much spice

Relationship status: In an exclusive relationship

Current Obsession(s): Learning how to use all the gym machines

Last thing I Googled: turkey breast roast

Currently working on: Getting all the cat hair off my rugs

Tagging: @speaking-impartially @deadbilly @frangipani-wanderlust @m00nxtal

[stefisdoingthings]

silence

also this is from Wolfwood's POV (in case it isn't clear) i have 0 normal thoughts (every song ever is VW)

[gettothedancing]

Permanent name change

You guys know I always change my blog's name to 'Eggnogablog' for Christmas and December. And I usually go by 'Gettothestabbing' for all the rest of the year.

But after 13 years on this site, I am tired of people mistaking me for a violent or radical person. While the name was always an inside joke about something I yelled at a Ren Faire play when I was 5, and never was me advocating for violence or stabbing, I think most people saw the URL and assumed otherwise. They didn't get as far as the about page that explained the backstory.

So I'm going to be "gettothedancing" from now on.

[gettothedancing]

Unfortunately, as this post explains in greater detail, the left pic is just fanart of a Disney-style take on Dracula by Joseph Szekeres.

The right IS real concept art from 1984, though slightly cropped (see the evil fairy?). Bluth dropped his Beauty and the Beast idea once he learned Disney was planning to adapt the same story. There are only two other pieces of concept art I could find, and in the absence of other information, I have to assume Don is the artist behind all three.

DON BLUTH DRACULA??????? DON BLUTH DRACULA??????????

[pierogi-potwater]

Grunkle, griece bonding. Through hardships to the stars.

More renders under the cut

I was inspired by these cute notes from ‘ ad astra per aspera’ on the this is not a website dot com. I love Ford and Mabel bonding !!!! So cute

I started this on Friday and only just finished lol. Took me 13 hours total.

[lonely-night]

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days x Happiest Season

Michelle finally decided to take a dip into the lady pool. One night, her friends brought her to a gay club. She had her eyes on a woman but was too shy to approach. Few weeks later she ran into her again. or the Michelle and Riley story;

[gettothedancing]

Rain check!

On meeting my family. For the third time. After they put in the effort to come from another state.

Last two times, it was due to a work schedule change. But this time, he got the day off from work.

The reason is "I was up most of the night dealing with some stuff."

Family emergency? Work issue? Who knows? Just accept that I'm not coming 🙃

[gettothedancing]

This is still going on and still important.

The hearing should be in October of 2026. Some states' claims were dismissed, but the lawsuit is still going forward.

(The FTC is also suing Meta Platforms, and the DOJ is suing Google.)

Amazon is being sued by the FTC and 17 states for being an illegal monopoly