#straya saturday

[gaia-prime]

a hostile mob you say ?

[anguilliforme]

Bushfire / Wildfire preparation and survival (long post)

Because of climate change, we will be facing increasingly difficult fire seasons not just for this year, but for what I can only assume will be every year from here on out. While I fully recommend contacting your local fire services to find information most helpful to you, here is a list of general advice for bush/wildfire preparation and survival. This list will cover:

General things you should know before preparing for fire season

Pre fire season preparation

Your evacuation kit

What to do on fire risk days

What to do if you choose to evacuate

What to do when you evacuate too late and your car is about to be caught in the fire

What to do if you choose to stay and defend your home

Firefighting tools

How to defend your home from a fire

What to do as the fire front approaches

What to do if your home catches on fire while you're in it

No house no car no evacuation centre- best places to use as emergency shelter

I am Australian so I will be using the word "bushfire" because that is what I am familiar with, please feel free to replace it with wildfire or whatever your local term is. Information is taken from the CFA, Fire TAS, and the NSW rural fire service but please check with your local fire authorities for the best information for your area.

General things that you should know:

You don't have to be in the middle of nowhere to be at risk for a fire. If you are located near paddocks, grasslands, costal scrub, or if your neighbourhood borders bushland (or woodlands/forests for my non aussie friends) you can be at risk.

Familiarise yourself with your local fire danger rating system (FDRS) I can not stress this enough. Go on your local fire services website now and look it up. I will be using the Australian FDRS as a reference because it is what I am most familiar with. It looks like this:

You should understand what your local FDRS levels are, because they are extremely important tool for communicating the possible severity of fires, and can help you make important decisions on how you should act.

You should also familiarise yourself with your local wind patterns. You would be surprised by how many people die in bushfires because they are unfamiliar with wind change patterns and get caught out.

Pre fire season preparation- your house

Prepare your property! This is basic fire safety, and most people who live rural will be familiar with the motions but for those who aren't in the know:

Keep the grass in your lawn cut to 10cm (4in) or less. Rake your lawn so there aren't loose leaves or twigs in the grass. Clean your gutters while you're at it.

Store any wood piles and flammable liquids away from your house (put it in a shed or any building that isn't attached to your house).

Cut back any trees that are overhanging your roofs. Generally you want 10m (or 33ft) of clearance. Prune the lower branches of shrubs to separate them from any possible fuel underneath them.

Line your garden beds with pebbles instead of mulch, if you have any shrubs or bushes under windows get rid of them.

Evacuation kit

You should have an evacuation kit ready to go during fire season. This is different for every individual but here are a few things that should go into it:

Scan all of your important documents (birth certificates, wills, passports, drivers licences, insurance documents, etc) and put them on a USB. Put this in your kit alongside the documents.

Your medication. Your prescription paperwork if it is not digital.

Portable chargers for your devices.

A battery-operated radio (check the batteries regularly).

100% wool blankets. Enough for everybody in your household to be fully covered. Do not pack anything synthetic. These blankets need to be accessible if you are travelling by car so do not pack them in the bottom of any bags.

"Bushfire fits", clothing that is either wool, heavy cotton, or denim. Once again, no synthetic fabrics. Shoes should be leather boots and not sandals or runners. There needs to be enough to clothe everyone in your household.

If you have pets you need to have their carriers, medication, food/water and bowls ready.

You should also have food and (more importantly) water for yourself and everyone in your household ready to go should you need to evacuate.

Other pre fire season preparation things

Practice packing your car at least once so you know exactly how long it will take you to get ready if you do end up needing to leave.

Talk with your neighbours. If you can't drive they might be able to drive you, if they're staying they may be willing to help defend your house if you let them use your water. You'll never know if you don't ask.

You need to talk with the people in your household and decide whether you will stay to defend your home from the fire or evacuate. If you want to evacuate you need to agree on which FDRS danger level you will evacuate on, or what your trigger to leave will be.

If you will leave, decide ahead of time how you will leave and where you will go. In a fire, phone services ay go down; have a physical map that shows not only your main evacuation route, but also your backup ones. Have these clearly marked.

On fire risk days

Stay informed. Listen to your local radio and use more than one source of information if available. You want to know if a fire starts near you.

If you have a deck or verandah with mats or furniture on it, move them away from your house. Hanging pots need to go too.

If you have a car behind an electric gate or garage door take it out and have the car facing the road ready to go.

Ensure your evacuation kit is ready to go. Make sure that everyone is aware of the evacuation trigger and has agreed to leave.

If you choose to evacuate

Leaving early is always the safest option. Many things can be replaced, but your life can't. This is the official stance of the Australian government. Leaving early (as in, before the fire even starts) will prevent any issues being caught in your car during a bushfire can bring. You do not want to drive through heavy smoke, and you do not want to accidentally block roads for emergency services.

Make sure everybody is in their bushfire fits, even if you can't see the fire. Better safe than sorry.

Turn off your home's gas and (if you have the time) plug your downpipes and fill your gutters partially with water.

Close and lock all of your doors and windows.

Leave your front gate open.

Tell somebody that you are leaving, and where you are leaving to.

Late evacuation- my car is about to be hit by fire

If you evacuate late there is a chance you may find that you are unable to drive safely due to smoke or flames. It is considered extremely dangerous to shelter in a car, however you can do the following to increase your chances of survival:

Do not park on a road. Emergency service workers do not need to be dealing with car crashes as well as the fires.

Park your car away from dense bushland, preferably in a clear area. If you can find a rock wall to buffer some of the radiant heat even better. Face your car towards the oncoming fire.

Stay in the car, close all windows and doors. Shut all vents and turn off your engine.

Cover yourself with the wool blankets from your evacuation kit. sit or lie down below window level. Drink water.

Once the fire has passed, get out of the car and move to burnt ground.

If you choose to stay

The best way to prepare to stay for a bushfire is to have an action plan that you have both written down and practiced with your household. During a bushfire there is a high likelihood of service disruption both during and after a fire, so do not expect for there to be phone service, internet access, electricity, or water. You should expect:

Embers and spot fires which will move ahead of the main fire. Embers can also land for hours after a fire has passed. Embers are the number one cause of house fires when there is a bushfire.

Darkness. You will never truly understand how dark it can get in a bushfire until you are in it. It's darker than midnight.

Smoke will also make the air difficult to breathe. Invest in good face masks.

Local roads can be blocked from fallen trees or power lines, burnt out cars, dead animals, or emergency service vehicles.

Radiant heat. This is the biggest killer of bushfires. There is very little way around this. Long term radiant heat exposure will kill you long before the main bushfire gets to you. You can block radiant heat with solid walls (such as brick or concrete). Stay away from windows.

Your weapons in the fight against fire

You will need at a bare minimum 10,000 litres (2200 gallons) of water to defend your home. Have a petrol/diesel pump ready to use close by your water source.

In Australia you can find specialty firefighting hoses. Check your local availabilities, but you can still use a gardening hose in a pinch (be aware that plastic will melt once it gets too hot, get ones with metal fittings). Any hose you use should be able to reach all the way around your house.

Sprinklers. Ensure any plastic hoses connected to them are buried so they don't melt.

Buckets. And mops. Yes, you can whack an ember to death.

Metal rakes and shovels which will help break up burning materials.

Metal ladders so you can reach your roof.

Defending your home

If you are planning on staying to defend your home there needs to be at lease two fit adults. They both need to be physically and mentally willing to work for several hours in difficult and distressing conditions.

Everyone who stays also needs to be aware that there is a chance of dying. Survival is not guaranteed if you stay to protect your home.

Make sure you are all wearing appropriate clothing. Put on your bushfire fit. Wear eye protection and face masks to block out smoke. As funny as the picture of the bloke in his shirt and thongs standing on his roof with a hose is, it is a monumentally dangerous move.

Turn off your gas supply, air conditioners, and close all of your windows and doors facing outside.

Block your downpipes and fill your gutters with water, put wet wool blankets (or cotton towels) inside of windows and as door stops.

Check that pets are safely contained, and your car is ready to go in case of a late evacuation.

When embers appear, turn on your sprinklers.

You will need to patrol for embers, and put out any spot fires which occur. As embers float through the air, you will also need to check your roof as your home can easily be set alight from roof embers.

You will be patrolling for embers for several hours, as they can show up before, during, and after the fire front has passed.

Keep hydrated, even if you don't feel like drinking.

As the fire front approaches

You will begin to feel the radiant heat. Remember- you will need to protect yourself from this. Once the heat outside is unbearable you must retreat indoors or you will die.

Hose down any decks and/or garden beds connected to your house.

Collect your fire fighting equipment and bring them indoors. Anything plastic will melt. There are specialty fittings that will let you attach your fire fighting gear to washing machine taps to make it easier to fight fires inside your house.

Stay hydrated. Drink water, and splash your face with water to cool down.

If you are caught in your home during a bushfire

You will still need to patrol inside your home to check for embers starting fire. This includes going into your roof space, as embers enter most easily through the roof.

Make sure the room/s you are sheltering in have two exits- one to another room and one to outside your house. Keep all of the doors inside your house open.

Do not shelter in a room with frosted windows as you want to see what is going on outside.

If your house catches fire and it can't be put out

Close the door to any room that is on fire. Move away from the area/s on fire, keep low to avoid breathing in smoke. Close all doors behind you so you know not to turn back.

As soon as the main fire has passed your house get out! Please do not stay in your on fire house. Instead move to burnt ground.

Drink some water. The last thing you need is to be dehydrated.

Once the fire front has passed

Use your own judgement on whether the outside radiant heat is bearable. Remember, solid walls protect you from radiant heat, so it may be hotter outside your house. Once you can go outside, you are back on outdoor ember patrol.

Do not take your bushfire fit off. Yes, even if it is warm. You don't want bare skin in bushfire conditions.

Put out any fires that have started near or on your house.

Hose down the outside of your house, all of it including the roof and under the floorboards.

Call your friends and family. Let them know you are alive, and that the front has passed you.

Drink water. Do not die of dehydration or heat stroke now.

You will need to stay vigilant for several hours after the front has passed- embers can still start fires.

Places to shelter

If you are caught in the open with no options available to you, you can use these as a last resort shelter:

A stationary car in a clear area such as a bare field.

A ploughed paddock, field or park.

A body of water such as a river or dam.

Thats all I can think of right now. If anybody has any more information to add before this years fire season starts feel free.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, January 5th

Cordelia: God, Aura. I can't believe I missed your calls! It’s that incompetent girl at work. But things are going great... Well, my new apartment for one thing. Celebrities are practically on top of me. Oh, Steve Paymer,... that's Dave Paymer's brother lives right down the hall. Oh, you'd know him if you saw him. And my view, it’s amazing!... Yeah, I have a roommate, but it's cool. I never see him.

~~Rm w/a Vu~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Garage Sale by veronyxk84 (Buffy, Dawn, Joyce, PG-13)

Kiss Me At Midnight by Spikelover4ever (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Garage Sale by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy, Dawn, Joyce, PG-13)

The Strong One crossposted by acekoomboom (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

[Chaptered Fiction]

From Out of the Darkness 1/9 by forsaken2003 (Xander/Spike, R)

Incarnate, Ch. 29 by Sigyn (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

This Little Life, Ch. 4 by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

The Degradation of Duality, Ch. 71 by Ragini (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The Guardians of Magic, Ch. 21 by MarcusSLazarus (multiple crossovers, Willow, FR13)

This Little Life, Ch. 4 by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Xmas in the Air Is the Love We Share, Ch. 3 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

[Images, Audio & Video]

A Buffy/Spike painting in progress by fridaquesadilla (worksafe)

Screenshots captioned with text posts by ofteaandsparrows (Anya & Halfrek, Buffy & Giles, Buffy/Spike, Cordelia, probably worksafe, mild nudity)

Moodboard: I can be alone with you here by tenderjock (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Artwork: Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanart in the year of our lord 2025 by brunneraleo (Buffy, worksafe)

Willow screenshots captioned with text posts by julianblackthornspancakes (worksafe)

Artwork: Buffy by norncrow (worksafe)

Artwork: Willow by norncrow (worksafe)

Drawing: Faith and Amy kissing by sideartblog999 ()

Drawing: "Yeah I could take her," Faith seconds before this. by sideartblog999 (Buffy/Faith, worksafe)

Meme: When she's a 10 but... by jeffiebb (Angel/Darla, worksafe)

A BtVS tattoo by Kit_Mulligan (Vampyr book and other items, worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s facial journey in this scene in Beneath You by ashesandhackles

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of those rare shows by watermelonrindsstuff

This gotta be a top 5 moment in Angel (Five by Five) by Proof-Put8182

Do you consider all of BtVS S2 excellent to superb... by beeemkcl

FINALLY, SPIKE'S BACK! (early s4) by Sebastian-Shook-2003

Podcast: ANGEL 1.5 - Rm w/a Vu by Buffy the Vampire Straya

Podcast: ANGEL 1.6 - Sense and Sensitivity by Buffy the Vampire Straya

[Recs & In Search Of]

Spotlight Saturday: Spangel (works from 2024’s February Fangfest and Fanged Four Family Bingo)

Buffy Rewatching and Reaction Video Addiction—Looking for Recommendations! (recs in the comments as well as in the post) by shukii89

[Community Announcements]

Promo: Multifandom January Events (Tumblr) by veronyxk84

2024: Year in Review — Elysian Fields Spuffy Fanworks Archive

[Fandom Discussions]

Season 7 should have given us Amy as a vengeance demon by coraniaid

Re: what's your NOTP? (anti Spuffy) by empire-of-the-words

obviously the out-of-universe explanation for why jesse’s name is never mentioned again... by moistvonlipwig

A word in defense of Xander by violettathepiratequeen

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Whumplist by lethisfleshnotbetorn

Why doesn't Buffy dust everyone at the end of Crush? by American Aurora and others

Smashed vs Bangel Space sex by FallenAngel00 and others

Justine (horrible character) by Trixieswizzle

What character is this? (sometimes fandom just totally makes up characterization) by yeahitsme9

Buffybot by Maccy-2582

What colours do you associate with each season? by yeahthatsaname

(Images) Teen Wolf similarities with Buffy by Cailly_Brard7

Can’t stand when they spoil the surprise! by Proof-Put8182

Mean Girls fight : Cordelia Chase vs Blair Waldorf (Gossip Girl) by Cailly_Brard7 and others

Give me a plausible (even if it’s a stretch) way that Spike keeps himself clean by ginime_

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[newtonsheffield]

Molly, I have to say that the high schooler in me found the animation of the cyclone path for this one forming just a little funny....

https://x.com/weatherwatchnz/status/1749620957747318927?s=61

On a more serious note, I hope that this cyclone forming isn't heading too close to you, and that if it is, it isn't a really bad one.

Oh, and if I forget, Happy 'Straya Day for Friday.

😂😂😂

It’s not headed for me right now, I’m a bit further north. I have to say, it seems like it’s never going to form right now .

It was supposed to on Saturday, and then Sunday, then yesterday, then today. Nothing. Hurry the fuck up tbh. Get your shit together.

[gaia-prime]

straya saturday

Helpful sign with dagger-feet featured. Also it stole that guy's car

[moonlight26posts-blog]

In Baltimore City, MD: Sweet But Sick Orphan Kitten Seeking Urgent Rescue - BARCS, Baltimore MD

- Urgent Rescue Needed -

Straya- 4 weeks, Female, 0.8lbs

Poor Straya was found all alone and in pretty rough shape before coming to BARCS late last night. She is not eating too well but is very vocal. She is eager for attention despite not feeling so well.

Straya presented to our vet team with an upper respiratory infection, dehydration, fleas, and conjunctivitis. She also is emaciated and does not have much of an appetite. Straya also seems to be circling to the right, with no head tilt present, we are monitoring her for other neurological signs at this time was well. A full medical summary can be provided upon request. The shelter is no place for a sick little kitten and we are hoping a rescue can help out as soon as possible!

Straya is available for immediate rescue pick up!

Please let us know if your organization can help!

Thank you,

The BARCS Rescue Team

Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS) ​New Address! 2490 Giles Rd, Baltimore, MD 21225 rescue@barcs.org| (410) 396-4695

Rescue pick-up hours: Monday-Friday: 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m

Adoption hours: Monday-Friday: 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, Inc. (BARCS) | 2490 Giles Rd, Baltimore, MD 21225

[fukyehitscorey]

Pre drinks for PRIDE. #friends #mates #straya #pride #🌈 #gaysofperth #perthgay #drinks #drinkdrankdrunk #saturday #saturgay (at Perth, Western Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqkG_-wnUp5/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=3ez0rfrrjsry

[lilolilyr]

Unfriendly reminder that this blog will be Eurovision trash by Saturday at the latest!

Block the 'esc', 'eurovision' and 'esc'21' tags if you don't want to be spammed with it, or just unfollow xD if you shoot me a message saying you're unfollowing for esc I'll also let you know once it's over lmao

- personal post, do not reblog! -

(Though I myself will share this post a few times as a reminder xD)

Didn't post much yet this semi but maybe I will post the screenshots I took tomorrow, and/or liveblog the next one... and def during finals!

Already sad Straya and Ireland queerness is out :(:(:(:(:(

Oh note to self to also share this on @lilolilyrae as I'll inevitably reach post limit and keep spamming on there

[gaia-prime]

straya saturday

A fat tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) in Simpson Desert, Bedourie, Australia

by Ryan Francis

[nire-the-mithridatist]

50 Questions Tag Game

Taking this from @albatrossisland because it looks fun!

What is the colour of your hairbrush? black.

Name a food you never eat: balut. I don’t know why that comes to mind, but I truly have never eaten it nor do I plan to.

Are you typically too warm or too cold? too warm! Especially when I’m trying to sleep.

What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Learning how to file a national healthcare claim for my husband’s clinic. Basically being initiated into his family business.

What's your favourite candy bar? Snickers!

Have you ever been to a professional sports game? No.

What was the last thing you said out loud? “Thank you!”

What is your favourite ice cream? a toss-up between mint chocolate chip and rum raisin.

What was the last thing you had to drink? coffee.

Do you like your wallet? It’s okay. I got it ages ago, and I need a new one but I haven’t gotten around to buying it.

What was the last thing you ate? some crackers to go with the coffee.

Did you buy any new clothes last weekend? nope

What's the last sporting event you watched? Every now and then I will peek at whatever e-sports event my husband is streaming (usually League of Legends). I usually don’t know what even is going on on the screen, but I like the character designs.

What is your favourite flavour of popcorn? salty with exxxxxxtra butter

Who is the last person you sent a text message to? my cousin.

Ever go camping? yes, but a long time ago

Do you take vitamins? just some vitamin C to keep my immune system boosted during these times

Do you go to church every Sunday? Haha, no. I go when my mum wants to go with me, so she’s happy, but not every Sunday.

Do you have a tan? I tan easily, so... yes

Do you prefer Chinese food or pizza? Chinese food

Do you drink your soda through a straw? no

What colour socks do you usually wear? Basic black or grey ones

Do you ever drive above the speed limit? I don’t drive.

What terrifies you? Causing problems for other people, not being liked, being a disappointment

Look to your left. What do you see? the laundry basket

What chore do you hate most? mopping

What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent? STRAYA! but also “it... it is Australian, right?”

What's your favourite soda? Polaris Coffee Cream, which tastes like what butterbeer should taste in my mind. (I’ve never actually drank butterbeer.)

Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive-thru? Before the pandemic? I go in.

What's your favourite number? 25.

Who's the last person you talked to? The admin who taught me clinic work.

Favourite cut of beef? Ribs.

Last song you listened to? Can’t remember. I don’t usually pay attention to songs?

Last book you read? I just started reading Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente. It’s a delight.

Favourite day of the week? Saturdays.

Can you say the alphabet backwards? hah, no.

How do you like your coffee? Either an unsweetened light manual brew or with tons of milk and sometimes sugar.

Favourite pair of shoes? I have these low-heeled, strappy sandals that can be dressed up or dressed down. They’re nice.

Time you normally get up? Not before 8 unless I have an appointment or flight or Other Important Scheduled Things. I sleep late and more productive near midnight.

Sunrises or sunsets? Sunsets.

How many blankets are on your bed? One.

Describe your kitchen plates. Two sets: One that’s white, kind of tacky-looking with gilded lilies on the rim, and another that’s a heavier, nicer porcelain that’s pink with some cherry blossom designs. They’re both wedding gifts. I like the pink ones better.

Describe your kitchen at the moment. There’s an unwashed mug. Twas my coffee earlier.

Do you have a favourite alcoholic drink? Margarita.

Do you play cards? sometimes.

What colour is your car? well, I don’t drive. Not yet, anyway. But when the pandemic is over I’m going to take lessons and start driving my husband’s old car, a black civic.

Do you know how to change a tire? In theory only.

Your favourite state? liquid. We’re talking state of matter, right? Cause I’ve never been to the US.

Favourite job you've had? I like being an interpreter. I had this job where my office went to different cities to train hospital administrators on risk management, and I quite liked it. But in general, I just like interpreting, especially if it’s simultaneous interpretation.

How did you get your biggest scar? I have a two-inch scar on my left breast where they had to lift a benign tumor.

Tagging whoever wants it, no seriously just steal this, because it’s kind of a lot to ask specific people.

[baguettelord]

So guys this is going to be a thing that I’m going to reblog with updates, so imma start with a basic explanation of Sydney to give y’all a bit of understanding as to why this shit is so weird. Y’all about to be edjumacated.

So I live in Sydney, Australia. Or, well, vaguely Sydney. I live about 50kms (30ish miles) WEST of the city, in a region called ‘Greater Western Sydney’. Whoever named it was a AAA+ fuckwit because there is very little about this area that people consider great.

So for an example, I’ll just show you a map of violent crimes for a 12 month period.

Of those two really big red zones, I live in the Eastern one, an area called Blacktown. (And yes, before you ask, that IS EXACTLY how it got it’s name)

West of that is Penrith and then you have the Blue Mountains region and beyond that is just farmers and kangaroos and dust.

So anyway, back to this thing. In my own little red zone, I live in the worst suburb group. It’s basically ground zero for shitty areas. It’s famous nation wide, and people from other states describe shitty areas by saying “this is the -insert my area name here- of Victoria/Queensland/whatever state.

It is THAT BAD. Fucked up shit happens here a lot. As in it is an every day occurrence and just normal. I’ve lived here my whole life so I’m a bit disconnected from how bad it is BUT ANYWAY.

I have recently ish started working in an area called Parramatta. So that’s the dark orange chunk just underneath those pale yellow ones and right next to the Blacktown area. Parramatta is a city in its own right (I define this by the size of the buildings and the fact it has non-seedy nightclubs. Also once you hit Parra, the further east you go, the less nature strip you have beside footpaths). This is an area with money but it’s still a bit shitty since it’s right next door to Blacktown. It’s basically where people go as they slowly claw their way east to escape the horror of living in GWS, OR because they have earned enough drug money to party hard and desire a bit more style than the local watering holes.

Parramatta is definitely higher class than Blacktown and a lot of the people there tend to be quite horrified by some of the things that I find rather normal.

That said, Parramatta is not entirely free from fucked up shit happening, it just isn’t as common and therefore can be rather unexpected. And this post is about sharing some of the weirdest things I have experienced, all of which from the past year have happened in Parramatta (where I have never worked prior to last year).

So here ya go with some weird stories.

SO one time I was going to work, walked through the work car park (which is really small), and something smelled REALLY BAD. This was a Monday, so bins go out the next day and I though oh man the shop next door must have a bin full of gross stuff or whatever, didn’t think much of it. Opened the front door, boss is sitting there at the desk and was like “oh shit don’t leave the door open there’s a dead sheep in the front garden”

Excuse me??

So I look back across the car park, to the small garden that separates us from the street, and sure enough there was a dead sheep.

So for any of you who happen to know much about Parramatta, that is fucking weird. People do not keep livestock in the city, it just does not happen. Y’all do not keep a sheep in ya damn penthouse flat.

Turns out this sheep had apparently been there since Saturday, but the council wouldn’t take it because it was on our property. Fair enough, I guess, but I don’t imagine how they could say that a music school could be responsible for an illegally dumped well-and-truly-dead sheep.

So the boss tells me he put an ad on gumtree (straya version of craigslist) to pay someone to come get it, and he was happy because this dude answered almost straight away and was super happy to be paid $200 (!!!!!!!wtf) to come and get this dead sheep.

So eventually the boss swaps with me, so I’m at the desk and he’s just hanging around waiting for this dude to show up to take the sheep and students start arriving and everyone’s going W.T.F IS A DEAD SHEEP DOING IN PARRAMATTA WHAT HAS THE WORLD COME TO (meanwhile me, from drug-addict-central just thinking this is not what I was expecting)

FINALLY the guy turns up on this rusty old white van, you know the kind that has a spare tyre on the front and a shitty bullbar that looks about to fall off? Yeah.

So he comes in, says hi, I’m here for ya sheep. This guy is OLD. Super tall old white guy, maybe 60 or 70 but he looked like he was made of leather. Half his teeth missing, smelled of warm VB. Just so bad, but he was fucken STOKED to be paid $200 for a rotting sheep corpse.

He goes out to the car park, and we watch in fascinated horror as he, without wearing any kind of gloves, scoops up this sheep in his ARMS and puts it on the back seat of his van. I will NEVER forget the WHATTHEFUCK look on my boss’ face.

So guy comes in, washes his hands and the boss very carefully places the money on the bench rather than risk touching this dudes hands by accident.

And then he asks a question that was absolutely unnecessary and we both immediately regretted.

“So what, are you going to take it to landfill or something??”

The fucking guy, totally serious, deadass looks straight at him and goes “WAT? why would I do that? I’m going to eat like a king, thanks the the $200” and fucking leaves with a dead rotting sheep in the back seat of his van.

What. The. Fuck.

[gaia-prime]

it could sound like a lyre too, it it wanted to

amazed at the lyrebird being real. that bird straight up looks like a lyre…

[xokona]

a month of sweet potatos

i wrote this post at the end of january, and now it’s nearly f*cking march so if i don’t post it now, i’ll never post it:

i can’t believe it’s already been over a month since 2019 began. and that it’s nearly my 28th birthday. how did i get so old? 

in 2019, i think i’m going to aim for monthly updates on this blog. i want to blog SOMEWHERE but every time i think about blogging on my wordpress, i get intimidated? i like tumblr because i don’t have to capslock (#lazy) and i can ramble to my heart’s content because i have like 5 followers :3

so here goes.

in january, i completed my first whole30. RIGHT?! i’m just as surprised as you are that i *actually* did the thing. remember that time i tried a whole30 back when i was in college and lasted 4 days? yikes. this time, it wasn’t perfect. i struggled a lot. but i did it. i’m currently in the reintro phase. i fucked up yesterday by eating almost an entire pack of oreos. but my ~whole30 brain~ rationalised it by acting like i was reintroducing oreos! because that’s all i ate! just an entire pack! of birthday cake oreos! they were from my mom, who sent me a package full of american goodies for my birthday like she always does (she didn’t know i was doing whole30 until i finished and told my sister that she felt bad for sending me so much junk and now *i* feel bad for not having told her - and so it goes). so i had been fixating on those oreos and then i ate them. at least i’m not fixated on anything else she sent. and i’ve learned a valuable lesson: don’t keep oreos in the house. ever. but i’m back on the reintro phase forreal this time. i’m eating whole30 for the next 3 days until saturday when i’ll reintroduce dairy. the foods i missed the most during the month were actually all beverages: hot chocolate and nuun. so weird!

in january, i lost 11 pounds and ended the month sitting less than a pound away from the 170s. i feel lean as heck (the lowest i’ve ever been since living down under) and love this progress!

in january, i worked a lot. like, a lot a lot (for me, for this job). coworkers are dropping like flies and i’m basically one of two employees who closes the store. which is good ($$) but bad because goddamn, my job sucks. when i work with someone i like in cafe, it makes the shift bearable. but fuuuuuck, it’s amazing how many people are absolute dickheads to us poor souls in retail/hospitality.

in january, it’s good that i worked a lot because we found out that B will probably lose his job by april. which is not ideal, considering we won’t be moving to america until the end of the year most likely (though if he does lose his job and can’t find other work, we will possibly move earlier). he probably won’t find out for sure until april but basically, his company is moving most of its’ work to the US. the first step for that is axing all of the contractors (which B still is because his company is the worstttt) and laying off some of it’s workers. fingers crossed that by some miracle he will be able to keep his job (or, in the meantime, find work for a better company).

in january, we booked a trip to a new-to-me Australian state (while my sister is visiting): Queensland! we will be flying through Brisbane (where we’ll stay a night with a high school friend who lives there) and also driving up to Noosa to stay a couple of nights there. low-key hoping that 2k19 is the year of straya travel!

in january, i also read 4 books. ran a handful of times. overshared on my health/fitness IG. and created a 19 for 2019 (& crossed off a couple things on that list - like my whole30 and organising health insurance).

fav book: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin current tv show: True Detective  fav podcast: Happier podcast (high key obsessed with all things Gretchen Rubin/happiness right now)

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, January 4

GILES: When you live on top of a... a mystical convergence it's only a matter of time before a fresh hell breaks loose. Now is the time that you should train more strictly, you should hunt and patrol more keenly, you should hone your killing day and night. BUFFY: And the little slice of life that still belongs to me from, I don't know, seven to seven-oh-five in the morning, can I do what I want then? GILES: Buffy, you think I don't know what it's like to be sixteen? BUFFY: No. I think you *don't* know what it's like to be sixteen. And a girl. And the Slayer. GILES: Fair enough, no, no, I-I don't.

~~BtVS 2x07 “Reptile Boy”~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

[Russian language] Беги, Ангел, беги! (Buffy/Angel, T) by B_E_S

12 Days of Calendilesmas: Day 11: Statement (Giles/Jenny, G) by HAL1500

A Normal Life (Buffy) (Buffy/Angel, G) by badly-knitted

[Chaptered Fiction]

Shadowed Suspicion, Chapter 356 (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure xover, T) by madimpossibledreamer

The Beastmaster and The Destroyer of Quor'Toth Hell Dimension, Chapter 1/4 (Angel/Cordelia, E) by CangelBigFan1

The Order of Chaos, Chapter 3/11 (Buffy/Faith, M) by StakeAndEggs

Indelible, Chapter 15/? (Giles/reader, M) by indeliblemelody

The Path Less Traveled:, Chapters 16-17/20 (Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya, Buffy/Spike, E) by TheLightdancer

Trials of Love, Chapter 2/? (Angel & Connor, T) by RessaSilvertongue85

Where are you?, Chapter 4/16 (Buffy/Riley, Xander/Anya, T) by RotBlau

Faith & Hope, Chapter 3/30 (Faith, Degrassi the Next Generation xover, T) by KitRokaku

Task Mistress, Chapter 2/5 (Buffy/Spike, E) by HappyWhenItRains (ChaosNina)

The Prophecy, Chapter 10/? (Buffy/Angel, E) by bookxish

The Slayer among Anubis House, Chapter 3/3 COMPLETE! (House of Anubis xover, T) by sibunify

Poetry Professor, Chapter 10/10 COMPLETE! (Buffy/Spike, E) by desicat

In The Shadows of Love and Hate, Chapter 135 (Xander/Faith, Xander/Cordelia, M) by schumacherjennifer39

Open Your Heart & Close Your Eyes, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Melme1325

Stupid Thing, Chapter 10 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Misti

Be Back Before Dawn, Chapter 22 COMPLETE! (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Blissymbolics

The joining of souls, Chapter 24 (Buffy, LotR xover, FR13) by delfine

Way Out, Chapter 5 COMPLETE! (Buffy/Spike, R) by simmony

[Images, Audio & Video]

Icons: Buffy Summers Icons - S1 (worksafe) by acinematicworld

Gifset: Lord, it’s a little old piece of heaven When we lay down at night (Buffy/Cordelia, worksafe) by theveryunlikelywonderland

Gifset: Every Tara look: S5E14 Crush (worksafe) by lovebvffys

Gifset: Favourite Buffy looks: 3.03 Faith, Hope, and Trick (worksafe) by 5bi5

Gifset: Ocean Vuong, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (Buffy/Cordelia, worksafe) by theveryunlikelywonderland

Icons: Willow Rosenberg — Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season Two (1997-1998) (worksafe) by slashericons

Artwork: Buffy Summers + Swords (worksafe) by sophsun1

Embroidery: Finished Spuffy. Soon off to their new home (worksafe) by isevery0nehereverystoned

Embroidery: Buffbroidery finished (worksafe) by isevery0nehereverystoned

Artwork: [Drawing of a Faith/Amy kiss] (worksafe) by sideartblog999

Video: buffy & angel | sidelines by lostlcve

[Reviews & Recaps]

Rewatch: I Robot You Jane Part 1 by Re-Vamped with Juliet Landau

'Reptile Boy' (2x05) | Buffy The Vampire Slayer | First time and rewatch reaction! by Up The Buff!

Phenomenal episode. Pretty much perfect. | S5 E7 “Fool for Love” by The_Fullmetal_Titan

PODCAST: ANGEL 1.4 - I Fall to Pieces by Buffy the Vampire Straya

[Recs]

Vid rec: Cordelia & Angel | Almost by haley bob recced by crackers4jenn

[Fandom Discussions]

[ask by zerofromcodegeass] Angel sparing Holtz after Holtz stole Connor proves he's the better man between them. Agree or disagree? answered by travllingbunny

One of the creepiest episodes in buffy is definitely Hush by darktragedyharmony

I do believe that Buffy got the ‘bomb’ beanie she wears near the start of Revelations as a (probably shoplifted) gift from Faith by coraniaid

btvs is so frustrating sometimes bc it often feels like the narrative is both pushing that buffy Is in charge and people need to respect her authority, while also pushing the idea that she is somehow wrong by crimeboys

It’s a crime we didn’t get seasons of Cordelia and Spike making fun of the Scooby Gang, while still helping them of course by autumnknight

Has anyone here ever listened to ghost of the robot?(james Marsters band) by oak_berry444

I just finished season 6 episode 17 "Normal Again".... what's up with that ending? by jengafat

Dawn and Connor by MDJokerQueen

During the peak of the WB, how was Buffy's ratings and pop culture status compared to the likes of Dawson's Creek and Charmed? by QuaPatetOrbis641988

Could there have been an 8th season? by QuaPatetOrbis641988

What would you give to watch Buffy for the first time again? by brnhnr

Xander pt 2 by jengafat

Thoughts on the morals of the show by SafiraAshai

Was there any intention from Whedon to make more of the relationship between Buffy and Xander? by SouthernBat8521

Five by Five by sj_vandelay

Anyone else prefer Buffy when she's not with someone? by Early_Bar01

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

PUBLICATION: The 15 Strongest Vampires in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ranked by www.cbr.com

PUBLICATION: Sink Your Teeth Into the First ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Cast-Led Deep Dive Podcast, ‘Re-Vamped’ by collider.com

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[gaia-prime]

straya saturday

[my-hand-made-tale]

Sceeeeeenes (we're starting to fall into a pattern on Saturdays) . . . . #scenes #nature #strayaadventures #straya #australia #views https://www.instagram.com/p/Bax4noaFL2XFt32f_18VZ7FeeMor6pZPE-2_nw0/?utm_medium=tumblr