Little things that cheer you up.

[shade]

I'll make this the 'little things you do to cheer other people up' thread today.. (that might in return cheer you up, too).

So, I baked yesterday and brought my team two trays of German style strawberry sponge cake, cause:
a) they've all been busting their asses these past months, still homeschooling kids while working full time, delivering, standing up for each other, meeting ridiculous deadlines, and just deserve a sweet treat
b) it's strawberry season here and how can you not like strawberries?

[ickyvicky]

Looks delicious!

[Erneuert]

I want to eat my screen.

[eachpassingphase]

It’s so pretty! I want to eat that now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MrLobster]

b) it's strawberry season here and how can you not like strawberries?

Looks great! ... and now I have the sudden urge to make strawberry flan... (usually I make a mandarin orange one)

[shade]

Yum, looks good too!
Thanks for the comments. I'd send you all a piece if you weren't scattered around the globe..
This one's with a vanilla custard, hard to see on the pics. Guess that's the German/Austrian thing. Anyways, it was gone in no time and while I'm not that fond of cooking (not that I don't like it, just not worth it most weekday nights for 1-2 people), I think I like baking. At least people always tell me I have to again, haha.

[Erneuert]

I hate wasps.

[MrLobster]

This one's with a vanilla custard, hard to see on the pics. Guess that's the German/Austrian thing. Anyways, it was gone in no time and while I'm not that fond of cooking (not that I don't like it, just not worth it most weekday nights for 1-2 people), I think I like baking. At least people always tell me I have to again, haha.

Nice!

No custard for mine, just the cake and the fruit and glaze.

Yeah, I made the strawberry version. The cake turned out a bit more dense than I would have preferred but still tastes nice.

[Erneuert]

Whoa.

[shade]

It's Friday and sushi night. Does that count for little things that cheer me up?
I'm in desperate need of vacation after spending all afternoon explaining people how to do their job

[allegro]

[Erneuert]

@allegate watch this.






and this.

[shade]

I did something weird today.
A colleague keeps pestering me to join her for outdoor yoga.... so I went for outdoor yoga at 9 am on a Sunday (as if that is not weird enough).
I am really not into this relaxation/chakra stuff. My philosophy evolves more around the principle that a workout has not been a good workout unless I'm sore or bruised or preferably both the next day.
But I noticed while my mind is always pushing me towards excessive exercise, my body was quite happy with simple stretching, and apparently really needs it.

I just can't relax and switch off my brain in these relaxation sequences. Everyone is all "omm" and meanwhile I have either blast beats or Billy Idol's Dancing With Myself (wtf?) playing in my head while there are a million different thoughts racing through my mind. I guess I'm only truly relaxed when unconscious. Knock me out or let me sleep. In that regard, good night, ETS.

[Magnetic]

I just can't relax and switch off my brain in these relaxation sequences. Everyone is all "omm" and meanwhile I have either blast beats or Billy Idol's Dancing With Myself (wtf?) playing in my head while there are a million different thoughts racing through my mind. I guess I'm only truly relaxed when unconscious. Knock me out or let me sleep. In that regard, good night, ETS.

Here's a secret: not everyone is all calm and still either! I'm not big on the omm chanting, but I guess some would use it to focus.
Half the time in savasana I'm thinking about random things. If I'm more focused, I might count while breathing in/ out. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I do get my brain emptied out, but that's usually after a vinyasa style flow and I'm just tired. It sounds like the class you attended was slower/ Hatha focused.

[Erneuert]

This is about the 967,998th time I’ve watched this scene and still laugh after each viewing.

[shade]

Here's a secret: not everyone is all calm and still either! I'm not big on the omm chanting, but I guess some would use it to focus.
Half the time in savasana I'm thinking about random things. If I'm more focused, I might count while breathing in/ out. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I do get my brain emptied out, but that's usually after a vinyasa style flow and I'm just tired. It sounds like the class you attended was slower/ Hatha focused.

Yeah, it was Hatha.
Just making fun of it with the "om" part, people just lie around during that last sequence. I'm not big on yoga terminology.
Vinyasa was the more "challenging" version, where you move a bit more and need more flexibility / strength to hold the poses? I think I did something like that once. Maybe that's more for me.. Idk. But in general it's giving me too much time to still think and I'm not powered out enough afterwards to get rid of thoughts. Cancel the noise in my head.
So I went for my evening forest run and that did the job. Saw a couple walking their dog and the guy was wearing a black shirt with white print that would translate to "house husband"...Is this some new subtle art of dominance/submission that I'm unaware of?

[Magnetic]

Yeah, it was Hatha.
Just making fun of it with the "om" part, people just lie around during that last sequence. I'm not big on yoga terminology.
Vinyasa was the more "challenging" version, where you move a bit more and need more flexibility / strength to hold the poses? I think I did something like that once. Maybe that's more for me.. Idk. But in general it's giving me too much time to still think and I'm not powered out enough afterwards to get rid of thoughts. Cancel the noise in my head.
So I went for my evening forest run and that did the job. Saw a couple walking their dog and the guy was wearing a black shirt with white print that would translate to "house husband"...Is this some new subtle art of dominance/submission that I'm unaware of?

I think Hatha is really good for learning proper alignment in the asanas (poses)**. Savasana is a part of every practice for a reason - it's supposed to be a complete practice with a warm up, and a time to rest and allow the body to take in what you've experienced. If it wasn't challenging, or you didn't go internally too deep, then yah, savasana is gonna seem pointless. And that's ok! I do it. But there are days when I'm really in the flow, and savasana is the perfect ending.

For the first two months, if I was doing lot of hip opening asanas, I would likely be crying at the end - hip opening poses can release some emotional stuff if you're not actively dealing with things. I'm now at the level that a friend called "hip opening sorcery" where sleeping pigeon pose is easy as hell, and I'm working toward compass pose. These things were a pipe dream in January.

**If you throw yourself into vinyasa or ashtanga with no understanding of how the alignment should be, you're in for trouble - shoulder, knee, hip injuries. While on the surface it looks like "stretching" there's a ton more to it - I've built some serious upper body strength and flexibility around my yoga practice for the last 5 months.

As for "house husband" t shirts? I have no fucking clue. Is that something local in Europe?

[Endlessly]

Saw a couple walking their dog and the guy was wearing a black shirt with white print that would translate to "house husband"...Is this some new subtle art of dominance/submission that I'm unaware of?

(but honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if it were a Way Of The House Husband joke, lol)

[Erneuert]

Old but gold.

[shade]

Unfortunately, it is going to be hot here. I really hate everything past 22 degrees Celsius...or like 70-75 Fahrenheit.
Americans be like: "it's 100 degrees outside!!!" "yeah? How come you're not boiling yet?"

[Haysey_Draws]

Bit of a life update, lots of little things that are building to something good.

The last 18months for me have been great for me. The virus has been awful for a lot of people, and isolation even worse, but it has been amazing for the socially awkward person that i am and working from home has been great. I've been eating so much healthier these 18months getting fresh produce on a morning run i now have time to do as i'm not commuting. I exercise on my lunch break and have lost a fair bit of weight. I'm getting MORE work done and i'm on top of everything (i'm the sole person raising invoices for the company and credit control for the bigger clients, and we have zero aged debt and invoices raised and paid closer to completion of works then ever!) i'm not getting sick anymore with random colds or flus (not a single sick day in 18months!) and the company is actually doing quite well thanks to doing works for a very big company you ALL are aware of and probably using, so much so i've had 2 bonuses in this 18months...and my work is (unofficially just yet, this is just what my line manager is saying) happy for me to continue working from home almost full time (some weeks i might need to be in 1 or 2 days, others not in at all) and this leads into the other big thing...my art.

I've been drawing off and on again for years, but life always seemed to get in the way (be it family stuff, work, depression spells etc) i was never able to keep at it. Since working from home though i've been able to focus a few hours every day to doing it, and the constant grind is starting to get rewarded. I have a small following now on my socials, regular people interacting with my art (this has NEVER happened before) some drawings now hit the 1000's in likes and reposts...i even have people asking when i'll start doing commissions (which will be soon!) so i took my bonus and invested in a ipad and ipen to start taking this seriously. For the first time in my 37 years i actually have a focus on what i want to do...draw. I might even one day be able to maybe do this for a living if i keep at it, if not have a hobby that brings me as much joy as the people liking it.

The last 18months have been shit for many, and i wish it didn't happen for the sake of so many lives it has ruined, but i'm at least thankful it has given me something positive and given me something to aim for.

[allegate]

I cannot stop laughing at poor Brad.

[Magnetic]

LOL. Back up Brad!

In other news, my cold, dead heart warmed a bit today.
I had to return the first TV that UPS busted on delivery to Bestbuy today, because ya know - defeats the whole purpose of NOT going into the store, right? Thankfully it fit into my car after some Tetris, and I got to the store right as it opened. I pretty much just dragged the damn thing from my car to the entrance, as it weighs almost a third of my weight, and it's long and awkward. I figured it was broke already, and I was over it.

As the store opened up, a man quietly asked if I would like some help. He said it looked like I had things ok, but wanted to offer. And that was really cool, I thought: not assuming I couldn't handle it, but honestly the help was welcome.

[eachpassingphase]

I collected over a half a million dollars in past due invoices between 8 and 5pm today. I've got one of my managers driving from San Antonio to Dallas just to drop off a check at the bank before the financial quarter ends in like 24 hours.

I don't think I could do third party collections and harass poor people for credit card and medical bills. But corporate in-house collections where I get to bully Fortune 500 companies into paying their bills? That shit is a blast.

Seriously, it's very satisfying. This job makes you realize just how different the rules are for rich people and wealthy companies. If my $60 water bill was 30 days late, they would just cut off my service and I wouldn't have clean drinking water. But if Walmart (not my account, just an example) felt like not paying their bills for a year, they could. And they often don't! These companies have thousands of people on their payroll for the sole purpose of getting their company out of spending a dime they don't have to, and waiting as long as they can to pay anything.

So it brings me a bit of joy to slap liens on all their shit and force them to play by the rules. It does, in fact, cheer me up.

[Magnetic]

I collected over a half a million dollars in past due invoices between 8 and 5pm today. I've got one of my managers driving from San Antonio to Dallas just to drop off a check at the bank before the financial quarter ends in like 24 hours.

I don't think I could do third party collections and harass poor people for credit card and medical bills. But corporate in-house collections where I get to bully Fortune 500 companies into paying their bills? That shit is a blast.

That is awesome! My dad worked for the IRS in international corp taxes - he always enjoyed finding where people were hiding/ evading taxes.

[Erneuert]

I collected over a half a million dollars in past due invoices between 8 and 5pm today. I've got one of my managers driving from San Antonio to Dallas just to drop off a check at the bank before the financial quarter ends in like 24 hours.

I don't think I could do third party collections and harass poor people for credit card and medical bills. But corporate in-house collections where I get to bully Fortune 500 companies into paying their bills? That shit is a blast.

Seriously, it's very satisfying. This job makes you realize just how different the rules are for rich people and wealthy companies. If my $60 water bill was 30 days late, they would just cut off my service and I wouldn't have clean drinking water. But if Walmart (not my account, just an example) felt like not paying their bills for a year, they could. And they often don't! These companies have thousands of people on their payroll for the sole purpose of getting their company out of spending a dime they don't have to, and waiting as long as they can to pay anything.

So it brings me a bit of joy to slap liens on all their shit and force them to play by the rules. It does, in fact, cheer me up.

I want to work with you.

[fillow]

I want to work with you.

If you just snitch on your boss, will that count?

[Erneuert]

Good question!

[allegate]

I collected over a half a million dollars in past due invoices between 8 and 5pm today. I've got one of my managers driving from San Antonio to Dallas just to drop off a check at the bank before the financial quarter ends in like 24 hours.

I don't think I could do third party collections and harass poor people for credit card and medical bills. But corporate in-house collections where I get to bully Fortune 500 companies into paying their bills? That shit is a blast.

Seriously, it's very satisfying. This job makes you realize just how different the rules are for rich people and wealthy companies. If my $60 water bill was 30 days late, they would just cut off my service and I wouldn't have clean drinking water. But if Walmart (not my account, just an example) felt like not paying their bills for a year, they could. And they often don't! These companies have thousands of people on their payroll for the sole purpose of getting their company out of spending a dime they don't have to, and waiting as long as they can to pay anything.

So it brings me a bit of joy to slap liens on all their shit and force them to play by the rules. It does, in fact, cheer me up.

isn't it weird how expensive it is to not spend money? if they just fucking paid the money like they're supposed to - bills, taxes, etc. - then the world might just be a little bit better instead of relying on the poor to support everything.

[shade]

What the IRS collects is a joke compared to the German government.
I just got my vacation bonus. They took 50% of it. FIVE. ZERO.
Only way into a lower tax class is marriage and/or children, and neither option is appealing to me.