ADs deflower male cucumbers for the Greater Good. All phallic aubergines welcome .

[BogRollBOGOF]

Because bitter male cucumbers don't bring joy, but phallic aubergines can raise an irreverent smile.

AD chat continues about life, the universe and everything. We know the answer is 42 but what is the question?
6x7?
How many roads must a man walk down?
How many unsadly reincarnations have PHE put into the database?

@yoikes

Well, I just thought "feck it" last week and I booked a week in Northumberland at October half term ☺

Our summer (UK) holiday was cancelled and I've really felt it 😢 it's only a week away but I look forward to it all year.

It's my only break from life/work/family stresses.

I need to be somewhere else that isn't here

I've suggested some time away in October to DH. Normally we spend half a week with his family, but MiL is quite elderly and neither the ferry nor a plane would be ideal before seeing her (plus I'd struggle with masks anyway). Despite my optomism for next summer, I think it will be a tedious autumn/ winter so shortening it with a change of scenery will help.

It's a funny sort of break this week. The change of scenery is definitely good. The weather has been pretty kind which makes a massive difference when indoor attractions have been made completely unattractive and aren't spontaneous anyway. But it's not the same set of four walls as home. DH is really present and not there-not-there WFH. We've had simple fun seeing the local scenery (reliving my A-level geography field trip), crabbing and flocking to notorious beaches to dig away. Plus I have had a break from relentless cooking and guilt about not doing housework

@yoikes

Well, I just thought "feck it" last week and I booked a week in Northumberland at October half term ☺

Our summer (UK) holiday was cancelled and I've really felt it 😢 it's only a week away but I look forward to it all year.

It's my only break from life/work/family stresses.

I need to be somewhere else that isn't here

Northumberland is gorgeous but so cold! Pack what you think you need then add your warmest coat and three more jumpers. And a scarf. And a woolly hat.

Some of my shameless optomism has paid off... I was getting hopeful that running races might resume in the autmn...

One that was postponed from May to September has the green light. I hadn't signed up by the point that the world stopped, but I am now. I now have a higher purpose beyond keeping children's bellies serviced

We've been to Northumberland a couple of times in the summer months but are staying in a town this time not at the beach.
I'm planning on taking ALL the jumpers :)

Oh, the constant feeding!!
It's so time consuming keeping little ones alive isn't it? :)
Then all of a sudden they are taller than you and spend most of their time with their head in the fridge 😬

Mine are working on the getting taller. My 9yo is shoulder height and the 7yo not far behind. But I'm short, so I'm not much of a challenge. DH is 6ft, but I think he was a late spouter. They're all of the ravenous beanpole type... well DH was... 30 was far too long ago now and time has avenged him

I will admit to keeping the house well stocked with stuff for the darlings to graze on just to guarantee 5 minutes peace. Come September, I'll have more headspace for healthier eating. I hope!

My two are head and shoulders taller than me and 15yr old is taller than everyone! He got back from his dad's today, made himself tea then had McDs when i got home at 8 and is a skinnymalink with some muscle!

Ive just been reading the thread where the GM police broke up a childs birthday party.

How do you deflower a male cuke? do make files have flowers or is it the lady files that have them?

I am not sure. This cucumber is our first ever home grown one. We left the yellow flower on it and it tasted wonderful. I feel a bit proud to have grown actual food tbh.

Also, anyone else like the film Strictly Ballroom? Vivir con miedo es como vivir a medias

I've decided to give the rest of MN a break for a while. Getting the rage too much.

Thanks for the congrats everyone.

@ProfessorRadcliffeEmerson apparently I start in a matter of weeks. Someone from the uni will be in touch this week to go through the enrolment. Its just all such a huge shock atm.

@TrustTheGeneGenie book it! I feel the whole quarantine issue will be over by next summer. If not there is plenty of time to move it around. Invoking my old mum again "no one ever lay on their death bed wishing they'd gone on less holidays"

@HelenaDove Yes, I've been reading that thread too, but I came away as it was making me so annoyed.
I have recently been reading about the behaviour of native French when France were occupied by the Nazis and the Vichy government was in charge. The eagerness of some French people to dob neighbours in for seemingly minor infractions (including 'looking a bit jewish') rings a bell of familiarity. These people who were reported usually ended up murdered, but I expect those who reported them felt justified and gave themselves a pleasant shiver of self righteousness. This time last year I would have found this type of behaviour incomprehensible, and blamed it on the terrible circumstances the population found themselves in. Now I am not so sure.

My kids have had far too much screen time - just to make life manageable for us all. Mum detoxed them a fair bit when they were at hers and I'm hoping things reoopening will mean it naturally slips into balance.

Mind you I've spent the three weeks they've been away playing video games as well so I can't talk. I needed the distraction to get lost in something.

@BogRollBOGOF and @TrustTheGeneGenie thanks. Optimism needed in spades at the moment hence the need too book our Greece holiday when I get 5 mins and stop reading MN in bed

PS congratulations on the new job @LivinLaVidaLoki!

I'm just reading that thread now @helenadove
"Its a matter of national security"
Fucking clowns 🤡

Seriously though, I do wonder if society will ever be the same again. We have been divided so much. Do these people who have been so vile, abusing people for going out, abusing people for not wearing masks, screaming and sneering at "murderers", deriding anyone sending their kids to school as irresponsible, calling the police and relishing the police being called. Do they honestly think once this is over, people will forget this behaviour?

At the risk of sounding like a dementor, I worry our society is becoming too divisive, too broken, to ever really be fixed.

@LivinLaVidaLoki I'm seething at that thread.

This time last year I would have found this type of behaviour incomprehensible, and blamed it on the terrible circumstances the population found themselves in. Now I am not so sure.

I'm a pessimist at heart, I admit. But my view has always been that human beings are, when you get right down to it, very nasty, cruel creatures. We are capable of despicable things, and we prove it over and over and over in every culture we come up with. Current humans are no different from the ones who lived 80 years ago in WW2 or the ones who lived 800 years ago during the medieval crusades. We are naturally inclined to be selfish, to be othering, and the ease with which we can be persuaded to harm, even kill, another human is frightening. (And the ingenuity with which we invent new and exciting ways to do so is disgusting.)

The Milgram experiments proved this while trying to find an explanation for how the German people went along so easily with mass murder. The accepted thinking at the time was "well the Germans must be different". They aren't. All we need is the slightest excuse and that side of our nature comes out. Right now we have an excuse to rat on our neighbours, to blame others for the problems in society, to split people into good and bad (mask wearers, non mask wearers; social distancers, space invaders; stay at home-ers, flockers) and the results are entirely predictable.

As I said, natural pessimist. But I find it hard to look at human history and say "what a great bunch!".

I don't get "political" on social media and stick to nice countryside photos from runs and my slummy mummy life. Fortunately most people I know are fairly sensible. Some get hidden from time to time, but they seem to have calmed down since their last snooze wore off.

Twitter seems to have a toxic effect on society and have far too much influence for its own good. Hopefully there will come a point where its polarising effect devalues its influence and it will be taken as seriously at the DM comments, and politics will move more centre ground again. Politics with a small p, not just party political stuff.

MN always has been more risk adverse than average. More confident, sociable people are out living life not cowering in fear behind their keyboards overthinking everything. Not that all MMers are by any means, but there is a much more vocal core inclined that way who are terrified of toilet brushes, shoes in the house, children camping in gardens and keeping children ERF until their 17th birthdays until they can drive themselves

So apparently it’s safe to go into offices and pregnant women aren’t on the shielding list.

Yet my work knows I’m pregnant and the risk assessment says I need to stay WFH.

🤷🏻‍♀️

Reedwarbler, when I went to Auschwitz there was a Jewish guy on our tour, no Hebrew-language one being available. As we reached the end and learned the horror of what humans could do to their fellow humans, he said quietly to me 'These people didn't drop down from space'.

@LivinLaVidaLoki

I'm just reading that thread now *@helenadove* "Its a matter of national security" Fucking clowns 🤡

Seriously though, I do wonder if society will ever be the same again. We have been divided so much. Do these people who have been so vile, abusing people for going out, abusing people for not wearing masks, screaming and sneering at "murderers", deriding anyone sending their kids to school as irresponsible, calling the police and relishing the police being called. Do they honestly think once this is over, people will forget this behaviour?

At the risk of sounding like a dementor, I worry our society is becoming too divisive, too broken, to ever really be fixed.

I sort of hope people don’t forget this sort of thing. Things like Derbyshire police following solitary walkers using drones, that police officer who said that the police would be checking people’s shopping for “non essentials” (what the hell for?!?), taping up park benches, shrieking “Stay the fuck at home!!!!!” all over social media.

My Facebook isn't actually too bad at the moment. My current Facebook highlight as a 50-something couple I know vaguely through a shared hobby - the DH is obviously quite AD and constantly posting pics of naice meals out with comments about "supporting the local economy" on his feed, while his DW is simultaneously dementoring about second waves over on hers. I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall in their house . I always preferred the DH I must admit....

I have a terrible hangover today. Some lovely friends are staying with us for a few days.