OT: HFPens Community Lounge: Party like its 1999

[Zirakzigil]

Happy New Year everyone!

Except that one person, f*** you.

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Happy New Year, nubs. Hope everyone is celebrating and having fun with friends and loved ones.

新年快樂 for those in Asia already! Šťastný nový rok všem přeju!

We're having a few people over tonight. I just got done smoking 4 racks of ribs and now they're in the oven finishing cooking. All that's left to do is make the mashed potatoes and re-bake the homemade mac and cheese.

We had hot pot with a bunch of people from the Taiwanese embassy and now we are having non-alcoholic mulled wine (my glass mysteriously keeps getting bourbon added to it).

How many times do I have to tell you that doesn't work, Nubs? Plus that HAS to be bad for your lungs.

I mentioned a bit ago I was in the process of moving to DC and I've settled in pretty well. I really love the Maryland DC suburbs but I'm going to bail on living in these kind of large complexes really quickly. Living in a 50 unit a floor complex means you have to deal with the 49 other units living on your floor, which includes any of their psycho dogs that go apeshit and attack their doors anytime you try to take your dog out

But regardless, living in the DC metro area is super nice. I went on a date at the Asian Art museum and it was super nice to be able to take the metro down from Rockville to go there, plus the museum was great was well. I'll end up moving out of this complex as soon as my lease is done (probably to buy down here) but I think I'll be staying in the DC area for a long time. Or at least I hope

It's a bit of an adjustment after moving, but I think this area will have everything I want going forward. DC has a lot of museums, the area is pretty bikeable (especially if you're near a trail), the metro service is great and it's not that far off from going home or going to a couple of vacation spots. You can definitely argue it's expensive but it's a lot cheaper than Seattle was.

DC metro area is super underrated, glad you’re enjoying it Emp!

I think it's just "rated". It's great if you're single or wanting to go out and do shit all the time. The older and more tied down you get, it's just expensive with lots of traffic.

And either way, you have to deal with Caps fans ...

Honestly I haven't noticed a ton of traffic issues, at least in the Maryland part. I know it gets really bad closer to the city and in Virginia, but the Maryland area doesn't seem as bad.

I'm also right off of the red line that can take me directly into downtown DC, so I'd be planning on using the Metro anytime I need to get down there.

After one of my harder years, 2025 is shaping up to make up for it.

No travel in 2024 is opening up to what looks like 4 cruises this year, for now at least. I've only done one before (repositioning from Vancouver to Yokohama in 2019). I'm taking my dad on his first cruise (Mexican Riviera) in a couple weeks, am doing a bit of a reversal of my first one (repositioning from Yokohama to Los Angeles) in May, likely taking my Finnish friend on the f***ing Catalina Wine Mixer (well, the Royal Caribbean equivalent), and then ending with what will likely be one of my most interesting travel experiences - a Virgin Voyages southern Caribbean one in a closet-sized solo cabin before Christmas.

For an introverted autoimmune solo traveler who hates crowds, most people, the sun, & water; cruising just seems like a natural fit.

I can feel the panic attack coming from 11.5 months away

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[LOGiK]

@Randy Butternubs For years and years I've considered watching Attack on Titan but haven't. Maybe I will after DDD.

Its good but the addiction style way they release plot is maddening.
I enjoyed it but man... after awhile I lost patience and just wanted to see the ending.

@HandshakeLine Tokyo Godfathers is definitely great.

Went on a ghibli and anime film kick for a good long while and haven't checked out whats new within the past 2 or so years... usually we watch a certified preem film from years back that isn't a gamble... so its time to check whats new-ish from semi-recent.


add:
Just got Slay the Princess-The pristine cut... looks pretty solid.

add add:
Watching through King of the Hill.... definitely not my taste on its initial run but sure is now. What a classic....
Peggy gets me every time.

add add add:
hah! I'll never get out of here at this point....
ALSO... finished another discworld piece, 5 down, 39 or so to go.
Also started on 'the idiot'. I sure do love me some Dostoyevsky and it hits hard after a discworld =P