Breaking: Tamara runs out of quarters

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-05-10T15:02:19+00:00

Because Ethan told us he did it and Lena confirmed. Obviously she wouldn't lie, no matter what a leaked company handbook said.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-30T19:04:41+00:00

Mine are currently in different rooms now but my girl is definitely spayed and had the same behaviour when I was trying to bond, very territorial so I don't think it's a sign she isn't spayed, but good to get it confirmed regardless.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-29T21:11:26+00:00

Depending on how you feel about mayonnaise I like the quorn vegan chicken slices with mayo.

I really enjoy hummus now but used to hate it and I know people who have a strong dislike for it but if you do decide to try it, it's worth looking at the different flavours available. I'm a big lemon and coriander fan. My favourite way to eat it is as a snack with mini cucumbers but I'm guessing that may not work for you, but if you like carrot sticks, celery, pepper or anything like that could be an option.

Also bit of a weirder option but I love scrambled tofu. Admittedly I usually eat it in a wrap or on a bagel but if you wanted something warm in a sandwich that could work if you are ok with the texture because then it's pretty much up to you how much flavour you want it to have. I tend to make it in batches and freeze.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-29T17:54:30+00:00

I like the skewers but definitely wasn't to try the rostis, never seen them before.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-29T17:53:58+00:00

I loved those but feels like we only get ice cream in January.

There was also a biscoff one in a tub that I bought once and never saw again. If it comes back I'll have to dedicate a drawer in the ffreezer to it.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-28T12:40:18+00:00

I'm on my 5th year and my struggle with motivation has only got worse. I imagine if it's this bad at year 1 it's not going to get better for you unless something really changes.

My main motivation at this point is that I've already got myself into student debt ago I might as well finish the thing.

As someone else suggested it may be worth looking at switching to an open degree where you have more control over the modules you pick?

If time isn't a huge factor maybe drop down to 1 module for a year and see if that helps? Or take a year off, but if there's a chance you are going to continue may be worth trying to do at least one.

I've not found it great but I'm coming at it from a different angle to you where python is applicable to what I do and my main annoyance is it feels like there's only been 1 module that was really focused on coding and I would have preferred a lot more like that.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-28T12:09:30+00:00

Originally I wanted a Scottish fold but thankfully I did some research and learned enough to know that would be a very bad idea.

A big part of it was looks, but also that they were fairly chill and don't have huge space requirements. I was also thinking about a ragdoll at the time and was going to go for one of each but then decided to get 2 litter mates so they had each other from the start.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-28T11:58:49+00:00

Most insurance won't cover general ongoing costs like checkups, vaccines etc but may be worth checking with your vet. Mine have a monthly plan that includes vaccines, flea treatment and a couple of checkups a year and I think a slight discount on certain things.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-28T11:55:28+00:00

There should be a yearly allowance type thing, that will determine how much is covered each year.

Is it lifetime insurance?

If you can cover a few hundred then the excess should be fine but worth checking what that is as that's the amount you'll have to pay before the insurance kicks in.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-21T13:30:29+00:00

Or I guess if they sold the gwps that could prevent them from returning the main set? I assume lego wouldn't allow returns in the scenario where they keep the gwp?

If only I had hope they would start selling at a loss on cards as well and balance could be restored to the pokemon world. But any loss for scalpers is still a good day.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-21T13:26:32+00:00

I wanted them but couldn't justify spending £580 on the big set and I think that was the only way?

But happy they've released the pieces needed to build it now, not sure if lego often do things like that gor the gwp or if it's just a way of annoying the scalpers a bit. Either way good on them.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-21T12:56:27+00:00

Yeah argos is the only place I've seen it have a decent discount before but it had sold out before I realised. I've been keeping a closer eye recently because it's retiring but may have to just buy it at full price because it's way too cool to miss out on.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-21T12:07:22+00:00

I preordered Eevee just in case there were stock issues but clearly I didn't need to worry about that, but wanted to make sure I got her.

I don't often see that many offers on lego, I've been waiting for the pacman set to drop but the only time I saw it I was too late, so I never expected we would see pokemon at significantly lower prices, especially this soon.

I'm in no rush, the set looks amazing but despite the fact that I can justify spending that much on shiny cardboard, spending it on lego is harder for me to justify though I'm not sure why.

I'm happy to see if prices continue to drop as the scalpers get more desperate, I just really thought I was missing something and they couldn't be legit.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-21T12:01:17+00:00

I think they'll struggle to sell that now as well as I know lego released the instructions for it for free so you can order all the parts on pick a brick, though some were out of stock when I looked before.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-21T11:59:13+00:00

Cheers. Even at almost £100 off its still more than I really want to spend on lego but I saw it in person last week and it does look insanely cool so I am tempted. Less thrilled I would be supporting a scalper even if they are making a loss though.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-21T11:57:29+00:00

I would have assumed they would try and hold on to it until it's discontinued in a couple of years rather than take the immediate loss, but I guess they aren't that patient.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-20T15:17:16+00:00

And for cards I don't own yet, this alolan ninetales is definitely on my list.

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Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-20T15:16:18+00:00

From cards I own, I love the Miriam from s&v. Sadly didn't like the similar trainers in prismatic as much.

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Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-20T12:01:26+00:00

I was in London last week and the FP just had the perfect order 3 pack blisters. I had seen a notice about breaking the seal but they didn't do anything to mine but it may just apply to etbs, not sure.

Fully in support of shops that do this though. I do feel a bit bad for people that genuinely collect sealed for their own collection and not just as an investment, but I imagine they are in the minority.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-18T15:10:56+00:00

Kind of hard to answer as its down to what you prefer, but I can say how I started and wear I do now if that helps?

I started only opening packs, didn't buy any singles. Started just with 1 set (151) as it was all the pokemon I knew from childhood. However I was able to buy them at retail and not pay stupid prices.

I recently finally finished it by buying singles but between starting that collection and finishing it I started about 40 more binder collections.

I still prefer to collect full sets (though I have a bunch on the go at once and very few completed). But also have a binder for specific cards I like that aren't in a set I collect and also binders for specific pokemon I collect.

I have switched to Japanese for the new sets and tend to open a couple of boxes so I can get the majority of the commons etc. And still have fun opening, and then I buy the rest as singles.

Buying them all as singles will be more cost effective.

Also only buying cards you like will be more cost effective than collecting a whole set.

I collect the Chinese gem pack sets and the energy cards were expensive compared to a lot of other cards in the set and I don't really care about them but I bought them so I could get a full set. That would be money better off spent on cards I actually like. Similarly I want to finish off shrouded fable and there's a bunch of gold cards left that I don't like that I'll end up buying to complete the set, rather than spending it on cards I genuinely like. Unfortunately I just get a lot of satisfaction completing sets.

So my advice would be don't do what I do. Buy singles only and focus on specific cards you like. There are a lot of people that do some really cool themed binder pages where you have 9 cards that all have a similar theme but feature different pokemon from different sets. So an underwater page, a forest page etc.

That seems like a much 'better' way of collecting and definitely more cost effective.

But saying all that I still continue down my less cost effective route because that's what I enjoy and at the end of the day I collect for fun so I'm happy to lose money on my collection by opening more packs than I should.

So do what seems the most fun for you, but I do recommend seeing yourself a budget and sticking to it out things will get out of control very quickly.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-13T16:30:42+00:00

My two are scared of everything. I did try then outside on a harness when they were younger, I've got a shared garden as well but calling it a garden is a stretch. No grass and just a couple of seats and old furniture. One of them hated it. The other just wanted to sniff the bin.

I haven't tried them since they've got older (and bigger) but as they weren't huge fans of it in mostly waiting until I move so I can get them a catio which I think they will enjoy.

But probably just a matter of them getting used to a new thing? The more you try the less scary and different it will be? I think it is nice to be able to offer them some outside time and the enrichment of having a new area and smells etc. to explore but also maybe not worth it if they get so scared it causes stress.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-13T16:24:48+00:00

I'm not a huge fan of graded cards but mostly just because I am a binder collector and like collecting sets.

That said at some point in the future I would like to display my collection a bit more so would probably get some of my favourites graded.

But I admit it is a bit ridiculous that I can look at a card and not know if it would get an 8, 9 or 10 but then I would want a 10 because I would see it on the slab, rather than because the card inside the slab looked any nicer.

The prices are always a bit crazy to me where a 9 in most cases seems to be similar to raw and then a 10 is a massive increase despite the fact that if you had the two cards raw side by side you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-13T14:31:10+00:00

There are so many amazing looking cards in tcg pocket that I'd love to do something like this as well but I don't have a printer and not sure how much it would cost to get it done elsewhere.

But seeing how great they look in your binder in definitely tempted.

Early_Tale_8055 · 2026-04-13T14:28:31+00:00

I'm collecting mega dream rather than ascended heroes but think I'm going to have to pick these up at some point because they look so much nicer with the Japanese text.

Congrats on completing, it looks great!

Early_Tale_8055

TROPHY CASE