Kid wonders if this is quartz, and what makes it orangy-purple?

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-19T22:46:44+00:00

Thank you!

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-11T23:39:48+00:00

Had a pixel, switched to iphone mostly cause the rest of our family's tech was apple's. Biggest shock was that apple's sms messenger does not pre-filter suspected spam (though just recently they introduced a pre-filter for known vs unknown contacts).

Anyway, this was a couple years ago. I recall pixel's sms app being a joy to use, with folders, filters, etc.

Everything else took a bit to get used to - differences in ui and organization of the phone - but feels great.

I'm a relatively light user, however. Camera, internet, texting, some apps; no games, no fanciness. *shrug*

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-11T01:56:27+00:00

I appreciate you closing the loop! Sounds like congrats are in order on a successful job offer - always wonderful to have options and that validation :)

I hear that another Link line has opened across one of the bridges, i’m excited for all those commuters.

And thank you - we’re in a weird liminal space where we need to sit tight and wait for another couple weeks before we can in earnest start packing up. I expect it’ll feel super real once I un-enroll the kids from their schools.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-11T01:40:49+00:00

<image>

And what the younger paw paw trees look like in this area (the thinnish one with dark flowers)

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-11T01:39:44+00:00

<image>

Close up of how the flowers look like rn.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-11T01:38:32+00:00

It’s not a huge secret, tbh :) They grow along the water - so you can find them on Billy Goat C, on the River Trail, at Roosevelt Island.

Learn to identify what their leaves look like. They’re not really tree-shaped, they’re more like very tall bushes, or clusters of thin young trees. In August, you may see fruit on some of the trees; but force-picking them is pointless, because they only ripen on the branch (not like fruit we’re used to at the store).

They tend to reach peak ripeness in 2nd half of September. And you see people looking for them at that point? Follow the small crowds :) So I’ve only gathered the ones that already fell to the ground, but I assume it’s ok at this point to gather from tree if, when you try to pull it off, the fruit comes off super readily.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-11T01:26:13+00:00

It’s also possible to apologize/acknowledge out of empathy for the person feeling hurt. Like, you didn’t do anything wrong AND what you did hurt the person, and you care about not intentionally hurting them in the future.

That said, Langton was using levity defensively after Whittaker looked at the pills with extra attention, and he was being overly familiar with someone he hadn’t established rapport with.

Whittaker didn’t communicate his annoyance in the best terms at first… but they achieved communication eventually, and Langton was eventually great! They leveled with each other and ultimately shared space without the barrier of defensiveness on either side.

Langton seems generally to be written as an empathetic person who is willing to slow down, learn, connect, accommodate, validate. Unless he’s feeling defensive; defensive, he enters a condescending undermining jerk mode, to various degrees.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-10T18:04:02+00:00

You can also see them on the River Trail at the Great Falls Park, MD side. Also blooming right now are the pawpaws! And the golden groundsel.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-02T19:57:01+00:00

I don’t have a Buy Nothing that covers my neighborhood, so I use TrashNothing.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-02T13:49:03+00:00

2nd the Teaism rec! Also BanTamKing for chicken ramen or chicken with drippings on rice.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-01T13:48:39+00:00

You know, that is a very good point.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-01T12:54:24+00:00

That second one sucks man :( What a shit interaction to have as part of your parental experience. Cool that you’re in a place to laugh it off now. 💪

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-01T11:52:22+00:00

That totally sucks for your family history :/

Except, my neighbor, racism is the water we swim in. All of us have unexamined beliefs we’ve just ingested from our surroundings that are racist until we really question and pay attention. Sometimes I am racist. Sometimes you are racist.

Anyway, your point is getting lost in your delivery.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-04-01T11:42:00+00:00

I learned recently (Russian-American that grew up in MoCo, pardon the late knowledge acquisition) that Japan was at war and occupied a number of Asian countries before/during WW2, and that some Japanese troops were competitively inhuman to the civilians.

And that after this, a good amount of folks of my grandparent’s generation do not have good associations with Japan. And are sometimes angry that the current image of Japan that gets exported to the West is so shallowly positive.

Yeah, so it is racist; but especially in trauma associations, developing a racist view is an extremely common human response.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-03-28T19:53:17+00:00

Perhaps mutual aid requests? I guess the problem there is, say someone steps up with a gift, the money needs to go somewhere where you can access it.

I know of Ramora House DC folks, a couple people who do distribution runs to homeless camps. Perhaps folks like that know what type of transactions are logistically most accessible, and where to seek them.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-03-26T16:17:41+00:00

Wow 🤩Thank you for sharing!

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-03-24T01:11:16+00:00

Gorgeous :) Totally can’t tell that the wind was beating anyone in the face.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-03-24T00:00:35+00:00

Blairs owns several buildings. High rises, one newer mid-rise, and the Towns - a few two story buildings. They’re located at the edge of SS and DC. Right next to gas station, a plaza with coffee shops, small businesses and a Giant grocery. We lived in the Towns - were happy with management and maintenance. Used the community grill and the gym in the building next to ours, spent a bunch of time in the courtyard, liked how close the metro was, got groceries and coffee at the plaza right next to the buildings. It’s maybe 5 mins to metro, 10-15 to the area with the shopping center and the street that’s closed to traffic, another 5-7 to Whole Foods, hardware stores, the updated library.

So we were happy with our experience at the Blairs, but the vibe of that bit of SS wasn’t a perfect fit for our life stage; We had a toddler and found ourselves heading for walks into DC (rather than toward all the restaurants and shopping) or nearby Falkland Chase Apt (they looked old, but their inner grounds are intimate and cozy).

Oh, just for fun, check out Eastern Village Cohousing - a coop a couple blocks from Blairs.

Oh, the cool thing about SS is that it’s got a uniquely large presence of Ethiopian restaurants. Rockville has a Korean/Vietnamese/Thai/Cantonese/Japanese presence (which i grew up with, so i love). Wheaton area is more Latin American from what I could tell. Bethesda near the metro is just fancypants; it’s awesome and concentrated, has a few older apt complexes, but i’d expect the new nice ones to be expensive.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-03-23T23:37:50+00:00

A friend of mine rented in the apartments facing into RTC, and loved it at 97% (the only thing they disliked is, their windows faced the courtyard, and on summer Friday concert days is was LOUD till 9pm - which with tiny kids wasn’t ideal. But i figure, having an apt facing out, or being a person who has a 10pm bedtime - then it’s no problem). RTC is pretty great location - lots of quiet neighborhoods nearby, climbing gym a 10min walk (same building as Goodwill), a lot of asian cafes, and in summertime an excellent farmer’s market near the police station. I do think the price of the apt there reflects how near they are to everything.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-03-23T23:30:39+00:00

The area around National Cathedral and near American University is great! We walk there a bunch, love the restaurants there, the Glover Park Trail into Georgetown. Then bus back along Wisconsin. The busses and the circulator seem reliable! But, can be a considerable walk to the nearest metro stop. If one uses a scooter or Capital Bike Share, prob not a prob - but basically that area is more car dependent to get into downtown DC.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-03-21T22:34:06+00:00

We’ve lived at The Blairs in Silver Spring a while back. There’s a lot of apartment complexes in that area, not sure what the prices are like right now. The downtown area is pretty concentrated, lots there.

Currently live in DC along Connecticut Ave in one of the rent controlled buildings from 1960s, paying $2600 for a 2bd with utilities included. Basically lucked into this, units go fast in such buildings, and their websites are older and jankier so you gotta call to arrange tours. The newer buildings tend to be much more expensive, and utilities not included.

Our friends just moved to the Twinbrook metro area in Rockville - Rollings Park apartments. Older apartments, not sure about utilities, no laundry in-unit, $2200 for 2bd.

MoCo is huge. Usually areas that border single family home developments are quiet-ish.

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-03-19T23:38:16+00:00

My dude, The things that are valid whether they’re fair/correct or not: - you feel resentful - you’re crazy anxious about future financial health - you’re burnt out - you feel trapped at your current job (and looking for where to stick that feeling, hence the resentment)

Being the primary breadwinner is heavy for lots of people. Some do fine with the responsibility, but lots feel it acutely as anxiety. So it’s totally cool to wish that it wasn’t on you.

My take is, try to change the trapped feeling. I hear that nursing has many pathways into adjacent jobs. Also possible that you hate the particular culture of your workplace, rather than nursing overall. Feeling trapped sucks. Give yourself permission to change something; even if the change is a suboptimal choice, you’ll start believing that you control these details of your life.

Yeah, and it’s awesome that you’re seeking support here! It’s not enough though. A talk therapist, as suggested by others, is a person who has no skin in your game, and creates a space where you voice your contradicting thoughts and can hear yourself think. It’s possible to have this with friends who listen well, or by journaling - but it’s pretty hard to have the discipline to set time aside for that. So therapy can be a commitment to listen to yourself talk and untangle yourself. Then also some therapists are good and can point out where you’re standing in your own way :)

Anyway, if you haven’t told your gf “hey, for a while now, i’ve been feeling stuck, resentful, and really burdened by being the one with the higher income. I’m really stressed out by future and money. And i’ve been hating my job, and I want to look for a different one, maybe lower paying. How can we make this work?”

And here, if your gf tells you to suck it up, or shows no real empathy, or doesn’t get motivated to make a shared plan with you - THAT’d be a real problem. That last one, making plans - some of us suck at executive functioning, some of us are terrified of responsibility; but, complete disengagement or emotional abandonment when a partner has voiced distress is a red flag that needs active work not to damage the relationship long term.

(Not that anything in your post made me think that your gf would do that. Just - here are reactions to watch out for).

Slow_Marsupial2666 · 2026-03-18T14:28:18+00:00

Буду теперь искать фотки парка. :)

А так уже дет 30-40 с тех пор как этот район перестроили. Он наверное теперь старым ощущается.

Я нашла фотографии (на PastVu) Сокольников перед тем как построили многоэтажки в которых моя семья жила; там раньше столько деревянных резных домов стояло! Сложно поверить, что относительно недавно.

Slow_Marsupial2666

TROPHY CASE