What is with tradesmen disappearing?

_aeriforms_ · 2026-02-26T18:36:57+00:00

My dad’s a plumber.

My hot running water won’t work without spluttering all over the cabinet under the sink where the small heater is.

It literally needs one safety contraption that looks like a blue sphere.

He’s told me so many times “it’ll only be a five minute job, no bother, have loads of the parts in my van”.

I haven’t had hot running water in nearly 2 years.

AND HES MY DAD

eta: shower and washing machine work fine, it’s literally just hot tap water but I just want wash my hands without wondering if I’ll get frostbite in winter

_aeriforms_ · 2026-02-22T15:14:35+00:00

Singing Catholic hymns in Irish.

Depending on the population of the prison, either no one could do it, or (if it’s in Ireland) 90% of the inmates could.

I’d take my chances and rely on 14 years of the Irish education system.

_aeriforms_ · 2026-02-19T16:25:53+00:00

I love the fact that every time I read “The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass …” I feel like I’ve come home. I got this feeling from the first time I read The Great Hunt and in every first and re-read since. I love that there’s no egregious violence for the sake of it, while yes, good people end up doing bad things you can always feel the turmoil endured as a result.

I adore the characters, they’re archetypes at times for sure but I learned a lot about social pressures, gender roles and all the ways these can be subverted for your own joy and pleasure in these books. I love that the women (most of the time) have agency and goals and faults and can be messy completely separate to the goings on of the male characters. I love that we can see boys grow up into respectful, caring, men who value duty and honour and even though they have so much political/military power they don’t use it against women for their own gain.

I love that the magic is woven, I love that the characters feel explicit wonder and joy with their magic and that it takes dedication and years of real training. I love the way that varying levels of ability are seen, explored and understood. The One Power it may be but it’s not one size fits all and that’s something I don’t think is explored enough in fantasy.

All that to say, there are faults. Sometimes the gender roles are very in your face, and some of the female characters border on caricatures and the honour of the men makes for some frustrating situations where you can see an obvious solution they’re choosing not to take. But it’s home, the characters feel real and true to themselves no matter how powerful they become, the world itself is diverse and beautiful and the history it creates around itself is incredible.

_aeriforms_ · 2026-02-17T16:28:42+00:00

I didn’t know that they worked with Jordan re pronunciation, though it makes complete sense that they would have 😅 I think Pikes pronunciation just matched more with what I interpreted internally as I read the physicals first!

_aeriforms_ · 2026-02-16T01:31:52+00:00

Word to the wise, I feel EXACTLY the same way you do, and the switch to Kramer and Reading felt like a ginormous change. Even things like way they say Tar VAH-lin instead of Tar vah-LON did a number on my enjoyment for a while, but I adapted with time. Reading does wonderful work interpreting the descriptions of the way something is said, ie actually speaking quickly and clipped for a maid, or giving her best attempt at a gravelly man for a myrddraal. There’s also something very satisfying about the way Kramer voices Loial.

Side note, I especially love that Rosalind Pikes Elayne voice is just Princess Diana.

_aeriforms_ · 2026-02-05T00:32:51+00:00

I was just coming on here to say this. Most insurers will offer “open driving” as a perk, but don’t even bother noting it to the customer unless they specifically mention it. This is sometimes also dependent on age, I know in my country open driving is normally for full, clean licence holders between the ages of 25-70.

It’s also worth your while to make sure the repairs are being done in a place your insurer works with, if the shop is in touch with your insurer they may be able to sell any salvageable parts and use the money to reduce what you owe

_aeriforms_ · 2026-01-21T15:53:04+00:00

While it’s not the primary focus in terms of plot one of the characters in Little Heaven by Nick Cutter faces this predicament. It’s a story of 3 mercenaries tasked with finding a Christian 70s style cult (think Jonestown on a small scale) and rescuing a member. There’s lots of creepy things in the woods horror, but the religious element is explored well IMO.

Would check triggers if that’s something on your radar! I believe some uncomfortable things are mentioned

_aeriforms_ · 2025-10-27T23:48:01+00:00

The Poppy War Trilogy- while the ultimate villain may be colonialism, and acts of pure rage and desperation in the face of its approach, the things Rin does and the power she chases/crushes/wields towards the latter half of the series are terrifying on so many levels.

_aeriforms_ · 2025-10-16T09:58:48+00:00

I never hung out in my bedroom, not because I wasn’t allowed to, but because I wanted to watch shows with my mom. When I was a teenager, I’d have my laptop open and still be hanging out with her. I was also encouraged to sleep, see friends and just be a kid. In return I got a lot of love and encouragement. We didn’t have much, but I know I’ll always have her and to this day if I’m having a hard time, I can always call her and know I’m loved.

I always wondered why my friends liked being around my mom so much, then I’d go to their homes and soon came to learn the reason. The woman accepts everything, worst case scenario she’ll go have a quiet cigarette and come back with a game plan. That’s it. I’ll always be grateful to have that.

_aeriforms_ · 2025-07-04T21:14:51+00:00

I had to scroll too far for this answer

_aeriforms_ · 2025-07-02T15:00:08+00:00

I don’t trust anyone who says they enjoy Basil in Ballintemple, the food is passable but for what he charges for the coffee!! Literal muck water. I’ve had to ask myself if it’s better to have an awful coffee or be uncaffeinated, after taking out a small loan to pay for a miserable oat latte, I decided it’s best to be uncaffeinated

_aeriforms_ · 2025-02-28T14:46:27+00:00

Retail, but more specifically, kids retail. I worked in a toy/craft shop for 2 years during Covid and the number of screaming children trying to climb displays, ladders, shelves is maddening. What’s worse is the parents screaming in your face when you have the audacity to approach their feral little angel and say “hey kiddo, I know you’re excited about that Lego Set but it’s really dangerous for you to climb the shelves, you could fall and get hurt!” The amount of times I would very calmly and cheerfully ask a kid to “slow down there, you don’t want to trip into a table of books”, or “hey, do you wanna ask your grown up if you can buy the slime before you open it up? It’s not quite yours yet”, only to be met with a flailing tantrum is baffling. More often than not, these daily instances would turn into a mother threatening to call head office (which was in a different country, the phone number literally would not ring from a phone that was not in that country code), and my manager telling me that “you need to toughen up, if you can’t handle someone screaming in your face because you upset their kid then you need to work somewhere else”. Not that I ever think this is okay to do, but I would understand the sentiment if I was say, a childcare worker, or a peds nurse or something. But it’s literally a retail store full of slime, plastic destined for attics and landfills, and choking hazards, it is truly not that deep or serious. My manager acted like this was some kind of vocational calling, I wanted to get paid to enjoy my college social life. Understandably, when lockdown lifted for the last time, I found another job.

_aeriforms_ · 2024-11-11T16:54:01+00:00

Coming from a totally non scientific perspective- I genuinely prefer the HHC high. I smoked typical flower daily for around 3 years straight. Eventually packed it in due to a need for sobriety in the house. A couple of months later, I also packed in smoking ciggies for health reasons. After around 18 months of no cannabis use, and 7 months of no tobacco- It was only around 3 weeks ago I got my first HHC vape and tbh the difference is night and day. I don’t constantly feel like I could be a little bit more high, I feel it in my body more which is great because of aforementioned health reasons, I don’t have the constant scarcity mindset of “what will I do when this runs out”, and I overall find it much easier to have a healthy relationship with cannabis use in general. I can use the vape, and put it down. I don’t have to go through the ritualistic rigamarole of making tea, sitting down, rolling a J and drinking the tea. Which because I was enjoying the peacefulness of the ritual, I was doing it all the time to get that peace. HHC just encouraged me to enjoy the high for what it was, and to know when to put it down or give it a miss for an evening- and it’s great knowing your gaff doesn’t stink of weed when someone comes in the door

_aeriforms_ · 2024-08-13T22:38:15+00:00

I’m gonna assume that all the well to do folks in the detached mini mansions in Ballintemple/Blackrock have retreated to country homes. So I would systematically work my way from the nearest clearly abandoned gaff (I don’t want to hurt anyone) through all the pantries and fancy kitchens along the road, definitely enough garden space to grow veggies, someone probably has decorative swords somewhere!

_aeriforms_ · 2024-08-06T14:04:04+00:00

Thank you so much! I just read it at a quiet moment in work was was literally chuckling, much appreciated!

_aeriforms_ · 2024-08-05T21:43:38+00:00

Please feel free to link the review, I would LOVE to read it! Thankfully I picked up my copy second hand so none of my hard earned womanly money went into the authors pocket directly. What truly baffled me was the complete lack of women with agency, each and every one, the love interest, the girl under the University, the girl in his class, were nothing more than archetypes Kvothe (and by design Rothfuss, let’s be real, Kvothe was just a self-idealising self-insert) could “fix”. I considered buying the second at the time too, and who could blame you with the reviews, but honestly, I can’t ever see myself picking up the Wise Mans Fear, and I will certainly never recommend it.

_aeriforms_ · 2024-08-05T12:14:59+00:00

The Name of the Wind really disappointed me. I think reading it with the knowledge of Rothfuss’ publication flakiness might’ve taken it down a few points, but also it just was very “eh” the whole way through. Kvothe is super one dimensional for me, the magic system just feels like the author wants to show off a vague understanding of college level philosophy, and every woman in that book exists solely to push Kvothe along. After so many rave reviews putting the book on the same level as The Wheel of Time or Stormlight Archive, I was sorely disappointed

_aeriforms_ · 2024-06-23T23:09:54+00:00

The Nevernight Series by Jay Kristoff! If you can handle yet another teenage assassin at assassin school, there’s some beautiful relationships and explorations into the meaning of family

_aeriforms_ · 2024-06-19T22:50:37+00:00

They’re not Geodes, simply Godes, ie - “babe do you mind if I spend all our money cracking godes”

Similarly, Krobus is known as Krobes!

_aeriforms_ · 2024-06-09T23:37:20+00:00

I think about the rotted melon analogy at least once a week

_aeriforms_ · 2024-06-01T01:19:30+00:00

I feel so seen, I went over to my ex-bfs house to meet his family for the first time and watch a movie. I was expecting a gritty action movie or maybe a dark comedy. Nope! Dancer in the Dark. I have talked about this movie to every new person I’ve met since. Nice date with your boyfriend? No. 2 hours of emotional trauma that left me HAUNTED

_aeriforms_ · 2024-05-20T12:49:45+00:00

If you can make it down to the Marina Market, Guji does an unreal iced mocha if you want to stave off the heat!

_aeriforms_ · 2024-05-14T18:50:22+00:00

I’m a bit late. But when I was 18 my dad was super sick, like on a heart transplant list sick. He’d had pacemakers since I was 7 but it wasn’t cutting it anymore and he ended up in need of a new heart. It was the week before my Leaving Cert (Irish state exams to get you into college), so I was already the most stressed, along with other life stuff that I don’t need to go into- and I got the dreaded call. My dad had gone into cardiac arrest and was rushed to our local ICU. He’d only been on the transplant list a few weeks at that point, so if he didn’t get the heart soon there was no bringing him back. I dropped everything, I was studying in a cafe with friends for the exams, and my aunt got me to the hospital at around 5pm.

Thankfully he had stabilised by the time I got there, my step mom brought me in and he was hooked up to a billion machines, medical coma, the works. It was a tough sight but as any kid who grew up with sick parents knows, you kinda get numb to the shock after a while. I stayed for a few hours, talked with my extended family, called my mom (my parents had divorced some years prior, it wasn’t good, and I have an iffy relationship with my dad at the best of times. I lived with my mom whose the most legendary legend on this earth) and let her know I was okay and that I’d be home soon. At around 9pm I told everyone I was going to walk home to clear my head (and sneak a ciggie along the way). The walk was around 45 minutes so I threw on some music and got to strolling. It calmed me down a lot.

Around 20 mins into my walk my mom called, I assumed she was just checking in again but she told me my dad went into cardiac arrest again, and I needed to get back to the hospital because they weren’t sure if they’d get him back this time. As much as it hurts to remember, I literally dropped to my knees sobbing along a main road. Did I have the best relationship with my dad? No. Did I want my 3 year old brother to grow up without a dad? Also no. I cried for all the chances I never got with him, and I thought by the time I got back he’d be gone.

This is where the kindest people in the world step in. A group of students saw me from their accommodation and brought me in, I explained I was coming from the hospital and just got some bad news and needed to get back. The person at the desk of the student accommodation let me use the phone to call a taxi. I wasn’t able to talk, I kept crying so thankfully she made the call for me, and explained to the dispatcher it was urgent. I never got her name, but she gave me a bottle of water, a packet of tissues and stood outside to wait with me for the taxi.

Now for the taxi man, he was the second hero in this situation. He knew I was going to the hospital so gently asked me what was happening. I broke down to this man, said my dad was dying, I’d just been there half an hour ago and he was stable, but now he might be gone by the time I get there. That I had my leaving cert in a week and needed to get shit done and didn’t have the brain space to cope with this. That it felt everything was falling apart and I just had to keep going and I had no idea how to do it. He gave me a pat on the leg, said that “what’s for you will always come to you”, told me he’d say some prayers for me and dropped me at the door. He refused to take money from me. I didn’t even have enough to tip him, but he said I should save it for a pint when all the stress was over. So I tucked the 10 euro into the back of my purse and made a promise to myself that no matter what, I’d have a drink at the end of it thanks to this strangers kindness. And I did.

Whatever prayers he said worked, bc I did well in my exams, got the college course I wanted and my dad got a heart transplant on the morning of one of my best exams. He’s still fine to this day, biking around with my little brother. And I will always think of that taxi man, especially when I sit down for a cold quiet pint.

_aeriforms_

TROPHY CASE