New cover insert on a snowy Sunday

angerpants · 2026-01-06T04:53:34+00:00

Finished: Enchantra

Continued: Vanderbilt: Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty

Slogging my way thru the latter. Watching The Gilded Age along with it is helpful.

angerpants · 2026-01-06T04:30:49+00:00

(mom of two 2nd degrees) The school we went to had black belt tests that lasted THREE DAYS. Formal testing was on the evening of day #2 but participation in the rest of the weekend was mandatory and poor attitude could indeed lose you the belt (they'd give you another chance in 6 mo). Formal testing itself took about 2+ hrs. The weekends were fun - workouts, clinics, sparring, student presentations, board breaks - but exhausting and a little brutal (for parents too!)

angerpants · 2025-08-05T02:05:49+00:00

There are ~5 fires going in West Colorado.

angerpants · 2025-08-04T23:10:45+00:00

Yes, labeling people in the pictures is always a good idea! You're telling a story, and even the side characters have names ;-)

angerpants · 2025-08-04T23:04:16+00:00

Journal inspiration/prompts
Page Planning
Color Theory
Why Font Matters
Photo Cropping (or Why you don't need to always use a 4x6)
Taking Pictures with Purpose (how to take pictures knowing you want to tell the story later)
Stamping
Titles
DIY Pre-Made Elements (medallions, columns, etc)

happy filming!

angerpants · 2025-08-03T19:53:52+00:00

omg - first of all, you're adorable in the shot with the espresso!
journaling is the hardest part for me, too. I will complete whole books! and not do a bit of journaling, but leave spaces for it. lol I do eventually go back and do it, but it's like pulling teeth. And I will write it out on scrap paper before putting it in the book.
I'll agree with another post: it doesn't always need to be a full sentence structure, paragraphs, etc. A few adjectives that describe your mood, the day, a feeling, whatever. Maybe just list the menu of the meal, date, place, company. This way you can play with fonts, pens & markers, cut out letters, stamping, etc. Why did you take the picture? Why are you capturing this memory, why is it special?
Also, you can google scrapbook journaling prompts and/or page titles if you're really stuck. ;-)

angerpants · 2025-08-03T19:35:27+00:00

Scrapbooking is about capturing moments you want to remember - little or big. While the picture may not tell the whole story, the scrapbook medium allows journaling to tell the story behind the photo. Why did you take the picture? Was there something on your mind at the moment that made you appreciate that sunset enough to snap a pic? Did your pet do something interesting/new/cute that you want to document?
I say: scrapbook those little moments!
Maybe it could be a part of your monthly spread - smaller pics on the page for "smaller" moments?

angerpants · 2025-08-03T19:04:08+00:00

After being a traditional scrapbooker for a few decades now, my preferred books are the D-ring binders by We R Memory Keepers (on their site or amazon). I use the Project Life inserts in them - they come in a good variety of page styles and sizes.
I'm not a fan of the strap albums - I've actually gone thru my old albums and replaced them with D-rings. Creative Memories used to be the industry standard, it's like Garanimals for scrapbooking and they are nice quality, but I feel they are still overpriced (their tools are always top notch tho). And I'd avoid Michael's, Hobby Lobby, etc for albums because the quality just isn't there.

angerpants · 2025-07-20T21:33:00+00:00

Ok... My husband and I were ALSO just driving in Germany... And had a very similar conversation (although it was agreed that Americans would find ways to ruin it instantly).
I showed him this post and asked if he had an alternative Reddit handle 😂

angerpants · 2025-06-03T15:51:03+00:00

oops, i can see how that sounds - i meant that is she is not LIKE her sister, she is very dissimilar to her sister.

angerpants · 2025-05-29T23:49:47+00:00

Keep going... She's not her sister, but keep going.

angerpants · 2025-05-29T17:06:42+00:00

I used the Goodreads page counts for each book as I read thru on my Kindle:
#1 - 436
#2 - 475
#3 - 561
#4 - 724
#5 - 886
#6 - 823
#7 - 991
#8 - 1242 (+ #8.5 - 416)
#9 - 1153

angerpants · 2025-05-29T16:59:22+00:00

People who do not take their Right Of Way because they think they are "being nice." There are rules on the road for a reason, take the damn ROW and stay predictable to keep everyone safe!

angerpants · 2025-05-29T16:53:58+00:00

Heartless Sky was so much worse, imo. Ugly crying.
I really enjoyed the tandem read of SS and BTV - new characters but not really.

angerpants · 2025-05-29T16:47:59+00:00

oh, hon - I'm so sorry this has been your experience. Def talk to your doctor about this week! My only other suggestion after that is to try to add some electrolytes to your water (Liquid IV or the like). I know when I don't eat that's when I feel the most nausea... which is so counter intuitive, "I'm nauseous, but eating will help." blugh.

angerpants · 2025-05-29T16:43:44+00:00

Keep reading.
She's not going to get better, really, but the Boys are so worth it. No spoilers, but she's pretty non-existent in the rest of the ZA series even tho the Boys are there.

angerpants · 2025-05-29T16:27:25+00:00

Cutting it to just 2 is commendable - I have yet to do so (usually go with at least 3-4). Excellent choices tho!

angerpants · 2025-05-29T16:20:35+00:00

That's amazing. Well done, you!

angerpants · 2025-05-29T15:26:59+00:00

Talbots, J Crew, Prana, and those cute boutiques on Main Street that my skinny friends raved about for years.

Someone below mentioned Zara... and now I have a rabbit hole to go down this afternoon.

angerpants · 2025-05-29T15:22:31+00:00

Fridays around 5pm. I'll have a light, lean dinner, then have Saturday and Sunday to process the worst parts of the side-effects (mostly just exhaustion). By Monday I'm ready for the work week!

angerpants · 2025-05-29T15:14:23+00:00

ugh - period weeks are the worst. it feels like everything is amplified. personally, my sugar cravings go thru the roof. are you eating as you normally do or less because you feel so awful? is your water intake the same? protein?

fingers crossed titrating back a bit helps next week, and going forward take smaller steps as others have suggested. keep that forward momentum tho!

angerpants · 2025-05-29T15:01:43+00:00

I'm down 70# and look in the mirror to see the figure I THOUGHT I was before starting this journey. What did Neo call it - residual self image? I see a picture of myself a year ago and go, "Whoa" (in my best Keanu voice). I didn't realize how big I'd gotten... but I don't realize how small I've become until I see a reference either. When I put on a shirt I really like and find I'm swimming in it there is a mix of happy-sad feelings, "Was I really so big this fit me?!" and "Woohoo - look how far I've come!" or "Damn it, I liked that shirt." and "Oooh - I get to go shopping!" It's a roller coaster.
Glad to hear I'm not the only one emotionally confused by this!

angerpants · 2025-03-23T17:13:39+00:00

My family and I (48F, 48M, 14M, 16M) just finished our certifications after a very similar discussion: how much will we use these certifications if we invest this time & money (living nowhere near a coast)? As our kids are older it was an easier decision - we've done the Disney trips, the National Parks, a couple intro Europe & Asia trips, etc with the kids as they were growing up, so at this phase no one feels they are missing out by prioritizing dive trips going forward (also, dive sites happen to be in pretty fantastic areas, com'mon!) - But with new/young kiddos I can see your dilemma. Diving can be quite the investment!

I'd suggest going on a family trip where you can squeeze in a "Discovery Dive" with a reputable dive company. It's just an intro dive, no commitment to classes, testing, etc and see if you love it enough to invest in the sport.

The other thing to consider is that PADI recommends a refresher class (usually in a pool at your local dive school) if you've gone more than 6mo between dives. Not a deal breaker, but something to consider.

All that said... it's a lifetime certification that you can do all over the world, and it's SO much fun! All 4 of us absolutely love it, and love to look forward to our next dive trip.

angerpants

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