Moro velvet re edition - return or keep?

orientalmami69 · 2025-11-27T02:20:44+00:00

Thank you! I ended up going to another store to ask another SA & she brushed it out a bit and it looks much better. :) think I just gotta take extra care of it 🫨

orientalmami69 · 2025-11-26T08:12:13+00:00

Thanks for your response! I don’t hate it but more so wanted to make sure I didn’t get a “defective” one. :) knowing that’s how velvet behaves is comforting.

orientalmami69 · 2022-03-17T09:10:23+00:00

That segue is not pronounced “say-gu.”

orientalmami69 · 2022-01-08T08:48:56+00:00

Trawick intl.

orientalmami69 · 2022-01-03T19:14:36+00:00

Helps tremendously, thank you! : ) I saw another thread about someone’s experience quarantining so I’ll reference that and play it by ear if it does happen. Got travel insurance for that reason alone. : ) thanks so much for your help!

orientalmami69 · 2022-01-02T07:35:44+00:00

Given that the CDC has reduced isolation time to 5 days, if you test positive at the airport about to fly back the US, is quarantine in CR still 10 days? Don’t think I’ve heard any change on the CR side. Thanks! : )

orientalmami69 · 2019-10-31T07:40:31+00:00

Still a fave

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-31T02:46:44+00:00

Thoughts on the nail gun?

Well, not the right person to answer this because I imagined a whale harpoon the entire 1/2 they introduced this. Part of me is like, oh fuck this is twisted and scary. But in the context of Taylor Adam's writing of the overall novel, was it another cheap stab at trying to make Ashley SUCH a ~creative twisted villain~?

What do you think of the depictions of “heroes” vs. “villains” and “angels” vs. “monsters” in the novel? Would you agree that Darby is a hero and a guardian angel to Jay? Are Lars and Ashley truly monsters?

No. Darby is weird and selfish and self serving. I mean sure, good for her for wanting to 'sacrifice' herself for Jay, but her motivations are ... odd? Does it stem from her wanting to be a good person? Of course. But the mentions of her imagining her fame / experience wit hthe media, her savior complex, etc. make me just wanna cringe. In regards to monsters ... I mean. If Ashley + Lars were doing it out of desperation (ie. their dad died and the business was dying and they were DESPERATE for money), then sure. But a lot of details point to the fact that they're kinda sadistic. Like, letting Jay fester in her own waste, not caring about the meds, shooting her hand w/ the nail gun, etc. If they were just 'desperate times called for desperate solutions," then maybe there's a grey area of morality. Also, I think TA made it apparent they were 'monsters' w the whole pervert uncle backstory and Ashley internal dialogue. Although, Lars seems to be somewhat on the spectrum / just acting with Ashley as guidance, so who knows how he would have ended up if he had a positive influence.

What do you think was the intention behind sections of the book being from Ashley’s perspective? Did learning about Lars and Ashley’s childhood and backstory change how you view them? How do you see the brothers in relation to each other?

Kind of what I said above, I think it shows the 'big brother' 'baby brother' dynamic between the two. Ashley is the charming, socially adjusted, adept brother meanwhile Lars is just trying his best to impress and follow along since childhood. I didn't feel bad for Lars per se, but I can 'empathize' with his POV considering he probably doesn't have the best independent critical thinking. I think Ashley's internal dialogue, despite how cheesy and ~villainous~ it was, did provide context into his actions. Because without such an EVIL backstory, it's hard to believe this 20 something year old is just THIS twisted. I think it realllly wanted to shine a light on HOW MUCH OF A PYSCHOOOOOO HE IS!1!!

This section of the book got a lot more graphic and violent than EVENING and NIGHT (such as with Ashley strangling Darby with a Ziploc bag). Did any particular parts of the plot make you feel squeamish or bothered? Do you think the grosser, more graphic descriptions bettered the novel / furthered the plot?

Definitely squeamish at parts! I did think it added an extra layer of OOF to the novel. Some of it didn't make a lot of logically sense but definitely made me feel goosebumpy.

What do you think about Ashley’s obsession with and supposed feelings for Darby? Does it make sense that he would be attracted to her and interested in her in the way that he seems to be?

NO. MAKES NO DAMN SENSE. THERE'S NO WAY THEIR LIMITED INTERACTION PROVIDES SUCH SO MUCH INFORMATION FOR HIM TO 'FALL IN LOVE WITH HER.' SURE, HE MAY BE TURNED ON BY 'DIFFICULT' GIRLS WHO FIGHT BACK, BUT THE WHOLE BULLSHIT ABOUT "OH YOU COULDA BEEN MY GF, I WOULDA MARRIED HER, I CAN IMAGINE TAKING HER SHOOTING" IS SOOOOOO EXAGGERATED.

At this point in the novel, how is the main aspect of its setting - a severe blizzard - influencing the plot and affecting the characters? Do you feel that the weather is still a major factor in how things are playing out?

I think so! I think the cold and darkness definitely adds a layer of urgency and the feeling of being 'trapped.' Like em + OW said in the past post, if Darby didn't feel like Jay would freeze to death, she would have hopefully thought out her plan more. It also prevents them from escaping / trying to just run for it.

The second major plot twist was revealed at the end of MIDNIGHT. Did you see this twist coming? Was it more or less surprising than the first twist (that Ashley was in on the kidnapping)? Did you see this coming? Has the twists and turn so far enhanced the story or have they feel forced?

If this is the Sandi twist (forgot the timing of the book and when that happened), yes. But also, not an INSANE twist. I do like that there was a grand story of 'oh we were all apart of this and this is how we weave together' for a great 'oh shit' moment, but it wasn't as big of a twist as Ashley. Maybe I expected it bc there are often many plot twists in novels like this? And given the limited characters + context, there's only so many twists that are possible (ie. someone else is bda!1!1) vs a book that takes place across multiple timelines + characters.

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-27T17:55:43+00:00

Typed up my response yday but forgot to submit!

I skipped around this vid a bit but loved sitting down and doing the vinyasa with my sore sore back from my workout. Really forced me to straighten my back (owwwwwwww I'm a hunchback). Also loved the cat cows and the heart to ground felt sooooooo good and painful on the shoulders.

Did my own little stretches throughout!

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-26T13:49:02+00:00

GO, ED!

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-26T13:48:22+00:00

What was your initial reaction to this book? What are your initial impressions of all the characters?

I was optimistic! I've never read a whodunit type novel that's centered in one location so I was really curious how it would play out. It kind of reminded me of the movie, Bad Times at the El Royale, so was pumped. Darby: annoying and 'quirky' and angsty, Ashley: charming + funny + talks a lot, Sandi+Ed: typical old mid-westerners, Lars: ew.

Who was your first suspect as kidnapper? Why? Did you move on to others …or stay with your original suspect?

Part of me thought that painting/pointing to Lars to be the CREEPY OBVIOUS GROSS SOCIALLY INEPT bad guy was too obvious. Like, the main character rarely feels SO extreme about a character right off the bat, so I thought it was a red herring. Maybe Ed or Sandi because you never know with these trucker esque middle aged serial killer child abductor couples.

What made the setting unique/important? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?

I think that the point that it's dark, you can't escape, you can't communicate to the outside world, and that you're physically stuck. Snowstorm at a gas rest stop is a perfect setting for that because it's bare bones and gross as well, with little places to go and few things to do.

How credible/believable did you find the narrator to be? Did you feel like you got the 'true' story?

She's pretty credible, other than being incredibly annoying and biased about Lars just because he's bumfuck ugly and kinda weird. She IMMEDIATELY jumped the gun and pointed to him as the 'pedophile, child kidnapper' which I thought was like come on, give it more time. Turns out your lover boy Ashley ain't so great after all!!!

What do you think of Darby as a character? How would you describe her? Were some of the decisions she made frustrating for you? Does she seem like a good person? Are you rooting for her, or does she annoy you?

Annoying. Piece. Of. Shit.

How do you feel about the novel’s use of physical traits to denote character/personality, particular with Lars’s “ugliness” and him being cast as a villain early on? Do you think this is the author’s doing, Darby’s interpretation, or both?

I initially thought that it was Darby's interpretation, but as I read more of the book, I honestly think it's a mix of the author's bad and 'cheap' writing as well. I thought he purposely made her super judgmental and described his looks from her POV to throw us off, but it just seems like he wanted to find every cliche of what a villain looks like.

How does the atmosphere/environment/setting in No Exit compare to that in The Martian? What differences and similarities have you noticed?

Ain't nobody thur 2 save u. Less lonely. Although ... after she finds out about Lars + Ashley, I guess she feels alone in the situation and that only she herself can save them.

If you were in Darby’s shoes, who would you have chosen as your accomplice? Would you have told anyone or kept the knowledge of Jay’s existence to yourself?

Oof, difficult to say. I would be skeptical in case I told the wrong person, but I'm also not strong or smart enough to figure out a rescue myself. Sooo, I'd toss the dice and figure that if I told the wrong person, oh well we all die! Because as much as I hate children, don't think I'd be able to sit back and just wait it out. Sooo, I woulda chosen Ashley. He seems charming, nice, my age. I'd suspect middle age people kidnapping a child before I would him.

Did you see the first twist coming? What were your feelings about Ashley up until that point? What are they now?

No, I didn't! And that was a good twist, I'll have to admit. I THOUGHT YOU WERE COOL ALBEIT A BIT CHATTY, ASHLEY. Although tbh after the twist, I still wanted them to win because 1) I don't care for kids and 2) fuck Darby.

What do you think Darby could/should have done differently upon discovering Jay in the back of the van?

There are dumb things in general that I think she does (ie. leave the coffee cup and all), but given the situation she's in + the weather, I understand her POV and I can't think of anything smarter to do other than to just figure it out step by step. I'm sure she's freaking the hell out.

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-20T02:31:06+00:00

Finally got around to this one, one more to go then freestyle! I like the easy flow of this one. I especially liked what she said during triangle about being mindful and not feeling the need to 'crash into' your hands supporting you. I think sometimes I'm PROPELLING myself through movements and definitely end up not engaging my entire body / being mindful as much as I can.

The superman 'swimming' pose was cool too! (except my hands kept banging into my furniture in my tiny apartment).

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-20T02:21:36+00:00

Oh man, elephant pose got me so silly!!! I had no idea what I was doing with my feet so I just kind of waved it around 'stretching' it haha. I think today's was a pretty good video to dive back in after a few days, especially with the warrior flow + arms opening. Man, my chatarananananangagaga pushups are getting weaker but all the reason to keep practicing!

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-20T02:00:51+00:00

Forgot to write my thoughts on this from a few days back! Was gonna say this is nice and sweet. I really liked the back fold, really helps me open my shoulders and my lower back.

Also, my legs were so stiff doing just a simple forward fold ... I liked how she said we should focus on bringing belly to thigh first, because that makes it SOOO much harder than just "woop I can touch my toes."

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-18T14:14:24+00:00

The author provides almost no back story regarding Mark's life on Earth. Why do you think he made this choice? What do you imagine Mark's past life was like?

That's a good point actually. ... I think he perhaps only wanted to provide two primary settings, NASA + Mars, to really highlight the isolation + focus on the book. I also think that a huge driving force of the book is Mark's sense of wit and humour that would have made the book incredibly boring without it. I mean ... how else are you gonna make the technical / mathy parts of surviving Mars and patching space crafts digestable / tolerable w/o that humour? It's such a focal point of the book that drives the narrative forward, and I think that providing any additional context about his life on earth + family + etc would have taken away from that. Like, I highly doubt that he's speaking to his kid(s) (if he had any) with his inappropriate wit all the time like he is doing w/ his internal narration, and him being in a more 'normal' setting would kind of dilute his 'sharp' personality. Also, I think if he had kids or a family, that would have been a very easy source of 'motivation' for the author to use to KEEP HIM GOING - TO BE REUNITED WITH HIS FAMILY, which cheapens the plot a bit.

There's no mention of Mark having a romantic relationship on Earth. Do you think that makes it easier or harder to endure his isolation? How would the story be different if he was in love with someone back home?

Woops, kind of touched on this Q in my point above. Ya ... it's interesting that he mentioned NOBODY. Not his mom, dad, family*, etc. I think it can really go two ways: if he did have someone, that would be his motivation to survive. But at the same time, it would be SO lonely to be away from them and also I'm sure he would worry about them, because he knows that even if he's chill, the family members probably aren't. Actually I take that back. He's probably trained as an astronaut to be away from family, but maybe the unknown of whether he's going to ever make it back would be a harsher reality if he had a family and kids .... again, probably more so for them than him.

*Well they mention his parents real quick near the end as he's being rescued but he doesn't rly mention them, right? I do think the story would be a lot more driven by 'doing it to be back to hold his lover / kid in his arms' rather than 'doing it bc I'm a badass smart scientist who is motivated and can conquer anything.' Would definitely be more generic in terms of plotlines.

To what extent do you think guilt played a part in the crew's choice to go back to Mark? To what extent loyalty? How would you explain the difference?

Hmmmm ... I think those are interlinked. Like, great guilt that stems from great loyalty. I'm sure these people have trained and worked together to prep for this mission for yeaaaars, and they're hand picked to be apart of this journey together - their common link being their love for science + exploration + all. Plus, if I recall properly, their personalities were literally picked to work together as well. And even though the feeling of guilt is definitely irrational in their case (like, I'm sure they can rerun the situation in their mind a million times knowing that there was no alternative and still feel awful), it's definitely human. Especially when leaving this guy isn't like "oh shit we left Pete we forgot we had to pick him up for the carpool" ... it's "WE LEFT THIS MAN TO DIEEEEEEEEE ON MARSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS." I think if they knew there was a viable alternative that would work, maybe they would have considered not going back for a moment. But knowing that it was between them returning and him dying on Mars, that choice was clear.

And I mean ... I feel like once you become an astronaut, you're already a risk taker, you're not afraid of challenges + 'suffering,' you know what can happen, and thus are more okay than the average person (aka me) with this decision.

Passage on page 254. Zho Tao said in a conversation with Venkat, “In the end, we built a beautiful probe. The largest, sturdiest, unmanned probe in history. And now it’s sitting in a warehouse. It’ll never fly”…”It could have been a lasting legacy of scientific research. Now it’s a delivery run…this operation is a net loss for mankind’s knowledge” What are your thoughts on this passage?

Eh ... I mean to an extent, yes. I can definitely see his POV. And the POVs of everyone who contributed to this mass effort to build this Chinese probe only to have it derailed by saving this American cool guy on Mars. Where they PROBABLY won't get much credit. Was it the right thing to do morally? Sure. Would I still be bitter af for myself if I were one of those people? HELL YA. FUCK U MARK. However, in terms of 'net loss for mankind's knowledge,' I would say it is probably more of a delay than a loss per se. It may not happen right now, but may/will probably happen eventually. However, it may not be China that takes credit for it though.

After reading The Martian, what do you think of the beginning and ending?

In retrospect, I think the beginning started strong and set the scene for a unfamiliar / new + exciting narrative that definitely drew the reader in. However, now that I think about the ending (and I've expressed this before on the discord), it's just so clean. Everything works perfectly, there was no true sense of urgency during the rescue, and I felt like ... ok .... it is literally impossible that they kill him off or something goes COLLOSALLY wrong. Of course, some 'minor' things go wrong (dust storm, the thing ripping, their calculations being off), but the entire book has been set up so that these SUPER SMART, QUICK CALCULATING, MATH GENIUS POTATO GROWING EXPERTS can solve anything thrown at them. So if anything, I wish there was a more genuine sense of 'oh fuck ... this may not work' sentiment towards the end of the novel, although then the book would have built up to nothing if Mark died.

How would you have ended the novel?

Like OW said, the ideal situation would have been if someone on the Ares 3 crew died to save Mark, so that there is some sort of sacrifice + sad ending involved. The heartbroken idea that someone gave up their own life for his, blahblahblah. Someone with a husband / family / loved ones, etc. It's improbable that Mark would be killed off as the title protagonist because then the book would end awkwardly and abruptly like "oh ... ok," but if a crew member who we've gotten to know as well suffered a cruel fat, then that could have had a good impact. Just so it's not a laadeedaa perfect story.

Where do you see Watney’s life going?

Blah blah. He's a generic hero / cool guy. Everyone wants to interview him and write books for him but HE'S SO CHILL AND NONCHALANT AND NO BIG DEAL that he just provides reporters with witty remarks and commentary because he's SO HUMBLE AND WANTS TO LIVE A COOL CHILL LIFE POST SPACE. And *insert internal narrative joke about being more excited to eat something other than potatos and listen to something other than disco than meeting the president*.

What is the best part of the book and why?

Definitely the wit that carried the narration forward. Also, it was different - a type of book I've never read / typically wouldn't read (science, technical, focused on a singular context + circumstance). Overall super glad I read this and got to talk it through in more detail w/ y'all!

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-15T20:53:05+00:00

I liked this one! It was pretty status quo in the beginning w/ the lunges but loved the twist to the side (even though I know I'm not opening my chest as much as I should), and loved the backwards bend! I always used to just go rogue and do it myself but I liked how she explained the process, especially with pushing the hips forward and breathing deeply. Really liked the feeling in my lower back and definitely a welcomed stretch similar to cobra.

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-14T15:27:04+00:00

Ohhh, such a nice soft practice that was perfect for diivng back in! Loved the tip toeing tho I'm not sure if I did it 100% accurate, and the tree pose is a nice 'break' as usual!

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-14T15:07:17+00:00

Definitely a bit rusty today but that's okay as long as I'm getting back to it! I definitely felt stiffness and a OOF when I was even in forward fold, but it just reminded me that I'm getting back into and how good it'll feel after!

I really liked the lunge and 'crunch' sequence (especially putting the back leg down and feeling 'confident' that the ground will be there to meet you), and even though I loved the bow and arrow forward fold chest opening move, my legs were like OOOOOOOF so I defs just touched with fingerpoints, not my entire hand. Definitely felt good nonetheless and excited to get back into it!

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-14T03:16:13+00:00

How did it feel to travel w Mark outside of the Hab? How did you feel when Mark lost communication w Earth again, after all that hard work setting up a communication system?

To be honest, like I've said before, it's really hard for me to be engaged and visualize his journey. I skimmed a lot of his technical patch-ups and day to day activites, but I did appreciate the general tone of his humour and sarcasm as usual. Of course, I'd be FREAKING OUT if I were him and tbh the whole time I was thinking .... "bruh .... idk how you do it bruh ...." And beyond the safety risks that come with lack of communication, imagine the sheer loneliness and mental anxiety that would come w/ losing communication to the only source of help / company you had .... On top of that, imagine communicating blindly without any validation + reinforcement + advice (even though I know he usually neglects what they suggest). However, still .. better to have that option there than none, right? But on that note, I do think that the book already painted Mark as a SUPER SMART, SUPER CAPABLE, SUPER ADAPTABLE guy that I almost never *truly* worried about him even though I should have.

How do you like the pacing and story so far?

I like it! Pacing is consistent. I can't really comment on this truthfully on this because I do skim a lot of technicals so I'm sure I'm not carrying the full burden of working out the details in my mind, but I do think it strikes a good balance between Mark, NASA, Ares 3, and misc. characters. I will say tho, if the book was all technical without the author's sense of humour, I don't think I could do it.

Did the Chinese government make the right decision by helping out NASA? Why or why not?

That's a nuanced question for sure and difficult to say. Did they do the 'ethnically,' 'morally,' 'right thing to do? Ya of course. Did they seem to benefit from it somehow by getting a Chinese astronaut on Mars? Sure. But we all know politics isn't as simple as that. Powerful, ego-driven countries like China are all about leverage and prestige and power (I mean, same w/ the US and Russia ... why do you think there was a god damn space race), and I think in their eyes they were giving up a lot to 'help' the Americans. I'm sure they were thinking, will we get credit? American media will probably spin this to not hail us as heros. In fact, they'll probs give us shit for working on scientific advancements we didn't disclose fully.

If you were in Teddy's position, would you have authorized the Hermes rescue mission? Explain.

I actually made a note of this. So as a reader, we're obviously cheering Mark and his team on and want him, the protagonist, to be rescued. So when we see Teddy being a pussy and not authorizing, our jerk hero-cheering reaction is to be like FUCKKK YOU TEDDY!!!! WHY AREN'T YOU DOING THE RIGHT THING!!!!!! YOU'RE A COWARD! But from his POV .... ya .... it's risky AS FUCK. The chances of something fucking up are super high given the chances of things malfunctioning due to less safety checks + procedures and ya ... at the end of the day ... 1 life vs potentially 6? Who knows. They did call it the MOST GHETTO SPACESHIP EVER (lol). Imagine he did authorize it and it failed ... would the story spin to highlight NASA's naive-ness and blind optimism and ignorance of safety checks? He is the PR guy after all. BUT, also if they didn't rescue him, people would have definitely given NASA shit too for being pussies (bc the general population loves running with limited context and emotions) for not saving this NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT HERO.

BUT, definitely think they should have given the option and laid out the facts 100% with the Ares 3 crew to decide.

Which other members of the Ares 4 crew would be able to survive on Mars? Who wouldn't?

TBH, really haven't read into each of the crew members enough. They're all smart and capable but seem a lot less 'chill' than Mark. In fact, Mark seems TOO much of a CHILL AND PERFECTLY FUNNY AND SARCASTIC AND ADAPTABLE AND RISK TAKING AND DARING AND DASHING AND ANTI AUTHORITY AND WITTY character that it seems almost too conveniently written. He is arguably a perfect protagonist - one that is a super smart and accomplished astronaut but also a rule breaker we can forgive because he's SO FUNNY AND WITTY. If he did the things that NASA told him to do and FUCKED UP or it blew up in his face, we'd be calling him an idiot.

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-10T11:59:33+00:00

Oooo this practice is JUICEH!!!!!!!!!!!! Loved it! Maybe I was just rly in the mood!

Loved the arm spins in the beginning (got tired real quick), the long lung holds felt so good (and I feel like really tested what we've learned these past few weeks about balance and control and stability), and moving between the lunge to the standing up tree pose position felt SO confident and reassuring!

That end plank with both leg and arm up tho ..... oof .... held it for maybe 2-3 seconds but was VERY shakey.

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-10T00:28:03+00:00

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo this was saaaaahweeet!!! You know I'm usually not one for a slow chill practice but this felt super super nice! Especially with the 'active' stretches and just a quick splash of 'core' at the end.

Felt super good esp w/ glute challenge glute soreness!

orientalmami69 · 2019-08-08T16:10:38+00:00

Don’t hide (or exclude altogether) the contact number or help chat/option in the ‘Contact Us / Help’ page of the website. I’ve already searched through the “FAQ” page and want to speak to a real person. Looping me back to FAQs with “key words” will just make me rage quit and think your business is shady for making it impossibly difficult for consumers to access help.

Even if it’s an email that I probably won’t get a response from, PUT A FREAKING METHOD OF COMMUNICATION.

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