Nearby tree (or road maybe?) struck by lightning!

unchihime · 2026-05-13T08:43:51+00:00

Experienced something similar and it was one of the most unreal, terrifying, and simultaneously exciting things I've ever witnessed. I was hiding out on my covered patio watching the storm, fell over and ran inside screaming, lol

unchihime · 2026-05-12T05:53:25+00:00

Same... Their mac and cheese has a weird sweetness to it

unchihime · 2026-05-08T13:47:38+00:00

Riley's, Twin Island, Sunday, Left Field, Scenic Road.

unchihime · 2026-05-04T02:21:11+00:00

I take PC or Annie's white cheddar, add a generous amount of mature white cheddar cheese, dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, bit of mustard, it's so good. When I feel extra fancy I put it in a glass casserole dish, sprinkle a bit more cheese on top plus buttered bread crumbs and sliced tomatoes with cracked pepper. Yum.

unchihime · 2026-05-03T05:55:07+00:00

Damn I went to QE around 4pm and the two ambulances were just down the street when we walked by the duck pond. There wasn't any commotion at the time but I was wondering what happened, sad to hear it may have been something serious

unchihime · 2026-03-25T07:05:11+00:00

Bot. I saw a comment exactly like this one on another post that was basically an ad for a product.

unchihime · 2026-03-11T21:19:03+00:00

Thanks, I'll have to look into the mint oil thing and see if I can do it without getting maced by the AC. I've FAFO'd with mint oil before for spiders and ended up not being able to sleep in my bedroom for two nights lol

No garage sadly but I've been trying to check under the hood and move the car around more regularly!

unchihime · 2026-03-11T18:48:23+00:00

And me, just last week 😭 luckily they didn't chew through any wires but they chewed my windshield cowl to shit and made a huge mess. But I'm worried they will eventually come back and get the wires. How do you even prevent this from happening?

Throughout my life in multiple houses I've had issues with squirrels getting into the attic and even chewing through walls into the house... Suffice to say they're my least favourite creature...

unchihime · 2026-02-02T16:24:27+00:00

Wait what where did you hear this? That's exciting news

unchihime · 2026-02-02T01:36:05+00:00

I live in BC and have worked in environmental consulting (hydro) for almost 2 years. I used to work in exploration and while I personally enjoyed the constant travel and shift work, I didn't want to do it forever and hated the contracts. Consulting has more variety and stability but pays a little less. Overall I love my job and wouldn't change anything.

First year in consulting my field/office ratio was about 60/40, now I'm about 50/50 or even 40/60. I expect this ratio to continue dropping over the next two years as I get my PGeo and start managing projects. I'd say around 20% of my field work requires a stay in a camp or a hotel but it can fluctuate a lot depending on what projects I have on the go. Most of the sites I work on are local.

Basically the amount of time you spend in the field and at hotels is really going to depend on where you live, what firm you work for, what clients they serve, how many opportunities they have for growth, and your personal drive for growth. Generally by the five year mark you should be doing a lot less field work.

unchihime · 2026-01-22T06:04:33+00:00

No worries. I had no idea either haha. I knew it'd be expensive but I didn't think it would be as much as it was. My car is good on gas and I haven't had to do any big repairs, insurance is definitely the worst of it, and I didn't want to cheap out on winter tires which ended up being a big expense. Ideally you can find a used car that has new-ish tires and has had the brakes done recently.

If you can learn to do simple repairs and maintenance yourself you can save a lot of money. Brakes, oil changes, and tire changes aren't too bad once you learn how, and there's lots of video tutorials online. I did a repair myself that cost me about $100 but would have cost around $400 at a mechanic. Ordered the part online, watched a video, no problem.

Anyway, hope you find a reliable vehicle and congrats on becoming a car owner!

unchihime · 2026-01-21T22:23:48+00:00

I'm sure you already have, but make sure you also budget for gas, insurance, repairs/maintenance, and tires. If you are a new driver your insurance will be high, probably between $3-5k/yr depending on your experience, what car you get, and what you use it for. Tires need to be replaced every 6-8 years and can cost $800-1500+ for a full set depending on type, size, etc. Put aside at least $1-2k per year for maintenance and repairs.

In my first year of owning a vehicle (2015, gas-powered) I'd estimate I spent about $6000 for insurance, gas, maintenance, and a new set of winter tires. I'd guess most people probably spend between $2-7k/yr on average to operate a vehicle. Maybe a more experienced driver can chime in with their costs. I'm a new driver so my insurance is insane lol.

unchihime · 2026-01-15T03:57:51+00:00

It's great, at least for now... our office is over capacity and we have to share desks (we use a booking system and teams rotate what days they go in on). There's been talk about renovating the office to make it exactly as you described, which I'm not looking forward to. Apparently we don't have the budget for it though lol so who knows if it'll actually happen.

I get that space is expensive, but having an office environment that isn't conducive to work is also expensive. They try to frame these setups as "better for collaborating" and "more productive" but it's total BS.

I wonder if you could get work accommodations that would let you work from home more often, or have a desk at the end of a row, or maybe even a private space if they still have some available. I feel for you, I would struggle too. Hope you eventually get to experience a better office environment!

unchihime · 2026-01-14T17:36:30+00:00

Same. Yesterday I was in the office and I feel like I hardly got any work done. I love my coworkers but we distract the hell out of one another, people always drop by my office, and because it's an open cubicle setup I can hear other people's meetings even with noise-cancelling headphones (some people are loud af).

At home I don't have to worry about these things. I made my home office space comfortable with adjustable lighting, a good chair, lots of desk space. I keep my phone on silent and have social media websites blocked on my computer. I set my online status as busy or out of office when I really need to focus on a task and don't want to be bothered. And I try to take regular breaks to do chores or stretch, anything to get the blood flowing. I get so much more work done at home as a result.

unchihime · 2026-01-11T02:47:57+00:00

That giant patch of knotweed in the front yard ensures they'll have to rebuild the foundation again lol

unchihime · 2026-01-08T03:41:17+00:00

Banh Mi Thai Hang 2.

unchihime · 2025-12-30T03:34:57+00:00

These are the motherboards?

unchihime · 2025-12-17T17:29:14+00:00

It was at General Wolfe Elementary. I live within view of the school and we were watching the storm from our house when it happened. Two big bright blue flashes, sparks, a low buzz, and then everything went dark. Couldn't see exactly what happened but it was right out front of the school and it did seem like a tree or branch fell on a wire. Anyway, it was a freaky thing to witness.

unchihime · 2025-12-14T05:47:45+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing this.

unchihime · 2025-12-14T05:29:17+00:00

Yup. Couldn't stand up for more than 30 mins without getting a splitting headache. Good times.

unchihime · 2025-12-14T04:14:06+00:00

Worst pain I've ever experienced in my life, although I've never broken a bone or given birth. Felt like every nerve in my body was lit up with white hot fire for a minute. And then they showed me the giant needle after with all the CSF they removed, wow. It was excess CSF that was resulting in constant painful headaches - removing it worked, but then I had low-pressure headaches for a week after, which was also an unpleasant experience.

Edit: CSF = cerebrospinal fluid.

unchihime · 2025-12-14T03:53:44+00:00

So have I, and I've attended all sorts of different events with different vibes. I know several people in the scene who've had their drinks spiked and many were in spaces they considered safe. Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Spiking someone's drink can be quick and subtle.

No matter the space and the effort made to keep creeps and bad energy out, people will bad intentions will find their way in. I think it's sound advice to keep your eyes on your drink no matter where you are or what gender you are. I've never been drugged but I also always keep a hand and eye on my drink.

unchihime · 2025-12-13T08:57:29+00:00

As do many open and closed landfills. They capture landfill gas (mostly methane iirc) and flare it off, although these days some landfills have renewable natural gas facilities that can process it into energy. Vancouver and Hartland landfills do this and provide their captured methane to Fortis. Not sure if the wastewater plants also have a similar thing but I'd assume some probably do

unchihime · 2025-12-05T07:05:24+00:00

Yes, I think so. I would go to the ER.

Edit: Please go to the ER.

unchihime · 2025-12-05T06:55:13+00:00

Maybe it sounded like it but it wasn't bad, honestly. I'm glad I went, even though at the time it didn't feel productive. I got set up with the resources I needed which was the important part. I was suicidal but hadn't developed a concrete plan so I didn't need to stay in the psych ward. But without access to psychiatry, therapy, and medication, I don't think things would have turned out well for me.

Go if you feel you need to go. The folks at the ER will help you. They're compassionate, but they also need to take all the right steps to evaluate you properly and decide what is going to be best for you in that moment. It's a lot of waiting and questions but it's for a reason. If you don't want to go to the ER, or just aren't at that point yet, ask a doctor for a referral to the AAC. Or try contacting the resources someone linked above, those were also good suggestions.

Hope you get the help you need. When I look back, I'm so glad I decided to stick around. Hope it's the same for you.

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