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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Oct 9, 2020 11:54:18 GMT
*gasp* What? Nah, I getcha. My sister doesn't care for them either. Is it the stickiness, or the taste/texture, or just a generalized not-my-preference?
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Post by Starsinger on Oct 9, 2020 19:49:43 GMT
I very much dislike stickiness, but I’m also not a huge sweet-tooth, and potentially have an allergy or strong intolerance to sugar of some variety that I really ought to have a doctor check out one day 😅
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Oct 9, 2020 23:07:42 GMT
Ah. That's fair. Also, sugar intolerance sounds like an annoying problem to have to live with. Even if you don't have a sweet tooth, it's kind of everywhere. (Also, since you don't like marshmallows — do you have a favorite camping food? If that makes sense?)
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Post by Starsinger on Oct 10, 2020 1:03:01 GMT
Nah, it’s not too bad, I think it’s just certain refined varieties, so I just tend to avoid sweets and lighter chocolate products, and I’ve never been a huge fan of carbonated drinks either, so mostly in my normal diet I don’t run into trouble, plus o tend to make all my meals from scratch so I can control what’s in it. And it has to be in fairly high concentrated amounts.
Hmm, I don’t know if I have one. I feel like we’ve always cooked fairly standard meals when we’ve been camping, so there’s nothing specific to camping that I can think of. The key thing to a good campfire is the company.
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Post by Goldarrow on Oct 10, 2020 4:15:17 GMT
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Oct 10, 2020 13:05:18 GMT
Starsinger: Ah, that makes sense. I will agree that carbonated drinks are kinda overrated, even if you're not sensitive to sugar. Also, your "the key thing to a good campfire is the company" sounds like an . . . I don't know if inspirational quote is the right term, but something like that? Like, if I saw it in a fancy font over a nice picture, I wouldn't be surprised. Goldarrow: I know you were directing that at Starsinger, but those look really good and now I kinda want to try them if/when my family ever goes up to the mountains again.
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Post by Starsinger on Oct 10, 2020 19:36:40 GMT
Goldarrow I may just have to try those out! I would definitely do my usual when baking, which is to at least half the sugar XD I can't say I've ever had a pineapple upside down cake before either. Leilani Sunblade Hahaha thanks? I just feel like with the right company and a fire you can have some great conversations that wouldn't necessarily happen in daylight. Also a bonus if someone has a guitar. Do you/ have you been camping often?
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Oct 10, 2020 20:28:17 GMT
Starsinger: I getcha. Mostly. (A lot of my experience with campfires has either been with just my family or with very large groups, so, yeah.) And I haven't been tent-camping since I was . . . I don't know. Preteen? It's been a while. But my family (immediate plus my grandpa) usually rents a cabin up in the mountains once a year, and we go up there and do most of the things people do when they go camping (hiking, shooting, sometimes canoeing, cooking out, etc), just with the benefit of beds, running water, and walls/glass windows between us and the mosquitos. It's fun.
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Post by Starsinger on Oct 10, 2020 21:00:31 GMT
I would love to do that, but we don’t really have that kinda thing here. If you’re staying in a cabin/hut it’s here all because you’re on a multiple day hike, so they tend to be quite simple as most people only stay a night. I’ve falling in love with a YouTube channel recently (Trout and Coffee) where the person spends a lot of time at different cabins. But o suppose we done really have enough space as a country to have that be common or for many options to be around, and the ones that are are very expensive.
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Oct 11, 2020 2:16:19 GMT
Aw, that's sad. I mean, you may have the advantage that the average person is closer to the types of hiking trails and less developed areas than the average US person is. So part of the reduced call for cabins might be because you don't have to drive 8-ish hours to get to your preferred forested/mountainous/minimally developed area. But I do wish you could have the experience; it's really fun. (And it has the advantage(?) of being an enforced internet break, usually, because we either get no reception or really bad reception — which I have mixed feelings about, but do need sometimes.)
I looked at the Trout and Coffee channel very briefly. It looks like they visit some really pretty areas.
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Post by Starsinger on Oct 11, 2020 2:40:36 GMT
That is accurate, you'll barely ever drive 8 hours anywhere, unless you're going from one end of an island to another. I do enjoy driving and long trips, but I love the idea of that, going into the middle of nowhere to stay in a cabin. I also feel like a lot of the land area here you wouldn't be able to do that with because the majority of it is either private farmlands/plantations, or national parks and conservation lands, which also means that there is an even more limited number of places you can take a dog with you as well (and also less chance of owning and bushland to build a cabin in). There are still many places where internet and reception issues are a problem here as well. Like the last place I lived, literally 15 minutes out of town, if that, and I had no reception and incredibly slow internet that made study a nightmare.
Very pretty, but also just the production of the videos and story-telling is very calming and nostalgic, which I enjoy.
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Oct 11, 2020 12:51:03 GMT
Well, we're not quite in the middle of nowhere. But close enough. xD Also — you can't bring dogs into national parks in NZ? Or are you just referring to places to stay? Also, I do not envy that internet/reception situation, either for your personal level or in the more general sense. I rely on the internet for too much of what I do, haha.
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Post by Starsinger on Oct 11, 2020 17:12:18 GMT
AS a general rule of thumb, no, not even to regional ones, there may be exceptions. Because the thing is that in the absence of mammalian predators before the arrival of humans here some of our native birds decided to evolve to be ground dwelling, so consequently they are now endangered, and dogs tend to like chasing things on the ground. I do believe that if you bring a dog to a conservation area that states no dogs, then you are at risk of a hefty fine and actually jail time. And while these birds are not widespread, they other danger is that dogs will eat the poison from bait stations (for the control of possums and mustelids which are a very big problem) and that stuff is nasty (but necessary).
I do know that if I want to take Queen hiking in the regional forrest parks, I would have to get her to do kiwi scent aversion training, and that is potentially a long process.
Yeah, it was not fun and very frustrating. I do believe we have been accused of being akin to a third world country in some of our infrastructure like internet and cell coverage.
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Oct 12, 2020 13:19:12 GMT
Huh. That makes sense; I hadn't considered the wildlife concerns. It just threw me off, since it's really common up here to see people hiking with their dogs in a lot of national parks. Is the scent aversion training something you would do if you had time? Or is it not worth it enough to bother?
I mean, there are areas in the US that are just as or almost as bad. So if NZ has more rural areas, percentage-wise (which is the implication I've gotten? though I could be wrong and just be getting spotty info), it makes sense. But yeah.
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Post by aaliyahhiddenblade on Oct 12, 2020 16:52:42 GMT
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
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Post by Starsinger on Oct 12, 2020 20:02:21 GMT
Yeah, unfortunately it makes sense so rules are unlikely to change. I'd definitely be keen if I had the time, even though I've never actually been hiking much (for a lack of people to go with), I hope one day to find companions to go with, or to have the guts to go by myself.
Mm, I think you're right there.
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Post by Ellron Silvertree on Oct 13, 2020 0:39:13 GMT
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Oct 13, 2020 16:04:47 GMT
Starsinger: I hope you get the chance to go as well. Given that we've pretty much exhausted this topic at this point, anything else interesting happening with your life?
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Post by Starsinger on Oct 13, 2020 21:19:31 GMT
Um, not really unless you count final weeks of semester and many assignment, and upcoming exams, and crisis about study choice and career options.
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Post by Goldarrow on Oct 13, 2020 21:47:50 GMT
Starsinger: Eek, I do not miss those days. Concerning career options, my only advice is to take what comes your way and move forward off of that. My background is all over the place, but I have learned a lot about myself (likes/dislikes) and the world because of it. There are two types of people when it comes to careers. 1) I know what I've wanted to do since I could talk and 2) I don't think I'll ever figure out what I am supposed to do for a living. (I am in group 2... just now starting to narrow down my interests enough to pursue specific roles for this phase of life.) Group 2 is more stressful, but also more of an adventure with more doors to explore. I don't know if this helps at all, but just know you're not alone and keep moving forward. Semi-related: Bob Goff's book 'Love Does' is a joyful collection of stories about a guy who did crazy/fun stuff and is thankful for every lesson he learned along the way. It's the mindset I try to have. I recommend the audiobook because the author reads it and you can't help but smile and laugh with him.
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Post by Starsinger on Oct 13, 2020 22:56:43 GMT
Goldarrow I am well and truly in the 2nd category. I chose to study out of interest and for a change of scene. It's just fairly research-based, and I can't see myself working in that kind of field for a long time, hence the crisis, as I had also been debating adding a second major for interest. Hmm, I may have to check that out at some point.
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Oct 14, 2020 12:33:53 GMT
Starsinger: Ooof. You have my sympathy for your crisis. I'm more of Group 1 in Goldarrow's division, so I don't have any advice, but I can be praying for you. Remind me what you're studying (and what you're thinking of adding)?
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Post by Goldarrow on Oct 14, 2020 18:58:27 GMT
Starsinger: That sounds a lot like what I did. Majored in a hobby and the minored in my career (which later became a major too). I echo Sunblade, do you mind sharing what you are studying? I have worked with a lot of industries and many of them like research-minded people who have technical knowledge from school. This is because they can place you in a position based on soft skills with minimal hard skills training.
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Post by Starsinger on Oct 14, 2020 20:50:15 GMT
BSc with and Environmental Science major, and was considering adding on Earth Science (Geology) as a second major seeing as I've done probably about half of the papers necessary for that already, enjoy it, and am fairly good at it. I've already decided against that though, because it will most likely end me up in research which, while I love learning and discovering new things is definitely not for me, and also add more time on to my degree.
I did know entering study that I had no idea where I wanted to go with it, and I'm fine with that, I'm happy to figure it out as I go... just my workload had me questioning my life choices XD
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Oct 15, 2020 12:57:14 GMT
Oh, right, I remember you telling me that now. I definitely understand not wanting to go into research, for the record. I don't know enough about that field to have suggestions for you, but, again, I'll be praying as you figure stuff out.
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Post by Starsinger on Oct 15, 2020 23:25:00 GMT
Thank you. I think I’ve already decided.
Anyway, so anything much happening on your end?
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Oct 16, 2020 12:51:45 GMT
Um. I'm working on outlining a new book. (I've reached the conclusion that the shorter I want a book/the writing time on a book to be, the more detailed I have to make an outline, which suuuuuuuucks, but it is what it is.) And I may have a job interview sometime in the next week or two, which is exciting.
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Post by Starsinger on Oct 17, 2020 9:21:21 GMT
Ooh, I can imagine that is tedious, especially given how much I always struggled to outline, but I guess the more detail for a shorter means you're less likely to waste time in the book on things that aren't relevant to the story. I used to enjoy long books, now I appreciate shorter, well written ones that done faff about too much.
Ooh, job interviews are exciting. What kind of jobs are they for, if I may ask?
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Post by Leilani Sunblade on Oct 17, 2020 12:52:34 GMT
Exactly. And I'm less likely to spend time and energy trying to figure out where things are going while I'm in the middle of writing it. I still like long books, but I need this one to be short.
One is a graphic design and marketing position; the other is with an online school teaching graphic and web design. The second one is part-time, but it's with an organization I'd quite like to work with, so they're both pretty good options if they work out.
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Post by Starsinger on Oct 18, 2020 8:45:06 GMT
Ooh, those both sound really interesting and that they'd each provide different but really good challenges.
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