I grew up in the north and had NO idea about “eenie meenie” either, until I was about 20 years old, in a store somewhere in central North Carolina with my central NC-raised grandmother and aunt, and I happened to say the rhyme out loud while deciding on something. The two of them flailed like crazy and hushed me right…

“Welshed” (on a bet) is another variation that’s a smack at ... surprise ... the Welsh. (most anti-Welsh sentiment comes from the English; the rest of the world always seems surprised that the prince of Wales is prince of an actual place.)

The fur needs a regular wipe-down, but otherwise kitties are self-cleaning, dammit.

Meine Großmutters Familie sind aus Zweibrücken (en ook Gelderland). Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch und Niederländisch, und habe ich da mehrmals gereist.

And one of the reasons WHY store-bought hummus is garbage is because every single one of them uses oils other than or in addition to olive. Whole Foods used to make great hummus until last year, when they changed the recipe and started putting ... it’s either sunflower or canola oil, I forget what, and now it’s awful.

I have greasy AND sensitive Italian skin that has a dry T-zone. I will never not have acne. The trade-off to this is that I also will never have much in the way of wrinkles - at 41 I have just the barest hint of it on my lower lids that’s only noticeable when dark eyeliner gets smeared.

I was fine with the holiday drink lineup, but they need to start offering spiced molasses drizzle with the gingerbread lattes again! After two years of no molasses, I started packing my own in a tiny tupperware when I knew I’d be stopping there on my way to work.

Have never had the vaccine. Have not had the flu in 20 years, and I only have had it twice that I can remember, maybe 3-4x accounting for when I was a kid and can’t remember. And I’m exposed to sick people pretty regularly between coworkers and customers. I would never imply the vaccine doesn’t work due to my…

I used to watch that, and between that and Emergency Vets, I’d be a big puddle of tears by the end.

Dark - German series on Netflix just picked up for season 2. It starts out pretty standard detective noir that goes bugfuck a few episodes in. It is not devoid of tropes, but they make a reasonable amount of sense in the narrative. It involves a missing kid (this is the opening mystery) but not a serial killer, etc.…

It’s still a lot of extra money when you’re talking about 500£+ - that’s $700 by xe.com, and probably more like $750 plus. Which, for a good quality tattoo, is worth it, but I gotta factor in probably $500 for the airfare and ... well, maybe someday.

The place I want to get a special tattoo done is in Europe. Originally in Copenhagen - so the conversion to Euros was already an extra expense - and now in the UK, so the conversion to pounds is going to make this a ridiculously expensive affair. But they can do exactly the sort of style I want and I love their…

I thought maybe paprika paste would be my new sriracha, but whatever I brought home from Budapest was more salt than pepper, alas.

Interesting, I’ve never heard that, but it might explain why a batch I made recently came out AWFUL, and I didn’t do or use anything different. I’ll have to give it a try with the olive oil added afterwards - substitute more water to keep it the right consistency - and see how it turns out.

The best hummus I ever had was in Santo Domingo - pull up to a tin shack in the middle of the city, they serve you out of a device about the size of a garbage can with a mechanized stirrer, shake on some spices and a couple squirts of olive oil, and that stuff was dish-licking GOOD. The harissa-infused hummus at a…

Luckily, I have obscenely thick hair, which means “let my hair do what it wants to do” is a perfectly viable option... AS LONG AS I keep the length below my shoulders. It may be frizzy from the perpetual humidity of the coastal south, but the weight keeps it under control. I can sleep on wet hair and not brush or comb…

*ahem* lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it *ahem*

The stodgy suits REALLY don’t help. I know the royal family likes to keep things boring, but that boy really needs a slimmer fit with slightly brighter colors. He can carry it off - that red Irish Guard uniform was smashing on him.

He grabbed me by the face once, 20 years ago. I nearly wet myself. It was a highly memorable moment...

I have a container of refined 100% shea butter from the local aromatherapy shop that I already use regularly on my feet and my elbows, but when it gets cold and super-dry, it’s great moisture for my legs and butt that doesn’t get completely schlurped up like lighter-weight lotions that I use during the…