Blast from the Past: Eating at Roy Rogers
Nov. 27th, 2025 12:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerThanksgiving triplog #12
Leesburg, VA · Tue, 25 Nov 2025. 12:30pm.
Hawk and I are road-tripping from northern Virginia to central Pennsylvania today. It's a day sooner than we planned to make this drive but we called an audible this morning after plans fell through. After packing up and leaving the hotel a day early we ran a quick errand a few miles down the road in Gainesville, VA then started our route north toward Harrisburg, PA.
Gainesville used to be a dot on a map, an exit off I-66 with a handful of fast food restaurants and gas stations for travelers. Now it's a series of huge strip malls stretching 2 miles long and a mile wide, with lots of big-box stores and restaurants. Oh, and shitty traffic to match.
We considered eating lunch in Gainesville. With so many restaurants to choose from (again, this burgeoning exurb used to be a rural crossroads) we figured we'd find something. One name leapt out at me: Roy Rogers.
Ultimately we didn't eat at Roy Rogers in Gainesville but did eat at one about half an hour north along our route, in Leesburg, VA. There are two Roy's in Leesburg. Along with the one south in Gainesville and one west in Front Royal, this is a region where you can find a lot of Roy Rogers restaurants. There are only about 40 Roy's now, so about 10% of all their restaurants are in this western-northern Virginia area.
Many of you reading this might be wondering, "WTH is a Roy Rogers restaurant?" The chain begain struggling and crashed in the 1990s through a series of acquisitions, mergers, and sales. At its height in the 1980s, though, it had 600 stores. When I was a kid and people were arguing about whether McDonald's or Burger King was better, I was like, "How about we go to Roy Rogers instead?"
As I walked into the restaurant I told the gal who asked to take my order, "Give me a moment to read the menu, it's been 40 years!"
As I thought more about when really was the last time I saw a Roy's I walked that 40 years claim back to 30 years. I definitely ate at Roy's a few times in the early 1990s, and I remember finding one to eat at on a road trip in the 1994-1995 timeframe. By then Roy's was already folding up most of its locations. I'm all but certain I haven't set foot in a Roy's since then.
So, how is it 30 years later?
Well, Roy's still has the "Fixin's Bar"! It's not as big as I remember, but it's still got all the goodness of being able to dress your hamburger yourself.
Curiously, Roy's didn't start as a fast food hamburger restaurant. According to its Wikipedia article it started in the late 1960s selling roast beef sandwiches. I think they may have phased those out years later as I don't recall seeing roast beef on the menu in my earliest recollections of eating there as a kid in the late 70s. By then they were mostly about hamburgers— and that iconic Fixin's (sic) Bar. Later they added fried chicken. But I always liked them for their burgers better than McDonald's and Burger King. Being able to dress the burger exactly the way I wanted it was an additional plus.
Speaking of the Fixin's Bar....
Today I dressed my burger the way I always did. A bit of lettuce, a few onions, mustard, and twice as much ketchup as I wanted because the ketchup pump still squirts out way the hell too much ketchup at a time. Even 40 years later some things don't change! 🤣
The burger wasn't quite as good as I remember. I don't know if that's because all fast food burgers have deteriorated in quality over the years as restaurants have sought cheaper ingredients and almost never cook them fresh to order anymore; or if it's because I have a more discerning palate now than when I was a kid. Probably it's some of both. Though one improvement in my lunch today was getting a side of onion rings with my burger. I don't remember onion rings being an option there back in the day. And these 'rings had thick, juicy hoops of onion inside a light fry coasting. Mmm-mmm!
Leesburg, VA · Tue, 25 Nov 2025. 12:30pm.
Hawk and I are road-tripping from northern Virginia to central Pennsylvania today. It's a day sooner than we planned to make this drive but we called an audible this morning after plans fell through. After packing up and leaving the hotel a day early we ran a quick errand a few miles down the road in Gainesville, VA then started our route north toward Harrisburg, PA.
Gainesville used to be a dot on a map, an exit off I-66 with a handful of fast food restaurants and gas stations for travelers. Now it's a series of huge strip malls stretching 2 miles long and a mile wide, with lots of big-box stores and restaurants. Oh, and shitty traffic to match.
We considered eating lunch in Gainesville. With so many restaurants to choose from (again, this burgeoning exurb used to be a rural crossroads) we figured we'd find something. One name leapt out at me: Roy Rogers.
Ultimately we didn't eat at Roy Rogers in Gainesville but did eat at one about half an hour north along our route, in Leesburg, VA. There are two Roy's in Leesburg. Along with the one south in Gainesville and one west in Front Royal, this is a region where you can find a lot of Roy Rogers restaurants. There are only about 40 Roy's now, so about 10% of all their restaurants are in this western-northern Virginia area.
Many of you reading this might be wondering, "WTH is a Roy Rogers restaurant?" The chain begain struggling and crashed in the 1990s through a series of acquisitions, mergers, and sales. At its height in the 1980s, though, it had 600 stores. When I was a kid and people were arguing about whether McDonald's or Burger King was better, I was like, "How about we go to Roy Rogers instead?"
As I walked into the restaurant I told the gal who asked to take my order, "Give me a moment to read the menu, it's been 40 years!"
As I thought more about when really was the last time I saw a Roy's I walked that 40 years claim back to 30 years. I definitely ate at Roy's a few times in the early 1990s, and I remember finding one to eat at on a road trip in the 1994-1995 timeframe. By then Roy's was already folding up most of its locations. I'm all but certain I haven't set foot in a Roy's since then.
So, how is it 30 years later?
Well, Roy's still has the "Fixin's Bar"! It's not as big as I remember, but it's still got all the goodness of being able to dress your hamburger yourself.
Curiously, Roy's didn't start as a fast food hamburger restaurant. According to its Wikipedia article it started in the late 1960s selling roast beef sandwiches. I think they may have phased those out years later as I don't recall seeing roast beef on the menu in my earliest recollections of eating there as a kid in the late 70s. By then they were mostly about hamburgers— and that iconic Fixin's (sic) Bar. Later they added fried chicken. But I always liked them for their burgers better than McDonald's and Burger King. Being able to dress the burger exactly the way I wanted it was an additional plus.
Speaking of the Fixin's Bar....
Today I dressed my burger the way I always did. A bit of lettuce, a few onions, mustard, and twice as much ketchup as I wanted because the ketchup pump still squirts out way the hell too much ketchup at a time. Even 40 years later some things don't change! 🤣
The burger wasn't quite as good as I remember. I don't know if that's because all fast food burgers have deteriorated in quality over the years as restaurants have sought cheaper ingredients and almost never cook them fresh to order anymore; or if it's because I have a more discerning palate now than when I was a kid. Probably it's some of both. Though one improvement in my lunch today was getting a side of onion rings with my burger. I don't remember onion rings being an option there back in the day. And these 'rings had thick, juicy hoops of onion inside a light fry coasting. Mmm-mmm!
Thanksgiving dinner is cooking
Nov. 27th, 2025 03:15 pmconulyI put my chicken in the oven and fried up the chicken skins and - listen, I gotta say, of all the food items I've tried because I read about them, fried chicken skins are fucking amazing. I don't mind saying that they are, hands down, the most brilliant thing Jews have contributed to the world, and I do hope my various Jewish friends take that in the spirit it's intended, because omg. I don't care if I find out later that you guys invented the wheel, this is better. I am very thankful.
Anyway, we've got chicken, creamed spinach, possibly creamed corn, maybe beets of some sort, maybe couscous, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (with marshmallows, contributed by a guest), stuffing, cornbread, cranberry sauce, and pies. I'm debating making some soup as well, buuuuuuut I think we may have enough food and not enough bowls. Oh, and there's green beans. Oh, and brussels sprouts and a salad.
(Maybe I should've made baked beans? I wonder if I have time to make baked beans. Oh, but the chicken is in the oven. Hm. Can you make not-baked baked beans? Is that a thing?)
Anyway, we've got chicken, creamed spinach, possibly creamed corn, maybe beets of some sort, maybe couscous, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (with marshmallows, contributed by a guest), stuffing, cornbread, cranberry sauce, and pies. I'm debating making some soup as well, buuuuuuut I think we may have enough food and not enough bowls. Oh, and there's green beans. Oh, and brussels sprouts and a salad.
(Maybe I should've made baked beans? I wonder if I have time to make baked beans. Oh, but the chicken is in the oven. Hm. Can you make not-baked baked beans? Is that a thing?)
Thankful Thanksgiving Thursday
Nov. 27th, 2025 05:52 pmmdlbearToday being (US)Thanksgiving, I will try to extend this back over the last year, more-or-less. I am thankful for...
- Having survived what is now almost 13 months here in the Netherlands, making this my second Thanksgiving here. (And my fifth without Colleen, for which I am NOT thankful, but sad.)
- Finally having gotten the kitchen and other parts of the house re-stocked to a useable level, if not exactly where we left off.
- 220V house wiring, for electric kettles, other appliances, and vehicles.
- Frame.work.
- Having successfully signed up for health insurance and gotten reasonably-priced health care. Including for the cats, who don't have insurance.
- While I'm on that subject, a vet who makes house calls.
- Having, with N, started our (required for immigration) business, and thanks mainly to N's book, actually made some money at it.
- Living in a country that has both good public transit, and excellent bike paths (which work just fine for mobility scooters).
- (Tin)Lizzy and Scarlett-the-carlet, our folding mobility scooter and micro-car respectively.
- Fuzzy blankets. NO thanks for whatever health problem makes me feel cold in the evening no matter what the ambient temperature.
- Finally getting screen rotation working on my Frame.work convertible laptop. Whether it's automatic depends on the window manager, and possibly the phase of the moon. But it should be usable.
- Walks, and occasionally st/rolls.
- Compression socks. (No thanks for the condition they're supposed to improve.)
- Hydrocortizone ointment.
- The filk community.
Last year's Thanksgiving entry is mostly still applicable, but a few plans for what was then the coming year have, predictably, gone by the wayside again, and my health isn't holding up as well as I would like. I'd be thankful for executive function if I had any. I'll be thankful for good drugs once we get my BP and psych meds figured out.
Again, happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it. (That includes us, but we're having the feast on Saturday to accommodate j's school schedule. Including the annual American Thanksgiving celebration in Leiden,)
Driving a Mazda CX-5
Nov. 27th, 2025 08:22 amcanyonwalkerThanksgiving triplog #11
Gainesville, VA · Tue, 25 Nov 2025. 10am.
We've already logged 225 miles of driving the past few days on our Thanksgiving trip. That seems like plenty to form opinions about our rental car this trip, a 2025 Mazda CX-5.
The CX-5 is a compact crossover SUV. Curiously Mazda has two vehicles in this category, the CX-5 and the CX-50. The two are similar in name— and design. We had a great experience renting a Mazda CX-50 on a trip several months ago so when I saw this similar CX-5 at the rental depot on Saturday morning I eagerly picked it over the GM, Ford, and Mitsubishi alternatives.
I was prepared for the CX-5 to be not quite as nice as the '50. The '5 is an older design, dating back to 2017. Elsewhere in Mazda's lineup the two-digit crossover models (CX-30, CX-70, CX-90) have replaced their single digit predecessors, but Mazda decided to continue selling the '5 alongside the '50. In fact sales figures show the older CX-5 outsells the more recently designed CX-50. But is that because it's better... or just cheaper?
In terms of creature comforts the 2025 CX-5 provides pretty well for a vehicle in its 9th year of production. It's got wireless Apple CarPlay integration That's the main in-cabin advancement of the last 5-10 years I care about. And the CarPlay system just works. It's maddening how many systems I've encountered in the past few years that require watching a troubleshooting video on YouTube (because the simplistic instructions in the car manual don't work) just to figure out how to connect an iPhone to get on-screen navigation. 🤦
There's good feature content beyond just iPhone/Android integration in the CX-5. Those are apparently standard even on the base trim— though there only a cabled connection is supported. Our rental seems to be a mid-level trim, or at least has several key options from the mid-level trim. Beyond the aforementioned wireless connection are power-adjustable leather seats, heated seats— seeing this car had heated seats was a major part of the reason we chose it— a sunroof, an upgraded Bose stereo, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, and a power liftgate.
Overall this vehicle scores pretty highly on creature comforts. It's like an entry-luxury vehicle. That's one thing Mazda's recent models are reputed for: well designed and comfortable interiors. In fact this one's so comfortable I easily fell asleep in it when I needed a nap.
Where this car doesn't perform so well is in driving. Oh, the cornering and handling are great for a non-sports car. Handling is another area where Mazda has long had a strong reputation. But this vehicle with its base engine just doesn't have any zoom-zoom. In city traffic it's adequate, but accelerating to highway speeds is a leisurely process. Mashing the accelerator harder doesn't make it go any faster, just louder. I don't recall the CX-50 being this sluggish; and these cars supposedly share the same powertrain. Maybe there's better engine tuning in the more recently designed CX-50.
Finally, fuel economy. In mostly highway driving we've averaged about 30 mpg. That's a little better than the EPA rating of 29 highway and 25 combined.
Gainesville, VA · Tue, 25 Nov 2025. 10am.
We've already logged 225 miles of driving the past few days on our Thanksgiving trip. That seems like plenty to form opinions about our rental car this trip, a 2025 Mazda CX-5.
The CX-5 is a compact crossover SUV. Curiously Mazda has two vehicles in this category, the CX-5 and the CX-50. The two are similar in name— and design. We had a great experience renting a Mazda CX-50 on a trip several months ago so when I saw this similar CX-5 at the rental depot on Saturday morning I eagerly picked it over the GM, Ford, and Mitsubishi alternatives.
I was prepared for the CX-5 to be not quite as nice as the '50. The '5 is an older design, dating back to 2017. Elsewhere in Mazda's lineup the two-digit crossover models (CX-30, CX-70, CX-90) have replaced their single digit predecessors, but Mazda decided to continue selling the '5 alongside the '50. In fact sales figures show the older CX-5 outsells the more recently designed CX-50. But is that because it's better... or just cheaper?
In terms of creature comforts the 2025 CX-5 provides pretty well for a vehicle in its 9th year of production. It's got wireless Apple CarPlay integration That's the main in-cabin advancement of the last 5-10 years I care about. And the CarPlay system just works. It's maddening how many systems I've encountered in the past few years that require watching a troubleshooting video on YouTube (because the simplistic instructions in the car manual don't work) just to figure out how to connect an iPhone to get on-screen navigation. 🤦
There's good feature content beyond just iPhone/Android integration in the CX-5. Those are apparently standard even on the base trim— though there only a cabled connection is supported. Our rental seems to be a mid-level trim, or at least has several key options from the mid-level trim. Beyond the aforementioned wireless connection are power-adjustable leather seats, heated seats— seeing this car had heated seats was a major part of the reason we chose it— a sunroof, an upgraded Bose stereo, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, and a power liftgate.
Overall this vehicle scores pretty highly on creature comforts. It's like an entry-luxury vehicle. That's one thing Mazda's recent models are reputed for: well designed and comfortable interiors. In fact this one's so comfortable I easily fell asleep in it when I needed a nap.
Where this car doesn't perform so well is in driving. Oh, the cornering and handling are great for a non-sports car. Handling is another area where Mazda has long had a strong reputation. But this vehicle with its base engine just doesn't have any zoom-zoom. In city traffic it's adequate, but accelerating to highway speeds is a leisurely process. Mashing the accelerator harder doesn't make it go any faster, just louder. I don't recall the CX-50 being this sluggish; and these cars supposedly share the same powertrain. Maybe there's better engine tuning in the more recently designed CX-50.
Finally, fuel economy. In mostly highway driving we've averaged about 30 mpg. That's a little better than the EPA rating of 29 highway and 25 combined.
Nicked by M. T. Anderson
Nov. 27th, 2025 09:40 amjames_davis_nicoll
A pious monk is dispatched on a mission about which he has serious reservations: steal the bones of St. Nicolas.
Nicked by M. T. Anderson
The Reason It Fucked Me So Up.
Nov. 27th, 2025 10:48 amrionaleonhartSome more ficlet requests from Tumblr! Lots of obscure nonsense in here, to my delight.
( Danganronpa: Despair Time: Xander and Teruko. )
( Eden’s Garden/Danganronpa: Damon Maitsu meets Nagito Komaeda. )
( Danganronpa: survivors of the first game discuss Touko/Komaru. )
( Vargas: Edgar being possessive of Scriabin. )
( The Coffin of Andy and Leyley: complicated Ashley/Julia. )
( Persona 5: Akechi/protagonist mindgames. )
( Clair Obscur: one-sided Maelle/Gustave. )
When I posted the Persona 5 ficlet to my secondary AO3 account, I named it play stupid games, win something good probably, and I don’t think I’ll ever come up with a better title in my life.
( Danganronpa: Despair Time: Xander and Teruko. )
( Eden’s Garden/Danganronpa: Damon Maitsu meets Nagito Komaeda. )
( Danganronpa: survivors of the first game discuss Touko/Komaru. )
( Vargas: Edgar being possessive of Scriabin. )
( The Coffin of Andy and Leyley: complicated Ashley/Julia. )
( Persona 5: Akechi/protagonist mindgames. )
( Clair Obscur: one-sided Maelle/Gustave. )
When I posted the Persona 5 ficlet to my secondary AO3 account, I named it play stupid games, win something good probably, and I don’t think I’ll ever come up with a better title in my life.
Relatives Ghost Us. Change of Plans.
Nov. 26th, 2025 09:48 pmcanyonwalkerThanksgiving triplog #10
Manassas, VA · Tue, 25 Nov 2025. 9am.
Our plan for this Thanksgiving week trip, like the past several years, was to spend the first half of the week visiting my relatives plus some of Hawk's friends in the Washington, DC suburbs then spend the second half of the week with her parents in Pennsylvania. It has been tough trying to make plans to visit 3 of my nieces. We've been trying to arrange dates and times to visit since September. They've ghosted most of our contact attempts. One finally offered a non-committal idea then said (basically) "Sorry, something came up" in pulling back from it. Well, we've been here in the area for 3 days now with no further answers, despite us reaching out, gently, once a day. We're done trying.
Our plan was to stay here through tomorrow, then drive up to Pennsylvania on Wednesday. We figured we could leave early or late depending on Wednesday plans. But at this point we couldn't even line up Tuesday plans. So this morning we called an audible. We'lre packing our bags now to leave a day early. We'll run one quick errand in town then hit the road to Pennsylvania. Hawk's parents are already really happy they'll get to see us a day early.
It's a sad extension of how I've already limited time visiting my own family the past two years. Now it pertains to more of my extended family. They're too busy living their lives to make time to see me when I try to visit. So after a reasonable try I move on. At least I have somewhere to go where people are excited to see me. It's bittersweet it's my inlaws instead of my own family.
Manassas, VA · Tue, 25 Nov 2025. 9am.
Our plan for this Thanksgiving week trip, like the past several years, was to spend the first half of the week visiting my relatives plus some of Hawk's friends in the Washington, DC suburbs then spend the second half of the week with her parents in Pennsylvania. It has been tough trying to make plans to visit 3 of my nieces. We've been trying to arrange dates and times to visit since September. They've ghosted most of our contact attempts. One finally offered a non-committal idea then said (basically) "Sorry, something came up" in pulling back from it. Well, we've been here in the area for 3 days now with no further answers, despite us reaching out, gently, once a day. We're done trying.
Our plan was to stay here through tomorrow, then drive up to Pennsylvania on Wednesday. We figured we could leave early or late depending on Wednesday plans. But at this point we couldn't even line up Tuesday plans. So this morning we called an audible. We'lre packing our bags now to leave a day early. We'll run one quick errand in town then hit the road to Pennsylvania. Hawk's parents are already really happy they'll get to see us a day early.
It's a sad extension of how I've already limited time visiting my own family the past two years. Now it pertains to more of my extended family. They're too busy living their lives to make time to see me when I try to visit. So after a reasonable try I move on. At least I have somewhere to go where people are excited to see me. It's bittersweet it's my inlaws instead of my own family.
#44 Declan’s Views (part 1 of 1, complete)
Nov. 26th, 2025 11:45 pmdialecticdreamerDeclan’s Views
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only):
[Sunday, May 10, 2020, night]
:: Hours later, Declan opens up a little more. Part of the Edison’s Mirror universe. ::
Declan accepted the mug of cold water, and smiled at Aidan. They stood in the lower level of the garage. The younger man whispered, “Vic wasn’t tired, but he cuddled up to sleep with Ed. Are the nightmares as bad as the kid says?”
Aidan nearly flinched. “Yes.” He sighed. “I need to ask a few questions about… a very difficult topic.”
( Read more... )
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only):
[Sunday, May 10, 2020, night]
:: Hours later, Declan opens up a little more. Part of the Edison’s Mirror universe. ::
Declan accepted the mug of cold water, and smiled at Aidan. They stood in the lower level of the garage. The younger man whispered, “Vic wasn’t tired, but he cuddled up to sleep with Ed. Are the nightmares as bad as the kid says?”
Aidan nearly flinched. “Yes.” He sighed. “I need to ask a few questions about… a very difficult topic.”
( Read more... )
Pringle's Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels, An English-Language Selection, 1949–1984
Nov. 26th, 2025 09:11 pmjames_davis_nicollPringle's book was referenced on Bluesky and since I couldn't read the images, I looked it up on Wikipedia.
The List
( Read more... )
The List
( Read more... )
Of course I can't stay away from volunteering for long...
Nov. 26th, 2025 11:47 pmcosmolinguistAbout 48 hours after stepping down from my previous volunteer position, I've as-formally-as-I'm-going-to taken up a new one.
The queer club I've written about a bunch, where I've made friends and felt part of a community again in a way that was so desperately needed and so good for me after The Other Events of March 2020, had been run by two people out of the goodness of their heart and very little else about two and a half years ago. It was only this summer that they started saying it'd be nice to have a little group of people to help do things like arrive early, set up the room we rent in the community center and stuff like that, and in the last few months a dozen or so of us have done various things (someone procures tea and biscuits, someone knows the code to get in, I am good at setting out tables and chairs and stacking them away again neatly at the end of the evening...)
It's reached the point where our two original organizers want to step back entirely from running things and just be regular attendees of the club, and a handful of us have offered to do that. So tonight those two and four of us had a video meeting for them to share the details of how to book the room, what the password is for the e-mail account, one of us taking over looking after the money, all that kind of stuff. Also when is the Christmas party going to be.
Of course I took notes and of course I tidied them up and circulated them immediately after the meeting.
For all I adore the two founders, I don't begrudge them their break before they can come back and make use of their projects and ideas because they don't have to run up every month and look after all the admin and stuff.
I love the vibe of this, everyone's happy to pitch in. At the Christmas party someone's going to teach us BSL "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and we're going to wear cozy cardigans and have home-baked treats and maybe mulled apple cider [USian meaning of the word, it's a sober space too which is also great]. Onward and upward, queer club!
End of an era
Nov. 25th, 2025 11:23 pmcosmolinguistI was so busy talking about other things yesterday that I entirely missed something I wanted to say.
It's been something like three and a half years...yes I just went and checked, March 2022, I know it wasn't long before I got offered the job I now have (which was May of that year) because it was important that I was still so-underemployed-I-basically-unemployed, pretty much working as a favor to the friends I was working for, and really struggling with job hunting and interviews.
That chance meeting with someone who I got along with so well and who was so complimentary to me meant so much.
Things quickly got complicated and then the rest of my life got more complicated -- I remember having phone calls about the CEO recruitment while I was in Bournemouth for the work conference that I basically abandoned halfway through to deal with the ticket office closure campaign, still the biggest thing I've dealt with at work, and I'd been there barely a year at the time.
I did present at the board and staff away day that summer about EDI; amid people who could really do finance and governance and stuff I felt like such a lightweight with my focus on inclusivity and lived experience and all that, but everyone was supportive and flattering about absolutely everything that I did as a member of that board of trustees. I learned a hell of a lot -- including getting my first experience of being on the other side of a job interview, so soon after I was lambasting them, which was really interesting and did end up useful at work where I've been part of a few recruiting processes since.
Around the new year, with the sad loss of Gary and the impending Trump doom and the potential to lose my job or face a much-changed workplace and my grandma in hospice care, I reached a point where something had to give and it turned out to be this. I e-mailed the new CEO and said I thought I'd have to step down. She was very kind and said that if I could hang on until the end of my term, which them understanding my reduced capacity, it'd make various things easier for them. Since this meant probably no more than attending a few online meetings and the occasional e-mail, I said I was happy to give it a try. I did make an attempt to meet them on this summer's away day, as I was in London that day anyway for work, but it didn't end up happening and that was fine.
Monday was the AGM at which I and the long-time treasurer stepped down: our terms had ended, his job was more demanding now, and I was sad to go but feeling sufficiently battered by the year that I know I made the right decision; I already feel bad that I wasn't able to give this more time and attention in 2025. The outgoing treasurer said his little piece and left the Teams meeting, and then I quickly burbled something about how much this has meant to me, how much I appreciated having been brought in (sadly the person who did so has not been able to be part of the organisation for some time themselves, so they were not able to hear me say this) and how much of a difference it had made to my
They also got me a free Audible credit as a leaving present, which is a perfect gift for me in that I like audiobooks, maybe not enough to faff around setting up an Amazon account (I had shared Andrew's, back in the day, so already lost access to years of Audible subscription that way, sigh), but the thought really does count. When I wrote back to the CEO to thank her/everyone for it, she replied not only being gracious about that but also saying "I was touched by what you said about the impact for you of becoming a trustee and wondered if you might be willing to write a paragraph that we might use when we’re recruiting trustees again or for our Trustees report? It would be great to capture as a quote if that’s possible?"
Yeah, I am very happy to write them a paragraph. Least I can do.
sapphic stocking stuffers
Nov. 26th, 2025 05:26 pmelasticella posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
girlgay
sapphic stocking stuffers: a multimedia, multifandom merrymaking
Fill your holidays with femslash! Sign ups open now until 12/6, and filling runs through 12/31.
Dinner with Cousins. A Town Younger than Me.
Nov. 26th, 2025 12:50 pmcanyonwalkerThanksgiving triplog #9
Manassas, VA · Mon, 24 Nov 2025. 10pm.
The week of eating our way through our family and friends continues! But whereas Hawk came up with that line out of frustration that so much of this Thanksgiving week is about eating, I embrace it. And not because I'm looking for an excuse to over-eat repeatedly but because I accept that an enjoyable meal is a great setting around which to gather and meet friends and relatives. Tonight's gathering, after a different one at lunch earlier today, was with my cousin Matt, aka The Talking Moose, and his wife, Sally.
Among all my cousins Matt is one of the few I was close to as a child and have remained close to as an adult. ...Of course, "close to" is a relative term as when we were kids we only saw each other once or twice a year. And now that we're adults we see each other... once or twice a year. 😅 But I always felt we were close in the sense that we're close in age and share similar intelligence, interests, and curiosity about the world.
We met for dinner this evening at the South Riding Inn. It's a pub with an extensive menu in South Riding, Virginia. As I quipped earlier today, I grew up not that far from here and had never heard of South Riding until maybe a year ago. A quick check of Wikipedia tells me why.... South Riding is a place-name made up by a developer in 1995. So, yeah, it literally didn't exist when I was growing up around here. It's a few miles outside of Chantilly, which was already considered the last suburb before the suburbs gave way to farms back then. And now, of course, it's a burgeoning suburb itself with a population of probably over 35,000.
Dinner was good. I mean, dinner— the food— was adequate. The company was excellent. With Matt and Sally we enjoyed a rollicking good discussion about life, work, family, politics, and places we've traveled. Maybe at some point we'll be able to do this more than once a year. 🤣
Manassas, VA · Mon, 24 Nov 2025. 10pm.
The week of eating our way through our family and friends continues! But whereas Hawk came up with that line out of frustration that so much of this Thanksgiving week is about eating, I embrace it. And not because I'm looking for an excuse to over-eat repeatedly but because I accept that an enjoyable meal is a great setting around which to gather and meet friends and relatives. Tonight's gathering, after a different one at lunch earlier today, was with my cousin Matt, aka The Talking Moose, and his wife, Sally.
Among all my cousins Matt is one of the few I was close to as a child and have remained close to as an adult. ...Of course, "close to" is a relative term as when we were kids we only saw each other once or twice a year. And now that we're adults we see each other... once or twice a year. 😅 But I always felt we were close in the sense that we're close in age and share similar intelligence, interests, and curiosity about the world.
We met for dinner this evening at the South Riding Inn. It's a pub with an extensive menu in South Riding, Virginia. As I quipped earlier today, I grew up not that far from here and had never heard of South Riding until maybe a year ago. A quick check of Wikipedia tells me why.... South Riding is a place-name made up by a developer in 1995. So, yeah, it literally didn't exist when I was growing up around here. It's a few miles outside of Chantilly, which was already considered the last suburb before the suburbs gave way to farms back then. And now, of course, it's a burgeoning suburb itself with a population of probably over 35,000.
Dinner was good. I mean, dinner— the food— was adequate. The company was excellent. With Matt and Sally we enjoyed a rollicking good discussion about life, work, family, politics, and places we've traveled. Maybe at some point we'll be able to do this more than once a year. 🤣
ravey vicissitudes
Nov. 26th, 2025 12:37 pmsistawendyI hit the Blue Moon for another open decks night, and it was a very mixed bag: either excellent or couldn't-wait-for-it-to-end, nothing mediocre. Ah well, you get what you pay for, which in the strict sense of cover is zero in this case. (Yeah, I always get at least one beer because I want the night to stick around.)
There are only two regular open decks nights in the whole city, the aforementioned and one just south of town in White Center. Brit Jean, the promoter at the Blue Moon, proudly points out that hers is at least twice a month. The other is only monthly.
I may be indulging in (even?) more bleepy goodness than usual in the next month or two: a favorite venue is about to get demolished for redevelopment. Brit uses it a lot, but she seems to be taking everything in stride. She points out that it's a minor miracle that it lasted as long as it did.
Very much looking forward to a long weekend starting in four and a half hours. Sleep, outings, and Shin Black ramen with seitan.
There are only two regular open decks nights in the whole city, the aforementioned and one just south of town in White Center. Brit Jean, the promoter at the Blue Moon, proudly points out that hers is at least twice a month. The other is only monthly.
I may be indulging in (even?) more bleepy goodness than usual in the next month or two: a favorite venue is about to get demolished for redevelopment. Brit uses it a lot, but she seems to be taking everything in stride. She points out that it's a minor miracle that it lasted as long as it did.
Very much looking forward to a long weekend starting in four and a half hours. Sleep, outings, and Shin Black ramen with seitan.
Bundle of Holding: SR5 Essentials (from 2019)
Nov. 26th, 2025 02:08 pmjames_davis_nicoll
The core rules plus essentials for the 2013 Fifth Edition of Shadowrun, the cyberpunk-fantasy tabletop roleplaying game from Catalyst Game Labs.
Bundle of Holding: SR5 Essentials (from 2019)
Eighteen setting sourcebooks for Shadowrun 5th Edition.
Bundle of Holding: SR5 Universe Mega
Excised video for second Macy's Parade post
Nov. 26th, 2025 02:02 pmneonvincentI found a video I like better for Local news covers the marching bands in the 2025 Macy's Parade.
WLBT 3 On Your Side reporting Alcorn’s band heads to NYC to perform in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Alcorn’s band heads to NYC to perform in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Recent Reading: The Once and Future King
Nov. 26th, 2025 10:27 amrocky41_7Last night I finished The Once and Future King by T.H. White, because I felt like it was time I made a real foray into the Arthurian legends. The actual first Arthurian book I read was The Mists of Avalon, but that was years ago and before I had heard the full story about Marion Zimmer Bradley. This book takes a decidedly different tone. I’m sticking to the most common name spellings for all of the characters here, because spellings do vary across all versions of these legends.
The first thing that surprised me about The Once and Future King is that it’s funny, and frequently in an absurd, dorky kind of way. Knights failing tilts because their visors fell over their eyes wrong, Merlin accidentally zapping himself away in the middle of a lesson because he was in a temper, the Questing Beast “falling in love” with two men dressed in a beast costume, that sort of thing. This silliness is largely concentrated in the first quarter of the book, which is about Arthur’s childhood, but it’s never fully lost.
The second surprise was how long the book focuses on Arthur’s childhood, but then again, it is setting the scene for Arthur’s worldview and the lessons he internalized as a child which shape his approach to being king.
( Read more... )