I really wonder about the people who make up paint names. There's one we looked at called Dark Linen that's quite a light sort of spring green colour, which I think you'll agree is neither dark nor linen-coloured. Our wall now looks like a patchwork quilt of browns and blues and lots of colours that are really beige but called Rum Caramel or Twisted Bamboo or Desert Dawn.
There is paint on Sherlock's nose and a bit at the ends of his hair, and a Sherlock-sized handprint on the back of Mycroft's shirt. One of the dogs also has a Striking Cyan tip on his tail. He's going to be harder to clean than Sherlock, or at least harder to keep still.
Mycroft's learning Morse code and trying to teach the dogs to tap out words with their tails for treats. I'm not convinced the dogs have that much control over their tails.
That's all, I suppose. Decent enough day, considering.
There is paint on Sherlock's nose and a bit at the ends of his hair, and a Sherlock-sized handprint on the back of Mycroft's shirt. One of the dogs also has a Striking Cyan tip on his tail. He's going to be harder to clean than Sherlock, or at least harder to keep still.
Mycroft's learning Morse code and trying to teach the dogs to tap out words with their tails for treats. I'm not convinced the dogs have that much control over their tails.
That's all, I suppose. Decent enough day, considering.
201 comments:
1 – 200 of 201 Newer› Newest»My brother works for a large paint company, and his job is to sell paint to those in construction and others in demand of large quantities.
It's hilarious to hear him go on about "fresh lilac" and "spring blue." He makes it sound far more fetching than it looks.
I'm glad you're all keeping busy, even if the cleanup is going to be more than a bit... wiggly.
a Sherlock-sized handprint on the back of Mycroft's shirt.
I can't imagine where Sherlock got such an idea from.
It's not like his Nanny ever picked him up from school with a...slightly larger handprint on his bum, is it? No, quite.
Nor is it like another handprint has appeared there today. Or is it?
Pip - ha! I'm sure we looked at a fresh lilac as well.
Lestrade! I'm going to run out of jeans!
Mmm, twice this week you've called me Lestrade not L. And I got a full 'Greg Lestrade' from A from NW yesterday...
If you run out of jeans, then you'll have to walk around in your boxers...I can't see a problem with that...
I see a problem with picking Sherlock up from school in them!
You can borrow some of mine for that.
Just roll up the legs. A lot.
What's that you say? You want me to paint your hair espresso coloured?
My hair used to BE espresso coloured!
And it can be again!
it'll be hard enough to wash the paint out of Sherlock's hair. Don't make both of us glower at you at bathtime...
No less than you deserve for defacing my jeans and scandalising everyone at Sherlock's school...
How about I offer to hand wash your jeans?
Obviously, it would be easiest, and most pleasurable, if you were wearing them at the time...
Anyway, I'm sure you've said you don't want me to dye my hair in the past. But you know, if it bothers you to be seen with such an old man...
I sense this might not be the most efficient way to get them clean...
However, I could hand wash your hair at the same time.
I think you should keep them as a fashion statement. At least I did it in blue, not brown. That could have looked...unfortunate.
You could still wash me hair. But really, don't feel like you need to paint it first.
Sherlock's insisting on pizza for Mycroft's last night with us. I should get the dough done and rising or we'll be eating late.
I still have the last pair that you did in red. Don't think I need two.
I could. Maybe while the dough's rising.
Mm, I think two makes it a trend. It might catch on.
Seriously, though, I can wash them. Or buy you new jeans. Bumless denim chaps - then I wouldn't be able to deface them :)
Yeah, or later, when the boys are in bed. Then you could rub my shoulders, too. Tense...might be an understatement at the moment.
Maybe I'll just start stealing your hoodies - they ought to be long enough to cover up the evidence.
I'd be happy to.
Ah, so me helpfully reminding you that my jeans might trip you over is met with threats of hair-painting, but then you admit my hoodies are long enough to cover your ass...ets. I see. Right. :)
Come on, you can knead my...dough, and then put it somewhere warm so it doubles in size. You're good at things like that.
Doesn't count when it's me doing it. Anyway, they're nearly long enough to cover up your ass-ets as well.
Do you think we could make Thai pizza some time? Not that I was just considering adding some ginger to your dough or anything.
Yeah, well, I like my clothes baggy.
We could, certainly, as long as you promise it won't hurt me.
Promise thai pizza won't hurt, I mean, not adding ginger to my...dough. I believe that's supposed to hurt, a bit ;)
I like your clothes baggy too when I borrow them.
I promise! We could do little ones and then I could just put the peppers on mine and everyone else would be safe.
Okay.
And keep Sherlock away. Last time he licked the spoon from your curry he drank all the milk in the flat trying to get rid of the burn.
I try. He never believes me that it'll really be that hot. Or maybe wants to keep trying anyway, not sure.
Think he wants to be just like his hero, Danger Watson. :)
Ha. Let's hope not.
You have to learn how to do EVERYTHING John because Lestrade said that even though he isn't going to prison you have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best so you need to prepare to make me pizza.
He's not going to prison, love. It'll be all right.
And don't you almost know how to make me pizza by now? You're always the one helping him.
...well, glad we've established what I bring to the household... But seriously, Sherlock, it'll be okay. I won't abandon you to John's cooking if I can possibly help it, Kiddo.
I'm not allowed to do the oven bits on my own and the stupid dough gets holes in it when I try and stretch it to be a pizza not a lump and Lestrade's been angry before because he's known people were bad and then in court they've been set free and that means sometimes the people who decide are WRONG.
Sometimes. I don't think they'll be wrong this time though.
That is the hard part, stretching it out. We'll work on that.
When I say they're wrong, Sherlock, it's because I think they've set somebody free when they should be in prison, not the other way around. So don't worry.
And don't worry about holes in the dough, either. We can fix them.
Lestrade says I can't throw the dough even that's how I've seen them do it. And if he doesn't have to go to work can he walk us to school every day and does it mean you have to go to work more John?
You'll have to ask him about walking us to school. No, I won't have to work more. I might take some time off from the surgery next week actually.
Sherlock, looking after you is John's job too - might not seem like it to you, but when he's not at the surgery he is still working!
And yes, I'll walk you to school. Just...you don't have to tell everyone why I'm not at work, right? We'll maybe talk to Mrs T, so she knows, and so she understands if you're a bit worried, but apart from that...yeah, no one else really needs to know.
Really, Danger? You don't have to, if you don't want. I don't want to...disrupt everything.
But we have fun and that's not work! Unless he's being mean and not letting me do things and then maybe that is work if Mummy just pays him to be mean.
Sherlock! John isn't mean to you, ever. You just think he is. He's firm and fair and only has your best interests at heart, whether you recognise that or not.
L - you're not disrupting anything, don't worry.
Thanks. Don't think my team would agree with you...but thanks. Feel...pretty disrupted and disruptive.
Got a favourite colour scheme yet? Or want to sleep on it?
Happy to have you home, even if it's not for the reasons any of us would prefer.
Um...don't know. I still like the espresso wall though.
Yeah. My New Year Resolution wasn't meant to be this effective.
Still, could always open a flower shop.
I like the espresso. Just not sure which one I like best with it.
When will pizza be done? It smells done!
Any minute - go and wash your hands and fetch Mycroft. And stop being so impatient!
Yeah, I'm not sure either. Might make you pick.
Hope you enjoy the pizza Sherlock. The more you help Lestrade make them the better at it you will get :-)
Try not to panic about all thats going on and just enjoy having him around a bit more for a bit.
Anony
If we did espresso behind the bed, lightish blue the other three walls, soft brown woodwork...we could have espresso and electric blue curtains? Or...would that be too colourful? Should we go soft brown on the other three walls...but then there'd be no blue... I'm not sure I can do all-brown everywhere. Be a bit...brown.
Butting in to say I like the espresso wall with 3 pale blue walls. Too much dark paint makes the room look small and closed in.
Here's a cooking conundrum for you, Lestrade and Mycroft - how to saute rather thick chicken breasts in olive oil and butter so they're done on the inside, and not burnt on the outside. Normally I would flatten them, but the recipe specifically says not to. Argh.
I sense failure on the horizon.
Maz - what are you doing with the chicken breasts in the end? Is there a sauce? Failure is not an option!
Sounds pretty nice. I think I can handle electric blue curtains.
Danger - we could get something that would end up in league with the wallpaper in the living room:
http://img1.etsystatic.com/il_570xN.233129393.jpg
Or something all modern:
http://common2.csnimages.com/lf/47/hash/3083/2180939/1/Graham--Brown-Blue-Silk-Swirl-Fabric-Wall-Art.jpg
...or stripey and rather more subtle :)
...More subtle, yeah. Stripes are nice. I like stripes.
Mrs Hudson offered us her sewing skills. Maybe she'd be up for making some?
Maz - I'm worrying about your chicken! Turn the burners down. If you're making a sauce, try making it in with the chicken, to stop the pan getting hotspots - or just add water, stock or wine, and cook it off, if that won't ruin your recipe. Or think about browning the outside of the chicken and then cooking it off in the oven, if you don't mind a slightly different texture.
I'll ask her if we can find some fabric we agree on.
This still seems so odd to me, you know? I've never been anywhere long enough to even think about paint and curtains and things.
Okay odd, though? I mean...I don't know what I mean.
Last time I heard people spending this much time discussing fabric they were getting married!
Is there something you aren't telling us guys?
(true story - they made their own wedding clothes)
I'll tell you I'm not letting Mrs Hudson run me up a suit, whatever the circumstances ;)
Maybe a nightshirt?
Yeah, just odd, that's all.
Sorry, sorry, yes, mushrooms and red wine sauce, got it going, things look ok now, just fliped for the first time. Seems ok, have it all on medium heat!
Darn. Sneaky attached tenderloin is separating from one breast - I should have cut it off. Booger. Anyway, so far, no char! :D
May have to oven-finish, though. That one is awfully thick, and red in the middle.
Good luck, Maz.
SH - maybe a nightshirt what?
Danger - Don't know what to say. I hope you...enjoy it. Enjoy making it ours, I suppose.
Maybe Mrs Hudson could sew you a nightshirt in some suitable material, if you don't want a suit.
I totally bailed, put the chicken in the oven. Thanks for reminding me about doing it that way, L.
Ha, I want a nightshirt considerably less than I want a suit. I still don't understand why anyone would wear anything to bed unless it was completely necessary. And now I have to, boxers or shorts are plenty.
Heh, Rider, the fabric discussion is going strong here as well - only the clothes are for a LARP that we're doing at the beginning of July. :-)
L, John - my husband dislikes curtains and I got used to the shutters in Switzerland. So no curtains in my future :-)
(When I say completely necessary, I mean, for their own peace of mind. Not just because of errant children who appear in their bed before consciousness has struck.)
CR - I like shutters, but I don't think we're allowed them. Blackout curtains are good enough. And it'll be nice to have the colour.
Maz - hope it comes out okay!
See, L, I have the exact opposite problem, in that I can't sleep without clothes! That may be from being in the military, but it just feels... wrong... if I don't put on at least a shirt to bed.
I can't wait to hear which colors you decide to paint! It's amazing how something like painting or rearranging furniture can completely change the feel of a room.
Pip - there've been times in my life when I've felt like I need to, for...I don't know, peace of mind? But otherwise...there's few things in life nicer than feeling John's skin against mine :) Even if it means I have to shove my hands up his pyjama top and tangle our legs up so I can feel his bare feet.
Which is bad for him, given my hands and feet are usually not as warm as all the bits of me he doesn't get on him...
You two are so sweet!
I'll always remember when an ex of mine would deliberately place my cold feet on his legs to get them warmer. It always struck me as one of the best parts of being in love. :)
I'd entirely happy warm up any parts of John. It's just not often he needs it... I blame his jumpers.
...and at gone eleven a stray Sherlock has appeared, wanting some milk when he should be fast asleep...
Who rocks the house? That's right, I DO.
http://mazarin221b.tumblr.com/post/18281398518/you-know-you-want-to-live-at-my-house
And no, that sauce isn't burnt, it was made with cabernet sauvignon.
I don't know why I'm so proud, I cook almost every day. I just made penne with creamy tomato sauce and italian sausage just last week. But I've only tried a pan sauce once before. Thanks for the advice about oven-finishing, L, it worked like a charm.
I like the one Espresso wall, 3 soft blue walls idea, a lot! I'd suggest painting the ceiling the same soft brown as the trim--or maybe a slighter lighter shade--rather than white, if that sounds good to you?
If you could find a striped fabric with the same Espresso brown and several shades of blue that would be really attractive for curtains, and maybe for a few throw pillows. (You can always throw the pillows at each other.)
(I wouldn't be terribly surprised if you ended up with a Sherlock in your bed a few nights this week, never mind a few late night milks.)
I am now off to keep my mother company while she redecorates her classroom bulletin board--she says the building is creepy alone at night. And in the morning I'm hoping to get a ride to the Sunday workout at the main dojo...I try to get there once a month or so, and I won't be able to next Sunday as it's the Sunday before Purim, and my mom and I ALWAYS bake hamantashen the Sunday before Purim.
Looks good, Maz!
RR - we might go for a very light brown above the picture rail/on the ceiling, yeah.
Not sure we're the sort for throw pillows...
As for Sherlock...he's been very good since John had a chat to him about getting our bed. But maybe when Mycroft's gone back to school he'll be less happy staying up in his room if he wakes up. I don't know. I don't want him ever to think he can't come down to us if he needs us, but it's hard striking the balance.
Well, I did suggest a possible use for the throw pillows... ;)
And you'll work it out.
Well, hopefully Sherlock will work it out, yeah.
Holy cow, Maz. That looks great.
Throw pillows are awfully good for propping people up. And are more...expendable than sleeping pillows. Other than that, I don't really understand the point of them, since people just seem to put them on the bed just to take them off again at night just to put them on again in the morning just to take them off again at night...ad infinitum.
No warm milk for you, Lestrade?
I meant "you" in the plural--it's sort of a group endeavor, I'd think. :)
The decorator reason for throw pillows is they finish off a room and tie colors together and all that, but the truth is I use mine to prop me up when I want to sit in bed, which I do a lot to watch TV--and to tuck behind my lower back on my desk chair.
Warm milk sounds good to me, DW--at least, very milky tea does. (Sore throat. It's a perfectly horrible allergy season here, and way early, too.) *ambles off to make some*
I meant... doesn't matter, yeah, group endeavour.
DW, maybe I should. Dunno if it's worth it, this close to morning.
Can't do any harm. If warm milk sounds good, I say go for it.
Sleep is always worth it, especially when the people you most want to be with will be up and going tomorrow and you'd be disappointed to miss it.
I do, however, nominate you as president of Insomniacs Anonymous. Or prime minister, if you prefer. :)
You're right, DW, he's perfect for the job. You've got my vote, L!
When I was a toddler, I apparently would eat hot peppers whole, much to the shock of passing waiters at our local Chinese. When I was a bit older, I couldn't stand any spice, but by the time I was a teen I was happily eating spice again. So hang in there Sherlock, you might learn to love it.
Hope you managed to get the paint off the dogs all right. Last fall my landlord had this horrible anti-mold stuff painted on our windowsills, after a fairly big leak had been fixed. My cat was thrilled to stick her paw it in, and seriously less thrilled at my attempts to remove it before she licked it off. However, my green sheets do have some cut paw prints on them as a new permanent accent.
Becca, isn't it nice when pets try to help with the housework? ;)
I can assure you that dogs and degus will be kept well clear of the painting. Well, dogs are going back to school tonight anyway.
Thanks, DW. Do i get a badge or something? I suppose sleep is worth it, but getting pissed off about not sleeping isn't. I got up and started prepping Sunday lunch. Which led to John coming to find me at about 5 and us having a very long hug in the kitchen.
You probably get a pillow. :)
Very long hugs can be worth a little sleep.
DW - Insomniacs Anonymous? InsAn? LOL Not sure if intended but still hilarious...
L - I've read "do I get a badger?", because I was still scrolling. Now I have the Badger, badger song stuck in my head... :-)
CR - Not sure a badger would help me sleep. Although I suppose, being the head of InsAn that's not the point... it would probably be entertaining while I wasn't sleeping.
Maybe it could badger you into staying awake. :)
(Or going to sleep. We haven't had much success with that tactic, but maybe a real badger would do it better... :D)
John might decide he prefers the badger over me, the way I'm going... I should probably shave at some point, although there's not much I can do about the rest of me looking like death.
Long hugs with badgers aren't generally recommended. And they're not k.own for their cooking skills, senses of humour, shoulder rubs, being exceptionally loving, etc. I think you're save.
but they are known for foul tempers, bristly hair and creeping about at night. He'd be forgiven for just mistaking it for me.
I think he could tell the difference, even at 3:00am.
I don't think a badger has cold feet.
*ducks*
John tells me my feet are cold because I never wear shoes or socks around the house.
Therefore by his logic, a badger would also have cold feet.
I know--badgers don't cook! All he has to do is get you both into the kitchen and he'll be able to tell instantly.
Baby badgers: http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/funlunv1/baby_badger_in_hands.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/04/05/article-1167725-044CC127000005DC-834_634x377.jpg
(Also, RR, am too. :P)
Oooh, cute baby badgers! *cooing noises*
But uncute very sharp looking claws. Aha! John just needs to get ahold of a hand or foot, instant telling apart!
(Are not, DW... :P)
DW - that first one looks a bit how I imagine L to look first thing in the morning.
And I presume we're on this blog because of the number on the other one ;)
You know, I think John might be unto something with his wild theories. This whole "John is warm and Lestrade is cold" mystery might be explained by the fact that John know how to dress himself ;-P
(I'm sure they are other way to differentiate your feet and a badger's feet, other than temperature. Size, shape, claws...)
John know how to dress himself
Socks and jumpers. I keep telling him.
I'm warm hearted...
socks are kind of horrible, aren't they? And I wear hoodies!
Socks are lovely! What have you got against socks?
John, I am with L - walking around the flat is awesome. Even during the winter. I don't wear socks at home and when I can, I ditch my slippers as well.
Anyhow, we have enough badgers here now, so let's introduce some mushrooms...
(One NSFW mushroom I think L will like nevertheless...)
They're...confining. Slippery. Sweaty. Nasty. I mean, I get them when wearing shoes, because otherwise the inside of your shoes goes equally horrible. If not more so. But at home? I want my toes to be free!
(And I just have to add at this point that Arsenal have provided a high point to my week, when it looked like it was all going horribly wrong...)
I think it's really something to do with some sort of knitting needle phobia.
Do you settle on your paint colors?
I thought Doc was the not-morning person whereas Lestrade is bright-eyed busy-tailed at the crack of dawn.
And I presume we're on this blog because of the number on the other one ;)
I have no idea what you're talking about, SH...
What's with the war against socks ! They are nice and warm and lovely. In winter I wear thin cotton ones under the big woollen ones to avoid sweating.
Now in summer, bare feet on a cool tiled floor, that's nice.
Yep, I'm with Lestrade on this one, I hate wearing socks around the house. Haven't owned a pair of slippers in a very long time.
Lestrade - yeah, great job by Arsenal today :-) Your trick now will be keeping ahead of Chelsea. I'm feeling a bit sorry for Spurs, tbh. Scholes and Giggs weren't too shabby at Old Trafford today either, especially given it's Gigg's 900th match for Man U.
DW - cute badgers :-)
busy tailed? Mm, my tail is always busy. I won't mention cracks or dawn...
This is more like us in the morning - me deciding I should get as close to John as physically possible. Him opening a long-suffering eye, then trying to go back to sleep.
http://www.healthylifeessex.co.uk/pages/outdoor-life/images/Coco2.jpg
L - that last badger picture is astonishingly accurate.
It is. JohnBadger even has a slightly long-suffering look, and seem to be about to put his paw over his face, just like when you try and burrow into the duvet and deny that morning is upon us.
And LestradeBadger has the blissful look I imagine I sport at cuddling up to you.
How can Sherlock be dancing about the place after eating that much sunday lunch?? Oh, to be young...
And have you spoken to Sarah? You taking any days off this week? Don't want you abandoning the sick and needy for me.
busy tailed? Mm, my tail is always busy. I won't mention cracks or dawn...
Bushy-tailed! I don't really want to know about your busy tail.
That is an adorable picture and yet still hilarious.
I wasn't even on my phone that time. :(
I don't mind you imagining my tail to be busy.
At least it isn't cocked at a tempting angle, like John's...
RR - Espresso, and then it's a close run thing between azure sky 5 and blue seduction 5, I think.
Unless John has completely different views on that...
L - off Tuesday and Wednesday, yeah. Physio Wednesday though, so I'll be out of your hair for a bit.
You won't be in my hair. Just...don't feel like you have to do anything. I mean, if you'd rather go to work or...I don't know. Just don't feel like you have to, thats all.
So, sky or seduction...I'll probably go and buy it tomorrow.
Sherlock wants the whole room some sort of golden yellow...I can't imagine how painful that would be after a few too many drinks. But he doesn't think of things like that.
I don't feel like I have to, love. I want to.
Sky, I think.
Pretty painful after too little sleep, too.
I cast a vote for seduction...oh, you mean the colors. ... Seduction either way. ;) (But they're both nice.)
My sister and I had our bedroom a deep golden yellow when I was a teenager. It actually looked really nice with white trim and white bookcases. Sort of warm and happy.
Sherlock, do you want to change your bedroom color to that yellow?
I wish I'd had a tenner on that score! I particularly wish I'd put a tenner on that score at half-time!
Lancs. Anon
Okay, if you're sure. Just don't want you to feel like you have to babysit me.
Sky it is. Then you can work your charms on Mrs H for some curtains...
The yellow would be just...painful all round. Like waking up in the centre of the sun or something.
RR - he only had his room painted a while ago, he's not getting it done again so soon!
When we moved to Texas, my room was this color, with a black border of huge pink and yellow roses: http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-ca/for-your-home/colour-gallery?cd=2079-40&col=CP#ce_s=springtime%20bloom
I'm sure you all can imagine how long that lasted...
Well, I didn't mean this minute, I meant in the future--but now you mention it, it is just paint.
*ducks*
By the way--I love the cuddled badgers. I also love the name of the URL. :)
DW - that looks the same colour as my old kitchen! Although I had the tasteful zebra-striped fridge, not roses...
RR - he's six, he'll have changed his mind again by the time he's due a repaint.
And I keep misreading the URL... do you love a misread version, or the actual version?
Oh, the misread one!
When I was a kid and had ideas for my room, my mom told me to paste a sample or a picture (from magazines mostly) in a notebook, and the next time we painted or bought new sheets or whatever i could show her what I wanted and she'd see if she could find something like it. It'd be even easier with computers, wouldn't it?
(I don't have golden yellow walls now, in case you're wondering--I had brushed grey walls with purple curtains and duvet cover, and yellow and orange sheets.
It looks very nice, thankyouverymuch. If you don't believe me, I can take a picture. :))
(Brushed silver, which is a warm grey--I don't know where the missing words went!)
I just had posters of footballers on my walls. The odd car or bike. I don't think it ever got repainted, except after the fire. And I didn't get a choice of colour then.
God bless football magazines, making it acceptable to have pictures of fit men on your wall with no one suspecting you were gay...
Being we were renting for my entire childhood, the whole apartment was repainted every three years whether we liked it or not, as required by New York City law. The landlord would only pay for "landlord white" (a sickly off-white) but if you bought your own paint, they'd be just as happy to use that, so mostly we did. And then my father would often feel like changing wall colors between times..
But we never stuck up posters or pictures on the walls--my parents would put up framed pictures and that's what we had. Except when we were very young, my mother pasted a lot of daisies all over the walls. It was very 60s. :)
I know I'm a bit late to the discussion, but perhaps a compromise on the socks, Lestrade? Something like this: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=toe+socks&hl=en&biw=1440&bih=797&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=CCsK6Wm59e6flM:&imgrefurl=http://www.weddings.co.nz/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.pl%3Fnum%3D1221093004/16&docid=ZZSOyE7ghPEgTM&imgurl=http://www.weddings.co.nz/yabbfiles/Attachments/purple-3.jpg&w=380&h=323&ei=om1KT5XzLOORiQKtpJjIBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=702&vpy=252&dur=34&hovh=207&hovw=244&tx=149&ty=137&sig=104665107009317087607&page=1&tbnh=133&tbnw=156&start=0&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:28,s:0
Sorry the link is so long.
God bless football for more than that.
The mags are definitely a good excuse though ;-)
Anony
DW - in one of my old jobs I had a curtain of approximately this color. Usually after 5 minutes spent in that room and then going outside I felt like somebody gave me green sunglasses :-)
RR - We have pale yellow, a little bit like sesame seed color, on our walls now. The previous tenants had not painted the walls in 30-40 years or something. So when we renovated the flat, all the spots were popping up constantly no matter what we did. So we chose a color that matched the spots the best and this one actually worked nice :-) Only it's not my favorite, not really..
CR--Pale yellow can be very pretty--but not so great when it's forced on you, I'd think!
My parents need their living room and dining room painted rather desperately, and I want it to be a light champagne color, to warm up the space (the dining room is really a very wide hallway, no windows) and to bring out the color of the pine parquet floors. We've been saying we're getting testers for at least 3 years now...
You have a law about repainting? Wow.
I'm assuming your 'landlord white' is equivalent to our 'magnolia' (has almost nothing to do with the colour of real magnolia), which is the most basic bulk-buy colour you can get here.
Pip - I've been looking at those shoes you can get, with toes, for running. They're meant to be really good for your posture. I fear I might be too far gone though...
http://www.vibramfivefingers.it/product_details.aspx?model=BIKILA
A kid I used to teach persisted in referring to Magnolia as Mangolia. It completely spread, no one in my family or the school ever refers to it as anything other than Mangolia.
Lancs. Anon.
Mangolia seems more fitting...
Hi guys
Sidling in from lurking in the shadows to show you this link, L, that I thought might interest you despite your socks-ual discrimination (sorry, that's a terrible pun, but I couldn't resist): http://www.toesocks.co.uk
And Sherlock - my flatmate and I were talking about a TV series that we used to watch as kids, and it made me think of you. It's called 'Once Upon A Time... Life' and is about the human body - all the different cells and systems that keep it ticking over. Given that you read John's medical textbooks then the level is perhaps a bit basic for you, but I thought I'd let you know :)
You have a law about repainting? Wow.
New York City does, for owners of apartment houses, yep. Every three years. It's part of the New York City Housing Maintenance Code. And they don't need to spend a penny on enforcement, since New York City tenants are happy to take landlords to court at the drop of a hat. (Mind you, my parents bought their apartment when the building went co-op...oh, must be twenty years ago now. I think they've painted once since then--but since it's theirs, that's fine.)
I'm assuming your 'landlord white' is equivalent to our 'magnolia' (has almost nothing to do with the colour of real magnolia), which is the most basic bulk-buy colour you can get here.
That would be it. :)
Oh--and on the other side of the coin, if you are renting and want a different color than the landlord supplies, you'd better get permission in writing to change it. Or you could get charged a bundle when you leave.
Toe socks, toe shoes... I don't know about you people, and I include you in that, L.
Kate L - Hi! :-)
Do you mean this one? I loved this series! And recently we've bought them with my husband on DVDs and watched them again :-D
Kate L - I think my feet would be too wide to wear those with normal shoes. They're too wide generally, without the extra sock inbetween my toes!
And the good thing about the 'barefoot' shoes is that you don't need to wear socks. I wouldn't like to try running in London with actual bare feet.
On the contrary, Danger, think you know far too much about me :)
Lestrade - those running shoes look a bit uncomfortable; do they not force your toes apart a bit more than is normal? I also misread the colour as "Royal Buggery"...
Nameless - I tried a pair on a while ago, and the stuff between your toes is really thin. I'm just not sure I don't rely on having the big soft bouncy sole of my trainers a bit too much to try and learn a new trick now. Mind you, my toes are fairly spaced out anyway - that's what you get if you walk about bare foot lots, I reckon - happy feet!
CzechReader - hi! And thanks for the link, I didn't know that they had a YouTube channel. Gosh, I can just kiss goodbye to any productivity for the next week or so ;P
L - Yes, I imagine they would make your feet a bit extra wide. And I'm not sure how comfortable they'd be to go running in - they might chafe at the skin in between your toes.
Lestrade - do you think you have a bad running posture? I seem to recall John mentioning something about it a while ago, but I can't remember if that was situation-specific.
I have wide feet too, and spend almost all of my time when I am wearing shoes in comfy Converse or Timberland or equivalents. I have some gorgeous shoes with vertiginous heels and built-in platforms, that I would love to wear on occasion, but I can barely squeeze my toes into them. Definitely get unhappy feet when I do wear them. Worth it though :-p
I don't think I have bad posture all the time...but I quite often run when I'm a bit stressed, and John says I hunch up, shoulders round my ears, which is perfectly possible. So I try to be aware of it.
The problem with those barefoot running toe shoes is you need to land on the middle/front of your foot more, whereas most people - me included - land on their heels, because soft bouncy trainers let you do that. Although then, the faster I run, the better I do, because jogging is easier to plod, running you're more on your toes anyway.
I have the same problem with high heels, murder on your toes ;)
Socks with toes look like too much hard work - gloves for feet. I like my socks to have patterns on - today's have cupcakes.
Nameless - same here, same here... Also my feet are wide but pretty short, so many types of shoes just don't make it for me, because I tend to fall out of them...
L - hey, I think that for the very next masquerade whatever I need to ask John and the rest of the merry band to outfit you as a musketeer! :-)
At some point in the past *mumble mumble* years, I realized that when my feet hurt I am miserable, and I threw out all my heeled shoes. I only own flats now.
In hard style martial arts, they now have to teach people to land their weight on the ball of the foot, because it's more stable and safer, but almost no one knows how to land that way any more. (In t'ai chi you do land on your heel first--but it's not landing, really, as you're supposed to place the foot with no weight on it and then gradually roll the weight forward to the center of the foot.)
So, John, how are you doing? This must be bloody awful for you too, how are you holding out?
Well enough under the circumstances, thanks.
John, I hope you know we're here for you, too.
(And now for something completely different....did you happen to see Sherlock's question on L's blog?)
John, Mycroft's safely installed back at school. I might go for a bit of a ride... but only if you're okay with that.
L - yeah, that's fine. Have a good time.
RR - I did indeed. I can't wait to see L's answer.
You're going to see a lot of answers... *debates hiding somewhere*
I'm not going to bed until you're home Lestrade!
We'll see how late he's going to be out, Sherlock, but you do have school tomorrow.
School's stupid and I should stay at home and make him feel better instead because you always say he'd be bored without work and the other day he said looking after me was work for you, so when you're being a doctor, he can do your work looking after me.
Nope, sorry. School. But excellent logic nonetheless.
I want a story. Why can't we call him and make him come back?
Sherlock - I know you think school is stupid, but I've always found it to be very interesting because I can learn new things with my friends.
Greg also needs some time to himself, to think things over. It's wonderful that you want to be there with him, to cheer him up, but this... there are things each of us have to figure out for ourselves before we can share with others.
~A from NW
Sherlock - as A said, I think he needs some time alone right now. You can stay up 15 more minutes and see if he shows. If not, I've got a story I think you'll like.
(John, I think you might want to vet some of the answers going on over yonder. And then dump it back in L's lap. :))
I'm back, Sherlock. You think I'd miss your bedtime? But I still think you should take John's offer of a story ;)
So get to bed, and I'll come up as soon as I've locked the bike and got my gear off, right?
If you're not in bed by the time I'm indoors, then you might have to suffer being tickled all the way up the stairs...
John - I don't think we're saying anything particularly non-kid friendly over there, but 1) we're parenting over the Internet and 2) we're starting to wonder about Sherlock's TV watching habits...are you sure he hasn't gotten around your parental controls on the TV? =)
~A from NW
RR - I get emailed comment notifications for both blogs; I know what's being said.
Sorry--of course you do. (My notifications have stopped coming--some problem with email I think--and that's my only excuse.) (Well, that and being a worrywort.)
A - I think he probably overheard a film we were watching when he should've been in bed asleep - and I don't mean that sort of film. There was some terrible romantic comedy a few nights ago with a scene that would make anyone wonder.
My bet was on him getting into some channels in a hotel... But this is possible as well :-)
John - I know you and Greg are blokes, but you don't seem like frat boys who would enjoy that kind of movie (especially with children in the house and...the events of the past week...)
Oh, romantic comedy...which makes relationships look incredibly simple and ridiculously over-complicated at the same time...
Greg - You and John are wonderful parents. =)
~A from NW
Christ, he makes it sound like he spends his days watching porn on our TV - I can assure you, he only ever sees enough in dramas/films to give him all the wrong ideas...
A, our TV doesn't have parental controls. I don't even know if it can have. But I'm certain if it could, it'd take Sherlock about 2 seconds to get around them, and us most of a day to put them on.
I don't know if it's still true, as I haven't watched one in years... *counts mentally* ...good grief, decades, but back when I was in grad school and would have the tv going just to hear someone else's voice in my room, you could see scenes that would give rise to that question in daytime soaps literally every day of the week. Somehow I can't imagine they've gotten cleaner in 25 years.
ReRe - "I haven't watched one in years" - um, I hope you don't think this a rude question, but a "one" what? TV, daytime soap, uh, something else...?
Lestrade - I was just assuming he'd misunderstood something he'd seen, possibly something a bit post-watershed. I hope you don't think I was calling into question your or John's parenting.
Greg - Given that we're talking about Sherlock, I agree with you that he could get around the parental controls in 2 seconds flat.
On the other hand, I suspect that if he tried to access said channels (just because), Mrs. Holmes has already made sure he can't. (What's the use of being a fairy Holmesmother if she can't be all powerful?)
~A from NW
Nameless-- *sigh* Daytime soap. Or nighttime soap, for that matter. That was all that was on in the afternoons 25 or so years ago, and grad student-hood is awfully isolating.
A - I think you have to subscribe to any channels that are seriously about sex, and I assure you, we don't. But I also get the impression that there's more sex on 'regular' TV in this country than there is in the States?
Don't know if any of you watched the UK version of 'Queer as Folk'...but it didn't hold much back. Which was...well, a breath of fresh air, sort of. Although I didn't have to worry about stray 6 yr olds back then...
Greg - Someone once told me "Americans are less comfortable about their bodies than Europeans." I don't know how true that is, seeing that I haven't really seen any European TV.
I do know that there were compliants in the UK over MI-5/Spooks's first episode because of a death scene. That same scene was aired in the US and was considered tame compared to Fox's 24, which is based off Spooks. So... *shrugs*
~A from NW
Ohh, I have those Vibram toe shoes. In fact, I have these:
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-KSO-Trek-Mens.htm
and oh, I love them. The adjustment process is easier than you'd think because they kind of force you to adjust. Trust me, you don't land on your heels for very long after getting them. You learn.
I also have these:
http://www.merrell.com/US/en-US/Product.mvc.aspx/26427W/61531/Womens/Barefoot-Life-Wonder-Glove
Which are the same thing without the toe separations. Just nice shoes all around.
I love them both excessively. But I will say, don't buy them online. Each style is shaped a bit differently and you want the style best suited to your foot. Go actually try them on.
Good luck,
Bronwyn
ReRe - ah, right :-)
Lestrade - I was seriously impressed how they managed to film QaF so you were left with the impression that you'd seen rather more than you had in reality. I was also seriously impressed with Aiden Gillen; still am:-)
L, the stereotype is that Americans are fine with violence and spooked about sex, and that Europeans are the reverse. I can't say since I've never really seen much European TV unless it's aired on network television here, but I suspect that it's not as true as it might be. It does seem that Americans make more of a fuss about sex on TV, though--and pretty much no fuss at all about violence.
didn't they cut a sex scene from torchwood over here that they'd shown in america with no complaints? Thought I heard something about it.
Anony
Nameless - I can remember being amazed at the male nudity, the sex acts and the fact one character was only...15? Still in his school uniform, anyway. And kind of sad that suddenly, overnight, millions of people thought that we were all rich, sex mad party animals - when my life at the time was anything but!
I've no idea about the comparisons, really. Not seen enough US TV.
AfromNW, ReRe - I've certainly seen some fairly explicit stuff on fairly mainstream BBC shows that I think would only appear in HBO shows on US TV (for example, Being Human had some pretty explicit sex scenes, so did Desperate Romantics - and of course, This Life and QaF all those years ago).
IMHO, American shows are slightly more violent when it comes to personal violence and sometimes give the impression that everyone carries a gun and is just waiting for an excuse to use it. They're also a bit more...teenagery about sex, in an "OMG look wut we're doin!!!11!!" kind of way, even when it's supposed to be serious. British shows are more blase' about sex (and "proper" European shows even more so), but seem to be much more cautious about violence. Especially the BBC, who has license payers to consider and always seems to be showing things with an eye to "not giving people ideas."
Which is not to say shows like "Casualty" (that's right, go ahead and mock) don't have their fair share of people falling onto rebar in construction sites, getting hit by trains, getting stabbed, run over by cars, bombs, etc.
Just my opinion, FWIW, and I don't mean anything by it.
I can honestly say I've never seen a gun up close and in person except as worn by the cops on the beat here, no matter what they show on TV.
(On the other hand...while I only have unsharpened and unsharpen-able practice swords, I know where I can buy real swords--legally--and also at least two people from whom I could borrow quite lethal edged weapons at a moment's notice. Just sayin'. :) )
Yeah, most of the teenagers I arrest borrow lethal edged weapons at a moment's notice - from their parent's kitchen knife drawer.
Ha! Quite lethal enough to be getting on with.
The ones I was thinking of are roughly the same size and shape as my practice swords. Bit heavier. Definitely impressive.
Having faced down a bloke with a machete...I'm not sure 'impressive' is the world that sprang to my mind...
I just hope they keep them somewhere very safe. I hate seeing sharpened weapons on display, but it's sadly rather common.
Greg - Machete? Um, I get the feeling you've told us this story before and I'm going to just give lots of thanks that you're in one piece and go hide until the bed now. Sharp pointy objects make me nervous.
~A from NW
That's why not many people could do your job L
I would be to terrified to think if faced with something like that!!
Anony
One collection is definitely not on display--it's kept in a locked closet, and is used, very occasionally, to show the difference in handling practice and real weapons. So I've handled some of them, and it is different. And it made a difference in the way I handle practice weapons, which is the reason for having us handle them at all.
The other...I don't think they're on display, but I've not been to the person's home, so I can't say for certain. I know of other people who have proper swords as well--all bought legally--but I don't know them well enough that they would just hand them over without explanation. And I've no idea how those are stored.
Personally, I would no more have real, edged swords on display than I would have loaded guns on display.
(Side note--I have a relative who used to bring a machete to school with him, when he taught high school. Which...I dunno. He was teaching in Bed-Stuy in the 70s and 80s, so he felt he had reason, and that's all I can say about that.)
A - it wasn't very dramatic. And if there had been a bed, I would have hidden behind it. As it was I had a variety of cars to choose from!
Anony - so was I! I concentrated on just not getting very close, believe me. :)
Greg - "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the judgement that something else is more important than fear." - Ambrose Redmoon. Of course, hiding behind steel/metal is far more productive/safer than a matress. ;)
Sweet dreams to both of you!
~A from NW
My swords are mostly dangerous if you hit someone with the handle end. You could sharpen them I guess but it would ruin some nice practice kit.
I do have a military sabre from the early 1800s but it doesn't look like it has been sharpened in its life and I certainly wouldn't do it now.
I don't need a sharp sword to tell me swords are dangerous, just an imagination in working order!
(I have also been on the wrong end of a traditional English quarterstaff, I find it more frightening than swords. 7 foot of 2" diameter oak shod with iron both ends...)
It wasn't to teach us that swords are dangerous, Rider. Quite a few of the hard stylists work out regularly with edged weapons, and we've all seen the cuts--cut myself often enough in the kitchen, if it comes to that, and I have the scars to prove it. It's that the weight and balance are different--and the attention paid to precise blade positioning is very different. To me that last is the important part.
One can do as much damage with a broom handle as a blade, if it comes to that--with the right training and practice.
7 foot of 2" diameter oak shod with iron both ends..
Holy cow that does sound frightening. How'd you end up on the wrong end?
Oh, hey--new background! Very nice to see some spring-like leafiness, John--but at 3:30 in the morning?
It was my first lesson in using one. The demonstration was on how you guard correctly and why....
The staff did not hit me, just touched, as the bod on the other end is very good. But it went right through my incorrectly formed guard and seeing it come for my face (I was in armour) was an unforgettable lesson.
Main hassle with quarterstaff is that it is damn near impossible to make it "safe" to spar with. The various padded substitutes handle differently, and while good armour does make a difference to the impact of the real deal it's still a lot of focus to not hurt your friends, and not really possible to practice with real intent.
So we did some paired work, and some work against dummies, but most of the quarterstaff stuff with the real thing (as distinct from something more like a broomstick) is solo practice which is less than a quarter of the game.
However, handling and facing one makes you understand why the English yeoman was someone even armoured knight armed with a sword might be very wary of...
Weight and balance are different? Ah, that explains it. They aren't with the ones I use which are carefully made to be the same, just with a 2mm edge instead of a sharp one.
It's one of the reasons we don't use things like shinai except for very basic movements in the beginning. Edge discipline and proper sword movement can't be learned with a light round thing.
Yeah, t'ai chi practice swords are not at all carefully made, they're mass produced and you have to be lucky to get anything close to a good balance. They are metal, so the weight isn't THAT far off, though, and round isn't an issue--both the straight sword and the broad sword have clear edges and flats, even in practice blades--but it still requires careful attention to have proper edge discipline and movement, and lots of people just don't bother. The straight sword in particular is a precision instrument, and I love it.
I own a proper battle-edged (which isn't really terribly sharp; it doesn't need to be) bastard sword, which I keep next to my bed. My lady has an edged sword and axe hanging over our bed. We have two show/blunt swords in the living room and a second axe and two rather cheap wakazashi in the office closet. The weapons in the bedroom are for self-defense. Any miscreant who breaks in is either going to have a gun, in which case we'll be in trouble regardless of whether we're armed, or not, in which case we'll likely be better armed and trained in our weapons' use and have intimidation on our side.
We are both SCA fighters - we do historical medieval recreation and specifically armored combat - so we also have rattan swords around the house as well, but those make people less nervous a they're neither metal nor edged. They can certainly do serious damage to an unarmored opponent, though.
I can use a rifle and a bow decently, a shotgun and pistol abysmally, but we own none of those.
And yes, I am American.
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