Topic: The Chit-Chat Thread

@Morpheel Haha, now I'm imagining some kind of sarcastic animated movie, in the vein of the one with all the talking groceries. I believe it was called Sausage Party.

Could be video gaming material as well. Frogger 3.0...

But all kidding aside: there's of course also a big chance that it's simply a case of "ye olden day language" being mistranslated/bastardized into modern day language, losing its original meaning, and/or getting misinterpreted.

In this specific case, if I have to assume that it is indeed a Dutch saying, it could be related to boars instead of bears. Wild boars actually being a local animal over here. And as it so happens, male pigs and/or boars are called "bears", so connecting all those dots, that might very well be the answer to this particular mystery.

@bimmy-lee I think I'll miss the little guy/gal. I'm pretty sure it's the one that's been hanging out on/near the telephone pole that straddles my southern property line. It wasn't a bother at all. Kinda neat to watch on occasion actually. I'm not sure if it was the poor thing's time or if it ran afoul of the transformer. Too, it could've been ill.

Your chipmunk friend sounded adorable. I have one that lives near my back steps and perches on them on occasion. He's a timid fella though. Besides that, there's also the visiting cottontail that made me decide not to do a garden just yet. XD I'm not sure one would have been viable with all the rain we've had this year anyway.

@HobbitGamer A lot of the funeral homes here are locally owned to my knowledge. Glad to know your cousin's business is doing well! It's not like there will never be a need....

Don’t forget to give me some merchandise money when the franchise becomes famous.

Anyway it’s been an interesting train of thought.

I don’t think you’d want swag from our business. So here’s another funny nugget. When grandpa had his first funeral home, he also had a flower shop, and made the first ambulance service in the county. The old family joke is the phrase; Comin or goin, you’ll have to see Ralph.

When the heck did the chit-chat thread turn into the funeral home thread? Sorry, but yegh...

@Morpheel I will seriously consider it, and at the very least, you'll be mentioned in the credits...

@bimmy-lee I think we need to look at it both ways though. Yeah as an adult I miss the free time I had as a kid. It would be unimaginable to have 2-3 month long summer vacations. But kids don't know better. Comparatively, it can be seen as boring because they are kids and don't know what it is like, yet, to have a more demanding schedule.

And that also depends on where you live. Kids in Japan, even on summer break are always busy. Like crazy busy. Like, I would probably have hated it if I were a kid here level of busy. So when they say they are bored, it is for totally different reasons. They aren't bored because of free time, they are bored because they lack interest in whatever it is they are being required to do by school, club, cram school, etc...

Different points of view! Banzai!

It all started from Graveyard Keeper, but’s it’s safe now 😜
I’ve got rabbits that still frequent the yard and nibble on the basil sprouts from an old neglected garden, and there’s bird nests in each of my trees. My favorite is the nest in my small rose tree hybrid outside my window. Jack likes to lay on the bed and stare at it.

@ThanosReXXX - I’ve heard the expression! Bears in the road. Bumps in the road. Any sort of obstacle in the road of life that make you pump the brakes or change course. I’ve lived on both coasts, and yet I ended up back home where things feel normal. My town is the very definition of a mid sized American city, roughly 255k people on a land mass approximately 286 km squared. Good public art, decent breweries, it’s on a convergence of three rivers, festivals, parks, jobs, all that good stuff. The zoo is pretty well known. Lots of Ohio and Illinois license plates in the parking lot. I hope you one day see your dream of making it back to the states for a big holiday tour. It would need to be a big holiday if you want to see every state, but there’s an open door in NE Indiana if you do.

@Tyranexx - I bet a garden would be going crazy after all this rain. Especially now that it’s let up a bit and the sun and heat are setting in. I have non edible plants in my yard I’ve never seen prior to this spring and summer. I wonder if you’ll get a new woodpecker? If you have them around, it means there’s something on your property they like, but they’re very territorial. I would guess a new one will move in to snap up all the delicious bugs living in your utility pole. I love to watch them, as long as they’re not drilling holes in my house.

@Heavyarms55 - Some interesting points you make there. They don’t say they’re bored often, but it happens. I can say my kids are very non Japanese then. They live very calm lives. We’re big on creativity and focus. I would much rather have them deeply interested in a few things, than trying to do a little of everything. The television is rarely on, and when it is, it’s Mister Rogers or nature shows. When we play, we pick two or three activities and see them through. Lots of outdoor time. Lots of imagination time. They’ve been pretending to be Link and Zelda for a week straight. They’ll be five and three in August, so they’re still young. Lots of time for growing and branching out, but right now; it’s all about expanding their little minds in a very calm environment low on artificial stimuli.

@bimmy-lee If not the utility pole, then the nearby trees would provide an all-you-can-eat buffet. There's a tiny drainage creek towards the back of my property that's bordered by trees in some places. Heck, there's even a tiny wooded area that borders my property line to the north that belongs to some neighbors.

The heat has visited full force for sure this week; temp-wise, we were spoiled here this spring. XD That said, we just had a round of nasty storms come through. Nothing too severe, but there was quite a light show at a couple of points.

@bimmy-lee If they are big on creative stuff, my go to would be Lego. Lego was an obsession of mine as a kid and I still love it. lol Not the Lego games, actual Lego. Pretty sure they still sell them. Haven't checked since Toys R Us went under.

@bimmy-lee thats wonderfull, you dont see it of ten in this time kids spent most of the time on the tv and stuff.
As far as I know they still sell Lego i was in my youth a big fan of it, I had an whole police accedemy hospital and stuff like that,
Are they also big with playing with blocks?

@Heavyarms55
This is my toys during 90's era.

I got bullied by higher class students when i was grade 7 junior high school by that toys. 😞

They are awesome!!!
Had them as well

@Anti-Matter Everyone gets bullied at that age. Middle school/junior high school is miserable. I try to intervene when I can for my students now but I am convinced kids at that age are cruel by nature. I remember when I was that age being bullied enough that I felt like people would be happier if I were dead. I wasn't suicidal thank God but I remember actually feeling that people hated me to that degree. As an adult now I can see it happens to some extent to everyone.

I'm finally almost done with my drivers license! I just have to wait a couple of months to take the final exam, as it's full during the summer break since everyone wants to do it then to not be absent from school.

I started when I was 20... and now I'm 26 lol It's just because I haven't been motivated to finish it. Mostly because of our stupid theory test where you have to have at least 38/45 of the answers correct to pass, but I finally did it last month.

@NorseGamerTommy Better late than never!!

@Anti-Matter Are those pogs?! I had some too, it was a blast.

The Game Boy Advance game, right? One of my all-time favorites. Wouldn't mind seeing another game in the series, or an HD remake for the Switch.

@HobbitGamer It all started from Graveyard Keeper? Is that a game, or what?
By the way: congratulations to us, and let's celebrate, because I don't know if you were already aware, but it's National Pineapple Day today.

@bimmy-lee Good to know, and very much appreciated. Of course, the same is true for a trip to Amsterdam. And I'll see your open door, and raise you with a "I'll be your personal tour guide"...

Your town sounds like a place that I could definitely entertain myself in. More than enough to do, and a nice place to relax and wind down from the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Glad you knew what the heck I was talking about concerning bears on the road. Sometimes, I mix stuff up in my head, due to always thinking in English, but obviously mostly speaking Dutch during the day.

I'm no parent myself, but from the sound of it, your kids are pretty lucky to have a dad who is able to keep them from spending most of their time behind one screen or another, and stimulates them to develop themselves by natural means. Spot on, if you ask me. Entertainment is always fun, and can be educational as well, but it's good and beneficial for them to know that there's actually a real and tangible world out there as well.

@HobbitGamer
It called Tazos in my country.
It called Flippo in other place.

Ahhh! 1.5 hours left at work. Hopefully SMM2 is in my mailbox when I get home crosses fingers

@ThanosReXXX Yes! It's similar to Stardew Valley, but you're a gravekeeper!
And I've already got my Philidelphia brand pineapple cream cheese in celebration