Open Bar: Drinks are on the Supreme Court

[P3nT4gR4m]

Today marks an important milestone.

I have a blanket.

I bought this blanket. It was not given to me, loaned to me, taken from a charity. I went to Target and looked at blankets and chose one blanket in particular and purchased that blanket with my money that I earned and is mine. The blanket belongs to me, and no one else may lay any claim to it. No one else is responsible for it.

It is comfortable. There are more comfortable blankets. Some of them were even cheaper than this blanket and I could have chosen them. But this is the one I wanted. Now it is mine. I did not have to beg. I did not even have to ask. I said "I will take this one," and was told to pay and sent on my way.

This all probably sounds ridiculous. Please understand that I have NEVER HAD MY OWN BLANKET BEFORE. I have had hand-me-downs and gifts and loaners and never, ever, a blanket I owned that was mine that I bought that no one could take away ever under any circumstances.

It's a big day.

Congrats, you just took your first hit of capitalism! My first taste was so long ago I can't even remember what I bought (probably drugs) but for me it felt like ideological suicide. Nonetheless I sucked it up and you know what? It's a fucking sight more straightforward than leaving the village, heading out into the wilderness and finding some wise person you can cajole into teaching you how to make a blanket, right?

Just remember the first rule of capitalism: You own the blanket. Blanket does not own you

[altered]

I've bought many things, and honestly I'm not too keen on capitalism. I purchased video games, music, clothes, hygiene products, medical care, food. This isn't my first rodeo here.

It's not about "I bought a blanket", that's just the description of what happened. It's about "I have a blanket that no one gave to me or donated or threw away." It is a blanket I actually wanted, and I got it, and I got it for me, and for no one else.

The feeling doesn't boil down to simplicity or possessiveness. It's legitimately nigh impossible to explain if you haven't been where I've been. But I'm going to try, because I'm in that twilight state where I've been trying very hard to sleep and failing, and now have mere hours until I need to go to work.

Having a blanket is important.

It is a symbol of triumph over a life of bullshit. Not only do I have money I can spend on things. I chose to spend that money on something that, while wholly unnecessary for survival, greatly improves comfort.

It's a symbol of triumph over the kind of mental illness that says "I do not deserve this." For years I decided my comfort and well-being was secondary, because I had it drilled into me that anything I wanted was the least important thing possible. Other people mattered more, I was dirt. Now I have a blanket. I got it for myself, because I deserve it.

It's a symbol of triumph over the kind of poverty that people don't believe exists outside of Africa and Indonesia. It's a symbol that whatever help I might need, I no longer need support for basic necessities. For most of my adult life, I've been on the streets, begging people for a way to survive one more day. Now I have a blanket. I didn't need that money for food. The blanket was all I needed and I got it.

Moreover, I wanted it. It wasn't someone else's cast-off detritus, or a beloved but impermanent loaner. That makes it a symbol that I have the power to choose what I get, even if it's in trivial ways. Before, comfort and even survival came with a caveat: this is what you are getting because it is what we can afford to give to you. Now I have a blanket, and it is exactly the one I wanted to purchase. I could have picked any blanket they had in stock. This is the one I wanted. I saw it and made my decision immediately. I checked the others and considered them. But this one is the one I decided on. So I got it.

Buying a blanket that I wanted with money that is my own says, in short, "I win." It doesn't matter if I lose later or not, I have this tangible proof that for a time, I rose above.

[LMNO]

I know this feeling.  It's a good feeling, even though (as P3nt mentions), it's a dopamine effect of The System.

But you know what?  Fuck it.  I'm happy for you that you have a blanket that is yours, that you chose and bought.

[hooplala]

I am happy for your blanket, and the symbology behind it.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

Today marks an important milestone.

I have a blanket.

I bought this blanket. It was not given to me, loaned to me, taken from a charity. I went to Target and looked at blankets and chose one blanket in particular and purchased that blanket with my money that I earned and is mine. The blanket belongs to me, and no one else may lay any claim to it. No one else is responsible for it.

It is comfortable. There are more comfortable blankets. Some of them were even cheaper than this blanket and I could have chosen them. But this is the one I wanted. Now it is mine. I did not have to beg. I did not even have to ask. I said "I will take this one," and was told to pay and sent on my way.

This all probably sounds ridiculous. Please understand that I have NEVER HAD MY OWN BLANKET BEFORE. I have had hand-me-downs and gifts and loaners and never, ever, a blanket I owned that was mine that I bought that no one could take away ever under any circumstances.

It's a big day.

This is so close to being a Holy Nonsense page. Are you up for expanding or letting me take a crack at it?

Also this is HUGE and I'm so happy for you!

ETA I hit reply before I read the rest of the thread. Can I roll some of your second post into this and go? I think I can see the shape of it.

[altered]

I trust your editor self. I expanded a bit below that post in reply to P3nt, you might find parts that work there. I don't think I have it in me to splice them sanely today, so it's all yours.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

Space for a by-line, whatever you want for that

[altered]

Pick something appropriately ridiculous and edgy. It's talking about a blanket and I have a theme to keep up.

[altered]

In other news, I went three and a half hours into my shift today and my voice box crapped out. Now, I had anticipated this, due to throat pain and other moderate miseries. So I packed cough drops, the kind with an oral anesthetic in them.

I suspect now that they merely made it impossible for me to tell how badly the talking was messing my throat up. And so I merrily vocalized my way into being sent home.

Fortunately, I have PTO to apply. And it stacks with the hours I did work, so I get 11.5 hours today.

[Al Qədic]

Awesome to see a story of a blanket turned into a lovely piece of HoNo. Now if I can just find the time to write something, myself 


In other news, I was late for my first class this morning, but fuck Geoffrey Chaucer, I just met an actually-good endocrinologist (as far as I can anecdotally tell, at least) and have a sweet 3mg of estradiol in my body. Also the weekly gay agenda meeting was neat as always.


Things are Happening, and that's weird in the good way right now.

[P3nT4gR4m]

I've bought many things, and honestly I'm not too keen on capitalism. I purchased video games, music, clothes, hygiene products, medical care, food. This isn't my first rodeo here.

It's not about "I bought a blanket", that's just the description of what happened. It's about "I have a blanket that no one gave to me or donated or threw away." It is a blanket I actually wanted, and I got it, and I got it for me, and for no one else.

The feeling doesn't boil down to simplicity or possessiveness. It's legitimately nigh impossible to explain if you haven't been where I've been. But I'm going to try, because I'm in that twilight state where I've been trying very hard to sleep and failing, and now have mere hours until I need to go to work.

Having a blanket is important.

It is a symbol of triumph over a life of bullshit. Not only do I have money I can spend on things. I chose to spend that money on something that, while wholly unnecessary for survival, greatly improves comfort.

It's a symbol of triumph over the kind of mental illness that says "I do not deserve this." For years I decided my comfort and well-being was secondary, because I had it drilled into me that anything I wanted was the least important thing possible. Other people mattered more, I was dirt. Now I have a blanket. I got it for myself, because I deserve it.

It's a symbol of triumph over the kind of poverty that people don't believe exists outside of Africa and Indonesia. It's a symbol that whatever help I might need, I no longer need support for basic necessities. For most of my adult life, I've been on the streets, begging people for a way to survive one more day. Now I have a blanket. I didn't need that money for food. The blanket was all I needed and I got it.

Moreover, I wanted it. It wasn't someone else's cast-off detritus, or a beloved but impermanent loaner. That makes it a symbol that I have the power to choose what I get, even if it's in trivial ways. Before, comfort and even survival came with a caveat: this is what you are getting because it is what we can afford to give to you. Now I have a blanket, and it is exactly the one I wanted to purchase. I could have picked any blanket they had in stock. This is the one I wanted. I saw it and made my decision immediately. I checked the others and considered them. But this one is the one I decided on. So I got it.

Buying a blanket that I wanted with money that is my own says, in short, "I win." It doesn't matter if I lose later or not, I have this tangible proof that for a time, I rose above.

Yeah, mate, I get it. I've been there. Like I said - congrats. Sincerely

[Cain]

We had a major water pipe burst in my area, but never fear, Thames Water is on the case

[Magpie]

Well, they'll have to dig down to the leak won't they, and you can't start digging until you work out how many hole supervisors you need.

[Doktor Howl]

Well, they'll have to dig down to the leak won't they, and you can't start digging until you work out how many hole supervisors you need.

Also, if it's more than 1.3 meters down, they need to do a confined space entry permit.

And they have to make sure no other utilities are in the way.

And later they need a couple of guys with shovels.

[Trivial]

Having had one of those jobs, part of it is someone thinking if they throw twice as many people at it it'll get done faster, despite only one person fitting in the damn hole.

One time they found a skull.  Good times.