4d ago

Aotearoa Weekly Kōrero 9/5/2025

Welcome to this week’s casual kōrero thread!

This post will be pinned in this community so you can always find it, and will stay for about a week until replaced by the next one.

It’s for talking about anything that might not justify a full post. For example:

Something interesting that happened to you
Something humourous that happened to you
Something frustrating that happened to you
A quick question
A request for recommendations
Pictures of your pet
A picture of a cloud that kind of looks like an elephant
Anything else, there are no rules (except the rule)

So how’s it going?

28 comments

Toddler decided to lick the playground last week and has been suffering through hand, foot, and mouth disease again. She's a bit better now, but her sister and I both have it too now... it is not enjoyable.
- Oh no! I remember all the train trips telling kids not to lick the poles, followed by them vomiting later that evening.
  It's weird how hard it can be sometimes to get them to try new foods, but toddlers will lick anything for no reason.
  
  Funnily enough she is more food adventurous than her older sister. She regularly wants what we're eating without even know what it is. We had to let her eat some spicy food because she was complaining we wouldn't give her any. She understands spicy now haha.

I got scammed. i brought a guinea pig leash and harness from the store. It looked simple enough to setup now that ive taken it out of the package i have no idea how this thing is supposed work. No instructions no pictures.
- It is probably going to either work like a dog harness (padded bit round collar, strap between front legs, other bit round ribcage),
  or more likely like a cat/rabbit harness (one strap round torso behind front legs, one strap round neck, the bit in between runs down between their shoulder blades and that's where you clip the lead)?
  
  Oh one around the neck one just behind the front legs. That makes so much more sense than what I was trying to do.
  Now for the extremely hard part of getting them in and used to being on a leash.

Only garden news is I accidentally dusturbed the female blackbird and she just stood there side eying me.
They are really unafraid these days, ever since the struggle for grapes when they were unwilling to leave the grape vine even when I was less than a foot below them trying to get grapes of my own (my bunch had to live inside a bag for protection).
Apart from that good grief why is windows 11 so psycho. Forced bitlocker wt actual f?
Anyone still young who hasn't learned linux yet, heed this cautionary tale of a feeble impaired old woman having to wrestle with the forces of darkness because of her misspent youth. Do not give up your dual boot so easily.
- My only garden news is I have nothing growing and don't want to mow the lawns.
  In other cautionary tales about Windows 11, the other day I was helping my mum with her computer and windows was showing ads for giant pens shaped balloons. Yay for targeted advertising within the OS!
  
  Wait it has ads? Idiocracy. Adding that to my laundry list of things to fix before I start using it.
  I thought moving from 7 to 8 was bad but the jump from 8 to 11 is brutal. Even vista was better.
  Your lawns could probably use some R and R anyway at this time of year!
- My garden news, I bought cloche's for my raised beds because I'm sick of blackbirds digging up my seedlings. At least in summer I'll also be able to grow brassicas without worrying about white butterfly laying eggs everywhere.
  
  Cloches are neat! Way fewer pests as far as I can see.
  I hardly ever see cabbage whites anymore. I know its sacrilege but I kind of miss them.

This is a stupid question, but I've never had to get this done before so..
Am I supposed to buy my own toilet first before contacting a plumber to replace it or contact a plumber first and get them to buy a one to replace it??
- In my experience they are happy with either. I normally just email and ask.
  For something like a toilet, I'd think they would want you to know which toilet you want. It wouldn't be unusual for you to buy it first then they install it, but equally if it's at Mitre 10 or something they would probably be happy to get it for you (and charge for their time).
  So I'd probably have a look online (or in store) at which toilet you'd like, then email them with a link saying you want to get this toilet and ask if you should buy it first or if they would order it in.
  
  Ah thanks, that makes sense. Now to find a good plumber!

I seem to have started something. The other day my 4 year old was cold, so I suggested they get dressed under their blanket. Now every day starts with 20 mins of said 4yo struggling away trying to get dressed under the blanket and refusing any help 😅
- That's gorgeous.

28 comments