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I plan on doing an old school "Blind Items of Rural Southern Ontario" installment at LEAST once for you, my precious darlings: http://the-toast.net/2014/05/30/blind-items-rural-southern-ontario/

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yesterday I closed on a condo! scared and excited to do this as a single lady, feeling very lucky to be in a position where I can even swing this, just a whole range of emotions but gratitude and a sense of abundance over all.

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Hi Nicole & friends! I’m a long(ish)-time reader but have never commented bc I never had anything to say... but is it okay if I pop in to share something exciting real quick? I’m a writer (mostly of fanfic in a very small fandom, also working on a novel & a musical), and yesterday I realized that I hit my word-count goal for the WHOLE YEAR... four days ago. I noticed late, but I’m celebrating now. 😅 https://twitter.com/rjtonamen/status/1156751290271186944?s=21

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I have figured out the exact specs I want on my new vehicle and now I begin the process of email negotiation per Nicole's instructions. I have been saving the link to that Toast piece for YEARS for this very day. The Toyota dealers of my region should be QUAKING in FEAR right now but they don't even know.

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I just needed to share this clutch with you.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0m9ujGHOtU/?igshid=8iv4r5mtwk5

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Recommend reading this great profile and photo set with K. Stew. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/07/kristen-stewart-cover-story?mbid=synd_digg‬

I got my name change done last week! (I haven’t changed it here yet!). I was thinking I’m estranged from my parents and don’t like the name they gave me anyway so why spend the next 40+ years of my life with a name I hate given to me by people I hate? I am enjoying being Tom and Thomas so far. But of course there’s a lot of work to go into a name change.

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I recently quit my shitty job and now spend the whole day with the Turner Classic Movies channel on in the background. I love it! Did you know that every day there is sort of a theme? Some days it's an actor (today is Henry Fonda!) but others it's more general, like all films about pirates or war or dizzy society dames. Anyway, I've become obsessed with the Movie Star Accent (clearly it was learned for their performances, but did they talk like that in everyday life, too?), and found this fun article. I thought some of you might like it, too. https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/12/10/mid-atlantic-accent/

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A good news tweet since you're off twitter https://twitter.com/GretchenAMcC/status/1156734193709330433 with massive thanks to the Toast Alumni Book-Buying Network!!!

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I really enjoyed this video of a fat raccoon https://twitter.com/killboysclub/status/1155683872891445250

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I have a job interview today and have also been feeling irretrievably broken all week, which is a super fun combo. Any warm thoughts anyone's got are much appreciated.

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Hi friends, I would really appreciate your prayers and thoughts-- I just found out that my friend is going through a manic episode and has disappeared. Her phone is off and none of her friends or family know where she is. We're all very worried and if you could pray for her safety and quick return, it would be so appreciated.

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I laughed at this perfect video over and over https://twitter.com/MamoudouNDiaye/status/1155822774348406784?s=19

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Don't mess with Quinn https://twitter.com/illucifer/status/1156240196653977600?s=19

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This is 100% about me, and doesn’t even contain any good tweets, but I’m going to Columbus, Indiana tomorrow and I’m STOKED! I’m traveling alone! It’s a mid century modern paradise! I’ve booked my tours for MCM houses! I accidentally booked two hotel stays—Wait, that’s the bad thing!

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The rare good riff on a tweet from the president. https://twitter.com/paparoach/status/1155895876851658752?s=21

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Hi all -- Idk if this the forum for this, and I apologize if not, but I need some advice. My bf picked up the key for our place together today. We signed the lease in February. I am in Europe working on my thesis, will be back in Sept to join him.

However, while Ive been gone and hes in the US he decided to tell his parents in India about us and that we were moving in together (background: he's India, I'm not, I told him he could tell them on his schedule, really I was fine if he never told them until after we were married in a few years. Hes been on the US for seven years, theyve never been). He had some idea he had to tell them about the moving on--I think hes had friends who move in with non Indian gf and tell their parents the girl is just a roommate and he didnt want to lie.

His parents had such a huge, weeks long, 4-hrs-of-phone-calls-and-emails-evert-day fit. They threatened to kill themselves many times and began self-harming in front of my bf by hitting themselves against the wall on skype. His sister got in on it, telling him he was terrible and ugly and I would leave him for someone better, telling him Americans are incapable of love. (and we laughed about many of these... but also it was horrible), just throwing everything in the book at him. They were particularly cruel even by cultural standards...his and my friends from all parts of India thought it was overblown even by Indian parent standards.

I told him he needed to just not talk to them about this for awhile, to set boundaries. I had to talk him down so many times--he wanted to go to India and mess up his visa, he went to New Mexico to visit some distant Indian relatives there to try to calm everybody down--but instead, today, he told his parents that we are not moving in together! Somehow he thinks he'll find some other cheap place so he can still pay his half of the rent and it will be fine and we can stay together. It's such a mess, we had this plan. He was the one who wanted to move in. He was the one who wanted to tell his parents while I was gone.

My family loves him. My dads helping him move! At the same time as all this my mom, who is my best friend, has been really sick, in and out of the hospital. And I have to listen to him cry because his parents said they're going to kill themselves...I just have no patience for this..

Anyway, I dont know why I'm putting this here. I miss the Toast comments. He is the most wonderful man, he wants to get married someday. But he asked me to find an apartment with him LAST YEAR. He had to convince me; I wanted to wait to move in together. Before today I was at least happy because I thought he was being very very brave and standing by his commitments to me and to our future (something we discussed that he would have to be able do before he told his parents! He agreed he would stop talking to them for awhile! But he wont).

tldr...I don't know. Because of all this I find myself just furious at him. He says he has to be nice to his parents. I just...it makes me so sad for the world. Should I break up with him? I dont want to but I just find myself so mad, its hard to stay together or problem solve together when you are furious and disappointed. I don't know.

Anyway thanks for allowing me this--I miss being Toastie.

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Fosse/Verdon is finally coming to the UK, on Friday. I am very excited due to your tweets about it Nicole. 😊

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I have watched this approximately 1 million times and it's still making me snort-laugh every time https://twitter.com/DoggoDating/status/1155787671622574082

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I'm an atheist, so God didn't tell me to get off Twitter, but I logged in yesterday to the new layout and was told loudly and clearly by Twitter to get the heck off and go outside.

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My company recently changed the way vendors are supposed to send in invoices, so I've been getting a bunch directly from our freelancers instead of through their editors and not a single one of them looks anything like how I imagined!!

I interact with most of these people, even if somewhat indirectly, at least once a month, and yet I have no idea what they look or sound like or anything. Isn't it so strange how based on just a name and very little else we can get such a clear idea of someone in our heads? But then you finally see a picture of them and your whole world shifts just a little bit.

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This guy is doing a loooong thread of movie clips with the music changed. This is one of my favorites. https://twitter.com/lewiswake/status/1156332470071173126

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Hi everyone! This is my first post. Usually I'm pissing off Nazis and ableist assholes on Twitter, but I thought I'd come here to ask this question. I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user and a disability rights activist. I live on Oahu, one of the most touristed spots on earth. My tiny rural town gets hundreds of thousands of tourists come through each year. Where they walk in wet ditches because we don't have sidewalks. I can't go around the corner from my home because we don't have sidewalks. The bus stops aren't accessible. My dr is moving to a building on the second floor. The building doesn't have an elevator or chair lift. Basically, it's like the ADA doesn't even exist here. I have lawyers in CA who would love to go after all these violations but they need a partner who is licensced with the Hawaii bar. No local lawyers want to sue the state and city- I've been calling for years. I love it here, and my family loves it here. I just want to be able to live a normal life and not one that is full of discrimination. This is a HUGE longshot, but does anyone know any lawyers in Hawai'i who might be interested in fixing this bullshit?

You're all awesome. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

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I don’t know if you’re still doing matchmaking, or how we’d hook him up with prospects, but the actor who plays Diana’s boyfriend on Younger is single and Miriam Shor sure is trying to fix that in this video. Good looking, likes older women, reads, cooks, and has actually worked as a plumber. And Miriam Shor seems to genuinely like him. https://twitter.com/youngertv/status/1156756120972746755?s=21

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I just lost my cat to a stroke. I’m 19 and she was almost 16 so I’ve had her for most of my life. I would really appreciate any wisdom you may have for dealing with grief or any good thoughts you could send my way.

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My parents came out to visit me in Southern Utah! They have seen a couple shows at my theater and today we tooled around the Parowan Gap area to see some petroglyphs and dinosaur tracks. They are here through the weekend and I’m so excited but also having a hard time keeping my mouth shut about their surprise 50th wedding anniversary party next week that I am secretly flying out there to go to!!

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I'm trying to move up to Humboldt County, CA to go to school surrounded by redwoods but have been having a nightmare of a time trying to find housing for my cat and I.

It's stressing me out and I'm trying not to just shut down and do nothing as a coping strategy.

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This tweet made me think of you. What IS Cory Booker’s skincare regimen? https://twitter.com/metroadlib/status/1156752547182284800

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I have never commented on these before because I am still a new subscriber but hi everyone I'm Karis, I'm new and I'm scared but I want to share that I'm doing a challenge where I'm writing poems every day this month to try to raise money for organizations (RAICES Texas! KIND! Save the Children!) and I thought that might be interesting...now I flee.

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This is super petty and continues to delight me

https://mobile.twitter.com/BillyDomineau/status/1156036683424337922

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Is anyone else following the manhunt in Canada? WHERE ARE THEY

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This one mentions your own divine self, but I had to laugh. https://twitter.com/lolatron/status/1156632122351869952?s=19

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Nicole, you're probably busy with the kids, but what's your feeling about subscribers posting info about their businesses here? It's for a resume coaching and writing service, and I'd make a nicely worded, brief post, not spammy.

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Uh, so, anybody ever done speed-dating? I am in my 30s, sick to death of online dating and living near a big city that has regular speed-dating events. I am thinking about it. I might hate it. But I hate what I’ve got now, so. If nothing else, maybe it’s writing material.

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Does anyone have any cream blush recommendations? I've been using Smashbox O-Glow forever and I like it but wondered what else is out there.

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Hello! Looking for recommendations on good comfy business casual flats. I’m starting a new job soon (yay!) and the dress code is business casual. My current job dress code is scrubs and sneakers, and because it’s pretty much the same kind of work, I need shoes that will be comfortable with a lot of walking and standing. Technically, I can (and will) wear some cute sneakers but I would like a flat option. Also I have high arches if that makes a difference. I’m looking forward to being able to dress up daily! 😄

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Good tweets you missed:

https://twitter.com/PateraQuetzaI/status/1156300892733243392

https://twitter.com/MikalebRoehrig/status/1155878352185712641

https://twitter.com/danielortberg/status/1155620571851288576

https://twitter.com/danielortberg/status/1155694645399003137

https://twitter.com/ootwamanda/status/1155673912266543104

https://twitter.com/clairewillett/status/1155338608972144645

I am including Danny ones because they are Good Tweets, even though I imagine he's just texting them to you as he thinks of them in light of this Twitter hiatus

Good articles you maybe missed but maybe not since you're extremely online:

Bim Adewunmi won the RWA Veritas award for this fabulous piece of writing https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/bimadewunmi/meet-the-black-women-upending-the-romance-novel-industry

And this article in The Cut about how the woman who popularized gender reveal parties feels bad about it, she was just happy to be at that point in her pregnancy after several miscarriages https://t.co/iiO2xHljfH

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If anyone has any resouces/book recommendations/ words of wisdom on dealing with chronic pain issues, I'd appreciate them. I'm dealing with a couple of non-life-threatening issues that are nonetheless really life-disruptive (restless legs syndrome that has gotten SO BAD recently, and a lower back problem that I have had for years, but has also ramped up the constant pain and tightness and awfulness) and I'm seeing my doctor about it, and they are trying various things, and nothing is really helping. I'm exhausted, I can't sleep much at night, and I am very afraid that this is just my life now, and I don't know how to get my head around the idea that I might just... never have a decent night's sleep again, or ever have a moment where I'm not in pain, and it sucks. I don't really know what to do.

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Good luck with your trip Nicole! I took just my baby on a train trip and it thoroughly exhausted me so I have nothing but admiration for those who do bigger, bolder things!

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I wish I’d documented the bathtub virgins of Ontario when I drove through in the 80s. Are there any left?

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It's not a tweet, I guess, but more where I'm trying to become more independent since I still don't have my disability back in full, so I took all my digital artwork (my paintings and hand drawings are not ready for this yet), and opened a sticker shop on teespring!

https://teespring.com/stores/lizzies-shop

I'm not sure it's any good though.

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