For some reason, I’ve been craving Talking Heads a lot and often during this pandemic. Their Stop Making Sense album to be exact.

I ordered it in CD form so that I could crank it up. And then I forgot about it.

The neighbours woke me up at 4:30 and kept me up till 6, ie. I’m up now. So I feel justified in blasting my music whenever I damn well please—in the daytime. They wake me every single night and have done since they moved in six years ago. I don’t play my music all that often.

Today was the day. But what have they done to this album? Aside from four songs, this is completely different from the original version. What is up with that?

So I am disappointed.

This tea, however, is pretty great. As soon as my hair dries, I am going to go buy some milk to inflate its deliciousness.

A creamy creamy vanilla Earl Grey Cream. (still overpriced though.)

Cameron B.

I still need to make a sample order to try Sloane! Maybe next year lol.

Evol Ving Ness

I’d recommend the heavenly oolong too. It may be called something slightly different.

Cameron B.

I remember being most interested in this tea and the peaches & cream white tea. Will definitely put the oolong on the list too!

Evol Ving Ness

The Rooibos en Provence is good too if you like Rooibos.

Evol Ving Ness

Erm, Rouge en Provence.

Crowkettle

Oh, yeah, Sloane! I want to try them too. Next year for sure.

Evol Ving Ness

This one is funny, sometimes vanilla cream sublime, sometimes bergamot forward.

Evol Ving Ness

I’ve just noticed that they have free shipping in Canada over a reasonable limit AND they have sample bags for under four dollars. Makes things easier. And they have white tea with Asian pear, sounds promising.

Crowkettle

Oh… (currently browsing website).

mrmopar

Matchbox 20’s first album had songs that were better than the 3 am one that was so popular. You could blast 3 am for your neighbors though. Teach them some appreciation of it…

Evol Ving Ness

Thanks for the tip, mrmopar. I’ll keep it in mind. I don’t play music in the night, or even in the evenings. The walls are thin and I make efforts to be a decent human. That said, my neighbours reported me to the city AND to the police for playing my music loud in the day. Both the city and the police told them to get over themselves.

Evol Ving Ness

CrowKettle, I’ve noticed that Sloane stocks several teas that Mighty Leaf does, the fruit and herb teas in particular (at higher cost), so keep that in mind.

tea-sipper

Evol – they called the police on you on the first DAY of your playing music during the DAY?

Crowkettle

I will keep that in mind! I mostly just want to try their Earl Grey, “Peaches & Cream”, and Milk Oolong; everything else will be a bonus that gets me free shipping :O

Your neighbours do not spark joy. That’s a dick move, especially if it was their first response.

Evol Ving Ness

Tea-sipper, no, it was not the first day, but I only play my music (and I do play it loud) during the day, btwn 11 am and 7 pm. I usually only play an album or two, two hours max.

No, my neighbours do not spark joy. Sad though because I have had an excellent rapport with former neighbours who lived in that space, 15 years worth.

The neighbours on my other side do not spark joy either. Years of smoking dope on their porch till all hours of the night with their loud and unpleasant friends. Illegal construction. Stealing other people’s garden furniture. A gazillion cars and trucks coming and going all hours. Running an unlicensed daycare for years, read gangs of unsupervised children. Harley on front lawn snorting/idling/warming up for a while at 5 am. Two unleashed unsocialized pit bulls running wild up and down the streets, barking, snapping, defecating wherever. Now, them and also tenants all on shift work, and they seem to be running some sort of surveillance camera review thing from their homes in the night—minimum of 8 huge screens—and early morning which wakes me repeatedly and prevents me from sleeping. And all that is off the top of my head.

Evol Ving Ness

There’s more, of course.

And as for the adjoining wall ones who called the police and the city, they exercise on wooden floors in an old house for two or more hours each day, up to midnight usually but also at 5 am. From the time they moved in, 6? Years ago, they’ve been hugging that adjoining wall like nobody’s business, so each conversation, each phone text ding or vibrate and footstep wakes or alerts me round the clock. When their second child was born, they parked the cradle at the adjoining wall, so the child’s crying would alert me too. When I asked them if they could move the cot away from the adjoining wall, they acted as if it was a personal attack. They regularly took the child in and out of the house at night, so the sleeping child would wail when woken and taken out of/put into the car. They tend to have loud arguments at 3 or 5 am.

Initially, I tried to gently and respectfully speak with them about being woken and disturbed by them. They did start using an exercise mat when running and jumping and doing leaping squats in the house to soften the thuds and thumps, but otherwise, nothing changed. And all the various devices, Bluetooth connected. They didn’t seem to believe me when I told them the walls are thin and the key to harmonious sharing of space is to not make your neighbours aware of you every minute of every day and night, ie. stay away from the wall. They became rude. I started playing my music when I felt like it.

Guess I needed to get that out.

Yes, I should move, but it is such an ordeal. Choose your ordeal, I guess.

Evol Ving Ness

Gah, sorry, tldr.

tea-sipper

No, it’s not too long. I remember you talking about your inconsiderate neighbors, so it was surprising to me that they can’t even handle music at decent hours.

mrmopar

Gosh they are a******s. I would probably choke somebody that was doing all that junk. Ness you are a much better and more patient person than I. Hopefully you will eventually get some peace and talking about it and getting it off your chest like you did will help too. You have lots of friends on here so getting stuff out will help you relieve some of the stress.

Evol Ving Ness

Thank you both. Getting it out helps. Here, I tend to write about what is going on in my life and this impact on me is huge. Believe me, I have been angry and vengeful and frustrated, all the emotions, but I cannot spend my life like that. And so it goes. There are still some things to try. Currently, I am chipping away at another room, creating space to set up an army cot to test sleeping there. It will take a while, being physically and mentally exhausted doesn’t help.

Crowkettle

Yeah, that’s unspeakable. I’ve had my fair share of roommates and neighbours (a short-lived subletter purposely locked me out of the house while I was doing laundry in the garage) but none of it was long term or pervasive like that.

I hope the other room works out. And that they eventually move. Far away.

Evol Ving Ness

Gah! Thank you. I have tried including them in loving-kindness meditations wishing them a larger grander unattached house somewhere else. Likely, it will be me who moves, but who knows. Life is full of unpredictable changes.

Evol Ving Ness

Also, mrmopar, I forgot to mention that, a few years in, I did go through a rather extended period of loudly swearing at them through the wall every time I was woken, so I am hardly a saint. I’d like to think that was a bit successful in terms of consciousness-raising for the adjoining wall ones.

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Comments

Cameron B.

I still need to make a sample order to try Sloane! Maybe next year lol.

Evol Ving Ness

I’d recommend the heavenly oolong too. It may be called something slightly different.

Cameron B.

I remember being most interested in this tea and the peaches & cream white tea. Will definitely put the oolong on the list too!

Evol Ving Ness

The Rooibos en Provence is good too if you like Rooibos.

Evol Ving Ness

Erm, Rouge en Provence.

Crowkettle

Oh, yeah, Sloane! I want to try them too. Next year for sure.

Evol Ving Ness

This one is funny, sometimes vanilla cream sublime, sometimes bergamot forward.

Evol Ving Ness

I’ve just noticed that they have free shipping in Canada over a reasonable limit AND they have sample bags for under four dollars. Makes things easier. And they have white tea with Asian pear, sounds promising.

Crowkettle

Oh… (currently browsing website).

mrmopar

Matchbox 20’s first album had songs that were better than the 3 am one that was so popular. You could blast 3 am for your neighbors though. Teach them some appreciation of it…

Evol Ving Ness

Thanks for the tip, mrmopar. I’ll keep it in mind. I don’t play music in the night, or even in the evenings. The walls are thin and I make efforts to be a decent human. That said, my neighbours reported me to the city AND to the police for playing my music loud in the day. Both the city and the police told them to get over themselves.

Evol Ving Ness

CrowKettle, I’ve noticed that Sloane stocks several teas that Mighty Leaf does, the fruit and herb teas in particular (at higher cost), so keep that in mind.

tea-sipper

Evol – they called the police on you on the first DAY of your playing music during the DAY?

Crowkettle

I will keep that in mind! I mostly just want to try their Earl Grey, “Peaches & Cream”, and Milk Oolong; everything else will be a bonus that gets me free shipping :O

Your neighbours do not spark joy. That’s a dick move, especially if it was their first response.

Evol Ving Ness

Tea-sipper, no, it was not the first day, but I only play my music (and I do play it loud) during the day, btwn 11 am and 7 pm. I usually only play an album or two, two hours max.

No, my neighbours do not spark joy. Sad though because I have had an excellent rapport with former neighbours who lived in that space, 15 years worth.

The neighbours on my other side do not spark joy either. Years of smoking dope on their porch till all hours of the night with their loud and unpleasant friends. Illegal construction. Stealing other people’s garden furniture. A gazillion cars and trucks coming and going all hours. Running an unlicensed daycare for years, read gangs of unsupervised children. Harley on front lawn snorting/idling/warming up for a while at 5 am. Two unleashed unsocialized pit bulls running wild up and down the streets, barking, snapping, defecating wherever. Now, them and also tenants all on shift work, and they seem to be running some sort of surveillance camera review thing from their homes in the night—minimum of 8 huge screens—and early morning which wakes me repeatedly and prevents me from sleeping. And all that is off the top of my head.

Evol Ving Ness

There’s more, of course.

And as for the adjoining wall ones who called the police and the city, they exercise on wooden floors in an old house for two or more hours each day, up to midnight usually but also at 5 am. From the time they moved in, 6? Years ago, they’ve been hugging that adjoining wall like nobody’s business, so each conversation, each phone text ding or vibrate and footstep wakes or alerts me round the clock. When their second child was born, they parked the cradle at the adjoining wall, so the child’s crying would alert me too. When I asked them if they could move the cot away from the adjoining wall, they acted as if it was a personal attack. They regularly took the child in and out of the house at night, so the sleeping child would wail when woken and taken out of/put into the car. They tend to have loud arguments at 3 or 5 am.

Initially, I tried to gently and respectfully speak with them about being woken and disturbed by them. They did start using an exercise mat when running and jumping and doing leaping squats in the house to soften the thuds and thumps, but otherwise, nothing changed. And all the various devices, Bluetooth connected. They didn’t seem to believe me when I told them the walls are thin and the key to harmonious sharing of space is to not make your neighbours aware of you every minute of every day and night, ie. stay away from the wall. They became rude. I started playing my music when I felt like it.

Guess I needed to get that out.

Yes, I should move, but it is such an ordeal. Choose your ordeal, I guess.

Evol Ving Ness

Gah, sorry, tldr.

tea-sipper

No, it’s not too long. I remember you talking about your inconsiderate neighbors, so it was surprising to me that they can’t even handle music at decent hours.

mrmopar

Gosh they are a******s. I would probably choke somebody that was doing all that junk. Ness you are a much better and more patient person than I. Hopefully you will eventually get some peace and talking about it and getting it off your chest like you did will help too. You have lots of friends on here so getting stuff out will help you relieve some of the stress.

Evol Ving Ness

Thank you both. Getting it out helps. Here, I tend to write about what is going on in my life and this impact on me is huge. Believe me, I have been angry and vengeful and frustrated, all the emotions, but I cannot spend my life like that. And so it goes. There are still some things to try. Currently, I am chipping away at another room, creating space to set up an army cot to test sleeping there. It will take a while, being physically and mentally exhausted doesn’t help.

Crowkettle

Yeah, that’s unspeakable. I’ve had my fair share of roommates and neighbours (a short-lived subletter purposely locked me out of the house while I was doing laundry in the garage) but none of it was long term or pervasive like that.

I hope the other room works out. And that they eventually move. Far away.

Evol Ving Ness

Gah! Thank you. I have tried including them in loving-kindness meditations wishing them a larger grander unattached house somewhere else. Likely, it will be me who moves, but who knows. Life is full of unpredictable changes.

Evol Ving Ness

Also, mrmopar, I forgot to mention that, a few years in, I did go through a rather extended period of loudly swearing at them through the wall every time I was woken, so I am hardly a saint. I’d like to think that was a bit successful in terms of consciousness-raising for the adjoining wall ones.

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A monk sips morning tea

A monk sips morning tea,
it’s quiet,
the chrysanthemum’s flowering.

- Basho

(1644-1694)

Note to self—-you do not actually need any more tea.

My real tea obsession began in February 2015.

Not, sadly, when I had been living and working in China, though I very much enjoyed sampling a variety of teas during my travels there as well. No, no, that would have been far too sensible.

I am a reformed coffee drinker. I still enjoy a long double espresso with a good quantity or milk or cream from time to time, but for now, tea is my thing. All day.

*note—this is way out of date, so if we are doing a swap and you are checking to see what I like and dislike, mostly never mind what you find below. One of these days, I will update this. In the meantime, check what I’ve been drinking and use your own judgement. I like all the teas. Well, I am open to trying all the teas.

I tend to drink black, green, or oolong tea in the morning to early afternoon. Rooibos or
Honeybush or herbal in the evening. And perhaps some sort of sleepy-type tea in the wee hours.

This year, I’ve been discovering flavoured teas, so it may look like that is all I drink although that would provide a false impression.

Not a big fan of chocolate or mint in teas, but I will try them and, from time to time, have been pleasantly surprised. Also, usually I dislike a prominent cinnamon flavour, if untempered with other things, in teas. Again, I say usually, because there are exceptions.

Also, please note that haven’t quite gotten into the habit of updating my tea cupboard on Steepster, and it is unlikely that I will do this on any kind of regular basis.

I drink my tea black and unsweetened. If there comes a rare moment that I add something to it, I will mention it.

Finally, while I thank large and successful tea companies for tantalizing and beckoning me to the world of tea, I prefer to support independent ventures with real people, real enthusiasm and commitment, and real dreams.

Currently, I am researching monthly tea subscriptions. Perhaps it will keep me out of tea shops.

And here is Shae’s rating scale— which I am using with permission, of course— which more or less describes the way I have been rating teas. I am going to make more of an effort to stay very close to these parameters now.

Rating Scale

1-20: By far, one of the worst teas I’ve tasted. I most certainly will not finish my cup and will likely “gift” the rest to my sweet husband who almost always enjoys the teas I dislike (and vice versa).

21-40: This tea is not good but if I mix it with another tea or find another steeping method I might be able to finish it.

41-60: This one is just okay. I might drink it again if someone were to give it to me, but I probably won’t be buying more for myself.

61-75: This is a consistently good tea. It’s reliable but not necessarily special.

76-90: This one is a notch above the rest and I would gladly enjoy a cup of it any day of the week. I’ll likely be keeping this in my cupboard, but it isn’t one of my all-time favorites.

91-95: One small change and this tea would be perfect. I’ll definitely have a stash of this in my kitchen if you come over for tea.

96-100: No words can describe this tea. It’s an experience, an aha moment. Closed eyes, wide smile, encompassing warmth. Absolutely incredible. Perfect.

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Mostly, but not always, Toronto, Canada.

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