What are you doing today?

[Apple fanboy]

Hahaha, well, there's this Jeep thing, where a Jeep owner leaves a rubber duck on someone else's Jeep, sometimes with some words of wisdom written on it. So we parked, noticed another Wrangler (blue with a big offroad setup), not sure if it was them, but this little fellow was on the car when we can out ...

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Hahaha, it's this whole nutty Wrangler sub-culture


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The older I get the more I feel I have been transported to a different planet! Literally had no idea this was a thing.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The older I get the more I feel I have been transported to a different planet! Literally had no idea this was a thing.

A feeling I can empathise with completely.

And one that has become ever more pronounced anytime I returned home after a period spent abroad in one of the more challenging spots of our planet.

 

[DT]

The older I get the more I feel I have been transported to a different planet! Literally had no idea this was a thing.

I lean into it, adapt, go-with-the-flow That is something that's made me very agile in dealing, well, with everything.

I'm a bit of a kid at heart, heck, I still play video games - but I suspect I'm actually older than you

 

[DT]

The problem is, I still don't understand what this means or what it is all about.

Let's see if I can help.

You know how, for example, on MR, you have discussions with other people because of your common interest in fountain pens? Or how any two people / group of people can find some common ground over a topic, product, band, author? Like a club?

This is simply people finding some common ground over the ownership of a Jeep Wrangler, it's an extremely iconic vehicle, it's been built since '44 and started life as a military vehicle built by Willys–Overland Motors. There's kind of an association with people who dig on exploration, are a little more "free spirited", it has some unique design elements like the roof, doors are all removable.

The "ducking" originates from a bad experience an owner had, and in the moment, felt better just because of a silly little rubber duck they had in their Jeep. So the story circulated, and the mix of the "happy duck" and the general sort of Wrangler owner comradery (and kind of common life outlook of owners) got fused together, and Jeep owners started giving other owners a, "Hey, saw your Jeep, I have one too, here's a silly little rubber duck just to say hi, and I hope your day is going great!"

 

[fooferdoggie]

I usually go to the movies on my birthday but it is just not practical. so I worked somewhat and grabbed some BBQ at a new place. web lI guess it was a cart and now a restaurant. its almost impossible to find bbq beef ribs but this place has them on Fridays. so it worked out well. But man one rib about 1.3 pounds cost me 35.00 but their beef is close to 30.00 a pound and the pulled pork about 20 or so. got brisket and pulled port and plenty left over for my wife. it was really good bbq Was impressed. also it is a woman run place too.

 

[lizkat]

Okay.

The problem is, I still don't understand what this means or what it is all about.

And all I can seek refuge in is a squawked suppressed mutter of "wtf"?

Well that's the thing about subcultures now, isn't it? They're like memes, more invented every day and so too many to keep up with. Kids will sometimes quickly abandon one as soon as their parents try to co-opt or even make reference to it. Others catch on in social media and seem to persist far longer no matter who adopts it or tries to adapt it to their own purposes.

But I love those little ducks. I even have one given me after I had admired a couple of them that a friend had parked out in her garden-in-the-works one year during a too-long mud season, just for the laughs of it. Mine lives next to the staples canisters in the kitchen and gets a smile every day. To me it's just a toy duck... and a cute one.

 

[lizkat]

I usually go to the movies on my birthday but it is just not practical. so I worked somewhat and grabbed some BBQ at a new place. web lI guess it was a cart and now a restaurant. its almost impossible to find bbq beef ribs but this place has them on Fridays. so it worked out well. But man one rib about 1.3 pounds cost me 35.00 but their beef is close to 30.00 a pound and the pulled pork about 20 or so. got brisket and pulled port and plenty left over for my wife. it was really good bbq Was impressed. also it is a woman run place too.
View attachment 4718

Happy birthday!!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Let's see if I can help.

You know how, for example, on MR, you have discussions with other people because of your common interest in fountain pens? Or how any two people / group of people can find some common ground over a topic, product, band, author? Like a club?

This is simply people finding some common ground over the ownership of a Jeep Wrangler, it's an extremely iconic vehicle, it's been built since '44 and started life as a military vehicle built by Willys–Overland Motors. There's kind of an association with people who dig on exploration, are a little more "free spirited", it has some unique design elements like the roof, doors are all removable.

The "ducking" originates from a bad experience an owner had, and in the moment, felt better just because of a silly little rubber duck they had in their Jeep. So the story circulated, and the mix of the "happy duck" and the general sort of Wrangler owner comradery (and kind of common life outlook of owners) got fused together, and Jeep owners started giving other owners a, "Hey, saw your Jeep, I have one too, here's a silly little rubber duck just to say hi, and I hope your day is going great!"

Well that's the thing about subcultures now, isn't it? They're like memes, more invented every day and so too many to keep up with. Kids will sometimes quickly abandon one as soon as their parents try to co-opt or even make reference to it. Others catch on in social media and seem to persist far longer no matter who adopts it or tries to adapt it to their own purposes.

But I love those little ducks. I even have one given me after I had admired a couple of them that a friend had parked out in her garden-in-the-works one year during a too-long mud season, just for the laughs of it. Mine lives next to the staples canisters in the kitchen and gets a smile every day. To me it's just a toy duck... and a cute one.

Ah, I see.

My grateful thanks to you both.

And now, I do (sort of), get it, and I do (very much) appreciate that you both took the time (and trouble) to explain to me what all of this (as it is so culturally specific) actually means.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I usually go to the movies on my birthday but it is just not practical. so I worked somewhat and grabbed some BBQ at a new place. web lI guess it was a cart and now a restaurant. its almost impossible to find bbq beef ribs but this place has them on Fridays. so it worked out well. But man one rib about 1.3 pounds cost me 35.00 but their beef is close to 30.00 a pound and the pulled pork about 20 or so. got brisket and pulled port and plenty left over for my wife. it was really good bbq Was impressed. also it is a woman run place too.
View attachment 4718

Happy birthday, and sounds as though it was a lovely day.

 

[Alli]

I usually go to the movies on my birthday but it is just not practical.

Happy birthday!

 

[Apple fanboy]

I lean into it, adapt, go-with-the-flow That is something that's made me very agile in dealing, well, with everything.

I'm a bit of a kid at heart, heck, I still play video games - but I suspect I'm actually older than you

I'm 102. Sorry that's how old I feel! I usually have to stop and work it out when it comes to old I am. I've not acknowledged a birthday in 5 years.

 

[Pumbaa]

I'm 102. Sorry that's how old I feel! I usually have to stop and work it out when it comes to old I am. I've not acknowledged a birthday in 5 years.

I envy the people born in the year 2000. So darn simple for them to work out how old they are.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I'm 102. Sorry that's how old I feel! I usually have to stop and work it out when it comes to old I am. I've not acknowledged a birthday in 5 years.

I'm another who feels as though I was born middle aged.

 

[Clix Pix]

Some days I feel my actual chronological age and then a few more years on top of that, and other days I feel and sometimes act the way I did when I was significantly younger......

 

[fooferdoggie]

the DEA has a take back day you can drop all your unused drugs off and I guess illegal ones too. had a bunch from over the years was able to ride my bike in the rain and give them away.

 

[User.191]

Today I took my wonderful wife out for a meal at a local winery we've been supporting this last year.

Friday she learned she was to get a very very well deserved promotion which has her both shit scared yet also excited.

My poor wife works damn hard at her current job and gets a third the salary I do. All feels grossly unfair given I get to pretty much choose my day and set direction and have oodles of fun doing it, yet her current job is regimented and fixed with zero little choice.

My hope is that this promotion will finally help her stretch her wings and she'll get to display her true potential.

Hence the well deserved meal where I drank water & drove and she got well and truly white girl wasted on some nice local wine.

 

[Alli]

My poor wife works damn hard at her current job and gets a third the salary I do. All feels grossly unfair given I get to pretty much choose my day and set direction and have oodles of fun doing it, yet her current job is regimented and fixed with zero little choice.

What do you (both) do?

 

[Alli]

We went downtown today and did a Parks & Rec sponsored Sip and Paint. We had a lot of fun despite the music being not much we enjoy, and WAY too loud. Unlike me, my husband is a wonderful artist and he was able to do something great with a simple canvas and toy paints and a toy paintbrush.

 

[User.191]

What do you (both) do?

I'm a Business Intelligence Director and she's currently a broker support agent for a regional financial service house.

She's fully licensed and I'm a total dullard with no qualifications to my name.

Life makes no sense.

 

[Eric]

We went downtown today and did a Parks & Rec sponsored Sip and Paint. We had a lot of fun despite the music being not much we enjoy, and WAY too loud. Unlike me, my husband is a wonderful artist and he was able to do something great with a simple canvas and toy paints and a toy paintbrush.

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Wow that is really impressive. Over the last few months I've really gotten into Bob Ross and plan on buying some supplies and giving it a shot, I love photography but have so much respect for painters who can imagine and create. Would like to see more of your husband's work if you care to share.