#built to last

[bearnakedbaker]

Peeping Tom

[boanerges20]

Dakar // 2024

[more-better-words]

After this last season of Lower Decks, I can't help but imagine your T'Pol X Trip story as what T'Pol's alternative story is. It makes me happy to have a world where thing turned out right in the end.

I know!!!! 😍😍😍

The love for every last facet of Trek that the creative team of Lower Decks possesses has been evident since the show began, and I had said repeatedly that if they could find a way to give the finger to TATV, I would ascend and see the koala.

And I have.

(Why is it smiling? What does it know?)

It knows that Trip and T'Pol deserved to be together, could be together, and the fact that they weren't in TATV? Well, that was just one bad quantum reality. The other ones were much better. 😄

(Technically, in the Built to Last verse, Trip and T'Pol were married for 68 years, so different quantum dealie, but it does amuse me to think about T'Mir and her brothers rolling their eyes about T'Pol going on interdimensional adventures with William Boimler. "Mother's galavanting through time and space again? Sounds about right." 🙄)

[a-particular-day-of-september]

8 billion faces and yours is my favorite.

[k-evans-reads]

What does breakfast/morning times look like for Chris and Nora on a weekend?

The sun peeked through the curtains, casting a golden glow across the bedroom as Chris stirred awake. The house was quiet except for the soft rustling of sheets as he stretched, his arm instinctively reaching out to the other side of the bed.

His fingers brushed against warm, soft skin, and he cracked his eyes open, a slow smile spreading across his face as he found Nora curled up beside him. She was still tucked under the covers, her breathing even, her cheek resting against the pillow in the most peaceful way.

Chris propped himself up on an elbow, watching her for a moment. There was something about waking up next to her that never got old. She looked so small in their big bed, her dark lashes resting against her cheeks, her lips slightly parted. His heart clenched at how sweet and soft she was, how lucky he was to have this quiet little woman curled up beside him.

He couldn’t help himself—he leaned in and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to her shoulder before murmuring, “Mornin’, sweetheart.”

Nora stirred with a sleepy sigh, her lips curving into a drowsy smile before she even opened her eyes. She shifted closer, pressing her face against his chest as she hummed softly in response. “Mmm, too early.”

Chris chuckled, wrapping his arms around her, pressing his lips to her hair. “It’s never too early when I wake up next to you.”

She let out a quiet, sleepy laugh against his skin, and the sound went straight to his heart. He loved that she was still slow to wake, still lingering in that peaceful haze, still letting herself be held by him.

After a few more minutes of just laying there—Chris tracing his fingers along her back, Nora slowly waking up—she finally stretched, sighing contentedly. “You’re warm.”

“I try,” he teased, pressing a kiss to her temple before reluctantly pulling back. “C’mon, let’s get up. I’ll make breakfast.”

Nora peeked up at him through her lashes, her eyes still heavy with sleep. “You always make breakfast.”

Chris grinned. “Yeah, well, I’m really good at it.”

She giggled, finally sitting up and pushing her hair out of her face. “You just don’t like how I measure things when I cook.”

“That’s because you don’t measure anything, babe,” he teased, sliding out of bed and stretching. “You just throw stuff in the pan and hope for the best.”

Nora rolled her eyes, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her amusement. “It always turns out fine.”

Chris smirked as he reached for a sweatshirt, tugging it over his head before offering her his hand. “C’mon, let’s go see if we can keep the kitchen intact.”

She slipped her hand into his, her fingers small and soft against his calloused palm, and let him pull her out of bed.

Downstairs, the morning felt slow and easy. Chris moved around the kitchen with practiced ease, flipping pancakes while Nora stood at the counter, sipping her tea and watching him with an amused smile. She always loved how effortlessly he carried himself, how he turned something as simple as making breakfast into an art.

Chris caught her staring and smirked, sliding a plate of pancakes in front of her. “You just like watchin’ me work, huh?”

Nora blushed but didn’t deny it, taking a bite of pancake instead. “Mmm, these are perfect.”

Chris grinned, sitting down beside her and reaching for his coffee. “Damn right, they are.”

They ate in easy, comfortable silence, the sound of rain lightly tapping against the window, the smell of coffee and syrup filling the house.

And as Chris looked across the table at Nora—her hair still messy from sleep, her sweater slipping slightly off her shoulder, her soft smile just for him—he felt it again. That overwhelming feeling of love, of gratitude, of knowing that nothing in the world could be better than this.

A slow Saturday morning, pancakes, and the woman he loved.

Yeah. Life was real damn good.

[chaoticdesertdweller]

1960s Sears/Kenmore "flower power" stove.

[krispyweiss]

Song Review: Grateful Dead - “Built to Last” (Live, July 17, 1989)

Revisiting versions of “Built to Last” such as the one from July 17, 1989, at Alpine Valley make the song’s ultra-short lifespan all the more inexplicable.

This gem is out as the latest in the Grateful Dead’s “All the Years Live” video series. It finds Jerry Garcia leading the band with aplomb, seriously feeling the song’s message of perseverance; his enthusiasm matched by drummer Mickey Hart, who consistently accentuates Garcia’s vocals with cymbal crashes or other percussive underlines.

This show, indeed the entire three-day run at Alpine ’89, was a high-water mark that Sound Bites feels fortunate to have experienced. It’s also a thrill to see and hear this rare number again while puzzling over why it didn’t become a regular part of the rotation, though one suspects it has to do with its unorthodox time signature and knock-kneed rhythm.

Grade card: Grateful Dead - “Built to Last” (Live - 7/17/89) - A-

Read Sound Bites’ previous “All the Years Live” coverage here.

6/5/25

[tilbageidanmark]

🎸🎸 RIP, PHIL LESH 🎸🎸

[octever]

HOW IS IT THAT SO MANY SONGS FROM THE ALBUM "Built to Last" RELATE SO MUCH TO ME?!?!?!?!

[boanerges20]

Built For Speed Moto Guzzi | Classic Endurance | Imola // 2015

[helena-bottom-farter]

Tiffan, Ohio c.1890

[more-better-words]

Tagged by @deadheaddaisy to share my favorite scenes I've written!

Oh dear.

Let's see…

Non-Trek:

Kelsey and Imoen are friends now (Destiny)

Solaufein realizes he's in love (Venturing the Uncharted)

Valen defends Ericka's honor (In a Strange Land)

Dragonslayer saves Dietrich's life (The Hornets' Nest)

Trek:

T'Pol calls dibs (From the Ground Up)

Trip and T'Pol celebrate their engagement (Scotch and Chocolate)

New Year's Eve (What We Build Here)

Trip and Karveth bond (What We Build Here)

Trip teaches T'Pol to dance (Three/Four Time)

The Pon Farr scene 👀 (For the Duration)

T'Mir's birth (The Place We Call Home)

Karveth and Monica's first meeting (Home Away From Home)

Monica's migraine (Seeing Blue)

Trip vs. Karveth and Shran (Under a White Sky)

Karveth's declaration (Under A White Sky)

Karveth and Monica's wedding reception (Chosen)

Tagging anybody who wants to play! (and brag!)

[southcarolinawoman]

From Reddit:

"Corelle dishes- My mom bought these at 18 when she moved out. She'll be 63 this year.

"They've somehow managed to survive manhandling by three kids over 45 years who had dishwashing as their chore, she even puts the plates in the oven to cook biscuits etc on sometimes."

[k-evans-reads]

What book would carpenter!Chris recommend to Nora?

Chris leaned against the counter of the bookstore, his arms crossed over his broad chest, watching as Nora carefully stacked a few books on the shelf behind the register. He’d finished up a job early that afternoon and figured he’d stop by, maybe steal a kiss if no one was around.  

“I got something for you,” he said casually.  

Nora turned, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “For me?”  

Chris smirked, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a well-worn paperback. He set it on the counter between them, tapping the cover with his fingers. The River Between Us.  

Nora blinked, looking from the book to Chris. “You’re giving me a book?”  

“Not just a book.” He tilted his head, watching her reaction. “The book.”  

Her lips parted slightly as she picked it up, running her fingers over the creased spine. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about this one before.”  

Chris shrugged. “Didn’t think you’d be interested.”  

Her brow furrowed. “Why?”  

“Because it’s not some big sweeping romance.” He grinned. “No brooding Mr. Darcy walking through a field in the morning mist.”  

Nora rolled her eyes, but her cheeks pinked. “You did not just bring up Pride and Prejudice like that.”  

Chris chuckled. “Hey, I pay attention.” He tapped the book again. “But this one? This one’s got something special. One of the first books I ever really felt. Read it when I was a teenager, and it stuck with me.”  

Nora looked down at the cover again. “What’s it about?”  

Chris leaned closer, his voice dropping just a little. “It’s about family. Sacrifice. Doing the hard thing even when you don’t want to.” He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “There’s a part near the end—one of the main guys, he’s got this choice to make. Could’ve walked away, could’ve had an easy life, but he didn’t. Because he knew what mattered more.”  

Nora was quiet, her fingers still tracing the edges of the book. “That sounds… really good.”  

Chris smirked. “That’s why I’m giving it to you.”  

She looked up at him, something soft in her gaze. “And you think I’ll like it?”  

He shrugged, that easy grin still playing on his lips. “You’ll like the writing. And there’s a little romance in there... figured you’d appreciate that part.”  

Nora laughed, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.”  

Chris leaned in just a little more, his voice warm. “I just know my girl, that’s all.”  

Her heart stuttered. He said it so simply, so naturally, like it was a fact. Like it had always been true.  

She swallowed, hugging the book to her chest. “I’ll read it.”  

Chris grinned. “Good.” He straightened, knocking his knuckles lightly against the counter before turning toward the door. “And when you get to that part, you’ll know which one I mean.”  

Nora watched him go, her fingers tightening around the book. She already had a feeling he was right.

[krispyweiss]

Song Review: Grateful Dead - “Built to Last” (Live, July 9, 1989)

“Built to Last” was not, in fact, built to last.

As it turned out, the Grateful Dead rolled out the number just 18 times between 1988 and 1990, including the July 9, 1989, version in New Jersey, just released in the band’s “All the Years Live” video series.

This one is unique in that Phil Lesh forgoes his harmonies and Jerry Garcia’s guitar break unfolds sans MIDI.

It’s a wordy track with some awkward, but effective, changes in the music. Given Garcia stumbled over some of Robert Hunter’s lyrics on this rendition, this might explain why he abandoned the song.

Although, if the band had played it more frequently - and Sound Bites thinks it should have - perhaps Garcia would’ve smoothed things out.

Alas, we’ll never know.

Grade card: Grateful Dead - “Built to Last” (Live - 7/9/89) - B

Read Sound Bites’ previous “All the Years Live” coverage here.

6/20/24