An 1830's Style MMP

[congodwarf]

Every year, Old Sturbridge Village has Apple Days during the first weekend in October. It’s when they harvest their apples and do various demonstrations of what people in the 1830’s would have done with the apples. The farmhouse girls make pie, the small house has heirloom varieties tasting, the big house girls make apple molasses, the tavern makes mulling sachets, the tinsmith makes corers, and the big thing - the cider mill is open!

Now, I first went to OSV in the 1980’s. It’s a standard school trip for pretty much any Massachusetts child. I only went once as a child and I fell in love with the place. Since moving to Southbridge (the town next door to Sturbridge), my sweetie and I have become members and we go a couple times a year.

In all the time I’ve been going to OSV, the ONE THING I have never seen, is the cider mill in operation.

I am a huge fan of fall and everything that goes along with it. I love apples. I adore cider (what we call cider, not what they called cider in the 1830’s). I wanted to see the darn thing running.

Last year, my sweetie and I made the decision that we’d go on the second day of the Apple Days demonstrations - Sunday. We spent Friday night working on the Jeep and he had planned for more of that on Saturday. I planned to do homework. I had a big paper on Plato due the following week and I hadn’t even started it yet.

On Saturday morning, we took a trip to Home Depot because he needed a tool. I’m not sure why I went with him; it was probably cabin fever. While we were in the tool department, I noticed him stretching his arm a lot. He didn’t seem happy. Then he admitted that it hurt, probably from the work he had done the night before.

I jokingly asked him if he was having a heart attack.

He assured me that he wasn’t and we bought the tool and started to drive home. When we were about half way home, my sweetie said to me, “Please take me to the ER”.

Now, I don’t know about you but when HE says that to me, I comply - no questions asked. We’ve been together for 12 years (mostly) and he has only said that to me twice. Hell, when he had a massive eye infection, I had to threaten him before he’d agree to go to the ER.

So, unfortunately by this point we were past the point of no return. We had to return to Southbridge and go to Harrington Hospital. When we had been at Home Depot, we could have chosen from any of 3 hospitals in Worcester, all of which were closer to us than Harrington was when he asked to go. We finished the 15 minute drive and raced him into the ER.

One of the benefits of living in a small town with its own full service hospital, is that the ER rarely has a wait. Not that this mattered in this case. Saying, chest pain and arm pain is a sure way to get into a room and hooked up to 50 different machines before they even ask your name.

While the registration lady asked me all the pertinent information, my sweetie was hooked up to every machine in the ER. A nice lady came from the lab and drew his blood. I debated whether or not to call his mother but eventually decided to wait a bit longer.

All the preliminary tests indicated that he was not having a heart attack. The ER doctor started talking to him about panic attacks, while we waited for the CT scan to be free.

After he had his CT scan, we went back to the ER and the doctor came back in. I assumed that she was going to tell him he was fine and to go home and avoid stress. Instead, she started examining him even more thoroughly. She wasn’t talking. I was getting scared.

She started asking if he had been on a plane recently or if he lived a sedentary life. I started to see where this was going. Finally she said, “The blood test indicated that you have a blood clot but we don’t know where and we don’t know why.”

He was sent back for another CT, this time with contrast. While the scans were digitally sent to Beth Israel, we prepared him to spend at least one night in the hospital. I called his mother after trying to figure out how to start the conversation in a way that wouldn’t cause HER to have a panic attack.

At that point, there was nothing more I could do and his mother and older brother were on their way to see him so I went home to tend to the poor dogs who were supposed to have only been alone for an hour. It had been about 6 hours at this point and they still hadn’t even had breakfast.

After tending to the girls, I packed up his stuff and went back to the hospital.

He ended up being in the hospital for 3 nights. They wouldn’t let him leave until his Coumadin level was high enough. They also gave him Heparin shots but he wasn’t cooperating. It took a lot longer than they expected for his level to get to a good number. I spent most of those 4 days sitting next to his bed, doing my Plato paper while he watched cartoons and we waited to find out why his blood was clotting too much.

The food at Harrington Hospital is amazingly good.

Anyway, he finally got to go home on Tuesday. The girls were so happy to see him but we had to keep them behind a gate until they calmed down. We couldn’t risk them scratching him. He spent an additional week giving himself Heparin shots before his Coumadin level was satisfactory.

I got an A- on my paper.

We never did find out why he started clotting abnormally. He is still taking blood thinners and his numbers still fluctuate to bad levels occasionally. In June he came within 1 day of being hospitalized again before the increased meds did their job.

We didn’t finish working on the Jeep until months later.

We never did make it to Apple Days.

Until yesterday. We had agreed that we would go this year, no matter what and go we did. While we were getting ready to go, I asked my sweetie if he had checked the OSV website to see what was going on today. He mentioned all the stuff I knew about but added one that surprised me. “The Cobbler will be making pies.” Um.....ok.. “Are you sure about that?” I asked? This was followed by him laughing like a loon when he realized what he had said and the dogs looking at him like he had lost his mind.

We ate at the tavern for lunch, which had hot mulled cider of course. We watched the girls in the farmhouse making pie and I saw a parsnip for the first time in my life. The potter wasn’t super busy like he usually is so when we went in his shop, we found him giving a lesson to a cute little girl while her mom watched - all three of them obviously thoroughly enjoying themselves. I saw a massive toad on the path. He walked. I’ve never seen a toad walk before. The guy in the cider mill was very nice and we spent about half an hour asking him questions.

It was raining and chilly but we went and we had fun and for the first time in over 20 years, I got to see the damn cider mill in operation!

Of course, the most important thing is that WE went. My sweetie is still with me and I firmly believe that the lab and ER doctor are the reason why.



Our pictures from OSV (http://s862.photobucket.com/albums/ab183/spike1380/?action=view&current=033-1.jpg) Stop when you get to the Terrible Iggy Dammit or else you'll see the nastiness on my foot that's getting checked out today.

[kaiwik]

Great OP shortdrum, that would have been rather terrifying! So happy that everyone is okay, and yay for all things apple!

I am sad. Just having a big case of the doldrums. The rain matches my mood. Someone please do something to make this old woman smile.

I think I just need some me time, although some attention would be welcome.

Wah, I am a big cry baby... :(

Anyway, I think I managed to be first. w00t1!!1

[Lancia]

Second! Almost there!

Great OP, congodwarf. Glad things worked out in the end. Hospitals SUCK, cider is awesome.

[congodwarf]

I'm sitting here with a dog on my lap, playing City of Heroes with my sweetie. We just ran into combat (which I initiated) when I shrieked, threw the dog off my lap and shuffled into the kitchen (my calves are sore).

I thought I had burned my latest batch of clay stuff.



Turns out that I never turned the oven on. :D






I got back just in time to see my sweetie finish killing the last of the bad guys I pulled before I ran away.


Did that make you even twitch a lip? No? Hmmmm...... {{{{{Moorland}}}}}

[kaiwik]

I ought to dig out all my fimo/sculpy stuff and do something besides sitting here listening to sad songs. Your pendants are awesome, shortdrum, I will have to take a photo of the doll I made for my mom.

Somehow I am firmly ensconced in the office, alone (hallelujah) listening to Pandora and writing. I have to get my stories on paper, even if they don't get published. I know a few folks who have insisted that I get it all down so they can read it, so, who knows?

Smiles are going to be difficult to come by tonight. I discovered that someone I trusted has completely and fundamentally betrayed me. Feels like I got kicked in the gut, and while I was lying there I was then stomped multiple times. It's bad, and I don't know what to do. Forgiveness has been begged, but my heart is cold and stoney.

Sorry for the vent.

Happy beginning of the week to everyone. rosie that toe looks extremely owie, I hope the doc can help you with that. Yay bobio for new bambilance tales! Much love to all, I am always around, look under that rock over there and you will find me!

[congodwarf]

You made a doll out of clay? I'd love to see that. I've found that when I'm kneading clay, I work out a lot of anger. Of course my hands and elbows hate me for it when I'm done but my heart and head usually feel better.


I'm so sorry that your got hurt so badly. Every time I start to question whether or not I am silly for having so few close friends, I remember all the time that close friends hurt me very badly. I'm happy now with 1 or 2 very close friends and a lot of really nice acquaintances. They don't know me well enough to hurt me.

Looking back on that paragraph, it's not a very good pep talk is it? Talk about advocating introvertedness.

[kaiwik]

Yeah, I made a doll, my 'artistic' statement based on the poem with the lines When I am old I will wear purple, with a red hat that doesn't match. I can never remember the name of that poem, and I have the book over there in the living room. Too settled in my chair here to be bothered to go get it! Anyway, the doll is kinda cool. I thought it was super dweebish at first, but I have had a lot of compliments and encouragement to make more. I want to do some figures for Christmas. Thanks to your ingenuity there are women in my life who are going to get a polymer clay pendant strung on either silk rat tail cord or rawhide. I have some glitters and other fun stuff I haven't touched. I haven't done anything with my crafts since the big move last December. I need some me time, and a lot of it.

I really don't have any close female friends, been there, done that and have the tee shirts. My socializing is primarily with my family. The person I referred to above is a male who I let into my heart. I just don't know what to do.

Raw! Enough whining about my choices! I feel better, but I feel badly for having dumped on the MMP before it even had a chance to warm up, sorry family.

Thanks, yeah, ya got a smile out of me. ¡Muchas gracias!

[congodwarf]

Thanks, yeah, ya got a smile out of me. ¡Muchas gracias!

YAY! As far as I'm concerned, this week's MMP is already a success!



I bet that a lot of people are going to be happy to get one of your pendants. I know the book you're talking about and I've found that a lot of women take it to heart. I suspect that when I'm old, I'll be wearing grey sweats, jeans, and t-shirts, just like I do now. Wow, my mom was right...I AM boring!

[kaiwik]

I tend to wear more eclectic kinds of clothing. Then again I was a bohemian gypsy type when I was younger, so why stop? The truth is, I don't feel any older than I did at 19. There is more wisdom, but I still make dumb choices sometimes. Then again, was it a bad choice? Or did he just &*%# up spectacularly and is now repentant and begging for forgiveness?

I just wanna be a recluse. With internet.

:) <Me smiling.

[orchidcolors]

I just ate steak and potatoes. At midnight. I'm strange. But it was really good. Now I get to go to sleep. :)

congodwarf, I'm glad your OP had a happy ending.

[anyrose]

Good grief, y'all are up early today.

I'm glad your sweetie made thru the scary, shortdrum.

Autumn & New England go hand in hand. my brother and one nephew live in Brookline, the other nephew & his family live in Mansfield. Relocating to somewhere near Lowell or Bellerica is a possible retirement scenerio for me, even though I like Lawn Guylindt.

I will call the doc when he opens, but I think I'll be going to the Urgent Care Clinic instead, unless Doc says he can handle it in his office.

[swampbear]

Good Mornin' Y'all! Up and caffienatin'. *YAWN* 'Tis 46 degrees Amurrkin out! :eek: Today's high shall be 81. NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE! Guess it'll be big boy pants all day today. :D

shordrum nice OP! Ya done good. Glad y'all found out what was goin' on with sweetie and that he seems to be watchin' it. That's the most important thing. Apple country in Jawja is in the north part of the state around Elijay. I like apples, however. Cool pics btw! I like apple cider too.

{{{wiki}}} I know what you mean. Even if he is beggin' for forgiveness it's hard sometimes to fogive somebody who betrays you. Plus, you know you can come in here anytime when you're feelin' down. It's part of what we're here for.

Rosie hope the doc gets your toe all good again real soon.

Ok, I need more caffiene and rumbly tummy demands to be fed. Then, alas, irk purtification must commence.

Happy Monday Y'all!

[VunderBob]

Blurf. Short bambilance story coming later today.

:goose: for down in the dumps Wiki. :D

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

Boy we're chatty today!

Great story, shortdrum! Love OSV, but have never made it to Apple Days. Now I'm sad I didn't go. Glad you're sweetie is fine- that's a scary story.

Wiki- sorry about the blues. I had an emotionally rough weekend, too. Nothing dramatic, just feeling really down and adrift. Hard to shake and hard to fix. Busy day planned, so I hope that helps.

Rosie- report back from doc about the piggie.

[dogbutler]

Morning, I'mm up, caffeinated, and of to irk.

shortdrum, glad sweetie is OK.

{{{{{Wiki}}}}}

Welcome orchid!!!!

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

MMP spam? Reported

[gardentraveler]

MMP spam? ReportedOooh, me too. Weird to see that, isn't it?

Cool OP, shortdrum.

So sorry for the hurt, wiki. :(

Gotta get up and at 'em.

Hugs all.

GT

[VunderBob]

::: incomprehensible deleted spam :::

Easy for you to say.

[lieu]

We bought a gallon of apple cider last week but it's pretty near toast now. Apple molasses, eh? Never had it but man, that does sound like something you'd go through awfully quick.

[SpazCat]

Great pic, congo! I live up the road from Apple Country, NC and now I really want some. Hmmm...I wonder if Culinary Boy would be up for a Farmer's Market trip today?

Things are stressful up here, but not as much as last week when I kept disappearing (although no one probably noticed--I drop out of the internet a lot more these days). We spent way too much time at the ER last week and Culinary Boy may have some inpatient stuff this week as well. Money is super tight and I'm going to have to have a talk with the leasing agency so they don't kick us out. Yeah, that kind of a talk. :(

On the plus side, I'm having a coffee date with the really cool chaplain from work tomorrow and Culinary Boy finally has some meds that make him feel better and there may be a diagnosis for the mental stuff he's been going through forthcoming. Plus Computer Boy and I have buried the unspoken hatchet (we both get irritated the same way which involves a lot of Not Speaking To You or Looking At You).

Now if we can just get Katy Cat so she's not throwing up all the time. :(

[Ellen Cherry]

Great pic, congo! I live up the road from Apple Country, NC and now I really want some.

Ya do? My father-in-law lives in Hendersonville ... Edneyville, actually, amid zillions of apple orchards. We're practically neighbors!

[SpazCat]

Ya do? My father-in-law lives in Hendersonville ... Edneyville, actually, amid zillions of apple orchards. We're practically neighbors!

Well howdy, neighbor!

[Acsenray]

It’s when they harvest their apples and do various demonstrations of what people in the 1830’s would have done with the apples.

95 percent of the time, wouldn't they be using them just to make intoxicating beverages?

[Ellen Cherry]

I hope we'll be able to get down there in a couple weeks and I can buy a bushel of NC apples. I love to bake apple pies in the fall with the yummy fresh apples and lard in my pie crust.

Also, Acsenray — I think they dried quite a lot of apples in the olden days. When reconstituted they're delish.

[VunderBob]

I hope we'll be able to get down there in a couple weeks and I can buy a bushel of NC apples. I love to bake apple pies in the fall with the yummy fresh apples and lard in my pie crust.

Also, Acsenray — I think they dried quite a lot of apples in the olden days. When reconstituted they're delish.

She gets her jackboots, and decides she's too good to be a Mumper anymore. Welcome back, stranger.

[VunderBob]

After several months of bickering with the wife, I'm finally active in the Navytown Rescue Squad. This is the (mercifully short) tale of my first shift.

The Navytown squad has 2 stations. One is within easy walking distance of home, and the other is close to the office. My default will be to run out of the one near the house.

I showed up at the station at the appointed time, and tried the combination for the door. Didn't work, so I tried again. Still didn’t work, so they must have changed it. Harrumph. I waited patiently by the door, hoping someone would let me in. A cute girl parked and came to the door. "I'm Ericka, one of the lieutenants. We kicked someone out yesterday, so the combinations were changed, and I didn't call you yet." At least I hadn't fat-fingered things.

Once inside, I met my crew. Josh was the crew chief, and Zack was another crew member like me. Since I don't have Maryland certifications yet, I'm at the bottom of the pecking order once again, even though I theoretically outranked Josh. There was an immediate discussion because there was no driver. Ericka was drafted.

Once that was settled, Josh looked me over and asked, "Why are you dressed like that? Are you an EMT?" I had on my normal duty pants and combat boots I wore in Cottonfield County.

"Uh, yeah", and I showed my NC card. They were impressed, but also reiterated that my card didn't count in MD, which I knew already.

We did our equipment checks and got gear, then the most important part of the shift happened, namely dinner. Ericka was hong-gry, and bitched constantly that checkout was taking too long.

We rolled out and headed to the local Panera. I sort of held back in our group of four because I had never eaten at the joint, and was unfamiliar with the menu. Ericka wasn't shy, and charged right up to the counter. She placed order and paid for it. Then. The. Tones. Went. Off. My Og, I wish I had a camera, because the look on her face was one of those stereotypical priceless moments.

The call was for a female with chest pain. The call was mostly boring, but she did not show the usual cardiac signs, instead we did suspected some kind of rib problem. Her big tell-tale was shallow breathing, which is typical for a broken rib. We transported her to the hospital uneventfully.

Ericka was entertaining, and demonstrated her nickname of Miss Roadrage. She yelled at a couple of drivers, bellowed at someone who was clearing a grill from the road after it fell off the truck, and simmered as we passed an Amish buggy. Somehow, I don't think she was sincerely POed, but playing to the crew instead.

After we cleared the hospital, we headed back to Panera. This time, we had all eight feet touching the pavement when the tones sounded for a sick call. For once, I don't think Ericka's reaction was for show. Fortunately, we got a few miles down the road when we were cancelled. Ericka, and the rest of us, got to eat our dinner. While there, we heard a page for a car/buggy accident near the hospital, with serious injury. All of us were sure it was the buggy we passed.

We had no other calls that night. Ericka and Josh were sure I was going to bring the FNG curse, making us run all night, but they were happily wrong. It was a good first night.

[FairyChatMom]

Dang - glad your ER adventure didn't take place in the 1830s - the outcome probably wouldn't have been nearly as good. :eek:

OK, you can all quit panicking - I'm here! While I don't have a terrifying ER story like the OP, I was in the hospital all morning. Today was FCD's second shot in the spine - third one due in 2 weeks. But he's headed off to work now, and I'm doing laundry and trying to stay awake. We watched an episode of Dexter last night, and I kept dreaming about it - dreams about serial killers don't make for very restful slumber. :eek:

{{{kai}}} Sometimes people really suck, don't they? But we all lurves ya!

There's going to be an apple festival at a local church this weekend - I may go check it out. I doubt that they have a cider press, tho, unless it's unlike any other church I've ever known. :D

Another cold, dreary, drizzly day, but we're promised beauteous weather after Tuesday, so we shall see! Meanwhile, Happy Monday!

[Ellen Cherry]

She gets her jackboots, and decides she's too good to be a Mumper anymore. Welcome back, stranger.

Thank you! Tell the spammers to spam the MMP more often and then I'll have an excuse to pop in.

[FairyChatMom]

You want an excuse? How about a group of Mumpers needing adult supervision?? Not me, of course, but you know that swampy... ;)

[swampbear]

Adult? Ellen? BWAAAAAHAAAAAHAAAAAAHAAAAAAHAAAAA!!!

Ok, she'll either laugh or I'll get sent off to reform school or whatever it is that happens. We shall see.

Sneakin' in a quick post from irk just to say howdy.

Yay a BBBobbio bambilance story!

Laterz!

[congodwarf]

95 percent of the time, wouldn't they be using them just to make intoxicating beverages?

Pretty much.

Apparently the people who had apples had a LOT of them. Apparently 1 bushel of whole apples will make 1 or more gallons of cider and there'd probably be about 300 gallons made for an average family each fall. It's pretty much all they drank. But, all the other apples would go into the N.O.T. cellar and would be cooked into various things.

[FairyChatMom]

I would dearly love for someone to create a recipe web site that prohibits any recipe that has cream-of-anything soup as an ingredient. Then again, I'm probably the only person in the world who HATES HATES HATES cream-of-anything soup in any recipe. I refuse to use it.

The absolute worst was someone's interpretation of Cracker Barrel's hash brown casserole made with cream of frickin' chicken soup! ugh!

So I guess I need to make up my own recipes. I'll show 'em all!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

That's all. Off to the kitchen with me.

[ems]

I would dearly love for someone to create a recipe web site that prohibits any recipe that has cream-of-anything soup as an ingredient. Then again, I'm probably the only person in the world who HATES HATES HATES cream-of-anything soup in any recipe. I refuse to use it.

The absolute worst was someone's interpretation of Cracker Barrel's hash brown casserole made with cream of frickin' chicken soup! ugh!



Me toooooooooo! I won't even allow the stuff in the house!

I am back at work. Well working from home and I really really really hate my job. Urgh. Gripe over I promise. I am grateful to be employed I just hate this current position.

I also love cider. English alcoholic type cider.....yum! :D

[VunderBob]

I would dearly love for someone to create a recipe web site that prohibits any recipe that has cream-of-anything soup as an ingredient. Then again, I'm probably the only person in the world who HATES HATES HATES cream-of-anything soup in any recipe. I refuse to use it.


If the ban was Cream of Mushroom, I'd go for it. I kinda like Cream of Broccoli, though, but it's the only one in the genre.

Cream of anything in Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole? :dubious: :smack: :eek: The horror!

[anyrose]

I am still full of OW, I am also woozy from pain meds.

[VunderBob]

I am still full of OW, I am also woozy from pain meds.
What was the diagnosis?

[ScareyFaerie]

Great OP, shortdrum and I'm glad to hear your sweetie made it through the nastiness too.

(((((Wiki))))) - betrayal is the toughest of things to understand, much less forgive but I hope you at least manage to make peace.

(((((rosie))))), get well soon else I'll send you some of my really lethal spinach soup...

Well done on bambilance duty too, BBBobbio, good to hear that you finally got dinner after all that excitement.

Despite the mention of English and alcoholic (fitting the first and aspiring to the second), I cannot abide cider. Apples in most other forms are fine, but cider? Wouldn't give a farthing for it.

In today's news, I have completed my online benefit claim and am now officially a workshy dole-scrounger. I have had a very busy first day of unemployment, I went to my mother's and from there I took her to the garden centre for compost, the other garden centre for bedding plants, the pub for lunch, the supermarket for groceries and the Big Blue Building for a new laptop. Very productive day for her, busy for me, and I have not long been home.

Tomorrow I have to get my hair cut in the morning and then collect a parcel for 'im indoors from the post office as it arrived last week but requires a signature so someone has to go and fetch it. After that, I will probably be cleaning the bathroom in the afternoon, and then going to Fat Club in the evening followed by a catch-up gossip with a friend.

Honestly, I really don't know how I found time for a job....

[FairyChatMom]

Break from domestical attack. I just made a double batch of 'nanner bread, in the form of a dozen muffins and a square "loaf" - it smells really good in here. Then I built a ham-onion-N.O.T. casserole without cream of anything soup - I can make my own white sauce, thank you. :p

I've got a bottle of hard cider in the fridge - it's really good. I may have it with supper tonight. All this cider talk is making me thirsty. :D

Waiting for daughter and spousal unit to get home. Time to crochet some more, I guess.

[SpazCat]

Culinary Boy went to the Big Farmer's Market in search of apples. We escaped with a .5 peck of white sweet potatoes and .5 peck of Arkansas Black (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas_Black) apples. Those are the best apples I've had in decades. Seriously. I had an apple and a half and I ate the whole one down to the core. I usually just eat the skin and the little bit of flesh around the skin because storebought apples are not as crisp as they should be. These? These are very crisp.

[FairyChatMom]

BBBobbio- - I just heard a report on the news about the buggy accident on Sat night - a truck hit the buggy and turned it over, and a girl riding in it was ejected and died. :(

[The Blue-Sighted Shadow]

I am alive! Woo hoo! I have a real live diagnosis - it was not all in my head. All those years of "depression"? Weren't. I also don't have CFS, fibromyalgia, diabetes, hypothyroidism, or any of a list of diseases as long as my arm that I've been tested for over the years. It was a combination of uncontrolled asthma and UARS, at least that's the tentative diagnosis right now. TL,DR - I've been more or less suffocating. For at least the last 5 years. Although I've probably had both UARS and asthma since childhood.

I am so happy to feel alive again! I can think clearly! Hell, I can think, period. I don't wake up in pain every morning or burst into tears just because everything hurts so much. :D to infinity. Oh, and I went hiking this weekend. Hiking! Going to the grocery store used to be too much effort.

Also, I have an iPad now, so I can keep up with the MMP during the day.

I've missed you guys!

[congodwarf]

I totally don't understand the obsession with cream of mushroom soup. It's totally revolting. Cream of chicken isn't much better. Blech.


I just got back from the dermatologist's office. She's baffled. Apparently the thing on my foot has all the markings of being a fungal infection, except that there's nothing whatsoever resembling fungal spores on the scraping slide. She's treating it as ringworm but said it might be a different fungus, which wont respond to this treatment. So, I have a followup in 2 weeks.



I CLEANED MY DESK!!!!!


I actually clean my desk at least once a week. I do everything at my desk; internet, school work, beading, clay, video games....everything. My life is 90% at my desk, 5% in bed, 5% everywhere else.

It was a disaster area. I had a space for each arm to reach the keyboard and that was it. There were beads and clay and tools and school books all over it. Now it's clean!!

I want to make it messy again. Unfortunately I have to do homework instead.

[swampbear]

Shadow yay for the diagnosis. Ok, not yay you got sump'n but yay for knowin' what and bein' able to deal. Also, yay, you're here!

Irk is over. Rah. Swiped General Tso's dindin on the way home. 'Twas good. Wednesday I go to Savannah.

That's my life right now.

[Noone Special]

Pygmy -- yikes!! on the OP :eek:
At least it has a happy ending!

{{{Wiki}}} -- that hurts :(
Also, how you doin' ;)

In other news -- what a day....

background; I'm currently already over-extended on *three* active projects (normal workload is one active project and one more either dormant or, if you're considered *good*, active as well).

One of which was already in Crisis Mode, although we thought we had a handle on what was going on (took a little more work later, but I digress.)

... And then the boss asked me to pitch in on a *4th* project 'cause nobody else could figure out what was going wrong there and it's due to launch tomorrow....
So, after about an hour of looking at things I come up with a diagnosis, which is rejected by the regulars on the project as "impossible, that's not how the system is set up." Until after about 4 more hours they actually *look* where I told them to and, oooooops... it's possible after all....

Don't you love it when a plan comes together.... :rolleyes:

At least I'm pretty sure I'll get some high-level acknowledgment on this one :)

ETA -- good to see you, Shadow, and even better news on the diagnosis!

[dogbutler]

Home from work, having a martini. Gonna sloth, and maybe text my "just friend":)
Dang - glad your ER adventure didn't take place in the 1830s - the outcome probably wouldn't have been nearly as good. :eek:


"He's complaining of chest pains. Vbob, bring me 3 leeches and an amputation saw.":eek:
Hope FCD feels better after the shots.

Ellen!!!!!!!

Yay for a diagnosis, Shadow!!!

Jeepers, Lunch. burning the candle at both ends and the middle, aren't you?

swampy, Savannah? I'll be there in 2 years for the Hockey convention.

[FairyChatMom]

Huzzah, Shadow!! So happy you're getting your life back!

Daughter stayed for supper, and it was yummerrific. She was very happy with the books we got her - did I mention I ordered an out-of-print set of Jacques Cousteau encyclopedia about ocean life? It looks brand new, so I'm thrilled. I also sent her home with some nanner muffins and some of the bread I made yesterday.

Time to crochet the evening away. See ya folkses tomorrow!! MWAH!!

[swampbear]

doggio odds are I won't still be in Savannah when you come for the hockey convention. :D

There's a Dick VanDyke Show marathon on tvland! Whee!

[swampbear]

Why ever would anybody think that there needed to be a remake of Footloose? What's next, a remake of Ishtar?

I ponder such great philosophical questions often.

[anyrose]

Couldn't get out today. I have an appointment tomorrow with the orthopedist who's at my doc's practice. I'm hoping to find someone to go with me.

[Man With a Cat]

Lurves my new job except that I can't Dope from the network there.

[gardentraveler]

Hope someone can go to the doctor's with you tomorrow, rosie.

Well, that's highly inconvenient, CatDude. But glad you like the new gig.

Yay, Shadow, for finally having someone figure out the medical stuff! Hope this means you'll be dropping by a lot more often!

So does this mean we should just randomly report posts so that Ellen will be forced to peek in here? (Why don't we have an innocent whistling angel smiley?)

Off to go for a walk....

Hugs all.

GT

[dogbutler]

Lurves my new job except that I can't Dope from the network there.
Dude, smartphone.

[congodwarf]

Eating din din right now. Soooooo good. I got a craving for chicken soup so I decided to make some (no cream of anything involved - I promise).

Since I got my craving at 6pm and still had to go shopping, the crock pot wasn't really an option.

I cooked brown rice using chicken broth (low sodium Better Than Bullion). I used more broth to cook N.O.T.'s, onion, carrots (huge and smelled like dirt! Yay for fresh veggies!), and celery. While all that was going, I cubed a bunch of skinless, boneless, defatted chicken, liberally sprinkled with Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb and then covered and baked for 45 minutes. Then I added it all together and cooked for another 15 minutes.

It is so heavenly. It's got the perfect amount of spice and the veggies have the right texture and the rice doesn't taste like boring old rice and the chicken is so moist and tender.

YUM!!! I love homemade (and healthy) chicken soup in the fall. :D

[Man With a Cat]

Dude, smartphone.

yeah I know, and I have Tapatalk....

dude, lazy

:p

[Dolores Reborn]

Got some news today...

I'm gonna be a grandma! Looks like the engagement will be moved up... :) ReboSon came and picked up the antique engagement ring that belonged to his Dad's mother, that I wore. He'll be proposing very soon.

I'm excited and terrified at the same time!

Rosie's sig to everyone! Extra hugs for Shadow and Rosie and anyone who needs extra hugs.

Like me! :eek:

(I'm really very happy - it's just they're so young and it's been such a short time.)

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

Congrats, granny! Great news!

[The Blue-Sighted Shadow]

I wanted to make potato soup for dinner tonight, but when I got to the store, I discovered we must be having the Storm of the Century, because all of the bread and milk was gone. Seriously? It's only supposed to rain a quarter of an inch! I managed to find a quart of whole milk, some potatoes, an onion and the last of the crusty bread. Nom! Except the bread bag burst on the conveyor belt and the bagger missed the onion. :smack: So I had sauerkraut, kielbasa and dark rye toast for dinner instead.

[congodwarf]

Congrats Granny Rebo!!


Kielbasa and dark rye sounds awesome! Not sauerkraut though.

[Dolores Reborn]

They're calling me Grebo on the Giraffe Boards! :)

[janis_and_c0]

Greboot? *LOL* Mazel Tov!

[RedWood]

sleeeeepy. Math tomorrow. Impressed my English teacher.
Huggles to all that wantses them!

[Noone Special]

Mazal Tov, Reboot! :)

I've probably still got 5-10 years to wait.... (eldest is 19 Y.O.)

Shadow, I'm with you on consumer behavior making one go :dubious: -- last week, the day before Rosh Hashana and a 3.5-day weekend, you'd think the End of the World was imminent, not the End of the Year.... :eek::smack:. Not to mention there's a perfectly good super-market not a 15 minutes' drive away that is open on weekends and public holidays.... :confused:
And I'd definitely complain to the manager at the store about both the checker (how did the bread just "burst"?) and the bagger. But I'm ornery that way.

RedWood -- yay for making a good impression (is this HS or College BTW? 'Cos if it's college I'll definitely opt in for some huggles, too. ;))

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

Bad case of the grumpys. Not a happy camper today.

[swampbear]

Good Mornin' Y'all! Up and caffienatin'. *YAWN* 'Tis 46 degrees Amurrkin with a predicted high of 86. Guess this means I won't have to wear big boy pants after irk today. :D

Yay on lurvin' new job CatDude. I do not own a smrtfone. My cell phone is dumber than a box of rocks and I like it that way.

Yay on impressin' the English teacher Wood!

Yay on the impendin' grandmadom Grebo!

Yay on good N.O.T. soup shortdrum!

Boo on bad supermarket stuff Shadow!

Now I shall seek out more caffiene plus the feedin' of rumbly tummy. Then, alas, irk purification must commence. I also need to pack this evenin'. I hate to pack even if it's just for an overnight trip.

Happy Tuesday Y'all!

ETA: {{{Soapy}}} Hope the grumps go away soon.

[VunderBob]

Blurf. Carry on.

[FairyChatMom]

Why ever would anybody think that there needed to be a remake of Footloose?That's exactly what I said to my spousal unit when I saw the commercial. "Gee, it made money once - why not make it again with a completely different cast!!!" Right up there with the remake of Psycho that was shot-for-shot identical to the Hitchcock version... :confused: :confused: :confused: Are movie makers really so lazy as to not want to deal with original ideas??

And, like you, I have the dumbest phone on the planet, and I like it that way!! :D Should I be worried that we're becoming so alike?? :eek: :eek: :eek:

Congrats, Grebo!! :D And CatDude, too, for the new gig.

Exciting morning planned here. I need to trim my fingernails, then go to class. Only 2 hours or so till I have to leave, so I've got time to pace myself.

And it looks like we're in for really nice weather thru the weekend - sunny and seasonable temps - more than welcome after all the dreary weeks of ick. I may actually get some work done outside! That promises to be painful on the old back. I need me a studly yard man to supervise. Yep, that's the ticket...

Happy Tuesday!

[dogbutler]

Up, caffeinated, off to irk.

Congrats, Grebo!

[Dolores Reborn]

Happy Tuesday! Gonna be a busy day. My engineer got here before me! :eek:

[lieu]

Congrats to Grebo. And that moving up the date thing, you'd be amazed at how often that happens. ;)

About babies, my now 4 year old but then 3 year old niece used to have the same stock response every time she'd see another infant... "Aw, look at the chubby little baby." Used to crack us right up, it did. So here's to chubby little babies everywhere and to their parents, Keep 'em coming!

ETA: What made me think of my niece? Heh, she was a little early herself.

[swampbear]

MOOOOOOM no matter what you will always be six months and six days older than me. :p As to pacin' yourself I concur. You should plan for an hour nap after trimmin' your nails. We don't want you too worn out for class now do we?

It's quiet at irk. This makes da bear nervous. I just know it means all heck will shortly break loose. :eek: Or not. We live on the edge like that here at old folks services.

ETA: I myself have seen many miraculous births five to six months after a wedding. My, my... yet another premature birth!

[RedWood]

hai everyone! being kittensnuggled by She Who Is Generally An Unholy Terror.
I am a college freshman in my late 40's: my professor was impressed by my reading Chaucer in the original Middle English for fun on Thursday nights. (We're in the middle of the Merchant's Tale.)
Why yes! I am an English major.... /me sends huggles to NoOne

[Man With a Cat]

Happy Twosday! Posting from the phone so I don't just vanish. B

[Dolores Reborn]

Thanks for the congrats!

I told them it doesn't matter to me if they're not married before the baby is born. I also told them not to spend a lot on the wedding! :)

[ems]

Tuesday - rah!

Melissa the super PT put me on the bike last night at therepy. Holy Crap did that hurt. I was barely moving. Oh well gotta do it it will be worth it in the end. I cannot wait to be off crutches and able to do more than be hooked up to an ice water pump for the ice pack on my knee and the brace and urgh.

Work sucks.

Congrats GrammaBo!

[anyrose]

ow

[Noone Special]

hai everyone! being kittensnuggled by She Who Is Generally An Unholy Terror.
I am a college freshman in my late 40's: my professor was impressed by my reading Chaucer in the original Middle English for fun on Thursday nights. (We're in the middle of the Merchant's Tale.)
Why yes! I am an English major.... /me sends huggles to NoOneFirst time in College as a really non-trad student, or an additional degree? Kudos on extending / continuing your education, in any case. I tried several times to manage Grad School while doing Real Life at the same time, and failed miserably on all of the attempts.... :smack:

And I think we're almost exactly the same age! :) (I'll be 48 in November)

And the hugs are well appreciated, too!

[kopek]

I jokingly asked him if he was having a heart attack.




Several year ago at the 4th of July event at Old Fort Niagara my heart decided to act up a little. Ive had problems since my late 20s so it was basically no big deal to me - get out of the heat, clue in the regular gang of suspects, and drop the meds as directed. No sweat.

Until I saw our two 1750s "surgeons" circling the room I was in.

Both were grinning and drooling. And one had his jar of leeches.

He's a school teacher in real life - the other guy a plumber.

I made the site director swear to me that if I went unconscoius the first thing he would do is coldcock both of them.

[The Blue-Sighted Shadow]

I should be busy right now. It's not that there is no work, it's that it hasn't gotten to me yet.

I've resumed my bad habit of dirty chai at Starbucks. Work installed a Flavia machine to replace our old-fashioned coffee pots with the perpetual burned coffee. Accountants drink a lot of coffee. A lot. So there was much rejoicing when we got the Flavia, although team Keurig was disappointed. People stopped going to Starbucks and started drinking their coffee in the office and afternoon productivity soared. Until the CFO decided we were spending too much money on coffee. Now, when we run out of coffee, we don't get to replace it until the next month. If that's not a case of pennywise and pound foolish, I don't what is. That's why I'm buying my morning caffeine at Starbucks again.

[congodwarf]

Yet another night of not being able to sleep. But, it's ok because I got creative again last night and made some inkblot test inspired pendants and they look super cool.

It's blissfully cool in the house. Promised my sweetie that I'd clean the bathroom today but I'm so not feeling it right now. I'll do it later. Need to do my psych homework first.

Today's All College Day (whatever the heck that is) so no Spanish class for me tonight.

[FairyChatMom]

Back from playing in clay and buying some groceries. My first batch of stuff has come out of the kiln, and I glazed one piece. I need to take some sandpaper on Thurs to smooth a few spots on another piece before I glaze it. I also need to decide how I'm going to decorate my big bowl - I'm thinking maybe random swirled glaze... As I was driving home, I remembered that I'd also made a fish, but I forgot to look for it on the shelves.

I started class by finished my monster parts. They should be dry enough to fire next week. Then threw a big flower pot and a saucer for under it, plus a closed piece that's going to be a penguin figurine. So it was a very busy day in class.

When I was getting groceries, I got the makin's for mini pizzas - english muffins, pepperoni, mushrooms, and shredded mozzarella. I'm going to build a batch of them and freeze some for future quick suppers. The rest will be et tonight. :D I've also got to clean the disaster that is the kitchen. All the cooking I did yesterday left a huge mess, and the the dirty dishes fairies didn't come overnight. They're so unreliable!!

Temps have crawled above 60 and it's sunny! After I de-filthify the kitchen, I may hop on the mower and have a go around the yard. We shall see...

[Silver Tyger]

*sigh* My computer is broke. Well, not completely broke, but the keyboard and trackpad don't work and I have to fiddle with it to get it too boot (Computer: 'the keyboard isn't working!' Me: 'Yes, moving on...' Computer: 'the keyboard isn't working!!' Me: '...' Computer: 'Well, I guess I could start up windows...' ) I'm hoping it'll be covered by the warranty. I got everything backed up (probably not strictly necessary, but...) which took like twelve hours. *sigh*

Apparently getting fed at work today. I hope it's better than last time (it's usually good, last time was meh).

Went to taijitsu last night. Now I have a big old bruise on my thigh. My parents' were upset because I stayed and talked for about a half an hour after class and I didn't have my cellphone. :rolleyes: But I have a new uniform jacket with my last name! (As opposed to the one I changed it from)

[janis_and_c0]

((())) to all the owie-d. Feel Better soon!

I forgot to tell you, Shortdrum, I thought this was a great OP.

Probably Miracle Chikin for dindin. It's allllllllll Swampy's fault :P

OK, now kitchen tackleage.

[FairyChatMom]

I just finished building 28 mini pizzas - I had a dozen english muffins that I bought today and 2 that were in the freezer, and adding one can of tomato sauce to leftover sketty sauce made enough pizza sauce for all of them, so yay! :D We'll have some for supper and the rest are in the freezer for future meals or snacks. And the kitchen is mostly tidy. Go me! :D

Now, what does one serve with mini pizzas? Tiny bottles of wine? :confused:



:D

[janis_and_c0]

Itty-bitty breadsticks?

[VunderBob]

Microscopic antipasto?

ETA: VWife and I are going out to play trivia tonight. We've won every time so far. Gets us cheap din-din for the effort.

[janis_and_c0]

Thimblefulls of soda?

[Dolores Reborn]

Micro-greens!

[swampbear]

Small side sallits?

Home from irk earlyish today. Country fried steak, smashed N.O.T., steamed cabbage, geen beans and cornbread for dindin. Da bear is in cook mode!

[taxi78cab]

Glad the story had a happy ending, smalldrum!

Congrats, Rebo!

{{{wiki}}}

BooFae, it sounds like you're handling unemployment about as well as FCM is handling retirement. You're supposed to have free time, not be busier than when you were working! :p

I would dearly love for someone to create a recipe web site that prohibits any recipe that has cream-of-anything soup as an ingredient. Then again, I'm probably the only person in the world who HATES HATES HATES cream-of-anything soup in any recipe. I refuse to use it.
There are tons of sites that don't use cream-of-whatever soup. I can't say I've looked at every recipe on every one of these sites, but I don't think I've ever seen any of them use cream-of.
101cookbooks (http://101cookbooks.com/)
Life's Ambrosia (http://www.lifesambrosia.com/)
Smitten Kitchen (http://smittenkitchen.com/)
NYTimes' Recipes for Health (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/series/recipes_for_health/index.html?8qa&scp=1-spot&sq=recipes+for+health&st=nyt)
Two Peas (http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com)
And really, most Food Network folks don't use it. Just avoid Sandra Lee's recipes. I think Epicurious (http://www.epicurious.com/) would be pretty cream-of free too.

My parents were here from Thursday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. It was good to see them, but it's tough having two extra people in the house for 3 days. We were busy, too, so I was exhausted by the time they left. I did make good food, though. Pastitsio on Thursday; lamb with tabouli, hummus, and Greek salad as sides for Friday; Saturday lunch was out so just salads for dinner; veal meatballs with a blue cheese cream sauce for Sunday lunch; and apple crisp and maple bacon ice cream for various desserts (i.e. not together). It was good stuff.

Now I want to go on a pumpkin kick. Don't these sound good? Pumpkin chocolate chip bars (http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-bars/#more-11807), pumpkin cinnamon streusel pancakes (http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pumpkin-cinnamon-streusel-pancakes/), and pumpkin granola (http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pumpkin-granola/).

[Dolores Reborn]

I'm making shrimp stir-fry and fried rice.

[peedin]

Last month a plastic thingy on the right rear wheel well of my car came off and was thwacketythwatety (I'm trying to make a Don Martin noise here). I ignored it until yesterday when it made me mental(er) so I took it to the dealer who reattached it for free in about 5 minutes. Thank you Toyota dealer place. And I'm going to my fave yoga class after work AND I have a candy bar for apres din-din snack.

[congodwarf]

Now I want to go on a pumpkin kick. Don't these sound good? Pumpkin chocolate chip bars (http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-bars/#more-11807), pumpkin cinnamon streusel pancakes (http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pumpkin-cinnamon-streusel-pancakes/), and pumpkin granola (http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pumpkin-granola/).

Anything with pumpkin sounds good. My favorite to make this time of year is pumpkin whoopie pies with spiced cream cheese filling. But, this looks insanely good too so I might try it instead. Ginger whoopie pies with pumpkin spice filling (http://sugarcomaheaven.wordpress.com/2011/10/02/ginger-whoopie-pies-with-pumpkin-spice-cream-cheese/)

[taxi78cab]

Anything with pumpkin sounds good. My favorite to make this time of year is pumpkin whoopie pies with spiced cream cheese filling. But, this looks insanely good too so I might try it instead. Ginger whoopie pies with pumpkin spice filling (http://sugarcomaheaven.wordpress.com/2011/10/02/ginger-whoopie-pies-with-pumpkin-spice-cream-cheese/)
Oooh wow that sounds good!

[The Blue-Sighted Shadow]

There's strange doings at work today, which seem to involve me. After deadline is going to be interesting. And probably entertaining for the MMP. :p

I was disappointed in the iPhone announcement today. Traffic was backed up all morning around Cupertino just for that? Bah!

[SpazCat]

*waves*

Happy new baby Grebo!

We're getting new computers at work tomorrow night. Clusterfuck is expected. All the components are in Big Boss's office. When I left this afternoon, he was sitting at his desk and it looked like he was in a box fort. :D

I told him that, too.

[FairyChatMom]

The pancakes sound amazing! I may have to try them. Altho my sweetie is just as happy with punkin pies.

There's a local cafe that makes incredibly yummy sweet N.O.T. pancakes - I've gotten them the last 2 times we went there for breakfast. Muy delicioso! Pardon my drool.

Mini pizzas have been inhaled - they were quite tasty! I'm having some nanner bread for dessert. Also tasty. :D

[taxi78cab]

Forgot to say earlier, glad to hear you're feeling better, shadow! It's too bad they couldn't figure out what was wrong ages ago though.

Why can't I go home right now and make all of those pumpkin things??

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

My lab went boom today. :eek:

One student hurt (not severely, but burns). Students did awesome in emergency. I spent day with fire marshal. Ugh. Thank goodness for safety gear!

[Bri2k]

I took the yearly-mandated Compliance & Ethics training at work today. I found out I am 100% ethical which is a 4% increase over last year. It'll be challenging to top this next year.

Great OP and congrats and hugs as needed.

You'll make one amazing Nanna, Grebo!

I'm fighting off an impending cold by drinking hot blackberry tea with rum, so forgive me if this is a little short.

Bri2k

[Filbert]

You know, I never et pumkpin before last year...
(waits for shock)


Had verra tedious day- I'm trying to register as unemployed, had to spend an hour yesterday wrestling with the stoopid online system which does things like autocomplete the address... then ask you what country it's in, and ask you how many bedsitting rooms you have in the house , you put in none and it asks you 'out of that none, how many are yours?' That sort of fun. Then when you finally fill in all the stuff about your granny's budgie's name and what socks you wore yesterday, they have to phone you back for some reason, 'sometime in the next few days'. And as I'm a dinosaur who prefers to use a landline for that sort a thing (do have a mobile, but it only gets reception when the stars are aligned right), I'm stuck the house, with me bad back, being grumpy.

They didn't phone today, so had to drive meself down to my allotment as soon as their office closed to frantically try and plant all the seedlings that arrived by post this morning (which was at least a fun thing to do) before it went dark an hour later. Didn't get any slug protection (that's protection from slugs, not little sluggy armour) in place though, so I hope they survive at least until I make it down tomorrow- after the stoopid phone call I hope!

Hope all you people had a more productive and exciting day!

[swampbear]

Soapy :eek::eek::eek: Glad everybody's ok.

The best thing to do with pumpkin is take it to the dump. ICK!

Dindin is cooked and et. Also kitchen is clean.

I must pack for Savannah. So pack I shall.

[congodwarf]

My lab went boom today. :eek:

One student hurt (not severely, but burns). Students did awesome in emergency. I spent day with fire marshal. Ugh. Thank goodness for safety gear!


Holy crap! How did that happen? When a lab goes boom does the professor get in trouble?








The good news is that I finished my psych homework. The bad news is that this means that I have to go clean the bathroom like I promised I would. Ick.

[Dolores Reborn]

I'm sorry you've been grumpy, Nut.

Maybe it will make you smile when I tell you that I love your accent! It definitely comes through in your typing.

[Taters]

Hugs and kisses to all who need them.

:eek: Wow Soapy! If anyone was sleepy in class beforehand, they weren't after. I hope your burned student recovers quickly.

The division chief bought all of us lunch at a Thai place to celebrate fiscal year end close out. It was pretty good. Plus, we all got to go home early today.

Still haven't been able to be productive at work since the components for my main data mining system seem to be improperly installed. I've basically lost two whole days of work and will probably be pulling my hair out by next week because I'll be so far behind.

Congrats Grebo!

[swampbear]

I'm all packed. It took five minutes. I'm all worn out. :D

[SpazCat]

The best thing to do with pumpkin is take it to the dump. ICK!

You...don't like pumpkin? Not pumpkin pie? Not pumpkin muffins? Not roasted pumpkin seeds?

I...I feel faint. I have to sit in a chair and fan myself!


Soapy, that's what happens when you let your students get hold of the Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator. :D Seriously, though, glad everyone's okay.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

Holy crap! How did that happen? When a lab goes boom does the professor get in trouble?


Not when the prof made sure everyone was wearing all their safety gear and handled per protocol. This was a non-negligent accident. Something was wrong with one of the burners and when another was turned on the gas caught on fire. Big fire. Yowza.

Hugs and kisses to all who need them.

:eek: Wow Soapy! If anyone was sleepy in class beforehand, they weren't after. I hope your burned student recovers quickly.


Promptly cancelled class and tonight's class and sent everyone home. Then got to play with the local fire marshals and the state fire marshals. For four hours. Ugh. Don't know when we'll be cleared to run again. Probably next week.

[Dr. Girlfriend]

Hi all! My cat is mad at me, his favorite toy is missing and I can't find the darn thing anywhere!

Found some canned pumpkin at the store finally, it was expensive but I bought both cans they had. Pies/cheesecake will be made!

Hugs to all who need one! :D

[congodwarf]

I just realized that I'm getting old. I found out that my town is changing it's trash/recycling program. Instead of saying, "Whatever", I went to the town website, found out that they're having an information session at the Library on Thursday and I fully intend on attending.

Oy. I hate getting old and responsible.



din din is leftover soup, ham and cheese sammich, and some of the heavenly homemade pickles I got at the OSV farmer's market.


Gonna have a good day on Thursday. My sweetie will be working from home so I'll have the car. Gonna go get the ingredients for those ginger/pumpkin whoopie pies, do me some baking, do some homework, and go to the trash meeting.

[VunderBob]

Won the pub trivia contest once again. w00t! :D

Remember when we went to Indyanner at the end of July, and our hostess got bit by Loki when she was breaking up a dog fight? Her knee got infected, and had to be surgically drained a few weeks ago.

Well, now her health insurance company wants to subrogate to our homeowner's/renter's policy; we've been expecting it. We said at the outset we would not contest anything, and would do what we could to expedite closure of the matter, but our hostess is still upset and embarrassed by her insurance company having the gall to want to go after us. Makes me believe there are still decent people out there in the big bad world.

Time to get horizontal. G'night, y'all.

[dogbutler]

Irked, did a few quick texts with my "just friend":), walked both dogs.

soapy, :eek:

swampy, not like pumpkin? :eek: : faints from the vapors again :

[Nava]

I don't understand why anybody would use cream of anything as an ingredient, but then, I also don't understand why anybody would call cream of anything a soup. If it's a cream it's not a soup, if it's a soup it's not a cream.



Soapy, did you take pics? We had a pretty spectacular (but not very dangerous) fire in my Orgo I lab, but sadly it was before everybody carried a camera. We were watching it burn itself down (after making sure it couldn't jump anywhere else, etc etc) and remarking on how, if we'd had a camera, we could have made postcards to greet prospective students with: anybody who got scared or found it "cool!" should be rejected.



Gratz, Granny Rebo!



The new job is kind of scary in a "this can't be true" way. Let's hope those butterflies in my stomach settle before one of those hammers I'm sure have to be somewhere manage to fall.

[congodwarf]

Here we go again. I'm going to try to fight my insomnia the studious way. If I fall asleep every time I read my school books during the day (even when they're not boring), maybe I'll fall asleep reading at night. Got my pillow, a blanket, and my nutrition text. Let's see if the chapter on the digestion of carbohydrates will do the trick (not that it's boring - it's actually fascinating)

[Noone Special]

Pygmy -- Maybe if you're reduced to reading my contribution to the MMP you'll drop off from sheer boredom :D

Ivory -- :eek: Glad everybody's (mostly) OK (and that you hopefully won't get into trouble over this!)

Nava -- what, a workplace where everything seems to be working correctly, and the work itself is interesting and something you are expecting to do and the co-workers are competent and helpful?
Yeah, you're hallucinating... :p :(

[dogbutler]

Up, caffeinated, off to irk.

[swampbear]

Good Mornin' Y'all! Up and caffienatin'. *YAWN* 'Tis 53 Amurrkin out with a predicted high here of 88. Savannah weather says 53 Amurrkin out with a predicted high of 82. Nice! Tomorrow is pretty much the same prediction.

So, this mornin' I will go to irk and we will leave from there around ten. We're takin' a company vehicle. One of the nice new ones even. Figurin' in stoppin' for N.O.L. we should arrive in Savannah around twoish. The meetin' this afternoon starts at three and goes for a couple of hours. Then it's dindin somewhere on the river front which is always a good thing in Savannah. Tomorrow the meetin' goes to two p.m. and includes N.O.L.. Then we're headin' back to the homeplace. Should be a not awful overnight trip. I'm takin' laptop just so I can say howdy to y'all from Savannah. Don't y'all feel special! :D

No, I do not like pumpkin. Pumpkin is teh ick! So There! :p

Glad the new gig is goin' well Nava. May that continue.

shortdrum get some sleep. You need to be all rested up to go talk trash. :D

Now I shall seek out more caffiene and sustenance for rumbly tummy. Then, purtification for irk and travel must commence.

Happy Hump Day Y'all!

[FairyChatMom]

A gazillion years ago when I was taking high school chemistry, I was assigned an idiot for a lab partner. He, undoubtedly like many before and since, thought it would be cool to turn on the gas jet and light it. Stupid ass set fire to his book. Oddly enough, he didn't get kicked out of school - I guess because he was SMRT enough to be in the Honors section. :rolleyes: Plus the teacher was a bit of a wuss. No fire marshals were involved.

Well, I guess it's official. swampy is not one of the cool kids after all - doesn't like punkin??? Damned commie bastard!! :p I've got a couple of cans of pumpkin left over from last year, but I haven't looked to see if there are any in stores or what they cost. Is it a real shortage or some bogus attempt to jack up the prices?? Dang, I'm getting cynical...

I'm also grouchy enough at the moment to say I'll be glad when Scruffy goes to her reward. I was sleeping so comfortably and soundly when she started barking to be let out. Naturally, I was unable to fall back to sleep. I am not amused. Stoopit dog.

Today is supposed to be gorgeous. All windows will be opened. Grass will be mowed. I may even begin moving hostas from the front garden to the hill along the driveway. If I split the biggest ones, I'll cover a lot of area. Then I can move the daylilies that didn't bloom from the shaded hill to the sunny front garden. My back is aching already!! :eek:

Or I could just nap... :D

Happy Wednesday!

[Nava]

Nava -- what, a workplace where everything seems to be working correctly, and the work itself is interesting and something you are expecting to do and the co-workers are competent and helpful?
Yeah, you're hallucinating... :p :(

Well, I'm doing maintenance so if everything was working correctly I wouldn't be needed, but:
* service levels and methods make sense - no such thing as "must do in 2 hours things which, due to our QC processes, require a minimum of 3 working days (if nobody is on vacation)"
* people are polite
* if you don't know/remember how something went, the reaction is either "oh yeah, let me explain" or "buf, I suck at that too... ask ThatOne; hey ThatOne, can you give Nava a hand?"

and

I just found out The Hordie is here! Ex-coworker, Scotland, I "trapped" him with a WoW screenshot background I'd forgotten to change after Christmas and we spent many car rides discussing raid strategies, he trying to rile me about the uselessness of hunters and me refusing to be riled. We're in different teams, but it's a definite plus :D Is it OK to squee over 6'4" guys if they happen to be the youngest siblng of 9? (with a nick to match)

[VunderBob]

Blurf.

Carry on.

[gardentraveler]

Yay, Grebo!

Soapy: :eek:

Yummy-sounding pumpkin recipes, taxi.

Yay for Hordie being there and good workplace!

Long day yesterday helping brother with conference. It was fun and interesting, but exhausting.

Up and at 'em!

GT

[ScareyFaerie]

Had verra tedious day- I'm trying to register as unemployed

Filbert, I share your pain there. I started doing the online benefit claim last week but couldn't finish it because my final salary payment wasn't until last Thursday, and even though I knew what I'd get paid, I couldn't complete the details until that date had passed. I was amused by the fact that it said my final payment date had to be any year after 1853!

I submitted it online over the weekend and they rang me on Tuesday morning so I didn't have to wait too long. The reason they rang was to make an appointment for me to go into the job centre to see an advisor. So this morning I trooped off to the job centre where I saw two advisors, clearly I am so special I need more than one. The first one showed me the details on the screen of my online application, asked me if everything was correct and then printed it out.

The second person took some details about what kind of work I wanted and what geographical areas I was going to concentrate on. He gave me a little activity book to fill in so I can document my job-search but when I asked how they intended to verify that I'd actually done anything I'd written in it, he looked at me like I was from another planet. So presumably I can write whatever I want in there and nobody will care two hoots whether I actually did any of it or not.

Now I have two weeks before I have to sign on again, and I plan to spend that time doing very little. I've been busy this week already, I am off shopping tomorrow afternoon with a friend and I'm meeting some other ex-irk colleagues on Friday for lunch and a catch-up.

I was considering vacuuming the floors today but I don't want to peak too early...

[Filbert]

Considering the number of people looking for work they deal with, you think they could have found a better webpage designer, eh?

Anyway, they phoned first thing this morning- before coffee- but didn't want much info, so even uncaffeinated I could mumble out the appropriate gubbins (working the accent and dialect there ;) ), and I get to go see 'em tomorrow, wish me luck in getting a helpful advisor- some are genuinely helpful, and work with your skills, interests and experience- others seem to think you're scum for being there, and should be happy to get a night shift scraping up dog vomit for minimum wage. Hope you got a good one too ScareyFaerie!

Spent the remains of the day sewing a banner for the local university circus group; planning to spend friday pretending to be a student so I can help lure in some more mugs new people, at the fresher's fair- as there's only 2 active student members, and they need at least 3 to run the committee so we get a practice space for the winter. Planning to run a mini-covention in January too, trying to get involved in organising that too.
How to make yourself feel old- spend the day talking to overexcited teenagers, full of optimism and dreams! I should just bring a zimmer frame. :D

[Nava]

Considering the number of people looking for work they deal with, you think they could have found a better webpage designer, eh?

It's the Gummint. There probably is some rule somewhere about sending things to the lowest bidder even if you know that said bidder is such a piece of shit that toilet bowls would puke him back.

[swampbear]

Nava is a shoo in for the week's most graphic/colorful post. :D

MOOOOOOM I know you don't really mean that about Scruffy but I do understand.

I'm futzin' with a talk I get to give to a group of seniors next Wednesday. It's the standard this is what we do here at old folks' services but I do like to mix it up a bit. I'm actually doin' this one for a co-irker who is out on sick leave. She had arthroscopic knee surgery Monday and will be out of commission for a couple of weeks. We talked to her yesterday. She's doin' good she says. Plus she has a chee-hoo-ah-hoo-ah named Little Bit glued to her side. Little Bit will be decidedly unhappy when momma returns to irk. :D After all, the only reason momma could possibly be at home all the time is to be with Little Bit, according to Little Bit.

Guess I should get back to irk stuff.

Laterz!

[Noone Special]

It's the Gummint. There probably is some rule somewhere about sending things to the lowest bidder even if you know that said bidder is such a piece of shit that toilet bowls would puke him back.This reminds me of a saying in the Military (any military!) -- "Always remember, the weapon you are holding was made by the lowest bidder." :eek:

Yay on refinding Hordie! Although your description of wanting to squee over him makes me feel like I really should be jealous ;)

Fil & Boo (this has got to be either a band name or a TV show name!) -- good luck on milking the system for as long as possible finding a job soon! :p :D

[VunderBob]

Plus she has a chee-hoo-ah-hoo-ah named Little Bit glued to her side. Little Bit will be decidedly unhappy when momma returns to irk. :D After all, the only reason momma could possibly be at home all the time is to be with Little Bit, according to Little Bit.

Glued to her side? Are you sure Little Bit isn't really embedded in her ass?

[ScareyFaerie]

wish me luck in getting a helpful advisor- some are genuinely helpful, and work with your skills, interests and experience- others seem to think you're scum for being there, and should be happy to get a night shift scraping up dog vomit for minimum wage.

Good luck, indeed! I did get a couple of cheerful chappies this morning so that wasn't so bad, but they only did the initial paperwork and set up the dates for signing on. I have an appointment to see a "proper" advisor in a month's time when they will get to the serious business of telling me what they can do to help me find a job.

I didn't like to say that I'm rather looking forward to having a bit of a break, I've been in continuous employment in various places ever since leaving college many years ago and I think after so long contributing to the system that supports our ever-growing army of workshy layabouts, it's time I got some payback. Luckily my severance payment will give me enough to live on for several months so I am not in a desperate rush to find another job, I may well take a month off instead but I doubt the job centre worthies would be too impressed with that idea.

Nava, I see nothing wrong with squeeing over a 6' 4" bloke, I think such behaviour is to be encouraged!

[ems]

Morning.

I am working on spreadsheets all day again today. Rah!

I like pumpkin but I do not like cinnimon which seems to be everywhere over here. I never came across it until I came here from the UK.

Enjoy your time off boofae

[FairyChatMom]

Showered, dressed, emptied dishwasher, did my post office chore, and ingested lunch.

I need to get out there and mow, but I don't want to. Sucks being a responsible adult sometimes...

[VunderBob]

Sucks being a responsible adult sometimes...

When did you start?

[Taters]

Mornin'. I foresee yet another day of non-productivity. Data mining system still isn't working properly. Everything I have on my plate requires me to pull the data from there. Sigh...

We're feverishly callling around and emailing various people to get the fix started, but so far we've got zip; zilch; nada.

I have a teleconference at 10:00 so at least I won't be twiddling my thumbs for a couple of hours.

[FairyChatMom]

The grass is cut, including the ditch.

BBBobbio: :p :p :p :p :p

[The Blue-Sighted Shadow]

I'm following the shooting in Cupertino this morning. 2 dead, 7 wounded. The shooter's still at large. Scary stuff, since it looks like he just snapped.

I need to do my self-appraisal by the end of the week, but I don't wanna. What I am I supposed to say? I did my job this year to the best of my abilities. The end. I hate reviews. I'd rather have a root canal. Either I'm doing an acceptable job or I'm not. If I am, there's no need to talk about it. If I'm not, it should have come up long before the annual review. With no possibility of promotions or raises, the reviewers feel like they have to make stuff up, so they look like they're Doing Something. I am not interested in additional responsibilities that come with the possibility of...more responsibilities. Seriously, their selling point is that it will help me make more money. Later. Somewhere else. No, really.

I like being employed, I like being employed, I like being employed. A roof over my head, food to eat, clothes to wear...Sigh. I really, really need to get out of this line of work. If nothing else, at least so I can have new and different things to complain about. :D

[Silver Tyger]

Stupid computer is apparently out of warranty. I hope the part I need isn't too expensive.

[Dolores Reborn]

I'm following the shooting in Cupertino this morning. 2 dead, 7 wounded. The shooter's still at large. Scary stuff, since it looks like he just snapped.

I need to do my self-appraisal by the end of the week, but I don't wanna. What I am I supposed to say? I did my job this year to the best of my abilities. The end. I hate reviews. I'd rather have a root canal. Either I'm doing an acceptable job or I'm not. If I am, there's no need to talk about it. If I'm not, it should have come up long before the annual review. With no possibility of promotions or raises, the reviewers feel like they have to make stuff up, so they look like they're Doing Something. I am not interested in additional responsibilities that come with the possibility of...more responsibilities. Seriously, their selling point is that it will help me make more money. Later. Somewhere else. No, really.

I like being employed, I like being employed, I like being employed. A roof over my head, food to eat, clothes to wear...Sigh. I really, really need to get out of this line of work. If nothing else, at least so I can have new and different things to complain about. :D


A list of action words for you: :D

Accomplished
Achieved
Approved
Assisted
Built
Completed
Conducted
Consolidated
Controlled
Converted
Created
Cut
Delivered
Demonstrated
Designed
Developed
Devised
Directed
Doubled
Earned
Eliminated
Enhanced
Established
Expanded
Finalized
Founded
Generated
Grew
Headed
Implemented
Improved
Improvised
Increased
Installed
Introduced
Instituted
Invented
Launched
Led
Maintained
Managed
Negotiated
Operated
Organized
Originated
Participated
Performed
Planned
Processed
Produced
Promoted
Proposed
Purchased
Recommended
Redesigned
Reduced
Reorganized
Researched
Revised
Scheduled
Serviced
Set
Simplified
Sold
Sparked
Staffed
Started
Streamlined
Strengthened
Stressed
Stretched
Structured
Succeeded
Superseded
Supervised
Terminated
Traced
Tracked
Traded
Trained
Transferred
Transformed
Translated
Trimmed
Tripled
Uncovered
Unified
Utilized
Vacated
Verified
Widened
Won
Withdrew
Worked
Wrote

[congodwarf]

My plan didn't work. The chapter, apparently, was just too darn interesting. I finally fell asleep after 5am.


We started buying parts for the Jeep off eBay. So far we have 2 of the 3 parts needed to replace the heating system and so far we've saved over $300 from what it would have cost to buy them new from Quadratec and even more than what a repair shop would have cost. I'll know in about 7 hours if we got the 3rd part. If we did, we'll save another $30.

I'm so excited! Yay for credit cards! Sweetie's paying for them with his and then I'll repay him when I get my money in a few weeks. Still have to repay him for my school book rental too.

He keeps apologizing because he can't afford to help me pay for school. No matter how many times I tell him, he doesn't seem to understand that giving me a place to live, food, and a credit card to use while waiting for my loans to disburse, is EXACTLY what's enabling me to STAY in school. There's no way I'd be doing this without him.

[anyrose]

ow.

[VunderBob]

ow.

:dubious:

Well, is it busted or dislocated?

[anyrose]

:dubious:

Well, is it busted or dislocated?
haven't made it to a medical facility yet - I'm terrified of the stairs

[SpazCat]

haven't made it to a medical facility yet - I'm terrified of the stairs

rosie's a Dalek! :eek:

*faints again*

[Noone Special]

It's now officially Oct. 6 here in the Middle East, so....

Happy Birthday, Li-li!!

[The Blue-Sighted Shadow]

Thanks, Rebo! I did actually accomplish quite a lot this year. I may have even accidentally exceeded expectations! :eek::D But I really, really hate reviews.

[ems]

Happy Birthday LiLi!

PT was great today - bike hurt like a mofo again but I am getting so much better. Depending on what the ortho says on Friday they are going to start transitioning me off the crutches next week. Whoo and hoo!

rosie please please please get to a medical professional

[congodwarf]

YAY! We got the third part! Someone tried to get outbid us with 8 seconds to go but all he did was put us at our max. One cent more and we'd have lost it. Sweeeeeeet.

[dogbutler]

Irked. Went to P.F. Chang's for dinner. Counting down till Firday.

Glad pt went well, mmmmmmmmm

[RedWood]

First time in College as a really non-trad student, or an additional degree? Kudos on extending / continuing your education, in any case. I tried several times to manage Grad School while doing Real Life at the same time, and failed miserably on all of the attempts.... :smack:

And I think we're almost exactly the same age! :) (I'll be 48 in November)

And the hugs are well appreciated, too!

first time with higher education EVER.
Was broke at usual college time, joined Navy instead :)
Now there is time and money and a supportive partner.
The eventual goal is a Master's in Library Science :D

[congodwarf]

first time with higher education EVER.
Was broke at usual college time, joined Navy instead :)
Now there is time and money and a supportive partner.
The eventual goal is a Master's in Library Science :D

I'm only about a year ahead of you. I'll be finishing my Associates in December but I'll probably still be Sophomore when I transfer in January. It's not my first time ever but it's the first time that I've really dedicated myself to it. There's definitely time and thanks to the government there's money. The most important part is the supportive partner though. Wonderful thing ain't they? My eventual goal is a Master of Pathology Assisting (I'll see dead people :D).


Did you go the Community College then transfer route or straight to 4 year? I've been finding the CC experience to be invaluable for getting back into the swing of the whole school thing.

[elfkin477]

There's an IMHO thread about how often you stay up "all night" which some of us interpret as being 24 or more hours. The last time I did that was just this past weekend. Cramps woke me at 4:30 Friday morning, I spent the day at the fair, and by the time I got home I was sore and severely over-caffeinated, and didn't fall asleep until six Saturday morning. So I spent 25.5 hours awake. But at the 23 hour mark I wrote a cover letter and applied for a part time job that pays nearly twice what my regular job does, and more than 3x what the retail p/t jobs I've applied to do.

Later on Saturday afternoon I reread the cover letter and decided it was either obnoxious or brilliant.

It was brilliant. I already have an interview set up for next Wednesday :)

[Nava]

Today, people at work are divided in two groups: those who knew Steve Jobs had a foot on the other side of the river and those who've been surprised by the news. We've got four floors of IT and pseudo-IT folks here, so it's the main subject at the coffee machine.



Wheeeee! for interviews!

Yay! for Jeep parts.

And a very merry HAPPY BIRTHDAY with no nausea and well-behaved sons to LiLi!

[ScareyFaerie]

Happy LiLi Day!

Rosie, I hope there's someone to help you get down those stairs - where are the great neighbours when you need them?

I need to speak to my union's solicitor this morning about my compromise agreement which still hasn't been finished and signed off. There are a couple of small amendments to make, and then it should be finished.

The rest of today's plan includes shopping for groceries this morning and then later I'm off into town with a friend for a girlie afternoon of shopping, ending with cocktails in our favourite Latin restaurant.

It's tough being out of a job...

[VunderBob]

Blurf.

That is all.

[gardentraveler]

Happy Birthday, LiLi! Hope you have a wonderful, quiet day!

Up and at 'em!

Hugs.

GT

[Dolores Reborn]

Happy Birthday, LiLi!!!

Yay for interviews and other happy stuff that I can't remember...

Blurf.

I hope I get the database software to cooperate today. If not, I'm gonna have to redo some work. Grr.

[swampbear]

Howdy Y'all from Savannah! I would've posted last night but, of course, I could not get an internet connection in my room. :mad: The "helpdesk" well, it wasn't. Thus this post brought to you courtesy of the lobby.

Yays, boos, hugs, noogies, wedgies, how you doin's as needed.

And now this...


HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY DEEEAAARRR LLLIIILLLIII!!!!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!!!!

[RedWood]

Did you go the Community College then transfer route or straight to 4 year? I've been finding the CC experience to be invaluable for getting back into the swing of the whole school thing.
congodwarf, Community college :) close to home and good value for the education dollar! Can't go full-time, though.
It's odd to be among so many 'kids', but there's also a fair representation of older folks. And I am beloved by my classmates for always having pencils/stapler/sharpener/the homework... though when I ran out of staples today, one classmate cheerfully shared her stapler :D

FCM, homemade creamy mushroom can be as delightful as the cans are abominable... but I never get to use any for an ingredient: I eat it all by itself :D or perhaps with a crunchy bit of toasted crusty bread, OM NOM NOM!

NoOne, I am 48 this year.

Awake, making coffee. It's raining, so I shall have house&homeworks today after math class. Catch-Up time!

[Taters]

Happy Birthday, Li-Li!

I am probably facing another day of non-productivity due to the computer/data mining system issues I've been having all week. :( I am going to be so overwhelmed when they finally get their shit together and get this fixed. I had a ton of stuff to do anyway, but now, jeebus, I just don't even want to think about it.

We're having friends over to dinner Saturday night, but I think that's the extent of my weekend plans. My weekend begins tonight at 4:30. :)

[ems]

My weekend begins tonight at 4:30. :)

Jealous!

I am still working on spreadsheets as background prep for a meeting next week. Hopefully get those done today and make the slides tomorrow. Rah!

I want to be retired like fcm or alternatively independently wealthy. Pretty please? :p

[peedin]

Happy birfday Li-Li! I hope you get tons of cake and presents and good wishes and everything you want on your special day.

[anyrose]

Happy Birthday, Li-Li!

[VunderBob]

Happy Birthday, Li-Li!

Rosie, that's a lot happier to say than EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!

[gotpasswords]

Oh joy. Just home from the spine doc, and I now have a surgical consult in two weeks for my neck.

I will try to get puppy pix up today.

[FairyChatMom]

HappyHappy LiLi DayDay!!


Red - when were you in the Navy? What was your rate? Where were you stationed? I enlisted in '73, made it as far as AT2 before going over to the dark side and discovering that I was a terrible officer. Then in '83, I married an OS2, and in late '84, we were both civilians again. :D Three main duty stations were VS-41 at NAS North Island, OP-506 in the Pentagon, and VP-45 at NAS Jax. I did the reserve thing for a few years, too, but decided it just wasn't fun enough.

My ceramics class is in a community college. Many of the young 'uns in the class were in high school together - it's a hoot listening to them discuss it. Ah, youth! The rest of us are retirees - ah, sloth! :D

Class was productive today. I glazed a fish sculpture. Then I did underglazing in my big bowl - it's supposed to look like a bunch of grapes with random leaves, and tendrils curling over the edge of the bowl. I'm not a very good artist, tho, so it remains to be seen how well I achieved my vision. Then I trimmed my flower pot and saucer and set them aside to dry. And I also trimmed and wrapped the closed piece that'll soon become a penguin. It was a long class for me, too, about 2 1/2 hours...

I stopped on the way home and got a couple of cans of punkin - dang, almost $3 a can! But my sweetie likes punkin pies, so I'll spring for it. 'Cause I'm nice, dammit.

I was just watching my two cats play with a small ball of yarn. Once they had it spread all over the living room, they apparently lost interest - now I have yarn to clean up. Silly kittehs!

I got a coupon for a free steak at Outback, so I'm going to suggest to FCD that we dine there tonight. He's taking tomorrow off to have a 4 day weekend. It'll be like we're retired together! :D

gotti - I'm pretty sure my sweetie will be having spinal surgery #5 before too long. He's lobbying for an artificial disk replacement. He's done a lot of research, and since his doc is a friend, he's not shy about discussing it all.

[Bumbazine]

I think I need some steel-toed slippers.

Happy Birthday, LiLi!!!


Yay for puppy pix.

Go to the doc, already Rosie!

Sorry about your work situation Taters.

Hope you're enjoying Savanna, Swampy. I've always wanted to go there but never made it. I've heard it's a beautiful city.

Somebody told me that the local university let's people over 65 attend classes for free. :eek: (Tuition is something like $30,000.00+/yr.) Since I'll be 65 next year, I'm thinking I might finally get a B.S. degree and make it official. In my day, as soon as you knew something somebody would pay you to use, you went to work. Consequently I have 3 Associates degrees, all from Community Colleges, but I never went on from there. It was much more important to secure an income and buy food and other non-essentials like that. Unfortunately for people like me, the trend for the last couple of decades has been to consider education more important than experience when evaluationg possible new hires. At least in Amerrika. Stoopid HR peeples.

Gotta go hang art for tomorrow nights Artwalk now.

Later.

[FairyChatMom]

Bumba - you'd think bosses would figure out that not all people who have an education are by default potentially good employees. Or that GPAs mean anything... One of the best engineers I ever worked with just barely graduated - his grades sucked. But if you needed a problem solved on the production line, he's the guy you wanted to work with. He had common sense to back up his book larnin'... Contrast that against the guy who had his degree from a reputable university and came to his first job not knowing what angle iron was. How can you get a Mechanical Engineering degree and not have heard of angle iron? Just too weird...

Not to denigrate formal education, but a head full of theories sometimes is no match for real world, dirty hands experience.

I wish my school offered reduced tuition for us oldies. My class costs $460. On one hand, it's not too terrible. On the other hand, I'd have liked to take another class, but that's creeping awfully close to a thousand bucks, which is significant when you're on a reduced income.

[gotpasswords]

Introducing our long-hair chihuahua...two and a half pounds of piddle.

Hello! (http://www.passwordmuseum.com/dobby/img8255.jpg)

Was this yours? (http://www.passwordmuseum.com/dobby/img8284.jpg)

Me and my much bigger sister (http://www.passwordmuseum.com/dobby/img8266.jpg)

You say it's the same stuff that's in my bowl, but I have to check! (http://www.passwordmuseum.com/dobby/img8263.jpg)

Sleepy time! (http://www.passwordmuseum.com/dobby/img8281.jpg)

[FairyChatMom]

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!

[congodwarf]

It was brilliant. I already have an interview set up for next Wednesday :)

That is so cool! Congratulations! Mayhaps you should be sleep deprived at the interview?? :D





Fell asleep at about 2:30 and fully planned on getting up at a normal hour. Um, that didn't quite happen. I just woke up. My attempts at getting myself on a normal sleep schedule are totally not working.

Sweetie ended up having to work today. His boss asked him to do some stuff, because he's lazy and doesn't want to do it himself. Luckily his boss is bad at math because today is all OT for Sweetie, which is why he had planned on taking it off in the first place.

Going to the meeting about the new trash/recycling program. Apparently there will be door prizes from the local hardware store and the local family-owned grocery store. I'd love to win a door prize from either place (which is actually my main motivation for going to the meeting).

[congodwarf]

congodwarf, Community college :) close to home and good value for the education dollar! Can't go full-time, though.
It's odd to be among so many 'kids', but there's also a fair representation of older folks.

I wish mine were close to home. It's in my hometown and it about a mile from my high school and even closer to my mom but it's about 45 minutes from me. I was supposed to go to a lunch for Orientation Leaders today but I had no way of getting there.

I had a Spanish class with a 16-year-old and a Speech class with a 60-year-old. I like the wide age ranges. It makes me feel kinda young again.


My ceramics class is in a community college. Many of the young 'uns in the class were in high school together - it's a hoot listening to them discuss it. Ah, youth! The rest of us are retirees - ah, sloth! :D



I wish my school had a ceramics class. I totally would have taken at least one, maybe two.

I haven't met any students who went to my old high school, even though it's right down the street. Actually, I haven't even met any students who went to school with my other classmates. We have people from all over the place but none, it seems, from the city high schools.





My fungus is itching like crazy today, worse than it has since it first showed up over 2 weeks ago. I know the medicine is supposed to take a few weeks to work but I was hoping it'd at least make the itching stop.









I forgot to say.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LI-LI

[gotpasswords]

This is freaky... I just mailed off a package with no address on the box, and I have absolute confidence that it will arrive safely and quickly.

I'm returning something to Amazon, and the USPS parcel return label has no address, nor does it say "Amazon" on it - just a couple of barcodes.

[The Blue-Sighted Shadow]

I spent the morning cleaning out up my desk. If nothing else, I do have a clean desk now.

I finally reached a live person at Animal Licensing, so Tizzy's legal another 3 years. Apparently, they received my payment and her rabies cert, but forgot to send me the license. Oops.

Happy Birthday, LiLi!

[SpazCat]

Happy birthday Li-Li!

gotti: aaaaaawwwww, puppy!

Just came back from taking Katy Cat to the vet. She either has worms or hyper/o thyroid. We're trying worm meds first. She behaved herself Very Well.

[kaiwik]

I am so not caught up, but if I try to catch up before I post, I won't get it done until next week. Maybe. So, rosie's sig to everyone, help yourself to what you need!

Happy Birthday LiLi!!!

There was a request for grand baby (http://www.flickr.com/photos/myview/6217914063/in/photostream) photos, so I have added two to my flikr account. I need to upload a lot more photos, and I promise I will get up to my mom's house in the next day or two and take a photo of the doll I made her for shortdrum to see.

It's Fall here in Snohomish County. The vine maples are turning, one of my favorite type of tree. I am picking tomatoes as frequently as possible, and I may fry up some green ones.

Okay, back to trying to catch up before darkness falls.

[Bri2k]

Many happy returns on your special day, LiLi!!!

I was one of 5 people company-wide to win an award with a cash bonus at work today. This must be a sign of the end times. I'd stock up on canned goods if I were you.

Bri2k

[janis_and_c0]

Hippo Birdie two ewe, Li-Li!
Rosie, I hope you are able to see the doc soonest!

Hugs, yays, boos, ass kickings, etc, to the rest!

[anyrose]

puppy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



no, I have not yet been. I am determined to get down those steps in the morning, however.

[janis_and_c0]

Good for you! Will be praying that you can do this. (((Rosie))))

[FairyChatMom]

Brick - congrats! Drinks on you tonight! :D

kai - Tea has the most beautiful eyes!! And the Destroyer of Worlds is cute too - is that Tea's brother or cousin?

We're back from Outback. While the coupon was for a free 6 oz sirloin steak dinner, in fact, it came down to $8.99 off the tab. The steak dinner comes with salad and a side, but the coupon was for a steak and one side. No biggie - it was still $9 off dinner and I didn't have to cook or do dishes. But I'm still not all that impressed with Outback - the Texas Roadhouse is a better deal and IMHO has better food.

I think tomorrow I'll learn to use our pressure washer and clean the shutters and screens, then wash the windows. Yes, I do do windows - but only my windows, so don't ask. :p I may make a run to the convenience center, too - either tomorrow or Sat. Oh, and we're getting more fish and anemones tomorrow also. Yay!

That's all I've got. Off to knit!

[swampbear]

Howdy Y'all! I'm home from Savannah and tahrd! I feel like I walked home from Savannah.

Last night we et dindin at a place called Anna's. I was not especially hungry so I got a blackened cajun burger that had bleu cheese dressin' on it and came with fries. The menu has a lot of Eyetalian type stuff on it plus seafood. Everybody's food looked good and everybody said it was good. My burger was nummy. So were the three Yuenglings. :D Afterwards we walked around the Marketplace a bit. We went into an ice cream/candy shop (shoppe accordin' to the sign) cause a sign said free praline samples and who can turn that down. Anywho, I wondered over to the ice cream side just to look. Really. That was all. That temptress of a salesperson said I was welcome to sample any or all of the ice cream flavors. So I sampled a chawklit chip one and a strawberry one. Good. Then I sampled the peach. YUMMMMMMM!!!111 I got a scoop in a cup. A very generous scoop I might add. It was homemade and all creamy, smooth and peachy. I was so stuffded after that I didn't so much walk as waddled back to the hotel. Good thing it was only three blocks.

Oh and I got an award. A plague for acheivin' a couple of goals for new initiatives with old folks service here in southwest Jawja. No money though. Speakin' of which, congrats on the bonus Brick! Go You!

gotti good luck with the surgery consult stuff and puppy is keeeeeeeyoooooooote! I want one! I need stories about how you have to clean up constant pee and poop to get me over that.

wiki what a lil' ol' cutie pie she is!

MOOOOOOM I agree. Outback does not impress. Then again I'm cheap and prefer to grill my own steaks so what do I know. :D

Rosie hope you make it to the doc tomorrow.

Hope Katy Cat is better soon Spaz.

Appropriate/Inappropriate appendages crossed that you win a door prize shortdrum.

Everybody else, yays, boos, hugs, noogies, smoochies, trouts, pointy sticks, how you doin's as needed.

Da bear is goin' to lie upon the bed and watch teevee shortly.

Nitey Nite Y'all!

[gardentraveler]

Tired, but about to go out to watch the Tiger game. Hoping they do better than a couple nights ago. Please please please please please.

Those grandkids of yours are extremely cute, wiki.

Go Brick!

You have to go to the doctor, rosie! I know the stairs are scary, but you need to make sure that everything is getting healed up properly. Hugs.

There was more, but I've forgotten what.

Hugs all.

GT

[Dr. Girlfriend]

Happy birthday Li-Li!

De-cobwebbing the place so I'm not embarrassed to have Mom come over and feed the kitty while I'm away this weekend.

NHL is back!!!elebenty!!!

[Bri2k]

I almost forgot to add, rosie don't make me come out there and carry you to the doctor!

Seriously, I hope you get checked out even if you have to call EMTs for help!

Bri2k

P.S. Reeves the grandbaby has the corner on cute and you've got the corner on dogs apparently! Thanks for the link to the pics!

[anyrose]

oh, Brick, would you? That would solve the problem of getting down the stairs. . . . ;)

I've decided - I'm going to the Urgent Care Clinic, which is 5 miles closer than the doc's, in the morning. I just wish I had someone to go with me. Bobbio - how fast can you get up here?

[congodwarf]

I just ate one of those ginger/pumpkin spice cream cheese whoopie pies. They are so friggen good! They're even better than the ones I usually make (pumpkin with spice cream cheese filling) and about a million times better than the traditional chocolate with cream (which are way too sweet for me).

They're not horribly sweet and the flavors are so nice together. My only issue is the filling. I don't see how it's going to firm up enough, even with an hour chill time (no, I didn't wait, don't be silly). It's quite liquidy right now. The mixture of moist pumpkin and syrup liquefies the cream cheese. We'll see in an hour.

[dogbutler]

irked, texted a bit with my "just friend":).

So were the three Yuenglings. :D
You have redeemed yourself, sir.

rosie, get theee to a doc, stat!

Happy Birthday, Li-li!!!!!


gotti, squeeeeee!!!!! puppy!

[swampbear]

Good Mornin' Y'all! Up and caffienatin'. *YAWN* 'Tis 59 degrees Amurrkin out with a predicted high of 86. A cool down is on the way again however. Will it stay this time? Who knows? I mean this is a place where wearin' shorts on Turkey Day is not uncommon.

doggio I just knew you'd be proud of me re the Yuenglings. :D

I forgot to mention this yestiddy but I got this weird little gift in Savannah as a "token of appreciation" (not that kind of "appreciation". geez! get yer minds outta the gutter for a second!). I's well, I gather it's a pen/pencil holder thingy with a combo digital clock/calendar/temp plus it's an alarm clock. It also has these two little holder thingys at the bottom which one can pull out. I guess they're for holdin' like postits or sump'n. Makes the thing look like it has wings on the bottom. Anywho, I futzed around with it and got the time/date/temp workin'. I may also have the alarm on but I can't tell. If'n I do it should alarm sometime around seven-thirty this evenin' which should be entertainin'. Oh and apparently it has a timer function that goes up to two hours. The temp part ain't exactly workin' because I know it is not 82 Amurrkin in da cave right now but it says it is. So it's another odd thing on my desk.

Ok, that's all I got. I need more caffiene and rumbly tummy wants to be fed. Then, alas, irk purtification must commence.

Happy Firday Y'all!

[dogbutler]

Hockey Night in Carolina!
Tailgating will commence at 2:00p.m.

[congodwarf]

:D:D:D:DHAPPY WORLD SMILE DAY!!!:D:D:D:D


I'm off to Worcester (home of the smiley face) to be a Smile Ambassador at my school. My job is to make people smile!





I woke up with hiccups. Still have them. It's been 20 minutes. It's very hard to brush teeth with hiccups. I almost choked myself on toothpaste.

[congodwarf]

54° in the house and not much better outside. I actually turned the heat on, if only to get the temp on the house above 60° (for the dogs' sake, Ginger especially is such a little GrandmaDog).

Only supposed to get to about 64° today. :p

[swampbear]

World smile day? Do we even really want that? Do we even need that? I say where's world grumpy old fart day! I demand equal time! :mad::mad::mad:









:D

I'm doin' desk duty at irk. Perfect job for a grumpy old fart.

[peedin]

My life has been so mundane and pointless this week that there's nothing to post. The highlight was that my condo board meeting was cancelled last night, so I was able to watch tv for 3 hours.

[FairyChatMom]

After the idiot dog woke me at 5... again... after she did her thing outside, I crawled back under the covers and snuggled with my sweetie till 9!!! Now we're up and showered and dressed, and I just finished a bowl of cheerios. Nice way to start the day. :D We'll figure out the rest as we go along.

Some time around noonish or so, our new fishies should be delivered, so FCD is all happy. I'm also thinking about washing the windows. Maybe. If I get motivated. For some reason, sleeping in makes me give up on the whole day! Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Happy Firday!!!

[anyrose]

World smile day? Do we even really want that? Do we even need that? I say where's world grumpy old fart day! I demand equal time! :mad::mad::mad:Hear, hear! :mad::mad::mad:



eta - yes, I'm going. I'm just waiting for the coffee to "cycle through" ;)

[gotpasswords]

Poor little guy doesn't know what he's in for... In a few minutes, it's off to the vet for a s-h-o-t.

[ems]

Oh my thank goodness it is Friday. Long week here. Urgh. Only one more slide for the presentaion from hell to do and I made all my phone calls already.

I get an outing today to the Ortho Doc to check out my knee and get stitches out hopefully he clears me to drive. Then PT. Oh the excitement of it all :D

The weekend beckons.........

Cute puppy! I want one!

[swampbear]

Poor little guy doesn't know what he's in for... In a few minutes, it's off to the vet for a s-h-o-t.
AWWWWWWWWWW poor baby! He's all, I get to ride! I get to ride! Then a mean person sticks him. Be sure he gets the extra cuddles, skritches and treats.

mmmmmm's appropriate/inappropriate appendages crossed for clearance from the doc.

[Taters]

I'm caffienating and enjoying a bit of peace and quiet before I start my day.

I have to clean and run to the grocery store. We're having friends over for dinner tomorrow and the meal we plan on making for is basically a two day process.

My kitchen floor is a disaster because it's been wet here and the dogs have been tracking dirt and mud in. Yes, I try to wipe their feet, but I don't always get to them. Sometimes my husband lets them in and he doesn't wipe their feet off. Siberian Husky paws retain an amazing amount of dirt, and Polar's are huge.

My son went to a career fair at his college earlier this week and talked to reps from various companies. He talked to GE, Boeing, Janicka and Sandio. He was really excited about a couple of them. Although he's having his fair share of fun over there, he's really working hard too and I'm glad.

[The Blue-Sighted Shadow]

My new blouse is see-through! :eek: I didn't notice until I got to work. That'll teach me to get dressed in the dark. :D

Tiz has a new trick - she climbs under the covers and carefully maneuvers until she can put all four COLD feet on me at once.

It's cold and sunny today. I refuse to say what I consider cold.

[dogbutler]

My new blouse is see-through! :eek: I didn't notice until I got to work. That'll teach me to get dressed in the dark. :D

Tiz has a new trick - she climbs under the covers and carefully maneuvers until she can put all four COLD feet on me at once.

It's cold and sunny today. I refuse to say what I consider cold.

Cite? :D

[Silver Tyger]

Arggghhh.

I let the stupid cat* sleep with me last night, because I forgot she hogs the covers and steals the bed. I woke up with a knot in my shoulder. It's painful to turn my head. Stupid cat.

* as opposed to the cranky cat.

[FairyChatMom]

Our new fishies and anemones are here and getting acclimated. Soon we'll have 8 more fishies and 4 more anemones populating the tank - 7 chromis and a flame angel, one sabae and 3 other anemones whose name I can't recall. Anyway, yay for more fishies!

We order them from a place in FL and they FEDEX them overnight. Their prices are great, and if you order more than $150, shipping is free. Considering what saltwater fish cost, we feel like we're getting a great deal. And their service is great. We are happy customers! :D

FISHIES!!!!!!

[VunderBob]

My new blouse is see-through! :eek:
Pictures?

[gotpasswords]

Needless to say, he stole everyone's heart at the vet's office.

He was not, however, enthused with the ride, and was most displeased when they took his temperature. The shot was just a quick yelp, but the Evil Thermometer received a string of yelps and whining. But, he's in perfect shape with good strong knees. Hooray for that!

[anyrose]

Bad news: it is definitely broken

Good news: it's reasonably aligned and will heal (in 3 to 4 weeks) & there's no infection - just a big ol' fluid blister.

[Filbert]

Evenin' all,
Just spent a day getting lost on the buses and trying to get studints to sign up for the jugglin' society- had great security; proper suited up serious lookin' guys checkin' everyone's student ID's- I just walked up to one, said 'Um, I was asked to help out of one of the stalls', and they just waved me past! :D

Bless ;)

Is tahred now, hardly got any sleep, guys upstairs started playing music again at 1am, had to go and make 'em turn it down- they were nice about it, but I'm sooo sick of them being nocturnal. Normally sleep with earplugs in, but then I wouldn't have heard my alarm..

Love all the cute dogs in the thread- I went off mutts a bit after my last housemate had 3 completely untrained ones that crapped everywhere, barked at everyone, and the biggest one bit. Was a bloody big dog too; quite scary. Hated that thing, only single time it ever behaved itself was when a cute guy I knew was helping me pick up a new bookcase, and I'd been telling him how horrible it was and how I had to be really careful with it on the drive back- it chose that one day to play cute, well behaved, Man's Best Friend. That's how evil it was. :eek:

[kaiwik]

rosie I saw the photos of your toe, and darlin, hie the to a doctor asap! It looks very owie, hope it's nothing too traumatic. Here's another ow ow ow for you, damage to the feet hurts more than anywhere else.

gotti that little pup is just stinkin' cute! And is the big dog part of the family? Because they look like a set! Keyoot! Yay on the knees, my poms have patella issues now that they are middle aged and seniors.

Yay for new fishies and anemones FCM! I have done the aquarium thing a few times in my life, just freshwater, and it's a lot of payback for the effort. I love saltwater tanks, I just don't have the energy to add one of them to my menagerie. So, more pics please!

Yay for all things hockey and tailgating doggio! You work so hard, I hope that you have a great time!

mmmm I am happy that you are healing nicely. My knees are bad, but I am phobic about surgery, so for the time being I am just gimping along.

For everyone I am drawing a blank on, here are some Firday hugs and a couple of subtle gropes. lol!

Thanks for the nice comments on my grand kids, I am rather partial to them. Tea is the spitting image of her mother (my daughter), has been since the day she made her appearance. Her mom has the same eyes, almost silver with a dark blue ring around them. Toren is her brother, Jess is the only one of my kids to have procreated at this point, and he is the spitting image of his dad when he was a baby. There is going to be a Disneyland trip in November, Tea has been telling her parents to just drop her off at the gate and she will find all of her princess friends by herself! She is totally into all the Disney princesses, especially all the new fairy princesses, and she is a hoot! Toren is a sweet little guy, but he loves to mess with Tea, who responds most delightfully to him! They have been watching Aladdin a lot recently, and earlier in the week she was so frustrated at him, and she yelled at him, calling him a street rat! (An epithet from the movie, lol!)

Oh, and congratulations grebo! Grand babies are the best thing in the world!

On my flikr site I have a couple of pics of all the dogs. Bri2k at one point I did some Pomeranian breeding, and the Poms I have now are my older girls and boys, plus two of the puppies I kept back. The Min Pin was Jess's, but once she caught pregnant the first time she gave her to me to keep. I am not a big fan of terriers in general, and Zoey has had some troubles due to her instincts, but she is an old gal now, and not as inclined to wreck havoc as she used to. (Ach, the stories I could tell about that girl, she has been a Bad Dog in the past, but as I said, she is a terrier.) There is a reason that my breed of choice is the Pom. Actually there are reasons, I just can't handle a larger breed like Taters Polar any longer, one bump into me and I would be on the floor. I just really believe that, purebred or mutt, one has to take into account the breed(s) general temperaments, what they were bred to do, and soundness. Yeah, I am such a dog person that I can talk/write about dogs forever! :p

I have another dentist appointment, the second one this week. The dentists I went to in Alaska really messed up my teeth, (fillings, a bad bridge, just all around bad dental work.) so there has been a lot of drilling and I had impressions made so I can get some veneers. Oh yeah, that was fun, the impressions. Not.

I need to get in the shower and get dressed and put my war paint on. Have a good one everyone!

[VunderBob]

Bad news: it is definitely broken

Good news: it's reasonably aligned and will heal (in 3 to 4 weeks) & there's no infection - just a big ol' fluid blister.


{{{{{{Rosie}}}}}}

You're in for about 2 weeks of intense, sharp pain, and 4-6 weeks of of slowly declining throbbing. Absolutely do not wear any tight shoes for a month; if you got one of those flat orthopedic shoes, use it.

Now's the time to hire some burly guys to move you downstairs. ;)

ETA: Wiki :goose:

[kaiwik]

@bobbio *poke* :p:p:p

[swampbear]

Howdy Y'all! Home from irk and glad. Papa John's is makin' dindin. Papa should be in the house shortly. I shall get back in cook mode tomorrow. Matter of fact I have two chuck roasts in da fridge that shall get chunked up and turned into beast stew. Plus I shall make chikin nachos for N.O.L. tomorrow. I got me a gnawin' and a cravin' for some.

Rosie boo on the broken toe but yay on knowin' it will mend. Just take it easy.

wiki I hates the dentist. Big ick fear here. I go, mind you, but I don't like it.

Yay for healthy puppy gotti! I still need cleanin' up pee and poop stories so I can get over the urge to get a puppy.

Yay for new fishies MOOOOOOM!

nut glad you had a good time. May the neighbors be quieter at night. BooFae has a pointy stick I'm sure she'll let you borrow if needed.

Shadow who knows, it might even improve your year end review. :D

I go now to await pizza! PIZZA!!!

[SpazCat]

It's been 24 hours and Katy Cat has not thrown up at all. She has also used the litter box in such a way that we must use the gas mask to clean it--that hasn't happened in about a week.

I think the deworming medication is working.

[FairyChatMom]

So, more pics please!OK, I won't make you beg. ;) The first five (http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i178/fairychatmom/aquarium/9-3-11%20restart/?action=view&current=Fishandanemones.jpg) were taken today. The only fish missing is the flame angel - he was hiding behind the rocks.

We went to Red Robin for a late lunch/early supper, after taking our trash to the convenience center. Then we ran by Lowe's so FCD could get the plumbing stuff to hook up his deep sink in the his shop. Now we're home, and I'm going to assume the crochet position soon and chill.

It's pretty much been a wasted day. After sleeping in till 9, neither of us felt much like doing anything, so we didn't. :D So, chores tomorrow. And that's all for now.

[ems]

I can drive! I can drive! Ortho said I was OK to drive :D

{{rosie}} take care of yourself.

We are grilling steaks tonight. mr ems has just gone to the grocery store to pick up a few things for the weekend then we are going to chill.

[congodwarf]

Smile day went well. I made a lot of people smile and it only took an hour! The smile face was created by Harvey Ball, a Worcester native. I grew up in Worcester and that's where my school is. The lady who runs counseling services at the school is a big supporter of smile day, which is why we were there giving out treats. It's amazing how many grumpy people will break into a huge grin when you give them a smiley magnet.

I stopped by the fireplace place today and found out how much it will cost to put in a pellet or wood insert. Unfortunately, it's just a tad too expensive for right now. We'd really like pellet because we'd be able to use very little oil and we wouldn't have to tend it constantly but it's about $2k more than we have in the winter heating budget. The wood insert is only about $1k more than the heating budget but still requires about $800 worth of wood and constant loading so we'd probably use more oil.

Oh well. Maybe next year.



I has a toof! Stopped by the dentist today to get the Nesbitt to replace the flipper my dog ate which replaced the tooth that broke 3 days after the root canal. It fits perfectly and doesn't make my lisp come back like the flipper did.


My mom gave me a huge amount of crap jewelry today so at some point I'll have the fun of breaking it all apart and then making it into nice stuff. She also gave me a handful of beads and asked me to make something nice for her. So I did. She ended up with a ring, bracelet, and a phone charm. I also made a charm for her fingernail. She went away happy. She was even happier after I gave her a whoopie pie. I believe she called it glorious.


My fungus is still itching and I have a throbbing headache. But, I don't have a broken toe so I can deal with it. I hope your toe doesn't give you too much trouble rosie.


It is currently 58° in my house but I'm too lazy to make a fire (and we don't have much wood anyway) and I'm too damn stubborn to turn the heat on when it's so close to 60°. I'll just curl up with some cute dogs and a down comforter.

O
We went to Red Robin


YUM!



I loves me some Red Robin onion rings!

[anyrose]

OK, I won't make you beg. ;) The first five (http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i178/fairychatmom/aquarium/9-3-11%20restart/?action=view&current=Fishandanemones.jpg) were taken today. You need to put some frilly-spikey leafed plants towards the back of the tank, because you know what they say keep your fronds close, and your anemones closer<g,d,&r-vvvf>

[gardentraveler]

Heee, rosie. :D Also, glad you made it to the doc. Hope it's all better very soon.

Oooh, I forgot to squeeeeeeeeeeeee at the puppy! That is one cute little guy. I'm not surprised the vet's office loved him.

Am nearly ready for vacation. Have to go into work on Monday for a few hours (it will be empty, so I won't be interrupted) to get some final stuff off.

Brother and nephew should be home any minute...yes, there they are.

Off to explore dinner options.

Hugs all.

GT

[Silver Tyger]

My computer is working again and I didn't even need to do anything to it! I guess it just needed to be thumped a couple of times. Going to open it up and check for hairballs anyway.

Awww.... puppies! Mom and Dad said I can't have a dog. It's not fair! They each have a cat!

[Bri2k]

Rosie I'm sorry to hear about your poor toe, but I'm relieved you finally got it looked at. I bet I'm not the only relieved mumper as you're very highly esteemed here, fish puns aside.

Speaking of fish, thanks for the pic, Moooom! There's something so relaxing about fish tanks.

Sorry to have to keep this short. I caught something that's not quite a full-blown cold or flu, but it's got me very run-down. I hope I don't have to spend the weekend in bed.

Bri2k

[anyrose]

it's official (http://cheezburger.com/View/5286607360)

[janis_and_c0]

Glad you Finally got that seen to, Rosie!

To all the Mumpers observing Yom Kippur: May your fast be an easy one!!

[FairyChatMom]

rosie - you should be ashamed of yourself!! Now go sit in time-out and think about what you've done... :p

Brick - fish tanks are relaxing till they need to be tended to. Then they're just messy and maybe a bit smelly. But it is fun watching the interactions of all the critters and occasionally seeing the critters that mostly hide - like the starfish and shrimps.

I got to sleep in till 6! I tried to go back to bed and sleep longer, but I was too awake. Oh well... Just FYI - on Nov 6, we go back to standard time.

The only plan I know for sure for today is buying some plywood so FCD can make a worktable for his radial arm saw. I really do need to get the shutters and the window screens cleaned - no guarantee how many more nice days we'll have. And maybe I'll play in clay for a while too. Dunno, don't care... Indecision is the key to flexibility, you know.

:D

Happy Saturday!

[dogbutler]

The tailgate was fun, the final score wasn't. Back to irk this morning.

[swampbear]

Good Mornin' Y'all! Up and caffienatin'. *YAWN* 'Tis 64 Amurrkin out with a predicted high of 84 and a windy day. The wind is kickin' up as I post.

I have beast stew in the slow cooker. Last night I chunked up the chuck roasts and veggies. Thus this mornin' it was just brown the beast, add broth, water and veggies and start cookin'. I have it out on the back porch cause it's the big slow cooker (18 quarts) and I prefer to set it out there as it takes up a lot of room. MMMMMMMM....... beast stew!

Rosie I giggled and voted.

I second what Pearl said about Yom Kippur for all you who observe.

Now I shall seek more caffiene and consider brekkie.

Happy Sattidy Y'all!

ETA: Feel better Brick!

[Muffin]

The 1830s were interesting time for my family. They were plantation owners in Barbados, where slavery was being stopped. They made claims for compensation for having to free 1434 slaves. (Freeing meaning no longer owning them, but instead having them as indentued servants who were not paid wages.)

[swampbear]

Interestin' Muffin. You done learnt us sump'n. That's not easy with this crowd. :D

I made real brekkie this mornin'. Scrambled aigs with cheese, burly butcher bacon, grits and bizkits. Go Me! OYKW was pleased.

That is all.

[Dolores Reborn]

Happy Sattidy!

Yesterday I went with my friend to pick up her brand new travel trailer. That thing is sweet! It has an outdoor kitchen and is very roomy. A funny thing happened - while she was signing all the paperwork, her crown came loose and it actually ended up on the floor! She was so embarassed and freaked out. Poor thing.

Tonight shall be all laundry and groceries day instead of tomorrow. We're taking the dogs to the beach tomorrow! Yes, it's still summer here. :) Finally tolerable temperatures, too.

Rosie - I'm sorry about your toe, but I'm glad you got it looked at.

Brick - hope you feel better soon!

Squeeeee at the puppy!

Purty fish tank, Moommm.

Nice to see you again, wiki!

Hugs and trout, ass grabs and two by fours to the rest of you lot - whatever is appropriate. ;)

Have a great day!

[VunderBob]

TVCTPMO has become active once more, this time using low key actions instead of the more usual big show stoppers.


Last night, I had to replace a circuit breaker and fix an outlet on the same circuit after one of the terminal screws shorted out to the outlet box. I'd like to kick the ass of the moron that left the screw out so it was so close to the box that a couple pieces of paper would not pass through the gap.

A cable box fried in the mayhem of the power problem, so I have to exchange it for a new one today.

I missed last month's payment to the electric company, so they get a double payment next weekend.

VWife is having surgery Wednesday, and she's already milking the helpless surgery patient guilt card for all she can get.

It looks like the house in NC will foreclose.


I need a drunken week on a tropical beach with the Swedish Bikini Team more than ever.

[gardentraveler]

Morning, all!

Yay on getting to drive again, mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Hope you're feeling better this morning, Brick.

Cool fish, FCM.

Clearly the MMP's TVCTPMO prevention program has been slacking off. ::Beams anti-TVCTPMO rays Bobbio-wards.:: Hope things get better soon.

Figuring out what to do with my Saturday. Bro and nephew are hanging around computers and gaming systems in the living room.

I say it's time to go out for breakfast!

Hugs.

GT

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

Sorry for my absence. Week from hell. I've had a migraine since Tuesday from stress. Not letting up anytime soon. Hugs to all.

[anyrose]

Soapy - maybe it's your new superpowers coming to the surface (isn't that how half these things happen? in a chem lab explosion?) ;) {{{{{{feel better}}}}}}}

[anyrose]

Smokey is getting smarter. She just hornked, but pulled a wadded paper towel out of the trash and covered up the evidence.

[FairyChatMom]

Actually, Smokey suddenly realized that she couldn't clean up because she doesn't have thumbs!!!

And I have quit playing with the pressure washer after popping the circuit breaker twice. I need to plug in elsewhere next time. Not only did I clean (sorta) all the shutters out front (the only place we have shutters) but I cleaned the brick steps and part of the front sidewalk. I had no idea the pavement was so filthy!!! I'll do more another time.

And come spring, I think I'll take the shutters down and paint them. And the front door, too. Something other than white.

It's a good thing I took the aquarium photos yesterday - the anemone that was on the lower part of the left side went traveling overnight and now he's on the back side of a rock on the left. Stoopid anemone!

That's all for now. I need a beverage.

[Taters]

I've roasted and peeled six pounds of tomatoes and some chili peppers; pureed them and put them aside for now. These will be combined with some other ingredients for enchilada sauce later tonight.

I now have to clean my kitchen again and run the vacuum and dust. Go me.

[The Blue-Sighted Shadow]

Ugh. So, for the last two years, I've had a Saturday morning appointment at 11. This morning, I woke up, got dressed, grumpy because I overslept and didn't have time for breakfast. I rushed off and just had time to grab caffeine. I get to the office and the building's locked. That's not unusual, so I go around back to wait. Hmmm, it's not like her to be late...I pull out my phone to make sure she didn't call to cancel. It's 10:02, so she'll be here soon...wait, what? :smack: No wonder there was no traffic.

If we're supposed to be all educational and stuff, my family was whaling off Cape Cod in the 1830s. After they ran out of whales, they came to California by way of Cape Good Hope. Well, gggggranpa did, gggggrandma and all the womenfolk walked across Panama to wait for the ship on the other side, because it was safer. Sort of. Grandma got very sick, probably yellow fever, but she did recover, although the ship had to wait for a while. The other side of the family lit out of Iowa as soon as the War (that would be the War Between the States) was over, and that's why I get to be really obnoxious to people who complain about all the recent immigrants, legal and otherwise, in California. :D

[FairyChatMom]

Hmmmm, I have no idea about my family in the 1830s except that they were all in Poland, and probably were farmers or miners. None of them emigrated till the early 1900s.

[congodwarf]

I have no idea what my family was doing in the 1830s. I assume my mom's family was living in Ukraine because I'm pretty sure my great grandparents didn't come here until the 1900s. I have no idea where my father's family is from. I suppose one of these days I should ask my grandmother about it.


I am enjoying hearing what your families were doing though so come them coming if you know and want to share!



I woke up this morning with a cute puppy snuggled in my armpit and his fuzzy little head on my shoulder. Every once in a while he'd yawn in my face and then lick my nose. I had to get Sweetie to entice him away because I couldn't bring myself to disturb him. The rattle of the biscuit box got him running and I was able to get up.


Today is a day for homework. I'm snuggled on the couch with a heavy blanket, a dog, and Sweetie. He's watching a spiderman cartoon and playing CoH. The other dogs are being antisocial buttheads.

[Taters]

That sounds very nice, shortdrum. I am currently running around and cleaning. I just got done scrubbing the powder room, but I need to go upstairs and grab my mop so I can wash the powder room, entry way, and kitchen floors.

I've roasted, peeled and pureed the tomatoes and chilis. I've washed all the dishes up again too.

Still need to vacuum and dust and shower.

At around 5:00 I'll need to start cooking the enchilada sauce so everything will be ready to assemble when the friends get here around sixish.

[RedWood]

hai Everyone! Slept in LATE this morning which I don't often do... ahhhh snooze :D
I <3 a peaceful Saturday !
made applesauce and N. O. T. pancakes last night, AG* came home and complimented me on both: I was having Oktoberfestive food thoughts. There are also bratwurst, bockwurst and sauerkraut.

*I like thinking of him as the Alpha Geek!

[Muffin]

Seeing as it is Thanksgiving on Monday here in Kanukistan, I think its about time for me to head into town to find a Turkey.

[FairyChatMom]

One of the Amish farms near us has turkeys for sale - I don't know if I'm brave enough to try a fresh bird rather than one of those massive frozen lumps. I love turkey, but there are just 2 of us in the household - it'd take forever for us to finish one.

[Muffin]

Try for a young fresh one. Fresh is easier to cook (no worrying about thawing), and young is usually smaller and tastier.

[SpazCat]

The 1830s were interesting time for my family. They were plantation owners in Barbados, where slavery was being stopped. They made claims for compensation for having to free 1434 slaves. (Freeing meaning no longer owning them, but instead having them as indentured servants who were not paid wages.)
Ah, semantics.

Long week was long. Long week is finally over...except now I have a grumpy Computer Boy on the couch who can't get his computer to turn on. I expect he'll have to have to get an emergency binary IV sometime in the next few hours.

I've been listening to The Muppets: The Green Album. I must say Alkaline Trio did a good cover of Movin' Right Along. (http://thepunksite.com/news/2011/08/12/alkaline-trio-movin-right-along-muppets/)

[Dolores Reborn]

We decided not to go to the beach tomorrow, so my pace for chore=doing slowed down considerably. Just laundry. I did strip the bed and wash all the linens, including the blanket and comforter.

Tonight dinner shall be beef kebabs, twice baked potatoes, sallit and sauteed mushrooms.

Oh! I need to go bake the cake soon! I'm gonna make a yellow/fudge swirl Bundt cake, with chocolate glaze.

Mmm, cake.

[FairyChatMom]

PapaJohn made supper. It's dark out now. I foresee an early bedtime. That's all I've got.

MWAH!!

[dogbutler]

Irked, came home, watching Canes hockey and chilling. and texting with the "just friend":)

Not sure what my relatives were doing in the 1830's, probably doing the same thing I'm doing now: drinking and screaming at people who aren't actually there.:D

{{{{soapy}}}}

[anyrose]

in the 1830s, patriarchally, we were still in Russia; matriarchally, only just left Eastern Europe for the United States

[gardentraveler]

Hmmm, in the 1830's part of Mom's family was associated with the main hacienda (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huasca_de_Ocampo) here. We're related to Romero de Terreros somehow. I imagine I'd know if we were direct descendants, so I'm guessing he's some kind of great uncle.

On Dad's side, I'm pretty sure everyone was either in Ireland or in Germany.

We went to a local BBQ and wings place (yummmmy) and started watching both the baseball and football games. When last seen, it was pouring in Texas, so we're just watching football right now. And I'm still very full, although I didn't eat all that much.

Hope everyone's having a relaxing Saturday night ( ::looks pointedly at Soapy:: ).

Hugs.

GT

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

1830s? My family was still in Poland. My grandfather as born in 1867, so I guess in 1830 his parents were probably still there, too.

Migraine with visual components going strong on day 4. Just realized the trouble reading and flashes of light were part of a visual migraine. :smack:

Moderately restful- was with my family for Yom Kippur. Hanging with family is not always restful. :)

[VunderBob]

Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy I get to have some nastygram fun.

Some idiot Virginia lawyer sent me a solicitation to represent me on my speeding ticket case. He wants $200 to take the case, to try to beat a $151 ticket that I acknowledge as being valid. Nice try, asshole, but I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday.

I may post my soon to be expletive laden missive to this clown, but it may have to go to the Pit and I link to it.

:D:D:D

[VunderBob]

My nastygram. The firm name is changed to protect the contemptible.


A. Shyster, Esq.
Badger, Bender, and Cahoots
Somewherein, VA

8 October 2011


Dear Mr. Shyster:

I notice your letterhead states that your firm is fluent in French. Good, because there will be plenty of it before I'm done.

Let me start by stating for the record that the practice of trolling accident and traffic record to solicit business is one I find particularly loathsome. If and when I need a lawyer I have better ways of finding one than waiting for some ambulance chaser to solicit me bulk rate.

As far as my case is concerned, you must be out of your fucking mind. Pay some clod $200 to represent me in an attempt to beat a $151 speeding ticket that I intend to plead guilty to? I laugh. That cop caught me fair and square, and I have no intent of fighting it. I didn't just fall off the turnip truck, bub, and I have better things to do with my hard-earned money than waste it on unneeded legal representation.


With a gruff snort of contempt,

VunderBob


Does it need more cussing?

[anyrose]

My nastygram. The firm name is changed to protect the contemptible.



Does it need more cussing?
yes.

eta my brother just went through the same thing earlier this week

[tarragon918]

Howdy all! So sorry to have been absent most of this week, but my brother was in ABQ!!! :) Rosie's .sig to all - I'm so wiped out I can't even do coding any longer. :D I'm glad to hear that you -finally- got to the doc, though, Rosie. Sorry that the toe is broken. :(

Went up to Santa Fe on Wed., and to Las Vegas where my son is - so glad that my brother got a chance to see him and vice versa. Thursday, we tried to go on the tram, which was closed due to high winds (!) and one of the local casinos. My brother showed me his favorite slot machine, the Wizard of Oz penny slots, and I played $20 in there. Had fun, but fortunately for me discovered that one round was enough. LOL When he played, though, he hit a small jackpot! His picture got taken and he may appear in ads for the Sandia Resorts casino. :) After that, he quit! He had also hit a smaller jackpot the day before, near Santa Fe!! My brother is Mr. Lucky. :) It only takes two hours on the plane to Albuquerque from San Francisco, so hopefully we will see more of my brother and his partner Mike in the months to come. They -finally- got to see the balloons this morning - the fiesta events had been cancelled pretty much since they arrived on Tuesday due to weather and/or high winds. They went to the park this morning early and saw the mass ascension up close and personal. I watched on tv, thank you very much. :) It was so cold that it had snowed on the peaks of the Sandia mtns!!

They fly home tomorrow at noon, so we went out to dinner tonight and then drove along the tramway and were able to see the Balloon Fiesta last night fireworks from there--what a beautiful sight! I had such a good time and so enjoyed being able to be with my brother and Mike. They are a wonderful pair, I love them very much.

Hope everyone had as enjoyable a Saturday as I did, and have a good day tomorrow as well.