A Labor Day Belated Birthday BBQ – The MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
281

Hi Lemme. Nice to see you stop by.

Sad to hear about Madeline L’Engle. She’s one of those authors I keep meaning to read. That pudding sounds amazing, LiLi. Good thing (for my hips) I’m not actually in my kitchen right now.

Well, I only made it to one museum, but I walked all the way from here to the Hancock tower, making a few stops along the way. There is an extremely cool exhibit of contemporary art from India at the Chicago Cultural Center. There’s some multi-media video that’s very original.

My feetsies are tired.

Gotta go check in.

Back after a bit.

GT

282

Wow, I’ve missed a lot this week! Hugs and prayers to those who need them!!

SpecialOne, so sorry, no present day pics of me on the Interweb. That I know of, that is! :smiley:

BBBBobbio, so sorry about the foster kitties. :frowning: Glad that you’re doing better, though. And hey, maybe that storm will bring y’all some much needed rain this weekend. Or is it Monday now?

A Wrinkle in Time was the very first Science fiction book I read; I too will mourn the passing of Madeleine L’Engle.

FCM, I love your pots, they are beautiful!! Yes, even those monsters!! Those medallions are such a great idea too; girls will really love them, I think. I -love- that granny bunny jar!!

And woo hoo for it being Friday finally!! No plans for the weekend, mind you, but sometimes those 4-day weeks seem longer than the 5-day ones. :wink:

283

Just as incentive- the pudding is really, really easy. Just throw things into the food processor, scrape into bowl, and nuke.

It’s deadly.

Thanks, LemmeOut. I think it’s a Nigella-ism, from one of her books. I love her. And Nigel Slater. They’re top of my Food Pantheon.

I think I’ve read more than half of L’Engle’s books, which considering her output is fairly impressive. I love her. One of the first books I made Mr. Lissar read after we met (there was a lot of forced reading) was her Two-Part Invention, the story of her marriage to Hugh Franklin and his death from cancer. It’s really beautiful, and I highly recommend it. He was an actor. They had three kids- one adopted, and they lived half the time in New York City and half in Connecticut.

I think I’ll re-read the Time quartet in tribute.

It’s very hot here. It was 100F after humidex. I wonder if I can call in to work and say it’s too scary to go outside.

284

I’m gonna tell her you said that! :stuck_out_tongue:

Well, it’s been an exciting day. I forgot to mention yesterday that along with the IRS letters, I had a slip to pick up a certified letter. The sender said what looked like Circuit CA. Today I picked it up, and the smart ones among you have already figured out that it wasn’t CA it was Ct - Circuit Court. I’m the newly summoned Juror #13 on the Grand Jury, starting Weds, Sept 26. I’ve never had jury duty before - this should be fun. I just hope it doesn’t conflict with FCD’s impending surgery. But I’ll deal with that when the time comes.

The other not-so-thrilling excitement was when I went to clean the cat’s box this morning. She’d passed some [TMI ALERT!!!] bloody stool overnight. But she wasn’t acting sick or in pain or anything - she snarfed down her morning kibble as usual. So I bagged it, which was a good thing. **FCD ** called the vet and they asked us to drop it off. I wrote the pertinent info on an envelope, included the bagged poo, and dropped it off this afternoon after I picked up my certified letter, which brings me back to where I started.

In a bit, I’ll be moving the van to the basement door so I can start loading the big stuff. Then I’ll bring the rest of the wares for tomorrow up to the dining room where I’ve been pricing and packing. Somewhere along the line, **MamaTigs ** is supposed to cruise by for the night so she doesn’t have to get up at an obscene hour tomorrow to drive from Annapolis. She only has to get up at a semi-obscene hour so we can get set up by 9:30-ish in the morning.

I’ve got some steaks marinating and I’m waiting for my sweetie to get home. It’s Friday, and all in all, life is good.

Oh yeah, plus while I was on the post office/vet errand run, I stopped and got some ice cream. Life is *very * good.

:smiley:

285

Hi all, hope you had a good week. Commiserations and sympathy to those who didn’t and hugs and yays to those who did.

I have spent the week doing exactly nothing. There was a strike in London so I sat around at work a lot waiting for trains to be made available. I read a lot and played computer games.

My cool wrap-around fanceh black top arrived from the catalogue company. Cept it came down to about my calves! Going to have to send it back with a ‘too long!’ note. How can anyone make a top that long? I’s puzzled.

Tomorrow I intend to gather together every unwashed item of clothing in my flat and dump it in front of the washing machine. There to stay til it has had its turn. What a joyous Saturday. Anyone want to rescue me? :frowning:

286

Um, I feel dirty now. My recruiter just called about a position at my last assignment. I was reluctant and dragging my feet, and she finally pulled out all the stops. Recruiter: I’ll pay you $X more than you were getting before. Me: Uh, HOW much? (thinking that my cell phone is breaking up and I could not possibly have heard correctly) Recruiter gleefully repeats number, which I accept because, hello! That’s a *lot *of money, even for the Valley. Also, they will continue to look for another position for me while I’m there. So, it’s a win-win all the way around because for that amount of money, I can tolerate a lot of BS.

287

Home, tired again.

Lunch, I guess everyone in N.C. looks alike.

Jahdra, $$$ will buy a lot of Tide. :smiley:

zelie, sounds like fun, esepcially if you got paid for it.

288

:confused: :confused: But…but, there’s LOTS of space between me and you–you live in freakin’ Israel!

:smiley:
Vundy–for some reason, you were off my list of potential “men” (do you like NASCAR? vote straight Rep ticket? scratch your ass and belly at the same time? I don’t recall). If you can promise me lots of backrubs and even a footrub, I’m yours.

I am home from the day and it was a hard one. And I’m jealous that [sub]they’re all downtown having a great time and I’m not[/sub]. Tired. And I can’t get off level 36 in that game! grrrr.

Choco pudd sounds yummilicious. Comfort food (d’ya think you could use half and half instead of heavy cream–my arteries screamed in protest!). :slight_smile:

289

Just FYI, **MamaTigs ** and I have been nattering along, but now it’s time to crash. Tomorrow’s a big day!!

Remember, I have the next MMP!

Nighty-night!

290

Kitty update!

yesterday I did not get home at lunch to check on Libby then I had a client thing last night so I got home really late. Libby came running purring and tall high pleased to see me. I woke up this morning with a furry kitty snuggled into my back - she had 2/3 of the bed and I was balanced on the edge. I think she likes me! Little bugger was feisty tonight and tried to bite me as I was removing her from the dining table where she knows she is not allowed so she is pouting now

I decided that I look better in Blue than orange so it looks like Walmart greeter could be the next career move - screw this Oilfield crap! I kid but it has been an awful week…currently on the couch with a glass of wine and about to eat some chocolate. Oo oo oo oo oo I have Chocolate ice cream even better! Screw the diet!
MrEms-to-be arrives in a week to come visit - Yay!

291

Oh. Hehe. Beer. It still sounds nasty though. :stuck_out_tongue:

You always say that. Oh. Did you mean beer? No thanks. I don’t drink alcohol.

gt, I’m in that club too. I’m watching your thread and your comments in here with rapt attention. It all sounds so fun!

Is it too late? Lili, don’t eat the whole thing!
**
Jahdra**, congrats on the new job! Money is good.
Good night and good morning everyone! Where’s Dotty? Oh yeah, it’s the weekend where she is. OK, ~waving~ to Dotty. Drop in again soon.

292

You would rather be a Walmart greeter than work in an oilfield? :eek:
Walmart is the hell where nasty people go to live.

I’d rather work in a sewer than in Walmart…

nice to hear 'bout the kitty! Sounds like she has adjusted just fine.

Off to bed soon. Why can’t I retire, since I already act like I am? :rolleyes:

293

rigs this week has indeed been that bad that even Devil-Mart was looking good it wouldn’t pay nearly as well but with no repsonsibility…being the boss sucks at times

Libby wanted to lie on my laptop just now I think she has forgiven me!

294

I’m in the doghouse, BIG TIME. Surgeon said no sireeens until I lose my stitches Monday; I got paged for a fire last night and went anyway. Ended up it was a nothing call and my station was told to disregard before I ever got there. VWife was piiisssed…

Tough titty. Gabrielle trumps the doctor; I’ll run with the Rescue Squad because I can still drive and lift stretchers. No patient contact, though.

In a fit of absurd relevance, I’m up early to go to rescue training. Today’s topic is collapsed buildings… This was planned several weeks ago, before the storm was ever a concern.

C’mon, baby! We NEED 6 inches of torrential rain!

295

  • I’m not much of a sports fan, but I’ve been known to root for anyone beating Tony Stewart.

  • I’m a conservative libertarian, so that defaults to voting Republican.

  • I scratch one place at a time, even though I can reach both. I can’t belch because I don’t have a stomach.

  • I give excellent massages, and I’m told I look hawt in my fire gear.

Do we have a date? :wink:

296

Just a quick drive-by. The van is just about all packed. **MamaTigs ** just started caffeinating. I need to put some ice in the little cooler and fill my mug with water.

It’s gonna be hot hot hot humid hot humid sticky icky nasty hot hot. But what the heck, it beats working with **mmmmmm ** apparently. :stuck_out_tongue:

Wish us luck - 2 charities stand to do well if we sell a bunch.

Toodles… <and she’s off in a whirl of dust and dog hair…>

297

Morning Mumpers! I’m up and caffeinating. Lucretia woke up Rod the Roomb this morning while I was walking Maggie. I didn’t have the virtual walls up, so Rod was at the door when we got back:
Me: : opens door :
Rod: whiiirrrrrrr
Maggie: :eek: :eek: :eek:
It’s a hoot to try to drag a Roomba and a beagle back into the apartment at the same time.

Good luck FCM and MamaTigs!

ems, it’s just a plot so Libby can get close enough to eat your skull. At least that’s why Lucretia does it. YKMV

rigs, I can do massages, too.

298

Sell lots of stuff, FCM and MamaTigs, and then maybe let us have a crack at the leftovers?

gt - you are several hours late getting those pics and tales of last night’s bacchinal posted

299

Hope the sale goes well, FCM and MamaTigs!

doggio you made me laugh out loud. I’m sitting in the hostel cafeteria. I’m sure at least a couple people wondered why.

rosie:I know, I know, I know! However, I’m staying in a youth hostel and my laptop was in my locker (shoulda taken it with me), so I couldn’t post when I got back because I would have awakened everyone in the room. It’s rather amusing to stay in a youth hostel again. The last one I can remember staying at was in Berlin, 25 years ago. Most people look so young! It’s kind of odd to be sleeping in a dorm again, but I actually slept better than I have in weeks (and better than I normally do in hotels).

Anyway, Hank has the pictures. Also, there are independent witnesses who will attest to the fact that she and MBG and if2x and I were all in the same geographic area at the same time. It’s nice to confirm that we’re not actually imaginary friends. :smiley:

It was soooo cool to get to meet everyone. I’d just like to report that BusWife is just as charming as MBG and, like Mr. Taters, is a Doper by proxy. And BusKid, who made a surprise guest appearance, is lovely as well. Anyway, we talked and talked and talked. There was a very brief pause in the conversation. Then we talked and talked and talked some more. I’d say that a Dopefest that went from 5-!2:30 can be considered a success.

BusKid, Hank, and sugar and spice left relatively early on, but the rest of us stuck around for quite a while. They very pointedly hinted that we needed to vacate our tables at Giordano’s (we were the last people in our section and had been there a REALLY long time; we tipped extra to make up for that), so we walked for a few blocks until we saw a bar that was open. It was like stepping into an alternate universe. It was a diner-style Cheers-like place. There were a bunch of people at the bar who were obviously regulars but didn’t look like they would normally fit together. We decided that they were probably regulars on a different message board. We sat at a couple of tables and continued to chat for quite a while. Did I mention we had a really nice time. We were really disappointed that you couldn’t make it rigsy. Next time. (We’ll meet at your place so that you have to be there. :stuck_out_tongue: )

Well, I’m done with breakfast. Need to go plan the rest of my day. Not sure how often I’ll be posting during the week (wi-fi isn’t free here after all and I’m sure we’ll be busy, but there’s a Panera across the street, so I may sneak out early a couple of times just to catch up). In any case, I’ll take notes as I go and take pictures and catch you up on my trip when I can.

Happy Saturday!!!

GT

300

Quiet lazy day here at Faerie Towers - we’re off into town later to meet friends at the Welly, and a quick look at the beer board tells me there’s no barley wine tonight so 'im indoors won’t get into the same state he did last time we were there.

The only thing he could run into bother with is the Milestone Brewery’s “Hammer Head” at 5.2%. Very nice beers from there, my favourite is the “Old Home Wrecker” but that’s a winter brew so we’re too early for that one.

Shadow’s currently snoozing on the windowsill besides my desk, Ophie has decided she needs a vantage point so she’s been on top of the monitor keeping an eye on 'im indoors while he plays WoSW.

I’m off for a pleasant soak in the bath and then I’ll be contemplating my wardrobe in an effort to decide what to wear tonight.

We have decided to spend tomorrow working on the wilderness we laughingly call a garden in an attempt to clear a path from one end to the other. Brambles and nettles are pretty much all that grows out there so I may have to harvest the blackberries as I go along.