# Fun Time Flu Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 28, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285 "2005-02-28T13:12:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/101 "2005-03-02T16:47:48Z")
> [@taxi78cab](#): > > I made homemade tomato soup for dinner last night with a grilled cheese sandwich made with mozzerella cheese on a garlic-type bread. Yum! And leftover soup for lunch today. Recipe??? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/102 "2005-03-02T17:09:19Z")
Yep, **Ellen** indeed I do have me a ACBG. **VunderBob** likes referring to him as my squeeze. Plus I got to oogie **VunderBob** out. Life is good! 😃 I just ate my leftover chicken picatta. MMMMMMMMM… GOOD! Tonight we’re (ACBG’s coming over to spend the night) homemade chicken noodle soup that I already made but froze and am unfreezing in the fridge right now as we speak. Maybe we’ll have grilled cheese sammiches since I got the bread and cheese to make em. Or cornbread. I ain’t decided yet. Anyways, it’s cool enough that some hot tub time will be called for too. Did I tell y’all I won the baby pool at work? Ok, I didn’t actually win a baby pool, just an office pool bet on when a co-worker’s baby would be born. She arrived just after 3 yesterday afternoon and I had March 1st in the pool. So, I’m $25.00 richer cept I ain’t keepin’ the money. I’m giving that to the new mommy and daddy with the stipulation they go have some fun with it when they get all settled in with the new baby and all. Heck, the fun was in winning and going around sayin’ “NEENER! NEENER! NEENER! IIIII WOOOOONNNNNN!!!” to everybody. -swampbear (Yep, I did go round the office sayin’ NEENER! NEENER! NEENER!) ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/103 "2005-03-02T18:18:43Z")
Leftover fried rice or leftover spaghetti for afternoon tea? Or maybe some nice grilled ham’n’cheese sammiches, although they won’t be as good as **taxi** ’s. I’m going to eat just before work, because tonight is wander-around-with-armloads-of-books-wondering-where-the-hell-someone-stuck-_A Passion For Donkeys_- night. Lifiting weights makes me hungry. Mr. Lissar is home and in bed. Tonight is his last shift until Tuesday, yay! Tomorrow we’ll… well, sleep a lot. Friday is visiting Mr. L’s godmum and then Quasi-Daughter’s Going Away Party. She’s going up to Sioux Lookout for five weeks to be a practice occupational therapist. Sioux Lookout is so far north that there aren’t any roads- she’ll be flown in by bush plane. It will be very very cold. So we’re giving here a nice warm going-away party with me and her and several of my husbands including her boyfriend (Driving Husband) and we’ll eat and drink lots and Driving Husband, Attacks Things Randomly Husband, and Mr. Lissar will try to kill each other. They can all have very nice, reasonable-sounding conversations while sparring. It’s weird. The next day is the Toronto Vintage Clothing and Textiles show and sale- whee! Okay, I think it’s thrilling. It’s a very good-quality show with stuff dating back to the early 1800s. I’ve gotten a 1908 evening gown and some flapper stuff there. Beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/104 "2005-03-02T18:19:46Z")
> [@Rue DeDay](#): > > Of _course_ it’ll be fun **Sooz**! How could it _not_ be fun? Worst case, you could throw rocks at **SkipMagic**. You know _that_ would be fun. But what if I throw 'em right back? That might not be fun. (For **susan** , of course. Unless she _likes_ rocks being thrown at her. I have no idea whether the rocks have any opinions about this.) ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/105 "2005-03-02T18:19:46Z")
> [@Wile E](#): > > Um _fidgets_ … er … _thinks_ um … Because Wile E doesn’t have a lot of money, just a really good line of credit with ACME and they don’t sell food (except for bird seed)! Ha! Yeah, that’s the ticket. With gunpowder, don’t forget. Always something explosive in the birdseed. ---
**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/106 "2005-03-02T18:38:41Z")
> [@swampbear](#): > > (ACBG’s coming over to spend the night) But it’s a _school night_, **Swampy**. That’s not very responsible of you. Unless you make sure you don’t stay up too late. Then I guess it’d be OK. So after dinner, you go _right to bed_, young man! ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/107 "2005-03-02T18:50:32Z")
> [@Rue DeDay](#): > > But it’s a _school night_, **Swampy**. That’s not very responsible of you. Unless you make sure you don’t stay up too late. Then I guess it’d be OK. So after dinner, you go _right to bed_, young man! Ok, **Unca Rue** , we’ll go right to bed. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/108 "2005-03-02T18:52:56Z")
> [@Rue DeDay](#): > > Of _course_ it’ll be fun **Sooz**! How could it _not_ be fun? Worst case, you could throw rocks at **SkipMagic**. You know _that_ would be fun. Definitely sounds like a good time. I’ll do some airfare/hotel/car price checking and start warming up my pitching arm. Been wanting to get out to Ohio to visit Cedar Point anyway - might as well make it that weekend! Susan ---
**Author:** ![Theodore\_Striker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Theodore\_Striker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theodore_Striker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/109 "2005-03-02T18:56:26Z")
Thanks for making me feel welcome round these parts, it’s some very exclusive company around here. Also, thanks to all the well wishers for MiniStriker, who will be 6 mos. tomorrow, and is tipping the scales at 23.5 lbs… the kid is a load. The much anticipated anti-fancy, stomach filling dinner did not go off as planned, as wife and YM Striker decided to eat at the food court following the BABW adventure. I am now the proud grandfather of a green teddy bear named Lizzie, adopted by by YM Striker, and a lanky frog named Ferdinand, adopted for Ministriker… joyous times. I was left with processed fish product that was deep fried, flash frozen, then re-heated, and leftover au-gratin potatoes, followed by furniture moving at my mom’s place. Tonight I am left with a half empty fridge to forage dinner out of, and some quality time with the MiniStriker while mom and big sis head down to the circus. In other words, frozen pizza, low fat chips, diet Mt. Dew, and a child who is emitting something toxic because of the pink stuff… good times are sure to be had by all. ---
**Author:** ![taxi78cab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@taxi78cab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taxi78cab)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/110 "2005-03-02T19:39:54Z")
> [@Tupug Anachi](#): > > Recipe??? 🙂 Um… recipe? What’s that? Hmm… well, here’s an approximate: Garlic (LOTS of garlic, of course) and onions/shallots/leeks/whatever, sauteed in olive oil. When they’re softened, throw in a can of diced/stewed/crushed tomatoes - the size of the can depends on how much soup you want! A bunch of fresh basil. Some chicken or veggie stock, maybe about 1/2 the amount of tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Throw in some red pepper flakes too if you want it spicy. Simmer for a few minutes (up to 20, depending on how hungry you are; I think I simmered it for about 5 minutes last night). Throw it all into a blender and puree. Back to the stove and add some cream or milk or dry milk. That’s it. Nice and simple, but really good. (Especially if you actually use real cream, which unfortunately I usually don’t.) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/111 "2005-03-02T20:41:02Z")
> [@swampbear](#): > > I’ve had that problem many, many times. 😃 **TMfrickin’I!!!** Sheesh, ain’t you gots no decorum, man?? Or have you already reached the geezerdom plateau of inappropriate comments in polite company? Yes, dammit, we are polite company, so shut up!!! 😛 Thanks for the hug, **Ellen** - I really didn’t wimp out. I actually accomplished more than I would have at the office. At least more personally. In fact, I just finished filing a bunch of receipts and bill stubs. The desk is clear!! **Rue** , my favoritest of all favorites, you picked the wrong weekend for rock-flinging at **Skippy** - at least according to my schedule. That Saturday is the last of my pottery-throwing classes, and I certainly don’t want to miss graduation. Not that I would have made it all the way to Ohio anyways - my poor sweetie doesn’t get a lot of vacation time and we’re saving it for a week-long cruise on the bay this summer - probably the week before July 4. So _\_ I shan’t be able to join in the festivities. Alas. **Bumb** , the cherry soap sounds divine!!! I’m awaiting mail-order or on-line order or whatever… ---
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/112 "2005-03-02T20:52:06Z")
> [@taxi78cab](#): > > Um… recipe? What’s that? > > Hmm… well, here’s an approximate: > > Garlic (LOTS of garlic, of course) and onions/shallots/leeks/whatever, sauteed in olive oil. When they’re softened, throw in a can of diced/stewed/crushed tomatoes - the size of the can depends on how much soup you want! A bunch of fresh basil. Some chicken or veggie stock, maybe about 1/2 the amount of tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Throw in some red pepper flakes too if you want it spicy. Simmer for a few minutes (up to 20, depending on how hungry you are; I think I simmered it for about 5 minutes last night). Throw it all into a blender and puree. Back to the stove and add some cream or milk or dry milk. That’s it. Nice and simple, but really good. (Especially if you actually use real cream, which unfortunately I usually don’t.) Where’s that drooly smilie??? That sounds yummy! And easy, too. I may never do Campbells ever again. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/113 "2005-03-02T21:33:09Z")
It’s going to be -14C tonight, -20 with windchill. It will be nice and quiet at work. We’ll chuck snowballs at anyone foolish enough to enter the store. I had grilled ham’n’cheese and carrot sticks. I think I’ll have leftover fried rice for dinner. Yum. Sometime soon I should make ginger pear cake. It’s gingerbread with chopped crystalized ginger and pears. Maybe for Quasi-Daughter’s party. That would be good. And a chocolate something or other for the chocoholics. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/114 "2005-03-02T21:43:44Z")
> [@Wile E](#): > > Um _fidgets_ … er … _thinks_ um … Because Wile E doesn’t have a lot of money, just a really good line of credit with ACME and they don’t sell food (except for bird seed)! Ha! Yeah, that’s the ticket. I thought he got a discount for ordering from the [catalog](http://home.nc.rr.com/tuco/looney/acme/acme.html). ---
**Author:** ![merrily](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@merrily](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merrily)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/115 "2005-03-02T22:23:14Z")
You have shamed me into spilling my secret: I have no sense of smell. Never had one. I’ve been tested. So I don’t know one soap from another. I have to ask people to describe what perfumes make them think of. On the other hand, I have no problems at the gym or with people who had garlic for lunch. Or with whiteboard markers. I was an adult before I found out that cabbage and fish don’t smell so good while cooking. And, in case you were wondering, I may stink, but I don’t smell. Ar ar ar. **Lissla,** I liked the Beekeeper’s apprentice, too–maybe not a probable Sherlock Holmes, but a possible one at least. But I didn’t care for the sequels–they had some moments, but got sillier and sillier. I’ll be curious to know what you think. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/116 "2005-03-02T22:36:36Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > **Bumba** - The US postal service will GIVE you Priority Mail boxes, as many as you need. You can order many many many off their website ([USPS.com](http://USPS.com)) and they’ll send 'em out. The catch, of course, is that you then have to ship the boxes via Priority Mail, because it’s illegal to use the boxes for anything else (says so right on the boxes!) At the website, you’ll find the Priority Mail rates - they’re not too bad, so maybe that’s the way for you to go. > > I make scented soaps too - nothing on the scale that you do, just for funsies - but I made a little gift set for my Mom last year and she almost swooned over the scents. It was “wine and roses” - I used a chardonnay fragrance oil with a little raspberry and a little rose oil. Did the soaps with coconut oil melt and pour soap base and suspended crushed rose petals in it, and also made a companion bath oil, a lotion and a candle. And I threw in a home-burned CD of love songs. You gonna make up any gift sets? First of all, to everybody who had suggestions, I’m nor ignoring you, I just picked this one to reply to. Thsnk you for your replies, really. Anyway, I’ve been doing some expirimentin’ with the smallest USPS priority mail box and figured that I could mail 3 bars of soap to my Mother in Jawja for $5.75, 2 bars would be about $3.85, I think. that’s assuming 2 oz. for packing peanuts or whatever. UPS rates are about comparable, assuming they pick up here, and assuning I’m working their website correctly. That’s just for soaps. We’d need different sized boxes for lotions, bath salts, etc. And we’d probably need to use something besides the glass jars we package the bath salts in now. Anyway, do you think people would pay that kind of shipping? Keep in mind that we are asking $3.00 a bar for our soap. A bar weighs a little over 5 oz. (144 gm). Although as the soap matures, it loses some water weight and might get down to 4.5 oz. So you see, there’s a lot to consider. To your second question, yes we do gift sets. Mostly we will make up a basket with a lotion, some bath salts, and a bar or three of soap, all in the same scent if desired, witha a card if they want, and many times the customer will have a teddy bear put in. In case you missed it, we also sell teddy bears, up to about 14" size. We have some examples in the store, but let the customer pick and choose their own contents. That’s one reason why the website is gonna take some time and effort to put together, we have a lot more stuff than just soap. Y’all will just hafta stop talking about food now. All I’ve got here (at the store) is cookies, and as much as I like cookies, I want some real food. I think I’ll have to put the sign on the door and run across the street to the Chinese place. ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/117 "2005-03-02T23:28:05Z")
> [@Lissla Lissar](#): > > It’s going to be -14C tonight, -20 with windchill. It will be nice and quiet at work. We’ll chuck snowballs at anyone foolish enough to enter the store. > > I had grilled ham’n’cheese and carrot sticks. I think I’ll have leftover fried rice for dinner. Yum. Sometime soon I should make ginger pear cake. It’s gingerbread with chopped crystalized ginger and pears. Maybe for Quasi-Daughter’s party. That would be good. And a chocolate something or other for the chocoholics. You sure do eat a lot of carrot sticks…are you turning orange yet? 😉 Perhaps, though, with the temps you’ve described, blue offsets the orange. Mmmmm, your cake sounds yummy. Kindly shove a slice through the drive to me, will you? Please? Pretty please, with sugar and spice and everything nice? ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/118 "2005-03-03T00:01:24Z")
**Merrilly** , does that affect your sense of taste? I mean, when I have a cold and can’t smell, I can’t taste much either. So I’ve GOT to know that. It’s official: I’m going to see grandpa up in Oregon in April. Just made my travel plans. All you folks (and the people on LJ) confirmed what I knew: I should go while I can. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/119 "2005-03-03T03:05:36Z")
Carrots are one of the few veggies decent raw. Also they keep. I’m trying not to get scurvy. What I end up with is blue-and-orange swirls. Very decorative. Probably in style for spring, along with lime green and hot pink. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285/120 "2005-03-03T03:59:46Z")
> [@Bumbazine](#): > > Anyway, I’ve been doing some expirimentin’ with the smallest USPS priority mail box and figured that I could mail 3 bars of soap to my Mother in Jawja for $5.75, 2 bars would be about $3.85, I think. that’s assuming 2 oz. for packing peanuts or whatever. UPS rates are about comparable, assuming they pick up here, and assuning I’m working their website correctly. That’s just for soaps. We’d need different sized boxes for lotions, bath salts, etc. And we’d probably need to use something besides the glass jars we package the bath salts in now. Anyway, do you think people would pay that kind of shipping? Keep in mind that we are asking $3.00 a bar for our soap. A bar weighs a little over 5 oz. (144 gm). Although as the soap matures, it loses some water weight and might get down to 4.5 oz. So you see, there’s a lot to consider. First off, never assume you’re working the UPS site correctly - or rather, never assume they’re giving you accurate info. I learned my lesson on THAT one the hard way. Second, I see what you’re saying about all the variables. That would make it hard to set a definite shipping price, since it depends on what you’re shipping where. I know eBay has a postage calculator dealie that is pretty accurate and semi-automatic, too (you enter the weight of the package and your zip, the customer enters his zip, the calculator figgers it all out from there) so you may want to see if there’s a postage calculator available that’s not part of eBay specifically. I find that people don’t bitch overmuch about shipping when they work the calculator thing themselves - it weighs what it weighs, that’s not your problem. And I’ve paid some pretty ridiculous shipping fees myself because it was something I wanted or needed. I’d stick with Priority Mail, myself (they’ll pick up, also) only because it’s easier to do all your shipping the same way, you know? Now, all that said, back to the part about all the variables. Ummm. Yeah, I think you’d have to gather a bunch of information to set up regular shipping, but once you have it all, it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out what a given package will ship for. I also think, better you than me 😃 But I still want some **Bumbasoap**. (PS: Do you know about coffee ground soap? Takes onion, garlic and fishy smells RIGHT off your hands.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-time-flu-time/292285.md?page=7)