Greetings! Da cave is spiffed. Da bear is also spiffed. 
Now, I must steel my nerves to go to the :eek: grocery store. :eek: Remember me.
Evening all. I had to buy a sugar-free chocolate bar with almonds today, not because I thought it looked tasty, but because the name of the chocolate bar, combined with the nuts, nearly made me snort out loud - Nobless (but it still has its nuts)! Weird!!!
I made a Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry last night
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 lb round steak or sirloin steak, sliced very thin
1 tbs corn starch
2 tbs soy sauce
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 carrot, julienned
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1 lg pkg frozen broccoli florets, thawed (you can use fresh, but the cooking time will be different)
1/2 c beef stock
Marinade the steak in the cornstarch, soy sauce, ginger and garlic for a few minutes while you prepare the veggies and put on some rice to cook. Stir-fry meat in two batches and remove to a plate. Stir-fry carrots and onions for a minute or two, then add in broccoli. Keep stirring until broccoli is almost done to your taste, then add in the meat. Add in the stock for the sauce. The cornstarch on the meat should thicken the sauce. Add a little more stock, or a little slurry of corn starch to get the thickness of the sauce right. Serve with steamed rice. Or make fried rice!
I have Monday’s OP already written. Fear me.
Spaz, are you less evil yet?
I swear to god every tme you post I get this mental image of a big, jolly, barrel-chested Lumberjack type, somewhere midway between Santa Clause and Grizzly Adams, who all the kids in the family dread visiting on account of bone-crushing bear hugs.
I need to spiff myself as well; I didn’t shave this morning. On two hours of sleep, I’m not putting a razor anywhere near my face.
GT, March 16th is great. I’m thinking on a vacation spot. Summertime. Maybe get folks out of the winter doldrums, hopefully.
Moonie, I forgot to mention how cute you were, especially that long tail! LOL I have a “thing” for tails, I guess. I used to love it when they would give viewers a glimpse of the lizard man’s tail on HBO’s Carnivale.
Rebo, your stir fry recipe sounds delicious (lol I almost typed delish - ya think I’m channeling Rachel Ray?!). I am going to try out a few recipes this weekend and that will probably be one. I’m always looking for new crock pot try outs though.
It’s -almost- the weekend … woo hoo! Oh yeah, and Dotty, the HRH calling the video “Auntie Cold” really tickled me! thanks! 
You’re damned close, except for the squishing kids part.
trumpet fanfare
Ladies and gentlemen, I have An Announcement.
For the first time in almost four years, my front yard is completely raked. The pine straw covering has been removed and sent to the heavens as smoke.
Thank you.
trumpet fanfare
And don’t forget to add in a part about idly noodling around in the pool with a cool BEvERage, weather permitting. 
Going for a walk in search of NOL. I packed some food this morning, but I’ve lost interest in crustless quiche and salad… stupid migraines always make my stomach all finicky n’ stuff. Hopefully something will jump up and scream “Eat Me!” (but not literally, because that would be scary).
Also, must buy fabric to make dress for the upcoming wedding. I’m still totally disenchanted with the whole thing and more than a bit stressed about having to go… so I’m hoping a pretty frock might bribe me into a better mood.
Plus I really just want an excuse to make and wear a pretty frock, because I like frocks dagnabbit.
I’m pondering this pattern, most likely in a linen blend of sorts or perhaps a subtle polka-dotted cotton print. We’ll see what the store has to offer.
ETA: throws confetti on Spaz Woo hoo!
giggles Awww, thanks! I love my tail - it’s handsewn from plush faux fur fabric weith a three-inch pile and stuffed with pillow stuffing, and I sewed it in such a way that the tip naturally curls out behind me. It’s so incredibly soft and cuddly, like a wearable, fur-covered pillow!
The room we usually use for the weekly Pagan Student Union meeting as occupied by another group so we’re clustered around a too-small table in the Student Orgs room instead. There is a steadily-expanding sphere of empty space around us as people gradually move away from the creepy people; it’s funny to watch.
Pretty pattern. Wide or narrow skirt?
Afternoon. Morning. Whatever. Sleepy. Just got Nat to sleep. We’re starting again with trying to nightwean him, so we were up listening to screaming from 12 to 1:15. On the bright side, he only woke up three times last night, instead of five or six. I’m going to nap, and then (everyone send Baby Sleep for Two and a Half Hour vibes) I’ll tidy and wash dishes and do a bunch of other chores.
I’m thinking of doing View A with the narrow skirt and the little shoulder bows, because it looks like it might be more flattering with the long uninterrupted lines (as opposed to the wide skirt version, which has a seam right on the waistline). Plus the bows are just screaming to be done in a contrasting satin or silk.
No luck with fabric shopping… assuming Mumsy Dearest is up to it, maybe I’ll try a few more fabric shops on the weekend in the hopes of finding something there.
Sending lots of sleepy thoughts to Gnat. Conveniently enough, I have plenty of those to spare today.
Good morning. Am here at work ready to scream in frustration at STOOPIT non-working queries and DBs. Arrrgh and double-arggh!
I guess we’re going out to dinner tomorrow with some friends.
My daughter signed up for her spring quarter classes, but is frustrated as all get out. She signed on at EXACTLY 6:00 am and didn’t get a single class she wanted.
On the plus side, she’ll only have classes two days a week, Mondays and Wednesdays.
Ooh goody, time to FTP files and run more reports. What fun…not.
Stop peakin’ in my windows! Oh and I know plenty of people who don’t mind the bear hugs at all. 
Plus what Muppet said.
Speakin’ of pool time, I need a new float. Much care must go into choosin’ just the right one. That’s the tough part because I don’t trust the puchase of such a critical must have piece of equipment to teh internets. It must be right after all!
Oh and back from the :eek: grocery store, :eek: There were surprisingly few people in there so it wasn’t so bad. Plus, I’ve had a nappy poo so life is good right now.
Spaz was it the pine straw that made you evil?
Home early and exhausted. Last night, **FCD **and I were crashed and all warm in bed, when Taz decided to join us. I *thought *he’d decided to join us. Instead, he decided to *PEE *on the comforter and bedspread between us!!! :eek: :mad: So we had to get up, strip the bed (some leakage reached the sheets) then remake it, stealing the comforter and afghans from the guest room.
I don’t know what the idiot cat’s issues are - I’d *just *cleaned his box when I got home from class. grrrrrrr!
After that, I had a hard time relaxing, and I kept waking up all night, so I’m beat. I went into the office, but total lack of motivation made me decide to split at 1130. I met my sweetie for lunch and now I’m home. The bedspread is in the washer, the comforter is next. Unfortunately, neither will dry in the dryer (way too big) so I have to spread one over the guest bed and turn on the fan. Dunno how I’ll dry the other - maybe hang it in my studio??
**FCD **has started sanding the hull of the boat. He was filthy and exhausted when we met up. I told him I’d only give him one day of boat work this weekend because I have laundry and grocery shopping and cleaning to do. So tomorrow, I’ll sand and paint the transom (that’s the little flat back end of the boat where the name goes) and maybe help sand and mask the bootstripe (the contrasting color at the waterline) and the trim stripes near the top of the hull. We’re going from a blue color scheme to burgundy.
It’s sunny and in the 50s - the snow is melting like crazy. My back yard is a squishy mess. I’m hoping the warmth of the next 2 or 3 days will dry it out some. Otherwise, we won’t have any grass this year. I suppose I could buy some seed.
All I can say at this point is TGIF!! And I need a nap.
Incidentally, **swampster **is decidedly huggable, and he’s a charming dining companion, even if he does consider me to be a cheap date! 
**Swampy **is most decidedly huggable and gives great hugs to boot. I’ve been lucky enough to receive one.
I ran into my boss on the way back from the DFAC with my lunch. He’s going to come “chat” with me this afternoon because he has a “special project” for me. Yippee. Cripes, I just want a couple of days to catch my shit up; is that too much to ask for?
I’m all about inexpensive pants as well. Not cheap pants though! There is a difference!
As a result, most of my pants are Carhartt and bought on eBay. You’d be amazed at how many people buy pants then discover that they bought the wrong size, don’t like them, lost or gained weight, or just want to make closet space. I haven’t actually worn out a pair yet - they just get paler and paler as they fade, and sometimes, they shrink. I’m not growing - they’ll be replaced with the same size. I just wish there was an easy way to un-shrink pants.
At the moment, I’m wearing a pair of blue Carhartt cargo pants that I probably got for under ten bucks, making this pairlook a bit overpriced.
I’ve had cheap pants though - they’re the ones that you bring home, and then the leg twists after washing because the fabric was cut poorly, or the zipper breaks, or any number of heartaches.
Congrats to **swampy **on surviving the grocery store. (oddly, I first typed that as a gropery store… sounds more fun, actually!) I was there just yesterday to straighten out some silliness that transpired here involving Bubba Kegs. I bought one on Sunday as the store appeared to be trying to unload Super Bowl leftovers - a one-gallon football-shaped Keg for $12.50. Half price! Woohoo! I decided that for that price, we ought to get another, so on Tuesday, I was back at the store and got another.
DH also thought it would be good to have two of the things, so he bought one on Wednesday, not realizing that the store’s usual sale cycle of Wednesday through Tuesday had run out and the Kegs were back to full price. I said “You got another? Do we really need three of those things?” and he said “How much did you pay for these?” So, it went back and was transformed into a big package of pork chops and two boxes of Twinkies.
I love my Carhartt jeans, they fit great and have maintained their color (black) through numerous washings. I want more; I was lucky enough to get one pair for $12 bucks at a discount store but haven’t seent hem there since.
No, that was a combination of dehydration from yesterday and waking up to find out the toilet wouldn’t flush this morning. Fortunately Adopted Dad was able to diagnose and fix the problem quickly.
Of to work in an hour. Last work for a week!
YUM! Dindin at gotti’s everybody!
When I say cheap I don’t mean cheap as in quality I mean as in price. I’m all about high quality at a low price.
Have I mentioned it’s 75 Amurrkin out? Soon as ol’ y’all know who gets here, we’re goin’ for an early dindin. I’m wearin’ jeans and a tshirt. I’ll still be one of the better dressed persons there.