w00t! First on the page. Spent most of the day as VWife’s chauffer.
Bought groceries and a battery for the NerdMobile, too.
swampy - I am so sorry you won’t be on third shift anymore because I know how much LOVE it.
gt - next time you post, please update your sig-tag with who has what week.
McUne (& Achod) I hereby declare next week, the week Achod will be starting, “Official Mumper Face Week” - we all post a baby/childhood pic of ourselves and a as-current-as-possible one so that McUne can see us all. Oh, and you know you have to do it to, McUniekins 
Thank heaven, this Firday is almost over. It has been a day of working on a totally gruesome rush job. Which I finished just before dinner, thank heaven. Now it’s back to the even-MORE-incredibly-late job that has been pushed back over and over and over all week. Which also is a nice, boring, easy-peasy one. Which I need right now.
Happy birthday, GT!
It was good to see you here, kai – you need to come back more often! We miss you!
Gosh, Swampy, are you sure you know how you really feel about third shift? 
Here’s hoping the car repairs aren’t too expensive, Mooom I assume that vehicle is no longer under any sort of warranty? I swear, they know to the minute when parts will die – and they time most of them just exactly long enough to make it through the warranty period. [/cynic]
I bought some lovely cashmere yarn at an amazing discount last winter, and offered to make snowbunny a hat & scarf from it since it’s in her favorite rich royal blue, but I didn’t have quite enough so was going to fill it out with white alpaca (since I was too cheap to buy any more cashmere at its normal price, i.e. MUCHO expensive). And to my joy? I discovered today that my original source has more! So I’ve ordered it. So snowbunny, if you’re reading this, I’m actually going to get your hat & scarf made before winter’s oiver. Not that you don’t need them already. :eek:
Where is Roo? And all our other missing Mumpers?
I’m off to veg for the evening. Toodles, y’all!
It’s a miracle! I don’t have to smog this year! And the vehicle license renewal is only $65! They should have sent me to a Test Only station this year but I’m not complaining.
I’m so glad it’s Firday. We had a 3.5 hour town hall meeting today, which I found very informative. They served us chocolate chip cake as compensation for the length of the meeting. Chocolate chip cake is like crack in our office. Nobody can get enough. I think it’s a chocolate chip pound cake.
I signed up for benefits today. They’re even better than I realized. My co-pays will be cut in half, plus medical covers everything, so basically, the only thing I pay out of pocket are co-pays. And, it’s $22 less per month than my old plan, pre-COBRA. Now that’s some awesome coverage. Those kick in December 1. Oh, and I get my first paycheck next week, so I won’t even go a week without getting paid. Woo hoo!
now that’s cause for celebration!
Warranty? It is to laugh. The car is an ‘03 with close to 140K miles on it - no warranty, although there were 2 recalls that hadn’t been done, so they’re going to take care of them while they figger out wha’ happent. **FCD ** thinks it might be a valve or maybe the cam shaft but those are just guesses. Our last Jetta had a bad cam shaft. Is it a curse or a design flaw? Or something else entirely? Stoopit car.
Looks like the rain has stopped. But it’s cold out there. And chilly in here. But the bed is warming up, so there’s that.
Speaking of **Rue ** - he hasn’t posted in the Dope since March. He doesn’t love us any more. What ya gonna do??
Um…yeah, winter’s here. It got dark about 5:45, and will only keep getting dark earlier. And it’s supposed to snow, like, tomorrow. I think I blinked and missed fall! It was quick! But the sooner it seriously snows, the sooner we will have tourists and stuff back in town giving us their money which we desperately need. I’m not complaining. Yay! Snow!
I’m told my invisible roommate might be back late next week, but we don’t know for sure yet. I guess I know what I’ll be doing this weekend – housework. sigh It’s not bad, but the common areas are going to need a bit of attention before he gets back, especially the kitchen. I’m told he’s quite picky about the kitchen. And I don’t have the money or time to get somebody to come in and do it for me, so I’ll have to do it myself. Oh well. I’d rather do it and then find out he’s not coming back yet than not do it and come home and find him here!
Evenin’ folks.
I’m sorry to read about FCD’s car. I hope it’s not too terribly expensive to repair it.
- HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY GT! *
It seems it’s just my son and I at home tonight. My daughter went out to a movie with some friends, and Mr. Taters, as I posted earlier, is at friend’s house playing poker.
Unfortunately, my daughter did not inform me she needed a ride and my husband took my rig. That meant I had to drive his truck. I hate, hate, hate driving his truck. I can drive standard transmission just fine, but for whatever stooooopit reason, I have a HELL of a time finding reverse when I drive his truck. At any rate, I managed to back it down the driveway and get my daughter to the movies. I hope she can catch a ride back, but if not, I’ll have to pick her up.
The movie theater is well within walking distance of here, but, it’s dark out, and I don’t want her walking all by her lonesome in the dark.
Well, I think I’m going to read some of my book. There appears to be nothing but crapola on the ol’ boob tube tonight.
Here’s something I stumbled across…food for thought, anyway.
Thebusinessofdeath
I did most of my homework, but not in turn in-able form. That’s for tomorrow. And I still don’t understand it. <sigh> I wish it weren’t this hard or I wasn’t this stupid. Or something. This is the hardest grad school class I’ve ever taken. 
Re the crap on TV. I almost never watch TV (except for Stewart and Colbert), but since I can’t now–of course I want to. I’ve been youtubing the old Carol Burnett show–funny stuff.
Drive by…
I got the results of three tests I took at work - 2 were 100% and the 3rd was 98%.
Got my first paycheck - they’re paying me $1 an hour more than I thought I was making.
The Snakes beat Richmond tonight 4-3.
I won a Cottonmouths jersey (one of our former goalies whose number has been retired) on e-bay.
I have the next two days off work.
Life is good!
Glad things are going so well, SCL!
Thanks for all the birthday wishes so far. According to my laptop, I have 26 more minutes of being 49.
IIRC we should also be saying:
Happy Birthday, FLeader!
I am very awake.
GT
Still really really awake. I know old people sleep less, but this is ridiculous.
GT
Most recentest (?) furreal GT burfday drunked post!!!
Wheeeeee!
Well, here I am, two posts in one week, whee! I had an episode of the Bad Crazy last night which kept me up all night with concern. Please indulge my sharing the experience.
I don’t think it’s much of a secret that I take a fair amount of prescriptions. It’s time to refill everything, but skiffman picked my scripts up a couple of days early, so I left it all in the pharmacy bag until night before last. So skiffman and I took the time to dump any remaining meds into the new bottles, and throw the old bottles away. Fast forward to last night. I was lining up the evening’s meds, and one of my bottles seemed light. I dumped the contents into my palm, and instead of 135 pills there were 27. 27!!! And it’s not a script that my doctor or pharmacist are going to accept an “I don’t know what happened” excuse without hugely raised eyebrows. I was up all night in a panic, and at 9:00 am I called the pharmacist first to see if just maybe there was a mix up there. After explaining he checked his stuff, and then told me to hang on for a minute. Turns out that he has an “extra” 100 pills of the variety I was missing. Big relief! Pharm Tech in trouble, from the sound of the pharmacist’s tone of voice.
I took a nap after the sun, which melted all the frost away, turned into rain. My daughter is off on a movie date with her boyfriend, my son is over at his buddy’s house playing video games, and skiffman has gone over to one of his buddies and is also playing video games, and it’s fairly peaceful here. I am listening to Alison Krauss, well actually we are singing together, she just doesn’t know it! Along with a cup of cocoa with a bit of Frangelico, it’s all good!
Pumpkin Pie Cake is so easy it’s embarrassing to share the recipe, but I will, because it tastes so good! Basically you take a big can of pumpkin and make your favorite pie filling. I like Libby’s, so that’s the one I use. (The pumpkin and the recipe on the back of the can!) When the pie filling is done pour it into an ungreased/unfloured rectangular cake pan. Take your pick of cake mixes, my favorites are either spice or carrot cake. Crumble the dry mix fairly evenly over the top of the filling, melt a stick of butter (I didn’t say it was diet cake!) and drizzle it over the top of the cake mix. Bake at 350 degrees 'bout an hour, until a pick comes out clean. If you like during the final 15-20 minutes of baking you can sprinkle either chopped pecans or walnuts over the top, I always do, just be careful that they don’t scorch. Let the cake cool until you can put it in the fridge, and eat either slightly warm (yum) or cold the next day (yummier). Don’t forget the whipped cream, or the Cool Whip, but I would avoid the Miracle Whip! 
The kids and Exalted Granddaughter are due to come over on Sunday, weather permitting. I haven’t seen then for two weeks, and I just know that Tea has grown! Who knew that the love for one’s child could be so magnified when that child has a child. It’s a truly wonderful thing. bliss
I’m off for now, it’s good to be back, although it’s gonna take forever to catch up! Happy Saturday to all y’all!
Hi, belated happy birthdays and so forth 
Uhm… favorite Disney, Dumbo.
Non-disney, Shrek (the first one) and Akira.
Happy birthday, GT!
And before I forget, Happy birthday, FLeader!
Firday was a bag of mixed blessings over here. My visit to the eye hospital was blissfully short which meant I could get to work and shift some more of the things we have to do with the golf students. Then I found out that the ID cards we’ve been preparing are wrong because they don’t show the end date for the course they’re doing…well, the information was there but didn’t load properly in the automated data transfer process like it was meant to. So that means we have to manually enter a date onto the student record system for about 300 students and then scan their photos and reproduce the ID cards. It’s not a disaster but the job will take two of us the best part of a day to do (mostly because the ID card machine prints very slowly!
I got home at a reasonable time on Friday to find the parcel man had been, but hadn’t left anything because it needs to be signed for, and their depot is out in the Welsh Marches so I decided instead of trekking all the way over there, I could pay a whopping 50p and have the parcel delivered to my nearest Post Office to be collected next week. Works out nicely because I will be around on Tuesday afternoon 'cos of having to go back to the horsepickle.
Then I went to collect Gill to go to the greyhound races, which was an uneventful journey until I was stopped at a red light on the road into Great Barr, and Asian Grandad rear-ended my car. Bah! Luckily there doesn’t seem to be any visible damage but that’s another little job for Tuesday afternoon 'cos the garage ought to take a quick look at it. On the plus side, we did very well at the dogs! Gill must have been sitting in the lucky seat because she won on every race she bet on. I didn’t bet as much as she did but I did get a win large enough to cover my other bets.
So today I’m still medicating my poorly eye which is thankfully less painful than yesterday but still icky. I have to go shopping for my mum’s birthday stuff as I’m seeing her tomorrow and then I’m planning a quiet night at home with a Chinese and some films.
Kai - glad to hear you got your meds sorted out, and you managed to squeeze a little bit of peace in there too!
Saturday Driveby…
**~~~~ Happy Birthday, GT! ~~~~
**
Hi, Nava, always nice to see you pop in
That is all for now…
…………*
Happy Birthday Fleader and gt!!!
……[/color]……*
Up and caffeinated. Firday kinda sucked. The truck was scheduled late, then broke down, so we got done unloading it at 10 p.m. My joints are aching.
kai, glad they found your meds.
W00t! on the check, Shadow!!!
FCM, sucks about the car. It looks like Rue would rather be a Minion than a Mumper.
First thing first:
Happy B-day, GT!!!
<flinging confetti with wild and reckless abandon>
Happy B-day, Fleader!!!
<flinging more confetti with wild and reckless abandon>
**Rue ** and **Bumba ** both seem to have deserted us for SkippyLand. I peek in there on occasion, but there’s way too much hijacking to suit me. When every thread turns into every other thread, why bother… Then again, I am an old grouch.
I actually got to sleep in almost 2 extra hours this morning, and it felt loverly! I was all warm and cozy and comfy. The cat crawled under the covers once - I was startled by the feel of fur moving down my spine. What ultimately woke me was Bernie chewing on her feet. Idiot dog. So the critters have done their morning things and I’m caffeinating. In a bit, I’ll hit the shower, then head out for my looooooooong day.
Got an email from one of my dinner companions - another one may not make it since she’s picked up a cold. The one who wanted to change restaurants is probably not going to make it. Sheesh…
I did finish the potholders last night - you can’t have a watermelon without seeds. I’ve got them in the box o’pots that I’m taking to Mom’s - I’m hoping she can teach me how to do simple silk flower arrangements.
Meanwhile, I need a shower and some breakfast before hitting the road. Gotta be outta here in an hour. Have a good day, all!
Happy Birthday, gardentraveler!!
&
Happy Birthday,Fleader!!
goodgawd, that’s almost psychodelic!