Good morning all. Just left Savannah 42 minutes late, but they are planning to make up most of it in Florida they say. We’ll see. Was in bed for 8.5 hours but can’t really say I slept well, the bed is long enough for my 6’2" frame, but it’s barely a yard wide and I like to move around at night. So I managed. Room has got a sink in it so in a bit I will shave and do other good things.
FCM, know what it’s like–for me, it’s the SF series “Ring of Fire” that I’m always reaching for to read.
Sari, Deleware wasn’t bad, we were along the coast so lots of water and boats and stuff. New Jersey, however…
OK, need to find the room attendant and get the bed stripped and the seats back up. All y’all have a good Thorsday now.
MetalMouse - I see where you’ll be stopping in Palatka, FL! We’ve been there a few times, never on a train, but on our delayed honeymoon trip, we took our boat there. It was December of 1984 and our most persistent memory was of the seagulls on the dock, hunched against the cold. We tossed them some popcorn!
When we would drive there in the summer, there was an ice cream place we’d always visit, tho for the life of me, I can’t recall what or where it was… it’s been a lot of years since we were there. Hope the rest of your trip is pleasant and uneventful!
It’s been one heck of a long week! I’ve been working 12+ hour days and dealing with many issues, the latest of which may put a large kink in my vacation plans. I have a bad feeling I’m not going to be able to fully enjoy my vacation because I will need to deal with it, which means I’ll be logging onto my computer quite often and checking my work cell when away from the house. I need to talk to my boss because I’m not giving them free time during my vacation. I only take one vacation a year, and I really need some time to decompress.
I have a big case of the donwannas today, but I will put on my big girl pants and do what needs doing. Depending on how today goes, I may go into the office tomorrow. We shall see.
The morning didn’t start off well, lol. I forgot to put on my Keurig, so the coffee went directly into the tray. Talk about a waste of coffee! I’m definitely tired!
I’ve only been on trains while in Germany, and I was just a wee kid then, so I only have the fuzziest of memories. I’ve often thought train travel might be a fun thing to do, Metal Mouse. I am enjoying reading about your adventure.
I happen to really like tomatoes, but find the store-bought tomatoes fill me with disappointment. I only buy slicing tomatoes if we’re having burgers or something like that. I usually buy grape tomatoes or some type of small variety like that for salads. Even then, I have to be careful. A couple of years ago I had a gorgeous tomato plant that produced like crazy and was huge! I had to double cage it and put it up against the dog kennel which was six feet high. The plant was hanging over the top by the end of the growing season and spread out quite a bit. It produced delicious tomatoes. In May of that year, it was given to me by a co-worker and was probably 18 inches high when I transplanted it into a pot with some really good soil. I have only seen the co-worker once since COVID began, so no 'maters for me.
Well, I need to finish loading the dishwasher and get it running.
So much for hard-core chillage. When I got out of the shower, I discovered I had only one pair of clean shorts left, so I’ve got a load in the washer now. I also scooped the cat box and cleaned up some cat hork outside their litter box. I’m noshing on a bowl of cherries before I pull out the vacuum cleaner. And I need to empty the dishwasher.
FCD asked me to wash Higgs. I need to get an old towel to put on the bottom of the tub - otherwise, she’ll slip and slide. And I’ll grab a couple more towels to dry her - she doesn’t get the benefit of our good towels.
But when all that’s done, assuming my daughter hasn’t called, I can read for a while. Maybe.
It was a nice cool 61 degrees at the park this morning.
I was the last one there, as my son didn’t get off irk until 645.
He’s supposed to irk until 7, but they like to get one shift completely out before the next shift starts.
He needs to get his license and a car, this interference with my park time is not making me very happy.
I hear he is doing well at irk, and he is talking to people somewhat.
My son talks to people when I’m not around, and Echo doesn’t fight when I’m not around. I think I am the problem.
My neighbor is going to get a new puppy (pug) today. I can’t wait to meet her.
I need to wash clothes today, and straighten up some stuff. We still haven’t put the seat covers back in the truck, and I didn’t call the shop yesterday. I spent way too much time dealing with AT&T. There’s always so much to do around here, most of which wouldn’t have to be done if other people did their jobs correctly.
Afternoon, mumpers! It’s a toasty 28C/83F out there today so that means hot and sticky in the house. I was meant to be at a gig last night but it got postponed, 'im indoors thought he’d got some leftovers out of the freezer but he hadn’t (it was raw chicken and hadn’t thawed enough to cook) so after a very brief discussion, we opted to walk down to the pub for a curry. The pub has a big garden and lots of outdoor seating so we had dinner al fresco.
Busy irk day too, I have worked out an exams schedule for all of our supplementary exams, and now have to sort out papers for all of them. Fortunately we’ve already had a few so they can be formatted properly and then sent out for approval by our external examiners. Other than that, I have a nasty job that I’ve been putting off for ages, and a job application to complete for a university in Scotland.
Happy belated anniversary, Boo, and here’s to many more!
Today is quiet thus far - a smattering of meetings and none of them began until 9 a.m.! Which is good since the thoughts in my brain are rolling around like marbles and I’m struggling to catch them all.
I’m very excited for the shrub I’ve got fermenting in my fridge. Did y’all know that you can make drinking vinegar? It’s one part fruit (usually blackberries or raspberries), one part sugar and one part vinegar (I’ve started using red wine or apple cider vinegar with a splash of really good balsamic). I’m adding basil from my garden today to give it a little extra flavor. Anyway, you wait up to 6 days, stirring it occasionally and smooshing berries up against the sides of the container, then you strain it. It turns into this delicious super-tart concentrated syrup you can pour into seltzer (with our without a shot of vodka). I’ve been quietly obsessing about it all week.
Last night was chill - helped my mom for an hour and a half, packed up the kids’ dinner at home, then took them and overlyhubs to the pool and drank wine while snacking on various things. Still hoping for a brisket - I think I might have to bite the bullet and actually get my lazy butt to the grocery and - horror of horrors - talk to someone in person. Ick.
There was an attack of motivation - after I swapped out the UPS under my desk (yeah, that was lots of fun… ) I sucked up a bunch of cat hair, then pushed a damp mop around the kitchen floor. Now I’m having some leftover shrimp and broccoli from last night’s supper. Next chore will be emptying the dishwasher, then I can chill till the clothes are dry.
FCD is home. He’s going to have a metric buttload of work over the next 2 years resulting in a metric buttload of earnings. So when he’s finally ready to retire for reals, we should be able to do some traveling in style! That’s assuming the world isn’t closed down for plague in 2024…
Almost time to close the windows, dammit. Outside temp is about to surpass inside temp. Such is summer.
Happy Mumperversary Boo- not sure how long I’ve been around for. A while.
Boofae, just because I’m moving over your way doesn’t mean you have to run off to Scotland. Sheesh.
Talky I’ve made approximate shrub before- I don’t think I used enough berries when I made it, but it was still OK. I’ve had some very nice stuff other people have made.
Tis too hot for the English today. Everyone’s brains seemed to be melting at irk- as my job is mainly checking documents, this led to a somewhat frustrating day of dealing with nonsense and general confusion.
Not much else to report- I think I may let the chip shop make dinner; I should probably go to the shops, but I have a case of the dontwannas, at least until it cools down a bit. The temperature is supposed to start going down from tomorrow.
Oopsie we are almost the same in our tomato tastes, with a few differences. I will eat fresh, home grown tomatoes on a sandwich, but never raw. I hate ketchup with the fire of a thousand suns.
MetalMouse if you haven’t done the Coast Starlight, you should. It’s a lovely route, and the trains often have a restore Club Car, which is fun.
Today I shall mostly be recovering from exertions of yesterday. Such is being disabled. I’m still ridiculously pleased that I Did Things yesterday. We’ll see. By this afternoon, I may have another energy burst.
I did have a semi-delightful dream where my sister was marrying Prince Harry. She left everything to the day of the wedding (all the planning - cake, dress, service), which, honestly, is very her. When I got to the service, I had to climb a wall to get into the venue. There was stadium seating. All in all, a bizarre dream.
Hello, Mumpers. I’m back from my trip to Chicago and Michigan. I had a wonderful time. I’d missed my family dearly but didn’t realize just how much until I was with them again. My niece brought her five-year-old, an affectionate, happy, imaginative, and loving little boy. So much fun! And my nephew’s two-year-old girl stole my heart–dark curls, big smile, affectionate, and smart as a whip. I think she and Roxie would be great pals. Her baby sister is all big eyes and smiles, and my great-nephew spent a lot of time rocking and singing to her.
I took a long walk (4-5 miles) every day, but I’m sure I gained a million pounds. My family are all good cooks, and a daily cocktail hour (with snacks) didn’t help. Oh, well, worth it. Also, we laughed a lot, and that’s good medicine, right?
Anyway, home and unpacked and stowed the grocery order that arrived this morning. I’ll walk to the grocery store after the gym, as I like to pick my own produce. I regret to say I’m fussy about that stuff–a failing I can’t seem to kick.
I’ve read most of the 130 posts in this thread–I LOVE how busy this place is–but stopped because I kept wanting to respond to posts from days ago, and this would be chapters long.
I’m tired and achy, probably from sleeping on sofas and traveling, but the gym awaits, and those pounds aren’t going to lose themselves. Wouldn’t it be nice if they did?
That was likely me. I love her characters (including her cats and dogs) and the National Parks settings. Next, think of trying Dana Stabenow’s mysteries set in Alaska or JA Jance, set in Arizona. Craig Johnson (Longmire from TV, but the books are different and much better, set in rural Wyoming), or CJ Box, a game warden, also set in the western mountains.
Sounds delicious! Shrubs are always being made and relished in my novels~most recently in the Outlander series after the story moved to colonial America. Pour me a glass while I finish lacing up my bodice.
After 40+ years of nursing I’m positive it is the BEST medicine, hands down. Glad you had such a good trip filled with family and children. Hope you can stay cool now you are home.
nellie welcome back! I’m glad you had a good time with family. You have also reminded me that I really need to place a grocery order, so I’m off to do that.
In the orifice today. Instead of making a Costco run, I decided to walk down to the traffic signal and back. It was a 1.57-mile round-trip, plus walking across the street to the Post Orifice, and took about half an hour. Now I have my TJCC and a can of Monster Zero Ultra.
National Weather Service < issues Poor Air Quality Warning >
Me: < laughs in Hub Smog >
But the temps are good. Also, the Canes have a schedule, but no goalies. FML.
Welcome back, nellie!
Enjoy the train, NetalMouse!
Wordy, that sounds like it would be good with gin.
:laughs evilly: Moooooom, if you like the Anna Pigeon series, when you’re done, try some of the books by Dana Stabenow or Sue Henry.
sari, enjoy some puppy kisses from the new neighbor pup!
sunny, I’m with you on the ketchup hate. I will buy grocery store organic Romas and one of the local farmer’s markets has some killer tomatoes in season, but those pink baseballs? I’ll pass.
Welcome back nellie! Glad you enjoyed time with your family. You were missed here.
Dad came home from the horspistol today. No stent needed. Apparently, his heart got out of rhythm in a big way.
When I went to irk today, little did I know it would be my last day as an inventory reconciler. My (lead) position has been eliminated. I’ve been offered a sit down position in production at $5 per hour less, but the same bennies and bastard hours. I’ll take it for now, but I’m looking both internally and externally for a new gig (they aren’t restricting my changing position for the usual six months, since this change wasn’t voluntary). I’m looking on the bright side, in that I may have a less stressful position to get my poop in a group before deciding where I want to go from here.
I’ve had a busy evening checking my balance in the 401K, my projected SS, scheduling an oil change for tomorrow (since I unexpectedly have the day off), reviewing my lease before resigning and checking my LinkedIn account for positions. Now, it’s time to chill.
Evening all. In the hotel in Miami (view: livable but for $220/night I expected better. The train trip was fun, but 30+ hours pretty much confined to my compartment can be a slog. Glad I did it, probably won’t do it again.
red, hope things work out…you’re valuable to them so they cut your pay…dumbth folks.
nettie, welcome back. So glad you got some family time in.
Am tired and need to start the day early tomorrow. So all y’all take care and I’ll try to catch up with you on Firday.
) I sucked up a bunch of cat hair, then pushed a damp mop around the kitchen floor. Now I’m having some leftover shrimp and broccoli from last night’s supper. Next chore will be emptying the dishwasher, then I can chill till the clothes are dry.