Gah. Have been working on the colonial village for 2 hours. Have the river bed done and the base. It’s a weird mixture of paper and 3D stuff. It’s drying now. I also started another building (there have to be 8).
I’m tired from that (and from walking 2 miles to have coffee with a friend). It’s back to work tomorrow. And then I start an interesting weekend. I’m meeting my parents in Mt Vernon–stalkers, take note. We all know it’s nothing but party, party party in rural Illinois, but I am going to collect a desk, some old American Heritages and godknowswhatelse from them. Then I take #1 son to ISU to check out the campus. He doesn’t want to go there, but he has to start somewhere.
#1 son just called. Must go pick him up at HS.
Awww… sorry about the crappy news, gotti. Still, as scary as the surgery sounds, at least you’ll be fixed up all proper-like once they’re done poking holes in you… right?
Time to call it a day. I’m sneaking out 10 minutes early and ain’t no one gonna stop me. Nyah!
I just finished two back to back webinars (I hate that word) with the outplacement agency. They were worthwhile, but now my brain is full. Next week, I have at least 2 each day. I’m a firm believer in taking advantage of free things, especially when they are provided by a former employer. So I will use my 30 days to the fullest, darn it! :mad: Even if it makes my brain explode. 
I’m thinking I should put the ingredients on my shopping list for tomorrow so we can have them over the weekend because it’s been far too long since we’ve had that form of yummy goodness. I’m glad your request for potato recipes made me think of them. If you make any additions/changes, let me know 'cause I’m always looking to tweak things like that.
I have a red pepper that I need to use up for dinner tonight before it turns fuzzy. Other than putting it in salad or eating it raw, what are some suggestions for a red bell pepper that don’t involve roasting it?
I think I’m this close —><— to being done with my self review. Manager and Boss are done. I think maybe I need one more “opportunity for future development” for myself. And unfortunately, I don’t think they’d go for a work-funded pastry-making class.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were shooting a movie on the street in front of my office.
Just about every urban chaos that can happen has happened today.
For starters, the whole block was torn up for repaving. This morning, it looked like a parking lot for dump trucks with close to a dozen of them packed in, waiting to drop off their load of asphalt. Cops at either end, directing traffic, and much honking all morning long.
Somewhere around lunchtime, all hell broke loose. From what I could tell, a city bus lost one of its power poles. The spring-loaded and now flying pole ripped out some of the overhead line and then hit a streetlight pole. The light at the top fell down and the pole bent and nearly fell over. Now there’s glass everywhere, a disabled bus, a tilting streetlight, several work crews and a ton of cops doing a lot of butt-picking. (It’s not limited to Hooterville!) Perhaps two cops were actually directing traffic, and all the rest were just watching.
Traffic is backed up for blocks in all directions, there’s lines of buses that can’t get through the intersection, gaggles of passengers having to transfer to shuttles, and general mayhem. About the only thing that hasn’t happened is a water main break sending a geyser of water into the sky.
Shadow - yeah, I hate the word “webinar” as well.
Sorry to have been a bit AWOL this week; I"m still recovering from the bout of bronchitis (which is what the docs determined me to have). Happy birthday, belated, Doggio; mea culpa for having missed it! Gentle hugs to you, Gotti; hope that the surgery goes well, if you choose that route. Sending good vibes to you, especially for you to enjoy the cruise. 
Those Tibetan potatoes are very delicious but can be quite spicy, btw. Oh and my local Safeway (the one I live behind LOL) is -finally- carrying Greek yogurt! Yay! It’s the Stonyfield farms brand, so organic–they only have plain, with honey and vanilla and the 8 oz. container costs $1.99 :eek: But that’s okay, it’s good for you (and it’s no fat whatsoever) -and- it tastes delicious. So woo and hoo.
Waiting to hear more & see more pics of Ziva - lol I wanted to type Zima. 
Hope she’s doing okay and that Taz’ nose doesn’t get too out of joint.
Recipe added. Yum. I keep meaning to try it. Maybe I’ll be inspired on the weekend.
Who’s project is this, rigs??? :dubious: :
Sorry about the back, gotti. Glad you were referred to a good surgeon, though.
I’m not fond of webinar, either. I’ve resigned myself to its existence, though. Sort of. Good idea to take advantage of all those services, though, Shadow.
Welcome to the MMP, jsgoddess. I know you read a lot… Do you cook or knit too??
One of my friends has a birthday tomorrow. She’s turning 40, so we’re conspiring on a celebration. I’m also going to take some brownies in, I think. And we’re taking her to lunch.
I still have electricity, which is good. There were outages near my neighborhood, but it looks like there wasn’t too much damage this time (just about everything that could fall fell in September, it seems).
Work was annoying. I had a big bunch of research to organize and instead got to handle someone else’s crisis. So my organizational stuff came home with me. Yay. :rolleyes:
Guess I should decide on dinner.
Back later.
Happy Lincoln’s and Darwin’s birthday, by the way!
GT
Home, having survived a second science demo with second graders. Today, we learned about levers.
Supper was sketties.
**FCD **got a crown on a formerly broken tooth. Daughter has 2 cats on her lap - one under the afghan, one on top. Ziva is a major league attention whore. Bernie is a little bit dizzy again today, but she’s eating and going out, so there’s that.
I’m so glad to have a 3-day weekend in the offing. I need it. I also need chocolate. SIL brought home a chocolate mousse pie. It looks yum - I need to have so - can’t hurt the lad’s feelings…
Oh, yeah, **LiLi **- have you ever made pierogi? That’s a good use for potatoes, and it freezes well.
Happy Anniversary to the Rebos!
Sucks about the back surgery gotti but just think how much better you’ll feel when it’s all over.
Assorted get well soons to the rest of you [del]sickos[/del] sickies.
I think beer battered deep fried chocolate covered knitted bacon on a stick would be the ultimate food.
I have an extra special piece of art work that was especially commissioned for me by none other that MOOOOOM. It’s a shoe, covered in what I assume is either macaroni or handgrenade shrapnel, beer bottle caps, fuzzy pompoms and a couple of just exquisite heart shaped jewels that I am convinced are ruby and diamond cause, well, we know MOOOOOM would spare no expense with a commissioned work of art from her sister. Oh and of course a loverly arrangement of silklike flowers. If only I could figure out what the heck I did with my camera, I’d take a piccy and share. There are no words that do it justice. It occupies a place of high honor atop my ‘puter desk. I’m admirin’ it even as I post.
Or as I told MOOOOOOM via email last night, I have no words but ol’ y’all know did. I quote…
WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS DECENT, HOLY AND GOD FEARIN’ IS THAT!!!
I’d say that sums it all up nicely.
I’m tired. [/whine]
I’m on my own for dinner again… phooey.
It’s starting to look like The Boy is stuck working on V-Day, which makes me a very unhappy camper… besides the fact that I’ll have to chuck my devious plan to spend the day together, it’ll also be the third weekend in a row that he’s had to work. That’s on top of him getting home after 11pm every day so far this week. It’s been a while since we’ve been able to do much beyond saying good night and good morning, and I’m feeling pouty about it. 
Oh, and the word “webinar” also makes me stabby. That word really needs to go away.
Oh man, I just have to see The Fabulous Shoe, although I suspect I will expire of envy at first sight of such a marvel. I am willing to take the risk, however, because I’m brave like that!
Mahna[sup]2[/sup], I have a really big… hard drive, too! 
People who say “awwww” and “super” to the TV (and to actual people) make ME stabby. Really stabby. As in I may go find that something that goes stabby and use it.
Grrrrr. Pet peeves are so annoying, no?
Yanno, I haven’t seen swampy’s shoe up close and personal - I had my sis mail it directly to him. But I have seen photos and I think lil sis did herself proud.
The chocolate mousse pie was yummerrific. SIL earned major brownie points.
I’s tahred. I may crash early tonight.
Sorry The Boy’s working, Muppet. If it makes you feel any better, Mr. Lissar and possibly Nat have flu, so Valentine’s Day proper is likely to be miserable around here.
Nat’s in bed, he spat up a couple of times this evening, so I’m praying he’s not sick overnight. I’m going to tidy, wash dishes, have a bath, and collapse. Tomorrow: sick husband still home! I hope he’s feeling less horrible tomorrow. Today walking was a huge effort.
:: hugs for all the tired, sick, and people taking care of other sick people ::
Ugh, have a workshop and seven more essays to grade, plus a full day of teaching. At least there’s a company dinner tonight - free food, yay.
Sorry to read about the surgery, gotti. I hope that takes care of your pain.
Happy Anniversary to the rebos!
Sending get well vibes to the rest of you that seem to have caught the crud. I didn’t make you sick, I promise.
I’m so glad today is my Friday. I am most definitely feeling stabby, toward one individual in particular. I swear, if she would have made one more snide or sarcastic remark to me today, I was going to tell her to go and well…do things to herself.
I hate webinars too. God, I hate webinars.
My son cut of all of his lovely hair last night. He went to the barber college with some chums and had them use the number three all around. What’s important is that HE likes it.
There isn’t too much going on here otherwise. Mr. Tater is trying to recover from the crud as well. He didn’t get it nearly as badly as me, but he was pretty miserable for a few days.
I guess I should think about some kind of dinner.
Can I get all angsty? Thanks.
I have an e-acquaintance that I dropped last year in one of my online haunts. Now she keeps turning up in all my other haunts (except here). I guess it’s partly because I didn’t completely cut her off. I didn’t tell her how much I despise the person she’s become over the last few years and her online posse. I’m just tired of getting irritated about it. Let her follow me around. It’s no skin off my nose. I don’t have to add her back to where I dropped her. It’s too much trouble to care.
And then there’s the fact that while I’m suffering from the Terribly Lonelies because all of my friends moved away, I don’t want to hang out with the people who are left. I ran into one of the left behinds last night at the pub. She stopped and stared for a minute and said “I thought that was you. You’ve lost a lot of weight.” That was a nice ego boost. I didn’t stay too long after she showed up, though. The game was getting too painful for a Duke fan to watch and there was too much cigarette smoke irritating my sinuses.
I’m just a bit mopey right now. Not much sleep last night. It does this to me sometimes.
Sorry you’re blue, Spaz. Keep reminding yourself that this too shall pass. And go look for some nice food for our favorite agony aunt. 
Forgot to say Happy Anniversary to the Rebos earlier, so: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!
That shoe sounds…lovely, swampy. Was it made for a special occasion?
I have one spreadsheet almost set up. Once it’s done, I have 2 others to do, but I can base them on the first one, so they’ll go faster.
Watched bad German TV (Bergdoktor; House, set in the Austrian Alps, only he’s mostly cheerful and kindhearted). Pondering what else to have in the background while working.
A fun way to spend a Thursday night, I have to say [sub]not[/sub]. At least tomorrow’s Firday and I have a long weekend. Yay!
GT
I haven’t been cooking lately, but normally I do cook.
I don’t have a clue how to knit. I have the feeling if I keep hanging around this crew I’ll eventually get bitten by that bug, though.