Look! It's the first MMP of spring!!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
101

Years of state fair attendance has taught me that anything can be deep fried and put on a stick. Ever been to the Iowa state fair? It’s a food-on-a-stick fantasy land! According to gt so is the Ohio state fair. Perhaps I should put that on my list of state fairs I want to see. Food-on-a-stick…MMMMMMM!!!

ems YAY on the insurance check. Now go kick some butt about the other insurance stuff and report back.

rigs we’ll miss you too. Just think though, you’ll be able to come back and make a f-aaaaaa-bu-lous MMP about your travels. Won’t that be fun? Be thinking about it while you’re traveling and seein’ stuff, ok?

Ok, more from the former co-worker. I had an email from him when I got to work this morning. He wanted to know if I had been contacted. I wrote back and said “Yeah, they did.” I also mentioned that my boss (his former boss) also had talked to 'em. Wanna start a pool on how long it’ll be before I get either another email or a phone call from him wanting to know what I said? :smiley: I have an inside contact where he applied, so I should be able to find out whether or not he got the job. I have a feeling that contacts with all his former employers were of the "yeah he worked here from such and such to such and such, while thinking to themselves, until we fired his ass. Did I mention what I first said when I got the call yesterday? I said,“He Did? Really?”, when she told me he’d given my name as a reference. I’m sure it sounded like a great big WTF to the person that called me. I was all flummoxed. Verklempt even!

Dots good for you for recognizing that it’s mostly teenage drama queen syndrome. Things will get better. High school does not last forever, it just seems like it. Hang in there.

-swampbear (it’s like a soap opera named “As The Former Co-Worker Nuts Up”)

102

This is my kids’ Spring Break week, and since Mrs Shibb and I both have to work, Grandma is watching over them for a few days.

Part I:
I’d cooked some quasi-Italian chicken concoctions with fresh mushrooms, garlic, basil and sundried tomatoes with olive oil, wine and lots of butter over homemade pasta for dinner the night before. Mrs Shibb decided to send some leftovers so Grandma could have for lunch. The Girl decided to wear red. And a red hooded cloak and she put the goodies in a wicker basket, covered with a checkered kitchen towel. I think Grandpa was supposed to be the big, bad wolf, he does have a beard and can be surly, but he had to leave for work before they got there.

Part II:
Yesterday I went to pick them up. I had to wait, and my father was busy, but finally it was time to go. Just then my dad comes out of his home office where he’d been dealing with some computer issues. He invited me to stay for some wine. So we watched the evening news and sipped some vino, whilst the Shibblets were sent to the back bedroom to play (Grandpa likes to watch the news in peace). I told my kids not to mess up the bedroom and play quietly, ie, no bouncing on the bed.

So now I’m ready to go, just before MacNeill-Lehrer comes on, so I go to tell the kids to restore the bedroom to the pristine state it had been in. I notice that it’s very quiet in the bedroom. I peek through the door and see that they are sitting, quitely, playing chess on the bedroom floor. I should mention that, as far as I know, they have never played chess on a real chess set before. But we do have Fritz and Chesster, a computer based chess teaching software, so they do know the rules and how to play. The game looks fairly even at this point, and I am so happy that they have chosen to play chess instead of watch TV or videos or jump on the bed that I don’t have the heart to make them stop so we can leave.

I check on them a bit later and they actually have a fairly interesting board going. The Girl, who is ten, is a bit more forward, but has only captured a few of The Boy’s pawns. The Boy, who is eight, is revelling in all of his sister’s pieces which she has captured.

A minute or two later I look in again, since MacNeill-Lehrer is about over, and I hear a cry of anguish. “Checkmate” shouts the girl with glee. The Boy, unfortunately, does the board swipe so I don’t get to see how the game finished. Turns out that while making strategic sacrifices she had trapped his king in a corner and then used her queen to walk him back and get mate.

Then they picked up the chess set, The Girl compliments The Boy on playing so well, and we head home. Very mundane and pointless, but I am such a proud daddy when they behave like this.

103

Cool story Shibb. Ya got reasons to be proud of the kidlets. Chess will teach them good techniques in planning strategies which will come in useful for sneakin’ outta the house when they are teenagers. :smiley:

104

I’m soooo confused! My head hurts. I cannot possibly live the embarassment down of mixing up two of the Coolest of Cool Kids. I shall have to flee the country.
Oh, wait–I’m doing that anyway.

:smiley:

And take my comments and apply them to Taters --someone here is a CIA mole, dammit!

I hate when that happens!

Ah, but I will ask Taters to track you down like a dog. You will never know a minute’s peace. Bwahahahahahaha…

Hafta to go to stooopid mtgs now. Boring things where I am not needed and my input is not valued. I hate these mtgs. The other committees I sit on are great. These-not so much. :rolleyes:

Dotster -college will be so much better for you. I was the same way as you in HS. People would do seriously stupid things and brag about them and I really didn’t know what to say–um…you’re stupid!? College was the right maturity level for me (and parts of me never grew up–if ALL of you grows up, then you’re a prig. Just MO.)

And also–I do sincerely hope you had 80 pounds to lose. :eek:

105

I hate today already. I know, I know, I say that every day, but today I really, really, really mean it. My first call of the day was not nice, and there was absolutely nothing I could tell this guy that was going to make him any happier. He wasn’t mean, but I felt like I was being lectured by my dad, and that’s just not cool.

Speaking of family, Mom called last night to tell me that my brother is in the hospital. Why, you ask? Chicken pox. The man’s thirty-four years old. See, Dan and I never had chicken pox as little kids. When I was twelve, I caught it from a cousin, my symptoms showing up two days before my brother was scheduled to leave for a two-week tour of Communism-era Russia. I was quarantined, and Dan escaped the pox. When his son got it, he hid out in a hotel. Now, apparently, he caught it from one of his patients. At least it’s not my fault. Mom was all concerned that she couldn’t go visit him until I pointed out that she didn’t re-catch the pox when I had it, and chances were probably slim she’d catch them from Dan. I think she saw the wisdom of my words.

106

Shoes - I have four pair. One set of Chuck Taylor’s, a pair of boots for working in the yard, some brown loafers that I wear to work, and a pair of black dress shoes that rarely get worn. When I was a nautical kind of guy, I had a few more pair.

Dorothy - mark my words, you will bring up the diaper thing to your kids. Parents always do, at one point or another.

I have been to all of the countries listed so far in this MMP. Often for only a day or two at a time, but I’ve been there. I have found, in France, that if you try to speak a few words of French to the waiters, they tend to treat you better. Things like “excuse me”, and counting up to five beers. And remember, when showing numbers in France with your fingers, start with the thumb as number one.

107

Okay, dots, I’m gonna play devil’s advocate here. Cause I care…see? 80 pounds is not “some” weight. It is practically another person. I don’t know what you weigh now but I DO know that eating disorders are more common within your age group, they usually are indicative of a need to control your life when you feel it’s out of control, and they are very, VERY dangerous! You are a smart kid. I have every confidence you know whether or not you fit into this category. That’s all I gotta say about that. :slight_smile:

ems, the Princess[sup]TM[/sup] is going through a battle with her insurance company now, too. They suck. That’s all I gotta say about that.

lis, that shoe site was scary! :eek: One pair kept changing color every time I looked. That’s all I gotta say about that.

swampy, former employee? Has great big cajones. That’s all I gotta say about that.

shibb, congrats on the kidlets good behavior. Every once in a while they DO may you glad you decided to let them live. :smiley: That’s all I…oh, nevermind.

scout, just remember there are way more frogs than princes out there. Don’t let it get to ya.

Barbacue chicken last night was waaaaaaaaaaay good. I make faaaaaaaabulous barbacue chicken if I do say so myself. We had it with some brown rice seasoned with some Goya Sazon with coriander and achoite. It comes out very pretty yellow and is very tasty. And I’ll say this about that…BURP! :smiley:

Tupug

108

Tupug, theyre Fluevogs! They’re the coolest shoes in the world! Well, some of them.
I’ve been to the Iowa State Fair! I ate deep fried oreos and saw the butter cow!

Also, good morning everyone. I need tea.

109

I think that was rigs. 'Cause I keep asking scout to move east, but she says she’s taken.

LiLi, how’s this:
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

110

Actually, it was susan. :smack: Sorry, sus.

111

That’s alright Puggy just go down the list til ya get the right one. :smiley:

I’m going to Vienna, Jawja this afternoon. (Pronounced Vi-inn-a). Envy me! Actually we have an office there and I gotta go do stuff. Fun.

112

Wow, we just can’t keep each other straight all of a sudden (swampy, this <snerk> is for you).

So today is research work for Professor McProffypants. Specifically, work on my undergraduate thesis. It’ll be good to make progress on that, since it kinda needs to get done soonish if’n I’m going to get any extra credits for it, and/or submit it for contest consideration.

Oh, I promised I’d explain what was bothering me yesterday. A friend showed me this BBC news story: Why black sheep are barred and Humpty can’t be cracked

Basically, they’re changing some nursery rhymes over in the UK. Yeah, I know. They’re changing “Baa Baa Black Sheep” because apparently it’s racist. What. The. Fuck. Oh, but it gets better. They’re also changing Humpty Dumpty, who no longer finds himself rudely splattered at the base of his wall. No, now he lives. Stupid. Stupid, stupid stupid. So now all the little British kiddies can munch on freedom fries and the holy rose of the prophet Muhammad while they learn about how Humpty Dumpty lands in a net or something and everyone has a fucking fairy tale happy ending.

Where’s V when you need him?

Oh, and about “Baa Baa HappyFunRainbowTime Sheep” or whatever it is now. Are we going to eliminate the word “black” from the English language? Seems to me that’s what the next step is.
“Mommy, what color is outer space?”
“Uhm, I can’t tell you, sweetie.”
“Why not?”
“Well, we used to have a word for it, but we can’t say that word anymore, because some people thought it might upset some other people that used to be described by that word but really aren’t that color in the first place.”
“Mommy, that’s fucked up.”
“I know, sweetie.”

All of this makes me want to go be niggardly with my money.

113

Oh Good God! I read that article. That is just friggin’ RIDICULOUS! I don’t believe I was emotionally harmed by these nursery rhymes and stories. Kids need to learn that bad things happen some nursery rhymes (Humpty-Dumpty) can be teaching tools in that regard.

Rigs, I do not work for the CIA, although I do work for the Federal government. Department of Defense to be exact. However, I’m no super secret agent or anything exciting like that. I’m Health Systems Analyst/Specialist. I analyze things to do with Managed Care here at a military hospital. It’s all perfectly mundane. Also, it would be very difficult to confuse me and FCM. She is blonde, I think, and I am a brunette.

Shibbs, that’s a cute kid story. However, I was impressed by the dinner you made. Is this a regular occurrence? If so, your wife is very lucky!

I know there is more to address here, but I’ve gotta get some work done. I have a meeting to prep for.

114

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

…and I can’t type for shit today. Please ignore the grammatical, syntax and punctuation errors in the post above. I got all rushed and stuff and didn’t preview it. :smack:

115

I may be mistaken but IIRC nursery rhymes are actually satirical commentaries on actual historical people and happenings…so does that mean they are planning on altering history?? :confused:

116

I think Humpty Dumpty taught us all an important lesson–don’t sit on a wall, or you could crack your head open. How are kids going to learn that lesson without ol’ Humpty taking the fall for them? They’re certainly not going to figure it out on their plastic, padded, rounded jungle gyms (which probably aren’t even called that anymore for some utterly ridiculous PC reason) over their soft playground mats. I mean really, even sand is too rough for today’s kids? My favorite park near my hometown now has only child-trapping swings with the leg-holes, which means I can’t take part. Do playground designers think grownups don’t like to swing anymore? And with these newfangled swings, how do you jump off to see who can make it the farthest? When I was a kid, we played on rusty monkey bars over gravel play areas, and we liked it. There were no kneepads, there were rarely helmets.

All MMPers who still have gravel embedded somewhere in their body from youthful mishaps raise a hand. Yeah, that’s right, I got gravel in my elbows, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. In retrospect, it was stupid to tie the dog to the wagon and try to make it all the way down the hill, but I learned my lesson, and I learned it well. There are kids today who never learned the hard way to leave an electrical outlet alone. I say these kids are missing an important part of their childhoods. We’re raising a generation of wussies.

Huh. I’m not sure where that came from. I think maybe I should finish my coffee.

117

Preach it, sister! I agree wholeheartedly. I have had gravel scooped from knee. I’m sure there’s a piece or two left in there somewhere.

118

And stay off’n Drae’s lawn ye goldurned whippersnappers! :stuck_out_tongue:

I think that’s taking things to far with the nursery rhymes. I mean, how else would I have ever learned my favorite alternative ending to “Humpty Dumpty”?

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
And all the king’s horses and all the king’s men,
Had egg salad for lunch again.

119

Me too. And fortunately Adagio.com FINALLY has decaf tea again. So now I’m going to sibmit a BIG order for lots of decaf and regular tea. Yay tea!

Swampy, that sounds like one of our former interns. She was fired from here and then used the woman who fired her as a reference. Our guess was that she didn’t have anyone better to use as a reference. :eek: And on your revision of the Humpty poem: BWAHAHAHA!

I guessed two pairs of shoes for Spats. I wasn’t too far off.

I’m guessing Dot’s weight loss number was a typo. I really really really hope her mother would have noticed if she’d lost 80 lbs!!

Don’t beat yourself up over the date susan. His loss. I mean we MMPers are all Cool Kids! How could he not see that??

120

That’s so stupid. Wow. I think I will dedicate today to loudly singing ‘Ba-Ba Black Sheep’.

Right now I should clean the kitchen, bleach the counters, and clean the bathroom. I don’t want to. I want to do some unspecified inchoate other thing. Running around downtown, or making naan, or something.

Mr. Lissar stuck things in electrical outlets twice. The second time, he was eleven.