Hi Bumba, nice to see you stop by. I think we should probably get an agent and book visits to conference calls around the world. Might be entertaining (at least for us). Also, I really like the webcam and IM idea for taxi and KeithT’s wedding. We’d be quiet and no one would notice us, I’m sure.
I’m back from my tour and have talked to my brother twice, once en route (enroute? is this the word/expression I even want? I’m still kind of between languages and the stop in Paris really didn’t help, even though I speak virtually no French) and once here at home (he’s traveling today and apparently bored). I returned about $30 worth of merchandise and spent over $200 (I went wild at Target - got Serenity, a couple other DVDs, the coffee thermos, and some miscellaneous cosmetics - it was time to replace some blusher and lipstick).
Is it a bad sign that the security guard at Target is starting to look familiar? I’m hoping I know him from somewhere else (like church, maybe). He said “hi” like he knew me. It would disturb me to think that he recognizes me from Target. I know he was on duty the last time I went to Target before I left for my lovely and exotic European vacation, but I don’t clearly remember him from any other visits to Target.
At World Market I remembered the little French licorice candies that my neighbor on the plane from Paris to New York offered me as we were arriving in NY. Of course World Market doesn’t carry them and now I have to have them. Bought some Swedish ones that taste similar, but they’re just not the same. Also bought some German chocolate to take in to the office on Monday (I was too lazy to buy it while in Germany…am I a bad person?).
Well, the next project is to finish off the Christmas cards I haven’t sent (I ran out of time in the Atlanta airport on the way to Germany) and get them in the mail before the postal rates go up on Sunday.
And there’s still a couple small loads of laundry to do.
It’s an exciting evening chez GT (I’m going to try to watch Serenity while I write. We’ll see how long that lasts.
Ellen, dear, this sounds very gastric bypass friendly, except that I loath raw tomatoes. Can I substitute either diced canned maters, or extra chunky salsa instead?
I came home and the dishes had not been washed, so, since I refuse to cook in a messy kitchen, we haven’t eaten yet. I’m still planning on making the dirty rice.
Is it me, or has this been a long week? Or, are they ALL becoming long? It seems as if I’m always typing that it’s been a long week. Maybe I’m getting old early and starting to repeat myself over and over and over.
Missed your post rigs - looks like we about simulposted. Keep hammering away at the stuff; sounds like it’s starting to pay off. Don’t worry too much about how you do on Thursday. I remember feeling like I did awful on the GRE, but actually did OK. Good luck in any case!
And Taters, except for my vacation (which seemed exceptionally short, despite the two extra days), most weeks lately HAVE felt long.
Bobbio, I haven’t made this particular recipe, but I’m sure that canned tomatoes or salsa would work well in it.
According to my local newspaper, the ‘lightification’ of highway 111 has people concerned. Really; I’m more concerned with the ‘dumbifiety’ of the paper’s writers, myself. A front page, above the fold headline, sheesh.
Hey scout! Where are you, you little fuzzy pants? Having done absolutely no research myself, I come to ask if you know of an area of japanese shops and restaurants in or near san diego. My arts club kids are mad for japan this year and the Balboa tea garden won’t hold them the whole day. Besides that, I was busy with the ebola virus when you may have answered about all the San Diego cool kids getting together maybe for Korean (which is nearish japan, see?).
Yeppers, my little Traveler, you won’t learn to find replacement china if I do it for you. And do you know that they’re charging thirty bucks to ship?! Amazon has spoiled me on shipping charges. Plus, those Cachou herby thingies are great and the tin is so neat too. I buy mine in Cost Plus, so maybe yours will get more. Until then try some of the salty herring-shaped licorice or the japanese muscat grape jellies. Herring and grapes are too healthy for you.
Oh I know! Build yourselves a guard tower and take turns playing stern guard and desperate escapee whilst keeping out uninvited riff raff.
Speaking of conferences, I’m going to one next week. Something Something Visual and Performing Arts Framework, or Maybe it was Standards, in the Classroom I Think. Gonna bring toothpicks to prop my eyelids open. And lunch will be fifteen miles away and we pay for it ourselves. I teach the funnest of all the subjects and still the conferences sucketh mightily.
Today’s my mom’s-day. The car is loaded, the food is prepped and ready to be put in the oven, and I’m taking a box full of ceramics to offer to my sibs. I’ve got 10 pieces to find homes for - actually 7, since one is going to my SIL in FL and 2 will be going to Dopers. If my fambly doesn’t claim all 7, there’s someone at work who has been dropping not-too-subtle-hints, so I may give her one also.
It’s barely above 20 degrees this morning - Bernie and I had a chilly walk to start the day. It’ll be even colder at Mom’s - she’s just over 2 hours north, and there’s a definite temp difference. I suppose part of it is due to the moderating effect of the water that surrounds my county. St. Mary’s is practically a peninsula between the Patuxent and Potomac Rivers, as well as hitting the Chesapeake Bay. That’s a lot of water!! But we’ll dress warm, and we’re taking the car instead of the van, so it’ll warm up lots faster.
This’ll probably be my only post of the day. Have fun, one and all. Play nice. And don’t pick at that - you’ll make a scar!!!
Bobbio you can indeed substitute canned 'maters or even salsa (go for the chunky kind) to make Texas Caviar. I quite often do and IMHO using the chunky salsa makes it that much yummier.
Good morning all. It’s a gray dreary day here, but at least it’s not raining at the moment.
We went out and rented movies last night and watched Batman Begins . I’m not a huge fan of these type of movies, but I must admit it was the best of the Batman movies. We were trying to get American Pie Band Camp and The Wedding Crashers but there weren’t any in stock.
My friend called last night and asked if she could borrow my steam cleaner. I told her she was welcome to use it. On the way to rent movies, we stopped at her place and dropped off my Dyson Animal because her vaccuum has seen better days. She’ll come pick up the steam cleaner today and return my Dyson. She appeared to really like the job the Dyson was doing on her carpet.
We have some friends coming over tonight to watch movies and other than that there are no big plans for the weekend. Hubby plans to go to the dump, and I need to get my Christmas (shaddup, I’ve been too tired) decorations down.
Well, I once again got to have some lovely father daughter bonding time by driving INTO NYC during Friday rush hour. Who does this? She studies for 5 hours every Friday evening at a school for violin-types in mid-town. Me, I brought in the checkbook, bills and iPod. I’m very sorry to say that I did not dump a bucket of water over myself in the car, so the iPod did not play the soundtrack to Flashdance. Pity, that. Soaked to the skin with my t-shirt clinging to me, I would look a lot like a waterlogged Jabba The Hutt with a goatee. Yum
I rocked out to Neil Young, then transitioned into Johnny Lang as the depth of my debt hit me. I sealed the last envelope, tried to put on a jolly face and walked into Tower Records next to Lincoln Center to spend a gift card I’d been given for the holidays. I walked out witha CD zip-up case ( which I bought to gut and use the shell for protecting an LCD monitor for the Steadicam gear ), a Police Live CD and a DVD of the best of the first 5 years of SNL. My cost? A shade over four dollahs. Love that !!!
The Man-Cub once again had some friends sleep over. They brought their computers with, and the four of them played Counter Strike with each other over the Internet till 3:00 am. At which point I awoke, made them get killed and shut down, and then lay steaming in bed till 3:50am. ( Steaming cause the Man-Cub had been told to bail out at 3:00, and had not. How I awoke at 3:04am on my own is beyond me. Too much coffee? P’raps ).
I slept fitfully, awoke with a full-fleshed invention in my head and ran to the office downstairs to make drawings before I lost the thread. Got going, made coffee and went back to assess the idea. It has legs, it shall be created, tried and mass-manufactured. Will be a real life-saver as an accessory to folks in my little end of the business. I’ve read that songwriters dream lyrics. I sometimes dream ideas. This one should pan out. Fun.
Went to Wal-Mart to buy a car battery to use to power a d.c. pump to handle the used veggie oil for the car, checked the movie listings. I am now competing with Dobby the Cat for a clear view of the monitor. Might go to see Brokeback Mountain this afternoon.
I always feel so guilty when I read how much all you folks accomplish when you arise on the weekends. I have to slug about a bit and wake up. Probably because I’m running at full tilt during the work week. It’s nice to be able to take a little time to myself once in awhile. Well, okay, most every weekend that we don’t have plans (rare), or holiday weekends.
My slugabout bliss will end with the beginning of boat season anyway. So, I’m going to enjoy while I can.
I thought this said, “Flesh colored invention” and thought to myself…do I ask what this is or do I really want to know…
I just scored an 80% on the Verbal sample–it says I’m ready. Ha! I want a 90% and nothing less (to make up for the math, of course).
Back from Target as well, where I scored outdoor garland for 90% off! Each garland cost me…<drum roll>… $0.95.
And that is what they should cost!
Hungry. Anyone gonna bring me some food (no offense, but NOT Texas caviar–I am not a bean/pea person.). I need Hazel in my life or that butler dude from Jody and whatshername with Mrs Beasley’s show. But I’ll take Aunt Bea.
Hi Taters…thanks for mentioning Batman Begins; I knew there was at least one more movie I wanted to put a hold on at the library and that was the one! See - you’ve accomplished something! I’m at the end of a vacation, so I’m oddly energized and getting all the stuff done that I can.
I’ve got one more load of laundry to go and then I’m going to do a bit of shopping - I want to get to Penzey’s and they close at 5 or so (it’s 2:00 right now here). Got the Christmas cards done and got yet another call from the little brother - good business developments he needed to tell me about. Also, he and a friend are stopping by tomorrow for a bit, which means that the house needs to be sparkly by then. We’ll see.
Go, rigs, go!!! Here, have some chocolate.
Toons, you are driving me to the degree of exhaustion that FCM usually does. I’ve done quite a bit today, but nothing particularly creative.
That wouldn’t be a Judy Garland, now would it? Cause, yanno, marking her down is a crime in some states. OTOH, deep discounting of All Things Liza is expected. Sale of anything remotely Lorna Luft is a felony in twenty-nine states.
<------------ gapes in astonishment at elanorigby’s prehensile tongue. Goodness me, you must have been very popular in high school.
Went to see Memoirs Of A Geisha. Beautifully shot, I need to go and explore Cafe Society for threads on it. Made me reminisce a bit about my salad days when I wore clown white. ( this is true. ) And a blood red sword dripping blood droplets painted on my chest. Ahhh, Broadway shows. I miss 'em.
Debating whether to pack up car tonight or not. Bitter cold isn’t so good for LCD monitors and I’m taking a few with me to Philly for work for a few days. Hmmm. Wake up at 6:30 and drive already-packed car, or wake up at 6:00 and pack car with warm cases?
gardentraveller, I take that as high praise !! FCM routinely exhausts me.
Seriously this jet jag is kicking my ass this time. I am awake between 4-5:00AM everyday. Even today which is my weekend off. Hmpf!
Anyways I was productive today as I have:
[ul]
[li]Washed three loads of laundry[/li][li]Vacuumed downstairs as I keep dragging in the “traction control” ie sand from the ice melt stuff I have down on my path[/li][li]Went to Rec centre and walked 3 miles[/li][li]Went to grocery store to buy mushrooms so I could make breakfast[/li][li]Made breakfast[/li][li]Ate breakfast[/li][li]Washed car[/li][li]Gassed up car[/li][li]Dropped off some dry cleaning[/li][li]Went out for coffee[/li][li]Came to work as I was bored and made the vacation/days off schedule up until the end of the year for my department[/li][li]Sat & chatted with dispatcher for an hour[/li][li]And the best part - got to cuddle the cutest 6 week old baby of one of my operators I think I am getting broody![/li][/ul]
Think I might go to the movies tonight then I need someone to knock me out so that I sleep
I’ve been busy the last couple of days. Yesterday I had two doctor appointments (nothing critical, don’t worry) and stopped by the County Appraisal Office. somehow they decided that our new truck was being used for business use, and wanted some tax money for that. Waited an hour, then signed an affidavit and it was all taken care of.
Today I did washed two quilts, made breakfast, watched the last 30 minutes of Return of the King again, went to get my hair cut, and went to Wally World. And Half-Price Bookstore. To buy The Lord of the Rings books! I really liked the movie series, and I thought the books deserved a read after all these years.
Tonight I’m gonna make some recipe I have made up in my head. I hope it comes out good. Chicken breasts in bite size pieces, green and red peppers, onions, mushrooms, stewed tomatoes, broccoli florets, and lotsa mozzarella all in one skillet. And a loaf of crusty garlic bread.
Mr. Taters went to the dump today. He was there forever as there was a line to get in and a line to get out. He just now returned but has left again with our son so they can get their ears lowered.
I did manage to undecorate the tree, haul it outside, vaccuum up all the pine needles, take down all the rest of my Christmas decorations and get them all put away. It took me forever. I didn’t realize how much I had out. I had to use my old vaccuum because my friend still has my Dyson. I really missed my Dyson today because my old vaccum cleaner sucks at sucking.
I am somewhat sleepy, but I still have stuff to do. I could lie down and take a nap, but the kitchen needs cleaning too.
It’s been pouring down rain for the last several hours. Our friend went to help another friend put up a fence. This other friend just had carpal tunnel surgery, so he can’t really do much. This means our friend gets stuck doing all the work. Furthermore, who the HELL puts up a fence in the rain? I guess the guy had gone ahead and rented all the equipment. January=rain here. I can’t imagine the fence posts are going to set real well.
