# Off!- A vacation MMP **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** mmp\ **Created:** [August 6, 2018, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163 "2018-08-06T09:50:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/61 "2018-08-07T16:24:07Z")
“Lightening” and “lightning” are both valid words, but they’re two completely different words with different meanings. If you’re having trouble remembering how to spell “lightning,” you can remember that it’s spelled how it’s pronounced. You wouldn’t pronounce an extra E in the word, so it’s not spelled that way. Unless maybe there are people who pronounce it that way and I don’t know about it. But I don’t know if I want to start another of those thread wars where people argue that their way of pronouncing a word is the only correct way. 😛 This is the kind of thing a spell-checker won’t catch. Then again, my spell-checker thinks that “euphonium” and “undiagnosed” aren’t words. Maybe my spell-checker has an undiagnosed problem. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/62 "2018-08-07T16:29:51Z")
Afternoon all. Read, but brain’s taking a half-day, so: assorted hellos, yays!, boos, _hugs_ and :rolleyes:, help yourself as required. I’m taking the opportunity to have a lazy day, hence the brain shortage. I did go out to pick some wild blackberries, but that’s about it. I might make blackberry and elderberry wine in a few weeks, when a few more are ripe, but the season’s just starting. I think I shall make pie with the ones I have, but that requires going and buying stuff (like a pie dish), so not today, this batch shall be frozed for later. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/63 "2018-08-07T16:42:46Z")
Morning all (at least it’s till (barely) morning here. 90F already. Another stay at home day for me, and I’ll venture out in the afternoon. > [@kopek](#): > > The whole thing? I’m going to need some oysters. And a whole lotta lube. :eek: Just what you need: [Amazon.com: Passion Natural Water-Based Personal Lubricant - 55 Gallon Drum, Premium, Non-Sticky, Easy-to-Clean Formula for Lifetime use : Health & Household](https://www.amazon.com/Passion-Lubes-Natural-Water-Based-Lubricant/dp/B005MR3IVO) > [@](#): > > Boy we got talkative yesterday. It usually doesn’t take me this long on a Tuesday to catch up. Got some new folks and returnees contributing to the conversation. You and **spidey** don’t scare them off now, OK? > [@EmilyG](#): > > “Lightening” and “lightning” are both valid words, but they’re two completely different words with different meanings. I just remember that lightening is what it gets in the morning as the sun comes up and lightning is what Thor uses in the Marvel Comics/Movies… > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Still no chocolate, tho. The Chocolate Fairy is letting me down. Dammit! I think the Fairy was mugged by **flytrap** and had to go back from your stuff… **Hepcat,** that’s a lot of work, and it’s good your at a place that recognizes it and rewards you (not all of your fellow MMP’ers are that fortunate). I think your plan to take a break prior to flying out is a good one, five-day weekends, unless you’re going somewhere or have a lot to do around the house, tend to gelong by day 4. IMHO as always, YMMV. **Gedd,** good luck with life, which sounds…complex. Hope everything works out good. Had my remodeler stop by, they’ll start the tiling pretty soon and he also suggested putting the cabinets on Craigslist, since Habitat for Humanity doesn’t seem interested. At last resort, they’ll go in the dumpster. I also asked him about converting the Hall bath tub to a shower-only, and he talked me out of it, saying why spend thousands for something that I’ll never use since my new Master bathroom will be so great. A contractor who talks me out of spending money–I like this guy. Have eaten and tidied up a bit, so all is right with the world. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/64 "2018-08-07T16:56:37Z")
I have such headache… and 5 hours to go until I can leave irk and deal with my kids while **Romeo** works. So I’ll have a headache until tomorrow, I guess. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/65 "2018-08-07T17:00:26Z")
**Ace** I hope you get to feel better. Come back with more information when you can. {{{hugs}}} > [@Bumbazine](#): > > Speaking of blueberries, a few years ago we planted two blueberry bushes in our backyard with visions of fresh ripe berries dancing on our tongues. We were disappointed after the first year to never get much in the way of produce off of them. Well, the other day I discovered why. Apparently bluejays (actually scrub jays) also love blueberries. I was standing on the patio admiring one of our bushes when one of those rude birds flew down, not 5 feet away from me, and picked the very berry I was ogling. :eek: The noive! > > Hey **Woody** , how 'bout this weather, huh?! The weather sucketh mightily. Smoky and very hot. Also, smoky. I’m trying to figure out what to do with our blueberries. It took several years, but they’re finally doing well. We have a lot. Maybe a pie. > [@swampbear](#): > > **flytrap** thank you for the lullaby. The Germans have always been a comfortin’ people. :dubious: > [@Lancia](#): > > The weather here sucks, as it usually does. It’s hot, although not as hot as it has been. We’ve had a lot of smoke drifting in from the wildfires in Southern Oregon and Redding, so right now the rains can’t come soon enough as far as I’m concerned. Ditto on the welcome back **Woody**! Don’t forget fires in Vancouver and now some monster near Clear Lake that is the biggest in CA history. ☹ On the plus side, the smoke does lower the temperature (it’s just harder to breath). > [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > As for grilled Okra that **swampy and flytrap** seem to love, my recipe is (1) Grill Okra (2) Throw into trash can. Endorsed. Okra is nasty. > [@](#): > > Worked teaching soccer for an hour with 18 6-year old girls and 3-4 other coaches, twas’ fun but tiring, so bedtime will be upon me soon. Passing out soccer uniforms tomorrow, so that will keep me active. Thinking about asking the remodeling contractor about replacing the bathtub in the hall bathroom with a shower-only (amazing how after committing to spending a large sum of money you start thinking about ways to spend even more money…) This is true. Things can always be improved. 😛 Yesterday my air conditioning died. I spent a few hours replacing the thermostat and doing the things that I knew how to do, but no dice. Today the repairman will be here at 3. It’s only (wahhhhhh!) supposed to get to 100 or so. We’ll be fine. Fine. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/66 "2018-08-07T17:15:15Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > …Endorsed. Okra is nasty… You would argue with a gourmand like Swampy? Shame! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/67 "2018-08-07T17:42:43Z")
Laundry is done and put away. Gordie has met and approved the backup pet sitter. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/68 "2018-08-07T17:59:36Z")
I think I need to go back to bed. A good friend of mine is camping with her wife this week and asked me to check in on her mom while she’s away. Yesterday I got a text from said mother asking if I could run her into the lab so she could get a blood draw—at 7am today. I told her I would, so I was up at 6 to shower and actually make myself presentable to the outside world. When I woke up I realized that we had ran out of coffee. Ok… black tea it is. As I was driving my friend’s mom back to her house she invited me in for coffee, but told me that it was yesterday morning’s coffee that she had simply reheated—after it had been sitting in a carafe on the counter for 24 hours. Uh, no thanks? So I returned home, sleepy and hungry, to find my kitchen flooded. See, we have a portable dishwasher that hooks up to the sink. My 13yo son had loaded the dishwasher (at 7am?? Yay!) and hooked it up after remembering to put soap in it (yay!) and actually turned it on (double yay!). He and his brother then retired to the living room to play the xbox while completely failing to notice the sink stopper was still in the drain. I returned home, uncaffineated, to find numerous waterfalls flowing off the edge of the counters and onto the floor. It reminded me of a Warner Bros cartoon. I don’t think I’m going to get any thesis writing done today. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/69 "2018-08-07T18:08:53Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > “Lightening” and “lightning” are both valid words, but they’re two completely different words with different meanings. > > If you’re having trouble remembering how to spell “lightning,” you can remember that it’s spelled how it’s pronounced. You wouldn’t pronounce an extra E in the word, so it’s not spelled that way. Unless maybe there are people who pronounce it that way and I don’t know about it. But I don’t know if I want to start another of those thread wars where people argue that their way of pronouncing a word is the only correct way. 😛 > > This is the kind of thing a spell-checker won’t catch. Then again, my spell-checker thinks that “euphonium” and “undiagnosed” aren’t words. Maybe my spell-checker has an undiagnosed problem. Anyone else find the irony in our northernmost Mumper giving pronunciation advice (even though in this case it is accurate)? I mean they can’t even pronounce simple words like “oot” right, eh. :rolleyes: > [@Gedd](#): > > Oh man, I haven’t been following MPSIMS in awhile. Sorry. That’s okay, **Out**. (your new Mumper nickname) > [@dogbutler](#): > > Laundry is done and put away. Gordie has met and approved the backup pet sitter. Thurs at the brewpub? Free pizza for lunch, guess I should change the dinner plans for…pizza. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/70 "2018-08-07T18:12:58Z")
Swampy luvs okra but hates fart blossoms. 😕 I like _fried_ okra, and luv fart blossoms, and lima beans too. Okra in soup is just a slimey blob of ick. Y’all can have my share of the blueberries and blackberries. YUK! to both of them. I wish I liked more fruit, it looks so good, and often smells good too, but then I bite into it and yuk. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/71 "2018-08-07T18:38:44Z")
> [@Sahirrnee](#): > > Okra in soup is just a slimey blob of ick. I’ve put small pods, uncut in stews. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/72 "2018-08-07T18:40:15Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > …Then again, my spell-checker thinks that “euphonium” and “undiagnosed” aren’t words. Maybe my spell-checker has an undiagnosed problem. Perhaps your spell checker is on a computer that was struck by lightening. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/73 "2018-08-07T19:16:08Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Just what you need: [https://www.amazon.com/Passion-Lubes-Natural-Water-Based-Lubricant/dp/B005MR3IVO](https://www.amazon.com/Passion-Lubes-Natural-Water-Based-Lubricant/dp/B005MR3IVO) I know we’ve shipped the smaller sizes (packages break open sometimes ---- remind me to tell you about the 18" double-dong) but I didn’t know we had the “I-work-for-the-government” size in stock. 😉 OK – since I have the time – early on when we opened I was on sort-slide. You basically stand there while boxes hurl themselves at you from the belt and you direct them into one of 4 chutes to continue their happy journey to our wise and fortunate customers. It looks basically like this: [http://image.thereporter.com/storyimage/NG/20180428/NEWS/180429851/AR/0/AR-180429851.jpg&maxh=400&maxw=667](http://image.thereporter.com/storyimage/NG/20180428/NEWS/180429851/AR/0/AR-180429851.jpg&maxh=400&maxw=667) So I am happily working hard and making history when I look up to see said object (double-dong) merrily bouncing its way down the stainless steel towards me. What the heck? We sell this stuff? Yes – yes we do. And more. We are the Anything Store after all. Well, since our service doesn’t handle \ used \ merchandise or returns ------ what the hell do I care? So I basically just grabbed it, did some martial arts moves with it, and tossed it over to the Problem Solve pile. Word of all this spread through the workforce by the end of shift and I found myself almost famous for 15 minutes. Its always an adventure in Da Jungle. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/74 "2018-08-07T19:16:08Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Anyone else find the irony in our northernmost Mumper giving pronunciation advice (even though in this case it is accurate)? I mean they can’t even pronounce simple words like “oot” right, eh. :rolleyes: _Is_ **Midget** the northernmost Mumper? Not by my reckoning! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/75 "2018-08-07T19:40:42Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > _Is_ **Midget** the northernmost Mumper? Not by my reckoning! 😛 That would be Santa, would it not? ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/76 "2018-08-07T21:43:15Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > _Is_ **Midget** the northernmost Mumper? Not by my reckoning! 😛 Perhaps they meant northernmost in North America. Ya know, where it gets cold and we don’t have the lovely Gulf Stream keeping our winters mild. And **Midget** only has me beat by about a half a degree of latitude… If I lived where my mom’s family is from, I’d have her beat. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/77 "2018-08-07T21:54:58Z")
Howdy Y’all! See y’all have been yakkin’ it up in here today. I laundered, ahrned (go me!), napped, then made sup. Tacos (OLÈ) have been consumed. Thought it was goin’ to storm this mornin’ but then it went on around us. Looks like it might consider stormin’ this evenin’. Or not. A willy-nilly day for tstorms. **Midget** maybe your spell checker has an undiagnosed problem with the euphonium. I like the word euphonium. It looks good spelled and sounds cool to say. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/78 "2018-08-07T22:19:08Z")
**swampie** , you _IRON_? I mean, as in using something hot to press wrinkle out of clothes? I have barely touched an iron since I got out of the Army forty years ago. It’s one chore I can do without. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/79 "2018-08-07T22:29:29Z")
I use to know a Greek girl named Euphonium. She had a very sweet voice. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163/80 "2018-08-07T22:36:09Z")
The yearly vacation crisis has been dealt with, so it’s still on.🙂 Guess I should start finishing packing. > [@Buttercup\_Smith](#): > > I will say once again DO NOT BE A MANAGER. If I could go back I would. I have a flaky employee who left yesterday at noon and needs to leave again today at noon to help take care of her parents in England via phone. WTF?? Or at least not salaried. > [@Spiderman](#): > > Anyone else find the irony in our northernmost Mumper giving pronunciation advice (even though in this case it is accurate)? I mean they can’t even pronounce simple words like “oot” right, eh. :rolleyes: > That’s okay, **Out**. (your new Mumper nickname) > > Thurs at the brewpub? > > Free pizza for lunch, guess I should change the dinner plans for…pizza. :rolleyes: Sure, where is it? > [@kopek](#): > > I know we’ve shipped the smaller sizes (packages break open sometimes ---- remind me to tell you about the 18" double-dong) but I didn’t know we had the “I-work-for-the-government” size in stock. 😉 > OK – since I have the time – early on when we opened I was on sort-slide. You basically stand there while boxes hurl themselves at you from the belt and you direct them into one of 4 chutes to continue their happy journey to our wise and fortunate customers. It looks basically like this: > [http://image.thereporter.com/storyimage/NG/20180428/NEWS/180429851/AR/0/AR-180429851.jpg&maxh=400&maxw=667](http://image.thereporter.com/storyimage/NG/20180428/NEWS/180429851/AR/0/AR-180429851.jpg&maxh=400&maxw=667) > So I am happily working hard and making history when I look up to see said object (double-dong) merrily bouncing its way down the stainless steel towards me. > > What the heck? We sell this stuff? Yes – yes we do. And more. We are the Anything Store after all. > > Well, since our service doesn’t handle \ used \ merchandise or returns ------ what the hell do I care? So I basically just grabbed it, did some martial arts moves with it, and tossed it over to the Problem Solve pile. Word of all this spread through the workforce by the end of shift and I found myself almost famous for 15 minutes. > > Its always an adventure in Da Jungle. [Certain Dopers](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=266235&highlight=18%22DHIBJD) would like their package back.😃 **Baker** , I’m with you. I can iron, but it’s the one cleaning chore I try to avoid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-a-vacation-mmp/819163.md?page=5)