(Old) A New Hope in the MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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:people_hugging: @JaneDoe42 Sorry about the stuff your dad made. I can’t even imagine a 5’ tall thread cabinet - that’s a lot of thread! (Okay, just did a quick search to get some ideas. It’s a LOT of thread.)

@Paintcharge Hope Peach gets to come home with you.

@Chefguy Yum to lumpia and gyoza. And sounds like Sadie’s getting more comfortable about strangers.

@The_Stainless_Steel_Rat The soccer league is lucky to have you.

Thanks for all you do!

I listened to one of Wil Wheaton’s podcast, “It’s Storytime with Wil Wheaton” and JtC’s mention of sci-fi reminded me I should download the rest of the episodes so I can listen to them on the plane. I need to go do that while I’m thinking about it.

Happy Sunday!

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Howdy. The last couple of days have been tense. Tomorrow is the first day with students and I don’t feel prepared. I sent an email to someone asking some questions and haven’t received a response yet. I’m not mad as I think that admin type folks have a habit/policy of not responding on weekends, but I wanted to be a bit more with it. The first period of the day is planning, though, so hopefully I can get things straightened out during that time if I don’t hear back today.

There was an issue between my two roommates here the other day and I wish that they could have waiting until I wasn’t in panic mode already. I see and understand both sides, but I have learned not to get involved.

One thing that has always been the case is that when I get nervous and am working on getting ready for something I get quiet. Others in the house get more talkative. It’s quite the mix.

Oh, and MetalMouse, the video that I tried to send you on FB was of someone going round and round Tallmadge Circle trying to set some kind of record.

Ok, back to sitting here with my pup. And, VanGo, that is a beautiful pup, I hope they find their way to your home!

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Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 73 Amurrkin out and rainy(ish) with a predicted high of 85 and rainy for the day. Looks like the rain now will go away soon and start back mid-afternoon. The big item on today’s agenda is deheathenization in which I have verger/chalice duty. Due to folk bein’ on vacation, it will be me and one chalice bearer to assist at Communion. No biggie cause I have known this for a while. OYKW was makin’ noise about not goin’ last night. Guess he’ll decide when he awakens. Any need to feed today will be via forage as we have plenty of sammich makin’s, chips and so forth. I foresee a RDOS rest of the day.

JtC so sorry your sis is the way she is. You are doin’ the right thing by not lettin’ her live in your head. The story about the little girl and the cherry ‘mater made me smile.

Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then purtification for deheathenization must commence.

Happy Sunday Y’all!

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Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Last day of vacation. The usual morning cleaning, afternoon sloth, with light to moderate handegg. It’s currently 64 degrees Ferret Height(17.7 Centipedes)

{{{{sticky}}}}

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My brain jolted me awake this morning. I was having a dream where FCD and I were driving down the road and a cop pulled over a car ahead of us. That quickly morphed into Daughter, FCD, and me all in a small sailboat - and by small, I mean an open boat designed for 2. A gust of wind came along and knocked the boat over, sending all 3 of us into the water. As we bobbed there trying to figure out how to right the boat and get back in, I woke up. So in dreamland, I’m still floating beside a boat with my daughter as a pre-teen. Plus I thought it was Moanday. Being RDOS really messes with one’s sense of time.

I have discovered that plumbers won’t install dishwashers. We’re thinking about replacing Daughter’s as a Christmas gift, and since FCD really doesn’t need to be doing that kind of work and SIL doesn’t know how, I was looking to see what it would cost to have it done. And near as I can tell, we’d have to rely on Lowes and whoever they contract to do installations. Maybe we won’t give them a dish washing machine.

The only item on today’s agenda is a return to the boat to finish the chain fall frame installation. It should be fairly simple - three boards to brace the stand against racking. With luck the tanks will be in place before the end of the month. Fingers crossed.

As the end of our mild spell approaches, I dread the 90s predicted for mid-week. C’mon autumn!

Happy Sunday.

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Afternoon, mumpers! It’s currently 22c/71f with a predicted high of 24c/75f and partly cloudy. Weather app says “Good fucking grief. It’s fucking hot outside.” I have windows open, it’s cool enough in the house at the moment, cloudy and no direct sunshine yet.

I decide the day before, in case I need to take anything out of the freezer….although I have been known to take a chunk of meat out with the intention of making something, and then decided to make something completely different instead.

Good to know that you and Sadie can comfort each other, I am sure you both appreciated it.

Since your time is your own, and you’re on leave, you don’t necessarily have to do it first thing, you could have a nice lie-in and potter along a bit later :slight_smile: You don’t want to put your RDOS status in jeopardy!

Awww….she looks adorable!

{{{{{JtC}}}}} I’m sorry your sister is so horrible :frowning:

Sticky Buns I hope tomorrow goes well for you, I am sure you’ll be fabulous!

Yesterday was a busy day but lots of fun. I went to the gym, then the hairdresser’s, then out for lunch, went to the pet store, did my errands and came home to iron a pile of t-shirts. Then we went into the Big City and met up with our friends. Dinner was pleasant, we went to a tapas place and had some yummy food, and afterwards we went elsewhere for drinks and nattering. We parted ways around 11pm and caught a train back to our town. ‘im indoors decided he wanted to go to the Posada for a drink so we did, ended up staying until they closed at 1am, then went to the Giffard for an hour or so before getting a cab home.

Since I managed to do all the major chores yesterday, I have no big plans for the day. It’s not my turn to cook either so aside from tending to the needs of the mogs, all I have to do is forage for lunch, and spend the rest of the day in sloth mode.

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Lumpia are the food of the gods. Unlike eggrolls, the wrappers are super thin and tear easily. Used to be that the packages of wrappers had no separation between wrappers, so they were stuck together, making it a miserable task to get them separated without tearing them to shreds. I eventually mastered it, and now (thank the gods) they come with a cello sheet between them which takes all the pain out of making them. I would imagine that I’ve made at least 5000 of these over the last 50 years, 50 at a time, for parties and home consumption. People love them, fried, crispy and tasty as they are.

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We had a Taiwanese restaurant in our neighborhood in Portland that was excellent. Loved the steamed bao stuffed with pork or beef, the onion pancakes and the soup which was similar to pho.

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There’s a little shop I used to pass on my way to work that advertised lumpia. I always thought “I should stop and get some, but I never did. Now I need to decide if it’s worth a 20 mile drive each way, assuming they’re still in business.

Even farther back, I had a coworker from the Philippines who would make a batch and bring them to our potlucks, until he figured out that the guy who brought in a bag of generic chips was always first in line to help himself to a big pile. Greedy jerk ruined it for everyone.

It appears after I hosed down the mower yesterday, I left the faucet on ever-so-slightly. That explains why I heard the well pump kick on a couple of times during the night. Dammit. There’s a big puddle by the wood pile, but I’ve turned the water off all the way. We need to replace it, but because of a variety of reasons, it would require taking down part of a wall in the basement. So that ain’t gonna happen any time soon.

We had a major scare in yesterday’s mail - a letter to each of us from the IRS. Turns out they were just to tell us about our $3 refund. But for a short time there, we both imagined either “Audit” or “You owe us $$$$” I think someone at the IRS delights in sending out these notices.

OK, showered and clad and waiting till FCD wants to head back to the marina. I’ve got some leftover poke loin - I need to decide what to do with it for supper tonight. Maybe stir-fry it with some veggies? That might work.

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Good morning.

It’s 62°F and sunny. The sunshine will be abundant with an expected daytime high of 90°F. They’re calling for highs of 95°F by Tuesday.

VanGo, Peach is a peach! I hope it works out for both of you!

BooFae, yes, I could sleep in, but then my whole day is wasted. I want to knock this out first thing in the morning so the rest of the day is mine. Besides, traffic is horrible in the afternoon, and I do not want to get caught in the commute traffic. Finally, my former peers try very hard not to bother me, but they are under immense pressure, and this person has taken on much of the stuff I did, plus running her own program. She pretty much is the router of all things admin for now, but in reality, there are two people in California, plus three people in the state now doing the things I used to take care of. Says a lot, right? Finally, having to get up early and get this taken care of forces me out of the house, and then I can get on to other, more fun things when I’m done at the office.

JtC, I’m sorry your sister has been so unpleasant. I’ll say this: since my MiL’s death and the resolution of her estate (which took almost a year), we no longer have any contact with anyone from my husband’s side of the family. Between the thievery, destruction of property, and just plain nastiness from one of the half-sisters, we were just done with them all. It’s been 13 years, and I don’t miss any of them.

I love lumpia. I had a Filipino friend back in the 80s who made hundreds of them, with dipping sauces, for my wedding. It was a beautiful gift. Her lumpia were the best I’ve ever had. Unfortunately, cancer took her from us. I’ve worked in various offices where lumpia were brought in for potlucks, and they were good, too; just not as good as Sally’s.

Sticky, I hope tomorrow goes well for you, and that the “noise” in the house settles down.

I need to go to the vet today to pick up the stupidly expensive dog food for the pups. Granted, the bag we purchased lasted longer than the food we used to get for them, but I still think it’s overpriced.

I might run into the mall afterward to see if there are any cotton blouses worth purchasing. I need a new pair of jeans, too. I’ve been wearing the two pairs of jeans for quite some time now, and I need one or two new pairs. I dunno, we’ll see how I feel once I’m out there.

If I don’t go by the mall, I can swing by Lowe’s or Home Depot and pick the mulch I’ve been wanting to buy for quite some time. I’ve become quite the procrastinator.

Hm, not much else is going on. I puttered in the garden yesterday and spent more time ripping out fabric cloth from the back bed. I probably would never have messed with it, but for the pups having pulled so much of it out of the mulch. Such a PITA pulling the staff up.

Please take care and stay safe and healthy.

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Happy Sunday!

Up, caffeinating and breakfasted. On today’s agenda is taking out things to the dumpster and doing a bit of preloading the car so’s the nephew really only has to deal with the tech and last minute stuff. I’ll just take out stuff that goes in the trunk.

Stay safe and healthy y’all!

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Well good morning all. Have pilled, made my NY Times run, had a banana and am now chilling until dinner time (Longhorn Steakhouse is on the schedule). Another warm one, 78F now heading to 92F, so indoors is the place for me. Got my soccer on-line training done, I have to do it each year and I know the course content so well I can just about ignore it and still get 90% on the test. Will work on the other coaches today (I am the U8 Coordinator, so I am responsible for getting coaches, pre-season practices, and making up teams) to see if they have done their training.

And nearly 30 messages to read, so best get started…

JtC, it must have been priceless to see that little encounter cherry tomatoes right off the vine. And I don’t recall that story, I do remember Arthur C. Clarke mentioning something like that in the future, but just an aside in a novel IIRC. Maybe ask on the SF identification thread in Cafe Society?

Bright Tree, I will also refrain from ‘cheats’ that infer the same 'b; word. I’m old enough to remember when SO* was about the worst thing you could say when you were a kid.

Cupcakes not feeling prepared is normal, once you start off the lesson it’ll all come together. Hope fellow occupants get settled down. And thanks, going around Tallmadge Circle was a highlight of my beginning driving experience.

swampy Happy Vergering and Chalicing.

doggio, I know you can hardly wait to get back to work… :scream: :zany_face: :grin:

FCM, my plumbers have removed and replaced my dishwasher a couple times during my recurring plumbing woes, hopefully the contractor isn’t too outrageous. And a letter for a $3 refund…that part of bureaucrazy I wouldn’t miss…

boo fae, I’d call that a full day; staying up till after 2am is a non-starter with me these days.

OK, about an hour until I need to properly dress for Sunday dinner which is enough time to see if my Sunday You Tube posters (Noel Phillips and 74Gear) have anything up yet, so have a good Sunday all.

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Mornin’ all - Tis the crack of 10 as I start driveling. Last night got late and so I slept in a bunch. It’s good to be RDOS. Weather is partly cloudy with scattered showers later. Presently 86/30 on the way to 90/32.

@Taters, that sounds like a darn full day. But a good variety of fun and mild drudge. Keeps you active.

JtC - Uggh. The best part of finishing an ugly estate situation is being able to finally write the troublemakers and big meanieheads out of your life and your personal story. The hurt remains, but the less it’s prodded the sooner it fades to just another of the many scars of life.

@Paintcharge - that does look like a cute & fun pupper that suits your situation.

I expect you know this, but replacing a dishwasher, assuming like size, is not a big deal. No harder than replacing a washing machine. Slide it out, while unhooking the water drain, the water supply, and the power cord as you get access behind the machine. Slide the new one back in, reconnecting as you go.

Punchline being if you have Lowes or whoever deliver the machine, hookup and disposal of the old one ought to be included in the delivery fee or available for a nominal charge. It’s simple enough that even the goofs those places use for appliance delivery will be plenty good enough to handle the work.

@Sticks_and_Scones: Deep Breaths. Monday will go fine. Yes, there will be goofups and tech problems and all the rest. Plus the kids (what ages? I forget if you told us or I missed it) will bring their own hijinks to the game.

But the only person demanding perfection is your subconscious. And it’s just being silly and obstructive. Tell it to go sit in the corner and think about what it has done.

Yep. Bad move on my part. I was responding to Shoe using the same term she had used to identify her fussy cow-orker. But I should’ve settled for “fussy cow-orker” instead.

And yes, thank you for all you do for this thread and for every thread. The mods are the thin yellow(?) line that keeps this place unlike the rest of the howling uncivil banshees of the internet.


As to me:
Last night was an unplanned surprise meal at an unplanned place that turned out to be excellent. And which place has great happy hour deals as well. Lotta places around here have HHs that don’t amount to much of a deal.

Later stopped for a stogie and was pleasantly surprised to see my smokin’ buddy there. Just a guy I’d met a year-ish ago there and we hit it off. We’d both been cutting back of late and had missed each other on our fewer visits. That catch-up convo got late. Just as we were winding down around 11:30pm a big rainshower arrived and we delayed a half-hour until it passed. Then drove the last few blocks home on wet streets under clear skies.

Today should have a mini-groc run and little else beyond the usual RDOS activities. About time for me to shevel & feed.

Cheers all!

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Excellent advice, as usual. Too bad for me my mean subconscious too often wins that wrasslin’ match but I’m winning more often than I did in younger years. i keep telling myself “normal is just a setting on a dryer”. Usually followed by “normal is boring”.

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Part of the deal in their kitchen is layout - the peninsula counter is directly opposite the dishwasher, limiting the work space. But I’ll have a look at some videos and maybe it’s something we can walk SIL thru. He’s eager to learn but he’s still figuring out tools. This might be doable.

Then again, we should probably ask them if there’s something else they want/need more. Their dishwasher works so far but we have no idea how old it is. What they really need are new windows. I’m pretty sure 8 decent windows would cost more than $5-600…

The chain fall stand in the boat is secured and steady. The tanks should be getting their coating this week, then they’ll be delivered to the marina. At that point, we can finally be put on the schedule for installation. Possibly even this month??

FCD was talking about going to Indianapolis to see his aunt - that’ll be a 4-5 day trek, I think. Late Sept/ early Oct should get us past the worst of the heat. And I was messaging with my sister about seeing my mom - if she’s planning a Labor Day thing, I won’t make a trek myself. I need to ask Mom specifically - my sister wasn’t very specific.

But for now, time to get into chillage gear.

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Started Typing: 12:15 PM ET
Clicked Reply: 12:54 PM ET

Last night’s dinner with my BFFs, their son, and HusbandBFF’s sister was great! On the way there I picked up Chipotle for WifeBFF – who is gluten and dairy intolerant – while everyone else had food from a local Italian place. I opted for simple pasta (penne) with butter, and added a liberal portion of grated parmesan & romano cheese. Quite yummy. The weather was perfect, so we ate outside on their deck while we chatted about all kinds of things. HusbandBFF’s sister brought her 2-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, who I’d met a few times before and who is a very cute and sweet girl; I petted and played with her a lot. As a bonus, there were homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert…and I brought some home (I’m looking forward to finishing my lunch so I can have one or two). There will be more cookies when I’m there on Friday/Saturday, and maybe some banana muffins! Baked goods aren’t the main reason why I go to my BFFs’, but they’re definitely on the list. :grin:

I’ve been up since 7am: I managed to kill the entire morning playing around with iTunes. :musical_notes: I have an “uptempo” playlist on my iPod that I’ve been wanting to update, so I started from scratch and built a new playlist by going through my entire library (9,500 tracks) and adding songs individually – which, of course, resulted in some metadata cleanup, the deletion of a bunch of duplicate files, and the purchase of several tracks that I’d been meaning to add. But, I finally moved everything to my iPod: it’s the playlist I’ve been listening to during my commutes, and I’m looking forward to hearing some of the newly-added tracks tomorrow.

The rest of today’s plans include lunch, cookies, laundry, and Lego. Not bad for a Sunday afternoon…not bad at all. :slight_smile:

That face! Those ears! :heart_eyes: I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you…

I initially read “marina” as “marinara,” so my subconscious votes for pasta. :joy:

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Boy, do I understand that feeling.

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One year our schools started several weeks early, which allowed them to get out early. The next school year started a month or so late. The extended summer vacation gave time for repairs/renovating/whatever on a couple of the local schools that needed work that would take longer than a normal summer vacation to complete. That’s the only time I’ve ever seen schools start that early.

I can identify a '58 or '59 Edsel if I see one approaching. :smiley: (The horse collar on a 1960 Edsel is too small – I probably wouldn’t even notice one driving by, except maybe “Wow – that car’s almost as old as I am!”) Other than that the best I can do is “that’s a VW beetle/microbus” or “I think that’s a Corvette”.

I guessed before googling, and got it right. Chinese restaurants around here all have them, but just call them “Chinese dumplings”.

The best way I have of remembering what day it is is by webcomics – Swords & Sausages Sundays, Darths & Droids Sun/Tue/Thu, Freefall Mon/Wed/Fri, nothing Saturday. (The Whiteboard is Mon-Fri, so it isn’t a whole lot of help.) The date? That often requires looking at my phone or my computer.

We got those last week, telling us that our refund was approved. The refund that hit the bank a few months ago, that is. Good to see the gummint is on top of things like that.

We went to the mall yesterday – first time in several months. Rough estimate: 80% of the stores are empty, including all five anchor stores (Sears, Macy’s, J C Penney, and the two stores filling the spot where Filene’s used to be, Bed Bath & Beyond upstairs and The Christmas Tree Shop downstairs). Lady SCAdian says she’s heard about a mall somewhere – Rhode Island? – where all the stores on the upper level have been converted to small apartments. Be nice if they’d do that here.


Need to go out and do something in the yard – see how long it takes for my back to drive me back indoors this time. :frowning:

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Hey, @LSLGuy and @Aspenglow I apologize for my part in this kerfluffle. I was BIG MAD but I will try to keep that nonsense in Dah Pit.

The MMP is a happy place (mostly) and I am sincerely apologetic for bringing the irritation.

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Jtc, I agree the point was cruelty.

Saturday’s urban wildlife in south Philly was geese. The usual spot that the shuttle drops me had about 5 or 6 geese. There were no crows and no falcons, just geese.

I did find a pair of black cat lamps at Michaels. They look nice next to the couch.

I have started knitting with “koi pond”. This is the thinnest yarn I have used. Teeny tiny thin needles. Soooo many stitches. This piece is going to take a bit of time.