(Old) Looking ahead in the MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
181

65F at 0730 on this solemn day of remembrance. A bit of a shock as I just turned my head to look out the window and saw an airliner overhead. That’s not unusual, but considering the day. . .

My bagel shipment finally arrived at about 8:30 last night. The box looked like someone was practicing their goal kicks with it, but the contents were fine. So that’s breakfast this morning.

The wife said she’ll go to exercise with me today. We’ll see if she follows through on that. Flu shots this afternoon, which she always has a reaction to.

Have a good weekend, you working slobs!

182

it was a nice day at the ballpark. the phillies lost.

on the subway back home was a houston fan holding a baseball. a ball girl gave him a foul ball hit by one of the houston players. he was a very happy fan. he had lovely conversations with the people around him. he said they always hear about philly fans but everyone was so nice. one of the people said it was because he wasn’t an “in your face mets fan”. i said houston is american league, no real rivalry there. he then bonded with the people around him with dallas cowboy trash talk.

when i mentioned i had been in houston briefly on the way to galveston, he brighten up. he grew up in galveston! sometimes the us is a small country.

it is a misty day so far in philly today. i’m watching the nyc memorial ceremony and can’t believe it has been 25 years.

183

The flavour. Many years ago, the wife of the guy who owned the studio I freelanced for, said she didn’t like crab. Nevertheless, I was making Dungeness crabs. She realised that she actually did like crab. King crab and snow crab legs are usually cooked, frozen, and then re-heated or served cold. They always taste watery to me. Here, the crabs are alive until just a couple of minutes before they’re put into the pot of boiling, salted water for 11 minutes. [NB: I kill them and clean them before cooking.] Coincidentally, I mentioned to The Missus last night that I haven’t cooked crab yet this year.

We went to Bay Breeze last night. The owner showed us exterior and interior video of the shooting.

184

Good morning all. Up about 6:30am and decided to get the Firday shopping done early, so just beat the school start and got home without too much hassle. And since I was being so active, I also got the garbage out to the bin and the bin to the curb (they are a day late picking up as Labor Day backed things up) in time for the trash folks. So after those exertions I have eaten my Pecan sticky bun for the week and settled in for some sloth-time. 80F heading to 91F with a 60% chance of rain today and 70% tomorrow, just in time to mess up soccer games tomorrow. We’ll see what happens. Need to pick up dry cleaning later today but that’s the only thing on the to-do list for now.

Shoe, not great on garlic or honey and I have to admit it doesn’t sound like a great combination, but sounds like they go together just fine. Enjoy!

Bright Tree, good news on the vax, I get mine Tuesday (I have Wednesday free of soccer in case I have a reaction). Will try to remember to ask for the Pfizer if I have the option. And hope the Wasp removal is quick and efficient.

Nut, good luck on the laundry.

Truth. In my case it was my dad. No bad dreams, but still have regrets.

swampy, enjoy your new TV.

FCM, don’t think I ever lost a key to a plant…that’s a first. Happy laundry day.

Hippie, I was thinking the same thing (where I was 25 years ago today). I was working in Abu Dhabi UAE (about 9-10 hours ahead of EST) and had just gotten home from work and was relaxing when Eddie (my colleague at work) called and said a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Well, I assumed it was like the plane hitting the Empire State Building in 1945 and took my time turning on the TV, where I watched the first building collapse as the second burned. Obviously didn’t move from in front of the TV for 5-6 hours after that.

cookie, enjoy your kicked around bagels.

rocky, ‘Dallas Cowboy trash talk’ will get you far in most markets outside Dallas.

flyboy, that was quite a video addition to dinner. Not too graphic I hope, would put me off my feed…

And wonder of wonders, made it to the bottom of the thread (for now). Off to explore the rest of the internet, so have a good Firday all.

185

Good morning. My walking alarm was once again mistaken as it tried to get me up at 4:30. I thought I hit snooze, but I, too, was mistaken. No walks this morning, but they permanently cancelled my completely redundant 10;00 Friday meeting[1], so I can yoga.

Mrs Magill started her counselling this morning. She likes her counsellor. She says they are of a similar mindset, which is good. I let her know that the Estradiol patches should be arriving today. I wanted her to know that they were coming, because she had a hormone positive cancer, and neither she nor I want her to get cancer again… oddly enough. Also, we’re partners in this, so she deserves to know what’s going on. We both agree that I should wait until we get back from our road trip next week before I start.

I just pulled out some chicken thighs from the Deep Freeze[2], so I can try my hand at Coq au Vin on Sunday.

My mother was from New England, so I’ve had clawed lobster, I was young in south Florida, so I’ve had spiney lobster, and I grew up in North Carolina, so I’ve had blue crab. I have to rank them as follows:

  1. Blue Crab. Steam these sucker with Old Bay. Yum!!!
  2. Spiney lobsters. These have a subtle flavor.
  3. Clawed lobsters. Honestly, they’re kinda meh.

Scotch tape something to the wall??? Are you trying to get me murdered?

We have a Keurig which we use for Emergency Coffee.

I’m reminded of The Shovler’s speech in Mystery Men:

We’ve got a blind date with destiny, and it looks like she’s ordered the lobster.

Oh yeah, it’s that day. I have a very different memory from most Americans. Mrs Magill and I were on honeymoon in Oz. Our 11 September was very pleasant. We had a walking tour of Melbourne, reserved seats on a Yarra Valley winery tour for the next day, and had a nice dinner with a friend I’d known through the Internet Oracle. 12 September, OTOH… I got up, turned on the TV, saw some burnt out place (obviously in the Middle East), and then Rudy Giuliani got in front of the cameras. I thought, “What the hell are they putting this dipshit on the news?” Then they showed the planes. We called the embassy, just in case, fretted about what to do, then went on our winery tour, as we were ten thousand miles away, and there was nothing we could do.

  1. Seriously, I would literally say in my 12:30 meeting, “Nothing has changed in the last hour.” ↩︎

  2. Costco FTW!! ↩︎

186

Good morning, everyone. In the USA, this is Patriot Day. For some reason, that’s what we call the anniversary of the attack, by hijacked planes, of the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. A fourth hijacked plane was re-hijacked by passengers, and it crashed in an open field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania instead of the hijackers’ fourth target.

That was 25 years ago. A lot of people don’t remember it, because they were very young or not even born yet.

Today’s weather? 55F now, up to 81F later. Sunny.

I am an itchy guy, for no apparent reason. In doc-speak, that’s idiopathic urticaria. My usual go-to remedy has been Sarna lotion, or the generic equivalent. Sarna changed its formula, so we’ve switched to Rugby anti-itch cream. It works as well as, or better than, the Sarna.

187

Good morning.

It’s 52F and cloudy outside. Our projected high will only be 69F, and it’s supposed to be cloudy all day.

I was driving to work and just about through the gate at Fort Lewis when the news came over the radio. Not even five minutes after I entered the gates, everything was locked down. I remember nothing got done at work, and most of us wanted nothing more than to go home.

I’m not a fan of crab due to a childhood experience. I used to like lobster and shrimp, but now, I don’t find those too appealing anymore. I’ll eat some if it’s put in front of me, but I won’t go out of my way to get any.

I hope everyone’s commute is good today.

I actually have two Keurigs. One was a small one for use in my office at my former agency. It sits on top of the freezer in its box in case the one we have now dies. The Chemex, French press, and iced coffee apparatus sit in the cabinet above my coffee grinder and kettle.

It’s been up and down with Mr. Taters; he got up feeling better, tried to eat a little, and went back to bed. By evening, he settled for some plain chicken broth, which didn’t give him any issues, but he still went to bed relatively early. He got up in the middle of the night to make an egg, so his appetite is slowly returning. We’ll see how today goes.

I think today will be sheet-washing day, and that’s about it for now.

Take care of yourselves, please.

188

A college friend died that day. By the time it happened, I’d been on the west coast for a few years, but that was the day I first really felt how very far away I had moved.

189

Fang just called me. His commute today has been… long. As he put it, someone decided to observe 9/11 by rushing one of the two gates to West Ft Hood. Their car is now half its length, and that entrance is now closed.

190

Try mine. :slight_smile: We were at sea, somewhere between Yemen and Somalia en route from Bahrain to Crete, and came up to periscope depth to copy the 2330 (local) broadcast. I was sitting at the teletype when we connected to the satellite and the messages started scrolling out. They’re sent in reverse order, newest first, so when I looked at the paper the first message told it all: major terrorist attack in the US, two planes hit the WTC, both towers were down, and a third plane had hit the Pentagon. The captain had been standing in the doorway talking with me when the downlink hit, so I didn’t have to call him – just tore the first message off the roll, reread it quickly, and handed it to him: “Don’t see ‘Drill’ or ‘Exercise’ anywhere on this, sir!” He read it, told the radio sup to contact 7th Fleet on voice and ask what they wanted us to do, and ran off. The other three guys on watch in Radio were staring at me, asking what was going on, but before I could say anything the captain was back, talking to the radio sup. In the meantime the XO and COB had been given quick instructions; the COB went to the goat locker, flipped on the lights, and yelled for everyone to get up, while the XO went to the wardroom passageway, opened the stateroom doors, and told all the officers to get up and meet him in the wardroom. We’d been heading west; within an hour we were turned around and heading east.

Someone at SubLant emailed a couple of pictures of the WTC burning to the navigator, and a few days later we met up with a stores ship to get some needed supplies and repair parts, and as a bonus they gave us a stack of People and Time magazines and a video copied from CNN so we could see what had happened.

I like crab, but crab legs are like lobster – too much work, for even less payoff. A friend calls them negative-energy food, under the theory that you burn more calories trying to open them than you get from eating them.

191

IME it’s unusually for a pharmacy or doctors office to offer more than one Covid vaccine during any one season because it’s tricky to keep in stock without overstocking an expensive vaccine as well as has to be kept in a precise temperature range. Doctor’s offices especially are mindful of having to throw out a very expensive multi dose vial that expires before you have enough clients request it. That’s why many doctor’s office don’t offer Covid vaccines and send you to a pharmacy that does them on a large scale. Here is a quick comparison of the Covid vaccines available in the US:

Quick Comparison of the Main COVID-19 VaccinesFeaturePfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty)Moderna (Spikevax / mNexspike)Novavax (Nuvaxovid)Vaccine TypemRNA (Genetic instructions)mRNA (Genetic instructions)Protein Subunit (Traditional format)How It WorksTeaches cells to build a harmless piece of spike protein to trigger antibodies.Teaches cells to build a harmless piece of spike protein to trigger antibodies.Contains pre-made spike proteins combined with an ingredient to boost your immune response.Target VariantUpdated for current circulating strains (JN.1/XFG lineage).Updated for current circulating strains (JN.1/XFG lineage).Updated for current circulating strains (JN.1/XFG lineage).Standard Adult Dose1 dose (for previously vaccinated/general population)1 dose (for previously vaccinated/general population)1 dose (for individuals at risk of serious illness or older adults)Core Differences Explained1. The Underlying TechnologymRNA Vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna): These use messenger RNA wrapped in tiny fatty bubbles. They do not contain any virus. Instead, they deliver a temporary blueprint instructing your muscles to create a harmless “spike protein,” which prompts your immune system to build defenses. They dissolve quickly in the body and never alter your DNA. [1] (https://www.cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/how-they-work.html), [2] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGHs0u0VzoA), [3] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrm9RsBlCUw&t=55)Protein Subunit Vaccines (Novavax): This utilizes a highly traditional method similar to shingles or hepatitis B shots. Instead of making the protein yourself, the vaccine directly introduces microscopic, lab-made virus proteins alongside a tree-bark extract (adjuvant) to safely kickstart your immunity. [1] ( Comparing the four updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax ), [2] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGHs0u0VzoA)2. Key Variations Within BrandsWhile Pfizer and Moderna operate similarly, Moderna offers two formulas: Spikevax and mNexspike. The newer mNexspike targets specific segments of the virus’s spike protein rather than the entire structure, allowing it to provide strong defense using a much smaller dose (10 micrograms compared to Spikevax’s 50 micrograms). [1] (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/comparing-vaccines), [2] ( Comparing the four updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax )3. Tolerability and Side EffectsAll three options are highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. However, their side-effect profiles differ slightly due to immune activation speeds: [1] (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/comparing-vaccines)mRNA vaccines trigger a rapid early immune response (often within hours), which can occasionally result in transient flu-like symptoms, fatigue, or a sore arm. [1] ( Comparing COVID-19 Vaccines  - News Center ), [2] (https://www.goodrx.com/health-topic/vaccines/comparing-covid-19-vaccines)Protein vaccines (Novavax) create less immediate inflammation. This generally makes them a highly tolerable alternative for individuals who are sensitive to vaccine reactions or prefer a traditional formula. [1] ( Comparing COVID-19 Vaccines  - News Center ), [2] ( Comparing the four updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax )(Note: Older vaccine types, such as the viral vector shots from Johnson & Johnson or Oxford-AstraZeneca, are no longer widely utilized or distributed in the United States.

The nursing scuttlebutt I’ve heard is that the only real difference between the Pfizer and Moderna for the patient is that the Pfizer dose might be slightly more comfortable to get injected because it’s adult dose is only 0.3ml, while the Moderna dose is 0.5ml.

192

Yikes; how can it be Friday already? There’s 99 posts to read. Here’s a few comments:

Thanks shoe! Mild is fine.

swampy Your Waffle House meal sounds so delicious; I’m over here drooling.

The only other store I visit semi-regularly is the $ store to buy greeting cards.

Us too. We recently ran out so BF is going to buy one for us the next time she goes to Costco.

yes, we have one or two in the basement.

Thanks swampy On Wednesday we went to the Tigers game vs the Twins. 1 hr 40 min Rain Delay. I wore 2 raincoats; neither are new and near the seams some rain can leak through; but with 2 I stayed dry, Of course, we were in the concourse during the rain delay; when we got to our seats, we first wiped them off with the small towel I use to wipe Bella’s paws when she comes in from outside, then only experienced very slight rain for about the first inning and a half. Sun came out about the 5th inning. Tigers won 7-2 and I had an Italian sausage sandwich with plenty of sauteed onions on it and an ice cream cookie sandwich. Good times. :tiger_face:

Thursday: well during the rain delay I had developed a bit of a headache, then a bit of an earache then a bit of a soreness in my throat. Yesterday everything was a little bit worse so I stayed home prone for most of the day on the lazyboy with chicken noodle soup and sweet cinnamon spice herbal tea with lots of honey, catching up on tennis that I dvr’d and my soaps. The best match of the tournament so far was Ben Shelton vs Carlos Alcaraz. WOW! Those boys are so very very talented!

Today I slept in until a bit before 8am then showered, finished the Kroger grocery list and am now waiting with a cup of Chai Latte for Hubs to be ready to go to Kroger. Also read the story of Tyree Bacon, of the NYFD, who entered the South Tower of the WTC with three of his colleagues and escorted an injured woman out. His three colleagues did not make it. :droplet::droplet:
Daughter and girlfriend are coming over after work for dinner and to bring Bella; they’re going camping tomorrow.

Thanks doggio, forgot to put them on the Kroger list to go with the ribeye steak we’re having tonight.

ok Hubs is almost ready to go. I need to brush my teeth, put on shoes & socks (don’t want to chance my toes getting run over wearing sandals) and get the reusable bags ready. Just read post 140 so 50 to go now. TTYL.

Here’s something I sent to my friends this morning with Snoopy holding a bouquet of flowers:
“I hope today is good to you.
I hope something makes you laugh,
something makes you smile,
and something happens that you weren’t expecting in the best possible way.”
:heart_exclamation:

193

Busy for a Friday, and late Air as usual. I was out early, since there weren’t many damages and retapes. I stopped and got tonic water at Teeter, because without my Saturday gin&tonic, I might perish from scurvy. Laundry is sloshing.
I like lobster and crab, but I haven’t had any in a while.

That’s clucked up.

About the only business where the customers get fired, instead of the employees.

Healthier than licking rum soaked frosting straight off the spoon.
< adds frosting and more rum to shopping list >

I remember half the people at the Phar-Mor I worked at were New Yorkers, so it was a tense quiet day.

Hope he continues to improve, poor guy.

194

Twenty five years ago, I was on my way to work. While driving down Briley Parkway, I watched several aircraft successively landing with others circling. I thought that there may have been an accident at the airport (the radio in my truck was busted), Once at work, I booted up the computer just in time to see the second tower fall. It was a weird day after that.

We were a distribution center for Lucent Technologies, which meant that we were part of the supply line for getting communications established. We immediately went into overdrive to ship supplies 24/7. When I left work that afternoon, I waited in line to fill my gas tank, then went to SIL’s house for family time.

Back to the present, I feel lousy right now, but hope that once drunken neighbor turns off the damn music and breakfast settles my stomach, I’ll feel better.

195

Ya gonna go through puberty, ya gotta rebel now and then.

… which reminds me of visiting mom’s relatives in Warsaw during the.. late 80s? I wanna say? … I saw a couple in full-on punk - multicolored mohawk hair, safety pins everywhere, way too much black leather for summer - pushing a baby stroller and cooing happily.

I thought, "How the hell is that kid gonna be a teenager?

You vastly underestimate how much butter I involve with this operation.

Heh, that’s another random memory. Years ago, I was doing the office idle yakking with coworkers thing, and somehow the topic of chicken wings got involved.

I mentioned offhand that I don’t fry mine, I bake them in a toaster oven, and one of the other ladies was all, “Oooooh, that’s so much healthier! No wonder you’re so skinny!” and I was like, “If you saw how much butter goes on them…”

196

Afternoon all. True to my word I have done nothing constructive (outside of preparing and eating two sammiches) but will shortly dress and head over to the gym for a couple hours and then pickup my laundry before returning home and then going to soccer practice (weather looks promising). So should be moderately busy the next few hours.

Mollie, I’ve never had cancer and I hope I never get it, but I keep my eyes open and get regular checkups anyway. And what a way to spend a honeymoon–but Australia is a lovely place to visit, I’ll give you that. As for Fang, nothing mentioned when I google, so hopefully nothing serious (except for the insurance bill).

Herald, that is quite a story, I imagine a lot of ships’ personnel manning the teletype were the first to learn of the tragedy.

BBBoo, that’s a wee more information than I intend to read, but thanks for the info, I’ll take whatever they poke my arm with.

Cat Glove, haven’t been to a Major League baseball game in at least 7 years. Hope you’re feeling better soon.

Thanks all for sharing your 25th Anniversary stories. Like a few other things, those memories are etched in our brains.

And guess I’ll don the sweat-clothes (they will be sweaty when I finish) and head on out to the gym. Have a good one all.

Taters, at least Mr Taters is taking some nourishment and it’s apparently staying down. Few more days yet.

{{{Lily}}}. No words.

197

Quick one today, because:

Do I Still Need Boosters?

Feeling pretty rough this morning after all. :face_with_symbols_on_mouth:

fly boy pretty much nailed it. I like Snow crab well enough, but Dungeness has a sweetness and richness I’ve not found in any other crab. They are just luscious! I don’t boil them with anything but salt (“enough to make the water taste like the sea”), and I don’t add butter. Just pure crab, one whole one per year – sometimes two (not all at once, I’m not a total glutton!).

Not here. :slight_smile: Nuclear power plants are banned in Oregon.

swampy, I hope the new tee vee installation goes more smoothly than you’re anticipating! And you would receive many apples if we lived closer!

I do. The whole event depresses me so much, I can’t talk about it. :cry:

Glad the bagels survived, cookie. They’re tough. :slight_smile:

I’m sorry I got your hopes up, metal mouse. See above. It may not go as well as I first indicated. I hope yours does, though!

taters, happy for slow but steady progress for Mr. Taters. An egg is good progress!

I’m really sorry, Lily. We lost a lot that day, but you more than many.

< derp >

Yeah, that depends. :confused: See above.

Glad you enjoyed the Tigers’ game, Cat Glove! Feel better!

More doggio words of wisdom! < jot, jot >

However bad I’m feeling today, I know you’ve been feeling a lot worse and for a lot longer. I hope you feel better soon.

Back to bed shortly for me. This vax really hasn’t gone that much easier. No more getting my hopes up.

It’s a beautiful day outside, started at a quite cool 49Ferrets and rising to a predicted 73F. I wish I could enjoy it more. At least Ollie is looked after and is snoozing peacefully. He seems to understand. All the unpleasantness is still better than enduring the disease. I’ve never caught it and I hope I never do. Probably helps that I live like a monk in a silent monastery.

Hope the sweat session goes well, metal mouse. Your dedication is enviable!

Off to snooze and hopefully feel better in awhile. Have fantastic days, all! At least, best you can.

198

When we took the Band to New York in 25, we visited Ground Zero. While there, I realized I never really had to process 9/11, having been on the literal other side of the planet, and I’m okay with that.

199

Poor thing will be forced to grow up as a stockbroker…

The laundry remained clean and has been retrieved. Lunchtime walkies were achieved (I saw a fox!) but my brain ran out around 3pm, so the weekend started a little early. I needed a quick trip to the shops, so that also happened and I am now properly stocked up with snacks and things.

I feel like I could sleep for a week, but I doubt the ratties[1] would approve.

  1. or thesis advisors, but they’re not my responsibility and the ratties are ↩︎

200

An update on the maple syrup. The brand is Barred Woods, if you’re interested and it’s about $27/quart (Amazon). And holy crap is it good!