Don’t blame me. My dishwasher is churning away.
Morning all. Yesterday felt so much like a Saturday to me that I am still working on the idea that this is now Saturday and I still have one more day after this for the weekend. Nothing critical on the schedule, may drop down to the BJ’s Club store and see if I need any large items from there, and then maybe some gym time, but otherwise a quiet day in Casa Rat is planned. Next Saturday indoor soccer resumes so I’ll have that to look forward too. It’s 38F heading for 45F for the high, but supposed to be near 60F tomorrow, so a nice way to finish off the year.
red, glad that a nasty name was the only consequence; these days…
FCM, sounds like you have the cruise pretty well-planned. As for the 6 hours at the airport, you might want to see if the airline (pretty sure I know which one it is) has a lounge that you can buy a 1-day pass for, it’s a lot more comfortable than sitting in chairs by the gate for that long.
So, do you come from a land down under?
Sari, glad the closing is done, that’s one major thing off your plate. Hopefully that will help in the stress reduction. Be well.
shoe, it figures, hope the re-re-scheduled inspection happens. As for the e-mail, a "here’s the facts plus all the time I’ve had to set aside, I would truly appreciate it if the next appointment is at a suitable and confirmed time’ should do it. (ETA: I see you got your point across without any help…)
FCM, it can be hard for someone who worked most his life to suddenly realize he doesn’t have to figuratively ‘punch the timeclock’ anymore. Me, I adjusted real fast… 
Boo fae, I’ve been known to leave luggage unpacked for 2-3 days (this one only took me 18 hours to get to). And thanks for the reminder, I’ve updated my spreadsheets for 2024 Income and Outgo, so bring on 2024!
Pilot, enjoy your blankie.
OK, need to do a few constructinve things this morning, so all y’all take care and enjoy these last few hours of 2023…I suspect 2024 will be…interesting.
I do hope it’s not going to feel a need to compete with 2020.
Metalmouse since you were expressing some confusion earlier about days of the week … I’ll point out that right now 2023 has another ~38 hours to run. Not just 14. 
I’d hate for you to get all dressed up, put on your silly hat, and go out to partay this evening a day early.
No, I just like Vegemite.
No, I aborted mission on the email I’d started drafting. Way too, ah, “pointy” as my ex referred to it, e.g. over-the-top bitchy.
It’s a holiday weekend, nobody over there is gonna do diddly squat till Tuesday at least.
Speaking of which, I’m running perilously low on some key groceries (perishables, cat stuff, and T.P.) and was considering going to the Walliest of Worlds today, before Long Night shift.
Otherwise, I dunno, they might be closed Monday.
… what do we think, Mumpers … bad idea?
Meant to point out that this was a very ominous way to start my morning.
Walmart will be open as normal both on NYE and NYD, according to both US News & World Report and CNN.
Most humble apologies. Was feeling a bit…grumpy…this morning, haven’t properly caffeinated yet. Plus the hotel I booked and paid for under Expedia is trying to charge me $200+ on my credit card and I am…not amused. Have just completed a call to them and have a case number, so we shall see what happens next.
I once saw a cartoon in a magazine that portrayed cats racing around a track, following the Wrrr of an automatic can opener.
And at 10 o’clock on a Saturday, he decided to screw work, and take the rest of the year off…
So I was covering the 100 and 200 Slides this morning, since a whole bunch of people apparently decided to take a three day weekend. But the cleanup was easy, just a couple of damages, including a broken torus shaped LED lamp
[Homer]MMMmmmm…forbidden glowing doughnut…[/Homer]
When I got home Spot spent some time licking my hand. I just hope he hasn’t developed a tate for human flesh, because once that happens, they are ungovernable.
Cat racing would look like a mashup between the last chase in The Road Warrior and the Battle of Agincourt.
where you drink too many Vieux Carrés and start to chunder
I had another Vegemite sandwich just now. Only this time, I scrambled an egg and made a square egg patty upon which I put the thick slice of cheddar. Now, I tend to spread the fairly thick; at least as much as #4, and often as much in #5 in the photo on this page:
Between the thick egg patty and the thick cheese, the Vegemite flavour was almost lost.
I usually cook eggs in a non-stick pan sprayed with PAM (unless I cook them in the grease from bacon or sausage in a cast-iron frying pan). Today I decided to use a stainless steel pan. I used a good amount of margarine, but the egg patty still stuck. Oh, well. That’s what Barkeeper’s Friend is for.
ETA: I’d love to visit Australia and have someone try to prank me with too much Vegemite. 
Except for this. Yes, that’s our ship.
I just finished removing most of the babies from my spider plants. I did plant a few, but most went into the trash. The plants will be easier to deal with from now till spring when I get some new planters and divide them again. I also cleaned my vacuum cleaner and discovered I bought the wrong filters for it, dammit - the discovery coming too late to return them, dammit. But I ordered a new batch.
We went out for a McBreakfast, then stopped in at the thrift store where I scored a small purse for our trip. It’ll be perfect to hold my phone, my tablet some masks, and my passport, and it’s got a long strap so I can wear it cross-body. No need for my everyday purse with all the crap I carry around - I can put my ID and a credit card in one of the little pockets so I won’t need the big-ass wallet. Or the notebook. Or keys. Or the multiple little bottle of lotion… maybe it’s time to clean out my everyday purse. But still, this little one will be great - especially for $4!! It’s made from recycled plastic but it looks like leather. It will do nicely.
OK, guess I should get back to dealing with my coleus. Or maybe I’ll put it off till tomorrow. I’m having an attack of the lazies.
Must’ve been a while ago. I can’t remember the last time I saw a can of gooshy-food that required a can opener.
They’re all pull-tops - the sound of which Monkey definitely knows - along with nearly every other canned good.
Pro: Easy to open, don’t hafta use a can opener much these days.
Con: Can’t open a damn can of soup without being hassled by His Handsomeness.
Welcome to my life. Only difference is, the grumpies don’t really go away.
They just get dampened by alcohol uh, weed, wait I meant chicken soup yanno, we’ll go with Monkey snuggles.
Considering mine isn’t 24 hrs anymore, and I couldn’t stand the suspense … okay, I wanted friggin’ scrambled eggs …
Holy socks, Batman. It wasn’t super crowded, but when in FRICK did T.P. and, of all things, those plastic-wrapped Kraft singles (don’t judge!) get that expensive?!?
After the kibble, those were the single most expensive items on my receipt.
{ shakes fist } Things cost more these days! Bah!
Speaking of, he’s currently outside (under the fucking fallen tree 
) enjoying the mid-40s blazing sunshine.
He better - we’re supposed to get a “possible wintry mix” overnight, which IME means, “Might sleet. Might be icy. Might snow, but prolly not lake effect fluffery. Probably just cold-as-shit rain.”
One of my coworkers brought everyone a dollar lottery ticket.
I never do these things, so I wound up staring at it through - and then over - my glasses, feeling completely ancient and out of touch.
I won a dollar.
“makin’ it RAIN, bitches!” (throws single in the air so it can flutter sadly down)
I vote for taking the pups out for a nice long walk 
Also, maybe it’s the particular company that makes the hybrids that your state purchases. I bought a 2014 Fusion Hybrid and had no problems with it other than normal aging of the tie rod thingie after 9 years. I LOVE averaging 41.9 mpg after 56k miles. Son-in-law has had several Prius Hybrids with no stranding type problems.
Be on the lookout for bulldawgs (swampy sighting?) and seminoles.
hippie that’s fantastic!
Mom was a very good pianist. I’m surprised that Dziadzia had the money for lessons for her, IIRC she took lessons for about 10ish years. I have no idea what happened to the piano after Babcia passed. I believe the house contents went to my godfather and I subsequently had been to their house and no piano in sight.
So, my parents bought a piano and we girls took lessons from the nuns for about 2 years for 25 cents per lesson. At some point after we’d all left home, my brother had the piano refurbished/retuned and it was supposed to go to him. But after Mom passed, he didn’t want it so I took it. I’m not very proficient but can at least play the melody when I was in the choir and practicing to cantor the responsorial hymn.
Haven’t caught up yet but need to go put on some Spartan gear as they have a rematch against team they beat for the 1979 NCAA Championship which was Magic vs Byrd.
Please, ‘Magic vs Bird’.
Some things are sacred and Larry Bird is one of them.
Carry On.
Bad news from Indiana - MIL is in the hospital, and the Dr thinks it’s congestive heart failure. But being a holiday weekend, they don’t know when they can do an ultrasound to confirm it. FCD wants to go there. I want him to at least wait a bit till we know something for sure. Plus he’s still getting over this gawd-awful cold/sinus thing.
If we have to cancel our trip, at least I got the highest level trip insurance, so we’ll get a full refund. But still… Dammit.
Afternoon all. Did some shopping at BJ’s and still had a $12 credit on their card (from signing up early), so the expense wasn’t too much. Then decided to splurge on the calories and went to Red Robin (Yum!) for a Mega-burger and fries, so now I have a honest guilt-trip to get me to the gym today. 
Will head out in a bit.
FCM, hopefully it’ll be better by the time you go, Ushuaia is where I sailed from on my cruise and it’s where most of the smaller Antarctic ships sail from, it’s worth the stop IMHO. But the Drake Passage will be rough, even calm days are twice as bad as any you’ve had elsewhere.
And just read your last message; part of me hopes for the best and part of me thinks it’s time for her to go, so just giving out {{{hugs}}} and waiting to see what happens.
shoe, congrats on your winnings; don’t go spending it all in one place now, y’hear?
Onward.
Aw, crap, it’s gonna be that kind of a Saturday 'round these parts, huh?
Note to self:
There’s gonna be a lotta drunks in green hats tonight. Either celebrating, or consoling. Cool, cool.
That is such a bummer. I hope things don’t get even more difficult for you.