(Old) Strange Places and Milestones in the MMP

Update: got home to discover only soup, no sushi … and a missed call from them. Dammit. Drove back to retrieve the Important Stuff - thank god this wasn’t an Uber or taxi pickup originally, or I’d have been really pissed, instead of simply annoyed.

Well, I got to drive around a bit in the cool-ish breeze. (Trying to find the good in shitty situations. That seems to be what cheerful ppl do.)


Okay, that was funny. I needed to change out Charm’s water bowl. Since Monkey has an unhealthy obsession with her - in his defense, in his (lovely) eyes, she’s a self-wiggling string … but he’d easily injure or kill her - I usually lock him briefly away when unlocking her tank.

Monkey often sleeps in the basement during the day.

So, I quietly closed the basement door & started unlocking her tank.
… when guess who comes sauntering out of my closet, yawning & stretching & going, “Hey, is my fancy string available for playtime?”

Oh, I’m in love💘

The Sad Saga of the Crusty Bread

  • as told by Shoe

Overheard a ticket being marked “red star” which means one of us has to walk an order - or usually, part of an order - directly out to a parked car.
(This usually means someone effed something up. If everything goes smoothly, the whole order is handed directly out the window & then the line moves along.)

Hear chatter behind me from the kitchen about a crusty bread that is coming out a bit late. Keep doin’ what I’m doing, and then to my left I hear, “Oh, shit. I dropped it.”

Damn crusty bread is upside down on the floor. Gotta re-make, and this now takes priority over the (stacking up) tickets we’ve got going.

Right about then, my manager asks me to take over the drive-thru window so the girl mostly handling it can get her break.
I step into cash register zone to greet the fray line out into the street, get a couple orders going, and suddenly someone WALKS up to the window. In front of a line of cars.

(Don’t do that.)

Asks semi politely about her C.B. I told her I’ll check on it, as soon as I finish this transaction (I’m 90% through getting change and handing out an order for the guy in the car at my, yanno, drive-thru window.)

Finish that, turn around, and holla out, “How much longer on that crusty re-make?”

And Oven Guy goes, “Oh, shit, I forgot about it.”

Now, Oven Guy is a jokester. The entire kitchen thought he was yanking our chain … until he pulls out this burnt-to-shit hockey puck.

Right then, the customer’s husband WALKS up to the drive-thru. “Can we pick up the rest of our order now?!?”

“We will bring it out to you as soon as it’s ready.”

“That’s what they told us like twenty minutes ago!”

(Dude. You don’t want the one face-down on the floor, and you don’t want the burnt one. I didn’t drop your frigging food, and I didn’t burn it. Please don’t shoot the messenger … I’m already gonna get shit from the entire line of cars sitting in oncoming traffic about why our line is taking so long.)

^^ was somehow encapsulated into one short sigh.


Okay, gotta go. Thanks for coming to my TED talk. :pizza:

I had the whole playlist on because there is no good place to stop. “A Pirate Looks at Forty” is one of my all time favorites. Especially the the verse, “Yes I am a pirate, 200 years to late/The cannons don’t thunder, there’s nothing to plunder/I’m an over-40 victim of fate, arriving too late”.

Hi all. I’ve read much but retained little. It’s been a crazy insane couple of days around the pond. BtY lost his lanyard with his school ID badge at school on Wednesday. Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem. But that’s the only way that the kids get to ride the city bus for free. The driver wasn’t paying attention on Wednesday so he got home ok, but I had to drive them in on Thursday morning because I couldn’t count on it again. CtY had therapy Wednesday night, which is going well. Hubby has started getting a bunch more tutoring jobs, which will help tremendously. The kids had Friday off and are off Monday so it’s a 4 day weekend. My best friend was supposed to come up, but her mom has COVID so that’s pushing her next visit out to sometime in the future.

This weekend is going to be fairly laid back. Hubby is at a Magic: The Gathering pre-release today. Tomorrow I’m going on a picnic with one of the local guys that I’m interested in. Monday we have no plans but I’m thinking board games.

My hands aren’t getting any better, but they aren’t getting any worse either. I’m really hoping that it is just carpal and not something in my spinal column because I’m occasionally getting numbness shooting down my arms and legs. It’s just temporary, but it happened about 20 years ago and I had to have a laminectomy at that time. So… wish me luck that it’s nothing major.

I need to start contacting some of CtE’s former teachers for a plan I have for their graduation gift. I’m going to ask them to write a note for CtE that I’m going to put into a scrap book with some pictures from the various years when they were in school. I thought it would be a good memento and a wonderful reminder of how much they are loved. I’ve got a few other organizational things I need to write down and get figured out too. But I’ve got time.

Other than that, life here is just same old, same old. Reading some good books, writing far less than I want, and sharing some TV shows with Hubby. Hope everyone has a good rest of the weekend, and sending all the fishy hugs of joy, sorrow and comfort that I have to share.

Afternoon all. Soccer has been completed, the 12U boys won their second game of the day 5-0, they now have started the season 3-0, so feeling pretty good. Had to referee it as there was no ref available, but needed the exercise anyway and my assistant coach did a good job with the kids. But it’s 87F outside so glad to be in the AC now.

Real Fish, presume the badge was replaced for BtY. consider luck wished for you hands to do better.

Shoe, quite a saga, and can’t the dropped Crusty Bread be subject to the 5-second rule?

FCM, sorry your daughter is caught with such a problem above and beyond teaching kids. Hope everything can be worked out.

OK, need to catch up on all the other stuff happening in the universe. All y’all take care.

I’m glad your son is getting out of a less than optimal living situation and into an apartment of his own in a better neighborhood, taters.

I’m within a couple of hours from finishing the invitations! I’ll put another hour in this evening and finish them up tomorrow.

I did go get coffee beans and went to the outlet grocery. I got out for ~$28 for the coffee and ~$40 for a couple month’s worh of meat (in addition to outlet groceries, they have a meat counter and cut their own), some puppy treats, TP, condiments and corn nuts (guilty pleasure).

Now to get busy. :stuck_out_tongue:

Howdy Y’all! I was a domesticated kitchen machine this mornin’. Got all the foodstuffs for tomorrow done plus made the slaw we et tonight along with bbq sammiches and fries. Nappage and day drinkin’ were also accomplished. Now I am watchin’ kolledge tackleball and checkin’ out teh intartoobz cause I am a multi-tasker.

Happy Friday!
c.
The weather has been beautiful lately. Not too hot, low humidity, and breezy.

Closing went well yesterday.
I was upset that we were running late because of traffic, only to find out that everybody was late because of traffic. We were just the latest of the late.
No idea what was going on that had traffic bumper to bumper standing still. I turned and went a block over, so I didn’t see what the problem was.

I overdid it Wednesday and was so sore yesterday that I could barely move. I’m still a little sore today, so another day of not doing much.
I was hoping to get a lot of sleep, but last night when I was going to bed, I noticed Echo was not well. Shar Pei fever I think. I got an aspirin in her, and we went up to bed. She could barely make it up the stairs. Then once up there I pet her for a long time while she stood next to the bed. Once the aspirin kicked in, she was able to use the ramp to get on the bed. Then I pet her until we both fell asleep.
Ripple liked to be left alone when he didn’t feel well, Echo is clingy.
She’s still not better today.
There’s been a lot of change in our routine and I think she and Adam are both stressed out. We barely see Adam.

My son has been taking a cab, I’m hurting too much to deal with him.

He did the walk through. My realtor told me that he asked a lot of questions and the guy friend of the seller took him around and showed him how to do some of the maintenance stuff.
The realtor knows my son is shy and she was impressed at the way he spoke up.
I’m happy he is starting to step up.

Tomorrow will be shop for appliances day.
I found a stove/oven I like and it’s only $1600+. I can hardly justify buying a new stove when the one there irks, but I don’t like it.
I have a budget for moving, I guess I’ll wait and see how everything else goes.
It’s a good weekend for shopping, though.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Happy Saturday!

It’s back to being hot outside, supposed to get up to 87 degrees.

I’ve been trying to get more sleep. I still wake up early every morning.

I can barely move today. My back is hurting horribly with muscle spasms. There’s no swelling or sign of infection.

We need to go to the new house and take some measurements, but I think not today.

No updates on the truck. I talked to a park friend yesterday and he said when squirrels chewed through the wiring in his truck his truck did the same thing my truck is doing.
It probably is electrical.
I am seriously considering trading it in on something new, but I think that is probably rash, impractical, and immature. Then I think I will just buy something new because once my son gets his license, we could use two vehicles.
I’m just frustrated because I want my truck back.
The dogs haven’t been anywhere for almost four weeks and they are getting restless. Barky/Humpy mom has given up on getting me to go to the park. Lucy dad finally got the okay to drive after his knee replacement, and I’d like to see him and I know he wants to see the dogs. This is a critical time in the GR development and they need to be out meeting people and other dogs.
As much as I loved Ripple, I do not want another Ripple. I want friendly dogs that are happy and confident, it took Ripple a long time to get confident because I didn’t take him out enough when he was young.

I’m trying to catch up around here, but it’s slow going.

Double Hooray! You for standing up for your own needs first, and him for stepping up. Lotta people will be just as lazy & take-y as you let them be. You doing the right thing for you and having it also be the right thing for him is a win-win for sure.

Yaay for everyone else’s mostly good news.

As to me:
We decided “early” (the crack of 11 when Her Ladyship emerged from bed) in the morning today that we should go out tonight for ruling-class dinner. So I cast about for a place where we could get a good reservation time for a holiday Sat night. Success was had that morning.

We arrived timely for our 7:15pm reservation. 3 hours later we left, not miserable, but definitely overfed with excellent food and drink. A success by anyone’s definition. Today is approximately the 2 year anniversary of our cohabiting. Not that tonight was formally a celebration of that, but that was part of the overall tone of a month with many milestones. Go us! We hope.

Up from naptime, made Asian BBQ stirfry. I had a margarita with it.
I stopped for a couple beers after work. The brewpub had a dog foster group there, so I drank beer, and petted puppies. Why does everybody want to bite my goatee?

I used to drink that. One of my ex-girlfriends used to refer to it as “like sex in a canoe” fucking close to water

When Life gives you onions, remember that onionade sucks.

So say we all.
And I’d be happy if someone made me fresh crusty bread, instead of serving me upside down floor bread.

“biteM3eyequit!”
And yay 2nd Informalversary!

When one of my friends was ordering new jerseys for his hockey team, he opened up the order for friends. I went with this:


After Edward “Blackbeard” Teach. and “18” for 1718 when his ship was sunk here in N.C.(so I am a pirate, 305 years too late)

Yay for Sahson stepping up, sari. and hope you and Echo feel better.

Aw, naw, that thing went “splat.

Not that I care about football AT ALL but I’m curious how our local high school team did the other night. (Go Tigers!)

Anyone know how to look up current scores for high school? Muskegon Heights, to be precise.

I like this word!

Alright, I gotta wind down from Long Night. See y’all in the morrow.

Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN 'Tis 70 Amurrkin out and cloudy with a predicted high of 87 and N.O.S. for the day. The big item on today’s schedule is deheathenization followed by first Sunday brunch. I am off duty today so I get to plop my behind down in a pew and snooze through participate in the liturgy. After that it will be home to da cave for nappage and general overall sloth and uselessness.

Pilot happy two year cohabitation with her ladyship!

sari glad the closin’ was successful. Hope Echo and you are feelin’ somewhat better today. Yay on sahson for steppin’ up!

shoe this site can help you find out local high skool football scores. Use the search function to find the high skool you want. I know weird things. This is one of 'em.

Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then purtification for deheathenization must commence. I must needs heat up the corn casserole in the nukulator as well.

Happy Sunday Y’all!

So not an expression of a desire to be an instructor for high school seniors or college freshmen??? :wink:

Today we’re supposed to return to the 90s for at least a week, dammit. The house is still open, but not for long. It was nice while it lasted. I plan to run to Food Lion early before the Sunday rush hits, then I’m going to clean up all the kids’ stuff and the pool (that they used once) before I mow the back yard. Sometime today, the critter fountain needs to be de-gunked. So not a whole lot of idleness ahead.

I wish we didn’t have to wait till January for our cruise. All of a sudden, I just want to run away from everything - all the little niggling things that I can’t do anything about but still fret over. I want to pretend I’m carefree if I can. C’mon January!!

Happy Sunday!

Hey - any of you want to live near me? This just came back on the market. It last sold in 2018 for $511K. If you scroll down to the property history pull-down, you’ll see the most recent attempts to sell it. Further down, you’ll find that the median sales price in this neighborhood is under $400K.

It has the misfortune of being the biggest, most expensive house in the neighborhood. And like most of the rest of us, it sits on 3 acres, so it doesn’t even have the advantage of being a bigger lot. Plus it’s on one of the two roads leading into the neighborhood, so lots of traffic passes by every day - well lots for this neighborhood.

In other locations, it would be a real bargain at that price. I will be amazed if it sells any time soon, especially with today’s interest rates. but who knows??

Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off today. The usual cleaning and napping with Spot will occur.

Sadly most schools do not have an opening for “Improvised napalm, explosives, and cocktail making instructor”.

the younger guys on the annual fishing trip drink Coors Light. I will remember “sex in a canoe” and pass it on We are seven weeks and counting to my fly fishing spot.

I hope that you and Echo are feeling better soonest sari.

Up, caffeinating, breakfasted and fixing to do meal prep and KP.

Stay safe and healthy y’all!

Here’s the clip. [NB: It audibly drops the F-bomb, so NSFW.]

Three otters (a mama and two babies) were plying outside the catio just now. They climbed up on the steps, and we had three furry otter faces looking at us. :slight_smile:

Mornin’ everyone.

It’s 63F and our expected high temp will be 73F. There will be a mixture of clouds and sun all day and we could see a couple of rain showers this afternoon.

After all, the slogan for that beer was “It’s the Water” because it was supposedly brewed with water from artesian wells. I’ll have you know it’s the 26th oldest beer in the nation and one of the top 25 beers in the world (in 2012). :laughing:

The brewery was started in in1896 at Tumwater Falls on the Deschutes River. I toured the brewery in the 1970s before I was old enough to drink and had the t-shirt to prove it.

It wasn’t a terrific beer, but I like dark beers.

I’ll bet watching those otters was fun, but they are actually pretty mean, so I’d stay away from them, flyboy.

Not sure what’s on the agenda today. Maybe a visit to Lowes, maybe not. I need a pedicure, so that might happen too.

sari, I hope the pain you’re dealing with abates soonest. I’m glad your son is stepping up. I hope Echo is feeling better too.

FCM, that’s a lot of house and way too much for me! I’m happy with around 2200-2500 square feet. I need the extra rooms for my husband’s VR set-up, a WFH office and a separate den for my personal computer. I like to keep my workspace separate from my private life. I’d prefer everything on level now too. I’m still in a two-story house, and I’m sick of dragging the vacuum up and down the stairs.

Alright, need to take care of the usual morning chores. Catch you all tomorrow, probably.