Do a google image search for “coconut crabs.”
Prepare to be startled.
Ha! I … didn’t. Stuffed myself, and then collapsed in a happy heap.
I learned a thing today!
Also love the mental image of a crab hitching a ride on a turtle. “Onward, faithful steed!”
That’s a good service!
From what I understand, that’s kind of the point.
Whelp, time to find clean clothes and head off. I’m supposed to be early-out tonight, although historically that means someone’s gonna beg me to close for them. 
Those were exactly the species I was thinking of when I wrote “garbage can lid”. They’re sorta infamous as nightmare fuel. They can climb, and jump out of, trees all drop bear-like.
But at least they can’t fly. Yet.
I have heard, however, that due to their diet, they are quite tasty.
Wouldn’t mind finding out for m’self.
They sent a bunch of people home because of “low volume”. But all the package cars ended up leaving late, because there weren’t enough people. They didn’t let me get started on the rewraps and damages till 0945. So I got out at noon. In any case, I’ve had some pork and eggs, now it’s naptime.
Also, Ozzy Osbourne just died. 
I don’t blame you. With the current situation, the Baghdad bomb squad would be a less stressful job.
There’s no way that could possibly go wrong.
{{{{sticky}}}}
Sort of like a puppy pulling Kleenex out of a box? But I’d probably try a new doc.
“Ahem.” - Spot
I used to watch that on ESPN LV when sumo or midget wrestling wasn’t on.
Well, if I’m ever around a coconut crab while holding a .30/06, I’ll find out for you.
Exactly like a puppy pulling Kleenex from a box, yes.
I’m glad for good house and apartment news, coming home from a cruise, and having a snooze.
-- Amelia Earhart
The only ball sport that I find even the least bit interesting.
One game I remember had a guy lying out in the middle of the field with a couple of medics and other people gathered around him – they could be seen in the background while a substitute was sent in and play resumed.
There are indeed rules, though they’ve changed a bit since I learned them back in the '70s.
ahem, indeed. sharp dressed spot.
Wish I’d had my camera ready the other day. Susu (two years old, fourteen pounds) and Lily (three and a half, eight pounds) were sitting on the piano, facing each other, noses maybe five inches apart. She looked downright tiny in comparison…
I really have almost no interest in sports but I have been in a few street rumbles
You can lean into it. Get him a wizards walking stick and bling it out with miniature tools, focused on the ones he uses as an engineer. Maybe wrap a cloth tape measure around it for a hand grip. People will admire his stick on a regular basis.
(I refuse to use an electric cart. Because.)
I love this suggestion!
And you’re right, once he starts getting positive attention and compliments, he’ll enjoy the admiration.
Get him a sword or pistol cane. But, Barney Fife style, no ammo. He’ll be proud to carry the tools to defend his damsel from the roving marauders.
Okay. So. One month from now, Mr. Rilch and I are going to be host parents for an exchange student.
I’m not asking for advice on how to host an exchange student. There’s a facilitator from the school who will walk us through all that. What I need advice on is how not to have a cardiac episode.
I mean, this all happened so fast, I feel like I’ve been caught in an elephant stampede. Early last week, a friend of ours mentioned that someone she knows was looking for a host family for a student. Mr. Rilch gets the online application, starts filling it out, then we get an appointment for this facilitator (our friend’s friend) to come and check out the house, and us. So we spend the whole weekend getting the house ready; yes, we’re usually company-ready, but in this case, the kitchen had to be spotless. And this woman shows up on Sunday, day before yesterday, and pronounces everything ship-shape. And today the application went through, and this is it. Third week of August, a young woman will be moving into our spare room. (She’s from the same country that Mr. Rilch’s and my people are both from. We don’t speak the language, though.)
And I’m not really okay with this. I did ask to speak privately to the facilitator, and told her point-blank, “One thing I like about living here is how private it is.” She was mildly sympathetic, but informed me that a) we were the only candidates and b) she didn’t want to do this either, her first time, but she ended up loving it.
Groan. I keep telling myself, he didn’t get us into anything illegal, or dangerous, or likely to bankrupt us. It won’t get us made fun of or shunned, and it’s not a permanent commitment. But man, I still feel railroaded.
If you’re feeling railroaded, the people who need to hear that are your husband. Loud, clear, and NOW.
It is only too late for you both to back out if you’re too weak to push back.
Good luck. Either in changing course or in deciding you were not railroaded.
Howdy Y’all! Laundry got laundered and put where it stays until it gets dirty again. I went to the pharmacy to pick up two ‘scripts that were due for a refill. I had kinda forgotten they were due until I got a text from the pharmacy remindin’ me that it was a second text from them about the refills. So I got scolded via text. When I got back to da cave I made myself go to my room, lie on the bed and think about what I had done. Also, sup got fixed and et. Thus is the news from swampland.
The neighbors who are taking my washer / dryer are doing the final cleaning. They’ll get the key from the apartment office and go to work. Likely a couple of hours for a deep clean (less if they bring a teen or two) and they get the W/D, a patio set, a vacuum, a desk (they are home schooling this year) and two lamps for their efforts.so it works out.
Glad you had a good day, shoe!
That’s OK. Leaves more of them for me. 
Got things done this morning, then sheveled to pick up some 'scrips and a few groceries. I’ll be glad when I get moved and settled in to get back on a somewhat regular schedule of doing stuff like that.
Once home, I took a short nap (gotta build up that RDOS cred) and packed up most of my shoes. I left a couple of pair of sneakers and the yard shoes that I walk Nelson in. Those won’t go to Texas with me, since they’re about worn out. There’s a pair of slip on sneaks that I packed today that will take their place. One of the things that will change when I move is my house slippers. Right now, when the weather begins to cool down, I wear socks, and if it’s cold, knit (by Sis) slippers. I don’t think that will be such a good idea with tile floors, so I’ll have to look for some with soles.
… in which case it’ll take all day.
Yep. You tell 'em, girl!
Raisins are one of the best ingredients in cookies right after flour & sugar. All else is Philistinism.
IME the major pharmacy chains are happy to deliver scrips at no charge. The best routines to settle into are those where somebody else does all the work.
I use yoga socks. Nonskid on the bottom is good.
It’s the second one. I’m just frustrated because this happened too fast for me to really process it. Two things, though. I didn’t discuss this with anyone except Mr. Rilch, at least not directly, because what was there to discuss about something that hasn’t happened yet, and I have no context for? Indirectly, I asked Megan, my friend from Bible study, if she could recommend some Bible passages for someone facing a big change. She said she hoped it wasn’t anything bad. I said no, nothing bad, but major. She said, “Well, maybe it’s supposed to happen, whatever it is.” So that’s one thing: maybe this will put me in touch with people from the college, and something positive will come from that.
I did talk with Mr. Rilch, though not in depth, but the thing is, I don’t think I do have a good reason for not doing this. At least not one that’s not self-serving. “I like my privacy. I like keeping odd hours.”
Mr. Rilch sez: “Well, a few weeks ago, you were all ‘What if, what if?’ about not having kids. You also complain that when you were a teenager and in your twenties, you asked Older People a lot of questions. And now that you’re an Older Person, nobody asks you anything. Well, this gal’s gonna have a lot of questions!” He also points out that both our fathers would flip over this, were either of them still alive.
And the facilitator set my mind at ease about a few things. One, she won’t be allowed to drink alcohol (and of course, no illegal drugs) or have a sexual relationship while she’s here. And all students in the program know this, and are not prone to testing it out. So we don’t have to monitor her behavior and keep her In Line. As Susan, the friend who first hooked us up, said, “She wouldn’t be coming here if she weren’t known to be mature and responsible.” And she’s expected to contribute to household chores, as long as it doesn’t intrude on her academic time. IOW, not the arrogant Eurotrash my mind first went to! Of course, she won’t be able to drive…but again, perhaps driving her around will put me in the right place at the right time for something.
Make your choice, adventurous stranger
Strike the bell and bide the danger,
Or wonder, till it drives you mad
What would have followed if you had.
So I’m not asking how to get out of this. I’m asking how to be okay with it.
Day Four ended last night. No major problems.
The Italian coach is famous among the Race Committee for his passion in arguments.
The umpire got him on a violation of the rule that coach boats need to be 100 meters from the start line. He had been helping a team member and then (various reasons).
We are separate from the jury (what they call the referees) and can’t tell them anything , but the Italians got to vent. And vent loudly. Culturally opposite of the Japanese.
So, among other duties, it falls on me to deal with them.
Our plan is to get t-shirts that says in Japanese “Because Lucas”
Last day! Then I just want to sleep for a week but my wife wants to sightsee. Her sister is up from Taiwan and we’ll be going around Osaka.
Evenin’ all - Just back from dinner on a damp evening.
Got most of my errands done today, then free-ubered to the nearby fancy tacos place for Taco Tuesday. The sky to the west was real dark & ominous and the radar showed the alligators and far western suburban humans were getting soaked, but it was dry & clear here at the beach.
As my margaritas (3) and tacos (2) were assimilated the skies opened up with a vengeance. So dawdling ensued to let the rain subside at least some. Was chatting off and on with two ~28yo women who had settled on the barstools adjacent. But mostly they yakked to themselves while I overheard. Boy I’m glad I’m not a 28yo woman. Nor man really. So much complexity and angst.
Also enjoyed listening to GF vent for most of an hour about the stupid, vindictive, or both, shit her soon to be ex-husband has pulled in the last weekish while she’s been gone. Once she was all cried out I told her we need to get her to where I am, where there’s never anything to vent about. I’m happy to take her there any time she’s ready.
To boot she has developed what looks like an infected molar and will spend all day tomorrow at the emergency dentist instead of driving to Orlando again to wrap up most of the prep for Mom’s move. So the drive will be Thu.
Poor thing!!!
Once all that was done and the rain was merely raining lightly, not slamming, I called for a real uber to get home. I’d originally intended to walk if the rain held off. Oh well; win some, lose some.
Now here yabbering at y’all.
Next move is refine my canned travel checklist for the upcoming mission then perhaps begin picking and packing. Armed with a plan and no great desire to high fashion that goes quickly. I’m never scruffy, but how hard can 6 pairs of shorts, 6 polos, and 6 sets of underwear be? The devil is always in the one-off items: windbreaker, track suit, water shoes, swim trunks, beach tidbits, etc. That’s the stuff that gets forgotten and where a checklist made in advance pays major dividends.
Or not; I may just RDOS.
Cheers and a happy late Tuesday to all!