# Outdoor Family Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 9, 2005, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038 "2005-05-09T12:09:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/81 "2005-05-11T18:24:35Z")
Ooh, **Lissla** , come on over to my house (I love that song) and hooverize my carpet. I chucked that worthless Oreck of mine and am without a vacuum till the new one gets here. Is it sad that I’m excited about a new vacuum? Anyway, I have gingersnaps not from Trader Joe’s, but they’re pretty good still. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/82 "2005-05-11T19:02:38Z")
> [@Hokkaido Brit](#): > > Will you show us the end result of all your hard labour? [Here](http://groups.msn.com/CaptStevesWanderingStar/beforeandafter.msnw?albumlist=2) are the before and after pics, and [here](http://groups.msn.com/FCMII-FestPages/renovationcontinued.msnw?Page=1) are the other in-progress pics. Work on the inside has ceased for now, and I’ve been attacking the gardens, or they’ve attacked me. Either way, it’s hot, sweaty work. **swampy** , your inspired notion of a billiards table is not too workable as the ceiling in the basement is quite low. The chandelier would very nearly touch the green felt. I suppose I could take advantage of that and invent “Obstacle Pool” but I’m thinking it wouldn’t catch on. My sweetie is back in Maryland. I need to get off this board and tidy up so he won’t think I was a complete bum while he was away. So stop distracting me, you naughty MMPers!!! I have chores to do! ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/83 "2005-05-11T19:06:33Z")
Pssht, no huge jackpots, **Taters**. Of course, when you’re playing nickel and quarter slots, I guess it’s not so surprising. I pretty much limited my gambling to emptying out my coin purse, since I don’t care to gamble. **Bumba** , LJ is my place to piss and moan about stuff no one else is going to really care about. Lucky for you, your name is never mentioned. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/84 "2005-05-11T19:12:02Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > the satisfying part of a pound of trucker’s butt is that it is to be extracted sans anesthetic, not what I do with it when it arrives… :eek: 😃 Well _that_ makes a lot more sense. I have a friend that works in the FAA up in DC. She handles claims from air traffic controllers - worker comp, complaints, etc. The first thing she said when she heard about the little scare up there today was, “Great, another stress-related complaint from an ATC.” Or words to that effect. I talk to her everyday via e-mail. She was telling me last week of this complaint a bunch of them made about a fire alarm being too loud. I don’t envy her and her job. Did I tell you I got a garden gnome Monday for my birthday? **Litha Rose** , my girlfriend got it for me. It’s about 8 inches long, and it’s a reclining gnome. Perfect size for the plant box attached to the balcony. And she also got me a glass toothpick holder, to replace the empty Prozac bottle we were using. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/85 "2005-05-11T19:17:49Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > the satisfying part of a pound of trucker’s butt is that it is to be extracted sans anesthetic, not what I do with it when it arrives… :eek: 😃 Well _that_ makes a lot more sense. I have a friend that works in the FAA up in DC. She handles claims from air traffic controllers - worker comp, complaints, etc. The first thing she said when she heard about the little scare up there today was, “Great, another stress-related complaint from an ATC.” Or words to that effect. I talk to her everyday via e-mail. She was telling me last week of this complaint a bunch of them made about a fire alarm being too loud. I don’t envy her and her job. Did I tell you I got a garden gnome Monday for my birthday? **Litha Rose** , my girlfriend got it for me. It’s about 8 inches long, and it’s a reclining gnome. Perfect size for the plant box attached to the balcony. And she also got me a glass toothpick holder, to replace the empty Prozac bottle we were using. **FCM** the solution is easy - saw about a foot or two off the legs of the pool table. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/86 "2005-05-11T19:31:52Z")
First, **BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEAN!!!** BTW I like the idea of sawing a couple feet off the billiard table. The MMP is just chock full of helpful hints like that. **VunderBob** since food is always a big MMP topic perhaps we should discuss ways to prepare a pound of butt? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/87 "2005-05-11T19:39:13Z")
OK, then, I’d have to not only keep a rack of pool cues, but a box of knee pads, since the basement floor is a poured slab. You people are so creatively helpful, sorta. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/88 "2005-05-11T20:00:59Z")
I’m having a terrible time being a good, contributing MMP’er! Sometimes I can read along and not post, sometimes I don’t even get here at all! But because you’re all such lovely people, I shall share with you the main reason for my spotty participation: [Our cutie little boy!](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/Soileau/Treo-JalapenosMarymommieTrassie1stwaves.jpg) That’s me holding him. He’s waving to an adoring throng. Being the Mommy that I am, I was feted royally for Mother’s Day. Actually I spent most of it trying to get the house ready for this coming weekend, when I am going to have a houseful of guests in celebration of not one but TWO Sacraments! A First Holy Communion and a Baptism, all on one day! Woo-hoo! But that also means a lot of people in the house, and that means a lot of straightening, which hasn’t been going on a whole hell of a lot for the past 8 months. (How old is my baby, you ask? 8 months.) \*\* kisses to all \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/89 "2005-05-11T20:03:27Z")
I’d crock-pot it with barbeque sauce, and do pulled… ‘pork’. Hmm. I’m glad I sent you a good Spring-On-Unsuspecting-Visitors gift, **Bumba**. I think rosewater is a taste you have to grow up with to really enjoy. Mind you, I do like Turkish Delight, in small quantities. There’s a new organic free-range ice cream place (herds of ice cream roaming freely?) or something downtown, and they have a rose and vanilla ice cream. I may try it tomorrow, when Best Friend and I are in the area. I’ll report back. Done the sweep/vacuum/mopping. Time to tidy frantically. Oh, crap. I still have four hours left. Nap time? ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/90 "2005-05-11T20:08:33Z")
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW **EC** he’s such a lil’ ol’ cutie! Welcome back to posting! **FCM** how bout you make the Red Room the Billiard Room then. It would be tres chic! ---
**Author:** ![taxi78cab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@taxi78cab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taxi78cab)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/91 "2005-05-11T20:40:35Z")
AWWWWWWWWW! **Ellen** , he’s so cute! And **merrily** , those kittens are just AWWWWW too! What a cuteness-filled thread! ---
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/92 "2005-05-11T20:50:32Z")
I was thinking running that # of butt through the grinder and doing a buttloaf but to each his own. 😛 **ellen** , baby is a gorgeous little charmer! You are so in trouble when he gets to be about ten. Better get an unlisted number now. 😉 My weatherbug just told me that my county is in a flash flood warning area. WTF? It didn’t even rain here at the office. Well, I’ll get home og willin’ and the crick don’t rise. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/93 "2005-05-11T20:58:07Z")
Hey \*\*EllenC \*\* your little guy looks a real keeper! Also **Lissla** , I’m still waiting for you to come vacuum my place. There’s still ginger snaps, but now I can even offer you rose ice cream. Technically it’s vanilla with rose syrup mixed in but it’s good. Cooooome to my house, vaaaacuum my carpets. Is my cyber hypnotism working? Speaking of food (or trucker’s butt which is quite tender though high in fat I hear) I made bacon, salmon and avocado sammiches last night. The salmon was cooked in the bacon fat and had capers over it and the bread was a dill rye that made everything quite nummy, even if I do say so myself. I ate the sammich with my pinkie fingers in the air because it was fancy. Capers= fancy it’s a rule. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/94 "2005-05-11T21:46:26Z")
**Ellen** , I’ll echo the appreciation for the cutitude of your young 'un! He’s a dahlink! **swampy** , if I turned the red room into a salle de billiards, what would I do for a guest room? Where would I put you when you come to visit? I couldn’t send a guest to the basement, or the shed. A pool table is not in the plans. Nor is a pool. A hot tub, however… ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/95 "2005-05-11T22:20:56Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > **swampy** , if I turned the red room into a salle de billiards, what would I do for a guest room? Where would I put you when you come to visit? I couldn’t send a guest to the basement, or the shed. A pool table is not in the plans. Nor is a pool. A hot tub, however… That’s it! Y’all build the deck, put in the hot tub and position the chandelier over it. It’ll be so elegant! Picture yourselves sipping champagne and feeding each other strawberries while sitting in the hot tub basking in the glow of chandelier light. It’s all too much! ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/96 "2005-05-11T22:48:56Z")
He’s beautiful, **Ellen**! Gorgeous! So, of course, are you. **Ashes** , I do _not_ like vacuuming. And our vacuum cleaner is broken so that I have to use the hose, and have to lug it around bent over looking for dust bunnies. It’s good we have hardwood. Vacuuming carpet with it would be damn annoying. Can anyone recommend a good really cheap small lightweight vacuum cleaner? It’s almost zero-hour, and _Fun With Drugs_ is playing. No, that’s not true. Right now it’s _Document_ but _Fun With Drugs_ has a funner name. “You can turn your back on a person, but never turn your back on a drug. Especially if it’s waving a razor-sharp hunting knife in your eye”. I wonder if they’ll arrive an hour early. That would be nice. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/97 "2005-05-11T23:45:25Z")
Very cute baby, **Ellen** ; very cute kittens (the war ones, not so much the lion cut ones); Vegas vs. camping? camping wins; Happy Birthday, **Sean** ; I just planted a container (with flowers and such, no gnome); chandelier over hot tub - we have a winner!; in a rush - it’s about to thunder and lightning and also I need to clean house (brother might stop by tomorrow)… GT ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/98 "2005-05-12T11:45:55Z")
In two more days, I get to meet **Taters** and **Bumba**! It’s all I can do to sit still folks! Good thing I still have to figure out what to pack for a whole week in Seattle or I’d be swinging off the roof. Speaking of figuring out what to pack, will somebody please remind me tomorrow to go get my dry cleaning? I have a suit and a jacket there that I absolutely _must_ pack. Gotta look spiffy for the work stuff after all. **Swampfest** draws nigh! ---
**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/99 "2005-05-12T12:24:04Z")
Real cute kid **Elle** n. If it _is_ a real kid. It could be one of those kid puppets that you just hold and make move with the control panel on the butt. Then when you’re tired of them, you just turn them off and pack them away for another day. But I’m sure it’s a real kid (since you can’t see the seam running along the edge), so, yeah, he’s cute. Look at me! I’m not the tiniest bit jealous about missing **SwampFest**. Not a bit. (poo!) Not a bit. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038/100 "2005-05-12T12:48:58Z")
**Ellen,** Yer youngin looks suspiciously like Quizno Bob. Is there something you’re not telling us? Like maybe a family fondness for toasted subs? You’ve got the second cutest kid I’ve ever seen… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-family-time/303038.md?page=6)