I avoided the election as much as possible. Watched the Monster Nation mini-marathon on The Discovery Channel; a show about weird people (like me) who spend their leisure time and money building outlandish stuff for fun.
Then I had to wake up at 0230 to turn on coverage to find out what was going on. Did sleep well after that.
Hmm. I found out who won through logging in here. This is almost my sole source of American political news.
Should I have chocolate for breakfast?
Oops. Make that Didn’t…
Me either.
On the bright side, the local elections went pretty well. Hopefully we’ll have some people in Salem now who can get our economy rolling again.
But probably not.
I think I’ll go back to bed and pull the covers up over my head.
That works, right?
Right?
Well Kerry’s thrown in the towel so there won’t be a long drawn out drain on the taxpayers at least. bumba, got room under that blanket?
I apologize.
The MMP is not now, nor has it ever been a place for political discourse. That’s one of the reasons I hang out in here. Some of you may have noticed that I tend to get a wee mite depressd from time to time. Usually I try to keep it to myself, but some of it leaks out around the edges now and then. Please forgive me.
So Bob, I just figured out that my layout will never fit down the stairs should I ever want to move it. How’s that for a boat-in-a-basement?
Sure. Bring the dogs too. They always cheer me up. 
Must be some weird O-Ree-Gun definition of basement, becuz usually they won’t fit up the stairs anywhere else.
‘Round here we have lots of Virginny basements, which are extra rooms over the garage. On second thought, I guess ‘down’ fits in this neck o’ tha woodz.
My layout fits anywhere, since it’s still vaporware.
Oh, I’ve meant to bring it up, but haven’t for whatever reason: I’m working my way through 2 high-nosed SD40-2s, 2 HH GP38-2s, a single SW-1500s all for My pet Southern Ry, and 2 P2K GP9s for my mythical shortline. The switcher is painted and ready for decals, one 40-2 is ready to paint, and one GP-9 mostly assembled.
I agree. I’d rather talk model trains, or have Ashes[sup]2[/sup] pretend to be nasty with me, or complain about screen doors, or pick on Swampy and his squeeze, than talk politics.
I dunno bob, after that crack you made about Kerry and liberals, you may not want me anywhere near your pink parts with my whips and chains.
Bumba, if you need a boat in your basement, I suggest you fix the leaky basement instead.
Aww gee, Ashes[sup]2[/sup], you’re mad when you’re cute…
The real question is: Should I bake bread today? It’s a bread-baking kind of day- clear, cold, and sunny. The real question behind the question is- will Mr. Lissar wash the dishes if I do? I am making ham-bean-minestrone soup stuff in the crockpot right now. I make the ham stock yesterday, and cooked the black beans in it overnight. Now I just have to cut up the veggies (zuchinni, tomatoes. potatoes, and carrots) and throw them in. Maybe some rice for thickening.
Bread would go nicely with it. Whole wheat, Oatmeal? Better make both. No point turning on the stove for only one batch.
I’m so domestic it’s kind of scary.
“Martian porn” indeed. Hmph.
If you’re going to go to all the trouble of making bread, don’t ruin the experience by using anything other than HTG butter from a cow.
Ack! Margarine? Yuck! Almost as bad as low-fat cheese!
Fresh bread should be eaten still warm and dripping butter.
Great, now I’m depressed and worried about the future and hungry for fresh baked bread! On the bright side, maybe I can so occupy my mind by trying to figure out when I’d have time to bake bread that I’ll lose track of everything else. That’s one of the advantages of having an almost obsessive-complusive personality–I can obsess over darn near anything I want to if I try hard enough, and the real world can spin along without me.
Not only do I not have a basement, I’ve never lived in a house that had one. When I was house-hunting, all the places that had basements seemed a bit creepy to me–even when it was a “finished” basement (I always thought this sounded like the basement itself had done all the work installing that wood panelling and shag carpet–which only goes to show that basements are not good at interior design). I think it’s something about the no or very small, high windows that gets me. Why would anyone purposely put themselves in a room without windows? Okay, if there’s a tornado, fine, but we don’t get tornados here, so that’s out. I hate it when I turn up at some conference room in some government building to do an arbitration and it turns out we’re in one of those freaky conference rooms in the middle of the building with no windows. Almost makes me want to settle on any terms, just to get out of the room.
Windows, people, this world needs more windows. And not the trademarked kind.
Okay - I’m on the horns of dilemma now. I bought a necklace about a month ago - spent a lot of money on it - but at the time I thought it was worth it. Today I was looking at jewelry sites for Christmas presents for my mom - and I saw a necklace that looked like mine - for 1/5 the price. Problem is - I can’t tell if it is exactly the same, or if it is a knockoff, more cheaply made. I’d like to see if I can go to a store and see it in person - and if I like it, I’ll make the return on the more expensive necklace. But - if I can’t see it in person - do I return the original? So much thinking to do - and I really want to know if I overpaid. Maybe get it appraised?
Hmm. Got to think about this.
Susan
I spent most of today rolling out a new and improved system for measuring outcomes to a captive audience (they didn’t have a choice. HAH!) of 15 of my fellow/fellowess co-workers. That’s right folks, ya coulda been one of those poor unfortunate souls who had to listen to ol’ swampy introduce:
BENCHMARKING FOR SUCCESS
It’s our brand new and improved national outcomes measurement system which looks suspiciously like the old one with a new name. I made people strategize, plan, define objectives, set goals, discuss sources of data, squirm, yawn, fidget, sigh and overall SUFFER for the better part of five hours.
Fear me! I could become a consultant and show up where you work. :eek:
Now, don’t that make ya feel all better cause it wasn’t you? 
Yes.
HELL yes.
I choose to take that as flattery bob, and the good news is flattery will get you everywhere with me. As punishment for your cheeky behaviour, go churn some butter for Lissla. No, that’s not a euphemism. Get crackin’!
**Lissla makes me want to bake. Should I make pumpkin pie rolls? They’re like cinnamon rolls, but with pumpkin pie goodness. Tomorrow I’ll do it, gots no pumpkin guts on hand today. See the wicked baking effect you’ve had, Lissla? Kalley is despairing of ever having peace bread again, swampy is driven into some sort of business cult, and Puggy and Bumba are doing something under a blanket with the dogs. susan is going to be picked up in a pawn shop with jewelry she stole from herself and I am reduced to pumkincide. All because you needed an accompaniment to your minestrone. For a bowl yer forgiven.
That would be fun…but only if you wear those pink hip hugger capris.