On a side note: holy guacamole, am I out early tonight!
I could - gasp - actually go out and get something to eat! Except it’s Tuesday, so the sushi and Asian places are closed. Phhooooey.
So … what do I want? I’m thinking possibly fried chicken, in which case there’s a local joint. With really good buns, and … oh, hell, imma hafta put pants back on.
Mateys, it’s been such a wonderful day! I keep tearing up because I can’t believe how kind people are. I got a very late start for my walk because of calls, flowers, and texts, but my feet took me to the waterfront. It was very quiet for some reason, but justlovely. I got such nice gifts! My daughter and SIL gave me some binoculars. I’ve been wanting binocs for ages but have no idea how they guessed. I spied on birds with them. So cool! My sister gave me an apron that says, “I don’t need recipes. I’m Italian” and a gift basket of Italian food. My son is bringing presents when he comes Thursday.
I’m celebrating with a martini with Italian olives. I’ll start spaghetti cooking in a few minutes. Sigh. Life is good.
Acupuncture. I tried it once for…uh [whispers darkly] women’s problems. Didn’t help, no pain relief. One site bled, and my body didn’t like the rest: I got welts. BUT I have a friend whose old dog got dramatic pain relief, and she’s a nurse and not woo, plus shoe’s experience is convincing. Oopsie, let us know. Hope it works!
I’d like to serve on a jury, but I doubt they’d want me for stalking/sexual assault or burglary cases, so that leaves what? Arson? Murder?
Susan, yay for rain! Wow, your area has been through hellish stuff!
swampy, two Happy Birthday renditions in one day! You must be tahred!
I’ll close this with a message that really moved me today. A former student called me “Sensei” and told me to keep doing what I’m doing because I’m making the world a better place. The important thing here has nothing to do with me; it’s that there are people who take the time to say kind things that make others feel worthwhile. I hope to do more of that.
I had picked up some Rice-A-Roni Cheddar Jalapeno, so I made that with some sauteed chicken and broccoli. And a Manhattan.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUTTERS!!!
I get the grape concentrate.
LOL. yes.
mmmmmmmm! 
Somehow I posted this in an old thread (pass the salt MMP) and don’t know how to post it here~but this tech daft peasant wishes @nelliebly all kinds of happy birthday!
Nellie, if you open that Pass The Salt one, it will show the birthday greetings I tried to post here. My bonked brain is too worn out to figure out how to fix it. I’m sorry. I’ll try to do it right next year.
butters, 
happy birthday to you 
.
I spent all of Tuesday = day 2 of jury duty participating in the voir dire process. We started the day with 55 people picked from the 120 they started with yesterday. The goal today was to cull the 55 down to the final 15 who’d hear the case starting first thing Wed morning.
Aaand … I didn’t make the cut as a juror. So headed home to pick up the wife for Taco Tuesday at our fave place. With me having no further obligation to the case. Nor to the county I will no longer reside in effective Thursday.
What’s the nasty case you ask? Now I can share: defendant was indicted and will be tried for first degree murder of his GF with a firearm. Trial is expected to take 2 full weeks.
Meanwhile, now that I’ve had my weekly dose of craft tacos I have a household to move.
Mazel tov on the move, you’ve earned it doing your civic duty and then some.
Sounds like the case will get decided justly without you.
I did a month of grand jury once, over 80 cases. This taught me never to have several unscheduled weeks available when I could do a long stint of jury duty.
The rain has devolved into the sort of light mist that could also just be cataracts. AQI is still bad but getting better as the wind shifts back to its more normal pattern.
We made beef stew in the Instant Pot for the first time. It was quite good!
Cross posted from the “dinner” thread in Cafe, but …
I went to the local fried chicken shack, got me a thigh and one of their fabulous rolls.
Plus some random local gossip, and the opportunity to overhear two employees just dragging some bitch (their words, not mine!) through the mud for quitting without notice.
Delicious. And hilarious. I mean, they were not holding back!
Great going for you, nellie.
shoe I wish I had a local fried chicken shack. Best I get is a poorly run KFC about 10 miles away.
Happy Birthday to our dear Nellie and Butters! It sounds like both of you had the sort of wonderful days you deserve 
How did you guess I was going to the nursery today? I didn’t buy anything but did have an enjoyable half hour discussing suitable replacement plants in case the roses don’t come back. Star Jasmin is on the top of my list.
Do it while you have young eyes! Are you able to get metallic thread or ribbon? I have a bunch of half used rolls and cards I could send you if you were to trust me with your address. It wouldn’t be enough for a project, but you could play with them and see if you like them enough to put out the money for them for a project.
One of the reasons I love going to the seminars so much is that I have the chance to use fibers that I have never heard of.
Thank you, I feel much better now. I really did think that he was so horrified that a crippled old lady loved his hair that he had no choice but to shave it off.
I’m glad you are almost over your bedrest, that must be SO boring. I mean, I know you have things to entertain yourself, but still. I hope your surgery works out well.
Rag doll cats are supposed to be the sweetest cats evah. GG would love to have someone to sing duets with a 0 dark-thirty.
That is one of the worse feelings ever. I’m so glad it was returned intact!
NOTHING is as bad as Shingrix! I am so happy that I am done with that.
Hurray for rain! Remember that you need to wash that ash off your plants so they can breathe.
I was on a federal murder case and on a county stalking case that ended with a battle for the sheriff’s gun.
A very interesting thing happened during the second trial. At one point, the sheriff’s gun was on the ground and a bystander ran over and said something about I’m just going to get this out of the way and kicked the gun aside with his foot. The cop testified that this was what happened. The bystander testified that this is what happened.
The bystander’s friend (who was there and saw the whole thing) swore that the bystander had kicked the gun out of the perp’s hand. When it was pointed out to the friend that the bystander said he didn’t, the friend just got a stubborn look on his face and said “That’s what I saw.” Minds can do such odd things at times.
or see if GG’s mom has a new litter … 
we of the mmp have spoken ,
happy birthday to all … more later …
The cattery I got my Siamese girl from is announcing available rag doll kittens as we speak.
She’s a home cattery, the kittens are raised in the bosom of a family. You aren’t allowed to breed her kittens. She raises sweet, gorgeous kittens. No neurotic kitten mill kittens, only despotic Siamese who know they are Supreme Over All.
She’s in western Nebraska, near Gering. I could pick up your kitten and drive it to you~road trip! And I could have a visit at Chez GG, win-win. I delivered a kitten (gorgeous Bengal) once before, to a little boy in Omaha, a birthday surprise.
I made myself two Manhattans tonight. (You may recall that I’m bach-ing for a couple nights.) Mrs W gave me a bar set for Christmas two years ago, and I’d never used the muddler. So for the second Manhattan I decided to muddle a cherry instead of just using it as a garnish. So maybe that wasn’t technically a Manhattan anymore, but it was yummy. And I’ve finally used the whole bar set.
Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off to heave.
Pretty kitties. I’m not sure how Alex Catt would respond to having an actual cat i the apartment(she’s not a cat, she’s a 5 toed sloth).
Cool. I bought a muddler specifically so I could make Wisconsin Old Fashioneds.
lol no dear we were picking out a kitten for you and GG …
Morning, mumpers! It’s 13c/56f with a predicted high of 19c/66f and mostly cloudy. Weather app says “No matter the weather, make sure you bring the sunshine wherever you go. And snacks. Don’t forget the fucking snacks”. That’s me told!
Happy birthday, nellie and Butters…I’m sure they’re both belated birthdays by now as I missed a visit to the MMP yesterday. It was a campus day, and the first day of Welcome Week for our new students so there was a lot going on around the place. It’s the first time I’ve seen campus really peopley…not sure I like it any more.
nellie also so glad your lens has arrived and it works for you! That must have been a real boost for your spirits after the last few days of feeing despondent. I have a second eye test booked for Sunday morning as my new specs aren’t right, so the optician needs to test again to make sure they’ve got the prescription right, and the lens have been made correctly. That will be a fun day out, may have to go home via the pub as it’s bound to be expensive.
batboy I’m so sorry the job hasn’t turned out to be what you wanted, I remember you were really happy to get it in the first place. I hope you find something that is more suited to your talents. Can your employer help you find something with the same organisation that might work better for you?
Right…off to do what they allegedly pay me for, and see if I can wriggle out of any of today’s meetings.
My daughter was telling us last night about comments/compliments she got from students and parents - apparently she has a real gift when it comes to her dealings with them. And I know it made her feel good that people think so. It’s a side I don’t get to see since I don’t deal with her in a professional setting, but the fact that she was contacted after she’d left the school to come back and run the place - well, that speaks volumes! So, yeah, say nice stuff!
I did just that when I left my gummint job, tho it had been kinda out of cowardice. I had a really good relationship with my boss and I wanted to let him know how I appreciated him, but I’m better at things like that on paper (or email) than face to face. As it happened, on my last day, he disappeared, and I had a chance to write a nice, long email telling him what I wanted to say. Funny thing was - when he replied, he confessed that he’d disappeared because he was worried about making a scene - I guess he’d also felt like we had something a bit beyond boss/peon. And no, not like that - it was just a really good professional and personal relationship. First time I saw him after my retirement, I got such a hug!!!
I did grand jury duty some years back - every other Wednesday for 6 months - it was interesting and not too difficult. A few years later, my name came up for regular jury duty, but I was eliminated pretty quickly. I think it was a grand theft case, but I don’t recall. No calls since then.
We have a small deli not too far away - they don’t have dine-in, but their chicken is really good, and they’ll deliver! It’s as close to a chicken shack as we can get.
No kidding. Many years ago, I remember I’d told FCD a story that a guy at work shared about his kid, and a few years later, FCD told it as if it involved our kid - and he truly thought that’s how it happened! It wasn’t a huge deal, and I’m sure today he doesn’t remember it at all, but It was interesting to see how he absorbed and adopted that event.
I looked at the pics on the site - I swear, one of the Bengals could be Taz in a time-travel world!
Speaking of whom, poor Taz is stone deaf. I’d suspected it, and I confirmed last night. I was standing right next to him shaking the container of treats which used to bring him running from the farthest corner of the house - he didn’t even turn his head. I had to touch him so he’d see me putting the treats down for him. And he’s having such troubles jumping up on the couch - and yesterday we saw him slip and fall off the stepstool that leads to their food (which has to be kept out of Pug-reach. I hope he just goes to sleep one night and doesn’t wake - I don’t want to have to take him to be put down…
Another chapter in the in-law story. Yesterday, MIL needed to fill out some paperwork for a visit to a new doctor today, and she needs FIL’s help because she’s, yanno, pretty much bliind. FIL refused to help her because he claimed he’d have to lie! There was no persuading him. No idea where his mind went on that one, but maybe today he’ll be closer to normal and can help her.
I rode with FCD yesterday afternoon to look at the two apartment complexes, and while one was OK, the other was really, really nice. The problem is it’d cost about $300/month more, and MIL is still obsessing about money. They’re going to come here with well over $200K after selling their house, and with that in addition to their SS and FIL’s pension, they could supplement their rent for something like 14 years before they run out. They’re 91 and 92 - they won’t live anywhere close to 14 more years. But who knows what she’ll decide. And I don’t know if we can convince her that they deserve to live in this really nice community…
Today and tomorrow should pretty much mark the end of summer here - our last days in the 80s, theoretically. Hope so - I want to leave the windows open and enjoy the air till winter hits. I’ve looked up 2 long-range forecasts - one has us warmer and dryer than normal, the other has us colder with lots of snow - that sure makes it easy to plan… 
For now, I just need to get thru today. Happy Wednesday!!
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN 'Tis < snerk > 69! < snerk > Amurrkin out and clear with a predicted high of 93 and N.O.S. for the day. The start of Fall and today’s high temp is 93 and tomorrow it’s supposed to be 96. Go Figure. Today we shall procure provisions. Mayhaps we shall have some quality cee-mint pond time since the weather thinks it is still Summer. Sup shall be poke tenderloin (I shall toss it in the slow cooker in a little while), succotash, smashed N.O.T. (cause gravy from the poke tenderloin), and rolls.
And now this…
< AHEM > CLEARIN’ THROAT < AHEM >
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY DEEEAAARRR OOOPPPSSSIIIEEE!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, bother of all bothers, I suppose I must purtify and don attire acceptable for bein’ amongst the great unwashed. Life is so difficult!
Happy Hump Day Y’all!
@nelliebly
@Buttercup_Smith
Happy birthday!
I missed all of yesterdays posts. The call of needle and thread was just too strong and I spent the day sewing and accomplished almost nothing else.