The Gift of Life in the MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
301

Happy Sunday all. Up about 6am to micturate and decided to stay up. Have pilled and will shortly make the Sunday NY TImes run. The Sunday Dining schedule says Olive Garden so it’ll be pasta and breadsticks doing the damage to my waistline this day. Weather Wizards say there is a 50-50 chance for afternoon showers and the temperature is only supposed to reach 89F, so we’ll see how the day shapes up.

My AC must have heard me threaten it, that and rebooting the electric panel and/or changing the batteries must have done the trick, it works fine now, but I’ll be watching it.

shoe, something nice and (relatively) quiet and served a practical purpose, too. And I still (over 60 years later) remember the first phrase in French I learned in 8th grade–j’entre dan la salle de class" or “I enter the classroom”. Why I remember that, from the only class I ever flunked in my entire educational history, is one of life’s little mysteries.
Nut, happy plant-hunting.

swampy, happy left-overing…

boo fae, enjoy the rest of the musical weekend.

And time to put on clothes and head over to the Kroger for my Sunday paper. Have a good day all.

302

I slept much later than usual. Our local laws allow for fireworks until 11.00pm. Three households on the next street South of us was obviously holding some kind of competition. The fireworks were constant until sometime after 2.00am and sounded like they were in our back yard.

To repeat what I have posted here before: I am as patriotic as the next men but I hate, I Hate, I HATE fireworks.

303

Holy Toledo, 44 posts to read; won’t get to all of them before I have to sign off to go to church so yays, boos, hugs, noogies to all as appropriate; spread them out amongst yourselves.

Invited Best Friend (BF) over to hang out and eat the traditional 4th repast; cheeseburgers, potato salad, baked beans, corn on cob. Well a lot of times we have hotdogs or both hotdogs and cheeseburgers but we had the hotdogs on Wednesday so just went with burgers yesterday. Also a lot of times we’ll also have coleslaw but since there were just 3 of us, I decided to forego it. I also decided just to have key lime pie for dessert as it was too hot to make a fire and have s’mores. And the watermelon stayed in the basement as we were too full to eat anything more.

Today I’m lectoring at the 10am mass; our daughter is going to come to mass also, then afterward we’re going to a new to us brunch place; the Jagged Fork.

Has rained overnight and is now drizzling, so the temp has moderated down to the mid 60’s. Just heard some thunder; hope the storm can stop before I have to leave for church.

I only picked it up from the MMP; at first I was confused then figured out that folks were using it to mean the opposite of disheveled.

304

A really violent thunderstorm blew through here last evening, and I thought it would dampen (heh) the idiots’ desire to set off bombs all night, but no such luck. It blew itself out by about nine, and the city-sponsored explosions went off as planned. Then the idiots came out and set off sporadic detonations through much of the night, including one loud boom around 0300. Luckily, most of it was far enough away and this building is thick enough that the noise was largely damped down.

66 ferrets at 0740, but it will be heading towards 90 later on with the humidity extremely high. A good day to stay inside.

305

That’s incredible news about your husband, Cat_Glove! Reading about his journey from MDS to good health really brightened my morning.

I’m in the same boat as a few others here—I used to be a regular blood donor back in my 20s, but a chronic health condition flagged me from donating a few years ago. It’s a bummer because the need is always so high, but my partner and I both checked the “take what you can use” box on our licenses for organ donation.

Huge props to everyone who actively pumps out those pints and platelets, especially dolphinboy! That’s a legendary track record.

306

Last night was extremely noisy. It was nonstop poppity-bangitta-booming. Sometimes it’s a blessing to be able to take my hearing aids out to go to bed.

We listened to part of the St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs game, and the announcers spoke of smoke visibly drifting across the field. They guessed it was from local amateur fireworks, but also made a sly reference to Cheech and Chong.

307

“Wo ist die Bibliothek?” Don’t think the actual sentence was included in the book, but I did learn all those words.


Rain ended around 2230. There were a dozen or so bangs (louder than the pre-rain bangs, and apparently from a different direction) after it stopped, and that was it for the night.

73 out of a predicted 81 at 0900. There’s now a flood watch from noon today until 0600 Tuesday (80% chance of rain tonight, 90% tomorrow and tomorrow night), but we’re high enough we won’t have to worry about it.

308

The biblioteque is my favorite place.
Cats were hiding last night. The locals didnt have enough of the bursting color ones, a bunch of booms so loud you reflexively hunch and go Wo!
About to rain here.

309

Morning, all! We never got any rain yesterday, and there were regular kabooms from around 9pm until shortly after 11pm. Nothing egregious, though, and nothing that kept me from either hearing the TV or falling/staying asleep. I was surprised to discover that the 4th is noisier here – a dense townhouse community – than in my old 'hood of single-family-homes.

Yesterday marked both a month-i-versary and an anniversary, and today marks another of the latter: 22 years ago, I joined the SDMB. :slight_smile: It’s kinda crazy that I’m still here 7 employers, 6 addresses, 1 serious relationship, 6 immediate family deaths (including my mom’s), and 2 pets later.

I never got around to watching 1776 last night, so it’s in today’s queue. Maybe tonight’s queue, actually: after this post I need to log into my work laptop and get a few things done that can’t wait until tomorrow, and that should keep me upstairs until right about the start of the 1:35pm Yankees v Twins game – which Peacock is streaming, and which will be the perfect background while I’m eating lunch and building Lego. I would have put the movie on, but it will have to wait. Priorities! :baseball:

Earlier this morning I took my albums out of their storage/carrying cases and put them on the record player stand. A small touch, but I’m glad I finally decided where I want my turntable and vinyl to live; another step closer to the move-in being truly done. The next one will happen tomorrow, when the cleaners come for the first time. I’m using the same company I used in the old place. Going forward they’ll come every other Wednesday (while I’m at the office), but for the first cleaning they need to arrive while I’m working from home so I can let them in and give them a house key. After a month of unpacking and settling in, this place needs a clean! I’m not a messy or dirty person, but the carpets and floors could definitely use attention.

As happy as I am about the house getting cleaned, I’m even more excited about the big evergreen tree to the right of the front door getting pruned on Thursday (as long as this week’s possible storms don’t interfere :crossed_fingers: ). I took this picture a month before I moved in:

The tree has become super bushy/overgrown in the two months since then. I made the landscaping estimator laugh when I asked him to have the crew prune it to within an inch of its life. They’ll also trim those two hedges on either side of the garage, which have likewise started to get a bit messy. It’ll be great to have the front of the house looking nice, and it should be years before the tree will need attention again.

There’s a high chance of thunderstorms today, with storms in the forecast every day except Wednesday: I hope we get big ones today/Monday/Tuesday, both for the heat relief and so maybe the system will rain itself out and Thursday will be dry.

I don’t know about need. :slight_smile: The show is brilliant, but definitely not to everyone’s taste: while it does include some more “traditional” music styles a lot of the numbers involve rapping, and often the lyrics are delivered very quickly (regardless of style). Anyone who doesn’t care for rap and/or has hearing issues – like my father – would most likely not care for it at all, partly due to not being able to follow it but also because most of the music just isn’t their thing.

I took German for two years, while my family lived in England: we got there during the equivalent of 6th grade, and I was already a year behind in both that and French. I kept French as my foreign language in high school and college, but 41 years after coming back to the States the only German I remember is how to count to ten – oh, and how to ask what time it is. There were a few classes when our absent-minded teacher showed the same filmstrip over and over, featuring one girl asking another: “Uli, wie spät ist es?”

I can’t decide if that would be beautiful, or would make my eyes bleed…possibly both. :grin:

310

We checked on the boat - all is well, except for a lot of leaves and twigs on the deck. That’s what happens when your slip is right next to the shore. We may ask to move farther out when space becomes available. Or not. We’ll see.

Lots of big branches and trees down along our route home - it appears the worst of it passed just east and south of us.

I’ve loaded the dishwasher and it’s sloshing and grumbling away. Sometimes the cycle is quiet, sometimes it makes noises. It’s nearly 22 years old, so I guess noises aren’t unusual. It still does the job, so there’s that.

I took French and Spanish in high school - my plan was to teach them both. Then in college, I took 2 semesters of German. The first one was great - the instructor was from Berlin, plus she was just a nice person. The second semester was taught by a TA who was pretty awful. And pretty much all I can remember is Ich bin krank and Ich bin müde. OK, I do remember a bit more, but two semesters almost 50 years ago don’t stay with one too well.

Off to find something to do.

311

I went through German III in high school, and then took German IV (or whatever they called it) in college. I can still remember some of it. (And the dialogues from German I are permanently etched in my brain.

Went for the mile anna third walk, and averaged 2.55 mph. Not as fast as the 3+ MPH I used to walk, nor as far as the three-mile walks; but I’ll work up in steps.

I used an egg ring to cut discs out of low-carb bread, and used the breakfast sandwich maker to make me a breakfast sandwich.

312

Twine successfully acquired, and only two plants forced their way past me into the car and refused to leave. I wound up going both to the cheap place (here I couldn’t find the twine I wanted) and the more expensive place with the good cafe (which did have the twine I wanted).

The good cafe wasn’t too busy -unusually for a Sunday- so some soup and a slice of their exceptionally good apple pie also came home with me, but internally.

The rain which was forecast all day looks like it may actually start soon, so the two plants aren’t getting planted out yet, but they have been potted on. I need to take an unwanted ugly shrub out first anyway.

I took French and German for GCSE, which is the exams one takes age 15/16 in England, and you study them for 2 years before.

I had quite enjoyed the German classes and the teacher had been one of my favourites… then during the summer break the following year, said teacher left his wife for a girl in the year below me- his son’s girlfriend. It was just technically legal when it all came out. Incredibly, he did not lose his job (at a girls’ school, no less; they instead tried to hush it up and minimise it), but I went off the guy a bit after that.

I’ve barely used my German since, and very much regret not taking Spanish instead, as we were only allowed to pick one of them. It’s still better than my French though, which is very much at the ‘J’ai onze ans, ou est la piscine?’ level.

Anyway, I should feebly attempt to defilthify this place, as I should have done before running away to buy plants.

313

Definitely. I went to high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. I really should have taken Spanish, as I would be fluent in it by now.

314

Yeah, it’s pretty much a ‘use it or lose it’ thing. I took immersion French and Portuguese in the Foreign Service, and took Spanish on my own. While I can still understand some of it, and dredge up some simple sentences, it’s pretty much gone at this point. There are people who are savants with language, of course. I thought that I was pretty good with languages until I met a few of those people who could compartmentalize, effortlessly switch between languages, and were completely fluent in them.

315

Happy Doperversay oopsie!!! :confetti_ball:

I don’t care for rap, so my daughter said she wasn’t sure I would like Hamilton. I LOVED it, the rap is not obnoxious rap at all. Saw the movie at the theater and then again on tv. I’d definitely watch it again. And there’s so much eye candy in it, how could one not like it?

Before I left for church I checked Find My Friend and saw my daughter was on her way. I heard Hubs get up about 10 minutes before I left and as I still needed to brush teeth and style hair, I didn’t go to check on him to ensure he was getting ready for church. It was raining when I left for church so put my umbrella and car keys and songbook in our normal pew, so that particularly daughter would know where to sit. When I processed in with the 5 altar servers, other lector, deacon and priest, I noticed only daughter in the pew. I had left my purse in the car so I asked to borrow daughter’s phone and texted Hubs asking if he forgot. Well he had so he was going to meet us at the brunch location then go to 12:30 mass. Daughter and I drove together and as we were going we noticed the power was out north of the church and along the road that the restaurant is on. Bad sign when we turned into the parking lot, no cars. When we went past the door, there was a sign that said NO POWER. So, we called Hubs and gave him 2 alternate choices of where to go for brunch, both not as good as where we were going to go but adequate. The waitress and host were both very helpful in ensuring that we got our coffee and food in a manner so that Hubs was able to make it on time for mass. Daughter went along with Hubs to retrieve her car while I waited for the check, then paid the bill. I gave cash directly to the waitress for the tip as I really don’t like to leave it on the table because in these times, you never know if it will actually get to the person it is intended for. I didn’t know this restaurant is one that charges a surcharge for use of a credit card; will remember in case there is a next time.

Daughter came over to help me with the computer as I received a notification on Friday that 2 more steps need to be taken in order to fully set it up but I hadn’t taken a screen shot so she was unable to figure out what needed to be done. Then we went downstairs to redye some black clothing (2 pair pants and 1 shirt) that had bleach stains but we weren’t able to do so since I hadn’t washed them lately. This will be a task for the next time she comes over which will be either tomorrow or Tuesday as the lawn needs to be cut and her roommate is the one who currently is our lawn maintenance person. When we arrived home, I noticed that I had forgotten to take the bag for the food collection for the food pantry so daughter took it and dropped it off at church on her way home.

So, I’ll catch up on Wimbledon and the Travelers Golf Championship this afternoon and do a load of hot water wash and a cold water load of the black clothing.

It’s been great reading all the replies to the topic of the MMP this week!!! THANK YOU so very much to everyone who currently donates blood and platelets and to everyone who previously donated blood and platelets and to everyone who would like to donate but is unable to at this time! Thank you to all of you who will be organ donors. Thank you to all of you who will be donating your bodies for research purposes. Each and every one of you are heroes for giving the gift of life to others. Thank you again!!!

And now I need to get on the laundry. Catch you all tomorrow on the new MMP.

316

I cleaned, dusted, and vacuumed. I took out the trash and recycling. It’s 100 Ferrets outside. Laundry is drying the the clothes dehydrator.

I took 3 years of French, got straight Cs, and the only time I ever had a chance to use it was when these 2 beautiful French girls came into the sote, and the only thing my brain could come up with was “Je suis un chien”(I am a dog). So I kept my mouth shut.

:bottle_with_popping_cork: :shortcake: :partying_face:HAPPY DOPERVERSARY OOPSIE!!!:partying_face: :shortcake: :bottle_with_popping_cork:

317

At 3 p.m. I was hearing random ka-booms. Guess folks still need to get it outta their system.

Off to close again. I’ll try to contain my enthusiasm.

318

I can understand a rain delay, seriously phila.! fireworks at 2:30 am is ridiculous! If you insist on wee hour of the morning fireworks, don’t add the flash bang. Waking up thousands of people and pets at 2:30 in the morning with no warning is not well done.

After that craziness, I decided that Ben and Jerry’s was the smart move for breakies.

I have gotten the new hamper together. Now I have an enormous amount of laundry to put away. There were many loads done yesterday as I wanted to get everything out of the old hamper.

Now onto futbal. Ro!

319

Howdy Y’all! Wonderful church service this mornin’ with the exception of one hymn I can’t stand, but that’s just me. I was surprised at the number of folks there. Guess people ain’t travelin’ as much this year. Brunch was super! All kinds of pickanik type foodstuffs. I especially enjoyed all the various sallits and helped myself to second helpin’s of some of 'em. The bbq, N.O.T. sallit and pies got et up. That always makes me happy. Nappage was achieved when we returned to da cave. It’s way too hawt out and I am still so full I don’t want anything to eat or drink. Imagine that. It’s early, but the biiiiiig trash can got hauled all the way down to the road for pickup tomorrow just cause I was ready to deal with it and get it over.

My high skool Spanish teacher told me “¿Donde esta el juan?” is not the appropriate way to ask that question.

BooFae glad y’all are havin’ a good time at the festival. Did you shout out “Sod Off You Ungrateful Colonials” at any time?

Cat_Glove few things are better than a cheeseburger hot off the grill. I hope Jagged Fork is good and not a comment on the dinnerware they use.

Oopsie Happy Doperversary!

320

Thunderstorm! And that last boom scared the snot out of Spot.