# The Unexpected MMP **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** mmp\ **Created:** [April 10, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072 "2006-04-10T14:11:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/41 "2006-04-10T18:36:59Z")
Just jumping in (timidly) to not be so stalker-lurkish. I get a kick out of the MMP every week, but my life seems so mundane that I don’t bore y’all with it until something thrilling happens. Take this weekend for example. I worked. As in work I brought home to do. Saturday night we met the Bus Kid and her friend for Vanilla Bean cheesecake at Friday’s. Some friends joined us, and we drank beer and ate. See? That was the high point of my weekend. The “low” point? The high school musical presentation of Music Man yesterday. Then I came home and worked some more. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/42 "2006-04-10T18:43:40Z")
**Mr Bus Guy** , you needn’t be concerned about boring us, we’ve each had days/weeks so routine and repetative that the MMP is the most exciting thing in our lives (How said is that?) Good to see you here, in any case. Don’t be such a stranger. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/43 "2006-04-10T18:52:00Z")
> [@Mr Bus Guy](#): > > Just jumping in (timidly) to not be so stalker-lurkish. I get a kick out of the MMP every week, but my life seems so mundane that I don’t bore y’all with it until something thrilling happens. We _live_ for the mundane. Have you read some of the posts here? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/44 "2006-04-10T18:52:01Z")
‘sniff’ Aw thanks **anyrose** … Ooh, ooh, this was exciting: The free home-inspection guy sent by my builder came by Saturday while I was doing the early-spring fertilizing in my yard. I forgot he was coming :smack: . But I spent 90 minutes exploring the house with him, and he left claiming to be amazed at how I was so not the typical clueless homeowner. Sheesh, that sounds so much lamer now than it did Saturday. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/45 "2006-04-10T19:04:05Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > And then I made mead. For those of you who don’t know, mead is an eventually-alcoholic beverage made from water, honey, and whatever else you feel like throwing in there. **Mika** , if you’re not allergic to strawberries, I’ll have to make sure you get some of the stuff I bottled yesterday. Aged six weeks and smelling decently alcoholic, it’ll only get stronger as it sits. 🙂 But yesterday I made grape mead, and tonight I’m thinking about trying it out with peppermint, to serve at Christmas time. Whoa, I only just noticed this. Um, **Drae**? : gives \*\*Drae \*\* a pathetic-puppy dog look : I really want some of that stuff. Please? It sounds deliciously yummy. Not at all allergic to strawberries or any other kind of berry. How do you make mead, please? I’d love to try. ---
**Author:** ![taxi78cab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@taxi78cab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taxi78cab)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/46 "2006-04-10T19:08:10Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Weekend was phenomenally good. Friday night I went out with \*\*taxi78cab \*\* and **KeithT** , as she says, which was such a welcome relief from a long and busy workweek. Kudos to \*\*taxi \*\* for suggesting it. Although they were really late, and they haven’t seen each other for a long time, which leaves me to wonder… :dubious: 😉 Hey, at least we didn’t come up with some story about a cat wandering into the apt the way you did last time when you were late! :dubious: 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/47 "2006-04-10T19:13:36Z")
Well, **taxi** , I had photographic evidence. Care to reciprocate? I thought not. 😛 : wanders off, triumphant : ---
**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:** [April 10, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/48 "2006-04-10T19:16:37Z")
One quarter of my work week is done - YAY! First off, **Fetchund** , welcome to the Lair of the Cool Kids, who should all be ashamed for not welcoming you. Don’t youse people have any manners? Sheesh! Second off, I’ll be driving to Richmond and back this evening to drop **FCD** off at his hotel. He’ll be in training for the rest of the week, and by dropping him off, I can leave here on Friday in time to pick him up at his school, and we can head straight out to Orlando, instead of him driving home, then turning around and heading south again. So that works out. Unfortunately, it means it’ll be pretty late when I get back. Which sucks. Oh well. Thirdly, it’s sunny and pretty out. If I wasn’t headed to Richmond in a little bit, I’d be out in my yard getting my hands dirty. Maybe tomorrow… Fourth of all, I’ve never been to a bachelorette party. But I don’t feel like I’ve missed anything since I don’t drink and don’t much like hanging out with people whose sole reason for going out revolves around getting drunk. But a lighted-up veil sounds like fun! And finally, my project for yesterday - my daughter wanted something to hide her cat box. So FCD had built a wooden box to cover it, with an opening for kitty access. I upholstered it. In bright pink and neon green “mink” - it is soooooo tacky, I just know the kid will love it! And before anyone yells, [pics.](http://groups.msn.com/MRW-misc/shoebox.msnw?Page=1) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/49 "2006-04-10T19:20:02Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > How do you make mead, please? I’d love to try. These are the instructions copied verbatim from my friend, when I asked her the same question … > [@The Lady Who Makes The Mead](#): > > You need: approximately one pound of honey (the typical honey bear) to every gallon of water. You can add fruit or make it with juice instead of water - your choice. > > Put your water and honey together in a big ass kettle and boil it. When it boils, turn it down and let it simmer until it’s only about half to a third of what you started with. Turn it off and let it cool. After it’s room temperature, pour it into gallon milk jugs (only half full or your jug will explode) and put the lid on. Leave it in a place where it won’t get knocked into that has consistant temperature and humidity (aka not the bathroom) for a month or so. More is ok, less makes not so good mead. Make sure you remove as many fruit particles as possible if you added fruit to the water. > > At this point, there will be silt at the bottom of the milk jug. Move it carefully - the object is not to stir up the silt. Pour slowly through cheesecloth or a washcloth or coffee filter (Note from Me: Coffee Filters _suck_.) or something along those lines to be a strainer, into a clean bowl. Dispose of the silt that you strain out. You can strain it multiple times if you’re not satisfied with the clarity of the mead. Don’t worry if there was a little mold on the top if you were using fruit in your mixture. Little bits of the fruit will float and mold. The mold is not detrimental to the mead, just strain it off. Don’t forget to write on the container the bottling date so you don’t forget. > > Put the mead (which should now smell alcoholic) into the glass containers that you will be storing it in. Again, don’t put in more than 2/3 of a container or your jug could explode. Put on an air tight cap and let it sit for at least a month before drinking it. I always have a small glass of “baby mead” at the bottling. You can open it up after a month, re-sift and re-bottle if you want to. The mead will eventually stop producing silt. The longer it sits, the more mellow the taste will be. My first attempt was nice-tasting, but not at _all_ alcoholic. When you’re doing it without yeast or anything, you take your chances. (I have since learned that you can’t do it with citrus, because the acid won’t ferment.) My first batch ended up with no mold, and no alcohol. My strawberry batch was _entirely_ moldy, and tasted like the Nectar of the Gods. 🙂 My problem lies in the waiting. But if you put it up on a shelf, maybe you’ll forget about it until it’s time to bottle. I’ve been using old champagne bottles to put it in, and they’re working fine. Nothing’s ever exploded on me, so I think she’s being overly dramatic. Oh, and when we meet up for Faire this year, I’ll make sure to bring you some samples! 😃 > [@FCM](#): > > First off, Fetchund, welcome to the Lair of the Cool Kids, who should all be ashamed for not welcoming you. Don’t youse people have any manners? Sheesh! Ack! You’re right! I’m mortally ashamed. Welcome **Fetchund!** ---
**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:** [April 10, 2006, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/50 "2006-04-10T19:22:04Z")
Welcome first time MMP posters. Stick around. Just don’t put your feet on the furniture. **FCM** has a conniption everytime somebody does that. > [@ShibbOleth](#): > > \*\*You are surrounded by > fortune hunters. \*\* \ **IN BED!** \ The fog in my haid has lifted. I can actually think! For the first time ever! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/51 "2006-04-10T19:23:36Z")
FCM - that box is terrific. Remember all the kitty litter ads last week? Out of curiousity, I clicked on “Litter Box” or some such, and saw similar products that this retailer was asking upwards of $180 for!!! :eek: Let me be the [del]first[/del] second to welcome you, **Fetchund**. to be honest, I thought he (she?) was one of the regulars ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/52 "2006-04-10T19:24:50Z")
Hey, folks! I am so proud of me. I went walking yesterday in Roanoke, by myself, and didn’t even get lost. Also, my bruised foot didn’t even mind the walk, though it still looks as if I was mashing grapes with it. I seem to have either lost my makeup bag or simply not brought it, though. I don’t really need said bag until I have a job interview or some such thing, but knowing where the heck it is would help. Dad told me that Mom has already nearly completely packed up my room. So much for being missed! 😃 I kid. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/53 "2006-04-10T19:26:56Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > Let me be the [del]first[/del] second to welcome you, **Fetchund**. to be honest, I thought he (she?) was one of the regulars damn simulpost gerbils Okay - FOURTH. sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/54 "2006-04-10T19:35:18Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > These are the instructions copied verbatim from my friend, when I asked her the same question … > > My first attempt was nice-tasting, but not at _all_ alcoholic. When you’re doing it without yeast or anything, you take your chances. (I have since learned that you can’t do it with citrus, because the acid won’t ferment.) My first batch ended up with no mold, and no alcohol. My strawberry batch was _entirely_ moldy, and tasted like the Nectar of the Gods. 🙂 My problem lies in the waiting. But if you put it up on a shelf, maybe you’ll forget about it until it’s time to bottle. I’ve been using old champagne bottles to put it in, and they’re working fine. Nothing’s ever exploded on me, so I think she’s being overly dramatic. Thanks! I’m all alone\* next week, so I may try to make some and stash it away. And there’s plenty of places to hide stuff in my cupboards. 😃 > [@](#): > > Oh, and when we meet up for Faire this year, I’ll make sure to bring you some samples! 😃 Yum! Now you’re on for sure and can NOT get out of it, no matter what. Welcome **Fetchund**! **FCM** , we have manners? : blank look : \*And so I can explain the comment earlier, the SO is going out with his brother to meet their uncle, who is a true Mountain Man. He lives in the hills above Reno, and hunts cute critters and fishes and all kinds of stuff. Anyway, they are going out for a week of guy time, which will be all of the above plus camping and prolly drinking beer and being stupid. Which I think it’s about damn time he got to do some of that! But I will be alone from Friday to Sunday, which is OK, I’ve filled my weekends with friends and will be working hard during the week, but it still gets lonely after a while, since I only have a turtle there to make noise. And he doesn’t make much! ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/55 "2006-04-10T19:36:49Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I only have a turtle there to make noise. And he doesn’t make much! Tie a bell to his tail. ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/56 "2006-04-10T19:39:06Z")
Hangs head in shame and extends late welcome to **Fetchund.** Welcome, welcome, make yourself 'ta home. I’m a bit miffed right now because I found out my boss disapproved a rental car for my upcoming TDY. He seems to think the Metro is right at hand. I sent him an e-mail explaining that a: The Metro is FOUR FRIGGIN’ miles (not in those words of course) from my hotel. b. My hotel DOES NOT have a restaurant. c. I’m not at all thrilled or comfortable with the idea of being in a strange city, by myself, taking public transportation at night while I’m looking for restaurants to eat at for safety reasons. He’ll probably still tell me no. Dammit, I’m actually pissed. He’s the one that pushed me into going to this damn training, and now he won’t pony up for a rental car?! ---
**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:** [April 10, 2006, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/57 "2006-04-10T20:03:36Z")
> [@Taters](#): > > He’ll probably still tell me no. Dammit, I’m actually pissed. He’s the one that pushed me into going to this damn training, and now he won’t pony up for a rental car?! Is it something you can do yourself and then get re-imbursed for it after the fact? Or is it something that is spelled out in the TDY orders that you are not authorized a rental car? ---
**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:** [April 10, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/58 "2006-04-10T20:05:33Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > And we’re looking out Suffolk way anyhoo… Ah, Surprising Suffolk. Home of this year’s Burning of the Great Dismal Swamp. I hear they are doing real good things with their downtown area (like actually building one.) Good choice for a place to relocate. ---
**Author:** ![taxi78cab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@taxi78cab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taxi78cab)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/59 "2006-04-10T20:14:00Z")
> [@Fetchund](#): > > Taxi - Don’t freak out about MPLS - It is beautiful out here this week, and the MSP airport is pretty easy to navigate. I’ll try to rustle up some good driving weather for you on Thursday. Thanks! And welcome to the MMP! > [@Anaamika](#): > > Well, taxi, I had photographic evidence. Well, maybe I do too. But do you really want to see that?? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072/60 "2006-04-10T20:37:06Z")
> [@taxi78cab](#): > > Well, maybe I do too. But do you really want to see that?? 😃 Well, Keith is pretty cute. I think the question is: do \*you \* want \*me \* to see that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unexpected-mmp/352072.md?page=4)