Travelogue -- a New World MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
101

{{{{{{{{SCL}}}}}}} I’m so sorry.

Yawn. I’m up and caffeinating before going to work. Of course my right knee is trying to do that thing it started doing recently where it swells up out of nowhere; apparently there’s a small bit of dead bone in there but it’s not the sort of thing that they need to operate on yet, thank Og. It’s probably not happy with me what with all the driving and moving stuff up stairs. I’m not worried about it, I’m a bit po’d. But if it keeps acting up, there’s lots of knee docs around here, for some reason.

I found out yesterday that they don’t do mail delivery here, I have to go get a PO box. This is going to make getting stuff delivered…interesting. One of my landlords assured me that it’s possible, but can be tricky, what with differences between physical address and mailing address. Oy. I am off the beaten path! Now I know why my aunt kept mentioning running by the post office as if it’s a daily event. Apparently it is. And the “local” news here, at least on NBC, is on a Boise channel! That’s over two hours away! Wow.

I think I need to go get some saline nose spray. It’s enough dryer here that my nose is not happy at all, and I’m going to go through lotion and lip balm like they’re going out of style. The only good thing about humidity is that my skin likes it, even if it makes me feel icky otherwise.

So, I’ll go work with the pups today. I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing, besides what I’m told, but it should be fun. I’m told they get lots of Labs, which was true where I was before, and that’s fine by me. There was a dog in there yesterday that the owners apparently claimed was a Labradoodle (silly name for a mutt, I hate the labelling mixed dogs as if they’re an actual breed, but nice dogs) but looks exactly like a large Bichon. I mean, I’ve washed Labradoodles, and that dog wasn’t. Very cute little guy though. I think somebody got screwed.

102

{{{{{{{{scl}}}}}}}} I am so sorry. :frowning:

palebunny, the thing about designer dogs is that they don’t breed true. The doodle you saw probably had more poodle than lab. But you probably already knew that. Don’t even let me get started on “Puggles.” :stuck_out_tongue:

No pool deck yet. They PROMISED it would go in today. We shall see. I surely would like to have that pool party on my birfday which is on Labor Day weekend.

Tupug

103

{{{SCL}}} I am very, very sorry. Prayers to all of Libby’s family and friends.

I’m up and caffeinating this morning, and will probably have a fairly lazy day – I don’t have any work with a pressing deadline, for a very welcome change, and I’m due one the way I’ve been working lately. So I’ll probably spend the day knitting, surfing the net, and maybe plotting out patterns for the next couple of projects. I think I should also design a hat to go with the current scarf; since I’d bought the yarn on spec and didn’t know what I’d do with it, I have an extra skein, which should be plenty for a hat to match. I should also run errands, but I’m not sure I’m that motivated. We shall see.

104

{{{SCL}}} I’m so sorry.

105

{{{{SCL}}}}

I really don’t know anything more about it than you do. I’m not sure if any of it was true East African food or just a mix of other kinds. Maybe someone else knows more about it than I do. But it was good.

gt, we’ve talked about going to Chicago for Labor Day, but seeing as I haven’t organized anything, I don’t think it’s going to happen. But we definitely can’t make the weekend you’re going to be there. **KeithT **just doesn’t have the vacation time to take non-holiday weekends off.

Part of the reason that I haven’t planned another trip to Chicago is that the last 2 times we’ve gone, we’ve stayed at the condo of some friends of my family. We LOOOOOOOVE their condo and would like to stay there again. They’ve said they don’t use it much and that we can borrow it whenever. But… how do I know if we’re asking too often or if we start bothering them? See, my father’s family is notorious for taking advantage of friends/neighbors/anyone with anything they want to borrow. It bugs the heck out of my mother so I’m very timid about asking for favors because I don’t want to be like them and annoy/alienate everyone around me the way they do. But then again, I don’t know if it actually annoys anyone other than my mother. Bah. So I guess my question is, at what point does it bother you if someone asks you for a favor, in particular one that they’ve asked for before? But also one that you’ve said “Ask any time!” about. We’re really considerate houseguests and always clean up after ourselves, including doing laundry so they don’t have to wash the sheets/towels after we’ve been there. I just don’t want to wear out my welcome!

Thanks everyone for the ideas for 7 kid representations. I passed them on to our friends who will actually be picking up whatever they decide on and giving it to the newlyweds as a joke. I’ll let you know how it turns out!

106

I realize they don’t, but the ones I’ve seen had at least a hint of lab somewhere. This dog didn’t. Not a hint. No hint of poodle, either, except for having a white curly coat. “Oh, what a big Bichon!” was my first reaction. Either that’s the strangest lab/poodle mix ever, or somebody got lied to. Frankly, we all were on the side of lied to.

Oops, gotta run!

107

We are not going anywhere, and I’m in a bit of shock.

Mr. Lissar got hit yesterday evening, from the side, by a guy who was probably speeding and doesn’t appear to have a licence or insurance. He’s okay, but the car was hit squarely on the driver’s door, the door’s all crumpled, and there may be support-beam damage, so the car might be totalled.

Thank God that no one was hurt.

108

Argh, this is not a good-news day!! :frowning: {{{Li-li}}}

I’m glad he’s OK though – in the end that is the only really important thing – but getting your car totaled by a non-insured, non-licensed driver is likely to really hit your own insurance :frowning: This sucks. Badly.

109

{{{LiLi}}} I’m glad Mr. Lissar wasn’t hurt!

snowbunny was hit in my car by a non-insured driver some years ago, and our insurance paid for it but it didn’t end up costing us in premiums – our uninsured motorist coverage was designed for just such a thing, and since we were 100% not at fault, they didn’t penalize us with higher premiums. So I hope your insurance company is as nice!

110

Oh LiLi! That’s terrible! Glad your folks are okay.

111

{{{{SCL}}}, I’m so sorry. Prayers prayed for all of you.

LiLi! OMG! I’m glad the mister is ok.
Last night I went to a cooking class. It was titled Knife Skills 101, and I was kinda above the curve for it. I did learn how to sharpen a knife correctly though, and they sharpened my knife for me! It was more about slicing, dicing and julienne. It was fun, though! About twenty of us stood and chopped up potatoes, tomatoes and onions for about two hours, then we ate what we cut up. Fruit salad (we sectioned an orange just like Rachael Ray!), baked french fries with sliced onions mixed in, and pizza! We had tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes (that we diced), chiffonaded (is that a word?) basil, pepperoni, onions and various cheeses to choose from, to pile onto foccacia bread.

It was fun! I was kinda helping the chefs teach a bit, but they didn’t seem to mind. :smiley:

18 days to go until Daytona! Yay!

112

Ouch, I managed to do something similar to myself once, when a tire blew up as I was turning into the factory.

If anybody tells LiLiHubby jokingly something along the lines of “what, don’t you know what brakes are for?” I have a wet trout you can borrow. I’ll even come and swing it for you if needed.

113

{{{Snakes}}} I’m so sorry about Libby. She, her family, and friends (you especially) are in my thoughts and prayers.

LiLi I’m glad Mr. Lissar is ok. Sucks about the car and the trip. The important thing is he’s ok.

BioRosie I knew I didn’t have it exactly right. I started to google for the exact quote but I was tahred and didn’t. Guess that’s what I get for bein’ all lazy. :smiley:

Mornin’ Y’all! I slept until 9:30 this mornin’. Like I said last night, I had me a beerverage then went to bed. Normally I’d be awake between eight and eight-thirty. I guess those dark beigy colored shears I bought and put up in the bedroom (they look quite nice) do darken the room a bit. I sorta remember wakin’ up and and seein’ daylight but thinkin’ it must just be gettin’ daylight so it’s too early yet and went back to sleep. I didn’t look at the clock. I’m wonderin’ if’n it was eightish at the time. Oh well, it ain’t like I had to get up right then and there. Still it surprised me to sleep that long.

I need to motivate a bit I guess. I’m all clean and caffienated but I need to figure out sump’n to eat. It’s too hot to cook, so it’s either a sammich or go get sump’n. I’m inclined towards goin’ out and gettin’ sump’n.

Later Y’all!

114

SCL, I’m so sorry for your loss.

Li-Li, so glad Mr. Lisslar wasn’t hurt! Sucks about the car though. Honestly some people should not be let behind the wheel.

Just got off the phone with my mom, discussing odds and ends about moving and finances. She was telling me about my uncle (her younger brother), who thinks that his son (my cousin) should be completely financially independent by his sophomore year in college. He’s threatened to basically throw him to the wolves. I suppose this may be the norm in the US, but not in Korea - parents usually pay for 4 years of university - plus my uncle’s own family put him through undergrad AND post-grad. I think he’s being rather silly - it’s not like my cousin is an lazy ass like my brother, and pretty soon he’ll break away on his own. My uncle thinks that he needs some toughening up though. :rolleyes:

115

I found the original version of a document I need to update, yay! It’s got the wrong code :stuck_out_tongue: so of course it didn’t show up when I searched using the right code.

But now it’s going on late and yanowwhat, I’m about to leave and will work on that tomorrow…

Is it Friday yet?

116

Thanks, everyone. I think I still am in shock. I spent about 2 hours on the phone this morning - I hate being the bearer of bad news. We’re now waiting to find when the memorial/funeral will be. I haven’t cried yet. I know I will then, and I am not one of those women who can “cry pretty”. I get red and snotty.

Li-li - I’m so glad the Mr. wasn’t hurt, and it sure sucks about the car. I hate people who think they don’t need insurance; they’re the ones who need it most!

117

Thank the lord Numerio Uno Husband is okay. Sometimes you can be the safest driver in the world and stuff happens. Is this the parental car?

118

{{{{{{{{{SCL}}}}}}}}}}} I am so sorry.

Li-Li, I’m very glad your husband wasn’t hurt. I’m sorry about your car, but frankly, I’d rather the car be hurt than the people in it.

I’m up and drinking my coffee. I have “sort of” plans to get stuff done around the house, but we’ll see how far I get. I’d like to have at least one or two days where I don’t have to do a damn thing. I’m on vacation dammit.

The weather outside looks lovely. It would be a great day to clean the carpets because then they’d dry slightly faster. I dunno. We’ll see.

Nothing else of note going on here. Just another day. It’s nice and quiet, the kids are still sleeping, and I’m enjoying it while I can.

Wait…damn, I’ve got to wake my son up to take his meds. Shoot!

119

Yup. My parents’ car. The funny/horrible thing is that is was my parents’ car, which is a 2004 Corolla, and not the 14-year-old Altima that he’s been driving for a week. And he’d just exchanged cars that afternoon, five hours before the accident.

Mr. Lissar is guilt-stricken, but from what he says, it was a two-way stop intersection, with yielding. He pulled up, checked both directions, didn’t see anyone, and pulled through. And got hit in the middle of the car. In a 40 zone. 40kph is pretty slow. You should be able to see people coming, even at night, and he’s got damn good night vision.

So I can’t see any way that it was his fault. He checked, there was no one coming, and got hit.

Anyway, he’s not being charged, according to the police report, and the insurance people don’t seem worried, which is good.

I’m going to get some gelato before I do the chores. I keep having minor chaking attacks when I think about what would have happened if the other driver had been going a little bit faster, and I need gelato.

Attacks Husband (who happened to be with me at work when Mr. Lissar called, insisted on coming over, and stayed until Mr. Lissar got home) says it’s a good thing I wasn’t widowed, because then he’d have to call of his wedding and marry me, and his fiance would have been pissed off.
(((((((SCL)))))))

120

Hi hi, everybody!

That was a great OP, Special1, and congratulations on getting the family halfway around the world and hardly skipping a beat for all the jet lag!

SCL, I wish I knew what to say, something more meaningful than “I’m sorry”. Everyone in the MMP is here to listen to you, should you need to talk, grieve, or anything. (And on another note, I’ve yet to meet any real person who “cried pretty”. That’s an image for daytime soap operas.)

FCM, congratulations on your daughter’s friend moving on with her life! Although divorces do sadden me, there are certainly times when the are the most sensible option to take for everyone’s health and sanity, and it sounds like the friend’s got that sense.

LiLi, that sounds terrifying! I’m so glad to hear that Mr. Lissar is okay though. Like others have said, that is really is the most important thing. (Just remember that when you start dealing with the hassle the insurance company will now give you. :p)

Delores, I could use a basic cooking class like that! It sounds like it was very fun and educational (for those more inexperienced than you, apparently). :wink:

And hi gt (who said hi to me in the last MMP but I never got around to answering to)!

Well, I just got meself back from a trip to Florida, where my mom and I spent the last few days visiting my extended family (aunt, uncle, and grandparents). Despite the 110 degree heat index (and 90% humidity, ugh), it was definitely a good thing we chose now to visit them instead of later; there’s a distinct possibility I will never see my grandpa again. :frowning: He’s been to the hospital and got fluid in his lungs; they’ve cleaned the fluid out (for now) and given him an oxygen prescription, but the fact is, the man’s been fading, mentally and physically, for years, and now his downward spiral is gaining speed. He could be alive for another three years or three days, I honestly can’t tell. And to make matters worse, he found out that his will (which was written in Michigan, where he used to live until a couple months ago) is not valid in Florida. :mad: So that’s been the complicated mess that was this weekend… sigh I really, really don’t want to lose another member of my family. Not this soon. There’s already been two this year. Isn’t that enough? :frowning:

On a happier note, though, since he never remembers to post here anymore, I shall inform you all about what Ali’s been up to. Recently he picked up a new hobby, wireworking. So he’s been spending the last few days holed up at his desk, making stone wraps, rings and byzantine chains out of copper wire. I think it’s an awesome hobby to pursue, personally, and he’s off to a great start. (And also, he’s said that he plans on making something for me, once his skill improves, so I’m in an “Aww, that’s so romantic!” sort of flutter about that. :slight_smile: