Thread: Apple Pie and Baseball - USA 2014 Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by Campbellite (# 1202) on :
 
A shiny new thread for the new year.
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
still having my NYE morning coffee (and contemplating more shoveling!) but a very joyous and prosperous New Year to those ahead of me!

and remember, spare your dogs the New Year Trauma! my dog once took down a freakin' wall on new years.
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Happy New Year to those (at this point in time, anyway) north of me!
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Wishing all my chums South of the Border a happy New Year.
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
or *ahem* west of the border....
 

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Posted by Scarlet (# 1738) on :
 
Happiest of new year's greetings. I am sucking on coffee still flavored for Christmas.

I have never been so cold. I have told my family I am running away to Savannah, Georgia until spring. (I am only in North Carolina, ha ha ha)

Please weather gods, I beg an early and sunny spring!
 

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Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Woke up this morning to a beautiful, crisp, clear, sunny morning. I'm loafing around in my jammies, drinking coffee and ironically, fighting the urge to do house work. This urge hits me almost never. I'm neatness challenged. It doesn't bother me one bit to live like a frat boy, picking up just enough clutter and debris to make a pathway from fridge, to reclyiner, to bedroom. My husband is a long-suffering, patient man. The irony is that, herebouts, New Year's Day is the one day of the year when you're not supposed to do any menial chores. The saying goes that what you do on the first of the year, you will be doing all year long. So, you do things you love, things that are fun and fulfilling. What you don't do is laundry, or cleaning, or dusting.

I finally have the perfect excuse to spend the day hanging out with friends and I want to clean. Something clearly is very very wrong with me
 

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Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
Happy New Year Ship Mates. I am fixing black eyed peas and greens to go with our roast chicken. I am not very fond of the peas but fear my DNA and the southern gods of bad fortune if I fail to consume them on New Years Day.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by comet:
or *ahem* west of the border....

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Absolutely. Happy new year, Comet!


 

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Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by BessHiggs:
The saying goes that what you do on the first of the year, you will be doing all year long.

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I am finding this way too late in the day. I hope to heaven I won't be cleaning the basement and shoveling snow all year. There's gotta be 8" out there with another 6 due overnight.

I can hear comet laughing at that.
 

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Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
Happy New Year everyone. I spent the day sleeping mostly, after spending the night at a friend's house, up all night nibbling noshes and watching That's Entertainment on TV. Now home again, and hanging out comfortably with my cats.
 

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Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
The usual freaky New Year's here. This time a midnight call for an old lady who had died at home under less than ideal circumstances, and her family was attempting to get her cremated (no funeral) immediately, though her closest grandchild was hospitalized and would have to go AWOL from the hospital to see her for the last time. I have.no.clue what was driving these people to get her underground (so to speak) so quickly. Spent three hours sorting crap out with the family and the hospital. Husband off right now trying to continue same in person.

I really, really HOPE I won't be doing this crap all year!

[ 02. January 2014, 01:32: Message edited by: Lamb Chopped ]
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Mamacita:

quote:

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Originally posted by BessHiggs:
The saying goes that what you do on the first of the year, you will be doing all year long.

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I am finding this way too late in the day. I hope to heaven I won't be cleaning the basement and shoveling snow all year. There's gotta be 8" out there with another 6 due overnight.

I can hear comet laughing at that.

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not laughing. it's all relative. got a foot last night and then rain. it's a nightmare out there. We broke our December record at 95 inches in the month. ninety-five!!!

and on that note, if Bess is right I'll be shoveling and driving on terrifying roads all year. GREAT.
 

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Posted by Oscar P. (# 10412) on :
 
A somewhat belated Happy New Year from cold St. Louis! We've had a light snowfall overnight and I'm trying to motivate myself to go shovel the driveway.

It sounds like many of us are having a cold, snowy winter thus far. Supposed to be a high of 3 degrees coming our way on Monday!
 

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Posted by Barefoot Friar (# 13100) on :
 
Cold, yes. Snow, decidedly not. But then, snow in Alabama is grounds for all of society to collapse. The Birmingham news stations rush to the Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Homewood (which is actually where the stations are located) to do interviews with people who are buying bread and milk -- who invariably look as though they just rolled out of bed. Schools all close, except for that one private school that perversely stays open, just to confuse everyone, and people immediately start having wrecks on the freeway at the sight of one solitary snowflake. Rednecks in their four-wheel-drive Jeeps and pickup trucks get out to cruise the streets, hoping that they can pull stuck cars out of the ditch (or possibly get themselves stuck in the same ditch).

It amuses me when Virginians, Midwesterners, and especially New Englanders start complaining about summertime "heat" and "humidity". But then we give them the same enjoyment when the faintest flurry dusts across the South. So it all equals out, I suppose.
 

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Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
OH NO, According to BessHiggs,

"New Year's Day is the one day of the year when you're not supposed to do any menial chores. The saying goes that what you do on the first of the year, you will be doing all year long. So, you do things you love, things that are fun and fulfilling. What you don't do is laundry, or cleaning, or dusting."

My New Years was 4 loads of clothes, ironing, cleaning after 3 men. polishing furniture, sewed, did my "Moon seed Planting", JB cut wood for the fireplace and I made a turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, and green bean casserole.
Then, of course, JB's day was ruined with the Stanford game.

I think I'm scr***d for the New Year!
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Happy New Year! We took a mini-vacation up to Traverse City, Michigan, one of my favorite small cities. We usually vacation north of there, on the nearby Leelanau Peninsula, but we thought we'd hang out in town for once. I'm glad we did, even though the weather did not cooperate (temperatures below zero Fahrenheit during much of our stay, preventing us from doing a lot of on-foot exploring).

Traverse City has the best of both worlds: The natural beauty of the bay/Lake Michigan and surrounding land (dunes, forests, rolling countrysides filled with orchards, vineyards and, increasingly, hops farms), and the cosmopolitan flavor of a much bigger city. The foodie culture there is tremendous, thanks to all the specialty farmers and food artisans who live in the area, and whether your tastes run toward old-skool diners or, say, Latin-Asian fusion, you can find a pleasing restaurant. The wine scene is huge and getting bigger as the regional wines win awards and fans outside our state; there's also been an upsurge in microbreweries in the area; I think we counted five this trip. There's a lively nighttime music/nightlife culture downtown. Culture vultures can find museums, art galleries and serious music venues. Outdoor recreation is a four-seasons thing and involves everything from kayaking to golfing to skiing. And TC is also a very kid-friendly town; there's a children's museum, an interactive permanent exhibit at the local public art gallery, a children's boating school down the highway in Suttons Bay, numerous child-centric businesses and activities all year long.

If people know about Traverse City at all they may associate it exclusively with the National Cherry Festival in July; but there's also an increasingly well regarded film festival in August and a comedy festival later in the year.

One thing I realized this trip, that I was only dimly aware of before, was that the town is getting large enough to develop its own commercial neighborhoods with distinctive flavors. We really enjoy Old Town, a kind of emerging neighborhood south of the main drag, and the Warehouse District west of downtown.

Oh...and Traverse City has its own regional airport so visitors don't have to drive all the way from larger airports downstate. To me it would be well worth paying a bit more to fly there directly.

(By the way, I am not an agent for the local Chamber of Commerce, LOL...I just really, really like this place.)

Anyway...we had a good time and did some helpful recon for the next time we can get the kids back to Michigan for a family vacation.
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
We had a dusting of snow last night. I have never experienced a winter here with so little snow, and I'm not complaining.

The temperatures, however, are something else. It usually hits 0°F about once every five years. The predicted low for Tuesday is -5°F. Fortunately I brought a lot of warm clothes with me when I moved back here from New Hampshire.

Moo
 

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Posted by Alex Cockell (# 7487) on :
 
Just seen the weather conditions on BBC News over here - hope everyone in affected areas are safe...

 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Have friends currently flying between rainy stormy Britain and snowy stormy northeast US. Their plane should be arriving in Newark shortly - but how they are to get from there to New Haven is another matter.
 

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Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
I think naming the winter storms by the weather service is funny.

The one in the east is called Hercules! I'm guessing people who are seeing it are saying it was a bit herculean!
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
So, will I get keelhauled for complaining about our weather today? I think the high was only 55! We are freezing!!!

It's 49 degrees right now!!

I want my blankey.
 

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Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
So sorry, Judy, that you are cold.

I left the house the other day with 4 layers of clothing and I am miserable here with the cold. The wind was the bad thing. Actually, the weather people say we are unreasonably warm! (In the 40's) But I'll take some warmer temperatures, please.
One good thing, no snow yet, but we hear we might get some this weekend.

I hope you get warm quickly!
 

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Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Oh.Joy. Six to ten inches predicted this weekend, just when the workmen are supposed to be putting up drywall in the living room and fixing the ancient plaster. Just.Why?
 

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Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
15 degrees here in beautiful New York city. Not sure how many inches we got but there's a nice thick coating of white out there.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
-7 F on the patio thermometer this morning...we had a sunny day so it eventually warmed up into positive numbers, but they were still in single digits. Living in Michigan, this isn't really an unexpected thing though.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Moo:
... I have never experienced a winter here with so little snow, and I'm not complaining ...

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I've never experienced one with so much, and I am.

We're in the middle of a blizzard that's forecast to drop about another foot on the two or three feet we already had; it's almost obliterated the nice little path that Kind Neighbour* dug out in front of our house, and it's nowhere near finished yet ...

* D. buys him ciggies and gives him lifts when he asks, and he shovels our snow. I think we get the better deal.
 

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Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
We had a very mild winter in 2012-13, and BOY are we making up for it! Over a foot of snow this past week, to be followed by an Arctic blast. It's not supposed to get above zero on Monday.

I'm a bit crazed here. I'm aiming to put the house on the market by the end of the month. The painters have begun working and the floor guy starts on the 13th. I have recruited some strapping lads from church to come by tomorrow and spend an hour moving furniture for me (some of it out to the garage and some of it out to the alley for pickup). We have a small window of semi-nice weather tomorrow but I still feel bad that I'm asking them to do this work in the cold. God bless 'em. And God bless my dear son and his partner, who will also be here over the weekend to help me clean out the basement.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
If I make any comment about the weather here you'll all shout at me, so I won't.


 

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Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
I won't shout, but I'll do this. Pfffft----->
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
wanna laugh at me, Weasel? looks like I'll be in your part of the world in August.

I'm fairly sure I'll wilt before I'm even off of the airplane.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
If you're coming this way in August be sure to bring an umbrella, or we can lend you one or they are cheap enough to buy one on arrival [but not at the airport!].

If you are coming closely this way let us know.
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
I'm counting on the rain to keep me sane.

I'm going (possibly, maybe, not a sure thing yet) to Delhi. So I don't think I'll be close enough to harass you. More's the pity - I'm chaperoning a group of kids! got room at your place for 5 pale, chattery uncouth Alaskan preteens and their chaperones and teacher?
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
We could put the kids in the shed, I suppose.

Delhi is a LONG way from here. There is loads to see but, to be honest, I'm not big on Big Cities. Have you considered Ritalin, not for the kids but the adults and the teacher?
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
my son's science class did research on bald eagle habitat and how it may be effected by new road construction proposed to go through the Council Grounds, here. The class was then invited to present their research at an international science symposium in Delhi in August. Super cool, and I'm so proud of them!

So the teacher asks the parents who wants to chaperone. We all said yes. so she's trying to find a way to bring one parent per kid. I'm not counting on it, of course. but wouldn't it be AWESOME?!?

and the plus side is that the adults would outnumber the kids.
 

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Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
What a fantastic opportunity, comet. And good for those kids -- you must be proud of them!
 

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Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
It's beyond cold for here, it's freakin-frackin-freezing! My thermometer says it's 1 out side, and there's a nice little wind kicking up out there as well. I'll be stayin in today, I think. Hubby, bless his heart, went duck hunting this morning.
 

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Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on :
 
Re-watched "The Day after Tomorrow" during the Christmas/New Year holidays. Good job it's fantasy.

Currently in bed with some sort of crap winter virus which is making me cough fit to bust. Third January on the trot for this kind of lurgy.

Happy New Year to all in the USA who are enduring or enjoying your winter weather! Apple pie is good comfort food when you're feeling crap, or even when you aren't. And the baseball season (and my annual reconnection with California and the Giants) is not too far away. Thank God!
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
If it's any comfort to those of you who are shivering (not you, Wodders) we had no electricity for most of Saturday and a chunk of Sunday evening, and the temperature was in the -12°C region.

Oh yes, and for many (including us) electricity is our only source of heat.

**brrrrrrrr**
 

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Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
Lucky you Comet, when my daughter went to an international science competition the finals were held here in the US, though she did get to go to Georgia. Congratulations to the kids and you.

The weather here is not that cold yet but getting colder ominously.
 

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Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
Chance to see a rocket launch from the (North-)East Coast tomorrow.
 

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Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 
Wonderful [ or...Wodderful] lol news comet. What a chance! I think the trip will be a significant event in your son's life. And yours!

I know you're all sick & tired of weather reports, BUT it was 0° F at 7 AM here. About 20 miles north of the Mason-Dixon line in PA. Windows are all iced. Afraid I'm gonna have to buy more heating oil soon.

Stay safe, everyone. And piglet: I was looking @ pics of Newfieland yesterday. Huge piles of snow. I pray your electric will stay on, at least.
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Brrrr! I have my sweater on today. At least it didn't freeze last night, but the orchids are inside anyway.

Up to 42 outside, now! Looking forward to Thursday when it should be about 80.
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
The temperature this morning was -4°F; the windchill was -23°F. Tomorrow morning's low is predicted to be +8°F; the next day's low is supposed to be 22°F.

In other words, the worst is behind us.

My warm clothes from New Hampshire are coming in very handy.

Moo
 

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Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on :
 
North Eastern Illinois looks awful! Take care, all around there. And elsewhere where the cold and wind are causing havoc.
 

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Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :
 
It certainly wasn't particularly pleasant standing at the bus stop! But honestly another day inside and I would have killed someone!
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
just for contrast, I would like it to please get a little bit colder. not crazy, mind. just a few degrees. the freezing rain and icy roads suck suck suck suck suck. I have cabin fever. and today I go back to work, which will fix the cabin fever, but it means having to drive down the big hill to town. and pray I can stop at the bottom.

GRR!

I'm donating ten extra degrees to some worthy Lower 48 location. takers?
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
It shot up to +9°C (I think that's about 48°F) today; it rained and some of the snow disappeared. Sadly it didn't stay up there for long enough to get rid of all that much.

Now the temperature's gone back to 0°C and is heading rapidly southwards, so any good that's been done will be undone leaving the pavements littered with patches of treachery ...
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
the BBC reported:

quote:

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Temperature records have tumbled across North America, as a big freeze saw sub-zero cold in all 50 US states.

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quote:

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Even tropical Hawaii experienced -7C (18F), reports the Associated Press news agency, although that was at the peak of Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano.

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In other news: Hell freezes over.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
There's at least one town in Norway called Hell, which I suspect freezes regularly.
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by St. Stephen the Stoned:
Hell freezes over.

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I love how Michigan was pronounced!

Hmmm, it would be interesting to have a bit of fun saying various place names...in The Circus! Not here! (I appreciated the help I got from some natives who demonstrated the correct way to say Salisbury and Berwick-upon-Tweed while I was in England.)

[Changed a word]

[ 10. January 2014, 01:07: Message edited by: jedijudy ]
 

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Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
It's gotten a little bit warmer here, yay!
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by jedijudy:
... demonstrated the correct way to say Salisbury and Berwick-upon-Tweed ...

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Now, if we could only get people on this side of the Pond (television chefs, I mean you) to pronounce "Worcestershire" (as in the sauce) correctly ...

The "Worcester" bit is pronounced Wooster, as in the P.G. Wodehouse character Bertie Wooster (rhymes with "rooster"); the "shire" bit is left out.


 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
I was taught WUS-tuh-shur. am I close?
 

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Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
I pronounce it A1.
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
bah-doom-tsh!

(nicely done!)
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
I had heard it's said "Whassishere"(What's this here sauce?)


 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by comet:
I was taught WUS-tuh-shur. am I close?

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That's pretty close, Comet - it's how you'd pronounce Worcestershire - the county where it comes from.
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
I call it "Lea and Perrins" and avoid any problems.
 

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Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Lease on duck blind: $2,500
Case of 12 ga shells: $250
Look on the face of a young lady dropping her first greenhead: priceless.


Good weekend hunting. Made some new friends. Got to freak out a city boy with manicured nails by teaching him to clean ducks. Added about 10 lbs of meat to the stash in the freezer. Life is wonderful in Bess World this afternoon!
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I adore the taste of duck, but I'm afraid I'm a "manicured city-piglet" and would rather not contemplate what happens between us feeding them on the pond on a sunny afternoon and them being served with sour-cherry sauce and sauteed French beans.


 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
not to mention what happens to manicured, city piglets....



personally, I don't really enjoy hunting (other than the nice long hike in the woods part) but I love the results enough it's worth it.

most of the time.

especially if I can con someone else into the plucking.
 

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Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
I must confess, I made the whole process much gorier than it really needed to be. Old boy had been a complete jerk earlier in the day, so my reward to my self for not punchnig him in the nose was to get him covered in guts and feathers
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
and THAT is how you do it. well done!
 

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Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Yesterday morning, hubby taught our nephew (he's 10) an important lesson in bouyancy, fluid dynamics, and vocabulary. By that I mean, they loaded five adult sized people, one full grown black lab, 300 lbs of shotguns and blind bags, and a car battery into a small boat without even trying to balance out the load. About 50 feet from the blind, down she went. Gun bags floating everywhere, blind bags sinking like stones to the bottom and the dog, thinking this was a fun new game (she's young and still in training) swimming around being 'helpful'. So nephew learned how not to load a boat as well as the proper use of several colorful new words and phrases. Sister-in-law, upon learning of the morning's adventures, was NOT impressed
 

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Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Bess, I have always thought that women got the "common sense" gene and men have the "I've lose my total mind due to over or under estimating" gene.

And, as God is my witness, I have met very, very few or no exceptions to this corollary over my many years.


 

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Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
My poor Eastern friends,

I'm so sorry that you are having these awful storms and some of you are stuck inside the house. Those of us in drought areas wish that we could take some of the snow from you, but we can't seem to catch a break with the weather.

Remember, SPRING comes in 55 days.
 

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Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Found a cool widget for you to "think spring" :

SPRING COUNTDOWN
 

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Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
No Spring allowed unless it brings April Showers. We are in big trouble here in the West, no rain so far this year.
 

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Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 
It's not often we have a long-lasting snow cover here (southern PA). We have plenty of snows, but usually within 2 days it's pretty much gone. We've had no melting at all. And back to single digit or low teens for highs this coming week.

One of my sons is experiencing his first winter in North Dakota. They have snow often, but it's 'dry', and blows away toward Minnesota.
 

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Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
More snow here today. It looked lovely, but was rotten for travel.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
That's the trouble with snow, isn't it? Looks gorgeous for about half an hour, then looks a complete mess.

Although it was very cold here today (-6°C) we still seem to be in "January thaw" mode*, and it's forecast to go back up to +6° tomorrow with rain.

That's fine - you don't have to shovel rain ...


* for the moment anyway.
 

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Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
We kuruzaps just had a name the fifty states of the USA challenge. We apologize to the people of Connecticut who we remembered last, and even more to the people of New Jersey who we forgot altogether. I reckon Maryland was the hardest. We will accept our bribe moneys from the peoples of Baltimore, who we promoted to statehood at the expense of New Jersey.

I suppose I could ask y'all to name the provinces of NZ now!
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
I'm impressed! it would take some work for my family to do that.

that being said, you've traveled the lower 48 more extensively than I have.
 

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Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :
 
Yay nerdy geography activities! Bullfrog and I have been playing name all the countries through a sporcle game that we've played too many time. I can name way more countries than I could before though!
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
side note: I'm producing and directing a show with my drama kids this saturday. it's meant to showcase the work they've done over the year, plus we have to raise an obscene amount of money to get the team to state championships in Anchorage.

I'm a nervous wreckasaurus. will my planned 2 act show come together? will the community like it? will the kids manage to PROJECT FOR GAWD'S SAKE?!? will we raise enough? will I manage to drive the little shits to Anchorage and back without a) getting in a horrific wreck and b) killing them all after the 14th hour of teenageriness?

meep!
 

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Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Pearl B4 Swine:
It's not often we have a long-lasting snow cover here (southern PA).

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quote:

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Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan:

I am always a little surprised when I meet people from the USA who not only can't name all 50 states, but can't do it in alphabetical order. I just assumed everyone learned the "50 Nifty United States" song at one time or another.

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quote:

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Originally posted by basso:

quote:

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Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan:

I am always a little surprised when I meet people from the USA who not only can't name all 50 states, but can't do it in alphabetical order. I just assumed everyone learned the "50 Nifty United States" song at one time or another.

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The ship has exposed another gap in my education. I can name all 50, but I have to hold a picture of a map in my head and do it by geography. (I start with Maine.)

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I can name all fifty alphabetically, but your way is better. Alabama and Alaska come next to each other alphabetically, but there are many states that lie between geographically.

Moo

[ 28. January 2014, 01:14: Message edited by: Moo ]
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
When I was in Primary 7 (the last year of elementary school) the big class project was "America" and one of the things I learned in the course of it was not only all the states, but also all their capitals.

I certainly couldn't reel them off now; it was about 40 years ago ...

ancient piglet
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
...which makes me approximately Pre-Cambrian!
 

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Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by churchgeek:
I'll make a thread about it when the time gets closer, but I'll be moving back to Detroit at the end of April, and would love to visit with shipmates along the way home (I'll be driving). "Along the way" can be interpreted rather generously, as there are many ways to drive from Oakland, CA to Detroit. In fact, I might pop down to Santa Barbara first. If you live along my "flight path" (well, driving path), feel free to PM me or wait for the future thread, coming in April.

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Can I just take this moment to publicly say "
" ?

I mean, obviously, I'm glad you are going back to the place you love best, but as I said to Hart when he &%$#ed of to Notre Dame (
) "You'll always be a NoCal-er/"
 

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Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan:
You know you have been playing too many Sporcle geography games when you remember Kyrgyzstan and Nauru but forget (as I have in that game) Hungary.

I am always a little surprised when I meet people from the USA who not only can't name all 50 states, but can't do it in alphabetical order. I just assumed everyone learned the "50 Nifty United States" song at one time or another. (When I was in preschool, that was the trick that my parents would trot me out to perform for guests.)

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Yes, I fear the only thing I know about Kiribati (besides that it's in the Pacific Ocean) is that it's the least-known nation on Sporcle.

I'm pretty sure I could name the 50 states, but definitely not in alphabetic order. I've heard the song before, but certainly never learned it.

(Mamacita, am I the only person thinking we should have a Chicago meet if churchgeek can come through Chicago?)
 

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Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 
I'm sure glad I didn't go to school in Pennsylvania- - 67 counties In Maryland (yes I'm a Baltimoron) we had to be able to recite or write the 24 counties, and spell them correctly, too. And of course, locate each on a map.

A few years ago I helped my gr'son learn the countries of Africa, and ID them on a map. Let me tell you, that was a struggle. And I told him, they're likely to change without notice LOL. He didn't geddit.
 

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Posted by churchgeek (# 5557) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan:
You know you have been playing too many Sporcle geography games when you remember Kyrgyzstan and Nauru but forget (as I have in that game) Hungary.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Gwai:
(Mamacita, am I the only person thinking we should have a Chicago meet if churchgeek can come through Chicago?)

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quote:

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Originally posted by Kelly Alves:
Can I just take this moment to publicly say "
" ?

I mean, obviously, I'm glad you are going back to the place you love best, but as I said to Hart when he &%$#ed of to Notre Dame (
) "You'll always be a NoCal-er/"

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Aw!

Keep in mind I'll be flying back out here a few times for school-related things. Any time I do, if I can find a place to crash, I'd be so happy to see you and others from the Bay Area!
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pearl B4 Swine:
I'm sure glad I didn't go to school in Pennsylvania- - 67 counties

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quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
When I was in Primary 7 (the last year of elementary school) the big class project was "America" and one of the things I learned in the course of it was not only all the states, but also all their capitals.

I certainly couldn't reel them off now; it was about 40 years ago ...

ancient piglet

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I'm much older but, I'm with piglet, on learning all the state capitals. Geography, reading, Arithmetic was really important in school, as was printing and writing well........ Now, not so much.
 

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Posted by monkeylizard (# 952) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by basso:
The ship has exposed another gap in my education. I can name all 50, but I have to hold a picture of a map in my head and do it by geography. (I start with Maine.)

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Me too, but I do it left to right. I start with Alaska.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
I am always a little surprised when I meet people from the USA who not only can't name all 50 states, but can't do it in alphabetical order. I just assumed everyone learned the "50 Nifty United States" song at one time or another.

I learned them geographically, not alphabetically.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I didn't know the song (maybe it didn't cross the Pond); IIRC when I knew them it was alphabetically.
 

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Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
I had never heard the Fifty Nifty United States song but, knowing the way my brain works, learning the song would be the only way I would be able to learn a list like this. I was useless at the books of the Bible until I had to teach them and learned the songs with my students.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
And of course, if you're studying chemistry and you need to know the elements of the Periodic Table, you can always get help from Tom Lehrer.
 

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Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
I learned the planets by a catchy little song called The Wandering Stars. I still use it to remember their order.
 

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Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Nicolemr:
I learned the planets by a catchy little song called The Wandering Stars. I still use it to remember their order.

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Nicole, I looked up Wandering Stars in Google and only came up with a cowboy lyric.

Could you write the lyrics for me? I am fascinated.
 

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Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Since we are talking about geography
here's a 10 year old, who sings the FIFTY STATE SONG

It took my breathe away (and hers, too!)
 

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Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
I tried finding it online myself before I posted but failed. So here are the lyrics as I remember them:

"Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus,
Neptune and Pluto,
The wandering stars..."

It was the tune that really made it memorable,very bouncy and catchy. Should we ever meet, remind me and I'll sing it for you.

[ 09. February 2014, 10:58: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I've edited the above post to quote just the first verse of the song just in case of copyright violation. Sorry about that but think you may be able to find an alternative method of sharing that doesn't run the same rick.

WW - AS Host.
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
We are having such a strange Fall/Winter season. October was cold. November and December much warmer than usual. January was cold!!! So far in February, we've been over 80 degrees all but one day.

We just hope it doesn't freeze now, since the fruit trees are blooming and leafed out. Love the mangoes, but the blooms put sharp, pokey boulders in my eyes. Don't need to have them freeze then bloom again.

Here endeth the whine.
 

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Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 
There's a huge swath of pink (ice) on the weather map, from South Carolina all the way to Louisiana. Those poor souls. By tonight the system will have moved up the coast to the mid-Atlantic & Northward. The grocery stores are delighted with 12 inch snowfall predictions.

We've had rather deep snow cover for almost two months. I'm sick of it. Plus the single digit lows almost every night. The oil company is also delighted.

I know, you're all tired of the whinging about the weather. I'm glad Easter is well into April this year !
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
South Carolina's snow featured on the Canadian Weather Channel this morning; I always imagined you were more-or-less too far south for lots of snow. Shows how much I know, eh?

It's been v. cold (by Newfoundland standards anyway) here for the last wee while - actual temperatures in minus teens Celsius and wind-chills in minus twenties.

Never mind - it's going up to +5°C on Friday with more snow ...
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
It's snowing here right now. We may get as much as 14 inches, or we may not.

Predicting precipitation in the mountains is always tricky.

Moo
 

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Posted by Polly Plummer (# 13354) on :
 
According to a weather man on TV this evening, the extraordinary amounts of wind and rain we are getting in the UK are all part of the system that's giving you all the cold and snow across the pond. Can't we all get together and do something about it?!
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
If only, PP.

It looks as if we're going to get the tail-end of Moo's storm at the weekend, although it's hard to predict how much rain/snow/whatever we'll get.

We love it when the Americans send us their unwanted weather ...

Seriously though, for those of you struggling with more weather than you're used to (or more than your infrastructure can handle).
 

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Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
I've been helping a friend fill out on-line job applications this morning and some of the questions they ask in the assessments are ridiculous and/or disturbing. For example (ridiculous), in an application for a cashier position at a local convience store: True of False - All modern art is not really art. And for disturbing, from the same job: True of False - I sometimes have the urge to punch someone's lights out.

(and is anyone REALLY going to answer TRUE to that last statement?)

YIKES, what is the world coming to?
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
We got more than twenty inches of snow yesterday.

Moo
 

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Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
I might go to the driving range and hit some golf balls tomorrow as the schools are, of course, closed and it is lovely weather here in the western part of the country....
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Was that a Weather Gloat™ I detected from our resident Knight of the Realm?
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Ask him again about the driving range mid-day in August.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Great minds think alike ...
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Last week's twenty inches of fluffy snow has been compacted to about five inches. Today it was sunny with a temperature in the fifties. We're supposed to have temperatures in the fifties for the next several days. Nature's snow-removal system seems to be working.

Moo
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I doubt if our temperatures will get anywhere near the fifties until about mid-May.

That's the trouble with sn*w around these parts - once it's here, it sort of stays ...
 

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
I drove through Tok, AK last week and spent the night (with a team of teens) at 47 below.

I win.


 

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Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
Was that a Weather Gloat™ I detected from our resident Knight of the Realm?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
I doubt if our temperatures will get anywhere near the fifties until about mid-May.

That's the trouble with sn*w around these parts - once it's here, it sort of stays ...

---

I live at Latitude 37 and at 2100 feet elevation. The sun is much higher in the sky and therefore hotter. Also, the fact that there is not so much atmosphere for the sunlight to travel through makes it brighter.

Moo
 

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Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Moo, I was thinking of you as I was in DC for Valentine's Day watching the Weather Channel news.
All I can tell you is, JB's meetings were cancelled while we were in the air coming to DC, so he worked from the hotel room. Our hotel had a shuttle bus, which did take us to restaurants that were open. I was hoping to get to the Smithsonian and Mount Vernon, but it was not to be. Couldn't even meet with shipmates for lunch! Thank heavens I bring books to read and I could download some TV British programs (my favorites). Trip wasn't a total loss, but it could have been better without the snow. What a mess Alexandria, VA was!

Now, I'm back home to 60 degrees with a cold front coming in. Wind is blowing a gale outside my window right now.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sir Kevin:
... it will be hellish here come May through October ...

---

You can keep it - I have trouble coping with how hot it is here from May to October.

Just don't expect any sympathy ...
 

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Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
We're having a wonderful warm break in our winter today. Which was good for me. Several of my buddies stopped by the house last night on the way back from conservation hunt in Arkansas and dropped off about 100 snow geese for me. Now, I'll clean 'em no matter what, but it is so much more pleasant to stand in the warm sunshine and do it than in the freezing cold. So at 5 pm, I'm covered in blood, feathers and various other avian fluids, with several huge containers of meat. Happy Bess.
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
I went on a group trip to a nearby community called Cambria today. We spent most of our time listening to a talk about the community. It was very enjoyable.

Apparently Cambria has the reputation of being a very un-respectable place, although it has always had the lowest crime rate in the county.

The story that especially fascinated me was the tale of two buildings side-by-side and almost identical in appearance. The first had been built around 1890; the second story was a hospital and the ground floor was a pharmacy. A few years later the second building was built, with a door connecting the second stories of the buildings. This new building had a bar on the ground floor and a brothel on the second story. The connecting door between the hospital and the brothel was so that in case of an epidemic, the brothel would temporarily cease business and all the beds there could be used for the sick. It didn't occur to me to ask whether this situation had ever arisen. I also don't know when the hospital went out of business, or the brothel either.

When Prohibition became the law in 1920, the bar became a restaurant; apparently the food was terrible, but the restaurant prospered because of the pharmacy next door. Prohibition allowed alcohol for medicinal purposes, and restaurant patrons would equip themselves with a prescription. There was actually a pass-through window between the pharmacy and the restaurant. The restaurant and the pharmacy both did extremely well until Prohibition was repealed.

I like local history. It is much quirkier than national history.

Moo
 

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Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
I'm with you, Moo, local history is much more fun than national history.

On that note-- Grieve with me, Bay Areans! The Bush Man has gone to that great seaside attraction in the sky!
 

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Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Last night, we got the worst winter storm I've seen in the 7 years I've lived here. 4-5 inches of the fluffy stuff on top of a nice layer of ice. The wind is still howling. I'm thinking this is a great day to get all wrapped up warm, hop on the 4-wheeler, and go play
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Have fun, BH, and look after yourself!
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
We have lucked out on this one. The forecast said we might get 3-6 inches. We have an inch or two on the ground, but it's not sticking to the streets. The snow has almost stopped.

Moo
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
I almost started a new thread called "Sex on a Spoon", but decided that the USA thread would do just fine for shipmeet report.

Friday, Motherboarde, JB, St. Sebastian, my BFF and I met at a favorite local eatery to talk and laugh (and entertain the server.) As usual, we had a great time together and enjoyed our meal.

We shared three desserts, the upper left one was nick-named "Sex on a Spoon". JB suggested that an orgy was called for, since we were sharing!

This is the aftermath of the orgy.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
You're not off the chocolate for Lent then?

One of the ladies in the choir quite often brings a pudding called sex in a pan to Cathedral pot-lucks, and it's one of the few things that tempt me on the pudding table. I googled this recipe; I'm not sure if it's the same as hers, but it looks fairly similar. It tastes far nicer than all those instant-packet ingredients would suggest.
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
I'm not off chocolate, as that's not a big thing with me. Still trying to figure out what I should give up...something that I really like! Can't give up playing music, as God may frown on that.

I might decide on just the right fast about April 12, knowing how quickly I move on these things.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:
... Can't give up playing music, as God may frown on that ...

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He certainly would!

Having said that, we tend to do unaccompanied settings and motets during Lent, which is actually rather nice - in fact, D. said after Evensong yesterday "I think we'll give up accompanied anthems altogether".

Well, maybe not quite - I'd miss This is the record of John terribly.
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
LOL! Every once in a while, I quit playing the accompaniment (in an appropriate section) and a large percentage of the choir looks up (a miracle for some of them) and either look at me as if I had grown antlers, or quit singing, because if I'm not doing anything, they don't have to, either.

Yes, most of the time they have been warned. Most of them have actually listened, but I don't think they believed me. It would be nice to do a nice a cappella anthem. They used to do so!!
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:
... a large percentage of the choir looks up (a miracle for some of them) ...

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You've got a lot of basses, then?

I say go for it with the a cappella anthems - most of the Tudor ones by composers like Tallis, Batten, Tye, Byrd and Gibbons are little gems.

Oh, and that bloke Anon, 16th Century has written some nice stuff too ...

Sorry - I'll stop turning this into an Eccles-fest now, before a host comes and ticks me off.
 

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Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Sorry to shatter the peace of many a lovely conversation: Wasn't there just a biggish 6.8/9 quake off the N Cal coast?

Or was this one the Westcoastians are just used to, and don't batter an eyelid? Hope all is ok.
 

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Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Well, it was about 600 miles north of the northernmost group of Shipmates in California, just off the coast of one of the coolest little towns on the coast. SAys people felt it, but no mention of significant damage or waves or anything like that. My guess is it was a "slippy" quake rather than a "bouncy" quake.
 

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Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Thanks, Kelly. Hold on tight, guys!
 

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Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
So, it's a "slippy" quake rather than a "bouncy" quake, eh, Kelly.
I'd say, a quake is a quake!

By the way, I like your new "Face".
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I was wondering about that, Motherboarde, but I didn't like to admit that I didn't know the difference ...
 

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Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
A slippy quake would be more correctly called a "transform earthquake",and describes two tectonic plates sliding in opposite directions alongside each other. A "bouncy" quake-- or perhaps more properly, a "crashy" quake,or "convergent/ subduction"-- involved two plates actually crashing into each other . Neither one are particularly good, but subduction quakes are the ones that cause things like tsunamis. Or mountain ranges.

Whenever I hear about a fairly high magnitude quake with little damage or sensation, I tend to figure it was a transform earthquake. I could be wrong, I just guessed on this one. But even very low magnitude subduction quakes have been known to cause a surprising amount of damage.

[ 17. March 2014, 01:57: Message edited by: Kelly Alves ]
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Ah, I think I see what you mean. Fortunately my only experience of tectonic plates was standing in Iceland with one foot on the European one and the other on the American one - IIRC there was about an 8-inch gap between the two.

I'm normally quite content for the piece of rock on which I live to stay where it is ...
 

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Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
IIRC there was about an 8-inch gap between the two.

---

Yikes. I'm not sure I could be that brave.

I'm not going to describe a divergent quake, as those are relatively uncommon and there is no reason to plant unsettling images in people's heads-- especially when they have stood straight on top of a fault...

I live on the west side of the San Andreas fault. About 15 minutes south. A reservoir sits in the north end of the crevice.

[ 17. March 2014, 02:37: Message edited by: Kelly Alves ]
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
There is a cool Benedictine monastery about forty miles from where I live. It pretty well sits on the the San Andreas Fault. Want to see what a major fault can do to the landscape? Behold Devil's Punchbowl about a mile from the Abbey!

Yeah, I know, I only live forty miles away. I'm actually about twenty miles from the point of the fault nearest me; I might as well be on it myself. Time to bring in more crates of water, check out the first aid kit, the fire extinguisher, sleeping bags. and the whole "bug-out" bag situation.
 

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Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Now THAT's a fault line! Our end is hidden by a deceptively pretty lake and rolling tree-covered hills.
 

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Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :
 
Nor entirely your fault then. You brave people on there!
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Look what happened this morning. Life's exciting here!
 

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Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Good man. Kept eye contact with the camera, demonstrated good earthquake protocol, and got right back into the newscast-- albeit a newscast suddenly focused on a quake.
 

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Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Got a call this morning that the person who was supposed to work opening shift this morning had to take his lady to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy (sp?) so I'm pulling a killer double today. The bright side is, this has gotten me out of having to go eat chitterlings this afternoon, so that's a huge bonus
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I had a look at pictures of chitterlings. They look like boiled condoms.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
It said on the Wiki link that BH posted that "chitterlings are eaten in most parts of the world".

Looking at the picture, not in my dining-room.

Just think, BH, not eating chitterlings and doing your colleague a favour. Good day all round, I'd say.

Hope his lady's going to be all right.
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by piglet:
It said on the Wiki link that BH posted that "chitterlings are eaten in most parts of the world".

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Are they eaten knowingly? Could they be in sausages?
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
My general policy with sausages is "ask no questions and you'll be told no lies".

If they taste nice, I'll eat them.
 

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Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Hubby said the chitterlings were great. HIs buddy's dad does them fried, which it seems it better than boiled. Kind of like being kicked viciously in the shin is better than being kicked viciously in the chest I guess. I've eaten all manner of animal parts, including bull, lanb, and rooster fries, but I draw the line at something that you know is going to have a faint flavor of poo...
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Aren't sausages ground meat (and things ) stuffed into small intestines? It sounds like chitterlings are empty sausages.

BTW fried definitely sounds better than simply boiled. That's probably true for most foods.
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sioni Sais:



Could they be in sausages?

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quote:

---

I can't get into crackilngs or chicharrones, either. Once every three years or so I will munch a chicharron in an effort not to offend an eager friend, but otherwise- ugh.

---

That's interesting. I eat chicharones a lot. Since I've become diabetic I use them to dip hummus, chile con queso, refried bean dip, and chicken salad. I loves me crunchy stuff and most chips are too carbie.
 

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Posted by Kittyville (# 16106) on :
 
Oddly, I love bacon rind, but can't do pork crackling at all.

Going to be in NYC for 5 weeks from Sunday - woohoo! Broadway shows! Thinking of seeing "Kinky Boots" and "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" at this stage. Open to other suggestions.
 

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Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Hedwig!!!
 

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Posted by maleveque (# 132) on :
 
I cannot believe that it has snowed ALL DAY! Not much accumulation, three inches or so, but enough to make everything white and pretty. Like we need that IN MARCH!
I do feel bad for those further north, particularly the Maritimes, where they will be getting smacked with a double-whammy storm.
Anne L.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Yes - they're forecasting something quite big over the next couple of days, although by the time it reaches us in eastern Newfoundland it may have lost some of its bite ...

... maybe ...
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Good grief. The sun has been up for over an hour, and the temp has dropped to 49.5!

They are promising that this is the last cold we have until November. At least the front brought us over two inches of rain!!
 

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Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
One of my favorite daytime regulars died suddenly yesterday morning. She was The kind of lady you just wanted to behave around. It wasn't that she minded an off-color joke or the occasional swear word, you just didn't want to talk like that in front of her. She could get the entire bar rolling with laughter with a funny story, or bring tears to your eyes singing along to old country songs on the juke box. She will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:
... the temp has dropped to 49.5 ... this is the last cold we have until November ...

---

You think that's cold, you big soft Southerner?

I doubt that it'll reach those dizzy heights here until about late May/early June (if we're lucky).

BH, sorry to hear about your friend - may she rest in peace and rise in glory.
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
You think that's cold, you big soft Southerner?

---

Soft, yes. And proud of it! Actually, we're so soft here, we'd probably whine and curl up in a blanket if we had to deal with real cold.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Different strokes for different folks, eh?

I'd be hopeless in your part of the world - the heat and humidity would just turn me into a molten, vaguely piglet-shaped blob.


 

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Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 
Gee Whizz! Did someone pray for SNOW ? Please in future, be careful what you pray for. (South-central Pennsylvania). Pouring rain Sat, and Sun morning; 4-5 inches of gloppy snow by evening.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Whenever you lot get sn*w, you send it to us. Perhaps we're just sending it back ...
 

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Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Well, it's the start of Holy Week and today was a great day at church. The young ones do a Palm Sunday walk with their palms around the sanctuary. Our children are so darn cute it was hard not to smile while I was singing this morning. Wish I could have made a video to show you.
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
MoBo, that reminds me of the years D-U was wee. We had a LOT of children, and they would process with palm branches. Some of the boys would whack the folks near the aisle with them. We finally decided we should use little branches!!!

Mine was tiny this year, about five inches long, but I couldn't wave it anyway, could I? It just stayed on the organ console for my own private enjoyment.
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Hi, US shipmates.

I wonder if anyone would be willing to help me out by taking delivery of a parcel and resending it to me in England. There is a very small and light item I want to buy from Macy's but the shipping to the UK is more than the cost of the item!

I wouldn't usually go to this effort but it's a replacement for one I bought while on holiday in Chicago and I'm very cross with myself for losing it.

I can send money by PayPal or send you a gift of British items!
 

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Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :
 
I'd be happy to do this. I work near a post office, so you could have it shipped it to my job and I could get it into the mail to the UK very quickly. PM me for details, if you want.
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Thanks Ruth!
 

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Posted by ecumaniac (# 376) on :
 
Well, that was an experience! For whatever reason, if you don't have a US credit card (ie. a US billing address) you have to place your order over the phone instead of online. How very retro!

I hope the call centre lady didn't have too much trouble with my accent. I spelled out my name and address with the phonetic alphabet.
 

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Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
JB and I had a wonderful weekend with HART in Notre Dame for his Ordination to the priesthood. It was a whirlwind of Masses, Parties, Evening prayer and just sitting and talking with some really nice friends of Hart and his fellow confimand, Patrick. JB have followed his progress ever since his first vows. We feel like family.
We are so sorry that you were not able to be there, but you can access the ND.EDU website and get the streaming ordination video. It should be on line now.
Also this weekend, we visited with Mamacita and went to Frank Lloyd Wright's Studio and Robie House. Trying to get parking in Chicago is a pain in the a**, but the way and the traffic stinks. Thank God for maps, because I took the long route around Chicago to avoid the traffic after being stuck in it for 2 hours!!!
NEVER AGAIN!!! will I go to Chicago willingly.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Hart's Ordination Video
WATCH HERE
 

---

Posted by CuppaT (# 10523) on :
 
Thank you for posting Hart's ordination and pictures! Wonderful!

I don't know how much of our area's tornadoes have made the news, but I wanted to post that I and my family are fine, including my son up in college that was hit by other tornado systems. My three younger children stayed in an inner closet while the sirens were in our area for 15 minutes or so. But my husband and I were only 2 miles or less from the massive one that passed so slowly by and killed people. We were at a dress rehearsal for Carmina Burana and all of us sheltered in an inner hallway for over half an hour with limited power. The whole area is now cleaning up, comparing stories, grieving, finding lost animals, burying and mourning the dead, and collecting for and helping the living.
 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Cuppa T, that is scary. I've only seen one tornado, and I turned the car around and drove fast the other way! Glad you are safe.


P.S. to SHIPMATES!
I have a few (6) programs from Hart's Ordination. If anyone is interested, please PM me with your address and I will pop it in the mail for you.
(Alex, Mamacita, Kel, Amazing, Simon, Tony k and Tomb, yours are going in the mail tomorrow).
 

---

Posted by moonlitdoor (# 11707) on :
 
I am hoping to be doing a backpacking trip in the USA this year, and the organisers say that you must bring a rucksack which has enough room to accommodate something the size of a full paper grocery bag. This doesn't convey much to an English person - can someone tell me what these bags are like ?
 

---

Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
A paper grocery bag is about 12 inches wide and 16-17 inches tall. Depth is about 6 inches.

If you scroll down on this page you will see a filled grocery bag.

I would suspect that the pack you are to bring is similar to a larger daypack that would hold 20 litres.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by CuppaT:
... a dress rehearsal for Carmina Burana ...

---

As if that wasn't scary enough without tornadoes raging outside!

Seriously, though - glad to hear you're all right, and prayers ascending for those who aren't, and for the souls of those who were killed.


 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
My mom will be back in the States on Saturday evening with my dad's ashes and I'm flying to Boston on Monday for a Tuesday graveside service. He's being placed next to the grave of his son who died in very early childhood. I'm so not looking forward to this trip. Mom is dramatic at the best of times...

On a happier note, my brother, two sisters and I are planning to go see the Red Sox play while I'm in Boston. My dad was a die-hard fan, born and raised, and while my mom hates sports in general, the Sox were one of the special bonds my dad and I shared so it will be a fitting memorial to him for all his kids to see his beloved team together.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
all our love, Bess.

and.... GO SOX!
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
What Comet said.

This particularly brainless Brit had to Google to check that the Boston Red Sox played what I thought they played ...

I hope their newest guardian angel guides them to a win.
 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
I'm finally home from the land of We-Drive-Like-Jerks.

If the circumstances had been different I'd say it was a great trip.

But, I did get to see my very favorite play ever in baseball live. The Pickle...a rundown between third and home...so very cool...
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Glad to hear you got back safely, BH, and you enjoyed the baseball match.
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by BessHiggs:
I'm finally home from the land of We-Drive-Like-Jerks.

---

I assume you are talking about Boston drivers. My husband and I used to collect observations of remarkable maneuvers, such as left on red, left from the extreme right lane on red, U-turn on red. Straight ahead on red was also quite common.

Moo
 

---

Posted by basso (# 4228) on :
 
I'm wearing an interestingly colored elbow this morning as a result of throwing myself to the pavement yesterday to avoid being hit by a driver making a left turn. (I was in the crosswalk and had a green light.)
I'm okay, but I'll happily confirm that not all jerks are in Boston.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Indeed they aren't, Basso - when D. picked me up from w*rk the other day he said he'd nearly been creamed by two separate idiots, one going straight through a junction (where D. had the right of way) without looking, and the other turning into the wrong lane, even though there was a traffic island indicating where to go (and it was a right-turn, so it should have been obvious anyway).

People here ask me why, although I have a British driving licence, I don't get a Canadian one. It's simple - I'm scared.*

* The fact that the steering wheel's on the wrong side of the car and the cars (mostly!) drive on the wrong side of the road doesn't help.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Pete often comments favourably on the majority of drivers here in India - I reckon they have to be good considering how appalling the minority are. I cringe as I watch the antics of some of them.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I'm reminded of British-Indian actor Sanjeev Bhaskar's comment on Indian driving habits when he was the guest on Top Gear:

Jeremy Clarkson said that driving at night if you see a single headlight coming towards you, you don't know whether it's going to be a motorcycle or a lorry with only one light working. Without missing a beat, Mr. Bhaskar replied, "or two motorcyclists carrying a wardrobe between them."


 

---

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
I have seen something similar, piglet, but, thankfully, in daylight hours, and not coming my way.

But I have to say Indian drivers are models of decorum compared to Sri Lankan drivers. Those terrify me.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
...But I have to say Indian drivers are models of decorum compared to Sri Lankan drivers. Those terrify me.

---

Amen to that!

My first time on a bus in Sri Lanka I sat in the front so I could see

NEVER again!

I now sit well back and keep my eyes cast down - if I'm going to die I'd rather not see it hurtling towards me like that!
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Aha. I see it was International Ignore Red Lights Day For some crazy reason, I thought it was a Special Day™ only in my home town.

Do we get brownie points for saving the lives of all the bad drivers when we avoid the accidents they are trying to cause?
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
I always thought Alaskans were batshit crazy drivers, then I visited Qatar. Those people have no respect for life, or personal space, or anything! add that to the decision to put in 800 bazillion giant roundabouts instead of regular intersections, and a little ak driver who doesn't DO roundabouts, and I was terrified every time I tried to go anywhere.

Imagine driving along a highway at the speed limit when some jackass in a very expensive vehicle comes roaring up behind you flashing his headlights and honking his horn and riding about 3 inches from your tailpipe looking to pass. And when you do pull off to let the suicidal maniac pass, he rewards you with a rude gesture. At least, I think it was a rude gesture.

A friend who is a jet pilot and travels all over the world told me Shanghai drivers are the worst, followed closely by Dubai drivers, and Delhi drivers in third place.
 

---

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :
 
Bah! Rent a cheap car with good insurance and brake.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:
... a little ak driver who doesn't DO roundabouts ...

---

I'm baffled by why North Americans don't like roundabouts* - they're the best invention on the road. I'm absolutely terrified by the "four-way" junctions we have here, where apparently the first person to get there has right of way. They sort of would be roundabouts if they had a circle in the middle of the road, and IMHO would work far better (assuming that when you're driving on the right, you give way to the left).

* I've heard there's one in Halifax, and people drive miles to avoid it.
 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by lilBuddha:
Bah! Rent a cheap car with good insurance and brake.

---

Nothing parties like a rental car
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
(crossposted. still grumpin' about the roundy things)

there are a few in Anchorage now, and I'm adjusting to them. I'd never even seen one before going to Doha. And they're BIG. like, many (4?) lanes, and mini-roundabouts that lead into bigger, queen bee roundabouts, and everyone driving at mach 1 within inches of each other.

I'd manage to wedge myself into one, but not find my way out, so I'd end up in this eternal circle with no escape, like Charlie on the MTA.

....and she never returned, no she never returned, and her fate is still unlearned... she's still circling leftward in the streets of Doha, she's the comet of the roundabout!



[ 11. May 2014, 00:52: Message edited by: comet ]
 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:
... a little ak driver who doesn't DO roundabouts ...

---

I'm baffled by why North Americans don't like roundabouts* - they're the best invention on the road. I'm absolutely terrified by the "four-way" junctions we have here, where apparently the first person to get there has right of way. They sort of would be roundabouts if they had a circle in the middle of the road, and IMHO would work far better (assuming that when you're driving on the right, you give way to the left).

* I've heard there's one in Halifax, and people drive miles to avoid it.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
... Slough and Stevenage most readily come to mind ...

---

... or Hemel Hempstead.
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Washington, D.C. has a lot of traffic circles, but they have a much larger diameter than those elsewhere. They seem to work better.

Moo
 

---

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
I so agree Moo. I came of age driving in Washington D.C. No problem with the circles. I now live on the West Coast and there is a small traffic circle in a near by town that freaks me out. I feel like I am driving into one of those carnival rides where everyone drives little cars around trying to bump into each other. In the case of traffic circles size does matter.
 

---

Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :
 
I like the theory of traffic circles, but the only small one I can think of nearby is a bit concerning because cars regularly drive around it the wrong way!
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Although generally a fan of roundabouts in UK there are some "New" towns that have millions of them that seem to breed overnight and they are Hell-on-wheels! Slough and Stevenage most readily come to mind.

---

Another reason I'll never drive in Great Britain, besides the driving on the left thing and the fact that I'll probably never have the means to get there.
 

---

Posted by JB (# 1776) on :
 
Every time I wait at a stop light with no other traffic in sight, I wish we had more traffic circles. And we could afford them. The trial lawyers' association would gladly subsidize their installation. After all, using one requires far more knowledge and judgment (especially if they have more than one lane) than stop lights.
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gwai:
I like the theory of traffic circles, but the only small one I can think of nearby is a bit concerning because cars regularly drive around it the wrong way!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by JB:
Every time I wait at a stop light with no other traffic in sight, I wish we had more traffic circles. And we could afford them. The trial lawyers' association would gladly subsidize their installation. After all, using one requires far more knowledge and judgment (especially if they have more than one lane) than stop lights.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gwai:
I like the theory of traffic circles, but the only small one I can think of nearby is a bit concerning because cars regularly drive around it the wrong way!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Leorning Cniht:
got to confused

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:
Washington, D.C. has a lot of traffic circles, but they have a much larger diameter than those elsewhere. They seem to work better.

Moo

---

Pierre L'Enfant, who designed to layout of Washington, thought that the circles would be valuable in case the city was invaded. If you have your guns in the middle of the circle, you can train them on whichever street the enemy is approaching on.

Moo
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
This discussion has become very topical: on the local news here tonight they reported on the City Council debating whether to remove the one roundabout they've installed (at a cost of $60,000) in St. John's because people don't know how to use it.

They even had footage of some blithering idiot in a truck going round it the wrong way, even though there are chevrons to show you which is the right way ...


 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:
Washington, D.C. has a lot of traffic circles, but they have a much larger diameter than those elsewhere. They seem to work better.

Moo

---

Pierre L'Enfant, who designed to layout of Washington, thought that the circles would be valuable in case the city was invaded. If you have your guns in the middle of the circle, you can train them on whichever street the enemy is approaching on.

Moo

---

Now that's the best justification I've ever heard for those things. Almost thou persuadest me to become a roundaboutian!
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
Greetings from Juneau! The closest thing we have to a real city in these parts.

Chasee#3 swore his oath to uphold the constition, etc, this morning. Also known as getting his citizenship. He was born up in Whitehorse on Sept 18, 2001, so needless to say his paperwork got all screwed up at the time. 12 years on, he's no longer the family's little token wetback. (though INS, godlove'em, lost his paperwork so apparently it will be in the mail.) he was by far the youngest and only anglo being sworn in.

Here's the thing- find out when your local federal courthouse is having one of these ceremonies and attend. It's awesome. i won't lie; I cried a little. It's a little different for my kid ("everyone please stand and tell us where you're originally from." "Uh... Talkeetna?") but for some of those folks it was the culmination of a pretty epic journey. The speeches, the oaths, the music, the stories.

I came over all patriotic and shit. Thing is, despite our problems and differences, we're a pretty cool place. I don't even know how to say what I feel without drowning all of you in cliches. Yadda yadda melting pot yadda yadda equality yadda yadda opportunity yadda yadda liberty.

Just go to one of these things before you die. It's kind of beautiful. And I speak as a classic sour old bitch.

Now we're sitting in the park with the drunks, reading our books and waiting for tonight's ferry home. Thankfully it's not raining; C3 wore his pinstripe suit for the occasion.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
There's a (British) chap in our choir who'd lived in Newfoundland for almost 40 years, and married a local lady, but hadn't got round to getting citizenship, and when he did, we went to his ceremony (we were fighting for our Permanent Residence at the time and it was an uphill struggle). We're hoping that it'll soon be our turn - we've been here nearly 11 years and had PR status for nearly four, and we're thinking to apply for full citizenship probably next year when D. turns 60 (when our friend applied they told him he didn't have to sit the test as he'd turned 60).

Having said that, with our luck in these matters they'll change the rules again and we'll probably have to sit the bloody thing in French ...
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I become eligible to apply for naturalisation when I'm 71, should I live that long, which suits me fine as if I applied at under 70 I would have to show competence in an Indian language - as I can barely manage English this might have caused a problem! It's a bit bizarre as I could have chosen something like Assamese which is spoken a couple of thousand miles away from here!
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
(cross posted with the Indian wetback)

I had that thought today... Our legislature voted this year to make all Alaskan Native languages (13, I think) our "official" languages. I was imagining how looooooong the ceremony would take... Thankfully this was Da Feds who still fear anything non-english.

When your time comes I'd love to hear about the ceremony there. We can compare notes. and I know it's perverse, but I'm a little heartened to hear the red tape next door can take as long as ours.

As a side note, while hanging in the park with the drunks (we're still here!) two Canadian destroyers(? I actually have no clue. Fighty People Boats) came into harbor, with accompanying helicopters. Myself and one of The Drunks decided to call it The Maple Invasion™. You heard it here first, folks.

[ 15. May 2014, 03:10: Message edited by: comet ]
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
That was the Canadian navy, Comet. They fairly get about - they were in St. John's last week.


 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
speedy little suckers. was that the whole thing?
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I think "I hope not" is the correct answer to that question ...
 

---

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:
speedy little suckers. was that the whole thing?

---

Nearly. The last 4 governments have been downplaying and undercutting the Navy.

But I am in agreement with pigliet
 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Do you know what day this is????
Everyone still here?

JUST CHECKING! look here for the answer
 

---

Posted by basso (# 4228) on :
 
The last time we talked about NoCal wildlife, it was tigers.

This time nobody gets killed, but they did get video. A couple of paddleboarders had a very close look at a pair of whales off San Francisco. Cool footage.
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Today is Day 1 of the great new series Churchgeek: Road to Motown.

[coding]

[ 22. May 2014, 06:30: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Day 2: CG has reported she has made it to Santa Barbara!

This does not mean we are off prayer duty, folks she has 2 weeks to go...
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
for safe and happy travels for Churchgeek.
 

---

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
Church Geek, good to hear you were in Santa Barbara: it's a lovely county, home the world's safest public beach (Carpinteria State Beach) and former home to me and my late mother. I hope and pray you arrive safe and sound in Detroit later this month!
 

---

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
Late double-post, courtesy of today's Telegraph:

"A gunman went on a drive-by shooting rampage in a Santa Barbara student enclave and at least seven people were killed, including the attacker.
Investigators in the United States believe a gunman driving a black BMW acted alone in the shootings late on Friday night near the University of California, Santa Barbara."

I hope to God that my friend CG has left the area. I am praying she is alive and well.

 

---

Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde:
Do you know what day this is????
Everyone still here?

JUST CHECKING! look here for the answer

---

Camping had originally said the world would end in 1994. That obviously didn't happen. Later he predicted that Jesus would return on May 21, 2011, and that the world would end six months later on October 21, 2011. When Jesus didn't return, he revised his predictions again, and after those didn't come true, he recanted the whole thing, saying that no one could know when the end would come. He's the one predictor of the apocalypse who actually came out and said he was wrong not only about when the world would end but wrong about thinking he could know all this in the first place. (How do I know? The guy I'm dating studies apocalyptic movements.)

On another note ... for those in Isla Vista last night.
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sir Kevin:
Late double-post, courtesy of today's Telegraph:

"A gunman went on a drive-by shooting rampage in a Santa Barbara student enclave and at least seven people were killed, including the attacker.
Investigators in the United States believe a gunman driving a black BMW acted alone in the shootings late on Friday night near the University of California, Santa Barbara."

I hope to God that my friend CG has left the area. I am praying she is alive and well.

---

Still in town, as far as I know safe in a friend's house-- her last post was 6 hours ago.

So good to have solid evidence of her safety.

Prayers for those affected in Santa Barbara-- the victims, their families, and the gunman and his family. And for the community as a whole.

[ 25. May 2014, 00:13: Message edited by: Kelly Alves ]
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
(.. and she just checked in a couple minutes ago! )
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde:
Do you know what day this is????

---

quote:

---

Kelly Alves to the Shipmates in Chicago. Greetings! I rejoice when I think of you, and what a cool bunch of people you are. I am sending churchgeek to you; receive her as you would me...

---

Well, I guess we'd have to let Kelly say how her epistle would go.
 

---

Posted by churchgeek (# 5557) on :
 
And now I'm in Detroit! Back home to stay.
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by churchgeek:
I didn't know you folks were talking about me here! Thanks for the prayers. My trip's going quite well. I'm in Chicago now, staying with Mamacita. Last night I met Bullfrog and Gwai and their little ones as we all had Chicago-style pizza for dinner.

Kelly had told me how great the Chicago Shipmates were, and it got me thinking that I should've come bearing the Nth Epistle of Kelly Alves to the Shipmates in Chicago, which might begin something like this:

quote:

---

Kelly Alves to the Shipmates in Chicago. Greetings! I rejoice when I think of you, and what a cool bunch of people you are. I am sending churchgeek to you; receive her as you would me...

---

Well, I guess we'd have to let Kelly say how her epistle would go.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by churchgeek:
And now I'm in Detroit! Back home to stay.

---

Hooray!

i'm telling you, that van ran on prayer...
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Good on you, Churchgeek - health to enjoy being back home!
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:
I went on a Senior Center trip yesterday to two churches in North Carolina that have frescoes painted in the 1970s and 1980s.

In one church the fresco was of the Last Supper. It was very well done, but it didn't inspire me. The other church had two wonderful frescoes. Behind the altar was a fresco of Christ on the cross, and behind him, larger and paler, was Christ the King. I have never seen those images juxtaposed, and I loved it.

The other fresco that I loved was of Mary, pregnant. I have never seen a representation of Mary pregnant. Now that I come to think of it, many in the church seem to feel uncomfortable with the idea. Mary with a baby in her arms is what people like to see. Mary with a bulge is something else.

Moo

---

Oh, awesome! Are there any pics?

One painting that moved me showed Mary crashed out asleep after labor and delivery, with Joseph left to mind the baby.
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Nice. Would love to see both.
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
here's the one I mentioned:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164381455120395944/
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Concordia!
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Well, no surprise there. We have a startling lack of originality in names.
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
Are there any pics?

---

The church website shows a picture of the exterior of the church, which is nothing special.

They list another website, but the link doesn't work.

The story of these frescoes is interesting. The artist is an American named Ben Long. He wanted to learn fresco painting, but there were very few fresco artists left in the world. There was one in Europe who agreed to take Ben as a pupil.

When Ben came back to this country, he tried to find a church in North Carolina where he could paint frescoes. All the big city churches said no, and he ended up in the mountainous northwest corner of North Carolina, near the Virginia and Tennessee borders. The people there are delighted with the frescoes.

Moo
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
It just occurred to me to google Ben Long fresco, and I found this. It shows not only the fresco behind the altar, but also the two at the front of the nave.

Mary is the figure on the left. John the Baptist is on the right. It would be nice if there were larger images of them.

Moo
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Even for a small image, that is impressive. I would love to hang out in there.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
wow, Moo, that's stunning.

in other news... greetings from Allergypocalypse 2014. supposedly this is our highest pollen count in history, and we have been having visible pollen "storms". it's quite something.

Today's observation: you just ain't lived until you've been baptized in cat snot.

that is all.
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Meh. I've got a new job finally, but I'm suffering from culture shock. This is the first time in thirty years I've spent substantial time working with people who are neither Asian nor academic nor Christian. Very nice people, but I'm a bit taken aback when public restaurant lunch discussion turns to coworkers' skirts and whether they constitute an invitation to forcible same-sex oral rape on the office floor... (yes, coworker was present and laughing, too).

No drink taken, either.

I'm embarrassed--I thought I wouldn't have turned a hair. My husband is snickering at me and saying, "welcome to the mission field."

It's gonna take me a while to unghast my flabber.
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
comet, I hope the earthquake didn't affect you.

Moo
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
nope, not even a little. The distance between me and the epicenter is about the same as the distance from Richmond to Albuquerque.

I have a friend in Shemya and a few friends in Atka, and I've heard nothing, but internet is sketchy out there. word is that the tsunami warning was cancelled because the quake was so deep. no idea about damage, but there's not a lot out that way. few small villages.

the earth has been pretty interesting up here lately in general, though. Noatak is having a "quake storm" - which just means a lot of them - and they don't usually have much activity up there. and last I checked we had 5 active volcanos at once, which is a new record for us.

All of it is on the western side of the state*, though, and a lot of it out the Aleutian Chain, which is a crazy long distance from here. our biggest natural phenomenon has been the bizarre pollen... thing... storm? highest counts in recorded history, and you can see clouds of the stuff on the hillsides.

otherwise, a cool but lovely summer so far, only one notable earthquake around here and while I woke up, the dog didn't even stop snoring.

*I'm in the southeast of the state, in the Alexander Archipeligo.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
Meh. I've got a new job finally, but I'm suffering from culture shock. This is the first time in thirty years I've spent substantial time working with people who are neither Asian nor academic nor Christian. Very nice people, but I'm a bit taken aback when public restaurant lunch discussion turns to coworkers' skirts and whether they constitute an invitation to forcible same-sex oral rape on the office floor... (yes, coworker was present and laughing, too).

No drink taken, either.

I'm embarrassed--I thought I wouldn't have turned a hair. My husband is snickering at me and saying, "welcome to the mission field."

It's gonna take me a while to unghast my flabber.

---

When I worked in an old people's home the staff room was next to the office and I was able [actually had no choice] to the conversations of the entirely female care staff during coffee breaks and it was an eye-opening [indeed jaw dropping] experience. Perhaps I was naif but I had no idea that people openly shared such explicit information.



p.s. thinking about it I should probably be grateful as in my later work in the AIDS industry it was de rigeur to be unshockable.

[ 24. June 2014, 03:29: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Yes. I'm sure it will be very useful to me in the future!

It wasn't the content that shocked me, it was the fact that they were virtually shouting this stuff in a public restaurant. I mean, WAY Too Much Information.
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:
It just occurred to me to google Ben Long fresco, and I found this. It shows not only the fresco behind the altar, but also the two at the front of the nave.

Mary is the figure on the left. John the Baptist is on the right. It would be nice if there were larger images of them.

Moo

---

This is larger. Amazing!
 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Today, I had to slow down to avoid a chicken crossing the road. I was tempted to stop and try to figure out once and for all exactly WHY...

And LC, work in a bar...what you experienced is nothing I'm still amazed by what people feel compelled to share very loudly, in pulbic....LaLaLaLaLa - please stop talking....
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
I'd EXPECT IT in a bar. Not so much in a lunch-time Mexican place.

Though I'll grant you, people come up with the oddest things at the oddest times. Like the pastoral visit which someone attempted to turn into a vaginal exam.
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by BessHiggs:
Today, I had to slow down to avoid a chicken crossing the road. I was tempted to stop and try to figure out once and for all exactly WHY...

---

I had a dumbass red tail hawk decide to fly n front if my car, face my driving direction , and "lead" me. I was freaked out, because if I had accelerated two mph faster, the thing would have been tangled in my bumper. WTH?
 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Kelly, I've done gone and hit one of those. They don't say Bird Brain for nothig

I spent 8 hours today with my (m)other-in-law*. She needed a ride to the city cause she thought she was having an MRI and would have to take Valium but noooo... Today was a bone scan. We get there, they shoot her up with the dye and say come back in 3 hours. We went to Wally-world.

^ (m)other-in-law is my best friend's mom. I love her, but shoot, fire and hold the matches....I'm married, so I'm not goinmg to take your son off your hands...
 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
to Comet,

"Today's observation: you just ain't lived until you've been baptized in cat snot"
Well, the horse just got new shoes today, and you ain't lived until you've been baptized in HORSE snot"! And on my new teeshirt too!

Speaking of teeshirts, Mcgyver's Apprentice, JB and I finished up our 11 day photography trip to Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. Included in the trip was Hovenweep, Edge of the Cedars State Park, Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, Dead Horse State Park, Coral Pink Sands State Park, Newspaper Rock, Natural Bridge State Park, Antelope Slot Canyon, Bryce National Park, Kodachrome State Park and Grosvenor Arch (off roading), Escalante, Hollywood Museum (old movie sets-very cool), "Standing on the Corner Park" in Winslow, Arizona and Rock Art Ranch for the largest petroglyph site we've ever seen.
Yes, we did a lot of things, ate some good food and met some great people and we'll be doing it again next year!
 

---

Posted by JB (# 1776) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde:
... Mcgyver's Apprentice, JB and I finished up our 11 day photography trip to Colorado, Utah, and Arizona....

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde:
to Comet,

"Today's observation: you just ain't lived until you've been baptized in cat snot"
Well, the horse just got new shoes today, and you ain't lived until you've been baptized in HORSE snot"! And on my new teeshirt too!

---

Eww! I'll bet that's a heckuva lot of snot.

I once had a moose come into my garden and munch on my cabbages and broccoli - actually, it happens a lot, but this time in particular - it was the slobberiest moose EVER. the bits they left behind were coated in mega amounts of drool. sort of like insult to injury!

you guys (and MA!) need to come see me. I got your excellent landscape photo ops right here, baby... Plus, I miss you guys. and I want to meet MA. and show off my beautiful town.
 

---

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
A happy 4th of July on this beautiful bright and clear day (here, at least). On Morning Breakfast today, Emma Ayres played a lot of Broadway musicals, including several sung by Frederika von Stade, and a great Learning the Conga from Pal Joey sung by Rosalind Russell. Then to finish, nothing less than Stars and Stripes Forever.

Be kind to your web-footed friends, for a duck may be somebody's mother......
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Nice!
 

---

Posted by basso (# 4228) on :
 
That does sound good. Flicka's album of Rodgers and Hart songs was great.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
It hasn't quite got to any of you yet but Happy 4th July to all in The Lost Colonies from over here, too.
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
(the second one is fireworks)
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Enjoy your July 4th American Shippies
 

---

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
Kelly, one set of the words can be found here. It used be sung at the end of the Singalong with Mitch TV show too far in the past to admit to having watched it.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Just popping in to wish our southerly neighbours (or in Comet's case, westerly neighbours) a happy Fourth of July.

for those of you in Arthur's path; I suspect you'll be sending him our way at the weekend ...
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gee D:
Kelly, one set of the words can be found here. It used be sung at the end of the Singalong with Mitch TV show too far in the past to admit to having watched it.

---

Oh, Sis and I sang this all the time! ( Grandpa had a bunch of Mitch Miller albums.)

Hanging out with my cousins in Sonoma-- barbecue to follow. Should be a great day!
 

---

Posted by Antisocial Alto (# 13810) on :
 
Mmmmmm, barbecue! What kind do they have in Sonoma?

How is everyone else celebrating? My husband has to work all weekend (retail) so we went out for Chinese at lunchtime and then bought some small fireworks from Wal-Mart. AMURRICA!!!
 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Happy Fourth of July everyone.

I almost burned down the kitchen making kale chips (never have a pan that has no sides) Then I worked in the garden and cleaned up around the house, did laundry, washed the windows, No rest on a holiday here.
 

---

Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
Happy 4th of July!

We saw some fireworks with a friend and are going to have a late dinner of fried chicken.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
I worked a ten hour day. (my feelings about how short staffed we are belong in Hell) my family took part in the parade, organized a crazy-successful rubber ducky race and a pie sale. I then went to the evening's music festival, but I was too tired to dance. (that has NEVER been true before)

all of this in record rains (and we're in a rainforest!) and flood warnings.

generally, it was a fun and full day. I'm about to go to work, again, and it's making me crabby. surely we're supposed to have a Holiday Recovery Day?
 

---

Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
We have spent the holidays with my mom and brother and his family. We started the 4th with quiche, went four wheeling, had grilled meats for dinner, went fishing at the river, and set off fireworks(mostly sparklers). Today we started off with buttermilk biscuits sausage and gravy. The rest of the day was world cup, swimming at the lake, eating sandwitches Pata made, and fishing in a pond. Now we are about to grill some vegetables and shark. It has been a good weekend.
 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Went into Sears yesterday to buy our 4th (yes, fourth) pressure washer! (Dang, we do break them easily) and saw the Soccer game. I say SAW, because ALL THE TELEVISIONS were on in Spanish, so I could only make out a word or two, but then, you don't need a commentary, you can see what is going on, right?

Yesterday morning, JB and our neighbor put together and started the fountain. Windy season is never over here, but wind is not a blowing sandstorm to get into the fountain apparatus and clog the daggone thing. The sound is so soothing as I am sitting on the porch eating cantaloupe and scrambled eggs (not TOGETHER) Pretty productive weekend all in all. Now, back to the daily housework grind.

Its a chore, but someone has to do it........

[ 06. July 2014, 20:18: Message edited by: Ye Olde Motherboarde ]
 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
6 NATIONAL KISSING DAY !

Get to practicing, people!
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Who says I need practice?


 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Well, Welease, somebody might need help.....


 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Today is the big annual family fish fry. Catfish, fries, onion rings and hush puppies for 100. I'm tired already, but boy I can't wait to eat some of Miss Norma Jean's onion rings
 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Hours later...I'm hot. I'm sweaty. I'm so pleased with how everything turned out. This used to be my father-in-law and his two brothers' gig, but they're older now and can't take the heat and the strain. Us younger generation have stepped in and kept it going.

And 92 year old Miss Helen told me my hushpuppies were wonderful. So

All in all, a pretty freaking awesome day!
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
I am on vacation! Hallelujah!
So I'm writing to you all from the top (almost) of a mountain in the Smokies! How awesome for this south Florida girl to be able to sit on the porch, drinking my tea, enjoying the cool!!! air and listening to the birds.

Ahhhh. I really need this right now!
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Got a nasty summer cold (grrrrrrrrrr). Home by myself since the guys are off to Scout camp and can't hang around alternately looking anxious and inquiring what we're having for dinner.

I discovered that my dear Vietnamese husband does not know the difference between "passing out" and "passing away." He gave my mother a terrible fright a while back when she called to ask how I was doing with some pain. "She's doing great, she just passed away, no problem!"
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Confuse him further: sing
The Old Stage Queen.

She rises to go. Has the night turned colder?
The new Queen answers to call and shout;
And the old Queen looks back over her shoulder,
Then all unnoticed she passes out.

 

---

Posted by duchess (# 2764) on :
 
I'm writing just to say HI. Loved the MacGyver Jr's photos!

I got to meet up with Grits last week, which was so awesome. It felt like I knew her for ages. It made me think of the ship again...
 

---

Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
OMG YOU'RE BACK WELCOME BACK DUCHESS
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Hello Duchess, and welcome back!
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
Welcome back, duch!

We had a little earthquake last night (5.9) not a big deal, but i have a couple of observations.

1. If you live in a tent, you hear a lot of nature. When it's lightly raining, you can hear it (when it's heavily raining, you can't hear anything else!) so when there's a quake, all the big trees above your tent dump all their pooled water on you all at once and it sounds a bit like getting slapped by a cranky giant. Interesting. (no damage, all well, dog slept through it all, which is my gauge of quake seriousness)

2. The quake somehow severed the big fiber-optic cable on the ocean floor which means most cell providers (except mine) and ALL internet in our Southeast region is down, and may be for days. My observation: it's only been about 15 years since we got this new-fangled stuff and boy are we reliant on it! All CC machines down, atms, etc and no one carries cash. People don't know what to do if they can't google everything. I felt I re-introduced a good dozen of our guests the the concept of a book, today.

We need everything-outages regularly. Reminds us of the material world.
 

---

Posted by M. (# 3291) on :
 
Originally posted by BessHiggs:

And 92 year old Miss Helen told me my hushpuppies were wonderful.

Forgive the intrusion by an ignorant Brit, but to me, Hush Puppies are shoes. I imagine that's not what you mean here? (Although I'm perfectly sure your shoes are wonderful)

M.
 

---

Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :
 
Deep-fried cornmeal batter: see here.

Dang. Now I'm hungry!
 

---

Posted by M. (# 3291) on :
 
Ah, thanks!

They look good and terrible for you!

M.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Almost like a sort of savoury Timbit™ (the hole from the middle of a doughnut)?
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
Timbits are more cake like, while if I understand correctly, a hushpuppy is more bread like. I could be wrong, I've never had hushpuppies, though I've had more than my share of Timbits.
 

---

Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :
 
Hush puppies in my experience are basically deep-fried cornbread.
 

---

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
They are piss-poor excuses for leather shoes: the last pair I bought to wear on stage were made in Red China and wore out inside of a year!

I do enjoy the hush puppies you can eat, although they are not part of our ATKINS diet!
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Maybe they're not as good as they used to be, but I remember with great fondness a pair of Hush Puppies™ I had when I was a student, 30-odd years ago. They were v. comfortable, and I lived in them until they wore out, which IIRC took quite a while.
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Speaking of the cheap and comfy student footwear - do you remember desert boots? I can remember my Top Outfit - desert boots, flared cords, puff-sleeved blouse, all topped off with an M&S cotton baby doll nightie worn as a smock. And lots of folksingery long hair.
 

---

Posted by basso (# 4228) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sir Kevin:
They are piss-poor excuses for leather shoes: the last pair I bought to wear on stage were made in Red China and wore out inside of a year!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
... do you remember desert boots? ...

---

I most certainly do. They were probably the most comfortable shoes ever. Worn with jeans (straight - IIRC by the time DBs reached Orkney flares were on the way out) and sweatshirts bearing logos like

IDONTGOTO

UNIVERSITY

or the logos of improbable ones like Harvard or Princeton (I think I had both at one time or another).

**sigh**
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
The logo I remember best is the:

BORINGOLD

UNIVERSITY

That and the one of the two smiling geese Fly United.

Brother in law got another problem with his operation wound so they are all back off to hospital again this morning - whether he'll be admitted or not we just don't know; the consultant said just to bring him to out-patients this morning and he'll take a look.

[That bit about my brother in law should not have appeared here but rather than delete it, which is sorely tempting I shall just apologise - sorry!]

[ 02. August 2014, 04:28: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]
 

---

Posted by JB (# 1776) on :
 
The discussion of remembered footwear reminds me that when I signed up here back in 2001 some of the shipmates were going on about Blundstone boots. I bought a pair. They lasted about eight years and I am still wearing their successors. They are remarkably comfortable.

I haven't seen any mention of them on the ship over the last few years. They must have fallen out of favor.
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Well, since they last that long, nobody's needed to re- buy them.

I wear these cool shiny black boots that lace up and also have a side zip. One of the neighbor kids stopped me on the street and asked me why I was wearing cop shoes. I said, " I didn't know I was."

Turns out his mom is a cop, and I had picked up the same tactical boots she wears. Cop, preschool teacher...I only know they make great work boots.
 

---

Posted by Grits (# 4169) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by duchess:
I got to meet up with Grits last week, which was so awesome. It felt like I knew her for ages. It made me think of the ship again...

---

It was so great! It is the neatest experience to sit down with someone who has been very real in your life, yet without that true reality of personal presence. I'm so glad we were able to make that happen!
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Hi, Grits and duchess! Miss you guys!

(I'm all happy- also because it's raining here, which is a very cool thing in SoCal. )
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Rain! *sigh* I do miss it.
Normally August is very, very wet. Not this year.

But it is hot! When I got into my car after w*rk, the temp was 108. By the time I was half-way to my destination, it had cooled all the way down to 100.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Oh JJ, I can't even contemplate temperatures like that. We had a couple of days in July when it felt like close to 100° with the humidity, and that was unbearable enough.


 

---

Posted by basso (# 4228) on :
 
The 49ers have just moved into their new stadium in Santa Clara (about 30 miles down the Peninsula from SF). It cost about $1.3bn to build -- and you know the team didn't pony up those bucks.

They just played their first game there on Sunday. Temps were about 80°F, and the fans were apparently unable to cope with the heat. I don't know if there's something wonky about the stadium design or the fans (hush, Raider Nation!) but I don't think anyone expected that.

People are already saying that they miss Candlestick.
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
I was all set to do my civic duty yesterday and vote early. I got there before 9, so I could get to w*rk on time.

Early voting doesn't start until 10.

My parents mail their ballots in. I think I'm going to start doing that, too. Otherwise, normally I'd be at my polling place Tuesday before going to w*rk. However, that's the day the piano tuner comes in (very early...and I'll adjust to his schedule however I can fit in!) so, likely would miss polling hours.

*sigh*

I'm just whining, you know.
 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Rain, glorious rain - a slow, lovely dripping rain has fallen at last!
It's been wonderful for the "farm crops". The horses love it, but the dog hung out on the porch.
The clouds and the fog on the mountain were so beautiful, I had to just sit on the porch and stare and sigh.
God sure makes some gorgeous scenery.
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Do horses really like being rained on? I've wondered about that (yeah, city girl, I know).

We've got an almighty fat groundhog in the garden, eating our watermelon and peaches. In fact, I think we've got a family of them. Oh dear.

My stepdad was telling me how to cook them.

Though I think the heat here may do the job for us. 107 on the heat index.
 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
It's been an incredibly mild summer here, until this past week. August finally kicked into high gear and we've had high 90's with heat index well into the 100's. Of course, the folks who complained like hell about the col this past winter are now whining about how hot it is. Geeze Louise...it's August in NW Tenn, it's usually this hot for weeks and weeks at a time...
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
... My stepdad was telling me how to cook them ...

---

The watermelons or the groundhogs?

You can keep your 100° temperatures to yourselves - for quite a bit of July here it felt like the low 90s with the humidity and it was horrid. Mercifully August has been more civilised.

And I promise I shall try to restrict any complaints about the cold in the winter to the odd "brrrr!!".
 

---

Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lamb Chopped:
We've got an almighty fat groundhog in the garden, eating our watermelon and peaches. In fact, I think we've got a family of them. Oh dear.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kelly Alves:
Boy,howdy, it's 4AM and 40 minutes ago we got woken up by a long, vigorous 6.1 magnitude earthquake. All ok here, but waiting for aftersh--

Wait, Malia Obama?

---

Whoa! 6.1- that was quite a shake. I'll check out news for the Bay. Glad that you are okay. How's your household stuff? Nothing broken, I hope?
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
We are totally fine, except for worrying about our North Bay relatives. The town of Napa seems to have been hit the hardest, and that is due to the large number of wine cellars to be found there. There have been only three critical injuries reported so far, but lots of property damage and those who make a living with bottles-- wine producers and merchants-- are taking a big material hit.

Thank God this all happened at 3 AM. From the look of the pics, if people had been walking around supermarkets when it hit...( shudder.)
This is the biggest we've had since Loma Prieta, in the Bay Area, so people are nervously calm, if that makes sense.

[ 24. August 2014, 19:03: Message edited by: Kelly Alves ]
 

---

Posted by ChastMastr (# 716) on :
 
That's AWESOME!!

Malia, I mean. I hope everyone is OK after the quake?
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Hi. Woke up to the news of that quake. Hope everyone in the area is OK and that the aftershocks happen when you're in safe places.

I have been reminded to update my emergency kit.

Huia
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Turns out there was a fire in a Napa mobile home park-- three homes burned to the ground, as water mains were cracked at the time of the fires.

Some of the historic buildings in Napa, which apparently hadn't been retrofitted, were severely damaged. There are apparently evacuation services being orovided in town for people whose homes have become uninhabitable.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Hope you're all OK.
 

---

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
So glad all my Bay Area shipmates friends are reporting in Ok after the earthquake.

And a big WOooHOOOOO to the Jackie Robinson West team from Chicago's south side, who won the National Little League championship on friday! Chicago has winning team! The city is giving them a big parade this week.
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
I heard about that! Go, team!
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
We had pictures on the Weather Channel this morning of one of the historic buildings cracking in the earthquake - it was awful to watch a beautiful stone building splitting apart like that.


 

---

Posted by Carex (# 9643) on :
 
Brick and stone are particularly poor building materials in an earthquake because the strength relies on the mortar between them. The photos I've seen so far were brick or stone buildings, mostly in the older districts of town (which may have been rebuilt following the 1906 quake.)

The good news is that the region around the epicenter of the quake is the most sparsely populated part of San Francisco Bay. While the estimates are that nearly a million people felt the quake, the bulk of the population in the immediate area are in relatively recent subdivisions where buildings are low and less likely to collapse. Most of the structural damage appears to be in the older districts of Napa, Vallejo and Sonoma. Well, that and the mobile homes that caught fire due to gas leaks where the fire department had trouble fighting them due to broken water mains. (The same problems they had in San Francisco in 1906.)

Much of the commercial damage reported so far has been to bottles (especially wine - this is the heart of the California Wine Country, after all.) I was interested to see that the photos of store shelves showed that they did not have the extra rails designed to keep the bottles on the shelf that insurance companies require in places such as Hollister where quakes are common.

There may be some longer term effects, however. I have a report from a brewery that some settled yeast got sloshed up in the tanks, and the beer may be murkier than normal for a few days.


While grateful that damage was relatively limited compared to what it could have been for a quake this size in a major population area, our hearts still go out to those affected as they deal with the aftermath.
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
We had pictures on the Weather Channel this morning of one of the historic buildings cracking in the earthquake - it was awful to watch a beautiful stone building splitting apart like that.

---

Yeah, that was a shame-- those are gorgeous old buildings. As Carex said, though, they were constructed of the least earthquake safe materials you could think of besides matchsticks. That's why the retrofitting campaign of the early 90s was so important. It was pretty aggressive in San Francisco itself, but I guess not so much in the North Bay.

[ 25. August 2014, 21:06: Message edited by: Kelly Alves ]
 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Just had a deputy pull up in my driveway. I'm freaking out cause my husband isn't home and I'm scared it's about him. He gives me a summons to appear in court because I missed jury duty (along with 36 other people) and the judge wants to know why. Well, I never NEVER got the notice, and I would have been there if I had, since the two things that make you a part of the system are 1) voting and 2) jury duty. So very not happy right now. It's not my fault some clerk didn't mail out the notices....
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Ah, crap. Hope they are reasonable about it.
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
It's kind of a big clue when 37 people all miss jury duty!

What Kelly said.
 

---

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kelly Alves:
That's why the retrofitting campaign of the early 90s was so important. It was pretty aggressive in San Francisco itself, but I guess not so much in the North Bay.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:
It's kind of a big clue when 37 people all miss jury duty!

---

Seriously! I hope all 37 of you got summoned to appear in court at the same time. That might suggest to the judge that there was a wee little problem with the mailing.
 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
In one of the odd little twists that fate likes to toss around, my ex-husband is also one of the folks going to court on Tuesday. I wonder why he was even called for jury duty since he's not a US citizen, but either way, at least I'll have a friend in the courtroom with me

I'm not going to think about court this weekend, we've got too much lined up to do. The not-for-profit I work with is hosting our 2nd annual dove shoot this weekend and it's going to be huge. We've got twenty-something soldiers coming in for the event. Hubby and the nephews are on the way to pick up the really big smoker, and get started on the food. 7 butts, 6 chubs of bologna and I think he said 30 lbs of chicken. I'll be exhausted when it's all said and done, but it's so worth it. Plus a couple of folks from Team Benelli will be doing a shooting exhibition so that's going to be really cool!
 

---

Posted by Leorning Cniht (# 17564) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by BessHiggs:
In one of the odd little twists that fate likes to toss around, my ex-husband is also one of the folks going to court on Tuesday. I wonder why he was even called for jury duty since he's not a US citizen, but either way, at least I'll have a friend in the courtroom with me

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Leorning Cniht:
... dutifully wrote back telling them I wasn't American, so they didn't want me ...

---

D. was called for jury duty several years ago, when we were still fighting to get Permanent Residence, and the Sheriff's Officer (or whatever they're called) turned up on our doorstep, just as we were about to leave go to Saint-Pierre, where he'd been invited to do an organ recital. IIRC he went down to the court-house with his temporary visa, which satisfied them that he wouldn't have been eligible.

He contemplated saying to them, "I'll do jury duty if you give me citizenship" but thought better of it ...
 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
An amazing afternoon today. Old friends, new friends, good food, lots of laughs, cold beer, football on TV and that great feeling of knowing you've made some folks' day.

I had a boy - maybe 25 and in special forces - hug my neck and thank me for being his "away from home mamma", cause he and his mom watch football together when he's home, and he's 1000 miles away. Yep, I cried...
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Aww...

Tell the judge he can put that in his pipe and smoke it.

Also see: them apples, preferred method of preperation.
 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Court was extra fun yesterday . We were to show up at 8:30. In addition to the folks there because of the jury notice snafu, there was a wide assortment of societies finest - meth cookers, spouse beaters, an acutal pimp, and two guys in shackles (with armed guards). Other than the two prisioners, we all had to stand in the stuffy hallways outside the courtroom for an HOUR before we could go sit down. There were about 7 of us jury folks who kind of huddled together in the back row of the courtroom. The judge starts taking pleas, hearing arraignments, and generally doing courtroom stuff while we in the back are all kind of looking at eachother thinking "really, shouldn't he just get us out of the way first?". 3 hours pass, and it's now about 12:30 and the judge announces that he's ready for a lunch break unless there is anyone else in the court who's case he hasn't heart. The most vocal (and pissed off by this point) of our little group asks what we are all supposed to do. His response is ,"Oh, just go see my clerk there and get a new date for jury service."

3 HOURS of my life, gone. Sigh.

And I was left with the realization that I really need to get to know a better class of people. I knew 7 of the folks there on actual criminal charges
 

---

Posted by basso (# 4228) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by BessHiggs:

And I was left with the realization that I really need to get to know a better class of people. I knew 7 of the folks there on actual criminal charges

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by BessHiggs:
Court was extra fun yesterday... His response is ,"Oh, just go see my clerk there and get a new date for jury service."

3 HOURS of my life, gone. Sigh...

---

quote:

---

And I was left with the realization that I really need to get to know a better class of people. I knew 7 of the folks there on actual criminal charges [Hot and Hormonal]

---

Well, rats! You could have easily been excused if they had gotten to that point. Then no duty for another year.
 

---

Posted by basso (# 4228) on :
 
St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Napa had damage after the recent quake that will make some people's blood run a little chillier. (Brace yourself, JJ)
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 


Poor wee pipes.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
how is everyone?

two cruise ships left. it's how I now measure my seasons. I just need to survive two cruise ships. the rest is gravy.

the summer job is overlapping with the winter job (coaching at the HS) which means I'm working something like 12 hours a day on weekdays, only 8 on weekends. Yesterday, I had BOTH jobs off, for the first time since school started. crazy! I slept in until almost 6:30 am!

my hotel job ends in mid-october. as soon as it's over I have to host a tournament here, which is sheer chaos, so i figure sometime around halloween I'll be able to collapse and catch up on 5 months worth of sleep. I don't think I've ever looked forward to winter so much in my life.

and on top of all of that - we break ground on my house in about 10 days!

why does everything happen at once?

that being said, it's all GOOD stuff, and with all of the chaos, I'm still probably happier than I've been in... years? I do miss everyone here, but I'll be checking in more often in the winter.
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
(I just had to share this one with you. It's the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko — the one the European spaceprobe Rosetta is circling around at the moment — drawn to scale with Los Angeles. Watch your heads!)
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
comet, so that's what a lack of sleep will do to you!
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
(I just had to share this one with you. It's the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko — the one the European spaceprobe Rosetta is circling around at the moment — drawn to scale with Los Angeles. Watch your heads!)

---

see, folks? you don't want to piss off a comet. we're mighty.
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Two cruise ships left, comet? I'll take one off your hands!

Actually, I'm leaving on a cruise Sunday and am so excited I can hardly stand myself! D-U and her Hubby made the arrangements to celebrate my birthday from back in January.

If you've already heard this, just remember that I'm older now, and might repeat things from time to time.
 

---

Posted by Tubbs (# 440) on :
 
Are there any NY Shippies out there who can help with a Central Park related question? There's a stall in the park near the zoo that sells carved animals in semi precious stone. We bought a few back and a friend is very taken with them. I'm hoping he has a website and will ship. My google-fu is failing!

Thank you for any help.

Tubbs
 

---

Posted by JB (# 1776) on :
 
MB and JB worked the concert our church put on this Saturday. We were the photographers, sort of. We were up into the wee hours making the CD of pictures to show at the church service on Sunday. Then we overslept and got there late.

The concert was by Everfound, a group of four Russian brothers from Denver. It was quite an experience for someone who had never been to a rock concert. I often found myself reeling backwards from the sound and the light in spite of

• Being on the far side of the room
• Wearing ear plugs (we gave them out at the door)
• Seeing it through a viewfinder

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
(I just had to share this one with you. It's the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko — the one the European spaceprobe Rosetta is circling around at the moment — drawn to scale with Los Angeles. Watch your heads!)

---

That's scary to see something that dwarfs my birthplace; wonder what the astronomers at the Griffith Park Observatory think!
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
one cruise ship left. next wednesday. Bring on the winter.
 

---

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
After reading ingredients on bread labels at the store, some of which I could not pronounce and all having sugar or some other sweetener added, I decided I needed to make my own. The first batch came out of the oven not only looking beautiful but the whole house smells of baking bread. One problem however is that it tastes so good Mr Image and I ended up eating three slices each with our soup for lunch. This will never do, but perhaps the novelty will wear off or we will learn self control. Cannot believe how much better it tastes. Now that it is cooling off and it is not to warm to light the oven, let the fun continue. As a thread in heaven says, there are some advantages to age, that you are home long enough to make bread is one of them.
 

---

Posted by Carex (# 9643) on :
 
That is why I always baked two loaves of bread at a time: I would toss one onto the breadboard for the hungry hoards to devour, then hide the second while they weren't looking.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
30+ years ago, when I was living with E [now deceased], I used to make bread one evening a week - it was both fab and therapeutic - and it tasted good, too. I haven't found a yeast I like over here otherwise I might be tempted to start again.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
my winter routine is to make a loaf with dinner that gets completely devoured at dinner. It's a smallish boule loaf and I do have teenagers.

in this house, bread never cools.

I've developed a lazyass non-recipe non-system that means the bread doesn't take much work at all, just a little planning. if any one is interested, I'm happy to share.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
If you could pop it on to the recipe thread over in Heaven I would love you even more than I do already! The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, doncha know.
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Breadmaker. Cost about £50. Have had current one 5+ yrs. A couple of minutes prep and come back 4 hours later.... White, brown, wholemeal, brioche, with seeds, nuts, cheese, whatever. The only change is that if and when it pegs out, I'll get the model that does rye as well.
 

---

Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
I've had my breadmaker since 1990 and it works well. There are lots for sale in yard sales and I am always wondering if I should pick up a much newer one and keep it in reserve.

I start my bread in the bread maker and bake it in the oven. Almost always I do a couple of french baguettes.

Unless I am giving it away or using it that day I slice it with an electric knife and then freeze it. It is so nice to take a slice out of the freezer and have it taste like fresh bread.

I have lots of allergies and much prefer to have plain bread without loads of additives and with the price of bread these days it takes very little motivation to make my own.
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
We've had two breadmakers. Between them they ran for about three years before some irritatingly minor faults rendered them useless.

It's hand made bread for now, unless we take the bold step to get a bomb-proof breadmaker.

btw, you won't get bored with warm, home made bread. You might however have to buy bread if you need breadcrumbs!
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
If you could pop it on to the recipe thread over in Heaven I would love you even more than I do already! The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, doncha know.

---

your wish is my command.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
You're a star! Thank you.


 

---

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
http://www.kqed.org/w/morefastfoodmyway/episode209.html

This one you mix, rise, and bake bread all in one bowl. For the truly lazy cook. You need to watch a bit of the video before he gets to the bread.
 

---

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
Sorry I meant to put this on the recipe thread and it somehow ended up here. Can not delete, too late.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I've posted that link across to the Recipe Thread just in case anybody missed it here.
 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Hubby left yesterday to go haul garbage in Northern Wisconsin. He's been there just over 24 hours. He's already got a BBQ, a skeet shoot and two hunts organized with the boys up there he's working with...

He was worried that he'd be bored and lonely...

That sounds a lot more like summer camp than work LOL.

And cause he's left handed, I'm going to have to figure out how to ship his shotgun to him...first world problems and I'm so glad he's having a good time.
 

---

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
W Wonderwick. Thank you.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Graven Image:
W Wonderwick ...

---

Best. Typo. Ever

Those of you who also inhabit the Brit thread will know that D. and I have discovered the delights of the "dough cycle" button on the bread-making machine, and that making your own French sticks is probably the most therapeutic thing in the world. And yes - I'm eating nearly 100% more bread than I used to.
 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Hurricane Odile seems to be heading our way. We have a flash flood watch, all weekend! This would not bad, IF it rains here, but being between the mountains and living in a valley, we tend to miss rain here. The southern regions are getting flooded!
And in Arizona, southern Nevada and of course, California they are having lots of rain. Keep all of us in prayer against road washouts and homes in danger.

This weekend here is the Rennaisance Fair and the State Fair, both of which I have never seen, but both might get a total rain out - darn it!
 

---

Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
My jury duty saga continues...I got put on a jury on Tuesday, did the whole nine yards...delivered a Not Guilty verdict. So I should be done, right? NOPE, not in Tennessee it seems. I'm to report to the courthouse tomorrow morning again...Now, we all know that at voir dire, I'm going to be dismissed, but I still have to rearrange my life. and not just for tomorrow...this goes on until the end of November. Seriously WTF?


OTOH, hubby is having a wonderful time at Garbage Camp, as I'm calling it now. And making all kinds of mew friends and having a ball.
 

---

Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by BessHiggs:
My jury duty saga continues...I got put on a jury on Tuesday, did the whole nine yards...delivered a Not Guilty verdict. So I should be done, right? NOPE, not in Tennessee it seems. I'm to report to the courthouse tomorrow morning again...Now, we all know that at voir dire, I'm going to be dismissed, but I still have to rearrange my life. and not just for tomorrow...this goes on until the end of November. Seriously WTF?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde:
And in Arizona, southern Nevada and of course, California they are having lots of rain.

---

Rain in the mountains and other inland areas of southern California, but not out here on the coast. Just heat, heat, and more heat. The equinox cannot come soon enough.
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
There have been a few little dribbles of rain up here-- other than that, what Ruth said.

And boy oh boy am I glad I live in California, after reading all this jury duty mess.
 

---

Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on :
 
I saw my gardener three times in the last ten days after the lovely rain storm: mowing the lawn in the back and side yards, getting rid of grass that shouldn't be in the front yard a "weed-eater"! Thank God our neighbourhood has good storm drains!

We usually see him every other week...
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
I had a nice experience this afternoon. I was working in the yard right next to the sidewalk getting rid of the little trees that keep coming up among my periwinkle.

A young man, presumably a Tech student, was passing by; he stopped and asked if he could help. He worked much faster than I can.

I do like the students around here. It helps that I am a white-haired little old lady.

Moo
 

---

Posted by LeRoc (# 3216) on :
 
I, um, just stumbled across, uh, this. Do you think it is correct?
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeRoc:
I, um, just stumbled across, uh, this. Do you think it is correct?

---

somebody out there sure needs a new hobby.
 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
The Balloon Fiesta Opening was spectacular! Our grandchildren were OOHING and AAHING all morning at the balloons. Thousands of people are enjoying the morning.
Next year, I think I''m going to get a trailer and camp out closer to the field, (I recommend this, as I have done it by park and ride and driving in and parking)
The special shape balloons are the hot tip. Check out Darth Vader, Spider pig, bumblebees, Wells Fargo wagon, dinosaur hatching, stork delivery, etc. ENJOY!

Balloon Fiesta Special Shape Photos
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
I'm jealous, MB. one of my favorite things I've ever attended.
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde:
The Balloon Fiesta Opening was spectacular! Our grandchildren were OOHING and AAHING all morning at the balloons. Thousands of people are enjoying the morning.
Next year, I think I''m going to get a trailer and camp out closer to the field, (I recommend this, as I have done it by park and ride and driving in and parking)
The special shape balloons are the hot tip. Check out Darth Vader, Spider pig, bumblebees, Wells Fargo wagon, dinosaur hatching, stork delivery, etc. ENJOY!

Balloon Fiesta Special Shape Photos

---

OMG. I didn't even know that they had graduated to special shapes nowadays. I just remember the classic shaped, bright colored ones from years ago. These cuties have the Macy's Parade floats beaten hollow. My fave is Waddles the SnoBird.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
I'm feeling the need to post a little update on m batshit crazy life. bear with me, it will all be over in a moment...

I live in a rainforest. Therefore, a lot of precip is pretty expected. But this year? we've broken all records. A little bit of a downer, but there you go. no big deal.

EXCEPT: this is the fall I'm building my house. The contractor (and friend) expected 2 weeks to have an enclosed, wired, and insulated box up and running. Meaning no interior walls or finish work, but a dry place that I can continue working on through the winter. Because of the charming weather and some personnel issues, we are now sitting squarely at 3 and a half weeks. The foundation is in, the floor is done and insulated and sealed. The exterior walls are up and as of yesterday we have the roof done except for the metal. still no windows and doors, still no final roofing, still no wiring and insulation, and we're a long way off from drywall, yet. And now my contractor has to leave, possibly in just a few days.

So there we are. And because the location of the house was the same footprint as my tent platform, I've been living in a shed on our church property for these last few weeks. It's actually a pretty nice little set-up, but if the house is not move-in-able soon (and it won't be) I'll have to find other accommodations because the church shed gets snowed in for the winter, and the snow is threatening.

There is no end to the adventure around here.

Add to that, my summer job ends Tuesday when we close the hotel for a winter, which means YAY more time to do everything else but BOO no income. And my school is hosting the next debate tournament in two weeks and OMG I'm not even close to ready.

And the 19 year old is drowning in pretty bad depression, and the 25 year old is married to a 22 year old toddler, and the 13 year old is being oh-so-13.

There's a lot of good, too. down 37 pounds since June 1. yay me! mental health issues behaving themselves for the time being. Amazing new boyfriend that leaves me daydreaming and swoony. Grandbaby is a little spitfire and takes after her cute and brilliant Gran ifIdosaysomyself. lots of good. but HOLY COW.

Anyway, that's the news from the land of epic transitions and Everything-Happens-At-Once.

back to your regular programming.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Comet - , and a bit

Good luck with the house - hope your weather holds as long as possible.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Best wishes from another rainforest dweller - except our climate is a little less variable than yours.


 

---

Posted by Twilight (# 2832) on :
 
I guess it's official -- baseball is no longer the national sport. We get over a hundred cable stations and none of them are televising the National league playoffs. We can't pick it up on the radio either. Sure if we had a satellite dish we might be able to get it on ESPN 6000 or something, but we only get about five other ESPN stations.

[Is griping okay in All Saints? I don't scroll down here much.}

Fun American news: The Palin family, Sarah, Todd, Bristol and Track, went to a party and started a big brawl. Sarah blames the liberal media.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
If Sarah Palin didn't exist we'd have to invent her!
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
How can you possibly take someone seriously when they call their children Bristol and Track?


 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
Alas, those names are not particularly odd around here. Location names are downright common.

Also not uncommon amongst the redneck set? Brawling. Everybody got a good laugh out of the story, but I don't think anyone was surprised.
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
They could at least use place names that would 'work' as names for people. Talkeetna, for example.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
A name like Talkeetna would make everyone think of lefty tree-huggin' artists and musicians, though. Can't have that!

(I know of a Talkeetna, actually)

Sar's daughter Willow is actually named after a town. Bristol is named after a bay, not some place over yonder. Piper is named after an airplane. Those boys are anyone's guess.

I know a Tazlina and a Taiya- both rivers. A Deishu (real name of Haines) and a Slana, and Denalis are common as mud. The best is this cute, sweet little boy named Talon. Seems like bad name karma to me.

I grew up with a boy named Falcon. But when a man from europe moved to town named Martin all us kids laughed at his funny name.

That Martin went on to become kinda famous. And named his kids Nikolai and Rohn. Both are towns.

To give you all an idea, when I had Chasee#3, no less then three people asked me what kind of weird name is that.

His name is Dominic.

We're weird about names, here.
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
One of my parents' friends had a cat named Kotzebue. I thought she was calling him Catsy-poo!

It's be-you-tiful right now in southwest Florida!! 64 degrees outside and much lower humidity! I am SO ready for winter to get here.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
64° and not too much humidity would almost make me want to come and visit!

Here it's 9° and beginning to limber up for whatever bits of Hurricane Gonzalo* you're planning on sending us ...

* Why would they name a hurricane after a Muppet?
 

---

Posted by BessLane (# 15176) on :
 
After two long years of hemming & hawing & searching, hubby finally got him a rotisserie smoker. It was custom designed and hand built by a gentleman who is SERIOUS about his barbque. He's older now, and in failing health, and his kids don't give a lick about cooking, so he sold it to hubby for a very reasonable price.

(Although we did have to take out a bank loan - you may be a redneck if...)
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
... whatever bits of Hurricane Gonzalo you're planning on sending us

---

T'weren't us, Your Honor! It was those Bermudans!

(Seriously, hoping that Bermuda is spared from the worst effects of Gonzalo. They just had a lot of damage from Fay this past Sunday. I was on St. Maarten last month and am saddened by the death of a person there because of the storm.)

Actually, it looks like it's going toward Scotland.
Gonzalo.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:
... Actually, it looks like it's going toward Scotland ...

---

Not before it gives Newfoundland a kicking. At the moment, they don't seem to have quite decided whether it's going to hit us or veer south and do its worst over the sea. They're forecasting 30-40mm of rain on Saturday, so it looks like they're hedging their bets ...

for the people of Bermuda and St. Maarten who've already been battered.
 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Just thought you all would like to see how our church handled an Ice Bucket Challenge. We have a parishioner who has just been diagnosed with ALS. (She is in the video as the first person to get the bucket sitting in a chair).

Watch and enjoy!

Ice Bucket Challenge
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
This morning I had six strong young men come to my house to work. It was part of the 'Greeks Giving Back', which is a community outreach project done by the Virginia Tech fraternities and sororities.

They dug up a dogwood stump and planted grass seed where it had been. They dug up an area about 10 feet square and planted grass seed. They washed my windows.

I can do yard work for only about an hour a day, and I work much more slowly than I used to. I just don't have the energy to do all the work they did today, and I'm very grateful to them.

Moo
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
I was in front of my church, handing out free water and barbequed zombie brains (the best bbq beans EVER!) to the zombies that descended upon my fair city tonight. It was a lot of fun, and interesting, too.

99% of the people were friendly and loved finding a church with a sense of humor. Some folks really had a hard time understanding that it was free. (That's like grace, folks!)

We were giving out glow-in-the-dark bracelets with a cut out cross in it. One zombie refused it, and in fact backed away from it when she saw the cross. She asked me what it was and I told her it was a cross. She actually looked scared. And that was sad. I've been thinking about her all evening.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
Beware the cross cooties! People are weird.

Sounds like a good time, Judy.
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
I had a blast, comet!

And, bonus for being a presence this year, far fewer ***things*** left on church premises, although there was a good handful of little number 6 half-inch bolts on the parking lot. Now if some mischief-maker wanted to damage tires, screws would have been the way to go, but I'm not offering them that info!

As I was driving to my regular parking space, I saw the bolts shining in the sunlight. Thinking they were glass shards, I drove in a squirrelly manner to try to avoid them. D-U was watching, wondering what in the world was up with her Mama.

There was also a three-foot branch nearby, but that was about it! Oh, one of those free water bottles was 3/4 empty and left on a bench.

So, if your church has had zombie damage, my recommendation is to join them and preach the Gospel, not necessarily with words (to paraphrase a favorite saint!)
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:
... handing out free water and barbequed zombie brains ...

---

Makes a change from wine and communion wafers, I suppose ...
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
That also made the congo laugh yesterday when the pastor told them about their sweet, quiet organist (quit snickering!) was asking everyone if they would like some free zombie brains.

If we would have had any leftovers, communion could have been very interesting!
 

---

Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :
 
So we now know the only reason we eat the flesh and blood of our Lord and not his brains is because there were no bbq beans in first century Palestine!

Jengie
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
And not having Ed's fantastic beans was truly their loss, Jengie jon!
 

---

Posted by BessLane (# 15176) on :
 
jj, that is AWESOME!!! now I want branis...errr...beans for supper
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Bess, I could eat a quart of them right about now! Ed and his family make bbq for church fund raisers on occasion. I can't eat the pulled pork, but will fill up on those beans!
 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
I'm presuming that despite the minor distractions of some US brand of football the fair town of Chicago is coming to a standstill ahead of the onslaught from the visiting All Blacks?

Oh? You hadn't heard?

(fortunately the NZ media, unlike its OZ equivalent, are self-aware enough to be faintly self-deprecatory at the idea Chicago or the US knows we exist!)
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Yesterday would have been the day to be in Chicago, as I understand they were warmer in the morning than we were. Today, not so much!
 

---

Posted by BessLane (# 15176) on :
 
Jury duty again tomorrow...grrrrrr

Can this quarter be over already...I'm tired of shuffling my days around to do this stuff...they're not going to put me on another jury since I helped find the first dirt bag Not Guilty...it's just a waste of my time an taxpayers' dollars...


 

---

Posted by JB (# 1776) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde:
The Balloon Fiesta Opening was spectacular! Our grandchildren were OOHING and AAHING all morning at the balloons. Thousands of people are enjoying the morning.
Next year, I think I''m going to get a trailer and camp out closer to the field, (I recommend this, as I have done it by park and ride and driving in and parking)
The special shape balloons are the hot tip. Check out Darth Vader, Spider pig, bumblebees, Wells Fargo wagon, dinosaur hatching, stork delivery, etc. ENJOY!

Balloon Fiesta Special Shape Photos

---

Finally, my pictures.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Those are lovely, JB - what wonderful vibrant colours.

Obviously, I particularly liked the flying pig ...
 

---

Posted by moonlitdoor (# 11707) on :
 
happy birthday JB and congratulations. I hope it is a day full of fun, and that the year ahead is a good one for you and all your family.
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Yesterday I heard a presentation by someone from the St. Francis Service Dogs. It was fascinating.

The dogs are trained to assist people in wheelchairs or who have trouble walking. All the dogs are trained to sit symmetrically, rather than lopsidedly, so that a handicapped person can push down on the dog's back in order to stand up.

Almost all of the dogs are retrievers, since that is what they do most frequently. They are also trained to phone for help !! I assume the phone has one large button which the dog pushes and the call goes to a center to identify the place where help is needed. Of course, the dog would have to be trained to recognize situations where help is needed. They also learn to turn doorknobs.

No dog develops perfect proficiency at every skill, and when the dog is matched with a handicapped person, the particular strengths of the dog are matched to the needs of the person. The people who receive the dogs are taught to train the dogs for any specific tasks desired. One woman in a wheelchair could make her bed except that she could not lift the mattress to tuck in the sheets. She trained the dog to lift the mattress with his muzzle.

One thing that particularly interested me was that when the puppies first leave their mothers, they are trained in a prison. It seems to be an excellent program for the dogs and the prisoners.

It was a very interesting and enjoyable presentation.

Moo
 

---

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
Wonderful pictures as always, JB! And a belated happy birthday!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:
One thing that particularly interested me was that when the puppies first leave their mothers, they are trained in a prison. It seems to be an excellent program for the dogs and the prisoners.

---

For those of us who still cling to the ideas of redemption and restorative justice, that is good news.

[ 31. October 2014, 16:48: Message edited by: Mamacita ]
 

---

Posted by MrsBeaky (# 17663) on :
 
Spoke to my mother tonight and she'd just had a call from a family member in Baltimore after the funeral of her favourite cousin. The funeral was held at a fairly high Episcopal church which they attended as children. They laughed together about the mother-in-law possibly turning in her grave if she knew as she was a staunch Baptist and disapproved of my family's Episcopal allegiance.
The church was completely packed as he was held in very high esteem- made me wish I could have been there with all my cousins.
 

---

Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
Hope everyone had a very happy Halloween!
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
Happy Halloween! I'm being the Trick or Treat Taxi this evening. Cruisin' the neighborhoods, dressed as a dino, as the boys shake people own for loot.

Good turn-outs out there? Lot of Elsas?
 

---

Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
I personally did not have a great turnout, about 30 or so. But I'm in a basement apartment on a sidestreet, so got bypassed a lot. A friend of mine elsewhere in the city had hundreds.
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Mini Ship Meet announcement!

I just got home from a lovely lunch with Gill H and Hugal. To listen to us, you'd think we have known each other for decades! They are an absolutely wonderful couple, and I'm so glad that they reserved a few precious hours of their vacation time to spend with me.

It was a glorious day for a car ride! The leaves are turning in central Florida (about a month and a half earlier than usual!) which made for an enchanting journey. Some of the trees are starting to show color down here near the Everglades, but you have to know where to look.

I remember when I lived in Kissimmee, at Christmas we would drive to my parents' home, who at that time, lived about a mile from my present home. That was when we would see the lovely stands of maples and other trees in their brilliant colors. So, it was quite the treat to see the display today!

All in all, it was a Very Good Day.
 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
I just love Gil and Hugal! They were so good to me on the Motherboard tour of England years ago.
I wish they would come to the US and visit somewhere other than Florida, though. Let's face it, it is a great state, but there are others. ;-) I could just see them in Louisiana during Mardi Gras, seeing the Grand Canyon, Balloon Fiesta, or some Native American dances here.
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Motherboard, Mickey calls loudly to them!

Hey. I hear it's getting cold up north! This is the time to think about a visit to My Fair State!
 

---

Posted by Gill H (# 68) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde:
I just love Gil and Hugal! They were so good to me on the Motherboard tour of England years ago.
I wish they would come to the US and visit somewhere other than Florida, though. Let's face it, it is a great state, but there are others. ;-) I could just see them in Louisiana during Mardi Gras, seeing the Grand Canyon, Balloon Fiesta, or some Native American dances here.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:
50 in the dead of winter is cold enough for me

---

20 here this morning.
 

---

Posted by Caissa (# 16710) on :
 
About time for the US to change to Celsius so they can talk to the rest of the world.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:
... 50 in the dead of winter ...

---

JJ dear, in some places 50 is late spring.
 

---

Posted by Stercus Tauri (# 16668) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Caissa:
About time for the US to change to Celsius so they can talk to the rest of the world.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by MrsBeaky:
... summer temperatures in Fahrenheit and winter temperatures in Celsius ...

---

quote:

---

Britain Sizzles in the Seventies!

---

I'm sure someone on this thread has spoken of "cooling down to the mid-70s" ...
 

---

Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Caissa:
About time for the US to change to Celsius so they can talk to the rest of the world.

---

On this thread we're not talking to the rest of the world.
 

---

Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
Would love to see Gill H and Hugal in New York again.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:
... 50 in the dead of winter ...

---

JJ dear, in some places 50 is late spring.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:
... 50 in the dead of winter ...

---

JJ dear, in some places 50 is late spring.

---

... Or, you know, mid summer.

Grrr.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:
... 50 in the dead of winter ...

---

JJ dear, in some places 50 is late spring.

---

... Or, you know, mid summer.

Grrr.

---

Scotland and Alaska. Climate twins.

---

And this is why I live here!
Love it, love it! Except in August.
 

---

Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:
I do not miss snow!!!!! And definitely don't miss the cold! 50 in the dead of winter is cold enough for me, thankyouverymuch.

---

In the SW corner of North Dakota, where my son2 & family live, it was
7F this afternoon. I was out there in August, and it was lovely. But always windy.
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
What. Is. This!!!

It was 70 when I got up. Three hours later it's 59!!!!!

We were warned. It's only supposed to get colder during the day. Guess I'll have to dig out a sweater or something.

[tangent] I remember St. Erin and I griping about the cold when the temps were under 60! Good times, good times.[/tangent]
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Color me jealous. It's 30 F here, and that's much warmer than last week!

What did I ever do to get sentenced to St. Louis...

[ 18. November 2014, 13:38: Message edited by: Lamb Chopped ]
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Here, at 6:23 PM, it is 19°. If we're lucky we will remain in double digits tonight.

I am glad I brought my warm clothes with me when I moved here from New Hampshire.

Moo
 

---

Posted by Carex (# 9643) on :
 
It was 23 here this morning (-5 elsewhere) for about the fourth day in a row. We usually get such cold snaps during the winter, but we've had a late Autumn and this was the first time I've had to scrape frost off the car windows. It's a problem for the plants - many of them hadn't lost their leaves yet, and weren't fully dormant as they should have been. Normally our first frost is in early October.

Days have been sunny and in the low 40s (+6C), but I see the clouds coming in this afternoon so we should shortly be back to our standard rainy winter weather with temperatures just above freezing.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
If it's any consolation (possibly not) we're getting moderately silly weather here at the moment too.

Yesterday it was hovering around the freezing mark; today it got up to 16°C (61°F) and tomorrow it's forecast to be about 2°C (36°F).


 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
It's 49 here, now! That's usually a January experience!

One of the advantages of being a woman of "a certain age" is that I don't have to wear a jacket outside in this weather. I suppose if I had to be out for a longer bit of time, I might get chilly, but not so far today.

I did have my daddy's old chambray shirt that I use instead of a sweater, but just ended up carrying it all day.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
I hosted morning news this morning, in the same studio I first went on the air in, some 15 years ago. Gosh it's great to be back on the radio. I'm only doing it sporadically for now (as per pub radio funding, of course) but I hope it will become more regular. It was just SO NICE to be back.

This makes job number 3- with the hotel in the summer and coaching Aug-Mar. Between the three I might be able to patch together a living.

It's also (sadly!) our FIRST SNOW! And it's finally getting prettier out there. Whew!

The trifecta of comet-news this morning... I think I might be getting married.

I'm a little terrified.
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
I knew it.
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
YAY! for comet!

Can we get to hear you somewhere?
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
OOOOHHHHH! OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!



I had my suspicions...
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
Sioni- looks like I can pull KHNS up on my Tunein Radio app, so I guess we do stream. I'm on (intermittantly) from 6 to 8 am, which is something inconventient like 3-5 pm your time. I'm only a fill-in news host, but will be there all next week except thursday. (which is my birthday. And some other American holiday, too) i'll be the one talking about gale warnings, icy highways, what's going on at the senior center, and what the idiots at the borough are up to.

And don't you guys go being all congratulatory when I'm trying not to panic, here!

Any wedding is a long way off, as the fella is going through a hideous divorce on the same scale as my divorce. (I told him he needs to stop trying to compete with me in the Evil Divorce Stakes) but it looks like for now Operation Living In Sin is a go.

I kind of swore off serious relationships 7 years ago but the little fucker snuck right under my skin. He's a fellow radio refugee and former professional jazz musician and actor who teaches music at a local school (different than the one I work at) and suppliments the music teacher wage by fixing everything at the school and driving the bus.

We understand each other.

Now I have to negotiate myself and Chasee3 moving in, and renting out my almost-completed new home. It's all so weird. I'm terrified he'll discover what a slob I am. On the positive side, his history means he understands my 4 am mornings and my embarrassing collection of old show props.

Meep!
 

---

Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
Sneaking in for a for Comet!
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Comet



Moo
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Huge congratulations Comet!

If your musician-chap is anything like mine, any slobbishness you may have will pale into insignificance compared to his, but YMMV.
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
I had a feeling, comet! Another from me!!
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
he's actually kind of a neat freak. Hence the terror. Not that I can't do my best, but there's this 13 year old boy that comes with me...

We'll make it work. This is just very unexpected. And wonderful. And terrifying.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
If he's that much of a neat-freak, he might tidy up after you and said 13-year-old ...
 

---

Posted by Japes (# 5358) on :
 
for comet!
 

---

Posted by basso (# 4228) on :
 
Yay, comet! Congratulations
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Brilliant news, comet
 

---

Posted by M. (# 3291) on :
 
Yes, congratters, Comet!

M.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
YaY Comet
 

---

Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
Congrats Comet!
 

---

Posted by Caissa (# 16710) on :
 
Congratulations, comet.
 

---

Posted by Kitten (# 1179) on :
 
I'm really pleased for you Comet


Damn auto correct

[ 25. November 2014, 19:26: Message edited by: Kitten ]
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
Yay Comet.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
Aw. You're all so sweet. Let's just cross out collective fingers that i don't screw this up, shall we?

So what's the Thanksgiving plans, gang? Travel? Menus? Hiking? Football? Powersnoozing?

We're moving in with the Fella this week AND hosting my whole extended fam-damly at the new place tomorrow. "welcome to the family, here they are all at once!" with our usual hours-long music jam surrounding dinner. I'm planning a morning hike but we've got a winter storm warning, so we'll see. The alternate being sleeping in as late as I can manage, 'cause it's also my birfdy this year.

Menu is still being hashed out.
 

---

Posted by Nenya (# 16427) on :
 
Sneaking on here to say congratulations to comet and wish a Happy Thanksgiving to shipmates across the Pond.
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

My stuffing is cooling in the fridge, ready to be stuffed into the bird in the morning. Candied yams are cooked and just need to be warmed tomorrow. Brussels sprouts will be cooked tomorrow. I know, I know. I like the things!!! Potatoes to be peeled and cooked tomorrow.

Right now I'm procrastinating. The last job of the day is to wash and de-pinfeather the bird.

And every year, I wonder if any of it will be edible. Stressful.
 

---

Posted by JB (# 1776) on :
 
We backed out of driving up to the Colorado mountains for the grandchildren, when the weather forecast said snow. Instead, we will join the rest of the church-family for the annual Thanksgiving dinner. It's a long-time tradition. Years ago everybody came from elsewhere and traveling "home" wasn't usually practical.

The church supplies the turkeys; volunteers cook them; everyone else brings something. This year as usual we will bring Brown Chile and the makings for frito pies. Cleanup is a community effort. (The cleanup effort is assisted by NFL TV - but Motherboard will be hard at work in the kitchen during the cleanup because the Cowboys are being featured and she's a Steelers fan.)

So we want to wish the rest of the Shipmates a Happy Thanksgiving however it is being done.
 

---

Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
Thanksgiving at my daughter's, though I'm the financial underpinning of the feast. Small gathering, daughter, son-in-law, and my two brothers, though we have others joining us for dessert.
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
We're all still post-flu-ey, so will probably do next to nothing in the a.m. and then go to a friend's for Thanksgiving. Normally I'd be hosting extended family but with the flu there ain't no way, no how.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Just dropping in to wish all my chums to the south a jolly Thanksgiving and exhort you not to OD too much on the old turkey ...


 

---

Posted by MrsBeaky (# 17663) on :
 
The American community here in our part of Kenya have a big feast (100 plus people ) today but I'll be out in the field.
We'll celebrate quietly on Saturday.
Meanwhile my daughters are gathering back in the UK using all my recipes to keep the family traditions going.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
 

---

Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Wishing everyone on the west of the Pond a Happy Thanksgiving
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
One of my colleagues is using American Thanksgiving (the Canadian one's in October) as an excuse for a dinner-party on Saturday, for which she's doing turkey and the trimmings, so we'll be celebrating with you.

Memo to self: don't OD on turkey ...
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Piglet:
One of my colleagues is using American Thanksgiving (the Canadian one's in October) as an excuse for a dinner-party on Saturday, for which she's doing turkey and the trimmings, so we'll be celebrating with you.

Memo to self: don't OD on turkey ...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:
We'll make it work. This is just very unexpected. And wonderful. And terrifying.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
No turkey chez Piglet then?

---

As far as I can remember I've only once cooked a whole turkey, and that was when we won one in a raffle one Christmas in Belfast.

It's fine when somebody else cooks it though; at Christmas, along with the rest of the Cathedral staff, D. is given a turkey, and as a couple in the choir have us and several others round for Christmas dinner, we provide the turkey and they cook it.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
Oof.

Thanksgiving was a traditional massive dinner plus birthday party plus music jam. It was huge and noisy and terrific. Last night was Thanksgiving 2, which we also hosted, with the Fella's dearest friends. A mexican style dinner of also epic proportions. Gobs of food and people. I have eaten enough for an army this holiday, and washed enough dishes as well. So much fun and so much fellowship. I love our combined blood and water families.

I also need a second fridge for all the food. Posolè, anyone? Turkey? Did you know pumpkin pie was intended as a breakfast food? I have been informed as much.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
You need to consult the late, great KenWritez and the Dreaded Pie Equalization Precipitate.

Glad to hear you had such a good weekend!
 

---

Posted by Ye Olde Motherboarde (# 54) on :
 
Comet,
you served posole' in Alaska??? It seems fine in New Mexico, but in Alaska!
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
Why not? For one thing, it's nice and warm.

(My niece-- Neph's sis, who is almost my age so it's weird to call her niece, but Sis is about to make it legal) makes a mean pozole, tejano style.
 

---

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :
 
I assure you, MB, in these temps nothing is more welcome than a posole so spicy it will curl the dog's tail from 50 feet away.

Pure magic.
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
yeessh. There's nothing so fun as a slightly botched dental implant. At least he manned up and told me the truth. I'm now on antibiotics and oxycodone with a bone graft.
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Crikey, LC, I hope you've got a good lawyer.

Hope you feel better soon.
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Thanks! Naw, no lawyer, it's only a bit came off the bone that wasn't supposed to, and therefore the lovely lovely graft and stitches. I don't suppose for a moment anything horrid is going to happen (besides the stitches, I mean) and we've been going to this guy for 25 years. Everyone should get one mistake.
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:
Did you know pumpkin pie was intended as a breakfast food? I have been informed as much.

---

The sermon yesterday started with that same information!!! Good news!
 

---

Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 
I have made pumpkin pie. I had to buy more sugar than we usually use in 6 months.

Cattyish, grateful she grew up on neeps.
 

---

Posted by Carex (# 9643) on :
 
Cut way back on the sugar and add more eggs.

Makes it so healthy you have to eat it for breakfast! (Not sure how it would come out deep fried, however...)
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Lord, have mercy. Advent service tonight, with a huge pot of soup which almost nobody ate (put out too late). Two magazine articles to rewrite early in the a.m., one of which I totally screwed up. One freaking-out teenager with a science test tomorrow for which he has not yet studied because Advent (why oh why didn't I make him take the stuff with him?). One freaked out husband who keeps putting things down and losing them right in front of his eyes. One botched dental surgery adding total joy to my life. Why oh why oh why oh why...

Tell me it will be better tomorrow.
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
The roller coaster.


 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
LC.

Could you divide your soup into manageable portions (for easier storage) and freeze it for another time?

I'm imagining coming in from Midnight Mass/Nine Lessons and Carols/[insert service of choice] on a cold night and having a nice pot of soup ready to heat up.
 

---

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Heheheheh. Well, I could, except the exigencies of a serving line meant we had to add the noodles to the soup already--and that won't freeze well...

I did manage to palm a lot of it off on a church friend (cries of "No! No! We don't want that much!").

I am now posting like a bad, bad girl in order to avoid re-writing the very article I should have finished last night. Bad LC. Bad.

Over the top.
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
I decided to raise the tone of this thread...
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Thank you Ms Alves, there some images I don't really need when I'm checking links - I'm a delicate and innocent little flower, you know.
 

---

Posted by JB (# 1776) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Thank you Ms Alves, there some images I don't really need when I'm checking links - I'm a delicate and innocent little flower, you know.

---

Try this then.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
...but they don't show the nether regions!


 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
No snow people here, but we are having the most magnificent autumn tree color we've had for a number of years!!!

Don't let anyone tell you that Florida doesn't have seasons! Sometimes the conditions are just right, and the cypress trees turn a burnt orange color instead of ugly brown before they drop their needles, the swamp maples are brilliant orange, red and gold, and even the oaks are golden!

I'm very much enjoying the beauty where I live!

And, for an added treat, the Ibis Bug Removal Company™ just flew in to dispose of the back yard bugs!
 

---

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :
 
JB- awww!

Judy-- totally! everywhere has seasons! You just need to know what to look for.

The return of the rain has brought one of my favorite hallmarks of winter-- The glow of Christmas lights coming from blocks and blocks' worth of wet pavement...
 

---

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :
 
We get seasons here in Newfoundland too - the trouble is, we sometimes get them all in the one day ...

As the saying goes, "if you don't like the weather at the front, have a look out the back".
 

---

Posted by Nicolemr (# 28) on :
 
Wow, this thread was in danger of sinking off the first page, so I thought I'd bounce it up by asking how everyone's Christmas was? Mine was quite lovely, with friends and family at my daughter's apartment. Much food was eaten, much liquid, both alcoholic and non, was drunk. Hope everyone had as good a time.
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Today is my Christmas Resting Day™!

Christmas and Advent at church were very lovely! The Altar Guild ladies decorated the sanctuary beautifully, which always carries me right back to my happy childhood!

The choir was awesome, and make me so very proud! They are so dedicated. After Christmas dinner and gifting at Daughter-Unit's mom-in-law, we told funny stories and relaxed. Yesterday was very busy, so this is My Day!!!

So, why did my body have to wake up before 6AM?
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Happy New Year!

In keeping with Ship tradition old regional threads die on the last of the year and then new threads appear when anyone so minded starts the next.

I'll miss this thread but I'm sure a sooper-dooper new thread will soon takes its place.

Go to it, Shipmates.

WW - AS Host
 

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