I liked Port Orleans. I think we stayed at Riverside. The pool had an alligator slide.

I also like the Contemporary. The monorail goes through the hotel (yes, I am still fascinated by that).

** waves hand **
You do not hate the Swan/Dolphin

** waves hand **
You want to stay at the Swan/Dolphin

** waves hand **
This IS the hotel for you.

Oh you just got pawned by my freaky Jedi mind powers, plus you like Swan's.

I just had a lovely, just as hot as I could stand it bath complete with a nice drinky-poo and book to read. Ahhh... the life. :)

I've got the greatest wife, anywhere.

She did all kinds of cleaning, while I watched football today.

I feel like crap.

I'm going to be really sore tomorrow.

We're home. Palo Alto -> Anaheim -> Scottsdale -> Vegas -> Death Valley -> Bakersfield -> Home. Four hotels, lots of miles, rather a lot of money, nearly 500 photos with new camera.

I suggest a hotel.

No you don't: I do.

Went to the reptile show today and added to our brood. We added another Leopard Chameleon; a female this time. We already own a gorgeous male almost adult (he is about 11 months).

We also bought some flies (never done that before) and silkworms.

I understand reptiles, Kevy, but why would you want to keep flies as pets?

Food for the little Chameleon. We found out today that the little ones love flies.

Welcome to SURGERY WEEK!

Thurston has his knee surgery tomorrow. He's the only one who gets a hospital stay out of it. He won't be home until Tuesday.

Chris has his hernia surgery on Tuesday. He comes home on Tuesday as well.

There will be lots of pain pills being doled out at our household over the next few days. I will just be taking advil.

Ahh... so it's NOT Thurston who's having the Hernia Op... :blush:

Hugs & Best wishes for a speedy recovery and very little pain.

...and the same to Thurston & Chris.


BTW: Chris, make sure you get one of those little bedside bells to ring every few minutes for a glass of water, or a piece of toast, or to have the channel changed..... :evil:

Lashbear - you're going to get a beating when you come here in April.


No, Thurston has Luxating Patella - basically he's getting the groove under his kneecap deepened, his kneecap put back on and the tendon pinned to the bone. Not easy surgery - with a 8-12 week recovery time to boot. But, it is also a common surgery for small dogs and he's a young boy and should be ok. It's just a bit more dangerous because of the anesthesia required. All of the Brachy Breeds have issues with anesthesia.

Chris is the one with the hernia - not an uncommon condition either. He should be recovered in about 2-3 weeks.

The doctor told both of us that it is better if he gets up and walks around, so I'll be the one ringing the bell. ;)

hernia....ugh. no kama sutra for a few weeks.


bummer.

here's to a speedy recovery :cheers:

Tonight was the last night of ZooLights. About 4:00 it started snowing. By 7:00 we had two inches of lovely, but wet and sloppy snow. Attendance was about 1200, so it was an OK night.

With our having to shut down the week before Christmas, I'm estimating that we lost about 50,000 in attendance.

ouch

Get better quick you two.
:)

Just popping in to say hello. Been quite busy lately and have not been online a whole lot.
Been thinking of all y'all and wish everyone a wonderful 2009. I love the NYE pics at Lisa and Chris' place.
:)

Indeed just listened to the podcast - I wonder how many times this story has played out with a different cast of characters ;)

To be fair, those were GREAT games (I was a good boy and TiVo'd them so I got helping brownie points).

I think I saw them in concert....





(In all seriousness... Get better Chris & Thurston!!)

Wishing speedy recoveries to man and beast.

Assuming an average of $7.00 per person from attendance (a mix of kids, adults and members) that's $350,000 lost. Add in the revenue from snacks and gift sales....

Ouch indeed.

And toss in the extra electricity for the lights, well, I hope attendance spiked durring the holidays to make up for it!

Lisa, warm thoughts and prayers for Chris and Thursty, and also for you. Be sure to take care of yourself as well!!

Hoping for a speedy recovery for both Chris and Thurston.

A speedy recovery for Thurston and Chris.

I'm back at the office and expect it to be a very busy day.

My laptop is dead. :(

Taking care of two injured boys, Lisa? I don't envy you. The good thing is you'll be able to outrun them.:D

Speedy recovery wishes to all!

Sending lots of healing and peaceful energy your way. *hugs*

Best of luck to man and beast.

I'm sure NA will take good care of her boys.....

Dell is having a sale :)

Everywhere is having a sale :) :)

You should stay at the Swan/Dolphin. Those hotels are a great compromise between location and price.

Thanks Moonie, now all I can picture is poor Chris laying in a bed begging Lisa not to use the hammer!

Best of luck to Chris and Thurston for a speedy recovery!

The Rat has reportedly revived the laptop. A suitable reward will be forthcoming.

Thurston is out of surgery. All went well with the LP surgery, however he also has hip dysplasia. Poor little guy!!

:(

aw hell. well to honor his bravery and with wishes for a speedy recovery...this

poor puppy :(

Poor widdle guy! I wish him lots of cozy pug naps with his favorite pineapple.

Hugs to Thurston !!

:( Poor little man!

Poor Thurston. Lucy and Ethel send him doggie get well wishes. Think that's what Matt's parents dog had Ginger. :(

Poor Thurston! Give him big hugs from us, okay?




Had another snowstorm last night- think we're nearing the 70" mark. A guy driving by on his CAT took pity on us and cleared out our driveway, where the berms had reached insane proportions. (Charged us $50, but it was well worth it). Hoping the new roof holds- we've had numerous cave-ins all over town, but they're primarily businesses with flat (and now, really flat) roofs. We braved the storm and caught Lewis Black's show at the Quest Casino; he didn't seem too happy at the prospect of being stranded in Spokane, and was totally unimpressed with all the white stuff. Great show, and it was nice to get the hell out of the house for a few hours.

Why do people always drive cats? Shouldn't they drive dogs once in a while, just to be fair?

Cats are more interesting. They go where they want.;)

Laser lights and small dogs = fun. Poohdog keeps glaring at me, though, everytime Scruffy (the puppy) attacks him.

Isn't that the new show they are installing the the bay at DCA?

That's a lot of snow. So far we are pretty much snow-less here in my little part of the bitter east coast. Which is not to say the weather is nice.

Today we can look forward to: Rain, Sleet, Freezing rain and a "potentially significant" accumulation of ice. Oh boy.

So - last night I dreamed that I was in NA and Euro's house but they weren't home. I'm not sure how I got in -but I was doing my laundry. And it was everywhere. Then I suddenly realized that they would be home and I would be in trouble for being in their house. My husband starting taking the laundry outside - and then he disappeared. NA came home - and I was like - um yeah - I'm on this message board and now I'm in your house and I don't know - I guess I don't have any impulse control or something because I'm hear doing laundry. Then NA invited my daughter (who magically appeared) to be in a beauty contest she was going to in 15 to 20 minutes.

WTF?!

I think perhaps the laundry I need to do got mixed up with the photos of the new years party in my mind or something.

Funny - I didn't feel as bad about being in her house as I did thinking that she would go online and tell you all that I was crazy and in her house doing laundry...

Dreams! psh!

Oh, that's easy. There is a window round back with a broken latch. A simple butter knife is all you need to jimmy it open in a jiffy.

I can commiserate with you on the weather thing. I don't think we are going to get much above the mid-sixties here (although the skies are clear and there is no wind).

:D

You do remember that I know where you live don't you?

This is part of why I moved here, but it's only been three months and I'm already acting like a native. I'm so cold lately and I'm starting to think seriously about moving somewhere where the winters aren't as cold and dark.

Last night on the news they were discussing one of the new office buildings in Irvine is going to house a local branch of the FDIC, creating about 600 jobs in the financial sector in OC. Story here.

Gingerbread houses for geeks

This one is my favorite:

I just dawned on me that I'll be on plane to WDW in 48 hours.

Holy carp.

:eek:

heh, I'm not geeky enough, took me a minute to realize what this was. :blush:

That's totally awesome, they even got the fan!

I know I should know what this one is, but I'm drawing a blank.

I think it's from one of those I <3 Katamari-type games or something

Anybody else find the idea of using the Amish to push an electric heater amusing?

http://www.heatsurgetv.com/

I think it's time for an Amish Rake Fight

I believe it's a reference to Portal.

Yes, it is Portal.

I saw that ad over the holidays. It did cause a bit of head scratching.

According to the ad, the Amish are building the super special wood frame that the heater mounts in for a mear $300 or so.

The heatsurge folks are adding in the electronics "for free" and selling the entire package for just the cost of the frame. (Yeah, right. Sure you are.)

Not much of a deal compared to what you can get at home depot.

you mean lumber? :D

sorry to any Amish folk that might be tuning in, but its a freakin box. a chimp with a claw hammer and some staples could build one

not to mention it would probably trip every breaker in my house (just like the wee little heater I use now...and the one I fired up at work that killed my whole section yesterday)

:rolleyes:

Another snowstorm today. So far, about 4" and going strong. We're on track to beat our all-time record of 93", set back about fifty years ago. We've officially got 76" inches on the ground, with a cumulative snowfall of 78" total, but the hill we live on (mountain for most folks, but considered a hill around here) has at least 4-6" more than the airport total. I ****ing hate snow.

This has been making the rounds up here- kinda long, but totally fits the mood of our area:

Diary of a Demented Snow Shoveler:


December 8 6:00 PM

It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!



December 9

We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the whole world? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had! Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life!



December 12

The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment! My neighbor tells me not to worry-we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful. Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that's possible. Bob Is such a nice man, I'm glad he's our neighbor.



December 14

Snow, lovely snow! 8 inches last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again; I didn't realize I would have to do this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so.



December 15

20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra snow shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all.



December 16

Ice storm this morning. Fell on my ass on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.



December 17

Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours, I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. God I hate it when she's right. I can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.



December 20

Electricity is back on, but had another 14 inches of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling! Took all day. The damn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March, I think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying.



December 20

Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white **** fell today, and it's so cold, it probably won't melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to piss. By the time I got undressed, pissed and dressed again. I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow blade on his truck for the rest of the winter, but he says he's too busy. I think the asshole is lying.



December 23

Only 2 inches of snow today… And it warmed up to 0! The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she, nuts?! Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she's lying.



December 24

6 inches - Snow packed so hard by snowplow, I broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the son of a bitch who drives that snow plow, I'll drag him through the snow by his balls and beat him to death with my broken shovel. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at a 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just cleared! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was too busy watching for the damn snowplow.



December 25

Merry f---ing Christmas! 20 more inches of the damn slop tonight - snowed in! The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. God, I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she's a frickin' idiot! If I have to watch "It's A Wonderful Life" one more time, I'm going to stuff her into the microwave.



December 26

Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves.



December 27

Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze; plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him... he only charged me $1,400 to replace all my pipes.



December 28

Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. The BITCH is driving me crazy!



December 29

10 more goddammed inches! Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?



December 30

Roof caved in. I beat up the snow plow driver, and now he is suing me for a million dollars, not only for the beating I gave him, but also for trying to shove the broken snow shovel up his ass. The wife went home to her mother. Nine more inches predicted…



December 31

I set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling.



January 8

Feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. But why am I tied to the bed?

Someone at work just said that his dad's line (lives in Utah) is that he wants to start driving south and periodically stop and show the people wherever he stops a snow shovel. Once he gets somewhere that they say, "What's that?" that's where he'll live.

That was freaking hilarious Wendy!! I'm sorry you are going snow crazy, we've escaped it here but Z's teacher has been snowed in around Portland . At least it's pretty:evil:

I think about that every time I see the ads. I think they just make the wood box, and someone else makes the heater part. The point is that they don't USE the technology.

Ah! The Amish only make the boxes. Thanks for clearing that up.

Back from Surgery and I fell fine. I wonder how long till the drugs wear off. In the meantime I feel like I'm shorter.

welcome back. glad it went well

Sounds like that old Steve Martin bit.

Welcome back. Did they install a zipper? Or any steampunk accessories?

Welcome back hris, glad you are feeling fine.

How's Thurston doing, anything to report on the other man in your life?

Maybe the pain meds wore off and he is resting?

Glad it's over and you're home with drugs.

Ooops, they did the wrong operation! I hope you can get a refund....

Sooooo Wikimapiers

Why aren't there updated satellite images of Hong Kong Disney resort?

Or are there and I'm just not getting them?

People are marking places all over what appears to me to be a barren construction site.

What gives?

He's just being silly! He didn't fall fine - he didn't even fall at ALL! Such a Drama Queen! And, he's only shorter because he's horizontal. Sheesh!

I went an picked up Thurston, brough Amy with me so I could use the carpool lane, but the traffic was fantastic! Thurston feels like a squishy marshmallow. I came home to find Chris asleep with 7 cats splayed around him. I just put Thurston down with the sleeping crew and he's been there ever since. They both haven't really budged for hours.

OK, that's just funny! i hope my house was clean!

I'm glad your men are home and resting, soon they'll be awake and demanding:p

Some satellite shots aren't updated for years. If you look at places you know have changed in the last few years, you'll probably see some old things. It took about 2 years for our brand new supermarket in Irvine to look like anything but a construction site.

Even so, I am surprised that such a destination as HKDL would not get its photo taken more often.

I just finished changing a headlight on Rose's car.

Fun stuff.

Fun stuff indeed and saving $$$ in the process. Sorry but to let them have my car for 2 hours to change a headlight and charge me for it ridiculous when Matt just did it himself and only cost me the price of the bulb :)

I am just home from the hospital for a few minutes to pick up some things.

Heidi was admitted a little while ago with a blood clot in her leg. They have started her on medications and are taking good care of her, so all should be well, but a little scary nonetheless.

And unfortunately, no internet access at the hospital, so she probably won't be back for a few days to tell you about her adventures, but I can relay messages in the meanwhile.

Oh dear! Send that girl much love and many kisses and hugs. You can be trusted to deliver those, yes?

Be well, Heidi! Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery!

! :(

Enough with the medical calamities already. Speedy recovery to everyone!

:( H better get well fast!

oh geez. that sounds freakin scary. get well soon folks.......and yeah, knock it the 773H off with the medi-crap already! youre all supposed to be happy & healthy for the new year.

a'ight?

Oh dear! Please send hugs and love to Heidi and wishes for the speediest of recoveries.

Universe, listen to Capt. Jack, please. He's a wise man.

<<Hugs>> to Heidi & Tom!!!!

At this rate we're going to have to rename the board The Recovery Room of Tomorrow, An Adventure Through Arthroscopic Swank.

I'm healthy (I've just doomed myself to a heart attack later today), but Lani has been sick for a couple weeks with some mysterious asthma thing.

Poor Heidi! :(

Alex, I'm healthy too. Sorry about Lani though. 2 weeks is more than enough of a mystery ailment.

Oh no! Please keep us updated on H.

:(

I hope everyone starts feeling better soon!

(((Heidi)))) sending fast healing prayers your way!

Alex don't scare me with some mystery asthma 'thing' those are NOT allowed in people I care about, just hearing about them causes flashbacks :(

Oh geeze - I wish everyone a speedy recovery.

Sending lots of healing to everyone. Geesh! What a way to start the new year. :(

is it considered tacky that I added that to Quotes?

:D

Everyone (including dogs) please feel better sooner rather than later.

I felt a bit of something or other coming on yesterday so Jennifer brought home matzo ball soup -- guaranteed to cure what ails you, no matter what it is. And it worked.

I'm so sorry to hear of everyones medical traumas, healing vibes going out to the board.
Hopefully everyone will be feeling their normal chipper selves soon!

My kitty Springer is really sick and probably won't get better. :(

Tom: Please keep us posted on H and send love to her from Susan and I. Is it possible you can text (or Twitter) us updates and we could post them here?

And adding to the "sick" LoT people, Susan is having that same mysterious hacking sinus lung crap.

And, well, I am sick in a whole other way. But that doesn't count.

I'm so sorry. I understand what you're going through, hang in there.



Wow, aren't we all just falling apart for the New Year. Hopefully this gets all the traumas out of the way for the year for everyone!

well, if its any consolation, Ive now gone a full 24 hours without a cig. I havent expired or committed a felony yet.

does that help?

I'm very proud of you, keep it up!

Unfortunately I was supposed to be joining you in that endeavor, alas with circumstances being what they are......

One moment at a time....if I can quit anyone can, I was a walking chimney for 30 years....I cheated and went on welbutrin the month prior to 'quit date' then used the gum for the first 3 weeks so I was smoke free but not nicotine free ...then I weaned off the gum...so now I'm celebrating 5 years of freedom and I use the money saved to support my disney habit!

That's REALLY GOOD!

(I quit cold turkey about 15 years ago - my husband quit by using the patch about 7 years ago. The patch and breath mints. He bought one of every kind of mind -decided he liked Altoids and then proceeded to spend about as much in mints as he would have smoking for about 2 months. Then weaned himself off the mints.)

Best wishes to all for speedy recoveries. Tom, please keep us posted on Heidi, preferably with good news.

Sorry to hear about Springer, BTD. :(

So that sound I heard was tobacco farmers screaming in horror?

Feel better vibes to everyone, especially Heidi. Leg clots can be very painful and very scary.

Captain- wtg! :snap:

AAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyya aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Grrrr. Bang. Flamboozle. Sput sput sput. Gnash. Sproing. %^$@*%#



Huminahuminahuminahuminahuminahuminahuminahuminahu mina.

Bang bang bang

Either Kevy's channeling Bill the Cat, or he's having a difficulty of some sort.

I vote the former, it's more fun.

We made the national news again- it's Snowmaggedon!

At least some of the crap is melting now. Bring on the potholes!

that or hes gettin laid and typing at the same time

I'm getting fycked, not laid.

I found this amusing once I got home:



Granted, he did a pretty good job of keeping the identity of the item at first glance hidden... but... I thought it was kind of corny, considering our front office is open to packages, with a package center. That, and it looks like garbage. I left a bag of trash outside to take with me when I was going to run some errands the other Saturday, and we got a written notice about trash. Yet, homeboy across the way has sh*t everywhere. (Thus, my stubborn reaction to not sweep the front area if it's going to look sh*tty with his sh*t, anyway.)

Bad news abounds! Not a good way to start the New Year!

Heidi, I hope they can figure this out and make you well again. There had been too much bad happening in your body lately. Get better!!!!!

BTD: I hope Springer goes peacefully, but I will be sad when his time comes.

As to the hacking/coughing people, I'm joining your group. I decided it was better than being cut open. ;)

To help some of the people who are feeling puny - here's a picture of the pair of black swans and 3 babies from my local park.

And then the sign from said park... How many of YOUR parks say 'no boiling seafood' on them?!!


See you in Orlando, Swanie!

Not just prohibited, but Prohibitted !! They mean business !

To all the Sickos, Healing vibes to all. I'm not telling about my swollen ankles... oops.

I need a Holiday !

AWWWWW! Baby Swans!!!!! So very cute!

from Mouseplanet:
. The Orange County Register reported last week that family of a 20-year-old man killed in October, 2008 by an Anaheim police officer has filed a wrongful death suit against the city of Anaheim - and has also demanded that Disneyland erect a statue of the young man on Main Street, U.S.A. (link). The Walt Disney company was in no way involved in the shooting incident. According to the article, the family of Julian Alexander issued a joint statement with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference asking Disney to consider the memorial "as a message of healing and reconciliation to the community and a reminder that deadly force should be eliminated from the streets of Anaheim."

hahahahah they need to give him the :decap: :decap: :decap:

I got this bag on etsy today. I'm psyched.

Heidi is doing well, but the doctor said she will need to stay in the hospital through at least Friday, to make sure that her blood has thinned sufficiently before they can release her. She wasn't crazy about that news, but her spirits have since picked up, particularly since a happy visit from the Mousepods. She generally feels okay, as the cold she had seems to have taken a turn for the better, and the pain from the clot is being controlled with vicodin. She likes the vicodin.

Glad Heidi is feeling better, and really glad they're keeping a close eye on her. A good Vicodin buzz certainly helps.:D

Get well soon, Heidi!
:)

Yes Heidi - thin that blood and get better!

Oh sure - I skip a day of logging in to LoT and see what all happens?! I can't leave you people alone for a minute without you getting all sick and clot-y and hacking up bits of internal organs. I insist that you all get better immediately. Don't make me turn this internet around!

I'm so glad she's doing better, thanks for keeping us updated!

Whilst doing some work-related searching on teh interwebs, I came across this blog, which today mentioned the "Whopper Sacrifice".

And other stuff.

This is what I get when I am looking up right brain-left brain responses in advertising. Heh!

Eeew, Whopper.

Hugs and good thoughts to the sick, the recovering and the furry friends...and congrats to the Cap'n! Hang in there, I'm trying again in about 3 weeks!

To all who are sick, I hope you feel better soon.

To all who will be sick in the future, I hope you feel better fast.

I'm covering all the bases now....

What about those who were sick in the past?

I can't seem to get warm.

Springer is going to kitty heaven later today. :(

I'm so sorry, BTD.

Condolences, BTD.

sorry to hear about the critter. thats never easy

:(

I'm so sorry BTD. I know how hard it is to lose the fluffy friend in your life.

*sigh*

I'm trying my best not to cry, so I might not be opening this thread until it gets to the next page. KTHXBAI

So sorry to hear about Springer - hugs and condolences

Very sorry to hear about your cat.

Sorry to hear it, btd

I wish a safe crossing of the bridge for Springer. He was a much loved baby boy.

:(

Capt Jack - you keep up that good work !! I quit a 50 per day habit in 2000, after smoking for 18 years. The doctors said THAT was the reason that the Heart Attack in 2005 didn't kill me. Believe me, it's worth the effort and those difficult first three days. It gets easier as you go on, even if it seems like it won't at first. We're all behind you !

Kitty. :(
Big Bear Hugs. We can't wait to give them in person.

:( Sorry, BTD.

thanks bro. Im surely workin on it with all my might this go.

quitting never killed anyone.....smoking sure as hell has.

Oh, quitting's killed SOMEONE. As in, "Hey? How's the quitting coming? Must be tough? Do you, like, constantly crave it? Are you thinking about it right now? What if I offered you a cig...*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK* *bleed* *bleed* *bleed* *bleed*

<HUGS> BTD!

well...ok. there IS that


quitting never killed anyone (that didnt deserve it)



hows that? :D

Safe journey, Springer.

I'm sorry, BTD. :(

I'm sorry BTD, safe journey to kitty heaven, know that you were much loved.
:(

I want to go home and hug Tango really long (and she'll hate it). :(

BTD - sending lots of love your way.

Capt Jack - keep up the great work! You can do this! :)

Dear BTD,

My cheese is unhappy about Springer, but I'll bet kitty had a better life with you than without you.

Love and hugs,

The Stoat XXX.

Off for Polo and Birthday cake. Madzer is 13 today, god help me.

My condolences.

Welcome to the party.


(Congrats to Madzer, though!)

Very sorry to hear about Springer, BTD. :( Our thoughts are with you.

Sad cheese for BTD and Springer. :(

Sorry to hear that, BtD.

I'm so sorry, BTD! :(




Happy New Year Everyone! Hope the big Bollywood party was fab and that everyone both near and far had a spectacular New Year. I'm sure I will eventually get around to reading all 1113 posts since I last visited (most, I'm sure, in this thread...wait when did the new Sooooo.....thread get the same name as the old Sooooo.....thread? Or am I experiencing deja vu?) but that will have to wait.

I'm pissed about the Middle East (and at the IRS and AT&T), sorry about the flooding, thrilled to be saying goodbye to Shrub, freaked out by how much Olivia has grown (8yo and 4'7"!), impressed by Blagojevich's cajones at "chicken" (although with little else) and perplexed about the success of Marley and Me.

I am also sick and tired of being sick and tired (but that belongs in the vent thread).

Oh, and apparently I may be a slightly racist but I strongly favor homosexuals. (Yep, you too can participate in these online Harvard studies and many others.)

Here's hoping 2009 is better than 2008...so far it's not worse. That's something. :p

eta: Oh, and if you didn't get a Christmas card, it's not that I don't like you it's that I was to lazy to get off my ass and actually address/mail them this year...so, Merry Christmas and/or Happy Hanukkah too....

Kitty. :(

I'm so sorry, BTD. I didn't see your post yesterday, or I would have certainly extended my condolences. Big hugs from me and the Girl.

Any update on LSPE?

Sorry that some of us are just too unhip to Twitter, but we're still concerned and would love an update. ;)

ok, Ive been searching but with no luck.
what does that say????

I've had mine since I got out of the Army, that's around eighteen years. It's been in various states of good-to-awful but it's there and it will stay.

Save for two brief periods without, I've had some form of facial hair for 15+ years (and if you count sideburns, then that leaves only 1 week that I had none). When I finally shaved the goatee (or more precisely, the van dyke) that I had for over a decade I swore I wouldn't let myself keep any single facial hair style without change for more than a short period ever again. But I doubt I'll ever really remain facially hairless for any extended period, and I certainly won't be making my decisions based on what's "in".

Though it should be noted that the Van Dyke wasn't in when I initially grew it, only to come into fashion shortly there after. 14 years later, I grew the 'stache despite it not being in, and here we are 6 months or so later, and voila. I'm a freaking trend setter.

The last two characters aren't correct (& #). I believe the whole thing is supposed to be:

宇多田ヒカル - Utada Hikaru

She is a J-Pop singer.

But that is just my best guess.

Real men grow full beards. ;)

works for me. thx alex

as for the beard thing. let the posers pose. the real test for facial hair is time. some just cant take the pressure of maintainence.

unless of course theyre part japanese.....mine is as full as it gets...which aint much, but my razors last 20 years :D
/shrug

There's only one type of hair I'd like to see come back in style.

Mohair?

1970's Playboy hair?

Pubic?

Thank you for being correct!

I would rather break out the electric trimmer once a week than shave every day.

Well, unless you're growing a truly full beard (which for me would include a freakish neck beard), you still have to shave daily, though a reduced surface area.

Actually, I can get away with shaving the small area just twice a week - less if I really wanted to.

merkin?

(sorry. possibly NSFW depending on your situation)

I believe Sasha Grey's American Apparel ad is bringing that back

link to NSFW photo

link to Reverse Cowgirl blog where the ad was first featured

So what's next?

Sorry for the lack of updates on LSPE's condition, and thanks to Kevy for posting the tweet. Indeed, the date of her release is not yet known. It will be determined by how quickly her blood thins.

On the plus side, her spirits are up, in no small part to the calls, texts and visits from all of our wonderful friends. I told Heidi that when she is discharged, we'll have to bring a cart in to tote out all of the flowers, reading materials, stuffed animals, blankets and various assorted stuff she has received since being there. And the nursing staff are keeping the other bed in her room empty because of all the visitors she has had. So many, many thanks to all of you. It means so much to us both.

No apologies from you, mister. ;) I was just hoping that one of the connected Twitter-ers would keep the rest of us updated. You've got enough to deal with right now. I'm sending much loving and healing energy to you both.

If she's still there on Monday when we get back in town, I'd very much like to stop by. Hospitals are no fun at all, and I'd like to offer a bit of company when I can.

If anyone has her hospital info, please PM me. :)

American Apparel is my new favorite company.

What do they do again? Actually, who cares.

I actually have a few baby-doll t-shirts from them. The NYC U2 concert t-shirt I got was an American Apparel shirt.

Personally, I'm pretty offended by the atrociously ugly yellow socks.

Oh, the socks make that ad.





Okay, maybe some other parts of it too.

Uhhhh, what socks? I've looked at it for quite some time and I don't see any socks.

They're selling clothing with an ad containing almost no clothes? Who do they think they are, A&F?

Congratulations Swanie!!! She finished the WDW Half this morning in 2:52 02.

Crap this means I'm going to have to actually train for the Disneyland Half.

Happy LoT Anniversary! It's hard to belive we've been going so long. On the other hand it feels like I've known you all for ever! Thanks for the swanky digs:snap:

Congrats Swanie!!

Hooray! Congrats!

Congratulations Swanie!!!!!!

Congratulations Swanie! :D

Congrats Swanie! I think there are a couple people doing the oh man we have to train for the fall now...

Man, I picked a good year to decide to make an effort to watch more NFL playoff games. So far they've all been worth watching.

Hello ever briefly from the hospital. The mousepods have sneaked in a hacked iPod that is serving as a router so I can say hello. I am contractually obliged to say that I love iPods now. I bow to Steve Jobs and his lackeys.

I am doing OK - as OK as I can under the circumstances. A little bit manic - super-happy to see guests and loved ones, to get calls and tweets. And pretty blue at other times, as it gets really old to be in the same quarters without the outside world. I can tweet but not always see your tweets. I can always text and receive texts. And alas, life without LoT is not swanky enough - but I have fetching hair scarves and flowers and some odiferous hand lotion to swank up my hospital gown.

Still no word as to when I'm getting out. My blood is simply not thinning fast enough and until they can get it to the level which will 'cement' the clot to the vein so it won't travel up through the lungs and make me the 1000th happy haunt, right? So I'm stuck here until that happens, basically.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughtful texts and gifts. To the mousepods in particular - I don't think I'd have made it through this without them. And of course, Tom, who is my best friend and solid rock.

Love to you all and I hope you're all staying well or getting better. I am going to stop being antisocial to my guests now.

LSPE, so glad you're doing (somewhat) better!

yay for the mousepods and the iPod router! I am fairly certain that it is against the Geneva convention to confine someone to a hospital bed and not provide internet access.

I missed today's but will watch tomorrow. But I found 3 of last weeks to be boring. Might be me, though, I didn't seem to really engage this season.

I watched a lot more of the regular season than usual too, so that may indeed be a factor. Plus, I watch mostly on TiVo, so I get a somewhat distorted impression of the games.

This afternoon's I watched mostly live. It was pretty dull for most of it, but it lead up to a pretty good 4th quarter so it was worth it.

Tonight's is shaping up to be pretty uninteresting though.

God, I'm so jealous. I could use some sick days.

Take care and get better.

Good to see you finally were able to post in here :) Yay for your internet hijackers lol. Just get better is all we want.

Take it easy, and get better quick!

It's not an impulse purchase if you've been planning it for months but I had no intention of actually buying the car today. I'm excited :D and totally freaked out :eek: to find myself the new owner of an adorable red Mini Cooper.:cool: I don't actually pick it up until Tuesday. I'm counting the minutes until then.:snap:

Congrats on your new car. When i break down and get a new car red is the color i want. I used to have a red Grand Am and miss that color more than anything.

Cute and red were the deciding factors...

Another Mini owner!!! Congrats! You'll love it!

Finishing up night one of the home theater cleanup/reconfiguration.

I'm happy with the progress so far, and Rose is ok with it too.

Heidi's blood numbers have improved a good deal since yesterday, and it seems likely that she will come home from the hospital later today.

What wonderful news!!!!!! Keep getting better Heidi!

Huzzah!

Yaaaay, Heidi and Tom! I'm so glad- I've (like everyone else) been worried. Here's hoping you two are snuggled up in your own abode tonight!

Yay! I'm so glad things are going better.

good to hear. heres to a even speedier recovery :cheers:

good news

Yay great news to hear about Heidi. Nothing like being in your own bed after being in the hospital. :)

Thank the gods!

Please let me know if you two need anything - even if it's just some help around the house.

Oh this is excellent news!

Great news Tom!

- I'm back online after fleeing the fatherland.

Yay! Heidi's going home soon! :snap:

And happy news about the red Mini. Congratulations! My car is red too, and it's a little bit cute. Not Mini Cooper cute, but Beetle cute.

Yay Heidi!!! Hope you get a lot of rest at home -- the hospital is no place for sleeping, those damn doctors keep pinching and poking all the time. :) Sending you lots of hugs!

Yay Heidi!!!!!

Yeah for Heidi coming home!

________________________

There were socks?

So I've made it this far through plague season with nothing more than 2 days of sore throat followed by a day of coughing. Knock on anodize metal.

Susan is on her way home from not-so-urgent care. She has been battling a sinus infection that wasn't going away. The pain has been really bad (she has been taking Vicoden), hence today's trip to not-so-urgent care. They said there are no secondary issues, but they gave her a prescription to help pain and to help sleep.

When were you in Germany?

Sooooo..... I'm here at work in my Kilt.

...Pics & Thread to follow. Hehe.

Think of it as Heidi's Homecoming present ! :)

I wasn't in Germany, it just felt like it.

Heidi is home. She is pretty woozy from some combination of medications/thin blood/being flat on her back for a week, but she is here. And of course this was exactly the moment that my work schedule became totally crazy, so the much desired longcuddle time on the couch will have to be put off somewhat. But my mom is here to help take care of her, and she is home.

WELCOME HOME HEIDI!!!!

And thanks to mom for being there to help out and watch over her!

So somehow I got logged out of LoT on my home machine. It was a little bit before I realized it.

This place is rather garish with avatars and signatures on.

But we know you secretly love smilies

Oh I know, huh?

Nah, I actually kinda like 'em. I'd say more swanky than garish, but that's just me.

WELCOME HOME, HEIDI!

YAY! I'm glad Heidi is home!

I just realized I forgot to say, Feel better soon Susan, nothing worse than a lingering headache due to sinus issue!

Actually, it is a sore throat that is bothering her. Bad enough that she woke up crying last night. Hopefully she is now sleeping comfortably at home right now (I hope to head there soon).

Just popping in briefly to thank you all for your well-wishes. I didn't realize I was going to feel so dizzy, out of it and exhausted, so I'm tucked back into a bed - this time my own, thank god.

Tonight, I enjoyed an It's It for the first time in years - and find myself remembering all kinds of fun things from early childhood. :cool:

Oh... It's It

I haven't had one of those for years

Yay for Heidi being home and back on the interwebs!

Meanwhile, I'm in Denver for maybe the week - hopefully less. Flight was pretty choppy, but thankfully not particularly full. Hotel room is spacious - a real suite, not one of those where the bed is on the other side of a half wall. I have a room service salad, a bottle of pomegranate fizzy water, and I already finished my cup of chicken tortilla soup. All of which would be great, if it weren't for this bizarre cold and slippery white stuff all over the ground outside. And it's COLD!!!! Holy crap it's cold! I object and protest!

But, there's allegedly free breakfast in the morning - so we'll see how that is.

Still, no Rat to keep me company and snuggle with.

I'm glad Heidi is home safe and I hope both she and Susan have a quick recovery!

They sell those at the Albertsons by my house. I should buy a box.

We had a different version up in the Portland area growing up. So those are better. Simply because I ate them when I was 8.

It's Its however, just taste like stale ice cream in a stale cookie sandwich to me (though sometimes that is good enough).

Childhood distorts everything doesn't it?

wow, now I feel deprived.

Ive never heard of them

How terrible. :( I really hope that gets better fast!



I'm really starting to think the LoT is cursed right now. Have the gods been angered by all the celebrating? Is all that bacon finally catching up with us? Or are we just not fulfilling our swank potential?

I really hope this is the last of this bad wave.

Maybe it is because we haven't planned any swankings lately. Although, I would HOPE our NYE party counted as SOMETHING!

I think of it more as casting out all the bad stuff, so the good can come refill our cups

Welcome home, Heidi!

I'm slowly emerging back to health after my New Year's cold and I wish the same for everyone else who is not quite 100%. Take care off yourselves, that's an order!

Happy you're back home and recovering!

I love It's Its.

In high school we used to get them in the cafeteria, they were very popular. But I have not had one in years. Where I grew up we used to pronounce It's It with the accent on the It's. Since I've moved inland to the valley I have heard it pronounced with the accent on It. How do you say it?

Its It is associated with Camping to me.

Mmm. It's It.

Damn you CA hippies and your It's Its.

It certainly counts in my book.

Damn you bitter East Coaster. You get to see 24 and Lost first. I get It's Its. It's a wash :p

Awww. They made an LoLCat for Lisa...

That's it... we need another beach bonfire, complete with bread toss.

That's Silly Walkz.



























Rock Band!!!!!!!!
We haz it.

It's Tits beats the pants off of It's It.

And RE: Bad vibe - I think it's because we haven't cast any stones into the sea lately.

We did some casting on Jew Coon but Chris also cast his underwear into the sea (well, actually, I did the actual casting). Maybe the underwear is what's causing all of this badness.

some casting on what?

My geeky, Doctor Who loving self really wants this desktop TARDIS with the little "10th Doctor" (David Tennant) action figure:

And speaking of Doctor Who, David Tennant and Kilts:




:SIGH:

The kilt thing really is something I just don't understand. Why that is considered cool but lederhosen are generally a joke is beyond me.

suspenders

So, does anyone else hate Google's new little icon? I know it's an inconsequential thing for an emotion like hate, but I find it so distracting up there in my tabs.

Yeah, and what's so funny about 70s/80s NBA shorts?

Are you talking about the stylized lower-case "g" - the one that sort of looks like an infinity symbol on its side?

I don't think it looks like infinity, but the g is difficult to see through the parade of colors.

Definitely not an award winner of a favicon.

Yeah, it's about the garish colors. Bleh. It's reminding me of some other logo, but I can't put my finger on it.



And thank you for saying favicon, I couldn't remember that word.

In case I wasn't clear, I do think lederhosen should be a joke (as well as NBA shorts of pretty much any era since they went from amusingly small to amusingly large). I just think kilts should be too.

Especially utilikilts.

Especially a utilikilt worn while attending a con.

Especially a utilikilt worn while attending a con and paired with a ratty t-shirt you bought from a "humor" site.

Especially a utilikilt worn while attending a con and paired with a ratty t-shirt you bought from a "humor" site and you're so proud of achieving that minimal level of masculinity needed to grow facial hair (a level that my great grandmother achieved, I'll remind you) that you are allowing all 76 hairs to grow without restraint or any attempt at organization.

In other words, especially if you are any of the people I hung out with in high school. (Note: Being a joke is not reason to avoid doing or wearing some if that is what you want to do.)

So how do you feel about utilikilts Alex?

I'm ok with them.

And it's just now occurred to me that the ugly Google favicon is tied in with the ugly Chrome logo (which isn't the unknown logo that it's reminding me of).

Ok, so now I have to ask, what is a utilikilt? Do you mean just a generic one that wasn't actually your family crest(cloth or whatever) or do you mean all kilts?

Just curious

There are several factors that affect utilikilt vs kilt, but the key differences (that I am aware of) include:

1. Traditional kilts are a wrap of a length of cloth whereas utilikits are usually like a skirt
2. Utilikilts usually don't have the requisite pleats in the back
3. Utilikilts are often in plain, solid colors whereas a kilt is made of tartan

There are more, but those are the three key ones that I am aware of

In the 70's I had a pair of Mork suspenders. Yikes.

Loser!













So did I

My Dad had the rainbow suspenders. But as he was all belly and no butt it was that or constant butt crack showing.

SVU has been getting way more blatantly political and preechy in their stories.

So I've been scanning photos for hours now. First of my niece for a scrapbook mom and I are putting together, and now (since I've been at it for hours anyway) I'm scanning in an entire photo album, page by page (because it beats the hell out of going photo by photo!) from 1977. Gold, I tell ya, and not just the appliances!

I love one of th description items on that site:

And I must add -after viewing the photos section of that website - Kilts are effin' hawt!

As I feared yesterday when another person said that twitter had become blocked at work, today when I came to the office, going to twitter gave me the big scary access denied page. Time for a new phone plan where I can get texts.

True that! The hair and chlothes too! What were we thinking?!! :eek:

There are always workarounds. Can you SSH out?

No I can't do that either, but I'm sure I could find some workaround. But for me the question is how far I want to go to circumvent the intent of the landlords.

For me, the answer is not very far.

Great way to piss off the IT department.

We had to take away an IM program from some users because it was only for specific users who work on a specific account and users who weren't on that account had access to it too. So the users it was taken from said "fine, we'll work around it and use backdoors". Guess what's now blocked. Guess who got in trouble for circumventing IT policies and content filters.

While IT policies may be inconvenient, and we're all lucky we have access to LoT at work, it's not in anyone's best interest to circumvent the IT policies to get to websites just because you want to. Please don't encourage it.

Sincerely,

IT departments everywhere.

Anyone who needs/wants help getting around corporate content blockers is welcome to PM me. I can provide technical assistance but can't be responsible for consequences.

Sincerely,

IT department evader.

(BTD, you know I mean that in the most non-snarky possible way, right?)

Steph, I just found a workaround that meets my threshhold of workplace appropriateness. I'll email you about it and you can decide.

BTD won't like you.

If anyone cares, Teddy Roosevelt's Great-Great-Grandson got married a few months ago. I wonder if there will be a Teddy VI?

Steph, instead of going to texting Twitter, you could go to mobile web. If you're so inclined. Then no need for workarounds :)

I thought this was funny. SFW

I question whether he is a real electrician or not.
:D

Given the many difficult situations (unemployment, miscellaneous health issues, losing loved ones, newborns in danger, cancer, you-name-it) that many of my friends are in at the moment, I'm doing my best to count the many blessings I have and to remind myself to enjoy them to the fullest...

Thinking of which, I'm starting to work on our big trade show in Chicago... :) *insert happy bubble*

I just whipped up Rack of Lamb with Tarragon Crust, Garlic-Lemon Fava Beans and Arugula/fig/goat cheese salad with a balsamic dressing. Every once in a while I hit the mark.

A first-grade teacher, Ms. Brooks, was having trouble with one of her students. The teacher asked, 'Harry, what's your problem?'

Harry answered, 'I'm too smart for the 1st grade. My sister is in the 3rd grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the 3rd grade too!'

Ms. Brooks had had enough. She took Harry to the principal's office.

While Harry waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was. The principal told Ms. Brooks he would give the boy a test. If he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the 1st grade and behave. She agreed.

Harry was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test.

Principal:
'What is 3 x 3?'

Harry:
'9.'

Principal:
'What is 6 x 6?'

Harry:
'36.'

And so it went with every question the principal thought a 3rd grader should know.

The principal looks at Ms. Brooks and tells her,
'I think Harry can go to the 3rd grade.'

Ms. Brooks says to the principal,
'Let me ask him some questions.'

The principal and Harry both agreed.

Ms. Brooks asks, 'What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?'

Harry, after a moment: 'Legs.'

Ms Brooks: 'What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?'

The principal wondered why would she ask such a
question!

Harry replied: 'Pockets.'

Ms. Brooks: 'What does a dog do that a man steps into?'

Harry:
'Pants.'

Ms. Brooks: What starts with a C, ends with a T, is hairy, oval, delicious and contains thin, whitish liquid?'
Harry:
'Coconut.'

The principal sat forward with his mouth hanging open.

Ms. Brooks:
'What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft and sticky?'

The principal's eyes opened really wide and before he could stop the answer, Harry replied, 'Bubble gum.'

Ms. Brooks: 'What does a man do standing up, a woman does sitting down and a dog does on three legs?'

Harry: 'Shake hands.'

The principal was trembling.

Ms. Brooks: 'What word starts with an 'F' and ends in 'K' that means a lot of heat and excitement?'

Harry:
'Firetruck.'

The principal breathed a sigh of relief and told the
teacher,

'Put Harry in the fifth-grade, I got the last seven questions wrong...'
__________________

me too :blush:

I so wish I was at home. I miss the Rat so much. Even if he did cut his hair and shave his face. (okay, the ponytail I'm not sad about. The facial hair....) He sent me a little video and I keep watching it over and over again.

So uhh... what time's dinner? :D

WHO CARES !!!!! Send him over !!!!!!!! :D

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

:( <------- Sad cheese on behalf of Bears everywhere.

Unfortunate abbreviation
 

Actual item listing on eBay. Someone made a bad abbreviation choice:

Oneida GOLD GOLDEN DAMASK ROSE 4IndButtSpreaders UNUSED

You never know what will turn up when you type "Butt Spreaders" into that search box, eh, Kevy? ;)

Those are butt ugly.

So... I'm on day 2 of battling the flu and severe sinusitis. I'd like to just curl up and die. In fact, I think I might just go curl back up on the couch again.

Good thing they're unused!

I suppose they could be used to spread a butt... awful fancy for it though :P

could be worse....could be one of these

I was at a Chinese restaurant for lunch today and a lady sitting at another table got Chinese hot mustard in her eye. That has got to sting a bit, I think.

Holy Crap!


(It seemed like an appropriate comment based on the subject matter under discussion)

My heart is racing so fast I can't even think about sleep - and I need to get up so early. I really really really hope this sale goes through.

yeah, kind of a scary looking thing to be called 'the jaws of life' huh?

So, now I'm posting from the PS3- what a wonderful machine this is.

For once, this WAS an innocent discovery. Our silver pattern is Oneida Golden Damask, which was discontinued. Occasionally, I search eBay for place settings.

I think I shall acquire one with our tax refund.

I once had a glow in the dark necklace break and squirt in my eye. That smarted but it also made my eye glow in the dark for about 2 hours which, being Halloween, all of the kids thought was the coolest thing ever.

(I quickly found out that while it may sting, the liquid in those glow necklaces, sticks, etc. is actually non-toxic.)

Good luck!

Ask Alex about glow in the dark eyes.

At least I'm feeling a bit better now... at least competent enough to finally sort through college courses at various places, and make sense of them all on a spreadsheet.

Looks like I found a winning combo of classes at Golden West, so I applied and should be able to register soon. I'll be taking 13 credits whilst running my own business. Shouldn't be too much of a challenge, considering that just over 10 years ago, I was taking 18 credits while working 3 part-time jobs while living by myself.

So, not only will I be learning some advanced graphics stuff, but I'll also be learning the third big video editing program, which should make for nice resume fodder - I'll know all three, and that opens up a whole new world of opportunity. :snap:

And, just for fun, I'm taking a dance class, just like in days of yore.

I'm excited. Is it end of the month yet? :D

Glad you're feeling better.

Last night I had a dream that I was with the Beatles in the reading room of the British Museum in London. They were singing, 'I Should Have Known Better' and 'From Me to You' and I was the harmonica player. It was a fun dream. During our song, a Finnish Men's Choir surrounded the building and sang along.
No idea what it means, but it was fun. I listened to both songs all day today. I kinda want to learn how to play the harmonica now...
:)

I did, the next day at the picnic when they had changed from glowing to bright red.



Thankfully, my eyes were back to normal after a couple of hours.

Do you know about Replacements Ltd?

I couple of Halloweens ago, I thought it would be cool to have glowing hands to pass out Halloween candy to the kiddo's. As you say, the stuff in the sicks reads "non-toxic" so I cut open a half dozen of them, poured the stuff into a big bowl and then reached in and rubbed it all over my hands.

Arrrrgghhh!!! I forgot one thing. When you "snap" a light stick to activate it what you are really doing is shattering a small glass vial that holds the reactant. So the glowing liquid is filled with tiny shards of glass. I spent the next 20min pulling bits of glass out of my hands.....

There's a way to do it better then that. Pierce a hole in one end and then squeeze it out. (or flick it all over the walls - but be warned - it's an oily substance and stains the walls. who knew?!)

But man was it fun!

Ya think?

Hey DP, this all sounds fabulous!

heh. yep. :p

They are expensive. It is more of an an amusement than a quest

Well, it looks like I'll be walking the entire MLK parade on Monday, with my camera gear, shooting for my favorite charity. I'll probably end up interviewing various celebs again too. :D

LoT is back! Yay!!

Did it go somewhere?

Sooooo..... I'm off today to see Monet & The Impressionists

...I hope they're not a band.....

I haven't yet decided whether CA feels like "home" yet - flying into LAX doesn't give me the same comfortable feeling as flying into SeaTac - but damn did I miss CA produce while I was away! We went crazy at the market today. So much produce!

Maybe not, but it WOULD be a great name for a band!

I completely understand what you're talking about. I'm about at that midway point, where both feel comfortable to land and be in, and I don't think that that comfortable feeling about landing at LAX and Long Beach will ever go away. I can see things I know and love in each place now, as I land.

To avoid the humiliation of a trade-in or the hassle of selling it I decided to donate my old car to charity. I made an appointment for it to be picked up between 2:00 and 4:00 yesterday which was perfect because that's when I go over to my dad's to do laundry. (I'd left the car there because I don't have any extra parking space at home.) They called and said they were running late and would be there after 4:00 but they would call me about 30 minutes before. So I waited and waited. At 6:00 the manager of the tow company called and said he wanted to make sure my car was picked up so he was going to jump in a truck and drive right over...from Riverside. So finally about 7:30 I handed over the keys, signed the paperwork, and went home.

My dad and I compared new cars while we waited. He brought home a new HHR on Thursday. My car won on cuteness.

sitting here amazed that the original Soooo.... thread made it to 25674 posts before getting trimmed and continued into this one.

I think that is the same exhibit I saw in Vegas. I really enjoyed it, I hope you do too!

See what you started?

Troublemaker.

Hey, good to see you, stranger!

So, yeah.... did my shoot today.

I was a total idiot and forgot that parades are one-way trips.

I had to park about one mile from the parade start.

The parade was 2 miles.

It was about 85 degrees in direct sunlight.

I was wearing solid black.

I was carrying about 20 pounds of gear.


6 miles+heat+black clothes+lots of gear = in-****ing-sane.


Yeah, it's a wonder I'm still alive. I'm still a bit dizzy though. :eek:

Is it just me or does the new Pepsi logo remind you of another famous logo?

CP bought a 2-liter this weekend. I called it her "Obama Juice."

So it was an Obama Jew's Obama Juice?

That's probably offensive but I did it anyway.

Pepsi suddenly sounds kinda gross.

Yup, you went there. That's what I like about you, your cutting edge humour. Very 'Family Guy'.

That's probably offensive but I did it anyway

Now we need an Obama Jew logo.

No, if I were a doctor that nearly killed every patient 6 times before finally finding the actual issue I would have the humility to not be considered a super-genius.

Okay, as a big fan of House, that was freaking hilarious.

We're big 'House' fans as well- we got the first three seasons on DVD for Christmas. Tori's comment was very much a compliment, and Alex's response was perfection.

Popcorn! :D

Fvcking hell. I accidentally wore crappy sandals (with socks, no less) out of the house to work this morning. I had thrown them on to get mail, then just left for work without a second thought. I feel like an ass right now.

What? Do you think you're still on vacation?

Kinda like those dreams where you go to work without wearing any pants....

Many years ago I wore one navy blue and one black shoe (similar styles, same height heel) to work one day. I felt like such an idiot.

Well, there is a reason I do usually wear socks with loads of pattern, so I can make sure they at least match. Does nto help, I'm still an idiot! :D

I forgot to put on a belt this morning. I know nobody cares and my pants aren't going to fall off, but I feel stupid.

wow...my day just suddenly feels not so bad

I'm considering making a Payless run at lunch.

I can't stop giggling at the thought of you running to Payless on your lunch, wearing what you have on your feet now, desperately hoping they have something more decent in stock. The chances are not that great. You might be better off just enjoying your lunch and trying to not notice what you're wearing on your feet. You know, like you didn't notice it when you got in the car this morning? Try to get back to that place of disconnection from your feet.

If he worked here, he would have been sent home to change.

I'm rather amused by that. How many dreams have I had where I realize I'm not wearing a shirt? Too many. lol. I've done the black and blue sock trick myself. But the sandals thing. Just claim it's the new fashion - you trend setter you!

If anyone high enough up sees me, that might still happen. Fortunately it's pretty easy to avoid people. But I've got a meeting after lunch, and any cheap pair of actual shoes from Payless would be more acceptable than the ridiculous sandals I'm currently wearing.

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Head to Payless at lunch....those are so totally wrong!

ditch the socks, you'll be ok.

No, I won't. They look even more ridiculous without them, and would draw even more attention.

Best to just stay seated until lunch.

Just so you know, the photographic enhancement to the story is not helping stop my giggles. I know it is bad and I really do feel for you. I feel very naughty for giggling.

Oh, and I agree that ditching the socks would not help.

bwahahahaha, GD, bwahahahahaaaaa :D

So at your work, it's OK to wear a pair of old blue jeans but the footwear you put with them is an issue?

I just don't get you Californians.

this would be a bad time for the fire alarm to go off. :evil:

Looks like the standard IT uniform around here.

Reminds me of Real Genius, one of my cinematic guilty pleasures.

Bunny Slippers.

Too bad we remembered to take your sneakers out of the car.

I love that you posted a pic! :D

I have to agree. I didn't start giggling until I saw the pic, now I can't stop! I'm sorry GD, either hide your feet or make a run at lunch and hope they actually have some decent shoes, that go with your socks:evil:

Was it a dream where you see yourself standing in sort of sun-god robes on a pyramid with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at you?

Why am I the only one who has that dream?

tell them you have gout. they'll drop the subject almost instantaneously

I certainly hope so...

I can't wear jeans to work, except on Friday. But even then, no-open toe shoes allowed.

Jeans are fine (these are not old jeans, they're relatively new). But sandals definitely are not.

In my days at the technology company jeans were daily wear. In my most recent job jeans were a Friday thing, but I could get away with them more often because I was often doing things that destroyed my dress pants.

It also depends on your position. The people I supervise can wear jeans. I can not.

Target to the rescue.

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I hope that purchase didn't put you over the maximal male allotment of shoes (4 pairs excluding any used almost exclusively for athletic activities).

Does that include sandals, slippers, or soccer cleats?

Nice! I'm thinkin' that's better than anything on offer at Payless. Good. Now I can stop giggling at odd moments, when I'd think of the sandals and socks pic.

I dunno, I think those look goofier than the sandals

I'm still giggling. I'm glad you found a pair of shoes to get you through your meeting.

Great shot of the sandal feet and rather sorry to see them go as they made me giggle and then giggle again with every post I read that said the same.

But hey - you got a new pair of shoes. That's hardly ever a Bad Thing.

When you say slippers do you mean like what you wear before bed or what Hawaii means when they say slippers?

Cleats definitely get exempted (unless you just wear them for walking around). Sandals probably don't get exempted unless you are say using them mostly for hiking or walking on the hot sand to your beach volleyball games.

Eh, they're the cheapest shoes Target had, they look only passably good, and don't really fit all that well. I'll probably not wear them again, more than likely I'll just go donate them.

By slippers I mean fuzzy around the house things that I literally never wear.

The sandals I use almost solely as something to quickly throw on to bring the trash out or get the mail, very rare that I wear them out as they are awful.

I also have one pair of sneakers that's exclusively my housework pair, never see anything beyond the back patio.

So in terms of actual shoes that I wear out with any sort of regularity, these would be the 4th pair. And I'm not planning on ever wearing these again.

When I worked for SBC we had NO dress code. I wore slippers to work on more than one occasion. I used to have fuzzy, plush, mouse slippers.

The Enforcers will be checking in within 30 calendar days to ensure that any excess pairs have been removed from the premises. If they have not, random pairs will be selected until compliance is achieved.

You can't fool me, you just PhotoShopped new shoes onto your existing feet!

I could probably wear shorts and t-shirt here and nobody would care. But I find that if I dress too down it kind of impacts my work mindset.

I just feel more professional if I am dressed up to a certain minimum standard. Though that has included jeans at times, it has been months since I've worn them in (and it would certainly be fine if I did).

The monitor connection from my manager's laptop to the overhead projector is a little loose. His projected desktop has a greenish-bluish hue that feels very familiar...

since this old building I work in has zero AC, in the summer I do that quite often. no one could care less...which is one of the things I love about the place. it may be hot, old, ant and other vermin infested.... but I can dress like I want and no one cares.

I would LOVE to wear jeans to work. What sucks is that other departments get to on Friday, another one makes an exception for certain Fridays when muckity mucks aren't in town, while mine poo-poos the practice - though I'm sure I could get away with it if I was the only one around, but that's a rarity I don't count on happening any time during my tenure. I have worn khakis on one of those "muckity mucks gone" Fridays, but got weird looks from my department. We do wear khakis for days when we know they'll be destroyed, but no doubt at least one member of the team will forget and wear his or her "nice" clothes, only to get a tear, stain, and/or dirt everywhere.

Blah.

I have cute "dressy" jeans I'd love to wear on a Friday.