91 Comments Add your own

• 1. glamour-geek  |  January 12th, 2007 at 10:44 am

  I’ll answer the perfume question for $200.

  I first smelled Dior’s J’Adore in a magazine. I rather liked it. When I was in a shop, I tried it on my wrist. Perfume is different on everyone and many/most make me feel claustrophobic, so I try it on my wrist first. If it passes that test, next time I’m in a store I might try it on my neck (nearer my face, because really the perfume is for me). If it passes that test, I might buy it.

  So Dior’s J’Adore was on my xmas list and my mother got it for me. I like it. The new beau likes it (I’d say he’s no longer an “um”). So it’s all good.

  Designer labels: like everything else in American culture, clothing has been commoditized. It used to be you could tell a designer’s work from the cut and style. Now people need billboards. I think part of it is that more people can afford the stuff so it’s not just a select few inspecting each other’s get ups. I think another part is that people are rather clueless as to cut and style, so they need the labels as proof that they’re part of a certain niche.

  Much like pink spiked hair or visible piercings or visible tattoos or any outfit, labels announce to others who you would like them to perceive you to be. In the case of designer labels, it’s someone who spends money on that kind of thing.

  And then some of us eschew lables and wear things that are off the beaten path as our declaration of who we are.

  But don’t think that because you get your t-shirts at Old Navy and your jeans at Levi’s that you’re not as identifiable as someone who’s got COACH emblazoned on her handbag. It’s just a different label.

  One of my friends is a big fan of some designers AS LONG AS it is the more subtle stuff that is labelless. Yes, even the big designers have the mid-range stuff that has their logo and then the high-range stuff which doesn’t, it’s just cut and styled well.

  Sorry. It’s my topic. You all know that by now.

  Here endeth the sermon.

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• 2. me  |  January 12th, 2007 at 11:07 am

  I saw a show on the fugu once, and apparently even if it doesn’t kill you, your mouth still gets all numb and tingly from the toxins. So who decided that was OK to be just a little bit poisoned?
  Starving ancient people eating fugu for the first time:
  man 1: Hey this is really good! I think maybe we should *ack*.
  man 2: Awight, guyth, tho now we know not to eat the tailth.

  Yes, Bob had a middle name. Look at the copyright on the How to Write blog: Robert J. Mayer. So I’m guessing John. Shall we take bets?

  Supposedly, Ben Franklin said, Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. So, every culture makes booze so they can be happy. And if all they have is potatoes, or dandelions, or fugu…well, hey, someone has to be first!

  the perfume inserts don’t work for me, because there’s usually more than one, and the scents co-mingle and become something else entirely, usually strong and disgusting, which makes me never want to buy them (the perfume or the magazine).

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• 3. dee  |  January 12th, 2007 at 1:23 pm

  Perfume: I have a very few that I wear, most of which are OLD. Ok, to put it in perspective, that means that I’ve been wearing them for years, not that they’ve been around longer than Bob. I’m very picky about scents as well, but I’ve noticed that they smell different on me in mid-30s than they did in early 20s. As for magazines, no I don’t know that I’ve ever bought a scent because of a magazine. I generally avoid magazines that have scents in them. Well, I generally avoid magazines. So. But I love that scents can bring you right back to a particular place in time. There is one that I wear, only rarely, because it evokes such strong memories of my trip to Europe, and five days in bed in Paris, that it’s just not, um, safe(?) to wear it all that often. When I do, the husband always stays really close and says things like “MMMMM, you smell like Paris.” And of course, I think “I smell like a shitty river? Uh, thanks!” But I know what he really means.

  As for labels, I’m not that into them. But oh my, my oldest is. Why? Well, all the ‘cool’ kids are wearing this, so *I* should too, right? I can’t remember ever being into labels, but maybe that’s because we couldn’t afford anything but the Blue Light Specials when I was growing up.

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• 4. Cary  |  January 12th, 2007 at 1:45 pm

  I don’t like to draw attention to myself, so I tend to eschew labels. (Eschew: there’s a word you don’t get to use to often.)

  Purse with Dooney & Burke logos splashed across it in multi-color print? I mean, what if that isn’t the hot bag this season? What if everyone makes fun of me for being out-of-season or out-of-touch with fashion? Too obvious. (Even if they are kinda cute.)

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• 5. Diane (TT)  |  January 12th, 2007 at 2:01 pm

  I do not like to spend lots of money on clothes (although, compared to SOME people, I guess I do, because, unlike some of my colleagues, I DO buy clothes more than once a decade), and therefore I prefer not to be identified by brand, since it would (often, but not always) show that I am cheap (but not easy. Well, compared to SOME people….). I like to look tidy and well-put-together - and different from other people. I have no objection to people noticing me or my clothes, but I don’t go out of my way to be either stylish (often I look more like a Victorian governess) or arty - I just wear what I like (provided it can be obtained at a reasonable cost - which depends on how much I love it, but is still pretty low, compared to what most designer stuff costs).

  As for scents, I’m not much of a perfume wearer. Like lipstick, it is a part of getting ready that I often forget (OK, even more than the lipstick). I love scented lotions, but those tend to be more fruit or spice than real perfumes. And I am sort of aware that some people are intolerant of scents, for reasons of preference or comfort. The body butter I was using over Christmas was so strong that, once when I was sitting in a corner for a long time (at a concert), I think it made me cough, and might have even contributed to a headache (although either could be attributable to the fact that I had spent 11 hours in airports and airplanes that day).

  But if I had a scent that made men react to me like Dee’s husband does to her, I would be sure to remember it. Often.

  And I don’t buy magazines, with or without scent, because I’m too busy reading light fiction to spend any time on light reality. I just never get around to it.

  As for the fugu, it’s probably the risk that makes it attractive and valuable: does anyone privately fish for fugu, prepare it themselves and then never say anything to anyone about it? It’s the combination of “I’m daring” and “I’m rich enough to have a fugu chef make my dinner” that sells it, probably.

  How ’bout Jeremiah? Or Jezreel? Are all “J” names except Jason biblical?

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• 6. Marcia in OK  |  January 12th, 2007 at 2:19 pm

  MCB - I have answers:

  -Bottom shelf in the middle of the fridge

  -til 5:30

  -Definitely the Red one!

  -More milk, less water.

  -Just a Dab, NOT a dollop

  Too bad none of my answers ever go with the questions!

  Off to read Well-Behaved.

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• 7. K.L.  |  January 12th, 2007 at 2:28 pm

  Jethro?

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• 8. btuda  |  January 12th, 2007 at 2:37 pm

  I’m not really big on label items either, but that probably has more to do with finances than anything else right now. There are a few things that click with me every once in a while.

  I realize this dates me, but I had a friend in high school that kept a bottle of Polo in her locker that she would sniff in between classes while she mooned over this guy she had a crush on.

  Lately a lot of perfumes give me a headache, but due to an insatiable curiousity caused by Evanavich’s Plum novels, I had to find out what Bulgari smelled like. I found Blue, and to quote Janet, I was suddenly in love with myself. That was kinda fun.

  One year I thought I’d buy DH cologne and went shopping with my sister. What we found was Sweaty Barbell, Things Decaying on a Forest Floor, Gym Locker, Bathroom Air Freshener, Dad, and several others we decided to pass. Obviously we were in the wrong store with the wrong selection. In the meanwhile, my aunt has given him a lifetime supply of Stetson and that seems to work for him.

  Bob doesn’t quite seem like a Jumpin’ Ja’whosafat kind a guy, does he?

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• 9. Diane (TT)  |  January 12th, 2007 at 2:39 pm

  My last comment on McB’s original questions - why not alcohol? You’re the one who wants to start the weekend at 10 a.m. on Friday (which movement has my full support, by the way). I have accidentally produced alcohol in my refrigerator (hard cider - actually better than the original un-hard stuff). The little yeasties will do it for nothing, whether you’re paying attention or not.

  And some people noticed that it had pleasant properties (the most important of which, is of course, reducing sweetness in fruit beverages, which explains the popularity of strawberry daiquiris and piña coladas, sort of, although I recommend against both pineapple and coconut rum as unworthy shortcuts to those flavors).

  I hear they make alcohol out of even weirder things at boarding schools.

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• 10. andi  |  January 12th, 2007 at 2:46 pm

  Perfume - I don’t wear it because of migraine triggers. But when I lived in MN my dentist noticed I had a jillion tastebuds, then asked if I would be willing to go U of M biology lab and be tested, and that is when we learned I am a “super-sensor” - taste, smell, sound - all super sensitive. So my dislike of perfumes was because I over smelt(wd?) them. I didn’t know this prior, just that I was picky, high-maintance, and felt constantly edgey by noise or smells. I don’t burn many candles, am a total foody, and plead for noise reduction all the time! i wish I would have know this much earlier in my life, cause a job as a restaurant critic - yay baby - that would have been great. I like Diane, like spicy scented lotion.

  Funny story about perfume, right after my DS#1 was born, the lady behind us, a true South Texas Hairdresser - Reba - used to come over to hold him, alot! After she would leave I would strip him, throw the clothes in the wash, and give him a bath. He always smelled like a S TX whorehouse - perfume, smoke, hairspray.

  On to clothes, I grew up with the “you will always have what you need, and sometimes that may even match what you want” dad. So I did sometimes obsess over material items - which led to early 20’s debt - thank-Bob that was short lived. Now with my kids I try harder for them to have a bit more than I did, it is a working compromise. And my friends all make fun of me because I won’t spend more than $20 on anything for myself. Although I do have a real affection for David Yurman jewelry. everybody has a vice!

  And if the ancient families were anything like my family, alcohol was essential!!

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• 11. andi  |  January 12th, 2007 at 2:50 pm

  umm what about Jorge or Juan, or Jebadiah?

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• 12. McB  |  January 12th, 2007 at 2:52 pm

  Marcia - mind if I keep those answers for use later? You never know.

  Jethro is good. Jasper? Jacques? Jean-luc?

  TT - fruit is too easy. I’m more interested in how they came up with whiskey or sake or vodka.

  I do like hard cider, though. Or English cider as they call it at the local beer store.

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• 13. Diane (TT)  |  January 12th, 2007 at 3:09 pm

  On the subject of potatoes, what’s weirder is that people did ANYTHING with them. Like cassava (Manihot esculentum aka manioc), the wild version is full of cyanogenic glycosides. Yes, chemicals that release cyanide. Hey, you didn’t think that plants just sat there, saying “Eat me, please!” (unlike, well, never mind), did you? Speaking of risky food!

  Who watched their friends and neighbors turn blue after eating a potato, then said, “Well, maybe if I soak it and pound it a little?”?

  As for the aboriginal residents of Central California, the amount of trouble they went to, to make acorns edible, makes sense when you consider that they managed to avoid the whole agriculture thing. Which I hear is quite a lot of work. Though I don’t know what those folk made alcohol from, so maybe….

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• 14. btuda  |  January 12th, 2007 at 3:22 pm

  I just got back from Jenny’s Argh blog and it must be a sign of what a sick individual I am, but I am ROTFL over that Hippo article. Unless, of course it is true. Then it’s simply tragic.

  *snicker snicker*

  “Welcome to Hell. I am Btuda and I’ll be your guide today…”

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• 15. GatorPerson  |  January 12th, 2007 at 4:06 pm

  Andi, very interesting. You must have come along after I admitted I’m a super taster. I never realized the other correlations. I hate loud noises, including modern loud music; I regard it a noise. I threaten those bimbos in department stores spraying perfume at people with an EvilEye, if they aim anywhere towards me. I rip out stinky cards in magazines and throw in the trash before they can invade my cells; I dislike scented candles. I despise getting into an elevator with a scented broad. Yep, I think the dentist is right, it’s all part of the super taster syndrome.

  Alcohol through the ages: Of course it may be we’re all genetically souses, but also, alcohol can be generated nicely with, hmmm, sugar, water, yeast (it’s in the air everywhere), and (I think) a little protein. What’s more, and this is important, the alcohol keeps the liquid from getting all fuzzed up and dangerous to drink. So think liquid consumption without killing the person. Interesting chemistry fact: It’s kind of tricky to stop the reaction from going right on to vinegar instead of stopping at alcohol (AKA ethanol). I speculate that’s why middle ages wine was so bad, it had a fairly high content of vinegar (also stops the liquid from fuzzing up).

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• 16. K.L.  |  January 12th, 2007 at 4:26 pm

  Btuda, you can snicker in peace. The hippo story is one of those urban myths perpetuated by the internet and occasionally getting into print. If you Google the title you get quite a few hits.

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• 17. btuda  |  January 12th, 2007 at 4:52 pm

  Well, thank heavens. I finally found the link at Snopes too. I hated to think I might be going to Hell over the weekend.

  Not going to Michigan either.

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• 18. OH  |  January 12th, 2007 at 5:53 pm

  labels: if it’s cheap, looks good on me, and is comfy, i’ll buy it. in high school i had a well known collection of long skirts that were so cool and all under fifteen bucks.

  i hate wearing clothes that have labels in a spot that is easily seen. i mean, that’s called paying to advertise for them. i always felt they should be paying me to help them. after all, models are paid.

  i never quite got it, but i can tell it is important, esp among my peer group. i remember this guy i knew would wear $200 jeans, $75 shirt, and shoes for like $300 (my friends can price these items, which is a whole other topic of weirdness) and this kid didn’t like going to the movies because he needed to save money. WTF? the best dressed kid in my school was this girl who would buy fabric and cheap, salvation army clothes and cut them up and sew them up into this weird concoction. she looked cool, in a way that paying a 100 bucks for the same outfit would just be “trying too hard”

  fish: the one used for sushi? very expensive to order it

  perfume: don’t wear any, but i do like fruit lotions. my friend actually has this hand lotion of eucalyptus spearmint that smells so good.

  alcohol: because they needed it to get through the day.

  Bob: best guess would probably be James. Robert James…but: Jackson, Jacob, Jake, Jameson, Jared, Jasper, Jaron….

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• 19. Kay T  |  January 12th, 2007 at 7:19 pm

  I don’t like smelling like anything you can eat - fruit, vanilla, etc. BUT I have bought perfume from a magazine ad. I had a magazine I was reading, then put on the bedside table and went to sleep. I woke up having the best dreams, and I still love it (Escape). People always tell me I smell good. Sometimes I even use it for aroma therapy.

  I think things going bad probably account for weird alcohol origins.

  Doesn’t sound like anyone else resonates with the bathfitters ad.

  Designer labels. I wear what is comfortable for me. Yeah, it is hard to get out of sweats, but you know they make some really attractive (and probably designer) sweats now days.

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• 20. Margaret  |  January 12th, 2007 at 8:26 pm

  I, too, don’t quite get the fuss over designer labels. Like OH, if it looks good and it fits, I’ll buy it. Years ago I went to a workshop where the presenter showed all of us how to dress to flatter the figure we currently had. I learned SO much from that 3-hour class; I now know what looks good on me (not ME, just me), and why, and I no longer waste time or money on clothing that hangs in the closet. Best time and $$ I ever spent.

  As for Bob’s middle name, my money’s on James.

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• 21. dee  |  January 12th, 2007 at 10:29 pm

  winner is up over at the review blog…
  http://deeanddeedish.blogspot.com/

  sorry, OH, couldn’t rig it for you, but keep on checking back. we’re planning on giving away LOTS of books this year, basically about one a week.

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• 22. McB  |  January 12th, 2007 at 11:12 pm

  21. dee | January 12th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
  winner is up over at the review blog…

  Go, Cary!!! Is that our Cary? I just assumed. Well either way. But if it is our Cary … go Cary!

  Margaret, yes wearing the right thing for you is so much more important than being trendy. In fact very few women can wear the latest trends. I cringe when I walk in clothing stores sometimes and see rack upon rack of the latest thing. And then you look around and hardly anyone is actually wearing it. A few yes, and admittedly on the right figure it can look great. But so few of us have that “right figure.”

  Ooh, Bob’s middle name. How about Jackson? Did we say that yet?

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• 23. Mary? That sounds like my name... I think...  |  January 12th, 2007 at 11:28 pm

  Cary, please don’t eschew with your mouth open. What would Fred think?

  (Brief p.o.v. shift into Fred’s head… “My human! What a wonderful person. I wonder if she’ll stop staring at the monitor and feed me/play with me/rub my belly?”)

  I don’t care what label people give themselves, so long as it’s not an “I’m with Stupid” T-shirt, as this is usually something I could deduce without having to read it.

  Pet peeve du jour: Friggin’ “Yes, we’ve got wireless interent, if you want to stand in the middle of the lobby” hotels.

  Yeah… I get cranky when it’s past me bedtime. G’night all…

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• 24. OH  |  January 12th, 2007 at 11:34 pm

  GO CARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  just keep reminding me dee.

  i love funny sayings on shirts. wish i had more of them. i was getting my brother to use his kinko job to make me some, but he was “laid off” so….

  nite mary.

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• 25. CC  |  January 13th, 2007 at 12:46 am

  Alcohol- read this- it’s good- gotta go to bed so I can be up early and go to the stock show and rodeo tomorrow and ogle cowboy butt in tight jeans- sometimes my life sucks, this isn’t one of them

  A History Of The World In Six Glasses
  From Publishers Weekly
  Starred Review. Standage starts with a bold hypothesis—that each epoch, from the Stone Age to the present, has had its signature beverage—and takes readers on an extraordinary trip through world history. The Economist’s technology editor has the ability to connect the smallest detail to the big picture and a knack for summarizing vast concepts in a few sentences. He explains how, when humans shifted from hunting and gathering to farming, they saved surplus grain, which sometimes fermented into beer. The Greeks took grapes and made wine, later borrowed by the Romans and the Christians. Arabic scientists experimented with distillation and produced spirits, the ideal drink for long voyages of exploration. Coffee also spread quickly from Arabia to Europe, becoming the “intellectual counterpoint to the geographical expansion of the Age of Exploration.” European coffee-houses, which functioned as “the Internet of the Age of Reason,” facilitated scientific, financial and industrial cross-fertilization. In the British industrial revolution that followed, tea “was the lubricant that kept the factories running smoothly.” Finally, the rise of American capitalism is mirrored in the history of Coca-Cola, which started as a more or less handmade medicinal drink but morphed into a mass-produced global commodity over the course of the 20th century. In and around these grand ideas, Standage tucks some wonderful tidbits—on the antibacterial qualities of tea, Mecca’s coffee trials in 1511, Visigoth penalties for destroying vineyards—ending with a delightful appendix suggesting ways readers can sample ancient beverages. 24 b&w illus.
  Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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• 26. downundergal  |  January 13th, 2007 at 2:56 am

  Hmmm, good pondering questions MCB.

  Bob’s middle name? Jay? Jonte? Jack?

  Clothes, yep, pricetag is most important thing for me ie. best price wins over label. Oh and whether I have to iron it or not. For example I bought a pair of shoes yesterday in the Jan sales. I got them for $60 - even then I had to be persuaded to spend that much, $40 is usually my absolute ceiling - but they were originally $180. WTF? No way am I spending my weekly grocery bill on a pair of shoes. I mean they’re cute. 3 inch glitter encrusted heels, deep red velvet with diamonties around the edge, remind me a bit of Dorothy’s red sparkly numbers but I doubt clicking them together three times will eschew ( sorry, had to use it) any magic. My husband thinks they’re great and was kind of amazed cos I haven’t worn heels in forever and so was I. I know that after 2 minutes my feet are going to be killing me!!

  There was a Simpsons episode with the fugu in it, wasn’t there?

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• 27. OH  |  January 13th, 2007 at 4:36 am

  interesting, CC.

  DUG: yep. got to love that family and cast.

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• 28. Theresa in a new 'burgh  |  January 13th, 2007 at 5:56 am

  btuda - well, if your humor is the type that finds things like the dwarf/hippo article very funny (even when thinking it is true), google “Darwin Awards” and check out that website. Yes, it’s horrible that these things happen to people, Oh My Bob some of them are so funny!

  Don’t really like perfume scents, and there are some flower scents (like paperwhite and lily) that can make me need to leave the room. There was one date I had as a teenager where the cologne my date was wearing kept causing my eyes to water, and I kept trying to wipe them without letting on. And it wasn’t like he’d doused himself with it or anything, it was just the scent itself!

  Bob’s middle name. Hmmm, I’m going to guess James as well.

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• 29. GatorPerson  |  January 13th, 2007 at 8:28 am

  Jeronimo?

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• 30. GatorPerson  |  January 13th, 2007 at 8:43 am

  JT?

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• 31. McB  |  January 13th, 2007 at 9:21 am

  “intellectual counterpoint to the geographical expansion of the Age of Exploration.”

  This is probably going to be really interesting and profound once I’ve had enough coffee to understand it.

  CC - ogle a few cowboy butts for the rest of us too.

  My favorite scents tend to be light, citrusy. I avoid foodie scents in perfume and candles because they make me hungry!

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• 32. Sheryl  |  January 13th, 2007 at 10:53 am

  Alcohol tastes good, can be fun and makes people look better. What more could you want in a beverage?

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• 33. K.L.  |  January 13th, 2007 at 11:14 am

  I have never gotten the designer label thing. I wouldn’t recognize a designer label outfit from one bought at Wal Mart, unless the name was emblazoned on the front, and that will only work with the most recognizable labels. I go with what colors and styles work with my body, and what is in my price range. Since I won’t even shop at those expensive places, I am quite content with my shopping habits.

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• 34. Mary in Roseburg  |  January 13th, 2007 at 12:22 pm

  I apologize to everyone east of the Cascades… I’ve been mentally wishing our rotten weather be sent elsewhere. Didn’t mean to dump it all in the middle of the country. I’d been thinking it should go to the North Pole or something like that. (It would serve Santa right for not sending that pony like he promised he would.)

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• 35. dee  |  January 13th, 2007 at 1:05 pm

  So, with all this rotten weather all around, now is not the best time to say that my girls are running around barefoot and in tank tops, right?

  Just makin sure…

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• 36. dee  |  January 13th, 2007 at 1:07 pm

  And we haven’t heard from our winner yet. which stinks, because the Post Office is not closed, so I won’t be able to mail that book until Tuesday.
  If anyone sees her (I’m guessing it’s the Cary over here?!?) then tell her to send me an e-mail with her snail mail addy…
  deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net
  Yeah, I’m ok posting that one here, it’s all over our blog anyhow.

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• 37. dee  |  January 13th, 2007 at 1:08 pm

  oh, geez…post office is noW closed, not noT closed. it is CLOSED, so I can’t mail it today. And Monday is a Holiday, so it won’t get mailed til Tuesday.

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• 38. Sheryl  |  January 13th, 2007 at 2:51 pm

  Monday is a holiday? Because Cary won a book?

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• 39. Margaret  |  January 13th, 2007 at 3:04 pm

  Yes, it’s National Honor Cary Day. Oh, there’ll be some rumblings about Dr. King and all, but really, it’s Cary’s Day. (Now if EVERYBODY would just win a book, we could get more days off….)

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• 40. McB  |  January 13th, 2007 at 3:15 pm

  Sheryl, it might not be recognized in Canada.

  OH and I won books a few months ago. Did you guys not get the day off? Huh.

  And in case you didn’t know, Bob had a new post on his blog a few days ago. Its getting to be a habit.

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• 41. McB  |  January 13th, 2007 at 3:18 pm

  Yo, Dee. I think tank tops and bare foot might be pushing it (or maybe I’m just not that young anymore) but it was warm out there today. I took a jacket and ended up shedding it. My pansies are so confused.

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• 42. Sheryl  |  January 13th, 2007 at 3:30 pm

  We’re below freezing and had some snow. Shouldn’t be newswortthy but we really haven’t had any snow this winter. IT’s fallen maybe three times (the other time it slid in from the east)

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• 43. McB  |  January 13th, 2007 at 4:04 pm

  Mary, whoever and wherever … looking at the weather maybe you should have asked for a sled dog? A St. Bernard?

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• 44. OH  |  January 13th, 2007 at 4:28 pm

  ok, middle USA, send the snow to ME. (ummm, maybe just me, not the other me, cause i seem to be the only person who wants it).

  i love my new roommate. we played one hand of Egyptian Rat’s (S)Crew for an hour and seven minutes last night. card games and laughing and all that good stuff (and no alcohol; yeah, you, in the corner, i know what you were thinking). good times. though she thinks it’s funny someone stole my purple pants, which it really isn’t. but i have a list of suspects and will narrow it down today.

  i really like my cucumber lotion too.

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• 45. dee  |  January 13th, 2007 at 4:42 pm

  ROFLMAO, McB - I read that as “My panTies are so confused” and just about fell off my chair!

  Yeah, kids, what can I say. It was above 60 down here, sun shining most of the day, no wind. Lovely day. And poor Charity is stuck inside (in Kansas) during an ice storm, just like my Grams in Oklahoma. I feel almost guilty. Almost!

  And sorry if you guys didn’t get that Holiday notice. I have so much sway that when I give away books, the day is declared a Holiday. Didn’t you get that memo? Bryan? Did you forget to send that one out? Man, the guy is slipping, huh? (j/k, sheesh!) Anyhow, I wanted the address so I could get the book in the mail today, but didn’t get it, so it can’t get mailed until Tuesday. But no worries, she’ll still get it.

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• 46. BCB  |  January 13th, 2007 at 4:47 pm

  Ok, I guess I’m really tired because I read this:

  Yo, Dee. I think tank tops and bare foot might be pushing it (or maybe I’m just not that young anymore) but it was warm out there today. I took a jacket and ended up shedding it. My pansies are so confused.

  and thought that instead of pansies, the word had only one “s” but also included a “t” and I wondered how exactly they could be confused. MCB, really, you shouldn’t be talking about clothes and flowers in the same paragraph anyway.

  I’ve been doing chapter stuff all day (RWA chapter, not book chapter — I wish) and I am soooo tired. I’m going to go do something quiet, without people, for a while. Maybe when I come back, you all will make more sense. Oh wait, I forgot to whom I was speaking. [grin]

  Oh, and I’d answer the questions, but I think the answers Marcia gave in #6 above made perfect sense and need no elaboration.

  I might need a nap.

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• 47. BCB  |  January 13th, 2007 at 4:48 pm

  Well, good, I wasn’t the only one.

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• 48. McB  |  January 13th, 2007 at 5:01 pm

  Dee said … ROFLMAO, McB - I read that as “My panTies are so confused” and just about fell off my chair!

  Huh? Let me check. It IS Saturday, right? No, they’re fine.

  You and BCB - sheesh.

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• 49. dee  |  January 13th, 2007 at 5:17 pm

  No, BCB, you weren’t the only one. And i agree - nobody should talk about flowers and clothes at the same time. (snort)

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• 50. dee  |  January 13th, 2007 at 5:20 pm

  And Marcia’s answers were great! Much better than the ones I get in MYhouse. Generally, from the oldest boy (12yo), the answer to ANY question is invariably…42.
  Yes, from the book (or movie). And yes, he generally leaves a room singing “So long, and thanks for all the fish!”

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• 51. Louis  |  January 13th, 2007 at 6:41 pm

  Southern California very yucky this morning….cold and grey overcast ’til twoish….had the fireplace going all morning….nice with a good book…Suzanne MacPherson’s “Talk Of The Town”.

  My DW baked chocalate chip cookies this morning….good also.

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• 52. Sheryl  |  January 13th, 2007 at 6:46 pm

  Louis, can I come over? Fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Fireplace. Good books. Sounds like heaven.

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• 53. McB  |  January 13th, 2007 at 6:49 pm

  Louis - I’m on my way. Tell DW to expect company. Ummm looks like about 20 or so of us. But we can bring our own books if that helps.

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• 54. Penny-scope dope cherrybomb  |  January 13th, 2007 at 10:04 pm

  Louis I am coming too. Whose driving?

  to get back to perfumes. I spent about 1l/2 hours with Sheryl going through all the perfumes at a drugstore to find one she could tolerate that I could wear when we were in New Jersey. Ended up with one from Mary Kate and Ashley. Well, they didn’t say it wasn’t good for 65 yo ladies.

  Good perfume story for you. When I was going on my first date with DH i bought a bottle of perfume I really liked called “Tender Trap”. He loved the smell he said so I wore it for all our dates. The night he proposed was the end of the bottle (obviously it worked) and i couldn’t find it again for several years. The next time I saw it I bought the bottle all excited because although I wasn’t in Paris I knew it would seem like it. I put it on and it made me smell like I was decomposing. I was never able to wear it again. So maybe it was magic that I found the first bottle and it did what it was supposed to do. Maybe it can only be found by single women. Who knows. I don’t remember anything on the label but the name Tender Trap. When the movie of the same name came out I had to see it. I believe it was Debbie Reynolds and Frank Sinatra. Anyhow this is a true story.

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• 55. OH  |  January 13th, 2007 at 10:19 pm

  BONFIRE TONIGHT!!!!!

  in fact, you guys can come to. and since for you it will be virtual, you can read and forget about the “cold” (it’s like 47 degrees in San Jose, which is where i’ve been for most of the day, and that is not cold).

  i admit, i read “panties” too, but i figured you guys already think i’m a sexual beast enough as it is.

  dee: the answer was always “c”, but now they’ve changed it to “b”. what were they thinking?

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• 56. dee  |  January 13th, 2007 at 10:29 pm

  Penny,
  I searched far and wide to find your Tender Trap. The closest I came was this one, which advertises the following:

  Ambush, the Hypnotic Fruity-Floral Blend, Surprises and Delights
  We had a good giggle over the 1950 era advertisements for Ambush cologne that referred to this sensuous scent as the “tender trap” and guaranteed a “romance in every bottle.” But one whiff of this sultry combination of lavender and jasmine with sandalwood and fruity notes of peaches, plums, and melons, and we understood why a man could fall under the spell of the woman who wears it. 1 oz. spray bottle.

  Features:

  * A romantic blend of woody, floral, and fruity notes
  * Will rekindle memories from high school dances and college mixers

  A hit since 1955, Ambush cologne is available in a very limited supply. Order yours today and get swept away by romance.

  http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/jump.jsp?itemID=33702&itemType=PRODUCT&searchid=inceptor

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• 57. Sheryl  |  January 13th, 2007 at 10:43 pm

  My question is, has anyone heard from Robin lately? I know she has Internet issues at the rental, and I somehow lost her phone number. I hope she’s busy writing and moving back into her home. She found her way over here once,didn’t she?

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• 58. dee  |  January 13th, 2007 at 10:47 pm

  I’m pretty sure I’ve seen her here a few times. But she hasn’t posted anything new on her blog since 12/30. Perhaps I should give her a call on Monday? Just to make sure? And to let her know that it’s just not cool to be out of touch for so long? People tend to worry when you’re not around.
  Personally, I really like that y’all notice when I’m gone. It makes me feel oh so loved!

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• 59. Wapakwoman  |  January 13th, 2007 at 11:08 pm

  I have to admit, I am in the confused panties club also.

  I have been waiting to answer the lady about bathfitters. I mean, do they put the new “thing” over the scum? Wouldn’t she have to clean it before they fixed it? And if she cleaned it, would it still need to be bathfitted?
  I agree, like that grew there over night????

  We are getting cold and rainy- as in the last 3 days rainy. I put up with summer and you think I could get winter in January. I don’t ask for much *snort* but I do like my seasons to get it right!

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• 60. Louis  |  January 14th, 2007 at 1:48 am

  Plenty of books and cookies here. Can even brew up some coffee or tea.

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• 61. McB  |  January 14th, 2007 at 8:20 am

  I’ve been wondering about RSS too. Its been about 2 weeks since we’ve heard from her. Pretty sure she popped in on New Years Day. Also, who has heard from Lori recently?

  And geez see if I discuss my panSies with you guys again.

  Wapa - my real concern is, when is t he last time this woman bathed? Had to have been a while if she never noticed the grime in the tub before.

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• 62. GatorPerson  |  January 14th, 2007 at 9:29 am

  My plan for the day: Fly over to Louis’ place (old bag ladies ain’t got bat wings under their upper arms for nothing), get a cup of coffee and a BIG handful of CC cookies. Then I’ll go out on his porch and sit next to Louis, who’s sitting there with feet propped up on the railing. I’ll prop my feet up too and dip my cookies in the coffee and eat and drink. We’ll watch the antelope play and the buffalo roam. We’ll talk books occasionally, but mostly watch the grass grow,

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• 63. Margaret  |  January 14th, 2007 at 10:15 am

  Louis and GP, count me in. I like cookies, too. And sitting on the porch all day sure beats whatever else I should be doing!

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• 64. Penny-scope dope cherrybomb  |  January 14th, 2007 at 12:42 pm

  Sure beats what I should be doing. Sitting on the porch all day sounds good to me but it is a little cold here for that. Snow and freezing rain too. I think i will sit on Louis’ porch. Move over GP.

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• 65. Penny-scope dope cherrybomb  |  January 14th, 2007 at 12:44 pm

  BTW Dee The Tender Trap perfume was sold in Canada in 1960. I have only seen it once since and that was about 1976. Thanks for looking though.

  Where is RSS? Lori was on the comments of the last post by Sheryl I think.

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• 66. Louis  |  January 14th, 2007 at 1:22 pm

  Brrrrr….10 degrees colder this morning when I fed the horses…clear and sunny.

  Fire’s aburnin’….coffee’s hot ….bookcases are loaded….sun’s shining into the house getting it warmer.

  Setting on the deck is OK…gets sun all day, so it’s nice and warm…cookie jar is full.

  Currently reading Janet Evanovich’s “between the numbers” book…”Plum Lovin”

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• 67. Diane (TT)  |  January 14th, 2007 at 2:57 pm

  I’m going to go home and have tea and eat scones. My sis gave me the King Arthur’s Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook for my birthday, and I put about 100 markers in it when I first went through it. So, when I wanted to send some home-baked gifts to my great aunt (who turns 90 on Wednesday), I thought of making several kinds of scones. I think she can still eat sweets (if she can’t, well, boo! I haven’t seen her in several years, though we exchange holiday cards).

  So, coconut (with chocolate), cinnamon-filled and apricot-filled cranberry scones (no, I didn’t send her the whole batch of each! I sent them and my folks each about 1/3 and kept 1/3 for me and my friends and colleagues). All really very good (despite the whole grain thing!), but I think the apricot-filled cranberry ones are the best.

  A friend is coming over so we can exchange books (unfortunately, she’s been specializing in cheesy paranormals, but there’ll be some good stuff, too), drink tea and eat scones. A fine Sunday afternoon activity. NO sitting on decks in the freezing rain, I don’t think.

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• 68. CC  |  January 14th, 2007 at 3:20 pm

  Look at y’all- I leave for one day to ogle cowboy butt and I come back an y’all are talking about panties- that’s what I read!!!! I went back to see if I could figure out what confused McB’s panties, realized I had mis read- and then zipped down to find out I was in good company- it’s nice to not always be the one in the wrong.

  Now back to the true topic at hand- cowboy butt- I went, I ogled, I drooled- all while being tasteful and discreet since I was with the boyfriend- it was more fun ogling before he got there and I was hanging with two teenage girls who know how to ogle- this was my first time at National Western and I don’t get it- the rodeo was nice but short, which explains why their rodeos are so reasonably priced- they did have Mutton Bustin’ and 4-H Catch it Calf during the rodeo which was tooooooooo funnnnnnnn - I think that mutton busin is probably my favorite rodeo event- the buiding is confusing- the Coor’s art show was fabulous- the stock show is beyond me- I’m of the “It’s a rabbit. You raised it yourself? How nice.” category and not the “Wow, look at the small raisin shaped black spot on the right ear of that rabbit! Have you ever seen anything like it?!?” category of stock show folks- did find lots of people with variations on the theme of metal buildings for a garage- and kindly and gently told one sales man he will NEVER get any of my money- he reps for a company that does basement retrofits with insulation and sound proofing- I stopped and said, “MY basement needs some work. What do you have?” and he proceeded to talk to the boyfriend- aknowledging me vaguely but explaining the techinical to him- I finally said, “Why are you talking to him? It’s MY basement. Not his. It’s my money, not that you’ll see any of it, that will be doing this remodel.” and he got all flustered. In retrospect I think that was the high point of the stock show for me.

  just say NO to SNOW!! I went outside, shoveled the walks, went to the grocery to get cider to heat up, came back, and it was barely obvious where I had shoveled. I am TIRED of SNOW. I am offering to send boxes of it to any Cherry or CB who would like some.

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• 69. Louis  |  January 14th, 2007 at 5:27 pm

  New post by Jenny over at the “Writen’ School”

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• 70. OH  |  January 14th, 2007 at 5:28 pm

  CC: send to me please!!!!

  “the Coor’s art show was fabulous”: is this Coor’s sponsered it or it was an art show about the beer? and right on! about insulation dude.

  haven’t heard from RSS recently but lori is doing great. and what about kyra? she hasn’t been around for last several months so hope the bun in the oven was ok.

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• 71. sheryl  |  January 14th, 2007 at 7:10 pm

  I was wondering about Kyra too.
  I’m brainstorming bugs. I’ve pretty much made up my mind, but if you want a say, check out my blog. There’s a link in the sidebar. There are pictures so if insects make you go ick, stay away. Otherwise, come on over.

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• 72. OH  |  January 14th, 2007 at 8:02 pm

  not that i can really see it, but cute pictures.

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• 73. cary  |  January 14th, 2007 at 10:24 pm

  Wow, miss a couple of days, find out you’ve become the focus of a holiday “Lets Honor Cary Day”. Not sure how Dr. MLK would feel getting kicked aside for a book winner (Yeah Me!)…..

  And Mary, how did you know Fred was sitting beside the bed, begging for a belly rub?

  Actually, he’s extraordinarily tired tonight. I took him to the dog park in Wilsonville (highly recommend) and let him run. All that space! All those other dogs! He had TONS of fun. But now he’s all tuckered out.

  Mary, please post soon and let us know you made it home safely. The roads up here are 90% dry; it’s that other 10% I worry about.

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• 74. Wapakwoman  |  January 14th, 2007 at 11:30 pm

  Let’s see, I would like some scones from Diane(tt), I will pay for shipping and handling of course, and LOTS of snow from CC.

  And I have NEVER seen rabbits at a rodeo, let alone art made out of beer. I really have to get out of Ohio more.

  Now off to school with the Bickersons!

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• 75. CC  |  January 15th, 2007 at 12:47 am

  Coors’ Art Show- when I first heard of it I thought, “How progressive. Since you can’t drink and drive they’re encouraging you to drink and create.” Turns out the Coors’ family is the sponsors of this amazing show- and when I stopped, complimented the show, and asked if any of the pieces that were marked as bought for the permanent collection ever traveled, i was told nope- bummer- cuz I would LOVE to get a few into my museum- but the collection is put on display in the VIP lounge- which I will NEVER be able to get into- which really really sucks- after all the people who can get into the VIP lounge can afford to buy multi thousand dollar art, it’s the rest of us who need to have a unique opportunity to see this stuff

  Rabbits at the rodeo? okay-so this is what I get for not using proper grammer- the rabbits are at the stock show- after all it is the National Western Stock Show - there are lots of FFA, 4-H, and other animal exhibitors there during the show- and since I don’t do critters (except the furball)

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• 76. Conscripted Cherry  |  January 15th, 2007 at 12:54 am

  (apprently I can’t play Literati and be literate at the same time)

  So, to continue the earlier post….
  Since I don’t do critters except for the Furball the stock show part of the event is wasted on me.

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• 77. Diane (TT)  |  January 15th, 2007 at 9:30 am

  Wapakwoman - let’s wait and see how well they travel, but I have a feeling I’ll be making more (I REALLY liked ‘em!), so if you want to give me your home address, my email is Diane65@ecologyfund.net. I know you were joking, but I love to cook for people (within reason).

  It’s icy here - we’ve had freezing rain for the last couple of days. I haven’t had any trouble with the road surfaces but have had to deglaze my car 3 times, with varying degrees of difficulty.

  I was going through my SPAM folder for the day - you know those with random words in the “from” address? Well, one of mine was from “bacchanalian crockpot”, which I thought was a hilarious juxtaposition. And maybe something we need around here!

  CC - thanks for sharing your Stock Show experience, but no thank you on the snow. It sounds as if winter is going to visit us here, for at least this week. The cider is definitely a good plan - I may have to go and do likewise.

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• 78. Margaret  |  January 15th, 2007 at 9:49 am

  I guess it’s not a good time to mention that today in the sunny south, we’re going to have temperatures in the mid 70’s, is it? Oh.. My bad.
  Y’all come down south and get warm!

  We are going to get some much colder temps a little later in the week, but for now we’re gonna enjoy this!

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• 79. McB  |  January 15th, 2007 at 9:53 am

  Never would have thought of rabbits at a stock show. Cattle, okay. But rabbits? Makes me think of that commercial with the dachsuns and the bull.

  Love scones so send some my way, please. My favorite is a cinnimon one that the coffee shop at the B&N sells.

  TT: Where’s that long winded, thought provoking comment you promised me last week?

  Cary, good to see you. Enjoy your book.

  Louis - I picked up the new Plum book a few days ago but haven’t started it yet. The last between the numbers book wasn’t as good as the regular series, I thought, but still fun. We’ll compare notes on this one later.

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• 80. Wapakwoman  |  January 15th, 2007 at 10:05 am

  Diane- request is coming your way. I am swooning just thinking about it.

  Plum Lovin came from Amazon.com right on schedule, but my schedule hasn’t allowed me to read it yet. I know, I know, what kind of schedule doesn’t allow book time? I am working on that!

  OH- I am glad you like the new roommate! Makes everything better about school.

  I really needed a day without mail, so thank you Cary, for giving us a day off.

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• 81. Diane (TT)  |  January 15th, 2007 at 11:25 am

  McB - you got what there was! I was (am) long-winded, you were thought-provoking.

  Ice storms are scary and dangerous, but have the silver lining of being often REALLY pretty: the way the ice coats each twig, forming glass forests and shrub sculptures.

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• 82. K.L.  |  January 15th, 2007 at 11:59 am

  Our cold snowy weather was supposed to end today and turn to rain. No. Now they are predicting more snow tomorrow which may or may not turn to rain later in the day. However the night time temps will be back below freezing, so it will all be ice tomorrow. Then for the next week we get daytime thaw and nighttime freeze. Perfect. I think I’ll put ice skates on my car now.

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• 83. Cary  |  January 15th, 2007 at 12:27 pm

  My favorite part of the State Fair? The 4-H displays - lop-eared bunny rabbits, llamas, baby cows, piglets.

  Did I ever tell you guys about the night Fred encountered the neighbor’s rabbit loose in the ‘hood? Hundreds of years breeding the perfect hunter, and Fred sees a rabbit as a new friend!

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• 84. Marcia in OK  |  January 15th, 2007 at 1:44 pm

  Margaret - enjoy those warm temps.

  I’m outta the house for the first time since Friday. We got several inches of ICE on everything. Our Lows this week are supposed to be in the single digits. WAY too cold for us Oklahomans to cope with.

  Louis, wish I had your firewood about now. I’ve also been reading Plum Lovin’, but had to stop to Read JGarwoods Slow Dance.

  Now, back to regular programming.

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• 85. Louis  |  January 15th, 2007 at 2:13 pm

  Marcia…

  I remember those cold OK winters…snow to the windows.

  I enjoyed “Shadow Dance” by Garwood. Also, the “Plum Lovin’” is typical Stephanie…fun and enjoyable.

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• 86. McB  |  January 15th, 2007 at 3:14 pm

  I’m working on rereading Born In Death, in preparation for Innocent in Death coming out next month. Then I’ll turn to Plum Lovin’ . The new Garwood is on my list to get yet. To be released soon and also on my list to get: DUST by Martha Grimes and WHITE LIES by JAK.

  It was neary 70 degrees today. too bizarre. A little cooler yesterday at the zoo, but not by much. Some of the bushes had flowers and the daffodils were spearing up! Temps are supposed to drop starting tomorrow.

  TT: That was your long-winded? Didn’t seem that long.

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• 87. Sheryl  |  January 15th, 2007 at 5:09 pm

  Everything here is covered in several inches of ice. I tried to take some pics but it’s also abnormally dark outside. Perhaps tomorrow. It’s not supposed to let up for a couple of days. Oh joy. A lot of places are without power. I hope eveyone stays safe, wherever they are.

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• 88. OH  |  January 15th, 2007 at 5:52 pm

  mary made it through the snowy land, right?

  ok, i was told it was going to snow, and well, it’s f-ing warm out! this is a grave, grave disappointment.

  MCB: Innocent in Death? ooooo. you know, i’m not sure if i even like the series any more, but i’m still hooked on it.

  Happy King Day.

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• 89. me  |  January 15th, 2007 at 7:54 pm

  I read Shadow Dance too. I was at the bookstore the day it came out, the day after Christmas. I am an NCG. (Those who have read it will know what that is.)

  Recovering from an ice storm here too. Luckily I was not in the area with downed trees and powerlines and power outages. Hope everyone’s safe.

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• 90. Mary  |  January 15th, 2007 at 9:42 pm

  I’m not here right now. Please leave a message after the beep and I’ll get back to you.

  Oi… so many postings, so little energy…
  And so varied! McB’s panties, and Dee’s Tee’s, and … did you say Dog Park in Wilsonville?! Hold on, that’s imPORTant info

  I didn’t mean to worry anybody. Got home last night, looked at the computer and thought — well, there are probably ladies present (it’s possible) so I won’t repeat what I thought.

  G’night all… find somebody warm to curl up with and tell us all the details in the morning

  p.s. … beep

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• 91. ZaZa  |  January 17th, 2007 at 7:01 pm

  McB, I got the pansies, but I though “shredding” your jacket just because it was a little warm was overkill. /;+)

  Designer lables - my mom took a tailoring class when I was a wee thing. She could cut out a suit without a pattern. She insisted I learn to sew, too, so, until fairly recently, I always made my own clothes. When you sew, you can wear anything your little heart desires. Like that Armani jacket, just make your own, no label, but at about a tenth of the cost, and made to fit your body.

  Perfume from a magazine - I love gardenias. Really strong scent, but I just loooove it. So, when I smelled a card with Annick Goutal’s Gardenia Passion on it, I was hooked. I seldom wear scents, but I’ll spray the ones I like near my desk for a quick pick up. I’m pretty much only into light florals, otherwise. My skin chemistry does ugly things to most fragrances. Not to mention my sinuses immediately sieze up around most perfumes.
  I had a cat years ago who, being all girl, would simply swoon over the perfume cards from my magazines. She’d clutch them to her chest, purring and rolling around and, eventually, drooling. Who needs catnip?

  Diane said…
  …my great aunt (who turns 90 on Wednesday), I thought of making several kinds of scones. I think she can still eat sweets…

  My mother’s doc said that as people get older, the only tastebuds that still work are the ones for sweet things, so, unless she’s diabetic, your great aunt should love those scones.

  OH, I’ll trade you temps. I may be only about 150 miles (or less) north of you, but it’s been cold here. We had a couple nights down below 20. I worry about the outside cats, but they’re all present and ready to eat a feeding time, so I guess they’ve been keeping each other from freezing. And who knew I’d be glad for the big carton of ratty old sheets, which are now festooning my garden, keeping my plants from freezing. I hope.

  I’m just glad I’m in California instead of on the East Coast. I hate skidding around on the ice and every winter back there was traumatic for this California girl.

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