CB Helpful Hints
July 5th, 2008 at 07:25am GatorPerson
When’s the last time you turned your mattress? Yep, I thought so. Not good, especially if one or more persons of weight sleep on it. I turn mine once a month, the day after the first of the month when I’m changing the bed linen.
So, here’s how I started. First, a blank sheet of paper. Mark the upper left corner with a 3. Twist the paper around 180 degrees so that the 3 is upside down in the lower right corner. Mark the upper left corner with a 4. Turn the paper over, left to right. Mark a 1 in the upper left corner, a 2 in the lower right (turn yourself around so the 2 is upside down compared to the 1.) If you hold the paper up to the light you’ll see a number in each corner. Now practice turning the “mattress” with the paper until you’re comfortable with it.
Get yourself a black laundry marker (indelible so it doesn’t ever run onto the bed linen). Write the numbers on the mattress as you did with the paper. (See, you’re starting with a 1 in the upper left corner.) So every 4 months you’re back a 1 in the upper left corner, and the mattress is getting more even wear.
What is your helpful hint for CBs?
Entry Filed under: Sophomoric Brain Development
117 Comments Add your own
1. Christina | July 5th, 2008 at 9:10 am
I ALWAYS forget to do that, GP. Thanks for reminding me.
**OFF-TOPIC**
I know I’ve been MIA for a while. Things have gotten pretty hectic. And I don’t want to be a mooch but I thought I would ask my question anyway, because I’m selfish like that.
Tomorrow I’m running in the Asics British 10K London Run. I’m running for Diabetes UK because I have a number of family members with the disease including both my parents. I have been remiss in my fundraising, so I thought I would make a last ditch effort here.
Donations can be made here:
http://www.justgiving.com/archaeology
I want to warn you all first though, before you even think of donating, realize that you will need a credit card and the donation will be charged in British pounds. Currently the exchange rate is about 2 to 1 for the US dollar to the British pound. Also, credit card companies will charge you a fee (usually anywhere from 1-3% of the transaction), so keep that in mind.
Don’t feel obligated to donate. I just thought I should ask so I know I’ve done all I can.
Hope everyone is doing well. Hugs to all who need them.
2. Scope Dope CherryBomb | July 5th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I honestly can’t think of one helpful hint that’s useful now. When my grandmother and I were living together she used to wet newspapers and spread them on the rug and then sweep the rug. the wet newspapers prevented the dust and dirt from flying around.
Also if she was going to iron clothes she would sprinkle the item with water, roll it up and put it in the refridgerator. Then when she was ready to iron she would bring them out and voila better than spray starch.
I guess these aren’t too helpful now since we have vacuum cleaners and spray starch. I recommend that you talk to KL because she had all kinds of little helpful hints when we were in Portland. She makes a good cup of coffee too.
3. OH | July 5th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Hey all. Just wanted to say I’m alive and well and that CBs are the best and Canada is very cool (the slang, not the weather). Hope everyone is doing well and Good Luck on anything and ((HUGS)) to those that need them and Happy Canada Day (that was fun) and 4th of July. I’m leaving this coming thursday and will probably be back in LA in a week or so (going to check out some sights) so see ya then.
Good luck christina
4. Louisal | July 5th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Helpful Hint:
Watermelon rinds make great preserves.
You can get sand burrs out of the carpet by using duct tape–just as you would wax your legs.
In fact, when it comes to helpful hints, duct tape is Hint Numero Uno.
Oh, last week, DGD6 got her finger stuck in the ring pull of an old purse. It was really stuck and had started to swell. It looked bad, and the ring was too sturdy for me to cut off with any tool I had available to me. Kid was in shock, I guess, because she had not come to me for help, was just sitting on sofa when I noticed her. After calling out to Mom for prayer back-up, I used dish soap and a bit of water to enable me to work the pull ring off kid’s finger. Kid threw up and fainted, but was otherwise fine. So that’s two more hints:
Prayer (however you think of it, it just couldn’t hurt)
liquid dish soap.
All done.
Sister has left to go back to Houston. Relief.
5. McB | July 5th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
You can make a bottle of shampoo last longer by mixing a few drops of water in the last quarter or so of the bottle and then periodically thereafter. While you don’t want to dilute it too much, it doesn’t need to be thick and rich to do the job. That’s mostly a marketing gimmick.
I stopped using liquid fabric softener when I learned that it can affect the absorbancy of towels. Plus, dryer sheets can be reused. Two used dryer sheets will work for a smallish load. As long as there’s some stiffness left in the sheet, it’s still useable. And used dryer sheets are great for getting up dust along baseboards because of the texture of the cloth.
6. Lou | July 5th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
After staying up half the night to make certain the neighborhood didn’t burn down, I have no helpful hints. I’ll put my thinking cap on…
HI OH!!! So good to hear from you - glad you are having such a great time!! Drive carefully!!!
Mary - those kind of fireworks are very scary. They are outlawed here in California and against the law to shoot off, thank Bob. But we still have some fireworks that are deemed “safe” that shoot stuff far enough to perhaps light something on fire. And you’re right, folks here light them up in the middle of the street, which is definitely safer than ones backyard!!
7. BCB | July 5th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
The suggestion that comes immediately to mind is to be Very Leery if GP comes at you holding a laundry marker pen. Especially if she hasn’t seen you in about a month.
Mother Nature provided her own fireworks here last night. Very noisy. And wet. The fireworks at the fairgrounds are postponed until tonight. I suppose the neighbors will recommence their pyrotechnics tonight as well. Idiotic behaviour, considering the drought here. The cat got all tense and hid. The Wonder Dog sat on my feet, or followed me if I got up for some reason. Not sure whether he was protecting me or looking for reassurance. I said a lot of, “Good boy. It’s okay. Thank you. Get off my foot, it’s asleep.”
Back to writing.
8. cbpen | July 5th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Used dryer sheets can be stuck in a drawer for the scent…if you use the scented kind. Kind of like an old fashioned sachet.
Re: mattress turning…You can’t turn the pillow top ones can you? I mean you could probably turn it top to bottom but not over and under??? I don’t have one. My son had one and it was very comfy, but I always wondered….
I am feeling very lazy today. I don’t want to do anything, but I have to go to the hospital and to the Evil Empire because I am out of some life essentials.
One of the places that I did the hours long online app (that was mostly personality mumbo jumbo and three places you’ve worked in the last ten years, “Please do not include any jobs before this date”…I worked one place…with NO place to put a resume or letter) emailed a rejection, Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth the time and aggravation.
Hope everyone had a Happy Fourth and Canada Day and there were great picnics/barbques had by all.
9. K.L. | July 5th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
My biggest helpful hint is to buy a mattress that doesn’t require turning. They actually do have some of those, and they are very handy. My next helpful hint is to be sure to make sure that the people you hang out with like to consume chocolate. After that, the hints just come out spontaneously. No way to corral those.
Hi OH, Are you having a good west coast tour?
10. WapakGram | July 5th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
I just turned my mattress, do I get a gold star? I don’t know about the whole system of numbers but I am a flipper!
Household hint…hm…. hire a housekeeper? If you have kids- have a dedicated place for special things. We had “the drawer” so if there were medals or certificates or honor things, we adored it and then put it in the drawer until it was time to scrapbook or whatever.
And marry a DH who has to have projects and likes to load and unload the dishwasher.
11. Mary | July 5th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I cast my vote for both K.L. and Wapak’s hints.
(Incidentally, it is soooo nice to be able to put faces to these names! I think we’re going to have to maybe
hijack a planeget McB to organize transportation so that all the North, East, West and in-between CBs can meet in Scotland.)Incidentally, now that I’m the proud owner of a grill, I was wondering what I should do with it. There was a program on PBS today that featured a guy putting together cool, hip recipes for barbecuing vegetarian dishes. (You could tell it was cool and hip because of the cool and hip music playing in the background.)
He’s selling his grilling recipes at:
http://www.primalgrill.org/
Has anyone heard of Primal Grill or Steve Raichlen? Or are there any other chefs that I should look to for guidance in the grilling department? (Only not Chef Ramsey, who spends most of his time going bleep me! at the poor suckers working on his show.)
12. WapakGram | July 5th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Merry/Mary! Yum for Grilled Portabella Mushrooms and Grilled Eggplants and Grilled Asparagus (little bit of olive oil and red pepper flakes if you like hot) and grilled zuchinni cut long ways. IF you cook up a big batch of wild or brown rice then you can just reheat it and mix it with the veggies,
Corn on the cob steamed on the grill…oh and don’t forget the potatoe slices with cheese in foil packets.
You can buy a screen like basket at Target etc that will go on the grill and hold veggies in while grilling. Don’t forget to spray it with oil first.
I can’t bake worth a hoot but I am a grillin’ queen. Our company sold grills and we would have weekend tent sales (no we did not sell tents) and we would have all sorts of cooking demonstrations- we baked cakes on the grill, too!
13. cbpen | July 5th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Well, I sprayed myself with mucho mosquito spray and sat by the cornfield (that’s my tip this time, you need lots of spray if you’re going to hang out by a cornfield for any length of time) and watched tonight’s fireworks. There were a couple of the big booms that I swear I felt through the ground. It’s about 6 or 7 miles as the crow flies…which is basically how I viewed it.
The tail end had a smiley face. It was nice and much better with the spray than without it like last nite.
I kind of like watching them from afar. But that’s how we did it when I was a kid (just not quite THAT far). We watched from my Grandparents’ front yard (his b’day…and three of his sibs…was the fourth) across the railroad tracks and the baseball field and another field from where they set them off. Then, this town’s on the fifth used to be at a park in town down the street about four blocks from our house so we sat on the sidewalk and watched those. They are now at the gigantic auction park five miles outside of town. And the town my Gparents lived in doesn’t do the fourth anymore. They are only about one-fifth the size they were then. Just a bedroom community for Ft. Wayne.
Sorry. Got side tracked.
Have any of you talked about Rhys Bowen’s books? She has a new series featuring Lady Georgie, 34th in line to the throne, set in the thirties. I read HER ROYAL SPYNESS and the new one, A ROYAL PAIN sounds good too. They are mysteries. That’s what I like best but I read all kinds of stuff.
14. Cary | July 5th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Mary, there is a brand new grilling book from Mario Battali that has been getting great reviews as a all-purpose source. You might also look at Oregonlive.com, the oregonian’s website, because about 3 weeks ago, they ran an article mentioning 3 great summer grilling guides and their target audience.
15. Cary | July 5th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Mary, there is a brand new grilling book from Mario Battali that has been getting great reviews as a all-purpose source. You might also look at Oregonlive.com, the oregonian’s website, because about 3 weeks ago, they ran an article mentioning 3 great summer grilling guides and their target audience.
16. GatorPerson | July 6th, 2008 at 7:28 am
I thoroughly enjoy Rhys Bowen’s books. Her Evan series is nice. Need to start at the beginning on that one, probably.
Once upon a time all my research had to be done by going to the physical source (library, card catalog, bookshelf, book). To bore you a little, all chemistry majors had to take German. What? So’s we could read Beilstein, the gospel in organic reaction recipes. German. No translations, since that sucker was many, many volumes. Honest! If we needed to create a chemical, we had to start from ingredients and follow the directions in Beilstein. No grilling allowed!
Now I let my fingers do the walking through Google. I LOVES my Google. Want a recipe for bulgogi? Type it in. How about avgolemono soup? Type it in. Can’t spell those? Try typing Korean barbecued beef and Greek egg lemon soup, or some such.
So, how about “how to grill” or “grilling eggplant?” I still get my yearly recipe book from Southern Living, but otherwise I Google. ‘Cause southern cooking doesn’t know about bulgogi or avgolemono soup.
Um, Mary? Your paperwork with the grill had a how-to-grill booklet with it. Just saying.
17. jenb | July 6th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Anyone still relaxing by the lake? I was going to make some homemade ice cream for us to enjoy..both peach and vanilla.
BCB, thanks for the information on the rain in our area. Now I will not worry about the flowers needing to be watered.
Yesterday our DS#2 and DIL celebrated their 5th anniversary and today our DS#1 and DIL celebrate their 6th. Being so close together I cannot ever forget the dates.
Helpful hints…can’t think of one. As a kid I remember my mom had Helosie and her helpful hints around the house. The one that we used alot was getting ball point ink off of my dad’s white shirts. I think it was to spray it with hairspray and then wash as usual.
18. LtL | July 6th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Here you go:
a recipe from a non-cook:
take any food you like, coat it with Italian dressing (not the creamy kind) and then roast it either in the oven or on the grill. Carrots take too long, so cut them into much smaller pieces than the other things. With shrimp, watch that you have either the cooked or the uncooked kind, as the former only need to be heated (or not, your choice) while the latter need to be cooked through. Yellow squash, eggplant, potatoes, onions, whatever.
And you can cook boca burgers just as you would hamburger. Ditto salmon (not the canned kind).
Glad to see the fresh homemade ice cream. Finished off the last of the buttermilk ice cream last night.
Buttermilk ice cream:
2 quarts buttermilk
2 pints cream
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
dump it all together into the ice cream cylinder & crank till frozen. It wll mix along the way.
With kids, cut the buttermilk in half and add regular milk
For weight watchers, cut the cream in half
For Atkins, change out sugar with Splenda (I have not tried this, and sometimes the texture or thickness of foods is affected).
Mainly, I like the original (Southern Living) recipe.
But, I also like buttermilk.
And the lake is still open. Had the kids out earlier picking up trash & had DD out collecting kilted gents for the rehab tent.
Morning, everybody!
19. K.L. | July 6th, 2008 at 11:01 am
This isn’t vegetarian, but salmon on the grill is terrific. Put the salmon on a large piece of foil. Top it with seasonings, slices of lemon, onion and butter. Put another piece of foil on top and wrap up the sides so any juices don’t run out. Cook on the grill for about 20 minutes.
Yum.
20. Mary | July 6th, 2008 at 11:10 am
This chef on television was doing things like placing whole bell peppers in amongst the hot coals and burning them so that once you peeled the burnt part off the rest had caramelized.
He hollowed out apples and filled them with butter and brown sugar and cream cheese, so that when you grilled the apples the stuff inside all melted together.
The man put together a whole grilled vegetarian meal that sounded like it was be as delicious (and fattening, alas) as a burgers-and-buns meal. (But perhaps a bit more healthy, even with all the butter and brown sugar.)
21. Mary | July 6th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Mmmmm, K.L., that sounds very tasty!
I thought for a second Louisa was suggesting that I try grilling ice cream. Clearly, more caffeine is indicated before the brain will be firing on all cylinders.
22. Louis | July 6th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Ltl…
That buttermilk ice cream sounds yummy….have to give it a try.
I think I have a new “favorite” ice cream…Breyers “Take the Cake”…creamy vanilla with colorful sprinkles thru-out. Has that icing flavor.
I’m the “slap it on” and cook grilller. DS #2 and DD are the grill experts in the family.
Blogger doing things this am.
23. Louis | July 6th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Ltl…
That buttermilk ice cream sounds yummy….have to give it a try.
I think I have a new “favorite” ice cream…Breyers “Take the Cake”…creamy vanilla with colorful sprinkles thru-out. Has that icing flavor.
I’m the “slap it on” and cook grilller. DS #2 and DD are the grill experts in the family.
24. LtL | July 6th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
It’s just me, of course, but the idea of cooking fruits in the summertime seems just wrong. Apples with butter & brown sugar in the winter, good. Caramel apples in the winter, good. Apple pie in the winter, good. Cinnamon apples in the winter, well, I’d rather keep my own teeth.
But in the summer, give me a small knife and a bowl of fruit and call me happy.
Oh, peaches! BTW, for those who might try the buttermilk ice cream, it goes well with peaches, apricots, and strawberries. Would likely be good with blackberries, too. Mm, blackberries.
It’s always been the dvision of labor at our house that the man cooks on the grill. The woman makes salads. Not modern, but it works. And I’m trustworthy with salads. It’s just applying heat that flummoxes me.
Lovely day. Are the pets back to calm & serene by now?
25. cbpen | July 6th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Fresh fruit and veggies are part of what I love about summer. My dad always had at least one little raspberry bush where ever he lived. He had several at the farm and some at the lake and one here. My DS and E! found actual ripe berries on it the other day (usually the birds get them because we aren’t as vigilant as he was). E! looked a little wary when I offered him one until DS and I ate one. Then after he ate it, his face!! Huge smile. Then he was scouring the bush for more ripe ones. There must be lots of fresh fruit growing by the lake, we’ll have mixed fruit shortcake with Louisa’s ice cream. (Darn it all. Everytime I come here, I end up having to go forage for food…it’s a wonder I haven’t gained back the weight I lost….)
26. Mary | July 7th, 2008 at 12:15 am
I’ve got a useful hint.
Do not misspell the word “ridiculous” or someone will put together a website devoted to making fun of you:
http://www.rediculous.co.uk/
P.S.: JenT, Do Not click on that link. Not a place where creative spelling is appreciated for the art form that it is.
27. me | July 7th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Not a hint, just an observation. Three-days weekends are not long enough.
Glad to see everyone’s checked in,
28. McB | July 7th, 2008 at 8:30 am
people shouldn’t be redidiculed for typos.
29. CMS | July 7th, 2008 at 9:18 am
If you soak raisins in water they don’t turn back into grapes. They do however turn into plump juicy raisins and burst with flavour.
Remove your sunglasses when working obedience or talking to an aggressive dog. The large tinted lenses appear as eyes to them and looking in the dog’s direction will be construed as a dominant act. also in the dog category, don’t chase a runaway. It’s a game to them. Stop in one spot and wait. They will circle back to see why you’re not playing the game. Treats and sweet words can usually coax them back. If the dog is frightened the less movement on your part the better. Yep, I should heed my own advice.
If a fingernail breaks below the quick, use crazy glue to keep the pieces together. Should you glue your fingers together, pour nail polish remover over the glue. It will loosen the adherent. Yep, had to use my own advice.
30. Cary | July 7th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Actually, the best way to bring a dog back to you is the Emergency Recall (guaranteed to make you feel ridiculous): drop to the ground on your back, scream, holler, and flail arms like a mad woman. Will bring every dog for a mile running just to see what is going on. Works even better if you manage to make it sound like you’re having fun. The dog will come to you to try to get in on the game.
CMS - ouch!
31. Mary | July 7th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Louisa at #4 — you wax your legs with duct tape?
32. GatorPerson | July 7th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Cary, thanks. That embarrassing trick could prove to be very useful.
Ducktape doesn’t work for long in the sun. Must be the UV that turns the sticky to hard stuff. So, also, ducktape doesn’t work for mending a water hose, either. First, it pops out where the water pressure is, then it lets go with the sun light. Why, you ask, do I know this important stuff? I know so much stuff because I’ve done so many things wrong so many times that finally I’ve stumbled over the right way.
33. Theresa | July 7th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Hmmm, helpful hints. White vinegar (also, white pop, i.e., ginger ale, sprite) helps to nutralize tomato-based spots, when dripped on clothing and such. So it doesn’t set and will come out when washed.
For pet yack, use a spoon to first clean up the yack, before trying to wipe with a cloth. That way it doesn’t mash it into the carpet.
If you need to pull a cord up from behind something (like a computer desk), rather than trying to feed a cord upward, drop another cord down from above to tie around the cord you want to pull up, and then pull it up.
When in Scotland, remember to queue instead of lining up, and to ask for the toilet rather than the restroom. :+)
34. K.L. | July 7th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Thany you Scope for the 4th of July E-card. Very cute.
CMS, ouch.
We dropped DD10 off at camp yesterday. The trip home amidst the returning vacationing crowd was torture, and I’m having some withdrawls from leaving my baby far away, but the camp looked very cool. Amazing coincidence. We stopped off at a Shari’s restaurant for lunch, (did I mention that the camp is in Oregon?) and we went past a very familiar Fred Meyers. Turns out that I was there with the other CBs in OH’s car when we stopped to get dinner fixings during the CB meet. I started laughing. My DH was wondering WTH was going on? Small world.
35. Louisal | July 7th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Mary, you’re an imp! Never have tried duct tape on the legs–I do not consider a bit of blond fuzz to be an emergency worthy of skin loss. Usually I just shave with Grandpa’s old Bowie knife, which I keep stropped to an infinite degree of keenness. I used the leg-waxing example only to express the motion and notion of the way to use the magic roll of wonder to take up the I’m-stuck-to-this-carpet-and- don’t-you-even-think-about-getting-me-out-sand burrs.
GP is right about duct tape not being a long-term fix. it gets ooky. But a fresh batch of it is an awesome thing. I guess there’s a garden hose at my house, but you couldn’t prove it by me. There’s some special tape for fixing those things, as there is for plumbing and electrical. But in my life, which is indoors, even on the road, things come undone because of vibration or wind, and duct tape is marvelous for holding things together till you can get back to the mother ship. I think OH once stated that duct tape and WD-40 were the two most useful things in anyone’s junk drawer. She’s not only funny and sweet, she is wise!
36. McB | July 7th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Duct tape, WD-40 and white vinegar are household necessities. In addition to neutralizing tomato stains white vinegar is great in the laundry for removing odors. Also, it cleans windows without streaking and removes mineral deposits and stains from coffee pots.
If you are at your wit’s end when it comes to removing pet hair from upholstery, try using hard rubber. A large eraser is idea, but if you don’t have one handy any other rubber gadget will do.
37. CMS | July 7th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
If my couch was made of rubber I wouldn’t have pet hair issues.
38. Louisal | July 7th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
White vinegar is primo, too.
Also, you can scour most things with baking soda and buff them out with baking powder. I used to keep my motorcycle helmet looking brand new this way, and let me tell you, we got buuugs down here!
Wonder if a blown-up balloon (the kind kids play with) would remove pet hair? I’m assuming it’s the static charge that makes the eraser take the hair off the upholstery.
39. glamour-geek | July 7th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Ok, since you’re all full of knowledge: best way for getting sweat stains out of white shirts?
To get sweat smells out of nice clothes, you can spray the area (usually the underarm) with cheap (cuz you don’t want to waste the expensive stuff!) vodka that you’ve put in a spray bottle. Let air out and evaporate overnight. The vodka mixes with the sweat and because it’s alcohol and therefore volatile, it takes the sweat away with it. Trick we used to use on costumes between performances in the theatre.
To get sweat smells out of gym clothes, add some white vinegar to your laundry load in place of bleach or other.
You can also use white vinegar to give a light acid wash to a wooden cutting board. Lemon juice works too.
40. McB | July 7th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Not the static, no. The rubber provides friction which grabs the pet hairs and pulls them along out of the weave. In a nice twist of irony, you can get pet brushes with rubber bristles that will do the trick.
To clean silver jewelry use toothpaste. And anything safe enough to put on your teeth is going to be safe to use on stones the silver might be set with. Except pearl. Don’t use it on pearl.
To store your silver so that it doesn’t get tarnished to begin with, store the jewelry in an airtight container with a little baking soda in the bottom. The soda will absorb any moisture which is what causes the tarnish to develop in the first place.
41. glamour-geek | July 7th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Off topic, I need the super magic powers of the CBs tomorrow, when I go in for my NEXT (oy!) interview with the folks I met with 1-1/2 weeks ago. Yes, that will be a phone screen with the staffing manager, a phone screen with the hiring manager, an in-person with 6 people, and now an in-person with two more, plus meeting again with the hiring manager (who is a Vice President). They asked for my references last week, so unless someone totally balks tomorrow, they will probably start calling people. Please send positive vibes.
Ooooof. This limbo state is not good for my anxiety level.
42. Louisal | July 7th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
GG–sounds as if they’re serious about you. I’m vibing for you!
43. I'm not sure anymore. | July 7th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Helpful Hint:
If you use food coloring and rubbing alcohol to dye pasta, make sure you go outside or to another very well ventilated area. (Some of us learn these things the hard way.)
Please, don’t tell me 18 other ways to dye pasta because honestly, I don’t think I could take it right now… and I know my head will never be the same again
44. theresa | July 7th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
You can dye pasta?
I posted some kitten pictures on my blog, if anyone wants a awwwww fix. Scroll down a bit.
GG - Crossing my fingers and sending good vibes your way for tomorrow!
45. GatorPerson | July 7th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
2 Helpful Hints that no longer work:
White Lily Flour for the VERY best biscuits. White Lily is no more. Sigh.
Newspaper to clean windows to a sparkle. The black in the ink is now soy-based instead of lamp black carbon. Better for the environment, but soy doesn’t make windows sparkle. Probably.
Oh! A hint that works. Take Queen Anne’s lace flowers, including a long stem. Place in water with food dye added. The dye gets taken up into the umbrels and so the white turns a color. Learned that in the Pennsylvania Poconos the summer I was a maid.
46. K.L. | July 7th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Very adorable kittens Theresa. Good luck on keeping them in the box once they figure out how to climb out. And yes, mama cat will put them where she wants them, and the best you can do is cooperate.
When my cat was in kitten mode, they ended up in the corner of the living room, behind the corner end table, under the curtains. That was a pain in the butt let me tell you. We had to move the couch out just to get to them.
Good luck GG. Got my mojo crossed for you.
47. Lou | July 7th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Sending positive waves of energy your way, gg. Hope everything goes the way you want it to!!
Adorable kitties, Theresa.
I still don’t have any handy hints, *sigh*… However, I always did wonder why newsprint made windows shiny, since it makes my hands black…
Oh, and white distilled vinegar diluted with some water and poured over any doggie accidents - left to set, then soaked up later will take away the smell. I don’t think it does the same thing for cats, whose urine is more stinky than dogs.
48. insert name here | July 7th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
hi lori
GG- vibing vibing vibing
49. glamour-geek | July 7th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Theresa: those kittens are AWFULLY cute!
Do watch that tabby boy. Boy cats can’t have more than 2 colors without being XXY (for various biological reasons) and since the extra gene isn’t supposed to be there, it causes other genetic problems. The tabby boy is likely to be deaf or blind as a result. He will almost certainly be sterile (which is not a reason not to have him fixed, as the fixing will prevent spraying and aggressive behavio(u)r, etc.). It is very rare to have a male tri-color that is not sterile, but they aren’t valuable if they are viable sires as they are unlikely to have tri-color children anyway.
I was a cat sitter for a three-color male when I was in high school. Sweet boy, but blind. I’d go in and talk to him when I fed him, so he always knew where I was.
He was quite able to find his way around in the home, because he was familiar with it.
50. glamour-geek | July 7th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Theresa!
51. Scope Dope CherryBomb | July 7th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Positive vibes going out to you gg. Good luck.
Well I got DH a bell jar for his grandfather’s pocket watch that he (DH) had forgotten about. It had been tucked away in a box in my jewelery box for years. I learned a lot at the jeweler’s. She told me the watch was turn of the century. I asked if the black marks on the side of the ivory fob were anything and she said it was probably just wear but when we looked with a jeweler’s loupe there were three geese and a totem pole. Quite exciting as it was all news to me. There was wear on the watch casing as Grandpa used the watch regularly so that too was kind of nice to see. It is now displayed in its bell jar in the china cabinet.
It’s funny that DH forgot about the watch but his children did not. Nor had I. I learned it would cost a small fortune to restore it to working order but then it would no longer be as valuable. The value is strictly to us so it’s fine the way it is.
DH didn’t have much fun today as he had to run me to a doctor’s visit and then we went to the store. Now he is at work. Not much fun!
Happy Birthday Theresa and happy anniversary to GG’s parents.
52. Scope Dope CherryBomb | July 7th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
BTW the little ivory watch fob on DGP’s watch holds four little dice. Wonder what he did with that. The kids suggested Yatze.????(spelling?)My DS said that the fob once held five dice. I never did ask how he knew that and if so, where did he put the other one.
53. GatorPerson | July 7th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
XXY? I think we need some genetics tutorials here, please. I thought all calicos were female and all black and whites were male. Wrong again.
Anybody thinking Theresa is NOT gonna end up with a kitty of her own? Ya know, next she’ll be taking videos of them thar kittens.
Then she’ll be one of those people who push their cell phone into people’s faces to show off her video of the EXTRA SPECIAL PET. Moi? Never.
54. jenb | July 7th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
GG, only the most positive thoughts coming your way. Hope they all realize how fortunate they would be to have you on the team.
Scope, what a lovely idea for your DH. I know he knows how lucky he is to be with married to you.
55. glamour-geek | July 7th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
Genetics: Occasionally, things don’t combine properly in the conception process. Sometimes creatures end up with three instead of two chromosomes (either a complete or partial third). Basically instead of getting a chromosome from each parent, the incipient being gets a third combined in there, which means the body in question manifests characteristics that you don’t get with the standard two chromosomes.
In humans, the XXY combination results in various syndromes, and, I think, sometimes what is known as Down Syndrome (there are also other causes of Down Syndrome). In cats, that same combination results in male kitties with three colors (which requires two X chromosomes) and almost always some other flaw, such as blindness or deafness.
I don’t have enough background in biology to explain more thoroughly, but no doubt there are sources out there (which I won’t look up
).
56. Scope Dope CherryBomb | July 7th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
jenb-he should know. I tell him every day.
AHA-now I know what is wrong with this body I have too many chromosomes. Any idea where I can dump a few?
57. WapakGram | July 7th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
GG- I am sending all the good vibes I have to you for tomorrow. I have no need for them on Tuesday so they are ALL yours!
GP- My mama cat was a lovely black and white with a pink nose. If they would have had cell phones with video when she was alive, I’d a been showing people. What a great idea! *snort!
Scope- great present for DH. You done good.
Happy Birthday Dr. T. I still need a list of birthdays. Where in the name of Bob are they posted here at the Bar and Grill? Do I need a secret password to get them?
58. Louis | July 7th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Happy Birthday, Dr T
59. cbpen | July 8th, 2008 at 12:06 am
GP: Amy Jane was black and white with pink toes :> She was the queen of my bro’s house and then my Grannie’s and then mine. We had LOTS of black and whites, about half of each, on the farm. My friend had a pregnant b/w dumped on her farm. We also had a male calico on the farm. He seemed perfectly normal. No way to tell if he was sterile…since there were so many barn cats. Back then, people dumped cats on the farm and they hung out in the barn, not completely wild. Farmers then (and probably now too) didn’t have the money to have every stray neutered.
gg: Don’t know how good my vibes are, but you got em anyway
Mom is home today. I think it is too soon. It was the same dr that sent her home to early the first time and she ended up back in two weeks later. And he released her yesterday for this morning and hadn’t been to see her since Friday. I do not like than man. He almost killed her twice. She supposedly switched drs and then they put off the surgery because he was assisting and couldn’t do it for a month. Then her new dr wasn’t there the rest of the time. It is really irritating.
My son showed me how to work the Dixon yesterday (zero turn, steer with stick like things instead of a steering wheel). I don’t like it. It doesn’t have a brake. One person says just let go, the other pull back to rev. Either way if you’re about to hit something, there’s a reaction lag from you and then from the machine. Plus it made my arm swell up. And it’s probably mostly the terrain of the yard, but it was like riding a horse at a nasty hard trot the whole time. I was so worn out today, I kept dozing off and I still have the back yard to go.
Well, I am getting dozy again. have a good nite.
60. cbpen | July 8th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Well, I never said the Dixon is a lawnmower. Don’t think you could tell from that.
And there were at least two typos. Sorry about that. Maybe I’ll be more coherent tomorrow.
61. theresa | July 8th, 2008 at 3:05 am
Thanks for the birthday wishes! I had a Green & Black chocolate ice cream bar to celebrate.
GG: No worries about the little boy. He may look tri-color, but he’s actually tabby and white. Tabby is just considered one color, odd thought it may sound.
And although I will miss them to death when I give them back, I’m not going to keep a kitten. With the amount of time I’m gone, it just wouldn’t be good for the kitten. Plus, I’m not really supposed to have pets in my flat. Shhh, don’t tell.
62. btuda | July 8th, 2008 at 5:41 am
My helpful hint: Caffiene.
Egads, it is too early to be up, let alone try to read coherantly.
cbpen: even at this ungodly hour, I knew a Dixon was a lawnmower.
The mattress flipping threw me at first though.
Happy belated bday, Theresa.
Good luck, GG.
I’ll be back when I’m more awake.
63. GatorPerson | July 8th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Heave, maybe, not flip. I can’t flip anything heavier than a frisbee or a pancake. Though Mr. D. knows how to flip people. Ankles are fine now, thank you very much.
FWIW, I rarely use the brake on my lawnmower. If I take the foot off the gas (no, it’s not really a gas pedal, it’s something fancy dancy, but it reacts like a gas pedal) the mower stops gently but quickly. I’ve yet to use the cruise control since the mower must be going top speed, and I never go top speed. Of course, I don’t use the cruise control on the geekmobile, either.
Go, GG. When we had a real candidate in for interviewing, we scheduled individual interviews all day, then each person wrote up notes on that interview and all was reviewed. Usually only 2-3 people rated the REAL interview(s), because one was going to get the offer. Sounds like you’re in that category. Goody, goody.
64. McB | July 8th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Calicos are nearly always female; the very rare male will always be sterile. Black and white cats have no such genetic stipulations that I’m aware of. A cat is only considered tri colored if the 3 colors are distinctive. Tabby markings are usually just a darker shade of an overall color. Kelly is a calico of the tortoise shell variety, i.e. her coloring is mottled rather than in spotted. The mottling is a reddish brown and black, and then she has white markings.
Hey Btuda.
Wapak - we don’t have them posted here, the birthdays, I mean. I suspect OH might have been collecting that info but she’s been galavanting in furin parts.
Here’s another hint: keep the air pressure in your tires at the high level for best gas mileage, but don’t over fill especially in the summer when heat could cause the air in your tires to expand. That would be bad.
65. Lori | July 8th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Hi, McB.
Happy Birthday, Theresa. (I’m ignoring the fact that I am late… again.)
Yes. Dye Pasta. I’d tell you why, but I’m pretty sure BCB would never recover.
Ack.
66. McB | July 8th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Die pasta, die!!! Aeeiiieeeeee.
Was it Colonel Mustard in the Library with a candle stick?
67. K.L. | July 8th, 2008 at 10:57 am
I had dyed dinner rolls once at Easter dinner. I would rather not have them again. Dye does intersting things to the digestive system, and I’ll just leave it at that.
68. me | July 8th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Sounds like an interesting dyet.
I’m sorry.
The new Naomi Novick book’s out today! Gangway!! Coming through!
69. GatorPerson | July 8th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Well, snail frocky. I’ve just come in through meandering elephants, now I must go out again to get Novick’s latest. Argh! It’s only in hardback. Maybe not today, since I wanted to pack it. And McMaster’s 3rd book, Passage, in the Sharing Knife series is out, too.
Anybody got a Kindle? McB’s got something, but I don’t think it’s a Kindle. What I want to know that they don’t say, is how to back the books up. It goes against my grain to buy that kind of thing and not have a backup. The book prices are pretty good. The reader, not so good a price.
I drank green beer one year for St. Patrick’s Day. I was the first to …. Well, the men had a contest going to see who went green first, and I wasn’t gonna let them win, now was I? And this from someone who can no longer hold her likker.
70. McB | July 8th, 2008 at 11:34 am
NR’s new book is out today, too.
No, I don’t have a Kindle. I used to be able to read e-books on my old Palm, but I didn’t make use of it very often. There’s a market, I think, for e-books but I don’t see myself being quite as comfortable with them. I do listen to audio books on my iPod, though.
I don’t know much about the Kindle, but it /may/ work something like the audio book downloads. I download them to my PC, but a copy is also held in my on-line account which, in theory, serves as a kind of back up and also allows me to download to a different computer if I choose.
71. Lou | July 8th, 2008 at 11:42 am
I finally remember some helpful hints!!
Block cheese keeps fresher and longer if wrapped in aluminum foil - shiney side in.
If you line a pan with aluminum foil for cooking (to save clean-up) - line with dull side up. The food will cook more evenly and won’t stick.
Cheese that is sliced or shredded and comes in a reusable bag will keep best if left in that bag.
To keep lunch meats fresh for a long time - take them out of their container (reusable or not) wrap them in Saran Wrap, then place them in a ZipLoc freezer bag and smoosh as much air as you can out of it as you close it. Your lunch meat will keep twice as long (this for people who don’t have kids who go through food so fast you wonder what happened…).
To keep meat from getting freezer burn - take it out of the store container, cut it into individual servings, wrap with Saran Wrap, then place in ZipLoc freezer bag (smooshing out the air). It will keep in the freezer for a long, long time this way (something about the double wrapping I think). Then, when you want to cook it - take it out of the freezer and drop in a frying pan or on the grill (no need to thaw), and cook.
72. Lou | July 8th, 2008 at 11:51 am
That would be “remembered”… Also, you can freeze chicken like this then take it out, throw it in the oven, and bake it. Works great - just remember to season after the chicken has baked for a while so that the seasoning will soak in.
We are having a huge heat wave plus the worst air I’ve seen in a long time. Sunday, the wind shifted and blew all the smoke from the fires in the hills down into the valley. Said smoke is now just sitting in the valley with no potential for breezes in sight. I’d guess that the visibility is probably 2 miles at the most. Meanwhile, the temperature was 110 degrees yesterday at 7 pm. UGGGG… LY!!!!
73. Lou | July 8th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Oh - and one more thing. To keep sterling silver from tarnishing, shine it and wrap it in aluminum foil (shiny side in). It will stay shiny!
74. K.L. | July 8th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Smart Bitches has a blog about the Kindle. I have Nora’s book and the LH coming from B&N, and it should be delivered tomorrow. Since I have a church council meeting tonight, I wouldn’t be able to get into them tonight anyway.
With DD off at camp, I really need those books. The house is so quiet!
75. BCB | July 8th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
[sigh]
I wasn’t going to do this. It feels squicky somehow.
BUT, I really do want some feedback, so . . . will you all please go over to my blog and read the excerpt? A couple people have sent me email instead of commenting and that’s perfectly fine. I’d just really like to know what you all think. And I’m really not going to leave the post up there for very long. Probably through tonight.
I have to go back to work now, so go do your worst.
Thanks.
76. me | July 8th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
has anyone ever seen this before?
I went to the bookstore at lunch to get Temeraire, and there was the new NR. I opened it to read the cover copy, then saw sitting next to it was one with a “signed copy” sticker!! I grabbed it and opened it up and…hmmm. There is an extra page in this copy, looks like a bookplate perfect for signing. Compared to unsigned, yes, extra page. Compared to another signed, and…hmmm. Looks like the exact same signature. With the same flourish and the same little extra leak of the pen. Compared a few others, and found some in blue and some in black. But all the blacks are the same and all the blues are the same. My suspicion is: they are not “signed” but printed this way, especially because of the extra page. And because why would the little Borders at the outdated mall in Madison Heights, MI, warrant getting a boatload of signed NR copies? Me, cynical? Yes. Didn’t buy either version. I have my Temeraire, and I am happy.
77. McB | July 8th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
The SB post on the Kindle references
this Washington Post article which is one of the more objective articles I’ve seen regarding the device.
Me - that’s pretty disappointing, passing off a page as a signature. I’m heading to Borders after work today, primed with some $5 certificates. I’ll be looking for that. What’s so special about a printed copy of a signature and how many people do they think will be fooled?
There’s supposed to be a Kay Hooper book coming out soon, too. “There Be Dragons” or something like that. Does anyone know if that’s a new new book or a reissue?
78. Diane (TT) | July 8th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
OK, I know the conversation has moved on, but I’ve been in OHIO, getting a nice townhouse to rent in WALKING DISTANCE from both work and church! But I have to comment on cat-coat-coloration and genetics.
As GG explained, normally, an fertilized egg gets one of each kind of chromosome from mom, and one of each from dad. So, we have pairs of all of our chromosomes: women get our dad’s X chromosome, men get their dad’s Y; both get one of their mom’s Xs. But sometimes mom’s or dad’s pairs don’t separate properly to make egg or sperm, and then there are issues with the offspring. Actually, it’s usually lethal - Down’s children survive because their extra chromosome (#21) is a little one, and it doesn’t mess things up too much. XXY or XYY or XXX individuals can survive, but often have developmental disorders.
So - cats. Mammalian females have XX. Males get by with just 1copy of all the cool things on the X (Y confers maleness, but is very small and carries few other genes). That extra dosage we women have is actually unnecessary, so we inactivate one of our Xs as embryos - but it’s not “the one from dad” or “the one from mom” - each developing cell turns one off - randomly. And, since coat color in cats is on the X chromosome, female cats can end up with a patch of mom-color and a patch of dad-color, depending on which chromosome was inactivated where. So, just about the only way a male can be calico or tortoiseshell is to have XXY and do the same inactivation thing.
I’m bummed - I will have left the area by the time Naomi Novik comes here. I don’t think I can come back for a Tuesday night… I was considering bringing a Sharpie and having her sign my audiobook. Am I going to be able to resist buying the hc, too? probably not.
I’m sorry to have missed the festivities by the lake, but I had some fine fireflies by my house.
I’m not sure I have anything in the fridge to eat for dinner - but I’ll bet it wouldn’t take long to thaw on my counter top! Hot day.
79. McB | July 8th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Very cool on the new house, TT. I know you were concerned about that. It’s great that you found something you like so quickly.
“Males get by with just 1copy of all the cool things on the X (Y confers maleness, but is very small and carries few other genes). ”
You know, I’m just reading all sorts of probably unintended meanings into that sentence.
80. Diane (TT) | July 8th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Oh, and happy belated birthday, Theresa! And good luck, GG - I’m sure you’ll wow them. CBPen, something good is just around the corner.
And I have no helpful hints at my fingertips. But the rest of you are very helpful.
81. Diane (TT) | July 8th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Well, I might not have intended ALL of them, but I probably intended some of them!
I have no ambition today. I am relieved about the house (homelessness is worrying) - now I just have to organize the logistics of getting myself and my mountain of stuff there. I should probably make an effort to make my current residence view-able by future tenants, too. Take the laundry down off the racks. Clear the table. Pick the books up off the floor. Stuff like that.
Urk.
I think I’m going to go home and eat ice cream.
82. K.L. | July 8th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
My mom has been having heart problems. Her doctor just told her that she would need to have a defibrillator implanted. Tomorrow she will find out when they plan the surgery, and what it will entail. Please keep her in your prayers. She is very nervous and scared.
83. Lou | July 8th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Oh K.L. - I’m so sorry to hear that.I bet she’s nervous and scared. However, I’ve heard that quite a few people have that device and it works as it should. I will definitely keep her in my prayers.
The Kay Hooper book is a reissue - If There Be Dragons - written in 1984 for Loveswept (her website is informative).
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY Theresa!! And many, many more for you. I will have some ice cream in your honor - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
84. Lou | July 8th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Oh - and Diane - congratulations on finding a house so close to everything!! That is so very cool. On the other hand, moving… yuk!
85. GatorPerson | July 8th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Will be thinking about you and your DM tomorrow, K. L.
About copies of signatures… Diana Gabaldon was trying a trick whereby she signed a piece of paper, meanwhile her writing was being transferred electronically onto the book at the destination where the book and the buyer and the seller were. I don’t think this is cheating, since the buyer is involved. That way she could be in 2 places at once and personalize the message, even tho she wasn’t seeing the buyer. I don’t know what came of it.
I’m thinking the wholesale printing of a signature is exactly like some authors writing a postscript and then signing it. That is ok, but saying there is a “signed” book is stretching the point a good bit.
I hope to post 1 more time tonight, getting my CB fix for a few days. I’m going fly-fly tomorrow and will be back Sunday. Hoping Continental does a wee bit better this time. Ha! A midway point is Cincinnatti on Sunday. I’ll wave, Wapak.
86. WapakGram | July 8th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
GP- as Scope and CMS know…The Cincinnati airport is in “greater” Kentucky. You will be in Kentucky on the SOUTH side of the Ohio River.
But Please wave anyways.
KL- ((((hugs))) Hope the device will help with the problems and relieve some of the scared-ness.
I know where Diane is moving…..into enemy territory as far as the Beloved Alma Mater is concerned. It will be good to meet her.
Hi Everyone- this week is going backwards and I am getting less done each day as more things pile in….sigh….so I can’t play now.
Off to finish and check out BCB later!
87. RSS | July 8th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
(((K.L. and Mom))) Prayers in route.
Great news on job and townhouse Diane.
Helpful hint: Chalk in with your silver keeps it from tarnishing. You can break up a stick and put it in little net bags tied with ribbon.
Positive vibes sent for job interviews GG.
Have only caught up with this post so forgive me if I’m missing someone or something important.
I’m back from the beach. For two days and then am off again for a writing retreat at our cottage. Only two of us but hopefully we’ll get alot done.
88. K.L. | July 8th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Mom’s doctor visit will be late tomorrow, so I’ll update everyone on Thursday. Thanks for the good thoughts.
89. Louisal | July 8th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Hugs to Mom, KL. And prayers. And btuda’s Mom, too.
RSS! I have been missing you, I guess. Was just wondering earlier today, where has RSS gone? And Rosten?
Birthdays!
Starting to wonder if the new ergonomic grips I got last week for my big sticks are having something to do with the trouble in my hands and arms. It’s not news for me to be down with such, but it feels different now. And the new grips are hard rubber, not foam like the old ones, so they should last better. I just don’t like them as well. Wish the whole things were sparkly purple. Maybe Earl Scheib can help me out.
Or Hobby Lobby. Heeheehee.
Keep us updated, both CBs with Moms in tough spots.
90. jenb | July 8th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Lou, the reports we are receiving about the fires are very scary. I hope you and yours are taking care. You are in my thoughts.
DrT - a very Happy Birthday to you! The entire week should be a celebration.
K.L., you and your Mom are in continuing thoughts and prayers.
RSS, can’t wait to read what you have been working on…lots of excellent comments from those that were with you at the Bay.
91. RSS | July 8th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Hey Ltl. Sorry the new grips aren’t as good as the old and that you’re having pain.
JenB–Hope you had fun at your beach. It’s great you got to be with DSes and DDILs on their anniversaries. Kind of scary getting excellent comments (but nice too) because that was just one scene. I got some work done the first couple of days I was at the beach then everyone came down and haven’t gotten back to it. Am at a point where I’m changing things and not sure how to. Had too much YEX so am taking it out (not all )and trying to add suspense. Hopefully this weekend will help.
92. GatorPerson | July 8th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Fireflies at dusk… All is good with the world when the fireflies come out.
When I was a kid there were soooo many fireflies. We’d catch them in a jar and watch them glow and glow. Even a few years ago there were plenty of fireflies in the backyard. Now adays there aren’t many. Only a few. Maybe we’re just in some mean ole cycle that will become another cycle with plenty of fireflies. I sure hope so.
RSS, definitely do save those YEX scenes for recycling. Never lose YEX scenes. There are never too many. Maybe for one book, but YEX scenes are like fireflies and chocolate. We need a lot.
NIghty night. See you all in a few days.
93. Not Lori | July 8th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
well don’t change too much!
K.L. - thoughts and prayers and good vibes. Scary as it is, this is preventative medicne against something scarier.
94. Scope Dope CherryBomb | July 8th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
RSS-you having too much YEX is giving us TMI. Besides we might get jealous. Any camels in your area lately? None around here.
KL-I will keep you and your mom in my thoughts and prayers. Heart problems are very scary for anyone.
btuda-good to hear from you. We have missed you.
Ltl-I am so sorry you are having hand and arm problems. I completely understand. Maybe it is also the weather as I find my hand problems are worse since it has gotten hotter. Don’t know if there is a correlation though. Anything we can do to help?
GP-have a fun time with your daughter. Aren’t you going to be in Louisa’s neck of the woods?
Diane-I am so happy for you that you got a nice place that is also within walking distance of work and church. Now you just have to get everything there.
GG-good luck tomorrow but you probably won’t need it. I can’t see them going this far without a great deal of interest in hiring you.
Wapak-anything I can do to help? I type pretty fast sometimes before I have even thought the sentence it is down. I can file too. With costumes I’m not so hot but I do know what I like.
95. RSS | July 8th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Okay Scope, I should have clarified that to too many YEX scenes in WIP. Of course I’ll keep them in case when I sell it the pub says I love it but could you add some more hot scenes. No problem, I’ll say. Just give me a sec and I’ll email them to you.
Sorry the hot weather is bothering your hands Scope.
Big storm blew in when we were leaving the beach. Soaked us and had to drive home with the heat on. About 1 hour West and no rain at all.
96. glamour-geek | July 8th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Diane: congrats on the new place! And walking distance. That is super news!
Everyone’s mother: good wishes and rapid healings and peace to all of you. And everyone who’s mother isn’t ailing, please give them instructions Right Now that they are not to get ill in any way shape or form. Enough already.
THANK YOU everyone for all your good wishes. I suspect (hope?) the power of the CBs is in force as I think today went well and I don’t think either of the new people I met will object to my being hired. I bumped into one of the people who interviewed me last time and he did say he hoped I’d be joining them soon as they could use my help. It’s also a good sign when the hiring manager (in this case, the vice president) starts telling you where you’ll fit into his organization chart and what the bulk of yoru work will be rather than asking you questions, and then has to go back and say “If we bring you on” just to cover his bets. My references are all great so I’ll hear from them first, I suspect, if they are called to comment on my work.
When I hear something, I’ll let you know…
Climate change: this is our 4th heatwave this year so far. Usually we get 3 super hot days in May or June and another three around September. We seem to be on a rotation where we have them every 3rd week now. It’s a bit creepy, actually. It’s not really supposed to be t-shirt or light cardigan weather here in the evening. We almost don’t know how to dress for weather this warm this often. It does make me wonder and does make me worry for future years and other locations. Plus the fires are still a-burning here, in various locations in the state. Scary stuff.
97. cbpen | July 9th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Dr. T: Happy Birthday….belated
…a few years ago they seemed almost extinct and the past two years they’ve been pretty thick. Maybe it’s cycles or weather or something like that.
gg: sounds good
Diane: Congrats on not being homeless
Good thoughts and Hugs to KL and KL’s Mom
GP: Fireflies…we call them lightning bugs
98. Cary | July 9th, 2008 at 11:09 am
{{{K.L.}}}
99. Louis | July 9th, 2008 at 11:35 am
I’m about half-way thru Nora’s new book…the “signed” version. I’ll have to take a look at the signature. Quite good so far….the book that is.
Thundering herd down the deck yesterday…pair of road runners….Papa chasing Mama….that YEX must be catching. Saw me* and flew off down the bank. Enough noise that I thought it was the dogs running.
(((HUGS))) to those that need one.
100. Lou | July 9th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
jenb - Thank you for your good thoughts. Luckily, we are not near any of the fires, but the smoke is terrible. It has settled in the valley and is really thick - plus temeratures of 112 degrees are not helping. We are all staying inside as much as possible. Even my horse is cranky from the heat and smoke!
btuda - so glad to hear from you!!
Yay gg - sounds good. Is this the one with the hellish commute?
RSS - you can never have too much YEX…
K.L. - Still sending good thoughts your way…
Take care everyone!!
101. BCB | July 9th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I’m seriously considering taking up a collection to send my boss back out of town. Somewhere very far away. With no return ticket. Anyone want to contribute?
Someday I’ll catch up on all these comments. Meantime, good thoughts and hugs to everyone.
102. Lou | July 9th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I’ll contribute, BCB.
103. McB | July 9th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I’m enjoying the new NR book, too. It’s good. Theres’s a great secondary character, Steve, that’s a lot of fun. My copy is not “signed” although they did have some of those on display. The cover had what looked like a gold sticker. That bothers me because it does imply that they are original signatures and, as me said yesterday, they are not. I did check and the signature indicated books don’t cost any more than the others so I really don’t see the point unless they are trying to entiice people who don’t normally buy her books. But really, I think it is safe to say that she sells puhlentee without needing such a gimmick. It may have been strictly the publisher’s idea, not hers; but that has me wondering how she feels about it.
BCB - what I could contribute wouldn’t get your boss to the other side of the street. Howsomever we can keep the bail fund handy in case you feel the need to approach the situation … creatively.
104. RSS | July 9th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
BCB would virtual dollars help? I’d be glad to send them in such a good cause.
GG–glad it went so well
105. K.L. | July 9th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
My B&N delivery showed up, so I need to choose between Nora’s, Linda Howard’s or the Betsy book from MJD. With everything going on right now, I think the lighthearted MJD book will be first up.
Thanks for all the good thoughts for my mom. I’ll know more details and a surgery date by tomorrow.
106. LtL | July 9th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Waiting for repairman. TV repairman. I’m conflicted, to say the least.
Do people ever just disappear? Zaza’s email address doesn’t work any more, and she hasn’t updated her blog in three years for one and six months for the other. Really, I’m about to remove her bookmarks. Is there a black hole in the Internet?
I know there are books waiting for me at home. Meanwhile, I’m about to start reading Honor Killing by Ken Timmerman or Tim Kennerman–anyway, someone I’ve never met before. Hope is good and scary!
107. Diane (TT) | July 9th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
KL - best wishes to your mom! My mom has atrial fibrillations - they tried to jolt her back to the regular rhythm a while after her stroke - and it didn’t work. So, she’s just living with it. It messes with her endurance some, but she gets on OK. Her mom, I think, had the more severe ventricular fibrillations.
Lou - it’s not quite so hot at 3500 feet (102°F?), but my parents are basically only going out in the early morning (it was 80°F by 7 a.m. today, I think my dad said), and then staying indoors with the A/C. It’s always been hot in the Valley and Foothills, but this is a bit more than usual. The A/C probably helps with the particulates, from the fires, too! They’re really hoping it’ll be cooler when they work the mine this weekend. That’s a hot place to be, since none of the below-ground works are accessible!
I hope that your perception of the interview is accurate, GG - and that there’s nothing else that would prevent them from hiring you. It sounds as if it would be a good fit and congenial people. Which is most of the battle, as BCB knows. Totally happy to chip in, BCB - and since we’re going for a one-way ticket, how much can it cost?
I was feeling sort of blah this morning, so I re-read Strange Bedpersons. I really like that book - it got several outloud laughs, even after multiple visits. I wonder if there’s a library as good as this in my new town? Or Interlibrary loan? Probably not…
I spoke to a friend last evening and she reminded me that I should request this system’s Elizabeth Cadell novels before I go. Curiously, I had just been re-reading one of the two I own, but it’s been many years since I read most of her work, so I’m sure it’ll be fun to look at again.
Local Independent Bookseller didn’t have the new Temeraire book as of yesterday, and I haven’t finished listening to Black Powder War, which I started in the car on the way back from Ohio. I also should re-read whatever #4 is, just to keep myself in suspense. I don’t know if I can just listen to my new audiobook, though, without buying the HC… Especially since I should really listen to another audiobook I have checked out, first. Clearly packing up will involve lots of audiobookery, which should help a LOT.
108. glamour-geek | July 9th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Yes, Lou, this is the gnarly commute.
Without traffic, about 25 minutes and a $4 bridge toll (one way). With traffic…um. maybe 45-60 minutes? With horrific traffic, maybe 3 days? 
I heard back from one of my references saying he’d had a nice conversation with them, so it’s all proceeding well. My spies are everywhere, so my references let me know when they get called.
I had already heard from the staffing manager that the sales directors I met yesterday also liked me and they were moving forward. So looks like I will have a job soon!!! Yay!
Now if only I can figure out a time to visit with my parents before I start that doesn’t conflict with the time beau’s parents are visiting, my parents’ annual trip to the Shaw Festival (near Scope and CMS!) or my father’s business trip… Um…that might not actually work.
109. glamour-geek | July 9th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Excessive use of smileys. Penalty: 10 yards.
110. McB | July 9th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
TT - SB is one of my favorites too. I know it’s coming but that one line, “it’s not a fork this time” gets me every time. That scene is classic Crusie.
GG - think audiobooks for the commute.
111. Diane (TT) | July 9th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
GG- are you the kind of person who can learn Italian in the car? I’m not, being very visual with words: I can’t say it if I can’t spell it! I tried Russian, gave that up due to the alphabet difficulty, then Italian - which is how I came to the conclusion that I’m auditorially disabled. Oh, well.
We’re going to need a new post soon! Good thing it’s Wednesday…
112. Cary | July 9th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Okay, so I’ve known about this 1-day conference thing in Seattle for about a month now, but with everything that has been going on, it didn’t really hit me until this week that it is next Thursday.
So I have choices:
A) Wake up at 3:00 a.m., shower, dress, feed dogs, and open the dog door at 4:00 a.m., be on the road by 4:01 to arrive at conference in downtown Seattle by 8:00 a.m., leave directly after conference, at 4:00 p.m., wrestle my way through commute traffic all the way home and hopefully make it back by 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. to feed dogs and close dog door.
B) Same as above, except detour to the Seattle suburbs after the conference to drop off birthday gifts for my nephews (they’ll be 9 the following week) and drive home, arriving at 11:00 p.m. or so and no doggie dinner given the late hour.
C) Magically find $150, call the doggie daycare/boarding center, and beg.
D) Drive home after work on Wednesday, pick up dogs and dinner and drive to the Seattle suburbs. Leave dogs crated in my sister’s (unfenced) yard. Rely on niece and nephews to remove dogs from crates for potty breaks and walks while at conference. Pick dogs back up in suburbs after conference, drop off the nephews’ presents, listen to 30 minutes of “You never come see us anymore…” before finally being allowed to leave - with or without sanity intact - to arrive home by midnight.
What sounds best, short of winning the lottery? Advice, please, ‘cuz I’m just running in circles here trying to find a perfect solution in an imperfect world.
113. CMS | July 9th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
C sounds best for you but if McB’s magic wand doesn’t conjure up the cash go with A as D sounds absolutely horrific and B isn’t much better. Too much driving and the added headache of not pleasing anyone, yourself included.
Just my two cents
114. Cary | July 9th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Hey, I asked for the two cents. (And just another 14,998 cents to go…)
115. CMS | July 9th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Here’s a dime!
116. K.L. | July 9th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I’d offer E) my back yard, but I don’t think it would hold your dogs, and since I would also be at work and not able to watch them… Probably not.
Are there no teens you can trust in your neighborhood who would be willing to give them food and exercise?
No? Well I vote for C also. Money is easier to find than sanity, and you would lose your sanity dealing with the extended family. Just my opinion.
117. McB | July 9th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
given the choices and unless the money appears I would do A cuz I would rather have hours in the car by myself than 30 minutes of angst. But that’s me*
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