Thursday, March 30, 2006

Open Thread - so our guests can let loose and discuss whatever they want.

I've given up on starting seeds in used egg cartons; Diane will be along anytime now to say, "I told you so!" Not sayin' I got NUTHIN' from the experience; just sayin' that I didn't get much. What I got I stuck outside where I'd planted seeds of the same species. Then, I tried to decide what I REALLY want in the line of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant and started more seeds in small makeshift pots with more of a dirt-like mixture. After watering, I put them outside in the sun. Did a few days of weeding what I thought looked like foreign substances outside, as well as a few days of updating the recipe database, as well as a few days of marathon cooking and I'm now ready for a break. What have y'all been doin'? How's the world treatin' you? Spill it!

19 comments:

No. 2 said...

I went downtown yesterday and applied for a bartending job at a Reggae (mom, help on the spelling) bar. One of my best friends works there, and it's right near Wrigley Field. Would be a good 2nd job for the summer, but a bit of a drive. She has offered up her residence to me when needed, so I don't have to make the long haul home at 3am.

Would be a fun experience, though!

Oldnovice said...

Dat be how yo mama spell Reggae, too, chil'.

Ya...fun ta be had there, methinks.

SpeedKin said...

I told ya so! (I didn't want to disappoint you by not saying it. ;-) ) Egg cartons work for some and don't work for others. All I know is that they sucked for me. Do you know how to make your own newspaper pots? And I don't mean buying those incredibly overpriced wooden things to do it.

Me? I got a "new" computer after the old one went kerplooey a few days ago. Schooling the kids, puttering around in the greenhouse, attempting to win the battle against the weeds, ignoring the dishes, wondering where the living room floor went, ducking and dodging the ants, bees, and wasps...

Oldnovice said...

New PC...woo-hoo! Read about how you were having some problems; ya gonna ship the old one to HA for repairs?

Newspaper pots...no, but sound like a lot of work like newspaper fireplace logs. I had maybe 4-6 of those little cheap-shit pots from buying my herb replacements and I've been making more from used yogurt containers, milk cartons, and plastic containers that Mike has thrown into the recycling bin. I don't need as many as you, ya know; I'm not trying to feed China.

News of my day: My neighbor's dog dug a hole under the back fence (destroying another few squares of my garden) and woke me up this morning kicking my water buckets all over our yard. I threw on some clothes and went out there with butcher twine (the only thing I had that could be used for a leash). I talked to her like I always do and she "greeted" me. Should have donned LONG pants & sleeves, as I now have lots of scratches on my legs and arms.

She's either a husky or a husky/shephard mix, but 200-lb SPRING describes her better. She's still a pup, too. Made it out to the street with her before the butcher twine started to cut into my hands. Fortunately, the neighborhood garage sale is today and my neighbor across the street was outside setting up his wares. He tied a good-sided rope to her collar for me. MUCH easier to hold her, but keeping her from walking UNDER my feet was a problem.

The walk to the house right behind us required me to walk a block west, two blocks north, back a block south, and another block east. It's just the goofy configuration of this neighborhood. It was the longest walk I've ever taken. LOL. I helped one neighbor boy train his dog a year or so ago, but THIS dog is SO hyper and so love-starved that she BOINGS, and everytime SHE boinged, I boinged, as well. LOL. Woke up her owners, so there was none of that, "Thanks for bringin' my dog back; pleased to meet ya."

Went to get new glasses AGAIN; went YESTERDAY, but I hadn't brought enough money. Bifocals cost MORE and I decided that I WOULD like to be able to watch TV and read at the same time and that I'd like another pair of computer glasses because everytime the rubber nose-thingees come off these I can't see anything until I get them fixed. We got there before 9, thinking we'd beat the mall weekend rush. They didn't open until 10, so we walked around the mall. Finally got in, selected, paid, etc., but the glasses wouldn't be ready until 12:35, so we came back home. We'll pick them up on Monday. I HATE to be at that mall on weekends...WAY too many people for me.

Did you get weather this week, Diane? Looked like y'all might even have had tornados. We got forecasts of 80% chance of rain and got not a drop until today our piddly little chance of drain gave us some drizzle. LOL.

SpeedKin said...

Nope, I'm gonna use the old computer to teach myself a thing or two. There have to be a couple of unoccupied brain cells up there somewhere. I hope.

Yep, I use containers from just about anything and everything--yogurt, sour cream, cheap plastic and/or styrofoam cups, tin foil pans, etc. I did the newspaper pots last year because I wanted to try them. They were really quick and easy to make and worked well. But I'm back to my normal stuff this year.

It's time for me to head in for new contacts and glasses, too, but I'll be danged if I want to part with a stack-o-cash right now. So I'm stretching it out a wee bit. I figure I have two eyes so one must be a spare in case something goes wrong, right?

We did have some nastiness near us a few days ago but it ended up north of us. There was a tornado warning (lots of those around here every spring) but I don't think anything touched down. Do you all know this site? http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/today.html You can see what weather events happened where on what date. Pretty cool. Nothing much around here is ever reported. Must not be many "official" spotters. Still, it gives a good idea of the ugly stuff that happens in the neighborhood. Looks like there was much ugliness in LincolnLand today (Sunday).

Oldnovice said...

This is where Em's at:

It's time for me to head in for new contacts and glasses, too, but I'll be danged if I want to part with a stack-o-cash right now.

Contacts cost a whole lot more than even bifocals. I wouldn't have gotten new glasses had #1 not given me $80.00 towards the purchase (for my birthday and mother's day this year).

Speaking of birthdays, Mike has a birthday this week, so someone start a Happy Birthday, Mike thread. I don't want to be the one to do it because between #1's birthday last week, the new glasses, and the every 3-month teeth cleaning, I don't have a spare dime to get him a present. 'course it didn't help that he didn't like the LAST present I got him [same Zelda shirt that you wanted, #3; the hearts were too femme for him (or so I've heard)]. He didn't grow up with sisters. Anyway, give him a holler on the 5th.

Em's leavin' tomorrow on a roadtrip to Memphis to meet up with his son, who is flying there for a golf thingee. They played golf together last year around this time in Alabama, and I'm thinking that the ultimate golf thingee WILL be in Alabama, so I have no clue why they're both going to Memphis. I think he'll be back Saturday evening. I'm supposed to not worry about him alone on the road, so I won't.

Diane: How did you transfer your information from your old PC to your new one so quickly? What kindof backup operation worked for you? I have zero backup right now and could use any ideas about how to backup files without spending any money on new hardware. TIA.

SpeedKin said...

Diane: How did you transfer your information from your old PC to your new one so quickly? What kindof backup operation worked for you?

Backup? I don't need no steenkin' backup!

The computer died over the course of a couple of days so, during one of its good moments, I uploaded a dozen or so of my important personal files (budget, seed inventory, etc) to yahoo briefcase. Other than that, I lost everything. Whatever programs I had on the old one, I just reinstalled from original CDs onto the new one.

Signed,

World's Biggest Computer Dummy

Oldnovice said...

Wonder if Mike has time left on his break to burn me some backups. Sounds like WORK to me and I try to avoid those four-letter words.

I tink it shoulda been tink, #3...Metinks. LOL.

I've been real cavalier about backups (as in who needs steenkin' backups) for as long as I've had PCs. I've never had a PC break nor have I ever gotten a virus/worm/trojan or something that did any damage. I don't have health insurance, either. I really don't want to redo my recipe file, though, and I might need to burn a copy of MS Access because Mr. Blue lost my disks. (I kept his digital camera, so we're even).

Diane, that Lemon Balm didn't make it (maybe). I've got NUTHIN' green, but I've got NUTHIN' from my last year's sage either, so ya think I should just keep watering them and wait? The rest of the stuff you sent is all green, smiling, singing and spreading.

I haven't seen the neighbor's dog in 2 days. I saw her ONCE after I brought her back, but yesterday and today...NOTHING. They did more work on the ground around the fence yesterday afternoon, so maybe they're building a moat or something. :-) I miss her; she listened to my stories.

Heather's a game widow, eh? I found out this week that Baseball season starts right away after Basketball season. There's not even a one-week break! I'd had about as much March Madness as I could take. LOL. Go out like a lion or a lamb, but just "go out!"

Any word on the job interview, No. 2?

What's ghost and does it cost money?

Oldnovice said...

I asked Mike today what games he liked and he said that he's now playing... drumroll ... Oblivion. Thank you, Alex! I'll take Oblivion for 200!

He'll burn some stuff for me, too.

Take advantage of the $137 r/t fare, #3. I'll set aside a rock in the back yard away from the fireants for you to sleep. Meet Mike and the rest of the Fockers!

If that rate continues, I wouldn't mind taking the trip to Chitown, myself. Just need mo' money! If your dad and Suellen would like to come down, there's a really nice hotel near Six-flags; my brother Dennis stayed there with his wife and was really pleased. As I said previously, I'll cook if people want to come down.

SpeedKin said...

http://www.wintersown.org/

Was thinking of you and your SFG today. Figured you might go for this no fuss, no muss kind of thing so hunted down the link.

That sucks about the lemon balm. My LB is usually pretty slow waking up in the spring so maybe it's just being lazy? If it doesn't come around, just holler and I'll send you some more once mine is *fully* awake.

Oldnovice said...

These folks at the link are "into it" (like you!). I'll see how it goes this summer before I decide whether I want to continue with this aside and take advantage of their ideas. It's bookmarked, jic.

Strangest little bug is crawlin' up the wall; obviously one of the Slowskies, oval-shaped and mebbe 1/8" long. Kindof hypnotizing to watch it crawl. You're getting sleepy....:thud:

No. 2 said...

Okay. I saw a brief intro to the Oblivion game when I was at the house today. Not really my gig. It's the deluxe expanded version of Zelda and other games where you destroy and conquer. I'm so not a video game person. I have the attention span of about 30 seconds when it comes to video games or anything else that requires a long drawn out thinking process. That's also why I'm not a big fan of chess.

Anyways, I didn't mention my happenings yet. Not much to report. Just school, work, school, work, and then some school and work. And then sometimes on the weekend I work. :) I mean, I did a load of laundry today, but that's not really worth reporting.

Oldnovice said...

I mean, I did a load of laundry today, but that's not really worth reporting.

Does this mean I shouldn't mention how I probably broke my little toe again stubbing it into those #*#^$# stools that sit at the right side of the pathway from the kitchen to the big room at the back of the house that I want to call the frontroom except that it isn't at the front?

Does this mean that I shouldn't mention how Em moved my garlic chive pot from the garden by the back fence (because he mowed the lawn) back to the patio and how when I saw the chives wilting and walked over to the patio to give it some water I got attacked by fire ants, some of whom crawled halfway up my right leg in the 15 seconds I spent watering that thing? Huh? Huh? LOL.

Looks like Silly-O has tolerance when it comes to #3. She ignored the memo from No. 2 (which I'm putting here so Diane can enjoy it, No. 2):

Apples & Wine

Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt.

Instead, they sometimes take the apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy. The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing.

They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.

Share this with women who are good apples, even those who have already been picked!

Now Men.... Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and it's up to women to stomp the shit out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.


We all have our weaknesses.

SpeedKin said...

Now Men.... Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and it's up to women to stomp the shit out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

I'm puttin' on my Nancy Sinatra boots, baby!

Oldnovice said...

LOL.

I knew Diane would enjoy that one, #2; sorry for exceeding any boundaries I might have exceeded.

THERE'S a word I don't intend to use again with all those unnecessary e slot holders.

Oldnovice said...

How many are in your family, Silly-O...youngins, I mean?

"it is too hard to be mad at him he is just too silly and funny.


You ARE aware that this blog is named familialinsanity, right?

Oldnovice said...

Keeping with the theme of discussing whatever we want, I asked Diane to identify the radishes and lettuces she'd sent me. People assume that radishes are red, but I pulled one that was white and had a decidedly "peppery" taste.

SO...I thought...maybe that was an icicle radish. So, I wondered if an icicle radish might have a seed that looks like a small grain of rice...because both the radish mix Diane sent AND the lettuce mix contain these little stub/seeds that look like pieces of white rice.

She'd underestimated MY intelligence, for sure, as she told me that the things that look like little bits of white rice are little bits of white rice. Em and I had a good laugh over that. He asked me if I'd planted them, assuming they were seeds and I assured him that I had. :tup:!!!

It's not like I'm unfamiliar with white rice being used as a dessicant, Diane; it was in all our salt shakers growing up. [just caught me in a brain--not connected phase; those phases occur more often lately]. Loved the laugh we got out of that, though. Stupid is GOOD...or if you need more laughs in your life...be stupid!

Oldnovice said...

Why would you have it in a salt shaker?

Salt will clump up if it gets too moist; rice absorbs moisture and prevents clumping. Prolly also prevents mold and stuff on seeds that might have a little moisture left in them.

I think there's a nutz gene going on in Michael's family, as well. Wouldn't he have to be nutz to want to live with #1? LOL.

Silly-O sure stands up for ya, though, #3. What was that project you completed all about? Give me some information so Silly-O doesn't excoriate me again for not giving you the strokes you deserve.

Oldnovice said...

Step-people...interesting. My kids never talk about step-people...at least to me. They talk about their mom's boyfriend and their dad's wife, but there's never been any mention of step-people. I wonder why that is. Anybody know?????

Project, #3...talk project for a few minutes so I can praise you before we leave town. Also tell me how hard you're trying to get a flight down here for #1's graduation. Mike could use someone to talk to about projects, not to mention Science Fantasy books. Seems that #1 and Mike's mom got together to discuss wedding plans this past weekend and now the date is May 5, 2007 instead of 2008. She wants to get married at the Botanical Garden. I think she should wear something purchased at the Rennaisance Fair and have music by John Lennon. :-)