Welcome newcomers! Please introduce yourself
Join us here for a refuge from the
plight of our nation.
The world is upside-down, use this thread as a place of comfort and companionship.
Coffee & Tea under the window, platters of treats on every table
Sorry it’s late! Real-life intruded on my host rotation, how dare it huh?!? I’ll be in and out today since my boss is out of town for a conference the next two days, splash nicely!
In case anyone hasn’t had a chance, I highly recommend you check out the Froggy Bottom Photo Fair Diary. It includes links to all the amazing galleries that were on full-display this past weekend.
This community is truly gifted.
I’m thinking about adding a link to the Photography Fair to the Cafe Templates, do you think that’s a good idea, or not?
Host’s can always take them out (and not all hosts use the templates) so it might not always be in every Cafe, but that would keep it around for people to view at their leisure.
I know, that things were so hectic last weekend, there are still diaries I haven’t seen. And I haven’t spent enough time at any of them.
Katie, I think it would be good if you just make a box template for those links, that we can pick up and put in the cafe, no matter the format we are using.
My theory of the Cafe Templates is that I put stuff in and hosts can take stuff out if they want.
What I could do is leave the templates that are there as is and make modified copies that have the links.
They’re just there as a starting place, or a Quick Way to Get Things Going. If people have to open too many files, or the process gets too complicated, then they aren’t templates anymore.
Thanks again for your work, I know what you mean about spending enough time with the galleries, I want to comment in every one of them but haven’t had the down-time yet. They were so amazing.
Happy Tuesday everyone. Three days til our drive to the mountains to see the fall colors and check out UNCAsheville with our son. Fall weather makes me feel energized.
My local paper, The Raleigh News and Observer, printed my letter to the editor today. What do you think? Screw anonymity…that’s me.
for following up on your previous request for them to change their policy. Hopefully many others who share your sentiments will read your letter and work for change. Paz
Way to go.
Good for you!
<applause>
Very well-written and to the (very good) point.
[I was trying to invent some pseudo-html for “continuing applause.” Then it occurred to me that if you just don’t close your tag, that’s what you get.] Brava!
Great letter! Contgratulations!
You’ll like Asheville, the “San Francisco of the Appalachians.” Very progressive place for the part of the country it’s in…
You rock!!!
They list religion as well as favorite movie??? How draconian and downright … bizarre!
Do they list their favorite snacks and sexual positions? List how much they earn a year? What car they drive. Or is that too personal for them? Just gotta share their idea that to get along one must be a Christian.
Heh… get on the board and list yourself as a Satanist 🙂
Damn! That’s whacked.
Keep biting them in the ass. As well as those who answered what their religion and fave movie was… morons.
How about list how many books you’ve read this past year?? :O
Love, Janet!
They edited out a couple sentences where I suggested that the public would like to know bra size and cholesterol levels. Apparently that was just silly.
bra size and cholesterol levels!!!! OMFG!!!
You are a genius!!!! A goddess!!!!
Got to the tea late again. Cold, well tepid really. Oh well, I drank it anyway. I’m beginning to like it that way. I’ll make a pot of Darjeeling later. I’m spending my morning looking over stories from my students. Some really outstanding work in there. I suspect some of them need me less as a teacher than an affirming voice.
I don’t come here all that often, but today I feel like settling into the old swing on the smokers porch with a good cup of coffee, and just… get still. Watch the squirrels play. Watch the leaves turn. Smell the fresh fall air. Stop thinking, stop feeling. Let the world go by and just…”be.”
Ahhhh…that’s better.
the cafe is great to ‘just be’, especially when alot is going on. This space is about companionship, humorous rambling and some damn good pictures! I think I’ll join you on that smoking porch, sounds great.
Um, how about those of us with asthma? As long as there’s a good stiff fall breeze I’d like to join you two and sit upwind. :0)
about virtual porches and virtual climates is that it can be anything you wish, so pull up a cushion and enjoy the perfect day!
and I can dunk myself in body oils, eat garlic and bacon drenched jalapenos, while lighting incense and polish my nails.
😀
Mmmmmmmm……baaaaaaaacon.
Sorry, but I need to vent somewhere…
Am I the only person who’s noticed that single women are often excluded from social activities by their married friends? My best friend has begun doing this, and I don’t know how to bring it up with her. We’ve been friends for 10 years, the last 7 of those years I’ve been single. I’ve never felt this way before, but last year she got divorced and remarried in a short time period. Her new husband has never made me feel uncomfortable when I get together with them, but in the last 6 months I’ve noticed that she only wants to get together when he’s away on business, and that I’m no longer invited over for dinner or a visit (okay, he suggested the oys and I come for a visit, but she never followed up); that seems to be only for their couple friends.
Am I just being overly sensitive? Should I ask her about it? Or just keep ging on my merry way and not let it bother me (this is starting to be a less successful approach).
Has anyone else felt discriminated against because of their single (or married!) status?
I’m probably the wrong person to reply to this for a couple of reasons…namely because I really don’t have any girlfriends. I got married right out of high school and had babies while my high school friends were out partying and sleeping around. Now I’m on my second marriage and my kids are almost fully grown, and they’re at home with small kids. We’re just on totally different planes.
I think some women get a little guarded about exposing their husbands to their single women friends. Maybe a teeny bit of jealousy or thinking the husband might be attracted to you? I’ve seen pictures of you, CG…:)
My first response to the jealousy idea was: But she’s listened to me complain about the fact that married men seem to be the only ones interested in me a million times! (And the fact that it grossed me out…I have since decided it says worse about them than it does about me.) And then I thought, maybe that’s part of it, because perception is everything. But she’s been my good friend through so much crap! Ugly divorce, short on cash times, stupid guy stuff, parenting nightmares, etc. And with husband #1, it wasn’t an issue, so why would she be weird now?
Thanks.
’cause it’s a new marriage and she’s still attracted to him? We know THAT won’t last very long…
I hadn’t thought of the jealousy thing, but you could be right.
What I thought is that maybe the friend is still in the temporary insanity phase of the relationship? Maybe she’s not having much to do with any of her friends?
I know I’m far away, but please know that you are my friend. My buddy.
I wish we lived closer because you and the boys would always be welcomed over. Just not in the early morning hours… the am routine is a day breaker or maker 🙂
Once Wes was diagnosed we lost all invite status. Hell, when we first thought he was deaf, several opted out of our lives.
Their loss, I’m a fantastic party girl 🙂
Thanks-I wish we lived closer too! We’d be happy to have you all over-maybe we could watch 007 movies and eat eskimo pies together?
The spouse still wants you to get your skinny ass down here for a Sharks game before you head North — and we may have to alter our vacation plans next year and make a Portland stop before or after Seattle/Alaska (hell, I should pop in and see the niece and great-niece anyway)!
Both of us send major congratulations on the news of Wayne’s job from yesterday’s Cafe; the spouse heard “Hillsboro” and immediately said, “That’s at the end of the Portland MAX line if she wants to leave her car at home once in a while!” You can take the boy away from transit, but you can’t take transit away from the boy…
My skinny ass?? He needs glasses! 🙂
I will definitely join you for a game!! 🙂 I would love that 🙂 Caution: I go NUTS after goals 🙂
I’ll email you with my phone number so we can cluck cluck cluck away 🙂
Actually, I have no idea why I call them “rules” – they’re not really, just observations. One, for example, is “The quality of the Mexican food is inversely proportional to the distance from the Mexican border.”
Another is “Lust makes you stupid.” Maybe she’s just suffering from this one. In my experience, time is the cure. Maybe she’ll return to her senses.
Well, I hope it’s soon, because I miss giggling hysterically with her over life’s stupid twists and turns over a couple of margaritas or cosmopolitans…
I agree with your Mexican food rule, BTW…
My wife can’t eat wheat or related grains, so Mexican restaurants with their many corn-centered foods are among the few restaurants we can patronize.
Here in Menomonie WI of all places, we have one of the finest I’ve ever been to, and we’ve eaten Mexican in multiple places in TX, AZ, and Southern CA.
The owners used to have a place in San Diego, where they were able to make a living, but only just because the competition was so fierce. So they decided to get as far from the Mexican border as they could while remaining in the US.
They ended up in Eau Claire of all places and did so well that they opened a second restaurant here. The language in the kitchen is Spanish, and most of the waiters come up from Mexico, study at the college and work at the restaurant for a year or two before returning home.
Another Mexican restaurant that makes our top ten is on the high street in Edinburgh Scotland. Call these the exceptions that prove the rule.
I’m not having trouble with many kinds of restaurants.
For fast food, I use the bun as a holder and much the middle out from between it. I can’t eat in public this way of course, but it’s usually fine in the car. Even big chunks of fish & chips can be eaten out, with cutlery in public or gopher-style in the car.
The tricky bit as you know is sauces, which often use wheat as a thickener. This makes oriental food tricky because so many soy sauces are mostly wheat.
And, sad to say, all too many micro brew beers.
that and the other preparations and the fact that she can’t have any of the related grains either. No beer at all for example because of the barley. And even having buns touch her food is more or less a no no. Unlike some celiacs, she doesn’t get immediate symptoms. But basically anytime she gets any glutens into her system they damage her stomach and intestines and up he cancer risks. The analogy we use is that every bit of wheat or related gluten is like a cigarette for someone who smoked a pack a day for ten years. It doesn’t help that onions make her sick. Most restaurants, when we talk to the cooks etc. turn out to have between one to five items she can eat.
Rule Number One: Never videotape yourself having sex. It always leads to trouble.
or, in my cause, nausea.
at “never videotape” and immediately make the world a better place.
My most reliable rule: never eat at a place that calls itself a deli and serves macaroni salad.
No macaroni salad? You know, mayonnaise is considered a side dish here in the South.
and that’s why I don’t even venture into delis in the south — I have an unreasonable fear of being served a hot pastrami on a kaiser with mayonaise.
Disclaimer: I am not southern. But my husband is and I kid you not, he puts mayo on….HOTDOGS!!! I have to leave the room, it is so vile.
Tucson and have a Sonoran-style hotdog:
Bun, mayo, jalapenos, onions, and beans over a hotdog wrapped in bacon.
mmmmmmmmmmmmm
Sounds yummy, without the mayo. How about cheddar and mustard?
put syrup on potato latkes — which I always believed was what killed the marriage.
I put syrup on my grits and was instantly labeled a yankee. Hey…it’s like Cream of Wheat, right?
oh, I do that too. But not at picnics. 🙂 My mayo stays in the fridge at all times 🙂
Instead of mayo on most things, I’m guilty of using horseradish… “NO KIDS it’s not made out of horsey!!!”
I was young. I was a picky eater (thank gawd)
I was surrounded the Talabaptists who dearly enjoyed mayo-based picnic items. What an idea!!!! Prepare a salad slathered in mayo and let it sit out in the hot sun…
About a dozen or so of them “came down” with food poisoning.
Although I did not witness the actual run to one of the two bathrooms on the farm…. no amount of soundproofing could have deleted the sounds of the blowing chunks.
I have never eaten potato salad after that horrible incident that clearly left me scarred. :O)
However ketchup and mayo mixed together makes great dip for fries 🙂 Nowadays I add cayenne to the mixtures.
if my husband eats potato salad at work or something… I make him brush his teeth before he can kiss me LOL
(I’m terribly twisted from that fateful brunch on the lawn at Grandmas)
I feel like such a dork….totally alone in the house and laughing my ass off. I think I may have snorted.
That’s an incredible compliment! 🙂 Snortage!
uhhh,,you sure that was snort??? or a snart? ~@^@~
(duck’n)
Stop the harassment! Mayo goes with almost anything!
OK, you may all proceed now 😉
I grew up on a steady diet of mayo’s bastard cousin, Miracle Whip.
I take issue! There is some really terrific Mexican food in Denver.
But lust does make you stupid, though.
There’s definitely fine Mexican food in Denver. In fact, there’s a hole-in-the-wall restaurant a block away from my house that serves up some of the yummiest.
Hmmmmm . . . I think I’ll head down the block and have lunch.
I must say that I formulated that rule several decades ago after bad experiences with so-called “mexican food” in San Francisco and Seattle. (Uh . . . “salsa” that appears to be diluted ketchup with a little pickle relish mixed in????)
I almost listed my own exception – Luquin’s in Pahoa, HI – clearly a very long way from the Mexican border. Since the initial formulation of the rule, I think there have been a lot of Mexican restaurants opened in places like Wisconsin (see KMc’s comment) by wanderers to the north country who do actually know how to make good Mexican food.
But I retain my rule, since it’s always well to be wary when far away from the Mexican border. Mexican food in Falmouth, MA for example. I made a deal with classmates who wanted to go out for Mexican food there, that we would get Tecate, chips and salsa first before committing ourselves to dinner. Well, pretty hard to mess up Tecate, but did you know that tortilla chips can be simultaneously a) cold, b) greasy, c) stale, and d) tough? For “salsa” see above.
We left and went to an Italian place. Much better bet when in MA.
Janet, Your rule reminded me of my worst Mexican food experience. Our whole group got extremely sick (I assume no details are necessary).
It was at a restaurant in Taos, NM. Oh, my gosh, that was 31 years ago! How can that be? Taos was in a pre-hipish state. It was hip, but no one had heard of it yet.
I’ve lost friends over the years for any number of reasons. The one reason that I could kick myself for is “not doing anything to keep the friendship going”. So my advice is that if you love this friend, have the talk with her. Don’t end up being pissed with yourself for letting the friendship just fade away.
On the good news front is re-establishing friendships. I’ve kept in touch with two of my old college friends. Last year, we decided to try to get some our friends that we hadn’t seen in a long time to meet up for a “reunion”. We ended up with six of us (scattered all over the country) getting together and had a great time. Even though in some cases it had been almost 30 years since we’d seen each other, it was as if we’d never parted. We had such a great time, we did it again this year and we’re working on plans for next year.
I have a married friend that I had a hard time keeping close to – not because they excluded me in any way because I’m single – I love them both and enjoy both of their company, and that seems to be mutual. But it was hard finding a time for all three of us to get together, and besides, sometimes she and I just needed some girl time.
So she and I decided to schedule a regular lunch date. In our case, every other Friday. It’s been great. We live far from each other even though in the same city, both have busy (and different) schedules, and were beginning to lose touch. We’re closer now than we have been in years.
Actually, I had just decided to call my friend about getting together for lunch next week after reading everyone’s comments (thanks AndiF!). I like the idea of scheduling that on a regular basis, too.
Thanks!
Spouse is flying back today 🙂 A few others got hired on the johnny spot, too. One was a guy who Wayne helped remember some “theory stuff” and he thanked Wayne cause he got the nod, too.
Thanks for all the thumbs up and hugs yesterday!
Of course now my kids are “what about our friends?” and my son is really worried about losing his aide of 7 years…
However, due to the ripples in the water today. I just want you all to know… I love you guys. We all have diferent ideas on different issues… but we are in this together. We all have our various signs but we are marching on the same street. Diversity without division.
shit… I ate one of thse sunbelt granola bars… (didn’t read the label because DanDan put it in the cart) fucker was more like a chocolate bar. Now I’ve got a sugar high from hellllllll. ACK! LOL
You mentioned the Wife swap show last night and I had a chance to catch it…..what a show last night, verrry interesting. Since you do this so well, how about writing a recap of storyline….
For others who did not see the show it was the earth creative mother who does not believe in makeup, haircombing, hair washing, has a $5.00 budget for her 10 yr, old daughters clothes at thrift stores only, so that she has money for her creative projects of which she has many and organic food eating……..goes to meet the family with the tiny beauty pagent contestant, junk food and Tv junkies, totally concerned with appearance and most of all matching clothes but who somehow have more love for each other than the earth mother’s family does, a fact that is realized at the very end of the show.
Oh and good morning all…..
A few random thoughts about upside-downness.
At Cornwallis’ surrender to the French (anniversary coming October 19th), who had to steer him over to General Washington, a band played “The World Turned Upside Down.”
But google tells me that this may be a myth and so the story itself may be upside-down.
—
Wizard of Id cartoon. Peasant is heading up a ladder with a load of bricks as the knight looks on.
“This your first brick wall?” asks the knight.
“–Yes, how did you know?”
“The pro’s start at the bottom.”
—
For the cafe afternoon:
Olde Frothingslosh Beer, the new olde pale stale ale with the foam on the bottom.
Cabin – I second Second Nature about the jealousy angle. It’s not necessarily based on attraction, but if you pay attention to him, he will respond with some happiness in a way. She can’t help noticing this.
I have had to deal with some jealousy in different situations, and I am married and plain looking – no threat to anybody.
Think about it – maybe if you ask her what’s up.
I’ve been away for a few days and come back to see all that’s gone on here lately! I’m not going away again soon, the place just goes to hell! 😉
I did the below for some hockey friends. The sites code is super easy and this is all new to me. I’ll practising my BooSkills on you all 🙂 Enjoy!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…
Our own VooDooChild
It’s that month….
where all good vampires, witches and goalie goblins come out of the closet. Werewolves, too! Where Wolf? There Wolf.
I Vant to Suck Your Blog Jonathan Harker’s diary done in real-calendar time.
A fun List of Haunted Houses and Places in Calif. and USA
Creepiest place, that I found, is still Danvers State Insane Asylum Where I went tresspassing last April. (Almost got my ass arrested for doing so – it was broad daylight and the gate was open… my brother, husband and two kids have their own version of what happened that day. 🙂
Next weekend I’m taking off for my tribute drive… again. I call it the “The Fog” -“Andy get out of the fog!!!!!!!”- and “The Birds” drive”. Point Reyes Lighthouse, where if the steps don’t kill ya, the wind will, and then over to Bodega Bay. Come home with salt water taffy hopped up on dramamine and settle in with some Gamay Rouge and watch Hitchcock till I have an out of body experience.
Later, a fairly decent halloween movie month list.
Too cool! She looks like Tim Burton created her.
She’s a variant of the same witch/voodoochild.
This year she wants to try red tuel in her hair (it’s about 20 mini ponytails – I help with hair and makeup) with red sequined eyebrows and rubyglitter lips. But still a child of darnkess.
That sounds like fun!
I love Halloween more as an adult than I did as a child. Is that weird?
we weird people must stick together 🙂
I’ve always loved Halloween, but I do enjoy being evil and wicked more as an adult 🙂
Candy TAX!!! meaning I get to pick some from the loot.
Time to head for the sun…don’t I wish
sunrise, Poipu Beach, Kuiai
Damnit, you’re breakin’ my heart…I make the drive out to the Point Reyes Lighthouse every time I get to the area. Only once has the sun been out and the steps are, indeed, intimidating.
Later
PS: If you need a real good laugh, and you missed the late nite cafe, check this out Never Touchin’ the Taser Again…
Peace all
🙂 The kids will be into it this time, too.
Are you gonna catch the remake of the Fog? I’ll wait for it to come out on DVD, natch… but I do hope Adrienne “Bimbo” gets a cameo or something. 🙂
John Carpentar AND Alfred Hitchcock drive 🙂 Wanna come along?
My mom says that she thought of Janet Lee from Psycho when she came up with my name… figures. 🙂
I’m in! In spirit anyway…the drive out through the open range land is gorgeous – can you still get up into the lighthouse? I got some great pics of the “light lens” at the top on the sunny day I was there years ago…I’ll have to hunt them down for the next FB FotoFair – ENJOY!
Peace
I’ve noticed that sometimes it’s locked and you can only go thru the bottom part of the lighthouse. Other times it’s open… go figure.
I have seen sun there. For about 40 seconds and it was still bonecrushing cold LOL
Try walking up those steps carrying a baby – OY!
That was too damn funny!!!!!
And it’s just another reason why this chick is not into battery operated or gawd forbid plug in pleaure toys LOL
I have a scar on the top of my hand from a damn shock.
Gotta save this for my husband who is a electronics eng. He’ll love this 🙂
but.. he might try it – just to prove disprove anything in the story 🙂
((((((((Dada))))))))))
From Talking Points Memo:
“Matt Yglesias has a shrewd post on the on-going meta-debate about the what ifs and coulda shouldas of Iraq. Matt is advancing the increasingly convincing argument that even under the the most competent and well-supplied management the entire Iraq endeavor may have been doomed to failure.”
Well no duh. Some of us figured that out a long time ago. But of course we were peaceniks, and they were realists. Pfui.
a 4 for using ‘Pfui’ 😀
Isn’t 20-20 hindsight the best? How anyone could let the Bush misAdministration pass on their incompetence amazes me. Glad to have you here in the cafe, can I get you anything?
Paz
Thanks!
A latte please. I’m sleepy because we had yesterday off. For what our family calls “Indian Day.” 🙂
I hope you like the swirlies.
Show off! 🙂
Feeling frustrated today…spent the last half hour nagging the spouse to get his ass in gear. Will be sooooo glad to have him back on his regular schedule; with him going in late, there’s too much opportunity for him to veg out. Woke up at about 1:30 this morning and he was out of bed and on the damn computer; if I had the skill I’d develop a program that would forbid logging on between certain hours (say, midnight – 6am)…could probably make a small fortune…
And me too — got some sort of tummy bug so I’ve been sleeping most of the morning; got to get myself stirring to get showered and get work done, when what I really want to do is curl up on the couch and watch some of my DVD collection (just picked up Cosmos over at The Discovery Channel Store; in light of the “intelligent design” debate, might be good viewing…).
Have a great day, folks…
Hope you feel better!
And again thanks for the invite, I’ll take you up on it. 🙂
I’m not the “jealous spouse” type…I know my spouse is the “look but don’t touch” kind of guy… 😉
I sent you an email :). Yahoo has been very strange with delivery times…
Wow!!! Mt Hood! Thank you AndiF
Ya know, I hope they don’t erupt… I was there during Mt. St. Helens… and that was enough for this chick!
In fact I have a tendency to really piss Mother Nature off where ever I go. ACK!
Maybe you ought to bookmark this webcam?
I have to step out for an hour or so, I will see you all this afternoon. Hope your Tuesdays are progressing nicely!
hop over to Boston Joe’s diary — I’m finding it quite cathartic and amusing.
That was hilarious…too bad I spent my afternoon studying for a neuro exam…I missed all the fun…
http://www.orrill.com/blog/archives/000885.html
well worth the click!
last night, i was googling some info to write part 2 of my “posse c in da house?” diary (the dkos version) and i discovered that it is in the middle of page two on a google search for “new orleans insurrection act.”
would you be so kind as to give it a few clicks – it’d be damn fun to see it on page one of the search results!
thanks!
gotta luv tabbed-browsing with Firefox.
How are ya Cedwyn?
i suppose i ought not to complain, eegee.
: p
and yourself?
someone decided to let me be the Big Eegee In Office for a coupla days, preeeety scary stuff. 🙂
And 20 more from me!!!
Come join the fun at the “Please-God(dess)-Let-It-Be-Friday-Instead-Of-Tuesday Happy Hour!
Come on boy! <whistle>
“
There you are! What a good quote-mark you are. Now go find your way to the end of that last comment.
Gooood boy.
(I obviously need medical assistance, I better get to the doctor before I lose my health insurance)
speculate about your medication needs…
they don’t make my jaw twitch :-D))))))