Welcome newcomers! Please introduce yourself!
Outdoor Cafe Today!
Coffee & Tea under the awning, platters of treats on every picnic table!
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Newspapers are in their regular spot next to the door
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Please recommend (and unrecommend the Cafe/Lounge from yesterday)
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May the 4’s be with you
Good Morning, depending on your time zone! I’m late! My apologies to all froggies who’ve been standing outside the Cafe with your noses pressed up against the window.
I’ll be back to add stuff like the Map, after I’ve had my coffee and made a huge pot of it for you guys.
::wipes noseprint from glass with sleeve::
Missed you yesterday, Kansas. We had fun with pictures. Don’t forget to check out AndiF’s cross-eyed mouth-breather with vacant stare.
for the next one….
I’ve got lots of pictures of being cranky or sulky under the age of 5….
We’ll see who can come up with the grumpiest kid pic – on a day when the frustration level makes us want to throw tantrums!
That would be fun — and this time someone else can win because there are only 4 more pictures of me as a non-adolescent and I’m smiling in all of them. I do have some really gruesome ones, though, from dressing up to go to bar mitzvah parties.
making that and a shrunk-down image my signature line — having the best crossed-eyed mouther-breather vacant stare kid pic of anyone at bootrib seems to me to be an accomplishment worthy of serious bragging rights.
It would make a Class A avatar. But I hope you’d still post the blue dot pictures from time to time just for nostalgic purposes.
Hilarious! And the only thing I’ve seen so far is that photo. Lord, it’s not smart to leave this place for too long–there’s too much great and/or funny stuff to read and catch up on! Waaa. I’ll never do it. Now must hurry just to catch up on the Cafe chat!
Map, map, where’d I put that map?
As for BooBooks, no discount from Powells this time. . .not enough buyers. So everybody is now officially sprung free to get your copy of OH PURE AND RADIANT HEART from there or anywhere you want to get it. Thanks for your patience, Bookies.
Here’s the link to the map of where we are:
LINK: Frappr! Map
For those of you who kindly participated in yesterday’s BooBooks diary while I was out of town, here’s a link to it if you want to read my responses to your brilliant comments. All your comments, on any subject, are brilliant, of course.
LINK: BooBooks diary.
I see that you ignored this part of my comment:
Is that because a tenuta-leibowitz mindmeld is beyond the reach of even the most pathetic whine? So “poor little cross-eyed, mouth-breathing child with the vacant stare and drool going down her chin — why does nobody loves her” would be totally ineffective.
And here I thought I had tactfully averted my eyes!
You are so kind that I hesitate to tell you there won’t be any more Marie books. (Ducks. Feels flattered to have to duck. Perhaps is a duck.) It was always going to be a 3-booker.
Now about that ARC. . .how nice can you be to me for the next six months? Bwaahahaha. Bet ya can’t keep it up.
Damn I’m going to have to make that last book really last. It had better answer all the unanswered questions (like who the hell was the woman who called in the first book and why didn’t she call back in the second one) or I’ll tell my mommy you picked on me and then you’ll be sorry. (Oops, already screwed up the being nice part.)
So is the new book the start of a new series or a standalone or are you returning to one of your other two series?
Hey, if the third book doesn’t answer all the questions, just ask me and I’ll make up some answers for you.
The new book is both the first in a series and a standalone, thank you for asking. It’s a “series” only in the sense that they’ll all be set in Kansas, all be mystery/suspense with a bit of romance and a touch of the (possibly, depending on how you interpret it)supernatural. But the characters won’t continue from book to book. I think. You can never tell with these guys. They can show up unexpectedly, demanding another 15 minutes.
I’m curious now that I now it was always going to be a three book series, how much of the overall story arc did you plan out in advance and how much did you end up following the plan?
A nice cup of coffee sounds great this morning. It’s a little cold today and ready to rain this afternoon here in the San Francisco area. Coffee to warm us up!
For a cold day….maybe we should all stay inside and play cards with our friends!
Now what? 😉
Is anyone else following the Maureen Dowd foo-foo?
If you mean her recent writings related to her new book, then “yes.”
If you are interested in some reactions, here are a couple of links to posts from bloggers I particularly like,:
Echnide of the Snakes
Amanda Marcotte at Pandagon
Excellent bloggers, both.
I Blame the Patriarchy? Twisty is the ultimate in feminist snark. And she is amazingly honest as well. She’s going through breast cancer and she’s openly sharing the whole process with her readers (even putting up a post mastectomy picture).
And see she now has a UnEnDowd post up.
I do occasionally get over there. She is so brave.
Blogs also worth checking out (I think I’ve seen you around at least one of these places, Andi, but I’m linking for other curious folks):
Alas, a blog — feminist blog, one of my favorite daily reads, though I don’t post there
Majikthise — feminist blog
Thus Spake Zuska — feminist science blog
and lastly, something non-political, non PC, non tasteful, but just for the unbelieveable funny this guy sometimes puts out:
The Sneeze: as a sampler, this blogger does a series called Steve Don’t Eat It wherein he [obviously] blogs about eating various abnormal things, such as dog treats or homemade prison wine. Again, totally classless, but if you have an inner 12 year old boy, hilarious.
I go to Alas all the time. Also, feministe
I visit Majikthise pretty regularly as well but I never comment — those folks are just too damn smart for me.
I’ll have to check out the feminist science blog. Thanks for mentioning it.
I’ve been to the sneeze a couple of time but I’m not a regular visitor. I do have to get some work done every now and then.
Oh, I’m also pretty fond of World O’Crap
Thanks for the links.
More importantly, thank you for the validation.
After reading the article I was wandering in existential uncertainity as Dowd was claiming neither I nor Ms. ATinNM existed. Somewhat disconcerting. 😉
Extensive research has revealed that this is the actual first image of the Blue Dot. It is, in fact, so old that it was not referred to as the Blue Dot but as “The Tyranny of the Camera Creep.” This early incarnation led to Proverb 1, “One who holds a camera can take a sneaky picture any time he damn well wants.” In a short amount of time, there was Proverb 2 “Just stand there. I need some perspective.” Soon thereafter, the Blue Dot herself created the Ritual of Scaring the Moms by Taking a Photograph Standing Somewhere That Appears to be Very Dangerous”.
In one of the arches of “Double Arch” in Arches National Park, 1990
Excellent picture….and I love the proverbs!
Standing somewhere that looks scary to Mom….another diary of pictures topic!
The best scare wasn’t even a picture, though — it was a place (Volcano House at Kilauea) for which we parodied the MasterCard commercial:
Staying at a hotel on the rim of an active volcano, fun but expensive; scaring the moms with thoughts of us being sacrificed to Pele, priceless.
My picture of Scary to Mom would have to be the one of me with the motorcycle boyfriend.
you to post that picture.
How touched I am, just reading this. The history! The sacrifice! The stiff knees from crouching there too long! There should be a plaque, at the very least a blue hieroglyph for archaeologists to ponder.
Hey, I just learned how to spell archaeologist!
Really — you need spelling assistance? But I thought all you big shot authors had your terrified, subservient personal assistants slavishly following you around, desperately trying to satisfy all your capriciously unreasonable demands.
Yes, indeed, I do have a slavishly obedient personal servant and her name is Google. She used to be a stripper. She’s married to a man named Ogle.
I guess I’ll just keep my job as omniscient narrator and not apply for the promotion to official groveler.
Good morning all! Only coffee for me today, in preparation for my test tomorrow.
Hi Kansas, yes I had my nose pressed to the window, and it was dark inside the cafe…it’s cold out here you know, not really…it’s low 60’s here now..glad to see you made it in and got the cafe opened…And how are you today…you must be feeling good with your manuscript on it’s way…
I am feeling sooo good about that, AND a copy of the proposed cover just arrived and I love it. I wish I could scan it and post it so you could see and comment. Ha! Wouldn’t that drive an art department crazy: “Dear Art Director, I showed your proposed cover idea to my online friends and they have a few suggestions for you. . .”
Thanks for finally opening up! I was getting wet in all the mizzle (moister than mist, drier than drizzle).
Now.
Need.
More.
Tea.
Finally! Nothing like making it abundantly clear how boring my life is without the cafe.
Well, I have some happy news. My sister shared with me the details of the Christmas trip she and her son are taking thanks to Make-A-Wish. They’re going to Hawaii and doing all kinds of cool things like a volcano helicopter tour, a luau, whale watching cruise and other surprises. It’s a memory-making trip for her family more than anything.
Here is a picture of her son, Brady, (left) and my son when Brady was still able to walk and dig in the sand before his Muscular Dystrophy really began it’s surprisingly rapid march. He can no longer even feed himself or turn the page of a book. Every time he gets a cold we fear it will kill him. Every time I start to feel sorry for myself that my kids are growing up and leaving the nest, I think of my sister and how she would give everything to have her son grow up and leave her.
I hope they have a great time in Hawaii and I’m sure it will give them memories to treasure. I just wish there was a different cause for the trip.
Sorry, I guess that didn’t come off as happy as it really is. This trip is going to be so cool for them and those people who work for Make-a-Wish are as dedicated and kind as anyone you’ll ever meet. There’s no way they could take a trip like this without them.
The reason isn’t happy but the fact that Make-a-Wish can do things and give them all special memories is happy and special.
What beautiful boys. It must be hard on your guys to see what’s happening to their cousin. I hope your sis and nephew have the most wonderful trip possible.
Yeah, they feel really guilty. My son who is the same age as Brady feels bad every time he passes a milestone his cousin never will. The last time he visited us here in NC from their home in Cleveland, we had not seen him in a year and were stunned at how the disease had progressed.
SecondNature…. I’m so glad I have you in my life 😉
Make a Wish is a fantastic foundation. When I worked with Northwest Airlines, they cooperated greatly with trips. It was the greatest part of the job. Seeing those special tickets get approved and sent.
I just have to tell you, I have cried 3 different times today looking at this beautiful picture and thinking of all the stories behind it. Empathetic tears of both joy and pain, you know? I hope your sister’s family has an amazing trip, and that they extract every possible ounce of pleasure from every second of it.
Thank you. Now we’re even. One of your pictures yesterday made me cry and I’m not even going to tell you which one or why because it’s so weird and motherly. I actually wrote you about it and then unsent it. That’s the good/bad thing about having AOL…hee hee.
You’re a sensitive, snarky and sneaky woman — I knew I liked you.
Yes, the one a brazillion weeks ago. I’m slow. 🙂
The first one was the good guys:
The second one is the counter protest. Those six guys in the little semicircle, plus three or four across the street:
Hmm, strange looking borders. I will have to work on that.
Plus I think I’ll only shrink them to 50% next time instead of to 25%. That’s a bit small . . .
However, not bad for my first posted pictures ever!
Pffft! Those counter-protestors are pathetic. I just don’t understand people who would protest against peace.
Well, they sure couldn’t find many! Some of the signs were making fun of hippies. I think the hippies just laughed.
Man, I could EAT those protestors myself … in my sleep, even. Let me at em. Pathetic.
Ask BostonJoe and DamnitRyan. I can take those bastards on. 🙂
… for some reason I’m typing like the Cowardly Lion – puddemup!!
🙂
Today I saw something truly sick. A “I ((heart( Gitmo” sticker on a truck’s window. … ACKKKK!!!! :*(
lol! great juxtaposition
on the borders — you appear to be using the template from the photo fair which has two cells in it — one for the picture and one for the comment. The solution is to get rid of the empty second cell (the second <td>..</td> tag).
Aha! Thanks.
Oooh…pretty maple leaves! Here’s something I like to call Berry and Blue. Not to be poetic, but because I don’t know what kind of tree it is. It was a beautiful autumn day and the sky was an intense, almost painful blue and I was just feeling like there really is a god.
They aren’t maple leaves that’s for damn sure 🙂 Maple leaves are actually spelled “Maple Leafs” and they are in Toronto and they are BLUE 🙂
Forget tree leaves… give me MAPLE BARS 🙂 Yum! I’ll plop down riiiight here next to ya 2nd and I’ll share em with ya. 🙂
You HAD to mention maple bars…now I’ve got to resist the temptation to get off the bus near the donut shop… 🙁
Great game last night…another OT win! Spouse was hoping for another shootout, but my heart can’t handle two within one week. 🙂
FINALLY can get out of here…podcasts took FOREVER to download today! 🙁
Beautiful picture!
What time of year did you take this picture? That will help with identifying it…..Also, what part of the country is it in? What did the flowers look like that preceded the fruit?
You’ve got me curious now.
Hey Mrs. Gooserock!
This was taken about two weeks ago in the mountains near Asheville, NC. It was on a college campus so I don’t know what kind of flowers it had. Looks to me like some kind of flowering crabapple or something, doesn’t it?
at least based on what I can tell from the posted picture. Here’s the dogwood leaf and fruit.
THat’s what I thought at first, but the leaves were waxy and smooth instead of dogwoody. I believe that’s the scientific term.
I’m just feeling like I need to compete with your always awesome vistas of places I’ve never been. I can do trees and berries, I’ll leave the breathtaking views and the blue dots to the pros.
a couple of things. First, on the self-esteem thing, I’m the one who is a cross-eyed mouth-breather with a vacant stare, you are the adorable one. So let’s show some healthy ego here. Otherwise, I’m going to have to feel really sorry for myself just in comparison 😉
Second, berries are harder — Jim always says the great thing about taking pictures of rocks is that they don’t move.
Third, we didn’t start doing all this traveling until we were in our early 40’s (Jim spent the first 20 years of our marriage driving me crazy saying “I’m like a fine wine, I don’t travel well”). So you’re not much behind. And I’m a great trip planner (as long as it doesn’t involve shopping) so any time you want some suggestions, just let me know and I’ll make you sorry you ever asked.
And besides, the berry picture was fantastic — the framing was just perfect.
The Internets seem to be running slow today — matching the mood around here. 🙂 Trying to download my Air America podcasts so I can get out of here in about 20 minutes (if possible); this is definitely errand day! Need to get some yarn to start my poncho project — don’t know if I’ll have it done to wear for Thanksgiving, but I’ll try. Crocheting for me is a meditative activity, and I need all the meditation I can get.
Back later…
Just to let you all know if you don’t already I am going to be doing a big move around Christmas time and if you want to hear what it’s all about please hop on over to the Village and read about it. Just use the link on the tag. top of page called Endings and Beginnings…
Btw, I just found out my new address will be the number 911. I am living at 910 right now on the same street. Interesting, eh!!!!
Speaking of outside cafe….I am heading out right now to bask in the beauty of my purple morning glories.
Hi all.
I’m a frequent lurker . . . and spend much of his time lately at Street Prophets trying to find my spiritual self.
In a flurry of indignation, however, I’ve decided I have to be in action to oust the criminals from the White House. Hence my diary today on a National Strike for Truth.
As to me personally, I’m a 55 year old writer and ex-Navy officer. Annapolis grad. I hand around the internets far more than I probably should . . .
The vibes around here are quite wonderful.
Flurries of indignation are the only ones i get lately, as I live in Austin, Texas…..
😉
Your spiritual self is welcome ’round these parts as well — if you find mine somewhere, do let me know!
Off to read your diary!
Well welcome to the site Anglico, good to have you here and stepping out into the cafe.
I think we all hang out on the internet more than we probably should but what the heck, it’s fun and informative…actually some times I think I know too much about the goings on in this world, ‘oh blessed ignorance’ life was more peaceful, when……..
This is becoming the place for the writers to hang out…numbers are growing daily it seems….
Hope to hear more from you and I will check out your diary…
How very nice to meet you! I just knew that if we met outside on such a pretty day we’d get a few “new” people wandering over to sit down and grab a cup of coffee with us. 🙂
I’m looking forward to reading your diary!
Between you and me, these people are NUTS! N.V.T.S NUTS 🙂 (stolen from a Mel Brooks movie)
if you don’t watch out – they’ll have you marching on the other side of the damn country 🙂
Sweet day in Michigan. Much as I don’t like global warming, there are these moments of upside.
I’m going to have to pat you down and see if you have any Maple Bars on your person.
🙂
WTF? Maple bars? Me?
It was my perverse attempt to combine my previous posts about … maple bars and hockey – into a post to you 🙂
I loooooooooove Maple Bars. And I figured you needed a good frisking today 🙂
Is anybody else having trouble getting their ratings to stick? I’ve tried giving Diane, Angelico, and BostonJoe their 4’s many times now and none of them stick. The problem seems to be only with the “original” comment in a thread.
How odd. I haven’t noticed it though. Seems to work for me.
if you are “Sally” over at Alas?
No, like I said upthread, I don’t post there. I do lurk pretty much every day, though. If I did post there, I’d use IndyLib just to keep my “liberal blog persona” consistent and recognizable. My name is Jennifer, and offline mostly everyone calls me Jen.
well so much for my reading comprehension skills.
You’d be a good poster for that site — you have a plethora of good thoughts and excellent wit.
Coming from you that’s high praise. Thank you. It will sound like I’m kissing your ass now when I tell you that I’ve long admired your posts, but it’s actually true. 🙂
By the time I get my thoughts together about an Alas post usually one of the other very smart posters has already put something up that adequately represents my position, so I don’t bother. Ampersand, particularly, is phenomenal at debate and he usually manages to make the points I would make (but more eloquently) as well as additional points I hadn’t yet thought of. I’ve learned a lot over there. Love that place.
Have you seen the pictures of Kim (basement variety!)’s new baby yet? She’s just as adorable as Kim’s older daughter.
This week’s photo of the baby in her father’s arms was so beautiful it almost made a baby person out of me. But what I loved were the last two of Sydney where she goes from devil child to sad put-upon angel.
Ampersand, particularly, is phenomenal at debate and he usually manages to make the points I would make (but more eloquently) as well as additional points I hadn’t yet thought of.
I had the ego-deflating experience of answering someone who had infuriated me with a semi-incoherent rant, only to be followed by Amp’s beyond coherent, well-stated, non-emotional put-the-guy in his place reply.
And thanks for the compliment. Obviously the feeling is mutual. Maybe once you get settled in Ohio, we can meet up somewhere.
Those pictures of Syndey were a riot. Clearly, humans master emotional manipulation long before we master language.
I’d love to meet, we could take pictures. 😉 I’ll make sure to drop you a line off-blog and let you know when I’ll be more local. In the spring, hopefully.
I’ll look forward to it — except for the drive over to Ohio which is unrelentingly boring.
It sounds like maybe you should clear your cache — do you know how? (ducking and running)
Ha!
I have discovered the reason for the disappearing ratings. I would explain it except for the fact that (a) the explanation is boring and (b) nobody else is ever going to have the problem because nobody else would do the dumb thing I was doing.
Uh, I guess I didn’t solve it, after all. Nevermind.
Dog Blogging? I have doggy news!
tell us and put in his diary, too. I am firm supporter of recycling.
And he has been chosen to be trained as a service dog for a woman who has seizures. Since he is large he will be able to break her fall if she is standing….she will reach out for him while she still can. He will work with an experienced dog at first who has been able to detect environments and symptoms of seizure sufferers and then alerts them that a seizure is possibly brewing, hopefully we will find out that his sensitivity can be tuned that way too. He is a very sensitive loving dog and adores women so I think he’ll be great at his job. I will miss him though.
a puppy slut and I’m already in love (don’t tell my dogs — they have no idea that I am a woman of such easy virute that I will give it up for just about any dog).
Did you both foster him and do the training? I’ve thought about fostering dogs but I’m too weak to give them up.
I am so looking forward to retirement when I can have a dog. He looks just wonderful…strong and sweet!
How do you handle puppies that don’t pass training?
We are going to get on the waiting list in a couple of years for a Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy. They have a fair number that don’t do crowds well, or are too friendly, or any number of issues. Long waiting list for their dogs that don’t graduate.
How does your little guy feel about that? I remember the photo of him standing next to puppy.
I know it’s tough on the kids. Proud for puppy but my heart swells, too. xoxox
My grandma just found out Ry and I marched.
She told me what she thought Bush should do to “traitors”…
She thinks Bush has every right to shoot protestors.
… I am at a loss.
I hate this! I was just told that I HATE THE TROOPS… THAT I’m lucky that Bush is such a kind and decent that he hasn’t enacted a law saying that all traitors be shot in a public setting.
So which is it??? I’m to go to hell for being a heathen or shot in the fucking head???
She almost called Jess Jackson a “n” on the phone to me while telling about how this country was founded by Christians… OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My family is “here”. It is those that I chose to be in life. It is YOU guys.
I forgive everyone over the age of 70 for saying stupid things. My mother in law thinks I should only spend $50 a week on groceries for 5 people. I figure in her day that was probably reasonable, and she doesn’t know any better now that she’s 82.
I’ll claim you as family too, DJ.
{{{{{{DamnitJanet}}}}}
and reason why now I worry so much over you people LOL
But was very … surreal you know. She’s said some strange shit to Danni in the past when we went up for a reunion…like how they will miss her mommy in heaven because her mommy is going to hell.. But WOWZERS saying people like me should be shot… DAMN! That was pretty cold.
But you’re right – she’s over 80… and a Bush supporter. ACK.
At least I don’t have to worry about having them over for nachoes and a hockey game ROFL 🙂
who’s 84 to be your grandmother. She would as soon strangle Bush as look at him, she hates the Iraq war, she’s rabidly pro-gay marriage, and she makes a brisket to die for.
actually I’m not really shocked by this. I consider them talabaptis – I’ve always been a disappointment.
AND… she asked me if I was going to drug my son in order to make the move easier… something to “Knock him out”…
Yet they are against marijuana…
My head couldn’t spin any more than it has today 🙂
My head couldn’t spin any more than it has today
Well, don’t waste it, woman — audition for an exorcist movie!
Hey!!! There’s an idea!
oh and the town I’m moving to has a rep theatre!!! HOORAY… did I mention I’m a complete stage ham?? 🙂
You can share my Mom DJ….and my mom would just having 2 more grandkids!
She’s 80 and as snarky as ever…she calls this administration fascists. She’ll tell you all about the WWII fascists and how these guys are no different. You get arrested for protesting and she’ll help post bail. And…don’t get her started on Orrin Hatch…ohmigawd…she doesn’t swear but if she did she would!
Big hugs…
ps – what day??? 11/5 or 11/13 or 11/-19-20????
Thanks you guys!
Sally, I didn’t call Monday because we got into a tiff about moving crap and Wesley.
going to pick up the truck tonight after work from the shop… I’ll again talk to you know who 🙂
Can’t be 11/5 ack… we don’t have shit ready LOL
My blood family is also…difficult.
We’re here for ya, girl! {{{{Damnit Janet}}}}
We have the luxury of being able to choose who we consider family nowadays. 🙂
Red rover red rover send Indy on over 🙂 You mine!!!!