115 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread

  1. allein June 11, 2016 / 9:20 am

    Seems to be the week for culinary kitties. I could go for a cup of this right now.

    Today I get to go to the dentist. Woo.

    • Phred's Mom June 11, 2016 / 11:01 am

      Good luck at the dentist.
      No way to spend a Saturday.
      . . . or Tuesday, or Friday, or. . .

      • allein June 11, 2016 / 1:50 pm

        Dentist went fine. Then I went to the bookstore and saw a friend who was working. Now I have 3 and a half hours to kill before going to have dinner at another friend’s house. Sitting in Target cafe having a drink and seeing if they have any good Cartwheel offers while I’m here.

    • 6rabbits June 11, 2016 / 10:15 am

      Bulldogs are not my fav breed, but THAT is one very cute puppeh!?

      • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 12:47 pm

        I understand that the powers that be in the world of bulldog breeding are starting to breed them with longer snouts which would help them out with so many issues.

        • fkaWaldenPond June 11, 2016 / 2:03 pm

          That is good to hear.

        • 6rabbits June 11, 2016 / 6:12 pm

          Well, hallelujah to that!? I do not like the “smushed face” aesthetically, but I especially don’t like the breathing problems it causes for the dog, or cat. Good to hear that something is being done to correct it!

        • Kar June 11, 2016 / 6:56 pm

          That is great news, make them closer to their original size.

          Have trouble with a breed that’s been described as ‘biologically incompatible.”

    • Chase June 11, 2016 / 1:04 pm

      Oh my goodness I wonder if the stripe has an excellent, Harry Potter-ish story behind it, akin to his lightning bolt!

      • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 1:21 pm

        I’m binge reading the Harry Potter books – I got the ones published by Bloomsbury Press when I was in England. I wanted them because I found out that the American publisher edited out the English colloquial speech – dumb or what? Seems like the loss of a teachable moment to me.

        • Chase June 11, 2016 / 2:10 pm

          Ooh I’ve only read the American ones! I’d love to read the original English printings. Enjoy them!!

          • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 4:33 pm

            Thanks. I’m half-way through the The Half Blood Prince.? I hate to think about finishing them all! I guess I’ll have to resume my boring ol’ Muggle life.?

            • Chase June 12, 2016 / 12:50 pm

              I’ve actually read through the whole series a number of times! I often turn to it in times of needing comfort. I also have the series on audiobooks read by Jim Dale! I love listening to it in the evening, it’s like I’m a kid again being read to. 🙂

              • Murray C. June 12, 2016 / 10:21 pm

                I’ve heard the first two books read by Jim Dale and he is brilliant. I think I’ll keep getting them to hear them all – I get them through my library which can take a long time. They only allow a few audio books of one title out at any given time.

            • Faye June 12, 2016 / 2:22 pm

              Just start over again. ⚡️

          • Laura June 12, 2016 / 5:12 pm

            My daughter, being a purist, ordered the originals from amazon.uk. I’ve gotten a couple of books from there and from amazon.ca (Canada) myself, and I have to say that while shipping isn’t *quite* as fast, it’s still nothing to sneer at. And prices aren’t that bad, either, even with the currency conversion.

        • 6rabbits June 11, 2016 / 6:17 pm

          I didn’t like that change either. I already own the whole set in hardback, but if I could find the Brittish version to _borrow_, I would reread them (for the 7th time!) Enjoy!?

        • dubravkamcvmd June 11, 2016 / 6:53 pm

          That’s awful. As a hardcore Anglophile I need to get the English versions

  2. Gigi the cat lady June 11, 2016 / 9:57 am

    I’m having breakfast at the restaurant with my husband and then we’ll be heading to the BeerFest with some friends for a day of tasting beer and a variety of edibles.

    • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 1:23 pm

      Fun!

  3. Mal June 11, 2016 / 10:08 am

    Aaaaah! The Tiny! It buuuurns!

  4. 6rabbits June 11, 2016 / 10:12 am

    The leetle, wee pawsies! Squee! I will rescue you, leetle one, but only to snorgle you first!?

  5. Duckie June 11, 2016 / 10:52 am

    I’d rather have kitten in my arms and a hot cup of tea. That kitten looks like it could use a lot of gentle scritches and luvs, and I’d willingly sacrifice my entire weekend to do so.

    • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 12:49 pm

      That is one bulbous pretzel.

    • Phred's Mom June 11, 2016 / 3:23 pm

      A beauty.

    • amyliz June 11, 2016 / 5:24 pm

      Looks good! My weekly treat at the farmer’s market is a veggie omelet with hashbrowns! Yum! While there, made the aquaitance of a golden retriever puppy. He was stinkin’ cute, which is the highest level of cute! This kitty in a cup meets that level, as well!

    • Kar June 11, 2016 / 6:57 pm

      That’s going to need a lot of mustard.

    • Sedro6 June 11, 2016 / 10:34 pm

      Chubbular

      • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 10:43 pm

        Hah!?

  6. Puddleglum June 11, 2016 / 11:15 am

    Strawberry Festival today! And then I have to clean the house. Hmph. But then after that I get to paint for the first time in forever, huzzah!

    • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 12:51 pm

      Nice! I had to teach in the pool today and then went to a plant swap – I mostly took plants – don’t need too many.

    • N. Fritz June 11, 2016 / 1:49 pm

      You in Ponchatoula, Puddleglum?

      • Puddleglum June 11, 2016 / 3:16 pm

        Nope, I’m in Billings Montana. Where’s Ponchatoula? I take it they have a strawberry festival too? Ours was just OK this year. But I did come away with a steampunk octopus keychain!

        • N. Fritz June 12, 2016 / 1:58 am

          Strawberry season starts early in Lousiana. Ponchatoula has a strawberry festival in March or April with 200,000-300,000 visitors. Louisiana strawberries are phenomenal… red all the way through and sweet as cane sugar!

      • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 6:24 pm

        Can there be a more wonderful name than Ponchatoula???

        • N. Fritz June 12, 2016 / 2:05 am

          And it’s a charming little town, too! Lots of good antique stores and restaurants/cafes (if it hasn’t changed too much in the past 12 years or so).

    • allein June 11, 2016 / 3:53 pm

      I saw a sign for a strawberry festival while I was out this aftermoon, too. Alas , I do not have time to check it out today. I’ve seen at least two magazines featuring strawberry recipes in the past week, too.

      I did get some strawberries and raspberries and cherries the other day. The raspberries are gone and I will likely start on the others when I get home later.

    • Chase June 11, 2016 / 2:05 pm

      Oh so cute!! Thanks for sharing!!

  7. belphebe June 11, 2016 / 12:21 pm

    Volunteering at the Vancouver Mini Maker Faire this weekend. (Vancouver, BC) I expect to see lots of cool projects there, from 3D printing to drawing robots to needle-felted objects with embedded LED lights. It should be fun!

    • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 12:53 pm

      Did you see the article about the turtle whose shell had been burned off – they used 3D printing to make it a new shell! So cool.

      • 6rabbits June 11, 2016 / 6:20 pm

        How awesome!?? Do you have a link to the story?

        • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 6:26 pm

          I will try to relocate it – tho’ I think if you google, oh, maybe 3D printed turtle shell you may find it.

          • 6rabbits June 11, 2016 / 6:34 pm

            Got it! Here’s the You tube link for anyone else interested!




            • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 6:40 pm

              Great – I’m on my iPad and I’m not very clever about getting links on it and my computer is misbehaving.

              • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 6:46 pm

                I do wonder what they’ll do when Fred outgrows that shell. And turtles experience sensation through their shells which she will be lacking – but, hey, she seems to be doing well and she’s alive ❣

                • 6rabbits June 11, 2016 / 8:52 pm

                  Maybe Fred is at full grown size already? I think the article said Fred was still living with his rescuer or one of the scientists?

                  • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 10:45 pm

                    I think she’s safely ensconced, but I don’t know about her having reached her majority size-wise.?

            • Kar June 12, 2016 / 8:49 pm

              Always wondered what turtles/tortoises look like under their shell.

              Now I’m not sure that I needed to know. Thank these guys for going the extra mile for Fred.

    • Chase June 11, 2016 / 2:11 pm

      Oh nice! Another person in BC! (I’m on Vancouver Island!)

      • Duckie June 11, 2016 / 4:52 pm

        Fraser Valley!

  8. N. Fritz June 11, 2016 / 1:55 pm

    It’s a working weekend for me. I’ve got to give 26 exams next week (all oral, 10-15 minutes each) and be the second examiner on 8 more. I’m tidying up the prompts, printing them off, and saying silent prayers that all students select a task that they can do justice to. Other than that, I’m watching some of the Future Shorts NTMTOM posted. Thanks for yet another distraction!

    • 6rabbits June 11, 2016 / 6:24 pm

      Oh, my! My heart goes out to you! It sounds like the students have a choice in what prompt? Surely that will increase the passing rate. Good luck to your students!

      • N. Fritz June 12, 2016 / 2:02 am

        6Rabbits, each student gets to draw two topics and then decides which topic s/he is better prepared for. I get to decide which question they get. It’s a complicated system to be sure!

        • 6rabbits June 12, 2016 / 3:40 pm

          Wow! Complex and time-consuming in production!?

  9. Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 6:28 pm

    Haven’t heard from Faye today. Hmmmmm. Where are you, Faye???

    • Faye June 11, 2016 / 8:21 pm

      Here I am. Thank you for asking Murray! ?

      I was very brave today. I did an hour test drive to a location I need to get to on Tuesday morning. I am agoraphobic and it has taken me two months to gradually drive the route.

      A few weeks ago I got all the way to the parking lot. Or so I thought. On today’s drive I realized I had been at the wrong building. This is typical for me. I have had to call Drs offices from inside buildings I have been in before because I got lost. Sigh.

      Also typical for me is finally getting somewhere and then getting totally lost the next time I need to get there. This happened today.

      Even with Google Maps, Google Earth, written notes and the GPS in the car I took a wrong turn and ended up miles from where I needed to go.

      The GPS was good to get me in the right direction but at one point it actually showed me a squiggly circle. I kid you not. So I turned it off. Yikes.

      The good news is I never got a panic attack and did not drive home until I got right to my destination.

      If any of you suffer from recurring nightmares of getting lost or onto highways by mistake while driving (me!!) I kid you not I ran into a police detour for a crime scene and then a huge bicycle event on the highway I shouldn’t have gotten on.

      So on the way home I peed in a new Starbucks. Then I bought a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie and ate the whole pint for lunch as a reward!!

      Sometimes you are the hero of your own life and nobody realizes it.

      • 6rabbits June 11, 2016 / 8:49 pm

        Congratulations on a successful trip!? You deserved the ice cream!???

        • Faye June 11, 2016 / 9:46 pm

          ????????

        • Faye June 12, 2016 / 11:06 am

          The icecream was as good as I expected.

          • allein June 12, 2016 / 12:09 pm

            Because of a new coworker, last week I discovered Talenti gelato. I’ve tried the Belgian Milk Chocolate and the Mediterranean Mint (mint chocolate chip). Soooo good! Then yesterday I saw they were on sale at Target so I picked up Vanilla Caramel Swirl gelato and Chocolate sorbetto (but I haven’t tried them yet).

            Now I’ll be on the lookout for the Blood Orange sorbetto, since neither Target nor Wegman’s had it, and it sounds really good.

            They come in cute reusable containers, too. http://www.talentigelato.com/

            • Faye June 12, 2016 / 2:26 pm

              Ooo I saw that yesterday but I didn’t know what it was. But I’m a total chocolate icecream freak. The farthest I’ll stray from chocolate is coffee. Altogether it’s not good for me to eat it. Icecream shall remain a reward on special occasions.

              • allein June 12, 2016 / 3:01 pm

                Vanilla fudge, mint chocolate chip (my favorite for both those these days is Turkey Hill All Natural) or chocolate/vanilla are my usual go-tos. If I go to a soft-serve type place it’s usually just chocolate/vanilla swirl or sometimes vanilla with hot fudge.

                And now I want to go to Jersey Freeze and get a hot fudge sundae.

                • Laura June 12, 2016 / 5:41 pm

                  That’s the biggest problem about moving to Florida — no Turkey Hill ice cream! Their seasonal flavors can be to DIE for, too! Oh dear, now I want ice cream….

      • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 10:30 pm

        While I’m not an agoraphobe I have a TERRIBLE sense of direction and fear getting lost. I once left a distant location around 9 at night, having travelled there successfully relying on mapquest and a gps. However, I hadn’t printed out the map in reverse and I had no sooner left the venue that the gps froze and I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to negotiate a map in reverse, but I screwed up so badly. I was driving on a highway populated mostly by semi trailers, no streetlights, no rest areas. At least the compass on my rear view mirror pointed North. All was well in the end (obviously) but it was a white knuckle ride, I can tell you. So, yes, I get how terrifying it can be when navigation skills are lacking. Good on ya for undertaking the challenge and coming out on top!???

        • allein June 11, 2016 / 10:47 pm

          I drove up to Long Island for a get-together with my college friends a few years ago, and on my way home (around 10 pm, no less) I missed my exit on the Belt Parkway because I was in the wrong lane and couldn’t move over in time. Thank goodness for GPS or I would have been so screwed. That little stupidity added 11 miles to my trip.

          • Faye June 12, 2016 / 10:58 am

            Belt Parkway!! Missed exit!! Drempt that more than once.

            • allein June 12, 2016 / 12:04 pm

              It was scary (especially being late at night)! I’m not used to city driving. When I’ve gone to NYC or Philly by myself, I’ve only taken the train. The handful of times I’ve been into the city in a car, someone else was driving.

        • Faye June 12, 2016 / 11:02 am

          Yup. Sounds familiar. Seems silly as we all do make it home. But during the drive it feels like you’re just not gonna make it. ?

        • Faye June 12, 2016 / 11:05 am

          ?

      • Em June 11, 2016 / 11:56 pm

        Congratulations Faye!

        • Faye June 12, 2016 / 11:02 am

          ?

      • N. Fritz June 12, 2016 / 2:09 am

        I love the satisfaction of a job well done. Well done, Faye!

        • Faye June 12, 2016 / 11:03 am

          ?

  10. Duckie June 11, 2016 / 6:45 pm

    Ok, I just thoroughly embarrassed myself. I’m working on a demo sheet for window film, setting out all the colours so they can be viewed through the window. I picked up the next colour sheet in the row, and shouted out “Oh, no, the orange ones are poisonous!”

    • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 10:35 pm

      What is window film?

        • Murray C. June 12, 2016 / 12:39 am

          Ah ha! Thank you for educating me.

        • 6rabbits June 12, 2016 / 3:47 pm

          Those are very cool!

  11. Carol June 11, 2016 / 6:56 pm

    Been playing the indoor/outdoor game with our goldendoodle Chloe all day long. Our other dog Boomer is too old to partake in such nonsense.

    • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 10:33 pm

      Pictures!!!?

  12. Faye June 11, 2016 / 8:31 pm

    After my driving adventure and icecream lunch described above I took a nap. Then I did something that was one of the reasons for which I retired.

    I sat down and worked on a pencil, pen and marker drawing for three hours. I have not done any artwork since college. I am happy to say the entire sketch came out in one shot. And I was able to pick up stylistically right where I left off. Working in color for the first time. Yahoo! For me. Very satisfying.

    • Faye June 11, 2016 / 8:32 pm

      I am blessed.

      • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 10:32 pm

        Yaye, Faye!

        • Murray C. June 11, 2016 / 10:40 pm

          Oh, this goes for your adventure but also for christening a new Starbucks!?

          • Faye June 12, 2016 / 10:55 am

            Convenient. Will stop in on Tuesday on my way to the meet up. They don’t even care if you buy anything!!

    • N. Fritz June 12, 2016 / 2:12 am

      That sort of spontaneous creativity is something I look forward to this summer! Thanks for being a beacon of hope (life after the school year ends!)

      • Faye June 12, 2016 / 10:53 am

        Your creativity is waiting for you to pay attention to it. ?

  13. Recherche June 12, 2016 / 2:30 am

    My girlfriend is out for town for an archeology dig in Ireland and I’m being called in to work overtime this week. Which is leaving our corgi aggressively bored. Two days in and two toys have already been destroyed. I’m not sure how the next few weeks will work out. Hopefully I’ll have more free time soon and/or Roane will get used to not having two humans to play with?

    • Murray C. June 12, 2016 / 10:19 am

      Wish I were close by to play with Roane! And the archaeological dig sounds fascinating – how far back are they going?

      • Recherche June 12, 2016 / 1:36 pm

        I believe this location is late Roman/early Medieval era.

        • Faye June 12, 2016 / 2:29 pm

          Always wanted to do that. But for dinosaurs.

          • 6rabbits June 12, 2016 / 3:54 pm

            YES!!

            There is no dinosaur emoji?

  14. Faye June 12, 2016 / 10:51 am

    Thank you all. I got up early and drove one more time. All good this time. It’s actually a very nice drive and got my morning off to a good start. All good to go to Tuesday meet up. Now I can worry about regular stuff like what to wear. Lol.

    Today’s agenda: napping and artwork.

  15. Patty June 12, 2016 / 11:33 am

    At midnight I accompanied 3 of my daughters to a local bar. I have not been in a drinking establishment in many years. Today is my youngest daughter’s 21st birthday, and that calls for legal purchasing of a drink or two at the bar. I was the designated driver, so I had a Pepsi. This weekend is our Smoky Hill River Festival, so the bar was rather empty for a Saturday night, everyone being too tired from the festival to go out afterwards, I guess. We shot a couple games of pool, badly.

    • Murray C. June 12, 2016 / 10:42 pm

      What a good mom you are!❣

  16. fkaWaldenPond June 12, 2016 / 2:26 pm

    Thinking of you Orlando–strength and prayers.

    • Faye June 12, 2016 / 2:34 pm

      I am so sad. All the mass shootings all over the world be they terrorists or perpetrated by sick people are horrible. This having been done during Pride Month hurts my soul. ?

      • allein June 12, 2016 / 3:03 pm

        I read a blog that has a few posts on that today and they have all attracted non-regulars who are being jackasses in the comments. I think I need to get away from the computer for a while.

        • 6rabbits June 12, 2016 / 3:56 pm

          That’s why this is the only place I read the comments!

          • allein June 12, 2016 / 4:20 pm

            It’s not usually a bad place (which is why I still read it) but certain topics bring out the trolls.

        • fkaWaldenPond June 12, 2016 / 5:22 pm

          I understand Allein, I have spent a good solid two hours walking today– just needed to get out and away from such awfulness. I have been on a Sister Wendy Beckett kick/phase these days primarily around her art analysis but she repeatedly points out (she is in favour of gay marriage and essentially says the Church will catch up to this) that wherever love is, God is. That man did not have God with him. (and believe me peeps, I am not ‘religious’ or being preachy) Any form of decency, love or spirit was totally absent from the shooter. I like to believe those 50 (essentially kids) (hey, I was a 20-something kid when I was out at the clubs) who died last night and the 53 attempting to survive today have love with them. Well, they have mine.

          • allein June 12, 2016 / 5:29 pm

            I just listened to 17 episodes of The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe (just discovered it last week; there are only 20 episodes so far and they’re all under 10 minutes) while doing dishes and making toast. Just started an ep of Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me from January and now I’m going to round up all of the tribbles plastic bags in my house.

          • Murray C. June 12, 2016 / 10:44 pm

            Bravo – well said, FKAWALDENPOND

            • Faye June 12, 2016 / 10:46 pm

              Agreed.

            • fkaWaldenPond June 13, 2016 / 10:57 pm

              Thanks guys, still really having a hard time processing all of it and I really have no part of it– so I cannot imagine the families and friends etc. (And would someone shut/stuff the yap of that orange faced, fake haired troll (albeit peacefully– like with a massive stinking, smelly, reeking gym sock.) Be well peeps- and thank you dearly NTMTOM, for just being here when there is just such awful, awful sh*t out there. This is space is safety, kindness, gut-busting laughs, small giggles, smiles, conversation, just being. Thank you, Sir.

              • Murray C. June 13, 2016 / 11:06 pm

                ?????

              • Faye June 14, 2016 / 6:57 am

                ???

      • fkaWaldenPond June 12, 2016 / 5:32 pm

        Me too Faye, me too.

    • Murray C. June 12, 2016 / 10:14 pm

      So deeply heartbreaking. What goes wrong in a person’s head that makes them think they can take a life – or lives! at their own whim.

      • Faye June 12, 2016 / 10:46 pm

        Empty darkness.

Comments are closed.