22nd November 2023, 05:58 AM
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Happy Thanksgiving Eve Day to everyone. I will be baking two Sara Lee pies today to take to a friend's dinner tomorrow. I am thankful to have plans. 
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22nd November 2023, 03:54 PM
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Good thing today: finally got around to getting my eyes checked. He tweaked my prescription and it’s so nice to see again! It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t see before, but transitioning between near and far required a lot of effort. I could focus at all distances but it took a couple minutes to get there. This eye doc is an oddball who doesn’t believe in multi focal contacts but they work for me just ducky.
Frustrating thing: I had a couple hours before my appt so I figured I’d recaulk the shower. Cleaning out the old stuff was easy. I carefully masked off the joints and put the new stuff in. The manufacturer recommended tooling it with the back of a spoon dipped in soapy water. I’ll never try that again. It was an unholy mess. When I pulled the tape off there were skips voids and blobs and I was about to be late for my appointment. I gave up and left it. After dinner I pulled out most of it back out and redid it, tooling with my finger instead. Lessons learned: Always finger your caulk Don’t try to rush a caulk job Other good thing: eye exam was at the mall. All the stores were having black Friday sales already so I got some holiday shopping done. I refuse to shop Friday.
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23rd November 2023, 06:51 AM
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You can prick your finger but you can't finger your...
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23rd November 2023, 11:53 AM
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I tried the spoon thing, too, when I re-caulked a shower. It looked like hell, but luckily I saw it before it dried and was able to re-do it with a finger.
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23rd November 2023, 04:39 PM
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The finger is the way to clean up messy caulk.
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23rd November 2023, 05:07 PM
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Happy Thanksgiving, all! I am stuffed and everyone has gone home. In my jammies, watching Miss Marple. Life is good.
I am hopeless at caulk, but I've never tried bathroom tile caulk (because I know I'm hopeless at other kinds). Hmmm.
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23rd November 2023, 05:56 PM
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Fingers really are the only proper tool for bathroom tile caulk. Nice of evolution to give us such a lovely array of tools on either hand.
I busted out the Instant Pot and whomped up a batch of lamb stew out of the most ragtag collection of ingredients imaginable but I emptied out a few big bags of this and that and almost finished off the box of cheap red wine (missed it by THIS much) and it turned out very nicely. Also whomped up a huge batch of smashed potatoes to pile stew on top of and it was SOOOOOO good. There's something so virtuous about making something yummy without having to go shop for one damned thing. Now if I'm craving dessert I have all the necessary to make chocolate chip cookies, the kind with one Hershey's kiss in the middle of the cookie. Not sure I have that much ambition but I might have it tomorrow, who knows? I have Special Dark kisses too, they'd do very nicely I think. As I was feeding the dogs it amused me to inform them that their dinners included chicken, beef, pork, lamb and even fish oil--but not one scrap of turkey lol. They didn't seem upset at my dereliction and dispatched their dinners in their usual light speed manner.
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23rd November 2023, 06:40 PM
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the folks I had dinner with and myself almost took a nap after eating but then instead went up to Rowena Crest and hiked which turned out to be a fantastic idea. it was after 3 PM but we were up high enough to still be in the sunshine! it's the most Not Windy I think I've ever experienced up there.
when we were done we ate pie and watched Home Alone with a 7 year old* who had never seen it. pretty much a perfect holiday.  *her parents kept saying, think of it like a cartoon: nobody really gets hurt Last edited by JackieLikesVariety; 23rd November 2023 at 06:43 PM. Reason: spellin'
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24th November 2023, 02:38 PM
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Random thought:
If you you see a pipe, crowbar, or thick chain…don’t pick it up. Someone else can use it as a weapon and now your fingerprints are on it.
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26th November 2023, 05:39 AM
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Well,I'm sitting in a corner in Winslow Arizona and there's not much here. For reference, Denny's is one of the better restaurants in town.
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26th November 2023, 06:38 AM
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Good morning!
Yesterday was puppy pick-up day. Buster is a big boy at 16 lbs and only eight weeks old. Maisie is slightly smaller. They are both active, healthy, affectionate, and full of life. It will be a long road to calmness in the house again. Pics as promised. These are from yesterday. https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...JTeGZnelBUZE93
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26th November 2023, 06:51 AM
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26th November 2023, 06:57 AM
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26th November 2023, 08:34 AM
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 thank you for sharing!
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26th November 2023, 09:00 AM
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That's how I deal with every gun I find [i.e. none yet]...
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26th November 2023, 09:06 AM
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26th November 2023, 10:18 AM
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Could be worse, I once had to break up a tug o'war that featured a slow and very unlucky young squirrel. Fortunately I interrupted before the inevitable occurred.
 Those are wicked cute puppers and Buster is quite the tank! Congrats, here's hoping your furniture and sanity survive the next six months or so!  After four days of sun and cold the leaves on the ground have reached peak lightness and crunchiness, suitable for raking up so that's on the agenda for the day. The giant maple has relinquished nearly all its load too so this should be a one and done, yay!
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26th November 2023, 10:30 AM
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Morning everyone. I have a batch of split pea soup with smoked pork shank cooking away. In about thirty minutes I'll go fish out the shank, let it cool, and pick off all the meat. The finished dish will have smoked pork chunks and carrot chunks in a nice thick porridge of pea soup. I think I'll serve it with segments of toasted baguette rubbed with garlic.
I just bought the shank yesterday from a local smokehouse and they always sell lean, smokey ones. I also bought a couple of pounds of of their brilliant bacon and froze it in batches. We're expecting rain in a couple of days so Mr. brown got out the ladder and, using a pair of my kitchen tongs, dug out all the leaves and debris from the rain gutter which overhangs the driveway. Next we'll blow all the birch leaves off of the bark chips in the back yard so they don't get plastered down with rain and turn moldy. We caved and got an electric leaf blower because it removes the leaves without removing the bark chips, which was an impossible task using a rake. Raking always depleted the bark chips to the point where we had to replenish them with a couple of new bags. Cooking and yard maintenance - a thrill a minute!
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26th November 2023, 02:11 PM
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Got most of the wayback fairly cleared and raked into piles and managed to get about half the piles moved out to the front of the yard before my knee declared that it, and subequently I as well, are done with this activity for the day. So I went and picked a couple gallons of Pratchett apples that ought to be just right since they've had some frosty mornings to set the sugar. Might have to make a Dutch apple pie for the grandkid.
I'm still chipping away at the lamb stew, now piled over tater pancakes and all the better for the setting and melding together of flavors for a few days. Right now I'm gonna huff down some weedz and look around under the couch cushions for the git up 'n go to make myself some dinner. Gotta be around here somewhere. 
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26th November 2023, 03:27 PM
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26th November 2023, 04:17 PM
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26th November 2023, 06:40 PM
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So we drove up from Winslow via some of the lesser used highways. Saw some very pretty country. And saw the moon rise over the redrocks just south of Moab. It was magical. And had a good dinner in Moab. This is harder than it sounds, it isn't a restaurant town. But it turns out the Blu Pig BBQ has not only very good BBQ, but plays very good blues music. My burnt ends were some of the best I've ever had. Cheesy potatoes were excellent and the corn bread was meh. Then we took the river route up and over and saw the canyon by moonlight. Saw a lot of deer too and managed not to hit any.
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26th November 2023, 07:04 PM
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Is there still an ice cream shop on the main drag of Moab? That used to be Chacoguy's business and he also ran Action Shots and his rafting guide business from there. I don't know if he sold off the Moab property when he moved to Durango but that ice cream has a special place in my memories.
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26th November 2023, 07:15 PM
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I remember an ice cream shop, but don't think it is still there. Moab is so seasonal that businesses don't last very long. The terrible Indian restaurant is gone and is now Mexican food.
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27th November 2023, 05:41 AM
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Congrats on the adorable puppers, taters!
We had a lovely Thanksgiving and I hope all who celebrate did as well. I've been getting random oddball stuff done around the house, including a jump on some Christmas shopping (doing anything before December is a "jump" in my book). All three girls have outfits to wear for the holidays and have submitted their Christmas lists. I have new glasses on order - there was a silly coupon where I saved 25% on the total order and got a free extra pair but only if I ordered an extra pair, so I have sunglasses coming too. Then everything ground to a halt Saturday evening. MD, Swimmy, and I got COVID and flu vaccines at noon on Saturday while out running errands and by evening were feeling poorly. We all had a horrible night with fever, chills, aches, and nausea, and we all laid low yesterday. I'm feeling mostly better today, just sore arm/lymph nodes. I've never reacted that badly to a vaccine. I'm still glad I did it, but damn.
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27th November 2023, 06:18 AM
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I hope you all feel better soon, Solfy.
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27th November 2023, 06:22 AM
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28th November 2023, 02:42 PM
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You really can’t step into the same river twice.
Last month I had a meeting at old old workplace. It made me melancholy. Today I had one at old workplace and it gutted me. The recent departure of my work friend was hard enough, but I made the mistake of checking out my old floor and now I want to curl up in a ball and cry. I'm not completely sure why, other than thats the place I had a role I thrived in and a team of friends. I'm afraid I'll never have that again and I'm lonesome.
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28th November 2023, 03:40 PM
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It was fun and convivial. One boss retired; my mentor died of Covid (still missing her), others have moved on or retired. There are precious few of the lunch crowd left, and there is 1 person left at the other from the old crowd. I know almost no one at work now, at least in person. I know I need to change this, but inertia is real, plus, the turnover is fast now--not a good sign. So, I feel for you. 
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29th November 2023, 10:56 AM
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Thats one thing about construction. You kinda get used to saying goodbye.
So it looks like Audrey is still perking in spite of the freezing nights. My thermometer wont reach the middle of the pile, but there is still about half a horse of warm air coming off it. And the pile is a good two feet shorter since last month. I stacked ten barrow loads of leaves on top for fresh vittles and we'll see. But I don't think she's going to hang in there much longer. Mostly because we're looking at over half a foot of rain next week. And some breeze too. Today would be an excellent day to swap on the new boat tarp.
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29th November 2023, 01:09 PM
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End Of An Era
For our entire relationship, Mrs. Larsen and I have had real Christmas trees with incandescent lights. But, today we have an artificial tree with LED lights. To be honest, it looks pretty good. And the metal tree skirt to hide the stand looks pretty nice. And not having to make up solution to keep it from drying out is nice too. But it's still a change.
When Wolfette was very little, we started keeping the cut off ends of the trees and putting the year on them so that Christmas never really left our house. I had quite a box of them. But in the move out we decided to get rid of them, so they went into the dumpster. It all changes.
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29th November 2023, 01:40 PM
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My parents moved to an artificial tree when us kids were flown, and Husband and I already decided we will likely do the same.
I was commenting at Thanksgiving that it hardly seems fair that I never have to cook since we always eat at my folks' place (or in the past, alternately at SIL's). It was sobering to think there will be a day "my folks" won't be an option, then I'll get plenty of chances to host. It certainly does change. You hold what you can while you can, and then you hold whatever or whoever is next.
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29th November 2023, 03:55 PM
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Ideally, while landing on your feet in between. But managing the occasional train wreck is par for the course too.
Got the new boat tarp all lashed down. This time I used the old tarp to pull the new one on. Even the kibitzing neighbor had to admit that was the easy way. Its supposed to rain for a week starting right about now. So I'm switching to indoor projects such as an outboard motor stand, he grumped.
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29th November 2023, 04:02 PM
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29th November 2023, 09:17 PM
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You see, that post makes no sense to me. This is related to my inability to properly tighten the spark plugs of my car. With that level of incompetence, I just stopped learning anything about machines. I know what a garden hose is! A clamp adapter probably means something else of a different circumference is attached to the hose by a mental clampy thing. But why does it need flushed, and what are the casters for? Is a boat engine going to be rolling around Jag's house? It's like amazing magic.
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30th November 2023, 06:01 PM
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2nd December 2023, 05:44 AM
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Neither of us wanted to cook last night, so we went over to our favorite Thai restaurant and loaded up on good curry. Then we went out Christmas light viewing. Already quite a few places are decorated. Saw one place that was not traditional, but was quite charming. Instead of lights, they had wooden cutouts of the buildings for a Christmas village and had them arranged in their yard and lit with spotlights so they were nicely visible. It was huge and even used part of the neighbors yard. The cutouts were well done and nicely painted.
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2nd December 2023, 06:46 PM
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I hear you all on the changing of traditions. I am thinking of getting an artificial tree, which used to be anathema to me. But to not have to worry about fire so much, and for not having to fight light strands.
I haven't succumbed yet, but it's out there on my horizon. I'm not putting up Snow Village this year, either. This is YUGE but with the dining room window project + the plastering and repainting of that room... I only have so much time and energy for such things. Plus there's this whole thing of the adult kids just taking it all for granted, and putting up and taking down Snow Village takes more than several hours. I've only decorated the mantle, put up the tree, and done the front door and front stoop pots (birch branches, balsam fronds, plus lights). And it feels okay. Am busy making a stocking for Daughter's fiancee. Also, first grandchild is due just after Christmas! Also, we are not celebrating Xmas until Dec 29 when all that can be in town will be here (which is the 27th, but this way nobody has to go to work the next day).
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2nd December 2023, 10:41 PM
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Good Dog. I haven't even done a thing yet, and I'm not plastering anything either. Makes me weary just to think of it! You go on, I'll make us some ice tea
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3rd December 2023, 12:20 AM
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I put up my usual two strings of lights. This year I bought another two and will be putting them up at the next break in the typhoon. Which won't be this week, thats for sure.
But there was a break this afternoon and I got in a nice evening shamble. On the way through the woods I spotted the teenage bear that lives there. He shoved off as usual and I didn't think too much more about it. Half a mile later back on the street I passed a cute blonde with a couple of dogs and said hello. It wasnt until I heard barking and yelling off in the distance that the penny dropped. Uh oh. I trotted back in that direction, although not too sure what I was going to do about it. Fortunately it is a smart bear who knows when to climb a tree. I clued in the nice lady and suggested she might want to get a leash if she wants to keep those dogs. As I passed the spot again I glimpsed a big fuzzy shadow fading into the greenery. Pretty sure we were more excited about it than the bear. Just another typical evening out here in flyover country I guess.
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3rd December 2023, 04:38 AM
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Mornin' everyone.
The pups have had their morning constitutional, been fed, had another chance to potty, and are now taking their after-breakfast siesta. Those two keep me busy, that's for sure. I will probably drag out the tree today and try to decorate between puppy outside play, indoor play, and feeding times, in addition to all the other chores that need to happen. I will probably regret putting up the tree, especially since Maise likes to get under things, AND both pups have a thing for sitting under the now leafless 23-year-old Japanese Laceleaf maple and gnawing on it. I have to keep moving them away from that tree. Anyway, I mentioned my hesitation about putting up the tree, and my son seemed pretty disappointed there wouldn't be a tree, so here I am putting it up. I'm undecided about the village because it takes a while to put that out, too. My tree is fake because the real trees had disappeared before I started my search one year ago, and it was getting harder and harder for me to wrestle with a real tree anyway. I always used to say I'd never have a fake tree, but here we are. Things I miss; the smell, the essence the hunt added to Christmas. The things I don't miss are fighting with the lights and becoming increasingly frustrated as the good tree availability shrinks and costs increase. My fake tree has already paid for itself. Christmas will be small this year: me and my husband, my son, and probably my mother. It will be strange to celebrate without my daughter and her family and the usual assorted extras that end up coming for Christmas. It'll be quiet and think I'm kind of going to like that.
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4th December 2023, 05:08 AM
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The Christmas season really kicked off for us this weekend. Interior decorations are mostly up. Saturday was the school band's big fundraising event. I finished up the third batch of donated cookies Friday night, and Husband staffed a shift Saturday morning, thus completing our volunteer requirements for the year*. Swimmy played with the band at noon, and then we hit the craft fair. Husband went to catch Eldest in her first bodybuilding competition, just a small one being held by her club at school but she made a good showing. Sunday we nabbed a tree before they were all picked over - you have to do that earlier and earlier it seems - then went out to brunch. We won't put the tree up for probably two more weeks yet, but it came on a truck from Nova Scotia according to the tag so it can hang out on the porch a little longer. I've been running all sorts of errands for this and that and weaving the Christmas shopping in around them. Still need to do the bulk of the online shopping so it has time to ship. Swimmy and I have been binging Christmas movies in the evenings - we started with A Muppet Christmas Carol and ended with Home Alone, but I did throw in Holes for variety.
I got the Christmas cards ready to go and might hop out to the post office at lunchtime and get them mailed, provided the rain holds off. *The band parent association made it mandatory for every family to do three volunteer shifts this year or pay $300 on top of a $100 fundraising commitment and $200 band dues. I think that's bullshit and tone deaf - I can see having everyone volunteer for something, but three events is too many considering there are over 150 kids in the band. There's no way they need 450 volunteering gigs. It was actually hard to find slots to sign up for because they all got filled so fast. I also feel for kids in families whose parents have neither the time nor the money for that level of commitment. There were a lot of angry parents when the new plan was announced; I'm curious to see if it changes any next year.
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4th December 2023, 07:09 AM
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I hope everyone is happy with as much or as little "Christmas energy" that they happen to have. We don't have room for a tree, but I've got a few decorations up (but only those that bring me joy).
I bought a bunch of new "flameless" candles this year, and I decided to buy the type with remotes, reasoning that I'd be able to turn on (and off) all three dozen of them with the click of one or two buttons. Which, is true--I can do that. But I "have" to do that far more frequently than I'd anticipated, because the candles all have minds of their own! They pick up signals from other remotes and dog knows what else, so they turn on at seemingly random times of the day and night. I find it rather charming, actually! In other news, you guys know that we "borrow" the across-the-street-neighbours' cat, but did I tell you that their chickens visit us nearly daily now? I was pretty sure we'd eventually find some stashes of eggs, and yup--over the weekend we found 15!  This should be an easy work week for me, while last week was definitely hectic. There were weird meetings, and strange happenings, and the icing on the cake was when I hosted a four hour workshop on diversity, equity, and inclusion...and one person came. Ha ha ha! At least she was a lovely person, so there's that. Sigh. Rigs, congrats about your daughter's engagement and about a grandbaby!!! 
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4th December 2023, 09:55 AM
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Rigs is getting a grandbabby for Christmas! How cool is THAT?
Woohoo, free eggs! Score! I really intend to tackle getting my pantry organized, it's my regular days off and that little room is gone completely higgledy-piggledy what with my complete inability to get rid of clothes I don't wear and my yarn obsession and the like. The weather is bleah, I have nothing else to make an excuse to do and it's just TIME. I have a couple big boxes to stash the extra clothes in to go to Goodwill, there's really no excuse. Excelsior!
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4th December 2023, 02:46 PM
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Well, I got the Christmas lights up. Nothing compared to my previous setup, but this place doesn't have many places to put them. Not awesome, but better than nothing.
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4th December 2023, 04:11 PM
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Got my project done as well--it doesn't LOOK a whole lot different but it's much better organized, I moved some stuff out to the shed, stuff I don't need to access often, and took a metric buttload of old clothes out to Agnes to be dropped offf at the Goodwill. I have a lot more space on my shelves now, yay.
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4th December 2023, 04:25 PM
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No matter how old or mature I get…listening to someone in the next stall(s) over having a POWER shit is never any less funny. Especially if they try to cover the sound by repeatedly flushing the toilet. Today, a woman kept clearing her throat.
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