Thread Drift

[OakLeaf]

Ahhh. I loathe ticks, but if they're the price of lightning bugs, they're welcome.

[Biciclista]

yes, i feel like I was a bad mother because neither of my sons has ever seen the magic of lightning bugs. :(

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ahhh. I loathe ticks, but if they're the price of lightning bugs, they're welcome.

After seeing MOST of my friends here get Lyme disease (some several times over the past few years) and have to undergo the treatment (which also makes you feel pretty ill)....I'd gladly give up the lightning bugs if I could walk freely in the woods and fields again without fear.

[Zen]

yes, i feel like I was a bad mother because neither of my sons has ever seen the magic of lightning bugs. :(

Oh, it is lightning bug time here and it is DELIGHTFUL!
Recently I had to drive into town at 9pm and the boys were out flashing it up over the cornfields while the girls waited on the ground to see who had the biggest...glow. I had to pull over and enjoy it for a few minutes.

[Tuckervill]

We seem to have a lot of lightening bugs this year, too. And flies. :mad: And Japanese beetles. :mad: (clogging up the pool skimmer.)

Karen

[KnottedYet]

Anemia sucks. (for so many reasons) But at least any cooties trying to get blood out of me this year are gonna go hungry. We really don't have ticks west of the mountains, nor the other icky bugs. Nor poisonous snakes.

But then, neither do we have sun...

Everything has its trade-off. :rolleyes:

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

But then, neither do we have sun...

Today's forecast, which looks just like every other forecast for the past month....


Today: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some storms could be severe, with heavy rain. High near 73. South wind between 3 and 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some storms could be severe, with heavy rain. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Southwest wind between 3 and 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.


It's been pouring rain all yesterday,last night, and this morning....still raining..... :(

[Biciclista]

Is Manhattan going to sink into the atlantic??!?!??!

[Trek420]

Could be:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10152008/news/regionalnews/deep_look_into_future_133704.htm

[katluvr]

The Sunshine state is FAR from it this week.
Most days this week has been intermittant rain..but ALL day yesterday and so far most of this AM.
I was PLANNING a July 3rd bike ride....darn it... I rarely get a free day for a long bike ride. Maybe by tmorrow we will have some clear skies.

Lightening bugs...no such thing in FL. One summer I was in Wisconsin and everyone laughed at me--I was so excited to see them! Guess it is too darn hot for them here.

We have those "no-see-ums". Boy do they bite!
They should be out full force after the rain when it is all hot, humid & sticky!

[papaver]

hot hot hot hot.... but my riding buddy from Alabama thinks it's just right. :D (32-33 °C).

[katluvr]

OK, tell me how to get my mind back to work. I think I am ready for the 3 day holiday weekend to start now! Actually my mind has not really been fully at work all week. Wonder what gives?!

[Biciclista]

kind of like spring fever only summer?
i am ready to go home and it's not even lunch time yet!

[katluvr]

It is after lunch for me...so count down begins!
yeah, I really don't have a summer vacation planned this year. Did a bunch of spring trips around my bike rides...then no real vacation til Sept and then Oct for Moab biking trip.
So the summer seems to be dragging...although it is already July.
Maybe a just need a short weekend trip out of town!

[Zen]

This will be my second consecutive year of Not Much Summer.
Last year was spent selling my late mother's house, this year will be spent cleaning and selling mine.
And dental implants. Started that one this AM.
It's a fun filled extravaganza!

[katluvr]

Zen,
Poor you...my teeth hurt just reading your post!
I see you left that other thread...I am so afraid of celery!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Zen,
I see you left that other thread...I am so afraid of celery!

Don't be afraid! :eek:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/2892560912_293c746c4c.jpg

Celery is good for you! :p
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/3145399366_699b37d219.jpg

[Zen]

Do I see boobage of the Celery Queen?

That would be a great Halloween costume!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

That would be a great Halloween costume!

All she needs is a 'dip'! Now let's see....where could she find one?.... :rolleyes:

[Zen]

:d:d:d

[Crankin]

Zen, where are you moving to?

[papaver]

a little airplane crashed at 300 m from my house. Maybe building a house nearby a small airfield wasn't such a good idea after all. :(

[Tuckervill]

Yikes!

In my old hometown a plane crashed into the houses at the end of the runway and killed 3 people. It was the second time that house had been hit. (That was a long time ago.)

Karen

[papaver]

Here only two were killed. But they didn't hit anything luckily.

[Zen]

Zen, where are you moving to?

Into the "city" from out in the wilds. I figure it will save me at least two hours a day just in driving. And I'll actually be able to ride my bike for utility purposes!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Into the "city" from out in the wilds. I figure it will save me at least two hours a day just in driving. And I'll actually be able to ride my bike for utility purposes!

Two hours a day? That's practically like getting a whole extra decade added to your life! Congrats- that's very cool.

[Biciclista]

wow, I agree! that's a lot of peace of mind (not traveling)

what a gorgeous day here! I hope you are all having a fantastic weekend.

I am sulking because i don't have my new jersey yet...

[Crankin]

Even though we are having a thunderstorm now, the sun was out almost the whole day! Went on a nice ride over to my old neighborhood, ended up being almost 30 miles, by the time we were done.
There's less cyclists where we rode, mostly because the roads in Concord are monopolized by huge group rides, serious racers training, and people from Boston who read about routes here in some guide books to cycling in Boston. It's not that there aren't riders in the next town, but it's just far enough west, that it thins out. My street seems to have been discovered also, like hey, here's a cool steep hill to climb! It's amazing, since I have lived around here for almost 20 years and I had never seen this street until we looked at our house. Today I saw several couples riding, which was nice. They looked like they were just out having a good ride, just like we were. I don't mean to sound grumpy, but I feel like the roads around here are being taken over by cyclists who don't have very good etiquette sometimes.

[mudmucker]

Don't be afraid! :eek:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/2892560912_293c746c4c.jpg

Celery is good for you! :p
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/3145399366_699b37d219.jpg

You know, I haven't been on this forum in several months, life and all. So I'm perusing the threads in the last couple of days because I don't know any better and I see this. In light of another thread...do we not have enough positive productive hours in our day where a) we even have this kind of time and b) we feel we have to take a black marker to a purposefully cut celery stalk, take a level of time to take a photograph and post it, in an attmept to make mockery of a poster "behind their backs" (ie. in a separate thread)? Maybe the poster and some other find this amusing but troll or not, this seems very juvenile. Have we regressed to high school since I last read this forum?

Sheesh.

[snapdragen]

You know, I haven't been on this forum in several months, life and all. So I'm perusing the threads in the last couple of days because I don't know any better and I see this. In light of another thread...do we not have enough positive productive hours in our day where a) we even have this kind of time and b) we feel we have to take a black marker to a purposefully cut celery stalk, take a level of time to take a photograph and post it, in an attmept to make mockery of a poster "behind their backs" (ie. in a separate thread)? Maybe the poster and some other find this amusing but troll or not, this seems very juvenile. Have we regressed to high school since I last read this forum?

Sheesh.

Welcome back and +1,000,000,000

[crazycanuck]

DOn't shoot the messenger.....I don't care about silly photos..I just lurk and nod my head..

Today is going to be crazy busy as it's Ian's surprise do. My friend called me in a panic yesterday as the cake I was going to decorate burnt..well. Her neighbour came over & made them into lamingtons.. I went and bought a very nice cake from a french patisserie after my ride. $$$ :eek: but ooooo soo yummy...

[Biciclista]

I have to wait until MONDAY to order my new jersey. it's just not right.

what is a lamington?

[crazycanuck]

THey're not good for you & are way way way fatttening!! :eek: I don't like them..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamington

[Biciclista]

oh it's a kind of a cake thingy. I was thinking more of shoes.
Wellingtons, lamingtons

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You know, I haven't been on this forum in several months, life and all. So I'm perusing the threads in the last couple of days because I don't know any better and I see this. In light of another thread...do we not have enough positive productive hours in our day where a) we even have this kind of time and b) we feel we have to take a black marker to a purposefully cut celery stalk, take a level of time to take a photograph and post it, in an attmept to make mockery of a poster "behind their backs" (ie. in a separate thread)? Maybe the poster and some other find this amusing but troll or not, this seems very juvenile. Have we regressed to high school since I last read this forum?
Sheesh.

Not everyone sees things the same way you do. I'm a graphic artist- I love humorous vintage and otherwise interesting or odd pictures, and I use them often when I write. That's part of who I am and I'm not about to change.

I was not 'mocking' anyone. Rather, (and apart from the other thread, believe it or not) I found the idea of a fellow member saying she was 'afraid of celery' to be a pretty funny notion in and of itself, and I used quirky pictures to allay her 'fear of celery'. I have a large collection of antique postcards from the early 1900's, and bizarre humorous 'vegetable people' was an ever popular theme in that era, so the whole idea of 'scary celery' is a natural for me. And I assure you no celery was sliced, diced, or magic-markered for my post.

I am very pro-vegetable. In fact, since you have suggested that I didn't spend my hours productively today, I'll have you know that I dedicated seven solid hours of my day today working with and promoting vegetables, including celery! I hand sowed hundreds of vegetable seeds of seventeen varieties in the ground for four hours straight this morning (my back will be killing me tomorrow), and this afternoon my husband and I played music amongst the vegetables for our local farmer's market for 3 hours, something we enjoy doing to give back to our community. We were paid with a bunch of beets and a bunch of scallions and lots of toddler dancing and smiles. I must confess here however that i *did* 'behead' the beets before storing them in my refrigerator this evening. :eek:
...But I saved the greens for my worm compost bin, thus hopefully redeeming myself somewhat amongst the vegetable kingdom.

Judge me and scold me if you like. I don't expect you to actually understand me.

[Biciclista]

apparently mudmucker is not familiar with what Bleeker does for fun
http://harmonias.com/ruby/ruby-maryjane-3.jpg

http://harmonias.com/ruby/ruby-pages-maryjane.html

The case is closed, I think the moderator already did her job yesterday.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Even though we are having a thunderstorm now, the sun was out almost the whole day! Went on a nice ride over to my old neighborhood, ended up being almost 30 miles, by the time we were done.
There's less cyclists where we rode, mostly because the roads in Concord are monopolized by huge group rides, serious racers training, and people from Boston who read about routes here in some guide books to cycling in Boston. It's not that there aren't riders in the next town, but it's just far enough west, that it thins out. My street seems to have been discovered also, like hey, here's a cool steep hill to climb! It's amazing, since I have lived around here for almost 20 years and I had never seen this street until we looked at our house. Today I saw several couples riding, which was nice. They looked like they were just out having a good ride, just like we were. I don't mean to sound grumpy, but I feel like the roads around here are being taken over by cyclists who don't have very good etiquette sometimes.

I'm noticing more and more cyclists 'in training' around my area as well. Some of them are friendly and considerate, but I hate it when others come up silently behind me on a lonely road and zoom past within 3 feet of me without any warning at all. They give me a real start sometimes. And what if I had decided to reach for my shoe or something and swerved just as they were passing?? I find it pretty impolite and not very safe. I'm not sure if they even know there's anything wrong with it though.
Sometimes I call out a loud cheerful "Hello!" after them as they zoom away. :rolleyes:

Oh, and it's not that I don't like being zoomed past- because EVERYONE zooms past me since my average speed is about 9.8 mph. It's the silent surprises that shake me up. I swear with the crickets and birds and wind noises I can't hear them coming up from behind!

[Zen]

Today I built a replica of the Eiffel Tower using toothpicks. Unfortunately they were used toothpicks and likely tasted of vienna sausage hence my dogs attraction to them.

The next time I do this it will be with unused toothpicks and placed where the hounds can't reach it.

Everybody loves having fun with vegetables
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb14/zencentury/Mrpotato-head-presidential-candidat.jpg

apparently mudmucker is not familiar with what Bleeker does for fun
http://harmonias.com/ruby/ruby-maryjane-3.jpg

http://harmonias.com/ruby/ruby-pages-maryjane.html


I've had that happen before though it usually involved pie. It's a good thing i live far, far away from you and Raleighdon.

[snapdragen]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h181/snapdragen/MsgBoards/londonbridge.jpg

[Biciclista]

this is what my d-i-l was doing on lake washington today while i was getting attacked by a leech.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Today I built a replica of the Eiffel Tower using toothpicks. Unfortunately they were used toothpicks and likely tasted of vienna sausage hence my dogs attraction to them.
The next time I do this it will be with unused toothpicks and placed where the hounds can't reach it.

Ok now that's scary...dogs eating toothpicks. :(

Um, why were you building the Eiffel tower??

OMG MImi, that looks so wild!- like a giant DNA chain!
GIANT LEECH?! =8-o
I found a giant nightcrawler worm in the soil today while sowing. It was 8" long and fully a 1/4" thick. It was really beautiful, iridescent, and so big and heavy it felt like i was holding a snake in my hand. I really should have taken a photo but was too anxious to finish sowing before the rains came again.

I planted lots of carrot seeds today, and later they became 'besotted' by yet more blasted rain. Luckily not washed out.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3622/3686391626_b91d338d4a.jpg

[Zen]

That looks like fun.
What did you do to provoke that leech? Did you pull it off? Did it hurt?
Wouldn't you rather be attacked by Cotton Ball Man (http://jezebel.com/5034482/maury-povitch-tortures-woman-with-painful-cotton-ball-phobia)?




Um, why were you building the Eiffel tower??


I had nothing better to do. I think Snap is on to me;)

[Biciclista]

That looks like fun.
What did you do to provoke that leech? Did you pull it off? Did it hurt?
Wouldn't you rather be attacked by Cotton Ball Man (http://jezebel.com/5034482/maury-povitch-tortures-woman-with-painful-cotton-ball-phobia)?

i put my legs in the lake. i felt something that felt like a yellowjacket BEFORE they bite. Then i saw it and pulled it off. it hadn't actually stuck itself on me yet.

[Biciclista]

um, cotton ball man? people will do ANYTHING to get on tv!

[Crankin]

Lisa, I agree with you on the riders who "surprise" you when passing. Thankfully, this has happened to me only once in awhile. I usually say something, too, like, "Have a nice day..." Lately there have also been a bunch of older men, beginning cyclists, who i pass. I always give warning and try to say something nice to them, since I don't want anyone to feel like *I* was being rude.

[Biciclista]

the leech was not a giant. it was about 1.25" long, rather small, actually. It also had an interesting pattern on its back, not like the black leeches of NJ that I remember.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW

Not 'cute' like my compost worms at all...

[TsPoet]

Lisa, I agree with you on the riders who "surprise" you when passing. Thankfully, this has happened to me only once in awhile. I usually say something, too, like, "Have a nice day..." Lately there have also been a bunch of older men, beginning cyclists, who i pass. I always give warning and try to say something nice to them, since I don't want anyone to feel like *I* was being rude.

I do the same thing, but the guy I ride with thinks I should stop, he says it just confuses people. I think he's right, they often start swerving, rather than keep a straight line. But, people I pass are weekend riders, families, older folks on 50 year old bikes... Everyone else passes me.

[Reesha]

They'd be a lot cuter with googly eyes, wouldn't they:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/femmeke830/leech.jpg

[TsPoet]

I'm still shaking -
My 17 lb pug-x, Murphy, was attacked by a man on our walk today. I probably should have called the cops. Murphy is fine, I'm actually impressed with how well he handled himself. We were walking on this little Island jutting off of the Columbia river at 8 am. The island was packed with people fishing. The one stretch with no people, this guy with a big stress-grin and missing a few teeth was walking toward us. He was carrying a long stick with a beer can dangling at the top, and singing about being an American Indian. He was as Anglo as me, and I probably smirked, although I didn't try to. As Murphy and I always do, we stepped aside and Murphy gets behind me. the man marched right over trying to pet him, and announcing very loudly that he was a Native American. I asked him to leave Murphy alone, said Murphy might bite him. he showed me his right hand, with no fingers on it and said "he isn't going to bite them off!" Then he said "I'm a lion then", put his hands up in the air, started snarling, and lunged at Murphy. I body blocked him and started yelling, not a good idea, but it was an adrenalin rush. He started yelling about my dogs being off leash and reporting me - if they'd been off leash, he would have been bitten. I didn't think he had enough of a foot in reality to argue the point with him, though. He kept circling and lunging, I kept yelling, Murphy started growling. My other dog, Finn, started growling and lunging... He finally gave up and marched down the trail yelling about the "F'n white man, think they own everything, but then they give it all to the G**D*** Mexicans" (but he didn't us the word Mexican), and about calling the cops on me for my dogs being off leash, "that's illegal, these f'n whites ruining our land and giving it to the ..."

[Reesha]

Whoa! Well, I'm glad you came out of it ok!

Were there any witnesses?

[Trek420]

OMG. Woah!! I am glad that you are ok.

You did the exact right thing, an immediate reaction.

I don't know exactly what you mean by body block, you got in his way? Bashed into him? Whatever is was you did the RIGHT thing.

It worked, he left, you, Murphy and Finn are ok.

Move
Make noise
Get away when/if you can. If you can't leave you repeat steps 1 & 2 till the nut is no longer an impediment to your leaving however you take that to mean.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Oh that's really scary- how awful, you must be a wreck. I'm glad you and your dogs are ok!

Things like that have happened to me on occasion in NYC- some people are clearly mentally not right. It's very frightening when it happens.
I really think you should report this incident to the police- this guy might hurt the next person he gets goofy with- what if it's a small child he starts threatening? The police should know this guy is doing this- if they get several reports they will step up patrols there at the very least. Perhaps the Dept of social services even knows who he is already.

[TsPoet]

Whoa! Well, I'm glad you came out of it ok!

Were there any witnesses?


No, but people were around, if I'd screamed, someone would have heard.



OMG. Woah!! I am glad that you are ok.

You did the exact right thing, an immediate reaction.

I don't know exactly what you mean by body block, you got in his way? Bashed into him? Whatever is was you did the RIGHT thing.
.

I guess maybe you are right. I've been working with dogs for 5 years. What you do when one dog threatens another is put your body between the two dogs and distract the aggressor. That's exactly how I treated this guy, just reflex. I stood between him and Murphy and got in his face. If Murphy had attacked the man (not outside the realm of possibility, Murphy has issues), I would have got in his face and made him do tricks to distract him. Maybe I should have asked the man to "sit up pretty' - LOL.


Oh that's really scary- how awful, you must be a wreck. I'm glad you and your dogs are ok!
The police should know this guy is doing this- if they get several reports they will step up patrols there at the very least. Perhaps the Dept of social services even knows who he is already.

I guess I should. I thought about finding a non-emergency # and asking if they want me to report such a thing or not. I have enough of a description that they should know him if he's been a problem before, I'd thinking missing the fingers on his right hand would be pretty descriptive. Especially here, we are a small enough area that we don't have a lot of crime.

thanks, I'm feeling better - in fact now I'm sort of laughing over treating the guy more completely like a dog and asking him to do tricks!

[OakLeaf]

Wow, scary. Glad you and the dogs are okay. (And that they didn't have to bite him, which would've created a whole 'nother set of complications. :()

[Trek420]

Maybe I should have asked the man to "sit up pretty' - LOL.

Hey, whatever works :rolleyes: But you done good! Yes, you should report it.

[Zen]

Yes, report that even now eight or so hours later.

I don't know what my dogs would have done. They're extremely protective of me.

[Biciclista]

um, TsPoet, he had missing fingers AND toes??


i think you did the right thing too.

I hope I don't run into THAT guy.

[evangundy]

but I hate it when others come up silently behind me on a lonely road and zoom past within 3 feet of me without any warning at all. Sometimes I call out a loud cheerful "Hello!" after them as they zoom away. :rolleyes:


When a rider silently passes by my DH he hollers loudly "I'm on your right!" It ususally gets them to look back at him, most say "Oh, sorry, On your left", some laugh, some swear, but it does at least get their attention.

I wear a mirror and see about 95% of the people that pass me, very few startle me, but I've been know to scream (on purpose just to get their attention - it usually startles them) when they pass me silently, and they say, What?? are you ok? And I say, sorry, you scared the crap out of me, sneaking up on me like that. :D

Edna

[evangundy]

I guess maybe you are right. I've been working with dogs for 5 years. What you do when one dog threatens another is put your body between the two dogs and distract the aggressor. That's exactly how I treated this guy, just reflex. I stood between him and Murphy and got in his face. If Murphy had attacked the man (not outside the realm of possibility, Murphy has issues), I would have got in his face and made him do tricks to distract him. Maybe I should have asked the man to "sit up pretty' - LOL.

You did the right thing, reacting like you did - You were protecting Murphy and Finn like they would protect you. "Just Reflex" is a good thing. You didn't take time to stop and think about what to do, so you didn't give him time to do much either. I'm glad you're ok, and the dogs too.

Wish you were joining us on the Bridge of the Gods ride tomorrow.
Edna

[Reesha]

Anyone watching the Tour live right now?!

[papaver]

Anyone watching the Tour live right now?!

Yes. :D

[Reesha]

It's so exciting! I wish my computer was facing the other way so I can watch the TV in the background! :D

Did you catch the crash? I woke up to late and missed some of the action :rolleyes:

[Reesha]

Man I can't help but cheer for all of them-- anytime someone comes to front I get excited for them. It's such a feat to be there at all! :D

[Zen]

I think Cadel is on my team. Wonder if I won anything?

[Reesha]

Are you playing fantasy Tour de France?

[Zen]

I'm playing something:o
It came in an email. maybe it's from versus?

[Reesha]

I've never understood the appeal of fantasy sports until I though about fantasy Tour de France. That would be awesome!!! Although, I haven't been paying enough attention the lasat year or so to actually be good at it. Still... worth thinking about for next year, especially since I have summers off.

[Crankin]

The weather has finally been glorious for 2 whole days. I had a lazy day today First, I watched the Tour until 11:30 AM. Then, we rode a whopping 4 miles to go to the bank machine and pick up sandwiches for a picnic. I keep forgetting that the Cheese Shop is closed on Sunday and I was craving one of their many unique sandwiches. But we got some chicken pesto wraps somewhere else and rode over to the Old North Bridge and had a picnic on the lawn, under a huge tree by the visitor's center. It was busy there. There was a mobile "tea wagon" parked in the lot, which I didn't know about. I will have to try that out next week. We watched the tourists and counted about 30 cyclists who rode by, as we were eating. One was on a tandem that was recumbent in the front and regular in the second seat. I wouldn't want to be on the front of that one! We also saw a tandem with 2 adults and 2 kids; one in a seat behind the second adult and one in a trailer.
Rode home for a total of 8 miles. Then I went to the pond and read and sat in the sun for 2 hours.

[Biciclista]

after my long walk yesterday (3 hour street scramble) i decided MORE walking was what i needed, so i walked 2 miles today.
I'm glad you east coasters are finally getting nice weather

[DebW]

My son told me that my house has been leaking through the kitchen light fixture. But I don't know if anyone is doing anything about it. :eek:

I worked all day Saturday and Sunday morning. But this afternoon I went on a hike with my research group. As with most hikes in Switzerland, the destination was a restaurant on top of a mountain. We hiked for less than 2 hours. Rain started while we ate lunch, but ended by the time we left the restaurant, and rain and thunder started again as we got to the cars. We had planned to stop for a swim on the drive home, but cancelled that.

[Reesha]

Le sigh...

I really want to go to Switzerland someday (with a bike ;) )! The French Alps were not enough!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yes we FINALLY have gotten two days of beautiful weather!...I forgot what it was like. :p

This morning a BEAUTIFUL 20 mile bike ride with DH in perfect perfect weather, what a pleasure!
Then went to a small party this afternoon and sat under the trees eating lunch and then lots of fresh berries, and playing music. :) I feel so grateful to have had such a perfect day.

[Reesha]

I tracked my calories for today on Livestrong and it came out to about 1600 (including two beers--woo, a healthy dinner of whole wheat pasta with sausage and pesto, a heaping bowl of raspberries and hot cereal with maple syrup, two bananas and a few tablespoons of almond butter). However, I rode 37 miles today with an average speed of about 15.5 mph.

My question is... did I eat enough? Should I eat more. According to livestrong I burned about 2100 calories during me ride, but that seems high... Maybe not. I was really working that headwind hooo boy.

I know it's late, but I'm hungry and I'm trying to decide if I should just go to bed because my body is craving a food-induced seratonin flood, or if I should let my body have what it needs.

It's probably beer munchies :D

[Veronica]

It looks to me like you're not eating enough protein.

At that average speed your ride took you about 2.5 hours. 2100 calories is too high of an estimate for what you burned during your ride. I usually see numbers of around 600 calories per hour on my Polar.

Probably not what you want to hear, but I'd cut the beer.

Veronica

[Reesha]

Haha, well, I rarely drink. A few times a month and very minimally when I do.

You're probably right about the protein, but between the nuts in the pesto, the almond butter and the italian sausage and the whole grain cereal and pasta, I managed to get 53g, and most of it was eaten immediately post ride. I wish I'd had chicken around the house but no such luck. http://lesoftparade.com/boards/images/smilies/inhate3at6.gif Time to hit the grocery store!

[Tuckervill]

this is what my d-i-l was doing on lake washington today while i was getting attacked by a leech.

Okay, I'm way way behind, but what the holy heck is that?!

Karen

[Veronica]

That's only 13% of your calories from protein.


I don't drink, so it's really easy for me to say, cut the booze. But if you have two beers once a week, that's 300 calories per week, you could just cut out. That's like a third of a pound over a month.

Of course I could apply the same math to ice cream. :D However, I'm not actively trying to lose anymore weight. I'm pretty happy where I'm at.


Veronica

[Reesha]

You're right about the protein :( I need to keep more of the good stuff around!

Where do you get most of your protein if you don't mind my asking?

[Veronica]

I eat a lot of fish - 2 -3 times a week. Trader Joe's has frozen Ahi and MahiMahi fillets that we grill up. For dinner we eat just the fish. It's about 300 calories because it's two servings and 42 grams of protein. If we're not having fish than it's a steak or chicken. Or sometimes a mini pizza. We're not perfect. :D

I also eat eggs. I don't have a cholesterol problem so I eat up to 7 yolks per week - but usually only 4.

What I don't get enough of is vegetables. They don't sit well pre-workout, so eating them at lunch is out. I don't eat much fruit, because fruit is really just a form of sugar. I know lots of people disagree with that, but cutting out most of the sugar is what has really helped me to get where I want to be.

Veronica

[Reesha]

This is going to sound hilariously awful but it's summer vacation right now so I'm not teaching and I live in Downtown St. Louis where we don't have a grocery store! I used to drive right by this market Straub's that had the BEST fish so I would stop each day and pick up salmon or some kind of white fish. In the spring I ate fish every day! I miss it terribly, but it would be a 30 minute drive out there just to get it. I should probably take up eggs and egg whites for breakfast along with the Bob's Red Mill 7 Grain hot cereal I have with raspberries or blueberries.

[Veronica]

That's why I like the Trader Joe's frozen stuff. I can pre buy a bunch and just thaw it when I want it. We're not so good with the fresh fish thing - it usually ended up going bad.

Veronica

[Reesha]

I had the same problem-- that's why I started shopping every day on the way home from school. I'd buy just enough for dinner and then go home and enjoy. The fish never tasted as good even one day later!

The trader joe's stuff is pretty good... I recall enjoying their albacore steaks.

I'm afraid I've been spoiled by the fresh salmon... I'm not sure TJ's would be up to snuff.

[Biciclista]

Tucker, that's a milk carton boat for a contest.

Reesha, sometimes when you are dehydrated, it feels like hunger. If you drank two beers (sorry, i'm a teetotaler) that made you feel like you were getting enough fluids but instead continued the dehydration.
INstead of the two beers when you were thirsty, a sports drink and a glass of water would have done you a lot more good.

Forgive me, alcohol has never given me pleasure (genetics) so I fail to understand why anyone would drink it as a recovery drink. Save the alcohol for parties, take care of your body while you're training.

[Reesha]

It was many hours later and I hardly considered it a recovery drink :D I drank the beers for the taste, not because I was thirsty. Immediately after my ride (on the drive home) I drank about a liter or so of water in addition to the liter I drank during my ride so I figured I'd be fine. I'm pretty sure it wasn't thirst I was feeling-- I think Veronica is right-- I was probably craving more protein. I felt the same sense of hunger while I was drinking the beers. Anyway, there's probably not a lot of teetotalers (including my parents/brother) who I could justify two beers to ;) I just love a delicious beer from time to time-- it's a treat!

[bmccasland]

But what about the LEECHES????

[Biciclista]

well, i discovered, entirely by accident that there are leeches in Lake Washington.
the thing had not quite gotten itself attached to my ankle when i felt it (it felt like a yellowjacket was scrabbling on my leg, you know, right before it bites you?) and pulled it off.

I was NOT impressed.

[Zen]

I just saw the annual hikers go by my house :)
Kids from a nearby Quaker camp on their way up to the AT:) :)

[Biciclista]

people only hike there once a year?

[Zen]

The kids from the Quaker camp walk up to the trail head via the road by my house.

Once a year.

[Biciclista]

I'm sure you were out selling lemonade!

[Zen]

Had I known today was the day I would have put my two backpacks out for them to take away.

I need to get rid of stuff!

[Reesha]

Ezekiel Raisin Bread is heavenly :o

I think I'm going to go ride on "The Hill" which is St. Louis' Little Italy when the sun is down a little bit more. I can practice climbing there and wind my way down for a few minutes and then climb again-- interval training! Then I can end my ride at one of the various amazing delis and have a sandwich for a recovery dinner :D

[TsPoet]

Ezekiel Raisin Bread is heavenly :o
:D

Sounds like a porn star

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Reesa, tell me again what that little thing is that your cat is chewing in your avatar?....I forgot but it was funny. It's such a weird photo! And your cat's expression is priceless.
I always think it looks like a little pink hairless newborn mouse..... =8-o

[Zen]

i always think that cat is eating a goldfish.http://i44.tinypic.com/1r876g.jpg

[crazycanuck]

Interesting yet hated individual died today..ok I thought he was interesting...:o

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3740700.stm

I'd like to watch "The Fog of War" again.

[Crankin]

I think he is interesting, too. He admitted his mistakes, but no one was really interested in accepting his apology. I understand that, but still, he did have quite an interesting career. I remember when my son had to see the Fog of War for AP history. It was an interesting discussion in our house.

[crazycanuck]

Have you read In Retrospect ? I did many moons ago & would read it again but am in the middle of The Great War For Civilization. (still)

I need to ask about how to note references & titles on a forum :o I know how to do Chicago style referencing for a paper but have always wondered about the correct way on a board like this??

[Crankin]

CC, I wouldn't worry about reference form on this list! I use APA style for my research; but if someone is really interested in reading something you discuss here, just make sure you give the author and year of publication.
I haven't read In Retrospect. My reading (except for school) tends to be lighter, although I do read a lot of historical fiction and some biography.

[Reesha]

Reesa, tell me again what that little thing is that your cat is chewing in your avatar?....I forgot but it was funny. It's such a weird photo! And your cat's expression is priceless.
I always think it looks like a little pink hairless newborn mouse..... =8-o

When I took Monkey home to mom's house for the first time (she was still a kitten) the first toy she discovered was a little plastic cat that belonged to a silly plastic cat 'catapult gun'. My brother had the sense to tie it to a string on a stick and fling it all around. These days she'd get bored or lazy after fifteen minutes, but back then she'd play for hours! You can see it more clearly in this shot:

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v113/6/52/511688654/n511688654_95726_3855.jpg

[Biciclista]

your kitty is SO CUTE.

Day #4 without husband.
It was SO quiet last night. I sat and read for 2 hours. I am systematically cleaning our bedroom. All the things I do better when he's not here, but I still miss him.
He's in California preparing for the death ride on saturday.

[Reesha]

She really was the cutest little kitten. I adopted her because out of all the cats at the shelter, she was the only one to give me little sandpaper kisses :o :D

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v125/6/52/511688654/n511688654_157053_4143.jpg

I'm a proud mom.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Thanks Reesha. Yes, your kitty is such a pretty tabby!

Mimi- Right now I am in the middle of reorganizing the big living room bookshelf.
I can't believe how the books have slowly drifted around and gotten mixed into the various themes so you can't really find anything anymore. Plus, some books are simply not relevant or used by us anymore at all, and they need to make way for newer books that we are actually using and needing to access regularly.
I managed to organize 4 of the 8 shelves so far. It's so great to have all my various cookbooks, bread/baking, food growing, and canning/preserving books all together on one shelf, organized, and easy to grab! :p
When one's husband is away, it's a great time to reorganize some annoying messy places. (as long as we are careful to not throw away any husband possessions without consulting them!- that wouldn't be fair after all)

[Biciclista]

the only husband possessions I throw away when he's gone are worn out underwear and white teeshirts.

[katluvr]

Awwwwwwwwwww, Reesha, very cute pictures.
Dealing w/ very sick cat right now...tooo sad to share. :(But enjoyed seeing your cutie!:)

[Zen]

You guys are mere amateurs.
You should see the stuff I'm cleaning out and throwing away.
Whew.
A whole lotta STUFF that I don't need now and probably never did.

[Biciclista]

I"m not tossing, here, just cleaning.
But I SHOULD be tossing stuff; just don't know where to toss it to.

[Reesha]

I like to use Freecycle or Reuse-it when I want to toss stuff. It's basically giving stuff away to other people in your area via (typically) a Yahoo group. I got some cool stuff that way and unloaded a whole lot of good stuff that I no longer needed.

[Biciclista]

good point. I think it will be hard to get rid of books though, i've already cherry picked and sold the good ones. I've donated some to the library too.
Or i can just leave the whole mess for my sons to sort out in 40 years. lol

[Reesha]

Haha my mom and stepdad just keep every book they've ever bought. They don't have bare walls in their house, just book shelves! (Won't that be a joy to sort out in forty years ;) )

[Selkie]

My husband and I are both avid readers. We have held on to a few favorites but believe that books are for sharing. Therefore, once one of us finishes a book, it goes into the "donate to the library" box.

[Reesha]

Yeah, I have the same policy. I like to pass on all the books that I've enjoyed and keep only my very favorite and the useful ones!

[Zen]

When you have a job as big as this one there is no time to freecycle. It just has to GO.

Books stay, though.

[Fredwina]

oh dear, NPR (or KPCC) has jumped the shark:(
they're going to have live coverage of Michael Jackson's memorial service

[Reesha]

WOW next stage will be verrrry interesting!

[Zen]

oh dear, NPR (or KPCC) has jumped the shark:(

Oh dear indeed.
But keep in mind you're in CA. That won't happen on my DC station.

You can listen instead to Tech Tuesday on the Kojo Nnamdi Show (http://wamu.org/listen/)

[Reesha]

Ahahahaha

Phil and Paul Bingo for those watching Tour de France and don't have something better to do!

http://www.geocities.com/fourlakes_99/home/cycling/pnpbingo.htm

[jobob]

Probably not what you want to hear, but I'd cut the beer.


Hey! Them's fightin' words, missy. :mad:

:D

[Veronica]

Hey! Them's fightin' words, missy. :mad:

:D

Yeah, I know. I was thinking of you when I wrote that actually, since I know how much you LIKE your beer!. :D But it;'s easy for me to say 'cause I don't like it. You don't see me giving up ice cream. But I did give up Red Bull and chocolate chip cookies (except when they are straight out of the oven!)


Veronica

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You guys are mere amateurs.
You should see the stuff I'm cleaning out and throwing away.
Whew.
A whole lotta STUFF that I don't need now and probably never did.

10 years ago when i sold a 2 story 4 bedroom house and moved into a 2 bedroom apartment (a fourth floor walk-up no less), I got rid of literally half of everything I owned. Amazingly, I never missed a thing from that Grand Purge.
Two years ago I went through most of my books and sold 45 of them on Amazon.
This year DH and I are promising ourselves to go through ALL the basement stuff and purge and re-organize before winter. I did the stored emergency food and supplies already (carefully reading expiration dates), that felt good. Actually doing this kind of thing is incredibly unpleasant to me and I dread every moment, but once it's done I feel really good about whatever area is finished.

[Selkie]

Yeah, I know. I was thinking of you when I wrote that actually, since I know how much you LIKE your beer!. :D But it;'s easy for me to say 'cause I don't like it. You don't see me giving up ice cream. But I did give up Red Bull and chocolate chip cookies (except when they are straight out of the oven!)


Veronica

Ice cream is a good source of calcium. ;)

It's good you gave up "the Bull" because it's hard on your teeth enamel.

[DebW]

You guys are mere amateurs.
You should see the stuff I'm cleaning out and throwing away.
Whew.
A whole lotta STUFF that I don't need now and probably never did.

I've been through several rounds of thinning books, clothes, tossing out junk in the attic (then adding to the attic), some precipitated by a roof replacement, a major basement flood, and moving myself from the master bedroom to another room. Now trying to get the house on the market, so more thinning to do. Maybe I'll just get an apartment as soon as I get back in the states and move all my junk out of the house. Maybe that will help it sell.


I like to use Freecycle or Reuse-it when I want to toss stuff. It's basically giving stuff away to other people in your area via (typically) a Yahoo group. I got some cool stuff that way and unloaded a whole lot of good stuff that I no longer needed.

I got rid of an old snowblower that didn't work through Freecycle. Otherwise it might have cost to dispose of it, not to mention being a pain to haul it anywhere.

[snapdragen]

You can always join Book Crossings and release your books to the wild.....:D

[jobob]

Ice cream is a good source of calcium. ;)
Yeah, that's it!

[Reesha]

I got rid of an old snowblower that didn't work through Freecycle. Otherwise it might have cost to dispose of it, not to mention being a pain to haul it anywhere.

I like to get rid of perfectly good stuff over Freecycle too! Once I gave away a mini food processor that I just never used. My next door neighbor actually snapped it up through freecycle oddly enough ;)

It's been hard to peruse since I moved to St. Louis-- there is just so much stuff and so many users! I liked our rural Lake Placid/Plattsburgh, NY area one a lot because it was busy enough-- but not too busy, you know!

[snapdragen]

My resident juvenile hawk is outside wailing for food. Every so often mom or dad flies by, with kid in hot pursuit

FEED ME! FEED ME! FEED ME!

:cool::D:cool::D

[Tuckervill]

Freecycle was good in the beginning, but now it's just Wantcycle on our local list. When people start asking for flat screen tvs, I'm no longer amused.

Karen

[Reesha]

seriously! I don't think you should be allowed to ask for stuff on Free cycle. That belongs in craigslist and for that stuff you should be asked to shell out a few bucks!


Rode 27 miles today along the Mississippi right after a light rain. It was super humid but pretty cool overall. A whole section of the riverfront trail had washed out earlier this year I guess :eek: It must have been during the last major spate of rains! Also I was annoyed to discover they decided to add a 100 foot stretch of crushed rock and gravel around the City Museum style play area at the outset of the trail. It's hard on my stiff little road bike! I hope they pave it over eventually... a lot of people time trial at the Riverfront Trail.

[crazycanuck]

:) I passed my first semester uni classes :). Two down & many more to go..:rolleyes:

[katluvr]

:) I passed my first semester uni classes :). Two down & many more to go..:rolleyes:

Congrats! Hey, focus on what is complete, not what is still in front of you!

[Tuckervill]

Congrats, CC!

I'm way behind. I have a regional tournament that starts August 5, and I have to put on a banquet for 500, a breakfast for 50, and find homes for all the boys to stay in while they are here!

Yikes.

Karen

[katluvr]

Congrats, CC!

I'm way behind. I have a regional tournament that starts August 5, and I have to put on a banquet for 500, a breakfast for 50, and find homes for all the boys to stay in while they are here!

Yikes.

Karen

and all I have to do is vacuum and go grocery shopping before my sister arrives tomorrow night. meticulous house clean is NOT on my list! And I think we will go OUT to eat most nights!;)
Good luck!

[Duck on Wheels]

I'm done with party arrangements for now until Xmas, working my way through the left-overs, and starting on the thank-you notes after my 60th b'day party. (Actual b'day is tomorrow). 2 down so far; I try not to think of how many left. My grad students gave me a "festschrift" -- an anthology of articles in my honor, with a "tabula gratulatoria" as first page. What with all the authors and signators I must have at least 50 cards to write, and then there are another 25 or so on the list. But each one is a reminder of how deeply touched I was by the gifts and by the party vibe. :)

[Selkie]

Happy Birthday, Duck! How do you say that in Norwegian?

[Trek420]

something like "Gratuler med Dagen"????

Unless I just said "I would like cheesecake covered with lox and reindeer steak" ;)

[Selkie]

LOL. The only Norwegian I know is Uf Da! And I bet I spelled that wrong.

Duck, have a big slab of b'day cake for me.

[Duck on Wheels]

something like "Gratuler med Dagen"????

Unless I just said "I would like cheesecake covered with lox and reindeer steak" ;)

No, you ordered the cheesecake with cloudberries this time. Good job! Much tastier! :D

Actually, you wrote "Congratulate on the big Day!" in the form of an order, as in "NOW YOU GO CONGRATULATE HER ON HER BIG DAY!" Seeing as you back that up with a Nidan-degree black belt in Aikido, the person you gave the order to then is then so nervous that she stutters it into the present tense, which is "Gratulerer med Dagen". Again, good job! I think you just earned black belts in cheesecake selection and foreign language instruction as well.

[Selkie]

Phonetic, please!

[papaver]

Gratulerer med... oh heck... gelukkige verjaardag! :D (much easier :p )

[Reesha]

I just made myself a tuna salad with avocado instead of mayo, fresh lemon juice, chives and green onion, dash of dijon, salt and pepper and chopped walnuts. It came out great! Very pleased :)

Happy birthday!

[OakLeaf]

Oh yum! Send me some please!

And happy birthday Duck! And congrats CC! :D :D

[Crankin]

Congratulations, Duck, on reaching your milestone birthday. That sounds like a lovely and meaningful present.
I can't believe that 60 is my next "big' birthday. Why don't I feel old?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Happy Birthday Duck!

Congratulations to CC!

[Trek420]

Gratulerer med... oh heck... gelukkige verjaardag! :D (much easier :p )

All I know in Norwegian is "ar du ok?" (sp?) Which I heard often from helpful and concerned Norwegians peering down at me as I lay flat on my back having once more fallen over backwards in the snow.

Thus armed with Norwegian I hope we get to visit again soon. Sorry to have missed this Big Day. :o

[Zen]

AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!
These sutures are driving me crazy and I'm this close to removing them myself!

[KnottedYet]

All I know in Norwegian is "ar du ok?" (sp?) Which I heard often from helpful and concerned Norwegians peering down at me as I lay flat on my back having once more fallen over backwards in the snow.

Thus armed with Norwegian I hope we get to visit again soon. Sorry to have missed this Big Day. :o

Now that the Federal gov't has so *graciously* decided to allow me to *perhaps* change my name on my passport so that it matches my driver's license, credit cards, medical records, etc., maybe we'll get to go. Of course, they still won't allow me to change my name on social security, which is just mind-bogglingly stupid. So my professional license and work records are under my old name. Sheesh.

I do want to go to Norway, soon!

Happy Birthday, Duck!

[lph]

Grattis med dagen Anda, håper den blir bra og involverer mye god kake :D

[Selkie]

Now that the Federal gov't has so *graciously* decided to allow me to *perhaps* change my name on my passport so that it matches my driver's license, credit cards, medical records, etc., maybe we'll get to go. Of course, they still won't allow me to change my name on social security, which is just mind-bogglingly stupid. So my professional license and work records are under my old name. Sheesh.

I do want to go to Norway, soon!

Happy Birthday, Duck!

Knot - Why not have a legal name change (court ordered)? Not sure what the process is like in your jurisdiction, but where I live it is very easy and can be done pretty much by mail (aside from notarizing the paperwork). Very nominal fee. The only bummer is going to social security in person, but if you get there early in the day, you can get in and out fairly quickly.

[crazycanuck]

Score! My dear loves his 40th birthday pressie :cool: *& have been told it's something he's been wishing for...

Jet Black wheels & tubeless tires all put together by our coolio bike shop guys :cool:

[TsPoet]

Now that the Federal gov't has so *graciously* decided to allow me to *perhaps* change my name on my passport so that it matches my driver's license, credit cards, medical records, etc., maybe we'll get to go. Of course, they still won't allow me to change my name on social security, which is just mind-bogglingly stupid. So my professional license and work records are under my old name. Sheesh.


that's kinda funny in a sad way - I work at a Nat'l Lab and we recently had to fill out paperwork showing what name is on our Passport and Driver's license. We'll my DL has my middle initial and my passport doesn't. So, I've been 'grounded' as far as work travel until they can figure out what to do with that!
That said, right after I was told I couldn't travel, I needed to make reservations to travel for work and did so without a hitch. So, they aren't backing up their threat.

[KnottedYet]

Knot - Why not have a legal name change (court ordered)? Not sure what the process is like in your jurisdiction, but where I live it is very easy and can be done pretty much by mail (aside from notarizing the paperwork). Very nominal fee. The only bummer is going to social security in person, but if you get there early in the day, you can get in and out fairly quickly.

It's $100 and an appearance before a judge. I can (and did) use my marriage license to legally change everything else, it makes me mad that I should have to go through an entirely separate process for the Federal stuff. And pay extra for it. "Please, sir, can I have some more [civil rights]?"

ETA: the "perhaps" part of the passport change is that the latest Federal ruling states they will acknowledge marriage licenses for name changes (and ONLY for name changes) only for folks who live in a state that issues them or recognizes them from other states. My state doesn't issue them, nor officially recognize them from other states, but it DID let me use my out-of-state marriage license to change my ID/DL. I guess that's unofficial recognition, so it is in a bit of limbo for the federal passport as far as all the legal research I've tried to do.

Being a flaming h0m0 takes so much extra work.... :)

[Trek420]

Being a flaming h0m0 takes so much extra work.... :)

Ah but I'm worth it, right? ;)

What's funny is the first name on my birth certificate is not the one I go by, have any id under etc. I use a nickname, a Hebrew diminutive of my actual first name. It's what my family has always called me.

Anywho at some point I was renewing my passport. The form asks
"are there any other names you are known by?"
"sure, I'm known by this" by that time it was on my license etc.

It came back with that name. I just asked. But try to change your name because you're married that's a whole different thing.

[Reesha]

Woohoo!!!! Massive thunderstorm in St. Louis. My kitty is scared and is hiding under the bed! :D

I will go to comfort her now.

[Zen]

You're going under the bed too?
I'm avoiding work. About to set a table by the side of the road with a "Free" sign on it. I hope someone takes it.

[Reesha]

Hehe, I coaxed her out with treats and she forgot all about the thunder! (well, at least until I stopped giving her treats)

[Crankin]

We did a fast walk on the Battle Rd. trail today. What a resource to have in my own backyard. I have only been there once and my DH had never been. I am really stiff from my crash yesterday, but I knew I needed to move. We were going to ride on the trail, but being Sunday, I was wary of Sunday riders, tourists, and little kids.
There were a lot of families riding. One little girl had on a little Discovery Team jersey! It's nice that some adult cyclists take the time to do slower riding with their kids. Of course there were the "Sunday cyclists," there, too, some who scared me because of their shakiness on the bike and the fact I had to jump off of the trail twice because they were weaving. We decided to come back early morning, during the week and ride the trail on our hybrids and then head over to the start of the Minuteman trail and explore that. The Battle Rd. trail is packed dirt, so you could also ride a mountain bike on it and then ride some other close by mountain bike trails.
It's nice to find new things to do in your own backyard.

[lph]

Erk. I just found the mouse that found its way into our bedroom one night last week and drove my dh insane cos he couldn't catch it or kill it, and me insane cos my dh was playing Search and Destroy in the middle of the night when I wanted to sleep, and that then ignored the mousetrap and disappeared.

It had curled up in my woolwear drawer and died. Erk. It was still intact, but most of my wool smells like dead rodent.

I am so glad I discovered this now and not when I'm packing for the mountains in a week, or worse, after the summer vacation.

So where is my dh when he's supposed to be around helping me with stuff liek this? ;)

[OakLeaf]

At least my DH has a very good reason why he wasn't here to help me with the chainsaw this morning.

I did fine (with the electric chainsaw, anyway - too scared to fire up the gas one). We do find our competence when we're alone. :)


ETA: actually (and he will deny it now, I'm sure), he didn't want me using the gas chainsaw when I asked, last time a tree came down when he was home. He's always going on about me "not wanting him to help." Why don't men understand that women need to be competent to take care of ourselves? Then, when they're not here, it's "I'm sure you'll be fine" doing whatever thing it was they didn't want us doing when they were around, so that we have no practice at it. :rolleyes:

[lph]

Heh. I'm fine doing the manly things with my dh around, more than fine, because we actively encourage each other to master new things, especially the classic gender role activities, but I wimp out a bit sometimes when my FIL and BIL are there too. But last firewood session up at the cabin my dh and I were there early so I got to play with the chainsaw for one full day first, and by the time FIL and BIL got there I wasn't giving it up ;) Cutting down trees is a lot more fun than all the hauling that follows.

But if he's home when I find a large spider inside I do ask him to please remove it for me. The big ones freak me out. And I think he likes it when I screech a little and go "I really need a man right now!" :D

[crazycanuck]

I am normally on large spider duty if Ian's home as he's arachnophobic in a serious way...Then again, I don't mind looking at white tails & redbacks..from a distance. Being bitten by one might ruin my day.

At my former workplace, a huntsman (normally they're out east but i think a few have found their way over to wa) was crawling up the wall & wanted to throw it outside but it was too far for me to reach. I could only find one guy to help me as the chicks freaked..:rolleyes:

[Duck on Wheels]

For spiders, I do what my dad taught me: Get the spider to crawl onto a sheet of stiff paper. Quickly cover the spider on the paper with a cup or glass, being careful not to squoosh any spider body parts. Caaaarefully turn the whole over, keeping the paper firmly on the glass/cup until outside. Then let the spider loose outside. Don't know how I would handle a dead mouse tho'. Probably with lots of paper towels or the inverted-plastic-bag-over-the-hand-as-for-doggie-doo to pick it up and lots of handwashing after. Eeeewww!

Congrats on the two courses, CC! What courses were they? Any fun ones planned for next semester?

Speaking of which: What's this about taking a new course, Trek? More telecom tech qualifications? Finishing the design degree? Credential to teach martial arts? Whole new thing altogether?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

But if he's home when I find a large spider inside I do ask him to please remove it for me. The big ones freak me out.

9632

[crazycanuck]

Duck-I did Planning 101 & a comms class that was a waste of everyone's time.

This semester-Diversity & Cultural Planning plus Transportation Planning. Who on earth schedules a friday afternoon class at a uni???

[Crankin]

At schools here, there are no classes on Friday afternoons. In fact, many schools had no classes at all on Fridays, until Thursday started being a huge party night for undergrads, causing all kinds of issues. So many put Friday morning classes back on the schedule.
My department (grad students only) has no Friday classes at all.

[crazycanuck]

I don't mind as it's an interesting class(Transportation & Society) and it'll encourage me to do some work over the weekend. Keep me extra busy ;)

I'm not too happy about a tutorial on tues from 5-6pm as i don't feel safe after dark in the Curtin Uni surrounding neighbourhoods. I'll be biking home & won't do the shortcut near my house either. I'll just wear the cool hi vis thing mimi gave us :) & lots of lights on my commuter.

[lph]

Oi. Bleecker. You're not going to freak me out with something fuzzy dozing in a box. It's those large, nimble, athletic ones running around on my floor I don't like.

I'll catch the small ones with DoW's method, except glass first, then paper under, then pick up and throw outside, but those big fast ones... *shudder*

[Trek420]

Speaking of which: What's this about taking a new course, Trek? More telecom tech qualifications? Finishing the design degree? Credential to teach martial arts? Whole new thing altogether?

Either medical billing or solar power for telcom or both. The first one depends on if enough other folks (need at least 5) sign up so we can have a class at my jobsite, the other depends on if I can get my schedule changed.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Oi. Bleecker. You're not going to freak me out with something fuzzy dozing in a box. It's those large, nimble, athletic ones running around on my floor I don't like.

That is the molted skin of a pet tarantula i used to have. She molted out of it because it was too small. I posed and mounted the discarded skin in a box. After she wriggled out of it all damp and soft like a newborn babe, she expanded to a much larger size. ;D

[OakLeaf]

Looks like it's freaking Ruby out anyway.

[Crankin]

Lisa, I'm not normally skittish around bugs, but that picture is freaking me out.

[katluvr]

Very quiet here today on TD.
Yep, large hairy spiders are a bit scarey.
I do LOVE all animals and rarely kill bugs (save them from the cats)--but I would probably freak out if I saw that!
Snakes are another creater that I am very "un-fond" of. The black racers we get in the yard are OK, but I would rather watch from "a far"!
Not much else freaks me out.

[OakLeaf]

Here's my li'l buddy.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3vDkQwuSTy0/ShSc1viUgfI/AAAAAAAAAE4/dE-xS1mHVgQ/s576/garter%20snake.jpg

He/she lives in my garage (no idea how to tell which). Been there a couple of months now. Sometimes on top of the blanket, sometimes tucked into it (so cute!), sometimes out and about I don't know where. I can't say that I've noticed any less mouse activity, but I hope the snake is deterring them. We did put the shop towels right next to the snake's blanket and the mice have left them alone, at least. :p

[Zen]

Your buddy is very pretty. What kind is she?

[Duck on Wheels]

Looks to me like a garter snake (aka garden snake). Very nice! You'll probably notice more of a dent in the local slug population than in mice, but still a very pretty, useful, and harmless animal to have around. A good neighbor. Congratulations :)

[Zen]

I will name her Gertie.

[Biciclista]

looks rather large for a garter snake, but maybe they are bigger in other regions?
oboy, there are 3 kinds, that explains it!!
http://greennature.com/article86.html
Garter snakes come in a variety of colorings. Generally, the Eastern garter snake can be identified by its dark body with three stripes, a thin one on its back and thicker ones on either side. The stripes are normally yellow. Eighteenth-century Moravian missionary, David Zeisberger, described garter snakes as, "a kind of striped, brightly marked snakes which are small and harmless.

http://greennature.com/article86.html
All garter snakes are characterized as small (two to three feet), thin and colorfully striped.

Florida has blue garter snakes, Texas has Checkered Garter Snakes, the West Coast has different versions of red garter snakes.

Apart from the species that have unusual field markings, multiple, similar looking, species can be found in many areas of the United States, sometimes making for identification problems.
close-up of a red-sided garter snake

Garter snake identification can be easy with a good picture. The suggestion may sound a bit frightening, however, keep in mind that garter snakes are typically unaggressive species with less than great eyesight.

They generally feel vibrations in the ground as their first indication of a human presence. Treading lightly and move slowly, makes it pretty easy to get within inches of one for a picture.
close-up of a northwestern garter snake or mountain garter snake

Once the picture is in hand, identification starts by noticing the color of the stripes running down its back, the color of its belly, and its facial markings.

The first and second pictures shows the Red-sided Garter snake, the first from a distance, the second from close-up. The close-up shows the snake's reddish color face, with the exception of the light color end of the lower jaw.

The third picture of a Northwestern Garter snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) was taken at close range using a flash. Sometimes they are called a Mountain Garter Snake, however, they should not be confused with Thamnophis elegans elegans, the Mountain Garter Snake of Northern and Central California.
Usually there are no more than a handful of garter species in any one area. With picture in hand and the use of a local reptile guide that also includes pictures, identification skills can only improve.

The Valley Garter Snake and Mountain Garter Snake links in the box on the right point to additional western species.

[OakLeaf]

I'd say it's closer to 3 feet than 2. I didn't expect that it was big enough to eat adult mice, but I'm hoping its scent repels them. And if it will eat baby mice, all the better. It was definitely looking a bit "lumpy" last week. :p

Now, if I could get one of those big black rat snakes to move into the garage, maybe the garter snake can move into the car. :D

[katluvr]

So did a lot of old threads get revitalized by that bit of spam that hit a few of the topics?
Hmmmmmmm
Or are some folks just out their searching for a topic to comment on?

[Biciclista]

um I dunno.

Sometimes it seems like newbies will comment on Something old, but that underwear thing for sure was from a spammer.

[bmccasland]

For a week anyway.

I'm taking a week's vacation and not going anywhere. When folks at the office asked where I was going, I said "not here". The stress of the office, getting beaten up in the press by the press and by state officials has really gotten to me + the lack of response by our leadership. I had to be away. So I looked at my calendar - saw a week with no meetings, and put in for the time off. I just finished some major projects and thought I'd take advantage of the time before it filled up, as I know it will.

FREEEEEEEEE. :D

One of my plans is to take my bike over across Lake Pontchartrain to ride the rails-to-trails bike path that I've only riden a tiny portion of on the MS training rides. I'll need to look where the trail heads are to maximize my new scenery opportunities.

Monday morning is going to be sweet. Sleep in, bake some scones, sip coffee, and not go to work! (I'll also managed to time it to miss some major traffic headaches on my commute route that is going to have traffic snarled while a bridge is repaired). :D

FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

[Crankin]

That sounds wonderful!

[Tuckervill]

Yay, Beth!

I had a forced vacation from my volunteer project (Regional baseball tournament) because I had a D&C yesterday to remove polyps from my endometrium. All clear! I scheduled the procedure during the lead up to the tournament because I knew it would be the only way I'd get to sleep a lot. lol.

I really hate seeing my name in the paper.

Karen

[bmccasland]

Yay, Beth!

I had a forced vacation from my volunteer project (Regional baseball tournament) because I had a D&C yesterday to remove polyps from my endometrium. All clear! I scheduled the procedure during the lead up to the tournament because I knew it would be the only way I'd get to sleep a lot. lol.

I really hate seeing my name in the paper.

Karen


Karen - hope you feel better. I like my solution of walking out the door than surgery for having time off. :p

[Trek420]

Your buddy is very pretty. What kind is she?

Paging Nanci to Thread Drift :p

[crazycanuck]

Well, we're off to our 6hr & it's going to be one big puddle fest..It poured last night & is still raining a bit now. I can see similarities between last year's event & today. In 08, it was a beautiful day on the sat & POURED sun.

Extra blankets, towels, bike nicks, jackets etc are all packed.

the pea gravel will be nice & grippy. :D

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yes, Karen, hope you recover quickly!

[Tuckervill]

Thanks! I did. I'm back to 100% and ready to get back to work. :)

Many women have D&C's for very sad reasons, but I am fortunate I didn't have any emotional ties to my endometrial polyps. :-/ I just gave my uterus a "reboot". lol.

The worst part of the whole thing was when they started the IV drip and it seemed like my hand wouldn't take the juice! I could feel every drop going in, until I repositioned about 5 minutes into it. yikes! That's never happened before, and I've had plenty of IVs. But then, sweet unconsciousness. :) It's all good!

Karen

[Biciclista]

i got my undriver's license yesterday!
http://undriving.org

it has unendorsements; walking, biking, transit, car share, and skip the trip. For some reason hitchhiking was not included.

it looks like a driver's license but the photo is a lot better; i'm hitchhiking. :D

[KnottedYet]

I can't believe I didn't see this until today...

In the "Best of Craig's List", the Seattle bike wrench's list of helpful tips from the shop... a very jaundiced view of Seattleites and their bikes on the first days of sun.

Beautiful, just beautiful.

(I didn't post the link, because someone would accidentally-on-purpose click it, be offended, break out in hives, wail and gnash their teeth, and cry out at the injustice of it all. But probably not any of the Seattleites. We get it. We laugh.)

[salsabike]

I can't believe I didn't see this until today...

In the "Best of Craig's List", the Seattle bike wrench's list of helpful tips from the shop... a very jaundiced view of Seattleites and their bikes on the first days of sun.

Beautiful, just beautiful.

(I didn't post the link, because someone would accidentally-on-purpose click it, be offended, break out in hives, wail and gnash their teeth, and cry out at the injustice of it all. But probably not any of the Seattleites. We get it. We laugh.)

THAT was funny. Thank you. :D

[Trek420]

I can't believe I didn't see this until today...

In the "Best of Craig's List", the Seattle bike wrench's list of helpful tips from the shop... a very jaundiced view of Seattleites and their bikes on the first days of sun.

Beautiful, just beautiful.

(I didn't post the link, because someone would accidentally-on-purpose click it, be offended, break out in hives, wail and gnash their teeth, and cry out at the injustice of it all. But probably not any of the Seattleites. We get it. We laugh.)

Beautiful!! One of the more quotable :p and family friendly bits:

"Whoo-hoo Seattle, the sun is out! Let's discuss a few things before you fumble with swapping the unused ski rack for the unused bike rack on the Subaru.

So yes, you've noticed the sun is out, and hey!- maybe it would be cool to to some bike riding. Let's keep in mind that the sun came out of all 600,000 of us, so for the most part, you're not the only one who noticed. Please remember that when you walk into my shop on a bright, sunny Saturday morning. It will save you from looking like a complete twit that huffs "Why are there so many people here?"

Are we all on the same page now about it being sunny outside? Have we all figured out that we're not the only clever people that feel sunny days are good for bike riding? Great. I want to kiss all of you on your forehead for sharing this moment with me. Put your vitamin D starved fingers in mine, and we'll move on together to some pointers that will make life easier.

SOME POINTERS FOR THE PHONE:

.......

-I really do need to see your bike to know what is wrong with it. You've already figured out that when you car makes a noise, the mechanic needs to see it. When your TV goes blank, a technician needs to see it. I can tell you, if there is one thing I've learned from you ******** squirrels, it's that "doesn't shift right" means your bike could need a slight cable adjustment, or you might just need to stop backing into it with the Subaru. Bring it in, I'll let you know for sure."

Dear? Does everyone there have a Subaru? Will I have to get one too?

[snapdragen]

I can't believe I didn't see this until today...

In the "Best of Craig's List", the Seattle bike wrench's list of helpful tips from the shop... a very jaundiced view of Seattleites and their bikes on the first days of sun.

Beautiful, just beautiful.

(I didn't post the link, because someone would accidentally-on-purpose click it, be offended, break out in hives, wail and gnash their teeth, and cry out at the injustice of it all. But probably not any of the Seattleites. We get it. We laugh.)

You mean this?

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sea/1192150038.html

[Trek420]

Yes that :cool: He does have quite the vocabulary for this family board. Dealing with vitamin D deprived cyclists would do that to a mechanic. ;)

[jobob]

I always thought it was spelled Douchebag, but perhaps it's spelled differently in Seattle.

[KnottedYet]

Dear? Does everyone there have a Subaru? Will I have to get one too?

Yes, everyone. Everyone. The Seattle hospitals give them out to all the newborns, along with the diaper bag and the Infamil coupons. Subaru dealers hang out on every corner, pushing their wares. Adolescents taking their tests at the DMV will automatically fail if they show up in a Ford or Chrysler.

You can share mine....

[Biciclista]

oh wah. I can't access Best of Craigslist from my office !
We had a subaru once. One of the first in Seattle. It was a great little car.
Then they got expensive and the dealer got snotty so we switched to other brands...

[OakLeaf]

I had two Subarus and I'd have another if I hadn't got tired of 24 mpg.

I understand how tough it is to make a fuel-efficient AWD vehicle, but it doesn't seem like Subaru is even trying. :(

[TsPoet]

Last year only 2 car companies were up, all of the others lost money. Subaru was up 3% (which doesn't sound like much?) and MINI was up 30%.
Get a MINI ;)
Then again, since I sold my truck, I haven't been backpacking because I can't bring myself ot drive my MINI down the forest service roads that generally lead to good hiking trails.
Anybody know of a reliable, cheap, 4 or AWD used vehicle I could keep to drive 2/month to go for hikes?
I love love love my MINI.

[Zen]

I always thought it was spelled Douchebag, but perhaps it's spelled differently in Seattle.

Yes, Douchebag is the eastern spelling. You know, like Mr.Coddington Douchebag of Brookline, the baked-bean scion?

[Crankin]

Well, needing the AWD is what keeps me from having a car that gets better mileage. No amount of gas savings will enable me to get up my street and driveway of 10-15% grades in snow and sheer ice. Plus the downhill descent controller thing helps too. Of course, I am a snow driving wimp, given that I had to learn to do this when i was 37 years old.
I guess now I know why my son traded in the Ford Focus we bought him for a Subaru; while he doesn't live in Seattle, he *is* in California...

[NbyNW]

Of course, I am a snow driving wimp, given that I had to learn to do this when i was 37 years old..

Don't feel bad. At least they plow and treat the roads in your part of the country. AWD doesn't get you very far in Seattle when it snows.

[Biciclista]

Don't feel bad. At least they plow and treat the roads in your part of the country. AWD doesn't get you very far in Seattle when it snows.

lol NO KIDDING!

[Trek420]

Don't feel bad. At least they plow and treat the roads in your part of the country. AWD doesn't get you very far in Seattle when it snows.

I've been told that Seattle'ites have collective short term memory loss and forget how to drive in snow. It snows yearly but rarely and not long or hard. Whenever it does the city does a unified :confused: :eek: :confused: :eek: spins around, skids, falls over in confusion.

Or is that an exageration? :)

[Biciclista]

it's an exaggeration.
A lot of years we don't get enough snow in Seattle for the entire winter to cover the ground white once.
We get good snow every 5-6 years. (I'm not talking about way out there where your old lady lives - they definitely get more snow)
My sons got enough snow to play in maybe 3 times in their entire childhoods, we took pictures each time.

[OakLeaf]

I'll trust that that's an exaggeration for Seattle, but that's EXACTLY how they behave in the Washington, DC metro area.

[SadieKate]

I don't think it matters where you live. Over the summer, the collective always forgets how to drive in the snow or rain.

At least here in Deschutes County you can take a skid car class and learn how to drive donuts legally. Woohoo!

[Crankin]

Yes, they do a pretty good job of plowing and treating the roads here, but if you saw my driveway and how it is totally frozen over for about 2 months, on and off, that becomes irrelevant. We have a guy plow it, but the ice forms from the lack of sun and the constant melting and thawing every day.
AWD does help. I once drove home from work in a blizzard, before the driveway had been plowed. I went right through about 13 inches of snow, up the hill... in a sedan, not an SUV.

[NbyNW]

I spent a few winters on the east coast before coming to Seattle, and quickly learned that it is a mistake to drive even with light snow or ice -- stuff that east coasters scoff at.

East coast roads get plowed, and they spread sand or other stuff on the roads to help your tires grab onto something. Your ability to drive in that kind of weather depends on those roads being treated.

Not realizing that treating the roads made such a big difference, and feeling confident from my experiences of east coast winters, I tried driving after a light snow during my first winter in Seattle and skidded all over the place. Thankfully did not damage my car or anyone else's.

A lot of people dealt with this past year's unusual amount of snow by putting chains on their tires. I think it's not so much an "amnesia" problem as it is that it is very unusual to get that kind of weather, so it's not a skill you work on. And why would you, if it's only like that for at most a day at a time?

[NbyNW]

Yes, they do a pretty good job of plowing and treating the roads here, but if you saw my driveway and how it is totally frozen over for about 2 months, on and off, that becomes irrelevant. We have a guy plow it, but the ice forms from the lack of sun and the constant melting and thawing every day.
AWD does help. I once drove home from work in a blizzard, before the driveway had been plowed. I went right through about 13 inches of snow, up the hill... in a sedan, not an SUV.

Back in the day before AWD, my mom's big Buick station wagon was AWESOME at getting up snow-blocked hills like that!

[SadieKate]

I think it's not so much an "amnesia" problem as it is that it is very unusual to get that kind of weather, so it's not a skill you work on. And why would you, if it's only like that for at most a day at a time?Trust me. In Northern California, we'd have a dry summer and the first rain meant tons of accidents on the oily roads.

Here in Bend, same thing when the first snow arrives. It's insane when it's the same weather pattern year after year.

It's best to avoid driving on the first snow days and let everyone bang up each others cars and save yours. And here they don't plow unless the storm drops 4 inches so you can get quite a bit of snow if you get just a few inches every day, day after day. 2 winters ago, we had ridges so deep I was plowing them down with my Isuzu Trooper. Good thing was we were skiing from the driveway!

[Duck on Wheels]

I don't think it matters where you live. Over the summer, the collective always forgets how to drive in the snow or rain.

At least here in Deschutes County you can take a skid car class and learn how to drive donuts legally. Woohoo!

Surprisingly, it even happens here in Norway where snow-condition driving classes are an obligatory part of driver education (whheeeee! great fun spinning and sliding around on an oil-and-soap-slicked track!). Nevertheless, first day of snow (or supercooled rain that freezes on contact! :eek:) there is always traffic chaos somewhere or other in town; always a driver or two or three who's postponed putting on winter tires until the last minute and then doesn't have time that morning, not to mention long-haul truckers from down on the Continent who don't even own winter tires or chains and who wind up jack-knifed and blocking the freeways here and there. But by day 2 we've got our act together for the rest of the winter ... pretty much ... including stopping long-haul truckers at the borders to check that their vehicles are appropriately "shod" for winter.

As for AWD, yes, we've got that now and it's great, but some cars do fine without. Some are heavy tanks that plow their way through. Some light-weighters seem to float on top yet keep their grip if the tires are good enough. Our old Renault 4 was a champ at getting through snow drifts, axel-deep Spring thaw mud, whatever. I think it was the independent front suspension and FWD that did it. The car seemed to just elbow its way up out of stuff one front wheel at a time. When we did our slick-conditions driving class, DH and I, even the instructor couldn't get our FWD Opel something (compact stationwagon) to do a front end skid, not even when he picked up speed and snapped on the handbrake, while another family's Mazda stationw was all over the road no matter how they tried to pull out of their skids. Some cars just handle better than others. So as for what car to drive in Seattle ... it might pay to ask the AAA how different models perform on the skid-class tracks.

[OakLeaf]

it might pay to ask the AAA how different models perform on the skid-class tracks.

Hah.

Just another simple, sensible thing you have in Europe.... :rolleyes:

In the USA, many road race tracks offer driving schools on off weekends - but "many" is a relative term, since there are few road race tracks at all in the USA - and they are all sponsored. So you drive the track's cars, all the same, and it's not possible to compare different makes and models.

[crazycanuck]

It's the exact opposite in Auckland :rolleyes: For a city that endures days of crappy weather, drivers have no idea how to handle the roads when it rains. Same in Perth...OOO it's raining..what shall we dooooooo :rolleyes:

When Ian was in Edmonton with me, he learnt very quickly how to drive in -30C! He did univ in Christchurch which does get a bit cold but nothing like Edmonton.

I do remember the side street we lived on in Edm & it was rarely plowed. I think i biked back then & would normally have to walk my bike down the street through really big ruts hoping that it hadn't melted much that day. :rolleyes:

[Tuckervill]

How much more can I take?

Stress, I mean. On the one hand, I got 7 of 11 things on my to do list done. I just haven't written down the other 100.

blah. I need a drink.

BTW, this is what I'm doing (click on regional tournaments) ssyb.com

Karen

[Zen]

http://www.bonniehunt.com/as_seen_on/090720/22wednesday/popup_player.html?pdl=012309_courtwords_video

[TsPoet]

So, I'm watching TV tonight and I see a commercial for this -
this apparently isn't a joke :eek:
http://www.chiaobama.com/
but, I don't know where else to put it except under "humor" bad humor.
OMGosh!

[TsPoet]

http://www.bonniehunt.com/as_seen_on/090720/22wednesday/popup_player.html?pdl=012309_courtwords_video

I hate to admit it, but I'm so glad that Bonnie explained that the second word's origins come from Eulogy - I was completely confused as to what the woman meant.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Karen,
I think everyone can relate to that feeling of never getting even close to the end of one's To Do list. It can be overwhelming.
Treat yourself to a little break, which can make you come back all refreshed and more energetic.
Hope you feel a bit better today.

[katluvr]

So, I'm watching TV tonight and I see a commercial for this -
this apparently isn't a joke :eek:
http://www.chiaobama.com/
but, I don't know where else to put it except under "humor" bad humor.
OMGosh!

OMG:eek:

Anything that sells...I guess.

Is there like a chiapope?:confused:

[Zen]

No, but there is Cheesus (http://www.poizenideas.com/cheesus/) :)

[katluvr]

Zen,
Where to you find this stuff????!!!!!!!!!:eek:

[solobiker]

http://www.bonniehunt.com/as_seen_on/090720/22wednesday/popup_player.html?pdl=012309_courtwords_video

That is so funny. Thanks so much, I needed that. I have been having such a stressful and miserable work week that I needed the laugh. I can always count on you Zen.

[Zen]

At least I'm good for something :o

6,721 posts and probably two have contained actual useful information :D

[salsabike]

No, but there is Cheesus (http://www.poizenideas.com/cheesus/) :)

I love that. EVERYTHING you post is useful information. :D:D:D

[Duck on Wheels]

Using treats, photographer Ellen van Deelen trained her pet rats to pose just so:
http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/07/24/magasinet/kunst/dyr/humor/musikk/7338031/
I wonder if she trained them to actually play the instruments too, and if so, what those miniature instruments sound like :rolleyes:. Yeah, the text is in Norwegian, but just click on the numbers under the top photo to flip your way through the slide show. The last pic is especially cute, and I love the whiskers on the saxophonist :p

[OakLeaf]

Looks like some of those rats were having a hard time resisting chewing on the instruments. :p

And chewing on the lamb and the kitten is just... yuk! (sorry - there's been a story running around the news wires for a couple of days about a baby about 100 miles from me who may lose her foot due to rat and chihuahua bites :( - the parents have been arrested - who was complaining about pitbulls?).

Now, rats chewing on Cheezus would probably get the photographer arrested in many countries. :rolleyes:

[crazycanuck]

Ok, when I hear the name bonnie all I can think of is Pulp Fiction & the Bonnie situation...:o

Zen-i love the links you post & would like to know your secret..

[Biciclista]

Oh Those Rats Were Hilarious!!!!! I can't read the article (duh) could you tell us more about what it says?

[Zen]

Zen-i love the links you post & would like to know your secret..

OK, write this down.
The secret is...too much free time!
I am a font of useless information.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

We got another 4.3 inches of rain today....still raining, more rain in the forecast, flooding in the area of course.
Thank goodness we have a nice new sump pump in the basement. :cool:
It's been thunderstorms and downpours almost every day for the past 7 weeks.
Enough already! :(

[Zen]

I feel your rain.

[KnottedYet]

Seattle's been having sun for DAYS and DAYS. It's scary, too much sun, we're starting to get twitchy here. Today the radio said we got up to 102 degrees.

That's a bit too much for us soggy Seattle-ites.

[Trek420]

They can't drive in the snow
They get twitchy when it's sunny and hot .....

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain ;)

[DebW]

Just so some of you can remember what a sunny day is like, here are some pictures from my hike up Grosser Mythens last weekend in Switzerland. There's a restaurant at the top of the big rocky crag (pic 3). The trail up is like a rough staircase chisseled in to stone. Pic 5 shows the 2 lakes I bicycles around the weekend before.

[Crankin]

Lisa, when I was watching the weather last night I thought of you. The whole part of the map in western MA and Albany was covered in reds and pinks, meaning torrential downpours. Somehow, those storms drifted northeast instead of due east...
It's raining here this morning, but we've actually had quite a few days without rain (or at least it came at night when I didn't care).

[uk elephant]

Deb, those pictures look fantastic. Yet another place to add to my long, and ever expanding, list of places I'd like to go! How soon can I retire?

[TsPoet]

We got another 4.3 inches of rain today....still raining, more rain in the forecast, flooding in the area of course.
:(


Seattle's been having sun for DAYS and DAYS. It's scary, too much sun, we're starting to get twitchy here. Today the radio said we got up to 102 degrees.
.

It's a bit much for those of us on the desert side of the state, too. Over 100 for over a week. It's been humid, too.
Lisa, Please send rain our way!:o

[TsPoet]

Just so some of you can remember what a sunny day is like, here are some pictures from my hike up Grosser Mythens last weekend in Switzerland. There's a restaurant at the top of the big rocky crag (pic 3). The trail up is like a rough staircase chisseled in to stone. Pic 5 shows the 2 lakes I bicycles around the weekend before.

Can you imagine a restaurant like that in the US? It would last 6 months, once the novelty wore off, there would be no one left willing to walk more than 25 ft to the restaurant door. Where is the closest parking space??
I love it, it looks beautiful.

[Trek420]

Reading a Consumer Reports review of the National Parks years ago they spoke about crowding in our parks. The reviewer said all one had to do to escape crowding is walk 1 mile in any direction from the car/parking lot :(. Is that our national personal best? :(

[Biciclista]

Oh what statistics you quote, Trek! :eek: It might have been 102 where Knot lives, but it was 104 at my house when I rode home on Wednesday. And it went down hill from there. The heat just stayed and stayed. At dark it was right below 100 degrees. Even out in my yard, under the trees, this infernal heat was everywhere.
but this morning? 60 something and clouds. Ah, lovely beautiful clouds; and dear Raleighdon has come home from riding Ramrod.
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=9756&stc=1&d=1248921084

[Veronica]

Reading a Consumer Reports review of the National Parks years ago they spoke about crowding in our parks. The reviewer said all one had to do to escape crowding is walk 1 mile in any direction from the car/parking lot :(. Is that our national personal best? :(

That has been our experience at all the National Parks we have visited. We saw a lot of drive up, jump out, take a photo, jump in, drive off.


Veronica

[Duck on Wheels]

Deb, those pictures look fantastic. Yet another place to add to my long, and ever expanding, list of places I'd like to go! How soon can I retire?

Not for decades, my dear! You only just got a job! You've only just started paying off your student loans! But ... you *could* write up a project tracking mice and sheep grazing in Swiss alpine meadows ... :rolleyes: :cool: I'll just enjoy the pictures, tho'. The real thing would be too much for my acrophobia. :eek:

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Oh what statistics you quote, Trek! :eek: It might have been 102 where Knot lives, but it was 104 at my house when I rode home on Wednesday. And it went down hill from there. The heat just stayed and stayed. At dark it was right below 100 degrees. Even out in my yard, under the trees, this infernal heat was everywhere.
but this morning? 60 something and clouds. Ah, lovely beautiful clouds; and dear Raleighdon has come home from riding Ramrod.


Wow Mimi. Just WOW.
I am glad RD got home safe though. Was he able to ride in the heat ok? I know he was up on some mtn, so maybe that helped?

Meanwhile, yet another day of endless pouring rain here. It's like Noah's Ark time. My composting worms are lining up two by two.

[bmccasland]

Being on increased dosage for migraine control I have decided that the stress levels of living down here is getting to me....

There's a biologist position open at the Seattle District Corps office.... closes Aug 11.

[Biciclista]

Wow Mimi. Just WOW.
I am glad RD got home safe though. Was he able to ride in the heat ok? I know he was up on some mtn, so maybe that helped?



go to the Ramrod thread and read malaholic's ride report and you'll get a good idea about what it was like. :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:


BMCCASLAND, it's hotter here than there (or it was this week) beware! ;)

[bmccasland]

BMCCASLAND, it's hotter here than there (or it was this week) beware! ;)

It can't be as bad as Phoenix, and I lived there for 10 years. I left it too :rolleyes:
I know your current weather isn't normal for you!

[Selkie]

Didn't you have a bad winter, too, Bleecker? Hopefully, you will have a stellar weather year in 2010 because you deserve a break!

[solobiker]

Summer here in CO this year has been great!! We usually have several days in a row of 90 or above. A few years back I think it was about 40 days in a row of 90 or higher. Well this year we have been getting a lot of rain and cooler temps which I love, although we have been getting some pretty powerful storms weekly which include tornados and hail. I wonder what fall and winter will bring. Yes...I did say winter:p

[Crankin]

No posts for a week?