Unhijackable thread

[AnglRdr]

The Iron Chef America challenge is "Brain Freeze," and yet the ice cream machine has only been utilized once. That is exactly as many times as it was used in some fish challenge I saw a couple of years ago.

[SmallTownKid]

WHY can't I go to bed at a decent time?!

Also, WHY am I always the most creative when I am incredably busy?!

...must...step...away..from...computer....

[Mr. Furious]

Originally Posted by SmallTownKid

Also, WHY am I always the most creative when I am incredably busy?!

Be happy that you're capable of being creative in the first place. Some of us aren't.

[CSGirl]

Originally Posted by AnglRdr

The Iron Chef America challenge is "Brain Freeze," and yet the ice cream machine has only been utilized once. That is exactly as many times as it was used in some fish challenge I saw a couple of years ago.

Yeah, but they had that cool anti-griddle! So that makes up for it.

[haakonsson]

Originally Posted by CSGirl

Yeah, but they had that cool anti-griddle! So that makes up for it.

I think, they used it twice once for a sorbet. and once for a ricotta mixture that i think got called a semi-freddo. The sorbet went to the soup, and the semifreddo went down on one of Batali's plates that i don't remember.

[Kitsune27]

Gotta love 5 am hairballs that devolve into can't get back to sleep.
At least this time Gingham got off the bed first.

[Ramblin' Dave]

The best thing about business travel is guilt-free room service. Who cares how expensive it is when you can put it on your expense account?

On a directly related note, traffic in Bangalore really sucks, though the city does look like a pretty happening place.

[AnglRdr]

Originally Posted by CSGirl

Yeah, but they had that cool anti-griddle! So that makes up for it.

The anti-griddle was really cool!

[LizzyBean]

Well, I grossed out the in-laws with my scar. MIL doesn't like pain and painful stuff and was utterly sickened by my totally textbook surgery story.

Shockingly- and I am really shocked- they warmed up to the Chihuahuas and even cuddled with them. FIL took a massive liking to Jasper, so much so that Jerry wondered if he'd have to pat him down to make sure he didn't smuggle him out! I'm just in awe that they reacted the way they did. They never liked animals before and definitely not indoor animals.

Shocked, I tells ya.... shocked!

No idea what the plans are for tomorrow, but most likely will involve a mall or much walking (they're "into" flea markets), so I'm not going because I have to rest up for my VA appointment on Monday.

Shocked!

@ grossing out your in-laws with your scar and surgery story. That's great.

I can't believe they like the animals...that's just weird. How is Gypsy reacting to the evil people handling her pups?

I think I'm spending too much time on facebook. I'll see a neat post on here and I keep wanting to click a "like" button.

[Noemi]

I think I've reached a new level of crazy cat lady-ness. I just considered logging on with the netbook because I had a cat on my lap and could not get to the keyboard for my desktop. This goes beyong my previous low of tweeting with my phone because I couldn't get to the keyboard because of a cat.

[CSGirl]

Originally Posted by Noemi

I think I've reached a new level of crazy cat lady-ness. I just considered logging on with the netbook because I had a cat on my lap and could not get to the keyboard for my desktop. This goes beyong my previous low of tweeting with my phone because I couldn't get to the keyboard because of a cat.

DH will sleep in crazy contortions on the bed because the cat got to his spot first, and he won't move the cat. Or if the cat is sleeping on him, he'll never get up, because the cat is too comfy.

My cats are all chest cats though, so even the netbook doesn't work when they're on me.

[Noemi]

Originally Posted by CSGirl

DH will sleep in crazy contortions on the bed because the cat got to his spot first, and he won't move the cat. Or if the cat is sleeping on him, he'll never get up, because the cat is too comfy.

My cats are all chest cats though, so even the netbook doesn't work when they're on me.

Too funny, my husband does the same thing. Of course our cats also seem to know when he wants to get up and they all show up at that point.

We have everything from cats that don't get on laps at all up to a couple of chest cats so it depends on the cat. lukcily this time was a lap cat so the netbook would've worked.

[FrogFeathers]

Originally Posted by LizzyBean

@ grossing out your in-laws with your scar and surgery story. That's great.

I can't believe they like the animals...that's just weird. How is Gypsy reacting to the evil people handling her pups?

I think I'm spending too much time on facebook. I'll see a neat post on here and I keep wanting to click a "like" button.

Because I'm not 100% yet, I caved in and decided that gating Gypsy in the kitchen was better than her accidentally injuring me and my leg in her over-zealous ways. So, she's safely blocked in the kitchen, barking like a psychotic dog instead of a loving family pet.

And I'm really shocked that they warmed up to the little dogs. Just really. We've been married for 23 years and up till a few years ago, they were very cold toward me, made it clear they were not happy that I married their son and were, at best, reluctant grandparents. There's just a million little things over the course of those 20-some odd years that are making me shocked about things now. They visited four years ago and they were extremely nice (we only had Gypsy then) and took the kids shopping all day (spend hundreds of dollars on them at the mall- something they'd never done before, the kids were surprised as well). And I was prepared for this visit to be some of the "same old, same old", but its been pleasant.

They left for the mall a few hours ago and before they left, the FIL stood up and gave each one of the kids a $100 bill! They were all three so stunned they almost forgot to say "thank you". I thought Ceej was going to cry from her shock. Jerry went with them, but obviously I stayed home. There's no way I could handle spending hours at the mall and then having to go to the VA tomorrow. So, I'm home, doing laundry and keeping off my feet so I can have the energy to last tomorrow.

The Chihuahuas like them- but Jasper is afraid of MIL's voice. She's very typically "Southern" and as she gets more excited about what she's talking about, her voice gets louder and she gets more animated. So, he'll sit with her till she starts talking, then he'll jump down. But otherwise, they're enjoying the attention, as though the never get any around here.

I took this picture about a half hour after they left. I'd say Gypsy is resting up from all her emotional barking and the Chis are resting up for the future pettings.

[LizzyBean]

Originally Posted by FrogFeathers

I took this picture about a half hour after they left. I'd say Gypsy is resting up from all her emotional barking and the Chis are resting up for the future pettings.

Is that Bruno or Luna on the back of the couch? Whoever it is looks more like a cat curled up there.

Your animals are just too cute.

[FrogFeathers]

Originally Posted by LizzyBean

Is that Bruno or Luna on the back of the couch? Whoever it is looks more like a cat curled up there.

Your animals are just too cute.

Luna is above Gypsy, Bruno is curled up in front of Gypsy, and Jasper is bringing up the rear, so to speak.

Luna has slept in that way for as long as we've had her. Even after we got this furniture- which is just big pillows for the backrest. She just smooshes it down till its flat enough and curls up.

ETA: after looking at the picture again, I wonder if I can improve my mobile phone signal by placing it in the middle of Gypsy's back. All those ears!

[Noemi]

I didn't think I'd ever say this, but I may not have enough wide mouth quart jars for my canning this year. I just took a look through what I thought were full boxes and a lot of them are empty or mostly empty. The good thing is that I have enough for the tomatoes I'm doing this week.

[Astra]

My sister is decking out her new Beetle and picked up matching accessories. All that she still wants is the steering wheel cover, and I can't find the stupid thing anywhere. Figures.

[Tabbyclaw]

I'm currently enjoying a self-congratulatory indulgence: I didn't punch a coworker in the face today, so I bought myself coffee on the way home.

-Tabby
the princess with claws

[Ms. K]

Apparently, I am hellbent on getting the laundry done TODAY!

I have washed, dried, and folded three loads, there's one more in the dryer, another in the washer, and one more load after that to wash and dry.

Tomorrow is scrub the kitchen floor and entry way floor day. And I do mean scrub. With a deck brush. And THEN rinse the soap off. And vacuuming should be done either tonight or tomorrow, probably tonight. Probably I will have Mr. K clean out the pantry, and help me clean out our closet as well.

I love it when it cools off and I have energy!

[Richard W]

Originally Posted by Mr. Furious

Be happy that you're capable of being creative in the first place. Some of us aren't.

You surely are - buy a cheap oil paint starter set and stick some of it on a board, for flip's sake... paint a couple of apples in black-and-white to get contrast... go from there. You don't have to be imaginative to be creative - different things entirely. (Although if you're imaginative as well, it helps, I assume. I'm not, very. Not very creative either, really, but I'm at least creative enough to tell you that you're talking rubbish when you say you're not...)

I came to this thread to blather about my "creative" weekend. I created some bramble jelly, five litres of blackberry and apple vodka, and a blackberry and apple pie. Creating the pie and the jelly were new experiences for me - I remember making "breadcrumbs" for pastry from flour and fat in the past, and I've stirred jam too, but this is the first time I remember making pastry and jam entirely for myself. And the pie, at least, turned out pretty well. I've not tried the jelly yet - it's setting in the fridge. (The blackberries were those I picked on Thursday; I posted about that already, elsewhere, in the "What's for dinner?" thread I believe.)

So if I've created all that, in a moment of enthusiasm, you can surely also create something. (Or is it the moment of enthusiasm that you're lacking? I don't know how to advise you, if so.)

(eta) I was talking about baking with a friend earlier this evening. (I told him about my pie). He's also somebody who has existential crises occasionally, and he agreed that baking was a good way to proceed. He wanted a non-intellectual pursuit, which baking is, but it's satisfying for a variety of reasons beyond that. There are several fantastic things about baking. One is the alchemical nature of it - unlike a lot of modern cookery, baking takes simple unrelated ingredients and turns them into something that's way more than the sum of the parts; it's almost magic. You start with some flour and water and sugar and butter and milk, and you end up with a cake. Another is that the recipes actually work - you can make excellent muffins and biscuits and so on just by following a set of instructions. And you can get easy feedback and appreciation from people, if you're working at the moment - make some cakes and take them into work to share. You might need to clean your kitchen, have a couple of test runs and organise yourself a bit beforehand, but even that's something to aim for...