The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[Songbird76]

When we went to Europe this summer we flew Iceland Air. I was a little nervous about it for some reason, but we really enjoyed the airline. The people were friendly and we liked that the airport was so small it would be basically impossible to miss a connection.

We liked it too, but our flight out of Iceland to Denver left from a gate that was behind a locked door, so we were in the terminal and everyone from our flight was trying to figure out how to get to our gate. All the other gates were just right there and they weren't enclosed. Only ours was behind a locked door. 10 minutes before our flight was supposed to leave, that door was still locked. We were all getting a bit jumpy when finally someone from the airline came and said the door would open when it was time to board. They should post that or something...we can't be the only people, ever, to have wondered, since all the other gates are open!

 

[MinnieM123]

I travelled up north today to visit my mom's grave and the sun was shining and the snow had a beautiful sparkle to it. I had hubby take a picture but the sparkle doesn't quite come through.
View attachment 121303

I'm glad that the sparkle of the snow in the sunlight gave you some comfort, while en route to your mother's grave.

 

[MinnieM123]

For everything else I buy fresh greenbeans but for casserole I buy canned. They were 59 cents at Target.

I never thought to use canned beans. I've only used frozen beans (in the green bean casserole) and generally get a good price on either the boxes or bags of them at the supermarket. I tend to forget about canned veggies; I think the only canned veggies I ever buy are regular beans (for chili), or sometimes, chickpeas for salads, in the summertime.

 

[MinnieM123]

Yep, there are lots of men that prepare family meals, some on a regular basis. Just none of them have ever been in my world.

Here's something funny. My father never cooked anything in the kitchen; only my mother cooked. However, my non-cooking father would "magically" transform into a cook every summer--only he cooked on the outdoor grill for the family. I could never understand how he could not as much as boil water in the kitchen, but could cook steaks, fish, ribs, burgers, corn and other things on the outdoor grill in the summer??!!

 

[MinnieM123]

An interesting thing at the Disney store: they offer to sell you a reusable bag for 75 cents as they no longer provide disposable ones. Not sure if it's a city thing, though, since they banned plastic bags recently.

Yikes. Haven't they heard of paper bags?

 

[MinnieM123]

One again Walt has woken me up in the middle of the night. He is snoring and I am awake. Oy.

Well, just be quiet so that you don't wake up Walt!

 

[Songbird76]

An interesting thing at the Disney store: they offer to sell you a reusable bag for 75 cents as they no longer provide disposable ones. Not sure if it's a city thing, though, since they banned plastic bags recently.

That's standard over here. You have to bring your own bags to the grocery store or you have to buy one at the store. Starting in January, I think, plastic bags are banned for anything except meat/food where it's not sanitary to reuse a bag that has contained those items. So butchers will still be able to use plastic bags, but a clothing store will not. We have fold up bags that you can just scrunch into a little ball into its pocket and you just carry it in your purse for when you need it. Very handy!

 

[MinnieM123]

Did you know they have something called a tortilla press avaialable in most kitchen supply stores and something called massa so you can make your own corn tortillasSeeing it's only the 2 of us for dinner I'm making tacos for dinner

That's very interesting, and I'm happy to say I'll never have one! Think I'll just stick with the Mission brand; I figure they have enough massas in their factory, so that I don't need to go out and buy one.

Actually, I'm all "cooked out" from the past 4 days--pumpkin bread, cranberry chutney, and a few turkey (legs) dinner with veggies for hubby and me. Yesterday, I heated up the leftovers.

Enough is enough. I'm DONE in the kitchen for some time now!

 

[MinnieM123]

That's standard over here. You have to bring your own bags to the grocery store or you have to buy one at the store. Starting in January, I think, plastic bags are banned for anything except meat/food where it's not sanitary to reuse a bag that has contained those items. So butchers will still be able to use plastic bags, but a clothing store will not. We have fold up bags that you can just scrunch into a little ball into its pocket and you just carry it in your purse for when you need it. Very handy!

That really does make sense, and will make a difference in the amount of trash (plastic bags) thrown out. I actually have a few reusable (sort of plastic) bags that the supermarkets sell here for a very reasonable price. The problem is, I usually forget to bring them with me!

 

[MinnieM123]

@ajrwdwgirl , the details are gorgeous in the gingerbread house at the GF That must be really something to behold, seeing it in person.

I think your hubby would make a great Dapper Dan! He seems so friendly and outgoing, and I could definitely see him entertaining the guests at WDW.

Since you both sampled a number of different food items at EPCOT, did you have a favorite?

 

[Figgy1]

That really does make sense, and will make a difference in the amount of trash (plastic bags) thrown out. I actually have a few reusable (sort of plastic) bags that the supermarkets sell here for a very reasonable price. The problem is, I usually forget to bring them with me!

I always keep them in my car. The boys do a very good job of putting them back into the car after grocery shopping as they get fined if they don't put them back.

 

[King Racoon 77]

I love your holiday avatar!!! Dis you bake those cookies?

just a picture i borrowed off the line.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Like @Cesar R M said Disney did get into this as a true RunDisney fashion. I also agree with you too that Disney has evolved their RunDisney events into an all inclusive 'every kid gets a trophy' mentality that society is leaning to now.

I grasp how serious runners believe their Qualifying via Disney is diminished because pretty much everyone who pays a fee gets a metal. My Dad was your age when he ran the Boston Marathon for the first time and is still proud of his times and qualifying times he worked so hard to qualify for. He took up running when he was nearing sixty. I also see the appeal for some to participate in the marathons that have not achieved the Run part of RunDisney. The metals mean so much to their motivation. Disney does corral their runners according to previous times for the marathons for the genuine runners so the WalkDisney participants do not harm the times of the serious runners participating. But still me, I couldn't WalkDisney and accept a RunDisney medal. It just isn't how I roll. I'm not a runner admittedly so I don't participate in RunDisney even though I am an avid walker.

That the just of it. They do not award a placement medal for those that didn't finish in a serious place, they award a "participated in" medal which means nothing more then I gave it a try. It doesn't take anything away from the serious runners nor does it even become anything like a "trophy" for everyone type system. It is more of a momento or souvenir. There is a big difference in the two and those that receive them are usually adults that have fought hard to get to the place that allowed them to "walk" the route. Still, the argument that those same people enter the half or full marathon is just not true. There are always a few who have goals that they cannot possibly achieve, but, they are not a normal occurrence. For one thing if they don't finish in the time that Disney has allotted for the run, they are picked up and driven to the finish line. They have a resort to run that day as well and all the marathon staging has to be removed before the parks really get rolling. The vast majority of the "walkers" only enter the 5K.

 

[Songbird76]

I always keep them in my car. The boys do a very good job of putting them back into the car after grocery shopping as they get fined if they don't put them back.

I keep 2 in my purse. They scrunch up really small in their little pouches, so they are easy to put in a pocket or in your purse, etc. I have one in my bike bag and 2 or 3 in my purse.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

@ajrwdwgirl , the details are gorgeous in the gingerbread house at the GF That must be really something to behold, seeing it in person.

I think your hubby would make a great Dapper Dan! He seems so friendly and outgoing, and I could definitely see him entertaining the guests at WDW.

Since you both sampled a number of different food items at EPCOT, did you have a favorite?

The gingerbread house is very pretty to see in person. I do like the gingerbread carousel in the Beach Club better, probably because it moves and I like carousels. Unfortunately that wasn't up yet.

I think hubby would make a good Dapper Dan too, and he has a good singing voice. He is quite musical, he even taught himself how to play the ukulele.

As for favorite Food and Wine Festival foods my favorites were: Korean short ribs, warm chocolate cake with irish cream sauce, steak with chimichurri, and the nitro chocolate truffle. My new favorite non-festival item was the duo au chocolate at the Boulangerie in France. That chocolate covered ball of white and chocolate mousse was heaven on a plate.

 

[MOXOMUMD]

26 days until Christmas!

 

[Goofyernmost]

We liked it too, but our flight out of Iceland to Denver left from a gate that was behind a locked door, so we were in the terminal and everyone from our flight was trying to figure out how to get to our gate. All the other gates were just right there and they weren't enclosed. Only ours was behind a locked door. 10 minutes before our flight was supposed to leave, that door was still locked. We were all getting a bit jumpy when finally someone from the airline came and said the door would open when it was time to board. They should post that or something...we can't be the only people, ever, to have wondered, since all the other gates are open!

I wanted to say something about Iceland, but, I was afraid that I might offend someone that has a connection or even lives there (why is beyond me) so I will steal a line from Ron White and alter it slightly to read... If you ever get the opportunity to travel to Iceland.... Don't. Maybe it was because I hate cold weather or am not particularly fond of living on what is essentially an active volcano or just the dismal way the terminal at the airport looked and operated, but, absolutely nothing about the place made me think, gee, I must spend more time here. On the cruise back to the states they were pushing Iceland tourism to a very high degree. Both in cruise availability and lectures about the wonders of horseback riding through the frozen tundra that could explode at any moment. (I added that last part)

 

[King Racoon 77]

Tree 2

 

[Gabe1]

That the just of it. They do not award a placement medal for those that didn't finish in a serious place, they award a "participated in" medal which means nothing more then I gave it a try. It doesn't take anything away from the serious runners nor does it even become anything like a "trophy" for everyone type system. It is more of a momento or souvenir. There is a big difference in the two and those that receive them are usually adults that have fought hard to get to the place that allowed them to "walk" the route. Still, the argument that those same people enter the half or full marathon is just not true. There are always a few who have goals that they cannot possibly achieve, but, they are not a normal occurrence. For one thing if they don't finish in the time that Disney has allotted for the run, they are picked up and driven to the finish line. They have a resort to run that day as well and all the marathon staging has to be removed before the parks really get rolling. The vast majority of the "walkers" only enter the 5K.

I think we will have to agree to disagree. Of the people I know that have participated in these runs do value the medals they earn. I concede you might also know people who do believe the medals are that but a momento. As my Dad's times improved he cared a great deal about the metals he received. He did not win his age category when he qualified for Boston in the Chicago Marathon he still is proud of his medal that he believes he earned garnering a qualifying time for Boston. Same goes for Boston, he didn't win but he requalified for Boston. Maybe this is the rub, some serious runners view the medals as accomplishments and others view them as mere momentos. Neither view is wrong just very different perspectives on competitive sports.

 

[ShoalFox]

I love your new avatar

Thanks! It took a long while to find it.