The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[Gabe1]

Oh no. I'll totally be sporting a bonnet...and traveling with the corpse of Michael Landon.

You're funny.

 

[donaldtoo]

Never had it, but I'll take your word for it, that it tastes like chicken. I've also heard that alligator and rattlesnake both taste like chicken. Haven't had those either. I've had chicken though.

I've had both gator and rattlesnake...SURPRISE...!!!

 

[catmom46]

I haven't watched either of these. I hear a lot of people talk about the Walking Dead but it just doesn't seem like something I would like.

I would like to give American Horror Story a go sometime. That looks really interesting.

I've really enjoyed watching AHS, although last season wasn't as strong as the previous seasons. This season is pretty violent, though, so I'm hoping it'll get more interesting story-wise or I'll have to bail on it altogether.

 

[Gabe1]

That's "Mr. Whimp" to you, Gabby...!

Ha! OK Mr. Mr. Whimp. Gabby is a name I went bye for so long. It fell away as years went on. Not really sure if anyone even knows me by that any longer. I just still can hear ringing in my ear though of GABRIEL when I was in trouble though.

 

[donaldtoo]

Ha! Gabby is a name I went bye for so long. It fell away as years went on. Not really sure if anyone even knows me by that any longer. I just still can hear ringing in my ear though of GABRIEL when I was in trouble though.

Yea, I remembered you posting once that that was one of the names you were referred to as years ago.

 

[Gabe1]

Yea, I remembered you posting once that that was one of the names you were referred to as years ago.

Yep, back in that youthful era.

 

[donaldtoo]

Jack has all kinds of carp laying around--half destroyed toys, and a few he can't wreck. I find the thick, tight, rope toys work well as he can't destroy those!!

Oh, and he also improvises his toy collection . . . that is, with anything of ours that he's not supposed to have!! He goes for the craziest stuff and his interests run in phases . . . Sometimes, he'll go on a paper towel fest and rip them to shreds--and leave the evidence all over the house . . . and sometimes, he'll grab a sock from the laundry basket and it will end up under the kitchen table all gnawed with dog slobber . . . Those are just a few of the things I can mention here!

Hahaaa...!
Yes, I've posted before about the "unmentionables"...!

 

[Gabe1]

YEEEEEHHHAAAAAWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

View attachment 114200

I wonder if it was for him and his family, or maybe, even if it was, does he also maybe make and sell them, too.
That's big business down here.

Well that could be. It was so well done. When I talked to his wife, I don't know that I've ever said more than hello to him, he is quiet, she said they came up here once to look over the area and the second time was to move, she accepted a job offer. I don't see him leave so he likely doesn't have a career up here yet or could be that is his business. I'd buy one, I love stuff smoked.

They got a little Maltese Puppy the week before they moved up here, their first dog. (Moving with a 8 week old Puppy. Oy) I'm guessing it was a consolation prize for their Freshman High School Daughter having to leave her friends at that age. The puppy was so intimadated by just the looks of Walt and yet he has been nothing but a gentle giant. The Mom told me she informed her daughter she had to be something so it was Swim Team or Tennis. Sadly she picked Tennis. Swim Team at our High School is far more welcoming. I wish I had known.

So here is that Story I promised yesterday. The young daughter is rather quiet and reserved around me, I think it is likely her nature, similar to my DD. They have been working hard at training the Pup and taking it for walks, taking her outside for her business. I'm pretty impressed for 1st time owners and a major move. So I am outside watering that ruptured pipe area of the lawn and the girl crosses the road to talk to me and ask a question about Dogs in Illinois During the winter. Wait for it........

Do Dogs in Illinois go to the bathroom outside once it snows? I felt so bad for her. She was obviously sent over and so uncomfortable asking the question. I explained always and that most Pups actually like the snow. I told her even as big as Walt is once the snow is deeper than his hocks I shovel an area of the grass for him and shovel a path. And went on to say I've had many Pups and if she had any other questions to please ask. She so politely thanked me and skedaddled back across the road. Poor thing.

 

[Gabe1]

View attachment 114197

Dang that is cute!

 

[donaldtoo]

Yes...it's certainly not for everybody. I think that living in Canada has helped with that. It takes me 8 hours to get back to where I grew up and it's in the same region as where I live now. And the price of flying within Canada is huge. We don't have good rail or bus service and they would take so much longer anyway. But then again, I do know people who never go anywhere so it just depends.

Sounds kinda' like Texas, distance-wise.
Kinda'.

 

[donaldtoo]

There are lots of interesting road trip opportunities in the US. I still have to do Route 66 and I would love to follow the path of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

My DWifey grew up reading those books and watching the TV show. She still loves it all so much.

 

[Gabe1]

She plays piano, and she learned violin when she was young, (and can actually tune a violin more easily than I can. I like my electronic tuner and fine tuning pegs very much), but I've got bigger hands and longer fingers. Not very feminine, but good for those instruments. I can play piano pieces she can't simply because I can reach more easily. I think my orchestra conductor in middle school was better because I learned what she never could figure out (verbrato, playing in third position). My voice came from her (it obviously did NOT come from my father) but sadly, it is starting to show the effects of age. She can't sing soprano anymore, and my voice overpowers hers. And everyone else's for that matter unless I hold back. Last semester in chorus, we had six altos, two sopranos (including me), and two guys. For three of the songs in our concert, I was the only soprano. Me, with the melody, could be heard clearly over the rest of the chorus, and 30 ukuleles at one point. The other soprano had laryngitis for about two weeks (but still attended rehearsal). After that, she was like, "I'm not worried about you being by yourself."

I can play guitar and piano. Nobody wants to listen to me sing. I sing often, it is a great stress release but never ever ever when anyone could possibly hear me.

My DS was born with severe colic. He would scream without napping for a good 18 hours and then sleep for the balance. It was h*ll on earth. I'd sing My Eyes have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord.......at the top of my lungs to drown out the screaming. There are reasons my kids were 5 years apart. Purposefully .

 

[donaldtoo]

Yes, that's right! I just re-read the entire series this summer and then did some research on the route that we would follow. They seem to do a good job at offering museums at each pertinent location. I do think I will opt to drive though instead of going with the covered wagon.

Y'all can always take one of these...

 

[Gabe1]

Yeah, we started from day one (literally) with things like looking both ways before crossing the street. We always talked to the kids, even when they were still in the buggy. So we'd get to a curb and make a point of saying "And now we look both ways and there are no cars, so it's our turn." By the time my kids were 2, they could be allowed to go to the curb themselves because we knew they wouldn't run into the street. I did have a rude ambulance driver hang out of his window and yell at me once when DS went to the curb without me. Yes, I was on my phone because I was trying desperately to make a doctor's appointment and you can only call between 8 and 9, which was right at the time I needed to take DD to school and then get groceries. So I dropped DD off at school and then used my cell phone to call the doctor while we walked to the store. DS walked a little ahead, but he did NOT run into the street or anything and the guy in the ambulance drove by and yelled at me for being on the phone instead of watching my kid...meanwhile HE was hanging out the window of the ambulance, not watching where he was driving and my 3 year old was standing patiently at the curb waiting for me to get there so we could cross the street. Many a person has complimented us on the fact that my kids never ran into the street...they always waited at the curb. We will get flack no matter what we do because people don't know you and don't know your kids. Let them. YOU know the truth.

Exactly. Well stated.

In my town we didn't have sidewalks when my kids were growing up. For us they came during 9/11 with major road rebuilding that year. My DD was in 4th grade my DS already in high school. My kids learned to navigate the roads while walking and riding bikes in the street. I so hated that. I grew up with sidewalks and some people are nuts driving their cars around kids.

I have empathy for you and the ambulance driver. I had my son in his buggy in the mega mall. Maybe 3 months old. I was in the hallway portion and he was screaming his fool head off, colic and all but I needed to buy Christmas Presents so the mall it was him screaming me exhausted. An elderly women sitting on a brick wall next to her husband stood up and stuck her face into the buggy and screamed two inches from my DS face SHUT UP and yelled at me for not keeping him quiet. Yep. Nuts. I ignored her and looked at her mortified husband and told him to get a grip on his wife or I was calling for security. Poor guy. He attempted as I pushed the buggy onward as she then fought with him. I'll never forget the loon in my infant sons face screaming.

 

[Gabe1]

I see what you're saying here. I tend to find a lot of comments like these made by "experts" on tv have no children. As a single mom, I find my time on here as a way to wind down.

Me too. It is often at the end of day as I'm in my bed just needing to chill and relax before I sleep. I rarely sleep more than 5-6 hours so it is entertaining way to drift off. I'm just so fortunate I haven't dumped my laptop on the floor. I should use my table but the laptop is easier in the dark.

 

[Gabe1]

I wholeheartedly agree with you. It's also become a lot busier with posts the past few months, so even harder to catch up here. Sometimes, I don't even have enough time for other sections of the forum that I normally visit, because I spend a decent chunk of time on this one part of the forum!

Me too. I'm still just making my way through the @Goofyernmost way of catching up, alerts for the last 2 days. I do a better job in the cold months.

 

[donaldtoo]

OK gang, "Mr. Whimp" here is off like a dirty shirt, again...
Y'all be cool, and sweet darn Disney dreams to all...!
Laterrrrrrr...!!!

 

[Gabe1]

Regardless of anyone's station in life, everyone is entitled to some relaxation time. It actually makes people more effective in other aspects of their lives, if they have time to have fun and relax each day. I'm sure no one thinks that any parent on this forum is neglecting their children.

Thanks. It was more of a rhetorical comment. More don't judge me or those like me until you have walked the walk and why the heck it is so often the Moms are singled out in broad scope rants. It irks me still even though my kids are adults, the pot shots don't seem to end generation after generation.

 

[Gabe1]

OK gang, "Mr. Whimp" here is off like a dirty shirt, again...
Y'all be cool, and sweet darn Disney dreams to all...!
Laterrrrrrr...!!!

Good night and sweet dreams Mr. Mr. Whimp.

 

[Gabe1]

I'm a hawk at watching the details for any charity soliciting donations. You have to be careful. What I will say in favor of the bandanna/cancer charity, is that at least they were honest about the breakdown of the money.

True. $2.99 for the corporation and $2.00 for cancer research. When 50% or more goes to profit for the corporation it does rub me wrong. I really dislike corporations that capitalize on others medical misfortunes. I figure those figure heads will have to answer to THE BIG ONE someday.