The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[donaldtoo]

OK, time for my TSSFFBR...!
It's currently 74 degrees here...!!!
Then, time to catsup, 'cause I think I'm still about 4-ish pages behind...!

 

[Gabe1]

No but I would like to decide who gets my tip. If the service was horrible but the food great, I would want all my tip to go the kitchen. I would then want the server to improve their service to earn my tip next time.
Ideally, I would like to have the option of paying for my meal according to how well it is executed. For instance, if I order a rare steak and it is not cooked correctly or mostly gristle, then let me pay half price for it. Some people would say send it back, but I don't trust people I have slighted working with my food. This is just my opinion.

Yeah, I hate to send food back for that reason. I really wonder what the genuine motive is to start tipping, better wages for the kitchen staff or to classify them in the tipped category so the owner can actually slice what he must pay them 2/3 because tipped category minimum wage is substantially lower. In reality patrons could be paying 40% more than their actual check to pay for the owners wait staff wages.

I almost always tip 20%, 18% if there is expensive liquor that jacks up the check substantially. I feel badly for wait staff than do not come close to minimum wage when patrons skimp out on leaving an appropriate tip and yet sit and have a fine meal as there are options of carry out or counter service. I just wonder what this dude is upto.

 

[donaldtoo]

TSSFFBR complete, and a beautiful moonrise down our street...!!!

 

[Gabe1]

We never had Macs. My parents bought their first computer, a Windows 95 Packard Bell (acquired by Acer and not sold in North America) the year after I was born. It was $4000. I know this because my dad still has the receipt. We had it for five years before finally getting an HP desktop with Windows ME (even though the 95 still worked; just needed the newer features) in 2000. That one lasted 9 years before we finally got the current HP desktop and my first laptop. No Macs ever.

We used these when I was in first grade

By the time I was in third grade, we got Dells. Kept a few Macs in the library, but other than that, we used Dells. Got very used to Windows and would get confused by Macs back then. If I had taken Journalism in high school a year earlier than I did, I would have had to use Macs for that class, but thankfully, the year that I started it was the year we got Dells. Why we still had old Macs in 2010 is beyond me.

Now I'm just set in my ways

I think that is most people, they either are married to a PC or Apple, same with phones. We tend to love what we know and comprehend.

Our desktops were very expensive. I don't remember what the Mac cost, it was up there even with the mighty discount, the Gateway was $3000 and the Dell Desktop around 2000 was about $2500 but so worth it cause we could use this new fangled thing called dial up internet. Thank goodness we had two landlines into our house.

 

[Gabe1]

Try elderberry syrup or pills. They are natural antiviral. All the nurses in our PICU use it this time of year. I personally have seen results.

I don't know what this is or where ya get Elderberry.

Does it help the symptoms or more of a preventative?

 

[Gabe1]

My DH just brought me cough drops and chicken soup.

 

[Gabe1]

When you have a Cat, studying can become difficult...

View attachment 75826

That cat certainly likes to follow you around, sweet.

 

[donaldtoo]

After I left the office at 1p-ish, I went to the mall to get a certificate for the silent auction for a suit that my old boss at the clothing store is donating to the pediatric cancer foundation event that oldest DD volunteers for. Apparently, there are 3 dudes that have already announced they're gunnin' for it this year...and, that means a peein' contest and more $$$ for the foundation...!!! That suit went for a big donation last year...!

The event is tomorrow, and we're all workin' it. They bring in a snow machine and it's all about everything to help these kiddos.
Snow machine...!!!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

Alimento-fine dining in LA. The owner has added a new line to the check beyond the tip line for server. He added a tip line for cook in attempt to raise the pay of all the kitchen staff down to dishwashers.

Now if you were a regular at this place would you want to stiff the kitchen staff?

To quote a scene from the movie "Waiting"...
Monty (Ryan Reynolds): "We should probably feel guilty, but, she broke the cardinal rule. Don't **** with people that handle your food."

 

[Gabe1]

That is a very unfortunate situation. I was a RC growing up...and was an altar boy as were my 3 brothers. We never encountered any of that. We lived next door to the Rectory and across the street from the church. I left the church, but not for the reasons you stated, but I know that I could never be part of an organization that condoned and hid what was happening.
-T

I'm not sure I would say it was ever condoned but the Chicago Archdiocese did everything in their power to make sure the scandal never surfaced and victims were never heard from outside of the offices of the diocese. RC have beat into us from young that we are never to question anything just obey so it is a breeding ground for this given our Priests are "Holy Fathers." Even marriage vows omitted this obey stuff.

I have some faith in this new Pope, he is making some big waves and I pray he lives long enough to make some major changes. They will never be able to repeat what happened, we educate our children too well these days about such things to ever have such a wide spread problem, parents would go to the police these days verses going to the very people that were the issue. But I don't see the church evolving on the other 2 big hurdles anytime soon, women in the church and coming to terms with the gay community, as we are all Gods Children and stop classifying a segment of parishioners as non complying to teachings. Till the 3 hurdles are met head on there is going to be many leaving or like me for the most part, not practicing.

*rant over*

 

[donaldtoo]

Ha! Me too. Were you the one that woke me up just in time to see it and doze off?

I ousted DH from our room yesterday, I'm getting a nasty cold so by the time they came home from work I was hunkered down in here trying not to *share* it with them. For whatever reason Walt won't come in here either.

Nope, not me.
I knew DWifeys alarm was goin' off at 5:45a, and that was perfect timing. Even she thought it was cool!

Hope you're feelin' better soon, Gabe...!

 

[Gabe1]

Coral Reef, yum!
View attachment 75819

I've been going to Coral since it opened shortly after the beginning of the Epcot years. It is one of my favorites but it has been a roller-coaster of excellent food, meh and bad over the decades. The last few time I've been at Coral it has been very good again. Even my non Fish eating DD steak was so well prepared.

 

[donaldtoo]

I actually really like him as Bond. He doesn't top Sean Connery (no one tops Sean Connery ), but I think he's definitely second in the order of best Bonds. Pierce Brosnan was okay, didn't like Timothy Dalton or Roger Moore at all though.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...&mid=AB706DAFA2591ED5FBE7AB706DAFA2591ED5FBE7

 

[donaldtoo]

Orion has splashdown. Well that was short..........and expensive.

Yes, but, at least I got to watch my tax dollars go up in some seriously cool flames...!
Now, where is that room full of shiny objects...?!

 

[OSUgirl77]

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=sean connery saying bond, james bond&FORM=VIRE2#view=detail&mid=AB706DAFA2591ED5FBE7AB706DAFA2591ED5FBE7

Love it! I could listen to that all day!

 

[donaldtoo]

seems it was 100% successful, both in take off, and the maneouver.. cnn.com is saying it landed correctly.

It was spectacular, to me!
As I've posted before, the space program is something I was aware of from a very early age. My father worked for the Redstone Arsenal/Marshall Spaceflight Center, back in the day. VERY cool stuff!
I found myself getting more excited about it as the day went by.
Truth be known, I would REALLY love to go into space someday.

 

[Gabe1]

Yea, that didn't look good for him.
Last I heard, he had some fractured ribs and they were lookin' at his spleen.
Looks like he may be out for the season. Hope he recovers well. I hate to see that kinda' stuff happen, but, it is definitely an occupational hazard they are all fully aware of.

Also, before I googled, I was close on those terms, I think... I thought they meant a collapsed and/or a punctured lung.

Yeah it was a busy night at Soldier Field and Downtown last night. The police had to turn and re-guide protesters of Grand Jury findings in another direction, their goal was parking lot of Soldier Field to create gridlock. Last night they peacefully but methodically brought major streets to a halt by mixing in with vehicles, that was not allowed today and those who tried were arrested.

Then the injury and ambulance ride.

Followed by two friends who were talking in the lot after the game about how awesome the Packers were this year and why they couldn't have been born Packer Fans. A group near them overheard threw beer in face of one and then both he and his friend were stabbed many times. Alcohol may have been involved. *ya think*

Loosing again just didn't seem to be the highlights of the news this morning.

 

[Gabe1]

TSSFFBR complete, and a beautiful moonrise down our street...!!!

View attachment 75830

The heck with the pretty moon, I spy a pretty red pickup that I only wish Santa would bring me this year.

 

[Gabe1]

I love my brother.

My new bathing suit and coverup came today. So I walked in his room after trying it on.

Without me saying anything, he says, "New coverup. I like it."

Okay, so he
1. Knew it was new
2. Complimented me without asking.

Good brother. Good brother.

I mean seriously, what 13 year old boy automatically notices these things, especially on his sister? Awesome ones.

Awe that was so nice. Makes me wonder all that he notices that he doesn't comment about.

 

[Gabe1]

I am always in awe over the volume of fire.