The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[Cesar R M]

Oh my. I have no clue what that even is.
I just googled and thought it was funny...!!!

And the source of the nope:



To resume, Team Fortress 2 is a "class" team game, where you choose one of the 9 selectable characters and fight an identical team controlled by players of 9 or more charaters.

The game was VERY VERY popular, being one of the most played games ever.
Its still popular just not as much as before.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

You guys are all waaaaaaaay ahead of me with all the Christmas stuff, lol. I've been a Last-Minute-Sally since I enrolled in school...I really hate it.

I'm not overly ahead in terms of buying gifts. I didn't put up any Christmas decorations yet although I did buy some new stuff earlier in the year. My plan is to put them up next week or the week after.

I'm only done with my younger brother for Christmas gifts. Its easy to get used video games for old systems including stuff older than some of the members on this site.

My Mom didn't had a chance to do her list because she was very busy and I only bought one thing for my dad so far. Some of the stuff I want to give him didn't come out yet.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

already? wow! We haven't bought the tree even!

Our trees are the fake trees so I don't have to worry about them drying out. And we have a lot of Christmas decorations so it takes awhile to put it all up so I try to do it when I have decent chunks of time.plus I do love my decorations so it doesn't bother me to have it up early.

 

[Gabe1]

There is no such thing as "too much" Wilderness Lodge, or AKL in my opinion lol.

I enjoy Wilderness more than AKL. Aside from the theming decor I actually find them very similar. Wilderness is just a little more relaxing, it doesn't have the foot traffic by volume of day guests visiting the resort. Wilderness is more spread out with more land to enjoy than AKL does and that is what I also like about POR too. I walk about 7 miles a day so I like being able wander and enjoy the property.

We powered through Epcot and the MK completely the day before Hurricane Irma rode every attraction we wanted to walking onto most and many of our favorites multiple times. Day #1 of Irma was a prep day for CMs safeguarding everything that could move but Irma didn't start to arrive until about 930pm though by 1pm it was a real rainy-non stop day. We had a lovely cove in the main building on I think the 5th floor with nice comfy Mission Chairs and a fireplace all for just our family. We were tired from the day before. We slept through Irma as she arrived about 3:00 and was gone when we woke, sun out. But after being inside the lodge for a day and then locked down on property without pools or outside venues open there wasn't anything to do that we hadn't done for a day. We spent the day walking and rewalking the property basically watch the poor CMs trying to clean up the grounds that were in pretty dang good condition all things considered.

 

[Gabe1]

Well DD wanted to celebrate her Birthday dinner at Chuy's, we had only done lunch so we didn't have adult beverages last time. So
@donaldtoo here are the interior shots you asked for since we sat on the porch last time. If you haven't made it there yet @MouseDreaming

The Lounge

The Lobby

The Palm Tree Room @figmentfan423 I wanted to take one home. They were designed of steel and painted.

The Customary Hubcap Room

Forgive the blurs, I don't know how I managed it but left for the restaurant without my glasses. So not good.

 

[Gabe1]

The Dog Wall at Chuy's

And the Austin TX Story

And then We spied the Elf on the Shelf in the Palm.

 

[Gabe1]

We were seated this time in the Palm Room.

Adult beverages. Note DD finished her Frozen Strawberry Margarita. First Adult Beverage Finished Award. She had only managed to drink about an inch in Mexico's LaCava. There is also a Classic Frozen, a Watermelon Margarita and My Classic on the rocks. And the complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were still warm and slightly tender and we were starved.

The Chicken Taco's. They came beyond stuffed with Chicken already and all that stuff was to fill the taco shell with

The Combo Platter.

And 2 Fajita platters ordered, beef.

Came back with about 2/3 of our meals. So much food. Nom nom nom

 

[Gabe1]

Birthday lunch was at Blaze Pizza, same as Disney Springs.
One Mushroom and Garlic, classic dough and sauce and the other is green pepper and onion and after baked a topping of Basalmic Glaze drizzled. That was really good. Their Cesar Salad is very good and nice portion. The was a smore Cookie stuffed. It was baked with our pizza.

 

[Gabe1]

Does anyone have a screenshot of Marie looking sad that isn't a gif? I'm referring to this scene for example.

And on a different note. I thought of you while shopping at Box Lunch in the Mall earlier this week. This is a Sweater!!!!

 

[Gabe1]

I'm not overly ahead in terms of buying gifts. I didn't put up any Christmas decorations yet although I did buy some new stuff earlier in the year. My plan is to put them up next week or the week after.

I'm only done with my younger brother for Christmas gifts. Its easy to get used video games for old systems including stuff older than some of the members on this site.

My Mom didn't had a chance to do her list because she was very busy and I only bought one thing for my dad so far. Some of the stuff I want to give him didn't come out yet.

Each of our game systems has its own bankers box along with that systems games.

And I'm older than the systems. One banker box has the Original Atari system with pong, Space Invaders etc.

 

[Gabe1]

Oh my.
Sorry about the weather, but, hope she had a Magical birthday anyway...!!!!!

We needed to delay our day because of heavy rain and big ugly snow chunks falling out of the sky in between. It went back to rain and then more moderate rain so off we were on our adventure. About 80 minutes away is a massive craft fair in a Urban/Farm area, can't decide what that town wants to be. Farm to Subdivision to Farm to Feed Store to McMansions. Nothing like seeing a horse, cow and then Mercedes clad driveways. But the fair is so huge, more economical than around here and very little peddling things like soap lines, Pampered Chef etc. More original stuff than we saw at the one on Thursday where those were professional crafters that travel around the country. So glad the snow stopped cause I wasn't going to drive on ice or in snow on rural roads I don't know so well.

She had a great Birthday, fun was had.

 

[Gabe1]

happy birthday to your dd, I hope you are missing the snow too!

Nope the ugly Flake-age found us, they were huge but fortunately the ground was still just warm enough for it to melt. I was more worried about ice as only the Country roads have that liquid salt on them, none of the State or Local roads or highways have any form of salt yet. But it all worked out well with just a delayed start.

 

[Gabe1]

Are they faking it or he really had that fear?

He has talked about it for years.

Think back to the food they 'packed.' The can of Chili. Well I guess on the way back home they still had the can of chili going through TSA at MCO. A good 5 minute conversation about how TSA examined, swabbed etc the can of chili, f o r e v e r.

Anybody heard of what is going on in MCO and their extreme vetting of food? It isn't happening anywhere else that I've heard anyhow.
Good thing the Halloween Parties are over at Disney. I saw 4 hours in advance now for Magical Express. Getting to the point that it doesn't make sense to go into the parks for a partial day if you have to leave for airport 4 hours in advance of your flight.

 

[Gabe1]

Trailer/Teaser for the Incredibles 2 is out!

Looks fun!

 

[Gabe1]

Yup, it's a shame, but, life does not stop for a holiday. Right now, as much as I hate the current season, is when retail either makes or breaks it's year. They have to push for the biggest selling season of the year or they will not be there next year. An economic fact of life. However, when everyone is whining remember that retail is not the only one. Law enforcement, military, oh, yea and people still want to eat on those days, so food service, how about driving a shuttle around an airport to pick up happy, albeit not working holiday travelers. They don't want to walk to the rental office, which, by the way, also have to be there on the holidays. And what would we say if WDW were closed on Thanksgiving so that their "CM's" could spend the time with their families.

However, that said retail doesn't have to interrupt Thanksgiving. Those sales can be any day, but, they do have to look for the days when most people are idol. And bigger yet... we don't have to participate. Believe me, if we don't go during that time, they will pick another with the same or even better deals. They have too! It is that important to a dying industry. Just speaking for myself, if I can sit at my computer for an hour, buy everything I need and have them deliver it to my door, there isn't a store or price in the world that could drag me into that fray. Now if they will just send someone to wrap the stuff for me, I'd be in heaven.

We are starting to see some of the hours cutting back on Black Thursday and Black Friday around here. More going for Sun-up. Still not the majority but it is slightly fading. I'm hoping the novelty is wearing off. My DD is off Wednesday through Sunday. DS has 4 days off, then again he has so much comp time coming, personal days etc that he won't work a full week until after the New Year.

 

[Gabe1]

Happy Birthday to DD!!

Step outside and breathe in the refreshing colder air--it will make you feel energized--works for me all the time!

Nope, that cold air just makes me want to shrink unto myself and shiver.

 

[Gabe1]

If that had been my MIL, I am not sure I would have let her around my kids anymore. Cannot brlieve she gave your kid food poisoning and gave him food he was allergic too. Sounds like she needs some mental health help, but seeing she is 90 I guess it would be useless.

She would get to visit with my kids but she never had them overnight. Still she pulled a lot over the decades. Still does. We could go months and months without seeing them. Kinda sad 'cause I really loved my FIL, a good man. He passed on in 2009.

 

[Gabe1]

Sending more {{HUGS}} and sling shot ammo

Appreciated! We have had some funky weather the last few months that seems to land on days we need to be kinder. At least we missed the snow last week while we were south on our Roadtrip.

 

[Gabe1]

Yeah, she kind of sounds like she should have been a candidate for a darwin award. How did she never poison herself to death???

I think she built up a tolerance to questionable foods. Like animals in the wild. She has been in Assisted Living with some-ish dementia since mid-2014 now. She got lost in her car and kept driving, stopped even for McD's but not Gas. That is what got her found as their was a Silver Alert out for her and her car for a good part of a day and night. When she rain out of gas on the Wisconsin Boarder far far from her home, the police ran the plate and Bingo. Memory is shot but she still with all those struggles but still knows how to yank peoples chains. Funny how the mind prevails with some when determined. At least she is off the road.

 

[Gabe1]

First let me explain... I do not have first hand knowledge of this. Meaning I have not seen the paperwork or know the insides of the organization, however, I have been told things. This is the just of what I was told.

Goodwill is owned by an individual and is a "for profit" system. Although it does provide lower priced items to people that cannot afford much. Everything that they sell is given to him as a donation and he sells it at a million percent profit and that is that. Does he provide a needed service... I'd have to say yes. However, I would rather find a non-profit charity organization of local origin where I know that the excess profits are not going to support a yacht in the Caribbean. Salvation Army is a good one with national recognition, but, here in Raleigh there are some very big religion backed, volunteer groups that do a magnificent job of making sure that everyone that is needy gets what they need.

That would be why I bypass Goodwill and give my stuff to local charities. However, like I said, I don't know, first hand, exactly how the company is organized and how the money's are distributed.

Thank you--very interesting background. It may not be as perfect as some others out there, but I will say that their trucks have convenient drop-off locations for me. Unless a charity actually comes to my church and sets up on a Sunday (we have 1-2 a year that do that), I'll probably go to the Goodwill truck.

Sounds like the local charities are probably better organized down in your area, and that's positive. But no matter how you or I donate items, it's a good thing.

Good Will is not a privately owned company. It is a non profit 501 c 3 charity exactly like the Salvation Army, St. Jude etc. They all have different missions but are not for profit organizations.

Good Will had come under fire years ago for a loop hole for being able to pay their disabled less than Minimum wage. Salvation Army came under fire for not paying those in need and sheltering at all which the Labor Board won in court that you can not demand working a required job without pay, courts intervened. The Paid Kettle employees have quotas to meet. If they don't meet them they are often moved to a less profitable area. If they don't meet those quotas they sometimes loose their jobs. Last I heard the quota was $150 per shift in donations. Red Cross comes under fire for their over the top administration costs and collecting funds for a specific natural disaster and moving those funds to another disaster. They have tried to fix that when donations slipped. Many charities seem to have their hidden dark sides. I donate my goods to Good Will, I donate money to Salvation Army, I avoid Red Cross, Love St Judes. I have beyond cookies avoided Scouts for the same reason as too much goes to Administration and little directly to troops earning the funds. My favorite is a local the McCormick Foundation who doles out their funds to so many diverse charities. McCormick depending on who owns what now has had the Tribune News Paper, WGN Radio and TV, Chicago Cubs....many an entity raising funds each year. McCormick has a zero Administration cost, the various corporations absorb the admin costs. It is very local to Northern and Central IL so I love it, you see where it is really going.