The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[MinnieM123]

Half-day Friday, and a 3-1/2 day weekend...!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to sanity beyond the job world, buddy! I've been off all week and enjoying every second!!

 

[Goofyernmost]

I love early, are you trying to send me to the hospital and Florida would work if not for my dh's job and the boys schooling. It's the north thing!

We have jobs and schools down here as well. In fact, my family found way more opportunities and choices down here then were even thought about up north. PLUS IT WAS COLD UP THERE!

Spoiler

We also have huge Farmers Markets that are open year round and contain more vegetables then I ever even knew existed.

 

[donaldtoo]

OK, gonna' try to do a kinda' cruise mini trip report here over the next few days, and probably post a bunch of random pics towards at the end.
Mostly pics, and pretty short on verbiage, if that is OK. If not, I will ask a mod to move it...no biggy...!

Part of downtown Houston on the way to Galveston...



On the Galveston Causeway...



Gettin' on the ship on deck 3...!!!!!



Some of our cabin...



Our Cruise Director Frankie on the TV...



The aft Lido Deck bar, pool, and hot tub area, and my first drink of the trip...a "Strong" Island Iced Tea. That area has a retractable roof...it was chilly the evening we left Galveston, so it was closed...





A coupla' pics of the Sailaway Party...!

 

[donaldtoo]

Welcome to sanity beyond the job world, buddy! I've been off all week and enjoying every second!!

Hahaaaa...!!!!!
Awesome for you, Minnie...!!!!!!!

Oh my, can you tell it took me a looooonnng time to comprise my second post of the day...?!

 

[Songbird76]

He was saying with SWE opening that it would be crowded so we should just do Aulani that year.

My brother and I were not going for it

See, I think that's exactly the time to go...EE in AK used to be a really busy attraction, didn't it? And now, FoP has kind of taken the pressure off of it for a bit. Everyone wants to do the new ride. It was the same in 2016 with Frostrom...it took some of the pressure off of Soarin' and Test Track, so those were easier to get FPs for. I figure when SWE opens in HS, that will be a really busy park and the other 3 will be less so. But then, we're not likely to go on all the SW rides multiple times. DD is unlikely to go on those at all, which will mean I will most likely not go on them either because someone will have to stay with her and since DH and DS are both going to want to do them and I don't care either way, I can take DD to do something else. But how did your dad think he'd ever get away with not taking you when SWE opens???? Has he MET you?

 

[Gabe1]

really? never had one with that o_o

What does that button do anyway? shake? burn the stains?

Here ya go:

Self-cleaning ovens use an approximately 900 degrees Fahrenheit (482 degrees Celsius) temperature cycle to burn off spills leftover from baking, without the use of any chemicals. A self-cleaning oven is designed with a mechanical interlock (patented in 1982) to keep the oven door locked and closed during and soon after the high-temperature cleaning cycle, which can be approximately three hours. The door stays locked to prevent burn injuries. You can open the oven door after the oven cools to approximately 600 F (315 C).

If baking spills are not wiped up after baking, there may be some smoke during an oven cleaning cycle. It is a good idea to remove any pets from the area when running the oven's self-cleaning cycle. There have been reports of oven-heated Teflon-coated items releasing odorless fumes deadly to birds.

Self-cleaning ovens have the added benefit of more insulation, which helps the energy efficiency for regular baking. This is similar in concept to an increased R-factor for home insulation.

You will also save energy costs by using the self-cleaning cycle right after baking, to make use of the already partially heated oven.

 

[donaldtoo]

Heading through the ship channel...



Back down to the Lido Deck, and heading towards the open Gulf of Mexico...!




First night in the dining room...



My Martini and Calamari appetizer...!!!
And yes, I took the pic after I ate my 3 olives...and, maybe, took a sip or two-ish...



My fried shrimp with fried rice and creamed spinach...!!!



My cheese dessert plate...!!!



Our anniversary cake...!!!



Our first night towel critter...!



And, our first nights view from our aft cabin veranda of our boat churning up the sea...

 

[Figgy1]

Half-day Friday, and a 3-1/2 day weekend...!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy every minute of it

 

[Figgy1]

We have jobs and schools down here as well. In fact, my family found way more opportunities and choices down here then were even thought about up north. PLUS IT WAS COLD UP THERE!

Spoiler

We also have huge Farmers Markets that are open year round and contain more vegetables then I ever even knew existed.

But do those jobs come with free hair cuts? almost forgot all the shots an arm can handle

 

[Songbird76]

Some autumns look good in orange but nobody looks good in an ill fitting jumpsuit.

Hrmm...maybe certain shades of orange, but prison orange? Of course, I hate orange, so I don't think anyone or anything looks good in any shade of orange. It's just a hideous color.

 

[Figgy1]

Heading through the ship channel...

View attachment 252870

Back down to the Lido Deck, and heading towards the open Gulf of Mexico...!

View attachment 252874
View attachment 252875

First night in the dining room...

View attachment 252878

My Martini and Calamari appetizer...!!!
And yes, I took the pic after I ate my 3 olives...and, maybe, took a sip or two-ish...

View attachment 252879

My fried shrimp with fried rice and creamed spinach...!!!

View attachment 252882

THNX for sharing that looks like so much fun. I just wish my dh would agree to a cruise but he hates boats

 

[Figgy1]

Hrmm...maybe certain shades of orange, but prison orange? Of course, I hate orange, so I don't think anyone or anything looks good in any shade of orange. It's just a hideous color.

One of my relatives is an autumn and can pull off any shade of orange, me not so much.

 

[donaldtoo]

Enjoy every minute of it

Thanks Figgy! I shall, indeed...!!!!!

 

[donaldtoo]

Sorry, had to edit to add to that last post, 'cause it posted up before I was done.
I could blame it on Gremlins, an electromagnetic anomaly, etc., but, I think I'm just gonna' go with user error...!!!!!

 

[Gabe1]

Clean an oven... not likely for me. I have lived here in this apartment for 7 years and if I have used the oven three times a year it was a miracle and that was just to bake some Haddock fillets, cook my homemade meatballs that I freeze for later, or an occasional "Shake & Bake. I have a George Foreman that I use to grill almost all the meat I eat. Even when I use the oven it is for stuff that doesn't splatter or run over and the vessels I use are always lined with Aluminum Foil. What is unfryable or unboilable is usually heading for the microwave. Don't want to do anymore cleanup then is necessary. Aluminum Foil saves a lot of cleaning possibilities. You might have noticed that I hate cleaning things.

I had an inline natural gas, cast iron BBQ on my patio for 30 years. While I never baked stuff in the BBQ most of my meals and meats were cooked in that BBQ, even frozen pizza and lasagna. Still my oven received plenty of use in the house. Foil is my friend as is disposable tin pans. I love to cook but I do everything in my power to keep clean up to a minimum.

 

[Figgy1]

I had an inline natural gas, cast iron BBQ on my patio for 30 years. While I never baked stuff in the BBQ most of my meals and meats were cooked in that BBQ, even frozen pizza and lasagna. Still my oven received plenty of use in the house. Foil is my friend as is disposable tin pans. I love to cook but I do everything in my power to keep clean up to a minimum.

One year my oven died on Christmas is amazing what you can get done with a BBQ a small convection oven and a stove top when need be.

 

[Gabe1]

Luckily I really don't mind shoveling. It is good exercise and as long as the snow isn't super wet it isn't too taxing. Our driveway is fairly short only has long as about 2 cars and a little wider than one car width. If he had broken his ankle in summer and I would have had to mow lawn I would not have been okay. I don't like mowing lawn.

I would not mow the lawn. I do not mow lawns. I would shovel if the snow was to wet for the snow blower to do that. The grass could grow forever but I needed to get out of the garage making snow removal necessary.

Over the last 3 years I paid the boys a couple properties down to mow the lawn $25 a week. Wasn't doing that.

 

[Figgy1]

I would not mow the lawn. I do not mow lawns. I would shovel if the snow was to wet for the snow blower to do that. The grass could grow forever but I needed to get out of the garage making snow removal necessary.

Over the last 3 years I paid the boys a couple properties down to mow the lawn $25 a week. Wasn't doing that.

I do not shovel or mow but you win I have to pay in food

 

[Cesar R M]

Just got back from watching ferdinand... damn boys.. that movie was good. We were nonstop laughing at some scenes!

a 9/10 in the CESMeter(tm).


Other movies:

The Last Jedi: 7.5/10 CesMeter
Dunkirk: 6/10
Get out: 8/10
Thor Ragnarog: 9/10
Spiderman homecoming: 8/10
Coco: 9.5/10
Guardians of the Galaxy 2: 8/10
John Wick 2: 7.5/10
Bright: 5/10
Alien Covenant: 6/10
Lego Batman: 7.5/10
Pirates Dead men tell no tales: 5/10
Valerian and the City of the thousand planets: 7/10
Beauty and the Beast: 8/10
Cars 3: 7.5/10
Despicable Me3: 7/10
Transformers 5: 3/10
Kingsman the golden Circle: 6/10 (huge reduction of quality what the hell..)
Blade Runner: 8/10

 

[Gabe1]

One year my oven died on Christmas is amazing what you can get done with a BBQ a small convection oven and a stove top when need be.

I agree. I had an oven die with a turkey in the oven one time...day after ThanksGiving. Just the time of year you want to replace a major appliance. Next year on NYE the mega fridge went.