VM Monday

[Jewels]

Hi guy's!!! Missed all of you and scanned the posts I missed while I was off roaming the wilds. hehehehe
We had a good but hot trip to Idaho. The whole state of Washington and into Idaho was hazy from the wildfires. Sad state of affairs. It was short but we squeezed in a nice BBQ with all the nieces and nephews at Chucks sisters house. Then hit a play at the U of Idaho's theater. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of it tonight. I'll ask Chuck tomorrow. Got home late Sunday and had so much catching up to do as always. Still up at 12:30 doing laundry and still have email sitting there waiting patiently.
Will take a pic of orkid but only 3 little blooms in yellow showing. Maybe I'll find time tomorrow....
Guess this Catfish with her Orka will be signing off for now.
I posted this for the new day as I was so late getting here. Hope it doesn't blow Roger's mind!! LOL
home Barb!! Sure did miss you.

[zip2play]

Hi everybody,
Welcome home Julie...no, I LOVE days I don't have to start posts and see the dreaded "YOU MUST POST A SUBJECT" before they take my message.
Too bad about all that smoke. It's becoming a yearly event, but getting away is always nice (I've HEARD??, do they work?)

Funny event that Hurricane Alex...it just POPPED up off the Carolina's...how STRANGE. It might give us some water but so far we're looking for a sunny, hot week. Looks like the last weekend has badly flooded MANY areas in the innards of our poor state. Camden (Delaware River) is under water.

Those "Terror Warnings" are beginning to frost my cake. They've singled out the PRUDENTIAL Building in Newark, NJ and the CITICORP Tower in Manhattan as targets. Now, if the evidence is REAL, the buildings should be SHUT to protect workers. If this is more political HORSESPIT to show us what a brilliant man George Bush is, then Tom Ridge is committing a crime.
There are ONLY these two options...if the threat is real, then keeping the buildings open is criminal malfeasance...like refusing to get people out of a supermarket after a bomb threat! If I worked in one of these buildings, I'd refuse to enter!

Weight is good this morning after a 5 pound spurt from "curry squish." Yeah, I really am impressed with Indian cooking. I fell in love wiith it the first time I tasted a flaming vindaloo (maybe 30 years ago.) I was equally nuts for Szechuan when it made it first inroads around 1970...then it was HOT AND SPICY
Now with the steady inflow of the Jewish American Princesses (JAP) and their "oooh, not so SPICY" and the onslaught of the McDonald's trained Americal generation, the Chinese cuisine has gotten as bland as a can of Chun King Chop Suey! With very few exceptions, Chinese food (in the U.S.A.) is boring stuff indeed.
Truth be told the blanderization is beginning to take hold with Indian restaurants as well. Getting me worried.

Bob getting a stub of a tooth pulled around noon today, so I'll have to start thinking about something MUSHY for dinner<eccch>. Poor guy will then have to get another tooth added to his partial (found a guy who runs his own lab works cheap and cuts out the middleman...he's GOOD)

Be happy all...I will be as soon as I OOOOOOOOMMMMMMM out the effect of these terror alerts first thing in the morning. I shouldn't let obnoxious fools in Washington bother me so much (that's DC, not my dear friends in WA! )

[OrchidCactus]

Mornin' all,

Waking up here, and will soon be ready to go to the post office with a couple armloads of orchids! Made a few purchases this weekend too...breeding stock, we hope!

Yesterday we had a couple visitors. On our way to get our pizza (traditional anniversary dinner LOL even if a day early) we saw a Boston terrier and Black Lab along the side of the road. Stopped, and their collars claimed them to a guy down the other road, so DH took the leash in the van, clipped it to the Lab, picked up the Boston and off to the house he went. The Bub and I collected the pizza. Visitors were installed in the utility room pending owner's arrival. They were very well behaved and really sweet--snuggly with kisses interspersed. Owner came after them when they got home from church and was happy to have them safe and sound. No introductions to our gang, we just got sniffed a lot afterwards!

Julie, welcome home! Catch up with us all (and everything else) and tell about your trip!

Barb, welcome home to you too! When you get back settled in, give us non-vacationers your scoop too!

Zip, a shame that the different ethnic foods are taming down. We have a few good Chinese places around here, but I'm sure much of it is quite tame. I still enjoy it though, and would probably be really disappointed with the local stuff were I ever to eat the 'real' deal. Maybe best not to know?

Shawnee, thanks for the anniversary wishes! We get our pics back on the 14th, and if they turn out any count I'll scan in and send Got to get the pasture bushhogged and then we can get the pups out for a run and get pics of them too!

Linda, any more luck with your potential relocation plans?

Loretta, glad DH is healing up. Did he choose to ride with you yesterday?

Susan, check in when you can!

Jacki, custard sounds interesting....I, however, am not much of a cook so I will taste test via y'all's posts!

Well all, hope everyone has a wonderful day. I gotta get movin'

[LoveMontana]

home Julie, we all really missed you. It's a darn shame about those huge forest fires and there is another 6 weeks or so left to the fire season.

Can't wait to see the picture of your orchid.

Roger, You are right about Chinese food being so darn bland these days. Years ago we had a lovely restaurant, House of Yuh, with the best ever food. Leechie Duck was one of my favorites but unfortunately they closed years ago, and I can't find that any place around here.

One of our social workers was from China and used to cook for us about once a month. Unfortunately I retired and won't be eating there any longer.

Yes, those buildings should be closed down to protect the workers. I just can't figure out why they didn't do it. At least they closed the Holland Tunnel.
Here is an article from the NY Times about where the info. came from.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/02/po...76tx6JRZCa+vzQ

Ginny, LOL Pizza for your anniversary dinner? Cool!

It sounds like your E Bay site is doing great!! How many did you sell?

How did those pups get away ?

No our relocation plans are at a stand still for the time being although I spend hours on the real estate and retirement sites looking. We shall see.

Waving to everyone else.
I'm off to take my mom to the farmer's market.
Later.

[Jewels]

Tried a few pic of orkids still trying to bloom. Just 3 out but wanted to show them off. I took them against a dark background so the color would show up better but now the pics are dark. Not sure how to lighten them so will just try them and go from there.

[Loretta V]

HI to all

Congrats Ginny on your anniversary. I am really a dolt. I just could not imagine what armidillo meant. I though it was another one of your pets. So forgive me for not sending congrats sooner. Pizza would be a choice of mine too. I love that stuff. That one from the rr is quite similar to the real thing. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY !!!!!!!!!!
I took in some stray large pups one time in my Honda, since they belonged to a neighbor. HE had been looking for them for several days. THey were large and really dirty. I knew the name of one of them so he came to me without hesitation. Got my car interior cleaned by the pets owner. I think they were dobermans.

home to Julie and Barb. Glad you both had safe and enjoyable vacation trips.

Barb it is about time for you to settle back down now with school starting soon. How did the weight hold up? They probably provided your food for you while you were on that water trip.

Zip and Linda boy living here in Ky we sure don't get much in the way of ethnic foods and what we do get is sure americanized.
When I live up north we had some Indian docs on staff that brought food in once in a while and it was great tasting.

Shawnee I have not been using any davinci for quite a while now. I usually use 1/2 splenda and 1/2 diabeta sweet in my cookies. I will just reduce that diabeta. The liquid splenda is not readily available for me, locally. I will keep checking though.
I made some cookies a while back with all splenda and they were rather on the dry side. The splenda site does say that too about it reacting that way.

Later folks

[BarbCO]

Oh Loretta, that was one of the fun parts of this trip. We went to visit one of Ross' classmates who is a river guide and we have not seen for a number of years. We got out of the truck and he said -- recognize me folks? He went low carb, lost over 120 pounds, and has kept it off for two years!!

We did stop at Jim's place (his house is on the river) about noon and had a wonderful lunch -- all low carb !! Everyone drinks water and life is good! Jim gave up caffeine, alcohol, sugar, white bread products, etc. etc. He took us out for dinner and we had a delicious salmon meal!!

I haven't weighed myself (and won't until end of the week) but I do feel a tad bit heavier than when we left. This week will take care of that!!

Where in Idaho were you Julie? We passed through there on the way home -- I-84 in the south. I think the northern part of Idaho is soooooo pretty!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO GINNY!!

I've been three weeks without TV, Internet, Newspapers, Telephone -- is the East Coast still there??

Waving to all..... Jacki, how long is your vacation yet?

Where is that new grandma??

Later, Barb

[JackiCWa]

Hi everyone!

Happy Anniversary Julie and I like your orchid pics.

Barb...your vacation sounds wonderful. The Oregon Coast is a beautiful place to vacation. Welcome home.
My vacation is now only 5 more weeks. Sept 8th is back to the salt mines. Work days seem to pass quickly until Feb due to three day weekends at least once a month some twice. Then there's Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. February brings winter break then it starts to drag. Listen to me!! Already wishing away 10months of my life. I really shouldn't do that huh?

Orchid....you are such a good neighbor watching out for the pooches that way.

This morning I did some more experimenting on custard. Some in nuker some in oven to compare the two. Well, the oven ones got the bubbles in it too so....well, I guess I don't know what so haha but I will be doing some more experimenting. I did try some different flavors. I used strawberry syrup for one batch, green apple in one and some dulce de leche in one. Gads! that's a lot of custard. Tastes creamy and yummy tho.

Then, I tackled my utility room. Gads and Gasps but it was a cluttered dusty linty mess. I always feel cruddy after cleaning that area. Then outside to put some epsom salts on my plants. Supposed to give them a boost and make their little roots happy. So.....I want happy plants! Gave them their tonic and had a little chat with Carol who just happened to be passing and stopped for a bit.

Now, I need to do some house cleaning and make out some bills. blechhhhh pattoie yucko-----I'd rather do all housework than make out bills. Nessessary evils abound!!

Well, guess I can't put it off any longer.
Waving to everyone and take care.

[zip2play]

Happy Anniversary, Ginny! That was so nice of the two of you to care for those lost furbabies.

And Happy Anniversary, Julie (if I got that right.) How nice your orchid looks; is she a dendrobium? Her leaves look very healthy also.

Oh Jacki,
Your time seemed to fly so fast. Well 5 weeks is longer than most people get so enjoy every single day of it. As the years go by I tend to like to hang onto every day as long as possible. The future gets here MUCH too fast without egging it on.

Barb,
Three weeks without any news!!! You LUCKY gal!

TV time...we'll start with REAL TIME with Bill Maher which we taped overnight.

[Jewels]

Nope, not my anniversary yet. I think it was Ginny's.
Ours is the 10th, our 41st.

[JackiCWa]

Happy Anniversary Ginny[size=4][font=century gothic][color=deeppink]

Sorry for the mix up.

darn, I tried to make it huge and pink...but it didn't work. Dang

[LoveMontana]

Oh Julie, that orchid is just lovely!! Thanks for sharing.

Holy CHIT!! You and DH have an anniversary this month too?? Ours is Wed....26 years.

Roger, OMG I just love Bill Maher. He totally cracks me up.

Loretta, DH and I live in a culturally and cuisine deprived area really, but we used to have a few good places. Not anymore unfortunately.

So you don't recommend Davinci??? I tried the vanilla and almond and really thought it quite bland.

Barb, you mean you CAMP?? Yikes! Unless I was in a $700,000 Motor home, it's not for me anymore. Especially at my age, although I can do without TV and the damned phone.

Jackie, count your blessings. Many of us only had two or four weeks vacation throughout our work lives. The entire summer would have been like heaven to us. Enjoy your next 5 weeks off.

Guess the only way to make custard is the old fashioned way ...water bath in the oven.


So where are the rest of the gang...Susan, Carol?? come on girls check in.

Shawnee, you will be happy to learn that I took some pictures today but haven't yet put them on photo island. Maybe tomorrow.

[LoveMontana]

let's see if this works...
Why is he never awake when I go to see him?
Nick...
[IMG]ht

Deme and the poor pup


Deme and Carlie in the pool


One more