Saturday February 22nd

[SuSUN]

Rise and Shine You Magnificient Maintainers!

Still mild temps up here. Oliver enjoying his backyard again. He has been at the bottom fence already several times this morning greeting/barking at the other dogs on the pathway with their owners. Think we are getting a dumping of sneaux this weekend, so may be digging out tomorrow with DH for fresh air and exercise.

Linda: Starbucks is a safe bet for a good Stock along with Sears, so we are picking up a good portfolio here! LOL!

I'll check back later. Gotta book our flights, trying online today, could be frustrating and may end up just going with the travel agent as usual.

[zip2play]

Good morning CRAZY EIGHTS (I like that, Susan)

I hope you Sourtherners have your Mae Wests on and the rafts inflated. Your rain has just moved into my neck of the woods and there is always danger of flooding (though never for me unless there's a tsunami) inland with the Raritan , Passaic and Hackensack Rivers...Hudson can't flood unless tidal flooding from a Nor'easter, but then the rare flooding lasts only an hour or two.

I am getting my rocks off on the 45-50 degree weather, even with sloppy streets.

I see old Pfangserver has gotten "fixed" and thus I had to re-sign in...I should dump the old cookies. I got a kick out of the SH*****censor. Let's see if they fixed the even stupider one: a martini and a Manhattan are two famous ****************tails served before dinner!

edit: I see cocquetails are still forbidden!

Nothing planned today; cleaned house yesterday. Linguini with Clam Sauce planned tonight. I made a killer Sole Francaise for one last night. It is so easy to saute fish perfectly for one when the pan isn't crowded....5 minutes and HEAVEN! Sole had been rather dull the last couple years, but not this one...it tasted like FISH!

Taped the show ARE YOU HOT? on Thursday night for skimming today...Lordy what a pile of about 100 of the most gorgeous people you've ever seen. AND I can skip the commercials...lots of them!

If you are trapped indoors here's a way to spend 5 minutes...Heavens to Murgatroyd, NOTHING was edited- ALELUYA!

http://www.gaycitynews.com/gcn208/lostinnewjersey.html

Will shop for salad greens if rain stops but the water ski is in the shop so litttle chance.

Nice weekend all.

Pretty garden pix Shawnee...or ********awnee as the case may be. It's nice to know it won't be barren winter FOREVER. Shawnee, I'm going to put you to work...how about a nice LC Key Lime Pie (hint: hickory nut crusts are nice)

Bob's cousin offered us her house in Berkeley for 2-4 weeks in June (they are going to Scandanavia)....thinking about it but Bob's temping at HBO gives us security- hate to jeopardize that (in case they find somebody else they like better while we're gone- a conundrum) Haven't had a vacation since 9/11/01 (easy to remeber that!)

[Loretta V]

Hi to all on this warmer Sat morning, The daffodils are a little getting a little higher every day.

Shawnee so nice to see those pics of your flowers in progress. I am quite jealous. The pup stands so proudly in front wanting to show off your flowers too. I sure am in a quandry now as to which baked treat to eat. They will last for a while, I think because I will treasure them. I think I over kneaded my gluten, one of the problems. I was also wondering what "flour" did you use to put on the kneading board? I used my WW. I am not sure how I renamed your muffins. I had ww on my brain.

Zip us used my drained yogurt to make my Key Lime Pie. It works well. It is really low fat, almost no fat. We have our boat in the car port and ready to roll. Rain and maybe snow this weekend. The ground outside is mush. I saw parts of that show "ARE YOU HOT" I thought it was demeaning and shallow. Those poor kids putting so much importance on their bodies. (Does that sound too much like Sr. Mary Loretta?)

Ginny do you have some pontoons ready to put under the Red Neck Gal? Our creeks and bay are sure on overload. How on earth do you get those pups feet (all 12 of them) wiped off. A job for sure.

Susan happy hunting on the internet today for good air fares.
Good going on the Sears stock. We have a dehumidifier still going that was made in 1974. Of course that won't do much for their selling new ones. It needs some new parts. When will you go to Fla.

Linda you probably should think twice about quitting. You seem to keep yourself VERY busy at home. You will be pooped most of the time from your projects. Glad Gerard is not rushing his job and took time for the bolts to loosen up.

Hi to you Tink, hope you are off from work this weekend and can put your feet up with a good book and just get reacquainted with DH.

Shelly hope you are enjoying your visit and your relatives are low carb friendly too. That helps a lot. We'll leave the light on for you.

Hi to our fav lurker.

[shawneesioux]

Hi Y'all

Awoke to new aches and pains this AM, but that's GOOD! Put myself thru a good exercising regimen yesterday...been getting physically lazy, and need to build up to face the SPRING YARD WORK...

Susan, thanks for the Cheerleading efforts, you sound really pumped to get some exercise. Its good that Oliver isn't white, he would get lost in a few inches of snow with those short legs! Our Furbabies probably suffer more from Cabin Fever than we Two-legged creatures. So you are gearing up for your FL trip, great to have that to look forward to.

ZIP, I gotta tell ya...
I was riveted to your review...both for your descriptive phrases and the play content. To me, your best one yet. Aside, ..sadly this play actually reflects so much of today's "normal" family characteristics, once their closet doors are thrown open...(what we live with daily, we tend to view as an acceptable norm..) I could "see" these characters as various persons/families I know...most of them revealing sane faces to Society, but the masks come off behind closed doors.
I was at first upset over the Monkey feast, thinking OK, this is WAAAAY over the top...but then reconsidered, why the hell not???
Thanks.

The Key Lime Pie...Several gals and I were just discussing this on the Help Recipe Board..the REAL PIE...yellow creamy custard.. no green Jell-o... and feel a close facimile can be done. The killer bad guy here is that sweetened condensed cream, which can be replicated with a recipe already available......or replaced with a small amount of cream cheese,Sweetener, etc.. and a dab of Gelatin as binder....I actually found Nellie and Bob's Famous Key Lime Juice in a Discount Food Warehouse yesterday, 16 oz for a buck (the stuff real FL cooks use)...so I am moving in that direction...YOU be responsible for finding the Hickory flour/meal...LOL

To all our group, whatever our number or name is today...have a great one, I'll be back to check on ya later

Montana, you Compliment-giver...dear friend, you need glasses!

Shawnee

[shawneesioux]

Hey Loretta
you posted while I was messing around..

Geez, I didn't realize y'all were so flood-prone. Be Safe!

I used WW on the board too...a step that can just be eliminated...scoop out the sticky dough directly from the bowl into the Tins, using spatula or disposable gloves...then smooth the tops of the dough with wet fingers...that Gluten resents being molested!

[OrchidCactus]

Hey gang!

Off and on rainy here, power even went out for a bit! Ah well, that's life in the country. Once I'm done here it's time for cleaning up and getting dressed (read as lazy here today).

The guys went to town to get lumber, etc for projects, so I have the house to myself--sure feels good for some 'downtime' every so often.

Shawnee, the pics look great (as do you!), and Pup sure looks proud of 'her' work! Our daylilies are starting to peek up, it's a little soon yet as the freezes aren't done yet, but it makes for a nice spring wish.

Linda, am I gonna have to ground you too? Stop working so hard and getting so wore out! I know you enjoy the projects, but take a little more time with them and relax some please.

Loretta, definitely look for the show, I know you'll enjoy seeing all the different varieties etc. Hope you don't have to use the boat for anything but pleasurable activities!

Zip, just stay in and dry until the water recedes! Surely there's enough to eat and plenty of entertainment to keep you happy inside! The warm temps are a blessing tho, huh.

Pam, don't work too hard this weekend! And don't let them talk you into too many extra hours there. You need time for yourself and are entitled to take it.

Susan, hope the warm-up lasts for you. Much nicer to be comfortable, and I know the furbaby loves that too. Those short little legs of his must require you to shovel the 'potty pathways' like we did with our sheltie when I was a kid.....

Shelly, have fun on your trip! The survival kit can make all the difference!

Well, y'all, time for me to get a move on....everyone have a wonderful day!

[zip2play]

Hi again,

Has anybody had the situation when sending a pic "for auction" at PhotoIsland of getting an empty box where the highlighted text should be? Am I trying to save something too big ?(It's only about 50K). Upload went fine, cropping fine (but slow)...but it WILL NOT give me a url for attaching. Will somebody else try to add a pic to the "auction hall."

Anyhoo, I made a pretty lemon-lime merengue pie with cyclamate and lemon pudding mix and fresh squeezed lemons and limes...it's pretty and I wanted to show you. Dinner will be a light snack so we can make room for the treat....it's STILL cornstarch and a frozen pastry so there will be some minimal guilt.

Loretta, was the yoghurt whey able to thicken the mixture for your key lime pie or did you need gelatine or cornstarch or xanthan. I always have plenty of drained kefir liquid when I make a batch for cheese.

We did a handy dandy rain chore...unspooled about 50 feet of ribbon from an OLD dot matrix printer and re-inked it. Not too hard for 2, and we are smart enough to work with plastic gloves.
What with the huge box of continuous holed printer paper under the desk (a gift from an office thief we know), it's a LOT cheaper than using the dot-jet for jobs that don't need looking "just so."

Shawnee,
Thanks for the kind words about the review...so nice when editor doesn't change A WORD!

Gee....I'm blabbly today. Rain has stopped.

[SuSUN]

Checking back YOU CRAZY EIGHTS!

Not a poet laureate, (sp) but here goes, "Come visit with Crazy Eights to maintain your Weight"s!.......oooooooh sorry, so corney!

Well, I did not book our flights. I was on several of those sites and I gave up in frustration!!!!! Been in an irritable mood since. We will go through the travel agent, it is much simpler and less expensive. I was hoping to see some bargins, nothing doing!

Ginny: What a peaceful break for you; the Guys are out. Time with your own thoughts to dare to dream! Funny when we are in the company of others we cater to their plans. I guess it makes life more interesting with these little interuptions. Enjoy the tranquility! What is your favourite downtime thing to do?
We did shovel a pathway for Oliver but when it is cold he can just walk on top of the sneaux as it is so hard. Was your Sheltie a miniature or a medium sized dog? Shelties are so beautiful. If I didnt have DH for restraint I would probably have about 8 dogs. I always hear about another one up for adoption, or some cute puppies at the pet store. Oliver came from a breeder about an hours drive from here. Keep getting tempted to drive back there!

Shawnee: Wow, that's great "in Spring Training" I did not know that we needed to train for the GH party!" LOL! What kind of exercises train those gardening muscles, gluts for sure eh? what about the arms? lower back too! From looking at your pics you are a beautiful lady inside and out! Yikes, Key Lime Pie, I've never made that, although I am a custard lover! LOVED the pic of your PUP......awwwwwh she is a doll! Love those faces!

Loretta: I know they censor certain words on this BB! I think "Daffodils getting higher daily."qualifies, LOL! Yikes, when I read this, my chin hit the keyboard! Good for YOU,.....not for us poor folks up North! Jealousy creeping in! All I see is white everywhere. We are planning to go South at the end of March until mid-April. Almost doing the semi-retirement thing but gotta keep em happy at work.

Linda: Another Tip from my DH for Gerard, is to tighten the nuts just a little the wrong way, before untightening to loosen the crud. Hope the "release agent" tip worked for him. Guess he is proud of his new shiney tools. A regular Bob Villa eh? So you are back to work on Tuesday...."This too shall pass" only 5 weeks and then Spring will be here, and you will be "free as a bird." Are ya waxing down the Winnebago (sp) yet?

ZIP: Yikes, ya tell em how it is eh? Read your eloquent review. You have a gift to reveal the essence of the play without contamination from your own opinions!
I was told yesterday at work that our Gay and Lesbian Community Association, "The Pink Triangle" is looking to have their very own Smoking Cessation Group in the Fall. I would love to facilitate this group, not sure if I will be doing it yet! They may have to interview me etc.....
California for a month, sounds wonderful. I know what ya mean about the security thing. I run into this too with my work. That is why I try to go away in between the groups. Causes a lot of frustration when trying to book flights to suit DHs work and mine!

Pam: Hope ya not wrestling with those male torso's this weekend. Hope the paperwork progessing for the adoption, can be a "stressful" time! Feet up, cosy blanket, beside the fireplace, a good book and of course a pup or too for good measure!

Shelly: Good to have you on board. Great idea to take your Survival Kit. Enoy your visit. Come back to us soon and tell us all about it!

I just posted this at 6.09pm Came back to edit as the time is really off, shows 11am. Do I need to change something here?

[Loretta V]

Zip

You had me confused. The whey is the liquid that drains off and I discard that. The resulting yogurt Cheese is what I use to make the Key Lime with. I have been adding reduced fat ricotta cheese to come up to the total cheese needed in the recipe. That mixture seems to help the gel. I want to do some experimenting using the Knox gelatin too.

Shawnee sorry about those aches and pains. Take care there and take some rx for those pains. We are not really on a flood plain but in the spring the lake rises, for flood control elsewhere and it gets quite high. We have not had a problem except that DH could not get to his boat because the ramp was under water.

Later

[LoveMontana]

Good evening everyone,

Roger, your review was wonderful! I agree with Shawnee, it is one of your best. Glad it didn't get edited.

Let's hope you can arrange that trip to Calif. around Bob's schedule. What a wonderful treat that would be for you. I can't forget our last trip to Montana . We had just gotten there three days before 9/11.

Photo island gives me fits sometimes too. That picture doesn't sound too big. Try again later. Sometimes it's just the site.

Susan, Starbucks, Sears and 3 M ( duct tape) LOL are good bets.
Tell your dh thank you for the tips on getting those darn bolts loose. Gerard likes to talk his own sweet time on these projects , so I don't expect to see the truck up and running for at least another week or so.
Sorry you didn't have any luck booking your flight on line. Did you try ITA and Orbitz?
Oliver knows that spring is in the air. Animals are SMART!

We are expecting high winds tomorrow and maybe 8 inches of sneaux on Monday. Damn!!

Ginny, I hope you enjoyed your quiet time with the guys gone. I always love to have the house to myself on occasion too.
I finished painting the kitchen and am through for now. I'll get to the rest when the contract expires.

Hope you are not in the flood plain there. Stay warm and dry.

Loretta, Daffodils!! I''m really jealous. Even though it rained all night and most of today, we still can't see the ground with all this blasted snow...
I have so much to try when this contract is over. I MUST try your yogurt cheese, Shawnee's yeast rolls, and Zips kefir.

Shawnee, Gosh you really over did it. Hope you took something for those aches and pains and feel better now..

Nope I don't need glasses Shawnee, you are a good looking woman.

Guess I better spend some time on the recipe bb and check out those fantastic recipes. The key lime pie sounds great!! I just used the lime jello and cream cheese thing from the recipe room. It was OK but not the best.

Off to catch up on my e mail and lurk for a bit. See you later.

Hi to Pam, Shelly and our lurkers.

[shawneesioux]

Hi again

ZIP..I was having the same problems with PhotoIsland last night..had to click away from the Auction, and come back to it for 2 pics..finally it "took" but slowly..figured it was "weekend over-use" of site.
YES, please, we'd love to see your work of art pie.
Had a light bulb moment earlier re the Almost Real Key Lime Pie...Loretta will be majorly p*ssed if it works, cause its not lowfat...

BUT LORETTA, you can make it too, using Lime juice, extra Fake sugar and more thickener in that lowfat version cheesecake you just perfected...ok ?

so I'm gonna go play in the kitchen with this new idea...not gonna tell ya what, don't wanna jinx it...and invite Murphey in!!
Results tomorrow, good..bad.. or indifferent.

Susan, I was really impressed with your statement re ZIP's review: "You have a gift to reveal the essence of the play without contamination from your own opinions." Pretty cool, Gal

Didn't Ginny tell ya, the price of Admission to her GH Party is mucking out her stalls first??? LOL// gotta be in shape for that, and loading hay bales, those ponies of hers are hungry!
I do old fashioned Jack Lalaine exercises...no equipment other than light hand weights.

Montana, bless your heart...
when will we be seeing your Mud Pie walls? What moxie you have to go that direction!
..still more Sneaux? Time for us to put a hex on the Sneaux Gods, they need a rest!

I'm off to the kitchen, gonna rattle those pots and pans...BILL HALEY and the COMETS, early-vintage Rock'nRoll....cross your fingers for me! LOL

[OrchidCactus]

The time alone today was very nice, and just what I needed! Got to play on the 'puter, putter in the gh, all at my own speed. Had about 5 hours of 'solitary' time. I reckon everyone needs some down time here and there, and I enjoy mine!

The guys made the rounds from home improvement to Best Buy, and DR got himself a computer--excellent deal on an e-machines brand. The boys are currently playing golf upstairs so I have more time to lurk LOL

Shovels and rakes provided for the poop-n-scoop/gh party, pony and puppy snuggles readily available (read as demanded by said critters) coffee will be on and the well water here is excellent! Don't forget to bring a camera--never know who you'll catch by my bloomers

Susan, the Sheltie we had was a bit larger than breed standard. He was 17" tall and weighed 20 lbs. Beautiful boy, very loving and very smart! I am really partial to large dogs, but couldn't have loved that little guy more!

Linda, we are in a good area that doesn't flood. Not to worry! The dog's yard does get a 'moat' at times, and the yard has had standing water but only in severe rains (only had the front yard under water twice in 11 years) and it drains down rapidly.

Shawnee, ya blew the whistle on my admission but think of the quality fertilizer to be had....BTW, the daylilies are up a couple inches here!

Zip, are you gonna try that pic again? I haven't tried to do that with photoisland....just call me chicken!

Well, all, have a good night! Off to lurk for a bit.