Welcome newcomers! Please introduce yourself!
Come on in!
Coffee & Tea under the window, platters of treats on every table
|
Newspapers are in their regular spot next to the door.
|
Please recommend
|
May the 4’s be with you
This Cafe closed, New one open
Hi, Guys. You may have seen Diane’s diary saying she’s taking a break for awhile. I’d like to say thanks to her here, because she’s our FBC founder. It was her idea and she got it organized and kept it organized. We owe her a lot of gratitude for all these months of fun and friendship.
Until she returns (fingers crossed),we’re going to need some more hosts, because she did a lot of it. Monday was her official day, but she did most Wednesdays, too.
I don’t have the schedule for our recent volunteers. If one of you was going to do today, just say the word and I’ll delete this one, okay?
I’m pretty sure that dblhelix was on to do today.
Thanks, Andi. I’ll see if I can reach her.
I have nine degrees today. Surely you can do better than that?
Yup we’ve got a heat wave of 14. And a winter storm watch which I am classifying as an opportunity to try out my new camera on snow shots.
Picture me looking forward to the photos. That one you put up yesterday of the snow-covered path was beautiful and mysterious enough to be a book cover.
it was when I point out to you that it wasn’t a path, it was my driveway. (Although it was pretty and that’s why we have AWD vehicles.)
Any snow-covered driveway that I don’t have to navigate is still lovely in my eyes. We have a dusting. Mere powdered sugar. Of course, I’m not the one who has to drive to work in it, but Katiebird does.
🙁
Sorry, I can’t see you in that photo. Your face is all covered with snow except for your eyes and mouth.
7 here, but we’re supposed to get up to a balmy 13 later in the day.
For years I longed to move to south Florida, which I love, but now not even frigid temperatures can make me want to move out of here where it would take one hell of a hurricane to reach us. My Florida friends are so sick of hurricanes they could chew the few palm trees remaining around them.
A single day in August in Jacksonville should be enough to convince anyone they don’t want to live in Florida. I once asked a customer in Tampa how they could stand to be outside in the combination of heat and humidity and he said “Oh it’s easy, we just don’t go outside.”
Snow, I don’t mind — but the cold is horrible.
Hey, there you are! I was just talking about you behind your back to AndiF.
Your life is about to get very complicated for a few days, eh?
That’s OK, I was talking to her about you behind your back too!
And I still can’t believe that actually came out the way I meant it!
This is absolutely the worst time of what’s been a very bad year for me, and I’m going to be gone for much of January, but I could maybe host a few in there. And if there’s still a crunch come February I can definitely fill some slots. I know that’s forever in blog time, but it’s the best I can do at the moment. Of course, in a perfect world, Diane will feel better soonest, come back quickly and let us can throw her a cafe thank-you party.
Bless you in this world and all your fictional worlds. 🙂 Doing it some time in Jan. or Feb would be great, Kelly. I’ll be back, tugging at your kilt, in a few weeks and you can say what works best for you.
When all else fails, we can always put up the bare bones cafe and let it self-serve.
I think a thank-you party for Diane would be really nice one of these days.
If a critical hole pops up in December, let me know, and I’ll do what I can then as well. I wish I could do more, but the holiday season is very messy for me.
Due to divorces and such, my wife and I have nine legal parents in five sets (three of which sets have had significant health and/or other problems this year) and two more semi-adoptive parents (1 set). My inclination for Thanksgiving-through New Year’s Eve would be to tell each and every parent that we’re doing something with a different set and then to hide under the bed the whole time, but my wife keeps vetoing that idea.
If I’m remembering correctly that means getting attached to the FBC yahoo group where the templates live. I presume it’s a closed group and an invite will need to be issued. If so, send it to my first name at kellymccullough.com
Oh, god, Kelly. That number of parents must set some kind of record. You have, like, a kennel of parents.
I don’t know how to do the invite thing, but somebody will. But we absolutely will not ask you to do this in Dec.
It’s got it’s pluses and minuses, one of them being that the math can get messy. For example, with the current giant divorce mess I should probably count it as eight rather than nine, though legally it’s still the latter for a month or three (depends on just how ugly it gets). Some of the ex-step parents have been retained, but this one will probably not be as we’ve never gotten along well with him.
here’s the schedule Diane posted in the diary where we volunteered:
dblhelix 12-7
Andif 12-14
Sallycat 12-21
Caliscribe 12-28
Great. Do you think I should close this and we should wait for dblhelix?
We’re going to need to think about Monday’s, too, but we could always go the bare bones route.
How about renaming this so it isn’t the official FBC instead of deleting it.
If we don’t get an official host for mondays, how about doing the cafes as froggybottom — that way whoever gets there first can start one up and anybody who knows the login can close and start a new one if it’s needed.
(yes)
Those are both good ideas. Now you don’t have to come up with any more all day.
But. . .how do we do the froggybottom thing?
(incoming email)
Good morning everybody.
Hi, Second Nature. That was a fun diary you put up last night. I see it’s still on the Rec list. I couldn’t get my brain to contribute anything, but I enjoyed your list a lot.
Thanks, kansas. I was being far too altruistic and/or snarky when, in reality, I want a laptop and an iPod.
I missed you and Indy in last night’s cafe where I got involved in a discussion about manee’s nuts with manee and ask and I felt that I wasn’t sufficiently filthy-minded. I needed sisterly support.
I saw that and was thinking all kinds of filthy things, but I have a son Manee’s age (how is that possible?) and I thought I should show some restraint.
jokes, snickers and laughs were enough thanks 😀
G’Morning, ManE. And you just innocently wanted to talk about ice cream.
yup, innocently – that’s me.
did you know that I also own oceanfront property in Arizona?
Innocent Man Eegee Sitting on the Beach
that nothing to do with snow or blue dots. It’s because you liked the shadows of clouds. This is sunset from the summit of Mauna Kea with it casting a shadow on the clouds, the ocean, and the sky.
Thank you! Looks like a painting.
I think I set a record for words left out or mistyped in that post. I’m cleaning my oven — do you think I can claim that the weird odors it is giving off are affecting my normally crystal-clear thought processes?
You can claim it. . .
The woman who come to clean every other week pointed out to me that it was needed and how to do it (this is my first self-cleaning oven.)
You have a woman who comes over just to tell you when to clean your oven?
And you pay her for that?
Man, I don’t know. I always wanted a maid, but not if all she does is tell me what I need to clean.
How much would you pay me to come over and tell you not to clean it?
That kind of support is priceless. Can you tell me not to go to the gym this morning?
Depends if you are going to stick around and distract from work by sitting around and schmoozing with me — oh wait, I don’t have to pay for that, I get it for free in the cafe.
(Were you going to charge me for the gas to drive over here?)
I recognize that you’re all just jealous. I have always told Jim that if came to choice between Charlotte and him, Charlotte would always win. (This is a woman who washes our little plastic recipe box whenever it gets a little bit grungy).
I’ve heard of people like that. I’ve even heard that there are those who wash out the teakettle, even when all you do is boil water in it.
I thought they were apocryphal, the unicorns of the cleaning biz. We actually have only Andi’s word this woman exists.
if I’m suffering from a delusion — just so long as it continues to manifest itself on schedule every two weeks as a clean house.
“…those who wash out the teakettle, even when all you do is boil water in it.”
Yup. My mother was one. My sister-in-law is another.
Count me in among them. Don’t stand still in my house for too long or I’ll wash you, too.
Please tell me you don’t iron jeans or sheets.
I don’t iron anything — that’s what the fluff setting on the dryer is for.
::sigh of relief::
I was just checking for the size of the schism but it’s pretty small since I like cleanliness but prefer cleaning to be a vicarious experience.
I’m the sort of person who likes things clean, but cluttered. If something is too well organized and sterile I get nervous, but it’s also true that I see unidentified yuckiness (which my dad used to call “glarf”, such an awesome word) that other people apparently do not see, and that’s a cause to rev up my cleaning sponge.
“Don’t stand still in my house for too long or I’ll wash you, too.”
And I’ll put beads on you. 🙂
lol! G’morn.
if I get ensconced in a good enough book, RH could bead me head to foot and I’d never even notice.
This is one of those days you can be REALLY glad you left Kansas City.
Here’s a fun display that is near Cleveland…Christmas light display timed to music from Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which, if you’re not familiar with them, is like Christmas on crack (as my kids observed one Christmas season when I cranked it up on the stereo.)
Kinda puts my little attempt at outside lighting to shame, but, hey, at least my neighbors are still talking to me.
christmas lights
Maybe that will help me get in the Christmas spirit this year. For some reason I’m just not.
“That means nothing.”
“To you, maybe, but in American it means ‘Christmas’ in Mexican.”
-Randy & Catalina, My Name Is Earl
I loved that episode last night. You know your crush on Paula Marshall? Ditto with me and Jason Lee.
and he was so cutely evil in Dogma.
Funny! I’ve never seen “Earl.” So you guys like it, hm? I should try it?
And a Happy Tooth Good Morning to you, Indy.
Must see TV. But some episodes are better than others.
Top of the morn right back atcha, Kansas.
One of my favorite parts of that show is Earl’s friendly relationship with the guy he calls Crab Man, who’s now married to Earl’s completely trashy ex-wife and who was cheating with said trashy ex-wife during the marriage. But whenever Earl sees the guy, he’s always, “Hey, Crab Man,” as if they were buds, and every time it cracks me up.
Kansas, if someone is needed to host during the last week of the year, perhaps I can do it. Normally it’s tough during the day, but that week my boss is out and court is not in session. Thanks and good morning to all from the positively balmy 25 degree Hudson Valley.
Boran2, that would be great. Monday is open that week, or you could trade for another day with one of the other hosts who might be going out of town that week.
I envy your tropical weather.
Thanks. How do I do the whole yahoo thingy? (templates and such.)
I need to find out how to do the invitation thingee for you and Kelly and anybody else who wants it. I’ll get back to you on that, or one of the other hosts will.
For a temporary cafe, this one’s getting pretty full…
Going to be a very odd week in the household. Today, the spouse is working from 6am – 2pm…then tomorrow and Friday he’s working 4am – noon! Meaning he’s going to have to be up at about 2:30am! At least I still have my mornings back, such as they are…but I really need us to be back on a regular schedule — I don’t deal with change that well.
Heading to IKEA when the spouse gets home, then we’re going to visit a local Mormon church for their annual creche exhibit.
If we need substitute hosts, it might be good to post a request in the diary a day or two before — like if we need a Monday host, make the request in Saturday’s and/or Sunday’s cafes.
Okay, time to get moving around here…
And we think the Cafe’s calendar is confusing! Yours beats them all.
Good suggestion, Cali. Now get moving. 🙂
Hey all,
I finally put up my World Fantasy Con Diary, comlete with poll and bonus pics of Kelly in wigs. It’s here.
who made the first request, thanks a bunch! As soon as I get the woodrack up on the porch filled, I’m going to head over there to read it. (Already looked at the pictures, though — you’re very photogenic.)
Hi all, I just wanted to stop in here and let you know I meant what I said, I will be stopping by here in ye grand old cafe. I just wrote a comment in my diary about how I love you all and this place so I hope you will go and read…
I just need a break and I have not severed any ties.
And I want to see this cafe looking real spiffy when I stop in…
Love you all, k…
Hi Guys,
Nice to see you all!
Question: Does anyone know whether or not my boss has the right to tell me that I can’t use “PhD” in my signature block. (I really have one….)
Thanks in advance for the help and Happy Hump Day!
What is your bosses reasoning behind the request?
Is it that HE doesn’t have one?
Do you work for a private or public insititution?
Thanks for the reply. I work for a non-profit symphony orchestra, and he alleges that the “academic connection” is detrimental to the organization.
floored. I felt bad at first, when I posted the snarky response about HIM not having one and thought, gee, brinn, that was kind of sexist, but alas, I had already hit post. At least I wasn’t wrong…
To be honest, I have never heard of such a thing (would a boss tell a medical doctor she couldn’t write, MD after thier name? that a CPA couldn’t write CPA afer their name? you get the idea…)
Is the sig. line in your “official work email”? Is that what has his shorts in a twist? And again, I have to ask, does he not have one? I am going to go out on a limb and assume that he does not, because anyone who did would not be so BLATANTLY DISRESPECTFUL to someone else who had earned the right to put those three letters after their name…
Have you asked him HOW exactly the “academic connection” (and what the fuck does he mean by this anyway??) hurts the organization? (Private non-profit, right? I’m afraid he probably does reserve the right to be an asswipe in this case…) Heh. You might want to ask him if your suing the shit out of him for being discriminatory would “hurt the organization”…I know easy for me to say, especailly if you want to keep your job, I’m just blowing smoke.)
I am sorry to go on and on, the simple answer from me, is that I don’t know if your boss has that right (but we’ve got lotsa lawyers here, good ones too, who can most likely answer that for you), but the whole undercurrent of anti-itellectualism in your boss’s allegation just gets me VERY pissed off…
How do YOU feel about all of this?
Thank you for your answer and the fact is I really feel like SHIT about it!!! I went out on a limb to accept this position after initially declining because they BEGGED me to come, and I accepted against my better judgement. A mistake, obviously. My PhD was part of the reason they hired me, so now that I quit a good job and moved 300 miles away from my family, this jerk thinks I’m stuck here and he can insult me with impunity.
No, he never explained in detail why he thinks it’s detrimental for an orchestra to be associated with anything “academic,” but I’m sure (whenever the subject comes up) he plans to browbeat me into submission. Uh uh. I worked too hard for my degree, and I reserve the right to choose whether or not to claim the distinction.
So here is my answer to him (after much thought and reflection):
“If you’re so ashamed of my PhD, then you never should have hired me in the first place. It just so happens that I’m NOT ashamed of it, and I’m giving you notice as of now that I intend to use PhD in the signature blocks on all of my correspondence. As far as I’m concerned, my credentials lend prestige to the institution, and I will need something much more substantial than your opinion to convince me otherwise.”
How does that sound?
I would put it in writing if I were you — and send it off in a nice email — with you sig. on it!
😉
Where did you earn your Ph.D. if you don’t mind me asking and, are you a musician in the orchestra?
I earned my PhD at UCLA, and I’m not a musician, but a fundraiser, Director of Development, so that makes it even more bizarre that he thinks my degree is detrimental to the organization. I used to be a dancer and my PhD is in theater, but I became injured so I couldn’t dance anymore. Meanwhile, I became interested in philanthropy, since it’s the only way that for the arts to survive in this country. Raising money for the arts through foundations demands lots of writing skills, ability to do research, creative, and strategic thinking, so that’s why it’s interesting and challenging to me. There are a lot of people in foundation fundraising with doctorate degrees, so I think my boss is really way out in left field. The sad part is I’m learning that his need to suppress my PhD is just a symptom of his need to suppress most of the skills that I bring to the organization. He just wants someone to do his bidding, and that’s why — sadly — the organization is not thriving. The musicians are superb and they deserve better.
she had unsub’ed herself (to Susan) but apparently that got lost in the various frenzies.
Why don’t we let this one run till an early evening one and I can do that one if you want (I can pay more attention after 4/5 p.m.)
Thanks for the news and the offer, Andi. This is getting a little loong to scroll so I’ll post a new one for this afternoon’s crowd. Just let me know–at the cafe, or by email– when you want to post yours and I’ll close out the old one.