It works for TV. Why not for Cafes?
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Marmotdude’s Season’s
Greetings:
Chill, dudes and take the time to stop and eat the flowers.
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Today’s Cafe Crew: katiebird, kansas, and AndiF
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Please recommend (and unrecommend the Cafe/Lounge from earlier)
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Sit down, relax, and if you aren’t Marmotdude,
enjoy Olivia’s gift of a beautiful flower:

(view large)
enjoy Olivia’s gift of a beautiful flower:

(view large)
Okay, let’s hear those King Kong reviews.
We went for a wet, cold walk during which the rain changed to snow.
Brown County, Indiana 12/25/2005 4:53 p.m.
My grand total of two beers last night, which did not even make me drunk, made me too hungover to leave the house today. It’s Hangover Christmas! 🙂 So I’m just sitting around, eating leftovers, re-hydrating, reading about what everyone else is doing.
Beautiful pic as always, Andi.
So you didn’t go see your “profoundly stupid” movie? I like flagrantly silly movies but have never developed at taste for stupid ones.
Nope. Didn’t make it any further than the living room for watching a bit of a profoundly stupid DVD.
I don’t know what that’s about. People always ask when they see my bookshelves lined with philosophy from the Ancient Greeks to the modern postmodernists, and my movie shelves lined with stuff starring David Spade & Adam Sandler. I just have to shrug. I like what I like.
Did you guys take the dogs with you? I’m kinda horrified by the idea of that much poundage of wet dog smell, lol.
We just consider it free air freshner.
Andi, thank you for sharing your perfectly beautiful image of the woods. We truly do live in very similar environments (happily for us).
Thanks also for so graciously hosting this evening’s cafe’.
Today has been spectacularly mellow; I’ve done absolutely nothing of note but send holiday email & make holiday calls (including delivery of a small gift to a gentleman down in the valley who’s been exceptionally kind to me). Temperatures are ridiculously warm & it’s now raining steadily.
Yes, the plumbing’s taken care of for now. Thanks for asking about that.
I love quiet days where nothing happens and no one has any expectations.
And yes, I definitely share your happiness about living in the woods (and bad, bad me — I also feel a bit superior to everyone who doesn’t).
Not everyone can be supremely fortunate, Andi 😉
I s’pose folks who live at the beach feel the same way, however. Come to think of it, I felt that way when I lived in Brooklyn.
As for quiet days, no expectations: I try to create as many days like this as possible — which makes me bad in the eyes of certain folks, no doubt.
I love this photo! The trees look so delicate with just that light snow.
I don’t know how you get such good light on overcast days.
Andif..you’re pictures are becoming famous with my sister…I have to send her them every time you put one up like this(although she does check in here herself every once in awhile and just lurks)
After reading your comment below about how wonderful your sister is to you, I feel like any enjoyment your sister gets from my pictures lets me be a small part of the rich reward she deserves for being such an excellent sister.
(Did you send her your “wreath”?)
haha..when she was over here before they left for Arizona I showed her the ‘wreath’ and had her read the comments which she quite enjoyed to say the least. Her and I are almost like twins yet just different enough not to be complete clones of each other.
Thanks for asking!
Watched an incredible documentary called The Corporation on Sundance Channel.
Did the LAT Sunday crossword puzzle.
Worked on my three-month State of the Organization report at my new place of employment.
Opened a deliberate scarcity of “presents” with my family.
Cooked a totally organic Christmas dinner.
Browsed my favorite blogs (as in Booman Tribune most favorite).
Oh, and let me add, totally awesome and mind-blowing documentary on corporations. I swear my life was changed by it. Gets down and dirty with the corporate takeover and its connection with fascism and tyranny.
Sounds quite nice but to round it out perfectly, I suggest 15 minutes of luxuriating in a healthy dislike of your boss, followed by a nice glass of wine.
Yesss! The perfect way to end the day! 🙂
It’s 60 degrees here and wet. The cat’s sick-poor boy’s been mostly sleeping for a couple days and periodically throwing up. He’s still drinking enough water and going outside but only for a few minutes. We didn’t figure out what was going on because he’s a shared cat (with the neighbors) and we didn’t get a chance to talk until yesterday. Hoping he’ll be stable for another night so we don’t have to take him to the extremely expensive kitty emergency clinic.
Had a good time with relatives last night and they liked my performance of Blue Xmas on my new ukelele. Off to another larger family dinner in minutes fortunately a very short distance away.
Mentioning that song brings back very fine memories of two of my college friends who used to do a wonderful mock-serious version of that song. The key was the turning ‘blue’ into three syllables with an emphasis on the first. It’s been well over 30 years since I’ve heard them do it but it’s very clear in my head tonight. Thanks.
I’m sorry to hear about the state of poor kitty, diablita. Yes, thankfully he’s drinking water. I’m wondering here about the possibility of poisoning, or a gastric obstruction.
Though it can be a hardship & extremely stressful to our animal friends to visit a vet, you might seriously consider it if he doesn’t show improvement soon.
Continuing kudos on mastering the ukelele!
Just remembered to add: one of my cats in particular has undergone periods like this when she ate decayed meat (she’s weird that way).
Try to withhold food for 12 hours or so; make sure the neighbors do as well. This gives the cat’s digestive system a chance to clear. Make completely sure there’s plenty of drinking water.
I’m very sorry to have done such an abrupt disappearing act. I drifted into housecleaning and sort of lost track of time puttering around (it doesn’t happen often).
The kids usually show up about now (mister says, what makes you think they’re coming now?). I think their mother has a secret rendezvous at 6pm every Christmas. But, no one except me has figured it out.
So, I’m here for a bit, but may abruptly sign off for the evening.
Andi, you’re doing a great job. Olivia — I love the flower, I’m so glad we’ve got it here in this Cafe.
Carry on.
Agreed, the flower image is truly gorgeous.
Oh, to see the flowers again. Soon enough, I guess.
This year I feel I’ll be especially happy to see them — probably because recent months have been so dreary.
for a third cafe in case we need it because as you can see from this one, I didn’t have any idea beyond the first one.
Maybe. . . . I just had an idea.
I’ll get back to you (they aren’t here yet. I think it would be kind of cool if they blew it off, but I don’t hold out much hope)
If you do and you figure you won’t be around to post it, you could email me the content.
I’ll put something together for late night…by 6:30 pst
Raining hard and traffic is cranky…glad to be home and off the freeways.
to have it done by 6:30 pst. Things are pretty slow so I think the night cafe can open much later.
Hope you had a great day with the chids.
No problem….I’ll watch for a while…
Kids were fun – checking their ‘piles of presents’!
Fortunately we are meticulous about counting the exact number of packages for each one – 7 and 9 are such cute ages!
I spent six summers working at a day camp for 3 1/2 – 5 year olds and it’s still my favorite age — it’s that combination of being fearless about what they know and fascinated by what they don’t.
They briefly ooh and aahhh over some expensive stuff – but go nuts over the least expensive gift!
We got the 7 year old his first Etch-a-Sketch – he promptly sat down on the floor and forget everything else!
The 9 year old got the usual collection of pink and purple clothes, scarves and stuff she asked for…and aaaaaaahhhhh’d over a 1.99 blown glass purple rose!
I never know…and just go with the guy!
Awesome movie, maybe a tad too long. Maybe a few too many plaintive looks between Naomi Watts and Kong.
But I had a hard time enjoying it since there was an idiot couple who brought their 2 or 3 year old child with them to this loud, scary movie. I thought the flying monkeys on the Wizard of Oz gave me nightmares, but there are these evil looking natives with their eyes rolled back in their heads and bones through their faces screeching and attacking people. And very realistic dinosaurs that are even better than in the original Jurassic Park. The kid was hiding his face in his dad’s neck for most of the movie, or he was sitting on the mom’s lap and she was clamping her hand over his eyes. It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut, but, oy!, the therapy bills that kids gonna have.
Where the heck is everyone? I thought you were still serving but it seems like all that’s here is the cleaning lady and that drunk sleeping it off in the corner. Oh, sorry, Andi, didn’t mean to wake you.
SN!! I’m so sorry, what can I get you?
Then kids haven’t shown up yet, and haven’t called to say they won’t, so I’m here for at least a little while.
And once we get the presents opened (and we didn’t go even close to overboard this year), I can sneak back in.
I can get it myself. I was just feeling a little lonely. Hope the kids show up. I hate when people don’t call to say they’ll be late.
but there was NOBODY here for the longest time and I was bored.
::looks pathetic and bitchy at the same time::
I thought pathetic/bitchy was my patented look. I’ll let you borrow it if you need it tonight but then I need it back.
Well ,let’s see you get it from me, bwahahahaha — as if you’ll leave that warm weather fortress down there and venture up here to the cold and snow. It’s mine, mine, all mine!
(something about king kong put me in the mood for melodramatic 30’s dialog)
Poor Andi, poor, poor Andi.
But, on the bright side, it looking down the way a bit, it looks like your time was very well spent!
I couldn’t believe all the small children in that movie today! I expected to hear screams or sobs, but didn’t. I would have thought some of it would have been very upsetting to them. Although, as I say in the comment below, there were times I wished I was a lot younger, too.
And we had talkers down the aisle from us, too. The movie finally entranced them enough so they shut up. One of them even took a cell phone call!
Weren’t the zombie-like natives creepy? I thought they were the scariest part of the movie.
We had a heavy smoker family sit down behind us at the last minute and I spent the whole 3 hours trying to breathe. And in the last 10 minutes of the movie a whole family came in to see the next showing, and they all had those ginormous cups of pop, and nachos and the whole nine yards and they came in talking and laughing. About 10 people simultaneously yelled “shut up!”
l0 minutes before the end?! It’s a wonder they weren’t tackled and pinned and had nachos stuffed down their throats.
I still can’t believe those creatures weren’t really real. Did you ever??
They were creepy. Almost as creepy as Jack Black.
I love Jack Black; funny guy. But he really does have these little rodent-like eyes.
The cleaning lady you refer to is likely me.
Alas, I must now depart to do some actual cleaning — rather than nursing a bottomless cup of coffee while gazing aimlessly about.
Cheerio!
I’d call this a textbook case of poor judgement.
Children are exceptionally good instruments of instant karma, in my opinion. These parents will have much to contend with (if my own perpetual childhood nightmares — & probably yours — signify any sort of normalcy).
It’s too bad.
Boy, do I not deserve my host stripes today! Just back from Xmas and King Kong. By the end of it I loved it, though it’s true they could have cut quite a bit. Like, oh, an hour. For the first 3rd I kept wishing I was about l0 years old and could get swept away by it more than I did as an adult. But wow, the creatures!! The fights! The escapes! And most of all, Kong and Naomi Watts. I was really moved by the end of it. I do disagree with the final line, though. SPOILER ALERT. I think most people know the last line from the old movie, and they use it in this one, too. But it wasn’t beauty killed the beast, twas greed killed the beast. Blame the woman, always blame the woman!
My thoughts exactly.
mystery writer and FBC table raconteur preening and twirling in a red cape!
My God! Who knew her legs were so fabulous!
I’m astonished! I wonder why nobody told me before now. I may start wearing shorts again.
(laughing and choking and reading/describing tis outloud)
This is funny. Can we use these images for the next Cafe, no matter when it is?
We can’t lose this!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. . . .
my displays of good taste and I was already good once today.
Is it to late for froggybottom to add a poll to let the masses vote?
Snort. A classic case of every action producing an equal and opposite reaction.
My, what big…..teeth you have, Grandma!
OMG, talk about scaring the children!!
This is what happens when you are the master of passive-aggression research. When you said “Picture me twirling in my red cape”, what choice did I have?
I planted the seeds of my own destruction!
Hey, hosts with mosts, how about if we go all self-service tomorrow and everybody take a break? Unless somebody else really wants to host. I’ll volunteer to put up the morning froggybottom and I can probably do the next ones, as needed, too. But I just won’t “host,” as such. Like I didn’t today, either. You’ve been great today, Andi, and you, too, kb.
for a good part of the day so it sounds fine to me.
Plus we need to get people used to the concept of the unhosted cafes for future Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays.
Hey everyone-I’ve been sleeping most of the day..didn’t even open my presents until now. So here’s what my sister means when she says she didn’t really get me anything. I’ve already mentioned she got me this huge oversized for curling up and reading new chair for my apt..and a styling black leather jacket…13 books…some in the series by Iris Johansen…with Eve Duncan who is a great character..and whose other characters spill over into books of their own also…6 Kay Hooper books the ‘Shadows’ and ‘Evil’ series..also great characters and the psychic aspects are so cool..I’ve read most of them but now get to read them all together and in some sort of order..the new Kasey Michaels book and just so I’m not being completely frivolous a book about bush..’Unfit Commander’
New calendar…I’ve been saving my calendars for about 18 years-write on them -kinda mini diaries..so always want extra cool ones..this year I got 365 Days of Black History with great pictures and some fact on each day…also little calendar for computer desk…a Jon Stewart calendar..and also a Jon Stewart for President t-shirt, a t-shirt with 6 different Peace signs on it saying the Art of Peace…and one more that says ‘Heroes’ and lists many many women’s names
Last but not least a small chocolate maker..sort of fondue type thingy but has some molds where you can make chocolate shapes.
I know I mention my sister periodically here but I really can’t begin to explain how close my sister and I are or what she means to me for so many reasons that don’t have anything to do with the great gifts she gives either.
What an amazing, generous person, and it’s obvious that she knows you really well. I’ll bet you’re good to her, too, in ways of your own.
yes, she is amazing and the one person who I trust completely and absolutely…besides she is also one of the smartest and funniest people I know. Smarter than I am. Pretty good for a baby sister. I forgot one other little thing..has anyone ever gotten those refrigirator magnet things…with all kinds of different words in package?…well she got me a package with political words..ha ha-like pondscum, media, bribery, corporation, impeach …should have fun with all of them-about 180 words or more to mix and match.
That is so cool that she got you stuff to settle in! I love the ‘Eve Duncan’ Iris Johansen series…just got a new one for Christmas.
Those magnet words…hmmm….I’d find myself sitting in front the fridge too much with political words!
I used to have a set of poem type words in a magnet pack and yes you can spend an inordinate amount of time in front of the fridge that way.
It sounds like you had an OK Christmas. I actually checked this thread b/c you said you’d be on your own today — I was hoping you were doing well. Your sister sounds pretty cool. I always wanted a sister, but I still enjoy my (much older) brother. He visited today b/c my dad is recovering from surgery — so we didn’t do the usual family thing with my parents, aunt, and uncle.
Between yesterday (husband and pets dinner/gifts) and today (brother), I’m so sick of cooking! And the dishes…oy vey! (I’ve never found the gentile equivalent of that phrase….does anybody know of one?) I want a hot bath, an adult beverage, a good book, and my cozy chair.
Hey mir701…nice of you to be thinking about me…I am still tired so am about to go back and try and read on the couch(or new chair)but suspect I will fall asleep again…just the stress of getting a few things done for christmas wore me out…so I was too tired really to feel to alone today. I have a brother also but he lives in Nevada and he’s a bit more distant in his feelings(long story about crappy childhood)but is a great guy and in fact I lived with him for awhile in the early 90’s…
and I know of no word for ‘oh vey’ by the way..I’d guess it would just be ‘oh shit, more dirty dishes’.
Haaaaa! Good one.
I have a new reading chair too…but I have to fight for time in it, since the husband and the cats all love it too!
are irreplacable because IMHO they care so much extra meaning beyond the literal translation — you need whole sentences to replace single words like schlep, kvetch, shpilkes, schmatte, nudzh, putz, verklempt. When my mother said ‘don’t hoch mir kein chinik’, I always knew I’d gone too far.
I’m betting that you are both lucky to have each other — surely one reason your sister put so much effort into getting you just the right gifts is because when someone has made you feel loved and happy, it’s wonderful to be able to give gifts that return that happiness and love.
Well she also says I’m easy to buy for because I can’t afford to get anything for myself sooo that makes it pretty easy too..but yes she always gets me cool stuff and just the right thing.
That’s a wonderful phrase and thought andi..’able to give gifts that return that happiness and love.’
I did spread around one other thing she did and that was she came over with a huge bunch of flowers..you know the kind you can get at the grocery store where they have 3 bunches for ten dollars…well she got about 6 different bunches for me to play around with and fill my little apt…so I took some of them and put several in some small vases I’ve got here and went around to all the little old ladies that live here and gave them all a vase of flowers.
Now I’m sitting here snickering kind of evilly because if someone gave me flowers I’d give them away too but not because I’m nice like you but because I always destroy anything alive in about 3 seconds flat so I’d be trying to get rid of them before I had to try to figure out how the hell I did it this time.
Borrowed from ‘Bronwyn’ at another site where I hang out! I think this crowd will like it…
… someone would show and get all sloppily sentimental 😉
yeah I know, don’t ya just hate it when that happens.
I’m going to head off to bed about 8 p.m. pst. Why don’t you open up the new cafe shortly before then and then I’ll close up this one and put a link to the new cafe in it.
hey Andi…thanks for everything, the pictures/hosting and kind words..have sweet dreams.
Kick Back Lounge is Open
more here.
that’s great..just the kind of christmas carol I want to come true in the coming year..