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Did you get any wacky gifts for the holiday?
Can someone tell me what I’m doing at my desk so early?
Is there someone UNDER the desk by chance?? 🙂
I wouldn’t want to serve as dream fodder for you again 😀
Fine, I’ll take Manny’s turn, too. ;p
Doesn’t want to be my fodder??
(heavy breathing) “Luke, I’m your sex fodder”
Sure Indy, but as you know you’re always in my dreams.
was from our nieces (ages 4 and 7) to the our three dogs — a great big box of beef-flavored dog bones.
My parents bought the dogs a couple of stockings full of rawhide and chew toys, it was hilarious because they knew it was for them, they sniffed out their goodies from the corner.
I have two favorite gifts from my kids. One of them bought a framed 5×7 picture and replaced the photo with one of our own, and then made the whole thing into a clock. Very cool.
The other is a photo collage in a glass frame that my daughter made. The background was a scenic photo and then she cut out members of our family like paper dolls and placed them in the scene.
that you would have such creative kids.
These both sound like such great gifts that a person might not even mind if they were combo Xmas/birthday gifts 🙂
Plus I got gorgeous notecards and a cool CD mix. I used to be really creative but I think that gene wore itself out in my 20’s. Fixing 3 meals a day and figuring out how to pay $1500 worth of bills with $500 was all the creativity I could muster after that.
The nice thing about the CD Mix was not only do you get the music but you can spend many entertaining hours obsessing on why the particular songs were chosen.
Holy cow!…you are absolutely right! Does this person really think I need that much help? Double Yikes.
completely wrong on why the songs were chosen — I’m so obsessive and anal I had to find out how good my analysis was and it turned out that I was mostly wrong (but when I was right, I was very right).
I usually make ornaments for my tia’s, but this year the holiday snuck up on me and I didn’t have time to get everything together. Gift cards always work in a pinch 🙂
I suppose the wackiest was the little microwave my mom gave me (bless her heart) after I’d said over and over that I didn’t need or want one. My old one broke and I think she just couldn’t imagine anyone enduring life without one. So now once again I can warm up cold coffee and make popcorn, which are the only two things I ever used it for. And she can relax again. 🙂
There actually four uses for a microwave — those two plus tea making and thawing leftovers.
My actual favorite Xmas gift was one that Jim got when he was teaching 3rd grade — it was a plastic, springy frog with a pencil holder in its head. Never before or since has a kid so given him a gift that she so clearly picked out herself and wanted for herself.
Blowing up Peeps!
My children spent a good part of Easter Sunday doing that. Other than that, cooking frozen Lean Cuisine dinners is about all I do with my microwave.
Ahhhh. Must try.
What impresses me is that you either have or found a photo of it. lol! But here’s my question–being new to exploding peeps. . .doesn’t it make an awful mess inside the micro? Also, for your purists, do you prefer blowing up the yellow or the pink?
It’s not so much the end result as the awesome proportions your peep grows into beforehand.
I’m sharing my favoritest website ever with you…be sure to check out all the links!
LOL.
Oh, thank you. I have already sent it on to other peeples.
A few years ago a woman named Ro and I shared the same secretary named Michelle. One year it was Ro’s 50th birthday and Michelle decorated her office. Ro was not particularly amused, being sensitive about many things including age. To smooth things over I said that I was sure someone would really “get me” when I turned 40 which would not be too far in the future. I was 38. My next birthday Michelle, knowing that I liked peeps, got a huge piece of posterboard and made a math equation (1+1+1+1 …) adding up to my age plus one to grow on. But on top of each “1” she taped a peep. It was really cute and very funny and there were 41 of them. I thanked her profusely and then broke the news to her that I was only 39. So all day people kept wishing me a happy 40th birthday and I would say thanks, but I’m only 39 and of course no one believed me.
Almost 5 years ago, my co-worker Sharon gave me an Easter Peep. I put in on top of my monitor. Several years, 4 office locations later, I still have the Peep on my monitor. I dust it periodically, but otherwise it looks as good as the day Sharon gave it to me.
This year, I saw Christmas tree Peeps. I thought about drying them and making ornaments, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. Maybe next year…..
Ha Ha. I like my peeps slightly stale. Gives them that little crunch on the outside.
Does he still have it? I don’t see how a person could ever throw that out. 🙂
on his desk at school until one of the janitors accidentally knocked it off and the plastic was so brittle at that point that it basically shattered.
really steam well in a microwave, too, and you don’t have to watch them as closely as if you do them on the stovetop. (Got a ton of leftover broccoli from Sunday — may just toss it in the steamer and then melt some butter with lemon juice to toss it in… 🙂 )
Good Morning Everyone! I’m off until next Tuesday so I’m in a great mood. Wacky gift? Usually I get at least one — but this year I can’t think of any. Not sure I even have a favorite gift — I liked them all. The only duplicate I got was the new PD James novel. BOTH of my sisters gave it to me.
Morning to all you little frogsters. Back to work today…ugh! This is a very slow time of year for apartment rentals. No wacky gifts this year. The Tivo my son gave me is still in the box as he forgot to bring a long cord to load it up through the telephone line(after the initial download it will be wireless) and the activation code. The first three months will be free.
Time for this frogster to hop into the shower. Hope you all have a great day!
I did get the “gift” that I wanted, time spent with my beloveds, not too much, not too little. As for material gifts my nephew bought me a thumb wrestling ring-it’s a platform with holes in it and tiny ropes around the outside. I can hardly wait to take it to the next staff meeting.
Good Morning, All!
I did get a wacky gift….several, in fact. Gooserock and I give toys and funny things to each other for Christmas.
My favorite is my very own, personal PERISCOPE! And it’s PURPLE. I now have a PURPLE PLASTIC PERISCOPE! And I NEED it because I’m SHORT and I can’t see on top of the refrigerator!
Click to Enlarge
I also got a helium balloon in an upside down box so I had to lift the bottom off the top. When I did, nothing was there but some ribbon…..until I turned it over. There was a dark blue helium balloon with stars all over it.
We had a very fun Christmas.
Tomorrow’s theme tentatively will be “Wacky Family Wednesday” — so get those funny stories and photos ready! 🙂
Spouse is getting ready to head out the door back to work after the three day weekend, and I’m getting ready for a day of work too; need to put away laundry and go through the boxes where I piled all the junk to get it out of the way before the bed was delivered. Going to be on the damp side the next day and a half; good time to stay inside and be at least semi-domestic. Can also work on getting the spouse’s new iPod Nano set up for him. 🙂
Hope everyone has a great day…
I only wish there was audio capability.
I need to get off my ass and get to the grocery store. I’m thinking of going to Trader Joe’s which is a little off the beaten path for me — but I have so much time this week to do what I WANT to do. I’m having a birthday dinner for one of my sisters. But she can’t decide if tonight or tomorrow night is better. And I’m not much of a cook. Some of those Trader Joe ready to cook things sound about right.
No wacky gifts this year, but a few years ago a students gave me an inexpensive bottle of perfume, awful smell. The crazy part of this gift was that the bottle was shaped like a naked woman!
This is off thread, but I’ve got a problem. My computer died on me and it won’t recognize the C drive. I’ve tried to fdisk it and use every disk I have to re-do the c drive, but it says the either the cables are unhooked or the c drive just isn’t there. Luckily I have my very first computer and have just set it up. I looked at all the cables on the c drive and everything seemed ok, but I’m at a loss. Has anyone gotten or heard of a virus or worm out lately that would do that.
Again I know this is off thread, but I’m at my witts end and don’t know what to do. Any help would surely be appreciated.
Thanks
If you go into setup, does it show that there is a drive attached?
A virus might mess up the operating system so it wouldn’t recognize the drive but it is unlikely to be able keep the bios from doing so. No recognition of the drive at that level would mean a complete hardware failure.
Of course, a simple cable failure can cause the same thing. Can you switch cables between your two systems?
Does your setup include any low level diagnostics?
If you boot from a CD is the drive recognized?
Gosh, Andi…all this tech talk is getting me hot.
since I’ve mentioned slug sex.
I’ve tried booting from the CD, but it doesn’t recognize the C drive. When i’ve tried fdisk it says there is no c drive. I’ve got the norton system works 2005, the HP application recovery disks, and when I upgraded to Windows XP I even tried that disk. None of them seem to recognize the C drive. I do get a C ramdrive with all the basic things on it, but that about all. The only thing I can think of now is get to get new cables and try those.
You never said if the bios (the setup program you can go into when you first boot) sees the drive. Does it?
I’m sorry. No it doesn’t see it.
Then the most likely culprits are the cable or the controller because a drive failure wouldn’t cause it to not be seen by the bios.
Thanks for your help. I’m going out to get new cable and see what happens. I hope that is all it is, if not I can see saome serious saving for a new computer.
Thanks again for your help.
Depending on what you’ve got in your old system, you can do some checking out by swapping drives and swapping cables. (If your old system is really old, this might not work because of hardware incompatibilities.)
is loose data or power cable. (If power is a problem, drive will be silent, you won’t hear it spinning even if you open up the case.) Disconnect each end and reconnect. Sometimes that’s all that’s needed.
#2, broken power or data cable. Cables do break or otherwise go bad.
#3, dead controller. If you have 2-4 different sockets to plug in the data cable, try it in different ones. It’s not unknown for a controller to develop one bad connection but not the /an other. If the whole controller’s dead it might be tough to diagnose yourself. You’ll need some kind of replacement for it. These days they’re mostly built-in but you might be able to install a 2nd controller in one of the accessory slots.
#4, dead drive. Hope you’ve been doing backups!
My sister took it upon herself one year to force me into liking bears. She likes teddy bears and thinks everyone should love them and have one(or two or three, etc). I’ve never been a stuffed animal or doll person…well anyway after opening my presents she presented me with one last big gift bag..which of course the bag had a picture of teddy bear…in the bag was a teddy bear bonanza..teddy bear pencils, notepads with bears on them, bear magnets, a small bear in a plain brown wrapper called a no-frills bear, bear postcards, bear keychain and so on.
I still have that bear(this was about 20 years ago)and the gift bag and yes I do like bears now.
We also had fun for years after picking someone in the family each year who really hated something and then giving them a small christmas gift bag of something they hated..yeah a bit warped I know.
Roomie’s mom has been a doctor for 40+ years. She works with an emphasis on holistic medicine and considers one’s diet to be fundamental to good health. Even though we eat nearly all organic food (actually, we usually eat better than Dr. Mom) she’s always on us about minding our diets. Roomie is allergic to a number of things, among them cane sugar. I am not allergic to much, but one of the only things I react badly to is soy.
For Christmas Dr. Mom sent us a huge box of nuts & chocolate & candy, all packed with sugar & soy. Alrighty then.
(I’m just busting on Dr. Mom here, she got us other stuff that we like as well. But while she’s traditionally a weird gift-giver we absolutely adore her and are moving to Ohio primarily to be near her, so there are no hard feelings, it’s just always funny to see which weird stuff she thinks we want or need.)
Indy — I had virtually the same experience with my mother.
As anyone who knows me knows, and believe me this is as true in Real Life as it is in BooLand, I’ve been watching what I eat very closely. And I have Diabetes.
So, what do I get from my mother (my own mother!)?
1) Ferrero Rocher Rocher 16 Piece Fine Hazelnut Chocolates
And
2) A baggie with 6 broken cookies.
So, I know all about weirdly targeted gifts also.
When’s her birthday? Perhaps you should buy her a jump out of an airplane or something and maybe she’ll take the hint. Gifts are for pleasure, Mom, and only adrenaline junkies want the risk of death wrapped in a pretty bow with a Hallmark card — those of us who wish to live, we’d like some nice warm socks and a good book, please. 😉
I’m pretty sure that since I ate half the chocolates, that her evil scheme succeeded all too predictably.
I’d go for the airplane idea, but she’s over 80 now and has always been afraid of heights, so there is little chance she’d do it.
I’d go for the airplane idea, but she’s over 80 now and has always been afraid of heights, so there is little chance she’d do it.
That being my point. 🙂 Sometimes people don’t get what they’re doing to you until you do it back to them. (And sometimes they don’t even get it then, urg.)
You could be an evil super hero!!! I love the way your brain works 🙂
Ah, well, the way I feel today, I’d want to send her out of the plane without a parachute.
But, that’s because I’m more evil than she is.
Well I did get a “strange” gift from MY MOTHER. She knows how I feel politically.
So what does she get me??
Sheets. Nothing wrong with that(?) Well they are the right size…
But they’re from WAL-MART!!!!!!!!! ACK!
How am I supposed to have sex or have a good night’s sleep on sheets made by used and abused children??? Sold by a womoan who is underpaid?
MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Take the sheets back, spend the refund at the sex toy store. Voila, you enjoy your gift and annoy your mother.
Pure evil!
donate them to charity and take the tax write-off…let’s see, Wal-Mart sheets should be at least a buck-eighty… 😉
(So glad that I found an online source for the spouse’s socks…haven’t been in Wally World in about 6 months…
I have a female cousin that shares my affinity for lewd jokes and pranks. This year, we both gave each other the same gift without consultation.
Hey!! This is what we gave our daughter (23 yrs old)!!
I have mine sitting (should that be spelled with an sh?) on my desk, my supervisor was amused 🙂
Last year I got the kids that!!! except it was a reindeer pooper. 🙂
I got some great gifts actually.
But I’m easycheesy to shop for. Movies, books or music. I got a ton of DVDs. I didn’t get the Wicked book I asked for as those were O.U.T. But all here had a really nice Christmas.
I got a Columbia Coat. I needed a warm, rainy weather coat BAD! It’s RED. And that’s just fine 🙂 I’m taking that color back, baby. Oddly my best friend, her husband got her a red rainy weather coat, too.
And… ta duh!!!! I got Winter Hawk HOCKEY TICKETS in my stocking!!! This Thursday I’m going to a game via the max train which is a short walk from the apts. That means.. we can DRINK at the game!! Whooot
My best gift this year… a new beginning taken with some dear friends. xoxo
Damn… I’ve been mooshy gooshy all week. WTF is wrong with me!?? 🙂
I don’t think there’s a damn thing wrong with you unless maybe using a term like ‘mooshy, gooshy’….it’s the rest of the world that’s outa whack.
I think I’ve been a bit overwhelmed since… Nov. The move. Finding out my mom’s side of the family, bunch of racist Neo-Nazis, Zealots, I’m better off without them… but to think they think I should be SHOT…
And then the whole moving the kids to new schools. My son is having daily fuhreak outs.
Even the GOOD stuff is overwhelming. Strong friendships without judgements. Having Powells bookstore just down the road!!!! I have not seen a KMart or a Wal-Mart since I’ve been here. So much to do and see…
So I’m just raw with so much emotions, thoughts, and … war and peace. Plus I’m a Scorpio so I’m totally flipping out 🙂 The Good, the Bad and the Fugly! 🙂
Plus I had my hair cut short … which means I need more maintenance haircuts (figure that one out) so I’m having bad Bangs week. LOL But I like the new hair style… SEE!!!! it never stops!!!! LOL
OKay I have to vacuum and then play Nancy Drew’s Blue Train CD game with DanDan. We’re going to veg out, baby.
Someday my husband and I hope to move to Portland. The only problem is that I’ll spend every dime I make at Powell’s.
I’m happy that you’re close to it, but so very jealous also!
It is the best bookstore I have ever been in anywhere. I made 9 trips to Portland over several years for a big work project and I just loved the town but nothing was better than relaxing at Powell’s in the evenings.
In fact, I was in Portland on 9/11 and I think I wouldn’t have been able to handle those anxious evenings alone if I hadn’t been able to go to Powells and just lose myself among the books.
Choc, could you pretty please email me?
npickard(at)kc.rr.com
Thanks. If I don’t get right back to you, it’s because I’m out running errands.
Absolutely…may not be for a bit but will sometime today ok..
Any time is fine. Thanks!
ok after several false starts..I kept messing up the email address I got an email off to you.
You’re suffering from the well-known syndrome called “OMG I just watched It’s A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street in tandem”
Due to purchasing Center Ice (cable hockey package) I’ve been watching some rather shitty NHL hockey lately, maybe that’s it? 🙂
And if my husband asks me if I’m having my period one. more. time. I just might have to take a potato peeler to his unmentionables.
Overwhelmed with the good and the bad and some guy think it’s is menstrual. ACK!
Good afternoon to one & all from the grey, moist Catskill mountains.
Brief wacky gift check-in: my mother, bless her loving heart, sent me a painted tin cat’s head, the size of a small grapefruit, with fist-sized openings in the top & bottom & cutout stars in the cheeks. For the life of me, I can’t imagine what it’s for. Neither can my flesh & blood feline allies, who find it mildly offensive.
However, it’s the thought that counts.
Candle holder thing???
If not, I think a picture is in order. I can show it to my cats & see what they think.
& no additional comment necessary, I’m sure.
Great word ‘amazing’ — it can mean just about anything and this case it does. I can’t believe that there is anyone who is going to top that. (My husband, btw, looked at it and voted for the candle holder.)
We’ve had trouble in the past with male cardinals attacking the sliding glass doors repeatedly because they see their reflection. I’ll bet if we put something like that in front of the door, it would never happen again.
Yes, said item is indeed ‘amazing’ — though I’ve personally come up with some more descriptive terms for it (sorry, Mom).
The holes definitely seem appropriate for some sort of light-giving fixture, but I think the hole at the bottom makes it impractical for a candle-holder.
In any case, you’re certainly welcome to it if you really want it, Andi 😉
I think I’ll pass but wasn’t it just so sweet of you to offer.
Can’t say I blame you, dear.
We’ll see what kansas has to say after her nap.
On the other hand, maybe I can use it somehow with the plumbing ..
It looks like one of your kitty overlords is getting ready to pounce the impostor.
She’s actually pointedly ignoring it — by pretending she’s about to leap from the window (which we both know is closed).
I actually kind of like it. Perhaps I need a nap.
Maybe so, kansas. In that case, have a bit of a rest & get back to me 😉
I suppose I shouldn’t have but that photo has me laughing myself sick here..and as people say…does the photo do it justice? But then how would we know as we don’t know exactly what it is? Sort of funny and scary at the same time.
I think I need to send my sister out on some missions of mercy to teach people how to buy gifts for loved ones…she always knows exactly what to get everyone.
I’m sure most of us would benefit enormously from that service! Your sister is obviously very receptive & observant when it comes to the people she cares about. Sadly enough, the same isn’t always true for my ma, bless her.
Next year I may send her a Lehman’s catalogue pre-emptively 😉
And yes, our relationship can indeed be both funny & scary. I second your impressions of the kitty-head completely!
I never thought buying gifts for anyone in the family was difficult..if you love them and pay attention it’s easy…harder was when working and trying to pick out something for someone you barely knew. Then there’s people who buy you gifts they think you should have and not what you want.
I think the pre-emptive cataloge sending is a good idea.
I’d say Mom is generally in that last category.
Frankly, though, she’s experiencing a rather tough time right now (caretaker for a disabled husband) & I’m surprised she thought to send anything at all. In general, I’m very forgiving on her behalf; she expresses her caring as she can, which I do appreciate.
I only wish I knew of a purpose for the cat-head! (I’m big on utilitarian gifts, as you can tell by my favorite catalogue.)
I only wish I knew of a purpose for the cat-head!
Is it possible that your mother is secretly a zen master, and that she has given you the cat-head only so that you will ponder its purpose out into infinity? Perhaps the true gift lies in her appeal to your fondness for utilitarianism, and she is gifting you with the opportunity to challenge yourself to new & greater heights with it.
Then again, I could be making up silver linings from thin air for your holiday cloud, I’m prone to that. 🙂
Anything’s possible, IndyLib — though if Mom’s a secret zen master, I definitely wish she’d out herself ..
for a very poor choice of words: ‘caretaker’ above should be ‘caregiver’.
Just got a note from my landlord & was apparently thinking of my own (unpaid) job.
that there are some people are great gift givers. It’s clearly an excellent evolutionary adaptation — men would seek out women who could give good gifts because these women were able to go among warring tribal members and by giving just the right gift make everybody stop fighting and decide to have a kegger instead.
Yes, it’s very possibly an evolutionary skill — though I do hope it’s not a matter of genetics!
it’s undoubtedly a recessive gene that often skips a generation or two.
Thanks for your assurance!
In our family, it may accompany the matriarchal gene that converses comfortably with the ‘supernatural’. My great-grandmother & grandmother had it, but it seems to have skipped Mom. She has different gifts.
Come on over for a Book Extravaganza!