I leave around noon tomorrow. Have a lot to do between now and then…both boys have to be at the orthodontist in an hour, algebra, laundry, pack, take someone to the airport today, write and abstract before lunchtime…why is going away always so much work?
I know what you mean. The mister is moving out today and it’s been a lot of work for me not to clobber him. Hopefully it gets easier from here, at least emotionally.
And the kids are all leaving for Ecuador on Saturday so I’ll have two weeks to get some projects done. I guess I’ll clean out his room and turn it into a guest room. And I bought a cool old buffet at goodwill that I’m going to redo. And of course, Hopey and Frank the Schnoodle will keep me company.
HI Folks!!!!! I have been super busy what with moving in with friends, looking for a job and every damn thing else that can go screwy in my life so I decided to bite the bullet and move my blog to my own url and all the insanity that goes with that.
My blog (and soon my podcast) can be found at http://www.doingmypartfortheleft.com . I hope you will check it out and let me know what you think. I am still working on it and will be adding much more before I am done as well as many more links.
I arrived safe and sound in Austin. Delaware Dem was on the same flight, so we traveled together. Right now I’m in the lobby of the Hilton with TeacherKen, Justin Krebs, David Boyle, and a bunch of other Kossacks and activists.
as I just mentioned on my twitter-feed, I’m at the airport enjoying a restorative beer. Direct flight so I’ll be there in a couple of hours! Can’t wait.
Meta question: Why can’t you get RSS feeds by story author like you can diary author? Nothing against Booman (or the other great front-pager, TerranceDC), but I would like to read Steven D’s posts separately via my feedreader.
The folks who drop by the cafe are always delighted to have another join the crowd. And I’m sure Steven will be delighted for you stop by on a regular basis to perk up his ego. 🙂
Today is Pretend-Friday for me, now with Work-on-the-Plane because the orthodontist appointment got moved to this morning. I think that will be followed by an evening of “Omigod is it hot here”.
Sorry…it was a pre-coffee comment on a hectic morning.
I’m at home, heading to the orthodontist for a pre-8 am appointment and algebra drop-off, followed by a stop at home to pack and sort out what information I need from the client for a project I’m working on so I can email them and request it. Since it involves looking through a 200-page report, I’ll be taking it to the airport with me so I can finish it by the time I get to Austin.
I’m having cappuccino now. 🙂
Got any big plans for this weekend? Just chillaxing at home with the pack and Jim?
How do you deal with the chiggers and other pests during your strolls through the woods? Until Jan 2006 I had been in Arizona or California since 1963. Come summer they are at least as bad as I remember as a kid. And here in the north central Arkansas Ozarks we have poison ivy, oak and sumac, which were not so common where I grew up over in north central Oklahoma.
The first summer here the wife was working in the yard, got into poison something and wiped the sweat from under her eye before she knew she had gotten into anything. After her eye almost had swollen shut over the weekend we took her to the emergency room. It was almost two weeks before she was symptom free. Since then I have cleared back the Arkansas thatch over most of our property, but she is reluctant to get off of wide walking trails, understandably.
Your picture looks a lot like the Ozarks, which is why I ask.
This part of Indiana is very similar to the Ozarks, except that our hills are not quite as big.
We have poison ivy as well. My husband is very sensitive to poison ivy and what he learned to do is to wash off with alcohol whenever he gets into any. This is really effective and there is a window of several hours before the poison ivy affects you so you don’t even have to do it immediately.
The main thing I do is to wear long pants — I have light weight synthetic hiking convertibles (pants where the legs zip off). This keeps the bug bites down, the greenbriers from scraping, the poison ivy off, and the ticks away. I also wear a hat which help with ticks.
Thanks for the suggestions. We put on boots and jeans, long sleeved shirts and hats as well. We usually spray with Off during the hot months, though I have second thoughts about that. That is for either walks in the woods or work in the yard. I usually remove and hang on a peg my outdoor clothes when I come back in for use again. Cuts down on the spray. We have been using soaps that are specifically recommended for the usherols in the poison plants, but I have wiped my legs down with alcohol when i have been out in shorts on the lawn without spray and think I might have picked up chiggers. I didn’t know that alcohol was a good solvent for usherols.
My brother-in-law was career military and suggested using flea collars for dogs around the ankles.
I didn’t know your exact location. I thought it was in terrain similar to the Ozarks. I love the fresh air and water and the clear skies. Quite a change from LA. Sometimes you don’t know what you are missing till you come back.
The wife grew up in Tacoma and was sure she would never like Arkansas as well as Washington. Now she prefers and misses it. She is up in Tacoma helping her identical twin through chemotherapy, etc. for stage 3 lung cancer on top of pre-existing MS. She wants and needs to be there but really misses our big cedar cabin in the woods in the edge of the city here.
We’ve been living in the woods in south central Indiana for 29 years and I don’t think I could ever leave — we love hiking in the mountains and deserts but we love coming home even more.
My sympathies to your wife and her twin. That must be very hard and very sad. I’m sure she must miss home very much.
I haven’t spent any time in Tacoma but the Olympic Peninsula was so wonderful, a place that seemed to offer infinite solace — sunset at Rialto beach is one of the most peace-giving places I’ve ever been.
We spent part of two weeks back in the 80s camping around the Olympic Peninsula. The wife’s sister had use of a cabin above one of the reservoirs on the east side, close to the “Staircase.” Then drove around the peninsula and camped in the Ho rain forest for a few days. Our son was in grade school and we had brought one of his friends along. Crescent Lake was glorious in both directions, but we didn’t get to spend time in the hot springs.
Would like to go back, but probably will do our traveling around the local area first. We have an RV but it gets 8mpg! Still is feasible to use it within a 200 mile radius if we are out for a while. There is so much to see just within that radius. Probably have to pay someone to take it if we wanted to get rid of it.
In reality I don’t have a middle name. With 8 kids my mother was just too lazy to think of one. So my hospital bills often come addressed to Second NMN Nature.
This is funny. I’m lurking in the back of the Lurker’s Caucus because I need to charge up my laptop. Now all the lurkers are explaining their lurkiness to each other while I sit back and silently observe.
Must have been quiet in the room. I imagine it empty except for the organizer and dozens of people walking up to the door, looking in, and walking on. 🙂
Good morning!
We’re about 4 weeks since solstice so it’s kind of dark/dusk for 2-3 hours now in southern Norway (further north, it is still midnight sun for a few more days, and no dark for another few weeks).
I did my military service (looong time ago) in the north. I recall a summer when we had 7 straight weeks of brilliant weather and sun never setting.
Thanks, dada!
NN would also be fun, but I cannot imagine missing my annual 2 weeks in the little summer cabin on the coast.
No internet access, and I’ll keep the mobile turned off most of the time.
View to NV: View to SE:
Young asklet is with me and his big sister is coming up from Sweden this weekend w/boyfriend.
I just got through with our annual flood. Not weather, but a water line break and sewer stop up. Got those fixed and now there’s one heck of a lot of mopping up and cleaning. Other than that, everything is normal. 🙂
I hung out with Manny and refinish quite a bit last night, saw Carnacki and JanetT in MD too. I’m looking forward to OrangeClouds’ food panel this morning.
Yep, here too, but today will turn out to be the “cool” day in the next several. I’m going to a beautiful amphitheater to hear the NC Symphony play an Eagles tribute tonight, but there is a public memorial service for a murdered woman at the same place right beforehand and it’s going to be very crowded and probably a bunch of media trucks.
The kids leave for Ecuador today so it’s just me and the dogs for two weeks. Yikes…
We have a little vacation cottage about a mile away that we rent to tourists. It has a fairly big, sunny yard, so I started some flower and vegetable gardens there, since our place is very shady and a lot smaller. The gardens are a lot of work, but they’ve been an excuse to get some of that peace & quiet – no phones, no questions. I come home hot, sweaty & tired, but somehow refreshed as well (at least mentally).
Yet another Clean Cafe…
How was dinner last night, Andi?
Dinner was fantastic — the food was great and the company was even better.
Heh. I was just too tired to do it last night when I was thinking of it. Plus, we needed a new picture.
Glad you had a good time. Are you almost done with the BCROD today?
I’m here until about noon tomorrow. This BCROD isn’t so bad — it has windows with a splendid view of the parking lot. 🙂
When do you leave for Austin?
Windows make all the difference, do they? 🙂
I leave around noon tomorrow. Have a lot to do between now and then…both boys have to be at the orthodontist in an hour, algebra, laundry, pack, take someone to the airport today, write and abstract before lunchtime…why is going away always so much work?
I know what you mean. The mister is moving out today and it’s been a lot of work for me not to clobber him. Hopefully it gets easier from here, at least emotionally.
Morning everyone! 🙂
I hope it turns out, very soon, that mazel tovs will be in order.
So have you made plans for what you want to do with all the newly opened space? 😉
I believe first on the list is an exorcism of the area…
*snort*
I hope the move out and the day goes fast.
And now I’ve get to get moving myself.
Later.
With incense, lots of incense…
I hope everything goes smoothly and you’re enjoying some peace and serenity by dinnertime tonight.
thanks, CG. I think it’s going to be a 24 hour moving out process…but after that I’ve got the peace thing on the menu.
I imagine it will be quite a relief when the move-out is over. Do you have some treat for yourself planned?
I am treating myself to something Cajun tomorrow…
And the kids are all leaving for Ecuador on Saturday so I’ll have two weeks to get some projects done. I guess I’ll clean out his room and turn it into a guest room. And I bought a cool old buffet at goodwill that I’m going to redo. And of course, Hopey and Frank the Schnoodle will keep me company.
Sounds good to me. Got pictures of your Goodwill score?
And what paint colors do you have in mind for your new guest room? 🙂
Okay, I’m officially tired just from reading your list.
Well, my list just got shorter…the orthodontist called a bit ago and said they won’t have the new retainer until tomorrow morning.
Which will make tomorrow morning insane. I may have to pack tonight.
Hay, CG, wish that someone going to the airport a good time for me.
I will. I wish you were coming this year. We need your snark.
Maybe next year?
Good morning everyone.
I was up during the night with FMom, so I slept late today.
CG I hope you get all your list done.
Andi I hope you a speedy trip home tomorrow.
SN I hope the move out is pleasant, and you have a little peace.
Seconded. < waves to FM >
Hiya Boran.
Hope the day goes good for you today.
Apple is apparently dropping Homepage photo albumsin .mac, which Andi & I’ve used for years, in favor of galleries in MobileMe.
Which of these two do you prefer?
Homepage: http://homepage.mac.com/jimferguson/PhotoAlbum17.html
MobileMe: http://gallery.me.com/jimferguson#100023&view=mosaic&sel=0
Off to see Mom in Cincinnati. Hope everyone has a good day.
Definitely MobileMe.
Morning Jim.
I agree with SN. I like MobileMe better.
MobileMe … 🙂
HI Folks!!!!! I have been super busy what with moving in with friends, looking for a job and every damn thing else that can go screwy in my life so I decided to bite the bullet and move my blog to my own url and all the insanity that goes with that.
My blog (and soon my podcast) can be found at http://www.doingmypartfortheleft.com . I hope you will check it out and let me know what you think. I am still working on it and will be adding much more before I am done as well as many more links.
I arrived safe and sound in Austin. Delaware Dem was on the same flight, so we traveled together. Right now I’m in the lobby of the Hilton with TeacherKen, Justin Krebs, David Boyle, and a bunch of other Kossacks and activists.
as I just mentioned on my twitter-feed, I’m at the airport enjoying a restorative beer. Direct flight so I’ll be there in a couple of hours! Can’t wait.
I will see all of you tomorrow.
Steven D is my favorite blogger. Not just at Booman Trib. Anywhere.
And he is much under-appreciated, IMO.
My first cafe post, just to say thanks to him for his insight and fine writing.
he is amazing. great to ‘see’ you here, peacearena. thanks for the book recommendation the other day. paz
Meta question: Why can’t you get RSS feeds by story author like you can diary author? Nothing against Booman (or the other great front-pager, TerranceDC), but I would like to read Steven D’s posts separately via my feedreader.
The folks who drop by the cafe are always delighted to have another join the crowd. And I’m sure Steven will be delighted for you stop by on a regular basis to perk up his ego. 🙂
Hi peacearena!
Well drive 270 miles actually but leaving is leaving.
Happy Almost Friday all.
Happy Almost Friday to you too.
Today is Pretend-Friday for me, now with Work-on-the-Plane because the orthodontist appointment got moved to this morning. I think that will be followed by an evening of “Omigod is it hot here”.
I think I need coffee. 🙂
I’m confused (which is probably my normal state) … are you home, on a plane, at the orthodontist, or in Austin?
It’s really hot here in St. Louis too and it’s in the 90s at home as well. Yuck.
Sorry…it was a pre-coffee comment on a hectic morning.
I’m at home, heading to the orthodontist for a pre-8 am appointment and algebra drop-off, followed by a stop at home to pack and sort out what information I need from the client for a project I’m working on so I can email them and request it. Since it involves looking through a 200-page report, I’ll be taking it to the airport with me so I can finish it by the time I get to Austin.
I’m having cappuccino now. 🙂
Got any big plans for this weekend? Just chillaxing at home with the pack and Jim?
Morning Folks!!!! Jere is the shirt I will be wearing around Netroots today.
I only do one thing Straight
I won’t be there until dinnertime, but I’m sure the others will be looking for you!
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone!
I am so excited about meeting everyone!!!! I think that will be the most exciting thing about the entire event.
Great shirt!
Have a great time.
Howdy Miss Andi!!!! I really do wish you were going to be here so I could finally meet you as well.
It’s really, really not likely to happen. Maybe you can come up and here and go hiking with me and the dogs. 🙂
Well, I’ve got to get myself going.
Hope you ave a great time.
Thanks. 🙂
Giddy says this is what I’m supposed to do this weekend.
click for larger
Hi, Andi
How do you deal with the chiggers and other pests during your strolls through the woods? Until Jan 2006 I had been in Arizona or California since 1963. Come summer they are at least as bad as I remember as a kid. And here in the north central Arkansas Ozarks we have poison ivy, oak and sumac, which were not so common where I grew up over in north central Oklahoma.
The first summer here the wife was working in the yard, got into poison something and wiped the sweat from under her eye before she knew she had gotten into anything. After her eye almost had swollen shut over the weekend we took her to the emergency room. It was almost two weeks before she was symptom free. Since then I have cleared back the Arkansas thatch over most of our property, but she is reluctant to get off of wide walking trails, understandably.
Your picture looks a lot like the Ozarks, which is why I ask.
Good morning, ARG.
This part of Indiana is very similar to the Ozarks, except that our hills are not quite as big.
We have poison ivy as well. My husband is very sensitive to poison ivy and what he learned to do is to wash off with alcohol whenever he gets into any. This is really effective and there is a window of several hours before the poison ivy affects you so you don’t even have to do it immediately.
The main thing I do is to wear long pants — I have light weight synthetic hiking convertibles (pants where the legs zip off). This keeps the bug bites down, the greenbriers from scraping, the poison ivy off, and the ticks away. I also wear a hat which help with ticks.
Thanks for the suggestions. We put on boots and jeans, long sleeved shirts and hats as well. We usually spray with Off during the hot months, though I have second thoughts about that. That is for either walks in the woods or work in the yard. I usually remove and hang on a peg my outdoor clothes when I come back in for use again. Cuts down on the spray. We have been using soaps that are specifically recommended for the usherols in the poison plants, but I have wiped my legs down with alcohol when i have been out in shorts on the lawn without spray and think I might have picked up chiggers. I didn’t know that alcohol was a good solvent for usherols.
My brother-in-law was career military and suggested using flea collars for dogs around the ankles.
I didn’t know your exact location. I thought it was in terrain similar to the Ozarks. I love the fresh air and water and the clear skies. Quite a change from LA. Sometimes you don’t know what you are missing till you come back.
The wife grew up in Tacoma and was sure she would never like Arkansas as well as Washington. Now she prefers and misses it. She is up in Tacoma helping her identical twin through chemotherapy, etc. for stage 3 lung cancer on top of pre-existing MS. She wants and needs to be there but really misses our big cedar cabin in the woods in the edge of the city here.
We’ve been living in the woods in south central Indiana for 29 years and I don’t think I could ever leave — we love hiking in the mountains and deserts but we love coming home even more.
My sympathies to your wife and her twin. That must be very hard and very sad. I’m sure she must miss home very much.
I haven’t spent any time in Tacoma but the Olympic Peninsula was so wonderful, a place that seemed to offer infinite solace — sunset at Rialto beach is one of the most peace-giving places I’ve ever been.
We spent part of two weeks back in the 80s camping around the Olympic Peninsula. The wife’s sister had use of a cabin above one of the reservoirs on the east side, close to the “Staircase.” Then drove around the peninsula and camped in the Ho rain forest for a few days. Our son was in grade school and we had brought one of his friends along. Crescent Lake was glorious in both directions, but we didn’t get to spend time in the hot springs.
Would like to go back, but probably will do our traveling around the local area first. We have an RV but it gets 8mpg! Still is feasible to use it within a 200 mile radius if we are out for a while. There is so much to see just within that radius. Probably have to pay someone to take it if we wanted to get rid of it.
Catch you all in a few hours.
Good morning all. Have a great time to all in Austin. (My middle name btw.)
My middle name is Kalamazoo… 🙂
Wow! Second Kalamazoo Nature. That’s a mouthfull.
In reality I don’t have a middle name. With 8 kids my mother was just too lazy to think of one. So my hospital bills often come addressed to Second NMN Nature.
This is funny. I’m lurking in the back of the Lurker’s Caucus because I need to charge up my laptop. Now all the lurkers are explaining their lurkiness to each other while I sit back and silently observe.
What the hell is a lurker’s caucus?
It’s a forum where lurkers gather to explain why they don’t post comments.
Must have been quiet in the room. I imagine it empty except for the organizer and dozens of people walking up to the door, looking in, and walking on. 🙂
I’m leaving for the airport shortly…
Your immediate task would be to de-lurk them.
but in a bizarro world, I don’t de-lurk.
That would be super-bizarro for you to lurk.
Greetings from Norway, BTW, we’re at a comfy low 70s (and low 50s at night). Heading for the cabin tomorrow.
Does it ever really get dark? Keep track of the day from your computer?
Good morning!
We’re about 4 weeks since solstice so it’s kind of dark/dusk for 2-3 hours now in southern Norway (further north, it is still midnight sun for a few more days, and no dark for another few weeks).
I did my military service (looong time ago) in the north. I recall a summer when we had 7 straight weeks of brilliant weather and sun never setting.
let’s see if l got this right….go to netroots…..go to norway….netroots…norway
NORWAY! it is…
no brainer…..enjoy ask!
Thanks, dada!
NN would also be fun, but I cannot imagine missing my annual 2 weeks in the little summer cabin on the coast.
No internet access, and I’ll keep the mobile turned off most of the time.
View to NV: View to SE:
Young asklet is with me and his big sister is coming up from Sweden this weekend w/boyfriend.
That is just gorgeous there, ask. I wouldn’t want to miss it either.
Good morning/afternoon/evening ask! What a lovely spot!
It surely is bizarro world if lurkers need a caucus.
and that I survived that boring drive back home. 🙂
click for larger
Good morning Andi.
Glad you got home safely. Any big plans for the w/e?
Haven’t thought past the fact that Giddy says it’s time to go for a walk.
So … bye, FM. 🙂
See ya and enjoy your walk.
It’s really hot and steamy here in Austin…but of course, the hotel room air is as dry as the sahara. yeesh.
Morning CG.
So I guess you’re having normal July weather in Austin. AC is a must have there. 🙂
Put it this way : dry skin is not an issue here. It’s toasty.
How are you this morning?
I just got through with our annual flood. Not weather, but a water line break and sewer stop up. Got those fixed and now there’s one heck of a lot of mopping up and cleaning. Other than that, everything is normal. 🙂
Good morning CG and FM! Austin sounds pretty much like what we’re having here. Did you get to meet Manny yet?
I hung out with Manny and refinish quite a bit last night, saw Carnacki and JanetT in MD too. I’m looking forward to OrangeClouds’ food panel this morning.
I wish you all were here too.
Morning Boran.
Just keep thinking – Humidity is your friend. 🙂
It’s ugly hot and humid and I still hate, hate, hate summer but it’s Saturday so I’m just going to ignore all that.
Good morning Andi! Our street was blocked off last night, so I’m anticipating an antique/classic car show in front of the house today.
BTW, I love the Fri. cafe photo! Nice lighting.
Yep, here too, but today will turn out to be the “cool” day in the next several. I’m going to a beautiful amphitheater to hear the NC Symphony play an Eagles tribute tonight, but there is a public memorial service for a murdered woman at the same place right beforehand and it’s going to be very crowded and probably a bunch of media trucks.
The kids leave for Ecuador today so it’s just me and the dogs for two weeks. Yikes…
Good morning SN! Enjoy the peace & quiet!
Morning, ID! It’s going to be very strange to be alone for the first time in, let’s see……EVER!
We have a little vacation cottage about a mile away that we rent to tourists. It has a fairly big, sunny yard, so I started some flower and vegetable gardens there, since our place is very shady and a lot smaller. The gardens are a lot of work, but they’ve been an excuse to get some of that peace & quiet – no phones, no questions. I come home hot, sweaty & tired, but somehow refreshed as well (at least mentally).