USMB Coffee Shop IV

[ChrisL]

Carmel, California? It is one of the world's really picturesque and quaint places and I loved it. Had lunch at Clint Eastwood's Hogsbreath Inn and enjoyed walking on the shoreline. They have a lot of quirky little laws that are interesting. Such as the one making it illegal to eat an icecream cone outside on the public walks or streets--keeps the place tidy and neat it was explained to me.

And if you mean a different Carmel oh well. Still brought back a flood of pleasant memories.

Yes, Carmel By The Sea. I finished my last semester of CA University there. I was way too poor for Clint's restaurant. I actually lived in 17 Mile Drive, (Pebble Beach). The sunsets were awesome, the golf courses immaculate, the residents filthy rich. One of them had me mow down his yard of weeds with a Huskyvarna commercial weedeater with a saw blade. Turns out his "weeds" were poison oak. And he knew it.

Ewww. I hope you sent him the bill for your Calamine lotion.

I had to go to the ER clinic the next day, I was all swollen and rashed out. I showed up at his door with the bill and he paid it, knew right away what the deal was.

That's terrible. I'm not allergic to any of that. I can roll in it and only get a couple little bumps that go away in a couple days.

Have you ever spent all day turning it into sawdust? I could barely breathe that night, everything not covered by my short sleeve shirt and pants was red and inflamed. The dude gulped when he saw me.

No, I haven't done that. That is horrible. You were inhaling all that stuff. You must have been sick for a while. You were smart to go to the hospital because you could have gotten very ill and even died if that was in your lungs and throat.

 

[ChrisL]

Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Day

The date for World Down Syndrome Day, being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which leads to Down syndrome.

On March 21, wear bold, brightly colored, mismatched socks.
You will probably get asked,“What’s with the socks?” That question will give you the perfect opportunity to explain that 3/21 is World Down Syndrome Day, and that you are celebrating all the wonderful things about people with Down syndrome while helping to advocate for individual rights, inclusion, and respect.
Down Syndrome children frequently choose mismatched socks because the concept of matching clothing colors is foreign to them.

Everyday, I wear wild, bold and fun socks (all the cool kids are doing it) because they are one of the few things not covered by the office dress code. Since 3/21 occurs on a Saturday this year, many of us at the office will be 'rocking our socks' on Friday the 20th. I will definately have wild and mismatched socks. I'm thinking one bacon sock and one dinosaur/taco sock.
View attachment 37990 View attachment 37991

I like the dinosaur socks.

 

[alan1]

I like the dinosaur socks.

I bought those today while I was getting some new work shoes. They were just to cool to pass up, along with a few more socks.

 

[ChrisL]

I like the dinosaur socks.

I bought those today while I was getting some new work shoes. They were just to cool to pass up, along with a few more socks.

I like these too! Cute!

 

[alan1]

I like these too! Cute!

This pair is one of my favorites.

 

[ChrisL]

I like these too! Cute!

This pair is one of my favorites.

Lol! Batman socks. KAPOW!! I love them.

 

[blackhawk]

Just some Irish music for St Pattys day enjoy even if your not Irish and have a cold one to celebrate.

 

[Foxfyre]

Good night darlinks. I love you guys.

And we're still keeping vigil for

Harper (Save's granddaughter),
Sunshine,
Pogo’s friend Pat and special comfort for Pogo,
TK, and TK's grandma,
Spoonie, Ringel, 007, Hombre, Sheila, Alan, & GW's sore backs,
Sherry’s Mom,
Becki and Becki’s hubby,
Sheila and son Andrew,
Noomi’s Auntie Marj,
The Ringels in difficult transition,
Boedicca's mom for healing and relief from pain,
Mrs. BBD's knee,
Save and Mrs. L in adversity,
Chris in transition,
Mrs. O and SFCOllie and Colonel,
GW's daughter, her friend Sachendra, and Sachendra's husband Bob and son Gary.
Ernie's friend and colleague Max,
Noomi!!!
Ernie for wellness, rest, and extra strength,
Ringel for wellness, rest, and extra strength,
Those in the dangerous cold zones,
All of us and those we care about who are looking for work,
Safe travels for those traveling,
All who are dealing with colds and flu,
And all others we love and hold in concern.

And the light is on awaiting the return of Sheila and Becki and all the others who have been MIA lately. We hope everyone is okay.

P.S. Sometimes in the editing of the vigil list or when I have switched computers, somebody gets dropped that is supposed to be on it. This will always be inadvertent and if ya'll would call it to my attention, it would be much appreciated.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Well, we've been having real Alaskan weather. Beautiful, sunny days, blue skies during the day, the Aurora at night. Big problem, temps are in the single digits and even a slight wind makes that feel like murder. Of course, when you work outside all night, it becomes purely brutal. Add to my night-time schedule my "kid watch", I'm spending the better part of my waking hours in some pretty chilly conditions.
The biggest worry for me are the newborn kids. These temps will kill in a matter of minutes. If the kids manage to survive until someone comes to dry them and put them in the warming boxes, they lose their ears to frostbite. At least only two of the twelve born so far have long ears. So far, my partner and I have managed to catch all but one litter in time, so it looks like on pair of ears will be cropped by the cold, or maybe not. Five more kids were born this afternoon, it's 5F out there. All were healthy and hearty, though, and I expect them all to survive and thrive at this point. My partner will double check and make sure they have all eaten when he shows up tonight.
How is everyone else holding up?

Really doesn't seem fair, all those weeks of less than really arctic temps you had most of the winter and now when you need it to be warmer, you're getting winter weather. But I bet you'll miss those goats when you move east.

But I'm one of the apparently rare Coffee Shoppers who likes goats milk and goat cheeses--especially like to cook with goat cheese when I can get it but its not that easy to come by around here. I've never had goat meat, but I understand it's pretty good too.

For many years Hombre was the lay ministry chairman to administer our church's conference center on the Pecos near Carlsbad NM. Somewhere over 300 acres all in native grasses that grew like crazy in that area. And they didn't dare let them get tall because of the rattlesnake danger to the kids and adults at the camp. And mowing that many acres, especially during wet seasons, was just killing us. So the solution was a small herd of goats turned loose on the property. They kept it all trimmed as nice and cropped as if it had been mowed. And provided endless entertainment for the folks, especially the kids. at the camp.

Interesting is that so many people think goats are good lawn mowers. Goats are browsers, they will eat your shrubs and thorn bushes before they will eat grass, although grass is on the menu lacking anything else. I someone wants their lawn mowed, sheep are a better choice. But sheep are certainly not as intelligent nor as entertaining as goats.
As of yesterday, I have 12 new kids. The newest are still a bit wobbly but cute as buttons. I was able to catch, clean and dry all five of yesterday's additions. As cold as it's been, I am glad to have the "hot boxes", and so are those kids. You might not believe how quickly the learn to stay in the box until they are hungry. The mommas hang around outside and are usually quite accessible for lunch.
The temps have been brutal this past week, or so. When one works outside, in the dark, it is a challenge. Single digit temps are killing temps here, especially when the wind gets up. This morning, I sacrificed my "second" so that he could go help out another technician who had an actual tough situation. When it's this cold, no one should be working alone. When I left work this morning (beginning my weekend), it had started to snow. Right then, "snow" was mostly ice crystals, small and dry. If it warms up, snow will be wet and a real pain in the butt.

You're probably right about the goats, but these goats definitely ate the grass, weeds, and whatever else grew out there. There weren't any ornamental shrubs or things like that to bother. And the vegetable garden was fenced off.

Lacking other feed, goats will eat what is available, grass or other vegetation. Given a choice, they will eat other plants before they mow your lawn.

 

[gallantwarrior]

You're probably right about the goats, but these goats definitely ate the grass, weeds, and whatever else grew out there. There weren't any ornamental shrubs or things like that to bother. And the vegetable garden was fenced off.

Goats are amazing. I dated a nurse and her friends at work kept passing this goat around. He would eat everything, including the bramble (thorny dense blackberry plant) and when everything was down to the nub they would give him to someone else. It was like petting a wooden statue too.

Seems to me goats prefer stickers. They'll eat stuff like that before they eat grass. They also seem to like spruce and fir trees. I find it amazing, the things goats will eat (or not).

 

[Gracie]

I got a wild hair this morning and decided to block off the rest of the yard to the roomie I said could use some of it to enjoy the sun. She has a pile of junk back there. Well, now she can stare at her junk cuz I am putting a fence in tomorrow complete with gate and a lock on it where I don't have to see it, NOR can she walk thru MY room to get back in the house because she locked herself out.

Should be done in a few days. What will hold me up is the cement curing for the 4 x 4's.

 

[gallantwarrior]

So, we are dealing with a "bummer" kid. Although she managed to nurse, her mom rejected her and we didn't notice right away. Now, she's too weak to nurse and we are feeding her using a stomach tube. Unfortunately, my partner noticed this before I did and forced milk into the kid and got it into her lungs. I tried to get him to drain her lungs, but there is now a danger of pneumonia. I've got her on a heat pad and have intubated her, but I am not optimistic. I am surprised the partner did not take the thing to bed with him. We'll see how she looks in the morning...

 

[Gracie]

Kid? What kind of kid? Fur kid?

 

[gallantwarrior]

The sun is right now ( 8:30am PT ) streaming in my windows after two days of my favorite kind of weather, soft rain, mist, medium winds and that fresh smell of the sea.

I poured here all weekend and cancelled all my outdoor plans. I got about 5" in a 5 gallon bucket, even for us mossbacks that's a lot.

Hey there, Icey. Yes the weather in the PNW over the weekend didn't lend itself to outdoor activities, but it sure looked good, as the mist lay between the various sized trees outside my windows. Work is often good too, in that kind of weather as people drive to the coast and since they can't go to the beaches for sun and surf, they hit the stores. I love to say, Welcome, as they stroll in.

I do like the coast, the Oregon coast is the best! Further south the better it gets. I have a lot of shots over the years, Bandon is my favorite. But like many artsy places the money moves in and the artists move to the outskirts. Carmel was a really good example, I had to rent a small room by someone's swimming pool!

Carmel, California? It is one of the world's really picturesque and quaint places and I loved it. Had lunch at Clint Eastwood's Hogsbreath Inn and enjoyed walking on the shoreline. They have a lot of quirky little laws that are interesting. Such as the one making it illegal to eat an icecream cone outside on the public walks or streets--keeps the place tidy and neat it was explained to me.

And if you mean a different Carmel oh well. Still brought back a flood of pleasant memories.

I loved Carmel. I actually lived in Monterey, but spent a lot of time in Carmel, among other locales. The entire area is marvelous and beautiful beyond description.

 

[Gracie]

Carmel is gorgeous but too damn expensive.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Carmel, California? It is one of the world's really picturesque and quaint places and I loved it. Had lunch at Clint Eastwood's Hogsbreath Inn and enjoyed walking on the shoreline. They have a lot of quirky little laws that are interesting. Such as the one making it illegal to eat an icecream cone outside on the public walks or streets--keeps the place tidy and neat it was explained to me.

And if you mean a different Carmel oh well. Still brought back a flood of pleasant memories.

Yes, Carmel By The Sea. I finished my last semester of CA University there. I was way too poor for Clint's restaurant. I actually lived in 17 Mile Drive, (Pebble Beach). The sunsets were awesome, the golf courses immaculate, the residents filthy rich. One of them had me mow down his yard of weeds with a Huskyvarna commercial weedeater with a saw blade. Turns out his "weeds" were poison oak. And he knew it.

If you were a "poor" student, living at some place on 17-mile-drive, you were in someone's basement or "carriage" house. But it is a wonderful piece of heaven-on-Earth, fer sheure!!

 

[gallantwarrior]

Mmmm mmmm good Happy St Patrick's eve day....

And back atcha Tyrone. That looks really good. Does the dish have an official name?

It is the eve of St Patty's Day isn't it. I'll have to change my avatar after tomorrow, but everybody dust off their best Irish jokes for tomorrow.

Corned Beef Hash
This recipe is a two-step process, but nothing about it is difficult. Start by cooking the beef the day before (if you also want to have it for dinner that night, just double the recipe). It’s chilled overnight, becoming even more flavorful. The next day, shred the cooked corned beef and throw the hash together, then bask in your accomplishment.

Also try: Corned beef and tomato pies

You don’t have to be Irish to appreciate corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and a good, hearty stout. This roundup of our favorite Irish-inspired recipes makes us wish it was St. Patrick’s Day all year long.

I always have corned beef and cabbage for St. Patty's. I don't really like cabbage much though. I put a lot of vinegar on it.

I do that with spinach, the more vinegar on it the better.
I also don't like cooked cabbage. Love the corned beef and potato's, carrots.

Me too. Spinach is nasty cooked alone. I can have it mixed with things. I love spinach, cheese and artichoke dip. MY GOD, that is SO delicious. I can also eat spinach quiche and most things that have spinach in them, just not alone.

Cabbage is just kind of slimy and not that great, IMO. My mother used to make me eat it on St. Patrick's day though, lol, so I would drown it in vinegar and now I can tolerate it with vinegar on it.

Try colcannon, use cabbage instead of kale.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Got the RV out and drove it around for a bit so the fluids could circulate after being shut down all winter. Noticed a small section of outside molding was just hanging near the driver's door. Checked it out and it appears that when it was put onto the RV body the screws weren't long enough. A simple fix. Haven't decided yet if I will drive the RV to NC next month when my brother gets married or drive the Avalanche and stay in hotels. Anyway, regardless of what I decide, it's time to begin to get the RV ready to hit the road to someplace.

Dude, you have an RV, why opt for hotels?

 

[Gracie]

Some garages are shangri la, lol.
I'm happy where I am. Been here 25 years now. Almost a local!

 

[Gracie]

If I didn't have so many ailments, I would hit the road in my van. I LOVE my van. LOVE it. But...too much with the dogs. And I won't leave them behind. So...someday, maybe I will take a putt up the coast to Monterey or Big Sur and park for the night..or two...then drive back home. Just me, myself and I. Oh, and Matilda.