USMB Coffee Shop IV

[ChrisL]

By the way, the Foxfyre fund raising project is now open. . . .

Don't forget the $12.95 shipping and processing fee!

 

[gallantwarrior]

Been growing out my hair, going for the Ben Franklin look........ In the meantime my hair grows in every direction and it's at that stage where it's quite obvious...... The wife told me today I look like Dilbert's Pointy Haired boss........

Last summer, I finally had my long mane sheared. Almost waist length but thinning badly, so I just went by the place and told her to cut it off. I now get my hair trimmed regularly and am very pleased to have finally taken the plunge. Short hair is much easier to care for and doesn't blow in your face, either. I did find out that if you work outside in cold temps, working up enough of a sweat, your hair will freeze into little, icy spikes, though.

I use my hair like a scarf! In fact, if I have my hair up, my neck gets cold and then I feel cold because I'm so used to having my hair all over my neck!

I've used my hair as a warmer for a long time. Now, I just have to wear a turtleneck (at work), or sleep inside...it's good to have a cabin!

 

[gallantwarrior]

Work has been a little slow during the day has been so slow, so I've been thinking about changing my "day job" into an overnight job. I can work any hours I wish at my transcription job. I want to be working when it is busiest because I want to make money!! I could work an overnight shift. I've never worked a graveyard shift, but I do stay up until like 2 AM sometimes, so I could probably go until 4 or 5 am. My biggest concern is that I would have a difficult time getting enough sleep during the day. I am lucky though, in that I am one of those people that doesn't really require a whole lot of sleep. Anywhere from 5-7 hours on a typical night for me is fine.

I love my graves! There are a lot of plusses, if you can get used to the hours. It helps if you don't have family operating during "normal" hours.

 

[Foxfyre]

 

[gallantwarrior]

I've been missing my sainted uncles lately. My Uncle Alex, the family patriarch, passed away in his home in September of 2001. He was 97 years old. Alex never had children and was an old man when I first began to remember him. I'll be 59 next Friday and to me, Alex was old when I was a kid and stayed reliably old forever. Alex was born in Dundee Scotland and he and my grandfather and Great Grand Mother immigrated here in 1912.

My Great Grandfather died before I was born. But he made the trip over in 1910. He worked an extra year to afford second class tickets for his wife and sons. His voyage in steerage class scared the bejesus out of him and he would not allow his family to endure such a trip.

Once they got set up in the printing business here, they began to expand their family. A third son, my Uncle Ducky was followed by my Aunt Louise and a forth son Robert. My Aunt Dorothy was the last child born to them and together they shared a grand home in the city's East End on St. George Street only a block away from the river bank.

They were great joiners of organizations. Freemasons, Shriners, Elks, Moose, Orioles, Eagles, Rotarians, Kiwanis, Odd Fellows, you name it, someone from those first generations were already past presidents. I think so many fraternal organizations were around back then because there was not the distraction of television and the travel to many places we take for granted was more difficult.

When the War came, Alex and Grandpa were too old to enlist. But Robert signed on for the Army Air Corps and Uncle Ducky served our nation in the US Navy Shore Patrol breaking up bar fights in Honolulu. Robert never saw action during the war, but he did fly during the Berlin Airlift shuttling coal and Hershey bars over the Iron Curtain to West Berlin.

When my grandfather married another Scottish immigrant, Grace Hoyt, Pop's arrival was just around the corner. They moved into the grand home on St. George street too. Two households in one must have made for some really interesting friction, but none of those stories was ever relayed down to me.

Grandpa was a civil defense air raid warden. He patrolled the neighborhood during air raid drills, assuring that all lights were doused and the north bank of the Ohio River was free of German and Japanese troops. Pop melted down 78 rpm records as they were made of Bakelite (a primitive form of plastic). He would take his bucket of liquid Bakelite to neighbors and, for a small fee, would paint the black goo onto basement windows. That way, during the air raid drills, one could retire to the basement, light a floor lamp and listen to the radio or read a good book without reprisal from Grandpa the Air Raid Warden.

Meanwhile, Uncle Ducky was strolling from dive bar to dive bar making sure our sailors were behaving, if not as gentlemen, at least not as savages. Ducky was a big man. Let me repeat that: Ducky was a big man. Six foot five and two hundred eighty pounds, Ducky took no guff from any drunken Sailor or Marine. His technique in controlling a bar fight was to pin one of the combatants to the bar with his massive torso while basically bitch slapping the poor serviceman into sobriety. "Now then, laddie. Why do you want to make such a fool of yourself here in a public space?" Ducky would admonish while raining down blows from his bear-like fists.

On the other side of the globe, Uncle Robert learned the fundamentals of aviation and Army comportment. By June of 1945, he had earned his wings. He flew DC-9 cargo planes resupplying our troops still in Europe with Spam and Lucky Strikes. When Stalin threw up the barricades on the highway serving West Berlin, he took to the skies again and brought milled flour, coal, nylon stockings and Louis Armstrong records into that German city under siege.

My uncles. Some only waited to be called, others served to the best of their abilities. And I continue to be proud of each and every one of them.

Always worth the read, your stories, NoSmo!

 

[gallantwarrior]

That would be Jan 22, this coming Friday Nosmo King ?

Actually, this Friday is Daisy the Mutt's seventh birthday. Mine is Friday January 29. We're both Aquarises (Aquariae?) Or, more to the point, we were both born under the sign of Feces, the Turd.

My son turned 21 on the 15th. He's a Capricorn.

My eldest granddaughter turns 14 on the 29th. (Am I that old?!)

 

[gallantwarrior]

That would be Jan 22, this coming Friday Nosmo King ?

Actually, this Friday is Daisy the Mutt's seventh birthday. Mine is Friday January 29. We're both Aquarises (Aquariae?) Or, more to the point, we were both born under the sign of Feces, the Turd.

My son turned 21 on the 15th. He's a Capricorn.

My son is a Capricorn too. They're really neat interesting people yes?

And belated Happy Birthday to son of Chris.

Thanks sweetie! He's not here right now, but I'll tell him that later.

My son is very intelligent. He just never really applied that in school much. Lol. He is more of a hands on "outdoorsy" kind of person just like my cousin (who is a hunter). My son is also fearless, but that could be due to just his age. My son climbs trees on a rope (BIG trees), and cuts off the branches or the tops with a chainsaw. It's done with like a pulley system. Sometimes, he climbs trees with spikes too.

He has a video on his phone of himself up in a tree, and he is so high up there that you can't even see him, but you can hear him going "woo hoo!" Lol. Yes, I get worried sometimes. I should have him email it to me so that I can post it here and you can all see how crazy he is.

Outdoorsy? Send them my way...I have lots of outdoors.

 

[gallantwarrior]

And while we are on the subject of birthdays, today is our own dear Sherry 's birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERRY!!!!​

​

I'm so glad my birthday is in the summer.

Well, Sherry lives in Florida so summer is a relative thing year round there.

Oh yeah! I just assume that since I'm suffering, everyone else must be too!

Define "suffering".

 

[Foxfyre]

And while we are on the subject of birthdays, today is our own dear Sherry 's birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERRY!!!!​

​

Thanks, Foxy. I took the day off work. WQ and I went up to the courthouse to apply for our marriage license. It was a beautiful sunny day in the mid 60's. We had a great evening out with a movie and dinner. I don't want to mess with WQ's man card, but I've gotten him hooked on Downton Abbey and have been enjoying seeing the episodes again. Tonight we will watch season 3 finale Christmas special.

Whoa, marriage license already? I thought you guys were planning a summer wedding? But if youre ready, you're ready.

 

[ChrisL]

And while we are on the subject of birthdays, today is our own dear Sherry 's birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERRY!!!!​

​

I'm so glad my birthday is in the summer.

Well, Sherry lives in Florida so summer is a relative thing year round there.

Oh yeah! I just assume that since I'm suffering, everyone else must be too!

Define "suffering".

 

[gallantwarrior]

And while we are on the subject of birthdays, today is our own dear Sherry 's birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERRY!!!!​

​

Thanks, Foxy. I took the day off work. WQ and I went up to the courthouse to apply for our marriage license. It was a beautiful sunny day in the mid 60's. We had a great evening out with a movie and dinner. I don't want to mess with WQ's man card, but I've gotten him hooked on Downton Abbey and have been enjoying seeing the episodes again. Tonight we will watch season 3 finale Christmas special.

I'm waiting with baited breath for announcement of the fait accompli...

 

[Big Black Dog]

Happy Birthday Sherry!!! Hope you had a great day.

 

[Gracie]

I think it is so cute that our Sherry and WQ will be married. Mr and Mrs Queen!

You two better take pics. I mean it. Where we see FACES, not Sherry sipping out of a glass. BOTH faces. Smiling happily at the ceremony!

 

[Foxfyre]

That would be Jan 22, this coming Friday Nosmo King ?

Actually, this Friday is Daisy the Mutt's seventh birthday. Mine is Friday January 29. We're both Aquarises (Aquariae?) Or, more to the point, we were both born under the sign of Feces, the Turd.

My son turned 21 on the 15th. He's a Capricorn.

My eldest granddaughter turns 14 on the 29th. (Am I that old?!)

Mine graduated from college in December. You're still a kid.

 

[ChrisL]

Happy Thursday!

 

[peach174]

Congrats to both of you Sherry.

 

[peach174]

Good Morning all !

Batten down the hatches there Ernie, for those strong wind & rain storms !
You and yours stay safe.

The ones up north stay safe too, from the blizzard headed your way.

 

[Foxfyre]

Was chatting on line with a friend in DC yesterday--there was an inch of snow that had fallen for the afternoon commute and she said it was horrendous. DC people do not do snow well. I can't imagine it being worse than Albuquerque drivers who panic in the rain, but she was worried about the 19 more inches of snow predicted for DC. So ya'll in the east, whether violent weather, heavy snow, or bitter cold, batten down and stay safe.

Serious wind and heavy surf on the entire west coast too so Gracie might not have a pleasant outing on the beach with her fur friends.

 

[saveliberty]

And while we are on the subject of birthdays, today is our own dear Sherry 's birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERRY!!!!​

​

Thanks, Foxy. I took the day off work. WQ and I went up to the courthouse to apply for our marriage license. It was a beautiful sunny day in the mid 60's. We had a great evening out with a movie and dinner. I don't want to mess with WQ's man card, but I've gotten him hooked on Downton Abbey and have been enjoying seeing the episodes again. Tonight we will watch season 3 finale Christmas special.

This is easily fixed with the Downton Abbey issue. You are simply required to watch a four hour historical perspective on the Super Bowl followed by a three pregame show for Super Bowl 50.

 

[saveliberty]

20 degrees seems normal here. No hat and sometimes leave the gloves off. Coat zipped about halfway.