USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Foxfyre]

Good morning folks! Happy Friday! Does anybody have any fun plans this weekend? It's Light Up Night here but I usually avoid the event because it gets so crowded, plus it's supposed to be bitterly cold tonight. I am attending a board game tourny tomorrow hosted by my best friend, it starts fairly early in the morning and lasts all day. Mimosas and board games sounds exactly what the doctor ordered.

My son has marching band semi-finals in the morning, and if all goes well, it will be on to Tropicana Field for finals tomorrow night...it could be a very loooong day.

Very cool and sending positive vibes his way.

Both our kids were in marching and concert bands plus some orchestra, jazz band, and ensemble work. We, as band booster parents, logged a lot of miles going to their competitions, taking them to auditions, etc. Their band was selected to march in the Cherry Blossom Festival parade in Washington DC--all of our first trip there. Hombre and I of course made the trip as sponsors. And our band won the marching band competition that year, but were not allowed to accept the trophy because the state school board had decreed no out of state competition. It was great they won. It sucked that trophy isn't in the trophy case.

Thanks, Foxy. Yep, the life of a band parent can be a bit grueling. Plus, my son is also part of our county youth orchestra. He'll rejoin them now that band season is over. This single mom is sure hoping that in addition to academics, some music scholarships are in his future.

I feel for you. I had two in marching band and the all South Jersey band for a few years...it can be exhausting. But it's totally enjoyable as well. My daughter broke her arm the month of ASJ trials her year, she never got back into the swing after that

You never know what direction they are going to take--thinking about Sherry's hope for a music scholarship for instance. I grew up in band from 4th grade through high school as well as chorus and studying music in other ways--piano, seven years of accordion can you believe it?, a little guitar. But once I got to college, I just wasn't motivated to stay with the formal music education and my career path took a very different and eclectic turn. Still I taught music to my children, continued to work with choral groups as an adult, and directed church choir as a volunteer for many years.

Both my kids grew up saturated in music but neither were interested in band or chorus once they got to college, though our son did resume piano lessons there. Now he is a professional mechanical/petroleum engineer but runs his own private music studio teaching piano, keyboard, guitar, violin, and vocal to more than 60 kids on the side. He would do that full time if it paid anything close to what he makes as an engineer and he plans for that to be his retirement vocation. Daughter is a PhD sociologist/research specialist but off and on has played bass professionally with blues bands. You just never know.

 

[Foxfyre]

I like my coffee black like my men.

I don't care about the color of my men or my coffee so long as they are sweet.

Awe.. a romantic. I haven't meet one of those in 10 years living in the ghetto.

I'm definitely a romantic. So much so I inadvertently get myself in trouble now and then. Especially with those who don't know me well and don't understand what I'm saying when I say some stuff.

Do you write poetry?

Actually I do. Have been writing poetry since I was very young.

 

[gallantwarrior]

So, here's a news flash for all you who think mice are wonderful, furry bundles...a friend of mine has found out that they are really the spawn of Satan. This guy travels a bit, not much as he used to, but he spends lots of time tramping hill and dell, collecting berries. He came home last week and noticed an unpleasant odor, which he tracked down to a cabinet in his kitchen. You know, one of those out-of-the-way cubbies where seldom used items are stored? He found a horrific nest of mice. They had gotten into some paper goods and fabric and gone to mouse town. He got to looking at some of the nesting material and decided to go find where it had come from. Now he finds mouse nests in his panty and most of his clothing storage, as well as some boxes of books and papers. So far, he's killed dozens and his dog has gotten almost as many mice.
Mice, unlike many other animals, will soil their nests, urinating and defecating where they also raise their young. They also leave urine trails as the run from place-to-place. At any rate, my buddy has used far less...polite words to describe his ordeal. What he's been unable to salvage, he's been cleaning. Moral of this story, mice are not nice. Although small, they can cause great damage. If you see one, there are others and they can make many more very quickly. I personally cannot stand the vermin and trap those my feral miss.

 

[Dajjal]

I like my coffee black like my men.

I don't care about the color of my men or my coffee so long as they are sweet.

Awe.. a romantic. I haven't meet one of those in 10 years living in the ghetto.

I'm definitely a romantic. So much so I inadvertently get myself in trouble now and then. Especially with those who don't know me well and don't understand what I'm saying when I say some stuff.

Do you write poetry?

Actually I do. Have been writing poetry since I was very young.

I once wrote a poem to a girl in the hope of impressing her, I remember calling her my fragile flower. Naturally I never saw her again. It taught me to be careful what I write down.

 

[Foxfyre]

So, here's a news flash for all you who think mice are wonderful, furry bundles...a friend of mine has found out that they are really the spawn of Satan. This guy travels a bit, not much as he used to, but he spends lots of time tramping hill and dell, collecting berries. He came home last week and noticed an unpleasant odor, which he tracked down to a cabinet in his kitchen. You know, one of those out-of-the-way cubbies where seldom used items are stored? He found a horrific nest of mice. They had gotten into some paper goods and fabric and gone to mouse town. He got to looking at some of the nesting material and decided to go find where it had come from. Now he finds mouse nests in his panty and most of his clothing storage, as well as some boxes of books and papers. So far, he's killed dozens and his dog has gotten almost as many mice.
Mice, unlike many other animals, will soil their nests, urinating and defecating where they also raise their young. They also leave urine trails as the run from place-to-place. At any rate, my buddy has used far less...polite words to describe his ordeal. What he's been unable to salvage, he's been cleaning. Moral of this story, mice are not nice. Although small, they can cause great damage. If you see one, there are others and they can make many more very quickly. I personally cannot stand the vermin and trap those my feral miss.

Agreed, mice are not nice. That is one of the reasons I wanted to move down off the mountain. The rodent population has exploded out there and it was almost impossible to keep the little buggers from moving into the house. We had the beautiful deer mice up there, but you still don't want to live with them. And because of the rare but possible outbreaks of Bubonic Plague and the deadly hantavirus in this area, both carried by infected rodents, it is not only aesthetically unacceptable but could be dangerous to have them in your house.

 

[Foxfyre]

I don't care about the color of my men or my coffee so long as they are sweet.

Awe.. a romantic. I haven't meet one of those in 10 years living in the ghetto.

I'm definitely a romantic. So much so I inadvertently get myself in trouble now and then. Especially with those who don't know me well and don't understand what I'm saying when I say some stuff.

Do you write poetry?

Actually I do. Have been writing poetry since I was very young.

I once wrote a poem to a girl in the hope of impressing her, I remember calling her my fragile flower. Naturally I never saw her again. It taught me to be careful what I write down.

LOL. Yeah, 'fragile flower' is not how most women want to be seen.

 

[gallantwarrior]

So, here's a news flash for all you who think mice are wonderful, furry bundles...a friend of mine has found out that they are really the spawn of Satan. This guy travels a bit, not much as he used to, but he spends lots of time tramping hill and dell, collecting berries. He came home last week and noticed an unpleasant odor, which he tracked down to a cabinet in his kitchen. You know, one of those out-of-the-way cubbies where seldom used items are stored? He found a horrific nest of mice. They had gotten into some paper goods and fabric and gone to mouse town. He got to looking at some of the nesting material and decided to go find where it had come from. Now he finds mouse nests in his panty and most of his clothing storage, as well as some boxes of books and papers. So far, he's killed dozens and his dog has gotten almost as many mice.
Mice, unlike many other animals, will soil their nests, urinating and defecating where they also raise their young. They also leave urine trails as the run from place-to-place. At any rate, my buddy has used far less...polite words to describe his ordeal. What he's been unable to salvage, he's been cleaning. Moral of this story, mice are not nice. Although small, they can cause great damage. If you see one, there are others and they can make many more very quickly. I personally cannot stand the vermin and trap those my feral miss.

Agreed, mice are not nice. That is one of the reasons I wanted to move down off the mountain. The rodent population has exploded out there and it was almost impossible to keep the little buggers from moving into the house. We had the beautiful deer mice up there, but you still don't want to live with them. And because of the rare but possible outbreaks of Bubonic Plague and the deadly hantavirus in this area, both carried by infected rodents, it is not only aesthetically unacceptable but could be dangerous to have them in your house.

When I first got my goats, I had a dozen bags of feed neatly stacked on a pallet. I though keeping them of the ground was a good idea, it was and is. When I got to the last layer of feed, one of the bags was writhing. I picked it up and dozens of mice jumped out of it, scattering all around. Instead of 50 lbs of feed, I had almost that much mouse poop. I have a fish tote now, and of course my feral barn cats. I still have to set traps during really bad, wet weather, though. I used that feed bag as a trap, laying it out and snatching it up when I went to the barn. Then I'd take the mice in the bag as far away from the house as I could and let my dachshund "hunt" them. She's a better mouser than any of my housecats.

 

[Foxfyre]

So, here's a news flash for all you who think mice are wonderful, furry bundles...a friend of mine has found out that they are really the spawn of Satan. This guy travels a bit, not much as he used to, but he spends lots of time tramping hill and dell, collecting berries. He came home last week and noticed an unpleasant odor, which he tracked down to a cabinet in his kitchen. You know, one of those out-of-the-way cubbies where seldom used items are stored? He found a horrific nest of mice. They had gotten into some paper goods and fabric and gone to mouse town. He got to looking at some of the nesting material and decided to go find where it had come from. Now he finds mouse nests in his panty and most of his clothing storage, as well as some boxes of books and papers. So far, he's killed dozens and his dog has gotten almost as many mice.
Mice, unlike many other animals, will soil their nests, urinating and defecating where they also raise their young. They also leave urine trails as the run from place-to-place. At any rate, my buddy has used far less...polite words to describe his ordeal. What he's been unable to salvage, he's been cleaning. Moral of this story, mice are not nice. Although small, they can cause great damage. If you see one, there are others and they can make many more very quickly. I personally cannot stand the vermin and trap those my feral miss.

Agreed, mice are not nice. That is one of the reasons I wanted to move down off the mountain. The rodent population has exploded out there and it was almost impossible to keep the little buggers from moving into the house. We had the beautiful deer mice up there, but you still don't want to live with them. And because of the rare but possible outbreaks of Bubonic Plague and the deadly hantavirus in this area, both carried by infected rodents, it is not only aesthetically unacceptable but could be dangerous to have them in your house.

When I first got my goats, I had a dozen bags of feed neatly stacked on a pallet. I though keeping them of the ground was a good idea, it was and is. When I got to the last layer of feed, one of the bags was writhing. I picked it up and dozens of mice jumped out of it, scattering all around. Instead of 50 lbs of feed, I had almost that much mouse poop. I have a fish tote now, and of course my feral barn cats. I still have to set traps during really bad, wet weather, though. I used that feed bag as a trap, laying it out and snatching it up when I went to the barn. Then I'd take the mice in the bag as far away from the house as I could and let my dachshund "hunt" them. She's a better mouser than any of my housecats.

One of our mama Siamese cats--the best and smartest cat I have ever owned--mercy I miss her still--was the best mouser I have ever known. The few mice we got in Kansas came in apparently through or around the dryer vent but she just somehow instinctively knew when that was happening. She would crouch motionless, just the very tip of her tail twitching, a bit away from the washer dryer combo. And once the little bugger would stick out its nose, she was lightning fast and would have it. I never saw a mouse ever outside the laundry room.

Our precious dog that followed some years after the cats though, forget it. He wouldn't hurt a fly. He would chase the rabbits but they had his number and after a short sprint would just move out of the path and watch him run by. You could almost hear them snicker.

 

[Montrovant]

I don't care about the color of my men or my coffee so long as they are sweet.

Awe.. a romantic. I haven't meet one of those in 10 years living in the ghetto.

I'm definitely a romantic. So much so I inadvertently get myself in trouble now and then. Especially with those who don't know me well and don't understand what I'm saying when I say some stuff.

Do you write poetry?

Actually I do. Have been writing poetry since I was very young.

I once wrote a poem to a girl in the hope of impressing her, I remember calling her my fragile flower. Naturally I never saw her again. It taught me to be careful what I write down.

I've written quite a few poems in my time, but I'm pretty certain I've never used the phrase 'fragile flower'.

Of course, I've probably used quite a few phrases no one here has ever used, too.

 

[WelfareQueen]

Good morning folks! Happy Friday! Does anybody have any fun plans this weekend? It's Light Up Night here but I usually avoid the event because it gets so crowded, plus it's supposed to be bitterly cold tonight. I am attending a board game tourny tomorrow hosted by my best friend, it starts fairly early in the morning and lasts all day. Mimosas and board games sounds exactly what the doctor ordered.

My son has marching band semi-finals in the morning, and if all goes well, it will be on to Tropicana Field for finals tomorrow night...it could be a very loooong day.

Very cool and sending positive vibes his way.

Both our kids were in marching and concert bands plus some orchestra, jazz band, and ensemble work. We, as band booster parents, logged a lot of miles going to their competitions, taking them to auditions, etc. Their band was selected to march in the Cherry Blossom Festival parade in Washington DC--all of our first trip there. Hombre and I of course made the trip as sponsors. And our band won the marching band competition that year, but were not allowed to accept the trophy because the state school board had decreed no out of state competition. It was great they won. It sucked that trophy isn't in the trophy case.

Thanks, Foxy. Yep, the life of a band parent can be a bit grueling. Plus, my son is also part of our county youth orchestra. He'll rejoin them now that band season is over. This single mom is sure hoping that in addition to academics, some music scholarships are in his future.

I feel for you. I had two in marching band and the all South Jersey band for a few years...it can be exhausting. But it's totally enjoyable as well. My daughter broke her arm the month of ASJ trials her year, she never got back into the swing after that

You never know what direction they are going to take--thinking about Sherry's hope for a music scholarship for instance. I grew up in band from 4th grade through high school as well as chorus and studying music in other ways--piano, seven years of accordion can you believe it?, a little guitar. But once I got to college, I just wasn't motivated to stay with the formal music education and my career path took a very different and eclectic turn. Still I taught music to my children, continued to work with choral groups as an adult, and directed church choir as a volunteer for many years.

Both my kids grew up saturated in music but neither were interested in band or chorus once they got to college, though our son did resume piano lessons there. Now he is a professional mechanical/petroleum engineer but runs his own private music studio teaching piano, keyboard, guitar, violin, and vocal to more than 60 kids on the side. He would do that full time if it paid anything close to what he makes as an engineer and he plans for that to be his retirement vocation. Daughter is a PhD sociologist/research specialist but off and on has played bass professionally with blues bands. You just never know.

I've played music since I was about 11. (I taught myself out of a World Book Encyclopedia. ).

Write a piece of music for the woman in your life....play her piano or guitar and sing to her. They usually like.... a lot.

 

[Foxfyre]

My son has marching band semi-finals in the morning, and if all goes well, it will be on to Tropicana Field for finals tomorrow night...it could be a very loooong day.

Very cool and sending positive vibes his way.

Both our kids were in marching and concert bands plus some orchestra, jazz band, and ensemble work. We, as band booster parents, logged a lot of miles going to their competitions, taking them to auditions, etc. Their band was selected to march in the Cherry Blossom Festival parade in Washington DC--all of our first trip there. Hombre and I of course made the trip as sponsors. And our band won the marching band competition that year, but were not allowed to accept the trophy because the state school board had decreed no out of state competition. It was great they won. It sucked that trophy isn't in the trophy case.

Thanks, Foxy. Yep, the life of a band parent can be a bit grueling. Plus, my son is also part of our county youth orchestra. He'll rejoin them now that band season is over. This single mom is sure hoping that in addition to academics, some music scholarships are in his future.

I feel for you. I had two in marching band and the all South Jersey band for a few years...it can be exhausting. But it's totally enjoyable as well. My daughter broke her arm the month of ASJ trials her year, she never got back into the swing after that

You never know what direction they are going to take--thinking about Sherry's hope for a music scholarship for instance. I grew up in band from 4th grade through high school as well as chorus and studying music in other ways--piano, seven years of accordion can you believe it?, a little guitar. But once I got to college, I just wasn't motivated to stay with the formal music education and my career path took a very different and eclectic turn. Still I taught music to my children, continued to work with choral groups as an adult, and directed church choir as a volunteer for many years.

Both my kids grew up saturated in music but neither were interested in band or chorus once they got to college, though our son did resume piano lessons there. Now he is a professional mechanical/petroleum engineer but runs his own private music studio teaching piano, keyboard, guitar, violin, and vocal to more than 60 kids on the side. He would do that full time if it paid anything close to what he makes as an engineer and he plans for that to be his retirement vocation. Daughter is a PhD sociologist/research specialist but off and on has played bass professionally with blues bands. You just never know.

I've played music since I was about 11. (I taught myself out of a World Book Encyclopedia. ).

Write a piece of music for the woman in your life....play her piano or guitar and sing to her. They usually like.... a lot.

If they like the guy, they like it. If they don't it can be a bit creepy.

 

[saveliberty]

I like my coffee black like my men.

I don't care about the color of my men or my coffee so long as they are sweet.

Awe.. a romantic. I haven't meet one of those in 10 years living in the ghetto.

I'm definitely a romantic. So much so I inadvertently get myself in trouble now and then. Especially with those who don't know me well and don't understand what I'm saying when I say some stuff.

I have no idea when someone is flirting with me. Have to be pretty direct with me.

 

[Foxfyre]

I like my coffee black like my men.

I don't care about the color of my men or my coffee so long as they are sweet.

Awe.. a romantic. I haven't meet one of those in 10 years living in the ghetto.

I'm definitely a romantic. So much so I inadvertently get myself in trouble now and then. Especially with those who don't know me well and don't understand what I'm saying when I say some stuff.

I have no idea when someone is flirting with me. Have to be pretty direct with me.

Well apparently Mrs. Liberty was direct enough.

 

[saveliberty]

All this talk of mice is making me hungry...I mean interested.

 

[WelfareQueen]

Very cool and sending positive vibes his way.

Both our kids were in marching and concert bands plus some orchestra, jazz band, and ensemble work. We, as band booster parents, logged a lot of miles going to their competitions, taking them to auditions, etc. Their band was selected to march in the Cherry Blossom Festival parade in Washington DC--all of our first trip there. Hombre and I of course made the trip as sponsors. And our band won the marching band competition that year, but were not allowed to accept the trophy because the state school board had decreed no out of state competition. It was great they won. It sucked that trophy isn't in the trophy case.

Thanks, Foxy. Yep, the life of a band parent can be a bit grueling. Plus, my son is also part of our county youth orchestra. He'll rejoin them now that band season is over. This single mom is sure hoping that in addition to academics, some music scholarships are in his future.

I feel for you. I had two in marching band and the all South Jersey band for a few years...it can be exhausting. But it's totally enjoyable as well. My daughter broke her arm the month of ASJ trials her year, she never got back into the swing after that

You never know what direction they are going to take--thinking about Sherry's hope for a music scholarship for instance. I grew up in band from 4th grade through high school as well as chorus and studying music in other ways--piano, seven years of accordion can you believe it?, a little guitar. But once I got to college, I just wasn't motivated to stay with the formal music education and my career path took a very different and eclectic turn. Still I taught music to my children, continued to work with choral groups as an adult, and directed church choir as a volunteer for many years.

Both my kids grew up saturated in music but neither were interested in band or chorus once they got to college, though our son did resume piano lessons there. Now he is a professional mechanical/petroleum engineer but runs his own private music studio teaching piano, keyboard, guitar, violin, and vocal to more than 60 kids on the side. He would do that full time if it paid anything close to what he makes as an engineer and he plans for that to be his retirement vocation. Daughter is a PhD sociologist/research specialist but off and on has played bass professionally with blues bands. You just never know.

I've played music since I was about 11. (I taught myself out of a World Book Encyclopedia. ).

Write a piece of music for the woman in your life....play her piano or guitar and sing to her. They usually like.... a lot.

If they like the guy, they like it. If they don't it can be a bit creepy.

Yeah....that's a good point.

 

[Sherry]

My son has marching band semi-finals in the morning, and if all goes well, it will be on to Tropicana Field for finals tomorrow night...it could be a very loooong day.

Very cool and sending positive vibes his way.

Both our kids were in marching and concert bands plus some orchestra, jazz band, and ensemble work. We, as band booster parents, logged a lot of miles going to their competitions, taking them to auditions, etc. Their band was selected to march in the Cherry Blossom Festival parade in Washington DC--all of our first trip there. Hombre and I of course made the trip as sponsors. And our band won the marching band competition that year, but were not allowed to accept the trophy because the state school board had decreed no out of state competition. It was great they won. It sucked that trophy isn't in the trophy case.

Thanks, Foxy. Yep, the life of a band parent can be a bit grueling. Plus, my son is also part of our county youth orchestra. He'll rejoin them now that band season is over. This single mom is sure hoping that in addition to academics, some music scholarships are in his future.

I feel for you. I had two in marching band and the all South Jersey band for a few years...it can be exhausting. But it's totally enjoyable as well. My daughter broke her arm the month of ASJ trials her year, she never got back into the swing after that

You never know what direction they are going to take--thinking about Sherry's hope for a music scholarship for instance. I grew up in band from 4th grade through high school as well as chorus and studying music in other ways--piano, seven years of accordion can you believe it?, a little guitar. But once I got to college, I just wasn't motivated to stay with the formal music education and my career path took a very different and eclectic turn. Still I taught music to my children, continued to work with choral groups as an adult, and directed church choir as a volunteer for many years.

Both my kids grew up saturated in music but neither were interested in band or chorus once they got to college, though our son did resume piano lessons there. Now he is a professional mechanical/petroleum engineer but runs his own private music studio teaching piano, keyboard, guitar, violin, and vocal to more than 60 kids on the side. He would do that full time if it paid anything close to what he makes as an engineer and he plans for that to be his retirement vocation. Daughter is a PhD sociologist/research specialist but off and on has played bass professionally with blues bands. You just never know.

I've played music since I was about 11. (I taught myself out of a World Book Encyclopedia. ).

Write a piece of music for the woman in your life....play her piano or guitar and sing to her. They usually like.... a lot.

Oh yes, being serenaded makes me melt.

 

[Ringel05]

I can play my nose.........

 

[Sherry]

I can play my nose.........

Wow, Count Droopy Drawers, you must have spent a lot of time in the corner.

 

[Sherry]

Well, my son's band didn't quite make finals...he said it's going to be a long bus ride home. I'm going to take him to his favorite Greek restaurant for dinner. Damn.

 

[Ringel05]

Been having some plumbing issues lately, drains draining slow, toilet wanting to overflow when flushed and the standing water in the toilet "bubbling" when the sinks and shower are in use. tossed some drain cleaner down all the drains but no luck, finally did the one thing I should have done first, checked to waste line cleanout, It's outside and sure enough the cap had been pushed off by the backup so the blockage is somewhere towards the street.
Maybe coincidence but the city was doing some work digging in the street last week in front of the house next door........ This started after they finished.......
I have a call into the management company.