Small Talk: Ughngnggh! Ugghhnnn!

[PunkyMouse]

I actually gave high hopes for the second half. That hospital shit is over, Beth is dead, Judith is alive... I'm hoping things will start to gel for our intrepid group.

On a side note... Anyone watching 12 Monkeys?

Edited January 20, 2015 by PunkyMouse

[nachomama]

Not watching 12 Monkeys, I have too many already. I'm starting Backstrom and still trying to finish my marathons. I got to see nekkid Captain Tightpants last night. He was happy naked.

 

Oooh, another short lived series I liked that was gone too soon "Wonder Falls". Anyone remember? 

Edited January 20, 2015 by nachomama

[Irishmaple]

I watched the first episode of 12 Monkeys last Friday (I think) night and I liked it.  I'll stick with it for a while and see how it goes.  Helix returned here last night and I glanced over but decided I couldn't do that to myself again.  They're not in the Arctic anymore apparently.  There ended my interest.  I loved the confined in a hostile environment element of the first season.  The show was still frustrating and bizarre, but it did have that going for it because I could not stand to be confined with no way out.  Is anyone else watching?  Because all I want to know is: Sergei?  In it or not?

 

Since I liked the zombie book Patient Zero, I went and bought Code Zero which clearly said on the cover: The Sequel to Patient Zero.  They kind of lied.  It was not a direct sequel.  There had been a ton of developments between Patient Zero and Code Zero, developments that added to the world and subtracted some characters I'd liked.  I'm going to have to go and look up those novels that bridge the gap between Patient Zero and Code Zero because some of it sounded interesting.  The hero, Joe Ledger, is a bit of a special snowflake though.  He's not only good at everything, he's the best at pretty much all of it. 

 

I'm off tomorrow morning for a week on the Mexican Riviera.  I'm still so surprised that I'm going that the looking-forward-to-it part hasn't kicked in yet.  Thankfully my passport was nowhere near the expiration date so that was a relief.  Apparently there are ruins to see not far from the resort.  With enough alcohol, one of those ruins could be me!  See you all in a week.   

[CarpeDiem54]

Have fun, Irishmaple!

[nachomama]

Have a blast and bring us presents. Your priorities are in order, you're getting vacation out of the way before Walking Dead returns. 

[NurseGiGi]

I hope you have a great time!  The water there is so gorgeous and clear, make sure you do a little snorkeling.

[nachomama]

Had my moment of panic for today. My computer wouldn't restart. Just got a spinning wheel on gray screen with several attempts. This is the replacement and I don't want another 2 weeks of downtime to get another plus I don't wanna get blamed. Technically I was gettting deadwood on the work computer which they would not look kindly upon. But it wouldn't be what killed it. It can't die until evidence is erased. 

[kikismom]

We officially reached 100 topics for TWD!

[BrokenRemote]

I'm planning on watching 12 Monkeys, but I realized the other day that I missed the premiere.  Will watch it on demand and then catch up to watch live if it's good.   I realized the other day that although the TV is always on at my house, there's precious little that I actually 'watch'.  There are like 5 current shows.  

[BrokenRemote]

I have never seen Titanic. Two different people have given me the DVDS; they are still in the plastic.

I have also never been in a Starbucks.

 

Do I take a drink now?

Haa!

 

I have a lot of needle horror stories.  I have what techs seem to call 'tiny, rubbery veins'.  Of course, I take medication that requires monthly blood tests.   Every time I have to get jabbed 5 or 6 times before it works.  Giving blood has always been followed by armloads of bruises.  My worst was when I was dehydrated because I'd had to fast for tests, and then I was having a scan that needed dye injected.  Four nurses each tried 3 times and after more than a half hour they got a doctor to go into an artery.  Fortunately I don't have an issue with needles and I'm pretty tolerant of pain, so I usually stay calm while they're poking away.  Last time I had surgery they had this cool infrared scanner that showed the veins under the skin so that they could go right for 'em.  That was darned cool.

 

P.S.  Have a blast, Irishmaple!  Have a drink with an umbrella for me!

Edited January 21, 2015 by BrokenRemote

[Anela]

I watched an episode of Justified (season 2), and it guest-starred Herschel, and the guy that what's his name said he'd killed in the cabin - the cannibal. (I can't believe I can't remember their names, but I've had no caffeine today.)

[nachomama]

I know I know Martin from something (the cannibal who threatened baby Judith and who Tyreese claimed he dispatched) maybe it's Justified. I don't remember Herschel though. But then again I'm not the brightest bulb in the patch. 

 

I think my veins are plump enough although I am deathly afraid of needles. I had allergies as a kid and my mom convinced doctor man to let her give me the shots, saving us a trip to town once a month (90 miles) so she "tests" it out and I scream and she says "Oh come on you big baby that didn't hurt that much" so she let me try it out on her. She says "hmm...that did kinda hurt more than it should" she looked closely and she bought bent needles. >:( I DON'T LIKE MR. STABBY!

[Rilla-my-Rilla]

I know I know Martin from something (the cannibal who threatened baby Judith and who Tyreese claimed he dispatched) maybe it's Justified. I don't remember Herschel though. But then again I'm not the brightest bulb in the patch. 

 

Have you seen True Blood? He was Barry the fairy. That's what I knew him from.

 

[Anela]

Have you seen True Blood? He was Barry the fairy. That's what I knew him from.

 

I thought I recognized him from something else. I watched that last week.

[nachomama]

Holy crap! Probably. Even though I didn't care much for the end of TrueBlood. 

[nachomama]

2 weeks? 2WEEKS!

[mandolin]

We were fortunate enough to get a new tv this weekend (now even bigger!), so I've popped in the blu-ray of season 1 trying to get back into the right mood for the show coming back...unfortunately, I wonder if I'll get more "blah" about it and how it's changed.

[nachomama]

Snap out of it! I tell myself there's no way it's jumped the shark. I'm the first one to call shark jumping. I called SOA after Opie died. 

 

We can get through this, because we are in it together! We don't separate, now you go that way and look for supplies, me and darryl gonna get us some squiwwel for dinner. 

[BrokenRemote]

I'm having some surgery a few days after the show comes back and will be off work for a week and a half after, so I'm pre-warning you all that I will be bored and probably to the point of dissecting the symbolism in what everyone is wearing, including the walkers.

Don't separate! (I'll go find some firewood.)

Edited January 27, 2015 by BrokenRemote

[Too Late Kev]

I'll be taking a nap in the watchtower.

[kikismom]

I'll be figuring out how we're "keeping people fed" with cucumbers.

[nachomama]

Oh BrokenRemote can we please please please mess with your mind while you are hopped up on goofballs? pwease?

 

Cucumbers are a non food. It's one of them 1 holers for me. Also celery and lettuce although lettuce makes a nice holder for other stuffs like cheese and bacon and more cheese. sprinkle a little bob on there, mighty tasty. I might consider cannibalism if there's people bacon...ummm what part of the people would be bacon? I'm not entirely sure why but ants on a log fills me with rage. I don't like celery or raisins but why this healthy kid snack makes me wanna beat you to death with it I don't know. 

 

You can tell I'm gonna have a whacky day. 

[AngelaHunter]

while you are hopped up on goofballs?

 

Goofballs! I think the last time I heard that was maybe in some 1940s film noir. Fantastic. I love it!

 

You can make tofu taste much better if you fry it in bacon fat. So I'm told.

[nachomama]

If you're frying tofu in bacon fat just eat the bacon.

 

/prepares my stick for the poking of BrokenRemote, I shall poke you and tickle you and generally make you very gwumpy

Edited January 27, 2015 by nachomama

[kikismom]

 

 

Cucumbers are a non food. It's one of them 1 holers for me.

I've heard of watermelons as a sun-warmed 1-holer. A cucumber is a bit tricky.

For us ladies, however, EK says we need a "blankie":    http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/emilykinney/justpretend.html

 

 I might consider cannibalism if there's people bacon...ummm what part of the people would be bacon?

Bacon is from the fatty pork belly---which is why the swamp walker tore open Dale's abdomen: Mmmm! Yummm! Beggin' Strips! Baconbaconbacon!

 

 

 

 I'm not entirely sure why but ants on a log fills me with rage. I don't like celery or raisins but why this healthy kid snack makes me wanna beat you to death with it I don't know. 

I've been re-watching TWD and at first I thought you were referring to all those symbolismy shots of ants scrambling on a tree branch as Rick and Crazy Clara walk underneath.

My favorite part of that scene is where Clara points Rick to where her beloved Eddie is and she says : It's just ahead.

IT'S JUST A-HEAD!

 

 

You can tell I'm gonna have a whacky day. 

Talk about goofballs! It's still quite early; have you been letting your orange juice ferment again?

Edited January 27, 2015 by kikismom

[nachomama]

That reminds me I took an orange out to eat last night and forgot, maybe it'll be fermented when I get back to it. Probly not, my house is 53 degrees. And yes watermelons are just water but so darned tasty! And no I was just trying to think of things eaten with celery. 

 

Once upon a time many years ago I spent the summer with my aunt and uncle in Seattle. And we ate goofy stuff. Granted almost everything to me was exotic, I had never eaten chinese food before! So one night she's making hamburger patties and slicing onions and I'm thinking FINALLY normal food. burgers. Au Contraire mon frere. She carmelized the onions and cooked the patties about 1 minute on each side, whatever you might call hamburger tartar, topped the raw hamburger with the onions then the side vegetable was just sauteed celery. just celery. just chopped celery scooted around in a pan with some butter. SELL-ER-EEEEEE.

 

My uncle had a secret contraband compartment he showed me where he kept candy and soda. Although I discovered many things I love to this day. I love some french onion soup. although I like the bread on the side, don't like soggy stuff. And avocados, nom nom nom. 

 

I eat cereal in two different bowls. (although i eat cereal maybe once a year if that) but separate bowls for the cereal and milk and only a little bit of the cereal goes in the milk at a time. cuz I can't stand for it to get soggy. And there is nothing more gross than drinking the leftover milk in a cereal bowl. blech

[kikismom]

I eat cereal in two different bowls. (although i eat cereal maybe once a year if that) but separate bowls for the cereal and milk and only a little bit of the cereal goes in the milk at a time. cuz I can't stand for it to get soggy. And there is nothing more gross than drinking the leftover milk in a cereal bowl. blech

!!!!!!!!!!!!!   :-)

[ghoulina]

I eat cereal in two different bowls. (although i eat cereal maybe once a year if that) but separate bowls for the cereal and milk and only a little bit of the cereal goes in the milk at a time. cuz I can't stand for it to get soggy. And there is nothing more gross than drinking the leftover milk in a cereal bowl. blech

 

Ummmm....I think you just changed my entire life. I hate, hate, hate soggy cereal. I have always poured in as little milk as possible. Seeing my kids and husband let their cereal get all bloated and soggy just disgusts me. But I have never even considered the two bowl thing. Wow. 

[kikismom]

Are you a one-bowl critter or a two-bowl critter?

*************************************************************

Guilty pleasure confession:

My favorite school lunch was on Fridays when we had catfish grits and black-eyed peas and I would mash and mash them all together till it was a bowl of thick stick-to-your-ribs goodness.

Then we moved and I had to walk home for lunch. Friday lunch was not the same at home. :-(

[BrokenRemote]

Oh, god,I don't even have the goofballs yet and I am laughing like a loon at cucumbers being "one of them one-holers"! (I welcome the stick-poking but if I pull a Rick-on-the-couch and groan for an hour or so, don't let Coral shoot me!)

Also I clearly went to the wrong school. We were excited for grilled cheese on Fridays.

Edited January 28, 2015 by BrokenRemote

[halgia]

Ummmm....I think you just changed my entire life. I hate, hate, hate soggy cereal. I have always poured in as little milk as possible. Seeing my kids and husband let their cereal get all bloated and soggy just disgusts me. But I have never even considered the two bowl thing. Wow. 

The book Cryptonomicon (by Neal Stephenson) has like six pages devoted to the proper method of eating cereal to avoid this. In 8th grade, it was pretty much my favorite thing I'd ever read, but I never really took the lesson to heart, I guess.

 

World-class cereal-eating is a dance of fine compromises. The giant heaping bowl of sodden cereal, awash in milk, is the mark of the novice. Ideally one wants the bone-dry cereal nuggets and the cryogenic milk to enter the mouth with minimal contact and for the entire reaction between them to take place in the mouth. Randy has worked out a set of mental blueprints for a special cereal-eating spoon that will have a tube running down the handle and a little pump for the milk, so that you can spoon dry cereal up out of a bowl, hit a button with your thumb, and squirt milk into the bowl of the spoon even as you are introducing it into your mouth. The next-best thing is to work in small increments, putting only a small amount of Cap'n Crunch in your bowl at a time and eating it all up before it becomes a pit of loathsome slime, which takes about thirty seconds in the case of Cap'n Crunch.

[Nashville]

Cucumbers are a non food. It's one of them 1 holers for me.

Not touching THAT one with a ten meter cattle prod.

You can tell I'm gonna have a whacky day.

Ditto.

[kikismom]

Also I clearly went to the wrong school. We were excited for grilled cheese on Fridays.

My town (at that time) was half staunch Catholic and half staunch Baptist. Lunch on Friday was a compromise. Did you have green peas in white sauce on toast day?

Eeeuuuuw! I would have lovvved grilled cheese that day. I usually just bought an ice cream sandwich.

[AngelaHunter]

We were excited for grilled cheese on Fridays.

 

I still get excited over grilled cheese and probably always will.

[Zahdii]

I don't know where to put this, so I put it here.  Let me know if it's better placed elsewhere.

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/zombie-cat-buried-cat-believed-dead-meows-back/story?id=28519513

 

It's spreading.  Now cats are turning zombie.

[Ocean Chick]

Grilled cheese sandwiches are the food of the gods.  If I remember correctly our school cafeteria used to serve fish sticks on Fridays.  My favorite meal was turkey in gravy, served with peas and mashed potatoes.  Carb overload and tasty to boot.

[kikismom]

I did a study abroad my junior year of college, the first semester we lived in a house in London, it came with a housekeeper we secretly called Mrs. Ratbag (like the Monty Python character).

She was nuts, she'd make like 14 fish and 2 potatoes (for 6 of us), or 2 chops and 5 pounds of brussel sprouts or something. She was never able to coordinate the number of people and how much to serve.

She ironed the tables. Not ironing tablecloths; she ironed the wooden tables. Etc.

She did like going through people's things too; didn't steal but I think she'd tried stuff on because we sometimes smelled her perfume on our clothes. The food was also horrible; she seemed to have difficulty keeping track of time and somethings were raw and some were burned. Harmless but she was a little dotty.

[BrokenRemote]

I have a friend who used to only eat food if it was the way his mom made it. Which mostly was silly stuff like she always picked the beans out of his food or whatever. But it was also things like she always left a little pink in the chicken and the food was always blackened (and I don't mean in the good way). It makes me wonder how many people grow up with bad cooks as parents and then go on to think that's how food should taste. (It's a wonder the kids survived the rare chicken...)

[NurseGiGi]

That reminds me I took an orange out to eat last night and forgot, maybe it'll be fermented when I get back to it. Probly not, my house is 53 degrees. And yes watermelons are just water but so darned tasty! And no I was just trying to think of things eaten with celery. 

 

Once upon a time many years ago I spent the summer with my aunt and uncle in Seattle. And we ate goofy stuff. Granted almost everything to me was exotic, I had never eaten chinese food before! So one night she's making hamburger patties and slicing onions and I'm thinking FINALLY normal food. burgers. Au Contraire mon frere. She carmelized the onions and cooked the patties about 1 minute on each side, whatever you might call hamburger tartar, topped the raw hamburger with the onions then the side vegetable was just sauteed celery. just celery. just chopped celery scooted around in a pan with some butter. SELL-ER-EEEEEE.

 

My uncle had a secret contraband compartment he showed me where he kept candy and soda. Although I discovered many things I love to this day. I love some french onion soup. although I like the bread on the side, don't like soggy stuff. And avocados, nom nom nom. 

 

I eat cereal in two different bowls. (although i eat cereal maybe once a year if that) but separate bowls for the cereal and milk and only a little bit of the cereal goes in the milk at a time. cuz I can't stand for it to get soggy. And there is nothing more gross than drinking the leftover milk in a cereal bowl. blech

Nachomama, I greatly look forward to your input in the forums.  I had a horrible, horrible night at work last night and this has helped by giving me a much needed giggle. 

 

Now for the controversy.  I like celery with hummus or peanut butter spread on it.  AND, I like my cereal served medium.  I have to eat it before it gets soggy but with a bit of the crunch slightly sogged out.  I don't often eat cereal, though.  Gots way too much sugar for me.

 

I wonder if zombies like their cereal el dente or mushy?

 

One more thing.....we had peanut butter and jelly sammiches with vegetable soup on Fridays.  My favorite.  Well, I also loved the grilled cheese with tomato soup.

Edited January 28, 2015 by NurseGiGi

[BrokenRemote]

I'm the same way with cereal. I want the milk to have just started to soak in, but the cereal still has to have a little crunch. I have cereal with fruit for supper a lot of weeknights because I'm too lazy to cook. I have fallen madly in love with Banana Cheerios, and all the stores around here have stopped carrying it, so I order it 4 boxes at a time from Amazon. Maybe I AM a crackpot.

[AngelaHunter]

Well, I also loved the grilled cheese with tomato soup.

 

Or chicken soup. I was dropping something off at a friend's house. She said I should stay for lunch and when I got there she said, "I only have cheese sandwiches and chicken soup."

 

The soup was home made! The sanwiches were golden brown and  simmered in butter! Good lord. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

 

It takes so very little to make me happy.

 

Maybe I AM a crackpot.

 

You say that like there's something wrong with being a crackpot. Personally, I enjoy it!

[BrokenRemote]

So I watched the first couple of episodes of 12 Monkeys on demand and I rather enjoyed it. The lead actors are giving a compelling performance and they have some chemistry, which usually covers a multitude of sins for me. I think the scientists of the future are a little hokey, but the whole thing worked. I'll tune in; there's not much else going on Friday nights.

[kikismom]

So I watched the first couple of episodes of 12 Monkeys

Interesting; we've been watching 12 Monkeys for 4 and 1/2 seasons.

Sometimes the number of monkeys changes, but that's about it.

[mandolin]

We saved 12 Monkeys but haven't watched it yet. Heaven help me, I am watching Z Nation on Netflix. Zombears...lolz.

[Irishmaple]

Hi guys.  Yeah, I'm back.  If you'd asked me last year if I'd enjoy a week at a resort I would have (politely) laughed in your face.  I love cities so that's where I go on vacation, and I show up with a list of places to visit and the route pre-mapped.  Resorts seemed boring to me.  What was I going to do, lie around and lose my mind?  Was I ever wrong!  I loved my week on the Riviera Maya.  Our resort was lovely, the staff were incredibly hard-working and very friendly, my just-enough-to-be-polite Spanish improved to the point that I could carry on a basic conversation with minimal hand gestures.  I don't swim but I did go into the ocean and lounge around the pools.  The buffets were generous and the food excellent.  The entertainment was indifferent but our wristbands allowed us entrance to other affiliated resorts in the complex and we caught shows there.  I visited the Mayan ruins at Tulum and did some shopping for souvenirs in Playa del Carmen.  The weather was perfect and I got a small sunburn.  In January.  As a Canadian, that tickles the hell out of me!  I really liked Mexico and hope to return.  I hated to leave. 

 

I shared a room with my room mate's BFF and we got along perfectly fine but, as tourists, we were incompatible.  I'm the person who likes to stand around and soak in the atmosphere, building the memory and I rarely take photographs.  She photographed everything like it was her job, and then asked me to take photos of her with whatever we were looking at.  That honestly mystifies me.  Why do you need a photo of yourself looking at a Mayan ruin?  Are you going to forget you were there?

 

It's nice to be back with you guys, even if it is -12 outside and snow just fell.  Late January in Mexico is much lovelier than late January in Canada!

[NurseGiGi]

I would have been beside myself just going to see the Mayan ruins.  I'm the same way about photographs.  I feel like I'm missing the experience by looking at everything through the lens of a camera.  I'm glad you enjoyed your trip so much!

[Too Late Kev]

She photographed everything like it was her job, and then asked me to take photos of her with whatever we were looking at.  That honestly mystifies me.  Why do you need a photo of yourself looking at a Mayan ruin?  Are you going to forget you were there?

 

I don't think it's a matter of forgetting you were there -- it's more like proving you were there, as well as having something to look back on in a bunch of years. ("I looked pretty good in that swimsuit." "What was I thinking with those shorts?") Plus, having people in pictures is what differentiates looking at pictures of a trip from looking at pictures on Google Images. But moderation of all things is nice, of course...she should have stopped photographing every once in a while!

 

Glad you had fun!

[ghoulina]

Welcome back, IrishMaple! I'm glad you had a fun time. 

 

I'm kind of middle of the road with the pictures. I have a tendency to want to capture every single moment, but I try to make myself dial it back a bit and enjoy the moment. I find if I'm trying too hard to get that perfect picture, I'm not really enjoying myself. 

[shanndee]

So glad to hear you had a good time IrishMaple! Hubby and I almost went to Mexico last year, but our finances didn't allow it. We really want to see Mayan ruins...but when we were looking at the prices for the resorts near ruins, they were a lot more expensive than the beach resorts. Maybe it was the time of year we were looking?

 

Oh well. Maybe next year!

 

I really need to get back in the habit of posting. I miss talking to you guys! 

[kikismom]

I discovered that snapshots (at least the ones I take) never look like what I was photographing; everything lost it's mojo in 2 dimensions.

I do try to get recipes though.

I find that the easiest way in a foreign country is to say where can I get a good bowl of chicken soup.(Or where can I get some good noodles).

In every country people make certain things like chicken soup or noodles, and the best place is almost always somewhere that no tourist guide would ever know about.

If you're lucky--or daring---many times the best place is their mom's or grandmother's or grandfather's.

People treat you like a stranger until you say this and then all of a sudden they are very talkative and open and take you all around the "real" places.

Then when you come home  you can add the recipes to your collection. Your friends will like to hear about your trip over a supper you learned to make in another country better than looking at 2 hours of slides.