Small Talk: Chili's

[possibilities]

Have they put out any new episodes?

Not yet, but the new ones are coming soon. I forget what day, but it's early July, maybe even July 1.

[Pixel]

I don't see sky cars ever being viable, although they are probably fun. People can barely drive regular cars. I don't even want to live in a world where I can be crashed into from above.

[King of Birds]

I don't even want to live in a world where I can be crashed into from above. - -  TWSS?  Eh?  Too much of a stretch?

 

Pixel, you're a nurse. It's true that doctor office scales are just mean, right? I went to a Dr on Tuesday, and yes, I hadn't been on my treadmill in 3 months and knew I was heavier, but ... that scale was just OFF. F'ing doctor office scales. Jeez.  Back on my f'ing treadmill the last three days.  Grrr.

[Pixel]

Pixel, you're a nurse. It's true that doctor office scales are just mean, right? I went to a Dr on Tuesday, and yes, I hadn't been on my treadmill in 3 months and knew I was heavier, but ... that scale was just OFF. F'ing doctor office scales. Jeez.  Back on my f'ing treadmill the last three days.  Grrr.

 

Um...yeah...sure!  Doctor's offices are famous for having inaccurate equipment coughcough. We'll just go with that.

[King of Birds]

This chicken's probably all on me.  Sorry Chili's for killin' it again.

 

Last week I went to the one place where I thought some important papers would be (think: birth certificate, like that. Okay, it was that.)  But ... it wasn't there. I pulled out about 4 bankers boxes of other personal paper stuff the next day. What did I find in there? Some of the Chili's Xmas cards! And I thought I just threw them out / recycled 'em.  My working theory is that the important papers I need are in the wind, hiding from me ... yet greetings from a bunch of people I hardly know, survive in "my stuff." George Carlin be proud. I'm not sure what year- but it was after I sent out the Sno-Cone Patrol stocking stuffers. Because that happened to be mentioned in some of the cards. You all still have your SCP cards, right?!?

 

Pop quiz hotshot: So where is YOUR birth certificate?  (Seriously. Give me ideas where to look. I did already call the "Hall of Records" where I was born and requested a copy, but you KNOW that means I'll find it soon. But where?)

 

PS- I finished up Orphan Black, S1 & S2!  Amazing, just incredible. Was trying to get through some of the forum for the show but wow, so much stuff to read. Feel overwhelmed. Anybody try to read threads AFTER you binge-watch a show? Imagine if you didn't watch OITNB until ... now. It's like a mountain of posts to get through, right? Phew. This is why people shouldn't binge.

Edited July 1, 2014 by King of Birds

[possibilities]

They need to invent a new award just to honor Tatiana Maslany and the costumers and special effects people on OB. I find it's easier to catch up on forums after a binge if i read episode by episode, and not try to read it all at the very end. But for some shows, it's just too much no matter how you slice it.

 

Do you have a baby book? My birth certificate was glued into a scrap book with things like my vaccine records and my mother's records of my first word, step, etc. I now keep it in a file with other "essential documents" in a file cabinet, like an adult. But when I need it for something, it's sometimes hard to remember to put it back in the file after. So maybe yours is with whatever you used it for last? I wish paper was searchable like electronic files. If you just say "birth certificate" and press the air in front of you, shouldn't a voice speak to you out of the sky, telling you where it is?

 

If we're going to kill chickens around here, we might as well have a BBQ.

[Glory]

My birth certificate is either in our safe or my parents safe. I should probably check on that.

I'm BBQing on the fourth! Anyone have any fun plans?

I'm thinking about getting some velvet ropes and charging VIP access to the new patio. We've laid down sod all around it now and it is 100% complete! Yay!

Edited July 1, 2014 by Glory

[LiberryLady]

Pop quiz hotshot: So where is YOUR birth certificate?

 

Mine's in my bank safety deposit box.  I got a passport last year, so I had to have all that stuff.

 

Anybody try to read threads AFTER you binge-watch a show?

 

Not threads; usually just recaps.  I've been enjoying the heck out of Autostraddle's OITNB recaps; I see they do Orphan Black ones, too. I know OITNB's post-recap comments are usually a manageable dozen or so; Orphan Black is probably the same.

 

I'm BBQing on the fourth! Anyone have any fun plans?

 

Eh, probably just seeing a movie.  I like fireworks, but the freakin' traffic to get out of the parking around here is just bananas.  I can see some from my backyard, so that will probably do.  If I was in your area, though, Glory, I might crash your barbeque!  ;)

[King of Birds]

Ahem.  You all still have your SCP cards, right?!?  The lack of responses is staggering.

 

I'm BBQing on the fourth! Anyone have any fun plans?

I actually grilled last night. I made plans to escape my crazy neighborhood "fireworks unprofessionals" on the 3rd/4th and think I found someplace that won't freak my dog out all night long. Last year, seriously, they were still setting shit off after 2am. WTF?

[EllieH]

I know where my birth certificate is!  In a file cabinet at my parent's house.

 

 

Ahem.  You all still have your SCP cards, right?!?  The lack of responses is staggering.

 

I'm thinking the answer is no for me (though, to be fair, I'm not great at hanging onto birthday or Christmas cards from non-Chili's friends either).  If I do have any of them, there's a box and a plastic tub they could be in, but the chances are pretty small.... it was fun back when we sent them thought!

[LiberryLady]

Ahem.  You all still have your SCP cards, right?!?  The lack of responses is staggering.

 

I think it was pretty much the dudes who got SCP cards.  I, however, still carry my Hussy Card behind my library card in my wallet.

 

 

Btw, Drunk History tonight, y'all!  Drunk History!!!

[King of Birds]

Hussy?  Not "Treeclimber Club"?

[MichelleAK]

My birth certificate is in the 2nd right drawer of my dresser, with my passport.

 

I'm off the rest of the week!  Took a couple of vacation days, so I could get some stuff done around the house.  However, the weather is supposed to be nice, so I may not get a lot accomplished.  I do have a birthday party (my niece) on Sunday, but nothing planned for the 4th. That will probably be the day I do the housework stuff, unless something comes up at the last minute.

Edited July 2, 2014 by MichelleAK

[Pixel]

Terry Crews was on Drunk History tonight! Woo!

[Glory]

I have decided to do a rewatch anyway, even if no one wants to join me. I blew through season 2 in two days and will start season 3 soon. I still can't believe how much Casino Night gets me. It still makes me belly laugh at parts and then, of course, there's that ending. Guh. 

 

Other episodes I don't remember enjoying that much but that really got me were E-mail Surveillance and Michael's Birthday. I liked these two episodes a lot more a few years removed. 

 

Let's see how much I like season 3 this time around because I remember being really upset during the first airing of it - though I do think I liked individual eps just not the Jim/Pam/Karen thing. I did ask Guts which episode it was that Dwight had all the weapons stashed around the office (answer: the episode where he maces Roy) because I remember liking that episode a lot. 

 

But season 2 I've watched so so many times that I can't believe I still laugh at the jokes. :)

[frenchtoast]

My Fourth will be having some friends over and eating lots of food. And drinking sangria. We're not going to do the fireworks again this year because last years trial of letting the kids splash around in the pool with loads of glo-stick stuff was pretty awesome (save for the mosquitoes). If we get bored, we're going to introduce the kids to Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Because...why not?

[King of Birds]

Pixel, have you tried/ OD'd on this yet?  Nutella / Carvel ice cream.  BTW, they say this is "national" but there are no Carvels near me. Do they mean this will be in stores?

 

eta:

I blew through season 2 in two days and will start season 3 soon. I still can't believe how much Casino Night gets me.

S2 is still one of my favorite seasons of any show, ever. Flipping last night, I saw Pam's TH from The Carpet

"I get ten vacation days a year and I try to hold off taking them for as long as possible. This year I got to the third week in January."

Edited July 3, 2014 by King of Birds

[Pixel]

Pixel, have you tried/ OD'd on this yet?  Nutella / Carvel ice cream.  BTW, they say this is "national" but there are no Carvels near me. Do they mean this will be in stores?

 

We don't have Carvel here.  I do have a pint of Ben and Jerry's Hazed and Confused in my freezer, which has a chocolate hazelnut core. Haven't cracked into it yet.

[King of Birds]

This is one of those "the internets: it's awesome but excessive" type of things.  It ought to be one helluva

potato salad

for the money.

[possibilities]

When I was a kid, we got Carvel ice cream cakes for our birthdays-- if mom was in a good mood and was especially pleased with us. They were that much of a treat. I haven't seen a Carvel shop in decades, though. I thought they didn't exist anymore!

 

That awesome/excessive link is really funny. I have a feeling the person who started it was seriously just kidding around and had no idea it would take off the way it did.

 

We had storms for the past several days (torrential rain with high winds). My landline and electricity have been coming and going. If there were fireworks or BBQs happening around here, I would bet they were cancelled. I was happy, though, because it meant the garden got watered without human effort.

[King of Birds]

Holy crap. That potato salad kickstarter is over $38,000 now !!!  The odds of it being The Best Potato Salad Ever have to be diminishing. Too many people - how's this guy gonna say 2400 backers names out loud, while making it? 

 

eta: just found out I know someone, who knows someone, who knows the potato salad guy ... that's right. I'm 3 degrees of separation. I doubt I'm getting invited to the party though.

 

eta2: we got Carvel ice cream cakes for our birthdays - Yup! me too! My sister had regular wedding cake, and also had about four Fudgie the Whales on hand at her wedding! (She and my brother-in-law lived close to a Carvel store when they lived in NYC. It was "a thing" for them)

Edited July 8, 2014 by King of Birds

[LiberryLady]

That potato salad kickstarter is over $38,000 now !!! 

 

 HAAAA!!!  That is freakin' hilarious!  You know those guys are just dying, trying to figure out how they're going to deal with all the stuff they've promised.

We had storms for the past several days (torrential rain with high winds). My landline and electricity have been coming and going. If there were fireworks or BBQs happening around here, I would bet they were cancelled.

 

Duuuuude.  That is so foreign to me.  I'm 52, and LIT-ERALLY do not remember it raining a single time on the 4th of July here in SoCal.  Lest you think I'm bragging... this also means we have to deal with brush fires as a regular summer thing.  So, trade-off.

[Glory]

When I was a kid, we got Carvel ice cream cakes for our birthdays-- if mom was in a good mood and was especially pleased with us. They were that much of a treat. I haven't seen a Carvel shop in decades, though. I thought they didn't exist anymore!

 

I know that some supermarkets have a freezer case with Carvel cakes. Though, I don't know if there are still stores.

 

Speaking of birthdays, I turn 30 today. I feel weird about it. I didn't think that I would. But I kind of do. 

 

I didn't really want a big party so Guts planned a nice dinner for me with a few of my friends and then we're going to go to Riverboat Casino. I think my family is upset I'm not having a party. 

[MichelleAK]

Happy Birthday, Glory! 

[frenchtoast]

Happy Birthday, Glory. As for parties--eh. They're a lot of work and money, what you're doing sounds like a lot of fun without the planning.

 

As for the Fourth, it poured rain on Friday, so we postponed the BBQ until Saturday (which is when the city had planned the fireworks anyway, though we didn't go) which had gorgeous weather. A good time was had by all. To be hones, I don't remember it ever raining on the Fourth, either, but it wouldn't surprise me if it had. Heck, I never remember it raining on the first day of school and it's happened to my kids twice.

[King of Birds]

Speaking of birthdays, I turn 30 today. I feel weird about it. I didn't think that I would. But I kind of do.

Weird how?  Weird- "I'm 30 and the greatest accomplishment of my life is the back patio and getting to Level (##) of Super Mario Kart?" 

 

Like many 40 and 50 year olds, you could just say you're "29" and ... you could get away with it.

 

SCARY Weird is when you hit 35. Because then ... you're REALLY old. You jump into a different demographic!

(These are the demographics)

12 – 17

18 – 24

25 – 34

35 – 44

45 – 54

55 – 64

65+

 

Happy Birthday Glory!

[Glory]

Not weird like, "I've done nothing with my life." I'm actually pretty happy with my life. I love my husband, I love my house, I'm making something of myself with my career.

 

More weird like, "Is it odd that I still attend gaming conventions? Should I be popping out children like all my friends/cousins? Is my metabolism really shot and now I'll NEVER lose these 20 (okay 30) extra pound?" 

 

That kind of weird. 

[EllieH]

 

More weird like, "Is it odd that I still attend gaming conventions? Should I be popping out children like all my friends/cousins? Is my metabolism really shot and now I'll NEVER lose these 20 (okay 30) extra pound?"

Like you, @Glory, I was happy with turning 30, it was when I turned 31 that I found myself having a similar "what am I doing with my life?" reaction.

 

In other news, I am apparently stumbling into a real life episode of The Office, as my team will be participating in a murder mystery (team bonding) dinner!  I hope I get to play Voodoo Mama Juju, witch doctor of the Savannah swamps.

[Glory]

Ellie, you better start practicing your accents!

[Pixel]

 

I hope I get to play Voodoo Mama Juju, witch doctor of the Savannah swamps.

This would be the most awesome thing ever.

 

Oh, and happy birthday, Glory!  I'm terrible about doing those FB birthday greetings.

Edited July 9, 2014 by Pixel

[Too Late Kev]

Happy belated bday, Glory! I didn't mind turning 30; I thought it was kind of cool. I didn't think turning 50 was all that cool (when it happened, which was a few years back), but it's better than the alternative.

 

That potato salad thing is weird. I don't even think it's funny, just ridiculous and I don't understand why anyone would contribute to that. It's one of those "no wonder people hate us" things. (People above 50 may have no sense of humor on these things.)

[Kalliste]

Hello thread, I just finished watching the Office for the first time last night so I now feel safe in the office forum :D

 

In relation to turning 30, it happened to me last year, I felt pretty sad about all the time I'd wasted in the last decade, hopefully I can make it up in the next :)

[LiberryLady]

Welcome, Kalliste!  

 

So, what did you think of The Office?  How much did you know about it before you watched it?

[Kalliste]

Thanks @LiberryLady

 

I don't really know how I feel about it. I watched all of it so I obviously liked it enough to do that. However, I just could not stand Michael, to the point where I think he is my most hated tv character ever, I know this was sort of the point of Michael, that he was just so weird and hard to handle but some episodes I just wanted to turn off because of him, I also hated it when Pam or Jim came to his rescue even though he'd been a massive dick to them.

 

I also knew that Michael was going to leave and when I thought it was going to be Will Ferrell that replaced him I was pretty devastated, I can't stand him either so I was glad how that turned out.

 

I do really like the other characters though, I liked how their stories changed and it was interesting to see how they had changed.. I remember loving Jim's goofy hair in the first few seasons but when they showed clips of him from the beginning in comparison to the end it just looked so bad in comparison :P And Phyllis I never remember looking anything like she did in the end, it's weird how that happens.

 

Also, I thought it was interesting how Phyllis mentioned it was weird that she wasn't sitting across from Stanley anymore but that the new guy would get there soon enough after eating all her fudge, does this mean Stanley was much thinner when he started working at Dunder Mifflin and Phyllis kept offering him treats?

 

I didn't really know much about the show before hand, I hadn't been spoiled at all, didn't know any of the character details etc... the closest I got to a spoiler was when I took a look at this forum when I'd just finished season 2 and found out about Jim and Pam getting together in season 4.. that was an ok spoiler because I think it would have been so sad if they never had, poor Jim.

I believe I saw one, or part of one, episode previously, it was when Holly and Michael did the dance in the conference room, I remember thinking 'oh man this is terrible' and never watched it again :P

 

Overall I liked it, I really disliked Michael though but found it weird without him after he left, I also noticed a massive calm when Andy was gone too, it was so strange to not have this irritation every 5 seconds.

[King of Birds]

Nine seasons of The Office. How long did this binge-watch take?  (Glory, how long will your re-watch take? A month?)

 

So funny that you disliked Michael so much. I guess I didn't hate the guy - some episodes excepted- because otherwise I'm not sure I could have kept watching.

--

On a Chili's note, I found three old iTunes cards -$55 worth of music/ stuff I can buy. I haven't bought from itunes in forever. Do you guys still do that? Or is amazon your place? Anybody still rock it and buy cds?

[Kalliste]

It took about 6 weeks to watch it this time around I think, averaged about an hr a day of episodes. I'm not sure how I did keep watching sometimes :D

 

----

I have never bought anything on itunes.. I don't think. I refuse to have it installed on my computer, the only place it exists is on my iPad because it came with ios7. I buy stuff from the app store but just don't like how itunes takes over your computer.

 

Amazon rarely ships here :( They have so many weird and wonderful things too, I remember when it used to just be books. 

 

And no on the CD front.. can't remember the last time I bought a CD, probably 6 or 7 years ago. They're still so expensive considering how much more convenient the alternatives are.

[Glory]

I'm in San Diego so my re-watch is on hold. I'm in the middle of season 4 right now so probably about a month all told.

[MichelleAK]

I buy most of my music from iTunes, but also from Amazon if they have something I want and it's cheaper than iTunes.  I rarely buy CDs anymore; the most recent one I bought was the 25th anniversary set for R.E.M.'s "Document," which was two years ago.   I know streaming is the thing now, but I haven't made that leap yet. I want to have my music readily accessible, and it seems using a streaming service would require always having an internet connection of some kind, and never getting away from paying a monthly fee.

[smrou]

When I buy music these days, which is actually not all that often, I either do it through iTunes or Amazon.  I do on occasion actually buy a CD, but it's rare.  Not even once per year, probably.

[Kalliste]

  I know streaming is the thing now, but I haven't made that leap yet. I want to have my music readily accessible, and it seems using a streaming service would require always having an internet connection of some kind, and never getting away from paying a monthly fee.

I feel the same, I recently joined Spotify and it's great to find all this new music but I don't like that I can't just listen to it whenever I want, have to be online, on my laptop, etc. Plus then there is the ads.. I know I could pay but it's quite pricey for a streaming/radio service.

[EllieH]

I bought two CDs last Christmas, of Christmas music so we'd have more options at my parents' house.  I'm really drawing a blank as to the last time I bought a CD for myself though!  Could it have been as long ago as college (9+ years)?

[King of Birds]

A windfall of iTunes dough, and a new Weird Al cd comes out? IT'S KARMA.

 

Could it have been as long ago as college (9+ years)?

Holy moly. I feel bad for my friends in bands. They make good music and then practically have to give it away for free.

[possibilities]

I can't remember if it was here that we were discussing the "Oxford Comma" a while ago, but even if it wasn't, I know there are some grammar nerds (like me) here, so i thught this might please:

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/where-to-get-more-data-on-the-divisive-oxford-comma/

We win!

 

Happy Birthday, Glory! I didn't question whether I was wasting my life til I turned 40. But I think that if you are happy, you're doing fine. I'm about to turn 49 in a few weeks, and I like years with interesting numbers (49 is a perfect square). I feel like when i turn 50, though, I will have to have some kind of milestone achievement or other to brag about, and looking at what's planned for the next year, I don't really think that's likely. So I may give myself a little existential crisis next summer, we'll see.

 

I don't buy much music, but when I do, I tend to buy CDs. I like that they can't vaporize, and I can share them with other people and play them wherever. But I don't have a lot of portable technology, and if I did, that might change my preference.

[Pixel]

I definitely prefer the Oxford comma. On another note, did y'all know you're not supposed to use two spaces after a period? That's been the rule for a long time now, and yet my muscle memory insists that I hit the space bar twice. I can't even tell you how many school papers I've gone back through to take out the extra spaces my thumb insists on putting in.

[frenchtoast]

I blame the early typing instruction. Because that's what we were taught. And then, it becomes a force of habit, muscle memory or whatever and it takes a lot to not do it.

[Too Late Kev]

I listen to music on Pandora and on the old-fashioned car radio. It's been years since I bought a CD, but it's not like I ever bought that many. I'm a fan of the Oxford comma, semi-colons, and good spelling.

[possibilities]

My word processor (WordPerfect) (I'm a throwback-- it's what everyone used when I got started, and now no one uses it) has a setting that auto-corrects the double space after a period. It's awesome. If I had to re-train myself, I don't know how long it would take.

[Kalliste]

I don't think I ever used double space after a full stop. I remember it being mentioned at school early on, maybe early high school but nothing much after that. I didn't like the double space so I never used it :P

[possibilities]

I think the double space was for people who learned to type on an actual typewriter (not a computer). We were drilled in that being the correct protocol, and it probably still is-- if you use a typewriter. But no one uses typewriters anymore, so it's now just a muscle memory for geezers like myself.

 

This was also back in the day when people took typing classes because they didn't touch a keyboard of any kind til they were in college or "secretary's school." So we got drilled in "the correct way" to type. And all keyboards were alike! No ergonomic designs, no "two thumbs" keypads, it was QWERTY all the way!

 

Cue up the theme song for "All In The Family," I feel a flashback coming on....

[Kalliste]

I don't know that we ever owned a typewriter.. I remember using an ancient typewriter a family friend had found. I can't remember the brand though, I just liked the heaviness of the keys and the sound they made.

 

From about the time I was 5 we had a computer though and I had computer classes from the time I was 15. Although back then they weren't that popular but we did have enough girls to have a dedicated girls computer class (about 15 of us) which is probably a good amount for computer classes now. 

 

I remember in primary school we had a Mario Bros themed typing program and I always chose the Princess as my character because she would kick the high bricks.. I don't even know what I still remember that :)

 

In our high school classes though typing lessons were a bit more boring and our teacher made us cover our hands with teatowels.