Small Talk: Only 2 Ounces Of Commenting Allowed

[mmecorday]

That sounds delicious, Hellga!

I decided to give up fast food as my New Year's resolution. And with the except of a few trips to Subway, I've been very good. I make a spinach salad with goat cheese, halved grape tomatoes, avocado and sunflower seeds to eat before a meal so that I won't overindulge. On my way home from work, there are so many temptations -- Cookout, Arby's, Wendy's, KFC, McDonald's -- but I just ignore them all.

[nokat]

1 hour ago, Hellga said:

And I will leave it out intentionally because the only food I enjoy even less than sautéed onions is fennel!

I could probably eat an onion like an apple. I don't even cry when I chop onion. I'm kind of on your page regarding fennel.
 

[nokat]

32 minutes ago, mmecorday said:

On my way home from work, there are so many temptations

I hear you. If I open my windows, I can smell an In N Out burger. Watching tv, it's all food ads.
 

[Hellga]

2 hours ago, mmecorday said:

I make a spinach salad with goat cheese, halved grape tomatoes, avocado and sunflower seeds to eat before a meal so that I won't overindulge. 

That sounds good!  But in my mind raw spinach was meant to be paired with blue cheese and hard-boiled egg in addition to whatever else may go into the salad!   I like cooked spinach too, but generally not as a side but as a filling for puff pastry or phyllo dough, something along the lines of spanakopita.   

1 hour ago, nokat said:

I could probably eat an onion like an apple. I don't even cry when I chop onion. I'm kind of on your page regarding fennel.

I don't mind raw onions (and if I am having soup and not meeting anyone after I do, I will get a few slices of onion, or some spears of green onion to go with it, just to eat along with my soup.  It's the cooked onions I find icky, the smell (if sautéed/fried) and the texture (any cooked onion).  I don't react as strongly as I did as a child, but I always put something else in the pan at the same time if the recipe does require onions and wouldn't taste right without them - such as garlic, hot peppers, something  so it doesn't stink of grease and freedom onions and oil.  I also dice them so small they disintegrate upon cooking.  Or I throw in a whole onion/half an onion and then just toss it out after the dish is cooked but before it is served... anything to avoid actually having discernable cooked onion on my plate.   

Edited January 21, 2020 by Hellga

[nokat]

I do like raw red onion or scallions on a salad. Tastes differ, and after you had a bad memory you can throw out the cooked onions.

Blue cheese and spinach, yum.
 

[nokat]

1 hour ago, Hellga said:

grease and freedom onions

Hee, that made me laugh.
 

[AZChristian]

To quote a Facebook meme I saw today:

Forget kale.

We all need to eat what Keith Richards and Betty White are eating!

[OoogleEyes]

On 1/16/2020 at 10:07 AM, Hellga said:

Over what period of time did she gain and then lose?  If she didn't spend at least a year in the "fat" state, it's not an accurate model, as her metabolism would not have changed in the same way.

Yeah, and if she didn't spend the entire weekend in bed eating junk food and watching bad reality TV shows, it means nothing

[nokat]

54 minutes ago, OoogleEyes said:

Yeah, and if she didn't spend the entire weekend in bed eating junk food and watching bad reality TV shows, it means nothing

In my defense, it took me two days to eat a small pepperoni pizza. I refuse to acknowledge the bad reality tv.
 

[Colleenna]

I saw a quick  blurb that "LB" Bonner's  family  is suing the show saying they  contributed to his  suicide. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think the show gave LB another chance to live, and he couldn't escape a lifetime of having to live up to his family's expectations.   

Edited January 25, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Hana Chan]

What a shame about LB. It's unfortunate but one of the things that going through this process has taught me is that the surgery will only help you lose weight. It's not going to fix everything else that might be wrong with your life and the sad reality is that many of the people who are in the shape that LB was are seriously screwed up. Mentally healthy people can get very obese (of which I'm a fine example) but to get to over six hundred pounds? There have to be some serious underlying issues.

I had to have a consultation with a psychiatrist to make sure that I didn't have any serious issues and, just as importantly, that I have a realistic expectation about what my surgery will bring. The surgery is a tool, not a fix-all for everything in my life and losing weight will not change anything else that I might not be happy about.

LB clearly needed help. It's a shame that he didn't get it when it might have done him some good.

[flappa1016]

6 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

I feel your pain. Try being from Boston! We get portrayed as beer swilling, semi literate, racist, thuggish petty criminals and gangsters with Nawth Shoah accents so thick you can barely understand us, who are always yelling about some fucken sports ball team, ked, going to Dunkin Donuts or fucken Santahpio's pizza, and listening to the Dropkick Murphys, singing "Sweet Caroline", and watching "Mystic River".

 

I grew up in western MA, but I've lived in the midwest for 30 years.  Whenever anyone hears that I'm from MA, they're all surprised because "You don't have an accent!". 

[Granny58]

9 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

I feel your pain. Try being from Boston! We get portrayed as beer swilling, semi literate, racist, thuggish petty criminals and gangsters with Nawth Shoah accents so thick you can barely understand us, who are always yelling about some fucken sports ball team, ked, going to Dunkin Donuts or fucken Santahpio's pizza, and listening to the Dropkick Murphys, singing "Sweet Caroline", and watching "Mystic River".

 

I visited Boston for the first time this year and it is my new favorite city.

[TwirlyGirly]

10 hours ago, Granny58 said:

I visited Boston for the first time this year and it is my new favorite city.

It is definitely *my* favorite city, and has been since my parents took me there for the first time when I was four. There's a picture of me on the trip at the Boston Commons, having the time of my life feeding the pigeons.

My daughter is currently living in Boston working towards her master's at BU. I can hop on a train at the airport here in Warwick, just 10 minutes from my house, and arrive in Boston in less than an hour. Yes I could drive there but nobody in their right mind thinks driving in Boston is "fun" nor is driving the fastest way to get around the city anyway (usually).

SO much better than when my daughter was getting her undergrad at a school nine hours away - let me tell ya...

I was going to say it's probably good that Gina doesn't live in a city like Boston, which is known for its variety and availability of really good food, but judging by her low standards for the quality of the food she eats it probably wouldn't affect her food choices anyway!

Edited January 31, 2020 by TwirlyGirly

[Carboncat]

11 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

I feel your pain. Try being from Boston! We get portrayed as beer swilling, semi literate, racist, thuggish petty criminals and gangsters with Nawth Shoah accents so thick you can barely understand us, who are always yelling about some fucken sports ball team, ked, going to Dunkin Donuts or fucken Santahpio's pizza, and listening to the Dropkick Murphys, singing "Sweet Caroline", and watching "Mystic River".

 

For what it's worth, as a child growing up in California in the 60's I thought  of Boston as a cultured "New England" place, with its Revolutionary heritage, colleges, brick buildings, and in the countryside, white clapboard farmhouses.  And snow.  We don't get snow.  It is so picturesque on Christmas cards. 

I never understood what you mean until the 90's when I read Dennis Lehane novels.

I actually LIKE New Jersey!  We've probably got more in common than we really know, or want to admit...

They are even bringing Dunkin' Donuts out here.  Naw, it's not that good. OK, but not great.

Also the Kennedys.  I associated them with Massachusetts, New England, et. al.

"Because it is haaahhd", going to the Moon, that is.  And "Cuber"!.  Am I showing my age?

Anyway, my love to Boston and its 3 story Victorian flats, like in San Francisco. 

Question:  All the siding in photos look like aluminum.  Is that because wood can't survive freezing weather?

Edited January 31, 2020 by Carboncat
remembered something

[Carboncat]

6 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

New Jersey is lovely in plenty of spots. People always either think of the shore (and Jersey Shore, now, unfortunately, thanks to MTV...most of them weren't even from NJ, from what I understand), or they think of the northern part, NYC suburbs which are much more urban and industrial (and maybe Philly 'burbs which are similar). There's plenty of other stuff in between. Even the "garden" bits that the state is nicknamed for. (We even have wineries and at least one alpaca farm!)

LOL...I have at least six Dunkin Donuts that I can easily stop at on my way to work. I take a couple different routes and the way I went this morning there are three that are directly on my way (plus a fourth that's on the wrong side of the highway); my other route has one on the way and two others that require just a slight detour). Tuesday's This Is Us, which I watched last night, enticed me to go get a couple glazed this morning.

 

The way she phrased it at first did sound like she had done it before but then she clarified that she had been turned down.

My husband's family is from Morristown, NJ.  It is really nice there, and the Dunkin' coffee was good, but the ordering system is weird.  Last time there was summer at the height of a California drought. Green grass!  Rain!  OMG!

The freeways are really confusing, like a luge course with cloverleafs.  I was designated driver,and we passed our destinations many times while I tried to figure it out.

It didn't help that our rent-a -car had Kentucky plates.  It screamed "rube".  What I found out was if you are upfront and real, people there respect that. 

[ams1001]

9 minutes ago, Carboncat said:

The freeways are really confusing, like a luge course with cloverleafs.  I was designated driver,and we passed our destinations many times while I tried to figure it out.

Ha, I'm so used to jughandles and having to be in the right lane to make any turn. The ones I'm most likely to miss if I'm in an unfamiliar area are where it's actually a left-lane exit and I don't realize it until it's too late. I hate circles, though. There aren't any in my usual day-to-day travels but if I head toward the shore points (which I don't, often) there are several. There used to be a big circle in my town where the two main highways going through the area cross each other, and I was so happy that it was turned into a regular intersection (with jughandles, of course) before I started driving.

[Carboncat]

On ‎1‎/‎9‎/‎2020 at 9:43 AM, nokat said:

I've said this before here, that I use toddler sized bowls to limit my portions. If I must have my potato chips it's only a handful at the most. It has been working for me, after the menopause "what the hell happened." 
 

Small bowls (thus serving sizes) really do help.  As for getting older, yeah, what the hell happened?  Getting old sucks, but (let's say it together,now)  it sure beats the alternative.

[magemaud]

44 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Ha, I'm so used to jughandles and having to be in the right lane to make any turn. 

Jughandles! Hah! One time someone suggested a new state slogan should be “Welcome to New Jersey, keep right to turn left”. I’m so used to them that I’m always amazed when I’m in another state and see someone making a U turn. 

[nokat]

6 hours ago, TwirlyGirly said:

Yes I could drive there but nobody in their right mind thinks driving in Boston is "fun" nor is driving the fastest way to get around the city anyway (usually).

I can attest to that. :) Boston is lovely, but driving there isn't.
 

[nokat]

3 hours ago, Carboncat said:

Small bowls (thus serving sizes) really do help.  As for getting older, yeah, what the hell happened?  Getting old sucks, but (let's say it together,now)  it sure beats the alternative.

As to getting older, I used to do crafts that would have me kneeling on the floor for a few hours.  Now I'm like oh crap, how do I get back up? My hands cramp when I'm crocheting. It's all going to hell.  But as you said, it beats the alternative. ;)

If you don't like measuring, weighing, etc, the small bowl really does help limit what you eat. For salads, not throwing in all of the cheese and or ranch dressing will help.  I was blabbing about getting used to less salt and sugar. It does happen.

 

Edited January 31, 2020 by nokat

[Pepper Mostly]

10 hours ago, flappa1016 said:

I grew up in western MA, but I've lived in the midwest for 30 years.  Whenever anyone hears that I'm from MA, they're all surprised because "You don't have an accent!". 

Right? People say that to me too--"Oh wow, you're from here? But you don't have an accent!" Well, I do. I just don't talk like a knuckle dragging petty criminal who dropped out of South Boston High. What 's seen in the movies is a heavy, blue collar accent. Plenty of people have a softer "r" or a a broader "a" but don't sound like "I'm goin to Dunks, kid, for a fucken donut, ya wanna cawfee?"

8 hours ago, TwirlyGirly said:

It is definitely *my* favorite city, and has been since my parents first took me there for the first time when I was four. There's a picture of me on the trip at the Boston Commons, having the time of my life feeding the pigeons.

My daughter is currently living in Boston working towards her master's at BU. I can hop on a train at the airport here in Warwick, just 10 minutes from my house, and arrive in Boston in less than an hour. Yes I could drive there but nobody in their right mind thinks driving in Boston is "fun" nor is driving the fastest way to get around the city anyway (usually).

I work at MIT, right across the river!

7 hours ago, Carboncat said:

For what it's worth, as a child growing up in California in the 60's I thought  of Boston as a cultured "New England" place, with its Revolutionary heritage, colleges, brick buildings, and in the countryside, white clapboard farmhouses.  And snow.  We don't get snow.  It is so picturesque on Christmas cards. 

I never understood what you mean until the 90's when I read Dennis Lehane novels.

I actually LIKE New Jersey!  We've probably got more in common than we really know, or want to admit...

They are even bringing Dunkin' Donuts out here.  Naw, it's not that good. OK, but not great.

Also the Kennedys.  I associated them with Massachusetts, New England, et. al.

"Because it is haaahhd", going to the Moon, that is.  And "Cuber"!.  Am I showing my age?

Anyway, my love to Boston and its 3 story Victorian flats, like in San Francisco. 

Question:  All the siding in photos look like aluminum.  Is that because wood can't survive freezing weather?

Sure, in the 60's Boston's reputation was of refined, blue blooded Beacon Hill types. College professors and educated people. Old ladies who "had their hats". And the Kennedys--cut glass Irish with "Harvard" accents. Then Dennis Lehane, "Good Will Hunting". The busing crisis in the 70's showed the ugly side of Boston--racist housewives in Southie throwing rocks at black kids in school buses. 

There is a lot of aluminum and vinyl siding used here, but plenty of wood clapboard and shingles too. I have vinyl siding on my house. It is easier to maintain. The weather is also not as bad as people think! It rarely goes into the teens in winter, for instance. Sometimes its snowy, sometimes it's not. We have the gamut of weather, but I think lots of places have more severe winters. 

[nokat]

Oh, MIT, is on the other coast with Caltech. 
 

Feels like I walked into a party wearing the wrong dress and accent.
 

Edited January 31, 2020 by nokat

[Granny58]

5 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Right? People say that to me too--"Oh wow, you're from here? But you don't have an accent!" Well, I do. I just don't talk like a knuckle dragging petty criminal who dropped out of South Boston High. What 's seen in the movies is a heavy, blue collar accent. Plenty of people have a softer "r" or a a broader "a" but don't sound like "I'm goin to Dunks, kid, for a fucken donut, ya wanna cawfee?"

I work at MIT, right across the river!

Sure, in the 60's Boston's reputation was of refined, blue blooded Beacon Hill types. College professors and educated people. Old ladies who "had their hats". And the Kennedys--cut glass Irish with "Harvard" accents. Then Dennis Lehane, "Good Will Hunting". The busing crisis in the 70's showed the ugly side of Boston--racist housewives in Southie throwing rocks at black kids in school buses. 

There is a lot of aluminum and vinyl siding used here, but plenty of wood clapboard and shingles too. I have vinyl siding on my house. It is easier to maintain. The weather is also not as bad as people think! It rarely goes into the teens in winter, for instance. Sometimes its snowy, sometimes it's not. We have the gamut of weather, but I think lots of places have more severe winters. 

Wow!   I know somebody doing graduate work at MIT.  

[gameshowjunkie]

Other than the brothers, this season is sucking. Can they give us someone to root for? The last two weeks the poundticipants have been so awful!

[CrazyInAlabama]

Bethany, Lindsey, JT, and Gina were all fails for me.   Even though JT lost a lot of weight, my guess is that if he gets the chance, he'll not only fall of the food wagon, he'll gain even more.     

[Carboncat]

On ‎1‎/‎31‎/‎2020 at 3:34 AM, Pepper Mostly said:

Right? People say that to me too--"Oh wow, you're from here? But you don't have an accent!" Well, I do. I just don't talk like a knuckle dragging petty criminal who dropped out of South Boston High. What 's seen in the movies is a heavy, blue collar accent. Plenty of people have a softer "r" or a a broader "a" but don't sound like "I'm goin to Dunks, kid, for a fucken donut, ya wanna cawfee?"

I work at MIT, right across the river!

Sure, in the 60's Boston's reputation was of refined, blue blooded Beacon Hill types. College professors and educated people. Old ladies who "had their hats". And the Kennedys--cut glass Irish with "Harvard" accents. Then Dennis Lehane, "Good Will Hunting". The busing crisis in the 70's showed the ugly side of Boston--racist housewives in Southie throwing rocks at black kids in school buses. 

There is a lot of aluminum and vinyl siding used here, but plenty of wood clapboard and shingles too. I have vinyl siding on my house. It is easier to maintain. The weather is also not as bad as people think! It rarely goes into the teens in winter, for instance. Sometimes its snowy, sometimes it's not. We have the gamut of weather, but I think lots of places have more severe winters. 

Thanks for that. Our starter house here in San Leandro (which we can  never leave) has wood siding under (ugh) aluminum.  I peeked under and declared "Nope".

I know this probably belongs in Small Talk", but I really appreciate the interchange.

The local weather channel has been warning for days that temps starting Sunday won't climb out of the the 50's and with wind chill might FEEL like 50 degrees.  I'm breaking out the fleece and fuzzy boots for this..

My husband  is chomping at the bit so we can retire to Nevada, where they don't have weather, except hot, power lines are underground, and few earthquakes.  I still need to keep on working.

My high school best friend went to an East Coast school (I forget which).  She lived in an apartment in Waltham, Mass.  She wrote me how freezing cold it was, all the time, and how she slipped on the sidewalks.  I cant't navigate ice either!

[Minivanessa]

Well, my fellow pounders, I must confess that recently I have failed you. I spent 10 days in the Houston area recently, visiting/helping a relative who's home after a serious illness. We actually talked about this show, and she mentioned that Dr. Now's clinic is across the street from the Whole Foods store which is her favorite of that chain for shopping although not at all in her part of town. 

I'd hoped that before the live chat opened for JT's episode, which aired while I was there, I'd be able to get across town and grab a photo of the outside of Dr. Now's clinic and then post it in the chat. Sadly, I was too busy and on the day of, it was nasty rainy all day long. I never did get over there to eyeball the place for myself. Maybe another time . . . 

Edited February 1, 2020 by Jeeves

[crazycatlady58]

3 hours ago, Jeeves said:

Well, my fellow pounders, I must confess that recently I have failed you. I spent 10 days in the Houston area recently, visiting/helping a relative who's home after a serious illness. We actually talked about this show, and she mentioned that Dr. Now's clinic is across the street from the Whole Foods store which is her favorite of that chain for shopping although not at all in her part of town. 

I'd hoped that before the live chat opened for JT's episode, which aired while I was there, I'd be able to get across town and grab a photo of the outside of Dr. Now's clinic and then post it in the chat. Sadly, I was too busy and on the day of, it was nasty rainy all day long. I never did get over there to eyeball the place for myself. Maybe another time . . . 

Yes I remember you posting you were here and the weather was nasty. Hopefully you can come back when the weather is better. Today would have been good it is sunny and 66°.

[fonfereksglen]

This morning we went to watch my 5th grade nephew play hoops at a rural high school.  As we were leaving the gym, I encountered the first person I have personally seen, a young man around 30, who was easily 500 lbs closing in too soon on 600 lbs.  It is jaw dropping.  I especially noted that he seemed way underdressed for deep winter, with large shorts and summer shoes.  Just finding winter clothes that fit must be difficult. Sad.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I moved a couple of years ago, and my doctor there was a woman, and had a mostly female patient group.     The doctor had a lot of 400 lb patients, and the chairs in the waiting room were the Dr. Now waiting room size.     It was the most comfortable waiting room chair ever.   Plus, I weight too much, but I felt so skinny in that waiting room.   

[Hellga]

Wow, didn't expect to see all the discussion about Boston.  I am in the process of moving to Boston now - I took a job in Cambridge (Kendall Square)…  In fact, I will be heading there this evening, to work Monday-Thursday and then come back to New York on Thursday night.  Last week was my first week like that, and I expected traffic to be far worse than it actually was.   I will be doing the 3.5 hour drive every week for the next few weeks until I move...

PS  Speaking of accents, when I moved to New York, I was super happy than whenever I asked for water, I didn't have to repeat myself anymore (as I had for 8 years in Nebraska, every single time!).  Let's see if Bostonians will get it. 🙂

Edited February 2, 2020 by Hellga

[Colleenna]

On 2/1/2020 at 1:51 PM, Carboncat said:

The local weather channel has been warning for days that temps starting Sunday won't climb out of the the 50's and with wind chill might FEEL like 50 degrees.  I'm breaking out the fleece and fuzzy boots for this..

OMG it's  55 here and I was just  outside  in shorts, tee, and flip-flops.  And cursing the  fact that  we haven't had any  winter yet. 

[Pepper Mostly]

On 2/1/2020 at 1:51 PM, Carboncat said:

My high school best friend went to an East Coast school (I forget which).  She lived in an apartment in Waltham, Mass.  She wrote me how freezing cold it was, all the time, and how she slipped on the sidewalks.  I cant't navigate ice either!

Brandeis? That's in Waltham. Sometimes its wicked icy, sometimes not. I remember 1994 was snowy and icy, because my son was a baby in the NICU at Children's Hospital and we drove in every day. 2015 was Snowmageddon, it snowed every day and night, it seemed. Everything closed. Even the T! This winter, we've had maybe three inches of snow. Its 50 degrees here today.

On 2/2/2020 at 11:12 AM, Hellga said:

Wow, didn't expect to see all the discussion about Boston.  I am in the process of moving to Boston now - I took a job in Cambridge (Kendall Square)…  In fact, I will be heading there this evening, to work Monday-Thursday and then come back to New York on Thursday night.  Last week was my first week like that, and I expected traffic to be far worse than it actually was.   I will be doing the 3.5 hour drive every week for the next few weeks until I move...

PS  Speaking of accents, when I moved to New York, I was super happy than whenever I asked for water, I didn't have to repeat myself anymore (as I had for 8 years in Nebraska, every single time!).  Let's see if Bostonians will get it. 🙂

If you're going to be working in Kendall there is probably no one there who's a native speaker, LOL. But seriously, welcome. I work at MIT, maybe we'll cross paths!

[AZChristian]

On 2/1/2020 at 12:25 PM, Jeeves said:

I'd hoped that before the live chat opened for JT's episode, which aired while I was there, I'd be able to get across town and grab a photo of the outside of Dr. Now's clinic and then post it in the chat. Sadly, I was too busy and on the day of, it was nasty rainy all day long. I never did get over there to eyeball the place for myself. Maybe another time . . . 

We were in Houston in 2017 as part of my husband's dream of visiting all the major league baseball parks.  Our agreement is that I'd go along to visit the parks, but that I'd get to visit something I wanted to see in each city.

Here's my "want to see" in Houston.  I especially loved that there's a Chinese Buffet in the same parking lot.  Makes it a lot easier for our 600-Pound-Life participants to grab "a bite" to eat before heading to their hotels.

[Carboncat]

3 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Brandeis? That's in Waltham. Sometimes its wicked icy, sometimes not. I remember 1994 was snowy and icy, because my son was a baby in the NICU at Children's Hospital and we drove in every day. 2015 was Snowmageddon, it snowed every day and night, it seemed. Everything closed. Even the T! This winter, we've had maybe three inches of snow. Its 50 degrees here today.

If you're going to be working in Kendall there is probably no one there who's a native speaker, LOL. But seriously, welcome. I work at MIT, maybe we'll cross paths!

Yes! It was Brandeis. This would have been winter of '81.  She froze, gained the Freshman 15 lbs, and fell in love.  I kind of lost interest.

I did get admitted to UC Berkeley, because I had good grades.  I reveled in courses, including such as Russian, and Arabic.  Until I dropped out to work and get married and have kids.  I don't regret it, not really.  I did complete a 4-year apprenticeship and am a Journeyman Carpenter.

My son was born in 1993.  I pray your son is happy and healthy today.  Snowy visits to NICU, so sorry!

I have trouble with ice on the car in the morning.  Having to dig it out from snow would have me seriously weighing how bad do I really want to go to work?

Nevada looks good in theory for retirement, but how long can you float in the pool?  No wildfires, because there's nothing to burn.  What will I do?

"Welcome to Walmart!" ?

[Carboncat]

On ‎1‎/‎20‎/‎2020 at 10:00 PM, Hellga said:

That sounds good!  But in my mind raw spinach was meant to be paired with blue cheese and hard-boiled egg in addition to whatever else may go into the salad!   I like cooked spinach too, but generally not as a side but as a filling for puff pastry or phyllo dough, something along the lines of spanakopita.   

I don't mind raw onions (and if I am having soup and not meeting anyone after I do, I will get a few slices of onion, or some spears of green onion to go with it, just to eat along with my soup.  It's the cooked onions I find icky, the smell (if sautéed/fried) and the texture (any cooked onion).  I don't react as strongly as I did as a child, but I always put something else in the pan at the same time if the recipe does require onions and wouldn't taste right without them - such as garlic, hot peppers, something  so it doesn't stink of grease and freedom onions and oil.  I also dice them so small they disintegrate upon cooking.  Or I throw in a whole onion/half an onion and then just toss it out after the dish is cooked but before it is served... anything to avoid actually having discernable cooked onion on my plate.   

I really like the "sweet" onions availiable the last few years.  they are squat and flaky, sometimes called "viadalia".  Much easier on the tear ducks when chopping, and seriously better when fixing tuna salad etc.  Please check them out!

[Carboncat]

On ‎2‎/‎2‎/‎2020 at 1:39 PM, Colleenna said:

OMG it's  55 here and I was just  outside  in shorts, tee, and flip-flops.  And cursing the  fact that  we haven't had any  winter yet. 

Yeah, it was a big bust.  It was really warm on the porch in the sun while the '9'rs were losing.  (No, I don't really care).

Seriously, this lack of winter is concerning;  no freezes, no frost, plants perpetually blooming.

No politics at all, not going there.

Guess I need to touch up my California tan, in February.  Just KIDDING!  Love from me and Cattos!

[Pepper Mostly]

1 hour ago, Carboncat said:

Yes! It was Brandeis. This would have been winter of '81.  She froze, gained the Freshman 15 lbs, and fell in love.  I kind of lost interest.

I did get admitted to UC Berkeley, because I had good grades.  I reveled in courses, including such as Russian, and Arabic.  Until I dropped out to work and get married and have kids.  I don't regret it, not really.  I did complete a 4-year apprenticeship and am a Journeyman Carpenter.

My son was born in 1993.  I pray your son is happy and healthy today.  Snowy visits to NICU, so sorry!

I have trouble with ice on the car in the morning.  Having to dig it out from snow would have me seriously weighing how bad do I really want to go to work?

Nevada looks good in theory for retirement, but how long can you float in the pool?  No wildfires, because there's nothing to burn.  What will I do?

"Welcome to Walmart!" ?

That's so funny about your friend! My "heart daughter" went to Brandeis, just graduated in 2019. Also fell in love and got married after graduation! 

You're very kind! My son is now 26 and healthy as a horse. He had a bit of a rocky start but when they sent him home from the hospital he had a totally clean bill of health, and he's been very robust since. He rarely even catches cold. 

I once read an interview with Joan Rivers who said it was great to live in Las Vegas, and that they had a fantastic public library. You'll have to find out if that's true! 

 

 

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Las Vegas has a sensational public library!    It's won all kinds of design, and library awards too. They also have a winter in Vegas too.   It doesn't seem fair that a place that's so hot for over six months of the year has a winter, complete with snow sometimes, but it does.  

 

The problem with Vidalia onions is that they are only available during the harvest season from the middle of April to August.    

Edited February 4, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Minivanessa]

5 hours ago, AZChristian said:

We were in Houston in 2017 as part of my husband's dream of visiting all the major league baseball parks.  Our agreement is that I'd go along to visit the parks, but that I'd get to visit something I wanted to see in each city.

Here's my "want to see" in Houston.  I especially loved that there's a Chinese Buffet in the same parking lot.  Makes it a lot easier for our 600-Pound-Life participants to grab "a bite" to eat before heading to their hotels.

Oh, that's cool to see. Thanks for sharing! What jumped out at me on that sign at first was "The Lice Place." I checked, it really is a business providing lice removal and treatment services. Which took my mind to some of the, um, hygienically deficient poundticipants we've seen. And I see signs for a pharmacy and diabetes control services too. Convenient! You can refuel at the Chinese buffet while waiting for your prescriptions to be filled.

Well, not so fast. Is it just me, or does anyone else think twice about eating at a buffet that has a lice treatment business as a neighbor? 🤣

[Colleenna]

Angie J accuses the show of  fakery

 

https://starcasm.net/my-600-lb-life-angie-j-today/

[Wanda]

8 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Brandeis? That's in Waltham. Sometimes its wicked icy, sometimes not. I remember 1994 was snowy and icy, because my son was a baby in the NICU at Children's Hospital and we drove in every day. 2015 was Snowmageddon, it snowed every day and night, it seemed. Everything closed. Even the T! This winter, we've had maybe three inches of snow. Its 50 degrees here today.

If you're going to be working in Kendall there is probably no one there who's a native speaker, LOL. But seriously, welcome. I work at MIT, maybe we'll cross paths!

My daughter met her future husband While they were at Brandeis. then he did his doctorate at MIT (while she went to PITT) . Small world here on the 600 lb forums lol

[Hellga]

9 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

If you're going to be working in Kendall there is probably no one there who's a native speaker, LOL. But seriously, welcome. I work at MIT, maybe we'll cross paths!

All of my immediate colleagues are native English speakers (and most are Massachusetts natives!). 😁 

I am all up for a 600-pound viewing party somewhere in Cambridge.  Big screens in bars are not just for sports! 

Edited February 4, 2020 by Hellga

[PrincessPurrsALot]

1 hour ago, Hellga said:

All of my immediate colleagues are native English speakers (and most are Massachusetts natives!). 😁 

I am all up for a 600-pound viewing party somewhere in Cambridge.  Big screens in bars are not just for sports! 

The bigger the screen, the closer to life-size the poundticipant will appear!

[Minivanessa]

12 hours ago, Colleenna said:

Angie J accuses the show of  fakery

https://starcasm.net/my-600-lb-life-angie-j-today/

That's hilarious. A lying grifting drug addict accusing a TV show of fakery. 

[nokat]

Feels like I should be wearing the dunce cap. I ate an entire bag of pork rinds (2.5 oz because it's mostly air). I held the bag and shoved it in, ignoring my own advice about the bowl size.
 

[nokat]

9 hours ago, PrincessPurrsALot said:

The bigger the screen, the closer to life-size the poundticipant will appear!

But the toilet or shower scenes! No, bad Princess. 
 

[Caoimhe]

1 hour ago, nokat said:

Feels like I should be wearing the dunce cap. I ate an entire bag of pork rinds (2.5 oz because it's mostly air). I held the bag and shoved it in, ignoring my own advice about the bowl size.
 

It happens.  My Sunday night consumption seemed fine while I was eating but the pile of bones on my plate told a different story.  Maybe next time I should bring a tiny plate!