Janelle Brown: Smarter Than Your Average Brown (Maybe)

[MakingBacon]

janelle’s posts are like Pippa Middleton’s book on entertaining, both seem to be giving “tips” for the dumbest people on the planet. Is she really posting about washing greens? She thinks this is a new thing? I am younger than her and I grew up with turnip greens soaking in the sink and then cutting the stems off before cooking them. A likely rare double act in her world. Pre-cut, pre-washed vegetables is really more of a last decade or so thing. I wonder if she knows you can dice a real onion or buy a container of pre-diced onion. See, I made the next Strive post for Janelle. Cleaning vegetables is such an ordinary, every day activity that it does not need it’s own post. 

[xwordfanatik]

2 minutes ago, MakingBacon said:

janelle’s posts are like Pippa Middleton’s book on entertaining, both seem to be giving “tips” for the dumbest people on the planet. Is she really posting about washing greens? She thinks this is a new thing? I am younger than her and I grew up with turnip greens soaking in the sink and then cutting the stems off before cooking them. A likely rare double act in her world. Pre-cut, pre-washed vegetables is really more of a last decade or so thing. I wonder if she knows you can dice a real onion or buy a container of pre-diced onion. See, I made the next Strive post for Janelle. Cleaning vegetables is such an ordinary, every day activity that it does not need it’s own post. 

Absolutely right.  Everyone with more than two brain cells to rub together knows the importance of washing produce.  Has Janelle never heard of eColi or Salmonella?  Surely she has to be clueless about what most everyone already knows, or she thinks her subscribers (all three of them) are as dumb as a fence post.  

[SunnyBeBe]

Yeah, maybe, she had just bleached and scrubbed that sink, before she washed greens in there, but, I would never do that.  I always put produce into a clean container to wash, then rinse.  But, I have been called a germaphobe a few times.  lol  I stop when my meat is almost done and wash the utensil that I've been using to touch the meat, dry it, then return to using it.  To me, the utensil could have harmful bacteria that is not destroyed like that in the meat is.  This is my own safety tip.  I invented it and do not charge anyone for this amazing and helpful information!  lol  

Oh, I have a question.  Would you store a dust pan in a closet where you also sore paper towels?  

[Kohola3]

38 minutes ago, xwordfanatik said:

Has Janelle never heard of eColi or Salmonella?

No but I bet she's an expert on Prairie Dog Plague.

[Joan of Argh]

6 hours ago, Meowwww said:

How does she function with such a long big toenail?  

Years ago my best friends mother-in-law was a very sought after seamstress and made beautiful pageant gowns, figure skaters outfits and every now and then beaded sequined specialty gowns for strippers... They were an enormous amount of work with a lot of hand stitching, beading, sequins etc.

My friend was her MIL's assistant.... One time she was sick with flu and she asked me if I could come help her MIL with her fittings that week... Most were figure skaters but at the end of the week 2 gorgeous girls with knock-out figures showed up (they were strippers) and when they took off their shoes they both had the longest toenails I'd ever seen, like literally 3/4 of an inch past the end of their toes almost like talons....one had hers painted dark purple, the other girl had hers painted dark red.

After they left I asked my friends MIL what was going on with the toenails and she said all her "dancer" clients (that's what they preferred to be called) had their toe nails like that because they said it made their feet look longer and more elegant in open toed shoes and after they removed their shoes and danced, posed barefoot on low stage it gave their feet a slender profile.

When I got home I told hubby about it and asked him.... "as a guy whether he thought that would be attractive?".... He laughed and said... "as a young man the few times he went to that type of thing for bachelor stag party, he never noticed the ladies feet!"

But if he had he wouldn't want to see long claw toe nails!  😂

[SunnyBeBe]

One of my pet peeves includes LONG toenails!  I can't stand it!  Makes me feel a little ill.  lol

[Joan of Argh]

3 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

One of my pet peeves includes LONG toenails!  I can't stand it!  Makes me feel a little ill.  lol

Me too!

I like mine nice and short and I paint them a pretty pink

I used to have long fingernails and painted them.... but now I like my fingernails really short and paint them pink to match my toes.  😁

[neh]

On 4/26/2019 at 5:39 PM, Joan of Argh said:

My favorite ice cream is cherry custard and it has chopped up maraschino cherries all through it.... Guess I'll have to find a new favorite. 😟

No, Joan, don't give up your cherry custard. Down deep inside of us we knew those cherries weren't real but they were still delightful and satisfying!

[xwordfanatik]

I keep both my fingernails and toenails short, and nicely groomed.  

If anyone wants to see horrifying long, curled-under toenails (with God-knows-what-kind-of-germy-bacteria), there are pictures galore online.  I saw some on the People of Walmart site years ago, and they were nauseating.  

It could be that Janelle can't trim her toenails because her gut is huge.  I'm not fat-shaming.  I used to be overweight, and it was tough to do then.  Nice that she can afford a pedicure.  Even now, being normal weight, I still cringe at the idea of someone else working on my feet.  YMMV.

[Gothish520]

On 4/25/2019 at 4:17 PM, Joan of Argh said:

What about spiders?

Im terrified of spiders and the bigger they are the more they scare me!!!!!   😦

After 30+ yrs of marriage hubby can tell my "spider scream" from a mile away lolol

Not a fan of spiders, but there is one insect that strikes even more terror in my heart - centipedes. Something about all those legs, the antennae,  and the way they skitter around so quickly - *shudder* !!!

On 4/25/2019 at 11:00 PM, Marshmallow Mollie said:

Add maraschino cherries to the list. In the words of Janelle, “someone told me” you can bury maraschino cherries and dig them up ten years later and they would still look the same. I believe it. Think of that story next time you look at one, and you’ll believe it, too. My apologies to anyone who likes them 😉

Add me to the chorus of maraschino cherry haters. There are very few foods that I can claim to loathe, and these are one. 

[Gothish520]

On 4/26/2019 at 5:39 PM, Joan of Argh said:

My favorite ice cream is cherry custard and it has chopped up maraschino cherries all through it.... Guess I'll have to find a new favorite. 😟

Lol, that's funny! You do you Joan - my mom knew that if she wanted to keep me away from the ice cream, she only had to buy two kinds - maple walnut and cherry vanilla! She loved it.

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, neh said:

Down deep inside of us we knew those cherries weren't real but they were still delightful and satisfying!

Yep, I'm nearly 70 and have been eating them all of my life.  Hasn't hurt me a bit and I still love them.

[Gothish520]

2 hours ago, Joan of Argh said:

Me too!

I like mine nice and short and I paint them a pretty pink

I used to have long fingernails and painted them.... but now I like my fingernails really short and paint them pink to match my toes.  😁

I keep my fingernails and toenails very short as well - if you can do a French manicure on your toes, the nails are too long!

[Teafortwo]

Two words for long toenails: holey socks

[xwordfanatik]

25 minutes ago, Teafortwo said:

Two words for long toenails: holey socks

Or sheets!  

[MakingBacon]

6 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Yeah, maybe, she had just bleached and scrubbed that sink, before she washed greens in there, but, I would never do that.  I always put produce into a clean container to wash, then rinse.  But, I have been called a germaphobe a few times.  lol  I stop when my meat is almost done and wash the utensil that I've been using to touch the meat, dry it, then return to using it.  To me, the utensil could have harmful bacteria that is not destroyed like that in the meat is.  This is my own safety tip.  I invented it and do not charge anyone for this amazing and helpful information!  lol  

Oh, I have a question.  Would you store a dust pan in a closet where you also sore paper towels?  

You are not alone. I actually buy a bag of 100 plastic disposable gloves that are for food handling. I use them when I have to touch raw chicken. I then throw them away and wash my hands. Also, if I use a utensil that touches raw chicken, I wipe it down with Lysol wipes and then I wash it. I also Lysol wipe and then wash any area that has a chance of having had any raw chicken on it. Raw chicken freaks me out. 

[monagatuna]

4 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

One of my pet peeves includes LONG toenails!  I can't stand it!  Makes me feel a little ill.  lol

I hate to admit it but I love the look of a toenail that just barely reaches the end of the toe, but I can't wear them myself. Between running and climbing, any toenail that shows any white gets trimmed immediately. 😞

[Gothish520]

5 minutes ago, MakingBacon said:

You are not alone. I actually buy a bag of 100 plastic disposable gloves that are for food handling. I use them when I have to touch raw chicken. I then throw them away and wash my hands. Also, if I use a utensil that touches raw chicken, I wipe it down with Lysol wipes and then I wash it. I also Lysol wipe and then wash any area that has a chance of having had any raw chicken on it. Raw chicken freaks me out. 

You and @SunnyBeBe are definitely not alone! I don't touch any raw meat with my hands - I, too, use food-safe gloves and change out my utensils when cooking. And I would never dream of washing any foods in my sink. 

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

It could be that Janelle can't trim her toenails because her gut is huge.  I'm not fat-shaming.  I used to be overweight, and it was tough to do then.  Nice that she can afford a pedicure.  Even now, being normal weight, I still cringe at the idea of someone else working on my feet.  YMMV.

That's a good point, I used to have that problem too.  You don't even have to be that overweight, just carry your weight in your gut, like Janelle does.  If she has pedicures done they would trim her toenails though, so I wonder if she doesn't leave them like that intentionally.

Speaking of Janelle's gut, I think that "spare tire" in her lower abdomen makes her look heavier.  When she moves a certain way it looks to me like some of that is hanging flesh, not even so much fat.  If she had that tucked I bet she'd look at least 20 lbs. thinner.

2 hours ago, MakingBacon said:

You are not alone. I actually buy a bag of 100 plastic disposable gloves that are for food handling. I use them when I have to touch raw chicken. I then throw them away and wash my hands. Also, if I use a utensil that touches raw chicken, I wipe it down with Lysol wipes and then I wash it. I also Lysol wipe and then wash any area that has a chance of having had any raw chicken on it. Raw chicken freaks me out. 

I am a germophobe and do the same thing with those plastic gloves when I handle food like chicken.  I spray my entire sink, faucet and kitchen counter afterward with disinfectant bleach cleaner too.  When I cook I wash my hands and utensils so many times I need to slather myself in hand cream afterward.

Meanwhile Mr. Yeah No will come along and eat food off the floor and yell out, "3 second rule!" which I tell him every time has been debunked but he doesn't seem to care.  After he "washes dishes" I rewash them, LOL.  🙄

[TurtlePower]

11 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

Not a fan of spiders, but there is one insect that strikes even more terror in my heart - centipedes. Something about all those legs, the antennae,  and the way they skitter around so quickly - *shudder* !!!

It's the beginning of spider season where I live (and rattlesnakes). We get camel spiders and they're so fast and scary--practically the only thing that causes me to run screaming out of the house. They're so large that when you spray them, you can hear them fall and hit the ground in a "thump".  

It's also that time when the rattlesnakes are out and about; we get tons of them up here. Pulled 5 out of the garage last year. Funny thing, the snakes don't scare me (and they have venom), but the giant spiders do (they're mostly harmless, just scary looking). I feel like snakes aren't going to fall off the celling and land on me in the middle of the night. 

[laurakaye]

Ceiling spiders that thunk?  Rattlesnakes under my car?!  OH **** NO!!

I live in Michigan and I am fine going through four months of winter in exchange for little to no poisonous creepy crawlies, no hurricanes, very little oppressive humidity, and no earthquakes.  And we have great lakes. 🙂

Oh, also no prairie dogs that carry the plague.  That's also a plus.

[Kohola3]

2 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

I live in Michigan and I am fine going through four months of winter in exchange for little to no poisonous creepy crawlies, no hurricanes, very little oppressive humidity, and no earthquakes.  And we have great lakes. 🙂

Oh, also no prairie dogs that carry the plague.  That's also a plus.

Ditto!  About the only thing we have is rare tornado.  Otherwise a perfect place to live!

[xwordfanatik]

Washingtonian here.  The scariest thing I've encountered was a black widow.  My daughter was very young then (late 80's) and it was on our front porch.  I took off my sandal and smacked it.  I don't kill other spiders, but black widows are dead where they sit.  Luckily, I haven't seen one since.  

The weather here is beautiful now.  We're having a later Spring than usual.  No tornadoes here, low humidity, sunny weather most days, even in winter.  The only scary things that happen are an occasional earthquake, or even more rare, a volcano blowing up (1980.)  

Janelle should find out what Christine's doing, eating and exercise-wise.  It would have to be better than "Strife."  

[Gothish520]

2 hours ago, laurakaye said:

Ceiling spiders that thunk?  Rattlesnakes under my car?!  OH **** NO!!

I live in Michigan and I am fine going through four months of winter in exchange for little to no poisonous creepy crawlies, no hurricanes, very little oppressive humidity, and no earthquakes.  And we have great lakes. 🙂

Oh, also no prairie dogs that carry the plague.  That's also a plus.

Ditto here in Connecticut! Although last summer had a plethora of unusually humid days and we are all hoping we dont have a repeat this year. Winter was cold but not much in the way of snow, pretty easy. I will take New England weather all day over scorching heat and critters the size of my fist, or ones that go thump!

[AZChristian]

Have add my $.02 to the maraschino cherry discussion (sorry to continue the off-topic chatter).

I don't love or hate them . . . but if one is delivered to us on top of an ice cream sundae or in a drink, I promptly separate the cherry from the stem, and then hand the stem to Mr. AZC.  He ties a knot in the stem - with his tongue!!!!

I'm easily entertained.

[lookeyloo]

13 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Speaking of Janelle's gut, I think that "spare tire" in her lower abdomen makes her look heavier.  When she moves a certain way it looks to me like some of that is hanging flesh, not even so much fat.  If she had that tucked I bet she'd look at least 20 lbs. thinner.

Have y'all seen those commercials for "Shapermint"?  The women demonstrating do tuck big bellies into them for a smoothing appearance.  Maybe Janelle should try these.  Or sell them.

[Joan of Argh]

6 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

It's the beginning of spider season where I live (and rattlesnakes). We get camel spiders and they're so fast and scary--practically the only thing that causes me to run screaming out of the house. They're so large that when you spray them, you can hear them fall and hit the ground in a "thump".  

It's also that time when the rattlesnakes are out and about; we get tons of them up here. Pulled 5 out of the garage last year. Funny thing, the snakes don't scare me (and they have venom), but the giant spiders do (they're mostly harmless, just scary looking). I feel like snakes aren't going to fall off the celling and land on me in the middle of the night. 

Oh lord!  camel spiders!?!?!?!?  I've never heard of them before....ACK!!!! My arms got goose bumps and hair stood up just reading your post!!!

IIRC you live in LV?.... and they enter your home?  eeeeeeeeeeK!!!!

I googled and they look nasty!!!!  

I think I might faint if a spider was so big that it made a thump when it drops dead!! 😲

I'm impressed that you handle it so well, I'd be running around screaming and crapping my pants!  😂

And NOOOOOOOOOOO rattlesnakes!!!  

I've encountered them while hiking near Cache Creek BC....  it can be a little scary but we just detoured around the snakes with no problems.

However finding one in my garage and having to remove it would be beyond my comfort zone.

[deirdra]

1 hour ago, lookeyloo said:

Have y'all seen those commercials for "Shapermint"?  The women demonstrating do tuck big bellies into them for a smoothing appearance.  Maybe Janelle should try these.  Or sell them.

I think Meri must wear Shapermint (or a more legitimate product, like Spanx).  I remember when she & Kootie were on their special trip to the Prairiedog Plague Plot that her trunk looked smooth but tree-trunk-like with no waist - her hips, waist & bust were all the same diameter - side-to-side and front-to-back.  No lumps & bumps like in her shiny "commitment ceremony" dress.

Edited May 1, 2019 by deirdra

[SunnyBeBe]

There's a lot to love about my state (NC), especially the great beaches and mountains, not to mention awesome  lakes, but, we have SO MANY challenges around here, that I would consider moving if it wasn't for my family, friends and of course, job. But, still......hurricanes (I've lived through one that took my power out for TEN days! They cause our state so much damage and lots of flooding! ), tornadoes (we get them year round!), severe lightning and thunderstorms (ALSO year round. It's common for people and/or their house to hit by lightening on a regular basis), extreme heat and high humidity (it was almost 90 degrees today in May), poisonous snakes (I know SEVERAL people who have been bitten and had severe reaction to the point of hospitalization!), poisonous spiders (they don't bother me, because I grew up not being afraid, but, my grandmother did almost die from being bitten by black widow when she was young), AND the things I dislike the most about this state are the MOSQUITOES!  OMG......they make it almost impossible to enjoy the outdoors, unless you go to a place that treats for them.  Ok, I'm done venting.  Other than that, NC is great! lol  

[Gothish520]

15 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

There's a lot to love about my state (NC), especially the great beaches and mountains, not to mention awesome  lakes, but, we have SO MANY challenges around here, that I would consider moving if it wasn't for my family, friends and of course, job. But, still......hurricanes (I've lived through one that took my power out for TEN days! They cause our state so much damage and lots of flooding! ), tornadoes (we get them year round!), severe lightning and thunderstorms (ALSO year round. It's common for people and/or their house to hit by lightening on a regular basis), extreme heat and high humidity (it was almost 90 degrees today in May), poisonous snakes (I know SEVERAL people who have been bitten and had severe reaction to the point of hospitalization!), poisonous spiders (they don't bother me, because I grew up not being afraid, but, my grandmother did almost die from being bitten by black widow when she was young), AND the things I dislike the most about this state are the MOSQUITOES!  OMG......they make it almost impossible to enjoy the outdoors, unless you go to a place that treats for them.  Ok, I'm done venting.  Other than that, NC is great! lol  

 This is why I don't get why half of my husband's family has recently moved down there. They talk like the cold and snow are so horrible in New England, please it's not like we are Upstate NY or Wisconsin!

[SunnyBeBe]

I will say that I know plenty of people who moved here from up north and they love it.  I think it's because you really can wear shorts and sandals almost year round.  We get cold snaps, but, then it's back up to 50 in a couple of days.  This is especially great for golfers.  lol 

[Shieldmaiden]

8 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

Washingtonian here.  The scariest thing I've encountered was a black widow.  My daughter was very young then (late 80's) and it was on our front porch.  I took off my sandal and smacked it.  I don't kill other spiders, but black widows are dead where they sit.  Luckily, I haven't seen one since.  

The weather here is beautiful now.  We're having a later Spring than usual.  No tornadoes here, low humidity, sunny weather most days, even in winter.  The only scary things that happen are an occasional earthquake, or even more rare, a volcano blowing up (1980.)  

Janelle should find out what Christine's doing, eating and exercise-wise.  It would have to be better than "Strife."  

Shhhhh Xwordfanatik! You’re not supposed to tell people it’s ever sunny and nice here! Our beautiful climate and landscape is a secret...Trust this Puget Sound resident when I say it ONLY ever rains in Seattle!! 😂 

[ehall1052]

18 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Speaking of Janelle's gut, I think that "spare tire" in her lower abdomen makes her look heavier.  When she moves a certain way it looks to me like some of that is hanging flesh, not even so much fat.  If s

I think that’s true. My husband was really overweight and lost quite a bit of weight, but still has that hanging gut. We can’t afford a tummy tuck but he would look a whole lot slimmer if we could. 

[HighlandWarriorGrl]

On 4/30/2019 at 4:18 PM, neh said:

No, Joan, don't give up your cherry custard. Down deep inside of us we knew those cherries weren't real but they were still delightful and satisfying!

Since I’m a whiskey and bourbon girl, I have discovered Luxardo cherries and can’t go back to maraschino.  I too had my Shirley Temples as a child, and I loved black cherry ice cream, but Luxardo cherries are the bomb in an old fashioned, and anywhere else!

[HighlandWarriorGrl]

6 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

There's a lot to love about my state (NC), especially the great beaches and mountains, not to mention awesome  lakes, but, we have SO MANY challenges around here, that I would consider moving if it wasn't for my family, friends and of course, job. But, still......hurricanes (I've lived through one that took my power out for TEN days! They cause our state so much damage and lots of flooding! ), tornadoes (we get them year round!), severe lightning and thunderstorms (ALSO year round. It's common for people and/or their house to hit by lightening on a regular basis), extreme heat and high humidity (it was almost 90 degrees today in May), poisonous snakes (I know SEVERAL people who have been bitten and had severe reaction to the point of hospitalization!), poisonous spiders (they don't bother me, because I grew up not being afraid, but, my grandmother did almost die from being bitten by black widow when she was young), AND the things I dislike the most about this state are the MOSQUITOES!  OMG......they make it almost impossible to enjoy the outdoors, unless you go to a place that treats for them.  Ok, I'm done venting.  Other than that, NC is great! lol  

Can we all just take a minute to enjoy the fact that because of this silly forum, we are sharing things across the US and other countries about where we come from and what we love?  I know it’s off topic, but I’m enjoying the hell out of this.

Representing So. CA here!  Love the beach, desert and mountains.  It’s like it was made for me.  BUT, I’m from MI and Mr. HighlandWarrior is from NC and there are things I love about those places as well.  

BTW, I work a lot in Las Vegas, and I’ve never met a greater group of community focused people.  I’ve got a lot of friends there and I don’t know what the Browns find so objectionable about LV.  The folks I know work hard in the hospitality, gaming and entertainment industries and have big hearts and a great sense of fun.  And I’m talking about fun away from the Strip and that whole environment.  There is a lot to love about that community. 

[Yeah No]

8 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

 This is why I don't get why half of my husband's family has recently moved down there. They talk like the cold and snow are so horrible in New England, please it's not like we are Upstate NY or Wisconsin!

I'm in CT too and I'm with you!  Every time Mr. Yeah No and I talk about possibly relocating in retirement, we complain about the cold and snow but then realize how much worse we could have it in other areas.  Those "lake effect" snows in New York State are horrific.  And even at its worst the humidity is really not that bad in CT in the summer compared to the south and southeast.  Plus what I would consider a "big spider" is actually very small compared to other areas.  The worst critters we get are bears rooting through our trash, but for the most part they keep to themselves.  I never even knew there was such a thing as "prairie dog plague" until this show, LOL.  Probably the worst thing about CT these days is the taxes.

[ginger90]

[neh]

22 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

Washingtonian here.  The scariest thing I've encountered was a black widow.  My daughter was very young then (late 80's) and it was on our front porch.  I took off my sandal and smacked it.  I don't kill other spiders, but black widows are dead where they sit.  Luckily, I haven't seen one since.  

The weather here is beautiful now.  We're having a later Spring than usual.  No tornadoes here, low humidity, sunny weather most days, even in winter.  The only scary things that happen are an occasional earthquake, or even more rare, a volcano blowing up (1980.)  

Janelle should find out what Christine's doing, eating and exercise-wise.  It would have to be better than "Strife."  

Are you a DC Washingtonian?

[neh]

16 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

There's a lot to love about my state (NC), especially the great beaches and mountains, not to mention awesome  lakes, but, we have SO MANY challenges around here, that I would consider moving if it wasn't for my family, friends and of course, job. But, still......hurricanes (I've lived through one that took my power out for TEN days! They cause our state so much damage and lots of flooding! ), tornadoes (we get them year round!), severe lightning and thunderstorms (ALSO year round. It's common for people and/or their house to hit by lightening on a regular basis), extreme heat and high humidity (it was almost 90 degrees today in May), poisonous snakes (I know SEVERAL people who have been bitten and had severe reaction to the point of hospitalization!), poisonous spiders (they don't bother me, because I grew up not being afraid, but, my grandmother did almost die from being bitten by black widow when she was young), AND the things I dislike the most about this state are the MOSQUITOES!  OMG......they make it almost impossible to enjoy the outdoors, unless you go to a place that treats for them.  Ok, I'm done venting.  Other than that, NC is great! lol  

Hey, Sunnybee. I live in Hillsborough (NC). You forgot to mention  the ice storms and snow with no snow removal equipment to speak of. I have had an influx of copperhead s this year. On my street we have a coyote, a fox with kits, hawks (one of which swiped my chicken) and deer, deer, deer. At least I don't have plague-ridden prairie dogs.

[SunnyBeBe]

10 minutes ago, neh said:

Hey, Sunnybee. I live in Hillsborough (NC). You forgot to mention  the ice storms and snow with no snow removal equipment to speak of. I have had an influx of copperhead s this year. On my street we have a coyote, a fox with kits, hawks (one of which swiped my chicken) and deer, deer, deer. At least I don't have plague-ridden prairie dogs.

Hey there! I was in Chapel Hill yesterday.  Hillsborough is a very nice area.  I have been there a few times.  I actually had some outpatient surgery at the UNC hospital.  VERY nice. 

You're right about the ice and animals.  I forgot about the DEER!!!  But, I suppose they are problems in many places.  Even though they are widely hunted, they do so much car damage.  I had one totaled by a deer and know very few people who haven't been hit by a deer on the highway.  One of my best friends was hospitalized due to copperhead bite a couple of years ago.  Just in his yard gardening.  It was so small, he didn't see it. So, keep alert for those snakes.   And, yes, thank goodness no prairie dogs!   I do think my all time least favorite thing though are the thunderstorms.   Just way too many. 

[laurakaye]

4 hours ago, ginger90 said:

First of all....HAHAHAHAHAHAHA of COURSE she goes out and buys a one-pound bag!  And of course she's going to open it, drink a few cups, move on to the next big fad, and this is going to get shoved to the back of her pantry, forgotten.  Why can't this woman haul herself to Trader Joe's and just buy two or three boxes of peppermint tea like a normal person?  Why does she have to go out and get the super jumbo-size of every damn fad she Googles?  And I'm only half joking, this is certainly not the first, second, or tenth time she's posted about going completely overboard with the latest rock star food/drink.  I don't understand the mentality at work here.  Does she think that each and every "discovery" is going to finally be the one that turns her into a different person, so she must have huge amounts of her latest miracle product?  Or does she think that if a little is good, more must be better?  Do we have a therapist on these threads? (no not YOU Nancy)

As for weather....you people amaze me, literally.  Snakes.  Spiders.  Bears.  Scorpions.  HUMIDITY (I don't do humidity).  If you can put up with a few months of cold and snow (along with the proper equipment to get rid of it as quickly as possible), Michigan has none of those things listed above (except for a few days of humidity that can be remedied by heading for the nearest Great Lake).  And more specifically, I am from Grand Rapids - Beer City USA, y'all.  We are turning into the city with a church and a gastropub on every corner. 🙂

Edited May 2, 2019 by laurakaye

[DaphneCat]

9 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

And I'm only half joking, this is certainly not the first, second, or tenth time she's posted about going completely overboard with the latest rock star food/drink.  I don't understand the mentality at work here.  Does she think that each and every "discovery" is going to finally be the one that turns her into a different person, so she must have huge amounts of her latest miracle product?  Or does she think that if a little is good, more must be better? 

Nope, she is going to find the magic bullet.  The ONE THING that will make it possible to lose weight without changing a single other thing in her life.  And she will get this wonderful effect by ADDING something.  She will not have to cut back on something (I'm one of those people who basically believes you shouldn't have to completely give up anything - except diet soda, that's just terrible stuff - you should simply adjust your consumption.)  She will not have to make substitutions - fresh or frozen vegetables for high sodium canned ones, whole grain bread instead of Wonder Bread, etc.  She will simply discover the ONE "rock star" that will change her life.  

[xwordfanatik]

48 minutes ago, neh said:

Are you a DC Washingtonian?

No, the Northwest state.  I've lived here all my 60+ years.  Grew up in the Seattle area, relocated east when I got married over 40 years ago.

Reading the above post regarding CT and taxes, I feel your pain!  We are one of the highest taxed states AFAIK.  Gas taxes are terrible, and sales taxes are high, too.  Love, love, love to visit OR, no sales tax!  But they do have a state income tax, which WA does not (so far.)  It'll probably come sooner or later.

Janelle, dear, you're slipping.  You forgot to call peppermint tea a "rock star."  

[LilWharveyGal]

I found this exclusive look into Janelle's pantry!  Notice the keg of molasses. 🙂

(@xwordfanatik you are living my dream.  I would love to live on the other side of the mountains.)

[Aethera]

Folks, this thread is about Janelle. Please take all the unrelated discussion of your home states to Small Talk. 

[xwordfanatik]

Taking my response to @LilWharveyGal to small talk.

[SunnyBeBe]

If Janelle really wanted to indulge in a bunch of Mint, why not just get a little Mint plant?  I've had them before.  You can get a plant for under $5.00 and it keeps on giving. lol  But, I don't know.  Maybe, it won't grow in her area. 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bonnie-Plants-Sweet-Mint-Live-Plant/174421137?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227081882618&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=195017387467&wl4=aud-566049426705:pla-310426267630&wl5=9009688&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=174421137&wl13=&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq7TuhpP94QIVgYTICh1mlQmyEAQYASABEgLjvfD_BwE

Edited May 2, 2019 by SunnyBeBe

[Joan of Argh]

6 hours ago, ginger90 said:

I mean really... What the hell?... I don't understand her thought process.

Why on earth would anyone buy that huge sack of peppermint leaves to make cups of tea for ONE person?

I like peppermint tea but it would be stale before I got through half that bag.... I'd rather have fresh small boxes.

[Pickleinthemiddle]

3 minutes ago, Joan of Argh said:

I mean really... What the hell?... I don't understand her thought process.

Why on earth would anyone buy that huge sack of peppermint leaves to make cups of tea for ONE person?

I like peppermint tea but it would be stale before I got through half that bag.... I'd rather have fresh small boxes.

That and you cant drink a lot of it, as it will mess with your digestion.  Even though it is meant to help.  I speak from experience I got on a peppermint tea kick and it worked like a laxative on me.  

[Sandy W]

17 minutes ago, Joan of Argh said:

I mean really... What the hell?... I don't understand her thought process.

Why on earth would anyone buy that huge sack of peppermint leaves to make cups of tea for ONE person?

I like peppermint tea but it would be stale before I got through half that bag.... I'd rather have fresh small boxes.

She must have ordered it from the comfort of her recliner, had she bought it in a store she would have seen how large it was and not been surprised.

Undaunted by the volume of peppermint leaves, Janelle will next be posting about how a handful in a tub bath is soothing, or just the thing to brew up a batch and soak those tired aching feet after a hike down the driveway to the mailbox.