Its Friday Night And I have Problems with Some of You, And Questions
Mates,
Think of this as a quasi-festivus thing, airing of grievances. First, there is at least one mgoblogger that has apparently not got their camping-mojo in gear, and I am told is going to be sleeping on hard ground in bitter repentance over same. Pfff, what kind of Michigan grad is so ill-prepared? Second, I am tired of all the C-19 threads, stop it already. The world is going to end. Or not. Every generation faces dozens of never-before challenges, maybe we could handle this one better by not going at each other like we were online or actual pinatas. Third, its Friday and its raining up here which makes cutting hay a waste of time. That's not your fault, I'm just complaining.
Now for the questions:
1. What is in your cup/on your plate this evening?
2. Do you have any type of summer trip planned, even in the face of this C-19?
3. You are on a desert island. You get one book (leave bibles/torahs/bhagavad gita, etc out of the picture). What is that book?
4. Air your mid-year festivus grievances.
Summer Weekend is here, get out and enjoy it.
XM
Exactly right! Covid brought one daughter home from a teaching job in Hungary, four months before we expected the school year to end. She spent several nights a week teaching on-line while the rest of us slept. But we're soaking in her presence while it lasts. Good things out of bad.
1) FounderS Centennial IPA and a chicken wrap
2) Fossil/rock collecting around Alpena and Copper Country
3) Democracy in America by Tocqueville
4) Kidney stones, gentlemen, kidney stones - very uncomfortable for the last two nights
Labrador likes playing in the local river. Library is open for drive through pick-up. Life is very, very good.
Eng, sorry to hear of the kidney stones. I have had that twice in my life. My best wishes to you and hopes that it all goes quickly and as well as possible.
Pot kettle black
1. Red wine from France. $12/bottle. No hangover if I enjoy the whole thing in one night. The teens made dinner - tamales and rice.
2. I’m going home to my parents. These days that’s Florida. I can’t wait out C-19 so I am going to get tested (as are all the kids) and I’m going home.
3. Oh. So many choices. Where the Red Fern Grows. 1000 Gifts. Any well researched/written biography of our founding fathers. We Were Soldiers. Band of Brothers. All Quiet on the Western Front. Any book... I’ll take any good book.
4. All subjects that can turn political. I don’t want to hear from the far left. I don’t want to hear from the far right.
All Quiet on the Western Front.
Great book.
Spoiler...
I was in tears when Kat died.
1. Home-made char siu (BBQ pork) and rice. Soon either a glass of red wine of some sort or a glass of beer (Mac & Jacks African Amber, from the brewery in my home town).
2. No summer trip. Summers are the best time of year in Western Washington, so in addition to not wanting to travel, it is a shame to remove some of that to go elsewhere.
3. Hmm. I generally don't read the same entertainment book repeatedly. I guess I'd pick Lord of the Rings. I could read that more than once and still enjoy it. And you can get all three books in one volume, so it is long. Or maybe all of the Hitchiker's Guide books in one volume.
4. I wish that there were not so many organizations using underhanded tactics to program people and force-feed agendas.
Late to the party, but it's not that late out west.
1 - enjoyed a few Sunray juicy IPA's from Ecliptic
2 - had to cancel our trip to the Oregon coast but have been doing a lot of family hikes/bike rides and fishing. Probably rinse and repeat for the rest of the summer
3 - Paralandra by C.S. Lewis. Dune and Two Towers are hard to pass up, but the way Lewis imagines a world without sin is incredible. Equally amazing is how off-putting and vulgar sin is once it's introduced.
4 - thankful for the MGo community. Of course there's the extreme nutbags, but it's actually the closet thing I can find to fair and balanced. There's a host of very intelligent, well spoken members on here who make me think and either question or confirm my opinions and values.
Thanks XM for your thoughtful posts and ability to keep things positive.
Ok I'll go (even tho it's Saturday morning)
Had Sauvacito Reposado tequila (neat) and a few Coronas. My wife made a healthy dip we ate with some hot cheese and baked pita chips.
I'm up at the lake house on lake Erie more often than not this year. Haven't put the big boat in the water yet and probably won't cause there's no place to go. But we have spent a lot of time on our jet skis hunting sea glass on different islands. So I'm always on vacation I guess.
Atlas Shrugged would be my book.
My only complaint is I wish people wouldn't politicize science for God's sake. It's a virus and it doesn't give a damn if you're an extra-woke protestor in the street or a "murica first" MAGA in a packed country bar. It's a virus so science, not your political party, needs to drive our decision making as a nation.
Atlas Shrugged would be my book.
Almost put that over my choice of LOTR. Great read
I agree about the COVID threads. They are redundant concerning point and counter point. Usually the same participants. I don't think any view points were changed by these occasionally endless exchanges. I reduced my getting into the weeds with others on this topic and just let it go.
I could list a few grievances but some are COVID related so will just say, I really hope to see sports come back, MLB, NBA, NHL, CFB season and not just talk about it.
1. What is in your cup/on your plate this evening?
Burgers(With Grilled Portobello's, Bacon, Fresh AND Grilled Onions, potato Salad, Cole Slaw and Baked Beans as sides) and Beers(Too many to list, although seeing the look on my buddies face when he as the loser of poker have to do a punishment shot of Jeremiah Weed was one of the funniest things I have seen in months) night at a buddies house(we were outside).
2. Do you have any type of summer trip planned, even in the face of this C-19?
We have been summoned back West to see the Grandparents, so driving TN to NV to WA back to TN all in less than three weeks. Super Excited about it, especially being trapped in a lake house for a week with my three horrible nieces, going to be great...
3. You are on a desert island. You get one book (leave bibles/torahs/bhagavad gita, etc out of the picture). What is that book?
I realize this is Hipster as hell and I'm already a little mad at myself for saying this, but no book has made me laugh nearly as much as A Confederacy of Dunces. If I have to read just one book, I'll at least get a chuckle going.
4. Air your mid-year festivus grievances.
Stop framing your political opponents as stupid or evil, I know it makes you feel good, but it does nothing for the argument you're trying to make, plus its tiresome.
The COVID threads are endless and no-one knows anything right now and we won't until things start up again. If you see a COVID thread start up on the board again, just assume you've already written your A) people need to go and live their lives and Vaccine isn't coming and, for some reason no-one has adequately explained, me being braver than someone else is somehow more virtuous than you being concerned for the well being of others or B) You evil people are killing everyone and we should stay in our homes until I finally feel safe and I have no idea what will actually lead to that but I'll let you know when it happens, perspective and move on.
My wife has decided that she just HAS to renovate the kitchen and WILL NOT STOP BITCHING about the kitchen and how little space it has while ignoring it is bordered by LOAD-BEARING WALLS. And then she claims I am not taking her seriously as a financial partner because I don't want to sink 50 grand into a renovation that she says is necessary to sell a house I don't plan on selling for about twenty years. Oh, and you want me to take you seriously as a financial partner, maybe get the amazon packages to slow down or be willing to cut one of the streaming services, Yes, I know $15/month for a service we barely use doesn't feel like a lot, but $180/yr. should at least get the point across. The fact that it doesn't leads me to conclude you don't know how math works.
a week on a lake with 3 nieces? use the time to terrorize them, make them fish, swim with the snapping turtles, etc. kind of like boot camp and you be the gunny. they'll love you by the end of it.
on the kitchen, maybe if you jump in with some nice half-measures. paint it bright, some cabinets or new facing on the cabinets, can lighting if it would work, new counter tops and a couple of appliances and you are done for $5-10K (depending highly on your choices, of course could be more), and wife will be smiling. maybe travertine tile in the kitchen, too. viola.
They are 18 year old twins and a 23 year old college graduate who hasn't worked for over a year because...reasons, I guess. The bootcamp idea may have worked when they were human beings, as they are now entitled little princesses, it's, sadly, a no go. Would be better if they weren't so mean to my 12 year old son.
As far as the kitchen, good advice, I'll give it a try.
serious response: go have a great time with your 12 yr old, such a wonderful time for you to speak into his life about so many skills you can show him.
not-so-serious response to your nieces....
Hall-of-Fame worthy post, right there.
1. Lamb-burgers
2. Backpacking in North Cascades in August
3. "Legionnaire: Five Years in the French Foreign Legion" - Simon Murray
4. Not enough Lamb-burgers
we ran out of lamb-burger, hence we got more lambs. mrs. XM cooks them very nicely.
1. Water
2 All my summer trips have been cancelled and turned into staycations.
3. I really liked the song of fire and ice series I read several years ago. I've been waiting since 2012 for the next book? If one book, I really liked battle field earth.
4. I have no grievances. Life is too short to be upset or angry.
Few will see this post because it’s coming in so late but HEAR ME FELLOW MGOBLOGGERs! You have got to read the Aubrey/Maturin booms by Patrick O’Brien! Please trust me on this they are the most entertaining books I have ever read and if you don’t love them ExtraMelanin will donate hay to a charity of your choice.
He has to cut it first.
Also XM, my BiL is a hay farmer in Nevada, I hear you on not being able to cut when its wet.
Desert Island? Shiat, I want my surfboard....books are for nerds
grievances? list makers
cup? coffee right now.
1. What is in your cup/on your plate this evening?
Had some ravioli with parmesan and lemon zest, broccolini, tomatoes from our garden.
2. Do you have any type of summer trip planned, even in the face of this C-19?
Going to Washington for the anniversary of MLK's march. My sixteen-year-old wanted to do it. Going to use the occasion to visit some friends at Howard, a school that she is looking at for poli sci and soccer. Excited to go anywhere!
3. You are on a desert island. You get one book (leave bibles/torahs/bhagavad gita, etc out of the picture). What is that book?
Henri Lefebvre's Critique of Everyday Life
4. Air your mid-year festivus grievances.
I'm pretty worried about fall, and trying to get any work done if my daughter is only in school a couple of days a week, as our school district is threatening.
Gotta say, of all of the unlikely/very Michigan "what would you be reading" posts, continental philosophy takes the cake.
Yeah, I read a section in English, then try it in French. Thank Sylvie Carduner and the intensive language courses in the Res College.
This was last night but I am bored now.
1. Livin' on the edge with seltzer AND kombucha with a slice of lemon.
2. No. I had plans for fall travel (mexico and sri lanka). Since nobody wants Americans (who can blame them) I am near 100% likely to cancel.
3. Robert Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy - the idea is we have a lot of time on this island, right?
4. Ignorance seems to be intensifying in this country.