how about drinking?

BabyGirl, just heard on the news that they are having a chip shortage for the Bronco's and could take a year before you get one! I can't wait that long. I have seen the 4 runners and I like those too. My brother in law (not Tony) works for Toyota, so I will ask him what he thinks. I couldn't find anything that gave the gas mileage on the Bronco. My FJ gets about 21 mpg. I'm 30 minutes of rough terrain from the pavement, so I get it! My DD posted a video on FB of my drive in and sped it up. I assume the 4 runner is available in 4 wheel drive?

Subarus are great too. My sister ordered their new Wilderness addition Outback and got it within 2 months. I have a 2011 Outback and it's been a great vehicle for the past 12 years.

Came in to the office today and Rocky the Roadrunner was here to greet me

Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Thirsty Thursday! I'm getting excited for vacay, now. The school secretary keeps teasing me by saying a big storm is coming in on the 18th, school will be closed or remote and airports will be closed. It works every time, she says that, I go look at the extended forecast--no such storm predicted--I go back and razz her about being a meanie. It really got to be funny when other staff caught on to what she was doing!

I had a few minutes to play around with some numbers yesterday. 29% of the student body has tested positive for COVID in the last 90 days. Half the students signed up for pool testing aren't eligible to participate right now because they have a positive test in the last 90 days. 25% of the student body is fully vaccinated. Several students have had one shot, so that number will go up over the next month or so. That 29% number is only the students that I have verified a positive test, there are more that I'm sure have had COVID but their parents won't test, and parents who didn't notify the school when their child tested positive. My first reaction to hearing that some states are stopping mask mandates in schools was worry that the one thing that is really working will be taken away, but looking at the numbers makes me wonder if maybe it's getting to be time to get rid of the masks. These same kids are playing with each other without masks after school and on weekends, wearing the mask for 6 hours out of the day is a drop in the bucket. Then I think about how very sick some of the kiddoes have gotten, not being able to come back to school at Day 5, sometimes needing half days when they come back after Day 10, I wonder again.

Karen--We don't have lunch outside, but when it's warm enough snack/mask breaks are outside.

Goldie--I misunderstood when your brother's travel dates. He probably did catch it on the plane or, more likely given airplane air quality controls, in the airport.His contagious period would still be Jan 30th to Feb 5th. Your risk period would be the 10-14 days after the last day you and your brother were together. That Ford Bronco looks really cool. Maybe you should tell Tony he gets his copy of the death certificate when you get your Z plan discount on the Bronco?

Morning, Illi!

Jazzy--It looks like Rocky the Roadrunner is giving you the side eye!

Morning, Chi!

Ford Cocktail

Recipe

• 1oz old tom gin
• 1oz dry vermouth
• ¼oz benedictine
• 3dash orange bitters
• orange peel for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass and stir, about 10-15 seconds
2. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish

From <https://tuxedono2.com/ford-cocktail-recipe>

Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy TGIF day! This day next week vacay begins!I finally feel like it's really going to happen. Time to get all the little details taken care of and finalize the packing. I'm going to visit the mother tomorrow and make sure she remembers I'm going away.

I almost got myself a new dog yesterday. Driving to work, came around a corner and standing in the middle of the road was a good sized, brown dog. I managed to pull over without hitting him, got out of the car and he care right over to me, and then jumped right in the car! He had a tag with an address and phone number. The number was not working, of course. I couldn't find the address, the people in the area that were home and answering the door didn't know him. So I took him to work with me, left him in the car, called the Animal Control Officer. The ACO recognized the dog, and the address. Apparently he's a frequent flyer found running loose on that road. The ACO said she'd drive over and knock on their door, but the last couple of times she went they wouldn't open the door to her. If they did this time she'd give them my contact info so they could come get the dog, if not, she'd come pick up the dog and would have to take him to the humane society. I was thinking that I would find out what humane society she would take him too, and if he wasn't claimed maybe I could adopt him. He's a sweet, friendly dog. But, the owners called, he couldn't come get the dog because he'd lost his license, so I got directions to take him back on my way home. It was one of the places I had stopped at but no one answered the door. A little later the woman called, and came and got him driving her work truck. So I did the good deed this time, but if I ever see him in the road loose again, I'm keeping him!The ACO was clearly frustrated with his current peoples. Dogs seem to come into my life when the time is right, so I'm taking this as a message that the time is getting to be right again, so maybe something will happen after vacay and I'll have a new fur baby to keep house for.

Busy day at work, but not all COVID related, finally. We're actually at the lowest count of positive testing students/staff than we've been for a month or so. Absenteeism is way down, under 10%, as low as 6%, so we're on our way out of outbreaks status (14 consecutive days of less than 15% absenteeism)

Jazzy--wow, I wonder if Roadrunners would be interested in moving north? We've got plenty of bugs, not so many lizards, but lots of snakes and bugs!

Big Dog Cocktail

• 1 oz. Kahlua® coffee liqueur
• 1.5 oz. vodka
• 4 oz. milk
• 1 splash Pepsi®

Pour Kahlua and vodka over ice in glass. Fill remainder of glass with milk then top with Pepsi. Stir.

From <https://www.dogtipper.com/recipes/2019/03/23-dog-themed-cocktail-recipes.html>

BabyGirl, my 30 minute drive in is only 6 miles, and when it snows or rains, gets very trecorous.

Jazzy, glad you got a visit from Rocky! We have them out here, but only see them occasionally. LOL at the stink eye!

Sandy, I willl be sticking with Ford or Toyota, but thanks for your input.

NM, thanks for the Ford cocktail! Glad things are slowing down at school with Covid. But I'm affraid with so many states removing mask mandates, we will spike yet again! That poor pooch. You DID do the right thing, but it doesn't look like those owners diserve him. Don't blame you for keeping him next time.

I have to go town today for my injections and return the bedside commode our doctor let us borrow, that DH never even got a chance to use. I'm also going to take a bunch of meds for them to dispose of. I'm still feeling ok, no symptoms at all, same with my kids. I can't believe none of us caught it from my brother. I know we aren't out of the woods yet, but looks better each day!

Illi- enjoy the cabin. Safe travels.

Snow and cold by me. Supposed to get anywhere from 2" to 5". We need the moisture to have water this summer. Have a good weekend

Illimae, what an ordeal getting there--may the peace and quiet help you through the infusions.

We went to Coco Pazzo tonight for early Valentine dinner (Bob's working late tomorrow, Sun. is Super Bowl, and Mon. is his office hours). DsOTD were Moet Brut Imperial and 2016 San Silvestre Barolo. (Pricy, but I couldn't see opening or even Coravining our only bottle of Barolo in our cellar, which is even younger).

Good afternoon friends- happy Super Bowl weekend and Valentines coming up on Monday too for those of you who celebrate. I decided to take a three day weekend and asked my boss for Monday off, time for a break from the madness. My new project is better than the last but been very intense the past few weeks. I set a goal to have a three day weekend every month this year and here we are!

It's warm here in New Mexico today, up over 60 but I hear winter is returning next week with more cold and rain/snow. We need the moisture and winter is our time to build up the snow pack for the water supply. But I see signs of spring, trees are budded way out and the fruit trees will be out in a few more weeks. Already eyeing the yard and garden for where I will start with some clean up that will begin in March, but many things needs lay quiet for a bit until we get into April.

Goldie- I saw one of those red Bronco sports you posted earlier today. It's really cute and think it looks perfect for you. I hope DH's family can help you get a discount if you end up trying for one. With the driving you do to PHX for medical care, having a new car would be a great thing to have. We are back to warmer weather again and no snow here, but heard it was snowing up north today.

NM- you are days from your trip now and am sure you are packing this weekend. I am glad you found that lost pup and got him back to his rightful owners. I used to have a neighbor in my hood whose little dog was a great escape artist, and would find her running around in the street and would grab her, bring in her the house and call the neighbors. She was a little girl and they called her the Great Houdini of the dog world, lol. I do like that you see this as a sign that you may want to get another dog. I know you love labs and perhaps there is a lab rescue in your area? I know the shelters are full again and lots of pets looking for a nice home. Something to look forward to when you get home.

Karen- my friend who lives up your way said it was a white out up there today. It was also snowing in northern NM today too, so our state caught part of that storm. Hope you are staying safe and warm.

Ill- I was wondering where you were going to get your ongoing medical care and hope you get excellent care in El Paso. It should be so lovely and peaceful where you are. You will need to create protection in your gardens from those delvish-ish javalinas that I know love to dig and root. We have them south of here in New Mexico, they are a common sighting in the big bird refuge about 90 min south of ABQ. I have yet to see one there though.

Chi- is Bob back to his old self? You mentioned the wedding is coming up soon, that happened fast. New Orleans, right? You were disciplined before and will get down some on your weight before the special weekend. My scale went nuts recently and has me weighing 30 lbs less, but knew that was not right. I had a visit to the doctor Friday that gave me a true relaty check. But my blood work was good, I soldier on to continue to eat better and move my body more.

BTW, I saw Rocky running around with a mate on the way in to work the following day and had heard it's breeding and nesting season here for the birds. Maybe I was interfering with Rocky's attempts to lure in her mate? I do think Rocky may be a female, the males have much more colorful tails and Rocky is very drab colored to fit in with the landscape. That will keep her and the nest very safe. Maybe we will see some youngsters this spring, I have been lucky to see a family in the past of parents with young roadrunners, dang they are cute.

Off to wash the car while it's warm and take a walk. I love having two more days ahead of me to live my life!

Chi- most of the weddings I have seen or been part of, the Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom usually follow with something similar to whatever the colors are of the wedding. Maybe ask Leslie and find out what her mom is wearing so you can get a sense of the style, tones, etc. I think something with a nice wrap for evening would be lovely, I have been to NOLA in spring and it's usually warm, but you may get a cool water breeze in the evening so having a good wrap or shawl will be key. Have fun shopping. If you need to do so on line, Dillards has fabulous dresses for such events.

I looked at the palette again. For clothing, the three colors were forest green, navy, or deep burgundy/aubergine. Beige, pink, and tan are only for accessories. Dress code (per the kids'site) is "dressy casual" (which for women in a wedding party is closer to "semi-formal"). Bob has it easy: pink shirt, navy blazer & tie, beige pants (khaki, but in tropical wool rather than cotton). The size 10-12 tea-length dress I wore to our 50th anniv. party is navy & forest green floral, but the background is white. I do have two midi dusters in linen (forest & navy). lI don't think Leslie's mom will be wearing a print, so I don't want to stand out. Besides, barring a miracle, because it's a belted defined-waist button-down, Spanx would be a necessity. (And I usually injure myself trying to get into shapewear). I did have a navy blue chiffon knee-length A-line/semi-tent I wore to a friend's belated wedding reception (held for those who couldn't attend the destination wedding in SC) which was also our 20th anniversary party. I was about the same weight then as I am now. It has some self-embroidery on the over-layer. I can't find it, though. (Sad, because it's so classic that it's ageless)

Then I remembered that in the female folk trio in which I used to sing, we all wore color-coordinated "Holy Clothing" dresses or tops--(maxis or minis, the latter of which were very, very "mini" and basically long tunics). We wore them indoors & outdoors, all seasons. Ethically made in India, they're rayon with monochrome self-embroidery trim, some with subtle sequin detail. As the group's blonde, I was assigned mostly royal blue (the redhead got green and the brunette got burgundy). I did buy a cute burgundy mini for solo gigs, which I wore in 1X at the weight at which I was diagnosed. I'd try to dig it up. but I recall that there was an "I see London, I see France" issue (as a stagehand put it) when I'd bend over to plug stuff in or sit down to play lap dulcimer. Even if I could wear one more demurely, and "the legs are the last to go," I don't think just above the knee is age-appropriate, at least not for my son's only (we hope) wedding.

I can't any of find them either--but since they were 1X or even 2X at the time, I'm sure I donated them to a charity clothing drive. So for the heck of it, I went back to the site and found a couple of short-sleeved midis (which on me would be more like tea-length). Ordered one in navy and the other in forest green, size L. If too big, they're self-belted in back. They should arrive in a week or two--giving me a backup in case I can't find anything appropriate in my size at Bloomie's or Nordstrom. One is "Catriona," the other "Daphne." I notice that a lot of the reviews mentioned using them as Mother-of-the-Bride (or Groom) dresses.

IIRC, with Holy Clothing I never needed undergarments beyond regular bra & panties. And I did wear them to hospital dinner-dances. Worst comes to worst, I will throw myself on the mercy of Neiman-Marcus (aka Needless Markups) or even a local dressmaker.

BabyGirl, our drives are def. similar! You are 10 minutes and 2 miles longer. We have one hill that is pretty steep and rocky, we call that one Scrambled Egg Hill, then just after that is a hill that we have to drive along the side of it and the road slants down some, so when muddy, you have a tendancy to slide off the side of the hill, but no cliffs per se. Because it gets so slick, we call that one Snot Hill! Glad you found somewhere close for your infusions.

Jazzy, good for you on the monthly 3 day weekends. I don't like the Bronco Sport, the way it looks from the back. But no Bronco for me, takes too long to get one.

Sandy, I'm sure you will find the perfect dress and having more than one option can never be a bad idea. You know we will want to see lots of pictures!

Beaver, LOL at "to wear beige and shut up". How sad that son2's wedding was MOB's dream. What the heck!

Karen, I too wore gold for my step DD's wedding. She had been married before, but did a traditional one this time too. I also wore that dress about 20 years prior to my son's wedding. He is no longer married, it was very short lived.

Ill- so fun! I think people have a better time at small weddings, and love your memories. Love the coveralls theme and the whole way you did it.

Great pictures Goldie & Mae. Thanks for sharing.

The wedding party is four attendants (bridesmaid, groomsman, best man, matron of honor), bride & groom, officiant, and parents. The bridal party had their dresses made by Azazie.com--had it occurred to me I might have started the process much earlier, because the dresses are all made to order (with the sizes using the same measurement scale as 30 years ago) with a lead time of 7-8 weeks. Too late now. The only ready-to-ship dresses they have are in the wrong colors & sizes (either extremely small or mega-plus), and are final sale. It'll be a secular ceremony at the Napoleon House in the French quarter--with a "second line" parade around the block immediately after, culminating in the sit-down reception. (So my dress shoes need to be super-comfy and conducive to cobblestone sidewalks). Anyway, Leslie likes the Holy Clothing choices I made, and I also found a navy chiffon knee-length tent/trapeze style Ralph Lauren in size 10 (runs large) at Bloomie's. So I have a few options. Since it's a secular ceremony (and Leslie's family is not Jewish), there won't be a chuppah. We'll be walking Gordy down the aisle and then sitting in the front row.

Our wedding in 1971 was a lot more formal. There was a country club restaurant in Roslyn, L.I. called the Swan Club that had just renovated its banquet facilities. It was, as many venues in the NYC area were at the time, set up to host two formal events simultaneously. We had an outdoor ceremony, under a tent--there was a flower trellis up front as a chuppah (as my family is Reform and Bob's is Catholic, no tallit). Reception was inside on the lower garden level. I had an old-fashioned high-necked white peau de soie & organza gown with Alençon lace & seed pearl trim, leg-of-mutton sleeves, and a full train with floor-length veil. Both sets of parents were adamant that the ceremony be performed by clergy (so the wedding would be "blessed by God"). My parents didn't want a priest but Bob's were fine with a rabbi. Ceremony was performed by a Reform rabbi (wasn't easy finding one back then who'd agree to marry an interfaith couple); reception was blessed by the chaplain of our college's Newman Club. Bridesmaids & flower girls were in pink, my sister as maid of honor wore navy. The wedding gown & bridesmaid dresses were custom-made by Pandora on 7th Ave. The moms and the flower girls' dresses were all bought independently at dept. stores (I think my mom bought hers at Abraham & Straus or Martin's in downtown Brooklyn--both long since gone). The men were all in striped jackets, morning coats & ascots (it was a high noon wedding).

Two funny things happened: the place had a little pond spanned by a bridge. As our processional started, we heard a splash: it was the other party's maid of honor, who--while posing for pre-wedding photos--lost her footing in her high heels and fell off the bridge. And just before we got to the Seven Blessings, we heard a deafening roar of a helicopter: two of my dad's cousins (they were brothers) who'd flown in from L.A. and Tel Aviv met at JFK and got delayed going through Customs--so they chartered a chopper to fly them to the venue (it landed on the front lawn). Ironically, my Canadian cousins declined to make the 400-mi. trip from Montreal.

Weddings have come a long way since the 70s. Tuxedos were the norm as we're long gowns. For my daughter, my “gown" was 2 piece and calf length. I wore proper dress shoes for chuppah (black fabric heels) and changed to flats for dancing.