HIJACK THIS THREAD!

Good Morning Ladies,

It's 8:43 here...and the rain has let up for at least this morning and the winds have settled down...got up to 69 mile per hour gusts yesterday.



Margaret- What a small world. So with no work, what did you do to occupy yourself and pass the time until the power was restored? I read by flashlight. I don't shop at Costco, but my 24 year old son does, so I'll see if he's tried it. I just warmed up leftovers last night and finished the last of the chicken and dumplings.



Marin- I totally agree about Conan and that the Donald is 'an old rich fart and looks it'. What is it about men and their hair? Before my hubby got his hair implants, he'd just shave his head. I loved it...thought it was very sexy with his well trimmed mustache and goatee. He loves his new hairline...and I think it's OK...I really did prefer him bald. And what is with that soul patch thing...who named it that and why? It looks like the guy missed a spot...a big spot...while shaving.



RavDeb-So glad to hear the soup turned out AMAZING...I need that recipe...and your rice one sounds delightful. Could you PM me those recipes? I don't know about the if you don't think a man is sexy without facial hair it won't help theory...I love my dh, but I have to admit, I don't enjoy his clean shaven face as much as when he's got his mustache and beard...and I liked his bald head more than his hair implanted one...so, as far as sexy looking...I do have my preferences...but that doesn't mean I don't love my dh just the same. I've had hair styles and colors my hubby didn't like...so I'm assuming I wasn't as sexy to him as when I did have hair styles and colors he did like...



JapanLynn- Yep, you got it! That would be the soul patch. Good point on facial hair, and it depending upon the structure of a man's face... and I'll add shape of his head.



Finally got my desk cleaned off this morning...thinking about the drudge of getting tax stuff together. I do keep everything in a file folder, but it's all that sorting and stuff. Blah!



Your SIS (Sister In Survival)

Kimberly

TaxAct

Have used it last 3 years.

Well, the storm put out our power for about 30 hrs. Just came on a few hours ago. Amazing how resourceful a person can be w/out power. Even got out the old ice chest so wouldn't lose as much out of frig as I thought.



Not much wind tho. Just a lot of rain. We are preparing for the next one, guess due in on Monday. Poor hubby goes back to work. He went in on Fri. We live 40 minutes away. Took him 3 hrs. to get home. Just walked in the door and said, don't ask. And I didn't!



Did watch Apprentice. Interesting evening. I thought for sure those girls would get together and topple Ms. Omarosa in the board room. She is more than a B----! We'll see how long she lasts. Tiffany just wasn't experienced enough to deal with the likes of her.



Kimberly--You are so right about the beauty here. And to have the Redwoods and the beaches within 20 minutes or so is amazing. We moved here 18 years ago. I don't want to ever leave. Coming home on Friday night from work is like a vacation at a "weekend" home--the best thing is there's only one home to clean!!



Margaret--not much wind up here. Just alot of fallen trees. My mom lives in Cupertino, and she said it was howling. AND she didn't lose her power either. We know up here, at the first sign of a storm we will most likely lose power. Once had to go stay at the Hilton in Scotts Valley after power was out over 2 days. What a treat that was.



Off to the shower. It's been a long two days.



grace

WHY DO THEY DO THAT? I don't leave anything in my car. Wouldn't leave my camera so I certainly wouldn't leave a baby. I wouldn't leave MYSELF in a car. What were they thinking? Oh yea..about themselves...

The pea soup recipe is Marin's and is on this thread. The rice recipe is:

Wild Rice and Caramelized Onion Saute

2 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)

1/2 cup brown rice

1/2 cup wild rice

3 Tbs butter or margarine

3 medium onions, sliced in thin wedges

2 tsp brown sugar

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest (a MUST!)

Combine broth and both rices in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed (I needed to add more water and keep it at a simmer longer).

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over med.-high heat. Add onions and brown sugar. Cook 6 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and onions are soft and translucent. Reduce heat to low. Slowly cook onions, stirring often, for 25 minutes or until they are caramel in color. Stir in dried cranberries. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until cranberries swell. Gently fold cranberry mixture and orange zest into cooked rice.

Enjoy!

I used margarine to keep it a non-dairy dish (I keep kosher) and low cholesterol. I also use a touch of canola oil..tiny bit...that I mix the dry rice in first to help avoid sticky rice.

I think the soul patch is prentious, as in: i'm too sexy for my beard.  LOL

My son has one of those that just follow the chin and jaws, sorta thin except at the chin area.  I'm not at all crazy about it, but I don't have to wear it or keep it up.

I really don't remember kissing a bearded man, but I don't think I'd like it and I really don't like scruffy.  Either shave it or grow it!

A year ago when I was at dinner with my husband, we came out and saw a dog in a car on a hot day...well we waited to see if the people were getting takeout...they came out in 5 minutes because we were clearly hovering around the car.  I can't help it..we lost it screaming at them and I told them I was a cop!  hahahah lol  The look on their face was priceless..they had no defense and they were there for a sitdown dinner - not even takeout.  Jerks!

Good Morning

RavDeb- a soul patch is a little patch of hair left just under the lower lip. Again, to me it looks like the guy just missed a spot...a big spot...like shaving with a hangover or something. ;-0



I love dogs...but the little dogs I've known just seem so yappy and hyper to me. I don't think a toy anything is what you're looking for, though. A friend just got a Llasa Alpso (spellling?) and adores him. He seems well behaved.



OK, since you brought up the whole toy dog thing...isn't it just wierd that women have taken this whole toy dog thing to the enth degree? They act like the dog is an accessory item. Dogs need to get exercise...and yet they are carried in lavish purses or strolled in doggie strollers...I just don't get it!



SIS Kimberly

Oh..thanks for the important info on soul patches. YUCK. I don't like those either! Phewy.

Dogs in purses are ridiculous. I just want one that I can lift into the tub to bathe (I do that with mine) and one that won't take ME for a walk. I will google that type you mentioned.

Actually, our dog of almost 14 years was from a... oh boy...my memory is bad..place where lost or roaming dogs are put..what is that called..oh yea.. a shelter. (I've been forgetting words lately..). She stunk then and she still stinks but we love her. Well..my dh doesn't like her and thinks all dogs should be outside.

I did paint a collar for my dog. But I would not put her in a purse or stroller. That is nutso!

Hey Rav Deb

We have a cocker spaniel, who I love, BUT there are SOOO many breaders that breed nasty cockers you have to be really careful with the pup you get.  They can be snapish and wet on the floor if they get excited...you want to avoid those....If you meet both the mom and dad and they are calm dogs, most likely the pup will be too.

Before we moved back to Alaska I was looking at two different small dog breeds...the King Charles Spaniel and a Lowchen (Little Lion Dog).  If you look at Lowchens, realize that you do NOT have too cut them in the silly looking cut they do to make them look like they have a lion's mane.  I met a breeder that let her dogs hair get long and fluffy and they were SOOO cute and sweet....some of the most loving dogs I have ever been around and super smart.  She would take a littl toy and tell them she was going to hide it.  They would run in her bedroom and sit on her bed while she drug the little toy around the house on a string to leave a scent trail.  Then she would turn them loose and they would find the toy.  They were always SO excited when they found it....fun to watch.

I have a friend here that has a cute King Charles, but it is kind of shy.  She is a real cuddle-bug, but hides when strangers are around.

Deb C

If you don't want shedding, you could look at teacup poodles. They are generally cuddlebugs. You can keep their hair cut in a hunter cut--don't need all those frou-frou balls on the legs. We had a female miniature--about 18 lbs. She was a great house dog and never barked.



The King Charles Spaniel is wonderful. There are some that come to the dog park where we live. They appear to be a pretty one person dog.



Be careful of the smaller ones that are mixes. Sometimes they are sold in pet stores, and are from breeders who don't care for the dogs as they should. They often get sick after a week to a month, and die. I know that's a problem in Southern California, as the puppies are brought over the border from Mexico.



Out here, Pugs are very popular. They often have nasal problems, and some say they snore.



Just remember small dogs have small bladders. Some cannot even be housetrained. A woman my husband did some yard work for years back had Llapsa Apsos and they peed everywhere. She kept them in a laundry room with newspapers on the floor.



If there's a dog park near you, go visit and talk to owners of small dogs. You can get a lot of information, and actually see how the dogs behave. Some of the small ones that come to our dog park are rescue dogs from the humane society. They are so fun to watch.



Good luck with your doggy search,

grace

Oh..great info! I had seen the King Charles on line and read about that and definitely liked what I read.

Dogs that pee in the house would make my dh nuts. As it is, my old dog who is 14 pees everywhere. She never used to. She never had accidents in the house. But I've actually caught her sniffing in the family room for a place to dribble. She is deaf and doesn't hear me when I yell out. She sems to be a bit senile, too. We do sign language and have to touch her to get her to pay attention. But when she has to pee, nothing stops her. ugh. And she is out in our yard most of the day. Her old age is not easy...She whines more and since she doesn't hear she makes these weird noises to get our attention.

There are so many good ideas about different dogs and how to find one that's right for you. My girlfriend and I went to a big dog show last year in Sac. She was looking at getting a dog...her Pomeranian is getting up there like your poor girl, RavDeb...and she too is looking for a new possible companion for when he's gone. The breeders and handlers are just a wealth of knowledge.



OK, so I'm Hijacking this thread...just for a minute.



My mom- she passed of Pancreatic Cancer almost 15 years ago… has been on my mind a lot since I was diagnosed...I keep thinking of how she just did what she had to do...kept up the positive attitude for as long as she could. I miss her!!!! My poetry-she was quite a writer- is in part a piece of her...her legacy continuing.

Yesterdya, as I anticipated my first chemotini happening today, this poem formed…and I dedicate it to all of us just starting, still on, and moving beyond this journey.



1/7/08 Club Survivor



I imagine my cancer cells

impeccably dressed in

don’t care

how much it costs

dramatic designer black.

I picture them,

analogous

to the rich hip twenty-somethings,

the ones who have no sense

of responsibility,

only feelings of entitlement;

the won’t happen to me indestructible crowd,

all gathering at the newest club in town…

Club Survival.



It is one of those

red-velvet-roped-

can’t-get-in-

unless-

you’re-one-of-them-

kind of places.

Club Survival is

where everyone,

who thinks they are anyone,

is drinking copious amounts

of the newest martini craze,

introduced by me,

the club’s owner

and bartender.





This can’t get enough of it drink-

The Black Cat Chemotini.

And not wanting to be

on the outside

of the in-crowd,

they all drink up.



The Black Cat Chemotini,

so named

for the superstitious belief

it is bad luck

for a black cat to

cross your path,

strongly appeals to

this fate tempting defiant crowd.



The Black Cat has a splash of Decadron,

which has a stimulant affect

and keeps the in-crowd wired,

like those energy drinks

they are addicted to,

allowing them to stay up all night

drinking more than they might otherwise

as they mingle

superficially

with one another.

To that splash is added equal parts

of a few secret ingredients,

hard to pronounce, so

I just call it adding the CAT,

and viola!



The fact that they go home,

and don’t feel the effects at first

is the beauty of it.

It lulls them into

a false sense of security

convinces them

they really are in charge.

But,by the time they realize

what’s really happening,

it is too late…

they are completely addicted

to the lure of the Black Cat.



These impetuous youth

sell their souls

to get their next fix,

which I gladly serve

shaken, not stirred,

with a twist of lemon

and a smile

before sending them

on their way…

Ta, Ta, dahlings.

Kiss. Kiss



I've got my Super Girl cape...my martini glass...and my sisters...so I'm ready to head on over to Club Survival...in just over 3 hours, I'll be bartending and serving those cocky little cancer cells a Black Cat Martini.



Cheers,

Your SIS (Sister In Survival)

Kimberly

Kimberly--

I second Marin's review of your latest poem!  Keep 'em coming...you are truly talented.

Marin, I have a weird collection...when I started living overseas in '86, I began collecting barf bags, for some strange reason, from every airline I flew on.  Now, 21 years later, I have dozens of them and a vague idea of doing some sort of collage and framing it to hang in the bathroom of my home when I retire.  I know, I know...bizarre.  Sorry--I don't know anything about collector plates.

Lynn