~Off Topic Thread~

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

I am SO liking the Clay Aiken idea for the Jaguar-themed living room suite. Hmmmm... My embroidery skills are teh suck, but I maybe I can knit Clay antimacassars for each one. And maybe a giant Clay collage for above the mantelpiece!

[Jeraly 4]

My parcel from mum arrived today - everything has been wrapped including a giant jar of bovril and four blocks of cheese!!!

[rocks 494]

My parcel from mum arrived today - everything has been wrapped including a giant jar of bovril and four blocks of cheese!!!

she mailed you food?? how was that possible?

[StillThePrettiest 3]

how is it not possible? I mail and receive food all the time

[Jeraly 4]

My parcel from mum arrived today - everything has been wrapped including a giant jar of bovril and four blocks of cheese!!!

she mailed you food?? how was that possible?

She wrapped it up, put it in a box and sent it through Fed Ex...

Granted, she didn't declare the cheese...

[no name 1]

My parcel from mum arrived today - everything has been wrapped including a giant jar of bovril and four blocks of cheese!!!

she mailed you food?? how was that possible?

She wrapped it up, put it in a box and sent it through Fed Ex...

Granted, she didn't declare the cheese...

You trust cheese being out of the fridge for that many hours?!

[rocks 494]

My parcel from mum arrived today - everything has been wrapped including a giant jar of bovril and four blocks of cheese!!!

she mailed you food?? how was that possible?

She wrapped it up, put it in a box and sent it through Fed Ex...

Granted, she didn't declare the cheese...

ah ok, gotcha. what kind of cheese did you get? cheddar?

[ginger1981 0]

While all y'all were having lovely tapas and sangria, I was enjoying my weekend baking away. I made frosted sugar cookies, chocolate covered peanut butter balls, almond shortbread fingers, holiday M&M cookies, and chocolate covered pretzels. I've ate so many cookies in the past 4 days I've been on a perpetual sugar high.

Yay for Bruce!! , and double yay for him also going on auditions.

The car is in the shop. The heater was leaking. I filled the coolant tank with water and drove to the shop, it was empty by the time I got there. They're going to simply bypass the heater (just the one that sends the hot air in to the car cabin) and so bypass the leak. Hopefully I didn't do any other damage while the car was running hot. It will cost $100 and I gotta go pick it up shortly. I reaalllllly hope the gasket is still there and doing ok.

P.S I hate cars.

$100 isn't bad at all, though that is cold comfort for having to fork out cash that you need for other stuff!

Ginger -- I just wanted to say I LOVE your story! Awesome, pure genius.

My best ideas come to me when I'm intoxicated

oh well diddums to both of you. It's been 4F here today...yes that's right freaking 4F (that's -16C in real numbers)

Now that is what I call shorts weather! Though I don't mind the cold as much as the icy wind of death that screeches across the plains.

Monday night it snowed so much it looks like Frosty crapped all over the city of Chicago. I hate having to wear 30 layers of clothing just walking to the train station. It seems like the hems of my pants can never stay clean. At least it keeps the dry cleaners in business.

I'm afraid i might have influenced the get together in the direction of somber, because I've just found out that my job is in jeopardy. Maybe as early as a month from now, I'll be back on the job hunting trail. Depressing. I'm trying to stay positive, and check in with the people that I've met since I moved here. Trying to stay positive.

p.s. just realised that i typed 'trying to stay positive' twice. See - I'm trying!

Nicky got laid off from his job at Wal-Mart...#######. He's enrolling in school starting January in a CNA course (Certified Nurse Assistant) which hopefully, will get him a job and a decent start until he can either find a better job or go back to school for something else.

I am SO liking the Clay Aiken idea for the Jaguar-themed living room suite. Hmmmm... My embroidery skills are teh suck, but I maybe I can knit Clay antimacassars for each one. And maybe a giant Clay collage for above the mantelpiece!

Are antimacassars seat covers? That would be brilliant....every time you drove your car you could be sitting on Clay's lap! Sensational!

[Jeraly 4]

Not sure what cheese it is yet, but guessing cheddar and white stilton/apricot - they are in Christmas paper

As for being out of the fridge - sure, it keeps just fine and it's not exactly hot anywhere right now - I doubt it was sent across in a heated compartment and if it was and looks moldy then we'll just have to cut our losses But cheese is best at room temperature anyway - I am sure it will be fine

Nicky got laid off already? Damn - that sucks I know friends in the UK have lost their jobs as well - seems to be the way things are going... makes you wonder why they spend time and money advertising, hiring and training people only to let them go

[ginger1981 0]

Not sure what cheese it is yet, but guessing cheddar and white stilton/apricot - they are in Christmas paper

As for being out of the fridge - sure, it keeps just fine and it's not exactly hot anywhere right now - I doubt it was sent across in a heated compartment and if it was and looks moldy then we'll just have to cut our losses But cheese is best at room temperature anyway - I am sure it will be fine

Nicky got laid off already? Damn - that sucks I know friends in the UK have lost their jobs as well - seems to be the way things are going... makes you wonder why they spend time and money advertising, hiring and training people only to let them go

I'm not sure why either...I'm guessing that they have it budgeted in the first place for the extra help and when sales/financials come in they freak out and let people go.

I think the cheese should be fine...after all, most artisan cheeses are kept cool but not cold. Some are even kept in semi warm rooms.

I watch too much foodie tv.

I just opened the presents from Nicky's parents...we got his and her Guinness PJ's and tons of chocolates and M&S shortbread. However, my favorite was our rugby jerseys...though Nicky got a Scottish one and I got an Irish ones. Next time those teams have a match we'll make sure to go out to a pub dressed in our respective jerseys.

Anyone need a laugh tonight?

Edited December 18, 2008 by ginger1981

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

Yeah, I sent cheese before

As I was buying it, I asked the guys in Neals yard about sending it without refridgeration (it was blue cheese). they said that the cheese just got riper over time, and it would get riper faster out of the fridge than in it, so really the only thing will be that the cheese will probably be ready to eat once it gets there. I said 'fine by me', and sent it.

[ginger1981 0]

####### that didn't post right!

[Jeraly 4]

I liked the random green-eyed dog

We're waiting until Christmas Day to open our presents from my mum although I can guess what some of them are She is putting money into my UK account though for the most part, as is my gran so when the exchange rate is a bit better then we will move it over or just have a shopping spree when we visit next Looking forward to the cheese though - there is only going to be me Jeremy and his aunt so the evening buffet will be a bit redundant but some of the cheese will be laid out Then Jeremy has work the next day so I will spend all day drinking beer and eating leftovers while playing with my presents... if I have anything that is at least mildly entertaining!!!

On another note, we are having Indian tonight - hoping to sweat this cold out of me. Voice is on and off which is interesting... My cat is aware of my dire need of cuddles and has been very affectionate these past couple of days. Of course, the kitten is being the complete opposite trying to climb into the laundry hamper, attack anything in sight and generally be a PITA

[Robyn-n-Kris 72]

wow so much has happened on the postings i'll never catch up!

Jeraly... get that cold gone before the holidays.. thankfully cats are good at knowing these things so cuddle away!

Ack.. sorry Nicky got laid off.. not a good time of the year for it but its happening everywhere. We are very thankful that Kris got in with my company. We are bringing home nearly matching paychecks so we can finally begin to save.

Mmmm cheese.. without a doubt one of my favorites. Poor Kris is still trying to find food he likes here. We've sorted out a few things (as well as finding some of the stuff he liked back home) but he's very picky on meat so it's been a challange.

Thankfully for Christmas most of his family deposited money into his UK account. Unfortunatley his father sent a check but our bank here cleared it quickly. Just wish the exchange rate was better than it currently is. We were also proactive this year and got everything done, wrapped and sorted by Thanksgiving. For now we are getting the house cleaned and ready for my mom who is coming to visit next week and finally meet Kris (he's terrified LOL) But we are also planning for my first visit over to the UK next year!

Miss you all. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.

[ginger1981 0]

I liked the random green-eyed dog

We're waiting until Christmas Day to open our presents from my mum although I can guess what some of them are She is putting money into my UK account though for the most part, as is my gran so when the exchange rate is a bit better then we will move it over or just have a shopping spree when we visit next Looking forward to the cheese though - there is only going to be me Jeremy and his aunt so the evening buffet will be a bit redundant but some of the cheese will be laid out Then Jeremy has work the next day so I will spend all day drinking beer and eating leftovers while playing with my presents... if I have anything that is at least mildly entertaining!!!

On another note, we are having Indian tonight - hoping to sweat this cold out of me. Voice is on and off which is interesting... My cat is aware of my dire need of cuddles and has been very affectionate these past couple of days. Of course, the kitten is being the complete opposite trying to climb into the laundry hamper, attack anything in sight and generally be a PITA

Getting Lamb Vindaloo?

I'm excited for my birthday next week...I won a $100 gift certificate to a very posh hotel that just opened up here a few months back and we're using it to eat in their extremely posh Japanese restaurant. They have Kobe beef on the menu...however it is $18 an ounce (minimum 4 oz) and I don't really feel like using all my gift certificate on one small cut of meat no matter how delicious it is.