The General Chat Thread (2025)

[Barriehie]

We get new computers at work every two years (I just got one) and by and large, everyone hates it, because it takes a couple of months to get everything working correctly again.

At CBRE we had the option to upgrade or keep. I always kept for 3 years or otherwise would be forced to a desk driver, read no field experience, person picking my plan and options.

 

[Barriehie]

JAS_OH1 You mentioned wishing rural in another thread and here's a few pics of mine. Know that we're always last for the power to come back on and *nobody*, excluding USPS, FedEx, UPS, delivers here. I know that SatNavSaysStraightOn for instance is *out there* but this is far enough for me.

The driveway last December at 8:30 PM.

Driveway again.

Where I get my drinking water.

The road to town in January.

A bald eagle and a hawk. We're really close to the river so the eagle is around here all the time.

 

[JAS_OH1]

Thank you, that's nice! What's really odd is that we have a ton of wildlife that show up in our backyard because we live across the street from the Metro park, so we have deer, rabbits, squirrels, ground hogs, and hawks who hunt in our backyard. But it's annoyingly noisy because of traffic and neighbor's dogs. One day we will need to downsize and I would like to move out to the country to a smaller house with some land.

 

[Barriehie]

You're welcome! My house is a converted three car garage that finished out to 1400 ft.^2 on five acres.

 

[TastyReuben]

We’re “rural-ish” - I just can’t bring myself to say rural, what with the interstate three miles away and a Starbucks less than 20 minutes away - 22 house development that used to be part of a much larger farm, each lot is two acres.

While we do get some quiet…you just can’t put 22 houses together and expect everyone to behave, unfortunately. We’ve got barking dogs (though rarely early morning or late night), gunfire from overzealous patriots waiting (hoping?) for the revolution kick off, and my least favorite - neighbors on motorcycles and four-wheelers zipping up and down our dead-end road, all evening weekdays and all day weekends, just for “fun.”

 

[Barriehie]

We’re “rural-ish” - I just can’t bring myself to say rural, what with the interstate three miles away and a Starbucks less than 20 minutes away - 22 house development that used to be part of a much larger farm, each lot is two acres.

While we do get some quiet…you just can’t put 22 houses together and expect everyone to behave, unfortunately. We’ve got barking dogs (though rarely early morning or late night), gunfire from overzealous patriots waiting (hoping?) for the revolution kick off, and my least favorite - neighbors on motorcycles and four-wheelers zipping up and down our dead-end road, all evening weekdays and all day weekends, just for “fun.”

I have an extreme *dislike* for a lack of consideration by others with loud vehicles. My .556 is louder!

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

The other day when I was at my Mother's apartment, she asked me to buy her a Gingerbread Mix...
Moi: What for Mom?
Mom: I want to make an Apricot Gingerbread Upside-down Cake (she said she used to make this all the time - I can remember maybe once my Mother ever baked anything!)
Moi: (never heard of that one) Ya know Ma, I have Great-Grandma's recipe for Gingerbread that's a winner, `member? I gave you a small loaf at Christmas?
Mom: Oh yeah, well here then, take these dried Apricots in my pantry and those mini loaf pans and make that for me
Moi: Okay ...

When I got home and looked at the bag of dried Apricots, they had expired in January of 2023!!!
That's a hard no, especially when they were BLACK!!!

I went to Wally-World today and bought a Gingerbread box mix and a can/tin of halved Apricots - way cheaper than my scratch recipe for Gingerbread and another bag of dried Apricots (not to mention the hooch to re hydrate the dried fruit!), which would have totaled maybe $25 to make as apposed to less than $6 with the boxed stuff...
Mom probably want know the difference! I'll bake it up in an 8x8 pan and divvy it up for the freezer for her.

 

[Barriehie]

The other day when I was at my Mother's apartment, she asked me to buy her a Gingerbread Mix...
Moi: What for Mom?
Mom: I want to make an Apricot Gingerbread Upside-down Cake (she said she used to make this all the time - I can remember maybe once my Mother ever baked anything!)
Moi: (never heard of that one) Ya know Ma, I have Great-Grandma's recipe for Gingerbread that's a winner, `member? I gave you a small loaf at Christmas?
Mom: Oh yeah, well here then, take these dried Apricots in my pantry and those mini loaf pans and make that for me
Moi: Okay ...

When I got home and looked at the bag of dried Apricots, they had expired in January of 2023!!!
That's a hard no, especially when they were BLACK!!!

I went to Wally-World today and bought a Gingerbread box mix and a can/tin of halved Apricots - way cheaper than my scratch recipe for Gingerbread and another bag of dried Apricots (not to mention the hooch to re hydrate the dried fruit!), which would have totaled maybe $25 to make as apposed to less than $6 with the boxed stuff...
Mom probably want know the difference! I'll bake it up in an 8x8 pan and divvy it up for the freezer for her.

2023??? My Mom asks why I bring my own hot sauce since she's got many bottles in the pantry, from the '70s... They've got layers.

 

[Windigo]

A Dutch legendary 3 Michelin star chef has died yesterday at 60 years old. He died from a pulmonary embolism.
His name is Jonnie Boer and his world famous restaurant was called ' De Librije'.
Reacties op onverwachtse dood sterrenchef Jonnie Boer: 'Meer dan een topkok'

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

A Dutch legendary 3 Michelin star chef has died yesterday at 60 years old. He died from a pulmonary embolism.
His name is Jonnie Boer and his world famous restaurant was called ' De Librije'.
Reacties op onverwachtse dood sterrenchef Jonnie Boer: 'Meer dan een topkok'

It's particularly sad that he was handing things over to his children so he could take it easy. Sounds like he was a good guy as well as a good chef

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

The other day when I was at my Mother's apartment, she asked me to buy her a Gingerbread Mix...
Moi: What for Mom?
Mom: I want to make an Apricot Gingerbread Upside-down Cake (she said she used to make this all the time - I can remember maybe once my Mother ever baked anything!)
Moi: (never heard of that one) Ya know Ma, I have Great-Grandma's recipe for Gingerbread that's a winner, `member? I gave you a small loaf at Christmas?
Mom: Oh yeah, well here then, take these dried Apricots in my pantry and those mini loaf pans and make that for me
Moi: Okay ...

When I got home and looked at the bag of dried Apricots, they had expired in January of 2023!!!
That's a hard no, especially when they were BLACK!!!

I went to Wally-World today and bought a Gingerbread box mix and a can/tin of halved Apricots - way cheaper than my scratch recipe for Gingerbread and another bag of dried Apricots (not to mention the hooch to re hydrate the dried fruit!), which would have totaled maybe $25 to make as apposed to less than $6 with the boxed stuff...
Mom probably want know the difference! I'll bake it up in an 8x8 pan and divvy it up for the freezer for her.

When I read your posts I wish I had, had a daughter!

 

[Lullabelle]

Hello *tap* hello anyone hear me? Now I have my new pc and stuff things have changed

 

[Barriehie]

Hello *tap* hello anyone hear me? Now I have my new pc and stuff things have changed

We can hear you!

 

[badjak]

Knock knock
Who's there?
It's Lullabelle
She's well

 

[Lullabelle]

We can hear you!

Yay