TRAVEL ADVISORY

Blogging may be light today, as this blog will be on the road -- but not, alas, on a frog safari.

Comments

[slyeyes]

....one small step FOR man......

I had Lysol in my eyes and couldn't see clearly.

((Susan))

[Blogchik]

Some exciting news in Blogchik's world:

1) We've got broadcast tv back! Yay! The eejits at school finally fixed the dang thing. After one full year. Therefore I was able to watch the Super Bowl in my common room with the other girls!

Sample comment during the game: "Is the game back on? Good, I have time to change."

2) Pinkeye is going round the dorm. 2 girls have already gotten it. I think I may have it. I'm goint to have to find the time to see the doctor, I guess.

3) I have now watched every episode of The Office, my favorite show on television, thanks to getting the DVD for the second season and downloading the ones I missed from the third season on iTunes. Yay iTunes! :) Yeah, that is big excitement for me.

4) I have learned to knit! It's so exciting! I'm making a nubby scarf. I've already had to start over (I managed to add stiches, going from 17 stiches to 30 somehow--so I had to unravel it and start over almost at the beginning.). Actually I started over twice, since the first time I had 30 cast-on stiches on there, and it was going to take a million years to knit.

For my next scarf, I'm going to learn to purl too!

I am so excited. I've been inducted into the secret mysteries of knitting! :)

[Kaffy (In Disguise.. With Glasses)]

Good news in the Blogchik world!

I can knit, I just get bored with it very quickly. There are several half-finished things lying around the place.

Fence Update (for those who didn't stab themselves in the eye to avoid reading about the fence AGAIN.) It will be finished and the gate will be hung, and everything will be painted on Friday. Wheeeeeeee!!

[Crash]

My EYE!

heh, sorry.

[Kaffy (In Disguise.. With Glasses)]

's okay, Crash.. just be grateful you're not Susan and I don't have your cellphone number!

[Kaffy (In Disguise.. With Glasses)]

's okay, Crash.. just be grateful you're not Susan and I don't have your cellphone number!

[Kibby F5™]

Kaf's gate is hung?

... who would'a thought.

Astronauts wear the diapers during launch and landings only - thank gawd! I'll never get that image out of my mind whenever I view one of those things.

Guess that solves Mom's concern about undies whenever in an accident.

[slyeyes]

Kibby, that explains the pre-launch waddle on the way to the shuttle. Also makes me wonder if the following is a typical NASA joke:

Question: Will today's launch go off as planned?

Answer: Depends

[Kibby F5™]

OK, that was weird, where'd the post go?

RIP Frankie.

RAWHIDE!

*cracks whip*

[wolfie]

*slinks in*

they have given me net back

i'd prefer baby back. ribs that is.

spaceballs!

[Kibby F5™]

Wolfie, it's in the merchandizing!

[Leetie]

I had just read sly's "depends" joke and the phone rang. I was giggling when I answered it. :)

[Jeff Meyerson]

While NASA says her status with the space program hasn't been affected, I'm sure no one is going to want to go on a spacewalk while she's around. And now, thanks to her, whenever I think of astronauts, I now picture them in diapers. Of course, I don't often think of astronauts, so it's really no biggy.

Sly, they said she was supposed to be in Mission Control for the next space mission but now that's "in doubt"; gee, ya think?

As for the diaper thing, apparently they're used to wearing them on spacewalks. Ewwwwwwwwwww!

Someone said what was the point of the diapers since she had to stop for gas - assuming she didn't go 900 miles on one tank of gas. But then they said she "wasn't thinking too clearly"; duh, ya think again?

For all you sick MOATies, a cure: Florida! After a month of colds and a stuffy nose and being unable to sleep and being forced to take pill after pill, three days in Florida and I'm cured! I think I may have to move down here.

And the thing is, until today it's been relatively cool and mostly cloudy with showers so it isn't even the hot sun doing it.

Last note: I hate dialup.

Feel better, people.

[Jeff Meyerson]

Sly, I know I heard the "spacewalk" thing yesterday but the newspaper says they were diapers on takeoff and re-entry.

[Kibby F5™]

OiNASA:

"Ok, everybody go before we launch? I'm not turning around!"

Heard from the 2nd set of seets:

"We there yet? I GOTTA go!"

[Eleanor]

*zips in* sort of

I haven't been up long enough to know how I feel but my Magic 8 Ball says, Outlook not good. *sigh*

private message to Sarah, I haven't forgotten

[slyeyes]

Dave has a "junk fax" rant going on the MB.

[Jeff Meyerson]

*snork* at "Depends"

[DDi]

Heat wave!

It's a balmy 0 degrees here today and feels like -20!

How's the rest of the midwest holding up after the snow? Lab?

[Mr.Fisher]

It was mysteriously warm here yesterday.... not positive, but i heard 70 degrees fall out of several sets of lips yesterday as I attempted to stay afloat.

Todays high, 42. WTFBBQ ? ? !?

I quickly scanned backturds to see I missed wishing the BIG D a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Also, if I haven't said this before, I would simply like to extend my THANKS to all of you who are a part of me in this strange little world we live in, for all the distraction you all create, the overall affect is simplicity. And I like it.

I will now return my head back underwater.

[«LabSpecimen»]

Ok, if I said to you, "Yesterday, I had Dark Red Raspberry Kisses", wouldn't that make sense? Wouldn't you know what I was talking about?

[Kibby F5™]

D.R.R.K.s you say!?

... nope, got nothing ...

[Trillian]

I had cherry kisses not too long ago. yummo

[Kibby F5™]

DRRK could be an abbreviation for some Communist country though!

Something like the Democratic Republic of the Republic of Korea.

[Trillian]

Dramatic Reenactment with Rice Krispies?

[Kibby F5™]

with Rice Krispies!?

... kinky ...

[Sarah J]

It's warmed up here this week, unfortunately due to what they euphamistically call "inversion" It's just plain of icky stinky smog blanketing the valley. Good thing a storm is coming through to blow it away!

Private message to El, thanks! *smooch*

[Wurm42]

Democratic Republic Redundancy Klause?

Dude Ranch Raises Kows?

Dead Ringer Robs Krispie Kreame?

[DDi]

Private message to Lab: No. Should I? Was that even to me?

[Kaffy (In Disguise.. With Glasses)]

Good morning.. as expected, I ache a lot today.

Dark Red Raspberry Kisses? *drool*

DRRK?
Does Rob Reiner Know?
Do Red Rabbits Kick?
Did Rachel Ray Kurse?
Dave Reads Rude Komiks

[Jeff Meyerson]

A friend sent Jackie Strawberry & Orange Kisses, neither of which she cared for.

Ditto for the Vanilla-Flavored Peppermint Patties.

[BigD®]

Thanks for all the B-Day wishes, it was a good day. I got me a Ribeye steak for dinner - in a port/mushroom sauce...Yummo.

[«LabSpecimen»]

A guy at work was telling me that his boyfriend's roommate bought some cookies that were on sale, but ended up not liking them.

[DDi]

*wonders what kind of a person wouldnt like cookies*
*decides it would be the same person who didnt like dark red raspberry kisses*

[«LabSpecimen»]

Well, when I took my cat to the vet, I overheard a woman talking to the secretary about her neighbor who had tried a new recipe from Good Housekeeping magazine and ended up putting too much oregano in it and ruined it. I think the woman had a brown dog.

[Eleanor]

Can't you EVER say anything good about anything, Jeff? Why does it always have to be something negative? Did that really need to be said at all?

*zips out to go back to bed*

[DDi]

NO! Lab, I know someone with a brown dog!
Come to think of it, I know a woman too!

{{Eleanor}} Good of you to drop in! Hope you get to feeling better so you can swing by more often! *smooch*

[BigD®]

Giada is on Food Network right now - damn she has a huge head.

I used to have a black dog but it ran away.

60 degrees and gas at $2.04.

[slyeyes]

I was just standing at the window, looking out at the Mississippi River and observing all of the chunks of ice in it that is slowing flowing south. I couldn't help but think,

"All that ice and me with no bourbon."

[Kaffy (In Disguise.. With Glasses)]

*loves Sly some bourbon*

[Kibby F5™]

Robs Krispie Kreame?

BASTARDS!!!

BIGD!!!

[Mad Scientist Weasel]

Won't comment on the comments

[DDi]

*loves Mad*

[Kibby F5™]

Pssst, Eleanor, chill

[DDi]

Kibby - CYE as soon as I send it. Shortly. Within a few minutes. Really.

[DDi]

SENT!

*is proud of self for being punctual*

[«LabSpecimen»]

Pssst! El, ignore the nay sayers!

[wolfie]

I was punctualt once. Then they took away my hole punch.

[Kaffy (In Disguise.. With Glasses)]

I know I'm not Kibby, but I forgot to check my email today, so thanks, DDi!

Plan for today? Not much of one , but I have my Metrocard (bus pass) back, so I can go into town today! Plus, I have a couple of people I want to visit..

So I'll be back in a while.. maybe.

[DDi]

Hey! There's a few of those in the office. I used to have one too. Someone stole it though.

At least I have my stapler!

[Kibby F5™]

kibby's been through a 1/2 bottle of Armenian Konjak, ask Blogchik abooot it, good sh!t.

*don't want mis understanding to cloud the MOAT*

[wolfie]

I think El has been chilled. Wasn't there a cold front in cali like all last week?

Maybe she's finally warming up.

[Leetie]

*chills bourbon for later*

[Eleanor]

From the NYTimes e-mail headlines page:
QUOTATION OF THE DAY
"We can screen out very serious stuff, but we can’t always predict the future."
NICK KANAS, professor of psychology at the University of California, San Francisco, on psychological testing of astronauts.

*snork*

private message to kibby - I chill as long as I can, then I just can't anymore.

[neophyte]

Lttg, but *snicker* at hole punch.

[DDi]

Snickers!?!?

WHERE!?!?!

*drops to all fours and begins hunting for Snickers*

[slyeyes]

The last time I saw, two guys were eating Snickers; creating snickers.

[DDi]

Eww.
*scrubs head with bleach and a brillo pad*

[«LabSpecimen»]

My friend's coworker's wife said she can't eat snickers because she has a peanut allergy.

[Kibby F5™]

kibby's going to czech out for awhile (read:unknown amout of time) because he really doesn't know.

[DDi]

*loves Kibby a Snickers bar*

You know what a SNICKERS is silly! They even have them in Europe! Maybe not in Kourou, but Europe for sure!

[neophyte]

Ok, I know I'm REALLY LTTG, but I had to look up Red Raspberry Kiss. It involves Honey Dust, Oil of Love, and Pleasure Balm. I knew I liked raspberries; I just never knew why before.

[Kaffy (In Disguise.. With Glasses)]

mmmm Neo.. yummy!

Okay, so I haven't left yet.. I'm working on it, I promise

[Susan]

Hey!

Did you know? Dave wrote a Christmas book!

Boy...you'd think he'd put something on his blog or something...

[Kaffy (In Disguise.. With Glasses)]

Hehehehe Susan!

[Eleanor]

Paging insom, paging insom...

Have you been watching Studio 60? If so, don't you just want to say
awwwww....
*grins*

[Wurm42]

Kaf, today I envy you for living in New Zealand. Here's why:

1) It's WARM there now.

2) Nobody goes cheese rolling in the USA anymore

3)There is no three. Is there ever?

[Kaffy (In Disguise.. With Glasses)]

Wurm, yes it is warm. Finally.

Also, they do have cheese rolling competitions in the US. If you count Wisconsin, anyway. They seem to go harder than the Kiwis did... broken bones, bruises, scrapes... OUCH!

[DDi]

*runs in and slips on a banana peel*

HEY! Are the monkeys from the MB hanging out here too?

*adjusts blouse and skirt*
*doesnt realize skirt is still hiked up in the back*
*steps up to the podium*

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! MOAT CALENDAR 2008 ANNOUNCEMENT! ATTENTION!

Thank you. As you all know, our beloved Kibby put together the 2007 Moat Calendar along with the production assistance of our herbologist Peri, and the administrative support of Eleanor/Cookie/Laynie/Eleanor. We are thrilled and most thankful for his hard work and efforts! We love you Kibby! *smooch*

*clapping*

Although it's early, we'd like to begin thinking about the 2008 calendar. An exploratory committee has been assembled to research the options and presentation best suited for our penguin and coconut bra wearing selves.

At this point, Peri and I would like to ask you for your permission to take on the task and honor of putting together next years calendar. Eleanor, if she is still willing, will provide the administrative coordination. If you have any concerns with this, or objections, please email me directly (addy is correct here) and your concern will be addressed.

Likewise, if you would like to assist, please feel free to contact me. The more the merrier, right!? :)

Once again, I thank you for your time. And may the Blog Goddess bless the Moat!

*waves and stumbles out*

[DDi]

*runs back*

OOoh! Before I forget!!

ALL MOATIES WITH BURFDAYS IN THE MONTHS OF JANUARY OR FEBRUARY, PLEASE EMAIL ME RIGHT AWAY! (again, email addy here is correct)

*runs out before her dinner burns*

[Jeff Meyerson]

Finally, it was a really warm and beautiful day today. So nice to be here when it is so much colder at home.

Forgot the gas price report. We paid $2.07 in New Jersey and $1.97 in South Carolina. The cheapest we saw was $1.89 further south in SC.

I paid $2.21 in this area.

New York was a lot more but nowhere near as high as Oregon or California.

/end gas price report

[DDi]

Jeff the gas in the town I live in is $2.21, meanwhile gas in the city I work in is $2.18 (its usually cheaper the other way around!) and in Chicago its about $2.45+.

Enjoy that warm weather! We had a heat wave today too... it was -18! WAHOO!

[Kaffy (In Disguise.. With Glasses)]

Ddi.. no objections to you and Peri (whom we need to see more of) doing the calendar next year, with Laynie as admin supremo. If I can be of any help from my little corner, please let me know.

Petrol here? The other day, I saw $1.33/litre. Carry the 73, divide by 9.48 and you have... maybe $3.70ish US per gallon.

[DDi]

Those prices astonish me.. how can people afford it?

(and thank you, Kaf!)

[insomniac]

el.- on studio 60, i hope you're referring to the bradley whitford/amanda peet pairing, 'cause the matthew perry/sarah paulson , (i had to look her name up) relationship is just irritating... although said he, waxing philosophically ("it gleams , therefore i am") in the first relationship, love is making the man a better person, and in the second case, it isn't.

[Kaffy (In Disguise.. With Glasses)]

DDi - it's more than half that again in Europe. Oh, and how I afford it? I take the bus, because I don't have a driver's license.

[neophyte]

waxing philosophically

*snork!!*

[MarieP]

Yay for Moat Calendar 2008 Team!!! You go girls!

I wish Studio 60 was on TV here too... But I can't really complain because we have 3 episodes of season 3 of Rescue Me every Sunday afternoon, in English with subtitles please.

News on the neck front: still painful, have an appointment with an ostheopathe, a doctor who takes your head and twist it very quickly to put everything back in place. It always scares the sh!t out of me (makes me feel like I'm Linda Blair in The Exorcist), but if there's a nerve stuck somewhere and it's not just muscular, it should get me back in shape!

El, I hope you're feeling better today.

Tonight I'm hosting a surprise birthday party for my brother.
He didn't want to celebrate it; he just turned 30 so he's depressed *bitter laugh*
I asked him to come and have dinner with a friend of his that I like, a funny girl. Except the girl thought it would be a great idea to invite other friends of his and have a surprise party. I didn't want her to think I was the uncool older sister so I said No problem. Now I just hope there won't be too many people and they won't make too much noise (I have old neighbours) and won't leave too late (I have to go to work early but they're all artists and never get up before 10am). I have spent every evening this week cleaning and preparing food - I'm making an italian buffet - and had to say no to a date with the singer I've just met.

So I hope it'll be worth it and my brother will be happy even though he warned me "I hope you're not organizing a surprise party, I hate those"
*sigh*

Families...

[«LabSpecimen»]

Hi Marie! Good to see you again!

Depressed over 30? That's silly.

[Jeff Meyerson]

MarieP: hope the osteo works. We used to live next door to a chiropractor when we were growing up and my father went for "treatments" several times for neck or back pain. It seemed to help but, like you, it scares me.

DDi, they were going on this morning about the "heat wave" in New York: 8 on Monday morning gradually warming to a balmy 17 today. It's so incredible about how mild (relatively) the winter was through November and December and early January before this kicked in. They are talking about 100" of snow by the time it ends in parts of upstate NY.

Then I keep thinking about how cold it is in Winnipeg. Try and keep warm!

[Trillian]

I'm going to be 30 tommorrow! yay!

[Eleanor]

*zips in*

Marie, I've been up for 10 minutes and have not sneezed, so I think that's a good sign. :)

Why don't you invite the singer to the party?

insom, yes, I was talking about your beloved Amanda Peet and my beloved Josh. They make a wonderful couple. :)

According to the MOAT calendar, today is Man Day. How do I get one?

[slyeyes]

Good morning! I can't post from my home computer.
:(

After hitting post, it goes to a typep@d page that is blank.

So here's what I tried to post earlier, although it's lost something in having to wait.

*********************

*enters and slips on some wax*

Ouch

It's MAN DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*exits to wait for her delivery; carefully avoiding the wax*

[Leetie]

Yay! Trillian! Have a very happy one!

I saw a news segment this morning about all the snow in upstate NY. Wolfie, are you buried???

MarieP: I second the motion to invite the singer.

Gas: $2.10

[Brian B]

You rang, El?

Jeff,
I really hope that you meant 10" and not 8 feet 4 inches of snow.

Also, I would like to officially put on record that my theory of the seasons shifting is totally holding up. I've been under this impression for years now and every Nov./Dec. gets warmer and warmer and we stay colder into every April/May. Mild summers not getting really hot until early September.

Pretty soon, we'll have coats on lighting fireworks and celebrate Christmas with a palm tree instead of an evergreen.

Oh, and morning MOATies!

[Mr.Fisher]

*TURNS UP his Jimmy Buffet Christmas Album*

mela kalikimaka is the thing to say ....

[Jeff Meyerson]

Brian: nope, I meant ONE HUNDRED inches! Up in the snow belt between Syracuse and Watertown the Lake Ontario snow effect has been cranking it out for a week.

They say the area south of that is not as bad so I'm hoping Wolfie is OK.

[Eleanor]

Rang what, Brian???

[Kibby F5]

VALENTINE POEMS

WOMAN'S POEM

Before I lay me down to sleep,
I pray for a man who's not a creep,
One who's handsome, smart and strong.
One who loves to listen long,
One who thinks before he speaks,
One who'll call, not wait for weeks.
I pray he's gainfully employed,
When I spend his cash, won't be annoyed.
Pulls out my chair and opens my door,
Massages my back and begs to do more.
Oh! Send me a man, who'll make love to my mind,
Knows what to answer to "how big is my behind?"
I pray that this man will love me to no end, And always be my very best friend.

MAN'S POEM

I pray for a deaf-mute nymphomaniac with huge boobs
who owns a liquor store and a golf course. This
doesn't rhyme and I don't give a shit.

[DDi]

*waves*

I'm soooo grateful to all of you for the support you've shown! Not just to Peri and I taking on the challenge* of producing the 2008 calendar but also to the weather update system we have going on here at the moat. With your help, I hardly ever turn on the weather channel these days! *giggles*

*and it will be a challenge considering the high level of expectations Kibby has set with this years calendar!

The heat wave has been amazing... its so warm today, I didnt have to wrap my scarf around my head twice, just once!

[DDi]

SNORK!

Eleanor, careful what you ring...

[wolfie]

I didn't do it!

[DDi]

*now understands why Wolfie was unable to moat the other day... she was busy*

*giggles*

[kibby F5]

*wonders how a satellite navigation system and an iPod fits into a s3x store display*

[Brian B]

El,

You noted that it was Man Day and was wondering where to get one, so I was offering up my services.

Just a little mid-morning pervieness.

[Eleanor]

kibby, that's the most beautiful poem I've ever read, including the Man one.

private message to wolfie from FCDA - if you deny something before anyone even asks if you did it, you immediately become a suspect, which in this case you would have been anyway. ;)

[Susan]

*gets in line for a man*

Kibby...wonderful poems.

A HUGE thank you to everyone working on the upcoming calendar. If you are lucky...I may get another picture this year to go on it. I heard talk at some point of a "Good" (oh like that can happen), or should I say, professional, picture taken of me. We shall see.

It's 41 now, high of 51...gas is $1.97.

[insomniac]

i'll help out...

didja do it, wolfie?

now she can deny it!

[wolfie]

Maybe. What was the question again?

*wide eyed look*