It's just Thursday, MKF! 1/29/04

[gorn]

Double-post Thursday, MKF!

You get the day off for the Royal Wedding, PtS? Even in Ireland? To me, that's one of the neat perks of having royalty. My mother loves the Royal Family, and I remember her waking me up at four in the morning to watch Charles & Diana (I was only about ten years old, so I was used to waking up at four in the morning to watch Saturday morning cartoons). Kinda of a fun memory, despite the way things turned out.

Though I rather like the idea of royalty, I do not share my mother's fan-like enthusiasm. I will not be waking up at four in the morning to watch this one. Instead, I have the painful challenge of going through my DVR and deleting what I can to make enough space to record the wedding for Mrs. Gorn ... who likewise has no intention of waking up at four in the morning.

[kisstheviolets]

If I didn't have to work tomorrow (at the far more godly hour of anywhere between 8 and 9 - sorry gorn!) I would totally get up at like 3am to watch the wedding. That Kate Middleton is one hot... well, uh, lovely future Queen of England. But alas, we here in the rebel colonies do not get the day off so I will be sleeping through the night so I can be coherent tomorrow, slaving over a hot computer, dispensing justice with my fingertips and strokes of my pen.

Something horrible has happened to my vegetable starts in the past couple of weeks. A bunch of the leaves turned yellow and a couple of the tomato plants died altogether. From what I've been reading they either were overwatered or exposed to the cold for too long (we had a little sunny spell here and I put them outside but it didn't actually get very warm apparently). I've been trying to rehabilitate them, but it's not pretty. If I wasn't convinced that there was going to be some kind of financial and social collapse one day that was going to require us all to grow our stuff to survive, I'd totally just give up now and leave this to the professionals. Every cucumber I pick comes right out of Boschi pocket! Or something like that. Oh, I'm only half serious about the armageddon.

PtS, so good to see you back! I got your PM and owe you a response but I will quickly say here that your primer on lawn care was the best I've read so far and I really, really, super duper appreciate it! I showed it to my girlfriend and said, "Now, make fun of me one more time for having internet friends, why don't you. I just got amazing lawn advice from ACROSS THE MOTHEREFFING POND." Ahem. Sometimes I'm a bit touchy about things. She doesn't quite understand the board, or the Thursday kinship, or you know, pop culture. But god help me, I love the little beast.

Bit of trivia for you all... Today is Worker Memorial Day (in the US). Apparently every day 14 American workers are killed on the job and an additional 11,000 are injured. In my state, Oregon, 34 workers died in 2010 (including servicemembers abroad). Worker Memorial Day is celebrated on April 28th because that was the date in 1971 that the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect. As an aside, the agency I work for investigates discrimination in employment on a variety of protected classes and activities, among them are retaliation for filing an OSHA complaint or for invoking your rights under the workers compensation system. On the one hand I feel like "Yay, progress, more protections!" On the other, it's like Jesus, we're still retaliating against people for getting hurt and objecting to unsafe working conditions? Boo his. Oh well, keeps me employed [and end cynic scene].

Happy Thursday peeps, hope no one gets hurt out there!!

ktv

[Boschi]

It'll have to be a quickie this morning, MKF.

So I hired this very dewy-eyed young college student to work for me at the farm this season. He started this week and so far I have succeeded in not calling him "Bambi", which is how I think of him. I have never felt so goddamned old. This kid is a good worker, but I swear he should still have spots and big, knobbly knees. He is so sincere and so, so frigging young. Hence the "Bambi".

The real test will come tomorrow, when my other employee shows up. He is more like a member of the Adam's family. Gomez's black-humored younger brother. I fear for Bambi. The kid just screams "fuck with me".

Ah-well. At least I'll be entertained this summer.

Right. So Bambi tends to show up early at the field (ain't he just the most punctual little thing?) and I should try to be there before him.

Happy Thursday all.

- Boschi

[Foomatic]

Wow! It's like a super kitten reunion in here! Boschi, KTV, gorn, Pts . . . Nice to see some old timers come back 'round these parts!

What's this Primer on Lawn Care? We bought a house last October and have finally gotten around to working on the backyard, aka, the Kingdom of Weeds. We hired a high school acquaintance of my partner's to do the landscaping. He put in sod, and since we are not of the green thumbs and he didn't tell us, we didn't water it. He had installed an irrigation system, so I thought that was watering the grass. A couple of brown patches later I'm ready to smack the guy with a shovel and bury him in the corner of our yard. Apparently an email was sent, but not received by us. I think that Lawn Care Primer would be much more helpful than this guy has been. So, share, yes?

It's Cinco de Mayo today, so we are headed to the local Mexican joint for some grub after my daughter's Music class. Tomorrow I don't have any classes to teach, so I'm sneaking out early and am going to try to surprise the wifey with a little something something from me and the baby for Mother's Day. Of course, she's off site tomorrow, which totally nixes the lunch at the park near her work idea, so I'll have to come up with something. Hope you're all having a great Thursday!

[gorn]

Cinco de Mayo? I thought everybody was just happy because it was Thursday, MKF ...

Actually, at one point during the day I did stop and remember briefly that it was Cinco de Mayo before getting overrun by the general busyness of the day. Should've said something to Mrs. Gorn while I remembered - we could've gone out to our favourite Mexican place, but she brought home Dominos instead. Not that there's anything wrong with Dominos. I've just got a soft spot in my heart for holidays that aren't my own, and we could've done something fun instead. Ah, well.

Aside from the sheer awesomeness of Thursday, I think I know why some of us still tend to gather in this bestest of best threads, Foo. As busy as we all seem to have gotten, we can at least stop by once a week and say howdy. No better place to do it than this. It is pretty nice to see folks coming back here, though. Even when I wasn't posting, I missed you guys. MKF says she missed us, too.

I don't even know this "Bambi" and I already want to pinch his chubby, rosey cheeks. You better get this guy a big swiss army pocket knife and teach him how to eat raw kohlrabi like a tough guy before it's too late.

Anybody else mightily unimpressed with the Royal Wedding? And what was the deal with that dress? Maybe I'm being a little superficial, but it didn't strike me as particularly ... royal, you know?

I don't want to hear anymore about your lawns and landscapers. We had 62 days of rain last month and my lawn has turned into a goddamn jungle. I got part of it done today, but the front half is still flooded. I'm thinking of calling FEMA.

Our gornling just climbed up on my lap. Typing with one hand. Got to go before she erases everything.

[Rachel]

Oh how I love Thursdays. It's like Saturday for me because i'm off today and tomorrow. I'm such a bit buzzed and about having some fun.

Good luck on that FEMA thing Gorn, as said by one from New Orleans. You'll be lucky if they even realize you filed a claim. lol

Happy Thursday everyone and be happy tomorrow is Friday! Yay.

[Boschi]

Lonely thread today... but I'm here, kinda like a politician on C-SPAN.

My fellow Americans...err.... Kittens.... I stand before you today to say that I am tiddly. Not quite drunk, but, in the spirit of many great Kittens upon whose shoulders I stand, not entirely sober either. I am, above all else, possessed by the spirit of Thursday, that great and enobling belief that all is as it is. That we are here, in the Thursday, as the Thursday, one in the Thursday. Thursday, is, in fact, today.



Sorry. Don't know where that came from.

So I did good today. I worked like hell in the morning, and Bambi managed to mostly keep up. Then, in the afternoon, I managed to nail down the details of a workshop that will be held Saturday, including finishing two presentations and arranging lunch for 25. Tomorrow I must somehow be in three different places as the same time; I have decided this is no problem and that I will work out the details tomorrow. Let us not speak of Saturday, when I must set up at market by 7, leave my poor mother and an employee to work market, drive to the workshop, give multiple presentations, herd folks through a farm tour, then come home and unload a van full of market supplies.

Today, all is possible. The icy cold bath of catastrophe can wait until tomorrow.

On that note, I take a last sip of Jagermeister (which really can be a perfectly civilized after dinner drink) and bid you all good night.

- Boschi

[gorn]

If I had to pick one thing wrong with my Thursday, MKF, it's that I wasn't drinking. Other that, pretty good day.

And I was kinda busy. Could've done without that, I suppose.

Oh, I had GREAT pizza today! It's kind of on the far side town from me, but there's a chain truck stop that has GREAT New York style pizza. Best in the area. I actually prefer the deep-dish Chicago style, but they don't have anything like that here. And NY style is still pretty damn good, especially when it's close to authentic like this. Who'd have thought you could find great pizza in a chain truck stop?

Pizza & Thursdays kinda go well together.

I'm tired, MKF, and 6:45am is gonna come early.

[gorn]

I ate too much, MKF. Mrs. Gorn made italian sausage & penne last night, and the next night I always get the leftovers as a kind of meatball sandwich on thick, crusty italian bread. Very, very nice, actually better than it was the night before. I love dishes like that, you know? You eat them one day and they're pretty good, let them sit over night, and they magically transform into the best thing you've ever eaten in your life.

All else is good this Thursday. Carry on.

[Boschi]

I have been bopping around the kitchen, cooking dinner, singing "It is Thursday, it is Thursday; I can post, I can post..."

So very... funny? pitiful? I don't really know.

gorn, thanks for your support. I hope I can depend on your vote.

My Thursday news is that I just spent half an hour weeding a bed of dill. I was weeding out weed. Not weeds. Weed. There was a plethora of little marijuana seedlings scattered everywhere. To clarify, I did not plant these. My landlords did not (or at least I assume not, they aren't smokers). I did, however, rip them out. Pot fans, I'm sorry. The weed was shading out the herb.

Allrighty, I'm finishing my wine and going to bed - tomorrow morning will start early.

- Bosch

[Leaf]

I love leftovers that improve themselves while waiting in the fridge. So industrious and motivated they are.

There has been a heck of a lot of life packed into this week, MKF. It began on Monday with the arrival of the first grandchild in either my or Mrs. Leaf's family. We took the train up to CT yesterday to meet her little 2 day old self. Now, I am not the kind of girl that fawns over babies categorically, but my new niece is amazing. Kind of mesmerizing. I am ridiculously smitten.

Wednesday found Mrs. Leaf actually procuring gainful employment in her field at a very good firm before she even graduates (because, well...my wife is made of awesome.) And then, said graduation ceremony happens tomorrow. Today we cleaned for the first time in a duration that I will not be admitting to, in prep for the in-laws arrival tomorrow morning.

I am stupidly proud, very happy, and so exhausted that I am a wee bit delirious. And I am really looking forward to the fact that 2 Thursdays from now my pale, exhausted butt will be sitting on a beach in Puerto Rico, enjoying my first true vacation in 7 years. Woo Freaking Hoo!!!

Goodnight all!
Leaf

[wayland]

Technically, it's Friday here, but if you promise not to tell anyone, then I won't either.

It's been a great Thursday. The sky was grey and miserable and I didn't mind at all. I dipped my toe into kitten chat for the first time and survived the experience mostly unscathed, though I was strangely voluble afterwards and spoke in different colours.

Happy Thursday to all of you still watching the clock for the end of your working day and goodnight all.

[Finey_McFine]

Awesome day today! I got a ton of stuff done at work and my kid got a perfect score on her math TAKS test. TAKS stands for Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills and is a HUGE deal here. Basically, if you fail you repeat the grade...period. I'm not particularly a big fan of this test, I really feel like the schools teach to it and the kids learn nothing else, but you deal with it and supplement their education yourself. That's what we've always done with J. I'm pretty proud of her, not many kids get 100% on the test...the average is about 6 kids in the entire school.

So, as a reward we went out for ice cream and to see Pirates of The Caribbean in IMAX 3D and it was pretty darn good. This one actually had a plot and Johnny Depp was great as always. I have to say though, my favorite part...one word: mermaids. Like I said, awesome day:)

[EasierSaid]

Howdy, Kittens. I actually had to check my calendar to see if it was indeed Thursday today and you know what? It's indeed Thursday. Was a pretty good day until dinner, then all unholy hell broke loose. Our boy didn't want mac n' cheese with broccoli. This was surprising to us because a) it's one of his favorites, b) it has some of his favorite things, cheese and broccoli and c) he eats everything. So, he totally melted down, which is way out of character for him and the whole ear-shattering screaming ordeal left the wife and I totally rattled. I almost hope he wakes up with a new tooth or something, because that sort of insanity for no reason might be a wee bit too much to handle on a regular basis. He's totally spoiled us by being an all-around jolly guy; if he flips a switch and goes Linda Blair on us every night I don't know what we're going to do.

So that's my story. Life is so busy I could cry most days, but instead of crying tonight I had some ice cream and decided to check in here. Ah, Thursday. Hope everyone is doing well, and staying safe with all of the inclement weather out there.

[gorn]

For a short week, Thursday sure couldn't have come fast enough, MKF!

This should probably be going in the "Moment of Truth" thread, but every Thursday is kind of like a Moment of Truth for me. I'm going on a diet. Kinda for real this time. This is perhaps early to the point of being silly, but Mrs. Gorn and I have decided we're going to Disneyworld next year for our daughter's 3rd birthday ... in December. Yeah, that's a year and a half away. We love Disney, we can't help ourselves, and it's been a Really Long Time since the last time we went. Yume will be turning 3, and Sarah (due in August) will be pretty close to the age Yume is now. Perfect time to go!

That being said, I've put on a few extra pounds (to put it lightly) in my old age, and from what I remember from the last time we went (good GOD ... 10 years ago??), it takes a fair bit of stamina to do the Parks for seven days straight. That's not counting the extra running around we're gonna have to do with two toddlers. Yume tires me out now by herself just running around the house. It's time for a change. If I'm gonna do right by my family and have a great time in Disneyworld, it's going to take me a year and half to get in shape.



So there it is, MKF. I said it in front of God and everyone, and on a Thursday no less. I'm gonna lose weight in order to take my family to Disneyworld in December 2012.

At the very least, I'll come back here each and every Thursday and report my progress. Wish me luck, MKF!

[EasierSaid]

OMG, MKF, I can't believe nobody posted about their Thursday shenanigans last week! KTV, how's yer lawn? Boschi, how's yer young 'un and hoop house? gorn, how's yer early mornings? Leafy, how's yer monthly cheat day? Every body else, how's yer Thursday?

Thursday today was tough. The boy has hit the terrible twos full force and it's a little like living with Jekyll and Hyde. One moment, sweet cuddle bug, the next, screaming, thrashing pile of boneless goo on the floor. It can be unnerving. Add in that it sets the puppy off and we have ourselves a situation! There have also been some other life challenges that have recently gotten me down and well, it's been a rough couple of months. I need a break, MKF. Just a couple of hours, I'm not greedy. But a break... dear lord that would be nice.

Hope everyone is having a fantastic day, and hope to see you guys next Thursday.

[gorn]

I'm tired, MKF, but the least I can do is say howdy on a Thursday! I'm telling ya, these mornings are rough. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but I keep staying up too late. You know what the weird thing is, though? I'm an adult. I'm supposed to be able to go to bed at a reasonable time and wake up when I have to, but it's like I never quite outgrew being fourteen.

Slightly related, I had the pleasure of hearing Samuel L. Jackson read "Go The Fuck To Sleep" the other day, but it has already been blocked on YouTube. Too bad. Not sure where you can find it now, but MKF says find it if you can!

[Rachel]

Finally home, still Thursday here by 20 minutes. I had to work today on a day that I am usually off. Boo for work, yay for more money. Now I'm at home drinking my Corona because I really don't have to work tomorrow. Yay.

[wayland]

A very strange Thursday for me. An anniversary that brought up mixed emotions. Ten years ago today things were very different.

It's five minutes to midnight here. Good to end the day on the kitten board.

[BeMyDeputy]

Spent the day dealing with bad cramps, talking to my sister about her quitting her job and moving to a new city (complicated by the fact I'm friends with her boss), and writing something super-duper depressing.

Now, time to put away laundry, then play Shadowrun by VoIP while searching for a power converter.

[Finey_McFine]

My daughter called me at work today, but I was with a client so my assistant took the call, "Please tell my mom I'm out walking the streets with Liz."

[Leaf]

It's a tired sort of Thursday evening, MKF. I'm packing up for a trip to Chicago tomorrow for a family reunion. It will be interesting - mostly my mothers cousins who I don't really know, but my mom is the one hosting it which makes it a Big Deal. I will score a lot of good daughter points by going. And she promises it will be a mildly raucous good time. I'll let you know. I will be super glad to see my folks and some of my sibs regardless.

The vacation to Puerto Rico was absolutely brilliant. Beaches were beautiful and it was overcast enough that my pasty white self actually managed not to sunburn. Best part was swimming in the bioluminescent bay. No words for how crazy and magical that was. Actually, I have lots of words, whole heaps of rambly enthusiastic words, but they don't even begin to explain how cool it was. Other highlights included horseback riding, exploring some old sugar mill ruins that the jungle had completely eaten, and meeting a 375 year old ceiba tree. Brill-iant!

This morning Mrs. Leaf and I put in our official request to our landlords for permission to get a dog. The waiting for an answer thing is kinda nerve wracking. Wish us luck!

-Leaf

[EasierSaid]

Howdy Thursday, MKF! Am so happy to see this on the top o' the pile. Good luck Leaf! A dog is a wonderful thing... unless it's my dog, and then it's just a massive pain in the ass. (I love my dog, but she's reduced me to tears at least a handful of times with really, really bad behavior. Stupid cute mutt.) But hey, chances are you aren't going to get my dog so it will all be great!

Well, what can I say, life is still hard here, MKF. My wife is ill (and not in the fun rap way), and you know how that goes when the other half is feeling poorly. Not fun for anyone! I just hope she feels better tomorrow. Breaks my heart to see her so sickly. I also hope that my son and I don't come down with whatever pestilence befell her. Because it's not pretty (though my wife still is). Hope everyone is having a wonderfuller day than us, MKF.

[Leaf]

Is tomorrow really July, MKF???

It's been an up and down kind of week hereabouts. On the up, the family reunion was in fact a surprising good time. Turns out, unlike the relatives I have known all my life who are stuffy and conservative, the relatives I got to meet for the first time this past weekend were fun and engaging and liberal and in full possession of thriving senses of humor. Who knew?

Also, I had an unexpected morning off today. I loafed and painted my fingernails silver (so snazzy) and watched some of that BBC Sherlock show, which I found all kinds of delightful. And a 3 day weekend approaches.

On the down front, the landlords nixed our dog petition. And they didn't even do it because they are mean or dumb or any other kind of reason we could argue with. They did it because Mrs. Landlord is severely allergic. And they felt really bad about it. And that means that if we want to get a dog we have to move, which is no small feat in this town. And we love our apartment. And we would have a hell of a time finding anything we could afford in our neighborhood. So it looks like the dog plans have to get shelved for a while. We are sad and disappointed.

On the strange and entertaining front, Mrs. Leaf and I went out to a weird little screening of a movie from the early 90s that David Bowie was in called The Linguine Incident. It was bad and funny and oh! the shoulderpads. We had a good time.

Hope the plague has passed, EasierSaid.

Happy Thursday all,
Leaf

[gorn]

I always thought David Bowie would've made a better Elrond than Hugo Weaving, MKF. Not that Hugo Weaving was bad, maybe I've just seen Labyrinth too many times. I like David Bowie.

I've been thinking about David Bowie all day today, and now I remember why. I saw some news report this morning that Johnathan Rhys Meyers tried to commit suicide. He was in Velvet Goldmine (great movie, greater soundtrack) where he essentially played David Bowie. I had that song "Tumbling Down" in my head all morning, which isn't a David Bowie song, but it's kinda David Bowie-ish.

No dogs, Leaf? How about a cat? I know a good name for a cat.

Been a long week, but I'm looking forward to a three-day weekend now. Gonna fire up the grill and drink beer to celebrate our independence. Mrs. Gorn wants to go see fireworks this year, big ones, and I don't really know where to go around here. I'd just as soon stay home and explode stuff in the backyard, but July 4th also happens to be our 9th anniversary, so I probably ought to take her out somewhere. We may go spend the day at the Nashville Zoo and just ask a bunch of random people if they know where we can see the best fireworks.

MKF thinks I should set off fireworks every Thursday.

[gorn]

Guess what day it is today, MKF!!

[Finey_McFine]

Hello Thursday Kittens! Guess who wandered through the front door of my studio with a customer this morning? It's MKF!!! Well, this adorable little guy has a little more white than MKF, but it was a funny coincidence just the same:)

[EasierSaid]

Happy Thursday, MKF! And what a darling little kitty you found Finey. Gotsta love them cats.

Well, what can I say. I think today is a 'can I get one fucking break, MKF' Thursday, unfortunately. The irony is that it's not that bad of a day. Sun is shining, little boy is laughing a lot, dog is biting less... yet still, could have been better. Fingers crossed I'll get one of those 'ahhh, I needed that' kind of days before next Thursday rolls around.

Hope everyone is having a fantastic day!

[wayland]

A very good Thursday.

The sun finally shone after a week of grim weather.

One friend turned up unexpectedly in the morning bearing breakfast and another treated me to lunch.

And I'm reading the kind of book that you mean to ration so that there's some left for tomorrow, but you know you really won't.

Happy Thursday everyone.

[Boschi]

Gee, am I still allowed on this thread? I'm sorry to abandon fine Thursday postings for so long, the season is beating me over the head with heat and long work days.

But here I am whining on a Thursday... terribly inappropriate of me.

Hmmmm.... today I dug potatoes (purple ones and yellow ones), weeded a bit and then stood in the walk-in cooler with one of my employees, making very odd noises as we pressed cold zucchini against one another's necks. I shudder to think what Bambi thought was going on in there. But I tell you, cold zucchini on an overheated neck is a beautiful thing. And no, I won't be selling those sweaty zucchini.

Then i gave a presentation to a group of trainee vegetable farmers, most of them women refugees from an assortment of african countries... somalia, liberia and... I frankly don't remember. It was very fun, with many pauses for translation and discussions of the agonies of tomato problems being relayed through 3 languages.

A fun day all in all, despite the heat. And here I am with a cold beer in hand and the chance to post in my favoritist thread.

Hello everyone, hope things go well for all of you!

- Boschi