Chat & Greetings 2005

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Marie E. - Apr 4, 2005 4:30 pm (#651 of 2981)

A girl who is in my daughter's class at school and her Brownie troop went with her family to a St. Baldrick's event to watch her dad shave his head and ended up shaving hers too! St. Baldrick's is a charity event benefitting children with cancer. You get your head shaved, they post your picture on the website, and people make donations in your honor. If anyone is interested in seeing the pictures and/or donating, email me privately and I'll send you the link. This little girl is eight years old and in the second grade. I tried convincing Shayla to do it, but I don't think it will happen.

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haymoni - Apr 4, 2005 4:56 pm (#652 of 2981)

Wow - sorry, I'm all for Locks of Love but I don't think I could bear to shave my daughter's head.

Mike - when you watch "Major League" is Randy Quaid in it or is he cut from the DVDs like he is when they show the movie on TV? What was his problem?

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prof sprout - Apr 4, 2005 6:14 pm (#653 of 2981)

Madam Pince- You made me laugh. I almost scheduled my wisdom teeth to be removed 2 days before my first Bridal Shower, but at the last minute while she was getting all my information, I realized it. Last thing I want at my shower is everyone thinking my fiancé beats me. (Because I may be black and blue from the removing of the wisdom teeth) So I chose the 14th.

Darth Tater very cute. I might have to get that for my fiancé. He's a huge Star Wars fan.

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Puck - Apr 4, 2005 6:43 pm (#654 of 2981)

My girl had croupe about a month back. If your babe is older than 5 or so, I doubt it, more likely a bronchial thing thing. Still, the treatments might work, as you wait to see the doctor. (Two days! Yuck! I just call and say "105 degree fever, I'm coming in!") Anyway, steam up a bathroom from the shower and sit in there for 10 minutes or so. If it's still cold, you can go out in the night air. And warm liquids.

Lina, glad for your test results! How wonderful! And cheers to those brave enough to shave their heads! And thanks for the link. Funny, because all that took place as I was starting to read here, but I never had looked on this thread until this weekend. Very helpful. I think I will try reading and see how he does!

Oh, and GO RED SOCKS!

kathy

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Gina R Snape - Apr 4, 2005 7:15 pm (#655 of 2981)

Ok, I had to come and share my tale. Remember how early in the year someone suggested I tell the students in my class that if a mobile phone went off I reserved the right to answer the phone? To use my best Snape impression? Well, today it happened!!!!

The student nervously handed over her phone and I answered it. Now mind you, these are all Masters level students and the people in my class became as quiet as a church mouse as I took the phone, they were so very keen to see what I would do.

I informed the caller who I was and asked who they were and informed them that they'd interrupted my class inadvertently and as a result embarrassed the person who they were phoning in front of the whole class. Everyone including the caller and the students burst out in laughter. I then went on to say I felt assured the student (the caller was her husband, actually) would inform him of her schedule so such a gaffe wouldn't happen again. The student was beet red and laughing so hard she almost fell out of her chair.

So thank you to the person who made that suggestion! It totally made my day.

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Ydnam96 - Apr 4, 2005 7:21 pm (#656 of 2981)

Gina, you are my hero! That's amazing.

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KWeldon - Apr 4, 2005 7:41 pm (#657 of 2981)

Michelle, thanks for the two cents about Isla Mujeres. We selected that place for the exact reasons that you mention, and I can't wait. Cancun just seems too "American-ized" for us, and we really wanted a laid back place just to hang out on a beautiful beach with the kids. I've just got to figure out how to handle explain the topless women on the beach to the kids, as I understand there are no rules about that outside our borders!

Mike, I had heard that about The Bad News Bears remake, and I'm looking forward to it also. We actually rented the original for the kids recently and watched it as a family. Big mistake! We kept having to say, "Okay, we don't say that, right?" Or, "we don't smoke and drive a motorcycle without a helmet, right?" I'm not a prude, but it's one thing to see an adult curse on the movie screen, but a whole different thing to see a kid curse in the movies (to an adult!).

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Gina R Snape - Apr 4, 2005 7:42 pm (#658 of 2981)

Thanks, Ydnam96.

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Julia. - Apr 4, 2005 7:46 pm (#659 of 2981)

Gina, w00t! That's awesome!! Good on you for actually doing it.

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Marie E. - Apr 4, 2005 7:52 pm (#660 of 2981)

Gina, did you feel Snapeish as you did it?

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Gina R Snape - Apr 4, 2005 7:54 pm (#661 of 2981)

LOL, I did a little. I mean, even though everyone was laughing there was a distinct pleasure in knowing the student was a bit embarrassed.

BTW, I should mention! One of my students was commenting on one of the readings and started to say something. She stopped herself and said "Oh, I don't want to get too Hermione-ish." Of course, my response was that Hermione-ish was good! And then I went on to remind everyone that HbP was due out July 16th and those who did not know who Hermione was were very unfortunate indeed.

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Madam Pince - Apr 4, 2005 8:33 pm (#662 of 2981)

Oh, bother, bother, bother! ****commiserates with Loopy-who-also-loathes-Carolina*****

Gina, good story! I'll bet that felt great!

Puck, thanks for the advice! I like the idea about calling in to the Doctor with a "mis-read" thermometer....I may give that a try. He is three. He had been feeling better this afternoon, but after his nap, he was all feverish again. Sigh....and I'm due to go out of town for my once-yearly "girls' weekend" with my dear buddies on Thursday..... it won't be fun if I'm worried about my little one. I have the steam vaporizer going now, so maybe it'll help a bit.

Bother, bother, bother again! I loathe the color baby-blue!

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Eponine - Apr 4, 2005 9:40 pm (#663 of 2981)

Gina, way to go. I doubt you'll have any trouble with that again.

Well, Mr. Eponine and the Eponine-in-laws are celebrating tonight. (Eponine is celebrating as well, just not as much as they are) It was quite an experience being a fairly indifferent person in a room full of UNC fans. My cousin, my uncle, my aunt, my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, and my husband all screaming at the TV whenever something didn't go their way. And me, cheering for them, but being highly amused at everything.

One of our cousins was there in St. Louis right on the floor, but we couldn't see him on the TV. A good friend of the family is one of the managers for the UNC ball team, so he is getting a championship ring, and we saw him up on stage with the team when they were getting their trophy.

Anyway, it's late, my condolences to those who are for ABC, and my congratulations to those who pull for UNC.

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Madam Pince - Apr 4, 2005 10:25 pm (#664 of 2981)

Oh, man! I was a manager for UVA when we went to the Final Four in 1984, and they never gave the managers anything back then! Of course, we didn't win, either, but still.... I don't think the managers were included. I always wondered what they would've done if we had won and if the managers had been included, because two out of the three of our managers were females, and I just bet the awards committee for a men's tournament hadn't planned on ordering any ladies' rings!

Well, your friend has had the experience of a lifetime -- I can say to this day that being affiliated with a Final Four team is one of my most cherished memories. He will never forget it, I'm sure. Congratulations to all the Eponines! You are a gracious winner. I hope none of the celebrations end up catching any of your cars on fire.

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The giant squid - Apr 4, 2005 11:43 pm (#665 of 2981)

They called him: "Darth Tater"--Phoenix Song

Barbie, where did you find him?!? I first heard about this a few weeks ago (it was mentioned in TV Guide) and have been looking all over for it. Someone told me it went on sale on Apr. 2 but none of the toy stores around us had it. This is absolutely a must-have for my collection.

Gina, I'm so proud of you, especially if you managed to get through the whole call without cracking up. With everyone else laughing around me I would have at least been chuckling by the time I reminded him of her schedule.

haymoni--as far as I know, Randy Quaid was never in Major League. He was in Major League II, but not the first one. And for the record, I have ML on VHS, not DVD. If there aren't many extras on the DVD I don't bother replacing my videos. My "home theater system" is so pathetic you really can't tell much difference anyway.

--Mike

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Lina - Apr 5, 2005 12:54 am (#666 of 2981)

Gina, the point is that I imagine you something like a female Snape version: long black hair and especially long black robes wavering around you while you grab the phone. ROFL

Amilia Smith: I HATE daylight saving time. Hate it with a passion. (Imagine, people having passionate feelings about clocks.*) I finally start to be able to drive to work in the light, actually let the sun get up before me, when the clocks jump forward an hour. And we're back to going to bed by day and going to work by night. Why? Because the stupid government thought it would be funny to have a jet-lagged work force. Grrrrr grumble grumble grrrrrr . . .
I feel the same way. I'm not sure if it is true, but I've been told that Hitler invented the daylight saving time.

Yes, Barbie, it feels good indeed to get such wonderful results. Not that I would like it differently, but I'm afraid now that I will have to go back to work earlier then I wished. Not that I don't like my work, I do, but I really like being at home and not feeling to bad.

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Essidji - Apr 5, 2005 1:41 am (#667 of 2981)
Edited Apr 5, 2005 2:55 am

Lina, I was intrigued by your sentence about Hitler having invented summer time. This is not completely true, actually. Here is a (very short) summary of my research :

Daylight saving time was firstly applied during world war 1 in Britain and Ireland. In France it was also instituted in 1916, but disappeared after the second world war, in order to stop with “Berlin’s time” that was imposed during the German occupation. (I supposed this is where the confusion comes from : maybe in Croatia you first heard about daylight saving time at the moment the third Reich extended to your borders).

It was re-established in France in 1975, and since 1998, the dates of time changing is harmonized throughout the UE (last Sunday of march for summer time and last Sunday of October for winter time, which is not the same as in the US).

As the reality of energy savings of time changing is a very much debated question, several countries such as China, Morocco, Iceland, and Queensland in Australia have abandoned the system after having used it for several years.

I personally enjoy summer time, but I agree it is difficult getting used to it. It is true you actually feel jet-lagged. I wish we could keep that time all year long.

EDIT : Hey, Lina, did you notice your post weirdly bears the #666, as you wrote something about Hitler? Wow, another "magic" thing on this forum!

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Thora - Apr 5, 2005 6:18 am (#668 of 2981)

I just had to pop in and say I love the new pic Julia, what talented friends you have.

Gina great story!

Oh and there is one good thing to say about daylight savings time, two of my kids are still in bed and I can check the Lexicon first thing! Hurray!

Thora

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Mrs. Sirius - Apr 5, 2005 6:43 am (#669 of 2981)

The story of daylight saving is a little more involved. It was first conceived of my Benjamin Franklin while in Europe at about 1784. Then a British businessman William Willet, proposed it to Parliament in 1905. It did not pass but lay around for about 9 years. With the start of WWI the Kaiser set it in place. Two weeks later, the British Parliament passed it into law. Soon thereafter, it was passed in the USA and a other countries. There was no consistency of when daylight saving started or ended. Currently, in US there are city, counties, and states that do not participate.

When the war ended many countries stopped their participation until the next world war. When it was widlely used again because of it's benefits on energy use. In the modern days businesses have been big proponent for daylight saving time and it was because of business that in 1986 it was moved to it current start, the first Sunday in April.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 5, 2005 6:47 am (#670 of 2981)

Oh, I *really* hate daylight savings. I wear an insulin pump and it is scheduled to deliver a certain amount of insulin at certain times of day; and every time the clocks switch I have to manually reset my insulin dosage commands. Add to that, my body does not always make the switch along with the clock. So in addition to feeling 'jetlagged' my blood sugars get out of wack for a few days--sometimes up to a week--before things settle down. You really don't know how time affects you until you have a documented proof of how your hormones fluctuate at certain times of the day! This is something I never would have known or thought about if I'd never gotten my insulin pump.

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Catherine - Apr 5, 2005 7:04 am (#671 of 2981)

Count me in as a "Daylight Savings Hater" too. Looks like I've joined a lot of clubs since joining the Forum: Procrastinators Anonymous, Slacker Moms, and now the "Anti-Time-Turner League." Oh, and Dark Chocolate Lovers, can't forget that one.

I can't really gloat about Carolina's win last night, as I didn't even watch the game. My medicine made me really sleepy, so I missed out. Mr. Catherine was very excited, though. He wore his Carolina blue shirt yesterday. *:waves to Madame Pince, who loathes Carolina blue!**

RANT WARNING: Yesterday was an official BAD DAY, made worse by the time-turning, I'm sure. I had been sick all weekend, and woke up yesterday morning no better, with a higher fever. But, before I could go to the doctor, I had to delivery poor Phoebe (the elderly Shih-tzu) to the Vet so that a growth could be taken off her eye. We won't have the results from the lab for a bit, but the Vet is sure it is melanoma, which is hard to understand, since the pup spends most of her time snoozing inside, not suntanning. They also extracted three teeth during her dental, and the poor thing has to wear a cone for three days. She looks so sickly and humilated wearing her cone.

While I am at the doctor, and Mr. Catherine is teaching a class, I get a phone call that oldest daughter (Claire) threw up at school, and can I please come get her right away???

Then my doctor admonishes me for driving while sick, and manages to prescribe two medicines that took me four different pharmacies to fill, while I have a moaning, nauseous child in the back seat.RANT COMPLETE

Thanks for the get-well wishes over the past few days. I really appreciate it! I hope today is better.

Have a good Tuesday, everyone.

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Eponine - Apr 5, 2005 7:10 am (#672 of 2981)

Mike, my husband (a Star Wars addict) brought home a Darth Tater the other day, and he's just so cute. He got it at a K-Bee Toy store in a mall, but their website doesn't have it listed as a product. I looked on the Toys R Us website, and they're sold out. E Bay has some 'buy it now' for $14.99. He's really quite loveable even if he is an 'evil potato'.

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Lina - Apr 5, 2005 7:17 am (#673 of 2981)

Thank you very much, Essidji and Mrs. Sirius for your explaining about the daylight saving time. It is true that it came to my country with the German occupation and went away with it too and that must be the reason that the person who told me about it believed it was Hitler invention. I was suspicious about it but I didn't feel like more researching. It is a really great thing about this forum. If there is something you don't know, you will always find somebody here who knows. I love this forum!

It was established again, I think before the 1990. but it lasted until the last weekend of September and that I could bear with. But the October with the daylight saving time is just unbearable to me. Yack. When I was little, my parents worked from 7 a. m. to 3 p. m. during winter and from 6 a. m. to 2 p. m. during summer while the school started at 8 am all the time. I wouldn't mind to work from 7 a. m.

(I agree, Essidji, that the number of my previous post is really significant.)

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septentrion - Apr 5, 2005 7:32 am (#674 of 2981)

Catherine, you really have had a bad day. One sometimes think you'd better stay in bed some days.

Gina, I love your story ! So Snape-ish.

I hate the time-turner thing too. I still haven't recovered yet from the last change of time...

Elanor, I suppose you're over with your medical exam as I saw you write in another thread. I hope everything went well.

Time to go back home ! yeepee !

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Julia. - Apr 5, 2005 8:04 am (#675 of 2981)

Oh, Catherine. I'm so sorry you had a crappy day. I hope that you, Claire, and Phoebe are all feeling better soon.

Wow, seems I'm in the minority here. I love day light savings. I like when it gets dark late. Makes it feel very springish.

Thanks Thora!! I like the new pic too. It was done by an artist named Marta, who's work can be found here.

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Phoenix song - Apr 5, 2005 8:05 am (#676 of 2981)

Barbie, where did you find him?!? I first heard about this a few weeks ago (it was mentioned in TV Guide) and have been looking all over for it. Someone told me it went on sale on Apr. 2 but none of the toy stores around us had it. This is absolutely a must-have for my collection.

Mike, I happened to see it at Wal-Mart, and I wish that I had bought it then. (I should have just listened to my inner child at the time.) When I went there, on April 2nd incidentally, they had a huge tent outside filled with Star Wars merchandise. Being the tired mom that I am, though, I decided to take the kids to see the inside display of Star Wars items, and where there would be A/C and less temptation to the kiddies! Hope that you're able to get your hands on one!

Catherine, I am so sorry about your rough day! I hope that you all get to feeling better soon. I hate when the Dr. prescribes something so obscure that you have to travel all over to get the meds filled. Feel free to growl, grumble and complain to him the next time that you see him.

Gina, I didn't know that you have to wear an insulin pump. I hadn't considered the difficulties in taking insulin when the time changes. It must really mess you up. I have to join you all in saying that I hate that the time changes twice a year, and I don't see any reason for continuing the madness that it puts us through. Why can't somebody do something about this? I believe that I heard that Arizona doesn't follow the time change rules. Does anybody know how they managed that?

Have a good day everybody!
Barb

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kabloink! - Apr 5, 2005 8:07 am (#677 of 2981)

My only real complaint about daylight savings time is losing the hour of sleep, and thus I love it when we 'fall back' in October. Aside from that, I do enjoy having sunlight until 8pm instead of barely 7pm.

Congrats to all Carolina fans.....grrrr....I guess if we had to lose in the final four, we mi ght as well lose to the champion, right? What's this about setting cars on fire, anyway! THere were no fires this year, though East Lansing police did feel the need to tear gas non-rioting basketball fans last Saturday night. I love college.

Ok, off to homework. One month left, one month left, one month left...

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Penny Lane. - Apr 5, 2005 8:34 am (#678 of 2981)

Thanks to everyone for the cheering charms, I feel quite a bit better today, actually. I can't say I look exactly super great, what with the inevitable dry skin under one's nose that comes from excessive tissue use, but at least I have energy (somewhat) and feel motivated to go to class (well, more than yesterday).

When I was younger, and took classes/worked a job that required me to be awake before 8 a.m., I hated Daylight Savings Time. It's REALLY difficult for me to wake up in the dark, I don't know why. So, for that week or so before DST, I would be up and energetic and ready to go. Then they would put the clocks back and I'd be back to my normal cranky self. That being said, now that I'm older and have the ablitity to start my day at... oh 11ish (MWF) or 2ish (TTH) , I greatly enjoy the daylight lasting later. I realy hated when it was pitch black at 4 pm in December. It makes it easy to be depressed.

Also, vampires can be out longer

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Sirius Lee - Apr 5, 2005 8:36 am (#679 of 2981)

I must agree with Julia in loving daylight savings. My office runs on a 10am-7pm schedule, so my co-workers and I were adoring coming out of the office into the sunshine yesterday! Granted the actual Sunday after we lose the hour is horrible, but I'll take one day of sleepiness for months of after-work light! Actually this Sunday was especially bad as it was the morning after my best friend’s wedding. An open bar, a hotel with an early check-out AND daylight savings resulted in two dozen very, very grumpy people in the hotel lobby trying to stay awake long enough to sign a credit card slip!

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Gina R Snape - Apr 5, 2005 8:47 am (#680 of 2981)

Well I know they don't do daylight savings in parts of the country, but I forget where. Indiana, I believe is one place.

I never knew why we had daylight savings. But now I wonder why we still do it. What possible advantage can the businesses have in switching things? In places where I've worked where there were shift workers, inevitably someone would always forget and come in an hour late/early. Or try to use daylight savings an excuse to be late (those were the ones not clever enough to figure out it only works once a year And I derived great Snape-ish pleasure out of pointing out how I knew they were lying).

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librarian314 - Apr 5, 2005 8:57 am (#681 of 2981)

Hey all!

Count me in as one of those that are less than thrilled with Daylight Savings Time. It's nice to know I'm not the only one it leaves feeling jet-laggy.

I also think it's vaguely ridiculous that winter time is called Eastern Standard Time, when we are actually in Daylight Savings time for two months longer.

Personally, I'd rather have more light in the evening during winter, than in the summer. Oh, well!

Y'all take care!

**michelle the librarian**

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Chemyst - Apr 5, 2005 11:30 am (#682 of 2981)

Oh poor Catherine! That was no rant; that was a perfectly justifiable blowing-off-of steam. I hope it helped. Please accept my empathy charm.

I'm surprised at all the loathing of Daylight Savings Time. The only time it ever bothered me was - before many of you were born - one winter back in the mid-70's we were on DST in January, and being in school then, we'd be watching the sunrise after our first period break. Now THAT was ridiculous, and I don't think it saved even an erg of energy. (If Loopy is reading this, that alliteration was for you.)
One thing we do since we've had a dog though, is to feed her an hour later in the summer. So for her it's as if she is still eating on standard time. My question is, why can't insulin/medicines be dispensed on the same sort of schedule?

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Gina R Snape - Apr 5, 2005 11:51 am (#683 of 2981)

Chemyst, the problem with the time change for me is that I have to reset the clock on my pump. When I do that, I have to manually reset all my basal rates as well to match my body. Otherwise it continues to, say, give me .3u at 11pm only now it's really 10pm, or, midnight. My body doesn't know the time changed. It wants the .3u an hour when it needs it, and doesn't care that the clock now says the time is different. It has its rhythms. You see what I mean?

To give you an idea (and feel free to scroll the 99.9% of you who aren't interested... My basal insulin rates are:

12midnight .5u/hr
3am .9u/hr
3pm .4u/hr
7:30pm 1.9u/hr
8:30pm .5u/hr
11:30pm .3u/hr

I arrived at this from a lot of fiddling around and blood sugar monitoring. So when the clock changes, I have to essentially re-fiddle to match my body, not the clock. Add to that, my body's rhythm may change at certain times of the month, or adjusts to the time change because of my waking and sleeping patterns, etc. Then I have to re-fiddle again.

I love my insulin pump, and much prefer it to several shots a day. And I'd be happy to talk privately with anyone here who wants to hear more about them. But anyway, this time change thing is an unavoidable situation. It's even more complicated when I travel to a different time zone! Oye!!!

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Madam Pince - Apr 5, 2005 12:19 pm (#684 of 2981)

Catherine, what a yucky day you had! There's not much worse than having a nauseous child in the car -- unless you're also feeling badly yourself at the same time, which exponentially increases the... oh you know what I mean. Bleah! You have my sympathies.

Kabloink, I don't know if anybody really burned any cars or not last night in Carolina. I was just being a bit facetious. I did see some bonfires or something burning on the evening news, and they were saying the UNC students had flooded out onto the streets to celebrate and had closed down several streets basically. I have never understood why college students have recently taken to burning things down and labelling it a celebration. The colleges around here do it quite a lot. Seems a bit like floating Muggles up in the air after the Quidditch World Cup, if you ask me.

Well, I discovered that Baby Pince has strep throat. I called the doctor and they were able to fit me in this morning. The nurse almost missed it and was diagnosing an upper respiratory infection that we'd just have to suffer through, but fortunately the Dr. caught the telltale signs in his throat and after we did a throat culture (and what a lot of fun THAT was!) they said it was strep. I knew it was more than just a basic cold -- remember how we were discussing earlier how Moms always know? I just felt so sorry for him -- he was being such a trooper and so cooperative with the Dr., and you could tell he felt terrible. But the antibiotics apparently work almost immediate miracles -- he's actually looking noticeably better already. So now the only thing left to hope for is that Mr. Pince nor I caught it. I'm leaving Thursday for a weekend in Chicago with my friends, so if I get sick while there, I will be really bummed out. I'm in the process of trying to get a "just-in-case" antibiotic prescription for myself so that I won't have to see a Dr. anyway, if it should crop up.

What a lovely spring day today! Hope everyone is having a great day!

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Elanor - Apr 5, 2005 12:38 pm (#685 of 2981)

Wow Gina! It has to be difficult to manage! To come to Accio will certainly mean a LOT of adjustments. I hope it won't be too hard for you. BTW, I loved the way you answered that phone, that was brilliant!

Talking about Accio, I've just seen on their forum that it is now possible to vote for the T-Shirt and cover contest! The vote takes place on their forum only and till April 12th. Each drawing as a letter code and you just have to write them in a post (Marè's T-shirt is letter C and her cover is letter N). Go Marè!

The day was not that easy too here with that test that had to be done. It really lasted 4 hours and was both stressful and tiring. Thanks for the encouragements everybody BTW! Lina, thank you for telling me what was going to happen. The injection was not painful at all. Well, the nurse was a guy, a young and really cute guy, I'm sure it helped... Afterwards, I had to wait for 2 hours in a small waiting-room with a lot of other people, two of them arguing most of the time. Then, I had to keep still under a kind of scanner for 20 minutes. I don't know why, but as soon as someone asks me absolutely not to move, I have pins and needles in my legs or my nose itches, don't you? And then I had to wait again for a looong time before the doc talked to me. I need to see my usual doc soon for discussing the results.

Lina, I am so happy about your tests!

I send healing charms to everyone who doesn't feel well!

Have a great day everybody!

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septentrion - Apr 5, 2005 12:50 pm (#686 of 2981)

Great you're over with it Elanor ! Thanks for the hint about the vote for Accio.

After Gina's explanations about her insulin pump, I just thought the same than you Elanor : it'll be but a short adjustment for Accio. Gina, you really have to be brave.

Lina, I'm glad too you had just good results for your exams.

edit : Gina, I think you're brave because you deal bravely with it.

After my voting on the Accio thread, Marè was first. Everyone who can please help and vote for Marè design !

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Gina R Snape - Apr 5, 2005 12:56 pm (#687 of 2981)

Aawww, thanks guys. Actually, I'll be in Scotland from 23 - 28 July so all my jetlag and insulin adjusting will happen then. I don't think of myself as brave in the slightest. I think of the diabetes as a pain in the backside which I must account for when travelling.

EDIT: Thanks for letting me know the votes are up! I'll head over to the Accio board now!!!

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Lina - Apr 5, 2005 1:54 pm (#688 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Mare Apr 5, 2005 2:31 pm

Gina and Catherine, you posted while I was posting and I didn't even see your posts! Talk about slacker Forum members!

Catherine, it seems to me that you need a good Patronus there. How about a nice huge Shih-tzu? Take some (dark) chocolate while waiting for him to come to you! I really wish that you and all of your family get better soon!

librarian314: Personally, I'd rather have more light in the evening during winter, than in the summer. Oh, well!
This reminds me of a joke: One person asks another: "which is more useful: the sun or the moon?" "The moon, of course, what is the use of the light during the day?"

It would have been easier for me to go and vote for Mare if someone had put the link. So, for those who are alike me, then go to the forum and register if you haven't already.

Lina, I took out your link, because I'm sure people not attending, aren't supposed to vote...

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Denise P. - Apr 5, 2005 2:05 pm (#689 of 2981)

Where do we go to vote? Am I just not seeing it?

Edit: Never mind, I found it, registered and voted.

I think the Accio folks should post a link on the page where the entries are.

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Detail Seeker - Apr 5, 2005 2:08 pm (#690 of 2981)

Denise, if you are on the Forum there, it is the first thread under "General Discussion". There just is a forumer invasion there.

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Catherine - Apr 5, 2005 2:18 pm (#691 of 2981)

Done. I voted. Mare, your designs are wonderful.

Thanks for the well wishes, everyone. I don't mean to whine.

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Elanor - Apr 5, 2005 2:20 pm (#692 of 2981)

Detail Seeker "There just is a forumer invasion there" LOL! Indeed!

Lina, please forgive me about the missing link. My mistake! As Accio is a lot on my mind those days (they asked for short "biographies" to be put with the abstracts and things like that) I didn't think that it was not the same for you all and that you needed the link.

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Lina - Apr 5, 2005 2:27 pm (#693 of 2981)

Elanor, if I seemed to be complaining, please forgive me! I just thought that some votes could be lost, so I decided to put the link myself. As I see, there are many members there that joined long ago, I have put it just for people like me (if there are any )

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Marè - Apr 5, 2005 2:30 pm (#694 of 2981)

*stress moment, same post as on the Accio thread*

Oh wait help! I love for everybody to vote, but I'm pretty sure that only people attending Accio are allowed to vote:
they will be posted in a Gallery and then voted upon by members of the conference.
(From the accio site...)

So please if you attend go and vote... but the rest I think is better not... What if they disqualify me? (allthough I'm sure everybody will be attending the conference spiritualy )

They don't have a way to check... But still if the entire forum marches over there... it is kind of suspicious.
And it's not really entirely fair...

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dizzy lizzy - Apr 5, 2005 3:18 pm (#695 of 2981)

Mare:

Perhaps its worth getting someone to check it out for you. I am quite sure that those who do have their designs in the competition, have their own fan base (supporters) as well and they will vote as well. Good luck , I really liked your pictures although your first picture was the best.

Well it has been a really rotten week for me and my brain is only just starting to settle down.

My mother came to visit last weekend and it bought up a lot of issues as to why my sister and I aren't talking to each other. I suppose I had to look at it all and deal with it, but the timing was unfortunate.

I have gone to both my banks and the home loan bank wouldn't reduce my repayment amount, but the credit union reduced my car loan repayments by AUS$20 per week. I have been into centrelink (our name for Social Security) and applied for the unemployment benefit to cover the weeks I am not working and even then I will not receive the full rate. This took two visits and one telephone interview. The hoops I have to jump through!!!

Then I did my finances and thank to the generosity of the Credit Union, I will make it. It will be very tight and take away's are off the menu. But given the fact I have put on weight over the past 12 months, now I have the opportunity to lose it. I also cook more in winter as the food I cook in winter are soups and casseroles and are easily frozen. In a one person household I eat better in winter than summer!

Hope you start to feel better soon Catherine and Baby Pince. Gina, you surprised me with the info you are a diabetic and I was very interested in your little table. I'm not to fussed about daylight saving, it takes three days for my body to settle down and then my brain "forgets" what it was like 'last week' and so I go blissfully on my way.

Sorry about the long post, it is like a fog has been lifted from my brain and I can string words together at last!!

Lizzy

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Denise P. - Apr 5, 2005 3:28 pm (#696 of 2981)

I looked before I voted, there was no stipulation that said you had to be planning to attend Accio to vote. I am hoping after the event, there will be shirts available to those who were not able to attend. I am a shirt junkie

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Marè - Apr 5, 2005 3:53 pm (#697 of 2981)

I'm sure we can arrange something for you and the Accio t-shirts Denise.

I just PM-ed the art director. I know there is no sign saying only attendees can vote, but I'm pretty sure it is what they think/want/mean to happen.

If not.. there will be no problem.. if it is, they will probably change it later.

I'm very happy that so many people here would go and sign up to vote for me (thanks guys!) but I'm afraid I don't have enough Slytherin in me to let it stand and send the hordes over... (gnagnagna)

now we'll see what happens...

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Gina R Snape - Apr 5, 2005 4:15 pm (#698 of 2981)

Mare, if I may be so slytherin... Some people intending to go have not yet purchased their memberships. So I'm not sure how they can limit the vote to attendees only.

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boop  - Apr 5, 2005 4:26 pm (#699 of 2981)

Happy Birthday Rebecca, hope you are having a wonderful day!!!!!

Get well wishes for those who need it.

Spring was here today. We had lots of sunshine today.

hugs always

boop

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Ponine - Apr 5, 2005 5:54 pm (#700 of 2981)

Oh, you guys! It sounds like there is so much going on these days - with baby's strep throat, insuline adjustment, fevers, vomit, scanning, unemployment and sick puppies. I just want to say that even though I don't know (m)any of you that well, and you all seem to go way back, nonetheless, this has become not only an outlet where I can freely dig into Potterverse without meeting eyes that are either glazed before I can finish a sentence, or filled with a mix of overbearing and boredom. (And after re-reading this sentence, I suppose I understand why... Alas, earwax.) My point being that this has also become some sort of a haven or refuge in a rather - interesting - time in my life, and that is all thanks to you and your amazing minds. And hearts.

*Lights the fire place, pulls up all the good squishy chairs, brings out a case of butterbeers and pumpkinjuice, fetches chocolate, frogs, big bag of assorted beans and sends everyone who needs it an invitation and a cheering/wellness charm*

Oh - In midwinter, the sun goes up about nine am and back down at about three, so when spring finally comes along with some extra sun, it is much needed and appreciated here...

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Amilia Smith - Apr 5, 2005 6:49 pm (#701 of 2981)

Thanks all for commiserating with me on the evils of Daylight Savings Time. It helps to know that my coworkers and I are not the only ones who hate it. Plus, the Anti-Time-Turner League is such a cool name (thanks Catherine:-)). And a special thanks to Essidji as well for offering a ray of hope: several countries such as China, Morocco, Iceland, and Queensland in Australia have abandoned the system after having used it for several years.

Speaking of "clubs" here, I have a story for Procrastinators Anonymous/Slacker Students. I finished the last of my course work for my bachelor's degree last August. However, I will not actually graduate until the end of this month as I kept putting off doing the paperwork until the deadline had passed. So I am not getting my diploma until two whole semesters after I was entitled to receive it. :-)

Hello, my name is Amilia, and I am a Procrastinator.

Mills.

PS. Mare, let us know what you find out about non-attendees voting. I will respect your wishes and not vote unless you find it is open to all.

PPS. Ponine, where is "here"? Everybody else probably already knows, but I don't remember. Sheesh . . . only six hours of sunlight. You definently deserve spring. :-)

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Catherine - Apr 5, 2005 7:04 pm (#702 of 2981)

Mare, I appreciate your Hufflepuff sense of fair play, but Sheesh!

It seems to me that if the rules said that non-attendees could submit a design, then non-attendees should be able to cast a vote.

But maybe I'm treating the rules more like guidelines.

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Penny Lane. - Apr 5, 2005 7:36 pm (#703 of 2981)

Um, pardon my ignorance/slackerism/behingonharrynewsism, but what is this "Accio" that everyone keeps mentioning?

Gina, I'm amazed. I can barely remember to eat everyday, much less be on a schedule that tells me ... things.

Ponine: save me a purple squishy chair and some dark chocolate. But may I request that we un-light the fire? It was really hot today, and I'm all sweaty and not in a fireplace mood.

I have to register for next fall, and I just don't want to. I'm so incredibly sick of school, and I don't want to take gen-eds with freshmen that I didn't take when i was a freshman, and actually, I just don't think I want to take anything, except maybe a class in obsessing over random fandoms.

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Puck - Apr 5, 2005 7:39 pm (#704 of 2981)

Boy, it has been busy today! I, too, enjoy the extra hour of sunshine, though it is hard to convince the kids to start getting ready for bed before dark!

Good luck with the vote. I'm off to sleep soon, though I should do some more sewing. Making a quilt for my friend’s bridal shower on May 1st. My first trimester I felt awful and didn't get much work done, so now I'm way behind.

I hope everyone feels good tomorrow. The lovely weather is helping here. Plus, I get to go out to dinner with Grown-ups tomorrow night. Ahhh, only cutting my own food! Plus, I have a major craving for chocolate cake. Can't stop think about it.

Cheers, Kathy

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Gina R Snape - Apr 5, 2005 7:46 pm (#705 of 2981)

Cassie, the URL is http://www.accio.org.uk and it is a Harry Potter conference convening in Reading, UK this July 29 - 31.

And, as for remembering things...it's amazing what one can do when it's your life that depends upon it.

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Mrs. Sirius - Apr 5, 2005 10:04 pm (#706 of 2981)

Ohh Catherine, such a seriously bad day! You have now served all sick time for the year.

Gina loved the cell phone story but you really made me feel ashamed of my impatience with my mother in dealing with her insulin. She took insulin shots. Dealing with the pump I knew was easier but it still sounds so detailed, I would've had a hard time dealing with either.

Although I am a bad Catholic, the outpouring of affection for John Paul II is really heartening. It seems to me that the 20th century is now closed and the 21 century is making it's start. I feel hopeful and see this as an opportunity to highlight another humanitarian and communicator.

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pottermom34 - Apr 5, 2005 10:18 pm (#707 of 2981)

boy this is a hard thread to keep up with sometimes, subjects change faster than the pages of of our books. Thanks for the link Gina, even though I didn't ask I wondered what it was too.

We had the busiest day at the zoo today. You'd have thought it was a free day but it wasn't. It was 75 degrees and I think everyone in the city was there. The admission booth was lined up all day. I was so pooped by the end of the day. We only had 3 gift shop people working. I was the only one at my gift stand and I alone did over $1800. in sales everyone ran out of pennies,so we had to round the change. People are so obnoxious when there are crowds. But after all that my till was only off .58 cents so I think I did good.

Got some sad zoo news today though. Our only Lion died a week ago. We had two but last year had to euthanize the male because he had cancer, he was 14 yrs. old so he wouldn't have recovered. The one that died last week was about the same age. She has been on observation, probably died of age and loneliness. We are on a waiting list for more but it could take up to 2 years. So that made for a sad day.

On a happier note, my daughter's birthday is coming up and believe it or not (I say that cause she's 2 going on 3) she wants a Harry Potter party. I didn't coax her into it either. I found decorations and table ware on sale real cheap now I just have to make invites. I'm looking foreward to it. My other daughter wants a HP party too but thats not til Sept.
Have any of the Star Wars fans tried the Star Wars cereal yet? I wonder when we'll have a HP cereal.
Well, it's late off to hit the hay. Charms and cheers and well wishes for all!

michelle

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The giant squid - Apr 5, 2005 11:59 pm (#708 of 2981)

I never knew why we had daylight savings. But now I wonder why we still do it.

I was under the impression that it was an agricultural thing, allowing the farmers more daylight for planting, etc. I could, of course, be totally wrong, but at least it sounds feasible.

Eponine & Phoenix Song: Thanks for helping me track down the Tater. I guess it just hasn't made its way to my little desert town yet... I'll just have to haunt the local toy stores and annoy the clerks until I get one!

If not.. there will be no problem.. if it is, they will probably change it later.--Mare

Considering how they dealt with the art submissions, I'm leaning toward "Only Accio attendees are allowed to vote, we just didn't have it posted that way."

Catherine, I really hope you're feeling better soon. You definitely had a day from Heck*!

Mills, your Procrastinators Anonymous pamphlet will be arriving shortly...just as soon as we get it printed. And written. And organized.

--Mike

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Penny Lane. - Apr 6, 2005 12:00 am (#709 of 2981)

Thank you for the link Gina: I wish I had known about it sooner -- Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

Pottermom: That’s really sad about the lion. I remember being at the zoo two years ago in the winter (I'm cheap like that) and he was in the feeding room saw me and my friend and thought we looked rather like a nice dinner. It was one of the most frightening things ever, to be face to face with a lion that clearly wants to eat you. He was banging away on the flexiglass and we were slowly backing away while visions of "When Animals Attack" ravaged through my head. I hope we don't get a new lion though, I always thought those pens were too small for the animals. Man, now I want to go home and go to the zoo.

Ooh, it's Wednesday. Only 15 more hours until the new "Lost".

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septentrion - Apr 6, 2005 1:11 am (#710 of 2981)

Happy birthday Rebecca !

Marè, I tend to a slytherin attitude when it comes to support you in the contest. Go Marè !

I was under the impression that it was an agricultural thing, allowing the farmers more daylight for planting, etc. I could, of course, be totally wrong, but at least it sounds feasible

Well, the farmers will never be bound by the official hour but by the sun. If the official hour means the sun sets at 11 pm and if they have work to be done, they work until it's dark, and sometimes even when it's dark. At least, that's what they do here especially in July and August when it's time for harvest.

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dizzy lizzy - Apr 6, 2005 2:15 am (#711 of 2981)

Happy Birthday Rebecca!

I am constantly amazed by the variety of topics we talk about on this thread and how quick we go through them. It is the first thread that gets read when I log on and the last before I log off.

I am sure if someone tried to create an index of topics discussed on this thread, they would end up with grey hair very quick or be encouraged to reside at St Mungo's for the stressed catalouger.

We got a blast of the Summer that was supposed to leave us behind this week. It was not what I wanted as I had accepted that daylight saving is over and was looking forward to some cooler weather.

Lizzy

EDIT: Penny: 'Lost' comes back to our screens tomorrow night after a Three week break. And the TV station is advertising them as new episodes and we haven't even finished the first season yet!!! If my memory serves me correct it is the one with Sawyer and the athsma medication or the one after that. I haven't been to the website to check the episode order yet.

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Cornelia - Apr 6, 2005 3:14 am (#712 of 2981)

For a change some Estonian weather: 5°C, cloudy, windy, if the sun is shining (IF) 10°C. Today I discovered the first snowdrops in our garden. I hope that means spring is coming here finally, too. Lizzy I would be happy to take some of your summer weather!

About that Daylight Saving Thing: In Estonia they do it, too but I (personally) think it´s totally pointless. In summer the sun rises at 04:03 and sunset is at 22:43, in winter the times are 09:19 and 15:24 around solstice. In summer we have more than enough light without manipulating our clocks and in winter we all sit in front of our Daylight-Lamps and dream of the summer...

Ponine, I would like to ask too, where are you from? And have you decided if you´ll make it to Accio?

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Ponine - Apr 6, 2005 3:56 am (#713 of 2981)

Hi! I am sorry for being so vauge - here being Norway - Our sunlight is somewhat unevenly distributed, too, as the sun is only up for about six hours in the winter, but only down for about three or four in the summer... Can't wait for summer.... However, I must point out, that last saturday, we had 24 degrees celcius in the sun (roughly 70-72F, perhaps?)!!! (I did not feel them, I was wearing my sweater and a jacket and thought the wind was harsh, but irrelevant, I guess.)

Cornelia - I have not... I have applied for graduate school in the States, and if I get accepted, I can't spend money on Accio. If I don't, however... I mean - a girl's gotta do something fun...

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Chemyst - Apr 6, 2005 5:09 am (#714 of 2981)

I was under the impression that it was an agricultural thing, allowing the farmers more daylight for planting, etc.

As feasible as that sounds, it is usually promoted as an economic thing. In Ben Franklin's era, it was to save oil in oil lamps. More recently, it has been promoted as saving electricity and reducing traffic accidents, although the statistics show only about a 1% benefit to both. Farmers, especially dairy farmers who must schedule milking times and poultry producers who use natural lighting, are some of the greatest opponents– so while it may help in crop agriculture, is doesn't with livestock.  'Call it a draw?

And Gina, thanks for the explanation. I've since googled around to learn a bit more about insulin pumps and wow - there is so much to consider & balance! ...diet, exercise, absorption rates, metabolic response...   I'm gaining a new appreciation for how interconnected the body is.

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Cornelia - Apr 6, 2005 5:47 am (#715 of 2981)

Ponine- I don´t know why, but somehow I had already the feeling that you are from Norway. One of my sons kindergarden-friends is from Norway,too...

I wish you good luck with your school plans!

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Eponine - Apr 6, 2005 6:08 am (#716 of 2981)

Ponine, my best friend lives in Anchorage, Alaska and has to deal with the weird sunlight as well. I went to visit her this summer, and the all day sunshine really threw me off. When PoA came out, we went to the midnight showing - when we went in, the sun was just starting to set, and when we came out, it was coming up. Quite strange to me.

I'm also addicted to Lost. I didn't start watching it until a couple of months ago, but now I'm hooked.

Well, I'm off to catch up on the threads. Have a happy Wednesday!

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Dumbledore - Apr 6, 2005 6:21 am (#717 of 2981)

Well right now I am actually being a bit of a slacker student (by the way, can I join the club too!), considering of course that I'm writing this in school! I'm technically supposed to be working on a health project about a disease (mine being breast cancer, as I know many people who have been affected by this horrible illness.) I really work much better at home than in school, which is why I'm typing this instead of my project. I am, however, quite clever at making the illusion of working...

Don't worry though! I'm actually probably one of the top 3 students in my grade...I promise I'm really not that bad!!

Daylight savings time is nice in the sense that it gets dark much letter, but losing an hour of sleep took a little time to adjust to. So overall, no major gripes.

My piano competition is today!! I'm doing Chopin's Valse in C# Minor. I'm very nervous, but not nearly a bad as I was last year, which is an improvement. It's at 7:45 at night though, so I have plenty of time to psych myself out!!

Have a great day, everybody.

-Lauren

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kabloink! - Apr 6, 2005 6:39 am (#718 of 2981)

Goodluck Dumbledore! Psyching your sself out a bit is okay-just don't overdo it! When I was in high school, ,I danced, and I found that I always did better when I was slightly nervous. I always messed up th edances that I was totaly calm about, because I wasn't trying as had to do well! K, I'm late or school-talk to y'all later!

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Julia. - Apr 6, 2005 6:49 am (#719 of 2981)

Good luck on your competition Lauren!!

Yeah, the one thing I don't like about daylight savings time is losing the hour of sleep in the spring. I had to wake up early on Sunday morning. I went to sleep thinking it was 2:00, when in reality it was 3:00, so the few hours of sleep I got were actually cut short.

YIKES! I woke up this morning and realized that I forgot to do my statistics homework last night!! Perhaps I should consider joining the slacker students...

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pottermom34 - Apr 6, 2005 7:26 am (#720 of 2981)

Penny, the lions will be missed, but now we can put both tigers out. We weren't able to put them both together because they didn't get along. The female knocked the male's tooth out. Showed him who's boss.


I kind of like daylight savings I don't like to drive in the dark especially when it's at 4:00 p.m. I live in the country, and you never know what kind of animal is going to jump in front of your car in the dark. So it's nice to have the extra daylight.


Hey, I'm making my daughters B-day invites and I have the picture I want but can't think of a good saying anyone have any ideas what a Hogwarts b-day invite might say? I 'd like to try to keep it short. For the picture I have in each corner a house shields and in the center of the top a little picture of Harry, now I'm stuck.


Thanks for ideas. I like everyone's ideas. The juice ideas are all working. We've had 2-3 weeks of no drinks in bed, and when they are thirsty in bed they have accepted the H2O and my daughter discovered she likes tomato juice which if bought with low sodium is better than fruit juice sugar wise.

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Ydnam96 - Apr 6, 2005 7:41 am (#721 of 2981)

Pottermom, how about "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry coordially invites you to celebrate in the birthday of...."

Just a thought.



In the summer I like that the sun is out for a little longer, or at least I have in the past. Right now it feels strange to me that the sun isn't setting till around 8ish. A few weeks ago it was setting around 5. But I guess it's no big deal. I have friends in Indiana who live in an area that doesn't change time and it's so confusing to me. They are two hours behind sometimes and three hours behind another part of the year (behind California time that is).

I spent a summer in Ljngskile Sweden, it's near Goteborg. It was so wierd to me that the sun set between 11pm and 12am and then came back up somewhere between 3am and 4am. We had to have blackout shades in the rooms where we slept so we could sleep. Very strange, kinda cool. But the trade off in winter...I'm not sure it would be worth it.

Bleh almost time for work. It's one of those days I just want to stay wrapped up in my blanket and stay home.

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Penny Lane. - Apr 6, 2005 7:56 am (#722 of 2981)

dizzy lizzy: If you are indeed seeing the one where Sawyer has Shannon's inhaler for the first time, you guys are on episode #8, which seems good to me, as I haven't seen it yet. In the US, we will be seeing episode #20 tonight, and it's about Jack and I really really really hope that Boone doesn't die. Oh, and I found ot that "Lost" will have 24 or 25 first season episodes, until the industry standard 22.

Pottermom: Good luck with the party

OOH!! JKR Updated her Site!!

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boop  - Apr 6, 2005 8:19 am (#723 of 2981)

Everyone have a nice day!!

I left work, because my daughter went into labor and is in the hospital. I will have a new granddaughter sometime today. I can't wait to see what she looks like. This was a rough pregnancy, so I am hoping it will be a short labor.

hugs always

boop

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Ponine - Apr 6, 2005 8:21 am (#724 of 2981)

OH WOW!!! Congratulations and good luck - I hope the labor is swift and easy on both mother and daughter! Enjoy

*covering ears while others are discussing Lost - we are still on season one here, too, but the asthma inhalator was an episode or three ago.*

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Penny Lane. - Apr 6, 2005 8:44 am (#725 of 2981)

Ponine: Everyone is on season one. In fact, ABC just picked it up for a second season this week. (ignore me while i jump up and down and cheer)

Oh congrats Betty!

I'm procrastinating going to class. I'm SO sick of school and classes and I just want to lie on the beach with a nice book. Actually, being on a deserted island sounds kinda fun right, I would welcome the change from routine, though not the lack of sanitary facilities or washing machines. or shelter. How on earth is Sawyer reading all those books that "washed up on shore"? Shouldn't they be ruined?

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pottermom34 - Apr 6, 2005 9:01 am (#726 of 2981)

I came up with a cute saying. I couldn't make a link but here's what I wrote : The four houses of Hogwarts have come together for a party celebrating the birthday of Sarah on (the date), (time) We will be celebrating in the great hall of (place) with a great feast. then at the end i wrote since you probably do not have an owl to respond, by owl post, we urge you to call (number). I did all the fonts in Harry P font and they were in the house colors except yellow because it is hard to see. Used purple instead of yellow.
I found a HP candy making kit too, so I can now make my own chocolate frogs, owls, Norbert and Fluffys.

Congrats Boop!

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Julia. - Apr 6, 2005 9:22 am (#727 of 2981)

Mazel tov Betty! Hope all goes well, and I want pictures!!

Beautiful day today. Too bad I have to spend it writing a paper.

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septentrion - Apr 6, 2005 11:32 am (#728 of 2981)

Betty, I hope for your daughter to have a beautiful girl very soon.

about Lost : it hasn't aired in France yet although it was announced for this year. I'm still waiting for it.

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 6, 2005 1:02 pm (#729 of 2981)

Good Luck to your daughter Betty!

I know this was a whopping 58 posts ago, but sympathy to Catherine. I hate being sick and to have a little sickie at the same time has to be annoying. It seems to me that now would be the time for Mr. Catherine to step up to the plate and be indispensable.

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Madam Pince - Apr 6, 2005 1:03 pm (#730 of 2981)

Early congratulations, Betty! Hope all goes well and you're soon cuddling your new little granddaughter!

I just got a haircut -- I asked her for something a bit more "spring-like" and she cut most of it off. Ack! This is the shortest my hair has been in a long time. It looks cute, I guess, but it will take some getting used to. Can't wait for Mr. Pince to see it.........he likes longer hair.

Fine -- JKR goes and updates her site just as I have to go to packing for my trip. Grrrrrr.... Well, at least I'll have a lot of posts to look forward to when I come back!

See you Sunday sometime, maybe! ***waves bye-bye****

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Elanor - Apr 6, 2005 1:14 pm (#731 of 2981)

Betty, I hope everything will go well too!

I've done something funny today and I have to tell you about! The curator of the hospital museum here had asked me some times ago for transcribing some potions recipes from the 17th and 18th centuries. In May, there will be a "night of the museums" in France. The admission will be free on that evening and there will be special events in a lot of museums. The hospital museum here, which is in the old general hospital (buildings from the 17th to the 19th century), will show a reconstruction of the hospital centuries ago, with people wearing costumes... The curator would want to serve the visitors then with some herbal tea which recipe would come from the archives of the hospital (and sell some herbal tea bags too...).

After some delay, I was finally able to do that research this afternoon. I had worked a lot on this potions books when I was a student, well before I read HP. I always loved that but I have to say that working on them now was a real pleasure! These books are hand-written, leather-bound. I took a picture of one of them for it to become my new avatar, but I had to reduce it a lot unfortunately. Some of those potions are sometimes disgusting (there is the woodlouse syrup recipe, some involving toads being cooked alive or viper's powder for example...) but some of them still make sense nowadays, anyway, they are always fascinating because there is also always written what the potion was good for.

I couldn't help but think of our dear potions master while transcribing some of them and to think of all the forum Snape-fans (Gina, you would love them!). It was very funny. Well, I finally managed to find a nice and (I hope) harmless one, they're going to test it! I'll give you the recipe if it is good!

Sorry for talking so much about that! I wish you a great day/night wherever you are and I send better weather charms to everyone who needs them.

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The giant squid - Apr 6, 2005 1:46 pm (#732 of 2981)

I was under the impression that it was an agricultural thing, allowing the farmers more daylight for planting, etc.--Me

As feasible as that sounds, it is usually promoted as an economic thing.—Chemyst

Well, I said I was probably wrong. Thanks for straightening me out--it's bad enough spouting useless knowledge all the time, but it's worse if it's incorrect useless knowledge!

Ponine/Dizzy Lizzy: Penny Lane is right, we're all watching season 1. Those of us in the US have just seen more episodes than you guys. Don't worry, though, we're just as Lost as you are.

Congrats on the impending grandbaby, Betty!

--Mike

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Gina R Snape - Apr 6, 2005 2:01 pm (#733 of 2981)

Well, if it's any consolation Mike I thought it was an agricultural thing too.

Penny, you are welcome for the link. Sorry you can't attend. Not to fear, though. I think I am right in saying the Lex will get a full report from all of us who attend!

Happy Birthday Rebecca! And Congratulations-to-be Boop!

Chemyst, I've been diabetic since 1979 and even I did not realise quite how interconnected different mechanisms in the body could be until I started on my pump. But I guess with precision comes new levels of awareness. It truly is a subtle science and exact art.

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Catherine - Apr 6, 2005 2:02 pm (#734 of 2981)

It seems to me that now would be the time for Mr. Catherine to step up to the plate and be indispensable. --Loopy Lupin

Thanks, Loopy. I will be SURE to let him know! If he can't pull off "indispensable," perhaps his Carolina blue shirt will suffer an untimely accident or disposal.

BTW, welcome back. It seems an age since you posted. A real dry spell, but maybe it just feels that way because I was gone for a while.

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Denise P. - Apr 6, 2005 2:04 pm (#735 of 2981)

I knew Ben Franklin was a firm believer in DST. Here is a breif history of it in the US DST The main site that is on has more than you would ever want to know about Daylight Savings Time.

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 6, 2005 2:18 pm (#736 of 2981)

If he can't pull off "indispensable," perhaps his Carolina blue shirt will suffer an untimely accident or disposal. – Catherine

I can't say I would be opposed to such a fate for that shirt irrespective of whether or not Mr. Catherine proves to be expendable.

Yes, I haven't been posting much lately. I truly have run out of things to say about Harry, save for the various responses I feel compelled to provide on certain threads from time to time. I don't remember my first post date, but I've been on here for about a year and some change. I cannot stand it any more and I cannot wait until July. I am seriously considering gathering a group together to storm a publishing house or two and demand galleys, proofs, drafts, or whatever is on hand. Now, who's with me?!!!!

EDIT-- Denise, is that another one of your children with a hair-do courtesy of an older sibling? If so, I must say I like said sibling's work more on this one.

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Denise P. - Apr 6, 2005 2:23 pm (#737 of 2981)

Yes Loopy, the unfortunate victim of that attempt was Iain. The older children have the sense to run far and fast when they see the eldest daughter walk into a room with a spray bottle of water, a brush and rubber bands. Now, having said that, I have pictures through the years of each and everyone of them sporting some bizzare hair style. We have a picture of Ryan with approximately 20 small pig tails in his hair, all with a brightly colored rubberband. And before anyone asks, yes. Before the current batch of under 12s were around, I was often the guinea pig but since I am the picture taker also, no evidence remains. My almost 22 year old son once attempted to do hair, when he got a round brush caught in my curly hair, I banned him from handling brushes on anyone but himself.

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Catherine - Apr 6, 2005 2:34 pm (#738 of 2981)

Now, who's with me?!!!! –Loopy

Oy!   *raises hand*   I'm with you!

I know how you feel. I think tomorrow (the 7th) marks the 100 day countdown until HBP. So short a time, and yet so far away.
*sighs*

If I worked at the bookstore before the release, I am sure I would be fired for prising open a box and peeking at the HBP books within. Just one teensy little peek couldn't hurt anyone, right???

Other news from the seriously obsessed front: I read that people are already lined up to watch the new Star Wars movie, even though it doesn't come out for weeks. What's more, they are rumored to be lining up in front of the wrong theater.

So, what supplies do we need if we're storming the publishing houses?

EDIT: Denise, the image of you with a brush trapped in your hair is too funny!

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Lina - Apr 6, 2005 2:38 pm (#739 of 2981)

Hello to everyone!

Lauren, I hope your piano competition was successful!

Boop, congratulations! Hope everything goes well!

I went to the capital today to see my onkologyst. It seems I won't have to take any therapy! This sounds great. I still have to run some more tests, of course, ("scintigraphy" among them - waves to Elanor) and if they come out as well as the last two, no therapy for me!

There is a mountain area between my town and the capital, so it was interesting to travel, having around 20°C in my town and in the capital, and going through the mountains with 2°C and remains of snow.

Mare, I tried to delete my post after your alert, but it was too late. It is the truth that it says that the attendants are supposed to choose the winner, but on the thread start it is written quite different. And they even planned to make the vote pool! I don't believe that they are going to check on who voted, just that everybody votes only once.

Have a good day, everybody!

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Apr 6, 2005 3:36 pm (#740 of 2981)

Other news from the seriously obsessed front: I read that people are already lined up to watch the new Star Wars movie, even though it doesn't come out for weeks. What's more, they are rumored to be lining up in front of the wrong theater.---Catherine

Will you give Mr. Catherine a heads' up or will you let him stand in the wrong line in vain?

**waves to Loopy**:

My son made his First Communion this weekend and the priest told a funny joke, which might only be appreciated by the wayward Catholics in the crowd:

The pastor of a church was complaining that there were birds in his church which he couldn't seem to get rid of. A fellow priest suggested he shoot them down. But the pastor said, "No, I might shatter the stained glass." A third priest said, "Why don't you do what I did?" "What was that?" replied the pastor. The priest answered, "I baptized them, then confirmed them and then I never saw them again."

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Eponine - Apr 6, 2005 4:15 pm (#741 of 2981)

For all you Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fans out there, I have just discovered that the new movie does not have Golden Geese to rid the world of Veracu Salt, but the nut-cracking squirrels from the book. I am quite thrilled by this, and even more thrilled to find out that these particular squirrels have been trained to crack the nuts, sort them, and load them onto a conveyer belt. This has always been one of my favorite books, and I'm looking forward to seeing a new book adaptation, and not just a remake of the movie.

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Catherine - Apr 6, 2005 4:24 pm (#742 of 2981)

Will you give Mr. Catherine a heads' up or will you let him stand in the wrong line in vain? Lupin is Lupin

*sound of crickets chirping*   Does that answer the question?

Congratulations on your son's confirmation, and I like the joke. I think it applies to..erm...lapsed Protestants as well!

At least Harry Potter fans don't start queueing up until midnight . Sheesh.

Have a good night, everyone.

EDIT: Ooh, Eponine, I always loved Roald Dahl's books. Your info about the movie sounds promising! Of course, already thought that once I realized that Johnny Depp was playing Willy Wonka. *admits to girlie moment over Johnny Depp*

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Ydnam96 - Apr 6, 2005 6:38 pm (#743 of 2981)

I have had a round brush caught in my hair. It was not funny.

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kabloink! - Apr 6, 2005 6:47 pm (#744 of 2981)

DItto on the round brush front-only I guess I am lucky, as my hair is only wavy. It is however, very fine and there is a LOT of it. I am very excited about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, perhaps I will actually get to read it before the movie comes out (I haven't yet, but after May, unlimited reading fun time!). I'll have to add that to my list of things to do after graduation. Anywho, I just saw Finding Neverland, andam now more positive than ever that there is no one in Hollywood today who could be a better Willy Wonka. Charlie Bucket on the other hand...He played Peter in FInding Neveland and was really quite annoying. Oh well, you can't win them all, I suppose.

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Julie Aronson - Apr 6, 2005 8:07 pm (#745 of 2981)

Mandy,

You gave me my first SPEW moment of the day! (note the late hour) I have really thick, long, curly hair and have had combs, brushes, and various decorative ponytail holders caught in it, and I totally agree about the lack of humor.

I'm also excited about the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Johnny Depp can do no wrong in MY book...he's Wonka-licious!

Julie

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Pinky - Apr 6, 2005 8:33 pm (#746 of 2981)

Dumbledore, how did the piano competition go? I've been to a few of those myself (in my younger days). I must say that I much prefer the key of Db over C#. Actually, Db is my favorite keys to play in. Apparently I like playing on the black keys!

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Ydnam96 - Apr 6, 2005 11:04 pm (#747 of 2981)

OH Man!! Lost and Alias tonight. WOW. I know some of you don't get the episodes at the same time as us in the US. So I won't say anything except. WOW. I'm so confused.

It's a bummer both shows are on so late at night I get all excited and then I have to try and go to sleep. It doesn't work so well.

For all of you who got to enjoy the shows tonight, I hope you understood more than I did

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Essidji - Apr 7, 2005 2:03 am (#748 of 2981)

Elanor, what a good time you must have spent. Please, post the recipe when you translate it, it sounds so fun!

Lina, good luck with the tests, I hope they will confirm you don't need any therapy.

Marè, too bad we can't vote if we don't attend Accio. But this is not really clear to me. I also deducted it was possible to vote if you don't attend, as you don't need to attend to enter the contest. These rules seem rather tortuous, don't they?

I'm about to choose between two job opportunities, both very interesting but also very different from each other. Now I must beg my Lucky Star to give me a sign to help me to choose. It's really hard.

Edit : Reading my post, I realize it sounds like I'm complaining. Sorry, I am not. I know it's difficult to find a job nowadays. But I just wanted to explain how confusing it is when you get several opportunities at the same time.

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septentrion - Apr 7, 2005 2:34 am (#749 of 2981)

how confusing it is when you get several opportunities at the same time.

It's always like that when you look for a job : nothing for monthes,and then everything in the same time.

Elanor, could you send me the recipe en French, I think I could understand the old French. I don't know if I'll try the recipe though, I may be a Neville when it comes to potion making but it should be fun to read it.

About the vote, it isn't clear that people who don't attend Accio can't vote for you subscribe to the forum rather anonymously, so how can they know you're attending or not ?

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 7, 2005 5:42 am (#750 of 2981)

At least Harry Potter fans don't start queueing up until midnight . Sheesh.—Catherine

No, we just plot to take publishing houses hostage, fantasize about getting fired from bookstores for peeking early, and incorporate Britishisms, such as "queueing up," into our every day vocabulary.

I, for one, must say that I cannot be more happy that the new Star Wars is coming soon because it means that that whole fiasco will be over before long.

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Essidji - Apr 7, 2005 6:46 am (#751 of 2981)

Oh, yes, of course, Audrey, you may send me the recipe in old French too : I am able to understand it as well. I think I just spoke for everyone saying "post it when you translate it". Duh on me.

Both companies confirmed they wanted me to start on monday morning. What do you think... should I take advantage of this and make them raise the bidding? I am not Slytherin enough not to ask myself if it's fair...
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septentrion - Apr 7, 2005 7:19 am (#752 of 2981)

Karine, any company will throw you away the day they think they don't need you anymore, so why not having a try at raising the bidding ? BTW are both jobs equally interesting ? How do they meddle with your private life ? That could also be criterias to make a choice.

I've just hear a cuckoo, unfortunately I hadn't any money in my pocket It's kind of superstition here to think if you have money in your pocket when your hear the cuckoo the first time of year, you'll be rich soon. Of course that kind of superstition never works.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 7, 2005 7:57 am (#753 of 2981)

Hey everyone. Don't know if you've all heard, but there's another HP conference happening next summer in Las Vegas. It's called Lumos 2006. For those who can't make Accio, I thought you might be interested. http://lumos2006.org/

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Catherine - Apr 7, 2005 8:35 am (#754 of 2981)

Ooh, it's in Las Vegas. I wonder if Mike TGS will make an appearance?

Thanks for the link, Gina.

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Marè - Apr 7, 2005 11:29 am (#755 of 2981)

About the vote, it isn't clear that people who don't attend Accio can't vote for you subscribe to the forum rather anonymously, so how can they know you're attending or not ?

I'm still waiting on the final word... Oh well.. we'll see.

And Essidji congrats on two jobs! Maybe you should write the pro's and cons on a paper and see what scores best?

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The giant squid - Apr 7, 2005 2:09 pm (#756 of 2981)

RE: Lumos 2006--I checked out the website, and I'm not sure if I want to atend. For one thing, it's horrifically expensive ($125 US per person for prereg to start, going up to (I think) $160 at the door). For another thing, the list of activities seems, well, boring. They have a "Back to School" theme going; I've been out of school for 15 years now, and I kinda like it.

Although, if there were going to be some other Forumers heading this way I might consider it. If it helps, I know Allegiant Air offers non-stop flights from Colorado Springs, CO for only $99 per person...

--Mike

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Elanor - Apr 7, 2005 2:13 pm (#757 of 2981)

Congrats too Essidji! I believe you should definitely raise the bidding and follow Sept and Marè's great advices!

I will send you, and Sept of course, the recipe with joy, and I can post it in English too for the people interested in, but I'm afraid it will take some days because I gave the text to the Museum's curator. But I will get it back in some days! I really had some fun doing it indeed, I was feeling as if I was Snape's student, working in the restricted Section of the library for a tricky essay our dear Potions master would have asked for...

**waves back to Lina** Good luck for your tests, I will think of you a lot. When I was bored and had not to move at all for those 20 minutes, I was trying to say in my head the more HP quotes in English I could remember, it helped a lot to concentrate!

Have a great day everybody! Here, our lovely spring has took some holidays: it rained all day long and weather is suddenly getting much cooler, we may even see some snowflakes again before the end of the weekend. At this time of the year, we call this late snow: "the cuckoo's snow", funny you heard it today Sept.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 7, 2005 2:50 pm (#758 of 2981)

Elanor, lucky you for having potions homework to do!

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Catherine - Apr 7, 2005 3:08 pm (#759 of 2981)

My mood took a happy turn as I found out that Phoebe (12 year old girlie) does not have melanoma, (as I suspected she did not). She is still wearing a cone, due to the tumor's removal, and is crying constantly for it to come off. I'm not sure I'd put her through this again.

Mike, I don't blame you for not wanting to attend the conference, and I hope you don't think I put pressure on you as a Las Vegas "native" to attend. I just hoped that if some of us decided to pop out there, you might show up for a cup of tea or something.

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Dumbledore - Apr 7, 2005 3:09 pm (#760 of 2981)

Hello everybody!

Well I didn't perform as well as I would've liked at the piano competition...I don't actually find out how I did until next week but I know I didn't play my best. The piece, by the way, was Chopin's Valse in C# Minor (there's the C# key for you, Pinky. The C# major scale is one of my favorite scales ). Thanks for all the well-wishers, though. I consider these kinds of things growing experiences. Even though I didn't do as well as I'd have liked to, what doesn't beat you can only make you stronger!

Congrats on the job offers, Essidji! If you don't mind me asking, what kind of work do you do?

Have a lovely spring day, everybody (I could finally wear a skirt to school today!!)

-Lauren

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megfox - Apr 7, 2005 3:15 pm (#761 of 2981)

Hey everyone -

Thanks for all the kind words for me, Andy, and Maddy. We are having lots of fun, if not lots of sleep! I wanted to give the link to the online photo album (it also includes some pictures from our wedding). Unfortunately, our Mac "crashed" kind of for the first time ever - I think Andy was messing with things he ought not to have messed with - so not all of the pictures from the hospital and her first two days home are there, but you'll get the idea of what she looks like! Here is the photo album.

I also must express my disgust with Daylight Savings Time, as I like it to be light when I wake up, but I have to admit that I like the idea that we can grill while it is still light out, instead of Andy out back with a flashlight in his mouth while he cooks!

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haymoni - Apr 7, 2005 4:14 pm (#762 of 2981)

Hi all - I've been meaning to get to the library to re-read "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". I really want Ungrateful Son to read the book because all he knows is the Gene Wilder movie. Talk about movie contamination!! I forgot all about those squirrels!

I saw a bit of a clip from the Depp version and the colors are pretty wild and it seemed a bit dark. That's why I want to re-read the book - I've forgotten quite a bit.

It is Friday tomorrow!!! Yes!!! It has been a looong week.

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Catherine - Apr 7, 2005 4:31 pm (#763 of 2981)

Meg,

You have a beautiful family, and it was great to see your wedding pictures, also.

I hope that Maddy is letting her mommy and daddy sleep!

Thank you for sharing those with us. Good luck to you all!

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Ydnam96 - Apr 7, 2005 4:50 pm (#764 of 2981)

Meg- She is a beautiful little girl. You must be so proud!

So I totally fell while walking out a door and sprained my ankle. Just tripped over my own shoe or something.

Opps.

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Julia. - Apr 7, 2005 5:46 pm (#765 of 2981)

Oh Meg, she's absolutly gorgeous. Mazel tov again!

Mandy, I did the same thing a few months ago, so I feel your pain. Keep your ankle iced and elevated for a while. Also, see if you can't find a nice looking young man to wait on you hand and foot.

This afternoon my friend and I made enough challah to feed a small army. Usually this takes many, many hours. I'm usually at Hillel with bread in the oven until 10:00 at night. I have no idea how this happened, but somehow I was back in my room before 8:30!! Now I have time to attack the endless mountain of reading I have to do for tomorrow.

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Ydnam96 - Apr 7, 2005 7:35 pm (#766 of 2981)

Thanks Julia! I have the tylenol and ice. No nice looking young man.

And Challah. I love Challah bread. I used to work at a JCC and we taught all the little kids about Hamotzi (sp?) and Shabbat and we had Challah MMMMMMM.

Good luck on the reading.

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Thora - Apr 7, 2005 7:49 pm (#767 of 2981)

Meg, she's a beaut! And how is it you look so good after having a baby? I was a wreck all three times.

Arizona has no Daylight savings time because after trying it out they decided the last thing they needed was another hour of summer light every evening, man I miss that place....

Pottermom34 where on earth did you find HP chocolate molds? I could really use some.

Betty, congrats on the new grand-baby!

And yay for Pheobe being okay!!!!!

I'm so relieved that we are over the 100 day hump and the countdown is now in double digits, it seems so much closer than a few days ago.

My sister and her cat just moved here from Reno, and watching them interact made me want to go out and get a big ginger beauty, allergies or not.

If anyone want's to see my beauties here they are (recent pics in the galleries):

http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/t/tali/

http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/j/jamesahall/

http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/j/jordanelisebeth/

Thora

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Puck - Apr 7, 2005 8:29 pm (#768 of 2981)

I fell down my stairs last April and sprained an ankle, so ouch! Poor Mandy. The good news is I was jogging (with a brace) within a few months. I could walk without crutches within a week or so. The worst was my daughter, then a few months shy of two, running out the back door and out of the yard. I had to phone the neighbors to catch her, then lock her in her room so I could cook dinner!

Also a huge LOST fan. Well, we all love those mysterious, magical qualities, don't we? I must admit, I really didn't expect this latest twist. Won't say more for those who are behind.

Hope you all had a good day. I got my chocolate cake, finally, so I'm good until the next craving hits.

kathy

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Amilia Smith - Apr 7, 2005 8:59 pm (#769 of 2981)

Meg and Thora: your babies are beautiful! Thank you for posting your wedding pictures as well, Meg, you were a lovely bride. And Thora, I was tickled to see that you actually look similar to your avatar. :-)

Mike: are you sure you don't want to go to Lumos? I think they are expecting you. When they were talking about water quidditch, they said, "And if you're worried about the giant squid and would rather cheer your team on from terra firma, . . ."

Today was a very good day. I got an acceptance letter from one of the grad schools I applied to. I get to be a librarian! Now the question is, do I wait and see if I get accepted anywhere else, or do I get a move on and head to Detroit. I have to decide quick as classes start May 9.

Then, at the gym, I stepped on the scale for the first time in a couple months, and realized that I have lost 10 lbs. :-)

Hoping that all of your days went as well as mine did,
Mills.

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Penny Lane. - Apr 7, 2005 10:35 pm (#770 of 2981)

Puck: I expected "the twist", but was hoping it wasn't going to happen. Unfortunately, ABC ensured through their stupid advertising that I had virtually no hope left by 8:10. It was sad, clichéd, and gruesome. Yet, I still love the show. It was done in such a way that worked really well, and I ... Oh, did you notice the 44 on Wife of Jack in the FlashJack? That was ominous. Three weeks of reruns, then MAYBE we'll find out the secret of the hatch and a few other things. I have a whole list on my LiVeJournal, btw.

Amilia Smith: I attend college in the Detroit area, but I'm not from this side of the state. Wayne State is a really good school, but I would hold out for better options. It depends on what you want though. Detroit natives tend to be hostile when outsiders say anything bad about their city, but the fact is, there are a lot of political and economical issues right now that could weigh in on your decision. Of course, if you did move to Detroit, that's one more person for the Michigan Potter Association - not to be confused with the people who make pots, of course.

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Lina - Apr 8, 2005 12:47 am (#771 of 2981)

Essidji, congratulations on your job opportunities! I'm sure, whichever you take, it will be a good choice. The most important thing is that after you make your decision, don't turn your head back over your shoulder (I don't know if there is any other James Taylor's fan on this Forum, but I am). Just don't ask yourself if this has been a good decision. It has.

Catherine, I' so happy for your doggy! I had a feeling it would come out like that. My sister's dog had two operations until now. She was quite offended at the time, but she forgived us eventually.

Lauren, the most important thing is that you enjoy playing the piano! I've always envied my cousin: when he was sad, he would sit by the piano and play and felt better, when he was happy, he would do the same.

Thank you, Meg for the photographs, they are great, but the kids are perfect! Enjoy their growing up!

Thora, thank you for your beauties, too.

I love red hair, I gave birth to three daughters hoping that at least one of them would have the red hair . All three of them have different hair colors, but no red .

Congratulations on the weight loss, Mills. I wish something like that for me. As I had the operation on my leg, I found it more comfortable to walk around in my pregnancy dresses and people keep asking me when is the happy day?

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dizzy lizzy - Apr 8, 2005 2:03 am (#772 of 2981)

I've had a pretty good week, but my hands have not. I burnt my finger on the oven rack, putting pizza in the oven at lunch today, scalded my arm on the kettle yesterday and then to top it off, cut my finger with my scissors about an hour ago. I was trying to get the sticky stuff from gaffer tape off my scissors so I could cut my fringe (bangs).

Fortunately, none of these injuries are bad and the scalded wrist didn't come up as a blister (unlike the last two times!).

My break between training and my first workload is almost over...I start my first workload on Monday. I am getting a little nervous and really need to sit down and refresh my memory prior to going out and interviewing on Monday. As long as I am a little nervous, I will do fine, I never do anything well when I'm totally calm and never when I am a total wreck. It is a fine line and very easy to crossover into the total wreck persona.

I'm loving all these photos everyone is posting. My ability to play the piano is limited to the right hand and to 'popular' songs for me to sing along to. I can't sing in tune, but my deaf ears can't tell me whether or not I am in tune, so I just sing along blissfully and enjoy it.

Hope everyone has a good Friday and a lovely weekend.

Lizzy

EDIT: Lina: I have a similar phrase Don't look back. I make it a policy of mine to look forward and not to look back and wallow in my regrets and thinking about what it could have been. Life is too short to "wallow in past regrets" and I am better served by thinking about what I could do in the present and future and how to be a better person to myself and others now and in the future. I'd better leave it here, my post is turning into an essay.

EDIT (AGAIN!): Congratulations Essidji and good luck in your new job.

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Essidji - Apr 8, 2005 2:16 am (#773 of 2981)

Thanks a lot to all of you for the congratulations about my job opportunities, and for the good advices as well. . The choice was really tricky, but I finally made it.

For those who wanted to know, here is a description of the two opportunities :

1.A very challenging 5 month-long mission: I should make studies about skills management. This is something I've been wanting to work in since I gratuated ( Human Resources) ten years ago. There is no possibility to work for a longer time or to be offered a job after that. The company is a bank in Nancy (40 min by car from home, not so far to me).

2/The other one is something I like doing a lot : personal job search assistance and job search techniques. Maybe this one could be a "non temporary" job, it's based in Epinal (15 minutes from home)and I could get my wednesdays free. First it was really underpaid, but I managed to raise the bidding and the final proposal was not so bad in the end.

So, as you must have guessed, I chose the second one. It'll leave me more time to be with my girls (and to sneak on the Lex!) and the perspective of being offered something definitive counted a lot.

Lina, I appreciate what you wrote, quoting don't turn your head back over your shoulder, that's my motto. Otherwise, it's the best way to be bitter and unhappy.

Amelia (?), if you allow me an advice in my turn, your inside voice will never lead you in a wrong way, you should listen to it. If you hesitate, it's because you have a doubt. Ask yourself why, and the answer will come out. Good Luck.

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septentrion - Apr 8, 2005 2:26 am (#774 of 2981)

Hi Essidji ! Glad you finally made up your mind. So now there will be two job counsellors on this forum !

I like all those nice pictures, it makes this place more family-like.

Lizzy, that was indeed a bad week for your hands. I hope they will heal quickly enough. At least you can type !

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boop  - Apr 8, 2005 3:52 am (#775 of 2981)

Good Friday to everyone!!!

Thank you for sharing those picture. The children are Beautiful.

Maya Mae, was born at 11:11pm on the 6th. Maya weighs 7lb and is 20 1/2 inches long. Baby and mom are doing great.

hugs always

boop

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Cornelia - Apr 8, 2005 4:08 am (#776 of 2981)

Congratulations Betty and family!! Happy Birthday Maya Mae!

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Catherine - Apr 8, 2005 4:19 am (#777 of 2981)

Congratulations to Boop's family, and welcome to baby Maya!

Amilia, congrats on the grad school and weight loss.

Thora, your babies are beautiful.

Lizzy--hope today is a better day. Maybe the planets are aligned in such a way that you should stay away from hot and/or sharp things.

Enjoy your Friday, everyone. *waves to "Friday Loopy"*

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Chemyst - Apr 8, 2005 4:44 am (#778 of 2981)

Congratulations Boop!   ...and Woo-Hoo Amilia!   ...and thanks to all who shared pictures and good news.

I've just been watching a video clip of the security & transportation preparations they did in Rome for the Pope's funeral. They expect 4 million people, cars are banned, anti-aircraft guns are in place, the coast is patrolled with torpedos, etc. ... So I started thinking about our Madame Librarian who is visiting in Italy. Even though Rome wasn't on her itinerary, this must be a wild time to be traveling near there; I bet she wishes she could apparate!

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septentrion - Apr 8, 2005 5:52 am (#779 of 2981)

Maya Mae, what a beautiful name. I'm sure the girl is as beautiful as her name. Congrats to you and your family, Betty !

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Julia. - Apr 8, 2005 6:24 am (#780 of 2981)

Mazel tov Betty! Wow, Maya Mae is a very pretty name, and I'm glad to hear that she and Betty Ann are doing well. *hands Betty butterbeer*

Before I start attacking my writing for the day, I must wish a happy birthday to our dear April, sometimes known as Pigwidgeon. *hands April butterbeer* Hope you have a great day and an amazing year!

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prof sprout - Apr 8, 2005 6:47 am (#781 of 2981)

PennyLane- I'm a fellow Michigander. I'm from the middle of the state, in a town north of Lansing. Is there an official Michigan Potter Association?

Amilia Smith- If you do come to Michigan to study you should go visit Alma (my Alma mater) they have a Highland Festival, I think it is in the End of May beginning of June. But I only went to college there so I was never around to see it. The college offers classes in Highland dancing and bagpipe and has a "Kiltie Band". Alma's mascot is the Scots. They are also known as Scotland, USA. I think you would enjoy it. Here is a widely known fact, if you can play the bagpipe proficently you get a full ride scholarship.

Now that I'm done with my little push for Alma. Congratulations Boop on the new grandchild.

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The giant squid - Apr 8, 2005 7:32 am (#782 of 2981)

I just hoped that if some of us decided to pop out there, you might show up for a cup of tea or something.—Catherine

Oh, that I can handle. I like tea. Don't worry, there was no pressure, I just thought, "Hmm, if it's local, I might actually show up" but I dunno...that water quidditch does sound interesting.

Betty, much congrats to your daughter & new granddaughter! Happy Birthdays & congratulations to anyone else who may deserve them...I'm too tired to remember what was just posted or to scroll back & see who I may have missed. I blame Loopy (just because).

--Mike

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 John Bumbledore - Apr 8, 2005 8:03 am (#783 of 2981)

Well, I have finally caught up on this thread.

Congratulations for those with newly arrived or expected children, grand-children. And similar to those with new jobs.
Happy *event* to those with birthdays, anniversaries, etc...
Sympathies to those in need...

Ah, erm, I thought there was something more... oh yes. I am planning to move back to Pennsylvania in the next three to four months. Mrs. Bumbledore and I have decided it is time to bring our family back closer to both our extended families. Now we just need to find our new jobs, home, school, and church in a friendly town (with a population between 3,000 and 7,000 [Edit: why did I think the abbreviation w/ for "with" would be ok there?]) and near a metropolis of over 30,000 population. Shouldn't be too hard to do in three to four months so the children can start the new school year in their new home-town.

Now, now, I know some of you may be thinking St. Mungo's but... our last relocation was because of my employment change the month before our last two children (twins) were born and was completed within a one week's time of the twins turning one month old. So, this should be comparatively easy. Well, just who am I trying to convince?

Now I must return to work and also ask my manager if she is willing to provide a good reference. That is, once I break the news of my plans to leave. Any suggestions? **nervous laughter**

Oh, and I may be busy in the mean time, but I hope to keep in touch here and current with a few other threads. I don't know, but I may be growing out of my Harry Potter obsessive phase.. No, I think it is just that I have so much to plan an accomplish in the next three months. Yikes!

<)B^D= (John) Bumbledore

P. S. Yes, it is still me though I updated my profile "name." Interesting (and nice) that all previous posts of mine are also updated from Bumbledore to "John Bumbledore" similar to avatar changes.

P. P. S. And speaking of avatars, ... Julia, love your taste in art/avatar. And to others, no that is not me in my avatar (I wish I looked that young and fit or hip) but to those who frequent Jo's site the dart board should look similar, no? LOL

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Penny Lane. - Apr 8, 2005 8:13 am (#784 of 2981)

prof sprout: I believe there is an actual "Potter Association", unfortunately I believe it's more of a planting/foliage/potted plant thing.... But, I am working on a meet-up this summer with a few other forumers. You are welcome to email me at cpennylane@excite.com if you would like.

The weather here is crazy! Two days ago, sunny and warm. Yesterday, freezing and rainy. Today? Sunny and warm again. Also, they decided today was the day to cut the grass outside my window, and attach new door signs, and bang on random things with a hammer. School gets out in 2 weeks-- why couldn't they just wait? Also, students have to respect quiet hours, but THAT's allowed? Ugh.

Oh, I've started reading a book called "Life of Pi". Have any of you read it?

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Catherine - Apr 8, 2005 8:34 am (#785 of 2981)

I've started reading a book called "Life of Pi". Have any of you read it? --Penny Lane

Yes, I loved it. Our book group liked it, or at least those who read it did.

Bumbledore, good luck with your plans. We'll miss you if you decide that you are "over" your HP obsession. Although, maybe you should wait until after July 16 to decide!

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John Bumbledore - Apr 8, 2005 9:28 am (#786 of 2981)

Catherine, thank you. And Of course I'll read the new books. It just feels like I've been waiting too long as it is; but really, waiting until after a relocation and job search are completed should not be that much longer. It is however likely that I will become just a lurker until these events pass.

<)B^D= (John) Bumbledore

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librarian314 - Apr 8, 2005 11:24 am (#787 of 2981)

Hey all!

Congrats on the babies, everyone!

Bumbledore - Where in Pennsylvania do you want to end up? I've got friends all over the state and there are a lot of nice places. My favorite area is Gettysburg, but north of Pittsburg is nice and the area around Bellefonte (hi boop! **waves**) is pretty too, if you like mountains.

I'd stay away from the northern half of the Rt. 15 corridor, as there aren't many towns with at least 30,000 north of Lewisburg until you get to Wilkes-Barre. (Also the Rt. 15 corridor north of Harrisburg is filled with **adult** stores (about one every 30 miles or so) so that might be another reason to stay away from it.

My husband and I lived in Rochester, NY while he was in grad school and we got to know Rt. 15 between there and Washington, D.C. very well. We traveled back to Corning, NY last summer and it was surprising how little had changed. We were able to stop at all the same places as before. It was a little eerie as it had been 10 years and I'd expected some changes but nothing was noticeable.

Mills - Congrats on library school. Welcome to the fold! :-) Where else are you waiting to hear from? The school at Univ. of MD is good (it's my alma mater). I've also heard good things about the one in North Carolina.

Y'all take care!

**michelle the librarian**

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Steve Newton - Apr 8, 2005 11:35 am (#788 of 2981)

Amilia Smith, way to go! Many changes are coming into the library world. You're in for a great ride.

University of Maryland for my MLS.

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I Am Used Vlad - Apr 8, 2005 11:52 am (#789 of 2981)

Congrats Boop.

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Ladybug220 - Apr 8, 2005 12:09 pm (#790 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 8, 2005 12:09 pm

Congrats Meg - she is beautiful!!

Happy birthday and congrats to all others that deserve it.

Catherine, I am glad your doggie is ok and I made a trip to the vet with Knightly yesterday. He has one of three things: pneumonia, asthma or heart worms. They took some blood from him (after doing chest x-rays - he was not a happy cat); so I am waiting to hear the results from the blood tests. Sigh, poor cat has been to the vet more in the last six months than in the last few years.

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Catherine - Apr 8, 2005 12:24 pm (#791 of 2981)

Ladybug, I'm sure that Knightly didn't like his trip to the vet. I hope he feels better very soon.

Phoebe is still wearing her cone, as she tried to rub her stitches out this morning by hiding under a table where I couldn't reach her. Stubborn dog. She can't eat or drink while she's wearing it, so during the day, I've been giving her water from a cup. I'll bet she expects the cup treatment even after we say farewell to the cone.

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GryffEndora - Apr 8, 2005 12:31 pm (#792 of 2981)

megfox - thanks for sharing those glimpses into your world. You have a beautiful gift.

Congrats on all the new babies!

Job hunters, Good Luck! I will be joining you shortly.

Amilia, I hope the journey is as much fun as the destination. Good luck with your choice and have fun in Grad School.

I must share some frightening news from the world of merchandising. In expectation of the release of the new Star Wars movie Mattel has released a new Mr. Potato Head: DARTH TATER! Now as a toy this is all fine and good, but as the degradation of character I find it truly disturbing. If I were half the Star Wars fan that I am a Harry Potter fan I would truly be offended by the reduction of a great Villain/Hero to a plastic dress up potato. Why do I find this frightening? I have a terrible vision of a group of merchandisers holding a glowing red eyed prototype of Lord VoldeSpud! Merchandising is fine but when you completely obliterate the idea of a character to make money what is the point? I just can't believe any artist would allow their vision to become so muddied, sorry for sounding so judgemental.

Sorry for the rant. I believe JKR would not allow such a thing to happen since she has actively tried to stop fans from calling LV Voldy, but the idea bothers me none the less.

*edit*   Catherine and Ladybug220, I hope your pets are feeling better soon. My 6 year old puppy also hates the cone and is very pathetic when she is ill, so I can sympathize

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Pigwidgeon - Apr 8, 2005 12:48 pm (#793 of 2981)

Congratulations on the new grandaughter, Betty!

Wow, am I behind here. Lots of news to catch up on!

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Julia. - Apr 8, 2005 1:37 pm (#794 of 2981)

Greetings all!

John, thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you like my choice in avatars. Good luck with finding a good place to live, and with the move when you actually get there.

Ameilia, mazel tov on getting into grad school. Good luck on your decision. Whichever one you make I'm sure it will turn out well.

I've finally got a good topic for my Shakespeare paper. Which is good, because the first draft and outline are due on Monday. I just met with my professor about it this afternoon. Grrrr, I hate it when she starts the sign-up sheet on the other side of the room, so by the time it gets to me all the good ones are taken.

Weather here is gorgeous. Absolutely perfect spring day. Thank G-d!! I was so tired of winter. Well, It's almost time for services so I'll see you all on Saturday night. *hugs all around except for Kim who gets a hand shake*

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Acceber - Apr 8, 2005 2:02 pm (#795 of 2981)

I had posted a quote from Eponine about St. Mattress of Springs which I burst out laughing at after reading, but when I went to view Meg's pictures, I couldn't get back to World Crossing without opening a new window, so my post was lost. Luckily, that was the only thing I'd posted, so I wasn't that annoyed.

Betty (Boop) wished me a Happy Birthday Tuesday night on AIM, but it wasn't my birthday. She'd gotten her dates wrong, poor girl, since she has so many birthdays to keep track of. So thank you to anyone who wished me Happy Birthday 10 months in advance!

Happy Birthday April!

Congratulations Betty on the birth of your fourth grandchild!

Belated Congratulations to TBE on the horses!

Pet rant, skip if need be: I can relate to Catherine on the pet with the cone on its head. One of my cats, Licorice, who is an outside cat by nature and is frequently seen roaming the neighborhood, has had a cone on his head on two separate occasions. Once, he got a scratch on his ear and the other time he cut his paw. The second time, he had to be quarantined for 45 days because the vet thought an animal bit him, and the animal might have had rabies. He was so miserable; he kept trying to slip past us when the door was opened and go outside. I hope we never have to use that dratted plastic object again. Lic is much happier scouting the backyard without a plastic cone on his head. Rant over.

Weather's beautiful here as well. It was warmer on Tuesday, but I did walk home from school in pants and a sleeveless. I love spring!

I'm going to go add more friends to my LJ. Nice seeing/reading/talking to you all!

EDIT: Both, Mike. I think we share the same birthday, mine's the 31st of January.

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The giant squid - Apr 8, 2005 2:12 pm (#796 of 2981)

John, good luck with the move. Of anything you'll be a little better than a lot of us--we have nothing to distract us from the long ponderous agonizing wait until HBP comes out. You'll have something else to make you tear your hair out.

GryffEndora, I can see where you're going with regards to Darth Tater, but you forgot one simple fact: it's silly. I long ago accepted the fact that Star Wars merchandising will go above, beyond and into another dimension--heck, that's where Lucas made the money to make Empire--so I have no problem with a potato dressed like a Sith lord. But maybe that's just me. WB has shown a lot more restraint over the years with regards to HP merchandise, so I don't think we'll be subjected to Lord Tatermort anytime soon.

Becca, are we ten months early or 2 months late? I'll just wish you a Happy Friday!

--Mike

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Catherine - Apr 8, 2005 3:21 pm (#797 of 2981)

I don't think we'll be subjected to Lord Tatermort anytime soon. –Mike

SNORT! SPEW! GASP!

I have this awful image of a red-eyed spud saying, "There is only potato power, and those too weak to seek it..."

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Chemyst - Apr 8, 2005 3:32 pm (#798 of 2981)

There is only potato power, and those too weak to mash, fry, or julienne...

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librarian314 - Apr 8, 2005 4:02 pm (#799 of 2981)

Hey all!

Tater power is awesome! It can run clocks. Maybe Tatermort would have his own built-in time turner. :-)

I've been trying to find Darth Tater but, haven't succeeded. I did find some Dark Chocolate Peanut M&Ms. Still looking for the plain dark chocolate M&Ms.

Y'all take care!

* *michelle the librarian**

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Eponine - Apr 8, 2005 4:12 pm (#800 of 2981)

Michelle, you can find Darth Tater on eBay, but it seems a lot of stores have sold out of him. My husband got one a couple of weeks ago, but now we can't find them anywhere. I'd like to find some dark chocolate peanut M&Ms too. There is an M&M trailer for the Star Wars candies, and it's hilarious. You can find it by going here. It's at M&Ms official site.

Well, I hope you're all having a great day!

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Catherine - Apr 8, 2005 4:19 pm (#801 of 2981)

I just watched the trailer, Eponine. And I thought that WE were all dangerously obsessed!

I'm going to have to show that one to Mr. Catherine when he comes home from work tonight.

Thanks for the laugh.

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Puck - Apr 8, 2005 5:26 pm (#802 of 2981)

Oooo, I forgot to check for the dark chocolate M&M's in the store today. I forget lots of things -like why it is I went upstairs- but chocolate I usually remember.

Boop- congrats! My little girl is also Maya. If names hold much meaning then watch out. Sweetie as pie most of the time, but when the mood strikes her....watch out!

Penny, I held out hope throughout the episode. I mean, if Locke's legs can heal, but alas. Tears! I missed the 44, though. Where was it and what do you think it means? I've seen all but one or two episodes, the ones when the TiVo wasn't working.

Okay, still got tons of work to do on that quilt. It was supposed to be rainy, so I was planning on a rainy afternoon to sew, but it was beauitful out, so instead I took the kids out to play. Better get to work.

Kathy

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kabloink! - Apr 8, 2005 6:08 pm (#803 of 2981)

Amelia Mills-where did you get accepted to? I know Penny said Wayne State (which also has a very good law school for their size), but I was under the impression that U of M was the only school that offered a library science degree in MI (I was informed of this by an advisor-all apologies if I am mistaken). Anywho-congrats!

Prof Sprout-If you don't mind, which town? I currently live in Grand Ledge. I love it, but it is sooooo expensive here (just Grand Ledge, not Lansing)!

Bumbledore, what state are you looking ot move to? Just curious.

Okay, off to bed. Have to be up at 4am for work. Grumble...

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pottermom34 - Apr 8, 2005 8:48 pm (#804 of 2981)

Thora, I found the mold at a party supply store in the discount bin for only 4 bucks. (yes I'm cheap)

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Apr 8, 2005 9:00 pm (#805 of 2981)

Thora, I found the mold at a party supply store in the discount bin for only 4 bucks. (yes I'm cheap)

Excuse me? That is not being cheap, that is making the wisest use of a free enterprise system! :-)

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pottermom34 - Apr 8, 2005 9:13 pm (#806 of 2981)

Thanks TBE. I like the sound of Lord Voldespud, it cracked me up. I'm still waiting for HP cereal though.
Speaking of the Star Wars M&M's I saw M&M light sabers at Target and the first thing I thought of was the forum.


Amelia, If you choose Detroit, welcome to Michigan. Maybe we should start a Michigan Potter club. What are we up to now 6 Michiganders on here? My daughters aren't forum members but they are quite the Potter fans themselves. We could make t-shirts or buttons to wear to the midnight book parties.
That would be cool.

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Amilia Smith - Apr 8, 2005 10:01 pm (#807 of 2981)

To tell the truth, that is one of the main draws for Detroit, that there are so many forumers in the area. My mother laughed at me when I told her that. But it makes me feel as if I am not going totally into the void if I "know" a few people in the area. Then there is also the strong Scottish-American society that Prof Sprout mentioned. Yet, whenever I mention Detroit here (Utah), people give me alarmed looks and start telling me horror stories about murder rates. While I refuse to live my life in fear, it is starting to get unnerving. Please, those of you that know the area, reassure me that Detroit is not that bad.

Yes, Wayne State does indeed have an ALA approved Library Science program. I have also applied to the University of Hawaii and San Jose State, and am waiting to hear back. I think I am going to call Hawaii on Monday and see if they can tell me what my prospects are.

Thank you all for you good wishes. They mean a lot to me.

Mills.

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Marie E. - Apr 8, 2005 10:12 pm (#808 of 2981)

Voldespud and Tatermort? This is why I love this place!

We've had a nice week weatherwise so of course they are predicting a massive snow storm for Sunday. They're saying the mountains will probably get about two feet. Two feet! It's April! *takes a deep breath*

I took the girls to a baseball game last night and Disney on Ice tonight. I think I need to spend the rest of the weekend in my room with a good (HP) book.

Congratulations Betty on little Maya Mae. We almost named Lexie Maya, but I thought it sounded too much like Shayla. I still get the girls names mixed so I guess it doesn't matter.

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The giant squid - Apr 9, 2005 2:05 am (#809 of 2981)

Marie, if our weather is any indication, you can definitely expect your two feet... I've spent the last two hours trying to fall asleep to the sound of 40+ MPH winds pelting the side of our house with rain (naturally, the wind is hitting the master bedroom side...). It'll slow down for a bit to lull me into a false sense of security, then *wham!* just as I'm drifting off. I finally said "The heck with it! I'll just log on & check out the Forum." Haven't heard a thing since.

It's a good thing you didn't name Lexie "Maya"; with all the -a endings you'd have even more people calling you Maria instead of Marie!

--Mike

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Ydnam96 - Apr 9, 2005 4:44 am (#810 of 2981)

It's 4:30 on a saturday morning and I'm awake. My foot is killing me and now I'm trying the couch instead of my bedbecause I can prop it up better here. It's my own fault, I had a LONG day at work yesterday where we spent most of the day standing or walking getting ready for an event (we held a tea for all the women on campus, it was quite nice actually with fun hats and boas and little cucumber sandwiches and scones and fruit and all that) but I was on my foot all day. Now it's killing me. And I have to be up in two hours to go do registration for a conference we are hosting here on campus today. Hopefully I'll get to sit most of the day.

But, at least I know I have something to do when I can't sleep

Mills- I know some people who went to San Jose State for a few years before they transferred out here. If you want I can ask them some questions if you like. Email me if you want any info from them. Although. If I had to choose, it would be Hawaii over anything

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Thora - Apr 9, 2005 5:43 am (#811 of 2981)

Mills- Where in Utah? I lived in Logan, Smithfield, and Odgen, in fact I'm stopping off in Logan in May. My Mom went to SUU a few years back, too. I did a search on the crime rate there (2,463) but the worst city in the USA (in Florida) was 4000! Salt Lake was 820 (guess they got the straight edge gang problem worked out...) but even that is way over the national average of 496. I used msn's house and home city compare which helped a lot in our homesearch.

I love the name Maya, congrats again Betty.

I searched madly for those candy molds and hit the jack pot! http://www.candyplus.net/ had them for $2.35 a mold! So I bought a variety, bugs, rats, spiders, HP, ghosts. My release party is going to be yummy! Thanks for the tip!

John, one warning about the Pittsburg area, it's only a few hours from me and you might be forced to be my friend!

Thora

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Amilia Smith - Apr 9, 2005 5:58 am (#812 of 2981)

Thora, I am in Highland, a small town about half way in between Salt Lake and Provo. See, bad things can happen to you even in Salt Lake. I should not be afraid of Detroit.

I realized after I went to bed last night that I had used a nonstandard abbreviation. Just in case anyone was wondering, ALA stands for American Library Association.

Well, it's off to work I go.

Mills.

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boop  - Apr 9, 2005 6:22 am (#813 of 2981)

Hi everyone!! Have a great weekend!

I want to thank everyone for the well wishes for the birth of my granddaughter. Betty Ann and Maya will be coming home to my house for about a week so I can help out. They will be home today. As soon as I have a good picture of Maya, I will post a picture.

hugs always

boop

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Elanor - Apr 9, 2005 9:08 am (#814 of 2981)

Congratulations Boop! It's been a joy to read about all those good news that were lately on the thread!

Ydnam, I truly sympathize about your ankle! Believe me, I know what a painful ankle mean. I saw the doctor this morning to discuss about the test I did this week and he told me that I needed some physiotherapy - again - and to wear the ankle support two or three more months **sigh** Ydnam, I really hope you will be able to sit today at work!

I know there are a lot of talented members here who know how to sew and I wanted to ask you for an advice. I'd like to try and sew a Beauxbâtons cloak, or robe, for the feast that will take place at Accio this summer but I have trouble finding a good pattern on the Net (I'd want one with a hood, I love hoods!). Would you know where I could find that? Is it very difficult to make one?

Have a great Saturday everybody! Here, our lovely spring has gone for some days. It snowed again today and the wind was strong and very cold at the same time. Brr...

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Gina R Snape - Apr 9, 2005 12:00 pm (#815 of 2981)

Elanor, here is a nice cloak pattern.

http://www.alleycatscratch.com/lotr/makingem/Patterns/Cloaks.htm

If you do a search for medieval costume or arwen dress or LoTR costume or renaissance dress pattern, etc, you will come up with loads of sites for fantasy/scifi/period costume designs. Simplicity and Butterick make some patterns (US) that are easily alterable. You can also check ebay for patterns.

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scully jones - Apr 9, 2005 2:27 pm (#816 of 2981)

I was wondering if anyone could assist Brandon and I on a homework assignment. We need someone who was a teenager during the 80's to answer a few questions about sex ed in school and other things like that. It's not an embarassing question thing, but it would be very helpful, we need this very soon!

If you can help and you're the right age, email me, email's on my profile.

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kabloink! - Apr 9, 2005 5:43 pm (#817 of 2981)

Mills, I can't tell you that Detroit isn't bad. (long, confusing description of what I know of Detroit following-skip if you would like) Well, its actually complicated. My husband's family live in Lincoln Park, which is SUPPOSED to be terrible, but their neighborhood isn't. Downtown Detroit actually has the lowest crime rate of all of its suburbs, but if you leave downtown for surrounding neighborhoods, it can get nasty. Wayne State itself is quite safe, but I don't recommend leaving the campus after dark in anything but your car...

Hmmm. I grew up in Port Huron, about 50 miles north of Detroit, so I don't know a whole lot about it, but my basic advice is that it all depends on where you are thinking of living. THere are some really, REALLY nice suburbs, and there are some mediocre ones. Where Penny goes to school is only about 30min (give or take 15 dependign on traffic) from Wayne State, and Ypsi isn't too bad. Ann Arbor is only another 15 minutes and even the student ghetto is quite nice there. I used to walk back to my dorm at 4am from my car through frat town, and never encountered anything more than a skunk! Ann Arbor is about twice as expensive as Ypsi, though...

ANywho, I would like to get my hands on some of those molds. Maybe I could have an HP themed Graduation Party!

On another note-does anyone have any recommendations for at-home/ herbal/ inexpensive remedies for achy/stiff joints aside from ice or heat? Since I have gone back to work at McDOnald's, my left knee gets really stiff after standing for 8+ hours. Part of me wonders if I should just keep it moving and stretch it and exercise it more outside of work, but my feet are so sore after the long days, too...Oh well, if anyone has any advice, I would appreciate it!

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prof sprout - Apr 9, 2005 6:04 pm (#818 of 2981)

I live in St. Johns, which is rather close to GL (Grand Ledge). My fiancé attends MSU (Michigan State University), and in the fall I'm going back to school to get my CPA (Certified Public Accountant)degree at Lansing. Community College. Right now I work really close to GL, by the Lansing. Mall. But after April 15th I'll be working back in St. Johns, at my moms business. Well, after my mouth heals from having my wisdom teeth out. Isn't Lexicon Steve a Michigander?

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Kip Carter - Apr 9, 2005 6:47 pm (#819 of 2981)

prof sprout, you are correct concerning "Lexicon Steve being a Michiganer". He lives in Grand Rapids area.

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Pinky - Apr 9, 2005 7:42 pm (#820 of 2981)

Kabloink, I know it sounds pat, but try some good shoes. I spend a lot of my time at work on my feet as well, and I used to come home with feet and legs that were killing me. Then, I was given a pair of really ugly nursing type shoes. They are nowhere near the height of fashion, but for whatever reason, they do the trick. I'm still tired when I get home, but my legs and feet feel fine. The label inside the shoes is worn off, but the tread has "SAS" on it. You might want to try some type of nursing supply store to find some shoes with good support. Nurses spend all day on their feet as well, so they tend to have good shoes.

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Marie E. - Apr 9, 2005 8:48 pm (#821 of 2981)

This is a bit scary, but I was sitting in my office reading the forum and I heard a familiar voice on the tv. I went out into the family room and Mr. E. and Shayla were watching a show on snails on the Discovery Channel. It took me another minute to recognize the voice as the narrator on the HP dvd's. I think he also narrated the audio versions of the books.

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pottermom34 - Apr 9, 2005 8:51 pm (#822 of 2981)

Kabloink, I bought the molds at Party City in Grandville, I don't know if there are any of that store by Lansing. They are a Wilton product if you have any stores that sell Wilton products you could check there.
Lexicon Steve isn't too far from me, I live in Jamestown (Hudsonville area).

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Julia. - Apr 9, 2005 9:58 pm (#823 of 2981)

UUGH. 7-10 page paper due on Monday. I couldn't get into meet with my professor until Friday. Since most of today was Shabbos, that leave me with tomorrow to do it. Wish me luck! You know, I love being a student, and I love learning new things, I really do. But this part of the semester just sucks. Far too much work, no time to do it...

*is feeling left out for not being from Michigan* *remembers days in the chat room feeling left out for not being from Ohio* *waves to Mar, my fellow Nutmeger*

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Amilia Smith - Apr 10, 2005 12:10 am (#824 of 2981)
Edited Apr 10, 2005 12:49 am

Good luck, Julia. I must agree with you. Learning is fun. Studying and research is fun. Writing papers . . . not so much fun. And I ask myself why I think I want to go to grad school. :-)

Kabloink, thank you. You actually have reassured me a good deal. That is what I figured, that Detroit is like anywhere else: some places are fine, and others you may want to avoid after dark. It was just very unnerving yesterday when everyone I talked to gave me scary Detroit stories. On another note, congratulations on your upcoming graduation! About the knee: cartiledge (sp?) pills are supposed to be wonderful for joints; my Dad swears by them. I like Icy-Hot for sore muscles and bum ankles, but I don't know how well it would work on knees. I also second Pinky's advice on good shoes. Good luck!

Good luck to you too, Elanor. Gina's advice on where to find patterns is much better than mine would have been, so I'll just leave it at that.

Since I am on a roll here, good luck to all the rest of you as well.

Mills.

Edit: Scully, I am a bit young for your project as I turned 12 in 1990, but if you could use me, feel free to email me.

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Elanor - Apr 10, 2005 12:31 am (#825 of 2981)

Thanks Amilia! And thank you so much Gina, this link sounds great! I've skimmed through the site and the explanations seem easy to follow. I'm going to take a closer look at it today.

I'm sure this feast will be fantastic! Have you decided what you're going to wear then? And what about the other forumers who will attend Accio? Are you planning to wear a costume for the feast as well?

Good luck for your paper Julia! Just let your "inner Hermione" surface and everything should be okay!

Have a great Sunday everybody!

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ruthlesspenguin - Apr 10, 2005 12:48 am (#826 of 2981)

So this is why everyone knows each other so well! Nine months on the forum and I finally discover the chat thread.

Congratulations to everyone with baby related news. I am really enjoying reading your posts at the moment as my cousin and his wife are going to have a baby next month. They are the first of my generation to have a baby and as I am an only child, and therefore rather close to my cousins, I am very excited. I even got my Mum to teach me to knit so I could make him a jumper.

Julia, I know how you feel. I've just been through the sort of week you describe; I had a heap of assignments due in at the end of term and after 7 weeks of study I no longer had the energy to cope with the late nights needed to get them all done. (Well, I did just get them done, one five minutes before it was due, but I was exhausted by Friday). Fortunately I now have a two week study break, so although I still have assignments to work on, I can do so at a much more reasonable pace. Anyway, good luck with the paper.

Mare, your drawings are absolutely amazing. I really hope your designs are accepted by Accio, they are by far the best. You don't happen to accept commissions, do you?

<(')

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The giant squid - Apr 10, 2005 12:54 am (#827 of 2981)

We need someone who was a teenager during the 80's to answer a few questions about sex ed in school and other things like that.--Scully Jones

Well, I can give you a quick answer--we didn't have sex ed in school when I was a teenager in the 80's. We had to figure it out all on our own...

Julia, I know what you're feeling, and I have the explanation for it--I love to learn new things, but I hate having to learn new things. As soon as it becomes an assignment the fun goes away. Yet another reason why I left college (they're really starting to add up, aren't they?). On the whole I've found that I still learn a lot of stuff, and most of it I could never have learned in school anyway--at least, my college didn't have courses of "Heavy Metal Guitar" and "Motion Picture Projection Technology".

We've made another addition to our ever-changing front yard: there is now a gate joining the two block walls. We've also made some headway clearing out the 4-foot tall weeds that sprung up overnight after our 2-week rain shower last month... Another month & I might actually be able to find the dirt again! The yard revamp project has been on our to-do list since we moved in 3 1/2 years ago, so it feels really good to finally be making some noticeable changes.

--Mike

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Ydnam96 - Apr 10, 2005 7:43 am (#828 of 2981)

Julia, good luck on the paper. Just rest up today and mentally prepare and you will do fine. Hey, at least it's almost the end of the semester!

Welcome to the chat thread Ruthlesspenguin (random question: are you pro penguin or anti-penguin? I only ask because I know several people who feel very strongly about penguins being evil. Just curious)

My foot is feeling a bit better today. I wasn't up on it as much yesterday at work as I had to be on Friday. We had a leadership conference we were hosting so I just sat in on leadership sessions all day. But I've definetly taken my fair share of tylenol in the last 48 hours:)

Amilia, as far as picking grad schools. I have found (I transferred grad schools....not fun as they don't like to take other school's credits) that the place doesn't matter as much as the program. If you are really comfortable with the program, you know it will be somewhere you will learn what you need and get the support from the professors then that is where you will want to be. Believe me (as much as I said I would totally go to Hawaii) if you are in a program that isn't good it doesn't matter if you are living in paradise.

Well. I'm off to get through the threads. I've been neglecting them lately.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 10, 2005 7:54 am (#829 of 2981)

You're welcome, Elanor! I am currently bidding on a dress I found on ebay. I don't want to jinx it... so if I win I'll post a link with a picture of my dress.

I plan to wear my Hogwarts slytherin outfit on the Saturday of the conference. On Sunday I'll probably 'go muggle' and wear jeans with one of my homemade Snape t-shirts. Maybe the one I made from my avatar awhile back for the Detention with Snape! Club. And my slytherin robes of course.

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Julia. - Apr 10, 2005 8:31 am (#830 of 2981)

Oh, Gina, I love your Detention with Snape! Club T-shirt! Hehehe, just thought I'd point that out.

Thanks for all the sympathies guys. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do except sit down and do it. What's really not fun is that there's a Hillel Block Party that I'd really much rather go to, but alas, earwax.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 10, 2005 8:43 am (#831 of 2981)

Aaawwww, Julia. You have my sympathy. Empathy, really. As today is a gorgeous day and I too will be stuck inside doing homework.

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Dumbledore - Apr 10, 2005 8:48 am (#832 of 2981)

I'll jump on that bandwagon too. It's a perfect spring day and I'm working on a disease research paper. I think I've learned my lesson in procrastination, though...

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Marie E. - Apr 10, 2005 9:19 am (#833 of 2981)

I am indoors and I wish it was because of homework, etc. That blizzard they kept going on about is really here. So many times they predict a big storm and it turns out to be an inch of snow. They were right this time! We have 40 mile an hour winds that are blowing the snow around so bad they are advising everyone to stay home. The girls don't mind missing Sunday School or Brownies, but Lexie remembered she was supposed to go to a birthday party at the skating rink today. I told her the party isn't until 4pm so we'll see if the weather lets up. I checked Weatherbug and they say the blizzard warning lasts until 6am tomorrow morning. Yikes!

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haymoni - Apr 10, 2005 9:19 am (#834 of 2981)

scully - I graduated from high school in 1983. We didn't have sex ed in high school - that was earlier - in 5th grade as I recall. I was in Catholic school and a nun taught the class. I remember my mother saying, "What the h--- does she know about it???" My mother did not often swear and to hear her do it while talking about a nun still makes me laugh to this day.

In high school there was an elective class called "Family Living" - I never took it - I did not have time for such fluff classes - You had to carry a raw egg around everywhere you went for about a week or something. It was supposed to teach you about responsibility and what a pain it is to have a baby when you are a teenager. Apparently they do the same thing now, but things are much more technically advanced. They use dolls that cry at inopportune moments - like 3:00 am or when you are at the mall.

Health class in high school focused a lot on drug use. I don't remember if we talked about sex. I'm sure we thought we knew it all by then anyway.

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Denise P. - Apr 10, 2005 9:30 am (#835 of 2981)

I also graduated in 1983 and we didn't have any sex ed either. In about 5th grade, we got a little film strip on menstruation and that was it. We also had the family living class, with a bag of flour dressed up as a baby, in high school. We sure as heck didn't get any particulars on anything and most kids learned about things by reading the racy Judy Blume books LOL We didn't even get drug, alcohol or tabacco use warnings really. I guess they figured we knew it all by the time we got to high school.

I saw Darth Tater at Wal-Mart today, there was a slew of them. My kids are light sabre crazy so we keep hearing that noise. Last night, they were in the back yard with them and I had to admit, it looked cool in the dark. Devin has one that changes color and it was neat.

It is another gorgeous day here. Yesterday we went to a presentation on raptors and had a black vulture the handlers had fly over the crowd a few times. We even got to see a bald eagle, with one wing. All the birds in the presentation are not able to be released back into the wild. We saw tiny screech owls, mississippi kites, another kind of kite, a red tailed hawk, a black vulture and the bald eagle. Then the kids went out canoeing on a lake. Today, one is going to a birthday party and several others are taking part in a one mile fun run.

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Catherine - Apr 10, 2005 9:48 am (#836 of 2981)

We also had the family living class, with a bag of flour dressed up as a baby, in high school. --Denise P.

We had the "baby eggs" in family living class, although I never took it. I remember a girl who worked with me at the local library annoying our boss by bringing the egg to work and using it as an excuse to go on break. One of the other teens who worked there threatened to throw the egg away if she didn't hurry up and help us shelve books.

Speaking of babies...my sister-in-law had a baby girl Friday night. We still have no name for her, but I can report that she weighed 8 lbs and was 20 inches long.

Well, about that procrastination....some people haven't finished their taxes yet. I'd rather write a paper than deal with taxes! Mr. Catherine has this rugged independence about taxes--he sees it as a sign of personal ineptitude and failure for one to hire someone to prepare one's income taxes. So this weekend has been full of assembling receipts and papers--ick! Plus, taxes in general just put me in a bad mood: if we owe money, then I'm annoyed. If we get a refund, I'm annoyed that the government has had an interest-free loan on our money.

Well, on that cheery note...have a good Sunday! Best of luck to all procrastinators on the Forum...

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Eponine - Apr 10, 2005 9:59 am (#837 of 2981)

My high school also had the egg-baby assignment. I never took the class, but I do have a story about the eggs. If your egg broke, your grade automatically went down a certain amount of points whether it was your fault or not. The class had gotten their egg-babies and had been carrying them around for a few days. Some had theirs in little baskets, some carried them in boxes. We were in choir, and one of the girls who was not in the class was holding the egg-baby in a basket of another girl. For some reason, 1st girl decides to look at the bottom of the basket and flips it over. Of course, tiny little egg-baby falls out to the floor of doom and promptly splatters egg-baby innards everywhere. The whole room got very quiet as the 'mom' of egg-baby just walks out followed quickly by egg-baby killer. Then one of the trumpet players pulls out his instrument and begins playing 'Taps'.

I got the strangest thing in the mail yesterday. I got a nomination/application for The National Dean's List. I think it's a similar organization to Who's Who, but for college students. A teacher nominates you, they send you a form, and then charge you $50 for a book with your name in it. I'm flattered that one of my professors thought enough of me to submit my name, but I graduated from college 3 years ago. It's a little odd.

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great day.

Edited to add: Catherine, we haven't done our taxes yet either. I should probably get started on that.

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Marie E. - Apr 10, 2005 10:05 am (#838 of 2981)

I have an egg-baby confession. My egg-baby broke on the first day of our assignment and I was so despondent (I am going to be a horrible mother!) that I went home and replaced it with a foster-egg. Only two of my friends in my class knew that I has killed the original egg and they never told, bless 'em. I can even remember what I named foster-egg, Kayleigh. A very 80's name, I got it from a Marillion song. Incidentally, the class I had the egg-baby for was Childhood Growth and Development and it was listed as a Home Economics class, not a Health class.

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Penny Lane. - Apr 10, 2005 10:17 am (#839 of 2981)

I wasn't a teenager of the 80s, but the Catholic School I attended gave sex ed in Jr High. We watched film strips from the 70s where this woman said that Robert Reford was the ideal man. She also had bright blue eyeshadow up to her eyebrows and didn't really explain much, other than to show diagrams and pictures. We could have received the same lecture in biology class. In high school, we were supposed to take a Morality class but I transferred out of that school before I had to. So, I've never had to carry around a bag of sugar, an egg, flour, or any other houshold product pretending it was a small child.

Amilia Smith: Wayne State is a really good school, for Michigan. I just feel right now that Michigan has a lot of economic problems and stuff going on at the governmental level that we don't exactly set the bar too high. That being said, when I transfered this year, WSU was my first choice. I didn't go because their finacial aid wasn't as good as what they offered me here, at EMU. If you are from Utah, are you prepared for the weather change? We have four distint seasons here. Will you be staying in Mich. once you finish the program? I could go into a nice long discussion/term paper on Michigan's econmic situtuation, but I won't right now, as I'm sure the rest of the forum doesn't care. If you need help finding a safe apartment, I know a lot of people who live downtown in safe areas and could possibly help you. Otherwise, you might want to look into the surrounding areas and commute. BTW, Detroit has ZERO public transportation. I think they even took away the limited bus service that they did offer.

Catherine: Thanks for the reminder about taxes. I always forget, and I am one of the people who are fighting traffic at 11:55 on ... the day they are due (17th?).

Denise, that raptor presentation sounds really cool. For my Zoology course a few terms ago, we had a person from the zoo come in and bring animals for us to look at. One of them was this adorable owl that I just wanted to pick up and cuddle, which would have been a very bad idea. I love owls. Not O.W.L.S., of course, ;-)

I have to go back to studying. *yawn*

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Denise P. - Apr 10, 2005 10:24 am (#840 of 2981)

The little owl could have been Pig. He had an eye missing though. They thought that maybe he would be able to survive in the wild missing the eye but they are not risking it so the little guy is part of the educational program now.

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Pinky - Apr 10, 2005 1:40 pm (#841 of 2981)

Penny, taxes are due on the 15th....

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Ponine - Apr 10, 2005 1:59 pm (#842 of 2981)

I suppose you wanted Americans more than Europeans, but here - in Norway - I seem to vaguely remember learning how to put condoms on a banana in eight grade... I guess we are more hands-on kind of people.... This must have been in - hm - 88/89?

I have been reading 150 posts, so I know that there were things I wanted to say, but I can't remember anymore... Oh - except from Lina, that sound great - no therapy! Catherine - no melanoma is great, but the conehead experience must be tough - I dread the day...

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Lina - Apr 10, 2005 2:57 pm (#843 of 2981)

Ruthlesspenguin, welcome to the chat thread! (Oh, it sounds like a support group: Hi, my name is Ruthlesspenguin. Hi, Ruthlesspenguin!) But I mean it. It is the most interesting thread, in my opinion, but as more of us discover it, it becomes more difficult to keep the track (I have no idea if I expressed correctly ).

I was happy not to have to go anywhere these days. Such a boring rain, and then today it started to blow - the real wintery wind. Brrrr. Fortunately, my car is at the mechanic's, so I don't have to fear that the windows on it would break again. I had them broken twice this winter. Once for the wind, and the second time, for the burglary, I guess. I'm not totally sure, because nothing was really stolen, just the windows broken. It seems that there was a group of young who used to choose the cars without alarm to hang together and listen to the music repaired from the wind. It didn't happen again, so either they moved to some other place, either police managed to do something about them.

We have a great national discussion about the sexual education at the moment. What I think is that the teacher is much more important than the program itself, even when it comes to mathematics.

About taking pets to the vets: our vet has moved to a new place some time ago. So my sister's dog didn't suspect anything when we took her there for the vaccination the first time, but when she heard him saying "Good afternoon", even before she could see him, she just turned around and tried to run away.

Waves to everybody!

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GryffEndora - Apr 10, 2005 3:20 pm (#844 of 2981)

I just wanted to pop in and wish all the Librarians on the Lex a Happy National Library Week!!!

Take Care!

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librarian314 - Apr 10, 2005 3:23 pm (#845 of 2981)

Hey all!

It's been a busy weekend here in the Metro DC area. I ran kids' activities at an SCA event yesterday and it went well but was tiring. We made a mosaic stool, mosaic trivets, and a variety of glitter and beaded seahorses. Lots of friends got awards, which was really cool.

I graduated high school in 1987 and I honestly don't remember any sex ed at all. Tenth grade (the equivalent of 5th year for Harry and Co.) was spent on not drinking and driving. The "don't drink and drive during prom season" movie was really awful. My mom had been killed in a car wreck two years earlier and the movie totally freaked me out.

The sex ed I got was in my Catholic Sunday school class. Our teacher was a nurse at a doctor's office and gave us these detailed books entitled, "What Every Teenager Should Know". They were detailed, informative, and non-judgemental. The book even talked about birth control. I remember thinking at the time (I was 16 or 17) that I preferred learning about it at church as I got the biology as well as the morality.

Hope y'all have a good week! Take care!

**michelle the librarian**

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Gina R Snape - Apr 10, 2005 3:31 pm (#846 of 2981)

Jumping in... I graduated in 1987 and I too recall sex ed happening in Junior High. And it was aaaaallllllll biology. They separated the girls and boys and told us about reproduction.

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Catherine - Apr 10, 2005 4:03 pm (#847 of 2981)

Gina's post reminds me of Grease II. I remember two things about this movie--Michelle Pfeiffer, and the song, "Reproduction." I googled the lyrics and nope, I remembered this song almost too well. I really don't know how the folks in that movie sang it with a straight face.

I'm glad that Ms. Pfeiffer moved on to better roles. We can show this movie as one more example that Americans go to high school in their late 20s.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 10, 2005 4:09 pm (#848 of 2981)

We can show this movie as one more example that Americans go to high school in their late 20s.

Heh, heh. And they worry about the kids in the HP movies growing too old for their roles!

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Chemyst - Apr 10, 2005 4:35 pm (#849 of 2981)

Either it is a very slow news day or we have a very disturbed society when the top story on my U. S. News listing was "Pandas at San Diego Zoo Successfully Mate." The article said that the female scraped pine tree bark onto her head and face, and the zoo keeper explained, "It's getting her perfume on for the date." (I bet that was never covered I any sex ed classes, she muses.)
The top story has since been replaced by the Denver snowstorm.

...one of the trumpet players pulls out his instrument and begins playing 'Taps'.   What a great story!

Oh, it sounds like a support group: Hi, my name is Ruthlesspenguin. Hi, Ruthlesspenguin!     What! You mean this isn't one?!?    Oh dear. Some days it is very hard to tell.   ...Well, anyway, Ruthlesspenguin has been a regular poster on the logic thread for a while, but I welcome you to this chat thread too.

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Eponine - Apr 10, 2005 4:41 pm (#850 of 2981)

Catherine, I don't believe I've ever heard that song. I only saw the movie on TV so I believe they cut that song out. I am now going to have to rent the movie just for the song. I do remember on the first day of school one year I had the song 'Back to School' in my head all day long.

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Catherine - Apr 10, 2005 4:53 pm (#851 of 2981)

Catherine, I don't believe I've ever heard that song. I only saw the movie on TV so I believe they cut that song out.—Eponine

Hmm. Well, I almost feel sorry for the "lyricist" of that song. Imagine writing lyrics for Grease II and then having the network cut your big number. Truly--the song is so tasteless, I didn't feel comfortable posting the link. But know that, if your curiosity overwhelms you, Google will not let you down.

Chemyst, I saw that story about the loving pandas, and I saw them in San Diego. The female panda was entering her fertile phase, but the zookeepers were separating them at the time, sort of playing "panda hard to get." When we saw them, they were sitting far apart, munching bamboo shoots and looking bored.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 10, 2005 5:25 pm (#852 of 2981)

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! I won my dress!!! I won my dress!!!!

I won the Ebay auction for the dress I plan to wear to Accio for the Friday evening party. Here is a link to the dress on the designer's website. I'm so pleased I won, as I paid less than what they are charging on their site.

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ruthlesspenguin - Apr 10, 2005 5:54 pm (#853 of 2981)

Thank you for all the welcomes. Ydnam, I am definitely pro-penguin. I was given my first toy penguin at christmas when I was one and a half, and ever since I can remember, penguins have been my favourite animal. I now have a rather large collection of penguin related things, somewhere between 500 and 1000. Unfortunately I had to leave almost all of them in Perth when I left home to go to Uni. I did take as many posters and pictures as I could find, so now my walls are covered with pictures of penguins (including the one I found in Bumbledore's member profile. Many, many thanks!). Why do your friends think penguins are evil?

Could someone explain what 'Taps' is to me, I feel like I am missing something.

Gina, Congratulations on getting the dress, it looks fantastic.

<(')

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Acceber - Apr 10, 2005 6:00 pm (#854 of 2981)

Congrats Catherine on the birth of your sister-in-law's baby. I can't do family relations unless it's my own family, but it's probably your niece or something like that.

w00t to your getting of the dress Gina!

It was a beautiful day here in Boston as well. During break at Prozdor (my Hebrew High School), I walked around campus with my iPod and found all the little crocuses I could in the space of half an hour. Lots of fun. I had to do my math and English homework, but then I sat on our deck and tackled the New York Times crossword puzzle. I didn't get very much, but then my dad came outside and we got most of it together. My mom, of course, had already done the whole thing, and she leaned over our shoulders at the bit we had done and grinned to herself. One of my goals in life is to be able to do the whole New York Times crossword puzzle. I've done the entire Boston Globe one once.

I'm not going to play a computer game now and I am going to go read A Tale of Two Cities, even though it's taking a while to get into. I'm going to go read. I'm going to go read...

EDIT: ruthless penguin, "Taps" is a ceremonial beat that is played in the army on a bugle. The lyrics go something like this:
Day is done
Gone the sun
From the hills, from the land, from the sky
All is well
Safely rest
G-d is nigh.

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Catherine - Apr 10, 2005 6:02 pm (#855 of 2981)

Welcome to the Chat thread, RuthlessPenguin.

Here's some info on Taps: http://www.west-point.org/taps/Taps.html

You can find the lyrics at the end of the article.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 10, 2005 6:03 pm (#856 of 2981)

Acceber, A Tale of Two Cities is a terrific novel. I hope you will soon forget you are doing homework and find instead that you are walking around the streets of turn of the century London.

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Penny Lane. - Apr 10, 2005 6:05 pm (#857 of 2981)

Ugh. A Tale of Two Cities was the only book that I was required to read and couldn't. It's one of those books you either love or hate. I'm on the side of hatred.

Taps is a song that is typically played on a bugle, to signal the end of things. It invokes a rather sad feeling in most people. I'm sure I can find a link to it someplace.

Congrats on the dress! I never win on eBay.

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Ladybug220 - Apr 10, 2005 6:49 pm (#858 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 10, 2005 7:09 pm

Gina, the dress is gorgeous!

Well, I have a cat with asthma - the CBC count was normal and the heartworm test came back negative. Not something that I ever suspected that I would have to deal with for a cat; however, he now has a prescription for prednisolone and sounds much much better. Thankfully, he doesn't fight me when I give him his pills.

I hope that everyone is having or had a great Sunday. Julia, I know that you will get your paper done in time. I do not envy the students of the forum. I am glad to say that those days are behind me.

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Ydnam96 - Apr 10, 2005 7:55 pm (#859 of 2981)

Penguin (I've decided that is now your short name) I don't know why some of my friends hate penguins. They are just adamant that they are little devilish creatures who are ready to doublecross and kill at any moment. (They are strange people, I know).

Gina, I'm sure that Snape will love that dress. It's refined and beautiful and not some girly color like pink (I have nothing against pink, I just don't picture Snape walking into a room with his wife in a pink dress)

Oh...it's almost time for Extreeme Makeover Home Edition! GOtta run

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Pinky - Apr 10, 2005 9:17 pm (#860 of 2981)

Oh, penguins are definitely evil. There is a movie coming out this summer that will prove it once and for all. It is called "Madagascar" and the trailer looks really fun. The penguins in the movie have formed some sort of mafia, thereby proving that they are truly evil.

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scully jones - Apr 10, 2005 9:36 pm (#861 of 2981)

Thank you all so much for your information, it really helped us write our papers! I just finished my third paper of the weekend! Brandon had an extra one he had to write that I didn't. I do have to write another one very soon though... There's just so many more papers than last quarter, I'm overwhelmed. At least I don't have to tutor for at least another two weeks... I don't know how I'll manage homework when I start that.

The taps was hilarious... It took me a second to remember what It was... Just think of a trumpet and a sad song... It comes to you fast if you've heard it before...

Bye now! Sarah

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Elanor - Apr 10, 2005 10:13 pm (#862 of 2981)

I just pop in to say hello before I go to work and to say Congratulations Gina!, that dress is beautiful! I can't wait to be at that feast!

Have a good night/day wherever you are! And good luck to my fellow europeans forumers who are waking up. Here when someone asks you "How are you?" on a Monday morning, you can answer "As on a Monday", with a resigned air, and then the one who asked you usually looks at you with the same air that says "**sigh** I know....". Then, Monday can start!

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Julia. - Apr 10, 2005 11:01 pm (#863 of 2981)

Let's all take a moment here and have a party. It's nearly 2:00 in the morning, and I have finally finished my paper!!!! *passes out butterbeer*

I had such an amazing afternoon. I managed to procrastinate by going to Hillel's block party. There was all the things you'd expect to see at a carnival, including lazer tag, a big velcrow wall that you put on a velcrow suit and jump at it, and all kosher BBQ!! I left in the middle and came up here to work on my paper. I went back for the concert, Beyond Eden played, and they were amazing. I think I danced for two hours straight. I'm pretty sure the only time I was not dancing was when I went over to introduce myself to the nice looking rabinical students.

Gina, that dress is beautiful, mazel tov on having won it. Severus will love it. I'm sure he'll assign you several detentions again.

Wish I could have been more help to your paper Sarah. Three papers in one weekend? I feel your pain. That was me on Thursday and Friday.

Good morning Elanor! How are you?

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septentrion - Apr 11, 2005 12:05 am (#864 of 2981)

Good morning/evening/night everyone !

Gina, your dress is simply amazing. Now I want to have a look on ebay, maybe I could find something not too expensive for me. I don't want to sew mind you...

Answer to Elanor : as on a Monday. A procrastinating monday.

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The giant squid - Apr 11, 2005 1:02 am (#865 of 2981)

but as more of us discover it, it becomes more difficult to keep the track—Lina

You said it! We're averaging between 30 & 40 posts a day here (judging by the number between my daily log-ins) and, like Ponine said, there are a lot of times when I'll see something at the "beginning" I'll want to respond to but by the time I get through all the posts I'll have forgotten. Then again, I have the short-term memory of a fruit fly, so it could just be me.

Well, I ordered my Darth Tater online after searching 4 different stores yesterday. Of course, it turns out that my boss found one at the fifth... The worst part is I ended up paying almost twice as much because I ordered it off StarWarsShop.com. I really should have known better. Alas, earwax.

Marie, I hope you guys don't go too stir crazy with that blizzard! Or should I say, I hope Mr. E doesn't go too crazy having to listen to you & the girls watching the Harry Potter movies over and over and over and over...

--Mike

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Essidji - Apr 11, 2005 1:27 am (#866 of 2981)

Congratulations on winning that dress, Gina, it is absolutely gorgeous!

Everyone, have a great day.

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Cornelia - Apr 11, 2005 4:31 am (#867 of 2981)

Hallo all!

Gina- congratulations! The dress is beautyful, they do really nice work there, the homepage makes you want to buy one, too...the cloak link, was very helpful, too, it doesn´t look difficult, so maybe I try to make one myself.

I hope everybody had/will have a good start into the new week!

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Madam Pince - Apr 11, 2005 6:38 am (#868 of 2981)

Good morning, all! Sounds like almost everybody enjoyed a lovely spring weekend, with the exception of poor Marie! I was flying home from my trip to Chicago on Sunday, and United O'Hare was absolutely jammed with all the people who had been on the 6:00 and 7:00 morning flights to Denver which got re-routed when Denver Airport closed, and all those poor people got dumped in Chicago. I was sitting near the gate agent counter waiting to board, and the funniest thing was this couple who came strolling up asking the agent about how to get to Denver -- you should've seen their faces when he said it was closed because of a blizzard. Their jaws dropped and they were like "A blizzard???!!! It's April!!!!!" Poor guys.

My trip was wonderful. It was so great to see my old friends again. We did sooooooo much walking because of the great weather, that my feet and legs are now officially killing me. We walked Navy Pier and Michigan Avenue and Millenium Park and the Magnificent Mile (which I am sure is actually the Magnificent Ten-Mile, to judge by my blisters.) I had to buy a pair of tennis shoes because I hadn't packed any on the trip -- silly me thought we'd be taking cabs everywhere because I was expecting it to be cold. We had drinks on the 96th floor of the Hancock Building which was sooooo neat -- you can see forever from up there! Very nice city, and the people were so friendly. Except at Ed Debevic's Diner, but that's the gig there, they are supposed to be kind of rude as part of the joke, I think.

Baby Pince's strep throat seems to be better -- he has a bit of a cough still but he's going off to school today at least. He had fun at Grandpa's while I was out of town and Mr. Pince still had to work.

Betty, congratulations on the arrival of little Maya! Have fun these next few days as you start getting to know her!

Thora and Meg, thanks for sharing your pictures -- you both have lovely families. Meg, it really looked like Grandma and Grandpa were about to burst their buttons from pride! By the way, why was Jereamy tied up in the wedding pictures?????

Congrats to everyone on finishing their difficult school assignments, good luck to those making upcoming major decisions, and Happy Monday to everyone else!

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kabloink! - Apr 11, 2005 6:56 am (#869 of 2981)

Good morning everyone. I miraculously have wireless signal in my Foreign Policy class this morning, so I'm being naughty and zoning. Oh well...

As for good shoes. I have very good shoes. They are called Shoes for Crews and are designed specifically for people workng in the food service industry, so in addition to having good support, they also have the best non-slip tread in the world on them. I can run through 3 inches of soap/grease/water mixture on the floor and not slip. Its awesome. I wear the boots that they make, as I have weak ankles and the additional support prevents them bothering me. Perhaps they are worn down enough that I should order a new pair.

I have a huge paper due on Wednesday, and I have a lot of reading to do to write it. It should be at least ten pages. Arg. And tonight, my sister in law (whose husband (Mr Kabloink's brother) is in Qatar) wants to have dinner with us on the last night before she goes home to St Louis. Of course she didn't make any effort to spend time with me or my hubby the whole week she was here... Also, one of my best friends from high school is going to be staying in town with another good friend. I haven't seen him since my wedding, but it looks like I won't get to see him now either...

Sorry, rant over.

We haven't done our taxes yet, either. We get a refund, though, so while we really need the money, its not entirely CRUCIAL that we turn them in on the 15th. Hubby is supposed to be doing them today while I am at school. I hope he remembers.

I graduated in 2000, but our sex ed talk was essentially in 4th grade. Mostly about biology and menstruation (sp?).

In health class (supposed to be in 9th grade-I took it in 10th), we talked a bit about sexually transmitted diseases, and how to put on a condom, etc, but details were quite slim. No wonder I know about 10 girls from high school who had kids before graduation...I actually know one who had a daughter before junior high graduation...Maybe that speaks a bit for my childhood neighborhood, too. ANyway, our high school also offered a Life Skills class, or some such that did the baby thing. I think they did a bag of flour until 98 or so, then they got the mechanical babies. I was too busy taking AP classes to fit in those classes though.

Okay off to my next class. Sorry about the ranting.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 11, 2005 7:38 am (#870 of 2981)

Thanks, everyone! Yes, that website makes you want to buy every dress they design. Now all I need is a key to a fully packed Gringotts Vault...

Anyone have a suggestion for how to invisibly sew something into one of the sleeves for storing my wand? What I really need is a magical invisible pocket!

kabloink, I knew of one girl in high school who had it as her goal to have a baby before she graduated. She was not my friend so I don't know if she 'succeeded' in said goal. But at least she was an odd exception, not the norm. Conversely, my biggest goal in high school (also not the norm but for entirely different reasons...) and other than graduating and going to college of course, was to see as many live britpop bands (Cure, Smiths, Love & Rockets, Siouxsie) as many times as I could without getting in trouble with my mother!

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Ydnam96 - Apr 11, 2005 7:45 am (#871 of 2981)

Gina, you could try that stich witch stuff. You iron it on and it creates a bond between the two pieces of fabric without having to sew it.

I'm not a sewer (that is a strange word, actually isn't that how you spell the word for the place under the street where all the dirty water collects??? Is there a word for someone who sews?) really so there may be a better solution.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 11, 2005 7:49 am (#872 of 2981)

LOL. No, you're not a sewer. A seamstress perhaps?

Stitchwitch isn't a bad idea. I will definitely put that on the list of viable options. Thanks!

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Ydnam96 - Apr 11, 2005 7:51 am (#873 of 2981)

Ahh yes, Seamstress! Yes. That's the word. Haha.

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Ponine - Apr 11, 2005 8:46 am (#874 of 2981)

Hey!

I can finally breathe again - sort of. I got a message from the school I applied for last week - they said I was on the wait list Then I got another email saying how it may help if I had some additional work I would want to share with them. Only, of course I don't - I never translated anything before. So, I had to find something to translate, and do it well. I started Thursday night, and finished 10 single-spaced pages last night, and sent it off today - my mind is fried beyond belief.

I remembered what I was thinking way back when too, when you were talking about Johnny Depp - see, in my mind, Lupin was always a gaunt, haunted Johnny Depp.... Of course, he is American, and drop dead gorgeous, but I still think he would have made a good Lupin... *taking cover* And Gina - that is gorgeous!!! I am so jealous!! Wow!

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librarian314 - Apr 11, 2005 9:30 am (#875 of 2981)

Hi Gina!

Stitch witch, while being easy to use, is best used when adhering two pieces of fabric together entirely, like in appliqué. When used for seams, it can be a bit cumbersome. (If you use it, look for the narrow size (Dritz offers a 5/8" size). I've seen 1/4" but it has been a while and may no longer be available.)

Unfortunately, the dress you've picked doesn't leave a lot of good options for a hidden sleeve pocket. Perhaps one along the top edge of the sleeve (the bit that would rest on your arm were you to hold you arms out to your sides parallel to the ground).

A better bet may be a hidden wand pocket tucked into one of side seams (under the lacing). A competent seamstress should be able to do this fairly easily, quickly, and not terribly expensively. (She would remove the stitching for about six inches, and attach a pocket.) A lot will depend on how well the seams are finished. If they are simple seams it will be easier. French, serged, or felled seams will be more difficult (more sets of stitching to remove).

Hope this is helpful. If you want more specifics, feel free to e-mail me.

**michelle the librarian** who in early post-college days worked as an alterationist at a dry cleaners

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Thora - Apr 11, 2005 10:08 am (#876 of 2981)

Okay, so which dress? The gorgeous brown one on the opening page or one of the ones in the photo gallery?

I love the styles, I personally think pink is awful, but then I'm a red head so it's probably best I think that.

The very first blue one in the designs section is really fabulous.

As for a wand pocket it would depend on the sleeve, you could "stich witch on either side of a panel leaving a loop in the middle for you wand, or if it is a fitted sleeve you could make a panel that you then sew to the seam allowance on both sides of the sleeve, so it would be an extra 2 layers of fabric under your arm with a wand between them. Is that making sense?

I always wondered where Moody would concider an appropriate place for a wand, sure you don't want to lose a buttock, but what about an elbow? Or a few ribbs?

At any rate you've inspired me to make an outfit for my release party. Time to get out my patterns! I looooove gowns, I almost have a collection, I just need to figure out which fashion period needs another representative....

Thora

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kabloink! - Apr 11, 2005 10:26 am (#877 of 2981)

I think, if I have the time and money, I am going to make costumes for my husband and myself to wear to the release party at a bookstore. Probably Lily and James. I am always looking for an excuse to wear colored contacts (my parents own an optical store and the green ones they carry look quite good over my dark brown eyes), or to dye my hair, and my husband looks quite a bit like Harry Potter, though he's not skinny, as Harry is often described. Anyway, our ages make us just about right to be Lily and James about when they died (though hubby is a bit older). If I do make them, they will then be our Halloween costumes, as well.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 11, 2005 10:43 am (#878 of 2981)

Thanks, ladies! Yes, Thora, it is the brown dress in the direct link I posted. I was hoping for something billowy and green but when I saw this dress it called to me. And anyway, I suspect the weather in Scotland and England will be right for the weight of fabric used for this dress.

I am thinking of using stitch witchery and putting a long 'pocket' along the sleeve where it rests along the inside of my forearm. In fact, I am thinking now of doing a 3-sided fabric 'pocket' and sewing a flap along the hem of the sleeve with a snap to keep the wand in place so I can grab my wand easily from the sleeve without much fuss.

Boy, I wonder if Madame Malkin struggles with such things!

Oh, I hope all of you who decide to make or buy outfits will post pictures here! Pity we don't have a 'file' section for member photographs.

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pottermom34 - Apr 11, 2005 11:03 am (#879 of 2981)

Pardon me for being a little behind in posts had to read a lot to catch up, It's a pain when you miss a day of posting!

I graduated in 89 and remember having sex ed in 4th or 5th grade and I think all we saw was a menstruation film too. I remember girls were separated from boys. There was a girl a year ahead of me that was pregnant at graduation and I remember the kid next to me saying "That baby's going to graduate twice." It was funny.

Penny, which school did you go to West or Cath. Central? Just curious, I went to Union.

Nice dress Gina, Hope you have fun.

Off to check other posts, be back soon.

Michelle

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John Bumbledore - Apr 11, 2005 11:55 am (#880 of 2981)

Wow, from Friday to Monday it is a long read to catch up on all the posts! (Edit: Went back to count... 94 since I was last here. Lina, you are correct it takes a lot to keep up as more members find this thread.)

Mike, glad you found your Darth-Tater on line? As for a Harry Potter version, I would suggest Moldysport! (Pronounced Moldy-spore as the "t" is silent as in Voldimort.) He is such a spoiled and shrivelled up, red-eyed spud of a Wizard.

Eponine, I loved the Dark side M&M trailer you posted previously. This is the intro link where you can pick wallpaper, trailer, etc. and the movie format (QuickTime or WinMedia).

Edit: Sorry, Julia, how did I forget? Get busy... no too late, congratulations on finishing the paper! Enjoy your party! (or am I too late to wish that too? )

For those that asked... I am planning to move to the state of Pennsylvania, perhaps north of Pittsburgh, but will be happy to be within an hour or two of Pittsburgh. Thank you all for the information too.

<)B^D= John Bumbledore

P. S. Eponine, I have been wondering for ages where the robot in your Avatar came from. Then I saw a trailer for Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy. LOL. Never read it, but all my college friends told me about it in great detail. Maybe I should find them in my local Library and give me something to read while I wait for H-BP.

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Elanor - Apr 11, 2005 12:06 pm (#881 of 2981)

The more I read about dresses and robes, the more I feel like making one at once! I don't remember if I told you about, but the last two summers, I had a walk-on part in a medieval show that took place each Friday of the summer, at night, in the abbey of my town. Last year, I had a beautiful pale pink and royal blue silk dress for the show (I will try and put a picture as my avatar if you want). I remember one of the dress-makers that work on that show saying that they sometimes lend costumes. Hmm... I wonder if they would lend me that one for that weekend, it would fit perfectly with a royal blue cloak! **thinking hard how to persuade them**

BTW, Julia, I'm fine, thanks (and congratulations for finishing the paper on time )! Well, as fine one can be on a Monday... Easter holidays start on Thursday (weird, I know) and kids are very excited, which means teachers are very tired! Two more days and then... **thinking hard again to Wednesday 4.30 p.m., official start of the holidays and to what I will do then: work for the paper, and start my costume, and do at least half of the things that should be done during those holidays...**

Have a great day everybody!
Audrey **who reread her post and realised that she obviously thought too much for a Monday... **

Edit: John, thanks for the link, it is hilarious!

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John Bumbledore - Apr 11, 2005 12:23 pm (#882 of 2981)

Elanor, that thanks should go to Eponine, (unless it was Ponine who posted the first link somewhere in those 94 posts I SKIMMED. **waves to Catherine** LOL) and I hope you have a good evening. I'm guessing it is either 9:30 PM or 10:30 PM for you and some other UE members (depending on my math skills, guess work, and timing of summertime clock advances.)

<)B^D= John Bumbledore

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Elanor - Apr 11, 2005 12:35 pm (#883 of 2981)

Ooops... I must have missed the link then , so thanks Eponine or Ponine for the link!

BTW, you're very good with the time difference, it is 9.30 PM in France indeed. Thanks for the wishes! And yes, this evening is great since I spend it on the forum. I hope your day, and everyone else's day, is great too!

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Madam Pince - Apr 11, 2005 12:50 pm (#884 of 2981)

I watched the highlights of the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles. Just two minor observations: (meow, meow)

1. There are a lot of naked birds flying (walking?) around England today, to judge by the ladies' hats.

2. A great many of the men in attendance seemed to be crying out for a hat...did a lot of them have bad hair days, or was it just me?

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Gina R Snape - Apr 11, 2005 1:01 pm (#885 of 2981)

Bwa ha ha ha ha. Indeed, there were a number of bad hair days to be seen. Perhaps it was windy?

I noticed on the BBC invitee list that the only HP actor to attend was Kenneth Branagh. Aaaah, alas it makes sense that Lockhart would attend. He'd probably be very interested in all the fanfare.

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Eponine - Apr 11, 2005 1:07 pm (#886 of 2981)

I now have the ultimate high score on expert minesweeper. Somehow the counter stopped working, so I have a high score of 7 seconds. I don't know what my actual high score was, but there's no way I'm ever going to beat 7 seconds.

Lockhart probably told everyone that Prince Charles actually wanted to turn the crown over to him, but as that was against tradition they decided against it. I didn't watch the wedding, but I did see that the number of people watching was far far less than the number who watched Diana and Charles's wedding.

Bumbledore, I'm glad you enjoyed the link. And the robot in my avatar is Marvin the Paranoid Android from Hitchiker's Guide the the Galaxy voiced by none other than Professor Snape.

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The giant squid - Apr 11, 2005 1:17 pm (#887 of 2981)

John Bumbledore, I definitely recommend reading The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy! You'll be laughing (or at least chuckling) from start to finish.

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Chemyst - Apr 11, 2005 1:34 pm (#888 of 2981)

Gina, that is a lovely dress! The extra long angel sleeves look plenty roomy enough for a wand pocket, although the one pose where the model is sitting and has her hand up on the wall might be a bit awkward to recreate. I won't offer any suggestions because, 1) good ideas have already been posted, and 2) for me, the practical solutions usually pop into my head once I'm actually touching and feeling the cloth. At least that is how it was when I made the costumes my daughter wore to work at the Renaissance Festival. Those were very simple because she was just a peasant hawking turkey legs & Coke but she needed a hidden pocket too ( – for the key to her locker and such, not a wand.) By the way, what is the wand size?
...and for those who like to look at costumes and dream, one of my favorite spots is pendragoncostumes.com  They also have a selection of men's fashions there which are harder to find than gowns. You are more likely to find ideas than bargains, though.

I went shopping this morning and reminders of the forum were coming from everywhere; pet charities asking for money at the pet store, Star Wars books & toys on display at Wal-mart, but alas, no dark M&Ms.

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Penny Lane. - Apr 11, 2005 1:40 pm (#889 of 2981)

pottermom: I attended Catholic Central through my Junior year, then I transferred to Union, from which I then graduated. I was in Catholic school for 11 years total, and needed my space. While it was a good school for many people, they don't offer a lot of flexibility to students who are "different thinkers" I had a great senior year at Union and wouldn't change a thing (well, maybe a few things ;-)) BTW, I was surprised to hear that you were from Hudsonville, as I recall they tried to ban Harry from the school library and elsewhere.

I LOVE the Dark Chocolate M&M's. I knew I would, but EEEE. They are so ... I was about to say something totally inappropriate. *calms down* A friend of mine asked if they made White Chocolate ones too, to represent the "Good" side in the new Star War's film. I gave her a nice, long, made up explanation of how the new movie doesn't have a good side because it's all about That Guy from Moulin Rouge going all Darth Vader. I hope I was correct, as I have only seen each of the new films once, in the theatres, and the old ones on VHS when I was like 10. On top of that, I saw the second new one at the IMAX with this guy that I only pseudo liked, so I couldn't really pay attention while trying to avoid touching him at all costs. ;-)

ETA: I really should find some actual smilies

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Eponine - Apr 11, 2005 1:42 pm (#890 of 2981)

Psst...Penny Lane, That Guy from Moulin Rouge isn't the one who goes all Darth Vadar. He's Obi-Wan.

I still haven't been able to find the dark chocolate M&Ms, but I'm still looking.

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Apr 11, 2005 1:46 pm (#891 of 2981)

There was all the things you'd expect to see at a carnival, including lazer tag, a big velcrow wall that you put on a velcrow suit and jump at it...---Julia

Is this velcrow a new type of raven? I've never seen one before.

(Sorry, Julia. I couldn't resist. In actuality, I'm jealous. I've always wanted to do that. Looks like a blast.)

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 11, 2005 1:50 pm (#892 of 2981)

I think it is Kim. It's a very rare and sticky bird since they often die after become stuck to their perches.

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Apr 11, 2005 2:01 pm (#893 of 2981)

Why, thank you Loopy. I had no idea you were a closet ornithologist. Now when I want to know the air speed velocity of a sparrow, I'll know who to ask.

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Denise P. - Apr 11, 2005 2:38 pm (#894 of 2981)

Would that be an african or european swallow?

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Apr 11, 2005 2:45 pm (#895 of 2981)

Thirty-seven minutes. That took a lot longer than I thought it would. Five points for your house, Denise.

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Lina - Apr 11, 2005 2:50 pm (#896 of 2981)

Gina, congratulations on the dress!

John Bumbledore, I wanted to tell you I hope you manage to accomplish your plans about moving. It is a lot of job to be done, but when you know what you want, it is very possible.

Ladybug, I'd say, better asthma then the other two options. I guess? Is it some temporary sort of asthma or something the cat is going to have the rest of her life? I use to connect asthma with allergy, so it is strange to see the source of some allergies to be allergic, although I heard today on tv that animals can be allergic too, mostly to food. I hope she is not allergic to human...

The Giant Squid: We're averaging between 30 & 40 posts a day here (judging by the number between my daily log-ins)
Did you count the posts that get posted while you read those 30 or 40 posts that you noticed to be new? I know it happens to me to read "(1 following message)", then I click "more" and find 4 or 5 new messages. Not to mention when I get carried away with writing and then I find out that there were 4 new posts posted while I was writing my one.

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Julia. - Apr 11, 2005 3:02 pm (#897 of 2981)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know I can't spell. My Shakespeare profeccor was kind enough to point out to me that in a recent paper I refered to the Kingdom of Whales throughout the enitre thing, when I went to refer to Wales.

Actually Kim the carnival was really fun. You should have come, you and the kids would have had a blast. I'll link the pictures as soon as they're up.

BTW, I was totally all over the African or European swallow joke, but alas, I was showing a perspective student and parent my room th the time.

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librarian314 - Apr 11, 2005 3:27 pm (#898 of 2981)

Hey all!

I found some of the plain Dark M&Ms today and am a happy camper. I love the colors, dark blue, dark red, purple, grey, and black.

I can't remember if I posted it before but not only is Marvin the Paranoid Android voiced by Alan Rickman, his body is played by Warwick Davis who plays Flitwick. Luckily he looks like an android, so I won't be totally confused during the movie.

I really need to start re-reading the Hitchhiker's Trilogy. Don't know if I've got all five though ;-).

Y'all take care!

**michelle the librarian**

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 11, 2005 3:31 pm (#899 of 2981)

Kingdom of Whales—Julia

Is that the sequel to Finding Nemo?

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Ydnam96 - Apr 11, 2005 3:46 pm (#900 of 2981)

The question is though: can the swallows carry coconuts?

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Julia. - Apr 11, 2005 3:51 pm (#901 of 2981)
Edited Apr 11, 2005 5:04 pm

Yes Loopy it is.

For the record, I made it a point to spell Wales correctly every time in the paper I just handed in.

Mandy, of course swallows can carry coconuts. They'd hold it under the dorsel guiding feather. Unless of course it was a heavy coconut, in which case two swallows would have it on a line.

On a completly different note, I really have to share this. This afternoon I was sitting at Hillel with ten Red Sox fan friends of mine. We were watching the Yankees/Red Sox game and being very loud. The Program director came over and handed each of us a piece of paper and a pen. The paper said...

I, _______________, do hereby pledge to be a classy fan when watching baseball in the "friendly confines" of Hillel. This will especially hold true during Yankees/Red Sox series.

It is to be understoond that should I, ______________ violate this agreement, I will be subject to being taken out back to the "Sukkah Structure" and given a starn "talking to." I understand that as a valued member of my Jewish community, the bonds of our herritage will forever tie us deeper than that of baseball allegiances.

It should be noted that the three of us started laughing and told the program director to have his laywers contact us with a deffination of 'classy.' In the meantime, we'd try to keep it civil. We did think it was an excellent joke.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 11, 2005 5:51 pm (#902 of 2981)

Denise: Would that be an african or european swallow?

Bwa ha ha ha ha!!!! Nice one.

I clicked on the M&M link. That was great! Yes, all the marketing begins...but this was certainly a clever adaptation.

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ruthlesspenguin - Apr 11, 2005 6:21 pm (#903 of 2981)

Thanks to everyone who posted an explanation about 'taps' (really it was only 24 hrs ago!). Now that you mention it I used to sing 'Taps' once a week at the end of Girl Guides (hangs head in shame). However, as I never realised its military connections and that it has similar associations as the 'Last Post' has over here, I guess I can be forgiven for not associating it with a broken egg.

Thanks also for the tip about 'Madagascar' Pinky, it looks like it will be a really great movie, even if I disagree that it proves penguins are evil. I had a look at the Greater Union website (one of our cinema chains) and they said it comes out on 16th June, so I think 16 is my new favourite number.

When looking at the coming soon page, I also noticed GoF was listed as Dec 1st, which I thought was a bit late. Sure enough, when I checked this morning Mugglenet was reporting that Warner Bros. has decided to put the Australian release date back by a week. According to Mugglenet this might be because they want to tie in with the beginning of summer holidays, however this is total nonsense. Unless you attend a private (non-government) school, school holidays begin on 10-22 December (it varies from state to state). Needless to say I am not impressed.

<(')

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Thora - Apr 11, 2005 6:23 pm (#904 of 2981)

Gina- That really is a fabulous dress, I especially love the pattern being put on top of the sleeves. Big sleeves are a favorite of mine, too.

Will your pump be okay under there then? I recall my friend's needing to be easily accessible, but then I guess there's always ther RoR to duck into... I really admire the way people with diabetes can keep track of all that, I can barely remember to take a pill every day while I'm sick. I guess it becomes second nature after a while, though.

Julia- that was funny, I love it when people do clever things like that.

John- Yay! Pittsburg is very close! My hubby is there on business this week too. Hey your not in the computer business are you? If so e-mail me because his company is looking for an A+ (or the more the better) certified person in that area. You will be only a few hours drive from the gathering too, hope you can make it.

Thora (who really should be cleaning *sigh* but it's sooooo futile)

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Chemyst - Apr 11, 2005 6:29 pm (#905 of 2981)

I've been waiting for someone to ask what "Hillel" meant, so that I would not have to, but no one ever did. So I googled "Hillel UConn" and...
somebody was wearing a Gryffindor scarf at the Purim party.   So, Julia, don't you think that wearing a Gryffindor scarf should meet the definition of "classy" ?

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Gina R Snape - Apr 11, 2005 6:52 pm (#906 of 2981)

Thanks, Thora. I actually have a little velcro pouch thigh harness thingy. I wrap it around my leg and can access the pump from under the skirt. Plus, I have a remote control for it! Pretty cool, eh?

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Thora - Apr 11, 2005 7:06 pm (#907 of 2981)

A remote! Well who'd have thought. Guess they've come a ways since the one I saw like ten years ago.

OOOOOh You could make a cool harness for your arm! So the wand could slip up a sheath on the inside of your arm. Then it could be as decorative or plain as you want. Boy this could be fabulous!

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Julia. - Apr 11, 2005 7:37 pm (#908 of 2981)

Chemyst, you googled UConn Hillel?! Really?! I'm sorry guys, I thought I linked the picture of me from the Purim party. It seems I forgot, so here it is. Since you asked, Hillel is the center for Jewish life on campus. Ours is run by our executive directer Pam, and our program directer Dave. We also have a student board. We put on all sorts of programs, as well as services for Jewish holidays and Shabbos. It's also a place to just hang out. Last semester we got a pool table, a ping pong table, a few fuzball tables, and an air hockey table. We also have a huge TV. Long and short of it is Hillel where the Jews go.

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pottermom34 - Apr 11, 2005 7:57 pm (#909 of 2981)

Penny, That's wild what are the chances of meeting someone online that went to the same school as you without trying to find someone.
The ban was I think before my daughter was in school but I'm not surprised it's a pretty ultra conservative community. Harry Potter was the only book set in the book fair that students needed a permission slip to buy. I think Holland had the ban too.

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Mrs. Sirius - Apr 11, 2005 8:20 pm (#910 of 2981)

Wow, Gina that dress is gorgeous!

Hi, Julia *waving*

scully, I missed being a teenager in the '80 by that *<* much. I had "health education" in 10th and 11th grade. For a couple of girls in my school, that was obviously too late. In biology we cover the biologic facts of reproduction cold and scientific. We discussed the ethics of cloning (this something coming sometime in the near further), invitro reproduction, which was very new at the time, adoption. In health education the gym teacher mostly told dirty jokes. One day he brought in various birth control devices, don't you know that was the day I was absent!

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Penny Lane. - Apr 11, 2005 8:29 pm (#911 of 2981)

Pottermom: I agree, that really is odd. Maybe it was meant to be. I'm pretty sure Holland, Michigan, banned Harry from it's library, they go on the conservative side far and wide - if its not off the sheves completely, it probably needs a permission slip to check out. Alas, what can one do?

I'm trying to write a paper for my political science class. I have to pick a case and change the outcome based on the law. I chose Wisconsin v Yoder, and I having a bit of trouble figuring out how to write this. Grrr. Arrrgh.

I think it's funny how everyone seems to have had WAY better "Health" classes than I. We never did any of the fun exercises that you lot are discussing.

Eponine : Oh, how embarrassing on my part. I hope no one else noticed. *hides head in shame*

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Thora - Apr 11, 2005 8:59 pm (#912 of 2981)

Penny, didn't mean to drive you off, sorry.

Thora

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Ydnam96 - Apr 11, 2005 10:31 pm (#913 of 2981)

Julia, your director must be hilarious! I too would have asked about the defintion of "Classy" I mean, do you have to wear a dress and heals and jewelry or do you just have to be civil to one another ?

Well, it's almost time for bed, and I have a busy day tomorrow trying to catch those swallows carrying the coconuts Or maybe they only do that in England?

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Penny Lane. - Apr 11, 2005 11:36 pm (#914 of 2981)

Thora you didn't drive me off. I thought I said goodbye to you, but maybe that was when my computer froze.

Heh, I just watched part of a silent movie on TV and it had Buster Keaton, and my roommate was all shocked that I knew who he was. I blame you guys.

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Ladybug220 - Apr 12, 2005 12:48 am (#915 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 12, 2005 1:10 am

It is 3:50 am here in NC and I am awake because there is water dripping out of my ceiling. My upstairs neighbors are worse off as they have had to sweep a lot of water out of their kitchen. I have to say that it is a bit scary when water is dripping out of light fixtures - I am waiting to get zapped. I had to put the cats up as they are fascinated and yet repulsed as they don't like to get wet.

Well, off to read the threads. Might as well have some fun before going back to bed. I'll get to go into work late as well.

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Snuffles - Apr 12, 2005 1:18 am (#916 of 2981)

Gina that dress is gorgeous. I'm so jealous of everyone who is going to Accio! nevermind, I hope everyone who goes takes lots of pictures and puts a link up so we can all check them out.

Ladybug220, hope your water leak gets fixed soon. Make sure your computer is well out of the way!!

Well I am aching all over, I started back at the gym yesterday after a loooooong break and am paying for it now, I must be glutton for punishment, i'm off back again at lunchtime! While on the running machine and stepper I just keep thinking of Harry Potter quotes and things to discuss on the forum to pass the time!! Oh well no pain, no gain as they say (wish I could meet the person who first said that!)

Hope everyone has a good Tuesday.

Julie

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Chemyst - Apr 12, 2005 5:00 am (#917 of 2981)

Ladybug, speedy repairs for your water leak.

Penny, on Wisconsin v. Yoder, were you wanting to change the religious freedom part or the compulsory school attendance part? (to clue other readers, in this case formal education beyond 8th grade conflicted with religious beliefs) If you are trying to make a compulsory education argument, and if the due date is still a few days out, you can email me. But I warn you, I think it's one of the better decisions and I wouldn't normally choose to argue against it.

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Thora - Apr 12, 2005 5:16 am (#918 of 2981)

I had a leak like that once! It was in the roof and followed the power line to the light fixture. This fixture had a big glass bowl over the light and I noticed one day it had water in it. Freaked me out too.

Good luck keeping the cats away.

Thora

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mollis - Apr 12, 2005 7:11 am (#919 of 2981)

***trying desperately to look inconspicuous so the dementors don't figure out what I'm up to***

I just have to take us back a little bit and express my deep appreciation and love for all of you dear friends/complete strangers. For nearly the entire day yesterday while trying to get things done at work, silent giggles kept creeping up as thoughts of Lord Voldyspud battling Darth Tater flashed through my mind. And I could usually suppress the giggles, until the battle progressed to the big pile of mashed potatoes at the end!!

You guys are the best!!

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Ydnam96 - Apr 12, 2005 7:41 am (#920 of 2981)

Ladybug, how did the leak start, I mean in your upstairs neighbor's apartment? Is it raining a lot there? I hope that the management comes and fixes your fixtures because that can cause some damage if there is a short because of the water. It happened to me in my room in college. Your poor kitties. I'm sure they are dying to come out and inspect what's going on! Hopefully it'll be fixed soon so you can let them back out.

Mollis, where did you find that fun smiley? I love it!

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kabloink! - Apr 12, 2005 7:42 am (#921 of 2981)

Mollis, that was great.

AS for the 'classy' thing... FOr those of you who haven't already caught on, I attend Michigan State Univeristy, where four or five years ago (was it really that long ago-I was in high school then!), a bunch of riots broke out after a Final Four game. If I remember correctly, it involved both a car and a couch burning...ANywho, when we made the Final Four this year, I received (along with the rest of the student body) three or four emails, all on the topic of "acting with class." THey were from our student government, Coach Izzo, and Coach McCallie(women's coach). I think there might have been one from the president, too, but I don't remember. They were hilarious.

GIna, I finally got to see the dress. Love it. It doesn't look like you should have a hard time putting in a wand pocket, either. As for renaissance festival clothing, I also highly recommend pendragon constumes. Two years ago at the Michigan Ren. Festival, I tried on their "Anne Boleyn" I was in heaven. One year, I WILL buy that dress...

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prof sprout - Apr 12, 2005 7:48 am (#922 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 12, 2005 8:18 am

My fiancé who goes to Michigan State University (MSU), got those emails also. He was at MSU during the riots of 1999. But did NOT participate. Kabloink can I ask how old you are, I think we are close in age. I was born in 1980, and graduated in 1998 from Saint Johns. How about you?

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Gina R Snape - Apr 12, 2005 7:52 am (#923 of 2981)

Thanks Kim. I will definitely check them out. Have you got a URL? Or should I just 'google' it?

Edit: Never mind! I found them. WOW. Gorgeous but expensive clothing! No wonder you've been coveting that gown for years.

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Ladybug220 - Apr 12, 2005 8:22 am (#924 of 2981)

Water leak update: The leak has stopped and the water in my upstairs neighbors' kitchen turned off until they can get the line to the dishwasher repaired. I have left the affected light fixtures off and will do so until maintenance can check them out. Now, there are wet spots all over the ceiling in my kitchen, dining area, and den (it's all one big space). There is a hole as well since the water found a path of least resistence in a seam between the drywall. Maintenance will fix/paint all of it after it dries; probably middle of next week. The cats were meowing at the door of the office since that is where they are stuck. They are not very happy right now but I want them away from the affected area as pieces of the ceiling have been falling off.

Sigh, I wanted to meet my new neighbors and go into work late; however, I wish there had been a better way.

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 12, 2005 8:28 am (#925 of 2981)

I'm trying to write a paper for my political science class. I have to pick a case and change the outcome based on the law. I chose Wisconsin v Yoder, and I having a bit of trouble figuring out how to write this. Grrr. Arrrgh. -- Penny Lane

I'm not sure what you mean by "change the outcome based on the law." But, I agree with Chemyst that Yoder might be a tough sell to argue against. I might suggest Morrison v. Olson which upheld the constitutionality of the now-defunct independent counsel statute. Scalia's dissent tells you all you need to know about why the statute should have been struck down and recent history (particularly the non-renewal of the statute) tells you that he was right.

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Penny Lane. - Apr 12, 2005 9:15 am (#926 of 2981)

Chemist and Loopy: Basically, we have to bring the dissent (if there is one in the case we choose -there is) to the majority opinion. I was very confused until I actually started writing it, then I realized that it was, in fact, fairly straightforward and simple. He just wants to give us practice writing in "legalize". Also, he did point out numerous time throughout the year parts of Douglas' dissent in the Yoder case, so I think my choice was a good one. Maybe. *makes scared face* It's for my 301 class which is different from my constitutional law class, but Yoder v Wisconsin is the most interesting, as it deals with Constitutional law, where my strength lies. In fact, I'm not even sure how much prior knowledge I can use in this paper. He said to only use cases we read in that class, and as anyone knows who takes three simlar classes in one term, that can be confusing.

Thank you for the Morrison v. Olson suggestion, I will keep it in mind when I have to write this paper again next year. I'm starting to regret majoring in Poli-Sci, but my roommate assures me that it's just the end of year stress, coupled with being an upperclassperson and that worry of "getting a job" or going to graduate/law/buisiness school. Thanks for the help from everyone who helped me last night/early this morning. It's due at 3:30 today, and I have learned my lesson on procrastinating. I think.

Kimmi: I think every university in the state recieved emails from MSU this year about acting respectable at the game and not rioting. We had a nice laugh at ours, as everyone knows its the MSU kids who start the riots. Everyone else just joins in. ;-)

Prof. Sprout: I was born in 82, in Grand Rapids. I think it's wicked crazy how many people we have from Michigan here. Or maybe it's just saying that we have nothing better to do around here. Heh.

Ladybug: That sounds AWFUL with the water. My concern goes out to you.

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GryffEndora - Apr 12, 2005 9:48 am (#927 of 2981)

Ladybug220 - I really feel for you with the water situation. Water and Electricity together - scary!

Penny Lane - I hope the paper goes well, it sounds like you have it under control.

I recently purchased the new Kelly Clarkson CD. The last track is a live version of a song from her 1st CD that was only ok but this new version is great. I only bring this up because every time I hear the song I think about Snape. The song is called "Beautiful Disaster" and I will post the lyrics because I can't get the link to work right. (If this is not ok feel free to delete them.) I thought Gina especially might enjoy it!

Beautiful Disaster (live)
He drowns in his dreams
An exquisite extreme I know
He's as damned as he seems
And more heaven than a heart could hold
And if I try to save him
My whole world would cave in
It just ain't right
It just ain't right

(Chorus)
Oh and I don't know
I don't know what he's after
But he's so beautiful
He's such a beautiful disaster
And if I could hold on
Through the tears and the laughter
Would it be beautiful?
Or just a beautiful disaster

He's magic and myth
As strong as what I believe
A tragedy with
More damage than a soul should see
And do I try to change him
So hard not to blame him
Hold on tight
Hold on tight

(Chorus)

I'm longing for love and the logical
But he's only happy hysterical
I'm searching for some kind of miracle
Waited so long
So long

He's soft to the touch
But frayed at the end he breaks
He's never enough
And still he's more than I can take
(Chorus)

He's beautiful
Lord he's so beautiful
He's beautiful

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Eponine - Apr 12, 2005 10:11 am (#928 of 2981)

Ladybug, the exact same thing happened to my sister once. I was at her apartment (it was raining at the time) and water started pouring out of three of her light fixtures, most of the light switches and the fan thing over her shower. We went upstairs to see if they had left their water running, but they hadn't. We never did figure out what happened, but it stopped.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 12, 2005 10:29 am (#929 of 2981)

Ooooh, that's a bit spooky. And dangerous.

I hope all the leaks get found and properly fixed.

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kabloink! - Apr 12, 2005 11:09 am (#930 of 2981)

prof sprout, I was born in 82, in Deland, Florida to be specific. I have, however, spent my entire childhood in Port Huron. I graduated from Port Huron High School in 2000. I am a December baby, though, so I am still only 22. I moved to this area last May after a long and confusing life (or maybe just college, as I have changed twice now) journey that started in September of 2000 when I moved to Ann Arbor to attend the university of Michigan. What is your fiance's major? I am a history major. No, not teaching. I'm burned out beyond belief and am searching desperately for an office job or something similar.

Ok enough of me. Off to read about the English/ Glorious/ Bloodless/ etc Revolution.

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Catherine - Apr 12, 2005 11:40 am (#931 of 2981)

My Shakespeare profeccor was kind enough to point out to me that in a recent paper I refered to the Kingdom of Whales throughout the enitre thing, when I went to refer to Wales. –Julia

Does that mean we should start referring to Prince Charles as Shamu?

Just kidding, Julia. Saying "Whales" in a paper when you meant "Wales" is so funny. You were a good sport to share that with us.

Ladybug, good luck on getting the leak fixed, and I hope nothing shocking happens. Hope that the medicine has fixed up your kitty!

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prof sprout - Apr 12, 2005 11:51 am (#932 of 2981)

My fiancé is a Medical Technology (it seems weird writing that out, I'm used to saying med tech) Major. He also switched schools. He originally graduated from Central Michigan University(CMU) with a Business Degree, but after working for a while he decided he wanted to go back to school and be a Doctor. Well, now he is getting tired of school, and figures he will just work in medical technology. Confusing stuff. )

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Gina R Snape - Apr 12, 2005 12:29 pm (#933 of 2981)

Hey,everyone. My sister-in-law just sent me the sweetest picture of my niece and nephew (he's 3 1/2, she's 7 mos). I had to share it with you all.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v64/ginarsnape/StevenJenna405.jpg

Sorry to be so immodest, but we Snapes do pretty well, eh?

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Madam Pince - Apr 12, 2005 12:32 pm (#934 of 2981)

Oh Gina, they are adorable! Too precious!!!!

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Catherine - Apr 12, 2005 12:48 pm (#935 of 2981)

They are very cute, Gina!

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GryffEndora - Apr 12, 2005 1:24 pm (#936 of 2981)

Gina, they are beautiful!

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Ponine - Apr 12, 2005 1:32 pm (#937 of 2981)

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP, PLEASE!!!

I got an email from my graduate school (the saga continues...) Apparently none of them could open my files!!! (*trauma*) So, he wrote me back and asked if perhaps if I could send them in text or rich text format?!?! But I don't even know what those are, much less how to do it... Please, my wise, wonderful fellow Potties, help! ponine

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Ydnam96 - Apr 12, 2005 1:37 pm (#938 of 2981)

What program are they in? Word? Or another program?

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Ponine - Apr 12, 2005 1:39 pm (#939 of 2981)

Ydnam - I am not sure - I have Windows xp on my computer, and i use the program that is on there - I think it is Microsoft (doesn't) Works

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Ydnam96 - Apr 12, 2005 1:42 pm (#940 of 2981)

Hmmm...I'm not familiar with Works, So I dont think I'll be able to help. I'm sorry. I do all my documents in Microsoft Word, which I think I had to have added to my computer. I'm sooo sorry I can't help. I'm sure someone else will be able to!

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Ponine - Apr 12, 2005 1:44 pm (#941 of 2981)

Thanks anyway, Ydnam I appreciate you trying Do you know what rich text or text formats are?

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Penny Lane. - Apr 12, 2005 1:52 pm (#942 of 2981)

Ponine: rich text format is the one that says .rtf. If you go to "Save as", there should be a pull down menu that allows you to save the file with a different extention. You will want to change that to .rtf for rich text format. If at all possible, I would recommend upgrading to "Word" sometime soon. It is SO much better than MS Works.

My constitutional law professor gave us a break today and let us watch "Gideon's Trumpet" which may be one of the most boring movies ever made. The premise was interesting and the acting was decent, but the way they managed to drag out every little detail from having us watch the guy mail a letter to what felt like every motion filed. We followed up with an interesting discussion about trials without lawyers and stuff.

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Ponine - Apr 12, 2005 1:55 pm (#943 of 2981)

Penny - THANK YOU!! - You are my hero!!!! Do I have to buy word for windows xp, or should I find it with my various discs?

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Thora - Apr 12, 2005 2:49 pm (#944 of 2981)

Gina, kids don't get any cuter than that! You must eat up every second you spend with them.

I went to the store today to get the chocolates so I can practice when my molds come. Anyone know where I can get a look at the hogwarts crest? They used to have it at the Warner Brothers site but since PoA came out it's been different.

Thora

Edit: never mind silly me, found it on the lexicon

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Ydnam96 - Apr 12, 2005 3:01 pm (#945 of 2981)

I think you have to buy Word seperate, I believe (but am not sure) that it is part of Microsoft Office Professional (or something similar). I just know that I had to have my dad install a copy of it, and we had to buy that extra from my computer which came with XP.

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Amilia Smith - Apr 12, 2005 3:05 pm (#946 of 2981)

You may be able to get Word from your school at a student discount. Something to ask about, anyway. However, WordPerfect is a much better program than Word (IMHO), so if you are not going to get a student discount, that is the way I'd go.

Mills.

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Detail Seeker - Apr 12, 2005 3:13 pm (#947 of 2981)

Hey, another Word Perfect user here ! This one is- there I agree with Amilia - much easier to use, much more powerful, but Macrohard is not good in importing WP documents nor is the export function of WP to RTF or Word/Works adequate. It is interesting, that, though both Manufacturers try to convince users to switch to their product, they do not allow a lossfree transfer of the old data.

For all the weather stricken:
One swallow does not yet make a summer.

Edit: under openoffice.org you find a whole office suite of high quality for free - just the donload costs to your telephone company.

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Ladybug220 - Apr 12, 2005 3:29 pm (#948 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 12, 2005 4:19 pm

Ahh, it is always nice to come home and find that another spot in the ceiling has sprung a leak (please note the sarcasm). Thankfully it wasn't too close to any of my furniture.

I too prefer WordPerfect over Microsoft Hard to use Word. Too bad the company I work for doesn't agree.

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Julie Aronson - Apr 12, 2005 3:57 pm (#949 of 2981)

Word Perfect rocks! However, I also have a copy of Word so I can easily transmit information to most of the rest of Mr. Bill's world...

Julie

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Ponine - Apr 12, 2005 4:53 pm (#950 of 2981)

What is the difference between word and word perfect? If I had win98, were any of them on there?
*smiling* I knew I could turn to you guys for help

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Catherine - Apr 12, 2005 5:23 pm (#951 of 2981)

Finally.

My new niece has a name. For some reason, my sis-in-laws take forever in naming their children, leaving the whole family wondering for ages.

I am the proud aunt of Emily Margaret Miller Dolan. To recap: 8 lbs, 20.5 inches. Her big brother, Henry, age 3, is delighted at her arrival, and anxiously awaits his mom's return home, although he has enjoyed bragging about his little sister at pre-school.

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Ladybug220 - Apr 12, 2005 6:25 pm (#952 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 12, 2005 6:25 pm

Gina, what a cute picture!

Catherine - congrats on the new niece! It's cute when they are proud like that; then they realize what it really means to be an older sibling....

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kabloink! - Apr 12, 2005 7:18 pm (#953 of 2981)

POnine, if you have a relatively new computer (like my laptop), I believe it is Word Perfect that comes as the default word processor. All you have to do is go to save as and whne you save it, go to the bottom of the window, where there will be a drop down menu. SImply change the higlighted option to MS Word 2002 or something like that. My Dell laptop came with XP and Word Perfect, and as no one else has WP anymore, I constantly have to change all of my files over to WOrd files if I want to send them anywhere. Unfortunately I am poor and my version of MS Word is so ridiculously old...One day...

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Julie Aronson - Apr 12, 2005 7:20 pm (#954 of 2981)

Word is a Microsoft program. It is seldom included with a basic computer package, but is often part of software "bundles." (ie productivity packs, etc) Instead, Microsoft likes to include the extremely limp "Works" which, as I believe someone found out earlier, doesn't. Everything about it is just exactly not quite enough.

Word Perfect is by Corel. It is also rarely included, but only because Microsoft is extremely reluctant to support any products other than its own. My Dell laptop also has the Word Perfect office suite, but I asked for it. The fact that it was even offered as an option figured in my decision to get a Dell...

The vocal minority who prefer Word Perfect appreciate its relative ease of operation. My personal favorite aspect is that it allows me to think for myself. I tend to write long and complex sentences, and Word is not happy unless it gives me those stupid green wiggly lines at least once per paragraph. WP also tends to be a bit quirky, but for some reason I find that endearing rather than annoying.

I also LOATHE the stupid MS Office Assistant. Give me a boring old index any day!

I could go on and on about this, but why?

Julie

Edited time and again for clarification of muddled thoughts!

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Ydnam96 - Apr 12, 2005 7:40 pm (#955 of 2981)

I like Word, but I think that's just because I've gotten so used to it and I use it for a LOT of things. In fact before I knew what Excell was I used Word for spreadsheet type stuff and tables; and I even use it sometimes instead of Publisher because I find it easier to use. Although I am getting better at Publisher.

I think it's stupid that you just can't buy a computer with what you want on it without having to buy a bunch of other programs you will never use.

Oh well.

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kabloink! - Apr 12, 2005 7:55 pm (#956 of 2981)

I personally prefer Word. I am not accustomed to the various quirks of WP's spell and grammar checks, and thus I tend to ignore them far more often than I should. I am also very used to the nice shortcuts in the toolbar of Word that I have not yet figured out how to adjust into my WP toolbar. F9 is truly annoying when you are accustomed to simply clicking in the italic I. Oh well, off to write my paper, less than 12 hours before it is due....

EDIT: Oh! something else I HATE about WP-it doesn't recognize that the simple typo “the” instead of the, and fix it the way Word does. I love Word....I miss it...

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Julie Aronson - Apr 12, 2005 8:02 pm (#957 of 2981)

Kimmi,

WP does use icons for bold, italic, and underline. It also has an autocorrect feature. You might just need to explore the setup options a bit.

Julie

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Penny Lane. - Apr 12, 2005 8:33 pm (#958 of 2981)

I also like Word. I like that I can customize the spell and grammar checker to look for specific things, and ignore others, I like the cute little assistant guy in the box, and I like how I can customize just about everything on it. My computers all came standard with Apple Works, and that just did NOT work for me. Maybe it's like everything else on computers - once you get used to it, it's hard to change. Like how I have difficulty going back to Windows when I go home for breaks, etc.

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Thora - Apr 12, 2005 8:35 pm (#959 of 2981)

Okay speaking of word processing how does this sound? (for my invites to my release party):

Dear Sir or Madame;

You are cordially invited to a celebration in honor of the return of Harry Potter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The record of his sixth year of magical education, written by the Great J. K. Rowling, will be released at bookstores across the world at Midnight between the 15th and 16th of July, 2005. Therefore our celebration shall fill the anxious hours between 7 and 11 o’clock pm on the 15th.

Please arrive promptly for the festivities at number 5081 {insert my street and city}, Ohio.

This is a black-hat affair; proper wizarding attire is expected (muggle warding charms will be in place so no need to worry about the Statute of Secrecy). Be sure to broom up on your trivia as prizes will be awarded throughout the evening.

Please communicate your acceptance or regrets via owl or muggle telephone {my number}

Warmest Regards,

Thora

(if anyone can think of any fun phrases to throw in I'd appreciate it, it took me 2 months to come up with the "black hat affair" thing)

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pottermom34 - Apr 12, 2005 9:02 pm (#960 of 2981)

That looks and sounds good Thora.

_____________________________________  

Madam Pince - Apr 12, 2005 9:53 pm (#961 of 2981)

Ladybug, I think you should place pieces of furniture, etc. that you don't like (and/or that need to be replaced) underneath the leaky spots, and then let the apartment building's insurance company sort it out.

(Apologies to any insurance salesmen out there. I am, of course, only kidding and would certainly never advocate actually getting any positive benefits from the ridiculously high insurance premiums that the average homeowner pays out....)

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Julia. - Apr 12, 2005 10:15 pm (#962 of 2981)

Sounds great Thora! Can I come to this party? Please?!

Gina, your niece and nephew are adorable!!

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Ydnam96 - Apr 12, 2005 10:16 pm (#963 of 2981)

Thora that sounds great!

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The giant squid - Apr 12, 2005 11:05 pm (#964 of 2981)

I can't comment on Word Perfect, as I haven't used that one, but I definitely prefer MS Word over MS Works. The only plus to Works is that it's all-in-one (word processor, spreadsheet, database)--or at least it was in the version I had back in '97. There's a Student version of MS Office available; it's still rather expensive, but it's a lot cheaper than both the Home and Professional versions.

I am, of course, only kidding and would certainly never advocate actually getting any positive benefits from the ridiculously high insurance premiums that the average homeowner pays out--Madame Pince

I've always been amazed by the insurance industry. What other vocation allows you to charge enormous sums in case something bad happens, and then when you actually force them to do the thing you've been paying them to do all along they charge you even more?! Especially when you add in the fact that in most cases you are required to purchase their "product". It's legalized extortion, really...

Sorry, bit of a raw nerve there...

--Mike

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Fawkes Forever - Apr 13, 2005 1:01 am (#965 of 2981)
Edited Apr 13, 2005 2:07 am

Hello Hello!

Stooopid Dementors keeping me buzy (Dexter style)

Anyways, I'm sneaking on early... none of the bosses are in yet... actually ... opps... one just floated in the door

Unfortunately there where waaaay too many posts to catch up on, so I've only managed to read the last few (sorry guys) So belated birthday greetings & congrats to all who deserve them!

Gina those kids are adorable! Congrats Boop on becoming a Gran again... Catherine congrats on being an Auntie. I've always adored the name Emily... reminds me of a friend from school!

Today is my 2nd niece’s 1st birthday... I cannot believe she is a year old... so scarey. This is my niece whose nickname within the family is Ginny, 'cus she has red hair & brown eyes! Not that we're all a bunch of Potter Freaks... honest! So I'm trying to leave work early so I can go visit her before her bedtime.

LadyBug... I completely understand about the Leaky Roof situation. We have had huge problems with ours since we moved into our house in late 2003. The builders kept giving us the 'run-a-round' too. They 'fixed' it, but the roof started to leak again just after christmas. We then had to threaten them with legal action... so they actually came back out to fix the roof once & for all. I'm still not convinced it's fixed, so I may get a surveyor out to have a look. I get very paranoid every time it rains... and ... I live in Ireland

On the Windows Word fiasco. I bought a dell recently & only got Windows Works... which is pretty useless, but I refused to give microsoft anymore money... they already have the monopoly as it is. (The company I work for are pretty similar in their bid for world domination... so I don't have any fondness for these type of companies).

I was considering Word Perfect.. (funny enough one of my sisters used to work for Correl)! At work I switch between a unix/linux operating system & windows, guess which operating system I prefer! Yup, Unix! It is a personal preference though, (perhaps I'm just a techy nerd ). I'm lucky to have the chance to use another operating system other than windows, most non IT people don't get the chance.

Anyway, enough ranting... it's too early in the day. Sorry Guys! I'm just grumpy as I'm off to my 9'O Clock meeting now (I have three a week)... it's just not human... thats right... dementors aren't human

Edited to correct stupid early morning spelling mistakes & missing words

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septentrion - Apr 13, 2005 1:38 am (#966 of 2981)

Hello all !

Your niece and nephew are just cute, Gina.

Fawkes, nice to see you lurking here. Honestly, dementors shouldn't be allowed to hang around human beings.

I'm just so accustomed to Word I don't know if I could appreciate another program. However, openoffice 2 (beta version) is available and free, and it's said to be nearly as good as MS office.

Have a good day everyone !

PS : Essidki, how's your new job going ?

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kabloink! - Apr 13, 2005 2:35 am (#967 of 2981)

Garg...eventually I'll sleep. Or maybe I won't. Up all night writing a paper. I have to take my husband to work in 3 hours, and I have to drop the paper off in less that 6, so I can be to work on time. I'm a little over halfway done. I expect the rest to go quickly, but I felt like ranting...Sorry.

I keep meaning to join procrastinators anonymous, really, I do...

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Ladybug220 - Apr 13, 2005 4:44 am (#968 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 13, 2005 4:44 am

Madam Pince - if only I had thought of that earlier! However, it wouldn't be my apartment complex's insurance that would be paying - it would be mine. The apartments do not claim any fault on that kind of stuff. Thankfully, I decided to get renter's insurance; I almost didn't since I have lived in apartments for 9 years and never had a serious problem like this and never had insurance before now. My apartment isn't that bad compared to my upstairs neighbors. I just hope that they have insurance because their carpet will have to be replaced.

Fawkes - it is great to 'see' you!

Julie, I didn't know that dell offers Corel. I have been wanting a laptop so I may have to go with them so I can have Wordperfect again.

Thora - the invite sounds great to me. But make sure you include directions for all of us here at the forum so we won't be late.

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Ladybug220 - Apr 13, 2005 9:00 am (#969 of 2981)

Did anyone else have trouble getting to the forum this morning?

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 13, 2005 9:06 am (#970 of 2981)

Does that mean we should start referring to Prince Charles as Shamu? – Catherine

I don't think so Catherine. However, I was pleased to see that Camilla Parker-Bowles decided to accept the title of Duchess of Cornbread instead of Princess of Whales. That would have been sooo wrong.

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Cornelia - Apr 13, 2005 9:12 am (#971 of 2981)

Ladybug-I had some trouble in the afternoon, that might be your morning. If you go via the Lexicon homepage, there’s a note from Kip that says Worldcrossing will have downtimes today.

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Ladybug220 - Apr 13, 2005 9:21 am (#972 of 2981)

Thanks Cornelia! I don't usually go through that page.

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Elanor - Apr 13, 2005 9:27 am (#973 of 2981)

HOLIDAYS,HOLIDAYS,HOLIDAYS since 4.30 p.m. this afternoon... At last! I do need them, honest. I'm so tired I could sleep till the weekend and I will spare you the list of what hurts after those crazy days at work. I'll have a lot to do during those holidays but I tell you, tomorrow, I'll do nothing, or at least, I'll try! Sounds really great...

Ladybug, I'm sorry about your apartment. I hope you won't have too much trouble with your insurance!

Thora, the invitation is perfect! Too bad I live so far from Ohio...

Gina, the picture was fantastic, they are beautiful! Severus himself could not help saying they're lovely!

I hope I forgot no-one, if I did, please forgive me, I spent the afternoon refereeing games for quarrelsome 7-10 years olds and I'm afraid there are some side effects afterwards...

Have a great day/evening everybody!

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Catherine - Apr 13, 2005 9:54 am (#974 of 2981)

However, I was pleased to see that Camilla Parker-Bowles decided to accept the title of Duchess of Cornbread instead of Princess of Whales. That would have been sooo wrong. --Loopy Lupin

SPEW!

Either way, Her Grace needs to rethink her choice of headgear, alas earwax.

I'm glad to see that the Forum finally loaded again.

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Denise P. - Apr 13, 2005 10:35 am (#975 of 2981)

Every time I saw a picture of Her Grace in that straw colored hat, it looked like her hair was flying up...then I realized it was the hat, not her hair. I know the English Royalty have a thing for hats but do they have to be so blamed ugly?? Both hats I saw her in that day were rather unfortunate.

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KWeldon - Apr 13, 2005 10:39 am (#976 of 2981)

Either way, Her Grace needs to rethink her choice of headgear, alas earwax.

I agree wholeheartedly about that hat! I thought it was just me. Pretty dress, though.

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prof sprout - Apr 13, 2005 10:58 am (#977 of 2981)

I also, had troubles getting into the forum today. I didn't notice where it said it would be down, ( I wasn't looking either though) When I went in to "your forums" and only the FFF was there, I read the error message saying it could be from heavy use. I immediately went to JKR website, thinking that ROR was open again, and just too many people were flooding the forum. But nothing there, I checked mugglenet and TLC.

Alas, it must have been from maintenance.

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Thora - Apr 13, 2005 11:58 am (#978 of 2981)

Boy did I ever miss the Lexicon this morning, 3 hours with nothing to do (my sister was minding the kids) and alas no Potterverse.

Any and all Lexicon members would be more than welcome at my party. If anyone is close enough and would like to come just send me an email, mostly I'm just having the people from my church who are magically inclined, I keep discovering more and more all the time.

I got my chocolate molds in the mail today and really regret that I have to wait until 3 weeks before the party to make them. Imagine all the lovely HP fantasies I could lose myself in while painting with chocolate. MMMM heavenly.

Warmest regards to you all too.

Thora

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Julia. - Apr 13, 2005 12:42 pm (#979 of 2981)

If you will all recall, a number of weeks ago I mentioned Chabad Rabbis crowed surffing. Unfortunately, We didn't get any good pictures of that. However, the pictured from Sunday's party are up, here is a picture of a future Chabad Rabbi with a mallot. Also, here is a picture of a Nice Jewish Girl.

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Catherine - Apr 13, 2005 12:49 pm (#980 of 2981)

Alas, it must have been from maintenance.  

I now realize that there was indeed downtime with World Crossing earlier today. Kip had left a message on the Lexicon page with a link to the Fan Fiction Forum.

In the future, if the Forum isn't loading, try checking out the HP Lexicon Forum link to see if there is an explanation. Here's the link to Kip's message earlier:

http://www.hp-lexicon.org/forum/forum.html

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Elanor - Apr 13, 2005 1:08 pm (#981 of 2981)

Thanks Catherine! When the forum doesn't work as it did earlier today, I start to feel panic coming at once and start asking my computer "What???? why?????", as if it could answer (I should lend it to Arthur sometime, I'm sure it will answer afterwards)... And it's worse when it is the internet connection that has a problem. Potterinternetolic am I? Hmm, probably... cool!

When I posted earlier today, I forgot to tell you about some news I have heard today as I know there are other ER fans amongst you all (I am one too!). It seems that, since Monday, some scenes of an ER episode are shot in Paris. As it is probably a spoiler, I will put in white what I have heard about it, it's not much but it is interesting: The scenes take place in a café and a park, the park's scenes were shot at the "Parc Montceau", with the actors playing Carter and Kem. Sounds promising...

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Gina R Snape - Apr 13, 2005 1:42 pm (#982 of 2981)

Wow! That Nice Jewish Girl bears a striking resemblance to a certain insufferable know-it-all!

Thanks for all the familial compliments! I will be sure to pass them on to my brother and sister-in-law. After I stop pinching my neice's cheeks, that is.

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Thora - Apr 13, 2005 3:15 pm (#983 of 2981)

So Gina, when I coudln't get on here this morning I read your fan fic about the magic mistletoe (very clever by-the-way) and I was wondering if it was DD that you had McGonnagal paired with? Just curious.

Thora

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haymoni - Apr 13, 2005 3:27 pm (#984 of 2981)

I know the English Royalty have a thing for hats but do they have to be so blamed ugly?? - Denise P.

The hats or the English Royalty???

Sorry...

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Catherine - Apr 13, 2005 4:29 pm (#985 of 2981)

The hats or the English Royalty??? Sorry... –Haymoni

SPEW again!

Well, I will say that Prince William looks like his Mum, and not like his Dad, bless his heart.

Seriously, though, life is short, should be enjoyed, and if Her Grace enjoys His Royal Shamu-ness, more power to them both.

Julia, your T-shirt (Nice Jewish Girl) is very amusing. I have a sweatshirt that is similar that my Mum bought me years ago, with the phrase "G.R.I.T.S." on it. This is supposed to stand for "Girls Raised in the South." So far, she has never understood that I majored in British literature, I drink my tea HOT more frequently than iced, and that I like scones better than apple pie. I still haven't figured out the clotted cream thingy, but maybe someday.

Harry's treacle tart sounds good, too. And Lemon Drops....

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Gina R Snape - Apr 13, 2005 4:51 pm (#986 of 2981)

Hey, Thora. Thanks for reading my story! To be perfectly honest, I didn't have her paired with anyone in particular. So, the answer is no. But you are free to think whatever you like. Such is part of the joy of the reader's imagination! (As this forum well attests to).

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John Bumbledore - Apr 13, 2005 5:35 pm (#987 of 2981)

Catherine, I always interpreted (most likely incorrectly) that clotted cream was like our cottage cheese (also called curds and whey by little miss Muffet.) So now I check the post times and guess that unless Lizzy rises early, we will have to wait a good several hours to find out... hmm.

Edit: So, I found it by searching the Lexicon, it provides two "sponsored" links and following that are the links within the Lexicon itself where clotted cream is mentioned. I followed http://www.britishdelights.com/cream.htm and found this description of the process for making clotted cream. "The most famous of all is 'Clotted Cream' which achieves its thick clotted texture by heating cream of high-fat breed cows, such as the Jersey type, in pans, traditionally made of copper but latterly stainless steel, to about 190°f and allowing it to cool slowly." Hmm, sounds good, except I am intollerant of lactose. But I remember how good it can taste.

<)B^D= John Bumbledore

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librarian314 - Apr 13, 2005 5:39 pm (#988 of 2981)

Hey Catherine!

Treacle tart is excellent! Especially hot with vanilla ice cream! It's easy to make, too. Take a pie crust; put in some freshly grated bread crumbs, cover with Lyle's Golden Syrup, bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for about a half an hour. Don't worry about there not being exact measurements. It's the way my English grannie makes it. It turns out a bit differently each time.

I first had it when I went to England for my parents' wedding (dad got re-married) and I fell in love. About the only thing it doesn't beat out desert-wise are Jen cookies (a friend's chocolate chip cookies with rice crispies).

I really don't quite understand those people that don't like English food. I'll take a lovely roast beef, Yorkshire pud, peas or fish and chips, any day of the week over friend pork chops and collard greens. :-P

There's a restaurant here in Gaithersburg that we go to all the time. Our waitress regularly asks us if we want fries with our fish and chips.  

Y'all take care!

**michelle the librarian**

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Denise P. - Apr 13, 2005 5:44 pm (#989 of 2981)

There is a kind, sweet Forum member who indulges my sweet tooth each year and sends me treacle toffee for Guy Fawkes Day. Treacle toffee.....yummmmmm

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Catherine - Apr 13, 2005 5:46 pm (#990 of 2981)

Catherine, I always interpreted (most likely incorrectly) that clotted cream was like our cottage cheese (also called curds and whey by little miss Muffet.)—Bumbledore

Oooh, ick. I dunno, I've had clotted cream, scones, crumpets, but that doesn't mean I know what I'm doing. Except that it wasn't like cottage cheese, sorry, John.

Help, British Forumers!!

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John Bumbledore - Apr 13, 2005 5:56 pm (#991 of 2981)

Catherine, you didn't see the edit to my post #987 above did you?

<)B^D= John Bumbledore

P. S. **Waves to Denise, Michelle, and Catherine ** sorry for the double post, not sure how that happened. Must have been when I went scrolling up to check spelling.

Multiple edits: finally got the right post number 987 and then found a third copy of this same post (well each in a different stage/point in editing) but I have deleted the extras now.

It was as if someone had tossed a time turner over me and I suddenly was seeing my past, present, and future posts all at once.

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prof sprout - Apr 13, 2005 6:13 pm (#992 of 2981)

Wish me luck, I'm getting my wisdom teeth out tomorrow. I'm a little nervous.

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Marie E. - Apr 13, 2005 6:21 pm (#993 of 2981)

Hello everyone! I honestly cannot believe how awful Sunday's storm was! We actually only got a few inches of snow, but with the winds we had drifts up to five feet. The hood of my car had to be shoveled off Monday morning. Yes, I still had to work Monday even though school was closed as daycares only close during massive disasters, like the end of the world or molten lava floods. I tried to call work to see if I should come in later, but our phones were out. And to top it all off, the only tree in our front yard was knocked down during the storm. It was a 20+ foot pine tree and just barely missed hitting our neighbors Mercedes. Yikes! We figure the combination of the wind and heavy snow and ice on the branches brought it down. Poor ol' tree.

Going way back to Monday's posts (or was it Sunday?): I had to see Grease II with my father and it was one of the most humiliating experiences of my life. As my brother will confirm, our father is one of those people who has to constantly comment, loudly, on what's happening in the movie. At one point he leaned over and said "Just tell your mother it was Disney, Marie". I could have cheerfully throttled him.

I'm having the same problem with knowing I wanted to comment on someone's post, but now have forgotten what I wanted to say. Where's my Rememberall?

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Ydnam96 - Apr 13, 2005 6:50 pm (#994 of 2981)

Yay, I couldn't get on this morning and missed the Forum part of my early morning routine.

prof sprout, many good wishes are being sent your way.

I always thought clotted cream was the same as cottage cheese. Even by the description I can't really tell if it is different. Anyone who really knows??

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pottermom34 - Apr 13, 2005 6:56 pm (#995 of 2981)

I had a lucky day today. I was out looking for party favors for my daughters HP party, and I couldn't find the right kind of loot bags. So I went to Walmart and I got some red (for gryfindor) pencil boxes for $.02 CENTS a piece. Talk about a lucky find. So I'm going to try to decorate a couple to rep. each house. I have HP stickers.


Thanks for the ER heads up Elanor, I was starting to give up with all the repeats lately. This part of the T.V. season is usually so slow. I'm glad to see another ER fan on here.


I'm also glad to see I'm not the only one that had troubles getting onto the forum this morning. I was staring to think it was me.  Good to see it's working again.

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Ladybug220 - Apr 13, 2005 7:07 pm (#996 of 2981)

Ydnam - it is definitely different from cottage cheese. The consistancy is different as well as the taste. Now, it has been about 7 years since I have had clotted cream so my memory may be a bit sketchy.

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Pinky - Apr 13, 2005 7:13 pm (#997 of 2981)

Prof Sprout - lots of luck! I've had my wisdom teeth out. Why is it that everyone feels compelled to tell you all their dental horror stories when they hear you're getting your wisdom teeth pulled? Anyway, my experience was perfectly fine. I even drew up a document to have the dentist sign, explaining to the Tooth Fairy why I still deserved a normal Tooth Fairy prize under my pillow, even though said pillow would be sans tooth. (The dentist wouldn't let me take them home.) Really, the worst part of it was afterwards. Your mouth is completely numb. I had to keep feeling it with my hand to see if it was closed, or if I was drooling all over myself.

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Thora - Apr 13, 2005 7:32 pm (#998 of 2981)

See now I have to look everywhere for Lyle's Golden Syrup because it's like $7 on the internet and with shipping, ouch. I'll have to either find it soon or wait until my husband goes out of town again because my previous attempts at HP recipe have been horrid failures and he's not to pleased with the waste.

By the way anyone have a GOOD Butterbeer recipe? The one off mugglenet didn't turn out and I'm anti-alcohol so the one on the archived recipe thread won't work.

Thanks,

Thora

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The giant squid - Apr 13, 2005 11:04 pm (#999 of 2981)

At one point he leaned over and said "Just tell your mother it was Disney, Marie". I could have cheerfully throttled him.--Marie E.

You're lucky...I had the pleasure of watching American Pie with him. I just kept reminding myself that it is one job of all parents to horribly embarass their children. Dad's just an over-achiever.

--Mike

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Lina - Apr 13, 2005 11:23 pm (#1000 of 2981)

Let me say something officially: when it comes to food, my English becomes really poor, so I didn't understand most of your comments. But, I'm not saying it to complain (there is nothing wrong about things that I don't understand) just to say that I'm not sure if it is correct what I'm about to write.

Thora, I did a little research - the recipe that Denise P posted on the recipe thread, contains either root beer either cream soda. I tried to understand what those are, so I googled it a little and it seems to me that neither of them contains alcohol. If I'm wrong, and root beer does, I believe that cream soda doesn't. Now, all you have to do is find them.

Prof sprout, sending you charms against pain and for the quick recovery!
I pooled out two of my wisdom teeth when I was young and they were totally healthy (probably not the right expression) because there was too crowded in my mouth.

Gina, beautiful kids. I bet they are alike their aunt?

Good day to everyone!

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Ladybug220 - Apr 14, 2005 4:28 am (#1001 of 2981)

Lina, you are correct. Neither root beer nor cream soda contain alcohol - well, they don't normally anyway.

Prof sprout - good luck! You'll be fine though a bit numb for awhile. I did do the drooling part as I had all 4 of mine out at once and the medicine made me nauseous.

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Catherine - Apr 14, 2005 4:52 am (#1002 of 2981)

I had the pleasure of watching American Pie with him.—Mike

Oh, dear. I can imagine a scenario where I would fake a heart attack rather than watch that movie with my dad.

Prof Sprout, good luck with the removal of your wisdom teeth. I had a similar experience to Ladybug in that the pain medication made me sick. That's how I found out that I'm allergic to codeine. The first day after the surgery was this drug-induced haze in which Mr. Catherine, then only my engaged hubby, and my younger brother kept me company by playing a new Super Mario game on the Nintendo. Just saying the words "wisdom teeth" makes me hear the music from that game all over again......and again....and over again....

Speaking of Little Brother, he turns 30 today. BWAHAHAHAA! I can't wait to call him at work and rub it in!

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librarian314 - Apr 14, 2005 5:57 am (#1003 of 2981)

Hey all!

Good places to check for Lyle's are British shops and specialty/gourmet grocers. You can also find it at Celtic fairs/Scottish games. The World Market (if you have those in your area) also carries it.

Prof. Sprout - hope the wisdom teeth thing goes well. Dentists are my least favorite health professionals to visit. Good luck!

I finally decided where to reserve my copy of HBP. There are so many easily accessible books stores it really was a decision. I'll be at the Barnes and Nobles at the Washington Center in Gaithersburg. It's close and has a lovely plaza around it, so hopefully it'll be a good party.

I don't know about y'all, but the fact that HBP is coming out in about 3 months has me in turns giggling to myself and dreadfully worried. I'm going to be a basket case before July gets here!

Y'all take care!

**michelle the librarian**

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John Bumbledore - Apr 14, 2005 6:01 am (#1004 of 2981)
Edited Apr 14, 2005 7:13 am

I have not seen Grease II nor have I seen American Pie. Marie, Mike, Cathrine, are these movies I want to rent and use against my own children when they become teens? Well, if the details are not appropriate for this forum, my email is listed on my profile.

Well, as for the clotted cream. I can't say that I have ever had it, or anything like it... But I am familiar with heavy cream (such as from the Jersey breed), it is sweet and I seem to remember the pail of milk was about 20% or 30% cream. So I am thinking it would be like baked ice cream, but not as sweet as that. Does anyone have a recipe for home-made ice cream to determine if (how much) sugar is added it that?

<)B^D= John Bumbledore

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Snuffles - Apr 14, 2005 6:08 am (#1005 of 2981)

Hi all

Just to jump on the golden syrup wagon. I don't know how to do a link but if you go to Britshoppe.com/lylgolsyr.html you can buy a tin for $4.99. Treacle tart is delicious especially with custard!

Hope everyone has a good Thursday with no disasters. Julie

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Denise P. - Apr 14, 2005 6:22 am (#1006 of 2981)

John, the ice cream recipe I use calls for 2 cups of sugar but it also has 3 cans of sweetened condensed milk in it. (as well as cream, vanilla, milk and eggs)

I am actually making a batch this weekend at our Cub Scout campout.

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Catherine - Apr 14, 2005 6:44 am (#1007 of 2981)

I have not seen Grease II nor have I seen American Pie. Marie, Mike, Cathrine, are these movies I want to rent and use against my own children when they become teens?—Bumbledore

Well, Grease II would just seem hopelessly dumb and square. It features a "fish out of water" theme with a British boy attending high school in America. In the end, he learns to appreciate leather and motorcycles and he gets the leader of the Pink Ladies as his girlfriend. In between there is mindless dialogue and the hideous song "Reproduction." Google the lyrics and you will see what I mean.

As for American Pie, I found that movie so embarrassing to watch that even in a private email I wouldn't describe it! There is no sum of money that could induce me to watch that movie with my father! Let's just say that if you watch it, you will never want to let your daughter go to the prom until she's 45 years old. As for watching it with your son, there are just these agonizing father/son chats about the birds and the bees in this movie that made me want to shrivel up in sympathetic humiliation.

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Julia. - Apr 14, 2005 6:50 am (#1008 of 2981)

Good morning Lexers!

Prof. Sprout, good luck with getting your wisdom teeth out. I had mine out over the summer, and it was not horrible, although it wasn't fun when I ran out of whatever pain killer it was that the oral surgeon gave me. I'm sure you'll be fine. Good luck!

Hmmmmm, embarrasing movies with the parents eh? American Pie with Dad is pretty bad, but I had to see the South Park Movie with my mom. I was 12 and she wanted to see what I was on about, so we went to see it. *shudders*

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Thora - Apr 14, 2005 7:05 am (#1009 of 2981)

Michelle, thank you for the tip about world market. I'm off to buy it now!

I love that store, too, so much unusual stuff! Now why would a HP fan be into unusual stuff?

Denise, I'm going to hazzard a guess that the scout job might be a calling, if you have no idea what I'm talking about ignore me, if you do, my calling is Enrichment, Kirtland ward.

Thora

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Mrs. Sirius - Apr 14, 2005 7:17 am (#1010 of 2981)

Yes michelle, I do find myself giggling just at the thought that H-BP will be out in just over 3 months. While the nerves aren't as bad this time as they were before OoTP, (I was actually trembling half the time back then) last night my husband, my 8 year old son and I were discussing who was going to read it first when it arrives.

Oh, Gina your niece and nephew are so cute, they are just adorable.

Any recipe that uses sweetened condensed milk is a good one in my book.

Julia, next week is spring break for my kids, I am planning to do at least one museum trip. We might go back to the Peabody. If you are in town perhaps we could meet.

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Catherine - Apr 14, 2005 7:25 am (#1011 of 2981)

...last night my husband, my 8 year old son and I were discussing who was going to read it first when it arrives.

This is why I "had" to purchase two copies of OoP and why I have reserved two copies of HBP. I knew that even if I read the book right away, I wouldn't be able to keep from re-reading it the minute I finished.

Even then, it was so hard to watch my husband reading the book, as I was dying to discuss it. Every time he saw me laughing aloud or getting teary, he'd hold up his hand and say, "Don't tell me!"

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John Bumbledore - Apr 14, 2005 7:27 am (#1012 of 2981)

Thank you Denise. I was editing my previous post when...


     "Well I was just caught by my dementor for being on a message board and viewing graphics 'ever since he arrived' (that would be about a half-hour)."

And I with out wand or chocolate... This is what I was going to add before the **cold feeling like I would never be happy again** came over me.

Good luck to you Prof Sprout, I hope you are feeling well after. I will not tell you of my experience and we will leave it at that.

Back to work now. That dementor doesn't know my plans to relocate yet. I had told my manager and she is giving me a letter of recommendation and will be a reference contact for me.

<)B^D= John Bumbledore

P. S. Oh, yes. the war /battle/argument over who reads the book and in what order. My wife is forever picking up and reading the books I am in the middle of reading and have just set down until my next "break." To top it off, she moves them about the house so I can never find them quickly when I have a few minutes (or she is reading when I do find it!) Oh, well, her excuse is that she reads much faster than I. Though that is true, I don't feel it is any excuse to keep me from the book I was enjoying. Alas, earwax!

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Denise P. - Apr 14, 2005 7:43 am (#1013 of 2981)

Thora, my boys are not in the ward Pack but the older boys are in the ward Troop, gearing up for YM camp even though the 11 year old can't go this year. I wanted the younger ones in a stable Pack with an excellent program (so they had a nice foundation to go into Boy Scouts) and in our ward, since it is military, the Pack is not very stable. We have a similar problem in the Troop but not as much as the younger boys.

How nifty you are in Kirland! Our YW/YM went up to Nauvoo when my daughter was about 16. I keep telling Mr. Denise we need to go up there, we are close enough.

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Julia. - Apr 14, 2005 8:13 am (#1014 of 2981)

Oh Mar, I'd love to meet up with you! Ummmm, Unfortunately, it's the second to last week of classes. I'll be home over the weekend. Email or IM me and we'll sort it out.

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librarian314 - Apr 14, 2005 9:04 am (#1015 of 2981)

Hey all!

My husband and I discussed getting two copies but have opted for just the one. The reasoning being that since I read about 50 pages an hour, I should have it finished before the end of the weekend and can pass it off to him. After we're done, there will be at least one friend to get it.

My husband asked me the other evening what will be the first thing that I do when I get HBP, thinking I would start reading it immediately. What I most likely will do is, in any random order, probably several simultaneously, jump up and down, hug the book, make happy squealy girl noises, and possibly tear up (I cry when I'm happy).

I envision the big vacation we take with a bunch of our friends a few weeks later (many of whom are also HP fans) as reminding me of my high school days after a particularly good episode of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. My girl friends and I would run up to each other and just squeal. The conversation was something like, "Did you see squeal?!" "I did! squeal" "Can you believe squeal" I totally empathise with boys not understanding girls when we were like that. ;-)

It will be so hard not to ask people where they are and not go "Oh, that's a good part" or "Oh, no, your gonna need a tissue there" or the worst, "Gasp! No, I can't say anything." I can get a bit goofy when I read books, with people I feel I've come to know and care about. (I do the same with the Diana Gabaldon books.)

Well, y'all take care! Glad there's a World Market near you, Thora! Between them and Trader Joe's (a grocery store) I have all the good chocolate a body can need.

**michelle the librarian**

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 14, 2005 9:20 am (#1016 of 2981)

American Pie with Dad is pretty bad, but I had to see the South Park Movie with my mom.--- Julia

Oh dear. I forbade my mother from watching the South Park movie.

Out of curiosity, I noticed that Denise and Catherine were referring to Camilla as "Her Grace." Is Camilla properly referred to as Your/Her "Grace" as opposed to "Highness"? (Sets stop watch to see how long it takes Denise to answer/google the question.)

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Penny Lane. - Apr 14, 2005 9:33 am (#1017 of 2981)

My mother has never seen the South Park movie, but she did see a few episodes of the show and she finds them hilarious. Personally, I didn't really enjoy American Pie that much, and I know my mother wouldn't like it. I also know that if she does decide to watch it someday, I hope I'm far, far away. Talk about embarrassing conversations that could come up. Ooh bad.

I"m SO happy schools almost over. I can't take much longer of this, I really need a permanant break.

TTYL

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Romulus - Apr 14, 2005 9:35 am (#1018 of 2981)

Loony Lupin - this has been discussed a fair bit in the papers over here. Essentially, Camilla has decided not to use her title of Princess of Wales, but has also been given the title of Duchess of Cornwall. Your/Her/His Grace is the method of address for a Duke/Duchess in the UK and so that appears to be how she will formally be known.

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kabloink! - Apr 14, 2005 11:17 am (#1019 of 2981)

THere was never any doubt that we needed two copies of OoP-we actually ended up with four...(two we ordered-one from the UK, one from US, the other two we bought because the ordered two hadn't com ein yet, and we couldn't wait), and the only discussion of quantity of HBP so far has been whether or not to get three. One ordered from the UK-we really enjoyed the UK edition of OoP-and two from a midnight release, or just the two...

As for embarassing movies...I guess I'm lucky or weird or both. I'm not embarassed to watch ANY movie with my parents. Well at least any that are under NC17. I would sit down and watch any of the afore mentioned embarrassing movies with my parents without batting an eye. I guess its because when I was younger, my parents owned a certain kind of retail store, and were very open about just about everything with me (in an appropriate manner, of course), so nothing in American Pie bothered me much. As for the swearing in SOuth Park, I'm the youngest of 5 kids by 10 years, and my brothers and one of my sisters were all into heavy metal and such in the 80's. By the time I got to high school, I had come to the logic that if my brother can swear to (not really at....sort of in a discussion manner...) my parents, I should be able to, as well. Seeing as how I was always 'the good one,' nobody really minded. I still use the words sparingly, however. I will say that I had a very unusual childhood.

WOw enough of that. I understand about beign weird about books, I am, as well. Because I've moved so much, I don't have many friends nearby, so characters are my friends...I LOVE the Diana Gabaldon books. I started reading them in high school when Drums of Autumn came out in paperback. I got that for my birthday (essentially because the cover art looked interesting) only to find that it was the fourth book! My grandparents got the first three for me for Christmas, and I had them read by the time school let out for summer. I have not read Fiery Cross, though I have listened to it. Given that it sounds like she has another OUtlander book coming out I'll have to reread them after graduation. Yay! I'll also read her Lord John Grey book, which I got my mom for Christmas last year. SO much to do this summer!

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Denise P. - Apr 14, 2005 12:55 pm (#1020 of 2981)

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon is due out at the end of September. The last book in the series is supposed to be the next one, Sons of Liberty Trust me, if you listened to Fiery Cross, you don't need to read it again LOL I think of all of her books in the series so far, it has been the worse. I have the Lord John book but have not read it yet.

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The giant squid - Apr 14, 2005 2:19 pm (#1021 of 2981)

I'm not embarassed to watch ANY movie with my parents.--kabloink!

To clarify: It's not the movie that's embarassing, it's our dad's reaction. He tends to talk loudly and laugh even louder throughout the film (in Americam Pie he was literally laughing for the entire movie). After a while you start to feel the angry glares of the other movie patrons burning the back of your neck, and it kinda ruins your enjoyment.

As for American Pie itself, I liked it (as well as the two sequels), but would not recommend showing it to kids. It's got an R rating for a reason. I noticed that the negative comments were from women--perhaps this is one of those "guy" movies that men laugh at and women "don't get". As with any movie (other than a G movie, I guess...they're pretty safe), I'd recommend you watch it first before letting your kids see it.

--Mike

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Denise P. - Apr 14, 2005 2:56 pm (#1022 of 2981)

. He tends to talk loudly and laugh even louder throughout the film – TGS

This from a man known as Bashful Bob? I can so relate, my dad is the same way but his nickname is Larry the Loud.

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Catherine - Apr 14, 2005 3:57 pm (#1023 of 2981)

As for American Pie itself, I liked it (as well as the two sequels), but would not recommend showing it to kids. It's got an R rating for a reason. I noticed that the negative comments were from women--perhaps this is one of those "guy" movies that men laugh at and women "don't get". –Mike

Oh, I got it. And I laughed. Loudly. It's just the idea of watching it with Mum or Dad that made me cringe.

Mr. Catherine and I howled and admitted that these movies are gross--and VERY funny. Eugene Levy was in the "American Pie" movies as well as "Best in Show," and he is too amusing.

I remember that one time Mr. Catherine and I were watching a so-called "art film" with my parents at an artsy theater in downtown Richmond, Va. Basically, one scene became VERY explicit, and my mother dropped the super-size popcorn during a moment of silence. My dad and Mr. Catherine cracked up very loudly, and I thought longingly of leaving the state of VA and never returning....

So now, if a movie is embarrassing, explicit, or otherwise needs a major explanation, my dad refers to it as a "popcorn dropper" or "Your mother would drop the popcorn."

Perhaps Loopy Lupin has an insight on this problem.

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librarian314 - Apr 14, 2005 5:42 pm (#1024 of 2981)

Hey all!

Catherine - "Popcorn dropper" - SPEW!!! I laughed out loud at this.

My parents are perfectly fine to take to the movies. Generally, as parents go, they're more or less well behaved. ;-) Unless it's a movie using historical firearms and they get it wrong. Dad will keep his mouth shut during the film but afterwards, look out. He will tell me exactly why that gun couldn't have been there then and go into the details of it's manufacture, blah, blah, blah (my eyes have glazed over and my brain is beginning to leak out of my ears at this point. ;-) )

It was worse watching R rated movies with my dad (on video) when I was younger. Every so often there'd be some joke or another that he thought ought to go over my head and I'd laugh like I got it. He would then ask, "Got that, did ya, kid?" which would then make me blush all shades of red imaginable.

Y'all take care!

**michelle the librarian**

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Ydnam96 - Apr 14, 2005 5:45 pm (#1025 of 2981)

Today has been an entirely too long day that is not yet over. There are no dementors to blame. My boss is great, but I've made a fool of myself several times this week...bleh. I got to work this morning at 8:30. Worked till five (with a four and a half hour workshop on diversity) I have a few hours of a break and then we have to put on an event tonight.

I just want to go to bed.

Sorry to be down.

I'm gonna go take a nap. The diversity training, while beneficial, sucked the life out of me.

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Marie E. - Apr 14, 2005 6:49 pm (#1026 of 2981)

Denise-Bashful Bob is an ironic name. He's farrrrrr from bashful. It comes in handy when we're back home because my dad knows half the town. (Not hard to do in Minot, I'll admit...) Car breaks down? Dad knows a guy. Need tickets to a concert? Dad knows a guy. You get the picture. There were times when I wished he'd be a bit quieter. Like the time he took me to a "feminine" appointment and when I came out he was chatting to the desk staff and telling them hilarious stories about my teen years. I tried telling him that all he had to do was read a People magazine and wait for me, but he didn't get it.

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Denise P. - Apr 14, 2005 7:24 pm (#1027 of 2981)
Edited Apr 14, 2005 8:19 pm

Bwahahaha, Marie, I figured as much but I had to tweak Mike about it. Your dad sounds soooo much like my dad it is not funny. No one knows more than my dad and he is more than happy to tell you that.

Case in point: He was visiting here and we were driving somewhere. I had to hit the brakes, which turned off the cruise control. Now, on this particular model of van we had, you could not just hit a resume key, you had to totally reset the cruise control each time you braked. He watched me and the proceeded to tell me I was doing it wrong and all I had to do was hit resume. I explained that I had the van for many years, I was quite familiar with it and I had to reset it. For 10 miles, I heard about how I did it wrong so I pulled over and allowed him to drive and show me. There was dead silence when the magical resume key was not there and then I was told that if I had not bought such a cheap van (he works with car dealers, we went with this specific model on his recommendation!), it would have had one on there. Whatever Dad!

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Madam Pince - Apr 14, 2005 8:17 pm (#1028 of 2981)

Michelle, we need to get your Dad and Mr. Pince together. He, too, knows all about the firearms used in the movies, and it is a particular peeve of his when the moviemakers use one that hadn't even been invented yet at the time the movie takes place. ("It's so easy to use the right one! Why don't they just use the right one?") I sympathize with him, and then tell him that probably 90% of the audience has no earthly idea when a particular firearm was invented, and certainly cannot identify the make and model anyway from just the quick view we get in a movie. He just looks at me pityingly and shakes his head, and then tells me that's why he married me -- because I can't tell one firearm from another.

Denise, did you bang your forehead slowly against the dashboard during the whole exchange?

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I Am Used Vlad - Apr 14, 2005 8:24 pm (#1029 of 2981)

On the embarrassing movies with mom topic, for some reason my mom, who normally is somewhat easily offended, loved There's Something About Mary. I had no problem watching that with her.

I did get a little antsy during several parts of Seven, which I only watched with her because the screen writer went to the same High School that both she and I attended.

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Mrs. Sirius - Apr 14, 2005 10:47 pm (#1030 of 2981)

Oh, Catherine absolutely, we get more than one copy! We order the Bloomsbury edition but I cannot wait 4-5 days for it to arrive so my friend and I go at midnight to get it the moment it is available.

While my husband will wait and read only the Bloomsbury edition, I will also not discuss the book with him until he has read it. He likes me to give him hints and tell him spoilers which I won't do. He has not extended the same courtesy to me however, he badgered me last time into letting him tell me who was killed in OoTP before I got to that point in the book, this even though he had not read it himself! grrrr

We also get a copy in French and Spanish. I read the Spanish.

The debate we had was whether I would read H-BP to my son when it comes out as he has now finished OoTP too. I think it would take too much enjoyment away to read the book aloud the first time or too slow to read to myself and then go back and read to him what I have already read. So he may have to wait until I have read it through once.

Tomorrow is immigrant ancestor day for the third grade. My son has chosen me as his immigrant ancestor. We have to prepare a "typical" item of food to share. I have chosen flan which is a typical pan-Hispanic dessert. although I have never made one before i have eaten it often and other members of my family have made it (I didn't expect I'd really ever have to cook). I scorched the milk and I think it's going to have a smoky flavor, custard shouldn't be smoke flavored.

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Amilia Smith - Apr 15, 2005 12:00 am (#1031 of 2981)

I'm sure your flan will be fine. :-) Sounds like a fun project.

I had alot I wanted to say to you all, but it is late, and I am driving to Vegas tomorrow and have to sleep sometime tonight. Ah well, such is life.

I am leaving right after work tomorrow to go to the Las Vegas Highland Games. Baby sister and I will both be competing on Saturday. Then straight back home again. Yet another flying trip for a competition.

So I will "see" you all Sunday.

Mills.

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dizzy lizzy - Apr 15, 2005 3:16 am (#1032 of 2981)

I can't believe how many posts there were!!!

Right at the beginning at around post #820 there were comments that the chat thread has grown . Very true. I'm having more trouble matching people and posts and keep getting Catherine's dogs mixed up with Denise's kids.

And trying to remember that Julia and Gina are in or close to New York, some are in Michigan, some in the desert/mountains of the US , Croatia, England, San Fransisco, France, Australia, Ireland etc.

Oh well it will keep my brain active while waiting for HBP.

My first workload (as an interviewer) went really well. I really enjoyed it. Monday was the worst day as I didn't have a clue what was going on. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I got my confidence up, the words started to flow and the stuff we were taught 2.5 weeks ago started flowing back into my brain and out my mouth. Which is exactly what was supposed to happen.

So here I am a very tired and exhausted Lexiconer/Forumer.

Have a wonderful weekend everybody.

Lizzy  to show how pleased I am to be back.

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Pinky - Apr 15, 2005 5:25 am (#1033 of 2981)

Lizzy, I've never yet had a "spew" moment, but when I read  “I'm having more trouble matching people and posts and keep getting Catherine's dogs mixed up with Denise's kids.", I came quite close to sending my breakfast glass of milk all over the screen. Congratulations!

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The giant squid - Apr 15, 2005 5:29 am (#1034 of 2981)

I'm having more trouble matching people and posts and keep getting Catherine's dogs mixed up with Denise's kids.--dizzy lizzy

Well, they both have a history of bad hair days...

I think the only thing more bizzare than watching an embarassing movie with your parents is watching a "racy" scene with them and they don't even flinch. Parents aren't supposed to know about that stuff!

--Mike

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Catherine - Apr 15, 2005 5:41 am (#1035 of 2981)

Well, they both have a history of bad hair days... –Mike

Too true. Alas, earwax.

To the U.S. Forumers--Happy Tax Day! What a way to ruin a perfectly good Friday in spring. I lay awake last night worrying that I forgot to put enough postage on our tax return. I've been anxiously watching the mail, not for our refund, but for our returned return. Oh, well...

Happy Friday.

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 15, 2005 5:43 am (#1036 of 2981)

Perhaps Loopy Lupin has an insight on this problem. --- Catherine

Not really, but I am interested to know the title of the so-called art film you were watching and whether or not it is available on DVD.

Well, they both have a history of bad hair days--- Mike

Hehehehehehehe!

As far as movies with Mom and Dad goes, I must say that my parents were pretty progressive and permissive. I saw many a movie with them during my teen years that one might cringe at the thought of seeing with one's parents. My solution back then was to park them near the back of the theater and sit elsewhere. Nowadays, I literally have screened everything we might watch together beforehand; I don't mind that because I'm bigger movie re-viewer, as it were, than I am even an HP re-reader.

Edit-- Oh yeah, today is tax day. Just kidding, I received my refund months ago.

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prof sprout - Apr 15, 2005 6:11 am (#1037 of 2981)

Thank you all for your well wishes and charms. I'm doing good. I don't have any pain yet, but I have not given the pain killers a chance to wear out. They let me keep the teeth, I'm going to see if I can coax the tooth fairy to come. Come on - - - 4 seems like a good haul. ). Well, I better get going, I'm pretty sleepy.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 15, 2005 6:15 am (#1038 of 2981)

I did my taxes and received my refund the beginning of March. If someone hadn't said today was tax day, I wouldn't have thought about it at all!

Mrs. Sirius, you didn't want to have your child bring in that dessert with the beans and the milk and the sugar you told us all about awhile back? Well, at least you decided to make flan. You could have gone an easier and far less exotic route and made rice and beans.

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Thora - Apr 15, 2005 6:18 am (#1039 of 2981)

Loopy Lupin, I did mine ages ago too, we like to have our money as soon as possible. Naturally it's all gone now.

Sorry if I made the thread grow to much... perhaps I should shut up now eh?

Michelle thanks again for the tip for the lovely teacle tart I made yesterday, and the treacle fugde in the refridgerator (a bit grainy but silly me used condensed instead of evaporated milk). At last my quest for understanding all treacle references in the books is at a close. The menu for my release party keeps growing and growing....

Have a good day all!

Thora

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kabloink! - Apr 15, 2005 6:26 am (#1040 of 2981)

Denise, Marie E, and Squid Mike....sounds like our fathers are all very similar. Denise, I have had many an episode like that with my father as well, only he wouldn't have driven, just kept telling me how wrong I was without bothering to see for himself...

Hmm taxes...my husband did them yesterday, but I still have to sign and staple and mail. If he hadn't taken the car that the briefcase they are in is in to work, I could do that now...alas, earwax.

I woke up this morning at 8am...WITHOUT MY ALARM. SO I took a lovely half hour walk along the river this morning. Here in Grand Ledge, the Grand River has carved out sandstone ledges which are at some points about 3 stories high (I'm guessing here...eyeing measurements is NOT my strong point), thus the name Grand Ledge. There are also 7 islands in the river that in the late 1800's early 1900's constituted one of the Midwest's most popular resorts. There was a high class hotel on one island-now it is just a gazebo with a sidewalk that goes out to the end, and paddle boat rides, etc. Apparently there was even a roller coaster that went from island to island. Unfortunately it is all gone, and all but one of the islands seem to be nature preserves. It is still lovely for walking the trail on a crystal clear morning.

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Catherine - Apr 15, 2005 6:31 am (#1041 of 2981)

Not really, but I am interested to know the title of the so-called art film you were watching and whether or not it is available on DVD. --Loopy Lupin

The title was L' Amant, based on a novel by Marguerite Duras, and it is available on DVD. This information does not constitute an endorsement of this film.

Hang tight to the popcorn.

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Eponine - Apr 15, 2005 6:45 am (#1042 of 2981)

We filed our taxes online a couple of days ago. I'm quite the procrastinator, and taxes make my head hurt so I had some help from my father-in-law. Who, incindentally sounds a lot like many of your fathers. He knows everyone in the smallish town where we live, and he is just as blunt and tactless as anyone. Mr. Eponine has quite a few stories about him, but some of my only experiences are at the UNC basketball games where he puts on quite a show. We don't usually watch movies with his parents so I haven't been embarrassed by that yet. But my husband did go to see 'The Crying Game' with him years ago in the theatre, and he apparently caused quite a scene.

Books - We will be buying one copy of HBP. It's pre-ordered at Barnes and Noble. My best friend is coming to stay with me for a bit this summer, so she'll be here at the time as well. I'm a very fast reader, so I'll read it through twice before I hand it off to my husband. My husband and my best friend are both very slow readers, so I'll be spending a lot of time on the phone with my sister and on the forum that week. I'll probably order the Bloomsbury edition off eBay a few months after it comes out. I did that with OotP and got it for about $15.

Happy Tax Day!

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kabloink! - Apr 15, 2005 6:57 am (#1043 of 2981)

Now, does anyone know if there will be a thread where we can post about HBP shortly after its release? I remember after OoP, we weren't allowed to talk about it on the forum for a few weeks, but was also right around the time when there were so many problems with WorldCrossing, so I got a bit lost and didn't find my way back here til this past fall. Maybe there will be a special thread where we can post spoilers?

Ooh, I have a random question. Who here does NOT have one of the HBP covers as their computer's desktop background? My husband and I have both had the American cover on ours since the day it was released, so I was wondering if anyone else did, too.

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Marè - Apr 15, 2005 7:13 am (#1044 of 2981)

Kim, the hosts already started the discussion about how to handle the release of the book on the forum.
Don't worry, I'm sure that when all the details have been sorted out Kip or Denise will post how, what and when.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 15, 2005 8:43 am (#1045 of 2981)

kabloink, I have the Scholastic Countdown active desktop on my computer at home. And I've got the UK Adult cover on my desktop at work!

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John Bumbledore - Apr 15, 2005 8:45 am (#1046 of 2981)

Kabloink, I was thinking the same thing when I read Eponine's post.

Marè, thank you for telling us that the hosts are already discussing the issue. May I suggest a section of threads similar to the previous chapter by chapter read along I saw once upon a time ago. Though it should be noted that I did not read any of those threads, so I don't know how well it worked.

<)B^D= John Bumbledore

P. S. Gina, Kabloink, Where did you find cover art images with size and resolution suitable for desktop wallpaper? Alas, I am using a wallpaper I found on Windows 2000 (at work computer) called "Prairie Wind." I have made my own, but I get board with the same thing day after day.

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Elanor - Apr 15, 2005 9:40 am (#1047 of 2981)

Hello! I hope everyone has a good day! Here, holidays have started under the rain, and even under the snow this morning but it didn't prevent me from shopping as planned.

Lizzie, it was good to hear from you, I'm really happy everything went well!

Catherine, I've seen L'amant. I understand better now why your Mom did that... Actually, I thought it was a "turnip", which is the name we give here to very bad or/and very boring films. I have absolutely no idea why a movie that is a disaster is called a turnip (maybe because turnips is all you would give to the film's director for such a bad work?). Anyway, as I found "L'amant" both boring and rubbishy, the word fits it very well! In a way your Dad and husband were lucky to have at least a funny moment watching it...

Pottermom34, I'm happy to find another ER fan here! I may be able to cheer you up a little. You're tired to see the old episodes again (me too BTW) but imagine that here we are a season late and we won't see the new season before September... The last one that was on TV finished with the Pratt's car accident scene and, as usual, this last episode was very frustrating, and promising at the same time! I can't wait to see the next season but I was so sorry to hear that Carter will leave the series (I always had a crush on Carter... )

Edit: and I have the UK adult cover art as desktop wallpaper!

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Thora - Apr 15, 2005 9:41 am (#1048 of 2981) Reply

I have a hogwarts pic from mugglenet, it's the view from the quidditch pitch, it's really beautiful.

I am seriously considering doing a green and purple gown for the release, I just can't decide on a style.

So much for posting less, I need a life, eh?

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septentrion - Apr 15, 2005 11:30 am (#1049 of 2981) Reply

L'Amant wouldn't be what I'd call an "artistic movie". More a "turnip" as Elanor stated.

I have the Scholastic and the mugglenet countdowns on my desktop at home, and the HBP cover (american) at work.

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Catherine - Apr 15, 2005 1:03 pm (#1050 of 2981) Reply

L'Amant wouldn't be what I'd call an "artistic movie".

No arguments from me on that score, although I have seen it receive very good reviews. I think calling it a turnip is unkind to turnips; the movie was THAT bad. And mortifying to watch with one's parents and husband.

It had the reputation of being artistic because it was shown in the "serious film" theater in Richmond and had subtitles.

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Acceber  - Apr 15, 2005 1:21 pm (#1051 of 2981) Reply

IT'S VACATION! No more school for nine days! I really needed this vacation. Our teachers somehow found it amusing to bog us down with more work than usual during this past week. Not fun. I am going to NYC with Prozdor, my Hebrew High School, for a three-day, two-night trip starting Sunday. We plan to go to a Mets-Marlins game, the Empire State Building, The Phantom of the Opera, The Heritage Museum, The Natural History Museum, and Ellis Island. I am so excited!

I usually laugh a lot while reading this thread, but today I think I laughed more than normal. That's a good thing. Everyone must be in good spirits because of the nice weather we've been having.

Today is my dad's birthday, as well as Emma Watson's and Emma Thompson's. I didn't tell him that he shared his entrance into the world day with two actresses in a few of the best movies of all time because I doubt he'd care. Muggle.

Last night, I attended my sister's After-School's production of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Very amusing. You can't hear anything the actors are saying, except when they're yelling, and the seats are situated on a flat surface, meaning short people like me can't see over heads. I'll probably detail more of it on the YKYAHPLFW thread when I get there, so stay tuned.

I got my braces tightened two days ago and my mouth still hurts a little. One of my friends, who now has a retainer, says that the orthodontists tighten your braces more when they're going to come off soon. That's good news! I've had mine since September of 2003 and I want them off!

I think that's it. I'm going to catch up on the threads. Tata!

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Elanor - Apr 15, 2005 1:38 pm (#1052 of 2981) Reply

Catherine: "It had the repuation of being artistic because it was shown in the "serious film" theater in Richmond and had subtitles."

To be honest, it had the reputation of being artistic here too, that's why I watched it then. At least my Mom wasn't with me when I saw it (I do sympathize with you!)! It seems that the cinema critics who award movies with the "artistic" mention have the regrettable tendency to call "artistic" what is in fact "boring" (if not worse) on both sides of the Atlantic...

Happy vacation Acceber! Enjoy it!

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Apr 15, 2005 2:01 pm (#1053 of 2981) Reply

It had the repuation of being artistic because it was shown in the "serious film" theater in Richmond and had subtitles.---Catherine

Gee, I thought all movies with subtitles were artistic. I guess I'll have to find a new barometer.

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Chemyst - Apr 15, 2005 3:43 pm (#1054 of 2981) Reply

Gee, I thought all movies with subtitles were artistic.

That's what I always thought too– earning an extra star if they were filmed in grainy black & white. I guess we need a double order on the new barometers.

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Catherine - Apr 15, 2005 4:12 pm (#1055 of 2981) Reply

I guess we need a double order on the new barometers. –Chemyst

I guess we need one that can measure the sound or speed of the dropped popcorn.

Or else measures the presence of turnip.

Or both.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 15, 2005 4:27 pm (#1056 of 2981) Reply

Have fun on your trip, Acceber. Pity you have such a packed schedule. The NYC HP group (aka Hogwarts Local NYC) will be meeting this Sunday for brunch in Brooklyn at a place called the Chip Shop. They offer british fare such as fried breakfasts, fried Mars bars, steak and kidney pie... We are calling it the April Birthday and Cholesterol Fest.

EDIT: There were large images of all the covers posted on mugglenet. I'll see if I can track down the URLs.

EDIT, Take Two: I found the URLs!

UK Children's Edition: http://www.mugglenet.com/viewer/?image_location=hbpchild.jpg
UK Adult Edition: http://www.mugglenet.com/viewer/?image_location=hbpadult.jpg
US Edition: http://www.mugglenet.com/viewer/?image_location=harrypotter6_HR.jpg

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Mrs. Sirius - Apr 15, 2005 9:33 pm (#1057 of 2981) Reply

Mrs. Sirius, you didn't want to have your child bring in that dessert with the beans and the milk and the sugar you told us all about awhile back? Well, at least you decided to make flan. You could have gone an easier and far less exotic route and made rice and beans.

The idea of this immigrant exchange is to entice the kids to try something new and maybe it won't be so bad, not that habichuela con dulce is bad of course. Some of these kids get peanut butter and jelly for lunch everyday. So yes, rice and beans an' chicken did come to mind but I figured I should play it really safe. The event was really great, it's amazing how much of these families brought in. It seemed that 48% were of Swedish extraction, 48% were of Polish extraction, and the rest were everything else.

Oh Rebecca, I'm so jealous. I hope you get great weather while you are in the city but don't forget to take a moment to just take it all in. Find a nice spot and watch New York go by.

For the first time ever we got our taxes done and mailed before the 15th, a great relief.

From junior high until college, my best friend was a girl named Josh, she was well, different. Her birthday is today I always wish I could see Josh again. She's the type who 'd love the HP universe. Where ever you are, Josh, happy birthday.

Catherine, don't all movies sold on DVD have the option for captions?

It's been ages since I've seen Tim, anyone know how he is doing?

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Ydnam96 - Apr 15, 2005 9:33 pm (#1058 of 2981) Reply

Well, sorry about my rant yesterday, it was a rough day. Today was as well, but I'm in a much better mood than I was last night.

I had to go get x-rays of my foot from when I fell last week, nothing is broken, but it appears that I have done some ligament damage. Not fun really. But oh well.

I was just in the chat room with Dizzy Lizzy and she taught me to do smileys so I'm gonna practice one now      

I hope that works. I'm off to bed. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

edit: Yay

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- Apr 15, 2005 10:31 pm (#1059 of 2981) Reply

It had the repuation of being artistic because it was shown in the "serious film" theater in Richmond and had subtitles.

Ah, yes, the classic "It's an independant/low budget/foreign film, so it must be good" fallacy. While there are good Art films out there, the vast majority make me want to demand my money back--and I get paid to watch them! Give me a good old "buddy cop" movie anytime.

--Mike

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Susan Bones - Apr 16, 2005 12:28 am (#1060 of 2981) Reply

Yesterday was the first time I read this thread. This is one popular thread.

About buying the latest book: Last time I prepaid for OoP at a book fair at the kids' school. That way the school got some money from the transaction and my daughter got a Harry Potter cap. This time we'll be back-packing in the Sierra Mountains that weekend. I'll either order it from Amazon and expect it to be here when we get back Monday night or we'll have to buy it on Tuesday.

We've only ever gotten one copy and we share the reading. Mr. Bones reads for a bit in the evening and I read later, often after he goes to bed. Last time Susan, Jr. didn't read it at all until we parents finished the whole book. And either we read it to the littlest Bones, or he'll listen to the audio tapes later with the rest of us.

Have a great weekend in NYC, Acceber. I was there 3 weeks ago with my daughter's orchestra. They played at Carnegie Hall -- very exciting. We had a wonderful, if rushed and slightly stressful, time.

Have a great weekend everyone. Looking forward to more HP (and non-HP) discussions on this wonderful forum.

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dizzy lizzy - Apr 16, 2005 1:48 am (#1061 of 2981) Reply

Yes I had a wonderful time on the chat thread. I am so glad to see my instructions to Ydnam worked! *rubs hands with glee*.

My littlest dog, Lucy (Jack Russell/Maltese), had her annual vaccinations done whilst being boarded at the vets this week. They rang to tell me that the trainee vet nurse didn't hold her well enough and when the needle went in, she escaped and was running round the vet clinic with the needle still in her. I could see the funny side of the story and I laughed till I cried. I told the vet that if she was OK physically and was not hurt to feed her a treat like a chewy piece of pig ear.

But I gave Lucy a treat yesterday to apologise for her bad experience, I felt so bad I couldn't be there to hold her.

Off to try and catch up on the other threads - welcome to all those who have paid us a visit.

Lizzy

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haymoni - Apr 16, 2005 5:03 am (#1062 of 2981) Reply

My mother-in-law called me at work yesterday. That always makes me nervous - it has to be something bad.

Not this time! She was at her local Borders bookstore and called to ask if we had pre-ordered HBP. (My plan was to go to the local celebration in July and pick it up then.)

Anyway, with her "grey-haired discount", she was able to pre-order at 40% off. FYI if some of you have a "grey-haired" person willing to do this for you!

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Catherine - Apr 16, 2005 5:05 am (#1063 of 2981) Reply

Catherine, don't all movies sold on DVD have the option for captions?

Well, yes, I think so. It's just that when we saw this film, it was subtitled because it was in French, and we saw it in the movie theater.

Mike, I laughed aloud at your analysis of what constitutes an art film. The fallacy is still alive and well, I think.

Lizzy, the poor dog. I'm glad she's okay. Jack Russell terriers are sure feisty, aren't they?

Well, I had fun meeting some Forumers for the scheduled Chat last night. One topic that came up last night was Festivals in the Southern U.S. Today is our local Shad Festival, complete with the judging of the Shad Queen and the not-so-appetizing Shad Toss. For those unfamiliar with Shad, it's a fish. So yes, my fellow citizens will be lining up for the privilege of throwing a dead fish farther than their peers.

Apparently this practice caught the notice of the animal rights group, PETA, who were passing through town this week protesting in front of schools about the catching and eating of fish. Naturally, the Shad Toss came up, and some heated interviews took place. I'm assuming that the guy in the fish suit has moved on down the road, but who knows? Maybe there will be a protest at the Shad Toss this year.

Have a good Saturday, everyone.

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Eponine - Apr 16, 2005 6:04 am (#1064 of 2981) Reply

Actually, not all DVDs have the options for subtitles. I honestly can't remember which ones now, but my husband and I usually watch DVDs with the captions because you catch more dialogue that way. There are a few we own that don't have the option of English subtitles. I believe they're usually the more cheaply produced ones.

We did have a good time in the chat room last night. I learned about Australia and Shad tossees. Quite entertaining.

I hope everyone has a great day!

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Marie E. - Apr 16, 2005 8:18 am (#1065 of 2981) Reply

I had to use subtitles when I watched Gosford Park or else I missed half the dialogue. It's fun it put the subtitles on and then see that you had misheard someone.

I knew a little boy named Shad and always wondered if his parents knew he was named after a fish. The little town in Virginia where my inlaws have a lake house always hosts a fishing festival in July, though not devoted to a particular species of fish. It's all a matter of time, I suppose. I also met a little boy named Shale and thought "how nice, he's named after a sedimentary rock".

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Gina R Snape - Apr 16, 2005 8:37 am (#1066 of 2981) Reply

Tht's not so bad, Marie. I once knew a girl named Latrina. Ew. Just . . . ew. You can imagine the poor girl when we were all old enough to find out what a latrine was!

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Catherine - Apr 16, 2005 8:53 am (#1067 of 2981) Reply

I also met a little boy named Shale and thought "how nice, he's named after a sedimentary rock". --Marie

That's not so bad, Marie. I once knew a girl named Latrina.—Gina

Ok, when I finally get to be Empress of the Universe, I will mandate that parents consult a good thesaurus before filling out the birth certificate. ::adds this to the long scroll of laws I will enact:::

I remember at my brother's high school graduation that Mr. Catherine and I were overcome with laughter when a young lady named "Lazania" (pronounced like the Italian casserole "lasagne") walked to the podium.

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Cornelia - Apr 16, 2005 10:24 am (#1068 of 2981) Reply

Aren´t there any restrictions in what names you can choose for your child in the US?

In Germany you have to be able to tell the gender (at least with the middle name), it can´t be against the "good taste" (don´t know how to translate that) and the name must not be embarrassing for the child. If you are not sure or the official who registrates the name isn´t if the name is okay, they have to ask a special institut which decides. (Pepsi Carola is allowed but Latrina probably wouldn´t be)

But we have laws for every tiny little thing...

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Catherine - Apr 16, 2005 10:31 am (#1069 of 2981) Reply

Aren´t there any restrictions in what names you can choose for your child in the US?

None that I'm aware of!

I didn't realize that some countries did restrict the naming of one's child, hence my joke about mandating it.

It's hard to imagine a name going to a committee. But at least no one in Germany is probably named Latrina.

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Madam Pince - Apr 16, 2005 10:33 am (#1070 of 2981) Reply

No restrictions in the U.S. for selecting names as far as I know, Cornelia. That's interesting info about the German process -- I never knew that. See what you learn hanging around the Forum?

We get some real doozies around here too. My college roommate knew a girl named Juan -- not too unusual, right? Except that it was pronounced "Joo-Ann." Poor child. I'll bet she led a frustrating life.

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Ponine - Apr 16, 2005 10:45 am (#1071 of 2981) Reply

In Norway, we used to have fairly strict laws concerning names, but they have recently been changed, causing people to assume the most ridiculous names - a kid in a fish store has now the dubious middle name Keikoburger. We are such classy folks.... Of course, the most atrocious ones I heard were to little twins, and I swear, this is true. Their names sounded like Lamontcello and Aurancello - alas, if only. Lemonjello and Orangejello. Sadly, true story.

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Madam Pince - Apr 16, 2005 10:51 am (#1072 of 2981) Reply

Oh dear.

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Ladybug220 - Apr 16, 2005 10:59 am (#1073 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 16, 2005 11:00 am

Speaking of names, I used to see the delivery record for a hospital. It didn't record the baby's name but the mother's name. One mom's name was Candida and most of the women should catch that one. I felt really sorry for her...

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septentrion - Apr 16, 2005 11:10 am (#1074 of 2981) Reply

In France too there are rules regarding baby's names. You can use Saints' names, regional names, mythological names if not too ridiculous (imagine a boy named Appolon ?), and other names like flowers etc which are of "good taste". I've heard of a family named Renaud (or something sounding like that) who wanted to call their daughter Mégane but wouldn't be allowed to because it sounds like the car "mégane renault"(as if your name would be ford and you wanted to call your daughter Anglia), and I've known a couple who weren't allowed to call their daughter "Harmonie", so they had to find quickly another name (new born are to be declared to the authorities within 48 hours after their being born).

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Catherine - Apr 16, 2005 11:17 am (#1075 of 2981) Reply

Hopefully, she was named in honor of Voltaire's Candide.

Otherwise, ewww.

Truly, I think parents should avoid names that make other people wince and snicker. Before Miss Manners (aka Loopy Lupin) take umbrage, I do realize that it would be best if we refrained from obvious wincing or snickering, and certainly I would never want to embarrass anyone, BUT...if someone names their child after an outdoor toilet or jello, it can be difficult to do.

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Thora- Apr 16, 2005 11:30 am (#1076 of 2981) Reply

Boy I guess it's a good thing I live in the US then, I love original names, though not to over the top.

Chat was a lot of fun last night, hope we can do it often.

My sister who just moved in with me started re-reading the series because she couldn't recall half the stuff I talked about. It's a good thing she's a quick reader because I need to start my re-read.

Thora

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GryffEndora - Apr 16, 2005 11:45 am (#1077 of 2981) Reply

I got kicked out of the chat last night just when we started getting a good number of people. I'm glad everyone had fun and I hope we do it again soon, maybe I can actually stick around this time.

On the name front, I've heard of a recent trend of naming girls Mercedes, after the car, because the Mother/Father always wanted to have a Mercedes.

When my mother was young a boy in the neighborhood who she new from the playground was named Gary Gary. Many years later I was working as an engraver and I personalized a Christmas gift for him.

My mother used to do business cards. Her favorite customer was Vincent Vegetable, and when I worked in Medical Records I always loved pulling the chart for William Walkingstick. I now look back on these names and wonder if they are worthy of JKR?

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Eponine - Apr 16, 2005 11:46 am (#1078 of 2981) Reply

Actually there's a play by George Bernard Shaw titled Candida. The title character was a woman, so maybe she was named after that.

I knew of a little girl whose name was Fallen. I'm not sure how it was spelled, but that's how you pronounced it. Do you want to know her last name? Love Yep. Fallen Love.

I also knew a girl named Mary Christmas. It was a family tradition, but she went by her middle name or her initials.

Not that we're going to have children anytime soon, but my husband and I often talk about names. Does anyone here dislike certain names because you associate them with certain people? I do that, but Mr. Eponine doesn't understand it.

Well, I hope everyone is having a great day.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 16, 2005 11:47 am (#1079 of 2981) Reply

Oye, I know I'll sound like a broken record here, but... I knew a girl named Mercedes when I was a child. She grew to be quite pretty as a teenager and al the boys used to taunt her and say 'Mercedes Bends' (ne Benz) every time she bent down for something.

It rather reminds me of something Malfoy would do, in retrospect.

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Marie E. - Apr 16, 2005 11:50 am (#1080 of 2981) Reply

A new trend of girl names here in Colorado Springs is the name Nevaeh, which in heaven spelled backwards (if I did it correctly). They were surveying the hospitals for the most popular names for babies last year and Nevaeh was on the top ten for girls. I also once met a baby boy named Semaj, which is James spelled backwards. Incidently, the most popular name for baby girls last year in Colorado Springs was Madison. I can't remember what the boy name was, but I'm betting on Jacob.

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Catherine - Apr 16, 2005 12:18 pm (#1081 of 2981) Reply

Does anyone here dislike certain names because you associate them with certain people? –Eponine

Oh, yes. It makes naming a child difficult, especially if a grandparent gets involved with his/her associations and tries to nix names because of that.

For instance, I happen to really like the name "Emma." Mr. Catherine was OK with the name Emma. My mother likes the name Emma. Problem? There was a joke my friends and I used to tell in high school about a girl named Emma. The punch line ended with the phrase: "Emma...pull yourself together." This one joke from years ago was enough to make my father declare that he could never take a child named Emma seriously.

And so it went. One name we talked about had bad associations because it was shared by a little girl in Dad's second grade class who had her head shaved due to a bad head lice infestation, and Dad couldn't get over that.

Honestly! But we didn't use that name, or any of the other ones he fussed about. It just wasn't worth listening to for the years to come.

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Ladybug220 - Apr 16, 2005 1:03 pm (#1082 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 16, 2005 1:05 pm

Unfortunately, I don't think she was named after Candide.

Eponine, I have those associations too. When my brother and sis-in-law were talking about names for my eldest niece, they were considering one that I have a very bad association with. I didn't mention my issue with the name since it wasn't my child, but I was incredibly thankful that they decided on a different name.

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Lina - Apr 16, 2005 1:11 pm (#1083 of 2981) Reply

Welcome to the thread, Susan Bones!

I ordered my copy of HBP on-line and entered the competition for one of three copies that are going to be awarded. Oh, I hope so much to get one, but I doubt. I'm usually not lucky with those games. We don't need two copies because I'm the only one who reads in English. Then I retell the story to my daughters. It is not a spoiler to them. One of them likes to read the books several times, and the other started to read the first two, but never came to the end. For the first book I came to the end for her.

About odd names: I have a friend whose name is Nada. It means hope in Croatian and is not a rare name. But when she went to some conference in Spain, they didn't want to publish her name, they've just put the initial.

Candida, unfortunately is normal Italian name, meaning pure, clean. And I guess that candida (fungi) have got their name because they are usually caused by too much hygiene. It is a problem, when you name your child, you are not always able to know where is your child going to travel or emigrate. Who knows how some of our names sound in Chinese?

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kabloink! - Apr 16, 2005 4:13 pm (#1084 of 2981) Reply

Hmmmm weird names...My husband, when we lived in Grand Rapids, worked at an inner-city McDonalds. Wow, some of the names. I can't remember them, off hand, but those of you who are in or around big cities with large low-income areas have probably encountered some of these crazy names, Shaniqua Shabaz, for instance. Some of them are pretty, but a lot of them I just shake my head at and ask, why?

I, personally, like very traditional names. I want to name my first daughter Elizabeth Anne. Elizabeth for my one grandmother's middle name (her first name was Gertrude, which there's nothing wrong with, but still . . . ), and Anne for my, mother's and my mother in law's middle name. I think we're all Anns, but I think Anne is simply prettier. I think the most unique we will get in naming our kids is Lorne, which has to be our first son's middle name. Whenever he may be born, He will be the fourth generation to my knowledge to carry on the tradition. THis all depends on whether or not the names fit the kids. I have the feeling that you can have names all picked out, and no matter how much you may want them, sometimes they just don't fit.

Okay, off I go for some exciting Diablo II action...

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timrew - Apr 16, 2005 4:18 pm (#1085 of 2981) Reply

I quite agree. I'm all for the traditional names like Bob, Mike, Steve..........I mean, why saddle your kid with some name that's going to cause him a lot of embarrassment later in life?

Timphadora Biscuit-Barrel Dogbreath Fire-Hydrant Smith.

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Ladybug220 - Apr 16, 2005 4:30 pm (#1086 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 16, 2005 4:31 pm

Lina, I hope that is why she was named that; but I rather doubt it considering the population that this hospital served.

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Chemyst - Apr 16, 2005 4:37 pm (#1087 of 2981) Reply

...about "Lemon Jello," someone help me out here. I know I've heard that joke where they pronounce it leh-MON-jih-low on either a corny movie, sitcom, or a Saturday-Night-Live genre TV show. Does anyone else remember that?

Who knows how some of our names sound in Chinese?  

I don't know that, Lina, but I have a Japanese name story:
 I know a couple who named their little girl Camry, which I thought would be a burden to her when I first heard it, but she's cute & active and the name kind of grew on me. I guess Toyota took some licks when they first came out with the Camry. The buzz was that Camry was named as an anagram of "my car", but I have since learned it has a phonetic similarity to the Japanese word "kanmuri" which means "crown." And Crown Victorias have been around awhile, so it's not totally odd.   Trivia for the day: Touareg is an anagram for - OUTRAGE

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Apr 16, 2005 4:51 pm (#1088 of 2981) Reply

I remember telling my husband how much I liked the name Micah (a biblical name) and it has wonderful associations with that old show The Rifleman. My husband pointed out that any child saddled with that name would forever be taunted with the nickname Formica for the rest of his days. Too bad. I really do like that name.

Hey Rebecca, I was in your neck of the woods today. I was at the Atrium Mall. I didn't see you around.

EDIT: As for Chinese names....I wonder about all those tattoos of Chinese characters people get. They always explain the tattoos as meaning Strength, Hope, Live with Purpose...you get the idea. I always wonder, what if they mean Doofus, Chump, Sucker? I say, stick with what you know.

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Chemyst - Apr 16, 2005 4:56 pm (#1089 of 2981) Reply

nickname: Formica   Then Mr. Lupin is Lupin would probably frown on the biblical name "Esther" as a middle name if the girl's first name was Polly?

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Apr 16, 2005 4:58 pm (#1090 of 2981) Reply

Exactly.

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prof sprout - Apr 16, 2005 5:41 pm (#1091 of 2981) Reply

I worked at a place where there were a ton of interesting names. This poor woman was saddled with the name LaTrasha. There was this one woman who named her kids Lady Diana, Prince Charles, Sir Mark Anthony.

I have a funny story about picking names. I was hanging out with my boyfriend I had in college with his grandparents. He said he wanted to name his first daughter Celestial Venus. While I was saying “over my dead body,” with a smile, his Grandma said “that’s nice.” He turned and glared at me, and said "That was my great grandma's name". I was starting to apologize and he finished, "but with a cool name like that she went by Irene." Needless to say we didn't last.

By the way guys, I feel good. My mouth doesn't really hurt, and once I stopped taking the pain medicine I'm not nauseous anymore.

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Catherine - Apr 16, 2005 5:54 pm (#1092 of 2981) Reply
Edited Apr 16, 2005 6:27 pm

Tee hee.

Formica and Polyester. No fake man-made materials for names, please. See, I hear the name "Micah" and although I like it, I think of a rock, like "mica." Perhaps I am just as bad as my father with the name associations.

Names are sensitive business. Ask around. Some people are very upset if they are called "Junior" or "II."

We went out to dinner with some other couples tonight, and I asked about the issue of names in other cultures. One of the women is from the Pacific island of Paulau, and she choked on her Coke when I asked this. It turns out that she is unable to tell her own mother what her fiance's parents have named their dog, as the name is very harmless in English, but in her native language means a private body part. Apparently it is a vulgar name for that private body part, and she refuses to repeat the name to her mom because it is so offensive.

She assured me that my name was fine in Palau.

EDIT: Prof Sprout, glad you are feeling better.

DOUBLE EDIT: Tim! I've missed you. Good to see you!

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kabloink! - Apr 16, 2005 6:09 pm (#1093 of 2981) Reply

I had a friend in high school whose name was Micah, and I don't think we ever thought to call him that. Darn. Actually, he was a good kid (he was actually a friend's little brother, but only two years younger so often hung out with us), and I wouldn't have insulted his name.

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Susan Bones - Apr 16, 2005 7:09 pm (#1094 of 2981) Reply

Formica and Polyester reminds me of a joke my grandfather used to tell. He told it different ways, but it would work out that there were two Ficial brothers, Benny and Arty.

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haymoni - Apr 16, 2005 7:36 pm (#1095 of 2981) Reply

My grandmother's name was Carmella and to me it has always been an old lady name. Esther, Florence, Norma, Lucille - all old people names.

I just wonder when all the Brittanys, Tiffanys, Heathers and the like are grandmas, if their grandchildren will associate those names as "old lady".

Most of my name dislikes are associations with idiots with whom I attended school - stuck-up girls, pig-like boys.

There was a boy at a school near me whose name was William Shakespeare. I knew one boy's mother whose name was Carol Carroll - that's really something since she married into that name - must have really been love. One person I worked with named her child Kelly Patrick. It wasn't until she quit to stay home that it dawned on me that her last name was Green - that poor kid was going to school with the name Kelly Green. What were they thinking???

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I Am Used Vlad - Apr 16, 2005 7:44 pm (#1096 of 2981) Reply

Years ago, I worked with a girl named Holly Kost. At the time, I assumed her parents didn't realize what her name sounded like. Now, I just hope that she is married and has a different last name.

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Julia. - Apr 16, 2005 8:19 pm (#1097 of 2981) Reply

Good evening everyone. It's so lovely here, I spent most of the day just sitting outside. I let my friend Greg give me a back massage, and I'm thinking that wasn't a good idea, as my back hurts more now than it did before.

Names can be quite fun things. A favorite around our house is pronounced "shitth (think Voldie hiss there)-eed." It's spelled in a way that I can't post on this forum, but it's pretty funny. We used to have season tickets to the New Haven Ravens, a local minor league team. During the 10 years that the team was there some very interestingly named players came through. Some favorites include: Quintin McCracken, Rhet Parrot, Wonderful Monds, John Ogiltree, Gil Meche, and my personal favorite, Napolen Calzotto, who was once thrown out at home plate three times in one game, the last time ending the game when he would have been the tying run.

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Madam Pince - Apr 16, 2005 10:32 pm (#1098 of 2981) Reply

Catherine, was your dinner companion from the island of Palau, as in Survivor that's currently running? How neat is that?

One of my friends named their son Duncan, which I thought (and still think) is lovely, but apparently he gets called "Doughnut" a lot.

Didn't Tony Orlando and Dawn have a song called "Candida" which was the girl's name? Wow, am I ever old....

And yes, I know all about the "name-associated-with-somebody-I-don't-like" phenomenon. I wanted to name Baby Pince after my father, who was deceased long before I ever met Mr. Pince. However, Mr. Pince objected because he once knew a kid in school by that name whom he didn't like. I personally thought that was ridiculous, and that my Dad's name should trump some loser from grade school, so we sort of compromised, and it is Baby Pince's middle name, which never gets used unless of course he is in big trouble. (As in dumping the can of bird seed all over the berber carpet, but I digress...)

We went to see "Sahara" tonight. Lots of holes in the plot, but very action-filled. Oh, and the "scenery" was quite pretty. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm Matthew McConaghey....We were commenting on the fact that the credits listed "Mr. McConaghey's Hair Colourist," and I said "Oh? He had hair?" ****Bad Madam P--must iron hands!**** Mr. Pince just rolled his eyes. He gets to moon over Morgan Fairchild in the Old Navy ads, so I get to be silly, too. (The hair was quite nice, actually.)

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Susan Bones - Apr 16, 2005 10:35 pm (#1099 of 2981) Reply

I, personally, like very traditional names. I want to name my first daughter Elizabeth Anne. -kabloink"

My name is Elizabeth Ann and I've always been very happy with it. It doesn't date me to any particular period, so, as haymoni mentioned, I don't think anyone will necessarily think "old lady" in the future when they hear it. And it has lots of nicknames. When I was born, by grandmother said, "Elizabeth is such a long name for such a little baby. I'll call her Beth." And so did everyone else after that!

We tried for a similar name for my daughter -- one that wouldn't date her to this period in time, one that was familiar, but not really common right now. We also did what my parents did and tried to find a name common to both our family trees. We came up with "Susannah". I hope she'll be as happy with her name as I am with mine. (My first smiley!)

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Mrs. Sirius - Apr 16, 2005 10:52 pm (#1100 of 2981) Reply

How cool is that!!! My son's bedroom window faces west-south. At night when he's in bed, he can see through the trees, one very bright star that twinkles red, and, white, and blue. It's a very active star and it scares him a little. To calm him we looked it up on the earthsky.org site. I think that it is the dog star Sirius! How cool is that?

Hey Tim, I knew you have a inimitable take on the discussion!

I think mention of my friend Josh started this discussion on names. What I didn't say is that her last name was strongly associated with a religion too. Looking at her name you expected a Jewish boy, but she is a Protestant girl, she often had to show her ID in school and once I had to vouch for her. What were her parents thinking?

Gina, your story about "Mercedes Benz" just makes me shudder for reasons I can't really go on about in public.

My first name which NO ONE is permitted to call me is Santa. I'm sure you can understand why, no-one-is-permitted-to-call-me-that!   That, and the fact that I am in fact am not a saint!!    What were my parents thinking?

On that note, have you heard of the man in the military who was shipping out and his wife was about to give birth to twins so he asked his brother to name the children? When the babies were born he called his brother to ask their names. His brother said he named the girl Denice, the boy was named Denephew.

My husband works with some people involved with social services. One client's child was removed from her care. The reason became apparent from the child’s name, which was pronounced Shi- theed but spelled Shithead.

The stories have circulated for years about advertising campaigns translated from the American market to the Latin-American market that have hit certain snags. One infamous one is the Chevy Nova. "No va" in Spanish means "doesn't go". Advertising a car that "doesn't go" makes for a not too successful campaign. My other favorite is the airline ad. It boasts all first class passengers fly in luxurious leather seats. Leather in Spanish is -cuero-. The line translated to "flying in leather" is volar "en cuero". Unfortunately "encuero" is a Spanish word that means naked. That ad was pulled.

Maritza

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Elanor - Apr 16, 2005 11:29 pm (#1101 of 2981) Reply

Once, a friend sent me a funny list of things about teachers, beginning with "You might be a teacher if..." and one of them was "if you can't have children because there's no name you could give a child that wouldn't raise your blood pressure the moment you heard it uttered".

Actually, that is rather true! I don't have children but I know that if someday I have some there are names I won't give them, even if I used to like those names, because they remind me of "Dudleyish" kids... Each year, when I am to know the names of the kids that will be in my class, the first thing I search is if there are some extraordinary names amongst them. This year, I have a Cordélia (her parents must love medieval names because his brother is named Théophane and her little sister, Mélisande), a Théodore and a Clélia (which is cute).

School is also the perfect place to see what names are in fashion. Here, you see a lot of old names as Léa, Jeanne, Mathilde, Louis and Louise, Jules, Thomas, Victor that come back into fashion. I even know a Célestine and a Philomène!

I hope your weather is better than ours. Here it rains again, and again, and again... when it doesn't snow. Not far from where I live, more than 40 centimeters of snow have fallen yesterday, a heavy snow that did a lot of damage unfortunately. Have a good night/day wherever you are!

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Lina - Apr 17, 2005 12:00 am (#1102 of 2981) Reply

Ladybug220: Lina, I hope that is why she was named that; but I rather doubt it considering the population that this hospital served.

Well, there is still a possibility that her parents knew some Candida and they liked her.

I knew people who gave their son a name after somebody too. The name is Velebit - a mountain in Croatia (I can see the beginning of it from my window) and not a common name at all. Fortunately, they moved to US before the kid got a chance to be teased at school.

The kids used to call me Lina - mandolina, which is a musical instrument, but it never bothered me.

My cousin's name is Edgar. This might not sound odd for most of you, but believe me, from the Croatian point of view the normal question would be "What were his parents thinking?" I love him very much, but I would never name a child after him.

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Julia. - Apr 17, 2005 12:11 am (#1103 of 2981) Reply

Mar, I have indeed heard the one about Denice and Denephew. I also say 'wow' to the story you told right before that joke. That is indeed the story that I was referencing in my post.

I had something that I was going to post, but I completely forgot it. If I happen to remember it in the middle of the night I'll let you know.

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timrew - Apr 17, 2005 12:17 am (#1104 of 2981) Reply

I Am Used Vlad: Years ago, I worked with a girl named Holly Kost. At the time, I assumed her parents didn't realize what her name sounded like. Now, I just hope that she is married and has a different last name.

Maybe now she's Holly Gram or Holly Anthy-Ivy?

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Apr 17, 2005 4:40 am (#1105 of 2981) Reply

One of my friends named their son Duncan, which I thought (and still think) is lovely, but apparently he gets called "Doughnut" a lot.---Madam Pince

The last time I was in Colorado (many, many years ago) the only doughnut chain they had was Winchell's (who, in my expert opinion, make horrible doughnuts). Maybe they're still the only brand out there. But here in Massachusetts (I don't know if they're regional now) most people get their doughnuts at Dunkin' Donuts. I don't think I would ever tease a child should he be named Duncan, but then again, I've never met one.

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Marè- Apr 17, 2005 5:40 am (#1106 of 2981) Reply

On the Mercedes name thing. Mercedes is or used to be a common name in Spain.
If I remember correctly the car was named after the daughter of the creator. It comes from the name of the virgin Mary: María de las Mercedes, meaning "Mary of Mercies".

Ah, I found it: http://www.cms.daimlerchrysler.com/emb_classic/0,,0-195-143246-1-84811-1-0-0-0-0-0-434-78641-0-0-0-0-0-0-0,00.html

And strange names aren't allowed in my country either. I once heard a story of a couple that had two sons, the first named Mark (common name, also by the time the German national coin), the second was named Franc (Frank also being a very common name, also at the time the name of both the French and Belgium national coin). But they weren't allowed to call their third son "Gulden" (= Guilder, never ever used as a name and at the time the dutch national coin...)
Odd people...

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Catherine - Apr 17, 2005 5:45 am (#1107 of 2981) Reply

Catherine, was your dinner companion from the island of Palau, as in Survivor that's currently running? How neat is that? --Madam Pince

Yep! It's very neat, actually.

I went to school with a kid called Duncan, but we didn't call him "Dunkin' Doughnuts." We called him "Duncan Hines" after the cake mix.

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Madam Pince - Apr 17, 2005 7:26 am (#1108 of 2981) Reply

Poor little Duncan. He's always fated to be called some type of baked goods....

(Sunday morning and we're talking about doughnuts.....mmmmmmm.....doughnuts.......mmmmmmmmm...Krispy Kreme....)

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Marie E. - Apr 17, 2005 7:56 am (#1109 of 2981) Reply

Lupin is Lupin-We did in fact have a Winchell's doughnuts here in Colorado Springs up until a year or so ago. All of the Dunkin' Donuts are, for some unknown reason, in the south part of town so Winchell's was the only doughnut shop up north. Two year ago Krispy Kreme opened up a store and, even though it's in the south also, Winchell's couldn't last after that. A lot of other stores carry Krispy Kreme on their shelves now, like Target.

Mmmmm....doughnuts.

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Denise P. - Apr 17, 2005 8:11 am (#1110 of 2981) Reply

As one with the name Denise, I can assure you that the Denise and Danephew chestnut is as old as time and anyone with the name Denise has heard multiple variations of it. As soon as I hear about a woman pregnant with twins joke, I normally interrupt to say "Denise and Danephew?" People actually seemed stunned I have heard it before.

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Ydnam96 - Apr 17, 2005 8:21 am (#1111 of 2981) Reply

We have Winchells here in California. I've not gotten donuts there so I can't pass judgement.

I work with a man named Micah and I knew a Micah in High School, and as far as I know neither ever had any problems with their name. Now, maybe they were never teased or maybe they just didn't care.

I actually have some friends though that have last (surnames) that are rather horrible. My cousin married into the name "Hooker" and I have a friend who married into the name "Hamburger" and I have a friend who's maiden name was "Strange" when she married I think she was glad to be rid of it

I have a last name which always got made fun of because it is part of a children's story. Everyone always thinks they are being so cute and original. Sometimes I appease them and just go, "oh that's clever" most of the time though I tell them I've been hearing it since I was a child.

Anyway. Happy Sunday.

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Essidji - Apr 17, 2005 9:31 am (#1112 of 2981) Reply

Happy sunday to all the members!

Gryffendora, the lyrics of the song you wrote (which I don't know) made me think of Gina too!

Mrs Sirius (Maritza is so beautiful), I was laughing out loud when I read your story about mistranslated ads in Spanish. Thanks a lot for the chuckle. I suppose this is why giving a commercial name to a product takes so long and costs so much : it needs to be short, to be easily recalled, and to be "neutral" in every part of the world that product is supposed to be sold!

Elanor, what you said about names in school made me think of a conversation I recently had with a friend:   she, like you, is a teacher, and, through the years, she finally established a sort of "theory of first names". For examples, names given after american show (kind of "the young and the restless"), such as Bryan, Kevin, Ryan, Megan, Sharon... are often the ones of terrible (dudley-ish) children. In the first days of the new schoolyear, she takes the list of the pupils and tries to guess what kind of class she will have. And she says she seldom gets wrong.

Oh, and the nickname of "doughnut" to Duncan sounds so dinky diddledums too! Sorry if someone pointed that out, I have just skipped through 160 posts... * blushes*

Have a great sunday again!

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librarian314 - Apr 17, 2005 10:07 am (#1113 of 2981) Reply

Hey all!

Here at the librarian household we've been thinking names quite a lot as my sister-in-law is expecting, as well as good friends.

I'm kind of tired of interesting male names being co-opted s women's names. There are several perfectly good men's names that I wouldn't name a boy now at all: Madison (my husband's middle name); Jordan; Ashley (from Gone with the Wind); Lindsay; Taylor. All of these are now girl names.

I had a friend in high school named Brian Case that wanted to name his son Justin.  

One of my more distant ancestors named one of his daughters Legal Tender. Needless to say even though this is a family name, it won't be showing up anywhere, anytime soon. Another family name that I would actually use in Minerva. It was one of my aunt's middle names.

In college, my husband used to joke our first born son would be Thingfrith Eorpwald after some early Saxon kings.

The general rule I've always had is one interesting name that can have a decent nickname and a second normal name. So Eustacia Elizabeth would be fine but Ethelthrith Sophinistra would be right out.

As a cataloguer working with names, I keep a list of interesting ones I find in library databases and so far my favorites are Rexford Tugwell and Otto Botto.

Y'all take care!

**michelle the librarian**

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Catherine - Apr 17, 2005 10:11 am (#1114 of 2981) Reply

LOL, Michelle.

My dad's side of the family has some erm...interesting...choices available.

A search of the family tapestry reveals names like Orville, Jaybez, and Theodocia.

Unfortunately.

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Denise P. - Apr 17, 2005 10:13 am (#1115 of 2981) Reply

My husband's aunt married a man...Esther married Chester. They had a daughter named Kay who married a man name Gray. They had twin girls named Polly and Molly. I told my husband that is sounded like a bunch of mule teams. But Aunt Esther and Uncle Chester were also his favorite Aunt/Uncle growing up. She is now in her 80's and still a favorite in the family.

The women in the family have the unfortunate claim to being named Goldie Pearl, Daisy Alice, Dorothy, Alice and Lottie Viola. Is it any wonder we chose to NOT name any daughter after family?

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Marie E. - Apr 17, 2005 10:57 am (#1116 of 2981) Reply

My great-great grandmother had two sets of twins, one boys and one girls. They were Eddie/Freddie and Birdie/Myrtie. The names themselves are not that unusual for the time they were born in, but together...?

I taught a kindergartener in Georgia who was a boy and named Ashley. I suppose in Georgia it's not that unusual since Gone With The Wind took place in Atlanta. I also knew a little girl named Bradley Anna. They never shortened it to Brad, it was always Bradley. I'm glad that one didn't take off as well as Jordan or Taylor.

It's funny how names come in and out of popularity. When I was first working in daycares back in '89, all the girls were named Katie and Megan and the boys were Michael and Matthew. Now all the girls are named Madison and Riley and the boys are Jacob and Colton. (I'm basing this on the most common names I've seen lately.)

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Ydnam96 - Apr 17, 2005 12:23 pm (#1117 of 2981) Reply

I would love to name a girl Elbereth Arwen (I'm a LOTR fan) but I think my family would dissown me. She could be called "Ellie" or even "Beth"...but I am determined not to have children...so maybe a future cat instead.

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Catherine - Apr 17, 2005 2:18 pm (#1118 of 2981) Reply

The names themselves are not that unusual for the time they were born in, but together...? –Marie

I have to agree with you. Not good. I do think, however, that those twin names, as individuals, are better than what my family has to offer. I can also see why Denise and Mr. Denise have not chosen girls' names from their relatives, bless their hearts.

Pets, like Ydnam suggests, offer a way for us to indulge our literary side without having a child claim that you ruined her life. Our Forum has some really great pet names. Gina has cats named Nympadora and Faberge. Loopy's parents have dogs named after The Dukes of Hazzard: Jesse, Daisy, Lulu, Cooter, Roscoe, and Flash. I'm not as creative, but I do have Daisy (The Great Gatsby) and Phoebe (The Catcher in the Rye).

Mr. Catherine probably will not let me acquire any new shih-tzus soon, but when he does, I see Harry Potter names in our future.

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Denise P. - Apr 17, 2005 2:36 pm (#1119 of 2981) Reply

I have pets named from the Harry Potter series, for condiments and for fictional characters on a TV show LOL

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Catherine - Apr 17, 2005 2:53 pm (#1120 of 2981) Reply

Indeed, I should have remembered to cite Denise's guinea pigs as HP examples. Luna, Sirius, and Regulus, I think they are named?

I remember that Shelter Girl, who hasn't posted on the Forum in quite a while, had a rescued dog named after the HP Ginny.

As for Mr. Catherine's saltwater fish tank, I haven't been allowed to name those fish. Claire seems to have eminent domain over fishy names. Although I do think that the big purple showy angel fish Mr. Catherine got for Christmas should be named "Gilderoy" or "Lockhart."

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Denise P. - Apr 17, 2005 2:55 pm (#1121 of 2981) Reply

Yep, you got 3/4 of my HP named piggers. You forgot Petunia though. She was already named when we got her and since she was the first piggy, the rest followed her lead.

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Catherine - Apr 17, 2005 3:13 pm (#1122 of 2981) Reply

Oops, sorry. Didn't mean to discriminate against non-wizarding guinea pigs.

Petunia is an awfully good name for a guinea pig, though!

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Catherine - Apr 17, 2005 3:45 pm (#1123 of 2981) Reply

Greetings, I have been a member for about a year and I made alot of posts last fall and winter but I've been away for a few months and I doubt anyone remembers me so I think that a new introduction is in order. I am studying to be a zoologist and writer and have a great deal of appreciation for world mythology, fantasy literature, and anything British so I fit right in with the Harry Potter fan community. When I quit posting, updates had started to slow down incredibly and so I pulled away from the lexicon for a while. Now, as the release of the next book creeps closer I am going to try to catch up with the lexicon forums. --ClassicSquid592

I remember you! It's great to have you back with us. I do hope you enjoy your Forum reunion.

Cheers!

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Ladybug220 - Apr 17, 2005 3:49 pm (#1124 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 17, 2005 3:51 pm

My cats are named after literary characters as well: Knightly (Emma), Lizzie (Pride and Prejudice), and Firenze (as if I need to tell y'all where that one came from). I like Nymphadora and Luna as well so then next female pets I get will probably end up with one of those names. Although, I will need to see what new characters JKR brings out in the next 2 books and if I get a black male dog, he will have to be Sirius!

Edit: Welcome back Classicsquid!

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Chemyst - Apr 17, 2005 3:53 pm (#1125 of 2981) Reply

It's funny how names come in and out of popularity.   Marie E

So true! The second summer my daughter went to camp, of the 24 girls in her tribe, 11 were named some form of Ashley, with five variant spellings. They used a lot of nicknames that year!

...big trouble. As in dumping the can of bird seed all over the berber carpet  

Hehehe & ah, well. I hope it wasn't millet or a millet blend; that is the worst! Back when I used to buy a blend, the squirrels would raid it for the sunflower seed and the little orange millet seeds would spill and take root. Since I'm not interested in feeding squirrels or growing a grain crop near the front door, the only bird seed I buy now is safflower. The squirrels don't seem to like it and the song birds generally eat every seed. And I can attest from first hand experience that safflower is easier to sweep up than millet.

...Edit... I take it that Classicsquid quote was imported from the "tell us about yourself" thread. Yes, you are remembered. Welcome home.

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dizzy lizzy - Apr 17, 2005 4:49 pm (#1126 of 2981) Reply

Just on dog and children's names, when my Lucy was living with my sister (she is my sister's reject) my eldest niece named her Lucifer after a character in a movie (I think) that they were keen on at the time. By the time Lucy was offloaded onto me, she had become plain old Lucy.

Macca is named after the fact that his first meal at my sister's house is my sister's breakfast from Macdonalds that he "stole" (enough said!). My sister, at the time of looking after Macca, was a member of the animal welfare league and voluntarily looked after abandoned dogs. By the time Macca's due date for extinction came up, I had already made arrangements to move to this town for work and bought him off the welfare league and boarded him at my sister's until I moved up here.

Sami is just named after no one. Nice name and lovely dog. He was abandoned on Boxing Day barely able to eat. My sister rescued him and handed him over to me, because he howled all night (and did so for the first three weeks) and being deaf, I couldn't hear him at all.

I can also attest that when eldest niece was born, it took my sister and hubby ages to decide on name because of pressure from hubby's family. My sister was having none of that, they decided not to name any of their 3 kids after relatives. Nephew has his father's middle name as his middle name and this coincidentally happens to be a middle and first name right throughout both family's.

I had a lovely Sunday and Monday is shaping up to be another lovely, but over warm, autumn (fall) day.

Lizzy

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Blast - Apr 17, 2005 5:08 pm (#1127 of 2981) Reply

The best doughnuts that I have eaten come from a bakery, they are made from scratch. We have several doughnut chains up here in the great White North so we are all doughnut experts. In fact we have within ten minutes’ drive from my house are twelve doughnut shops, ten Tim Hortons Donuts and two Donut Diners. B T W all the Tim Horton Donut shops are extreemly busy.

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Julia. - Apr 17, 2005 5:10 pm (#1128 of 2981) Reply

Oh, pet names are fun. When I was eight my parents finally allowed me to have two pet gold fish. I really wanted dogs, so I compromised by naming them Max and Sparkey. I've also dissected a few animals. My first dissected cat was named Kitty, the second was Remus. The two fetal pigs I did in college were named Anabelle and Wilbur. When I'm not living in a dorm I'll have cats named Remus and Ginny. In the mean time though I did convince a friend to name her cat Ginny.

EDIT: Cross posted with Blast. BLAST!!! *runs up and bearhugs Blast* Lovely seeing you again! Where on earth have you been?

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Ladybug220 - Apr 17, 2005 5:20 pm (#1129 of 2981) Reply

Blast! Nice to see you back! Wow, we have had 3 people return in the last day and a half.

Yes, name popularity comes and goes. My parents didn't know that there would be lots of Amy’s running around. In my high school biology class, there were 5 of us and two had the same last name as well, so they had to use middle initials too.

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Eponine - Apr 17, 2005 5:44 pm (#1130 of 2981) Reply

As we have no pets or children, I have resorted to naming my car after HP. My car's name is Hermione. When we do get around to having children, our first boy is going to have two middle names. Malone is a family name from Mr. Eponine (his middle name, his dad's middle name etc) and Douglas after my father who died in 1985. I don't want to wait on either of them because there is no guarantee that we'd have more than one boy, but I don't want to call a child Douglas or Malone. As for girls’ names, the only thing I know for sure is a middle name. My best friend's name is Evangeline, and I plan on using it for a middle name after her.

I worked at a summer camp one year, and the overwhelming trend that summer was girls named Mary (insert Mother's maiden name here) last name. They went by Mary + mother's maiden name. There was a Mary Steel, a Mary Clark, a Mary Grant and on and on. I haven't encountered it anywhere else, so I wonder if it was specific to that part of the country. (Mississippi)

I hope everyone is having a great day.

Catherine, how did the Shad festival go?

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Marie E. - Apr 17, 2005 5:44 pm (#1131 of 2981) Reply

My cat is named after British 80's singer Samantha Fox. I think it was mostly because she had a song out the summer Samantha was born. My brother took to calling her Samantha J. Fox so I decided she needed a J. middle name. My cat's full name is Samantha Jane. It comes in handy when I'm yelling at her. I used to have another cat named Tyler. I can't remember how I got the name Tyler, but I remember going through a lot of "t" names: Tiny, Tiger, Timmy, etc, until I finally came up with Tyler. Since Samantha had a middle name I had to give Tyler one, too. He became Tyler James. Obviously this was all before I had human children.

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Denise P. - Apr 17, 2005 5:51 pm (#1132 of 2981) Reply

I had a cat named Toby but her full name was Tobayashi Maru. Who is gonna be the first to say they know where her name came from and tell me that is wrong, it should be Kobayshi Maru?

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librarian314 - Apr 17, 2005 6:13 pm (#1133 of 2981) Reply

Hey all!

I'm of the generation where every other girl was named "Michelle"; growing up my nickname was "Missy". In fifth grade, there were three other girls that went by "Missy" in a twenty person class. I changed my name.

In college, there were two other girls with the same first and last name (one even had the same middle initial), as well as a Michael Lee. We were constantly exchanging misplaced mail. And finally, I now have the same first and last name as one of my high school friends.

There are three Barbara’s and two James’ in the family and my best friend and step-mom have the same name. Needless to say, just about everyone gets some sort of qualifier around here.

Other more interesting family names include: Sophinia; Marilda; Powhatan Perrow; and Effie. Two of the worst names I've heard were my best friend's from grade school and her little sister. They were Beulah Jean and Bessie Jane. They went by Jeanie and Janie.

We also would name our critters oddly. Dad had one dog named "Dog" and another J.D. for "Just Dog". My sister's cat was Arky, short for Joan of Arc. I had a rabbit named "Hasenpfeffer" and a gerbil named Squirrel.

I love thinking about names. I remember a conversation I had when my husband and I were still dating about names that we like and disliked and why. Lots of the names we didn't like was because we knew people that we weren't fond of with those names. So there would be no Parkers (some annoying kid he knew) or Brians (an friend's ex-boyfriend who was a real jerk) in our family.

Y'all take care!

**michelle the librarian**

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Apr 17, 2005 6:39 pm (#1134 of 2981) Reply

Denise---Do you mean Kobayashi from The Usual Suspects?

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Viola Intonada - Apr 17, 2005 7:22 pm (#1135 of 2981) Reply

Dizzy Lizzy, I assume that Lucy is a dog and not a child???

Hi! Blast!

We have so many Michaels and Tims in my family that my mom used to tell us we couldn't marry anyone by that name. My sister was 38 before she married, and yes it was to a Mike. (We figured Mom dropped the restriction my then)

I used to work in a medical laboratory. I wish I would have kept a list of all of the unusual names and unusual spellings we would come across. There were names which we felt the parents should have had to wait 24 hours (after the bad memory of child birth had worn off) before they were allowed to name their child and that it should have been approved by a panel of judges along with the family receiving counseling concerning the life their child was going to have with that name.

I often wonder if there are names that teachers will never name their child because of difficult experiences with students by that name.

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Denise P. - Apr 17, 2005 8:01 pm (#1136 of 2981) Reply

Bzzt Kim! Sorry but that was a cool movie, I really like Kevin Spacey.

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dizzy lizzy - Apr 17, 2005 8:21 pm (#1137 of 2981) Reply

Viola: Yes my Lucy is a dog!

Lizzy

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Eponine - Apr 17, 2005 8:34 pm (#1138 of 2981) Reply

My Lucy is a mother in law.

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Thora- Apr 17, 2005 8:43 pm (#1139 of 2981) Reply

Kobayshi Maru, now THAT I haven't heard in a long time, and my family would be shocked to know I had to look it up to recall what it was. I'll not spoil the fun.

"Gulden" (= Guilder, never ever used as a name and at the time the dutch national coin...)" – Mare

Oh my goodness, how funny is it that my husband really wanted to name our last child Guilder? I thought about it for a long time and finally was trying to find out the meaning when he admited it was a name from the He-Man move. Yeah, that got nixed. Other names we debated were Keona, Jenteal, Tyne, Thyme, Katra, Darjenka, and Chancellor. We ended up with Jordan Elisebeth, or Jordan Keith. So does that make me one of the parents that need a head-scan? hee hee.

I just wish my daughter's friends weren't Kaylee, Kayla, Kaitlyn, Kayelynn, Kelly, KellyAnne, and Katie. I ALWAYS use the wrong name, it is so frustrating!

Thora (of Dean, Thora, Jerelyn, Bobbi, Joseph, Eli fame... and that's just the natural siblings you should hear some of the step-sibling's names!)

(edit: oh and Thora was my grandmother's name)

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Amilia Smith - Apr 17, 2005 10:01 pm (#1140 of 2981) Reply

I think about four of my coworkers who had baby girls while I was working with them named them Kaitlyn.

And three of my roommates had boyfriends named Ryan.

Mills.

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Elanor - Apr 17, 2005 10:50 pm (#1141 of 2981) Reply

It is so funny to read about those names (well, not for the hapless people named like that)! One of my grand-grand-mothers had a very romantic name, she was called Marie-Antoinette Montaigue, cool isn't it?

In my family, we have a cute tradition. Each kid, even the boys, have "Marie" as a second (if it's a girl) or 3rd name (for boys), the 3rd or 2nd name is often then the Godmother's or Godfather's name. So, my "complete" name is Audrey Marie Claire, my brother is Luc Dominique Marie...

It is raining again here today, which is not fun at all. It rained so much those last days that rivers overflow everywhere. In my town, there are several roads cut off and some people living near the river had to leave their flooded houses yesterday. Fortunately, the rain is less heavy today and we hope the river will drop in level soon.

Have a great Monday (or still a good Sunday evening) wherever you are!

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Ydnam96 - Apr 17, 2005 11:31 pm (#1142 of 2981) Reply

Well I'm not sure we have any "strange" names in my family other than Lyman who was a great uncle of mine...but I don't think that was odd when he was young. My dad's side of the family tend to be named after saints as his family was Catholic.

My cat does have a rather unusual name, well at least one I get teased for. His name is Chloe. I got him from a shelter and they told me he was a she. So I named my brand new kitty Chloe (after much thought and deliberation) and then found out the next day she was not a she but a he. But I liked the name and had already begun to use the name with the cat so I felt it was un-fair to him to randomly stop calling him Chloe and change it to something else. Anyway...lots of people make fun of me know about it. But I think Chloe can be a unisex name if Ashley or Kelly or Terry can be

I just sent an email to my boss asking that I not be on duty (someone at my job has to be on duty all the time to deal with any emergencies on campus) on the night of the 15th so I can go get my book I love, love,  love that I will get to spend my Birthday reading the book. Finally, a good reason to be born smack in the middle of summer. July 16th, it is a gooooood day.

I should go to bed, I have an early morning and a long week, but for some reason I'm not tired. It might be because I took a rather long nap this afternoon. Oh well, might as well try and sleep. Night.

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The giant squid - Apr 18, 2005 2:28 am (#1143 of 2981) Reply

Timphadora Biscuit-Barrel Dogbreath Fire-Hydrant Smith.—Timrew

No, no, no...that's entirely too silly. Let's try something only slightly silly, like John Phillips Bong.

As Marie mentioned, we have some interesting names in our family. My cousin has threatened on more than one occasion to use a family name for his first child: Everardus Bogardus Wengel. His wife usually just rolls her eyes and changes the subject.

The year I was born was apparently a good one for Michaels...there were always at least two and as many as six in all my classes throughout my school career. I guess I can't complain too loudly...being named for an archangel isn't all bad.

Denise, I got the Kobayashi Maru reference, but I would never think to tell you you  were wrong--that's a no-win situation.

--Mike

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Lina - Apr 18, 2005 4:27 am (#1144 of 2981) Reply

Eponine, your naming your car reminded me of a situation many years ago, when my sister and I bought new umbrellas. All of the sudden, there was no rain for months and we couldn't walk our new umbrellas out. Then, when it finally rained, we decided to give our umbrellas names. Mine was Eustachius and her’s was Pelagius.

This might fit better in "What's in the name" thread, but since it has nothing to do with HP characters, I decided to put it here. St. Catherine from Alexandria is patron of science and students and my daughter Katarina is a very clever girl and a good student. Veronika means "the true picture (of God)", nobody really knows St. Veronica's original name but she's got this one thanks to the picture of the face of Jesus on her scarf(?), and my Veronika is quite a religious girl, concerned very much about what is fair, what is good and what is not. And archangel Michael is patron of the police while my Mihaela is quite a dictator but always willing to help, you don't even have to ask her, she is always there when you need any kind of help, even when you think you don't need help. Well, talking about archangels, My parents' names are Croatian versions of Michael and Gabriela.

When it comes to dogs, I like to give them doggy names. My first dog's name, translated in English, would be Spotty because he was white with large black spots. And my actual dog's name would be Nibbly or Bity because she really liked to ruin furniture when she was a puppy.

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Catherine - Apr 18, 2005 4:29 am (#1145 of 2981) Reply

Catherine, how did the Shad festival go? –Eponine

They ate mo' Shad. (This phrase comes from the Shad festival T-shirts that say "Eat Mo' Shad" that they sell every year). The last two days, our local section of the newspaper has featured individuals throwing fish. No protesters interrupted this time-honored tradition.

Today marks an important U.S. anniversary. Who can guess it?

Have a good Monday!

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Fawkes Forever - Apr 18, 2005 5:05 am (#1146 of 2981) Reply

I'm afraid I don't know what the U.S Anniversary is Catherine... is it your birthday? I'm feeling a little thick right about now! But I do know that in 1949, the Republic of Ireland was created (so that’s something... right?)

As for the weather, we had horrible downpours all yesterday, my back garden looked like a swamp, & well, my roof decided to prove that it wasn't fixed after all. So I'm in a pretty bad mood today (understatement), trying to deal with the builders & weighing up my legal options! It's got to the point where I might just patch up the roof & sell up! I'm that fed up! Only I wouldn't have the heart to pass this unto someone else... I'll at least get the roof fixed (somehow), before I sell up!

Hope you all have a good day?

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Apr 18, 2005 5:06 am (#1147 of 2981) Reply

Well, I don't know if it's marked elsewhere Catherine, but here in Massachusetts it's Patriot's Day. There'll be a big parade in Lexington and there'll be lots of dress-up people. People with wayyyyy too much time on their hands will reenact the Battle of Lexington and Concord. It also means there's no easy way to get to my favorite farm stand as the roads will be closed. It's also the day of the annual running of the Boston Marathon.

Oh and Denise, I know what Kobayashi Maru is, you Trek-head. However, I am right that Kobayashi is a character (or not, depending on how you look at it) from The Usual Suspects.

EDIT: I should take a picture of all the dress-up people and post it for you folks. You'd be amazed.

Also, my son did his 2nd grade biography report on Paul Revere this year and I learned more than I ever wanted to know about him. We got photographs of my son at all the important Revere sites, his house, The Old North Church, his capture site, his grave. Do you know he was married twice and had eight children with each wife? A head full of useless facts, that's what I am.

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Mrs. Sirius - Apr 18, 2005 5:11 am (#1148 of 2981) Reply

Catherine, is today the day in 1775 of Paul Revere's ride?

My cousin’s wife if from Spain. She was born under Franco’s rule. As a vehement anti-communist there was an unwritten rule that you prove you weren't communist by wearing your religion in your name. So her name is Maria Angeles, her mother's name is also Maria as are all her sisters. The tradition carries to the men too. So men born during that time have Jose in their name. Some people just gave up and named their daughters Maria Jose and sons Jose Maria.

Elanor is the tradition of naming everyone in the family Maria, Franco influenced?

Edit: Wow, 3 people posted in the time it took me to write this. I thought I'd be right after Catherine.

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Catherine - Apr 18, 2005 5:29 am (#1149 of 2981) Reply

Kim and Mrs. Sirius are correct.

Kim, just reading between the lines of your post, may I assume that you are not going to dress up in honor of Patriot's Day?

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Apr 18, 2005 5:39 am (#1150 of 2981) Reply

Was it that obvious?

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 18, 2005 5:43 am (#1151 of 2981) Reply

Happy Patriot's Day!

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Denise P. - Apr 18, 2005 6:03 am (#1152 of 2981) Reply

Denise, I got the Kobayashi Maru reference, but I would never think to tell you you were wrong--that's a no-win situation. TGS

SPEW!

Mike, I knew you would not disappoint me. I whooped loud enough and started to laugh when I read that that my husband wanted me to tell him what was so funny.

And yes Kim, it is a Star Trek reference.

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Penny Lane. - Apr 18, 2005 6:12 am (#1153 of 2981) Reply

Wow, I go away for a weekend and come back to well over 100 posts. Crazy.  I remember when this forum didn't even have a chat thread. *makes nostalgic face*

About 75 posts or so back, someone asked if we had any restrictions on names in the United States. Well, being cursed/blessed with a very unusual name myself, I've researched the process many times. Basically, it comes down to the judge deciding. They will rarely allow digits, such as 7 or 220 to pass through, but seven is okay, along with two. Also, naming yourself after a celebrity is difficult, as you have to prove that you aren't trying to capitalize in on their fame. Trademarked names are no-no's to. Also, no one can be named "God" or a racial slur. Single digits are okay, as Malcom X was his legal name (after he changed it) and crazy symbols are okay too. (Think Prince/Artist formally known as Prince/crazy symbol guy)

Pets: I have a cat named Tinkerbell and a cat named Tipsey. I used to have a cat named "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Cat", but that got really long to say and everyone just called him Pepper, or Dr. Pepper. He died last year, but he was a cool cat. He could open doors and everything. My rabbit's name was Mac, but he came with it. Otherwise I would have called him Thumper or Xander. When I was really little we had a poodle named Nelson, which I ind to me the most absurd name for a little tiny puff of fur. ;-)

Today is the anniversary of Paul Revere's Ride, although I'm finding it odd that no one on here pointed out the anniversary of the Titantic last Thursday/Friday.

I had a really long weekend, running everywhere -- except for Saturday night/Sunday morning when I let my roommate and her friend cut and color my hair. I've never had a haircut that took over an hour before, but at least my hair looks cool now.

Everyone have a great day.

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Elanor - Apr 18, 2005 7:35 am (#1154 of 2981) Reply

Mrs Sirius: "Elanor is the tradition of naming everyone in the family Maria, Franco influenced? ."

I knew a lot of Spanish people were called "Maria" and another name but I didn't know why. That's why I love that thread, you learn something new everyday!

As for my family, the tradition is not Franco influenced at all since it began far before his time, at least in the 19th century. This side of my family was very catholic and I think they liked the Virgin Mary a lot. I think they believed that to give her name to their numerous children brought them a kind of protection. As they were farmers, and not rich, they also thought that the religious career was great for their kids. Actually, my grand-grand father, who died during WW1, had 5 brothers and sisters, who nearly all became priests or nuns, he was the only one who got married, and inherited the farm...

They were rather adventurous BTW. One of his brothers left when he was 16, took the boat and went to Baltimore where he studied at the seminary (in the 1890s). I still have a lot of letters he wrote to his favourite sister then, from his travel and his studies in Baltimore to the years he spent afterwards in missions in the Texarkana region (in Arkansas?). They are very interesting and funny to read.

Have a happy Patriot's day!

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boop - Apr 18, 2005 7:59 am (#1155 of 2981) Reply

Hi Everyone!!!Special HELLO to BLAST !!!! Welcome back we have missed you. I also missed you birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday Blast with many more to come!!!

I had a great weekend in Cleveland Ohio. I was visiting with 2 forum members mischafan and tracie. They are both planning to come to the gathering.

Have a great Monday everyone!!!

hugs always

boop

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Sirius Lee - Apr 18, 2005 9:24 am (#1156 of 2981) Reply

Names have always been a big joke in my family, so I must add to the dying out names chatter.

My late father's name was Bobby, my brother's name is Bobby, my uncle is Tommy and my other brother's name is Tommy. My mother remarried when we were young children to a man named Ray (Jr!), with a son named Ray (the III) and a son named Tommy! Under one roof, we had two Ray's and two Tommy's! To make matters more confusing, My Tommy and Ray were the same age (7 at the time), and Bobby and new-Tommy were the same age. Eventually it got WAY to confusing to have five men and only three names, so new-Tommy (who was only 5) became known as Israel (his middle name) and the Ray's just became Big Ray and Little Ray (Big Ray still goes by Big Ray).

No one has an originality in my clan because on both sides of my family, there is ALWAYS a son with the father's name. There is Joey and Joseph, Guerin and Guerin, Eddie and Little Eddie, Chucky and Charlie, Charlie and Charles, Rick and Ricky, and my Bobby and Tommy.

The one time someone tried to be original - my aunt and uncle were once dead set on naming my cousin Snow. My grandmother said over her dead body throughout the whole pregnancy. Why so problematic? Our family name is White! Yup, she would have been Snow White!! (Thankfully she's Colleen now - and was born on Christmas day, so Snow would have been doubly painful).

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Catherine - Apr 18, 2005 10:19 am (#1157 of 2981) Reply

I have had an experience this morning that proves that I am a wimp.

I had the distinct displeasure to observe an opossum on my back porch this morning. They are NOT attractive creatures, and this one was no exception. To make matters worse, it was a pregnant possum, and she made herself quite comfy on my porch for a long time. I had to put the pups on a leash and take them out the front door for their morning grass time, as there was NO way I was going to open the back door and risk the possum invading my house.

So I went around back and tried to scare the possum off of my porch. It just glared at me, and then waddled away. This would be good news, except that I saw that it appeared to crawl under our house. So I called Mr. Catherine, who does not seem to understand why I am discomfited by having a hugely pregnant possum under the house. What's even worse is that I have heard strange noises from the basement ever since then, and I am convinced that this creature is in our basement. But I am too scared to open the basement door to find out.

Yikes!

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 18, 2005 10:29 am (#1158 of 2981) Reply

Ha! You are such a wimp. You were born and raised in the South and you're squeeking about a little 'possum?  You should be lookin' fer ye stew pot.

For more information on the noble 'possum, visit your local liberry or go to http://www.opossum.org/facts.htm

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I Am Used Vlad - Apr 18, 2005 11:03 am (#1159 of 2981) Reply

My family tends to stick with traditional names. If you say "Sam" or "John" at a family reunion, you will always get more than one head to turn. If I ever have kids, I plan to break the trend and named them after characters from books I like. My first born daughter will be Aenea, and I'm currently leaning towards Zaphod for a son, although the latter probably won't fly with my future spouse.

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Catherine - Apr 18, 2005 11:14 am (#1160 of 2981) Reply

You should be lookin' fer ye stew pot. --Loopy Lupin

No, thanks. I like my meat to come from the supermarket, on a styrofoam tray and neatly wrapped in plastic, and not even remotely resembling an animal.

I know I'm a wimp, but I'm not opening that basement door!

Oh, it's fun to see a Simpsons avatar again, Loopy!

EDIT: Vlad, I am certain that the name Zaphod will not be a favorite with a future spouse. It's just this feeling I get!

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Marè- Apr 18, 2005 11:39 am (#1161 of 2981) Reply

. . .when he admited it was a name from the He-Man movie.

He Man! That is just bad! Allthough he probably wouldn't have been teased with it because no child remembers that one these days. (In doom voice: Master of the universe!)

And actually I think Darjenka, and Chancellor are more headscan material.   Darjenka reminds me of Darjeeling... Not as strange as Snow White though...

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 18, 2005 11:40 am (#1162 of 2981) Reply

Catherine, I thought Cletus was appropriate given that we are talking about a potential 'possum stew here.

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GryffEndora - Apr 18, 2005 12:13 pm (#1163 of 2981) Reply

Catherine - I feel for you, I don't know how I'd handle a pregnant wild creature in my home. I manage an art gallery and our nature photographer has a photocard that sell pretty well of an opossum covered with about 8 babies. Some people love it, some people hate it and some people give it as a Mother's Day card!

When I was in 3rd grade we each got tadpoles to bring home. I had 2 and I loved them very much. To this day I'm convinced they used to lip-synch to the 'Annie' soundtrack with me whenever I played it. My mother helped me name them and her sense of humor showed when she insisted we name them Tad & Polly (Tad-pole and Polly-wog). They both saw frog-hood but died shortly there after. One took a tragic leap from my hand to the pavement and the other became petrified to a rock over night. (Parents - don't put sandstone in a tank with amphibians, it's not a fun thing to wake up to.)

Yesterday was my mother's 57th birthday. My mother has a lung disease which has progressed to the point of dimentia and the last year has been very bad. Basically her brain has lived in a low-Oxygen/high-Carbon Dioxide environment for many years now. In the last year she's had 5 pneumonias and she's gone from living with me and my dog in her town home to sharing a room in a nursing home. She spends most of her time confused and has a hard time following a conversation let alone contributing to one. I brought her 86 year old mother to visit and her older sister and brother-in-law came with my cousin. It's hard to lose someone and have them still be here. I know HBP will be bitter sweet for me because SS was a Christmas gift I bought for her and that is how we both came to love the books. I wish she could still enjoy them.

On a different note, while I was reading the news on Leaky I discovered what happened to Marc Evans! He's directing a movie with Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver called 'Snowcake'. (Only a Pottie would love that connection!)

Thanks for "listening", I didn't mean to be a downer.

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librarian314 - Apr 18, 2005 12:23 pm (#1164 of 2981) Reply

GryffEndora!

My thoughts are with you and your family. Hopefully, HBP will bring back happier memories of your mom when it comes out.

That is totally funny about Marc Evans, by the way!

Take care and know that you aren't alone in dealing with your mom's illness.

**michelle the librarian**

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Catherine - Apr 18, 2005 12:41 pm (#1165 of 2981) Reply

Some people love it, some people hate it and some people give it as a Mother's Day card! –GryffEndora

Guess what category I'd be in?

There is a reason that opossums are nocturnal. Daylight is not exactly kind to them. They aren't cute.

GryffEndora, I'm sorry about your mom. It must be difficult to "lose" her before she's really gone. I'm also sorry that she's missing out on the remaining books of the HP series. *sending a strengthening charm*

EDIT: Cross-posted with Madam Pince. I only wish I could think of the 'possum as cute, but I just go "ewwww" when I think about it being in our house. I also realize that it would look really bad for me to call the Wildlife Coordinator to remove the critter since I'm on the board of the Humane Society. I'm just crossing my fingers that she'll toddle off and find another place to raise her youngsters.

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Madam Pince - Apr 18, 2005 12:42 pm (#1166 of 2981) Reply

*****hugs for GryffEndora***** I think of you often! Chin up!

Chemyst, unfortunately there was some millet in the seed that got spilled into the carpet. I tried to vacuum it all up, but at the first sign of humidity, I would not be at all surprised to see growing grass in my family room.

Pet names: In my college days, "Miami Vice" was the popular TV show of the time. My roommates and I had two goldfish in our tank, one black and one white. Naturally, we named them Crockett and Tubbs in honor of the TV detectives.

Betty, glad you had a nice weekend in Ohio! I thought of you the other day when I saw the town of Bellefont in the news, for that attorney who is missing or something. How is mischafan, by the way? I never see his posts anymore....

Catherine, according to my Humane Society Calendar, today is not only Patriot's Day, but it also marks the start of "Animal Cruelty / Human Violence Awareness Week." Pity we have a need for such a week to even exist, but there you are. So everyone, be extra-nice to your animals and to other humans this week!

I'm pretty sure this is also a sign to you, Catherine, that you must leave Mama Possum alone to have her babies in peace underneath your house, unfortunately. I was going to offer to let you borrow my dog Annie, who has a good track record with eliminating unwanted opossums, but I couldn't do that to an expectant mama, even a very distasteful one. And especially on Animal Cruelty Awareness Week. Just try to think of them as .... something cute. For what it's worth, I once knew somebody who "adopted" a baby possum whose mama had been run over by a car, and the baby would ride around on the person's shoulder all day long if the person would let it. It was actually kind of cute, in a very ugly sort of way....

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Lina - Apr 18, 2005 12:56 pm (#1167 of 2981) Reply

Oh, Fawkes Forever, I feel for you and I wish you solve the problem soon. Maybe changing the builders?

And Catherine, I must say I envy you! I looked the page that Loopy posted. They are so cute and seem like a nice pets too. I wish one of them would come to my yard (except I have no yard and no opossums in the neighborhood). I found a page on the site with advices how to get rid of them and why not to.

GryffEndora, I wish you strength and courage!

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Ticker - Apr 18, 2005 2:13 pm (#1168 of 2981) Reply

OK, so I haven't been in here for > 2000 posts & I don't know when I'll be back, so howdy to all you fabulous chatty folks! I like to prove that I still exist by posting off the FFF every now & then.

A special "boo" to Boop.

Catherine, you could borrow my dog if you like. She would love to explore your basement & meet your wildlife. I even live in the South - well, South Dakota, but if you just hook up your fireplace to the Floo Network I'm sure we could work something out...

GryffEndora, wow! your life has some pretty profound circumstances in it. I too wish you the strength you need to hang in there, grace to find this slow losing process interspersed with shining, winning moments, and peace in knowing her next great adventure is not too far off.

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Penny Lane. - Apr 18, 2005 2:31 pm (#1169 of 2981) Reply

Awww... What's with all the possum hatin'? We had one come visit us once in zoology, and I thought she was adorable. Her fur had an interesting texture as well. Also, from a evolutionary standpoint, they fascinate me. Perfect example of when adaptive evolution (i'm not sure of the term) goes wrong. They developed this skill of "playing dead" when frightened so that their predator would go away. It’s an involuntary reaction, so basically when frightened, they fall over and emit a foul smell from their ?mouth? . The predator then goes.. gee, I better look for some fresh food, and waddles away. This worked for many years, then cars came along. The possums can't help the response, so when waddling across the street at night and a car comes along, rather then running away, they play dead and are smushed.

I thought it was interesting, anyway. I guess I probably wouldn't really want one living in my basement with its’ children either - especially if I had dogs...

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Thora- Apr 18, 2005 2:35 pm (#1170 of 2981) Reply

Here's a big hug for GryffEndora.

Penny Lane, we talked about seven too! I know, odd us.

And Paul Revere-Shamal Revere, the big event in American history was that in 1979 A police officer's wife went into labor and the next day the most remarkable person was born------ ME! (hows that for being egocentric? )

Thora the remarkable

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Catherine - Apr 18, 2005 3:08 pm (#1171 of 2981) Reply

I probably wouldn't really want one living in my basement with its children either - especially if I had dogs... --Penny Lane

Well, I'm not sure that my two shih-tzus qualify as dogs. They watched the possum meander around on our back terrace for a bit, yawned, and then lay down for their second nap of the morning. It's not like they have hound dog instincts. *waves to Cooter, Flash, Jesse, Daisy, Roscoe, and Lulu*

I don't hate the possum. I just don't want to be roommates with one, that's all.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think they're cute. The long, naked tail just gives me the collywobbles. It's like an extra-long wormtail.

Ick!

Oh, and Happy Birthday to Thora the Remarkable.

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Denise P. - Apr 18, 2005 3:17 pm (#1172 of 2981) Reply

They are not cute, they are nasty little critters and I am always glad to see them stroll on. That freezing thing is really annoying too. We had a possum decide to meander on our fence, our dogs alerted and started to bark frantically at it. The darn thing froze, the dogs continued to bark and we had to try to dislodge a frozen possum off the fence so everyone could sleep that night. But, having said that, I will take a possum over a skunk any day of the week!

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Catherine - Apr 18, 2005 3:50 pm (#1173 of 2981) Reply

But, having said that, I will take a possum over a skunk any day of the week! –Denise

Oh, I remember the skunk episode. Not cute, and decidedly unfragrant!

*decides to show gratitude that household critter is NOT a skunk*

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Ladybug220 - Apr 18, 2005 5:06 pm (#1174 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 18, 2005 5:07 pm

It's so nice that apartment living does not lend itself to having possums or skunks nearby. And I have to say that possums really are ugly.

Happy Birthday to Thora the Remarkable!

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dizzy lizzy - Apr 18, 2005 5:08 pm (#1175 of 2981) Reply

Happy birthday Thora!

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GryffEndora - Apr 18, 2005 6:26 pm (#1176 of 2981) Reply

Thank you everyone for your hugs, kind words and caring magic.

Happy Birthday Thora!

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Viola Intonada - Apr 18, 2005 7:17 pm (#1177 of 2981) Reply

Happy Birthday Thora!

Betty, you chose a good weekend to visit Cleveland. We had nice weather. Though the one hour that it rained was the one hour I spent at the soccer field watching my kid's game.

Denise, I have to hang my head in shame. I knew Kobayashi Maru sounded familiar, but couldn't place my finger on it. I was finally able to ask hubby, of course he knew the answer right away. We have both gotten a big kick out of the responses to your post!

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Madame Librarian - Apr 18, 2005 7:18 pm (#1178 of 2981) Reply

Just a quick "hi" from a very jet lagged Madame Librarian to say, I'm b-a-a-a-c-k!

Italy was amazing. It was great to see Jordan (my Italian-speaking kid, wow) after 7 months. We ate very well, saw famous art, shopped, and walked everywhere! I am glad to be home, glad to be starting to get back to normal, glad to back on the Forum even though I can't possibly read all the posts I missed. I'll just follow the gist of whatever is happening from this point on (so sorry if I sound like a complete idiot about something that's been discussed while I was gone).

So far I've gathered that there's been a baby born (congrats, Megfox) and something about a 'possum, which is preferable to a skunk (no argument there).

Time for bed for those who don't really know what time it is.

Ciao. Barb

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Denise P. - Apr 18, 2005 7:24 pm (#1179 of 2981) Reply

I guess I should explain the Kobayashi Maru for those who are not familiar with it. Kobayashi Maru was from Star Trek, at Starfleet Academy, it was a programed simulation that was a no win situation. Captain Kirk was the only one to ever beat it. In The Wrath of Khan, we learn this and also that he reprogramed the simulator to make it possible to win. Since we named the cat Toby, it was logical to call her Tobyashi Maru.

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Viola Intonada - Apr 18, 2005 7:32 pm (#1180 of 2981) Reply

Welcome Back Barb, glad you had a wonderful trip!

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Chemyst - Apr 18, 2005 8:24 pm (#1181 of 2981) Reply

Urggg, CATHERINE! Do you know how frustrating it is to get a song stuck in your head when you remember only half the lyrics??? Well, in your first post today, you triggered that feeling for me, except with a poem...

On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five: Hardly a man is now alive  Who remembers that famous day and year. [...] One, if by land, and two, if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be...

It was such a distraction that I had to go look up Longfellow's poem to 'Make It Stop!' before I could concentrate on the next 40 posts.

But no, I didn't send the pregnant 'possum as some kind of karma-revenge. Honest! I did not even have a chance to read the forum until tonight.

By the way, welcome back to the forum, Blast
Welcome back to the States, Barb
Happy Birthday Thora!
hugs to GryffEndora

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Julia. - Apr 18, 2005 9:10 pm (#1182 of 2981) Reply

Welcome back Barb! We missed you around here! I'm glad to hear you had a good trip.

Happy Birthday Thora!! *hands Thora butterbeer* Hope you have a great day and an amazing year!

I had a very long day today. The final draft of my Shakespeare paper is due on Wednesday, and I got the first draft back today full of red ink. Uugh, looks like i'll have lots of work to do tomorrow. This afternoon I cleaned the Hillel kitchen. My self and two of my friends got it clean in two and a half hours, and I did the fridge all by myself in two hours. I'm really tired now.

Catherine, a bit of advice for you. This comes from my years of experience in dealing with opossoms. Do not try to trap it with peanut butter and Oreos. It will not work and it is a waste of perfectly good peanut butter and Oreos.

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Lina - Apr 18, 2005 11:40 pm (#1183 of 2981) Reply

Happy birthday Thora!

Welcome back, Barb! I'm glad you had an enjoyable time with your son.

And, guys, how don't you understand how lucky you are, being able to see opossums in live! I've just heard about them, seen some pictures and all I can do is imagine!

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The giant squid - Apr 18, 2005 11:44 pm (#1184 of 2981) Reply

Denise, I'm glad I was able to bring a chuckle to your household. With #9 on the way I'm sure you'll have a few humorless nights to deal with...

Happy Birthday, Thora! And while I'm at it, welcome back Madame Barb and Ticker (even if you're just going to vanish again, I'll say hi anyway ).

A big hug for Betty...in fact, here's a couple more, because I think I missed the last couple times you posted.

Loopy, does it hurt your head to switch from Miss Manners to Cletus like that?

--Mike

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septentrion - Apr 19, 2005 12:10 am (#1185 of 2981) Reply

Happy birthday Thora (I may be a bit late on this one).

Gryffendora, I think you need a cheering charm, here it is : *****cheering charm*****

Welcome back Barb.

Everyone have a good day !

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Elanor - Apr 19, 2005 3:49 am (#1186 of 2981) Reply

Happy birthday too Thora! And welcome back Barb.

GryffEndora, I send you strengthening charms, I think a lot of you! ((((big hug)))).

Rain has finally stopped here today, at least this morning because I can see dark clouds coming back again right now. But I have a very spring-like news! I spotted the first swallow yesterday (or a swift, it was difficult to tell because it didn't stay long enough for me to study it!). Anyway, they're back! At least THEY think spring should be here and climate should be warm enough for them now (how disappointed they must be!).

Catherine, I am with Lina, I wish I could see some opposums in live too. I couldn't help but find your avatar really cute (mind you, I like moles and bats, so oppusums can not be ugly to me! ). But I understand you don't want to start a breeding under your house perfectly!

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Catherine - Apr 19, 2005 4:21 am (#1187 of 2981) Reply

Do not try to trap it with peanut butter and Oreos. It will not work and it is a waste of perfectly good peanut butter and Oreos. –Julia

Mmmmm...peanut butter.....mmmmmm......Oreos.....

Chemyst, I got the Longfellow poem stuck in my head, too. I was relieved when it finally "went away." Now I know that the poem wandered off to your head.

Opossum update: Mr. Catherine assures me that the critter is not in the basement. We are both pretty sure that the critter is under the house, though. Lina and Loopy's links (ooh, how alliterative) on discouraging opossums indicated that we should remove the bird feeders for a bit, so that's what we did. Although I think our neighbor's compost pile is what really attracted Mama Possum in the first place. Ick.

Possum, go home. And don't think I'm setting out Oreos, either.

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 19, 2005 5:26 am (#1188 of 2981) Reply

Loopy, does it hurt your head to switch from Miss Manners to Cletus like that?-- Mike

LOL. Nah. I generally don't change avatars unless I've had a mood change first. Catherine's battle with a gall-dang critter definitely put me in Cletus mode. In fact, I was going to change it today to a lovely little 'possum, but Catherine beat me to it.

Does anyone have kids who watch the cartoon called "Avatar"? One of my nieces was watching that over this weekend and I kept thinking of Simpson characters.

Hey Catherine! If you should happen upon Mama 'possum and she appears to be dead, don't poke her with a stick which would be my instict.

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Catherine - Apr 19, 2005 5:39 am (#1189 of 2981) Reply

If you should happen upon Mama 'possum and she appears to be dead, don't poke her with a stick which would be my instinct. --Loopy "Cletus" Lupin

Oh, I'm too wimpy to poke an opossum playing "possum." I'm going to let Mr. Catherine impress me with his bravery and resourcefulness in removing the critter. She can be released near the creek and into the woods, which seems a more fitting habitat for her than under the house. At least if we see her out and about, we can assume that she's got her babies with her in her pouch and we can "relocate" her without guilt.

I guess that means that there won't be any possum stew after all, Loopy!

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Round Pink Spider - Apr 19, 2005 5:40 am (#1190 of 2981) Reply

Hello, everyone! It's been a long, long time since I posted! I wasn't going to even consider reading 800 posts, so I'm just going to drop right in.

After our ridiculous 20 inches of snow in March, spring set in just as fast as it could. So despite my dreadful jealousy about the pictures of flowers back when I posted last, we are now in the middle of spring at least 2 weeks earlier than usual. I can remember winters when we still had snow on the ground in mid-April, and here our trees are leafing out! Usually trees in Minnesota have more sense than to leaf out before May. I sure hope we don't get a frost or a late snowstorm at this point!

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Marie E. - Apr 19, 2005 5:46 am (#1191 of 2981) Reply

When we lived in Georgia I had the misfortune to come home to find a possum sitting on my front steps. Scared the heck out me! I had to shoo it away so I could get into my apartment.

My youngest, Lexie, had her reading level tested yesterday and it was a 1.8. That means first grade, eighth month. Since Lexie is in kindergarten this is good news. She almost passed the second grade level book (2.0) but missed four words and you're allowed to miss three words to pass. Slacker mom that I am, my first thought was "if she's so darn smart why can't she tie her shoes".

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Catherine - Apr 19, 2005 5:48 am (#1192 of 2981) Reply

Happy Spring, RPS! It's good to see you posting on the Chat thread again.

We've had some crazy weather, ourselves. Last week the daytime highs fluctuated between 75 degrees Fahrenheit one day, to a high of 50 degrees the next. I dislike crazy "mood swings" in my weather. Mother Nature needs to make up her mind!

I hope that in your case, you have pure spring weather all the way.

EDIT: Slacker mom that I am, my first thought was "if she's so darn smart why can't she tie her shoes". –Marie

LOL, Marie. I'm a Slacker Mom who buys my preschooler shoes that fasten with velcro. Your post makes me think that I should be working on our lace-tying skills...

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librarian314 - Apr 19, 2005 5:56 am (#1193 of 2981) Reply

Hey all!

Hope all is well!

It's set to be a beautiful day here in Washington, DC. I love this time of year here. It's warm, but not humid, not too many tourists, nobody campaigning, it's almost as if it's just some other decent sized city.

Dear husband told me that Michael Gambon is playing Falstaff in a production of Henry IV parts 1 and 2 in London. Seems as though the staff at Hogwarts have an affinity for Shakespeare's Harry histories. (Robbie Coltrane, Kenneth Brannagh, and Emma Thompson were in Henry V in 1989.)

Y'all take care!

**michelle the librarian**

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Thora- Apr 19, 2005 6:16 am (#1194 of 2981) Reply

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! Shameful of me to beg them off the Lexicon, but my husband is away on business so I have to feel special some way...

We have a skunk that frequents the area. I need to call the city about it, did you know they have to raise their tail to a certain angle to spray and catching them in a short cage will spare you the smell? The world is an amazing place.

Thora

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Cornelia - Apr 19, 2005 7:17 am (#1195 of 2981) Reply

Where are the New Zealanders? I think they might have some words to say on the opossum issue. We were there on holiday a few years ago and there were souveniers like opossum-fur-nipple-warmers, looked like they didn´t like them very much...I think they eat the kiwi-eggs and other little native animals.

About the estonian weather: the ice in the bay is gone, the sail-boats are back in the water and yesterday I have seen the first wind-surfers

Happy Birthday, Thora!

*cheering charm* to GryffEndora

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Julia. - Apr 19, 2005 7:21 am (#1196 of 2981) Reply

Good morning everyone. Oh, I have to throw my hat into the ring on the Hogwarts staff/Shakespeare history movie discussions. Maggie Smith is in Richard III, Robbie Coltrain was in Henry V, Fiona Shaw was in, and played the title role in Richard II, Richard Griffiths was in a TV version of Comedy of Errors, Alan Rickman was in a TV version of Romeo and Juliet (he played Tybalt, *squeeeee!* (sorry, fangirl in me comming out))Miriam Margolyes was in Romeo+Juliet, and As You Like It, Timothy Spall was in Love's Labors Lost and Hamlet (he played Rosencrantz, a role Gary Oldman played in "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead),Emma Thompson was in Much Ado About Nothing, and Henry V, both of which also starring her husband at the time, Kenneth Branagh, who is the modern king of Shakespeare. He was in Love's Labors Lost, Hamlet, Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V. He directed all the movies I just named, as well as a TV version of Twelfth Night, and he's working on directing As You Like It.

Sorry, didn't mean to bore the pants off you here. But keep in mind that I am an English major, Shakespeare is my favorite, and my professor is in love with Kenneth Branagh.

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librarian314 - Apr 19, 2005 7:51 am (#1197 of 2981) Reply

Hey all!

My swooniest celebrity moment was when Kenneth Brannagh said my name on a radio call-in show. I managed to get through and was the last person to get to ask a question (How did he know that group of actors that kept appearing in all his films? They were in school together.) He is one of my favorite actors; I'll see him in just about anything. Dead Again, is a wonderful, non-Shakespeare film. Love's Labors Lost has been the least favorite thing I've seen him in, it was a bit saccharine for my tastes.

The worst play I've ever seen was a rendition of Romeo and Juliet in London. It was a local theatre company, over some pub. The acting was so bad that during the deaths at the end, my shoulders were shaking so hard from silent laughter at their bad over acting, I gave myself a headache. Hopefully, it looked more like crying as I was up near the front and would have been really embarrassed if they'd caught me laughing.

Y'all take care!

**michelle the librarian** and fellow Shakespeare lover

EDIT: I just noticed that LLL not only has Branagh but Timothy Spall (Don Armado)!!!

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Penny Lane. - Apr 19, 2005 7:52 am (#1198 of 2981) Reply

That freezing thing is really annoying too

I'm sure it's not exactly pleasant for the 'possum either. I just meant from a scientific standpoint, they were fairly interesting creatures. Kind of a "what not to evolve into" guide for newbies.

Julia, you could never bore us with triva that someone connects to HP... Although since being here, Everytime I watch "The Simpsons," see a dog, see William Shatner on TV, or see flan, I think of of Harry Potter and the Lexicon. Strange world we have here.

We have the most MARVELOUS weather here. If only i didn't need to spend 18 hours a day before my computer finishing course work before FINALS at the end of this this week/next.

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Ydnam96 - Apr 19, 2005 8:08 am (#1199 of 2981) Reply

I've never had an experience with an opossum...but I have had this raccoon that just won't leave my apartment alone! We have them all over campus, which seems weird to me here in Los Angeles...but anyway. I went online and got this stuff (it is kinda gross but it works) that is powdered Coyote Urine. You sprinkle it around and small animals no longer want to frequent the area as they think a predator is around. It really worked, no lie! It was weird to order coyote urine over the internet (even in a powdered form). It brought up so many questions for me...like how they collect it?? But alas...I should not question it if it works

It's rainy here this morning and I'm being quite lazy and now I have to be at work in 20 mins and I haven't even showered. I should go get ready. Happy Tuesday

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Catherine - Apr 19, 2005 8:21 am (#1200 of 2981) Reply

It was weird to order coyote urine over the internet (even in a powdered form). It brought up so many questions for me...like how they collect it??

It's best not to think on it!

Steve Newton - Apr 19, 2005 8:23 am (#1201 of 2981) Reply

Wouldn't "Coyote Urine Collector" brighten up the ol' resume!

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kabloink! - Apr 19, 2005 8:25 am (#1202 of 2981) Reply

I have never had a(n?) opossum problem, I have, however had a coon problem. We think that might have been what happened to our cat, Austin. We got a live trap and got it out of our basement. We had another one get back in, but we finally managed to block up the hole where thay were getting in, so none have returned.

AS for literary cat names, we named our kitty Arwen last year. I think I would be willing to name a daughter Eowyn, but that's about as exotic as I will get. I once knew a family, however, whose names were, Arwen, Branwen, Muriel, Tyrienne (sp?), and htere were two more whose names I can't remember, but I danced or taught the four mentioned above. Gotta love it!

EDIT: Speaking of resumes...anyone have any ideas what I could do with a bachelors degree in History? Not education, as I have no certification, and I'm not interested in any more school for at least a couple of years. I'm just at a complete loss, and I'm really not cut out for McDonald's management, which is what I'm currently doing.

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Gina R Snape - Apr 19, 2005 9:21 am (#1203 of 2981) Reply

Wow you guys are chaaaaatteeeee!

Thora: just wish my daughter's friends weren't Kaylee, Kayla, Kaitlyn, Kayelynn, Kelly, KellyAnne, and Katie. I ALWAYS use the wrong name, it is so frustrating!

My grandmother used to have a weekly mahjong game with 3 of her friends when she was alive and their names were Mitzi, Mamie and Mimi.

And happy birthday, Thora!

Vlad, I would name a kid Zaphod. But only if Beeblebrox was the kid's middle name.

So, on the weekend I met up with some HP people and SiriusLee was one of them! :waves at SiriusLee: She was right, the deep fried Reese's Peanut Butter cups were to die for.

Oh, and I received my dress yesterday. I love it!!!! As soon as I get the chance I'll post a picture of myself in it. Everyone agreed I looked like a Potions Masters wife in it.

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prof sprout - Apr 19, 2005 9:25 am (#1204 of 2981) Reply

Kabloink- My brother was a history major, and he is a salesman. I know it is rather hard to find a job in the Lansing Area, as I am looking also. I have a business major, and that sector has been hit hard. I have a problem, where, because I have a B.A. , I'm "over qualified" for some position (they are worried I wouldn't stay) and because I'm a recent graduate, well not so recent anymore, any job that I am "qualified" for doesn't want a recent graduate.

Good luck

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Catherine - Apr 19, 2005 11:52 am (#1205 of 2981) Reply

Well, it seems like I've irked a local newspaper columnist.

He wrote (badly) an article about older singles in our town (he defines this as being between 35 and 60 years old). I fired off an email in which I shared my opinions of his word choices, comparisons, and captions in the article.

I don't think he liked my observations. It also appears he doesn't take constructive criticism very well.

Oh, dear. Looks like my inner Snape got the best of me. I wonder if he's going to fry me in an upcoming column?

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Ladybug220 - Apr 19, 2005 11:58 am (#1206 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 19, 2005 11:58 am

Does this mean I am a middle-aged single at 30?

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Catherine - Apr 19, 2005 12:08 pm (#1207 of 2981) Reply

Oh, no, Ladybug. Looks like you've got a good 5 years before you become anonymous and irrelevant.

I'll put the link to the article in my profile, for those with strong stomachs who want to see what annoyed me so.

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GryffEndora - Apr 19, 2005 12:19 pm (#1208 of 2981) Reply

Oh Catherine this is just not your week for vermin! Too bad it's Animal Cruelty / Human Violence Awareness Week as Madam Pince pointed out. I hope your week gets better from this point on!

**Sends Catherine a case of Butterbeer and a bottle of Fire Whisky just in case**

Please Note: I don't mean to imply that all men or journalists are rats. I like men very much and I was a Mass Comm minor, so I also like journalists. I don't mean to offend any men or journalists on the forum. Thank You.

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Madam Pince - Apr 19, 2005 12:25 pm (#1209 of 2981) Reply

"....self-absorbed sneers like NASCAR skid marks..."????

What in the world does that mean? I realize I'm not a NASCAR fan, but you'd think a reasonably intelligent person could pick up on a basic comparison. If, of course, it made any sense whatsoever.....

Catherine, I don't know what you wrote back to him, but whatever it was, I'm sure it was entirely justified.

And to think, somebody's paying him to write!

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Ladybug220 - Apr 19, 2005 12:25 pm (#1210 of 2981) Reply

Well, that article sucked.

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scully jones - Apr 19, 2005 12:31 pm (#1211 of 2981) Reply

It seems I'm not too late for the name discussion...

A family name that I definitely wouldn't use is Troxel. I'm not sure where they got it from, but seeing that my grandfather's name is Dayton and his other brother is Dallas... I'm guessing it's a city name. Strange that their other brother is just Fred.

Another odd thing, my Grandfather's brother Fred married my Grandmother's sister Alice and my Grandfather's sister Alice married my Grandmother's brother Fred. Does that make sense? So their family is tied together in three different bonds... It's strange.

I'm a bit lucky to have such a common name (Sarah) but it does get strange when there are three Sarahs in your college class and you have no clue which one the professor is referring to. It gets even more weird with such a common last name, I meet SO many Sarah Jones's... I believe there are either one or two other Sarah Jones's on this very forum.

I also got the Kobiyashi Maru reference... Thanks to my Dad, I watched every single episode of Star Trek and Star Trek Next Generation. Not to even mention the movies...

I named my kitty Scully when I was 12 and a huge X-files fan.

We just named our new kitty Jo after J.K. Rowling, and it fits... Though Brandon's parents refer to her as E.C. and/or A.C. (evil cat/antichrist). Such a lovely kitty.

Sarah out.

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Apr 19, 2005 12:42 pm (#1212 of 2981) Reply

Hey Catherine--either post his reply or send me something via email. I want to know how he's defending himself.

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Thora- Apr 19, 2005 12:42 pm (#1213 of 2981) Reply

It might have helped if the article had a point to it, but then I didn't agree with much in it at all, mostly because I dated guys 10 years over my head when I was 18 and guys my own age were just dumb to me. It's sad though that he makes it seem like the dating scene is the only level on which people count. Like professional, familial, and community relationships have no value.... sigh, well I'm sure he'll get a life someday.

Hey Penny Lane I passed a store named for you today, positive vibes are flowing in your direction!

Thora

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Apr 19, 2005 12:48 pm (#1214 of 2981) Reply

sigh, well I'm sure he'll get a life someday.---Thora

Well, he might. But I'm not sure if it'll include a date.

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Madam Pince - Apr 19, 2005 12:49 pm (#1215 of 2981) Reply

*******Wishing I knew how to make the smiley that's rolling around on the floor laughing******

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Ladybug220 - Apr 19, 2005 1:09 pm (#1216 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 19, 2005 1:10 pm

I'm sure he'll get a life someday – Thora

Highly doubtful.

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Elanor - Apr 19, 2005 2:27 pm (#1217 of 2981) Reply

As a nearly 33 years old single woman, I suddenly feel old after reading that article... I won't tell you what I thought about that journalist when reading it because this is some French vocabulary I won't recommend you to say in public but I wish he heard me, I bet he would have understood what I meant! Catherine, I would love to know what he will answer you!

Guess what? It rained again, and again today... So, I took advantage of it and finished watching the original Star Wars trilogy again. Episode III's not far now and I thought it was time to prepare myself for that! BTW, I've heard today that it will be shown at the Cannes festival on May 15th, it should be interesting to see who will come and "climb the stairs" of the Festivals' palace.

I'm going to watch again the episodes I and II soon, but gosh, I do love that first trilogy! Ah, Han... **sigh** I rather like the new "things" of the special edition, and I really like the idea of a young Anakin appearing at the end of the Jedi but there is still one thing that I can't get used to, even after seeing it a lot of times it still drives me crazy. Why on earth did they replace the naive but spontaneous and moving Ewoks' dance by that stupid music at the end of the movie? I can't help it, each time that gets my back up. Am I the only one or does it do you the same thing?

Have a great day (or night) everybody!

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Denise P. - Apr 19, 2005 2:45 pm (#1218 of 2981) Reply

I really like the idea of a young Anakin appearing at the end of the Jedi

Oh, not me! My kids thought I was nuts the first time we saw it and I shrieked "What did they do!!??" They don't recall the original version so they see nothing wrong, I cringe every time I see younger Anakin standing there with Obi Wan and Yoda...at least it is not younger Obi Wan (as much as I think Ewan McGreggor is certainly eye candy) standing there.

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Elanor - Apr 19, 2005 3:17 pm (#1219 of 2981) Reply

LOL about Obi Wan, and I do agree! Actually, I wasn't surprised when I saw that scene because I knew that the change had been made and I was rather curious to see what it looked like. I rather saw it as a kind of link between the trilogies (and I was more thinking that they could have got rid of the music too as they were changing the scene rather than to what I was seeing I guess! ).

But you gave me an idea! My brother still has the original trilogy on "laser-disks", the real first one and the 1997 special edition. I don't know if "laser-disks" is the right word in English. They are the DVD's ancestor, big disks, the size of old records, looking like a very big CD in a way, and you had to change the side of the disk in the middle of the movie, see what I mean? The boxes are beautiful. I guess they're becoming precious now since Lucas said he won't release the original movies in DVD. Hmm... We should really see that version again soon and compare! Thanks for the idea Denise!

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Marè- Apr 19, 2005 3:37 pm (#1220 of 2981) Reply

Catherine, that is just a horrible column. what is that man thinking? if you’re 35 you're old?? I wonder how old he is?  "By the time I eliminated (edited out) college girls, divorced women with mental problems and kids, and women who smoked, I was down to 1 percent of the population here," Swindell says.  

Yes, I'm sure the man speaking is mr. Perfect.

BAAAH! I'm curious as to what his reaction is as well. do you want us to flood him with mails? (gnagnagna)

PS My computer died on me, in 1 or 2 weeks I will have a brand new laptop! (squeee) (and no savings left, not so much squee)

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boop - Apr 19, 2005 4:00 pm (#1221 of 2981) Reply

Happy Birthday Thora!!! Have a great day.

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Dumbledore - Apr 19, 2005 4:52 pm (#1222 of 2981) Reply

So, I haven't been on the forum in about a week, and return to find the lovely surprise of 314 new posts waiting for me. Before coming to this forum, I would wonder at what a group of strangers could possibly have to say to each other through 314 posts in a mere few days, but after coming to the forum I can certainly understand why. You people are great!

I'm terribly sorry, but as I've missed out on all the good news this week I'd just like to send a cheering charm to those who are in need of a laugh, brew a get well soon potion to those who are ailing, and of course a happy birthday to Thora!

We had our high school orientation today for next year. It seems weird that I will actually be going to high school. I'm actually really excited, but I see myself as too YOUNG to go to high school, if that makes any sense at all...

By the way, I'm doing track now as a spring sport. Any track veterans here who would like to give advice on picking running events? 'twould be greatly appreciated!!

Always, Lauren

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Catherine - Apr 19, 2005 5:09 pm (#1223 of 2981) Reply

I posted the body of my email to the author of the article in my profile, if anyone wants to read what I said.

He did reply to my email by saying, "Catherine, thanks for comments. It's good to see that you read the column carefully."

Pretty terse response from someone who loves verbiage, so I'm assuming that he's ticked off.

Madam Pince, I was quite gratified that you, without any prompting by me, thought that his "NASCAR sneer" comparison was awful. I'm also glad to see that I am not the only female reader offended by this article.   *waves to everyone:*

Forum members are so supportive.

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Ydnam96 - Apr 19, 2005 5:33 pm (#1224 of 2981) Reply

That was a horrible article, with no point at all. I'm sure the author is bitter as he is probably one of the poor old people trudging across campus like a watermark.

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prof sprout - Apr 19, 2005 6:23 pm (#1225 of 2981) Reply
Edited by Apr 19, 2005 6:31 pm

Dumbledore,

I'm sort of a track veteran, I did it in middle school, my senior year in high school, and freshman year of college. I personally LOVED sprinting. I couldn't/wouldn't run a mile, in one shot, but I probably sprinted over a mile during practice. I also like high jump, and my absolute favorite was pole jump. My senior year was the first year they allowed women to compete against other women in pole vault. I was a gymnast in high school and I was built perfect for it. I didn't do track from freshman to junior year because I was in softball. Can I ask how old you are or what grade you are in? Are you a distance runner, a sprinter, hurdler, or field events. There are soo many events to choose from. Let us know what you decide.

P.S. I'm glad I'm taking Doug off the market before he becomes "old" He'll turn 35, twelve days after the wedding. I am ten years younger than Doug, and I will admit that when I realized how much older than he was than I, I was a little like, "Man he's old, we are never going to have anything in common." But, I got over it.

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dizzy lizzy - Apr 19, 2005 6:54 pm (#1226 of 2981) Reply

Catherine, I love a well written response to an article I wouldn't even allow myself to be paid to read!

Today has been a Yuckky morning. When my dogs were boarded at the vets last week, they seem to have picked up a few cattle ticks and bush ticks. (I'm not ruling out the dry spell (or drought) that we've been having as the cause either!) Fortunately, we do not get paralysis ticks so far west of the humid coast area.

So as a temporary measure I've had to rinse the dogs - they were beautifully behaved - as wash their bedding and mop the laundry out. The rinse I use is based on the pyrethrum and I like the smell OK. But it gives me headaches. So I've had to have another shower again today to get the muck off me.

I can't get over how well behaved the doggies were - shock horror!!!

Have a wonderful day/afternoon/evening everyone.

Lizzy

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Madam Pince - Apr 19, 2005 7:51 pm (#1227 of 2981) Reply

Lizzy, so funny you should mention ticks. I was just going to post that it must be spring, because the ticks are out! Mr. Pince "found" one this weekend when he was out in the woods -- it was one of the little tiny deer-tick variety, which are the ones that can carry Lyme's Disease, etc. Fortunately, the doctor felt it had not been imbedded long enough to pass along the disease, even if it was a carrier. He did give Mr. Pince a one-shot dose of antibiotic just to be sure, however. Lyme's is one scary thing!

Happy Birthday, Thora (am I late?) and Welcome Home, Barb!

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Thora- Apr 19, 2005 8:44 pm (#1228 of 2981) Reply

Ticks ewww ewww ewww!   *does a mad dance slapping every prickle on her body from the goosebumps caused by the mere thought of ticks* * shudder*   I hate creepy crawlies.

Thanks again for the wishes, I had a lovely day in which I ate enough chocolate to keep honeydukes in business and watched my favorite long running movies. I also got out the summer clothes, which means it will be cold and damp the rest of the week for sure.

Prof Sprout, way to go getting a grown man, when's the wedding? Never having met you I had the funniest immage of prof sprout from the movie pole valuting in her attire form the mandrake lesson. Oh that was good.

~ Thora the 26 year old (oh dear need to update my information on here don't I?)

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Acceber  - Apr 19, 2005 8:48 pm (#1229 of 2981) Reply

Hey Rebecca, I was in your neck of the woods today. I was at the Atrium Mall. I didn't see you around.--Kim, about 100 posts back. That's about a ten minute drive from my house. Great place. Did you go to the Cheesecake Factory there? That's my stuff-myself-to-the-bursting-point restaurant. Such good food and such huge portions...

Quintin McCracken-Julia, a few posts after Kim's. Hey, I know him, he's a major leaguer now. I've always thought his name was hilarious.

I see myself as too YOUNG to go to high school, if that makes any sense at all...-Lauren.  

Oh yes, it makes perfect sense. I feel the same way. It seems like I just started middle school when POOF! it's over and we're choosing courses for next year. I'm not ready for this!

Happy Birthday Thora!

Welcome back Blast, Classicsquid, and Ticker! And Barb, for that matter.

NYC was so much fun! I learned a lot and made better friends with one girl whom I spent every single waking moment with. She's so awesome! I saw my first Broadway show (Phantom of the Opera), my first baseball game at Shea Stadium (I have a goal of going to all 30 ballparks; I've been to three), and got my share of "nightlife." I'd do it again any day, although I wish the lines hadn't been so long. Gina, I did look out the bus window a few times for you, just in case. I'd probably look like a maniac waving from a bus window at a random person on the street, but I already know I'm a maniac, so it wouldn't have made much difference .

Names--I don't have much to add, as no one in my family has extremely odd names, just biblical and Judaic names. I've actually liked the name Micah for a while, but after reading the Formica bit, I lost interest. Ah well. Ohhhhh, yeah, I have an odd habit of naming objects of mine. My old orthodontic appliance was Alfred, my flashlight is Brandon (no reference to the Forum member), and I had some name for my walking stick that escapes me at the moment. I then proceeded to name each brace on each tooth. I have one for each letter of the alphabet. They're upstairs and I'm not up to getting them now (pun intended).

I probably should go to sleep, as I've been up late these past two night, but the rest of the Forum, my email, and LJ await. Have a good night/morning/afternoon whereever you are!

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haymoni - Apr 19, 2005 8:49 pm (#1230 of 2981) Reply

Are any of our members part of the Sleep Apnea Club??? I am 5'1" and about 10-15 pounds overweight - not the classic build for apnea, but I'm tired - could just be the Working Slacker Mom thing, but it's been bothering me.

I had my sleep study at the end of March - worst night of sleep in my life - They kept coming on the intercom, "Um, Monica?? Could you roll over onto your back for us??" They woke me up at 5:00 am and said the test was over - I thought, "Great! Now I can get some sleep!" But noooooooo! (Say it like Steve Martin, please!) Housekeeping comes in at 6:00 so I had to be out of there.

They found that I had 9 "episodes" during the entire night. They want me to come back and sleep (hah!) again with a CPAP machine. I know of people that have 9 episodes (or a lot more) an HOUR - the nurse that gave me the results said that I was borderline.

I've requested a chat with the doctor before I go for the 2nd study. I'm not going to spend big bucks on a machine for 9 lousy episodes a night.

I am trying the Breathe Right strips for the first time. I'm going to see if those help me breathe better before I go through all the trouble of testing again. ($10.99 for a box of 30 - Egad!)

Anyone out there with any experience in these matters?

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pottermom34 - Apr 19, 2005 9:30 pm (#1231 of 2981) Reply

Boy, lots to read today.

On the possum thing, we found a very scared possum behind our deck after a really bad storm a few years ago. So we got out our pet carrier, and somehow coaxed it into the pet carrier and took it to the local nature center. They have an animal clinic where they look after hurt wildlife or animals that have been found where they don't belong. They kept it for a few days to make sure it was ok and then released it into the area. We always seem to have a skunk roaming when it rains and it always seems to sit right under my bedroom window, talk about a rude awakening. When I was younger and a teen volunteer at the zoo, they had a de-scented albino skunk. I got to hold and talk about it, it was pretty soft,  not very coarse, and it was fun to see the reaction on people's faces when I told them it was a skunk. Lots of people pet it and smelled it, they would stick their noses right in the fur. It still had a little smell to it but it was more like a mild perfume it wasn't bad at all. It was quite fun actually.

Happy belated birthday Thora.

If 30 is old then I'm going to be real old on Thursday, I'll turn 34.

What makes me feel old is my baby turned 3 today and my birthday is 2 days after. It was a nice birthday present to come home from the hospital with a brand new baby (when she wAs born).

Talking about names, My husband’s parents went with "T" names. Todd, Troy, Tagg, and Tina. Most are normal but I don't know where Tagg came from. As far as pets, my step son named my cat Simba (bet you can't guess where that came from ), and my daughter named her goldfish Swimmy. It's a kid thing.

Has anyone tried to make real Butterbeer yet? I tried the recipe on Muggle.net the other day. It isn't bad but I'm not fond of drinking a carbonated beverage warm. Anyone have any other good (and easy) Butterbeer recipes? Incidentally, when I told my mom I made that she thought I was nuts.
Well it's late I must be getting on with my post reading.

See you all in the funny papers(or in the forum's case, the funny posts)

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Mrs. Sirius - Apr 19, 2005 9:51 pm (#1232 of 2981) Reply

Many years ago I saw a production of Macbeth, at Williamstown yet, that was just horrible. I actually laughed so hard I slid out of my seat and had tears in my eyes. This was back when Dracula was having a run in theatre and movies.

MacBeth at one point is about to make his exist, wearing a black cape puts on sun glasses and spin around. Later in a scene with the kids, they play with toys, they had matchbox cars! If this were an updated adaptation that would have been fine, but it was all in period costume.

GryffEndora cheering and strengthening charms to you.

Catherine, possums are creepy with those point white/naked faces and their slow walk. What creeps me out is how they walk so slowly and then stop and look at you. In December I had a terrible spat with a squirrel that got into the basement. After about a week I thought it was slowing down so I stared leaving food and water for it but alas, earwax it died in my basement, yucccck. What bugged me the most was convincing my dear husband that there was some creature in the basement. He did that male thing, what?, where?, I don't hear anything? ugh suhdgrumpgrump.

PS Ticker nice to see you are still about.

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Ydnam96 - Apr 19, 2005 9:57 pm (#1233 of 2981) Reply

I hate ticks. SOOOO much.

They are sooo gross. I went hiking a few weeks ago and some of my friends got some on them and I was paranoid all day that I might have one. Eww eww eww...I'd rather have an opposum in my yard than have a tick on me

I hope everyone had a good Tuesday. Mine has been mildly stressful as I've been feeling icky. But it's almost bed time so for that I am thankful. Yay. Tomorrow's Wednesday.

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Amilia Smith - Apr 19, 2005 11:27 pm (#1234 of 2981) Reply

Catherine, that was a very depressing article. And here I was looking forward to moving out of Utah and no longer being an old maid. No matter what though, I refuse to trudge along like a watermark! :-)

Kabloink: Speaking of resumés...anyone have any ideas what I could do with a bachelor’s degree in History?

To tell the truth, I'm kind of in the same boat. I've got a BA in History, and am currently in grocery store management. Fortunately I am not burned out of school, having taken it so slowly, so off to grad school I go. I don't know if it will help, but here is the advice from my History Department's web site.
History develops these skills:
Research
Critical thinking
Interpretation of information
Editing
Writing
Communication
Reading
Synthesis
Interviewing
Organizations that emphasize history . . .
Archives, publishing, consulting, historical associations, libraries, museums,religious/philanthropic groups, National Park Service
Organizations that use historians' skills . . .
Management, advertising, record keeping, banking, insurance, paralegal, journalism, travel/tourism

I hope that helps. Look at the skills you have learned as a historian, and put them into your resumé. Then think of organizations that could use your skills. This list will hopefully give you some ideas, but I am sure there are more you can think of. Rather general advice, I know. Just know I am wishing you the best of luck.

Haymoni: I am not a member of the Sleep Apnea Club myself, but my grandmother has been a lifelong member. She has a tendency to drop off whenever she sits down, no matter what she is doing . . . watching a movie, a play, a lecture, church, driving (no, she no longer has a license, but yes, there were accidents). She audited some classes with me last winter, and I kept passing her candy to try and keep her awake. Didn't work. So, long story short, I haven't any advice, but I'll send my good luck charms to you too.

Elanor: it has been pouring rain all day here too. We've actually had quite a bit of rain this spring. It was an amazingly green drive down to Vegas last weekend. Although most of you probably wouldn't consider it green, for a desert rat like me . . .

Thora: I am glad you had such a nice birthday.

Mandy and Lizzy: I hope tomorrow is a better day for you (or in Lizzy's case, that today starts looking up). Edit Well, here's to tomorrow anyway, Lizzy.

Barb: Welcome home! Italy sounds wonderful. Someday . . .

Mills.

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dizzy lizzy - Apr 19, 2005 11:40 pm (#1235 of 2981) Reply

Yes my day did start off bad and it only just got worse. Warning rant following!!

Even worse, my Internet provider crashed at about 3pm this arvo (about and hour and a half ago). This was after I'd fallen asleep in the middle of a good book and discovered my hearing aid for my right ear has finally died.

I'd hope to get it resurrected for 6 months or so while I sort out how to buy two new hearing aids that combined will cost me just under a quarter of my mortgage (home loan). Around AUD$7000 and I don't get a cent back from my private health insurance or from the government. I can try to find second hand ones, but they are difficult to source, so I am not sure what to do here.

So I went for a walk (shock horror!!!) to try and burn off my aggro - otherwise I'll stew and simmer all night - and bought the local paper and found there were no jobs going anywhere . So I finally got back onto the net. And now I just don't know what to do.

This is one of those times when a wealthy white knight would be useful .

One very confused and dizzy lizzy

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Penny Lane. - Apr 20, 2005 12:31 am (#1236 of 2981) Reply

Wahhhh! I don't want to be in front of this computer anymore... But I have to finish this assignment by 1 tommorrow/today. I'm tired and cranky, and I know that once this is finished, I have tests to study for. Also, I seem to have the same problem as Kim. What exactly can I do with a degree in Public Law and Government if I don't go to Law School? Right now, I want to be done with school forever, no more tests/studying/exams, etc. Just make it stop.

I would so keep a de-scented skunk if I didn't already have 2 whiny cats... Also, I promised myself that I would find/buy a toy poodle like my old one, Nelson, when I get my own place. *Waits for the lecture on not buying pets when there are so many non puppy milled ones out there*

Lizzy, I'm sorry about the hearing aid/internet troubles.

Barb: I'm so envious. I want to go to Italy SO bad... it's my next trip. I just have to catch up on bills/learn a little Italian or find a nice boy who speaks it *dazes off into dream land*

I have to get back to work. *pouts*

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The giant squid - Apr 20, 2005 1:26 am (#1237 of 2981) Reply

Well, that article sucked. (Ladybug220)

Succinct, yet articulate...sums it up quite nicely. If only the writer were nearly as good at putting word to paper.

Elanor, the term is indeed "Laserdisc". I've been trying for a few months now to convince one of my coworkers to hook his laserdisc player to his computer & burn the original versions of Star Wars to DVD. It's not that he doesn't want to, just that by the time he gets home his thoughts have moved to other things...

haymoni, Marie E. might have some info for you on sleep apnia--Mr. E. suffers from the disorder (or rather, Marie suffers...he sleeps right through it). Unfortunately, she just posted yesterday, so we won't see her for a while...

sends cheering charms to Dizzy Lizzy

--Mike

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dizzy lizzy - Apr 20, 2005 2:08 am (#1238 of 2981) Reply

To calm down and stop myself feeling so sorry for myself, I got onto my crossword creator and created a rather nice Harry Potter crossword. If anyone wants a copy, email me. But it might take a day or two for me to get it in internet friendly format. It is definitely a kid crossword, (writing clues are not my best skill) say 8-10 years old depending on language skills.

Lizzy

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Ladybug220 - Apr 20, 2005 4:37 am (#1239 of 2981) Reply

Succinct, yet articulate...sums it up quite nicely. If only the writer were nearly as good at putting word to paper.

Why thanks Mike!

Lizzy - sorry to hear about your troubles. I'm sending cheering charms your way.

I get to spending the morning in training - what joy! Of course I won't use the info for another 6 months and by then I will have forgotten it.

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Catherine - Apr 20, 2005 4:38 am (#1240 of 2981) Reply

*Waits for the lecture on not buying pets when there are so many non puppy milled ones out there* --Penny Lane

Don't worry, you won't get a lecture from me on buying a pure-bred dog. There's nothing wrong with wanting to know the adult size and characteristics of an animal, especially if one lives in an apartment. There are decent and more than decent dog breeders, just as there are many people who do heartbreaking things to dogs in the name of profit. The problem is that the latter tends to outweigh the former.

I will say that our local animal shelter and our Humane Society shelter see a large number of purebred dogs, so that can still be an option for people who want to give it a try. Also, http://www.petfinder.org allows people to search zip codes and regionally to find rescued/shelter animals which meet their needs.

If you are looking for a reputable breeder, one good way to go to the AKC website and find out who belongs to the national clubs for that breed. These people can recommend a breeder in your area. In fact, this is what I did when I got Daisy, and we still communicate regularly. She loves having updates on her "baby" and enjoys the pictures I send her.

Oopsie....lecture over. You didn't really think I could resist, did you?

Lizzie, I am so sorry about your hearing aid; I can't imagine the frustration that causes you.

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Madam Pince - Apr 20, 2005 6:02 am (#1241 of 2981) Reply

Haymoni, I think my mother-in-law was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I don't know the full details, but as I recall they gave her some sort of machine with a mask that goes over your nose and mouth, and she was supposed to use this at night -- I think it pumped oxygen or something? Anyway, she found it impossible because the machine was noisy which kept her awake, and sleeping with a mask over your face is apparently not a piece of cake, either. So she ended up just giving up on it. I'm assuming she must've been borderline as well or she wouldn't have been able to just quit her treatment without starting something else. Sorry not much help....

The post about all the "T" names reminded me of one other one -- I know somebody who named all their kids names that rhyme (Jerry, Sherry, Terry, Perry, and Kerry.) The strange thing is, when I was a little kid I asked the man about it, and he got this funny look on his face and said "Hmmmm. I never noticed that." I think he was being honest, too!

Dizzy Lizzy, sorry about your bad day and your hearing aid troubles. Hope you find a way to get it sorted out soon!

Happy Wednesday to everybody!

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Elanor - Apr 20, 2005 6:14 am (#1242 of 2981) Reply

Mike:"Elanor, the term is indeed "Laserdisc". I've been trying for a few months now to convince one of my coworkers to hook his laserdisc player to his computer & burn the original versions of Star Wars to DVD".

Thanks for the information! I had never thought of connecting the laserdisc player to a computer. Hmm... I'm hopeless with a computer, do you know how difficult is it to do that? With luck, I may convince my brother to do it! Usually, he can't resist when I call him "Luke" and not "Luc" (very different pronunciation) and ask something SW related... He is a SW freak, we even went specially to Paris together when Episode 1 was released to see it in a great theatre (with all the special THX things) on the first day. It was great because there were only real fans who had bought their tickets a long time ago and the atmosphere was fantastic (when "A long time ago..." appeared on the screen I think everyone had goosepimples).

Lizzie, I'm so sorry! I really wish things go better for you soon! ((((big hug)))).

Have a great day everybody! You will never guess but... it's raining again here! Amilia, if you want the desert to be even more green, I lend you some water anytime! Mind you, cows are happy because everything is indeed really green but I would love to see some sun before the end of the week, and therefore of my holidays...

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Loopy Lupin - Apr 20, 2005 6:36 am (#1243 of 2981) Reply

"....self-absorbed sneers like NASCAR skid marks..."????

What in the world does that mean? -- Madam Pince

It means that the writer was relying much to heavily on his "Dan Rather Pocket Simile Book." I'll never forget during the 2000 election when Rather said that Bush was plowing through the southern states "like a tornado through a trailer park."

Go get 'em Catherine. Hey, if you find out where this guy lives, perhaps you could engage in a little opossum relocation project.

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Round Pink Spider - Apr 20, 2005 6:36 am (#1244 of 2981) Reply

Lizzie, my sympathies on the hearing aid problem. I remember how overwhelmed I felt when we found out that our daughter's cochlear implant operation would be $30,000. We were fortunate that insurance covered much of it, but my husband quipped for some time afterwards that our daughter was "wearing our second car." It's been worth it, though... now she can hear birds, music, etc.

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Catherine - Apr 20, 2005 6:47 am (#1245 of 2981) Reply

It means that the writer was relying much to heavily on his "Dan Rather Pocket Simile Book."... Hey, if you find out where this guy lives, perhaps you could engage in a little opossum relocation project. --Loopy Lupin

I don't dislike Mama Possum that much! He's so scary she might be in a permanently frozen state.

LOL about the "Dan Rather Pocket Simile Book" and Mr. RPS's "wearing the second car" quip.

If only that writer was half as funny as he thinks he is, and one-tenth as amusing as this group.

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Julia. - Apr 20, 2005 6:48 am (#1246 of 2981) Reply

Sorry, but I must interrupt the conversation for a moment. It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that I annouce to you: the Hillel kitchen is clean and kosher for Passover! It took two days, two roles of paper towels, more dishwashing detergent than I can count, a bottle of Clorox bleach kitchen cleaner, and a blow torch, but we can use it for Passover now. It was actually not bad cleaning it this year. We didn't make a big deal about it, so it was only myself and two of my friends doing all the work. The best part is that in order to make something kosher it has to be hotter than it's ever been before. For the oven racks that meant making sure every inch gets touched with the heat of a blow torch. Rabbi must not have been thinking clearly, but he let me use the torch to do some racks and trays and things like that. It was so nice, I liked the power. *giggles*

On the Star Wars front, the first time I watched Return of the Jedi on DVD I nearly fell off the couch when I saw that David Prowse had been replaced by Hayden Christanson at the end. It was horrible. George Lucas really should left well enough alone with the 1997 special edition.

OK, there was more I wanted to say, but I forgot it.

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Catherine - Apr 20, 2005 7:04 am (#1247 of 2981) Reply

Ok, excuse me posting again so soonly, but did I read that Julia was playing with a blow-torch?

....but we can use it for Passover now.—Julia

Erm, I admit that I don't have detailed knowledge of Passover traditions, but I'm a little confused about the blow-torch.

**dons a fireproof balaclava**

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librarian314 - Apr 20, 2005 7:13 am (#1248 of 2981) Reply

Hey all!

Catherine - You know, some days, it seems that anyone that can string a few words together gets to call themselves an author and get a job. People older or more mature than your average 18-22 year olds often feel out of place as students at most college campuses. There are other places to search for mates than your alma mater. The person who typed that article (I shan't call him an author or writer, as that would be putting him in the same category as Shakespeare, Tennyson, and Rowling, and he is none of the aforementioned.) seemed to have an axe to grind. Hopefully he'll move somewhere where he can find romance, soothe his tortured soul, and learn to write, bless his heart. ;-)

Kabloink! - Library/Archive fields are great for those with history majors. You might want to start looking at small corporations, newspapers, and small legal or medical practices. Any place that either has records or information to manage. It's easier to get in to the field that way without a Masters degree in Library Science. You may even end up earning more than those with an MLS. I worked for a government contractor keeping a collection before I got my Masters degree and made more than my friend who was a systems administrator for her library (an Episcopalian seminary). You won't ever get rich by being a librarian, but you will always have a job. The profession is aging and younger people aren't entering it in droves as it is neither glamourous nor pays well.

Unfortunately, the top library jobs, go to those with an MLS, often with a second Masters in a related field. (So much education for so little pay. Starting salary for most librarians (after 4 years of undergrad, and at least 2 years of graduate work) is between $30,000 - $35,000 (American dollars) ) The extra Masters in an area of expertise and languages (if you're going into cataloguing) don't add any to your salary.

Dizzy lizzy - hope your able to work out the thing with your hearing aid. Good luck!

Y'all take care!

**michelle the librarian**

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Sirius Lee - Apr 20, 2005 8:00 am (#1249 of 2981) Reply

If you're not Gina R. Snape, you can ignore this:

*Waves back from like 40 posts ago*  Had a fantastic time meeting everyone this weekend. Looking forward to doing it again soon! Time to pretend I'm working while really daydreaming about Fried Peanut Butter Cups....................

Now back to your regularly scheduled chatting.

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John Bumbledore - Apr 20, 2005 9:31 am (#1250 of 2981) Reply

Denise P., well I just read of your cat's name and knew that even though there were over one hundred post following it, I had to give my answer. Please note I did not read any of the intervening messages.

I had a cat named Toby but her full name was Tobayashi Maru. Who is gonna be the first to say they know where her name came from and tell me that is wrong, it should be Kobayshi Maru?

Kobayashi Maru (sorry, I can't do any better than that spelling) is the name of the Star Fleet command test, the only one to "win / survive" the simulation was Captain James T. Kirk. From Star Trek the motion picture. (maybe augmented by Star Trek novels, sorry) I beleive Jim "hacked" into the test computers and reprogrammed the simulation. (Spock told this to Cristy Allies character, also a Vulcan.)

Wow, did I really just type all that from memory? Yes, it was all I had to go on. Well I am at work and I don't even think I have the movie at home anyway. Now I'm wondering if I could have googled it. hmm.

Well, back to see what others may have offered in response to your Cat Name challenge. Thanks Denise!

Now we return you to our irregular and un-scheduled discussion.

<)B^D= John Bumbledore

Oh, Wow! I did not see the previous post before I chose my closer. How freaky is that? I can't even remember who posted it since I popped back to correct my use of new for "Knew" in my fist line.