USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Againsheila]

Morning iam and everybody. "Good" is still to be determined but we'll see how it looks after the coffee and naproxen kicks in. Hombre and I have to go get passport photos taken today as our passports expire next month. We though they were expensive ten years ago. Much more so now. But you never know when you might need it.

This afternoon is our weekly 42 game and we're looking forward to that.

Temps back in the mid 70's today. We get the furnace shut down and the Master Cool turned on for the summer on Friday and none too soon.

I've never had a passport. Hell, I've never been off of the east coast.

I wish I had more stamps in my passport. I love to travel.

 

[Ernie S.]

Just for Foxy:

 

[Nosmo King]

Morning iam and everybody. "Good" is still to be determined but we'll see how it looks after the coffee and naproxen kicks in. Hombre and I have to go get passport photos taken today as our passports expire next month. We though they were expensive ten years ago. Much more so now. But you never know when you might need it.

This afternoon is our weekly 42 game and we're looking forward to that.

Temps back in the mid 70's today. We get the furnace shut down and the Master Cool turned on for the summer on Friday and none too soon.

I've never had a passport. Hell, I've never been off of the east coast.

I wish I had more stamps in my passport. I love to travel.

Back in the early 1990s I had a project that took me to Naples, Italy.

My second day there was an off day and I decided to do some sight seeing. I drove the rental car over to see the ruins at Pompeii. I took all the photos I would need to document the place and prove to everyone that I had actually been there.

A colleague who had been to Naples earlier told me that the city was divided up into districts. There was a flower district, a fruit and vegetable district, a bicycle district and a jewelry district. I thought that a great present for Mom would be a genuine Neapolitan cameo.

I found the jewelry district with some help from the concierge at the hotel. I drove in stop and go traffic, the only type of traffic Naples has. I kept an eye on the Vespa scooter tailgating me. The kids on that scooter were so close, I doubt if one could slip a piece of typing paper between their front wheel and my rear bumper.

I plodded along, looking for a jewelry shop when suddenly I heard the distinctive sound of automobile glass shattering! Glancing over my right shoulder, I saw my prized leather backpack being swiped from the back seat. I had expected to see a human being shredded by the rear window lying there.

What happened? The passenger on the scooter had jumped off, walked up the left rear window of my car and smashed it! He took my backpack which contained my travel orders from the U.S Navy, my camera, some trinkets I bought at Pompeii and my passport!

That passport had visa stamps from Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and Czechoslovakia. It was the one thing that I both absolutely had to have and was prized above all the other stuff in the backpack.

I tried to elicit help from the Neapolitans on the sidewalk, but my Italian was not so bene, as they say.

I had to go to the rental car office at the airport to report the incident and get a new car. There, I met two other American who had the same thing happen to them in a different part of town. Off to the American consulate next to get a temporary passport, then back to the Navy base to report what had happened.

When I got home, Mom asked if I thought my passport would be used for some nefarious plot. "I don't think the Italian Boy Scouts robbed me, Mom!"

By the way, the new passport photograph showed an angry and disappointed Nosmo King. The scowl on my face told the story.

 

[Ernie S.]

Just for Foxy:

Do I see 4 (or more) other Outbacks outback of Outback?

 

[Montrovant]

Cruise ships don't give you motion sickness, especially with one of those patches behind your ear. I frequently get queasy in cars and on planes, but the time I went on a cruise, I was happily surprised.
Traveling is so interesting! You meet nice people, eat strange but good food, and it's so lovely to get a break from looking at the same four walls! I feel so sad for you, Montrovant.

I've gotten motion sickness on a dock before, so I don't trust a cruise ship. I might well be fine, but honestly, even without that, I don't think I'd enjoy it very much.

I don't particularly enjoy meeting people. I'm not very social. I'm the pickiest eater I've ever met, so most strange food I probably would not like. And I don't look at my walls all that much, I mostly look at my computer screens.

Oh, I also don't enjoy flying.

I'm almost certainly never going to leave the country. My mother is the one that enjoys travel, I prefer the comfort of home.

 

[Sherry]

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

 

[Againsheila]

Morning iam and everybody. "Good" is still to be determined but we'll see how it looks after the coffee and naproxen kicks in. Hombre and I have to go get passport photos taken today as our passports expire next month. We though they were expensive ten years ago. Much more so now. But you never know when you might need it.

This afternoon is our weekly 42 game and we're looking forward to that.

Temps back in the mid 70's today. We get the furnace shut down and the Master Cool turned on for the summer on Friday and none too soon.

I've never had a passport. Hell, I've never been off of the east coast.

I wish I had more stamps in my passport. I love to travel.

Back in the early 1990s I had a project that took me to Naples, Italy.

My second day there was an off day and I decided to do some sight seeing. I drove the rental car over to see the ruins at Pompeii. I took all the photos I would need to document the place and prove to everyone that I had actually been there.

A colleague who had been to Naples earlier told me that the city was divided up into districts. There was a flower district, a fruit and vegetable district, a bicycle district and a jewelry district. I thought that a great present for Mom would be a genuine Neapolitan cameo.

I found the jewelry district with some help from the concierge at the hotel. I drove in stop and go traffic, the only type of traffic Naples has. I kept an eye on the Vespa scooter tailgating me. The kids on that scooter were so close, I doubt if one could slip a piece of typing paper between their front wheel and my rear bumper.

I plodded along, looking for a jewelry shop when suddenly I heard the distinctive sound of automobile glass shattering! Glancing over my right shoulder, I saw my prized leather backpack being swiped from the back seat. I had expected to see a human being shredded by the rear window lying there.

What happened? The passenger on the scooter had jumped off, walked up the left rear window of my car and smashed it! He took my backpack which contained my travel orders from the U.S Navy, my camera, some trinkets I bought at Pompeii and my passport!

That passport had visa stamps from Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and Czechoslovakia. It was the one thing that I both absolutely had to have and was prized above all the other stuff in the backpack.

I tried to elicit help from the Neapolitans on the sidewalk, but my Italian was not so bene, as they say.

I had to go to the rental car office at the airport to report the incident and get a new car. There, I met two other American who had the same thing happen to them in a different part of town. Off to the American consulate next to get a temporary passport, then back to the Navy base to report what had happened.

When I got home, Mom asked if I thought my passport would be used for some nefarious plot. "I don't think the Italian Boy Scouts robbed me, Mom!"

By the way, the new passport photograph showed an angry and disappointed Nosmo King. The scowl on my face told the story.

One reason why I always put packages in the trunk and keep my purse right next to me.

 

[Againsheila]

Cruise ships don't give you motion sickness, especially with one of those patches behind your ear. I frequently get queasy in cars and on planes, but the time I went on a cruise, I was happily surprised.
Traveling is so interesting! You meet nice people, eat strange but good food, and it's so lovely to get a break from looking at the same four walls! I feel so sad for you, Montrovant.

I've gotten motion sickness on a dock before, so I don't trust a cruise ship. I might well be fine, but honestly, even without that, I don't think I'd enjoy it very much.

I don't particularly enjoy meeting people. I'm not very social. I'm the pickiest eater I've ever met, so most strange food I probably would not like. And I don't look at my walls all that much, I mostly look at my computer screens.

Oh, I also don't enjoy flying.

I'm almost certainly never going to leave the country. My mother is the one that enjoys travel, I prefer the comfort of home.

My son feels the same way. I get motion sickness but it doesn't stop me. We got patches from the doctor for our cruise.

 

[Nosmo King]

Morning iam and everybody. "Good" is still to be determined but we'll see how it looks after the coffee and naproxen kicks in. Hombre and I have to go get passport photos taken today as our passports expire next month. We though they were expensive ten years ago. Much more so now. But you never know when you might need it.

This afternoon is our weekly 42 game and we're looking forward to that.

Temps back in the mid 70's today. We get the furnace shut down and the Master Cool turned on for the summer on Friday and none too soon.

I've never had a passport. Hell, I've never been off of the east coast.

I wish I had more stamps in my passport. I love to travel.

Back in the early 1990s I had a project that took me to Naples, Italy.

My second day there was an off day and I decided to do some sight seeing. I drove the rental car over to see the ruins at Pompeii. I took all the photos I would need to document the place and prove to everyone that I had actually been there.

A colleague who had been to Naples earlier told me that the city was divided up into districts. There was a flower district, a fruit and vegetable district, a bicycle district and a jewelry district. I thought that a great present for Mom would be a genuine Neapolitan cameo.

I found the jewelry district with some help from the concierge at the hotel. I drove in stop and go traffic, the only type of traffic Naples has. I kept an eye on the Vespa scooter tailgating me. The kids on that scooter were so close, I doubt if one could slip a piece of typing paper between their front wheel and my rear bumper.

I plodded along, looking for a jewelry shop when suddenly I heard the distinctive sound of automobile glass shattering! Glancing over my right shoulder, I saw my prized leather backpack being swiped from the back seat. I had expected to see a human being shredded by the rear window lying there.

What happened? The passenger on the scooter had jumped off, walked up the left rear window of my car and smashed it! He took my backpack which contained my travel orders from the U.S Navy, my camera, some trinkets I bought at Pompeii and my passport!

That passport had visa stamps from Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and Czechoslovakia. It was the one thing that I both absolutely had to have and was prized above all the other stuff in the backpack.

I tried to elicit help from the Neapolitans on the sidewalk, but my Italian was not so bene, as they say.

I had to go to the rental car office at the airport to report the incident and get a new car. There, I met two other American who had the same thing happen to them in a different part of town. Off to the American consulate next to get a temporary passport, then back to the Navy base to report what had happened.

When I got home, Mom asked if I thought my passport would be used for some nefarious plot. "I don't think the Italian Boy Scouts robbed me, Mom!"

By the way, the new passport photograph showed an angry and disappointed Nosmo King. The scowl on my face told the story.

One reason why I always put packages in the trunk and keep my purse right next to me.

Consider this; when I told my Navy contact the story he topped it!

His wife was driving in yet another part of Naples when a scooter passed her on the left and bumped her side view mirror. When she rolled down the window to readjust it, the second scooter came along side and stole the watch right off her wrist!

La dulce vita!

 

[gallantwarrior]

Gallantwarrior...
If I have my facts straight, you live in Anchorage? If so I know this establishment is no longer in business, but do you remember the Fireweed Hotel? I stayed there for about 2 months back in '82'. Part of my worldly travels. I fell in love with Alaska. But alas my wife and 2 babies won out and I left after about 4 months.
It is on my bucket list to go back and gather up the rest of my heart one day.

I actually only work in Anchorage. Best pay and best work situation...currently. I live in Birchwood (temporarily) and am developing my place in Willow. I had hoped to move up there full time this year, but my partner's unfortunate accident has put a screeching halt to those plans.
Bring the wife and babies with. Regardless of what you plan, you would always be welcome to visit and I'd gladly roll out the proverbial red carpet. Of course, the kiddies would have to play Uno (most love it), and I'd gladly take out the plant/tree guides and take them walking in the woods to collect and press plant specimens. I encourage most youngsters to keep a journal, too.
I vaguely remember the Fireweed Hotel. If you do find your way up here, you will find much changed, I suspect.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Cruise ships don't give you motion sickness, especially with one of those patches behind your ear. I frequently get queasy in cars and on planes, but the time I went on a cruise, I was happily surprised.
Traveling is so interesting! You meet nice people, eat strange but good food, and it's so lovely to get a break from looking at the same four walls! I feel so sad for you, Montrovant.

I've gotten motion sickness on a dock before, so I don't trust a cruise ship. I might well be fine, but honestly, even without that, I don't think I'd enjoy it very much.

I don't particularly enjoy meeting people. I'm not very social. I'm the pickiest eater I've ever met, so most strange food I probably would not like. And I don't look at my walls all that much, I mostly look at my computer screens.

Oh, I also don't enjoy flying.

I'm almost certainly never going to leave the country. My mother is the one that enjoys travel, I prefer the comfort of home.

My son feels the same way. I get motion sickness but it doesn't stop me. We got patches from the doctor for our cruise.

I have found that the wrist bands with pressure points work best, unlike Dramamine, which knocks me clean out.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Looks like we will be in Anchorage on May 30th, all day. What shall we do???

Excellent! That's a regular day off and no school, so I have all day. There's a zoo, or a more natural animal park. We might drive to Talkeetna for the views of Denali, if you haven't had that pleasure yet. Of course, weather can be a factor. What kind of things interest y'all?

Nothing too athletic, the views of Denali sound great. My husband votes for the zoo over the natural animal park.. I don't really care, just someplace I haven't been before and we have zoos here.

OK, zoo it is. You'll actually see more indigenous critters, just in a less natural setting. Dinner downtown in a decent restaurant. Let me know what kind of chow you all prefer. I was looking at a nice river raft trip. I took my parents on a nice half-day float years ago, and I had my arm in a cast then. It all depends on how much time you guys have.

Apparently, we have all day, I'm really looking forward to meeting you in person, you'll be the highlight of our trip.

Oh, gosh...now the pressure is on! If you have all day, I think an outing to Talkeetna would be in order. It's loads more "Alaskan" than Anchorage. If you don't find anything suitable for lunch there, we can eat back in Anchoragua, though. But the wildlife park near Girdwood is better than the zoo, IMHO. The critters are in more natural environments. There's also the muskox farm and reindeer farm out in the valley. I collected a bunch of brochures (they're still from 2015). PM me if you want and I'll send some info your way.

 

[Gracie]

I have been in a rented flat for 22 years, and I am so entrenched I live in fear of getting evicted, because I would not be able to cope with it. But I get on well with my landlords, and they have been prompt in fixing things when I ring them.
They purchased the house with me as a sitting tenant and that freaked me out because I was paying low rent. I know they wanted to get rid of me to get more rent. But they have put the rent up three times in the last five years, and I think they still want more money.

Definitely one of the down sides of renting. You end up paying a LOT more than a homeowner in the long run. Actually, my monthly rent runs higher than many people's mortgages! I don't need a big house though. I would like to rent a small cottage by the ocean (somewhere with a longer summer season than we get here though).

Yea! I inherited money from an uncle about five years ago, and it is slowly draining away on rent. I did not inherit enough money to buy a flat. So I have no choice but to watch my money drain away.

I just work a lot. Sometimes overtime to pay the bills. I live in one of the most expensive states in the country. One of these days I'll get motivated enough to do some research and move out of this state.

Move down to GA and in 2-3 years, when I have to leave this nanny gig, I'll be your roomie!

Or you could move to California. But you will have to put up with Gracie's fur friends.

Yup. But I only have two left and they stick close to us.

Meanwhile...had a few bites on the room, but nobody sticking out yet saying ME ME ME and me saying YES YES YES.

If I can dig up another 7K, we can buy an adorable mobile home in a senior park in Florida with space rent being 400 bucks per month. We can handle that amount..not counting utilities though. Still...it would be ours And it would be green.

If we can score a 3bdrm...any oldies here need a room...holler! I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
But first I have to find 7K more. gonna take at least 2K to move there, what with gass, a uhaul, etc. Unless we can buy a place furnished and all we have to do is stuff our personals in the van and truck. Then all we will need is gas and a motel room between here and there cuz it's a LONG drive.

 

[Foxfyre]

Cruise ships don't give you motion sickness, especially with one of those patches behind your ear. I frequently get queasy in cars and on planes, but the time I went on a cruise, I was happily surprised.
Traveling is so interesting! You meet nice people, eat strange but good food, and it's so lovely to get a break from looking at the same four walls! I feel so sad for you, Montrovant.

I've gotten motion sickness on a dock before, so I don't trust a cruise ship. I might well be fine, but honestly, even without that, I don't think I'd enjoy it very much.

I don't particularly enjoy meeting people. I'm not very social. I'm the pickiest eater I've ever met, so most strange food I probably would not like. And I don't look at my walls all that much, I mostly look at my computer screens.

Oh, I also don't enjoy flying.

I'm almost certainly never going to leave the country. My mother is the one that enjoys travel, I prefer the comfort of home.

My son feels the same way. I get motion sickness but it doesn't stop me. We got patches from the doctor for our cruise.

I have found that the wrist bands with pressure points work best, unlike Dramamine, which knocks me clean out.

The seas were so calm on our Alaskan cruise that our daughter who gets sea sick even thinking about being on the water had no problem at all with no meds. We really never felt the ship move. I can't say it is always that way though, but so far all who have testified to those cruises say pretty much the same thing.

 

[Foxfyre]

Good night darlinks. I really do love you guys.

And we keep vigil for:

Harper (Save's granddaughter),
Pogo’s friend Pat and special comfort for Pogo,
TK, and TK's grandma,
Becki and Becki’s hubby,
The Ringels in difficult transition,
Mrs. O and SFCOllie,
GW's daughter, her friend Sachendra, and Sachendra's husband Bob and son Gary.
Noomi!!!
Ringel for wellness, rest, healing, and extra strength,
Nosmo's mom,
Mrs. Ringel's knee,
Ernie's stop smoking project,
For every happiness for Sherry and WQ,
Sherry’s Mom,
Gracie's fur friend Karma,
Mr. And Mrs. Gracie in difficult transition
Gracie's eye surgery and stop smoking project,
Mr. Kat and Kat's mom,
Nosmo's eye surgery,
Sixfoot's bad back,
Rod, GW's partner,
Peach and her family for comfort,
IamwhatIseem's bad hip,
All of us and those we care about who are looking for work,

And the light is left on for Alan, Noomi, Freedombecki, Oddball, and all the others who we miss and hope to return.

 

[Dajjal]

Well, I am up early as I can't sleep. I have been thinking about doing new paintings and this time I intend to get it right from the start, by planning my paintings before starting them. I just ordered some paint brushes from Amazon and looked up my nearest Winsor and newton art materials supplier. I have also dusted off a couple of books on perspective. I do not want to waste another large canvas on something out of perspective that I cannot be bothered to finish. I am going to get a tin of primer and paint out three of my unfinished canvases so I can start new pictures on them.
They are four or five feet wide, and as you can imagine I do not want to waste canvases of that size.

 

[Dajjal]

Yea! I inherited money from an uncle about five years ago, and it is slowly draining away on rent. I did not inherit enough money to buy a flat. So I have no choice but to watch my money drain away.

I just work a lot. Sometimes overtime to pay the bills. I live in one of the most expensive states in the country. One of these days I'll get motivated enough to do some research and move out of this state.

I am retired on a state pension. It is not enough to live on, but when I am down to my last six thousand pounds savings, I will be able to claim council rent allowance to cover some of the rent.

you might want to see a lawyer, you may be able to put that money in a trust where the government can't count it against you.

Thanks, I did see a lawyer, and he told me that the council would count it as capital even if I put in in a trust.
He said you cannot be seen to be trying to cheat the system. So the only thing I can do is pay the rent with my own money until I have only got six thousand pounds left. Then I will be eligible for council rent allowance.

I could bill you for a huge bar tab for everything over the 6,000 pounds?

Thanks for the offer, but I have decided to try and spend some of my spare money, and today I am going to look for a second hand Nikon 35mm film camera. I am expecting them to be cheap, as everyone wants digital cameras.
Then I am going to stock up on art materials, which don't come cheap as I only buy best quality oil paints from Winsor and Newton.

 

[Dajjal]

Yea! I inherited money from an uncle about five years ago, and it is slowly draining away on rent. I did not inherit enough money to buy a flat. So I have no choice but to watch my money drain away.

I just work a lot. Sometimes overtime to pay the bills. I live in one of the most expensive states in the country. One of these days I'll get motivated enough to do some research and move out of this state.

I am retired on a state pension. It is not enough to live on, but when I am down to my last six thousand pounds savings, I will be able to claim council rent allowance to cover some of the rent.

you might want to see a lawyer, you may be able to put that money in a trust where the government can't count it against you.

Thanks, I did see a lawyer, and he told me that the council would count it as capital even if I put in in a trust.
He said you cannot be seen to be trying to cheat the system. So the only thing I can do is pay the rent with my own money until I have only got six thousand pounds left. Then I will be eligible for council rent allowance.

Just gamble it all away, you might win....

I spend eight pounds a week on the lottery. That's two euro millions tickets and two lotto tickets a week. Which gives me four chances a week of winning millions. Of course the odds against winning are massive, but I did win over five pounds this week.
That's all the gambling I do and in spite of the enormous odds I enjoy checking my tickets four times a week.
When I get shorter of money I will cut down the number of times a week I play.

 

[Dajjal]

I just found out that Windows 10 has a paint program, so I can try out ideas for paintings on the computer.

 

[peach174]

Happy Friday all !

I hope you all have a good weekend.

My Mom's funeral on Monday was beautiful.
The flowers around her urn are mine (purple was her favorite color) and the ones hanging on the wire is from my cousin.
The two one either side are the ones from the children and grandchildren of her 2nd marriage.