USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Foxfyre]

We have a community foundation that matches donations to specific charities about this time of year. Probably one of my favorite holiday things to do.

Our church has a program like that. Throughout the school year we provide volunteer tutors and needed supplies that their budget doesn't cover for two elementary schools that serve a lot of disadvantaged kids. Before Christmas we do some sleuthing to find out what the Christmas wish for those kids is. Sometimes they want a particular toy or game, but most often they are wanting a back pack or sleeping bag or winter coat or winter boots that fit, which speaks to the need that is out there. So we each take one or more requests and grant the Christmas wishes. That is one of my favorite things too.

 

[saveliberty]

Yep, there is an angel tree for stuff like that at church.

 

[Foxfyre]

Good morning all. Hope this finds Ernie finally slumbering away because I'm sure not and I'm not at all happy about it. So the phone rings at 6:30 a.m. and it's that foreign sounding guy wanting to fix our computer because something is wrong with it. It's a damn good thing I don't know who or where he is because I might have done some serious violence. Not really. But sometimes you do think about how good that would feel. I do wonder though how many unfortunate people are falling for that scam. I suppose some are because they've kept doing it all these months.

Oh well. Hombre has the coffee ready--he's an early riser which I am not--and that is helping some. But geez....6:30 in the morning?

At 8, yes I was asleep. I finally got to sleep sometime after 5 AM and was awake by 8:30. Saturday is my early day too. I go in at noon and have to have the bar set up and make a run to Krispy Kream by 2.

69 degrees at 10:33 with more clear skies. No chance of rain until Tuesday.

Have you ever tried taking melatonin Ernie? Available in almost all pharmacies/drug stores. I suppose it doesn't work for everybody but it sure works for me when I am having a bout of insomnia.

 

[saveliberty]

I haven't "baked" those cookies R.D., but I have experience with the technical eating part. I think there is a butterscotch and peanut butter version.

 

[Ernie S.]

Good morning all. Hope this finds Ernie finally slumbering away because I'm sure not and I'm not at all happy about it. So the phone rings at 6:30 a.m. and it's that foreign sounding guy wanting to fix our computer because something is wrong with it. It's a damn good thing I don't know who or where he is because I might have done some serious violence. Not really. But sometimes you do think about how good that would feel. I do wonder though how many unfortunate people are falling for that scam. I suppose some are because they've kept doing it all these months.

Oh well. Hombre has the coffee ready--he's an early riser which I am not--and that is helping some. But geez....6:30 in the morning?

At 8, yes I was asleep. I finally got to sleep sometime after 5 AM and was awake by 8:30. Saturday is my early day too. I go in at noon and have to have the bar set up and make a run to Krispy Kream by 2.

69 degrees at 10:33 with more clear skies. No chance of rain until Tuesday.

Have you ever tried taking melatonin Ernie? Available in almost all pharmacies/drug stores. I suppose it doesn't work for everybody but it sure works for me when I am having a bout of insomnia.

Have not tried it, Foxy. I don't usually have problems sleeping, but last night, every sound disturbed me.
Getting out of bed and sitting at the computer for an hour does help to get the random thoughts and petty bitches out of my head.

 

[Foxfyre]

Good morning all. Hope this finds Ernie finally slumbering away because I'm sure not and I'm not at all happy about it. So the phone rings at 6:30 a.m. and it's that foreign sounding guy wanting to fix our computer because something is wrong with it. It's a damn good thing I don't know who or where he is because I might have done some serious violence. Not really. But sometimes you do think about how good that would feel. I do wonder though how many unfortunate people are falling for that scam. I suppose some are because they've kept doing it all these months.

Oh well. Hombre has the coffee ready--he's an early riser which I am not--and that is helping some. But geez....6:30 in the morning?

At 8, yes I was asleep. I finally got to sleep sometime after 5 AM and was awake by 8:30. Saturday is my early day too. I go in at noon and have to have the bar set up and make a run to Krispy Kream by 2.

69 degrees at 10:33 with more clear skies. No chance of rain until Tuesday.

Have you ever tried taking melatonin Ernie? Available in almost all pharmacies/drug stores. I suppose it doesn't work for everybody but it sure works for me when I am having a bout of insomnia.

Have not tried it, Foxy. I don't usually have problems sleeping, but last night, every sound disturbed me.
Getting out of bed and sitting at the computer for an hour does help to get the random thoughts and petty bitches out of my head.

Well it is something to consider on those nights that you just can't sleep. It is cheap and OTC, non habit forming, and very few people suffer any noticeable side effects, but it is a good thing to read the label and be aware of the warnings of those few side effects that a very few people experience. Couldn't hurt to try it.

I do understand how doing some stuff on the computer does help though. Ya'll have probably noticed that I am sometimes posting the vigil list at 2 a.m. or later and that's on those nights I just can't unwind and resist going to bed.

I was reading recently, however--I think maybe on WebMD?--that the body needs dark to make its own natural melatonin for deep, restful sleep. In that case I am probably screwed because I'm addicted to having the TV or a movie on when I go to bed so the room is never dark the entire night.

 

[Nosmo King]

On Veteran's Day I go out to the Christmas tree farm and tag my tree. I get the pick of the litter that way. Two weeks before Christmas I go and have them saw it down, shake off the loose needles,bind it in twine and throw it in the trunk. Every year my buddy who runs the tree farm tells me that there were a lot of folks wanting the tree I picked out.

Early bird/worm dynamic in action! Of course a fresh cut tree means that ALL the needles will get vacuumed up by early May. Those little things must migrate under the furniture.

If I am putting a tree up, the night before Christmas, I drag the box down from storage. I used to go out on snowshoes and search for the perfect victim but now, most years I don't even bother putting a tree up. No point unless the girls are here.

I married an insurance adjuster who worked too many Christmas fires caused by dried out and highly flammable Christmas trees to be happy with a live tree in the house. So we long ago went to lifelike artificial trees that we can leave up for all of December. A few years ago, because of physical limitations and just because, as you say, it wasn't worth it any more, we donated our very large, very heavy, very beautiful tree to charity and now have a small table top tree that we set up on a card table that is properly draped for Christmas of course. It usually goes up the weekend after Thanksgiving and comes down on New Year's Day. Our decorations are festive and simple--are put up with a minimum of time and effort and taken down and stored with a minimum of time and effort. That leaves us with a lot of time to do other fun stuff for the Christmas season. And it is good.

We have a small ceramic tree (with lights) we put on a table, we also have a medium-small size artificial we put up on rare occasion. Back in Virginia we had two large potted Fig trees we would decorate as opposed to using a typical tree.

I'm a decorating machine at holidays. For years I buy decorations after the holidays at deep deep discounts. I'll have four trees this year, one real and three fake. My house totally transforms

Would love to see it as I love to see what other people do in that regard--you will provide some photos, yes?

I used to do a whole lot more than I do now, but it just doesn't seem so important to do anymore. I want it to be obvious that we are celebrating the holidays and I want it to be festive and cheerful, but I can do that and still keep it pretty simple. It takes us about an hour to decorate and it looks nice. I don't do all the massive baking, candy making, and other traditional things so much any more either. I just do what is fun and enjoyable which is enough to prepare some festive baskets to deliver to the neighbors and treat visitors with when they come by.

The 2013 Pimplebutt Christmas tree is at the top because I am weary of editing with this iPad!

 

[Foxfyre]

If I am putting a tree up, the night before Christmas, I drag the box down from storage. I used to go out on snowshoes and search for the perfect victim but now, most years I don't even bother putting a tree up. No point unless the girls are here.

I married an insurance adjuster who worked too many Christmas fires caused by dried out and highly flammable Christmas trees to be happy with a live tree in the house. So we long ago went to lifelike artificial trees that we can leave up for all of December. A few years ago, because of physical limitations and just because, as you say, it wasn't worth it any more, we donated our very large, very heavy, very beautiful tree to charity and now have a small table top tree that we set up on a card table that is properly draped for Christmas of course. It usually goes up the weekend after Thanksgiving and comes down on New Year's Day. Our decorations are festive and simple--are put up with a minimum of time and effort and taken down and stored with a minimum of time and effort. That leaves us with a lot of time to do other fun stuff for the Christmas season. And it is good.

We have a small ceramic tree (with lights) we put on a table, we also have a medium-small size artificial we put up on rare occasion. Back in Virginia we had two large potted Fig trees we would decorate as opposed to using a typical tree.

I'm a decorating machine at holidays. For years I buy decorations after the holidays at deep deep discounts. I'll have four trees this year, one real and three fake. My house totally transforms

Would love to see it as I love to see what other people do in that regard--you will provide some photos, yes?

I used to do a whole lot more than I do now, but it just doesn't seem so important to do anymore. I want it to be obvious that we are celebrating the holidays and I want it to be festive and cheerful, but I can do that and still keep it pretty simple. It takes us about an hour to decorate and it looks nice. I don't do all the massive baking, candy making, and other traditional things so much any more either. I just do what is fun and enjoyable which is enough to prepare some festive baskets to deliver to the neighbors and treat visitors with when they come by.

The 2013 Pimplebutt Christmas tree is at the top because I am weary of editing with this iPad!

Absolutely beautiful. I bet it smells really good too.

 

[Nosmo King]

I married an insurance adjuster who worked too many Christmas fires caused by dried out and highly flammable Christmas trees to be happy with a live tree in the house. So we long ago went to lifelike artificial trees that we can leave up for all of December. A few years ago, because of physical limitations and just because, as you say, it wasn't worth it any more, we donated our very large, very heavy, very beautiful tree to charity and now have a small table top tree that we set up on a card table that is properly draped for Christmas of course. It usually goes up the weekend after Thanksgiving and comes down on New Year's Day. Our decorations are festive and simple--are put up with a minimum of time and effort and taken down and stored with a minimum of time and effort. That leaves us with a lot of time to do other fun stuff for the Christmas season. And it is good.

We have a small ceramic tree (with lights) we put on a table, we also have a medium-small size artificial we put up on rare occasion. Back in Virginia we had two large potted Fig trees we would decorate as opposed to using a typical tree.

I'm a decorating machine at holidays. For years I buy decorations after the holidays at deep deep discounts. I'll have four trees this year, one real and three fake. My house totally transforms

Would love to see it as I love to see what other people do in that regard--you will provide some photos, yes?

I used to do a whole lot more than I do now, but it just doesn't seem so important to do anymore. I want it to be obvious that we are celebrating the holidays and I want it to be festive and cheerful, but I can do that and still keep it pretty simple. It takes us about an hour to decorate and it looks nice. I don't do all the massive baking, candy making, and other traditional things so much any more either. I just do what is fun and enjoyable which is enough to prepare some festive baskets to deliver to the neighbors and treat visitors with when they come by.

The 2013 Pimplebutt Christmas tree is at the top because I am weary of editing with this iPad!

Absolutely beautiful. I bet it smells really good too.

As soon as the tree gets into the Great Hall of Pimplebutt, the whole house smells of pine. Because it's so fresh, that pine smell lasts through the season.

 

[Sherry]

Good morning all. Hope this finds Ernie finally slumbering away because I'm sure not and I'm not at all happy about it. So the phone rings at 6:30 a.m. and it's that foreign sounding guy wanting to fix our computer because something is wrong with it. It's a damn good thing I don't know who or where he is because I might have done some serious violence. Not really. But sometimes you do think about how good that would feel. I do wonder though how many unfortunate people are falling for that scam. I suppose some are because they've kept doing it all these months.

Oh well. Hombre has the coffee ready--he's an early riser which I am not--and that is helping some. But geez....6:30 in the morning?

At 8, yes I was asleep. I finally got to sleep sometime after 5 AM and was awake by 8:30. Saturday is my early day too. I go in at noon and have to have the bar set up and make a run to Krispy Kream by 2.

69 degrees at 10:33 with more clear skies. No chance of rain until Tuesday.

Have you ever tried taking melatonin Ernie? Available in almost all pharmacies/drug stores. I suppose it doesn't work for everybody but it sure works for me when I am having a bout of insomnia.

Have not tried it, Foxy. I don't usually have problems sleeping, but last night, every sound disturbed me.
Getting out of bed and sitting at the computer for an hour does help to get the random thoughts and petty bitches out of my head.

Well it is something to consider on those nights that you just can't sleep. It is cheap and OTC, non habit forming, and very few people suffer any noticeable side effects, but it is a good thing to read the label and be aware of the warnings of those few side effects that a very few people experience. Couldn't hurt to try it.

I do understand how doing some stuff on the computer does help though. Ya'll have probably noticed that I am sometimes posting the vigil list at 2 a.m. or later and that's on those nights I just can't unwind and resist going to bed.

I was reading recently, however--I think maybe on WebMD?--that the body needs dark to make its own natural melatonin for deep, restful sleep. In that case I am probably screwed because I'm addicted to having the TV or a movie on when I go to bed so the room is never dark the entire night.

Being single now, and having experienced a burglary in the middle of the night, I can't fall asleep in the quiet dark. I set the sleep timer on my TV for 30 minutes and that does the trick for me.

 

[Foxfyre]

Good morning all. Hope this finds Ernie finally slumbering away because I'm sure not and I'm not at all happy about it. So the phone rings at 6:30 a.m. and it's that foreign sounding guy wanting to fix our computer because something is wrong with it. It's a damn good thing I don't know who or where he is because I might have done some serious violence. Not really. But sometimes you do think about how good that would feel. I do wonder though how many unfortunate people are falling for that scam. I suppose some are because they've kept doing it all these months.

Oh well. Hombre has the coffee ready--he's an early riser which I am not--and that is helping some. But geez....6:30 in the morning?

At 8, yes I was asleep. I finally got to sleep sometime after 5 AM and was awake by 8:30. Saturday is my early day too. I go in at noon and have to have the bar set up and make a run to Krispy Kream by 2.

69 degrees at 10:33 with more clear skies. No chance of rain until Tuesday.

Have you ever tried taking melatonin Ernie? Available in almost all pharmacies/drug stores. I suppose it doesn't work for everybody but it sure works for me when I am having a bout of insomnia.

Have not tried it, Foxy. I don't usually have problems sleeping, but last night, every sound disturbed me.
Getting out of bed and sitting at the computer for an hour does help to get the random thoughts and petty bitches out of my head.

Well it is something to consider on those nights that you just can't sleep. It is cheap and OTC, non habit forming, and very few people suffer any noticeable side effects, but it is a good thing to read the label and be aware of the warnings of those few side effects that a very few people experience. Couldn't hurt to try it.

I do understand how doing some stuff on the computer does help though. Ya'll have probably noticed that I am sometimes posting the vigil list at 2 a.m. or later and that's on those nights I just can't unwind and resist going to bed.

I was reading recently, however--I think maybe on WebMD?--that the body needs dark to make its own natural melatonin for deep, restful sleep. In that case I am probably screwed because I'm addicted to having the TV or a movie on when I go to bed so the room is never dark the entire night.

Being single now, and having experienced a burglary in the middle of the night, I can't fall asleep in the quiet dark. I set the sleep timer on my TV for 30 minutes and that does the trick for me.

I should learn how to do that. But you young-uns are a lot more techy than us old folks.

 

[Sherry]

At 8, yes I was asleep. I finally got to sleep sometime after 5 AM and was awake by 8:30. Saturday is my early day too. I go in at noon and have to have the bar set up and make a run to Krispy Kream by 2.

69 degrees at 10:33 with more clear skies. No chance of rain until Tuesday.

Have you ever tried taking melatonin Ernie? Available in almost all pharmacies/drug stores. I suppose it doesn't work for everybody but it sure works for me when I am having a bout of insomnia.

Have not tried it, Foxy. I don't usually have problems sleeping, but last night, every sound disturbed me.
Getting out of bed and sitting at the computer for an hour does help to get the random thoughts and petty bitches out of my head.

Well it is something to consider on those nights that you just can't sleep. It is cheap and OTC, non habit forming, and very few people suffer any noticeable side effects, but it is a good thing to read the label and be aware of the warnings of those few side effects that a very few people experience. Couldn't hurt to try it.

I do understand how doing some stuff on the computer does help though. Ya'll have probably noticed that I am sometimes posting the vigil list at 2 a.m. or later and that's on those nights I just can't unwind and resist going to bed.

I was reading recently, however--I think maybe on WebMD?--that the body needs dark to make its own natural melatonin for deep, restful sleep. In that case I am probably screwed because I'm addicted to having the TV or a movie on when I go to bed so the room is never dark the entire night.

Being single now, and having experienced a burglary in the middle of the night, I can't fall asleep in the quiet dark. I set the sleep timer on my TV for 30 minutes and that does the trick for me.

I should learn how to do that. But you young-uns are a lot more techy than us old folks.

I'm far from techy...there's a button on my remote that says "sleep", and I just push it. I can hit it once for 30 minutes, twice for 60 minutes, and three times for 90 minutes. I think my son's remote is a bit more complicated, but easy enough to figure out. He was stubborn about using it until he got tired of me waking him up to set it...I told him that he can leave his TV on all night when he pays the electric bill.

 

[Montrovant]

Good morning all. Hope this finds Ernie finally slumbering away because I'm sure not and I'm not at all happy about it. So the phone rings at 6:30 a.m. and it's that foreign sounding guy wanting to fix our computer because something is wrong with it. It's a damn good thing I don't know who or where he is because I might have done some serious violence. Not really. But sometimes you do think about how good that would feel. I do wonder though how many unfortunate people are falling for that scam. I suppose some are because they've kept doing it all these months.

Oh well. Hombre has the coffee ready--he's an early riser which I am not--and that is helping some. But geez....6:30 in the morning?

At 8, yes I was asleep. I finally got to sleep sometime after 5 AM and was awake by 8:30. Saturday is my early day too. I go in at noon and have to have the bar set up and make a run to Krispy Kream by 2.

69 degrees at 10:33 with more clear skies. No chance of rain until Tuesday.

Have you ever tried taking melatonin Ernie? Available in almost all pharmacies/drug stores. I suppose it doesn't work for everybody but it sure works for me when I am having a bout of insomnia.

Have not tried it, Foxy. I don't usually have problems sleeping, but last night, every sound disturbed me.
Getting out of bed and sitting at the computer for an hour does help to get the random thoughts and petty bitches out of my head.

Well it is something to consider on those nights that you just can't sleep. It is cheap and OTC, non habit forming, and very few people suffer any noticeable side effects, but it is a good thing to read the label and be aware of the warnings of those few side effects that a very few people experience. Couldn't hurt to try it.

I do understand how doing some stuff on the computer does help though. Ya'll have probably noticed that I am sometimes posting the vigil list at 2 a.m. or later and that's on those nights I just can't unwind and resist going to bed.

I was reading recently, however--I think maybe on WebMD?--that the body needs dark to make its own natural melatonin for deep, restful sleep. In that case I am probably screwed because I'm addicted to having the TV or a movie on when I go to bed so the room is never dark the entire night.

Being single now, and having experienced a burglary in the middle of the night, I can't fall asleep in the quiet dark. I set the sleep timer on my TV for 30 minutes and that does the trick for me.

You just need some company.

 

[007]

Good morning all. Hope this finds Ernie finally slumbering away because I'm sure not and I'm not at all happy about it. So the phone rings at 6:30 a.m. and it's that foreign sounding guy wanting to fix our computer because something is wrong with it. It's a damn good thing I don't know who or where he is because I might have done some serious violence. Not really. But sometimes you do think about how good that would feel. I do wonder though how many unfortunate people are falling for that scam. I suppose some are because they've kept doing it all these months.

Oh well. Hombre has the coffee ready--he's an early riser which I am not--and that is helping some. But geez....6:30 in the morning?

At 8, yes I was asleep. I finally got to sleep sometime after 5 AM and was awake by 8:30. Saturday is my early day too. I go in at noon and have to have the bar set up and make a run to Krispy Kream by 2.

69 degrees at 10:33 with more clear skies. No chance of rain until Tuesday.

Have you ever tried taking melatonin Ernie? Available in almost all pharmacies/drug stores. I suppose it doesn't work for everybody but it sure works for me when I am having a bout of insomnia.

Have not tried it, Foxy. I don't usually have problems sleeping, but last night, every sound disturbed me.
Getting out of bed and sitting at the computer for an hour does help to get the random thoughts and petty bitches out of my head.

Well it is something to consider on those nights that you just can't sleep. It is cheap and OTC, non habit forming, and very few people suffer any noticeable side effects, but it is a good thing to read the label and be aware of the warnings of those few side effects that a very few people experience. Couldn't hurt to try it.

I do understand how doing some stuff on the computer does help though. Ya'll have probably noticed that I am sometimes posting the vigil list at 2 a.m. or later and that's on those nights I just can't unwind and resist going to bed.

I was reading recently, however--I think maybe on WebMD?--that the body needs dark to make its own natural melatonin for deep, restful sleep. In that case I am probably screwed because I'm addicted to having the TV or a movie on when I go to bed so the room is never dark the entire night.

Being single now, and having experienced a burglary in the middle of the night, I can't fall asleep in the quiet dark. I set the sleep timer on my TV for 30 minutes and that does the trick for me.

Same thing, but I leave mine on all night.

 

[Foxfyre]

At 8, yes I was asleep. I finally got to sleep sometime after 5 AM and was awake by 8:30. Saturday is my early day too. I go in at noon and have to have the bar set up and make a run to Krispy Kream by 2.

69 degrees at 10:33 with more clear skies. No chance of rain until Tuesday.

Have you ever tried taking melatonin Ernie? Available in almost all pharmacies/drug stores. I suppose it doesn't work for everybody but it sure works for me when I am having a bout of insomnia.

Have not tried it, Foxy. I don't usually have problems sleeping, but last night, every sound disturbed me.
Getting out of bed and sitting at the computer for an hour does help to get the random thoughts and petty bitches out of my head.

Well it is something to consider on those nights that you just can't sleep. It is cheap and OTC, non habit forming, and very few people suffer any noticeable side effects, but it is a good thing to read the label and be aware of the warnings of those few side effects that a very few people experience. Couldn't hurt to try it.

I do understand how doing some stuff on the computer does help though. Ya'll have probably noticed that I am sometimes posting the vigil list at 2 a.m. or later and that's on those nights I just can't unwind and resist going to bed.

I was reading recently, however--I think maybe on WebMD?--that the body needs dark to make its own natural melatonin for deep, restful sleep. In that case I am probably screwed because I'm addicted to having the TV or a movie on when I go to bed so the room is never dark the entire night.

Being single now, and having experienced a burglary in the middle of the night, I can't fall asleep in the quiet dark. I set the sleep timer on my TV for 30 minutes and that does the trick for me.

Same thing, but I leave mine on all night.

Yes me too, but that means that it is never dark. Sherry's way allows dark. If what I read is correct that the body needs dark to produce the melatonin needed for restful sleep, that could be important.

 

[gallantwarrior]

I almost called in last night to cancel work. It had snowed just a tiny bit, but the temps have been right at that range where any precipitation turns to ice on the roads. I got sideways three times in the first couple of miles. My supervisor convinced me that the roads were not that bad further on, so I decided to brave the drive. Fortunately, downtown Anchorage was bone dry, as was the airport. Right now, it's over freezing and things are melting. I suspect tonight's drive in will not be much better than last night.
I have slept with the TV on for years now. The only problem I have is when whatever is playing sounds like my alarm clock. I survive on very little sleep. Even at the cabin, I wake often because it is so quiet, and dark. I usually end up downstairs with a book on my chest because I fell asleep reading.
I waxed several cheddars, baked some cookies for the people who assist me at work, now I'm going to make myself horizontal for a few hours. I hope the rest of my CS fellows find peace and enjoy their evenings.

 

[saveliberty]

I'll have to mail you my next pair of used work boots Sherry. You can set them by your front door to scare robbers and probably a few geckos.

 

[saveliberty]

Can you night stalkers listen to the radio instead?

 

[Foxfyre]

Can you night stalkers listen to the radio instead?

Yes, that is an alternative I use now and then, but late night radio around here can be pretty grim, and it just doesn't put me to sleep like my 'white noise' movies do.

 

[saveliberty]

Mrs. Liberty uses a fan for white noise. Makes the room pretty chilly in the winter.