mstrust #7- Kon Tiki BBC

This is The BBC's seventh thread and our new (temporary) home. We've decided to crank the a/c on high 24 hours a day. Who cares, we'll be gone before the bill is due, and it keeps our surly staff from biting the customers.
Browse our enormous selection of books, visit our patisserie, and fall unconscious in our tiki bar. Welcome!

2018 Reads

1. Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails- 5 stars
2. Backstrom: He Who Kills The Dragon- 3 stars- Nordic Mysteries Group
3. What Does This Button Do?- 4 stars
4. The Man in the Picture- 4.5 stars- Gothic Mysteries Group
5. The Fortune Cookie Chronicles- 4 stars
6. Once Upon A Dreadful Time- 4.5 stars
7. Addicted to Americana- 5 stars
8. The Hidden Art of Disney's Late Golden Age- 4 stars
9. Mrs. Harris Goes to New York- 3 stars
10. Thanks For The Money- 4.2 stars
11. Fairest Of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen- 3 stars
12. The Subway Chronicles- 3.5 stars
13. It's In The Book- 3 stars
14. Grifter's Game- 4 stars
15. iZombie: Six Feet Under and Rising- 4.2 stars
16. Hottest Heads Of State- 4 stars
17. Henry VIII- 4 stars
18. They Do It With Mirrors- 3.5 stars Female Sleuth Group
19. Piracy, Turtles and Flying Foxes-3.5 stars- ScaredyKit-Survival/Disasters
20. iZombie: Repossession- 4.5 stars
21. Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling- 4.2 stars
22. The Martian-3.5 stars- Survival/Disaster Group
23. Pink Ladies and Crimson Gents- 4.5 stars
24. More Stories from The Twilight Zone- 4 stars- Scaredy-Kit Weird Fiction Group
25. Fodor's Seattle- 5 stars
26. The Road to Little Dribbling- 4.5 stars
27. Let Us All Eat Cake-4 stars
28. Faceless Killers-2.5 stars- Global Mysteries Group
29. Howard's End is on the Landing-4.5 stars
30. So I'm A Heel- 3 stars
31. Stories from The Twilight Zone- 4.5 stars Scaredy-Kit Weird Fiction Group
32. Matilda- 5 stars
33. Bettyville- 4.5 stars
34. Rendezvous in Black- 4.2 stars Classic and Golden Age Mystery Group
35. Motorhead: Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers- 4 stars
36. Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes- 5 stars
37. We Should Have Left Well Enough Alone-4.2 stars ScaredyKit- Supernatural
38. A Penknife in My Heart- 3.5 stars Golden Age Mystery Group
39. I Love Everybody- 4 stars
40. Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead House- 3.5 stars
41. Slightly Chipped- 4.2 stars
42. The Bad Beginning-4 stars
43. The Sociopath Next Door- 4.5 stars ScaredyKit- Close To Home
44. The Reptile Room- 4 stars
45. I'm A Stranger Here Myself- 4 stars
46. Mr. Monk Goes To Germany- 4.2 stars- Mysteries Involving Transit
47. Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club- 3.5 stars
48. Ye Olde Curiosity Shop: A Curious Alphabet- 4 stars
49. The Man From the Train- 4.5 stars
50. I Should Have Stayed Home- 4 stars
51. King Kong- 3.5 stars
52. Night of the Living Dummy- 4 stars
53. Son of Slappy- 3.5 stars
54. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil- 4.2 stars
55. Blondie's Parallel Lines- 4.5 stars
56. Father Ted: The Craggy Island Parish Magazines- 3 stars
57. The Beast Within- 3.5 stars
58. Tiki Art Two- 4 stars
59. Once Upon A Two by Four- 4 stars
60. Stay Out Of The Basement -4 stars
61. The Highest Tide- 3.5 stars
62. Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel- 1 star
63. Nevada Curiosities- 4 stars
64. The Spy Who Loved Me- 4 stars
65. The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor, Part Two- 4 stars
66. In A Lonely Place- 4.5 stars
67. Cake Ladies- 4.5 stars
68. The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook- 5 stars
69. Black Hornet- 3 stars
70. The Blackbirder- 3 stars
71. Mixed Magics- 4 stars
72. Beautiful Ruins-4.5 stars

First one is on the house. We're open!

Yay! I'm here before the free cocktails run out! Lemme just take this tray of cocktails with me to this table over here. I've got friends joining me in a few minutes, really I do.

Glug, glug, glug. Thank you!

I'll be at RidgewayGirl's table, can I get something tropical in a mixing bowl?

It's lunchtime on the weekend. Pass me a cocktail!!

>3 RidgewayGirl: Hooray, you're here! Drinkdrinkdrinkdrink!

>4 PaperbackPirate: And Nicole's here! I'd better call in more bar staff!

>5 SomeGuyInVirginia: Do you see that drum? *whispers* It's a mug, filled to the top with a Sea Hag. Grab one of those straws behind it, but be discreet. We don't want to get a reputation.

>6 Berly: They are flowing like a river, my dear! Good to see you. Reserve your pillow and floor space now.

Happy new one, Jennifer. For me a nightcap before going to sleep, please.

Happy hic, new hic hic thread! I brought my reusable straw and ready to drink til dawn!

Happy new thread! I could use a fruity drink Mmmm

Happy new thread

Happy new thread! This looks like it's gonna be fun!

From your last thread (I'm still catching up) I have to mention that according to Wikipedia The Spy Who Loved Me was written by Vivienne Michel, not Ian Fleming. After initially okaying the publication he tried later to have it blocked. It was printed after his death. IMO it should have been burned.

Congratulations on all the great books you are snagging on your library shift. Nice work!

Happy new thread, Jennifer!

Happy new thread!

>8 Ameise1: Sorry I missed last call, but put enough rum in it, and doesn't every drink have the potential to be a nightcap?

>9 Carmenere: Hi Lynda, glad you found us! And we're still giving each customer their own disposable straws around here. We have plenty of customers I'd never want to drink after. ;-D

>10 ChelleBearss: Hi, step right up, Chelle!

>11 figsfromthistle: Thanks!

>12 VivienneR: Thank you, Viv!
So it's not a Fleming? How could it have gotten his name on it? I thought it was strange to be a story about a young woman's life until 2/3 of the way in, but it was well-written and held my interest throughout.
I'm trying not to bring home a stack of books every week, but my willpower turns to smoke as soon as I find one, and then I start hunting.

>13 harrygbutler: Thanks, Harry!

>14 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! Good to see you!

Just to prove that our patisserie is still open, here's a tray of lovely coconut doughnuts. I find they pair well with a Pina Colada.

>15 mstrust: "How could it have gotten his name on it?" Fleming made a terrible mistake.

My favourite drink will always be black coffee so I'll have one of those lovely coconut doughnuts, and take a pass on the exotic drinks.

Why's Vivienne drinking coffee oh my god are we out of booze??!!

I was in Williamsburg visiting Dad this weekend and bought a dozen donuts from Duck, but we only ate three so I have the rest in a smooshed up box in the microwave, where Parker can't get to them. Getting the link just now I see that Alexandria has its own branch and it's in the same mall as the liquor store, which is proof positive of a benevolent God.

I have to read 120 pages today so that I can make my numbers for July. Not gonna happen.

>18 VivienneR: I had to go poking around, and I think I've got the story straight: Fleming is indeed the author, but he credited the prologue of the book to Vivien Michel, his main character, I suppose as a quirky "this is really her story". She wasn't a real person, and he named her after one of his neighbors. But he certainly did regret the book after it was published and received so badly by both readers and critics.
I actually was surprised by how sympathetically he portrayed Vivien. For that time, most writers would have made a sexually active, unmarried woman who had an abortion a cautionary tale, but Fleming had the reader on her side. I thought it showed that Fleming was capable of a complex female character. It wasn't his usual, that's for sure.


>19 SomeGuyInVirginia: No, the coffee ran out. We still have booze!!! I love coffee, but I can't drink it all day. Thankfully, tiki drinks allow me to still hold a mug filled with 16 ounces of liquid.
Oooh, the Duck doughnuts look good! I'll bet that orange iced one is fantastic. Our Le Mar's does a citrus glazed during the summer. It tastes like a cross of orange and grapefruit.
I have to confess that I haven't even cracked a book open this weekend. I've been watching movies, doing laundry, and I made Lime Coolers. And today we went to lunch, then went to look at a house down the most uneven road I've ever seen in my life. Picture those drawings sailors made of sea serpents with the up and down rippled bodies. This road was exactly like that, with just the tops of the hills visible. After maybe five minutes and no end in sight, we turned back and pulled over to rest my stomach. I don't care if Camelot was at the end, I'm not living on that road.

Happy new thread. Is there room for one more at the tiki bar?

>20 mstrust: Good for you to find out the real story! I can't remember where I got my information. I chose to read it because - hey! a Bond Girl named Vivienne? And from Canada. What are the odds?

I can't drink coffee all day either - until I discovered cold brew coffee, which is my current favourite drink. As soon as I recover from this awful virus that attacked me, I'm planning on making Irish Iced Coffee. Haven't decided on Jameson's or Bushmills, but it will probably be Bushmills because the distillery is near my home town.

>21 Familyhistorian: Always a seat for you, Meg!

>22 VivienneR: I like cold brew too, and I'm happy to see it so readily available everywhere. Even McDonald's is getting in on it! It costs twice as much as regular coffee, but if you have a problem with acidity it's really great.
Mike likes whisky, so we have Bushmills and Jameson's in the cupboard, along with his favorite, Lagavulin. I'm afraid I'm not a sophisticated drinker. I'll put a little Bailey's or cinnamon schnapps in my coffee, then top it with whipped cream.

Happy new thread, Jennifer!

>17 mstrust: Ohhh coconut doughnuts, I LOVE cococnut and of course Piña Colalda! :-D

Hello Anita! I love coconut too, and Pina Coladas, so you've come to the right place.

>9 Carmenere: >15 mstrust: Hahaha, I'm not worried about the clientele, well.... not much, I brought my reusable straw to save the ecosystem! You know, straws may find their way to the Colorado river or something like that :0\
Hope things are cool and cozy in your summer hideaway. aka lower level

The coffee ran out! Now that's a catastrophe! I'll need a drink to deal with the horror while someone goes to get more. :-)

I went out back to smoke and saw a bunch of people staggering and moaning around the alleyway. Either they've had refills or it's the zombie apocalypse for reals. Either way it's pretty funny to watch.

BTW, Prologue Books is giving away a bunch of their Kindle crime novels (reprints of books published in the 50s-70s). I must have picked up 50, all free.

>26 Carmenere: Oh, good! Our own Returns Department Manager, Father Jack, doesn't mind re-usable straws either. You don't mind if he takes a few sips of your drink, do you?

Our lower level is staying much cooler, and it's become the place I flop down to read for an hour or so in the afternoons. The French doors let in the perfect amount of light.

>27 harrygbutler: I know, we need that coffee so we have the energy to make the cocktails! Oh, yeah, and we sell books too.

>28 SomeGuyInVirginia: Sure way to tell: if they're crying and attempting to walk, they're our customers, if they're just moaning and attempting to walk, zombies. Either way, the smell is the same. Avoid them.

We had a raging storm last night. Whistling wind, heavy rain, lightning, and this morning we saw broken trees everywhere. I even saw a palm tree that had been broken off at the head. Usually they pull up by the roots, but the entire head of this one was laying a few feet from the trunk.

>29 SomeGuyInVirginia: Oooh, thanks for the heads up!

You should get Father Jack to work the BBC Kissing Booth. Kisses, 50 cents. Not being kissed, 5 dollars.

Here's a buck. I feel weird.

Hee hee! A dollar should get you something. Go ahead and sit with him while he eats his lunch of cabbage and onion soup.
I downloaded Blood on the Boards by W.C. Gault and The Twisted Ones by Vin Packer. I also saw that R.L. Stine has just come out with a couple of new Fear Street titles.

"Pucker up, Father Jack!"

Like I ever thought I'd utter those words. Again.

I'm a little late for the grand opening so I'd settle for an ice cold beer in it's own bottle so that the bar staff don't have to bother mixing up an exotic drink for me. I will just wind my way through all these customers of yours that are flaked out on the floor - nice of you to supply pillows!

>34 SomeGuyInVirginia: Oh dear. You keep being this nice to Father Jack and he'll start smiling. The thought of those teeth...

>35 DeltaQueen50: Why Judy, do I detect some wariness? We haven't been putting anything in our cocktails that isn't suppose to be there. Okay, maybe we're doubling up on the rum.
"That ain't no crime!"

It's astounding! I had no idea, really, what to expect the first time I saw TRHPS. I was dressed as Brad, but that's because I always dressed as Brad. I got freaking SOAKED during the rain scene. Some guy two rows in front of me turned around and shot me in directly in the face with his water pistol.

I really liked being in my 20s.

I first saw it when I was 15, and my sister and I went to the midnight showing several times that summer. Now why did that mean guy do that? Shooting someone in the face is always rude. At our theater, people went nuts with the word "toast". Toast went flying all over the audience.
I don't think midnight movies are a thing anymore, are they? It was a lot of fun.
And I have to somewhat contradict my answer to you from my last thread, when you asked me about writing. I said my last published was the noir story from a year and a half ago, completely forgetting about my self-published doggerel on Amazon. It's been over a year so I forgot all about it. I went to look, and it has a single review, by someone who seems to have had quite a few and is struggling. :-D

This week's Friday "Whaaat?" is more of an "Aaaaagh!" I went looking through Grandin Road's Halloween collection and came across something unexpected, considering they specialize in the more gentle, over-priced side of scary, but here was a cockroach necklace. I think we're all accustomed to bloody severed heads by now, but this necklace was startlingly scary. Imagine turning around and seeing someone with a bunch of cockroaches gathered around their neck. And it turns out, there are several companies making these very realistic necklaces. Yikes.

>39 mstrust: From the Joe's Apartment line of fashion accessories, I presume. Do any of the offerings have little vibrating mechanisms so the roaches seem to move?

>39 mstrust: Please tell me that is made from plastic bugs and not dead real bugs! *shudder*

>40 harrygbutler: I didn't think it could be any more disturbing, but you figured out a way, Harry.
>41 ChelleBearss: You know, I hadn't even considered that. I had assumed they were plastic, but now...I suppose it would be so much easier (and cheaper) to dip real ones in shellac. Ugh. This is the first time I've ever hoped for plastic cockroaches.

65. The Walking Dead: The Fall of The Governor, Part Two by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga. The fourth book in the series, here we have the immediate continuation of problems in Woodbury after hostages Rick, Michonne and Glenn have escaped and run back to their prison sanctuary. Michonne's last hours in Woodbury were spent torturing and maiming The Governor as payback, and it takes all of old Army medic Bob's skills to keep the town's sociopath leader alive. Meanwhile, Lilly Caul has stepped up to fill the role as leader, with some townspeople being grateful and others resentful. That Lily is pregnant and vacillating between hopeful and terrified is a secret.
Better than the second and third in the series. I read this for the ScaredyKit- "Part of a Series" group.4 stars

>36 mstrust: Not exactly wary, just wanted to make sure The Dude is tending the bar, I was afraid he was off on holidays and Father Jack was mixing the drinks!

OMG, The Rocky Horror Picture Show gives me flashbacks to the 70's. Bell bottom pants, permed hair, platform shoes and all!

>39 mstrust: Is it wrong that I'd kind of like to have that necklace? It is wrong, isn't it?

>44 DeltaQueen50: All those horrible fashion choices are so very 70's, so how strange that right in the middle of it, there's TRHP laying down the blueprint for Goths.
Oh no, we never let Father Jack behind the bar. There'd be nothing left for the rest of us, and then he'd finish off the floor cleaner. Again.

>45 RidgewayGirl: :-D I would never try to dissuade you from owning the scariest necklace on earth. Just know that people will shriek when they see you coming. You can get away with Halloween as an excuse, but what if you're wearing it in February?
https://www.grandinroad.com/halloween-haven/halloween-costumes-accessories/#w=*&...

I've seen way too many Japanese horror movies to be ok with that necklace. Also piano wire, bathtubs full of water, and daffodils. Actually, I've always had a problem with daffodils, even before Netflix.

A roach necklace crosses a line, doesn't it? Seeing a necklace of rubber human ears like Darryl's doesn't raise an eyebrow, but roaches do. Like, "Oooh, you're house is nasty!"
Btw, we were at Michael's yesterday and they had lots of Halloween stuff out. Maybe not all of it, but lots. And I was at a Hallmark store on Friday and they were starting to put Halloween out, though they had much more of Christmas.

Halloween merch sighting at Petsmart yesterday! I took a moment to pretend it wasn't 114 outside.

Halloween candy sighted at Giant Eagle (grocery store). If I purchased any now it would never ever survive till All Hallow's Eve.

>49 PaperbackPirate: The sight of Autumn and Halloween stuff is a reminder that there will be a day you can walk outside without burning your retinas. It's something to cling to.
Mike saw an ice cream sandwich dog costume at Michael's the other day and was tempted, but we both know Coral would not only manage to get it off, but tear it to shreds too. She has a talent.
>50 Carmenere: Sweet! When I buy candy for Halloween, I have to specifically ask, "What will you not eat?" Yes, I'll plow through a bag of mini Three Musketeers, and probably one of the Junior Mint minis too, but he's so much worse. So we end up giving away things like Nerds, Starburst and Blow Pops because they're the only candies he can be trusted to leave alone.

I'm liking these Halloween sightings!

>51 mstrust: That's my strategy with Hallowe'en candy. But I reserve the right to buy a bag of Mallowcreme Pumpkins for myself (I love them, but about halfway through the bag I love them a little less and by the time I've finished the final, stale pumpkins, I'm happy to wait a year for the next bag.)

I getcha, I also make sure I get my favorites. My current favorite is Crispy M&Ms. I'm going through those at a ridiculous rate, as I like to have a bag while watching one of the Hallmark Channel murder mysteries. I got hooked on them both at the same time.
I found organic candy corn at Sprout's last year and preferred them to Brach's. They tasted of honey and vanilla rather than whatever Brach's uses that makes me need water after eating a couple.
And I've spotted a couple of Autumn magazines already!

For me, that chemical aftertaste is part of the whole allure. Don't try to improve my nostalgia by making it less unhealthy!

:-D Far be it for me to tell someone to eat healthier. I happened to buy the organic candy corn because it was shimmery and pretty, but I was thinking, "I'll bet these taste like crap." I was surprised that they didn't.

66. In A Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes. The story of young WWII vet Dix Steele, who served in England and moved to L.A. County after the war. There he looks up his squadron buddy Brub, and finds that his friend is not only married, but now a detective with the L.A.P.D. Since Dix is a prolific murderer, this should cause him some alarm, but instead, he enjoys grilling his friend for information about where his detective skills are leading him.
This was a re-read for me, and I admire it even more than I did the first time I read it. 4.5 stars

>56 mstrust: I've not read the book, but I have seen the movie a couple times. It's really very good, but I can't quite say that I like it.

Ooooh! I've wanted to read that for a long time. In fact, I started a few weeks ago but put it aside when I realized it wasn't the basis for an old episode of the Suspense radio show starring Agnes Moorehead.

>57 harrygbutler: I've seen the movie too, and I like Bogart a lot, but Hollywood really watered down Hughes' story. The book is much more tense because we know from the start that Steele is a murderer, as it starts with him stalking a potential victim. Hughes knew an awful lot about the mind of the sociopath, and much of that was lost by the film making Bogart just a murder suspect.

>58 SomeGuyInVirginia: Now Agnes Moorehead is a name you don't hear too often. I like her and she made some really good movies. And I loved her hair and make-up in "Bewitched".
I've finally gotten another Hughes novel, The Blackbirder, the only novel of hers in the main branch of the Glendale library system. And at the branch I volunteer for, I found a dvd of the movie made from her Ride the Pink Horse.

Forgot to mention my take homes from the library shift today-
The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton
The Back in the Day Bakery
Cake Ladies
Yep, three baking/cooking books. Like I need that.

I am keeping my eye on you! Happy cooking.

I'm waiting for it to blink. Thanks, Kim! I was going to make something this weekend but then, dang it, Mike's mom brought us a huge chocolate pie from Rock Springs Cafe.

For Friday:


A cooking contest I would not enter.

67. Cake Ladies: Celebrating a Southern Tradition by Jodi Rhoden. The author is herself a "cake lady", who owns a bakery in North Carolina. This book is an homage to the cake culture of the South, with it's unique flavors that often came out of a need for economy or just using the local fruits and nuts. Each cake lady is profiled, in her own words, about how she began baking and how she learned her skills that set her apart from other bakers. The fact that the majority of these ladies had no professional training, and that many began baking as a means to help support their families, lends a very homey feel to this book, even though it's full of big color pictures of beautiful cakes. There are some recipes here I'll definitely try, and I was happy to see a good Mississippi Mud Cake recipe that looks like what my mom made when I was a kid. 4.5 stars

>62 mstrust: Chocolate pie sounds aMAzing! Have a good weekend!

Mississippi mud! My Mom made that too. Gah! I need too eat dinner, those came sounds too good. Like grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Oh oh oh! I just remembered, my brother made a run to the dessert bar.

>65 rabbitprincess: Oh, it is! Rock Springs Cafe is famous for their pies and they have a choice of maybe 20-25 flavors daily. This chocolate pie is topped with the thickest homemade whipped cream you'll ever see.

>66 SomeGuyInVirginia: And that particular cake happens to be one of the easiest in the book, so let me know if you want the recipe. Now what is this about a dessert bar?

Last night was another big monsoon. We've been having a storm in some part of Phoenix nearly every night for over a week. My neighborhood got hit hard last night so I expect to see some ripped up trees when I drive around. It's dropped out temps way down though, much more than normal. We were under 80 degrees this morning.

68. The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook by Cheryl day and Griffith Day. The authors own the Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, and this is a compilation of their recipes along with their bakery history and a bit of history about each item. Unusually, this also includes a section of savories such as a chicken and veg cobbler. The sweets look fabulous. Each page has a recipe that I want to try out, and even the most time consuming ones aren't really that complicated. I'm going to be pulling this one out repeatedly to try them.
And they gave a bit of information I'd never heard anywhere before, and I've read a whole lot of cookbooks: standard baking powder has aluminum in it. That was news to me, so I went to check my can of Clabber Girl, and there it is. The authors suggest aluminum-free baking powder from the natural aisles, so that's what I'm going to shop for from now on.
Here's their chocolate chip cookie recipe, and it's tagged "Cookie Most Likely To Cause A Riot If We Run Out".

Back In The Day Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 fine sea salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temp
2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
Fleur de sel for sprinkling

Position a rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt, and set aside.
Cream the butter, vanilla and both sugars on medium speed until fluffy, 3-5 minutes.

Add the eggs and mix for no more than one minute. The eggs will not be fully incorporated. Turn the speed down to low and add the dry ingredients in thirds, beating until just combined, 1-2 minutes. With the mixer running, sprinkle in the chocolate chips, beating until just combined, about 1 minute.
Use a large ice cream scoop and place cookies on the parchment, leaving 2 inches between. Lightly press each cookie and sprinkle with the fleur de sel.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time, 15-18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The cookies should be golden brown around the edge but lighter in the center.

I just wanted to note that my Barnes & Noble had the beautiful collection of Race Point Publishing classic books at 50% off yesterday. They may be on sale in your area. I picked up really gorgeous fabric covered copies of The Inferno and The Time Machine and The Invisible Man at just $5 each.

Mmmnn, I could dive right into that chocolate cake in >64 mstrust:. There are times when only chocolate will do. Did you watch "Fear The Walking Dead" last night? I have recorded it and will probably watch it later on this evening.

I have FTWD recorded too and haven't gotten to it yet. Probably tomorrow. Go ahead and let me know what you think. I hope the changes they've made continue to improve the show. Kinda odd that a zombie show became dull in the first place, huh?
Oh, there are lots of times when only chocolate will do.

>61 Berly: lol, good one, Kim!
>63 mstrust: another lol!
>68 mstrust: thanks for the cchip recipe, I'm always looking for new ones.
>69 mstrust: thanks for the heads up, I'll take a gander.
Enjoy the cooler temps .

Glad you're getting so much out of my thread, Lynda! Our temps are about normal now, though the local news was saying last night that we'd had a monsoon five of the last six days. We're expecting one in the middle of the night tonight and maybe tomorrow too.

Nooooo! I just checked with the fair website, and they've changed the culinary coordinator back to the monster who gave my ribbon away to someone else. Why? Why?

Sorry to hear about about the change of judge - are you still going to enter?

I didn't get around to FTWD last night, but hopefully will do so tonight - will get back to you about it. :)

69. Black Hornet by James Sallis Set in New Orleans, 1968, Lew Griffin is a big guy who does some body guarding, some debt collecting. He has a reputation for being tough when he needs to be, but also for being a little weird. When the white woman Lew is walking down the street with is shot by a sniper, Lew's first thought is that someone didn't like seeing her with a black man. The police first believe that Lew must have been involved, but when he meets a policeman on the same track, both looking for a military trained professional, they join up to chase the killer through the city.
Noir-ish, with a background of racial tension. A solid story, though the author tends to get a little pretentious here and there. 3 stars

>74 DeltaQueen50: After I stopped swearing, lol, I decided to go ahead and enter. Hopefully she's learned some organization skills in the past three years, and I've already been trying out recipes so I want to enter.
I haven't watched FTWD yet either, so I'll make time tonight too. I watched the first episode of the new "Lodge 49" this morning and liked it a lot.

>73 mstrust: Argh. Too bad about the change in judge, but I'm glad you're going to go ahead and try.

We'll be heading to the local fair — the Middletown Grange Fair — this Saturday, weather permitting, probably late in the day so that we can stick around for the beef cattle show in the evening, which is the highlight.

Thanks, Harry, I'll buck up and turn my entries in with a smile. Now I have to hope she doesn't remember me calling her three years ago.


Have fun at the fair, and let me know if you have any regional specialties. We have Indian fry bread, and at the Vermont fair it was maple everything.

Ermagerd! What did you call her??!! Oh, I get it, on the phone.

;-D Yes, I talked to her on the phone. The things I called her were said to those in my immediate vicinity. Remember, I was trying to get my ribbon out of her, so I was real nice on the phone.

Hehe. Once, when I was working at the American Society of Hematology, I was on the phone with a clueless scientist trying to explain how to use the online system to submit an abstract for peer review. Finally I couldn't take any more and very calmly asked if I could put him on hold for just a moment. I did, then pounded the phone receiver on my desk while shouting 'You gawddam moron!' Then I got him back on the line. It's very cathartic, isn't it?

Ha, I would so be that scientist! Simple things have always gone over my head, while more complicated things don't. I had to get a librarian over to the self-check out last week because I couldn't get it to accept my password. The guy stopped just short of rolling his eyes at me. :-D

Oh, and I made Mike's vision yesterday, the S'mores cake of his dreams. I think it's impossible to keep marshmallow Fluff fluffy in our temperatures right now. After a few hours it had pretty well melted between the cake layers where I'd used it as a filling. And by this morning the graham cracker crumbs had softened. So maybe a better cake in cold temperatures. Not a fair entry.

For Friday, I have news of the impending early release of the Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Autumn is coming.

https://forward.com/schmooze/408206/millennials-rejoice-as-starbucks-plans-on-la...

Not in the article, but I heard on my local news that Starbuck's will be debuting a pumpkin spice cookie straw to go with it. Which made a certain someone wail, "It'll melt in the liquid!"

>78 mstrust: I would drive miles to an event where all the food is maple flavored.

Consider entering this year as you exercising remarkable forbearance and giving her One Last Chance.

I don't think I've ever had a punkin spice latte, but where there's hoopla there's fire. I'm in!

BTW, have you ever had Peet's coffee? I think it's tons better than Starbucks, and even Walmarts stocks it.

Have we had this conversation? What day is it?

Since it runs in my family, I've always been afraid of getting dementia. One day I couldn't find my glasses anywhere, even after going through the entire house. Them I realised I was wearing them. I had to sit down for several minutes after that.

>78 mstrust: The big food draw at this fair is the barbecue chicken dinner, which has been a feature for more than 60 years. I don't think there's anything particularly regional in what the food concessions otherwise have on offer, but I'll look around this year.

But on the topic of local specialties, we're in the narrow annual window during which nearby baker Sweetzels (https://www.sweetzels.com/), famed for their spiced wafers, make available to a salivating public their delicious Lemon Snaps. They come and go from the grocery stores in a matter of a few weeks, and it is with difficulty that I restrained myself from getting several boxes when I saw them.

>84 mstrust: The appearance of pumpkin spice items means it's almost apple time, and thus apple cider time, at our local apple farm. That I look forward to.

>85 RidgewayGirl: And I would be in the passenger seat urging you to drive faster. The Vermont state fair is the only place I've ever been that had such a variety of maple products. Definitely a place for maple lovers to go out of their way to visit.
That's pretty much what I said to Mike when he asked if I'd still enter. I figure that she has to have learned something about organization and overseeing her staff in the past three years. She'd have to be willfully stupid to have not improved. ;-)


>86 SomeGuyInVirginia: I used to drink a lot of PSLs, but once the bitter aftertaste was pointed out to me, I couldn't stop tasting it. Starbuck's makes an awesome maple drink though. I actually preferred McDonald's pumpkin spice to Starbuck's.

>87 SomeGuyInVirginia: I haven't had Peet's, but I'll look for it. I have a Keurig at home and it's time to buy some Green Mountain pumpkin spice pods. Love them! I just finished a package of the Donut Shop pods and I've started on Copper Moon's Donut Cafe pods. Very light and mild.
I don't think we've had a Peet's vs Starbuck's conversation before, but as we're both weird, maybe we're both demented too. But I'm pretty sure it's a new topic. Almost positive.
My new thing is as we're driving away from the grocery store, I'll say, "You know what I forgot?"

>88 harrygbutler: I had to go look around the Sweetzel's link. I've never heard of the brand and the only retailer in my area that might have it is Walmart, but I'll take a look. It'd be great to get some of those spice cookies. I have to wonder why Lemon Snaps would be seasonal when lemon is an all year round flavor. Or maybe it's a West Coast thing, because we have lemon stuff all the time. Seasonal availability makes them more special though, doesn't it?
Yes, apples! I never paid much attention to apples throughout my life, but over the last couple of years I've really become more fond of them. One of the great appley things of Fall is that Sprout's does a big apple-fest with hard to find varieties. I wish we had apple mills around here.

Best of luck with the judge this year. She has to have learned something since the last time she flubbed as a judge.

>89 mstrust: if you like light coffee, just try a little of the Peet's first. I like rich coffee, and Peet's is, plus it doesn't have the bitter taste that I get from Starbucks. Coffee is one of those things that's become so much better than it used to be. Same with sheets. I used to never think about sheets or pillows, but I think I'd get a chemical burn from polyester bedding if I tried it today.

Re: the dessert bar- I'm at my parent's retirement place and they have a dessert bar every night. This place is awesome. They have an actual bar where you can order bar food, a bistro with outdoor seating where you can eat from a buffet or order from a menu, and a hoity-toity fancy pance dining room where you can get lobster if you want to put on a jacket. I like coming here in part because I know that I will NEVER be able to afford a place like this, and I've always dreamed of being rich enough where I could afford 24 hour staff.

Gawd it's humid here.

ETC sooner of my smell flone's auto corrects.

Yay! Big yooge storm blew through, it's got to be 15 degrees cooler.

>91 Familyhistorian: She may very well be a judge too, but she's got the title of Culinary Coordinator. She's suppose to be ensuring things run smoothly. We'll see. I must be optimistic to be trying again, but as I told Mike, I may as well see how she's doing now because she'll stay in that position for the next twenty years, I just know it.

>92 SomeGuyInVirginia: I like light to medium roast if I'm having a cup by itself, darker roast are very good with something sweet. But I saw a news report a few months ago saying that the light to medium has health benefits that dark roast doesn't, so with as much coffee as I drink. And I went on a research spree yesterday and found the only store in my area that had cases of pumpkin spice k-pods, so guess where we went this morning. 60 pods! First pumpkin spice purchase of the year!
Yes, I do like a nice thread count too, and look forward to when I can put that lovely Egyptian cotton back on. I'm currently sleeping on my thinnest cotton sheets so that the coolness from my mattress gel comes through.
Wow, that place sounds so great, when can I move in? I love lobster and dessert.
We went to a late breakfast, then the warehouse store this morning, and I was so sticky I had to jump in the shower as soon as we got everything brought in. We're still over 100 most days, and I believe we'll be 110 on Tuesday.

So, I forgot to mention that 1. I brought home It Looked Different On The Model and Invitation To The Classics from my library shift Thursday.
2. I found that midnight showings of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" still happens. One theater in Phoenix has it the second Saturday of
every month. Starts at 11pm.
3. "Sharknado 6: It's About Time" is tomorrow night! The last Sharknado!

Starts at 11pm. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I guess we're getting older. "Anything past 1am and the sitter charges as much as my shrink."

Do you get humidity from those monsoons? That just seems wrong, somehow. My parent's dearest friends live in Omaha, and it will be 105 with 100% humidity in July, and 10 below with three feet of snow in January.

I could easily move to the Rockies, I love me some snow.

I'm awaiting my brother and the Masonic Invasion. They're going to help get some of this stuff sorted out. Parker is down with it, that cat does love a parade. He's going to have a for if I needed to lock him up.

I thought those gel beds were hot? Not so? Is your first floor below ground? That would keep it cool.

Have you read Nora Ephron? You might like her, if not. I could check your lie-berry but I'm too lazy.

>95 SomeGuyInVirginia: That was my first thought too, that people who would go might be an older audience. But I don't know, it's shown at the hippest movie theater in the city. I want to go see TRHPS and also some of their Halloween movies that are coming up. I first heard about this theater maybe two years ago when they did a William Shatner marathon that included "The Devil's Rain".
https://thefilmbarphx.com/

>96 SomeGuyInVirginia: We get plenty of humidity with the monsoons. It drops the temperatures about 10 degrees, sometimes more, but it's so steamy the next day. Mike is originally from Michigan, and he says the summers there are so brutally humid that when you dry off from a shower, you're immediately wet again. I'm still pinning all my hopes on Bainbridge Island. Nothing bad could ever happen there and the houses are made of candy. Even though I understand there was a brutal murder involving a reverend many years ago. There's a book about it.
Well. I hope your time with your brother goes smoothly. Sounds like Parker is prepared to make the best of it. Look to him as your role model. ;-D
The mattresses with the gel in the middle are to keep the person's body temperature from heating of the bed. I'd like one of the cooling gel pillows too, but they're too thick for my neck. No, our first floor is ground level, because building it underground would have been too comfortable. It has a balcony over it and it faces North, so it gets little sun and stays cool.
I've yet to read an Ephron. I understand she does humorous essays?

One of our stops today was a big Target. Not a single Autumn, Halloween or pumpkin spice product in sight.

Do you think I've been asking you enough questions? Why?

I'm beginning to get pumped about autumn now that my kiddo is back in school. I'll keep my eyes open for the fall coffees. Although it's not my coffee of choice I am driving past a Dunkin Donuts to day so I'll take a peek.
When do you submit your entry for the fair?

>98 SomeGuyInVirginia: Asking questions is how we learn. Now finish your juice box.

>99 Carmenere: I'm going to have to pace myself with with this coffee because I'll have it finished before October at this rate. It's Starbuck's, and I'm so happy that it doesn't have the bitter chemical aftertaste that the PSL tends to have. It has a cinnamon/nutmeg aftertaste.
I was drinking a few different brands of the bottled chilled coffees you find in the store fridges, Dunkin being one, but started looking at the sugar in those things. More than a soda!
The fair entries are to be delivered on Oct. 5th, I believe. The fair starts on the 8th. Tomorrow I'll make either an Aztec chocolate cake or a spice cake.

And we're still dealing with 110 degrees. Super fun baking.

I think I like Caribou Coffee better than Peet's. It seems "smoother" to me. When I'm in California, I usually go to Peet's though.

May I have another juice box, please? And by 'juice box' I mean two fingers of 'Jack Daniels'.

>83 mstrust: But I bet it still tasted delicious!!

Sorry your temps are so high and gross! Hope you get a cool down soon!

>101 thornton37814: I believe just a couple of Caribou kpods came in a variety pack I ordered from Amazon last year. They were flavored, so I haven't had their regular coffee yet. I've liked nearly all of the Green Mountain products I've tried, though I wouldn't have their vanilla caramel again. When I lived in California, Gloria Jean's was the special coffee place, though the big coffee boom has happened since I moved to Arizona. I really wish we had those Dilletante's mocha cafes from Seattle.

>102 SomeGuyInVirginia: I have a hunch that you've had a rough start to the week, so here is the whole hand of Jack Daniels. Just let the staff know when you need a refill and an Uber.


>103 ChelleBearss: It did! Ha, a cake is still a cake. Last night I made my vanilla spice cookies, my own recipe. They are excellent with coffee or tea, tasting quite a bit like a spekuloo, but not impressive enough, looks wise, to be an entry. My next bake will be either another chocolate cake or an applesauce spice cake.
Your wishes have made the skies overcast! Maybe rain today. Thanks!

It is still too hot here to even start thinking about fall and now that my youngest is in college, the start date for school has been pushed out till mid September. But whenever fall does manage to get here, I am ready for the pumpkin spice latte!!

70. The Blackbirder by Dorothy Hughes. Julie Guille is a refugee from Occupied France, a young woman from a wealthy background who entered the U.S. with fraudulent papers. Living in poverty in Manhattan, she's done everything to keep a low profile, but one night she's recognized by a European acquaintance, a young man who draws attention to himself and is murdered on the street in front of Julie's apartment. She takes this to mean that she's next, and flees immediately, making her way across the country to New Mexico, where she hopes to meet the blackbirder, a human smuggler who will help her enter Mexico.
Tense, but this one didn't grab me the way her later In A Lonely Place did, maybe because for the main character, the whole world was out to get her. 3 stars

>106 Berly: Our schools started 1-2 weeks ago. I know, it's still so hot, yet thinking about Autumn and it's promise of under 100 degrees makes me feel better. At least all the coffee places offer iced lattes!

Iced pumpkin spice latte...hmmm...IDK. I think of it as being warm and toasty to offset the fall chill. Which we don't have. If it doesn't cool off by September, I'll give it a try!

You've never had one? Give it a try, they're tasty, and very nice while the weather is still warm. I actually prefer McDonald's iced pumpkin to Starbuck's.

McDonald's it is!

>104 mstrust: Peet's is where my friend took us, so we just assumed that was "the place."

>97 mstrust: Are you visiting Bainbridge Island this year? Hopefully not too soon because of the smoke. There are 600 wildfires in BC and the smoke is going everywhere. We are supposed to stay inside and so are the people in the Puget Sound area.

>111 Berly: I hope you like it, it doesn't have the bitter aftertaste of the hot PSL. I've tried the Dunkin Donuts Autumn iced drinks too. They are very sweet. I actually got a mouthful of pure sugar in one of mine, so I don't know if they do straight real sugar or a combination with corn syrup.

Btw, I was surprised yesterday when I drove through McDonald's to pick up a quick breakfast for us on the way back from running errands. I usually just grab a single drink or a single Big Mac, so I couldn't believe it when two biscuit sandwiches and two medium iced mochas came to nearly $17. That's the price for our diner breakfasts, where we each get two eggs, two bacon, a waffle and coffee.

>112 thornton37814: It probably is. I haven't been in California in about nine years, so a lot has changed. We're thinking of going for just a day or two in October. We have Dutch Bros. coffee drive-thrus here and they do a tremendous amount of business.

>113 Familyhistorian: We have been there just twice, when we went to Seattle in May. So while it's my fantasy home, I don't know when we'll be back.
600 fires! That's mindboggling. My sister lives in SoCal, also currently on fire, and works at the Ontario Airport, where she can see the fires. They've arrested one guy for starting nine of the fires they're battling, and another nut for setting his neighborhood on fire. Somehow the police suspected him because on his street, every house burnt down but his.

Hi Jennifer, I have been having some health issues but I finally sat down and watched the first couple of Fear The Walking Dead and I am still really liking the new direction this series has taken. The hurricane angle has added lots of story possibilities with different characters being forced to be together and of course it's fun to see Walkers being blown off their feet and landing in interesting places. :)

BTW your baking sounds amazing and I am ready to award you a blue ribbon for simply standing up to the heat and getting your cakes in the oven!

It took me a couple of days to get to it, but I too enjoyed seeing those walkers flying around, ha! I think they're doing a good job of pulling the show out of it's dull funk. Maybe it can be saved after all.
Thanks, the oven really does heat up the kitchen, but what can I do, I have to sort out what I'll be entering so there's no way around it. I wish I had some healthy taste testers though. In previous years I've had a group of guys waiting for my practice cakes and cookies. This year is very different. Mike is cutting down on sugar, Pat is on a diet, William and Ryan are diabetic, Barb doesn't eat white sugar or flour at all, and poor Tom died.
I hope you feel better quickly!

71. Mixed Magics by Diana Wynne Jones. Fours short stories involving Chrestomanci, the enchanter who keeps all the magic from getting out of control. In "Warlock At The Wheel", an irresponsible warlock steals a sportscar and leads the police on a chase, then finds that the car wasn't empty when he stole it. My favorite story was "Carol Oneir's Hundredth Dream" about a spoiled little girl who is also a famous professional dreamer. Her mother has built a cottage industry around her daughter's ability to control her dreams and package them for sale, along with plenty of dream merchandising, but then Carol's dreams stop. 4 stars

>114 mstrust: McDonald's is astonishingly expensive.

Dutch Bros. is my coffee place of choice when we visit Oregon, though we've gotten good coffee at some of the other kiosks as well.

I was so surprised when the cashier gave me the total that I blurted out, "Are you kidding me?" And she replied, "I'm not kidding you, ma'am." Ha! I've told Mike that I suspect that's why the digital order screen is never working, so that you don't realize how expensive it is until you're at the cashier's window.
We have just a couple of Dutch Bros. in Phoenix, and they always have a line of cars and at the window. Our friend William is so addicted to them that he waited in line for 45 minutes a few months ago. They're good, but not that good. I can go home and make it before I wait that long.

For us Halloweenie people, Spirit stores have opened, at least in Phoenix. They can expect me soon.

Yay! I freaking LOVE Spirit Stores! I can't tell you the internal struggle I go through every year to not simply buy one of everything.

I know, it's exciting to see the banner go up. We went in one today, though they weren't completely set up. Most of the costumes were out, just a couple of the animatronics, and maybe half of the other merch. I found Autumn stuff at Michael's and Bath and Body Works though, they both have all their seasonal things out. It's just over 100 today, so feeling Fall.

I went to Lowe's over the weekend and they actually have a lot of cute and unique Halloween stuff out. I'm coveting a haunted fortune telling machine.

I need to check them out, and Home Depot. A haunted fortune telling machine sounds pretty great! Btw, I believe Changing Hands bookstore is having a $2 sale this coming weekend, clearing out their summer inventory.

Yesterday I made pumpkin pie cookies, which have no pumpkin at all in them, but two tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice. They are crunchy and spicy and very good. They might go to the fair. I have two more days to decide.
And today is the anniversary of actor and author Robert Shaw's death. Quint from "Jaws", Grant from "From Russia with Love", Donegan from "The Sting".

Hey Jennifer! >100 mstrust: Yea, me too! I was really into Starbucks frappuccino iced coffee then Yaooooza! I saw the sugar content and put an end to those faster than you can say diabetes.
Pulling up a chair, or pumpkin or bale of hay and sitting right here to await your baking decision

It's pretty shocking to see how high the sugar content is in them, much, much higher than a fresh coffee from the same place. I get all the sugar I need from my addiction to crispy M&Ms and Coke.
I made a final decision last night. I have to drop the lime coolers even though they're so good, but I have to keep it to three entries because that's what I can handle baking in a 24 hr period. So, these pumpkin pie snaps, applesauce spice cake and spicy chocolate cookies are going. I'm the superstitious type, so I'll wait until after I've delivered the goods to post any recipes. :-D

And I've spotted my first pumpkin spice food. Pillsbury Grands pumpkin spice biscuits. I had them last year and noted on my thread that the pumpkin spice flavor was more in the cream cheese icing than the biscuit, but I liked them. Mike wouldn't go near them.
And I'll be putting my Autumn/Halloween thread up on Sept. 6th. If this thread makes it to over 150 posts by then.

I hope we'll get CNN level coverage of the competition? Baking seems like nothing short of alchemy to me.

Ha! I have little faith in these organizers, so I won't expect too much. Last night I noticed that there was no entry form included with the packet of divisions. This doesn't bode well, as it may mean that they don't accept forms through the mail anymore, where you trust them with just a small check. If I have to sign up online, it means giving these knuckleheads a credit card.

>127 mstrust: Do you have to send in a list of your entries or recipes or even samples of the baked goods when you enter? Or do you just say "I will be entering two items in the cookies division and one in the cakes"?

The pumpkin pie cookies sound like the sort of thing I'd like, as I definitely prefer crisper cookies to chewier cookies, so I'll be watching for your recipe when you eventually share it.

Entering is simply filling out the form with both the division (type of baked good) and class (specific flavor of cookies), and then the name of the item (applesauce spice bundt cake). And the entry fee. I understand that placing your entry in the wrong class will get it thrown out without being judged!
I usually prefer chewy cookies, but I really like snaps too. These pumpkin spice cookies may look boring but they pack so much flavor.

That sounds like a good assortment of baked goods to enter - my fingers will be crossed for you. :)

Thanks, Judy, I'll take all the luck I can get!

>129 mstrust: Of course one mustn't forget the fee! :-)

I only make a few types of cookies with anything approaching regularity (and even they probably don't average once a year) — oatmeal, sugar, and thumbprint — and none are very chewy (though the oatmeal cookies are chewier if I include raisins or dried cranberries).

I have a regular chocolate chip cookies, raspberry chocolate bars, peanut butter and chocolate cake. I like to experiment though and I'm always trying out new recipes. Mike has to request a standby for me to make it.

72. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. A story of Pasquale, a young man trying to run his parent's hotel in a small, unlovely fishing village on the Italian coast in 1962. His dull life takes an exciting turn when a beautiful blonde American actress takes a room. She's ill and expecting her lover to come get her at this secret spot, but the man never arrives, which angers Pasquale and causes him to go to Rome and find the cad on the set of the movie Cleopatra.
This is also the story of Dee, the American actress, whose short time on the movie set changes her life forever. It's also the story of Pat, a fortyish musician who believed he'd make it big with his Alt band in the 90's, but who realizes that he tends to wreck his opportunities. It's also the story of elderly producer Michael, who made a name for himself during the filming of Cleopatra as the guy who cleaned up the messes the stars Burton and Taylor caused, but who's now a has-been.
The story jumps from decades and narrators with seamless ease and is always engaging.One of those books you get lost in. 4.5 stars

>125 mstrust: Mmmmm pumpkin spice season! I think I need to make some muffins soon!

It doesn't feel like ps season yet. We had super dramatic lightning last night, including the longest thunder roll I've ever heard. Very cool, very Spielberg/Joe Dante.

The Little Debbie pumpkin spice rolls (https://littledebbie.com/268.664/pumpkin-spice-rolls) were on a display at the local grocery store this week. I didn't notice whether any of their other fall offerings were out, but I presume so.

>135 ChelleBearss: Yes, another fan! I'm waiting til the weather cools to under 100, then I'll make my pumpkin spice waffles.

>136 SomeGuyInVirginia: I know, it's so hot, dang it. Glad you enjoyed your Apocalyptic weather! It's been quiet here this week.

>137 harrygbutler: I haven't had those even though they've brought them out for a couple of years. I tried their pumpkin delights and they were good, like a molasses cookie. I'm looking forward to when Le Mars starts their pumpkin doughnuts, which I can get special made with maple icing because Mike is friends with the owners. Snotty, I know.

For Friday, here's something I never thought would happen. Disneyland is opening a bar inside the park:
https://www.eater.com/2018/8/31/17804138/star-wars-bar-disneyland-alcohol-ogas-c...

Just got back from our local indie's $2 summer clearance. Had an iced mocha to make me jumpy and bought:

Found: The Best Lost, Tossed, and Forgotten Items from Around the World
The Art of the Boot- a coffee table book of cowboy boots, for Mom.
Something from the Oven: Reinventing Dinner in 1950s America
Ratking- a Vintage Crime
The Chessmen of Doom- a Bellairs I didn't have!
(Not That You Asked)- by Steve Almond.
Thirsty
Dracula the Un-dead co-written by the great-grandnephew of Stoker. Don't know if the talent traveled.
Fork It Over
Hollywood Said No!- Written by Odenkirk, Cross and Posehn.

Oooh, nice eclectic haul.

I'm an enigma. ;-)

Thanks to everyone who's stopped by these last few days to help push me up towards that magic number 150. I usually like to wait until I'm at 200 to start a new post, but we have a new season to start.

So today is September 1st. Just a list of stuff I have to look forward to or just need to remember for this month:

Sept. 5th- 13th season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia starts. Yea!!!
6th- start my Autumn thread
8th- Filmbar's midnight show of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
11th- PBS' Great American Read premiers
13th- my local Culver's is doing a blackberry cobbler frozen custard for the day!
21st- The House With a Clock in the Walls premiers
26th- Filmbar premiers a new Joan Jett documentary
And also various dr/vet/salon appointments scattered on my calendar.

Looking forward to the accolades you receive - and the recipes! Wishing you all the best at the competition!

Ooh I did not know Great American Read would be on (again?). Thank you for sharing.

Good luck with your state fair entries! It's been a few years since we've gone but I think it's time to get back there.

Also, nice Changing Hands haul! I think I"m going to keep myself away because I still have so many VNSA books on the tbr!

>143 VivienneR: Thank you very much, Vivienne!

>144 PaperbackPirate: Yes, TGAR will be two or three episodes, I believe. I'm really looking forward to it.
Thanks! We go to the fair at least once but sometimes twice. I know we'll be going on the 18th because Mike bought concert tickets, but we'll go before that too.
Ha, I completely understand about still having VNSA books to read!

>140 mstrust: That seems a good assortment, especially at that price!

>142 mstrust: Does blackberry cobbler flavor mean that there is bits of crust mixed in? Or will it be a plain blackberry?

Happy Sunday, Jennifer.

>75 mstrust: Have you read Driver. My library has got a copy of it.
>134 mstrust: That one I put on my library list.

Happy Sunday! Thanks for the GAR's reminder.

>146 harrygbutler: I think I got a good deal too. And just think, if I'd wanted to, I could have been drinking wine or beer as I shopped.
I've seen the picture, and the custard does indeed have cobbler pieces. Fantastic. And this is the places that does chocolate eclair custard too. They chop up chocolate eclairs, good ones, and mix them into the custard.
I had to search another location, but I found the dates to get both pumpkin pecan and maple pecan custards!

>147 Ameise1: Thanks, and to you. This was my first Sallis, and I liked it, so I'd pick up another if I came across it.
Beautiful Ruins has so many layers to it, and now I want a nicer copy than the one I have. I'll definitely search out more from Walter.

>148 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda, right back atcha! You bet, I'm really looking forward to seeing who wins. It's our version of the World Cup.

I'll be seeing if I can find some pumpkin beer today, maybe cans of pumpkin. I'm going to be bringing in my general Autumn decorations this week from the garage.

Maple pecan custard sounds yummy!

You're #150! Here's your prize, and for once it isn't something I pulled from the BBC's Lost & Found. It's a bowl of maple pecan custard. Enjoy!

Get as messy as you want, this is our most hated tablecloth.

>151 mstrust: Yummmm! An excellent prize :D

>151 mstrust:. Get as messy as you want, this is our most hated tablecloth

Bwahahah!

And we tell it so.
I was determined to find pumpkin beer today, so we went to Total Wine. They had a selection of pumpkin ales like you wouldn't believe. I didn't know so many companies were making it. I got my regular Blue Moon pumpkin wheat, but also maybe four single bottles of various pumpkin to try, including one that has a little chili in it. I also bought a bottle of pecan ale and Crabbie's alcoholic ginger from Scotland. Oh, and a bottle of Mr Stack's Maple Pecan Cream Liqueur, which has a recipe from using it in a martini with vodka, crushed pecans and brown sugar.

Pumpkins are out at our local grocery store and the first Halloween display inside--thought of you!

Puts you in the mood, doesn't it? Thanks for thinking of me. Ha, I'm starting to think I should call myself Pumpkinhead!
I haven't seen any pumpkins yet, but last week I dropped in Walgreen's and they had a little endcap of Halloween candy and they were starting to put up The Nightmare Before Christmas merch. I can tell you that the 99Only store has all their Halloween stuff out. We were in on Sunday to see if they had canned pumpkin, and they do, two brands, both from China, and one with a warning on the label saying that it may contain chemicals that have been shown to be dangerous to reproductive health. I've never seen that on a can of "food" before. I put it down like it was on fire. But they had zombie legs for just 99 cents!
I'm going to Target today to see if they have Halloween stuff.

Autumn/Halloween is definitely starting to appear here in my corner of Canada! My local dollar store is full of costumes and masks, the local coffee shop has added a pumpkin creme coffee to their menu and the bakery is putting out pumpkin pecan scones. Yum!

Pumpkin creme coffee- yum!
My Target had just a little Halloween out, maybe a third of the candies and baking mixes, no decorations or costumes at all. But I picked up pure pumpkin puree, a Halloween scarf and Reese's for the hallway candy bowl.
Last night I added a few scoops of pumpkin puree into the burrito meat I made for dinner, then later I made up some pumpkin spice refrigerator oatmeal and it was great this morning. I'm also eyeing a recipe for pumpkin biscuits.

My Autumn & Halloween thread goes up tomorrow. I hope everyone will come by for a bite.

Autumn has arrived on my new thread! Come see if I can scare you, or at least give you a good cocktail recipe.