The Person Below Me #43 - ummm, Going beyond the Answer???

Okay, here's the secret:

dkrops loepwf doemvv aqiel ego flsnrs dkeft fkasi nvvupd.

Have fun decoding it!

TPBM will also tell us a secret.

Link back to the previous thread

The thread number is not factorable into any numbers but one times the number itself.

The person below me likes mathematical trivialities.

Is this going to be on the test?

>> WHL-Nuh uh is that a real code.

TPBM created a language as a child. Pig latin doesn't count.

I never spoke a word until I was 3, and when I did, it was gibberish. I was speaking all the sounds, but in the wrong order. I had a few months of speech therapy to straighten it out, only to have it reoccur when I hit puberty. More speech therapy...

It IS a coded sentence in #1.

TPBM doesn't particularly care about secrets.

Only my own, of which there are many.

TPBM thinks this thread has a great title.

Aak! Leaped again!

I just noticed! Bwahaha! I did that once, too.

Seriously, what planet are you broadcasting from? This is DC- the Secret City. I love secrets. I was the exact opposite, when I was 16 months old my mom brought my Primary Rival home and I said "I want to see the baby." I promptly covered him in talcum thinking that would do the trick. My mom thought it was funny, me taking care of baby, and took a picture- I'm standing there trying very hard to look innocent and my brother's in his crib looking like Scarface sneezed. You're like Einstein, I'm like a guy on talk radio.

Who wants to know your secrets. TPBM will spill the beans.

Okay, then, I'll come clean - I have a sneaking adoration for "Shine" by Take That. *Blush*

TPBM has a more interesting secret.

I do.

Pause. Smile.

TPBM needs a new cell phone but doesn't want to deal with the provider or the myriad of choices right now.

Yup. I have my sister's old phone, which occasionally goes online all by itself (very frustrating to find an extra $10 charge on my bill. Rrrk.) But it'll cost me $250 or something to switch providers and I'm not due for a new free phone for another year. So I'm gonna ride out my contract and then we're going to add me to my fiance's plan.

TPBM has chores to do.

Yup. Far too many for only one woman to tackle in the 12 or so hours left of "usable" time in the day.

Maybe it'd help if I got off-line and focused on the hundred thousand things I should be doing right now.

TPBM has a laid-back agenda for today.

I was going to say "Yes", but as soon as I started to type, my husband called to ask me to run an errand, then I found out I have to do barn chores this afternoon, and I also have to drive the kids to town after school. So much for "laid-back".

TPBM finished a big project today.

No, but I started a complicated one. It involves knitting and, I think, some gamma testing.

The person below me has gamma tested something.

Edited to clean up after an attempt to knit and type at the same time.

No but I have Alpha and Beta tested many things...

TPBM likes using the Greek alphabet

Good grief, no. By the time I get around to doing anything, there isn't even time to get it alpha tested.

(SRedRose, you have a small kid, don't you? That may be the secret behind your extra bills. My toddler can reach the water heater switch - we usually rely on solar - and I suspect this month's electricity bill is going to be a bit higher than usual!)

TPBM is finally doing something they've been looking forward to for a long time.

It's been 4 days since I've had time to play the guitar. Now I have sore spots on my fingers and one blister.

TPBM sings.

No way! Trust me, it's better that I don't.

I'm heading out for lunch. I've been looking forward to it ever since I realized I was hungry. I skipped breakfast this morning, does it count as a long time then?

TPBM plays the trumpet.

(I was thinking more along the lines of 'weeks'; but when you're hungry, even five minutes can seem an eternity)

I don't tootle. I've never tootled. But I do sing!!

TPBM plays something..

The fool.

> 17: I hear you! Time pretty much slips quickly by, except when you're a) hungry, b) stuck in a boring class/meeting, and c) waiting on the line for the toilet.

TPBM is crafty.

Why, yes, yes I am. With fabric and thread, not like a fox.

TPBM is crafty, like a fox.

See msg #1 in this thread; also #4.

TPBM has seen a fox, live, uncaged, in the wild, so to speak.

I've seen several fox in the wild, I've seen a marten too.

TPBM thinks seeing squirrels and chipmunks is a 'wild life' encounter...

And pigeons. Damn birds.

TPBM believes in UFOs.

I believe that weather balloons really do exist.

The person below me is not persuaded that such balloons have visited the planet.

I am unpersuaded in both directions, but I do not fear being kidnapped by extraterrestrials.

The person below me does fear being kidnapped by extraterrestrials.

I look forward to it!

TPBM prefers pen to keyboard.

Nope, even I can't read my handwriting.

Too late. I still get a Christmas card.

TPBM sneaked into an event.

Sort of...
When I was kid, one of the perks of my father's job was to review movies. They gave him a large screen, a 16mm Bell & Howell projector, and a CinemaScope lens (because ~all~ movies were going to be made in that format), and he'd have 3 or 4 movies to look at each week.

Being the socially-conservative pathological (in the nicest sense of the term) Catholic, he'd put his hand over the lens whenever Annette Funicello was at the beach. He tanned his hand with Goldfinger. So, he and Mom got to viewing these movies ~after~ they sent us all upstairs to bed. My room was on the 3rd floor, so if it wasn't raining or too cold, I'd climb out the window and down the side of the field-stone exterior and watch the movie from outside.

TPBM can explain how a CinemaScope lens is different from an ordinary camera lens.

One films in CinemaScope and one doesn't?

The person below me enjoys watching the occasional black and white film.

No, not really. I don't watch many movies to start with, and black and white doesn't make them any more appealing to me.

TPBM will decode message #1.

Surely you jest.

TPBM knows that Elvis wasn't kidnapped by aliens. He went willingly. He or she will also tell us how he or she knew that.

Sorry; national security prevents me from acknowledging your claim.

TPBM knows how to properly hard-boil an egg.

Yes. You put the egg in cold water and let the water boil for ten minutes. Then you remove the pot from the stovetop and let it cool. Or at least, that's how I've always boiled them and they've always turned out perfectly for me.

TPBM has another method.

(humouress - my small child is disabled and unable to reach much of anything; and anyhow, that doesn't have much to do with my cell phone bill, lol. The phone really does go online by itself.)

Place eggs in cold water with some salt added. The water should be about an inch higher than the eggs. Bring water to rolling boil over high heat. Cover and turn remove from heat. Let sit 17 minutes. Immediately rinse under cold water and add a few ice cubes to the pot of rinsed eggs and water. Replace ice cubes as they melt until eggs are cold. Or you can use them warm if you're going to use them right then. Eggs are always done, saves energy and doesn't heat the kitchen as much. Also the eggs never have that icky green edge around the yellow, as happens sometimes when they are over-cooked.

TPBM is sleepy and is going to bed. 'Night.

Not for hard-boiled eggs, but I do like coddled eggs. Boil the water then turn it off then put the eggs in for ten minutes. Crack onto hot buttered toast.

TPBM likes their eggs another way.

Eggs-chopped-up-in-a-cup - hard-boiled eggs mashed up with butter, salt and pepper and eaten with toast soldiers. (Mind you, my husband makes the most divine scrambled eggs, too!)

TPBM will share another childhood recipe their mum used to make for them.

Cheerios. in a bowl. with milk.

She's always been kind of stoic, and with 8 kids, and being a night-owl by nature, she wasn't much into ~exotic~ breakfasts.

TPBM always has croutons in her/his salad.

Generally either in my chicken salad or in my soup. Otherwise, no.

The person below me is looking forward to trying a new recipe for oatmeal raisin cookie bars.

No, I think raisins in cookies are a travesty, M&M's or chocolate chips are a much better substitute.

TPBM agrees.

Totally agree. I like raisins just fine out of the box, but dislike them cooked or baked in anything. On the other hand, EVERYTHING can be improved with the addition of chocolate.

TPBM is (sadly) allergic to chocolate.

Thankfully, no. Being addicted to chocolate, I deeply sympathise with anyone allergic to chocolate.

TPBM is a chocolate connoisseur, and will tell us (me specifically) what the absolute best chocolate is.

(>33 RandomActofMuse:: I'm so sorry, I hope everything works out for you. My toddler can't dial yet, thankfully, but my older kid went through a phase of dialling either the police, which is 999 over here, or the first number on the e-phone book, which - depending on which phone - was either the embassy, or my relatives half a world away, invariably in the very early hours of the morning for them. Mind you, between us all, my mobile has been dropped so many times that the back comes off really easily, and my toddler can take it apart and take out the battery. Fortunately, he usually shows me where he's 'put it away' for me.)

Hum, I'm not a connoisseur and don't really know what's best because I probably haven't tried the best. I like sweeter chocolate, so I usually like Nestle over Hershey and milk over dark. My personal favorites are Toblerone or Ferroche; both are for sale at Wal-Mart . Um-um.

TPBM has tried chocolate with chilies.

I have, as my FMIL left some with us when she moved. I don't care much for it, but my roommate really likes it.

TPBM prefers dark chocolate to milk or white.

(#41 - Thanks:) And while I haven't had to deal with phone buttons with my own, the little girl I used to babysit just LOVED cell phones and would frequently "borrow" mine if she could reach it. I gave her one of my old ones to play with when she was over so she wouldn't keep dialing people on mine!)

I haven't, nor has it occurred to me to do so.

As long as it's chocolate! (But yes, my favorite is dark.)

The person below me will recommend books I could use to fill the 943, 945, 946, 948 and/or 949 slots in my Dewey challenge.

949- Other European Sundays with Vlad; I'm reading it now.

TPBM will give another.

Apparently not. I've got a couple books in that range in my library, but I really can't recommend them.

TPBM has had a book thrust into his/her hands by a friend/coworker/perfect stranger, being strongly urged to read it, and did; and enjoyed it thoroughly. What book was it?

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Hooked me on the series. The only book I don't have is the last one because I'm waiting for it to come out in paperback.

TPBM has an expensive hobby.

Buying books.

TPBM also spends too much money on books.

I guess that depends on how you define "too much".

TPBM will tell us the title of the nearest book.

Lorelei of the Red Mist; Leigh Brackett is light and fun.

The person below me will name a book title in their library that starts with the letter "S".

Silver Scream, but I had to look over my shoulder to think of it.

TPBM will also give the title of the book nearest to them.

The Yellow Pages...
Had to find a phone number.

TPBM wonders how civilization will survive if the electricity goes out permanently.

Oh, my. I hadn't really thought about this, but civilization more than likely wouldn't survive. Seems that it would be easier to go ahead to new ways and things than it would be to digress.

TPBM will tell us a story of the old days.

When I was a kid, we didn't have water. If we were thirsty, we smashed together our own hydrogen and oxygen atoms. AND WE LIKED IT!

TPBM has another story about the good-old days.

Once upon a time, I was young, thin, and fit, and I could watch the Cubs on WGN any time I wanted to.

I've lived all over the country, and NYC is the first cable market I've ever been in that doesn't carry WGN. Damn them.

TPBM has a reason to like NYC.

Two fond memories of heading down from New London Connecticut to see Saturday matinees of Broadway shows.

TPBM just scored a book they've been looking for for quite a while.

Yup, it was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - £1.29 in my local Red Cross shop. Woo hoo! And I've been meaning to read The Corrections for ages, and a copy just popped up on my BookMooch wishlist - the person I'm mooching it from is John Buckman himself (he's the Big Mooch, the wonderful man who started BM, and I feel quite starstruck!).

TPBM has had contact with one of their heroes recently.

Yes, I'm here in Tennessee and the folks that run and staff this place are truly wonderful, nice, caring, patient people. They never say a cross word and stop me if I try. Great people!

The person below me has people that inspire him or her.

Oh yeah, I think (hope) most people do.

TPBM makes excellent pancakes.

My fiance says so:) He's especially fond of my chocolate-chip pancakes.

TPBM can suggest a way to announce to an easily-disappointed Southern Baptist family that I'm pregnant but not yet married. (They're usually pretty public about their disappointment - Facebook posts, phone calls, etc, and I have a feeling this could get ugly.)

Start out with 'I'm getting married!' Make up your mind beforehand on what you want from the discussion, even if it's only and FYI. Lots of luck, S; you'll have done some fine work when the day is done.

TPBM loves their Kindle.

Don't have a Kindle. I would like one, but I'm not sure I'm ok with shelling out $300 for it right now!

TBPM actually *has* a Kindle and prefers it over paper books.

(Well, the thing about it is that we're already engaged - which they know - and haven't made up our minds yet whether we're going to get married before or after the baby arrives.)

no, I don't nor do I think I'll prefer it for general reading, it would be nice though for text books and other reference material

FYI BTW kindles are now down to $139

TPBM is also thinking about going back to school for another degree

Well, I wouldn't say "another" since I've done about two years' worth and never bothered to get a piece of paper to say so.

The person below me has been through some weird weather this week.

The fog was so thick yesterday on my way to work, I nearly missed my exit. It was like driving thru a bowl of milk.

TPBM has gotten a pleasant surprise recently.

My cat was waiting for me when I came home last night.

The person below me tries to delight in little things despairing of having big things to delight in.

...as the bishop said to the chorus girl. My noisy neighbors are moving. Huzzah! And I'm still running the office pool on when my boss is going to stroke out. (Oh god please don't let it be the day I take my car into the shop, it's something I really don't want to miss.)

TPBM collects comics.

I don't, but you should see the collection my fiance has. It's outgrown its box and is now in four stacks on the bottom shelf of the desk.

TPBM collects antique somethings.

I don't have an answer for this one but wanted to say to SRedRose -- start out by saying "I know you'll all be thrilled that God has blessed me with a new baby-to-be."

That should cut them off at the pass!

Good luck, dear.

Ooh. That's really good. Thanks, Boo!

You're welcome.

I have some antique fountain pens and some pretty old pocket watches.

The person below me collects modern somethings.

Witch kitsch, but it's so ubiquitous these days the fun of the hunt is gone. I'm giving it all cold, hard stares as I pack to move.

TPBM has moved households more often than I.

I think probably not. Not counting university residence, I've moved twice as a baby, once as a teenager, and twice as an adult. And I hope to stay put here for a very long time.

TPBM has deep roots in theircommunity.

Well, I have lots of family here, but we've only been in this town about 50 years. We have deeper roots in another part of Florida - my grandmother's family established part of another little town near Parrish and we've had family there - in the same part of land, though the house has changed a few times - for almost 150 years.

TPBM can trace the family line to someone famous.

Hm, define fame! If "to someone you're likely to have heard of", then no. But I guess if you track back and up all the side branches then we're all related to each other. I do hope that's not an uncomfortable thought.

TPBM has a shady character somewhere in their family tree.

Well, my relatives would say that I'm the shadiest character they know. But honestly, I don't think we have any particularly shady types. We are really very boring WASP types.

The person below me has been out this weekend stimulating the economy and taking advantage of sales and bargains and yard sales.

Well, I bought a cradle this morning from a private seller on Craigslist. And I'm going to see a guy about a printer in about half an hour.

TPBM is up to speed on current events.

I watch the news - a couple of different channels - every night, and read as many newspapers and magazines whenever I find one. I also usually have the local NPR station on during the day - either that or the classical station, depending on my mood. The short answer is , yeah, I suppose so.

And it scares the bejeezus out of me!

TPBM has a sure-fire method to remain calm.

Yes -- miss the scary stuff. It worked for me on Thursday, when I was in the subway for the really exciting stuff. (This is what I would have seen if I hadn't taken a different line.)

On Wednesday, the person below me had absolutely no idea that tornadoes could strike New York.

I know tornadoes can strike anywhere, but one hitting NYC is a rarity.

TPBM thinks "Tornado Alley" may be moving toward the east.

I sincerely hope not. I remember living on Staten Island when a tornado was sweeping through New Jersey. Can't we just keep them down in the Caribbean?

TPBM is just hoping to avoid another bad winter, December through February.

Yep, that's why I'm spending the winter in North Carolina instead of New York State.

TPBM doesn't worry about winter, much.

Well, I don't really enjoy it, but since I have no intention of moving to another country, I just put up with it. I hibernate as much as I can, and when I do have to go out I drive a big honkin' SUV.

TPBM enjoys winter sports.

I enjoy *watching* winter sports, depending on the sport. The Olympics are my favorite part of winter. Too bad it' only every 4 years!

TPBM gets to make snowmen most winters (I jealously say. I live in Florida.)

Well, despite the fact that winters here in Dunoon are historically quite mild (we have palm trees, y'know!), the last couple of winters have seen some pretty reasonable snowfalls, so if I was inclined that way, I could indeed build a snowperson (I'd rather be indoors with a book, though!).

TPBM plucks out those irritating grey hairs, despite being fully aware of the futility of so doing.

I started going grey at the age of 17 so were I to start plucking, I'd be bald.

The person below me plucks his/her eyebrows instead.

Never! Tried it once and it hurt like hell. "This is nuts," I said to myself, I said, said I, and that was that.

TPBM has plans for today.

Nothing that can't be delayed. Why? Do you have something in mind?

TPBM has his/her books shelved by genre.

Vaguely, but really they're shelved more by read-ness.

>Boobalack (#82) Try telling that to us. We had two of them here on Thursday, and one in the Bronx back in July. Not to mention the one in Bay Ridge in 2007. Despite the 90-odd year lull before the '07 tornado, four tornadoes in three years hardly seems like a rarity to me.

>jillmwo (#83) Was that one in Union County -- the Jersey side of the water from Staten Island, for those who don't know the NYC area -- by any chance? (My dad lives there and was a bit worried when West Nile first showed up in S.I.)

The person below me has his/her/its books shelved by spine color.

At the moment, my books are at my mom's house piled in boxes until I find a home for them at my place. But they're usually sorted by genre, then author in alphabetical order by last name, then by height, shortest to tallest. I'm neurotically OCD like that.

TPBM doesn't care what order books are shelved in as long as they all fit on the shelf/shelves.

Now that's true for my personal tomes, for sure.

>>AnnaClaire #91 above; it might well have been in Union County. I really can't say for sure.

The person below me has enjoyed their weekend.

AnnaClaire, since I live in Tornado Alley, four tornadoes in three years seems like a rarity to me. Or, it could be that the 90-year lull before the 2007 tornado just makes it seem that way, as we never heard of tornadoes in NYC until then. It all depends on one's perspective, I suppose. Anyway, I'm glad you're okay.

I have enjoyed my weekend very much.

TPBM has to work on the weekend.

Only around the house.

#92 - You're not nearly enough a candidate for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. If you were, you'd have spelled it: CDO.

TPBM, on the other hand, has a read obsession.

I never have, but my numbers are up since joining LT. I used to see a lady smoking on the street and she had a different book every day. Smoke, sit, read; she never looked around.

TPBM has looked at a bookcase full of books that he or she has picked out his or her self and thought 'Nothing I want to read.'

Sort of. I've looked a t a pile of books that would fill a large book case if I had one and not seen anything I wanted to read.

The person below me has looked at a car dealers' lot full of cars and thought, "Nothing I want to drive."

"Nothing I can afford" is more like it. If I were going to buy a vehicle I'd want something hooge that would put as many tons of steel as possible between me and the other guy.

TPBM has written a zombie trilogy.

First: Why do they look so funny?
Second: Um, I think they're dead.
Third: That's impossi… Run for your lives!

TPBM is not afraid of zombies.

No, my fears are all much more reality-based. Like overpopulation, epidemics, climate change, and earthworms.

TBPM has a totally unreasonable fear.

ARRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! NOW EVERYBODY KNOWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TPBM won't respond until after LibraryThing comes back from its announced outage.

Me - I'm logging out as soon as this gets posted.

Sorry. I just ducked in at the last moment before the downtime. ;)

The person below me has made significant adjustments to a recipe they were cooking to.

Oh absolutely. Sometimes even deliberately.

TPBM always follows recipes to the letter.

First time, yes - that way, if it doesn't work out, one has a benchmark from which to make adjustments. Mind you, though, if a recipe doesn't mention garlic, it goes in anyway! I made a steak, ale and mushroom pie a few years back, the recipe for which called for far too much liquid (stock and ale), so after retrieving the chunks with a slotted spoon, I was left with a big pan of beefy ale-y garlicky liquid, and was cursing the recipe writer - until my clever husband pointed out that we had a lemon, some curry powder and some pastrami - voila, a damn fine pot of mulligatawney soup! I stopped cursing at that point and have continued to follow the recipe ever since ...

TPBM has also had a happy culinary accident.

When I was just married, my Mother-in-Law gave me her recipe for Vegetable Beef soup because my husband likes it so much, but I thought it too salty and disliked it. But I made it for my husband and ate it anyway.

One time I accidentally bought No Salt Tomato Juice and when we had eaten that batch of soup we liked it so much I've either used that or reduced sodium V8 juice ever since. It's one of our favorite things.

TPBM has a sore throat and is worried they're getting sick.

No, and no.

TPBM woke up way too early this morning.

Yes! But to me, any time before 8:00 a.m. is *way* too early to be out of bed.
Now, between 8:00 and 10:00, it's early, but not *way* too early. It's acceptable, if one absolutely must get up.
11:00 a.m. would be fine, thanks.

TPBM also would rather go to bed late than wake up early.

Yes. I frequently do both, though. Insomnia followed by getting up at 7 to get Kidlet to school. Little wonder I have bags under my eyes, lol.

TPBM knows that glaring at the dishes is not a substitute for washing them.

I do know that. I keep trying to make it work anyway. Guess I'm nuts.

The person below me is even loonier than I am.

Probably. I keep expecting the Dish Fairy and the Bathroom Fairy to come clean my house. But she never shows up.

TPBM actually likes to do housework.

Yeah, right.

TPBM sometimes gets to LibraryThing from more than one computer device - the cell phone, for example.

Only if you're counting "home or work, depending on which one I'm at" as more than one device. Otherwise, no. (I even keep the WiFi on my iPod Touch turned off.)

The person below me hopes Talk will speed up really soon.

I'm a tech non-adopter (I have to pull a string on my cell phone to make a call) so I'm not sure if you mean there's a problem with Talk or a new gizmo is on the market.

TPBM knows all, see all.

Yes, and if you don't pay me, I'll tell all, too.

TPBM can fly an airplane.

A paper airplane, maybe. If it doesn't nosedive.

TPBM has to go shopping today.

Yes, I have to go get some daytime cold medicine for my daughter so she can try to go to school tomorrow and get through the day. She's feeling puny but can't miss too much school.

TPBM will be attending a meeting for a volunteer organization this week or next week.

No. I frequently find groups of volunteers to be exasperating. I will however volunteer to do something on a one or two person basis.

The person below me is looking for a good charity project at the moment. (I just found mine!)

I think donating time to a literacy project is wonderful.

TPBM will tell us about his or her volunteer work.

I help young children learn to read at our local school. I do this three or four mornings a week, and I love it.

TPBM has some other volunteer work.

Nothing now. I'd like to do animal rescue work but I'm not sure if the animals would eventually be put to sleep and, if so, how well I'd do with that. Taking in pets, even while awaiting adoption, just isn't an option for me.

TPBM thinks that animals should/should not be used for medical experimentation and will tell why. (I didn't used to mind, but I've realized that I often like animals more than people so now I'm not so sure. I'd have to go with 'should' but with a wagonful of stipulations, including 'think of what's going to happen when we're subject to dark, alien overlords and don't do anything you wouldn't want done to you.)

When there is no reasonable alternative, they should be used for medical experimentation. Why? It's how we learn. Beyond that, they should be treated humanely.

TPBM hasn't taken care of the income taxes yet.

I have, and got the refund. (The federal one was sizable -- I was eligible for a credit that meant I got back more than what they kept. Weird, but I'm happy.)

The person below me also got a tidy sum back from the IRS this year.

Yes. We just filed (thank goodness for extensions!), have learned that our return was accepted as submitted, and we'll the refunds (state & fed) soon.

TPBM loves to solve sudoku puzzles.

I do, I use websudoko.com all the time.

TPBM has never been to that site and now will waste much of their day playing Sudoko.

I'm on my way.

TPBM has already got tonight's dinner planned.

I have never been to that site and I won't. Every time I finish a sudoku I wonder what I did that for - you've just got a page full of numbers.

edit: yes, I wil have kidney bean curry http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/02/red-kidney-bean-curry/ , rice and a salad.

TPBM likes cryptic crosswords.

Of course! I like all kinds of games, especially ones that require concentration.

TPBM plays Mille Borne.

No, and I won't until they introduce zombie cards: zombie (zombie!). Ack-shully, I'd never heard of it before.

TPBM is good at poker.

I have a poker, but I don't have a fireplace. We have a fireplace at church, but they just put file cabinets in it. They plan to store musical instruments in the file cabinets.

The person below me has a musical instrument and plays it ill.

Yep yep yep! I play (at) the violin.

TPBM is in school.

No but I am seriously debating about going back for my Masters

TPBM has tried an online collage/University

I tried an online course at a bricks-and-mortar university. It didn't work very well: I just don't have the necessary discipline.

The person below me has a Ph.D.

No (I am too much of a generalist; makes me useful as an information resource, however.)

The person below me is knows that getting one's doctorate is a huge commitment of time, even more than money.

My daddy always told me that PhD's were all crazy. (Mom told me to never trust a man who wore a bow tie. I pointed out that my paternal grandfather often wore a box tie and she said it didn't count because he was so tall.)

TPBM has heard a favorite author speak.

Frank McCourt - a couple of years ago at the Texas Book Festival.

This year's TBF is a mere 3 weeks away, and the list of authors is impressive. I don't know what the schedule is, though, so I might actually miss a lot of them.

TPBM goes to Book Signings.

Book Signings never happen here. Nearest ones are always an hour away, and there's seldom time to drive an hour away to have an author sign a book that I may or may not have or be interested in.

TPBM has signed a book.

Yes, if you count signing gift books at Christmas, and don't mean one I wrote!

TPBM will come to my rescue in the "Name That Tune" thread, as it is getting lonely over there. He or she will also tell all their friends about this fun game.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/95332

Edited for link

Can't help with that song, I'm afraid.

TPBM is listening to music right now.

Just the tune in my head. Weirdly, it seems to be the theme from "Dancing with the Stars".

TPBM has already planned tomorrow night's dinner.

Tomorrow night's dinner is likely whatever I pull out of the cabinet... there's so much going on that planning dinner a night ahead is impossible.

TPBM has an idea.

Not at the moment, and I certainly don't have any idea as to what to make for dinner!

TPBM will provide a helpful suggestion.

On Boo's tune or your dinner, Sophie?

If dinner, I'm currently trying to translate a recipe for a fellow LTer and could share it with you once I'm done. The recipe is for pisca andina con arepitas de trigo, which is a yummy traditional potato soup from my homeland, perfect for wintery weather. Interested?

TPBM likes soup au pistou.

Very interested in the recipe, but I've never had soup au pistou. It looks kinda like a minestrone soup, which I like, so maybe I do like it but I just don't know it yet?

TPBM is hyper today. (If not, I'm probably hyper enough for the both of us, lol!)

Far from it. I didn't get enough sleep last night, and today's weather is damp and dreary. Good thing I have a cheerful nature.

TPBM tends to be calm.

It's heard to tell. "Hyper" is one of those thins that's hard to judge in me before lunch.
Not particularly, though some days are better than others. I'll be more reliably calm once I've had a vacation, but who knows when that will be.

The person below me is groggy today.

*** A brief interruption - yes please, girlfromshangrila! Have solved tonight's problem, by the way - pork and leek sausages, with potatoes boulangere***

And now back to your scheduled programming.

Groggy I am. I think it's allergy meds, but for the past few days I've sometimes had head rushes when I've gotten up from the couch. Not that I've got anything against head rushes, people pay money to feel that way, it's just a pain to fade out when I was on my way somewhere.

TPBM has figured out how to get enough light when reading in bed without, you know, having to move anything.

A lamp? Or would that count as having to move something?

The person below me has figured out how to make peach pancakes.

My husband has. He dunks his honey-smeared pancakes into whatever he is drinking with breakfast. Last Saturday it was a peach smoothie.

TPBM thinks that is disgusting. (I do)

Gaack. Oh yes. On two levels:
1. Honey smeared instead of butter and real maple syrup smeared
2. Dunking it into a peach smoothie. Dunking it into ANYTHING, actually.

TPBM had a hard time getting ripe, juicy, not-mealy peaches this summer.

A hard time, definitely. Luckily I have finally discovered the smoothie as well this summer (I got a blender last May) and they are pretty forgiving with hard or squishy peaches.
Peaches (or nectarines), banana, yogurt, orange juice. No sugar needed - add more banana or orange juice if not sweet enough.

TPBM has a great smoothie recipe and will share.

No, I don't have a recipe.

SomeGuy, maybe you're getting up too quickly. That happens to me when I get up from the bed if I jump right up.

TPBM does have a smoothie recipe to share.

Kidlet's favorite breakfast smoothie:

plain or vanilla yogurt
frozen mangoes
frozen strawberries
orange juice
ripe banana

Mix in whatever proportions you like and blend. The banana is absolutely essential, or else the "smoothie" turns into a sorbet-like mixture. Not nearly thin enough to drink. Frozen fruit replaces the ice.

@149 - my fiance is the same way. Honey instead of syrup on pancakes, which I find too sticky and too sweet. He's never dipped them in drinks, though.

TPBM is glad for the return of the pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks. (My favorite, and it's the only coffee thing I ever drink, so midwife says I'm allowed to indulge - no more than once a week at most, which is fine because that's all I can afford, lol!)

I do love my pumpkin latte but even better, the eggnog latte served during the holidays. Pricey but delicious!

TPBM wishes summer would linger longer.

actually I prefer fall quite a bit.

I also love honey on pancakes, waffles, and french toast! yum!

TPBM likes fresh picked apples.

Who doesn't love fresh-picked apples?

NarratorLady - I tried the eggnog mixed with the gingerbread once because I couldn't decide which one I wanted. It was delicious and I was hooked, but you aren't kidding about pricey!

TPBM bakes the pies for family holiday gatherings.

No. I make the stuffing, roast the turkey, cook the veggies, make the gravy...
Somebody else can grab all the glory.

TPBM got rained on today.

Not a bit of it. Glorious sunshine all day ... a last gasp of summer.

TPBM can recommend a good movie.

I can't remember the last time I went to a movie, but tomorrow is the last day Avatar will be playing at the local IMAX, so I hope to catch it.

TPBM knows one to avoid.

Sure! My ex; yet it seems we will both be going to our Class Reunion in about 6 weeks.

TPBM feels like dancing.

I'm answering 159, as I was expecting to BE 160, not answer it.
160 has just come onto my screen.

I probably know a HUNDRED and one to avoid.
But something like this gives them a sort of reverse prestige: you might want to see if they can be as bad as I implied they were.

Well, I'll limit it to 3, and try not to go too many decades back: Death Becomes her, True Lies
and -- -- hmm, the 3rd one was so "forgettable" that
--I've forgotten it.

TPBM can think of at least three movies that were even more enjoyable the 2nd time seeing them than the first.

Blade Runner, Cinema Paradiso and A Matter of Life and Death.

TPBM likes banana bread.

I'm not all that fond of banana to begin with.

>161 rolandperkins:: If you mean True Lies the film, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Mr. Major there, my father loves it. Death Becomes Her... well, it made my husband chuckle, which is quite an accomplishment, so I'll take that one over True Lies.

TPBM doesn't eat pop corn when watching movies.

Is that even possible?

TPBM can't seem to find enough coffee today.

Coffee, no. Water, definitely. I'm ridiculously thirsty today.

TPBM keeps a journal/diary/blog.

I try to keep a "happy book", but I keep forgetting to write in it. When my Grandmother was in her late eighties, she became grumpy, and could only remember the bad things in her life. Some of us decided that we would keep journals of the good things in our own lives, so we would always have reminders.

TPBM is disciplined enough to write regularly in a journal.

Pshash! Me disciplined? Hah!

Great idea about the "happy book", by the way. I think I might implement that method in my family, too. Especially to look through it right after a fight. ;-)

TPBM is proud to be a weirdo.

And have been for fifty-plus years, much to the distress of my mother. My siblings are ok with it, sorta, only because they have their own quirks.

TPBM is respectable.

That depends on your definition of "respect".

I'm proud of who I am whether others consider me weird or not. Despite that, I don't have much of an ego.

TPBM thinks that's pretty weird.

Nope, sounds pretty grounded to me.

TPBM is the good one in the family, relationship, marriage, articulated social unit.

Edited

Great. Now you've edited your post and made it almost impossible for me to reply without a hint of embarrassment.

You're mistaking me for my baby brother. I know we have a certain resemblance and all, but he's not even five feet tall yet! Sheesh.

TPBM has 6 siblings or more.

I have four brothers and four sisters.

TPBM is an only child.

Yes I am.

The person below me has at least five siblings.

Yes I do.

TPBM was outnumbered by the opposite sex when it came to siblings.

Barely. I have two brothers and no sisters.

TPBM has a twin brother or sister.

No twins anywhere in my extended family. I am, however, named after a deceased sibling.
I'm one of 10, by the way. There were 6 boys and then 4 girls. My younger brother is gay, and considers himself "the transitional child".

TPBM is an only-child, except for a sister or two.

That would be me.

I have two sisters. We were born in three consecutive years. We look alike enough to strangers to have been taken for twins and triplets in our younger days.

TPBM wishes they'd been an only child.

Not now, but I often did during the trying years of puberty.

TPBM wouldn't trade his or her siblings for all the money in the world.

Well, since I have 8, I would probably consider trading one or two of them if someone made me a good offer.

TPBM never met any of their grandparents.

On the contrary , I met 3 out of 4 of my grandparents--all but my fatherʻs mother who died before I was born.
But I didnʻt know my two grandfathers well --one of them dying when I was 9 and the other when I was 13. My motherʻs mother died when I was 26.

That was in Massachusetts; Here in Hawaiʻi, most people can remember their GREAT-grandparents; no one in my family can except for two nephews who can
remember my above-mentioned grandmother.

Since 180 didn't leave a prompt, I'll answer 179.

I met all four of my grandparents. We lived with one set of them when I was a toddler, too, until we found our own house.

TPBM has a favorite relative.

*raises hand* Guilty.
The 'lucky one' is one of my many aunts, who shares most of my interests and forgives most of my follies.
She even understands my borderline scary obsession with Jane Austen. That's a lot to ask from a Latin American housewife, you know.

TPBM will tell us who his or her favorite author is.

Nevermind

Couldn't possibly. My latest favorite author is a new one: Helen Simonson who wrote this year's Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. Its her first book and I look forward to her second.

TPBM plans on a big Thanksgiving this year.

Not really, not this year.

TPBM will dress up for Halloween.

No, I haven't dressed up for Halloween since I was 12.

The person below me is going to watch one new television show premiering this week.

Just as an aside, has anyone decoded WHL's secret in the original post of this thread? Inquiring minds want to know.

I have!

TPBM is still working on it.

No, I knew immediately, since I too, have my Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy wrapped up in my towel.

TPBM has already read And Another thing and will report their opinion of the work.

Alas, I haven't, so I can't.

TPBM will reveal a favorite Halloween costume.

25 years ago, I dressed myself as Red Riding Hood and my husband as the wolf in Grandma's nightgown...complete with mobcap (have you ever tried to find a nightgown to fit a 200 lb man?). It was the last time hubby dressed up, lol.

TPBM has read something scary recently and will tell us about it.

The news. There was a millitary attack (AKA bomb dropping) against terrorism in Colombia these couple of days, called Operation Sodome. The reports are quite contradictory: some say 300 people died, some others said about 20. Apparently, only "bad guys" died, but any millitary activity that kills 300 people in one day is frightening.

TPBM wishes he/she had a magic lamp and could order the genie to bring everlasting world peace.

I learned to stop wishing, and instead, actively persue lofty goals.

TPBM knows how to got to a museum for free this weekend - ANY museum.

The Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, NE offers free admission on Saturdays, before noon. Lovely place.

TPBM knows another one.

Go to Smithsonian.com and print out their voucher for admission to ANY museum for FREE.

TPBM already knew that.

Nope, since it would take a plane flight to get to any of them, it still wouldn't be free.

TPBM lives fairly close to one of the Smithsonian museums.

I do, but I can't remember the last time I went. When I lived in DC it was a beautiful walk straight down East Capitol St. and I went a lot more. I associate the west wing of the art museum with the blues, because that's where I always went when I felt run down.

TPBM has an opinion on funding for the arts.

I love the National Gallery of Art myself (and that includes the I.M. Pei building). But you asked about funding for the arts. I am in favor of it, but practicalities of life for a large portion of the population need to be addressed as a national priority.

The person below me thinks that the Arts should be moved up on the list of priorities.

Yes, I do, but it's still something that would be near the top, all factors considered.

- #195: The voucher is good for ANY museum ANYWHERE in the U.S.

TPBM is altering his/her plans for the weekend.

No. I can't since I don't have plans to alter.

The person below me has a new online "toy."

No new ones. I lurk around my favorite places, but I don't have much time to play around online lately. Between Kidlet's doctor appointments (we've had one this week, plus two next week, and one the week after that), housework, and general life stuff, online gets relegated to evenings, most days.

TPBM has more free time than I do.

Well, yes, I probably do, but you'd never know it by the amount I get done. I'm so tired of being tired ... time to go poke the doctor into giving me different drugs.

TPBM makes full use of their time.

Well I do tend to use %100 of it.

TPBM knows about the flooding we're having all over southern MN

What, again?!

The person below me has a dog.

There's a country called MN ? Wow, I never even heard of that, let alone that it was flooding.

TPBM has been to the Happy Land of MN and can talk about its mythical beasts and customs, its kings and queens, its people.

There are no dogs there nor here. There's a cat here. I've never been to MN so I don't know for sure about cats there, but without dogs there should be.

The person below me has a pet that is not a dog or a cat, or, if he is WholeHouseLibrary, has a bowl of whipped cream.

I don't have a pet. They're extra where I live and I'm gone a lot. I've been thinking about getting a hamster- something I can take care of and when I go on vacation just flush it down the toilet.

TPBM starts his weekend....NOW!

One hour early. That's when my whole week off work and every other cumbersome thing (save my husband *sigh*) starts. Time never passed as slowly...

TPBM collects sea shells.

Yes! I love them and have about a gazillion. Well, at least I have a lot of them -- never have counted them.

TPBM also has a passion for collecting something.

I find that at this point, I have collected ... collections. 1 is unique, 2 is a coincidence, and 3 is a collection - and I have a few. Ducks, dragons, books, depression glass, other glassware, sewing machines, fabric, patterns ... blah blah blah collections.

TPBM doesn't get it.

No, I get it. But how long does it take to dust everything?

TPBM doesn't mind clutter.

Judging from the current state of my living room, kitchen, and sewing room, obviously the answer is no.

TPBM has won a significant amount of money in a casino.

I've never been in one.

TPBM, however, likes to gamble.

ETA: A bowl of whipped cream is INFINITELY more fun than a cat or a dog (nudge-nudge, wink-wink, eh).

My spouse is afraid to let me near a casino lest I lose the grocery money. I'm an eternal optimist, after all. But really, I've never gambled except once in the Las Vegas airport with a single one-armed bandit. And I lost. 'enuf said.

The person below me will play the lottery if it hits 7 figures.

Usually, 8 or 9 figures, but sometimes I buy when the pots are smaller. It is cheap fantasy entertainment in my opinion.

The person below me has exciting plans for the weekend.

I meet with my local Writer's Group - that happens every Saturday...
Afterwards, MrsHouseLibrary and I will going to a museum in Austin (for FREE) - see #s 194/198, inclusive - and have dinner in town (since we're there), and then, most likely, make the independent bookstore very rich.

On Sunday - who knows?

TPBM has bigger plans than that.

#205 You ignored my post!!

I DID NOT. You and Anna posted at the same time, and I responded to both. You ignored Anna's post. But I have bigger plans than that for this weekend.

The person below me will ignore this post.

*ignore-ignore-ignore*

TPBM has looked for shapes in the clouds recently.

It's hard to find cloud shapes when the sky is uniformly grey, as it has been the last few days.

TPBM is feeling comfortable.

More like tired and antsy. I hope I can sleep tonight, as I have to get up early to go into the city.

TPBM has plans for tomorrow, too.

Going to the theater! "A Little Night Music" with Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch. Can't wait!

TPBM has a favorite play/musical.

Oh, lots. The Phantom of the Opera. The Music Man. West Side Story. Guys and Dolls. I've got a bunch more that I like, but those four are my favorites.

TPBM has been in a play/musical.

In kindergarten, I played one of the chicks in "The Little Red Hen".

TPBM plans to see a movie this weekend.

Maybe. The reviews for the new Gordon Gecko movie are not very favorable, but I may see it anyway.

The person below me goes to a movie because it is a weekend not because there is a movie to see.

My husband used to, before we got married. For me, it has to be 1) something that looks worthwhile 2) something we can take the kids to 3) somewhere with a plentiful supply of popcorn.

TPBM can give me lots of ideas for a kids' (under 10 years old) Halloween party.

Here are some links:

http://www.halloweenpartybox.com/
http://party.kaboose.com/holidays/halloween/halloween-party.html
http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/halloweenfun.htm

TPBM can tell me how I'm supposed to handle "taking it easy" with a disabled non-mobile preschooler and no one available to watch him.

Breathe deeply and take it one day at a time. If you need something to help you gain some mental space, try listening to Gregorian Chant. As I understand it, the pacing of Latin Gregorian Chant is tied to the rhythms of the human heartbeat; it aids the human brain in slipping into an easier mental framework for concentration. (Alternatively, you could "off" the physician who offered you that level of advice, but there are usually unfortunate social consequences associated with murder.)

The person below me has a better idea.

I do, but if murder's off the table let's call mine 'Plan B.'

TPBM has has his or her picture in the paper.

Acquitted! They had to remove them from the Post Office as well.

TPBM didn't follow through on her/his plans for today.

Thanks be! Had planned to continue excavating a crawlspace. Dug fence post holes and did general yard tasks instead. Bucolic rapsodies!

TPBM worked hard today too.

I was under doctors orders NOT to work hard. I'm very annoyed at that, because there is a load of dishes in the sink that I really wanted to get OUT of my sink, and I wasn't supposed to. Mrrr. Then I went to my midwife this afternoon, who told me that the ER doc I saw last night should have known better than to just turn me away, checked for and found baby's heartbeat, and all is well. And I was able get the dishes out of the sink and do the laundry.

TPBM also got good news today.

Good and very bad, actually. The good news is that I've had correspondences with favorite authors. The bad - not related to the good news, and it's nothing I want to say much about at this point.

TPBM has a favorite flavor of ice cream that is not vanilla or chocolate (or variations thereof).

Ice cream is the one food I'm picky about- bad cream isn't worth eating. And bad ice cream always has gum fillers. Leave some to melt in a bowel and it forms this slushy foam that looks like a gremlin caught in a sunbeam. I like ice cream that has inclusions, so under your terms I'd say butter pecan. My personal favorite is Haagen Daz vanilla swiss almond. In fact, I'm going to buy some tomorrow because Monday I go to the dentist and I'm afraid he's going to pull a tooth. At least, he's going to pull a tooth if he assures me he's not one of these medicos who sew you up then tell you to take two aspirin and walk it off. I intend to spend Monday fully medicated, eating ice cream and watching movies on Netflix.

TPBM has been on a pilgrimage.

No. I watched some people today on one, though. It looked hot and tiring to me. I just happened to be at the local mission when the group walked by.

I bought a yellow watermellon from the mission farm. Delicious. Huge, for only $3.

The person below me has had yellow watermellon.

Never even heard of it before.

The person below me doesn't want to go shopping.

No, I don't. So I'm not going to.

TPBM has to sell something for a fundraiser.

I can't say that I do, but the bird would be the only thing I'd offer up.

TPBM has been having a relaxing morning.

I got up much early than I expected, so I had a morning I didn't even expect to have. Now I'm getting sleepy, but I have someone coming over in two hours, so I've got to get my act together.

TPBM has their act together today.

Oh hell no. I'm supposed to either go on a road trip or clean the bathroom, but I don't want to do either. I should probably make myself do both. I will probably sit around and worry about tomorrow's appt. I've also got to change out the fixtures in the bathroom, clean the guns, polish some furniture, buy a new reading light, make some calls...(I'm trying to motivate myself by making cleaning the john look easy.)

Edited:spelling.

TPBM fears nothing.

I'm afraid not (or, I'm afraid - NOT!).

TPBM tends to not let her/his fears control her/him.

Right. If I did, I'd stay curled up in a fetal position in the middle of my bed under the covers.

TPBM is very brave.

I dunno about VERY brave (I mean, I wouldn't stick my head in a lion's mouth or anything), but I have a reasonable amount of bravery, I think.

TPBM has an appointment they don't wanna go to.

Yes, it's an appointment to be at my office at 8:30 am tomorrow. (This is the downside to Sunday evenings). I need to start organizing my bag for the am.

The person below me works out of their home.

Today I am. I'm doing some website modifications that are easier on my own computer where I have the tools that I need. Tomorrow, site visit to Ballarat. Rest of the week, back to the 'big smoke'.

TPBM also works in varied locations.

Yepper.

No teeth pulled. Huzzah! TPBM also got good news.

I just won a toy rooster that struts, flaps its wings, clucks and crows! Hmm... Maybe that doesn't fall into the good news category after all.

TPBM wins things frequently.

Once won a large plastic crucifix with a gilt Jesus in a 2nd grade spelling bee for spelling "difficult" correctly. Catholic school, of course. But I used to know a woman who entered sweepstakes contests all the time and she did quite well.

TPBM collects coupons.

No, that would just be work. I watch sales (as would most sensible shoppers) but actively clipping out coupons from the paper? I'm more apt to plug in a particular discount code when ordering something online than anything else.

The person below me studies those sales inserts and coupon pages found in the Sunday paper.

Sometimes I'll flip through them if I'm feeling too listless to do anything else. But I never see much of anything interesting.

The person below me often receives misdirected snail mail.

You bet! OCCUPANT hasn't lived here in over 20 years.

TPBM has enjoyed unusually balmy weather today.

The weather in Britain is always unusually barmy.

TPBM has a 'weather story' to tell.

Uh, duh.

The person below me received an interesting postcard today, from someone on vacation.

No one I know is on vacation and, sadly, none of them sends postcards either :(

TPBM has sent postcards.

Not recently, but then again I haven't been on holiday recently ... If I'm away somewhere worthy of gloating about (sunbathing in Tenerife in late February when it was cold and snowy in the UK was definitely gloatworthy!) then I always send cards.

TPBM still writes real letters to people.

Yes, sometimes. Emails always seem sort of... ephemeral. You can't imagine finding a box of faded old emails in the attic.

TPBM does something old-fashioned.

My daughter and I both send hand-written thank you notes on embossed stationery for gifts received. Admittedly I still have to reminder her to do this, but I make sure it gets done.

TPBM is nostalgic for something from their childhood.

My disease is nostalgia. Really, I'm a basket case. I have an entire database of songs on iTunes that document my childhood. Just hearing them brings back so many memories!

TPBM will tell us which particular song most unlocks their memories.

Hum, I love music and keep my iPod handy as if it contained oxygen and a Snickers bar, so all music really reminds me of something and someplace. The Bangels 'Walk Like an Egyptian' always takes me back to a time of unlimited possibilities in life .

TPBM can tell what song is coming up on the radio.

If it's the radio in my husband's truck, then it will probably be something by AC/DC.

TPBM can remain serene while a child practices the trombone in their home.

My child doesn't practice trombone, but he does practice his "teakettle screech." Does that count?

TPBM has realized that their favorite childhood cartoons have lost their appeal over the years.

I still love them. Don't care for the new ones. I do wish Donald Duck would put on some pants, though. lol

TPBM never noticed that Donald had no pants.

Well, not until NOW.

#260 SylviaC - I love listening to my daughter practice her trombone. It means that she's learning, having fun, and preparing for either jazz band or marching band. It does help that her rec room is upstairs and over an infrequently used room too......

TPBM is involved in a big project at work.

That's par for the course.

TPBM is/was Goth.

Now go look at my profile and then come back here and tell me if you think that seems like a plausible idea. Me? The fan of Jane Austen and Ursula K. Leguin? A woman whose last title entered into her library is The Annotated Innocence of Father Brown?

The person below me is wondering about any secret librarian tattoos.

Not really. One of my granddaughters has enough for everyone.

TPBM doesn't really like tats.

I have a tattoo that I like and which I've had since late 1967 or early 1968. I've seen tattoos that I dislike. I wonder about permanent assertions about temporary opinions. I guess I have mixed feelings about tattoos.

The person below me doesn't really like rats.

I am personally acquainted with very few rats, but those I have met did not appeal to me.Then there was the matter of the Black Death. So, although it is pure prejudice on my part, no, I do not like rats.

TPBM likes bats.

I've never been good at baseball.

TPBM is a good sport when s/he looses at a game.

Most of the time. Except for Boggle. Must win Boggle.

TPBM has a favorite board game.

Trivial Pursuit. I remember the most useless information that only ever comes in handy for this game.

TPBM prefers Monopoly.

Love Monopoly, but it only really works with four people (one of whom should not be my sister, who owns the whole board within the first 15 minutes and then starts lending other players money at usurious rates of interest just to keep the game going).

I prefer Scrabble (those are the only E's I drop on a Saturday night these days!).

TPBM had a wild 'n' crazy youth.

I had a staid youth but a wild and crazy 20s and early 30s. Lots of fun. Got married at 38, have a 17 year old daughter and have been married almost 20 years. I'm living the way I want to, but the memories are wonderful.....

TPBM was rebellious as a teenager.

Why are you trying to pigeon hole me? What's with all the drama? I learned as a kid that as long as you dress like the Brooks Brothers poster child and don't make a fuss (like dieing, getting your monkey butt arrested, or making the news), you can pretty much do what you want. That being said, I would be appalled to have had me as a child and would have sent me to military school long ago.

TPBM is struggling with a juvenile delinquent.

I'm tempted to say "Yes -- my boss" but doing so may well come back to bite me in the butt.

The person below me is struggling with a nutjob.

A few. I call most of them "relatives."

TPBM has angelic, non-nutjob relations.

I do, but they are not the ones we talk about.

TPBM likes many of their relations for the sole purpose of making themselves look better by comparison.

Oh, yes indeedy!

TPBM thinks maybe I'm the one other relatives use in order to make themselves look better.

Oh, Boo, not you!

The person below me is a fan of Jon Stewart and The Daily Show.

I am, the man's a genius. I'm looking forward to his march.

TPBM is fashion forward.

More like fashion challenged. I have some jeans, t-shirts, and long-sleeved tops. Wear them until they start to fall apart, then replace them.

TPBM owns more than 10 pairs of shoes.

Used to. Got rid of a bunch. My sister,though, she owns over 70 pairs and is always buying more.

TPBM is grumpy.

No, I'm Dopey.

TPBM is Sleepy.

I took a nap, so I'm awake for awhile. I'll probably read.

The person below me reads during the day, but watches teevee in bed.

I stopped doing that when I had to start using my glasses to see the TV, even though it is literally at my feet. If you wear trifocals, the distance correction is in the wrong spot when you're lying down. If I can't find my distance-only glasses, I have to get in an awkward position or try to see the screen with the mid-range part of the lenses. Feh.

TPBM will join me in working a crossword puzzle before lights out.

I may as well; I can't sleep right now anyway.

Just in case y'all start missing me, there's been a death in the family, and I'm going to be out-of-pocket for the next week - coming back next Wednesday, actually. My time on the Internet Machine will be quite limited, except for maybe late at night.

TPBM knows of a good joke to tell at an Irish funeral.

Sorry for your loss, WHL.

No jokes for a funeral, but at a good Irish wake the old toast that ends "May you be in heaven half an hour before the Devil knows you're dead" would be appropriate.

TPBM has been to a 'good' funeral lately. (I know there's not really such a thing, but some go better than others)

Thank heavens, no, but you're right. Some are much better than others.

The person below me bought something online recently.

I sure did. Personally I bought a book recommended by fellow LTer Richardderus. For Marching Band, in my role as Treasurer, I bought 2 sets of orange cones for the marching band practice field and 20 "Class of 2011 Band Nerds Forever" buttons for Marching Band Senior night.

TPBM really needs to get their computer desk cleaned up.

I guess I do - and the surrounding floor where the surplus falls, and the drawers where things from the floor end up, and the accumulating crud on the edges of the bookshelves above me preventing easy access to the books and threatening to fall and demolish my screen.

TPBM has a place for everything and everything in its place.

Yep! Stacked one right on top of the other. Seriously, you are talking to one organizationally-challenged female.

The person below me keeps his or her computer well organized and backed-up.

Haaaa, that's funny. No, I have a computer nerd of a fiance who backs it up for me, and organizing it happens once a month or so when I need to find something and can't remember what folder I put it in.

TPBM is ill.

#269 Sorry to be pedantic WHL, but you can't "loose a game", only "lose" it (there's an epidemic of this misspelling around, and I fear, I genuinely fear, that it will make its horrible way into the dictionaries!)

Sadly I am. I have MS so I'm not going to be anything other than ill :-(

TPBM is ill equipped.

Ill-equipped for what?

The person below me is worried that the weather will interfere with something today.

nope, supposed to be a beautiful day today and the rest of the week!

TPBM is already looking forward to the weekend.

Since tomorrow is a day off school for the kids, it practically is the weekend.

TPBM bought something interesting at the grocery store.

I bought Grāpples once. I didn't care for them. They tasted... weird. Kinda like Dimetapp-flavored apples. Blech. I'll stick to my regular red grapes and red delicious apples - no mixing necessary!

TPBM likes to eat "interesting" foods.

Depends how you're defining it. We've all heard of blueberry pancakes, but a couple of weeks ago I made peach pancakes (since peach season was ending). But grapples? Sometimes there's such a thing as too interesting.

The person below me is damp.

No, but I'll probably get wet (again) on the way home. Rain here, but still not the deluge that was predicted.

>>290 abbottthomas:- Welcome back, at!

TPBM never carries an umbrella.

True. I park in the garage at work, and there's a tunnel to it, so I am only exposed to the weather between my driveway and the house.

TPBM wears galoshes.

No. But I do have umbrellas scattered about home and office in case of rain. (I make my husband drop me off just in front of the door if its raining.)

The person below me is currently on the lookout for Tornadoes.

Not really, since we've had our quota. One section of that quota dumped a whole bunch of tree crap on our terrace two weeks ago, and did a lot of other damage elsewhere. (That said, there was a warning earlier this week in adjacent areas.)

We do have a lot of wind and (supposedly) rain, which I fervently hope will not be interfering with my mother's flight home from her vacation.

The person below me has been rained out.

No, we haven't had a lot of rain this year and I don't mind it when we do.

TPBM has been at the scene of a natural disaster.

Only if you consider my back room to be a natural disaster. It's definitely a disaster.

Mr. House-be safe going to and from the funeral.
"This Irish guy left a bar."
No, seriously, it can happen.

Tid-sorry to hear of your MS. I know how it feels to be ill all the time. Not fun, so you have my sympathy.

TPBM is usually in good health and is thankful for same.

Yes, mostly I am in good health, and, especially after a rather unpleasant bout of pneumonia in the spring, I am very thankful for it. And I am also thankful for my family, my home and my friends. Hey, our Thanksgiving is in a week and a half, so I'm getting in practice.

TPBM doesn't sweat the small stuff.

Unfortunately, sometimes I do.

The person below me has recently been asked to take on more responsibility for something.

Yes, but it's OK. I'm not at the creaking point, and I take 5 minute vacations all the time. Hurray for the iPod!

TPBM works 70 hour weeks.

No, thank goodness.

The person below me works 50 hour weeks.

Yes, but I'd rather it weren't widely known by my professional acquaintance.

The person below me reads email every day.

I confess....I love the notes from friends and family!

TPBM is a world traveler.

I have crossed the oceans several times, to I think that counts.

TPBM wishes they could afford to travel more.

There's a whole lot of stuff I wish I could afford and travel is one. Can somebody explain to me why the Dow is flirting with 11,000? I've crunched the numbers and I come up with 8,600 - 9,000. And that's not including a possible total system failure; the Big Board reading 404. I claim shenanigans!

TPBM will 'splain.

I tend to avoid financial/stocks-type things in general, but even more so when I'm not feeling well.

TPBM has more free time than they know what to do with.

I believe that Pascal was right about the chief problem of man, and I have worked to correct that in myself; I have been partly successful.

The person below me knows what I'm talking about.

Self-complacency?

TPBM will tell us who Pascal was and why he was famous.

He's the guy who wrote that computer code. Thank you!

TPBM would rather jog home after his own vasectomy than get all thinky on Friday night.

"get all thinky" -- lol I'm adding that to my collection, along with "bananuts."

I wouldn't rather jog home anytime.

TPBM likes to jog.

Jog no, walk yes. But I have a heel problem and am finally trying acupuncture. Jury's still out on its effectiveness.

TPBM has an acupuncture story.

I don't and hopefully I never will. Even the idea icks me out.

As did I, TPBM stayed in to accomplish something important. (I updated my iPod. The season premier of Dexter is available as a free download.)

No, I was tired last night. I stayed in but not to do anything in particular. Totally dull evening; now its the weekend and I have to think about household errands and non-work issues.

The person below me is intimidated by their calendar of activities in October

Nah. October's no busier than September was; in fact, I think I only have four things scheduled so far, and two of those are doctor's visits!

TPBM was had trouble staying asleep last night.

Yes. My husband came to bed 3 am when I was deep asleep, and then berated me for forgetting to tell him his mother called. He then fell asleep within minutes and I stayed awake for at least half an hour. Staying asleep is not as easy as it was when I was younger.

TPBM has a favorite incarnation of the Doctor.

Fourth, but I'm not a serious devotee. Haven't watched in years, just remember loving the Fourth Doctor.

TPBM wishes Firefly hadn't been cancelled after only 14 episodes.

I loved that show from the first commercial ... I was appalled at what Fox did to it. I wept when it was cancelled. Showing the pilot LAST made NO SENSE!!!!! Thank goodness for the DVDs, so I can watch it RIGHT! And the unaired episodes, too! WOOT!

Ahem ...

TPBM also owns two versions of the Serenity DVD.

No, we only have one DVD of Serenity. But we do own that as well as the full Firefly series.

The person below me owns DVDs containing the entire run of one television series.

Dinosaurs. You know, the "Not the Mama!" one, with the "I'm the baby, gotta love me!"

TPBM also best remembers a TV show because of one particular character.

"Leave it to Beaver"'s mom, June Cleaver. When ever I bake a pie or do something equally domestic, my family says I am having a "June" moment. They are rare!

TPBM will tell us about their favorite pie!

Pecan pie. Umm um.

TPBM recently won an award.

No, but I'm sure I should have.

The person below me knows what to do with habanero chilis. I got six for free but nobody wants them. The guy who gave them out says I can make some kind of alcoholic beverage, but I wasn't paying close attention.

SGiV, I also like "get all thinky." I just wish my brain wasn't all swiss cheesy.

You could pop one into a bottle of vodka for a while - gives you a good starting point for a Bloody Mary.

TPBM can advise the optimum duration of immersion.

>299 SomeGuyInVirginia: - Thanks, SGIV!

Place one on top of rich, moist soil in a flower pot. The plants are interesting - no doubt in the several months or so that it takes to grow you will find myriad uses for the fruits and leaves.

TPBM can tell how chilis can be useful in training puppies.

Coat stuff you don't want them to chew with it?

The person below me has a puppy.

He's not a puppy anymore, but my mini dachshund's small enough that he's shorter than my neighbor's two lab puppies.

TPBM can give me some ideas for a Halloween costume for Kidlet that can use the cardboard horse head I already have cut out.

a black knight?

TPBM was thinking cowboy...

No. I was thinking Mafia.

TPBM has a better suggestion.

Spammer or annoying grad student.

>>335 sunny: sunny- No, I'm kind of liking the Godfather thing.

TPBM follows one or more old recipes.

The best pie crust recipe ever - Flaky Paste (yes, horrible name) from The Rumford Complete Cookbook 1927.

The cheesecake recipe my mother uses - from the Knudsen sour cream carton from when I was a kid - 50 some years ago.

My grandmother's pinwheel cookie recipe from the 'teens.

And many more.

TPBM uses only one or two recipes from each of their dozens and dozens of cookbooks.

Well... I only use a few at a time PER cookbook, but I have 11 cookbooks and 6 books that have recipes in them but aren't really cookbooks, per se.

Side note: karenmarie, I actually have that cookbook! It's falling apart, because a previous owner obviously used it often. I bought it an an antique shop several years ago.

Other side note: I'm thinking headless horseman - he already has black clothes and face paint's pretty cheap!

TPBM is taking a break from something.

TPBM is taking a break from something.

Packing. But I'd better get moving.

TPBM has a better unintentional pum.

I told my doctor the last time I saw her that the podiatrist she sent me to and I got off on the wrong foot. For real.

TPBM likes to ignore idiots, as do I. That's the worst thing you can do to them. lol

My preference certainly is to ignore them; of course, there are so many running loose that it's not always possible.

The person below me encountered an idiot or two during the course of his or her day today.

The only person I've spoken with personally today is the resident manager, and fortunately for us he is not an idiot. I'm going out in a few minutes, and I don't doubt that I'll encounter at least one idiot.

The person below me believes that idiots are innocent and should be treated as innocent.

It depends. Some of them aggravate on purpose and are therefore not innocent.

TPBM will change the subject.

It's my experience that sporting events and award shows are best watched with the volume off.

TPBM is looking forward to the World Series.

whom I would be for, in each of these match ups:

N Y v. San Fran. > Giants

Minn. v. San Fran > Giants

Tampa Bay v. San Fran > Giants

Any of the above v. Phila. > Phillies

Texas v, Phila. > Phillies

Any of the above v. Cinci. > Reds

And yet, Iʻm more an American League than
an NL fan, and Iʻm NOT angry at the 2 Eastern
teams that beat out "my" Red Sox for the play
offs.

TPBM has seen at least of the above mentioned
teams in a playoff or regular-season game.

Nope, I never have enjoyed watching sports, either live or on teebee, which is odd because I've always been surrounded by sports fanatics. I like to play, watching always zoned me out.

TPBM thinks the cost of event tickets is outrageous.

That's the main reason I don't go to shows anymore.

TPBM is a member of a book club.

Well, the message above mine got deleted so now mine makes no sense, lol. *edit-edit-edit*

I'm not a member of my book club. I am, however, a member of the "Sleepless Nights" club, it would seem. The last several nights, I haven't been able to fall asleep till well after midnight, and even then I wake up three or four times a night. I thought the lack of sleep was supposed to happen *after* the baby was born! (At least, that's how it worked with Kidlet!)

TPBM is also up way too late.

Yes I am. Thanks for reminding me. This internet thingie is the death of early nights for me. I'm off to bed .... NOW.

TPBM tries going to bed early but seldom succeeds.

Same troll as the removed user at #352. Ignore and block.

#356 - I used to be that way, but I am nothing if not a night owl, so I stopped fighting it. having said that, there are times when I can actually hit the sack at the same time as MrsHouseLibrary, and not wake until dawn, it's a rare moment.

#358 - first REPORT, then block the offender.

I've got such a story to tell about the events of this weekend!
It's going to have to wait though. I won't be home until some time on Wednesday.

In the mean time, TPBM is already pondering some ideas for what the ~next~ TPBM thread should be called - besides #44, I mean.

I had been thinking about that. I came to the conclusion that the next number I could title would be 76 trombones in the big parade!

TPBM has watched a parade recently.

(re 358/360: there is no 'reporting' to be done, trolling is not against the ToS. Tim is, however, actively removing his accounts for some reason. Three of them last time I saw. Not that I'm complaining.)

Only in the movies......unless we can count the parade of raindrops rolling down my windows right now!

TPBM loves a cozy rainy day, especially when it can be spent at home with a good book!

I love a cozy rainy day when my son and fiance are home. A rainy day with no one to talk to/play board games with is just boring.

TPBM has work to do.

always

TPBM has won some amount on a lottery ticket.

Who knows? I buy them because they're wild cards and tend not to check until I've got a stack. The most I've won so far is 7 bucks.

>>360 WholeHouseLibrary:- WHL is right, report the sad bastard.

TPBM is buying something for their house/apartment/bunker.

My youngest is a freshman in college now so I am looking for new furniture for his room....that's after we get the hazmat team in to clean it out!!

TPBM is a new empty nester like myself.

It's been quite some time since my girls left. I remember being quite devasted at the time, but gradually you get used to just being the two of you. Of course the bonus was the extra rooms. I took one as my book room, and my husband took the other as an office.

TPBM is a Canadian and is planning a Thanksgiving Feast for this weekend.

No, I'm a Yank -- next Monday is Columbus Day. (We do celebrate Thanksgiving. In November.)

The person below me is neither American nor Canadian.

I like to think of myself as borderless.

TPBM knows what is notable about 19 days from now.

It is the first Sunday after my birthday and the fourth Sunday of the month. Typically on the fourth Sunday of the month we have a spaghetti lunch at church.

The person below me has read a dictionary roughly from cover to cover recently.

Not recently, but I did attempt to read one cover to cover when I was about 9. Bored myself to sleep. Literally.

TPBM knew that cats can get diabetes (I didn't!).

No, I didn't! But it doesn't surprise me greatly, they can certainly get obese if over-fed by well-meaning but stupid owners.

TPBM has another surprising feline factoid.

(Side note - my mother takes very good care of her cat. She doesn't overfeed her in the least. In fact, they caught the diabetes because the cat was LOSING weight!)

Cat have the power to cloud men's mind.

TPBM loves/hates Ikea.

Hated the amount of time it took to assemble two Ikea night tables for my daughter. But that was five years ago and they are still in great shape ... so love that they have proven to be sturdier than either of us suspected they would be.

TPBM is redecorating.

Yes, by adding books to the shelves.

TPBM will tell us about a Library that s/he is either particularly fond of, or has a special memory of.

University of Missouri-Columbia...it was a sprawling building, with three distinctive additions...the original building, a part built probably in the 1930's, and another addition built in the 50s or 60s; but somehow the architectural hodgepodge worked. It was full of nooks and crannies, crank windows, a grand center staircase, old stacks areas, and entire room devoted to the card catalog. A rare books collection that was fascinating to look thru. And a old fashioned cage elevator, and "offices" for TA's that were also cage-like, that were located in the old stacks area. I went to school there in the late 70s, and worked there in the early 80s as a researcher. Haven't been back since 1984, and I think there's been still yet another addition to it.

TPBM has fall foliage where they live.

Somewhat, though the trees are still mostly green there's no doubt that autumn has fallen on DC. We're getting a lot of rain so I'm hoping the colors will be especially vibrant in a few weeks. The squirrels are fattening up, a sure sign that it's about to turn colder.

TPBM has recently reunited with someone.

Well, I managed to get my best friend of 21 years on the phone the other day, which is a feat. That girl is so damn difficult to get hold of!

TPBM has an easier time tracking down friends.

I've moved so many times I can't keep track of half the people I know and like. Facebook has been a godsend, but it only works if the other person logs on as often as you do.

TPBM tried something else they didn't think they'd like.

Acupuncture. Jury's still out.

TPBM is overdue for a dentist appointment.

Possibly just a little. Last visit was 1994. Fortunately I have good teeth.

TPBM, on the other hand, was at a dentist recently.

July, and I'll be in for another cleaning towards the end of this month.

The person below me flosses (I believe this is a rerun).

Every day. You only need to floss the teeth you want to keep, as one of my dentists from many years ago said.

And I had my 6-month dentist visit on Monday.

TPBM wore braces.

Only to hold my trousers up. You might call them suspenders. That is a completely different article here!

TPBM knows what I mean by suspenders.

I don't know what you mean, but I mean the things that girls wore to keep their stockings up in the days B.T. (before tights). Actually, before sock technology had advanced, fastidious men wore similarlly named, but less exciting apparatus (around the calf rather than around thigh/hips/waist), to keep their silk or fine wool socks unwrinkled at the ankle.

Women's undergarments were more complicated in those distant days...

TBPM can remember the interesting feeling of a dress sliding around a foundation garment as one danced (only from the outside in my case, I hasten to add)

I actually don't remember that feeling but surely the things that girls wore to keep stockings up - and men to keep socks up - were called garters. Suspenders keep trousers up.

TPBM knows the British word for braces - for the teeth.

My understanding was that those were called braces in the UK as well.

The person below me is wearing a sock with a hole in it!

No. But I am wearing socks.

The person below me is knitting socks.

A man in the UK who could knit had usually been a sailor, but I doubt if many do nowadays. I am not a sailor and I'm not knitting.

>387 NarratorLady: True, NarratorLady, garters do keep socks and stockings up but they are simple elastic bands which go over the sock/stocking top and press it against the skin. Suspenders are more complicated contraptions involving a belt, usually elastic, with dangling gizmos made of metal and rubber that clip onto the top edge of the sock/stocking.

TPBM wears a garment once worn by an older relative.

It's in storage but I've got the overcoat my dad wore but other than that...wait, I've also got an Arrow shirt I bought in a shop. It's the kind that has a button on collar. The short, not the shop. I also had a collection of hideous ties but I don't think they made the Big Move of 2004.

If TPBM wanted, he or she could walk out dressed as if in another time.

If the other time is 1985, I probably could.

TPBM carries a pocket watch.

No, but I do have a very nice one! It was given to me for being a best man.

TPBM has a solar powered watch.

No, normal one. But I think I've only had to change the battery twice in the past dozen years.

The person below me has an irritating boss.

No, I retired instead of adapting to him. He has since been let go for his antagonizing the employees. I probably should have sued, but I just wanted to get away.

The person below me finds or found their life's fulfillment in their job.

No, although I've had jobs that I loved. When I was a kid I used to go bottle hunting- finding old, abandoned house sites and looking for where they threw their trash and hitting the place with a metal detector. I found some really cool stuff and always liked it. I like to find something that gave me that kind of exciting satisfaction.

But I'm not going to roach a good question- TPBM finds or found their life's fulfillment in their job.

I have. My "job" at the moment is housewife and mom, which I thoroughly love and I only wish our finances weren't so tight. I should be working outside the home, but I haven't been able to find a job.

TPBM is nocturnal.

Yes.

Garter belts, maybe?

TPBM was happy to find that the dish fairy visited his/her house this past Monday evening.

No, but the mommyfairy did load the dishwasher and hit the "start" button.

The person below me wishes they had a laundry fairy.

I have no point of reference for what you are referring to; and MrsHouseLibrary and I were in NY Monday night, so if the dish fairy ~was~ here, only the damned cockatiel would know, and it aint sayin...

TPBM has a keen sense of smell.

Nope - right now, my nose has been bunged up since the weekend (not a hardship - caused by too much swimming in a tropical sea); and even if it weren't, I've been married for too long.

TPBM has gone / is going on holiday soon.

I just got back a couple of weeks ago! It was really nice to get away. I am thinking I need to do some kind of road trip for my birthday in January. I'm thinking Disneyland, with some beach time (walking, not swimming) thrown in.

The person below me has gone on an especially memorable road trip and will tell us where.

Oh yes! This summer husband, daughter, and I drove 3300 miles. Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, then home to North Carolina. We visited family, visited historic sites and natural wonders (Mammoth Cave, Shiloh, St. Louis Arch, etc.) and stopped off in small, obscure towns to do some genealogical research.

The absolute best part, of many best parts, was a small cemetary outside of Talmage Nebraska, surrounded on 3 sides by corn. We found the stones of my great-great grandfather John M. Patrick and my great-great-grandmother Nancy Burns Patrick.

TPBM had a wonderful vacation recently.

I haven't had any vacation recently!

And yes, AnnaClaire, I do wish we had a laundry fairy. I have laundry for three people to keep up with, and I'm doing laundry every two or three days. I cringe thinking of how much more I'll be adding to that pile when the baby gets here in April!

It's a beautiful week here in Florida - the weather's cooled off. Fall is here, for the week anyway. October tends to be our "finicky" weather month, where it can't decide if it's going to be summer or fall. But I'm enjoying the respite from 95-degrees-in-the-shade-with-98%-humidity. :)

TPBM is also enjoying the milder weather in their area.

yes, it's been in the low-mid 80s the last week or so, as opposed to the 100+ just a few weeks ago.

TPBM has discovered a new drink recently (mine is Ginger Red Chocolate tea, mmmm)

Nope, nothing new. One of the local grocery stores sells guaraná, a Brazilian soft drink that tastes like cola and root beer. Sounds awful but is tasty and loaded with caffeine. I drank it in college but this is the first time I've seen it in a store.

TPBM brews their own beer.

No, but we've been thinking about making our own wine (at least attempting) with our concord grapes

TPBM has successfully brewed their own libations.

Only if you're counting tea.

WHL: NY as in Big Apple, or as in Empire State? And what brought you here?

The person below me is looking forward to finishing a project.

I installing reading lights and am just about done (one table tamp to go.) I installed a halogen wall lamp and switched to the CFU bright white bulbs; they're great for reading. The regular kind with the jaundiced yellow light just bum me out. I still use incandescent bulbs for ambient lighting.

>>407 readafew:- I think making wine is easy. Lots of people make it back home, it's a kitchen counter thing.

TPBM is about to take a long voyage over water.

I hope not. The next vacation should take us from Copenhagen to Athens, which shouldn't involve flying over water.

TPBM is thinking about buying a new car

Nope. I get a "free" one from Motability, who also pay the insurance and servicing bills. After three years, I get a new one.

TPBM drives a ..... ? (make of vehicle expected, not "a hard bargain!")

I am, and I don't want to be. My Honda Civic turned out to be the worst car I have owned in 45 years of owning cars. At 34,000 miles it is likely to be traded in for a Ford Focus or Fiesta, but I had expected it to last me into my eighties.

POS Honda Civic

The person below me prefers exotic cars.

Not me. I prefer using Public Transportation whenever I can, which in Texas, is NEVER! I've got a 16-year-old pickup truck.

#408 - NY as in Big Apple, or as in Empire State? And what brought you here?
Newburgh, to be specific; and an airplane (to be snarky).
MrsHouseLibrary and I (plus over 100 others) were there for a Memorial for my recently-late sister, who died after a 7 year ordeal with cancer. A niece was singled out for coming the furthest (London), and we got the "prize" for the greatest effort expended (took us 2 days... I'm working on the story now - it starts - Just beginning the drive to the airport, she turned to him and asked, “Honey, did you close the garage door?” ) A saga, indeed!

TPBM has a current passport that has been stamped several times.

My passport is good for another year (or so), but I think its only stamps are from my trip to England in 2001. Since then my only trips abroad have been to Canada by ground transportation, and did not result in more stamps.

The person below me knows of someplace I could go cheaply that would result in my passport receiving another stamp.

Anywhere in South America?
I do, though my first one has more stamps

TPBM has flown in a Lear.

Whoops! I guess I took too long typing.

#415: Nope, can't say that I have.

#416: Come visit me in South America! So many things to see, places to go, and people to make fun of! ;-)

I can't guarrantee the ticket fare will be cheap, AnnaClaire, but I could at least cover the hosting expenses. You know, I have a pretty comfy sofa-bed and a cat who likes to warm our visitors' feet overnight.

TPBM spends more time overseas than at home.

If I were spending more time overseas than here, then overseas ~would~ be home.

TPBM will start a new thread for us, please.