I Want to Be Underwhelmed🎄Holiday Season 2024

First post! Yay me!

Another extremely windy day in New England, it's been a gusty November.

Please finish the exiting thread

Two days until my DL subscription expires. I can't do the second Trump admin with this crowd's nasty hot takes, so it's time to end the ambivalence and give you up.

[quote] I can't do the second Trump admin with this crowd's nasty hot takes

I can't do the second Trump admin WITHOUT this crowd's nasty hot takes

R4 = Matt Gaetz

The polar opposite, r6. This place is nasty to women and other minorities, and those who aren't didn't call it out enough.

Same. Thinking of leaving this group of grumpy, old fags.

Do not hijack the Underwhelming Thread with your petty angst.

I've been watching original Melrose Place on Paramount+ all day. Heather Locklear hasn't shown up yet, but it's ok. Making me miss the 90s.

It's been very windy and in the low 40s today. Same thing for tomorrow, I miss summer.

🎶 Jingle Bells

Batman smells

Robin laid an egg

Batmobile

Broke a wheel

And Joker got away

Hey! 🎶

R12 has obviously been at the eggnog early.

Is it ever too early for eggnog?

They’ve had eggnog at the stores since August, dude, where you been?

I’m going to be in the DMV area for Christmas, maybe I’ll look for mace there.

Search Instacart for mace. Several stores in my area have it.

[quote] Two days until my DL subscription expires. I can't do the second Trump admin with this crowd's nasty hot takes, so it's time to end the ambivalence and give you up.

When disgusted with someplace you’ve paid to access, it is important to squeeze every last drop of nastiness out of your subscription before storming out. This is especially the case when large sums of money are involved.

Eggnog is one of my favorite things in the world, but I'm lactose intolerant, so I'm afraid to drink it.

It’s certainly my favorite nog.

Lactaid makes eggnog.

I cleaned my oven today and the house still smells. I should’ve done it sooner.

R21 - thanks - never considered that!

so many non-dairy milks out there. no need for lactose.

But you can't go to Dairy Queen and get a non-lactose milkshake, can you?

[quote]Two days until my DL subscription expires. I can't do the second Trump admin with this crowd's nasty hot takes, so it's time to end the ambivalence and give you up.

Whether or not you belong on DL is up to you to decide. But you don't belong on the "underwhelmed" thread, because you have obviously been whelmed and are trying to whelm others before you leave.

I broke into my bag of organic riced cauliflower. I bought it from Costco (frozen). It's made in Italy. Not bad. I spooned some "umami topping" (fried crunchy garlic in chile oil) and some soy sauce.

I haven't tried to make fried rice out of it. Fried rice is not something I normally make, though.

I do have some sun-dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives plus feta cheese. I'll try that next.

I just saw something strange. It's night and I just went out to my porch to take a look around and saw a smallish bright, light blue object falling and it disappeared before it reached the lake. It was quite close, WTF?

May the force be with you

I'm not going to worry about it, strange, unexplained shit happens. Weird though since it's extremely windy and this thing didn't even wobble.

I'll be putting up my insulated curtains this week. It's time and they do make a difference.

I’m watching Moana on ABC. It’s pretty good. But it didn’t start until 8:30 and goes to 11 pm. What time do little kids go to bed these days? I think I was in bed by 9 until high school.

To discuss my dream of losing my pants and briefs, no I haven't been feeling exposed and/or vulnerable and my stress level has been up since I've been doom scrolling the election, a possible WW3, etc.

No one laughed at me, they just stared.

From the previous Underwhelmed thread:

[quote]I wish we had a Penzey’s.

In America, everyone has Penzey's.

Sure—I can order online and wait a week and pay 100% of the cost for shipping. Lucky me.

I want a store near me.

it’s not that serious, but i guess that’s the point of this thread.

I’m went to the Memphis Penzeys last week when I was visiting that city. Bought several things to replenish stock in my spice drawer.

If you're going to restock your spice rack, this is the week to do it. All that stuff is on sale for the holidays. I just tossed my expired spices and re-alphabetized my spice rack.

How's that for underwhelming?

I don’t have a spice rack.

Regarding the poster from the previous thread and their periodontal cleaning, I had an appointment on Friday but I was an hour early. I'd put the appointment in my phone for 9:15 am but it was actually for 10:15. I wasn't going to sit around for an hour and, with the snow we had Friday, I didn't feel like coming back. Ironically, the next available appointment is in May, which would be my normal appointment for my first cleanng in 2025.

I'm glad I switched dental practices a few years ago. At my previous practice, I was told I needed a periodontal cleaning every year. My insurance only covered it once every 24 months AND the practice was out of network for me. The periodontist was part of the practice and I now suspect they were telling me that so that he'd have patients. Since switching to my new practice, my dentist has not once mentioned a periodontal cleaning.

My gym fired the kid who was my personal trainer in mid-October. He was fun and I looked forward to our sessions. Now, I’m 7 pounds heavier because I’m pissed off and haven’t gone back there except for a few sessions with a replacement trainer.

After that, although the new trainer was fine — professional and no fun at all — I finally just quit the gym in protest and then discovered that all the other gyms offer fewer of the things I’m looking for; proximity, cost, hydrobeds.

I have no real choice except to get over myself and go back there but I won’t pay their exorbitant PT charges anymore.

r41, see if you can track down the PT who got fired and set up private training sessions. I am sure he has a social media presence that would be easy to find.

We did have a few private sessions, R41, but he ultimately decided to move back home. He’s young and has his whole life ahead of him. I miss him but it’s nice not to be paying those ridiculous fees anymore.

A friend informed me he doesn't like the way I "gut" pie when I eat it. I often eat the filling and leave most of the crust.

What kind of pie?

Any kind of pie. If the crust isn't good, I leave it, not worth wasting the calories on. I'll just eat the apple, pumpkin, cherry etc. filling part.

I do have another friend who makes his late Southern mother's recipes and I eat the crust of any pie he bakes, his crusts are excellent.

Good crusts are hard to come by and I heartily endorse gutting any pie without one.

Last night I watched the horror movie Abigail. The trailer looked dumb but curiosity got the best of me and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I also watched The Front Room (starring Brandy) and I was thoroughly disappointed. That movie is a waste of time.

The pie filling is usually not worth the calories either. The point of pie is the combination of crust and filling.

I took my car in for an oil change and they made some mistake and my mileage indicator has disappeared!

Oh, and they changed miles to kilometers - I thought there was some big error when it said I was going 40 and I was obviously only going 20.

The King Charles Royal Variety thread is viewable on my phone (where I'm not logged in), but not on my computer (where I am). Does that mean I have the OP blocked? I certainly never blocked that thread. I only have like two people blocked.

I thought by going to the supermarket this morning I could avoid the crowds. I was wrong.

R52, I suggest you call the Help Desk.

I wandered into the Supermarket Saturday. Hell on earth. I suppose today will be better than tomorrow or Wednesday.

I went to all the stores I needed to go to early Sat and Sunday. No more stores for me till next week, hopefully.

My local bakery makes some really nice stuff, but their pie crust: hard and like cardboard.

Sometimes I have really wild and crazy thoughts.

I will watch a video about food items available at Japanese 7-Eleven stores and think "I should fly over to Japan immediately and get that".

You get the petty angst you deserve, r9, Your posting history is about as deep as a puddle after a rainstorm,

I heard a song today that I haven't heard in years - Play That Funky Music White Boy.

[quote]A friend informed me he doesn't like the way I "gut" pie when I eat it. I often eat the filling and leave most of the crust.

How unattractive to do this in front of others. Let us not even picture it.

I have to shit every time I go to Walmart.

Naomi is taking Thelma to small claims court!!

Just got back from the supermarket at 5 p.m. Few customers, most were already in line at the self-checkout. It surprised me; I'd expected a horde.

I'm still waiting for Amazon to ship a couple of small things. I see the transactions pending in my online banking account, so I think they're shipping soon. These are non-holiday items. Just stuff I needed / wanted. After this, no shopping until January. (Except for food and other necessities.)

I might finish off my grocery shopping via Instacart. I'm sick so would probably be doing everybody a favor by staying home.

I'm sorry about your cough, R66. I had a nasty case of bronchitis one Thanksgiving. I couldn't eat dinner because I had to choose between eating and breathing. Hope you feel better soon!

I'm running out today around 11 am to pick up some last minute items. I'm hoping it won't be too busy but I'm prepared for the worst. One thing I can say about my local Shop Rite stores; they make sure they are fully staffed with cashiers at all lanes and the front end manager will direct traffic to make sure eveything runs smoothly. For people with about 5 or 10 items, Customer Service will ring up those purchases to ease the lines at self-checkot. The worst part will be parking but I like to park far away and walk to and from the store.

Pie crust is out of my league but I’ve heard using some lard as part of the fat content adds flavor and texture to pie crust. Anybody?

Confirmed, R68. Lard makes everything better.

My mom used Crisco and it was an excellent pie crust that she made. Part of it is not overworking the dough and having little chunks of the solid fat in the dough, before it goes in the oven.

[quote] Lard makes everything better.

Especially belly fat.

My jalapeño peppers are turning red (from dark green).

I hate ironing tablecloths and napkins.

I had a recipe that called for lard. Goulash. I had the hardest time finding it at my supermarket. I asked for help and the clerk just said it was easier to show me. It was on the very bottom of a lonely set of shelves with unrelated products placed just next to the freezers in the frozen food aisle. There were only 2-3 boxes there.

Poor lard.

Fuck. I bought one green bell pepper when I needed two. Stupid recipe had it listed twice (one time in a list labeled “for the sofrito.”)

Back to the supermarket two days before Thanksgiving. Fortunately, there’s a lonely self-check out right by the produce.

Baby it’s cold outside

Have you ever been so tired that mentally and physically you feel like you’re being overtaken by waves that are unexceptionable and are overtaking your life?

I just opened up a package of Andes Creme de Menthe Thin Mints and ate a bunch.

They were earmarked for my Turkey Day Dessert Buffet. Now there will be too few and it will look like a paltry offering.

I'll just have to finish up the rest myself and not offer any if I can't offer sufficient.

R67 here. Shop Rite wasn't too bad. Found everything I needed and was able to go to a self-checkout with a conveyor belt. They had a cop directing traffic to let people in and out of the store. Quick, easy, and painless. Decided not to buy any pie for Thanksgiving dessert but, if the mood strikes, I'll run out to the local diner for a slice on Thanksgiving day.

I miss Jersey diners.

If you’re wife is coming along I’ll just stay home!!

Every parking space at my Shop-Rire was full and there are A LOT of them (pun intended).

So I’ve made a gingerbread cake (sans mace) a lemon ricotta cake and an orange and clove cheesecake. I still need to make the carrot cake and a special quince tart. It is so delicious.

Some of my people arrive in a few hours.

That basketball was like a basketball to me

Lemon Ricotta Cake sounds wonderful.

I want to go to r83’s house.

Come to EP, R86.

The lemon ricotta cake is actually a recipe from that loon on Insta that has a new cookbook and even a Prime documentary or show or something . It is a very good cake.

R83 don’t you worry that the cakes will be stale by Thursday?

The riced cauliflower from Costco is pretty good.

I actually forgot it was my birthday. And no, I'm not fishing for greetings.

Happy birthday anyway!

It feels like a Saturday. But it's not. It's Wednesday.

Not really, R88.

What’s a stale cake?

I refrigerated my cheesecake and the others are hanging out on the dinner table under plastic wrap.

I will frost my carrot cake tonight. The quince tart came out perfectly browned.

I will also dry brine the turkey for a few hours until tomorrow morning and prepare my Mac and cheese to be browned tomorrow.

As someone who always worked holidays, one of my traditions was a bag of Schoop’s cheeseburgers the day before - each burger could feed a gay family of four. They also had the best steak fries.

I’m nowhere near a Schoop’s anymore, so I may just shop at a shitty SafeWay that’s incredibly near a Five Guys.

The Night Vision mode on my phone camera is flattering. I wish real life were in Night Vision mode.

My friend Julie is photoshopping herself into photos with Wendy Williams and then sending them to her in the hopes of getting into Ms. Williams will.

I hate her

I'm moving 90 miles away next week. I'm a little nervous, but I hired movers and hopefully they'll be hunky.

I ate a bag of “baby” carrots last night and I just read on Patch that this brand is source of deadly e.coli bacteria. Am I about to be dead? I cooked and glazed them first. I hope that killed it.

I neglected to pick myself up an afternoon snack at the convenience store this morning and now I have to suffer until dinner. I'm hungry!

[quote]I hired movers and hopefully they'll be hunky.

Don't get your hopes up. I passed one of those College Hunks moving trucks the other day and they were neither college-aged nor hunky.

As long as they don’t break his shit or hold the load hostage for a higher fee, they are hunky.

R97, why are you moving 90 miles away?

R102 - I'm leaving my father's farm in a small cowboy town and moving to Phoenix. I'll be just a couple of miles away from both of my brothers. I can't wait to get out of this little podunk town.

R103, well, good for you, then.

I hate moving. I would feel overwhelmed. But since it's only 90 miles, maybe it's underwhelming. But the 90 miles seems to make a big difference.

[quote] hold the load hostage

Pics please.

“I cried so hard when I moved to Phoenix that I used a whole box of Kleenex!”

“Phoenix and Kleenex don’t rhyme!”

I like Erin Moriarty on 48 Hours, even more than Keith Morrison. When she stares you down, oh boy.

[quote]What’s a stale cake?

A cake that doesn't feel fresh "down there."

LOL 🤣😂, R108.

Speaking of cake, I had a taste of the gingerbread cake and it seems the flavors have melded and concentrated beautifully. I can taste the orange and the brandy that I added.

I’m making Brown Butter Bourbon Pumkin Bread. Don’t tell anyone I more than doubled the bourbon. Why use water when you’ve got bourbon?

One wonders if there is a brown butter bourbon cornbread recipe….

There are several brown butter bourbon cornbread recipes, but most of them require real corn meal - not something I keep on hand at the moment.

Here’s one:

I swear half these breeds at the dog show are made up.

I've stripped half the turkey and I can't be arsed doing the other half.

R114, I want you to lag picking the other half of your turkey (except, get the oyster!).

I made the mistake of becoming the preferred chicken picker to feed 450 at a shelter. I had to wear triple gloves. I had to gauge everythings temperature. I became disgustingly efficient at raking piping hot meat from a dead carcass.

Poor baby dinasaurs.

Oh fuck that, R115! That was very kind of you but damn.

A lot of people are obsessed with Lucille Ball

Rickey Ricardo was subpar and a shitty performer

Robin Strasser visited by Tuc Watkins and his family at her NYC home. They brought her sunflowers.

^Oops, this was meant for the General Hospital thread although it relates to OLTL.

Sorry!

R118, your illiteracy betrays the thread, because it is (yawn) overwhelming.

Oh, dear.

So you’ll be happy to know that all the desserts I made were absolutely fabulous. The orange-Clove Basque cheesecake I made turned out delicious.

People raved about the quince tart and carrot cake, too.

I make a good carrot cake, if I may so so myself.

I'm watching Woman Of The Hour on Netflix. I don't care for Anna Kendrick but I wanted to see what all the hype was about and it does not disappoint.

It's really good if you like nail-biting, edge of your seat movies.

By a process of elimination, I have determined that aspartame containing beverages cause me to cough.

Nobody ever uses process of elimination to determine it’s the THC in their vape that causes the honking cough. I always give up the Diet Coke aspartame.

[quote] By a process of elimination, I have determined that aspartame containing beverages cause me to cough

I hope, by “process of elimination “ you mean you stopped drinking aspartame and your cough went away.

That’s not a “process of elimination.” That’s a direct experiment.

R121 smells like moth balls

[quote]That’s not a “process of elimination.” That’s a direct experiment.

I stand corrected, oh wise one.

*bows in deference*

I just got done reading Brothers by Alex Van Halen. I enjoyed it. Now I'm reading Ask Not: The Kennedys And The Women They Destroyed.

Earlier this year an airport in Japan shut down and 30 flights were cancelled and over 200 flights delayed because a pair of scissors went missing in a retail airport shop.

The scissors were found after a few hours as someone had just put them back in the wrong spot but it took several more hours before flights resumed as they had to first confirm that the scissors found were the same scissors that had gone missing.

[quote] Now I'm reading Ask Not: The Kennedys And The Women They Destroyed.

Wow. The Kennedys have had a nice, long run with this romanticized "Camelot" narrative. When I saw "Ask Not," I thought it was going to be a book about public service. Tide has turned, finally.

Hope this is still underwhelming.

I just listened to a woman read Ask Not on youtube. They are all awful. The Kennedy whose vehicle accident paralyzed the passenger in his jeep, WTF.

Ive been searching for this thread .

r133 It's [italic]under[/italic]whelmed. Can't you read?

Who is "that loon on Insta that has a new cookbook and even a Prime documentary or show or something" mentioned in r87?

I’ve got my Xmas list made out. You may buy me anything on it or two

NJ prohibits single use shopping bags so people carry re-useable bags. My Whole Foods has a sign requesting that shoppers not use their shopping bags to hold items while shopping. We are asked to use their carts or baskets.

People must be shoplifting. At Whole Foods! Can you imagine?

I'm not in Jersey but I carry my reusable bag through Aldi to place my items in as I shop since I only get a few things there. When I get to checkout (mine doesn't have self checkout), I unload my items on to counter and then place my bag in the cart the cashier has at their side. My reusable bags stand up so the cashier just tosses my few items straight into my standing bag, then I Just grab and go. I never get a cart.

I love that my reusable bags stand up, come in handy for curbside pickup also. They are the Veno bags on amazon.

I use these. They’ll last forever if you don’t lose ‘em.

R139 if you conceal an item, it is technically shoplifting.

No it's not, at least not in my state. You have to walk out the door without paying.

Tammy Wynette's final husband (George Richey, the one nobody liked) looked like he was gay.

I just ordered WeatherTech floor and cargo liners for my car.

I’ve had it five years. Probably should have done it sooner.

I'm still on the fence about those WeatherTech liners.

There are cheaper Chinese options on Amazon, but I have a soft spot for Madison WI.

Auto liner fabricators sprouted up throughout Illinois ten years ago, R144.

Off-topic, but fabricators then started providing foldable bed covers for pick-em-up jeeps. I grew up with the vinyl tarp or ugly porno-cab option for the bed; these covers are awesome.

I just watched the Veal Prince Orloff episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

I like to overwhelm little kids by asking them if they are aware that their epidermis is showing.

She’s the Pasta Queen. Nadia Munno. She has 4.9 million followers, R136.

She has cooking videos with positive affirmations for her viewers.

She parlayed that into a cookbook and a Prime series about her travels in Italy.

She actually is pretty fabulous.

Thank you, r150. Since you used the word "queen," I figured it was a guy. I would never have guessed...

I had to clear ice off of my car today. Thanksgiving started with rain which turned to snow and then it froze overnight.

Time for a haircut - a young woman tried to block the front door of my apartment building as I entered. I used my card and she was shocked.

I wore Lanvin shoes. She was wearing some Amazon bullshit on her feet and she was shaped like a duck.

My hair scares ugly children. Yay me!!!!!

[quote]I wore Lanvin shoes.

Aren't you special!

Why are Dr. Scholls sneakers so expensive?! Don’t people remember the decades of cheap padded insoles? It’s not like there is a real doctor there anymore.

A disheveled appearance cannot be cured by Lanvin footwear. Nobody's eyes will reach the feet if the top half looks dreadful.

Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart haven’t been on in my area for decades. The problem now on classic TV stations is they are afraid to change the schedules and put different shows on because there is drop in viewing and lots of complaints.

The Friday, Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving are the only days that pie for breakfast is justified.

Why does pie for breakfast need to be justified?

Chex Mix Muddy Buddies Peanut Butter and Chocolate are good. Never had these before.

I just discovered that I left half the butter out of the Brown Butter Bourbon Pumpkin Bread I made for Thanksgiving.

No wonder it didn't look like the picture in the recipe.

In South Africa, KFC offers soft serve vanilla ice cream topped with fried Oreos.

I made cookies with the English toffee chunks from Heath bars in them, but they turned out kind of flat. Still pretty good, though.

Mmm. I love Heath and Skor bars. Plus Hershey Symphony with the toffee chunks.

I just heard the first sounds of the lake freezing. There was a layer of ice on it today with one section still open which some Mergansers were enjoying. I hope they left or they'll be stuck!

I saw a couple of leaves on my wind shield. They were yellow.

I ate half of the stocking stuffers I bought for others last night. This is the only time of the year I bring these kinds of things into my house.

I have Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo stuck in my head.

I read Laurence Leamer’s The Kennedy Women years ago and thought it was well done. I don’t really need to read any more books about them personally really. We know. But the assassination is an ongoing exploration.

Put 66 AA batteries in 33 candles in windows and around house tonight. Christmas is here!

I looked at some items to order from Amazon and was surprised that the arrival date is four to five days. Usually, I receive stuff in one to two days. 'Tis the season I guess.

[quote] Put 66 AA batteries in 33 candles

Jesus Christ.

R160, we call that Puppy Chow where I'm from.

If someone asks you if you like tacos it is code for do you eat ass?

I shut off the outside water today. Winter is coming.

R175 I did that weeks ago

Fond though I am of David Attenborough, I kind of wish his new BBC series was narrated by the honey badger guy instead.

I am annoyed by everyone and everything lately

I can smell your pussy

R168 Well, truck on our and spread the news, because now it's in my head, too.

My phone updated last night and changed the way everything looks in Safari. I hate change for change’s sake.

So far I'm the only one around me with outdoor Christmas lights on, the old farts.

Enough time has passed that I can enjoy Forensic Files, again.

I prefer to refer to them as Philistines.

Christmas decorations are OPTIONAL, not mandatory. R182, are you the same person who just used 66 AA batteries to decorate the inside of your house?

The top drawer of my nightstand contains Systane dry eye drops, Rolaids, lip balm, box of kleenex, tin of Altoids, a comb, Tylenol, a small 8 oz bottle of Zephyrhills spring water that fits upright, flashlight, reading glasses, pen and small pad of paper, spare phone charger although I don't do my charging in the bedroom.

My niece made me some chocolate chip cookies that had a sprinkle of kosher salt on top baked in. I can’t decide if I liked that or not. Well, they’re gone so I guess I liked them enough.

R176 Ordinarily I'd have done it weeks ago as well but I forgot all about it until Alexa told me it was going to be 25 degrees tonight.

It's been a tough year.

I just remembered to pay my bills. I hate when the first of the month falls on the weekend.

Tomorrow I'm going to make a Russian dish called Shuba: potato, carrots, beets, mayo, herring, and egg layered together.

Got punched in the chin - apparently, I’m stalking someone living in her car whenever I step outside to smoke. She complained to another resident and he socked me.

Now, I’m looking for her car. I will be snipping air nipples at some point this week unless I make myself behave like a human. I don’t have to torture sick people.

I need to swallow this one and it’s difficult.

I got Wendy's today because I thought the McRib wasn't back yet, then I saw a Facebook friend posting a pic of one he just got.

R185 Hell no, that wasn't me. I know the lights are optional but people need to LIGHTEN UP.

I'm "saving" $10 per month on my Verizon phone bill by using auto-pay.

R192, behold!

Why are there no McRibs in my county? It doesn’t seem fair.

Fedex left my 40 lb. package on top of my a/c unit. Not on my front porch, not in front of the garage, not by the side door but on top of my a/c unit by the back gate.

Brain rot

I saw a picture today of the Louis Vuitton store in Manhattan today and it's facade looks like stacks of trunks. How cool.

I'm watching Hill Street Blues on Disney+.Veronica Hamel was a gorgeous woman even in the drabbest fashion era in history.

Splash Refresher Acai Grape Flavored Water tastes like something from childhood but I can't pinpoint exactly what.

Grape Kool-Aid? Grape Now & Later? Grape Charms Blow Pop (the lollipop with bubblegum in the middle)?

The flavor is so familiar and I feel nine years old drinking it.

r201, Grape Dimetap cough syrup? That's what grape-flavored stuff always reminds me of.

The people at Jonestown drank grape-flavored Flavor Aid (Kool Aid knockoff).

Saying I’m going to bed but I’m really getting ready to scroll for hours sending you everything I find even remotely funny.

When you realize the people you just saw for Thanksgiving, you gotta see their asses again in a few weeks.

When someone asks me to go out on the town past 6 pm.

[quote]I’m really getting ready to scroll for hours sending you everything I find even remotely funny

Woe is Datalounge.

I want to read Cher and Josh Brolin's autobiographies but I'm not sure about Pacino's. I'm just looking for some scandalous gossip, or at the very least some good celebrity dish.

I just had to disconnect my Optimum Cable because I'm moving and it was the hardest process I've ever gone through in disconnecting something. I had to speak to three different people and it took forever. They made it as hard as possible.

So I went to have a massage at the Woodhouse Spa here in town.

It’s a great experience. They give you fancy spa water or you can make yourself a cup of tea.

They give you a robe and some sandals to change into. It was a deep tissue massage and she really went to town on my upper back/neck/shoulders. She said she used her elbow. My shoulders and neck are really over stressed.

It was a nice way to start to de-stress from the thanksgiving hullabaloo. Cheers to all. 😬

I've never had a massage - sounds wonderful R210!

I’m massaging my pussy

I’m rubbing my clit using the flat part of my hand

I’ve never massaged my pussy - sounds wonderful.

R212

R213

R214

I follow a bunch of accounts on X about Introverts. They are my tribe.

Then you are not a committed introvert, r216.

[quote] They give you fancy spa water or you can make yourself a cup of tea.

Wow.

Sandwich Bros. Chicken Melts are good. Quick and easy one minute microwavable snack. Nicely seasoned white chicken and cheese in a pita pocket. Smaller than they look on the package, need two to make it an actual meal. Well, I need two, your mileage may vary.

I had a dream last night about Mick Jagger. I hope it's not a bad omen.

I thought I'd switch it up this winter with a new face moisturizer instead of my usual Cetaphil Cream.

I got Thayers Face Care Barrier Bestie Ultra Whip Cream. It's too thick and heavy and I don't like it despite its good ingredients. Not a big deal as it was only $12 but I guess I'll re-purpose it as foot cream since it's so thick. I'm single and have no one to impress with my feet yet I like to keep my feet pedicured and in good condition. Just in case I end up in the hospital.

Anyway, back to the Cetaphil it is!

I tried the Burger King Maple Bourbon BBQ burger for lunch, but it was just average. Not very exciting.

R221 thanks for absolutely nothing. Boring.

I bet there are less than 10 regular posters on the DL

[quote]R221 thanks for absolutely nothing. Boring.

You do understand, don't you, r222 the purpose of these threads?

you can rub some of that $12 shit on your asshole and then get the hell out of here r225.

Since I personally do not have any of that $12 shit to rub on my asshole, I will take a pass, r226.

[quote]I bet there are less than 10 regular posters on the DL

fewer

For r 224 r221

I looked out of my sliding glass door. Saw sunshine. Inhaled oxygen. Scratched balls. Took in background sounds.

That's the spirit!

Had I known my skincare misadventures would cause such dissension, I would have refrained from sharing.

I ate way too many carbs today. It’s like once I started I couldn’t stop.

R221 and R231 I was being sarcastic. I meant no harm. All in the foul spirit of the DL. lol. I'm sorry for going overboard. I don't want to hurt your feelings. I'm on a burst of prednisone for a chronic disease. One of the side effects I experience is irritability. I've been so moody lately I even bitch at the air. Sorry for my poor behavior.

No worries, r233. Rarely do DLers apologize. You are a rarity!

[quote]r221 with the velvety soft feet thanks to $12 shit

Pics please.

I'm watching it snow and it's beautiful.

The NYT Wirecutter had a feature on panettones. The one they recommended cost $90. Pass.

But I did buy one for $7.99 at the supermarket. It is, predictably, awful. But I will probably eat it anyway, cause that’s how I roll.

When my friend posts selfie videos of herself driving to n her car I wince. She doesn’t look good on cell phone videos and likes to self promote.

I shoveled snow today. Ow.

I like men.

In bed but not sleeping. Have a full day of meetings tomorrow. I wanted to get a decent sleep but that seems like a Longshot now unless instant sleep happens in 5 mins.

Not sure if I have an allergy situation going on or a cold. The gym was extremely warm and dry yesterday when I went and my nose started running , now I'm congested and cannot taste or smell. I have no fever body aches etc I'm hoping it's not covid I will test myself tomorrow if my symptoms do not improve. I've started taking zinc lozenges and doubled my vitamin c. Oh well life is like a box of Kleenex.

Very disappointed by today’s NYT crossword. I was looking forward to a Friday challenge, but it was too easy. Finished in Tuesday time.

🎶 Sugar

Oh, honey, honey

You are my candy girl

And you got me wanting you... 🎶

Looking at fruitcake recipes - I want the scary yellow and green mystery fruit and lots of booze.

Just buy a box of “holiday fruit” that way they can remain a mystery even to you.

Does anyone wanted a used bouquet garni?

On my back

You were supposed to keep that in your box until you were ready to start something, R247.

I just bought Stanley Tucci's cookbook to have on hand for a last minute Christmas gift. It's something I would like for myself if I don't end up giving it to someone.

I bought a box of Little Debbie's Christmas Tree Cakes. They seem smaller than normal.

I got some peppermint extract to make peppermint bark. Looking forward to that.

Thanks R244, now I have that song in my head to accompany Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo from upthread.

S L O W L Y clearing off dinning room table for Xmas din-din (been using it for artwork this entire year) while listening to a mix of holiday music and MSNBC.

The supermarket panettone was so bad even I couldn’t eat the whole thing. I trashed half of it.

Perhaps I should suggest Supermarket Panettone to John Mulaney for his SNL series (Diner Lobster, Airport Sushi, Port Authority Duane-Reade Milk, etc)

It’s Chef John's Cioppino Friday, but I couldn’t get the clerk’s attention for fresh mussels and oysters. Fuckers. I’m not going through this with frozen/canned shit. I want briney, soupey goodness.

Yes, I paid for frozen crab clusters. Crabs feel pain so I’m offloading murder upon the processors. I’m a second-hand douchebag. Thank goodness I don’t care for lobster - they have feelings, too.

The bread is sourdough. I’m thinking garlic sourdough toasted….. and margaritas.

[quote]I bought a box of Little Debbie's Christmas Tree Cakes. They seem smaller than normal.

Perhaps it's that you've gotten larger.

All kinds of products are shrinking.

Price gauging.

I had a random memory today of the desk I had in elementary school. It was wood and the top lifted up so you could store things inside. They also had a hole at the top right which I had asked my father what it could be and he said it was an ink well. Then he said that may have been his desk, New Englanders never throw anything away. When he found out my teacher who was old, had been his teacher as a kid. He said see? They never get rid of anything.

Shriveled up raisin, you

R256, so what was in your cioppino, then? Crab and what else? You can put fish in there, too.

I used to do a jigsaw puzzle over the holidays. I think I might pull one out again.

When I did drugs (many years ago), I was also into crossword puzzle books. Now, I have no interest in crossword puzzles.

I voted to have our office Christmas party during normal working hours. It's scheduled for a Friday night. I'm not going.

[quote]I think I might pull one out again

Pics please.

Why did little girls wear dresses so short their underwear shows in the late 60s-70s on TV? It’s really weird. Cindy on the Brady Bunch, Buffy on Family Affair and, the worst by far, poor Dodie on My Three Sons. What kind of weirdo perversion was this?

I just got an advert promoting the "perfect gift for parents". An elderly woman is holding a keepsake book, and the caption is "THIS HOLIDAY: Preserve their legacy before it's too late." It's the sort of advert that would appear in The Simpsons in the late 90s.

I never noticed, r267. I wasn’t looking at the girls.

Shirley Temple wore those really short dresses. Shorter than short, really.

I just watched the Pilot episode of Hot in Cleveland. The ladies crash landed in Cleveland and then went to a bar and ordered chili cheese fries and beer.

Now I want chili cheese fries.

Go to Wendy’s.

Come spend the night inside my sugar walls.

I just paid my credit card bill and paid for 6 months of car insurance. My car insurance bill, thankfully, is exactly the same as it was last time.

I made my move to Phoenix (as noted above), but the movers weren't hunky. Not bad, but not exciting, either.

I just watched "Scrooged", the Bill Murray version of A Christmas Carol. That ending always makes me tear up.

"Put a Little Love in Your Heart".

Phoenix.

You poor thing.

I meant to reply earlier.

I went to Wendy’s last night! And I haven’t done fast food in eons…. R272 has ESP.

1/2 lard 1/2 butter makes the superior pie crust.

45 years ago today I was among the first in the nation to be disappointed by a screening of ‘Star Trek: the Motionless Picture’. Over the decades, I’ve come to appreciate the film on its own terms, and it’s actually grown to be my favorite of the franchise.

R275, how's Phoenix?

Got our tree today and I can't find the energy to decorate it. I don't know what's wrong with me, it's usually one of my favorite things.

It’s a terrible thing but lard and beef tallow make the best tasting deep fried stuff.

Hammerhead sharks. Just about the craziest adapted morphology ever.

The only thing worse than Facebook Community is Nextdoor. Every. Single. Post. descriptions of and/or ring camera film of “suspicious characters “ everywhere all the time.

R267 the really short dresses and frilly panties are the baby doll look. They still sell those outfits for babies and toddlers. But yes it was a big trend in late 60s early 70s.

[quote]It’s a terrible thing but lard and beef tallow make the best tasting deep fried stuff.

Why is that terrible, R283? They're far better than frying in vegetable oils.

I completely changed the flavor profile of my leftover Thanksgiving gravy by throwing in some cilantro and hatch chilies. I tossed in some cheese and baked cubed butternut squash. It made for a good leftover casserole. I just don't know if I want to save it or I thought I could dump the rest in a food processor, add some sherry and chicken broth to turn it into soup.

I'm just not a people person.

[quote] how's Phoenix?

R281, I actually moved to the retirement community of Sun City. Everything's great so far - it's a very quiet neighborhood. And all the stores and fast food places are within blocks of me, unlike in the small town where I was living. Thanks for asking!

The Cioppino turned out meh - no clams or mussels, crab & lobster were meaty enough, but I had barely enough sauce. I spent a lot of money for a bland adventure.

I have had marvelous Cioppino from restaurants. I’m going to stick with the pros.

Chicken Margherita pasta

Interesting that you mention that dish, R291.

I was thinking of making that for Christmas dinner. My brother and his fiancé are pescatarians and since a standing rib roast is out of the question this year, I shall consider making this. Maybe a seafood gratin. It will be up to them since they’ll have to purchase the ingredients 😛

I have several recipes for Cioppino. Which one did you use, R291?

Chef John’s off Allrecipes - once again, please wait for the counter people to buy fresh mussels, oysters, and crab. This was a low-rent adventure because I didn’t want to wait for the service people. I hate shopping.

Cioppino seems do-able (to make at home). IMO, it's got to have that *slight* anise / fennel / Sambuca / black licorice flavor.

I actually hate eating black licorice (plain), but I do like the taste of anise / fennel seed in sausage and in cioppino.

No, fennel needs to be snuck into pasta sauce. I have been accused of extreme mental illness when it comes to pasta sauce because of my love of carrot as part of my starter. Close second is the question, “Why the fuck are you adding fennel to a savory dish?” - because the belly wants what the belly wants, Chucklefuck!

Anyway, I hope you have good results, R295.

I flaunt the fennel in my pasta sauce.

Yes, finely grated carrot in pasta sauce is a must.

I went to some guy's house to pick up something my mom bought from Facebook Marketplace. Since my mom set it up, I figured I was meeting an old man. He turned out being young and incredibly hot. We didn't fuck.

My cousin's two sons, ages 3 and 4, are absolute monsters. They have total meltdowns whenever they don't get their way. My cousin and his wife barely discipline them.

I just watched "It's a Wonderful Life" and now I'm all verklempt.

I took a nap today and had a nightmare ... during a nap.

Time to hit the stores in search of egg nog ice cream. Sadly, last year was a washout.

I watched Sticky tonight. It was pretty good. Jamie Lee Curtis producer and is also in in 1 episode.

R303, I don't want egg nog ice cream but it's time for me to buy Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Nog from the liquor store. It's fantastic!

I’m at McCafe

My new condo has the strangest trash disposal - there's a sort of manhole behind each place with a small hole under it and you put your trash in there. I guess they come and lift the lid and pull it out. Seems like a lot of work for them.

I was feeling nostalgic and bought Pert Shampoo.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Three weeks with this cold, on and off. OTC meds extravaganza eleganza.

I refuse to buy gloves in this Mediterranean zone, but my fingers are so cold right now. Perhaps, I’ll wear black wool socks as mittens when I go out next.

"I keep my Nabisco Pinwheel Cookies in the fridge."

You're a genius, whoever is the DLer who posted that here or in another thread.

One of my neighbors bought himself a new toy, a riding snow blower. I pay someone to plow my driveway, it's easier.

I'm watching Six Feet Under on Showtime. I'd forgotten how good this show is.

r313, I hope for your sake your neighbor's expensive investment acts as an insurance policy and you don't get much snow.

UPS puts my packages behind the rocking chair on my front porch, knocks or rings the doorbell and loudly says "UPS".

Fedex on the other hand throws shit wherever. On top of my a/c unit, by my trash cans, by the front tire of my vehicle, at my back gate which is a further walk than my front door, garage or side door. Or sometimes just for shit and giggles, they deliver my packages to a house on the next street over that has the same house number as I do. Fortunately, the person with the same house number brings me my packages. I gave her my phone number to text me when she gets my packages and I'll come get them but she says she needs to get in her steps. One time, the package was a bit heavy so she walked it over in her cat stroller.

FFS!!

Watching the classic 60s TV show - The Munsters on PlutoTv. Love Grandpa. He’s hilarious.

[quote]Three weeks with this cold, on and off. OTC meds extravaganza eleganza.

I've been catching every cold within a mile of me this winter. I think my lungs are weaker since I had COVID.

I loved El Pollo Loco fast food restaurant when I lived in California in the late 80s/early 90s.

The $8 panettone at Trader Joe’s is not bad.

The £10 Panettone at Marks & Spencer is not bad.

I want fruitcake and I want to try packets of cioppino, but shipping is half the cost of these items because it is holiday season.

Fat Albert of Monaco's twin son has psycho eyes and a creepy smirk.

I don’t understand how a traditional panettone can be good enough to justify a $100 price tag.

Any panettone connoisseurs able to enlighten me?

R324 - funny, I keep thinking that his son is so small for his age. He never seems to get any bigger, year after year. They just had pictures for the twins' tenth birthday and he still seems so little.

I'm going to make Old Fashioned Butter Cookies, the kind that are small and round with the candied bright red cherry on top.

It was the 10th birthday photo I was referring to, r326. The girl twin is looking less Children of the Corn as she gets older but the boy still looks a tad possessed.

I have Amazon Prime and I am kind of amazed that I can have anything delivered. I'm having thumbtacks, envelopes, trash bags, etc. all delivered today. No need to go to the store anymore. I'm wondering if I should start having all my groceries delivered.

I want to pick my own meats, fruits and vegetables. I don’t trust them.

The extent of my cooking is making pasta and adding jar sauces, or cooking baked potatoes in the microwave, but I just spent a bunch of money on Penzeys spice blends. hoping for some motivation.

R331, you don’t have to cooking every meal - unless you’re an old Venezuelan woman afraid of being poisoned. You can start smaller - maybe a weekend activity and build up your own menu with time.

My MRI shows the lesion on my liver is benign and my lungs are strangely cancer-free (me of all people). The colon? It’s fucked and they’re cutting out a part of it soon.

I’m good either way. If I live, I may be able to shit proper logs again. If I die, I won’t have to worry about keeping my underwear trunks clean.

PS: carpet foam cleaner does wonders for pretreating underwear.

[quote]PS: carpet foam cleaner does wonders for pretreating underwear.

Words of wisdom with which to close out this miserable 2024.

R332 - hope your colon turns out okay. Sorry to hear about all your bodybparts having issues. Merry Christmas, though.

I'm parched.

I need escarole for a soup I’m making. What the fuck is escarole?

I’m soaking in my deep bathtub with lots of Epsom salt

I found the escarole at Whole Foods, but they were out of leeks. I had to go to four supermarkets to find fucking leeks. What a world.

I'm noticing that more and more of the first results that appear on Google Images searches are AI. It's unnerving.

I bought some Cherry Cordials at the candy store where they make their own candy. So delicious. I only treat myself to them around Christmas.

I got a pile of $20 bills to put in cards for the postman and the rubbish guys etc but my heart really wasn't in it. Not feeling that Christmas spirit I guess.

I can't find the little fruitcakes which are like, 97% candied fruit anywhere this year.

A glass bauble fell on the floor and shattered.

I like the kind of fruitcake that is 75% cake and 25% fruit.

I don't like fruitcake at all - can't eat the stuff. Candied fruit is gross.

I'm debating buying one of these this year.

Looks kinda good. I like both apricots and pecans.

I was remembering when everyone had a stereo system. Turntable, receiver and speakers. When you get old, you find yourself recalling random things from your past.

I don’t either, R341.

It’s all kind of… meh.

Maybe because we didn’t decorate the house like we usually do but we’re going out of town for a few days and didn’t see a need to.

I love the Pennsylvania Dutch egg nog, too, Cosmo R305, reminding the liquor store staff to set the bottles out every year.

It's good drizzled over a slice of fruit cake, too. I haven't found my ice cream yet.

I do what I want.

r346 Collinstreet is the best fruitcake around.

I yam what I yam.

R348, my sister had a a1960-something Oldsmobile that had an 8-track deck that swiveled so the passenger or driver could access it. We thought we were hot shit.

We also had a stereo console that housed a turntable, radio, and cassette player. I kept my Yellow Brick Road album (my first ever) in the section reserved for LPs; it also had storage for cassettes. I remember our neighbors coming over to look at it because they thought it was one of the Wonders of the World.

It was a kinder, stupider time.

My supermarket rewards club sent me an email wishing me a happy December birthday and offering me a choice of a free half gallon of store brand ice cream or a free bar cake from their bakery.

I'll get a carrot cake bar cake which I've had before and is quite good. Their store brand ice cream is also very good but I think the cake will come in handy over the holidays. I have until the end of December to pick up my gift.

December really isn't my birthday. I just use random birthdays when I sign up for various rewards programs.

In Vietnam you can go to a barbershop and get a shave, hair wash/dry, ear cleaning, nose hair clipping, foot bath, face massage, neck/shoulder/back/leg massage and your body and limbs stretched by a tiny woman sitting on your back all for $25.

Is a happy ending included, r357?

Just finished wrapping Christmas presents in just under 3 hrs

Omaha Steaks finally got me. I just ordered that $89.99 special they've been advertising.

It’s like dinner in miniature, R360.

Actress Lupe Velez died 80 years ago on December 14, 1944 by suicide in Beverly Hills, California.

Despite what’s written in Hollywood Babylon, she did not drown in the toilet.

I'm watching Why Women Kill on Paramount.

The blonde waitress having the affair with Ginnifer Goodwin's husband in the 1963 story line looked so familiar but I couldn't place her.

Looked up her name, she played Anna Faris' daughter who got pregnant on Mom and then was later written out.

I rather like Sam Jaeger who plays Ginnifer's husband in this. He was in Handmaid's Tale and Parenthood.

Earlier today I was texting turkey breast to a friend and it auto corrected to turkey breastfeeding. Can you imagine? Hahaha.

My vet’s office is asking me to call them to confirm an appointment for Monday that I made less than 24 hours ago.

I’m not gonna do it.

Well, it's Friday and the appointment is for Monday. It's probably programmed into their system to remind clients the previous working day. Why not just confirm. They were nice enough to give you an appointment on pretty short notice. What the hell.

Sucking like a mofo

Nothing “nice” about it. They are insisting my cat needs to see a doctor to get her rabies booster even though she has a regular appointment with a vet tech to get a monthly arthritis shot. Ka-Ching.

They used to trim her nails as a courtesy. Now they charge $20. Ka-Ching.

I would pay $20 so someone else is hated. I used to get bitched out for days - two siamese still scratching furniture, but showing me how stupid it is using trimmed nails.

R369, don't they hate you for taking them to the groomer, though? Do you have a hard time getting them in the car, etc.? Also, seems like they could still shred up a couch, even with trimmed nails.

Naked and sexy

R370, compared to immediate hatred whenever I snipped their nails (and I was a coward about getting too close to the quick) I suffered facial and hand bites. The furnitures was always assumed to be doomed and I bought fabrics that could be reupholstered if needed.

I was just and old idiot keeping up with the nail trimming - Years earlier, a vet had pointed out that the Original Siamese princess had arthritis and I needed to keep those nails down. I thought I’d keep up the practice with the later generation, but they told my I’m full of shit. Siamese cats know all the vulgar terms for single gay males. It was tortuous and vile.

Anyway, pay people to clip nails and clean anal glands at every opportunity. Both are worth the cost.

I made my peppermint bark.

How is it?

What kind of chocolate? Did you add a liqueur? Is the skin shiny?

I live listening to a man with a Scottish accent but I can't stand listening to a woman with a Scottish accent.

^like

Samba trims her own nails.

r373 instead of meow?

I’m remembering back to when I moved my dad from a farmhouse with five bathrooms to a tiny salt box with one. Dad napped on the toilet. My siamese Max guarded his litter box in the basement because he really could read minds.

Was Max expecting your dad to use his litter box?

What the hell? Dad using a litter box full of salt and falling asleep on a toilet?

Here:

The peppermint bark turned out great.

When the big cat has his nails trimmed he knows he cannot scratch me to get my attention, so he takes to biting. He's like Moo Deng. Right on the knee.

Moo Deng bit your knee, r385?

The 2019 Downton Abbey movie, the one where the Royals come for dinner, is on YouTube for free, now.

"ooon-gowwah!"

🎶Ooh, sugar pie, honey bunch

You know that I love you

I Can't Help Myself

I love you and nobody else...🎶

customers first! customers first!

The Today Show had The Temptations on this morning to sing My Gril. There is one original FT member left and he's 83. He's been with the group 60 years!

I was going to post something but didn't because I had a feeling it was whelming.

The next-door neighbors in our condo are going to Germany tomorrow for the holidays. The woman next door to the next-door neighbors is in San Juan for the winter. We’re home alone for the holidays.

And we like it that way.

5 more days of sunsets being earlier and earlier.

I went to two Aldis in my area in search of their Trader Joe's Chocolate Covered Peppermint Joe-Joe's cookie knockoffs. No luck.

Why can't TJ's build one of their too small stores in a shopping center lacking ample parking in my area? The closest TJ's to me is 50 miles away.

If you see these at your Aldi, buy them, you won't regret it.

My neighbors' damn dog won't stop barking. It barked from about 3 pm onward on Saturday. I knocked on their door, but they weren't home. Ugh.

[quote] I went to two Aldis in my area in search of their Trader Joe's Chocolate Covered Peppermint Joe-Joe's cookie knockoffs. No luck.

Joe-Joes are a knockoff of Oreos, but I guess Oreos don't come in peppermint.

R396 call local animal control to report abandoned dog or call local police

We're hitting 40 years since Rock Hudson announced he ha AIDS and passed away in 2025.

So this time they charged $34 for the nail trim (it seems to go up each time), and they snuck in a $100 “annual wellness exam” (making clear why they insisted a vet had to give her the rabies shot, which was $75). $9 “medical waste disposal” Ka-Ching.

Yeah it’s $30 here for nail trims too

r400 your post confirms for me my decision to get out of pet ownership after my last one died. Medical care for a pet today cost as much as medical care for a child.

I have a lover who loves me

Vet practices have been taken over by private equity investors looking to maximize profits.

Not underwhelming, r403, but certainly wonderful for both of you!

I’ve got a feeling in my boner everything is gonna work out right.

I have jury duty tomorrow. In Newark.

I got my driver's license renewed today. I had to drive 25 miles from suburban Dallas to far South Dallas to even get an appointment before March of next year. Even with the appointment, there was over an hour wait. On the plus side, I passed the eye exam this time. No glasses for me!

I wanted to whiten my teeth before Christmas but can’t find the trays. Guess I’ll clean out the bathroom cabinet.

I had Tombstone pepperoni pizza for dinner.

I'm having a Tombstone supreme pizza tonight!

I use Red Baron deep dish singles, pepperoni flavor.

r407 I had jury duty in Elizabeth earlier this month. I was not selected.

I'm have a hankering for spumoni.

LOL, I always remember that scene from Threes Company when Jack was dating a rich girl and she was dressing him up.

Janet says to him “you look like a dish of spumoni!” When he was wearing a pastel color palette.

😂🤣

I’m here in the jury waiting area. Been here all day (except lunch break). Some people were sent to a courtroom this morning, but not me. Vending machines overcharged me for a bag of Doritos.

"hankering" = non-Southern

"a craving flung on me for ..." - Southern

also

"have my jaw set for .. "

Well then, as a product of the tri-state area, NY/NJ/PA, I got it right and stayed true to my roots!

Google AI says . . .

[quote] Yes, "hankerin'" is a word commonly used in the Southern United States, particularly in the deep South like Alabama and Georgia. It's an informal, folksy word that means to have a strong desire or craving for something, especially food. For example, you might say "I have a hankerin' for pizza" to express that you really want some pizza

Daryl Hall is an OK singer. Not great.

I just called my health insurance and changed my Primary Care Provider.

They asked if it was okay to make the change effective January 1, 2025, I said fine.

My new ID card should arrive in ten days.

They asked if they could call me back with a Customer Satisfaction Survey, I said sure. I probably won't answer.

Zzzzzzz

I accidentally got regular fruit punch Gatorade at the store instead of Gatorade Zero. I thought it tasted strange. I guess I'll drink it and not waste it, but it's not good for my diabetes.

The wind is whistling.

Yes, r423, saving a little money is much more important than your health.

Boozy lunch.

R426 I’m praying for you

I'm fine. I send my love.

I prefer brownies made from a mix instead of from scratch.

I preferred cakes from a mix, which seemed light and fluffy, to homemade cakes, which could be dense and leaden.

When making brownies from a mix, I add an extra egg.

I’m trying to resist the urge to go to Trader Joe’s to get holiday treats. Ate a few almonds. We’ll see.

I like box brownies and cake mix cakes, too.

As long as I’m in my own bed I’ll do what I want

R432 Went there this morning. They had many, many holiday treats.

Now I do. Most to be gifted, but a few will stay home.

The almonds worked. For now.

I like scratch cakes a whole lot more. Box cakes, and ones from supermarket bakeries, add chemicals that make the cake "moist," which means each bite melts on your tongue. I much prefer the drier texture of scratch cakes. I've made hundreds of them. It may depend on what you're used to.

I went to Trader Joe's and got the lasagna. I hope it's good.

I went outside and bitched at the air. Hope it liked it.

I think the people at the Chinese restaurant in Hyannis have me confused with someone else

It's only 8:20 p.m. and I'm falling asleep. I don't know why I always get so sleepy so early. Guess I'm getting elderly.

House guests and service people should be offered disposable shoe covers rather than being asked to take off their shoes or wear slippers. IMO. You can get a big box of disposable shoe covers on Amazon.

Monthly Duolingo badge earned.

[quote]Box cakes, and ones from supermarket bakeries, add chemicals that make the cake "moist," which means each bite melts on your tongue.

You make that sound as though it's a bad thing.

Enjoy growing gills, then!

Will I grow a third eye as well?

I was just invited to a bagels and babka New Year’s brunch—bring your own bagels and babka.

That’s a new one.

I need to go food shopping but have a dilemma. My food store sells fresh quiche and I want one for Christmas breakfast but am afraid it's too early to buy it now. However, if I don't, I'll have to go out again this weekend or early next week just to buy that one item. What say you, DL?

Freeze it

Just buy it. I wouldn't freeze it, though.

If there is a Deep South there must be a Shallow South.

Is “going out” traumatic for you, r448?

I thought I was losing my hearing due to Ménière’s disease but the ENT said I have a fluid build-up behind my eardrum probably due to a sinus infection. He also pulled a big wad of earwax out.

R448, no. Going out isn't traumatic. Just trying to make the most of my time and make sure my quiche is still fresh for next week. I'm sure the stores will be really crowded the closer it gets to Christmas. Do I really want to brave that just for a quche?

An item I ordered online just shipped, but it’s going to take 8 days to be delivered. I guess they are sending it across country by bike messenger.

I hate to say it, but quiche is easy to make. I am not a experienced with pie crust, so i’d buy Pillsbury frozen pie crust, eggs, and cheese.

I'm not a cookie baker. I'm just not good at it. Cakes yes, cookies no.

I appreciate anyone who shares their holiday cookie baking with me. I try to reciprocate in other ways as I have no homemade cookies to share with them.

They put laxatives in their so-called health bar. Those son of a bitches

DL needs a laxative today, it seems.

My HOA sent me a letter because there's no door on my mailbox. It's a 40 year old iron mailbox, so it took me a while to find. Finally put it on and the latch that keeps it closed doesn't work, so I'm just going to leave it open and dare them to say something.

New contender for “Which architect was inspired by “Idiocracy?”

It’s right next to the Frick Museum in Seattle. The finished facade has the building looking like it’s molting.and the bridge is keeping both wings from collapsing.

I ordered something from eBay and they shipped it with what may be a fraudulent shipping company (made-up tracking, etc). Tracking says it's delivered, it isn't.

So I ordered a backup on Amazon because Christmas, only to discover the Amazon teamsters go on strike tonight. At 6 PM.

It's hard not to take this personally.

^^^oops 6 AM. Its already begun! This is getting whelming.

Frick or Frye, r461?

I think it's beautiful, r461.

R464 it is Frye and I always read it as Frick for some reason.

This could actually be pretty good - just in time for Christmas!

Add an extra can of cherries, r467. Mixed fruit supplies 2.25 cherries.

I'm eating a cinnamon raisin english muffin.

They gave me hydrocodone for the colostomy.

I’m going to blame the DRUGS for buying an over-the-toilet shelving tower. I’m subjecting every day items to poop spume (especially now)!

It’s a tiny shitty apartment. It’s a low budget version of finding out my walls are knotty pine.

Well, I guess I talked myself into making Oreo cheesecake balls for Christmas. I already said in the group text I would.

I’m drinking a cup of hot Dr Pepper

I went food shopping this morning and bought my quiche. The food store wasn't too crowded and was able to go straight to a self-checkout lane.

I ran my ultrasonic humidifier in a room with a “smart’ air purifier that counts particles. They do not get along. Too bad. Ultrasonic humidifiers work better than evaporation humidifiers, and they are they are quieter and don’t cost as much to run, but they spew too many particles into the air, even with purified water.

I suddenly feel like dusting my whole fucking house!

Resist.

It's going to be very cold for the next few days so I'm going to make a pot of vegetable soup tomorrow.

I’ve got a feeling in my bones everything is gonna work out tonight

[quote]I’m drinking a cup of hot Dr Pepper

Why?

long long

R479 Hot Dr Peppervwith a slice of fresh lemon is an old American tradition during the holidays

I never, ever heard about drinking hot Dr. Pepper during the holidays. Yes, I'm American.

I've heard about drinking flat ginger ale when you're sick, though.

I've been eating lots of sweet snacks at the office.

Well r482 perhaps you live inside your own ass or perhaps you live inside your own ass?

My Omaha Steaks package has arrived. It included 4 chicken breasts and I have no idea how to cook chicken.

Oh God why am I surrounded by morons??

R485 Told you they were tiny.

Poach, roast, or broil.

Or you could pound them semi-flat and pan fry in a little bit of oil.

Bake in oven at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes.

R481, I am an old American who also never heard of drinking hot Dr Pepper ever for any reason.

Warm Dr. Pepper? Well, I never . . .

Dog is pushing me out of bed.

We are under the presidency of Elon Musk. What has America come to???

The man looks evil....whenever I'm feeling particularly morose often I will watch the opening scene of Peyton's Place

Still smarting for not getting a single compliment on the beautiful, thick, wool, shawl collar cardigan that I wore to the neighborhood holiday cocktail party at the clubhouse last week.

Were the canapes good?

Watched “Disenchanted” for Amy Adams. Perhaps a plot would help. I just needed her singing. She’s one of those actresses I don’t track because I don’t want to discover that beautiful woman is an asshole.

I have a set of Bic Extra Smooth pens. The kind with the opaque plastic so you can see how much ink is left in the pen. I find it satisfying to completely use the pen until the pen no longer writes then collect the empty/used up pens.

R498, I think he mean transparent, not opaque.

[quote] Still smarting for not getting a single compliment on the beautiful, thick, wool, shawl collar cardigan that I wore to the neighborhood holiday cocktail party at the clubhouse last week.

I had to Google this to find out what a shawl collar cardigan looked like. Were you smoking a pipe, too?

Visit with Miss Lindsay and be happy!

[quote]Oh God why am I surrounded by morons??

Water seeks its own level.

It snowed yesterday and I finally got into the Christmas spirit.

I've lost interest in the tv show Ghosts.

The UK version is sublime escapism.

R500 No pipe. But I was hitting my penjamin. I paired it with chestnut colored pants and a classic gucci loafers.

It's colder than a witch's tit out there and the wind isn't helping. I'm staying indoors today.

I said the witch's tit expression one day at work and my boss said don't say that here, you may offend someone. I said fuck that and he said don't say that, either. He was cool.

It's freezing in the Northeast. That damn Prairie Canadian cold air from up North is blowing down

It's supposed to be even colder tomorrow.

My colleague, an English professor, lesbian, in her early early 50s who has kept her body tuned up, abs and all, yoga enthusiast and still spots her california blonde shoulde length shaggy do , s banging an Anne Hathaway 27 year old look alike.

It’s not that cold in NJ. The sun is melting the snow off of paved surfaces and cars.

It feels like 13 (F) at 1 pm even though it's really 28 in Cambridge. I used my snowblower last night when we came home after dinner (Thai: udon noodles and chicken, spring rolls, crispy shrimp, beef and broccoli, and veg gyoza. Fabulous pineapple sauce, too.) It was the first time in three years we've gotten enough snow to need more than a shovel to clean up. As usual, our sidewalk is the only one on the street properly shoveled and sanded. The work went really quickly with three pre-flighted and well-fed friends helping. They drank more when we were done outside and then went out to a bar for more drinking the rest of the night. They called this morning. They're OK .

It's supposed to be 4 degrees outside tomorrow night, then light snow Monday and Tuesday nights. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.

[italic]The sun is shining, the grass is green, the orange and palm trees sway

There's never been such a day in Beverly Hills, L.A.

But it's (almost) December the 24th and I'm longing to be up north....[/italic]

Udon noodles are a Japanese thing, not Thai. Gyoza is also Japanese, not Thai. Spring rolls are more of a Vietnamese thing. Pineapple sauce, I don't know.

Beef and broccoli sounds Chinese food for the American market.

R506, I also had to look up "penjamin." Hoo boy.

R514 And? Should we vomit up the food and return it to Siam Ginger?

It's my birthday today, I'm officially as old as Isabella Rossellini when she appeared in Death Becomes Her. One of only a handful of women who managed to pierce through my homosexuality growing up.

As a present to myself, I decided to touch up my sidecut and naturally I fucked it up. Then I decided to touch up my fringe and of course I fucked that up as well. Feels like a portent of what the second half of my life will be like.

Anyway, I hate that it's solstice because that means the dog days of summer are just around the corner. And I still can't afford an AC unit.

R513 Come on up to northern New England, I'll show you cold. Even the birds aren't at my feeders today.

R498 smells like a hoarder to me

R508 is crass

Last night I watched Harold and Maude for the first time to see what the hullabaloo was about. I almost died when they had (implied) sex! I was not expecting that.

Other than that, I thought the movie was kinda boring.

The Panera in my town does not have a drive-thru.

If they had a drive-thru, I would go there and get their Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt.

But since they don't, I won't.

I have friends coming over for Xmas drinks this afternoon. I’m so tired and over it that all I can be bothered organizing is a bottle of wine and cheese with crackers.

My nonna resembled the late Queen Mother. My nonna had nine children so she was a little plump. What was the Queen Mother's excuse, she only had two kids.

I just turned on my fireplace for an added boost of heat. Wind chill is now zero.

I am spending the weekend by the beach in the RV. Thank goodness the tourists are largely gone. It is cold in the southeast, but walking along the shoreline in warm clothes is still satisfying to me. The sky is clear and very little wind..

Going to Biloxi, are you then?

^ I once lived in Mississippi. Plenty of nice people there. I enjoyed Biloxi the few times I was there. I am in Myrtle Beach presently.

Happy solstice everyone!

I rewatched some old SATC episodes today and I still don't like Mikhail Baryshnikov in the show.

Oh! And for the first time I noticed Carrie had bad nails. No manicure or polish, how did I ever miss that?

[quote] Anyway, I hate that it's solstice because that means the dog days of summer are just around the corner. And I still can't afford an AC unit.

Can’t argue with that.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Zero with windchills -13. My dog had to go out and I can't remember the last time I was able to see my breath.

Single digits here too. We've postponed our morning walk until afternoon when it's at least in low 20s.

I've lost my appetite and even lost a couple pounds without trying or needing to.

Am I dying?

Sometimes you just don't feel hungry.

My partner baked a dozen Christmas cakes yesterday to take around to his friends.

I took a nap.

A long one.

My dog loves being out in the yard but I know it's too cold when she stays inside on a sunny day.

For some reason, “wind chill” is now “real feel.”

Either way, AccuWeather said it felt like 14 below at 7:30 this morning when I went grocery shopping.

It was warmer inside the store.

You know it's the Christmas season when the Chia Pet commercials emerge.

And the Shriners adowable blanket commercial with Alec.

R537 are you the ugly couple binge watching on the couch for one of those prep commercials?

I live in Arizona. The high today will be 73°.

I like ham sandwiches.

At the cafe where I had lunch today, there was an extremely creepy, smirking toy elf as part of the decorations. It looked like an AI-generated sex offender. I kept forgetting it was there and then getting a fright when I looked up. I can't decide if a staff member wanted to troll everyone or really did think it was a delightful decoration.

R535, this is as good a time as any to put some probiotic greek yogurt and kombucha in your belly if you can tolerate it.

It will make sure your gut is ready for fat bear week. People experience fat bear week in January if they’re not lying to themselves about self improvement. It’s a reaction to the lifeless terror Winter. Your ancestors were worried about having to eat one another on the Oregon Trail.

If I sent every outfit that wanted "only nineteen dollars a month, just 63 cents a day" I'd be broke in no time

I’m doing my favorite yoga pose - happy baby

Are you the troll that has posted 60 posts on this thread and 35 on the "random childhood memories" thread, R542, you homophobic troll?

Of COURSE you are, shit for brains.

Because that's what you are here, shit for brains.

[quote]Your ancestors were worried about having to eat one another on the Oregon Trail.

That is why my ancestors absolutely terrify me.

R549 I thought you were the ugly couple. I’m pretty damned smart.

I’m making granola.

It never occurred to me that I could make granola.

It never occurred to me that there was any need to make granola.

One slice of last night’s pizza was delicious re-heated tonight. A small salad rounded out the meal. I haven’t ruled out dessert, though.

Try finding sesame ginger granola with cardamon in the store.

Haven’t you ever heard of peace on earth? Well, I have.

For years I tried to convince my mother that "Life of Brian" was not sacrilegious. It doesn't make fun of Jesus, it's about Brian, born in the manger next door.

I'll be watching that movie tonight.

I'm going to watch Smile 2.

I’m going to watch Christmas in Connecticut as soon as the shitty bells of st. Mary is over

Hannah and Her Sisters is on YouTube now (free).

Manhattan Murder Mystery, too. I haven't seen it, yet.

Both Janice Soprano and Agent Frank Cubitoso from the Sopranos popped up in Manhattan Murder Mystery.

R559 - I watched Christmas in Connecticut, too, tonight. Hadn't seen it in decades - thought it was enjoyable enough, if not as amazing as I remembered it.

[quote] And the Shriners adowable blanket commercial with Alec.

How old is Alec now? 22?

I had Italian Wedding Soup for breakfast.

I lit my Yankee candle

I’m drinking stok iced coffee with 6 pumps of egg nog sugar free syrup, 1 scoop of whey protein isolate - vanilla made with almond milk and 1 scoop of creatine powder.

R566 yay! What scent? I have 2 large Yankee jars in my kitchen - Magical Bright Lights and Christmas Cookie

I hope they are not paraffin wax.

Ugh. I should have taken today off.

I can't believe the Eagles lost in the final six seconds.

I don't care who wins or loses a sportsball game, I just watch them to look at the butts.

Click ignore and watch the hate-troll posts throughout the DL disappear.

It's like that first dose of chemo.

It pains me that i have lived these many years and still do not know what Billy Joe Mcallister threw off the Tallahassee Bridge.

My internet is slow.

It's a jungle out there today, good luck if you're going food shopping.

R576 Target is open ‘til midnite tonight. I’ll start shopping around 10 this evening.

R570 Today’s one of the few days I wish I hadn’t retired. The people I used to work with have this week and next off, paid in full. Return to work is January 5th. And two-thirds of them are working from home.

Most heart attacks occur on Monday mornings between 4:00 am. - 10:00 a.m.

Bobbie Gentry deliberately left the significance of the items thrown off the Tallahatchie Bridge open to interpretation, emphasizing the theme of indifference to Billie Joe's suicide rather than the objects themselves. As Gentry explained, "I left it open so the listener could draw his own conclusion.“

Bobbie’s 82, r574. If you’re going to ask, you best make it snappy.

After years of living in a small town away from my family and having the holidays all alone, I've finally moved next to my brothers and am having Christmas Eve at one's house and Christmas Day at the other's.

Just read an IMDb user review of the miniseries Merlin from the same year it came out (1998) and it was both strange and comforting, reaching into another time like that. I also chuckled because the reviewer said the director "even coaxed a great performance out of Martin Short!" Like a little bitch slap across millennia. Had no idea he was Frik, that character terrified me so much as a child.

I am pretty sure my dog thinks I am responsible for the cold weather. He is not happy about it.

I made some tomato soup and I don’t care for it. I don’t hate it. Is it wrong to throw it away?

[Quote] I’m drinking stok iced coffee with 6 pumps of egg nog sugar free syrup, 1 scoop of whey protein isolate - vanilla made with almond milk and 1 scoop of creatine powder.

I’m sorry but that sounds very overwhelming to me R567. Where’s my weighted blanket?!

R584, life's too short to eat shit you don't like. Toss it.

I bought some raisin scones from Uncle Giuseppe's. They weren't cheap bu they tast like shit. I ate one yesterday and tossed the others. They may not have been authentic but I loved the ones I used to buy from Pathmark.

You aren't R583? Because I've been blaming you too.

The Ode to Billie Joe book revealed that the item thrown off the bridge was a doll.

I always thought it was a real baby (that they threw off the bridge).

Yeah, all those pumps of sugar-free egg nog flavored syrup - doesn’t sound great.

I haven't seen any Chickadees at my bird feeders for three days, the length of this brutal cold snap. I hope they didn't freeze to death. Hopefully, they huddled together among the hemlocks.

My local Safeway hasn't had eggnog all season - I'm bummed, because there aren't any other stores nearby.

Get to work, R591!

1 part booze to 3 parts eggnog

I purged my "Watched" threads.

I untagged the threads that did not spark joy.

Why am I drinking coffee at 7:30 PM? Because I'm an idiot, that why.

I’m marinating two sirloins for tommorrow. Using The Best Marinade In Existence.

I had my first pod of Starbucks Breakfast Blend this AM. I felt so close to puking after.

Here's the I Want to Be Underwhelmed continuation thread:

I watched Smile 2. It was okay. I liked the first one better.

I ordered something off Temu, and because of the free spins/discounts/coupons, I now have 6 more products being delivered.

They sure know how to suck you in.

I just need to post one more time to close this thread. Merry Christmas!🎄 🎅