It’s been windy for the last couple of days, and this lovely tomato fell off the vine. Which is a pity since it looked like it had a lot of potential.
I’m about to take my mutts for a walk on the beach. What are y’all up to today?
Reader Interactions
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Baud
The story of my life. I am the green tomato.
Raven
Cold and wet at the bakery but I’ll head over to the farmers market and see what’s up. They get killed on these days.
WaterGirl
At the amtrak station, waiting for my train. I will apologize in advance for likely double posting later this morning; once I am on the train I’ll be on the iPad, where double posts happen all too often.
Baud and Raven – two of my favorite people first thing in the morning. Finally someone to say hello to! I am not accustomed to getting up at 4:30 in the morning like raven.
JPL
Last year I planted a green zebra tomato plant and it was wonderful. It looked similar to yours but was fully ripe. It wasn’t as acidic as regular tomatoes. I found the plant at Whole Foods but they haven’t had them so far this year. Since I plan on doing some shopping there this morning, I’ll check again.
MomSense
I heard some crazy grunting and clattering sounds this morning early and ran into the kitchen to find the pig lab with a Chinese take-out box on his snout and the recycling all over the floor.
Drinking some coffee before I go to the farmers’ market. Today will be spent cooking and baking for tomorrow.
JPL
@WaterGirl: You know who rides trains, don’t you. Recently at a debate between two candidates running for state office, one accused the other of have a MARTA ticket. Only in Georgia can that happen, mainly because most of the southern states don’t have a transit system.
MomSense
@WaterGirl:
Happy travels today!
satby
Betty, put it in a brown paper bag and if you have a banana around, put that in with it. It might still ripen up, not quite as good as vine-ripened, but close. Or there’s always fried green tomatoes!
Baud
@WaterGirl:
Hello, WG! Where are you traveling to today?
BillinGlendaleCA
@JPL:
Crazy Joe Biden?
WaterGurl
@MomSense: planned to write back before I left, but you know how it is trying to get ready for a trip, even a shit one. Next week, for sure!
OzarkHillbilly
Compost, 4 more yards of compost. A new starter for the tractor (actually, it’s a “lawn tractor” but if I say that, it just sounds like a glorified lawn mower where as “tractor” sounds like a working piece of respectable farm equipment)(Hmmmm, I could say “John Deere” which has the advantages of being both accurate and farmerish…) So I have to also get a new starter for the John Deere in Union. While I’m up there I think I will check in on my Jeffco buddy and see how their new place is coming along: 47 acres, 1860s log cabin, same vintage timber framed barn… They will never be finished.
Got my asparagus roots this week, so I also have to convert the strawberry bed and build a new bed for them. Hopefully I can get that all done today.
Baud
@JPL:
Please tell me he or she was accused of being a “card carrying member of the M-A-R-T-A.”
satby
We have frost this morning, but today will be in the low 60s, and no frost predicted for at least a week, and the plants I ordered were delivered a day ago. Sedum, roses, peonies, and a couple of onion sets all need to get planted today. Looks like several of my roses bit the dust over the winter, but I had one survivor. Planning a new flower bed in the backyard and wondering why the hell I went for the “2 for the price of 1” on the peonies because I don’t know exactly where to put them.
WaterGurl
@JPL: Me and joe Biden! All the best people ride Amtrak.
@Baud: On the City of New Orleans, headed to Chicago. I always hear the song in my head when I take this train.
OzarkHillbilly
@BillinGlendaleCA: Sheldon.
NotMax
@Baud
A MARTA steward?
(ouch)
Ultraviolet Thunder
Here’s a thing that, uh, *cough* a friend of mine invented and wrote up for a magazine. He used to hang around here.
Vinyl Digitizer Phono Preamp
p.a.
@WaterGirl: whenever possible in the NE corridor I take Amtrak or the T. I’m old enough to remember a huge difference between train and plane travel; people talked to each other on trains. With WiFi and all the portable entertainment available now that has, sadly, changed.
Baud
@NotMax:
No public transportation for you!
satby
Oh, and for stargazers, the Lyrid meteor showers are happening until the 25th. I saw the best shooting star in my life last night, so take a look! The peak is supposed to be the nights around and on 4/22.
OzarkHillbilly
@NotMax: Oooooffff. First time I read it too literally. The 2nd time… You ought to be shot and pissed on for that one.
WaterGirl
I am in double moderation from posting from my phone at the train station.
Let’s see if I fare any better from my iPad on the train.
WaterGirl
Double post as predicted. Will make use of it and say there were replies to mom sense, baud and JPL in moderation.
Edit: when my mom said “al things in moderation, and moderation in all things”, I had no idea she was talking about ballon juice posts. Clearly a woman ahead of her time.
Mustang Bobby
Woke up to pounding thunderstorms and a tornado watch in Miami-Dade County; now it’s settled down to drizzle and drips.
Typical Saturday morning here… crossword, coffee and toast with the folks on MSNBC nattering in the background.
ETA: The NY Times had a nice nostalgia piece on the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, and I’m reminiscing about my first trip to the Big Apple to see it when I was eleven. Did the whole thing and even took in my first Broadway show.
Botsplainer
Going to overshare a bit here, but for women and men “of a certain age”, what I’m going to say may be marriage-saving.
To start, I had, in the words of my beloved instructors in basic training, become a disgusting fatbody. Zero energy, falling asleep in my chair at night, more interested in a meal than sex (which had become major “meh” and a bit more on that in a bit). Lovely wife went from puzzled to hurt to angry to resentful to scornful, which didn’t help, but was understandable.
We were staring into the abyss of a really stupid breakup at 25 years for no real crimes against the marriage (it wasn’t that I wasn’t interested in her – I wasn’t interested in anybody), so I grabbed an opportunity. Turned out that my hormones were abysmally out of whack, my testosterone levels in the gutter – in fact, I was the lowest any of the have ever seen. The place where I went put me on a regime of hormone therapy and a month of an extremely low cal diet – 500 per day as the target. Following that I took another blood screen. Hormones mostly right, testosterone still a little low, so they started bioidentical replacement while I settled into a routine of nearly daily workouts on a cycle of cardio, weights and swimming, with at least 2 days a week including morning and evening sessions. Some days I’m at the gym an hour and a half, on the double sessions, I’m there for about four hours. Plus, my weekly, normal routine has my caloric intake running from 1500-2000, no bread, no alcohol, no dessert. I have whatever I want for special events or socializing, but do a double the day after.
Results are good. I’ve gone from a sloppy 295 to a muscular 250 since the beginning of the year, and seem to be dropping about 2 lbs per week, sometimes a bit more. Shirts have gone from 2X to XL (for the most part), and I’ve lost two sizes on trousers, from a tight 44 to a loose 40 (and there is a light years’ worth of difference in the look when moving from 44s to 40s, trust me). Now that I have a neck again, my shirts feel and look better, I’ve taken to wearing bow ties and instead of being invisible (Mr Cellophane), people seem to be interested in engaging me in conversation once more.
In short, I feel great.
Now, for the oversharing, and if you don’t like reading about the tingly bits, skip this part.
My current testosterone load is probably roughly equivalent to that of a 25 year old. Because of that, libido is way up – meaning that I think about and want sex. V!agra and C!al!s will help with the mechanics, but they tend to be one shot deals, and they don’t really help with the desire part. The hormone does, allows for recovery and multiple sessions. The other thing it does is make it better for the man – more pleasurable in the intensity of the physical reaction, which has a great psychological value and boost to better long term sexual health by reminding men in middle to late middle age that sex can be intense and fun, not a race to the end so you can have a sandwich and a beer.
Anyway, I’ve totally debased myself, but I hope that somebody who is staring at a problem may see it and make a life saving change. Plus, if any front pager feels like putting it up, feel free. It’s important in a real way.
sparrow
You have TOMATOES already??
Here in Baltimore, I’m keeping my plants in a sunny window… any hopes of setting them out were dashed when we got actual freaking SNOW two nights ago… it’ll be a few weeks yet, and longer still for any tomatoes.
But, I am delighted with the seeds I bought — if the strength of the seedlings are any indication. I got “Thessaloniki” this year – a thicker-skinned variety from Greece that can cope with low water (aka my erratic watering habits), and is supposed to have amazing flavor… can’t wait. Love tomatoes in the summer!
chopper
Fry that fucker! The tomato, not botsplainer.
WaterGirl
@p.a.: I’m not so sure it has changed that much, especially if you take a long distance train. People still talk, offer to share their snacks, etc. I find it very affirming.
WaterGirl
@p.a.: I’m not so sure it has changed that much, especially if you take a long distance train. People still talk, offer to share their snacks, etc. I find it very affirming.
sparrow
@Botsplainer: Thanks for sharing, really. I’m neither male nor middle-aged, but I have one such in my life so this is something to keep in mind! :) Public Service accomplished.
satby
@Botsplainer: congrats botsplainer, on the healthy & happy change in your life and on the courage to share.
HinTN
Wildflower walking followed by smoked salmon and such on the deck with friends, followed by dominoes until we all glaze over. May the easter bunny be good to you’ns out there in BJ Land.
Baud
@Botsplainer:
I can tell it’s working. I want to have sex with you through the tubes right now. ;-)
Glad to hear things are going well. I myself am struggling with the excess poundage right now.
Svensker
@satby:
Ditto. Wrap that sucker in newspaper or paper bag. It should ripen up fine and will taste at least as good as a supermarket tomato.
Also, how the hell can you have a tomato? We’re just getting the first feeble crocuses. Well, you’ll pay in the summer, so there’s that.
Botsplainer
Adding one more thing – products V and C are expensive, but don’t enhance libido. With the hormone replacement, I don’t need them at all.
Phylllis
We had plans to head to Brookgreen Gardens near Pawley’s Island to wrap up Spring break, but 80-90% rain & temps around 62 put the kibosh on that. Were able to reschedule for two weeks from now, so there’s that to look forward to. Today will be a quiet one at home working on the book stack & noodling around on the Internets.
Elmo
@Botsplainer:
That had to be hard to relate, and I do think it was valuable insight. Well done you!
Botsplainer
@satby:
As a society, we do a shit job of discussing sexual health. It wasn’t until I could be honest with someone that it became fixable, and felt that opening that discussion could help folks.
OzarkHillbilly
@satby: Best meteor I ever saw was a Perseid at 3AM in the high desert. Left a trail across half the damned sky that lasted a good 5 seconds at least.
TOP123
@Botsplainer: that took guts to share, even online. Good for you–both for doing so for the benefit of others, and for the changes you’ve already made in your life; may it only get better. You’re a real mensch.
Glidwrith
@OzarkHillbilly: Asparagus roots? Is that how asparagus is grown?
TOP123
@JPL: ugh. Whenever it happens that I think of MARTA and that totally HI-larious joke about the name, that is a time when I do not miss Georgia. Which then makes me sad, as I have lots of love for the place.
Iowa Old Lady
@Botsplainer: Thank you for passing along some useful information.
Glidwrith
@Botsplainer: Is the hormone therapy a cream or pill? I’ve seen advertisements for the lotion and regard it as downright dangerous if there are kids in the house.
Ferdzy
Holy cow! on that tomato – our seeds just got planted 2 days ago.
*smiles* to Botsplainer and his new life.
Gex
@Botsplainer: Very happy for you. It is nice to see people finding ways to make themselves feel better and enjoy life more. Congrats to you.
I myself have gained 15 lbs since Kate died. I really want to start working on that, but on the other hand I’m going to take it easy on myself because this year has been harder than last year.
And I was totally right about that work brouhaha bugging me all weekend. I had trouble falling asleep last night. Fell asleep at 2 am. And I woke up early this morning, at 6:30 am. Crap. I think I need to email my boss today to try to address this issue instead of wait until Monday. It’s only fair, she waited until 3 PM Friday to bring it up.
Schlemizel
@Botsplainer:
I saw my MD to discuss hormone replacement & he flatly refused to even discuss it. A long story that has nothing to do with that but I am going to a new doc next month and that will again be a topic. I expected some drop in desire as I aged but not near zero.
Someone above mentioned how we do not discuss sexual health in our society and boy howdy is that true. We went through a couple of really rough years while Mrs went through menopause. Not just a decline but active hostility to the idea of sex. I seriously envisioned a future of separate rooms at the very least. Then after she passed though the worst of it we stated having the best sex every. Now its my turn to struggle. Nobody told us any of this.
JCT
congrats on your perseverance and success, Botsplainer – nothing beats a good outcome (or “happy ending”).
We’re planting our first garden since we moved to Tucson – house we bought came with a walled in dog run. We were horrified at first – what idiot would build an unshaded dog run in Southern AZ, but as a garden it will be great.
GregB
*Raven never sleeps!
*Congrats on getting the body in order Bot.
*I plan on doing a transfer station run and a trip to the community garden to cut some wood for new beds.
*This post is a distraction from BENGHAZI.
MomSense
@Botsplainer:
Congratulations to you for the all the positive life changes you are making!
@Gex:
I’m sorry you have a work brouhaha to deal with. I hope you can sort it out without causing yourself too much stress.
Botsplainer
@Glidwrith:
Weekly injections, along with a pill to block conversion to estrogen
shelly
Nothing more strenuous than whipping up a batch of hot cross buns
mai naem
@Botsplainer: I’m glad stuff is going well for you. I have to admit when I see all the national ads for testesterone therapy on teevee and then the local ads for weight loss and testesterone therapy, i thought it was another fad/scam – your little anecdote has changed my opinion.
I kind of think the celiac thing is overdone too. Terri Gross had an infectious disease doctor on Monday and they talked about the overuse of antibiotics in the US and the human biome. Really interesting interview. There’s a possibility that celiac disease might be related to the change in the human biome and the overuse of antibiotics. Also, obesity and antibiotics.
J R in WV
Meteors! Back in 1969, the summer Mrs J R and I met we were driving to my folks house about 1 am, after work.
The world lit up like brighter than daylight! I jammed on the brakes, and we both leaned out the window of the Comet and looked up at the sky. At first I thought it was the beginning of the end of the world – nuclear holocaust!
There was a white streak so bright it hurt to look at from horizon to horizon… from SW to NE, like the universe’s largest neon tube. It faded from view slowly. Things returned to the normal black as pitch summer midnight.
It was seen from western North Carolina to upstate NY!
If it had been just a little closer to the ground, history could have changed. If the east coast went dark at 1 am, SAC and the rest of the Mutually Assured Destruction triad could have launched within the next 10 minutes, and it still could have been nuclear war.
As it was, it skipped through the stratosphere at a million miles an hour and kept right on going… but what a sight!
I’ve always been a night walker, and as a result of living in the real dark of rural spaces, I’ve seen lots of amazing things late at night. Bolides, comets night after night, streaking meteors, exploding meteors, things that could have been anything, anything at all!
Best UFO story I know of was told to me by an elderly cattle farmer as we walked down from the ridge where his Brown Swiss cattle browsed. He wanted to get down to the house before it got full dark. Not like the average old cattleman.
But he wasn’t a bit reluctant to tell us why he wasn’t going to be out late at night if he could avoid it. You would be like that too!
satby
@OzarkHillbilly: OK, Jealous!! Until I moved to a very rural area from Chicago, I hadn’t seen a comet ever. Too much light pollution, even as far as 30 miles away in any direction. Now on a moonless night I have great stargazing, and it almost makes up for some of the red county in a blue state idiocy.
Ferdzy
@J R in WV:
Yeah…? And…?
Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader
Fry it up in cornmeal and eat it!
Ash Can
Pickle that sucker! With plenty of garlic!
kindness
Fried green tomatoes Betty?