As a comment on my earlier post, Reader N sent this sign from a butcher’s shop (“Labor Day Hours / On Monday September 1st, we will close at 2 PM. Don’t complain because you all get a three-day weekend”) Yet another open thread.
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Morley Bolero
Union.
NotMax
Boo-freaking-hoo. The shop owner made a deliberate decision to not him/herself partake of an extended weekend.
But then, a butcher shop is where ones goes for tripe.
PaulW
to be fair I had to work Saturday, but that’s because the place I work tends to be open on Saturdays and I was covering for a co-worker who needed a vacation. So it’s all good.
Belafon
I’m not too fond of Raising Canes, but they were closed today. I didn’t realize they would be until we tried to get something.
trollhattan
@Belafon:
Made me look. As a business model, this blew my mind into the weeds: The restaurant offers chicken fingers as its only main course.
trollhattan
Just posted on the local paper’s site.
Keep it up, folks, just might work.
raven
@trollhattan: Got one right here in Athens. Students eat any goddamn thing that doesn’t eat them first! Just like my Cocker!
raven
@efgoldman: Candy Apple Green!
gf120581
No chance in hell I was working today. I spent today sitting outside on my porch with a good book (or six) and a cold beer (or six). Exactly the way Labor Day should be spent.
SiubhanDuinne
@NotMax:
Really? I just come here.
raven
@NotMax:
I can’t dig potato chips
And I can’t dig torts
Tripe my guacamole baby
Gotta tripe my shorts
It’s a hype case boogie
Boogie my sneakers away
Nicole
@NotMax: I sent in the pic; it’s actually a great shop (all the meat and dairy comes from local farms where the animals are humanely raised) and I think he was just attempting to humorously stave off indignant complaints from customers who couldn’t be bothered to get their Labor Day BBQ supplies in advance.
tybee
@raven:
hey. on sunday we were out on the sound behind wassaw island seeking scaled critters.
2nd cast, something picked up my bait and ran straight for the grass. managed to stop it just short and then it headed for the channel. and then back to the grass.
and then around the boat we went. and around.
and then i saw the triangle fin.
5 foot of bonnet head on 10lb test is a hoot but it wasn’t what we sought.
after about another 30 minutes of no fish, a new-ish 24foot flats boat pulled up within short casting distance, put down their fancy hydraulic pole anchor and proceeded to fan the water all around. repeatedly.
a couple of times i flipped a bait over near them just to remind them they were a bit close. i could have easily put it in their boat but refrained.
after 30 minutes or so of watching them catch nothing, they moved to the other side of me, within casting distance.
and proceeded to beat the water to a froth.
they, too, caught nothing at all.
we decided to leave as there was an entire sound with plenty of other places and as we idled by, mrs tybee yelled, “OK, you can have it now”.
got some wide eyed stares like they was ignorant about what they did.
a mile or so down the channel, as we idled down behind the island, we saw some birds diving and the water turned to froth.
i told swmbo to tie on a jig or something and i headed over but before we got there the action had ceased.
foolishly, i told her to put back the big bucktail she found back in the box as i figured that was a one time thing.
as we got down wind from the place where the water had been churned up, you could smell the chopped up bait.
5 minutes later, same thing happened but much closer so i again asked her to put on the bucktail again and as she frantically tied, the school sounded again.
then suddenly we were in the center of the massacre.
a school of jack’s (big one’s too, 3 foot or longer) were slamming the terrified pogies. some of the pogies headed for the boat’s shadow and we had a national geographic moment as the jacks tore them up right next to the mako. some of the jacks were clearing the water as they attacked.
for a moment we thought we might end up with a live jack on the deck. that would have been amusing.
just as she got the buck tail tied on, the school disappeared.
we wandered around for a bit watching to see if the school would reappear but after quarter of an hour without seeing any more action we turned to head to our original destination.
since we only had light tackle on board, that probably saved me a bucktail and a couple of hundred yards of 10lb line.
on the way, spying something kinda brownish just under the water, we eased over and right as i got up next to it we saw it was a big (4′ across) ray, probably a cow nosed ray. it kind of vibrated its wings and simply disappeared into the distance.
those things are fast when they need to be.
and just a couple of minutes later, a few hundred yards in front of us, a big ray jumped 6 or so feet into the air. and then another jumped. glad i wasn’t under that. if we’d been running on plane we might have been much closer to that than would have been comfortable.
way cool day on the water but no fish in the cooler to show for it. unless you count the little ladyfish that swmbo caught and i kept to put in the “jar of dead fish” that i send the key west ichthyologist every year or so.
next weekend i’ll be in the same neighborhood with heavier tackle.
Anoniminous
Celebrated Labor Day by laboring.
But it was my choice, doing things I wanted to get done.
Re: butcher shop. In some neighborhoods people buy their meats one day at a time. So if the butcher shop wasn’t open people would have to go veggie for dinner. I do not know that is the case but without further information I’d be slow to criticize.
raven
@tybee: Wowzer! What kind of jacks? Where do you put in?
tybee
@raven:
crevalle most likely.
i keep a small boat on turner’s creek.
raven
@tybee: Aw cool, they look almost like Pompano! I have to go to a gig at Armstrong week after next, I don’t know if I’ll get to wet a line or not.
Mnemosyne
I spent Labor Day doing four loads of laundry. But it was my own fault — I could have done it on Saturday or Sunday, but was too lazy.
Belafon
@trollhattan: And they offer two sauces: Ketchup and their own special sauce. In Texas, that’s kind of tough to swallow (pun intended).
What’s funny about the one here is the building right next to it is an In-n-Out burger, which only serves burgers.
schrodinger's cat
Catpitalist Kitteh says no holiday for you!
raven
@Belafon: And t-shirts.
schrodinger's cat
@SiubhanDuinne: We serve fresh bile too.
tybee
@raven:
they may look like pompano but they don’t taste like pompano.
what days will you be at armstrong? i assume you’ll be staying somewhere on the south side near there?
raven
@tybee: I’ve got a room in the Holiday Inn downtown since work is paying and the one near AA is under renovation. I’m coming down Tuesday evening, all day session on Vets at AA and then come back Wednesday. My buddy is the director of the civic center so I’ll try to catch up with him for a cup but otherwise zip.
markann at the google mail thang
this is the 8th-10th
schrodinger's cat
@efgoldman: Please not to be eating the kittens, kittens are our friends not food.
Kay
My son got married Sat. in their apartment in Chicago so I didn’t do anything all day because it was fun and it’s a good idea, they’re a good match, but also a completely exhausting three days.
It went well, they did a good job planning, except his (now) wife’s sister composed a song for them and sang it to them at the reception. I had so much trouble keeping my face neutral because he can’t handle things like that and watching him in that situation makes me laugh. He said he has “limited emotional range” which is actually a really good description of why he can’t deal with people singing to him. He’s just not a serenade sort of person, no matter how well intended.
I love how people plan so carefully and then guests just insist on being themselves at weddings, no matter how much you try to control events :)
raven
@tybee: This is the cownose I caught in the surf. He hit a shrimp on a #2 brass hook and it caught his wing. I have no idea how I got him in without that hook bending straight.
raven
@Kay: nice
tybee
@raven:
i’ll be in touch….
raven
@tybee: Thanks
Tommy
@Belafon: In-n-Out Burger. There was a day where I lived a block from the original Five Guys. They shared a place with a dry cleaners. No seating. Now a national chain. Like to put put in and Five Guys against In-n-Out.
Kay
@raven:
He was really happy. He’s just not demonstrative. That was like “wildy happy” for him. He really owes his sister, which he probably doesn’t know because she was in the bridesmaid group and we didn’t see him for long stretches there. She was the keeper of The Agenda, the poor thing. He missed the whole Tablecloth Crisis and also the Flower Crisis. Herding cats, she can do. The second the ceremony ended she had her shoes off and was calmly sipping a beer. “Done!” She’s been a bridesmaid a time or two or twenty. She’s a pro.
Belafon
@Tommy: We have one of those here too.
If you love restaurants, I recommend Rockwall, TX.
Mnemosyne
@Belafon:
If you ask nicely, they’ll make you a grilled cheese sandwich, too.
Gin & Tonic
@Kay: “Limited emotional range.” I like that. I have to remember it, uh, for a friend.
Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason
@Tommy: In’n’Out beats Five Guys hands down. The burgers are close, but Five Guys’ French fries don’t match In’n’Out’s.
Belafon
@efgoldman: One of the surprising things is that I haven’t seen that happen here in Rockwall. While they love their guns here, Rockwall is first about money.
PeakVT
I celebrated America’s holiday dedicated to labor the American way: 8 hours of work at standard (non-overtime) wage.
At least it wasn’t working retail. Those folk never get a holiday. I will on Thanksgiving, and the day after.
Steeplejack (phone)
@Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason:
In-n-Out vs. Fatburger? Trying to make that exact decision right now.
srv
These superfluous holidays cost us billions of dollars we just don’t have anymore. People need to work.
Or you can go the way of the Greeks, blame the Germans and have bro-nazis in Congress
NotMax
@Steeplejack
Fatburger opened up down the street from the abode.
Tried it once. Ended up tossing the thing into the trash after the second bite confirmed how vile it was.
Plus, if they could get away with an additional charge for any air you inhale while waiting, they would.
SiubhanDuinne
@efgoldman:
I am on the road. In, as Charlie Pierce says, the newly insane state of North Carolina tonight. Six hours in the car tomorrow and I’ll make it to Alexandria with time to spare.
SiubhanDuinne
@Kay:
Congratulations to your son and best wishes to his bride.*
*(I have a vague, far-off, long-ago memory from Emily Post or Amy Vanderbilt or some such that one congratulates only the groom. I think the rationale was that congratulating the bride implied that she pulled off a fast one in hooking the hapless male, so you simply wish her happiness and hope that suffices.)
Elmo
Just got stung by a wasp the size of my little finger. On my FACE.
That pain scale they show you in doctor offices? It doesn’t go high enough. Christ.
SiubhanDuinne
@efgoldman:
I believe you.
Nicole
As for me, I worked also (freelance! Yay! It’s okay, though; I took breaks with the hubby and kiddo to go do stuff) and gnashed my teeth because it’s September 1st, which means I am coming up on nine months of waiting to get paid for a gig I did in January. Oh, the rage I feel at my erstwhile employer. He has been late on payment before, but this is a new record, even for him. I am not sure what to do next to get what I’m owed.
Kay
@SiubhanDuinne:
I learned the same thing, but I always forget what to say to the bride, so I end up saying “congratulations” anyway. She’s great and he’s lucky. He’s come a long way, even with his limited emotional range. His first girlfriend had to write him an actual list for prom. “Get suit, borrow car, buy corsage.” He told me the day before the wedding “I’m in problem solving mode – it’s fine” and I thought, oh, YOU are a real treat in the romance area! :)
Origuy
@SiubhanDuinne: I don’t know if you were around for the end of last night’s thread, when I posted this link. It’s the video of my Scottish Country Dance team on Saturday.
StringOnAStick
@raven: What did you do with the cownose ray? Eat it or let it go? I don’t live near any sea coast so these critters are out of my range of experience. I didn’t even know such a ray existed until I saw your photo.
Belafon
@Elmo: That’s a
badsucky place to get stung. I am not a doctor, but I would almost argue that getting stung on the face would be grounds for seeing a doctor, or at least calling someone who might play one on TV.Edit: Bad was a bit strong, since, as I pointed out, I am not a doctor.
Elmo
@Belafon:
I’ve taken antihistamines, anti-inflammatories, and pain meds, held ice and a salt compress to my face for a half hour, and it still feels like my cheekbone is broken.
But there really isn’t much more that an MD could do for me.
Jewish Steel
@Kay: I’d characterize myself as having a wide dynamic emotional range. But I would not like to be ceremonially serenaded. Not one bit.
srv
We’re going to need more Veterans Holidays
Violet
Spent the day doing chores. Laundry, cleaning, supermarket–yes, they were open. The household has been passing around a stomach virus so no one wanted anything heavy or challenging to the intestinal system. White rice and plain white fish (tilapia) were what seemed like a good step forward from banana and yogurt. So that’s what we had. Did some gardening once it cooled down in the evening. There is so much gardening to do. Between all the caregiving for my parents and the summer heat, I’ve done very little all summer.
Mnemosyne
@SiubhanDuinne:
IIRC, Miss Manners’s answer for the difference was, “Because of inequities in the marriage laws.”
Jewish Steel
@efgoldman: you’re right. I likely have guitar teacher PTSD.
Belafon
OT: A sovereign citizens group around Austin has been using college students to find out where police and fire people live, according to an FBI report: http://littlegreenfootballs.com/page/311098_Domestic_Extremists_Suckered_Y. Here’s a direct link to the FBI report: http://www.scribd.com/doc/238243670/FBI-IdentifyingLawEnforcement.
SiubhanDuinne
@Kay:
Anniversaries and Valentine’s Days may prove interesting ;-)
SiubhanDuinne
@Origuy:
I did see it (in the wee hours, I think, so did not comment), thanks. Very cool. I could watch the dancing and listen to the music all day. Just love it.
SiubhanDuinne
@Mnemosyne:
Very advanced and enlightened of her!
BillinGlendaleCA
My internet connection decided to take part of the day off, I guess even it gets Labor Day off. It’s been a bit hinky since they attached another line to the gym across the street.
Suzanne
I did not work today. My new place has half-day Fridays, which is AMAZING.
My washing machine broke, with some wet laundry still in it. Sigh.
I was indeed a big, fat hypocrite today, and Mr. Suzanne and I bought a new microwave (aka “science oven”), because the local store was having a really good sale and our current one is literally original to the house, circa 1988, and doesn’t vent properly. That was the only shopping or eating out that we did today.
Other than that, we didn’t really do too much this weekend. It is still hotter than the eighth circle of the inferno, and we can’t wait for it to be better so we can do the zoo, botanical gardens, hiking, etc.
raven
@StringOnAStick: I put it back.