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And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Taking a Hike (Open Thread)

Taking a Hike (Open Thread)

by Betty Cracker|  April 11, 20157:20 am| 156 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

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We’re on the road early this morning on our way to another trail. I forgot my hat, sunblock and phone cord because SOMEONE was rushing me.

What are you up to this fine Saturday?

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Previous Post: « Last Night with Lovey
Next Post: Monumental (Open Thread) »

Reader Interactions

156Comments

  1. 1.

    HeartlandLiberal

    April 11, 2015 at 7:25 am

    Wife and I are meeting our son and a family he lives with for breakfast, so we can visit before our pending trip to Europe. The restaurant is my favorite for weekend breakfasts, they make Eggs Benedict that is superb. To which I always add a side of applewood smoked bacon. Take that, arteries.

  2. 2.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    April 11, 2015 at 7:31 am

    We’re taking the dogs to be shot this afternoon. I mean get their shots. I’m debating on whether to try to install Windows 10 on my tablet.

  3. 3.

    Baud

    April 11, 2015 at 7:35 am

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    Beta version? They haven’t realeased the final yet, right?

  4. 4.

    HinTN

    April 11, 2015 at 7:36 am

    Headed to the ATL to fly to LAS and drive to Zion NP for a huge visual change.

  5. 5.

    Baud

    April 11, 2015 at 7:37 am

    @HinTN:

    I’ve always wanted to go to Zion.

  6. 6.

    satby

    April 11, 2015 at 7:38 am

    Going thrift store shopping with an old friend. More for fun catch up on each other time than to actually buy stuff.

    Then making more soap. Because that’s how I spend every weekend. I’m still hoping Ruckus shows up in a thread because he hasn’t answered the message I sent him at my Etsy site. Hope he’s doing ok!

  7. 7.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    April 11, 2015 at 7:38 am

    @Baud: Still Technical Preview, the Beta should be out later this month. My tablet stores part of Windows in a separate compressed recovery partition(WIMBOOT is the technical term), so I can’t use the regular upgrade procedure. I’d have to do a clean install and I don’t think there’s a way back to Kansas.

  8. 8.

    Tommy

    April 11, 2015 at 7:39 am

    I am mowing my lawn and not much else. Not an eventful day.

  9. 9.

    satby

    April 11, 2015 at 7:40 am

    @Baud: was there (omigod) 40 years ago, hippie road trip to Zion and Bryce Canyon. Beautiful! Highly recommended.

  10. 10.

    Tommy

    April 11, 2015 at 7:43 am

    @HinTN: I am so jealous of that. I am a hiker/walker. Zion is one place I’ve never been. Please walk around for me a little there.

  11. 11.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    April 11, 2015 at 7:43 am

    @Tommy: That’s what my landlord is on occasion good for. The little one went out a few hours ago and started barking up a storm. Opened the door and saw two eyes staring at me. There was an Opossum on the brick wall in back of the cave.

  12. 12.

    Baud

    April 11, 2015 at 7:43 am

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    I’m happy they are doing free upgrades for 7 and 8 users. I might wait a few months before upgrading to let them work out the kinks.

  13. 13.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 11, 2015 at 7:45 am

    @Baud: It’s on my list too.

    Gonna take down a couple dead trees for firewood, plant my potatoes, get started on fencing in the chicken run, and if I have any time after all of that, I’ll think of something else that has to get done.

  14. 14.

    Cervantes

    April 11, 2015 at 7:50 am

    You appear to be serious about preparing for The Big Hike.

    That is great!

    hat, sunblock and phone cord

    One of these things is not like the others.

  15. 15.

    ThresherK

    April 11, 2015 at 7:51 am

    Hiking or walking myself, in my neighborhood.

    Trying to find out at what point I can call my ambling “hiking” v. merely walking. Is it about the effort of making an elevation gain, having to watch my placement on unsteady terrain/roots/rocks underfoot, or something more?

  16. 16.

    Tommy

    April 11, 2015 at 7:54 am

    @Cervantes: LOL. Each year I go off for two weeks to a National Park. I am a tech nerd but I don’t have a phone with me. I don’t need a phone :).

  17. 17.

    MattF

    April 11, 2015 at 7:57 am

    Will be a slow day, I expect. Filed my taxes yesterday, without a “You have already filed” disaster, so good on that. Second round of cataract surgery next Thursday, so ten minutes for lining up my pre-op medications. Take a long-ish walk. Go to the library. Maybe start reading “Station Eleven,” which has gotten very good reviews.

  18. 18.

    Hal

    April 11, 2015 at 7:58 am

    Amazing 3:50 short film called The Wanderers featuring humans exploring the solar system. Very awe inspiring for such a short feature.

    https://vimeo.com/108650530

  19. 19.

    PsiFighter37

    April 11, 2015 at 7:58 am

    Looks like a great day in NYC so far – clear skies and already in the mid-50s. About to head out and do some grocery shopping now (going in the morning is pretty much the only way of avoiding lines at Trader Joe’s here in Chelsea)…also planning on going for a run to test out how my knee is doing (again). Physical therapy has really helped me regain a lot of strength in my legs, particularly the quads, so hopefully I’m able to run my race in a couple weeks without any issues out in Big Sur.

    On the other hand, I’ve been reading a lot of stuff about how DSCC and other PA Dems are trying furiously to find an alternative to Joe Sestak. What the hell is their problem? Are they pissed he ran and knocked of Specter in 2010 (who would’ve gotten creamed by Toomey)? It’s all very frustrating, and the fact they can only find some former state legislator to run against him is indicative of how pathetically weak the bench in PA is – western PA is no longer a good ground for statewide candidates as it’s moved rightwards, Kathleen Kane completely imploded, and everyone else from the Philly area is a chickenshit. I’ve met Sestak before, and he comes off as an intensely thoughtful guy who would be a really good senator. The only person I would take over him would be Patrick Murphy, but I get the impression he’s done with electoral politics for now (at least based on his Facebook page – he is having tons of fun raising his two little kids).

  20. 20.

    SuperHrefna

    April 11, 2015 at 7:59 am

    I’ve got a ticket to see Sufjan Stevens tonight, so I’ll be going into Manhattan. Trying to think of a few other things to do there, maybe I’ll try Momofuku Milk Bar? I’ve heard good things about it,

    I’ve got surgery on Monday ( a lumpectomy of a large but hopefully benign lump) so I’m trying to keep myself from fretting over things that can’t be helped.

  21. 21.

    ThresherK

    April 11, 2015 at 8:00 am

    @Tommy: Back when they invented putting pigment in reclosable tubes, and that led to an explosion of outdoor painting, I wonder if people had that conversation the way we do about people busy documenting being someplace more than actually being there.

    (I can’t claim purity here: I am a new GPS app user, because I never lived within walking distance of a park before and never had a tablet before.)

  22. 22.

    geg6

    April 11, 2015 at 8:09 am

    @PsiFighter37:

    You are exactly right about PA politics.

    As for me, just preparing for the Cole and Lovey invasion. Koda knows something is up. She’s being crazier than usual this morning.

  23. 23.

    JPL

    April 11, 2015 at 8:12 am

    @SuperHrefna: Most are benign but waiting for the procedure sucks. Have fun tonight.

  24. 24.

    JPL

    April 11, 2015 at 8:13 am

    @geg6: Fun times.

  25. 25.

    debbie

    April 11, 2015 at 8:15 am

    @ThresherK:

    I, too, will be hiking my neighborhood. People around here are very yard-proud, and the spring flowers/flowering trees/bushes are all coming out now. I’ve been contemplating an art project of mapping out all the yards, but there’s so much stuff, it’s almost overwhelming.

    The amount of changes these past 5 days is absolutely amazing. Last week, I thought spring would never come. Today, I’m afraid I’ll miss it all.

  26. 26.

    the Conster

    April 11, 2015 at 8:17 am

    @SuperHrefna:

    Love Sufjian. I saw him in a small club in Portland, ME. What a huge talent. I’ve got tix to see Tower of Power this week and I’m psyched. Their new lead singer is local, so it should be a great show.

    It’s amazing what a couple of days above freezing with the strong April sun will do – the last tiny bit of snow is just about to disappear. It’s a tiny patch 1 foot by 1 inch, and three weeks ago there was a mound at the end of my driveway as high as the top of the trunk. Spring is springing here at last!!!

  27. 27.

    the Conster

    April 11, 2015 at 8:19 am

    @geg6:

    Good luck!! Hope you like manic energy!! Lovey is going to be such a love though. We’ll want pupdates plz.

  28. 28.

    geg6

    April 11, 2015 at 8:22 am

    @the Conster:

    Believe me, Koda has taught us all about manic energy. Pupdates will be forthcoming.

  29. 29.

    Cervantes

    April 11, 2015 at 8:24 am

    @PsiFighter37:

    I’ve met Sestak before, and he comes off as an intensely thoughtful guy who would be a really good senator

    I’d vote for him over any imaginable Republican.

    DSCC and other PA Dems are trying furiously to find an alternative to Joe Sestak.

    Yes, it’s embarrassing.

  30. 30.

    PsiFighter37

    April 11, 2015 at 8:27 am

    @Cervantes: If anything, the fact that someone like Allyson Schwartz (who was always seen as a ‘rising star’) got absolutely steamrolled by Tom Wolf in last year’s gubernatorial primary showed that the quality of the PA bench ain’t great.

  31. 31.

    ThresherK

    April 11, 2015 at 8:27 am

    @debbie: Sounds like you’re not far from us in CT.

    We’re getting a 25F gain in today’s high temp compared to Thursday. It may be even warmer than normal here this weekend, which is something I couldn’t say since Halloween.

  32. 32.

    Steve

    April 11, 2015 at 8:30 am

    My son plays college baseball. Doubleheader today starting at 1

  33. 33.

    gene108

    April 11, 2015 at 8:32 am

    I overslept for a group exercise class I was supposed to go to. I am going to wallow in self-pity bit longer about oversleeping.

    And then I’ll do some exercise on my own. Go grocery shopping. Cook. Do house cleaning.

    You know…living the dream…

  34. 34.

    Peale

    April 11, 2015 at 8:38 am

    im debating whether to be east village hipster or Williamsburg hipster today. But yeah, today is definitely hipster day today.

  35. 35.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 11, 2015 at 8:44 am

    Good read over at Think Progress: ‘It’s Racist As Hell’: Inside St. Louis County’s Predatory Night Courts.

    I have lived in Jennings and Bel Ridge and am well acquainted with the surrounding municipalities, so I can attest to the accuracy of the reporting. I have also “rode the circuit” too (back in the bad old days when I was poor and going thru an ugly divorce etc) and can say that the jails are worse than it is possible to describe. I was stuck in the U-City jail for about 12 hours once and when describing it to a friend a couple days later I realized I was shaking uncontrollably at just the thought of going back.

    I finally called a reporter at the Post Dispatch because nobody deserved to have to live in those conditions (one guy was there for stealing donuts). When I called back a couple days later she said that strangely enough everything was clean and good smelling and the heat wasn’t 110 degrees and the inmates seemed happy, clothed (they were wearing only underwear when I was in, because I am not kidding about the heat). Oh and well fed too. Of course, she only got in after an unexplained delay of about 8 hours.

    I comforted myself that at least there was an improvement, for at least a little while.

  36. 36.

    danielx

    April 11, 2015 at 8:48 am

    Going to be a beautiful weekend, all kinds of things I need to do like get up on the roof to blow all the silver maple crap out of the gutters…so clearly the only thing to do is take a road trip to the Hot Luck & Fiery Foods festival in Madison IN, which is one of the old river towns on the Ohio. Beautiful little town and major stock up on salsa, sauces, etc.

    Also too, the spring peepers residing at the wildlife refuge down the way are having a great time. Not my recording but they sound exactly like this. For me, anyway, one of those primal sounds from my childhood.

  37. 37.

    Dave

    April 11, 2015 at 8:48 am

    @PsiFighter37: What about Bill Peduto? He seems like a viable candidate down the road, to me at least. Or am I just making the error of comparing him to Ravenstahl?

  38. 38.

    Raven

    April 11, 2015 at 8:50 am

    Take a gander at the Masters to see some azelas!

  39. 39.

    NotMax

    April 11, 2015 at 8:54 am

    @Peale

    You try the impossible and become the first ever Staten Island hipster.

    :)

  40. 40.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 11, 2015 at 8:57 am

    @Hal:

    That was very cool. Thanks for the link.

  41. 41.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 11, 2015 at 9:00 am

    @geg6:

    So excited for all of you! Lovey is adorable.

  42. 42.

    SuperHrefna

    April 11, 2015 at 9:00 am

    @JPL: Thanks, I will! It’s my first time seeing Sufjan live, and it’s in the beautiful Beacon Theatre so I think it will be a real treat.

  43. 43.

    Scout211

    April 11, 2015 at 9:00 am

    @Baud:

    We camped there last September. We were very impressed with the shuttle bus system in the park now. Most of the park is not accessible by car anymore.

    The park is gorgeous.

  44. 44.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    April 11, 2015 at 9:01 am

    @Raven: Don’t have to. I have some brilliant shrubberies right off my front porch.

  45. 45.

    WereBear

    April 11, 2015 at 9:07 am

    @HeartlandLiberal: Actually, it’s turning out to be the English muffin that’s the heart problem there. Get a double bacon and enjoy!

    I am torn by Betty’s announcement. On the one hand, I fear for her epidermis, out in Florida without hat or sunscreen. Those hair part sunburns are the worst!

    On the other hand, I am usually the one, ready and rarin’ to go, at the door yelling “Would you come on already!”

  46. 46.

    debbie

    April 11, 2015 at 9:09 am

    @Raven:

    The azaleas are the best part of the tournament. Who needs golf?

  47. 47.

    WereBear

    April 11, 2015 at 9:11 am

    @geg6: I’m so excited for you and Koda!

    Dogs are very good at body language. You think you are just standing around, but your body is beaming “PUPPY!”

  48. 48.

    raven

    April 11, 2015 at 9:22 am

    Front yard
    Back yard

  49. 49.

    Zippity

    April 11, 2015 at 9:22 am

    Ready for a sunny day without gale force winds. Dealing with the few leaves left from the fall, then going to go ride my horse. Yesterday it was so windy that a large Bouncy House, set up behind a building, was picked up and moved into one lane of a four lane street as I was driving by. Thankfully, no one hit it. It was empty, just set up at the business that rents them.

  50. 50.

    germy shoemangler

    April 11, 2015 at 9:29 am

    What do you all think of this prediction?

    GOP: Bush for president with Walker as VP,

    Dems: Hillary for president with Castro as VP.

  51. 51.

    Glidwrith

    April 11, 2015 at 9:32 am

    Got an unexpected bonus at work – not huge, but enough for me to get a front loading clothes washer to replace my 20 yr old top loader. Looking forward to the water and energy savings, since the farmers up North can’t be arsed to do so.

  52. 52.

    gelfling545

    April 11, 2015 at 9:34 am

    Took Flora for her longest walk yet – 4 blocks. Then it started to rain & she hates to get her feet wet so back home quick! She spotted a pit bull & was sure she could take him on (she’s about10 in tall & 9 lbs.) so quick became really quick. I just watched the video of Lovey & Thurston & she is running around the house looking for the puppies. She’s sure they’re in here somewhere. The chilly rain & standing water has put off yard work I planned for today. Best wishes for Lovey & her new human.

  53. 53.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 11, 2015 at 9:36 am

    Lotta baking today, prepping for Easter tomorrow.

  54. 54.

    SuperHrefna

    April 11, 2015 at 9:40 am

    @Gin & Tonic: Are you Orthodox? Hope you have a lovely holiday! It must be nice getting all the Easter goodies ( that you don’t bake yourself, yum, I wish I were in your kitchen) at a discount :-)

  55. 55.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 11, 2015 at 9:44 am

    @SuperHrefna: Easter candy 50% off, indeed. But I’ve always hated Peeps and that crap.

    There’s an old recipe, possibly from great-grandmother, for a type of sweet bread. Calls for 30 egg yolks.

  56. 56.

    satby

    April 11, 2015 at 9:44 am

    @SuperHrefna: wishing the best for you!

  57. 57.

    Debbie(aussie)

    April 11, 2015 at 9:48 am

    I have to get some sleep. Am off for my first session of volunteering with RSPCA QLD. I am really looking forward to this.

  58. 58.

    WereBear

    April 11, 2015 at 9:55 am

    @Debbie(aussie): Do let us know how it goes.

  59. 59.

    kindness

    April 11, 2015 at 10:04 am

    Saw that header and thought it said Appalachian Trail & thought Oh Betty you cad!

    Here in my neck of N. Cal the grasses have all dried up and gone to seed. Till those get knocked down we got to be careful the dogs don’t get stickers in their ears/eyes/noses because of course dogs get stickers where ever you don’t want them to. Too early. Usually it doesn’t dry up like this till May/June. Not this year. No Goatheads yet thank god. They’ll come.

  60. 60.

    JPL

    April 11, 2015 at 10:05 am

    @germy shoemangler: I think Bush goes with Kasich. Walker slashed education funds and I think that hurts his chances.

  61. 61.

    Omnes Omnibus

    April 11, 2015 at 10:10 am

    @JPL: Even the GOPers in the WI legislature are having doubts about the education cuts. (No link as I am on my phone)

  62. 62.

    geg6

    April 11, 2015 at 10:10 am

    @Dave: l

    Well, he’s certainly a gigantic improvement on Ravenstahl, that’s for sure. But he’s not been in office long enough or had enough exposure statewide to think he’s ready for a statewide office yet, if ever. He’s definitely a Yinzer and I’m not sure that translates well across the state.

  63. 63.

    SuperHrefna

    April 11, 2015 at 10:10 am

    @satby: Thanks! Every time I think about it I feel frightened but I’m doing a pretty good job of not thinking about it.

  64. 64.

    SuperHrefna

    April 11, 2015 at 10:15 am

    @Gin & Tonic: So you mean if I *were* in your kitchen, I’d be on egg separating duty? I still wish I were there!

  65. 65.

    germy shoemangler

    April 11, 2015 at 10:30 am

    @JPL: I wonder if Bush would consider Rubio for VP, or is that an impossibility.

    Also, cutting education funding: Isn’t that what they all do to public education? They want their charter school buddies in charge.

  66. 66.

    Pogonip

    April 11, 2015 at 10:38 am

    @geg6: Cole’s bringing her to you? That’s nice. Pix if you get a chance, please!

    I was glad to find out Koda’s a dog. Lovey’s too young to find out there are places with no dogs. It’s the canine version of learning the truth about Santa. With any luck Koda will give her the mothering she didn’t get from Ginger.

    Anybody know what’s up with Ginger?

    I eagerly await the next installment of “Cole’s Canine Castle.”. We probably won’t be lucky enough to get more puppies but it’ll still be fun to read.

  67. 67.

    Pogonip

    April 11, 2015 at 10:41 am

    Betty, why was he rushing you? Was he afraid the trees would be leaving and you wouldn’t see them?

  68. 68.

    Tenar Darell

    April 11, 2015 at 10:42 am

    @Peale: Hipster means a hat. What kind are you wearing?

  69. 69.

    Pogonip

    April 11, 2015 at 10:43 am

    Cleaning. Boring but necessary.

    Tomorrow’s Orthodox Easter, so technically you would be within your rights to eat that last chocolate bunny you hope everybody else forgot about. Orthodox readers, if any, Happy Easter!

  70. 70.

    ruemara

    April 11, 2015 at 10:45 am

    Heading to a morning workout since my work machine is bogged down rendering. This chick’s hair is killing the processors. My driver’s side boot axle is a mess, so, once the workout is complete, the car goes into the shop & I walk home.
    The roommate & girlfriend have gotten on her roommate’s nerves in record time of them starting to abuse her lease conditions, so they’re here and someone is snoring fit to kill. Looks like they may be here all weekend, unfortunately. I’m debating letting them take over the lease and freeing myself from the apartment. I kinda want to get out of here, even though I have no plan.

  71. 71.

    Tommy

    April 11, 2015 at 10:45 am

    @kindness: I got a print out. In a binder sitting to the left of me. From the late 90s, of the entire Appalachian Trail. Step by step. I had places I’d get sent food where I’d hop off the trail. I was going to walk the entire thing. I had it all but planned but never did. It pains me to this day I didn’t.

  72. 72.

    Cervantes

    April 11, 2015 at 10:50 am

    @ruemara:

    even though I have no plan

    Tommy had a plan, and look how far it got him!

  73. 73.

    Cervantes

    April 11, 2015 at 10:52 am

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Calls for 30 egg yolks.

    Be sure to leave your papers all in order.

  74. 74.

    Tommy

    April 11, 2015 at 10:53 am

    @Gin & Tonic:

    But I’ve always hated Peeps and that crap.

    Could somebody explain Peeps to me? I Got some for my nieces Easter basket. But you’d have to hold a gun to my head for me to eat one. Can somebody explain.

  75. 75.

    Amir Khalid

    April 11, 2015 at 10:55 am

    @Cervantes:
    It’s a perfectly good plan. Some day, he might still get around to executing it.

  76. 76.

    WaterGirl

    April 11, 2015 at 10:55 am

    @geg6: Very excited for you! Sad for Cole and holding my breath for what Lily’s life is like when ThurstonHowl decides lily is his new playmate. But so excited for you and John and Koda and Lovey!

    I think you should ask Cole for keys to the kingdom so we can get front page pupdates whenever you feel like it. Promise him you’ll only do open threads for pets. We’ll get pupdates and we won’t have to go so long between BJ threads. Win-win!

  77. 77.

    Cervantes

    April 11, 2015 at 10:56 am

    @Glidwrith:

    Congratulations!

  78. 78.

    Villago Delenda Est

    April 11, 2015 at 10:59 am

    I forgot my hat, sunblock and phone cord because SOMEONE was rushing me.

    Man, Obama really gets around!

  79. 79.

    WereBear

    April 11, 2015 at 10:59 am

    @ruemara: Roommates can be really good or really bad. I so understand the impulse to just get out.

  80. 80.

    Tommy

    April 11, 2015 at 11:00 am

    @Cervantes: Hey to plan doing something and actually doing it are two different things. At the time I looked into it was not this “hip” thing. The amount of planning was pretty over the top. I did most of it and just never started hiking.

  81. 81.

    Villago Delenda Est

    April 11, 2015 at 11:00 am

    @Pogonip: You know those trees. Always in a big hurry to move along to the next thing.

  82. 82.

    Cervantes

    April 11, 2015 at 11:00 am

    @Amir Khalid:

    Didn’t mean to discourage him, you’re right. Thanks!

  83. 83.

    WereBear

    April 11, 2015 at 11:02 am

    @Tommy: Could somebody explain Peeps to me?

    Marshmallows covered in colored sugar. I used to adore them! It’s like injecting yourself with glucose.

  84. 84.

    Glaukopis

    April 11, 2015 at 11:03 am

    Studying for the Chinese class I started on Thursday. Pretty excited. Also refurbishing and reevaluating my emergency kit.

  85. 85.

    Tommy

    April 11, 2015 at 11:06 am

    @WereBear: I am that strange guy that doesn’t like chocolate. Marshmallows covered in sugar is not something I crave. In fact I don’t like.

  86. 86.

    PurpleGirl

    April 11, 2015 at 11:08 am

    @Tommy: Peeps are pure sugar; you want something super sweet, so sweet it hurts your teeth… have a Peeps. I haven’t eaten one in decades, just too sweet for me. However, I have put Peeps into a microwave. They brown and burn and smell. It can be fun to watch them burn,especially if you don’t like them.

  87. 87.

    Brachiator

    April 11, 2015 at 11:13 am

    Another Saturday work day for me.

    A hike sounds like a ton of fun. I think, though, that I would always at least take a hat with me.

  88. 88.

    PurpleGirl

    April 11, 2015 at 11:14 am

    Geg6: Have you any idea about what time Cole is arriving with Lovey? Or is he just winging it — when he gets there, he gets there.

  89. 89.

    Scamp Dog

    April 11, 2015 at 11:14 am

    @Tommy: They’re marshmallows with a colored coating, so if you’re a sugar fiend they’re great. I’ve eat a few when I’ve seen them on sale and wanted a marshmallow.

    Then a couple of years ago I ran across a recipe for home-made marshmallows, tried it out, and now I am DONE with commercial marshmallows. Putting some real vanilla in makes them a lot better than store-bought. Yum.

  90. 90.

    WereBear

    April 11, 2015 at 11:15 am

    @PurpleGirl: These folks will see ya and raise ya:

    The Science of Peeps

  91. 91.

    Amir Khalid

    April 11, 2015 at 11:16 am

    @PurpleGirl:
    I find your hostility towards sugary snacks … disturbing.

  92. 92.

    skerry

    April 11, 2015 at 11:17 am

    Going to a bridal shower for a daughter’s friend. 4 weddings this summer. Guess this happens when the kids get their 20s. Awaiting the rash of baby showers in a few years. These weddings are over the top. Incredible amounts of money being spent.

    Also, get off my lawn.

  93. 93.

    germy shoemangler

    April 11, 2015 at 11:18 am

    @PurpleGirl: And Peeps have a shocking secret life:

    http://kikoshouse.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-secret-lives-of-easter-peeps.html

  94. 94.

    JPL

    April 11, 2015 at 11:26 am

    @Tommy: This is what you do with peeps
    http://offbeat.topix.com/story/11588

  95. 95.

    JPL

    April 11, 2015 at 11:29 am

    @germy shoemangler: Beat me to it. I love that the Washington Post has a peep contest. The entries are always so clever.

  96. 96.

    askew

    April 11, 2015 at 11:29 am

    @PsiFighter37:

    Sestak is apparently a gigantic asshole behind the scenes. He has had incredible staff turnover because he is so verbally abusive to his staff. kos has said that reason alone is why DK won’t endorse him.

    I personally never got the appeal of Sestak, but the way the PA Dem party is imploding right now he might be the best bet.

  97. 97.

    SuperHrefna

    April 11, 2015 at 11:30 am

    @Scamp Dog: Home made marshmallows are the bomb! If I’m going to buy them though I get them from Sweet and Sara, who make so good they could be homemade vegan marshmallows: http://sweetandsara.com

  98. 98.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    April 11, 2015 at 11:32 am

    As an addition to my post in the last night’s pupdate, my first edition Nexus 7 announced this morning that Lollipop 5.1 was available.

    By itself, it didn’t help noticably.

    But while going through the available app updates, I tripped over an HP printer app of some sort. The tablet got snappier as soon as I removed it.

  99. 99.

    J R in WV

    April 11, 2015 at 11:36 am

    So we have a tiny pond by the front door. Technically it’s a water control device to throw water coming out of the hillside away from the house foundation. It attracts many amphibians as we’re quite a way up hill from the hollow where puddles allow them to be wet and happy.

    An agile bird is trying to build a nest on top of the front door frame, which is about 1.5 inches wide. Much green moss stuck together with a little clay mud. Probably a Phoebe or similar fly-catcher type of bird. Not afraid of being around people, unfortunately.

    I’ve scraped off the door frame twice a day for nearly a week now, and the bird is stupidly persistent. There are a dozen better places within 20 yards, where the destructive human giant won’t be scraping off the foundation of the nest.

    But we don’t want birds in our hair every time we go through the front door. Other doors are totally inconvenient. And these birds tend to reuse nesting places every year for like forever!!

    The chorus frogs are breeding now, the third wave of vocal amphibians in the tiny pond, which is about the size of a dining room table. The wood frogs and peeps were first. The salamanders are probably also in there reproducing, but the leaves make them hard to spot.

    But that silly bird is making me crazy! Not so far to go, maybe, I admit.

  100. 100.

    Cervantes

    April 11, 2015 at 11:37 am

    @Tommy:

    Hey to plan [x] and actually doing [x] are two different things.

    Sure. An extreme example would be where X is nuclear war!

    Anyhow, I’m off. Have a great day!

  101. 101.

    germy shoemangler

    April 11, 2015 at 11:38 am

    Since this is open thread I thought I’d throw this out there. An alternate universe James Dean who survived the crash and lived to travel the world, direct films and work for peace:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fbiO5N_NNc

  102. 102.

    Cervantes

    April 11, 2015 at 11:39 am

    @J R in WV:

    If all else fails, try Zen.

  103. 103.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 11, 2015 at 11:41 am

    @germy shoemangler:
    @Tommy:

    I’m pretty sure I’ve posted this before, but I laugh every time I go through the slides. This was my introduction to Peeps (I’ve never eaten one and never will).

  104. 104.

    germy shoemangler

    April 11, 2015 at 11:44 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: Best introduction to Peeps ever!

  105. 105.

    Pogonip

    April 11, 2015 at 11:46 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: My favorite was the Peepal Conclave when Pope Benedict retired.

  106. 106.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    April 11, 2015 at 11:47 am

    @Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism:

    Thanks again for that tweak list. Came back to the thread this morning and picked it up.

  107. 107.

    bemused

    April 11, 2015 at 11:49 am

    @Tommy:

    Have you read “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson?

  108. 108.

    Major Major Major Major

    April 11, 2015 at 11:49 am

    Anyone heard from Another Holocene Human?

  109. 109.

    Randy P

    April 11, 2015 at 11:53 am

    @Tommy: Can’t explain. People love em or hate em. I’m in the latter group.

    Same deal with those orange “circus peanuts”. I was amazed to learn that there are people who not only eat them but are downright fanatical about them.

    To me, the best use of peeps is in the annual Washington Post “Peeps Show”, which, sadly, has apparently been renamed the “Peeps Diorama Contest”. Too hard to post a link on my phone but google it and prepare to be amazed.

  110. 110.

    Randy P

    April 11, 2015 at 11:53 am

    Oh, I see that I’m late to the party with mentioning the Peeps Show

  111. 111.

    geg6

    April 11, 2015 at 11:54 am

    @PurpleGirl:

    Supposed to arrive around 3 or so.

  112. 112.

    Bobby B

    April 11, 2015 at 11:56 am

    Phone cord? Welcome to the Tom Haverford Glamping Club.

  113. 113.

    germy shoemangler

    April 11, 2015 at 11:58 am

    @Randy P: Same deal with those orange “circus peanuts”.

    God, I haven’t eaten one of those in years.

    And I remember the little candy wax bottles of sweet syrupy liquid. You’d bite the top off the “bottle” and drink. Also, the candy cigarettes in their little cigarette packs.

  114. 114.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    April 11, 2015 at 11:59 am

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Was here yesterday. Silence due to work changes, nothing more sinister.

  115. 115.

    germy shoemangler

    April 11, 2015 at 11:59 am

    The James Dean youtube I linked to is just a short commercial. I’m still not sure what they were advertising. But it shows Dean surviving the crash, appearing at Woodstock(?) and receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award.

  116. 116.

    Major Major Major Major

    April 11, 2015 at 12:00 pm

    @Steeplejack (phone): Cool, thanks.

  117. 117.

    Ruckus

    April 11, 2015 at 12:03 pm

    @satby:
    Strange, I replied to your message the other day. But I just checked your site and it doesn’t show any message. I’ll try again.

    Just send you a message.

  118. 118.

    Brachiator

    April 11, 2015 at 12:05 pm

    @Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism:

    As an addition to my post in the last night’s pupdate, my first edition Nexus 7 announced this morning that Lollipop 5.1 was available.

    Careful. Some users are reporting that 5.1 bricks the Nexus 7.

    http://9to5google.com/2015/04/10/nexus-5-nexus-7-bricked-android-lollipop/

    “This is definitely concerning. Several people are reporting on Google’s product forums that their Nexus 7 devices have stopped working following updates to various versions of Android Lollipop. And while it may not necessarily be the same exact issue (as users are reporting a wide variety of different symptoms), some Nexus 5 users have seen their device become unusable following recent Lollipop updates as well.

    It’s not exactly clear which updates are affecting which devices, but the problem appears to be fairly widespread…”

  119. 119.

    Mnemosyne (tablet)

    April 11, 2015 at 12:10 pm

    We are also getting ready to do a hike (Malibu, Charmlee Wilderness Area), but since I am out of shape, we went for one rated by Modern Hiker as “easy/moderate.”

  120. 120.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    April 11, 2015 at 12:12 pm

    The commercials on this AMC Godfather marathon are so irritating I may turn it off, even though I don’t think I’ve seen it but twenty-five or so times.

  121. 121.

    Gravenstone

    April 11, 2015 at 12:13 pm

    @Randy P:

    Same deal with those orange “circus peanuts”. I was amazed to learn that there are people who not only eat them but are downright fanatical about them.

    I loved those – when I was eight. I grew out of it.

  122. 122.

    WereBear

    April 11, 2015 at 12:15 pm

    @Gravenstone: If we’re talking marshmallow based treats, the original Mallo cup is the pinnacle.

  123. 123.

    mai naem mobile

    April 11, 2015 at 12:19 pm

    @J R in WV: you can get that plastic stuff with the pointy plastic needles sticking up so birds won’t nest in a spot. We have them in our back patio on the columns because our bird dogs loved chasing and at times killing the chicks and birds that were nesting there.

  124. 124.

    mai naem mobile

    April 11, 2015 at 12:21 pm

    Marshmallows are good but peeps are disgusting.

  125. 125.

    germy shoemangler

    April 11, 2015 at 12:27 pm

    The NYTimes is running a piece on why Rand Paul should be taken seriously. I scanned the comments section and found this, which I loved:

    If Paul had a brother who would be the governor of a swing state, and could hide valid ballots to ensure that he “wins” that state in the election, then we would be in big trouble and a repeat of the false “winner” of the 2000 election would be in store for us. But we are not complacent, silent fools anymore, we will stand up and demand that nobody is handed the presidency on a platter because of fraud. Social media means that we the people can monitor election results, and we will. Never, never again will the presidency be left up to the corrupt Supreme Court to decide, and never, never again will we allow any governor to put ballots in trucks and run them all over the highways to make sure that they are hidden and not counted. Never again. Here that, Paul, Walker, Koch brothers, the entire Bush clan, Rubio, and all those who have already made their plans based on buying the Oval Office?

  126. 126.

    PurpleGirl

    April 11, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    @geg6: Thank you. I want to be home and on-line to see what threads there are when you get Lovely. I’ve missed a lot of threads that I would have found interesting to comment in because of my irregular sleeping patterns recently.

  127. 127.

    Mnemosyne (tablet)

    April 11, 2015 at 12:29 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Can you put a birdhouse on a pole somewhere that it might find a more tempting place to nest?

    I wouldn’t be surprised if part of the bird’s plan is to use the Big Scary Humans coming and going to discourage any potential predators. There was a hummingbird at my parent’s house in Arizona that would hover in front of the sliding door until one of my parents came out and chased the woodpecker away from the hummingbird feeder.

  128. 128.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    April 11, 2015 at 12:31 pm

    @germy shoemangler: That’s terrific. I knew they were like that when we weren’t looking.

  129. 129.

    Aleta

    April 11, 2015 at 12:32 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:
    wicked funny way of putting it.

  130. 130.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    April 11, 2015 at 12:34 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: How are you doing with the switches today?

  131. 131.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    April 11, 2015 at 12:34 pm

    @Aleta: I keep trying to get out, and they keep pulling me back in!

    I’m going through paper work and emails and I thought this would be a good distraction. Too good, even with commercials.

    Christening scene coming up.

  132. 132.

    Aleta

    April 11, 2015 at 12:35 pm

    @geg6:
    Livestream or just major network coverage ?

  133. 133.

    Major Major Major Major

    April 11, 2015 at 12:39 pm

    @a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): I started some more med adjustments and called in the cavalry (mom) in case anything goes wrong. I think I’m over the hump, but we’ll just have to see.

  134. 134.

    Aleta

    April 11, 2015 at 12:41 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:
    I know. It’s astounding to be that good every (single x 25 +/- 5) time.

  135. 135.

    Mnemosyne (tablet)

    April 11, 2015 at 12:45 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Advice you can take or leave since I have not been in your specific situation, but when I would get in a bad place with depression while I was being treated for it, it sometimes helped for me to remind myself that my brain was lying to me, so I really shouldn’t make any decisions or take any action until I’d checked with someone else (usually my therapist, but my BFF was also on standby). It helped keep me from doing stuff like impulse shopping. Good luck, and I hope you’re able to get those misfiring synapses under control soon.

  136. 136.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    April 11, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: Sounds like a plan; you’re in my thoughts. Spring is always tricky with activation, even without a switching disorder dx. And crossing date/time zones probably exacerbated the seasonal thing. Be well.

  137. 137.

    ThresherK (GPad)

    April 11, 2015 at 12:57 pm

    Someone mentioned not eating aPeep unless a gun was attheir head? Well, it has been Peeped.

    Not sure if it’s hilarious or harrowing. Just passing it along.

  138. 138.

    Brachiator

    April 11, 2015 at 1:05 pm

    @germy shoemangler:

    Social media means that we the people can monitor election results, and we will.

    What a bunch of dopes.

    Interesting comment otherwise, but I have no idea how large the libertarian lunatic fringe might be.

  139. 139.

    WaterGirl

    April 11, 2015 at 1:20 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Peeps tastes chemical-y, like you can taste the food coloring, at least that’s how it seems to me.

  140. 140.

    WaterGirl

    April 11, 2015 at 1:22 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: The google tells me that his last comment was a day a go (in reply to me, even!) in the Good Morning, Juicers thread.

  141. 141.

    WaterGirl

    April 11, 2015 at 1:26 pm

    @Randy P: Circus peanuts! I had forgotten all about them. But now I have to tell you my circus peanuts story.

    Background: My mom believed in giving the sex talk pretty early.

    So I’m maybe 5 years old and we are at Brookfield Zoo. We go to the little peanut machine where you put in your coin and it dispenses peanuts. My older sister says she wants to feed peanuts to the elephants and (so the story goes) I shout “Not Daddy’s!”

  142. 142.

    WereBear

    April 11, 2015 at 1:30 pm

    @WaterGirl: Hysterical.

  143. 143.

    Cckids

    April 11, 2015 at 1:38 pm

    @HinTN: late here, but enjoy Zion. One of the most beautiful places on earth.

  144. 144.

    Ruckus

    April 11, 2015 at 1:39 pm

    @WaterGirl:
    I think peeps taste like a cross between cardboard, food coloring, styrofoam, and sugar.

  145. 145.

    Ruckus

    April 11, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    @WereBear:
    Don’t think that would have been on Art Linkletter.

  146. 146.

    SWMBO

    April 11, 2015 at 1:45 pm

    @J R in WV: Have you tried putting a fake snake near there? We had a friend who parked his car under a tree (assigned parking) and the birds in one day could make his car look like Mel Brooks in High Anxiety. I told him to get a cheap rubber snake and put in the tree just above his car. Worked like a charm until the landscaping guys went to trim the tree and did a freak out and dissect on the thing. Yeah, the birds came back but he moved a couple of months after…

  147. 147.

    Cckids

    April 11, 2015 at 1:46 pm

    @Tommy: Sugar + sugar with colored sugar on top. They were a treat when I was a kid & we only got candy 4-5 times a year. My kids always hated them, though they’ve made some impressive Peeps dioramas over the years.

  148. 148.

    WaterGirl

    April 11, 2015 at 1:51 pm

    @Ruckus: Sounds about right to me. I don’t like most frosting, either. The texture is grainy and it tastes like chemicals. Might just be the only thing that’s bad for me that I just don’t like.

  149. 149.

    Steeplejack

    April 11, 2015 at 2:57 pm

    @ThresherK (GPad):

    Link fail. You fix.

  150. 150.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 11, 2015 at 3:03 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    They look as if they would taste that way. Yuck.

  151. 151.

    WaterGirl

    April 11, 2015 at 3:32 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Yuck pretty much describes my attitude toward peeps, though I might have gone with ick, depending on the day!

    When I eat sugar, I’ll take a good homemade brownie or homemade chocolate pudding or homemade cherry pie. Peeps? So not worth it!

  152. 152.

    rikyrah

    April 11, 2015 at 3:32 pm

    @Tommy:

    I hate Peeps too. they creep me out.

  153. 153.

    satby

    April 11, 2015 at 3:52 pm

    @Glidwrith: late, but yay! Congrats!

  154. 154.

    germy shoemangler

    April 11, 2015 at 4:38 pm

    @SWMBO: Most problems in this world can be solved with a cheap rubber snake.

  155. 155.

    WaterGirl

    April 11, 2015 at 5:19 pm

    @germy shoemangler: okay, that was funny.

  156. 156.

    PaulW

    April 11, 2015 at 11:00 pm

    I spent most of the day at MegaCon or stuck on I-4 traffic.
    http://noticeatrend.blogspot.com/2015/04/i-survived-megacon-2015-but-im-not-so.html

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