Idle chat

[Sarah_1964]

I just thought it would be nice to have a thread for random idle chit-chat:

I had a nice day today: after a busy work week and a lot of social Interaction I got to spend a day on my own - a walk this mornings some much-needed gardening, and then just relaxing. I thought of my American friends - some I know personally in N.Y. City and State and some I know here also in the path of the storm, and hoped all are and will be safe. I thanked my own lucky stars that the soft underbelly of the South of England is indeed generally so safe and nice. I enjoyed a bit of to-and-fro on forum threads. Next week will again be busy and next a weekend I will be away camping, which I am looking forward to: and after that I am thinking of trying another "Interactive Adventure Story".

How are others today?

[MissBarbara]

I just thought it would be nice to have a thread for random idle chit-chat:

I had a nice day today: after a busy work week and a lot of social Interaction I got to spend a day on my own - a walk this mornings some much-needed gardening, and then just relaxing. I thought of my American friends - some I know personally in N.Y. City and State and some I know here also in the path of the storm, and hoped all are and will be safe. I thanked my own lucky stars that the soft underbelly of the South of England is indeed generally so safe and nice. I enjoyed a bit of to-and-fro on forum threads. Next week will again be busy and next a weekend I will be away camping, which I am looking forward to: and after that I am thinking of trying another "Interactive Adventure Story".

How are others today?

While it's content wasn't something that appeals to me, I still enjoyed following your interactive story. The serial nature made it fun, and the way you followed the suggestions of others made it nicely unpredictable.

The good news is that NYC wasn't directly in Henri's path. The "outer bands" affected the city, but the main part of the story was farther east, crossing Long Island and up to Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Still, I felt a little bit of his wrath.

Last night I met some friends for dinner at Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan. It's a famous place, where George Washington hosted his famous farewell dinner with his officers, as he retired from the army and was headed home to Virginia to spend the rest of his days as a country gentleman. It was also a popular meeting place during the five years that NYC served as the U.S. capital. I've never been there before.

History aside, it was ridiculously overpriced. I ordered a cheeseburger, and while it was absolutely delicious, it cost $22. Throw in a couple of ales, and I spent about what I typically spend for a week's groceries.

Back to Henri. One of the people I ate with his immunocompromised, so to accommodate him, we sat outside. The tables were covered with awnings, and the rain started as we were finishing eating. The awnings worked for a while, but once the rain and the win picked up, they were useless. And even though there was a subway stop only 2-3 blocks away, by the time I got there, I was soaked. When I got to my stop and began to walk home, I didn't even bother with an umbrella.

Before I left to meet them down there, I was trying to decide whether to wear a raincoat or bring an umbrella. I went with the umbrella, both because it was hot and humid out, and because I liked the outfit I was wearing. I made the wrong choice.

[Sarah_1964]

I'm glad the storm spared NYC: one of my favourite cities, though I haven't been back for years.

I always say I love storms, but I mean English ones that are usually all sound and fury, signifying nothing. :-) I can't imagine how hard it is to endure a real one.

[watcher1]

Typical summer thunderstorms pass through pretty quickly.  It's those slow moving summer storms that bring drenching rain and strong winds that will knock uproot trees and knock put power that one has to be wary of. Then there are the tornados......  we are very lucky that tornados rarely hit us in the city but we do get the some of the effects of them when they hit nearby suburbs,

[Sarah_1964]

I'm often surprised how often American power.lines are above ground.

[watcher1]

I'm often surprised how often American power.lines are above ground.

So am I. ComEd, our supplier, maintains it is cheaper running power lines above ground then under ground.

[Jed_]

Saw an ad for Samuel Adams Oktoberfest beer with the recurring hapless blue collar Bostonian, this time drinking his Sam in Germany.  Among the humorous scenes is him asking an elderly German man if he wants another Samuel Adams Oktoberfest, and he replies ‘No’ in German as ‘Nein’.  Whereupon the hapless Bostonian shouts, ‘Let’s make it 10!  I like this guy!’

It took me a second, and I began laughing.

[Jed_]

I'm often surprised how often American power.lines are above ground.

I actually didn’t know any lines were below ground until after I bought my house and realized there were no power lines and poles in the neighborhood.

[HppyHrryHrdn]

I'm often surprised how often American power.lines are above ground.

I actually didn’t know any lines were below ground until after I bought my house and realized there were no power lines and poles in the neighborhood.

In the states like where I am it is a lot cheaper to run power poles.  All that digging would cost a mint.  And in the cities with established neighborhoods people bitch when you add power boxes in yards and dig up their gardens.  Jed_ you must be in a newer area. And it is amazing how many people rarely think about their utilities. They're just supposed to work.

[Sarah_1964]

... I am thinking of trying another "Interactive Adventure Story".

While it's content wasn't something that appeals to me, I still enjoyed following your interactive story. The serial nature made it fun, and the way you followed the suggestions of others made it nicely unpredictable.

I found it fun - and erotic - to write like that, and try to follow the googlies people bowled my way.

What are people's favourite story themes here?

[_priapism]

Saw an ad for Samuel Adams Oktoberfest beer with the recurring hapless blue collar Bostonian, this time drinking his Sam in Germany.  Among the humorous scenes is him asking an elderly German man if he wants another Samuel Adams Oktoberfest, and he replies ‘No’ in German as ‘Nein’.  Whereupon the hapless Bostonian shouts, ‘Let’s make it 10!  I like this guy!’

It took me a second, and I began laughing.

Someone posted one of those “pick your favorite snack cake” things on Facebook, and a German member said “Nein! Nein! Nein!” I replied, “9! 9! 9!?!? You really love your Little Debbie cakes!” He didn’t get it, and tried to explain to me that nein means no. American humor. My experience with Germans is that they are typically literalists. Like Drax in Guardians.

[Sarah_1964]

I'm looking forward to hiking and camping this weekend

[MintJulie]

Well you have fun Sarah.  I love both of those activities.  We went to Cuyahoga Natl Park a few weeks ago to hike.  Hopefully we'll get a weekend away soon to hike again.

We are moving one of the kids back to college tomorrow.  Staying the night at a hotel.  Spending part of the day with her on Saturday and driving back home in the evening.

Kind of a sad day knowing she's leaving us.  We hope to get back out there for a football game before Sept ends.

[DJSteeltoe]

I like this idea, Sarah.

Today was a very non-sexual day. I got my 2nd covid shot and spoke with my therapist. Pretty boring.

[Army of One]

This is a nice idea, Sarah. And certainly so since the chatroom has been quiet. (Which reminds me: one of the great many things on my list that needs to be done: upgrade the bot computer, or decide on which one will take over in its stead.)

Right now, with another lockdown in place and thrice extended, I've just been catching up on stuff I've been putting off, like the pantry cupboard. It's also difficult, since everyone is home now pretty much 24/7, so me time has not been easy to come upon.

[Sarah_1964]

Chat can be fun but with a diverse and geographically scattered forum membership timing becomes a problem with live chat. And forum chat can have its own quiet appeal.

[watcher1]

Chat can be fun but with a diverse and geographically scattered forum membership timing becomes a problem with live chat. And forum chat can have its own quiet appeal.

Was kind of my way of thinking from the time I joined KB. Meet others from all over. 

[Sarah_1964]

It's fascinating talking with people from such diverse backgrounds. I have travelled a lot for my job but not so much for fun - I always enjoy getting to know new people with differerent attitudes and backgrounds.

[Shiela_M]

I had called my dad earlier today, and he was doing a bit of venting about having Jen staying with him. He has no problem with caring for her, but she is quite particular about some things, and one is that her clothes get hung up and not put into drawers.  Anyways, this got me talking about hanging stuff up, and when I use the word hanger, it annoys my dad to no end.  I don't say hanger like it's supposed to be said, I say hang-grrr, and he cringes and I laugh.

[Jed_]

The other day I watched The Shawshank Redemption on TV for probably the 4th or 5th time, and it got me thinking about an incident in my past.

Sometime in 1994 I was several months into a layoff and had begun working for a friend in his restaurant that mostly did delivery and carry out, but had a few tables.  It had Mexican food, well TexMex, and pizzas, so naturally he called it Guido Burrito.  I did delivery for a while, but then one day I was working the kitchen alone, the delivery guy out on a delivery.  A guy in his 50s came in looking lost and subdued squinting at the menu on the wall.  I asked if I could help him.  He said he just got out of prison after 30 years and was hungry but didn’t know what to do.  My mind was processing the 30 years and coming up with, yep he killed someone.  Meantime I recall suggesting something, I don’t recall what, but probably a burrito.  He rather helplessly agreed, paid for it, and later thanked me saying it was very good.

It was much later, possibly after seeing that movie for the first time, I realized this guy had become institutionalized.  After 30 years of being told what to eat, he couldn’t order for himself.  I had to tell him what to eat.