what did you do today? (2008-2015) (closed)

[Nords]

I volunteered to be a moderator again.

No, no, not here! Over at the Dollar $tretcher forums.

To market the book, I've been spending a substantial amount of time networking with other bloggers and forums. A couple months ago I offered to write guest columns for Gary Foreman's website. (I've been reading his newsletter for over a decade and he has a military audience.) I submitted a "The Military Guide" article for their guest blog, one thing led to another, and now I'm the mod in charge of the new "Military Family Finances" forum.

This should be interesting. Of course their pay & benefits are only a fraction of E-R.org's moderator compensation (and no stock options or 401(k) match either), but I have a new audience of potential contributors-- and book-buyers.

I'll still be reading & posting here. And there. And blogging. And networking elsewhere.

 

[Moemg]

I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Don Rickles in 2005 live at a local casino. He has always been one of my favorites, right up there with Rodney Dangerfield.
He came onstage launching right into his trademark schtick, i.e. picking on the audience. No mercy as usual. Razor edge wit. Wooooooooo
It was a performance I will always remember.

Don Rickles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

We like going to Comedy Clubs occasionally .A few years ago we saw George Carlin and he was so funny I was laughing so hard I missed some of his routine . I have seen him twice and I have to say he was my favorite .

 

[bbbamI]

I volunteered to be a moderator again.

I'll still be reading & posting here. And there. And blogging. And networking elsewhere.

But....what will you do [-]all day[/-] the rest of the day?

 

[Nords]

But....what will you do [-]all day[/-] the rest of the day?

Surfing has really sucked the last couple weeks...

 

[Dawg52]

Drove down to the Redneck Riviera(aka the AL coast) over the weekend to visit my nephew and his wife. Great weather and good food. Took the mutt along and he had a blast. I could easily live there one day.

 

[W2R]

Drove down to the Redneck Riviera(aka the AL coast) over the weekend to visit my nephew and his wife. Great weather and good food. Took the mutt along and he had a blast. I could easily live there one day.

Absolutely stunning photos! It looks like an idyllic place to spend a weekend or longer. Your doggie looks ecstatic, and who wouldn't be?

Personally that area is way too vulnerable to hurricanes for me to want to actually live there full time. But maybe you wouldn't mind the potential for damage as much as I would. At any rate, it looks like a great place for an extended vacation, that's for sure.

 

[devans0]

I'm sorry to hear of your dogs illness. We have lost two cats and a do in the last few years. All of them were pound sprung, and had many happy years before their time came. We still remember the good times.

 

[TromboneAl]

Worked on taxes (I'm doing a little at a time). Lena tried out her new bike today after I fixed it up, and she liked it. We got it from Craigslist for $360. Now all of our bikes are made from materials that don't rust.

 

[Moemg]

Worked on taxes (I'm doing a little at a time). Lena tried out her new bike today after I fixed it up, and she liked it. We got it from Craigslist for $360. Now all of our bikes are made from materials that don't rust.

Very nice bike but the most shocking part is that you paid $360 . Quick take your temperature & check your pulse or are you someone posing as Al ?

 

[JmfromTx]

Worked on taxes (I'm doing a little at a time). Lena tried out her new bike today after I fixed it up, and she liked it. We got it from Craigslist for $360. Now all of our bikes are made from materials that don't rust.

That is a good looking bike. One of my near goals is to buy one, albeit maybe not one of these Cadillacs, and start riding most mornings with my neighbor. Today I started knocking apart some very old ladder back chairs that my grandparents owned. Hand made with some kind of skin seats that still have hair on the underside. I got the first one apart and scrubbed down with steel wool and a water hose today. You talk about dirty. I plan on getting all three cleaned up and reassembled then re doing the seats this summer when it's to hot to go outside for everyone except the mosquito's.

 

[Nords]

We started making the reservations for our May trip to Haleakala Crater.

There are 10 of us, and our group leader managed to get all three cabins in the "best" trail sequence on successive nights. Each cabin sleeps 12 in four three-stack bunks... kinda like four submarine wardrooms jammed together plus a kitchen with a wood-stove heater. Oddly enough this is by far the cheapest part of the trip-- about $45/couple including firewood.

Last year we hiked 10 miles from the summit to the first cabin and stayed two nights in it before going to the third cabin. (During the second day we [-]nursed our wounds[/-] made short hikes to local vantage points.) This year we're hiking "only" five miles from the summit to the first cabin and for just the first night. Then over the next two days we'll hike 5-6 miles each day and stay only one night each in the next two cabins. (The fourth day we'll hike out to a parking lot a few thousand feet below the summit.) Some of the group are disappointed that we didn't get the "best" cabin for two nights, others of us are secretly relieved that we're not hiking 10 miles before dinner on the first day.

Last year we had about five days' warning to replace a couple who'd dropped out. It was barely enough time to round up rental gear and drive to the airport. This year we're in much better shape-- physically as well as logistically. We know what to expect. We both have proper hiking shoes instead of running shoes. When spouse was on the Mainland a couple months ago she visited an REI to be measured and properly fitted for a women's pack and trekking poles. While I was on the Mainland a couple weeks ago I managed a side trip to a different REI for my own pack. (No REIs in Hawaii.) The packs are much lighter and much more comfortable. We've added water bladders and rain covers to our packs as well as 27-ounce "55+ degrees" sleeping bags. I have a much better digital camera and this time I'm bringing extra batteries. We won't overload on food like we did last year.

We also bookended our Haleakala hike with two nights at the Kula Lodge-- the first night to reacquaint the group and get organized, the last night to [-]nurse our wounds[/-] relax a bit and repack our bags before heading to the airport.

The last step will be finding a neighborhood kid to keep an eye on our 10-year-old bunny for six days. But he's doing much better on his diuretic and his congestive heart condition doesn't seem to bother him nearly as much.

It'll be interesting to see who our group's lead couple sucker into filling the last two slots...

 

[Khan]

Drove down to the Redneck Riviera(aka the AL coast) over the weekend to visit my nephew and his wife. Great weather and good food. Took the mutt along and he had a blast. I could easily live there one day.

Spent some time there; parents moved there 1971.

 

[Khan]

Today I went to the dentist.
More details on the 'health' forum.

 

[freebird5825]

I've been having some fun shopping on eBay for the last 3 days. I've been looking for a large clay cooker to make some Portguese alcatra
http://cookbook.rin.ru/cookbook_e/recipes/89344123.html
for Mr B.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360353007115
Hardcover cookbook was included.

I will use this a lot in my convection oven in slow bake mode. It will be perfect for roasting chickens, ribs, all sorts of good stuff.

I also scored a sundress, a pair of wedge heels and some vintage shoe clips. I will spiff up my heels and sandals and tank tops with these.
Vintage Bluette French Shoe Clips

Rhinestone Shoe clips

It's fun being girly.

 

[TromboneAl]

I had my piano lesson (#6 yesterday), then attended a free piano masterclass, and then some free jazz concerts (Titan Hot Seven, Wally's Warehouse Waifs, and the Air Force Commanders big band).

At the masterclass, two students played a Mozart two-piano concerto, with an instructor playing the orchestra score on a third big Steinway. The visiting artist, Pamela Mia Paul, then gave detailed suggestions and comments on their playing.

The jazz was very good, but I have to say I got a little bored, and Lena fell asleep.

My piano lessons have been working out very well. My teacher's been doing this for 35 years, and really knows how to teach. I'm finally getting the kind of solid classical and technique training that I've always felt that I've been missing.

 

[BTravlin]

Did a ten mile bike ride along the coast early this morning and am now finishing my packing for the trip home.

 

[TromboneAl]

We've been trying to fit our bike rides in between the rainstorms, and today we got caught.

It started out great:

But then we got caught in the rain, and totally soaked going down a five mile hill (temperature 43 degrees):

 

[Nords]

I'm proofreading the second typeset draft ("and this time we're really finished with the corrections, right?") of "The Military Guide". When I excerpted portions of the book for the blog (75 or so posts) I kept finding typos and grammar issues (you proofreaders found your share too, thanks!), but I think we're finally fixed. It should go to press next week.

Interesting comment from the publisher about the career/transition fairs he's attended this year:

I've enjoyed working on this book. It's well written and very informative and useful for your audience. I hope they buy tons of it. In fact, I'll be promoting it a great deal at several military transition job fairs during the next few months. Many of the attendees are VERY interested in the book as they line up at booths to find what may well become a disappointing government or corporate job!

You veterans know what he's talking about. Thanks for contributing your stories!

Since I was having way too much fun today, I filed a couple of tax-return extensions. Not for me but for my too-busy-with-22-credit-hours daughter. She swears she'll catch up in May. August for sure. I shouldn't have told her the extensions are good until October.

I'm still working on our own tax returns. I haven't given up yet, but some of the K-1 paperwork still hasn't arrived.

This is the third set of tax returns I've worked on this month-- enough already!

 

[martyp]

DW and I went to a cooking class last night. It was a Moroccan menu. Had a great time.
Mariposa Kitchen

 

[freebird5825]

Mr B and I went out to dinner last night, a very rare occasion. We are both cheapskates when it comes to paying restaurant prices.
Sample dialogue....They want WHAT for chicken? A glass of Lambrusco costs WHAT?
I put on the Ritz with a skirt, fancy top, stockings, heels, makeup and jewelery. He dropped me off at the door so my legs wouldn't freeze in 34F temps.
These looked fabulous on my plain black pumps.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&rt=nc&nma=true&item=160559814099&si=OaKN0R6fAVjwYTHH7dNlQWG1MqM%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME%3AX%3ARTQ%3AUS%3A1123
LBYM a la vintage shoe clips - one simple pair of classic black pumps can be transformed into several different fashion looks.
Next on deck for my footwear wardrobe are these fabulous wedge shoes
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...3D&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:1123
Cost plus shipping still beats, soles down , what I would pay at any local store for quality shoes plus 8.75% sales tax.

He wore a suit jacket, turtleneck sweater and dress slacks.
We can be dressed up and taken out!

Once the warmer weather arrives and STAYS, we will both be rid of the flannel shirts and jeans, wool sweaters and stretch wool pants, and boots.

 

[Ally]

Sounds like fun! We went out to eat last night with our 20% off coupon and then split a meal, too. That sounds embarrassingly cheap, doesn't it? Yikes.

 

[freebird5825]

Sounds like fun! We went out to eat last night with our 20% off coupon and then split a meal, too. That sounds embarrassingly cheap, doesn't it? Yikes.

We dropped $84 for steak, shrimp and cavatelli, lots of Lambrusco by the glass, and a dessert for him, plus tax and tip. Our server was fabulous, so we tipped him VERY well.
It was fun!

 

[Ally]

Your dinner sounds marvelous! Yum.

 

[Sue J]

We just got back from lunch with my parents, sister and BIL. We met at my parents favorite deli. It's my Dad's 85th birthday on Tuesday so we had a simple birthday celebration, exactly the way he likes it.

I had a lox and bagel sandwich. Can't get good lox in my neck of the woods and true authentic bagels involve a drive across town.

It's a beautiful day so we took our time getting home via the scenic route instead of the freeway. Drove through the national park and stopped to see a spot where great blue herons are nesting. Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Bath Rd and Station Rd Heronries (U.S. National Park Service) The trees were full of them and we stayed long enough to see a few swooping around to gather up nest materials.

 

[Buckeye]

Saturday DH and I spent the day at DisneyWorld (annual passholders). No recession there! Both Epcot and Magic Kingdom were packed.

Today I took a short walk (200 paces) over to my mom's apartment to give her a backrub 'cause her back was bothering her. It's still amazes me she lives so close when we've been at least a 4-hour flight apart for the last 30 years. Friday night I had the pleasure of doing her laundry.