Here’s a photo of the cold, rainy, wind-swept Suwannee River, from which I recently returned from a long weekend’s camping:
Shivering in the damp woods gave me renewed appreciation for the comforts of home. But it was a refreshing break from the news. I never heard the name “Trump” once. Had no idea armed yahoos had taken over a federal building. Was clueless about the Saudi Arabia-Iran issue.
Speaking of the rancid Circus Peanut that is the Republican frontrunner, thanks to the wonders of technology, it’s possible to go on not hearing his accursed name. Valued commenter Hitchhiker shared a link to a Google Chrome plugin that replaces the hirsute haggis’ name with a various synonyms for “fart.” Brilliant!
I’ve resolutely NOT looked at the news since my return to civilization. I want to extend my serenity to the beginning of the workweek several hours hence.
This afternoon when I got home and unloaded my muddy possessions from the car, I took a long, hot shower and made myself a warm nest of throws on my favorite end of the sofa and arranged the dogs around me just so. Then I read until it was time to watch Downton Abbey.
Now I’m watching the Vikings-Packers game. Come ON, Packers! What are you up to?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Looks like they heard your plea, or command.
ETA: Oy, I wonder if I just jinxed it?
jl
I am spending some of the last precious moments of my Winter Solstice break to wonder what the hell BC is talking about. Betty Cracker lives in a sunny tropical paradise that is never unpleasant. What is that a picture of, really?
Esme's Mom
oh thank you thank you for the link. As she said in Buffy,
SiubhanDuinne
Does everyone know that this is Stephen Foster’s “Swanee River”?
Yeah, they prolly do.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@SiubhanDuinne: I’ve had Ed Norton’s piano riff echoing in my head since I first read the post.
ETA: For the yoots among us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzxWIL6HElI
Elizabelle
Welcome back. Did the pups go camping too?
For you, JPL, and other Downton Abbey fans: today’s NYTImes interactive trivia quiz on Downton characters.
Test your Downton Abbey Drama Quotient
Quiz was fun. My score was awful cuz have missed a few seasons …
Corner Stone
Aaron Rodgers just isn’t much of Aaron Rodgers this season. Are we sure he’s good?
Major Major Major Major
Just got back from a dry middle of nowhere Mexico ‘vacation’ with my family including two girls aged six and ten who wouldn’t stop rehearsing The Lion King.
So it’s pizza and beer for me right now.
Sick of politics? Media blackout? Read my story! No trump there.
https://imjustthisguyyouknow.wordpress.com/category/the-fish/
Elizabelle
@SiubhanDuinne: On the Trump thread, Steeplejack reports it might have been shortstop, in September, who first came up with lithe duck.
Major Major Major Major
As long as that one’s in moderation, go Broncos!!
Elizabelle
@efgoldman: And Betty missed the SyFy Twilight Zone marathon, although episodes are free on the internet (youtube, hulu, whatever), and I think there’s a marathon every year …
Major Major Major Major
@Elizabelle: I remember an MST3K marathon in 2014(?)
That was awesome. Thanksgiving maybe.
Mike J
Seahawks v Vikings. Last meeting 38-7. Here’s to a rerun.
Betty Cracker
Gyad, I hate that child-abusing piece of shit Adrian Peterson.
Betty Cracker
@Elizabelle: The pups stayed home this trip. Boxers aren’t great canoe dogs. At least mine aren’t.
Mike J
@Betty Cracker: If you bring them to Seattle,we can try them on a sailboat.
Emerald
I have been wasting time doing online jigsaw puzzles at this free jigsaw puzzle site. You can click on existing puzzles and do them, or you can make your own from photos you find.
So I made this jigsaw of Steve, Cat of Balloon Juice. Here is the link: http://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=07315623b17b&pieces=182
Choose “Start a New Game” to begin. Also note that the puzzle gives you a satisfying “click” when you place a piece correctly. Enjoy!
mainmata
Florida has been so screwed by human predators and yet there’s still so much richness. Of course, it will be big time destroyed through climate change especially South Beach, southern Florida and the Gulf Coast. Sorry that’s already baked in and a lot worse in just a few short decades.
Omnes Omnibus
@Elizabelle: I didn’t realize one could chose more than one trauma per person.
Temporarily Max McGee (Soon Enough to Be Andy K Again)
@Corner Stone:
With the injuries on the offensive line and at the #1 WR position (no one has stepped up to be even a reasonable facsimile of Nelson this season), the only thing I can really say is wrong is that the Pack have very little in the way of depth (this includes the ILB position, too).That’s a GM and/or coaching problem.
Yutsano
@Mike J: Inasmuch as I love the idea of the Crackers coming to visit, the fact is boxers don’t swim very well. So there’s that.
Side note: Will be in town January 28-31st. Meet-up a definite possibility as I’ll have a fairly fluid schedule most evenings. Also if an opening comes open may be grabbing it although keeping that powder dry for right now. Hoping Hawai’i gets on the table soon.
Omnes Omnibus
@Temporarily Max McGee (Soon Enough to Be Andy K Again): The team really needs spare O-linemen.
ThresherK (GPad)
@Emerald: How am I supposed to trim the pieces of a virtual jiigsaw puzzle with scissors?
Major Major Major Major
@ThresherK (GPad): virtual scissors, duh.
Mike J
@Yutsano: I’ll book up the time now, let me know when.
Elizabelle
@Omnes Omnibus: Yeah, that took a while for me too.
ETA: One quibble: I thought “shattering heartbreak” was a fine answer for both Lord and Lady Crawley. Was thinking of losing Sybil, which was horrible.
But NYTimes was counting it more as romantic love ….
Omnes Omnibus
@Elizabelle: I’ll watch Ep. 1 of Season 6 tomorrow. Tonight was the Packer-Vikings game.
David Koch
49ers axe Jim Tomsula
Black Monday has now become Black Sunday Nite
Emerald
@ThresherK (GPad): Aha! No cheating!
However, at the bottom left of the screen are some nifty controls. The right-hand one lets you change the color of the background, etc. You can “ghost” the photo, start over, etc.
Warning. It is addictive. John put up such a great pic of Steve the other day that I couldn’t resist making him into a puzzle.
Suzanne
I had the last week off of work, which, coupled with the Christmas holiday, has meant that I have had ten and a half glorious days off. We are saving our money for a trip, so this is the first time in a few years that we haven’t gone out of town over the winter break. I spent much of the week organizing and cleaning. (No, I haven’t read that Marie Kondo book, because I’m pretty good at it already.) I did our Harry Potter closet, the linen closet, the pantry, my-and-Mr.-Suzanne’s closet, and StY’s closet. I am not done with StE’s closet yet. I hate doing the kids’ closets because they have so much CRAP, much but not all of it purchased for them by my mom, who engages in retail therapy by proxy. I also hate how many toys have so goddamn many pieces of which to keep track and store. However, it is much, much improved. I never cease to be amazed how people can get so sentimental about stuff. I hate stuff. I have a few items that are very meaningful to me, but my mom saves every greeting card she ever receives, and has trunks full of framed photographs. AAAAHHHHHHHH that is my hell.
We are looking at possibly leaving Arizona in the next 12-18 months. I like to be organized anyway, but I want to be ready to have a flawless move if/when we do go.
Elizabelle
New Yorkers: Laurie Anderson is giving a Concert for Dogs (and their people) Monday night (later today) in Times Square. Wish I could be there.
From the NY Times:
Laurie Anderson is always into interesting stuff. Article’s good, even if you and/or your dog are otherwise committed late tonight.
Elizabelle
@Suzanne: You are so much better at not accumulating stuff than I am. Would be a good trait to have.
ETA: and not being sentimental about inanimate objects.
Are you at liberty to say where you might be going in 12-18 months?
PurpleGirl
Glad to hear you enjoyed your weekend of camping and not being wired. We should all try to do that every so often to help our mental health.
What did you think of Downton Abby, season 6, episode 1? I also watched the show somewhat later about Highclere Castle and Carnarvon family.
Omnes Omnibus
@PurpleGirl: No spoilers, please. I can’t watch until tomorrow.
PurpleGirl
@Emerald: I love JigsawPlanet — just love it love it love it. I keep it open on a tab all the time and go and back and forth between doing puzzles and blog reading.
Just did your puzzle. Good job.
Emerald
@PurpleGirl: Ah, thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Spread the word about Jigsaw Planet!
Suzanne
@efgoldman: @Elizabelle: We’re looking at Denver. I miss winter weather so badly, and it is approximately the same cost-of-living-wise as Phoenix, but with less crAZy. We wouldn’t be able to afford New England, and my husband hates it, for some reason. I adore it, and many of my relatives are there, but no dice. We went to Denver last month and thought it was great, though. I want to finish this building I’m doing right now, though. Should be done in almost exactly one year from now.
Suzanne
@efgoldman: THE TOYS stress me out. So many fucking PIECES. It’s godawful.
I was the kid who never lost pieces to anything, always had my crayons in color order and perfectly sharpened, and had perfect handwriting by the time I was six. Type A. My children are….less so. Which is probably better for them in the long run, but HOLY FUCK I HAVE SO MANY PIECES OF MY LITTLE PONY SHIT.
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: Nerd.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus: Yes. Wanna fight me?
@efgoldman: It’s been a few years. I should get up there. I wish your damn houses weren’t like a half-million bucks. FFS.
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: Nah, I am too cool for that.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus: Ahuh.
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: I owned Wayfarers before you were born.
Origuy
I must protest! Haggis is a tasty way to use a collection of offal that would otherwise be thrown away. Trump, on the other hand, is not in any way tasty.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus: That makes you fuckin’ old, dude.
Suzanne
@efgoldman: Yeah, see, that’s a problem. We will need at least four bedrooms, and I already have a 45-each-way commute. I’d like for that to be shorter, or be near a park-and-ride. I hate driving.
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: Sure. But that wasn’t the question.
Suzanne
@Omnes Omnibus: I don’t really want to go back to work tomorrow.
Omnes Omnibus
@Suzanne: Who does?
Temporarily Max McGee (Soon Enough to Be Andy K Again)
@Omnes Omnibus:
Thing is is that they need wideouts and inside linebackers just as badly. Time for Thompson to shop in the free agency market, I think.
hitchhiker
You can get it here:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/trump-fart/nnofgdacbbjeoiffggfelolcckjlocon
Makes the news much more fun.
grascarp
It’s best to be cautious when camping on that river. There is a reason you see the homes perched high above the river on steep banks. The water can rise very quickly when it rains a little farther north and requires choosing camping ground that remains high and dry. The Florida Trail runs along part of the Suannee and hikers should be cautious of camping on the water’s edge.
gogol's wife
@Elizabelle:
Thanks for the link but I have a number of nits to pick with that quiz. It’s highly imprecise and inaccurate!
Anyway, I love the season opener. Lots of Daisy and Carson and Patmore and Violet and Isobel, which is all I ask.