Seeing the syrup gathering operation is really cool.
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Scorpions are fun, too. At Boy Scout camp in the Texas scrub we put a very lifelike scorpion in the sleeping bag of one of the guys. It had its intended effect. Later, that same boy had to have a tick removed from his unmentionables. I hope he’s doing well but I doubt he enjoys the outdoors much anymore.
Basketball season is over.
I leave for Spring Break in the islands in 8 days, and oh boy, am I getting the fever.
When my brothers and I used to go walking in the great outdoors with our dad all of the chiggers would hop on him so none of us were bothered.
Dad was totally chewed up and would resort to almost a shower of Campho-Phenique liquid to relieve the itch. :eek:
When I walk into the woods or a field, You can actually hear the chiggers stampeding in my direction. I am a chigger magnet. But weirdly, mosquitoes avoid me and rarely bite, but will devour anyone next to me.
I am not bothered by them as much. My mom is a chigger magnet and has strong reactions to their bites. To mosquito bites as well. The homemade bug stuff I make with witch hazel and lemon eucalyptus oil works great for the skeeters but not so much for the chiggers.
you guys can keep your chiggers. We already have deer ticks (with lyme disease) to deal with...and don't even think about sending us any of your meat ticks.
Mosquitos avoid my middle son, but they seem to love me. But they have loved me in the past up to the point where now I barely care. It's been like extended allergen therapy: I've been so exposed to so much mosquito venom that, even though as a child/young adult I reacted to them strongly, now when I am bitten I can't even tell after about 10 minutes. Mosquitos carry diseases, of course, so I'd prefer not to get bitten, but if I am, well...*shrug*.
Camper Van Beethoven?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAkcSd5l9Qg
Where I live now, we have no mosquitoes. It's a wonderful spot, but it ain't cheap.
I once went night fishing in the Mosquito Lagoon near Cape Canaveral. It is appropriately named.
They were thick and bite right through lightweight clothing.
There were two of us on a flats boat. We each had our own can of mosquito repellent, which I had to reapply about every ten minutes.
I came through the night in relatively good condition, and also caught a very nice redfish.
My fishing partner kept his can in his right hand all night and was constantly spraying, but forgot to switch hands.
By the end of the night, the back of his right hand was a pile of mosquito welts.
I have documented on multiple occasions my run ins with wasps in my current home. Entirely unprovoked. Except for the times they came after me after the can of wasp and hornet killer ran out. And yes, I buy the value pack.
The answer my friend is...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0Lx3supRTQ&list=RDGMEMc6JZQrQ__ROET3g Gdz-Trw&index=5
You know what you call a dog that does magic?
My dad had a large supply of military issue repellent from the 40’s. It worked great, but smelled like a mixture of diesel fuel and ammonia. I attended The Lost Colony play in Manteo, and had heard how bad the mosquitoes were. So I took a bottle of my dad’s repellent. Sure enough, they mosquitoes were abundant. So I splashed on a large dose of repellent. No more mosquitoes… also no more crowded seats. A radius of about 10 feet of patrons decided to move upwind from me. Including my date.
If anyone has some spare prayers, my sister-in-law took a fall on Monday and has been in ICU. Showed signs of improvement but took a turn for the worse. Waiting for her son to get in town from California.
Anyone who missed Michigan State and Kansas State missed one of the best non-ACC games I have ever watched.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Robert made it in time, barely. She passed a short while ago.
It was spectacular.
I have former roommates from each school. I didn't live with them at the same time. I did however make the same deal with both of them. I'd root for Michigan State/Kansas State in football if they'd root for Duke in basketball, unless their teams were playing Duke. (The deal was made after Magic Johnson left and before Tom Izzo arrived with the MSU roommate.) Both sent me messages to remind me to root for their teams. I had a vested interest in the game even if I couldn't decide who I wanted to win.
Down the stretch, I found I was pulling for K-State. Purple gets me every time.
Sorry to hear that DinK.
Star Wars themed female heavy metal band called Sleia.
Well, Google must have read this thread because the stuff showing up in my Discover feed(new tab) is a smorgasbord of mother nature.
Weekend in spring = time to mow the lawn
Bathroom sink drain cleaned. Fun stuff!
My Varsity quiz bowlers lived up to the precedent set by their JV teammates a few weeks ago and won another state championship today.
The Boss in Greensboro! Suck it Boeheim.
Fau, fau, fau...
The board refuses to let me capitalize.
Can they both lose?
The United States took home the gold in ice dance, silvers in pairs and men's singles, and just missed the podium with a 4th place finish by Isabeau LeVito in the women's singles at the World Figure Skating Championships this week in Saitama, Japan.
Just an FYI.
Another FYI - Figure skating is much more fun to watch when the Russians aren't there.
Cleaning out a long neglected closet in my childhood home. Found a long-lost baby picture of my grandmother, dated June 1902. Really relieved to have found it. Also found pics of my great grandparents that were developed onto glass. Thankful they are still in one piece. And found slides my dad took when he went to Europe between high school and Duke. Pics of Homecoming Fall 1959.
And my grandfather's (who died long before I was born) glee club picture from The U of Penn ~1924.
I didn’t know that The Varsity had a team. I’d’a bet on the Chic-fil-A team tbh.
(Super cool congrats!!!!)
I made a % increase joke/attack for Bostondevil in the transfer/declaring for the NBA thread. Also how is the beach MtnDevil?
Anyone got Emerald Isle rainy day suggestions? Other than sitting in the hot tub and doing crosswords and jigsaw puzzles?
Is today the day I go around with the level and straighten all the pictures?
Chainsawing.
Daughter CB starts her 1st day on the job at the Kennedy Center tomorrow. You would be amazed at the paltry salary but maybe they’ll give her an office overlooking the Potomac.
If it keeps on rainin’, levee’s goin’ to break
If it keeps on rainin’, levee’s goin’ to break
When the levee breaks, I’ll have no place to stay
Thanks! An office? Well in theater by definition: "An office is staffed by people who help ensure good attendance in safe facilities. They help ensure the theatre remains financially solvent, that it is well run, and that it is perceived as an asset to the community it serves." So...whatever the opposite of that is. Usually a place for actors to live who just had their primary residences towed by the city.
Monday is much more palatable when
a) you get to wear your 'Pythons Quiz Bowl' shirt and field state championship compliments from friends & colleagues all day (Yes, my school's mascot is the Pythons, and yes, that is rad)
b) Spring Break is but a few days away; in fact, the number of hours before departure for the Keys is about to be in double digits.
Life is good and my heart is full.
After a working weekend (well, Saturday at least), I’ve now somehow managed to give my students a pretty freaking stellar crash course in Russian history and culture on a gray Monday morning the week before Spring Break.
Engaging cruise control.
Layoffs start tomorrow. Always an interesting process.
zoom call in the evening is inhumane
Flying to Ottawa. I packed a coat. River will still be partially frozen
Had the first night of auditions for 12th Night last night. Second night is Wednesday. Callbacks are Thursday.
I asked a widow if I could have a word at the funeral. I stood up and said "Plethora"'. She said "Thanks, that means a lot".
I was having a meeting a couple weeks ago, when an org announcement for the team I was meeting with was sent mid-call. Recognizing I had lost my audience, I wrapped up the meeting in a couple minutes. No sense in wasting people's time when they can't focus.
Treacherous times in the northern regions, especially for those who didn't excel at science. We've had about six guys die in recent weeks falling thru the ice on their four wheelers as they go ice fishing...happens every year, guys drivie remarkably close to open water.
Despite warnings from the state and fish and game people, there are always dullards who drive amazingly close to open water. Most of the time they get away with it, but I'm not sure these are the kind of folks who learn a whole lot from the "first guy."
A lake where we visit in the summers often has early season entertainment: the state requires that vehicles that fall through the ice (and I'm talking about some $60,000 trucks among other things) have to be retrieved by the owners...so specialized companies come in, send divers down to the vehicle (fortunately the lake isn't terribly deep) and they attach massive rubber balloons to the truck, inflate them, up pops the vehicle. Can't be inexpensive, makes for interesting viewing.
Survive and advance
It is funny to see Springtime signs at places like Starbucks when it is 27° and there are 20 foot snow piles in all the parking lots and 3 inches of fresh powder on the ground. They have no concept of what Spring actually is. Now saying that, I love the summers up here and the people are wonderful. I have a big whiteboard lecture at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario today. Should last 2+ hours if they want to chat and ask questions. I love this part of the job.
Beaufort, NC springtime suggestions? Food, activities, etc?
Denizens of the LTE I have met in IRL (including those from way back): wilson, Ymo, TillyGalore, aimo, CathyCA, OzzieforDuke, and one more whose IRL name I remember but posting name do not so I'll call him LemurExpert and hope you know which tall guy I'm talking about. I think that's it. I met a few other regular DBR but not LTE posters at a Wally Wade tailgate although CameronBornandBread used to post here, IIRC.
Clem has talked to my father on the phone but I don't think that counts. ;)
BD did me a real solid at a moment in my life when I was poor, rather lonely, and rather bored, and I haven't forgotten what it meant to me.
That was Lavabe. He crashed with me one time at at my mom's house one time while passing through Atlanta and we stayed up late over an epic evening of Scrabble. He still gives me a shout whenever he passes through town. He's a gem of a human being.
I've been listening to Jimmy Buffett all day while grading the last round of papers before Spring Break. I'll head in to my tropical paradise week with everything still up to date, by far the latest in any school year I've ever been able to say that.
I'm so excited I literally have tears in my eyes, and just to be blunt...I deserve this one.
just broke in a new hairtician, traded Traci for Tracy, she has promise.
I haven't had a haircut in 6 months, and that one brought it back to shoulder length.
My hair is currently the longest it's ever been.
The only weapon I use is my rapier-like wit.
I have a shaved head and visible tattoos so I can look like a crazy person when called upon. This occurred yesterday getting off of the plane in Toronto. I refuse to be pinned in my seat while people from the rows behind me pass me to exit the plane. It's just piss poor airplane etiquette. If you want to exit the plane earlier, spring for a better ticket. This is especially true if the plane is on time. I'm more forgiving if people say they have an exceptionally tight connection and we're running a bit behind. But this was just someone trying to push forward to get out of the plane before I did and it didn't go down that way. Because I put my hand on the seat across the aisle, made really good eye contact and stepped out into the aisle. I'm very mild-mannered but I don't like people being disrespectful.
This is true. But I feel like you should get a universal cash bonus just for completing puberty so...yeah, Wilson has it tough, but his students at that age have it much tougher.
I have yet in life to meet anyone...ANYONE...who's like, 'yeah, middle school was the best time of my life'.
Almost there...
There now, I think, but almost there for something else.
I love the number 60, by the way. It's divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. I think of it as magical.
Or just 42?
not divisible by 5, but it is the answer to every question.
Also - if you are into geophysics, 42 is the conversion factor between gammas and nanoteslas (units for magnetic anomalies)
and 41.91 (which is close to 42) is the constant in the Bouguer correction for gravity anomalies
So Marijuana is legal in Canada. I can partake of legal substances. But I only get the paranoia. None of the other effects. Strange.
So last night I go to bed at 10:45. At 10:46 I can hear my loud Weather Radio alert system going off, announcing a strong squall moving across Vermont...narrow but potent.
One minute later I hear the wind howling and snow/sleet pounding the bedroom window, moments later big lightning and snow thunder (cool) and then a loud crack as a 70 foot pine keeled over in the yard...the entire episode took about two minutes, quite impressive...