The longest thread ever

[wilson]

The hardest parts of the semester are in the rear view, and we all just gotta get through this week to the holiday break. Saturday morning, my wife and I leave on our adventure to see THE CHRISTMAS TREE OF ALL CHRISTMAS TREES. Woke up this morning with joy and gratitude bursting through. This is the time of year when the children wonder what's gotten into me.

[ClemmonsDevil]

The hardest parts of the semester are in the rear view, and we all just gotta get through this week to the holiday break. Saturday morning, my wife and I leave on our adventure to see THE CHRISTMAS TREE OF ALL CHRISTMAS TREES. Woke up this morning with joy and gratitude bursting through. This is the time of year when the children wonder what's gotten into me.

Nice!!!! You are doing the Lord's work Wilson. I'm headed to lecture at a couple of hospitals in Montreal this morning.

[budwom]

Nice!!!! You are doing the Lord's work Wilson. I'm headed to lecture at a couple of hospitals in Montreal this morning.

need any food recommendations, Meat Guy? If you have never been (it's very busy, but you're probably dining alone, could sit at the bar?) the world famous Pied de Cochon is well worth a visit, French Canadian comfort food
Some years ago my wife and I had them serve us the same seven or eight course meal they served the North American Food Writers, quite possibly the best meal I've ever had. Great environment, fabulous food.

[aimo]

Pretty area. Didn't know they were having fires in the NC mountains. What is it this time of year? Lightning strike. Kind of surprising, you think it'd be wet enough.

It has been VERY dry throughout NC. It did not rain until Saturday afternoon outside of a little sprinkle on Friday.

There was a big fire on Pilot Mt a couple of weeks ago that burned over 1,000 acres. Started by a campfire. And last week there was a fire at Pogue Mt that burned a few hundred acres. Not sure of that source. I am assuming the smokiness was from Pogue, but I could be wrong.

[ClemmonsDevil]

need any food recommendations, Meat Guy? If you have never been (it's very busy, but you're probably dining alone, could sit at the bar?) the world famous Pied de Cochon is well worth a visit, French Canadian comfort food
Some years ago my wife and I had them serve us the same seven or eight course meal they served the North American Food Writers, quite possibly the best meal I've ever had. Great environment, fabulous food.

As Serverus Snape would say, always. Thanks!!!!!

[bundabergdevil]

It has been VERY dry throughout NC. It did not rain until Saturday afternoon outside of a little sprinkle on Friday.

There was a big fire on Pilot Mt a couple of weeks ago that burned over 1,000 acres. Started by a campfire. And last week there was a fire at Pogue Mt that burned a few hundred acres. Not sure of that source. I am assuming the smokiness was from Pogue, but I could be wrong.

Interesting. Seems underreported, at least relative to the Western fires.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

No, hotel. But the air was smoky Friday morning in Black Mountain, I assume from Pogue Mt? We could smell it in our room.

You were in Black Mountain and didn't invite me over for a beer? I thought we were homies.

[bundabergdevil]

Frogs illegally parked are toad.

[wilson]

Frogs illegally parked are toad.

Except, of course, in the rare but notable cases when said vehicles are Frog and Toad Together.
50-Years-Frog-Toad.jpg

[ClemmonsDevil]

Except, of course, in the rare but notable cases when said vehicles are Frog and Toad Together.
50-Years-Frog-Toad.jpg

LOVED Frog and Toad.

[wilson]

LOVED Frog and Toad.

Why is this verb in the past tense?

[bundabergdevil]

Why is this verb in the past tense?

Thought they croaked? RIP, frog and toad.

[aimo]

You were in Black Mountain and didn't invite me over for a beer? I thought we were homies.

My apologies! I did think about my proximity to a fellow DBR poster, but I was there for a family wedding in Asheville (Biltmore) and the weekend was packed. And any breaks were spent crashing at the hotel. An exhausting weekend, and I am just hoping we all stay healthy! Next time, you can buy me beer!

[budwom]

My apologies! I did think about my proximity to a fellow DBR poster, but I was there for a family wedding in Asheville (Biltmore) and the weekend was packed. And any breaks were spent crashing at the hotel. An exhausting weekend, and I am just hoping we all stay healthy! Next time, you can buy me beer!

Those Vanderbilts evidently didn't want any part of our Mtn Devil! He's been railroaded.

[Bostondevil]

I have tickets to the US National Figure Skating Championships in Nashville in January. I bought them back in May. I am starting to think flying to Nashville and attending multiple figure skating events over 5 days the first week of January might not be such a good idea. At this point, I'm still planning to go though.

[OldPhiKap]

Thought they croaked? RIP, frog and toad.

This is gold.

[ClemmonsDevil]

I have tickets to the US National Figure Skating Championships in Nashville in January. I bought them back in May. I am starting to think flying to Nashville and attending multiple figure skating events over 5 days the first week of January might not be such a good idea. At this point, I'm still planning to go though.

If you are boosted it is probably time to just go do whatever you want at this point. Which freaking sucks. But probably true.

[wilson]

If you are boosted it is probably time to just go do whatever you want at this point. Which freaking sucks. But probably true.

Second-hand, but via CDC insiders who work just around the corner and heavily inform my school's ongoing pandemic-related decision making:

[Assuming that you're vaccinated & boosted,] The pandemic, at this point, is over when you decide it is.

The remaining holdouts against vaccination are both the greatest hindrance to "beating" the pandemic, and the most at-risk population moving forward, and those of us who've chosen to appropriately protect ourselves will eventually need to just decide to go back to our lives with the (relatively mild) risk of COVID still present, probably on a more or less permanent basis.

[Bostondevil]

Second-hand, but via CDC insiders who work just around the corner and heavily inform my school's ongoing pandemic-related decision making:
The remaining holdouts against vaccination are both the greatest hindrance to "beating" the pandemic, and the most at-risk population moving forward, and those of us who've chosen to appropriately protect ourselves will eventually need to just decide to go back to our lives with the (relatively mild) risk of COVID still present, probably on a more or less permanent basis.

I am actually already there, mostly. I've been out to karaoke nights with my theater friends twice in the last 6 weeks or so. I acted in a live theatrical production. I've been to see theatrical productions every weekend since R&J closed. I'm going to The Nutcracker at the Boston Ballet right before Christmas. The one thing I haven't done yet though is attend sporting events. That's been my sticking point. I also decided against hosting my annual Winter Solstice Dessert Open House. It will return in 2022.

[wilson]

I am actually already there, mostly. I've been out to karaoke nights with my theater friends twice in the last 6 weeks or so. I acted in a live theatrical production. I've been to see theatrical productions every weekend since R&J closed. I'm going to The Nutcracker at the Boston Ballet right before Christmas. The one thing I haven't done yet though is attend sporting events. That's been my sticking point. I also decided against hosting my annual Winter Solstice Dessert Open House. It will return in 2022.

I've been to a couple of concerts that required vax proof in recent weeks. I'll be attending a couple of shows early next week in NYC that require proof of vaccination and are then mask-optional once inside.
I won't mask in those places, not because I'm anti-mask, but because I've done everything I can do to protect myself, and I'll be in venues and a community (NYC on the whole) that saw first-hand the implications of overwhelming pandemic conditions and has in response been as diligent as possible in choosing to take individual precaution to help produce community safety. On the other hand, there are other places in my hometown and will be travel-related locations for me in the coming days where I'm asked to mask, and I'll do so without any fuss.
For me, it's just time. There won't be a single "lightbulb moment" for us all, so I'm making my personal choice now that I'm comfortable.