THE GREETINGS AND IDLE CHAT THREAD 2018

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Indeed. I can only wish you are as happy as we are--it don't get no better than this!

[mrbooks]

Ori happiness oh yes we have that. After 36 years if I'm not happy she tells me so and how to fix it, LOL. In all seriousness yup you bet your bippy we are happy.

[Groovy]

Awww, you two:) I'm so glad there are those that are.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Went out this morning and spent some mad money on a bottle of Lush's "Amelie Mae" perfume. It reminds me of something but I don't know what! Not a smell, but a place or an event.

[mrbooks]

Don't think about it and it will come to you

[Groovy]

My words exactly.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Usually I don't have to wonder. Do they still make Irish Spring soap? One sniff and I am back in the dorms during my freshman year at college, hearing "Pop Music" by a band called M.

"New York, London, Paris, Munich--everybody talk about mmmpop music! Talk about! Pop music!"

That sad little ditty would grow up to be what we know as rap, though fortunately not at the hands of M.

[mrbooks]

Rap ? Crap ? you can make up your own mind, mines dun made up

[Groovy]

Don't pick on the earlier rap, that's classic:)

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Anybody here remember "Rapper's Delight"? Came out the summer I first came to Spain and even made it over here.

"Ho-tel, mo-tel, Holiday INNNNNNN!"

The little white smalltown Midwesterners in the Regent's tour group couldn't believe their ears, not even those from Iowa City, aka Sin City!

[mrbooks]

Nope just not for me, Just give me some good old rock and roll Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Beethoven, Strauss, Bach and Queen.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Not forgetting Procol Harum!!

[Lexie]

Any band with a Latin name can't be all bad!

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Lexie wrote: "Any band with a Latin name can't be all bad!"

I don't know how many times I've had to explain the lyrics of "Whiter Shade of Pale" to confused Spanish men of a certain age. LOL

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

It drives me nuts when you're watching a live show of theatre or skating or whatever, and every 15 seconds they're cutting to a member of the audience. People, I don't want to see the spectators, I want to see the show!! Especially when it's something like special acrobats or whatever--let me see what they're doing, not how some Average Joe or Jane feels about it!! It's so annoying, especially when something happens on stage but since they're focussing on somebody in the audience, all you get is the gasp. What Happened???

[Groovy]

I hear ya. I didn't pay all that money to watch how Joe or Jane reacts. But, I think it's their way of engaging people so they'll want to come back.

[Patriciaenola]

Well I agree with you guys - it is having the reverse effect - if they seek to engage people - how many do you think they have lost - because some viewers are discriminating people

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Heeey Miss Patty! Good to see you in here!! Hope you are well.

[Patriciaenola]

Yes very well mi cara Principessa de Wombliti - now having sorted Incredimail out - yeah right well largely sorted any how I have found a calling - a time in hopital and fractured hip et cetera- I now have taken up with Knit for Peace - it involves making things for the Kids to keep warm at night - in those hot and dry places I am informed little refugees get half FROZEN - at night poor lil beggars - what I need now is - sign off back later - I might be said to have invaded - I yip too much

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

A welcome invader if ever there was one!

[Patriciaenola]

Yay what a Viking good idea

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Absolutely Geat, couldn't be better!

[Groovy]

I hope everyone's okay. 2019 will be here very soon, and I wish you all the best. Things aren't going to get any better for us, but I know we will all survive through it. I guess we're too busy to wibble about words, and show off our expertise with jokes and puns anymore. Life calls. Maybe one day we'll all connect again. Until then, take care of yourselves, hug your loved ones, and be the reason someone smiles.


THANK-YOU FOR ALL THE "PUN" WE HAD:) BYE!!!!

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Gosh, Groovy--hope you're OK! That post sounds kinda down.

[Groovy]

Oh my goodness, No! I didn't mean for it to sound that way. I just realized that we're all probably too busy to keep in contact like we used to. I was trying to say that I still think about all of you and maybe we can pick this up again one day. Sorry if it came out the wrong way.

Let's see. How can I be more upbeat: 2019 will be here soon. Let's make the best of it. (that's the best I can do--LOL!) Now it's your turn...

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

I am really enjoying our version of Christmas. Here in Spain the 24th is the big day for some reason. I made a curried duck roast with roast potatoes which refused to get brown and crunchy. Ah well.
I became curious about my recipe, which is good, but I began to think. The book I got it from is Rick Stein's India, which came out when spice rubs for "pulled pork" and such were all the rage. None of my Indian cookbooks or websites talk about roasting whole birds or other critters; rather things are usually cooked in a sauce. I toddled off to do a little websearch of your actual blogs and websites made by your actual Indian people.

Guess what? "Kerala roast" duck or chicken is not actually roast, but fried and then finished off in a sauce.

I was right. Stein adapted an authentic idea to his own preferences and palmed it off as a "traditional Keralan dish." Which it is not.

This gives me an excuse to buy another duck and experiment.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

BTW I know it's my turn to start the 2019 Chat thread, since we can't depend on MrBooks and no one else seems to contribute anyway.

[Groovy]

That's what I was saying, Ori. But I'm glad it lasted as long as it did. And hopefully, we'll all be able to reconnect.

I hope your duck turns out the way you want...

[Patriciaenola]

One here hopes to contribute more often - I am in dire need of some idle chat - had a new kitchen installed - and actually now have only half of the worktop counter-space to clear - which can be done tomorrow - I hope I do not offend but if you think CAT - Cheffie little Rick Stein puts my back up - when he went to India - he was playing the part of "slightly superior but awfully educated British traveller" he spoke carefully accentless English and came over as a bit of a TWERP to my bleary old eyes - oops has that put the Cat among the pigeons there, their, they're I feel better now - love to dear Orinoco and to Groovy; hope to be back tomorrow

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

I agree with you whole heartedly, my beloved Patricia! I did enjoy the camera work, India being a beautiful place, but he came across to me as a PRAT, especially when he claimed to know more about Bengalese cooking than his guides!!
Most excellent to see you again and any contributions will be received with cries of gladness by all here.

[Groovy]

Most definitely!!!! Thank-you, Patriciaenola:) Enjoy that new, beautiful kitchen!!

So, Ori, are you going to put up the 2019 Idle chat thread?

[Patriciaenola]

Writers of Messages 480 and 481 I hope to join in more often - I am much at ease here as I am usually when in pleasant company
I am happy to report the Galley is in good nick and the deck has been swabbed - the requisite glass-ware has been filled
Yea most verily my cup doth run over - I hope to be back tomorrow
Orinoco - por favor mi cara Womblita do please as Groovy and I request - consent to opening the faffing new convo - when the time is considered suitable - or I will go Auntie Patti at you - don't make me come over there

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Ladies, ladies! Read Message 477, where I said I would start the 2019 chat thread--but you gotta wait for New Year!! It's still 2018!!

Spent yesterday proofreading a science article for publication. They are so gonna have to do more than that!! I am no botanist and I realised they really didn't have anything new to say.

[Patriciaenola]

WHEW - thanks - four days - if you count today -
Thank you Dear Orinoco Womblita Suprema
Tu Sierva que agita tu mano

[Groovy]

It's so nice that we're keeping in touch. I don't know what happened to mrbooks, but I'm so glad Patriciaenola has joined us:)

Three more days to go. My daughter and I are going to have our we-made-it-through-the-year party where we eat, drink our favorite wines, and party all night with the Rockin' Eve Countdown on TV. Hey, if you can make it to the end of the year without a big catastrophe rearing its ugly head, and you're still breathing, you deserve to party.

I hope y'all will have some party fun, too:)

[Patriciaenola]

Well my dearr Groovy if one a them swine rears its ugly head - the formula here at Villa Patriciaenola is to promounce the first line
of the Special Dissmissal Ritual
"I bid thee gone/ Thou'st made me sore / F*** thou off / and be no more" - then all you need to do is look at the problem and pronounce the rudest word you know Trust me - for I am a Witch - \s in Italian known as a Strega these common rituals work the best
Just had a late delivery from Tesco - good servants of mine those guys nowTTFN

[Groovy]

Good formula, Patriciaenola:)

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

We plan a late lunch or early tea/dinner, with prawn salad, white asparagus and hard-boiled eggs (DH's fave). Have to sit up till late because of the firecrackers (there are a preponderance of Chinese neighbours in our area) but Spanish TV's way of seeing the new year in is pretty darn dull so it will be DVDs for us. I don't want to sit and watch two aging "celebrities" chatter about nothing until midnight, which is what they usually do.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

I just posted the 2019 Idle Chat Thread, since it appears that parts of GR will be down over New Years for maintenance. You can either post here until the 31st or take it to the new thread. Makes no never-mind to me.

[Patriciaenola]

Going to 2019 thread seems good

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

See you there!

[Groovy]

On my way! This is the last thread. Goodbye old 2018 chat:)

[GaryT1965]

Hi everyone, I'm Gary.

I live in Glendale Queens, New York.

I'm a big fan of very funny children's books. :-)

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

This is the chat thread for last year. Check for the 2019 chat thread, Gary, we make one a year.