Archived comment by Billy Bob:
Normally Eve, I agree with you on your comments. But I've had some pretty crappy things happen to me, and just because something like "a black cherry margarita and open toed shoes" cant make a problem go away, doesnt mean it cant make it better. Yeah.

Archived comment by Josie:
I have moved twenty-three times since high school graduation. My parents moved a lot too, and rented out the house. Now they're back in it, it's all renovated, and this is the first Christmas since 1993 that I'm going "home."

Archived comment by daen:
Matt-- I sympathize.
I suppose, in your case, you'd have to settle for "going to my parents' place, where hopefully my meals will appear and my laundry will get done with minimal exertion on my part."

Archived comment by Matt:
Home? Define, please. In the summer of 1997, as I was about to start my last semester of community college, my mom and both siblings moved away from me to join my dad in Oregon, where he'd been working for the previous year, after the U.S. naval shipyard in which he'd been working closed.

For two months I lived next door, in our (ex) landlord's house, then moved in with a friend of mine and his girlfriend. Three months later I moved all my stuff up to northern Oregon (I've been more stimulated watching grass grow) for the winter break, then moved to Berkeley for the start of the spring semester. A year and a half later I moved into an until-recently fraternity house. Fifteen months later (and still a Cal student) I was kicked out of that place when another frat took it over. I moved into a frat house where I friend of mine from a former life (practically) lived, moved out nine months later to sublet an apartment for the summer as a favor to a friend of mine, then moved back into the aforementioned frat house at the end of the summer. I lived in the frat house for another nine months, moved into another summer sublet, had no place to go when the summer ended, crashed at a friend's place for a month, then moved into back room in a private house in Richmond (part of the armpit of the Bay Area). Stayed there five weeks, then moved into a house that has two other guys, both friends. I've been here a week now.

So I haven't been "home for Christmas" since 1996. There's my parents' house, but not home.

Archived comment by umrguy:
umrgut? that BETTER have been a typo... ya know, if I wasn't so tired, I'd come over there and... zzzz

Archived comment by hypoxic:
Heh umrgut said T&A heh heh heh
*end Beavis and Butthead laughs*

Archived comment by ParU:
Here I help Cati pass her Chem final (offlist help) and I don't even get an invite for pizza?

Haruummmph. (*g*)

Archived comment by umrguy:
Our finals week isn't even until next week... and I'm probably gonna be here until next Friday cuz I've got a ton of things to grade for the class I TA....

Archived comment by Bryan:
Cati, I'll be happy to join ya! *grin*

Archived comment by Cati:
Its a toss up between Shakespeare's in Columbia or Uno's in STL. Rakinelli's in the U City Loop is pretty good too!
Ok. Need pizza. Now that my finals are done, I'm going to Columbia for Shakespeare's. Anyone want to join me? lol.

Archived comment by DoughPoet:
Thanks J

*sticks point up by PC*

There are few points in my life right now, how nice to have one, and a library one at that!!

Archived comment by Denise:
I'm not that far from Michegan... and I'm really close to Iowa..

I get to go home for Christmas, myself. Leaving in...11 days.. for Tucson. I can't wait.

It'll only take a day or two to thaw and then it's all good times!!

Archived comment by Bryan:
Kris,

Shakespeare's Pizza is a legendary pizza parlor on Mizzou's campus. Nothin fancy, just the best damn pizza in MO.

Archived comment by Kris the Girl:
Is there anything clever about Shakespeare's Pizza? Does it have 'Ophelia' Olives, or 'sonnet' sausage? Are there quotes on the ads/pizza boxes?
"Out, out, damn sauce!"

or is it just good pizza?

Archived comment by Bryan:
Shakespeare's Pizza and a pitcher of Boulevard.


ahhh....

Archived comment by penguinchick:
I'm nowhere near Missouri, but I've been there cuz my sis went to college there. All I remember about it was Shakespeare's pizza and a mall...oh, and passing for 21 at a bar even though I was only 16. *g*

Archived comment by TheEileen:
Kim Possible rocks! I want to be Sheego - she's got the green lightening hands happening and she's soooo much smarter than Dr. Drakken. And she doesn't seem to have to deal with annoying twin brothers AND homework.

The Proud Family isn't so bad either, although I always feel sorry for the dad, he's sooo outnumbered.

Archived comment by umrguy:
My most humble apologies, igirly, although I did clarify (are from or are going to be from) :)

Yeah, Apple's close enough too.

Archived comment by ParU:
I don't live anywhere near Missouri - but I've visited there a few times.

Archived comment by Intelligirly:
Steff and I were both born in Missouri, too. But to clarify, neither of us is FROM Iowa...we just happen to live there (or will).

I'm getting taken out to lunch today by my immediate co-workers as a going away! Neato!

Archived comment by Apple:
I live 45 miles away from the Illinois/Missouri border.

*grin*

Archived comment by umrguy:
steff and igirly are from Iowa near the Missouri border, or are going to be, don't forget, that's close enough for us :)

Archived comment by J:
DoughPoet have a library point. A libpoint for ad libbing *shrug*.
It's Pratchett. Corporal Littlebottom says it first, but is later repeated in a different book by Mr. Vimes. I thought it was Men at Arms, but it could have been Soul Music.

Archived comment by Cati:
SMSU! HURRAY!

Lots of Missourians here, eh? Neat-o!

E-mail me off-list if anyone has ideas of fun things to do in Mizzou-rah.

SNOW IS COOL!!!

Ok. Back to chemistry. *sigh*

Archived comment by Bryan:
Cati, you're from Springfield? SMSU?

Lessee here. that means from Missouri: You, Me, Monk, UMR, Monty and Brian####

Did I forget anyone?

Archived comment by Apple:
*ahem*

I'll admit it. I'm watching the Mouse Channel right now, too. I know that the song is from Kim Possible. (Rufus is my favorite character.) I watched the Lizzie McGuire Christmas special with Steven Tyler.

What?? I have nephews! I gotta be up-to-date! Sheesh! (They're such a convenient excuse. Hee!)

I'll stop now before this turns into another confessions thread. *grin*

Archived comment by Kris the Girl:
2 cartoon points to Cati!
I love that movie, too. I have a weakness for Disney, I'm not sure where this comes from. In fact, I'm watching Disney right now.
"hello, my name's Kris, and I'm addicted to Disney programming."



(*sings "call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me"*)

Archived comment by Cati:
Kris the Girl-the quote was from Disney's TARZAN.....one of my very *favorite* movies! LOVE IT!

And BTW, I'm proud to be living in Springfield, MO, about 30 miles away from where that story you linked originates. TOTALLY ridiculous!!! *scoffs*

I'm back to watching KC stomp the Rams. *sigh*

Archived comment by Paul:
Saying that that is Skynyrd's best song is like saying it's the best turd laid by the neighborhood stray dog... around here they play so much friggin' Skynyrd and Zeppelin on the "classic rock" stations that I would be a very happy man if I never heard "Freebird" again as long as I live.

Gah.

The quote makes me think of "9th & Hennepin" by Tom Waits, specifically:

And no one brings anything small into a bar around here
They all started out with bad directions
And the girl behind the counter has a tattooed tear
"One for every year he's away", she said
Such a crumbling beauty
ah there's nothing wrong with her that a hundred dollars won't fix
She has that razor sadness that only gets worse
With the clang and the thunder of the Southern Pacific going by...

Archived comment by lord barton:
10 1/2 days here.
and we got a new kitty! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! now I REALLY cant wait to get home!

Archived comment by Bryan:
Sweet Home Alabama- Skynyrd's best song.

Archived comment by Bryan:
Counting today, I've got 6 days to go until this fuckin nightmare of a semester is over.

Off to read for my Tuesday final

Archived comment by Kris the Girl:
11 days for me--I'm with you, though. This semester needs to die.

Archived comment by Obsidiana:
In 10 days, I get to go home. Just 10 more days.

I'll be so glad when this semester is over. I desperately need a break.

Archived comment by Kris the Girl:
69! weeee!

never been to 'bama. I bet if you sing that song, though, they will love you as a daughter.

Archived comment by ophelia:
I think it's sad that the same parisians who are making fun of "ze stiupeed americanz" dont know Alexandre Dumas is. In 9 days i'll be home for christmas!!! (so damn song-ish) The 20th im visiting Alabama (good ol alabama) for the first time if anyone has any recomendations.Then back to florida for new years, then back to Paris... *sigh* I had to share that with someone.

Archived comment by Marla:
...and because I'm stressed and I want to procrastinate, here's a thread-related anecdote:

This has been a super stressful year. Honours in Australia is VERY different to elswhere. It's a bit like doing a masters degree in England and the US. Only you squash it into 8-10 months. I have been VERY, VERY close to the edge at times � sometimes I've taken it out on this site (thankyou for your tolerance!) and sometimes...well sometime's I've chosen frivolity as a cure for all my ills � like ants swarming over my desk and trying to eat my study species!

Haircuts � my hair is hardcore. subtle but hardcore. This year the average time in the hairdresser has been 5 hours. My hairdressers have sent me to sleep with the relaxing atmosphere of the place and they rock!

A very special handbag � this handbag was my savior! It is a geriatric handbag and it has a grey wig attached to it so it looks like I scalped my grandma! The positive and negative comments it has induced have kept me happy!

A pair of purple birkenstocks � they are bright purple clogs and I wear them with all black clothes and bright orange stockings. They also make me happy!

See...all good.

Marla the Tumour esq.
Birkenstock Fetishist Extrodinaire

Archived comment by Jos:
Oh I LOVE the turn this thread's taken! I LIVE trying to explain that to people! Look! The sun is shining! Rock ON! I woke up without a tennis-ball-sized brain tumor today and I'm so glad I did! Merry Christmas, everyone!

Archived comment by lord barton:
i agree too actually. i mean you know, when youre depressed or in a deep-blue funk, how do you return to the land of the living? when someone says something that makes you laugh, or you say screw it and treat yourself to something. She wasnt saying it'd cure cancer, just that you dont need to dwell on it 24 hours a day. My neighbor had cancer when he was 22, and he told me that people would ask him why he would still go to concerts or other strenuous things. He said something like--you may or may not die, but for the moment youre still alive. Don't die mentally before you do physically.

Archived comment by slugbuggy:
I think black cherry margaritas and open toed shoes are some of the things that distract your mind, keeping you from focusing on the dark empty inevitable that will eventually engulf us all.

Like Mike said, you can embellish death all you want but you're still dead.

Until I'm obligated to take that interminable dirt nap, I'll amuse myself with

1) Sock puppets.

2) Camembert-flavored spray cheese.

3) Crashing a board meeting of Kraft Foods with sock puppets as visual aids in hopes that a little impromptu sock puppet theater would effectively demonstrate the need for more sophisticated varieties of spray cheese, such as Camembert.

Sock Puppet Sebastian: "Say, Sock Puppet Gwendolyn, how's that Chickin-in-a-Biscuit cracker tastin'?"

Sock Puppet Gwendolyn: "Mighty bland, Sock Puppet Sebastian. I'd enhance the flavor with spray cheese but the current varieties available just aren't sophisticated enough to warrent the outlay of my dwindling disposable income on a non-durable, value-added consumer good like spray cheese, when I've already got a slab of good ol' regular American cheese festering in the fridge."

Sock Puppet Sebastian: "Excellent point, Sock Puppet Gwendolyn. Perhaps an upscale, boutique line of spray cheese products that play off existing brand name recognition without cannibalizing the current scope of product sales would prove enticing to you, the consumer?"

Sock Puppet Gwendolyn: "And how! Like Gruyere? Or Camembert! Does this wondeful product exist yet?"

Sock Puppet Sebastian: "Sadly, no. But I was talking to Sock Puppet Marketing Guy Raoul, and he figures with an aggressive point of purchase product tie-in strategy and satuation of traditional media we can..."

It just kind of gets silly after that point, so I'll stop.

Archived comment by Jazz:
Liquids in space would boil, due to the immediate reduction in pressure; much like water boiling at about 100 degrees (F) atop large mountains.


What keeps liquids from freezing in space is that the rate of change in temperature is not high enough. By the time the liquid is well enough below it's freezing point to begin to crystalize, it would have already boiled off.

Or so I've been told...

Archived comment by Mike:
Things a margarita and open-toed shoes wouldn't improve:

Falling into a volcano
The cold vacuum of space ("Liquids in space: boil or freeze?")
The Marianas Trench
The Running of the Bulls
An important job interview
A kidney transplant
Alcoholics Anonymous meeting
Your first day of kindergarten (as a student or teacher)
Your own funeral (well, the guests might find it funny)
A visit to a cafe bathroom ("What just splashed my foot?")

Archived comment by Marla:
I SO agree! While black cherry margeritas have never really been my schtick, I embrace the use of frivolity as a solution to everything. For example...

There's nothing that my hairdresser can't make better...
There's nothing that a pair of Birkenstocks won't make better...
There's nothing that a Montechristo #4 cigar won't make better...
There's nothing that Bombay Saphire won't make better...
There's nothing that sashimi won't make better...
There's nothing that a nice vintage coat won't make better...

See, these are the things happiness is made of!

I depend on these things for my sanity. I am handing in my 20 000 word thesis in three days and I am putting these things in my acknowledgments!

Marla the Tumour esq.
Coat Fetishist Extrordinaire

Archived comment by me:
i just think she means that there are some things in life that can cheer a person.
although black cherry margaritas sort of defeat the purpose. but shoes are nice. yah we like shoes. so stop being dicks.

Archived comment by Moggy:
If you want authentic Italian food, the Wine Country is FULL of small wonderful restaurants owned by Italian families... Namelink is a regional list of places to go off the county website. It's fairly easy to tell by name which ones are Americanized and which aren't. ;)

Archived comment by Inuki:
To return to the quote for a moment...

Personally, I think it's ice cream and chocolate that make everything a bit better. Or long-distance phone calls. Or -- well, if any of you really care to see my list of things that make life worth living, the namelink goes to a journal entry. (It was actually a class assignment - everyone liked it.)

/interruption of piranhas

Archived comment by Kris the Girl:
1:"Mom! Mom! It's a Piranha!!"
2:"There are no piranha's in Africa."
3:"Don't tell the kid that!"
2:"But there aren't! There are no piranha's in
----MY BUTT!!!"

*giggles*
do I at least get cartoon points or something?
Wait, ok....2 cartoon points to the first person to name the movie.
*still giggling*

Archived comment by Saint:
Even vegetarian piranhas eat fish. If you don't believe that, try putting another species in the tank with them and count the hours til only piranhas are left. My boss's son has a piranha he calls Hannibal--because, while it will eat goldfish, what it really likes to eat is other piranhas.

Archived comment by Angel:
My only experience with piranhas wasn't through an aunt...but it was through a friend named Mike (6 degrees of piranha separation?).

A big bug landed on me, and we fed it to the piranhas.

Archived comment by Sid:
Restraint as a form of being cranky, it sounds like.