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Welcome to a hole-y Fiesta Friday!

Altaira Superuser Jun 2, 4:18pm Views: 841 Welcome to a hole-y Fiesta Friday! While many holy holidays are in the past for 2023, today is perhaps the most important hole-y holiday of them all in the U.S.. It's National Donut Day!!! Today in the U.S., many places are offering free, or mega-discounted donuts. So, if you have that particular sweet tooth, be sure and get out and get yourself a donut today. For everyone else, guess what's on the dessert menu for the Fiesta buffet? B.G. and I made it back from our last adventure earlier this week. In total, by car, plane or ship, our little trip totaled just shy of 25,000 miles (about 40,100 km). Yes, from door-to-door we went around the globe from east to west. It was a lot of turning our clocks back, lol! When we got home, it had been raining so much this spring it looked more like Ireland than Colorado, and there's more rain to come, so everything is green and, dare I say, lush (a word not often used to describe our climate). What have you been doing this week? Any fun plans for the weekend? Do tell! The Fiesta bar has lots of coffee and coffee drinks on tap (to go with the donuts, of course), as well as all your favorite libations. And, after you finish the soups, sandwiches, and salads, you can find your favorite donut, donut hole, eclair, etc. *kicks juke box* Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond starts to play. Sweet...get it? Happy weekend, everyone!! (This post was edited by Altaira on Jun 2, 4:20pm)

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Jun 2, 4:35pm Views: 818 Good times never seemed so good! What an amazing trip you've had, and you went around the world in less than 80 days! So when you got home, was it yesterday or tomorrow? I stopped at our local mom-and-pop for a dozen donuts for my colleagues this morning. A nice variety, from Boston creme and toasted coconut to caramel-apple and maple-bacon (yes, they do put crushed bacon on top!). Could I have an iced mocha, please? It's 85F/29C here! Tomorrow will be cooler and a bit rainy, but I hope to get outside and spread around some mulch my neighbor has left for me, and figure out what to plant in a little area that slopes a bit. Mama Skunk has been coming around to get breakfast under our birdfeeders, I'm hoping at some point she'll be accompanied by little ones! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

Altaira Superuser Jun 2, 4:53pm Views: 813 Iced mocha, coming up! Oh, I hope the baby skunks turn up. Cute, but not cuddly, lol. What a great way to benefit bird and beast without endangering the birds. Sounds like you've made good progress on your yard and garden. Hopefully it will stay cooler than warmer this weekend for your next project. Happy weekend!!

cats16 Half-elven Jun 2, 5:14pm Views: 814 Oof! I've been trying to cut back on sugar, but may have to indulge in a donut this weekend to celebrate. What a great trip you had, it sounds like! I'm sure it's quite a feeling to suddenly be back home. Do you have the next trip lined up yet? It's dreary and cool here still in SoCal. I think we'll hit the 70s this weekend, luckily. Some sunshine is really all I need! We even got a little rain mid-week, so it would seem Spring just doesn't want to disappear. Work was the classic "4 day week and everyone wants to get everything done all at once," so I'm excited to relax this weekend. We're seeing my girlfriend's nieces in a dance recital, which should be very cute to watch. Otherwise I think we'll try to keep things lowkey. Wishing everyone a great weekend! Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!

Annael Immortal Jun 2, 5:14pm Views: 815 *takes two Krispy Kremes* I can only have the virtual ones, so I'm grabbing two! I too am back from my travels, although I only went about 10% as far as you - down to San Diego & back! But I was gone for 18 days, by far the longest trip I've taken in many years. It's mostly a blur now but I very much enjoyed hanging out with my nephew and his boys, kayaking off La Jolla with a good friend, breakfast out at Mission Beach with the youngest great-nephew who has always been my best buddy of the bunch, and dinner at Old Town with the whole crew. Glad to be home now with my kitty, my blossoming garden, and my nice clean deep bathtub! I am a dreamer of words, of written words. -- Gaston Bachelard * * * * * * * * * * NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967

cats16 Half-elven Jun 2, 5:15pm Views: 810 Sounds lovely! It seems like everywhere other than here is having a beautiful early summer with lots of warm weather. Have fun with the mulching! Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!

Altaira Superuser Jun 2, 5:30pm Views: 806 70s? Brrrr! California has a reputation for being sunny and warm, but can be downright chilly at times fall, winter, and spring. Colorado will have warmer weather than you will this weekend! Ah yes, I remember some of those 4-day work weeks that undo any relaxation from three-day weekends. Glad you survived it! How old are the dancers? Sounds adorable. Have a good one!

Altaira Superuser Jun 2, 5:34pm Views: 806 Krispy Kreme! Once B.G. found out it was National Donut day that was it. I'm now sitting here with a plate of two real-life Krispy Kreme donuts with a few more to work on throughout the day. Sounds like such a wonderful trip! There's so much to do in San Diego. To be able to do it with family and friends sounds perfect. But, here's to being home!!

cats16 Half-elven Jun 2, 7:15pm Views: 799 I think most of the US will be warmer than us! I'm curious if this means we're going to have a brutal summer, once it does eventually arrive. Thanks! Yeah, sometimes you end up resenting the 3 day weekends, just knowing it's not always worth it in the end once you're back. The dancers are 4 and 6, so with them and all of their friends we're expecting a lot of entertainment and cuteness. Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!

Greenwood Hobbit Valinor Jun 2, 8:09pm Views: 797 Wow, I can't imagine a trip that long! You will have gathered a good harvest of memories along with the jetlag etc! I've never been much of a donut fan; they weren't a big thing when I was growing up. Eclairs, on the other hand... ~slurp~ We do have various Krispy Kreme outlets and I've admired the look of them, but never tried one. Today I've been looking after the family dog while the family had a day out; then I swapped the dog for the grandsons, who have come for a sleepover. The hot (well, around 20C which is like summer round here!) dry spell continues, so I'll be out with the hosepipe tomorrow evening. Everything is starting to look stressed! I'm enjoying a glass of vintage English cider this evening, for a change - very refreshing. Cheers, folks! How about a blast from the past, a Merseybeat band from the 60s - The Searchers, with 'Sweets for my Sweet'? Very appropriate for the sugary theme! Drat - link's not appearing, I am the kiss of death to this process... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQDi1KRJJeY (This post was edited by Altaira on Jun 2, 8:20pm)

Altaira Superuser Jun 2, 8:28pm Views: 792 Yummy song! I made the link clickable, btw. I'm not a huge donut an either, but once a year I can manage to choke a few down. Sounds like a fun beginning to your weekend! Keep cool and enjoy the rest of it!

Greenwood Hobbit Valinor Jun 2, 8:44pm Views: 791 Thanks very much for sorting the link - those boys look so tidy, bless 'em! One of my Dad's apprentices was a roadie for Gerry and the Pacemakers (Ferry Cross the Mersey and You'll Never Walk Alone) and I used to have a signed photo of them - no idea what happened to it.

grammaboodawg Immortal Jun 2, 10:28pm Views: 789 *flying tackle hug!* Welcome Back!!! :D What an incredible, massive happening B.G. and you have had! You've literally conquered the World! :D WOW! It's wonderful to have you back safe and sound... and slightly drenched :D Send some of that rain over to Michigan!!! The last light rain we had was late on Saturday, May 6th!!! No rain is predicted for at least another week. The grass is brown and crackles as you walk on it from the 90degree average weather. I'm watering my vulnerable trees and plants at least once a day for the past 2 weeks. We've also got air-quality alerts for those vulnerable to breathing problems from the smoke hazing our air from Canada's heartbreaking, massive forest fires over the past couple of weeks. A great majority of Michigan is covered with trees... so we're keeping our fingers crossed and being vigilant with all the camping and cook-outs going on nowadays. But on to a more important topic.... ICE CREAM AND DONUTS!!! I don't believe I couldn't find a pic of the most incredible dessert served at our local, old-fashioned drive-in restaurant... so here's the closest I could find. Use your imagination... Put this fried, large, crispy donut hole in the bottom of this dish of ice cream, hot fudge, whip cream and put that cherry on top! The hot fudge and donut are STILL WARM! I cry openly just thinking about it. *slaver, slurp* Whenever my Balti family visits, we MUST go and get this! *sigh* So... anything else going on has just blasted outta my mind. Thanks for taking such great care of us... and WELCOME HOME! We have been there and back again. TIME Google Calendar

grammaboodawg Immortal Jun 2, 10:37pm Views: 788 You want MORE skunks!?! You BRAVE, BRAVE SOUL!!!! :D They really are fun to watch and are beautifully marked; but I'll enjoy them from WAY OVER HERE! ;) When we lived on campus when the kids were little, our youngest (about 3yo) was playing in the sandbox near where we were sitting and talking to some neighbours. I heard her saying, "Kitty, kitty, kitty" as she was waddling off and I saw her reaching out for the skunk under the nearby bushes!!! That cleared the playground pretty quick! I hope you have a great weekend and can get some quality mulch-time in there! We have been there and back again. TIME Google Calendar

grammaboodawg Immortal Jun 2, 10:41pm Views: 787 That sounds like a great weekend :) A recital and then some peaceful time... especially after such a busy week!!! I hope you have a great time... and moreso a great time indulging in that donut!!! :D We have been there and back again. TIME Google Calendar

grammaboodawg Immortal Jun 2, 10:51pm Views: 788 There's no place like home :) There really is no place like home after a long time away. Your relationship with your nephew and his boys will always have that special tweek to it after having so much time and fun together! Enjoy that tub time!!!! :D We have been there and back again. TIME Google Calendar

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Jun 2, 11:24pm Views: 785 Thanks, Altaira! And enjoy your weather - I understand it's been a bit cooler than usual, but still pleasant! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Jun 2, 11:25pm Views: 783 Well... This is New England: just wait a minute and the weather will change completely! Looks like I'll be dealing with soggy mulch tomorrow... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Jun 2, 11:29pm Views: 782 Oh no! Er, not the "right kind" of kitty, you must have scooped her up and run! It is fun to see the babies huddling around the mommas - we had a turkey and a dozen fluffballs a couple of weeks ago! They grow so quickly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Jun 2, 11:32pm Views: 782 Here comes the sun? The cuteness of the recital should brighten up your weekend! But here's to getting some REAL sun to shine through. It does get missed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Jun 2, 11:36pm Views: 782 Sing Hey! For the bath at the end of the - long travels! Sometimes there's nothing like a long soak to rejuvenate oneself. You've got some wonderful memories made. But I bet Charlie was thrilled to have his human back home. Are the plantings popping up well? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Jun 2, 11:40pm Views: 782 Ah, the old British Invasion days! And thank you for another song which I have not heard in a long age! Do you have any special activities planned for the sleepover? Like getting the lads involved in a bit of weeding? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

dernwyn Forum Admin / Moderator Jun 2, 11:56pm Views: 783 That dry is not good! I wish there were some way of transporting excess rain from one area to another. The Canadian wildfires have been terrible! We've gotten haze and smoke smell from the ones in Nova Scotia. You might want to ask that restaurant if they'll put up a pic of that confection, it sounds like two days' worth of calories in one bowl! How's you little queen bee been doing? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I desired dragons with a profound desire"

cats16 Half-elven Jun 3, 12:25am Views: 776 LOL! //   Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!

cats16 Half-elven Jun 3, 12:26am Views: 779 I think you summoned it! The clouds have parted and it's suddenly a beautiful late spring day. Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!

Greenwood Hobbit Valinor Jun 3, 1:17pm Views: 598 It was a quick sleepover - they were delivered showered and ready for bed after an energetic family day out, then one was collected mid morning and I did some revision with the older one for his end-of-year tests before taking him home for his lunch. The way the soil is at present, you'd need a pickaxe for weeding and I wouldn't trust either of them with one of those!

grammaboodawg Immortal Jun 3, 1:21pm Views: 599 Sweeeeeet! :D I love how you're standing your ground at home and the world is swarming around you :D Dogs, g'kiddies, all sorts of action that happens to be very fun! Well done, m'dear! You're lucky to never fall into the clutches of the mighty donut; but it sounds like you're in danger just the same with eclairs. Ohhh... the pitfalls of life! I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that a moderate rainfall or two come your way and give the garden/lawn a nice drink. We have been there and back again. TIME Google Calendar

Greenwood Hobbit Valinor Jun 3, 5:13pm Views: 595 There are plenty of edible clutches into which I might well fall, even if I don't fancy donuts... *sigh* Still, it's easier to face salads in the summer and I'll be having tasty homegrown tomatoes before too long. No sign of rain in the forecast for the coming week, so the hosepipe will be busy! As extreme weather goes this is pretty tame, but unfortunate at this stage in the season when everything should be plumping up and growing full of juice.