Yank's Free Range Turkey Trot Warming House and Bondage Barn

[twister947]

Psssst....I have 2 bottles of Dublin DP left in my pantry I've been saving for a special occasion since we moved. They were wrapped and padded like fine china and made it just fine.

I swear, I hadn't a clue this was a thing. Had to look it up. But then, I'm not a consumer of soda pop.

 

[midwestyankee]

La, sir. Talk like that will have me blushing behind my fan.

Or at least holding my hat on my chest and scuffing my boot in the dirt.

**sigh** Sadly, you have hit on one of my fondest erstwhile ambitions.

[snip]

***shrug*** It is what it is. And while I am still fighting my ass off, "surrender" not being in my repertoire, I tend to try to keep it as safe as I can for mine and the least bother for others we might encounter.

But, thank you. I can honestly think of no more desired praise than the accolade bestowed in your comment.

I had that same ambition and while I spent about half my career getting paid to drive a word processor, I never quite got to the point of having an unfinished novel nine my desk drawer. My faded yuppies hat is off to you for the work you've done and the road you have traveled. I'm happy you are doing a bit of writing here. Reading it improves my day.

 

[midwestyankee]

Hi, gang. What are you all up to this Friday?

Drinking. Coffee, that is. Just coffee. And avoiding the bigger projects on my list best I can.

 

[Acktion]

Hi, gang. What are you all up to this Friday?

As little as I can get away with, I think. Haven't been awake long (and yeah, it's well after noon). Gotten the animals settled, and decided I wanted to see what might be up outside these four walls.

As far as your pup...

Alright, so you know (or should) that I'm a fuckin' nerd and geek. Actually, I'm probably into the lower echelons of the "ubergeek."

A couple of decades ago, a guy from somewhere in Canada (I want to say Vancouver, but it may have been Toronto) was viewed as THE foremost authority on psychology and neurology. And wrote the textbooks that were commonly used around the world. Stanley Coren.

When he retired, he took his skills and applied it to his hobby, his dogs. And wrote several books applying psychology and neurological programming to dog training. Even had a television show for awhile, "Good dog!"

I'm sorry if any Cesar Romero fans feel like I'm stepping on their toes. But, I was never a fan of his. And spent many nights heckling him on the television worse than Rachel Ray or Iron Chef. Often shouting, "Bad Dom!" at the screen.

But, Dr. Coren, on the other hand, is very much about understanding the mind of the dog and understanding how to communicate with them on their level.

***shrug*** I will say that most of his work (not including "Dog Training for Dummies" which he co-authored) can be... ah... dense. Which is perhaps not too surprising since they are written as a psychological and neurological textbook by someone who used to write textbooks for those things to use on people.

I've got five of his books on my shelves (next to the "Veterinary Guide for Small Animals") that I hung onto when I downsized my library when we lost our house and washed up in this little den on the "wrong side" of the highway. And strongly recommend any you can get your hands on by Stanley Coren.

(And I will neither confirm nor deny just how much I may or may not have relied on them in the training of my two-legged bitch as well. )

 

[Acktion]

Psssst....I have 2 bottles of Dublin DP left in my pantry I've been saving for a special occasion since we moved. They were wrapped and padded like fine china and made it just fine.

I swear, I hadn't a clue this was a thing. Had to look it up. But then, I'm not a consumer of soda pop.

Yup, yup.

Alright, so years ago, I was The Coca-cola Kid. Because I was raised in the house of another Coca-cola Kid. Oh, when I rode my bike down to the gas station, I would get a Sunkist Orange or Nehi Grape. Or the (very rare) instances when we would eat out, I would get a fountain root beer from A&W or a Cherry Limeade from Dairy Queen. But, if it was a cola, it had to be Coke.

And I stuck with it through changing the glass bottles to aluminum cans or plastic bottles even though it made it taste... a little off. But, then, that "New Coke" mental abortion happened. Bleargh. And, unlike many, I could not be convinced to switch to Dr. Pepper, much less that Pepsi piss.

Now, my parents happened to have been born and raised down in the heartland of the lone star state. Not, as it happens, just too terribly far from Dublin.

But, the reason they were Coca-cola kids that turned me into a Coca-cola kid was because the homes they were raised in were also Coca-cola kids. And make whatever jokes you like, the people in that area are very much "the way it always has been" traditionalists.

So, to say I was shocked and surprised on a visit to Grandma and Grandpa when Dr. Pepper was served with the meal is a tad bit of an understatement. Actually, I started eyeballing the backs of their necks for pods. And not finding any, glanced outside to make sure the sun was still sinking in the west.

But, despite how it might seem to those that have only known me in my later years, I was very much a polite child. With a heavy hand looming behind me to remind me to be, I wouldn't dared to have been anything else.

And when a Dr. Pepper was set in front of me in lieu of the sweet tea that was drunk when Coca-cola fucked up or those that didn't wish a soda, I smiled and politely thanked them,... and steeled myself (probably visibly) to take a polite sip before, I was sure, ignoring it for the rest of the meal, and sneaking a drink of water from the bathroom faucet after eating.

That was NOT a Dr. Pepper!

And, yeah, in retrospect I am well aware that the chortles and chuckles around the table were at my expense, from the look on my face as I examined the bottle before taking a second sip that was more of a swig.

Later, back home, I made the mistake of thinking that just as Coke had decided to fix what wasn't broken, Dr. Pepper had finally gotten it right. And bought one.

And spit that swill a good six feet. 'Cause they hadn't fixed a damn thing after all.

I only eventually figured out that it had to be from Dublin, made with real can sugar. That every other bottling plant used high-fructose corn syrup.

And it made every bit as big a difference as... oh, using buttermilk and cornmeal instead of whole milk and flour.

At least it did to my refined palate. Several have sworn to me over the years that they can't tell a noticeable difference. All I can think is they must be taste-bud blind.

But, then, there are those people who can actually choke down that piss Pepsi bottles and claim to like it. So, what do I know?

I haven't had a Dublin Dr. Pepper in... well over a decade anyway. And these days, I don't often bother with soda of any sort since whatever I get at the store, I then have to carry a mile home in my left hand (my right being busy with a walking stick for balance). So, to cut the weight I cut all liquids. Milk. Soda. Whatever. Subsisting on water or home-brewed tea with powdered lemonade stirred in.

But, yeah... if Dublin Dr. Pepper were to be made available here, I'd figure out a way to get a few bottles in my fridge.

Unfortunately, I don't have the grace of gracie, and if I knew there was a bottle in there, it would not stay for long. Most likely even a full day. And I applaud the willpower it must take to have a bottle linger long enough to pick up any dust at all, much less this long.

 

[cookiecat]

I don’t like him, either. I think he’s a shithead.
I will look into the guy you’re mentioning, but I think I’m going to enroll in puppy classes.

I've taken the little terror to 3 different dog people. One was a lot like Cesar. I had to bend the will of my dog and learn to be the pack leader. LOL. The second was super hippy dippy. If the world dominator got out of hand, I just needed to skip (seriously. Skip) and sing commands to her.

The last one was the best. I dropped her off Mon - Friday, 8 - 4 for a month. 3 days a week, I would be there for the last hour. Once a week, the trainer took me and the pup out to different places. A park, an outdoor restaurant, a store. Well worth the time and $$.

You're definitely right the classes are just as much for us. I learned to be a better dog owner.

 

[midwestyankee]

Chances are, the place(s) that you call home (I consider two places home, hence my nom de perv), produces a few locally favored foods. You know the kind: you're going to Boston so you absolutely have to try the fried clams or the baked beans, or the foldable pizza in New York, or the barbecue in Memphis.

So...from the place(s) you call home, what do you think is the best local favorite food? I'll hold off on mine for a bit but I will definitely be weighing in (quite literally).

The best food from the place I call home, you say?

I claim two homes: my birthplace, Maine, and the place where I fit best. Chicago.

East to west, shall we? Most tourists new to Maine try to eat as much lobster as their budgets will allow, and that's fine. For my money, though, the two foods that one must absolutely eat in Maine are steamed clams and blueberry pie. If you can sneak in some fresh native corn on the cob (locally grown, usually labeled native on the homemade signs on the fresh farm stands) you will not regret it. Before jlaws were made to regulate truth in advertising, nearly all canned corn was labeled "grown in Maine" and that's because it's preternaturally good. Maine blueberries are only grown wild and the intensity of flavor in these tiny little almost-puple jewels us extraordinary. Littleneck clams, freshly steamed and dipped in melted butter are orgasmic.

Don't run out immediately to get your deep dish puzza as soon as you arrive in Chicago. Oh, you should get some but these days even places in New York make a decent deep dish pie do youf stop at Pizzeria Uno or Due wont be as special as it could have been thirty years ago. Instead, get a true Chicago hot dog. Just look for a tiny building with a big Vienna Beef sign out front. That's as reliable a marker for the real thing as you'll find. Get your NM dog "dragged through the garden" to get all the toppings (mustard, green relish, onions, sport peppers, tomato slices, and a dill pickle spear). Chances are it will come with welk-made fresh-cut french fries. The next lunch, get an Italian beef sandwich. For the full experience, ask them to dip your sandwich in the hot gsrlicky gravy that the beef was cooked in. Top it with hot giardinera and enjoy your fresh-cut fries this day, too.

 

[ultramarineblue]

So was my husband. Unfortunately, I'm from the land of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Wild rice hotdish is good! Fortunately, he was a great cook! I was introduced to a lot of interesting, tasty down south food.

Meatloaf and mashed potatoes are a wonderful meal. I want to make that now.

I probably should have taken my heathen pup to a trainer. I've had a few people help me with her and she's getting a little past adolescence so she's tons better. I probably could still benefit from working with a trainer though.

I want to take a nap but I need to do some work. I'm ready for a day I can spend being lazy. I've worked like crazy the past two weeks every day.

 

[midwestyankee]

Meatloaf and mashed potatoes are a wonderful meal. I want to make that now.

I probably should have taken my heathen pup to a trainer. I've had a few people help me with her and she's getting a little past adolescence so she's tons better. I probably could still benefit from working with a trainer though.

I want to take a nap but I need to do some work. I'm ready for a day I can spend being lazy. I've worked like crazy the past two weeks every day.

I know it's a bit sacrilegious, but I think a meatloaf I had at a barbecue joint in Kansas City in the very early 1980s might have been the best I ever had. It was nearly orgasmic. It was rich, dense but not overly heavy, and eaten in that room that smelled of decades of bbq smoke it was an intense experience. Can't remember the name of the bbq joint to save my life, though.

 

[Dreamliner]

A lot of food seems to be orgasmic for you MWY, I am concerned!

 

[Dreamliner]

Meatloaf, comfort food extraordinaire, especially the next day as a meatloaf sandwich.

 

[twister947]

Meatloaf, comfort food extraordinaire, especially the next day as a meatloaf sandwich.

Quoted for truth!

 

[midwestyankee]

A lot of food seems to be orgasmic for you MWY, I am concerned!

At my age I'm happy to taste pleasure in any way I can.

 

[midwestyankee]

Meatloaf, comfort food extraordinaire, especially the next day as a meatloaf sandwich.

Is that sandwich hot or cold?

 

[Dreamliner]

Is that sandwich hot or cold?

Either, or, I am non judgmental when it comes to great meatloaf. [hint, make sure it is moist though as dry is no good, just like after she has orgasmed].

 

[cookiecat]

Tonight is perfect fire pit weather. I'm in a mood to stare in to a fire, listening to you guys talk about meatloaf.

 

[midwestyankee]

Either, or, I am non judgmental when it comes to great meatloaf. [hint, make sure it is moist though as dry is no good, just like after she has orgasmed].

Cold.

I love a sandwich of leftover meatloaf. My default approach is cold, with mayo, mustard, and ketchup slathered on a thick slab of the loaf. Frankly, I'm too lazy to make a hot meatloaf sandwich unless it's fresh from the oven.

 

[midwestyankee]

Tonight is perfect fire pit weather. I'm in a mood to stare in to a fire, listening to you guys talk about meatloaf.

Please tell me you didn't spoil this reverie with marshmallows.

 

[twister947]

Great meatloaf deserves great bread. Without that, I'll opt for just the meatloaf.

 

[cookiecat]

Just felt right to leave this here

 

[ultramarineblue]

I know it's a bit sacrilegious, but I think a meatloaf I had at a barbecue joint in Kansas City in the very early 1980s might have been the best I ever had. It was nearly orgasmic. It was rich, dense but not overly heavy, and eaten in that room that smelled of decades of bbq smoke it was an intense experience. Can't remember the name of the bbq joint to save my life, though.

That sounds so delicious. I've got to make some this weekend.

Meatloaf, comfort food extraordinaire, especially the next day as a meatloaf sandwich.

One of the best parts of meatloaf.

Great meatloaf deserves great bread. Without that, I'll opt for just the meatloaf.

I need to make some more bread.

Just felt right to leave this here

I love this.

 

[ultramarineblue]

Anyone around here???

 

[ultramarineblue]

*pounce*
I haven’t seen yank. I think he’s more of a weekday dropper inner.
How are you, UMB?

That makes sense. I'm much better after sleeping a little late and pretty much laying around all day. How are you, Fara?

 

[ultramarineblue]

Good. Today was lovely. I spent the entire day outside. Windows opened. I just had dinner and a beer. I’m debating my jammies.

I'm just about to eat some pizza and have a beer. Jammies are so wonderful.

 

[midwestyankee]

I had a local blood orange pale ale. It made me sleepy.

Fruity beers should be illegal for anyone over 17.