Love your stories, Tipsy. I cruise through the TAR Meet Market for your stories as well. Loved the squirrel story.

Happy, happy Birthday Suction! Hope your day was wonderful!

Tipsy, do you have Mad Cow Disease? :) Another great story, thanks.

How's everyone's summer going?

Well, my summer went a few months ago. Not that you'd know it, by the incredibly warm weather we've been having right in the middle of winter.

I've been wondering where everyone has gone. Did they all get banned or something? Is it just you and me now, Suction? This thread has been dead for so long now... Come back, everybody!!!!

I think real life booted a lot of people from this forum. I don't remember summers being this busy before. Yow.

Groovin' to this great Davey Allen and the Arrows CD I bought from the great Let It Be Records in DT Minneapolis the last day it was open. Sigh, another good brick and mortar place going to Internet-only. Fewer stores left to get that record collector "thrill of the hunt". Still, how can you stay down when you have classic distorto biker-surfer-exploitation movie instrumental rock that wants to lift your spirits?

I'm still here, too! Just not so much, what with no Survivor on tv for the summer. It seems strange to not be watching tv on Thursday nights (or Tuesday, for that matter, with TAR being on break, too). MrBee and I are catching up on our pile of yet-to-be-watched DVDs.

I'm busy with my summer intern program - 27 undergraduates to wrangle. Plus their faculty mentors, who are even more difficult to handle.

Aussie, the time I visited Brisbane was in mid-July, and it was so gorgeous. I was only there a couple of days, but the air was so fresh.

Hi All!! I'm kinda sorta here too, I'm just starting a week long vacation. HURRAY!!! Finally!!

My e-mail account is kaput, so I'm gonna have to get a different one. Even Birdboy couldn't figure out what the problem was. I'll have to get a new e-mail address and re-register most likely.

I hope everyone is having a great summer. Everything's wonderful here so far. I've heard of a couple of great concerts coming up this summer, Tom Petty is playing close by in July and Allman Brothers in August and they're both playing on weekends so I'll actually be able to go to see them!! Birdman doesn't think he wants to see Allman Brothers, but he thought the same thing about 38 Special a few years ago, and when he saw them in concert with me, he had a fantastic time so I'm pretty sure I can talk him into going.

Well, again, HAPPY SUMMER to everyone, and HAPPY WINTER to our Aussie buddies. It really seems strange to type the words "happy" and "winter" in the same sentence to me. I'll have to visit lovely Australia someday so I can get a much different perspective on what "winter" really means.

Take care, all!!

Well hey, you guys! I'm glad you're back! I'm glad that Tracey and Birdlady are back here with us, Suction. Hoping we can entice some of our old friends to come back too. And new ones!

After some very very warm weather, it suddenly got cold here! Well, cold as in about 20C. I've had to put the heater on. Brrrr..... I don't think I'd survive long in one of your winters, this is about as cold as I want to get.

We've still got TAR7 going here, so we're only missing Survivor. Can't wait till September for Guatemala. And Peachy of course! Heh. I mean, it's nice watching Phil and all, but he can't hold a candle to Peachy. (I just said that last bit to get Hildy back here, heh).

Hope you get your email problems fixed, Birdlady. If you have to re-register, let us know it's the old you! And I hope you can one day make your way down here.

It's Mr Aussie Montana's birthday today, and I gave him Season 1 and 2 of Stargate, so we've been having a lazy day watching them. Tonight we're going out to dinner. But right now I've got a birthday cake to make (which I should have made yesterday), so bye for now.

Heya guys, I'm still kickin'. Just kinda busyish, but really the only news I have right now is that my hair is short and dark brownish heh.

Tipsy, I just love your writing. Is there anywhere I can get more of it? I know you can't pimp a site here, but feel free to email me. I'd really like to read more.

I see lots of old friends here. Suction, Babalu, and Aussie. Tracybee whom I haven't seen since I can't remember when. And of course my most favoritist elf. Hello to all of you. I know you all aren't dads but, what the heck, Happy Father's Day anyway.

I just wanted to drop in real quick and wish all the Dads out there a Happy Father's Day! Hope everyone has a great day. And happy belated birthday to Mr Aussie!

Hiya, nette! Good to see you.
And, whoo. woody, you are getting outrageous with that hair. ;)
Yikes, wrangling interns in the middle of summer. Good luck, tracey!

Busy weekend, still sorting stuff out.
Like birdlady said, hope everyone had a great Father's Day.

Thanks, Suction.

Wow, it really is quiet here.

Yeah my hair is a bit concervitive but in October it could be blue;) Hiya Miss Netful, been doing any snoopy dancing?

Well, up to Duluth, and then the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for about a week. I'm going to be matron of honor in a friend's wedding, and then go visit the piney north for some R 'n'R. Please make a lot of noise and wreck the place while I'm gone! ;)

Have fun Miss Suction, don't get too cold. heh.

You guys do realise that we haven't been following suction's instructions to make lots of noise and wreck the place while she's gone?

Man, it's quiet around these parts lately!

Hey now I tried haha! I'ma gonna tip over this here chair now.

We could have a party and get really loud and drunk:) Who's gunna be bartender?

Gettin' drunk? Whoo hoo! Luckily I brought my lamp shade with me just in case. ;)

Well, folks, I'll have more about my vacation later, but look at these guys! I got lots of great doggie pix at the 2nd Annual Highland Festival in the Middle of Nowhere. Also guys in kilts. Available on request.

pinki, aussie, good ta see ya.

Some party. All I see is a few half-drunk cups of Hi-C and some tumbleweeds blowing through the room.

Aww, suction, the link doesn't work for me. Of course, it could just be my computer. It's been acting a little wonky lately.
Is anyone besides me extra excited for the new Harry Potter book to come out? I plan on being in line at midnight and then reading it until 4 am.

Woody that lampshade on your head suits you! Look out! Don't trip over that chair!

suction the link didn't work for me either. Hmmm... "guys in kilts. Available on request". Okay, I'll request.....!

Pinki yep, I'll be standing in line at 9.01am Saturday to buy 2 copies of the book, one for my son and the other for my nephew. I haven't read any of them, but have seen the movies.

I am so like super excited, the inner dork in me is like having a episode haha, but sucky thing is I'll be working at midnight grr, must find some one to get a book for me:)

Agh. Go to my profile and access my blog through there.
I'll put the kilt dudes up there in the next couple of days.

Couldn't care less about Harry Potter, but am geeked out that my friend's wife got me and my friend tix to System of a Down this September after we wussed out and decided not to go because it was too expensive. "Didn't you guys want to go to that? I went over to Ticketmaster and got you some tickets." Heh.

Yay! Someone else not into Harry Potter! :)

I can bartend, if you want.

" Yeah, I reckon you'd be pretty good at bartending, mate! How about a nice Peachy type drink, seeing as some of here are missing the man?

P.S. I'm not into Harry Potter either, though I was there to buy 2 copies at 9.01am yesterday, one for my son and the other for my nephew.

I'll second that!
Yeah, I think I'm a little obsessed with Harry Potter. But not too obseesed. It's a good kind, like being obsessed with Survivor, or Peachy. I bought the HBP last night at Powell's, then read and finished it today. It was totally worth the wait.

Hi all! Sign me up for the Peachy type drink, peach schnapps if you have it. Yum!

Well I finally got to go to a concert yesterday. We went to see John Mellancamp and John Fogerty in NJ. It was really awesome, I had a great time and both Johns absolutely rocked!! The venue was enormous (and beautiful) but extremely well thought out, so getting in and out wasn't nearly as difficult as I was expecting it to be. We didn't make it home until 4:00 AM and I was absolutely exhausted, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Now I'll definitely have to go to an amusement park (my son is going to Cedar Point in OH on Tuesday, I'm so jealous!), and catch an awesome fireworks show, so my summer will feel complete.

Gosh, it really is awfully quiet in here. I hope that means everyone is too busy having a fabulous summer to have time to post.

Mister VB! Just where in the heck fire have you been yo? :)
I have only 100 pages left of HP! Whoo hoo! It is so good Y'all.
Any who I'll take a Peachy drink, cuase that man is fine hee.

ETA: around 4:20 am I finished HPatHBP Oh my gosh it's intense, I had to surpress tears, but I'm not saying anything more.

Woodlock, you were able to suppress tears? I was a sobbing mess. Picked the book up at my local indie bookstore at around 10:30, had the book finished by 7 or 8 pm. (Then had to get online to discuss it. Heh.)

OK, folks, I just want to make sure you know: the Outdoor Life Network is going to start showing the old Survivor seasons, starting this Sunday (that's July 24). They've been advertising during the Tour de France that the first epi will be commercial-free

They're going to show it multiple times a day, every day. You can see the schedule here.

Ah, Original Flavor Survivor-y goodness. Cringe at Rich's nekkidity! Do a spit-take whenever Rudy philosophizes! Witness the first-ever Gross Food Challenge! Good times, good times.

Glad you enjoyed it, Woodlock.

Four Peachy drinks, perfect for summer. Hope everyone is having a good one!

We were having a bbq at my sister's Saturday night, and a thunderstorm came up real fast and my sister lost power! We had started grilling yet, so switched houses. Pretty comical.

YAY! I get OLN!

Mmmmm.....thanks for the Peachy drink, VB, just what I needed to take it easy! BTW, did you know that VB is the name of a beer here? Victoria Bitter. Heh, just a bit of Aussie trivia for you!

birdlady you really know how to rock! John Mellencamp and John Fogerty - wow, is all I can say. I'd love to see them. Did you ever get your email fixed?

Glad to see you guys all enjoying HP. Maybe one day I'll start reading them, but for now I'll just see the movies.

I could use a straight-up martini with Boodles gin. Answering the same three questions over and over at the front desk today is really getting to me.

My dad loved Victoria Bitter when he was in Oz, aussie!

Finally, this crazy hot (90-95 degress for almost two weeks) has broken. Whew.

Yeah Tracey, but for the live of me I don't know how I did it, I think the fact that I was at work helped, but that would have been kinda funny if I had.

Thank you Mr vb, that was easy haha. ;)

So what question did you have to answer all day Miss Suction?

Yeah, I want to know what the questions were too! Do tell.

suction did your dad drink any XXXX beer over here? If he was in Queensland, he probably did. I heard they tried to launch XXXX over in the US, but couldn't because it, ahem, was the name of a condom or something over there. Heh.

But I don't know if he made it up to Queensland or not - if it was beer and it was in Australia, he probably drank it!

"Are you hiring for Customer Service?" (no) "Are you hiring for drivers?" (yes) "Can you mail me an application?" (depends)

Oy.

I have Survivor TiVo'd! They are also running old TARs on the Game Show Network.

Aussie, I had XXXX when I was in Australia! Good stuff, as I recall.

Did you get the thunderstorms this morning, suction? Fortunately, the rain had stopped by the time I had to walk to the bus stop. Poor kitty was under the bed for about half an hour; she doesn't like thunder at all.

Farmers Market day, woo! Gonna go get me some fresh veggies.

Yeah, Tracey, XXXX is a pretty good beer, or so my beer drinker hubby tells me.

TGIF.

An overdue martini with Boodles gin for Suctionprints, straight up.

It's been a busy, busy week.

Anybody got big plans for the weekend?

Me? Staying out of the heat!

Wow, it looks like old times here at the MM.

FWIW, I am also not into Harry Potter.

Bird Lady, I've never met you, but I'm soooo jealous. I have Centerfield running through my head all summer long.

netful, I have to tell you, Fogerty did an awesome job on Centerfield. I was absolutely shocked though, that he didn't do Bad Moon Rising. I thought for sure he would. But he did most of his hits so I was definitely a happy camper.

We took the kids to see David Bowie a year or so ago, and he did only three of his classic tunes, everything else was all new stuff. I was so disappointed!! My daughter loves his new stuff though, so she had a really great time. And the concert was free because my husband won the tickets from a radio contest, so at least it didn't cost us anything but gas money to be so disappointed.

The very best concert I've ever seen, bar none, was the KISS concert we saw, just before Peter Criss quit the band. Both of my kids admitted it was "pretty good" which is really high praise coming from them!

I've been thinking about trying to see if Tom Petty is playing anywhere close by this summer. It'll have to be on a weekend though, 'cause I really can't take any time off from work, and there's no way I can go to a concert and party all night and then go into work the next day. I used to be able to do that when I was my daughter's age, but not anymore. It makes me tired just thinking about it now!!

ETA:

I'm sorry Aussie, I didn't mean to ignore your question. No, my stupid e-mail account has apparently shit the bed. Hotmail sucks!! I'll get off my lazy ass soon and start a new account with RoadRunner. But I'm almost never on the computer anymore. Since it got so hot I usually come home from work, immediately strip and jump in the pool, then hang out on my deck reading a book until it's too dark to see. I'll let you know when my new account is up and running.

Is it wrong that Beth makes me a little teary?

Me and the boys will be playing... all night.


I would love to see Tom Petty too.

Stevie Nicks gives you the backstory on most of her songs. This was cut from Rumours.... because Lindsey couldn't deal.

vb68


It makes you all kinds of right!! I'll never forget seeing him all alone in that spotlight singing Beth, the whole arena was so quiet, and when he finished the place just exploded!! That concert was just so awesome, the light show was fantastic, the band members were so into it, and when Paul Stanley came flying across the audience to the small stage that was set up in the middle of the "pit", he ended up right in front of us and started jamming on his solo. How VERY cool!! That was definitely the best show I ever saw.

But the most fun I ever had was at a 38 Special concert, the night before a Watkins Glen NASCAR race. It was an outdoor concert, under the stars (very romantic), and we were only about six or seven rows back from the stage. It was kind of a rinky-dink, small stage, built in the middle of a hayfield. Birdman didn't even want to go to the concert because he didn't really care for 38 Special, but I talked him into it (it wasn't very difficult, he'd do anything for me!), and he had the greatest time!! He didn't want it to end, and he kept screaming "Encore!! Encore!!" I told him that should prove that he ought to listen to me more often!



Have you seen Fleetwood Mac in concert? Now I'm jealous!!

I saw the Mac a looooong time ago, 1980 I think it was, but Stevie in those days was very drugged out and not at all good. I have seen her in concert on TV recently, performing solo, and she was great. She was also here with the Mac about a year ago, but minus Christine McVeigh so I decided not to go, as CM is an integral part of the band.

Reading about your concert experiences really make me jealous, birdlady. I haven't been to very many concerts. I did get to see James Taylor though. I've also seen Maynard Ferguson twice. In case anyone doesn't know who he is, he's a jazz trumpeter. I played the trumpet in HS so those were great for me. I've also seen several contemporary Christian artists in concert, but I've never been to a real rock concert. I don't think I could handle the crowds now though.

Oh, I almost forgot that I saw Art Garfunkel at the National Red Cross Convention a few years ago. He was awesome.

Time to go lay down with the ice pack. Stupid back.

Dammit, now I have that song running through my head:
"Hold on loosely/But don't let go/If you cling too tightly/You might lose control"

Agh. How 70s! Or 80s, cause Sting dug that idea up for a song, too.

Largely unsociable these days, but enjoying reading the posts!

netful have you ever seen Chuck Mangione? He played at my high school years ago. Awesome! I used to have one of his albums, I think it was Chase the Clouds Away. When my kids were toddlers I would play it for them at naptime. Now that I'm reminded of him I'll have to look for the CD.

Hey guys! I've never been to a concert :(, but I don't go to Dallas enough and the only people that WF ever attracts are Country singers, gag me with a spoon! hehe. I went to work last night at 11, and I clocked out at noon:10, but I've been up so long I'm not even tired any more.
Oh we become a Holiday Inn on Thursday whoo hoo but the first night audit will be on Friday.

Birdlady, I liked Chuck simply because he played the fluglehorn. I always wanted to play one but couldn't afford to buy it. I never saw him in concert either.

Nice to see you Elf. Will you be able to get good room rates at other Holiday Inns now? I worked at a hotel when I was younger and I loved working the night shift. The audit didn't take long and I watched TV, read and played PacMan all night. I sure wish I had all those quarters back. It was pretty cool though because I learned all the patterns and could play one game for a long time. I won a lot of drinks from that ability.

Suction, you could have a lot worse songs running through your head. I'm tempted to give you one, but I'll be nice. ;)

Hi to VB and Aussie. ~waves~