Mags1

Snoozy love, so sorry about Lewis.

Cityboy

I'm on my phone 90% of the time and have to do the same thing unless I take notes on a cheat sheet.

jr67

Where to start with you, venuscat?

Let's do the birthday thing first:

Monday the 10th a good friend turns 70. Sunday the 9th a good friend and long-time work colleague turns 69. Last week jr's hubby turned, let's see, a boyish 62.

So this Sunday the 9th we have reservations at our nearby local fave restaurant (we can walk there). The dinner party = the 70-year-old and her 95-year-old mother (96 in March, and more sociable and politically aware and therefore apoplectic than the rest of us combined); the 69-year-old and his blushing bride of 1 year (I was in the wedding party last winter, down in the Caribbean); the 62-year-old and yrs truly, who is 67, (but that's not why his SR screen name is jr67) (nor is 1967 the year of my birth, as you figured out yesterday, since I am not a prodigy who would have graduated college in '74 had I been born in that summer of love).

Now, to the Boston Aussie-cafe challenge:

Jr's first response: Really, 10 of them? Do tell! Have you been to Boston and sampled of any of their wares? I can only think of two, which are the one I mentioned earlier today and its sister store in Boston's South End neighborhood. The one I went to is more downtown, near what is called the Government Center area of downtown, about 2 blocks away from the sort-of famous Faneuil Hall Marketplace (touristy) area.

I could tell you the name of the cafe but that would be too easy, wouldn't it? If you know of 10, maybe what I've already revealed will allow you to figure out the name of the place I'm talking about. Three guesses.

Meanwhile, I'd be most curious to hear some detes about the rest of the cafes.

For the one I'm talking about the counter clerks tell me it is very popular with the local Aussie crowd. Frankly, I have thought to myself, There's not much of an Aussie "crowd" living in Boston that I'm aware of. But I guess y'all blend in pretty well except when you're wrestling with crocodiles, which I must admit I've never seen anyone do if they weren't Australian.

If you haven't been to Boston in a while, or ever, you should come on by. There might be a SobeRlandian sea-kayaking party coming up this summer (it's still in the pre-planning stage), not to mention jr showing off his supposedly Aussie-style backyard barbie, which looks pretty much like every other barbie jr has had the pleasure of grilling on. (All of this would be, of course, not until after jr gets back from France, roughly mid July, after spending Bastille Day maybe at the site of the actual Bastille in Paris).

Yes, jr votes that you should make some plans for your birthday, venuscat. Be that as it may, I can tell you now you will be toasted with a mocktail at jr-and-company's multi-birthday dinner soiree this weekend.

jr67

Sorry about Lewis, SnoozyQ.

I'm hugging my two pups as I type this, and I pause to look up into the (snowy) sky and beyond, to Lewis just joining the rest of our dear departed ones.

Rose335

Thank you for the thread, Mags. I shall never look at those dates in February again in quite the same way, especially the pizza and toothache one. I must be in the 0.1 percent of the population that doesn't actually like pizza. (Which doesn't mean I prefer toothache! Nor does it mean that I can claim any healthy eating medals).

Really very sorry to read about Lewis, Snoozy. That's so hard for you and your family.

Willow - well done on giving the AV a big shove off. Who cares if you eat a few - or a lot of sweets etc - if it kicks that into touch. You should be really pleased with yourself.

Venus - I'm pretty sure I won't forget but just in case something stops me logging on here I'm going to say happy,birthday for the 10th right now!

venuscat

jr....so what is the 67 for? s

I think my very first guess the other day (looked up the Aussie cafes) is right....CupaCoffee is my guess.

Maybe.
Could be Flat Black Coffee Company.

MLD51

I'm in!

I'm soooooo sorry to hear about your dear Lewis, Snoozy. Take good care of yourself, please.

Willow - I had to dive into the chocolate the other night because I saw someone on TV holding what was supposed to be a martini and I had the most intense craving I've had in a really long time. Kind of took my breath away and was a complete surprise. But I thought about it and realized I was 1) very hungry 2) really stressed, like REALLY and 3) PMS'ing. That all added up to a perfect storm and my AV saw the opportunity to sneak in and tweak my alcoholism for fun. Just to see what I'd do. What I did 1) ate a snack right before dinner 2) texted my best friend and told him 3) told that nasty sneaky AV to eff right off. 4) Then after dinner I ate about 10 Hershey's Kisses, all the while wishing I had a packet of chewy caramel Tim Tams instead. ANYTHING, even a huge sugar binge, is better than drinking, and you know that. Good job.

Red, get right back on the sobriety bus and carry on. At least you didn't make it into a long binge. What can you do differently the next time you want to drink? Post here right away, and let us talk you out of it, perhaps?

I'm still trying to find time to post Belize pictures. I'll do it eventually...

jr67

The 67 is nothing momentous, venuscat -- the number of the house I grew up in, and my father lived in until he passed in 2007 at age 90, so the house was a part of my life until I was, what, 55 years old, traipsing down there every 3 weeks or so (alternating weekends with my two sisters) from when Mom died in 2000 until Dad followed her 7 years later -- a 4 or so hour drive from Boston to the NYC suburbs (Long Island). Dad, who was a retired office manager/accountant, could no longer balance his check book at age 83 (we realized after our ever-efficient Mom died) and thereafter, nor could he remember that today is Thursday so the trash goes out to the curb (after 50-plus years of this being the routine for him), or that it was Sunday so time to get up and get ready for church, so for those reasons among others (including his stubbornness in refusing to move to a more appropriate setting) we would make sure one of us visited him every weekend.

Interesting, in this setting here on SR, that my mother always loved the serenity prayer, and had it on a ceramic tile mounted in the kitchen, and (what was the name of that sort-of crocheting fad in the '60s and '70s, not macrame, not knitting, not needlepoint, but ...??? it'll come to me) ... whatever it's called, she made one and framed it with the serenity prayer on it, and hung it elsewhere inside #67. I have it now in my Boston-area abode. And neither she nor my father had what one might call a drinking problem, she, a lifelong practicing Catholic, just liked the prayer. And it's certainly not overtly "just" a drinker's prayer, but a practical philosophy, adaptable even for a non-believer such as jr.

(To be sure we had (have) our share of indisputable (by anyone's definition) alcoholics in the extended family, but I don't think that's why she loved the prayer. She even wrote it, I am now remembering, on her page of my little autograph book that all the 6th graders got at the end of elementary school, where our classmates (mostly) would write "clever" wishes to remember each other by in future years.)

So you are right, the Aussie cafe of which I was speaking is called "cuppacoffee" (no caps on their street sign). I know right where Flat Black is, too, also downtown, in a restored architecturally-interesting old building not far away from the site of the Boston Tea Party in 1775, in Boston Harbor. I've probably been in Flat Black's once or twice, but I did not know of its Australia connection. I'll pay closer attention next time.

venuscat

I loved hearing all of that dear jr....thank you. s xx

And.....

jr67

So is that your photo, taken right here on Boston's own Broad Street?

And the roos! How did I miss the roos?!

MantaLady

Bug hugs from across the pond Snoozy, so sorry xx

venuscat

Not my photo....Google's photo.... xx

MesaMan

.
Aw, jeez, Snoozy, I'm so sorry to hear about Lewis. Been there. Felt that. Stay close to us here, and post away.

We quite-voluntarily plan our Lives around the senior MesaDog. Including today. Since the Beach commute for him is a long ride West from here, we're opting instead to go up to what we call The High [elevation] Desert. For Lunch at Pappy & Harriet's in Pioneertown. Numerous old Western Movies were filmed there on Sets and Storefronts still lived in today. One b/w Movie draw was the unusual Rocks up there not far from Joshua Tree National Park.

Between playing 2 Weekends at the massive Coachella Festival a few Years ago, none other than Sir Paul McCartney played Pappy & Harriet's for pure fun. Because of this provenance, a trip to there for MesaMate is sorta like a Catholic going to the Vatican. She'll have a giant smile pasted on her Face, and think Teen thoughts about her favorite Beatle. I'm content in these Scenarios to supply the Transportation, so I leave it at that.

74 F [23 C] here today in the Low Desert by Palm Springs, so we'll squeak by somehow.

Thanks as always, Mags. For Venus...

~ 'Birthday/I Saw Her Standing There' ~ Paul McCartney ~ Live @ Pappy & Harriet's ~
.

Caramel

Kindest thoughts and sincere sympathy to you, SnoozyQ;
wishing you the consolation of happy memories.

Take gentle care.

saoutchik

I'm in!

Thanks Mags.

SnoozyQ so sorry to read about Lewis. I'm sure he could not have asked for a better owner. RIP Lewis.

I drove the company van to a place called Hemel Hempstead which is just a few miles north west of London. Shortly after I came off the M1 motorway I got behind this. I'm sure most of you know or guessed that is a Ferrari but it is not just any old Ferrari. (if there is such a thing) That is a 1991 F40, at the time it was built it was the fastest Ferrari ever made, only 1311 were built in total and few went to Britain. I know it dates from 1991 because I checked the registration plate online. It is the first one I have ever seen on a public road and I will not likely see another one one the road in my lifetime.

Btw I realise taking a photo while driving is not to be encouraged but we were only moving at little more than running pace.

Cityboy

Did you pull up to see if it was Christie Brinkley driving it?

BlueWellies

Thanks for the great thread, Mags! I'm on day one and plan to be here a lot.

Snoozy, I am so very sorry about your dog. My heart goes out to you.

Just wanted to jump in and say hi to everyone .

saoutchik

Good to see you BlueWellies!

LOL! No it wasn't her. (as a tiresome geek I know that was a 348 Spyder)

Eric Clapton owns an F40 and lives in Britain sometimes but that one was not his either. I know that because I read the registration number and I can find out all sorts of things like the fact that it failed its Ministry of Transport test (MOT) in May 2014 but because of data protection it does not disclose who owns it. As Ferraris go F40's are ugly things but quick even for a Ferrari.

PhoenixJ

Prayers, Snooz. Look after you.

Willow00

So sorry to hear about Lewis Snoozy
It’s devastating to lose our fur family. Sending you so much love ❤️