The New Hobbit Hole

[carton253]

Smeagol likes turkey... Smeagol has had lots of turkey today. Smeagol isn't confused... Smeagol is the only sane one in Middle Earth.

[carton253]

That is excellent...thanks for the selection.

[JenB]

Hmmm... I have not had time to look at the special features but I certainly haven't heard anything about the new trailer.

Speaking of trailers, the latest one has been on at least three times this afternoon - Dad has the football game on and every time the trailer shows up I get this stupid grin ;)

[Rose in RoseBear]

Dunno if y'all've seen this yet ...

I was watching the Lions and Patriots football game, folks, and I saw a TV trailer for TT. Forgive me, since I've not yet read the books, but it seemed to show, among other things:

• Legolas sliding down the wall firing arrows as he goes;
• hobbits running from (I think) Treebeard;
• an elephant-like creature with multiple tusks;
• Frodo, eyes glazed over, falling face-first into water, to Sam's horror;
• and several other shots from what I assume is the Helm's Deep battle.

Aragorn, who is both filthy and wet, is very much in evidence.

If you're not watching the games, do so! It'll be back!

[JenB]

Yes, I saw that. It's the one that has been in theatres for a little while now, at least it was on the Harry Potter movie. It is very cool though.

Happy Thanksgiving! Are you cooking?

[HairOfTheDog]

Hullo Sam! - Ramius and I are here and we have taken some photos of the potato cannon for you!

Overall length is about 8 feet. The white PVC pipe is 1-1/2 inch Schedule 40 PVC. The black "chamber" is 6 inch diameter ABS joint section with screw in caps..

The ABS Chamber is connected with the barrel using a regular 6" to 1-1/2" adaptor... and glued with PVC cement.

The striker is a Coleman lantern striker. Drill a hole through the ABS, that matches the dimension of the shaft of the striker, disassemble it, and mount it like shown in the pics....

The bevel on the end of the barrel is very important, Ramius says, to ensure the clean coring of the potato when you ram them in the end of the barrel. Use the little new red potatos that are slightly larger that the barrel, and just press them in... they will form fit... tamp down to just short of the chamber with a pole (marked for the length so you don't push it all the way through)

Propellant: We use Naptha (Lighter Fluid).... Other people have used other stuff, even Aqua Net hair spray, but the lighter fluid works best. The lighter fluid needs to evaporate inside to fire, but you can't really put in too much. Only the amount of vapor the air will hold will actually evaporate, and the excess will remain liquid and not hurt anything. Pour in a good squirt of it. You'll figure it out in time. On cold days, it is hard to get it to evaporate... let it warm in the sun and turn it slowly for a few moments, then point it in a safe direction and fire.

One safety mod that Ramius says he would like to do is to wrap the whole chamber in duct tape, because if the ABS were ever to blow, it shatters like glass, and the duct tape might hold down the shrapnel.

In close, Ramius and I both want to emphasize that these are dangerous weapons.... treat them like a gun. I have seen a potato shatter a cement block at close range. It would be lethal if you hit someone with it, and the potatos will go a couple hundred yards. The beach is the best place to fire them.

[HairOfTheDog]

Hi Dan... The preview that played in the theaters at the end of the FoTR run is on the DVD, but no other that I have heard.

It is hidden in s secret easter egg. The instructions for finding it were posted here, maybe in the last hundred posts of the Spoiler thread, and also at TORN... Do a quick search that way, if you can't find the instructions, write back.... I can find them tonight when I am home!

[Rose in RoseBear]

Yes, in a leisurely fashion ... lots of sit-down breaks, like this one. However, the apple salad is done, the pineapple stuffing and spinach casserole will be finished when I get up from here, then another sit-down break while I cut up the potato and egg for the potato salad. I bought the cornbread dressing, but after the potato salad is done I'll do the wild rice & sausage stuffing and the regular stuffing. Then I'll start the potatoes boiling, mix up the green bean casserole, the corn casserole (maybe), the gravy (from a mix), and put the rolls in a baking dish. We should be eating around 7-8pm.

As I post, so mote it be ...

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

At this point, I would like to state that I'm am thankful to be married to a woman who enjoys cooking, and football, and science fiction/fantasy, and computers, as well as being both smart and fun.

I am truly blessed!

[SuziQ]

We should be eating around 7-8pm.

Well I THOUGHT we'd eat about 4, but the dang turkey isn't all the way done yet. It is still dripping pink where the leg attaches to the body! I thought I had it thawed enough this morning, but 'mebbe I din't'! Since we plunged into the Berry Pie and Apple Cake last night, I decided to make a Cranberry Crumbcake this afternoon. It will probably come out of the oven at the same time as the turkey! The dressing is well and truly cooked! It has been in the slow cooker for over 12 hours now, but it is YUMMY, at least according to Paul (our #1) and Sir SuziQ who have been 'testing' it for the last 4 hours!

We're not football fans, but I'll have to check out the games to see if I can catch the trailer. What a perfect place to show it; get some of those battle hardened fans to the theater to see even BETTER battles!

[JenB]

I am stuffed and dazed like a turkey myself! We had a huge meal and are waiting for our friends to arrive so that we may have "second dessert". Wow. That was good.

[SuziQ]

I am truly blessed!

You certainly are, Bear. And you're a very smart guy to realize it! LOL! Sounds like Rose is a lady who has also been blessed!

[SuziQ]

I am stuffed and dazed like a turkey myself!

The best I can say is that I didn't make myself sick! LOL! I'm gonna have a cup of herbal tea and a piece of that Cranberry Crumbcake in just a little while!

[JenB]

Well, all our food was good and we have leftovers for a week now! And there's still half a pecan pie, yum.

[RosieCotton]

I don't know what words I can offer to you this first Holiday season without your Mom. These first clumsy years without her there making the Holiday right are tough. I have gotten through it some years better than others myself.

Hair,

Thank you so much for your words! I am touched that you thought about me. It means a lot.

I'm still not sure how I feel about today, actually. We had the whole meal and we were all there together (except for the brother in CA), but there was certainly something missing. As my littlest sister said, "This is fun...but it doesn't feel like Thanksgiving, does it?" I miss her bustling around, worrying about getting everything right, even though it used to drive us crazy at times. And all of us talking, all together during the meal...when one voice is missing, the conversation is completely different.

It could have been worse. But it did feel incomplete. It will for awhile, I guess. I still have much to be thankful for, but I miss her so bad sometimes.

[RosieCotton]

And on the bright side for me, I got in about 2000 words during lulls in the cooking, eating, and talking. Only have 3500 to go! At least for NaNoWriMo, that is...I think it may take a couple extra thousand to finish the story, though I'm pretty close.

[JenB]

Oh, Rosie, I'm pleased to hear that! I think I will finish my story next week, it's mostly done but, well, the ending is tough.

[RosieCotton]

it's mostly done but, well, the ending is tough.

Yeah...that's what I'm finding. I have a lot of loose ends, especially with my story's internal logic. I meant to tie them up somewhere along the line, but I put them off until the last minute. Plus the end was something I had pretty well planned from day one...but my plot has twisted around so much that my original ending doesn't apply any more.

Still, on the whole I'm happy with it. My wording isn't what it should be, and the overall order of the chapters and such could use work, but as a whole, it isn't as crappy as I imagine it COULD be. Still crappy...but not as crappy as it seemed around the middle of the month.

When I'm finally done, I need to get back to yours! Since I've been trying to write so much a day, I've had trouble finding time for anything else. It'll be nice to finish this up!

[Scott from the Left Coast]

I have just three words for you all:

Fat Bloated Elf

[RMDupree]

Don't you mean Fat Bloated WINDY Elf? LOL!!

Just kidding Scott!

Hello, goodbye and good night to all! I ate TWO Thanksgiving meals today, first at my mother in law's and then at my grandmother's. Whew! I must go to bed. Baby asleep and Becky almost there. Glen is snoring. :)

Talk to you all tomorrow! Hope your Thanksgiving was as terrific as mine. No big family arguments this year. YIPPEE!! :)