The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[Sam Cree]

Yeah, his screen name is encouraging, for sure. I own one Ruger, an older mini 14 w/ stainless barrel. The little thing is actually pretty accurate.

[ecurbh]

I don't even know if he's a LOTR fan!

So should I take him off the list?

[Sam Cree]

HI, Ecurbh, I reckon he needs to be an LOTR fan.

It's getting very hot and close down here, are you seeing any signs of spring in MA?

[2Jedismom]

I don't know! LOL

I can tell you, he really likes to play Generation whistles!

[Sam Cree]

Well, maybe rugerman can play some of the whistle tunes from FOTR? They are very pretty, IMO.

2J, if you are like me, you will miss your kids when they grow up and go away. 'Course I have less energy now to contend with them.

Wolf spiders maybe? There was a huge one in the hotel room on my and Jeanne's honeymoon 29 yrs. ago.

[Corin Stormhands]

Oh I love that movie. Which channel?

Turner Classic Movies at 10:30 p.m. EST.

They're running all Oscar movies all month long. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is on now, but we're not watching.

I was actually trying to watch Kiss Me Kate on Great Performances, but I was also doing some work, making a few phone calls and distracted by the boys, so I gave up.

[2Jedismom]

Check out my post in Chiff and Fipple! It's a thread to show off your avatar or picture!

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?p=105357#105357

[Corin Stormhands]

Bravo!

[300winmag]

My Bay is a big dog like that too. I think it is in the Arabian genes!

The desert Arabs prized intelligence and good manners in a stallion above everything else. As Marl describes him, "90% absolutely perfect, 10% typical stallion". That still makes him the easiest horse I have ever worked with.

But he's not perfect. One day, I was working on something in the tack room, while Marl was elsewhere in the barn. Suddenly I hear her yelling "YOU LOUSY _)#$K_($, DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN!!!!"

I freeze in my tracks, puzzled by what I could have possibly done wrong. I slowly turn around, expecting to see her standing in the doorway, hopefully not with a pitchfork in her hands. I turn around, and she's not there. Yet I hear her continuing to blister someone somewhere in the barn.

I walk into the main aisle, and see her at the other end of the barn, standing in the door to Aki's stall, obviously yelling at him. Whatever was going on, it sounded like she was applying a little bit of discipline with a leadline, too. She sounded like she was beating the hell out of him.

I get a bit closer, and see the horse in the corner of his stall, cowering, and flinching with each new volley of swear words she launched at him. If he could have rolled himself into a little ball, how would have. She was eight feet away from him, yelling at him, but not touching him.

I asked Marl what was happening, and she said she'd tell me once she finished yelling at Aki. Finally, while walking back to the house, she said, "I didn't want to tell you in front of Aki, because he'd know by the tone of my voice that I wasn't really mad with him. He just forgot his manners, and turned his back on me when I went into his stall. You can't let any horse get away with that, and with a stallion you have to correct them instantly. Any other horse, and I would have had to whack them with a leadline. With Aki, I just have to yell at him. He's the only horse I've never had to physically discipline. But I can't risk him hearing me talk about him in such an approving tone."

All I know is I would hate to have Marl yell at me, and the terror I saw in Aki was real. It's not quite the same as saying "bad dog" to your dog, but it's close.

[JenB]

Thanks for filling me in, OT!

Choir was nice. We're starting work for Easter. I dunno... half the choir was out tonight and we sounded really scant.

My diet's going ok, even though my family ate pancakes tonight for Shrove Tuesday. I was virtuous and had an omelet.

Life in the wide world goes on much as it has; all meetings and testings. No one takes any mention of Hobbit Holes - for which I am most grateful!

[2Jedismom]

Thanks! I'm proud of it. Probably get all the Europeans in a snit. One can hope.

[Sam Cree]

That is Nice 2J. Do you know where to find similar of that for "Dixie" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic?" Both of those also seem very patriotic to me.

One makes me feel like kicking Yankee butt, the other European butt.

Just kidding about the Yankees, I think.

[ecurbh]

are you seeing any signs of spring in MA?

You mean MN? No, it's too early for spring here. In fact we just had more snow yesterday, only a couple inches. We are starting to get above freezing occasionally now though.

[Sam Cree]

I did mean Minnesota, sorry.

It still sounds very cold. But I have to admit, I loved my small vacation with my daughter in upstate New York Winter.

[SuziQ]

My diet's going ok, even though my family ate pancakes tonight for Shrove Tuesday. I was virtuous and had an omelet.

LOL!! Not I!! I had a little bit of the Jambalaya we made at the Shrove Dinner; it was really spicy and really GOOD! Then I had some pancakes and sausage. After we got back home, I made myself an ice cream sundae with fresh strawberry sauce and M&Ms! I'm giving up ice cream for Lent, so this was truly FAT Tuesday for me!!

Don't worry, g'nad. I'll be good from now on!

[JenB]

Hey, you've been doing this longer than me, you can take a day off!

This protein diet isn't too bad! I had taco beef on large romaine lettuce leaves for lunch - just like big, green, damp tortillas! And a sausage-and-cheese omelet for dinner.... mmmm. I also bought a pack of sugar-free gum for when those sweet cravings get too intense.

[SuziQ]

Just remember, you don't want to go TOO overboard on the fatty protein foods. Keep doing some carbs, they're good fuel. Also there is always the possibility of your cholesterol going up on that kind of diet. One freeper friend of mine had a cholesterol count over 300 after having been on a no carb, high protein diet for several months!

You can lose fast on that kind of diet, but you can gain it back quickly as well!

[Sam Cree]

I am considering giving up Brie, Evian and Bordeaux for Lent :-D

[JenB]

Yes, I'm only in super-low-carb mode for two weeks, then I bring the levels up slowly. And I am trying to watch the fat...

[Sam Cree]

Oh yeah, and maybe Beck's beer too, since Heinekins is still available. Or, at least, Rolling Rock.