Former Member

I’m not sending this from my phone, so it’s in color! ;–) Happy Birthday, Lisa!

Ski Trip was exciting if somewhat incomprehensible. ;–)

Considering this is a @Wayne Gray story, shouldn’t that be a hard cider? ;–)

Orson thought his life was over when he lost his leg. Uprooting his life and leaving Alabama for California has changed his world in ways he never expected. He is now guardian of a teenager and seems to have found a man he can love! ;–)

I find it interesting the sorts of tells the different authors exhibit. @Jdonley75’s alphabetical adjacencies have been unconsciously chosen for characters who are partners and numerous shared letters have appeared between former partners and their successors. Stephen Dunn’s Closet Monster (2016) has a protagonist named Oscar who works with Wilder (Buffy the Hamster is adorably voiced by Isabella Rossellini). The mind of a writer is a mysterious thing! ;–)

So many things my grandmother ate as a child were not prepared and served to her daughters because she worked so much after she legally immigrated to the US. My family is fairly assimilated and has lost much of our connection to our ancestral foods. On the other hand, we eat many things that our neighbors and friends have introduced us to! ;–)

No comment!

Then you must be using shorter words… ;–)

I chose to use the term rather than a term I thought was even more offensive: transvestite. My impression was that non-binary covered more than just the clothing issue. Is there currently a non-offensive term for that aspect?

But I’m still waiting for the male performer to appear on the red carpet wearing pants with fabric so thin, stretchy, and tight he can’t wear underwear and his manscaping efforts are clearly visible through the material – or alternately, a taped-on filmy strip of cloth [Mariah] that proves there’s nothing on underneath! I think turnabout is fair play. Women have been appearing at awards shows nearly undressed for decades. ;–)

In the US, WWII was when women wearing men’s clothing started to become acceptable. All those women replacing men in factories were wearing uniforms designed for men! There were several famous female actors who wore tuxedos or jeans who scandalized their fans in the Thirties and Forties. There was a case a few years ago of a non-binary student whose skirt was lit on fire on the bus while they were traveling home from their school in Berkeley. Jaden Smith gets rude comments because he sometimes wears skirts and dresses. Billy Porter caused controversy when he appeared at an awards show red carpet wearing a huge skirt that included a train.

My favorite Aunt always gives me (and everyone else at the gathering) a small package of cookies on christmas. There are around 5 or 6 types of cookies included. It takes all my will-power to restrict myself to just one cookie per day! ;–)

I don’t know why you can’t just PM us all samples of the food! ;–)

I remember baking cookie with my mother and younger brother – often for my older brother to take back with him to college. We also baked cookies for the holidays. My favorite Aunt shared many of her recipes. I was too stupid to take my mother’s recipe boxes and cookbook collection when we were clearing out my parents’ house when they moved into an assisted care facility. I think my favorite was Chris’ Crinkles. You mixed the dough and had to refrigerate it – it looked like pudding in the bowl! After it had been cooled, you scooped out, then rolled the dough in powdered sugar before baking it. Naturally, the dough flattened out in the oven, but it remained soft for several days. The cookie ended up with polygons of white with the cocoa-flavored insides peeking out in the cracks. My Aunt remembers the cookies, but hadn’t made them in decades and isn’t sure she still has the recipe… Lesson learned: ask for copies of your favorite recipes while the chef is still alive.

Well at least virtual food won’t add to my waistline the way actual food does! ;–)

You’re counting yourself too? ;–)

Well, Sid won't be discussing contraception with Jett! ;–) Maybe baby-proofing the house? Jett probably still hasn’t cover the power outlets in the house, much less secured cabinets and the toilet. But I’m guessing there’s somehow still going to be a ‘What are your intentions towards my son?’ talk! ;–)

Porch pirates! She never arrived! Please resend! ;–)

Some might have made a reference to an equine or porn performer-like dimension… but we’re more, er, ‘refined’ than that! ;–)

I didn’t realize that @Headstall was only turning 9 this year! Gary is a child prodigy! Such wisdom and insight from a prepubescent boy! ;–)

From one CA to the other CA… Happy Birthday, Gary! I found your birthday too! ;–)

Donnie is usually clever enough to avoid upsetting the entire family at the same time. Clever, but not smart enough not to do it occasionally. Besides, Nicola is daddy’s little girl! She’s got him twisted around her little finger. He’s not aware of her worst transgressions… ;–)

Susie and Mr Andrews showed up in the update. Dodger hadn’t originally written that scene with adult supervision until we pointed out that it would be illegal. So the version you read was more correct, legally than the one I originally saw. ;–)

Put your reservation in now for next year. Plan to stay at least two nights (the night before as well as the night of Elias’ birthday). This also gives you plenty of time to figure out a gift! ;–)

Source: maximien