vastateofmind

Currently 32, got down to 30 overnight. Breezy through the night, and appears to still be...

OMG, I use Old Bay on salmon, chicken, pork, pasta, sauces, on the grill, on the stovetop.......

I'm sorry for you, brother, that you lost that much time in a forced/converted in-person > online adaptive situation. I can't imagine for myself what TRYING to attend college in a post-COVID-19 world looks and feels like...let alone for you, or my own sons (who graduated college about 1 and 3 years ahead of you, respectively). I've taught as an adjunct instructor at Southern New Hampshire University for about six years now, where the online format is a way of life...however, when you're paying for, and expecting, that in-person experience at UVa or any school in VA or across the country, but still have to adapt to mostly or 100% online regardless...that's a tough pill to swallow.

Interesting observations on wine here, @CAPE. While I drank beer and liquor (to a fault) in college, I dried out after that period for most of my 20s. At no point, up until about my early 30s, was wine even palatable...gave me splitting headaches while drinking it. Then, suddenly in my mid 30s, I could tolerate whites....and then approaching 40, I began to appreciate whites AND reds. Headaches and drinking wine are no longer a package deal...well, unless Mrs. V & I crack open more than one bottle of any variety on a Friday night. And craft beers, dear God. So many beers...so little time.

Have loved crab and all shellfish my entire life...and then developed a really bad shellfish allergy over a decade ago. I despise being that wet blanket at parties when the warm, cheesy crab dip and crackers are set out on the table and the host begs me to try it...and then feels bad when I inform them on the down-low that I can't have it.

Forgot about this stuff until I went to a Greek reunion a few years ago. Apparently there was a "re-release" of Zima around that time...and the ladies had a case and were partying like it was 1992 all over again. Stuff tastes like a mash-up of Pine Sol and 7-Up.

+1 on the Kirkland brand of liquors. I've not tried their gin -- I think I could keep some down by now -- but we have tried Costco's vodka, tequila and small batch bourbon in recent years. All not bad...I actually enjoyed their bourbon.

Booze as in liquor? Gin, HS senior year. Wouldn't say I necessarily "liked" it...but let's just say that, at that point, gin took an instant dislike to me.

45. Puddle rippage.

Have NOT tried ST's Hot Cocoa Stout, though I have no doubt it is excellent -- it is one of the few breweries whose mothership HQ I wish was closer than western NY, so we could try more of their awesome beers on draft as opposed to bottles/cans purchased at Wegmans.

That choco-rasp sounds absolutely amazing...and I'm not surprised it would sell out that quickly. Almost beer o'clock here, and here's what's on deck first today from two of my favorite breweries:

Well, since y'all drug me into the Wayback Machine this morning...anyone grow up with this? I hit the rink anywhere from 2-3 days/nights per week, from the beginning of middle school right up until my mid-20s. This was actually great exercise...and it was a lot of fun getting stuck in the middle of the shuffle skate pack.

Yeah, this one's a gully-washer today. I can even hear it coming down on the roof. Yards are more puddles than grass right now.

I remember watching the Lost In Space reruns as a kid and wondering why season 1 was shot in B&W, while seasons 2 and 3 were in color. Now I'm all, "UGH, isn't that movie streaming in 4K yet??"

Williamsport is my hometown...and I bolded the key part of your quote, because it's spot on. I have always said Williamsport is a nice place to grow up and grow old but it IS one of the most beautiful areas of PA and even the country -- I still miss those mountains and the West Branch Susquehanna Valley. It's also a great place if you like more snow than we get in these parts -- they still do pretty well annually along that Williamsport-Mansfield stretch of Rt.15.

LOL. This was pretty much life growing up in the late 70s/early 80s in northcentral PA. Rabbit ears were the only way I got TV on the tiny 12" B/W TV in my bedroom. My parents got "basic" cable...which means that I had to go to a couple HS friends' house to see the "good" stuff like MTV, HBO, etc.

First, the clarity/resolution of that YouTube vid is one of the best I've seen. Second, I scanned the entire vid, but starting at the point you suggested reminded me of the Overlook Hotel location in the 1980 movie version of "The Shining."

Had to visit my office at Fort Belvoir yesterday to pick up some supplies, first time I was back to my workplace in nearly a year. There is a creek and some wetland near my building and I heard the first few peepers singing their songs yesterday. Spring is getting ready to...spring.

Yeah. Wouldn't be disappointed by one more snow and a big one at that. But neither would I be disappointed to be drinking an IPA in shorts/t-shirt on the back patio within the next few weeks. I'll watch the tracking from the sidelines (can't help myself) but don't know if I can muster a lot of excitement for the triple-phasing jackalope after getting a taste of those 60s temps midweek.

Can I be nosy and ask what you ordered this go-round? I see on the last page you were considering your vegetables for the season...perhaps some flowers. I hope you, and others here, share growth/progress pics...love to see them.

Caillou (the character) is that perpetually whiny kid who most parents try like hell to keep their kids away from and avoid playdates with. My guys were just beyond the age range for that show (thank GOD) but for the few episodes I endured, my immediate thought was, "WTF thought that THIS kid was/is modeling good behavior??" Sadly, Barney and the Teletubbies WERE popular when my guys were little and we unfortunately did NOT miss that boat. Teletubbies, UGH....insipid on one level, nightmare fuel on another. Clean-up on aisle 5...

Thank you, indeed, @mappy, for putting this together. I know you've done this post-winter snow total maps in past years, but this is the first year I've paid closer attention to what others around the sub have been getting in terms of total snow accums for the season (not necessarily those of us here in the NoVA snow anus). I've had a general idea of where members are if/when they include their locations with their avatars/profiles...but this map makes a HUGE difference to better understand the differences in conditions between us lowlanders and the N/W tier folks. Again...I realize this is volunteered time, so your efforts are appreciated.

Great advice embedded here, which I didn't follow in my 20s and 30s. I lifted weights a lot more back then, logged a lot more jogging/running miles...and in every case, never stretched out, before or after workouts. HUGE mistake, especially with regard to running. Blew out my right knee (torn meniscus) at 40, got it scoped, not much cartilage left in there now. Now my left knee occasionally has that rotten/wobbly feel to it. Regardless of your age, folks...if you work out in any fashion, please stretch out before and after, and don't leave out warmups/cooldowns. It makes a difference to the long-term health of your muscles/joints.

OMG, @jonjon and @wxtrix -- these breads look amazing. They're like, almost too attractive to eat. Almost.

I will be very interested to read obs from the N/W tiers tomorrow morning. We're progged to get a cold rain here overnight, though not quite as cold as last week's 33 and rain. Fine by me, if we have to settle for rain instead of snow, please just let it be above 40 or 45.