Uncategorized

Ask Dr. Babooner

114 Comments

Dear Dr. Babooner,

Everywhere I turn today, I hear people talking about austerity. Whole nations need to be more austere. The world itself is on an austerity binge, if such a thing is even possible.

And yet everyone seems to hate austerity at the same time they’re urging others to subject themselves to it. But here’s the thing – I’ve been into austerity all my life, always cutting back on expenses with relish and always trying to take as little pleasure in everything as I possibly can. For example, if I were you I would have dropped those pearls a long time ago.

I have even tried not to feel too superior about my own austerity when compared to everyone else, because to enjoy it would be a luxury, and we Austeriterians don’t go in for that sort of thing. That’s why I have to suppress a laugh when when they ask me to cut back on my budget at work or someone tells me to not use the air conditioning in my car so I can get better mileage. I’ve been making those sacrifices for years! No one can out-austere me. All these downsizing latecomers and expense slashing woe-is-me-ers really burn my hide.

Or they would, if I had any hide left to burn. As an austerity measure, I got rid of my frilly, self-indulgent hide years ago. I’m better off without it, and you would be too!

Frugally yours,
Already Ultra Austere

I told AA it can certainly be frustrating when amateurs try to horn in on your territory, but there is nothing to be done. It is human nature to believe one has “discovered” a way of life or a new experience. The idea that others have known about this for a long time and have already made the sacrifices you’re demanding diminishes one’s enjoyment of being in the vanguard. In the case of the current crop of austerity fanatics, taking away this one source of joy would be … well, ultra austere and compulsively cruel. Just like you.

But that’s just one opinion. What do YOU think, Dr. Babooner?

114 thoughts on “Ask Dr. Babooner”

  1. i have noticed that anytime you have a word that starts with a vowel it could be trouble. those vowels are an indicator the rest of the letters that follow may be accusing or requesting something form you. autonomy is something we can out me me me the next person but there will always be someone who will one up us. how about those show offs over in africa and in far off regions of the world where food and clothing are things they look for, not things they need to cut back on. the vowels and those words like austerity can be a conscience beater. work to get past them. they will get you.

    Like

    Reply

  2. Good morning. AA, you are mistaken about austerity. The austerity that is being promoted is not directed at the individual, it is directed at government spending. You are encouraged to be a spender. Of course, if you were getting help from one of those government programs that are ending, you might not be able to do much spending. We are told the economy will fall apart if we engage in personal austerity. You are leading the way in rebelling against consumerism by practicing austerity. However, I’m afraid your interest in austerity does not come from apposing consumerism. It appears that you might be some kind of a cheerless miser.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Well said, Jim.

      It seems those pushing austerity the hardest are the ones who also think everyone ought to work more, but think somebody else should be doing the hiring and paying.

      Like

      Reply

    2. I am waiting for two things and have been for years. 1) A politician who tells the American people that schools aren’t problem and that the public is, that he/she will cut what benefits his/her constituents too, etc. In other words throws it right back on the citizens to accept austerity and responsibility. 2) TV commercials that say “wait to buy our car, that dress/suit you have will last just fine, ignore fashion trends, dieting should be a cheaper way to eat not more expensive” etc.

      Like

      Reply

      2. Yes, I think what is most needed is responsible citizens. Unfortunately our political leaders are apparently not encouraging us to be good citizens because they seem to think that would get them reelected.

        Like

        Reply

        1. I mean would not get them reelected. Some times politicians will appeal to our better side when running for election, but then go back to being lousy politicians when they get in office. Many of Obama’s supporters are disappointed because he hasn’t followed the better path that he promised when running for election.

          Like

        2. i got a kick out the repuplican talking head who was blasting obama for not helping the mexican aliens like he said he would. the mayor of l.a. said but he did offer it up and all the dems and 4 republicans voted for it but i didnt pass. yeah well it was an election year, he knew it wouldnt pass was the reply. .

          Like

  3. Rise and Shine Baboons–but don’t enjoy the day, it might ruin your focus on austerity!

    Dear, dear, dear AuA, you are a twisted soul. Jim in CG has your number perfectly so there is little I can add to his commentary. Besides, no one can ever out-austere my Grandmother who raised 8 children on a farm during the Great Depression. She did that out of necessity, not for pleasure.

    ‘Nuff Said.

    Like

    Reply

  4. Chilling to wake up this morning, turn on my computer and read a letter written by my dead mother, or may as well have been. Nobody was more superior about her austerity.
    We were watching House Hunters on HGTV last week. The grand children have decided it is their favorite channel. It is the anti-austerity channel to say the least. A couple kept saying that one of the three homes was over their budget and then, of course, they picked it. Mr. Tuxedo went on a tirade about living in your budget. The rest of the day he wanted everything he saw everywhere we went. Connecting the two moments in the day was too big a leap for him.

    Like

    Reply

    1. clyde the timing is perfect. whne my kids were little we went to disney for winter break and i hated the 5 dollar cokes and the 37 dollar sweatshirtst they asked for endlessly. i figured out the answer and gave them each 50 bucks on the fosrt day of a two wee vacation and starting the second day they wanted to be sure we had extra cans of pop and enough peanut butter sandwiches to make it through the day. when they wanted a sweat shirt i told em i thought they ought ot buy it if thats what they wanted. its only 37 dollars. it was a wonder to behold.

      Like

      Reply

  5. I think you have pretty much nailed it, Dale.

    Nothing kills one’s enjoyment at discovering something “new” like being told it is actually old hat and not that special. What makes it even worse is when somebody tells you that if you are actually enjoying your new found frugality, you must be doing it wrong.

    Myself, I intend to keep my raspberries’ spirits (and production) up by greeting the daily new output with wonder and delight. Fresh raspberry smoothy every morning! I think today I should perhaps get out the vodka bottle and get the cordial going.

    Edith, if you are still marking your scorecard, basement is at 1/6 complete, garage at 1/3.

    Like

    Reply

        2. did that yesterday. I think mini-donut ice cream with rhubarb cordial would make a nice girly drink.

          Like

        5. That video must be sooo old. Isn’t that Dave Foley before his “break out” role on News Radio?

          Like

        6. The is from “Kids in the Hall” – a funny funny show. And yes, definitely pre-“Talk Radio.” Think it came to us from Canada…

          Like

      1. the batch by the garage is currently that way on our estate. I’m hoping they get going once the ones elsewhere are done.

        Like

        Reply

      2. My raspberries are not that far ahead of yours, tim. I think I’ve had 8 so far and some of them weren’t perfectly ripe. But I was thinking that this was really early for them to ripen because they usually ripen in July and then I get a second crop in September (which lasts until November or so when the frost kills them for the year) and a neighbor told me her raspberries always ripen in June (but she doesn’t get a second crop) – and she had picked an ice cream bucket full already. So, maybe your raspberries just ripen later than the rest of the Baboons and you will get a bumper crop yet.

        Like

        Reply

        2. Edith, I think you must have fall-bearing raspberries. Ours are always finsihed by July and have never given a second crop. Ours are just starting to ripen now.

          Like

        3. Yep, I have fall-bearing raspberries. One crop in July (starting 3 weeks or so early this year!) and then a bigger crop in September, until a hard frost kills them. I’m not at all austere about eating and enjoying raspberries.

          Like

    3. my job jar took a serious hit with the jack hammer and chain saw portions of the list going away this weekend. little sink hole in driveway i got to deal with turned out to require a patch the size of zambia, and the tree felling was a kick wher the falling direction turned out to be a little to the left of where we thought it was going to be. i had younger son acting as middel man and future son in law running the saw as i had the rope tied to the trailer hitch and was driving away as the saw dictated. well middle man saw that the puppies were running around in the opposite corner of the yard and chose that moment to go look after them so with all the prep work and precise timing i was put in the situation where i was looking at the tree top branches starting to fall as my key to drive away and keep it from falling on the neighbors fence. missed it by inches. did scuff it up a bit but really lucked out. got a good wood pile for the summer weeney roasts and a driveway that will allow me to get to the store to buy weenies.

      Like

      Reply

    4. Yes, the raspberry smoothies! Husband made one this morning with our mulberries, banana, yogurt, and a little leftover rice thrown in – protein!

      Like

      Reply

  6. Sheesh. Listen to Me! I mean don’t listen to me. I heard my mother’s voice and started acting like her. I am going to bike ride and calm down. When I come back I will be doubly better than all you. I will be calm and have exercised. The result of which is that I will not deign to associate with you emotional slobs.
    (Was I being superior there?)

    Like

    Reply

    1. Clyde, you can’t get more austere than peddling under your own leg power. But peddling with no practical destination in mind does seem a bit indulgent. On second thought, it did save you a trip to your friendly neighborhood psychologist and/or physician, so maybe it all sorts itself out in the long run.

      PS It’s a beautiful day for a bike ride, isn’t it?

      Like

      Reply

        1. I would never knock psychologists, Clyde! Just noticing that a bike ride seems to do it for you which is great, not to mention austere/cheaper (which is our topic of the day, yes?) 🙂

          Like

        2. As your friendly, neighborhood psychologist, I would opine that riding a bike is just the thing a guy like Clyde needs to stay sane and maintain his health, and if he were in my office I would kick him out to go for a bike ride.

          Like

        3. I think my comment was mis-read, but any explanation would involve over-explanation. Suffice it to say, I can’t imagine AUA biking purely for pleasure or even health, since AUA seems to have squeezed all the fun out of life. But as Clyde has proven (40,000 miles worth), simple pleasures such as biking and walking under our own power are their own reward. And today was a perfect day for that . 🙂

          Like

  7. Having been out of work for several months myself a few years ago, followed quickly by Husband being out of work for a good chunk of time (and then employed only part time…finally gainfully employed last summer full time)…I gotta say I’m tired of our personal austerity measures. We have managed, but it would be lovely to not have to not have to count nickels or debate if we can really afford something that we need (our house has gotten the short end of the stick a lot in favor of being able to keep the aging roof still over our heads, and a new pair of $30 jeans for myself has felt extravagant). Admittedly, we have not given up on some things like buying organic veggies over conventional, but that seems a reasonable investment in our health. I do not need luxury, but after this experience, I have little tolerance for self-important misers. Sorry AA, no sympathy from here.

    Like

    Reply

      1. Yeah, me too. I’d prefer to be done with my personal economic hiccup. And the pity party I have been throwing off and on for myself along with it. 😉

        Like

        Reply

  8. just sent the son off to the new life in california. it was a smile but it is tough sending the first one away to spead his wings. at midnight last night i asked him which route he was driving and he agreed i was right when i suggested a week ago we should figure it out. red lodge tonight, beartooth pass to start the day tomorrow. 3 or 4 hours to get through yellowstone and then on to a spot for the evening somewhere north of salt lake (i tild him to check out logan ut. i dont remember why it was one of the most beautiful place i had ever seen but it was),then on to zion fo the final night on the road to arrive in l.a. for the new life before the 1st. he had room in the car for an extra pair of sox maybe. got his tunes and his iphone to get him where ever he needs to go.

    Like

    Reply

    2. tim, good luck to your son on his trip West and his new life when he gets there. It would be nice if our children would not go so far away so we could continue to be near them, but they also need their freedom and can’t always stay close to home.

      Like

      Reply

    3. The first one is the hardest, tim. Such mixed feelings sending him off. But you have to trust that he’s learned to improvise from the master. Don’t be surprised if he falls a little to the left of where you thought he’d land, but he’s off and flying!

      Like

      Reply

      1. thanks. it is so painful to watch. he had great ambitions of getting organized before he left and he and his brother age 19 spent lots of time together knowing this would be it. they had practice while he was away at college in eau claire, but that was school and would end and was only an hour away. this time is for real. i have 4 monster boxes to ups out to california for him and piles of goodwill contributions to distribute that was finalized at 7:31 this morning. paintings and musical instruments are the largest part of his payload. oh yeah and a big screen tv in the backseat, he wouldnt trust anyone to take care of the important stuff of life.
        my music connection is in flagstaff az and is only 4 hours from his new home in l.a. so he can go chase the dream at whatever level of intensity he chooses. makes me wish i got another crack at it. i would do a thing or two differently given another shot….then again maybe not.

        Like

        Reply

    5. I’m not looking forward to the s&h taking off on his own (today marks the longest he has ever been away from home, and that is just to the grandparents’ in Iowa, but still……) so you have my sympathy.

      On the other hand, you are also bringing back memories of my theatre gypsy days, when I would load up the rented van or the luggage cart and off I would go. Beautiful day to get started on a road trip. If he is taking I-90, the big dip down to the Missouri River in Chamberlain always takes my breath away (followed by the cheap coffee and prime rib at the truck stop there).

      I loved taking off on an adventure like that, remind me of this when it is time for my boy to head out…..

      Like

      Reply

      1. You miss ’em, don’t you, when they are gone on a trip like this? It is all part of What Must Be, but it can feel so lonely. Your cheap coffee truck stop is the nationally famous Al’s Oasis. Coffee refills are a nickel. Chamberlain used to be one of our pheasant hunting headquarters, and I’ve had many a meal at Al’s when I was almost too weary from long walking to keep my face out of the mashed potatoes.

        We thought of you, MIG, when Krista and I were on Madeline. I might have a little something for you.

        Like

        Reply

  9. Daughter has decided that I and her dad need to be much more austere than we are at present. When she saw my new bass and bass amp, she was somewhat put out and reminded me that she was graduating next Spring, and didn’t we need to save our money to send her to college? She is working a lot this summer, but has a hard time holding on to her pay cheque.

    Like

    Reply

    2. have you figured out how to do some of that walking bass stuff and some of those old mc cartney riffs. classic bass parts are a thing of beauty. i have an accoustic bass i pull out and sit in the kitchen with a melody running through my brain. by the time i get to the end of the tune somehow the main direction of the tune went off somewhere else and i am the bass soloist of the universe. dont be afraid to rock on renee. check out thelonias monk and paul chambers or that great tune about the horse for tlgms somebody warren was the felmale singer or these:
      http://blogcritics.org/music/article/rocks-greatest-bass-riffs/
      check out great jazz bass riffs for walking bass info.

      ooohhh im moving that accoustic bass to the main hang out area in the kitchen so i pick it up more often.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Could that be “Ballad Of The Runaway Horse” sung by Jennifer Warnes. Love that song. Last time I checked there was no Youtube for it. But I just checked and here it is

        Like

        Reply

        1. drat! My recording is 8:22 minutes long, maybe in the interest of austerity. This version is missing a fantastic violin ending and they have added background voices in places. still good

          Like

    3. Wait until she is 40. then she will want to take over your check book and make you very austere, unless she wants something from you.

      Like

      Reply

  11. Austerity is so simple! You just discriminate between your Needs and your Wants, then spend what you must on the Needs while pushing the Wants out of your mind. When it gets a little tricky is when some pushy bigot with a permanent scowl on his face tells me that my cable internet connection is a Want, not a Need. Ha! Like I’m going to go back to a dial-up connection like Abe Lincoln used to have. So I ask him what about his damned cable TV bill, hunh, fat cat? He even gets H effing BO! And he explains that that is a Need (because his kids need all those educational channels) whereas my Caribou coffee in the morning is not only a Want but an indefensible luxury, something he’d expect of a sybarite like Louis the XIV but not a modern man with a conscience. I howl at him that I buy all my books used in paperback, like getting Devil in a Blue Dress used for $.01, and he shrieks that only effete snobs like me BUY their books instead of using the library like decent austere people do. By now I’m snarling at him, saying that he has less understanding of austerity than that ethical chameleon Mitt Romney, who thinks he is being austere when he drives the Cadillac that gets 19 mpg instead of the one that only gets 17 mpg. Simple! It’s so simple!

    Like

    Reply

    1. h effing bo? im trying but im not clear.
      great post there steve but why do you need caribou coffee anyway?
      boofk for a penny and 4 dollars shipping on amazon is still a good deal but i wish they would nmake it possible to ship 4 or 5 books in that 4 dollar shipping bill. 5 books for 4 dollars and 5 cents is a deal i can justify. for i book per shipment i wait for half price books . love those garage sale deals. 25 or 50 or on the last day a bag for a dollar or something cray.
      i am so cheap when i go to holiday to buy tea i usually end up buying that stupid little box of liptons tea bags with 20 for 1.29 instead of paying 149 for a cup of hot water and a single tea bag. why do they charge 1.79 for medium its on 4 extra ounces of water.
      subway 5.00 ham sandwich ( with ham in a bag on the side for kids lunches) feed me and my office manager most days. i bring tortallini chili and mac and cheese when i make a bucket but the subway 5 dollar foot long is a great value. if i buy lettuce and peppers and olives and stuff to make my own i end up with too many bags of brown goo and get mad at myself for being wasteful. with the subway program i only get mad at myself when the ham gets lost in the jungle of front seat accouterments i travel with.

      Like

      Reply

        1. remember abby hoffmans stael this book. pointed out peanut butter and pickle jars use the same size lids for small amn large jars. worked great back in the days of price stickers, putting it to the man. scanning bar codes make abby beep as you go through the theft detector at the front door.

          Like

  12. So, I’m out riding along on my $400 Trek bike with 17,000 miles on it and along come two guys in full brand-spank effing ing new biking regalia, who cannot quite figure out shifting. Reeling along awkwardly, so clearly a new purchase. Both on Cannondales which start at $2000 but I do not think that was where they started. Brand new helmet and biking shoes and, of course, the special biking socks.
    I’m wearing a ratty t-shirt, basic walking shoes, worn exercise pants, which, like all my biking clothes, I bought off the discount rack or in yard sales I rode past. They are in full squeaky clean–get it? squeaky–lycra suits. My mother would have told me to tell them that she did not want to see so clearly outlined their large bellies and small genetalia. How long before the bikes are collecting dust in the back of the garage?
    How’s that for superior? If I had followed them I wonder what conversation I would have heard.
    See, in America, if a little is good a whole lot is much better. We either exercise or make a cult of it and worship at the temple of the GREAT SPORTING GOODS store.
    But I counted. On my 12 miles this morning, I saw 13 people out walking and biking for exercise in plain clothes. So there is a sane middle there, too.

    Like

    Reply

    1. You probably know, Clyde, that downhill skiers used to have a name for someone with all the chic gear but no skills for using it: Snow Bunny. Every sport has that. Once when I was grouse hunting I ran into a Grouse Bunny. He had a shotgun that cost the same (then) as a new BMW 3-class, but he had never shot a grouse.

      Like

      Reply

    2. 400 dollars for a trek? i ride my raleigh i got at the garage sale for 20 dollars. ratty bilke clothes from garage sales, hah my clothes are from the ones that didnt sell at my garage sales. you spenders justifying your 400 dollar bicycles and helmets, geeze i had to save for 2 years to get a baseball hat when i was a kid and i still have it. that and my eddie mathews bat.

      dont those fashion bike riders just crack you up. they are out at lunch hour near my warehouse. bulging lycra and bicycle shoe with matching helmets and wrap around fahin sunglasses make me wonder if the outfits were the primary attraction. i love amsterdam where the bicycles are all 50 year old 3 speeds just like my ralaigh and the idea of stealing one is not even considered. it would be like stealing someones shoes or toothbrush. get your own its not hard.
      good for you clyde to get out and ride the way ou do. my son wants a new bke and he says trek is the way to go, best value there is. he checks this stuff out and compares for days and weeks before issuing a proclamation.

      Like

      Reply

      1. If you are going to do my miles, about 4000 this year outdoors if I make my goal, you need at least a $350 bike. You need at leas that quality to not be over-working. Plus I have to have a bike which does not bend me over into a pretzel, which Trek makes. Trek bikes are decent and reliable at that level.
        17,000 miles is a high number for a bike of that level. I have had it rebuilt twice, at about $125 each time. I should get another 2000 or so. On my second ride today I will pass 40,000 miles of outdoor riding for nine years and four months of riding.
        This building has a good exercise room with exactly the right exercise bike for my indoor riding. When I have a bad pain flair-up I often think I am about done riding. But almost always when I get on the bike in high pain, the rhythm of the ride and the movement reduces the pain. When this bike crashes I think I will switch to riding only indoors. Despite the fact that I can read riding indoors, I much prefer moving through space.

        Like

        Reply

        1. Your consistent bike riding habit really impresses me, Clyde. I like to ride, but my wrists go numb and can’t keep it up for any distance. Kinda like a dog–flapping my hands constantly to get the blood circulating.

          So I walk instead, indoors and out — and I DO read when walking a smooth track indoors 🙂 That way, time flies. Like you, though, moving through space is much preferable.

          Bill and I walk and bike at different tempo’s, too. I walk faster, he bikes faster. When we walk, if I slow down to match his pace, he slows down even more which I don’t like. When we bike, his legs are stronger on the hills and I lag behind, which is probably annoying for him. So we’re a bit of a mismatch.

          When we go on a road trip, we burn gas which is not conducive to austerity, but at least we’re moving at the same pace which is conducive to conversation 🙂

          Like

        3. That is some impressive mileage, Clyde.
          For whatever reason, I got the boy out riding this spring, which means I have decided I should get going as well.

          We have used bikes from the Boy Scout sale in St Paul and got them fixed up a couple of weeks ago.

          I decided today was the day I would see just where the path along the river went and how to access it. Went as far east as I could before the path joined up with the road, then turned back. St Paul has considerately placed park benches and hanging flower baskets along the way, so I could take little breaks and get out my reading and knitting from the old school backpack. Discovered we are embarrassingly close to accessing the river path. Tomorrow, if I can walk, I will see how far west I can go.

          Totally get what you mean about moving through space. St Paul is a completely different city from the seat of a bicycle. I should have done this years ago…..

          I don’t know that I looked particularly austere, more like scrappy.

          Like

        4. I used to have a 3-speed bike (Phillips brand) that was really, really nice. Pretty sure I got it for free or $5. Then one of the daughters rode it to high school one day, and it wasn’t there at the end of the school day. I guess this isn’t Amsterdam.

          Like

  13. Three off-topis:
    1. Have we had a report from blackhoof after the floods?
    2. Steve, did you report on the weekend trip and I missed it?
    3. I knew by the busses parked at the high school the drums would be thundering this week.
    http://thunderofdrums.org/

    Like

    Reply

    2. We got an indirect report from Barb in Blackhoof. She, Steve and the goats are all dry.

      Krista posted briefly Friday to let y’all know that we were having a lovely weekend at the cabin. I never know what to say at such times. If I describe things accurately, it can sound like I’m gloating. We had two days of perfect weather, and then a day of soft rain when we toured Madeline Island. Since I don’t go to my cabin alone these days, I was deeply grateful that Krista was eager to go and make a cabin weekend possible for me. It was a delight to sit in Cornucopia’s only coffee shop, a charming place, reading baboon posts.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Glad you had a good time, Steve. In my opinion, you could have posted about your weekend – hopefully even those of us who were having crappy weekends could be happy that you were having a good time.

        Like

        Reply

  14. It’s interesting how everything is relative – to must people I live a somewhat austere lifestyle – probably the only furniture we’ve ever bought new is our bed, for instance. But compared to Husband I am an extravagant shopper…

    Tell AUA to take a look at some folks without work, food, or a home, and his ultra austere self might not seem quite so extreme.

    Like

    Reply

  15. You are a great leader of austerity, AA! I think you and my mom must have gone to the same Academy of Austerity. Did you also learn to rinse out every plastic bag for repeated use, wash and re-fold pieces of tin foil, and to straighten and store the little bread bag ties? I was taught to do all those things as a young child. I have never been in want for a bread bag tie or a plastic bag.

    I think that soon I’ll be even more austere than normal around here. Food could become a luxury. I don’t need it anyway. I could live on what I have around my midsection quite splendidly for a few months!

    I had a very pleasant long weekend at Steve’s cabin – a truly lovely and peaceful place. It only rained on Saturday. I got to see a show at the Big Top Chautauqua Friday night and on Saturday we took the ferry to Madeline Island. What a lovely place that is! (Anyone who owns land there clearly has made some good choices in her life and has decided well what is right … 😉 ) Cornucopia is a charming little town with an excellent coffee shop and wi-fi. The signal isn’t all that strong but my computer isn’t all that good either. It did well enough for us to keep up with all of you on the Trail. My computer showed me the blue screen of death one day of my trip. It’s been hinting at total failure for awhile. I think I’ll be taking it in for an overhaul soon. Oh, I’d love to buy a new one, though! A Mac Book would be so nice…

    Like

    Reply

    1. i have an assocoate mac books for $800(he is in the used stuff business and has a bunch of em). they all have warranty until 2014 and would cost 2500 at the apple store from what i understand. they are being sold by a company like medtronic which is downsizing by 1000 jobs and has some stuff left over.

      Like

      Reply

        4. no to inter listings but i can get tthe info at computer remarketers kevin
          and the used ipad businesis good on the ipad 2 at 400 if you go to microcenter 36th ave so and hwy 100

          Like

    2. My mom went to that same Academy of Austerity. I have rebelled against it somewhat…although if I could find a way to dry plastic bags without draping them all over the kitchen, I would wash more plastic bags. It just annoys the snot out of me to have to move wet plastic bags off my utensils whenever I need a spatula or whatever.

      Like

      Reply

    3. Oh-oh, I do all the stuff your mom taught you, Krista… but at least I didn’t impose it on Son.

      Like

      Reply

  16. Tell ‘Fred Austere’ that (to paraphrase Sir Percy from the Blackadder series), “Surely, France has already been discovered…by the French for a start…”

    Like

    Reply

  17. Off topic: my daughter was conducting a Bible study at a nursing home. An elderly lady wondered what there will be to talk about in heaven since there is no sin there.

    Like

    Reply

      1. Well, if heaven is anything like what I imagine, the weather is going to be a pretty damn dull topic too. Sorta like being a weatherman in Southern California!

        Like

        Reply

  18. A couple of things that have come to mind:
    – the book Little Heathens (by Mildred Kalish) has great tales of Austerity, where EVERYTHING was used or re-used… it’s the book I keep down by the stationary bike, so it hasn’t gotten a lot of use lately…

    – forgive me, but I just heard this on Radio Heartland and thought of tim and son of tim. At the risk of being maudlin:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5BBEOjUKrI

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Jacque Cancel reply