MetaChat - Looks like someone's got a case of the Fridays!

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02 December 2005

Looks like someone's got a case of the Fridays! So, how will you waste time today? Where will you take that extra long lunch, and what will you eat? How will you dawdle on your way back, and what's your excuse?

post by: Hugh Janus at: 09:16 | 32 comments

I'm leaving work early so I can drive 100 miles to get stuck in Seattle's Friday night rush hour.

posted by warbaby 02 December | 09:24

I feel like crap today. And I got my wires crossed- literally. Ugh.

What I'd like to do is start the Mecha Swap book, but I don't think I'll get the chance. I think instead I'll play with Backpack and wrack my brain for gift ideas. Anyone know of something good to get for an artist who loves charcoals?

posted by selfnoise 02 December | 09:24

What's Backpack?

Sounds like you're in for a trip to the art supply store, which is fun whether you do art or not. I love poking around in specialty shops. I bet there are a dozen perfect gifts for the charcoalist there.

posted by Hugh Janus 02 December | 09:29

Trendy Organization Tool.

Not like I ever "get anything done"- heh.

posted by selfnoise 02 December | 09:33

I suffered the loss of a dearly beloved sock yesterday.

Sorry but I can't elaborate, due to the weeping...

posted by mcgraw 02 December | 09:36

I've already had my fridays doughnuts...yes plural, no I won't say how many.

Tonight is our company holiday party at the freakin' National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, sometimes it's good to be a sell-ou—whoa, they put my uncle's plane on the home page! Fuckin' A...looks like I'll be reading up on monocoupes all day.

posted by danostuporstar 02 December | 09:38

I am doing some "organizing" at work and filing papers and stuff that I haven't put away for a long time. Then I'm going to take a long lunch and read my book. Then I'm going to leave at 4, along with all the people observing the Sabbath, because our building gets lonely then.

posted by gaspode 02 December | 09:40

Oh, I almost forgot. I asked for Sencha Tea this morning, but the barista gave me Jasmine Tea instead. I must've spoken too softly. Anyway, the Jasmine hit the spot, so it all turned out well.

posted by selfnoise 02 December | 09:42

"So, how will you waste time today?"

I have to show up early and then work through lunch so I can rush home to pick the kids up from school.

So, y'know, bite me and stuff.

posted by mr_crash_davis 02 December | 09:49

So you'll be off work by 3? That's nice.

posted by Hugh Janus 02 December | 09:54

I am going to sit in a meeting for several hours and pretend that I am somewhere else.

posted by cmonkey 02 December | 10:00

Oh, McGraw, my kitten ate one of my favorite margarita socks this week. Fortunately I had two pairs, so now I have one pair and a spare (in case he gets hungry again).

No slacking today. I've got several meetings.

posted by matildaben 02 December | 10:13

Drinking beer is not a waste of time, and I am filled with indignation that you, good sir, could suggest such a thing.

posted by sciurus 02 December | 10:18

Do your margarita socks have salty cuffs, matildaben?

Today, I cook. I hate to cook. I'm making those butterscotch/chocolate chip/coconut things for the singalong at the kid's preschool tonight. They have a little brass band that plays and everyone stands around the duck pond and sings Christmas carols, then we go inside for treats and hot chocolate. Santa comes. It rocks. I so love preschool.

posted by jrossi4r 02 December | 10:45

Well I'm impressed with Uncle Woody anyway.

posted by danostuporstar 02 December | 11:07

Sorry to hear that, matildaben.

I was the one who destroyed the sock so mostly I'm angry at myself.

posted by mcgraw 02 December | 11:08

Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun, jrossi4r. Kids make Christmastime worthwhile.

I loved preschool. Half-days: what's not to love?

posted by Hugh Janus 02 December | 11:09

it was intentional but i don't want to get into it.

posted by mcgraw 02 December | 11:09

I'm going to rush through all the work I need to get done before lunch so that the rest of the day I'll be able to do some online websurfing (obsessed with boardgamegeek.com lately) and work on the puzzle book I'm designing, as well as continuing some long-standing email conversations (always available for more -- addy in the profile). Lunch will consist of a walk to the bookstore (I won $45 at poker last night and will spend that money asap, thankyouverymuch) and then buy myself a burger lunch across from the B&N and saunter back to work. How will I justify all this? Well, I'm leaving in less than three weeks. Whadda they gonna do? Fire me?

posted by papercake 02 December | 11:11

Ever play Carcassonne?

posted by Hugh Janus 02 December | 11:16

Huge -- yes! Got it last year and played a couple times. But the Wife and I are getting into it lately. Very fun. You play, I take it?

(Tragedy! boardgamegeek.com is down!)

posted by papercake 02 December | 11:21

I played it a couple years ago in Maryland with friends, just for a few hours, and it ended up in my closet at my parents' house. I grabbed it and brought it up here to NYC after Thanksgiving, and I'm looking forward to playing it with some friends up here.

It's great and, as I remember, quick. No problem losing while learning when the game doesn't last long. I think that's a turnoff for beginners with some other (longer, more complicated) games -- there's always someone measurably better than them "teaching" them to play.

The fact that I've played before gives me a vague understanding of the rules, but the fact that I've played so little and so long ago erases any advantage that experience might give me.

posted by Hugh Janus 02 December | 11:27

We've been pretty casual about it but have quickly learned that the best way to play is completely cut-throat -- if you want to win you have to try to screw over the other players.

I've only played 2-player so far, though, and am interested in trying it with more people.

I bought a couple of the expansions (river, inns & cathedrals -- which we've used; and king & scout, the duke -- which we have not), which makes the game go longer. We average 60-90 minutes per game, although my wife is notorious for taking a while to make decision.

posted by papercake 02 December | 11:34

What kind of slacker pre-school did you go to, Hugh?

posted by dame 02 December | 12:31

Shit my relaxing day just turned into a stressful one - the report that I had to finish by Monday pm now has to be finished this afternoon. Hate.

posted by gaspode 02 December | 12:56

I didn't have class today, so I slept in. Until 1pm. Oops. Now I've got to write an article for my school paper, go to the bank, acquire some sort of food item and go run sound for ye olde play. Woo.

posted by YouCanCallMeAl 02 December | 13:24

My preschool was community-run. All the moms in my 'hood pooled their resources to buy a teacher and a school for us, and my mom was the treasurer.

One time during lunch we were all outside eating at the picnic tables and when the teacher went indoors for a second, I stood up on the table and peed on my good friend Maria's sandwich. I don't know why.

My mother, who was in the building doing the accounts, hauled me out in front of the entire class, took my pants down, and spanked me bare-bottomed about ten times.

If it hadn't a been for that shaming, I'm sure I'd be running around to this day, peeing on all sorts of folks' lunches.

posted by Hugh Janus 02 December | 13:44

I took the kid to school, realized I was wicked tired and unmotivated to be at work, so I went home, slept till twelve and then showed up at work, I just walked in and sat down and started in and didn't say anything to anyone about why I was late. I think if anyone asks I'm just going to say, "What are you talking about? I was here the whole time."

posted by Divine_Wino 02 December | 13:49

Well, my boss has decided to display all different flavors of crazy today, so it's been an exciting ride. So much for the bookstore and burger. Instead: a quick deli sandwich and some M&Ms as a pick-me-up.

posted by papercake 02 December | 13:55

Divine, that is an excellent plan. It baffles people totally. At Thanksgiving, we had a paper-mache(sp) cow laying down in the whole hatchback/back seats folded down area of the subaru, and everyone would come in and ask about the cow and I would just say "what cow?" Works especially well on teenagers.

posted by rainbaby 02 December | 13:57

Hugh, that story made me think of the picnic scene in Vacation. Maria wasn't coming onto Christie Brinkley, was she?

Sadly, preschool is only 2 hours per day 3 times a week for the mini rossi. But that is still enough time to produce lovely golden macaroni picture frames. And that's really all that matters, right?

posted by jrossi4r 02 December | 14:02

That and naptime.

posted by Hugh Janus 02 December | 14:05

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