The Whine Cellar

[Red Bess]

Welcome to The Whine Cellar. Here you can indulge in self-pity to your heart's desire. Just a few rules:

1.Whining only - no insults, name-calling or nit-picking.

2. Not sure if you are truly whining? If your complaint begins with "oh, poor me" - you are whining. Remember, you are the victim here.

3. Please keep your whines to a reasonable length - we all have a lot of whining to do. If you feel a long tirade coming on, you will need to take it outside.

4. If you are having a wonderful day, stay out.

OK, time to taste some fine whines, people. Get out your glasses...

[Merrydeath]

and an order of CHEESE for madame? :)

[Red Bess]

No, the cheese stands alone. It doesn't to go with the whine.

[Silkie McDonough]

Me first.

I dot a tolb!

I spent all day sundayin the chill painting. Now I enjoyed the painting but I guess with the weather going up and down my resistance was down and now ...stuffed head, post nasil drip, sore throat, ack!

[Merrydeath]

I swear by nasal sprays, especially nasonex.. and a shot of Airborne. I was about the only one who didnt get sick of about 200 people in my office. It was either the nasonex or the flu bug was scared of me. :)

luv ya Bess.. in that 'you can borrow my bodice' way.

[MadL]

Why can't I have red wine with my fish? And if I want white wine with my steak then by heck I will!

...now what kind of wine goes with chicken??

[Merrydeath]

a NICE white chablis or even a rose'... then again, a pinot grigio would taste great.

It depends on what the chicken wants to drink, white or red or a beer!!

[Red Bess]

Tonight's featured whine:

I noticed it was really quiet around the pub this weekend, and then I remembered -- everyone is at Pyratecon! And I couldn't go!

Waaaaaaaah!

[Merrydeath]

pats Bess on the back.. then remembers both her and BESS gets to go to Port Wash!!

yeah!! only.......... a few weeks away now!

[lady snow]

and now snow feels out in the cold with nowhere to go

[Merrydeath]

Gives Snow a glass of mead, then looks at the 1 inch of water her basement.. it rained 5'' here last night and more on the way.. I might not be so land-locked any more!

[Cheeky Actress]

Special house deal...a two for one...

1. I can't believe I spent the whole weekend in bed (feeling poorly)...

2. I managed to work on a few pyrate things...but still 156 other projects to do about the house...

[Red Cat Jenny]

OK... here it is after 11....PM...... I was supposed to leave work at 10

Damn..damn...damn..damn....

and it will be 2 AM before I leave

Bugger..

[LadyBarbossa]

A bloody freakin 16 course feast here, mates....

1. I'm having trouble and little time to really spend to myself to get a vehicle let alone securing a place I'm happy with living at. A place decent to live in and cat friendly.

2. Why do I have to pick up the kids nearly every day from school? Takes up 3 hours of my time!

3. I just HAD to pick up the damn phone when it was my dad calling. Now I need a new phone having thrown it at the wall cause he pissed me off that bad. Aye, I broke the phone. I'm not a violent person.. but that goes to show you how much my family can get to me with their negativity.

4. Absolutely tired of my place. Tis a damnable pit! I try to get to it but get sidetracked so easily having to go to work (necessary) or get the kids, etc.

5. HATE THESE GAS PRICES!!!! UUGGHHH!!! And I can't walk to places unless I want to break my freakin' leg or get hit by some speed demon dumbarse.

6. WAAHHH!... I'm with Red Bess... didn't get to go to PyrateCon cause I didn't know if I would have to attend a funeral or not. I'm not joking, folks.

7. I couldn't return to help out MerryD at a faire today. I did yesterday but it was so bleedin' windy I couldn't take pictures! Ahhh!!! And a feather on my new Barbossa hat snapped. Gotta add another feather to make it look right.

8. my Birthday is next week. I HATE my birthday. It's absolutely lousy! I prefer to just sleep through my birthday thank you.

9. My Caviar went bad!

10. No body likes Magellan, they are always so mean to him and degrade even him! Bad enough they bitch at me, but now my cat?!?! Twisted and wrong!

11. Nearly bloody hit 3 times today (normal every darn day) cause these idiots in Cedar Rapids can't drive!!! Apparently someone going the speed limit or even 5 mph above the speed limit in town is still a road block. You are just something in their way. I honestly want to hit them upside the head!

12. I didn't get my coat finished! I had to run to two different stores to get the exact buttons needed to put the last buttons on my new frock coat! Uhhh! a waste of gas!

13. Racing back cause the truck was needed after having to run down to the Faire to get the chair and some stuff. Bummed that I had to leave MerryD there alone and unable to have some VERY much needed sane time. Then racing to get something to eat (hard time deciding what to eat) and take it home. Sorry, there is NOTHING at home that is compatible. And I'm not up to cooking today. And who should call while I'm on the way home... my sister. Why? Asking me if I would have the truck. Nope. And she was rather annoyed with that. Like I can ensure I have the truck at her whim and will.

14. Tis no my truck. Tis my stepdads. I use it only cause I was stupid enough to allow myself to NOT take my Jeep back in to have it fixed like it was suppose to have been done the first 2 times! Oh, heck no! I take it in to have the serpentine belt replaced, go to pick it up, the bloody thing won't shift out of first! Take it back, they say it's fixed... no it wasn't. And they expected me to pay $2000 to fix it?!? I think NOT!

15. trying to get rid of the jeep but can't seem to get in touch with anyone even though they are mighty interested in the jeep.

16. hurting all over. Memory is getting really bad to the point I really am considering having a doctor check me out. Likewise with this cough that will never end.

and for desert.... a sour tart of the hole in the wall in the bathroom in which I'm in limbo of fixing! Topped off with my old sewing machine decided not to work this past week so I had to get a cheap machine til I can afford to buy a better one.

After dinner delight.... when will I be able to get all this off my plate, God to be a bit more gracious and not toss so many trials my direction I CAN'T handle?

Now if ye like, I could give you the 24 course feast.

Sorry, Serenity Prayer no longer applies as a Dinner Prayer.

~Lady B

[Red Bess]

Lady B, I'd offer you a hug, but you need a hell of a lot more than that.

*Bess uncorks two bottles of her best stuff*

Drown yer sorrows, mate. And I mean really drown'em - hold their ugly heads under until they stop kickin'

You're dealing with a lot of crap right now. Car issues are the real deal. And family issues make all other issues more difficult.

But don't hate your birthday -- it's the day that reminds you that you ARE. And there are plenty of us who are so glad you are. At the very least, you have friends.

[Coastie04]

Pass the cheese and bread...

Well, a couple of weeks ago, a large avalanche took out 1.5 miles of power transmission line from our hydro electric dam. They're just starting to fix it, and say it won't be fixed for about 3 months. Since the town is now on diesel generators, and we have to pay for the fuel to be barged up here, electricity prices have skyrocketed nearly 450%!!! So, that nice little $70 electricity bill (relatively) will now be over $300. And, as if that's not bad enough, the price increases went into effect May 1st, and cover ALL of April, not just after the avalanche. So, we'll have to pay the higher price for all the electricity we consumed before we were conserving (and in some cases, almost going back to the 18th Century-I live in a rain forest, and there really are people resorting to clothes lines because they can't afford to run the dryer). To top it off, our governor refuses to call it a disaster so we could get some federal and state funding to ease the price of the diesel, as every other town in the state relying solely on generators get. Of course, this is while she's living away from the state capitol and able to use her curling irons without worrying about the cost.

Also, as with everyone, gas prices nearing $4/gallon. With my 80 mile daily commute for work (and in a small town with no roads out of it!), it's eating up my pocket book.

Along with the higher gas prices, hop prices, barley prices, and other essential grocery prices have been heading upwards. More so here than elsewhere (from the people I've talked to) because everything is either barged or flown in. And, on a similar note, hunting season is far away and I saw 5 deer on my way to work. That would help ease the cost of eating. Well, I guess I couldn't afford to cook them with my electric stove/oven anyway. Luckily, I have a BBQ. Oh wait, it's gas. Even propane has been going up with gasoline.

To top it off, the tourists have descended again. From now until the end of summer, there'll be people who stop driving rationally to 'look at the mountains', pedestrians stopping and squating down in the middle of a busy street to take a picture, and people wearing garbage bags as rain coats (hint, do some research before heading out on that cruise. Southeast Alaska is a rainforest; they only show you pictures of the 10 sunny days all year on the pamphlet - bring a jacket).

...Hell with the cheese and bread, just pass the bottle!

Coastie

[Merrydeath]

Coastie, COME HOME to the lower 48!! I'll let you camp in my backyard and all the hot showers you need.

[Guest]

hmm . . lets see here . .. I could deal with a good whine . ..

In revese order;

1. I am working crazy amounts of overtime, of which I am not getting paid alot of

2. My living situation (with my sister) is starting to get slightly loathsome and repugnant

3. I am massivly in debt and have NOTHING to show for it

4. I broke up with my first boyfriend 2 months ago.

5. I am 21 and have no ambition, no dreams, and nothing to work towards

and . . .

6. I am seriosuly crushing on my boss, making the crazy amounts of overtime both thrilling and depressing

[LadyBarbossa]

::: hands the bottle to Coastie::: Indeed a steep ouch for ye, mate. But I think 18th c reverting might be a heck of a lot cheaper and easier to some extent. I can handle using candles and a fire pit to cook, a horse or my feet for commute, sew my own clothing and hunt for food, etc.

That jsut absolutely blows for ya concerning the dam. That's indeed wrong! For something like that, yeah, disaster declaration should have been done.

Merc... hugs to ye, lass.

No fun to work a lot and not have enough to show for your time and effort let alone the appreciation.

aye, debt is horrible. Seems like it's unavoidable. So it seems.

And sorry about the breakup. That's heartbreaking to the worst.

So much for the persuit of happiness, aye mates? How many of us are truly happy with what we are with or given or in?

Thanks, Bess. Aye, too much at once and granted I don't need it. But, I gotta deal with it cause I haven't a choice. Yeah, I'll cry and wonder why. be depressed... but, pick myself up and continue. You all are my lifeline, my support and the sympathetic ear. And as annoying as I may get, a bit of whining helps more than some may think for believe. Cause heck, need to dump off that crap somewhere.

Didn't get much done this evening. But a couple things. Phone was replaced after throwing it at the wall after talking with my dad. So, that's a sharp ouch into my finances. I didn't expect that at all. But, oh, well. Gotta deal with it. Had a decent sit down supper at Wendys with my step dad after getting the phone, mentioned I needed to find some extra medical insurance type help so I can get a steady doctor who is incredibly reliable and to get myself checked out. My memory is really getting worse among other symptoms I read the other day that really alarmed me. But just as I was going to drop him off and go get food for Magellan, emergency call from mom saying to get Rich (soon to be Bro in law) and get down to St Lukes now cause Hailey had been hit by a car. Turned out she had her foot run over by a car. Poor thing. So, again, nothing was accomplished on my end but left me in incredible worry about my niece.

So now.. here I am, exhausted and will see about finding a cheaper place tomorrow to live if things like this continue... I won't be able to afford a place.

But again... just trying and doing what I can with what time I am given.

Oh blah dee oh blah dah, life goes on.

But please, God... no more.

~Lady B

[Silkie McDonough]

The local "Minister of Lawn Care" gave me a citation last week for having long grass. Mind you that the grass was cut before I got the ticket. I have to go to court on Wednesday. She also wrote a citation because I had household goods on my porch. A portable grill, a grill table, 2 bikes, a bike rack, windshield washer fluid and a box of car care stuff. Where else am I to keep the explosives and chemicals of life? In my basement? GAH! Top that off with the fact that I have been waiting for a grant from the borough for yard beautification to buy a lawn mower. Welcome to the dark and fascist state of New Jersey.

[LadyBarbossa]

Geez... you'd figure the Courts would have better things to do than to fuss over the length of grass in your lawn! That is utter, sadly, silly, idioticly stupid! Oh, good Lord! Just as stupid as watching the corn grow and a cop giving you a ticket cause you decided to watch the freakin' corn to grow. Surely people have better things to do with their lives than to pester ya over such trivia and petty things?

~Lady B

[Merrydeath]

The local "Minister of Lawn Care" gave me a citation last week for having long grass. Mind you that the grass was cut before I got the ticket.

I was thinking about this.. tell them you were doing your part to keep the US green and not use as much fossil fuel by cutting the grass less.. that anything else is UN-American, and that you are surprised no one else thought of it.. it might help lower the cost of gas for cars if we ALL let our grass grow to 5-6 inches. :)

[Silkie McDonough]

Apparently a neighbor had complained. What I want to know is why didn't they just say something to me directly. Gah! I hate people who have no spine. What were they afraid of? That I would water their lawns so that I could call the "Ministry of Lawns" on them? Maybe they think I am a real Pirate and might sail up to their porch and board! More likely, I would take the request seriously and perhaps pay more attention to what my yard looked like.

[Iron Bess]

My whine?

When I see a *seldom-poster* suddenly show up on a thread.... and knowing them as I do I know they are using the Pub for superfluous personal reasons.... and I know they are not being totally... honest.

[Hester]

Wow, Silkie -- seriously "Minister of Lawn Care"? And a citation for what you choose to keep on your own front porch? That's very Orwellian!

But hey, Toronto seems to be heading in that direction too.

Today, I'm feeling totally dispirited and frustrated by the City's draconian approach to their new, ill-conceived recycling/garbage program.

They've switched from recycling boxes to huge industrial-sized wheeled bins. And although we measured carefully and ordered a "medium" size, this morning they deliverd a "large" one that won't fit down the narrow walkway between our house and our neighbours'. This thing is so frelling big, I could actually fit INSIDE it, with room for a friend!

I told the people delivering it that it was too big, and they'd have to take it back and send me the smaller size, but they refused, saying I'd have to call the City about it. [Great -- nothing like being put 'on hold' on the phone all day long.]

The moronic city planners failed to take into account how tight space is in the inner city and instead designed their program for the monster homes in suburbia with 2 car garages out front.

I have a 24' lot, with a 2 1/2 foot walkway leading from my back yard to the front of the house, hemmed in by solid brick walls on either side, with mechanicals like drainpipes and gas lines sticking out into it. I have absolutely NO wiggle room. A couple inches makes a difference. And once that walkway's clogged with snow in the winter -- all bets are off!

So, now I either have to try to "fight City Hall" (which will probably be futile anyway) or put up with this enormous ugly blue plastic 'lawn ornament' sitting out in plain sight in my front garden all the time! Soon to be joined by its matching "one size fits all" official garbage bin.

Crap! I really don't have the energy for this nonsense!

Get stuffed, City Hall!

[And what really pisses me off is that I voted FOR the mayor who's implenting this bone-headed system. And he's from the inner city and was supposed to understand our unique circumstances in the older "pre-car" neighbourhoods.]

All this so the garbage collection can be "standardized" and "mechanized" and "metered". McGarbage! [Not to mention that my taxes will be going up to pay for this new system!]

I think my response to this forced standardization will be to turn my hated bins into "Altered Art" projects. Particularly if I get stuck with the size that has to sit out the front of my house. Bring on the spraypaint and stencils! (I wonder if that defiance will land me in court?) Hoist the Jolly Roger -- I'm gonna be a Garbage Pirate!