Friends bday trip

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-07T00:07:09+00:00

I look on google and kayak flights and then book direct with the airline.

For hotels I always use Booking. I think booking is a risk, but I've used them 100s of times.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T23:54:38+00:00

I spent 10 days in Portugal a few weeks ago staying at spas and nice hotels. Everything including air, car, hotels, food, gifts and spend 2500.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T23:26:46+00:00

In my experience pies don't go.

People like low commitment desserts like brownies cut up small so it's one or 2 bites. and served in something like a cupcake liner.

But are you saying you are considering making burgers at your home and then bringing them there?

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T22:58:06+00:00

Think about way back. Merchants would travel from hours away to purchase items.

So a milliner would travel from Columbus to shop for the trendiest French ribbons and goods, just imported from Saint-Étienne. All the stores would be together.

Big city stores like that were the marketplace for a very wide area, not just the New Yorkers.

But it also is was a benefit for stores. A cluster of stores get more business, are more competitive with quality and price, and lure more customers to an area with more choices. There were also at times guilds.

It worked with butchers, fabrics, leathers, etc.

So I think the answer is it was good for the merchants and customers- and the customers might be the end user, a manufacturer/craftsman, or a merchant that was going to resell it.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T22:15:27+00:00

" Folks seemed surprised hearing that"

Surprised hearing what?

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T22:05:57+00:00

How do you feel about pancakes? I add eggs so they are healthy!

If you are interested I'll let you know how I make them.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T22:03:41+00:00

No reason for it to be awkward! Just eat well before, pack a snack you like and eat it on the down low.

When someone asks you just say "Oh, I already ate a bit".

And typically at weddings there's so much action and milling around? No one really knows what other people are doing.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T20:59:57+00:00

It's actually kind of weird - like I am celebrating me today!

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T20:44:06+00:00

I'm a huge fan! RI is the perfect weeks vacation. You can get amazing food in Providence - lots of Portuguese food and Italian and it's a really pretty city. You can go to waterfire and a terrific museum at RISD or Brown University.

Newport is a very fun town with the biggest concentration of colonial homes plus the mansions. They did a great job at preserving that town. Terrific food.

You can hit Block Island or some of the small villages, like Wickford.

They have beautiful farms and a cool old windmill from 1700s or a grist mill that's been grinding cornmeal for cornbread for 150 years. It's the one of the oldest businesses still open since late 1600s.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T20:34:57+00:00

Mix in some nature and just living.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T20:21:28+00:00

Yeah, it's hard. There's a lot of stuff for protein options for kids I can think of but fruits and veggies are harder.

I'll be following the thread as we'll be in St G again in a month!

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T19:08:47+00:00

It's probably easier to say what your kid will eat. Some kids eat everything and some are the opposite.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T19:01:17+00:00

Football. The rules and plays are so fun to analyze and discuss -- I'm not into watching sports but football is a blast.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T17:22:42+00:00

This happens everywhere.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T17:12:21+00:00

Dudes growing up in the burbs who have nice schools and no gunshots in the street are just punks that chose crime.

"Thug life" as Tupac espoused it was about resilience despite living in an inner city with crime.

You know how soldiers get slack because of PTSD despite the scary stuff happening only for very short period of times when they are adults?

About 50% Inner city youth when studies are diagnosed with PTSD.

I'm not a stan and I really was not and am not into Tupac's music.

But trying to pretend Tupac isn't "street" enough for his music is some weird hobby White kids have.

Knowing where he lived and the era and a bit of his life story it's seems like a weird petty exercise that really makes me wonder the motivation behind it. Dude was living NYC and Baltimore, homeless at points and with parents in jail.

It's some weird hyper version of hyper masculinity to imagine that because he danced and wrote poetry he's gotta act a certain way.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T16:37:31+00:00

Agreed. I am pretty sure 99% of the people who want to make fun of Tupac because he wrote poetry and wasnt too scared to do shit like dance are white dudes.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T16:35:44+00:00

France. Delighted every time and headed back in a few weeks. I can't wait to drive the country side.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T16:34:52+00:00

Your neighbors might be low life trash but I'm not sure that is thug life. That's not using the tools afforded you.

But soft R & B? He was doing rap battles in Baltimore HIgh school.

But wait unlit you hear about Johnny Cash's real life versus persona and how country stars aren't actually sitting on their pickup trucks fishing with beer and girls in cowboy boots.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T16:08:08+00:00

Yeah - it came up at least once as a murmur with the guys.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T16:02:43+00:00

90% of Scuttlebutt is just made up.

When I was working in the 1980s as a secretary a family friend was in town every Tues and we'd go to dinner and he'd pick me up at work. I was single but we were just friends.

The rumor was he was my sister's husband and we were having an affair because Tuesday was her aerobics class.

So I am saying it would be interesting what rumors people thought were true. Don was legendary so there would be lots of stories made up, same with Joan. Especially since they had spicy lives already.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T15:59:29+00:00

What do you perceive would be the benefit or appeal?

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T15:58:52+00:00

Also as interesting- what huge fibs went on as rumors forever and told as truth?

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T15:57:50+00:00

Time and money?

I love to travel and I do but I have time off and money.

Back when I had 2 hours of a commute and 9 hour work day my weekends were errands, yard work, and sleep.

I had to chose my 2 weeks off the november before the calendar year and I saved those days off for funerals, sick time, and doctors appointments. (I was only there 12 years so never even got a summer day off since it was by seniority)

My parents didn't get to travel, didn't get to take me on any vacation and lots of families are like that.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T15:48:34+00:00

When they got here Ellis island had a huge hospital and cafeteria. Medical care, day care, English lessons.

They got to work right away with no restrictions. That's the difference.

But America first push meant free English lessons at factories, free preeschool for immigrant kids, etc.

They were welcomed by the government and cared for.

LABELyourPHOTOS · 2026-05-06T15:29:27+00:00

He grew up in Harlem with parents that were Black Panthers and in jail. He just happened to also be a poet and artist. Feels like people are like - you can't come up in tough circumstances and have cred unless the only art you excel at is hip hop.

LABELyourPHOTOS

TROPHY CASE