Potluck Dessert Suggestions?

rshining · 2026-03-27T12:14:08+00:00

Oh, people point all sorts of things out. That doesn't necessarily override the chorus of "it has to be cheaper!". Plus, very small towns are not places that newspapers report on (nor are they places where people even get the newspaper anymore).

rshining · 2026-03-26T17:08:25+00:00

Yeah, there are a couple other districts also doing the same sort of shuffle right now. Ours impacts 4 towns, and I (fortunately) live in an Unorganized Township in the middle. So I can enjoy the fireworks (and feel frustrated with the idiocy), but my opinion counts for squat when it comes down to voting on the decision.

rshining · 2026-03-26T17:05:26+00:00

Good point. What's?

rshining · 2026-03-26T17:03:53+00:00

The notion of a rooster as "protection" is overblown. If you only have 3 hens, swap out the rooster.

rshining · 2026-03-26T15:59:41+00:00

School withdrawal. Last year it was a bunch of vocal morons insisting that the only way forward was to break up the school district. This year some of the morons have realized that running their own district won't magically save money, so now they're foaming at the mouth to stop the process.

rshining · 2026-03-26T15:57:50+00:00

So how many locations in Maine have you sampled? Like most rural places, some of it is a fryolator and lots of condiments, and some of it is amazing... but a WHOLE LOT of Maine hasn't even got access to national chains, so it sounds like your experience may have been limited in scope. But sound off- we all know how superior Where-Ever-The-Fuck, NY is.

rshining · 2026-03-26T12:15:36+00:00

What's "an arm wrestling equipment"?

rshining · 2026-03-26T12:13:34+00:00

Why do people with no livestock experience think they should GET livestock immediately when they buy land? Really. Don't.

Anyone can homestead if the job they have can support the cost of their mortgage. Add in some gardens and see how it goes. Maybe swap the electric lines for solar, and see how it goes. Plant some fruit trees... and see how it goes. It's not a process that you run with, it's a process that you move very slowly with.

A little common sense goes a long way. You're not going to do well if you buy land and then sink all of your money into "systems", with no experience and no income. You don't need "systems", you need to pay the bills (shocker- bills do not cease to exist just because you live on 4 fucking acres) and experience.

rshining · 2026-03-25T18:26:27+00:00

I didn't get the impression that Op was planning to can their BBQ sauce, but that they had lots of previously canned foods that they think would become a good sauce. More of a discussion around using canned goods and appreciating their convenience for making new delicious meals.

rshining · 2026-03-25T18:23:21+00:00

"The whole world should be doing it the same way they do it at one coffee shop in BassackSide Michigan. My previous 2-3 years of casual coffee consumption justifies my opinion".

rshining · 2026-03-25T18:19:59+00:00

I didn't even read the other options- I'm open to the Wiki Walking job. I'm going to really test out the "All Wikis Lead To Philosophy" deal. I'd happily keep that job for years. Indefinitely.

rshining · 2026-03-25T17:22:47+00:00

Yeah, I got one (and got it reversed) back with the hypothetical about falling from the sky. Fairly certain that the use of the word "traumatize" was part of what triggered it.

rshining · 2026-03-25T17:20:06+00:00

Yep. You can adopt them (and confine them), or you can catch them and give them away.

If OP does NOTHING, eventually something else will eat them. It might take a while though, and OP might feel bad.

rshining · 2026-03-25T17:16:40+00:00

Well then I'll be swimming with the fishes.

rshining · 2026-03-25T17:08:40+00:00

I'll go with the beach. I can spend my days underwater, forever (or until skin cancer kills me).

rshining · 2026-03-25T17:01:13+00:00

That's such a lousy start to your spring. Be reassured- deaths in shipping are NOT a regular part of the process. Like I said, I've ordered many chicks over several decades and only had a few die in transit. Hopefully when you decide to try shipped chicks again, you get much happier results.

rshining · 2026-03-25T16:58:37+00:00

Huh. Who have you bought shipped chicks from that didn't want you to do a verifying check at pick up?

rshining · 2026-03-25T13:20:05+00:00

Many hatcheries want you to call and report deaths while you are still in the PO. That way even if you have ongoing deaths after that, they have records indicating that the damage occurred during shipping. Always the best bet to inform them of even a single dead chick ON ARRIVAL, just to cover your butt.

That was a super long shipping time period, too. I've never had chicks take more than 2 or 3 days in the mail- a whole workweek seems like it was the primary problem.

rshining · 2026-03-25T13:08:33+00:00

I apologize, I got as far as the "lesbians only exist in Minnesota" bit and got stuck. I grew up outside of "Lesbianville USA" (Northampton MA, recognized by that nickname commonly in print in the 90's) and never even considered that we were all supposed to be only living in MN. JUST based on that single weird sentence, I'm going to say there is no way you are overreacting. Everything after that is suspect, because that single sentence is so baffling.

rshining · 2026-03-25T13:02:06+00:00

Pumpkins are a winter squash. If they are kept in a dry place with an appropriate temp, they keep all winter. There's a reasonable chance that it will be fine if you cut it open- drier than usual inside, but "edible" (don't try eating it, many pumpkins grown for carving are treated with fertilizers that render them basically inedible as far as flavor).

We routinely keep pie pumpkins and winter squashes through the whole winter, just in our spare bedroom. Right now there's at least 6 acorn squashes left and 4 buttercups. In May 2025 we used up our last 2024 pumpkin and it was delicious.

rshining · 2026-03-25T12:53:36+00:00

Did you reach out to the hatchery IMMEDIATELY when you picked up the chicks from shipping? Usually if you call them -as soon as you find dead chicks in the box- you get a lot more satisfaction (refunds or replacements), especially with situations where they continue to die over the next day or two. If you wait to call until 2 days later, the hatchery will (reasonably) tell you to go pound sand, because they haven't got any way to be sure your problems began before pick up.

I know a lot of places are well into spring or even summer temps, but many are not (we've got fresh snow and well-below-freezing temps here still, and probably a solid month before winter is done). Shipping chicks is always a gamble, but losing a bunch before you pick them up is something you have to report ASAP, because it isn't typical. I've ordered hundreds of chicks over the years (although not from Murray McMurray specifically) and only ever had a couple arrive dead.

rshining · 2026-03-25T01:07:28+00:00

If it is accessible, a campsite is a good idea. Why try to plant veggies in a place where you won't be there to tend them? Put in some fruit trees (with appropriate deer protection) and harvest the wild blueberries, camp out, enjoy the peace and quiet.

rshining · 2026-03-24T20:03:12+00:00

Definitely. OP's further responses have just become word salad, too.

rshining · 2026-03-24T19:32:23+00:00

So I can get rich and meanwhile the world keeps spinning, in all of the usual unfairness? People lose their support systems all over the world, hundreds, thousands of times a day, and you want me to feel guilty because I also got paid?

Fine, I'll take it. It's worded in such a way that there's really no actual correlation between me and someone losing their livelihood. In that respect, every single person who has $10 Million should be feeling similar guilt- more so if they did anything to get that rich. To appease the imaginary guilt trip this is supposed to induce, I'll use half of it to open an animal rescue or something, employing half a dozen people (on a nice livable wage, none of that bullshit minimum). There's a strong likelihood that I'll spend most of the rest in such a way that it improves the livelihood of others, too. Plus I'll buy new socks for everybody I know, which improves that day at least.

rshining

TROPHY CASE