LoveNDino

It took 31 steps to get from Fr. Mike Schmitz to Joel Birkin? Well, we're just losing our touch, I suppose...

Why you should never go out to dinner on Valentine’s Day By Fritz Hahn February 7 at 7:37 PM Dirty Habit, a trendy, noirish restaurant inside Hotel Monaco in the District. The couple were sitting in a quiet room dining on a $75 prix-fixe menu. Though they enjoyed the food, calling it “delicious,” their waiter was nowhere to be found. “They were probably ghosting everyone,” Gemmell says. “There were just too many patrons and not enough staff.” That pretty much sums up the problem with dining out anywhere — no matter the location or budget — on Valentine’s Day. Ask diners about their experiences on the holiday, and the answers range from overcrowding to expensive prix-fixe meals that were so bad they ensured that the next year’s would be a McDonald’s dinner at home. A sampling of complaints from Washington Post readers about various restaurants: “The tables were on top of each other.” “The food was atrocious.” “We could not get our, or any waiter’s, attention.” “Our food never came.” The issues start before most diners even set foot in the establishment: Seventy-one percent of Americans planned to dine out for the holiday, according to a 2017 OpenTable survey, making reservations hard to come by. Then, once diners score a table somewhere nice, they typically have to invest in a prix-fixe menu. If they don’t and are given menu options, they are still more inclined to splurge, because it’s a special occasion. Expectations balloon along with price tags. But customers are rarely blown away. Packed, noisy dining rooms; tables for four split into two-tops; overworked servers and cooks — these are all factors that, more often than not, result in disappointment. Take it from celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay: “Valentine’s Day is the worst day of the year to go out,” he told Town & Country magazine last year. “Busy kitchens with tons of diners means you don’t get the true feeling of the restaurant.” Restaurant staff, from chefs down to servers, typically agree. They frequently deride Cupid’s calendar cameo as “amateur night” — a time when people who don’t dine out often show up expecting to have the most memorable meal of the year. Bar Pilar chef Jesse Miller takes the umbrage one step further: He calls Feb. 14 “the most overrated day in dining.” That’s why Pilar offers an annual “anti-Valentine’s Day” menu with offal dishes, bitter cocktails, heavy music and “just treating everyone like it’s a normal” day, he says, “because it really should be.” Some couples go every year because they’re in on the joke, while others just show up because of the date and are unaware of the “celebration.” Bar Pilar is a rare exception. Most restaurants play into the expectations and try to sell a night of romance and fine dining, whether it’s four courses of “truffle-forward” dishes at Flight Wine Bar ($80 for two); “aphrodisiac” Japanese small plates at Zentan ($12-$15 each); or a Co Co. Sala prix-fixe selection where every course includes chocolate ($75). (Even Ramsay’s London restaurant empire offers specials for that holiday — including “sumptuous dishes, divine desserts and a cheeky cocktail or two.”) Other restaurants may not go crazy with special menus, but they still make an effort: Cedric Maupillier, the chef and owner of the French-accented restaurants Convivial and Mintwood Place, says Convivial sees a higher-than-usual number of first-time diners on Valentine’s Day. “People use a special occasion to try a special restaurant,” he says. So he pulls out all the stops to make a good first impression: Tables are covered with white tablecloths, more shareable items go on the menu, and the kitchen hums nonstop. A month before Valentine’s Day this year, all of the reservation slots between 6 and 9 p.m. were booked. But there’s little that chefs such as Maupillier can do about the decibel level. A full restaurant means more people talking, which leads to more people trying to be heard over the din, and the next thing you know, you’re forced to eavesdrop on your neighbors’ conversation. That’s why, Maupillier admits, the night “is not for everybody. Some people prefer a quieter ambiance for a romantic evening.” That can be hard to land on one of the busiest nights of the year, although some restaurants win praise for being themselves. The romantic Chez Billy Sud in Georgetown offers its usual menu with a few nightly specials, while Centrolina treats it as “business as usual.” And if you’re going to spend more than normal, you might as well visit a high-end restaurant known for its ambiance and quality of service year-round, such as Marcel’s or Sfoglina. “I’m not going to sit here and say that some chefs and restaurants don’t do a good job,” Miller says. “They know you’re willing to drop a couple of extra bucks on this day so you don’t have to sleep on the couch that night. Can’t blame them for it.” Of course, there’s no rule that a couple have to celebrate their love on Feb. 14. It’s probably easier to get reservations and a babysitter on the 13th or 15th — a fact that restaurants are beginning to acknowledge. All Clyde’s locations and their sister restaurant, 1789, for example, are offering all bottles of wine for half-price on the 13th. Those who still feel the need to mark the classic “Hallmark holiday” might just want to get creative. Although Gemmell and Mendoza have been together since 2013, last year was the first time they tried dinner out — and probably the last. “I’m not ruling out going out on Valentine’s Day completely, though,” he says. “I bet nobody goes out for Valentine’s Day breakfast.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APPzRnOQGS4 For many seniors, tiny houses provide the most suitable living spaces because they're small, easier to navigate and require less upkeep. Undoubtedly, these are some factors that Josh Wynne took into consideration when designing and building a modern sustainable cabin for his aging father. Named after its occupant, "Mike's Hammock" is a 604-square-foot one bedroom, one bath home situated on Wynne's property in the Florida Gulf Coast town of Nokomis. Equal parts sophisticated and sustainable, the cabin was built using a combination of local and recycled products such as its Southern Yellow Pine frame, which as sourced from a nearby housing development construction site. True to its eco-friendly design, the house maintains a modest footprint with the help of a customized central air and heating system equipped with a double-wall, exposed metal duct that helps distribute air evenly throughout the space, contributing to average monthly energy costs of around $25. On the style side, the interior is clad in Southern Pine wood paneling accompanied by sliding glass doors and well-placed windows that offer tons of light and viewing opportunities of the surrounding marsh wildlife. Pitched ceilings give the illusion of extra space. To accommodate Mike, who has limited mobility due to health issues, Wynne opted out of installing upper cabinets and used only full-extension drawers for easier access. The doors are sizeable enough to easily accommodate wheelchairs. The bathroom is also equipped with extra space for walkers and wheelchairs and features a shower with a fold-down seat and support for grab bar installation. Due to its cantilevered design, the tiny cabin appears to float above the surrounding native Sabal palm trees. As Inhabitat notes, Wynne was careful to keep the project low impact, planting three trees to replace the one he removed during construction. Additionally, the engineered wood that frames the roof was installed without a crane. "It minimizes impacts by utilizing trees that are younger and using them more efficiently than solid-sawn lumber," Wynne told New Atlas. Overall, the tiny house construction produced a modest amount of waste – less than a dumpster full, in fact.

For @MartyB especially... Richard Pryor’s Widow Is Happy to Confirm He Hooked Up With Marlon Brando By Jackson McHenry Quincy Jones speaks the truth. In an interview with Vulture, in which the musician covers many, many topics, Jones happily dished that Marlon Brando would “fuck anything. Anything! He’d fuck a mailbox. James Baldwin. Richard Pryor. Marvin Gaye.” According to Jennifer Lee Pryor, the comedian’s widow, Jones’s story is totally accurate. Lee told TMZ that the comedian was open about his bisexuality with his friends, that he’d be cracking up if he heard Jones talking about him and Brando, and that he discusses his relationships in his diaries, which she intends to publish later this year. “It was the ’70s! Drugs were still good, especially quaaludes,” she said. “If you did enough cocaine, you’d fuck a radiator and send it flowers in the morning.” Between the mailboxes and the radiators, it’s a wonder anyone — or really, anything — made it through the decade intact.

So, to the residents and frequent visitors to Louisville, KY, what is your favorite neighborhood and why? Cheers!

And if you're going to Los Angeles, it may be worth your while to visit The Getty Center - free admission, no reservation needed and parking is $15 The Getty Villa - free admission, reservation required and parking is $15 Go downtown and visit the Grand Park and have lunch at the Grand Central Market. While you're there, might as well visit MOCA and the Broad Museum. I haven't been to the latter, but if you like contemporary (or is it modern) art, then you should go. Visit the Huntington Library in Pasadena. Both the library and the gardens are worth it. The Gutenberg Bible alone...

You shut your piehole @azdr0710 - I am cutting my cable tomorrow and my popcorn ain't going to eat itself...

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And in 2018, another 5 quads

Nathan Chen, figure skater, U.S.A. Nathan Chen is only 18, but he’s already the only U.S. figure skater slated to win gold in South Korea this year. He’s also the first U.S. figure skater in the world to land five quadruple jumps in a single program — and he has amazing hair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCwUX24dbjM

Hi @bamafan Here are links to start you with your research... http://www.daddysreviews.com/search/Active/kurtis wolfe/kurtis_wolfe_austin https://www.companyofmen.org/threads/kurtis-wolfe.128943/ https://www.companyofmen.org/threads/todays-review-of-kurtis-wolfe.117143/ https://www.companyofmen.org/threads/kurtis-wolfe-411.109633/ He is also active in the forum under @Kurtis Wolfe Have fun!

It was with some trepidation that I read this thread. I thought, et tu @azdr0710? Thank goodness it was something benign. Sweet, even...

America’s Last Remaining Princess Is A 91-Year-Old Lesbian And she's embroiled in some royal drama. /Getty%20Images%20He%E2%80%99s%20accused%20Worth%20of%20abusing%20the%20princess%20and%20claims%20he%20has%20photographic%20evidence%20of%20bruises%20she%20inflicted%20on%20Kawananakoa.%20(Both%20Worth%20and%20Kawananakoa%20have%20denied%20the%20allegations.)%20%20The%20princess%20is%20currently%20fighting%20Wright%20to%20regain%20control%20of%20her%20estate.%20A%20court-appointed%20specialist%20will%20assess%20her%20mental%20and%20physical%20state%20after%20a%20hearing%20on%20Thursday. by Samantha Manzella “And so, genealogically speaking, she is of high royal blood.” http://imageslogotv-a.akamaihd.net//uri/mgid:file:http:shared:s3.amazonaws.com/articles.newnownext.com-production/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Abigail_Kinoiki_Kekaulike_Kawa%CC%84nanakoa_a0002554-1517932040-1517932042.jpg?quality=0.8&format=jpg&width=1800 Unfortunately, Kawananakoa’s royal blood hasn’t protected her from royal drama: She’s currently entangled in a series of ugly legal battles. First, there’s Kawananakoa’s fight with her former attorney, James Wright, for control of her $200 million fortune. After the princess suffered a stroke in June 2017, Wright wrested control of the estate, arguing she was “incapacitated.” Months later, Kawananakoa married longtime partner Veronica Gail Worth, who now controls her wife’s health care power of attorney. Worth, who reportedly collects a $700,000 annual “allowance,” is embroiled in her own legal battle with Wright, who says she’s only after the Kawananakoa fortune. He’s accused Worth of abusing the princess and claims he has photographic evidence of bruises she inflicted on Kawananakoa. (Both Worth and Kawananakoa have denied the allegations.) The princess is currently fighting Wright to regain control of her estate. A court-appointed specialist will assess her mental and physical state after a hearing on Thursday.

I've learned that it's best to just to get my popcorn, and... ...read

I know it's a year old, but, isn't this thread just the sweetest?

Loved the first episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMp7iGHtMso