Originally Posted by sepulchre

No eggplants this year. For whatever reason they wouldn't sprout. Maybe next year.

Yup - there's always that, God willing!

Originally Posted by sepulchre

Thanks for your kind words!

Oh, you're welcome... they're only the truth based on observable evidences above is all!

APK

P.S.=> Credit goes, where credit is due (in my book, usually)...

Dave's right, on this note: You're going to get some seriously GOOD nourishment from that, fresh food, nothing like it... doing your own garden, is a route to that, on the cheap too!

(Personally, I am surprised more folks don't do it actually - but, then again, this is my FIRST one I have ever done, & turned out to be well worth it by all means... & stupid me used to think it was "solely the province of flaky people' & either I have 'gone flaky' or, I am just now getting sensible (leaning to latter, because gardens have practical merit/benefit by ALL means)... that was THEN? THIS, is now... & thus, "the future is now" (because I will do this as many years into the future as I can from now on, bank on it))...

AND Dave's also "dead-on right", about the comedy show "SCRUBS" too... it's good & very funny! apk

Hey guys! I used to have a humongous garden years ago. I enjoyed the fruits of my labor-it's worth the effort, the nutrition and sharing your bounty w/others too. From what I know about eggplants they thrive in dry, hot climates. Maybe too much rain or water was an issue or the quality of the soil is important too. If you'd like to try this experiment it may help you get some eggplant next year depending on the weather too. I'll keep as simple as possible...1.) Dig your holes 1.5 feet per plant so you will have to extrapolate that figure to the size of your anticipated crop. If you have the room try this-lining the soil with double-thickened plastic which fills in the area completely and comes up over the sides of the seed bed. 2.) Find the best quality soil & seeds (www.burpee.com) and if it gets too rainy then place 3 foot stakes roughly around the total circumference of this eggplant bed and cover it with plastic as well to tent it from too much water. I've been to Greece and its very hot 100-120 degrees is normal with no rain and dry heat. I know that you may find climates like that in the SW but I don't know where you live. 3.) Always water your plants before sunrise and after sunset because the sun attracts sunlight & it will fry your plants right out. I am no expert here just trying to help out. I would also fertilize your crops with home-made compost which is awesome for your gardens and even things like fishbones, vegetable skins & peels. They (your plants) will love that kind of compost-I had access to a composter when I had this garden that could feed so many people I was like wtf? I never had grown garden before but I have had very good luck since then but I don't live in a place where I have the ability to grow one now. Boy, do I envy all of you!!! i miss tomatoes and having all the vegetables you want & also knowing that they haven't been irradiated like they are in grocery stores or covered in germs and wax. Good luck to all of you next time around.I hope this info. helps someone. Take It Slow, sunshine

I'm hoping next year to have another garden. This year has not been good for me. But we've had some nice gardens in the past with lots of canning and lots of sealing stuff up for the winter. Umm, umm, good!

And my apples are starting to fall. Time for some peeling and canning.

Dave

Hi DaveMo~! I hope next year's crop is better. You are making me very hungry! I may raid your stash of canned veggies better hide'em well. I am having some fried zucchinis this late evening. Not too hard to make but awful tasty though! Hope you all are doing very well. Have a great weekend too. sunshine

Today I will be mostly hung over an if i get half a chance i will have a bacon butty with a fried egg in a min.

What's a bacon butty? The fried egg and bacon sounds good. But what is the butty-butter? Just curious that's all. I'm from the states-can you tell. sunshine

Buying tickets to take my niece to the N.Y. State Fair this Friday - she's more fun than going with my "adult pals" even (by far actually, lol, not putting those guys down, but... well, they're a different kind of fun to go to the fair with than my niece is all). This is the "good news" from me today, which I look forward to this weekend!

Well - that, & the fact my niece will be getting VERIZON "FIOS" INTERNET (for a 6 yr. old child? That's AWESOME, better than I have lol, & it's because her Dad (my bro) really loves her, & gives her nothing but the very best he can afford, everytime)...

So, I also managed to FULLY "custom speed tune & security harden" that system (per the steps in the guide I put up here for the latter in fact, to the letter per its points) prior to it going online, on the laptop my brother gave her!

(A decent one by ALL means even now, circa 2002-2003 system iirc, that I noted on last page)

Hey, overall? That thing FLIES now (minimal services for speed, some .reg hacks for speed & security), and, is fully CIS Tool security hardened plus patched (via MS hotfixes & service packs etc.) as well as using a custom HOSTS file, port filtering, & software firewalls et al.

Productive to an extent on my part, but, not for myself - for my "fav. person", my niece!

----

NOW for the "bad news" (that turned out good, but scared me silly):

Spent the last few days w/ my nephew, was great until the night before the last day (he upset me pretty badly, by leaving the gas burners on the stove going one evening & when I came back in, he was about to light up a cigarette)

I thought NOTHING of that, until I smelled GAS, about 1 second away from he, as I stepped into the kitchen...

I ran deeper into the kitchen, & heard "hsssss" coming from the burners & shut that off + sprinted over to he, smacked the cigarette out of his mouth (slap to his face/head to jar it loose) & lighter too from out of his hand...

To this? Well, he got all kinds of angry (& he is NOT small by any means, @ 6' 2" & about 190lbs. same size as myself almost (I weigh 200lbs. even. same height though) - he would have hurt me also if it came to THAT, glad it did not though), & we almost came to blows (until I dragged him into the kitchen & he smelled the gas also).

I saved his life, & the place I live in as well... I yelled a storm up & *****ed him out to NO end, for a long while afterwards (I felt bad about this, I really did, but it needed doing - NO questions asked!)

What upset me the worst? Well, he TRIED to tell me he saw the burner was lit (under a teapot for hot water for instant soup stuff)...

At that, then I put my hand to it, actually HOPING I would burn it... it was ICE COLD!!! Now, I went & sat over where he was?? YOU CAN SEE THE BURNER DIRECTLY IN EYESHOT FROM THAT SEAT IN THE NEXT ROOM, & check if it is lit, or not...

Man - this alone, his telling me it was lit, no wind in the room & all windows shut no less, really upset the HELL out of me (instead of just saying "sorry Uncle Al" he tried to b.s. me, & I do NOT go for THAT, no way, & he KNOWS this).

Put it THIS way - I would rather have had a burnt hand, than feel as angry as I was right then to be blunt about it.



However - I very nearly didn't come back inside, because I was going to head out to the local pub in my area for a drink & some pool (I play sometimes, not like I used to though), instead of heading back inside the house.

Boy - glad I didn't "opt to go out instead":

I say this, because upon entering the house, I saw that my nephew was literally, only maybe 1 second away from blowing himself to smithereens since he had a new cigarette to fire up & his lighter in hand... It was really literally ONLY 1 second away from he (the time it took me to start smelling the gas was only 1-2 steps away from him in fact).

(Seriously? I doubt he's have survived a gas explosion, & IF he did?? It would NOT be a pretty existence afterwards - I've seen burn victims before is why I say this - & I KNOW the house would've been blown to bits once the gas main caught the fire too, because the stove is CENTRAL to the house structure, nearly dead-center & that is besides the rooms being loaded with gas already (that only took around 10 minutes, the time I stepped out to have a smoke myself (I like cigs outside in fresh air mostly is why)))...

----

Anyhow - whew!

All-in-all? For me, it was a "StRaNgE" weekend, to say the very least!

The WORST part is, my nephew's about to attend "RIT" (Rochester Institute of Technology) & it's a DECENT 'tech school' for coders (& he is heading into Comp. Sci.), only a few days from now in fact!

Boy - it would have been a shame for him to miss-out on THAT experience alone, due to death or dismemberment/disfigurement via gas explosion here... not to mention the fact he would have ruined his looks (& he is a good looking kid too no less, which would have made an accident like that, ALL THE MORE HORRIBLE!)

APK

P.S.=> Sunshine: Correctamundo on the holding off on watering plants in DIRECT midday sunlight (high point of sun during day/hottest portion to around 2-3pm etc. et al)... apk

Hey APK! I am so sad that your nephew scared the literal you know what out of you both. I am glad you are safe though! Your nephew got into RIT and he's in his own world. I can totally relate to seeing that scene over & over w/my nephews too. I wish your next trip to the fair will be a lesson well learned. Sometimes those are the best kind. I hope you were able to go out and have some fun after all of that. Pool is a great game-it's purely based on skill. So when a chick beats you...no wanking right? I used to hustle guys in college...fun stuff & memories too. Be Well, sunshine

Originally Posted by sunshine

Hey APK! I am so sad that your nephew scared the literal you know what out of you both. I am glad you are safe though!

Heh, thanks... I do NOT like "flying off the handle" as I did on he, but, I figured he NEEDED to hear that (and to take the slap to the head I gave him as well - which was, AS HE HIMSELF (my nephew) PUTS IT - "KNOCK THE SAWDUST OUTTA YOUR HEAD MAN!") - it's better than hearing "BOOOM" & then not being able to EVER hear ANYTHING, again... due to death.

Originally Posted by sunshine

Your nephew got into RIT and he's in his own world.

Yes, & he is FORTUNATE he isn't in the hospital for burn therapies, or worse (the morgue)...

Originally Posted by sunshine

I can totally relate to seeing that scene over & over w/my nephews too.

Well, he is a GOOD & SMART kid, heck, imo? A kid no longer, now that he's 18 going 19... he's a young MAN now!

See- the weird part? Hey: This happening?? It was MOST unlike he...

E.G./I.E.-> Heck - He was a professional cook for the last 3 yrs. in a restaurant (Greek), & never ONCE ever messed up on gas & burners there...

(Trust me, it was way odd this all occurred @ all, in the first place!)

Originally Posted by sunshine

I wish your next trip to the fair will be a lesson well learned. Sometimes those are the best kind.

Oh, it's "TRADITION" I take my niece to the fair, I do every year... we have "BIG FUN" checking out:

• "FAIR FOOD" (my fav. part - especially GREEK GYROS (Year-Oh's))

• Animals Exhibits (she loves this, as do I)

• AND, lastly, RIDES

(Ugh, I pretty much HATE the rides MOSTLY/personally, lol, but I DO go on them with her (if she is too tiny for some, & she was in the past, she's a tiny little girl, even vs. others her age) & actually DO have fun w/ her (bumper cars RULE!)).

NOW - My Father & Mother can't understand WHY my little niece likes me so much... So one day, I ask her this question, in front of them both:

----

"Kenna, why do you like your Uncle Al so much?"

She says:

"Because YOU PLAY BETTER, & you still do!"

----



LOL!

Originally Posted by sunshine

I hope you were able to go out and have some fun after all of that.

Well, whenever I am with my niece? I have LOADS of fun, mostly doing childish things (playing hide & seek, tag, etc. (yes, I look stupid doing it, but... I am playing with her, so the world can kiss my you-know-what when I am doing that stuff with her I figure, lol)).

HOWEVER - I also try to teach her a "new word" every time I am with her, & also about the computer, & also about nature!

(The woods in the back are a huge fun spot for us, we have seen opposums, rabbits, raccoons, woodchucks (my fav.), & even a DEER once (this is in the INNER CITY, mind you) & years ago? I KNOW I saw a wolf no less... more recently though, for her? Well - my garden has been a "BIG HIT" with her, mostly for the insects around it which we often study together, but also for teaching her about 'gardening tricks', like eggshells + banana peel usage etc., too).

Originally Posted by sunshine

Pool is a great game-it's purely based on skill. So when a chick beats you...no wanking right?

I've had my behind handed to me by women in pool before... women can be excellent @ it in fact. Worst I EVER lost though? I played this guy, in front of a girlfriend of mine on this city's "West Side", & he beat me, 1 handed, & cleared the entire RACK before I could even shoot... 1 handed, from the break onwards.

LOL, that was nearly 19 yrs. ago, & humiliating. Especially in front of my girl.

Originally Posted by sunshine

I used to hustle guys in college...fun stuff & memories too. Be Well, sunshine

I don't doubt it for a second, like I said earlier/above - I've seen women that RULE, in POOL, before.

APK

P.S.=> Me? I'm not even "good" @ pool, I can play, passably/socially imo... by comparison to others I know (guys that can run 120 balls in a row, rack after rack especially)? Heh, I suck... apk

APK - man gas blast not a good, just be glad you where there an in time to come will look back an laught.

Sunshine - the term Butty is a referance to butter its commonly used in liverpool an the out lying areas but not so much in the rest of the UK.