A long weekend in Lexington

[Badger]

So, we're eleven days into 2013 and my first of many trips is a go at 0730 (military time makes it seem so snappy). On this trip, three adults and two corgis will travel the 8.5 hours between Iowa and Kentucky in our pimpin' Honda CR-V. Our official business is R&R with two grad school friends. My Secret Mission is a Summit of Awesomeness with Janine, which, now that I'm telling all of you about it, is not all that Secret anymore. Hmmm.

There will be pictures forthcoming, but for now, here are the bags I'm taking and what I'm packing into them:

Western Flyer:
Clothes for three days for both me (jeans, 3 t-shirts, a sweater, dress shirt and tie, gym shorts, socks and smalls) and Mrs B. (jeans, two dresses, two tops, pajamas, tights, socks, and smalls). Plus, toiletries for each of us. Jackets and stuff will just go in the car.

Synapse:
a 15.4" MBP, a 13" MBP (my work computer), a large OP with paperwork, a book (The Testament of Mary by Colm Tóibín), Cards Against Humanity , a notebook, a pen, and earbuds.

Janine is giving my Stealth Smart Alec a new home, and I've filled it to the brim with weird crap — er, I mean, special gifts. It will be up to her to provide photographic evidence of said special gifts.

We're bringing gifts to our friends, naturally, namely beers by Bell's, Founder's, Mikkeler, and Stillwater; we're also bringing Cedar Ridge brandy. And if the corgis aren't a gift, well. They even got haircuts so they'd be presentable.

[ncb4]

Oh. Wow! The Not-So-Secret Summit of Awesomeness sounds, well—awesome! I can't wait to see the photographic evidence. This is a meeting that will go down in the history books. Wish I could be a fly on the wall, but I know you will all have a wonderful time together. Safe journey.

PS: Say hello to the Indigo Tri-Star that went from my house to Janine's loving home.

[dlg]

Badger, how do you find the liquor Cedar Ridge produces? I've been thinking of trying their bourbon ever since it showed up at Hy-Vee.

[TavaPeak]

Badger, I think it's time for you to visit Colorado. ;-)

[Janine]

PS: Say hello to the Indigo Tri-Star that went from my house to Janine's loving home.

She gets to say hello to it in person! It's loaded up with TB bags for show-and-tell and a few SUPER SECRET GIFTS OF AWESOMENESS. :-D

[Janine]

The Summit of Awesomeness was concluded successfully. Badger has photographic proof. :-D

There was, as previously mentioned, an exchange of Items of Awesomeness. My haul:



Clockwise from 9: Badger's stealth Smart Alec, now mine and still looking quite stealthy, Crispy Hexagons cereal (for teaching shapes and adjectives to my kids), Essentially You cereal (because Soylent Green was the ultimate recycling), Panburger Partner (embracing partnerships that extend across burgers), Badger's stealth Snake Charmer, now mine and still stealthy, lemonade-flavor Rockstar energy beverage and a peanut crunch Clif bar (so my lunch can be just like hers), two packets of Italian Kleenex (she still owes me 4 more), Suddenly SALAD in bacon ranch flavor, a bag of Krunch-Eze and a bottle of Sour.

I already have several experiments in mind for the Krunch-Eze and the Sour.

I would also like to point out that there was a Suddenly SALAD exchange and propose that this become our standard form of greeting when two forum members meet for the first time. :-D

ps. Badger is even more awesome in person. Hard to imagine, but totally true.

[moriond]

The Summit of Awesomeness was concluded successfully. Badger has photographic proof. :-D

I would also like to point out that there was a Suddenly SALAD exchange and propose that this become our standard form of greeting when two forum members meet for the first time. :-D

Cool. A new variation on the secret handshake. But completely mysterious to those forum members who have not followed the exchanges in question (or have not mastered the search function). That's almost as good as Dorayme's "PLO" -- which threw me the first time it appeared, since there were no Tom Bihn items with those initials to make into an acronym. (Secret translation: "purse-like object").

moriond

[Janine]

That's almost as good as Dorayme's "PLO"

That's one of my favorite acronyms! It's perfect to describe the bag that holds your stuff, which may or may not be girly and cute. :-D

[JLE]

Cool. A new variation on the secret handshake. But completely mysterious to those forum members who have not followed the exchanges in question (or have not mastered the search function). That's almost as good as Dorayme's "PLO" -- which threw me the first time it appeared, since there were no Tom Bihn items with those initials to make into an acronym. (Secret translation: "purse-like object").

moriond

And each edible Item of Awesomeness is a complete mystery to anyone who hasn't lived in the US!

Can someone please explain to me what "lemonade flavor" is, and how it differs from, well, lemonade?

[dorayme]

I cannot take credit for PLO, though it is all incompasing and full of win. I want to say it was backpack who first coined the term. . .

[dlg]

And each edible Item of Awesomeness is a complete mystery to anyone who hasn't lived in the US!

Can someone please explain to me what "lemonade flavor" is, and how it differs from, well, lemonade?

"foo flavor" indicates that whatever you are consuming is sufficiently far from the FDA definition of "foo" that it cannot be called such, but usually (through The Miracle of Science!) tastes about the same as foo.

[Badger]

PS: Say hello to the Indigo Tri-Star that went from my house to Janine's loving home.

Oh, I did. I even fondled it lovingly (but chastely).

[Badger]

Badger, how do you find the liquor Cedar Ridge produces? I've been thinking of trying their bourbon ever since it showed up at Hy-Vee.

Some of it is okay, actually. If you can make it to the distillery/winery, it's totally worth it if the weather is nice because you can do a wine/spirits tasting and have lunch — the food is pretty good!

I brought my buddy a bottle of the apple brandy. We sampled it on Friday and it was good. I can vouch for that one. The bourbon isn't as great as what you'll get from Kentucky (or from Hudson in NY), but it's not bad.

[Badger]

Can someone please explain to me what "lemonade flavor" is, and how it differs from, well, lemonade?

I. Will try.

Rock Star is an energy drink like Red Bull. In its standard form, it comes in what I consider to be a rather foul "energy drink flavor." They make different flavors, and this one is flavored like lemonade, but it's still an energy drink. It does have actual lemon juice in it, to its credit, but I'd never try to pass it off as normal, harmless, quotidian lemonade on an unsuspecting guest.

[Badger]

Badger, I think it's time for you to visit Colorado. ;-)

Tava: God willing, this summer. I'll be in touch.