What do you "assign" to the Shire?

[Farael]

Men In Kilts... no, while you ladies may have a strong interest in men wearing what amounts as a skirt, what I'm most interested on is a band by that name (in which, obviously, the men on the band wear kilts). Best band ever.

I also assign small, hometown bands. There is nothing like being able to chat with them after they're done their show, sure it'd be awesome to talk for two seconds to some rockstar while ten thousand crazy girls scream and yell that they love him... but I much rather have a short discussion on whether or not their last CD should have been longer. And of course, have them call me by my name not "dude" or something. Really cool band, good music, good people going to their shows.... I hope they make it big for them and so that I can say "I've been following these guys since the start" but at the same time, it'd be awful to loose the closeness you have with smaller bands.

[Celuien]

Working on ATM posts at 1:45 in the morning while munching on Rice Krispies Treats, sipping milk and playing with kitty. More generally, all of the fun things that help unwind after getting home from a busy night on second shift go to the Shire.

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Farael

Men In Kilts... no, while you ladies may have a strong interest in men wearing what amounts as a skirt, what I'm most interested on is a band by that name (in which, obviously, the men on the band wear kilts). Best band ever.

Thanks for the reminder to do this:

I assign to the Shire the best, absolute best, free Festival of the Arts in all of the States, happening his coming weekend in Grand Rapids, MI. Seven stages, starts Friday noon and doesn't end until Sunday 7pm. Folk, rock, jazz, classical, dance, improv, et cetera. and there is a Fife and Drum band too! I will not be missing it. Oh! And great food! Booths and booths of food, international fare and American. Philly Beef Steak Sandwiches. English Pasties. Suvlaki. Szechwan Chicken. You name it, we got it. Come on to my home town and enjoy! There's still time to plan. And PM me if you show up; we'll arrange to see some shows.

Festival Link

Take a peek!

[Celuien]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

Philly Beef Steak Sandwiches.

Ah - the cheesesteak! Best ones are found at this little place I know just outside Philly...

Festival looks like great fun.

[Mithalwen]

Despite the fact that the mix of sunshine and showers is making the hedges and lawns grow like weeds and the weeds grow like triffids.... the garden brings more joy than grief. Now after bluebells and lilacs ...the first roses have arrived. The very first being on the "mystery" rosebush. I bought it as a "Winchester Cathedral" and it should be cream... however it is the most glorious pink and an "old fashioned" sort..... lovely. Clearly belongs in the Shire.

[Lalwendë]

What's a cheesesteak? It sounds lardy, but good!

I'm also assigning gardening things to the Shire, namely finding interesting plant variations, like the double headed acid pink busy Lizzies and the variegated blue/lilac lobelias I've been putting out, which I imagine Rosie Cotton and all Hobbit lasses might have loved. I also assign Pinks and wallflowers because they smell wonderful and are so old fashioned. And hanging baskets, too. But I assign slug pellets to Mordor with the snails because I've had to resort to them to keep the infestation under control and I hate it because they don't die in a pleasant way and it makes me feel guilty.

And I assign getting excited about holidays because I'll be on mine this time next week. Woo-hoo!

[Mithalwen]

Well having had yet another attack on the patio with the weed knife I am beginning to doubt my commitment to pesticide free gardening but I do miraculously have hostas that aren't entirely lacework. But much as I hate slugs I do not use slug pellets - I don't mind the slugs dying nastily it is the poor hedgepigs dying nastily from eating pelleted slugs. You can get hedgehog friendly alternatives....

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Lal

But I assign slug pellets to Mordor with the snails because I've had to resort to them to keep the infestation under control and I hate it because they don't die in a pleasant way and it makes me feel guilty.

Originally Posted by Mith

Well having had yet another attack on the patio with the weed knife I am beginning to doubt my commitment to pesticide free gardening but I do miraculously have hostas that aren't entirely lacework. But much as I hate slugs I do not use slug pellets - I don't mind the slugs dying nastily it is the poor hedgepigs dying nastily from eating pelleted slugs. You can get hedgehog friendly alternatives....

Well, I think a favourite alternative here would fit quite well in The Shire. Rather than using slug bait, we use small little basins, with rounded depressions on the sides. We fill them with beer, and leave a top (which usually has some kind of garden design on it--leaves, vines, etc.) on them. Slugs slither in for the beer and the rest is history.

I shan't start listing flowers that I think belong in The Shire for that likely will appeal to you t'other side o' ta pond types as a cliched English cottage garden. Besides, I would have to include turnips and taters and 'shrooms and lots of good root veggies.

[Celuien]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

What's a cheesesteak? It sounds lardy, but good!

The cheesesteak is an icon of Philadelphia lardy cooking. You take a long roll and put thin sliced grilled beef on it, preferably dripping with grease. Then it's topped with cheese or
Cheese Whiz. Some claim that the true cheesesteak requires Whiz, but I prefer American cheese. Then you can top it with onions and other vegetables.

Tasty!

[Lalwendë]

I don't mind weeding, mainly as I have such a small garden there are never many of them, so weedkiller is never an option for me. But in the past I relied on my resident garden toad to kill the snails but I think she has passed on to Toad heaven now. There have been no all night toad shrieks in the mating season, no signs of spawn or eggs. It's quite sad. I doubt hedgehogs would make it into my garden what with the fortress of my next door neighbour and his fifteen kids to get past on one side and a 15 foot drop into the other side of the garden.

Originally Posted by Celuien

The cheesesteak is an icon of Philadelphia lardy cooking. You take a long roll and put thin sliced grilled beef on it, preferably dripping with grease. Then it's topped with cheese or
Cheese Whiz. Some claim that the true cheesesteak requires Whiz, but I prefer American cheese. Then you can top it with onions and other vegetables.

Tasty!

That sounds fantastically greasy! But kind of nice, too. I remember something like Cheez Whiz in the 80s, a kind of cheddar spread in a jar which my father used to be obsessed with (especially in a sandwich with crisps and peanut butter) but then they stopped selling it. Is Philadelphia Cheese (the lovely mild, low fat cream cheese) anything to do with the City or just an invention of the marketing folk?

Anyway, I assign to the Shire the glorious anachronism that is The Queen's Birthday, a 'bank holiday' we are entitled to take today or on another day if we wish. I am in work and there are only 4 of us here, and its lovely and quiet and I was able to get second breakfast with no wait. What's more, seeing as about 95% of the department are off my e-mail box is being untroubled, as is my phone. It also means I can have my day off when the kids are back at school.