Counting On, Season 4 Part 2: Still Far Behind Real Life

[HarryPotterFan]

32 minutes ago, VelociRapture said:

Is it cool if I continue admiring your maple syrup and your Mounties though? And is it cool if I combine the two because I'm just kind of pervy like that?

So are we pouring maple syrup on Mounties now? Or are we searching for Mounties who naturally smell like maple syrup?

3 minutes ago, singsingsing said:

@VelociRapture This is actually true. I don't know why. Supposedly they didn't do it on purpose...

That's so amazing. And I don't understand how that happens "accidentally." Oh whoops, I spilled a ton of maple syrup into the printing machines!

American money is so boring.

[VeryNikeSeamstress]

Maple Mountie Magic Mike, tonight at The Flying Beaver. Have your colourful Canadian dollar bills ready, ladies!

Have any of you non-Canadians out there tried the heart-stopping beauty that is Poutine? Real potato fries with a rich brown gravy and squeaky cheese curds. Artery clogging heaven in a bowl. Great when drunk or PMSing.

[Beermeet]

3 hours ago, NewOrleansLady said:

My speech is often mistaken for Brooklyn.  It's easy to see why since New Orleans and Brooklyn were melting pots of immigrants.  The "southern" accent everyone thinks is real is only in the movies. and the very bad ones at that.

 

I could see that.  My grandparents and dad have a Brooklyn accent.  

When I first moved from Long Island to California it was the worst with the accent thing.  I had a job interview and the interviewer actually asked me if I would be rude because NY'ers are known to be so.  Like, how rude!!!!  On the way out here in Texas we stopped for food and the lady in front of me started up some small talk, when I talked back and she heard my accent, her eyes got wide and she literally turned her back on me without a word.  So fn rude!  I was just happy to be on my road trip and get to see Texas, it sucked ( that situation, not Texas)!  We're all Americans, yes?  

I really hate that southerners are getting so much shit.  Like what the actual fuck?  It's a lovely accent that just doesn't equal uneducated, period!

[pamplemousse]

I just sniffed the Canadian $5 bill in my wallet. It does not smell like maple syrup. Maybe if it were among other Canadian bills, it would. *note to self, if I go back to Canada next summer...*

Ah, poutine. Wonderful stuff if done right. But it has to be made with good brown gravy and real cheese curds.  I had some like that and it was food.of.the.gods. I've also had some that was made with not-so-rich brown gravy and cut-up mozzarella and white cheddar bits. Even I, who has only been to Canada for three weekends out of my life, know that such so-called poutine is an abomination.  I also have heard that Quebecers say the stuff sold in Toronto is not real poutine...is that true?

[bashfulpixie]

I think Jeff Foxworthy summed it up best when it comes to southern accents: can't keep the most ignorant among them off the TV.  We all know there's millions of people with the southern accent that are intelligent and thoughtful and socially aware.  But most of the time when you see one on TV it's bubba with a gun and a jacked up pickup truck or some homophobic, religious nutbag blathering on about whatever talking point they most recently saw on Fox News. 

Sidenote:  Poutine is amazing.  I haven't had good poutine in SO long, but there's a place here that sells serviceable poutine.  Great drinking food.

[grandmadugger]

I grew up in Kansas which generally doesn't have an accent. My grandma lived for about 10 years about 100 miles north of the Duggars and some how she never lost her accent fully. She lived almost 90 years in Kansas. I normally speak like a mid westerner but drunk, pissed, or around someone from that area and I become a ozark hillbilly. 

[singsingsing]

1 hour ago, VeryNikeSeamstress said:

Have your colourful Canadian dollar bills ready, ladies!

No dollar bills in Canada! You're either going to be throwing loonies or giving a bigger tip. 

49 minutes ago, pamplemousse said:

I just sniffed the Canadian $5 bill in my wallet. It does not smell like maple syrup.

I think it's just the $20 bill and up. Or at least it was when they were new. I either haven't smelled any in a while, or just got used to it. But there is/was a definite maple syrupy smell to them.

[blackberry]

@VelociRapture If you do decide to read Louise Penny, read the first one as if it's prequel to the series as opposed to a standalone. She introduces so many characters and setting that it gets bogged down a little. The second one and on flow better. Also, if you're an audiobook person, the reader is amazing and makes the books for me. 

[HarryPotterFan]

1 hour ago, VeryNikeSeamstress said:

Maple Mountie Magic Mike, tonight at The Flying Beaver. Have your colourful Canadian dollar bills ready, ladies!

Have any of you non-Canadians out there tried the heart-stopping beauty that is Poutine? Real potato fries with a rich brown gravy and squeaky cheese curds. Artery clogging heaven in a bowl. Great when drunk or PMSing.

I'M THERE! MAKE IT HAPPEN!

And I've never had it! I guess I need to go to Canada! (As long as it's not pink gravy...)

1 hour ago, pamplemousse said:

I just sniffed the Canadian $5 bill in my wallet. It does not smell like maple syrup. Maybe if it were among other Canadian bills, it would. *note to self, if I go back to Canada next summer...*

Maybe the non-Canadian money rubbed it's yucky lack of maple syrup smell on it?

[kacarlton]

[mention=18856]VelociRapture[/mention] If you do decide to read Louise Penny, read the first one as if it's prequel to the series as opposed to a standalone. She introduces so many characters and setting that it gets bogged down a little. The second one and on flow better. Also, if you're an audiobook person, the reader is amazing and makes the books for me. 

I'm on book 4 (or 5) at the moment. I want to move to Three Pines!

[church_of_dog]

15 minutes ago, blackberry said:

@VelociRapture If you do decide to read Louise Penny, read the first one as if it's prequel to the series as opposed to a standalone. She introduces so many characters and setting that it gets bogged down a little. The second one and on flow better. Also, if you're an audiobook person, the reader is amazing and makes the books for me. 

I just finished the whole series including the new release and I even discovered her Gamache YA novella (The Hangman).  I listened to the audiobooks and really enjoyed the narrators!  (sadly, the amazing Ralph Cosham died a few years ago, so the last few books are read by someone else, but his voice quickly grew on me.)

I agree, read the series in order.  But for me it's not the murder mystery plots nor even her delightful and clever and funny writing, but the sense of community that she has created with this collection of wonderful characters in a completely idealized place.  I absolutely would move to Three Pines!

2 minutes ago, kacarlton said:

I want to move to Three Pines!

Jinx!   See you there!

[Zola]

Bagged milk - they tried it in my elementary school cafeteria in central Wisconsin, circa 1983-1984.

You got the bag of milk and a straw with a pointed end on one side and flat end on the other, like you get for a juice box today.

We were told to lie the bag down flat, and use one hand to press down on one side of the bag to form an air bubble on the other side of the bag, and then using your other hand, hold the straw with your thumb over the flat end and jab the pointed end into the air bubble. Then you pick up the bag, keeping the end with the straw in it upwards, and drink through the straw.

We were very fond of "forgetting" to put our thumbs over the flat end of the straw, thereby causing the milk inside to shoot out in a lovely arc that (hopefully) got your lunch companions not only wet but uncomfortably sticky. Didn't last long and we were back to standard pints.

I also recall gallon-size bags of milk in the grocery store that were to be used in a pitcher...not poured into the pitcher and bag discarded, but the whole bag in the pitcher with one corner of it snipped off to pour out the milk. I was never sure how that didn't cause milk to spoil at increased rates, seeing as how you couldn't just screw a lid shut as on regular plastic cartons. That didn't seem to last very long, either. Good times.

[VeryNikeSeamstress]

@singsingsing, the loonie/townie toss is actually a thing in Alberta strip clubs. You see the dancers with magnets on chains gathering their cash after the show. I've heard horror stories about men warming up the coins with their lighters before throwing them at a dancer's bare ass. Serious dick move. That being said, I've received fives, tens, and even twenties as tips before. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does woohoo!

@Carm_88 definitely not pink gravy, however folks have been experimenting with different types of routine toppings for awhile. That being said, if somebody makes Pink Ween of Death flavoured Poutine, I will disown them from this fine country on behalf of all poutine-loving Canadians. Some things are just sacrilege.

[Shadoewolf]

The Flying Beaver gave me the giggles. It's been a long and high adrenaline day though so thank you FJ for making me laugh as I unwind!

[NewOrleansLady]

3 hours ago, VelociRapture said:

... I don't want to insult any of our Northern friends, but I really need for this to be true... just another reason for me to gaze lovingly northward...  

I actually have never heard of bagged milk before. 

Is it cool if I continue admiring your maple syrup and your Mounties though? And is it cool if I combine the two because I'm just kind of pervy like that?

Sgt. Preston of the CMP. (Black and white only ) Boy I am really shoeing my age

[divadivine]

2 hours ago, VeryNikeSeamstress said:

Have any of you non-Canadians out there tried the heart-stopping beauty that is Poutine? Real potato fries with a rich brown gravy and squeaky cheese curds. Artery clogging heaven in a bowl. Great when drunk or PMSing.

The best poutine I've ever had was at a bar in Aruba. The owner of the bar is Canadian. OMG. Best freaking poutine ever. This lady has great recipes. I had poutine with BBQ gravy and pulled pork. Omg. It was perfect. Now I'm hungry. 

Every time I ate poutine in Toronto when we visited it was always cold because I was working and someone would need to bring food to me. Poutine is best served piping hot. 

I will say I fell in love with the blueberry maple pie at McDonalds during a visit in January 2016. It was freaking amazing. Like the best blueberry pancake with the right amount of maple syrup. Rufus I miss gluten. 

Also, the Loonies & Toonies.... Rufus, I had a Ziploc baggies full of money from a fundraiser. Most people gave us their Loonies & Toonies and Maple Money (tee hee.) I left the convention centre with about $2000 (USD & CAD combined) and when I tried to get on the bus, I almost fell over backwards because my backpack was so freaking heavy. Damn Loonies & Toonies. I had to repeat that the next day when I went to the airport. I was so happy to exchange that money. My poor back couldn't take it. 

[Baaaaaabe]

6 hours ago, VelociRapture said:

... I don't want to insult any of our Northern friends, but I really need for this to be true... just another reason for me to gaze lovingly northward...  

I actually have never heard of bagged milk before. 

Is it cool if I continue admiring your maple syrup and your Mounties though? And is it cool if I combine the two because I'm just kind of pervy like that?

As a child in school our milk came in little bags. I didn't realize this wasn't everyone's experience. Hilarity ensued when I talked about drinking from milk bags for lunch in elementary school. I'm not from Canada though. 

[Firebird]

I know "real" poutine has cheese curds, but I have to admit I love how a local restaurant, Jimmy z's does their poutine with mozerella....I found the cheese curds version too salty.  But I just love poutine period!

[Carm_88]

Newfoundland has cartons of milk or tins for the Nans out there who love their carnation milk. We had the mini cartons of milk in elementary school and they were hard enough to open.

Poutine is the best thing ever after a night on George Street. (For the love of God, don't eat the street meat!  ) Poutine is good anytime, who am I kidding? Loads of gravy and cheese curds. We won't discuss the abomination that is pink gravy, that's going way too far. 

As for accents, I have one. It's quite strong, people find it amusing. Americans often times assume I'm from the UK or Ireland. Canadians find it funny to make me say things where I drop the H. I'm curse quite colourful oaths on top of all things Jesus. I'm more prone to say "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the garden" or "sweet baby Jesus" than anything else. I've gotten used to it and have decided that if someone wants to judge my intelligence level by the way I talk, then I'm not the stupid one. 

[SapphireSlytherin]

10 hours ago, Zola said:

 

I also recall gallon-size bags of milk in the grocery store that were to be used in a pitcher...not poured into the pitcher and bag discarded, but the whole bag in the pitcher with one corner of it snipped off to pour out the milk. I was never sure how that didn't cause milk to spoil at increased rates, seeing as how you couldn't just screw a lid shut as on regular plastic cartons. That didn't seem to last very long, either. Good times.

Coffee shops in the UK have this bag/pitcher combo thing. I still think it’s bizarre. I guess the milk doesn’t last long enough to go bad...

[singsingsing]

1 hour ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

Coffee shops in the UK have this bag/pitcher combo thing. I still think it’s bizarre. I guess the milk doesn’t last long enough to go bad...

That's what we have in Canada. You put the bag in a pitcher and cut off the corner. We always had bagged milk when I was growing up and I don't recall it going bad that fast. We have cartons and jugs here too, though. I think in some regions of Canada, cartons are much more common than bags, and vice versa. 

[Four is Enough]

Accents. Can I just say that I flat out despise the Baltimore accents that surround me? They may not be ignorant and low class, but to me they sound it.

[HarryPotterFan]

29 minutes ago, Four is Enough said:

Accents. Can I just say that I flat out despise the Baltimore accents that surround me? They may not be ignorant and low class, but to me they sound it.

You mean you don't like it when people can't pronounce the name of the place they live in? 

[Four is Enough]

24 minutes ago, HarryPotterFan said:

You mean you don't like it when people can't pronounce the name of the place they live in? 

Among other things.

[FeministShrew]

I'm late to the party, but I'm currently enjoying a reprieve from needing glasses. Something to do with my blood sugar coming down. I've been told it's temporary, but my vision is awesomely perfect right now, except for really small print.

As for accents, I sound like freakin' Charlene Darling from the Andy Griffith Show. My voice is also high-pitched & quiet, so people think I'm a child on the phone, and it's hard to make myself heard in person. I use proper grammar & sentence structure at work, but I don't try to hide my accent. My sister does, & ends up sounding super weird.