51
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: Ask Steve Dave Farm And Cow And Ranch And Tractor And Truck Related Questions
« on: June 11, 2019, 11:17:54 PM »
Tom continues to be the best poster on this blog by a million miles.
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52
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: travel thread
« on: May 29, 2019, 09:48:10 PM »
UPDATE: Went to Hanauma Bay. Did not find @KK's wedding ring. Sorry, KK.
Did see tons of fish and had a tiny coral cut on my leg that bled everywhere and really impressed the kids when I didn't notice it. Five stars.
Did see tons of fish and had a tiny coral cut on my leg that bled everywhere and really impressed the kids when I didn't notice it. Five stars.
53
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: How Many Credit Cards Do You Have?
« on: May 24, 2019, 06:38:58 PM »
Headed to Hawai'i this weekend, v excited to go back. Couldn't decide whether this was a travel thread post or a CC thread post, ultimately settled on here since this trip is literally happening because of this thread.
Flights:
-Whatever the SW points equivalent of $49 is each way for four tickets + 1 companion pass to Oahu and back
-58k Amex rewards turned into 75k Virgin miles (30% bump) turned into five RT tickets to Lihue
Hotels:
-Two nights at Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki
-Four Nights at Grand Hyatt Kauai w/ Globalist status
-Two nights at Moana Surfrider on Waikiki
Rental cars:
-Bunch of free days from National due to work stuff
Heading to Hanauma Bay to look for @KatKid's wedding ring, going on some waterfall hikes, hitting up the turtle beach on the Northshore, and eating delish food in Oahu. Kicking it at GH Kauai, hitting up the canyon, taking boat trip (GTFO helicopters) to Napali Coast. Plan on winning multiple dang days.
Literally zero travel costs for this trip. gE premium subscription really paying off.
Flights:
-Whatever the SW points equivalent of $49 is each way for four tickets + 1 companion pass to Oahu and back
-58k Amex rewards turned into 75k Virgin miles (30% bump) turned into five RT tickets to Lihue
Hotels:
-Two nights at Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki
-Four Nights at Grand Hyatt Kauai w/ Globalist status
-Two nights at Moana Surfrider on Waikiki
Rental cars:
-Bunch of free days from National due to work stuff
Heading to Hanauma Bay to look for @KatKid's wedding ring, going on some waterfall hikes, hitting up the turtle beach on the Northshore, and eating delish food in Oahu. Kicking it at GH Kauai, hitting up the canyon, taking boat trip (GTFO helicopters) to Napali Coast. Plan on winning multiple dang days.
Literally zero travel costs for this trip. gE premium subscription really paying off.
54
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: Ask Steve Dave Farm And Cow And Ranch And Tractor And Truck Related Questions
« on: May 12, 2019, 09:29:53 AM »
@ben ji please extend best wishes to Bobbi on this Mother's Day.
55
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: travel thread
« on: May 12, 2019, 09:24:08 AM »
Two more travel questions for the TravelCats out there:
1) Mrs. Wondermeal and Li'l Miss Wondermeal are going to Harry Potter World this weekend. Will spend one day at each park. Anyone been and have protips for them?
2) Decided to split up our Hawaii vacation to 4 days Oahu, 4 days Kauai. Staying at a Grand Hyatt Kauai thanks to the credit card thread. Have been to Oahu before and have good recommendos, have not been to Kauai. Will be doing Waimea Canyon, Napali Coast boat tour (no way I'm getting in a helo)...mainly looking for Kauai food recommendos, but will take activity recommendos as well. Extra points for anyone who recommends a divey/food truckey/local MichiganCat-ey type place.
1) Mrs. Wondermeal and Li'l Miss Wondermeal are going to Harry Potter World this weekend. Will spend one day at each park. Anyone been and have protips for them?
2) Decided to split up our Hawaii vacation to 4 days Oahu, 4 days Kauai. Staying at a Grand Hyatt Kauai thanks to the credit card thread. Have been to Oahu before and have good recommendos, have not been to Kauai. Will be doing Waimea Canyon, Napali Coast boat tour (no way I'm getting in a helo)...mainly looking for Kauai food recommendos, but will take activity recommendos as well. Extra points for anyone who recommends a divey/food truckey/local MichiganCat-ey type place.
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Essentially Flyertalk / Re: travel thread
« on: April 23, 2019, 10:58:59 PM »
T-y for the Hanauma Bay recommendo. Will definitely do, and will try to find KK's ring.
Paddleboard jousting sounds like something I'd be good at. Would love to crush Wondermeal Jr in a joust American Gladiator-style.
Now accepting other food/hike/boating/moderate cliff jumping opportunities in Oahu.
Paddleboard jousting sounds like something I'd be good at. Would love to crush Wondermeal Jr in a joust American Gladiator-style.
Now accepting other food/hike/boating/moderate cliff jumping opportunities in Oahu.
57
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: travel thread
« on: April 23, 2019, 09:31:41 AM »
Will be on Oahu with the wife and Li'l 'Meals for 9 days and 8 nights in early June. Now accepting recommendos from all Oahu studs for hikes, places to eat, etc. Will have a car for some or all of it.
Have been to Oahu once before. Feel free to skip pretty much all recommendos related to Waikiki shops, I feel very :MichiganCat: about all of that.
Have a bunch of hotel points (credit card thread crosspost), so anyone with knowledge of Hilton, Hyatt, or Marriott/SPG properties, please share. Have stayed at Hilton Hawaiian Village and Hyatt Regency before.
Have been to Oahu once before. Feel free to skip pretty much all recommendos related to Waikiki shops, I feel very :MichiganCat: about all of that.
Have a bunch of hotel points (credit card thread crosspost), so anyone with knowledge of Hilton, Hyatt, or Marriott/SPG properties, please share. Have stayed at Hilton Hawaiian Village and Hyatt Regency before.
58
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: goEMAW.com bbq, smoking, grilling, etc. thread!
« on: April 23, 2019, 08:55:11 AM »
Can you tell me more about the thermometer in the lime? Is this lime just acting as an anchor so the probe doesn't jingle jangle around?
59
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: sd white/non-white midwestern thread topic of the day (garden)
« on: March 24, 2019, 07:06:18 AM »
Fruit trees are blooming and everything smells great, guys. My giant lime tree that once produced 200-300 limes in a season was hit hard by a freeze two years ago and is still coming back. Last year it gave me exactly one lime. This year it looks like I'll get 5-10.
Need to get my pepps and cukes and squash in the ground. Going to skip 'maters this year. Might also try growing a loofah squash.
Need to get my pepps and cukes and squash in the ground. Going to skip 'maters this year. Might also try growing a loofah squash.
60
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: The Distance Running Thread
« on: March 24, 2019, 07:02:26 AM »
Running the Prairie Spirit Trail 100 next week. I'm running the 100k, not the 100 miler. First distance longer than a marathon.
http://www.prairiespirit100.com/
Any 'Cat fans out there want to join my pacing team for a v v v slow last 50k? Run is from Ottawa to Welda and back. It's going to be beautiful--there are going to be so many silos and morton buildings and stuff.
http://www.prairiespirit100.com/
Any 'Cat fans out there want to join my pacing team for a v v v slow last 50k? Run is from Ottawa to Welda and back. It's going to be beautiful--there are going to be so many silos and morton buildings and stuff.
61
Kansas State Football / Re: Favorite K-State Writer of all time? - It's Jmart, leader of Rivals.com K-State
« on: March 11, 2019, 10:56:35 PM »Reading Riley’s tripe since middle of last week makes me think Beloit St Johns better work on its English teaching. Cause the kid has a plethora of language errors in his postings.
And don’t get me started on “10 Things (insert name) Said.” Isn’t that what Twitter is for?
Well this really steams me, Ken. I can confidently say that Mrs. Ludwig was the best English teacher west of Cloud County. TAKE IT BACK
(Though I suppose it's possible Riley had her after she left.)
62
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: travel thread
« on: February 19, 2019, 09:14:39 PM »Check out Willie Mae's Scotch House for what both the James Beard Foundation and the Spracne Société Gastronomique have dubbed the best fried chicken in the world. Seriously, this is perhaps the only dish I've had where the hype it had going in was blown out of the water by the actual experience. It's like a virus that turns its hosts into devoted acolytes, so be forewarned.
Spracs, what if I told you that I ate at Willie Mae's this very evening? Recommendo--get the fried okra or the beans as your side.
Other recommendo--go to Dooky Chase's for lunch. Similarly delicious fried chicken (dry batter vs wet) on a giant buffet lovingly prepared for you by a nonagenarian New Orleans institution, Leah Chase.
63
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: Hamilton OFFICIAL MUSICAL THEATER THREAD
« on: February 15, 2019, 09:12:02 PM »
Sounds like our guy MIR is "on the outside, always looking in" wondering if he'll "ever be more than [he's] always been."
Switching gears--I'm willing to engage in a good old fashioned Jean Valjean-Off if there are any Alfie Bowe-heads out there that want to get embarrassed in front of their message board friends.
Switching gears--I'm willing to engage in a good old fashioned Jean Valjean-Off if there are any Alfie Bowe-heads out there that want to get embarrassed in front of their message board friends.
64
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: have these new mhk eateries been discussed yet?
« on: January 30, 2019, 09:25:32 PM »I like this sound of this Indian place. Is it in the tenks/ale house/Dancing Ganesha locaish?
I think they're referring to the old Confetti's locaish.
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Essentially Flyertalk / Re: How Many Credit Cards Do You Have?
« on: January 30, 2019, 09:23:41 PM »
Met the spend on a Chase card, need a new one now. Hoping to take all the WonderCats to Hawai'i this summer and starting to think I might need a back-up plan since SW is taking so long getting their ETOPS.
What's the best move--AA, Alaska, or other? And what's the best offer out there to get me to Kauai? Chase is probably not an option, but I don't think that matters here.
Willing to click on any and all referral links.
What's the best move--AA, Alaska, or other? And what's the best offer out there to get me to Kauai? Chase is probably not an option, but I don't think that matters here.
Willing to click on any and all referral links.
66
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: Kids
« on: January 10, 2019, 09:45:20 AM »
I love the idea that Wacky's kid and MIR's youngest kid are going to grow up at the same time, cheer for the 'Cats, and maybe one day fall in love at Kansas State University...only to find out when planning for the wedding that their parents have been feuding on goEMAW for 30 years. The RomCom writes itself.
67
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: book recommendations
« on: January 10, 2019, 09:42:46 AM »I listened to the audiobook of Heartland and overall thought it was pretty good. I definitely think it's A) better than cRusty is saying and B) better in the audiobook format. I also think it's assumed that this book is for all people from Kansas, but it's a pretty safe assumption that the people LOLing at these excerpts aren't who the book is about.
I grew up one town over from her at the exact same time and my parents/grandparents/great-grandparents are all farmers. so, it's like pretty close to being about me or at least about the community I grew up in. No one I knew rough ridin' talks like that or thought "flyover country" meant it was dangerous or was unaware of class. They did get a kick out of feeding cows on christmas though. Also LOL at thinking she stood out at rough ridin' KU because she grew up on a farm
This book isn't about growing up on a farm. This book is about growing up in poverty, and more specifically what white rural poverty looks like. I don't know your story, but I doubt it mirrors hers closely besides the geographic aspect you mentioned.
She talks about not knowing what graduate school was until she got to college. She talks about the women in their family moving 50+ times throughout their lives, often to escape abuse. The whole point of the book (at least from page 20 on...) is that she had a different experience from the people around her because she grew up surrounded by poverty. This is not a story about someone whose parents are and continue to be the cattle kings of Meade County.
I thought the book was good--not great. My favorite thing of the author's that I've read is a longform piece called "Poor Teeth." Maybe give that a try, since it's less than 20 pages? BAZING
https://longform.org/posts/there-is-no-shame-worse-than-poor-teeth-in-a-rich-world
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Essentially Flyertalk / Re: book recommendations
« on: January 09, 2019, 10:54:32 PM »
I listened to the audiobook of Heartland and overall thought it was pretty good. I definitely think it's A) better than cRusty is saying and B) better in the audiobook format. I also think it's assumed that this book is for all people from Kansas, but it's a pretty safe assumption that the people LOLing at these excerpts aren't who the book is about.
I mean, it was a finalist for a National Book Award. It can't be THAT bad.
The parts of the book I enjoyed the most:
-Smarsh referring to Food 4 Less as "Food 4 Losers." Did not know that was a Kansas-wide thing.
-Smarsh calling Junction City "Junk Town." Also did not know that was a non-NE KS thing.
-Her comments on the strength of poor women and how society views them (way past page 19) were the best part of the book.
This concludes "Audiobook Thoughts with WonderMeal," brought to you by Butcher Box and Casper Mattresses.
I mean, it was a finalist for a National Book Award. It can't be THAT bad.
The parts of the book I enjoyed the most:
-Smarsh referring to Food 4 Less as "Food 4 Losers." Did not know that was a Kansas-wide thing.
-Smarsh calling Junction City "Junk Town." Also did not know that was a non-NE KS thing.
-Her comments on the strength of poor women and how society views them (way past page 19) were the best part of the book.
This concludes "Audiobook Thoughts with WonderMeal," brought to you by Butcher Box and Casper Mattresses.
69
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: travel thread
« on: December 21, 2018, 09:53:09 AM »staying at the park hyatt beaver creek in march. flying into eagle. have always driven up from denver so that'll be nice. going to ski for the first time in my life. snowboarded in HS and college but have never had skis on my feet. should I take a lesson or some crap? can a guy in the upper end of his 30s figure out how to ski on his own without breaking bones? kind of scared of dying in a head/tree accident assuming I can get that kind of speed going. perfectly fine with looking like an idiot. ty.
Have stayed at PHBC with @MrsWondermeal, AMA.
70
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: Questionable, but not overtly negligent, Movies to watch with pre-teen son
« on: December 21, 2018, 09:52:15 AM »
Rocky I - Creed II.
71
Kansas State Football / Re: Bill Tribute Thread For Sentimental Qatz To Share Fun Memzys (No gE'ing Allowed)
« on: December 03, 2018, 10:56:37 PM »
What a very Bill joke. Thanks, @Blackcats.
Like many Cat fans here, I remember going to games for free before we were good, which made the Copper Bowl season magical. I mean, we tied Colorado! Colorado! That tie sent a signal to young WonderMeal that the 'Cats were for real.
One very cold night after the regular season, WonderDad took me and at least one WonderMealBro out to Dick Edwards or Briggs (can't remember), because they were giving away an all expenses paid trip to the game. I remember wondering what we would do if we won, because they weren't giving away enough tickets for everyone in the family.
We didn't win the giveaway, but the newspapers from December 30th, 1993 are still on the wall (laminated, duh) in my parents' basement. Earlier this season, WonderMeal Jr. saw some random game on the ESPN ticker that ended 52-17 and lost his mind because that was the same score as the Copper Bowl.
Cats, man.
Like many Cat fans here, I remember going to games for free before we were good, which made the Copper Bowl season magical. I mean, we tied Colorado! Colorado! That tie sent a signal to young WonderMeal that the 'Cats were for real.
One very cold night after the regular season, WonderDad took me and at least one WonderMealBro out to Dick Edwards or Briggs (can't remember), because they were giving away an all expenses paid trip to the game. I remember wondering what we would do if we won, because they weren't giving away enough tickets for everyone in the family.
We didn't win the giveaway, but the newspapers from December 30th, 1993 are still on the wall (laminated, duh) in my parents' basement. Earlier this season, WonderMeal Jr. saw some random game on the ESPN ticker that ended 52-17 and lost his mind because that was the same score as the Copper Bowl.
Cats, man.
72
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: How Many Credit Cards Do You Have?
« on: November 14, 2018, 04:52:56 PM »Tried to get Sapph Reserve again yesterday. Rejected.
What now? Just did IHG and World of Hyatt. Have Freedom to hang onto UR points. Cancelled Sapphire Preferred a couple months ago. Been through a bunch of AmEx/AA cards in the past few years.
Would like to stay on personal cards, but nothing stands out.
Haven't gotten into biz cards yet, cuz imma scaredy cat on fudging that info but might be time to pop the lid off.
No companion for SW Companion pass, so not the best bang for the buck there really.?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If you decide to go for the 80K Inks, let me know. A Canadian Friend of mine has a referral link that is way better than any other referral link you'll find on this blog.
73
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: The Distance Running Thread
« on: September 24, 2018, 09:15:11 AM »
I did a Higdon plan pretty faithfully for my first marathon and wasn't super happy with the result. (Meaning: a lot of the criticisms of Higdon's plans came to fruition exactly as people said they would.)
I've looked at Higdon's intermediate plans and am looking for something with a little more variation/more speedwork mixed in. Any new plans or pro-tips appreciated.
I've looked at Higdon's intermediate plans and am looking for something with a little more variation/more speedwork mixed in. Any new plans or pro-tips appreciated.
74
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: The Distance Running Thread
« on: September 23, 2018, 10:02:17 PM »
Going to start training for marathon numero dos very soon. Anyone have any links to good intermediate training plans? Planning to run 5-6 days a week and looking to finish faster than marathon numero uno.
75
Essentially Flyertalk / Re: Disney World
« on: August 27, 2018, 09:11:29 AM »
18-23. connecting rooms at the Dolphin. using the last of my SPG points before they raise the price per night. if I see you we'll slap hands.
Is this a Dolphin-only thing, a Disney-wide thing, or an SPG-wide thing? Have been putting off Disney for as long as possible until the littlest WonderMealette is making memories, but have a ton of SPG points and don't want to waste them (or book 35 nights in Oklahoma City or whatever).