Reading the Chunksters discussion

Tell us whatever you want! What's going on in your day, what person made you smile, how is your health, what's on your mind, how the world is going to hell in a hand basket, how a positive attitude and love can fix it all, how cute your new tiny kitten is or how you hate tiny kittens and are allergic and prefer large bearded dragons or, well, whatever you want.

Oh. But this thread is about YOU. It is NOT about books. I'll start another one for that :)

Am I the only one who has done zero holiday shopping at this point? Do you buy books for anyone? I always buy books for my dad but he exclusively reads spy fiction so we don’t share!

I know that invoking the name "Amazon" can cause a stir, but thank goodness for them is what I say. I did everything online a couple of weeks ago and requested wrapping as well. With a daughter in Florida, doing stuff online was the only way I could get organized enough to finish. I didn't want shopping to interfere with my reading!

Now, if only Amazon would come to my house and finish decorating my tree. I'm great at it, but I hate every minute of it.

I don't gift books, but it's the only thing on my wish list :).

I just joined and wanted to say hello.

Hi Joseph welcome! Hope you can join us for moby dick starting in Jan!

I give everybody on my list the same thing every year:

See's Candy.

It is only on sale 'round here between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I was planning on 'one-stop shopping' tomorrow, but I may have waited too long.

2 lb box of See's Nuts and Chews. That one is my favorite. :)

Aren't they like $40-50 (for 2 lbs)? Almost $1.50-$2 per piece? Expensive habit! :P

I'm about halfway done with my shopping. I ordered some from Amazon, but the rest I will do next week. Luckily I took next week off so I have some time, but I already have a list of things to do and I'm sure I will be running around frantic like every year, it seems. I decided that this is the year I will finally sew my daughter a Christmas stocking (she's 6 already!), plus I declared that I would get back to painting the trim inside the house which has been waiting for caulking and paint for 8 years now (if I can just focus on the bathroom as a start..). Oh, plus, keeping the kids entertained. My daughter will be going to Chess Camp for 3 hours each day next week, so I can slip in some shopping then. And my son is old enough to stay home for a couple of hours here and there. And somehow get the house cleaned before the out-of-town guests arrive. I feel like I need a nap just thinking about it all.

Haaze wrote: "Aren't they like $40-50 (for 2 lbs)? Almost $1.50-$2 per piece? Expensive habit! :P"

I don't know, I've never bought a box! When I was little, my dad would receive a box from work each year, so it was under the tree to tempt us each Christmas. And then for many years at my work, the centrifuge technician that would come in periodically, he would always bring a box for the lab at Christmas. So, I have been spoiled for those Nuts and Chews! But, my dad is now retired, and the centrifuge tech passed away a few years ago. :(

Oh, you're right Haaze. $39.80 for 2 lbs. And OMG they offer a 3 lb box!!

I once had a box under the Christmas Tree and in the early morning (to our demise) there was a huge caravan of ants hauling away small morsels of See's Candy. At least the ants were selective.....

The ants know what's good. Still, they should have ordered their own box.

Linda wrote: "Oh, you're right Haaze. $39.80 for 2 lbs. And OMG they offer a 3 lb box!!"

Ah, a 4 lbs....!! :P

http://www.sees.com/chocolate/assortm....

Now I have an urge for chocolate.... *not sure why*

Oh geez.... Now THAT'S all I want for Christmas - a 4 lb assortment and a tall stack of books. Oh, and a quiet house for a few days so I can get to work on both. :P

I love how the 4 lb box is all spread out in one layer. No need to go digging to the second layer and mess up the box.

Linda wrote: "Oh geez.... Now THAT'S all I want for Christmas - a 4 lb assortment and a tall stack of books. Oh, and a quiet house for a few days so I can get to work on both. :P"

Now - I like your daydreams, Linda!!!!

I don't know if this is true or not, but there seems to be an interesting tradition in Iceland. Let's move there!! Now!!

Jólabókaflóð

Haaze wrote: "Linda wrote: "Oh geez.... Now THAT'S all I want for Christmas - a 4 lb assortment and a tall stack of books. Oh, and a quiet house for a few days so I can get to work on both. :P"

Now - I like you..."

Sounds a lot better than the spread of hygge and lagom here in the UK the last couple of years. Sigh.

Haaze wrote: "Aren't they like $40-50 (for 2 lbs)? Almost $1.50-$2 per piece? Expensive habit! :P"

The price per pound gets higher every year.

Hmm, I still figure the price to be $.80 per piece.

When I was a kid all we got was Whitman's.

Lagom sounds like a Swedish brand of margarine......

Haaze wrote: "Lagom sounds like a Swedish brand of margarine......"

It sounds like a cough syrup to me. lol.

Hahahha love it! Margarine and cough drops! So I take it that these Scandinavian lifestyle trends - as they have been marketed in the UK - have not reached the US yet. Well, you've been warned!

No, they haven't Sofia. As far as I have noticed, anyway. I had to look up both words because I had not heard of them before, so now I will be on a very cautious lookout.

(I might be living under a rock, though!)

Sofia wrote: "Hahahha love it! Margarine and cough drops! So I take it that these Scandinavian lifestyle trends - as they have been marketed in the UK - have not reached the US yet. Well, you've been warned!"

Well, I know what the word means - I use it myself to control milk in coffee etc- in between - comfortable - but in terms of life style - nope....

May I say I laughed out loud today, several times, thoroughly enjoying it? (Weir's "Artemis" is breath-taking, certainly, and what I want to know is does Andy have a son named Andy, maybe in the 7th grade?)
But NO books!!! I will say I'm UP TO HERE with road rage and bought a massive SUV with a V6 (don't even know what that is), but I now own a tank. So BRING IT ON!!!

Haaze wrote: "Sofia wrote: "Hahahha love it! Margarine and cough drops! So I take it that these Scandinavian lifestyle trends - as they have been marketed in the UK - have not reached the US yet. Well, you've be..."
Haaze, have you tried "Rockin Refuel" as a coffee creamer? It has 30 grams protein and is a great way to start the day, cause I gotta get fueled up to drive my tank around!

Christopher wrote: "I give everybody on my list the same thing every year:

See's Candy.

YUM!!! But don't bother with mail order, it's so good it melts....in the delivery van.

Dianne wrote: "Tell us whatever you want! What's going on in your day, what person made you smile, how is your health, what's on your mind, how the world is going to hell in a hand basket, how a positive attitude..."
Ummm....dragons. Okay. I was at the liquor store today and they had a new beer called "Dragon's Milk" with 11% alcohol!!!
But there was no price so I took it through checkout and it was $15.99 for a 4-pack!!! So, no dragons for me today. I'll have to wait till it gets to the discount bin, very very soon at that price.

Christopher wrote: "Haaze wrote: "Aren't they like $40-50 (for 2 lbs)? Almost $1.50-$2 per piece? Expensive habit! :P"

The price per pound gets higher every year.

Hmm, I still figure the price to be $.80 per piece.
..."
hey now! I like whitman's! I always buy a two pound box for the 'family' but really so I can sneak chocolate on the sly.

Dianne wrote: "Christopher wrote: "Haaze wrote: "Aren't they like $40-50 (for 2 lbs)? Almost $1.50-$2 per piece? Expensive habit! :P"
Eat it while walking so it doesn't count as calories.

Genius!

On every box of See's is clearly stated "a healthy habit."

So there!

btw.. Nuts and Chews is my favorite, too.

Don't get high on your own supply!

I rather go for the Ritter Marzipan bars.... :P

<------ Marzipan addict!!!

Meow!

Want to go to Australia...?

Haaze wrote: "I rather go for the RItter Marzipan bars.... :P

"

I like those too!

Candy Freak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America

I know many of us hate amazon but honestly without 2 day shipping right now I would have LOTS of problems!

Haha me too Dianne!

Feeling very smug with myself as I've managed to not buy a single thing this Christmas from Amazon. I'll take the glory now thanks!!

Good for you Julie! I’m such a procrastinator. I also hate to shop unless it’s for books. 😍

I just hate their online dominance! I use Wordery for books. You don't have to spend over £10 to get free P&P

Julie wrote: "I just hate their online dominance! I use Wordery for books. You don't have to spend over £10 to get free P&P"

Frree P & P makes me think of:

Julie wrote: "Feeling very smug with myself as I've managed to not buy a single thing this Christmas from Amazon. I'll take the glory now thanks!!"

*Applauds*

Umm....sorry, but I'm turning this convo back to chocolate. :)

I checked out a new bakery today. I walked right across the see-through floor without realizing it was see-through, until I saw my son's friend taking a photo of it. You can look through to the lower floor onto the churning chocolate vat. Totally Willy Wonka! But less frightening.

What if you fall through the floor...? Yum...

For the weighted voting plan, how would it count if someone didn't vote on a monthly read? would it count as voting for the winning, or losing selections? I was just wondering if that meant you would lose a future vote.

Joseph wrote: "For the weighted voting plan, how would it count if someone didn't vote on a monthly read? would it count as voting for the winning, or losing selections? I was just wondering if that meant you wou..."

good question Joseph! If you don't vote, you can't lose a future vote. The only way you can lose one future vote is if you vote for a winning book and then don't participate in the whole discussion. So for example, if you didn't vote for moby dick, but join the discussion and drop out mid-way, you do not lose your vote next time. Although we would definitely love participation for the whole book discussion! The idea is to ensure that those who vote are willing to read and discuss the book they voted for if it wins, and that those who aren't willing to do that aren't unduly influencing the voting. This won't be implemented until after Moby Dick and the Feb contemporary book though - so everyone gets a vote for those.

Linda wrote: "Umm....sorry, but I'm turning this convo back to chocolate. :)

I checked out a new bakery today. I walked right across the see-through floor without realizing it was see-through, until I saw my s..."

these little kids/babies are adorable!

Merry Christmas for those who celebrate! And a fabulous day to all!