In any case, please feel better soon!

That really does sound like food poisoning/salmonella, doesn't it?

Yep. Knew that. I've got a family member who's lived a life full of healthy eating and daily exercise, etc., and still has a form of colitis that's basically made it uncomfortable to travel and enjoy food.

This is good sleuthing.

Ooooh...I like this song "Candy" (and the RVA scenes, and your obvious sense of humor). Your other original stuff is good too and I like the High & Dry cover. I'll make a note about the Jan 31 show and try to make it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptKgGLk5ZHE

Nah, they're counting on the people who don't look at their email and/or think they'll get around to cancelling later and then three years go by. Or are old.

This is the way.

" He puts in the work "

Yeah, but he's an activist, not a journalist. You know what you're going to get.

I always refer to that as the Occoquan Kink. It happens both ways, too. It's like the presence of water combined with a decent curve on an interstate is a guaranteed slowdown.

Just made this for myself except with St. Brendan's instead of Baileys. Really nice.

I support you in your rant against zoos circa 1963.

The zoo is just fine...I've been more than probably anyone on this sub (annual memberships + little kids = lots of visits). It's not on a par with a true municipal zoo, sure, but it's fine.

Yeah, that was a great meal when we went back in March after a W&M tour.

I don't disagree, but the reason we went that one time was because I did have a fun time there with some old classmates on a Friday night, but I wasn't the high roller, either.

The last time I went to a casino was one of the Tunica ones on a Sunday afternoon with my wife when we were bored. We figured we'd go pop $20 in quarters into the slot machines and get a drink or two or maybe some dinner. I don't think we made it through the $20 before we realized how many of the people around us looked like they were trying to salvage something out of what they'd lost over the weekend, and we were so depressed by it, we just left and went to a fast food place before driving home.

One other thing...I know you didn't want canned but Whitley's Peanut Factory in Innsbrook offers boiled green peanuts.

While I haven't had that particular variety, everything else I've had from Whitley's has been absolutely amazing.

I don't know places specifically but maybe the Peanut Patch Facebook page would be able to help...

https://www.facebook.com/PeanutPatch

Gas station peanuts...you mean boiled peanuts?

Clear liquid diet day for me. It'll be interesting to see where I weigh in tonight.

I suspect that a lot of times, people have symptoms that they just talk themselves out of worrying over. Sort of the opposite of hypochondria.

A co-worker I used to have talked about how every year, his birthday present to himself was to get a physical and go for every screening that his doctor recommended, because he loved his life so much that he didn't want to ever be caught by surprise. It was the most positive, life-affirming way I've ever heard to talk yourself into seeing a doctor, and I've adopted it since I hit my mid-40s and needed a reality check over getting "old."

I am not a doctor, but I'm almost 49 and can tell you what I know.

First off, the medical community and health care insurers have different opinions on the age where people in general should get screened.

If you have a family history of colorectal cancer, doctors will tell you to get screened as young as 40. My doctor started getting serious about recommending it at 45, and that's when I found out that my insurance was like "whoa, dude, you don't need it until 50!" But then I found out my grandfather had had colon cancer in his 70s and that shifted the equation in my favor.

I don't think there are early, easy* to detect signs for colorectal. You're not going to feel lumps like breast or testicular cancers, so it's pretty much going to be an invasive medical exam unless your doctor is okay with the "poop in a bag and send it in" method.

And I think it's the pain-in-the-ass butt probing method that makes a lot of people avoid it, but it's under general anesthesia (awesome nap) and you'll lose five pounds easily during the prep, so I absolutely see it as a win.

Denial is powerful. :(

And he died from the same (generally) cancer that Chadwick Boseman had.

Get screened. (I'm getting scoped on Thursday...)

Rockwood Park has a newly remodeled nature center and I bet they could do a birthday party.

Add some shredded cheese and a touch of Old Bay to reheated mashed potatoes to reinvigorate them. That's my trick.

They edited the drunk driving joke.