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Last weekend in Michigan it was 80 on Friday and it snowed Sunday night so I had to brush the car off Monday morning.
Our peach tree hasn't blossomed yet. The weather here has been brutal so I imagine there will be at least one more hard freeze coming up and if so, no peaches this year.
iris lilies
5-6-23, 11:10am
about King Charles’ coronation:
The Today tv morning show could not even get a direct heir to the throne identified properly. This is royal family 101 stuff. They kept saying princess Charlotte and Prince George were walking behind their parents. Ahhhh, no. Obviously, that was Prince Louis.
Prince George is the page who looks exactly like Charles Spencer, the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales.
I watched a few minutes clip of the coronation ceremony and have questions, but I won’t be going to the Today show to find answers to my questions.
about King Charles’ coronation:
The Today tv morning show could not even get a direct heir to the throne identified properly. This is royal family 101 stuff. They kept saying princess Charlotte and Prince George were walking behind their parents. Ahhhh, no. Obviously, that was Prince Louis.
Prince George is the page who looks exactly like Charles Spencer, the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales.
I watched a few minutes clip of the coronation ceremony and have questions, but I won’t be going to the Today show to find answers to my questions.
I've been watching it on CNN... they seem very much in the know. The thing that really hits home to me is how much King Charles and Queen Camilla looked like fairy-tale stories with the robes and the heavy crowns, and when I thought about it, I am reminded that I was 1 yr old when Elizabeth was crowned. Of course I can't remember it! In 70 years I have NEVER seen a change in the monarchy, which is astounding to me. We in the States have a "changing of the guard" every 4 years. I thought it was pomp and circumstance appropriate for the tradition, and it seems the Brits feel the same way.
We signed up for Britbox. They had a $3.99 a month special. Their reporting was live with only the details, quiet, and respectful. Perfect way to watch. They also had great video and sound quality for the music. I love the changes from having young people and women in important roles to the inclusion of a gospel music choir. Also liked the inclusion of many more "commoners" who are part of various charity groups the King and Queen are involved with.
iris lilies
5-6-23, 2:57pm
I've been watching it on CNN... they seem very much in the know. The thing that really hits home to me is how much King Charles and Queen Camilla looked like fairy-tale stories with the robes and the heavy crowns, and when I thought about it, I am reminded that I was 1 yr old when Elizabeth was crowned. Of course I can't remember it! In 70 years I have NEVER seen a change in the monarchy, which is astounding to me. We in the States have a "changing of the guard" every 4 years. I thought it was pomp and circumstance appropriate for the tradition, and it seems the Brits feel the same way.
i’m only watching a few minutes at a time of various clips, but I have to confess that I got teary-eyed when the procession to the coronation came rolling along with all of the royal carriages and with Anne, The Princess Royal,, leading the military group in “protection of her brother. “
on a snarky note, I was happy that Anne’s big red feathered hat blocked Prince Harry’s view quite extraordinarily well when they were sitting in Westminster abbey.
on a snarky note, I was happy that Anne’s big red feathered hat blocked Prince Harry’s view quite extraordinarily well when they were sitting in Westminster abbey.
I heard some comments in the media that that was intentional--being difficult to focus on Harry and his body language so he wouldn't detract from the ceremony. I feel bad for Harry. He was 12 when he lost his mother. I've heard that 12 is a difficult time to lose a parent (of course, any age is difficult but there are specific things related to emotional maturity that make it particularly difficult if you're 12). And I have to admit. I was 12 when I lost my father, and DH was 12 when he lost his.
I think Harry's emotional drivers around his life decisions tend toward wanting to fulfill his mother's vision for a good life. His running away and decrying the monarchy are so Oedipal it's ridiculous.
This is the only coverage I watched:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cr6SUtSgObn/
Rosa- that was HYSTERICAL!I was thinking the coronation deserved the "mystery Science Theatre 3000" treatment!
iris lilies
5-7-23, 8:20am
This is the only coverage I watched:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cr6SUtSgObn/
Haha, and I’m sure there are several parodies out there. It is such a strange, ancient, and rarified ceremony. I love the fact that he is sitting on Edwards throne, which is 700 years old. The scone of Scotland was brought down from Scotland for the ceremony, and then will go back up to live in Scotland.
That was great, rosa! I'm going to forward to my DS who repeatedly said that he doesn't get the whole thing--I kept telling him that his Scottish grandmother, who would have been 98 years old yesterday, would have absolutely been enthralled with the whole thing, because of the tradition, values and sheer spectacle of the historic event. But his questions reflected some of the points in the video--the royal family was born into the wealth and privilege, what does he even do, in how many ways could all the money spent on the coronation be put to better use.
I tried to make the event resonate with some meaning for him, but I failed. But I really, really wished my MIL was alive to have shared her birthday with King Charles' coronation. She would have been in her element, and I would have mandated a family watch party for her birthday.
I appreciated that Charles recycled a number of his coronation robes from his grandfather George VI and even one from George the IV, that was from 1821, I think.
littlebittybobby
5-7-23, 3:08pm
Okay----Seems like you kids have forgotten ALL about Lady Dai and her hirsute 'Gypshun Lover Boy. (see photo). I think it would be nice to have a Royal Exhumation, and put Lady Dai's Remains on display, in order for her faithfull followers to line up for blocks and wait for hours to view her remains. They prolly are remarkably well-preserved, don't you think? 54235424
frugal-one
5-27-23, 7:27pm
Have been getting ready to sell house and now to have an auction. My poor body cannot take it! Today at 3, I went sound asleep. I am no longer a young woman that is able to work nonstop. DS is here and he is helping carrying, lifting and dragging. I am sure DH will have difficulty walking tomorrow. Still have lots to go through and drag out to the garage. BUT we can see progress!
Frugal-one, that sounds painful!
The much anticipated underwater archaeology class I’d been looking by forward to for a couple of months was a huge bust. Due to bad visibility at the usual dive site, we had to go elsewhere. This site is much closer to me, but the walk from car to gear up area is probably 3 times the walk at usual place. Plus, you have to go down stairs and then across a beach area of small round slippery stones to get into water. It was too much for my poor knees. Plus we ended up having very bad viz once we got into the water. Viz was so bad I didn’t swim around. Just stayed in one place. Made one attempt at drawing, but it was very bad. Realized while I love looking at wrecks, measuring and drawing them is soooo boring. Big waste of time and money.
Debating whether I go to usual dive spot on Monday, but I’m beat and think I’ll just drive my brains out next Saturday. I had wanted to dive both days each weekend, but my body just can’t take it.
happystuff
5-28-23, 9:08am
So sorry for all the aches and pains going around.
Frugal-one, ds helping is hopefully making a huge difference. At least you know it will be over soon and all the stress and work with selling the house will be over!
Tradd, sorry the diving was a bust, but at least now you know that the drawing is not your thing! Easy enough to move on from it.
Hope all the sore bodies get some rest!
Teacher Terry
5-28-23, 11:52am
Frugal one, I totally have felt your pain. 2 1/2 years ago I worked 10 hours a day for a month hauling my ex’s junk so that the house could close. Then I helped my son remodel my condo and moved in and unpacked. I injured my shoulder and it took a year with many laser treatments to heal. Although I have to be careful and if I overdo it the pain comes back. Good luck with the auction.
frugal-one
5-28-23, 1:25pm
Surprisingly, none of us were in pain the next day. We all took homepathic arnica montana 30C... miraculous stuff! I will be happy if we break even. You never know with these kind of things. All the stuff just needs to disappear. Will call St Vinny's on Tues to schedule a pick up for afterwards for what is left. The appointment can always be cancelled, if needed.
I’m extremely tired of people who have absolutely no effing clue how things work bellyaching about how things have increased. What put me over the edge was someone bitching about $1200 for a new water heater and installation. It’s a gas one and person can’t understand that you need to have a plumber disconnect/connect the gas. Can’t do it yourself. Also apparently a weird spot so installation took more time and effort.
Just like the people bitching about the higher cost of farmers market produce. They don’t consider increased costs for fuel, fertilizer, and labor.
iris lilies
6-1-23, 10:01am
Oy vey. I drove past our old house yesterday. The new people have completely wiped out my flower garden. Gulp. The new guy was wheeling a wheelbarrow full of plants out to the dumpster as I drove by, looks like a last wheelbarrow full.
In my head I knew that all those plants were a goner sooner or later, but had I known they were going to get rid of them within a year I would’ve dug up all the hostas.
Actually, I’m going to drive by the compost dumpster this morning and see if there are hostas I can rescue. Ironically, my condo complex wants a bunch of hostas. Had I known that, I would’ve dug up even more from our old house. As it was, I dug up a couple dozen and sold them at our sale with all the proceeds going to the park Conservancy.
I left many iris plants there, ones I truly did not want, but digging them and letting them out in the alley to let people know they can come and get them is a good way to get rid of iris.
I’m actually having to invent a new way to get rid of iris in Hermann. But that is another topic.
and the reason I didn’t take 95% of the hostas with me to Hermann is that deer eat them. Little did I know we would end up with an area below the deck that MAY BE deer proof. Recently I placed hostas and Lilies in that bed, and we shall see if the deer scale the wall to get to them.
tldr:
Old flower garden wiped out by new owners
Deer suck
Oy vey. I drove past our old house yesterday. The new people have completely wiped out my flower garden. Gulp. The new guy was wheeling a wheelbarrow full of plants out to the dumpster as I drove by, looks like a last wheelbarrow full.
In my head I knew that all those plants were a goner sooner or later, but had I known they were going to get rid of them within a year I would’ve dug up all the hostas.
Actually, I’m going to drive by the compost dumpster this morning and see if there are hostas I can rescue. Ironically, my condo complex wants a bunch of hostas. Had I known that, I would’ve dug up even more from our old house. As it was, I dug up a couple dozen and sold them at our sale with all the proceeds going to the park Conservancy.
I left many iris plants there, ones I truly did not want, but digging them and letting them out in the alley to let people know they can come and get them is a good way to get rid of iris.
I’m actually having to invent a new way to get rid of iris in Hermann. But that is another topic.
and the reason I didn’t tag 95% of the houses with me to Hermann is that deer eat them. Little did I know that we would end up with an area below the deck that MAY BE deer proof.
OMG. I am so sorry. This is what makes me so mad about some new homeowners. Reminds me of when the people who bought MIL's house next door cut our forsythia in half so it didn't droop onto their property. Plant-hostile people are the worst!!
iris lilies
6-1-23, 10:17am
OMG. I am so sorry. This is what makes me so mad about some new homeowners. Reminds me of when the people who bought MIL's house next door cut our forsythia in half so it didn't droop onto their property. Plant-hostile people are the worst!!
these folks are going to build a new house on top of my flower garden, and I knew this, and it’s fine with me, it’s just that I didn’t know that they were going to get rid of the plants so soon, I figured they would wait until they had their house plans drawn up. See, they’ve already laid down sod in certain areas where I grew flowers so it’s not as though they’re going to be tearing into the yard anytime soon to start construction.
When we left our 1939 house, half the front yard was easy to maintain natural garden with Virginia bluebells, lily of the valley, bulbs, daylilies, and such. They self seeded and were a long season of flowers. When we returned, the yard was all grass. The glass kitchen and the bathrooms were all gutted and rebuilt. (just missed viewing but got to see inside on Zillow.) So sad.
iris lilies
6-1-23, 10:32am
OMG. I am so sorry. This is what makes me so mad about some new homeowners. Reminds me of when the people who bought MIL's house next door cut our forsythia in half so it didn't droop onto their property. Plant-hostile people are the worst!!
The graceful arching of forsythia is a lovely sight to behold. We moved a a neglected stand of forsythia, dividing it and re-energizing it, to the bottom of our property, where it will form a line of gracefully drooping yellow in April. 2023 was its second year in its new home and it looks lovely already. Next year it will be spectacular.
people who trim forsythia into tight balls are kind of stupid I think.
people who trim forsythia into tight balls are kind of stupid I think.
I agree. I think the tight-ball forsythia type must be a certain kind of person to want to constrain the explosion of spring that the forsythia represents.
Ive always thought there should be realtors just for people who garden. I have probably added 50 kinds of plants to my yard but most likely the next owner will tear it all up and put in a boring lawn.
Someone took out the little dwarf apple tree that I planted in our front yard in Illinois. It was from where they had taken out an old working orchard and cider mill, our favorite, to put in stupid tract houses. It made me doubly sad.
iris lilies
6-1-23, 6:19pm
Someone took out the little dwarf apple tree that I planted in our front yard in Illinois. It was from where they had taken out an old working orchard and cider mill, our favorite, to put in stupid tract houses. It made me doubly sad.
Oh the new people have removed nearly all of the fruit trees DH had planted, but many of them were old anyway. And when they produce, the thieving squirrels just steal everything.
DH just this moment shared important info that the new people dug out all of the hostas and iris and put them on the curb for neighbors to take. Yay! This is perfect.
They are going to put in clover and get a beehive. So it is all ok.
Coworkers in the import dept are being extremely incompetent this week. Import manager on vacation and I’m having to babysit them. Got fed up and unloaded a 15 minute rant on one of the owners behind closed doors this morning. There will be a meeting on Monday when manager is back. Not my job to watch these people but if I don’t, I’ll have to spend more time fixing their crap than I already do.
Inspector hired by buyer for our house was rude and obnoxious. We planned on staying and continue to work on cleaning/packing but he was so ornery we decided to leave and stay out of his way. We came back and found he actually broke a window…. not the glass but stripped off the plastic runners that hold the window up.
Inspector hired by buyer for our house was rude and obnoxious. We planned on staying and continue to work on cleaning/packing but he was so ornery we decided to leave and stay out of his way. We came back and found he actually broke a window…. not the glass but stripped off the plastic runners that hold the window up.
Wow! Idiot.
I'm irritated at myself for wasting money on two separate occasions recently due to not paying enough attention to what I was doing. A few weeks ago I ordered a large jar of what I thought was the curl defining gel I had been using. I went to the company's website, typed in what was written on the microscopic label of the sample jar a friend had given me and proceeded to order the curl defining "cream" instead of the curl-defining "GEL." The website had tons of products in all different sizes in the same white jar with similar labels. It came in the mail but I didn't open it for a few weeks until I ran out of the old stuff. I only noticed the product was different when I opened the jar up and peeled back the seal, as it was a different color and consistency than the product I had been using. Non-returnable because I opened it up, and I also threw away the packing slip.
So that's like $40 down the drain. The product doesn't work the same on my hair, and now I have a year's supply of it...
The other instance is that I threw $9.50 out the window because I left something in my cart when I was unloading it into the back of my car at Target the other day.
I need to remind myself to "be in the moment" and PAY ATTENTION to what I am doing.
I'm irritated at myself for wasting money on two separate occasions recently due to not paying enough attention to what I was doing. A few weeks ago I ordered a large jar of what I thought was the curl defining gel I had been using. I went to the company's website, typed in what was written on the microscopic label of the sample jar a friend had given me and proceeded to order the curl defining "cream" instead of the curl-defining "GEL." The website had tons of products in all different sizes in the same white jar with similar labels. It came in the mail but I didn't open it for a few weeks until I ran out of the old stuff. I only noticed the product was different when I opened the jar up and peeled back the seal, as it was a different color and consistency than the product I had been using. Non-returnable because I opened it up, and I also threw away the packing slip.
So that's like $40 down the drain. The product doesn't work the same on my hair, and now I have a year's supply of it...
The other instance is that I threw $9.50 out the window because I left something in my cart when I was unloading it into the back of my car at Target the other day.
I need to remind myself to "be in the moment" and PAY ATTENTION to what I am doing.
I hate those expensive mistakes!! Dave Ramsey has a term, "Stupid Tax" to define the dumb ways we either intentionally or unintentionally spend/waste our money. So, when I'm doing my inputting of my expenses in my YNAB app, in the memo line I always write "Stupid Tax" when I make those dumb mistakes, just to remind me to be more mindful in the future.
Ah, that's a good one, the stupid tax! I have to remember that much of the time I am so careful, and that making a mistake like that won't make or break me. I'm already trying to sell the almost new jar on Marketplace. Meanwhile, I wet my head down today and tried it again, making sure to use much less of the product than yesterday. It worked better and I have more curl today, so maybe it's just a matter of learning to use this better. It's still a several year supply, as I don't bother to do my hair on the days I don't work.
One mental method I use when I lose jewelry or something like that is I think about how happy it made the person who found it, like how I feel when I find something cool that it would be impossible to track down the owner of. Or I think about the item being sent out into the universe for someone else to enjoy. In this case, the hair product company is small and minority owned, so I'm trying to think about how my order helped their bottom line.
But it still rankles a little...
CBP’s entire system is down right now. Ugh. Can do stuff in my system but I can’t transmit the customs clearances to CBP. Can’t get my daily duty statements either.
One mental method I use when I lose jewelry or something like that is I think about how happy it made the person who found it, like how I feel when I find something cool that it would be impossible to track down the owner of. Or I think about the item being sent out into the universe for someone else to enjoy. .
I do this too! Or I use it to NOT buy something cool in a thrift shop because by doing so, I am depriving someone else of the pleasure of having it, if I don't absolutely need it. I also envision it going out into the universe and bringing joy to someone else!
Idiot of the year candidate: All importers need to have a customs bond. It ensures entries and duties will be done timely, that goods will be returned to CBP custody is requested, etc. Basic is $50K a year and goes up to whatever. Bond amount has to be 10% of duties and fees. If too go over that, CBP declares bond insufficient and new one has to be a higher amount. If you bring in stuff that’s subject to anti dumping (ADD), amount will be even higher and you may have to provide a letter of credit for collateral for the bond amount.
Anyway, customer’s $100K bond had been declared insufficient by CBP due to one of their items now being subject to ADD. CBP says they have to get a new bond for $300K. Customer is having issues with existing bond provider and comes to me for help. We get the process going, including customer dealing with their slow bank for $300K letter of credit for collateral. It’s a slow process, but new bond was going to be in place today. WAS. Right before I was going to lunch, an import gal tells me that someone went rogue while the logistics manager was out sick and decided to get $50K bond from old bond provider. I’ve been dealing with the company’s general counsel on new bond. This $50K bond means new bond can’t be put in place. I left a voice mail for general counsel and my tone of voice was such that he left the meeting he was in to call me back. He didn’t understand how bad the situation was until I was done. New $50K bond has to be terminated asap, but termination date is 2 weeks in future. Can’t be done for tomorrow. New bond $300K can be put into place after new $50K bond terminates. Customer is also going to be in huge trouble with CBP for putting a $50K bond in place when they were told to go from $100K to $300K.
General counsel told me his was bummed as he had mentored the idiot who got the $50K bond. Asked him to throw in a kick for me while they were going at the idiot. He called it a career altering event for idiot. Maybe fired, I expect. I’ve got a shipment that came in 6/2 that had to wait for new bond to be in place before I could clear it.
Gee, Tradd, that's a bummer. If only people would follow the rules...
My "if only people would..." rant is: My son is getting married next week. Rewind to last fall, soon after he had selected his groomsmen, he went to see one of them--a childhood friend who he hasn't seen in a while. My son was bringing his fiancee to meet him and and his wife. To make a long story short, at the restaurant, they had some kind of an argument--of course I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened, but it was one of those situations where son was not going to have him be the groomsman unless he apologized and the groomsman was also looking for an apology.
DS and DDIL-to-be were adamant that unless groomsman apologized he was not going to be in the wedding, so months pass and son reallizes he needs to replace groomsman. Meanwhile, neither of the offended parties ever communicated at all since that night. I felt they both were cutting off their noses to spite their faces to NOT call. DS kept saying how it "ripped his heart out" that groomsman wasn't going to be at the wedding.
That's the personal side of the story. The generic take-away is, how many times do people hold on to one moment in time to base the rest of their relationships on? How often do they regret it when the opportunity to reconcile expires? I feel bad for my son. Last week he said, "Sometimes I feel I should have been the bigger person."
This is not a big deal for me of course, but when you're older you realize life is too short to cling to being "right" above all.
Teacher Terry
6-7-23, 8:57pm
Catherine, that’s really a shame. Life is too short for a misunderstanding with a long time friend to turn into estrangement.
My rant is not being able to find simple non-scented products like dishwasher powder in a cardboard box. Trader Joe's just discontinued theirs which we have bought for years. Everything has a scent now - trash bags, dish soap, etc. I don't get it...
iris lilies
6-7-23, 10:02pm
My rant is not being able to find simple non-scented products like dishwasher powder in a cardboard box. Trader Joe's just discontinued theirs which we have bought for years. Everything has a scent now - trash bags, dish soap, etc. I don't get it...
finding powdered soaps, laundry soap and dish soap, is becoming harder. They put those on the bottom shelf. I suppose they want to sell you the liquid versions which don’t last nearly as long to keep you coming back buying product.
My rant is not being able to find simple non-scented products like dishwasher powder in a cardboard box. Trader Joe's just discontinued theirs which we have bought for years. Everything has a scent now - trash bags, dish soap, etc. I don't get it...
I have started ordering home/cleaning products through subscription services. I get my TP from Who Gives a Crap, and I get some really great eco-friendly products from Grove.co. So I looked to see if I could find an unscented laundry detergent in a box, and Grove.co didn't have any, but I did find this: https://unscentedco.com/en-us/collections/best-sellers/products/laundry-10-l-refill-box
finding powdered soaps, laundry soap and dish soap, is becoming harder. They put those on the bottom shelf. I suppose I want to sell you the liquid versions, which don’t last nearly as long to keep you coming back buying product.
Or the expensive pods…ugh
Is anyone familiar with Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder - Fragrance Free, Hypoallergenic Plant Based, Deep Cleaning Laundry Powder – Biodegradable Eco Friendly Sustainable Laundry Detergent
18 cents/load if you buy the 8 lb. package from Amazon
55225522
I make my own laundry soap, but wouldn't mind giving this a try. Wish it came in a cardboard box.
Teacher Terry
6-10-23, 12:25pm
I don’t buy pods but I do prefer liquid detergent.
I've been buying Blue Water laundry strips. They do have an unscented version. https://trybluewater.com/products/128-loads-eco-laundry-strips?variant=43102106583264¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjLfo56q-_wIVbjLUAR3i3wu4EAYYAiABEgLulPD_BwE
They also have unscented dishwasher strips, but I haven't tried those.
Friend who insists on still paying all her bills via check got one stolen. Check was washed and she lost a couple of grand. Still refuses to switch to online bill pay. Thinks she’s going to get hacked if she pays anything online. This is not a senior. I told her if she refuses to be sensible and pay online, then she deserves every penny she loses to fraud.
Friend who insists on still paying all her bills via check got one stolen. Check was washed and she lost a couple of grand. Still refuses to switch to online bill pay. Thinks she’s going to get hacked if she pays anything online. This is not a senior. I told her if she refuses to be sensible and pay online, then she deserves every penny she loses to fraud.
During my tenure as an accounting manager for a county government, we found check washing and the attempted electronic misuse of routing and account numbers was a particularly big problem for the checks issued to people being released from our jail (unspent commissary balances and cash confiscated at processing). For some reason, it was an especially prevalent practice of the “sovereign citizen” movement.
We combatted the problem by instituting a three part audit system with our bank. At the time of issue, we provided a list to our bank of the check number, amount and payee to check when clearing each transaction. In the case of exiting prisoners, we stopped using checks in favor of prefunded credit cards. They really hated that.
Financial fraud is a sort of continuing arms race that took up a huge amount of my time. It tended to make me a bit paranoid in my personal finances.
iris lilies
6-15-23, 11:59am
We are old people who don’t even have debit cards because I still get the impression they’re hard to control. We don’t need them anyway because the credit card works just fine.
I don’t store any passwords on Icloud for websites where I am able to purchase things such as Amazon, ebay, etc. and certainly don’t store passwords for financial institutions.
I don’t know what check washing is. It sounds like a way badnicks get into someone’s bank account.
We are old people who don’t even have debit cards because I still get the impression they’re hard to control. We don’t need them anyway because the credit card works just fine.
I don’t store any passwords on Icloud for websites where I am able to purchase things such as Amazon, ebay, etc. and certainly don’t store passwords for financial institutions.
I don’t know what check washing is. It sounds like a way badnicks get into someone’s bank account.
Check washing is when someone alters the pay to and dollar amount on an already written check and then deposit it to their own account.
I first had an ATM card in 1987 when I went off to college. Can’t remember when I got first debit card. Sometime in early 90s I guess. They’re fine.
During my tenure as an accounting manager for a county government, we found check washing and the attempted electronic misuse of routing and account numbers was a particularly big problem
.
What is the risk, if any, in paying for something using my routing and account number? I've often chosen that option, when it's available, to avoid paying a credit card fee. Example:
I do it monthly for a utility payment.
Would you suggest just paying the fee?
The risk is that if they are hacked, the hacker has all the info needed to drain your checking account. It is much harder to work with a bank to resolve such issues than it is with a credit card. Depends on the fee of course.
What is the risk, if any, in paying for something using my routing and account number? I've often chosen that option, when it's available, to avoid paying a credit card fee. Example:
I do it monthly for a utility payment.
Would you suggest just paying the fee?
Have you tried paying the bill from your bank’s online bill pay? I’m astonished at the number of people who don’t even consider this as an option.
The risk is that if they are hacked, the hacker has all the info needed to drain your checking account. It is much harder to work with a bank to resolve such issues than it is with a credit card. Depends on the fee of course.
Interestingly, in Europe, utilities direct debiting bank accounts is extremely common. Checks have disappeared in many places there, if not all.
Interestingly, in Europe, utilities direct debiting bank accounts is extremely common. Checks have disappeared in many places there, if not all.
Where I live, that’s true of almost anyone who bills regularly. But I prefer making online payments directly from my checking account. That way I have more control over the outflows and don’t need to contact multiple entities if I change banks. It also provides a bit more leverage if I want to dispute a bill. My bank makes it ridiculously easy.
The risk is that if they are hacked, the hacker has all the info needed to drain your checking account. It is much harder to work with a bank to resolve such issues than it is with a credit card. Depends on the fee of course.
I try to limit that risk by limiting the balance in what I think of as my “transactional account”.
Unbeknownst to me, my credit union recently initiated a service wherein they email a notice "You have incurred a large expense..." when, apparently, you debit anything over $100. Way to get one's heart started in the morning.
I try to limit that risk by limiting the balance in what I think of as my “transactional account”.
I do the same, I use one account for electronic payments only, it is only funded as needed.
I do the same, I use one account for electronic payments only, it is only funded as needed.
A finance guy would refer to that as a “zero balance account”. Like many professions, they delight in applying jargon-speak to common sense ideas.
My maintenance needed light has been on for a few hundred miles which usually means oil change time. There is a four bay garage a couple of miles away with dependable mechanics and reasonable prices, but you need to book ahead of time and leave the car for most of a day. So, I'm at the local XMonkey where they try to upsell you on expensive fluid or filter changes. Everyone working there is about 17 and you get a little nervous about them knowing the difference between the oil pan and the transmission. Of course back when we walked to school through 3 feet of snow we also changed our own oil and filter, but no one does that anymore including me. So I don't know if it's a rant or a rave since they can get you out of there in a half hour or so, but wonder what they messed up.
Last time we had an oil change, the "mechanic" left a very nice wrench under the hood. We didn't find it until a few days later. Yes, DH took it back...
pinkytoe. We had the same thing happen. Our cars are much more complex now so we only take them to our favorite dealer who does discounted oil changes. Probably so we will see the new cars.
Last time we had an oil change, the "mechanic" left a very nice wrench under the hood. We didn't find it until a few days later. Yes, DH took it back...
Good thing he wasn’t a surgeon.
I have a customer who needs to get hit by a bus. One of his staff sent a request at 5:15pm yesterday REI wearing something be done. We leave at 5. I did the thing this morning. Idiot customer called me a lazy b*tch and incompetent for not staying to do it. He claims an email was sent around 1pm with the request, but no one in my company has such an email. Salesman (a nice one) with my company who handles this customer called me to find out what happened. He got a profanity laced tirade. I was so angry I was shaking. I’d happily piss on this customer’s grave. Treat me like crap or piss me off and you’re an enemy for life.
What a douche bag.
His staff probably told him an email was sent because they are afraid of him. I bet he treats everyone the same way.
frugal-one
6-21-23, 5:31pm
I have a customer who needs to get hit by a bus. One of his staff sent a request at 5:15pm yesterday REI wearing something be done. We leave at 5. I did the thing this morning. Idiot customer called me a lazy b*tch and incompetent for not staying to do it. He claims an email was sent around 1pm with the request, but no one in my company has such an email. Salesman (a nice one) with my company who handles this customer called me to find out what happened. He got a profanity laced tirade. I was so angry I was shaking. I’d happily piss on this customer’s grave. Treat me like crap or piss me off and you’re an enemy for life.
What a douche bag.
He claims.... send proof..
He claims.... send proof..
Has no proof. Has been asked for it multiple times by my salesman. Won’t cough it up.
People cannot fill out forms correctly. They leave basic stuff blank - name, email, phone.
Oh ugh! I try not to rant but I decided on a whim to color my hair, which had gotten sort of white in places plus dirty blonde and actually looked pretty cool. So I thought I'll dye it with herbatint swedish blonde because that is the color it is now and it will smoothe it out a little and it won't look so bright.
It has turned my hair red. I hate it. I went out and bought head and shoulders and crushed up vitamin c and was out in the yard for half an hour with it on and it is no better. I've now washed it about ten times and it is gross.
Any suggestions? I am so mad at myself--I should have left well enough alone.
frugal-one
7-15-23, 6:51pm
Did you do an ash blonde shade? Supposedly that limits the red tint?
Did you do an ash blonde shade? Supposedly that limits the red tint?
I did. It is so much darker than my real hair, and very red which is weird since my real hair color had gotten quite white in places, so where did the red come from??
The box looked like my hair, only a little more muted, which was what I wanted.
Not a frugal suggestion, but what about going to a professional to even out the color to the way you wanted it?
Not a frugal suggestion, but what about going to a professional to even out the color to the way you wanted it?
I might have to. I will first try shampooing with clarifying shampoo for a week and see if I can deal with it. My hair does seem to lose the color; maybe it will revert.
I wish I had left well enough alone.
There's a purple solution at Sally's that you can mix with shampoo, I think or the dye itself that cuts the red. I used to use Robert Craig, it's a deposit but getting a paler blonde is difficult. I quit coloring during COVID and just live with the strange uneven whiteness and darkness of my hair. But I did like Robert Craig and they will answer questions on line very honestly. I asked about the one bright blond and she said don't use it unless you want to look like Big Bird! I think it works on colored hair, but am not sure. Good luck. Hair color is very hard!!!
Oh my gosh, Big Bird--she was very honest. Doused it in vinegar today and then washed it twice with Head and Shoulders. At least it is now a less flat red blonde, as the white areas by the face are starting to fade a little so it has some dimension. Color is so hard. I think this will be my last experiment with color. I might try highlighting but since it is now naturally so light, it's probably best for texture to just keep letting it fade out.
Did I mention how much I love wigs? Honestly, if I were 20 years younger and socially active, I'd emulate Dolly Parton re hair-wear--a different color and style every day!
Did I mention how much I love wigs? Honestly, if I were 20 years younger and socially active, I'd emulate Dolly Parton re hair-wear--a different color and style every day!
Jane, I have been looking at the on Amazon and I am so tempted.
Jane, I have been looking at the on Amazon and I am so tempted.
There are lots of on-line reviews on YouTube. Some of the Amazon wigs are surprisingly cute. Paula Young makes a line of budget-friendly wigs, also.
iris lilies
7-24-23, 10:49am
I have to rant because I’ve set boundaries in one of the plant societies by declaring what I will not do. I’m getting pushback from it. Yes I feel guilty but you know what? It’s my life and I get to decide what I do with it.
I refuse to take on responsibility for a giant project that, well, I refuse to take responsibility for. I may dip in to help with it on my own terms on my own schedule.
iris lilies
7-24-23, 1:05pm
And another rant for the day:
touching on old products now hard to find as mentioned in another thread, I couldn’t get regular rubbing alcohol at Dollar General. They had some dumb version with “Wintergreen “added, I don’t want that. And the previous brand new container I bought at the grocery store had a hole punched in the top when I took off the lid so I didn’t want to use it, thinking it might be poisoned.
Dollar General did not have simple baggies, all of them have zipper tops or locking tops. I hate those things and is just another unnecessary plastic gadget. guess it’s time to place another order to Amazon.
iris lilies
7-26-23, 12:53pm
I have to rant because I’ve set boundaries in one of the plant societies by declaring what I will not do. I’m getting pushback from it. Yes I feel guilty but you know what? It’s my life and I get to decide what I do with it.
I refuse to take on responsibility for a giant project that, well, I refuse to take responsibility for. I may dip in to help with it on my own terms on my own schedule.
and now, the giant project is scheduled for 101° weather. Yes let’s go do that in 101° when there’s no shade. Absolutely ridiculous.
Weather continues to be a rant this summer. I stopped volunteering with our plant society for the hot months. It is mostly grunt work outside. Just had our third hail storm a week ago. Wiped out just about everything since we were out of town and nothing was covered. Trying to baby the veggies back to producing but they look very sad.
Weather continues to be a rant this summer. I stopped volunteering with our plant society for the hot months. It is mostly grunt work outside. Just had our third hail storm a week ago. Wiped out just about everything since we were out of town and nothing was covered. Trying to baby the veggies back to producing but they look very sad.
Sorry! How disappointing!
iris lilies
8-8-23, 4:19pm
If there wasn’t tragic loss of life associated with what I’m going to say, it would be ironically funny. It certainly is an annoyance for me:
We had lived in Hermann less than a year and a shooting took place that wiped out 50% of our police force.
Hunh, we moved away from the big city where shootings like this happen often, never expecting it to happen down the street in Hermann.
So the latest thing is now my Hermann block is in full NIMBY mode fighting a group home for addicts. Recovering alcoholics. It’s a few doors down from me.
Do you know how many group homes, open prisons, flop houses, boarding houses, homeless shelters, etc. we fought constantly in my city neighborhood until it became so expensive that those crowds stayed away? A Bunch of them. So now here I am in tiny Scenic bucolic Hermann with a household of addicts living down the street. Yay, me.
Probably the most amazing thing is that this group home for alcoholics is a mere 5 doors from my state’s largest and oldest winery. I am further away at 9 doors away from it. You can’t make up this shit, more delicious irony.
group homes, open prisons, flop houses, boarding houses, homeless shelters, etc.
Sadly, the need for such housing is exploding across the nation such that no place will be spared.
IL, I don't think there is any escaping addiction. We have a huge addiction/homelessness problem in Burlington. Example of how I and/or my family have been impacted by it:
Several years ago, I visited my kids in Burlington. My DD and I went to the farmer's market in town. Idyllic, right? Well we were on our way to visit Stowe when I asked my DD to hand me my computer. It wasn't there. Stolen.
Three days before my DS married my DDIL, my other son was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom at his brother's house (the groom). He heard someone come in, and he thought it must be DS, having forgotten something. But the person came upstairs. It was not DS. This person made off with every computer in the house; thank God they. missed the wedding bands ready for the ceremony, in plain sight.
We move to Grand Isle, where the crime rate is practically zero. We hire a guy to do handyman work. Nice guy. Brings his son. Brother looks like a meth addict. When we left for the winter (our first year there), I asked DH, "Should I bring my sterling silver with me? I don't know if I want to leave it in the house." He said, no, so I didn't, but when we returned there was a big article in our little rural paper with his name and photo, and how the police nailed him for drug dealing. He was headed for his second time in jail. But, my silver was safe.
Point being, It's hard to escape drug addiction these days. You can live in an urban area, suburban or rural. It's pervasive, and sad.
iris lilies
8-8-23, 4:52pm
Sadly, the need for such housing is exploding across the nation such that no place will be spared.
It can be controlled with proper city ordinances.
For instance, at one point our City put in an ordinance against more than three unrelated adults living in one unit. That kept group homes easily controllable. The group home had to get a variance which required support from the alderman from that ward, city fathers, and surrounding neighborhood.
because of this law, when five unrelated Catholic priests came together to live in one of my neighborhood’s mansions, they had to go before our neighborhood to present their case. We voted to grant them a variance. They weren’t really priests they were… I can’t think of the term but we’re some kind of official Catholic spiritual leaders who live out in the community They must’ve had money because there was no vow of poverty to live in this 6000 square-foot completely renovated house.
without knowing much about this other than reading through the ream of paper one disgruntled neighbor passed out, I doubt that Hermann has the necessary controlling city laws in place. Probably it will go in, likely it won’t be a real big problem except for lots and lots of cars, and that is a problem. These guys have their own cars apparently.
They also are entirely private pay, there’s no state funds going to this organization, so it’s termed a “country club “ substance abuse organization.
Our city has many ordinances but without continual enforcement, it continues to escalate and the apathy widens. At this point, it is entirely complaint driven since there aren't enough cops or code enforcers to deal with it. Big problem in this country...
iris lilies
8-8-23, 7:39pm
Our city has many ordinances but without continual enforcement, it continues to escalate and the apathy widens. At this point, it is entirely complaint driven since there aren't enough cops or code enforcers to deal with it. Big problem in this country...
I think that’s fine though. That’s why these laws are on the books and if a property becomes a problem, which means it’s getting lots of complaints, then the authorities step in because they have ammunition in the local ordinance.
If property owners are violating certain things, but they’re never a problem, it doesn’t matter.
No one wants Big Brother beating down doors and staging inspections to see if everything is copacetic. We learned in my city neighborhood to be proactive, and we worked closely with city departments to report the things that were problematic.
Arggg. Library is clearing out books they don't feel are young adult enough. Don't they realize that it is mere steps away to get access to all the books in the library? I am actually worried they will start censoring the books in the adult section for "relevance" and "public morals".
https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/author-john-green-upset-the-fault-in-our-stars-moved-young-adult-section-fishers-library-hamilton-east-public/531-aa564c60-a20a-4aae-a625-49849d2b5524?fbclid=IwAR34odeOUPkVKO2ie4Hpd4Ggwj6w ODa5geJLdOzjVSd0-KWLyz_bZBYpsjE
iris lilies
8-10-23, 9:32am
Arggg. Library is clearing out books they don't feel are young adult enough. Don't they realize that it is mere steps away to get access to all the books in the library? I am actually worried they will start censoring the books in the adult section for "relevance" and "public morals".
https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/author-john-green-upset-the-fault-in-our-stars-moved-young-adult-section-fishers-library-hamilton-east-public/531-aa564c60-a20a-4aae-a625-49849d2b5524?fbclid=IwAR34odeOUPkVKO2ie4Hpd4Ggwj6w ODa5geJLdOzjVSd0-KWLyz_bZBYpsjE
wow, the book “The Fault in our stars. “is a modern YA classic. Probably their board policy is attempting to be compliant with any new state laws? Or maybe they’ think they are getting ahead of it? That move is pretty radical.
Since I worked in Libraries for so long, I remember all the efforts to control access to materials of the past 35 years, mostly for youth control.
When I started working at the big city library, children were limited to materials coded in the computer system as J for juvenile. At that time minors could check out material from the YA collection because those were coded separately but I don’t remember what age it was that allowed them to do that …maybe 14? And I’m pretty sure J card patrons were blocked from the YA collection.
Then we loosened up, much to the chagrin of some children’s librarians who wanted to protect the kids, and moved to a system where parents could sign a library card application for children , allowing them to check out books in the adult collections, but not videos or music CDs.. That went on for many years.
Then somewhere in there, Tipper Gore and her censorship squad took on rap music lyrics, a genre essential to our community of 55% African American library patrons. During those heated days our library director, shockingly, told me to hold some of the super popular rap music we had purchased and not put them put out on shelves while he determined what to do with them. Tipper was very influential in that. There was much discussion among libraries as what to do with this kind of material. it was Tipper squawking that caused the music industry to issue two versions of their works, one version “NC-17 “and the other a“clean “version.
but one interesting little insight from in my library system was a Library branch manager who, in our large branch with a predominantly black clientele, quietly removed all of the “questionable “rap music titles from her collection, and secreted them away in her office. I knew she was doing this because I could tell from computer records what was going on. I pointed out to her boss. Her boss took no action. So those branch users including adults were denied popular materials appropriate for them.
Librarians are not always the beacon of intellectual freedom that they are thought to be. I have another story about that particular branch manager, making decisions to limit access to material in her branch, but I’ll save that tale for another day.
Teacher Terry
8-10-23, 10:11am
IL, well that’s a terrible story about the librarian and worse that her supervisor allowed it.
iris lilies
8-10-23, 10:28am
IL, well that’s a terrible story about the librarian and worse that her supervisor allowed it.
OK so your comment encourages me to tell the next story about this particular branch.
So back in the 1990s you all probably don’t remember but novels with African-American central characters were unusual. about the mid 90s one publisher produced a line of romance novels with African-American heroines. It’s what our library users had been asking for for a very long time.
This problem branch manager, head of one of our largest branches where 80% of patrons were black, allowed only ONE copy of these novels in her branch. A branch of that size should’ve had at least three copies, minimum. She should have been regularly reviewing the titles in that series for replacement due to condition and theft. But no, these novels were not of high enough moral quality to make her happy, so she denied them to her library patrons.
Very discouraging for the publisher who stuck out their neck to produce these titles. Here we were, a large urban library with one of the biggest African-American populations, and we remind the publisher that it’s not worth their time to publish this stuff because we aren’t buying in expected quantities.
Ridiculous. Fortunately, I just bought multiple copies to make up for this branch manager’s decision and placed those copies in other branches which could supply everyone.
iris lilies
8-12-23, 3:06pm
So this is pretty appalling, this update about the group home on my block, acknowledged as at last night’s meeting as the best street in Hermann:
There is no local, state, or federal licensing of this group home for alcohol recovery. Because the owner of the business is not providing psychological services, they do not fall under the Department of Mental Health for my state.
There will be 9 men living there with their cars. 9 cars. We have a typical old suburban street designed in the 1950s so it’s not wide. The head of the organization made the commitment last night “we will never park cars in the street. “That is of course complete bullshit and he’s throwing his staff under the bus to carry that out. They will need a part-time valet parking assistant to shuffle cars.
On the plus side, these guys pay $5000-$6000 a month so that right there is weeding out the riffraff. With that money they don’t even get meals provided because any food service would require the operator to comply with health department laws.
Also a plus: These guys are also are required to work, part time. So that is great because they’re involved in our community or nearby and Lord knows my little town needs workers.
When we talk about unintended consequences of all these government laws, the Fair housing standards act according to this operator, defines men in group homes as complying with all requirements of single-family zoning. Once again Nanny government put stupid tentacles into my life.
I fought battles with The Fed’s Housing and Urban Development employees in my city neighborhood and never dreamed the idiotic Federal “Fairness in Housing” rules and regs would invade my rural space. I’ve said many times on this website those interactions with Housing and Urban development caused me to move from pulling the Democratic lever to the Republican lever in the voting booth.
Teacher Terry
8-13-23, 12:59pm
So is the government paying the group home because if they were self paid they would live elsewhere for that kind of money. Also people in group homes usually are poor and don’t own cars.
iris lilies
8-13-23, 6:34pm
So is the government paying the group home because if they were self paid they would live elsewhere for that kind of money. Also people in group homes usually are poor and don’t own cars.
No government handouts, this is private pay all the way.
This is not a typical ”group home.” It is a country club alcohol recovery program that claims 70% success compared to national average of 17%.
https://learntoliverecovery.com/
It has only been operating for 2 years at this location so who knows the ultimate success. The program is cool: they work with these guy s to actively show them how to live without also how to live without alcohol. Physical activity, socializing, community involvement. And yes, living in a town that has more wineries and distilleries than churches.
I don’t have objection to the program,I have objection to nine unrelated men living in one single family home on my block. That is too many.
iris lilies
8-16-23, 12:21pm
C—- I’m sorry to hear this and of course I have no advice about adult children. I just want to know, have they purchased your house? Did you close that deal?. Fortunately, I think real estate prices have not plummeted so whoever buys your house you’re probably still going to do well, but man if I were you, I would get that deal done.
If I remember correctly you’re not making any money on the house— the rent he pays versus the mortgage/taxes you pay and taxes, so if you’re still losing money on the house, assuming my assumption is correct, that is a HUGE problem.
I could be wrong though about your cash out on the house.
what time you want me to delete this message I will delete it
edited to add: you are a mom, so, of course, you can’t keep your nose out of it, but I’m sure you won’t overdo your advice. I would tell him you recognize his health issues and have some concern, but say it in a way that indicates you are staying entirely in your own lane, the lane of Mom who won’t get involved in the nitty-gritty of his life.
catherine
8-16-23, 12:42pm
Deleted content
iris lilies
8-16-23, 1:36pm
Simply, I hope you unload the house soon if a time comes when your son splits with wife and loses two incomes.
This is the scenario we were all concerned about—suddenly he cannot afford rent, you are unable to kick him out because kid.
Simply, I hope you unload the house soon if a time comes when your son splits with wife and loses two incomes.
This is the scenario we were all concerned about—suddenly he cannot afford rent, you are unable to kick him out because kid.
Thanks--but he can well afford the house on his own income (he is doing very well and is very marketable as an environmental lawyer in a state where there is a lot of stuff happening on that front) so I'm not worried about that scenario happening, but it's still definitely time to just get this thing done.
I was thinking about this principle, that things feel like they will stay the same forever, and then can abruptly end--thinking of it in terms of my mom's death, and working on her estate. Also in terms of health, where things go on and on (like my knee problems) and they feel like they will go on forever, and then things shift. Or my mom's medical examiner case. Lots of things that have felt like I am in limbo over the past couple of years, and how will energy shift when they are done?
I was thinking about this principle, that things feel like they will stay the same forever, and then can abruptly end--thinking of it in terms of my mom's death, and working on her estate. Also in terms of health, where things go on and on (like my knee problems) and they feel like they will go on forever, and then things shift. Or my mom's medical examiner case. Lots of things that have felt like I am in limbo over the past couple of years, and how will energy shift when they are done?
Limbo is a crappy place to be in. I remember when we were in the crapper big time. We stopped paying the mortgage because we had no money, and we figured we'd get kicked out in a matter of a couple of months, and it extended to well over a year before we were able to strike a deal with the bank and walk away. Limbo, dogmatically speaking isn't hell, but it sure felt like it. You couldn't plan. We certainly weren't going to put money into the place. We didn't know what school the kids would be in next fall, or if we should even start looking for a new place, or wait? We didn't know when the bank would lower the boom.
But once we graduated from limbo everything was great--wonderful even. We had a place we belonged to and had a new start and this new start legitimized our existence and put us at peace.
For some reason a corollary to limbo is the Buddhist concept of the bardo. My son gave me George Saunders' Lincoln at the Bardo--even though I follow a lot of Buddhists, I had never heard of Bardo as a concept. There's a lot to learn from in studying that transitional state.
Anyway, Tybee, I hope your limbo doesn't last long, and the energy will shift in a very positive way for you.
Thank you--it is encouraging to hear how much things turned around and you had a new start. I feel like I am ready for a new start--it is waiting for closure, like you say. I like this idea of graduating from limbo. I am so tired of not being able to plan. That's been the worst.
And like you say, it's an energy shift and a perception shift. Re the Bardo--I definitely felt my dad's energy shift post death, although it felt he was very close to us, he lingered in the living room for a long time. While I feel his presence, I know he has graduated from limbo--not sure how I know, it's a perception shift, I guess.
My rant for the day is that AI consumer help is not helpful. I have spent hours trying to cancel an app purchased at Google Play and they send me the same old instructions that have nothing to do with what I asked. Meanwhile, the app continues to ding me every month for a charge. Perhaps it is by design...
frugal-one
8-17-23, 7:04pm
My rant for the day is that AI consumer help is not helpful. I have spent hours trying to cancel an app purchased at Google Play and they send me the same old instructions that have nothing to do with what I asked. Meanwhile, the app continues to ding me every month for a charge. Perhaps it is by design...
Yep. Ordered something from Amazon. Made sure I ordered the right thing by checking many times before hitting the button. Then the wrong thing arrives, have to return at UPS store and then look for refund and says it is to be a gift card. Again, I checked the refund not to be a gift card. Customer service number at Amazon is nowhere to be found. Had to do a google check to find it. Hopefully, it will be refunded correctly or I will call the credit card I used to purchase. I hate shopping!
iris lilies
8-21-23, 11:48am
I’m sad and a little in shock to see a building in Hermann entirely painted over in a flat white paint. It had beautiful Art Deco multi colored brick work. The building design itself was a big square box, completely uninteresting, but it was the cladding that made it a head turner.
Oh my God, why would somebody do that? DH said they did it because it’s cheaper than Tuckpointing argh!!!
catherine
8-21-23, 11:57am
I’m sad and a little in shock to see a building in Hermann entirely painted over in a flat white paint. It had beautiful Art Deco multi colored brick work. The building design itself was a big square box, completely uninteresting, but it was the cladding that made it a head turner.
Oh my God, why would somebody do that? DH said they did it because it’s cheaper than Tuckpointing argh!!!
>:(
My mother--never known as shy--would have had my father stop the car so she could berate the owners for thei poor choice of paint jobs, as she did when some tasteless clown repainted my grandmother's stately classic home barn red, or some such color. My parents were the epitome of "opposites attract."
Still waiting on the medical examiner. Just got off phone with my son who was the only person who reacted like I did--he also found it weird and unsettling.
My doctor, who is an idiot. She tried to tell me I was not allergic to penicillin and kept saying, well how bad was the rash the last time you took it. I said, you mean 45 years ago? They told me to never take penicillin again.
This same idiot, after filling out my handicapped placard for my knees, which I am told need two total knee replacements, have bone spurs and torn meniscuses and are in constant crippling pain, had her nurse advise me the following day to take up walking to lower my cholesterol.
iris lilies
8-21-23, 6:36pm
My doctor, who is an idiot. She tried to tell me I was not allergic to penicillin and kept saying, well how bad was the rash the last time you took it. I said, you mean 45 years ago? They told me to never take penicillin again.
This same idiot, after filling out my handicapped placard for my knees, which I am told need two total knee replacements, have bone spurs and torn meniscuses and are in constant crippling pain, had her nurse advise me the following day to take up walking to lower my cholesterol.
yes that all seems pretty stupid. Sounds like a Doctor who got your blood work back, saw high a cholesterol number, didn’t remember who you were as a patient, and didn’t bother to check your patient record to see your knee problems.Sloppy.
Doctors have tried to talk me out of my peniciliin allergy, too. Another gift I got from my father. Thanks, Dad! :~)
I have to find a new doctor. I am so frustrated and dread seeing this woman.
I have to find a new doctor. I am so frustrated and dread seeing this woman.
I’m astonished!
I just found out that the lovely GP I’ve been going to for about 10-12 years is leaving the practice. I pretty much only see the doc once a year for annual.
iris lilies
8-21-23, 8:25pm
The first time I got penicillin, I went into anaphylactic shock when I was a child. My childhood doctor grilled me for the rest of my time with her every time I visited she would ask the question “what are you allergic to?” And I learned the word, penicillin and learned to say it.
The same small town doctor was our family physician, and I only vaguely remember her, but I do remember how kind she was to our cat. We moved from one house to another house about 10 blocks away. One of our cats was not too bright, and was an indoor/outdoor cat who was crippled with one leg that didn’t work. One day she drove him to our new house because he was regularly going back to our old house, and she saw him walking along the street, using the curb to aid his non-functioning leg.
I am also very allergic to penicillin. I was given it when I was 3, so about 1972. I swelled up like a puffer fish. I’ve never been given it since.
iris lilies
8-22-23, 3:48pm
The group home for 9 unrelated men in alcohol recovery is moving forward on my block with much neighbor unhappiness, but certainly much support as well.
Those of us expressing doubt and concern about it are of course accused of the usual “unkind/uncaring” feelings that these events always engender.
Me, having lived for 33 years in an urban environment where assaults on our neighborhood came every few years with this kind of crap, I am automatically hardened to it.
What I learned from decades of this stuff is that these organizations NEVER have the best interests of my neighborhood as their priority. I have heard so many bureaucrats and community leaders stand in front of neighbors and tell us how great the thing they are brining to us is, how much value it provides, what good neighbors they will be, etc.
over 30 years, my city neighborhood fought or at least worked to control the following:
1) open prison, where each day state prisoners would be turned out
2) homeless shelters (2-3 of them)
3) group home for …? Cannot remember the malady (prior to 1999 Federal ruling)
4) AIDS housing, separate units. We thought “nice gay men” but boy were we dumb, residents were needle addicts in active addiction
5) Catholic priests group home
These, in addition to fighting numerous developers who wished to put in undesirable housing too dense and poorly constructed, especially your federal government in its numerous plans to invade my neighborhood with cheap federal housing, not content to stay within their boundaries of the public housing complex a couple blocks away.
I am kinda primed to be on alert and assertive for developments I perceive to be a threat to my immediate area.
So it is interesting to me that our city Council is taking a completely hands off approach because they say there is no control they can exert on this home of nine people. It is a business that brings in $40,000 a month. You read that right, $40,000 a month. They won’t have to get a business license because it’s “not a business.” It’s a home. For this we can thank your federal government for declaring group homes to be allowed in R1 zoning.
in the end, these guys in recovery will probably be fine. It’s just that there’s going to be nine cars going in and out of this one residential property. And even if it’s an NOT OK, we have no recourse because the place is not licensed. There is no certification from any governing bodies at all. If it is a shit show, it will remain a shit show and there’s nothing we can do about it.
Asylums and sanitoriums were basically abolished because they were deemed to be cruel to the inhabitants who, effectively were warehoused. My own great-grandfather lived and died in Willard Asylum for the Chronic Insane--but many of the people weren't insane at all--they were maybe too poor, or too addicted, or too disconnected from family. In my great-grandfather's case, he was unable to make a living, presumably because he was alcoholic. His wife, my great-grandmother, went to live with my grandfather until she died.
So eliminating these human warehouses was probably a good thing, but now we have the opposite problem--people who can't house themselves for whatever reason and no one wants them in their neighborhood. I understand the concerns.
I wonder what the solution is?
iris lilies
8-22-23, 4:06pm
Asylums and sanitoriums were basically abolished because they were deemed to be cruel to the inhabitants who, effectively were warehoused. My own great-grandfather lived and died in Willard Asylum for the Chronic Insane--but many of the people weren't insane at all--they were maybe too poor, or too addicted, or too disconnected from family. In my great-grandfather's case, he was unable to make a living, presumably because he was alcoholic. His wife, my great-grandmother, went to live with my grandfather until she died.
So eliminating these human warehouses was probably a good thing, but now we have the opposite problem--people who can't house themselves for whatever reason and no one wants them in their neighborhood. I understand the concerns.
I wonder what the solution is?
It’s not that simple. The facility on my street has no government oversight at all. No licensing, no certifications, no annual inspections, nada.
Now I will say that having lived very near public housing for decades where we interacted with the (idiotic, maddening) bureaucrats who ran Housing and Urban Development at the Federal and locals levels, I can’t say that having government in control actually gets us what we want but at least there is a theoretical process in place to control the activities. A sham maybe but at least SOME level of control.
My great great grandfather died in the county poor house, but you know poor houses were out in the country. They had big gardens and farms where the people who live there worked.
One answer is small group homes, and they do exist. They are very small, with three or four people. They are very expensive.
There’s a fight going on in the city of St. Louis right now. A Catholic Church is closing its homeless shelter for 60 men. It has government money of more than $1 million to set up a new one elsewhere, but there’s no neighborhood that will accept this home and because it is not covered under the ADA as a family that can move into R1 zoning, they cannot force themselves on neighborhoods.
So the house near you will have 9 adult men in recovery... we had a sober house in our suburban neighborhood that housed a handful of women and it was not a problem at all. If they are "working the program" and are straight out of a rehab situation, I'll bet they won't give you much reason for concern. They might be standing outside on the sidewalk smoking a lot, but generally speaking, if they are staying sober, they are just living their lives and if they start drinking, someone--whoever is responsible for the sober house--will kick them out.
iris lilies
8-22-23, 8:11pm
So the house near you will have 9 adult men in recovery... we had a sober house in our suburban neighborhood that housed a handful of women and it was not a problem at all. If they are "working the program" and are straight out of a rehab situation, I'll bet they won't give you much reason for concern. They might be standing outside on the sidewalk smoking a lot, but generally speaking, if they are staying sober, they are just living their lives and if they start drinking, someone--whoever is responsible for the sober house--will kick them out.
yes, they will certainly get kicked out if they don’t stay sober. It will look like a parking lot there. It’s the nicest street in Hermann the County Commissioner said when he came to hear the spiel about this place. Maybe no more.
I doubt that they’ll stand outside on the sidewalk to smoke because I THINK the house has a outdoor deck in back. And yes, I definitely thought about a whole bunch of smokers hanging out there and I’m glad I don’t live right next-door. The lady next-door is already dreading that possibility.
A bunch of men standing around on the sidewalk smoking, would not be acceptable to me. At all, ever.
frugal-one
8-23-23, 6:31pm
Had guys come to give estimates for a screened in porch… saying supply problems still exist. Probably will not get stuff needed until October….
Looked on line at a store location that I was going to … took pictures of everything I wanted. Turns out it shows on line in stock but actually NOT. Got 0 of 3 things I wanted. What a waste of time. I HATE SHOPPING!
Three weeks post-carpal and cubital tunnel surgery release and it feels like healing is going backwards, not forwards. This surgery has been quite painful and debilitating for me, which I wasn't quite expecting. I thought I was a pro at wrist and hand surgeries, considering I've had five different procedures in the past five years. Nerve pain is much worse than bone pain.
So sorry to hear, SQ. Hope it gets better soon.
Teacher Terry
8-23-23, 11:45pm
SQ, that sounds awful. I really hope that you start to heal and the pain goes away.,
rosarugosa
8-24-23, 6:15am
I'm so sorry, SQ. I hope things turn around for you soon.
happystuff
8-24-23, 7:06am
So sorry you have such pain, SQ. I hope the healing start going in the positive direction.
SQ, hoping it gets better soon--that sounds awful.
Thank you for letting me vent. It's been a long, frustrating odyssey. My biggest fear is that even/if when I heal up, I won't be able to do the type of heavy metalsmithing that I had been doing, which means letting go of my business, or to be able to do any other job that requires arm strength and dexterity. I'm actually sort of considering taking early retirement when I turn 62 in October so I have some sort of reliable income, but having only worked retail-type jobs my entire life it won't be that much. Even if I wait until I'm 65 it's only about $200 more.
There is a lot to consider on how to reinvent myself (once again) in my sixties. I had no idea that my arms, wrists and hands would get so debilitated over the years. Luckily, K works in IT so he can always provide a comfortable income but I have the need to be able to contribute to our expenses.
Now I have to go get ready for my relatively boring job of gallery-sitting today. I really need an attitude adjustment to get out of my funk today.
Teacher Terry
8-24-23, 10:27am
SQ, can you draw SS off of your husband’s? It might be more than yours. My oldest son has no strength and constant pain from his elbows through his hands in both arms. It was due to overuse prior and then an accident at 29. Despite being smart and having an engineering degree the only job he can do is working as a Uber driver. I don’t know how much of a need there’s locally by you for that.
frugal-one
8-24-23, 11:52am
SiouzQ... So sorry to hear.. sending good vibes your way!
Sorry to learn of your ongoing pain, SQ. Sounds so frustrating.
My rant is on behalf of my niece. School is starting soon. She has two young daughters in elementary school. The family lives in her husband's childhood home having purchased it from his folks.
The school district has decided to have elementary students start school an hour earlier than they have for many years. They will be the first ones to arrive to the school day. That means they will be boarding their buses in the dark for a considerable time.
The problem is the buses will NOT pick up the girls at the bottom of their (1/4-mile long) driveway where they've caught it up until now (and where their dad caught it all his school days). Because there is no sidewalk. SO...they have to walk down the road for 1/4 to 1/2 mile, in the dark, on the shoulder to a corner where there is a sidewalk. Tell me how that makes good sense.
No wonder there are all those long lines of parents dropping up and picking up kids at the schools.
Teacher Terry
8-25-23, 11:33am
Kay, that’s absolutely awful. Is one of their parents able to drive them to the bus stop? I wouldn’t want to walk on a shoulder in the dark as an adult.
My son gave me George Saunders' Lincoln at the Bardo--even though I follow a lot of Buddhists, I had never heard of Bardo as a concept. There's a lot to learn from in studying that transitional state.
Off topic, but what an extraordinary book that is! The final chapter ranks among the most moving writing I can remember.
As for Limbo, it was a difficult place to imagine when I was a child. It didn't close until 2007, when
I was an adult. Prior to that, there was no exiting Limbo until the Final Judgement.
See the "Tibetan Book of the Dead" for rites and rituals in the bardo.
Kay, that’s absolutely awful. Is one of their parents able to drive them to the bus stop? I wouldn’t want to walk on a shoulder in the dark as an adult.
They will probably end up just lining up with dozens of other parents dropping off their kids every day at the school. It's not that far. But too far to walk...in the dark.
Off topic, but what an extraordinary book that is! The final chapter ranks among the most moving writing I can remember.
As for Limbo, it was a difficult place to imagine when I was a child. It didn't close until 2007, when
I was an adult. Prior to that, there was no exiting Limbo until the Final Judgement.
See the "Tibetan Book of the Dead" for rites and rituals in the bardo.
I agree that the book was very compelling.
Also, I realized I misquoted the name of the book: it's Lincoln IN the Bardo, not Lincoln AT the Bardo! lol, Lincoln at the Bardo makes it sound like it's about Lincoln hanging out at his favorite DC watering hole.
frugal-one
8-28-23, 6:36pm
Watching the news… electric cars could hinder the electric grid…..
Watching the news… electric cars could hinder the electric grid…..
Yes, it's true.. I definitely am a believer in the environmental agenda, obviously, but my POV shifted as I've mentioned previously by reading Bright Green Lies by Jensen/Keith/Wilbur. There really are no sustainable options for containing in perpetuity our high-consumption lifestyle. That's a fact. So whether it's fossil fuels, or a gazillion electric cars, there WILL be some negative impact on our current infrastructure and on the ecology of our local or global region at large.
I’m seriously beginning to look at a hybrid for my next vehicle, probably 2 years away. An electric car is a no-go as I have no way to charge at home. Ford is totally doing away with the Escape, so I will not be buying a Ford. Likely a Toyota. Ugh. Wit the snow we can get here, a Prius isn’t practical. My old Focus would get stopped cold by more than 7” of snow. And with my knees/sciatica, I need a higher vehicle anyway. So likely a RAV4. That would still give me good room for diving gear.
As I've said here before, Tradd, I love love love my hybrid. It's a Prius, and you are right about that car in cold climates and snow.
That said, we spoke with our mechanic a while back and he said that the car make that he sees the fewest repairs on is the Toyota, so I think your consideration of a Toyota RAV4 hybrid is a good choice. I am not giving up my Prius, because I don't have to drive much, and in the winter, I can drive DH's truck if the roads aren't good enough for the Prius to handle.
Tradd, great choice! We would have gone with a Toyota but could not find one used--people don't like to let go of them, I guess. Was going to go to Carmax as they will send the cars to your Carmax for a fee depending on where the car is. Then we drove by the Subaru Forester, our other choice, and bought that on the spot.
It was hard to find a used car--very competitive market.
Tybee, a Crosstrek or perhaps an Outback is my other choice. Plenty of diving friends drive “Scubarus.” :D
Like catherine's, our mechanic told us years ago that Toyota and Honda cars were the ones to get. We've been lucky and have been able to find used.
iris lilies
9-6-23, 11:32am
Argh!! Small town newspapers! Tradd with her journalism training would not believe what I am reading in my local weekly newspaper.
I have mentioned a contentious issue on my block, a group home for a recovering alcoholic men. The federal government has mandated that it must be here. I am on the losing side. I accept it. Doesn’t mean I have to like it, but as a veteran of many of these neighborhood issues in the city of St. Louis, I am accustomed to losing because the rational citizens who pay taxes are not the ones that prevail in the Fed’s Crazy Town World.
Anyway – I’m seeing the most astonishing coverage of this issue in our local newspaper. Last week one of their information sources was a Facebook thread that has since been deleted. This newspaper actually made screen prints of the Facebook comments and published them. OY VEY. I’ve never seen anything like that. I wrote to the newspaper as well as the proprietor of the group home to tell them I thought the group home was poorly represented in this article, and I urged the proprietor to write his own article and submit it.
Small town newspapers be that way – write your own article and as long as it’s grammatical, and not too inflammatory, they will print it verbatim.
So, I had to write to the freaking newspaper to actually defend my opposition. How messed up is that? I did it because I don’t see how we can have a reasonable community dialogue about this group home without having simple facts, known by everyone.
Today’s newspaper edition brought another strange article—this time it was 3/4 reasonable in presenting the viewpoints and facts from our town’s City Attorney and Mayor, but also, the last 1/4 was pretty much conjecture and name calling of one of my neighbors. This is a single article mixing factual reporting and opinion.
WTH.
I guess this is small town stuff at its finest. Laughing ruefully here. I guess it is entertaining?
I’m in choir at church. All acapella, no instruments, services are entirely sung or chanted (Eastern Orthodox). It’s not hymn 123 time. We have binders with maybe 8-9 music settings per part of the service. Binders have alphabetical tabs on sections and each music selection is numbered in each section. Director produced a guide sheet each Sunday/major feast day. I sit in the back row due my knees as standing for 1:45 is not possible. I’ve been a choir member for 20 years so I know the music well, actually could put a service together myself, and have no problems with the book. A couple of older women are at the music stand next to me. They cannot figure out how to make their way through the music binder even with the guide sheet. Someone else sets up their book with the few loose sheets of music in the proper place. Doesn’t help. They’ve been in choir for years and still don’t seem to get it. The director sees them constantly bothering me for “where are we in the book?” When I’m gone diving they muddle through somehow. Well, director and I have hit on a solution. She scans all the music into one pdf and she has that on her personal iPad. No big binder to flip through (she’s a college music teacher by profession). She and I hit on the solution of her sending me the pdf she directs from so I can have it on my own iPad. The reaction from the women at the stand next to me should be interesting. I literally cannot sing a service without being asked where we are every new music setting. We think they’re not making any effort as I was willing to help, but the questions have gotten too intrusive. I can barely concentrate on singing. I’ll report back how this works out.
catherine
9-10-23, 10:16am
Sounds very annoying, Tradd! I think you're right--they don't want to work at simply following a guide. They'd rather ask you and interrupt your concentration. I hope your new solution works out!
side note: I used to sing in the choir years ago, and I really loved it. I'm sure your congregation loves your choir's music--it's a wonderful contribution.
flowerseverywhere
9-10-23, 12:23pm
A neighbor who just moved here to Florida is a retired reading teacher of 39 years. She went to the local school to find out if they needed volunteers. One of their requirements was she bring no books into the school as they need to only use “approved” books, but no one could tell her what the process was to get books reviewed or approved.
she met with the first grade teacher who told her she has no personal books in the classroom because it’s too risky to be accused of being a groomer, racist or “woke”.
I can’t imagine an elementary classroom not full of books.
how did it come to be so much about the politicians, religious groups and education hierarchy instead of experienced and caring teachers.
iris lilies
9-10-23, 1:10pm
A neighbor who just moved here to Florida is a retired reading teacher of 39 years. She went to the local school to find out if they needed volunteers. One of their requirements was she bring no books into the school as they need to only use “approved” books, but no one could tell her what the process was to get books reviewed or approved.
she met with the first grade teacher who told her she has no personal books in the classroom because it’s too risky to be accused of being a groomer, racist or “woke”.
I can’t imagine an elementary classroom not full of books.
how did it come to be so much about the politicians, religious groups and education hierarchy instead of experienced and caring teachers.
I agree, this is awful. But it is an extreme reaction to an imagined extreme reaction.
Things will calm down after a while. My state has always* had a provision in law about providing pornography to minors; the recent tweak specifies visual materials as being problematic. It wouldnt be hard to provide books in this environment. Want to be extra cautious? Avoid the genre of graphic novels.
And none of the books in yours and my elementary school classroom in days of your, and probably in the classrooms of your children, would be problematic.
* always…meaning for decades.
Sounds very annoying, Tradd! I think you're right--they don't want to work at simply following a guide. They'd rather ask you and interrupt your concentration. I hope your new solution works out!
side note: I used to sing in the choir years ago, and I really loved it. I'm sure your congregation loves your choir's music--it's a wonderful contribution.
The iPad solution worked VERY well, plus it was really nice not having to flip through the big binder! The director’s teenaged daughter is now inspired to bring her own iPad to church on future Sundays.
The women who are at the stand next to me tried looking at my stand at the very beginning of the service to see where we were. You should have seen their surprise. It was actually kinda funny. When they asked me why I did it, after the service, just told them I’d seen the director with her iPad and since I’m pretty paperless myself, thought I would try it. Didn’t tell them the real reason, lol
iris lilies
9-11-23, 6:50pm
Re: the group home for transient recovering alcoholics on my block:
I have accepted the fact that Nanny Government, in her infinite wisdom, has declared nine unrelated transient men are to be treated as a “family “under city zoning laws. Nanny has spoken, and there ain’t much I can do about it apparently. This is a provision of the Fair Housing Act where anyone with a “disability “is automatically treated as family under the law.
My city is not interested in fighting this in court. One of my neighbors says that these men are an NOT actually to be considered disabled because they have spent one year in the alcohol recovery program and have graduated from that. Apparently a court case in Missouri found in favor of neighbors who are fighting this exact thing.
So that will be interesting to see what comes of this approach. I suppose we will have to cough up money to engage an attorney.
One of the things that pisses me off is that these men are transient. They are here for four weeks. Or eight weeks. Or? There is no set time.
If this was a group home for men with intellectual disabilities, for instance, they would be living here full-time, this would be their permanent home. A Stable population. They would be invested in our block and in our neighborhood.
Yeah, alkies are gonna alkie. I don’t have good personal experience with former drunks. And being an alkie (or a former kne) is not a f’ing disability. Give me a f’ing break.
IL, hope they don’t cause crime or other trouble.
iris lilies
9-11-23, 7:22pm
Yeah, alkies are gonna alkie. I don’t have good personal experience with former drunks. And being an alkie (or a former kne) is not a f’ing disability. Give me a f’ing break.
IL, hope they don’t cause crime or other trouble.
I don’t think they’re going to cause crime because the riffraff has been weeded out by these guys paying $5000-$6000 per month. Yes, you read that right, per month. The trouble will be nine cars coming and going daily because each one of these guys has a car, on a quiet block, crammed into one driveway, and then their visitors. From week to week, we never know who’s going to be there.
Yet we are not allowed by nanny government to consider this a “business” or a commercial enterprise.
more than a dozen years ago we celebrated the end of the last boarding house in my city neighborhood. How ironic that I now have the equivalent of a boarding house just up the block.
There is money to be made in the substance-abuse industry.
Teacher Terry
9-12-23, 10:45am
Yeah, alkies are gonna alkie. I don’t have good personal experience with former drunks. And being an alkie (or a former kne) is not a f’ing disability. Give me a f’ing break.
IL, hope they don’t cause crime or other trouble.
You can believe whatever myth you want but alcoholism is a disease under ADA. Many abuse alcohol because they have untreated mental health disorders and don’t realize it. So they self medicate trying to feel better. It’s generally accepted that there’s a genetic component also which is why it tends to run in certain families and while some people can have a drink or two and others can’t stop after one.
Luckily people can and do stop everyday but it’s a lifelong struggle for many. Alcoholism is not a moral failing and you aren’t superior if you don’t have it.
catherine
9-12-23, 10:52am
You can believe whatever myth you want but alcoholism is a disease under ADA. Many abuse alcohol because they have untreated mental health disorders and don’t realize it. So they self medicate trying to feel better. It’s generally accepted that there’s a genetic component also which is why it tends to run in certain families and while some people can have a drink or two and others can’t stop after one.
Luckily people can and do stop everyday but it’s a lifelong struggle for many. Alcoholism is not a moral failing and you aren’t superior if you don’t have it.
Well said, Terry... while alcoholics can and do wreak havoc on families and on their own lives, many are redeemed through sobriety. It's not easy, but a lot of people do it, and those that are in early recovery can benefit from programs like limited-stay sober houses. I do hope your fears of disruption in the neighborhood aren't realized, IL.
iris lilies
9-12-23, 11:11am
This sober house commercial enterprise can pull in the big bucks because he claims a success rate of 70%. That is after being in business for two years.
Two years is a short time in the world of addiction. Smells like a bit of a scam for desperate people.
As for alcoholism being disability, sure it’s a disease. But apparently a court in Missouri ruled that after a year of treatment, you are disease-free. I said “apparently” because that’s what my neighbor told me and I have not checked that out myself.
Where would we Dumbo citizens be without Nanny Government to rule who has a disease and is disabled and who isn’t?
To rule who is a woman and who isn’t? We Dumbos are no longer qualified to make those determinations because rational thought has left the building.
Teacher Terry
9-12-23, 12:47pm
Federal law on disability will supersede state law. Thankfully substance abuse is no longer a disability which allows you to collect SSDI unless you have an accompanying medical condition like liver disease because some people used it not to work. People with disabilities do need protection under the law. Determining who’s a man or woman not so much:)).
I’ll agree alkieism is a disease, but not a disability. F’ck, just about any damn thing could be considered a disability these days.
iris lilies
9-12-23, 1:12pm
…just about any damn thing could be considered a disability these days.
Bingo.
Teacher Terry
9-13-23, 12:38am
Bingo.
Wrong!! People with disabilities have been under and unemployed for decades. Why do you think we had to create the 1973 legislation to protect people with disabilities and help them obtain employment. It’s a huge group of people that want to work but might need a few often cheap accommodations to be able to do so. Discrimination from employers is horrible and I have seen people so grateful to be employed that they have stayed at job’s forever.
iris lilies
9-13-23, 8:31am
Wrong!! People with disabilities have been under and unemployed for decades. Why do you think we had to create the 1973 legislation to protect people with disabilities and help them obtain employment. It’s a huge group of people that want to work but might need a few often cheap accommodations to be able to do so. Discrimination from employers is horrible and I have seen people so grateful to be employed that they have stayed at job’s forever.
Interpretation of “disability” seems overly broad to me and really all you need is a doctors note to qualify. But certainly minor accommodations make a big difference in the workplace. For decades, I had employees with CP so yeah, I know about accommodation.
I’m in northern MI diving this weekend with a MI dive club. First day of diving was a huge bust. 3ft chop made me so nauseous even though I’d taken something that I didn’t do either dive. Then it started pouring on our way back to the marina so we got absolutely soaked unloading the boat.
Then there’s one gal who just needs to shut up about her Tesla and being gay. There is lots of diving stuff to talk about but those are the only two topics she will talk about.
Not the worst thing in the world but it did disappoint me. The weather is finally cooling down in the evenings and I was looking forward to having a fire in the fireplace Friday and Saturday nights. I forgot about it both nights. I know I will have plenty more opportunities but it's annoying that I forgot until it was too late in the evening to do it.
I am soooo glad to be home from a weekend diving in northern MI. I like road trips. But I’m just tired and wanted to b home. I just sort of want to hole up at home through the winter so I’m glad I cancelled my MX trip a few weeks ago. I’ll have a weekend here or there up to WI for cave diving in the mine over the wI red, but that’s it.
iris lilies
9-23-23, 1:26pm
Reason #455 why I hate my phone:
When I text people, apparently what my Apple phone does is display the message in blue if I’m sending to another Apple user. The system also tells me my message is “delivered. “Again, apparently only to Apple users.
When I text to non-Apple users, the text color is in green. There is no message to tell me it is “delivered. “
This is a problem because some months ago I wasn’t getting any texts pushed out of my phone to non-Apple users. Then my friend fiddled with my phone and did something with SMS, and now I think it works to non-Apple users, but how would I know because there’s no “delivered” message to me? Ugh.
I hate my phone.
iris lilies
9-23-23, 1:30pm
Reason 456 why I hate my phone:
DH tried to install my phone in our car so that everything displays on the car’s screen. He did not get it installed. Somehow in that quagmire my MapQuest stopped dictating directions to me in audio.
I depend on those audio instructions.
I’ve now had two trips where I expect the audio to work on my phone, because DH keeps telling me “it’s working it’s working.” Well that’s when we are in the house. I finally figured out a yesterday that my phone did not work, the audio part of MapQuest, when I’m in the car. It came in a bad time when I’m driving quickly on the highway, I’m holding the phone to try to read the instructions, I had to keep adjusting my glasses to read, and the screen keeps going dark. It was a nightmare.
Later that day I disconnected the phone entirely from my car, and now MapQuest is working normally, as I expect it to, giving audio directions.
Reason 456 why I hate my phone:
DH tried to install my phone in our car so that everything displays on the car’s screen. He did not get it installed. Somehow in that quagmire my MapQuest stopped dictating directions to me in audio.
I depend on those audio instructions.
I’ve now had two trips where I expect the audio to work on my phone, because DH keeps telling me “it’s working it’s working.” Well that’s when we are in the house. I finally figured out a yesterday that my phone did not work, the audio part of MapQuest, when I’m in the car. It came in a bad time when I’m driving quickly on the highway, I’m holding the phone to try to read the instructions, I had to keep adjusting my glasses to read, and the screen keeps going dark. It was a nightmare.
Later that day I disconnected the phone entirely from my car, and now MapQuest is working normally, as I expect it to, giving audio directions.
IL, first of all, if you’re using Apple Car Play, the map will be on the big display on your dash,. Why were you trying to see the directions on your phone instead of on the screen? Makes no sense. I DESPISE audio directions. I never use them. If I’m in someone else’s car, I always talk back some to the voice! LOL
Reason #455 why I hate my phone:
When I text people, apparently what my Apple phone does is display the message in blue if I’m sending to another Apple user. The system also tells me my message is “delivered. “Again, apparently only to Apple users.
When I text to non-Apple users, the text color is in green. There is no message to tell me it is “delivered. “
This is a problem because some months ago I wasn’t getting any texts pushed out of my phone to non-Apple users. Then my friend fiddled with my phone and did something with SMS, and now I think it works to non-Apple users, but how would I know because there’s no “delivered” message to me? Ugh.
I hate my phone.
There is NO delivered message indicator on texts to non-iPhone users.
iris lilies
9-23-23, 3:42pm
There is NO delivered message indicator on texts to non-iPhone users.
See “delivered” message under my Hahaok
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iris lilies
9-23-23, 3:45pm
IL, first of all, if you’re using Apple Car Play, the map will be on the big display on your dash,. Why were you trying to see the directions on your phone instead of on the screen? Makes no sense. I DESPISE audio directions. I never use them. If I’m in someone else’s car, I always talk back some to the voice! LOL
well, sure. I want the route to be displayed on my dash screen but it did not work. Nothing on Mapquest worked on the dash screen. DH could not get my phone to work with the dash screen.
He WAS successful in getting his phone, the exact model as mine, to work on our car dash screen.
but in this installation mess, somehow my phone got partially installed so that it would not work normally with the audio directions I need, and yet it didn’t work at all on the dash screen. It was completely ****ed up.
I rely on audio. If you don’t, that is your preference. I rely on audio because my phone is a model SE and it’s a very small screen. I don’t want to look at his tiny screen, keep pushing the screen to keep it from going dark, adjust my glasses to look at it, and drive at the same time.
Then try Apple Maps or Google Maps. Might as well use that big dash screen.
iris lilies
9-23-23, 4:01pm
Then try Apple Maps or Google Maps. Might as well use that big dash screen.
My car dash screen system works fine with DH’s phone and Mapquest. I want the thing that is supposed to work to actually work.
I don’t want to change mapping systems mainly because I would have to move and forth between two different systems as I use one car that does not connect to my phone.
The complexity of setting up the phone and then trying to use the various Bluetooth things is the reason I kept my little Garmon for road trips. I am comfortable with it even with its limitations. I just cannot be distracted while driving with new or complex things.
The complexity of setting up the phone and then trying to use the various Bluetooth things is the reason I kept my little Garmon for road trips. I am comfortable with it even with its limitations. I just cannot be distracted while driving with new or complex things.
It’s not complicated. I had a rental Chevy SUV last December for my FL trip. I had my iPhone connected for Apple Car Play and my phone displayed on the screen in a few minutes.
Based on that experience, an 80 year old woman at church handed me her iPhone, took me to her car, and asked me to set it up. Again, a few minutes.
My 2018 Escape has a little black and white screen for radio, phone calls, and music. It doesn’t have the big colorful screen for Car Play, which is a must have for my next car.
iris lilies
9-23-23, 10:01pm
There is NO delivered message indicator on texts to non-iPhone users.
Sorry, I re-read what you wrote.
ok so there is not supposed to be “delivered” message to non-Apple users? Why?
Sorry, I re-read what you wrote.
ok so there is not supposed to be “delivered” message to non-Apple users? Why?
Because they’re not using iMessage. Simple as that.
ok so there is not supposed to be “delivered” message to non-Apple users? Why?
Because Apple doesn't play well with Android and doesn't much care about the universal standard for messaging. At one time virtually all messaging used SMS (short messaging service), a text only messaging protocol. Then along came MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) which added the ability to add pictures, videos, etc. SMS/MMS has now been replaced with RCS (Rich Communication Services) which combines SMS/MMS with additional features such as showing you when someone is typing and read receipts. It has now become the universal messaging standard.
Apple's proprietary iMessage service does the same things, but doesn't fully integrate with the universal standard. All messages sent using iMessage are converted to SMS when interacting with a non Apple appliance, therefore losing all the richer features both Apple and Android support. Google has been working with Apple for several years trying to get them to make iMessage more universally compliant but they haven't yet shown any interest in doing so.
And part of the issue in communication between us is just that. I use an Android phone and a PC. No Apple products. Plus, I would prefer to keep my technology life as simple as possible (maybe due to age).
Because Apple doesn't play well with Android and doesn't much care about the universal standard for messaging. At one time virtually all messaging used SMS (short messaging service), a text only messaging protocol. Then along came MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) which added the ability to add pictures, videos, etc. SMS/MMS has now been replaced with RCS (Rich Communication Services) which combines SMS/MMS with additional features such as showing you when someone is typing and read receipts. It has now become the universal messaging standard.
Apple's proprietary iMessage service does the same things, but doesn't fully integrate with the universal standard. All messages sent using iMessage are converted to SMS when interacting with a non Apple appliance, therefore losing all the richer features both Apple and Android support. Google has been working with Apple for several years trying to get them to make iMessage more universally compliant but they haven't yet shown any interest in doing so.
Very interesting, Alan. Thanks for that explanation. I have also noticed that some texts go out SMS and others don't, but I thought it was because of some signal in my area that might be unavailable.
Google has been working with Apple for several years trying to get them to make iMessage more universally compliant but they haven't yet shown any interest in doing so.
So "Apple" of them. They've been that way forever, and it almost cost them the business when Microsoft gained headway in the 90s.
iris lilies
9-24-23, 8:50am
And part of the issue in communication between us is just that. I use an Android phone and a PC. No Apple products. Plus, I would prefer to keep my technology life as simple as possible (maybe due to age).
Keeping technology life simple is an excellent goal, agreed. I am attracted to MapQuest displaying on my car’s dash screen because I’ve seen it work with DH’s phone. It really is a nice feature! But it is not meant to be for me, at the moment, anyway, until we have time to solve the problem.
and thank you for the explanations, Alan. I figured it was some sort of Apple World versus android world, but it’s all very irritating that they don’t work seamlessly together for me, because it is all about ME.
I'm not very tech savvy. It took this thread to get me looking at information about Apple Maps, which I prefer to Google Maps. (In general, I avoid Google whenever I can.)
Like IL, I prefer audio instructions, and Apple Maps has an infinitely patient guide who even tells me things like "Not here, but at the next light..." On a recent road trip, I was using Apple M and my DH was using Google. In almost every instance, during a protracted detour through an unknown suburb of a major city, Apple M gave us better directions, e.g., moment-to-moment changes in routing through neighborhoods. The interstate had actually shut down after two bad accidents, and we had to negotiate our way for nearly two hours before we could get to the next entrance beyond the standstill.
So tonight I learned that until the release of IOS17 at the end of this year, I cannot use offline navigation with Apple while he can using Google. I'm consuming data at a far greater speed than he is.
All told, we drove about 48 hours. I was getting notices about data shortage; he wasn't. I kept shutting down my phone on long, interstate stretches.
This thread caused me to research this. Here's an article I found:
https://www.tomsguide.com/opinion/apple-maps-is-getting-a-new-feature-in-ios-17-8-years-after-google-maps
Looks like it's time to change my waze - at least until the end of the year.
I find Apple maps better, too. We do the same thing--one is running Apple and one Google, and Apple is better. Did not know about the data usage!
Yes Apple Maps does use somewhat more. What I don’t like about Google Maps is that once you’ve decided on a route, it will keep switching it in you. That was a big problem on my trip to FL last Christmas. I ended up using Apple Maps as once you’d decided on a route it didn’t try to switch it on you unless there was an accident or something.
IOS17 has already been released and I’m using it now. Offline maps are available NOW.
happystuff
10-1-23, 9:42am
I finally started using the GPS feature on my phone for the current trip I am on. I am android and used Google Maps. It actually kept me on the same route and matched the hard-copy one I was given. But, again, it was literally my first use. :)
iris lilies
10-1-23, 10:30am
I finally started using the GPS feature on my phone for the current trip I am on. I am android and used Google Maps. It actually kept me on the same route and matched the hard-copy one I was given. But, again, it was literally my first use. :)
good luck, and I hope you come to like it. GPS is a wonderful thing.
When I’m going out of town/out of state, I always have back up directions in the form of screenshots from a digital map. It takes several screens to cover my route. So I use the GPS but if I ever lost cellular service, I have a back up map.
A couple years ago I thought it would be fun to take the Great River Road from Alton Illinois up to Galena. Well I got lost. Oh, and there was no cell service in that part of Illinois. Fortunately I was not so far away that there were things I could recognize, so I just turned around and went back home. Who would’ve thought that following the Great River Road wasn’t simple, that it really comes in several sections and it’s not one road? But if anyone has the opportunity get lost, it will be me.
I’ve had several seniors argue with me lately that I shouldn’t be parking in a handicapped spot. I have a temp placard after my recent osteoarthritis in my knees diagnoses. I have a significant limp. Plenty of other handicapped spaces available. I was told I was too young and could walk just fine. Age has nothing to do with it. I asked them when did they become my doctor and I told them very bluntly to eff off and mind their own business. They didn’t like that at all and starting arguing with me. A very strong “eff you, old woman” shut them up.
There are some days where I don't think I can stand gallery-sitting one more minute and today is one of them. It's so slow and I hate this godd*m chair I have to sit in. I need to figure out some work options going forward, but everything kind of depends on how the healing from the Cubital and Carpal Tunnel surgery goes. It's been two months and the nerve in my arm is still very tender and I cannot do all my normal stuff yet.
Just needed to vent!
You’re allowed to vent! Hope you’re feeling better soon!
rosarugosa
10-3-23, 6:17am
There are some days where I don't think I can stand gallery-sitting one more minute and today is one of them. It's so slow and I hate this godd*m chair I have to sit in. I need to figure out some work options going forward, but everything kind of depends on how the healing from the Cubital and Carpal Tunnel surgery goes. It's been two months and the nerve in my arm is still very tender and I cannot do all my normal stuff yet.
Just needed to vent!
Being bored and in pain and sitting in an uncomfortable chair sounds a bit like torture. I certainly don't blame you for venting!
People who do not want to share information needed to settle my mom's estate.
Car problems. 2018 Escape bought new in early 2019. 113K miles. Battery was replaced in the spring. Dead yesterday morning. Got a jump from AAA. Dead again this morning. Got ride from a coworker. Asked around for mechanic recommendations near where I live. I’d been using a shop by the office but that’s 45 min from home. Found one but they can’t take me until next Wednesday. Everyone is jammed so I’m waiting. Will get a tow next Tuesday. Coworker said she’d give me rides as many days as needed. I offered gas money and she refused. Wei live 5 min apart. I can get rides to church. I’ll rent a car after mine is in the shop. This will save some $$. I won’t be going diving this weekend, but that’s OK.
Three hail storms this summer necessitate a new roof. Bids are around $16K but haven't called insurance yet since there are no shingles to be found thus the work can't be done until spring anyway. Grrr...
Supply chain issues with the shingles?
Yes, supply issues. So many storms nationwide that they can't keep up with the demand.
IOS17 has already been released and I’m using it now. Offline maps are available NOW.
Thanks!
There are some days where I don't think I can stand gallery-sitting one more minute and today is one of them. It's so slow and I hate this godd*m chair I have to sit in. I need to figure out some work options going forward, but everything kind of depends on how the healing from the Cubital and Carpal Tunnel surgery goes. It's been two months and the nerve in my arm is still very tender and I cannot do all my normal stuff yet.
Just needed to vent!
Is that the same chair you wrote about a year or so ago? It's hard to understand why your employers are so inconsiderate.
As I recall, you were suffering a great deal.
Hope you can escape the chair. Or the job! Good luck.
iris lilies
10-7-23, 11:06am
At this point, I guess this is laughable: I have sent the same document to a National Garden Club official five times. Yes, count them one… Two… Three… Four… Five…
The first time she would not accept the document in digital format because the electronic signature function would not work in my Apple environment. That’s not my fault and it’s not operator error, because it worked fine in my Hewlett-Packard environment.
The second time I sent it with my signature via snail mail to the address we are always admonished to use, the “current one on the website. “ She said she didn’t get it.
I put it in the mail a third time. Only then did she deign to tell me she was not in Arizona, the address on the website. She was in Massachusetts. Thanks lady. Her mail is not getting forwarded from Arizona and both efforts number two and number three came back to me eventually through the mail.
Effort number four – – – I cannot get my scanner to work. So I took a photograph of that document with my written signature and emailed it to her. For a reason unknown to me, she didn’t see it or she didn’t get it or she doesn’t recognize it the email…
Yesterday I put effort number five into the US Mail to her Massachusetts address. I wonder what reason she’ll come up with next as to why that one didn’t work.
This reminds me too much of the days when I actually had to work for pay. These ridiculous efforts were a stupid waste of time, but at least I was earning money for it.
and I won’t even go into the Byzantine communications between me, her, her superior in the chain of command, as well as the top dog, as to which forms I am to send in and when. Each one of them gives very clear instructions. The only problem is these instructions differ from one another.
thank you for letting me vent about this very small but irritating thing. DH is tired of hearing about it!
Ugh. I feel your pain! I get docs from overseas all the time. Many companies don’t seem to have scanners or don’t email the original document. They print it out and then take a photo of it. JPEG files are not as nice to print out as pdf ones. I’d love to tell these folks overseas you can take a photo as a pdf but I don’t. The Apple Notes app scans as pdf files nicely.
iris lilies
10-12-23, 2:55pm
Ugh. I feel your pain! I get docs from overseas all the time. Many companies don’t seem to have scanners or don’t email the original document. They print it out and then take a photo of it. JPEG files are not as nice to print out as pdf ones. I’d love to tell these folks overseas you can take a photo as a pdf but I don’t. The Apple Notes app scans as pdf files nicely.
Tradd, thank you. It never occurred to me that a “scan function “yields a different and better result than taking a photograph of the document. I don’t understand the technology and how these two results are different, but it doesn’t appear that my iPad produces a scanned document that better quality than a photo, so that is useful.
I haven’t figured out how to get a scanned file that sitting in the Notes ap to Files.
Tradd, thank you. It never occurred to me that a “scan function “yields a different and better result than taking a photograph of the document. I don’t understand the technology and how these two results are different, but it doesn’t appear that my iPad produces a scanned document that better quality than a photo, so that is useful.
I haven’t figured out how to get a scanned file that sitting in the Notes ap to Files.
Google for instructions. I’ve seen it but don’t remember. Just Google scanning with Apple notes.
IL, here you go! How to save to files!
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255072022
IL, here you go! How to save to files!
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255072022
Screen shots for you
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So to put simply:
You scan something and hit the save button. Then you hit the box that you use to share. Then down at the bottom will be the save to files option.
I forgot why I didn’t answer why I like pdf files better. A lot of it is that at work, CBP and FDA’s systems do NOT accept jpeg (photo) file format. I have copy the photo and dump it into a Word document, and then save that as a pdf! Ugh.
iris lilies
10-14-23, 8:21am
IL, here you go! How to save to files!
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255072022
Screen shots for you
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thanks for this. I haven’t tried it yet, but will try it soon.
A younger woman in our little town died this morning, maybe alcohol, maybe fentanyl, who knows (she died in her sleep). She was supposed to go to rehab later today. I heard a bunch of sirens screaming by but I was with customers. She leaves behind two sons, one only 13 and a devastated family and community. It hits too close to home for me, and is very triggering. Timing-wise it's a little weird, but I am finally going back for some therapy starting tomorrow regarding the PTSD/grief issues from my own daughter's overdose death five years ago.
Drinking, drugs and vehicle accidents are a HUGE problem in this town I'm in, and there seem to be other early deaths, most from preventable causes. I know it's not just here, but when when you are in a small town it is so much more magnified.
I am sorry, Siouz, and really glad that you are going back for therapy--you are wise to do that.
happystuff
10-17-23, 11:54am
So sorry, Siouz. Good luck with your own therapy.
Need to start looking for a new vet. Had it with current one. Last minute appointment rescheduling, holding my cats hostage for up to 8 hours until they "get around" to doing a x-ray or exam, prices have become astronomical, lack of customer service/compassion, etc. And to make matters worse, my cat caught some illness while being held hostage for the day and then vet charged me $600 to cure it because they "forgot" to keep sick animals away from healthy ones. It sucks that this vet is convenient to my house but it's not worth it anymore.
souiz I'm glad you are going back to therapy. It's a decision that I hope helps with your pain from all that's happened!
I want to slap one of the salesidiots, who is now sales scum. Guy is 30 yo and has only ever done sales for intl transportation. Not anything on the customs side. Tries to tell me how to do my job, in details. It didn’t go over well when I told him I’ve been in the industry as long as he’s been alive. Hopefully he doesn’t do that again.
catherine
10-28-23, 9:33am
I love my heat pump but the biggest disadvantage is that I am sure that its installation is what has caused the occasional infestation of rodents in the house. For 5 years we never had one indication of any mice and since the heat pump, we've had 3 including the one we are fighting now.
We called the first rodent Randy (and it's not a field mouse, it's a Norway rat, which isn't big and brawny like a Brooklyn rat, but it's a rat nonetheless). We were able to get him with a snap trip. Then we saw Sandy.. Randy and Sandy would come at night, stealing a banana from my table and dragging it to the entrance to the cabinet under the sink. We couldn't believe it. Well, we finally got them both with an old fashioned snap trap, after unsuccessful attempts by the local exterminator.
Then recently came Randy II, who likes lollipops, which we know because we would find crumpled Tootsie Pop wrappers by the sink, along with a chewed stick, left over from DH's nighttime lollipop habit.
This is all despite multiple traps of different varieties set in our small house so that we had to watch where we walked before bedtime. In addition to the exterminator first time around who did nothing, we have set all kinds of bait in all kinds of traps, including an electronic trap that I splurged on, all which did bugger-all.
Yesterday we saw that Randy II took the bait and met his demise under the sink. We hoped that would have been the end of the story, but this morning, DH looked under the sink to see if the new trap had sprung, and who did he see but Mandy II, alive and well, and just sitting there looking at him as if she had just knocked on the door and was waiting to gain entrance. DH jumped back with an "AAHHHH! Brazen little bugger!!" All of these experiences have given me an appreciation for the intelligence of rats, because this whole thing has become nothing but a battle of wits between man and beast.
So now, I picture Mandy II wondering where Randy II is, "He should have been home by now with the groceries," she was probably saying to herself. "What am I going to feed the children now??"
I don't know what to do. We now have plans to make sure any and all holes and cracks are sealed. Call our heat pump guy to find out if they put mesh seals inside the duct work, and if they don't see if we can. But now, compounding this thoroughly frustrating problem is the fact that I now have this image of Mother Mandy worrying about her babies, which makes me feel sorry for the little buggers.
iris lilies
10-28-23, 9:58am
I’m sorry about your rat problem. I listen to the rat episode on NPR about New York City rats, and they are pretty damn smart. They don’t want you to know how smart they are.
catherine
10-28-23, 10:23am
I’m sorry about your rat problem. I listen to the rat episode on NPR about New York City rats, and they are pretty damn smart. They don’t want you to know how smart they are.
Thanks, IL.. yes, they are smart. And a side note: I don't think what we have are Norway rats, now that I look at the descriptions again. The one we caught yesterday was pretty small, maybe slightly larger than a mouse, but no way as big as the internet says a Norway rat would be. I'll take some small comfort in that.
early morning
10-28-23, 3:42pm
catherine, some mice are BIG! I know, we have plenty of them. They amuse the cats, who only want to play, and get into all sorts of crap. We have a big old farmhouse, and I don't see any way we'll ever seal it to keep them out. They are industrious, inquisitive little buggers. And maybe not as smart as rats, but smart enough. They don't bother me all that much, we've mouse-proofed most all the cupboards and keep most foodstuffs that they can reach in metal containers. I raised mice as a kid, so I have sort of a soft spot for them, I guess. I really prefer mice to bugs!!
early morning
10-28-23, 4:02pm
yeah, before you borrow a cat, make sure it's a killer, lol. Both of ours are strictly of the "no kill" variety, when it comes to mice.
iris lilies
10-28-23, 4:41pm
Can you borrow a cat?
I was afraid someone was suggest that.
Some cats are killers and others are not. In our household, the girl cat will chase anything and the boy cat has zero interest.
In our The last batch of cats, one of our girl cats was a fierce hunter. She was an indoor outdoor cat, but retired the last years of her life to be an indoor cat, and no more a threat to birds and small animals.
catherine
10-28-23, 5:24pm
I wouldn't mind borrowing a mouser cat, but DH wouldn't want it, I'm sure. His mother had a fear of cats, and so DH just doesn't like them at all.
catherine
10-28-23, 5:27pm
catherine, some mice are BIG! I know, we have plenty of them. They amuse the cats, who only want to play, and get into all sorts of crap. We have a big old farmhouse, and I don't see any way we'll ever seal it to keep them out. They are industrious, inquisitive little buggers. And maybe not as smart as rats, but smart enough. They don't bother me all that much, we've mouse-proofed most all the cupboards and keep most foodstuffs that they can reach in metal containers. I raised mice as a kid, so I have sort of a soft spot for them, I guess. I really prefer mice to bugs!!
Good to know I'm not alone.. We are definitely doing much better with making sure food is put away.. I recently bought a bread box just for this reason, but as it appears our mouse squatters have a sweet tooth, we also have to lock up our candy.
iris lilies
10-30-23, 12:46pm
I attended a zoom board meeting of a plant Society organization. I’m not on the board, but I am a member of the organization.
The dysfunction of that group is profound. I don’t even know where to start, but here’s one tidbit: it has a treasury of over $20,000. There is one signatory on the account, only one. That person has failed to respond to phone calls, emails, etc. etc., due to health problems apparently. She was once very competent, but that was years ago. the president of the organization said he was going to drive to her house and insist on being let in to get records.
I was toying with the idea of volunteering for a very specific job that would be at the committee level, not at the board level. But after seeing how extremely bad the organization is, I’m not going to do it.
Only one signatory and she doesn’t respond back? Yikes b
It seems like the hits just keep on coming when living in a small village like I do - in the past month we lost an adult man from a massive heart attack, then the 37 year old female alcoholic with a failing liver, then a few days ago our handyman T-boned a 19 year old female drunk driver who blew through her stop sign (he ended up with two cracked vertebrae and a broken sternum, so he's off work for many months) and now I just read this morning that a friend's 26 year old step-daughter has died suddenly.
When living in a village such as mine, there are really no degrees of separation like when I lived in Ann Arbor.
rosarugosa
11-1-23, 6:48am
I'm sorry to hear of all those local tragedies, SQ.
I am so tired of being cold in this house. We have the woodstove going and spaceheaters. Always try to delay using the oil furnace as long as possible. Even when it is on, there is no heat on the second floor. Just cannot get warm today, or last night under three blankets. It's like my body can't acclimate anymore.
What space heaters are you using? As I found when my furnace was broken two winters ago, the oil filled radiators type are much more energy efficient and heat better than others, even though they take a bit to warm up. Have you thought about an electric blanket or mattress pad?
Oh, that is a good idea, Tradd, about the electric blanket. I think I have one packed way somewhere!
We do not have the oil filled radiators--my parents had them and they were better, you are right.
I was asked by my boss (but in a way that was pretty much being told to do it) if I'd be willing to not take my vacation the week of Thanksgiving like I normally do. I work in a small office of only 5 people and two of them will be out that week. Now the boss does nothing and wouldn't be of any help to the one remaining person if I was off too. We aren't going anywhere and I'd still have Thursday and Friday off so I said ok. I would rather work and know that things aren't getting messed up than to be at home knowing that it's going to be a clusterf*** when I got back to work.
Regardless, I will definitely be taking my 2 weeks off at Christmas. Maybe for spite, I will make it 3 weeks instead. :laff:
Klunick, we always took our vacation at a different time than coworkers with kids. Mostly since it was quiet and easier to travel. The holidays at work (non retail) were also quiet. Parents we could drive to were up north and the traffic and weather were also a concern. A couple of times being caught in a blizzard taught us this.
Even at home, this year we are doing our Thanksgiving on Nov. 14 at a restaurant having a special event. (Christmas is just something I endure.)
Just posted some tomato soup I’m giving away on local Buy Nothing group. Have to watch how much acid I have. People commented I could take it to X food pantry. People always do that on food posts. I tell they’re there welcome to come and get it from me to drop off at food pantry as I don’t have the time. No one ever takes me up on it! LOL. They do the same thing whenever anyone posts food to give away.
catherine
11-19-23, 4:57pm
Just posted some tomato soup I’m giving away on local Buy Nothing group. Have to watch how much acid I have. People commented I could take it to X food pantry. People always do that on food posts. I tell they’re there welcome to come and get it from me to drop off at food pantry as I don’t have the time. No one ever takes me up on it! LOL. They do the same thing whenever anyone posts food to give away.
So, what is the difference between your giving it away on your local Buy Nothing group and giving it to the food pantry? Is your Buy Nothing group like Freecycle?
So, what is the difference between your giving it away on your local Buy Nothing group and giving it to the food pantry? Is your Buy Nothing group like Freecycle?
Buy Nothing group they come and pick it up from me. I don’t go hauling stuff due to my knees. I also love when people try to volunteer my time or effort for stuff.
Buy Nothing is the current free group thing. I think most of the groups exist on FB. They’re very specific for your area. I don’t even know how much Freecycle is around anymore. I remember being on a Yahoo email group for Freecycle years ago.
catherine
11-19-23, 5:13pm
I think it's great that you are giving it away to people that want it.
A lot of times people give stuff to food pantries that they *think* the people should want, but they don't. As a Master Gardener, we have two gardens at our local library--one is a vegetable garden. One of the volunteers brings herbs to the local food pantry and no one ever takes it--it shocks us, because we love fresh herbs, but for some reason, people going to food shelters don't. Probably because they just need basic food--not "foodie" food. Sometimes the elite POV strikingly emerges in situations like this.
I'm sure whoever picks up your tomato soup is going to enjoy it. Don't worry about the do-gooders.
Absolutely fed up with customers who have urgent air freight shipments they pay mega dollars for freight on, yet they cannot get us the correct documents to clear their shipments through customs. Last week, one customer gave us THREE set of docs before telling us the third set was the correct one. And all the work of having to redo everything. Freakin’ massive PITA.
I think it's great that you are giving it away to people that want it.
A lot of times people give stuff to food pantries that they *think* the people should want, but they don't. As a Master Gardener, we have two gardens at our local library--one is a vegetable garden. One of the volunteers brings herbs to the local food pantry and no one ever takes it--it shocks us, because we love fresh herbs, but for some reason, people going to food shelters don't. Probably because they just need basic food--not "foodie" food. Sometimes the elite POV strikingly emerges in situations like this.
I'm sure whoever picks up your tomato soup is going to enjoy it. Don't worry about the do-gooders.
I see people on FB all the time who want to give cake mixes and frosting, for example, to a food pantry at the holidays. They don’t get that the food pantry likely gives out boxes of the same exact contents to everyone and maybe don’t want the cake mix and frosting. I’ve had people look at me as if I have two heads when I suggest they contact food pantry to see what they really need! My local one had a list of very specific things. If it’s not on the list, they don’t want it!
iris lilies
11-19-23, 6:01pm
I was annoyed by the group here on this website who insisted I was selfish to not drive our excess vegetables to the food bank years ago when we still lived in St. Louis city. OK, fine, I gave in and took zucchini, and… Something else, can’t remember. I do not believe that anyone really wanted those zucchini’s, but OK. Yes, having other people volunteer my time is pretty annoying.
This year we had so many tomatoes that I did take one batch to the Hermann food pantry because it’s close to where I live, and now that I’m retired, I have time to do that kind of thing. We had tomatoes coming out of our ears.
on the subject of cake mixes and frosting, our Hermann food bank has asked for cake mixes and canned frosting in the past. I remember buying that specifically to drop into the food bank bin at the grocery store.
sometimes our food bank lists its needs in our local weekly paper, and that is a good thing.
IL, if your food pantry asked for the cake mixes, that’s one thing. If they didn’t want them and you still insisted on donating them, not good.
mamalatte
11-19-23, 6:11pm
Our very small local food pantry is more like a free supermarket -- it is basically a bunch of shelves and a fridge where they store whatever food is donated, and then those in need can take whatever items they need (I think there is some sort of per week or per visit limit). Donations are accepted on one day and the food bank is open for clients on a different day. So, in this scenario the food bank is happy to receive basically any type of donation because they are not trying to make a whole bunch of uniform boxes to give out.
Posted on local BN group about often being told to donate food to food pantries instead of people on the group getting it. Turns out that is again BN rules. Admin was happy I’d spoken up and posted a reminder.
Well, I discovered my water heater wasn’t working on Thanksgiving morning. At least I wasn’t hosting a dinner! I heated up a kettle full of water and used that for a sponge bath. Two big mixing bowls, plastic pitcher, and I was clean. Another plus for short hair. Texted landlord - it was leaking from the top under the vent hood. Took a short video to show him. He was out of town and didn’t get back with me until later in the day. I had shut off water to heater and turned the gas off on the control thing on the front of heater. It’s supposedly getting replaced tomorrow. Fingers crossed. While I’m not a pansy and can handle not having hot water for a few days, I am seriously missing my long hot baths and I want to be able to use the dishwasher!
I finally have hot water again. Yay!
That's great--that is the worst thing when we have power failures.
iris lilies
11-29-23, 12:42pm
I finally have hot water again. Yay!
Oh good. So you went for a few days without it and that’s not easy, thanks for being a patient tenant.
Oh good. So you went for a few days without it and that’s not easy, thanks for being a patient tenant.
He was showing signs of taking his time with it Monday. He was out of town for the holiday. I told him I was very tired of having to heat water on the stove to bathe with and to do the dishes. I wanted to be able to take a normal shower. That lit a fire under his butt.
iris lilies
11-29-23, 3:08pm
He was showing signs of taking his time with it Monday. He was out of town for the holiday. I told him I was very tired of having to heat water on the stove to bathe with and to do the dishes. I wanted to be able to take a normal shower. That lit a fire under his butt.
did he have the hot water heater replaced? I guess the hot water heater is for your unit only, right?
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