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It helps in many ways but boy when the rants start about those with less or some minor panhandling or a neighbor (who was a city councilor) not keeping up their property to some unwritten standards, it gets awful fast. I just had a poster contact me and tell me he hoped no one found my address and came to my door knocking.... as an implied threat. Wished him success and peace and will ignore him from now on. I wonder why he thinks antagonizing and threatening neighbors will result in any assistance from those neighbors?
It is something we all could brainstorm about if he would organize a topic with police involvement for a neighborhood association meeting. But maybe he wants that all powerful "somebody else" to fix his problems. Arrrggggg.
That is really hard to deal with, Sweetana. Sad to see when the neighbourhood has done well until now. Sounds like some have too much time on their hands.
iris lilies
5-26-19, 6:56pm
Oh sweetana I am one of the ones who sounds the alert about panhandlers, I’m sick and tired of them around here. We have three chronic panhandlers, all women, one of them aggressive.
I don’t always write messages to
Nextdoor because I think it’s a waste of time. That is, unless I am gathering information to give to the cops, Then I might poll my neighbors about which panhandlers they saw on what day.
There are too many on Nextdoor who I think of as bleeding hearts who will push back about anyone who complains about panhandlers. Sorry, but not sorry. I do not want panhandlers on my Block, on my property, in my area. I do not like them Sam I am!
As for people keeping up their property I am all over that, and I am involved In our neighborhood’s process for several problem properties. But I don’t post on next-door about that because it’s a waste of time. Just blathering on Nextdoor about sensitive topics is a very big waste of time, in general.
I am happy to learn that Hermann is now a Nextdoor site So I will be joining the Herman group when I can figure out how to join a second account.
These are the only situations that could cause a misdemeanor regarding panhandling in Indiana according to the police: Touching somebody without consent, Blocking somebody's path, Using profane language, Following somebody after they refuse to give money, and Intimidation.
This issue rapidly developed into name calling and veiled threats in posts and private messages by two men on Nextdoor. All the two men managed to do is to alienate any reasonable neighbors. Could have been a much more productive discussion. I have withdrawn from their drama.
I amA moderator for Nextdoor. They are called “leads” there. Nextdoor is brilliant for finding lost pets.
Hahaha! Among the posts my friend forwards are those from a busybody who's always complaining that my friend's cat is hanging around when the aforementioned cat is snoozing right next to her. She snaps a picture and sends it, which shuts the busybody up--'til the next time, anyway.
As for people keeping up their property I am all over that, and I am involved In our neighborhood’s process for several problem properties. But I don’t post on next-door about that because it’s a waste of time. Just blathering on Nextdoor about sensitive topics is a very big waste of time, in general.
Our NextDoor seems to specialize in people who seem to have little empathy for anyone who isn't a highly-ambulatory property owner. They moan mightily about residents where the grass on the lot is a little unkempt (not city-ordinance high, just kinda patchy or weedy and the bushes are suckering big-time). Or maybe the snow hangs around a little too long before it's scraped off the sidewalk. They don't seem to consider that maybe the inhabitants at the end of that particular walk are renting the place and the (absentee) landlord is responsible for getting that stuff done, or that the homeowner who's lived in the house for decades maybe isn't so surefooted anymore so they don't get down on their knees to pull weeds or get to clear the snow (especially the plow leavings) very quickly and may not have the local friends/family/income to do the job for them.
It's virtue signaling dressed up as "neighborhood involvement" and "concerned property ownership". It's really about people posting before they actually get to know their neighbors, not just guess what they must be like. As you know, there are municipal outlets for true habitual problem properties. Complaining on NextDoor about how #716 Main Street's got all kinds of cardboard boxes piled up in their enclosed front porch and how the drapes don't hide them all doesn't do anything positive. Waste of a Web site IMHO. At least ours is.
Teacher Terry
5-26-19, 8:19pm
I have never seen a panhandler on anyone’s property. I see them downtown on public streets or at a shopping center, intersection, park, etc. I would not want them in my yard either.
Our NextDoor group finds lost pets and sells peoples excess stuff along with discussing Township business. In the year or so I've been a member I haven't seen any neighbor complaints or general bitchiness, I don't think I would have stuck with it if it was used like some of you are describing.
Teacher Terry
5-26-19, 10:41pm
Steve that’s terrible.
iris lilies
6-7-19, 11:49am
Rave or rant? You decide.
I was rummaging around in our cupboard looking for home canned dill pickles and I ran across what I think is the final stash of vintage fruit. The oldest one was a can of cherries from 1998.
I could rant about why we have so much uneaten canned food products, or I could rave because we have so many canned food products.
It is a crazy world we live in.
Teacher Terry
6-7-19, 1:19pm
IL, throw that shit away!
iris lilies
6-7-19, 1:41pm
IL, throw that shit away!
Oh no, DH is gonna eat it. They are brown and unappetizing looking. They are not dangerous, tho.
IL, the extension office says home canned 2 years max. Ick! I'm sure your husband has a rock gut and will be fine.
iris lilies
6-7-19, 2:42pm
IL, the extension office says home canned 2 years max. Ick! I'm sure your husband has a rock gut and will be fine.
That is good to inow. I will show him this and let him decide whether he eats it or we throw it.
That is good to inow. I will show him this and let him decide whether he eats it or we throw it.
Apparently botulism is not something you can see or smell... but brown cherries just don't sound right.
iris lilies
6-7-19, 4:24pm
Apparently botulism is not something you can see or smell... but brown cherries just don't sound right.
Botulism poisoning is incredibly serious and yes I know that you can’t see it or smell it.
But we have been up opening decades old fruit and I have made DH eat it because he will not throw it away so what do we do I mean really if you will not toss it wtf do you do do it
, keep it because it’s pretty? It’s not pretty!
....edited to add...
ok, I pitched one jar. He wont notice that. He will notice more than 1.
Teacher Terry
6-7-19, 4:44pm
I watch the date and if gets close to expiring I take it to the soup kitchen. But my husband knows better then to stock up or I will kill him. We also eat the pantry down twice a year so stop buying for awhile.
Oh no, DH is gonna eat it. They are brown and unappetizing looking. They are not dangerous, tho.
Reminds me of when DH and I left the house for a couple of hours and we asked MIL to bake the chicken in the microwave (with the convection oven). Well, convection.. microwave.. it all went over her head an she cooked a chicken on high in the microwave for 2 hours. When we got home it looked like that scene in Christmas Vacation when the turkey explodes.
Being the frugal Scotswoman she was, she tried to eat it and when we tried to stop her, she said in her Glaswegian accent, "Accchhh. There's nothin' wrang wi' it."
iris lilies
6-8-19, 8:21am
Last night at our community garden’s patio party, I brought up to everyone the idea of these vintage cherries. Everyone was horrified to think that DH will eat them. I asked DH if he was going to eat them and he was resolute about eating them —yes he will!
iris lilies
6-11-19, 12:45pm
An update on our canned vintage fruit:
Remaining are two jars. DH remains adamant that he will eat them, one from 1998, one from 2003.
I opened the jar of canned apricots.. It was gelatinous on top. DH asked me if I heard the seal break when
I opened it. Since I couldn't swear to any sound, and I sure as hell do not want be responsible for poisoning him, I said I didnt know. We both decided to chuck the 1998 can.
so, onto the 2003 can of cherries: we opened it, there was a sucking sound. He ate some a few days ago and no repercussions.
Is this appetizing? You decide. Perhaps there are fans of old dead looking brown cherries here.
2805
rosarugosa
6-11-19, 12:49pm
It's not making me hungry.
Teacher Terry
6-11-19, 1:35pm
Disgusting!
Rant is about a builder who is putting up a 5 story urban apartment building in our neighborhood. The rant is his use of sliding glass doors on the entrances of all the ground level apartments which are about 5 feet back and 3 stairs up from the sidewalk. Not real safe and everyone can easily look into the apartment from the sidewalk. This is a downtown area with some level of police issues on this very street. Complaints from neighbors (prior rant) about prostitution and drug deals right across from this building and there was an armed robbery within one block.
I hope those renting are careful.
iris lilies
6-24-19, 5:25pm
Bulldogs. Who runs our lives, anyway? The bulldogs or us? Oh yeah, it is the bulldogs. Why will I never learn this?
My foster dogs, two of them, littermates, fun tornadoes of bulldog puppyness at age 9 months, are running the household. DH and Teddy escaped from the chaos to Hermann last week but there is no escape for us now. We are in it for another week. The girl dog went to her new home and that lasted 45 minutes because all she could do was fight with the dog who already live there, so that was a no go.
Puppy boy who is cute as a bug even tho he has mange (we call him “the mangy curr”) runs around like a Big Doh tormenting our old dog.
Our rescue administrator is re-grouping with girldog, finding anoth r place for her. Wont be hard She is nine months old healthy and pretty, but she had to go to an only dog home
IL, I really thought about fostering before I got Benny but the idea of having a dog and then letting her/him go was a challenge. I just realized that if there is a good foster coordinator it probably would be more doable. Is a good coordinator routine or rare in your experience? I have not met,seen or heard positive comments so far.
Teacher Terry
6-24-19, 6:28pm
My husband and I don’t have what it takes to let them go. I admire your foster work IL. I think we are all just slaves to our dogs:))
iris lilies
6-24-19, 10:39pm
IL, I really thought about fostering before I got Benny but the idea of having a dog and then letting her/him go was a challenge. I just realized that if there is a good foster coordinator it probably would be more doable. Is a good coordinator routine or rare in your experience? I have not met,seen or heard positive comments so far.
Our rescue Administer runs the show, she is an alpha bitch of the finest kind. I am terrified of her. :) She has an unusual amount of brains, education, and business experience in the the animal welfare world. Our group is of course a hobby, we handle 50- 100 dogs a year, all in foster homes. No one gets a salary.
She doesn’t put up with dumbshit or as she calls it “girl fighting and all that happy crap.” The dogs are always in good hands with her.
Anybody can call themselves a rescue group and they do. It seems that many animal rescue places have a high amount of unnecessary drama.
SteveinMN
6-26-19, 11:49am
Anybody can call themselves a rescue group and they do. It seems that many animal rescue places have a high amount of unnecessary drama. This has been my experience twice over. Well-meaning people but without a single business bone in their bodies -- and, unfortunately, these enterprises require money to make them go.
iris lilies
6-27-19, 4:09pm
I am continuing to hate, Loathe, and despise Obamacare rules.
DH is Three months away from jumping on to Medicare. We cannot get a straight answer from Obamacare phone drones about what documentation they require to show he has a household income. We are on our third go ‘round of documents, and phone calls.
According to Obamacare drones, DH is poor because he has no Earned or pension income. It’s difficult for them to think outside of the box and maybe the regulations don’t cover outside the box, I do not know.
I may end up hiring an expert in this field and paying them an hourly fee just to push this through. Or if worst comes to worst, we will just buy private insurance (paying big money for it) and get coverage for three months. I want catastrophic coverage to protect my assets. That’s what we need right now.
Teacher Terry
6-27-19, 7:20pm
The way I understand it only earned income, SS and pensions count. Assets don’t count which is why millionaires get subsidies. The way I understand it he would need to take Medicaid for 3 months.
iris lilies
6-27-19, 8:05pm
The way I understand it only earned income, SS and pensions count. Assets don’t count which is why millionaires get subsidies. The way I understand it he would need to take Medicaid for 3 months.
We file jointly. We have household income. Medicaid is not an option.The Obama care account is in my name all the mail comes to me. If it was an individual kind of account, he would be getting the mail but he is on “my” account. Yet another thing I don’t understand since I am completely off of Obamacare now.
i guess if I need to hire him as a 1099 employee to cut down trees in Hermann, I can do that. That would give him income. Or we just buy catastrophic private insurance for 3 months and pay the mf Obamacare I.r.s penalty, Although as I think about it, those penalties are not being collected in the Trump regime.
Teacher Terry
6-27-19, 9:25pm
I don’t understand either IL.
Just got a call from our mail-order prescription provider, the one we've been using for 2-3 years now without much of a hitch. At least they had the good sense to call using their known outgoing number so it showed up on my phone as them, otherwise the entire call would have sounded like a phishing expedition. Since the only reasons they've called in the past have been problems that needed to be solved (Rx expired; CC expired, etc), I picked up the call.
Before they would talk with me, however, they demanded my full name and birth date. This information has never been necessary when they've left voicemails about these matters. The purpose, the agent stated, is "verification". No, that is what you're doing at the moment. Why do I have to provide this information before you'll talk to me on a call you initiated? "I can't tell you that until I verify your information." OK, it's a new world. Because 9/11; whatever. I watch a lot of security theater.
I provide my full name and date of birth. Then he asks for my address. He needs the full address. *shrug* I give it to him but leave off the ZIP code. "And what is the ZIP code, sir?" "Is the rest of the address correct?" "Yes." "Then you have the ZIP code already. I gave you enough to prove it's me." The agent moves on.
I guess what they needed to verify is if I want to renew a couple of Rxes that are coming up soon. What?? No. I will renew them when I need to, over the secured Web site, as I have done for the past 2+ years without about zero problems. He leaves that alone and asks how I would like to be notified of Rx renewals and shipments and such? Umm, via email, just like it's worked for the last few years.
"And what is your email address?"
"What do you have for my address?"
"I need to confirm your email address; could you give it to me?"
"It's the same one you guys have used successfully for the last 2+ years."
"And what is that address?"
"You don't need me to tell you what it is. You have a valid address. You've already validated who I am through my full name and birthdate and most of my mailing address and, obviously, a phone number that I answered. Why can't you ask if the one you have is the one I want to use -- even something oblique like 'It starts with I and ends with blah.com, is that correct'"? And why do we even need a phone call for this? This should be done on your Web site given that I've already indicated I want to do business with you guys via the Web."
"I can't give you the email address I have listed in your record."
"Do you have a supervisor?"
"Yes, sir."
The supervisor said that they needed the information for HIPAA (hmm -- didn't think HIPAA required asking if I want to renew prescriptions). I suggested that I already passed whatever validation they required so they obviously were talking with me and that I was not providing any more information. If, indeed, the call was to make sure the information they had was still correct, they could tell validated-me what information they had and ask if it was still correct. She acquiesced. "Is your email address irateguy at blah dot com?" Confirmed.
"I will talk with the agent as we discuss skills." It's not the agent. It's the script they gave him that most people are cowed into answering. Next time I'll just let it roll to voicemail. Never asked me the questions before; they never will again.
ToomuchStuff
7-13-19, 1:08pm
I agree, it does sound like a phishing expedition, using number spoofing and medical id fraud. I would be writing a letter to them.
I agree, it does sound like a phishing expedition, using number spoofing and medical id fraud. I would be writing a letter to them.
I don't think so. The call rang in using a number I already have for the company, so they showed up as such when the phone rang. And, when I pressed them on it, they had the correct information for me.
My issue is the way they asked for the information right out and in bulk. They could have handled it much better by validating the person answering the phone with information only they should have had and then asking questions by reference. "Are you still on Main Street?" would be enough of a question to jog a customer to say, "Oh, yeah, we moved three months ago" and prompt a request for the new address. And if the call ostensibly was to keep their records up to date, there's no reason they should have offered to re-up Rxes I have with them (which they listed by proper name and dosage).
It was just incredibly ham-fisted of them and it bothers me that they think people will just answer the questions. That is how social engineering works and how it leads to fraud. More people need to know they can challenge the incessant requests for information. If you have my street address, city, and state, you don't need to validate on ZIP code; you can look it up. Considering this is the same outfit that has no compunction leaving messages on my voicemail asking me to call them to resolve one issue or another, without making me prove who I am on the voicemail, the name-rank-serial number routine rubbed me the wrong way.
iris lilies
7-13-19, 5:09pm
I don't think so. The call rang in using a number I already have for the company, so they showed up as such when the phone rang. And, when I pressed them on it, they had the correct information for me.
My issue is the way they asked for the information right out and in bulk. They could have handled it much better by validating the person answering the phone with information only they should have had and then asking questions by reference. "Are you still on Main Street?" would be enough of a question to jog a customer to say, "Oh, yeah, we moved three months ago" and prompt a request for the new address. And if the call ostensibly was to keep their records up to date, there's no reason they should have offered to re-up Rxes I have with them (which they listed by proper name and dosage).
It was just incredibly ham-fisted of them and it bothers me that they think people will just answer the questions. That is how social engineering works and how it leads to fraud. More people need to know they can challenge the incessant requests for information. If you have my street address, city, and state, you don't need to validate on ZIP code; you can look it up. Considering this is the same outfit that has no compunction leaving messages on my voicemail asking me to call them to resolve one issue or another, without making me prove who I am on the voicemail, the name-rank-serial number routine rubbed me the wrong way.
ham fisted and annoying.
iris lilies
7-13-19, 5:27pm
I don't think so. The call rang in using a number I already have for the company, so they showed up as such when the phone rang. And, when I pressed them on it, they had the correct information for me.
My issue is the way they asked for the information right out and in bulk. They could have handled it much better by validating the person answering the phone with information only they should have had and then asking questions by reference. "Are you still on Main Street?" would be enough of a question to jog a customer to say, "Oh, yeah, we moved three months ago" and prompt a request for the new address. And if the call ostensibly was to keep their records up to date, there's no reason they should have offered to re-up Rxes I have with them (which they listed by proper name and dosage).
It was just incredibly ham-fisted of them and it bothers me that they think people will just answer the questions. That is how social engineering works and how it leads to fraud. More people need to know they can challenge the incessant requests for information. If you have my street address, city, and state, you don't need to validate on ZIP code; you can look it up. Considering this is the same outfit that has no compunction leaving messages on my voicemail asking me to call them to resolve one issue or another, without making me prove who I am on the voicemail, the name-rank-serial number routine rubbed me the wrong way.
ham fisted and annoying.
Opened my work email today to find a message not for me, but for my spouse. We haven't heard from this person in probably 10 years or more. Last week he PMd me on Facebook Messenger. He must have Googled my name, found my workplace and then emailed me. We are also not friends on FB. I don't know about you, but I think it's highly inappropriate to email someone at work when you don't even know if their messages/computer usage is being monitored.
I think it's highly inappropriate to email someone at work when you don't even know if their messages/computer usage is being monitored.
A couple of times a year I would get unsolicited emails from recruiters to my work email. Really??? You think I'm going to answer you on my work email that I'm interested in discussing other jobs??
frugal-one
7-15-19, 2:08pm
Lately I find that I am disappointed in people. Recently met with a few "friends" that are interested in herbal medicine. I bought 2 books about Acupressure and lifted one up and asked if they had them. One said yes and so I said ok, I'll keep this one since I did not keep one for myself. The gal stated she did want the book so I gave it to her anyways. So, then a day later she emails me that she is going to visit a relative that is into herbs,etc and will take the book with her.... insinuating she will give it to her. She knew I did not have one for myself and gives away the book that she already had. I think this is truly RUDE. Thinking it is time to move on to other people.
SteveinMN
7-18-19, 10:43am
That plastic tumbler I mentioned in the "But it still works" (http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17594-quot-But-it-still-works!-quot) thread? Turns out there is something that can kill it: Cascade Action Pods.
In an effort to be frugal, DW took the dishwasher pods her mother left in her house when she moved to assisted living. Ran one of them instead of our regular Seventh Generation and the entire dishwasher stank to high whatever. I cannot believe there are enough people who want their dishes to smell like that that Cascade makes money at this. Even the ceramic and metal items smelled.
The Cascade support people recommended running a regular dishwasher cycle with a (plastic -- ha!) bowl of vinegar (and nothing else); we've done that twice and it knocks down the smell but hasn't killed it completely. Maybe this third time on a three-hour cycle will do the trick. They also recommended washing the ceramic/glass/metal objects with dish soap and water. That seemed to have eradicated the odor from them. But they then said to hand-wash plastic items from now on. I did not spend money on a dishwasher to hand-wash plastics. I've used Seventh Generation for more than half a generation and never had this issue with them.
I threw the other pods away as soon as we noticed the problem. I've already thrown away a pot of coffee (which picked up the odor) and I just sent the coffee carafe, two plastic cutting boards, and the tumbler to the trash. Frugal my Aunt Fanny. Colgate-Palmolive ought to weaponize that scent.
Teacher Terry
7-18-19, 10:46am
Wow Steve that’s awful. I put plastic in the top rack also. I use liquid detergent. Pods are such a waste of money.
rosarugosa
7-30-19, 8:59am
There seems to be a war on trees in my area. People buy a house and then cut down all the trees on the property. Neighbors across the street are taking down a beautiful majestic tree in their backyard that already has an erosion problem from the river. It's the last tree remaining on the property and it makes me want to cry.
This neighbor has also removed all shrubs and flowers from the property, so there is nothing remaining but turf. It's not like he's clearing away the trees for his iris and lily garden or anything. >:(
There seems to be a war on trees in my area. People buy a house and then cut down all the trees on the property. Neighbors across the street are taking down a beautiful majestic tree in their backyard that already has an erosion problem from the river. It's the last tree remaining on the property and it makes me want to cry.
This neighbor has also removed all shrubs and flowers from the property, so there is nothing remaining but turf. It's not like he's clearing away the trees for his iris and lily garden or anything. >:(
This makes me sick. We used to see quite a bit of it--are they people freshly arrived from a desert area who are intimidated by nature? If so, I wish they had stuck to their scrubby home turf.
rosarugosa
7-30-19, 10:01am
Jane: We think they are city folks who move to the burbs and then decide they would prefer it to be more city-like. This latest victim must be well over 100 years old, so these decisions are pretty much irreversible in our lifetimes.
iris lilies
7-30-19, 10:35am
Trees are The Enemy. Just sayin’
We are those people who bought an old house overgrown with junk trees and unkept shrubs. The previous owners, lovely people, kinda liked the wildness and they were bird people. But they only lived there for a year, the overgrowth was rampant well before they bought it.
DH has been felling trees there for a year. Literally he cuts down 20-30+ foot trees, chops them up, stacks the wood, and burns out the stumps. Wild vines were obscuring the trees, so all of that had to go too. There are about 10 more trees left in the once-junk tree forest and I want to hire a tree company to drop the biggest ones.
But all of that is scrubby junk trees. If our neighbors do not like it, too bad.
But umm, we are going to have to take down one tree in the front of this house, a nice old shade tree. It will go down because we will build a garage and it is in the way. For that, people may judge us harshly and rightly so.
Trees are The Enemy.
Just sayin’
IL, you are a delightful enjoyable lovable presence except for this major flaw of character. How can anyone not love trees? :devil:
Jane: We think they are city folks who move to the burbs and then decide they would prefer it to be more city-like. This latest victim must be well over 100 years old, so these decisions are pretty much irreversible in our lifetimes.
I've always figured they were from Southern California (handy scapegoat) whose knee-jerk response to anything green was to pave over it or put up the tackiest of developments...
Teacher Terry
7-30-19, 12:46pm
We have 3 beautiful fruit trees in the backyard that I have a love/hate relationship with. They drop fruit endlessly. Most is not edible but just makes endless messes. They do provide shade for the back of the house.
But umm, we are going to have to take down one tree in the front of this house, a nice old shade tree. It will go down because we will build a garage and it is in the way. For that, people may judge us harshly and rightly so.
Could you send it up here? Looks like we're going to lose our big black walnut in the front yard to consecutive storm damage. :(
But umm, we are going to have to take down one tree in the front of this house, a nice old shade tree. It will go down because we will build a garage and it is in the way. For that, people may judge us harshly and rightly so.
You know I love you anyway, but... :)
We have a huge old maple shade tree in our yard. I LOVE it. We have a swing hanging from a branch for the grandkids, and it's got to be almost 10 degrees cooler under its wide canopy. For the 4th of July neighborhood party, they asked us if they could all assemble to eat in our yard because it's the shadiest. I would be so upset if that tree had to come down for any reason. I don't care if someone came in and offered to donate 1,000 extra square feet to our house--if it meant cutting down that old maple, I'll stay happily in my wee hoose.
rosarugosa
7-30-19, 4:18pm
I think it's a reasonable guess that it cost in the ballpark of $6000 - $8000 to remove this tree. There was a crew here all morning with huge vehicles including a crane and a chipper.
There seems to be a war on trees in my area. People buy a house and then cut down all the trees on the property. Neighbors across the street are taking down a beautiful majestic tree in their backyard that already has an erosion problem from the river. It's the last tree remaining on the property and it makes me want to cry.
This neighbor has also removed all shrubs and flowers from the property, so there is nothing remaining but turf. It's not like he's clearing away the trees for his iris and lily garden or anything. >:(
That's how my neighborhood in NJ was going. We had one ice storm in March that led one neighbor to cut down every tree on his property. We used to have a lovely, tree-lined "boulevard" type neighborhood and now it looks like a Monopoly board thanks to the Emerald Ash Borer and neighbors who prefer a clear path to turf management over lovely, shade-bearing trees.
I would cry, too, rosa.
We used to have a lovely, tree-lined "boulevard" type neighborhood and now it looks like a Monopoly board thanks to the Emerald Ash Borer and neighbors who prefer a clear path to turf management over lovely, shade-bearing trees.
I'm not sure who promulgated the idea that monocultures were the way to go (in planting crops or boulevard trees) but almost every tree on our street, both sides, was an ash and was taken down in one afternoon by the city in their attempt to limit the spread of EAB. With the missing canopy of trees and uninterrupted sightlines, if you squinted just a bit, the block (car-less that day because of the tree removal) looked like it must have in those overexposed pictures from back when the neighborhood first became popular about a hundred years ago. :(
Speaking of estimates, one of the tree companies giving me bids on our tree said it would cost around $3,000 to take it down and haul it (and the stump) away. Two of the three companies that gave me bids say the tree does not have to come down, but the current broken branch is the fourth large branch to fall in the last two years. We've been lucky each time that the branches never caused damage to houses or parked cars, but, yeah, that's luck. The tree is no more than 20 feet away from our house and our neighbor's house, so the next time a branch comes down property damage is a real possibility. I'm not feeling that lucky these days.
All of the companies say to expect to have to trim back more large branches in the future. Nature of the beast, they say. Removing the broken branches and trimming back large branches that reached our and our neighbor's roofs, we've lost a lot of canopy on that tree, so it's not like it's doing much of a job shading any more. I'm thinking this just is not a good spot for that tree now and we're better off starting over with something else. But, ooh, the cost...
iris lilies
7-31-19, 4:29pm
I think it's a reasonable guess that it cost in the ballpark of $6000 - $8000 to remove this tree. There was a crew here all morning with huge vehicles including a crane and a chipper.
Well, you know, sometimes trees threaten, harass, injure and kill old houses. Once in a while they even reach out for humans to maim or kill. It is necessary to keep them contained and their potential for injury minimal.
I see that here in St. Louis, great old Victorian houses surrounded by junk trees that injure the houses. These trees toss down their limbs. Or even fall on the house! Their roots uproot foundations.
In any such altercation I side with the house.
My tax dollars went to a settlement when a tree in a city park fell right on top of a kid, and killed the kid.
Sometimes I don’t think you people truly understand the malevolent nature of trees...
Sometimes I don’t think you people truly understand the malevolent nature of trees...
As compared to what, humans? As someone who has planted thousands of trees or had it done, my sympathy is always with the tree.
Ethiopia has just planted a forest or two to help combat climate change. This needs to be a trend.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/29/ethiopia-plants-250m-trees-in-a-day-to-help-tackle-climate-crisis
I see that here in St. Louis, great old Victorian houses surrounded by junk trees that injure the houses.
An honest question--what is a "junk tree"?
iris lilies
7-31-19, 8:40pm
An honest question--what is a "junk tree"?
They are invasive trees that severely impact native biodiversity. They are fast growing, producing soft wood that breaks in storms. They are messy because they drop branches all over, and often.
These trees are on my state’s list of invasive species:
Purus Calleryana (Gallery Pear)—until recent years, widely used in landscaping
Ailanthus alrissima called Tree of Heaven amoung other names. These grow in 3” of soil taking root in roofs and brick walls in my city.
Honey Locusts sprout all over my gardens in Hermann.
My dad used to consider Chinese elms to be junk trees. I don’t see many of those anymore so I think people are not planning them and they’re pulling them up when they show up.
Some of the maple trees around here are pretty awful as far as being fast growing and dirty, but I don’t know which species they are.
These are just a few examples.
They are invasive trees that severely impact native biodiversity. .
Got it. Well, I'm all for eliminating invasive species and cultivating native plants and trees. I looked up the ones you mentioned (not that I didn't believe you) and they are invasive.
I'm cool with your DH cutting them down, and I have no doubt that you will be great stewards of your property in Hermann.
But I do love trees. To say that they are malevolent is just like saying deer are malevolent because they eat our plants even though they only eat them because we have encroached on their habitat. We are the colonial interlopers, not the trees.
iris lilies
8-1-19, 8:12am
I am struggling to understand why keyless car ignition is an improvement to old technology. In skimming the car manual for my new-to-me car, there is much reading matter devoted to how I have to maintain the key “fob.” I am bored with this feature although I will admit to liking punching the ignition button.
Already too much technology in this car for me.
Someone please tell me why key fobs are good.
esited to ads: oh never mind, there are many articles that come up on Google about keyless auto starts that I will have to read.
IL, I have not driven the new car my hubby bought. It is way too complicated. Keyless ignition, blue tooth, cameras all over, etc. I am resisting getting rid of my Civic. It seems to have the right amount of "things" for me and I am comfortable in it.
I went somewhere with a friend and she could not even get to the radio station she wanted, her car was so complicated. A coworker just decided to give up her truck with over 500,000 miles on it. I want to be like her.
Teacher Terry
8-1-19, 5:28pm
I will probably never experience having to learn all the new technologies on cars as my 2008 Toyota has 53k/miles and 2010 Honda has 80k.
Speaking of trees, I've been watching ID's The Wonderland Murders, and the intro goes on about "the pine forests" in the area, or similar. And this is far from the first time I've heard the area characterized this way. It's not like there are NO pine trees around here, but they aren't particularly common on this side of the mountains. We have fir trees, and plenty of them:
Douglas-fir is the predominant species, and therefore forest type, in the Oregon Coast unit. Other common tree species in this area include western hemlock, red alder, bigleaf maple, and western red cedar. (Federal document) Not a mention of pine trees...
iris lilies
8-12-19, 10:09pm
I guess it is time for another rant about technology so here goes: I have this new car that has non-simple things with it. No small key to start it now, that would be too damn simple, it has an electronics device called a “fob” to start the car which is three times as heavy as a key ( oh! And it also contains A KEY) and it doesn’t fit onto a key ring plus I have to carry the garage door opener with me because it’s now parked in our garage at night because it’s too fancy to park on the street.
So I have this heavy key Fob, And even bigger garage door opener to carry. I cannot keep the garage door opener with the car because the top is down on the car and it would immediately be stolen when I park it on the street as I do each day, before I put the car to bed at night. I could lock the garage door opener into the glove box. I may do that in the future but it’s a lot of fussing as I have to use the key it is contained in the fob.
It is all very complicated and yet the damn technology doesn’t do what I want to do because if it did, I would not need a key to lock the little glovebox compartment, it would lock with the fob. That way I can put the garage door opener into the glove box and lock it all with a fob in one motion. So the only thing I would have to carry would be the fob. Now that would be a technological improvement. But our world is not advanced like that and what I want doesn’t exist. I wonder if Mercedes is making a fob locking glove box?Or just using my fingerprints at this point would be a good thing for locking and unlocking the glove box.
So I guess I will be locking the garage door opener in the glove box with the key that sits inside key fob. For those of you who think this is a lot of fussing, I can assure you that IT IS!
I’m sure anyone who is reading this has crossed eyes by now because it is crazy boring. Ugh.
I bought a lanyard to hold a tiny bag for the key fob and the garage door opener. They are still much bigger than I want them to be around my neck. But that is my solution right now.
iris lilies
8-12-19, 10:13pm
PS not that anyone cares but I also looked into tiny garage door openers while I don’t know that technology it doesn’t seem there are such things. I can’t get anything significantly smaller that seem to work than what I have now, a 4” x 3” opener.
Yesterday I read about a woman who bought a Tesla and then removed the tiny chip from the fob and had it inserted under her skin. So now she can use her car any time she has near it.
SteveinMN
8-13-19, 10:02am
So is building a garage door opener into a button near the sunvisor on the car a dead technology? Or has Daimler decided that's not The Right Way To Do It?
I've always just carried the fob in my pocket (my wife keeps hers in her purse) and we use Homelink (built into the vehicles) for the garage.
I can relate to your aggravation. In my Toyota PriusV, I have a smallish fob with all the other keys on the ring for the house, mailbox, etc. I rarely use the fob as I can touch the door handle with the fob in my purse/fanny pack and it opens very well. Touch the handle and it locks. The key in the fob has been out twice in 5 years. The garage door opener is on my visor but that won't work for your situation. Could you do the garage door with a smart phone app of some kind or is that what Alan means with Homelink?
Could you do the garage door with a smart phone app of some kind or is that what Alan means with Homelink?
Homelink is a vehicle based wireless control system and found in many newer cars. It's integrated in my rear view mirror and in my wife's overhead console.
catherine
8-13-19, 12:25pm
I also have a fob for my 2007 Prius (it probably was a real innovation back then). I actually love it because I just keep it in my bag and never have to fumble for keys. I'm not a key person. But I recall one time when my battery went dead in a Trenton parking deck when I was traveling and so the fob didn't work and it took two days plus my mechanically-minded son to figure out that there was a real key IN the fob.
I'm happy for you and your well-deserved new car, IL! But as you say, with new fancy-schmantzy things comes extra effort to guard them. I think razz and Alan have good suggestions for tying in your garage door with some type of app you can use from your phone.
iris lilies
8-13-19, 12:36pm
I dont have pockets.
I dont carry a purse 85% of the time.
I sure as hell dont carry the dumb smart phone.
I want lightweight things to hang around my neck. With my regular car I have
1) car key
2) house key.
They hang on a keychain, attached to a lanyard. That was a wonderful technological advance when my friend put the lanyard in my hand saying “here you need this!” After he saw me carrying my keys in my teeth for hands-free work. I am kind of a Neanderthal.
Just curious--if you don't carry a purse and you don't have pockets, where do you put your "stuff"? (Money, credit cards, license, lipstick)
At this point, I won't buy pants or other clothing items without pockets. I had a pair of leggings I wore a few times before I relegated them to the donation bag for that reason. I do have a tiny 4"x 3" pouch that can hold my flip phone, ID, cards and cash if need be; most of the time I wear a cross-body bag.
Teacher Terry
8-13-19, 1:43pm
I do the same thing Jane.
iris lilies
8-13-19, 4:51pm
Just curious--if you don't carry a purse and you don't have pockets, where do you put your "stuff"? (Money, credit cards, license, lipstick)
I dont carry that stuff 85% of the time. Because I am jetting around the neighborhood – to the community garden. To our big garden in the next neighborhood over. To a board meeting. To a neighborhood meeting— who needs it? Copy of license is in my car.Otherwise, I’m going someplace with DH and he carries all the money so in that case I have no reason to take anything with me.
Part of the reason why I don’t want to carry personal objects like that is because I’m always taking with me note books and manuals and etc. for my meetings. That is enough to haul around. I love having my keys hang around my neck because I always know where they are.
I do need to replace my clutch wallet thing Since the zippers have broken and I hold it together with rubber bands. Me and my stuff —so attractive! Not. But I am waiting for a time when I can go to an actual store to see if I can get something that will hold my cell phone when it is in a case. I’ve not managed to do that in more than six months it’s just not a priority
SteveinMN
8-17-19, 11:13am
Is this appetizing? You decide. Perhaps there are fans of old dead looking brown cherries here.
Doesn't look appetizing to me. Then again, I like(d) fresh cherries, but I don't care for cherry-flavored anything (danish, pie, cough drops, etc.). I'll note those don't look much different from canned (jarred) cherries I've seen in some of the goormay food stores around here. I suspect that's what happens to cherries which are not treated with a preservative to keep the red color. I'd rather go without that additive than have cherry-red canned cherries.
frugal-one
8-17-19, 8:44pm
Told a neighbor who has a Chavellier King Charles spaniel that if they ever went on vacation and needed someone to dogsit we would be available. We would enjoy the "dog fix". Well, they had all relatives going to the same venue so asked us if we would like to watch their dog. Should have known when they brought a shock collar for barking that there were issues. Our house is not open so the dog could not see out so the barking was minimized. However, he bolted just inside the door and ran... full bore! We freaked. Luckily, a neighbor who knows the dog saw him and picked him up. He called the owner and said are you guys aware that he is running loose. They said to watch for us. And, of course, we were at their house looking for the dog thinking he went home. The dog goes on furniture and sleeps with them. We do not allow that. Immediately, the dog was put on alert. He did fairly well. This has cemented our desire to no longer have a dog. We thought it would be nice to have a dog for awhile. NEVER AGAIN.
Teacher Terry
8-17-19, 9:11pm
We have a gate before our door so can’t lose our dogs or visiting ones. Dogs are people too so of course they are allowed on the furniture :))
We have a gate before our door so can’t lose our dogs or visiting ones. Dogs are people too so of course they are allowed on the furniture :))
Yeah--I don't see the point of having a dog or cat if you're going to treat it like a prisoner of war. Unless the point is control, I would suggest an aquarium.
iris lilies
8-18-19, 11:06am
Yeah--I don't see the point of having a dog or cat if you're going to treat it like a prisoner of war. Unless the point is control, I would suggest an aquarium.
Dogs do not have to get on furniture. Plenty of well loved and well cared for family pets are regulated to their own beds on the floor.
My own house would be cleaner and less smelly if dogs did not get on furniture.
cats—I won't address that. They will do what they wish to do. Our last several cats never got on the kitchen counters. Not because they were trained, but because they didnt want to.
Teacher Terry
8-18-19, 12:18pm
We had to train the big guy not to get in our bed because of my asthma and he was used to sleeping with his dad. We let him on the couch. We bought him a big comfy bed for the bedroom. He liked to snuggle on the couch with us and the little ones all 80lbs of him. It would have been mean to exclude him.
frugal-one
8-18-19, 4:15pm
Yeah--I don't see the point of having a dog or cat if you're going to treat it like a prisoner of war. Unless the point is control, I would suggest an aquarium.
The dog was given a dog bed made by SERTA. He loved it once he got used to the idea of not going on furniture. He also was allowed to sleep either on that dog bed or a chair in our bedroom. I don't think he was treated like a prisoner. He just had to respect the rules of our house. He actually was quite pleasant once he understood the rules.
The dog was given a dog bed made by SERTA. He loved it once he got used to the idea of not going on furniture. He also was allowed to sleep either on that dog bed or a chair in our bedroom. I don't think he was treated like a prisoner. He just had to respect the rules of our house. He actually was quite pleasant once he understood the rules.
Maybe having an authoritative alpha in his life made him feel secure--dogs like a hierarchy, I guess.
I've never much liked hierarchies; that's why I prefer cats.
Teacher Terry
8-18-19, 6:25pm
Little dogs are lap dogs. Mine would have been pitching a fit.
frugal-one
8-18-19, 8:28pm
Little dogs are lap dogs. Mine would have been pitching a fit.
He was still in the room in close proximity to us. He also slept on the dogbed on the floor next to the bed or in the chair near the bed. He was close enough. We have had big dogs in the past.
All in all, think our dog days are over. We will just visit with all the neighbor dogs. We don't need one of our own.
Teacher Terry
8-19-19, 12:51am
Big dogs are totally different from little ones. Everyone I know that has little ones are lap dogs and if you are sitting they are in it. Big dogs are a lot more independent.
iris lilies
8-19-19, 8:43am
Big dogs are totally different from little ones. Everyone I know that has little ones are lap dogs and if you are sitting they are in it. Big dogs are a lot more independent.
My big 60 pound dog would love to be carried around on my chest in a Snugli, you know, one of those baby carrier things. If he could live every day with his heart against my heart, he would be happy. The boy bulldogs can be such big babies. My girls were a little more independent.
My friend’s male pitbull is exactly the same. Big babies they are!
Teacher Terry
8-19-19, 1:05pm
They sound sweet IL. Noki who was 80 lb has plopped down in my lap a few times if I was sitting on the floor or snuggling on the couch. Dogs love to be cuddled.
Remember the coworker's father who just got off the boat, never paying a penny of taxes, and got Medicaid and other government freebies? First he had heart surgery, a colonoscopy and other procedures, now prostate surgery, and they think he has lung cancer which he will also get treated. Meanwhile American citizens who have paid taxes their whole lives go bankrupt because they can't afford their own medical conditions. We should take care of our own first.
Teacher Terry
8-19-19, 10:19pm
I actually owe you a apology. Because my son signed a contract saying his wife would never be on public assistance for 10 years I didn’t think this would ever happen. After much research it appears this is the first administration to follow the law and I cannot disagree with it.
iris lilies
8-19-19, 10:52pm
I actually owe you a apology. Because my son signed a contract saying his wife would never be on public assistance for 10 years I didn’t think this would ever happen. After much research it appears this is the first administration to follow the law and I cannot disagree with it.
I’m confused. What is the law that is now being followed?
iris lilies
8-19-19, 10:55pm
Remember the coworker's father who just got off the boat, never paying a penny of taxes, and got Medicaid and other government freebies? First he had heart surgery, a colonoscopy and other procedures, now prostate surgery, and they think he has lung cancer which he will also get treated. Meanwhile American citizens who have paid taxes their whole lives go bankrupt because they can't afford their own medical conditions. We should take care of our own first.
I assume the father is here legally. Would you not have him come into this country at all legally? Or would you be ok with him here, but receiving no freebies from the U.S. taxpayers?
Teacher Terry
8-19-19, 11:35pm
When you sponsor a fiancé or family member you agree you can support them for 10 years. This was 12 years ago and from what I am reading it’s now only 5 years.,
When you sponsor a fiancé or family member you agree you can support them for 10 years. This was 12 years ago and from what I am reading it’s now only 5 years.,
That's right--or at least it was right back in the 50s. My Scottish in-laws had to be sponsored when they came here.
IL he is here legally. I think his daughter who agreed to sponsor him should be purchasing an insurance policy for him, or his wife who is able-bodied should be working at a job with family benefits and covering him. There are good paying assembly jobs in the area, no standing required, with bilingual supervisors and no need for English language skills. This couple has been here a year now, have green cards so can legally work, but have done nothing but soak up taxpayer money. In the winter they only leave the house for medical appointments because they don't like cold weather. The mother is my age and the father 6 years older than me. I don't like scraping the ice off my car, shoveling snow, and heading out in the dark and cold for six months of the year either but I do it, and if I lived in another country I would do it there too.
As I may have mentioned, my projects started slow this year, but somehow in late February everyone started calling me and asking me to work for them. No complaints on that, really! I've basically executed a year's worth of projects since March and it's only mid-August. I'm now at the burn-out phase. A client emailed me just now and asked me if I had time for a meeting today to discuss a meeting tomorrow (I HATE meetings). It's my son's birthday, and we are going into Burlington to celebrate, and felt such a surge of resentment over what will probably be a 10 minute call with a long time friend/client.
I feel I need to run the rest of these projects out (I'm still engaged actively in 5 projects) for the year and not take on too many going into the fall/winter. I'm afraid if I continue to overcommit myself, which is my tendency, I will wind up sabotaging projects and losing clients which is not a good long-term strategy for me.
Thinking about the "enough" of simple living, I can always feel when I've had "enough" work--I get angry, resentful, and frustrated, and I'm really at that point now.
My husband saves seeds (wonderful, I do, too) but he saves a lot of squashes that have crossed with other squashes and I just don't want to use my squash space growing some weird tasteless thing that reverts to a door holder.
I just wish he would stop trying to save every seed that enters our life.
He is a seed hoarder.
Unless it's flowers, and then let's save them all. . .
iris lilies
8-20-19, 3:13pm
When you sponsor a fiancé or family member you agree you can support them for 10 years. This was 12 years ago and from what I am reading it’s now only 5 years.,
But in jeppy’s example, the father-guy is here far more recently than 5 years.
perhaps this is a special program he is on?
iris lilies
8-20-19, 3:45pm
I am continuing to hate, Loathe, and despise Obamacare rules.
DH is Three months away from jumping on to Medicare. We cannot get a straight answer from Obamacare phone drones about what documentation they require to show he has a household income. We are on our third go ‘round of documents, and phone calls.
According to Obamacare drones, DH is poor because he has no Earned or pension income. It’s difficult for them to think outside of the box and maybe the regulations don’t cover outside the box, I do not know.
I may end up hiring an expert in this field and paying them an hourly fee just to push this through. Or if worst comes to worst, we will just buy private insurance (paying big money for it) and get coverage for three months. I want catastrophic coverage to protect my assets. That’s what we need right now.
I THINK we have the idiotic Obamacare situation under control. After several weeks of phone calls and various directives, we sent the final document that seems to satisfy the Obamabacare drones.
DH has exactly the same income today that he had when he was covered by Obamacare 4 months ago: $0. So 4 months ago he was a-ok to have 0 income, but now he is not. We file income taxes jointly where all of the Obamacare subsidies are hammered out.
aye carumba, all we want is health insurance coverage until September 30. Then he will get Medicare coverage. How much subsidy we are ultimately allowed will be determined around April 15 of next year, and the subsidy is less of a concern than having health insurance coverage.
Teacher Terry
8-20-19, 5:16pm
IL, lots of people are getting free stuff that they are not entitled to. I argued with her in a different thread not believing it. When I did research it appears that the other administrations just turned a blind eye. Now the law is being enforced.
Medicaid does not count as government support for new non-citizens, at least not in blue states. The states administer the program. In Massachusetts it is called MassHealth
Something that sounds like a chainsaw has been whining and groaning off and on for two days. They could have cut down a forest by now. Two layers of ear protection isn't working. Please take your f-ing instrument of torture and and go away,
I would consider any expenditures on behalf of immigrants as a wise investment, personally. At least they're not likely to hoard the money in offshore accounts.
Teacher Terry
8-20-19, 8:26pm
Immigrants that come without a sponsor do deserve benefits to get established and it’s expected. The immigrants that are sponsored and someone signed a document stating that they will support them for x number of years and had to send paperwork showing that they can afford to do not deserve benefits. The sponsor has agreed to support them.
The daughter did agree to sponsor her parents but is not doing so. The formula is if over 50% of support is from her they can still get some government benefits, but for someone so sick most of his living expenses are medical not housing. The calculation does not take this into account but is one size fits all.
I can see supporting refugees, but these are economic migrants.
There is also some logic in extending higher education benefits to dreamers who will spend a lifetime contributing to the economy. Chain migration for older, sicker individuals is another story. I hope Trump succeeds in cracking down on this type of abuse of our immigration system.
Immigrants that come without a sponsor do deserve benefits to get established and it’s expected. The immigrants that are sponsored and someone signed a document stating that they will support them for x number of years and had to send paperwork showing that they can afford to do not deserve benefits. The sponsor has agreed to support them.
Sponsorship law changed and was dropped in 1964. We immigrated in '61. I only learned of this change when I spent 1/2 day in the Holocaust Museum several years ago. I had no idea it was no longer required nor that the annual "quota" law had also been dropped. It took us 6y to immigrate!
Sponsorship is alive and well. It was not dropped, it just is not being enforced consistently. They did deny Food Stamps to the couple, stating that the daughter sponsored them and should be feeding them for 5 years. Yet their more expensive medical treatment is at taxpayer expense.
Teacher Terry
8-20-19, 9:09pm
Yes Yppej is correct. My son sponsored his fiancée 10 years ago and it was for 10 years. It appears it’s shorter now.
I am having so much anxiety about all the money regarding this house we bought; I vacillate between excitement and abject panic just about every other hour. This weekend is move-in, and the electrician has been there working on some issues and now it seems a new electrical issue just cropped up in that the power between the kitchen wall and the bathroom suddenly isn't working. It was working this morning when I was there, so I don't know if he blew a breaker or something while he was working on the bathroom or what. I've been in the gallery all day so K. is going up there to check on things.
The new roof over the studio room just cost us about a $1000....the electrician quoted $680 for all the stuff he was doing today. I just hope this latest thing turns out to be minor.
Please help me not panic too much! I've spent $5350 in the last three weeks and as a money hoarder it feels so foreign and bizarre!
mschrisgo2
8-24-19, 11:34pm
SiouzQ, does it help if you remind yourself that you saved the money so you could spend it on something special someday, And this house is your Special?
Really, your expenditures don’t sound extravagant at all, all pretty normal. And I’m impressed if the entire roof problem was solved with only $1K.
I wonder if your anxiety is not only about spending, but also about spending on a joint project with a romantic partner. That takes trust and involves a certain loss of control.
Yes. And yes. It's all those things, and also the way I perceive money in my mind. When we first started this venture K. asked how much money I would be comfortable putting in up front, and I looked at my savings and very easily said around $6000. I think what freaks me out is seeing the endless list of charges for a hundred here, several hundred there, paying the roofer, electrician, etc, etc. So it's that old cliche', "it never seems to end!"
The house is looking really beautiful - the living room and dining area are mostly done and the furnishings are in. We still want to paint one of the walls a rich pumpkin accent color but we'll wait until the proverbial dust settles a little. I am still not all the way moved in and our bed hasn't been delivered yet so we've been sleeping in the loft.
I'm going to try and post some photos a little later.
iris lilies
9-29-19, 2:16pm
Fkng thieves around here.
I am having some, errr, problems in getting a routine down about using our garage and the garage opener. Before my latest car purchase, I always parked on the street and I didn’t mess around with our garage. But now I park new car in garage and have to deal with the opener. Anyway –
I am mistakenly opening the garage door when I don’t intend it to be open and that allows any thieves walking down the alley, and there are a lot of them each day, to dart in and steal something. Our weed whacker is missing so likely it was stolen in the last couple of weeks.
That is a bummer, IL!! It sucks getting robbed.
Dare I say blame Trump for enabling you to buy the car that creates the need for the garage door opener that attracts the local thieves to steal the other items in your garage?:D
iris lilies
9-29-19, 3:19pm
Dare I say blame Trump for enabling you to buy the car that creates the need for the garage door opener that attracts the local thieves to steal the other items in your garage?:D
Damn that Trump!
Damn that Trump!
What a satanically devious redistribution program. I always knew Trump was a Democrat at heart.
What a satanically devious redistribution program. I always knew Trump was a Democrat at heart.
Love it!:D
+1
LOL, razz, IL and LDAHL...:~)
Teacher Terry
10-1-19, 1:24pm
Because we have 1 car garages because the houses are old most people park in their driveway. If you forget to lock your door things are being stolen. Luckily we never forget and don’t leave valuables in the cars.
Teacher Terry, here in the downtown area it is sometimes cheaper to leave the car unlocked. Otherwise, the window is broken to riffle thru the car. But the best deterrent is to leave zero things out in a car that is left outside.
Packages are a big item for theft. But our neighbor's package was just opened and left since the thief did not apparently want underwear.
Teacher Terry
10-1-19, 4:20pm
My ex did that when he worked in a bad neighborhood in Milwaukee. We can’t do that because we go over the mountains in winter and have gear in the trunk. We also have a dog car seat and CD’s in the car. It’s doubtful anyone wants that stuff but the car seat was expensive. So far it’s been people not locking or leaving stuff in the bed of their truck.
iris lilies
10-1-19, 5:56pm
I don’t leave things in the car because that’s asking for it, but I sometimes leave the car unlocked mistakenly when I’m wrangling dogs.
Almost every time I leave the car unlocked, there is evidence the next morning that someone has opened the car door and rifled through it.
Teacher Terry
10-1-19, 6:19pm
That would really get old IL and totally understand why you are moving. So sad that your neighborhood has been ruined.
That my town road agent or someone is not well organized and does lousy planning!
Earlier this year they cut ditches across our road in several places to apparently put in new culverts or something. Then they filled in the ditches and marked the edges with cones on each side. They did this in about 5 places.
Then they did Nothing? And apparently planned to just leave it til next spring. They’d used the allocated materials and manpower I guess, so needed to order more and the budget to turn over.
Several of us complained.
So this week started with the entire town’s road crew out there, and we now live on a dirt road, 6 or 8 inches of the stuff. They’re working really hard to give us a single, flat road surface. God only knows what it will be like with ice on it, or with frost heaves, or just 3” of asst snow and ice?
I can't stand it when I see people driving while texting on their phone. It makes me wish I had one of those flashing red lights you can put on the top of your car and pull them over. I would then take my hammer and smash their phone. :devil:
frugal-one
10-4-19, 4:43pm
Totally don't get women who leave their purse in the cart and walk away. Happened 2x today. I spoke up. They looked at ME like I was nuts! Jeez... moronic.
iris lilies
10-4-19, 5:20pm
Totally don't get women who leave their purse in the cart and walk away. Happened 2x today. I spoke up. They looked at ME like I was nuts! Jeez... moronic.
Yes, that is dumb. I can’t imagine doing that in any shopping cart in the St. Louis region.
I got quite mad at my mother in law who just turned around and left her purse in her cart while she wandered down the grocery store aisle. I think she had assumed that I would watch it but did not warn me that was needed.
I knew the horrible fall out if someone stole it. She did not speak to me for awhile but now wears a smaller purse with a cross body strap so it does not fall off.
Totally don't get women who leave their purse in the cart and walk away. Happened 2x today. I spoke up. They looked at ME like I was nuts! Jeez... moronic.
When I do something like that (I'm sure I have left my purse the cart while I walked down the aisle at some point in my life), MY peeve is when people chide me about it. My thought is, "what's it to you?" Sweetana's case is a little different because it's her MIL and she's looking out for her, but for a stranger to comment on something I have no problem with, I think to myself, MYOB.
iris lilies
10-5-19, 9:14am
When I do something like that (I'm sure I have left my purse the cart while I walked down the aisle at some point in my life), MY peeve is when people chide me about it. My thought is, "what's it to you?" Sweetana's case is a little different because it's her MIL and she's looking out for her, but for a stranger to comment on something I have no problem with, I think to myself, MYOB.
I have a story about this from my youth. I was in graduate school and I left my bag on the table in the big
University library. I never had anything of worth in the bag, that’s why I didn’t worry about it. It was Library policy (I didn’t know it) for them to seize unattended purses and bags and take them to their security office.
So, when I came back to the table my purse was gone. I asked library employee about it and they said yeah it’s in the security office but that’s now locked up for the weekend. It was Friday night. I couldn’t get my bag until Monday morning. So that was annoying! I think the only thing that was a problem with a key to get into my room and it was in a dorm so there were other ways to get in.
But yeah, annoying. I don’t know if it was concern for theft that prompted the policy or if it was concern about explosive devices in unattended bags.Probably both.
I have a story about this from my youth. I was in graduate school and I left my bag on the table in the big
University library. I never had anything of worth in the bag, that’s why I didn’t worry about it. It was Library policy (I didn’t know it) for them to seize unattended purses and bags and take them to their security office.
So, when I came back to the table my purse was gone. I asked library employee about it and they said yeah it’s in the security office but that’s now locked up for the weekend. It was Friday night. I couldn’t get my bag until Monday morning. So that was annoying! I think the only thing that was a problem with a key to get into my room and it was in a dorm so there were other ways to get in.
But yeah, annoying. I don’t know if it was concern for theft that prompted the policy or if it was concern about explosive devices in unattended bags.Probably both.
Interestingly, I have had my wallet and/or pocketbook stolen about 4 times (in my 20s, working in NYC), and EVERY time, my wallet was on me, or at arm's length. It was never when I had left it alone. I'm not saying that you should just leave your purse unattended, but having it on you is no guarantee it's safe, either.
I think Golde Hawn said something like, "I would rather trust people and risk losing something than live my life in fear and suspicion."
iris lilies
10-5-19, 10:02am
Interestingly, I have had my wallet and/or pocketbook stolen about 4 times (in my 20s, working in NYC), and EVERY time, my wallet was on me, or at arm's length. It was never when I had left it alone. I'm not saying that you should just leave your purse unattended, but having it on you is no guarantee it's safe, either.
I think Golde Hawn said something like, "I would rather trust people and risk losing something than live my life in fear and suspicion."
Well, but there’s reasonable caution and in a high crime area like St. Louis you’re just asking for it if you dont exercise it.
There’s a post on our neighborhood’s Nextdoor this week from a woman who lives in the housing projects area a block from me. She’s complaining that her car was broken into and bags of clothing and cell phone were stolen.
There’s not one comment or not one “like” Acknowledgment to this post. I think it’s because people are rolling their eyes thinking lady, you dumb ass, you left electronics in your car? Duh!
frugal-one
10-5-19, 12:50pm
Interestingly, I have had my wallet and/or pocketbook stolen about 4 times (in my 20s, working in NYC), and EVERY time, my wallet was on me, or at arm's length. It was never when I had left it alone. I'm not saying that you should just leave your purse unattended, but having it on you is no guarantee it's safe, either.
I think Golde Hawn said something like, "I would rather trust people and risk losing something than live my life in fear and suspicion."
I never thought Goldie Hawn was too bright. There is such a thing as being too naive! .. or stupid!
In the store I referred to earlier, they at one time, had pictures on the doors where you walked in with surveillance cameras showing people's purses being snatched.
Recently, an elderly woman thanked me for reminding her. She immediately put her purse on her shoulder. But in thinking about Catherine's comment, she is right. I shouldn't worry others.
I'm a big fan of cross-body bags, for many reasons.
[/B]
I never thought Goldie Hawn was too bright. There is such a thing as being too naive! .. or stupid!
That's just her way... to be honest, I'm a little naive or stupid, too. I do lock my car if I have something valuable in it, but not if I don't, and I rarely lock my house. I do approach every day life with a certain degree of naivety, but maybe because I kind of subscribe to Janis Joplin's "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." I do have things that I have attachments to, but for the most part, I don't want to own much of anything I'd be upset to lose.
I had a computer stolen out of my car in Vermont and never let it ruin the trip I was on with the kids. I lost a diamond in a my garden, and didn't spend much time looking for it. It's just a rock. And when I lost my wallets and purse in New York, in every case but one, the burglar stole money and then threw the wallet/purse in the mailbox, and I got them back. So you could say they were nice burgler. :)
I've never owned a security system or one of those car steering wheel locks. In my mind, they're more trouble than they're worth. I lock the doors at night just for peace of mind, but if I go out, "they can steal the rugs from the floor, that's OK by me, cuz the things that I prize, like the stars in the skies all are free."
iris lilies
10-5-19, 4:15pm
That's just her way... to be honest, I'm a little naive or stupid, too. I do lock my car if I have something valuable in it, but not if I don't, and I rarely lock my house. I do approach every day life with a certain degree of naivety, but maybe because I kind of subscribe to Janis Joplin's "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." I do have things that I have attachments to, but for the most part, I don't want to own much of anything I'd be upset to lose.
I had a computer stolen out of my car in Vermont and never let it ruin the trip I was on with the kids. I lost a diamond in a my garden, and didn't spend much time looking for it. It's just a rock. And when I lost my wallets and purse in New York, in every case but one, the burglar stole money and then threw the wallet/purse in the mailbox, and I got them back. So you could say they were nice burgler. :)
I've never owned a security system or one of those car steering wheel locks. In my mind, they're more trouble than they're worth. I lock the doors at night just for peace of mind, but if I go out, "they can steal the rugs from the floor, that's OK by me, cuz the things that I prize, like the stars in the skies all are free."
That’s all very nice, but I wonder if you would act that way if you lived in a high crime neighborhood like mine.
The one time our house was burglarized I can assure you that what they took was the least of it. They ran in and grabbed the TV and left. The Expensive, annoying, and time-consuming problem was that they kicked in the back door —it was a steel door mind you— it came off the frame and then the entire frame had to be fixed. If I’d had to hire that done that would’ve been a job that was well over $1000. Fortunately that was something that DH can fix. Unfortunately he was getting ready to go out of town that afternoon so he boarded up the doorway so that no one could get in or out including me, and I had to use the front door for several days.
Guess the lesson here so I should leave all my doors unlocked when I’m gone. Hmmmm.
ApatheticNoMore
10-5-19, 4:16pm
I've sometimes left my wallet in my cart, I leave my door unlocked sometimes, I have packages delivered to my address when I'm not home unless they are high value. Nothing has ever gotten stolen that way. Ok really the only theft I've ever encountered other than some fraudulent attempts on a credit card, is there was awhile that people liked to break into my car, maybe partly because at that place it was in the back where it wasn't visible, maybe because I got some expensive radios on advice once and they got stolen a few times. It's been over a decade. I don't have expensive radios, my car is no longer in the back, it doesn't get broken into.
I DO have a car steering wheel lock, I don't want a car stolen, that's big money and a big pain, even though I have some theft insurance on it so I wouldn't take the full hit.
iris lilies
10-5-19, 4:42pm
I've sometimes left my wallet in my cart, I leave my door unlocked sometimes, I have packages delivered to my address when I'm not home unless they are high value. Nothing has ever gotten stolen that way. Ok really the only theft I've ever encountered other than some fraudulent attempts on a credit card, is there was awhile that people liked to break into my car, maybe partly because at that place it was in the back where it wasn't visible, maybe because I got some expensive radios on advice once and they got stolen a few times. It's been over a decade. I don't have expensive radios, my car is no longer in the back, it doesn't get broken into.
I DO have a car steering wheel lock, I don't want a car stolen, that's big money and a big pain, even though I have some theft insurance on it so I wouldn't take the full hit.
We’ve had a car stolen too. It was a giant pain. We didn’t have any insurance on it other than liability (of course) and that’s fine because we can take the hit. This was one of those times where I didn’t put the club on because I was wrangling dogs. Anyway DH found our car parked about a mile away. He had been driving up and down streets looking for it for a few days because that was The criminals did—Steal the car. Dump it soon after.
That was more than $1000 in repairs to the steering column. It’s kind of interesting adventure because even though we made a police report, the police did not find the car, we did. And then when we found the car we had to call the police because it was registered as a stolen vehicle and we dare not drive it because they might pick us up in this “stolen vehicle” Ha ha. They sent the police van that helps victims get cars with damaged steering columns started, but that technician was unable to help our car. So DH went home got his tool kit and came back and got the car started. He Was definitely the hero in this saga.
Sorry ILfor all the hassle. We had something similar happen. They stole the car at 2:30pm on a Sunday afternoon and the police found it about a mile or so north of our house with a liquor bottle in it. Husband was so sad. He had already picked out the new car and was going to buy it the next day. Thankfully they just ran it out of gas.
Teacher Terry
10-5-19, 5:05pm
I have always locked my door even in the 70’s in a town of 2k. Besides stealing you could come home and have someone in your house. I can’t imagine not looking for a diamond ring in my garden. We have only had one package stolen. We have a small porch with a gate attached to the front and most people put the package there and it’s really not noticed. I wouldn’t live in a high crime area. Because our big dog is gone and my husband will be gone for a month we bought SimpliSafe security system.
frugal-one
10-5-19, 6:48pm
Lately there have been a number of thefts of vehicles in the county. Mostly people leaving the keys in the car. Or, people leaving their cars unlocked with the garage door openers inside. Then, the thieves have access to the house too (if garage is attached). My motto is to err on the side of caution. I always lock my car. One time I was unloading Christmas gifts and groceries and ran into the house. There were people jumping out of their car to grab what was in my open trunk. I could not believe it! They did not get anything thankfully. I have even locked my car in the garage (not intentionally). It is automatic with me.
I routinely lock my car wherever I go, lock the car in the garage, double check that the garage door has descended when I leave and do a tour of the three doors before leaving the house and each evening to ensure that they are properly locked. To me this is common sense, nothing more. I also do a quick tour that the stove is turned off, my cell phone is on the charger, any perishable food is in the fridge, and make sure that nothing is left unattended. Again, this is common sense.
If I place my purse in the shopping cart, I have the straps wrapped around my wrist and the opening zipped up. Is common sense not really as common as I thought?
Honesty compels me to edit and add that I have forgotten each of these steps on occasion. Usually an interruption of the routine is all it takes.
Only 5% of theft actually involves a break-in.
How hard it is to get a repair person to call back never mind do a small residential job. A national handyman chain could do a booming business in this area.
How hard it is to get a repair person to call back never mind do a small residential job. A national handyman chain could do a booming business in this area.
I hear ya. It has been IMPOSSIBLE to get people--plumbers, carpenters, electricians--up here to do work, and then when we finally get one, they want to do what they want to do. I have a mess of power strips in my pantry and I asked an electrician, who was here for another thing, to sort it out and install a socket, and his response was, "This is just a camp. This isn't a real house. You don't need to have it perfect." And I told him, "This isn't a 'camp' to us. This is our home." But he didn't take the job.
Our plumber installed an outdoor shower, but it was the cheapest way possible, with serious aesthetic flaws. But I was afraid to argue, because it took me months to get him there to do it.
That’s all very nice, but I wonder if you would act that way if you lived in a high crime neighborhood like mine.
You're right. I think I am slightly naive, but not THAT naive. Up here in the middle of nowhere I'm more afraid of encountering a raccoon than a thief.
I do recall one thing that was stolen that I was really upset about, and it also makes my point that security is an illusion. My DH never gave me a diamond engagement ring because I already had one that I inherited (the one that I later lost in the garden). He gave me diamond earrings instead.
I'm not good about taking care of things, but on a whim one day while at work I thought, "I should get these earrings cleaned." So I took them to the jeweler near work, and they said they'd get back to me in a few days.
Well, few days went by, and then a week and then two, so I called them. They guy who answered said, "Let me get the owner." The owner told me that the store had been broken into one night and jewelry had been stolen, and my earrings were among those things taken from the store. They had gotten the criminal--a drug dealer from Paterson, NJ--but the jewelry, what was left of it, was tied up in the trial as evidence. She didn't know if my earrings were among the things recovered.
I waited months for the trial to be over, and I got a call from the local police saying that they had my earrings. I was overjoyed! I hadn't told DH about this at all, not wanting to upset him. When I went to pick them up, the cop handed me a box with earrings, and confirmed that they weren't my earrings--my earrings had never been recovered--but the jeweler was "replacing in kind." Well, no way were these earrings anything like mine. Plus they had none of the sentimental value of mine. I was so disappointed.
Here I thought I did the right thing--bringing them to a reputable jeweler. They were as safe as could be, I thought, but they were stolen anyway.
A lot of times our sense of security is based on illusion, or bias, or prejudice. Things happen. More kids are killed in swimming pools than by gunfire. So I'll accept that life is capricious, and I'll take reasonable caution, but earrings in a safe place doesn't mean they're safe, and leaving your bag in a vulnerable place doesn't mean it will get stolen. That's life.
But, I will never again buy good jewelry.
That my town road agent or someone is not well organized and does lousy planning!
Earlier this year they cut ditches across our road in several places to apparently put in new culverts or something. Then they filled in the ditches and marked the edges with cones on each side. They did this in about 5 places.
Then they did Nothing? And apparently planned to just leave it til next spring. They’d used the allocated materials and manpower I guess, so needed to order more and the budget to turn over.
Several of us complained.
So this week started with the entire town’s road crew out there, and we now live on a dirt road, 6 or 8 inches of the stuff. They’re working really hard to give us a single, flat road surface. God only knows what it will be like with ice on it, or with frost heaves, or just 3” of asst snow and ice?
------
One of our neighbors wrote a letter to the town, complaining. And it got results.
I take it back. What they did was lay the dirt for a new roadbed.
They repaved our entire road!
Never underestimate the power of speaking up and saying something! It's a characteristic that neither my husband or I are good at remembering.
catherine
10-10-19, 12:39pm
DH and DS had a conversation with my dear BIL yesterday. We very seldom hear from him out there in sunny San Diego, where apparently you don't need a job to be able to spend a lot of money. This is a vent... as DH told DS: let's push a few of Mom's buttons...
He left NJ April 16 with $90k. He STILL doesn't have a job, and I know it's because he has put very little effort into it. His friend, who encouraged his move out there, actually drove him around to 7 golf courses job-hunting. If he hadn't driven him, BIL wouldn't have done it. When I called him in May to ask him about the job situation, he told me he's waiting for my son to edit his resume... this is the type of thinking that I've lived with for many years now.
I heard chilling details:... his friend won't talk to him anymore. His other friend, whose ex-wife BIL came on to not-very-discreetly, won't talk to him anymore. His bartender and all the barflies thinks he's rich (read: big tips. big shot. paying for rounds, etc.). He doesn't want to talk to me because I'm the "bad guy" who will only ask him about his work situation.
I see about 12-18 months of this behavior before he has another nervous breakdown because he'll, once again, be broke. No job. No SS credits to speak of. No money. No home.
Yes, this is a rant, but it's also a fear for him and his passive self-implosion. Such a waste. I think of that money, and how my MIL stood on her feet for hours and hours for decades to earn it, one crappy 9-5 day at a time, at near-minimum wage as a retail sales clerk, and this is what it has come to.
"Them that's got shall get. Them that's not shall lose."
iris lilies
10-10-19, 4:05pm
Ah. I was wondering how the BIL situation was. It’s as bad as it could be, I guess.
I'm sorry to hear it's come to that, expected as it was.
Does he qualify for ss at all? Something is better than nothing. How old is he?
It doesn't sound like there is much you can do.
When I hear people say, it's only money, or act like people are money grubbing and coarse because they pay attention to money, I think of stories like this, of your mil working so hard and leaving money for her kids, and then this happening.
Such a deep disrespect for someone else's life energy, and for his own, too.
catherine
10-10-19, 5:04pm
Such a deep disrespect for someone else's life energy, and for his own, too.
Absolutely.
rosarugosa
10-10-19, 6:20pm
Sorry to hear this Catherine and hope he doesn't end up on your doorstep.
Teacher Terry
10-10-19, 6:59pm
Time to apply for SSI for poor people and low income senior housing.
catherine
10-10-19, 7:09pm
Time to apply for SSI for poor people and low income senior housing.
After living in a $450k house in a desirable suburb for $350/mo and charging $15/lb brie to his mother's Discover card and running to the convenience store every morning for coffee and a $5 copy of the NYT rather than making his own coffee and looking up the news online, he is going to crash and burn. It will not be pretty. As DS said, it's sad.
iris lilies
10-10-19, 7:11pm
Time to apply for SSI for poor people and low income senior housing.
How does Catherine’s brother-in-law qualify for SSI?
Teacher Terry
10-10-19, 9:45pm
SSI is for poor people that don’t qualify for regular Ss and it’s a small amount.
I see about 12-18 months of this behavior before he has another nervous breakdown because he'll, once again, be broke. No job. No SS credits to speak of. No money. No home.
Please tell us you're committed to your life and will NOT allow him to move back in with you. Enough is enough.
iris lilies
10-11-19, 12:09am
SSI is for poor people that don’t qualify for regular Ss and it’s a small amount.
So, he doesn't have to be 65, blind, or disabled? These qualifications are listed all over the Google articles about SSI.
Teacher Terry
10-11-19, 12:12pm
It sounds to me like he has a disability based on what Catherine has said. Yes SSI is for poor people that meet this other criteria. I don’t have to look it up because I know it but forget that others probably don’t. If he doesn’t have a diagnosis he can probably get one.
It sounds to me like he has a disability based on what Catherine has said. Yes SSI is for poor people that meet this other criteria. I don’t have to look it up because I know it but forget that others probably don’t. If he doesn’t have a diagnosis he can probably get one.Oh we all know that people can collect SSI based upon a disability. I think the question is 'What makes you think Catherine's brother is disabled rather than just uninspired by responsibility?'
Teacher Terry
10-11-19, 12:27pm
If I remember correctly I thought she said he had a intellectual disability. It could be he’s just lazy and then will have to wait for age 65.
I like the idea of getting on the waiting list for affordable senior housing. I think he can do that while still having some money in the bank.
iris lilies
10-11-19, 1:24pm
It sounds to me like he has a disability based on what Catherine has said. Yes SSI is for poor people that meet this other criteria. I don’t have to look it up because I know it but forget that others probably don’t. If he doesn’t have a diagnosis he can probably get one.
OK, this bolded above signals the meat of this discussion.
Here is where your expertise can enlighten us : what is involved with this guy of California citizenry getting a diagnosis that meets the criteria for “disabled? “
My uneducated internet-random-person’s opinion is that there IS an intellectual disability here with the BIL, a mild one. Not only does he have trouble with executive function, he showed evidence of some kind of learning impairment when his brother tried to explain classwork from the community college course to him.This latter experience could be explained by the BIL never having to challenge his brain, so he doesn’t have practice at it. Or maybe he cant grasp abstract concepts. Or something.
How would this show up on any test? What test would he be given? Can he hire a tester who would be more friendly to his case? Are California testers generally more lenient then elsewhere because California?
I am interested in the whole testing process which you know about.
Teacher Terry
10-11-19, 3:51pm
The testing is done by a psychologist and would include IQ testing. If his IQ is below 70 he would qualify. He could also examined for a MI but it would need to be fairly severe to qualify. A LD probably won’t do it. SS makes their own determination based on medical records. Testing is straight forward and are facts. You can’t like someone so diagnose them with a ID if that’s not the facts. Strict criteria is required and isn’t different between states. I based my comments on what Catherine said but for all I know he doesn’t have a disability.
catherine
10-11-19, 6:02pm
Oh we all know that people can collect SSI based upon a disability. I think the question is 'What makes you think Catherine's brother is disabled rather than just uninspired by responsibility?'
I feel it's 75% the latter and 25% the former. I think my MIL stunted his functional growth by enabling the heck out him, but the reason he's not working is because he can avoid it for the time being. And, truthfully, there is a limit to his skill set. His intellectual disability is that he really has no clue about life in general, and he missed out on opportunities to learn job skills--even his basic computer skills are dismal. Last April, I had to teach him (for the 5th time) how to attach a word document to an email.
I think applying for senior affordable housing is the best idea. I was pushing him to invest his money in a cheap mobile home in a cheap place like Florida. I told him a million times as long as he has a car and a roof over his head, he'll be fine, but now I'm afraid he'll blow through the money that could give him at least that.
I am worried that he will have just enough money to get back to you and your DH who will not be able to say no to him when he comes looking for support. It has worked so far after your MIL died and it will work again unless you make some very different decisions regarding BIL in your life. A size of a small house is not enough defence as he will want to sleep on your sofa. He is as smart as he needs to be to survive.
iris lilies
10-11-19, 8:07pm
I am worried that he will have just enough money to get back to you and your DH who will not be able to say no to him when he comes looking for support. It has worked so far after your MIL died and it will work again unless you make some very different decisions regarding BIL in your life. A size of a small house is not enough defence as he will want to sleep on your sofa. He is as smart as he needs to be to survive.
My fear as well
Teacher Terry
10-13-19, 1:46pm
It might be time for your husband to attend Alanon meetings to learn how not to be co-dependent. We went through this for years with my middle son who has a drug addiction. He has been homeless more than once and is now. Both my ex and I will talk to him on the phone but have made it clear he can’t live with either of us and we are done sending money. It’s heartbreaking and the hardest thing either of us has ever had to do.
catherine
10-27-19, 9:50am
I lost 2.5 years of my life.
By MISTAKE, I upgraded to Sierra. I got daily notifications to upgrade, and I constantly chose "Remind me tomorrow" because there was no option for "Stop harassing me." I must have clicked on the wrong choice when I was in a hurry, because when I rebooted my computer, all the wheels started turning and now I'm in Sierra.
I do have iCloud, so thank God I didn't lose anything, but my journal, which I have written in since 1964, over the past years was captured on an app called DayOne. Well, it seems that the computer restored stuff and it wiped out everything after March 2017 (previous data is in an exported format on a separate computer).
I don't write for publication. I don't even write for someone to read about me when I'm gone. I write to feel and to put words to my feelings. So, really, I suppose it's not a huge deal, although I was really upset yesterday.
The other reason I write is to timestamp life events. Thankfully, I haven't used my journal that much for that lately because I do so much writing on this forum as well as other discussion boards.
But what a bummer!!!! Rereading old journals has helped me dust off the past and put my feelings in perspective. Through it, I see how time warps the reality of the past. It has served a good purpose for me. I hate having lost feelings around losing my dog, having two of my grandchildren, buying the house in Grand Isle, going through a rough winter last year. But so be it.
iris lilies
10-27-19, 9:53am
Oh catherine, I’m sorry to hear that!
Not surprisingly to some of you, I use this site as kind of a life journal. I often go back and read my past posts to see what I was reading back then, what I was thinking back then etc.
The testing is done by a psychologist and would include IQ testing. If his IQ is below 70 he would qualify. He could also examined for a MI but it would need to be fairly severe to qualify. A LD probably won’t do it. SS makes their own determination based on medical records. Testing is straight forward and are facts. You can’t like someone so diagnose them with a ID if that’s not the facts. Strict criteria is required and isn’t different between states. I based my comments on what Catherine said but for all I know he doesn’t have a disability.
What is to stop a person smart enough to know what the wrong answers are to deliberately flunk the IQ test in order to get disability?
I am more and more of the opinion we should scrap all our social welfare programs and go with UBI. There are people so beaten down by life they can't deal with the paperwork and bureaucracy to get benefits they deserve, including mentally ill people living on the streets, and undeserving people who through persistence or a good lawyer get benefits they don't deserve. UBI for all citizens would avoid these problems, though I think create others, like addicts having more money to OD with.
catherine
10-27-19, 10:15am
I am more and more of the opinion we should scrap all our social welfare programs and go with UBI. There are people so beaten down by life they can't deal with the paperwork and bureaucracy to get benefits they deserve, including mentally ill people living on the streets, and undeserving people who through persistence or a good lawyer get benefits they don't deserve. UBI for all citizens would avoid these problems, though I think create others, like addicts having more money to OD with.
You make great points. You are right that the bureaucracy is daunting even to the mentally able. UBI levels the playing field, takes away the social stigma of benefiting from certain programs, and also helps transition people from a manufacturing economy to a new world economy, which we are on the brink of, frankly. At least that's Andrew Yang's argument.
iris lilies
10-27-19, 10:47am
What is to stop a person smart enough to know what the wrong answers are to deliberately flunk the IQ test in order to get disability?
I am more and more of the opinion we should scrap all our social welfare programs and go with UBI. There are people so beaten down by life they can't deal with the paperwork and bureaucracy to get benefits they deserve, including mentally ill people living on the streets, and undeserving people who through persistence or a good lawyer get benefits they don't deserve. UBI for all citizens would avoid these problems, though I think create others, like addicts having more money to OD with.
Of course.When Teacher Terry says those test scores are absolutes, well, I dont think so.
It is true that there is an absolute number resulting from a testing situation, but does that number accurately reflect what the test is intended to measure? Yes, No, and maybe, depending on the circumstances.
Sure, ideally UBI removes obstacles in dealing with the gubmnt bureaucracy that hands out resources. I just dont understand how ya’ll expect, for instance, catherine’s BIL to live the last 10 days of the month when he blew his UBI check during the first 20 days. And his rent is due on the 25 of the month.
That is why the gifts from Nanny G are item specific—EBT benefits are for food and only food. Senior housing gives you a roof and only a roof. Bus vouchers work only on the bus, not UBERing to the gambling parlor. Medicare benefits treat your health and only your health. Etc.
catherine
10-27-19, 10:56am
Oh catherine, I’m sorry to hear that!
Not surprisingly to some of you, I use this site as kind of a life journal. I often go back and read my past posts to see what I was reading back then, what I was thinking back then etc.
Yes, I do have a lot of data about my life right here, so hopefully Alan keeps paying the bill and the site doesn't go down! :)
Teacher Terry
10-27-19, 11:27am
First of all having a IQ of 70 or below really cannot be faked. The psychologist could tell from talking to you that it wasn’t so. I don’t think you understand what it really means to have that low of intelligence. Most people have too much pride to do that but regardless it wouldn’t work. Some people that end up on disability have made good money and their payment is based on that so only getting a thousand a month wouldn’t be fair. There are agencies that help people with the paperwork. 30 years ago it was easy to get disability but now it’s ridiculously hard unless you have a terminal illness.
catherine
10-27-19, 11:33am
Regarding BIL, his IQ is definitely above 70, but he isn't bright enough to figure out how to fake it. Plus there is no way he would think about doing this, and there is no way I would ever say "You're probably going to qualify for benefits because you're cognitively disabled." To an earlier point, He has two issues: he has never learned the ways of the world thanks to his mother infantilizing him for 40+ years, plus he's lazy. Those are his only disabilities.
IL, you are generally right about the specificity of benefits, but there are individuals and stores that participate in EBT fraud. In my area the rate is $1.00 in EBT for 50 cents in cash. Welfare phones are also resold.
IL, you are generally right about the specificity of benefits, but there are individuals and stores that participate in EBT fraud. In my area the rate is $1.00 in EBT for 50 cents in cash. Welfare phones are also resold.
My brother in law has done a nice little side line business in buying and selling EBT cards over the past dozen or so years. He sold his first couple of free phones for cash and then was surprised to find he couldn't get another after "losing" more than one in a several week period. Frankly, it surprised me too, the checks and balances on that system were better than I expected.
I am more and more of the opinion we should scrap all our social welfare programs and go with UBI. There are people so beaten down by life they can't deal with the paperwork and bureaucracy to get benefits they deserve, including mentally ill people living on the streets, and undeserving people who through persistence or a good lawyer get benefits they don't deserve. UBI for all citizens would avoid these problems, though I think create others, like addicts having more money to OD with.
I tend to agree with you. When I read about all the limitations of what things like SNAP benefits can be spent on, etc, I just think to myself, "surely these people are in the best position to know what they need to be spending money on. Selling one's SNAP benefit at $.50 on the dollar because one perceives some other need to be more important than food is probably only done because some other need really is more urgent than food. The only winner in that situation is the person that bought that SNAP benefit at a sharp discount. And it also infantalizes the person receiving benefits from the government program by assuming that they are too stupid to be able to make rational decisions on their own behalf.
This is the second day on a row I have tried to find out what an eye appointment would cost me. Neither the providers nor my insurance company can tell me. They are still working on it. My insurer outsourced customer service to another insurer but did not provide them with rate information so even though I have the CPT billing codes I cannot get the information I want which I am entitled to by state law.
iris lilies
12-1-19, 1:39pm
Here is a rant, and I hope no one gets hurt in the process, haha:
I love white kitchens and think they are classic, and I also think white/ ivory/cream kitchen cabinets in a traditional style are entirely appropriate for my Victorian city house and my Hermann cottage.
But renovators and home decorators have so overdone white kitchens in recent years, I hesitate to put white cabinets in our Hermann house. That’s what I gravitate to, but I dont want my kitchen to look circa 2018. I dont want it to be entirely common.
Driving home this stupid trend was a TV show I watched recently. It’s a reality show about the Hollywood set. An actor and his wife bought a 70s style split foyer house they are renovating. They are putting in sleek and modern finishes. Oh wait – the kitchen is going to be—and this is a direct quote, “farmhouse style.” It will have one of those dumb sinks that hang out and white cabinets. Because yeah, they live in a farmhouse. In the Hollywood hills. In their 1974 split foyer box.
A sleek and modern kitchen would be great in that box. Too bad the owners are devoid of imagination, and they even have a decorator who should be guiding them to something less stupidly trendy for their box.
But renovators and home decorators have so overdone white kitchens in recent years, I hesitate to put white cabinets in our Hermann house. That’s what I gravitate to, but I dont want my kitchen to look circa 2018. I dont want it to be entirely common.
Our white cabinets and appliances are circa 1995.
Some flipper bought and remuddled my SO's condo. I hate every single thing she did to it from the mint green walls to the ugly stripey faux wood floors to the uber-shiny white on white kitchen. It was built in the seventies, too.
3040
Teacher Terry
12-1-19, 3:21pm
I like white kitchen cabinets. In our house we gutted much of it but the cupboards were new. They are a very light maple and are fine but not what I would have chosen.
Jane - that is indeed very ugly.
Iris - why don't you do painted cabinets? I'm partial to green myself but you can just pick something that you will enjoy looking at everyday. No one says you have to do white! :)
I'm neutral on white--depends on the rest of the house/decor. However, I did see one of those stupid FB slideshows: "Trends On Their Way Out" and white cabinets was one of them, because supposedly people didn't realize you see dirt much more easily on white and they don't want to have to wipe them down all the time.
I painted over my white cabinets in my VT house--they are now Wasabi. I love it.
http://media.benjaminmoore.com/WebServices/prod/ColorSwatch/AF-430.jpg
Jane, I agree that they have given your SO's place the charm of a hospital kitchen. Aggravating.
I've certainly seen white kitchens done well, and--in general--I like painted cabinetry.
I'm neutral on white--depends on the rest of the house/decor. However, I did see one of those stupid FB slideshows: "Trends On Their Way Out" and white cabinets was one of them, because supposedly people didn't realize you see dirt much more easily on white and they don't want to have to wipe them down all the time.
I painted over my white cabinets in my VT house--they are now Wasabi. I love it.
http://media.benjaminmoore.com/WebServices/prod/ColorSwatch/AF-430.jpg
Jane, I agree that they have given your SO's place the charm of a hospital kitchen. Aggravating.
Or a morgue...
Teacher Terry
12-1-19, 4:31pm
Whenever I look at pictures posted they are blurry.
iris lilies
12-1-19, 4:45pm
Jane - that is indeed very ugly.
Iris - why don't you do painted cabinets? I'm partial to green myself but you can just pick something that you will enjoy looking at everyday. No one says you have to do white! :)
I am thinking of green cabinets, yep. Maybe even the trendy duo tones, with white for top and green for bottom cabinets. The white or ivory lightens the room. I am trying to keep a minimum of surface colors. I would like to have have no more than 4. In an ideal world the ceiling, the upper cabinets, the backsplash, and the counter top is all the same color. Different textures of course, but one color or close-color. The floor will be, I hope, a medium oack to match the original floor in the living room.
iris lilies
12-1-19, 4:48pm
Some flipper bought and remuddled my SO's condo. I hate every single thing she did to it from the mint green walls to the ugly stripey faux wood floors to the uber-shiny white on white kitchen. It was built in the seventies, too.
3040
ah yes, the ubiquitous grey barn-board-wannabe floors. I hate those with a passion, arent we all sick and tired of them by now?
ah yes, the ubiquitous grey barn-board-wannabe floors. I hate those with a passion, arent we all sick and tired of them by now?
Considering they replaced saltillo tile in the kitchen (!), they're doubly cursed in my view. There are so many flooring options now, most of them much more appealing than the faux barn floor look. Real reclaimed barn floors would probably work in some buildings--like vacation cabins--but they clearly don't work here.
iris lilies
12-1-19, 5:54pm
Considering they replaced saltillo tile in the kitchen (!), they're doubly cursed in my view. There are so many flooring options now, most of them much more appealing than the faux barn floor look. Real reclaimed barn floors would probably work in some buildings--like vacation cabins--but they clearly don't work here.
yes! There are so many choices of flooring! Same with tile. If you go to a tile store There are scads of gorgeous tile. Even the limited selection of a big box store give some interesting options. But all of the tile backsplashes I see now are one of two things: subway tile Which I actually like because it’s classic, or that dominant brown tile that comes in small rectangles. I don’t like that stuff mainly because it’s all over the place.
rosarugosa
12-1-19, 6:18pm
I like what I like and trends be damned. I think that not going with what you like because it is currently trendy is just as bad as going with something because it is trendy. Either way, you are letting trends dictate your choices.
I love simple classic white kitchens, and that would be a pretty appropriate style for our 1920s cottage. I don't watch TV and my only shelter magazine is the Old House Journal, so I am not terribly aware of the latest trends.
My kitchen cupboards are a deep black-brown, quality cabinets. Do they ever show the dust on a sunny day! Had a medium golden oak in my last house and loved its elegance. An old farmhouse kitchen needed a lot of work. We painted the cupboards white and bright yellow and the walls had large 8" sunflowers on a white background wallpaper. That was my favourite colour combo. I always choose white appliances.
3041
I was in the grocery store yesterday and this whole 5 door section with white tape around it came off the wall at the top and started to topple on me when I opened the door. I got it pushed back and found a manager since the stocker was totally unhelpful. The manager actually said "I dont know what to do." I suggested caution tape and a barrier since it was so dangerous.
I was concerned so walked back to the area and photographed it. All they had done was replace the white tape and you can see the man doing it. Contacted the company and they are to call me.
I am going to go back to day and if it is not secure, I am going to file an OSHA complaint.
Imagine if the door unit had fallen on me, a child, a disabled person in a wheeled chair?
iris lilies
12-3-19, 10:46am
The refrigerator case, the entire thing, fell forward!!!?? Whaaaaaaaat? That is scary. I’m glad you are following up on this situation. I’ll bet it’s been like that for a while now.
Teacher Terry
12-3-19, 10:55am
That’s horrible. Glad you are keeping on top of this.
sweetana3
12-3-19, 11:59am
Yes, I opened the last door, heard a rip and the door tipped about 8 inches forward before I caught it. If I had not held it up all five doors were attached and the tape had given way all the way down the whole length. Only one layer of duct tape was holding the set of five glass doors to the wall. After lunch we are going back up to buy our window shades at Lowes and then a stop at the store with the door issue. I am going to photograph it.
iris lilies
12-3-19, 12:04pm
Old stuff is not necessarily simpler.
The Ellen Show has hilarious bits with millennials trying to figure out old stuff like
1) how to use a rotary phone
. 2) how to re fold a large map
3) how to use a manual typewriter
the rotary phone segment is a scream! They have no idea they are supposed to pick up the ear piece before dialing. She didnt know how to make the numbers work
Old stuff is not necessarily simpler.
The Ellen Show has hilarious bits with millennials trying to figure out old stuff like
the rotary phone segment is a scream! They have no idea they are supposed to pick up the ear piece before dialing. She didnt know how to make the numbers work
We were never early adopters of the latest technology. Back in 1990, we still had a rotary dial wall phone--everyone else had push buttons. One of my son's friends came in and asked if he could use the phone to call his mother and I told him the phone was in the kitchen. I heard nothing but silence, and a few minutes later he came back out of the kitchen and headed for the door.
"Did you call your mother?" I asked him, because he clearly didn't speak with anyone that I could hear. He said "No. I couldn't figure out how to use your phone." That was back in 1990!!
iris lilies
12-9-19, 12:42pm
Jeremy Strong did not get a Golden Globes nomination for his work in Succession.
Instead they rewarded the actor from S3 of The Crown who played Prince Phillip. This actor was forgettable other than his direct mimicry of the real life Prince Charles. The entire production was lackluster and deserved no writing or acting awards.
my number one boy, Kendall/ Jeremy Strong lost out.
well, there is always the Emmys.
My back has decided to go out, with ensuing agony, leaving me unable to do much except try to stand in a comfortable position, since lying down and sitting down are worse.
catherine
12-10-19, 9:45am
Jeremy Strong did not get a Golden Globes nomination for his work in Succession.
Instead they rewarded the actor from S3 of The Crown who played Prince Phillip. This actor was forgettable other than his direct mimicry of the real life Prince Charles. The entire production was lackluster and deserved no writing or acting awards.
my number one boy, Kendall/ Jeremy Strong lost out.
well, there is always the Emmys.
Didn't see Succession, but I just started on the The Crown. So far don't see much award-winning acting in Prince Philip.
I didn't know the nominations came out today.. so I just looked them over.
I'm really happy Rocketman and Taron Egerton are nominated. I loved that movie--and I think Egerton did an awesome job in it.
I really, really want to see Marriage Story--which you/Tybee referenced in another post. I LOVE Adam Driver, and Scarlett Johansson is good, too. (Obnoxious name dropping: My son and I had dinner in a country restaurant in the Catskills with Scarlett Johansson and her mother when she and my son were in the same independent film. My son had a bit part, and she was the star but they were the same age (about 9) so they hung out together on the set.)
rosarugosa
12-10-19, 9:51am
My back has decided to go out, with ensuing agony, leaving me unable to do much except try to stand in a comfortable position, since lying down and sitting down are worse.
Oh no, I am so sorry and hope you feel better soon!
catherine
12-10-19, 9:53am
My back has decided to go out, with ensuing agony, leaving me unable to do much except try to stand in a comfortable position, since lying down and sitting down are worse.
I'm so sorry to hear that, Tybee!! Nothing worse than back pain! Are you going to see a doctor?
iris lilies
12-10-19, 9:59am
Didn't see Succession, but I just started on the The Crown. So far don't see much award-winning acting in Prince Philip.
I didn't know the nominations came out today.. so I just looked them over.
I'm really happy Rocketman and Taron Egerton are nominated. I loved that movie--and I think Egerton did an awesome job in it.
I really, really want to see Marriage Story--which you/Tybee referenced in another post. I LOVE Adam Driver, and Scarlett Johansson is good, too. (Obnoxious name dropping: My son and I had dinner in a country restaurant in the Catskills with Scarlett Johansson and her mother when she and my son were in the same independent film. My son had a bit part, and she was the star but they were the same age (about 9) so they hung out together on the set.)
I like celebrity stories! And one with ScarJo is nice.
I saw A Marriage Story over the weekend. It is very good. Adam Driver is a force and is getting work all over the place in all kinds of roles.i keep thinking about how he was a standout in that ridiculous show Girls where he had to get nekkid with that ridiculous main character. He has left them all in the dust.
I found S3 of The Crown to be disappointing. The writing doesn’t seem to be as interesting as in the first two seasons. I do certainly like Olivia what’s her name who now plays the title role. The beauty of Claire Foy and the actress who played her sister elevated the first two seasons.
iris lilies
12-10-19, 10:01am
My back has decided to go out, with ensuing agony, leaving me unable to do much except try to stand in a comfortable position, since lying down and sitting down are worse.
Sorry to hear, back pain keeps one from doing normal life stuff.
Teacher Terry
12-10-19, 1:03pm
I see the chiropractor monthly to manage my back pain. Sometimes it goes out so bad I need to take muscle relaxers so the muscles don’t pull my back out after a adjustment.
On Day 14 of a nasty cold it has turned to a raging middle ear infection, both ears. It is making me very dizzy and exhausted to be upright for more than a few minutes. Will I EVER get a sense of normalcy and health back into my life?????? Enough already!
Wishing you to feel much better soon and enjoy a wonderful time during the holidays.
Teacher Terry
12-12-19, 9:12pm
My husband was sick for a week and I was so happy I didn’t get it. Woke up with it this morning and with my asthma always lasts longer.
Here is a rant, and I hope no one gets hurt in the process, haha:
I love white kitchens and think they are classic, and I also think white/ ivory/cream kitchen cabinets in a traditional style are entirely appropriate for my Victorian city house and my Hermann cottage.
Just be careful what you wish for. My 103 year old house had 1940's metal cabinetry painted white, my 1930's cottage has original wooden cabinets painted white, and my 1960 current house has white laminate cabinets that were probably put in in around 2010. The metal's great, the wood's great, and the laminate is absolutely appalling. it's impossible to clean and always looks disgusting, it's starting to peel, and the "wood" underneath is particleboard so it's falling apart. Yick, yuck and no thank you, I'm pretty sure I'm not going for white next time around (at least not cheap white), the kitchen would look better if I piled all the dishes on the floor.
An Open Letter to my inlaws and their teenage kids:
Your letter gives me pause,
for I am not Santa Claus.
While I wish you all good cheer
you write us once a year.
"Registry herein",
you pass off with a grin.
You never send a thanks,
have you confused us with your banks?
Sorry folks but Christmas ain't a wedding,
you're getting what you're getting.
This year they even added that if we wanted to send gift cards, we should buy them through SIL, as she gets some kind of rebate for that.
Teacher Terry
12-17-19, 1:06pm
Lib, that’s truly awful! Send them stockings with a lump of coal:))
iris lilies
12-17-19, 1:27pm
An Open Letter to my inlaws and their teenage kids:
Your letter gives me pause,
for I am not Santa Claus.
While I wish you all good cheer
you write us once a year.
"Registry herein",
you pass off with a grin.
You never send a thanks,
have you confused us with your banks?
Sorry folks but Christmas ain't a wedding,
you're getting what you're getting.
This year they even added that if we wanted to send gift cards, we should buy them through SIL, as she gets some kind of rebate for that.
this is great!
Lib, that’s truly awful! Send them stockings with a lump of coal:)) Lol, TT, I almost added a line that said, "lucky your bro is family of ole', cuz I'd'a sent a lump of coal."!
iris lilies
12-19-19, 7:27pm
These are the best hot pad holders in the world. They are dense and pliable. Someone made them for me some years ago and it is the second set I have from her. They are wearing out and I cannot ask her to make me another set.
Each year someone else sends me hand knitted versions because she thinks I like knited potholders but the ones she sends yearly are useless. They do not protect my hands from heat they are not dense. I hate them. Into the trash they go.
Between yesterday‘s mail and today’s mail we got a slew of holiday cards I don’t care about, I just threw them in the trash after opening.
Today’s mail brought a book of travel photos from one of our financial guys. So unnecessary. I’ll have to keep it around for a bit until I can offload it to a booksale. And of course I have to spend my time writing a thank you note.
It’s the 19th and I am so over this holiday. I was enjoying it until today but I’m done.
3051
iris lilies
2-15-20, 3:51pm
Sneak attack: in Hermann where we have a weekend house DH is, as I have said many times, deforesting the scrubby trees and near-dead trees in the tiny grove at the bottom of our hill. Sadly, we will probably have to take down two nice maple shade trees in front of this house because they are in the way of our planned garage. That is really too bad and
i am sincerely bummed by it. On one side of the house we have a gorgeous huge bald cypress, that, while slightly annoying for dropping its needles all over the place, is generally a good tree. It is an eye cAtcher, perfectly formed and fully mature. It factored into our decision to renovate the existing 1941 cottage rather than tear it down and build new. We didnt want to kill it the cypress tree.
so now, we find it has snuck its long tendrils of roots into our sewer system. That is gratitude for ya.
TLDR: trees= can’t trust ‘em
Teacher Terry
2-15-20, 4:04pm
That’s funny IL. So does the tree have to go or is there a way to keep it? We had to dig up a rose bush that did the same thing.
iris lilies
2-15-20, 4:17pm
That’s funny IL. So does the tree have to go or is there a way to keep it? We had to dig up a rose bush that did the same thing.
Oh
i suppose we will continue to coddle the cypress, and will clean out the sewer. We dont yet know how badly the roots have infiltrated.
We have not yet started construction on our cottage. And now, we’ve heard through the grapevine that a lot next to our property could be purchase, widening our property on the cypress side and making it even more attractive for a new build.
if we had any brains we would raze the house and the tree and just build a new house. Serve it right.
What about that very special wall mural? Could it be moved to a new house?
iris lilies
2-15-20, 6:12pm
What about that very special wall mural? Could it be moved to a new house?
The wall mural WAS moved. The historical society paid to have it removed, repaired, and rehung in town. So that is great!
iris lilies
2-15-20, 6:18pm
Have you tried Rootx?we havent tried anything yet beyond a quick snaking.we just found out about it.
I hope you can find a way to spare the maples. We lost one a couple of years ago when it got struck by lightning, and the yard lost a lot of its appeal. It was one of a trio, very very old and large. Broke my heart,and the setting not nearly so pretty.
iris lilies
2-15-20, 8:12pm
I hope you can find a way to spare the maples. We lost one a couple of years ago when it got struck by lightning, and the yard lost a lot of its appeal. It was one of a trio, very very old and large. Broke my heart,and the setting not nearly so pretty.It is possible that one them may stay, depends on architectural plans. Funnily enough our architect lives across the street and he is lamenting the absence of these maple, all the while making up,the plans to do them in! Haha. they are really pretty and in the prime of their life, so it is sad.
happystuff
2-16-20, 11:40am
What kind of maples? We had two big silver maples in our front yard. They eventually rotted from the inside-out and ended up being a huge mess. I was not sorry to see them go.
My rant today is about Social Security. Not only can adults just off the boat who never paid into the system collect, but so can children. I know of multiple families, US citizens in the cases I am aware of but it may not be limited to them, who collect $650 a month plus a state supplement per disabled child. They also automatically qualify for Medicaid as a result. These are children who attend regular schools but are "on the autism spectrum" or have "oppositional defiance disorder" or other not easily measurable conditions. I thought if you have kids you should be prepared to support them, and should anticipate they may have medical issues and be prepared to support them when they are sick. With welfare reform it seems the new way to support yourself off your kids is to apply and appeal and apply again until you get your kids declared disabled.
So people at the top and the bottom are living at the expense of the increasingly squeezed middle.
And adults who are legitimately disabled don't get benefits when they need them, but kids whose parents should be supporting them don't.
iris lilies
2-16-20, 5:01pm
What kind of maples? We had two big silver maples in our front yard. They eventually rotted from the inside-out and ended up being a huge mess. I was not sorry to see them go.
Silver maples are fairly junky. Our trees in Hermann are not that, unfortunately.
Movie prices. Even with senior citizen ticket discounts, two of us at movies, sharing one drink and popcorn, was twenty nine dollars for a matinee.
Movie prices. Even with senior citizen ticket discounts, two of us at movies, sharing one drink and popcorn, was twenty nine dollars for a matinee.
Exactly! We were trying to think of things to do yesterday, and we thought about going to the movies, but a month ago we went to see 1917 and as you said it was $28-$29... we hadn't been to the movies in probably years, and while we did appreciate the new reclining seats, it didn't make up for the exorbitant price--and I even smuggled our own soda into the theater.
So we wound up going for a long walk, getting in our 10k steps on the boardwalk at Asbury Park, and then stopping along the way for a burger. It was MUCH nicer than sitting in the movies.
Teacher Terry
2-17-20, 12:53pm
We have 2 older movie theaters that are 5 before 6pm. We never eat or drink there. We go to a lot of movies.
iris lilies
2-17-20, 1:25pm
I went to a movie yesterday and the senior citizen price was seven dollars and some cents. I usually don’t eat or drink there, but I understand that the movie theater makes a A lot of their money at the concession stand and I always feel a little bad about that.
If I hit that same movie theater again in the next few days I think I’ll get a glass of wine if I go in the evening. I don’t need their fat laden snack food. This is the art house movie theater that has five screens and no new seats recline and that’s fine with me.
As much as I love sunshine and blue skies, it just feels wrong to have 75 degree weather in winter with no signs of rain anywhere on the horizon. I was sweating when I got back from running errands. My pets are all outside sunning themselves and napping, oblivious to climate change and what it all means. Ahhh, the pleasure of blissful ignorance... I wish I had it too.
ETA: or rather, I wish I had MORE of it. :laff:
Automobile troubles. We have had nothing but bad luck with this latest car we purchased a year ago. I want to know where Dave Ramsey gets all those sound, reliable 5000 cars that we are urged to pay cash for. The last two used cars have been nightmares, even after being checked out.
My 10 year old Yaris, on the other hand that I bought new, is spookily reliable, knock on wood, don't let it hear me. But it lives indoors in the shed during winter, retaining its cute good looks.
iris lilies
2-27-20, 8:59am
Automobile troubles. We have had nothing but bad luck with this latest car we purchased a year ago. I want to know where Dave Ramsey gets all those sound, reliable 5000 cars that we are urged to pay cash for. The last two used cars have been nightmares, even after being checked out.
My 10 year old Yaris, on the other hand that I bought new, is spookily reliable, knock on wood, don't let it hear me. But it lives indoors in the shed during winter, retaining its cute good looks.
that is too bad about your used cars. We bought two used cars in a row, years ago, that were great.Sigh, ?I still think about them, they were the most luxurious cars we ever had.
Were they Toyotas? My toyotas and Hondas have usually been much better than other cars.
I got my property tax bill. Up about $2000/33%. I didn't even know they could do that...
Maybe this will goose me into finally moving.
I got my property tax bill. Up about $2000/33%. I didn't even know they could do that...
Maybe this will goose me into finally moving.
Up 33%????
Can you look into what happened--maybe it is a mistake by them??
iris lilies
2-27-20, 10:53am
I got my property tax bill. Up about $2000/33%. I didn't even know they could do that...
Maybe this will goose me into finally moving.
Yes, “they” can do that and we have had that happen here in Democratically controlled St. Louis.
It has to do with re=assessments and catch-ups to market rise. I guess, at least that is what they tell us here, but I am vague about the details.
Don’t ya love it when our overlords determine you gotta pay for living in that great climate and having that great King Co. Library system?
Me, I just crawl to tiny, rural Flyover country where the hipsters and cool people don’t invade and drive up our property prices. We are simple folks in Hermann and don’t expect much.
iris lilies
2-27-20, 10:58am
Were they Toyotas? My toyotas and Hondas have usually been much better than other cars.
No, the first one was a Ford sedan. I say it was luxurious because it was my first car with power windows, electric seat adjustment, plush seats. It was LUXE and was circa 1995.
The one the immediately followed it was the same thing but the Mercury version and was a station wagon which was perfect for our 4 bulldogs. With their short legs they could still see out the windows. The bulldogs have a hard time getting a good view in our current SUV. But the SUV is better for hauling floral arrangements.
Neither of our used cars made it to 100,000 miles tho. But since we didn’t drive many miles at the time, they lasted many years.
Up 33%????
Can you look into what happened--maybe it is a mistake by them??
They thoughtfully included an explanatory flyer explaining the catch-ups for school funding, a couple of bonds (not library bonds), and something else I don't remember. They also included information on relief for low-income seniors; they've raised the cap to qualify.
iris lilies
2-27-20, 11:06am
They thoughtfully included an explanatory flyer explaining the catch-ups for school funding, a couple of bonds (not library bonds), and something else I don't remember. They also included information on relief for low-income seniors; they've raised the cap to qualify.
Shouldn’t it make you proud and happy to contribute to those worthy causes?
IL, those little Mercury wagons were the bomb--weren't they the same as Escorts?
We drive our cars to up over 200,000 miles so maybe that is part of it.
Jane, I googled Seattle tax and saw the part about the catch up things and the senior tax exemption and was going to ask if you qualified for that as I think it is income based? That would be cool, if you could get an exemption.
I would also be looking at other places to live, like you said. I like the idea of a mobile home in a cool park like what you showed us. If I were not married to Paul Bunyan/Pa Wilder and did not have two giant dogs, I'd be in a little park somewhere with palm trees, a swimming pool, and potluck suppers for snowbirds.
iris lilies
2-27-20, 11:25am
Funny you should mention the small Ford & Co. station wagon. That is what we decided on when our revious station wagon, a big one, expired. That small station wagon was the ONLY thing we could agree on. So we went to the dealer ready to order a brand new one and found they weren’t making them any more. Rats.
Resigned by then to not getting anything I remotely like, I just let DH pick the vehicle, and he chose a generic boring Mercury SUV. I don’t much like it, but now that I have a fun 2 seater roadster, I can put up with the SUV. By then, the only smallish station wagons were Siberia and Volkswagens and a couple other foreign makers.
I don't mind paying taxes so much, but I mind being blindsided by such a high increase with about a month to scare up the cash.
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