Keep a happy thought in the MMP!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
101

Good morning. I had to commute to my office yesterday to pick up a new work laptop computer. I am annoyed because now the double monitor set up I have at home doesn’t work with it, even though I bought display port cable to USB converters and VGA to USB converters. I left the docking station for the new laptop at work because the IT guy said I probably didn’t need it. I think he was wrong. Harrumph. I shall now have to drive back to the the office tomorrow to pick up the docking the station to see if that solves my problems, if not, well, I don’t know what I’ll do. I need dual monitors, damn it.

Happy stuff, hmm. The snow pretty much melted where I live and the roads are good.

FCM, that is worrisome about your FiL. I hope he soon realizes that he needs help.

Well, I should head upstairs to fight with my computer.

102

Holy crap - FIL just fell in the tub. He wasn’t going to shower and he was still in jammies and robe. We heard a rumble and MIL and I ran in there - his butt was in the tub, his legs were hanging out, and his head was against the wall. MIL and I got him up sitting on the edge of the tub and she’s still in with him. He doesn’t know what happened. If this happened in their home, he’d be screwed since MIL doesn’t have the strength to help him.

So, so frustrating that they refuse to accept that they can’t live alone…

103

Oh, jeez - I don’t suppose that this will help in that discussion? I’ve found that it is almost equal parts terrible and wonderful that my mom is an adult with all her faculties. On the one hand, she makes some seriously bad decisions (spends way too much on things she doesn’t need, avoids help so she “doesn’t impose”), but on the other hand, she can live alone for the most part except when she can’t. At some point the former will outweigh the latter and I shudder to think of the fights that await us at that time.

It’s snowing again. Overlygirl was just dropped at school less than an hour ago; hopefully they’ll be able to keep the roads clear enough for us to get her relatively easily at the end of the day or in the event school closes again. On the bright side, at least she’s not doing handstands next to my desk while I’m trying to work. I’m managing to be distracted just fine all by myself.

104

I go to Great Clips. I used to go to SuperSluts, but there was usually too long a wait. Hey, I wait four to six months to have my hair cut. I don’t want to wait when I get there! I used to go to the Great Clips in Bellingham, which was only across the street and down a little from SuperSluts. Then I discovered on in Ferndale, which is much closer.

105

Morning all. Snow is still with us and the temperatures are still below freezing, but it’s supposed to get about 40F today with rain, so there is that. No newspaper (they only deliver hard copies Wednesday/Friday/Sunday anymore) and e-mail says it’ll be sometime today. Need to do a little shopping, will try to fit it in between it getting above freezing and the rain showing up.

swampy, like flyboy, I’m a Great Clips patron too…lord knows, there isn’t all that much left to cut, but they do a good job the 5-6 times a year it’s needed.

FCM, oh my, hope FIL is ok. Wonder if he had another one of those blackout moments. They really need to face the facts, but yeah, it ain’t easy convincing folks that are pretty set in their ways. Good luck.

Taters, I’m hardly a computer geek, but I think you do need the docking station; at worst, couldn’t hurt.

swampy, all I know about the penitent man is from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade–humble before God and goes on his knees so his head doesn’t get chopped off by a hidden blade…

flytrap, I try to keep my house about 74F, (68F at night) so far I’ve managed, but supposed to stay cold this weekend, so we’ll see. Good luck with the spawn.

pilot, hope the COVID hasn’t spread, but some folks won’t learn (surprisingly, here in N. Ali-bama, the usage is virtually 100%, except after seating in restaurants). Best wishes on the tax returns.

And a good Hump Day/Ash Wednesday to all.

106

Your furnace is doing well flytrap. Mine is struggling. I have the temp set for 70F and it got down to 62F inside. I have the oven going now to help out (electric, not gas, so no ventilation issues).

Yikes Mooooooom! I hope that the in-laws see the light.

I tried to go to irk today, I really did. I broke my ice scraper chiseling out the car (my neighbor handed me her spare to borrow), then I started out on our unplowed parking at the complex. I got out to my street to find it in terrible shape and about 3/4 mile down, a car was turned crossways and not moving, blocking the few cars in both directions. I (carefully) turned back around and came home. I had already texted my boss to tell her I would be late, so I texted her again to tell her the change in plans. I began the day a half hour earlier than normal to allow for scraping and roads and by the time I got back home, I had been out for an hour and a half. We are supposed to get round 3 tonight. :open_mouth: Can we please fast forward to spring?

Since a lot of us are hunkered down, maybe we should have a Mumper movie night and all watch Babe. :slight_smile:

Stay safe and healthy y’all!

107

I’ve baked a loaf of craisin-oatmeal break and I’ve got 2 punkin’ pies in the oven. Inlaws are having lunch and watching Ocean’s Eleven. We’ve had a little sun and there’s still some blue sky visible, but it will all change soon.

FIL seems to be doing a little better - he may have tripped over the bathroom rug, so it’s been removed. FCD is really having a tough time with all this, as you might imagine. We were talking to his mom yesterday - she doesn’t think we should pull FIL’s license till something happens. I asked what if that something results in a vehicular manslaughter charge? Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt…

Someone remind me when I reach a certain age that I need to surrender my license. I don’t want to put my daughter and granddaughter thru this. With luck, it’ll be after Roxy has her license, and I can give her my car in exchange for chauffeur services. There’s a plan!!

108

Chicken broth came out amazing. I let it simmer all night on low, and kept waking up to a nice aroma. :slight_smile: Most of it’s been poured off into deli tubs for the future, but a potful is boiling now with fresh carrot slices and tiny alphabet noodles.

How’d you do that? :face_with_raised_eyebrow: I just fired up Netflix and they don’t have it. Is there, like, a Euro-Netflix or something?

Mumpers, in about an hour, I have an appointment to get my driver’s license! My old (Texas) one expired back in June and yes, it’s taking me this long to get a replacement.

But this one will be all shiny and new, with MICHIGAN written on it.

I better go put on a bit of makeup!

109

{{{{Mooom}}}}
Hope your day doesn’t continue to be as exciting as it has been so far!

I’ll drink an extra cup for you, if you think it might help… :slight_smile:

What an appalling thought – having to be polite to 100 strangers in one day! Glad I don’t have to do that.

Im Salzkammergut
da kann man gut lustig sein,
Wenn die Musik spielt,
Holdrio!
Im Salzkammergut
da kann man gut lustig sein,
so wie nirgendwo,
Holdrio!

So that’s why they’re all so cheerful!


I’ve never seen Babe, and still have no desire to do so. I did read the book, though, and after King-Smith was awarded an OBE I read a couple of his other books.

32F (wind chill 23) and fair; high today 32, low tonight 20. Winter storm watch from 0600 tomorrow to 1600 Friday. Only 4-8 inches of snow predicted, though. This of course is part of that huge mess that reaches from Cape Cod to southern Tesas. The whole thing seems to be moving eastward, so swampy and OYKW should get their turn in a couple days. :smiley:

110

I actually did put on some for my CA driver’s license and they made me take it off. Grrr. It’s a policy to make sure that no one is disguising themselves. Or something.

We’re cold and windy here, but no rain, snow, or ice.

Take care y’all.

111

La-la-la, dee-dee-dum…just waiting for my groceries to arrive. I can’t get to Costco, and certainly not with the babushka cart, so those get delivered. Once they arrive, I’ll go for a walk.

Excellent question ! What’d she say? I get her wanting to wait until “something happens”…then the onus is off her, and it’s a big, prickly onus. Still, killing people would be horrible. Though I miss driving and the independence that comes with it, knowing I’ll never hurt or kill another driver or pedestrian is a huge relief.

shoe, are you getting the enhanced (Real ID) license? Do you have to drive or just do the written test? I had to renew my license to register my car here, and there was a short window for doing that.

Sunny, they made you remove makeup? I’ve never heard of such a thing. I feel sorry for burn victims and others who wear makeup to cover injuries.

swampy, same to you, luv.

112

OYKW = Old You Know Who?

113

Never mind. { hangs head in defeat } I can’t find the necessary documents.

After an epic argument with me parents to get control of my own documents, I spent eight or ten months babysitting them through various flux in my life, with no real place to “put” them. Last I remember, they were in the basement. I know, because I remember thinking, “Hey, this basement is flooding! I better put these somewhere safe so they don’t get mildew.”

Guess what I can’t find now, after all that $%@! time having them underfoot or in the “wrong” place or simply tossed out of the way? Now that I NEED them?

I feel bad. I’ve spent so much time stomping around the entire tiny damn house, shoving drawers open & shut and scream-crying, that Nikki has panicked & is hiding from me. :frowning:

So no shiny new drivers license for me, my friends. I am so screwed.

114

What documents do you need? You can get a copy of your birth certificate from your birth state’s Secretary of State.

115

I get it. I had a similar mess because I’d just gotten divorced, and you have to document every name change, so I needed a marriage certificate I didn’t have, along with the birth certificate I couldn’t find. Much weeping, wailing, cussing, and drawer-slamming was involved. No critters to scare, though. And we won’t even talk about the disappearing car title when I had to sell my car.

But you know your documents are somewhere in that house, which means they’re findable, which is good but more frustrating, and frustration somehow impedes finding them. Can you afford the fees to replace them? I know that’s a whole 'nother PITA, but if you truly can’t find them, it beats stewing over it and scaring Nikki.

You will get that shiny new license. It just might not be today.

116

I just selected “Add to My List”.

I would expect it’s the same there. Not much of a queue though, since it doesn’t seem to have any sort of order.

117

I ordered Skinny Pop popcorn. For my money, it’s the best popcorn out there, and a small bowl in the late afternoon feels like a treat and holds me over until dinner. I put “No Replacements.” My shopper replaced it with Pirate’s Booty. Now, I like Pirate’s Booty. I like it too much. And I’m trying to cut back after last week’s cookie and baguette extravaganza. [sigh] The road to hell is paved with well-intentioned shoppers.

118

I informed Mrs. L.A. that we were having shrimp & grits for dinner tonight. She said, ‘Oh! Yum!’

119

Oh, forgot to mention that I got a rotisserie chicken I didn’t order/pay for. I tried messaging the shopper but didn’t hear back. I like Costco chicken, but I already have dinner thawing and have no room in my freezer. Also, I ordered chicken skewers, which, at only 75 calories each and with 12 grams of protein, are a healthy, filling snack. So now I have way, way too much chicken.

If my next post consists in its entirety of “Bawk, bawkbawkbawk, BAAAWK,” you’ll know we really are what we eat.

120

Afternoon all. Shopping has been done, such as it was (Salad bag, bacon bits and tile floor cleaner). No rain yet but weather maps say it’s coming this way, albeit slowly.

red, your weather sounds worse than ours. The temperature now is 34F and all the snow and ice is gone. No mail yesterday but they’ve promised to deliver it today (I think I hear the mail truck now as I type this).

flyboy, yes that’s swampy’s partner (swampy’s gay, if you haven’t heard…)

shoe, I keep all those papers in a stongbox so I can find them…of course, finding the strongbox at times in a chore. Take a deep breath and maybe some caffeine, and it’ll turn up. Just thing of the great bowl of soup tonight…

nellie, never heard of Skinny Pop; is it low-fat or something? May have to look and see if it’s available here.

herald, ran that through Google translate and some modest googling, and now wonder what a Holdrio tastes like, since it appears to make German/Swiss cheerful…

OK, need to get some things done…or not. All y’all continue to take care.