# (Old) A New Hope in the MMP **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** mmp\ **Created:** [August 4, 2025, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681 "2025-08-04T10:00:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/201 "2025-08-08T14:00:47Z")
> [@swampbear](#): > > The place is called Asia Buffet. We used to have a place with that name. We still have a grocery called Asia Market. > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Tomorrow also would have been my folks’ 73rd anniversary. I’m not sure how to address it with my mom. Dad died a few months after their 50th, so saying Happy Anniversary isn’t appropriate. Usually I just post one of their wedding photos on FB. If we lived closer, I’d be inclined to take her out to dinner - but not for a 2 anna half drive each way. Must think… While it’s a bit late to do this, I usually slip a _thinking of you_ card in the mail to arrive at Dad’s around their anniversary (they were married for 54 years and Mom has been gone for 10). I don’t reference the reason directly, but Dad gets it. Up, caffeinating, breakfasted and fixing to pack the last of the kitchen. I do have some phone and paperirk to do, but it may well be a practice RDOS day after that. Stay safe and healthy y’all! ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/202 "2025-08-08T14:19:16Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > For a while, in the early 1990s, I could not stand ice cream. My first real job was at a burger stand. It was years before I could eat french fries again. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I _still_ couldn’t get all of the little moss specks off – nor the bug smashes. Try peroxide. Put it in a spray bottle and be generous with its use. Old baked-on bugs just slide off after a few seconds. (remember that if peroxide starts to break down in light so if you use a clear spray bottle, the peroxide will just be water next time you try to use it) > [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > **JtC** , presumably person and pup were OK I think the young lady probably had a nasty bruise on her thigh but she managed to gently waft the dog into the air. I don’t think dog was hurt at all, it certainly didn’t look distressed! I am still laughing at the dog flying through the air with the greatest of ease. > [@Paintcharge](#): > > I suppose it’s a good problem to have. I am so happy that you have this problem. Its even better that your boss is making noises about using it, some bosses make it far too hard to use PTO. > [@TokyoBayer](#): > > My friend was looking better today. He was able to come in a wheelchair and sit and watch the project for a while. I’m glad you had a nice visit. Dang about the contractor, I do hope you get things settled soon. > [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](#): > > Today is the last day of training. How’s your knee doing? Has the drive been OK? Are you able to get around the school or do they have steps in bad places? It is so nice to work for reasonable people, I’m glad you have found your spot. > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Maybe get another big, dark bin and call it the compost bin - let him dump grass in that? Then, I dunno, use it for mulch? I’m really hoping he decides its too much work, he had to dump the bag three times and we have a small yard. I’m with you about the grass, some men just go overboard when it comes to lawns. I do hope you recover quicker than FCD, it sounded pretty not fun. > [@Taters](#): > > I don’t obsess over my lawn, but I do like a spot of green; it makes things seem cooler on hot days. It doesn’t just make things seem cooler, it _does_ lower the temp somewhat. I like looking at the green, but I like it better when he leaves it long enough for the clover to pop their flowers up. > [@Taters](#): > > I came home, put away everything, and then excelled at being an RDOS. Seriously, I earned an A++. Good for you, I knew you would get the hang of it sooner or later! So I know this is going to surprise everyone, but I post on Reddit as well. (Needlepoint and cats) Someone asked how frame weights were used (Kids nowadays!) so I posted a pic of my current piece to demonstrate their use. [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54707873100_d349bee6f4_b.jpg "weight") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/191587192@N04/54707873100/in/dateposted-public/) Someone noticed the work itself and asked what the pattern was. That prompted me to actually LOOK at the instructions for the designer which is when I learned that it originated in the UK. The company “The Coleshill Collection” is still in business and has many lovey pieces for sale. I had picked a few bits to order and then remembered that I’d have to pay the trump tax to get them into the country and I’m not willing to do that. So now I’m grumpy and I haven’t even listened to the news yet! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/203 "2025-08-08T14:31:52Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > I’d have to pay the trump tax to get them into the country and I’m not willing to do that. Do you know someone over there who can buy it for you and send it as a “gift”? Or is he tariffing gifts, too? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/204 "2025-08-08T14:44:43Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > Try peroxide. Put it in a spray bottle and be generous with its use. Old baked-on bugs just slide off after a few seconds. I’ll have to try that. I should probably try that before I break out the 100 grit. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/205 "2025-08-08T15:08:51Z")
Morning all. Late today as I slept in some then did the Firday shopping and some soccer stuff before finally getting organized and making it to the MMP. Another nice day, 77F heading to 87F and a 1-in-8 chance of rain, so things should dry out from last night. Not much planned, need to do some on-line courses for soccer (have to renew them annually) so will get started on them, with a little gym time and other stuff to fill the day. Let’s see what else is going on in the Mumperverse… **JtC** , I do bag my grass, but they pickup the separate grass/branches bags on Monday here. And please don’t kill him, internet connectivity in prison is the pits… **VanGo** , that is a good problem to have. Enjoy the time off. **Sensei** , good news for your friend. And kids do say the darndest things… **Sticky Buns** , best wishes on the inaugural teaching day. **FCM** , I don’t hate yard work as much as I ignore it, except for mowing; no plants or anything fancy, have Trugreen come through during the year and treat it, but that’s about it. Hope you get feeling better soon. > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > I am still laughing at the dog flying through the air with the greatest of ease. Wait a minute…you sure it was a dog? They do call them catapults, after all… And things remain to be done, so I’d best be doing them. Take care all. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/206 "2025-08-08T15:14:50Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > while she was thinking about it, I added the following text: Too late to edit, because I was interrupted by irk. Jolly Joker! 😆 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/207 "2025-08-08T15:29:11Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > As much as I would love to reply to everyone, it’s late and Hubs and I have been having SERIOUS talks. He’s just realized that if I die, he is kinda screwed because he will only get half my pension and a little SS boost. We had this discussion back when I retired, we both spent time with my money guy before Hubs made the choice to get the larger payout without realizing what this would do if I die first. Yeah. I have watched that so many times as condo prez. The married forever couple has his pension, his SS, and she gets her SS, or more often his spousal SS, which is much smaller than his own. So just as when they were still working, the vast majority of the income is attributable to him, not her. He dies, her survivor’s pension from his career is zero, or half, or 2/3rds, but rarely 100%. At least she switches from her smaller SS to his bigger one; in effect the couple’s lesser SS benefit dies with the first person and the greater SS benefit dies with the second. But nevertheless, the household’s income is gutted. Plenty of couples who’re getting by comfortably turn into starving widows unable to afford their residence, much less food, with the death of the first. The only thing slightly unusual about your situation is the genders are reversed. Which doesn’t make it any less tragic. Just makes it common. I would never recommend a married couple with a pension doing anything less than a 100% joint and survivor annuity. So the pension is the same full-sized amount until both have died. Of course inflation can still erode a generous pension into barely grocery money if you live long enough. But planning for the household income to be gutted when the first dies is just shortsighted dumbness. In your case Hubs won’t be destitute, but he will be on a tighter budget. In my case it’s even easier: I don’t have hardly any pension, so even if I am married to somebody, then it goes to zero when I die, it’s not gonna affect her budget much. You can’t lose what you (almost) don’t have. 🤪 > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > In better news, I’ve made arrangements to renew my MMJ card. That’s what keeps him alive. In light of the previous discussion about your impending demise, maybe he needs to get his own MMJ card too. Pronto. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/208 "2025-08-08T16:43:32Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Plenty of couples who’re getting by comfortably turn into starving widows unable to afford their residence, much less food, with the death of the first. Our money guy was truly our hero when it came to figuring this out. Our annuities are going to make a huge difference either way. And I set up my Fed pension so **FCD** will get half plus he keeps the health insurance should I predecease him. So even losing half, he’ll have my much-larger annuity to fill in the blanks. The only problem is my sweetie is a crap money-manager. He tends not to think too far ahead - if there are $XX in the bank, they’re there to be spent, even if he’ll need $XX-YY in six months. I’ll just come back and haunt him… Last load in the washer, and once it goes into the dryer, I’ll be heading to Food Lion and the post office. I’m sending our house-sitter a Christmas ornament of [Gryla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%25C3%25BDla) as a souvenir. I also should swing by the credit union and cash the $3.05 tax refund check - I’m sure the teller will have a giggle from that. My bed is made with the proper sheets. **FCD** has been working in his shop on the chain fall stand. The house is still open, but I’ll have to close it up soon as the temp is rising. And I have to decide what supper will be - maybe I’ll steam some shrimp. Oh, and the landscape guy is coming over on Weds to get some measurements so he can give us a price. Such is life at FairyChatEstate ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/209 "2025-08-08T17:07:13Z")
Yesterday I had scheduled breakfast this morning with my former housemate. And GF was expected to join me tonight after her dinner near here w one of her posse babes. And I’d scheduled Big Boy dinner with another pal-o-mine for Sun after GF would leave Sun morning. So housemate wakes up this morning coughing and runny nose and feeling like shit. So breakfast cancels. Oh well. Then GF calls. Yep, she woke up this morning coughing and runny nose and feeling like shit. So her dinner w posse-mate is cancelled and so is our weekend. Or at least the Fri overnight part is, but we’re both assuming it’s the whole visit. So far Sunday’s Big Boy dinner is still on. Color me less than optimistic about that surviving another 48+ hours until show time. Sigh. Seems like the new hope of the thread topic has fizzled out in less than a week. Which is about what usually happens with my new year’s resolutions too. 🤦‍♂️ A pleasantly lazy RDOSsy day here. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/210 "2025-08-08T17:29:30Z")
Youngest son and his girlfriend are coming over tomorrow for a visit. I’m wondering if they’re planning to tell me they’re getting married. Daughter is scheduled for Sunday again. Hopefully she makes it. Did a bit of shopping for essentials like ice cream and popsicles. The AC was off this morning and it’s pretty sultry out. So things got a bit steamy, and not in a good way. They got it fixed pretty quickly. Also, one of the elevators was acting weird. One woman was trapped in one of them, pushed the emergency help button, and got some yoyo who had no idea where our building is. Not a good response for an emergency response business. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/211 "2025-08-08T17:57:47Z")
today is cat day. huh, i thought every day is cat day. i will plan treats and fun for the furry ones when i get home. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/212 "2025-08-08T18:01:58Z")
I picked up the Jeep. They tightened the serpentine belt and changed the oil and filter. No more squealing. Mrs. L.A. called an exterminator. We’ve been fighting this mole for three years, and she’s had enough. One ‘helpful’ guy on Farcebook said that if I ‘learn how moles work’ I could ‘fix the issue for free’. Yeah, I’m not a mole behaviourist. It turns out the exterminator lives ‘in the neighbourhood’ and we’ve probably seen him riding his electric bike in front of our house many times. Someone is coming out Monday afternoon. I remembered that when I was 13 years old, I tried to save a mole from a cat. The damned thing bit me in the web between my thumb and forefinger and held on. Moles are cute, but I don’t have much sympathy for them. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/213 "2025-08-08T18:13:15Z")
> [@missred](#): > > I highly recommend their butter pecan. Now I’m going to have to get butter pecan ice cream next week. I’m sure my dad knows a place. My my just doesn’t understand. If it doesn’t have chocolate, she doesn’t want it. @JaneDoe42 Poor puppy. > [@Paintcharge](#): > > I think I may go visit my folks back in Maine sometime in Sept. Yes, that’s a good problem to have. And your folks will probably appreciate the visit. They might have list of chores for you, though. > [@scareyfaerie](#): > > But of course, we might also be on strike that day too! Do you go on strike often? It seems the last time wasn’t all that long ago. > [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](#): > > I don’t know how anyone could eat something like that. I’ve had 90% that I like, and 90% that I didn’t like. Depends on the chocolate and how it’s been processed ([conching](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conching)). I’ve even had good 100% chocolate which was single origin. But I could only eat a nickel-sized piece at a time. It’s intense. Finally remembered to take a picture of Tinky Winky. Currently watering the part of the garden that gets the most sun. After the previous week’s April weather, we’re back to August heat. Get to practice being a RDOS for the next 2.5 weeks. Probably easier to do if we stayed at home, but then we might get tempted to do something constructive, like gardening or rearranging the furniture. Speaking of the garden, hope we get to eat some of our tomatoes before we go. They’ve been tempting us with their bright colors. [[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/CtWyjwD.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/q901rJI) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/214 "2025-08-08T18:36:47Z")
And back home from shopping trip #2. Realized after my morning message that I needed to make my braunschweiger run, so took off for the stores that have it and along the way stopped at a new store (just to see if they stocked the Oscar Meyer braunschweiger) and picked up a bunch of Little Debbie mini-pies. So all-in-all a successful venture, I am good on my go-to lunchmeat until mid-October and just finished a pie for snackage purposes. Do have to get to the gym sometime today, soccer is planned for 10-12 tomorrow but nothing much happening there today. Up to 86F so AC is on and windows are closed, we’ll see how it is tonight. **Pilot** , a sobering lesson there. Being a life-long bachelor with a pension, small 401k-type plan and a couple annunities I’m well set but I know I’m the outlier in that and a lot of folks struggle in their old age…and that ain’t right. (OK, off of the soapbox now). And your not feeling and onset of the sniffles, are you? **Cookie** , should I keep my fingers crossed on the potential nuptials? Glad they figured out where you were for the lady’s sake…you could always tell them where they can go… **flyboy** , three years is a long time to be trying to rid yourself of a pest. Hope they an remove your problem. **Dicey** , pretty! And need to gather the exercising clothes and head off to the gym. See y’all in a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/215 "2025-08-08T19:30:23Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > **flyboy** , three years is a long time to be trying to rid yourself of a pest. Yep. At first I tried steel traps. Unfortunately, I could not determine where the tunnels were, despite watching YouTube videos. Unsuccessful. Then we tried sonic deterrents. The mole dug a new hole right next to one of them. Last year, The Missus tried poison worms. It just removed them from the holes and left them on the mound. This year she tried nematode killer to starve the bastard out. It seemed to work for a couple of weeks, but then he came back with a vengeance. And nobody else has mole hills in their yard. Not the vacant trailer next to our house, not the vacant lot next to it. Not the big yard across the street. It’s just us. 😡 ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/216 "2025-08-08T20:06:35Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I would never recommend a married couple with a pension doing anything less than a 100% joint and survivor annuity. This is why I was so frustrated, I told him this and my money guy told him as well. He insisted he wasn’t going to live past 70 (I’m amazed he didn’t die last year just by the force of that belief) and wanted to have the money now. I understand why he felt that way (2 heart surgeries before he was 60, a family history of heart disease on both sides of his family and they all died “young” because of it. He’s now the last one left of his generation and he was the youngest. I still felt that it was very short sighted so dealt with issue by no longer carrying debt. Losing half of my pension won’t hurt nearly as much as it would if he had to worry about mortgage or car payments. > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > The only problem is my sweetie is a crap money-manager. He tends not to think too far ahead - if there are $XX in the bank, they’re there to be spent, even if he’ll need $XX-YY in six months. Which is another reason we aren’t carrying debt. While I fully intend to outlive him, if that doesn’t happen, I’ll go knowing that he won’t lose the house or vehicles. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’ll have to try that. Always listen to the lazy person. Peroxide will take bugs off cooled Harley heads like magic. > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Or is he tariffing gifts, too? Who knows? I doubt the king has a clue and all of his toady’s are just bumbling around trying not to get fired or jailed. Not to mention that what is happening today probably won’t be happening when my kits arrive at customs. This is just something else he broke that will never be the same again. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Then GF calls. Yep, she woke up this morning coughing and runny nose and feeling like shit. Well, that just sucks for both of you. I do hope she recovers quickly and didn’t pass it on to you. > [@Chefguy](#): > > One woman was trapped in one of them, pushed the emergency help button, and got some yoyo who had no idea where our building is. That is so reassuring! NOT! I hope she wasn’t too scared, some people don’t understand that elevators only fall in the movies. > [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > Finally remembered to take a picture of Tinky Winky. That is lovely, thanks for sharing it. I’ve been eating cherry tomatoes with every meal and still don’t have a single beefsteak. So today we talked to our lawyer and got the cats sorted. I fully intend to outlive them as well, but they were another loose end. We stopped for a late lunch at the decent mexican place with the good margaritas and then wished we had stopped at the good mexican place with the decent margaritas instead. Both hummer feeders were empty when we got home so I filled one and am making syrup for the other one. I feel badly for the little jewels, I could have made the syrup this morning but didn’t think about it until we were out the door. My plans for the afternoon are stitching, smoking, moonshine and doing battle with the wasp that keeps chasing the hummers off the feeder. I don’t want to kill it so I go out with a water bottle and spray it. It goes away for a while and then we’ll do it again. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/217 "2025-08-08T20:55:51Z")
> [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](#): > > Monday is officially the first day of school. When did the school year end? When I was a kid the end of school was a week or two into June – can’t say when exactly, after all these years – but the first day was _always_ the day after Labor Day. (That’s how I can tell you exactly when we moved when I was five – I started kindergarten the next day.) > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > **FCD** hates yard work with a white-hot hate That’s the worst thing about having my own house. I’m quite happy just mowing once a month. > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > My first real job was at a burger stand. It was years before I could eat french fries again. Mine was in a bakery. Didn’t affect my love of doughnuts or danish one bit. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/218 "2025-08-08T21:06:42Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Yeah. I have watched that so many times as condo prez. The married forever couple has his pension, his SS, and she gets her SS, or more often his spousal SS, which is much smaller than his own. So just as when they were still working, the vast majority of the income is attributable to him, not her. > > He dies, her survivor’s pension from his career is zero, or half, or 2/3rds, but rarely 100%. At least she switches from her smaller SS to his bigger one; in effect the couple’s lesser SS benefit dies with the first person and the greater SS benefit dies with the second. But nevertheless, the household’s income is gutted. We were just discussing all this a few days ago. The wife has SS, a small federal retirement, and income from her federal thrift savings plan. I have SS, half my military retirement, my TSP income and a very tiny state retirement. As long as my ex wife is alive, my present wife would not get any death insurance benefit from the military because of stupid reasons I won’t go into. If the ex dies, I can change over the beneficiary to present wife and she would get half my retirement. Luckily, we have zero debt. . .nada, zilch, except for the monthly rent on this place. We haven’t touched the sales proceeds from our home in PDX and are not invested in anything with risk attached. I still think we need to talk to a lawyer about disposition and other matters, even though we have an outdated will from another state. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/219 "2025-08-08T21:07:10Z")
_Started Typing: 4:51 PM ET Clicked Reply: 5:06 PM ET_ Speaking of pests… Remember how on Monday I posted about scheduling a “touch up” visit from Orkin, my regular pest control company? Because in the past few weeks I’d seen evidence of rodent activity in the kitchen a couple of times, and then overnight Sun-Mon they got brazen and attacked a resealable plastic bag on my coffee table? The inspector came this afternoon, looked in my attic and the crawlspace under the house, and told me mice are everywhere – nesting in all of the insulation, which would need to be removed and replaced – and the ballpark cost of the abatement would be ~ **$17K**. 🥺 Per my lease agreement _all_ pest control is my responsibility so I was prepared to suck up the cost, but figured I’d call my property manager to give him a heads up. He told me that amount/plan is outrageous! He said companies like Orkin and Terminix will tell people they need to replace everything, and will charge them an arm and a leg, but that it’s a ripoff and there’s really no way to keep mice from getting in the house – that the key is control, not attempting prevention. He gave me the number of the rodent guy he uses: I’ll call him on Monday and see about making an appointment to get his opinion, and also find out what he would charge for regular pest control services. If his costs are reasonable _and_ I like him, buh-bye Orkin and your $137 every two months. It’s been a very busy/long week, with me being out of the house for 10-11 hours most days. I got to telecommute today, though, and work was relatively quiet, so that’s been nice. I just logged off, and am looking forward to starting my next Lego set ([Wicket the Ewok](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/wicket-the-ewok-75430)) after dinner. That’s about all I have the energy for at the moment. Mostly I needed to vent about the mouse thing. I’ve been lurking/reading all week, though, and plan to engage with y’all again this weekend. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2025, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681/220 "2025-08-08T21:21:12Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > And your not feeling and onset of the sniffles, are you? I’m fit as a fiddle. Former housemate called around 1pm much recovered. He & I suspect it was allergies and sleeping on one side so all the gunk invaded half his head. He said he was good now, so we met for late lunch / early dinner at a local pan-Latin place. There are lots of those around here which have Brazilian, Argentinian, Peruvian, and Colombian menu sections and can do all 4 similar-but-distinct cuisines passably. He enjoyed a Brazilian churrasco = marinated flank steak while I had the Brazilian lunch-sized picanha = marinated sirloin. “Lunch sized” being a mere 6 oz, not the 12, 18, or 24 oz options one eats for dinner. Each served with a mound of white rice, salad, a bowl of red beans, and some monster tostones. And a couple gradations of hotness of chimichurris My impression was he was neither ill nor contagious so I ought to be OK. I’m planning to further tempt disease-ful fate by going to minor league baseball tonight, leaving in ~30 minutes. Usually not many folks in the stands, but if there was ever to be a crowd, I’m thinking Friday night is the time. I shall watch the mighty Jupiter Hammerheads (single-A Miami affiliate) take on the fearsome Daytona Tortugas (Cincinnati affiliate). These two teams have the basement sown up in their division. The regular season only has 5-1/2 more weeks to run, and good bet neither of my local teams (Jupiter Hammerheads or the West Palm Beach Cardinals) will be in the playoffs. So gotta get my baseball fix while the getting is good. > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > This is why I was so frustrated, I told him this and my money guy told him as well. He insisted he wasn’t going to live past 70 (I’m amazed he didn’t die last year just by the force of that belief) and wanted to have the money now. Late Aged MIL always thought she was going to die young, despite desperately wanting to live to 100. “Contradiction” was her middle name. She retired early at 60 from her AZ state job “so she’d have a few years’ leisure before she died.” She took the 10-year date certain pension because it would pay a death benefit to her daughters when she died long before her pension ended at age 70 as she was sure she would. She was a couple months shy of 97 when she really did die. In her unending pessimism about her longevity she gave up 27 _years_ of monthly pension payments. Moral of that story: lotta folks are dumb / denialist about longevity. > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > Well, that just sucks for both of you. I do hope she recovers quickly and didn’t pass it on to you. As above, so far so good. I think in her case it’s mostly exhaustion from a month of moving her Mom then rushing over to see me put another sort of exhaustion on top of Mom’s baseline. > [@Chefguy](#): > > even though we have an outdated will from another state. As I’ve often said, late wife was a wills and trusts attorney. Both “outdated” and “from another state” would be sounding the bat-signal around here if she was still around to answer it. _Please_ get that attended to promptly. You’re each one stroke or fall away from sudden mental decline that would lock in what you have now, inappropriate though it may be. Outta time, gotta put this on the wire & jump in the car. Cheers all! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-a-new-hope-in-the-mmp/1021681.md?page=12)