(Old) Firin' up the grill in the MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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Happy Bumba day!!

Sensei I hope the app continues to amuse and delight.

It’s lunchtime, I have been out to forage for sustenance on campus since I didn’t bring anything with me, and my usual Friday lunch date person is working from home today because of the train strike. Normally I’d do the same, but it’s not a full strike (that involves the train drivers’ union) so it’s the train crews and platform staff which means a reduced timetable. The rail app said there was a train at 7.11am and another at 7.45am, nothing earlier than that, so I aimed for the 7.45am. Arrived at the station to find an unannounced and untimetabled 7.29am service sitting at the platform so I hopped on that. It was blissful! I had the entire train carriage to myself, it was totally silent and I got a good 20 minutes of reading done. Even the connecting train from Sprawling Metropolis to campus was unexpected and largely empty. No time for reading, it’s an 8 minute journey so I was listening to some top quality tunes instead.

Not too sure what the journey home will be like, trains from campus look to be ok, the last local service is just after 6pm then they stop completely. I should be able to get a train just before 5pm from Sprawling Metropolis back to Shithole Central, then I just need to get myself home from the station which is either bus or walking. Fun times!

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I paid $39k for my 2023 Camry. If the repairs are cheaper than that, go for it.

Temp is predicted to be 91 today. My allergies are in full swing. I’m in the middle of a sneezing jag. Had my first PT yesterday for my shoulder. I knew it would be uncomfortable. I woke up at 2am for Advil.

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Good morning!

It’s currently 50 degrees and partly cloudy. The high is supposed to be around 73 degrees, and the sun will fully expose itself around 10:00 am.

I need to cut the grass today, so I’m waiting for a reasonable hour to bust out the mower. I’d rather do it now and turn on the sprinkler, but running a mower at 6:00 in the morning would be rude. Not that I give a rat’s patootie about either of my next-door neighbors, but I shall set the example and do the right thing.

FCM, breaking down the daycare costs you’ve described makes them sound more reasonable. And, having good quality care is worth the price; it’s just wild how expensive it seems overall, especially when you consider what daycare workers make as an hourly wage. I cringe when I hear what my daughter and son-in-law pay for daycare. Inflation, times, yadda, yadda…

Congrats on the interviews and graduation! I keep leaving that out, and I honestly don’t mean to do so.

Boo for bad haircuts! My stylist cut my hair shorter than I would like last month. Fortunately, it’s only hair and it grows quickly. Still, the grow-out phase seems interminably long and painful. My hair is very thick, so when it’s short, it seems extra poofy on the side, and I hate that.

In addition to cutting and watering the lawn, I plan to plant posies today. I need to get them in the ground and in the raised bed. I also need to put together the planter box my son gave me for my birthday and figure out where I will put it. I need to put it somewhere where I can look at it from the window. Finally, I need to mount the birdhouse my daughter and son-in-law gave me for my birthday. I’m still debating getting a pole with a mounting platform or just mounting directly to a fence post.

Happy Birthday, Bumba!

I’m glad you’re feeling better, pilot.

I also need to bust out my roll-suck, because something is clogging up the attachment hose. The part with the floor beater runs and sucks up stuff fine, but something is clogging the hose somewhere. I disconnected all the hose parts last week, but couldn’t see the clog, so now that means I need to take it apart to get to the area I can’t see. Damn it. It’s a Dyson, and it’s not that old, so I need to try and fix it. And, although I love my Dyson, it’s heavy, and I’m sick of hauling it up and down the stairs. I need to look into a stick vac or something like that.

As usual, it’s time to get on with the day. I let myself lay around in bed until 5:00 am or so, but now I need to get a move on.

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Instead of buying some wimpy stick-vac that makes noise but doesn’t inhale anything usefully, you might consider buying a second used or reconditioned Dyson or other full-sized heavy duty vac and just leaving it on the other floor.

When I had a 3-story house we ended up with 3 vacuums, one for each floor. Two came from garage sales, so it wasn’t wild financial extravagance. But it was darn nice not to drag the damn things up & down the stairs anymore.

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You obviously don’t know Nelson! :slight_smile:

It sounds like you are finally getting the hang of this retirement thing, sleepwise anyway, Moooooooom

Happy birthday bumba! :balloon: :birthday: :balloon:

Up, caffeinating, breakfasted, a load of towels in the dryer, one of clothes in the wash and fixing to get started on the rest of the Friday houseirk.

When I took Nelson out this morning, it seemed like every ball from every kid who lives across the fence (there’s an apartment complex of townhomes there with tons of kids who play ball outside a lot) was in my yard. The final tally that was thrown back across was 5 soccer balls, a basketball and a playground ball. I hope that that keeps me from being asked to throw them back when I’m bringing home groceries this afternoon. If they ask when my hands are full, I just tell them no. If worse comes to worse, they’ll send one of the skinny kids through the hole in the fence for them. :stuck_out_tongue:

Stay safe and healthy y’all!

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Ugh vacuums and stairs. Someone who lived in my house before me thought it would be a good idea to carpet the stairs. Flippin nightmare!

Happy burp-day, Bumba!

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I have had similarly lackluster experiences with stick vacuums. When my ex and I decided we wanted a cordless vacuum cleaner, we went through several different brands and never found a stick-vac that performed acceptably. Ultimately we spent a little more and got an Oreck Elevate, which puts out plenty of power and only weighs 9 lbs.

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The worst part is vacuuming the stair treads. The upright part is too big to run along the treads easily, and using the attachments is just a PITA. Because first, I suck up stuff along all the edges and where the tread meets the riser, and then I vacuum the tread. And, yes, putting carpeting on stairs is just dumb. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I just loathe carpeting in general. I would much rather have wood floors with area rugs.

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I have a ‘third’ floor that is my office. It’s only 100 sq ft. Also has very steep stairs going up to it. I bought a stick vac just a few days ago for that. First cleaning was a success. I think this will also do well cleaning up stairs. The full sized ones can be kind of difficult on the stairs themselves.

I’ve had a couple of ‘Dust busters’ that never did anything. The stick vac I bought is a Dyson. seems to do well. Not 120v well, be well.

:man_shrugging:

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Longish heave, but that works for me. Took a long walk on the greenway after work, but no sightings.

Well, it’s coffee first, then cheese. Although he was too busy filling his piehole to notice me eat my banana, so there is less screeching today.

Yay!

< puts down towel, kneels in homage >

:birthday: :partying_face: :champagne:HAPPY BITHDAY bumba!!! :champagne: :partying_face: :birthday:

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Aaand … I spoke too soon. Damn.

Once Her Ladyship was up I got clean and we casually walked the 1/2 mile to one of our usual breakfast haunts. Felt good to get out after 2 days glued to my recliner. Ate my eggs benedict & salad then we sauntered back. I brushed teeth, reloaded my weekly pill dispensers, and launched a load of laundry.

I am now officially exhausted. Despite my pot of coffee at home and two big cups at the restaurant I’m fading fast. Nappage is imminent.

From watching the long slow decline of my late first wife I’ve long thought that being ill is simply a preview of what being older than you are now will be like. When a slight cold wipes me out after 30 minutes of very mild exertion, I can tell being 80 is gonna suck. Although I hope it beats the alternative.

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I dyed my hair pink!! Something I’ve wanted to do for the last 30 odd years but I just decided what the hell, do it. So I did! It will likely look like the bad homemade job that it is, but we’ll see. I’m still percolating and waiting for the timer to go and rinse it off.

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Howdy Y’all! Candles got taken care of and we brunched at Newk’s. Then it was back to da cave for nappage. 'Tis rather nice out, so some quality time at the cee-mint pond is in store shortly. Might even take a plunge or two.

Since we now have a house cleaner, we don’t worry so much about rollsuckin’. However, between cleanin’s one of us will rollsuck the rugs and floors with a stick-vac. It works well for that purpose.

red I once had neighbors who were forever apologizin’ for their two boys hittin’ baseballs into the back yahd. I told them it would be nice if’n my biggest problem in life was kids hittin’ a baseball into my yahd. I’d see a ball and throw it back over the fence. NBD.

BooFae yay for the private train carriage this mornin’. May you be so lucky on the commute home.

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I always wanted red hair. Bright natural red. But I never did it, and now I have regrets.

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Back from the boat, waiting for SIL to bring the kidlets over. Daughter is here getting dressed for graduation. We live about 1/2 mile from the venue, so it worked out for her.

I ran to Food Lion for some fruit for the kids and a cheesecake for MIL - tomorrow is her b-day, so after we do some boat work, we’ll take the cheesecake over to her. Woohoo!!

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My folks are due in soon-ish. Not sure what we’re gonna do. Tis 90 dungarees outside, so I think the back porch is out. As is taking a hike in the park. The Falls park (Taughannock) is nice, but the rim loop trail is about 3 miles, but a ton of up and down, with big stairs, and both my mom and I have bum knees. Like 400 feet either up, then down, or 'tother way round. So that’s definitely out for today in this heat. Anybody want to take a stab at pronouncing that waterfall?

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Yaay! Pix or it didn’t happen!

So what is stopping you now? You’ve got a fine example just above.

Her Ladyship has some large turquoise highlights in her dark-brown dyed hair that would be thoroughly silver if not dyed. She gets complements from young guys all the time on it.

I vote “Go for it”!!

'Zactly. A private carriage (and footmen) is exactly what she rates.

One hopes the rest of the train staff haven’t gone on strike and now as the clock strikes 12 in Merrye Olde Englande she’s still trapped at irk many miles from home and hearth, kith & kin.

FCM: Happy MIL-almost-birthday! :birthday: Between that, and the graduation, and a boat in water, there’s a lot to celebrate at your place. 3 generations of good news all at once.


As to me:
Went downstairs and had a fine nap in the shade on a chaise by the pool with its babbling water features. Now recharged and upstairs again with the sound of thunder in the distance, but no real vigor behind it. Rumbly, not boomy. Kinda like swampie’s tummy in da’ mornin’.

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I’d guess TAW-HAN-OCK. And yeah, 3 miles in 90F weather is not recommended for most human beings. Just enjoy the company.

FloatyGimpy, welcome (I’ll let someone else come up with a good MMP name for you). Sometimes a good case of the ‘what the hells’ is just what we need. Had my soccer kids paint my beard a variety of colors a couple weeks ago, because ‘what the hell’…

Pilot, I’m in my 71st year and so far, so good, but yeah, as I get older I remember my parents and family more and wonder when it will be my turn. Ain’t planning on rushing into it…

Don’t have a stick vacuum and prefer the more robust ones, since I have no basement or second floor, steps are not a bother. Do need to see about a rug cleaning service one of these days.

red, used to get a lot of balls from the neighbors in my back yard (including the occasional thump off the roof (but never a broken window). Practice must have paid off, the girl got a Softball scholarship and the boy was a pitcher for the local High School. Like you and swampy, just tossed them back over the fence when I found them.

wet one, hope the allergies stay under control.

You are the wind beneath my wings.

Swimming and sauna is done and I signed up for an Assistant referee job tomorrow to get ready for the tournament next weekend in Knoxville. Dinner on my weekly menu is “TBD”, which could mean most anything is in play, so we’ll see what I feel like come 6pm or so. All y’all take care.

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Taa-daa!

Imgur

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Yaay!

With your light eyes and sorta Irish skin tone that will look fantastic. It’s definitively pink, without being PINK!!!11!!1!. Nicely done.