A couple of days ago I “enjoyed” that experience in the restroom of a restaurant. Of course there’s no line of sight from inside the stall to the switch’s occupancy sensor adjacent to the entrance door.
I thought “That’s one way to discourage malingering in there!”
I’m glad for folks’ good news (especially eyes).
While I was in Spain, my debit card was rejected at two different bank ATMs with a notice that I had “excessive PIN attempts,” which I didn’t. Fortunately, I had €30-ish with me so things like local buses weren’t a problem, and everywhere else took a card, but this won’t be true when I walk a section of Camino later this year. I called my issuer and they’re sending a replacement card. It could be an excess of caution, but I also don’t want to risk walking in the countryside with no cash in hand. I’ll also spring the $10 and buy some €s at my own bank, too.
Our summer and fall have filled up nicely with guests, housesitters, and trips for each of us without the other (which means the garden will get watered). First guest arrives tonight, so I’m cleaning today, though I have a medical appointment as well. I’m eager to get back into my novel, though the first task will be to tidy my study, which is the repository for cardboard boxes and travel supplies not yet sorted and put away.
we are up to 7 now.
i’ve had that restroom experience as well. not in a restaurant but in an office building. it was more of a frustration in the woman’s room.
The Heat Index was 92 when I went in this morning. I was on the sort table again, which was fine. I was pulling for the Bottom Green set after the sort ended. That set, and the one next to it(the cars that cover N.C. State), both had really low piece counts. Nothing like the chance any funds or jobs that are even vaguely Fed connected might evaporate and a moments notice to depress spending. Damages were not as bad as yesterday, so I got out at a reasonable time. I’ve showered, had my dry, flavorless bits, and laundry is washed and in the dryer. So now Spot and I shall nap.
But you got the lumberjacking done, and you’re OK. 
Deep breath, you got this. You’ll be spooning people left and right before long.
LOL. You haven’t met some of the people I work with.
That’s also the same process that results in people stomping the gas & roaring into a building when they meant to go for the brake while parking and missed or brain farted. The time available to understand the mistake and reverse it well exceeds the time to impact.
When I was in Mexico last year for the eclipse I found one bank’s set of ATMs refused my debit/ATM card outright while a different bank brand was fine with it. I was seriously concerned to not try too hard at the failing bank’s ATMs lest I rack up too many failures & be locked out.
You do more international traveling than I do, but I try to leave home with enough USD to cover most of my minimized expenses. Just in case the card(s) go stupid. Not enough cash for everything I intend to do or buy while gone, but enough to survive there for however many days until I can get back home. Just in case every way I can access money goes kablooie or is stolen.
And upon arrival I get, or convert, a couple day’s worth of survival money to local currency. I’ll be back some other time and whatever I don’t use will spend just fine next time.
Yaay!!
I’m in the middle of putting a solo trip for me together to coincide with the footprint of GF’s next trip to finish moving her Mom. Four days there, plus two shortened travel days. More or less an extended weekend straddling the upcoming Sat+Sun next after tomorrow.
Next up is planning something for while she’ll be cruising the Med w her girl posse. She’ll be 18 days gone straddling the Aug/Sep boundary; I don’t think I want a single trip that long. Maybe I do.
I told her once that I might just crash that party. She really didn’t want that to happen; she’s got enough problems from her posse about me peeling her off while they’re all single on the hunt.
Irk is giving us four Half-Day Fridays this Summer. Today is one of them. Since I start at six, my half day is done. But I did have to check Outlook because I didn’t want to miss anything. See…
A member sent me a file yesterday. It was there this morning. After I did something else, it was gone. I thought I might have fat-fingered it. I couldn’t find it anywhere. I asked for a new file. The member did re-send their file. I logged on (but didn’t clock in) and saved it to my computer immediately. But another member sent me an email asking if I’d inadvertently re-sent them an email they’d replied to yesterday. Um… No? Now I’m receiving emails that I already received yesterday. I’ve sent an email to everyone asking if they’re experiencing this.
In other irk news, I shared with La Jefa, an episode where I helped a member avoid a fraudulent credit application. She replied to me and copied the staff:
John - Nice job! You made us look good!
Everyone else – just so you can get a little insight into John’s world and work.
It’s always nice to get a Warm Fuzzy.
Now it’s after 11. I think I’ll have a shower and then get my hair cut.
I have a Subaru. I live in Switzerland. The only thing we were told to do is to wave at other STI owners. They almost always wave, often before we do. I will start watching out for cows.
No idea what I spent, but I didn’t realize until I got home that my OR hat was from Seattle. I bought the peacock/dark grey one here in Switzerland.
It’s Star Wars and Lego, what’s not to love?
And now I see that it’s already finished, with the bonus bots in the back.
What a fantastic picture and complementary (complimentary almost fits grammatically) tattoo.
I have thanked my parents many times for having the sense God gave little green apples that they moved out of Ohio to PNW.
Somedays I wonder if humanity will survive. And then there are stories like this. She’s a wonderful helper/neighbor.
The overhead lights on on motion detectors, but somebody decided to daisy chain all of them, the entire floor’s worth, together. So someone on the other side of the building gets up and suddenly all our overhead lights turn on.
My main desk lamp is a standing lamp which has its own motion detector. And an app. Which I use a lot because the default setting on the lamp is too bright. If I’m reading something on the screen and I don’t use the mouse, then the light will shut off. And as soon as I use the mouse, the light turns on its own version of high beams. I’d almost rather be in the dark.
That’s great that your work is being recognized.
@Taters You had mentioned wanted a certain hydrangea, and I was thinking it looked familiar. I found a picture of what my hydrangea is supposed to look like, and realized why. Pinky Winky (dumb name for a flower) is somewhat similar, but mine is only white. Supposedly the pink shows up only when the flowers are a big older. Or many I need to amend the soil.
This week has been busy. Every evening there’s been at least one task that needs my attention, so not much time for mumping.
And I’ve already written a book, so I’ll press Reply now.
I’m not so sure about that! I’m saving parts of the Caribbean for a possible future in which I can’t travel as far or can no longer fly.
At the moment, my next Spain trip has drained most of my travel money, so I won’t be gallivanting after that trip until I save up some more of my “allowance.” When I convince my lovely wife that we should travel to the UK/EU together, I don’t have to pay that part of my airfare if I then tack on a short Spain trip. However, she’s going to the UK/EU with someone else while I entertain one of my best friends at home, so I had to cover my flights for this next trip myself. I’ll be walking a Camino route I haven’t walked yet, attending a week-long class at a Spanish university (mercifully, in English), and trying to get together with friends who live nearby.
It seems the season for eye doctor issues. I was diagnosed with Glaucoma thirty years ago or more. I have see an ophthalmologist twice a year for all of that time. I saw my new doctor today. We discussed a new treatment of some sort of laser treatment coupled with a medication. This will mean no more somewhat uncomfortable eye drops before bed. This has been sent to the surgical side for scheduling and I will hear back from them soon.
Started Typing: 3:08 PM ET
Clicked Reply: 4:54 PM ET
Happy Doperversary, missred! 
Today has been all proposal, all the time (luckily, my main “real job” project is kind of on hold while I wait for other people). I’m working on five 3-page resumes: in addition to “one voice” editing – to hide that three different people wrote them – and responding to a few comments from yesterday’s reviewers, there needs to be consistency applied to (a) how everyone’s clearance info is presented and (b) how some timeframes are calculated. I had a 2:30 meeting with a guy from our compliance team about the latter, which didn’t take long to agree on. I’ll reach out to our security folks for the clearance info on Monday morning, and am hoping to finish everything else by COB. It’s already after 3pm, though, so I can always do some editing tomorrow/Sunday (I have no weekend plans). I’ll be joining 10:00 status meetings both mornings, anyway.
I made a somewhat significant personal decision yesterday: I told Facebook to delete my “music” page (after I archived/downloaded it). Created almost 14 years ago, it was my public page for performance events, photos, recordings, etc. Its usefulness had been limited for a while, I haven’t posted anything there in a year (since my last gig), and I’m in a kind of musical hibernation at the moment. It definitely feels weird after 16+ years of being focused on jazz (taking workshops and voice lessons and becoming part of that community and going to jam sessions and getting/trying to get gigs) – being a jazz singer was a big part of my identity for almost two decades – but the break also feels right. I do intend to find another performance outlet at some point, likely in a different genre, but for now I’m pretty happy to focus on work and my dog. Anyway, when I finally pulled the trigger on deleting that FB page I exhaled a little. It’ll take 30 days to be deleted fer realz, but I won’t be changing my mind. (And I can always create a new one!) I also have a website, but for whatever reason I’m not ready to take that down; I’m inclined to just let the content stagnate until I figure out what’s next.
Oooooo I haven’t had that since before my bariatric surgery (almost 4 years ago)…these days I can tolerate a lot more sugar than I used to, and I might have to get some the next time I’m at the store! That’s my all-time-favorite flavor.
But “for sale” isn’t the same thing as “for rent”…is there also a good rental market there?
My oven is working just fine, but I’m also planning to order a pizza tonight (and likewise am waving at shoe!).
In my late teens/early 20s I once stalled a friend’s automatic by hitting the brake and gas at the same time…that became the source of much amusement among my friends for many years. 
“Yay” to both of you!
Booooo. 
(N.O.B.)
I’m not sure whether you meant it, but just in case: speaking as someone who’s usually on the “posse” side, I’ll beg you not to do that – and I’d be pretty freaking annoyed with both you and my friend if you did (not to mention you’d be crashing a ship! where neither of us can simply leave!). Girls trips are girls trips. Missing your GF isn’t a good reason to jack up someone else’s vacation. 
!
I was totally joking. I get it, I really do. But we two had fun predicting how each of the other ladies would melt down; each in their own idiosyncratic way.
There’s already enough intra-posse drama about this trip before I entered GF’s life. She’s pretty annoyed w some of them already. Wading into the center of a well-established cat fight is not my idea of entertainment. I might look stupid but I’m not actually stupid.
When us 5 guys went to Costa Rica a month ago, she’d have been equally unwelcome / a fish out of water.
Hooray for a courageous decision. Knowing your own mind is the greatest power.
You’ll be doing something new and wonderful soon enough.
This too…
On the TMI side of things, I just had a purulent pilar cyst on my scalp drained. It’s my 4th of these cysts, but my dermatologist moved cities, so I went to the doc who did my annual skin check last year. Because this cyst was draining, she can’t do an excision for at least 2 months, so she expressed the goop a la Dr. Pimple Popper. Unlike my old doc, her procedure was rather (very) painful. I dunno if it’s the procedure itself or the doc, but if this squeezing out doesn’t take care of the cyst, I’m inclined to have the records sent to old doc and see if he’ll do the excision. I’m willing to travel.
That’s like the local rural custom of pick up drivers giving a wave to one another.
Nelson had a decent check up today, got his vaccinations up to date, had bloodwork done and Doc sent home some anti-fungal to help his chapped parts out. He’s a whopping 17.5# today (he usually vacillates between 17 and 18.5#, so pretty normal). We stopped at Dunkin’ for a coffee for me and a pup cup for him.
Sis got better video of the apartment today, so tomorrow, I’m going to start the wheels in motion to get the lease. They’ll have to email it to me for signature. Then, I’ll contact the movers to see about my best deal (I’ve already gotten several estimates and it’s down to two). Shit’s getting real!
No it’s not for rent. Yet. The home inspection is scheduled for the middle of next week and we will know more then. It’s listed at 62,000 which is pretty standard for a home that size and age. She can rent the same sort of place for 800 a month all over town, but this one is in electric wheelchair distance and the roads have sidewalks.
Renting to family could be a really bad thing, or this could work out great for us all.
Discretion is the better part of valor after all.
I don’t know if this counts on the clutch thing, but I cannot ride a bicycle with hand controls.
The back brake on a motorcycle is controlled by the left foot while the clutch and front brakes are controlled by the hands.
If one is on a bicycle and wants to stop, trying to hit the back brake with your left foot while squeezing the hand levers causes really bad results.
We were just hoping that someone would call the police for him, that nice woman sure did go above and beyond. (He was almost five miles away, how he made it that far without passing out on someone’s lawn is anyone’s guess.)
That sounds…annoying. I’m sure you have already played with the settings, is there anything in the instruction book?
Go you! Everyone should value you like we do.
That’s wonderful news, now I’m positive that this will be your best show yet!
Back in Arizona, we had a friend who was a hunting guide. He was also an avid shooter who was retired with no kids or grands. That meant he was less than careful with gun storage.
His wife was in Puerto Rico when 9/11 happened. When she was finally able to return to AZ, he drove his work truck to the airport to pick her up. He had his favorite handgun on the dash because that was the fashion at the time.
He said TSA found guns he had forgotten he had lost.
Happily for him, he presents as a happy golden who loves sharing his toys so the TSA folks let him go with many warnings.
The lesson he learned from this was to always rent a car just to go to the airport and then turn it back in on the way home. It was the only way to be sure he didn’t embarrass his wife again.
Oh, wow, thunderboomer. Poor GG needs some cuddles, he doesn’t like it when people throw bombs at him.
Howdy Y’all! We were bears who brunch and I took care of candle duty. Then we decided on a back roads ramble that ended up in Plains, GA which is Jimmy Carter’s hometown. Rosalyn’s and his final restin’ place is now open to the public. Since this just happened, there was a lot of traffic. We scooted outta there via a back road that took us back to the main road to da cave. We might go back when the hoopla wears off, but, truth be told, it seems weird to go visit the graves of folks I don’t know even if they are famous. Then again, I grew up near Warm Springs where Franklin Roosevelt visited a lot. We used to go to the place atop Pine Mountain, Dowdell’s Knob, where he liked to go for cook outs. There is a great view of the surroundin’ valley from there. Ummm… well that was quite the word ramble, was it not! Anywho we had a nice drive today. That’s the news from swampland.
Aarrrghh! I recently got a credit card from the museum to use for purchases. I happen to have a card from the same company. It seems to have merged the two cards together, not like the museum is paying off my balance, but my personal correspondence with the credit card is showing up in my company email. I have 2 different log-in credentials for the 2 accounts, but changing the primary email in one changes it in the other. Two night of an hour on the phone has had no help. I even went so far as to ask for a supervisor, but I did it in the nicest way possible. “I know this isn’t your fault, but can I talk to someone higher up, please?”
[drawing circles in the dirt with my toe] Aw, shucks! 
Yikes! Best of luck getting it sorted out.
We shopped for groceries and a bouquet, which I divided into two vases that now look pretty on the mantel. I also picked up my package, which is a European plug with 2 USB-A and 2 USB-C apertures.
Our mail was delivered while we were out, and included our ballots for some local races and my amended birth certificate showing my legal name, which I changed decades ago. I’d have left it alone but having been questioned about the discrepancy and my reason for changing my name when I went in for my NEXUS interview, I thought it was prudent to have it match. It includes a note that I had a legal name change, with a file number. I’ll keep my old birth certificate and the receipt and the email associated with the name change in the same folder in case there are any questions. I feel terrible for Czarcasm, whose name change odyssey has been miserable and unproductive. I kind of want to fly to Guam and stake out the office that’s not responding to his requests.
Time for the late-night final. Missed my afternoon posting so need to catch up..however, except for the usual gym time not much to report. So on to scrolling…
Lily, my credit cards worked fine in England and Norway, never used my debit card and carried about 100 Euros/100 pounds and didn’t use all of it, many places discouraged use of cash, it’s all cards now. Took some getting used to for me. And glad the cyst is drained.
Pilot, hope you find a nice trip sans GF and concur that barging in on a girl’s trip would be contraindicated.
Hippie, interested in this new treatment, I don’t have Glaucoma but I worry about my eyes more as I get older. Hope it works out well for you.
Oopsie, sounds like you putting a little distance from your own music for the time being; I hope you keep attending shows and keeping in touch with the ‘scene’.
Reminds me of the old epitath on a gravestone: "
Here lies the Body of Johnathan Drake;
Who Stepped on the Gas instead of the Brake…"
red, a happy doperversary. And yay! on Nelson’s checkup.
JtC, guess I would make a bad Arizonian, never have owned a gun in my life. Hope GG survived the stormy weather.
swampy, never been to Plains, Georgia, may have to add it to the list one of these days.
And that’s all for this day. Catch y’all tomorrow.
VanGO, they should be able to sort things out, i doubt you are the only person in this sort of situation, but sounds like they are making it as difficult as possible. Good Luck.