(Old) Get To the Chopper! A Bastille Day MMP

[missred]

@LSLGuy

@missred

I went to pick up the two TV boxes this afternoon and my keyfob wouldn’t open my trunk.

There’s not a button somewhere inside the car that opens the trunk? Color me surprised if so. Or is that button broken on your car?

Yeah, there is, but I was hot, aggravated and not thinking.

@Taters

Frankly, there is just too much traffic here in my little corner of the PNW now, and I miss the clearer roads of the 70s and early 80s. We’ve now transitioned to timed entries at Mount Rainier National Park, and our hiking trails, including the wilderness areas, are overrun by Instagram Idiots who blast music and leave behind trash. Ugh. I used to be able to drive up to Mount Rainier and not run into crowds on less touristy trails. That’s no longer the case. The same goes for areas in the central and North Cascades, as well as the Olympic Mountains.

I’ve been in middle Tennessee for thirty years and watched the traffic grow to ridiculous levels. Part of it is Nashville and suburban counties constant refusal to put good public transportation in place. The other is having housing costs rise to the point of working class people not being to afford living in Nashville or the suburbs, thus having to drive their old hoopties 40-50 miles into the city for work (out in the area where they live, jobs are scarce).

@rocking_chair

that building is rather odd. the management is not concerned with keeping the building tidy. the building i’m in has constant tidying. they patrol the pavements and sweep and wipe the lobbies. as near to spotless as it can be. the building next door… oy! in the lobby there were dead and live laternfles. it is a gauntlet walking on the pavement and lobby. just not well maintained. nothing gets done there unless there is an incident.

The next building may have different owners. That’s how it works in some complexes.

Up, caffeinating, breakfasted and fixing to do KP. Not much except for apartment hunting on today’s agenda.

Stay safe and healthy y’all!

[Johnny_L.A]

@Taters

Frankly, there is just too much traffic here in my little corner of the PNW

Seattle traffic makes me miss L.A. traffic. (Full disclosure: L.A. traffic isn’t bad… when you’re on a motorcycle. )

[FairyChatMom]

Pilot - Merrylande has a variety of tags. When I bought my Sonata, the default tag was War of 1812 Anniversary. You could also pay extra for Save the Bay or Support Farmers (can’t recall the exact wording.) Our truck has plain black letters on white background. FCD’s Santa Fe has the currect default that features a bit of the state flag. And there are half a gazillion specialty/organization/military tags.

MetalMouse - we thought about calling but it was stoopit o’clock. Our steward took care of it just before he cleaned our room.

We’re back from our brief venture ashore, so we’ve officially walked on Greenland. The highlight was watching a small coastal freighter being loaded with supplies and many pallets of beers. We assume it will be delivering to nearby small towns. There are no roads connecting most of them. We also walked thru a small general store, a fish market, and peeked into a very small souvenir shop. All told we were there maybe 90 minutes, then rain started. Pics on FB.

FCD is napping and I thought about it, but I want to be able to sleep tonight and I fear a nap will lead to being awake late. Maybe if I set an alarm?

[FairyChatMom]

I’ve been meaning to share this little tidbit but I kept forgetting. Till now.

Dessert selections on most cruise ship buffets are usually garnished. Sometimes it’s chopped nuts, sometimes a drizzled fruit puree, sometimes shaved chocolate. Always attractive and tasty… till the other night. I chose a serving of cake that was topped with < pause for dramatic effect > bits of stale popcorn.

Yeah, that was my reaction, too.

[SCAdian]

Speaking of the French Revolution…

[Chefguy]

From low 90s yesterday to low 60s today. And rain. And the obligatory arthritis pain to go with the plunging barometer. Still made it to exercise, though. Some shopping later today for ingredients for a Friday meal with some family.

The monthly all-resident meeting was yesterday with the same amount of non-information. But a woman questioned the building manager about all the water leaks and got a weak “we’re working on it” response. After adjournment, I took it on myself to go over to the person asking the question and explained to her the difference between reactive maintenance and programmed maintenance, and that the reason all the problems are cropping up with leaky pipes is because there has been little-to-none of the latter in the last 30 years. Our newest maintenance guy is trying to correct decades of neglect, but it’s an uphill battle. The woman and the others at her table thanked my for explaining things. Made me feel good to be useful.

Sadie was somewhat more interested in her food this morning. I hope this is just a passing issue and not something worse. She’s not hiding, so I don’t think she’s ill, but I’ll keep tabs on it.

We had a few ripe tomatoes on our vine!

Fucking fruit flies everywhere. For some reason they’re immune to the lure of cider vinegar. Most annoying.

[Johnny_L.A]

@SCAdian

Speaking of the French Revolution…

I love Allan Sherman! I’ve always wanted to take a History class where the instructor asks if anyone knows about the French Revolution, just so I could stand up and start singing. (Favourite line: ♫ We’re gonna take you and the Queen Down to the guillotine, And shorten you a little bit ♫ )

[dogbutler]

So the sort sarted at 0315, I started at 0400, and they still hadn’t labeled the package cars. And they didn’t put up the load charts until after 5. It was a low volume day, I had 400 pieces scattered over 4 package cars, when I normally have close to 300 in each. We were done-ish early, but they decided to run the late Next Day Air, so there was a last minute scraable to load that before they drivers left. There were a few left behinds on that. I stopped and filled up Carmen on the way home. 1.6 gallons for 54 miles of driving. Not bad. Spot and I have had our dry, flavorless bits(mine had milk and strawberries), so now we shall nap.

@FairyChatMom

So far, that’s all our plans - breakfast and step on Greenland. Maybe buy a t-shirt. And probably nap.

I look forward to seeing Roxy and Tobias in matching “My Grandma Went To Greenland And All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt.” t-shirts.

@Sticks_and_Scones

Feeling ok this morning except for the general frustration of having to pay a ridiculous amount of money for the root canal. It was $1900 and my max dental benefits are $1000 for the year and I’d already had several things done.

So basically, the dentist transplanted your pain from your tooth to your wallet.

@LSLGuy

best fishes as Hump Day unfolds!

I’ll try not to carp about stuff.

@Taters

mocking real estate.

“Victorian? Yeah, you should be Victorian down with that roof line!”

[Misnomer]

Started Typing: 12:40 PM ET
Clicked Reply: 1:25 PM ET

Yesterday I stopped at the grocery store on the way home from work, and when I skimmed the “pre-packaged” area of the deli I saw something new: a container with two turkey-and-cheese-on-pretzel-bun sliders plus grapes and apple slices. The “use by” date was today, so I grabbed it and brought it with me this morning for lunch (which I just ate). Nothing special, but yummy enough and just the right amount of food. I also saw a container of three chicken salad sliders for the first time, and got/ate those for dinner. Yay for the Safeway deli introducing new stuff!

The Lego Star Wars diorama was delivered yesterday; last night I built half of it. I’ll finish it tonight, and share a pic tomorrow. It’s going to be pretty cute…even if it does depict a trash compactor.

I also have a lot of doggy laundry to do tonight. I took Bailey outside at the very end of the night, right before I went to bed, and stood in the yard with her for quite a while because I was 95% sure she needed to poop – but after the third time she walked to the bottom of the back steps and looked meaningfully at the back door, I gave in and we came back inside. So what did she do in the middle of the night? Yep. Crazy old mutt. Over the weekend she ruined the hall rug (there was only so much cleaning that could be done): Amazon says the replacement was delivered today, so I’m looking forward to rolling up and pitching the current one when I get home.

@peedin

Tonight I’m going to continue watching The Gilded Age season 2

I love that show! Season 3 is airing now; I watch the new episodes the next day.

@Sticks_and_Scones

The root canal was ok.

I’ve never had one, but from everything I’ve heard I never expected to hear a root canal referred to as “ok.” I’m glad it went well, though!

@FairyChatMom

the door between our balony and the next one didn’t get locked properly after they cleaned the balconies and it swung loose. All night it banged against the chair and the door

Oh no!! I hope you got some free chocolates or something…after they fixed the door.

@Sticks_and_Scones

Today I’m going to get a new tattoo

Pics or it didn’t happen.

@FairyChatMom

a serving of cake that was topped with < pause for dramatic effect > bits of stale popcorn

Kohl’s always has Godiva chocolate on display by the registers, and one day (a few years ago) I saw “Milk Chocolate with the Taste of Popcorn” bars. I had to try one! Predictably, it was disappointing: of course the chocolate was good, but there was no discernable popcorn (or even salt) flavor. Ah well. That’s what I got for making a checkout impulse purchase.

[LSLGuy]

@dogbutler

So the sort sarted at 0315, I started at 0400, and they still hadn’t labeled the package cars.

Thanks for the reminder.

Last night driving from oysters to Italian I came a cross a fresh accident. This was a side street crossing a major boulevard with a signal.

Based on where and how the vehicles were arranged, a UPS parcel car on the side street had been going straight across the boulevard intersection while an SUV/family wagon coming the opposite direction on the side street tried to turn left to join the boulevard. They met in the middle at no great speed. The SUV front was pretty well crumpled, and the UPS car’s front bumper was twisted out of line & the headlight was broken.

Poor UPS driver was sitting up there in his high chair w his phone to his ear & I can only imagine the ration of shit he’s getting from management. Hope he kept his job.

I have used that surface street myself, and it seems the assumption of nearly every driver is that everyone coming towards you turns left or right and nobody goes straight across. So anyone doing so is very surprising to everyone else. Well, the surprise is on the SUV driver whose car is a right mess.

[Sticks_and_Scones]

@BippityBoppityBoo

I have 4 (!!!) c

Oh dear.

@Johnny_L.A

Check out the link, and you can find them, plus a bunch of other colours.

Thanks!

@dogbutler

So basically, the dentist transplanted your pain from your tooth to your wallet.

You got it, O Wise One.

@Misnomer

Pics or it didn’t happen.

As you can see, it’s based on the picture beside it, but with some modifications due to sizing constraints.

[AskNott]

missred, I’m always a little sheepish when somebody asks if I’ve been to something I live close to. No, I’ve not been to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum, nor the James Dean Festival.

dogbutler, I imagined a t-shirt saying “Visit Greenland before that Trump guy buys it.”

[missred]

Well, I found one today that ticks all of the boxes except one. Sis has toured it and loves it. She’s going back tomorrow to do a video (she attempted and failed today). The only box it didn’t tick was W/D connections. However, the manager said that many of the residents use portable units.

@Chefguy : You lived in an RV for a bit. What did you use when you did? How well did it work for you? Any advice that I should heed?

[swampbear]

Howdy Y’all! We procured provisions and got ‘em stowed away. Then it was major RDOS sloth time. Then sup got fixed and et. I never put all the shrimpies in the shrimpies ‘n grits, so tomorrow we will have the rest with steak. YUM!

Herald HEE! I love Allan Sherman as well. Thanks for the giggle.

Now it’s time to go see what up on teh intartoobz.

[Chefguy]

@missred

You lived in an RV for a bit. What did you use when you did? How well did it work for you? Any advice that I should heed?

For laundry? We always used camp facilities when available, or hunted down a laundromat in a nearby town. It never felt like a big deal to us, and we were on the road for six months at one point.

[The_Stainless_Steel_Rat]

And a good early evening to all. Did some gym stuff and came on home. Going to fix a Chee-burger here in a minute and then get the garbage out to the bin and the bin out to the curb. Otherwise the evening should be one of internettin’ and readin’. It’s still over 90F at 6:15pm, so no particular reason I can think of to go outside.

Like many here, I have fond memories of Allan Sherman from my youth, before Al Yankovic, Sherman was the undisputed master of taking a song and making it something…else.

And into the Sacred scrolls…

rocky, great news with the eyes, and glad you live in the responsible place.

red, how soon do you need to make a decision? Hate for the place to be rented but it might be a hassle w/o the W/D connections. Your call.

FCM, glad you were able to walk there, and as for the coastal freighter, well, if you lived in an area that was cold and cloudy a lot, i guess you’d need a beer or two… And don’t thing I’ve ever seen popcorn-dressed desserts…wonder what culture came up with that one…

Cookie, good on ya for providing decent info and yippee for Sadie doing better, hope it continues.

Oopsie, I tend to skip by the pre-packaged meals, but those do sound good. And best for Bailey, old age does make controlling the waste disposal units a bit harder to manage…

Pilot, sounds like the UPS driver was not at fault, hopefully he’ll retain his job.

Sticky Buns, interesting tat.

And time to give into my carna(vore) desires and get Cheeseburgering.

[LSLGuy]

Evenin’ all - about 8:40pm as I start driveling.

Was a beautiful day outside all day. Now a rainshower is throwing lighting at the fish, but still dry here on land as darkness settles in.

Had lazy brekfast, laundry at home, some reading and closet reorganizing, then a haircut and off for HH drinks-n-apps dinner. Champagne & oysters, red wine and a 4 oz mini steak frites.

Had a fun yak with a ~45yo business woman from near Akron OH who was down here all week on business and staying at the adjacent hotel. She’s returning home to hubs & college son tomorrow. She was liking the idea of living around here, but her hubs was one of those guys who will never leave the zipcode of his birth. I commiserated with her that many of my co-workers’ spouses from St. Louis thought the same way. It’s something in the midwestern water.

Once home GF called me as arranged. We yakked for an hour and 15 minutes and are just off now. Golly is it satisfying to hear the sound of her voice. She’s gotten a monstrous amount done and is tired but triumphant. Mom is oh so grateful. GF will be back home Sun noonish and we’re planning a suitable reunion directly. Then she leaves Thu for another week in the barrel w Mom. Ouch!

I can hardly wait to see her.

More immediately, bedtime soonish sounds real good to me.

@Sticks_and_Scones

As you can see, it’s based on the picture beside it, but with some modifications due to sizing constraints.

That’s a unique tat and a powerful statement about perseverance there dear! Something to be proud of.

@missred

Well, I found one today that ticks all of the boxes except one. Sis has toured it and loves it. She’s going back tomorrow to do a video (she attempted and failed today). The only box it didn’t tick was W/D connections. However, the manager said that many of the residents use portable units.

Call that a qualified HOORAY!!! At least if management knows the portables are commonly used, you won’t have to worry about getting busted for getting and using one.

Metalmouse: cheeburger forth!!

Sleep well all!

[Johnny_L.A]

We’re watching Blade Runner (1982) on SyFy. It’s a version I’ve only seen once or twice before, without the voiceover at the beginning. I don’t remember how this one ends. (Please, no spoilers.) I saw the original release on the big screen. I thought it was cool then, and I still think it is. I pulled out my (15th printing, 1989) paperback of Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?. I think I’ll read it again soon.

[missred]

@The_Stainless_Steel_Rat

red, how soon do you need to make a decision? Hate for the place to be rented but it might be a hassle w/o the W/D connections. Your call.

I have until the end of August. The more that I study on it, the more that I think portables may be the solution.

[BippityBoppityBoo]

@missred

The more that I study on it, the more that I think portables may be the solution.

I used a portable 45 years ago in a Boston apt for several years. It was doable for two graduate student adults. Hooked up to a sink with hose to the faucet, a drain hose out of it to to sink. One side agitates in the sudsy water and then the rinse water, the other drum spins it damp dry. I’m sure the technology is much better now.

I see them on FaceBook Marketplace regularly in my Nebraska city, the price varies from $50 to $150. No idea what brand new ones cost but I know both Lowe’s and Home Depot sells them. If it was me I’d go to the library either on line or literally and research via Consumer Reports ‘portable laundry washers and then check FB Marketplace daily for a decent one to show uo to see if it’s a workable solution for you.

A decent apartment is worth snapping up and taking a chance on. May the force be with you.