Too late to edit my last post, but you probably don’t know about the food program so here it is:
Every week, a group of dedicated volunteers goes to the local grocery stores and farms to pick up the surplus food-mostly produce-that would otherwise go to the landfill. The food is then taken to all of the local food banks and when they have taken everything they can use, the remainder is taken to local community centers and put in boxes. The boxes are then given to anyone from the community who shows up, no income limits or paperwork involved.
These boxes are not food boxes like someone would get from a food bank-those are packed to supply meals to families-the boxes I get are filled with a bunch of random stuff that needs to be used promptly, so I give 3/4 of it to other people. All of the food they give me gets used somehow, it doesn’t go into the landfill. After all of the people get all of the food they want, the FFA and 4H parents take what their kids can use to feed their livestock and then and only then does the truck take whatever is left to the landfill.)
Last weeks box had a dozen grapefruit, four containers of cherry tomatoes, a handful of baby potatoes, hotdog and hamburger buns, dried lentils, 8 dented cans of assorted veggies, 4 cans of tomato sauce and two boxes of pop-tarts and a big bag of frozen chicken legs. Very random!
That sounds like a great program. I think we have one in Detroit called Forgotten Harvest. Reducing food waste is a laudable goal. I could stand to work on that, too.
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Belated Happy Birthday, missred!
Yesterday started off normally enough, but at midday our customer announced that all gov’t badges with a certain marking must be updated by February 1. I coordinate all of the clearance/gov’t badging stuff for my program, so this is all me…yay. Getting new badges requires several steps for each person and is generally a PITA, and I’m soooo happy they gave us less than a month’s notice. Anyway, emails and chats about that took up most of the rest of my day (and are taking up chunks of this afternoon). I was glad for my personal training appointment, both because I needed the workout and because the hard stop eventually forced me to log off and step away.
In happier news, though, my replacement credit card arrived yesterday. Yay! Now to see if I can go more than 3 months without the new one being compromised…
I’ve used Android cell phones for as long as I can remember, but I also own two iPads and I love them. I bought my first iPad in 2012, strictly for the iOS music apps (e.g., GarageBand) and to display charts at jam sessions. I couldn’t imagine ever using a tablet for anything else, but at heart I’m a gadget person and it quickly became nearly indispensible! Now I have a 7-month-old iPad Pro with attached keyboard/trackpad that I keep on the coffee table/use while I’m watching TV and take with me when I travel, and I have a 2.5-year old iPad Air – originally bought for use with my old treadmill – that I keep next to the bed (mostly used for falling asleep to TV shows), also take with me when I travel, and sometimes take along with my Kindle when I expect to have to entertain myself for a while (car service appointments, etc.).
As for smartwatches, I’ve never had or wanted an Apple Watch – due to never having/wanting an iPhone – but I was an early adopter of the now-defunct Pebble smartwatches and loved them for a while. After Pebble was sold to FitBit I tried a few Samsung smartwatches, and even finally tried a FitBit Sense, but never quite loved them. So, for the past several years I’ve been very happy with my dumb watches. Every now and then I’m tempted to try the latest Google Pixel watch, because I have a Pixel phone, but I’m unlikely to actually bother.
I’ll be going to the gym again this evening. I cancelled Tuesday’s personal training session due to feeling blechy: normally I’d make it up on Saturday morning, but we’re expecting freezing rain/snow tomorrow so my trainer asked if we could meet today instead. Fine by me. Tomorrow I have an 11:30am appointment for my next tattoo removal session: I should be able to make it, but I’ll see what the weather is like when it’s time to leave. And on Sunday morning I have an appointment to give blood: I imagine I’ll be able to go to that, too, but likewise I’ll have to see what the roads are like then.
You won’t see this in anything like a timely fashion, but I’ll be thinking of you and your hubby!
Good for you!
That made me laugh out loud.
Awww, thanks!
Woot! Congrats!
UGH. One thing I’ve noticed since making the switch from apartments to townhouses/single family homes is that the rent increases tend to be more reasonable: in April I’ll have been in my current place for 10 years, and my monthly rent has only increased $525 in that time (though there’s also just some simple luck involved). Water/trash/sewer/etc. have always been at my expense, but the utilities set those rates and not a property management company.
…
Hey, if your mouse is hanging out on a window ledge it’s asking to be defenestrated.
This was beautiful.
Awww. My mom has been gone for 8 years; the anniversary is still kind of a tough time.
Oh no! A virtual hug to you, too:
You’re keeping up just fine! But even if you weren’t, the great thing about these threads is you can post whatever, whenever.
I hope your day gets better, or more okay and that your tomorrow is incredible (or okay-er than today).
I’m about to go make a mistake with some coffee. What I’d really like is some chocolate but overlygirl ate the rest of the brownies, so I might just have to make more later.
A big hug for you, Wheelz. Those anniversaries have a habit of creeping up on us.
Dreams are indeed super weird. I once had a dream about a guy named “Assbad McHankerchief.” That name has become a family joke. Funny where your brain goes when it’s on the clean cycle.
Thanks for your kindness, everyone. I’m so touched, and each one helped more than you know.
I meant to post again last night, but my nephew, who has severe OCD and little interaction with others, called and needed to talk. I can’t call him because he has to wash his hands a dozen times before answering the phone, so when he calls, I answer.
I’m waiting word from my brother about my SIL’s post-op appointment today. During yesterday’s surgery they fixed the retina and (spoilered for those squicky about eye stuff) stitched amniotic membrane onto her cornea to help heal a corneal ulcer. She texted this morning to say she’d been in a lot of pain–with I empathize with–but was better now.
I thought I might feel kindlier toward the corporate landlords after sleeping on it, but I don’t. Bring out the ninja spiders with pointy sticks! (Do I have that right?) How long can this go on?
@spiceweasel My mom lived in a community like the one you’re in except that it was 55+. It was beautiful, but the lot rent kept going up. After we moved her back to Illinois, her neighbors sold their coach and moved because they just couldn’t afford it any more. They now live in a neighboring city with rent control. A bill in Washington State to cap rent failed because Republicans threatened to attach hundreds of amendments. They claim it would drive landlords out of the state, which is, of course, bullshit.
The problem is that the complex is now owned by a big corporation, an increasingly common scenario, and the corporations don’t give a rip. They know they’ll lose tenants but that eventually desperate people will rent. There aren’t enough cuss words for these people. I keep thinking of Steinbeck’s passage about the big banks buying up the farms in Grapes of Wrath.
OK, kids, it’s safe to come out. I’m going to be nice now.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RED! I’m so glad you were born!
swampy, I’m glad you declined Vestry, since you already do plenty, but congrats on the nomination! It shows how much you’re respected by folks other than the likes of us.
Coppertone, congrats on the job! Did I say that already? It’s worth saying again. Hooray!
yanker, yay for puppy getting out of the cone! I’m sure she’ll heal and heel nicely once the invading dog leaves.
You’ll be in a better position than I because you’ll have the proceeds from the sale of your house. I let my ex stiff me in the foolish hope he’d stop stalking me and other disturbing stuff.
I used to feel exactly this way. The nice thing is you don’t really have to keep up. I pop in and out whenever, and always feel welcomed into the conversation. (And it doesn’t take long to become one of the people everyone knows!)
One good thing they do here is to spring for new (or at least newer) movies to show in one of the large rooms they have for the purpose. Today’s offering was the Barbie movie. It started off with some laugh-out-loud moments, then moved on to guffaws, then to chuckles, then to silence. I left a half hour before it was finished.
A positive note: I went in for my six-month post-surgery meet with the surgeon (plus new x-rays) and he’s very happy with how I’m doing. So I’m happy with that. He says he may see me in a year.
Howdy Y’all! I have an inner church lady apparently. In addition to makin’ lots o’ chikin sallit, I also decided to make a bunch of cheese thangs to take tomorrow night. I have also decided to make a chawklit sheet cake and a gallon each of sweet and unsweet tea to take to brunch on Sunday. Future me will do that tomorrow. Also, I am goin’ to do a readin’ at a funeral tomorrow. One of our Luterun folk died last week and the family ask if I’d do the New Testament readin’. One does not say no to such requests.
I have not been good at responses this week, and for that I apologize. I promise to get better next week.
Today was the last minute Christmas shopping day. Started with breakfast out, then shopping my way to south street, where I got my Christmas haircut. Nice discounted stuff, 2 stores I was hoping to get to were closed. I did find some nice small stores with nifty items. Cinnabon to complete the day.
Tomorrow starts with a just a check up vet visit for koritza, then the crazed house cleaning. Looking very forward to a yummy meal on Sunday. What that will be will depend on the incoming nor’easter.
Are you Orthodox? Just curious, since you mentioned Christmas. I know Western Easter is rather early this year, March 31 and Easter is May 5 for Orthodox.
I remember Western Easter of 2008, just about as early as it can be for Westerners. Once in four hundred years it can be March 21, that year it was the 22nd. swampies church is named for St. Patrick, that year they had to have their church name day early, because while you can have a party during Lent, that year it would have been during Holy Week, and it just isn’t done then.
I’ve been trying to focus on packaging reduction as well. I hate that if I use IC for something, I come home with, not only forty-leven plastic grocery bags, but they put each type of produce in yet another. I’m used to carrying reusables, right down to bags for stuff like green beans.
You’re keeping up as well as everyone else. I like seeing you here.
I’m envying you right now. Grapefruit has gotten expensive around here compared to what it used to be and I love the darned things.
Thank you, but not yet belated.
{{{wheelie}}} My mom will have been gone 9 years in February. Sometimes the smallest stuff will remind me of her.
I’ve had Androids since the mid nineties, but never something from Apple. Now that I’m in production, I have to deal with iPads a lot.
Picked up groceries, filled the gas tank, mailed the light bill, talked to my dad and sister and fixed supper. Other than that, it’s been a slothful day.
So it was busy again. Not that I was complaining. Of course, SSLAW #2 broke, the 3G belt broke, and the 300 boxline broke. But things got done, and I made hours, so life is good. Also, I am meeting up with Ace tomorrow, to see if he wants me as his human.
I am Team Android. I don’t like the idea of having to change every charger and accessories every other year.
Don’t worry if you can’t keep up. It’s not like missing a post will go on your Permanent Record.
Daughter said the interview went well, but it was long - she didn’t leave the school till after 5. Lucky for her, we’d already decided that we’d take them out to eat. And since it’s my b-day month, we hit Red Robin and the burger was free! I was amazed that both kids ate all their food - usually they pick and wind up taking most of it home. FCD was the only one with a take-home box tonight!
On the way home, I asked him to pull up the Alexa app and turn on the lights in the house. I hate coming into a dark house, so it was nice. He commented that if we’ve got internet in Antarctica, we can turn our lignts on and off! Pretty wild when you think about it.
Poor Higgs was 2 hours late getting her supper. I’m sure she thought we’d fallen of the edge of the earth, but she’s been fed and contentment reigns. And I think it’s time for some hard-core chillage.
Anyway, emails and chats about that took up most of the rest of my day (and are taking up chunks of this afternoon). I was glad for my personal training appointment, both because I needed the workout and because the hard stop eventually forced me to log off and step away.
They claim it would drive landlords out of the state, which is, of course, bullshit.
