(Old) I owe, I owe, so off to Mump I go - A Tax Season MMP

[LSLGuy]

@Johnny_L.A

The hummingbird feeder is frozen

When I lived in MO which had freezing winters it was VERY loudly suggested that everyone empty their bird feeders and especially hummer feeders on Labor Day and not refill them until ~Easter.

The existence of extra food into late Fall encourages birds staying too late then starving during a delayed migration when they leave your familiar neighborhood and find no food a day’s flying south later.

I can’t handicap that advice, but as a huge wetlands area under the largest of the 4 USA migratory flyways I think St. Louis’s local Audubon folks and universities probably know what they’re about.

@Misnomer

I’m not sure how my street’s power came back on so quickly, but I was very grateful; houses on the same street as the 'sploded transformer were dark for several hours.

Most large neighborhoods, commercial or residential, are served by multiple feeds. If one dies, there’s another after a short delay while stuff reconfigures. As you saw. But eventually you get down to the last few houses served by 1 and only 1 transformer. Sux to be them after it blows.

@Misnomer

I’ll be going to a weekend jazz festival (it’s local, but I like to stay in the festival hotel as a kind of mini-vacation)

Great plan; I always did likewise. Easily doubles the fun! Enjoy massively!!

@Misnomer

…I kinda broke the original one by stuffing a bunch of leftover nachos down it.

So you told the manager: “Nacho problem; I gotcha covered!”

@purplehorseshoe

Ah, shit. Someone send out the sniffin’ dogs. (That is what M.I.A. stands for, isn’t it?)

I could go MIA / offgrid here real easy. Or any of another thousand places worldwide.

@purplehorseshoe

Even Michiganders are stocking up on T.P. and milk

In St Louis it was Weather Emergency French Toast (“WEFT”): eggs, bread, and milk. Even if 1/2" was predicted overnight and 40F/10C tomorrow. Dipshits. And I grew up in SoCal where 49F and sunny constitutes a weather emergency.

@nelliebly

Pilot, hope you can share the photo of you and your Mesozoic chum.

When I have time I’ll upload a bunch of meaningless pix of an ugly old fart or of random scenery. Including that one. Probably on Fri while flying & commuter training.

@BippityBoppityBoo

Disney movies, hot chocolate parties, maybe some cookie baking or Valentine sewing projects here we come~probably in our pajamas for the day, with the fireplace roaring (gas but it is still cheery to look at even if it doesn’t put out much heat).

Sounds like a pretty perfect day & kidlets to me. You go, gramma!!

I used to have a sealed gas fireplace insert in my lake house basement. It would heat the room to 95F in nothing flat. If your kids don’t have a proper rig in their fireplace, get them to replace it with something that heats, not cools, the room. It’ll pay for itself instantly.

Sheesh, do I gotta do everything around here?

@JaneDoe42

how often I was running the dishwasher each day

WTF???!! I think Her Ladyship is nuts for 3x / week.

@JaneDoe42

I need to stop hubs from shooting anyone, laters

I realize rural AZ isn’t TX, but "He needed shootin’ " is an ironclad absolute defense in TX. Just sayin’.

[Seanette]

@LSLGuy

WTF???!! I think Her Ladyship is nuts for 3x / week.

I run mine basically when it’s full enough to justify doing so, so it can vary. Days I’m doing a lot of cooking, I may need to run it once or even twice to keep up. If I’m not cooking much for several days, it may get run 2-3x/week. Yes, I know, some in here are grossed out by that. It’s a balancing act between sanitation concerns and efficiency.

[nelliebly]

@LSLGuy

The existence of extra food into late Fall encourages birds staying too late then starving during a delayed migration when they leave your familiar neighborhood and find no food a day’s flying south later.

I’m sure that’s true in colder climates, but here in western Washington, Anna’s hummingbirds don’t migrate. As year-round residents, they appreciate feeders.

[purplehorseshoe]

@LSLGuy

I could go MIA / offgrid here real easy.

We talked past each other. I thought that meant Medellin something-or-other, and was making a dumb joke about people “disappearing” very “mysteriously.”

Google informs me that it just means Miami Int’l Airport, and while I’m SURE nobody ever goes mysteriously missing in such a law-abiding city that doesn’t have ANY bad rep at all, it still amuses me that you were vacationing in what I still imagine as a white-dusted village full of machine guns, only to return home to what popular media informs me is a … white-dusted city full of condos.

[LSLGuy]

Miami is crazy but not dangerous crazy.

When I was working in Colombia for DoD here 40 years ago in Escobar’s heyday we never went anywhere except in bomb-proof vehicles in big and heavily armed groups of absolute violent assholes. Just like the people whose job was to kill us on sight while our job was to kill them on sight. Narco-dictators are bad news for ordinary folks. The US military in all it’s vast capability is also a blunt tool to apply to ordinary folks.

I greatly prefer the modern peaceful version of Colombia. They greatly prefer it too. It’s heartbreaking to talk to 30-somethings here who knew both worlds.

Looking at what’s about to happen to USA I may not live to see the recovery to happy peaceful; I’ll be at least until 105 before we get this crap under control.

[Baker]

Are the hippos still roaming in Colombia?

[LSLGuy]

AFAIK yes. Some shit is hard to clean up.

[JaneDoe42]

@LSLGuy

@JaneDoe42

I need to stop hubs from shooting anyone, laters

I realize rural AZ isn’t TX, but "He needed shootin’ " is an ironclad absolute defense in TX. Just sayin’.

We don’t shake canes at people out this way, LOL!!!

As I expected, the driver was going too fast and hit the brakes hard enough to make his anti-locks leave black marks on the pavement. He slid off the road into the culvert and hit the stop sign, then got hung up on the stump. That’s when the wet clay started flying.

I called 911 and told them the issue (they know allll about that poor abused stop sign) so the fire department showed up less than 5 minutes later. The nice police lady who showed up later kindly allowed me to take pics of the insurance card and gave me a report number so I can file a property damage claim.

Nobody got shot, but I’m thinking a 20 something man is going to be moving out of his parents house after destroying his mother’s car by being stoopid. I think booze was also involved, but we weren’t told why the cuffs came out. It was cold and I was back inside by then.

@LSLGuy

@JaneDoe42

how often I was running the dishwasher each day

WTF???!! I think Her Ladyship is nuts for 3x / week.

I cook from scratch. I make cheese. Lasagna involves making three or four cheeses, several of them the day before. I process surplus produce for freezing or dehydrating.

It is a rare day that our dishwasher doesn’t run at least twice and three times is not that unusual.

@nelliebly

I’m sure that’s true in colder climates, but here in western Washington, Anna’s hummingbirds don’t migrate. As year-round residents, they appreciate feeders.

We are lucky enough to have a nest in eye sight. We can’t see into the nest, but we can watch the activity. I always feel sorry for those naked lil birds when it’s cold…but at least they aren’t nesting up there where it really is cold!

[purplehorseshoe]

@LSLGuy

big and heavily armed groups of absolute violent assholes

Oh, hey, tell Juan I said “hello” to his wife and the littles.

Joke. Joke! { please tell them to not kill me }

@LSLGuy

Looking at what’s about to happen to USA I may not live to see the recovery to happy peaceful; I’ll be at least until 105 before we get this crap under control.

I was being a facetious asshole earlier (when am I not?) but to spare our Mumpers any further pearl-clutching, I would love to discuss further, elsewhere.
Perhaps in the Pit? (That’s not b.c I’m gonna dig into you, or the subject - I just suspect naughty words will be useful.)

---

After the “Mom” uh, post-digestion cattle excrement, I needed some gentle self-care, so …

@purplehorseshoe

the errands: Amazon return on those damn lights

… well, what a coincidence, the affordable sushi place is right next door to the UPS dropoff. And since my kitchen is still a mess AND I would like to eat food …

… y’all, they gave me a free gift box, two ceramic bowls and a pair of chopsticks for each.

They do these weird giveaways occasionally, and I don’t ask questions (free candy with only undecipherable characters? Yes, please …) but this kinda made me cry.

I shouldn’t have been this upset about my mother, but … stoopit freebie giveaway really made me feel better.

[Album] Yum Yum Sushi freebie

[JaneDoe42]

They look like spring!

[The_Stainless_Steel_Rat]

Evening all. Did make a late night gym trip and pedaled 750 calories away according to the cycle computers. The plumbing people are due to come back tomorrow to put the concrete in the places they dug up, but I’ll probably have to postpone the carpet replacing to let the concrete dry, so there’s that. According to the Weather Wizards rain is due about 5-6am and will continue until noontime, so a good day to be inside. Supposed to get near 60F again tomorrow, so that will keep the heating bill from being too monstrous.

Flyboy, I know it’s ‘part of the job’, but walking in on a dead person is something I hope I never have to face; and “he was only 77” does get to me, I’m 71 so too damn close for comfort.

Oopsie, love that little pic regarding e-mails. Too bad we have to be polite and all… And the Lego’s look marvelous.

FCM, sorry to hear about Daughter’s school issues. Hope something can be worked out and the school survives.

I don’t think I have ever hurt myself with a potato chip, and I used to consume them in vast quantities.

Pilot, you are one of those folks that simply are comfortable most anywhere you are; I try to be and know several folks who are the same as you. It makes for an enjoyable life, IMHO; may you always take pleasure in the little things.

Shoe, sorry to hear about the Mom issues; hope the weather isn’t quite as bad as predicted.

nellie, I think FCM answered the wind chill question, it depends on the actual temperature, wind chill is what happens to us, not the pipes. And 6 miles walking; you don;t need no gym workout, you get plenty of exercise on your own!!

BBBoo, enjoy the bonus Grandma Days.

JtC, I usually run my dishwasher once a week, it takes single old me that long to fill it. And hope the terrible driver stays unshot (update: at least not shot by your husband–as for his mothers, we’ll have to see).

10:30pm here so bedtime beckons; take care all…

[purplehorseshoe]

Considering the weather we’re about to “enjoy” I may hafta bring my own cane up to Arizona …

[LSLGuy]

@purplehorseshoe

@LSLGuy

get this crap under control.

I was being a facetious asshole earlier (when am I not?) but to spare our Mumpers any further pearl-clutching, I would love to discuss further, elsewhere.

You know where to find me.

We did good, but with vast collateral damage. I’m here this week partly to make amends. I don’t regret anything net net, but … humanity sux.

{{hugs Hon!!}}

[Johnny_L.A]

@The_Stainless_Steel_Rat

“he was only 77” does get to me, I’m 71 so too damn close for comfort.

The cops asked her if she had any idea of how he died. She said, ‘His legs were swollen, so he had heart disease.’ After the fact, she wondered if the cops understood the connection. I’m sure they just wrote ‘The RN said she suspected heart failure’ or something like that.

May you not die so young.

[The_Stainless_Steel_Rat]

@Johnny_L.A

May you not die so young.

I’m planning to live forever or die in the attempt. My Dad made it to 91, but had lost almost all is memories/life; I want to better that.

[Baker]

I just saw a local obituary that gets me down some. A well known local personage has passed. He was 90, and I did not know him really. But when I was a child he and his family operated a small amusement park here in town. It was really for the kiddies, but when I was growing up in the 60’s it was a lot of fun. It finally closed in 1988, long after I was grown, but I feel as if a bit of my childhood has truly passed now.

After the park closed he operated a 2nd hand store. I spoke to him once, telling him how I remembered when Johnny Weismuller made an appearance there. He told me Mr. Weismuller stayed at his house while in town and was a nice gentleman.

There was a splendid carousel in the park and it was purchased and restored by the city parks department. So if I wanted I can go there next summer and take a ride in the memory of Jerry Boyles.

[susan]

FCM, sorry about the school. That’s crummy.

nellie, I suggest dripping the faucet furthest from the street water source. If that faucet is on an outside wall, open the cupboards in that room.

It’s currently windy and 14F with a high of 13F predicted for tomorrow, though the days and days of snow have vanished from the forecast. The wind is quite noisy, though.

[JaneDoe42]

@The_Stainless_Steel_Rat

JtC, I usually run my dishwasher once a week, it takes single old me that long to fill it. And hope the terrible driver stays unshot (update: at least not shot by your husband–as for his mothers, we’ll have to see).

No judging here! You don’t cook. I don’t coach soccer.

We all have our own things and that is great. I get about five years out of a dishwasher, no matter the quality because the ones made to fit in homes are just not up the work in this home.

@LSLGuy

I don’t regret anything net net, but … humanity sux.

Vietnam vet here. I’ve got a bunch of funny stories to tell about my days back then, but now I wonder if I embraced the floozy life because I had learned that the world as we knew it could be gone in a second and we should just have fun while we could.

@LSLGuy

we never went anywhere except in bomb-proof vehicles in big and heavily armed groups of absolute violent assholes.

And that isn’t very nice, Hubs isn’t an asshole!!!

All of the Marines I had babysitting me when I was playing with bombs were as nice as could be. Hmmmm…I wonder if the differences in our chest sizes made any difference.

[purplehorseshoe]

For all those who might need { huggzz } and/or a giggle, here’s Monkey being an absolute WTF with his golden eyes:

[Album] Monkey WTF

[nelliebly]

@JaneDoe42

We are lucky enough to have a nest in eye sight.

Ooo! SO cool! I’d love to see a hummingbird nest in person!

shoe, the bowls are gorgeous! Sorry about your difficult mother.

@The_Stainless_Steel_Rat

And 6 miles walking; you don;t need no gym workout, you get plenty of exercise on your own!!

Thanks, but I think tomorrow I’m just going to walk around the apartment. I’ve been wussified after 7 years here, and walking in the coldest and wind doesn’t appeal to me.

flyboy, I’m sorry about Mrs. LA’s difficult discovery.

@Baker

So if I wanted I can go there next summer and take a ride in the memory of Jerry Boyles.

Oh, I hope you do! What a fitting tribute!

@susan

nellie, I suggest dripping the faucet furthest from the street water source. If that faucet is on an outside wall, open the cupboards in that room.

Thanks much! I’ve only done this stuff for houses I’ve lived in, as before this, I hadn’t lived in an apartment since I was 22. Several years ago, they had to turn off the water of everyone in the building because of a leak in pipes BEHIND the building, even farther from the street. I hope those don’t freeze.

My first winter here, we had temperatures colder than this–no instructions to drip water, and no frozen pipes. None of the apartments I lived in in Illinois and Massachusetts ever asked us to drip water, either, and it got colder than this in both places. Ah, well.

Off to start dripping.