# (Old) It is getting cold in the MMP **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** mmp\ **Created:** [December 11, 2023, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405 "2023-12-11T05:51:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/261 "2023-12-17T11:37:10Z")
Mornin all. It’s about 2h since **nellie** signed off her Saturday and I’m up early to start my Sunday w y’all. Shift change! It’s now about about 90 minutes before sunrise as I start typing, having been up about 30 minutes. Caffinatin’ is going well. At 5am it’s dead dark outside, 78/26, humid, dry, but the wind is howling and has been all night. Mixed with thunder in the wee hours. No balconatin’ for me; wind’s just a bit too much to enjoy. That temp will probably be the high for the day. It’s solid overcast, but the huge winds will finally push our several days of rain & gloom out so sunshine can return. That’s the good news. The less than good news is upcoming coolness. Been a couple of days since the last LSL update, so here goes. Fri got up early for bodily fluid draws, had breakfast at nicer-than-Denny’s, then home after some minor retail. Come noontime I went to lunch w my pal while Her Ladyship did library volunteering all afternoon. We went to a Mom’n’Pop Brazilian steakhouse. Nice folks, and lots of varied meats and accessories. We’ve dinnered there before but this was my first lunch there. Unfortunately he had to get back to his office, so the whole thing was both cut short versus our norm and was rushed within the time we had. Good convo but overall the experience was lacking due to time stress. Good news was we didn’t have time to drink excessively either, so there’s that. Oh well; next week. We’d tried for dinner the previous two nights, but his biz is just going nuts, and both nights he had to cancel so he could irk late. His biz is not holiday-seasonal; just volume has exploded of late. Nice problem to have. But … I spent a few years in his spot, owning / running a biz that had outgrown my ability to deliver work and manage and lead, but wasn’t quite big enough to afford a full-time professional general manager, nor could we hire (at any price) enough high quality workers that I didn’t need to be on the shop floor supervising too. Crap place to be; you’re juggling too many plates, doing a poor job at each hat you wear, and the whole thing will crash if you stumble or take a breather. I’ve stood up many a dinner date on short notice during those years; so no hard feelings towards my pal now, but boy howdy is that a feature I don’t miss of a phase of life I sometimes do, but mostly don’t. On the way home from that protein-heavy lunch I decided to round that out by ODing on carbs at a Mom’n’Pop NYC Italian place that makes awesome strombolis. If I subdivide one stromboli into 4 meals it’s not _too_ wretchedly excessive. So I ate half, came home, and was in a carb OD-induced stupor until bedtime 6 hours later. Should’ve eaten less of it and immediately had a nap; that would have been smarter. But dayum was it tasty. Such was Fri. Sat was a mostly lazy day: the gray and drizzle and rain was unremitting. Blech. Come evening we had a Xmas / etc., party to go to. The one we’d bought gifts for the gift exchange for last weekend. Grab a wine bottle from our small stash then stop off at the groc store for some snacks to share for the evening. Most snack-to-share parties are waay heavy on carbs and sweets, so I/we try to bring something from the low carb and healthy end of the spectrum. We chose dolmates, feta-stuffed olives, plus baked parm “chips” for some crunch. Then off to zip up the freeway in the dark & rain. The party was in the clubhouse of an older HOA-based housing development; very common around here. Decent venue; nothing opulent, but functional and plenty spacious. 20-some people all told, and food for about twice that many. We knew about a third of the folks at least slightly; the rest were new to us. It’s the sort of club where folks are instant friends though. Convivial, if decidedly gray haired. There was much talking of how in-person clubbing hasn’t really recovered from COVID and may never. Post-snak n yak it was time for the gift exchange. With stealing of course. We started with a pretty pile of nicely wrapped packages, plus some fun-looking gift bags. The price limit in the invite as $10-20, but a few people obviously ignored that part a bit. By luck of the draw Her Ladyship went first, and drew a turned wooden salad set: big bowl and serving spoon & fork. Which nobody stole, so it came home with us. I ended up going third and picked the 6" roughly cubical package wrapped in a newspaper color comic book page. Cute idea. It was a small hand-turned wooden bowl about the size of your outstretched hand with an inset metal lid & turned knob. Good for holding your car keys, or a few wrapped candies. Turns out one of the party-goers had made it himself; he’s quite a woodworker, this thing was beautiful and would have sold readily at any art /craft fair. By the time the exchange was done, I’d been stolen from 3 times and ended up opening the most gifts of anyone and also drew the final gift. I lost the home-made turned bowl, a set of blank notecards & envelopes with assorted Monet paintings on them, and a bottle of decent Chardonnay. I always tried to pick modest-looking packages, but somehow I kept coming up aces. The most-stolen gift was a no-name set of Bluetooth headphones. Kinda funny to see all the oldsters scrambling for that one. Runner-up in the theft department was a gift box of Baileys Irish Cream and two branded glasses. My final gift I got to keep was a 4-pack of Founders Brewery imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels and a package of gluten-free pretzel sticks. Turns out that Founders Brewery is in Grand Rapids MI, about 40 miles from our dear **shoe** ’s house. Best comment of the night was after somebody got a hefty hardback book which was an SF novel. The couple of immediately previous gifts had been electronic gizmos that triggered some bewilderment about what they were and how to use them. As she proudly displayed her book to the crowd some wag commented “You know how to work that thing?” Turns out she’s a retired English teacher. Got a good laugh for that one. Anyhow, soon enough it was time for everyone to pack up the leftovers (the organizer was smart enough to have brought a supply of disposable containers and big ziplocks and the remaining food quickly disappeared), clean up a bit, then we all launched off separately into the still-spitting rain. Twas fun. I’ll post this now and come back to comment on the last days’ reports of all and sundry. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/262 "2023-12-17T11:37:35Z")
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. _YAWN_ ‘Tis 57 Amurrkin out and rainy with a predicted high of 60 and partly N.O.S. after the rain clears out later this mornin’. The big item on today’s agenda is deheathenization, wherein I get to plop in a pew. We shall also take the presents we purchased. Matter of fact they are even loaded in OYKW’s vehicle as we did that last night. Go Us! This shall be followed by a McN.O.L. and then back to da cave for sloth the rest of the day. Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then purtification for deheatenization must commence. Happy Sunday Y’all! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/263 "2023-12-17T11:54:31Z")
> [@missred](#): > > Deaf or ignoring you? 😛 Definitely deaf. She no longer reacts to the garage door opening (the springs make a distinctive, annoying sound) nor does she bolt when the back door opens. Come to think of it, I don’t think she reacts to my Alexa reminder to feed the dog either. > [@dogbutler](#): > > Smalls heaving went OK. This makes me giggle because of the books I’ve been reading. Apparently _smalls_ is the term for Georgian-era Englishmen’s underwear. Guess I’m as juvenile as any junior high age boy… 😉 I woke stoopit early, but fell back to sleep till around 5 and read till just after 6. I find it hard to stay in bed much later than that because poor Higgs is confined and I’m sure she needs to pee. But she and Ziva have been tended to, the pellet stove has been re-pelleted, and I had a hunk o’quiche for breakfast (one hunk left in the freezer.) I pulled out butter to soften - I’m going to mix up a batch of snickerdoodles today, to be baked tomorrow. And I have some coleus cuttings that are rooted in water - they need to be planted in flowerpots. That’s as far as my planning has gone. BIL called me last night - he couldn’t get into his bank account and after multiple tries, he couldn’t even change the password. I told him to wait till today and change the password and make note of it. I fear while MIL is gone, I’ll be his go-to because he hasn’t pissed me off enough yet to yell at him. If it takes it off **FCD** , so be it. Meanwhile, we’re 34 days out from our cruise. I need to print out everything! I want paper in hand in case of issues - I don’t want to be trying to access anything from my phone. And I need to make sure I’ve completed all the pre-trip registration on line, and confirm several reservations. I also need to start thinking about what I’ll pack - we get 50# each plus carry-ons. I don’t want to have to pay for overweight bags and we’ll be gone almost 3 weeks. So there’s planning ahead. Meanwhile, caffeination continues. Happy Sunday!! ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/264 "2023-12-17T11:58:05Z")
Morning, mumpers! It’s a toasty 8c/46f with a predicted high of 10c/50f, and mostly cloudy. Weather app says “Each fucking cloud in the sky if calling you dirty, dirty names”. Not sure why, I haven’t done anything to offend the clouds 🙂 **WetOne** I’m glad you are getting more mobile, that must be a good feeling. **nellie** please feel free to vent about stuff here, we are all here for you. **BBBoo** I’m sorry that you’re missing some grandkid time, that is very precious. Hopefully you’ll all be able to get together soon. **sari** I get the games frustration too - 'im indoors loves his games, when a new one comes out he disappears into his boxroom and comes out when it’s time for food! Annoying when I need him for something or we’ve got plans to go somewhere but it keeps him off the streets and out of mischief. **Wordy** sorry to hear you are living in a plague house, I hope everyone recovers soon. **JtC** I can’t use the link to the mobile home site, but I agree that having a windowless kitchen is not something I would go for. I am like **Taters** , love natural light and want to make the most of all the available daylight. I had a busy day yesterday - went over to the pet store so do a couple of hours fundraising for Little Paws, it was very quiet over there which surprised quite a few people. The store manager sees this as “peak weekend” as it’s the last full weekend before xmas so he was expecting it to be busy. The car park was 80% full when I arrived but when I left at lunchtime, it was no better or worse although there was a long line of cars waiting to come into the other end of the complex. After that, I went home for a restorative cup of tea then we headed out into town for lunch at the Good Chinese place, then separated to do our own errands. I had a 3pm appointment at the doc’s for a blood pressure check (apparently they haven’t checked it for 5 years and thought it was time they did). Everything is fine, had a chat with the nurse about general health stuff, and I was on my way again. Met up with 'im indoors, went back home for more restorative tea, then out to our final gig of the year. Three excellent bands in our local rock pub, can’t ask for a better night out! There was much hugging and jollification upstairs in the Darkroom where the bands play, and some very entertaining conversations out on the fire escape where the cool kids hang out in between bands (because the Darkroom is, according to a guitarist friend, “sweatier than a docker’s armpit”). Afterwards, we went downstairs to the main part of the pub which was packed so we finished our drinks and went round the corner to our other favourite haunt. Stayed for one drink then got a cab home and retired to bed. I have a few things to get done today - so far I have fed and medicated the cats, refreshed the water bowls, changed the litter trays, put assorted gig tickets on the noticeboard in the kitchen (2024 is looking busy already!), written cards for the late December birthdays, and put last night’s dishes away 'cos they’re dry. I have gifts to wrap for my minions, it’s my turn to cook tonight so I may well do that next instead of leaving it until this evening, I have some ironing to do, and I need to write a list of stuff to pack for our trip as we’re off on Thursday to sunny Spain. Then I may fit in a big chunk of slothage! ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/265 "2023-12-17T14:16:29Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I also need to start thinking about what I’ll pack - we get 50# each plus carry-ons. I don’t want to have to pay for overweight bags and we’ll be gone almost 3 weeks. So there’s planning ahead. Are laundry services available aboard ship? (Never cruised, don’t know these things). Up, caffeinating, breakfasted and fixing to do meal prep and KP. A nice pot of chili is on the slate for the main need to feed, so that’s pretty easy. Thus, it shall be mostly a day of sloth. Stay safe and healthy y’all! ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/266 "2023-12-17T14:21:26Z")
Good morning! It’s 33F, somewhat cloudy, and with a hint of frost. The expected high temp is 46F, and we’ll have mostly cloudy skies. So, another calm day, but I believe the rain will move in tomorrow afternoon/evening. I’ve been up for about an hour, so I slept in a bit. The dogs have been taken out to potty twice and fed. It sounds like they’re being rather rambunctious out in the pen, so I may take them out again to run off some steam so they can nap. Around 7:00 or so, I’ll dash over to Safeway and grab the fixin’s for split pea soup. I’ll pick up a couple of other items while I’m there, but mainly I just need the fixin’s for the soup. **cookie** , I’m sorry the visit with the grandkids didn’t pan out. **sari** , I’ve said it before; who cares what B/H thinks? It’s none of her business when or IF you get a phone. She is an energy vampire, and you don’t have much to spare. I went to four stores yesterday looking for Christmas gifts for my son. I picked up some items, but I need something more. The fact that Christmas is barely a week away doesn’t help with the selection options. I know he’ll be pleased with whatever he receives, but I try to be thoughtful. Speaking of my son, he mentioned yesterday he may come up for a puppy fix today. Seeing as how tomorrow is another workday, I’m not sure he’ll make it, but we shall see. I have two more workdays and am off work through the 27th. I’m looking forward to some time off. I’m sure I’ll fill the time with some chores, such as steam cleaning the carpet, but other than picking up the holiday meal ingredients and cash for my mother as a gift, I’m pretty much done. I need to wrap my son’s gifts; we’ll call it a day. As for my mother, she doesn’t want anything, and I know she could use some cash to ease things for herself. I was going to get a gift card, but I think the money will be much more helpful for her. That way, she can treat herself or use the cash for something she needs. I know that when I struggled financially, I always appreciated money because being able to pay a bill and keep those wolves at bay was a gift to me. My husband is a gamer, and he can become too involved in new games. I fully understand the frustration, **JtC**. He’s gotten much better, but there are days when I too, become annoyed because I could use some help with chores or something, and I feel like I shouldn’t have to ask him specifically. If I ask, he helps, but c’mon, if I’m putting five miles in just taking care of chores around the house, it should be obvious some help is needed—minor rant over. Okay, need to finish my coffee and get ready to head out the door. That soup isn’t going to make itself. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/267 "2023-12-17T14:34:16Z")
Good morning all. Have turned the water on to do two more loads of laundry this morning, then will look for some gym time and eat Dinner early at the Metro Diner. So I need to forage for sustenance early today. Weather is a bit cooler (50F) and very cloudy, but all the interesting rain has moved East to torment **swampy** and **doggio** , so should stay fairly dry. **rocky** , interesting, it is exactly what you described (had no idea such things existed). **BBBoo** , hope good health reigns and you can do your Monday visit. School must be fairly open if they let grandmom’s come for lunch…never remember that when I was in school. Happy Packing (with gift cards being my go-to present, I don’t have much wrapping to do, Amazon takes care of theirs and Chewy’s won’t take more than a couple of minutes each. Glad that all the Xmas party goers had fun and a nice gift exchange; I’m more like **VanGo** , not much for parties of any sort, but can appreciate those who do enjoy them. **Sari** , tis’ the season to be unmotivated; with Xmas and dreary weather about; you’ll come through it just fine. And had to look up Buche de Noel, that does look good! **doggio** , enjoy your next paycheck. **nellie** , can’t help with the medical diagnosis, might there be someplace on-line that is moderately reasonable/intelligent on-line that you can ask other knee/bursistis sufferers about it? **Pilot** , keep and eye on your cholesterol, man, that’s some good food and drink your imbibing … 😉 😀 And never ran a business, but I’ve seen other folks that got ground down by it, sounds like you made the right career decision. **FCM** , long as the calls don’t get to annoying, being a good relative is not a bad thing; really hope BIL gets it together this time. And like you, I want printed documentation for all parts of any trip I;m on, never know if your phone will break or stop working. And see how much you can get into your carry-on…I’m still amazed at how much people pack onto planes these days… **Boo fae** , quite a night out. > [@missred](#): > > Are laundry services available aboard ship? (Never cruised, don’t know these things). If **FCM** doesn’t mind, most cruises offer laundry service and it usually is pretty good, but it is expensive and most cruisers try to avoid it, in my experience. Alright, need to break my fast and check on the laundry. Take care all and have a good Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/268 "2023-12-17T14:38:04Z")
Some comments on the last couple(!) of days of everyone’s life … > [@missred](#): > > prep the three cheese grits casserole Now _that_ sounds yummy. Which three cheeses? Any special tricks to casserolify (casserolize?) the grits? Getting them stiff enough sounds hard. > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > The Kindergarten Musical Extravaganza was ADORABLE!!! Today was Jammies Day at the school, and most of the kids were in holiday-themed pajamas. They sang 5 songs, including a Christmas Wrap Rap that was too cute! They also did something called The Wiggle Song and Roxy really got into the wiggling. Awww! That sounds so fun and gratifying. We attended a similar event last year at Daughter’s facility, but for Thanksgiving, not Christmas. Total cute overload as all the kids did their song-and-dance routines. In her case the staffers had segregated the many kids by age, so we had performances by a dozen to two dozen each of toddlers, kindergartners, 6-8yos and 8-10yos. Fun (at least for this non-parent) to see the range of development of the kids. Did I mention all the cute! Squeeeee!!!1! Then there were cupcakes & punch for everyone. And seething; lots and LOTS of seething. > [@Kitten\_Mitten](#): > > **{{RealFish}}** I’m so sorry to read that you are experiencing so much pain. I hope that you can find relief soon. Have you had a referral to a doctor in a Pain Clinic? You might consider this; it worked for Hubs last May. This. Pain is a sucky companion. Keep trying different ideas until you hit a winner. And best of luck. > [@Kitten\_Mitten](#): > > Then on to Kroger gas where both cars were filled to the brim for $1.79/gallon Holy frijoles. I haven’t seen gas prices that low since the 1980s! Regular is generally about $3.75 - $4.25 around here. Shish Tawook sounds fantastic. > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > my daughter was in the elementary chorus (grades 2-5) [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZq2_PMR1jI) was part of every Christmas concert. Always a favorite! I’d never heard that but it’s adorable kid music. Growing up where winter isn’t cold, we had a different sort of holiday songs. > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > > [@LSLGuy](#): > > > > Yeah, that trick never works. > > Until you’ve done it a few dozen times, with the right tools for the job. Yeah, well, you’re a professional. 🙂 Never send an amateur in to do a pro’s job; it ain’t pretty. Sorry your back is acting up. Is your bed alright for you? Sleeping on one wrong, or wrong for you, is how I usually got those issues when I was your age. > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > For some reason, sometimes, when I put something off, and it becomes more urgent, the "donwanna"s in my brain become increasingly louder. > > So I’ve been doing something I guess I’ll call “practical procrastinating.” Oh yeah; that first part is my specialty too. The longer it’s sat, the larger the thicket of guilt that builds up around it for not having already done it. Damn but those thorns are sharp and make me _really_ want to avoid the [whatever it is]. That’s a bad feedback loop. But Hooray !1! for practical procrastinating. What a great idea. I think I’ll start doing that too. Maybe next week. Probably. Perhaps. 😁 > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > Do remember to take your pain meds as scheduled, not as needed. Your body can’t heal if it is all clinched up in pain, it needs to be able to relax to heal. This was aimed at **hippie** but I’m echoing it here for him and for everyone. I spent a lotta years titrating pain meds for somebody. It’s ~~good~~ Grrreee-at advice for anyone suffering from chronic pain or recovering from whatever injury or surgery or … One my doc’s standard lines is “It’s far easier to prevent pain than to counteract it. Get ahead and stay ahead.” > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > The squirrels loved it, there would be a constant stream of squirrels scampering back over the fence for another turn. Every time you tell that story I get a fresh kick out of it. So great. Thank you. Again. Kinda like the squirrels I just love coming back for another round with the colander. 😉 > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Pigeons do very well in cities, and are a natural prey for hawks’n’falcons. (Sounds like a weird football joke.) > > Hawks and falcons like nesting in cliffs, which tall buildings (and their accompanying pigeons) mimic quite well. > > 🎵 It’s the cirrrrrrclllllle of liiiiiiiife 🎶 I would love some hawks and falcons to apply some raptor love to the pigeons that infest my balcony. Our whole building has too many “architecturals” (read “pigeon roosting spots”) for my preferences and my balcony happens to be worse than most _and_ there’s a spot they’d installed pigeon spikes that later became dislodged, so I’ve got the damned birds in spades. Disease-infested aerial rats deserving only universal extermination. > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > These cute pants and somewhat-tasteful makeup is not going to waste, dammit. Nor should they. Flirting workplaces are the best. If everyone is a sensible grown-up, not a creep, about it. Been a long time since I’ve had that privilege. > [@Misnomer](#): > > My annual performance review discussion on Tuesday went well! Yay! I was rated a 4 out of 5: most people get 3s, and hardly anyone ever gets a 5, so a 4 is really good. 🙂 You’re a total 10 in my book kiddo. And any supervisor who can deliver the PIP meeting to a worker skillfully is just awesome. Welcome back after your MMP sabbatical. > [@Misnomer](#): > > Tonight, though, I’m going back to DC – same venue as Monday night 🙂 – for more holiday jazz! Yaay!! We’ll expect a full report when you can next pop in. > [@nelliebly](#): > > My gum felt so much better this morning that I canceled my dentist appointment. AND my new contacts came in, so that’s TWO piece of good news! And the retinal doc says the glaucoma is no worse, so I don’t have to return for six months. Yay! Triple happy health news. Yaay!! > [@nelliebly](#): > > So 🎶 Jane the Cane vapes mainly on the plain. Yes, another congrats for this fine bit of doggerel. Well done **Nellie**!! > [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Plumbing appointment is scheduled…for January 3rd Crap. You say you’re losing weight too fast? I’m not sure that can be a problem unless it’s a sign of some illness. IME, even if you did have a downward spurt, you probably won’t sustain that rate for more than a few days. The good news is that may be a sign of some endocrine realignment towards a new lower “set point”. Appendages crossed or clinched as appropriate here. > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > Its in the low 60s now and the community Christmas parade will be passing by around 1745. I am going to fix a warming mug of mulled mead and bundle up to go out and watch it go by. > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > Well, that was fun. My pics are most of blurry lights, but I did recognize friends. Besides the fire trucks, there were 23 trucks and what not pulling highly decorated trailers. > > Now I need some more mulled mead to warm back up cause it dropped to under 60 since my last post. Everything is better with mulled mead! Yum. Especially home-made mead. (Try saying that 3 times fast 🤪 ) At the same time as our holiday party Sat night there was supposed to be a boat parade on the nearby waterway. So reluctantly I/we had planned to miss it. Then the city cancelled it Fri morning due to forecast shit weather. Which turned out to be a good move; Sat night was indeed shit weather: lotsa rain and high winds. Her Ladyship finds boat parades (or any parade really) insufferably droll and boring, but I like them. I grew up near a harbor and it’s just not Christmas season without the abject silliness of a boat parade. > [@dogbutler](#): > > but I got cioppino and a Royal Hawaiian to hold me till second nap time. You live very, very well Good Sir. Sounds like an awesome meal & combo. > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Plus it was Christmas music night, and Jeebus I cannot stand any more overwrought renditions of … well, all of them I’ve had pity / worry about the psychological torture of non-stop Christmas muzak abusing retail folks since I was a kid. I’m always surprised so few of them snap and start shooting up the store each year. No jury on Earth would convict. > [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > **pilot** , may I be first to wish you and her Ladyship a very happy anniversary? You may. And you were. 😁 > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > They no longer have self-serve drinks! The very idea!! I had read that fast food places all over are pulling those out. Not quite sure why, but cutting back on too much “all you can drink” must be the central idea. Bastards. > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Higgs is definitely going deaf - you have to yell really loud to get her attention. Her Ladyship says I don’t listen to her. At least I _think_ that’s what she said. 🙂 What’s with visiting 2 groc stores to find 18-packs of eggs? Don’t two twelves work as well for less time and effort chasing around? You’re so darn logical and efficient this seems unlike you, so there’s gotta be another page to the story I don’t have. > [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > > > Leonardtown FL > > For a minute I wondered what you were doing in Florida, then I remembers FL = Food Lion and all was well with my geography… 😉 😀 I had the same double-take. **Wordy** glad the illness stuff seems to be subsiding for you and your crew. Here’s to more progress on that front. > [@peedin](#): > > Yesterday I walked outside without my crutch! It’s been 6 weeks and IMHO the fracture is healed to the point it doesn’t kneed support (see what I did there?). You did something awesome getting out there! Congrats on the healing journey and hopes for lots more improvement to come. > [@Chefguy](#): > > Bummed out today. We were supposed to make xmas cookies with my daughter and was really looking forward to it, as it’s literally been decades since I could do that. We were going to have soup and cornbread, also. She cancelled with a sore throat Rats! Bad luck for sure. Making cookies with kids and grands sounds simply grand. When you can pull it off. Sorry you’re coming up empty handed this time. Next week maybe? It sure seems like post-COVID many people, myself certainly included, have more long-lingering minor illnesses than we used to. Or the episodic sore throat, sniffles, or whatever that shows up, leaves 3 days later, but rolls back around a week or two later for another short stay. Again and again and again. What’s up with that? Anyone else have this impression for themselves or their circle of IRL friends? Any real medical cites that this impression is real? > [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > I won’t be having my sacred Sunday play day with my two grandkidlets tomorrow because their dad tested positive for Covid Tuesday and will still be in isolation through Monday at a minimum. Crap! Your family too?! IIRC he’s had this before. Or was that kid-Mom? > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > I finally set up the fresh rat tub last night, but decided to wait till today to move them. (ASFs are nocturnal, and it’s easier to transfer a colony when they’re groggy.) > > So GUESS who chewed out last night? 🤪 If I’d have moved them last night, this wouldn’t have happened. Yeah, but we get a cool story and Monkey got to gleefully practice prey-chasing. So there’s that. Thank you! About how many ASFs do you have now? Is a “rat tub” what I think; just a big Tupperware-like storage box with snap-on lid? I had the same thought as **Nettie** : why not let the snakes help with the ASF round-up? They too might enjoy some exercise and hunting practice. The ASFs aren’t going to enjoy their experience no matter where or how it goes down; that’s sorta baked into their lot in life. > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > I guess interior facing kitchens work better for people who are more focused on inside entertainment, because the sink user in the new mobile would be able to watch TV instead of birds. In small houses, every window in / near a kitchen displaces what would otherwise be a kitchen cabinet. As you say, that place is already stupid-short on storage. That’s probably what the designers were thinking. > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > but actually I was worried about the light cause I like to sit out in the dark and look at the sky. Damn I miss getting to really good dark. It’s not like city sky even a little bit. Desert dark is even better for lack of humidity that fosters haze. As long as it’s not windy enough to raise dust, deserts have the best skies on Earth; better even than open ocean. You are so fortunate to have it, and so wise to treasure it. > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > utility companies who might have lines under your property will come out and mark where their stuff is so you don’t cut them. It’s not mandatory, but it is free and just takes one phone call, so why not? OTOH, paying for whatever you dig up to be fixed _is_ mandatory and delays your project while they do, so any smart contractor includes that little consideration too. Amazing how many un-smart contractors there are though. > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > I am in awe of the volunteers who smile their way through two hours of a sea of sugar fueled over-stimulated littles. Many of them don’t even drink! Yeah. 'Tis a mystery how they cope, but they do. It seems they feed on chaos and joyful noise sometimes turning quickly into toddler tears. Speaking of which, I’m a bit overdue for my next dose of adorable Horde, but I figure that around Christmas - New Year’s week we’ll be there half a day or more for most days. Pacing, dear boy. Pacing. > [@JaneDoe42](#): > > The poor critters have nowhere to sleep but the cold, hard floor. 😿 Oh, the Felinity! You’re a bad catmommy indeed. You couldn’t even front them a single bath towel to soothe their hips and elbows? O cruel, cruel Fate you are. > [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > **FCM** , I’m glad **FCD** got back safe and sound. Don’t let him try and do much tomorrow, he should be slothing like **swampy** and me. Thirded. Effort two, or worse yet three, days in a row is highly contraindicated as the medics would say. Instead one should sloth forth with great abandon. ETA: As I see you both have planned. > [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > I’d try shutting her out of the room but then she sits outside the door and mews piteously ruining whole ho-ho-ho merry and bright vibe. IIRC you own a garage. Or a bathroom. Anyplace that gets at least two closed doors between you and the noisesome cat. Or crank some appropriate music on your phone / tablet while you wrap. They’ll get over it and you’ll still have some nerves left at the end. Don’t do like another Doper recently reported they did and forget to tag what’s for who before they mixed up the wrapped packages or boxes. BTDT, it sucks. D’oh!! > [@missred](#): > > > [@rocking\_chair](#): > > > > Then onto acme > > Didja get any anvils? :d&r: I laughed. Well played!! > [@Sahirrnee](#): > > As another irritation, B/H mom was giving me grief for not getting a new phone already. > … > Of course, I know a lot of the rush from her was because I wasn’t answering her calls because my phone doesn’t ring. I’m confused. She’s the mean jerky person you want to block out of your life and you’re letting calls come in from her? Why? Bravo for having the wisdom to take things slowly and easily on yourself otherwise though. > [@dogbutler](#): > > is all time and a half during Peak. 😃 Yaay!!1! > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Dear lord, I thought “grass lab” was some sort of puzzling typo, but … nope. Okay, then. I too was mystified until they posted that link. Hope your “one-eyed jack” was yum. Do you like to put any interesting sauces on your eggs? **Nellie** , sorry to hear the knee is still fighting you so hard. Sorry I can’t add anything on bursitis; not a problem I’ve dealt with as patient or as amateur caregiver. **Swampy** enjoy your churchifyin’ as a comfy pew-dweller and best of luck with the remaining sloth. **FCM** compared to your morning … I awoke and arose at 5am, it’s now 9:30 and in those 4-1/2 hours I have accomplished: making a pot of coffee, drinking half, and these two MMP posts. Period. That’s it. Not even a now quite overdue potty break. You are incredible. > [@scareyfaerie](#): > > Three excellent bands in our local rock pub, can’t ask for a better night out! There was much hugging and jollification upstairs in the Darkroom where the bands play, and some very entertaining conversations out on the fire escape where the cool kids hang out in between bands (because the Darkroom is, according to a guitarist friend, “sweatier than a docker’s armpit”). Afterwards, we went downstairs to the main part of the pub which was packed so we finished our drinks and went round the corner to our other favourite haunt. Stayed for one drink then got a cab home and retired to bed. Now that sounds like the perfect end to a productive day. I hope Little Paws got something out of all your sitting time at the pet place. Happy Spaining. Looking forward to your on-scene reporting. > [@Taters](#): > > That way, she can treat herself or use the cash for something she needs. I know that when I struggled financially, I always appreciated money because being able to pay a bill and keep those wolves at bay was a gift to me. Wise words indeed. Sorry she’s struggling. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/269 "2023-12-17T15:20:51Z")
Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off today. It is raining, and it is The Screaming Tuxedo Zoomies Hour. I shall clean, post stampede. > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > This makes me giggle because of the books I’ve been reading. Apparently _smalls_ is the term for Georgian-era Englishmen’s underwear. Guess I’m as juvenile as any junior high age boy… 😉 I heave plenty of those. Although judging by yesterday’s sort, for Christmas everybody is getting - Shien cubes - Cologuard cubes - Spanx - Temu bags(filled with knockoff Spanx and Cologuard?) ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/270 "2023-12-17T15:41:17Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > The idea of spending another 8 months like this makes me very frustrated. The number of ways the human body can experience failures is spectacular; however, those failures rarely follow the timetable dictated by some silly fellow in a white coat. That being said, this doesn’t seem like a “Wait around and hope the problem resolves itself” situation. I hope someone more knowledgeable about navigating the dystopian hellhole that is the U.S. healthcare system can give you practical advice about how best to proceed … ETA: you could start a separate thread in IMHO and see if any Dopers have good advice. It’s admittedly a smaller crowd than, say, Reddit … which might actually be another good crowdsourcing resource, on second thought. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Turns out that Founders Brewery is in Grand Rapids MI, about 40 miles from our dear **shoe** ’s house. Wow, small world! > [@LSLGuy](#): > > an SF novel. The couple of immediately previous gifts had been electronic gizmos I thought for sure someone was gonna comment about how the machines are already taking over! > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I find it hard to stay in bed much later than that because poor Higgs is confined and I’m sure she needs to pee. I’d have the same sympathy. However, for me, the guilt would get me out of bed pretty much immediately, or after a suitable amount of grumbling, and then once potty time was done, I’d crawl back under the covers and THEN get in my reading/chilling time, guilt free. > [@Taters](#): > > She is an energy vampire, and you don’t have much to spare. No kidding; “energy vampire” is an excellent description. **sari** try practicing saying, “Oh, mind your own business” in a firm but cheerful tone. And since we’re all butting into your personal life with unsolicited advice, you can start with us. 😉 > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Hope your “one-eyed jack” was yum. Do you like to put any interesting sauces on your eggs? Predictably, “want to eat” does not equal “want to make” and I crapped out. Had some leftover noodles and called it quits; 3:30 a.m. after Long Night in a kitchen doesn’t exactly incentivise cookery. I’m a minimalist with eggs: scrambled eggs get no cheese, no ketchup, just a bit of chives or green onions. However, I keep a bottle of Cholula in the fridge solely & specifically for one-eyed Jacks. No other sauce will do, and when I first moved up here & didn’t have replacements for most of my condiments and made a Jack with no Cholula, it just tasted … incomplete. But I don’t put any hot sauce on anything else. Now, spicy chili crisp is a whole 'nuther beast, and I’m getting a bit notorious at work for my addiction to the stuff … because I always hafta bring in the jar so someone can open it for me, which means my consumption level cannot be kept a shameful secret. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > these two MMP posts. Period. That’s it. Not even a now quite overdue potty break I’m not much for multitasking, but you DO know you can derp around on your phone while seated upon the porcelain throne, yes? > [@LSLGuy](#): > > About how many ASFs do you have now? Is a “rat tub” what I think; just a big Tupperware-like storage box with snap-on lid? About a dozen. And yes, exactly, modified with holes for water bottle spouts, plus “windows” of 1/4" steel mesh, “sewn” into place with steel wire, for ventilation. I reinforce the water bottle holes with pop-tops (the little lever you open your Coke can with) as they are the exact size of the spout. Those openings, unfortunately, provide them with places to start chewing. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > I had the same thought as **Nettie** : why not let the snakes help with the ASF round-up? They too might enjoy some exercise and hunting practice. Oh, they’d enjoy it all right … but I’d likely never see either ever again. Or open a random cabinet eight months later and have a heart attack. (Pretzel is BIG.) But they don’t ezzactly come when called, and can - and will - hide in the most bizarre spots. Getting outside the house would mean game over, and inside the house, well … to a cat, a snake is just a string that moves and wiggles all on its own, what fun! > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Rats! Bad luck for sure. Hey! 😠 > [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’ve had pity / worry about the psychological torture of non-stop Christmas muzak abusing retail folks At this particular job, it’s not piped in, thank gawd - we have those little Bluetooth speakers and take turns hooking up Pandora/Spotify/YouTube etc. via our respective phones. I call it “playing D.J.” e.g. whoever’s in charge of music, as in, “Hey, whoever is playing D.J. can you turn it down a bit, please?” (I’m the one playing endless Led Zep, Bon Jovi, Clapton, etc.) But **Sweet Manager** loves Christmas music, and so does the girl for whom I made that card, so for their sake the rest of us ~~grin and~~ bear it. * * * Monkey was bored so I went to give him some catnip, and a big clump fell out of the bag. Me: “the hell … ? Oh, that’s what ~~entirely sober me~~ I did with the ‘furry ball’ from **JtheC**!” I’d put it there to pick up some scent. … right as Monkey POUNCED. So, @JaneDoe42 please know there is an incredibly happy black cat up in western Mitten State currently losing his absolute mind. Furry ball + catnip + empty box (to contain the catnip mess) = OMG ---
**Author:** ![TruePisces](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/truepisces/32/13628_2.png) [@TruePisces](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruePisces)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/271 "2023-12-17T15:53:52Z")
> [@missred](#): > > I guess we could have been called free range kids too. We lived in a very small town (under 1K people), so our bikes were used as transportation everywhere. It was similar for me. Same kind of small town. I didn’t ride my bike into town - I lived 5 miles out of town and there really wasn’t a safe way to ride my bike there. But whenever I was in town (almost daily), I was all over town with my friends. And when I was home, I would regularly go down into the valley to my grandparents’ property to wander all over with my cousins. Or wander all over our 100+ acre property. It’s been very strange having my own kids that don’t do that because we live in a relatively unsafe part of town. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Anyway, the combined electricity and propane bills came to over $400. ☹ Ouch! I know it’s has gone up (Hubby likes to keep it warmer in her than I do) but not nearly that much. Then again, we’ve just got electricity and it’s only a 1200 sq ft apartment. > [@SCAdian](#): > > One year my ex had all the Xmas presents bought and wrapped in mid-July. I bow to your superior organizational skills. I’ll sometimes have the gifts mostly bought by October but it’s even odds that I’ll not only not have them wrapped before Christmas Eve but also forget where I put half of them. > [@Sahirrnee](#): > > I could probably get used to it but it doesn’t have wireless charging. That is a pain because I charge the phone on the nightstand and when I grab the phone I either pull the charger out of the phone, or out of the wall. I need to look into that when I get my new phone. Trying to find chargers around my house, remembering to actually unplug the phone below moving on… plus there’s a lot of cute wireless charging options. > [@LH75](#): > > I m are it through the surgery. The pain is not as bad as I thought It would be. I am two days post surgery and I have almost no energy. They are talking about sending me home Sunday t No energy is part for the course. I hope you do get to go home today. Just be gentle with yourself! > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Great ideas! Which puts me in mind of what would happen if we could magically arrange a real world all-Mumper potluck party and everyone brought all their critters too. I like this idea! Could those of us that only have hooman critters (also known as “my kids”) be welcome? I can’t afford non-hooman critters at the moment but I love to love on them! > [@Kitten\_Mitten](#): > > **{{RealFish}}** I’m so sorry to read that you are experiencing so much pain. I hope that you can find relief soon. Have you had a referral to a doctor in a Pain Clinic? You might consider this; it worked for Hubs last May. I hadn’t thought about that. I may mention it to my doctor. I think they want me to try PT first. But I’m at a point of wanting to try _anything_ to make the continual ache stop. > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Y’all, my back is _murdering_ me today. I can’t stand up without making weird noises, and I can’t do it quickly at all. I feel you on this! Whenever I get up from sitting, I start almost horizontal before very, very slowly becoming upright. Back pain is a bitch! > [@scareyfaerie](#): > > Three excellent bands in our local rock pub, can’t ask for a better night out! Sounds like a great night out! I need to talk to my partner about us going to hear a local band sometime. Hubby isn’t as much into live music as Partner and I am, though Hubby would go if I asked. And being in Nashville, there’s no shortage of bands or venues. > [@Taters](#): > > He’s gotten much better, but there are days when I too, become annoyed because I could use some help with chores or something, and I feel like I shouldn’t have to ask him specifically. If I ask, he helps, but c’mon, if I’m putting five miles in just taking care of chores around the house, it should be obvious some help is needed—minor rant over. I have the same issue with both Hubby and the kids, though to be fair, Hubby has stepped up a _lot_ since I’ve had the problems with both hands and back. Just this morning, he went around and did some general cleaning. But they’ve been far more times in the past than I can count that he’d be playing on the computer and wonder why is be pissy as I walked around trying to get things cleaned up. Happy Belated Birthday, **JtC**! Sorry I didn’t get in earlier. And Happy Belated Anniversary, **pilot** and Her Ladyship! For everyone that liked/needed my shirt, thank you! I picked it up off of Temu which has been my go to for inexpensive goodies. I know that I probably missed a lot of respond- worthy goodies, but with over 100 pairs between my last visit and now, I hope I can be forgiven. Now to the fishy part of my post: As tough as it was on my hands, I did manage to get for kinds of cookies made before Thursday night. This is Hubby’s traditional gift for his cow-orkers and I like to bake so… thankfully, Hubby and CtE helped out as they could. I ended up with chocolate chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, date cookies and jam thumbprints. The work party was Friday and they got the seal of approval from said cow-orkers, so all is good! My busy week wasn’t terribly bad, even though I did have busyness e every night. The book clubs were fun, including free books and chocolates at my poly book club and party games at my fantasy book club. CtE had a good appointment with their therapist on Wednesday night and I took some quiet time sorting in the car while they were there. The kids started mid-terms on Friday. Around here, exams are only a half day, so they leave school at 11:30. On Friday, I drove them in because I had an IEP meeting for CtE first thing. The first block on the first day of exams is a study hall, so CtE was able to join the meeting. They really are starting to take a bit more responsibility with stuff. I’m hoping it lasts. Both kids did fairly well on their first exam so that’s also good. I did find something to motivate BtY when it comes to getting work done in school and focusing on studying: his complete lack of desire to go to summer school. I’ll take it. CtE did a very mature thing that I was both proud and sad for. They’d not been taking care of their hair and it was incredibly matted. They decided to cut it the night before mid- terms. It’s the shortest is been in about 5 years and, while it looks good, I miss their longer hair. They’re planning on growing it back though. My PT on Thursday didn’t go as planned. I spent 30 minutes driving around the parking garage to find a parking space before giving up. At that point, I was 20 minutes late for my appointment and decided to reschedule. I won’t be able to get in until the 29th. So I’m going to see what kinds of things I can find online to help with it. Things on the relationship front are going fairly well. Both Partner and I have had busy weeks so we ended up spending time together yesterday instead of a date night. We watched several episodes of _Doctor Who_ (I’m introducing him to the 11th Doctor/Amy/Rory.) It was nice having his place to ourselves for a bit. Then I’ve got another guy that has been interested in me before but disappeared show back up. He’s had a bit of a breakdown but wants to try again. I’m proceeding with caution. Yesterday was a bit of a hot in the feels. My mom called me because “she didn’t want [me] to think she’d forgotten [me] on Christmas Day.” I’ve dealt with people with dementia before but this early stage with my mom… it’s harder than I expected. She tried to play off not knowing what day it was because all the days ran together and she’s spent a lot of time sleeping. Which I’m sure is true. But I also know it isn’t the whole story. Our relationship is a bit better now but still… it hurts. Today is mainly a lazy day for me. The most strenuous thing in going to do is help BtY study for his English exam tomorrow. I’m looking forward to that rest. Have a great Sunday, wonderful Mumper friends. And hopefully, I’ll be back tomorrow with my less than sparkling wit! ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/272 "2023-12-17T16:14:42Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’ve had pity / worry about the psychological torture of non-stop Christmas muzak abusing retail folks since I was a kid. I will now offer you a place in my gang. Our gang is dedicated to preventing retail muzak abuse. As the customer, you can tell management to turn the music off or down because it is interfering with your shopping experience. If management is able to get to the volume controls, the music will be shut off or at least turned down. It might be turned back up as soon as you walk out the door, but the workers will have gotten a short respite. Ya know those stoopid motion detecting singing and dancing abominations? Turn them all off. If you have time, open them up and reverse the batteries. If you get super dedicated to this task, get a set of eyeglass screwdrivers to carry around with you for opening the more complicated battery covers. Not for prying, you don’t want to damage anything, but some of them have teeny tiny screws holding the cover on. Be careful to not lose the screws, that counts as damage. I have never once gotten pushback from a retail worker over this. Usually I get thanks, hugs and offers of discounts. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/273 "2023-12-17T16:20:01Z")
> [@TruePisces](#): > > CtE did a very mature thing that I was both proud and sad for. They’d not been taking care of their hair and it was incredibly matted. They decided to cut it My sympathies to them. I went through the exact same thing several months ago: went through a depression spiral and because at work my hair is … well, was … always rolled into a bun and then tucked under a kerchief, I got away with not caring at all for it for far too long. Finally decided it was past the point of no return, and after talking myself through it for days - I’ve had long hair all my life - I finally just got the scissors and went for it. It had to be done. I guess what’s left is kinda cute. I hope **CtE** finds a style that works for them. Short hair is weird when you’re used to long hair. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/274 "2023-12-17T16:20:48Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Rats! Bad luck for sure. Making cookies with kids and grands sounds simply grand. When you can pull it off. Sorry you’re coming up empty handed this time. Next week maybe? Well, youngest son made it over, so we did it with him. As for my daughter’s illness. . .let’s just say she has always had a passing flirtation with the truth. I’m never sure what to believe, as she’s pretty adept at it after all these years. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/275 "2023-12-17T17:08:10Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > I have never once gotten pushback from a retail worker over this. The worst was Phar-Mor. They played the same string of songs over and over. When I heard “Holly Jolly Christmas” for the 3rd time, I knew it was time for my break. {{{{ **Fishy** }}}} but yay for **CtE** for fixing things. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/276 "2023-12-17T17:29:32Z")
Now, lest anyone think I’m a total scrooge…I do have some favorite carols. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccefqYQWtdA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccefqYQWtdA) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBdx6nvi4Uo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBdx6nvi4Uo) and of course, just for you **doggio**! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnG8nOK7nqM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnG8nOK7nqM) Links spoiled because folks need to think about who posted them before clicking. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/277 "2023-12-17T18:12:12Z")
> [@missred](#): > > Are laundry services available aboard ship? This ship does have a coin laundry on our deck. If we get lucky, we’ll get a shot at a machine, with 2600 passengers and fewer than a dozen machines… No rain yet, much to my surprise. I mixed up a batch of snickerdoodles and the dough is chilling, literally. I’ll bake tomorrow. No motivation to do anything else. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/278 "2023-12-17T18:15:15Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Every time you tell that story I get a fresh kick out of it. So great. Thank you. Again. Kinda like the squirrels I just love coming back for another round with the colander. 😉 Oops! But if you really wanna laugh at man/vs squirrels, you need to know about this guy! He’s got a handful of vids out and I laugh at them all the time. **[Mark Rober](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg5wznn3IBE)** ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/279 "2023-12-17T18:39:54Z")
> [@scareyfaerie](#): > > **BBBoo** I’m sorry that you’re missing some grandkid time, that is very precious. Hopefully you’ll all be able to get together soon. Beloved son-in-law just tested positive again so more days in isolation in the basement for him…while my daughter and the 6 year old and 2 year old have the upper two floors, all while wearing masks. So far, so good. I’m sure my daughter single parenting with her dominant arm and hand strapped down in an immobilizing brace is about ready to consider recreational drinking for all 3 of them. Wine is fruit juice? Right? Fruit juice is good for kids. I’m sure the Disney channel is getting a workout-entire days lost to ‘Paw Patrol’ here we come! I tested negative last night so 🤞🏻I apparently didn’t catch her dad’s Covid from Harriet eating lunch with her at school a few hours before he became symptomatic and tested. > [@scareyfaerie](#): > > went back home for more restorative tea Restorative tea sounds like a good idea every time you say that~I’m going to try tea in a bit. Closest I’ve got on hand is Trader Joe’s Irish breakfast tea-it brews up nice and strong-will that do since I don’t have any more proppah English tea? > [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > **BBBoo** , hope good health reigns and you can do your Monday visit. School must be fairly open if they let grandmom’s come for lunch… It’s more “how would we stop that particular grandma from coming for lunch?” 😉 it would be like trying to stop our **jane the cane**. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’ve had pity / worry about the psychological torture of non-stop Christmas muzak abusing retail folks since I was a kid. I’m always surprised so few of them snap and start shooting up the store each year. No jury on Earth would convict. This, so much this. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Crap! Your family too?! IIRC he’s had this before. Or was that kid-Mom? Kid-mom hasn’t had it. I think you’re remembering 🎄 last year when my youngest son (her little brother) came down with it just as he and his fiancée were about to get on a plane in Ann Arbor to fly here for Christmas. Got to spend his few days of long awaited vacation being sick and sequestered away from all friends and family. Literally happened just hours before their flight, to the vast disappointment of all. Could be worse-it could have happened a week from now instead and I wouldn’t be able to spend 🎄day with the kidlets. It’s looking good so far (✊🏻🪵) for me still being able to do that-grandma just has to be a patient grown-up and model making good choices. I still have to get over to their house to do all their wrapping-my daughters dominant arm is strapped down in an immobilizing brace and it’s damn near impossible to wrap two kids worth of Christmas with one hand and in secret from two said kids-I can do that while they’re in school and preschool as long as I do it by Friday. That’s fun to look forward to-I kinda like the wrapping frenzy when it’s for kids. I’ll just put on a Christmas music playlist on my iPad and pretend I’m a young mom again, frantically wrapping at 3am. We brought my daughter home from the hospital as a newborn on Christmas Eve-that was the year everyone’s presents got stapled into brown paper grocery bags. She was the real gift that year. And every Christmas since if the truth be known. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > IIRC you own a garage. Or a bathroom. Anyplace that gets at least two closed doors between you and the noisesome cat. Or crank some appropriate music on your phone / tablet while you wrap. They’ll get over it and you’ll still have some nerves left at the end. Very old house, no garage, but yes a basement, which would work just fine for that purpose. What a good idea 💡! Just one cat now and yes, she’ll get over it. And I’ll enjoy that cranked up iPad 🎄🎶🎵🎼. YouTube even has some flickering fireplace videos to accompany that-the best ones have a blissed out golden lab snoozing in front of the fire. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2023, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405/280 "2023-12-17T19:32:27Z")
I am typing this on Sunday the 17th at 1230 I just got home and I am feeling great! I had great care at Methodist The surgeon said the the procedure was textbook with no problems. The recovery was pretty easy. I star cardiac rehab on Wednesday morning [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-it-is-getting-cold-in-the-mmp/994405.md?page=15)