Sadie looks right at home under the tree. Good girl.
A change in weather must be coming because I have a migraine. I was in the middle of stretch and balance class and all of a sudden thought I might throw up before class is over. Got home, took my sumatriptan, and I’m going to lie down with Ursula Kitteh.
Started Typing: 1:35 PM ET
Clicked Reply: 2:45 PM ET
Happy Wednesday afternoon!
Other than college, I only had roommates right after I moved out of my mom’s house: ~6 months after graduating, I moved into a big shared house with my then-BFF and 2-3 others. There were some benefits to the situation, but I think I lasted all of 6 months before I realized that I’d be much happier living alone and moved into my first apartment. Moving back “home” wasn’t an option, even though I was temping at the time and wasn’t entirely sure how I was going to pay rent. That was 30 years ago. (I’ve since lived with a BF, but that was totally fine; romantic cohabitation is different.) I can’t imagine ever voluntarily doing the platonic roommate thing again.
I like the idea of groups of friends who establish “compounds,” where everyone lives in their own house – walking distance from each other – and there’s some kind of central building with communal space. If I ever win a massive lottery, I’m buying a neighborhood somewhere and setting certain friends/family members up. 
I finished Chewbacca last night:
https://i.ibb.co/JHYjprC/2024-12-03-Chewbacca-Done.jpg
His mouth isn’t quite right, but to fix it I’d need to take his head off and rebuild that entire section. I’m alright with how it looks for now, but there’s a good chance that I’ll decapitate poor Chewie at some point. 
Here’s the new Lego Corner:
https://i.ibb.co/dkDDM7K/2024-12-04-Lego-Corner.jpg
I still have three Washington, D.C. sets to assemble (the White House, Capitol Building, and Lincoln Memorial), but until I take down my holiday decorations I don’t have anywhere to display any of them. I figure I’ll start building the biggest one the weekend before Christmas: by the time it’s done, the house will be undecorated. I can go 2.5 weeks without playing with Lego…I think.
Sounds like it! Yay!
I’ve never heard of/seen such a thing! 
I’ll have to find out if anything like that exists around here. That would be the only kind of apartment I’d ever be willing to live in again. I’ll share walls, but not a ceiling or floor.
Expected or not, ugh. 
Oh, shoe…I’m so sorry. 
I wish I had any kind of ability to help! All I can do is offer an ear – virtual or actual – if you ever think talking it through with a stranger might help (I’d promise to just listen and not attempt to problem-solve! 
).
I will often decide to start a new thread, spend hours on the draft, and then start anticipating the replies from the Dopers who deliberately misunderstand/mischaracterize what I’ve written (because they do it to everyone)…and I always decide it’s just not worth it. No matter how clearly I think I’ve stated something, I know that someone will come along who makes me want to poke them with pointy things. And I also know that while I might be able to refrain from engaging them, they’ll live in my head rent-free for way too long. My willingness to click “Discard” – and my deliberate avoidance of the GD and P&E forums – is how I’ve avoided any mod actions in 20 years. 
I’ve always been interested in language and etymology, and several years ago I started to read a book about the origins of some English expressions: I didn’t get past the “A” chapter, because the entry for “above the fold” didn’t mention newspapers. At all. It was just some jibber jabber about web sites. I decided that I couldn’t possibly trust any of the other info in that book.
OMG! I hope your water is back on/fixed soon!!
That’s a really good point. There’s a tendency to romanticize the past, but some hard things were always hard…just in a different way.
She really is very pretty.
<quietly> I hope it passes soon </quietly>…
It’s 12 minutes 'til noon, and the Sun is shining. I’ve been extremely remiss in my walking. My last ‘official’ walk was October 12th. Then there was the walking on vacation. But since then I haven’t been out. It’s time to put on some sweats and shoes and get out there. I will not be walking 3 mph today.
Went to a senior lunch sponsored by an Italian restaurant.
Omg. Two huge meatballs. That was at 12 and I haven’t snacked yet; rare for me.
Waiting for the church lady to bring me toilet paper.
Hoping our elec stays on. Tonight and tomorrow more snow. We already had 2 feet.
We had a different nurse stop by today as Cathy got hung up with other patients. This one was really sweet, really young, and really tolerant of FCD’s chatting. 
I’m pretty sure talking helps him deal with this whole thing, even when it’s talk about all kinds of other stuff, like his teen years or his time in the Navy. She’s also pretty new at Hospice care (only 6 months) - she used to be a surgical nurse. But she did agree that all signs point to a matter of days.
We rescheduled our appointment with our money guy from Firday to the 17th. We didn’t want to take the chance of Daughter being here with her grandma when she dies. And no word of FCD’s car - good thing he didn’t wait for it. With luck, Daughter or SIL will be available to take him back to the dealer when it’s ready.
Meanwhile, I’ve got a load of bedding in the dryer - Jessica changed MIL’s bed today. And tomorrow, I need to get milk. That’s as far ahead as I care to plan for now. And until the dryer is done, back to crocheting.
For years after myTBI I had sudden onset migraines. I never went anywhere without sumatriptan. They got so bad I had to always have sumatriptan auto injectors with me. Finally a gifted neurologist specializing in headaches (and in believing his patients) got Botox approved every 90 days and after those were established and took effect I’ve been blissfully unmigrained as long as I drive 120 miles round trip to the big city every 90 days.
My migraines thankfully aren’t bad enough to see a neurologist. The main symptom is headache behind my left eye and wanting to barf.
The wind is insane. Gusts up to 50 mph.
Feel free to vent to me early and often, you’ll have my empathy. I remember how awful those are, especially when you have to give up and leave work. Then getting home without barfing was always fun-I used to keep gallon zip lock bags in my drivers door pocket for such occasions. There still is one there, just in case.
Which is why I started learning Latin. I knew what “too many irons in the fire” meant because I have actually held and used flat irons way back in the day. It was Javalina that got me hooked. (It is a Spanish word for the New World peccaries. Javalina looked like pigs and the Romans hunted pigs with javalines - hence the name for their look alike brethren.)
No water today. My crabbiness level is edging into the red zone. I’m fine with showering at the gym, I do that at least five days a week, it’s not being able to turn the water on and wash my hands that is seriously pissing me off. (we have bottles of water, I can wash my hands, I just cannot turn the warm water on for a nice scrub)
So I went all crazy and signed up for a white work class on 22 count (484 stitches per square inch) fabric in the middle of the winter. I can barely see well enough to do white work in the summer anymore, there is no way I will be able to keep up with the class in the winter.
I’ve also made the sad choice to not sign up to for the mystery class this year. It was something that Mom and I liked to do together and she said she’s not buying anymore projects. It won’t be fun without her and this year’s class is close to five hundred bucks so I’m going to pass.
People who can’t distinguish between etymology and entomology bug me in ways I cannot put into words.
Good evening all (well, it’s only 5:30pm but it’s dark out so I’m calling it evening). Spent most of the afternoon at the gym either swimming or sitting in the jacuzzi reading, managed to make it to 2 miles of swimming for the first time. Eldest nephew is out of surgery, still waiting for a report on how it went, but no news is good news… Need to take the garbage out to the curb tonight, but outside of that not much on the agenda. Have just finished my Chee-burger.
Scale at the gym is weird; heading into the swimming pool clad only in my swimsuit it said I weighted 207.2lbs; 3.5 hours later after my swimming and sauna time, and only in my birthday suit, same scale said 200.8 lbs. So I guess I’m somewhere in-between that. I think I’m drinking too much diet soda, those 12 fluid ounces add up quickly, so will try to watch my consumption.
JtC, as one with plumbing woes of my own, I feel for you, at least it is outside and you don’t have folks rolling up the carpet and making holes in things. And nice use of the gym facilities, I shower and often shave there myself.
Sari, the pups are just checking to see if it’s gotten any warmer out in the last 4 minutes… Stay warm. And your comment:
Is well-taken. So many things I can look around and see in my house that were not part of my growing up.
Cookie, regarding the VA appointment, depends on your time and availability, but to me it can’t hurt to have another option available. And a sweet picture.
Sticky Buns, I’ve had those odd days too, where things just seem dis-jointed, no matter what I do. Chilling out sounds like a plan.
FCM, you’ve described my early life too, didn’t have a car till I graduated college and eating lunch in the high school cafeteria was brown-bag 19 out of 20 days. But uncle provided a Savings Bond each year for Xmas and I had a savings account since I was young (checking came later and my first credit card wasn’t until I was about 25).
Used Uber 10-12 times so far and no issues to date.
doggio, did get my Xmas Amazon cards via Brown with no problems, so occasionally things go right…
wet one, hope the migraine disappears.
Oopsie, never had a roommate outside of college, probably a little to late for me to get one these days. Nice job on Chewie, but yeah, the face doesn’t work well.
flyboy, hope you had a good walk. Been getting fond of the treadmills at the gym, can go for 30 minutes at a 7-degree incline and 3.6 mph, slowing improving on that.
Coppertone, sounds like you’re stuffed.
And that’s all for now. Just got a report from Brother, surgery went well and Nephew is resting (so are they, all day sitting in a hospital…). And now to attend to the garbage and see what else the evening holds. Take care now.
I went 2.6 miles (to the end of the paved part of the berm beyond Bay Breeze restaurant. I’m not sure of my average speed, because I stopped at the start of the walk to chat with some stranger (with his dog) who was from San Diego and Los Angeles. And I stopped briefly on the way back up the beach to say hello to another dog. Anyway, the whole walk took a little under 1:03.
There’s no way I could ever do 3.6 mph. My knees are so bad and my muscles are so deteriorated that I can’t go more than 3.25 mph on a level surface (except for the hill at the beginning and the end of the walk). And that’s on an exceptionally good day. Most walks I’m happy to average 3.1 mph.
I’m sorry for your loss. Even when death is expected, it still leaves a hole.
Many hugs to you, FCD and FCDaughter.
I’m so sorry. Hugs to you.
I hope that you get your lake gone soonest JtC.
It was 23F when I left for irk today. It was 56F when I came home. It’s suppose to get into the teens tonight. Weather be cray-cray!
Still addressing holiday cards, but I did get a birthday card mailed to my BIL this afternoon.
The only time that I had platonic roommates was when I lived in the House of Queens. It was 2 couples, each with a drag queen as half, another part time drag queen and me. Fun times!
Stay safe and healthy y’all!
There’s a place like that in my city. It’s where the Phelps clan, of Westboro Baptist Church infamy lives.
Ugh, it’s snowing.
I’m glad your nephew is doing well MetalMouse
My son is getting Thanksgiving dinner at irk tonight, so I will have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
I think I am looking forward to his vacation more than he is.
If I knew how to read instead of just recognizing the shapes of the words, I would have caught that as well. Or maybe if I wasn’t super stoned.
But at least we aren’t worried about carpets or mold in the walls.
Be sure to sub water for the soda. Your body needs the fluid.
Thanks for the sympathy and you are right. You had it worse, I would cry if someone had to put holes in my lovely wood floors. Plus, the plumber who has been with us since the beginning told us that the rest of the pipes and all look great, it was just the screw up with the pressure regulator being put in the wrong place. No way for anyone to have known about the issue when the home was inspected, just one of those blessings that come with owning a home.
This whole thing is a super pain in the butt AND I need to get my Secret Santa package in the mail which won’t happen until the water is back on.
Harry came by today and asked about the holes then offered us water and a shower in their guest room but understood why we turned the water down. He told me that the Mrs would love to have me come over and use their kitchen to bake all of the cookies I wanted, but I’m fairly sure he didn’t clear it with her before offering.
Jolene has been a rotten cat today. I pulled out an Un-Finished Object and had to go over the charts and instructions before figuring out what I was doing ten years ago. She didn’t want my thread, she didn’t want my needles or scissors. She wanted to eat my stitching chart and the thread symbol chart.
Well, I didn’t understand this reference. So I copied the quote and googled. Here’s what I found:
"It is a story so well known it has become a meme. “Americans: Willing to cross a frozen river to kill you in your sleep on Christmas.” George Washington’s Continental Army, having suffered a series of major setbacks in the fighting around New York City in the summer and fall of 1776, launched a surprising counterattack on Dec. 26, 1776. Crossing the icy Delaware River on Christmas night, Washington’s army surprised and captured almost 1,000 brutal Hessian mercenaries, drunk from Christmas celebrations. These troops were fighting on the British side, sent to America by their greedy monarchs. The victory over these drunken mercenaries raised the morale of the Continental Army, convincing many of the patriots to stay on and reenlist for an additional six weeks. As a result, future battles hinged on the success of Trenton, making this a turning point in the war. In this telling, a free army of American citizen-soldiers triumphed over the hireling corruption of European despotism. Ergo, a sort of American Christmas miracle.
The trouble is, many elements of this familiar story aren’t quite right. They rely on an overly simplistic understanding of the Revolutionary War. The story above is part of America’s heritage, but not quite part of American history."
To read “the rest of the story”, here’s a link: The First US Army Christmas
Thanks oopsie & red. I took Vitamin I 3 times yesterday and once today. Yes, it did hurt more this morning. But is not impacting my ability to do normal daily stuff. I’m not overexerting.
And there are legislators of a certain not to be mentioned party who would like to reduce or do away with social security and medicare. There aren’t enough swear words to be used about this.
Time for Spartan basketball against Minnehaha. See you all tomorrow.
Howdy Y’all! We procured provisions, engaged in high RDOS inactivities and did the Wednesday thang over to the church house. We et shepherd’s pie, rolls and nanner puddin’. YUM!
I have read all but brain is tired and unable to comprehend and reply. I promise to do better tomorrow.
Up from naptime. Having a martini and a Teriyaki stirfry. Another 0130 start. Will it be bad? Will The Suits see the mess. Here’s what Mom said to me:
Que sera sera…
Whatever will be will be…
The future’s not ours to see
Que sera sere…
I like the idea. And Lego Chewbaca.
I’ve always had Platonic roommates. It allows me to live a life of opulent poverty.
I wear my one Mod Warning as a badge of honor for irritating The Man. 
As opposed to FB, where the Zukerbot Mod is more arbitrary and capricious than Spot.
On average human beings have less than two feet. But hope the weather and the power don’t make your life any harder than it already is.
Brown is the industry leader with 96% on time delivery. But that 4% is huge at Peak(and pre tarrif) volumes.
A big thanks to everyone for the support. You folks are the best!
I thought it might be helpful to give a more complete picture of where I am and how I got here. Feel free to skip all this. I have a call in to my friend and financial advisor and am hoping she can give me some guidance on the financial part and, since she knows me so well (25 years), maybe on my state of mind, too.
Everyone I know who’s my age or older has a paid-off mortgage, so while there are still property taxes, maintenance and repairs, they’re past monthly payments. I was on track to be one of those people. Had I been able to stay in the marriage, I’d have a paid-off mortgage, too, this one on a four bedroom house on 5 acres of land. When I left the nightmare marriage, the ex had a year to put the house on the market, as our daughter had 1 more year of HS. In that year, he stalked and harassed me. I was desperate enough (Won’t go into why–creepy stuff) to be foolish and just wanted to cut off any excuse he had to contact/harass me, so I let him buy me out cheaply. Yep, big mistake: less money and the bad stuff continued. Mortgage had another 5 years to go.
He should have sunk money into home repairs but covered them up instead. He also sold all the kids’ belongings that were still at home, and pocketed the $$. He moved 100 miles and has a paid-off mortgage there.
All my siblings have paid-off mortgages. I’m the only loser in the bunch. I’d planned to work after moving here, but the legal blindness thing made that impossible. I also had to sell my car, as I couldn’t see, and they’ve shot up in price so much, I can’t afford a new used one yet. I’m pretty frugal, spend almost nothing on entertainment, and only travel for family. I had enough to retire on, with inflation built into the calculations, but inflation has exceeded expectations.
I pared down to bare bones before moving here in 2016, and I periodically go through all my stuff room by room and thin out, so I haven’t accumulated that much. If I have to downsize further, I’ll sell furniture. I think this will bee my heart 20th or 21st move. I’m not fond of it, but who is? Hermit crabs, maybe?
I feel like I flunked some vital subject here. And I have no real home base–grew up in Chicago, married and moved to MA right after college graduation, and have since lived in Montana and Wyoming before moving here to WA.
OK, that ends my tale of woe. You can come out now!
In happier news, my amaryllis has not one but FOUR big buds getting ready to bloom. 
You were the Queen of Queens in the House of Queens 
Misnomer, I like the idea of those compounds/communities, too. (And thanks for the invitation to vent to you!)
Too clever, flyboy! You win the PUNch Bowl.
Ugh. You have my sympathy.
Oh, my gosh, my mom used to sing that to me. She liked the Italian in the here, I guess. When we watched The Man Who Knew Too Much, she sang along with Doris.
I prefer brown over USPS (“We ain’t luggin’ no parcels up no stairs.”) and FedEx (“Never deliver today what you can deliver tomorrow…or Friday…or next March.”)