I survived. Hell, I didn’t even throw up though it was touch & go a few times. But I had some ramen on my break, plus a short catnap in my car, which felt glorious.
Didn’t hurt myself further, though I did discover that the different brand of ketchup thingies (remember I got a minor “paper cut” on one?) well this is a different brand, with flimsier packaging … and very sharp corners. Grabbing a big handful out of the box to refill the station’s tub was unpleasant.
Anyway, I have a nice hot cuppa waiting for me - I’m too tired & sore for anything else. A hot shower would probably feel good on my shoulder muscles, but … eh, I don’t wanna stand up that long.
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN 'Tis 60 Amurrkin out and clear with a predicted high of 90 and N.O.S. for the day. The big item on today’s agenda is deheathenization, which I carried on enough about yestiddy, followed by a return to da cave for sammiches and restorative nappage, followed by much sloth. That’s enough of a plan for one day, I say.
JtC I say tell NF the fudge was on sale so she can pay the sale price. The extra you paid was your good deed to the fudge lady and good on you for that. A train ride in a sleeper thingy does kinda appeal to me, but like MetalMouse said, their idea of a schedule is more on the lines of “when we get there, we get there.”
shades diss not okra, for it is the pod of God!
Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then purtification for deheathenization must commence.
Happy Sunday folks! About half an hour pre-dawn here with mostly cloudy and distant lightning here and there. What I can see of the sky is starting to lighten. Presently 76/24 on the way to 89/32 with a pleasant breeze.
Been balconatin’ and caffinatin’ and readin’ for a bit over an hour already. A great time to be up and outside. The clouds make it a not-beachy morning which is a good thing since my face is cooked from yesterday. Here’s hoping enough of her Ladyship’s moisturizers can forestall too much peeling.
I’m happy to report no blahs from my flu shot yesterday, so today shall be the new COVID jab. Here’s hoping …
Shoe: so glad you survived irk with no further damage and a nap. Now sleep the sleep of the righteous and we’ll hear more from you later today.
MetalMouse that is the largest skeleton I’ve ever seen. Impressive. Some folks blow money on the silliest things.
As to Amtrak, it’s been a number of years since i last rode them, but the experience was, well, “shabby” is the nicest thing I can say about it. Fine for a day trip, but being stuck aboard a rolling Denny’s way overdue for a refresh for days sounds unpleasant.
There’s an Amtrak route from NYC to Miami that shares tracks and stations with our local commuter line that I used semi-regularly. So up until 2 weeks(!) ago I saw Amtrak’s current trains fairly regularly. Grotty on the outside at least, as was their “station” facility. I was yakking with an Uber driver in Chicago a few months ago who also works for Amtrak as the equivalent of a flight attendant. Her summary of the current situation is “Falling apart around our ears”.
A Canadian Rail trip, or one in Europe or Japan sounds great. Amtrak sounds … foreboding. To me; YMMV.
That’s all I use - I like the stuff I make to be washable and abusable. I know there are purists who scorn acrylic, but more for me!!! Obviously, my priority now is stock for the sale in 3 weeks, but after that…
Speaking of trains, we were watching the series (can’t recall the name) where this guy goes all over the world riding different trains. Yesterday’s episode went thru the Andes to Lima. That prompted FCD to wonder if we could take a train to catch our cruise. (No, we’ve already paid airfare, but it was mere speculation.) So I did a google search. Looks like you take a train to the nearest airport, then fly to Chile!
On a less silly note, BIL is in the psych ward at the hospital - I’ll spare you all the details since I wasn’t there when he was taken. Chances are, he won’t be allowed visitors before Monday when the regular staff gets in to evaluate him. MIL spent the night with us - she looked so frail and lost. No telling what lies ahead. My totally uninformed and unprofessional opinion is that he probably hasn’t been taking all his meds or the right meds. Any good thoughts and such would be appreciated.
Meanwhile, it looks as if Ophelia completely fizzled overnight. Rain has pretty much stopped here and there’s no wind to speak of. We might even see a little sun later, or not. We did hear a weird noise out front last night, but even with the porch light, I couldn’t see very far, so once it brightens a bit out there, I’ll have a look.
I still intend to spend much of the day making stock for the sale. I found a site with several patterns for fingerless mitts that I like better than the patterns I have. All I need to do is print them out. Oh, and the london broil I made last night was really good! I was a bit surprised, since it had been in the freezer for almost 2 years! How does one lose something so big in such a small freezer??
Morning, mumpers! It’s 16c/62f with a predicted high of 18c.64f and cloudy. Weather app is not happy, and cries “Oi! Mrs Sun! Show the fuck up, you twit!” It’s been raining, this much I know because the ground’s wet, however it’s still morning and I have no need to leave the house until afternoon.
Mooom glad to hear you managed to mostly get BIL sorted out, and so sorry to hear that he’s been so much trouble too.
shoe glad to hear you’re feeling better and you made it through the Long Night. Did Monkey come and give you healing snuggles?
JtC I agree that you should tell NF the fudge was on sale and that’s the price she should pay. You can tell her you paid extra to the fudge lady as your own good deed, but NF’s not expected to take that on for you. This would be NF’s opportunity to say that she will happily pay the extra next time you buy fudge on her behalf, if she feels so moved.
Swampy happy Presiding! Do you have a sufficiently pointy stick to keep everyone in line and on time?
The train map’s very interesting, I know we’ve done a few train trips on our US visits although I don’t do the booking so I just get to follow along Our longest trip was from San Diego to Seattle by train, then onto a bus from there to Vancouver. I know we took the Pacific Surfliner and stayed a night in Santa Barbara, made our way somehow (possibly a local train) to connect onto the Coast Starlight. We’ve also been on the Capital Corridor and Cascades routes, the California Zephyr between Grand Junction and Reno, and over the other side of the country on the Regional between Philadelphia and Washington.
The roomette was for our longest trip, the Coast Starlight up to Seattle. It wasn’t a massive room for two people but it was fun, we had talked about doing a longer train trip across country but it got to be far too expensive so that’s been shelved for a while.
Yesterday was a fun day, we went into town for lunch at our favourite Chinese place then scooted across town to KK’s Steelmill for day 1 of the music festival. It kicked off at 2pm, and eight bands later I was definitely ready for a cab home! Bumped into quite a few people I know from local gigs, and also from the farcebook group that started the whole thing back in 2017, chatted to folks from bands and eventually met up with our friends. They’d had a change of plans and arrived a lot later than originally planned but that didn’t matter, they had their own airbnb place and knew where to find our house and the promised parking space.
I was in bed by midnight and up at a reasonable hour to tend to the cats who are now full of food and ready for a lunchtime snooze. We’ll put fresh food out before we leave, and ensure there’s a plentiful supply of kibble for them, and they’ll get fed again late tonight when we’re back again. Once I’ve finished my cup of tea, I’ll start making a stonkingly unhealthy breakfast, and then we’ll be back at the venue for Day 2’s first band at 2pm.
That’s too bad about your BIL Mooooom. Hugs to you and yours.
The longest train trips that I’ve ever taken were when I used to take the South Shore from South Bend to Chicago to spend the weekend on occasion. I’ve always thought a cross country trip would be fun.
Up, caffeinating, breakfasted and fixing to do KP and meal prep. Other than the usual Sunday chores, not much shaking at CasaRoja today.
Fun at The Home last night. It was a dark and stormy night, literally. First significant rain in MSP in quite some time. At about 11p.m. we were both awakened by a banging noise. Our apartment is on the 3rd floor, directly above the garage doors, which are of the folding type, not the kind you see on a house. They make noise when they open and close, which, while it can be heard, doesn’t usually bother us. But last night they apparently got stuck open and then the wind started banging them around. It was loud enough that we were unable to get back to sleep, and it went on for quite some time. I ended up with a pillow over my head to try to muffle things. I think either someone went out there and did something to minimize the racket, or the wind just died down enough to where we could drift off. Anyway, I’ze a tired cowboy this morning and still have to make a green chili stew for a later visit by the dawter and grandkid.
Morning all. Got about 7 hours sleep for my Saturday exertions, we’ll see if that’s enough. Outside of Sunday dinner at the Texas Roadhouse, nothing is on the agenda outside of watching tackleball and maybe going to the gym. Only 54F this morning but heading back to 87F this afternoon. Still no rain to be seen.
My goodness, the train questions! JtC, I couldn’t begin to answer all your questions, what I can say is: roomettes do not have a private shower, but there is a communal one on the trains; IIRC the hot water was adequate. I don’t think you can open the windows, but I might be wrong, you can brings edibles with you, how much may be in question, ice is available, there are times you can have a 10-15 minute layover for ‘smoke breaks’ but timing often depends on schedule. No smoking, however, on-board.
Oh, and a fair number of passengers I’ve encountered are either Amish or Mennonite, so lighting up just might be a bit of a no-no…
You have a couple options, two different trains stop in your state, you could always book one for a night (say to LA or KC or Houston) and fly home. Don’t need to take the entire trip the first time out.
Pilot, keep track of all those kids at a carnival; must have been fun but also quite maddening. Glad you survived and that human beings showed that they can be human.
red, sounds like you had a pleasant (and much less stressful) Saturday than I did.
running coach, family up the road has one of those, in December he puts it out in a Red Santa suit (which given the size must have cost as much as the skeleton).
BBBoo, y’all want to ride trains, I’m game. IIRC, nellie also rides Amtrak to the big city at times.
shoe, glad you made it through the night. Take care and feel better.
swampy, afraid I’m more on shades side, not a big fan of Okra, which probably puts me in the minority Down South here.
FCM, you could catch a train in DC all the way to Miami and then connect with your flight to Lima. And sad about BIL and MIL; but it’s risky for her him living there and all. Hope something gets worked out. Good thoughts in abundance sent your way.
boo fae, sounds like a loud and happy Sattiday was had. Enjoy today too.
Cookie, yikes, just glad the garage wasn’t apparently damaged. Be interesting (in an annoying way) to see if it occurs the next time a big storm passes through.
OK, I think I’m caught up. All y’all take care and have a great Sunday.
Yesterday’s volunteer fundraiser went well, but the room was only about half full. Frankly, the folks in charge of it this year did a half-assed job with just about every aspect of the planning; in light of that and the crappy weather, I wasn’t surprised by the low turnout. On the plus side, though, I wore a new dress – the closest-fitting thing I’ve worn since my bariatric surgery – and got a lot of compliments, which I didn’t realize I needed until I got them.
The comments were especially nice considering that I never met any of my fellow volunteers in person pre-surgery (I joined the org in 2020, my surgery was in 2021, and in-person stuff didn’t resume until 2022), so none of them ever knew the “before” me. It was good to hear “you look great” vs “you look great now”…not that the latter isn’t always appreciated, but yeah I know I look better than I used to. KnowwhatImean?
Aside from the rain going to/from the event, the worst part of yesterday’s 6 hours was that I managed to hurt myself: first I pinched a finger while unfolding my small hand truck (nice little bruise on the nailbed today), then the open-toe shoes I wore – for the first time – resulted in significant blisters/peeled skin on the sides of each big toe. Despite applying various Band-Aids shortly after the pain started, this morning the toes are sore and kinda ugly. Luckily I’m not going anywhere until Tuesday evening, and can stay in flip-flops all day today and tomorrow (and most of Tuesday). When I do need to go out – for my next personal training session – I’m hoping that if I reapply some Band-Aids I’ll be able to tolerate socks and sneakers for 1.5 hours.
Adding insult to (literal) injury, this morning I got a carboard paper cut while opening a pack of dog food cans. Same hand as the pinched finger, but luckily a different digit. The stupid dog better appreciate that I bled in order to feed her…
(Said stupid dog seems to be doing just fine now, BTW.)
In other news, my neighborhood lost power at right around 10:50pm. I heard 3 booms, with the lights going off and on between them, and after the last one the lights stayed off. I also saw a flash in the sky at the same time as the last one, which confirmed my “something blowed up real good” theory because there was no thunder or lightning at the time. After reporting the outage to the power company and commiserating with neighbors on FB, it was time to go to bed. I was grateful for many things:
it was neither freezing cold nor boiling hot last night (it was chilly and raining, but I cracked one window in the bedroom for fresh air and was quite comfy)
I had plenty of flashlights/lanterns and several fully-charged portable power banks (of varying sizes/capacities) standing by
I was able to use my cell phone as a hotspot for my iPad Air, so I could fall asleep to The Big Bang Theory as usual
Luckily, the outage only lasted a couple of hours and the power came back on at ~1am. I haven’t bothered to look online and confirm what happened; I’m just assuming a transformer blew.
After I finish catching up here, my plans include paying my bills (Friday was payday) and then doing as little as possible for the rest of the day.
Shopping at a miniature grocery store? Shopping for miniature groceries? Enquiring minds want to know!
That’s very cool of you!
LOL!!
The uncle who died in March was born in '47, and had significant mental issues his entire life. He was institutionalized a couple of times as a teen/young adult, and ultimately lived with his mom until her death when he was 50. After grandma died he went to a group home, where he (barely) managed to stay until his passing. I don’t think he was unhappy, but god only knows whether other/better treatment back in the day could have made any kind of significant difference for him.
It hurts my head that I have to specify the uncle who died in March vs the uncle who died in June.
!
I agree with others to not mention what you paid. Your donation is neither here nor there as far as NF is concerned.
Nah, they’re only $300. I remember reading about them last year, because they suddenly got super popular and became hard to find. Maybe you’re thinking about “scarcity”/second-hand pricing?
I hope he’s able to get some good help/support.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a bucket-list item of driving a rented RV cross-county one way and taking the train back (or vice versa). It’s definitely an “if (a) I’m ever able to retire, (b) I can afford it, and (c) I ever meet someone who loves me enough to do such an insane thing with me” idea.
It’s 52F, damp and cloudy outside. The expected high is 64F, with rain showers all afternoon.
An atmospheric river is moving in, making driving “fun” on tomorrow’s road trip up north. It’ll be fine; it’s just a PITA dealing with road spray from semis when there is a lot of water on the roads.
FCM, I’m sorry to read about your BiL. How sad and frustrating for all of you. I hope a solution is found that works for everyone.
**boofae,**it sounds like you had a lot of fun!
I guess the weather got pretty wild and wooly out where the kids live in Missouri: thunder, lightning, the potential for quarter-sized hail, and 60 MPH winds. My daughter likes to watch a good storm but became ill yesterday. She still feels crappy today, but her fever broke, so that’s good.
If any of you ever venture out this way, let me know! I’d love to meet up with you! I’m only about 35 or 40 miles north of nellie (not really that far in USian terms).
I got ALL my chores done yesterday! Go me! That means I can and should probably go to the mall and try to find a light blazer or jacket. I am in sore need of one that I can pair up with multiple slacks. Or maybe two blazers. I thought I would need to buy a pair of slacks too, but somehow I’ve managed to drop a small bit of weight, so all my slacks fit properly. A couple of pairs are even a tiny bit loose on me. I wish I were down in my much smaller sizes, but I’ll take a small win and savor it. I wasn’t even trying, so this is a bonus win!
I laughed at the comment about hoping some staff acted like adults in my absence. Nope, that is not going to be the case. I already will have to deal with more ridiculousness at one of my stops because the MPA is asking me what we should do about an ongoing situation there concerning a GOV. She is supposed to be running the fleet but can’t seem to handle the policy end. So, if they want me to fix it, I will, and no one will be happy. It’s all rather ridiculous, and all the situation takes is some research into what is REALLY going on and go from there. Things might be blown out of proportion, but I will get to the bottom of this situation once and for all. It’s either going to result in my taking the truck to Olympia or getting my agency staff to understand we share it with other agencies, and they’re going to have to learn to work with people, i.e., go over and tell them to clean it instead of waiting for me to do it from afar. Or, perhaps, following my earlier instruction and reserving the vehicle way ahead of time for every trip they make each quarter. They will also need to wear their big girl and boy pants and talk with the offender from the other agency. It’s not hard to do. It’s all so childish and silly. I am glad I don’t supervise any of these staff. I mean, how do these people adult?
I made the mistake of opening my work email yesterday; I shouldn’t have, but I was looking for the agenda for my upcoming trip. I will inform the Deputy and the SD of my planned actions. However, they’ve made it clear I run the show regarding these types of things, so I know they’ll back me up whatever I decide.
For today, however, I’ll go to the “maul”, hope I find what I need, come home, pack, and then snuggle with Polar, who takes each of my extended absences less well as time progresses.
oopsie, yay for compliments you didn’t know you needed. Losing weight is hard work, and that should be noted. Receiving a compliment about your appearance, whether it’s your hair, a new outfit, or how fit you appear, is always smile-inducing!
I need to get the dishwasher unloaded. I didn’t do that yesterday and I have a few plates and a glass that need loading. Take care!
I didn’t get to the chores. I did read the books and watched the show. Perhaps today…?
I also have been looking at an Amtrak cruise. It would check off a good bit of the remaining haven’t been to states. Nyc to Chicago, Chicago to Seattle, Seattle to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to New Orleans , New Orleans to nyc.
I’ve been watching at lot YouTube train things the private rooms with showers look quite comfortable.
FCM: Sorry to hear of the latest of BIL & MIL. Two tough problems that only get worse together. I wish you and them all the best.
boofae definitely wins the prize for best weekend plans. Two and half whole days of music with friends. Ideal!!
Cookie as others said, hope the garage and contents weren’t damaged. And that you can get a couple of good naps in today to offset the noise. For, me the odds I need to sleep during the day were always directly connected to the odds that today was gardeners & leaf blowers day. Gaah!
A good green chili stew, or “pork green chili” in Colorado- or New Mexico-speak is a glorious thing. We’ll have to share recipes when you’re not busy and exhausted.
One of the advantages of the 4-kid stroller is you can restrain any extras beyond the number you can carry or chase. With 3 adults and only 2 kids big enough to run away at random, but not yet old enough to have a lick of sense, we at least weren’t outnumbered. This time. But they do make a joyous seethe when they’re all let loose.
How the hell Daughter does that alone with a full house of 7 of them is total mystery to me. Loading or unloading the car takes 10+ minutes and resembles those grade school word problems about the farmer with the goat, the cabbage, and the wolf needing to ferry them all across the river safely in a tiny one-passenger boat. But played with 7 variables, not just 3. And all of them have brains; tiny, not-fully-formed, but still full of mischief brains. And opposable thumbs. Sorta.
Double-plus good that these folks weren’t doing the before and after. A lot of looking good is feeling good about yourself. Whether young or old, big or small, etc. Evidently you’re showing your inner light. Bravo!!!
Going to an ordinary full-sized full-service grocery store but intending to buy just 1 or maybe 3 things. Plus some impulse-purchase snack. Of course. Living urban dense as we do, getting to the groc store is not a production; it’s just over there. So no need to fuss with long drives, dubious selections at smaller “convenience” stores that aren’t, etc.
Taters: If you don’t mind my asking where roughly in Missouri are they living / you going? I did my 20 years in/around St. Louis and will always have a soft spot for much of Missouri and its people despite its rather redneck / hillbilly hinterlands and the interesting hijinks some folks get up to. IME out-county Florida Man has very little over on out-county Missouri Man. But Nature there in MO is so much prettier. I do miss that part a lot.
Damned shame their backing you up doesn’t extend to firing the children who can’t or won’t adult.
As to me:
Took myself out for breakfast to gird my loins for the COVID vax. Good thing; turns out I was gonna need it. (Girding that is, not vaxxing … we hope). Good thing too I’d made an appointment and done all the “paperwork” online first.
I show up at the pharm a bit early, the pharmacy area is completely devoid of customers, and the pharm and the one tech are tearing their hair out. All the computers are down, cars are lined up around the building at the drive-through, and the phones will not quit ringing.
Eventually they can deal with me, but only after I fill out all the paperwork again by hand. At least they had some pre-printed forms available for me to use. Finally I get stuck & head home a good 45 minutes after I walk into an empty (remember?) pharmacy.
Arrive home just in time to pass Her Ladyship who’s just launching out on her own retail peregrination. Seeking some oddball jewelry-making gizmos & supplies from the rounds of the local craftacular stores. We’ll reconvene later today some time. Probably.
Now almost 2 hours post-vax I could convince myself I’m starting to get the blahs, but that may just be my post-coffee sinking spell suggesting a nap is in order. There’s thunder in the middle distance and I always sleep great when it’s raining nearby or right here.
Very uncomplicated dish, too, unless you roast your own peppers. I’ve done that in the past, but when you can buy a jar of diced roasted Hatch peppers (from NM), why bother? The smell of it cooking is wonderful.
SON OF A BISCUIT! My credit card info has been compromised. I just discovered it while paying bills. Thank goodness I had the impulse to peek at my recent charges! Best I can tell, it happened earlier this month. The fradulent charges total ~$400. I called my credit union’s fraud number right away, and the automated system allowed me to review/report about half of the bad charges. I’ll call again in the morning to talk to a person, and make sure all of the bad charges are captured. Meanwhile, the card is cancelled and a new one is being issued. When I call, I’ll ask if it’s too late to go to a branch and get a new card rather than wait for one to come in the mail; the nearest branch is a 40-minute drive from home, but I’d rather do that than wait 2 weeks.
The inconvenience factor is high: I only have the one credit card, and I use it for everything. (My debit card, which I hardly ever use, has been moved to the prominent slot in my wallet until the new CC arrives.) Normally I pay it off each month and don’t pay much attention to specific charges as long as the amount feels about right, but for the past month or two I’ve carried a small balance because the last six months have been expensive (two funerals, dog surgery, and a wedding). I’m glad/lucky the compromise didn’t happen in July or August! Also luckily, I keep a list of all automatic/recurring charges: it’ll take a long time to make all of the changes whenever I get the new card, but I shouldn’t miss anything. What I don’t have, though, is a list of when each recurring charge charges hit the card – so, until I get a new one, I’ll get to play a daily game of “will a transaction fail today?” I may need to temporarily switch some vendors over to my debit card and then switch again to the new credit card.
I just recently had to replace a misplaced debit card (I lucked out and did not have any unauthorized activity), so I know how you feel. I’m switching a lot of stuff over to PayPal. I’ve never had trouble with them, and it’s easier to change the info there than have to one-by-one everyone else. Not everything I deal with does use PayPal, but for the ones that do, it’ll make life less inconvenient next time I change cards.
First off to explain: I was a latch key kid in a neighborhood just like the one in West Side Story, just without all of the singing and dancing. There was lots of trouble to go around. My Mom, a single parent, tried every summer to get me out of the 'hood to keep me occupied and out of trouble.
When I was ten my older brother and his family stopped by for a visit just about the time school let out. He was sixteen years older than me and had a wife and four little kids. Next thing I knew I was in the car and on my way to Mound City Minnesota for the summer. It was a small lake town a little outside of Minneapolis. I learned to fish and how to row a boat.
At the end of the summer I was put on a passenger train with a small suitcase with books, sandwiches and a few snacks for the ride home and a note to the conductor that I was to change trains in Chicago. It was not a sleeper, just a seat in what I am pretty sure was coach.
I do not remember that I was scared. I had stuff to keep me occupied and I spent the daylight portion looking out the window. The conductor got me to my second train just fine and Mom was waiting for me when it pulled into Omaha.
though it was touch & go a few times. But I had some ramen on my break, plus a short catnap in my car, which felt glorious.
Our longest trip was from San Diego to Seattle by train, then onto a bus from there to Vancouver. I know we took the Pacific Surfliner and stayed a night in Santa Barbara, made our way somehow (possibly a local train) to connect onto the Coast Starlight. We’ve also been on the Capital Corridor and Cascades routes, the California Zephyr between Grand Junction and Reno, and over the other side of the country on the Regional between Philadelphia and Washington.
!
. So no need to fuss with long drives, dubious selections at smaller “convenience” stores that aren’t, etc.
I just discovered it while paying bills. Thank goodness I had the impulse to peek at my recent charges! Best I can tell, it happened earlier this month. The fradulent charges total ~$400. I called my credit union’s fraud number right away, and the automated system allowed me to review/report about half of the bad charges. I’ll call again in the morning to talk to a person, and make sure all of the bad charges are captured. Meanwhile, the card is cancelled and a new one is being issued. When I call, I’ll ask if it’s too late to go to a branch and get a new card rather than wait for one to come in the mail; the nearest branch is a 40-minute drive from home, but I’d rather do that than wait 2 weeks.