# Santa hates us all: December mini-rants **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 2, 2021, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330 "2021-12-02T02:06:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/281 "2021-12-28T02:28:29Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > Because when you go to someone else’s house, you can leave. Bingo. You can’t go home if you’re already there. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/282 "2021-12-28T04:41:20Z")
Had to go to the Wall of Marts on the 26th. Valentine’s candy already on the shelf. ---
**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 28, 2021, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/283 "2021-12-28T05:47:06Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Valentine’s candy already on the shelf. Nothing says “I love you” like stale chocolate. The white leprosy spots really make the day. I loved my MIL. When she passed I had her ring resized so I could wear it on my right hand. She was a poor WV hillbilly so her ring was a cluster of dinky diamonds mounted in white gold and I liked it. I liked to see it on my hand when I was doing things. Today I looked at her ring and was very distressed to see that one of the dinky diamonds was missing. I’m already in tears and I showed it to hubs who asked “where did it go?” So now I’m all mad about him and missing her and not wanting to deal with anything. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/284 "2021-12-28T14:18:45Z")
I bought a new vehicle at the beginning of November. Did the financing at the dealership but financed thru my credit union (they work with the local banks and credit unions so it saves one or two extra trips to the bank). Set it up to auto-pay directly out of my account at the credit union. On the day I went to register the vehicle, I stopped in at the credit union just to be sure the auto-pay was all set up, and they assured me that it was. So of course last night I get an email from the credit union telling me that my payment that was due on 12/15 has not been paid yet. Arghh… ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/285 "2021-12-28T14:36:23Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > So of course last night I get an email from the credit union telling me that my payment that was due on 12/15 has not been paid yet. Arghh… Back in the day, “autopay” always screwed up the first payment… but normalized for the second onward. It was some kind of code glitch that no one could ever figure out, but if a bank employee detached and then reattached the autopay, somehow it would work. Like rebooting a PC. ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2021, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/286 "2021-12-28T19:22:57Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > One time when it snowed I shoveled the sidewalk in front of our house and deliberately extended the cleared area about a foot over the property line onto his side, because I knew it would piss him off. Which it did. Oh wow. When I clear snow on the sidewalk I often clear at least a foot over the property line. Just to be generous. Now I’ll have to ask the \*new neighbors if it bothers them. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/287 "2021-12-29T13:54:37Z")
Oh great. The savings scheme I have most of my savings in has just emailed me to say they’re changing their authentification, so I need to check my phone number is up to date, as they’ll be texting me a code as well as asking for a password/security question from now on. I have no fucking phone signal in this house. I have to walk over the road to call out, and I often don’t get texts for over a day- somehwat over the 5 minutes they give to log in. They’ve effectively just locked me out out of almost all of my money, with no notice. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/288 "2021-12-29T14:23:06Z")
The fireplace has broken. The repairs it needs are extensive ( and the inflation of the estimate price may be just as extensive). The estimate is nestled comfortably between $15-20k. I’m waiting for another company to call me back. TL;DR- Santa broke my chimney. To pay for it, I may have to work a corner like a Ho-Ho-Ho… ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/289 "2021-12-29T17:01:04Z")
Damn. Might be more cost effective to demo it out and just make it a wall. Unless you need it for heat. Then there are some really efficient wood stove alternatives. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/290 "2021-12-29T17:18:03Z")
^ This. Almost wrote it myself. And a wood stove is one hell of a lot more efficient than a wood fireplace for heat. I heated with wood for years. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/291 "2021-12-29T17:33:59Z")
You guys are not wrong. We heat with gas. But then we would be the only colonial house in a neighborhood of cute colonial houses w/o a chimney. It wouldn’t be a selling point. Also, if this is accurate… even a quick sale would require repair or $20k off of the sale price. I really don’t want to sell. I really don’t want to hang on the corner saying “Hey, Octo! Looking for a Date…?” to every disease ridden conservative with a Genitalia Drip. Might have to sell some investments… ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/292 "2021-12-29T17:57:04Z")
Our dryer has been acting up since August. It’s an older Frigidaire that has taken to turning itself on and sending error codes. (Only the panel comes on, not the tumbler or the heating element.) We waited forever to schedule a repairman while we dithered about buying a new dryer instead. The repair guy, Bob, came today and the dryer worked perfectly for him. He took it apart anyway, cleaned out a lot of lint, and handed over some buttons that had come off over the years. Mostly clothing buttons, but one was a control panel button, which was probably the cause of the error code. We thanked him, paid the call-out fee, and sent him on his merry way. Forty-five minutes later, the dryer came back on and started flashing the error code again. Here’s where it gets good: Our dryer is so old that new parts, which are unavailable for ours due to age, would run $500. Add the $95 call-out fee, taxes, and delivery fee, and we’re right back at the price of a new one. Not even one week after Christmas. Oh, and did I mention that last month I needed an $800 starter for my car? ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/293 "2021-12-29T21:17:29Z")
On the way home from appliance shopping the Check Engine light came on in my husband’s car. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/294 "2021-12-29T21:24:00Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > You guys are not wrong. We heat with gas. But then we would be the only colonial house in a neighborhood of cute colonial houses w/o a chimney I certainly don’t know your set up. But you may be able to keep the chimney, but not really use it. If you have gas, there may be a way to plumb a line to a gas stove and just punch a whole out of the back of the fireplace for its vent and incoming air. I would not do that with a wood stove though. I would really talk to so stove people in your area to assess possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/295 "2021-12-29T21:57:42Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > You guys are not wrong. We heat with gas. But then we would be the only colonial house in a neighborhood of cute colonial houses w/o a chimney. It wouldn’t be a selling point. Also, if this is accurate… even a quick sale would require repair or $20k off of the sale price. Could you brick up the fireplace and leave the chimney in place? And leave the non-functioning fireplace issue for the next owner to decide about? The thought occurs that you might not be the only gas-heating house in the neighborhood, and for all you know, other houses are already keeping their chimneys as decorations. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/296 "2021-12-29T21:57:57Z")
> [@Reeses\_Monkey](#): > > On the way home from appliance shopping the Check Engine light came on in my husband’s car. Did he/you get gas while you were out? Every time it has happened to me on one of my vehicles, it was because I hadn’t put the gas cap on quite right. It doesn’t happen right away either. I remove the cap and put it back on securely, and it’s good. The first time it happened to me I freaked out that I had to take it into a shop, but nope. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/297 "2021-12-29T22:07:59Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Every time it has happened to me on one of my vehicles, it was because I hadn’t put the gas cap on quite right. Yep, every time my daughter borrows my car and replaces the gas, this happens! ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/298 "2021-12-29T23:03:02Z")
I wish, but no. We have an OBDII device and it gave us a “knock sensor” code. Potential tie rod problems. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/299 "2021-12-29T23:05:19Z")
This might be the way to go ( but I loved burning wood in that fireplace). ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330/300 "2021-12-30T02:02:39Z")
> [@Reeses\_Monkey](#): > > I wish, but no. We have an OBDII device and it gave us a “knock sensor” code. Potential tie rod problems. That sucks, I hope it works out for you and isn’t too expensive. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-hates-us-all-december-mini-rants/955330.md?page=16)