# Silver Hells: December Minirants **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 2, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468 "2018-12-02T23:29:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**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 19, 2018, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/121 "2018-12-19T21:09:46Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/122 "2018-12-19T21:13:08Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > Okay, this is quite minor. But. > > The owner of a listserv I’m on sent out Christmas greetings. Fine. But now every other person on the list is hitting reply all and sending them back.:mad: Oh, just wait for the people Replying-All… to criticize others for hitting Reply All. > [@Lightnin](#): > > So far, I haven’t been paid in over a month- right before the holidays. That’s fun… This is way beyond “Golly, I’m annoyed!”. This should immediately trigger you to physically stand in the accounting office, with a nasty email from a higher-up, until they pay you. And if that doesn’t work, use the media… or, it’s cheap to file a motion in Small Claims Court, and that tends to scare them into suddenly figuring out a way to pay you immediately: “No, don’t sue us (or go to the media)! Ummm, look, we do have a few thousand in petty cash…” As a freelance designer who’s been stiffed, I can tell you that getting a notice from Small Claims Court does wonders for shaking loose money that the client “just doesn’t have right now so sorry maybe next year”. ETA: At LEAST email everyone about the problem, with cc’s to all bosses. It is highly illegal. ---
**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 19, 2018, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/123 "2018-12-19T21:19:19Z")
> [@adhemar](#): > > I am so ready for this year to be over with, Christmas is the only bright spot and even that is a bit dimmed. > So 2018 lowlights, > I had a wreck in may that was legally my fault, I was trying to merge into the drive lane and a pick up truck passed me, I checked out the window to make sure no crazed parent pulled out of the school drive even though I was visibly there signally to move over, no one was there, so I merged over… crunch! apparently the pick up truck had a trailer that was so low it couldn’t be seen out my window. $1500.00 damage to my car and put a shiny spot on his wheel cover. > > In June, my company announced we were being bought by another company basically doubling my workload as I have a double role and I am the only one who does either one of those things. > > **In July, I was going into the grocery store and tripped over a basket that was sitting just inside the door. the basket was black and carpet was black and I broke my shoulder. I had to move in with my parents at 61 because I could not function by myself. I ended up using all of my leave for the year and am still in physical therapy and hurting.** I have most of my function back but can’t reach behind me at all with my dominant hand. > > In November, my car was rear ended and the insurance company decided to total it out in December, so I had to go unload all of my stuff out of the car, took two trips, I left the stuff on my front porch while I went back to get the rest and while I was gone, some crappy person stole all of my stuff. Christmas presents I had bought, hobby stuff, clothes etc. I am lucky that they didn’t take the expensive canvas tent panels that were there. They did however, leave me a box of someone elses stuff. > > that night, was my work Christmas as I was leaving around 9:30pm driving the crappy rental car, in the dark and pouring rain, puddles of water, mud and pine needles everywhere, I drove over what I thought was a speed bump at the back of the packing lot. it wasn’t, it was a low concrete edge planter. the crappy rental went between the planter and the next one, got stuck and apparently damaged something underneath. once the tow truck pulled me out after midnight the car would shift out of drive, wouldn’t start so I got towed to my house. the next day still wouldn’t start so they towed it back to the rental people. So now I have to either rent another car so I can continue to car shop (which I hate) or call my folks to see if they will take me to buy the car I looked at on Saturday and liked. ( I had planned to go back that day to buy but after dealing with the police for the stuff stolen I was out of time). My folks cancelled their plans for the day and came and picked me up but of course the Chevy Equinox had been bought. I ended up buying a Buick Encore. It had a dent in the front that the dealership agreed to fix and they gave me a loaner to drive while the dent was being fixed and the paint repaired. Whew! Oh but not over yet… that has been a week and a half ago and my car still isn’t ready. I don’t have any estimate on when it will be ready but meanwhile I am driving a 2019 Buick encore. > > I am lucky that I have parents who are awesome, insurance both car and health, and a good job with an understanding boss. knock on wood, nothing catastrophic has happened in the last week. I am off for a few days for Christmas and then New years (although I will probably work remotely that weekend). > > and before any one lecture me, I know that I am partly responsible for this stuff. Not a lecture, but did you look into filing a claim against the store’s liability insurance (or the store, if they don’t have insurance)? ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/124 "2018-12-19T21:51:58Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Not a lecture, but did you look into filing a claim against the store’s liability insurance (or the store, if they don’t have insurance)? I have, I was waiting until my doctors appointment to see if he had any thoughts on my recovery before contacting a lawyer. He said I probably will not ever go back to where I was. No I will have to quantify what money I am out and contact the lawyer to see if I have a worthwhile case. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/125 "2018-12-19T23:37:23Z")
I just read an article on bent Apple iPad Pros, just a week after I handled one in the store and grumbled at how uselessly and unnecessarily thin it was. Apple, why is that year after year you are always crowing about how _thin_ your products are? Surely nobody wants to carry an inch-thick brick phone in their pocket, but it seems that device thinness had achieved and surpassed that goal a decade ago. No, I don’t want to sacrifice battery life for a thinner device. No, I don’t want to pay $$$ more for a a thinner device. No, I don’t want to lose my headphone jack for a thinner device. No, I don’t want to lose robustness for a thinner device. Who is demanding thinness? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/126 "2018-12-20T01:21:53Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > I just read an article on bent Apple iPad Pros, just a week after I handled one in the store and grumbled at how uselessly and unnecessarily thin it was. > Apple, why is that year after year you are always crowing about how _thin_ your products are? > > Surely nobody wants to carry an inch-thick brick phone in their pocket, but it seems that device thinness had achieved and surpassed that goal a decade ago. > > No, I don’t want to sacrifice battery life for a thinner device. > No, I don’t want to pay $$$ more for a a thinner device. > No, I don’t want to lose my headphone jack for a thinner device. > No, I don’t want to lose robustness for a thinner device. > > Who is demanding thinness? Nbd, they’re all going for folding phones now. ---
**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 20, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/127 "2018-12-20T14:52:21Z")
This past spring, Jeanette died after a sudden decline. She’d had health issues for years. Jim was distraught. Within a month of her death, their daughter died after a lifetime of substance abuse. Jim was a complete wreck. Jim and Jeanette were friends of my folks for years, and they’d been unofficially adopted into our family, sharing holidays and vacations and get-togethers with us. So even after his tragic losses, Jim continued to join in our events. He and my sister became casino buddies. He was invited to be with us for Christmas. Yesterday, Jim was taken to the hospital - bleeding in the brain. According to my sister, all they can do is make him comfortable. His only sibling flew in last night - he’ll handle all the arrangements. What really makes me angry at all of this - Jeanette and her sister inherited some property and her sister dragged out the sale of it till early this year. Jeanette’s share was just under $800K. She and Jim could have done so much if her sister hadn’t wasted all those years farting around. They loved to travel, and maybe they could have afforded specialized care for Jeanette. Maybe they could have parlayed it into a few more years together. Instead, Jim will die with no heirs. I’ll miss our adopted family. I’ll try to let go of the anger… ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/128 "2018-12-20T22:30:20Z")
Anyone have any advice on how to stop feeling so impossibly fucking lonely? ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/129 "2018-12-20T22:53:24Z")
So my furnace was being grumpy and only kicking on about 40% of the times it was asked. I had a service come over and fix it. He did something and killed my Nest thermostat. He did, at least, put in a cheapo dumb thermostat, so I’ve got heat in December in upstate NY. But I’m likely out a service call and a new Nest. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2018, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/130 "2018-12-20T23:01:38Z")
> [@digs](#): > > ETA: At LEAST email everyone about the problem, with cc’s to all bosses. It is highly illegal. That’s basically what I did. I even said, “If I don’t get paid by X date, I’m done.” And now they’ve actually paid my outstanding invoices. And, surprisingly, it looks like they may be giving me a pretty damn big bonus, the same bonus they’re giving their regular employees in recognition of the hard work to make the big deal go through. I didn’t expect that, and they certainly didn’t need to give it to me, since I’m not a “real” employee. I’ve also let them know that I’m leaving towards the end of January, so the bonus is a pretty big surprise. It’ll go a long way towards paying off my car… which is good, since I found out that I have to pay it off or I won’t be able to take it with me when I move. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/131 "2018-12-21T00:42:47Z")
I had a mysterious rash pop up on my hands and arms on Sunday. I went to the urgent care and they said “dunno what the hell that is” and said if it got worse to go to the doctor. The next day the rash had spread to my legs and I had a sore throat. I went to the doctor and they said “dunno what the hell that is” and did a throat culture to see if it was strep or an allergic reaction. The culture was negative so it was an allergic reaction. Best guess is that it might have been a dryer sheet from my roommates’ laundry that got mixed in with mine. Dryer sheets have always made me itchy. The rash is a new and unwanted twist. So that’s under control now with Benadryl and cortisone cream. Then today I realize that what I thought was Benadryl Brain was actually a sinus infection. That explains the sore throat. So now I have to go back to the doctor to get that treated. Fuckin’ body. One issue at a time, please! ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/132 "2018-12-21T01:47:46Z")
Another not-terribly serious mini-rant: None of my students, enrolled in one the most competitive universities in the country, can construct a frickin’ bibliography. There are guides! Online resources! Helpful librarians! We discussed the issue at length in class! But no. They just wing it. (I’ve been grading all day. I’m cranky.) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/133 "2018-12-21T02:29:31Z")
Kidney disease sucks! I go to dialysis three times a week, and it usually goes pretty smoothly, except I feel a little tired and draggy when I’m done. Yesterday I had a rough time. I passed out about three hours into it. I came to to find an oxygen cannula in my nose, techs rubbing my head with wet paper towels, and a nurse checking my blood sugar. I was sweating and clammy, and I puked several times. My blood sugar was only 55. The nurse gave me glucose and a Glucerna shake and wouldn’t let me leave until my sugar reading was over 100. Finally, it got up to 99 about an hour later, and they let me get up and go home. I still felt crappy and went to bed for about four hours after I got home. I didn’t start feeling OK again until after I had some breakfast this morning. I’ve never passed out before in more than three months of dialysis, not have I ever vomited. I hope it goes better tomorrow. I’d put kidney disease at #3 in the list of diseases I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, right behind cancer and heart disease. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/134 "2018-12-21T04:13:17Z")
My little Yorkie (4lbs) ate a half or more of a chocolate cupcake my granddaughter left on the seat of a chair. I didn’t see her leave it. I’m usually more careful. Yorkie puked 3 times. I’m pretty sure it all came up, + paper. I’m currently spoon feeding her water. I am a afraid of her dehydrating after all the puking. I mean 3 times doesn’t sound like much til you realize the cupcake was bigger than her head. I could run to Vet ER, practically in another state (Texarkana). I’d rather not. I think I’m just gonna watch her tonight. I hope I’m deciding right. Ugh!! I really hate these things. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/135 "2018-12-21T05:21:31Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Anyone have any advice on how to stop feeling so impossibly fucking lonely? I am alone alot. I don’t generally categorize myself as ‘lonely’. But I feel your pain. I try to keep busy, mostly. I do have veg-out days where I verge on catatonic. I have pets that require my attention, everyday. That helps. If you’re feeling really lonely, pm me. We can visit. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/136 "2018-12-21T08:51:20Z")
In Firenze for the holidays, yeah us, but these bloody florentines do not as a whole, pick up after their dogs…shit shit.shit. Also fuckers with the drones at Gatwick. Luckily we got out before… ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/137 "2018-12-21T11:23:39Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > Another not-terribly serious mini-rant: > > None of my students, enrolled in one the most competitive universities in the country, can construct a frickin’ bibliography. There are guides! Online resources! Helpful librarians! We discussed the issue at length in class! > > But no. They just wing it. > > (I’ve been grading all day. I’m cranky.) There are full on wizards that make the bibliography for you. There are scholarly sites that will simply give you the bibliography. I’ve wished those existed when I was a kid. I had to do it based on just the worksheet the teacher gave us. There’s no excuse for getting it wrong now. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/138 "2018-12-21T13:41:19Z")
**FairyChatMom** , I’m sorry about your friend. **Beck** , is your doggie better? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/139 "2018-12-21T16:07:43Z")
So I am now in the radiation+oral chemo part of my treatment. Lucky me, 1 week on xeloda gave me diarrhea so bad that after 3 days I was dehyrdrated enough to be checked into the hospital for a week [5 bags a day, they were trying to pour saline into me faster than i could shit it out … wasn’t working til they give me pretty much overdose levels of immodium plus a nifty drug with atropine.] Got sprung last friday, restarted the xeloda on a lower dose so it has only taken me a full week for the runs to start up again instead of 3 days like before. Sheesh - hope i don’t end up inpatient again … but at least they will continue the radiation when I am in patient. Since the runs restarted this morning at roughtly 6 am I have been drinking about a liter an hour with a potassium tab, lemon juice dosing the water with a pinch of salt. I hate to go to gatorade, the damned stuff may rehydrate me, but one 8 oz glass can pop me from 100 to 180-200 mg/dl. And what, they have to rename the radiation dosing ‘greys’ to not scare people off? So I am getting 46 gray which I _know_ happen to be 4600 rd … though they were freaked out when I brought along one of my [self reading dosimeters](https://www.dosimeter.com/direct-reading-dosimeters/direct-reading-dosimeter-w138-0-200mr-with-sapphire-window/) _snicker_ They don’t seem to know what to do with someone who is trackig their own lifetime exposure … ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468/140 "2018-12-21T17:42:58Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I’d put kidney disease at #3 in the list of diseases I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, right behind cancer and heart disease. I wholeheartedly agree! We’re having issues with my blood pressure. After dialysis I basically need to jog in place for a minute to get it above 100/60. They won’t release me until it is. Now, to ME, logic would say let’s review my medications. Nope! The nephrologist says I’m good. I leave dialysis and am supposed to take… blood pressure meds. A small dose, granted, but still. I do, and am asleep in under an hour. So I quit taking the after dialysis dose. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silver-hells-december-minirants/825468.md?page=8)