That sucks. My understanding is that the thieves are going after the precious metals in the converters. I’m glad your company is chipping in.
Up, cafffeinated, and sheveled. Off to heave. One of the best parts of being 51 is I no longer have to worry about a wizard showing up, holding a dwarf rave in my kitchen, and dragging me off on some damn fool crusade(I know I’m mixing my wizards). 
Sounds like the real stress test is just getting it scheduled. And seeing the bill.
Or note where the tag is when you do get it on(right bottom for my bed).
WTF. But glad the company is covering the deductible.
I should do that myself on one of my early days. Because nothing says “Screw the Protestant Work Ethic” like having a cold one at 0830 on a Monday morning. 
happy late birthday doggio hope you spent it as soberly challenged as possible
One time I and some relatives and their friends went on a bar crawl at seal beach/Westminster/anaheim ca and after a stupid stunt backfired we went home but because I was just getting warmed up I stopped off at a 7-11 and grabbed about 4 boxes of flavored malt coolers and was watching the late-night 50s b movie while drinking them …even after I was asleep I was still drinking them… My uncle whose couch I was on says "wow they’re right once you start you won’t stop until your stone unconscious … it was 8 am and apparently I opened my eyes did that morning bad taste in your mouth reached over opened one and pretty much downed it got up and went to the bathroom and he said that after I came out … funny thing we went to breakfast … hung out about 11 am hit the bar until about 8 pm and spent the evening in the persian gardens gentlemnens club …
Grab some Keebler Grasshoppers. Available year-round at much more reasonable prices, and I’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference in a taste test.
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 38 Amurrkin out and clear with a predicted high of 72 and N.O.S. for the day. I just know in my heart none of y’all could make it through the day without the mornin’ southwest Jawja weather report! This mornin’ I shall betake myself over to the church house for candle duty as I still do that. Other than that, the usual sloth and uselessness shall prevail. Sup shall be chili/cheese/onion/slawdawgs and oven fries. Fartfest to follow.
flyboy that sucks about your catalytic converter bein’ stolen. Glad the company is steppin’ up to pay for your deductible.
I can’t remember the last time I had Girl Scout cookies. I like the chawklit/coconut ones and the shortbread ones the most.
Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, alas and bother, I then must purtify and don appropriate bein’ about the public attire. Why, oh why, did I have to be brought up all proper! I could never go out and about in jammies, robe and slippers.
Happy Firday Y’all!
I wish they lived closer to each other, tho. My niece and her boys are in Baltimore, so a minimum 2-hour drive to get there. What I’ll be interested to see - Roxy is the oldest and the only girl, and so far, she’s definitely more “in charge” than her cousin Grayson. I can see her riding herd on all 3 boys!
We stopped one day in Costa Rica on a cruise - I think it was in Limon - but that’s not really a fair place to make an impression. We didn’t take any excursions - we just walked in the port area, and it was a pretty run-down area, so our impression was: ick. Of course, for the most part, port areas are not pretty places. Not helpful, right? I have a friend who loves to go there to dive, but that’s kinda off-shore of Costa Rica…
Actually, I’d made deviled eggs to go with the salad, so there was protein. I just didn’t have a lot of salad stuff - only greens, grape tomatoes, and mushrooms. That makes for a boring salad. I need to shop.
It’s that way for most of my sheets, but not all, which is really annoying! We have a king bed, so it’s almost but not quite square. However, one set of sheets I bought had a tag that said “Top/Bottom” sewn to the hem. Genius!
Regarding GS cookies, I quit buying them when I saw how little the troops selling them actually got. Were I inclined to support GS, I’d just give a donation. But I have noticed that, of all places, Dollar General carries (carried?) the equivalent of Thin Mints and Tagalongs that are not bad. And I’ve seen the Samoas equivalents in Food Lion. FWIW.
We’re not going to Oxford after all. FCD had a bad night and he’s really hurting. He didn’t even want to go out for breakfast, and he’s back in bed. I know part of it is his fault - he gets to feeling a little better, then he tries to do too much. But I think part is that his doctor doesn’t give a damn about anything other than the knee she replaced - she won’t take into consideration the effect of the other knee still healing or the neuropathy from his last back surgery. So he’s got an appointment in a couple of weeks with our GP to talk about the big picture. SHE is a gem and if anyone can help, it’s her.
It’s supposed to be a spring-like day before the snow moves in this weekend (dammit) so I’m going to get out the wagon and pick up the branches that are all over the front lawn. I’ll probably cut up the bigger ones and add them to the firewood pile. I’m also letting the pellet stove burn out so I can clean it. And I need to shampoo the area rug in the living room - but that will require moving some furniture and I need to talk with FCD about his plans, since his recliner is the main piece that need to be moved. As you can see, I’ve got a heck of a day ahead of me! 
Try not to envy me!
And have a happy Firday!!
sunny, it’s been ~30 years since I’ve been to Costa Rica, but I found it a beautiful place to vacation. We stayed in a hostel in San Jose for most of the 2 weeks, with excursions to Puntarenas and Cerro Chirripo (on the back of a donkey up the mountain!). I found it had some similarities with southern Mexico, but without the violence. Of course, things may have changed a bit in three decades.
Dang flyboy! Glad your company covered the deductible. You may want to check into aftermarket converters. That saved me ~$800 when I replaced one on the Yaris.
swampy, the Trefoils that I bought are the shortbread ones. 
That gives SIL and I a chance for some tea drinkin’ tomorrow. IIRC, your goddaughter should be old enough for Daisy girl scouts soon, giving you a really good excuse (like you need one) to make your annual purchase(s).
When I irked graveyards, I would stop at one of the local bars on the way home from irk a couple of mornings a week for chili and a beer. I later worked at that bar. They had a decent restaurant / family room on one side and would do grill orders in addition to breakfast to accommodate their third shift clientele. That accounts for the majority of my day drinkin’ experience.
Up, caffeinating, breakfasted, bed stripped, a load of towels and sheets ready for the dryer and a load of jeans on deck. I’ll begin KP and housecleaning shortly (still need more caffeine) and procure groceries this afternoon.
Stay safe and healthy y’all!
Up way too early because we crashed way too early. But it was a busy day yesterday. Did a lot of clearing out in the garage, and the Ms, who is addicted to paper, spent the day going through reams of the stuff and discarding most of it. Tried to watch part of the local African Film Festival, but were both dozed off after about ten minutes and gave up; I think we were toast by 8:00. So here I am at 5:15.
At least the painting is finished. Next up: the electrician!
We got a buncha snow overnight but it’s already thawing, so I think I can get away with not shoveling this morning.
Unfortunately, it’s supposed to rain this afternoon and then freeze overnight, which means Tomorrow Shoe may be driving across an ice skating rink.
Sucks to be her!
This lapsed Catholic approves.
Okay, off to shower and get purtified myself. Just because InCrPoo doesn’t notice, doesn’t mean I can’t look cute.
(That wasn’t a lament. I’d probably be mostly horrified if he - or anyone else - figured it out. It’s just harmless flirty fun.)
Happy birthday, doggio!
And thanks, guys, for the doperversary wishes! I completely forgot! I’ve left and drifted back to the Dope and never remember when I turn up again - I’m like a bad penny, I tell you.
It’s gray and ick outside today, but light on meetings, which is absolutely fabulous, though now I’ve said that it will inevitably fill up. Overlygirl will be at a friend’s house tonight and I’m having dinner with a couple of friends, which I am REALLY looking forward to. I’m 'bout to get outside for a run/waddle so I don’t feel too gross after an evening of bread, cheese and wine. One must be prepared.
Mom has decided that tomorrow we’ll have a dip dinner in honor of the Superbowl. Neither of us likes football so we figured we’d do it the day before and bingewatch HGTV and true crime channels while eating tailgating food.
I’m feeling way better today than I have in a long while. It makes me suspicious. Most of it is forcing myself to go to bed earlier and having things get a bit more on an even keel. Mundane and boring is bliss.
The Princess is sulking. She’s lately developed a fondness for darting out the front door if I open it to do things like take out trash. OK if she stays near our door, but this last time she elected to explore a shadowy area at night, and she’s largely fairly dark-colored. This scares a human whose night vision isn’t the greatest when the cat cannot be located. She’s now required to wear her harness with attached ID tag, which is light pink with gray reflective hearts. She IS chipped, but still, her nudist days are done.
I’m also slightly sulky. No Kitten Bowl this year (boo, Hallmark!). May have to settle for the Puppy Bowl or a library DVD binge over the weekend. No plans to try to get any deliveries on Sunday. That would just be annoying.
Morning all. Paper retrieved and pills taken, so that is two things out of the way already. Do want to get to Verizon this morning and our discussions here may (note I said may) have motivated me to finish work on my Will. Then I have to find a lawyer…
May get to 70F today, but only 45F tomorrow, then up and down all next week. Indoor Soccer resumes tomorrow, so that’ll keep me busy for several hours.
Got a little surprise, I’m part of the US Government’s Thrift Saving Plan (TSP), kind of like private industries 401K program, so I get a small (about 10%) of my retirement from them. After several years at the same amount, it went up about $30 or around 5% this month. Didn’t expect it and it’s not a lot, but if they want to give that to me…
flyboy, sorry you car was ripped off, but good on your bosses for stepping in and helping out; not all would do that.
talky, here’s another vote for Mundane and Boring; an ‘exciting’ lifestyle can be stressful. Take care and keep doing better.
shoe, y’all be careful driving. Ice worries me more than great piles of snow ever did.
shady, I’m rather amazed you can remember anything about that night and morning…
FCM, I think that’s an excellent idea to have FCD see the GP.
OK, onward to the morning internettin’ and then off to Verison to unlock more phone secrets. All y’all have a good morning now.
Well, is Crazy Otto’s. But I think they 20 ounce T-bone comes on the steak salad.
(Actually, I didn’t know they served salads.)
Good morning everyone.
It’s currently about 41 degrees with an expected high of around 50 and partly sunny skies late in the afternoon. Yesterday it stayed dark and gloomy all day, so a little sunshine would be nice.
Johnny, sorry to hear about the car. I’m glad your company is helping you out.
I’ve decided I’m taking the Jeep vs a GOV to Yakima. While pass conditions look pretty good on Sunday, it’ll be snowing on Monday.
Yeah, the GOV that was involved in an accident won’t be cheap to fix. The driver was supposedly was stopped prior to exiting a parking lot, but realized he was jutting out into the road. He attempted to back up and hit a car that had come up behind him. Looking at the damage one or the other was going pretty fast because that’s a lot of damage for a parking lot bump. It’s a CMAX so both rear quarter panels, the number, AND the liftgate will have to be replaced. Only one of the quarter panels has damage, but the quarter panels and rear bumper are all one piece. What a stupid design. The liftgate is all wonky and dented too. I’m not a car expert, but I am pretty sure I am right. The kid thought it was about $500.00 worth of damage in the accident report. He is way wrong. Also, he’s a brand new driver. Ironically, this was the vehicle we were going to trade-in due to age for a new car. Actually, a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Congrats on the arrival of the grand-nephew, FCM.
GS cookies or my taste buds have changed. They’ve also shrunk. I used to love Thin Mints. They just taste weird now, so I don’t buy them
I’m almost done with my coffee, so I’ll have to get things cleaned up around the house. I’d like to relax tomorrow before I hit the road on Sunday. I also want to vacuum out my Jeep, there’s a little fir needle and dead leaf detritus on the front floor mats. The rest of the Jeep is clean, but I don’t want my co-worker thinking I keep a dirty vehicle. Also, it’s driving me insane too. I also want to clean the windows on the inside again. I try to clean them monthly, but I didn’t do it last month.
Tomorrow morning temps will be in the 30s so I’ll go outside to pick up dog poo. It’ll be easier to pick up and won’t get all smeared up in the grass. Especially since the grass is a little bit longer in some areas and the poo has nestled down in a couple of those spots. Way too much info, huh?
Government Owned Vehicle?
flyboy sorry to hear about the Cat theft, it’s extremely common over here and my NextDoor is full of reports of thefts that take a matter of minutes.
baker junk folders do a fine job of collecting all the junk, and disposing of it without you even having to look. In Outlook, you can block senders which I do fairly frequently, and anything in the inbox can be marked as spam so it goes to the junk folder in future.
sunny I worked out my list of students to send the Vastly Important and Desperately Urgent email to and they’ve all had it. Most of them won’t read it, a bunch will reply asking if it applies to them, and another bunch will reply to ask something that’s already answered in the email if they bothered to read it. The person who asked for it to be sent also asked for it to be moved from my sent items box to a specific folder elsewhere (as well as having it copied to the sender’s inbox). Her instructions for where it should be moved were very explicit…except I can’t see the folder she wants it in so I’ve had to move it just to the inbox and she’ll have to do the rest. The email is about industrial action - bunch of lecturers are going on strike over the next couple of months, few days at a time here and there.
It’s been a boring irk day, I couldn’t log into a few essential systems this morning so I went to BodyPump at the gym instead. Toe survived the experience quite well, so I have booked onto bootcamp and spin tomorrow morning. We have a gig tomorrow night, and errands during the day so I am looking forward to having Sunday as a day of as much sloth as I can manage.
Yes, GOV mean Government-Owned Vehicle. Well, in our case, owned by GSA and leased by my agency.
The vehicles I could choose from were Hybrid Sonata’s and they suck. There’s always some recall or issue with them and I don’t trust them. They’ve often left people stranded at the top of a mountain pass when it’s cold out.
At 11 I finally decided it was time to shower and dress - ok, that’s when I finished reading my book, so… I’m having a bowl of soup now, then I’m going to zip down to WaWa and fill my car - the fuel light came on!! 
After I get home, I need to clean the pellet stove - not a lot, but still. Then I’ll head out and pick up sticks for a bit. After that, who knows??
Supper tonight will be whatever we dig out of the fridge. There’s leftover steak fajita, leftover General’s chicken, some rice, a sweet spud, and who knows what else… Definitely no need to cook.
FCD has taken his car to the fancy carwash to be cleaned inside and out. Hims lurves hims Caddy! 
I, on the other hand, might remember to empty the trash that’s accumulated in my car. Maybe.
Onward!
Heaved, walked Gordie. I put a load of laundr in the washer, but the dryer is not working. Bother.
Every mad scientist needs an Igor or 3.
: looks at last sleeve of Thin Mints, and adds to list :
Well, that was close!! As I was driving to WaWa, I had my display set to “Miles Till Empty” - it got to 40, then the display went blank and the indicator on the gas gauge started blinking. I put something over 16 gallons in the tank. I’ve never gone that low on fuel ever! And at $3.50/gallon… OUCH!!
Then again, it’ll probably last me at least 2 weeks, if not longer.
OK, the pellet stove is clean and refilled. I vacuumed the main traffic areas. The branches out front that I’d hoped could be firewood were all pretty much rotten - so light they’d have turned to dust if I’d sneezed on them too hard. So they’re all in the woods to finish rotting. At least now I can drive the mower around without stopping to pick up branches.
The front and back yards are lumpy and soft, tho. Damned moles!!! I don’t want to poison them, but I want them to go away. Maybe if I played some bad music next to the tunnels?? 
Chores done. Time to read some more. Yay!