The too tough to die MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
301

unknown, I grew up in Indiana back when they didn’t change time either. Given the proximity to Chicago, Michigan and Ohio, it sometimes got confusing nonetheless when scheduling things. When they re-adopted DST, my dad was for it for that reason until he found out that they would be going with Eastern time instead of Central. He lives nearly straight north of me and is still an hour behind.

So sorry about your IRS woes nellie. Those yahoos need to get their poop in a group and quit bugging retired civil servants.

Up, caffeinating and finishing breakfast. It was a mere 20F when I took Nelson out this morning, freezing both of us. Our snow is slowly disappearing, given that it was in the forties yesterday afternoon and will be in the low fifties this afternoon. I just want spring back.

Stay safe and healthy y’all!

302

Morning, mumpers! It’s 11C/52F outside, apparently it’s “partly sunny”. The sunny part is not the part I can see from here. We went out last night, had a good time watching bands in a very small upstairs room in a pub. A couple of friends came along so we met up with them beforehand, and they very kindly drove us home afterwards. The pub is a mile from home so easily walkable, but they were heading back that way so it was easy enough to drop us on their way.

I have a nagging pain in my neck and shoulder, I suspect it’s gym-related but it’s been going on for over a week now and doesn’t show much sign of getting better. I am officially annoyed about it. It’s actually not as bad as it was, and isn’t stopping me from doing much but it’s hurty and uncomfortable, and I’d like it to go away.

shoe your chicken wossnames look very good, I will also be giving them a try at some point.

nellie sorry to hear you have tax woes, I would be angry too. I hope you can get it sorted out without too much more hassle.

One of my US friends posted something to me on farcebook about changing the clocks, we have to wait until the end of the month to do that. 'im indoors is a programmer and worked on various things that needed to keep up with daylight savings around the world. He also wishes everyone would pick a time and stick to it.

No plans for today, I’ve done laundry, had a bath, sorted out the cats and the litter trays, all I have to do now is fix something for work lunch tomorrow. Today’s meals will all be foraging and leftovers so nothing much to do there either. Slothage awaits!

303

My computer and devices have reset themselves, but there’s a clock on the stove, the microwave, the toaster oven, the shelf above me, the wall over the TV, and the clock radio in the bedroom, plus a clock in the basement over the TV. And the vehicles. So I have some futzing to do with all that.

It’s 20° and the sun is shining. We’ll creep into the mid-40s today and the 60s tomorrow. The winds have blown themselves out. I need to go into the woods in the back yard - there was a dead tree leaning that has fallen. I don’t know if it fell across the path or not, but if it has, it’ll be chainsaw time soon. And much of the snow has melted/sublimated. I expect the rest to disappear today.

Apart from resetting clocks, I have no plans. Oh, I’ll probably empty the dishwasher, but that’s about it. FCD wants to see The Batman, and much as I hate superhero movies, I’ll go if he’s up to it. After all, he went with me to that stoopit Cyrano musical fiasco. But with luck, he won’t feel like going (fingers crossed) :crossed_fingers: I’ll suggest we finish the dock lines…

I probably should make a run to the convenience center, tho. Lots of recycling and two nearly full garbage cans. Maybe later this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Happy Sunday!!

304

Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off today. Gordie has had his morning walk in the 23 degree weather. :cold_face: I reset the stove, coffee maker, and microwave clocks last night, along with the analog clock in the living room. Everything else changed itself, including the clock that sets itself according to WWVB, and is stubbornly setting itself 50 minutes fast. :face_with_raised_eyebrow: But neither of my VCRs have a clock, so alas nothing is blinking “12:00” in the apartment right now. :frowning_with_open_mouth:

Sorry about the IRS woes, nellie.

305

One of my top 10 also and I watched it again last night on TCM even though I own the DVD. Broke my heart when Ian Charleson died.

306

OMG I still can’t stop sneezing. I don’t wanna take an antihistamine now, since I gotta be at work in a few minutes, but I may hafta take one later.

Of course, if I get to work and the sneezing stops, then that’s proof it’s something at home … maybe I can get the cats to run the Roomba for me while I’m out.

In other news, we got an inch or two more of the fluffy stuff overnight, so imma go sweep off my car.
Leftover chicken wossname (love that!) for lunch, so food is sorted.

307

Morning all. Stayed up until after midnight (with clock change) and woke up about 8am, so should be adjusted to the change. I actually like it being darker in the morning, makes sleeping in easier… Still have to reprogram the clock in the car when I head out to Red Robin (Yum!) later. No gym today I think, 6 out of seven is not bad, right? Temperatures will be in the mid-50’s today and mid-60’s tomorrow, so we’re recovering nicely from the frost. Dishwasher is finally running, figured yesterday I could squeeze one more dish/glass set in there.

shoe, hope the sneezing isn’t anything serious, I get those bouts too.

Cupcakes, also loved that film. The music was superb.

FCM, I saw the very first Batman movie (with Michael Keaton) and I don’t believe I’ve ever sat through any others; just not interested (and Batman: The Animated Series is so much better than any of the other movies…)

You are good people, swampy

We’ve been out from under the mask mandates recently. Still wear them if I’m in a small shop or store that’s crowded, but otherwise not many wearing them anymore.

nellie, I do hope that things can be straightened out. Likely one IRS clerk filed the information that you didn’t owe money in one place and another didn’t see it, so a new letter. Hopefully they’ll get it right this time.

Seanette, longest usual drive for me is about 10-12 miles from home and I usually only have to fill up the tank once a month, but it’s getting close to that time and I’m not looking forward to it.

Unknown, you broke his collarbone? What’s your cane made of, titanium?

OK, back to browsing until it comes time to dress appropriately for public and go out to dine. All y’all take care.

308

Good morning everyone.

It’s currently 38 degrees and wet outside. The skies are blue for the moment, but the day will be filled with clouds and off and on again rain showers. We are slated for another atmospheric river. Just great.

nellie, I’m sorry the IRS continues to plague you.

All my clocks, including the clock in my Jeep, reset themselves except the stove and microwave. I hate daylight savings time and will spend the next month or so feeling entirely ripped off. I also just want to stick with one time, damn it. The older I become the less adjusted I become to this constant flip-flopping on time.

My back hurts. It’s been hurting since last weekend really and the pain isn’t going away. I keep hoping it will, but it doesn’t. I think it’s partly due to the extra weight I’m carrying, but also just plain overdoing it last weekend. I will continue to monitor.

The mask thing. Yeah as much as I’m happy it’s been lifted, I don’t trust it and will be one of those people still wearing a mask in grocery stores and crowded places. I don’t think the numbers are as good as everyone thinks because people are self-testing and the numbers aren’t accurate. Also, there are a bunch of dumb***** in my county that believe the whole thing is a hoax. It’s embarrassing how stupid they are.

Yeah, gas prices are scary. I plan to drive as little as possible.

Okay, everyone. Onward with the day.

309

Well, butter my butt & call me a biscuit.

Pull up to work, and whose big ol’ diesel pickup do I spy, with my lil’ eye?
Thank Og I have emergency mascara in my purse!

InCrPoo was covering in trade for whoever covered for him last week.

AND … I’m finally being trained officially on Pit Boss/manager stuff, and guess who’s (scheduled) to train me tomorrow morning?

Should be fun!

ETA: apparently his 2-wk notice extends into middle of this week.

310

Happy Birthday, Barbara Feldon (89).

311

Rain, rain, rain. A good day for a pot of beans and smoked hamhock. And cornbread muffins.

My sympathies for the above trials with the IRS. We went through a fight with them many years ago. The bastards even froze our bank account! When it was all over, they ended up giving us a refund of the penalty money, but no apology or explanation.

312

Six clocks in my house are set manually (oven, microwave, bedside, office, bathroom, and a small one on the piano), and I remembered to change all of them last night! Woo hoo! Completely forgot about my analog watches, though. I’ll change those as I wear 'em. Everything else updates automatically, including the car clock. I love having light later in the day, but I tell ya: the older I get, the more I notice the skipped hour every spring.

Both of yesterday’s missions were accomplished, even though it started snowing again on the way to the tattoo removal place. The total cost and how many sessions would be needed were in line with my expectations, and the place seems professional enough. It’s only 6 miles from home, but there’s another place only 1 mile from home that I also want to get a consult from. They are closed on Sundays and Mondays (as is the other place; it seems common for such places to be open Tue-Sat), so I’ll call on Tuesday to set up an appointment. If the pricing and vibe are similar, I’ll definitely choose the place closer to me. (JaneDoe42, I’ll happily keep y’all updated!)

I also went to the jeweler and dropped off my mom’s pearl ring (a white pearl and a black pearl; I inadvertently damaged the exterior of the black pearl) and the diamond from her engagement ring (which will be reset into a pendant). The proprietor will call me tomorrow with his complete estimate, after he’s researched both getting a replacement black pearl and how long it will take his supply company to send him the pendant setting I selected. I’ve worn the pearl ring nearly every day since mom died (in 2015), and it felt so weird to drive home without it yesterday! Hopefully I’ll have it back – and the new necklace – in a week or two.

Yesterday I finished season 2 of Upload, and went to watch a new show on Netflix that I’d read about but saw that there’s a new season of a French real estate show I love: The Parisian Agency (juste L’Agence en français), about a family of Parisian realtors. I studied French in school so I enjoy hearing it (while reading every word of the English subtitles!), and I’m a bit of a sucker for real esate shows. I’ll finish watching that today, then maybe finally check out the new show (Raising Dion).

I’ve happily discovered that I can tolerate Perdue breaded chicken nuggets – with a teaspoon of French’s honey mustard for dipping – and I think I’ll go make some for lunch. The serving size of 5 nuggets is 3 oz, which is perfect. Technically I should have 2 oz of nuggets + 1 oz of a fruit or veggie, but whatever…I’m good when I eat other stuff. :innocent: It’s so nice to have found something pre-packaged with easily flexible portions that fits my current dietary needs and gives me something warm and substantial to eat! (Oh, and is yummy!)

Happy birthday, Die_Capacitrix! :tada:

I recently decided to donate my collection of never/rarely used appliances to the big Goodwill store near work. The next time I get a good-sized Amazon delivery, I’ll use the box to put everything in; I’ll drop everything off the next time I go to the office. So far, I’ll be giving away:

  • a Foreman Grill - purchased new in 2016, but I never even opened the box
  • an electric kettle - works great, but I replaced it with a smaller one that requires less minimum water and therefore heats up the amount I need faster (mostly for making instant oatmeal)
  • a mini egg bite maker - never used, but I stupidly threw the box away
  • a mini Keurig - also works great, but also replaced by the smaller electric kettle (this is my second Keurig: no matter how many times I try I’m just not a “hot drink” person, and I wound up only using it to heat water for oatmeal)

I’ll keep my blender, even though I haven’t used it in 20+ years, and the mini waffle maker. Just in case. :slight_smile:

:face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

:smiley:

313

Ours is the deep fryer, two electric fondue pots, a nice slow-cooker, an ice cream maker, and a tomato food mill. We do use them all, but fairly seldom. I gave away our Zorjirushi coffee maker, which was painful, as it cost about $130 new, but we never use it. We took about 50 VHS tapes to Goodwill last week and good riddance to THAT.

It’s amazing how tenacious the IRS can be with people who don’t make all that much money, but they will ignore billionaires for years. They came after us because my wife didn’t file a form saying she had terminated her mother’s care-giver’s employment (we moved overseas). This, after having paid into the woman’s Social Security and doing all the right things by her and by the IRS.

314

We went to Texas Roadhouse for lunch that will also cover supper - we’s both well-stuffeded! Then a run into Lowe’s for garbage bags, azalea food, and caulk. Don’t ask…

Once we got home, I loaded the truck and did a trash-and-recycling run. Glad to have that done. Now I can chill with a clear conscience. Tomorrow morning, I have to go fetch my glasses (hope they’re properly repaired) and I have a Dr appt at 11:10 for my annual going-over. But the rest of today is for chillage.

315

Inch thick carbon fiber with an oversized hook and shark teeth grips on the shaft. This is backed up by a life-time of self defense classes and the knowledge that as a small female, I only have one chance before things go very badly for me.

This, so much this. Honestly though? I’m going to wear masks for the rest of my life. Not because of the plague but because of my habit of getting skin cancer if my milk white skin gets sun exposure.

:rofl: :joy: :rofl:

They make great ice tea. Fill a glass with ice, drop a tea bag in the basket and select the smallest size cup possible.

They came after us because we pulled money out of my 401k to pay the mortgage after hubs had his heart surgery. The bank had properly withheld the penalty, but the IRS didn’t believe any of us and grabbed 10 grand for almost a year. We got it back but weren’t allowed to charge them late fees and penalties. Bastids.

Hub’s phone, which he uses as an alarm, changed itself to DST last night, so he got up an hour early this morning. He made coffee, fed the cats, looked outside and thought it was pretty dark, then saw the time so stretched out in his recliner for a short nap. The cats woke him up at their proper breakfast time while insisting that he had only dreamed he had fed them earlier. GG cleaned his second breakfast bowl and polished off VMC’s so I’m thinking he’s getting ready for another growing spurt.

316

Good [checks clock] morning, and a good National Stomp Around Day to my fellow Amurican Mumpers! That’s not an official holiday. I observe it by stomping around and griping about DST. I even hate the name: we’re not saving daylight.

I have things lined up so I can call the CPA office first thing in the morning. This is not gonna be cheap, which also aggravates me. I’d like to bill the IRS and charge them a penalty and interest. Since it’s their mistake, it seems only fair. And oh, yes, they’ve now charged me interest from July 2020 until March 2022. Sonsabritches. And no explanation. Every CPA I’ve ever known loathes the IRS, and now I understand why.

OK, enough of that. I’m going to do some odds and ends around the apt. today. After yesterday’s deluge, it’s too damp to stain the table. (The table didn’t get rain on it, but it absorbed moisture. I have nowhere else to work on it but the balcony.) And Sunday means kid calls, so yay for that!

I should walk, too.

FCM, I haven’t seen any of the Batman movies. When they first came out, I was married to someone who hated going to the movies. (He said they “manipulate” people.) After that, I felt like going to one would be like reading a book in the middle of a series. I’ll get around to it with Batman Gets Pruney, the one where he fights crime from his walker, which is, of course, outfitted with cool crime-fighting gadgets like Jane’s Cane of Justice.

nameless, I hope the jerk doesn’t sue you. I’m trying to imagine his lawyer’s argument: “As you can see on the security tape, Your Honor, my client was minding his own business by beating up his ex when Ms. Doe ruthlessly attacked him with her cane!” I don’t think either judge or jury would be inclined to award him damages.

oopsie, I’m sure Goodwill will be thrilled to get small appliances in such good shape.

swampy, you’re a good guy.

Doggio, do those of you who work at the facilities wear uniforms, or is it come as you are?

shoe, if Fate decided to give you another chance at InCrPoo, there must be a reason. :wink: I take it the sneezing stopped?

317

Went to the local grocer for some things we needed. Oregon lifted the mask mandate, but a lot of businesses are still requiring their use. Everyone in the store was wearing a mask except for two loudmouths in wife-beaters daring anyone to say something to them while they brayed loudly at each other while getting as close to people as possible. I really wanted to belt one of them with a gallon jug of non-fat (following Jane-the-Cane’s example), but settled for getting out of there as quickly as possible.

318

I still need to reset the coffee maker clock, and the car, but everything else is done. I also learned how to take apart my coffee grinder this morning to figure out why it wouldn’t grind. (Emergency K-cup to the rescue!) I eventually got the grinder working, got the pot of coffee brewed, and we had waffles and spam for breakfast. Side note: My kids spent the time debating the virtues of cockroach milk as apocalypse food. I don’t know that happened, but it was entertaining.

319

Oh, I bet it’s lovely - I adore black pearls.

In a just world … but as we remind children so often, life isn’t fair.

Typical.

Wait, did G.G. really con your husband into providing Second Breakfast?
Impressive little hobbits, he is!

(Well, not-so-little, but then it wouldn’t have sounded like Smeagol.)

Oh, you are so bad!

Twasn’t Fate so much as … my inability to read a calendar + my manager’s inability to post the weekly schedule more than a day ahead. (I didn’t know this morning if I worked tomorrow FFS.)

Not … really. I mean, it wasn’t this endless nonstop string anymore, but I was still sneezing a lot (plus the not-so-fun cousin of the sneeze: the aborted almost-sneeze, where you make a stupid face and contort up and then … nothing.)

Plus my nose would. not. stop. running, so I had to keep a roll of T.P. by my register. Got concerned looks from customers all day - I’m sure they all thought I’d just been dumped.

{ dry heaves }

320

Well, our snow is pretty much gone (there is still a little left in very shady areas) given that it’s 53F outside now. There was just enough winter to ruin a weekend.

I made traffic light soup for supper and a pot of rice to serve with it. It began as a vegan recipe that I made a couple of months ago and I decided that the flavor profile would work for soup. It has red bell peppers, butternut squash chunks and spinach in veggie / coconut milk broth and black beans for the protein, along with garlic, onions and Italian herbs. 'Twas right tasty.