# What's souring your Eggnog? (December Minirants) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 2, 2019, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257 "2019-12-02T01:02:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**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 13, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/141 "2019-12-13T15:26:47Z")
Ugh, the insomnia is kicking up again. Then when I finally do get to sleep, I dream about having insomnia. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/142 "2019-12-13T17:15:08Z")
Oh, jesus, that’s a unique level of hell. _makes soothing white-noise sounds_ ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/143 "2019-12-13T18:35:50Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > Wunnerful. The rash on my forehead and just above my eye is shingles. > Two-ish days ago, I noticed a patchy rash on the right side of my forehead. > I dropped by my doc today on the off-chance I could slide in without an appointment. He didn’t have time to see me today, so over to the ER for a not too bad wait, considering (Friday afternoon, about two hours). The doc took about ten seconds to confirm shingles, and then spent a fair amount of time looking into my eye to make sure nothing was going on in there, as one of the lesions is right above my right eye. She said it all looked clear, and set me up a referral for an ophthalmologist soon, and a scrip for vaclovir (anti-viral). > Fair odds, I got it quick enough for a good recovery, and hopefully no more repercussions down the track. > Man, this year has sucked. I should remember that’s there are enormous numbers of people having it worse than me - oh, so much worse. But man, that’s hard to remember just at the moment, and I think I’ll just indulge myself in being cranky tonight, and get on with the rest of the world in the morning. Oh noooo!! I got shingles about a month ago and it’s still bothering me, though not as bad as it used to. Fortunately it was just wrapped around my ribs. I feel for you! ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/144 "2019-12-13T19:30:03Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > Waitaholdit right there. You DO NOT _have_ to buy anything for your kids’ teachers. You know what school teachers would really like? A note of appreciation from their students. Any time - the end of that school year, after they graduate high school, when they’ve gone on to college - really any time. > > We’ve gotten a crapload of useless stuff (and food - the last damn thing we need is more sugar-laden stuff at this time of year) over the years, but you know what my 8th-grade teacher husband keeps and will always treasure? The notes from his students saying how much they enjoyed his class, or how he made learning the subject fun for them, or how his class led them to studying more of the subject as they go on in school. > > That’s what teachers want. Otherwise you really needn’t bother to waste your time or money. If you really feel you must do something, find out if your school has a fund for school supplies for needy kids or something and donate to that instead. This is really helpful - thank you! I’m honestly just tired of buying shit for people I know they won’t use just because that’s what you’re supposed to do. Yes, that’s my problem (the idea that everyone else is; so should I), but holy shit, if I get asked one more time what I’m buying for my kid’s 4th and 8th grade teachers or the mailman or the trash guy I’m going to shit a goddamn brick. What’s particularly awful on my part is that it’s not necessarily that I can’t afford it, but after trying to be thoughtful for my family, my friends and employees, the last thing I want to have to do is expend additional mental energy to figure out what someone I’ve met maybe once will like. Another rant…I really hate what I do. I hate managing a team because some are needy as fuck. A group of professionals, some older than I am (and I’m 44) a few who’ve been in their jobs almost 10 years and they still feel like they need my permission to add a field to a goddamn report that they use to monitor their products? Just add the fucking thing if it makes it easier. Also, one of my teammates is dealing with a mental illness, which had been affecting their work. When they finally told me what was going on, we were able to try different accommodations and this person is now doing amazingly well, but I’ve tied myself into a giant goddamn pretzel with the coaching I requested from HR to help us both figure it out. Now I just want to crawl into a hole until the next quarter because having employees is a shitload more like parenting than I’d like to admit. Maybe I just hate being an adult. Yeah, that’s probably it. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/145 "2019-12-14T19:13:55Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > I lost an election last night, during a particularly contentious board meeting for my apartment building. > > But this is not a bad thing. It was a heroic sacrifice that kept the board from being overthrown by a band of idiots. Who have a lot of fire and determination and absolutely no clue as to how boards of directors and the rules of corporate governance work. > > They had the votes. They could’ve EASILY nominated slate of 4 candidates and taken majority control. They might have even stood a chance if they had nominated a full slate of 7, although that would’ve been risky. But they are idiots. Every nomination was done with the aggressive tone of “and this person hates you,too” . They nominated 10 people. I could barely keep myself from laughing out loud when they called out the 8th nomination. > > Now, the old real estate dudes on my side know how to work the cumulative voting system. They did a lot of math and determined the current board could hold 5 seats if we pooled our votes. We might have even been able to do more, because the opposition running 10 people for 7 positions was unprecedented because it was so fucking stupid. But we decided to play it safe. We had one inactive member and we cut her, then we all decided NOT to vote for me. Myself included. > > I don’t live in the building anymore, I sublet my apartment and moved 600 miles away. It would’ve been sort of traditional for me to resign a few months ago. But I didn’t, because I knew I might need to do what I did last night and go down in a blaze of glory. > > But I’m still a little bummed. Go figure. OMG, I think my life is some sort of reality simulation. I’m the victim of freaking **ELECTION FRAUD** Because we are now getting complaints about the election. Because I was away in the two week run up. And someone went door to door telling people I had decided not to run, and collected proxies that would’ve gone to me. They claimed they were acting with my permission. So now there will be an …investigation … allegations of sore loser, I wonder when they’ll start callling me Hillary I did not find this out until after the election. I don’t know how many people complained, although it was at least two. And, even though this is a little vague at this point, it seems that the misrepresentation that I did not intend to seek re-election was kind of material to their whole campaign. Which pisses me off, because I supported their right to organize this campaign and I did not spy or interfere in anyway. When my fellow incumbent board members complained, I told them that it was the absolute right of the shareholders to try to remove us if they were unhappy and that their response should be to do a better job. MOTHERFUCKER, THE LAST THING IN THE WORLD I NEED RIGHT NOW IS FOR MY LIFE TO BECOME A MICROCOSM OF CNN. Maybe moral leadership really does start at the top. But this is going to be loud and messy and everyone is already at each other’s throats. And I have mixed feelings, part of me wants to tell them to brush it under the rug, I don’t care. I just want NOT to deal with it. But I don’t like being cheated. And, I’ll admit it - I love the politicking, the deal-making, the strategizing, the hand-shaking and socializing. I feel that I’m in my element when I’m doing that stuff. I’ve spent the last two days flip-flopping between my Zen master mode and my Dirty Harry revenge mode. My head hurts, Hey universe—-\*\*\*\*\*Election fraud? \*\*\*\*\* Really? ---
**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 14, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/146 "2019-12-14T22:44:14Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > I lost an election last night, during a particularly contentious board meeting for my apartment building… Anyone else picturing Mr. Seinfeld [losing the presidency](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SXBZfzc1Dc) of Del Boca Vista? He was accused unjustly, too, come to think of it… ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2019, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/147 "2019-12-14T23:21:55Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Oh noooo!! I got shingles about a month ago and it’s still bothering me, though not as bad as it used to. Fortunately it was just wrapped around my ribs. I feel for you! I’ve had it in the same place, an 8-inch diameter area, wrapped around my right ribs. Shingles is a bitch. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2019, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/148 "2019-12-15T00:26:30Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I’ve had it in the same place, an 8-inch diameter area, wrapped around my right ribs. Shingles is a bitch. And it’s because of y’alls posts that I finally got my first Shingrix shot. I’d asked my doctor about it last year at my checkup, and he said it was in such demand they didn’t have any and to call about it in 3 months’ time. Of course I forgot. The posts in here were a reminder, and I got my first one at Walgreens a few days after **Sicks Ate** made his post. The pharmacist warned me that a side effect of the shot could be a low-grade fever and chills, which did indeed happen about 12 hours after the shot. An Advil fixed that right up, and if that’s the worst the shot has to offer in comparison to the shingles, I am looking forward to the second shot in February. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2019, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/149 "2019-12-15T02:20:18Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > And it’s because of y’alls posts that I finally got my first Shingrix shot. I’d asked my doctor about it last year at my checkup, and he said it was in such demand they didn’t have any and to call about it in 3 months’ time. Of course I forgot. > > The posts in here were a reminder, and I got my first one at Walgreens a few days after **Sicks Ate** made his post. The pharmacist warned me that a side effect of the shot could be a low-grade fever and chills, which did indeed happen about 12 hours after the shot. An Advil fixed that right up, and if that’s the worst the shot has to offer in comparison to the shingles, I am looking forward to the second shot in February. Well, at least some good has come of this. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2019, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/150 "2019-12-15T03:43:55Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > Well, at least some good has come of this. And I’m very sorry about suckitude that has visited you. Besides the pain, it’s not a small thing at all when your vision could potentially be affected. ---
**Author:** ![InsomniaMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ad7895/32.png) [@InsomniaMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InsomniaMama)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2019, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/151 "2019-12-15T13:40:17Z")
I was hospitalized 9 years ago for shingles above the eye, as they were worried I’d lose my vision on that side. Got IV antivirals. Doc at the time said if it reaches the tip of your nose, it’s in your optic nerve, too. So follow up if it gets worse. I need to ask about the vaccine again. It’s been impossible to find. My dad had shingles 3 times, so I’m interested in not following his lead. ---
**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 15, 2019, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/152 "2019-12-15T14:40:07Z")
_googles when people should get the shingles vaccination_ Ten more years for me. ☹ I’m getting it as soon as I’m old enough. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2019, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/153 "2019-12-15T15:52:42Z")
Uh, you can get vaccines without being in the recommended group, so long as you’re not on some sort of “banned” group. Heck, I got tested for HPV in my ObGyn visit a couple of months back and if it came back negative, I’m asking for the vaccine (the results are waiting for me in my mailbox). It ain’t only for people under 16 or only for virgins, it’s for people who don’t have the virus. ---
**Author:** ![Runestar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/74df32/32.png) [@Runestar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runestar)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/154 "2019-12-15T16:11:36Z")
Going though one of those phases where some web sites insist (politely at least) that I turn off my ad blocker before they’ll let me view the content on their site. But I’m not using an ad blocker. I’m using plain-vanilla Google Chrome for my web browsing, with no add-ons installed. Don’t know if there was some recent Chrome update that makes web pages think I have an ad blocker installed or what, but it’s frustrating as hell, since there’s nothing I can turn off. Also, I had shingles three years ago on the left side of my jaw, neck, and shoulder. Still dealing with the post-herpathigic (sp?) nerve issues from it – that part of the jaw and neck is numb, but itches like crazy unless I take gabapentin every 8 hours or so. Ugh. Shingles does really suck. ---
**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 15, 2019, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/155 "2019-12-15T17:18:51Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Uh, you can get vaccines without being in the recommended group, so long as you’re not on some sort of “banned” group. > > Heck, I got tested for HPV in my ObGyn visit a couple of months back and if it came back negative, I’m asking for the vaccine (the results are waiting for me in my mailbox). It ain’t only for people under 16 or only for virgins, it’s for people who don’t have the virus. Good to know. I’ll ask my doctor next time I see him to see if I need to wait. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2019, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/156 "2019-12-15T18:38:12Z")
> [@Catamount](#): > > Good to know. I’ll ask my doctor next time I see him to see if I need to wait. You can get them, but I was told by my insurance company that if you’re not in the recommended group, you also get to pay for it all by yourself. In other words, check with your insurance company first to see if they’ll pay for it and then decide if it’s worth it to you. A few years back I was looking at getting the shingles vaccine and was told I was too young but I could get it if I were willing to pay about $300 or so for it, which I didn’t have to spare at the time. ETA: American healthcare, thanks to the insurance industry, is a fucking nightmare and I wish we could nationalize it and have done. ---
**Author:** ![Dancer\_Flight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dancer_flight/32/7601_2.png) [@Dancer\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancer_Flight)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/157 "2019-12-15T20:06:02Z")
As mentioned in OP we are building a fireplace (on the weekends). Yesterday went well except for the work table collapsing in the middle of a tile cut (the ledgestone tile and saw and me came out just fine, it was more the shock of it all, and resetting everything). Today we get ready to power through the rest of the stone layout and cuts and the saw is D.E.A.D. Not the circuit breaker (the pump on the wet saw still runs), not the switch (the pump on the wet saw still runs). So the saw itself is buggered (the brushes? bearings? (sounded a little rough when running). It is a rental and of course the rental shop is closed on Sundays and this is the only saw they have that can do edge mitres. Upshot is no fireplace before Xmas. Maybe before New Years. ---
**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 15, 2019, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/158 "2019-12-15T21:14:16Z")
Sure. Like Santa’s gonna make another trip once your chimney has a landing pad… ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2019, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/159 "2019-12-15T21:51:56Z")
> [@InsomniaMama](#): > > I was hospitalized 9 years ago for shingles above the eye, as they were worried I’d lose my vision on that side. Got IV antivirals. Doc at the time said if it reaches the tip of your nose, it’s in your optic nerve, too. So follow up if it gets worse. > > I need to ask about the vaccine again. It’s been impossible to find. My dad had shingles 3 times, so I’m interested in not following his lead. Try calling or walking into Walgreens on a Tuesday. Apparently if the store’s receiving any Shingrix, it arrives Tuesday morning. I got both of mine that way, each injection in a different US state. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2019, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257/160 "2019-12-15T22:09:14Z")
> [@InsomniaMama](#): > > I was hospitalized 9 years ago for shingles above the eye, as they were worried I’d lose my vision on that side. Got IV antivirals. Doc at the time said if it reaches the tip of your nose, it’s in your optic nerve, too. So follow up if it gets worse. > > I need to ask about the vaccine again. It’s been impossible to find. My dad had shingles 3 times, so I’m interested in not following his lead. All above the eye, still. I’ll be seeing my GP this morning, and I’ll set up an appointment with an ophthalmologist shortly. The good thing about living in Australia - I’ve already paid for my health care, with my taxes, so I don’t have much if any out of pocket to worry about. So far, about 35.00AUD for the course of anti-virals. If I still lived in the States, with the crappy insurance I had, I probably would have put off any treatment until it was too late. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-souring-your-eggnog-december-minirants/844257.md?page=9)