chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 11, 2023 13:36:54 GMT -5
Former supervisor paid something like 38K for an Audi that was maybe 2 years old. He had a ton of trouble with it, lots of expensive repairs including I believe a blown engine…sold it a couple of years later for 2K (!) and bought a Honda instead. I’m enjoying my inherited bmw but it’s definitely higher maintenance than my beloved 2005 Focus wagon, and I might enjoy it less were I not married to a frighteningly competent person with a mechanical inclination and well equipped garage. My nephew had an Audi that gave him a bunch of problems. He has a Buick now which I find funny since he's only 21. Not many young people are running out to buy Buicks. I stick to Nissan and drove Toyotas only for a long time before that. I had a pair of entry-level Acuras for 14y. the RSX didn't have a peer on the Honda side. when it came time to retire the 2nd one, I looked at Mazda 3 as it had the same "zippy" factor and was in the same general price range. at the time, I was driving 75mi each way to get to work, so I needed a work horse. you rode in that car when you were here, I just passed 208k miles on it last week. it's a little trashed, mostly b/c of the dogs, but it still runs very well. as it's one of the few cars still available in manual, it's on the short list of replacements when the time comes to retire this one. I still had to chuckle though, when I fielded a survey call not long after buying the first RSX. it was a luxury car survey, and I interrupted the guy to say what? I don't have a luxury car. I paid $20k new for this thing, it's a basic hatchback. he said nope, it's an Acura. so I got to rate all these brands I have zero knowledge of. lol...
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 11, 2023 13:31:15 GMT -5
Did you look at places like Kohls or Sears online? Sadly, the people who make the jerseys assume it will be worn by men, so they exclude even small men, the ones that usually wear Men's M or S. I never thought about Kohl's. I just looked and they don't have any Pacheco jerseys. Oh well. I'll just deal with it. I am going to exchange the Kelce one when the right size becomes available. Academy doesn't have a time limit on their returns as long as you have the receipt. If that jersey sits around until next season I can still return it. is it that much more expensive to just go to the official team store? I bought a not-so-common Slater jersey last off-season. it wasn't an "official with the sewn-on numbers" sort that run over $200, but I don't think I paid more than $100 for it.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 11, 2023 13:28:54 GMT -5
I have had multiple BMWs and fancier VW models. They are fun to drive but then require a big financial commitment for repairs and maintenance. Buying a used one puts you right in the middle of the years of repairs and maintenance. That fine German engineering is nice when the car is new, but just like any car when it gets older, it's not as fun to drive. If image is what you're after and you think the ride is more fun and have the money to keep up on repairs and maintenance, by all means go for a well-used German car. I absolutely agree that focusing on the primary purpose of a car is transportation. That is how it is for me. But that is not how it is for everyone. I wish easier times for you, Opti. I bought the BMW despite the image most of you have it and what it means to you. When I am looking at these cars, I first suss out what it is and then go to the pics. When possible, I go to the interior first as I don't care if it looks crappier than average. I am buying for my riding comfort and enjoyment. The Red Knight, long he will live in my soul, had good leather seats that were heated and pretty adjustable. Comfort wise, they did not start annoying me until 20 years in. My 1989 Honda Accord LXI had burgundy cloth seats and started annoying the crap out of me 13 years in, given my BMW is 2002 I kept that Honda longer than I would have liked. But generally new cars I keep until I can't. I bought one used Toyota Corolla in college, and while nothing was wrong with it, buying a car as just transportation hurts my soul. I am a car enthusiast. Its like me trying to tell you what dog you should have bought because some breeds are high cost. My life, my journey. I will take advice, but I will tweak it to what will work for me. And if my car is some basic piece of crap, it will take away my will to live. As it is, all the nonsense at work has made me depressed a bit and I haven't hydrated enough because of it. And sorry if my midwest bluntness while sick hurts anyone's feelings. yanno, I don't often comment on your posts, but I can't leave this one be. and I'm not gonna apologize if my good old fashioned New England bluntness offends. I don't AT ALL understand any of the bold here. most of your complaints are about not being able to get anywhere for your errands because you don't have a reliable vehicle. buy the damn reliable vehicle and get your shit done. you aren't (and haven't been for a long time) in a place where you can afford to be picky. I realize you're a car enthusiast, but you do not have the cash flow levels to afford anything fun. if you think that you'll ever get back to a place where you can, it's not going to happen without being able to function and get your shit done. as far as work and hydrating? one has absolutely nothing to do with the other. get a reusable water bottle and keep it in your purse.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 11, 2023 10:13:57 GMT -5
just for full disclosure- the Cape is cooler in the summer than downtown or inland. how far off from home was it when you were here? I don't remember, but I feel like a good 30* at least. It's usually in the 100*s in KS in August. I just remember that it was hotter than hell at home that time. gotcha. we don't get that high, even inland. a few days' stretch of 90s is the worst we see, and that's only once or twice a year at worst. I don't get that where I am at the coast.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 11, 2023 5:13:47 GMT -5
I can definitely hear the winds outside now. doesn't feel like the rain is too bad at the moment, not much hitting the roof. but the wind sure is loud. I'm probably awake for the day now.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 10, 2023 21:14:21 GMT -5
I'm not offf tomorrow, and I am as well. <clink> you've had a particularly rough stretch, though. I hope this takes an edge off for you, and you can relax tonight and fully enjoy tomorrow. I don't often comment when you post your coffee in the am bc I don't see it til a few hours later. <hugs> Same. More than anything I'm drowning my sorrows because the Chiefs lost. AGAIN! I knew it would happen with Pacheco out. Bet you can't guess my fave player. Kelce? bc I might have to stop talking to you if you said Mahomes. I'll also admit to not knowing. the names of any other players on the roster.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 10, 2023 21:12:44 GMT -5
Pink knows she's going to Boston. She's got 2 places to crash up here and whichever she choose, the other will show up. I'll go too. I actually think y'all might be my summer getaway. It's so much cooler there than it is here in the summer! just for full disclosure- the Cape is cooler in the summer than downtown or inland. how far off from home was it when you were here?
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 10, 2023 18:26:17 GMT -5
Since I am off tomorrow, I am partaking of adult beverages. I'm not offf tomorrow, and I am as well. <clink> you've had a particularly rough stretch, though. I hope this takes an edge off for you, and you can relax tonight and fully enjoy tomorrow. I don't often comment when you post your coffee in the am bc I don't see it til a few hours later. <hugs>
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 10, 2023 17:06:26 GMT -5
*cough* I'm gonna come visit you in Munich when you get there. I've been in that airport many, many times to clear US Customs. I've never set foot on actual German ground. it's on my list. Sure thing. I will get a 2bdr place and friends are always welcome. It may not be luxurious but it will be clean, have a cosy bed, and the door will be open for you also, as I was so uncouth in the first place, I would actually like to meet you in person but I think you knew that already.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 10, 2023 16:44:51 GMT -5
here's that link I mentioned. please lmk if it's behind a paywall. I can post it to PM for anyone that's interested if need be. link
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 10, 2023 16:39:59 GMT -5
I think Pink Cashmere knows she has a lot of places where she can crash if she chooses to do so. Now if she waits more than 3 years before coming to visit me she needs to remember to fly east instead of west -> destination Munich but anytime, anywhere... *cough* I'm gonna come visit you in Munich when you get there. I've been in that airport many, many times to clear US Customs. I've never set foot on actual German ground. it's on my list.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 10, 2023 16:37:55 GMT -5
hallelujah, it finally started raining!
and yes, come to Boston. I have space to share. I've got some shit going on with my pup care that I'm not okay to air here just yet. I found out yesterday, actually. so I might not be able to travel to Empress for the near future, idk yet.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 10, 2023 15:07:47 GMT -5
we came home when it started drizzling, so I could pull my patio umbrella and tie up my deck chairs for yhe expected high winds. and it's been just blah ever since. Punk is moping, but LD won't go outside unless he hears something he needs to go bark at. 🙄 like, just start raining already 🤬
my background noise since coming home has been Bones reruns. for anyone that was a fan, this current stretch is a squint getting killed-> Booth and Bones finally hooking up->Angela giving birth->Bones disclosing she's preggo. I vaguely remember watching these when they originally aired, but it's been forever. this was a go-to until its last 2 or 3 seasons.
I'm about to empty the dishwasher while I wait on the round of pup food prep to cool enough to handle and pack up. then I'll start on the piccata for myself.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 10, 2023 10:24:35 GMT -5
I'm almost done with the Sunday paper, having paused to look something up. I cleaned out thee fridge and started the dishwasher, only to discover that my mom forgot her leftover salad when they left last night (they were convinced thehouse was too cold, but didn't bother turning up the heat 🤦♀️🙄). she so looks forward to that when she comes down, so I'm sad for her.
we have torrential rain in the forecast here, from mid-afternoon through tomorrow am's commute. this is after the lingering snow finally melted overnight. today's high will hit 60 in Boston. once I'm done reading this last section of the paper, the pups and I will be outside somewhere until the rain starts.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 10, 2023 10:20:30 GMT -5
um, tell me more about this please? 🤤 Okay, here you go. Season both sides of 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with salt and pepper, and in a large lidded skillet or Dutch oven, brown both sides in a small amount of neutral oil like olive or canola. Remove chicken to plate. If too much fat renders from chicken you can remove some, but leave enough to cook 1 cup diced onion and 3-4 cloves sliced garlic until soft. Return chicken to pan along with one can diced tomatoes (I use fire-roasted), one can rinsed and drained cannellini beans, and about 1/2 cup water. Stir in 1/2 tsp dried rosemary and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until chicken is tender and liquid is somewhat reduced. Stir in one bunch of baby spinach, washed and de-stemmed, or one bag of ready-to-use baby spinach and cook a few minutes more, uncovered, until spinach is tender. Notes: If you like more seasonings, you could add some dried basil or oregano. I imagine one package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained, would work too. Makes 4 nice servings. omg, yum. definitely making note of this, thank you! I've got a package of BSCB for the early half of the week. once it starts raining this afternoon, I'm going to slice up two and do a batch of chicken picatta to last me a couple days.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 10, 2023 0:20:58 GMT -5
The chicken thigh thing for dinner is simmering on the stove-just need to stir in the spinach when the chicken is tender. um, tell me more about this please? 🤤
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 9, 2023 18:17:34 GMT -5
I'm parked at the bar, around the corner from my old condo, waiting on a to-go order of a couple pizzas to bring to a holiday party that's nearby. this friends couple moved in right around when I moved out. lol...oops. it's fun to be back in the area once in awhile. it is definitely too peopley up here, though.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 8, 2023 17:48:47 GMT -5
this is fantastic news. I read an expanded article in last Sunday's paper about this (Vertex is based in downtown Boston) which interviewed a young woman that was part of the clinical trials. it's likely behind a paywall online, but i can post a linking anyone's interested.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 8, 2023 15:18:29 GMT -5
I'm irritated, although much better than I was doing about an hour ago. LD and I just got back from a loop around the nearby neighborhood, and then a quick grocery run to grab sushi for me and some popcorn chicken for him. the fresh air did us both some good, he's been pacing all day since Punk is at daycare. for me? I have a massive headache from a work problem. we got notified of a major deviation on my day off, for something that is minimal product quality impact but a huge compliance problem. it was discovered recently, and has been an issue since a computer system was validated FIVE YEARS AGO. I've been doing lot tracking to see exactly how far this issue spreads, as this site makes bulk drug intermediates. so you've got further processing, vial filling, and ultimately packaging. the fun part starts where this product is processed after bulk by blending bulk lots using portions of full bulk lots. I need to report this to senior management, and will likely end up having to write an FDA notification filing. happy damn Friday.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 8, 2023 11:35:21 GMT -5
currently waiting on a recruiter to call me. she moved our appointment to 1130 after she realized she'd double booked herself for 11. I'll give her another 10min before I write this off.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 7, 2023 15:07:18 GMT -5
SVU kicked over to Premier League soccer coverage. I like Premier League, but it's shitty background noise while I'm trying to work. I pulled up the guide to put something else on, and never made it past PBS in the grid - it's a 60s music showcase. current song is "Kicks" by Paul Revere and the Raiders. I'll crank through this to-do list in no time with good music and seat dancing! lol..
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 7, 2023 14:43:16 GMT -5
it is 28 degrees here today, the coldest day we've had since February. I spent about 20min outside with my landscape contractor, and I can't get warm. I'm still wearing my hat, a couple hours later. but Sunday will be 60 degrees. my backyard's going to be a mud pit after the 2" of snow from yesterday all melts. but hey, welcome to New England. if you don't like the weather, just wait 5min. in an effort to warm myself up at all, lunch was a can of spicy chicken noodle soup. it hasn't really made a dent in the chill. I think dinner later is going to be a big bowl of minestrone.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 6, 2023 23:46:17 GMT -5
I pulled out the laptop to check my schedule for Friday to give time options to a recruiter, and made the mistake of looking at my email for a hot second. I'm already over what tomorrow's going to be for me. my boss still hasn't sent the unofficial "you haven't been coming to the office" email that is a prelude to the official HR one, but I feel like I'm probably still better off to move on. I'm not bringing LD back to daycare til after the holidays, but even if I found another job tomorrow, I wouldn't be starting til then anyway. hell, this spot, I interviewed around this date, and we couldn't get the HR paperwork done by holiday shutdown, so I had to wait to quit the train wreck til after the new year. that all sucked and was hella stressful. Apply for places around here so I can corrupt you when you show your face at work a couple of times a year. 👹 lol....I def need to come visit.i don't think I could live there, though. zero chance of salt air that far inland 😕
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 6, 2023 19:15:32 GMT -5
I feel like mine just auto-renewed at like $139? Which is odd, because for two years running I could have sworn I have changed that setting to NOT auto-renew as I want to try giving Amazon the boot. Will have to check my settings (again). If I only used shipping, it would in no way be worth it. I get a fair amount of use out of Prime Video. I used to also use Prime Music, but now that I pay for YouTube Premium, I much prefer that service for streaming music. I argue with them every year about NOT auto-renewing, and they tell me that all their accounts do this. so I have to wait a week or so (I set a calendar alarm) to go in and edit my account to not automatically renew. such a PITA, but it is doable. good luck!
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 6, 2023 18:59:14 GMT -5
it really was mind blowing when you got into the details. probably why it's such a good case study on what NOT to do. It also very clearly shows WHY these rules were put into place. The fact that it was not just one goof, but a system of goofs that all aligned at a perfect point. I've mentioned this on these boards before, so I apologize if you've heard this already. in pharma, we're required to take GMP Refresher courses periodically. for the unfamiliar, that's Good Manufacturing Practices, which are the FDA guidelines that rule our industry in the US. way back at my first adult job, right around the time I realized my asshole boss was laying the groundwork to fire me, I was doing my best to meet all of the compliance requirements. well, the only refresher class I could find before mine was due was a full-day new hire "History of the FDA" that came up as an option. check, sign me up! I fielded texts throughout the day from the boss about shit other people could have answered, so it was still a PITA. but, I wasn't delinquent in training! anyway, this 8h class......was the most interesting class I think I've ever had in industry about the regulations. it was exactly what you said - a detailed explanation about WHY we have the rules and Acts that we do. it started with the 1906 Food and Drug Act, progressed to 1938's Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act....then ventured into the disasters of Thalidomide and the Daikon Shield along the way. I legit wish I still had those slides, to share with some of the geniuses that deny the miracles of modern medicine and the guidelines we have to abide in this industry in order to make it available to the public that needs it.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 6, 2023 18:49:21 GMT -5
I pulled out the laptop to check my schedule for Friday to give time options to a recruiter, and made the mistake of looking at my email for a hot second. I'm already over what tomorrow's going to be for me. my boss still hasn't sent the unofficial "you haven't been coming to the office" email that is a prelude to the official HR one, but I feel like I'm probably still better off to move on. I'm not bringing LD back to daycare til after the holidays, but even if I found another job tomorrow, I wouldn't be starting til then anyway. hell, this spot, I interviewed around this date, and we couldn't get the HR paperwork done by holiday shutdown, so I had to wait to quit the train wreck til after the new year. that all sucked and was hella stressful.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 6, 2023 18:44:30 GMT -5
Question to the cooks on this site: I have too many eggs to use up before I leave for Europe next week. So I ask Google if you can freeze eggs and according to several sites (Good Housekeeping, egglandsbest) you can if you slightly scramble them first. Has anyone here done this before and how where the eggs after they are defrosted? Scrambling obviously rules out my favorite method of preparing eggs (boiling) but do they still taste okay in an omelet or something or should I not even do the work required and just pitch the eggs? I usually give pre-vacation food to neighbor friends. same, or send it with the dogs if they are staying elsewhere. I do plan a little with my meals and theirs, to minimize waste, though. for example, this week, their starch isn't white rice as usual, they are helping me through the half box of tiny shell pasta I cooked off for my pot of minestrone. no way I needed that much, but I was doing a hundred things when I cooked.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 6, 2023 18:41:11 GMT -5
Take the time off. Let them figure it out. If you got hit by a bus tomorrow they'd have to figure it out. If you have time, take it. They legit cannot run it without me. I'm the only person in this facility trained to do aerospace first articles. If I got hit by a bus I'm assuming they would bring in someone from one of the other plants and it would probably be pushed out until January if they had to do that. I've known this was coming for months, but I was crossing my fingers it wouldn't happen until after the first of the year.
I'm still going to take my days off, but I'm going to have to rearrange things and the end of the year is not going to be quite as laid back and stress free as I thought it was.
Maybe I'll take the next two Monday/Tuesdays off instead...or the entire week of Christmas. We're really running out of weeks!
I feel this. I've had one site almost literally on fire for the past month, and another one where some forms I signed had errors (not detectable for anything I was reviewing) and my phone was blowing up all day that I was out with the pups - enjoying my day off. I logged in for an hour each a couple times this am, and I'm not happy about it. but, if the stupid site didn't drop pallets of packaged finished product, then maybe today wouldn't have been such a crisis.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 6, 2023 11:06:05 GMT -5
ooh.....that was a major case study in an Engineering Disasters class I took in college. I should look that miniseries up. funny that you talk about this today, yesterday I strayed from SVU or Forensic Files for background noise in favor of something on Discovery that looked at engineering disasters. as for me, I dozed off downstairs again last night watching The Voice. woke up to an alarm I'd set to sign off something after my European counterpart reviewed when he got in to work. I'd planned to shut the laptop down afterward, but he's got a comment the site needs to address before I can sign....and the site isn't online for another couple hours. so I asked my team to just text me once it's all set and I'll pop back on to print/sign. as for my day off, it's sNOwing here today. whatever I thought I was doing today, probably isn't happening the same way I thought. maybe I'll go take a nap. I read an engineer’s report on the Bophal disaster. Absolutely everything that they were NOT supposed to do was done. It was utterly mind blowing as to the safety precautions that were broken…..and broken for really trite reasons. it really was mind blowing when you got into the details. probably why it's such a good case study on what NOT to do.
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Post by chiver78 on Dec 6, 2023 8:56:25 GMT -5
I just did the negotiation dance today as well. I never remember to do it before renewal, either. anyway, it's $144/yr plus US royalty fees of ~$30. that's half price from the original invoice, it's ridiculous that you have to waste your time to call in for something they will so readily just give you. whatever. it's now done til next December.
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