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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 23, 2024 3:32:13 GMT -5
Back from day 2 in Tokyo. My feet hurt! My hips are unhappy and I missed my dose of caffeine this morning because we woke up 15 min before the tour left! TBH, I am Templed, Shrined and Buddhaed out.
Today was turnover day, a decent sized chunk of the ship got off and replacements arrived for the last leg from Tokyo to Vancouver.
Tomorrow we have an included tour, but I am going to try to convince TD to blow it off and go with me to that yarn shop. There is a mall nearby, and he needs to find replacement batteries for his camera, he washed 3 of his. I’m sure he wants to get this done so he can take pics of the wildlife in Alaska with his good camera. The ship all aboard time is 6 tomorrow, so we should be able to do this.
I have been having some pretty severe muscle cramps in my hips. Not sure why. I brought muscle relaxant with me, but it knocks me out pretty well. I’m wondering if I dose up tonight if the residual effects will help tomorrow.
One day in Tokyo, we set off for Sapporo tomorrow night and I think we get in in the afternoon and leave the next afternoon. After that, go to Alaska and have 7 sea days.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 22, 2024 7:32:47 GMT -5
I thought about looking for that yarn shop today, but think I’d wind up maxing out my card. TD doesn’t need to know the extent of my addiction! What I did was replace the needles on one of the sweaters I’m making with a smaller size. This is just a place holder. I used the needles I took off that sweater for the second one. However, I only took 4 50g balls of yarn (and I am going through about 3/4 of a ball it each day). I estimate that will take me about to the point where I need to separate out the sleeves. When I use that up (I have more at home) I’ll pull the smaller needles off and use those as a place holder on sweater 2, then go back to sweater 1 and frog all the lace section I screwed up. I have a lifeline there. I’m considering not doing this in lace, as the yarn is verigated and lace plus changing colors of yarn is too busy. But I need to figure out which of 3 hanks I have with me will work best, since it is a hand dyed yarn and they’re all so different. I may have to just knit off of all 3 hanks at a time, a few rows of each. The other option is to get TD come with me to that yarn shop, since his phone has local phone access. Then we can Uber there and back…..maybe? I am impressed at the restraint..even DH said he would just go and buy new yarn. That said alternating skeins like that seems to be the best solution with your sweater. I wouldn't have enough patience for that. At least it will be less of a pain alternating skeins if I’m not working on a lace pattern too.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 21, 2024 20:01:03 GMT -5
The Walk of the Penguin Mich I may have missed your post because of the work I had done last week, but did you manage to find yarn shops? With gorgeous yarn and those knitting needles you needed? I thought about looking for that yarn shop today, but think I’d wind up maxing out my card. TD doesn’t need to know the extent of my addiction! What I did was replace the needles on one of the sweaters I’m making with a smaller size. This is just a place holder. I used the needles I took off that sweater for the second one. However, I only took 4 50g balls of yarn (and I am going through about 3/4 of a ball it each day). I estimate that will take me about to the point where I need to separate out the sleeves. When I use that up (I have more at home) I’ll pull the smaller needles off and use those as a place holder on sweater 2, then go back to sweater 1 and frog all the lace section I screwed up. I have a lifeline there. I’m considering not doing this in lace, as the yarn is verigated and lace plus changing colors of yarn is too busy. But I need to figure out which of 3 hanks I have with me will work best, since it is a hand dyed yarn and they’re all so different. I may have to just knit off of all 3 hanks at a time, a few rows of each. The other option is to get TD come with me to that yarn shop, since his phone has local phone access. Then we can Uber there and back…..maybe?
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 21, 2024 18:55:13 GMT -5
Apparently a whole study was done five years ago on if being allowed to wear jeans instead of business attire caused productivity to slack. The answer was duh..no. Never ceases to amaze me what corporate America chooses to focus time and resources on. I wonder if they took the need to crawl under lab benches or on top of them under consideration?
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 21, 2024 18:53:03 GMT -5
We just docked in Tokyo this morning. It’s chilly and raining out. TD went out in shorts and t shirt, no rain jacket. I don’t go out until later this afternoon as he wanted to do a tour that is demanding. I can do those, but am no good afterwards and didn’t find it that interesting. We have 3 days here, then we sail across the Behring Strait for Alaska. We were in Shimizu yesterday, home of Mount Fuji. We could just barely make it out in the clouds, definitely not like the pics of the volcano against a bright blue sky. The tour guide said that those pics are usually taken in the winter, by the spring and summer there is too much smog coming over from China. We went to a beach that had volcanic ask as sand and my white sneaks are no longer white. I NEVER buy white for this reason, and not sure if there is any way to clean them up as they are filthy. TD has 4 batteries for his camera. He washed all but one. Me washing his wallet was the cause of a fight…..I wonder why he didn’t tell me he is down 3 batteries because he washed them? I suspect we will be on the hunt for replacements while he is out.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 21, 2024 18:32:53 GMT -5
I love me a good graphic tee but I'm not allowed to wear them at work which is dumb I work in a lab.But whatever. It does mean I've been passing on Tees unless they are really unique because I have more than enough for weekend wear. I did create a small loophole by upcycling old T shirts onto flannel or blouses or a jacket. So far I haven't been told I can't wear those.🤷♀️ I just did one with a Frieda Kahlo tee on the back of a men's pink long sleeve shirt. I added jewels to the design. I got quite a few compliments. I've been on a roll with that again. I'm also on a vintage streak. The one thrift store I frequent has a vintage rack. It takes patience but I've found several gems there. Lately it seems like a lot of estates are being cleaned out. Wish I had grabbed more of the vintage blouse collection when it was there. I picked one. The rest were gone when I got back. Then there was the glorious sweater vest collection. Not my thing but man it was impressive. My current prize is a 1950s/60s mod dress. I love the buttons. It came in with a couple others that were too damaged to make it worth it for me. Someone cleaned out grandmas closet. Graphic t shirts nearly caused a Holy War at work. They were banned in our lab too. How it worked, we had a guy who was a part time pastor who always wore them. In the lab, there were both Israeli Jews, along with a couple of Muslims from the Middle East thrown in for good measure. As they were visiting, they didn’t do or say anything, but another employee came in wearing a ‘Born Again Pagan‘ t shirt in their defense (and her’s as well). OMG! The PI (who was also Jewish) put his foot down on any graphic t shirts worn in the lab after that.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 20, 2024 22:21:05 GMT -5
I bought rhubarb. I know what i could make with it. I don't know what to do with it. It is a predicament. I'd make a crisp, but we are already starting the season of our lives in which we will be continually eating birthday cake for the next few weeks. So, i want to wait for a while. I think I'll make bread..I can freeze it for later. It seems strange to make food that only DH and I will eat though. I can give some away, too. Freeze it until birthday season is over. Rhubarb freezes well.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 20, 2024 22:18:58 GMT -5
- Canada geese are migratory and as such protected under the law - I have never heard anyone claim they are tasty - they shit all over the place and have made my condo complex a stopover on their flights north/sound - they are clumsy IMO and use my roof for landing and takeoff - they are LOUD both vocally and in their roof maneuvers And they are driving me nuts with their racket so now I am trying to figure out how to get rid of them without risking either fines or jail. Unsuccessfully I may add. They managed to get rid of them in a park nearby but that caused them to go to other places with water - in other words a bunch of them came here This reminds me of a joke TD played on his mom. He sent her pictures of a penguin colony we visited, and told her that Penguin was on the menu for dinner that night. She blew a gasket when he told her it tasted like halibut. It was April fools day.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 20, 2024 3:16:37 GMT -5
My sister doesn’t have an office to go back to. When they decided to go to a WFH model, the trial run during Covid showed them it could work, so they gave up their lease on their building.
Not saying it’s impossible for the company to revert back to the office, but not likely.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 20, 2024 3:13:07 GMT -5
how do people end up believing stuff that is so easily proved false? How do you explain how easy it is to fact check Trump? Whatever lie he spouts is taken as fact. There are a lot of idiots out there.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 20, 2024 0:09:09 GMT -5
Not here, I just paid $578 for a 2020 Buick Envision, my 2018 Chrysler 300 is $886, hubs 2020 Ford truck is $673 and I think that is really good. Our broker put us with Erie Insurance a few years ago. If we move one car will be sold, I sure won't need 2. Maybe if we get further out from Olympia. I just looked at a gorgeous house in McCleary, Wa, has a nice big garage for hubs and is one story like we want. I LOVE it, of course it will be gone before we can do anything. And it's on just half an acre, most of what we want. But it has mini splits for heating and cooling, doesn't look like enough to me. That town isn't that far away, it is doable and looks like nice homes out there. My insurance went up to around $700/year on my 17 year Subaru. TD pays quite a bit more on his cars, but he’s insuring a 2007 STi that has been rebuilt for racing, and a 2016 Miata. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s paying over $2000/year insuring those 2 cars. I’m with USAA, he’s with Amica. Separating out our cars like this produced the least, comparable insurance. Adding a third car to his, or his 2 cars, plus house and umbrella to mine wasn’t useful.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 19, 2024 2:08:35 GMT -5
But then those people (which included my dad) are no longer physically healthy enough to keep working. They—in our current economy—would qualify for social services and be on a fixed income. Social services is not even across the US. For instance, where my dad was Meals on Wheels had absolutely excellent support. They even provided pet supplies to the aged people’s pets. I have since learned this is the exception, not the rule. My dad used to deliver, and when they had leftovers, they’d give their drivers a meal. I tried it, they were pretty damned good (far better than some restaurants).
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 18, 2024 23:38:38 GMT -5
So if someone retires, do they not count as being on a fixed income if their skills and abilities make them employable? Or do they count as a fixed income as soon as they retire with the intention of not going back to work? Please know that I’m not trying to be disrespectful—I love debating the meanings of words and phrases. And I’m really not in any way disparaging those who have true limitations. What’s the difference between retirement and choosing not work? Ability? TD continues to work, and will continue to work as long as his mind is well functioning. People who have had jobs that are hard on their body are now dealing with aches and pains where their body just doesn’t want to work like it should.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 18, 2024 23:18:15 GMT -5
I think of fixed income as someone living on SS. When working there can be raises or overtime. SS gets raises too. SS raises are usually offset by equal increases in Medicare premiums.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 18, 2024 22:02:01 GMT -5
Man, some of the people on this cruise need to check themselves. We are on a 3 hour tour, and one couple was pissed snd yelled at the guide because he didn’t take us to the Buddha. The location of the Buddha was a 1.45 hour bus ride which is seen on the 9 hour excursion offered. Does no one look at what they are signing up for? It wasn’t until another couple showed the guide the daily paper that the guide was able to explain where it was.
Then in walking to the shrine, the walkway has these 3’ posts to stop people from driving on the walk. One guy ran into the post snd hit his balls. That had to hurt, but we had been sidestepping these posts for 100 yards. Maybe pay attention? He was pissed at the post, the city and the tour guide and was cussing up a blue streak. We are in someone else’s country, politeness (particularly here) goes a long way.
At least Kobe has free Wi-Fi. We got TD a SIM card thinking I could tether off of it. I can’t.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 18, 2024 21:17:46 GMT -5
In Kobe, just returning from an excursion. I had hoped we might be here overnight. If so, I had the idea to grab a cab and go get some real Kobe beef. I have had it before, but didn’t feel like it was any different from a prime cut of beef. It makes me wonder if it was something being by passed off as Kobe beef. All on board time is 7, so no dinner off the ship.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 18, 2024 7:24:42 GMT -5
Has The Walk of the Penguin Mich checked in lately. Aren't they in Japan right now? I was wondering if their trip was affected by the earthquake and hope that all is well. Got an earthquake alarm on phones, but slept through it. Some people mentioned it at breakfast. It really was a non issue. When we hit Japan, there has been a tour every day. Today has been the first afternoon free. I think the day after Kobe, we don’t get into port until afternoon or evening, so a partial sea day. My hips need it!
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 18, 2024 7:20:33 GMT -5
Left Hiroshima this afternoon. We went to the Peace Park, then TD and I stood in line and got tickets to the Hiroshima Museum. The 45 min we had to go through i5 was not near sufficient to do it justice.
Both Hiroshima and Nagasaki were sobering places to visit. There is really no animosity there, just the want to see something like this never happen again.
We were the last bus to roll in at 11:30. All aboard time was 11, they knew we were going to be late as we were the last tour out. When Viking has a tour coming in late, they set up the loud speakers and set up music, and get some of the staff out there singing and dancing to greet us. YMCA was playing and everyone was dancing and singing. They also provided trays of mimosas. Our state room attendant was out there, I asked him if he minded and he said he was having too good a time out there. He’s a cutie….with braces! Oh to be 40 years younger…..
Kobe tomorrow.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 17, 2024 6:01:55 GMT -5
I did read something interesting. Goldman s judgement has the same priority as the IRS and comes before other creditors.
Apparently, his executor said that he’s going to make sure not a dime of the estate was going to go to Goldman. The following day, he backpedaled. I guess getting threatened with disbarment will do that to you!
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 16, 2024 20:37:26 GMT -5
I just punted on the ss sweater I’m making for me due to the yarn shading issues. I need to frog it back to where I started the last hank of yarn. So I started on the yarn for the sweater I’m making my sister. It’s a combination of cotton and linen, and it definitely has a different feel. Not sure as to the stretchiness yet, as I’m just starting at the shoulders. When I get a bit further, I’m going to have to use the needles I’m using on the other (or find another set of 40” size 4 in Japan). I do have a set of 40” size 3 with me that I was supposed to do the ribbing at the bottom. I can use those as a placeholder, I guess. We have 7 sea days once we leave Tokyo before we hit Alaska. I have to figure it out by then. Yeah. That's a bummer. And enough that I would put the project in a time out. For a long time. I'd just try to find the needles in Japan. Do you have time? Do they have yarn shops? I have no idea. I guess I could google to see, as we will have time in Tokyo. One of the things I have discovered here is that items for sale have absolutely NO English translation. I was looking at some spices and was clueless as to what they were. Same with some teas. I did manage to find some really nice hand cream though, but only because there was a tester out. Had there been no tester, I’d have been clueless as to what it was. Maybe Tokyo will be different?
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 16, 2024 19:48:21 GMT -5
Today I put primer on a garden cart we bought at a high school chairty auction. The students built it in the woodshop class. This is not it, but it's similar. I have leftover outdoor trim paint, so I'm going to paint it that color and put it on our front porch. Then I shall have to buy more plants!!!
I'm making chicken fettuccini for dinner tonight. TD built me 2 of these. I have one on the back deck, one on the front. I had my useless tomatoes in the front, used the one on the back deck (off the kitchen) for my herbs. I need to replant when I get home, only my chives are still alive.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 16, 2024 19:45:46 GMT -5
I was using cotton yarn for a project, and I didn't know if it would be stretchy or not. So i unraveled the project. I should have just kept working on it. Oh well. Live and learn. I'm stoked about the replacement yarn I am using, too. I think it will cheer up my spirits. I am not having the week I thought I might have. I just punted on the ss sweater I’m making for me due to the yarn shading issues. I need to frog it back to where I started the last hank of yarn. So I started on the yarn for the sweater I’m making my sister. It’s a combination of cotton and linen, and it definitely has a different feel. Not sure as to the stretchiness yet, as I’m just starting at the shoulders. When I get a bit further, I’m going to have to use the needles I’m using on the other (or find another set of 40” size 4 in Japan). I do have a set of 40” size 3 with me that I was supposed to do the ribbing at the bottom. I can use those as a placeholder, I guess. We have 7 sea days once we leave Tokyo before we hit Alaska. I have to figure it out by then.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 16, 2024 17:09:28 GMT -5
Here's a fun thing to muse on. The kids' school keeps pads and tampons in the middle school bathrooms. Which, at first blush, I love. It's like keeping condoms in the linen closet in your house for your kids, and you replace, no questions asked. ALL of the parents are asked to contribute. It really rubs me the wrong way that we are asked to contribute. Like, why aren't parents capable of providing their own supplies to their kids? It's not a financial issue for most families. Why don't parents have a decent enough relationship with their kids so that their kids can say "I need pads/tampons." Even tight-lipped DD1 will let me know when she needs stuff. And she tells us like nothing. Likely, they do. But the ones at school are meant more for those unexpected days, or times. That would be my guess. I’m thinking this too. I remember at least 3 times in school needing my mom to come pick me up. I hadn’t quite figured out the cues my body was throwing off yet. By HS, I had it figured out but 7th grade was rough because of this. Stupid hormones!
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 16, 2024 4:18:20 GMT -5
Just booked tickets to my niece’s wedding in Indianapolis for June. It shouldn't have been this difficult.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 16, 2024 3:31:20 GMT -5
We spent today in Hell. Actually, Beppu Japan, the highest concentration of hot springs in Japan. We went to visit some of these hot springs today. We saw 4 of the 8 I think. I wanted to see the crocodile springs, but not on the schedule.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 15, 2024 23:24:30 GMT -5
I talked about getting injections in my foot either steroid or cortisone, but I have had them before and like another person said the pain of those is awful. They gave me 7 around my ankle, hit the bone everytime, likely by design. I was in agony, but the result was I was then pain free for a long time. I'm going to put it off until the pain becomes too much. He said they can inject some lidocaine but that shot hurts too. That was pain management, I just can't bring myself to do it again, it's probably been 15 years or more since I had it and remember the pain like yesterday of those. Steroid injections into joints have been shown to hasten joint deterioration. Since you are not planning on surgery to replace or fuse the joint, you might want to think about this. For some reason, the link won’t post but if you google this, there are a lot of articles that have been published in the last 3 or so years talking at other joints than hips. J Bone Joint Surg Am . 2021 Nov 17;103(22):2070-2079. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.20.02155. Rapidly Destructive Hip Disease Following Intra-Articular Corticosteroid Injection of the Hip
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 15, 2024 21:53:01 GMT -5
Or maybe it was Cambodia…..
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 15, 2024 21:51:33 GMT -5
I think they need to check the family trees of folks like Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Greene, to name just a couple. Let's just say I have questions. Well, Lauren Boebert, at least, has no clue who her father might be. Unfortunately I can't remember where I read that bit about her background. Her mom married some guy later, he was definitely not the father, but turned out to be abusive, so mom left him and they moved away quick to escape. The whole jist of the article was why Lauren Boebert was the way she was. I think I saw her father in a tree in Vietnam last week.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 15, 2024 20:05:58 GMT -5
I needed to get on a flight with a sinus infection. The doctor suggested using Affrin both before you ascend and right before you descend. It’s off label use, but works. Thank you for the info. I will buy some Affrin and do that, just in case. I will do anything that is legal and reasonable to try to avoid that pain with my ears. So really, THANK YOU! It worked for me. The flight there, I thought my face was going to explode when we were landing. I had no interest in taking another flight after that without help.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 15, 2024 19:03:59 GMT -5
Can you take sinus meds? That and sleep are the only things that help me. Yes, I have started taking Sudafed. And doing all my allergy shit, Benadryl and nasal sprays. Hopefully I will be able to get things under control soon. I have to get on an airplane for some training for my side gig in a couple of weeks. My ears do not do well with planes, even when my sinuses aren’t causing all of these problems. They hurt like hell on landing and for some time after. Like, excruciating kind of hurt. So if things don’t improve soon, I’m going to go to the doctor for help. My ears are already hurting off and on, I can’t imagine the pain if I got on an airplane in my current condition. I needed to get on a flight with a sinus infection. The doctor suggested using Affrin both before you ascend and right before you descend. It’s off label use, but works.
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