what are you doing right now?

[taz157]

Dec 19, 2022 8:33:18 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Trying to keep the peace. Serial attendance issue coworker (who missed Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday last week) wants to know why other coworker seems to have an issue this morning. Other coworker worked Saturday to catch some things up and to prepare for if serial attendance issue coworker did not show up today. Or if she gets fired this week.

I just want to go back to bed.

Is the serial attendance issue coworker getting fired this week?

[taz157]

Took today off to do Christmas stuff while both DDs aren’t home. Right now, I’m at Waffle House getting breakfast. I haven’t been here in many years. At 10, I have a conference call for my side job. It should only last half an hour or so. After that, it will be Christmas present wrapping. DH spent time yesterday putting up the tree and starting to decorate it so there’s a place to put them!

[giramomma]

Dec 19, 2022 8:20:08 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

which I verified and borrowed- we spend $13 billion on pornography in America.

When the internet was still in its infancy/childhood, in one of my business classes, the lecturer quipped that the only sector that knew how to make it profitable was the adult entertainment industry.

Weed sales from 2021 are almost double that, or at least that's what google tells me.

I'm sure alcohol sales even back from the 60s would be shocking. I'm pretty sure the alcohol culture portrayed in Madmen wasn't all that fictitious. I have a picture of my great aunt with a cigarette in one hand and a drink in the other.

In terms of vices, as long as you don't have addictive tendencies, I think porn is pretty benign. Consumption of it doesn't raise your risk of cancer, etc like other vices can.

And, you can still be an addict and not spend money on it. DH spent very little. Which is actually pretty amazing, now, considering he had access to a whole lot of money to fuel different choices.

[giramomma]

Dec 19, 2022 8:44:37 GMT -5 taz157 said:

Took today off to do Christmas stuff while both DDs aren’t home. Right now, I’m at Waffle House getting breakfast. I haven’t been here in many years. At 10, I have a conference call for my side job. It should only last half an hour or so. After that, it will be Christmas present wrapping. DH spent time yesterday putting up the tree and starting to decorate it so there’s a place to put them!

Waffle house. I love me my waffle house. We meant to take the girls on vacation last summer but didn't have time.

[giramomma]

Dec 18, 2022 19:41:09 GMT -5 giramomma said:

I will be happy when we can go 7 days without someone throwing up.

Strike that.

I will be happy when I get over what they have.

[andi9899]

Dec 18, 2022 20:00:43 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Okay, we are now looking for something like "Soccer for Dummies" so we can understand the rules and scoring before we are one of the host cities for 2026 World Cup. If I have to endure the horror of traffic, I have to enjoy the game which means understanding what is going on. Good thing, I have 4 years to figure it out

Is there really much to soccer? You basically run kicking the ball to the assigned goal and can't touch it with your hands.

[andi9899]

Dec 18, 2022 20:13:53 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Dec 18, 2022 19:48:46 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

But that would defeat the purpose of not having folks know you are gone because selling stop mail addresses is a chronic problem.  

If someone went by the amount of mail in our mailbox, they’d think we are always gone for several days. 

The first time we opened our mailbox was a few days after we moved in, and it was at night, when we’d left the deck to go to the front of the house, talking about lighting the walkway to the front door. We decided to walk up to the mailbox since we were already on the front of the house.

There we’re huge bugs running around the bricks that the mailbox is encased in, and when Mister opened the mailbox, there were a few more inside the mailbox. He said “Nope” and just closed it back. About a month later, DS was visiting from out of town and he and DD took pictures and video one night, of all the big ass spiders lounging in webs in the flowerbed around the mailbox. I couldn’t even look, I told them to show Mister. 

DD is almost as scary as I am, but I guess she felt like “this is my MOMMA’S HOUSE”, and it gave her courage, because she and DS both tried to kill all the big ass spiders that night.

Mister is not nearly as scary as I am, but all the big ass bugs and spiders creeped him out too, so he only gets the mail every once in a while. I’ve gotten the mail myself less than 10 times since we’ve lived here, and those times were only because I either had a check in the mailbox or a package I really wanted asap (thanks Informed Delivery ). One time I went to get it, and there was a bug in it, and when I saw the bug, I dropped it all on the ground and left it, and called Mister and told him what I did, because I couldn’t make myself pick it all back up. Mister regularly says that our letter carrier probably hates us because more often than not, there is a LOT of mail in our mailbox. I don’t care.

So we are the odd people whose mailbox contents say nothing about whether we are home or out of town.

I basically get my mail once a week when I take the trash out. Otherwise I don't really care unless I have a package coming.

[chiver78]

Dec 19, 2022 8:57:23 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Dec 18, 2022 20:13:53 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

If someone went by the amount of mail in our mailbox, they’d think we are always gone for several days. 

The first time we opened our mailbox was a few days after we moved in, and it was at night, when we’d left the deck to go to the front of the house, talking about lighting the walkway to the front door. We decided to walk up to the mailbox since we were already on the front of the house.

There we’re huge bugs running around the bricks that the mailbox is encased in, and when Mister opened the mailbox, there were a few more inside the mailbox. He said “Nope” and just closed it back. About a month later, DS was visiting from out of town and he and DD took pictures and video one night, of all the big ass spiders lounging in webs in the flowerbed around the mailbox. I couldn’t even look, I told them to show Mister. 

DD is almost as scary as I am, but I guess she felt like “this is my MOMMA’S HOUSE”, and it gave her courage, because she and DS both tried to kill all the big ass spiders that night.

Mister is not nearly as scary as I am, but all the big ass bugs and spiders creeped him out too, so he only gets the mail every once in a while. I’ve gotten the mail myself less than 10 times since we’ve lived here, and those times were only because I either had a check in the mailbox or a package I really wanted asap (thanks Informed Delivery ). One time I went to get it, and there was a bug in it, and when I saw the bug, I dropped it all on the ground and left it, and called Mister and told him what I did, because I couldn’t make myself pick it all back up. Mister regularly says that our letter carrier probably hates us because more often than not, there is a LOT of mail in our mailbox. I don’t care.

So we are the odd people whose mailbox contents say nothing about whether we are home or out of town.

I basically get my mail once a week when I take the trash out. Otherwise I don't really care unless I have a package coming.

I can see my mailbox from where I stand with my laptop, and if the mail truck stops any given day I'll go grab it. my mailbox is dented and not water tight from having been hit a few times. I'm having a stone pillar put up in the spring, on the other side of the driveway, and I'll replace the mailbox then. hopefully the new spot will be more protected. the busted mailbox is actually the 2nd replacement since I bought this house. 

[daisylu]

Dec 19, 2022 8:42:19 GMT -5 taz157 said:

Dec 19, 2022 8:33:18 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Trying to keep the peace. Serial attendance issue coworker (who missed Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday last week) wants to know why other coworker seems to have an issue this morning. Other coworker worked Saturday to catch some things up and to prepare for if serial attendance issue coworker did not show up today. Or if she gets fired this week.

I just want to go back to bed.

Is the serial attendance issue coworker getting fired this week?

Likely not, as I believe that she has a request out there for FMLA that is not yet approved. We use a third party company for that. It is doubtful that HR will do anything until that is resolved.

[swamp]

Dec 19, 2022 8:54:04 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Dec 18, 2022 20:00:43 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Okay, we are now looking for something like "Soccer for Dummies" so we can understand the rules and scoring before we are one of the host cities for 2026 World Cup. If I have to endure the horror of traffic, I have to enjoy the game which means understanding what is going on. Good thing, I have 4 years to figure it out

Is there really much to soccer? You basically run kicking the ball to the assigned goal and can't touch it with your hands.

yes.  Offsides.   Throw in vs. corner kick.  penalty kicks.  

[giramomma]

And also, screw you, too, mother nature.

I don't want to get 1/4 of our normal, expected snowfall in a season in one day.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Ugh my ADD is out of control.  I didn't pay attention to our bank account like I should have been and messed up there.  We have savings but it is irritating because it shouldn't be used to cover because I wasn't paying attention. 

Most of my mental energy has been used up focusing on work which it should be because I don't have any money if I lose my job due to be unfocused.

This year sucks.  I told DH don't you DARE say 2023 is going to be better because the universe seems to be taking that as a challenge anymore.

[TheOtherMe]

Dec 18, 2022 19:26:39 GMT -5 CCL said:

Dec 18, 2022 18:36:50 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

countrygirl2 Since your tenants will always call you or your DH if there's a problem, perhaps they don't need a heads-up alert that you are leaving for XYZ days. If they call you on your cell while you're out of town and say something like heat, water, whatever isn't working, you could always say your DH's back is bad or he's got a cold and that you will have to call a local company to fix things. Your choice, of course, but broadcasting your absence could be a problem.

I appreciate your post because I have to figure something out for our travels next year. That will be the first times we travel without a cat sitter coming to the house twice daily so I need to find hire someone pick up the mail and do a walk-through daily to make sure nothing is wrong.

If you have Informed Delivery you can easily stop and start mail delivery. Otherwise you can go to the post office in person.

I put a vacation hold on mine last night.  Don't need to be concerned with mail.  DN3 is in charge of the cats

[Deleted]

Okay, we are now looking for something like "Soccer for Dummies" so we can understand the rules and scoring before we are one of the host cities for 2026 World Cup. If I have to endure the horror of traffic, I have to enjoy the game which means understanding what is going on. Good thing, I have 4 years to figure it out.

I'm in Kansas City, also a site. BF's son-in-law is a professional soccer player and he was so happy when KC was named a site I practically had to scrape him off the ceiling. Every time he's over visiting he gets all excited at the prospect of my being able to rent out my house for the games. It's less than 5 miles from the stadium, 4 bedrooms, enclosed porch upstairs and deck downstairs overlooking a small lake. I figure it would be a great opportunity to go to Europe for a few weeks (more than paid for by potential rental income) but I'd have to move all my jewelry and personal papers up to DS and DDIL's place and I wonder if they'd want it for longer than I'd want to be gone.

Plenty of time to figure it out.

[cooper88]

I'm off today. My plan is to drop off some donations, stop for a few things at Home Depot, and take the dog shopping for her Christmas gift at the pet store. Such an irony that her favorite thing to do is go shopping, and my least favorite thing to do is go shopping.

[daisylu]

Just put in the last of my vacation. After tomorrow, I will be off until 12/29 (month end financials have to be completed). Then I am off 12/30 to 1/3.

I don't care what happens with coworker, I am using my time.

[bookkeeper]

Giving up salt will take a few weeks before it gets easier.  When you are used to tasting salt on everything, you think your food has no flavor.  Once you stop eating the salt, you discover the flavors of the food underneath.  I went on high blood pressure meds 7 or 8 years ago.  I put the salt shaker in the cupboard and found a really good low salt seasoning mix.  We also use quite a bit of fresh ground pepper at the table.  When I eat something salty these days, my fingers swell up shortly after.  My body reacts fairly quickly.

Mrs. Dash makes several good seasoning blends without salt.  Other ingredients to add flavor without salt are red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, fresh garlic cloves, green onions, Italian parsley, cilantro and my favorite spicy mustard.  

[lurkyloo]

Ugh.  Last week was hella intense, following up a two day off site (I am NOT used to having to look businesslike anymore, and gahhh so much socializing) with a high stress meeting trying to get a frickin budget approved for the trainwreck project that ran out of funding two weeks ago.  Always fun when you have to admonish a group of mid-career PhDs that they are contractually obligated to do something that they’ve been blithely ignoring for a year plus   
I thought it would be good to make it to the weekend, except frickin Christmas so there is no break at the weekend. Successfully got DS to choose presents for PP and DH, collected most of what I need for Xmas dinner, most of DS’s and inlaws stuff wrapped, and made it halfway through the contact sport known as cookie baking. All with a migraine.

Also finally got the two main floors mopped, followed immediately by DS tromping all over in dirty shoes.  I feel like a comic strip. 

[lurkyloo]

I can’t stop worrying about turkeys selling out now before I buy one.  Going out shopping tonight, but will someone please tell me I’m being ridiculous for worrying?

[Deleted]

Dec 18, 2022 20:56:57 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

I forgot to tell you guys that my aunt is stage 4. I talked to her and she's starting chemo next week. She said she doesn't have any symptoms. She just told her doctor that her back hurt and they did all kinds of tests because it was on the left side and found it. I told her that I can come over and do whatever she needs help with no matter what it is and not to ever think she's bothering me. We'll see if she takes me up on it.

I'm sorry to hear this and hope the chemo is quickly effective.  Your willingness to help her is beautiful

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Dec 19, 2022 10:18:05 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

Ugh.  Last week was hella intense, following up a two day off site (I am NOT used to having to look businesslike anymore, and gahhh so much socializing) with a high stress meeting trying to get a frickin budget approved for the trainwreck project that ran out of funding two weeks ago.  Always fun when you have to admonish a group of mid-career PhDs that they are contractually obligated to do something that they’ve been blithely ignoring for a year plus   
I thought it would be good to make it to the weekend, except frickin Christmas so there is no break at the weekend. Successfully got DS to choose presents for PP and DH, collected most of what I need for Xmas dinner, most of DS’s and inlaws stuff wrapped, and made it halfway through the contact sport known as cookie baking. All with a migraine.

Also finally got the two main floors mopped, followed immediately by DS tromping all over in dirty shoes.  I feel like a comic strip. 

In a massive display of dating myself the old I get the more and more I identify with Cathy.


www.cathyguisewite.com/comic-strip

[chiver78]

Dec 19, 2022 10:17:07 GMT -5 bookkeeper said:

Giving up salt will take a few weeks before it gets easier.  When you are used to tasting salt on everything, you think your food has no flavor.  Once you stop eating the salt, you discover the flavors of the food underneath.  I went on high blood pressure meds 7 or 8 years ago.  I put the salt shaker in the cupboard and found a really good low salt seasoning mix.  We also use quite a bit of fresh ground pepper at the table.  When I eat something salty these days, my fingers swell up shortly after.  My body reacts fairly quickly.

Mrs. Dash makes several good seasoning blends without salt.  Other ingredients to add flavor without salt are red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, fresh garlic cloves, green onions, Italian parsley, cilantro and my favorite spicy mustard.  

this. and when you aren't used to salt, you definitely taste it when you do eat it. I grew up with low fat/low salt stuff in the house b/c my grandmother already had a heart condition by the time my sister and I were born. I don't remember a time where whole milk or a salt shaker were a regular thing.

I also heavily season with other flavors, to accentuate the natural flavors of foods. if I use salt, it's a sea salt grinder. the fresh grinding makes the flavor stronger, so I don't need to use as much. 

[Deleted]

Dec 19, 2022 8:54:04 GMT -5 andi9899 said:

Dec 18, 2022 20:00:43 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Okay, we are now looking for something like "Soccer for Dummies" so we can understand the rules and scoring before we are one of the host cities for 2026 World Cup. If I have to endure the horror of traffic, I have to enjoy the game which means understanding what is going on. Good thing, I have 4 years to figure it out

Is there really much to soccer? You basically run kicking the ball to the assigned goal and can't touch it with your hands.

I want to learn about the strategy and stuff like who is eligible to do what on the field plus infractions, penalties, overtime protocols etc. 

[bookkeeper]

Dec 19, 2022 9:53:46 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Okay, we are now looking for something like "Soccer for Dummies" so we can understand the rules and scoring before we are one of the host cities for 2026 World Cup. If I have to endure the horror of traffic, I have to enjoy the game which means understanding what is going on. Good thing, I have 4 years to figure it out.

I'm in Kansas City, also a site. BF's son-in-law is a professional soccer player and he was so happy when KC was named a site I practically had to scrape him off the ceiling. Every time he's over visiting he gets all excited at the prospect of my being able to rent out my house for the games. It's less than 5 miles from the stadium, 4 bedrooms, enclosed porch upstairs and deck downstairs overlooking a small lake. I figure it would be a great opportunity to go to Europe for a few weeks (more than paid for by potential rental income) but I'd have to move all my jewelry and personal papers up to DS and DDIL's place and I wonder if they'd want it for longer than I'd want to be gone.

Plenty of time to figure it out.

We made a closet in each house that is for "our stuff".  Basically, we removed the closet door knob and put a locking (with a key) door knob on said closet.  We were renovating our home one winter while we were in Arizona and I wanted to lock up some things while the workers were in our house.  It works really well if you have a linen closet or pantry closet with a door knob.  Easy to switch back if you no longer want to lock up.

Jewelry would be a different story.  I would leave it with a trusted friend or put it in a safe deposit box. I am thinking of getting a safe deposit box where DS#1 lives.  That way if something happens to his parents, he has quick access to our important papers.

[Deleted]

Dec 19, 2022 10:20:44 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

I can’t stop worrying about turkeys selling out now before I buy one.  Going out shopping tonight, but will someone please tell me I’m being ridiculous for worrying?

My store still has tons of them - all sizes too

[lurkyloo]

andi9899 Not the news we were hoping for about your aunt.  Wishing her an easy treatment course and good response.

[bookkeeper]

Dec 19, 2022 10:20:44 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

I can’t stop worrying about turkeys selling out now before I buy one.  Going out shopping tonight, but will someone please tell me I’m being ridiculous for worrying?

I don't know who hyped the turkey shortage.  I was in Target and Safeway this weekend.  Plenty of turkeys for everyone.

Don't worry.  If they run out of turkey, you can have prime rib!

[lurkyloo]

Dec 19, 2022 10:28:42 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Dec 19, 2022 10:20:44 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

I can’t stop worrying about turkeys selling out now before I buy one.  Going out shopping tonight, but will someone please tell me I’m being ridiculous for worrying?

My store still has tons of them - all sizes too

Okay, so my backup plan is a 15+ hour road trip    Bizarrely that makes me feel a bit better.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

There were a ton of them at Wal-mart too when I went this week.  I opted for Ham for Christmas and there were a ton of those too so there are options.

[lurkyloo]

Dec 19, 2022 10:29:28 GMT -5 bookkeeper said:

Dec 19, 2022 10:20:44 GMT -5 lurkyloo said:

I can’t stop worrying about turkeys selling out now before I buy one.  Going out shopping tonight, but will someone please tell me I’m being ridiculous for worrying?

I don't know who hyped the turkey shortage.  I was in Target and Safeway this weekend.  Plenty of turkeys for everyone.

Don't worry.  If they run out of turkey, you can have prime rib!

You have clearly never met my poultry-obsessed child    I’d be so fired.  I found spatchcocked chickens at Wegmans and frozen quail at Harris Teeter entirely due to his obsession...he now expects mommy the vegetarian to cut out the backbone on cornish game hens, note the plural    
Appreciate the feedback though!