Daily Check-In Thread

[CaFF]

Went to the ReTails thrift store (they benefit the local Humane Society) today and got a nice Kenneth Cole Reactions reversible leather belt that'll fit the new me, a beautiful small lamp, and replaced the Pilsner glass that was broken in the U-Haul trip.....all for $10.30.

The belt alone is worth over $30....

After that, I walked like 5 blocks up to Grocery Outlet and got like $60 in groceries ....meats for Milly and lots of other foods....in two large bags.

$1.99/lb boneless chicken breasts.... Makes for a happy Milly.

Bus stop is literally just outside the store....and it drops me off a block from home. So I can carry it all. Sore, but content .

 

[Bliss Doubt]

Went to the ReTails thrift store (they benefit the local Humane Society) today and got a nice Kenneth Cole Reactions reversible leather belt that'll fit the new me, a beautiful small lamp, and replaced the Pilsner glass that was broken in the U-Haul trip.....all for $10.30.

The belt alone is worth over $30....

Nice haul. I love second hand. One time I got a very unique Calvin Klein leather belt for 20.00 on Ebay. It might have been from his couture collection rather than ready-made for stores, because I've never seen another one remotely like it. When I got it, it was beautiful, in excellent condition, but it didn't look the way I'd envisioned it when I put it on. I waited a while and sold it for 45.00.

 

[misswish]

Went to the ReTails thrift store (they benefit the local Humane Society) today and got a nice Kenneth Cole Reactions reversible leather belt that'll fit the new me, a beautiful small lamp, and replaced the Pilsner glass that was broken in the U-Haul trip.....all for $10.30.

The belt alone is worth over $30....

After that, I walked like 5 blocks up to Grocery Outlet and got like $60 in groceries ....meats for Milly and lots of other foods....in two large bags.

$1.99/lb boneless chicken breasts.... Makes for a happy Milly.

Bus stop is literally just outside the store....and it drops me off a block from home. So I can carry it all. Sore, but content .

Great shopping! I love that lamp, you have good taste. Enjoy!

 

[CaFF]

Ha, some irony here...
The day after I do shopping, I get a knock at the door a bit ago and it's a guy with a heavy box for me.
But, I didn't order anything though?

So, I ask what it is and he said its from the food bank...apparently they hand out stuff for the tenants here who are low-income. (which is most of them)

It's great stuff too...a few USDA type things, but mostly really nice. Especially the Greek EVOO and Keto bars...yummy. The chocolate bars are sea salt and dark chocolate...a fave.
Geez, now I have cranberries, dates, walnuts and etc...I knew I should have bought a muffin pan yesterday.



PS: Now I know where most of that stuff in the lobby comes from.
PPS: I could only eat like half of a Keto bar...tasty, but super rich and filling...yikes!

 

[CaFF]

So, I about freaked out today....just browsing stuff on Amazon and this huge bug came crawling across my monitor.



At first, I though it was a Halloween prank by the Amazon webmasters....nope, it was real.

Grabbed a cup and sheet of paper and trapped the nasty thing. Took a pic...not a roach...some kind of beetle. Windows are closed, so IDK where it came from....and how it survived Milly.



Then it got flushed down the toilet. Whew .....

 

[CaFF]

FWIW.....my Sis texted me and said it's a stink bug....hadn't seen one of those in decades.

Ackkkk....

 

[Bliss Doubt]

So, I about freaked out today....just browsing stuff on Amazon and this huge bug came crawling across my monitor.

View attachment 209448

At first, I though it was a Halloween prank by the Amazon webmasters....nope, it was real.

Grabbed a cup and sheet of paper and trapped the nasty thing. Took a pic...not a roach...some kind of beetle. Windows are closed, so IDK where it came from....and how it survived Milly.

Then it got flushed down the toilet. Whew .....

That kind of thing will be in shipping boxes. One time I found a beetle the size of my hand, not anything like I've seen anywhere I've ever lived, here in SA or in Dallas. Guess what else was in the room? A big Amazon shipping box. I sprayed the Frankenbug with air freshener untl it was belly up, and then I threw it outside. I was afraid it would clog the plumbing if I tried to flush it.

So you said a heavy box was brought to your door. Probably the bug vehicle.

 

[Bliss Doubt]

Ha, some irony here...
The day after I do shopping, I get a knock at the door just a bit ago and it's a guy with a heavy box for me.
I didn't order anything though?

So, I ask what it is and he said its from the food bank...apparently they just hand out stuff for the tenants who are low-income. (which is most of them)

It's great stuff too...a few USDA type things, but mostly really nice. Especially the Greek EVOO and Keto bars...yummy. The chocolate bars are sea salt and dark chocolate...a fave.
Geez, now I have cranberries, dates, walnuts and etc...I knew I should bought a muffin pan yesterday...

View attachment 209446

PS: Now I know where most of that stuff in the lobby comes from.
PPS: I could only eat like half of a Keto bar...tasty, but super rich and filling...yikes!

Wow, nice. Walnuts? Yeah. And lots of organic products. Some of that stuff is high end, but I think people who donate during food bank collections want to provide good food. Thinking of how many grandmas are taking care of kids while the mom works (so many single parent homes), I always make sure to include organic hot chocolate mix and marshmallows.

 

[Lady Sarah]

So, I about freaked out today....just browsing stuff on Amazon and this huge bug came crawling across my monitor.

View attachment 209448

At first, I though it was a Halloween prank by the Amazon webmasters....nope, it was real.

Grabbed a cup and sheet of paper and trapped the nasty thing. Took a pic...not a roach...some kind of beetle. Windows are closed, so IDK where it came from....and how it survived Milly.

View attachment 209449

Then it got flushed down the toilet. Whew .....

That's a type of stink bug. That's why the kitty left it alone. They emit a chemical spray in self defense that no predator wants anything to do with.

 

[MyMagicMist]

Grabbed a cup and sheet of paper and trapped the nasty thing. Took a pic...not a roach...some kind of beetle. Windows are closed, so IDK where it came from....and how it survived Milly.

Whatever you do, do not squash them. There's some insecticide specifically for them. Take a lookie on the tube.

Looks to be a fair to middlin' way o' dealing with 'em.

While here, I'll check in. Got a shot of cortisone on 11th in my left knee. Well since I have also torqued, twisted and otherwise abused the muscles in that leg, gee golly guess what. Got woke up with severe pain as the muscles all decided each respectively was "in control".

Due to arthritis and several traumas to the knee, the ACLs are first, tighten, twist and try shredding to act as the knee, I guess. Then we start in with thigh muscles, calves.

Got up, walked, more like hobbled to the living room, kitchen. Got a bowl of cereal, sat in recliner. Mammy come "loaf" on my leg and I passed out a bit.

Got back in to "my room", popped a Flexeril. May hop my butt back to the rack, just stretch out, let the muscles relax from the "dope".

Moved a filing cabinet upstairs yesterday about 1:30 ish. I had gone in a whole hour Early, Gene put me to work for a "half hour approved OT". LOL While he went and cleaned up his last lunch, I ducked out and got some supply stock and ferreted it to tactical points. He came back, hollered, and we moved the darn thing.

But nah, that's got nothing to do with cramps from Limbo. No, huh uh, not t'all. He says he's going to teach me moving voodoo, so when he does retire I can just drop into his slot. Keep telling him I don't want the hassle.

I and him followed some first-graders in a line in the hall. After they had gone their way and us our own, he looked at me, "nah, you don't want the hassle, not you."

Well, better get to the rack for a little. Mammy is fussing at her kit.

 

[CaFF]

 

[MyMagicMist]

Made some finance arrangements today. Set up separate, my own, checking and savings. The account number for savings is 1234567890 and the key phrase is ****************, it's at So Named Bank.

This bank had an option to sign up for Zelle. I may later on but got a PayPal debit account I use, it ought to do well enough once I link to the So Named Bank account. The bank does offer their own debit card.

In no great rush. Merely got it, so I can have direct deposit from the school. Eventually, may transfer some to a credit union savings/debit account. Again, no rush, the goal was simply to have means to get paychecks.

Wife is holding back on my paying her the agreed monthly to get our debts wiped out. She told me that I would need money back for moving out, getting settled in, and she could wait, bills could too for the time being. The main ones are being met and handled. And no, she's not asking an outrageous monthly pay out, nor too long.

We are both being fair, kind to one another. There's no point in hurting each other. I don't mean it nastily, but, just waiting for when all is settled and she asks for money, if she does. I'll simply tell her, "you requested the divorce. Sorry, got other obligations now." Simply will be what is, being what is. Although, I may offer her help simply as a friend at times, but that won't become a habit.

Everyone has to look after themselves, anymore. Well, probably go sit in the recliner with Mammy, look at two minutes of TV, pass out.

 

[Lady Sarah]

We were in alignment to view the solar eclipse perfectly. By chance, we were at a yard sale at that time. I had a welding lense in my purse for the occasion. I let the couple (my age) view it, as well as their 3 or 4 year old granddaughter. I certainly did not expect the temperature to drop by 10° in such a short span of time, just to slowly warm back up after the eclipse. Greenhouse gasses causing global warming, my ass.

One of the treasures we got at that sale happens to be a scale replica of a broomhandle Mauser, the weapon that was used to be Han Solo's blaster from Star Wars. Hubby paid $2 for it, and I glued the scope back on.

 

[CaFF]

Always something that needs maintenance around here, even with half the stuff I used to have.

Today, it's a small fan I'd bought for $3 at thrift years ago. It's old, but works well.
Great fan...it keeps my networking gear cool and mostly fur-free with the airflow. But, it pays the price for that..LOL...

Yucky...



So, took the bugger apart and set to cleaning it.

Used a mix of damp paper towels, a stiff utility brush, and my fingers...I got it cleaned out. The mat of fur in the front casing got picked out by hand first...wet, it'd stick like glue. Then that part and the fan blade got washed in the sink.

I wiped down the rest as much as possible with a barely damp and wrung-out sponge...water and motors/electronics do not play well together, eh?

I oiled the shaft and made sure it was spinning freely again, then it's good to go.



The turbulence and resistance from all that dust, dirt, and cat fur had been making it cranky and noisy.
Much quieter now.

 

[Lady Sarah]

It was about 10 years ago that we had Verizon for landline telephone service. They claimed it was all fiber optic. Then, they got bought out by Frontier for our area.

Today, they are digging up the lawn to put fiber optic lines for their service. If they were only digging dirt, it would be quiet. However, they are trying to use the shovel of the excavator as a jackhammer to break boulders.

I am not only disappointed in the lies about the lines we don't use anymore because we don't use them, but the damage to the property and the noise suck.

 

[Lady Sarah]

Hubby is an extreme animal lover. Well, we went to the flea market, and I got used to him wanting to pet everybody else's dogs. I did not expect someone to have a spider monkey, and you guessed it. He just had to show his love toward that little critter as well.

 

[CaFF]

A massive shift in the weather around here...it was near 80 just last week...now it'll hit freezing soon.



I like the cold personally, and so does Milly...she has very dense fur.
Like before, I'm on the second floor so I get heat from three sides and from below, so we should be good even without heat on for some time.

But, a lot of people here won't be ready...particularly the homeless population.

 

[CaFF]

With actual cold coming soon, figured I'd test the heaters here. They all work...yay!
It's about 50F out now, and it's 72F in here with no heating...not bad.

It's a Simplex forced-air system...basically I have three wall-mounted space heaters, each with it's own thermostat. Two in the living room, and one in the bedroom.



Never seen heaters like these, but eh...they work. Excepting that the numbers are nearly all rubbed off the thermostat dials.

I found one that was intact enough to figure out the temps though.

 

[misswish]

Sharpie marker to the rescue, @CaFF ! I'm glad all the heaters work, you'll surely need them.

 

[Lady Sarah]

Newsflash. Texas gets cold. Welcome to winter. It's currently 37°F right now at 6:00 PM. The national map looks interesting.

 

[Jimi]

I had heard that the winter was going to just as cold this as it was hot this year, in other words better get your long johns out

 

[CaFF]

I managed to get a tin of one of my faves, a Rogue's Dead Guy Ale, for the Seahawks game yesterday...(where we beat the Browns in a tight battle) It's great stuff made right here in Oregon.

An ale inspired by the style of a German Maibock, brewed using our proprietary Pacman yeast, Dead Guy Ale is deep honey in color with a malty aroma, rich hearty flavor and a well balanced finish.

9 Ingredients: 2-Row, C15, Munich, Rogue Farms Dare™, Risk™ Malts; Rogue Farms Revolution™ & Independent™ Hops; Free Range Coastal Water & Pacman Yeast.

I love the snark of the "Free Range Coastal Water" part...LOL

Rated 88 out of 100 on Beer Advocate...

Dead Guy Ale | Rogue Ales

Dead Guy Ale is a Maibock style beer brewed by Rogue Ales in Newport, OR. Score: 88 with 8,144 ratings and reviews. Last update: 08-12-2024.

www.beeradvocate.com

Also, it has great minimalist/gothic artwork...so I put it up on the stove for a decoration.



it's all black like my appliances, so it is subtle, but looks pretty cool up there, IMO.

 

[misswish]

Sarah, I'm already wearing my flannels! SIL is coming over sooner than we'd planned, going to help me get the plastic stuff over the windows. It's way too cold for this time of year!

Caff, I like your new kitchen ornament!

 

[misswish]

Happy Halloween, everyone!

 

[Jimi]

Yes happy Halloween everyone

 

[Lady Sarah]

This year, they decided not to do the Haunted House because Halloween is on a school night. I guess they won't be doing it for another 5 years or so then.

 

[CaFF]

I'm afraid I skipped Halloween this year.

Usually, if not going out, I'd put up a server and hang with old gamer buddies on an ancient game from the 90s and just have fun.

But, Milly woke me up at like 5am. After taking care of her, then I sorta puttered around, watched news and stuff, and napped until 4pm for a NCAAF game...then felt asleep again on the couch with Milly. Woke up like 12:30am. Oh well.

Can't sleep...and it's kinda brrr....so gonna watch some scary movies and chillax on the couch with my headphones, munch some Garlic-Habanero cheese toast, and sip a nice hot Hawaiian-blend coffee and eggnog with a shot of Seagram's 7. If one don't warm me up, the other will...

This movie first..."Sister Death".
it's a Prequel to "Veronica"...a good if little-known horror flick.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19175696/

 

[CaFF]

Went thrift shopping...

I bought a Canon PIXMA MG3620 printer with both ink carts and working for $25.... that'll save some bucks come Sec8/Housing review time with all of the paperwork that has to be printed out and mailed.

And, got a new/better audio cable for the pc...no more static, a beautiful tulip glass, a new coffee grinder, and a good cutting board...I miss the pull-out one from the old place, but this will do. Bamboo....and heavy.

Huge Goodwill store (about two-thirds of the building is the retail part, the rest is other Goodwill functions like a donation center, job training, community outreach, offices, etc).....and a great local beer in a new glass.

 

[misswish]

Caff,
I am so jealous of your shopping spree! My thrift stores are small and so picked over.

 

[CaFF]

Caff,
I am so jealous of your shopping spree! My thrift stores are small and so picked over.

Yeah, I really use Yelp and Google Maps A LOT to find the good places to go and how to get there.

 

[Lady Sarah]

There are very few thrift shops around here, and the resellers make sure it's dang hard for anyone to find a good deal. That's why I hit yard sales and flea markets instead.

 

[CaFF]

0630 NFL game from Frankfort Germany is too early...

But, it's Mahomes vs Tua....an epic battle.
Much coffee is required...



This'll do....300mg of caffeine....

 

[CaFF]

Cat doesn't know daylight savings time...she just wants all of the things ..

Daylight, kinda ..lol ...and my tree...

 

[CaFF]

Advantages to Football attire...

1. Put on Seahawks stuff.
2. Get Hawks freezer mug out of freezer.
3. You're done.

 

[Bliss Doubt]

Went thrift shopping...

I bought a Canon PIXMA MG3620 printer with both ink carts and working for $25....

Good find, that printer. I'm a huge fan of that line. I've had the MG7720 for years. It always works, never jams, and it looks like a jewelry box. The ink for it is cheap and lasts a long time.

 

[CaFF]

Good find, the Canon printer. I'm a huge fan of that line. I've had the MG7720 for years. It always works, never jams, and it looks like a jewelry box. The ink for it is cheap and lasts a long time.

View attachment 210091

Yuppers...I like Canon in general..have three of their cameras. Nikon whut?
And with that high quality color printer, I can get transfer sheets and make my own t-shirts for football...

This is an older model, but even still it has Wi-Fi, good networking ability, and great compatibility with me having four OS's in play....good Linux support OOTB is a big plus.

 

[walton]

Made some finance arrangements today. Set up separate, my own, checking and savings. The account number for savings is 1234567890 and the key phrase is ****************, it's at So Named Bank.

This bank had an option to sign up for Zelle. I may later on but got a PayPal debit account I use, it ought to do well enough once I link to the So Named Bank account. The bank does offer their own debit card.

In no great rush. Merely got it, so I can have direct deposit from the school. Eventually, may transfer some to a credit union savings/debit account. Again, no rush, the goal was simply to have means to get paychecks.

Wife is holding back on my paying her the agreed monthly to get our debts wiped out. She told me that I would need money back for moving out, getting settled in, and she could wait, bills could too for the time being. The main ones are being met and handled. And no, she's not asking an outrageous monthly pay out, nor too long.

We are both being fair, kind to one another. There's no point in hurting each other. I don't mean it nastily, but, just waiting for when all is settled and she asks for money, if she does. I'll simply tell her, "you requested the divorce. Sorry, got other obligations now." Simply will be what is, being what is. Although, I may offer her help simply as a friend at times, but that won't become a habit.

Everyone has to look after themselves, anymore. Well, probably go sit in the recliner with Mammy, look at two minutes of TV, pass out.

sorry to hear about your problems, i know ive been down that road! and i hate to say it but there is no ..if she asks for.... it is a 100% sure fire bet that will happen. i wish you all the best but in england we have a saying,,,, first and foremost,, guard your crown jewels.
marriage is like taking a hot bath, once you get in, its not so hot after all.

 

[CaFF]

Ne

sorry to hear about your problems, i know ive been down that road! and i hate to say it but there is no ..if she asks for.... it is a 100% sure fire bet that will happen. i wish you all the best but in england we have a saying,,,, first and foremost,, guard your crown jewels.
marriage is like taking a hot bath, once you get in, its not so hot after all.

Engaged 3x back in the day, never married thank the gods, but I have a good partner in my kitty cat.
That's enough for me.

 

[Bliss Doubt]

Ne

Engaged 3x back in the day, never married thank the gods, but I have a good partner in my kitty cat.
That's enough for me.

Me too, the original runaway bride, 3x. I love being engaged. I just find that as you get closer to the big day, the ball & chain goes on, and you start getting criticized about the way you do things, the expectations begin to be introduced, the politics you'll be expected to have, all of it, and then it gets boring. Time to make the exit.

 

[CaFF]

Me too, the original runaway bride, 3x. I love being engaged. I just find that as you get closer to the big day, the ball & chain goes on, and you start getting criticized about the way you do things, the expectations begin to be introduced, the politics you'll be expected to have, all of it, and then it gets boring. Time to make the exit.

I think some day when I'm a grownup, I'd like a partner...but just not all the bleh. If that makes sense.
I'm only 57..I got 40-50 years yet....

 

[Lady Sarah]

Me too, the original runaway bride, 3x. I love being engaged. I just find that as you get closer to the big day, the ball & chain goes on, and you start getting criticized about the way you do things, the expectations begin to be introduced, the politics you'll be expected to have, all of it, and then it gets boring. Time to make the exit.

There are too many factors involved to put down in a post. There's probably too many just for a book. There is probably no such thing as an absolutely perfect marriage, but I can't complain too much.

 

[CaFF]

That $25 Canon PIXMA MG3620 printer I got at Goodwill, it's fully working now. Got a USB type-A cable for it, and it was picked up immediately by my Linux Mint OS. No messing with Canon drivers at all.

Did a test page... It's beautiful.

(Paper *is* white, I just use dim lighting. It's off center because I only had a few sheets of paper, and it pulled all of them in ...it needs a full stack...oops)

Even better....it's got 90% color and 70% black ink remaining in the cartridges.



It'll print photos too if I had the photo paper for it...it's using "Fine" quality ink now...nobody prints photos at home anyways...ya take a flash drive to a store.

It's also a scanner, which may be very useful for sending scans of ID's, paperwork, receipts, my cat's butt and etc. to my Gov't masters.

And, unlike my 50lbs+ former ancient HP laser office-type printer, it is very lightweight (i carried it home in a grocery bag) and closes up when not in use. No car fur in the printer is good.



It's also all black...like nearly everything else I own.

 

[CaFF]

PS: that exact printer is still being sold....

it's only $60 on sale from Best Buy....teehee....

 

[Lady Sarah]

Time came to repaint the kitchen cabinets. They got painted black with silver trim 12 years ago, because that's what mom wanted. I'm painting them closer to the original color. Just a bit at a time, since my back and hips are messed up. Got the lower part done yesterday.

It looks like a mess right now, because of what had to be moved around for painting.

 

[CaFF]

Did some grocery shopping yesterday at the Walmart Neighborhood Market since it wasn't forecasted to rain.

I overdid it as usual....ended up carrying like 40lbs of foods back to the bus stop and then a couple blocks back home afterwards. But, I'm set for awhile...got nifty stuffs for making football foods, veggies, and staples. Plan on making a Cilantro pesto...my fave way to preserve the stuff.

This is about 1/3 of the loot....love the Peet's Major Dickinson beans....were a good price too.

 

[CaFF]

Bah! It's 3am, I can't sleep and there's football at 7am.

Milly and I went to sleep early as I was pretty beat after carrying all the groceries home. But, got awoken about 1am via her standing on my chest and merrrowing in my face. She needed her litter sifted and her meat food...normal cat maintenance stuff.

Nothing on OTA TV at this hour but infomercials, so I guess I'll binge some Doom Patrol S04...

 

[CaFF]

IDK if I'd mentioned this, but I since I have a nice printer now, I'd bought some heat transfer paper so I can make my own shirts and such. Got those in today.

Well....the one thing I hadn't planned on is that I'd left my iron behind when I moved. Ack!!!!

Got it sorted though, for cheap.

 

[CaFF]

Good morning peeps!

Ground up some Peet's Major DIckason's beans, and made a yummers French Press with a touch of brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.



Not raining much today, but kinda chilly at around 45F.
Milly was sitting on the shelf in front of the wall heater...such smarty cat.

 

[misswish]

Morning!

It's been cold here, usually shirt sleeve temps nearly to Christmas. Son-in-law has been helping me put the plastic on the windows, hope it helps. There are a lot of windows! I hope to finish them this next week. I need to acclimate again, I guess.

I finished a 57 book series, audiobooks this time. And #58 will come out in January! Love this series and audiobooks. I can get chores done while listening instead of sitting on my butt to read.

Jessie is doing well, too, and loves the laser light I got for her. Good exercise for her and entertainment for me!

Stay safe and healthy, and warm

 

[SirKadly]

I finished a 57 book series, audiobooks this time. And #58 will come out in January!

Good lord, and I thought there were a lot of books in the Templeverse, which is comprised of 3 separate but intertwined series comprisingI believe around 42 books.