ECF Refugee Thread All welcome

[chopdoc]

Odd how the huge government we have doesn't consider something like this for providing for general welfare of the people, which the whole notion of government here was began in the first place.

Open your eyes buddy. You live in the best nation on the planet. It is not the governments place to wipe everyones nose or ass every time anything happens. At the moment the government is doing what its suppose to be doing. Trying to keep us safe and making it where everyone has a chance to succeed in chasing the American dream.

 

[AndriaD]

Open your eyes buddy. You live in the best nation on the planet. It is not the governments place to wipe everyones nose or ass every time anything happens. At the moment the government is doing what its suppose to be doing. Trying to keep us safe and making it where everyone has a chance to succeed in chasing the American dream.

Actually at the moment they're all chasing their tails trying to figure out how to get rid of that arrogant and stupid psychopath in the oval office. I wish they'd hurry the fuck up with it.

Andria

 

[JuicyLucy]

Holy cow - I'm so excited I could drop a load in my drawers!!!

Spoiler: Surprise!

I am going to be a grandma!!!

 

[chopdoc]

Actually at the moment they're all chasing their tails trying to figure out how to get rid of that arrogant and stupid psychopath in the oval office. I wish they'd hurry the fuck up with it.

Andria

A lot better than that treasonous ass kissing muslim communist fuckwad we just got rid of.

 

[chopdoc]

Holy cow - I'm so excited I could drop a load in my drawers!!!

Spoiler: Surprise!

I am going to be a grandma!!!

HUGE CONGRATS LUCY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[The Cromwell]

Holy cow - I'm so excited I could drop a load in my drawers!!!

Spoiler: Surprise!

I am going to be a grandma!!!

So happy for ya!

Might want to hang on to yer load though

 

[JuicyLucy]

HUGE CONGRATS LUCY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My first born is having a baby!

This is my first grandchild

 

[AndriaD]

A lot better than that treasonous ass kissing muslim communist fuckwad we just got rid of.

I want to agree... but I just can't. One of them being a criminal doesn't make it ok for the other one to be one too.

But it's like I've said for years.... anyone who wants to be president is either crazy or a criminal. The current guy is both.

Andria

 

[AndriaD]

My first born is having a baby!

This is my first grandchild

Gratz. I came very close to taking out my ONLY born today.

Andria

 

[JuicyLucy]

Gratz. I came very close to taking out my ONLY born today.

Andria

Uh oh. What happened?

 

[AndriaD]

Uh oh. What happened?

It had to do with his using the truck for non-essential shit when we needed to get groceries, and finally boiled down to me calling him an asshole, and him screaming at me FUCK YOU. In what universe is it ok to say that your mother? His apology was grudging, but if there hadn't been one, courtesy of calling my husband, the spawn would be sleeping under a bridge tonight.

He really doesn't see the free ride he's getting, not at all.

Andria

 

[JuicyLucy]

It had to do with his using the truck for non-essential shit when we needed to get groceries, and finally boiled down to me calling him an asshole, and him screaming at me FUCK YOU. In what universe is it ok to say that your mother? His apology was grudging, but if there hadn't been one, courtesy of calling my husband, the spawn would be sleeping under a bridge tonight.

He really doesn't see the free ride he's getting, not at all.

Andria

That's okay - my newly pregnant daughter called with the news - then promptly asked if we could give her $20,000 for a down payment so she and her boyfriend we've never met could buy a house

We had a good over that one - not sure where she ever got the impression that A) we have that kind of money laying around; B) if we did, we'd just give it to her

It kinda hurt our feelings - we've always helped the kids when they need it, but have never, ever handed them a free ride

We told her she was welcome to move back home anytime - which she unsurprisingly declined

 

[The Cromwell]

We told her she was welcome to move back home anytime - which she unsurprisingly declined

Lucky you

hang in there the grandbaby leverage has not begun yet.

 

[JuicyLucy]

Lucky you

hang in there the grandbaby leverage has not begun yet.

It was a safe bet, lol

We were shocked though - we've helped them through emergencies, and often chip in when they have to move or unexpected problem like car repairs. Last year, we gave her $500 to start her business. But the year before that, she asked us for $900 to buy a couch for her new apartment, and we told her to go to Goodwill

This year, we gave the youngest $300 when she went through a rough patch, but she didn't ask for it and had not even mentioned a financial hardship in over two years.

 

[AndriaD]

That's okay - my newly pregnant daughter called with the news - then promptly asked if we could give her $20,000 for a down payment so she and her boyfriend we've never met could buy a house

We had a good over that one - not sure where she ever got the impression that A) we have that kind of money laying around; B) if we did, we'd just give it to her

It kinda hurt our feelings - we've always helped the kids when they need it, but have never, ever handed them a free ride

We told her she was welcome to move back home anytime - which she unsurprisingly declined

You shoulda told her you might consider it for a WEDDING gift, seeing as you didn't want any bastards in the family.

Andria

 

[JuicyLucy]

You shoulda told her you might consider it for a WEDDING gift, seeing as you didn't want any bastards in the family.

Andria

Uh, we weren't married when the kids were born

When we did get married, the whole shebang cost under $500 - including my dress. And we had over 80 guests and food for days, as much as you wanted

 

[MyMagicMist]

It is not the governments place to wipe everyones nose or ass every time anything happens.

I agree with you and was not trying to imply government needed to serve as band-aids for scraped knees. I was only thinking in text here, perhaps not in the lines of conventional thought. It's alright, I'm digressing in favor of that old fashioned jingoism. After a while, the brain has no choice. "Go Mu'rica!"

Congrats @JuicyLucy. Hope your grand kid has a great ride in life.

 

[AndriaD]

Uh, we weren't married when the kids were born

When we did get married, the whole shebang cost under $500 - including my dress. And we had over 80 guests and food for days, as much as you wanted

Ah. My husband and I married exactly 10 months before our son was born... and all it cost was the gas to get from Lake Orion, MI to Toledo, OH, and $20 for the certificate at the courthouse, plus a $10 tip to the old black preacherman on the courthouse lawn.

But when our son was born 10 months later, I could just *see* all my relatives counting the months on their fingers.

Andria

 

[MyMagicMist]

But the year before that, she asked us for $900 to buy a couch for her new apartment, and we told her to go to Goodwill

Ha ha, I think probably all of our furniture has came from Goodwill. All but a special new memory foam mattress she bought from online. Not a thing wrong with worn in furniture, clothes. The store we saw a nice bed in was looking to ask at least $1,500 for a basic model and on sale plus our salesperson tossing us discounts. Think we got maybe $300 in our nice king sized bed, instead, suits well enough. Reckon we don't give it much choice though, it has to suit. We don't have a choice either.

 

[JuicyLucy]

Ha ha, I think probably all of our furniture has came from Goodwill. All but a special new memory foam mattress she bought from online. Not a thing wrong with worn in furniture, clothes. The store we saw a nice bed in was looking to ask at least $1,500 for a basic model and on sale plus our salesperson tossing us discounts. Think we got maybe $300 in our nice king sized bed, instead, suits well enough. Reckon we don't give it much choice though, it has to suit. We don't have a choice either.

Yeah, have bought very, very little NEW furniture in my life - and usually it's after a windfall and we could not find what we needed used; its harder in a small isolated town like ours. In fact, never bought new furniture ever before moving here, except the very first baby crib, as I could not find a good used one.

In the past 20 years have bought new: one lazyboy love seat and one new mattress set, that's it. Everything else was bought used.

 

[AndriaD]

We've bought a couple mattresses, usually on sale, and a nice dryer at one point, also on sale at BestBuy... but other than that, until last year, all our furniture was either hand-me-down from my family, from Goodwill, or acquired with a weekly payment to the rent-to-own store. But last year, for the first time ever, I got to purchase a brand-new loveseat, from a real furniture store... to match the nice red couch my mom gave us in 2015. I like the smell of new furniture.

Andria

 

[inspects]

Probably the worst investment anyone could make is furniture.....worth half the price (or less) when you walk out the door.

 

[inspects]

Cars hold their value better, and that's surely not saying much.....

 

[AndriaD]

Probably the worst investment anyone could make is furniture.....worth half the price (or less) when you walk out the door.

I dunno... that loveseat is a lot more comfy than the couch that 2 fat people sat on for 5-ish yrs.

Andria

 

[AndriaD]

Probably the worst investment anyone could make is furniture.....worth half the price (or less) when you walk out the door.

Anyway, I'm a skinflint, remember? I researched that purchase the same as anything else I buy that costs more than $5; that loveseat was more than $300 at several stores, and nearly $500 at Rooms To Go -- we bought it for $269 at a local store, and have firm plans to return to that store the next time we need any furnishings, because their prices can't be beat, and even if they don't have it in stock, they get it within a week.

Andria

 

[inspects]

The only thing I can remember buying new was a good recliner, and I'm not even sure of the brand, but it's comfortable, and has lasted forever. I'd be happy with just a recliner and a side table, to hold the five or six mods I'm sucking on randomly. Actually, I was thinking about putting the sofa and loveseat out to the street a few weeks ago, nobody here to use them, and I sure don't need um....recliner - end table - bed, I'm good to go.

 

[JuicyLucy]

I dunno... that loveseat is a lot more comfy than the couch that 2 fat people sat on for 5-ish yrs.

Andria

Yeah, me and Mr Juicy have really enjoyed the hell out of the LazyBoy love seat we bought new

and a nice dryer at one point, also on sale at BestBuy

Appliances are a different category - we usually buy new. But, we did get a hell of a deal on a used but top of the line Bosch dishwasher last fall - and it was cheaper than a bottom of the line new one

 

[inspects]

Appliances are a different category - we usually buy new. But, we did get a hell of a deal on a used but top of the line Bosch dishwasher last fall - and it was cheaper than a bottom of the line new one

Yup, good move Juice...!

 

[AndriaD]

Yeah, me and Mr Juicy have really enjoyed the hell out of the LazyBoy love seat we bought new




Appliances are a different category - we usually buy new. But, we did get a hell of a deal on a used but top of the line Bosch dishwasher last fall - and it was cheaper than a bottom of the line new one

We've had a real mix of buying styles for appliances, but even my washing machine was a gift, when we moved down here from MI with a 2 yr old, my mom gave it to us to welcome us (me) back home. Our nice fridge, Aaron's, because we needed a fridge, and a big one, when we moved here, but the closing cleaned us out when they hit us for prop taxes at closing. The dryer, that was the first thing I bought when I first got a VISA card -- our old one had died, been repaired, and died again, so I had to have a new one. Bought that nice water heater with 2016's tax refund from Home Depot, and that AWESOME smooth top stove last year from Sears Outlet -- $410 for a stove that retailed for $899, because it had a couple little dings in the metal body.

But I'd have to admit that we've probably spent more money on PC's, TV's, stereos, and recently, phones, than anything else, in our 31 yrs of wedded bliss. It's nice to have a spouse who agrees about the really important things in life.

Andria

 

[Atchafalaya]

Holy cow - I'm so excited I could drop a load in my drawers!!!

Spoiler: Surprise!

I am going to be a grandma!!!

WHAT!!!! OMG congratulations!!!!

 

[chopdoc]

I want to agree... but I just can't. One of them being a criminal doesn't make it ok for the other one to be one too.

But it's like I've said for years.... anyone who wants to be president is either crazy or a criminal. The current guy is both.

Andria

Thats perspective. With the current guy they have throw everything in the world at him and nothing sticks but he fights back and that really pisses off the media.

 

[chopdoc]

My first born is having a baby!

This is my first grandchild

I believe soon, like in about 9 months from now one child is going to be badly spoiled and adored

Huge grats to you and Mr Lucy

 

[The Cromwell]

I view furniture as a consumable not an investment.

 

[chopdoc]

That's okay - my newly pregnant daughter called with the news - then promptly asked if we could give her $20,000 for a down payment so she and her boyfriend we've never met could buy a house

We had a good over that one - not sure where she ever got the impression that A) we have that kind of money laying around; B) if we did, we'd just give it to her

It kinda hurt our feelings - we've always helped the kids when they need it, but have never, ever handed them a free ride

We told her she was welcome to move back home anytime - which she unsurprisingly declined

I dont blame ya a bit there. I wouldnt of given them it either.

 

[chopdoc]

I view furniture as a consumable not an investment.

Same here. When I buy furniture the resale value I dont even care about. Far as I am concerned when a piece of furniture is no longer good or replaced, If I cant find a use for it then it goes on the burn pile. Two days ago I burnt a coffee table.

Thru the years I had many pieces of second hand furniture. Four or five years ago I bought a brand new sectional couch. First brand new couch I ever bought and it was destroyed in the flood of 16. So much for the new couch With appliances, I only buy new unless I dont have a choice. For me its easier that way.

 

[MyMagicMist]

Appliances are a different category

I don't wanna hear about appliances. She got a washing machine nearly give to her for about $150. Then, she goes to Sears of all places to buy a $400 dryer, it winds up costing her $900 instead because of their financing plans.Told her we could have found something for around $200, or on Freecycle. She put her foot down though, had to have a Maytag dryer she needs to sort out to dry stuff. It even plays us nice little tunes and talks to us.

Reckon though until it pays itself off, it'll be a savings somewhere. She is usually real good to watch her figures like that. I once in a little while tell her, "bring me the ledger." I do a glance over just to see what yet is owed, where. She doesn't mind because that helps her as well in being sure that she's got it sorted out and on track. I can pay the bills, at least ways take them round to who needs paid, stuff envelopes and such. She's got most of it set up online now.

We need to get a money order for the rent & pay cashee monies to sears. That's the only times we see cashee money, and it soon waves goodbye. *chuckles* We're hoping she can get her 401 from Goodwill and drop that down for like three months rent. I've been looking at crafting a bit, might get into that and sell a little. I can do that as long as I don't go into a business with it, which means $600 or less income per month is my limit.

The feds will not put me on disability yet I'm so restricted in what I'm allowed to do it's hard to wonder some mornings. I mean shit, I used to scurry up and down ladders all day. Used to toss around 75 lb hay bails, 70 lb bags of sackrete. Not any more, got told such things were out of bounds for me. At least I'm a good housekeeper.

Speaking of which need to go clean a toilet & do some sanitizing. The indoor air is getting stuffy and not all of it's due to my clouds. Probably open the windows a little, air us out. Y'all run 'er slow.

 

[AndriaD]

Ledger? is this 1950? Or maybe 1850? I keep a spreadsheet:



Everry payday when I do the figures, I arrive at that one in the hot pink, bottom left, and go and tell him how much he needs to make for the bills to be covered. It used to be a tight squeeze and we'd have to set some aside for higher bills, like the electric bill, which is why that yellow line for Jackson EMC is there -- and empty, because the end of this month will be a 12 day pay period, no problems at all. He comes and looks at it if he feels like it, but doesn't usually. If he ever said anything to me like "bring me the ledger," first off I'd laugh at him... then... I'd laugh some more. Him managing our finances got us into more finance co. trouble than you can shake a fucking empty wallet at; he's not allowed to manage it anymore. He's entitled to an opinion, which I might or might not pay any attention to.

Andria

 

[The Cromwell]

Reminds me... I need to remember to get ledgerboard bolts for my porch project.

 

[The Cromwell]

So I am supposed to click on an annoying ad to stop annoying ads?

Something wrong with this picture.

 

[JuicyLucy]

I dont blame ya a bit there. I wouldnt of given them it either.

I think it was the delivery - we've always planned on helping the kids when they were ready to buy a house - but her plan is not sound at all - we are talking California real estate here, btw

She always been very "me" focused and has not wanted to grow up, which has been okay with me - it wasn't hurting anybody but herself and she was mostly happy with her life. She has not been a drain on society, but not a big contributor either.

Get pregnant (happens to the best of us, lol) but now wants to buy a house they obviously cannot afford with a boyfriend who she has never even shared an apartment with? TERRIBLE IDEA.

We'll never let her or the grand baby suffer or go without, but are not inclined to go along with this "instant grownup" plan - she's 32 for crying out loud.

Our other daughter was the same way in her early twenties, but grew out of it and is seriously saving up to buy her own condo.

 

[AndriaD]

I think it was the delivery - we've always planned on helping the kids when they were ready to buy a house - but her plan is not sound at all - we are talking California real estate here, btw

She always been very "me" focused and has not wanted to grow up, which has been okay with me - it wasn't hurting anybody but herself and she was mostly happy with her life. She has not been a drain on society, but not a big contributor either.

Get pregnant (happens to the best of us, lol) but now wants to buy a house they obviously cannot afford with a boyfriend who she has never even shared an apartment with? TERRIBLE IDEA.

We'll never let her or the grand baby suffer or go without, but are not inclined to go along with this "instant grownup" plan - she's 32 for crying out loud.

Our other daughter was the same way in her early twenties, but grew out of it and is seriously saving up to buy her own condo.

California real estate? Oh there's a good idea. It'll either burn to the ground, or slide into the sea in either an earthquake or mudslide.

Andria

 

[AndriaD]

Well, shit on a fucking STICK. My dishwasher is dead as a fucking doornail. I've found a nice Kenmore at Sears Outlet for $319, so I could get it tomorrow on the VISA card... but the mate is having some difficulties getting the dead one out.

Andria

 

[The Cromwell]

Wow you said dishwasher so I figured you hubby had died. It became clear though
Sorry about the dishwasher.

 

[AndriaD]

This is absolutely insane. My husband finally got it pulled out. We looked at the options for getting one from Home Depot so they could do the installation for us, found one we could afford plus the $130 installation... decided we'd go over there tomorrw.... He goes to shove the DW back under the counter to get it out of the way, so we can handwash all the dishes inside it and get them dried and put away... and pushing on the bottom of it to shove it back into place.. THE GODDAMN THING STARTS RUNNING!!!!!!!



So hopefully the ones inside will get clean, tomorrow we can go buy a drain basket so we can wash dishes by hand till sometime next week, since we do apparently need to replace the motherfucker that's been in there since goddamn 1987!!!!!

Andria

 

[AndriaD]

Wow you said dishwasher so I figured you hubby had died. It became clear though
Sorry about the dishwasher.

He only does the dishes if I'm completely incapacitated. He's the one who puts them away after they're clean, though, since he's the only one who'll take the trouble to dry any that are still wet; I'd probably just use them straight outta the DW if it was up to me.

Andria

 

[Atchafalaya]

Ledger? is this 1950? Or maybe 1850? I keep a spreadsheet:

View attachment 117868

Everry payday when I do the figures, I arrive at that one in the hot pink, bottom left, and go and tell him how much he needs to make for the bills to be covered. It used to be a tight squeeze and we'd have to set some aside for higher bills, like the electric bill, which is why that yellow line for Jackson EMC is there -- and empty, because the end of this month will be a 12 day pay period, no problems at all. He comes and looks at it if he feels like it, but doesn't usually. If he ever said anything to me like "bring me the ledger," first off I'd laugh at him... then... I'd laugh some more. Him managing our finances got us into more finance co. trouble than you can shake a fucking empty wallet at; he's not allowed to manage it anymore. He's entitled to an opinion, which I might or might not pay any attention to.

Andria

I have a speadsheet too!!!!
Sorry about the dishwasher.

 

[AndriaD]

I have a speadsheet too!!!!
Sorry about the dishwasher.

Well, it ran normally after the mate kicked the shit out of it to get it back into its counter-space. Never underestimate the usefulness of a "BFH"... or a well-aimed kick in this case. The last big honking CRT monitor I had, I got 6 more months out of, after the electron guns were so coated with cigarette-smoke residue that they could barely fire at all -- got so mad at the thing one day, I slapped the hell out of the screen... and I'll be damned, it got brighter and brighter till finally it was pretty much back to normal. But that meant that when it finally did die, it wasn't with a whimper, it was with a bang -- heard a pop one day, ran into my "office", and smoke was coming out of the monitor.

So, I guess we do need to replace the DW, it's 31 yrs old at this point, but maybe this means we can wait till I make my next credit card payment, and it posts... so I can get a nicer one. I was pleased to find that you can get a fairly decent one for around $300, but I know how appliances go -- you generally do get what you pay for.... and apparently we need a professional installation, since it's not a plug-in appliance, but a wired-in one. But Home Depot's $130 for installation is quite reasonable, IMO.

Those spreadsheets are awesome, aren't they! When I first got this laptop, I was really peeved that it wouldn't let me install my old copy of Office... but then I learned that Google Sheets allows the import of XLS documents, so I didn't lose my "sheet format". Of course, now my son has a legit copy of Office thx to his schooling, so I have Office again, but hell, I LIKE google sheets -- having online access to my budgets gave me real bargaining power when we bought that nice truck in Dec 2016; i was able to pull up my budget, know EXACTLY what we could really afford, and even show the salesman, I wasn't just yanking his chain trying to get a better price -- if they hadn't come up with a monthly payment we could afford, we were going to walk right out the door -- and they knew that, because we've done that before at that dealership -- so at the last fucking SECOND (I was starting to put on my coat to leave!), they finally came up with financing that would keep our pmts around $350.

Andria

 

[Atchafalaya]

Well, it ran normally after the mate kicked the shit out of it to get it back into its counter-space. Never underestimate the usefulness of a "BFH"... or a well-aimed kick in this case. The last big honking CRT monitor I had, I got 6 more months out of, after the electron guns were so coated with cigarette-smoke residue that they could barely fire at all -- got so mad at the thing one day, I slapped the hell out of the screen... and I'll be damned, it got brighter and brighter till finally it was pretty much back to normal. But that meant that when it finally did die, it wasn't with a whimper, it was with a bang -- heard a pop one day, ran into my "office", and smoke was coming out of the monitor.

So, I guess we do need to replace the DW, it's 31 yrs old at this point, but maybe this means we can wait till I make my next credit card payment, and it posts... so I can get a nicer one. I was pleased to find that you can get a fairly decent one for around $300, but I know how appliances go -- you generally do get what you pay for.... and apparently we need a professional installation, since it's not a plug-in appliance, but a wired-in one. But Home Depot's $130 for installation is quite reasonable, IMO.

Those spreadsheets are awesome, aren't they! When I first got this laptop, I was really peeved that it wouldn't let me install my old copy of Office... but then I learned that Google Sheets allows the import of XLS documents, so I didn't lose my "sheet format". Of course, now my son has a legit copy of Office thx to his schooling, so I have Office again, but hell, I LIKE google sheets -- having online access to my budgets gave me real bargaining power when we bought that nice truck in Dec 2016; i was able to pull up my budget, know EXACTLY what we could really afford, and even show the salesman, I wasn't just yanking his chain trying to get a better price -- if they hadn't come up with a monthly payment we could afford, we were going to walk right out the door -- and they knew that, because we've done that before at that dealership -- so at the last fucking SECOND (I was starting to put on my coat to leave!), they finally came up with financing that would keep our pmts around $350.

Andria

I fixed a dryer once kicking it. Had a big dent in it and I had to install a latch to keep it closed, but it worked for 6 more years.
Ok guys. I've got some good news to share. Mr. Freeman is FINALLY doing better. At least for now.........

 

[Atchafalaya]

Also, I'm getting a grand dog of this beautiful winner in a few weeks.

 

[AndriaD]

I'm glad, Atcha, and I know it's a relief if he's somewhat out of pain. Hate to think of our little furbabies suffering in any way.

Ok y'all, I need some opinions... Is it better to get a dishwasher with mechanical or electronic controls? The one I was looking at last night is mechanical... and also has a hard-food disposer... which isn't really much of an issue for me, since I pretty much wash my dishes before putting them into the DW -- but since it's a built-in, it'll be staying, if/when we ever decide to sell and move, and I know some freaks put all kind of nasty dishes into their DWs, and I also know the stink that results when the drain pipe gets clogged from doing that, so it might actually be a selling point, having a DW with a hard food disposer.

I'm leaning toward one that's about $80 more which is electronic rather than mechanical, because the electronic one is rated at 55dBA, and the mechanical one at 63dBA... the one I have now is louder than shit, and I'm really tired of that roaring... but the quieter one doesn't have the hard-food disposer, so I'm kinda torn. The quieter one also seems to cost less to operate, uses less power, and has more different kinds of cycles, so it's more flexible. Just can't decide.

Andria