Old Pharts Club

[nadalama]

late tonight into tomorrow we are supposed to get either lots of rain or snow or both?

Yes, us as well. I'm sooo looking forward to it.

Our entire yard and driveway is muck already. After another 5 inches of snow we may get stuck in the mud trying to get out of here next week.

 

[JuicyLucy]

I have a couple rants tonight, but we'll just start with a tired old one: The F'ed up Weather Guessers.

Three days ago, the forecast for my area for today was sunny and 57 degrees, so I planned to do some serious outside work today. Two days ago, they dropped the temperature to 49. OK, I could still do what I wanted. Yesterday, they dropped the temperature to 42 and added a couple clouds. Today, when I got up, it was overcast and raining and so foggy, I could not see the road out in front of our house (50 yards away). Wind was going about 40 mph. Checking the computer showed that there was a huge weather system stretched all across Wyoming, eastern Montana, northern South Dakota and all of North Dakota, snowing like hell, and the blizzard conditions reached down to only a few miles north of us. Our high temperature for today? 36 degrees! What the hell happened to 57 and why couldn't these high tech forecasters with all their millions of dollars of computers and equipment see this storm a few days ago? When I was a USAF weather forecaster, with no computers, hand-drawn maps and teletype printouts hanging on the wall in front of me, I could forecast when the first raindrop would fall many days in advance. How did modern weather people become so fucking stupid?

Sometimes I wonder if they bother to do the most obvious thing: look out the fricking window

 

[The Cromwell]

Then that damned radar lies sometimes.
Says it is raining when it is not a visa versa.

 

[JuicyLucy]

I used to be in radio up here, and we always told our listeners what we saw out the weather window before reading the official forecast from NOAA

 

[The Cromwell]

I used to be in radio up here, and we always told our listeners what we saw out the weather window before reading the official forecast from NOAA

I am sure that was pretty funny sometimes.

 

[JuicyLucy]

I am sure that was pretty funny sometimes.

The weather window saved us a lot of embarrassment

 

[nadalama]

I live near a lake that I swear makes its own weather. It's partially man-made, back in the 50s, and there's a dam at the southeastern end. Upstream from that it collects rain that comes down from the Appalachian mountains, plus several rivers empty into it. It's such a huge body of water, though, that the fog around it sometimes causes schools to be delayed. Bus drivers can't see well enough to safely pick up the kids.

I very nearly had a bad accident there one morning on the way to work. I came upon an accident that had already happened, and couldn't see it soon enough to be able to stop. I zigzagged through debris in the road and around a truck and a van that had already collided. Scared me half to death.

 

[The Cromwell]

Not nearly enough 'looking out the window' in todays world...

 

[AndriaD]

I have a couple rants tonight, but we'll just start with a tired old one: The F'ed up Weather Guessers.

Three days ago, the forecast for my area for today was sunny and 57 degrees, so I planned to do some serious outside work today. Two days ago, they dropped the temperature to 49. OK, I could still do what I wanted. Yesterday, they dropped the temperature to 42 and added a couple clouds. Today, when I got up, it was overcast and raining and so foggy, I could not see the road out in front of our house (50 yards away). Wind was going about 40 mph. Checking the computer showed that there was a huge weather system stretched all across Wyoming, eastern Montana, northern South Dakota and all of North Dakota, snowing like hell, and the blizzard conditions reached down to only a few miles north of us. Our high temperature for today? 36 degrees! What the hell happened to 57 and why couldn't these high tech forecasters with all their millions of dollars of computers and equipment see this storm a few days ago? When I was a USAF weather forecaster, with no computers, hand-drawn maps and teletype printouts hanging on the wall in front of me, I could forecast when the first raindrop would fall many days in advance. How did modern weather people become so fucking stupid?

And like doctors... they get paid even when they're wrong, which just pisses me off, in both cases.

What weather service do you normally consult? They're often not *quite* on target, but I've always found weather.com, The Weather Channel, to be slightly more accurate than any other service -- my husband will come tell me some tall tale he heard on the "news," and I just laugh and check either my weather.com app on my phone, or their site on my PC -- sometimes they're a bit off, with timing or severity, but seem to be right more than most.

I would say, as a pure guess, that any weather right smack in the middle of North America is bound to be highly changeable, at nearly the drop of a hat -- this continent does seem to get more severe weather than anyplace else, doesn't it? Except maybe late summer/fall in the tropics, oy vey.

Andria

 

[The Cromwell]

Toilet Paper Tablets....

 

[AndriaD]

I live near a lake that I swear makes its own weather. It's partially man-made, back in the 50s, and there's a dam at the southeastern end. Upstream from that it collects rain that comes down from the Appalachian mountains, plus several rivers empty into it. It's such a huge body of water, though, that the fog around it sometimes causes schools to be delayed. Bus drivers can't see well enough to safely pick up the kids.

I very nearly had a bad accident there one morning on the way to work. I came upon an accident that had already happened, and couldn't see it soon enough to be able to stop. I zigzagged through debris in the road and around a truck and a van that had already collided. Scared me half to death.

I was reading Outlander recently, and ran into mention of a truly vast lake in Va, the Great Dismal -- is that the one? That thing is HUMONGOUS!

Andria

 

[The Cromwell]

Thats a swamp.
But I think that Trump drained it already.

 

[Draconigena]

Rant #2: The cost of shipping and time for delivery

Yesterday morning, after Lannie and I had a discussion about the serious mud conditions and standing water here from the gradually melting snow, we decided we needed new boots. Both of us have huge cracks and holes in our existing work boots, and while that is OK while trudging through dry sub-freezing snow, they just ain't no damn good for standing water and deep mud in the corrals and pathways. Hell, I couldn't even walk down the driveway and out to the mailbox without wading through 6" of mud and water. So we decided to go online and see what was available and whether or not we could afford new muck boots (generic use of term - not the Muck brand). Wally World had some for $35 each, but they'd probably only last one season. Two pair plus gas to go to Rapid City would be over $100. So we checked Zappos' website and found what we wanted for $55 each (waterproof, guaranteed, supposedly good down to -40F) and no shipping charge. AND, overnight delivery! Yes, and they lived up to it. We placed the order Thursday about 4:30 PM. The two pair of boots were boxed and shipping label made and out the door by 12:30 AM - yes, this morning. They were delivered out here, in the middle of nowhere South Dakota at 3:30 PM today. From Shepardsville, Kentucky to Maurine, South Dakota in 15 hours via UPS next-business day delivery. OK, so Zappos claims no delivery charge and we all know that is included in the price of the product, but these are far better boots than I could possibly get for much more money at any local store, to which I would have to add travel time, gas money, and sales tax. Now, the rant: I have ordered items in the recent past, where the object cost $10 and the shipping cost added for regular UPS ground was $12 and, from Iowa (the very next state to the east of us), it took 4 days to get here! How the hell can Zappos charge nothing and get it here the same day it was shipped and they are twice as far away as that company that charged me more shipping than the item cost?

 

[Lady Sarah]

Today seems good. I was able to contact the vendor with the contest I won. Should have 480 ml of juice coming my way soon.

Sent from my NS-P10A7100 using Tapatalk

 

[nadalama]

I was reading Outlander recently, and ran into mention of a truly vast lake in Va, the Great Dismal -- is that the one? That thing is HUMONGOUS!

Andria

The Great Dismal Swamp is a wetland area that is partly in Virginia and partly in North Carolina. That isn't where I'm talking about, but there's a story about that place, too. Back in the 1790s, (or 1760s, I can't remember exactly) a survey party headed by an English aristocrat named William Byrd set off from the coast to survey the border between VA and NC. They had to go, on foot, all the way through the Great Dismal Swamp, measuring the distance as they moved through it. Byrd kept a journal of that trip; if you're interested in colonial history, it is an incredibly interesting read. His Lordship (*choke*) being who he was, every night the peons who were in the surveying party had to pitch a fancy tent for him, and break out the cooking implements, and cook up a big feast. Can't imagine that lasted the entire journey, because they went through some rough and dangerous territory, and there were still hostile native populations in the area then.

The lake I'm talking about is Kerr Lake (to North Carolinians) or Buggs Island Lake (to Virginians). Don't know why the two states' people call the lake by different names; just think they probably couldn't agree. Kerr Lake has the dam, which is used to regulate the level of water in Lake Gaston, which is a recreational lake with expensive residential property all around it. Seems like the Roanoke River comes into Kerr/Buggs Island lake and goes out of Lake Gaston. The Dan River and Staunton Rivers merge to form the Roanoke River before it gets to Kerr/Buggs Island. There's a good amount of water over there.

 

[The Cromwell]

Rant #2: The cost of shipping and time for delivery

Yesterday morning, after Lannie and I had a discussion about the serious mud conditions and standing water here from the gradually melting snow, we decided we needed new boots. Both of us have huge cracks and holes in our existing work boots, and while that is OK while trudging through dry sub-freezing snow, they just ain't no damn good for standing water and deep mud in the corrals and pathways. Hell, I couldn't even walk down the driveway and out to the mailbox without wading through 6" of mud and water. So we decided to go online and see what was available and whether or not we could afford new muck boots (generic use of term - not the Muck brand). Wally World had some for $35 each, but they'd probably only last one season. Two pair plus gas to go to Rapid City would be over $100. So we checked Zappos' website and found what we wanted for $55 each (waterproof, guaranteed, supposedly good down to -40F) and no shipping charge. AND, overnight delivery! Yes, and they lived up to it. We placed the order Thursday about 4:30 PM. The two pair of boots were boxed and shipping label made and out the door by 12:30 AM - yes, this morning. They were delivered out here, in the middle of nowhere South Dakota at 3:30 PM today. From Shepardsville, Kentucky to Maurine, South Dakota in 15 hours via UPS next-business day delivery. OK, so Zappos claims no delivery charge and we all know that is included in the price of the product, but these are far better boots than I could possibly get for much more money at any local store, to which I would have to add travel time, gas money, and sales tax. Now, the rant: I have ordered items in the recent past, where the object cost $10 and the shipping cost added for regular UPS ground was $12 and, from Iowa (the very next state to the east of us), it took 4 days to get here! How the hell can Zappos charge nothing and get it here the same day it was shipped and they are twice as far away as that company that charged me more shipping than the item cost?

Yeah shhipping.
Rural king had a freeze proof pet water bowl on sale for 16.99. Was ordering one and found the shipping to be within a few cents of the cost of the bowl.
No way in hell.

 

[AndriaD]

Thats a swamp.
But I think that Trump drained it already.

Yes, a swamp, but also one huge mother of a lake!

Andria

 

[inspects]

Rant #2: The cost of shipping and time for delivery

Yesterday morning, after Lannie and I had a discussion about the serious mud conditions and standing water here from the gradually melting snow, we decided we needed new boots. Both of us have huge cracks and holes in our existing work boots, and while that is OK while trudging through dry sub-freezing snow, they just ain't no damn good for standing water and deep mud in the corrals and pathways. Hell, I couldn't even walk down the driveway and out to the mailbox without wading through 6" of mud and water. So we decided to go online and see what was available and whether or not we could afford new muck boots (generic use of term - not the Muck brand). Wally World had some for $35 each, but they'd probably only last one season. Two pair plus gas to go to Rapid City would be over $100. So we checked Zappos' website and found what we wanted for $55 each (waterproof, guaranteed, supposedly good down to -40F) and no shipping charge. AND, overnight delivery! Yes, and they lived up to it. We placed the order Thursday about 4:30 PM. The two pair of boots were boxed and shipping label made and out the door by 12:30 AM - yes, this morning. They were delivered out here, in the middle of nowhere South Dakota at 3:30 PM today. From Shepardsville, Kentucky to Maurine, South Dakota in 15 hours via UPS next-business day delivery. OK, so Zappos claims no delivery charge and we all know that is included in the price of the product, but these are far better boots than I could possibly get for much more money at any local store, to which I would have to add travel time, gas money, and sales tax. Now, the rant: I have ordered items in the recent past, where the object cost $10 and the shipping cost added for regular UPS ground was $12 and, from Iowa (the very next state to the east of us), it took 4 days to get here! How the hell can Zappos charge nothing and get it here the same day it was shipped and they are twice as far away as that company that charged me more shipping than the item cost?

Zappos is a good outfit, buy all my shoes from them.

 

[The Cromwell]

yeah Kerr lake..
Been there lots.
It is pronounced Car lake in NC though.

 

[inspects]

Going down to California next month to ship a vehicle to the Big Island out of Port of Oakland - contracts are signed, its a done deal

Congrats, Juice....

 

[Draconigena]

What weather service do you normally consult? They're often not *quite* on target,

I think you missed one of my comments, Andria. I used to be a professional meteorologist, so the LAST place I would look for an accurate forecast is the TV news. I made a deal with the local NWS facility. I gave them my latitude and longitude and they created a computer link called a Point Forecast that supposedly generates likely conditions based on reporting stations north, east, and west of me. They forget, however, how hills between those locations can radically change conditions. In any case, besides NWS, we also access Intellicast, which gives us local Doppler access, all the available maps, surface and upper air, etc., etc. As far as forecasts for the day you are standing in, I usually can just look at the sky around me (you can often figure atmospheric thermodynamics just by watching the shape of the clouds at various altitudes) and give a better "guess" than NWS.

Zappos is a good outfit, buy all my shoes from them.

Lannie has always loved them and buys all hers there too. Best attitude, best customer service, etc.

 

[nadalama]

yeah Kerr lake..
Been there lots.
It is pronounced Car lake in NC though.

Yes, that's right. You can always tell when someone's "not from 'round here." They'll pronounce it "Kurr."

 

[The Cromwell]

Yes, that's right. You can always tell when someone's "not from 'round here." They'll pronounce it "Kurr."

yep I used to jump in the Curr and drive to Car drugs

 

[nadalama]

yep I used to jump in the Curr and drive to Car drugs

Hey, whatever floats yer boat....to Curr lake OR Curr Drugs.

Think Kerr Drugs finally gave up the ghost for good. It was their second time going out of business, and I think they're truly gone now. Stores mostly taken over by the dreaded CVS!

Back in the old days when I lived and worked in Raleigh, we used to trade backup tapes with Kerr Drugs - sort of a rudimentary offsite data recovery technique, when we didn't have much else to work with. We'd take our nightly backup tapes to them and bring theirs back to our office every morning. Several times over the years have worked with people who used to work in IT at Kerr Drugs.

 

[Draconigena]

Hey, isn't that also the place where they have Tars on their Currs?

 

[The Cromwell]

Hey, whatever floats yer boat....to Curr lake OR Curr Drugs.

Think Kerr Drugs finally gave up the ghost for good. It was their second time going out of business, and I think they're truly gone now. Stores mostly taken over by the dreaded CVS!

Figured that. But not been in the area for over 20 years so....
Before you know it the USA will be down to 4 drug stores, 4 grocery stores, 4 banks, etc...
Capitalism spurs competition right?
Seems to spawn mergers and acquisitions more.

 

[nadalama]

Hey, isn't that also the place where they have Tars on their Currs?

Naw, thats Tars on their Heels. Get it straight, now.

 

[The Cromwell]

Naw, thats Tars on their Heels. Get it straight, now.

Now in eastern KY a Fire tower is a Far Tar.

 

[Draconigena]

Naw, thats Tars on their Heels. Get it straight, now.

And what kind of tread do them thar tars have? Are they radials?

 

[nadalama]

Figured that. But not been in the area for over 20 years so....
Before you know it the USA will be down to 4 drug stores, 4 grocery stores, 4 banks, etc...
Capitalism spurs competition right?
Seems to spawn mergers and acquisitions more.

OMG you said BANKS. Look out.

One of those four banks you're talking about, BANK OF AMERICA, is now becoming BANK OF BIG-CITY AMERICA. I am so pissed at them I can hardly stand it. They can surely charge their customers for everything under the sun, but don't think they have to provide any in-person service any more. They want you to do everything electronically so they don't have to pay actual people to work in actual banks.

Those damn people closed every Bank of America within a 90-minute drive of us, took down every ATM. We'd done business with them for over 20 years and now have to drive all that way if we need to actually go to a bank. My hard-headed husband will NOT change his accounts to a different bank. I changed mine, but then ended up opening a BoA account again because it was such a PITA transferring money around between accounts.

Banks.

 

[nadalama]

You put tars on the curr to ride to see the far. When you git dun seein the far, you ride the curr back to git more tars. You caint go fur on them tars.

 

[The Cromwell]

And what kind of tread do them thar tars have? Are they radials?

That 2 inch high rubber band tread

 

[Draconigena]

My account is small town one branch only type bank (they just merged with the next town down the road, so now they have two branches). I have used them for 14 years and in all that time, there has only been one one-cent error on my statements and no other problems.

 

[The Cromwell]

You put tars on the curr to ride to see the far. When you git dun seein the far, you ride the curr back to git more tars. You caint go fur on them tars.

But do not take the wrong Foak in the Rowad.

 

[The Cromwell]

My account is small town one branch only type bank (they just merged with the next town down the road, so now they have two branches). I have used them for 14 years and in all that time, there has only been one one-cent error on my statements and no other problems.

My local bank sold out to BB&T....

PITA to change banks....

 

[nadalama]

.

My account is small town one branch only type bank (they just merged with the next town down the road, so now they have two branches). I have used them for 14 years and in all that time, there has only been one one-cent error on my statements and no other problems.

That's the kind of bank I moved my stuff to - I think they have four or five branches. The BoA account I have now is basically a temporary holding account for money that gets doled out to our kids when they can't pay their bills. I really despise having that BoA account, but guess it makes sense for what we're using it for (as if what we're using it for makes any sense).

I tell you, if I'd tried to get money from my mother the way my kids get money from me, she'd have laughed her head off and shooed me away like a fly. Anyone who has adult kids who can actually completely support themselves these days is lucky. We have spoiled our kids beyond all reason - certainly not intentionally, but effectively.

 

[Jimi]

Evening Old Pharts hope everyone is doing well tonight

 

[Draconigena]

What's a BB&T?

Oh, and hey, did ya hear 'bout the guy who was trying to find the oral cap on his engine so he could add some oral? He found a cap that says 710 but figgered that wuz da wrong cap...

 

[nadalama]

Hey Jimi!

 

[Jimi]

late tonight into tomorrow we are supposed to get either lots of rain or snow or both?

The weather guessers are calling for 3 - 5 inches of snow here

 

[Draconigena]

I tell you, if I'd tried to get money from my mother the way my kids get money from me, she'd have laughed her head off and shooed me away like a fly. Anyone who has adult kids who can actually completely support themselves these days is lucky. We have spoiled our kids beyond all reason - certainly not intentionally, but effectively.

Sad...

 

[inspects]

The weather guessers are calling for 3 - 5 inches of snow here

Evening, Jimi.....

 

[Jimi]

Hey Jimi!

HiYa nadalama how you doing tonight my friend

 

[The Cromwell]

What's a BB&T?

Oh, and hey, did ya hear 'bout the guy who was trying to find the oral cap on his engine so he could add some oral? He found a cap that says 710 but figgered that wuz da wrong cap...

Wuz the guys name Earl?

 

[nadalama]

Sleepy as I can be, Jimi, but otherwise fine. These folks here have been entertaining me for a while, so I'm good. Hope you are well too. Hope your knee is feeling better.

 

[nadalama]

Wuz the guys name Earl?

Earl wuz tryina put the oral in the curr but it run all down on the tars. That 710 oral is the wurst.

 

[nadalama]

Jimi, you're going to think you've stepped into the loony bin tonight, buddy.

 

[nadalama]

What's a BB&T?

Oh, and hey, did ya hear 'bout the guy who was trying to find the oral cap on his engine so he could add some oral? He found a cap that says 710 but figgered that wuz da wrong cap...

By the way, BB&T is Branch Banking & Trust.

 

[The Cromwell]

Yeah we kinda got in trouble for acting loony at the other place.
So we are here now.

 

[The Cromwell]

By the way, BB&T is Branch Banking & Trust.

I thought it was Biggest Bank n Town?
There there is Wachovia yo Money bank and the No Cash No Bank Bank.