Chit-Chat: What's On Your Mind Today?

[Yeah No]

25 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

My pens just take advantage of the dark to breed more of themselves.

Or maybe I was formerly a compulsive buyer of pens.

LOL,  I am still using my father's supply of pens and batteries.  The batteries are getting a little old now but some still work fine.

[athousandclowns]

I loose pens in addition but now have a rescue dog who finds them and chews them to bits. Can’t count the times this ole lady has to get on the floor with my flashlight to see what he’s chewing under the bed.  
I’ve had to move so many times in the  last few years and with all the packing and unpacking I started carrying  one of my late husbands large collection of  Swiss knives in my front pants pocket. 
He always had a mechanical pencil and pen in his shirt pocket when I first meet him.  

[kristen111]

4 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Literally today I was in a mad frenzy when I came home from a dental cleaning and couldn't find my driver's license, ATM cards, Costco card and passport card.  I last had them in my hands at the dentist when I took them out of my wallet to find my ATM card to pay my balance.  Not realizing they were missing, I went home, freshened up, had lunch and went out again.  When I got on line at the supermarket I looked in my wallet and realized those cards were not there.  I paid with another card and went home to find them but didn't have much luck.  I searched the car and my purse 3 times and all over the house.  I even called the dentist's office.  Long story short - they were in a "secret" zipper compartment I never use in my semi-new wallet.  In my effort to put them in a super-secure place, I forgot which super-secure place I put them in!  I was so distracted talking to the receptionist at the dentist's office I must have done that without thinking! 

Of course a friend called while I was searching and told me I'd "better get used to this because we're getting older".  I said, "You're telling me?  I'm 2 years older than you!", LOL.

I seem to have a habit of putting things in such a "safe place" that even I can't find them.  I bought an urn for my mother's ashes several years ago and forgot where I put it.  It finally turned up far back in a closet 2 years ago and I was finally able to have her ashes put in it.  Now I try to "psych myself out" by putting things where I would most likely look for them, but this still happens to me.  Ugh!

Ha, so I went crazy today looking for my new Thyroid pills I just picked up at CVS.    I looked hi and low in the car, in my bag, all over the house, etc.  Then,for the tenth time, I looked in my purse again like a maniac,and found them in my zipper compartment, which I hardly use.  I was sweating bullits.  Welcome to old age. Sucks.  Now, I have to always make a mental note to myself where I put things, and not be in such a hurry with everything.  It’s exhausting.
 

 

 

[Lisa418722]

14 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I did that not too long ago. Fortunately, I was home alone. But the worst thing is, asking a store employee where a product is and (s)he points at the shelf right beside you. That happened to me *once* (& you know I wanted the earth to open up & swallow me!)  A year later, I was in the same supermarket and a customer asked me where a product was. I pointed at it. Of course she was embarrassed. But I told her at least it was just me (similar age woman) and not a young store employee, (as I'd experienced). I rarely ask employees where anything is if I'm standing in the appropriate aisle 😁.

A few years ago I was looking for shoelaces.  I had been up and down all the aisles in the shoe department but could not find them.  There was a manager standing there talking to two employees and I apologized and said, I know I'm just walking past them, but where are the shoelaces?  One of the employees just pointed and said, over there.  The manager looked at him, turned to me, and said, let me show you where they are.  They were on the end of an aisle, and yes, I was missing them.  I thanked the manager and always wondered if he said anything to the employee who told me they were "over there."  

[BetyBee]

It's early. The house is quiet. I'm enjoying my coffee and watching the very pink sunrise. Sometimes life is just so good! 😸

[Caoimhe]

15 hours ago, kristen111 said:

It’s the same story everyday here.  We are either looking for our glasses, my cell phone, or the REMOTE.  Only one remote, so we go nuts blaming one another.

My smart watch finds my phone for me! One of its most used functions sad to say.

[EtheltoTillie]

We do keep a landline, as it's included with our cable/internet package, but we rarely use it.  One use was to call the missing cell phone.  Or if my husband was home, he could call my phone from his.  But now that I have the Apple watch, I ping the phone with it.  I love that feature.

[shapeshifter]

5 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

We do keep a landline, as it's included with our cable/internet package, but we rarely use it.  One use was to call the missing cell phone.

Does your landline get a lot of spam calls? 
I cancelled mine around 2009 when landlines weren't free.
A local Walgreens' number was one digit off mine, plus there were ads running listing my number for them. Having had 3 kids myself, when parents called for prescriptions at 6am on Saturday, I first calmly verified that the number they had dialed was mine, and then gave them the correct number and thanked them for noting it for future reference.

[Yeah No]

17 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I did that not too long ago. Fortunately, I was home alone. But the worst thing is, asking a store employee where a product is and (s)he points at the shelf right beside you. That happened to me *once* (& you know I wanted the earth to open up & swallow me!)  A year later, I was in the same supermarket and a customer asked me where a product was. I pointed at it. Of course she was embarrassed. But I told her at least it was just me (similar age woman) and not a young store employee, (as I'd experienced). I rarely ask employees where anything is if I'm standing in the appropriate aisle 😁.

I had the exact same things happen to me, both things and I said the same thing to the woman who was embarrassed!

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, Caoimhe said:

My smart watch finds my phone for me! One of its most used functions sad to say.

I do that too.  One reason I don't wear my old watches anymore.  

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

We do keep a landline, as it's included with our cable/internet package, but we rarely use it.  One use was to call the missing cell phone.  Or if my husband was home, he could call my phone from his.  But now that I have the Apple watch, I ping the phone with it.  I love that feature.

We do that too but there are times I'm not near my landline and my husband is not here so the smart watch has come in handy many times.  Like yesterday when I was in a mad frenzy trying to find my lost credit cards/IDs I misplaced my cell phone in the process and used the smart watch to find it.

54 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Does your landline get a lot of spam calls? 
I cancelled mine around 2009 when landlines weren't free.
A local Walgreens' number was one digit off mine, plus there were ads running listing my number for them. Having had 3 kids myself, when parents called for prescriptions at 6am on Saturday, I first calmly verified that the number they had dialed was mine, and then gave them the correct number and thanked them for noting it for future reference.

We keep a landline but we have the calls transferred to my husband's cell phone which has spam call blocking on it so he doesn't get that many spam calls anymore.  The landline used to be his business line but it's in a bundle with our internet/cable so we kept it because it was not really costing us anything extra.  To remove it would actually probably not cost us any less given the way they structure the pricing on these bundles.

[shapeshifter]

40 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

We keep a landline but we have the calls transferred to my husband's cell phone which has spam call blocking on it so he doesn't get that many spam calls anymore. 

Ah. I live alone, so if I have to turn off the spam blocker on my cell phone for delivery or service or medical calls, the robots seem to get all excited and amping up the spam. 
So it sounds like getting a free landline isn't really worth it, except if I only plugged in the phone to call my cell if Find My Phone wasn't available.

[EtheltoTillie]

We don’t get many spam calls, @shapeshifter, because we never give the number out to anyone. We got a new landline number with this service because when we shifted over we could have kept our old Verizon number of 35 years’ duration but there was a screwup in the switchover. It’s just as well, as we really had switched over to cellphone use. 
This reminds me of another phone issue. I have a landline number in my office and have now had it for at least 25 years.  Every so often I get a wrong number for people who are seeking the NYC employee pension office. My number is one number different.  I am polite to them. Sometimes they call back a second time because they make the same misdial again. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

20 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

As seen on FB:
(“What could possibly go wrong.”)

 

This appears to be the actual sign:

 

[Bastet]

I have two landline numbers, home and office, and on the two of them together I don't get anywhere near as many spam calls as I get to my cell phone.  Since I hardly ever use my cell phone, I sometimes go pretty long stretches without even checking it, and it's annoying to have such a long list of numbers in the missed calls log to go through and block.  And spam texts to delete.

[BetyBee]

Life was better when we didn't get spam calls on our cell phones.

I had my last landline back around 2003 to maybe 2005 (?). We had just moved back to IL and we got a number that had belonged to a deadbeat. I got calls all day every day, for him. I started to recognize the voices of debt collectors who called frequently. I would tell them that I already told them it was a new number for me and I didn't know the guy. They'd lie and say they they'd never called before. Then they'd ask how they could get in touch with the guy I just said I didn't know! It made me furious! Somewhere around there I got my first cell phone and gave up the landline. I had a sweet reprieve from dunning phone calls for strangers. Now I don't have a landline, but the do not call registry is a thing of the past. At least there are call screening apps.

[SweetSable]

On 4/17/2024 at 8:01 PM, SoMuchTV said:

I don’t think of myself as a big spender, but I’ve come to appreciate the value of buying a pair of scissors for every drawer, a remote for either side of the couch, a flashlight for every room…

I have reading glasses in every room.  

[RealHousewife]

I stopped taking calls from unknown numbers due to all the spammers. If it's important, I figure I'll get a voicemail an/or a text. I agree it's still annoying to get spam calls. 

[annzeepark914]

I love landlines. Almost everyone who calls me on cellphones sounds like they're in a cave, or in an echo chamber, or holding a hand over the mouth. They all have different brands. We have caller ID and use the NoMoRobo call service. So the spam calls usually ring once. Occasionally we get a spam call that rings the 4 times before voice mail picks up. They hang up by the 4th ring. Jerks. What kind of lowlifes make these calls?

[isalicat]

18 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

I love landlines. Almost everyone who calls me on cellphones sounds like they're in a cave, or in an echo chamber, or holding a hand over the mouth. They all have different brands. We have caller ID and use the NoMoRobo call service. So the spam calls usually ring once. Occasionally we get a spam call that rings the 4 times before voice mail picks up. They hang up by the 4th ring. Jerks. What kind of lowlifes make these calls?

To answer your last question: That is a robot call - they are set to hang up after several rings and go on to the next number in the list. It is not a live person (a live person only comes on spam calls if an actual human answers). Don't answer!

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

I love landlines. Almost everyone who calls me on cellphones sounds like they're in a cave, or in an echo chamber, or holding a hand over the mouth.

YES!!!! 

I have both a landline and a mobile phone, but if I'm in the mood for a lengthier conversation, I will use the landline.  I just use the Caller ID function on the phone to screen spam calls. Our TV used to flash the name of whoever was calling on our landline # onto the screen, which was helpful, because the phone was in another room. Now, however, we have a new provider, and we no longer get the flashing # on our TV. Perhaps I need to activate that function, but I wouldn't know how.

[BetyBee]

I used to love coming home from work and checking the answering machine. I guess I loved answering machines!  Even now, sometimes when I come home, I feel like I need to do something. Maybe I should set up a camera and I could review what my cat has been doing while I'm gone!

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I love landlines. Almost everyone who calls me on cellphones sounds like they're in a cave, or in an echo chamber, or holding a hand over the mouth.

Same.  And then there are the people who only call me when they're on a long drive, so I get the added pleasure of pockets where we can't hear each other, the call drops and they have to call back, etc.

16 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

Now, however, we have a new provider, and we no longer get the flashing # on our TV. Perhaps I need to activate that function, but I wouldn't know how.

Do you have DirecTV, by any chance?  They eliminated the caller ID feature, so receivers with the new software no longer have that option available in settings.

[Mondrianyone]

18 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

Our TV used to flash the name of whoever was calling on our landline # onto the screen

We have that function with Dish (although it doesn't flash, just displays the number in a box on-screen). If it's available from your provider, you might be able to set it up by going into the Settings menu and looking around. Or of course you could call tech support (my version of hell on earth) and ask them. It's really helpful to have.

[chitowngirl]

I have my iPhone set to ring only if the caller is in my contacts. If it’s someone who is really calling me and not in my contacts, they’ll leave a message. Hardly anyone leaves a message…it’s mostly spam.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I love landlines. Almost everyone who calls me on cellphones sounds like they're in a cave, or in an echo chamber, or holding a hand over the mouth. They all have different brands.

1 hour ago, ECM1231 said:

YES!!!! 

I have both a landline and a mobile phone, but if I'm in the mood for a lengthier conversation, I will use the landline

I'd forgotten about the clarity of landlines. 
Getting a hearing aid that captures the cell phone audio helps, but I only have a hearing aid for my "bad" ear.
I frequently have to tell my middle daughter to call me back when she's at home and not walking between cell phone towers in Manhattan, but it probably wouldn't be a problem if she didn't insist on buying used, off-brand phones that fit in a small pocket and wind up falling out and getting broken.

 

[Quof]

I don't answer numbers I don't recognize, but I do answer "unknown callers" because I am dealing with a number of healthcare providers who call from their cellphones when they get a free minute in their day.  If I have to call them back, we usually end up playing phone tag.  My secret - I don't say anything when I answer.  If they are legitimate callers, they will say "Hello? Quof?" Spam callers might have my last name from a list, but never my first, so it's a good screener.  Robots just disconnect.  

[annzeepark914]

7 minutes ago, Quof said:

I don't answer numbers I don't recognize, but I do answer "unknown callers" because I am dealing with a number of healthcare providers who call from their cellphones when they get a free minute in their day.  If I have to call them back, we usually end up playing phone tag.  My secret - I don't say anything when I answer.  If they are legitimate callers, they will say "Hello? Quof?" Spam callers might have my last name from a list, but never my first, so it's a good screener.  Robots just disconnect.  

If I don't recognize the number on our caller ID, I let it go to voicemail and immediately pick up when they announce who they are & I recognize the name and/or the practice. 

[Quof]

How do you hear them speaking on a voicemail?  Do you have an answering machine? 

[kristen111]

1 hour ago, Mondrianyone said:

We have that function with Dish (although it doesn't flash, just displays the number in a box on-screen). If it's available from your provider, you might be able to set it up by going into the Settings menu and looking around. Or of course you could call tech support (my version of hell on earth) and ask them. It's really helpful to have.

My tv flashes the name of the person or company with their phone number.  Then we decide if we want to pick up or let it go to voicemail on the answering machine. Nice feature.  Optimum.

[ECM1231]

2 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

Or of course you could call tech support (my version of hell on earth) and ask them

😂 Yeah, they're usually very helpful once I am able to finally speak to a live person.

@Bastet, we have Verizon FIOS.

[Bastet]

31 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

If I don't recognize the number on our caller ID, I let it go to voicemail and immediately pick up when they announce who they are & I recognize the name and/or the practice. 

That's what I do with unknown numbers as well. 

28 minutes ago, Quof said:

How do you hear them speaking on a voicemail?  Do you have an answering machine? 

I do.  It's one of those cordless phone sets, where the main base has an answering machine, and then the additional handsets just sit in small charging bases.

[Anduin]

I'm flying international tomorrow. This is my checklist. My travelling companion is handling the tickets. Have I forgotten anything?

8 t-shirts
3 Long sleeve shirts
4 trousers
8 boxers
8 socks
1 sleep shirt
1 pjs
Tooth brush
Deodorant
Razor

 

[Browncoat]

Where are you going?  Do you have a rain jacket?  Phone/device chargers?  Adapter for electricity (because the world can't agree on electricity -- I have so many adapters!)?  Hairbrush or comb?  

[Anduin]

19 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

Where are you going?  Do you have a rain jacket?  Phone/device chargers?  Adapter for electricity (because the world can't agree on electricity -- I have so many adapters!)?  Hairbrush or comb?  

Britain & Ireland. Yes, yes, yes, my hair is too short. :)

[supposebly]

How long are you going?

Shoes?

Toothpaste?

Moisturizer. Sunscreen?

Jacket?

Edited April 20 by supposebly

[Anduin]

32 minutes ago, supposebly said:

How long are you going?

Shoes?

Toothpaste?

Moisturizer. Sunscreen?

Jacket?

Around five weeks. I should be back by June unless something goes wrong. Yes to all of the above. But which shoes to I wear on the plane? The newer but heavier ones, or the lighter ones with a bit more give?

[Yeah No]

53 minutes ago, Anduin said:

Around five weeks. I should be back by June unless something goes wrong. Yes to all of the above. But which shoes to I wear on the plane? The newer but heavier ones, or the lighter ones with a bit more give?

I wear lightweight comfortable slip on shoes so they're easy to get off and on for TSA.  When I flew last year I wore Skecher's slip ons.  I bought them especially for the trip.  Best decision ever.

[Yeah No]

20 hours ago, SweetSable said:

I have reading glasses in every room.  

I do that too but inevitably after two weeks they all end up on my desk.  Same for flashlights, pens, scissors and tape.  Then I have to go around putting them back where they came from.

[annzeepark914]

3 hours ago, Anduin said:

Britain & Ireland. Yes, yes, yes, my hair is too short. :)

Bon voyage!

[Browncoat]

1 hour ago, Anduin said:

The newer but heavier ones, or the lighter ones with a bit more give?

I prefer to wear lighter shoes on the plane, but if space is an issue in your bag, wear the heavier ones.

I have Raynaud's, so I'd take a pair of light gloves, too.  

What about swimwear?  

Have a great trip!

Edited April 20 by Browncoat

[ginger90]

@Anduin have a great trip!

[ECM1231]

5 weeks in Britain and Ireland sound wonderful! Safe travels and enjoy, @Anduin! 

[Guest]

I understand people being devoted fans of sports teams but what I don't understand are people who devotedly hate a particular sports team!  I am guessing this isn't uncommon but for me personally it is my uncle who hates the hockey team the Toronto Maple Leafs with a passionate hate that defies logic.   I can't think of any sports team I even like all that much so maybe this is just me not understanding how being into sports works!

[ebk57]

1 hour ago, Mona Lisa said:

I understand people being devoted fans of sports teams but what I don't understand are people who devotedly hate a particular sports team!  I am guessing this isn't uncommon but for me personally it is my uncle who hates the hockey team the Toronto Maple Leafs with a passionate hate that defies logic.   I can't think of any sports team I even like all that much so maybe this is just me not understanding how being into sports works!

Don't take this the wrong way, but yeah, you don't understand how being a sports fan works! 😉

There's nothing quite as satisfying as a life-long sports grudge/hate.  Just ask me about any NYC sports team - or better yet, don't... 

[Bastet]

11 minutes ago, ebk57 said:

Don't take this the wrong way, but yeah, you don't understand how being a sports fan works! 😉

Exactly.  I, on the other hand, hate the Dallas Cowboys with every fiber of my being, as nature intended.

[JustHereForFood]

1 hour ago, Mona Lisa said:

I understand people being devoted fans of sports teams 

I don't understand even that. 😄

[BetyBee]

11 hours ago, Anduin said:

I'm flying international tomorrow. This is my checklist. My travelling companion is handling the tickets. Have I forgotten anything?

8 t-shirts
3 Long sleeve shirts
4 trousers
8 boxers
8 socks
1 sleep shirt
1 pjs
Tooth brush
Deodorant
Razor

 

I know I'm too late for Anduin's post, but I keep a note of what to bring on trips in the Notes app on my phone. I mostly visit my grandkids, so the list changes according to the weather, but I always have chargers and medicine on my list. I'd be lost if I couldn't charge my devices or take my meds. Having a list helps!

Does anyone else worry about posters stop posting? I'm really concerned about a friend I've made here who hasn't posted in a few days. It's funny. We learn a lot about other posters, but we don't really know important info like their names! Anyway, she's in my thoughts and I really hope all is well. 

[annzeepark914]

@BetyBee You could send her a message...a sort of, "Hope you're enjoying this spring weather as much as I am!" type of one-line note.

[partofme]

37 minutes ago, ebk57 said:

There's nothing quite as satisfying as a life-long sports grudge/hate.  Just ask me about any NYC sports team - or better yet, don't... 

Lol!   I’m not a big sports person and I don’t really hate them necessarily but if there’s a team I root against it would be the Boston Red Sox.  

[annzeepark914]

I was never a real deal fan until the Nats came to town. Those early seasons were rough for fans and it didn't help having the Philth fans sitting behind the batter's box. They always had a few fans (somewhere in the stadium) who would yell taunts in whiney sing-song voices.  It was bad enough already (as a fan at home) screaming at our stupid 3rd base coach, waving our players home when even we could see they wouldn't make it in time.🤬😩😡😖.

I'm well behaved at the games 😁.

Edited April 20 by annzeepark914