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

[Anduin]

If I ever visit America, trying a twinkie is on my list of things to do. You those things you always hear about through pop culture osmosis? Yeah, I've never seen them for sale in Oz. Though I've seen a couple of junk food import shops around, maybe I should go in and ask.

Related, I remember reading comics way back in the late 80s and seeing angel and devil cakes advertised. Those grabbed my interest too. But I've never seen any mention of them in many years. I'm guessing they're gone?

[Yeah No]

36 minutes ago, Anduin said:

If I ever visit America, trying a twinkie is on my list of things to do. You those things you always hear about through pop culture osmosis? Yeah, I've never seen them for sale in Oz. Though I've seen a couple of junk food import shops around, maybe I should go in and ask.

My husband loves those YouTube videos where people from other countries try popular American foods for the first time. I just watched 3 in which Aussies try Twinkies and they all give them a 5 or 6 out of 10 and say they they're not bad but taste like typical cheap supermarket snacks.

Here's one FYI:

Twinkies are one of those things Americans joke about too. I've often heard people say that if there were a nuclear war all that would be left are cockroaches and Twinkies! This is actually based in some truth as of course there are YouTubes where people cut into and eat old Twinkies, but even the 20 year old Twinkies are dried out by that time although they supposedly taste the same!

36 minutes ago, Anduin said:

Related, I remember reading comics way back in the late 80s and seeing angel and devil cakes advertised. Those grabbed my interest too. But I've never seen any mention of them in many years. I'm guessing they're gone?

Are those the exact names? Do you remember the brand name? It sounds like something from Little Debbie brand from years ago.

Edited July 30 by Yeah No

[Yeah No]

The recent conversation about Canada and my mention of gift shops in the Pet Peeves thread got me thinking about a subject I've been considering bringing up on this board in the hopes of getting some advice.

I took a cruise to Halifax, NS last month and bought a cap in one of the souvenir shops at the cruise terminal. I have a tradition of collecting caps when I travel and Nova Scotia was an important "bucket list" destination for me so it was important to me to buy that cap. Well, somehow weeks later I still can't find the cap. I thought I wore it on the way home from NYC where the ship docked. We took a limo. home and I thought for sure I put it in my knapsack. When I got home I put the knapsack in a closet to deal with later but days later when I did go through it, it wasn't there. So I called the limo. company but they said it had not been found (and my husband, who is a limo. driver says it would definitely have been found because limos. are cleaned and checked for lost items after every ride). 

So anyway, I soon caught a cold and wasn't up to searching for it so the trail went cold and my memory of what might have happened to it got weaker. It wasn't in any of my luggage either. I still haven't found it and I doubt I would have put it in such an obscure place that it's here but hidden somehow. I don't remember seeing it at all at home.

I looked online to find the cap in hopes of replacing it, and did find it, but only on one wholesale site that only sells them in batches of 12 at a time. I also tried to find contact information for the souvenir shop at the Halifax cruise terminal, but I don't remember its name and the closest I could get was the name of the terminal itself (Pavilion 22) and a photo of all the souvenir stalls, which did not show their names. I tried Googling for them but didn't turn up any specific shop names at that specific location.

My question is, does anyone have any advice on what I should do? Should I try calling the wholesaler to find out whether they might sell me one cap or at least tell me where I might find one at a retailer willing to send one to the U.S.?

I know it sounds like such a trivial problem but I just can't get past it for some reason and I'd like to do anything I can to get a replacement cap just like the one I had. I have a photo of me wearing it on the trip and it just feels so bittersweet...

Here is a photo of the cap from the wholesaler's website:

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

The recent conversation about Canada and my mention of gift shops in the Pet Peeves thread got me thinking about a subject I've been considering bringing up on this board in the hopes of getting some advice.

I took a cruise to Halifax, NS last month and bought a cap in one of the souvenir shops at the cruise terminal. I have a tradition of collecting caps when I travel and Nova Scotia was an important "bucket list" destination for me so it was important to me to buy that cap. Well, somehow weeks later I still can't find the cap. I thought I wore it on the way home from NYC where the ship docked. We took a limo. home and I thought for sure I put it in my knapsack. When I got home I put the knapsack in a closet to deal with later but days later when I did go through it, it wasn't there. So I called the limo. company but they said it had not been found (and my husband, who is a limo. driver says it would definitely have been found because limos. are cleaned and checked for lost items after every ride). 

So anyway, I soon caught a cold and wasn't up to searching for it so the trail went cold and my memory of what might have happened to it got weaker. It wasn't in any of my luggage either. I still haven't found it and I doubt I would have put it in such an obscure place that it's here but hidden somehow. I don't remember seeing it at all at home.

I looked online to find the cap in hopes of replacing it, and did find it, but only on one wholesale site that only sells them in batches of 12 at a time. I also tried to find contact information for the souvenir shop at the Halifax cruise terminal, but I don't remember its name and the closest I could get was the name of the terminal itself (Pavilion 22) and a photo of all the souvenir stalls, which did not show their names. I tried Googling for them but didn't turn up any specific shop names at that specific location.

My question is, does anyone have any advice on what I should do? Should I try calling the wholesaler to find out whether they might sell me one cap or at least tell me where I might find one at a retailer willing to send one to the U.S.?

I know it sounds like such a trivial problem but I just can't get past it for some reason and I'd like to do anything I can to get a replacement cap just like the one I had. I have a photo of me wearing it on the trip and it just feels so bittersweet...

Here is a photo of the cap from the wholesaler's website:

It does look like the only exact match is from that site with the minimum order of 12 caps. 
The Red Bubble site has similar caps, seemingly in 2 sizes of "baseball cap" and "Dad hat."
I've never used Red Bubble, but at the bottom of their page they have a lot of information about their goals, including a section on Social Responsibility, which is at least part hype, but may be true: redbubble.com/i/hat/NOVA-SCOTIA-Gifts-Masks-Stickers-and-Products-12-by-mpodger/111410567.9AAXL

I too have been obsessed with replacing things that were lost.
Any chance in this case your itch would be best scratched by another trip to Halifax? 

BTW, based upon your story, my guess would be it fell out of the limo when you got out.
ETA: Unless: Have you thoroughly emptied the closet and made sure the cap didn't fall into anything else in the closet?

Edited July 30 by shapeshifter

[oliviabenson]

21 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

I've never seen that particular snack cake; I wonder if it's strictly Canadian?

In elementary school I always purchased the hot lunch and for the life of me cannot remember if there was any type of dessert included. I do recall that it came with those half-pint containers of milk.

In high school I purchased hot lunch, too, and on those days where nothing seemed appealing, I'd buy a package of Linden chocolate cookies, 3 to a pack. Senior year I also had 2nd period free, and I'd buy a buttered roll and chat with my friends who also had a free period.

They are $2 now. I used to buy them for $.50!

[Mindthinkr]

3 hours ago, Yeah No said:

The recent conversation about Canada and my mention of gift shops in the Pet Peeves thread got me thinking about a subject I've been considering bringing up on this board in the hopes of getting some advice.

I took a cruise to Halifax, NS last month and bought a cap in one of the souvenir shops at the cruise terminal. I have a tradition of collecting caps when I travel and Nova Scotia was an important "bucket list" destination for me so it was important to me to buy that cap. Well, somehow weeks later I still can't find the cap. I thought I wore it on the way home from NYC where the ship docked. We took a limo. home and I thought for sure I put it in my knapsack. When I got home I put the knapsack in a closet to deal with later but days later when I did go through it, it wasn't there. So I called the limo. company but they said it had not been found (and my husband, who is a limo. driver says it would definitely have been found because limos. are cleaned and checked for lost items after every ride). 

So anyway, I soon caught a cold and wasn't up to searching for it so the trail went cold and my memory of what might have happened to it got weaker. It wasn't in any of my luggage either. I still haven't found it and I doubt I would have put it in such an obscure place that it's here but hidden somehow. I don't remember seeing it at all at home.

I looked online to find the cap in hopes of replacing it, and did find it, but only on one wholesale site that only sells them in batches of 12 at a time. I also tried to find contact information for the souvenir shop at the Halifax cruise terminal, but I don't remember its name and the closest I could get was the name of the terminal itself (Pavilion 22) and a photo of all the souvenir stalls, which did not show their names. I tried Googling for them but didn't turn up any specific shop names at that specific location.

My question is, does anyone have any advice on what I should do? Should I try calling the wholesaler to find out whether they might sell me one cap or at least tell me where I might find one at a retailer willing to send one to the U.S.?

I know it sounds like such a trivial problem but I just can't get past it for some reason and I'd like to do anything I can to get a replacement cap just like the one I had. I have a photo of me wearing it on the trip and it just feels so bittersweet...

Here is a photo of the cap from the wholesaler's website:

I’m sorry that your cap went missing. I wish I knew how to help you replace it. 

[oliviabenson]

5 hours ago, Anduin said:

If I ever visit America, trying a twinkie is on my list of things to do. You those things you always hear about through pop culture osmosis? Yeah, I've never seen them for sale in Oz. Though I've seen a couple of junk food import shops around, maybe I should go in and ask.

Related, I remember reading comics way back in the late 80s and seeing angel and devil cakes advertised. Those grabbed my interest too. But I've never seen any mention of them in many years. I'm guessing they're gone?

Twinkies are ok nothing special. I had better snacks from Trader Joe’s lol. Do you have string mozzarella cheese in Australia? 

[Absolom]

9 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

But being able to see the sunrise over Lake Ontario every morning should mitigate any of my anxieties about the day ahead.

That would be worth a lot and the perfect sight for morning coffee.  

[Anduin]

8 hours ago, Yeah No said:

My husband loves those YouTube videos where people from other countries try popular American foods for the first time. I just watched 3 in which Aussies try Twinkies and they all give them a 5 or 6 out of 10 and say they they're not bad but taste like typical cheap supermarket snacks.

Are those the exact names? Do you remember the brand name? It sounds like something from Little Debbie brand from years ago.

Yeah, I know they probably aren't great, it would still be nice to try. :)

The angel and devil cakes might be from Hostess. I haven't seen ads even in old comics for some time.

[Absolom]

9 hours ago, Anduin said:

Related, I remember reading comics way back in the late 80s and seeing angel and devil cakes advertised. Those grabbed my interest too. But I've never seen any mention of them in many years. I'm guessing they're gone?

I don't remember angel and devil cakes, but we've had angel food cake that was popular for years and devil's food cakes.   Could that be it?  They've both kind of fallen off popularity, but people still make them at home.  

[oliviabenson]

44 minutes ago, Anduin said:

Yeah, I know they probably aren't great, it would still be nice to try. :)

The angel and devil cakes might be from Hostess. I haven't seen ads even in old comics for some time.

https://www.hostesscakes.com/products/zingers/devils-food/
 

is that it? I don’t even remember the cakes you are talking about and I’m old!

[Bastet]

25 minutes ago, Absolom said:

I don't remember angel and devil cakes, but we've had angel food cake that was popular for years and devil's food cakes.   Could that be it?

That's what I wondered.

I don't much care for devil's food cake (too much chocolate; yes, it's possible!), but my mom used to make angel food cake and now I'm craving some (she has long since stopped messing with it, and I do very little baking, so it has been eons).  It's a good summer cake, since it's light, especially with fruit.

Edited July 30 by Bastet

[Anduin]

27 minutes ago, Absolom said:

I don't remember angel and devil cakes, but we've had angel food cake that was popular for years and devil's food cakes.   Could that be it?  They've both kind of fallen off popularity, but people still make them at home.  

Yes, that sounds familiar! Just, interesting names that have stayed with me for way too long. :)

[shapeshifter]

57 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

https://www.hostesscakes.com/products/zingers/devils-food/
 

is that it? I don’t even remember the cakes you are talking about and I’m old!

Same. Maybe they were post-Boomer generation?

[oliviabenson]

8 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Same. Maybe they were post-Boomer generation?

I don’t know and now I’m curious what the poster means! Maybe they can post a picture from the advertisement???

@Anduin

[Anduin]

1 minute ago, oliviabenson said:

I don’t know and now I’m curious what the poster means! Maybe they can post a picture from the advertisement???

@Anduin

Sorry, I got rid of all my old comics many years ago. If I'm ever reading a scan and see one, I'll let you know.

[oliviabenson]

3 minutes ago, Anduin said:

Sorry, I got rid of all my old comics many years ago. If I'm ever reading a scan and see one, I'll let you know.

Well you got me stumped and curious!

Hope those comics weren’t valuable!

[ParadoxLost]

9 hours ago, Yeah No said:

My question is, does anyone have any advice on what I should do? Should I try calling the wholesaler to find out whether they might sell me one cap or at least tell me where I might find one at a retailer willing to send one to the U.S.?

 

There is a "contact us" link on the site.  Suggest starting by emailing them to ask if they'll sell you one or give you a name of a few dealers you can check to see if they have an online store.  Probably easier than calling.

[Anduin]

41 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

Well you got me stumped and curious!

Hope those comics weren’t valuable!

Not in the condition I kept them in. :) No, I didn't have anything rare or valuable.

[annzeepark914]

Several years ago I found Hostess orange cupcakes in some supermarket. I was thrilled as I'd loved them as a kid. Blech. A number of these companies have been sold over the years and the companies that bought them use cheaper ingredients. The orange frosting & creamy filling tasted so artificial ☹️. 

[ParadoxLost]

The amount of time I might waste if someone says "hey this thing (that never existed) what was that".

Drake's Devil dog.  That's the only thing I got.  Nothing angel related.

I did learn Hostess  just released a twinkie shoved inside of a Ding Dong.  Which, on typing it out, sounds wrong.

And yes, Hostess isn't Hostess anymore although I don't think I've bought anything since they went bankrupt but don't really remember them being much better before that.

[Dimity]

3 hours ago, Anduin said:

The angel and devil cakes might be from Hostess. I haven't seen ads even in old comics for some time.

I think you may have seen ads for Little Debbie snack cakes.  They've discontinued their angel food cake apparently, but they have two kinds of devil cakes - devil squares and devil cremes.

 

[Anduin]

22 minutes ago, Dimity said:

I think you may have seen ads for Little Debbie snack cakes.  They've discontinued their angel food cake apparently, but they have two kinds of devil cakes - devil squares and devil cremes.

 

Maybe! Unless I go digging through 80s comics, I'll probably never know. And other people have suggested they were discontinued anyway. So it goes.

[Yeah No]

11 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I too have been obsessed with replacing things that were lost.
Any chance in this case your itch would be best scratched by another trip to Halifax? 

BTW, based upon your story, my guess would be it fell out of the limo when you got out.
ETA: Unless: Have you thoroughly emptied the closet and made sure the cap didn't fall into anything else in the closet?

Thank you, I appreciate your help! I'd love to go there again as there are a few places I didn't get to go, but it doesn't look like that's in the cards for a while.

If it fell out of the limo. when I got out of it I would have seen it because that happened in my driveway.

It's a small coat closet in my foyer and I pulled everything on the floor out to look through it but I didn't find it, unfortunately.

There is a chance I handed it to my husband when I got out of the limo. but he doesn't remember that happening so it's kind of hard to pursue that angle. He says he hasn't seen it anywhere either.

I think I'm going to call the company to ask all my questions, although I can't picture a way to do that without sounding ridiculous, lol. 

I'll let you know what happens.

 

4 hours ago, ParadoxLost said:

There is a "contact us" link on the site.  Suggest starting by emailing them to ask if they'll sell you one or give you a name of a few dealers you can check to see if they have an online store.  Probably easier than calling.

Yup, that's what I'm going to do, thanks. I don't know why I needed to ask for advice on that. For some reason I didn't feel confident to contact them without someone else telling me it's what I should do, LOL.

Edited July 31 by Yeah No

[Yeah No]

When I was a young teenager back in the early '70s I belonged to a travel camp that went all the way up to Canada and down to Florida. On one trip I brought my beloved jean jacket. It was beloved because it actually fit me well and looked cool, which at my small size back then was a real find. It was the trend in those days to use a studding tool to put studs on it in all shapes, sizes and colors. Of course I had a lot of stars and hearts on it (I was 13 after all). I was very proud of my unique creation and took great care of it.

Of course, because I was a kid I didn't realize how easy it would be to lose the jacket. I remember later realizing I'd left it in a women's rest room at a rest stop. It was way too late to see if I could retrieve it as by that time we were already in another state. The only other thing I can remember being that upset about losing was the granny square Afghan my mother crocheted for me that got lost in a move. At least I found more granny squares in her closet after she died so I still have those.

52 years later and I still feel sad about that jean jacket. I was never able to replace it. My mother and I tried to find that particular Wrangler jacket no avail. and at the time no other jean jackets fit me. They didn't have petite sizes back then and I was too big for kids' sizes. I have a photo of me wearing it before I studded it so at least there's that. So I think this situation with losing the souvenir cap is similar and that's why I need to follow through on it.

I don't know why but I can be sentimental about certain things like that. I have a plastic tub in my garage labeled "Sentimental T Shirts", LOL. In there are T Shirts with my old school and company logos, my Spuds McKenzie T shirt (you have to be old to remember that, LOL), my Tibbett Diner T shirt (that diner in my father's old neighborhood in the Bronx), My Y2K the "end of the world" T shirt and more. I can never part with any of them. I also have a similar tub full of "Sentimental Jackets". I can never get rid of those either.

[Yeah No]

6 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

I don’t even remember the cakes you are talking about and I’m old!

I don't know your age but I always thought you were at least 20 years younger than me! Age is relative!

3 hours ago, Dimity said:

I think you may have seen ads for Little Debbie snack cakes.  They've discontinued their angel food cake apparently, but they have two kinds of devil cakes - devil squares and devil cremes.

That's what I thought. I found one picture of their "Angel Cakes" which look like they're from a long time ago and are discontinued. Apologies for the poor quality, it's the only image of it I could find.

[oliviabenson]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

I don't know your age but I always thought you were at least 20 years younger than me! Age is relative!

That's what I thought. I found one picture of their "Angel Cakes" which look like they're from a long time ago and are discontinued. Apologies for the poor quality, it's the only image of it I could find.

Those look like twinkies! They probably tasted ok! Those are probably what they meant.

I am probably 20 years younger you. But I feel old! Like I’m 80-90 years old. 

[shapeshifter]

In 1972 Little Debbie came out with Devil Squares:

Quote

1972 DEVIL SQUARES®
A delightful chocolatey treat! Introduced in 1972, Little Debbie Devil Squares have been a staple in pantries since. But it wasn’t until 2015 that the fudge striping was added, making them the snack you see on shelves today.

https://www.littledebbie.com/history#:~:text=of this world!-,1972,DEVIL SQUARES,-®

Would these be the "Devil Cakes" mentioned upthread? 

Walmart's website lists the current ingredients and nutritional "value" in Little Debbie's Devil Squares:

Quote

Ingredients: Sugar, Water, Corn Syrup, Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Palm and Palm Kernel Oil, Palm and Soybean Oils with TBHQ and Citric Acid to Protect Flavor, Cocoa, Dextrose, Soybean Oil. Contains 2% or less of each of the following: Dried Egg Whites, Corn Starch, Invert Sugar, Caramel Color, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate), Salt, Mono- and Diglycerides, Whey (Milk), Modified Corn Starch, Sorbic Acid (to Preserve Freshness), Soy Lecithin, Sorbitan Monostearate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Polysorbate 60, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Propylene Glycol Monostearate, Red 40, Polysorbate 80, Soy Flour, Citric Acid.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Snack-Cakes-Little-Debbie-Family-Pack-DEVIL-SQUARES-cakes/16777548#:~:text=prior to purchase.-,Ingredients,-Ingredients

I suspect in 1972 there were fewer ingredients, but I have no way to support that thesis. And since Mom and Dad never bought such products, I don't know if they tasted very sugary or if they had that weird aftertaste I loathed that came with occasional hard candies of that era that crossed my palate that had earlier versions of artificial flavorings.

[shapeshifter]

On 7/30/2024 at 8:33 AM, shapeshifter said:

I should find out shortly after 10am tomorrow (Wednesday) if my offer was accepted, or if I was out-bid.

At 8am (15 minutes ago) my realtor let me know another offer was accepted. 
I'm okay with it. 
In the past 2 years and 9 months since I moved to my current condo — my first home purchase at age 68 (with intense buyer's remorse) — and started looking for something else, this is the first time I've actually put in an offer. A couple of realtors have shined me on as a looky-loo in that time — and they weren't unjustified.
So, at least I'm over that hump, and hopefully off any word-of-mouth, “looky-loo” list. 
And still looking.

Given that there were only 16 self-governing units, with one occupied by another realtor, the purchaser may have had their offer tailored to the seller's preferences. 
IDK anything about legalities, but, @EtheltoTillie, could a wealthy investor wanting a place on the beach for a couple of months of the year have paid for the entire new roof? 
(The bylaws stipulate that new owners cannot rent for the first 2 years, and then only to tenants who sign a year's lease, but the board could have waved that for a new roof, right?)

Or they just bid higher than I did.

Edited July 31 by shapeshifter

[bluegirl147]

Since we are talking snack cakes does anyone remember Zingers? They were made by Dolly Madison I think.  My favorite was the raspberry ones that looked like Twinkies.

 

Edited to add: I just discovered Hostess now owns Zingers and they are still available. Tells you how long it's been since I looked at that section in the grocery store.

Edited July 31 by bluegirl147

[Anduin]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

In 1972 Little Debbie came out with Devil Squares:

Would these be the "Devil Cakes" mentioned upthread? 

Walmart's website lists the current ingredients and nutritional "value" in Little Debbie's Devil Squares:

I suspect in 1972 there were fewer ingredients, but I have no way to support that thesis. And since Mom and Dad never bought such products, I don't know if they tasted very sugary or if they had that weird aftertaste I loathed that came with occasional hard candies of that era that crossed my palate that had earlier versions of artificial flavorings.

Maybe they got renamed at some point.

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

At 8am (15 minutes ago) my realtor let me know another offer was accepted. 
I'm okay with it. 

When I was house hunting a couple of years ago, I got my second pick. In hindsight, it was probably better than the first. Keep at it!

[Dimity]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

(The bylaws stipulate that new owners cannot rent for the first 2 years, and then only to tenants who sign a year's lease, but the board could have waved that for a new roof, right?)

I am wondering if you'd be happier trying to find someplace that isn't a condo.  Or is that even possible nowadays if you are looking at apartments?

[Quof]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

The bylaws stipulate that new owners cannot rent for the first 2 years, and then only to tenants who sign a year's lease, but the board could have waved that for a new roof, right?

Condo owners have fiduciary obligations to each other.  The prohibition on short term rentals is such a fundamental part of the terms under which each owner bought their unit, the Board can't simply waive it without unanimous agreement.  

Edited July 31 by Quof

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

(The bylaws stipulate that new owners cannot rent for the first 2 years, and then only to tenants who sign a year's lease, but the board could have waved that for a new roof, right?)

Or they just bid higher than I did.

Did you bid under asking price? Because a lot of markets (and properties) are very competitive right now and people have to bid over asking price to get it. I know that's true in a few towns in my area right now.

As far as that renting restriction that's very common just to discourage fly-by-night investors. Some communities even insist on "principals only", meaning the place has to be your primary residence, not just an investment property you put up for rent. I think that was true of my father's co-op, actually.

 

[Dimity]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

Did you bid under asking price? Because a lot of markets (and properties) are very competitive right now and people have to bid over asking price to get it. I know that's true in a few towns in my area right now.

This was true in my area not all that long ago but now houses are just sitting on the market and, if anything, the sellers are having to drop their asking price.   The market is correcting itself and I'm here for that.  The days of crazy overbidding and 40 offers on a house seem to be over here.

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Did you bid under asking price? Because a lot of markets (and properties) are very competitive right now and people have to bid over asking price to get it.

Still true here.
I had an Escalation Clause going up to 27% over the asking price.

When I lamented to the the realtor that it would probably go for 50% over the asking, she said she'd be shocked if it went for that much over, but she also encouraged me to go as high as I did (within my own comfort zone). 
When it closes in about 2 months the selling price will be public, and I'll be curious to see it.

 
There's a tremendous housing shortage here, to which I alluded in my NYT Wordle post yesterday:

Quote

Tuesday July 30, 2024
Wordle 1,137 3/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜UNITY
⬜🟨🟩🟨⬜OARED
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩FERAL

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐫: 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬

What a bUNITY’ll be when all the Boomers are gone!
Is likely the Gens X, Y, and Z’s shower song, 
Understandably bOARED with all our tall tales,
How we tamed FERAL tabbies and humpback whales,
But mostly they’re just waiting to buy our vacant homes.

_________________

Note: "bUNITY’ll be" is for "boon it'll be"

 

Edited July 31 by shapeshifter

[Yeah No]

12 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

Those look like twinkies! They probably tasted ok! Those are probably what they meant. 

They were like Twinkies with jelly in the center instead of cream, judging from the photo.

12 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

I am probably 20 years younger you. But I feel old! Like I’m 80-90 years old. 

If you knew how those of us over 65 felt you might edit that comment!

[Yeah No]

22 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Still true here.
I had an Escalation Clause going up to 27% over the asking price.

When I lamented to the the realtor that it would probably go for 50% over the asking, she said she'd be shocked if it went for that much over, but she also encouraged me to go as high as I did (within my own comfort zone). 
When it closes in about 2 months the selling price will be public, and I'll be curious to see it.

 
There's a tremendous housing shortage here, to which I alluded in my NYT Wordle post yesterday:

WOW, I'm so sorry, that's crazy!  You went up quite a bit over asking price. I can't imagine what the winner might have bid. It should be interesting to find out. I hope you have better luck next time.  ((Hugs)).

[Yeah No]

59 minutes ago, Dimity said:

This was true in my area not all that long ago but now houses are just sitting on the market and, if anything, the sellers are having to drop their asking price.   The market is correcting itself and I'm here for that.  The days of crazy overbidding and 40 offers on a house seem to be over here.

The market hasn't topped out here yet. A few months ago the news told us that Hartford, CT was the hottest job market in the nation - I don't know about now, but that blew my mind because for a long time this area was not seen as that desirable. Since the pandemic people from the NY Metro area have been moving over 100 miles up here for many reasons, not the least of which is that it is more affordable with a high quality of life. All the big magazines that report on these things rate it highly as a place for families to raise kids. So put that all together plus the fact that remote work is now a thing, and suddenly our real estate prices, which for 2 decades only inched up have exploded. And yet they're still cheaper than NYC. I don't know if there are bidding wars in my town, but I have heard of a few in the town next to us. I know we are said to have a housing shortage so it wouldn't surprise me if we did.

We have no intentions of moving, though, not for a while anyway. 

[Dimity]

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

We have no intentions of moving, though, not for a while anyway. 

Same.   We could make a lot by selling now, even with the prices having flattened out, but where would we go?  Nope.  Happy to stay where we are!

3 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

When it closes in about 2 months the selling price will be public, and I'll be curious to see it.

Interesting. I don't think that's a rule here or else we had a real estate agent with loose lips as he always told us what houses sold for if someone got it before us.

Edited July 31 by Dimity

[EtheltoTillie]

10 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

At 8am (15 minutes ago) my realtor let me know another offer was accepted. 
I'm okay with it. 
In the past 2 years and 9 months since I moved to my current condo — my first home purchase at age 68 (with intense buyer's remorse) — and started looking for something else, this is the first time I've actually put in an offer. A couple of realtors have shined me on as a looky-loo in that time — and they weren't unjustified.
So, at least I'm over that hump, and hopefully off any word-of-mouth, “looky-loo” list. 
And still looking.

Given that there were only 16 self-governing units, with one occupied by another realtor, the purchaser may have had their offer tailored to the seller's preferences. 
IDK anything about legalities, but, @EtheltoTillie, could a wealthy investor wanting a place on the beach for a couple of months of the year have paid for the entire new roof? 
(The bylaws stipulate that new owners cannot rent for the first 2 years, and then only to tenants who sign a year's lease, but the board could have waved that for a new roof, right?)

Or they just bid higher than I did.

Those are very unusual rules for a condo. Sounds more like a coop. It’s moot now, but as for the roof, did you already know that it needed repair?  

7 hours ago, Dimity said:

I am wondering if you'd be happier trying to find someplace that isn't a condo.  Or is that even possible nowadays if you are looking at apartments?

Yes the whole idea of buying an apartment whether coop or condo means that you are all responsible together for the common spaces and the overall structure. 

Edited July 31 by EtheltoTillie

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Those are very unusual rules for a condo. Sounds more like a coop. It’s moot now, but as for the roof, did you already know that it needed repair?  

Yes, I knew about the roof. And, yes, it did seem more like a co-op than a condo. 
And, finally, yes, you are right, it is all moot now. 
 

9 hours ago, Dimity said:

I am wondering if you'd be happier trying to find someplace that isn't a condo.  Or is that even possible nowadays if you are looking at apartments?

I would love to have a view of the beach, which the condo had at a price I could afford (or, apparently not?).
But I would also love to be closer to my daughter and grandkids, but that is half an hour from the beach.
So, I am not sure what I want. I've rented houses in the past for periods of 7 years twice, shorter times too. I rented duplexes/2-flats too, once for 10 years, another for 5 years. And then various apartment configurations, even a travel trailer. So you'd think I'd know by now, but it's so different when you're the owner, especially since I'm a Stranger In A Strange Land here in Rochester NY, and probably always will be.
And I have to think about getting older. All the places here have at least 2 bedrooms, so I have this idea of, if necessary, live-in help at some point, but that might not be realistic.

We all go through life for the first time.

At least I had a positive experience yesterday evening with an HVAC guy who was recommended by another realtor. He was young and smart and polite. A real rarity. And now my new thermostat is installed, and I can turn down the temperature without mashing the down button with a stick, and read it without a flashlight, LOL. And if I do find another place and put this one on the market, I can in good faith say that my HVAC has been serviced and was pronounced to be running well. 

[ebk57]

54 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

We all go through life for the first time.

I am very old, but have never heard this phrase before.  I love it.  Thanks for posting!

[shapeshifter]

4 minutes ago, ebk57 said:

I am very old, but have never heard this phrase before.  I love it.  Thanks for posting!

I may or may not have just invented it. 
You can say you were there at the beginning. 😉

[fairffaxx]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Those are very unusual rules for a condo. Sounds more like a coop.

 

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

And, yes, it did seem more like a co-op than a condo. 

What a difference a hyphen can make! 🐔

[shapeshifter]

5 minutes ago, fairffaxx said:

What a difference a hyphen can make! 🐔

Being old and having moved about 35 times in my life, perhaps unsurprisingly, I did once live in a one-room cabin, in a cooperative situation with a couple and 2 kids who lived in an adjacent structure that was a converted chicken coop
—  on the beach.
😉

[oliviabenson]

Anyone else get obsessed with certain foods and eat it until they get tired of it and move on to something else? 
 

Right now it’s granola and yogurt and scrambled eggs with feta every single day!

I went to get butter. $6 and up for a pound. $3.79 for a pound of plant butter. I got the plant butter. I’m using it for cooking and it’s pretty good. Makes buttery toast and nice scrambled eggs.

Edited August 1 by oliviabenson

[oliviabenson]

I refuse to get on a scale but I’m losing weight, my efforts is working. My clothes are loose and flowy. 

[Jaded]

15 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

 A number of these companies have been sold over the years and the companies that bought them use cheaper ingredients. The orange frosting & creamy filling tasted so artificial ☹️. 

 

15 hours ago, ParadoxLost said:

And yes, Hostess isn't Hostess anymore although I don't think I've bought anything since they went bankrupt but don't really remember them being much better before that.

 

14 hours ago, Dimity said:

I think you may have seen ads for Little Debbie snack cakes.  They've discontinued their angel food cake apparently, but they have two kinds of devil cakes - devil squares and devil cremes.

I don't think any snack cake I've tried over the years which were ones I liked as a kid tasted like I remembered. I'd like to think I wouldn't have liked them back then if they tasted as artificial as they do now. Some of TastyKakes snack cakes still taste pretty good even though the company was sold to Flowers Foods apparently.

The only Little Debbie stuff I still like as of now that I can remember off the top of my head are Oatmeal Cream Pies, Nutty Buddy Bars, Donut Sticks and their apple pies. I loved Fudge Rounds and the Star Crunch ones way back when. I could only take a couple bites of when I decided to purchase a box of each quite a few years ago. Their powdered donuts also taste icky to me now too. 

I didn't really much Hostess stuff growing up. I got some Twinkies a looooong time ago and thought I tasted something that reminded me of meat. Apparently one of their ingredients is tallow. I don't think people are supposed to taste it in them though. 
 

11 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I don't know why but I can be sentimental about certain things like that. I have a plastic tub in my garage labeled "Sentimental T Shirts", LOL. In there are T Shirts with my old school and company logos, my Spuds McKenzie T shirt (you have to be old to remember that, LOL), my Tibbett Diner T shirt (that diner in my father's old neighborhood in the Bronx), My Y2K the "end of the world" T shirt and more. I can never part with any of them. I also have a similar tub full of "Sentimental Jackets". I can never get rid of those either.

I remember Spuds McKenzie. The wiki page is a short and wild read too. There were things I didn't know back then like people getting mad and thinking that by using the dog in their ads that they were pitching alcohol to kids. A person in politics back then even started his own media campaign in response to Spuds being a mascot too.

I think the different things that people to be sentimental to them can be really interesting. I wish I still had more stuff from when I was young. Moves, natural disasters and other things left me with a few things that are really special. I envy those that still have a lot. 
 

[Jaded]

On 7/30/2024 at 8:38 PM, ParadoxLost said:

The amount of time I might waste if someone says "hey this thing (that never existed) what was that".

I get so frustrated when I can't even find things I know existed online that sometimes feels like it has everything.