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

[Dimity]

5 minutes ago, PRgal said:

How was it The Boomers' fault? 

I don't know about @shapeshifter's daughter but a lot of younger people seem to believe everyone over the age of 50 and under a 100 is a boomer.  We're a big cohort but we're not that big!

[PRgal]

3 minutes ago, Dimity said:

I don't know about @shapeshifter's daughter but a lot of younger people seem to believe everyone over the age of 50 and under a 100 is a boomer.  We're a big cohort but we're not that big!

50 is GenX.  But I suppose even Millennials are ancient to a 15 year old.  But I think @shapeshifter's daughter is around my age?

[fairffaxx]

I hope that Shapeshifter has explained to her daughter that it was Boomers who finally ended the Viet Nam war?

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Like when my always-opinionated middle daughter was insisting the Vietnam War was “The Boomers” fault?

38 minutes ago, PRgal said:

How was it The Boomers' fault? 

I assume it was this:

32 minutes ago, Dimity said:

I don't know about @shapeshifter's daughter but a lot of younger people seem to believe everyone over the age of 50 and under a 100 is a boomer.  We're a big cohort but we're not that big!

and I couldn't handle arguing about it with her because, like the meme @Dimity posted:

Quote

One disorienting thing about getting older that nobody tells you about is how weird it feels to get a really passionate, extremely wrong lecture from a much younger person about verifiable historical events you can personally remember pretty well

[https://x.com/sameoldstory/status/1328436966573019138]

On a more positive note. I f'love how in the Chrome browser you can:

1. Right-click on an image that is a text meme and choose Search with Google Lens
2. Then:
   1. Select text (if you want to quote the words)
   2. From the images that open to the right, select the original to cite it.

But, yeah:

28 minutes ago, PRgal said:

50 is GenX.  But I suppose even Millennials are ancient to a 15 year old.  But I think @shapeshifter's daughter is around my age?

Yep. My middle daughter is 41. She admittedly loves to argue. This is the daughter that is always in debt and it's never her fault because "We were in a recession then. You know that, right?" — which she claims for any and every moment in the last 20 years.
But once again she's on the verge of getting a fresh start, so: 🤞

 

Edited December 7 by shapeshifter

[annzeepark914]

To a 15 year old, anyone 30+ is old.

[Dimity]

2 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

To a 15 year old, anyone 30+ is old.

I still remember being 5 and thinking the kids in grade 7 (the oldest in our school) were sooooo old!  Now I have  a 12 yr old grandson and he's a baby to me!

[fairffaxx]

"Don't trust anyone over 30":  Jack Weinberg

[Absolom]

26 minutes ago, fairffaxx said:

I hope that Shapeshifter has explained to her daughter that it was Boomers who finally ended the Viet Nam war?

I seem to remember it was boomers leading the war protests and moving to Canada.

17 minutes ago, Dimity said:

I still remember being 5 and thinking the kids in grade 7 (the oldest in our school) were sooooo old!  Now I have  a 12 yr old grandson and he's a baby to me!

 

15 minutes ago, fairffaxx said:

"Don't trust anyone over 30":  Jack Weinberg

When my granddaughter was around five, she asked me what my expiration date was.

[shapeshifter]

3 minutes ago, Absolom said:

When my granddaughter was around five, she asked me what my expiration date was.

I love this👆
It sounds like something I would've said when I was 5. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

12 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I really have no problem tipping 20% or more because I know enough about how restaurants work. That tip may not just be going to the person assigned to wait on you. 

And that's a major problem with tipping--you have no way of knowing where the money is going.

I just don't understand why it's such a radical concept to have employers pay their employees.  And I mean truly pay, not this bullshit "service fee" that's tacked on to every bill.  

I hate the system so much that I avoid going to sit-down restaurants whenever possible, even though we eat out all the time.  Like all the time.  I hate hitting "no tip" on that tip screen as the counter-service employee watches, but I do it because I know being principled isn't easy.  This shit will never stop if we keep letting them do it.

Plus the whole structure is wrapped up a major peeve of mine:  ignorance.  Chicago recently got rid of the sub-minimum wage for tipped employees, bringing them up to what everybody else is making, but does anybody know what that means?  They just keep tipping even though the justification for tipping (to make up for the sub-minimum wage) has vanished.

 

[Dimity]

9 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

They just keep tipping even though the justification for tipping (to make up for the sub-minimum wage) has vanished.

This is my big problem where I am.  Servers now make minimum wage, which isn't great but it's what most store employees and a lot of others make too.  None of those people get tipped. 

I still see how the tipping culture stays around because of course people want to make more than minimum wage and customers like the idea of tipping for good service (and feeling powerful and punishing for perceived poor service), but what bugs me is that we are paying more for food in restaurants while at the same time being shamed into tipping at an even higher rate on that higher cost of the meal - and the employee is not using the tips to bring their wage up to a minimum anymore,

[StatisticalOutlier]

3 hours ago, Dimity said:

(and feeling powerful and punishing for perceived poor service)

There's a whole master/servant dynamic to tipping.  In fact, if someone reads about the history of tipping, they would have a very hard time justifying continuing the practice.

[BooksRule]

I made a vow this year to try to get my house as clean and neat as possible and to get unwanted items sorted and taken/given away by the time I get for Christmas break (my last day to work for the year is December 20). I actually make the same vow almost every year, but I don't stick to it. This time I'm really trying. I've found that I tend to put off things and end up spending my break trying to catch up on the 'big' chores (the chores that aren't part of my regular weekly tidying up and cleaning). I'm tired of doing that and want to enjoy my break for a change and spend the time reading, working on puzzles, doing some light yardwork, so I've been spending at least part of every weekend for the last month or so cleaning out closets, drawers, bookcases, etc. to neaten up.  Not that my house is hoard-y or dirty, but things tend to pile up (clean laundry on the sofa in the den, items pushed into the pantry instead of being neatly sorted, etc.). I used to keep a nice neat house, but when the COVID lockdown hit and I knew that no one would be just dropping by to visit, I let things slide and got lazy.  I've never really caught up.  This weekend I'm focusing on the kitchen.  Cabinets are clean and neat, and I just spent about 2 hours scrubbing the fridge (including getting rid of some really scary-looking veggies in the crispers).  It's now so pristine and clean I almost hated putting things back. I might not get to the crowded pantry this weekend, but just having the fridge done helps me feel better. 

Edited December 7 by BooksRule

[Dimity]

My youngest grandchild was born very close to Christmas so her parents and the rest of the family make a concerted effort to keep her day special and separate from Christmas.  Anyway this looks very much like the cake she pointed out at the bakery that she wants for her birthday:

 

 

[shapeshifter]

19 minutes ago, Dimity said:

My youngest grandchild was born very close to Christmas so her parents and the rest of the family make a concerted effort to keep her day special and separate from Christmas.  Anyway this looks very much like the cake she pointed out at the bakery that she wants for her birthday:

Having fun with the Google Lens search, I found a bigger version (click on it to expand it even more), which confirmed that it is chocolate with mushroom garnishes. I fully support her choice…

…including the 2024-styled Ozempic Santa. 🤣😉
And just because…
here's the page with the recipe: 
https://palatablepastime.com/2017/12/11/buche-de-noel-yule-log-cake/#more-12386
If I read it correctly, those are Meringue Mushrooms?
Aw shucks. I love mushrooms and thought maybe they'd be good with chocolate.

Edited December 7 by shapeshifter

[Dimity]

19 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

If I read it correctly, those are Meringue Mushrooms?
Aw shucks. I love mushrooms and thought maybe they'd be good with chocolate.

Lol.  Usually on these kinds of cakes the mushrooms and other edible fruit/veggies are made from marzipan.  Well I say usually, maybe just in our family!  Any excuse for marzipan works for us.

[fairffaxx]

I haven't tasted the marzipan mushrooms but an intern's wife made a Bûche de Noël one year that was surrounded by meringue mushrooms.  Her husband brought it into the office & we spent the morning eating our Xmas gift.  The mushrooms were so realistic looking, it was hard to reconcile the meringue texture with their appearance -- but we kept trying & trying .....  I see Jacques Pepin's show featuring this every year & of course he makes it look so easy!

[shapeshifter]

43 minutes ago, Dimity said:

Any excuse for marzipan works for us.

So, you guys could probably come up with a marzipan hookah smoking caterpillar to go on the meringue mushrooms, right?
It doesn't look like anyone has done that yet.

[fairffaxx]

Martha Stewart is a wizard with marzipan.  Her pal Snoop could design the caterpillar & the hookah, & she could execute it.  

[Mountainair]

Tomorrow I have to go shopping with my two sisters in law. This is our first Christmas without my mother in law and my one sister in law has been on a roller coaster of emotions. We’ve known each other since we were teenagers and we are now on our 40’s so “moms” death was hard on all of us. The other sister in law joined the family about 10 years ago. 
We are shopping for gifts for the kids that their Papa can give them. I’ve mentioned in another thread how much I hate shopping and they hate shopping with me. I feel like I need to drink before I go. Maybe I’ll  be more chill. I’m an in and out shopper. Not a touch everything, ooh and ahh shopper like my sister in law is. I’ve already pissed her off because she texted that she was going to buy the three little girls (our kids are all the same age- we have biggles, middles and littles) the Holiday Barbie to be from her dad and I merely suggested that they dont need to all get the same gift. My daughter could care less about Barbie’s. That set her off. She has called and or texted me several times since mom died about how awful I am. She is in recovery from alcoholism so I take it with a grain of salt. She chooses me to lash out at because we have known each other over 20 years but it doesn’t make it easier. Wish me luck tomorrow. 

[shapeshifter]

Even though I haven't had a pet in decades, this story caught my eye, and then made me smile when I read that the Ukranian man who did not want to be a soldier was rescued along with his kitten from nearly freezing to death, and he named his kitten "Peach." Such a sweet name for a pretty kitty:
https://apnews.com/article/romania-ukraine-draft-cat-rescue-mountain-war-8e57bc8b07a2ec80ea16ca9cd09450b3?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share

My ancestor in the 1850s fled the same place for the same reason, but I doubt any kitten was involved.

[Mindthinkr]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

Even though I haven't had a pet in decades, this story caught my eye, and then made me smile when I read that the Ukranian man who did not want to be a soldier was rescued along with his kitten from nearly freezing to death, and he named his kitten "Peach." Such a sweet name for a pretty kitty:
https://apnews.com/article/romania-ukraine-draft-cat-rescue-mountain-war-8e57bc8b07a2ec80ea16ca9cd09450b3?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share

My ancestor in the 1850s fled the same place for the same reason, but I doubt any kitten was involved.

I love this story. If the man not had the kitten to help him stay warm, he probably wouldn’t have survived. Hooray for Peach. 

[fastiller]

We don't deserve cats. Or dogs, for that matter.

[Anela]

On 12/7/2024 at 2:56 PM, BooksRule said:

I made a vow this year to try to get my house as clean and neat as possible and to get unwanted items sorted and taken/given away by the time I get for Christmas break (my last day to work for the year is December 20). I actually make the same vow almost every year, but I don't stick to it. This time I'm really trying. I've found that I tend to put off things and end up spending my break trying to catch up on the 'big' chores (the chores that aren't part of my regular weekly tidying up and cleaning). I'm tired of doing that and want to enjoy my break for a change and spend the time reading, working on puzzles, doing some light yardwork, so I've been spending at least part of every weekend for the last month or so cleaning out closets, drawers, bookcases, etc. to neaten up.  Not that my house is hoard-y or dirty, but things tend to pile up (clean laundry on the sofa in the den, items pushed into the pantry instead of being neatly sorted, etc.). I used to keep a nice neat house, but when the COVID lockdown hit and I knew that no one would be just dropping by to visit, I let things slide and got lazy.  I've never really caught up.  This weekend I'm focusing on the kitchen.  Cabinets are clean and neat, and I just spent about 2 hours scrubbing the fridge (including getting rid of some really scary-looking veggies in the crispers).  It's now so pristine and clean I almost hated putting things back. I might not get to the crowded pantry this weekend, but just having the fridge done helps me feel better. 

I wanted to do this, and then we had a pet emergency that took a lot of my energy (and money) this summer, so I’m just getting back to it.  I’m here all the time, though, so other than when I haven’t been feeling well, I have no excuse for not getting it done.  I’ve been slowly working on it again. Dawn power wash spray, worked really well on some grime in my cupboards, and on the doors, but I haven’t finished cleaning them yet.  I just cleaned off the top of the stove, that was looking gross, so that’s done. I need to get dad to open it, so that I can clean underneath.  

The app I used for shopping (chat from over a week ago), was called Bring! 

Edited December 10 by Anela

[Yeah No]

On 12/6/2024 at 10:59 AM, Ohiopirate02 said:

Then there's practices like pooling tips and tipping out your busboys and other kitchen staff. Both of these can severely impact how much money a server gets to take home. It really depends on how much the server is pulling in before having to pay out. My little brother worked as a cook in a place that tipped out the back of house staff. He got a decent wage for being a late night cook before the tip outs, but the servers were still pulling in more money than what he was making. There they could afford to tip out, but some places are different. 

I really have no problem tipping 20% or more because I know enough about how restaurants work. That tip may not just be going to the person assigned to wait on you. 

I've read that in restaurants where tips are pooled the restaurant often doesn't let the staff have all of it and pockets some or most of it. This is one reason my husband and I always give a cash tip directly to our server.

This can also happen if you charge the tip to a credit card. The restaurant is supposed to let the server have it but they don't always give them the full amount, and it's not going to other employees either. It's pocketed by the restaurant.

[BetyBee]

I've been in a local book club for about 5 years. I really love most of the group and in fact, two of my good friends have joined. I'm sometimes slow to pick up on things, but I've come to realize that a long term member, who has been in the club since its inception is contemptuous of me.

Looking back, I realize that she took an instant dislike to me. She is also on the board of my HOA and is a neighbor. There are no problems there. We've never missed a payment or asked for anything special. The neighbor ladies used to meet for lunch once a month until Covid when that stopped. When we moved here 5 years ago and I had been to lunch a few times, I attended my first BC meeting  and told her she looked familiar - did I know her from somewhere? She reacted as if I was crazy and said no. The next time we ladies did lunch, I said "Oh! This is where I know you from!" She responded with a terse, "Yes, I know!" I've always been polite and friendly to her, but in return, she's cold and seems angry. I wonder if I remind her of someone she disliked in the past? 

Anyway, if anyone has advice, I'm open to it. I've decided to mostly ignore her going forward. I don't want to quit to make her happy! I will continue to be polite, but indifferent to her feelings about me. She's an odd duck, but a true book lover. Well, so am I and I have a right to be there!

[shapeshifter]

8 minutes ago, BetyBee said:

I've been in a local book club for about 5 years. I really love most of the group and in fact, two of my good friends have joined. I'm sometimes slow to pick up on things, but I've come to realize that a long term member, who has been in the club since its inception is contemptuous of me.

Looking back, I realize that she took an instant dislike to me. She is also on the board of my HOA and is a neighbor. There are no problems there. We've never missed a payment or asked for anything special. The neighbor ladies used to meet for lunch once a month until Covid when that stopped. When we moved here 5 years ago and I had been to lunch a few times, I attended my first BC meeting  and told her she looked familiar - did I know her from somewhere? She reacted as if I was crazy and said no. The next time we ladies did lunch, I said "Oh! This is where I know you from!" She responded with a terse, "Yes, I know!" I've always been polite and friendly to her, but in return, she's cold and seems angry. I wonder if I remind her of someone she disliked in the past? 

Anyway, if anyone has advice, I'm open to it. I've decided to mostly ignore her going forward. I don't want to quit to make her happy! I will continue to be polite, but indifferent to her feelings about me. She's an odd duck, but a true book lover. Well, so am I and I have a right to be there!

Just from what you've written and how I interpreted it:
It seems she is very vigilant about keeping her book club utterances separate from her role as a board member of your HOA.
🤷🏼‍♀️

[BetyBee]

50 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Just from what you've written and how I interpreted it:
It seems she is very vigilant about keeping her book club utterances separate from her role as a board member of your HOA.
🤷🏼‍♀️

That's a very interesting take. I joined book club before she joined the board, but she may have become more disturbed by my presence when our worlds further collided - when we were no longer just neighbors and bc members. That actually makes sense. I never talk about our HOA with her, but she may be fearful that that could happen. I think not interacting much with her besides politeness, may help. At least it may help my peace of mind! 

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, BetyBee said:

That's a very interesting take. I joined book club before she joined the board, but she may have become more disturbed by my presence when our worlds further collided - when we were no longer just neighbors and bc members. That actually makes sense. I never talk about our HOA with her, but she may be fearful that that could happen. I think not interacting much with her besides politeness, may help. At least it may help my peace of mind! 

I hope you're able to continue.

My sister is an obsessive book reader (Mom was too).
She's been lonely and joined a book club but quit because they were mostly showing up to drink wine and (she says) most hadn't read the book. 
I think it's too bad she couldn't get them excited about the book(s).
She lives in an isolated area where there's probably not more than one book club.
But maybe something online?

[BetyBee]

5 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I hope you're able to continue.

My sister is an obsessive book reader (Mom was too).
She's been lonely and joined a book club but quit because they were mostly showing up to drink wine and (she says) most hadn't read the book. 
I think it's too bad she couldn't get them excited about the book(s).
She lives in an isolated area where there's probably not more than one book club.
But maybe something online?

I hope your sister can find a more committed book club. The wine drinking and not bothering to read the book is common from what I hear. Ours is sponsored by a wonderful small book store. They order the books for us (we try to stick to paperbacks), which keeps our bookstore afloat in these Amazon times! We are all serious readers, especially the member who doesn't care for me! Mostly retired ladies, though we have a couple of guys who come sometimes.

[shapeshifter]

I was trying to find a store nearby where I could buy something that I didn't want to risk being broken if I got it from Amazon. 
Tomorrow I have an appointment 20 minutes away, so I figured I should be able to find the item in a store on the way.
So I looked up the Walmart that has the item in stock to see the reviews (some Walmarts are better than others) and the reviews were all over the map, from glowing stories of angelic employees, to accusatory rants about employees. 

So I suspect this "review" was written by someone as a response to all of these unbelievable reviews:

Quote

2 months ago: Love their new system in the rear of the store where you can bring your dirty underwear and exchange them for a clean pair. Helps me save money for groceries. Thanks Walmart.

😵🤣😂
Now I'm tempted to write a silly review.

[fastiller]

Regarding book clubs: a friend -I'll call her K- is in one and the woman who runs it is married to some super high up muckety-muck in one of the big banks/finance firms.  I'm fairly sure that K & this woman met b/c both their kids went to a super upscale school together in NYC (mind you, K's daughter's tuition was paid mostly by the daughter's grandparents).  The book club meets in the apartment building of the woman who runs it - in the private, residents-only restaurant in the building, not her own apartment, which I think is a penthouse.  They only read Very.Serious.Books.  Someone suggested something less than Booker-prize material and woman who runs the club nearly kicked that person out.  I think K joined to help her daughter (sort of school-related networking) and she just kept at it.  The last book they read is James by Percival Everett.  I kind of want K to get me an invite to join, even though it sounds a bit less fun than some book clubs I've been in.

There's got to be a happy medium between the 'really all about the drinking' clubs and the 'we only do serious reading of serious books in a very serious way.

[Ohiopirate02]

9 minutes ago, fastiller said:

Regarding book clubs: a friend -I'll call her K- is in one and the woman who runs it is married to some super high up muckety-muck in one of the big banks/finance firms.  I'm fairly sure that K & this woman met b/c both their kids went to a super upscale school together in NYC (mind you, K's daughter's tuition was paid mostly by the daughter's grandparents).  The book club meets in the apartment building of the woman who runs it - in the private, residents-only restaurant in the building, not her own apartment, which I think is a penthouse.  They only read Very.Serious.Books.  Someone suggested something less than Booker-prize material and woman who runs the club nearly kicked that person out.  I think K joined to help her daughter (sort of school-related networking) and she just kept at it.  The last book they read is James by Percival Everett.  I kind of want K to get me an invite to join, even though it sounds a bit less fun than some book clubs I've been in.

There's got to be a happy medium between the 'really all about the drinking' clubs and the 'we only do serious reading of serious books in a very serious way.

I read a lot of literary fiction and have read many books that are Booker Prize material and also National Book Award material. Both organizations have changed their focus in the last decade to encompass more diverse works of fiction which leads to some we'll go with interesting finalists. I am cracking up envisioning these women reading these books. From Percival Everett's The Trees to Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's Chain-Gang All-Stars to Shehan Karunatilaka's The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida to Patricia Lockwood's No One is Talking About This to Miranda July's All Fours to Tony Tulathimutte's Rejection. I could go on listing the books that have made the longlist then the shortlist and winners for these awards. I would pay to be in the room if they chose Rejection in particular. One of the stories in that collection has passages that would probably get me banned if I typed them out here.

[Dimity]

1 hour ago, fastiller said:

There's got to be a happy medium between the 'really all about the drinking' clubs and the 'we only do serious reading of serious books in a very serious way.

This is why I won't join a book club.  I don't read 'serious' literature much anymore and I don't appreciate having someone judge me for my light fiction choices!  The other reason is I did my BA in English Lit and my Masters in Library Science and I've had my fill of picking a book apart to find its 'deep inner meaning'.  I don't care about deep inner meaning I just want to read a book that takes me away from it all for a few hours!

[StatisticalOutlier]

16 hours ago, Yeah No said:

It's pocketed by the restaurant.

FWIW, there's nothing prohibiting restaurants from keeping the "service charge" some of them are adding to the check. 

[Caoimhe]

1 hour ago, Dimity said:

This is why I won't join a book club.  I don't read 'serious' literature much anymore and I don't appreciate having someone judge me for my light fiction choices!  The other reason is I did my BA in English Lit and my Masters in Library Science and I've had my fill of picking a book apart to find its 'deep inner meaning'.  I don't care about deep inner meaning I just want to read a book that takes me away from it all for a few hours!

I used to belong to one in Dublin and most people DID read the book. The choices were varied, from classics and Booker Prize nominees (Life of Pi, which I read and did NOT get at all!!) to chick lit, mysteries, and thrillers. While I enjoyed reading most of the chosen books I never had much to say about most of them, so as much as I miss the social outlet I wouldn’t join one now. My sister in law belongs to one of the nighttime wine drinking and gossip groups with the occasional book mention. She likes it for what it is but reads a lot outside of it too.

[Ohiopirate02]

2 hours ago, Dimity said:

This is why I won't join a book club.  I don't read 'serious' literature much anymore and I don't appreciate having someone judge me for my light fiction choices!  The other reason is I did my BA in English Lit and my Masters in Library Science and I've had my fill of picking a book apart to find its 'deep inner meaning'.  I don't care about deep inner meaning I just want to read a book that takes me away from it all for a few hours!

I do an online book club of sorts that only meets in the month of March. It's great to talk about books for 3 and a half weeks once a year before going back to reading whatever the hell I want to the rest of the year. The list of books is set for next March, so I am reading intently from the titles that I did not get around to reading this year. I did pretty good this year with guessing what could possibly make the list. I only have 6 books to read between now and March 7th. 

[Bastet]

I've never joined a book club, because it takes me back to assigned summer reading for honors/AP English.  I read all the time, but tell me I have to read something, on a schedule, and suddenly I don't want to.  I always wound up cramming right before school started, so even if I liked the book, it wasn't enjoyable.  I know I'd do the same with book club; I'd be in the car outside somebody's house reading CliffsNotes.  (I'd have to join one of the clubs where you really just sit around drinking and talking about other stuff.)

Edited December 11 by Bastet

[EtheltoTillie]

I do an informal club with two good friends we read literary and light fiction. But it’s not school. If you don’t like it you don’t have to finish the book. I think it hElps that the group is small.  We do a lot of chit chat.  We meet=almost every week. It’s more of a social thing 

[Yeah No]

16 hours ago, Dimity said:

This is why I won't join a book club.  I don't read 'serious' literature much anymore and I don't appreciate having someone judge me for my light fiction choices!  The other reason is I did my BA in English Lit and my Masters in Library Science and I've had my fill of picking a book apart to find its 'deep inner meaning'.  I don't care about deep inner meaning I just want to read a book that takes me away from it all for a few hours!

Same here. It's like I spent my entire young life in a book club. All through elementary school I had to read a book a week from a list and write a book report. Then in HS and college all I did was read, read, read. While other students were out socializing I sat in libraries studying. It continued in grad. school.

I pretty much grew up in a library - my parents' apartment, which had bookcases in almost every room. My friends used to call it the "Yeah No family reading room". Many weekends were spent browsing bookstores in Manhattan with my parents. When my mom went to college and then grad. school at night for Creative Writing, it continued. On occasion I would attend "meet and greet" wine and cheese parties with authors that her professors hosted. Then my father, who was a recording engineer with the American Foundation for the Blind, often met well known authors who came to read talking books. Many dinner discussions revolved around books at my house. While I loved all of it, I admit I'm done. Most of my reading now is either nonfiction or on the internet. 

[Yeah No]

On 12/6/2024 at 4:39 PM, shapeshifter said:

Is there a better thread for me to share this? 
For too many HP printers (I know Epson is better) over too many decades, when I replace the ink that is "out" (either black cartridge or color cartridge) the printer then refuses to print until I replace the other.
And they run about $25 each! 
Well.
Now I know why I've survived so many mishaps in my life. 
It is to share with anyone else who needs to know this: 
Pop out the other cartridge that it's telling you to replace that was just fine and dandy before you replaced the empty one, and then pop that perfectly fine cartridge right back in. 

I wish this worked for Brother printers but coincidentally this just happened to me yesterday and I tried your trick but it didn't work, unfortunately. I replaced the yellow ink but then it wanted me to replace the cyan too. I even shook the cartridge (which is another trick) before replacing it, but no such luck.

This might actually be a pet peeve because some time ago I started to notice that even though I mostly print in black and white I still went through color cartridges faster than I should have. Then I read online that unless you find the right print preferences dialog box and check the box that says "grayscale" it will still use a little bit of color ink when printing in black and white. What a scam! I'm sorry but I think that's intentional and unnecessary. Ever since I started checking "grayscale" I still go through color ink but not quite as fast. So it's not a total solution but at least it's an improvement!

[EtheltoTillie]

35 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I wish this worked for Brother printers but coincidentally this just happened to me yesterday and I tried your trick but it didn't work, unfortunately. I replaced the yellow ink but then it wanted me to replace the cyan too. I even shook the cartridge (which is another trick) before replacing it, but no such luck.

This might actually be a pet peeve because some time ago I started to notice that even though I mostly print in black and white I still went through color cartridges faster than I should have. Then I read online that unless you find the right print preferences dialog box and check the box that says "grayscale" it will still use a little bit of color ink when printing in black and white. What a scam! I'm sorry but I think that's intentional and unnecessary. Ever since I started checking "grayscale" I still go through color ink but not quite as fast. So it's not a total solution but at least it's an improvement!

Maybe too late but the solution is to have a dedicated black and white laser jet printer. Also much faster.  I have one workhorse HP that is 20 years old. The toner cartridges last a really long time. We have no need for color. 

Edited December 12 by EtheltoTillie

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Then I read online that unless you find the right print preferences dialog box and check the box that says "grayscale" it will still use a little bit of color ink when printing in black and white.

True.
But before I tried the popping out and then back in of the color cartridge in my HP, I switched to grayscale, and it still refused to print without the color cartridge being replaced, which it should have. 
Maybe I need to check driver updates? 

Gotta go to the dentist now…. 🚙
26ºF  (below zero in C) with wind chill 9ºF. 
Taking my emerg bag.
Hey. At least it's not below zero F (something like below minus 32 in C)

Edited December 12 by shapeshifter

[Absolom]

2 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Maybe too late but the solution is to have a dedicated black and white laser jet printer. Also much faster.  I have one workhorse HP that is 20 years old. The toner cartridges last a really long time. We have no need for color. 

I learned about the Brother scam and switched to grayscale. Then it aged out of updating. I love my black only little laser jet. It never gives me stupid messages and I don't have to deal with dried out color cartridges. That was another known issue.

[EtheltoTillie]

Good luck with the cold weather, @shapeshifter

 

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Good luck with the cold weather, @shapeshifter

The roads were a little treacherous, but I learned to drive in ice and snow back when all cars had rear wheel drive, including all the other cars on the road, so I was fine except for a little stress sweat. 😉
Thanks!

[annzeepark914]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

The roads were a little treacherous, but I learned to drive in ice and snow back when all cars had rear wheel drive, including all the other cars on the road, so I was fine except for a little stress sweat. 😉
Thanks!

Was it studded snow tires that we put on the rear wheels back in the day? I was delighted when front wheel drive arrived.

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Was it studded snow tires that we put on the rear wheels back in the day? I was delighted when front wheel drive arrived.

Nope! But Mom and Dad both got new tires on their cars at the start of the snow season. They both commuted to work and ran a lot of errands, so it probably made sense, plus not having to store tires in the garage.

Yesterday I was thinking about how my son-in-law gets snow tires put on their cars every year. The roads were surprisingly not well-cleared or salted for this climate, but it was the first storm, so I guess that's "par for the course." I love my non-locking breaks — didn't have them in the 60s either; I didn't have them until 2009.

Edited December 13 by shapeshifter

[BetyBee]

Update on my book club experience with my neighbor who doesn't like me - I attended and made a point of not even looking in her direction and just enjoying the other women in the group and honestly, the woman seemed happier that I wasn't paying any attention to her. 🤷‍♀️ I don't know why, but I was happier too, so I guess that's my go to going forward. It was our Christmas Book Swap. I bought a new best seller paperback and wrapped it carefully. It was the first one chosen and the only book that was stolen by another member! I've given duds before, so I was really happy. Also the one who stole it is one of my favorite people from BC, who raved about the author, Jesmyn Ward. 

[Dimity]

One of those tiresome FB memes came across my screen earlier - one of those "in the bad old days" things  where they talked about how in the '60s mothers had to rinse diapers in the toilet and then put them in a diaper pail to be washed - oh the rustic horror of it all.  Sorry, random person who makes this stuff up but I was doing that with my own  babies and I know young mothers right now who are doing it.  This is not some quaint once upon a time thing.