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

JTMacc99

By JTMacc99
in Everything Else

Mod-Tigerkatze
Message added by Mod-Tigerkatze,

We all have been drawn into off-topic discussions, me included. There's little that's off-topic when it comes to Chit Chat, so the only ask is that you please remember that this is the Chit Chat topic and that there's a subforum for all things health and wellness here.

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Mountainair
Mountainair

Whew… I know I don’t post often enough to leave a mark on anyone’s memory here but I just got cell service back today after dealing with Helene.   Was finally able to watch news coverage and the dev

Bethany
Bethany

We have to take my late sister's dog in to be put down today.  He's really suffering and it's his time.  But that doesn't make it any easier.  I know this sounds silly but it's like having to say good

isalicat
isalicat

At the risk of being banned, I will comment that all this (especially the earning of "badges" for virtuous behavior) is so kindergarten level. If you give me dark chocolate, I will promise to do bette

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Yeah No

Yeah No

3 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Bald eagle and nuthatcher!  Love that.

I like watching birds, but I'm crap with the binoculars.  They make me dizzy or I can't focus. 

My father taught me how to use them but I forget now because it's been so long.  There was one pair that did that and another that didn't so I found it depended on the binoculars.  When I was a kid my bedroom window was high up and faced the tip end of the Harlem River.  We were on a cliff so I saw everything, even the 225th St. Bridge, the Palisades and Spuytin Duyvil.  There was always a "show" to watch from my window, whether it was an accident on the NYS Thruway, the trains on the tracks or barges on the river.  Even the bridge going up and down to let tall boats pass.  So I kept a pair of binoculars on my windowsill to watch the show from my bed.

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Yeah No

Yeah No

37 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Oh, no! Did they cut your bangs too short? When I do that to myself, in between appts, I said I look like Buster Brown

LOL you made me spray tea at my screen!!  😆 Actually no, I have one big side bang I messed up too many times to attempt myself anymore, but I did go in a couple of weeks early because my stylist is going on vacation soon and I worried she would cut it too short. She didn't, thankfully. I've been with her for over 20 years now. Thank goodness she's 10 years younger than me.

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Browncoat

Browncoat

12 hours ago, Yeah No said:

My father taught me how to use them but I forget now because it's been so long.  There was one pair that did that and another that didn't so I found it depended on the binoculars.  When I was a kid my bedroom window was high up and faced the tip end of the Harlem River.  We were on a cliff so I saw everything, even the 225th St. Bridge, the Palisades and Spuytin Duyvil.  There was always a "show" to watch from my window, whether it was an accident on the NYS Thruway, the trains on the tracks or barges on the river.  Even the bridge going up and down to let tall boats pass.  So I kept a pair of binoculars on my windowsill to watch the show from my bed.

The first thing to do with binoculars is make sure the eyepieces are the correct distance apart.  Your binoculars should be adjustable -- look through both sides and "fold" them until you only see one image.  One that's done, focus should be fairly easy if your set has a focus wheel in the middle.  I still sometimes turn it the wrong way, but it's quick enough to turn it back.  Steadiness I can't help with -- your best bet is to brace your arms on something solid.  There are other adjustments, but those are the basics.

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Anela

Anela

I've been up all day, for a few days in a row - finally. I was just outside, and almost stepped on a snake that went slithering past me. I let out a "whoa!" and then saw a frog leaping across the garden, about thirty seconds after it went under the deck. 

It was a harmless snake. I know they're out there, I just don't expect them to go right past me. 

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Anela

Anela

8 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

I just can't handle seeing snakes. There's a commercial on TV lately, about a garden hose and egads...in some scenes it looks like a slithering snake 😖.

I thought it was the hose, at first.  Then it moved, as I walked back to the deck. I wonder if it lives under there.  It did freak me out a bit, that it was under there, even though I know it can’t hurt me. 

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SweetieDarling

SweetieDarling

1 hour ago, Anela said:

I thought it was the hose, at first.  Then it moved, as I walked back to the deck. I wonder if it lives under there.  It did freak me out a bit, that it was under there, even though I know it can’t hurt me. 

That happened to me once, until I remembered we don't own a black hose.

I was very disappointed none of the neighbors came out to see what the screaming was about

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Bastet

Bastet

3 hours ago, Anela said:

I was just outside, and almost stepped on a snake that went slithering past me. I let out a "whoa!"

That's far more dignified than my reaction would have been.  I am, after all, one half of the duo that, seeing a snake slither across a hiking trail in front of us, jumped, turned in mid-air, and ran smack into each other.

If I came across one in my own yard?  I'd be channeling Frank Constanza, declaring "That's it, we're moving - I will not tolerate infestation!"

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EtheltoTillie

EtheltoTillie

4 hours ago, Browncoat said:

The first thing to do with binoculars is make sure the eyepieces are the correct distance apart.  Your binoculars should be adjustable -- look through both sides and "fold" them until you only see one image.  One that's done, focus should be fairly easy if your set has a focus wheel in the middle.  I still sometimes turn it the wrong way, but it's quick enough to turn it back.  Steadiness I can't help with -- your best bet is to brace your arms on something solid.  There are other adjustments, but those are the basics.

I know all of this, but I'm still all thumbs as it were.  I can never get the right distance and so on. 

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StatisticalOutlier

StatisticalOutlier

On 6/17/2024 at 7:00 AM, Ancaster said:

It's in the contract you sign when you move in -- it acknowledges that all retirement home food must be criticized. 

Mr. Outlier's mother lives in the independent living section of a retirement facility.  They have a dining room for residents, and we make a point to have lunch with her when shrimp and grits is on the menu.  It's fantastic.

 

On 6/17/2024 at 3:02 PM, EtheltoTillie said:

What is Cookout?  I never heard of it.  There seems to be a location in NYC.  Don't know if it is the same company.

Cookout isn't in NYC.

I like to go to regional chains when I'm traveling around, and went to Cookout two or three times.  I like the food okay, and Mr. Outlier's a big milkshake consumer, and it's relatively cheap.  But I noticed they were playing very obviously Christian music, which seemed strange but I figured it was a local thing (we were in Florence, Alabama).  But they also have bible verse citations on some of their products, à la In-N-Out.  Bah.

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EtheltoTillie

EtheltoTillie

(edited)
15 hours ago, Mondrianyone said:

Do you think you'd do better with a monocular? (Just linked for cheapness and availability.)

Why is this not just called a telescope?  I suppose because it doesn't telescope physically in and out?  I have to say I'd never heard of this in the modern day.  It could be worth looking into (har har).  With the binoculars, I have trouble adjusting the eye angle and the focus.  By the time I get it right, the bird is gone. 

Speaking of telescopes, they were not just for Captain Bligh.  I watched the movie Jeanne du Barry the other day.  It's about Madame du Barry and Louis XV (played by Johnny Depp).  Since she had to remain hidden during the earlier parts of the movie, she would watch various palace festivities using a telescope from her window! 

Edited by EtheltoTillie
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Yeah No

Yeah No

22 hours ago, Browncoat said:

The first thing to do with binoculars is make sure the eyepieces are the correct distance apart.  Your binoculars should be adjustable -- look through both sides and "fold" them until you only see one image.  One that's done, focus should be fairly easy if your set has a focus wheel in the middle.  I still sometimes turn it the wrong way, but it's quick enough to turn it back.  Steadiness I can't help with -- your best bet is to brace your arms on something solid.  There are other adjustments, but those are the basics.

I think part of the problem with me is that my father's binoculars were military issue and probably sized for the average man. I always felt that no matter how I adjusted them they were too far apart for my eyes. The other pair we had was smaller and fit me like a glove without much adjusting necessary. They may have been my mother's army binoculars but I don't remember. I think I still have them somewhere in a box.

Speaking of military issue, this reminded me that when I was in high school I often wore my mother's army field jacket, which back in the '70s was considered "too cool for school", LOL. It had sergeant stripes on it, pins and everything. She sewed over the patch with her maiden name one with my father's last name. I still have that, and if it wasn't for my HS boyfriend I wouldn't have a photo of me wearing it!

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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

17 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Speaking of military issue, this reminded me that when I was in high school I often wore my mother's army field jacket, which back in the '70s was considered "too cool for school", LOL. It had sergeant stripes on it, pins and everything. She sewed over the patch with her maiden name one with my father's last name. I still have that, and if it wasn't for my HS boyfriend I wouldn't have a photo of me wearing it!

Please post it❣️

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Yeah No

Yeah No

(edited)
17 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Please post it❣️

I would love to but all I have of it is the negative if you can believe that. After he took the photos he put them in a negative sleeve and gave them to me. I just saw it a few days ago when I was in a photo box finding a photo of my father to post on Facebook in honor of Father's Day. I should ask my husband to do something with those negatives as he's the photographer in the family. They're in black and white, BTW.

ETA:  Actually I may have already done that and they're on my other computer.  When I have time I'll go look for it.

Edited by Yeah No
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Minivanessa

Minivanessa

(edited)

I've been meaning to mention this. It's a small thing but something that might be useful to someone, someday.

After I replaced the old deadbolt and knob on my condo's front door (see above post, and thanks to everyone for such nice replies to it) - I had the deadbolt and knob assemblies to dispose of. All that metal is heavy.  But that stuff is not acceptable to put in mixed-use household recycling streams.

I figured that most of it would be of interest to scrap metal dealers. After a tiny bit of research, I grabbed the box I'd put it in, and stopped by the locksmith company I've done business with in the past. It's the company I'd have hired to install the new lock and lever if my DIY had failed. I asked them if they send their old lock assemblies etc. to be scrapped and if so would they add my stuff to theirs. 

Yep. He said that they have a couple of big barrels in the back where they toss the old stuff and discards like mine. When the barrels are full they go to a local scrap metal dealer and it all gets sorted out and melted down.  I gladly handed over my old stuff to be added to the load.

I didn't ask for any money. That stuff of mine, if a scrap dealer would have bought it, would have made me a buck (less than the cost of gas to drive to a scrap yard). I just hated the idea of it all going into a landfill vs having the metal be eventually reclaimed. BTW, I watched a YT video of a guy breaking down old household lock/knob assemblies to separate the brass and other components, which if I had the tools to do it, might have increased the value of my stuff at a scrapyard to - two or three bucks. That guy salvages those things in multiples so it makes sense for him.

Edited by Jeeves
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Ohiopirate02

Ohiopirate02

On 6/18/2024 at 11:19 AM, Anela said:

 This reminds me of an Australian streamer who just got a job in North Carolina, back in March.  They’re trying to get him a visa, his girlfriend lives in Los Angeles, so they were both thrilled that he could be much closer to her.  He isn’t so happy about the food choices, though, because there aren’t many healthy options.  

Sorry, but this sounds like a load of crap with a side of elitism. It's so easy to make fun of the South and all of its unhealthy, fried food. I'm trying to figure out which city this streamer could have conceivably moved to in NC that does not have easy to obtain healthy food. He's probably living in the Greater Charlotte area or the Triangle or maybe the Triad, all three areas where healthy food is easy to get. Ditto for Asheville, Wilmington, Boone, and Greenville. I assume the same for Fayetteville, the only city in the top ten of NC population where I never go. 

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Mountainair

Mountainair

14 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Sorry, but this sounds like a load of crap with a side of elitism. It's so easy to make fun of the South and all of its unhealthy, fried food. I'm trying to figure out which city this streamer could have conceivably moved to in NC that does not have easy to obtain healthy food. He's probably living in the Greater Charlotte area or the Triangle or maybe the Triad, all three areas where healthy food is easy to get. Ditto for Asheville, Wilmington, Boone, and Greenville. I assume the same for Fayetteville, the only city in the top ten of NC population where I never go. 

lol! FayetHell. Same. There aren’t many quick service healthy options but I assume that’s the case in most states. Sit down or to go restaurants are plentiful with tons of healthy options. I moved from the Eastern part of the state to Asheville 15 years ago and yes there are tons of BBQ joints there are even more lovely vegan and vegetable forward options here. 

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Ohiopirate02

Ohiopirate02

10 minutes ago, Mountainair said:

lol! FayetHell. Same. There aren’t many quick service healthy options but I assume that’s the case in most states. Sit down or to go restaurants are plentiful with tons of healthy options. I moved from the Eastern part of the state to Asheville 15 years ago and yes there are tons of BBQ joints there are even more lovely vegan and vegetable forward options here. 

I guess if this streamer did move to a town without a Food Lion, he would have a point. But, if he is still a streamer, he's not living in Ahoskie or Snow Hill or Trenton. Even Kenansville has a Subway and a Food Lion. My best guess is this Aussie streamer has hooked up with Mr. Beast which would mean he's in Greenville where healthy food is abundant. Greenville may not have a Whole Foods or whatever healthy chain this guy's LA based girlfriend is used to, so I guess all of the fast food is "unhealthy" to them.

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Dimity

Dimity

3 minutes ago, Absolom said:

My public service reminder of the day is that vegan and organic do not equate to healthy. 

And contrary to popular belief these food choices are not necessarily diet friendly.  My niece is vegan and is in a constant struggle with her weight and is annoyed by how many people assume she must be subsisting on lettuce and celery so how dare she gain weight!

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Anela

Anela

(edited)
58 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Sorry, but this sounds like a load of crap with a side of elitism. It's so easy to make fun of the South and all of its unhealthy, fried food. I'm trying to figure out which city this streamer could have conceivably moved to in NC that does not have easy to obtain healthy food. He's probably living in the Greater Charlotte area or the Triangle or maybe the Triad, all three areas where healthy food is easy to get. Ditto for Asheville, Wilmington, Boone, and Greenville. I assume the same for Fayetteville, the only city in the top ten of NC population where I never go. 

I don’t know.  I’ve never been there. If anyone wants to take it up with him, he’s Brodie, on twitch.  

Edited by Anela
Anela

Anela

2 minutes ago, Quof said:

I got into an argument with an Instagram influencer who was promoting a cookie as "healthier", simply because it was gluten free.  

I once had a friend tell me that I should be drinking smoothies, not juice, because of fibre.  I couldn’t always tolerate the juice, because of my stomach issue that had me throwing up all the time.  Smoothies don’t always settle, and fibre can be an issue for me.  I just managed to eat a salad, just a little while ago, but it could still make me sick.  

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Dimity

Dimity

17 minutes ago, Quof said:

I got into an argument with an Instagram influencer who was promoting a cookie as "healthier", simply because it was gluten free.  

My sister has celiac and this is an argument she gets into all the time.  If you are avoiding gluten because you can't tolerate it that's one thing but avoiding it only because you think the alternatives are healthier usually just means you are spending more money on stuff than you have to.  

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ginger90

ginger90

(edited)
49 minutes ago, Absolom said:

My public service reminder of the day is that vegan and organic do not equate to healthy.  There are plenty of vegan and organic junk foods and ultraprocessed foods that are just as harmful as the non-vegan or not organic ones.

Similar to the use of many “low fat” products.

Edited by ginger90
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Browncoat

Browncoat

7 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

With the binoculars, I have trouble adjusting the eye angle and the focus.  By the time I get it right, the bird is gone. 

A great tip I got was to keep my eye on the bird and raise the binoculars to my face.  Yes, sometimes the bird will still leave, but a lot of the time, they'll just hang around and flit from branch to branch in the same tree.

5 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I think part of the problem with me is that my father's binoculars were military issue and probably sized for the average man. I always felt that no matter how I adjusted them they were too far apart for my eyes.

That would definitely be a problem!  I got my most recent set at B&H in NYC -- at one point, I think we had about a dozen different sets out on the counter for me to try.  There was at least one that I picked up and immediately put back down, because I could tell it wasn't right for me.

1 hour ago, Mountainair said:

FayetHell.

We used to call it FayetteNam.

 

 

 

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ECM1231

ECM1231

(edited)

We're currently at our mountain vacation home, trying to beat the heat, but it's actually cooler at home (according to a weather app) than it is here.

After dinner we went to a nearby campground that has a general store and they allow non- guests to make purchases. There's a little window from which they sell ice cream, so we went to get some and sit by their manmade lake. My husband's extended family would gather there in the Fall for a reunion weekend.

Anyway, there's a little enclosure where 3 male peacocks reside. They sure make a racket! Well, the birds are allowed to roam freely and I started to get agitated noticing how close one was getting to me. My mobility is not great, so running away was not an option. Fortunately, he didn't approach so I didn't have to use my cane to shoo him away. 

Edited by ECM1231
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shapeshifter

shapeshifter

9 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

Anyway, there's a little enclosure where 3 male peacocks reside. They sure make a racket! Well, the birds are allowed to roam freely and I started to get agitated noticing how close one was getting to me. My mobility is not great, so running away was not an option. Fortunately, he didn't approach so I didn't have to use my cable to shoo him away. 

As an adult I've rarely spent money on eating out, and even less on vacations, but when my kids were young and I was still married, on Sundays in Siskiyou County California we often drove down Hoy Road, which cut through a peacock farm. My ex would stop the car long enough for the peacocks to wander over and spread their seemingly phosphorescent tail feathers. We never got out of the car. In the rural high mountain desert, the peacocks were quite exotic.

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Mindthinkr

Mindthinkr

I was judging a horse show once at a farm that had a peacock. It must have liked me as it followed me around and when the riders lined up at the end of the class the horses who weren’t from that farm got a bit nervous about the bird. Someone took a video of it as it looked funny if you were a spectator. More than once the Steward had to shoo it away. 

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Dimity

Dimity

I love the way real estate agents can turn a negative into a positive.  A house near me just went on the market and I checked the listing.  Under features the agent wrote "paved road".  Which shouldn't even be considered a feature really out here in the rich heartland of suburbia but the house is on  a busy  main road and near the turn off to the highway. But hey the street is paved so it's all good!

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fairffaxx

fairffaxx

Clarissa Dickson Wright (one of the Two Fat Ladies on the TV cooking/travelogue show of the same name), wrote an autobiography in which she describes her encounter with a peacock.   She was staying at a home in rural England & heard a ruckus in the vegetable garden one night, which she thought must be a fox or raccoon or rabbit raiding the crops -- so she grabbed a shotgun & dispatched the critter, only to find that it was a peacock.  Rather than waste it, she roasted it for dinner the next night when she'd invited the neighbors to visit & was surprised to learn that their pet peacock had gone missing.  But the meal was great!

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Mod-Tigerkatze
Message added by Mod-Tigerkatze,

We all have been drawn into off-topic discussions, me included. There's little that's off-topic when it comes to Chit Chat, so the only ask is that you please remember that this is the Chit Chat topic and that there's a subforum for all things health and wellness here.

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