Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[Ancaster]

On 10/10/2024 at 12:25 PM, graybrown bird said:

The best color for a car I ever had (not that I've owned that many cars) was a used 1998 Toyota Camry that was a kind of light bluish-purple color (called "Iris").  Don't know whether it showed the dirt better or worse than other colors BUT the big advantage was I could find that car quickly even in the biggest parking lot!  (This was before clicking a key fob would cause a "beep" and a headlight flash.)  That color was really rare, and really stood out.  Now my Toyota is a kind of muddy gray-brown, like every fourth car in the U.S. (it sometimes seems to me).

Back in the day when cars had old-fashioned pointy metal radio antennas we had one of those ping pong thingies on the end.  It made finding the car easy.

(Does this make sense to anyone other than me?  🤣)

Edited October 12 by Ancaster

[Jynnan tonnix]

1 hour ago, Ancaster said:

Back in the day when cars had old-fashioned pointy metal radio antennas we had one of those ping pong thingies on the end.  It made finding the car easy.

(Does this make sense to anyone other than me?  🤣)

Except then everyone had ping-pong balls on their antennas. The yellow ones with the smiley faces. And I remember a lot of those ones from Jack-in-the-box, with the pointy hats.

[Salacious Kitty]

7 minutes ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Except then everyone had ping-pong balls on their antennas. The yellow ones with the smiley faces. And I remember a lot of those ones from Jack-in-the-box, with the pointy hats.

Ours was our favorite baseball team's logo. 

[AstridM]

11 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Ours was our favorite baseball team's logo. 

When I lived in San Francisco, those got snapped right off by drug users.

[Minivanessa]

Ah, those old mast radio antennas on cars. I was surprised to find one on the passenger side front of my 2019 Dodge minivan. I thought they'd all gone the way of the dodo. It gets a bit bent out of shape now and then, I think from automatic car washes, but I manage to straighten it enough to be going on with. 

[Meow Mix]

I remember in the late 70s my parents got a new to them car that had had a radio antenna that retracted when the car was turned off.  I though that was so fancy.  That was my Mom's block long Olds Delta 88.  That thing was huge.

[Salacious Kitty]

9 hours ago, AstridM said:

When I lived in San Francisco, those got snapped right off by drug users.

We were spared. Maybe they were Giants fans. 🤔

[CalicoKitty]

I thought it was really fancy when I bought a car with the antenna wire encased in the windshield.  1975 or so Buick Century.  Ugly yellowish green.  As I remember my dad picked it out for me because he knew the dealer.  I have done much better picking my own cars.

[SunnyBeBe]

I’m actually considering a new color called Sunblazed Pearl. Not for everyone, but a little unique and I like it.  Trying to get away from red. I’ve had red cars for at least the last 20 years. Lol

[CJ23]

On 10/14/2024 at 12:16 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

I’m actually considering a new color called Sunblazed Pearl. Not for everyone, but a little unique and I like it.  Trying to get away from red. I’ve had red cars for at least the last 20 years. Lol

Just googled it. Lovely colour 😍 

[Nysha]

On 10/14/2024 at 4:16 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

I’m actually considering a new color called Sunblazed Pearl. Not for everyone, but a little unique and I like it.  Trying to get away from red. I’ve had red cars for at least the last 20 years. Lol

That's a lovely color. My 20-year-old Toyota finally died a few months ago. I have a 2016 Nissan Vesper that's red, although in sunlight it seems to have an orange hue. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I’m getting my hopes up for the Sunblazed Pearl.  We’ll see….I love red, but think I’m done.  

[badhaggis]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I’m getting my hopes up for the Sunblazed Pearl.  We’ll see….I love red, but think I’m done.  

That is a great color go for it!

[crazycatlady58]

Can someone please tell me why stew meat is so expensive? This is not new it’s been high for the past few years. Today at Krogers stew meat was 8.99 a pound. I bought roast for 6.99 a pound. Stew meat has always been a budget friendly mean it’s made from the toughest cuts. Pound for pound it is cheaper to buy a roast…which I did. It’s cooler here in Houston so time for stew.

[Ancaster]

Confession time:  I have a little bit of a crush on my new (specialist) doctor.  I think it's mainly because he actually listens to me and hasn't dismissed my concerns, unlike the previous few doctors I've been referred to, but the fact that he's good looking doesn't hurt.

Edited October 20 by Ancaster

[crazy8s]

Mentioned in the sweet friends thread things are a bit disrupted here. Husband went to work one day last week and was told his job was eliminated. Freaking year and a half before retirement age. After a career of being a loyal and hardworking employee, he was of no more value to them than the person they hired last month to pick up garbage.

Severance was crap. Now we have a short time to find insurance on ACA exchange or one of us finding a job that gives insurance.

We have saved, but did not plan to start spending the savings now. Our goal was he would retire several years from now and we would build out some vehicle like @Minivanessa and travel.

He went off this morning for a week of remote camping to sort his own thoughts. 

[ginger90]

Sorry @crazy8s that really sucks.

[Minivanessa]

@crazy8s - holy smokes, that's awful. You seem like solid people who will deal with this, but I'm so sorry that you have to. 

I giggled at your reference to my vehicle. It's just a minivan, and I haven't really built it out, but I knew what you meant.

As it happens, I've just finished day one of a road trip. I'll be camping for the next 8 nights but tonight I'm staying in a motel. Ah, creature comforts: heat, full sized bed, indoor plumbing, and Monday Night Football on TV. It's a tad too chilly where I am for camping in the minivan, and I've scored a cheap room in an old style motel that's been rehabbed with updated creature comforts, LOL. I was pleasantly surprised by how updated and clean this room is although I'd researched it online before booking. I had an excellent dinner in a local restaurant, and enjoyed a wander around the historic town plaza,. Altogether it was a good end to a day of driving, some of it in windy conditions, which I hate.

I'm heading a few hundred more miles south of here. The weather will be warmer there, so more pleasant for camping in the minivan. The main event is a social gathering at a state park, the third one of these I've attended. I enjoy them, and have made some friends there. 

[crazy8s]

18 hours ago, Minivanessa said:

@crazy8s - holy smokes, that's awful. You seem like solid people who will deal with this, but I'm so sorry that you have to. 

I giggled at your reference to my vehicle. It's just a minivan, and I haven't really built it out, but I knew what you meant.

Thanks

We will be ok in the end. We are debt free and the house and both vehicles are in good shape. It is just the shock of it and needing health insurance arranged by Nov 1.

I hear Jessa and Jinger have some lovely health "insurance" we can get. 🤣

 

on the camping vehicle - we once had a truck with a cap on the back and had some really great adventures in that. We tent camped our way around Hawaii maybe 7-8 years ago and loved it. So any build out of a vehicle would be minimal and for storage more than anything.

Glad you are out there adventuring🙂

Edited October 22 by crazy8s

[Ancaster]

21 hours ago, crazy8s said:

Mentioned in the sweet friends thread things are a bit disrupted here. Husband went to work one day last week and was told his job was eliminated. Freaking year and a half before retirement age. After a career of being a loyal and hardworking employee, he was of no more value to them than the person they hired last month to pick up garbage.

Severance was crap. Now we have a short time to find insurance on ACA exchange or one of us finding a job that gives insurance.

We have saved, but did not plan to start spending the savings now. Our goal was he would retire several years from now and we would build out some vehicle like @Minivanessa and travel.

He went off this morning for a week of remote camping to sort his own thoughts. 

Welcome to America.

[realityfan26]

2 hours ago, crazy8s said:

Thanks

We will be ok in the end. We are debt free and the house and both vehicles are in good shape. It is just the shock of it and needing health insurance arranged by Nov 1.

I hear Jessa and Jinger have some lovely health "insurance" we can get. 🤣

 

on the vehicle - we once had a truck with a cap on the back and had some really great adventures in that. We tent camped our way around Hawaii maybe 7-8 years ago and loved it. So any build out of a vehicle would be minimal and for storage more than anything.

Glad you are out there adventuring🙂

I'd love to hear more about this!! I don't know if I'm up for tent camping again at my age, but I can dream!! Did you rent the equipment or pack it in your suitcase? How many islands? How did you find the campgrounds?

[crazy8s]

On 10/22/2024 at 2:44 PM, realityfan26 said:

I'd love to hear more about this!! I don't know if I'm up for tent camping again at my age, but I can dream!! Did you rent the equipment or pack it in your suitcase? How many islands? How did you find the campgrounds?

We take our own gear. We are minimalist campers. Army surplus duffel bag and a rolling duffel from costco fits everything we need.

Hawaii we did Kauai 2wks and Big Island 1wk. Internet search is how we found places. We did stay in a very nice (and expensive) cabin in Volcano National Park for 2 nights. We had a permit for 2 nights hike/camp on the Na Pali coast Kalalau trail. But 14" of rain in 24hrs had access bridge under water the day we were going, so we got cancelled. Stayed several days at Waimea Canyon State park.

We have done many trips like that one. We try to get in at least one National Park on any trip. But state parks and forests, county parks, family owned campgrounds are usually less busy. We try for a KOA or some campground with a coin laundry about halfway through any trip.

This pic is a place we stayed at in Hawaii for a few nights. Just a screen building at a county park. I don't remember the cost, but it was reasonable. Ocean was just across the street behind it. Bunks, picnic table and grill and a bathroom building with showers.

 

[realityfan26]

5 hours ago, crazy8s said:

We take our own gear. We are minimalist campers. Army surplus duffel bag and a rolling duffel from costco fits everything we need.

Hawaii we did Kauai 2wks and Big Island 1wk. Internet search is how we found places. We did stay in a very nice (and expensive) cabin in Volcano National Park for 2 nights. We had a permit for 2 nights hike/camp on the Na Pali coast Kalalau trail. But 14" of rain in 24hrs had access bridge under water the day we were going, so we got cancelled. Stayed several days at Waimea Canyon State park.

We have done many trips like that one. We try to get in at least one National Park on any trip. But state parks and forests, county parks, family owned campgrounds are usually less busy. We try for a KOA or some campground with a coin laundry about halfway through any trip.

This pic is a place we stayed at in Hawaii for a few nights. Just a screen building at a county park. I don't remember the cost, but it was reasonable. Ocean was just across the street behind it. Bunks, picnic table and grill and a bathroom building with showers.

 

I'm in awe of you @crazy8s What a great experience! I love National Parks and my DH and I have stayed at a few of the lodges; not for very long due to cost! I'll have to check out more state and county parks.

[crazy8s]

15 minutes ago, realityfan26 said:

I'm in awe of you @crazy8s What a great experience! I love National Parks and my DH and I have stayed at a few of the lodges; not for very long due to cost! I'll have to check out more state and county parks.

I will add while driving around adventuring we ate at roadside stands, food trucks, farmer's markets had lots of local food cooked onsite.  Also we passed a Costco several times and went in for the $1.50 hot dog and drink to go. Gourmets we are not. 😂
 

[Absolom]

Hawaii is the place to try the roadside stands.  My daughter and I had the best shrimp of our lives at a little outdoor dining shack of a place.  It turned out it was run by the local shrimp farm.  

[crazy8s]

also if you run across a

1 hour ago, Absolom said:

Hawaii is the place to try the roadside stands.  My daughter and I had the best shrimp of our lives at a little outdoor dining shack of a place.  It turned out it was run by the local shrimp farm.  

Yes this. We came across a church doing a Huli Huli (sp?) chicken fundraiser and that stuff was amazing.

Edited October 24 by crazy8s

[oliviabenson]

I'm glad I gave up McDonald's. Dying from e coli is not on my list.

[Ancaster]

16 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

I'm glad I gave up McDonald's. Dying from e coli is not on my list.

I'm glad I've never eaten McDonald's.

[lookeyloo]

1 hour ago, Ancaster said:

I'm glad I've never eaten McDonald's.

I love McDonald's.. Was there today.

[Absolom]

Any restaurant or home with fresh produce is a possible candidate.  I see lettuce notices all the time.

[oliviabenson]

I had McDonald's pray for me lol.

[lookeyloo]

15 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

I had McDonald's pray for me lol.

Yesterday I had a senior coffee with two creams, a plain english muffin with a round egg.  Relatively healthy and inexpensive.

[Notabug]

1 hour ago, lookeyloo said:

Yesterday I had a senior coffee with two creams, a plain english muffin with a round egg.  Relatively healthy and inexpensive.

Love McDonald's oatmeal with raisins and pieces of apples in it.  Very tasty, and healthy.  They used to have a yogurt parfait with granola and strawberries that was delicious.  They got rid of it during COVID and I miss it.

[CalicoKitty]

FYI to anyone sensitive to wheat:  McDonalds fries are NOT gluten-free.  A few years ago they changed the recipe and now crisp them up with a coating that contains wheat.  I ended up at the ER to get an albuterol treatment that last time I went to McDonalds.

[Absolom]

2 minutes ago, CalicoKitty said:

FYI to anyone sensitive to wheat:  McDonalds fries are NOT gluten-free.  A few years ago they changed the recipe and now crisp them up with a coating that contains wheat.  I ended up at the ER to get an albuterol treatment that last time I went to McDonalds.

I've heard that from other people, too.  

[lookeyloo]

4 minutes ago, Absolom said:

I've heard that from other people, too.  

Oh that's too bad. Lucky for me I don't have any dietary restrictions. I also used to like the yogurt parfait

[Jynnan tonnix]

55 minutes ago, Absolom said:

I've heard that from other people, too.  

Seems kind of pointless to change the recipe when they just seem to get worse all the time. I only go to McDonald's maybe once in two or three years, and every time I go, I'm more disappointed. Not that it's ever been gourmet fare, but it did used to fall into a sort of comfort food category for me. The last few times I've had it, it was less and less worth bothering with.

[oliviabenson]

I still miss salads and chicken wraps from McDonald's.

[sixlets]

The Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap from BK is really good.  Highly recommend.

I am so dang angry with myself. On Tuesday, the 15th, I drove to Hagerstown to pick up my mom.  One of the ladies she worked with got her from PA, and we met at the outlets.  Mr. Six was in Ohio from the 18th through the 23rd, and my mom & I were supposed to leave on the 24th to head to Atlantic City.  We never made it.  I have been in a huge, nasty POTS flare for the past 3 weeks or so, and it just wasn't safe for me to travel.  She hasn't been alone with me since 2010, which is when my dad was sick and passed away.  I was symptomatic at the time, but I was only 16 months in at that point.  She would have spent the whole time worrying about me, and I would have spent most of the time in bed.  I truly know she was ok with us not going, but I'm still angry with myself.  I can just add it to the list of things my health has taken from me.  Being chronically ill just sucks, and thank you for reading.  This has been my TedTalk.

[kaleidoscope]

CalicoKitty, thank you for the warning about the French fries!!  I have food poisoning symptoms when I eat wheat.  The last attack lasted three days.

[realityfan26]

1 hour ago, sixlets said:

The Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap from BK is really good.  Highly recommend.

I am so dang angry with myself. On Tuesday, the 15th, I drove to Hagerstown to pick up my mom.  One of the ladies she worked with got her from PA, and we met at the outlets.  Mr. Six was in Ohio from the 18th through the 23rd, and my mom & I were supposed to leave on the 24th to head to Atlantic City.  We never made it.  I have been in a huge, nasty POTS flare for the past 3 weeks or so, and it just wasn't safe for me to travel.  She hasn't been alone with me since 2010, which is when my dad was sick and passed away.  I was symptomatic at the time, but I was only 16 months in at that point.  She would have spent the whole time worrying about me, and I would have spent most of the time in bed.  I truly know she was ok with us not going, but I'm still angry with myself.  I can just add it to the list of things my health has taken from me.  Being chronically ill just sucks, and thank you for reading.  This has been my TedTalk.

I'm sorry to hear that @sixlets. You're right, illness sucks and even worse when it's ongoing. I hope you'll be able to spend some time with your mom soon!

[andromeda331]

Even though I can't eat them McDonalds had the best chicken nuggets and Egg McMuffins. They also have the best fries.

[zoomama]

hi everyone. just a quick check-in to let ya'll know that i have been at the hospital daily for almost three weeks with my hubby. basically a heart attack led to open heart surgery that was followed by complications and 5 days on a ventilator. yesterday was a huge day in his recovery and i think he is going to make it. just wanted to say hello and that amidst the chaos, i am thinking of you.

[realityfan26]

5 hours ago, zoomama said:

hi everyone. just a quick check-in to let ya'll know that i have been at the hospital daily for almost three weeks with my hubby. basically a heart attack led to open heart surgery that was followed by complications and 5 days on a ventilator. yesterday was a huge day in his recovery and i think he is going to make it. just wanted to say hello and that amidst the chaos, i am thinking of you.

Oh my goodness @zoomama. You've got a lot on your plate. I'll be thinking of you!

[lookeyloo]

7 hours ago, zoomama said:

hi everyone. just a quick check-in to let ya'll know that i have been at the hospital daily for almost three weeks with my hubby. basically a heart attack led to open heart surgery that was followed by complications and 5 days on a ventilator. yesterday was a huge day in his recovery and i think he is going to make it. just wanted to say hello and that amidst the chaos, i am thinking of you.

Oh gosh, been there done that with Mr lookeyloo.  Hoping for continued healing.

[oliviabenson]

15 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

Even though I can't eat them McDonalds had the best chicken nuggets and Egg McMuffins. They also have the best fries.

Their nuggets are not as good as they used to be.

[oliviabenson]

8 hours ago, zoomama said:

hi everyone. just a quick check-in to let ya'll know that i have been at the hospital daily for almost three weeks with my hubby. basically a heart attack led to open heart surgery that was followed by complications and 5 days on a ventilator. yesterday was a huge day in his recovery and i think he is going to make it. just wanted to say hello and that amidst the chaos, i am thinking of you.

Sending best wishes.

[sixlets]

Thanks so much, @realityfan26.  The earliest would be Christmas, but more than likely, it won't be until next Spring.  

I am so sorry to hear about your husband, @zoomama.  Your family will be in my thoughts.

[Salacious Kitty]

Sending healing vibes @zoomama. ❤️

[jcbrown]

11 hours ago, zoomama said:

hi everyone. just a quick check-in to let ya'll know that i have been at the hospital daily for almost three weeks with my hubby. basically a heart attack led to open heart surgery that was followed by complications and 5 days on a ventilator. yesterday was a huge day in his recovery and i think he is going to make it. just wanted to say hello and that amidst the chaos, i am thinking of you.

Healing energy coming your way, @zoomama. Take care of yourself, too.