Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

oliviabenson · July 1

Owner of the site probably doesn’t want to pay for editorial content and did not get enough people to do it for free.

Jynnan tonnix · July 10

Regarding the topic of Crockett Doodles raised on the lonely J's thread...I did consider looking for some sort of Doodle after we lost our little papillon last fall, and Crocket Doodles did initially look as though they might be pretty reputable despite being such a large operation. I really couldn't find anything concrete against them other than screeds from people railing against breeders of pretty much any sort, but especially against the "designer" breeds, and mostly for good reasons, though I do believe that people can be ethical about breeding if they honestly work toward the betterment of the breeds or mixes, love and care for all their dogs, and thoroughly educate themselves. At the end of the day, it was the sheer scale of Crockett Doodles more so than anything specific I could find that just left me with a bad taste in my mouth. That and the evangelical link, which they don't overtly push, but becomes an overarching link once you start digging a bit. I did send them an application, mostly out of curiosity at that point, since they said they only approve some 30% of the applications they received, but I got an acceptance mail back from them within hours telling me I sounded like a perfect home for one of their precious puppies. That did nothing toward making me feel more comfortable.

In the end, I decided that probably getting another dog might not be the best decision in any case. Maybe an older rescue dog at some point, but I'm 65, Mr. Jyn is 68, so a puppy could well outlive us (hopefully not, but who knows?), plus now that all we have are a couple of cats who do fine left at home for a week or two as long as someone comes in to feed them and give them some attention (my daughter and her family live nearby, and more or less alternate between staying at their place and ours when we go away), so we are planning to try to get in a bit of travelling now that there's not the dog to have to make kennel accomodations for. So while I'm a bit sad not to have another dog, it's probably not a good time for it.

beckie · July 14

I'm glad this board is still here. If it goes away, I'll be heartbroken.

My mom passed away almost two months ago, and it still feels like yesterday. But when I completely forgot about my dad's birthday, which was on the 10th, I completely broke down, and it was like I was mourning them both, at the same time.

Plus, my boss re-hired someone at work who's very passive aggressive, and, for some reason, I've always been his favorite target to go after. Boss is aware, and doesn't care. Said he brought him back because he was good in the area he was in. He wasn't, but boss believes everything this dude says. SOOOO, work has been completely stressful. Nothing i can do but look for another job, which I don't want to do.

Love2dance · July 15

So sorry, @beckie for your loss and job situation. That is a lot to be handling all at once. Hugs!

ozziemom · July 15

@beckie Sorry to hear about your loss. That is frustrating about your job and your boss. Sending 🤗

kaleidoscope · July 15

beckie, sending love and {{{HUGS}}} ♥

andromeda331 · July 15

I'm sorry @beckie. That really stinks.

beckie · July 17

Does anyone know of any good, LEGIT work from home jobs that don't require much experience? I'm finding, as I'm looking at job listings online, that I'm woefully behind the times, it seems, and would have to have years more schooling. It's very discouraging, and part of the reason I've put up with the crap from my current job for so long. Seems all my talents and skills are useless, or oversaturated.

Mindthinkr · July 17

15 hours ago, beckie said:

Does anyone know of any good, LEGIT work from home jobs that don't require much experience? I'm finding, as I'm looking at job listings online, that I'm woefully behind the times, it seems, and would have to have years more schooling. It's very discouraging, and part of the reason I've put up with the crap from my current job for so long. Seems all my talents and skills are useless, or oversaturated.

I’m sorry that I don’t, but sincerely wish you the best 🧸

GeeGolly · July 17

16 hours ago, beckie said:

Does anyone know of any good, LEGIT work from home jobs that don't require much experience? I'm finding, as I'm looking at job listings online, that I'm woefully behind the times, it seems, and would have to have years more schooling. It's very discouraging, and part of the reason I've put up with the crap from my current job for so long. Seems all my talents and skills are useless, or oversaturated.

Any of these?

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/entry-level-work-from-home-jobs

beckie · July 18

8 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

Any of these?

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/entry-level-work-from-home-jobs

Thanks. I'll look.

crazy8s · July 18

I have spent the last week with 4 of the 5 grands. Ages toddler to tweens. Tweens were exhausting. I try to be vigilant and keep the rules the parents set for phones and screen time, but god i spent more time policing that and catching them sneaking than dealing with the toddler who was fully awake one day at 3am.

I will admit hiding in your bathroom and saying you were having "issues going" was a clever guise to be sitting in there with an ipad sneaked out of your parent's nightstand.

Also one tween hacked off a bunch of their hair.🤪

sixlets · July 18

Glad to see you made it to the other side, @crazy8s!!

@beckie, again, I am so sorry for your loss. The first year after I lost my dad, I felt like I was going through the motions of every day with no real path. I did what I needed to do, but there was no thought to it. Regarding remote jobs, do you mind sharing what industry you're looking for? Have you thought about talking to a recruiter? They might be pesty, but they can be a huge help when you're looking for something specific like a work-from-home situation. You will be in my thoughts, and please remember to take care of yourself. It's ok to be selfish when healing from grief.

Absolom · July 18

54 minutes ago, crazy8s said:

I have spent the last week with 4 of the 5 grands. Ages toddler to tweens. Tweens were exhausting. I try to be vigilant and keep the rules the parents set for phones and screen time, but god i spent more time policing that and catching them sneaking than dealing with the toddler who was fully awake one day at 3am.

I will admit hiding in your bathroom and saying you were having "issues going" was a clever guise to be sitting in there with an ipad sneaked out of your parent's nightstand.

Also one tween hacked off a bunch of their hair.🤪

Tweens and the devices. It is an ongoing struggle. One of my grands went so far as to come in my bedroom after I was asleep and take my cell phone to use under his covers. He got caught out because I woke up and couldn't find the phone that had been on the charger. If it hadn't been charging we might never have known. They're creative.

crazy8s · July 19

35 minutes ago, Absolom said:

Tweens and the devices. It is an ongoing struggle. One of my grands went so far as to come in my bedroom after I was asleep and take my cell phone to use under his covers. He got caught out because I woke up and couldn't find the phone that had been on the charger. If it hadn't been charging we might never have known. They're creative.

So true and they are confident grandparents are lame and clueless.

Confiscated Switch stashed under a couch, ipad from the bathroom and 2 phones from bedrooms, where they are never allowed, gave them notice I was vigilant following their household rules set by the parents.

Parents gave me a heads up on some of that and were clear on the rules and the tweens were aware I knew the limits.

Absolom · July 19

I ended up with three tablets, a phone, a computer keyboard, and a mini-switch one night. I hid them all in my suitcase. They had a list of things that had to be done and then they could play selected games on the Switch on the TV or watch a movie from a list. After I got home to my house, I found one of them had added herself to my Netflix account! They have to share a phone and are masters of hiding it. My daughter's new rule is if it isn't in it's home by 8 pm then when she finds it, it stays in her dresser for the next day. Mine know Grandma isn't clueless because they come to me for tech solutions. They just think they can be sneaky enough to get by and admittedly when I was there after surgery, the first couple of weeks I wasn't caring about tech.

Edited July 19 by Absolom

Ancaster · July 19

Time to put devices in locked drawers. They'll hate you. That's life.

Oh, and make them pay for it.

Edited July 19 by Ancaster

ginger90 · July 19

One of my grandsons now has a cellphone. He’ll be 16 later this year. He can get his permit after he’s 16. So, it’s an additional exercise in responsibility for him and he’s well aware of that.

Absolom · July 19

My daughter has no locking drawers. I'll have to suggest that. Hers have too much money to care about paying. So she makes them pay through doing chores. They have to earn back the privileges.

crazy8s · July 19

Next time I will ask them to at least put all of the screens in one place. Kitchen counter or something, so it will be easier to watch. I had no idea there was even an ipad in the house since the parents usually take it when they travel.

The phones have to be used in common areas, so it was easy to note when they wandered off upstairs.

The tweens are off to camp next week minus phones, as a result of being sneaky and outright lying. They have a difficult home situation over all and I am usually easy on them, but the outright lies were a bit much.

Ancaster · July 19

Why is it so hard for parents to enforce rules?

Mindthinkr · July 21

On 7/19/2024 at 5:11 PM, Ancaster said:

Why is it so hard for parents to enforce rules?

I think it’s because so many parents want to be friends with their children rather than parent (create clear boundaries and enforce them).

On 7/18/2024 at 8:42 PM, crazy8s said:

So true and they are confident grandparents are lame and clueless.

Confiscated Switch stashed under a couch, ipad from the bathroom and 2 phones from bedrooms, where they are never allowed, gave them notice I was vigilant following their household rules set by the parents.

Parents gave me a heads up on some of that and were clear on the rules and the tweens were aware I knew the limits.

Lock them in the trunk of your car and put the key in your pocket.

Ancaster · July 21

On 7/19/2024 at 12:32 PM, Absolom said:

My daughter has no locking drawers. I'll have to suggest that. Hers have too much money to care about paying. So she makes them pay through doing chores. They have to earn back the privileges.

51 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

I think it’s because so many parents want to be friends with their children rather than parent (create clear boundaries and enforce them).

Lock them in the trunk of your car and put the key in your pocket.

I hate the whole "My daughter is my best friend" kind of attitude. We had friends we would see regularly who we seriously cut back spending time with once we had kids. Their kids were so spoiled - no boundaries, no consequences, no direction. They were unbearable to be around and we didn't like our kids seeing such bad parenting and kid behavior and thinking it was acceptable. (We speculated that in part it was because both parents went back to work at six weeks. It wasn't necessary financially, especially considering how much they spent on child care. Their choice, but not mine.

You could get one of those small lock boxes that have a code so you wouldn't need a key.

realityfan26 · July 21

8 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Lock them in the trunk of your car and put the key in your pocket.

What a fantastic idea!

oliviabenson · July 22

I don’t have a car.

But if it is super hot like 100 degrees inside the car wouldn’t the phones batteries leak/melt???

Panopticon · July 22

10 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Lock them in the trunk of your car and put the key in your pocket.

I misread this as a suggestion that the children be locked in the trunk of the car, and I thought that was a little harsh as a punishment for sneaking technology…

Notabug · July 22

12 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

I don’t have a car.

But if it is super hot like 100 degrees inside the car wouldn’t the phones batteries leak/melt???

Short answer: no.

BetyBee · July 22

14 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

I don’t have a car.

But if it is super hot like 100 degrees inside the car wouldn’t the phones batteries leak/melt???

My iPhone got too hot while on the dash of my car. It was a short trip, but in direct, hot sun and when I got to my destination, I had to set it down in front of a fan and wait for it to cool down. It's worked fine ever since, but I probably wouldn't leave my devices in a hot car.

Absolom · July 22

The owner's manual for some phones and battery packs say overheating shortens the battery life.

CalicoKitty · July 22

They make phone pouches for that reason. I took one to the Arctic to keep my phone from getting too cold. Extreme temperatures do shorten battery life. I have two, and one is down-filled. It is like a little sleeping bag for my phone.

Porkchop · July 22

Looking for advice! In May I ended up in a small local hospital with breathing problems and ended up with a diagnosis of COPD. At that time I read up on all the nearby pulmonologists, picked one, and called to make an appointment. I was offered one on October 16. Five months away! In June I called again and said I would like an appointment with any pulmonologist who could see me. And was told they are booking in December. I am 88 and have been enjoying life very much! I have a house on a Lake in Massachusetts and a trailer in a park in Florida. And once or twice a year I take a trip with one or more friends, to someplace in the states or Europe. Life has been good, between back surgeries, of which I have had 4. I have a wonderful GP who has known me for 30+ years.

I am feeling I am feeling sad and mad and vulnerable. I have inhalers prescribed by my GP and the hospital doctors. I am Exercising within my limits. But I feel I am getting worse, and I think I should see a pulmonologist! Should I go to the ER at a big teaching hospital near me? Should I just be patient until October? Is there any other way to get to a specialist? What should I do?

Notabug · July 22

46 minutes ago, Porkchop said:

Looking for advice! In May I ended up in a small local hospital with breathing problems and ended up with a diagnosis of COPD. At that time I read up on all the nearby pulmonologists, picked one, and called to make an appointment. I was offered one on October 16. Five months away! In June I called again and said I would like an appointment with any pulmonologist who could see me. And was told they are booking in December. I am 88 and have been enjoying life very much! I have a house on a Lake in Massachusetts and a trailer in a park in Florida. And once or twice a year I take a trip with one or more friends, to someplace in the states or Europe. Life has been good, between back surgeries, of which I have had 4. I have a wonderful GP who has known me for 30+ years.

I am feeling I am feeling sad and mad and vulnerable. I have inhalers prescribed by my GP and the hospital doctors. I am Exercising within my limits. But I feel I am getting worse, and I think I should see a pulmonologist! Should I go to the ER at a big teaching hospital near me? Should I just be patient until October? Is there any other way to get to a specialist? What should I do?

Call your family doctor and tell him what is happening and that you feel you need to see a specialist ASAP. He/she should have some contacts and be able to get you in someplace.

Minivanessa · July 22

Just now, Notabug said:

Call your family doctor and tell him what is happening and that you feel you need to see a specialist ASAP. He/she should have some contacts and be able to get you in someplace.

Wow. I was typing my suggestion as this post hit. I'm pleased to know that I was going to say the same thing. I'm not a medical professional nor have I much experience in navigating the medical referral system (thanks to generally good health and also long-time membership in a good HMO which has specialists in house when needed).

@Porkchop - I hope your GP can help you out. Your diagnosis + worsening symptoms ought to be paid attention to.

On a lighter note, I made a tech-related call for help today. I've bought a new computer monitor (the one I wanted went on sale during Amazon Prime Days). I set it up today. Got the base attached, set it on the desk, and grabbed the power cord. But it was just the part that went into the outlet; my other monitors had a second part with a cord + a power adapter brick. This one didn't and the cord was kind of short. I assumed something was missing. I went to my Amazon page and followed clicks for help, selected "call me" - and bingo. With very little wait I was talking to someone. I explained I was missing part of the power cord. He was great, looked into it - and guess what?

There wasn't anything missing. Unlike my older monitors, this one doesn't need an adapter/brick, just the power cord. If I'd looked closer I'd have seen that it was intended to plug the cord directly into the monitor. I was embarrassed by my mistake, apologized to the guy. He was very pleasant and kind.

I've always laughed at the stories about people calling for IT help and it turns out their computer wasn't plugged in or something equally stupid.

Today, that was me. Sigh.

I will say, the power cord is quite short, so I don't think it was utterly idiotic of me to think something was missing. I'm using an extension cord to plug it into the power strip for all the other computer peripherals, otherwise it doesn't reach. My other monitor didn't have that issue.

CalicoKitty · July 22

36 minutes ago, Notabug said:

Call your family doctor and tell him what is happening and that you feel you need to see a specialist ASAP. He/she should have some contacts and be able to get you in someplace.

When I needed a specialist ASAP my primary doctor sent a referral marked "urgent" to a specialist, and I had an appointment the next week. Same with medical tests. Check with your primary doctor. A doctor's referral gets more action than trying to book an appointment yourself. Many offices won't see you without a referral.

Notabug · July 22

34 minutes ago, CalicoKitty said:

When I needed a specialist ASAP my primary doctor sent a referral marked "urgent" to a specialist, and I had an appointment the next week. Same with medical tests. Check with your primary doctor. A doctor's referral gets more action than trying to book an appointment yourself. Many offices won't see you without a referral.

Yep. When you call for an appointment, the staff generally considers it a 'routine' visit, meaning there is no rush. Meanwhile, the doctor usually has slots set aside for patients with problems who need to be seen sooner. Those get filled either by established patients who call with an issue or by referrals from other docs or the hospital.

In my office, it can be several months for a new patient to be seen. You would also be amazed at how many people call requesting 'emergency' visits because their pills are running out tomorrow or they're going on a 3 week cruise or their daughter is getting married in September and they want to be seen before the wedding. In other words, NOT emergencies.

Edited July 22 by Notabug

Absolom · July 22

Definitely. One of my surgeons was "booked for the next three months" until he sent the email saying make an appointment for this patient two weeks from today. I had an appointment made in 20 minutes. On the other hand for routine scheduled testing, I am not seeing one of my doctors until January or February of next year. Not urgent so at least it's scheduled.

GeeGolly · July 22

3 hours ago, Porkchop said:

Looking for advice! In May I ended up in a small local hospital with breathing problems and ended up with a diagnosis of COPD. At that time I read up on all the nearby pulmonologists, picked one, and called to make an appointment. I was offered one on October 16. Five months away! In June I called again and said I would like an appointment with any pulmonologist who could see me. And was told they are booking in December. I am 88 and have been enjoying life very much! I have a house on a Lake in Massachusetts and a trailer in a park in Florida. And once or twice a year I take a trip with one or more friends, to someplace in the states or Europe. Life has been good, between back surgeries, of which I have had 4. I have a wonderful GP who has known me for 30+ years.

I am feeling I am feeling sad and mad and vulnerable. I have inhalers prescribed by my GP and the hospital doctors. I am Exercising within my limits. But I feel I am getting worse, and I think I should see a pulmonologist! Should I go to the ER at a big teaching hospital near me? Should I just be patient until October? Is there any other way to get to a specialist? What should I do?

In many areas specialists are in short supply so fitting in new patients is hard. I would think your PCP could prescribe one of the treatments available, if not get you in sooner.

BetyBee · July 22

I think I raved a while back (could be 3 years ago!) here about the wonders of our Sleep Number bed. I would like to take my rave back and rant instead! Without going into too much detail, it seems that software issues are common and expensive to try to fix. Customer service recommends new pumps that we could purchase and install ourselves (technicians are hard to come by and cost even more $$), but if that wasn't the issue, we may not return the purchased items. It's like you can't win. Ours no longer recognizes our wifi router, but at least the Bluetooth is still working. When it dies, I guess it will go to a landfill and we will have learned an expensive lesson!

CalicoKitty · July 22

5 minutes ago, BetyBee said:

I think I raved a while back (could be 3 years ago!) here about the wonders of our Sleep Number bed. I would like to take my rave back and rant instead! Without going into too much detail, it seems that software issues are common and expensive to try to fix. Customer service recommends new pumps that we could purchase and install ourselves (technicians are hard to come by and cost even more $$), but if that wasn't the issue, we may not return the purchased items. It's like you can't win. Ours no longer recognizes our wifi router, but at least the Bluetooth is still working. When it dies, I guess it will go to a landfill and we will have learned an expensive lesson!

I know you have probably tried this already, but sometimes unplugging the bed and then plugging it back in after 2 minutes helps. Their app can be finicky. Try deleting and reloading the app, too. I have had to replace a pump on a former Sleep Number bed, but I knew it was the pump because half of the bed wouldn't hold air. There were no "guesses" that the problem was the pump. But only happened once, and I have had Sleep Number beds for 30 years. Still the most comfortable bed brand I have ever had.

BetyBee · July 22

10 minutes ago, CalicoKitty said:

I know you have probably tried this already, but sometimes unplugging the bed and then plugging it back in after 2 minutes helps. Their app can be finicky. Try deleting and reloading the app, too. I have had to replace a pump on a former Sleep Number bed, but I knew it was the pump because half of the bed wouldn't hold air. There were no "guesses" that the problem was the pump. But only happened once, and I have had Sleep Number beds for 30 years. Still the most comfortable bed brand I have ever had.

Thanks @CalicoKitty - we actually have done the turn it off, then back on many times and that usually works, but this not recognizing the Wifi is a new one on us. I read that the company was sold in 2017 and that service and quality suffered under the new management. We bought ours in 2020. I've always felt that the software was not the best, but most of the time we've been pleased with the comfort of the bed. Still, I'll never purchase another one.

SunnyBeBe · July 23

9 hours ago, Porkchop said:

Looking for advice! In May I ended up in a small local hospital with breathing problems and ended up with a diagnosis of COPD. At that time I read up on all the nearby pulmonologists, picked one, and called to make an appointment. I was offered one on October 16. Five months away! In June I called again and said I would like an appointment with any pulmonologist who could see me. And was told they are booking in December. I am 88 and have been enjoying life very much! I have a house on a Lake in Massachusetts and a trailer in a park in Florida. And once or twice a year I take a trip with one or more friends, to someplace in the states or Europe. Life has been good, between back surgeries, of which I have had 4. I have a wonderful GP who has known me for 30+ years.

I am feeling I am feeling sad and mad and vulnerable. I have inhalers prescribed by my GP and the hospital doctors. I am Exercising within my limits. But I feel I am getting worse, and I think I should see a pulmonologist! Should I go to the ER at a big teaching hospital near me? Should I just be patient until October? Is there any other way to get to a specialist? What should I do?

I agree with all the suggestions you got about seeing if your primary can help you get in with the specialist earlier.

You might also ask to get on a wait list, where they’ll call you in case they get a cancellation.

Or, you can call every day and ask if they have an earlier appointment. I recently did that with a neurologist at a large teaching hospital. I actually called one day and was told they had an opening the next day! It wasn’t convenient for me with my work schedule, so I asked when would the next one be available and it was in December! I took the one the next day. Glad I took it. It worked out great. He helped me a great deal. I had a follow up last week and another appointment scheduled for September. He’s a super doctor who personally responds to my PMs in the portal. I can’t say enough good things about Duke Neurology.

Good luck with your efforts. Please post what you find out.

Edited July 23 by SunnyBeBe

Ancaster · July 26

Any bed that requires programming is not for me.

Natalie68 · July 26

On 7/22/2024 at 2:20 PM, BetyBee said:

Thanks @CalicoKitty - we actually have done the turn it off, then back on many times and that usually works, but this not recognizing the Wifi is a new one on us. I read that the company was sold in 2017 and that service and quality suffered under the new management. We bought ours in 2020. I've always felt that the software was not the best, but most of the time we've been pleased with the comfort of the bed. Still, I'll never purchase another one.

I am actually very happy to see your review. I was thinking about taking the plunge but it is a TON of $.

SunnyBeBe · July 26

Anyone watch Olympic Opening Ceremony? Omg, Celine Dion was awesome! I’ll look for Olympics thread.

Salacious Kitty · July 26

3 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Anyone watch Olympic Opening Ceremony? Omg, Celine Dion was awesome! I’ll look for Olympics thread.

There's an entire Olympics sub forum in the Sports forum.

SunnyBeBe · July 26

Just now, Salacious Kitty said:

There's an entire Olympics sub forum in the Sports forum.

Trying to locate….thanks.

Ancaster · July 26

25 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

There's an entire Olympics sub forum in the Sports forum.

24 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Trying to locate….thanks.

https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/8853-2024-paris-olympic-games/

zoomama · July 26

42 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Anyone watch Olympic Opening Ceremony? Omg, Celine Dion was awesome! I’ll look for Olympics thread.

i did. it was totally fantastic!! thanks for the link to the thread.

Ancaster · July 28

I'm in a fourth-floor apartment yet somehow a hummingbird has found my hanging basket. I'm beyond excited.

Edited July 28 by Ancaster

BetyBee · July 28

1 hour ago, Ancaster said:

I'm in a fourth-floor apartment yet somehow a hummingbird has found my hanging basket. I'm beyond excited.

I love hummingbirds! I feel like I haven't had as many this year, but I keep making the concoction and putting it out. A few come around. The way they hover/fly is just so amazing!

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