Small Talk: Ughngnggh! Ugghhnnn!

[nachomama]

I got an estimate on my car $2900 but the headlight itself is $1200!! When did this happen? headlights becoming so expensive?? I'm sure it's a halogen but dag that's expensive. (It's only scratched and if this was on my dime I wouldn't replace it)

[OoohMaggie]

40 minutes ago, nachomama said:

I got an estimate on my car $2900 but the headlight itself is $1200!! When did this happen? headlights becoming so expensive?

This is becoming one of  the modern ‘acceptable’ crimes, if you took even an average car as an example, then  walked into your dealer and said you wanted to purchase that vehicle but wanted to buy it in pieces from the parts department , a $30,000 car would cost about $1.5 million. They claim that by charging more for parts you get a cheaper screen price at the dealers, and insurance pays for it anyway 😱. Of course nobody’s insurance premiums are heading through the roof are they? Hang the lot of them 🤬☠️

[Mr. Sparkle]

I will just say this: we have an honest mechanic. The A/C panel went out, and to get it new from the manufacturer was $1200. The mechanic told us to check ebay, and we found it for $35. The mechanic put it in for free. 

[OoohMaggie]

13 hours ago, Superclam said:

The mechanic put it in for free. 

😱 Have you got their number, it’s probably worth the shipping costs.

The latest BMWs have a new feature, if a warning light comes on, the infotainment system automatically phones your bank to see if you’ve enough in your account to get it repaired 😭

[nachomama]

I did read where somebody was watching netflix in their tesla and the netflix froze which shut down the entire car. Dont' know if thats true but tesla's scare me. Dude got locked in while it was on fire they had to break the "unbreakable" glass. ha

[OoohMaggie]

4 hours ago, nachomama said:

Dont' know if thats true but tesla's scare me.

At $10.00 for a gallon of diesel, I’d take the risk if I could afford to buy one, a glass breaker I can afford………..for now 🥺

[nachomama]

I could probably go back to horse and buggy times. I only go about 4 miles to work. Horse could eat my grass. Maybe we should all be Amish?

[OoohMaggie]

2 hours ago, nachomama said:

Maybe we should all be Amish?

I’ve only ever seen a few documentaries about the life they lead, some of it I can agree with and fully understand why they choose to live the life they do, but also a lot I cannot understand. I’d love to live with them for a decent amount of time so I could learn more about them. However, the way things are going, maybe the prospect of horse and buggy shouldn’t sound as preposterous as it would have done not that long ago. 🥺
 

Edited July 19, 2022 by OoohMaggie

[OoohMaggie]

Oooooohhhh by the way, we delicate petals in the UK have just experienced the hottest temperature ever recorded in our green and pleasant land, 104.5’F no less.

Im sure your sides are splitting with all the laughter and eye rolling, I remember my first trip to the US in 1987, I was in Lubbock Texas and it was 110’f and I was buying a key ring, which is still attached to my keys to this day and the lady behind the counter said the temp was nothing special 🙄

Our railways have stopped running because the rails have buckled with the heat, the tarmac on the roads is melting shutting down major roads, people are drowning by throwing themselves into canals and lakes not capable of dealing with cold water shock.

We do love a drama in this country, if it’s not too wet it’s too cold or too hot, I’m driving a convertible so am absolutely loving it ☀️ ☀️☀️

Edited July 19, 2022 by OoohMaggie

[Mr. Sparkle]

I've heard it's hot all throughout Europe, with records in the UK. My friends from Texas are always complaining on facebook if it's going to be 100F for a week. 

Here in NYC, we started a heat wave today. Still 91F at 6:30PM, looking at a peak of 95 on Saturday. Practically chilly! 

[nachomama]

14 hours ago, OoohMaggie said:

 I remember my first trip to the US in 1987, I was in Lubbock Texas and it was 110’f and I was buying a key ring, which is still attached to my keys to this day and the lady behind the counter said the temp was nothing special

Why Lubbock Texas?

We experience much hotness during the summers here, a/c is essential. I know that the UK doesn't have a lot of air conditioning so I get it. Ours is a special humid heat meaning it does not cool down at night. It's steamy 24/7, oh joy.

[Nashville]

On 7/19/2022 at 12:43 PM, nachomama said:

I could probably go back to horse and buggy times. I only go about 4 miles to work. Horse could eat my grass. Maybe we should all be Amish?

And give up my satellite radio?  NFW. Octane and Liquid Metal all the way, baby.

[nachomama]

11 minutes ago, Nashville said:

And give up my satellite radio?  NFW. Octane and Liquid Metal all the way, baby.

but you could introduce those things to the amish, like an actual steel guitar, go build it in your shop. tell them unless they sing loudly and screamy then god won't hear them. I have heard the amish cheat, like amish housewives carry a cellphone and they go out in the field to make calls. Just like the mormons and "soaking" somehow god can't see them

[OoohMaggie]

On 7/20/2022 at 12:59 PM, nachomama said:

Why Lubbock Texas?

I started in Denver and just headed south, I thought the birthplace of Buddy Holly would be as good a place as any, I also wanted to stand on the notorious grassy knoll in Dallas,

Ive experienced the humidity in New Orleans and Florida, I don’t understand how people can live in that, in NO after having a nice shower and change of clothes, by the time we walked down the stairs to the car, we were absolutely drenched in sweat, driving in Florida it was eleven at night and we had to have the windows up in the car and the A/C on because the air was so thick we couldn’t breathe properly, I know people ‘get used to it’ and we were fresh in from the UK, but can people adjust that much?

[Mr. Sparkle]

I really don't care for it. I have a 10 minute walk to the train, and this morning at 6AM I was already sweaty at 80F. The walk home will be much worse. 

I've spent time in New Orleans, and it makes New York seem like a desert in comparison. 

[nachomama]

19 minutes ago, OoohMaggie said:

interesting route. I always wonder what in the United States people want to see and usually New York, LA, Chicago. I don't think of Lubbock texas. Lubbock itself may not be the ugliest place on earth but very close. Personally I think Odessa, Lubbock, Hobbs New Mexico are the armpit of hell as far as looks go. There is absolutely nothing there. There is an actual town called "No trees" texas. BECAUSE THERE ARE NO TREES! You can see the lights from Odessa about 100 miles away because there is nothing between those lights and you. Completely flat, no hills, no trees. desert desert desert. My grandma lived in Goldsmith, uncles in Odessa (if you wanted to google map to verify I do not lie about the uglitude of the place go to Dawn Ave and buffalo Ave, Odessa tx) there is a water tower there and my uncle lives under it somewhere. do a street view, now they have planted trees in their yard but just scroll there's not a gd thing in that town. when they say "Friday night lights" that's exactly what it's based on, that's the permian basin Permian high school upon which the  football movie is based. My cousin didn't play football but lordy it's a religion, there's nothing else to do but church and football. we visited one time and my uncle sent my cousin on an errand and said to take us with him and he "cruised" the church. We were like "what a nerd" but he did end up knocking up his high school girlfriend so he wasn't as goody two shoes as we thought.

for shits and giggles you could google map Thoreau New Mexico too. its ugly but has trees and mountain, the red mesas. everybody always says they're pretty but if you grew up with them they're meh.

[Nashville]

13 hours ago, OoohMaggie said:

Ive experienced the humidity in New Orleans and Florida, I don’t understand how people can live in that, in NO after having a nice shower and change of clothes, by the time we walked down the stairs to the car, we were absolutely drenched in sweat, driving in Florida it was eleven at night and we had to have the windows up in the car and the A/C on because the air was so thick we couldn’t breathe properly, I know people ‘get used to it’ and we were fresh in from the UK, but can people adjust that much?

Apparently.  😆

[Mr. Sparkle]

19 hours ago, nachomama said:

I do not lie about the uglitude of the place go to Dawn Ave and buffalo Ave, Odessa tx)

Honestly, that looks like almost any suburb/small town in the US. I've seen much uglier. 

19 hours ago, nachomama said:

Thoreau New Mexico

That place is pretty barren, but the mesas are pretty cool since I've never actually seen one. Interesting is that I looked at the same scene in December and there's snow on the ground. It snows in New Mexico? 

[Mr. Sparkle]

You want ugly? Look at this. This is part of my commute home. There's always some kind of horrible trash on the walkway, the train above is noisy and there's always cars honking. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7465803,-73.9350416,3a,75y,332.61h,86.94t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqI0aKtT2zuAFVzhTdRLBlg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[nachomama]

That’s castle rock which is the view from my friends house. This is where we used to ride our motorcycles out on weekends and go up and party. 
 

but guess what?!?!  GUESS. you’ll never guess the miracle that occurred. I got a mf’ing raise!!! 10 years! Ten whole years I never got a raise! 

[nachomama]

Yes it does snow in New Mexico. We were pretty high up 7200 feet so mountains. It doesn’t usually stick though. One day and then it melts.  You could get by most days with a sweater. But definitely some storms that ended up with nasty muddy roads. 

[OoohMaggie]

12 hours ago, Nashville said:

Apparently.  😆

I kinda left the goal uncovered for that one 🙄

[OoohMaggie]

On 7/21/2022 at 5:20 PM, nachomama said:

interesting route. I always wonder what in the United States people want to see and usually New York, LA, Chicago. I don't think of Lubbock texas.

I did see many other places other than those two, it was a rather random route, covering several thousand miles, all without any insurance, on the little car I bought, yet never got pulled over by ‘law enforcement’ as I believe they’re known, no medical cover either, aaaahhh the joys of being young, ignorant  and incredibly stupid  😂🤣😂.

What you guys think of as dull, ugly and boring, us from a completely different environment can often find cool and interesting, even Clam’s bridge has a certain interest as a foreigner.

Edited July 22, 2022 by OoohMaggie

[OoohMaggie]

2 hours ago, nachomama said:

That’s castle rock

That looks remarkably like Ayers Rock (Ularu) in Australia

Well done on the raise, but ten years 😱😱

Edited July 22, 2022 by OoohMaggie

[nachomama]

It does look like Ayer’s rock. I know we didn’t know much about castles in New Mexico. But they also have “ship rock” which looks nothing like a ship. 

[OoohMaggie]

On 7/23/2022 at 1:24 AM, nachomama said:

But they also have “ship rock” which looks nothing like a ship. 

Yeah, I’m not getting a “ship” vibe if I’m honest, it does however  look remarkably like an English cathedral, the resemblance is quite striking at that angle.

Where exactly is that ship rock?

 

That’s Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, very famous.

Edited July 26, 2022 by OoohMaggie

[nachomama]

16 hours ago, OoohMaggie said:

Yeah, I’m not getting a “ship” vibe if I’m honest, it does however though look remarkably like an English cathedral, the resemblance is quite striking at that angle.

Where exactly is that ship rock?

Shiprock is in the northwest corner of New Mexico, there's a whole town named ship rock and the actual rock is outside of town. It's directly north of where I grew up, thoreau. I think from another angle there's a tall skinny rock that sticks out that resembles the mast of a ship but otherwise the only resemblence is that it's a huge mass on a flat desert as if a ship sailing on the sea.

I googled Thoreau and in our trivia they claim the car repair shop "herman's garage" is on the historic registry of places. hahahha this is where I took my car when I totalled it while my dad was out of town on a fishing trip. Busted all 4 axles, knocked the entire front end off but we turned the tires inside out and I drove it to the garage... huffing and puffing like that cartoon "speed buggy" it was hopping up on one side and literally puffing, but I drove it to the garage and as a joke I said to Jimmy Herman "Think you can fix it before my dad gets back?" which was absolutely a joke, there is no hiding what I did. How would I have paid for it?? But my father, to his dying day, I swear believed that I meant to hide it from him. It was like $4900 worth of damage! in 1989 dollars! They did not officially total it but dang near close. They did repair it and my mom sent me to Seattle for the summer so my dad didn't strangle me.

[nachomama]

4 minutes ago, nachomama said:

They also explain that thoreau is not walden pond, no association with Henry david Thoreau. it's pronounced Thor-ooooh like threw not throw. anywho it quotes my high school english teacher who wrote a book "Roxanne Heath Densmore" she says it was named after Henry David but she's full of shit. This is a woman who was married like 9 times and looked like Divine of John Waters fame, she was fully born a woman but chose to look like a 80's drag queen.

Edited July 25, 2022 by nachomama
meant to edit not quote myself, I'm not that full of myself.

[OoohMaggie]

I’ve now got to find a helpful video which will tell me again who the hell is who.

Its going to be hard going without The Hound but as long as it starts better than the last one ended it should be a good ride 🤞

Edited July 26, 2022 by OoohMaggie

[Mr. Sparkle]

I don't even know if I'm going to watch it. GoT crashed so hard it really ruined the whole thing for me. 

[nachomama]

I couldn't keep anybody straight for the longest time either. I just watched something the other day and I kept thinking some dude was cute and familiar. I looked him up and it was that stupid Jacquin hagar the one who gave Arya Stark the wishes and who introduced her to the face changing people. And I hated him in the show. He was the Russian guard in Stranger Things. And I hated every single thing about the ending of Game of Thrones. I'm on the fence with this new one too

[Mr. Sparkle]

Every British actor ever was in Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. Some in more than one. 

[nachomama]

4 hours ago, OoohMaggie said:

Its going to be hard going without The Hound but as long as it starts better than the last one ended it should be a good ride 🤞

I loved The Hound, Tormunde Giantsbane and Davos Seaworth, Brienne of Tarth of course Tyrion. I've been watching Foyles war on my acorn and I pointed to the tv and shouted Tyrion's dad! That was quite possibly the most satisfying death of all time on Game of Thrones.

[Nashville]

2 hours ago, Superclam said:

Every British actor ever was in Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. Some in more than one. 

Gotta love it when 2 or 3 good franchises can collectively keep afloat an economic industry segment of an entire nation-state.

29 minutes ago, nachomama said:

I loved The Hound, Tormunde Giantsbane and Davos Seaworth, Brienne of Tarth of course Tyrion. I've been watching Foyles war on my acorn and I pointed to the tv and shouted Tyrion's dad! That was quite possibly the most satisfying death of all time on Game of Thrones.

Aw, c’mon now - you KNOW you’re going to give it an initial watch, at least.

[nachomama]

3 hours ago, Nashville said:

Aw, c’mon now - you KNOW you’re going to give it an initial watch, at least.

I know I will too.

Here's how humid it is today...and how badly our air conditioning keeps up. I'm wearing cargo pants, there is no stretch in cargo pants. and they're sticking to me...so I ripped a knee because I didn't hike my pants before I sat down and they didn't slide because of humidity. So I'm either the hulk and my knee hulked out and busted my pants or it's too damn hot in this office!

[nachomama]

This may be a question only Nashville can answer, how ubiquitous was Western Auto? I watched the crawdad movie and they brought up Western Auto several times like it was a big deal for a small town. We had one, when I got Donny and Marie barbies for christmas one year I got a note from Santa that said Marie didn't make it onto the sled so she could be picked up in town at Western Auto. Like it was a hardware store but it was also a department store. You could get toys, clothes, furninshing. If you had a small town and no department store it was Western Auto. Is this right? I don't even recall going inside myself. I think we stopped there in town and my dad would go in and we'd sit in the car and wait for him. In town town like a real town we had TG&Y which my gramma called turtles girdles and yo yos but I do not know what it actually stood for. We could get a scoop of ice cream for like 10 cents. and of course Piggly Wiggly.

[Nashville]

Oh GOD yes.  Every town that didn’t have a Sears had a Western Auto, and there were a LOT more Western Autos than there were Sears.  I got my first all-grown-up-bought-by-me tool set there; a set of 5 Standard open-ended wrenches to work on my Spyder bike. 😄  My first rifle came from there, too; a .22LR my parents gave me for Christmas.  You could get boots and work clothes there, too. If my father couldn’t get (or afford) a particular Craftsman tool at a given time, then Western Auto was his preferred fallback. One-stop shopping in its earliest inception.

Funny you should mention Western Auto: last week I came to be driving around what I call my hometown, and went past where the old Western Auto used to be. It’s a Mexican restaurant now.

[OoohMaggie]

I don’t know if it’s been won yet, but if any of you do manage to snare the $1.1 billion ticket don’t forget your impoverished cousin across the pond 🤗, we’ve just had our biggest ever winner, £193 million, seriously what can you buy with that 🙄

[Mr. Sparkle]

The drawing is tonight. I got 2 tickets. I'm so confident about winning I'm going to tell my boss to f-off. 

I've calculated the take home if I go for lump sum after taxes will be $240 million, which really aint that bad! 

[Mr. Sparkle]

My wife and I will get into real fights about what we're going to do with the money when we get it. She wants a beach house, I definitely do not. Two houses and we save the marriage! 

[OoohMaggie]

35 minutes ago, Superclam said:

I've calculated the take home if I go for lump sum after taxes will be $240 million, which really aint that bad! 

Out of 1.1 billion? 😱😱😱  that’s shocking, we don’t pay any tax on our winnings but 193 -ish million is as much as the law allows to be won. I’m with the wife, although I’d also be buying a beach to put the house on 🏖️

[Mr. Sparkle]

3 minutes ago, OoohMaggie said:

Out of 1.1 billion? 😱😱😱  that’s shocking, we don’t pay any tax on our winnings but 193 -ish million is as much as the law allows to be won. I’m with the wife, although I’d also be buying a beach to put the house on 🏖️

Oh yeah, the federal gov't takes a bite, and then the state takes her share. I'm in a high tax state, so I'd get hit. Based on articles I've read, in New York you can expect to net 40% of the cash payout. 

[Nashville]

3 hours ago, OoohMaggie said:

Out of 1.1 billion? 😱😱😱  that’s shocking, we don’t pay any tax on our winnings but 193 -ish million is as much as the law allows to be won. I’m with the wife, although I’d also be buying a beach to put the house on 🏖️

Not ALL of that bite is tax.  Works out like this:

1. The “$1.1B” number is the total amount over 30 years if a winner goes with the incremental payout option; if you go with the lump-sum cash payout option (which almost everybody does) your check will be for about half that, or ~$550M.
2. Now is when the IRS steps in - and of your $550M they’re going to take about half THAT, or $275M, as taxes, leaving you about $275M.

Still enough for two, maybe even THREE tanks of gas.  😁

[nachomama]

All of you can quit worrying what you gonna do with the money. Check already got my name on it! I’ll give you all $2 to go buy your own ticket. I’m sure I’d have to have several houses. Maybe I’ll come visit all you poors and get you some Olive Garden. Nothing too good for my friends! I’ll spare no expense. 

[OoohMaggie]

2 hours ago, Nashville said:

Not ALL of that bite is tax.  Works out like this:

Aaaahhhhh Ok, I wasn’t expecting there to be a catch to it like that, and no I don’t wish to buy any magic beans thank you 🌱, so really we’re not doing that badly over here in comparison, Fk me, I suppose there’s a first time for everything 😱. 

Edited July 29, 2022 by OoohMaggie

[Mr. Sparkle]

I did actually hear of someone who won about $3-$4 million in the lottery. He went out and bought tons of shit on credit, and then was surprised when he got about half of the amount he was expecting. 

[OoohMaggie]

That would be rather upsetting 🥺

Edited July 29, 2022 by OoohMaggie

[nachomama]

I’ve watched a bit of the “lottery dream homes” and they’re not really buying super extravagant houses. If they won $1 million they’re buying a $250k house. I’ve watched the uk version too with Laurence Llewelyn Bowen and they’re very modest prize winners but if they don’t lose half to taxes then I guess it works out better. I won’t worry about that with my 1billion. Please order me once Scottish castle. I don’t care how cold it is or no modern amenities. I’ll be wandering the moors being depressed. I want to shout “speak English” at the help. (That’s a joke because they are speaking English) 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Well, it looks like I'll be working for another week, at least. ☹️

[nachomama]

1 hour ago, Superclam said:

Well, it looks like I'll be working for another week, at least. ☹️

I can hold on the castle for a week