Small Talk: The Polygamous Cul-de-Sac

[Absolom]

Youtube is wise to this now and is beginning to block access for people using ad blockers. 😢

[General Days]

Yeah. My husband mentioned it the other day, but YouTube didn't make me pause AdBlock until yesterday.

Oh well. It was a great run.

[Gramto6]

Back to report that my battery life has definitely improved with the lack of all the ads! I am still on my overnight charge at 4:56PM this afternoon. Before AdBlocker and the Sonoma upgrade I would now be on my 2nd or 3rd recharge for the day. Maybe there is something in Sonoma that makes it more sensitive to the ads? But now it seems back to normal like it was when I was still running Mojave!! Yay!!

[Kbo]

Someone in my local buy nothing group was gifting some LLR and I was reminded how ugly it is.  You’d have to pay me a LOT to wear any of this:

 

[suomi]

https://abc13.com/thanksgiving-grandma-text-message-accident/13957705/

[AZChristian]

On 10/23/2023 at 6:23 PM, suomi said:

https://abc13.com/thanksgiving-grandma-text-message-accident/13957705/

True:  Wanda and I worked for the same company.  I used to be in tech support, and remember speaking with her a couple of times.

[Joan of Argh]

Ok it’s a little late for Halloween but this is a great costume 😋

[SunnyBeBe]

13 hours ago, Joan of Argh said:

Ok it’s a little late for Halloween but this is a great costume 😋

Very clever!  Lol

[Teafortwo]

So I got duckduckgo to avoid the ads. But I forgot to switch browsers tonight and this was on my ad feed! 

https://www.bitsandpieces.com/product/galloping-horses-silhouette-wall-decor?p=0939377&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PMax Google Shopping: Non-Puzzle - SHOP&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwm66pBhDQARIsALIR2zBb3Qx3JNS_V7S_Ch0d0qEAv7Qxy9X0sbXqqDKJJVo9zLW0T50ES24aAkatEALw_wcB

It's on sale for $35! I must say I'm kinda tempted....

[Irate Panda]

Does anybody love their vehicle?  If so can you recommend a low maintenance sedan/hatchback/small suv. Looking for something that generally would last at least 15 years.  Don’t have a certain price point exactly but willing to pay for something that’s reliable and last.  THANKS 😊

[Orcinus orca]

7 hours ago, Irate Panda said:

 If so can you recommend a low maintenance sedan/hatchback/small suv.

Probably the lowest maintenance, long lasting would be a Subaru.  With that said, they are very pricey but worth in the long run. 

My neighbor has a 2009 Subaru Outback with 450,000 miles on it and it's still going strong.  She used to be a hosptice chaplain in a rural area so it got a LOT of rough road driving.

[Roslyn]

10 hours ago, Irate Panda said:

Does anybody love their vehicle?  If so can you recommend a low maintenance sedan/hatchback/small suv. Looking for something that generally would last at least 15 years.  Don’t have a certain price point exactly but willing to pay for something that’s reliable and last.  THANKS 😊

I love LOVE my Honda CRV. Mine is a 2005 and my daughter has a 2019.

[Gramto6]

I know this doesn't help you now, but I Love, Love, Love my 1997 Geo Tracker 2 door/4WD! I don't drive much...It has about 126,000 miles on it. Yep that's all! They don't make this any more, and I just pray it lasts the rest of my life. It doesn't have any of the newest bells and whistles but has always served me well. The year after we bought it Chevy decided to brand it with it's name instead of Geo. 

I keep my eyes open for any newer used ones for sale, but never find any. I guess people keep it till it dies!

Edited November 25, 2023 by Gramto6

[Teafortwo]

I miss my 1999 Camry (but not parking it on the street and having to move it at least twice a week). It only had about 160K miles, but when the radiator went, my mechanic advised me that the chassis was so rusted, he felt the car was no longer safe to drive. I sold it to a scrapyard. I teared up when they came to take it away.

[Quickbeam]

I had a Suzuki crossover, manual transmission, 4 WD….it was the greatest car I’d ever owned. When Suzuki went out of business car-wise in the US, it became impossible to get parts and eventually no one would service it. Traded it in but still miss it. 

[Sandy W]

1 hour ago, Teafortwo said:

I miss my 1999 Camry (but not parking it on the street and having to move it at least twice a week). It only had about 160K miles, but when the radiator went, my mechanic advised me that the chassis was so rusted, he felt the car was no longer safe to drive. I sold it to a scrapyard. I teared up when they came to take it away.

Think of it this way, your Camry lives on with the salvaged parts keeping other Camrys up and running. All is not lost.

 

[Meowwww]

19 hours ago, Irate Panda said:

Does anybody love their vehicle?  If so can you recommend a low maintenance sedan/hatchback/small suv. Looking for something that generally would last at least 15 years.  Don’t have a certain price point exactly but willing to pay for something that’s reliable and last.  THANKS 😊

I’m exactly zero help, but I adore beyond reason Miss B, my Chevy Silverado HD 3500 dually.   Hubby drives a Chevy Spark and it’s super cute and very fun to drive, but worthless in the snow. 

[Gramto6]

1 hour ago, Meowwww said:

I’m exactly zero help, but I adore beyond reason Miss B, my Chevy Silverado HD 3500 dually.   Hubby drives a Chevy Spark and it’s super cute and very fun to drive, but worthless in the snow. 

That is why I love my Geo Tracker so much, it is a champion in the snow!!

[Irate Panda]

10 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

I know this doesn't help you now, but I Love, Love, Love my 1997 Geo Tracker 2 door/4WD! I don't drive much...It has about 126,000 miles on it. Yep that's all! They don't make this any more, and I just pray it lasts the rest of my life. It doesn't have any of the newest bells and whistles but has always served me well. The year after we bought it Chevy decided to brand it with it's name instead of Geo. 

I keep my eyes open for any newer used ones for sale, but never find any. I guess people keep it till it dies!

OMG these are ADORABLE! 🤗 

[Gramto6]

1 hour ago, Irate Panda said:

OMG these are ADORABLE! 🤗 

I know right?? Mine has a shell top on the back it looks square like a small 2 door car, not like a truck as this one does. I have sliding windows on sides of the back and a fold down bench seat in the back (so it could seat 4 but tightly). It has a lift up rear window that is right next to the tail light and the bottom opens to the side. That is the same color as mine!!

Edited November 26, 2023 by Gramto6
typo

[Irate Panda]

39 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

I know right?? Mine has a shell top on the back it looks square like a small 2 door car, not like a truck as this one does. I have sliding windows on sides of the back and a fold down bench seat in the back (so it could seat 4 but tightly). It has a lift up rear window that is right next to the tail light and the bottom opens to the side. That is the same color as mine!!

So shaped more like this one?

 These are so cute, I’m sad they don’t make these anymore!

[Yeah No]

Oooh,, a car conversation, I love cars!  I love my 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport.  I just bought it at the end of my lease and found out it now sells used for about $10,000 more than I paid for it, which makes buying it the right thing to do in this crazy market!  Unfortunately in yet another head scratching moment (they seem to be a thing these days) Nissan chose to stop making the Rogue Sport in 2023, probably to focus on developing its EVs, which is a noble cause, but why they would stop making a car that was supposedly so popular is beyond me.  At least they could have come out with a hybrid version.  Around me my car is very common.  BTW, we just saw it on the last couple of SW episodes.  It's the same car Janelle and Christine were riding around in.  They were in a white one.  Mine's a gunmetal gray.  I'd say getting a used one is a good idea if you can find one that's reasonably priced, although from a longevity perspective there are better choices, but they're probably going to be more expensive to buy used than the Rogue Sport so it evens itself out somewhat.

@Gramto6 I remember that little Suzuki - so adorable!  I haven't seen one in decades!  I'm amazed and delighted to find out that one is still on the road!  

As far as other recommendations go, @Irate Panda, @Orcinus orca is right,  you can't go wrong with a Subaru Outback.  I would also recommend the Crosstrack.  If you can find a decent used one at a decent price (I know, that's harder to do these days) it might be worth it.  I know a man that buys a used Outback every decade or so - he gets one several years old so it's cheaper and gets another decade or more out of it, then he sells it.  It's amazing how worth it those cars are.  Although I appreciate them I have been a loyal Nissan customer for 30 years.  That may change after this car for several reasons, although I plan to keep it as long as I can now that I'm retired.  It's 3 years old and I only have 22,000 miles on it - my lowest mileage ever because of the pandemic and the fact that I just don't travel as much as I used to.  Plus when my husband and I go anywhere we usually use a different vehicle.  I usually can get about a decade out of a Nissan with good care.

Another similar Small SUV I can recommend is the Toyota Rav4.  It also comes in a hybrid model which I like.  Used ones are not too expensive and they are VERY reliable so you can't go wrong there either.  I recommend going used because with cars that reliable you take much less of a chance getting a used one and it has a decent amount of life left in it.  And these days with the price of cars being higher, buying used is not a bad idea.  Usually 3-5 years old is probably best from a price/longevity perspective.  I know, I talk like I know what I'm talking about but it's one of my pet interests and my husband is a "car guy" having worked as a dealership service advisor/manager before he embarked on his semi-retirement career of limo. driver.

Edited November 26, 2023 by Yeah No

[Irate Panda]

Thank you everyone for so much info, it’s appreciated! 

[Gramto6]

10 hours ago, Irate Panda said:

So shaped more like this one?

 These are so cute, I’m sad they don’t make these anymore!

Yes! though I don't use the soft back like this photo shows. Mine is the black hard material like in the other photo, though shaped like this. The windows are regular windows that slide open with screens. That top shown in the photo was the stock top. Living in snow country at the time of purchase with no garage I opted to upgrade to hard top. I absolutely LOVE this car!!

@Yeah No it isn't Suziki, it is a Chevy, when I bought, the brand name was Geo. But it does look like the Suzikis

I couldn't find a better pix of "Lil Bit" but you can see most of it. If you look closely, you can see one of my feral cats on the rocks checking out the deer!

Edited November 26, 2023 by Gramto6
added on to post

[65mickey]

One time our local meteorologist while reporting on the dense fog said and I quote: "The fog outside is as dense as sea poop." instead of as dense as pea soup. I think he realized the spoonerism as soon as it came out of his mouth but he kept on talking not missing a beat. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Late to the discussion, but I drive a 2006 Subaru Outback with 110,000 miles or so.  I bought it new.  Subarus are great sturdy cars.  My brother-in-law buys them also and runs them into the ground delivering newspapers. 

[CalicoKitty]

On 11/25/2023 at 9:15 AM, Roslyn said:

I love LOVE my Honda CRV. Mine is a 2005 and my daughter has a 2019.

I'm driving a 2015 CRV, and I only replaced my 2010 because some guy drove into the side of it.  The car body did exactly what it was supposed to do.  The car had a crunched side, and I had no injury at all.

[EtheltoTillie]

14 hours ago, CalicoKitty said:

I'm driving a 2015 CRV, and I only replaced my 2010 because some guy drove into the side of it.  The car body did exactly what it was supposed to do.  The car had a crunched side, and I had no injury at all.

Similar story here.  We only replaced our 1999 Subaru Forester because some idiot drove into our rear end.  We took the insurance money (from the other driver) and put it toward the new 2006 Outback.  Fortunately, no one injured. 

[Yeah No]

23 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

@Yeah No it isn't Suziki, it is a Chevy, when I bought, the brand name was Geo. But it does look like the Suzikis

I couldn't find a better pix of "Lil Bit" but you can see most of it. If you look closely, you can see one of my feral cats on the rocks checking out the deer!

Oooh, how did I make that mistake?  I'm slipping!  I did know it was a Geo Tracker, but yeah it does look like a Suzuki.  Serves me right for posting at 4:00 a.m., LOL.

It is just about THE cutest car ever!  I love that you named it - I have named many of my cars.  I don't have a name for my current one, though.

[Gramto6]

21 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Oooh, how did I make that mistake?  I'm slipping!  I did know it was a Geo Tracker, but yeah it does look like a Suzuki.  Serves me right for posting at 4:00 a.m., LOL.

It is just about THE cutest car ever!  I love that you named it - I have named many of my cars.  I don't have a name for my current one, though.

When I got the car new, my husband was close to death and we had to be able to get down the mountain to the dr even if there was snow, thus the 4WD (we never had that before). After he passed, I was out shopping in our tiny town, and a friend said she was glad to see me out and about.  And that she loved my new "little bit of a car". Thus the name stuck and it became "Lil Bit" from then on. It handles great in the snow and gets decent mileage. I don't drive much that is why the mileage is so low. I just hope it last the rest of my life!!

[xwordfanatik]

I like my old clunker, my 2007 HHR.  It's not good in the snow, but it's cute and looks retro.

We have a 2001 Ford 250 pickup that is good in the snow.

Based on the comments here, I'm thinking if we ever get a new vehicle again, I'll go with a Subaru.

[Rabbit Hutch]

Love my Chevy pickup truck.  She's my baby! 🥰  I wonder how difficult it would be to be buried in her?  🤔  

[Orcinus orca]

25 minutes ago, Rabbit Hutch said:

I wonder how difficult it would be to be buried in her?  🤔  

I expect the hole will need to be deeper than six feet!

[Rabbit Hutch]

15 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

I expect the hole will need to be deeper than six feet!

Indeed!  Well, while I'm at it I might as well have that sound system that I've been contemplating put in.  It would blare out Springsteen's "Born to Run" whenever someone steps on the hidden sensors in the ground.  😎  Nothing ooky 'bout that!  👀  Not at all.  😛

 

[General Days]

It feels like @TurtlePower hasn't posted in a long while. Is anyone in contact with her outside this board? I'm just wondering if she's okay. She's usually a regular here.

[Gramto6]

How odd, I was just thinking of her too! I hope she is OK and will be posting again as she is able.

[Sandy W]

7 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

How odd, I was just thinking of her too! I hope she is OK and will be posting again as she is able.

I tried scrolling through her previous comments last week to see if I could find one that I could send a dm to her. I went back for a month and couldn't find anything on the usual threads she comments on.

[Orcinus orca]

24 minutes ago, Sandy W said:

I tried scrolling through her previous comments last week to see if I could find one that I could send a dm to her. I went back for a month and couldn't find anything on the usual threads she comments on.

All you have to do is click the "envelope" icon at the top right and type in her name to send a message.

[ginger90]

2 hours ago, General Days said:

It feels like @TurtlePower hasn't posted in a long while. Is anyone in contact with her outside this board? I'm just wondering if she's okay. She's usually a regular here.

I just sent a message.

[Sandy W]

4 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

I just sent a message.

Me too. Hope she is still reading here and knows how valued her comments are.

[Gramto6]

Me three! I hope she is well, that is my biggest worry.

[Yeah No]

10 hours ago, General Days said:

It feels like @TurtlePower hasn't posted in a long while. Is anyone in contact with her outside this board? I'm just wondering if she's okay. She's usually a regular here.

I was just thinking about her a few days ago and looked at her profile on this site and she hasn't posted anything on the board since October 8th.  I too hope she's OK, I worry because I know she's had her struggles like the rest of us, and I miss her!

[Teafortwo]

I hope @TurtlePower is okay, I really do.

I tested positive for covid today. Last night I had chills, body aches and upset stomach. My gluteous maximus is fine though. So far. 

[General Days]

Oh, I hope it passes quickly for you, @Teafortwo. I'm sorry you'll be out of commission for the holiday.

[Yeah No]

21 hours ago, Teafortwo said:

I tested positive for covid today. Last night I had chills, body aches and upset stomach. My gluteous maximus is fine though. So far. 

I had Covid in September.  I had a mild fever for one day and it was just like an annoying bad cold that took its sweet time going away.  All told it took about 10 days to get over.  I had a stuffed nose, sore throat and post nasal drip resulting in an annoying cough.  I could function but didn't feel very energetic.  Despite that it wasn't as bad as the flu and many other viruses I've had.  I lost my sense of taste for a couple of days and it took a few weeks to slowly come back to normal. 

Here's hoping you have a mild case like mine with no complications.

[Yeah No]

I thought I should mention we had a bad rain storm here 2 days ago that dumped tons of rain on my area.  We had another similar storm a week before.  A huge tree on my property fell on the house and caused damage to our roof, broke a window and poked a branch through the ceiling in my foyer.  I was asleep when it happened, heard a loud "boom" and found it.  Of course my husband was already out working and was down in NYC too far away to come back for hours.  So there I was on zero caffeine or food and still groggy dealing with this.  The water was coming through the ceiling so I had to run out to the garage for buckets to catch it.  My wonderful neighbors were THE BEST and came to help me.  I still can't get over how wonderful they've been.  The husband is a lawyer and one-time contractor and told us exactly what to do and his wife helped me clean up the mess and provided moral support.  Miraculously nothing in the house was damaged but there are a few holes in the roof.  Several rafters were damaged, some ductwork was dented and insulation got wet so we are going to need extensive repairs.  We have a very sturdy and high roof so it could have been much worse.  Our neighbor hooked us up with THE BEST tree company that came in only an hour to remove the tree and returned the next day to cut it up and take it away.  We also had them remove 4 more trees we worry about and they put tarp on the roof to stop the water from coming in.

We've had several people in and out of the house, the fire dept., someone from the town building inspector's office, insurance adjustors, contractors, you name it.  The building inspector told us to stay in a hotel just until they were sure we were safe to stay there and today we were given the OK provided we don't get any heavy snow on the roof before it's fixed.  We are home tonight but know we will have to go back to the hotel when the roof is being repaired.  So we are under the gun at the worst time of year to get this fixed.  In addition the front wall and picture window need to be replaced.  Ugh.  Anyway, we're trying to stay positive about it.  Thanks to our great neighbors and the contractors they hooked us up with so far, we are doing better than we could be.  

BTW over the years and as recently as last year I had tree people tell me that tree, which was at least 60 feet tall and actually two trees on a common root system, was in no danger of falling and even if it did they didn't think it would touch the house as it wasn't so close and was on the edge of the property near the road.  Of course who could anticipate two extremely soaking storms in a week making the ground soft enough to cause trees to fall?  That never happens.  And of course why did it have to fall toward the house?  The tree people didn't think it would.  Trees have fallen all over the state as a result of this two storm whammy and we've had local flooding and pop up ponds everywhere.  

Anyway, that's the story here.  Great way to start the holidays, right?  I'm just happy nobody got hurt!

[altopower]

Wow, @Yeah No - I've been following that storm because I used to live on the East Coast and my former cities always get slammed, but this one really was so bad for so many places. Glad you were able to get such quick attention from so many people and get the trees removed before any more damage could happen.

[Yeah No]

On 12/20/2023 at 8:21 AM, altopower said:

Wow, @Yeah No - I've been following that storm because I used to live on the East Coast and my former cities always get slammed, but this one really was so bad for so many places. Glad you were able to get such quick attention from so many people and get the trees removed before any more damage could happen.

Thank you, we are in a lull because of the holiday waiting for the adjusters to get back to us with the estimates.  We have an independent adjuster working on our side to make sure the insurance company doesn't lowball us.  Until then I just hope nothing happens like another bad rainstorm or snowstorm.  We don't need any weight on the roof before it's fixed.  Of course I worry about everything.  Plus the thought of having to pack up everything in the living area and have it stored is causing stress.  They are going to have it done for us but still I worry because it's almost like moving and I know what that can be like.  And I hate the idea of having to relocate to a hotel while they do the roof but that's what we'll have to do. 

[Gramto6]

Well, third time is the charm so they say... I have posted a reply to your post @Yeah No twice now and they both seem to have been lost in the upgrades... sigh. I'll try once more much briefer than the other 2! :)

I had a huge cottonwood tree branch come down on my house 6-7 yrs ago. Fortunately it was Summer so no rain to deal with. But it was frightening!

I was in the living room watching TV on a very windy day when I heard a loud "boom" at the back of the house, then a very loud "swish" overhead and in the front of the house.  When I went to see what had happened there were tree branches outside my kitchen window and on the other side of the house my bathroom wall was bashed all out of shape. I was so lucky not to be in the bathroom at the time.

The whole roof had to be replaced and the wall of bathroom and room next to it repaired. The previous owners had planted 7-8 cottonwoods behind the house and when I bought they were small and I appreciated the shade. I promptly had all of them cut down and left only 3, one at each far corner of the yard. 

It was not a fun experience as I expect yours wasn't either. Hopefully you will be able to get back to normal soon.

Hope this post "stays" this time!...

Edited December 23, 2023 by Gramto6

[Pickleinthemiddle]

3 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

Well, third time is the charm so they say... I have posted a reply to your post @Yeah No twice now and they both seem to have been lost in the upgrades... sigh. I'll try once more much briefer than the other 2! :)

I had a huge cottonwood tree branch come down on my house 6-7 yrs ago. Fortunately it was Summer so no rain to deal with. But it was frightening!

I was in the living room watching TV on a very windy day when I heard a loud "boom" at the back of the house, then a very loud "swish" overhead and in the front of the house.  When I went to see what had happened there were tree branches outside my kitchen window and on the other side of the house my bathroom wall was bashed all out of shape. I was so lucky not to be in the bathroom at the time.

The whole roof had to be replaced and the wall of bathroom and room next to it repaired. The previous owners had planted 7-8 cottonwoods behind the house and when I bought they were small and I appreciated the shade. I promptly had all of them cut down and left only 3, one at each far corner of the yard. 

It was not a fun experience as I expect yours wasn't either. Hopefully you will be able to get back to normal soon.

Hope this post "stays" this time!...

Cottonwoods like fruitless mulberry trees and hackberry,  are considered trash trees.  They grow quick to give shade but create a lot of problems.