Small Talk: The Polygamous Cul-de-Sac

[Gramto6]

I keep seeing the ads for Discovery+ a paid streaming channel. I was poking around and most of the shows I don't give a hoot about but saw SW on the list of shows. Does that mean that SW will not be on regular cable any more? I'm not paying even $5 a month for the 2 or 3 shows on that list.

[deirdra]

29 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

I keep seeing the ads for Discovery+ a paid streaming channel. I was poking around and most of the shows I don't give a hoot about but saw SW on the list of shows. Does that mean that SW will not be on regular cable any more? I'm not paying even $5 a month for the 2 or 3 shows on that list.

What pisses me off is that for $5 you can watch 4 shows simultaneously and have 5 user profiles.  $5 is cheap for a family of 5 that wants to watch a variety of what it offers, but is too much for singles on fixed incomes who only want to watch a couple of shows.

Edited January 3, 2021 by deirdra

[Meowwww]

9 hours ago, deirdra said:

What pisses me off is that for $5 you can watch 4 shows simultaneously and have 5 user profiles.  $5 is cheap for a family of 5 that wants to watch a variety of what it offers, but is too much for singles on fixed incomes who only want to watch a couple of shows.

And I’m sure the 5$ is just a teaser price.  You just know it’s going to go way up. 

[Kohola3]

10 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

I keep seeing the ads for Discovery+ a paid streaming channel. I was poking around and most of the shows I don't give a hoot about but saw SW on the list of shows. Does that mean that SW will not be on regular cable any more? I'm not paying even $5 a month for the 2 or 3 shows on that list.

According to this article, SW is not included.  Frankly, there is no way in hell I'd pay even a penny to watch the fools. 

This streaming crap is getting out of hand.  I already pay an exorbitant amount for cable.  There is Netflix and Amazon Prime and now they want me to pay for Discovery, Disney, Hallmark and 20 more things?  Fuggedaboutit!

[Pickleinthemiddle]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

According to this article, SW is not included.  Frankly, there is no way in hell I'd pay even a penny to watch the fools. 

This streaming crap is getting out of hand.  I already pay an exorbitant amount for cable.  There is Netflix and Amazon Prime and now they want me to pay for Discovery, Disney, Hallmark and 20 more things?  Fuggedaboutit!

I originally started watching Sister Wives on Netflix.  But at the time they only had certain seasons.  So I started buying each season on itunes.  Now I can go back and watch them anytime I want to.  More so when someone on PT mentions something for a certain show.  I can go back and check it out.  As I always see something I missed.  I believe that Hulu has it up to season 11 right now.  I pay for Netflix, Hulu and my daughter has Disney plus which she pays for.  

[Absolom]

The streaming package doesn't mean that the regular channels will quit airing.  It's for people who aren't getting the regular channels and want to watch certain shows or people who want to rewatch.  Some networks only put certain content on their streaming packages to get more people to sign up, but they rarely take the regular shows they already have that way.

That isn't to say some day regular channels won't go away, but not yet.  

[xwordfanatik]

3 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

According to this article, SW is not included.  Frankly, there is no way in hell I'd pay even a penny to watch the fools. 

This streaming crap is getting out of hand.  I already pay an exorbitant amount for cable.  There is Netflix and Amazon Prime and now they want me to pay for Discovery, Disney, Hallmark and 20 more things?  Fuggedaboutit!

I'm with you...I've paid through the nose for cable + internet + landline phone for years.  Hey, I'm old and set in my ways.

My Amazon fire stick for Prime quit working, and I haven't put the new one on yet.  But I can watch those on my laptop.  

ETA:  I have an Apple 5 phone, which I'll use until it quits working.  I hardly text, because I have man hands and the keyboard is too damn small.  

Edited January 3, 2021 by xwordfanatik
added a sentence so I wouldn't seem such a hopeless fuddy-duddy

[Teafortwo]

On 1/2/2021 at 11:22 PM, deirdra said:

for $5 you can watch 4 shows simultaneously and have 5 user profiles

So in other words, it was designed for Kody and his wives? /s

[Rabbit Hutch]

I cut the cable cord about 15 years ago; got tired of paying for too many commercials and too much junk T.V.  Use Prime, ROKU, Pluto, and BritBox. Sometimes Disney+ (for DH, mainly). Had Netflix and Hulu, but cut them a few years ago.  Most of it is too expensive for the quality of programming.

[laurakaye]

23 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

This streaming crap is getting out of hand.  I already pay an exorbitant amount for cable.  There is Netflix and Amazon Prime and now they want me to pay for Discovery, Disney, Hallmark and 20 more things?  Fuggedaboutit!

For real - we cut cable a few years ago because of the price, but now we have Netflix, Prime, Hulu Live and CBS All Access (for my Survivor/Big Brother/The Challenge addictions), so I don't think we're actually saving that much money.  I really want Britbox but then I think - do I really need another streaming channel?  I do not.  But I want it anyway.  I also keep talking myself out of HBO (to watch The Undoing) and Disney Plus (to watch Hamilton, never seen it).

When we did cut cable, I couldn't get Sister Wives anywhere so I ended up buying one season on Vudu for $19.99.  I felt gross doing it...it's like, do I really need to feed my snark addiction and pay for this?  But it was the season of the Mykelti/FT weddingk and I remember reading y'all's descriptions on the threads and I thought you guys were making stuff up - throwing frisbees at the bride and groom?  Effigy pinatas?  5,000 tacos?  I had to see it with my own eyes.

Do we have any clue about a new season?  I have nothing new to snark on. 😞

  

Edited January 4, 2021 by laurakaye

[Kbo]

I've been wondering the same thing, @laurakaye.  Usually it launches in early January, so it's kind of disappointing not to have heard anything.  I just did a search and there's nothing official yet.  I hope it's soon, we definitely need some new things to snark about.  I hope they feature the kids more in the new season--I've been re-watching old seasons and I enjoyed the show more when it wasn't just about Kody and the harem (and the endless debate about a house they have no desire or ability to actually build).

[Sandy W]

It will be a challenge to snark this season, the episodes I'm sure will center around Evie's and Ysabel's surgeries.  Toward the end of the season, there may be reference to Mykelti's pregnancy, maybe even Gwen's declared "raging bisexuality".

Slim fodder for a snarkfest, unless they trot out the house plan whiteboards once again.  If that's the case, there would be groans of boredom rather than good snarkmeat.

[LilWharveyGal]

I'm sure the producers will work in some amusing b-plot tidbits as they have in the past.  Perhaps...

• Kody decides they need a Flagstaff Time Capsule.  He runs around 4 houses and the vacant lots looking for a shovel while everyone else interviews about their interest (or lack thereof).
• Meri made personalized rice krispy treats for every family member for Christmas, but left them under a pile of LLN at the B&B.  Can she drive there and back in time to save Christmas?  And can she persuade Kody to ride with her?
• Janelle's mom passed away, sadly.  Maybe the entire family must be recruited to move her mom's things into her garage so that Janelle doesn't actually have to physically move anything herself.
• Christine special-orders customized polygamy-themed silk face masks for "Wonderful Man" and the harem.   
• Robyn has to gold-plate the refrigerator because Assistant Night Nanny #2 kept leaving fingerprints on the stainless steel.

[Meowwww]

Well...got the call at work today from the State of Minnesota that I was exposed on December 29.  My coworker tested positive the next day;  I worked with her all day the 29th.  We shared phones, keyboards, keys etc. We wear masks at work, and use hand sanitizer like it’s going out of style, but it is unnerving.  I have had a sore throat and tickling cough the last few days, but I have bad sinuses so that’s not unusual.  In fact it is normal for me .

I am getting tested tomorrow, spoke to my doc today and he got me in. I still have to work tomorrow as I am asymptomatic and most likely don’t have it.  And that’s fine. I will be careful until I have my results.   
 

My hubby is just cranky about it.  He is very cavalier about the virus and is like “eh, you are fine.”   Ugh.  If I am exposed, he is too.  Just makes me mad.  He sees the news.  
 

No advice needed, just wanted to vent lol.   
 

 

[MargeGunderson]

Oh, @Meowwww, I hope your test comes back negative!

[xwordfanatik]

22 minutes ago, MargeGunderson said:

Oh, @Meowwww, I hope your test comes back negative!

Here's hoping you get a negative test!  Please let us know, and take care.

[Teafortwo]

4 hours ago, Meowwww said:

I still have to work tomorrow as I am asymptomatic 

Good lord. I wish you (and your co-workers and family) the best - but I am astonished that there is no mandatory quarantine in your area under these circumstances. That is truly scary. Be well. I will keep you in my thoughts (fwiw).

[Yeah No]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to poke my head in to say hello and thanks for your good wishes on the apartment.  I've had a bad couple of days - just feeling all around depressed and hopeless despite the good news about the buyers.  With all the news about a "new variant" and feeling cooped up inside the house all the time, it's getting to me.  I miss my life.  I try to stay busy and productive in the house but somehow it doesn't help.  I've gained 10 pounds in the past few months for no apparent reason.  It's crazy.  Most people eating what I eat would lose weight, not gain.  I'm just not able to get the exercise I was getting before the pandemic.  I've decided to make a list of things I'm going to get when the apartment closes, and some kind of exercise equipment is on the list.  I just don't know what to buy at this point.  I was looking at the Peloton, because I was always an avid cyclist, but even with the extra apartment money it's too expensive.  So I'm looking for an alternative.

I'm also doubling up on the vitamin D3 since I haven't been outside enough in the past couple of weeks.  I was trying to at least sit outside for a while every few days to get some sunlight, but the weather has turned cold and often rainy/snowy so I haven't done that for a while.  This time of year is always rough either because of SADS or slow weight gain due to lack of exercise or both, but this year it's especially rough for obvious reasons.  I haven't been able to find my light box, either, and I don't feel like going through the storage bins in the garage looking for it either.

I did have one nice "Christmas gift" from a genealogical perspective - On Christmas, two cousins from different branches on my Sicilian side contacted me separately on Ancestry.com after getting their DNA results.  Both of them were people I had hoped existed and would contact me.  One of them was another great granddaughter of my Sicilian great grandfather.  After my great grandmother died in the 1930s, he took up with another woman and had a daughter with her.  They never married but they stayed together until she died in 1958.  Then he died in 1965.  My family lost touch with their daughter after a while as she was a young woman and living on her own by then.  Well, it turns out she got married and had a family and moved out to Queens.  Then her daughter (who is around my age) got married and had a family, and it was one of her daughters, now 30, that contacted me.  She is the manager of a well known animal hospital out on Long Island.  She is engaged to be married, and so far a very, very nice person and eager to learn all about her mother's family as she and her mom know next to nothing about them.  I have been sharing stories and photos with her and it has been quite amazing, but very sad for me at the same time.  I wish I could share all of this with my mom and dad because they would have been very happy about it.  The spooky thing is that she lives in Commack, which is incidentally the town my apartment buyers are living in right now.  Plus she is about their age.  In addition to that, one of my best female friends (who I haven't seen in close to a year) lives one town over from that.  Very spooky and coincidental indeed!

The other cousin is probably a 3rd cousin but from a branch of my mother's family that I know little about (my great grandmother's mother's family).  Her tree takes the family back another generation.  I have photos of our great grandparents that she doesn't have so I will have to share them with her too.  She lives in Toronto (a lot of my mother's family lives in either Montreal or Toronto).

Anyway, I am happy about this but still depressed anyway.  I live in fear of stepping outside my house anymore.  I will have to make a visit to the Post Office soon and find a time to go there when it's not busy.  One upside to gaining the 10 pounds is that I now qualify as "obese" enough to be able to get the vaccine with people over 65 and with at-risk medical conditions.  But knowing that is making me even more afraid because people with my BMI are supposedly in a very high risk category.  If you looked at me, you wouldn't think that I'm that heavy as I must hide my weight well.

5 hours ago, Meowwww said:

I am getting tested tomorrow, spoke to my doc today and he got me in. I still have to work tomorrow as I am asymptomatic and most likely don’t have it.  And that’s fine. I will be careful until I have my results.   

Oh, Meowwww, I am so sorry to hear this, I will add you to the ever-growing list of people I am praying for right now.  I thought it was expected that people quarantine themselves if they have been exposed and don't have their test results yet, though I really don't know how this is handled in other states.  Around me if there is a case in an office, store or restaurant they shut down the place for a while to clean/disinfect and make sure the rest of the staff is tested and OK first before reopening.  Many prayers and (((hugs))) your way!

[Jeanne222]

Yeah No I was starting to feel that way too!  The isolation is bad.

So today I took my handicapped husband out to breakfast!  We have not been in a restaurant since last March!

I chose one that has good food and is not crowded!  Went at 9:30!

Only one other couple in the restaurant.  It was so clean and we really enjoyed it!

Used our hand sanitizer a few times.I

It so lifted our spirits and was worth any very small risk!

[Yeah No]

44 minutes ago, Jeanne222 said:

Yeah No I was starting to feel that way too!  The isolation is bad.

So today I took my handicapped husband out to breakfast!  We have not been in a restaurant since last March!

I chose one that has good food and is not crowded!  Went at 9:30!

Only one other couple in the restaurant.  It was so clean and we really enjoyed it!

Used our hand sanitizer a few times.I

It so lifted our spirits and was worth any very small risk!

I wish I felt OK about eating indoors but I don't, unfortunately, so it wouldn't be a good experience for me.  A restaurant near me has outdoor heated "greenhouses" for individual tables, and you have to purchase from a very expensive "prix fixe" menu to do that.  I might consider that but right now we don't have that kind of money anyway.  I haven't eaten indoors since last March 11th!  Most of my friends in my age bracket have not either.  I have been talking with my best friends about hopefully being able to eat outdoors with them in the warm weather after we get our vaccines.  We usually used to meet down in the Bronx near my Dad's house and either eat at an Italian place in Yonkers or Dad's favorite diner that's about a block from his house.  I have been wanting to go to the diner forever as the family that owns it and most of the staff loved my parents and knew Dad up until his last visit there some time last January.  The owner's son, who runs the place, reached out to me when my father passed to give me his condolences.  He knew my parents since he was a little kid.  I have not been back to the diner since my Dad died, despite going down there a lot this past Summer and Fall to go through the apartment.  I know the diner had outdoor dining set up in the warm weather in their parking lot, so I hope to do that when the weather gets warm again.  It is something I have to do.  Right now NYC has a ban on indoor dining due to rising Covid numbers, BTW.  We still have indoor dining in CT, despite experts advising a shut down, but I think capacity has been rolled back to 50%.  Let's hope better days are ahead!

ETA:  I just got an email from that restaurant with the outdoor greenhouses - they've decided to voluntarily shut down their indoor dining for the Winter but will keep the greenhouses and curbside pickup going for now.  

Edited January 5, 2021 by Yeah No

[iwantcookies]

16 hours ago, laurakaye said:

For real - we cut cable a few years ago because of the price, but now we have Netflix, Prime, Hulu Live and CBS All Access (for my Survivor/Big Brother/The Challenge addictions), so I don't think we're actually saving that much money.  I really want Britbox but then I think - do I really need another streaming channel?  I do not.  But I want it anyway.  I also keep talking myself out of HBO (to watch The Undoing) and Disney Plus (to watch Hamilton, never seen it).

When we did cut cable, I couldn't get Sister Wives anywhere so I ended up buying one season on Vudu for $19.99.  I felt gross doing it...it's like, do I really need to feed my snark addiction and pay for this?  But it was the season of the Mykelti/FT weddingk and I remember reading y'all's descriptions on the threads and I thought you guys were making stuff up - throwing frisbees at the bride and groom?  Effigy pinatas?  5,000 tacos?  I had to see it with my own eyes.

Do we have any clue about a new season?  I have nothing new to snark on. 😞

  

If you never had HBO or Disney plus you get 7-8 days for free to try it out. Should be enough to watch the shows for free.

I got HBO ($12.00 a month deal /Hulu (1.99 a month deal) and I’m using someone else’s Netflix. 
 

 

[Jeanne222]

Btw I left a $10.00 tip with the waitress.  That was 50%.  Hubby said why and I told him service people are hurting too so we need to help them if we can.  He agreed.

With only two tables I'm sure she was grateful!

[suomi]

I wish channel packages were self-select. Let me pay for 12-15 channels I choose instead of 50+ when I only watch 1/4 of the package I am forced to buy.

I resent being billed for a "sports access fee" when I watch only one baseball team. I am forced to pay $10 a month for "sports access" so I am subsidizing what other people watch on channels/networks I don't use.

But I am stuck because my sister is special needs and can only manage systems with very simple remotes. She can scroll through a guide and click on a show and that's it. She can't sign in or choose categories or options so we're stuck with the big guns - Direct, Dish and Xfinity - and they all require contracts.

My payment method is on file and she has radar for buying movies and shows so I have to add PITA parental control PINS on Prime and Netflix because she wanders into "purchase this" when I set her up with something to watch.

Contracts are another pisser. It says something when you are legally allowed to hold customers against their will. WTF. All hail the lobbyists who are behind this!

I got into it with Xfinity this week after my contract expired and they raised the price to renew. Really? The CEO of Xfinity was paid 38 million in 2020 but they raised their prices during this pandemic? He donated 8 months of his compensation and that is good but he was paid 40 million in 2019 so I don't think he is hurting. These are tough times and raising prices and fees now is a tone deaf move.

The minimum contract I could finagle is one year and for 15 minutes the rep kept saying the minimum is 2 years. In 6-8 months I will be moving to a rural area that doesn't have Xfinity. My choices are to buy out the unused months at full price or pay more to go without a contract. Last year's $149 a month for TV and internet jumped to $174 a month but it beats paying for half a year I won't be using. Gah!!!

On a lighter note, I think we should start taking vitamins but they are not regulated so I have no clue about which brand(s) to use or avoid. And I trust you gals a lot more than the internet. TIA.

[Rabbit Hutch]

11 hours ago, Meowwww said:

Well...got the call at work today from the State of Minnesota that I was exposed on December 29.  My coworker tested positive the next day;  I worked with her all day the 29th.  We shared phones, keyboards, keys etc. We wear masks at work, and use hand sanitizer like it’s going out of style, but it is unnerving.  I have had a sore throat and tickling cough the last few days, but I have bad sinuses so that’s not unusual.  In fact it is normal for me .

I am getting tested tomorrow, spoke to my doc today and he got me in. I still have to work tomorrow as I am asymptomatic and most likely don’t have it.  And that’s fine. I will be careful until I have my results.   
 

My hubby is just cranky about it.  He is very cavalier about the virus and is like “eh, you are fine.”   Ugh.  If I am exposed, he is too.  Just makes me mad.  He sees the news.  
 

No advice needed, just wanted to vent lol.   
 

 

Hope all goes well, Meow.  Sending my warmest vibes out to you.

[ginger90]

It’s something how states and businesses are so different. My son-in-law had an elevated temp upon reporting to work. He was sent home to quarantine, for 10 days,  paid leave. My daughter works for a company that because of my son-in-law’s situation, has her off for 10 days, paid also. 
The agency I work for (in home healthcare ) on the other hand, would simply say wear a mask while you’re in the home.

[Yeah No]

On 1/3/2021 at 9:41 AM, Kohola3 said:

According to this article, SW is not included.  Frankly, there is no way in hell I'd pay even a penny to watch the fools. 

This streaming crap is getting out of hand.  I already pay an exorbitant amount for cable.  There is Netflix and Amazon Prime and now they want me to pay for Discovery, Disney, Hallmark and 20 more things?  Fuggedaboutit!

According to this article, which mentions a tweet Janelle made that sent fans into a panic, TLC is not moving SW to Discovery+, but it will make the series available through Discovery+ at the same time.

It seems like the only advantage to Discovery+ will be the new original content shows, like Bobby and Giada's road trip through Italy, etc.  But I'm with you that this streaming crap is getting out of hand.  The only people that will want it are those that have ditched cable altogether.  I have a friend that only has Roku, Netflix and a few other things.

Did you see all the comments under the article you posted?  LOL everyone was bitching about the same thing, how they already pay tons of money for cable and they're nickel and diming us to death.

I just got an email from Verizon that I can get 6 months of Discovery+ for free.  I might try it just out of curiosity, but I doubt anything is going to make me want to pay for it for the long haul.  Xfinity already gives us Peacock Premium, Netflix and a few other things for free, plus a friend gave me her CBS All Access password, although I never watch it.  The only thing I'm going to cave in to buy is Hulu when "The Orville" finally has a new season there.  That show was originally on Fox but announced that its 3rd season would move to Hulu only.  It has been delayed a lot because of the pandemic, though.  But right after I watch the season I'm cancelling it!

5 hours ago, suomi said:

I wish channel packages were self-select. Let me pay for 12-15 channels I choose instead of 50+ when I only watch 1/4 of the package I am forced to buy.

I resent being billed for a "sports access fee" when I watch only one baseball team. I am forced to pay $10 a month for "sports access" so I am subsidizing what other people watch on channels/networks I don't use.

But I am stuck because my sister is special needs and can only manage systems with very simple remotes. She can scroll through a guide and click on a show and that's it. She can't sign in or choose categories or options so we're stuck with the big guns - Direct, Dish and Xfinity - and they all require contracts.

My payment method is on file and she has radar for buying movies and shows so I have to add PITA parental control PINS on Prime and Netflix because she wanders into "purchase this" when I set her up with something to watch.

Contracts are another pisser. It says something when you are legally allowed to hold customers against their will. WTF. All hail the lobbyists who are behind this!

I got into it with Xfinity this week after my contract expired and they raised the price to renew. Really? The CEO of Xfinity was paid 38 million in 2020 but they raised their prices during this pandemic? He donated 8 months of his compensation and that is good but he was paid 40 million in 2019 so I don't think he is hurting. These are tough times and raising prices and fees now is a tone deaf move.

The minimum contract I could finagle is one year and for 15 minutes the rep kept saying the minimum is 2 years. In 6-8 months I will be moving to a rural area that doesn't have Xfinity. My choices are to buy out the unused months at full price or pay more to go without a contract. Last year's $149 a month for TV and internet jumped to $174 a month but it beats paying for half a year I won't be using. Gah!!!

On a lighter note, I think we should start taking vitamins but they are not regulated so I have no clue about which brand(s) to use or avoid. And I trust you gals a lot more than the internet. TIA.

I hear you about Xfinity - My husband always bitches and gets them to lower the amount of the increase or find ways around it.  I don't know how he does it, but let's not get into how often he gets results when on the phone with big companies when I don't.  I'm not saying that there's any kind of discrimination going on, but it does make you think. When I don't have any luck, though, he often does.  These days, though, all I have to do is tell any company's customer service that my Dad died of Covid and I get a lot of sympathy and going out of their way to help me, so sob stories do work.

I hate Xfinity's sports package because they sneakily bundled Turner Classic Movies in with it, so if you want to watch that channel you have to pay umpteen dollars more per month for all these sports channels you don't want or need to get it.  And we refuse to do it.  It's sad because we both love old movies.

[Rabbit Hutch]

6 hours ago, Jeanne222 said:

Btw I left a $10.00 tip with the waitress.  That was 50%.  Hubby said why and I told him service people are hurting too so we need to help them if we can.  He agreed.

With only two tables I'm sure she was grateful!

Yes, we've upped our tipping, also.  We truckers depend heavily on both waitresses and housekeeping in truckstops to help keep us fed and clean.  They are hurting, too, so good on you.  😉

Edited January 5, 2021 by Rabbit Hutch

[laurakaye]

19 hours ago, Sandy W said:

Slim fodder for a snarkfest, unless they trot out the house plan whiteboards once again.  If that's the case, there would be groans of boredom rather than good snarkmeat.

They can bring out the old, stale, smelly Catfish story, re-heat it and serve it up again for all I care, I just need my Brown fix.  For some reason nothing satisfies the snark like Sister Wives.  I used to snark on the This is Us threads along with a few others, but I had to drop it as the rabid TIU fans are very protective of their show and would come at the snarkers, even in the Unpopular Opinions thread.  I learned that you do not mess with TIU superfans!

 

8 hours ago, Teafortwo said:

Good lord. I wish you (and your co-workers and family) the best - but I am astonished that there is no mandatory quarantine in your area under these circumstances. That is truly scary. Be well. I will keep you in my thoughts (fwiw).

The portion of my brain that is trying to make sense of the "rules" for the pandemic has closed for business, probably permanently.  The quarantine rules seem fluid and depends on where you work, not on any set of national or even state or local rules to follow.  The vaccine rollout seems directionless and random.  The new variant is scary, so will the current vax be able to handle any mutations?  I don't know.  Am I still getting part 2 of the vax?  Yes.....only because I think some protection is better than none.  However, I wonder when the other members of my family are going to be able to get it, and will theirs be different and better?  Who knows.  So when faced with "rules" that seem to change every other day, I can't keep up.  I tried and it caused anxiety for which I had to medicate myself, and lots of sleeplessness.  I sometimes feel like an ostrich hiding my head in the sand but if the alternative is information overload to the point where I can't even read a book because my brain is overtaxed, I'll go with the sand for now. 

[Yeah No]

10 minutes ago, laurakaye said:

The portion of my brain that is trying to make sense of the "rules" for the pandemic has closed for business, probably permanently.  The quarantine rules seem fluid and depends on where you work, not on any set of national or even state or local rules to follow.  The vaccine rollout seems directionless and random.  The new variant is scary, so will the current vax be able to handle any mutations?  I don't know.  Am I still getting part 2 of the vax?  Yes.....only because I think some protection is better than none.  However, I wonder when the other members of my family are going to be able to get it, and will theirs be different and better?  Who knows.  So when faced with "rules" that seem to change every other day, I can't keep up.  I tried and it caused anxiety for which I had to medicate myself, and lots of sleeplessness.  I sometimes feel like an ostrich hiding my head in the sand but if the alternative is information overload to the point where I can't even read a book because my brain is overtaxed, I'll go with the sand for now. 

I know, I heard the other day that now there's some kind of push to delay the 2nd dose of the vaccine for some people and I don't even know the specifics because my brain is on overload and I am depressed over it.  And I'm usually not so news-avoidant, but lately it has crossed over into toxic territory for me, so I'm avoiding it.  I started suffering from a renewed period of sleeplessness and anxiety so I had to stop.

39 minutes ago, Rabbit Hutch said:

Yes, we've upped our tipping, also.  We truckers depend heavily on both waitresses and housekeeping in truckstops to help keep us fed and clean.  They are hurting, too, so good on you.  😉

We've also upped our tipping of delivery people like those from Instacart and when we get delivery from restaurants, which is not too often these days, maybe twice a month.  We can't really afford it right now but we're doing it anyway because my husband works in a profession that relies on tips and knows how much they mean to people, especially these days.

[suomi]

I always listeni to talk radio and one of the hosts (one of Tim Conway's sons) asked food delivery drivers to call in because he tried DoorDash for the first time and was all amped about it.

A weed delivery driver called in also (in El Lay of course) and the entire hour was interesting and informative. 

It was good to hear that most make out really well with tips, even quitting day jobs to drive full time. The downside being that none report the earnings toward SS because they think it will be gone before they retire. I did the same for about 5-6 years when I was young and dumb so I have no room to criticize.

Annnyway, one guy said it's open season on who gets which orders so everyone grabs the good tip orders first. They can drop out of an order they accepted and take a different one although not steadily enough to cause problems. 

So I started adding a couple or three dollars to my 20% tips and it's anazing how much faster the driver's name pops up now. Almost instantly. I usually have the food in 20-25 minutes now instead of 40-50. It never occurred to me before and I tried it out when the drivers were still calling in and I am sold. Ding DONG, as Tim Jr always says, LOL.

PS, his dad did some crazy shit. Reading between the lines he had a gambling addiction because Jr spent much of his childhood at the race tracks in SoCal, learning how to bet on horses.

One time his dad needed tires, rented a car, swapped out the tires and returned the rental a few hours later. No one noticed. WTF? 

Dad made decent money, not great, there never was much left over with 6 kids in 8 years, and there was no inheritance whatsoever.

At one point during his 20s Jr owed the IRS 68 large because of penalties and fees racked up when he neglected to file for a few years. Two agents showed up at his apartment. He had a TV, a bed, a couple chairs, no refrigerator just a cooler. They were like "This is it, this is all you got? How about a car?" He fired up his rusty Mazda that smoked them out of the garage. They walked away shaking their heads, saying "THIS is Tim Conway's kid?" 

He's successful now and has done well with SoCal real estate in addition to radio and he gave his wife a George Foreman grill for Christmas this year. She loved it because it was a salute to their courtship when they cooked on a GF at his place with no refrigerator because the electricity was turned off in her apartment. True love!

[Yeah No]

40 minutes ago, suomi said:

So I started adding a couple or three dollars to my 20% tips and it's anazing how much faster the driver's name pops up now. Almost instantly. I usually have the food in 20-25 minutes now instead of 40-50. It never occurred to me before and I tried it out when the drivers were still calling in and I am sold. Ding DONG, as Tim Jr always says, LOL.

I know, I noticed that too with Instacart.  Plus we get the best shoppers now, which is great.

[Meowwww]

Hi all.   Thanks for the prayers and positive thoughts.   Got tested today, boy did that burn.  Whatever they put on the swab is very painful. The waiting is the hardest part. I’m sure I am negative, though. 
Yeah, I hear you all on the work stuff.  We are a small family owned business, just two of us full time.  No one else to work.  Rules really depend on the business.   The state of Minnesota has guidelines, but nothing is required.  Certainly no closing and sanitizing of the business, though.  I’ve not heard of that done anywhere here.  
Interesting though, the contact tracer who called me about my coworker says they are only notifying people that were in close contact (within 6 feet of each other) for more than 15 minutes.  
My coworker feels good.  She had a sore throat and lost her taste and smell for a few days, that was it.  No fever or cough or GI issues.  She was tired but not achy.  She’s also 19 so youth is on her side lol.  
@Yeah No hugs to you.  It’s so getting to me too.  The news is all toxic and I can’t watch it anymore.  I do visit the Daily Mail site but skip by the virus articles.  They usually have lots of interesting and fantastical articles. 
We have upped our tipping too.  I door dash a lot at work (yes, I recently paid $26 for a Big Mac meal from McDonald’s. 🥸. I always do the max tip and more if I can. Same with curbside pick up.  
I had someone try to tip me today for clipping her bird’s nails.  I politely declined but it warmed my heart.  
Anyway.  Hugs to you all.  We will get through this, probably fatter lol, but we will get through this.  

[suomi]

Something to inspire a "thing of beauty" cry. In Spain, north of Barcelona. 

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by suomi

[Sandy W]

7 minutes ago, suomi said:

Something to inspire a "thing of beauty" cry.

 

Thank you for this lovely post Suomi, it fills me with hope and optimism.  Much needed right now.

[suomi]

14 minutes ago, Sandy W said:

Thank you for this lovely post Suomi, it fills me with hope and optimism.  Much needed right now.

You are welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I was reading an article about Beethoven's Fur Elise (I don't know how to do the .. above the u) and Ode To Joy was mentioned. I said "yesssss" and ran to youtube. I am impressed with the randoms in the audience who know the lyrics but I imagine that is to be expected in Europe. This piece and Debussy's Clair de Lune are two of my favorites. 

The cherry on top is the conductor's pleasing resemblance to your Justin Trudeau. 

[Gramto6]

32 minutes ago, Sandy W said:

Thank you for this lovely post Suomi, it fills me with hope and optimism.  Much needed right now.

That was glorious!! Thank you for sharing it!!

[suomi]

2 hours ago, suomi said:

I am impressed with the randoms in the audience who know the lyrics but I imagine that is to be expected in Europe. 

My bad. Ode To Joy has been the anthem of the European Union since 1989. 

[crazycatlady58]

This wonderful.  I have sent it before and enjoy watching the children conducting and dancing to the music. 

[suomi]

Any Dodgers fans here? Tommy Lasorda, 93, died this morning in Los Angeles, sudden cardiac arrest, released from the hospital two days ago following a long stay in intensive care. Another piece of my childhood gone. 

Thomas Charles Lasorda (born September 22, 1927) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher, coach, and manager, who is best known for his two decades managing the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2020, he marked his 71st season with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully by three seasons. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager in 1997. Since the death of Red Schoendienst in June 2018, he has been the oldest living Hall of Famer.

[Roslyn]

And now for something completely different...

Yesterday I had my appointment with my new (and lovely) endodontist. Cross fingers, toes and knocking on wood my issues will be dealt with at the end of this month.  Going back to last summer I first had what felt like a stiff jaw, a stiff neck, a possible inner ear infection and then bam...it was most definitely an infected tooth.  It was dealt with when another issue arose and then right before Christmas...another.  I will have the pleasure at the end of the month of a triple root canal...

On the up side she is letting me pick my own "soundtrack" playlist for the 2-ish hour procedure and when I told her of my eclectic music tastes she looked up the music and trialed it and we are a go for my music 🙂

 

[xwordfanatik]

54 minutes ago, Roslyn said:

And now for something completely different...

Yesterday I had my appointment with my new (and lovely) endodontist. Cross fingers, toes and knocking on wood my issues will be dealt with at the end of this month.  Going back to last summer I first had what felt like a stiff jaw, a stiff neck, a possible inner ear infection and then bam...it was most definitely an infected tooth.  It was dealt with when another issue arose and then right before Christmas...another.  I will have the pleasure at the end of the month of a triple root canal...

On the up side she is letting me pick my own "soundtrack" playlist for the 2-ish hour procedure and when I told her of my eclectic music tastes she looked up the music and trialed it and we are a go for my music 🙂

 

I can relate...I've had 2 root canals.  I'm glad I never kept track of the $ spent on my mouth.  It's probably enough for an around the world vacation!

It's nice you get to hear your own playlist during your appointment.  Let us know how it goes.

[deirdra]

19 hours ago, suomi said:

My bad. Ode To Joy has been the anthem of the European Union since 1989. 

Just don't watch any Nazi newsreels from WWII. It was Hitler's favourite music, played at all his birthdays & celebrations.  Though perhaps the EU felt they were claiming it back, without the lyrics.

[suomi]

America's the world's most expensive home hits the market for $340 million in Bel Air.

https://www.livabl.com/2021/01/the-one-most-expensive-home-340-million.html

Edited January 14, 2021 by suomi

[laurakaye]

Vax part deux is in the books.  I had the usual sore arm but this time I took Tylenol before and a few hours after the shot, and then again before bed and it ended up not being as bad as the first time when I didn't do that.  I felt a bit sluggish later that afternoon and again the next day, but no other side effects, and no temp.  Everyone is different of course, but I was hearing stuff about how #2 was so much worse and I was getting nervous.  'Twas not the case for me.  Hope everyone who wants it can get it soon!  

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, laurakaye said:

Vax part deux is in the books.  I had the usual sore arm but this time I took Tylenol before and a few hours after the shot, and then again before bed and it ended up not being as bad as the first time when I didn't do that.  I felt a bit sluggish later that afternoon and again the next day, but no other side effects, and no temp.  Everyone is different of course, but I was hearing stuff about how #2 was so much worse and I was getting nervous.  'Twas not the case for me.  Hope everyone who wants it can get it soon!  

Excellent news!  How is everyone else doing re: the vaccine? 

I was happy to find out that my sister in law and her cancer patient husband in Orange County NY (who are 66 and 69) already have appointments for their first doses of the vaccine next week.  Both are retired.  Meanwhile here in CT a whole host of people including "essential store workers" of any age (not people that work in clothing or other non-essential retail) plus prisoners, teachers, manufacturing workers and frontline social services workers have been added to phase 1b.  It wasn't until today that the website included the 65-74 age group and those with high risk medical conditions of any age, but it looks like a lot of people are in that one group and who knows when we'll be able to get ours?  I suppose we'll find out soon, and I'm sure as things progress we might see it go faster than it has been.

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

TGIF...I had to share, because really, it could only or maybe only happen to me.

I grab a sweatshirt from dryer and my coffee and take the dog for a walk, we go about 1.5 miles, so about 30 minutes later I am walking down my block and at the edge of my driveway and the street, I see this white thing in the road. I immediately though it was a plastic bag, as trash pick up was yesterday and it blew around on the street. As I get closer I realized that it was not said plastic bag but a pair of my white Hanes her Way panties. Apparently, I had not noticed them attached to my sweatshirt ( static cling) when I put it on and they gracefully landed almost in the street. I quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking and snatched those bad boys up, obviously going in the trash..but thankfully they were clean.

 

[laurakaye]

21 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Excellent news!  How is everyone else doing re: the vaccine? 

I was happy to find out that my sister in law and her cancer patient husband in Orange County NY (who are 66 and 69) already have appointments for their first doses of the vaccine next week.  Both are retired.  Meanwhile here in CT a whole host of people including "essential store workers" of any age (not people that work in clothing or other non-essential retail) plus prisoners, teachers, manufacturing workers and frontline social services workers have been added to phase 1b.  

I find it bizarre that the phases differ depending on which state you're in.  Your phase 1b, for instance, looks a whole lot better than the one in my state.

[itsadryheat]

I had a doctors appt. yesterday and my physician pulled up our county's vaccine page and both showed and told me that 1C was open and that we had plenty of vaccine.

I woke up this morning to that not being true, so within 24 hours it went back to:

Arizona:  Monday, January 11th Registration is now open for Phase 1A and Phase 1B prioritized.  Eligible populations in Phase 1B prioritized are: 

Adults age 75 and older

K-12 school staff and childcare workers 

Law enforcement/protective services* 

Phase 1A populations

*This includes all sworn officers and government-employed security officers.

NOTE: Adults living in congregate settings and other essential workers (to be determined) will be prioritized for vaccination in Phase 1B after these groups. 

I checked for my mom in Wisconsin and their health department is currently vaccinating health care providers only within Phase 1A. 

 

[65mickey]

8 hours ago, Mahamid Frauded Me said:

TGIF...I had to share, because really, it could only or maybe only happen to me.

I grab a sweatshirt from dryer and my coffee and take the dog for a walk, we go about 1.5 miles, so about 30 minutes later I am walking down my block and at the edge of my driveway and the street, I see this white thing in the road. I immediately though it was a plastic bag, as trash pick up was yesterday and it blew around on the street. As I get closer I realized that it was not said plastic bag but a pair of my white Hanes her Way panties. Apparently, I had not noticed them attached to my sweatshirt ( static cling) when I put it on and they gracefully landed almost in the street. I quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking and snatched those bad boys up, obviously going in the trash..but thankfully they were clean.

 

With my luck they would have adhered to the back of my sweat shirt and stayed there until I got home. 

 

[Cetacean]

On 1/14/2021 at 4:35 PM, Yeah No said:

Excellent news!  How is everyone else doing re: the vaccine? 

I was lucky to get mine because of my volunteer work at the hospital.  When they were vaccinating the staff there were still doses left in the vial that needed to be used.  I got a call to come in so that they wouldn't waste anything.

I think this whole "each state - do whatever you want" process is just a dismal failure.  It should be standard across the board so it wouldn't be so darned confusing!