Small Talk: The Polygamous Cul-de-Sac

[Pickleinthemiddle]

2 hours ago, Absolom said:

The announcement that Pfizer is effective doesn't mean Moderna isn't.  The vaccines are so similar that usually you can infer that the same applies to Moderna.  Their PR department just isn't as active and not all countries are using Moderna.

I was told to get a different booster than the original 2 dose shot.  I had two Moderna and the Pfizer booster.  Now they are saying we might need another booster is 6 months. 

[Absolom]

I don't think we're going to know all the facts until we're farther down the road.  I was told to stick to Moderna, but it's the higher dosage one and slightly higher performing over time.  I doubt many of us are going to be affected vastly by the slight difference in Moderna and Pfizer performance.  

[WhatAmIWatching]

13 hours ago, crazycatlady58 said:

Or they wear it correctly then pull it down when they talk to you the put it back on.

I saw an employee outside the grocery pull his mask down so he could cough. Once he was done, he put it back up 🙄 I wanted to yell at him "That's not how any of this works!"

 

I have excellent news! My husband's hip surgery is next week, and I hadn't yet heard what our costs would be for the surgeon and hospital. After calling around today, I learned that we will be paying ZERO dollars for any of it! He hit all the deductibles and out-of-pockets last month with all the heart stuff. We've saved for his hip for two years! Now we can just pay off last month's medical bills in lump sums, and it's still a lot less than we put aside. What a blessing.
 I'm almost giddy! I asked him if he can think of anything else he needs replaced or checked before the end of the month 😂 

[Teafortwo]

I may have posted about this before, but my still somewhat new job (started in Sept) is talking about making us return to the office next month. They are downplaying Omicron because they spent a lot of money redecorating the office. I went in for training at the start and they did not follow their own mask requirements. So I may be out of a job soon as I won't risk my health for this one. I've already gotten pushback from my junior manager when I told her I am not comfortable with this. There are plenty of people in other depts who don't live anywhere near NYC and many recent hires who are also fully remote. It's just my dept that seems to have this requirement. I'm looking for a new job....

PS I got the booster in early Oct. I've read some things that indicate the full effect wanes after 3 months not 6. I absolutely loathe this idea that if Omicron only causes a mild case It's no big deal. So wrong! The pink elephant in the room is Long Covid. I feel like all my coworkers are covid deniers. I mean they know it's a real thing and are vaxxed but they act like it is over.

[iwantcookies]

There is a loose kitty in the building. I tried to coax her out from her spot for a while. It didn’t work. If she came out I’d would have taken her home. She is so loud. I hope she will find a home and doesn’t get sent to a kill shelter.

[iwantcookies]

Here she is.

[LilyD]

Regarding vaccines and whether or not to take them:

I had my doubts at first but am glad I got my Moderna twice in the end. Now, hubby and I are waiting for the booster. In our newspaper there was this very interesting article which was written by the OB's of our local hospital. It's a pretty big hospital btw so not a small rural hospital. They were alarmed by the large number of unvaccinated women (over 50%!!) who came to see them. One of them said the following, which is something I'd like to share with you. It's not to convince anyone but I really appreciated the honest answer to the question "Is it safe for pregnant women to take the vaccine? What happens in 20 years time?" So here is the answer:

"No, We're not 100% sure about the consequences of this vaccine in 20 or 30 years time,  But... we don't know this either about a large number of medication that is being described as we speak. No one questions those. So I can't tell you about the future risks. I can, however, tell you about the consequences if you don't take it. A lot of pregnant women do become seriously ill because of Covid. Even now, we have women on the ICU who have recently become a mom to a premature baby. They just don't know they have given birth yet because they're so sick they're in an induced coma...." 

[Yeah No]

20 hours ago, Absolom said:

21 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

So, after getting 3 full doses of Moderna ( I got third full dose due being immunocompromised), I hear that Pfizer’s booster is effective for the Omicron variant.  Lol Oh well, in 6 months I’ll qualify for a booster and will get Pfizer then.

The announcement that Pfizer is effective doesn't mean Moderna isn't.  The vaccines are so similar that usually you can infer that the same applies to Moderna.  Their PR department just isn't as active and not all countries are using Moderna.

Yes, and usually Moderna comes out with their announcements about 2 weeks or so after Pfizer, and consistenly with the same result.  They have also been consistently later in getting FDA approval, but that doesn't mean their vaccines are any less effective.  It just means they filed for approval later.  In fact I have read that studies at Harvard are showing that the Moderna vaccine is actually slightly more effective than Pfizer, as in this article about the study.  They say that Moderna is slightly more effective but when I look at the actual numbers it looks to me like it's a little more than slight, especially when it comes to preventing death.  I believe there is also some evidence out there showing that the Moderna vaccine takes longer to wear off than the Pfizer vaccine, which was reported in a study in the New England Journal of Medicine and discussed in numerous news articles like this one from the New York Times.  Also, the regular Moderna vaccine dose has twice the dose of the Pfizer vaccine in one shot.  Moderna was the original developer of the vaccine, too.  Pfizer has consistently grabbed all the attention and some of this info. is not common knowledge.  Long story short, I'm glad I got the Moderna vaccine.

[WhatAmIWatching]

TeaforTwo, I'm so sorry you may be forced to make that choice. It's infuriating, but you have to prioritize your health. The other pink elephant I'm worried about, besides long covid, is: since it's a virus, can it stay in us like chickenpox does? If the chickenpox virus can pop up as shingles down the road, what on Earth can covid do?

iwantcookies, what a sweet Kitty! Tuna may work. I too hope she finds a good home.

LilyD: That's just heart wrenching to read, but valuable. Our news was interviewing folks who were rabid antivax but caught covid and ended up in the hospital. Each one pleaded for everyone to get jabbed, that gambling whether or not one would get a mild case wasn't worth it. Very powerful, but they haven't done those type of interviews in a while, though.

 

YeahNo, I'm wishing I would have known and had my booster as Moderna instead of doing 3 Pfizers! I'll do that for the next booster.

[iwantcookies]

Kitty was gone this morning. 

[Yeah No]

15 minutes ago, WhatAmIWatching said:

YeahNo, I'm wishing I would have known and had my booster as Moderna instead of doing 3 Pfizers! I'll do that for the next booster.

Actually I think the Pfizer and Moderna boosters are pretty equivalent.  It's the regular dose where they were most different.  Moderna's booster is half the dose of their regular first dose and Pfizer's is a third full dose of their regular dose, but since Pfizer's dose was weaker to begin with by about as much both boosters are pretty equivalent.  Make sense?

[WhatAmIWatching]

30 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Actually I think the Pfizer and Moderna boosters are pretty equivalent.  It's the regular dose where they were most different.  Moderna's booster is half the dose of their regular first dose and Pfizer's is a third full dose of their regular dose, but since Pfizer's dose was weaker to begin with by about as much both boosters are pretty equivalent.  Make sense?

It does make sense, thank you! I guess I'm as protected as I can be at this point.

 

iwantcookies: I don't know if that's good or bad news, lol. I hope she just got out and her owners found her.

[Yeah No]

Around Thanksgiving I posted a photo I took of a little lost wild turkey that had become well known in my town.  Well, I just found out she has an Instagram page put up by a town resident who affectionately calls her "Wishbone", although others have reported calling her "Henrietta" after the cartoon character "Henrietta Hen".  The Instagrammer refers to her as a "he" in one of the posts but she is definitely a female given that she has no neck comb.  I just thought some here might like to see her Instagram page.  There is also a post on there of the article in my local paper on her.  I still haven't seen her in a couple of months now and I'm wondering if anyone will post an update on her since I know a lot of people were concerned about her.

Here it is:

https://www.instagram.com/wishbonetheavonturkey/

[iwantcookies]

On 12/10/2021 at 11:09 AM, WhatAmIWatching said:

It does make sense, thank you! I guess I'm as protected as I can be at this point.

 

iwantcookies: I don't know if that's good or bad news, lol. I hope she just got out and her owners found her.

I think either her owners left her in the lobby or she wondered off the street. My neighborhood has feral cats. I hope didn’t get killed.

If she came to me I’d have adopted her. I tried to lure her out. Sigh.

[LilyD]

Anyone of us happen to be from the areas that were struck by all those tornados? I’m just hoping and praying everyone is allright…

[Sasha888]

5 minutes ago, LilyD said:

Anyone of us happen to be from the areas that were struck by all those tornados? I’m just hoping and praying everyone is allright…

I don't live there but my brother does. I spent a tense couple of hours waiting to hear from him yesterday! They were all around him but did not go through his city. 

He sent pics of wreckage that was only a mile from a friends home though....it was devastating.

[WhatAmIWatching]

7 hours ago, LilyD said:

Anyone of us happen to be from the areas that were struck by all those tornados? I’m just hoping and praying everyone is allright…

It stayed North and West of us, thank goodness. At 11 pm,it hit 70 degrees! In Dec! We had a power surge and outage, some big wind gusts and driving rain, but that's it.    Some friends in KY and IL had some touch-and-go moments, but came through just fine.

 

[SunnyBeBe]

Has anyone had new shower heads installed lately?  I’m going to replace the entire shower-head and parts in two bathrooms.  They both have a slight leak. The shower heads are fairly new, but I don’t like them.  I know what type I want. Is it more cost effective to go to a fixture showroom and buy it there and perhaps they can refer me to some people they know who can install it for me OR should I just buy the parts, then call a local lumber to install it?  Prices on these things vary widely.  I probably need some guidance on it.  

[WhatAmIWatching]

2 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Has anyone had new shower heads installed lately?  I’m going to replace the entire shower-head and parts in two bathrooms.  They both have a slight leak. The shower heads are fairly new, but I don’t like them.  I know what type I want. Is it more cost effective to go to a fixture showroom and buy it there and perhaps they can refer me to some people they know who can install it for me OR should I just buy the parts, then call a local lumber to install it?  Prices on these things vary widely.  I probably need some guidance on it.  

 

Did you know that Home Depot has plumbing services? https://www.homedepot.com/services/c/plumbing/16ff694b2
 

I don't know which would be more cost-effective though, especially if you already know a plumber that you can trust, and already know exactly what shower heads you want. We  used the showrooms more as a browsing and information experience, so I don't know if they refer or not.

[SunnyBeBe]

The problem with plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc. right now  is that they are so busy you can’t get anyone to call you back and if they do, they’re backed up on work.  You wouldn’t believe what I recently went through to get my parents a septic company to troubleshoot their septic problem, repair it and put in new filter box and drain field.  It was very stressful.  Prices have really increased.  I’ve put further renovations on my house on hold, but I do want to get this bathroom work done soon.

 I think I will browse the showroom with a heavy duty mask on and pick out some things.  I also will have to concern myself with strangers coming into the house again.  I’ll have to insist they stay masked.  

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

11 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Has anyone had new shower heads installed lately?  I’m going to replace the entire shower-head and parts in two bathrooms.  They both have a slight leak. The shower heads are fairly new, but I don’t like them.  I know what type I want. Is it more cost effective to go to a fixture showroom and buy it there and perhaps they can refer me to some people they know who can install it for me OR should I just buy the parts, then call a local lumber to install it?  Prices on these things vary widely.  I probably need some guidance on it.  

I just replaced a shower head in my guest bath, my home was built in 1959 and the shower heads are too low. I just used a wrench to get off the old head and brought on Amazon a handheld shower head, attach to the wall spout, gives me a few extra inches, however I didn't mess with the pipes coming out of the wall. 

[iwantcookies]

It’s on discovery plus. I’m gonna watch it lol.

[iwantcookies]

Update on kitty! 
 

It’s a he and he got adopted by a tenant! His name is Tom. I’m so happy kitty is alive!

[deirdra]

7 hours ago, Mahamid Frauded Me said:

I just replaced a shower head in my guest bath, my home was built in 1959 and the shower heads are too low. I just used a wrench to get off the old head and brought on Amazon a handheld shower head, attach to the wall spout, gives me a few extra inches, however I didn't mess with the pipes coming out of the wall. 

I've done the same. The key to no leaks is a piece of "plumber's tape" around the threads and a towel or something to protect the finish of the new shower head when using a wrench to tighten it.  But if you expect it is the pipes in the wall that may be leaking, a plumber will be needed.

[SunnyBeBe]

That’s pretty ambitious…..taking on home plumbing.  Man, I am watching videos on you tube in order to replace the catch and hook on my dryer!  It looks intimidating to me.  Due to the slight drip, I’m going to get a plumber…..eventually.  
 

My mattress and adjustable bed delivery was cancelled!  I was so disappointed.  We rescheduled, but I don’t have a good feeling about it.  I keep ordering sheets that get canceled too!  Lol. 🤣  Hopefully, product flow will return soon.  

[Irate Panda]

On 11/3/2021 at 9:39 PM, Meowwww said:

So today, my hubby got tested positive for Covid.  He’s 50 with diabetes.  I’m scared.  He’s coughing. 
A good friend of mine is 45.  She’s in the icu, on a ventilator, in critical condition with Covid. 
Today my horse got sick with colic.  I had her put down. it was horrible. She was 27, a long life for a horse.  But it was and is horrible.  She suffered horribly for a few hours.  
My mom died 2 years ago.  I was with her when she died.  I need my mom 
I just can’t with this.  I’m terrified for my husband.  I owned my horse for 24 years and saw her in terrible pain and saw her put down. 
This morning I got up, life was good.  Now my horse is dead and my husband has Covid.  I can’t. 
 

I am very sorry you are going through all of this.  I hope that your husband and friend get better soon and I’m sorry you lose your horse too 😔

[Gramto6]

1 hour ago, Irate Panda said:

I am very sorry you are going through all of this.  I hope that your husband and friend get better soon and I’m sorry you lose your horse too 😔

((((Hugs)))) So sorry for all you are going through. Hoping for the best outcome for your husband and friend. 

[Meowwww]

1 hour ago, Irate Panda said:

I am very sorry you are going through all of this.  I hope that your husband and friend get better soon and I’m sorry you lose your horse too 😔

Thank you.  This is much later now….hubby recovered, got a job offer, and we moved to NW Arkansas December 1.  What a whirlwind.  I love it here.  
As things go, I found a good job at a national pet food store.  Hubby is happy in his new job. I’m being promoted already on December 26. 

We didn’t realize how much we were downsizing in our new rental home.  Went from a 4 bedroom with fully finished basement plus giant storage room in basement to z 3 bedroom here in AR with no basement, no storage, smaller square feet.  So we have a garage full of boxes that we will go through Christmas Day.  (He’s working every day and I’ve been working 6 days a week so no time ). We look like hoarders. 

My friend is still in the ICU, on the ventilator, struggling.  She had blood clots in her head etc so they are trying to reduce her vent needs to evaluate that.  They can’t until she’s off the vent.  She has a trach tube and secondary pneumonia.  The doctors aren’t optimistic but those of us who love her know what a fighter she is, especially for her kids. 
 

I just think it’s so interesting how things happen.  

[Irate Panda]

3 hours ago, Meowwww said:

Thank you.  This is much later now….hubby recovered, got a job offer, and we moved to NW Arkansas December 1.  What a whirlwind.  I love it here.  
As things go, I found a good job at a national pet food store.  Hubby is happy in his new job. I’m being promoted already on December 26. 

We didn’t realize how much we were downsizing in our new rental home.  Went from a 4 bedroom with fully finished basement plus giant storage room in basement to z 3 bedroom here in AR with no basement, no storage, smaller square feet.  So we have a garage full of boxes that we will go through Christmas Day.  (He’s working every day and I’ve been working 6 days a week so no time ). We look like hoarders. 

My friend is still in the ICU, on the ventilator, struggling.  She had blood clots in her head etc so they are trying to reduce her vent needs to evaluate that.  They can’t until she’s off the vent.  She has a trach tube and secondary pneumonia.  The doctors aren’t optimistic but those of us who love her know what a fighter she is, especially for her kids. 
 

I just think it’s so interesting how things happen.  

Glad he and you are doing better ❤️  Hoping your friend is able to recover too ❤️

[TurtlePower]

So the system let me make an appointment for a second covid booster on December 30 (I get steroid treatments which can affect immune response). Going on my 4th shot now. 

[iwantcookies]

Merry Christmas 🎁🎄 🎅!

[iwantcookies]

On 12/23/2021 at 9:07 AM, TurtlePower said:

So the system let me make an appointment for a second covid booster on December 30 (I get steroid treatments which can affect immune response). Going on my 4th shot now. 

I’m trying to get the $100 for getting the booster.

[SunnyBeBe]

6 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

I’m trying to get the $100 for getting the booster.

When did you get your third? I just got my third full dose of Moderna. Was planning to get my booster  ( think I’ll get a Pfizer this time) in June. 

[Yeah No]

19 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

Merry Christmas 🎁🎄 🎅!

Same to you and everyone here that celebrates Christmas (and even those that don't but don't mind).

[iwantcookies]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

When did you get your third? I just got my third full dose of Moderna. Was planning to get my booster  ( think I’ll get a Pfizer this time) in June. 

I got one shot jj vaccine. I guess I need a booster.

[Yeah No]

On 12/21/2021 at 9:40 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

Has anyone had new shower heads installed lately?  I’m going to replace the entire shower-head and parts in two bathrooms.  They both have a slight leak. The shower heads are fairly new, but I don’t like them.  I know what type I want. Is it more cost effective to go to a fixture showroom and buy it there and perhaps they can refer me to some people they know who can install it for me OR should I just buy the parts, then call a local lumber to install it?  Prices on these things vary widely.  I probably need some guidance on it.  

We just had a new toilet installed.  We bought a nice Kohler on sale at Home Depot and then asked their service desk about installation.  They took our information and told us someone from their local plumbing contractor would call us. They wanted to charge us $400 just for installation.  That's over twice the price of the toilet itself!  We decided to have our friend who's a handyman do it.  We were trying not to ask him because his knee is still healing from his fall a few months back, but he said it was no problem.  We've had him install toilets before so we know he knows how to do it.  I would shop around and ask for quotes.  Maybe look in local papers.  We get a weekly flyer with ads from local handymen and repair people.  If not for my friend I would have started calling them then look online for reviews.  My area has a local community site with a chat function where people ask for contractor recommendations.  I compiled a list of recommended tree people that charge reasonable prices to call come the Spring thanks to that. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Man, that is pretty steep.  I think it will likely cost close to $300.  to install the new shower heads and fix drip, not including the parts.   Just guessing.  I know friends and family members who could do it, but all of them are super busy…they have extreme work schedules, illness in the family, process of moving, etc.  I have two brothers who could do it, but……timing is not good.  
 

I hope you all have a great Christmas and New Year! 🎄🤶‍🎄🥳  ‍🥰🎅🎄I’ve been celebrating all day with almost all family members visiting at my parents.  I kept my mask on, but only two others did.  🙏 👼 Hopefully, we all are covid free.  

Edited December 25, 2021 by SunnyBeBe

[Cetacean]

On 12/23/2021 at 9:07 AM, TurtlePower said:

So the system let me make an appointment for a second covid booster on December 30 (I get steroid treatments which can affect immune response). Going on my 4th shot now. 

Stay safe for yourself but also others.  I will get every booster available because I don't want to even think about passing any type of Covid to anyone else.  I could never live with myself if I hurt someone else.

1 hour ago, iwantcookies said:

I got one shot jj vaccine. I guess I need a booster.

Definitely.  J&J showed the biggest drop in protection after 6 months, from 86% to 13%.

[Olliesmom]

Happy Holidays to all!

[TurtlePower]

20 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

I’m trying to get the $100 for getting the booster.

That’s a great idea. 

[Cetacean]

3 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

That’s a great idea. 

I guess anything to get people vaccinated is a good thing but how sad is it that caring for others needs to be a transaction involving money.  How about "do unto others" which is a tenet of most religions?

[xwordfanatik]

54 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

I guess anything to get people vaccinated is a good thing but how sad is it that caring for others needs to be a transaction involving money.  How about "do unto others" which is a tenet of most religions?

That is true.  There's a commercial that a pastor did, that basically says the same thing.

Happy Holidays to all.  This forum has made me laugh a lot, and I enjoy reading all of your posts, snarky or not.  

[Sandy W]

1 hour ago, xwordfanatik said:

 

Happy Holidays to all.  This forum has made me laugh a lot, and I enjoy reading all of your posts, snarky or not.  

Thank you XWord, my feelings are the same. 

A special thank you to Ginger90, who keeps us up to date and the snarkfires kindled even during the "off-season" antics of the Brown bunch.

[Yeah No]

18 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Man, that is pretty steep.  I think it will likely cost close to $300.  to install the new shower heads and fix drip, not including the parts.   Just guessing.  I know friends and family members who could do it, but all of them are super busy…they have extreme work schedules, illness in the family, process of moving, etc.  I have two brothers who could do it, but……timing is not good.  
 

I hope you all have a great Christmas and New Year! 🎄🤶‍🎄🥳  ‍🥰🎅🎄I’ve been celebrating all day with almost all family members visiting at my parents.  I kept my mask on, but only two others did.  🙏 👼 Hopefully, we all are covid free.  

I know it's way too steep, but then I read online that $375 is average for toilet installation in my area.  Unbelievable!  Our friend only asked for $100 but we gave him twice that.

Sorry the timing is bad, hope you can work something out that isn't too expensive.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

[Pickleinthemiddle]

3 hours ago, Sandy W said:

Thank you XWord, my feelings are the same. 

A special thank you to Ginger90, who keeps us up to date and the snarkfires kindled even during the "off-season" antics of the Brown bunch.

Same here.  I might not always have time to click the like buttons or respond, but I do read the comments.  And for some reason it brightens my day.  

Happy Holidays to all my fellow Prime Timers.  I have some Robert Burns single malt whisky that I will have tonight in celebration of the holidays and  all of you guys.  🥃

[Olliesmom]

5 hours ago, Pickleinthemiddle said:

Same here.  I might not always have time to click the like buttons or respond, but I do read the comments.  And for some reason it brightens my day.  

Happy Holidays to all my fellow Prime Timers.  I have some Robert Burns single malt whisky that I will have tonight in celebration of the holidays and  all of you guys.  🥃

Bailey’s Irish Cream here lol !!  Happy Holidays to all of you.

[Teafortwo]

For those of you with HBO Max, the season finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm is hilarious - and features Larry David discussing the benefits of polygamy with a Mormon (whom he wrongly assumes has more than one wife). That's not even the funniest scene. 

Edited December 27, 2021 by Teafortwo

[iwantcookies]

2 minutes ago, Teafortwo said:

For those of you with HBO Max, the season finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm is hilarious - and features Larry David discussing the benefits of polygamy with a Mormon (whom he wrongly assumes has more than one wife). That's not event the funniest scene. 

I’m still on season 1.

[deirdra]

6 hours ago, Teafortwo said:

For those of you with HBO Max, the season finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm is hilarious - and features Larry David discussing the benefits of polygamy with a Mormon (whom he wrongly assumes has more than one wife). That's not even the funniest scene. 

That was a funny episode, with the ultra cringy choice of shoes too - totally Larry.

[Cetacean]

Since I work for the Health Department and give vaccines, "it's common knowledge" doesn't quite work for me.

Quote

@Desert Rat posted:  Transmission of COVID-19 from inhalation of virus in the air can occur at distances greater than six feet. Particles from an infected person can move throughout an entire room or indoor space. The particles can also linger in the air after a person has left the room – they can remain airborne for hours in some cases. "

Thus the continued need for masks.  Look it up here.  The CDC addresses masks and omicron.

There was recently a conference in Austin with 300 attendees.  All were vaccinated, all wore masks.  After the conference, two of the attendees were found to be positive, possibly due to travel.  Of the other 298 attendees, zero cases of Covid.  Zero.