Small Talk: I Like Them All, I Just Can't Choose!

[Coffeecup]

1 hour ago, Booney said:

Deer are a major problem in my Philadelphia suburb too. I have many hostas, which the deer love. I've had good luck with Liquid Fence. You spray it on everything you want to keep the deer away from. It smells terrible, but it works if you spray it regularly. We do it once a week. Supposedly after a few weeks you only have to do it once a month, but we continue to spray it weekly. So far, it's mostly kept the deer away. There was a little bit of nibbling when the hostas and other plants first started coming up out of the ground, but not much since. It might be worth a try.

Booney, thanks for the tip! I'm going to try Liquid Fence if the deer start eating my flowers again.

Kittygirl, we have a couple of big hawks and a huge great horned owl in our neighborhood. Sometimes I find piles of feathers where they've attacked and eaten smaller birds. I hate to see that, but it's nature.

[SuprSuprElevated]

I never watch Dr. Oz - too much controversy about his subject matter, and I'm too lazy to research.  Anyway, happened across his show today, and he has a guest, a surgeon (of course), who is advocating for a lectin-free diet. (see link).  He also proclaims that whole grains are bad, seeds and nuts are bad, and that ancient cultures threw these things away.  Said we should opt for white bread and white rice.  Not even kidding.

https://selfhacked.com/blog/elimination-diet-safest-foods-people-sensitive-everything/

Further evidence that the medical/nutrition community either doesn't have a clue, or they'll tell us anything to sell something.  Probably both.

Edit - Guests name was Dr. Steven Gundry.  

Edit - Apologies to those of you in either of the above mentioned vocations.  I'm a little cynical these days.

Edited July 10, 2017 by SuprSuprElevated

[SuprSuprElevated]

[Coffeecup]

4 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

I never watch Dr. Oz - too much controversy about his subject matter, and I'm too lazy to research.  Anyway, happened across his show today, and he has a guest, a surgeon (of course), who is advocating for a lectin-free diet. (see link).  He also proclaims that whole grains are bad, seeds and nuts are bad, and that ancient cultures threw these things away.  Said we should opt for white bread and white rice.  Not even kidding.

https://selfhacked.com/blog/elimination-diet-safest-foods-people-sensitive-everything/

Further evidence that the medical/nutrition community either doesn't have a clue, or they'll tell us anything to sell something.  Probably both.

Edit - Guests name was Dr. Steven Gundry.  

Edit - Apologies to those of you in either of the above mentioned vocations.  I'm a little cynical these days.

What a crock!  This is just another fad diet used to sell a book and collect e-mail addresses.

I can't stand Dr. Oz. He started out as a serious doctor, but now he's just a showboater.

[HissyFit]

6 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

I never watch Dr. Oz - too much controversy about his subject matter, and I'm too lazy to research.  Anyway, happened across his show today, and he has a guest, a surgeon (of course), who is advocating for a lectin-free diet. (see link).  He also proclaims that whole grains are bad, seeds and nuts are bad, and that ancient cultures threw these things away.  Said we should opt for white bread and white rice.  Not even kidding.

https://selfhacked.com/blog/elimination-diet-safest-foods-people-sensitive-everything/

Further evidence that the medical/nutrition community either doesn't have a clue, or they'll tell us anything to sell something.  Probably both.

Edit - Guests name was Dr. Steven Gundry.  

Edit - Apologies to those of you in either of the above mentioned vocations.  I'm a little cynical these days.

Hi SSE,

This surprised me, because it seemed contrary to the Gundry diet recommendations I have read (essentially a stringent low-carb plan -- no white bread or rice). The link makes it clear that the lectin-free diet discussed on Dr. Oz is for people with food sensitivities.

Just clarifying, not defending. In fact, you can count me among the cynics.

[Booney]

I just saw a great story on the news about two women in their 80's - one is 84, the other is 85 - who went skydiving for the first time. They trained for months, and they did each do the jump attached to a trained guide. I think they're awesome and far braver than me! They said they didn't have any profound message about the experience, just that they "wanted to do it." One of them said she would do it again because "I liked feeling the wind in my hair." So cool!

[ennui]

14 hours ago, Booney said:

"I liked feeling the wind in my hair."

You don't need to jump out of a perfectly good airplane for that. Roll down the window on the car. Go to the beach.

[Booney]

26 minutes ago, ennui said:

You don't need to jump out of a perfectly good airplane for that. Roll down the window on the car. Go to the beach.

Maybe so, but I like these two ladies' spirit and sense of adventure! They didn't want to settle for the open car window. They jumped out of a plane - at 84 and 85. I think that's pretty awesome.

[SuprSuprElevated]

19 hours ago, HissyFit said:

Hi SSE,

This surprised me, because it seemed contrary to the Gundry diet recommendations I have read (essentially a stringent low-carb plan -- no white bread or rice). The link makes it clear that the lectin-free diet discussed on Dr. Oz is for people with food sensitivities.

Just clarifying, not defending. In fact, you can count me among the cynics.

Then it sounds like the good doctor is contradicting himself.  You could probably call up the episode on YouTube or something.  I'm not saying one way or the other is correct, just weary of all the double speak in this category.

[CaffeinatedAunt79]

On 7/10/2017 at 5:28 PM, Coffeecup said:

What a crock!  This is just another fad diet used to sell a book and collect e-mail addresses.

I can't stand Dr. Oz. He started out as a serious doctor, but now he's just a showboater.

Same here.  I am really surprised he hasn't shown up on one of the shopping channels hawking some miracle juice, tea, diet or skincare item.

[Coffeecup]

7 hours ago, CaffeinatedAunt79 said:

Same here.  I am really surprised he hasn't shown up on one of the shopping channels hawking some miracle juice, tea, diet or skincare item.

From the few times I've seen bits of his show, he seems to be very interested in poop. He could sell PooPourri on QVC.

[lovemesomejoolery]

16 hours ago, Booney said:

Maybe so, but I like these two ladies' spirit and sense of adventure! They didn't want to settle for the open car window. They jumped out of a plane - at 84 and 85. I think that's pretty awesome.

It is really awesome - I'm 30 years younger than them and would be terrified, so I admire their spunk and their sense of adventure!

[lovemesomejoolery]

On ‎7‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 5:28 PM, Coffeecup said:

What a crock!  This is just another fad diet used to sell a book and collect e-mail addresses.

I can't stand Dr. Oz. He started out as a serious doctor, but now he's just a showboater. 

I agree.  When he first came on the scene, I really liked him.  In fact, I even bought two of his books - the one I remember was called YOU, On a Diet and the other was also called YOU......can't remember the rest, but it was all about how your body works.  He wrote both in conjunction with another doctor. 

My husband and I really lost/maintained weight by following that.  I say "following", but it wasn't a diet per se.  It was just sensible eating, nothing far fetched.  Nothing you had to buy to lose weight, nothing faddish.  He was a big proponent of the Glycemic Index, which was helpful for us, as my husband is an insulin dependent diabetic.

Now, he has on every fad diet that's out there, totally negating the notion of sensible eating.  For me, he's become another huckster.

[TexasTiffany]

7 hours ago, lovemesomejoolery said:

I agree.  When he first came on the scene, I really liked him.  In fact, I even bought two of his books - the one I remember was called YOU, On a Diet and the other was also called YOU......can't remember the rest, but it was all about how your body works.  He wrote both in conjunction with another doctor. 

My husband and I really lost/maintained weight by following that.  I say "following", but it wasn't a diet per se.  It was just sensible eating, nothing far fetched.  Nothing you had to buy to lose weight, nothing faddish.  He was a big proponent of the Glycemic Index, which was helpful for us, as my husband is an insulin dependent diabetic.

Now, he has on every fad diet that's out there, totally negating the notion of sensible eating.  For me, he's become another huckster.

I used to like Dr. Oz when he first started, too. He was a rational voice finally bringing us straight answers. I try to eat well but didn't know things about how food affects blood sugar, etc. I don't remember when I stopped watching him but it has been awhile. 

::: raises hand :::  Can I go on a road trip with the wind in my hair when I'm 85, rather than skydiving? 

[Cricket]

On 7/8/2017 at 8:49 PM, Julie hunter said:

Oh gosh our King.  Back in the day my Mom cleaned out her closet.  King got into that garbage and scattered it all over our front lawn.  My dad came home, ran into the house, hollering that King must of attacked a woman!  Her belongs (shoes, purse, hat, stockings, etc.) are all over our front lawn! 

What chaos!

Good memories...!

That is funny. they are smart dogs, and they can be conniving!

On 7/9/2017 at 9:43 PM, Booney said:

Deer are a major problem in my Philadelphia suburb too. I have many hostas, which the deer love. I've had good luck with Liquid Fence. You spray it on everything you want to keep the deer away from. It smells terrible, but it works if you spray it regularly. We do it once a week. Supposedly after a few weeks you only have to do it once a month, but we continue to spray it weekly. So far, it's mostly kept the deer away. There was a little bit of nibbling when the hostas and other plants first started coming up out of the ground, but not much since. It might be worth a try.

Ha.. they are probably thinking, "Wow, this salad bar has gone to hell!"

[Cricket]

On 7/10/2017 at 10:52 PM, Booney said:

I just saw a great story on the news about two women in their 80's - one is 84, the other is 85 - who went skydiving for the first time. They trained for months, and they did each do the jump attached to a trained guide. I think they're awesome and far braver than me! They said they didn't have any profound message about the experience, just that they "wanted to do it." One of them said she would do it again because "I liked feeling the wind in my hair." So cool!

LOL, I would simply roll down the windows and open the roof window in my Camry! Yes, I'm a chicken.

[Booney]

56 minutes ago, Cricket said:

LOL, I would simply roll down the windows and open the roof window in my Camry! Yes, I'm a chicken.

Me too! That's why I was so awed by these ladies. They've got way more guts than I do!

Good luck today, @Cricket. Hope all goes well with Joe's surgery. I'll be thinking about you two.

Edited July 13, 2017 by Booney

[ennui]

8 hours ago, Booney said:

Good luck today, @Cricket. Hope all goes well with Joe's surgery. I'll be thinking about you two.

Cricket, please post updates here when you can. You and Joe are in my thoughts. 

[Julie hunter]

Me too, Cricket.  You and your family  are in my thoughts, hopes and prayers.

Update us when you can.  

[Coffeecup]

10 hours ago, Cricket said:

LOL, I would simply roll down the windows and open the roof window in my Camry! Yes, I'm a chicken.

The way I'd like to have wind in my hair is ride a fast horse!

 

[SuprSuprElevated]

If anyone is interested, the Senior Lifetime Pass to US National Parks will be going up in price in late August.  It is currently $10 (plus $10 processing), and will be going up to $80 next month.  If I read this right, it is valid for the pass holder and those accompanying in a single vehicle.  Not all parks charge a fee, but this would be handy to have imo.  You have to upload an identifying document with the application (DL, passport, state ID).  I just took a pic of hubs driver's license, and uploaded that.  We may never use it, but I hope we will.

Here's the link:  https://store.usgs.gov/senior-pass

eta - 'Senior' is 62+

Edited July 14, 2017 by SuprSuprElevated

[CarpeDiem54]

16 minutes ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

If anyone is interested, the Senior Lifetime Pass to US National Parks will be going up in price in late August.  It is currently $10 (plus $10 processing), and will be going up to $80 next month.  If I read this right, it is valid for the pass holder and those accompanying in a single vehicle.  Not all parks charge a fee, but this would be handy to have imo.  You have to upload an identifying document with the application (DL, passport, state ID).  I just took a pic of hubs driver's license, and uploaded that.  We may never use it, but I hope we will.

Here's the link:  https://store.usgs.gov/senior-pass

Oh, thanks!  I've been meaning to get my senior pass and keep forgetting.

[SuprSuprElevated]

10 minutes ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

Oh, thanks!  I've been meaning to get my senior pass and keep forgetting.

It seems the word has gotten out about the increase, and they're quoting a several weeks lead-time, but still...

[Coffeecup]

Just wanted to rant about the clothes news reporters and anchors wear. Somebody on the Shopping Channel thread commented that the women on TV always have to be so thin, but the men can be chubby and hide their flab in suits. I didn't want to go off topic over there.

I don't like the trend of women reporters on local and cable news shows, women on the Weather Channel, etc., wearing sleeveless dresses that are also too tight, too low cut and too short. It's like they all feel obligated (or are told by their bosses) to look sexy, while the males keep wearing conservative coats and ties. I wish the women would cover up more, like wear sleeves or even blazer jackets. It would look more professional than all the bare arms, bare armpits and bare knees.

However, it occurred to me that this double standard does a disservice the men. It's summer, hot all over the country. The men must be suffocating in their jackets and ties, especially when they have to do outdoor reporting. The women are comfy in their short sleeveless dresses. Why can't the bosses let the men take off the jackets and ties, and do their reporting in shirtsleeves when it's this hot?

The Weather Channel men occasionally go on air in shirtsleeves, but that's the only network where I see the men dressing casual inside the studio. I think I'd get the vapors from shock if I turned on cable news one day and saw Anderson Cooper without a tie.

Edited July 14, 2017 by Coffeecup

[Day2Day]

Coffeecup,!!!!!!!  I can't remember the last time I saw any female TV announcer -- news, weather, human interest, traffic -- wearing trousers !!  Alexandra Steele from the Weather Channel always wore pants / pants suits.  Steph Abrams is a major offender of the too tight / too short dresses. She needs HELP !  

[SuprSuprElevated]

The sleeveless dresses don't bother me, as long as they're conservative, but what gets me is when they wear them in December, January, February...

We live in a cold/snowy winter region and seeing them in sleeveless dresses in the middle of winter just sort of screams 'sex sells the news too'.

[Cricket]

3 hours ago, Day2Day said:

Coffeecup,!!!!!!!  I can't remember the last time I saw any female TV announcer -- news, weather, human interest, traffic -- wearing trousers !!  Alexandra Steele from the Weather Channel always wore pants / pants suits.  Steph Abrams is a major offender of the too tight / too short dresses. She needs HELP !  

This!!! I like Jen Carfagno. Watched her from her internship days. She is cute, nice voice and on air presentations. She always seems to wear cute but APPROPRIATE clothing. I can't stand Stephanie Abrams. Never did. Can't picture her and Mike Bettis ever being married. I like Kelly Cass a lot too, she is from our local community.

[Cricket]

I've always been a fan of Jen Calfagno as she is professional and always dresses appropriately. I also like Kelly Cass, she is from Albany NY. I never cared for Stephanie Abrams. Too much like OES to me!

 

Sorry for the duplicate post, took time to post and I thought I lost it,.

Maybe I am losing it, snerk

Edited July 14, 2017 by Cricket

[Cricket]

Thank you all so very  much for the prayers and well wishes for yesterday. Will post here so not to make a boo boo.

We had to be at Albany Med at 11 am for check in. We were there by 10:30 and checked in. Then we waited an HOUR before they brought him back to prep him. My two daughters Michelle and Jenn were there, as well as Michelle's fiance, Rolly. They did an epidural so they could keep future pain in check. At first he was leery because *I* fell into that 2 % that had horrific side affects when I had two of them back with my pregnancy days  with Jenn. I told him I took one for the team, so he should be good. And he was. Then we waited and waited... like over 2 hours. Apparently an emergency was holding everything up. I finally asked how many operating rooms they had. They have 30 operating rooms at Albany Med and do 90 - 100 surgeries PER DAY! Wow! So, finally about 3 pm, they take him down. The wait now begins. They took my cell phone # and we went to a nicer sitting room two floors up from the basement, where surgery is performed. We aren't there long when I get a phone call from the O.R. to be sure they can reach me. So odd to get a phone call from the operating room. Sure not like the days before when I was in the hospital with pregnancy issues. Pretty soon I get another call from the surgeon who is telling me that the tumor is much larger than the golf ball size they were led to believe! Something about it pressing on the diaphragm too. He had had some issues breathing which had worried me, but his doctor told him it was due to the chemo. I let everyone know, then did my rosary. It had rained all morning and by the time I finished and looked out the window, there was some light shining at us. The doctor called me right then and told me, they got it out. But because it was larger than expected, and Joe's liver was so high up in the body compared to others, they had to do a lot more tugging to bring it down, and make a much larger incision. Now it was Dr. Valerian's turn to reattach his GI system so he could get rid of the ostomy bag. Went back to clouds outside. About 7 pm Dr Nigam, the liver cancer doctor calls and tells us they finished and he would spend 3 hours in recovery. Dr Nigam came up to see us, by now we were back in the waiting room outside of surgery. He tells us he removed all of it but the liver would not grow back as he took more than he planned on. He also lost a lot of blood, but not enough for a transfusion. (this is way I am an ardent Red Cross blood doner - for all out there who need blood in times like this but I am not a match for Joe). Visiting hours close at 9 pm so everyone was leaving. I told the man at the attendants's desk we had to go as I live almost in Vermont so he allowed us to see Joe for a moment, two at a time. That was great for my kids. Then we made our way home. I was just ready to drift to sleep about midnight when my brain hears a phone ringing. I run, literally down the stairs and grab the phone and it is Joe. He wanted to tell me that it was so packed in there they moved him to another room. The attendant earlier said they usually do 100 surgeries a day and this day there was 136 surgeries. Boggles my mind. I think I will not go into work today as I am emotionally exhausted. (Even tho the boss is chomping at his bit over me doing the 2018 budgets with him) Michelle can go if I give her a ride at 3 pm so think I will do that as I know she wants to go. Maybe play in the dirt outside and praise God for saving him again. I am, of course, very concerned that he doesn't have it hiding somewhere else as with the way it grew in such a short period of time, it seems to me, very aggressive. I am very upset that these medical professionals, at THREE different medical sites, all said the spot on his liver back in Dec was just a fatty tumor and did nothing about it. We only learned of it when blood work came back AFTER the tumor in his colon was removed, that he had cancer somewhere else. The PETScan showed no other places other than something off around the incision site where Dr. Valerian removed the colon tumor and reattached. THEY THINK it is due to scarring in that area. Neither doctor during the operations yesterday could see that area from where they were working, and another colonoscopy will have to be done to look at this area from the inside out. I don't think we can take another hit to be honest. The doctors and nurses at Albany Med are outstanding, but ultimately, for me, I look for a higher power to heal all. Made me sad to see all these people waiting with us all worrying over their own tragedies. I am so glad he no longer will have the ostomy bag. He will be happy to fart naturally again LOL.

[Thumper]

Thanks for the report, Cricket.  Many of us were thinking about you and Joe yesterday.  What a day for all of you.  I am glad to hear they got all of the tumor and got Joe's "plumbing" back in order.  Continued prayers and positive thoughts for him.  Good for you for taking the day off.

[lovemesomejoolery]

26 minutes ago, Cricket said:

Thank you all so very  much for the prayers and well wishes for yesterday. Will post here so not to make a boo boo.

We had to be at Albany Med at 11 am for check in. We were there by 10:30 and checked in. Then we waited an HOUR before they brought him back to prep him. My two daughters Michelle and Jenn were there, as well as Michelle's fiance, Rolly. They did an epidural so they could keep future pain in check. At first he was leery because *I* fell into that 2 % that had horrific side affects when I had two of them back with my pregnancy days  with Jenn. I told him I took one for the team, so he should be good. And he was. Then we waited and waited... like over 2 hours. Apparently an emergency was holding everything up. I finally asked how many operating rooms they had. They have 30 operating rooms at Albany Med and do 90 - 100 surgeries PER DAY! Wow! So, finally about 3 pm, they take him down. The wait now begins. They took my cell phone # and we went to a nicer sitting room two floors up from the basement, where surgery is performed. We aren't there long when I get a phone call from the O.R. to be sure they can reach me. So odd to get a phone call from the operating room. Sure not like the days before when I was in the hospital with pregnancy issues. Pretty soon I get another call from the surgeon who is telling me that the tumor is much larger than the golf ball size they were led to believe! Something about it pressing on the diaphragm too. He had had some issues breathing which had worried me, but his doctor told him it was due to the chemo. I let everyone know, then did my rosary. It had rained all morning and by the time I finished and looked out the window, there was some light shining at us. The doctor called me right then and told me, they got it out. But because it was larger than expected, and Joe's liver was so high up in the body compared to others, they had to do a lot more tugging to bring it down, and make a much larger incision. Now it was Dr. Valerian's turn to reattach his GI system so he could get rid of the ostomy bag. Went back to clouds outside. About 7 pm Dr Nigam, the liver cancer doctor calls and tells us they finished and he would spend 3 hours in recovery. Dr Nigam came up to see us, by now we were back in the waiting room outside of surgery. He tells us he removed all of it but the liver would not grow back as he took more than he planned on. He also lost a lot of blood, but not enough for a transfusion. (this is way I am an ardent Red Cross blood doner - for all out there who need blood in times like this but I am not a match for Joe). Visiting hours close at 9 pm so everyone was leaving. I told the man at the attendants's desk we had to go as I live almost in Vermont so he allowed us to see Joe for a moment, two at a time. That was great for my kids. Then we made our way home. I was just ready to drift to sleep about midnight when my brain hears a phone ringing. I run, literally down the stairs and grab the phone and it is Joe. He wanted to tell me that it was so packed in there they moved him to another room. The attendant earlier said they usually do 100 surgeries a day and this day there was 136 surgeries. Boggles my mind. I think I will not go into work today as I am emotionally exhausted. (Even tho the boss is chomping at his bit over me doing the 2018 budgets with him) Michelle can go if I give her a ride at 3 pm so think I will do that as I know she wants to go. Maybe play in the dirt outside and praise God for saving him again. I am, of course, very concerned that he doesn't have it hiding somewhere else as with the way it grew in such a short period of time, it seems to me, very aggressive. I am very upset that these medical professionals, at THREE different medical sites, all said the spot on his liver back in Dec was just a fatty tumor and did nothing about it. We only learned of it when blood work came back AFTER the tumor in his colon was removed, that he had cancer somewhere else. The PETScan showed no other places other than something off around the incision site where Dr. Valerian removed the colon tumor and reattached. THEY THINK it is due to scarring in that area. Neither doctor during the operations yesterday could see that area from where they were working, and another colonoscopy will have to be done to look at this area from the inside out. I don't think we can take another hit to be honest. The doctors and nurses at Albany Med are outstanding, but ultimately, for me, I look for a higher power to heal all. Made me sad to see all these people waiting with us all worrying over their own tragedies. I am so glad he no longer will have the ostomy bag. He will be happy to fart naturally again LOL.

Thank you for letting us know.  You and Joe hang in there.

[Ladyrain]

Cricket, thank you so much for taking the time to update us.  I am so very thankful that everything turned out well yesterday and that Joe even felt well enough in recovery to call you!  Although I can certainly empathize with you about your panic at the phone ringing and waking you up.  What a relief it must have been to hear his voice on the other end of the line.  I am keeping you in my thoughts and well wishes and have the highest hopes for a complete recovery for your Joe so you both can put this in your rear view mirror once and for all.  ?

[StaceyNotStacie]

6 hours ago, Coffeecup said:

Just wanted to rant about the clothes news reporters and anchors wear. Somebody on the Shopping Channel thread commented that the women on TV always have to be so thin, but the men can be chubby and hide their flab in suits. I didn't want to go off topic over there.

I don't like the trend of women reporters on local and cable news shows, women on the Weather Channel, etc., wearing sleeveless dresses that are also too tight, too low cut and too short. It's like they all feel obligated (or are told by their bosses) to look sexy, while the males keep wearing conservative coats and ties. I wish the women would cover up more, like wear sleeves or even blazer jackets. It would look more professional than all the bare arms, bare armpits and bare knees.

However, it occurred to me that this double standard does a disservice the men. It's summer, hot all over the country. The men must be suffocating in their jackets and ties, especially when they have to do outdoor reporting. The women are comfy in their short sleeveless dresses. Why can't the bosses let the men take off the jackets and ties, and do their reporting in shirtsleeves when it's this hot?

The Weather Channel men occasionally go on air in shirtsleeves, but that's the only network where I see the men dressing casual inside the studio. I think I'd get the vapors from shock if I turned on cable news one day and saw Anderson Cooper without a tie.

We watch a lot of baseball. We get the Nationals and Orioles games in our area. You can always tell how humid it is in D.C. because the announcers wear their polo shirts instead of suits. 

[CarpeDiem54]

{{Cricket and Joe}}  

[Cricket]

52 minutes ago, Thumper said:

Thanks for the report, Cricket.  Many of us were thinking about you and Joe yesterday.  What a day for all of you.  I am glad to hear they got all of the tumor and got Joe's "plumbing" back in order.  Continued prayers and positive thoughts for him.  Good for you for taking the day off.

Thank you Thumper.

And thank you, Ladyrain ,LMSJ,and CarpeDiem54 (good name for what we are going through btw!)

28 minutes ago, Stacey1014 said:

We watch a lot of baseball. We get the Nationals and Orioles games in our area. You can always tell how humid it is in D.C. because the announcers wear their polo shirts instead of suits. 

Did you watch the All Star game? I hung in till the end of the 9th but then I had to shut myself down for the night. Loved the home-run derby

[StaceyNotStacie]

23 minutes ago, Cricket said:

Thank you Thumper.

And thank you, Ladyrain ,LMSJ,and CarpeDiem54 (good name for what we are going through btw!)

Did you watch the All Star game? I hung in till the end of the 9th but then I had to shut myself down for the night. Loved the home-run derby

We watched until about the 8th inning. We were falling asleep and when I woke up to turn off the tv, the game was over. 

[Coffeecup]

Cricket, that was quite an ordeal for Joe, and for you and the family. I understand how frustrating it must be to know that the earlier tests didn't show the true size of the tumor, and that the first doctors didn't seem to take it seriously enough. Hopefully the surgeon got it all and it won't come back.

Astounding that the hospital does so many surgeries every day! On the positive side, that means they are very experienced and efficient.

I am so glad that Joe made it through this grueling surgery. He must be a very strong guy. Prayers and hugs for Joe and for you!

[Booney]

@Cricket, there's not much more that I can say that others haven't already said, but I'm glad Joe made it through the surgeries, that they got all of the tumor, and that he can fart again. ?Time to take a breath. Please keep us posted as his recovery progresses. I'll continue to send positive thoughts your way.

[TexasTiffany]

@Cricket, thank you for the update. I'm glad you put in all of the details. It was a long day for you, Joe and everyone else there. All the things that happened to mark the time from beginning to close. I hope that's the last of the cancer. I'm sad to find out they could have done something earlier but had passed it off as nothing. I'm a bit surprised the one doctor said his liver probably won't fully grow back. Doctors say that kind of thing but they don't know. I wouldn't count out Joe's liver just yet. 

4 hours ago, Booney said:

@Cricket, there's not much more that I can say that others haven't already said, but I'm glad Joe made it through the surgeries, that they got all of the tumor, and that he can fart again. ?Time to take a breath. Please keep us posted as his recovery progresses. I'll continue to send positive thoughts your way.

On a lighter note, I find the juxtaposition of these two sentences extremely funny! 

[Booney]

8 minutes ago, TexasTiffany said:

@Cricket, thank you for the update. I'm glad you put in all of the details. It was a long day for you, Joe and everyone else there. All the things that happened to mark the time from beginning to close. I hope that's the last of the cancer. I'm sad to find out they could have done something earlier but had passed it off as nothing. I'm a bit surprised the one doctor said his liver probably won't fully grow back. Doctors say that kind of thing but they don't know. I wouldn't count out Joe's liver just yet. 

On a lighter note, I find the juxtaposition of these two sentences extremely funny! 

Lol!! I never even noticed that when I typed it!

[SuprSuprElevated]

@Cricket - One more row hoed.  That'll be a helluva garden when it's all said and done.  Wishing you both peace and wellness.

[ennui]

13 hours ago, Cricket said:

. I am very upset that these medical professionals, at THREE different medical sites, all said the spot on his liver back in Dec was just a fatty tumor and did nothing about it. We only learned of it when blood work came back AFTER the tumor in his colon was removed

We all like to think that doctors are amazing, but in reality, they are only people just like us, except they went to medical school.

I'm glad that things are looking up for Joe! He felt well enough to call you, I think that's pretty good!  

Thank you for sharing this experience with us.   

[Thumper]

Had a good customer service experience yesterday.  I saw that BBB had the Kuhn Rikon chopper thingie online that everyone recommended, so I went to the store, thinking I could avoid shipping and use a 20% coupon.  Well, the store didn't carry it.  So of course I found a few other things I wanted and went to check out, using my coupon on one of those items.  The clerk asked me if I found everything, and I actually told him what I could NOT find.  He was so nice -- offered to order it with free shipping.  I first said yes, then no, explaining that I had just used my last coupon.  He said, "oh I will give you the 20% off anyhow."  NICE!  Done deal!  So I got the chopper for about $20 plus tax, with the 20% off and free shipping to my home.

I had just had a not-so-great experience at Ulta, so I thanked him for being so customer-oriented!

(Edit: it shipped today!)

Edited July 16, 2017 by Thumper

[DownTheShore]

Cricket - So glad to hear that Joe made it through the surgery well - and that it sounds like he had good surgeons! ?

You are both in my thoughts and prayers. I, too, havealways found that praying the rosary is a good way to stay calm and focused when waiting in the hospital for news/results.

Thanks for updating us.

-------

A bridal chain called "Alfred Angelo" closed 61 stores abruptly due to a bankruptcy filing.

Quote

"Local brides and bridesmaids milled in front of the store for hours, each one peering nervously through the windows and knocking on the glass. Many said their dresses were inside the store and already paid for. No information was available on whether dresses would be shipped to customers or if refunds would be given out."

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/15/537443368/brides-scramble-for-dresses-and-information-after-alfred-angelo-stores-close-abr

I've seen enough of this type of thing happen with bridal shops over the years that if I was one of those brides mentioned, I would seriously consider throwing a brick through the window and going in to get my dress out, rather than just milling around. Or if I was the shop operator, going in there and handing out the paid-for dresses to the customers. It would probably be worth the legal hit to do the right thing by them.?

[Booney]

13 minutes ago, DownTheShore said:

Cricket - So glad to hear that Joe made it through the surgery well - and that it sounds like he had good surgeons! ?

You are both in my thoughts and prayers. I, too, havealways found that praying the rosary is a good way to stay calm and focused when waiting in the hospital for news/results.

Thanks for updating us.

-------

A bridal chain called "Alfred Angelo" closed 61 stores abruptly due to a bankruptcy filing.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/15/537443368/brides-scramble-for-dresses-and-information-after-alfred-angelo-stores-close-abr

I've seen enough of this type of thing happen with bridal shops over the years that if I was one of those brides mentioned, I would seriously consider throwing a brick through the window and going in to get my dress out, rather than just milling around. Or if I was the shop operator, going in there and handing out the paid-for dresses to the customers. It would probably be worth the legal hit to do the right thing by them.?

I felt so badly for the brides when I saw that story. Our local ABC affiliate showed the Cherry Hill, NJ store in their news story, and the shop staff there did hand women (some? all? hard to tell) waiting outside the store their dresses that were paid for. Having recently experienced buying a wedding dress - ordering, waiting for it to come in, fittings, and the overall outlay of $$$ - I can't imagine being a few weeks away from your wedding and having that happen. Reading more about the Alfred Angelo closing online, I saw that some recent brides have offered their dresses for free to any women who are ending up without a dress because of the closings.

[lovemesomejoolery]

23 minutes ago, DownTheShore said:

Cricket - So glad to hear that Joe made it through the surgery well - and that it sounds like he had good surgeons! ?

You are both in my thoughts and prayers. I, too, havealways found that praying the rosary is a good way to stay calm and focused when waiting in the hospital for news/results.

Thanks for updating us.

-------

A bridal chain called "Alfred Angelo" closed 61 stores abruptly due to a bankruptcy filing.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/15/537443368/brides-scramble-for-dresses-and-information-after-alfred-angelo-stores-close-abr

I've seen enough of this type of thing happen with bridal shops over the years that if I was one of those brides mentioned, I would seriously consider throwing a brick through the window and going in to get my dress out, rather than just milling around. Or if I was the shop operator, going in there and handing out the paid-for dresses to the customers. It would probably be worth the legal hit to do the right thing by them.?

This bridal thing is a mess.  They showed a local bridal dress company in Baltimore that happens to sell some of the dresses from this line.  They are not part of the Alfred Angelo chain, just sell some of the dresses.  They had over 100 dresses on order.  And they are giving the brides and their parties refunds!  I couldn't believe that - it's not like it's their fault the company went out of business!  That is great customer service.

 

ETA - this bridal store also had packed up all the samples of the Alfred Angelo dresses and was donating them to other brides who hadn't been able to get their dresses.  All they had to do was pay for any tailoring/fitting.  That was just awesome! 

Edited July 15, 2017 by lovemesomejoolery

[CarpeDiem54]

14 minutes ago, PearlClutcher said:

Wow.  Another bankruptcy.  Do not p*ss off a bride from getting her paid for dress.  Makes you wonder if other things can just fold up over night like caterers and entertainment.  Blech.  I would elope.

Yep.  Happened to my girlfriend's daughter about 20 years ago.  BFF had booked and paid for the reception and about 6 weeks before the wedding the place went out of business.  My friend was in a panic, needless to say.  She managed to find a nearby Marriott Hotel for the reception, but it took her some legal wrangling to get her $$$$ back from the other place.   

There was a local dress store that went belly up awhile back and the brides did storm the place, the police showed up and mayhem ensued.  Plus, a big restaurant downtown that had booked several receptions recently locked their doors after losing their lease.  They knew they were in trouble for months but still kept taking the bookings.  Assholes.

[Booney]

25 minutes ago, PearlClutcher said:

Wow.  Another bankruptcy.  Do not p*ss off a bride from getting her paid for dress.  Makes you wonder if other things can just fold up over night like caterers and entertainment.  Blech.  I would elope.

I saw a news story within the last year or so about a banquet facility that went belly up and closed suddenly, leaving impending weddings in the lurch. Unfortunately, anything can happen.

I thought about eloping! In the end, Mr. Booney and I wanted our family and friends there to share and celebrate the day with us. I'm glad we did it the way we did. When you get to this ripe old age, you realize that the people in your life are what it's all about.

[walnutqueen]

Yeah, I let myself get talked into a brief marriage in the early 70s.  It went from nuptials at the nude beach to barefoot in a mountain meadow ... then the Moms got involved and it turned into an Apocalypse Now, Magnum Force wedding shitshow.  The only things that lasted were some excellent kitchenware wedding presents (seriously, they made that shit to LAST, back in the day!), and a vintage wedding gown in a box (spare bedroom, freebie to any desperado).

[CarpeDiem54]

Whoever posted this Crazy Crust Pie, thank you!  It's delicious, especially with a couple of scoops of Friendly's vanilla ice cream.  And it was so easy!  Don't ask me why I was in the mood to bake something.  Maybe it's because it was only 80 today and not 98.  

http://www.landofrecipes.com/2017/05/11/crazy-crust-pie/