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Post by staytuned on Jan 17, 2022 15:08:14 GMT
Good morning, everyone! We got at least a foot of snow from the latest storm and my Cube is practically buried from the plow coming through. Walkway is untouched. It used to be the drive would be plowed and walkways shoveled and salted before we left for work around 7am. New management, pay more, get less. Not looking forward to going out to try to shovel out. DH hopefully made it in to work o.k. (waiting for him to reply to my email) and I'm glad I don't have to go anywhere. Even Goodwill is closed due to weather, and that never happened when I worked there, even from ice or snow storms (it would be one or two hour delay, never closed). Bet mail carriers are thankful they don't have to deliver mail today, too. I hope everyone stays safe and if you got lucky enough to escape this storm, consider yourself very lucky.
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Post by staytuned on Jan 17, 2022 15:43:24 GMT
DH said it took him 15 minutes to dig out to just get out of our driveway, then lady in front of him at the end of our road got stuck so he got out to help and thankfully guy behind him also helped push to get her going (they couldn't get around her). Then he got to work where there was only a few inched of snow in the lot, but over a foot in the entrance from the plows, so it took him another 20 minutes to shovel that to get in. He said he's lucky he didn't have a heart attack. Only 4 other people made it to work. I told him at our ages he needs to be more careful and next time it's that bad outside, say the heck with it and call off work.
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Post by Desire on Jan 17, 2022 16:45:10 GMT
We were lucky here, only got a bit over 3 inches of snow. That's good for us as we're usually on the high end.
Hope you get your car shoveled out, Stay! The worst is when the snowplows throw the snow as they are plowing and it accumulates in huge mounds.
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Post by staytuned on Jan 17, 2022 18:16:45 GMT
I saw someone brushing off their car and wind up getting stuck. I was about to get dressed and go down to help when 2 other tenants showed up to push her out. It was obvious her problem was not clearing out behind her rear tires so, of course, she kept getting stuck. Even the 2 big guys didn't see that and had a heck of a time pushing her out, then she turned her wheels too soon and got stuck halfway out. Rookies. She only had a small brush, too. You can still kick snow away from back tires for clear path to back straight out, then turn wheel when you've cleared the snow. A little extra work would have saved her a lot of extra time and effort.
Maintenance finally got around to shoveling our walkway. They do plow the drives, but we have to clear around our own vehicles, which we've always had to do. The plow does come through periodically to see if someone left to clear that parking spot. Hope DH gets one when he gets home. He deserves it for his crappy morning.
Yep, Desire, I sure have a heaping mound behind my Cube that's actually almost to the top. Better get bundled up and go to it. At least I can stop whenever I feel like it. Goal will be clearing the back with shovel and brushing off top and hood with the Broomster.
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Post by jesmelric on Jan 17, 2022 18:52:17 GMT
Oh wow, so sorry for you guys that got hit with the snowstorm! When it came through here it left us with colder temperatures and wind, and I'll take that over snow and freezing temps any day of the week. In fact it's sunny today with a high of 65 so really nice.
I did a photo session Saturday and I'm super glad to have it over with. We went to the Goodwill yesterday, didn't find a bunch, nothing of any note just some B&B. Then we stopped and picked up some Mexican food. I know inflation and higher prices have hit everyone but I was shocked. DH got a chimichanga, I got 1/2 order of chicken quesadilla, a small queso, and two frozen margaritas and it was $50!!! That's about a $15 increase and too expensive for us to pick up food there anymore. It's a family restaurant and we've been going for years but that's just not in the budget.
We are going to see mom Wednesday for the first time in 2 weeks. I know she will be glad to see us. And the weather is supposed to be nice so we can sit outside. Who knows how many people in there are Covid positive at this time.
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Post by staytuned on Jan 17, 2022 19:50:57 GMT
I am literally sweat from head to toe. I can see the whole back end of my Cube and still not fully cleared behind me. Barely touched the top except the very back part. Young woman who was stuck earlier came back and found the least disastered spot. Boy, did she make a face when I told her all maintenance does is plow the drives and clear walkways and we have to clean behind us and in between vehicles. That's the way it's always done. Not enough manpower. I did apologize and say I saw her earlier and was about to get dressed to help when she got out. I pointed out first thing is make sure it's clear behind her and don't turn the wheels until she's cleared the spot. I also held up my shovel and said it's a good idea to invest in one of them to make it a lot easier next time. She seemed really nice. So, I still wouldn't be able to actually go anywhere at this point, but I threw the snow to the left in an empty spot and there's a huge pile so plow can hopefully plow it out of the way so less to deal with tomorrow. The snow was so high when I was wiping it off to get to the back door of the Cube, my boot sunk into the snow which was literally mid-thigh high and I temporarily got stuck trying to wiggle free. Will see what it looks like after the plow's been through again if I go back out again or wait til tomorrow.
Update: Plow never did clear off the huge pile so unless they do it early tomorrow morning, I'll be adding to it. Shame it's taking up another parking spot, but there was nowhere else to put that amount of snow. My neighbor is parked next to me and she's buried, too, so don't want to add more on that side.
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Post by denise15601 on Jan 18, 2022 17:12:07 GMT
I finally bought an air fryer!!! I have very little counter space and sure don't have the $100 usual price for them. It was on The View and a mini Yeti, 2 Qts. Total with shipping is $34. I can do that.....
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Post by staytuned on Jan 18, 2022 18:12:11 GMT
I'm freeeeeeee!
Temp is around 32 so clearing off the Cube was easier than I thought as snow just slid off. Had a bit more to shovel from the back, then shovel both sides behind front tires. Made sure nobody was coming, backed straight out and turned the wheel when I cleared the spot. Figured what the heck, I'm out, might as well go get milk. Probably looked quite the sight and more like a guy in thick, insulated military pants, vintage camo parka, Carhartt hat and no makeup, lol. My spot was plowed when I got back so glad that's done.
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Post by jesmelric on Jan 18, 2022 18:34:47 GMT
Current temperature here is 71 with a high of 74 or so, nothing to complain about at all. I feel bad for all you guys who are freezing. We do pay the price in summer, though.
Well I had the booster about 27 hours ago and I feel very slightly peaky with very mild body aches and almost trying to get a headache. A Tylenol seems to be taking care of it so it seems like it will be a very mild reaction, thank goodness. We haven't seen mom in 2 weeks and I was concerned about feeling too ill to go visit. I know she will be very glad to see us.
Well I have two return requests in the last week and a half or so for fit. I just hate when something on it's second season is coming back to me at the end of the season
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Jan 18, 2022 20:06:38 GMT
Sunny and 72 here today and tomorrow, then a front moves in Thursday with a high of 39, low of 29 and 60% chance of freezing rain. Then we're in the 50's for the most part for about a week. I wonder if any of the betting places in Vegas are taking bets on the TX power grid?
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val2525
Chaos Manager
Posts: 30,743
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Post by val2525 on Jan 18, 2022 20:20:37 GMT
I finally bought an air fryer!!! I have very little counter space and sure don't have the $100 usual price for them. It was on The View and a mini Yeti, 2 Qts. Total with shipping is $34. I can do that..... I splurged last year on a dual zone air fryer with 2 baskets. It was worth every penny. I got it on a flexpay at QVC.
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Post by denise15601 on Jan 18, 2022 22:19:24 GMT
Little and cheap is the way I roll....
I know that I will sometimes regret the smallness since I tend to make a large batch of stuff and freeze it in butter containers.
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val2525
Chaos Manager
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Post by val2525 on Jan 18, 2022 22:45:56 GMT
The main reason I got the dual zone is I have a HUGE kitchen with plenty of counter space. If I was still in my place in ABQ, there wouldn't have been any room for it. I like being able to cook the meat in one side and the veggies on the other side and have them end their cooking time at the same time. Sweet!
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Post by denise15601 on Jan 19, 2022 1:09:42 GMT
When Melissa gets my house, she will rip out the wall between the kitchen and dining room to make a huge kitchen, like she presently has. That would be nice, but I love my unused dining room.
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Post by chapeaunoir on Jan 19, 2022 7:52:10 GMT
The only counter space I have in the kitchen for anything is the corner I have with my espresso machine, knock box and small hand grinder. Everything else gets confiscated, though the veg spiraler or whatever it's called stayed on a corner of a counter until I decided that spiralized veg was in no way, shape or form any substitute for pasta and quit using it - it has disappeared into a cupboard. If I brought in an air fryer there would be immediate discussions. OTOH, the DH immediately made noises for me to get rid of my old automatic espresso machine and cheap grinder when I replaced them with my hand-me-down lever machine and Christmas present grinder and I just said NO. They'll live in the basement as a backup.
Do not mess with my espresso.
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Post by labbypaws on Jan 19, 2022 14:15:44 GMT
Our air fryer is huge and sits on the refrigerator until we use it.
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Post by sunsetpainter on Jan 19, 2022 14:47:52 GMT
I have very little counter space, but a few small appliances I use on a fairly regular basis...air fryer, blender, crock pot, etc. So DH built a cabinet in our garage just to house those things. I love it! They're out of the way but easy enough to drag out when I need them!
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val2525
Chaos Manager
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Post by val2525 on Jan 19, 2022 16:51:24 GMT
My kitchen is big for an apartment (it would be considered average for a house probably). I have a lot of counter space so the airfyer and coffee pot get to sit out. Which is great, because I use them all the time. The other appliances are in the cabinets though since they only get used now and then. Whomever designed these apartments did a good job on utilizing space. The closets have hanging racks that are shelves, they're anchored really well and I can store a lot of stuff on the shelves. My bathroom is huge too, and the linen closet is at the end of the shower so the depth is equal to the width of the tub. HUGE. Even after I gave the cats the bottom of the closet for their use (complete with oversized dog bed) I still have tons of room in that closet. If I ever buy a house and have a chance to update the kitchen, I'm putting in big drawers instead of lower cabinets - easier to get the stuff out when you need it. Chap, you might be surprised at DH reaction to a small airfryer. They're unbelievably handy. I rarely use my oven now, and often use the airfryer to heat foods I used to heat in the microwave. Airfryer fish is awesome, no matter how you fix it. It's great for roasting fresh veggies too.
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Post by denise15601 on Jan 19, 2022 18:00:44 GMT
Sounds great Val. I guess that I have enough room on one end of my counter top, and should really put away the stuff that I don't use...like my food processor. But I don't know where to put it! Hmmm, maybe on my laundry room shelves. But they are filled with eBay stuff.
On top of my fridge makes sense but I only have one workable shoulder.
Maybe one day I will upgrade to a bigger air fryer.
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val2525
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Post by val2525 on Jan 19, 2022 18:27:58 GMT
If you don't bake, do like Kritter does and store stuff in your oven My kitchen in ABQ was so small there wasn't even room for a small microwave. I bought a kitchen cart and used that on the wall at the kitchen exit for my micro wave. I had to buy an appliance extension cord to reach the nearest plug. That kitchen sucked it was so small.
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Post by RetroMonde on Jan 19, 2022 18:38:50 GMT
Just before Thanksgiving we replaced our stove with a stove & convection oven number that also has a setting to use as an air fryer. Since there's 6 of us it seemed like a useful feature. We bought a separate oven rack/basket on Amazon and it works great for fries and things like that. As far as anything battered, oil is the way to go. The first thing I tried to make using the oven as an air fryer was battered chicken for chicken & waffles. It was a messy disaster that I finished on the stove using my cast iron Dutch oven & oil.
Our kitchen is shaped like a long L or leg & foot, lol. The house was built in the 30s with a big country kitchen but my family inherited a huge piece of furniture (breakfront) in the late 60s and they remodeled the kitchen/dining room around it. Counter space is sparse and we lack storage so our appliances are stored all over the place. Only the coffee maker, toaster & Kitchen Aid get counter space (and that's just because the mixer is too darned heavy to move around)..We're long overdue on a kitchen remodel and have talked about it for years but either lacked $$ or a contractor. DH has found a talented contractor we'd use when we can afford it. Yesterday he finished replacing the railings on our deck and he did a terrific job.
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Post by blissfullymiserable on Jan 19, 2022 19:49:09 GMT
The kitchen in Cliff's house is absolutely horrible. When unloading the dishwasher, you have to wiggle yourself between the dishwasher door and counter to be able to put mugs and glasses up in the cabinet. Good thing we're average size. The kitchen at my house isn't a whole lot better but at least you can move around freely when unloading the DW.
I love kitchens but have never had a nice or overly functional one.
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Post by denise15601 on Jan 19, 2022 20:04:41 GMT
LOL to oven storage. But I bake stuff a lot (not desserts though). Roasted veggies and casseroles, etc.
Actually, I have a bookcase in my DR where I have my roaster and some skillets, among some embroidery & sewing stuff. I could get rid of the few books there, and put stuff there. It is kind of a multi-purpose thing.
I am stuck with my Harvest Gold kitchen since I am too old and poor to remodel. But my daughter is going to rip it out anyway.
It's 45 degrees out and some of the snow is melting! But it will get super cold for the next 2 days so everything will freeze.
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Post by labbypaws on Jan 20, 2022 14:53:37 GMT
So glad I am done with my old ebay business. Waiting for hubby’s tax form and then I can file taxes.
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Post by staytuned on Jan 20, 2022 17:30:10 GMT
Feels like single digits with windchill and flurries flying around pretty much all morning that are supposed to stop soon. I do want to go to out and finish my grocery shopping for the week. Looks like we only got an additional inch or so of snow. MIL's driveway was completely blocked from the storm. The guy Yuppie BIL hired last year to plow never called him back and he forgot to follow up this year. MIL didn't say a word (she's 94 and thought a foot of snow would just melt). SIL lives there and unknown why she didn't say anything or call someone to plow. Of course, it got dumped on DH. Luckily, a friend of his happened to drive by and noticed, called DH and said he'd call a friend of his to plow the driveway. It's too long to shovel unless there are at least several people involved.
Looks like it finally stopped snowing. Will wait til 1pm lunch rush is over and hopefully roads are clear and get it over with. Hope the stores have what I want in stock. Hard to tell if the shortages are due to supply chain issues or being ransacked before the storm hit. Doesn't help with so few employees to restock if shipments do come in.
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val2525
Chaos Manager
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Post by val2525 on Jan 20, 2022 18:10:35 GMT
I'm logged in online, waiting for a webinar to start by Avalara (sales tax). They're playing George Harrison's "Taxman" while everyone is waiting. Overcast and 36 here. Freeze forecast for tonight. We warm up over the weekend to the 50's. Not too bad. When I got up this morning, it was 35 outside but my apartment was 65, and that was with the heat set at 60. These units are nicely insulated! My heavy duty garment rack came in. It has 4 shelves on one side and the other side if for hanging garments, with 2 shelves on the bottom. All shelves are adjustable. I need to order a rubber mallet from Walmart so I can assemble the rack tomorrow or over the weekend. I only hang a few things of my clothes in the closet, so I'm hoping to move my hanging stuff to this rack in the bedroom, which will free up more space in my closet for eBay stuff.
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Post by denise15601 on Jan 20, 2022 19:35:17 GMT
It's a balmy 23 degrees out and I went out for my mail. It wasn't easy to walk since there's a coating of ice on top of the snow. I couldn't walk where I had walked in previous days since those tracks are icy.
Really weird that I had to make slow deliberate hard steps so that I wasn't walking on top of the snow. Will go down to 7 degrees tonight.
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Post by jesmelric on Jan 20, 2022 20:00:34 GMT
Well we hit 80 yesterday and today it's in the 40s and windy, so it feels like 32. What a difference a day makes! I made blueberry muffins earlier and am making DH chili for dinner. It's a cozy day to be cooking/baking.
It's nice that it was warm yesterday as we went to go see mom and we were able to sit outside. We have to go right inside to the desk to sign in and they have a covid sign there that said there is currently 14 residents and 4 employees that are positive. Mom was fine, she said she was hardly sick at all. Apparently both of her room mates tested positive and were in isolation right after her. And somehow when she was in isolation most of her pants disappeared She said she only had the ones she had on and the clean ones I bought in her laundry. I have one 1/2 off card left from Black Friday so I'm hoping I can find a couple of pair for her at the thrift Sunday. Which is where I got the ones that went missing.
In any case she was really glad to see us and we were able to load her up on snacks and reading material until next week. She said the 5 days in isolation felt like 4 weeks lol. I believe they do have a tv in there but that's it.
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Post by jandsknight on Jan 21, 2022 0:25:06 GMT
Jes, I think one or more of the workers at your mother's facility are supplementing their income by selling used clothing.
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Post by denise15601 on Jan 21, 2022 1:18:58 GMT
Jes. I think that it is time to write your mom's name on the outside hem of her pants....
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