Weekly Chat Thread Jan 2nd - 8th

[staytuned]

Good morning and Happy New Year to everyone!  Let's all hope 2023 will be an improvement over last year for everyone.  May all your resolutions (if you made any), last longer than February.

[staytuned]

[kritter]

[val2525]

I just put in two maintenance requests at the resident portal. I know the office is going to think I'm nuts - I asked to have the hinges switched on the refrigerator doors so they open the other way, and to have the ice maker removed from the freezer. The refrigerator door swings to the right and hits the laundry room door, so I can't open it enough to use the veggie crisper. I never use the ice maker and I want the extra space in the freezer. This refrigerator is smaller than the one in my old apartment I lost cabinet space too, but that was easily fixed with some organizers. Did you know if you put stuff in baskets, you can use high cabinet shelves that would otherwise be unreachable? I am in awe of all the organizational stuff out there

I'm almost done unpacking. If I get my butt in gear, I can probably finish today.


^^^^ the key word being "probably" 🤣😂😅😁

[Dawn R]

I took advantage of the 60 degree weather and spent most of the day outdoor. Tomorrow is supposed to also be in the 60s.

[staytuned]

We might set record highs tomorrow and Wed. in the 60s and be back to 30s for highs by Friday. Rain in the forecast which is better than snow and looking forward to getting out after spending most of the time watching Twilight Zone marathon which I've seen around 10 old episodes I don't recall having seen before or haven't seen in too many years, not including the few awful 2019 ones that Rod Serling would have never aired.

Val, I agree about all the storage options. I use fabric cubes in my closet and pantry. I got some nice ones on clearance awhile back, but the Dollar Tree ones work, too, and a lot cheaper.

Another plus with my new desk chair is it's smaller than the previous one that DH frequently backed/banged into and there's a nice wide gap between our chairs (we each have desks/computers sitting with backs to each other) and haven't come close to making contact.

[staytuned]

whoa, just checked to see we're already in Valentine's Day mode. Love the darker border and hearts above. Thanks, Val.

[chapeaunoir]

Jan 3, 2023 1:48:36 GMT staytuned said:

Another plus with my new desk chair is it's smaller than the previous one that DH frequently backed/banged into and there's a nice wide gap between our chairs (we each have desks/computers sitting with backs to each other) and haven't come close to making contact.

Room is good!  One thing we've realised in looking for two new residences (one close to the Canadian border, one in England) is that we have to each have our own caves. So this means 3-bedrooms no matter what. I said I'd be OK with a closet, but nobody else gets to share it lol.

We had a little sun today and are due for some tomorrow before the rains return for the foreseeable future. Temps are in the 30s, though and there was 'frost on the pumpkin' this morning, so not sure if we'll have snow or not. My cousin and I are trying to arrange either some hiking or snowshoeing - the snowpack up in the mountains is great!

[labbypaws]

Work is still a pita. Some athletes came back over the last few days. More come back tomorrow. We enjoy the warm weather because it is easier to do all the walking we do when it isn’t 12 degrees out.

Getting the house ready for the cleaners. Will be happy to get the house cleaned as they missed the last time and then they missed a month before that. I debate changing cleaners but these women don’t overcharge.

Traffic and all that should start getting back to normal except the college kids are still off.

Val, just let the maintenance people know you are just trying to get back to normalcy. Try to find any other issues and get them to do them while they are there.

[denise15601]

So sad about Damar. Only 24! Praying for his recovery.

[val2525]

Jan 3, 2023 13:07:25 GMT labbypaws said:

Val, just let the maintenance people know you are just trying to get back to normalcy. Try to find any other issues and get them to do them while they are there.

I'm not sure what you mean by normalcy (normal is highly overrated IMO LOL!) but for maintenance, you have to go thru the online portal and enter a request for each item you need done. I know they'll switch the hinges on the doors, I called last week and asked. What I'm not sure about is if they will remove the icemaker or not. If they won't, I'll get the handyman service I use to do it. I'm getting them to come out next month and put plant hangers up on the stucco and help with the screen, so I'll just add the ice maker to the list. It appears to be an easy job, but I can't move the refrig to get to the back

As for Damar, it could be anything. My money is on a pre-existing but not diagnosed condition that was aggravated by the hit. I know what I have, Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in athletes under 35. It often goes undetected and not diagnosed until a heart issue of some sort pops up forcing docs to take a closer look. Sadly, sometimes, that issue is a heart attack. I hope he recovers, he sounds like a good guy.

Sunny and in the 70's all week here. In January. SMH. I hate to think what this summer is going to be like.

[allikat]

All good over here. Going into the new year with hope and lots of love to give. It has been a whirlwind since Thanksgiving, BF had 5 weeks of vacation to use before end of year so he has basically been off since before Thanksgiving. I have been hanging out at his house helping him get it in order and bonding with his daughters. The older one, who everyone told me would never like me, told me that she loves having me around, YAY!! That was the only gift I needed for Christmas. Now I need to work on my own house that has been neglected since Thanksgiving, lol.

I had a pipe burst on Christmas Day but it was in basement corner bedroom and it caused minimal damage just a big mess. Pulled drywall, insulation, carpet and padding, going to reroute the pipe so it isn't on an outside wall and then put room back together, no rush on project as no one uses that room anymore. So it is under control just a slow project.

My best friend took 2/3 of DH ashes to FL with them, they are going to disburse for me on the anniversary of his death 1/20/23. I cannot go back to FL yet, they are going to send a video. I cannot thank them enough for everything they have done for me over the last year, especially last January when they took such good care of me while DH was in hospital.

Wishing everyone a fantastic 2023.

[denise15601]

alli- glad that all has gone well. Sorry about the burst pipe, though.

[labbypaws]

The liability for our fence fell on the other property owner. Funds came by PP.

I watched that video of The football player numerous times. He may have taken a severe blow to the chest that stopped the heart. Yes, he may have an underlying cardiac issue but a blow like that can stop the heart. Glad they canceled the game and hopefully he is on the way to a full recovery.

[staytuned]

Val, when we (finally!) got a new refrigerator, doors opened from the left instead of the right (galley kitchen so needed right side). Maintenance guy noticed right away and took maybe 5 minutes to switch both doors.

[val2525]

Mine opens from the left to the right, but then it butts up to the laundry room door and won't open any more. The only way I can get the veggie drawer to open is to wiggle it out carefully, and that doesn't always work. I'm afraid if I push it, I'll either tear the seal on the door or break the drawer If he changes the door to swing right to left, it will be a small fit to get my hand in to open the door (but definitely doable) and the fridge sticks out far enough from the cabinet on the left that it can open wide enough to use the veggie drawer. The way it is now is the more logical way, but not the most practical way. Either they gave me a new refrigerator, or the previous tenant didn't eat veggies

[denise15601]

Jan 3, 2023 16:33:31 GMT labbypaws said:

The liability for our fence fell on the other property owner. Funds came by PP.

I watched that video of The football player numerous times. He may have taken a severe blow to the chest that stopped the heart. Yes, he may have an underlying cardiac issue but a blow like that can stop the heart. Glad they canceled the game and hopefully he is on the way to a full recovery.

This hits home here since the player is from Pittsburgh and played for Pitt.

My grandson plays football and basketball and is great at both.  I have preferred that he sticks to basketball since it is safer.

But 3 weeks ago, Jaxson was playing basketball and a kid tackled him(!!).  Uh, this is basketball and not football.  My daughter posted a video of the tackle.

The kid was kicked out of the game and hopefully suspended for several more.  I was happy that Jax managed to keep his head up when he fell backward.

Good thing that I wasn't at that game.... 

[val2525]

[chapeaunoir]

I hope Damar is OK - I personally think it was blunt force trauma which did it. It's an injury that has happened in boxing. It could have been precipitated by a previous cardiac anomaly, but if it was blunt force, that kind of contrecoup injury is very serious. The DH was watching the game, and he said they had the defib unit out immediately. 

My running friend and I went out for a run this evening - I didn't dress warmly enough - the clouds cleared away and we had a fairly clear night, which means the temp just dropped. He was also cold, despite wearing two hoodie with the hoods up (he looked like a gangstah lol). We were hustling along trying to keep warm but no matter how fast we went, we were still cold.  I'm sitting here now wearing two pair of socks and two shirts and am still cold. We were somewhat on our way before we started getting really cold, or I would have tossed on that spare top I had in the car. 

Tomorrow I'm going on a short hike to work on breaking in my Christmas present - new hiking boots!  There's a good coffee shop right next to the trail system I use, so I can re-fuel after I'm done, then go to the Goodwill across the street, then the grocery store next to that which has a good sushi bar and get a treat for dinner. Seems like a pleasant day overall - the rain is supposed to hold off a bit longer, though I've run those trails numerous times in the rain and it's not bad. 

[labbypaws]

Ok so here is how bad FedEx is. Last week I found 3 packages on the back porch of a house on campus (a professor lives in part of it and the rest are two floors of dorms). Very rare we walk around this property. I just happened to do so when checking dorms.

Packages had FedEx labels that indicated they belonged at a house one up the street. No one home there. Long story short, professor got his packages today. (I secured them for him).

I saw him on my travels today.

The packages were 3 boxes of the same pair of shoes. FedEx mis-delivered the same shoes 3 separate times since October and the company shipped the original and 2 replacements and they all ended up on the same porch.

Unbelievable. Houses are marked with numbers and the house where they belong has numbers on mailboxes at the curb.

[staytuned]

That truly irks me how many people are being paid to do a job and don't care how lousy they do it.

[val2525]

Jan 4, 2023 15:15:22 GMT staytuned said:

That truly irks me how many people are being paid to do a job and don't care how lousy they do it.

It's everywhere.

I ordered from a nearby "NY Deli" right before Christmas. Best patty melt I've ever had. Juicy meat, awesome grilled onions (almost carmelized) and wonderful fresh grilled rye. Ordered it again this past Monday and it was the worst patty melt I've ever had. Overcooked dry hamburger, half-way cooked onions, and toasted rye (NOT grilled) which was hard as a rock (so probably stale to start with). I encounter that a lot at restaurants near me. Some days, food is awesome. Other days, the same thing is nasty as heck. Fortunately I stocked up on my favorite infused olive oils (being delivered today) and updated my stash of infused balsamic vinegars so I'm going back to cooking fresh this weekend. Carryout is expensive and if it's a 50/50 crap shoot as to the quality and tast I'll receive, I'd rather spend the money on quality groceries and cook it myself.

Guess I better go load up the car. I have a bunch of stuff to take to GW, a big item to return to Kohls (not looking forward to lugging it into the store) and need to go by Ikea and pickup an online order.

[jesmelric]

Jan 4, 2023 4:00:43 GMT chapeaunoir said:

I hope Damar is OK - I personally think it was blunt force trauma which did it. It's an injury that has happened in boxing. It could have been precipitated by a previous cardiac anomaly, but if it was blunt force, that kind of contrecoup injury is very serious. The DH was watching the game, and he said they had the defib unit out immediately. 

My running friend and I went out for a run this evening - I didn't dress warmly enough - the clouds cleared away and we had a fairly clear night, which means the temp just dropped. He was also cold, despite wearing two hoodie with the hoods up (he looked like a gangstah lol). We were hustling along trying to keep warm but no matter how fast we went, we were still cold.  I'm sitting here now wearing two pair of socks and two shirts and am still cold. We were somewhat on our way before we started getting really cold, or I would have tossed on that spare top I had in the car. 

Tomorrow I'm going on a short hike to work on breaking in my Christmas present - new hiking boots!  There's a good coffee shop right next to the trail system I use, so I can re-fuel after I'm done, then go to the Goodwill across the street, then the grocery store next to that which has a good sushi bar and get a treat for dinner. Seems like a pleasant day overall - the rain is supposed to hold off a bit longer, though I've run those trails numerous times in the rain and it's not bad. 

I think they are now saying it was the blunt force trauma. Only 24 so many prayers he recovers!

Lovely here, lows in the 40s and 50s, highs in the 60s and 70s through at least Saturday, so I will take it! DD in Portland is miserable in the cold and rain, but I think little Daisy cheers up her days

Omg I haven't lived in an apartment since 1990, so much has changed! I guess most things are done online nowadays. We used to just call the office or bring a note in to the office lol.

My sister is sick so we didn't get to see mom this week. We did call to let her know. She ended up getting tested and it's not Covid, just a bad cold. Seems there is a nasty one going around, and I don't want to get near her until she is much improved. Hopefully Monday we will be back on schedule.

Hope everyone will have a Great year this year. Last year was pretty crappy, sure hoping for an improvement.

[chapeaunoir]

I got to try out my new hiking boots today in real life - one part of the trail I was using is a bit flooded, so I just waded through the most shallow part and was delighted to find that my feet were kept nice and dry - so the Gore-Tex plus the solid construction works! This is kind of a big deal since I end up hiking a lot in the rain and also I'll use these boots for snow-shoeing. My poor feet were so macerated on the last few hikes I took in my old boots that I could barely walk on them for a day afterwards.

The DH is struggling mightily with his sleep - he's afflicted with early awakening and has tried almost everything OTC he can think of.  I told him to go to the doctor and see about Ambien to take a few times a week, but he makes excuses (he doesn't have the male fear of doctors and is diligent about his health, he's just very disillusioned about this and getting depressed about it and doesn't think they'll help him). If anyone has any suggestions, I'll pass them along. He takes boatloads of Valerian and uses melatonin as well as Back to Sleep. He's pretty resistant to my suggestions of chamomile tea before bed and to install Flux on his computers so he doesn't get the blue light in the late evening. So, I dunno. I have trouble settling into sleep, but I'm hyperactive with a wonky circadian rhythm so that's kind of expected. Once I'm asleep I pretty much stay there.

[allikat]

Chap, my DH suffered with the same thing and we never figured out how to manage it but after he got sick with Covid and was hospitalized, the doctors suspected he had undiagnosed sleep apnea. He tried everything. My MIL sweared by a glass of warm milk if she woke during the night and my sister uses Benedryl but I know that is not a good solution at all. I really hope you find something to help him because it is a miserable situation when you cannot get a good nights sleep.

[labbypaws]

oTC stuff can rebound. Try not taking anything at all. May take a few sleepless nights.

[val2525]

If I'm on the computer after about 8:00 pm without changing the light to warm, I can't go to sleep until around 3:00 a.m. The other thing that will keep me awake is eating carbs and/or sugar too close to bedtime. Even good carbs like fruits or grains. Does your DH do either of those, Chap? I agree with Labby about stopping the OTC for a few days to get it out of his system, then add one thing at a time for a few days.

Not turning off the blue light on computers and cell phones is a BIG cause of sleeplessness.

[denise15601]

chap-just last night, my BC group was discussing our "wake-up to pee time at 3 am". And maybe once or twice a week I can't get back to sleep at all, after 3 am.

Years ago, I was able to get Restoril since my chemo at that time kept me awake.

Damar is actually able to hold hands with his family and it looks like his neurological functions are good. He is still critical, though.
His toy foundation has now amassed 6 1/2 million.

[val2525]

I needed a corner TV stand, but all of the corner ones were HUGE. Waaaaay too big for my TV and my space. So I got creative

Found this:





Put it together and turned it around, and ta-da! Corner TV stand




Yes, that's the flamingo I was expecting to only be about 12" in height. I added the lights for the heck of it.

BTW, any one wanting fake plants for their house/apartment/patio/office/whatever, check out the fake plants at Ikea. They're really good quality, look fairly real, and are a lot less expensive than the name brands. I bought the bamboo plants and they're awesome. Unfortunately, they're also too tall and too full for my place, so they're going back. But they're REALLY nice.

[staytuned]

Val, it looks like that was made to fit the corner as well as hold your t.v. The flamingo is so cute!

Sorry about your "hotsy totsy/hotsy notsy" patty melts. Not only hit or miss with prepared food, but some grocery store products aren't the same, either. Some products are using lesser quality ingredients. My local grocery store used to have the best meat around. Both their pork and Amish chicken products are definitely not as juicy as they used to be.