Weekly Chat Thread Dec. 10 - 16

[Emerald_Door]

It's December 10.  On this day in history... 

1936: Edward VIII signs Instrument of Abdication, giving up the British throne to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. 

1964: The Nobel Peace Prize was presented to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Oslo, Norway. 

Do you recognize this woman, born on December 10, 1830? 

[val2525]

If Edward VIII hadn't abdicated, Elizabeth II might never have been queen. Given she was a better Queen than he was a King, in retrospect I'd say it was a good thing he abdicated. Although I don't think the royal family ever forgave him.


Busy day today. I saved up the indoor tasks for today since it's a bit chilly outside. First up, oven egg bites. Then I have to put up the lights in the windows. There's more on the list, I'm curious to see just how much I can get done today. Gorgeous pic Emerald!

[sunsetpainter]

Is that Emily Dickenson? I never got into poetry.

[Desire]

I had a feeling that's who it was. I recognized the pic but could not place her.  Someone gave me a copy of a book several years ago, Hope is the thing with Feathers, with a bird on the cover. Just went to look at it.

[labbypaws]

We are getting rain. Lots of it. Luckily I am working inside. Also lucky that we are on the line of heavy rain and less heavy rain. So far we are in luck. Not sure about later tonight.

Got my walk in this morning. 56 degrees NW of Philly and wore shorts. Not too many days like this left.

Hit the lottery this week with walking shoes. Got 2 pair of almost new Hokas for less than the cost of a new pair in the store. I mainly check the wear on the bottoms of the shoes and then I look at the outside to make sure they fit with the bottoms of the shoes. I also check the cuffs because they tend to get holes in them. Bought them on ebay.

[Emerald_Door]

I'm not into poetry either, but I took a very casual, no pressure course about Emily Dickinson with friends a few years ago. The teacher was so enthusiastic about her and her poetry that I really enjoyed it. There's an interesting film about her life with Cynthia Nixon as Emily.

[jesmelric]

Dec 10, 2023 22:23:14 GMT labbypaws said:

We are getting rain. Lots of it. Luckily I am working inside. Also lucky that we are on the line of heavy rain and less heavy rain. So far we are in luck. Not sure about later tonight.

Got my walk in this morning. 56 degrees NW of Philly and wore shorts. Not too many days like this left.

Hit the lottery this week with walking shoes. Got 2 pair of almost new Hokas for less than the cost of a new pair in the store. I mainly check the wear on the bottoms of the shoes and then I look at the outside to make sure they fit with the bottoms of the shoes. I also check the cuffs because they tend to get holes in them. Bought them on ebay.

56 and shorts?!! Yikes! 56 here for me is pants, long sleeve top/sweater, jacket and at least lightweight gloves. I guess I am definitely acclimated to the south lol.

We were in the 70s and very muggy Saturday, which is shorts and a/c weather here. This morning it is in the 30s! Talk about a change. I will be washing both shorts and jackets today. PS 30s here for me is: sweat pants, t shirt, flannel shirt, lined LL Bean shirt, Pendleton 49'er, ear muffs, and thick gloves with hot hands inside them. We are warming up to the 60s and sunny so it will be a nice day.

My stupid toe isn't nearly as healed as I have been hoping, it will be 3 weeks on Wednesday. I still can't get on a regular shoe and it's still pretty tender and red, and sausage-y looking. Sigh.

I got quite a bit of present wrapping done on Saturday. My back was tired, but I feel accomplished

[sunsetpainter]

50-55 degrees is about my cut off for shorts. At 56 degrees, I'm usually in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt if I'm working outside, adding a light sweatshirt if I'm not working. Coats don't usually get added until around 45 degrees or so.

[jesmelric]

Dec 11, 2023 16:20:02 GMT sunsetpainter said:

50-55 degrees is about my cut off for shorts. At 56 degrees, I'm usually in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt if I'm working outside, adding a light sweatshirt if I'm not working. Coats don't usually get added until around 45 degrees or so.

That's just crazy to me! 56 is definitely a jacket here, and pants! I guess it's all about what you are acclimated to. If I'm working outside in the mid 50s I might take off my jacket but would definitely need long sleeves and pants

[kritter]

If I'm working outside in the mid 50s I might take off my jacket but would definitely need long sleeves and pants

I would not be working outside or doing anything else outside in the mid 50s or the 60s either.  

[val2525]

Dec 11, 2023 13:48:09 GMT jesmelric said:

My stupid toe isn't nearly as healed as I have been hoping, it will be 3 weeks on Wednesday. I still can't get on a regular shoe and it's still pretty tender and red, and sausage-y looking. Sigh.

It might be time to see a doc about it.

I made egg bites yesterday in the oven. They weren't as good as the ones from the store and Starbucks. Guess I'll dig out the Dash egg bite maker and use it next time. I used an oven recipe so I could make a big batch and freeze some. *sigh* The egg bite maker only makes 4 of them, but I've lost one of the cups so I can only make 3. Oh well, guess I'll just make a batch daily because they're much better that way. It's not like it takes a lot of time or work to do that. Some of the command hooks I put up yesterday didn't stick, despite following the directions to a T.  I'll restick the ones that fell but putting up the lights in the living room window will have to wait until I can move better. In addition to my shoulder pain from the PC, it appears I have also somehow pulled an intercoastal chest muscle. I swear, once all of this is cleared up, I'm going to start using the gym here in the apartment complex Sunny and mid 60's here today. Looks like another cold front moves in Tuesday night though.

[labbypaws]

I am mainly hot. Known to go jacket-less at work although when I diet I wear a sweater.

Stopped raining this morning. Was colder out.

Our area post offices are out of stamps. None, zilch.

[denise15601]

Labby-I order stamps online from USPS. Takes about a week.

[val2525]

Labby - try your grocery store for stamps. Or at least first class stamps.

[labbypaws]

Grocery stores and pharmacies out of stamps. Going to try a small local post office tomorrow.

[kritter]

It is 7:32 and I just heard the mailman drop my mail through the mail slot. I am not the last house on this route. He is out there in the dark delivering mail.

[labbypaws]

Our carrier goes out first thing and delivers the Amazon packages and whatever other packages he has and then goes back to get the mail and deliver it.

[denise15601]

Heck, I forgot that I can get stamps at WM. Will do that in the summer since I bought plenty a few weeks ago for Christmas cards.

[chapeaunoir]

jesmelric - have you buddy taped your toe?  There isn't really anything more than can be done for a broken toe unless it's displaced, but buddy taping really helps. It takes a while because we're walking on it, but motion is really important.

Ran the Honolulu 10k (and then added a bit onto the end to make it 8 miles - I was struggling in the humidity and that was it for me). It was incredible! Pitch dark because it starts at 5:00 a.m. due to heat - huge fireworks exploding overhead, thousands of people cheering, a huge starting gate and announcers hollering in Japanese and English (the Japanese come in droves to participate and the event is sponsored by JAL as well), the city is turned out onto the sidewalks screaming and shouting - when the lead wheelchairs flew by you could feel the power, then the elite Kenyans and Ethiopians, men and women together, flew by in a pack, then came the rest of the field. The lead bikes had obvious racers on light machines as that was the only way they could keep enough speed to lead the pack, with motorcycles clearing the way ahead. The fireworks were just gorgeous against the dark sky and when we finally took off, it was with them bursting overhead.

I thought I might miss the go-off - my running friend spaced the night before and set his alarm for 5 a.m. instead of 4:00 a.m. - I was pacing in the lobby of our hotel waiting for him at 4:45, and finally had to leave - it was 5:05. I got there in time to see the fastest racers doubling back on the course, and the fireworks, but had to tail on with the walkers. It was a long time working my way through the pack until I could get in with my heat (we are assigned zones according to our speed). I was probably held up 3 or 4 minutes working my way through the crowd, though I got to see all sorts of curious things as I went - people in fun costumes, etc. I just kept trotting along through the darkness as we toured around Waikiki and then headed towards Diamond head. It was so cool running in the dark.

It was also hot and very humid. I did OK in the end despite the slow down and took 8th place out of 181 in my division. We crossed the finish line just as dawn was breaking.

I have some photos.

[labbypaws]

I ordered a roll on USPS. $2.30 or so handling fee. Easier than chasing around from place to place to find them. Already sent my cards and I think hubby had enough for his.

[denise15601]

Wow Chap! Can't wait to see the pics! Yay for you and it sure sounds like it was a fabulous experience!

[val2525]

Can't wait for the pics, Chap! And congrats on your placement!

I can get into celebrating Poinsettia Day - I have them all over the house They'll all fake though, since the real ones are toxic to cats and my crew likes to nibble on plants. The ones from Walmart and Michaels are nice, but the ones from Ikea are gorgous and look real.

[jesmelric]

Dec 12, 2023 8:10:18 GMT chapeaunoir said:

jesmelric - have you buddy taped your toe?  There isn't really anything more than can be done for a broken toe unless it's displaced, but buddy taping really helps. It takes a while because we're walking on it, but motion is really important.

Ran the Honolulu 10k (and then added a bit onto the end to make it 8 miles - I was struggling in the humidity and that was it for me). It was incredible! Pitch dark because it starts at 5:00 a.m. due to heat - huge fireworks exploding overhead, thousands of people cheering, a huge starting gate and announcers hollering in Japanese and English (the Japanese come in droves to participate and the event is sponsored by JAL as well), the city is turned out onto the sidewalks screaming and shouting - when the lead wheelchairs flew by you could feel the power, then the elite Kenyans and Ethiopians, men and women together, flew by in a pack, then came the rest of the field. The lead bikes had obvious racers on light machines as that was the only way they could keep enough speed to lead the pack, with motorcycles clearing the way ahead. The fireworks were just gorgeous against the dark sky and when we finally took off, it was with them bursting overhead.

I thought I might miss the go-off - my running friend spaced the night before and set his alarm for 5 a.m. instead of 4:00 a.m. - I was pacing in the lobby of our hotel waiting for him at 4:45, and finally had to leave - it was 5:05. I got there in time to see the fastest racers doubling back on the course, and the fireworks, but had to tail on with the walkers. It was a long time working my way through the pack until I could get in with my heat (we are assigned zones according to our speed). I was probably held up 3 or 4 minutes working my way through the crowd, though I got to see all sorts of curious things as I went - people in fun costumes, etc. I just kept trotting along through the darkness as we toured around Waikiki and then headed towards Diamond head. It was so cool running in the dark.

It was also hot and very humid. I did OK in the end despite the slow down and took 8th place out of 181 in my division. We crossed the finish line just as dawn was breaking.

I have some photos.

I did have it taped for the first week, but in all honesty that seemed to make it hurt more so I just gave up on it. It's definitely getting better, I think I am just impatient. Online it said a sprained toe takes approx. 3-6 weeks to fully heal, for some reason I wanted to put myself in the 3 week group lol. But three weeks tomorrow, and nope.

Wow that sounds like an awesome run! How many people participated in the run? It will be great to see the pictures

I had one package to drop off this morning and I went to the post office a little after nine and it was OPEN!! Woohoo! Lol. You never know around here.

[chapeaunoir]

jesmelric - it came out to about 22,000+ finishers.

There's no time limit, and the marathon does a really neat article on the last finisher - this time it was a man who struggled through with a finish time of just over 16 hours. He pulled in at 10:00 pm and was shocked to see a small, enthusiastic crowd waiting to cheer him in (they don't take down the finish line until everyone is in). He said he had made a commitment to turning his life around and had already lost 160 lb and was still 300 lb when he decided to try, because he knew he would be allowed to finish however slow he was, and worked and worked, trying for the effort. What makes it doubly impressive is the heat and humidity - it was sopping out and he was going over Diamond Head in heat that felt like 88 degrees, mid-day sun, and he just wouldn't quit. The next day at the awards ceremony the two winners (who had done the event in 2:15 and 2:36, respectively) enthusiastically posed with him on the stage and gave him encouragement. 

This is Mr Kato, he's a fixture and runs the marathon with his tuba (he also played at the expo the day before). I was going back along the route to the hotel and saw him - when he saw me taking his photo he gave me a big smile, a shaka and a bow. He's in the 65-69 year old category. 



The 10k finish line torches. We 10k runners got all of the perks and spirit of the marathoners at our finish line, and a gorgeous medal. Dawn has just broken. 



Team banners. 



Meanwhile, life at Waikiki goes on - it's not as touristy as one would think, lots of locals going about their business and you see a lot of people carrying surfboards and longboards around. This guy has a bike adaptation. 



They have their own coffee culture with their own types of coffee grown on Hawaiian soil. And a fancy coffee house! 



In this building:



No photos of myself - they haven't gotten the race photos finished. 

[denise15601]

Great pics, Chap!

[denise15601]

jes-have you considered a post-op shoe-boot? I have that same problem, thanks to my "chemo from heck". It affects my finger and toenails.
My left big toenail is loose, bleeding and infected. It hurts like heck and I can't wear a shoe. Today I remembered that I have a post-op boot that I got 4 years ago when I had the same problem.
So I was able to get some shopping done today with less pain.

[val2525]

If you have the Walmart app, you can track your delivery. It reminds me of the hokey NORAD Santa tracking (NORAD really needs to update those graphics). My delivery person must be making multiple deliveries because he goes around in circles and sometimes backtracks. It's actually pretty amusing . He's been at "14 minutes to arrival" for like 20 minutes now. Bet he's swamped, poor guy.

[denise15601]

Dec 14, 2023 1:34:49 GMT val2525 said:

If you have the Walmart app, you can track your delivery. It reminds me of the hokey NORAD Santa tracking (NORAD really needs to update those graphics). My delivery person must be making multiple deliveries because he goes around in circles and sometimes backtracks. It's actually pretty amusing . He's been at "14 minutes to arrival" for like 20 minutes now. Bet he's swamped, poor guy.

I did like that feature when I ordered all of my food in from Walmart.  I did have a few times when they seemed to be going the wrong way.

Now that I am actually going out into the world (with a mask), I haven't used the service for months.  But I am still signed up as a Prime customer.

[val2525]

Good grief. They have this poor delivery person going all over the place You'd think with all the tech available now, they could coordinate deliveries so the drivers aren't wasting time and gas by backtracking.

From what I can see he was up in my part of town, then went down to Kritter's area, then back up between the two of us, and is now back in Kritter's area.

[denise15601]

I think that it helps that my WM is 3 miles away from me.