Weekly Chat Thread April 14 - 20

[Emerald_Door]

I hope you're having a great day!

[val2525]

I'm not sure if it's a squirrel, chipmonk, field mouse or what but she's awefully cute, Emerald!

It appears I'm a pasta snob I've never been a big fan of pasta until I discovered the egg based pastas. Pappardelle, fettuccine, some farfalle and taglierini (the last two aren't always made with eggs). My last batch of pasta was egg pappardelle and was really good. Last night I thawed some meat sauce and used regular spinach taglierini (no egg) and it was like eating dry cardboard. I probably shouldn't be surprised, since I also like broad egg noodles. Even better, Central Market (HEB) makes an egg lasagna noodle. I might have to make some lasagna and freeze it It appears egg pasta is more popular in northern Italy cooking, and the south part of Italy leans towards the classice wheat/water pasta. Interesting but totally useless trivia LOL.

[denise15601]

It's 77 today and windy. I did 2 hours of weeding and outside stuff.

Came in to see that an order for one of my grandson's 200-ish WWE figures, was canceled and un-cancelled 3 times each. The guy sure can't make up his mind, so I will keep him on hold just to mess with him. It is on Mercari.

It was all packed up and ready to go, darn it.

[labbypaws]

The storms that were supposed to stay north of here are coming down here in a few minutes.

Went walking this morning. Took the pup out later. He still needs a lot of treats to keep him moving. Want to sign up for a training class as soon as our refund or hubby’s bonus comes through. This is the third day in a row I’ve had him out. Hopefully he will get it soon. I am off a few more days. Then another week the beginning of June.

[denise15601]

Turns out that the above guy that I was complaining about, has canceled 20 orders out of about 25. Nice guy.

[val2525]

Apr 15, 2024 0:50:42 GMT labbypaws said:

The storms that were supposed to stay north of here are coming down here in a few minutes.

Went walking this morning. Took the pup out later. He still needs a lot of treats to keep him moving. Want to sign up for a training class as soon as our refund or hubby’s bonus comes through. This is the third day in a row I’ve had him out. Hopefully he will get it soon. I am off a few more days. Then another week the beginning of June.

I remember when my Eskie was a puppy and we were learning how to walk. He decided he didn't want to walk so he laid down on his back and howled like he was in pain. I just looked at him and LMAO (he wasn't in pain). I guess he finally figured I wasn't going to pick him up and carry him so he eventually gave up, stood up, and we finished walking back to the apartment. That was the only time he did that.

[chapeaunoir]

denise15601 - glad you were able to get a couple of hours of yardwork in - I know your chemo has been very tough lately.

labbypaws - my running friend is a professional dog walker and pet caretaker, and he had one dog who had to be bribed with treats to keep walking. My friend was using dog psychology on him and actually got him to walk a half mile with only a few treats - he said it took a while to get there! He also romanced a nervous and very territorial pit bull (VERY protective of his owner) to actually leave the living room and walk with him - pit bull was perfectly fine around other dogs and people once he trusted my friend. Sometimes I call him St. Francis.

Well, today I got up dizzy and feeling sick. I stumbled and staggered around with a worried DH giving me kisses and wondering what was up. I had a spin class scheduled and had to cancel last minute - tried to eat something for breakfast and finally went back to bed after the DH went off for his weekend long ride. I went back to bed, felt a bit better and started back to my painting. All day I was woozy, taking care getting up and down the ladder because I kept stumbling over to the left side. I thought it was allergies, then later on wondered if I had the stomach flu when my stomach started roiling and I was aching all over. I kept painting, finished up what I had been wanting to do, and quit. Meanwhile, the DH went to the store and got me more masking tape and a narrow roller which will really help. I changed out of my painting stuff and lay down. The DH opened the window over my head for fresh air as we both began to wonder if it was the paint, and I slept for a while. Got up feeling better, and realised that I had been working in an unventilated area with paint for two days, 10 hours a day. I figured since it was water-based acrylic, no big deal. Yes it is a big deal - open those windows, even with water-based paint!

So I have one more day to finish painting, including laying a second coat over what I call Dismal Gray which was the original paint on part of the "complex". No one has painted this house in probably 40 years. The previous owners were artists and had crap all over the walls so there are myriad holes for me to spackle, some clustered together so they basically need dry wall patching, not my amateur spackling efforts, though I've managed to disguised them OK. I've done better with the quake damage (we have cracks in the walls and ceilings from our earthquakes).

I'll finish tomorrow with the sliding glass doors to the deck and another window wide open. It's in the 50s which is plenty warm for around here so will be comfortable working. Then the tiler comes in on Tuesday.

[Emerald_Door]

Chap, I'm glad you figured out what was making you feel sick. Can you put a fan in a window, blowing out?

[denise15601]

Chap-that would have been scary but does make sense. But you kept on painting! What a trooper!

I used to have a beautiful golden retriever and when I would walk him around our back field, he would just sit and not move. He expected me to pet his head for quite a while, and then he would proceed to walk. He just needed some loving. I really miss him.

[val2525]

My Eskie used to stop and smell the flowers on walks. Roses, daisies, pansies - didn't matter. He had to stop and smell them. He also loved cats and had several cat friends in the complex (and of course the cat he lived with). Whenever he'd meet a new cat and they'd hiss at him, his ears and tail would droop and he'd give me a sad "what did I do?" look. He was a character.

Partly cloudy, humid and low 80s on tap for today. And lots and lots and lots of pollen

As for deducting cats on your taxes... probably not Some expenses related to service animals can be deducted, but NOT therapy or emotional support animals. It's possible you could deduct animal expenses if you were a professional, for profit breeder. /PSA LOL

Well poo. Macy's decided to consolidate three of its store brands into one brand - Karen Scott and Alfani are now under the Style & Co label. Unfortunately when they did that, the variety/selection dropped, many of the prints look old lady, and I'm hesitant to order anything as S&C fits very differently than Alfani or Karen Scott. Oh well, it's not the first stupid decision Macy's has made. Guess I'll be getting my summer tees from Kohls and Belk instead

[labbypaws]

I got some refrigerated pet food that comes in a roll. Will try that later today. Too hot to take him out now.

I miss our trainer. Her son took over but then decided to turn the business into a doggie day care and no longer offers classes. She had the dogs play before and after class and taught us how to train the dogs. Thing is I need another person. Hubby is useless as he isn’t really interested in training. The Petsmart classes plain sucked. So we will see. Hubby’s bonus comes next Friday (actually Wednesday night) and then I can sign up for classes on Saturdays.

Gunner constantly stops, lays down and “smells the roses”.  He actually is a people watcher.  Irritating as all get out.  Hoping Smokey doesn’t follow in his tracks.

[jesmelric]

Apr 14, 2024 19:13:52 GMT denise15601 said:

It's 77 today and windy. I did 2 hours of weeding and outside stuff.

Came in to see that an order for one of my grandson's 200-ish WWE figures, was canceled and un-cancelled 3 times each. The guy sure can't make up his mind, so I will keep him on hold just to mess with him. It is on Mercari.

It was all packed up and ready to go, darn it.

I did some weeding Saturday, too. I hate it!! I put down some Preen and I'm hoping it will still be effective. Summer is coming fast and I doubt I'll be weeding again till late Sept at the earliest lol. I am willing to spray weedkiller, however.

Chap, that's scary! I usually open a window and put a fan in when we paint, even if the a/c is on. Just because it's so stinky. Glad you are feeling better.

We had a relaxing day yesterday and watched a fun movie on Apple tv (Argyle). I am trying to choose what DH will get me for my birthday. I wanted a vintage canister set. I have one but the paint is really starting to come off the lids. I looked a ton yesterday and the ones I really, really want are too expensive. The ones I can afford aren't really ones I want and/or have damage. So I found a set of Tupperware Heritage canisters on Amazon and I found some cool decals to put on them on Etsy, very mid century. DH will do the applications as he can do things evenly and and properly spaced, etc.

[val2525]

Apr 15, 2024 18:27:53 GMT labbypaws said:

Gunner constantly stops, lays down and “smells the roses”.  He actually is a people watcher.  Irritating as all get out.  Hoping Smokey doesn’t follow in his tracks.

One of Eskie's favorite thing to do was to walk with me to the Blockbuster down the block and return a tape, then sit on the sidewalk in front of the store and people watch for awhile.

I had an "agreement" with my Eskie. The morning walk, before work, was quick - do your biz and let's get back inside so I can go to work. Obviously on Saturday & Sunday we weren't as hurried. The right after work/before dinner walk was a little longer, but still do your biz dude. The late night before bed walk was the long one. We'd walk all over the place. At least a half hour, usually closer to an hour, and sometimes longer. If I couldn't get to sleep, I'd get up and the dog and I would go for another walk. To this day, when I'm scoping out a new apartment complex, my first thought is, "would I feel safe in this area walking a dog at midnight?"

Interesting development. I now have 3 credit cards that don't allow use by Klarna and Afterpay (Buy Now Pay Later plans). Supposedly it's to reduce financial risk but I think it's more a case of the credit cards not wanting to lose business to BNPL cards, given how popular BNPL plans are. It's always about the buck and rarely about the customer.

Don't forget to file an extension today if you haven't yet filed your tax return. I'm going to enjoy filing my return later this year. I'm finally at full retirement age so there will be no more "docking" my SS payments if I happen to make too much in earned income. Yay! I think I need another cup of coffee.

[labbypaws]

I am still in the 570 group on my irs transcript. So many of us have been selected for a review. It’s ridiculous. My taxes are rather straight forward now of days. Wondering if US Bank was slow in sending in our 10-99r’s.

Chap, remind yourself to take a break once in a while. I had carbon monoxide poisoning from running our snowblower so long one year. Hubby was away and I had to do the driveway and sidewalks myself in29” of snow.

[chapeaunoir]

I kept the back sliding glass doors open and a window and definitely took a break! We have a fan going in the laundry room to dry a portion of the subfloor that had a leak, and that tends to keep the air circulating.

So I painted all day today again and got everything done except for a section over the oven and range. Trying to get at some of the fiddly bits high up over the sink and counters is a real pain - I was crawling around on the counters trying to get at the overhang and various moulding, etc. I'm going to get up early tomorrow morning and do the last little bit before the tiler shows up - I told the DH I can't stop now, the entire job save the ceiling needs to be done. There was so much wall damage from the previous owners it was ridiculous - I had more to fix in the most improbable places. Their house must have been impossibly cluttered.

Nice drizzly, quiet day today. The DH got his nice long bike ride on our sunny day yesterday, and a long ride on Friday while I was stuck inside painting, so I'm getting my payback when everything is back in place - I'm reading all day if I like and not feeling guilty lol.

[val2525]

Apr 16, 2024 5:47:15 GMT chapeaunoir said:

Nice drizzly, quiet day today. The DH got his nice long bike ride on our sunny day yesterday, and a long ride on Friday while I was stuck inside painting, so I'm getting my payback when everything is back in place - I'm reading all day if I like and not feeling guilty lol.

Seems to me you've earned at least two days reading. Maybe three.

Cloudy and muggy here today. HEB messed up my order last night. Either they didn't include the pineapple or the delivery person missed the bag it was in. And the grapes were wrong - ordered red seedlees, got red seeded. That's not the first time they've mixed up the grapes. Makes me wonder if they have the wrong produce code in the online app? I did find a customer service number for deliveries and they're giving me a refund. Now I just need to swing by a store and pickup some seedless red grapes and a pineapple I never should have bought that pineapple corer LOL.

[val2525]

Well darn. I didn't see it was Hollandaise Day until after breakfast I'll have to celebrate tomorrow since I have most of the ingredients. OK, no ham or canadian bacon but I do have sausage so sausage it will be.

My Temu order came in and I finally found 2 style bathing suits from there that fit (or are easily adjusted). Yay! Now I just have to wait for the pool to be warm enough to use. Should be by the end of the month

[labbypaws]

We got topsoil delivered today and used 20 (40 lb) bags to fill in holes. So much easier having it delivered. I wonder if I would have opened the double gate if the guy would have put it back there. I was walking and saw he was at the house and directed him where to unload it. Kevin used the free trailer we got years ago to haul it a few bags at a time into the back yard. He used to put it on a hand truck and move it that way but it was rather hard to move on the grass.

We have 20 bags left.

[Desire]

Lucky you, Val!  We still have the winter cover on our pool and it usually doesn't get opened for the season until around Memorial Day. Even then, at the end of May, the water is way too cold to swim in until late June. Today is a warmer day for us and our leaves are just beginning to bud, they are late this year, the leaves should all be open by now. We had heat on in the house yesterday morning, today the furnace is off at all thermostats. I'm anxious to get going on some outside work.  Can't plant any annuals yet as the nights are still too cold.  Usually by mid-May I do the patio pots.

Kritter - how is the fence project coming along? Hope all is going OK.

[denise15601]

Our weather has been in the 70's for 3 days now. The Clethra is even starting to show green buds and it is usually the last bush to bud.

We usually can't plant until Mother's day, but I am anxious to start. I will probably start green onions and lettuce soon. And there's no excuse for me not to clean out my shed as long as it stays nice. Ugh to that job.

[kritter]

Kritter - how is the fence project coming along? Hope all is going OK.

So far it has been a fustercluck.  My contact guy came over last Thursday and marked off everything with spray paint.   That afternoon I called down to city hall to pick up a copy of the permit and no permit request had been filed. Turns out the permit and scheduling guy had dropped the ball.  So, got the permit request filed and now waiting for it to be approved.  Will call down there tomorrow and see what is going on.

So glad that I caught it before fence building stuff arrived in my front yard.

[Desire]

I hate when stuff starts out like that. Hopefully, the permit will be issued and the contractor guy will get going on it. Once it starts, it should go quickly if they don't mess around.

[kritter]

Apr 17, 2024 0:51:51 GMT Desire said:

I hate when stuff starts out like that. Hopefully, the permit will be issued and the contractor guy will get going on it. Once it starts, it should go quickly if they don't mess around.

Scheduled to be a one day job but I think that is very optimistic.

[chapeaunoir]

Yipes! A permit for a fence! That would be crazy here - the fences that aren't uprooted by earthquakes get knocked over in our November storms and people are always building strange things in their yard. Our fence was covered with moss and things that looked like barnacles and had gotten partially knocked over in a bad storm. Our neighbours to the back asked if we minded if they tore it down - they had two hard-working college aged kids willing to do it. I was going to chip in for some pay for them, but all they asked was that we set our new fence (which was inevitable) back an inch so they could plant their Clematis. I was fine with that, though wondered how they would get a sun-loving plant to grow here lol. Apparently there are some shade-loving Clematis, so whatever. I'm all for growing things that bloom or do not bloom.

I got up this morning at 6:45 a.m. (despite realising that I do better getting up early, I don't because I like sitting up at night reading so  sleep until 9 a.m.) and started in to finish the painting by 9:30 when the tiler came over to start. Turns out I didn't need to get up 1 1/2 hours early as he just worked on the foyer and I could have finished the work in the kitchen area and then broken down the spot lights and ladder, etc. at my leisure, but it was nice to get it done. He tore out that tile (he's tall and strong) and what was under it? CEMENT! Two layers of CEMENT. It surprised all of us. It took him a while to do setup with dust curtains, etc., and tear out the tile in our foyer so I think this project will take days. He's working solo and it's a pretty big job.

Anyway, I'm no longer stuck in the house painting and am looking forward to a nice, comfortable trail run tomorrow, then will go the Goodwill just up the road from the trails for senior day to see if there is anything that looks good. I think they've restored senior day back to every Wednesday. Yay! Outside!

[Emerald_Door]

In recognition of national banana day...

[kritter]

I hate when stuff starts out like that.

Me too.  It had been going along too smoothly so no surprise to hit a snag.  Talked to the contractor this morning and he is in contact with the city on the permit specifics so hopefully it will be on track from here.

[sunsetpainter]

Apr 17, 2024 0:00:34 GMT denise15601 said:

Our weather has been in the 70's for 3 days now. The Clethra is even starting to show green buds and it is usually the last bush to bud.

We usually can't plant until Mother's day, but I am anxious to start. I will probably start green onions and lettuce soon. And there's no excuse for me not to clean out my shed as long as it stays nice. Ugh to that job.

We usually get antsy to plant around now, but we know better.  Need to wait until Mother's Day here too, because sure-as-shootin' we'll get a frost!

[sunsetpainter]

Apr 17, 2024 15:19:05 GMT kritter said:

I hate when stuff starts out like that.

Me too.  It had been going along too smoothly so no surprise to hit a snag.  Talked to the contractor this morning and he is in contact with the city on the permit specifics so hopefully it will be on track from here.

Us too.  We had the roof replaced and everything was going so well, until the final inspection.  We've been waiting 2 weeks for the inspector to come, the roofer is getting ticked and wants his final payment, and I'm getting sick of calling these people just to hear they've passed the buck and have to track down someone else.

[frakinfashion]

Ok, the update on the longest remodel of the tiniest bathroom. The good part--Georgeous Tony--with movie star face and physique but thin, patchy hair--leads the crew. He's Albanian and my heart flutters like a teenager when I can elicit even a shadow of his shy smile. Sigh...
Anyway, we're down to the final touches which just. will. not. happen. To wit: the stone saddle (door threshold), the stone shower shoulder, and the stone shower corner seat. What do these things have in common, kids? Yes? India. The only place I could find stone pieces that fit the bill as my contractor is little-to-no, but definitely price-gouging, help. So I found what I like on Etsy and had Ankit and his company in Hyderabad cut this beautiful stone to fit and he shipped it out. DHL then dropped it from the plane apparently, quickly re-packed it, and I got it in pieces. Still beautiful, but pieces. Ankit, a man of few words in English, quickly said he would send replacements whilst I set about taking photos of the sizable wreckage in my little apartment to make a claim with DHL. It took Ankit some days to cut the new stone, then DHL was on some kind of holiday for days (Dawali?), finally picked it up, messed up the tracking number, assigned a new tracking number and now, a few more days in, has decided it must return the package to Ankit for some unknown reason. I can't even.
I now don't expect to see Gorgeous Tony for, at the very least, another week because they can't finish up with the shower door and accessories and punch list until the stones are put in. Who even knew that showers have shoulders? And doorways have saddles? Not I, in happier days. So, talk amongst yourselves. I'm over here talking to myself.

[kritter]

^^^^^^^^ You win!

My fence isn't going up yet and I await more insanity then but, nevertheless, you win.