In the garden, and RAIN!!!!

POSTED BY: SIGNYM
UPDATED: Thursday, December 25, 2025 04:27
VIEWED: 1005090
PAGE 18 of 116

Quote:

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Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:

Quote:

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Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
"Later Peeps"?

Somebody seems rather chipper these days.

Good on you, Brenda. Glad you could finally get that miserable cave and miserable landlady out of your life for good. Your place sounds a lot like my brother's. If it's anything like his, and you're on the side that his is, you may need to have the A/C on more than you'd care to during the summer, but the reverse good news is that you won't need to use as much heat during the winter. The one little oddity of his place that I don't have an explanation for.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

Yup, been a long time since I have felt this happy in the place I am living. Oh, I'm sure I will have to turn on a fan this summer. But that's okay. I have a balcony that once I get a small chair I sit out on and watch the world go by.

The reason I won't is because as I stated I am on the 10th floor and we all know that heat rises.

---

That's great! Really been pulling for you and it's nice to see a happy ending for once.

If you feel it's safe to do, I like JSF's suggestion about taking the stairs... but only if it's safe. It'll maintain those muscles that you wouldn't otherwise be working out by regular walking. It's one thing to make the choice to not take the stairs, but another thing entirely to allow yourself to get to the point where you no longer have a choice at all.



Speaking of working out... I'm going to have to start myself. In fact, after I came home from work today I did my first bench press sets in about 15 or so years. I do a ton of pulling at work and actually avoid the pushing of the real heavy pallets as often as possible because I have a majority of my strength in my shoulders and legs and back these days, so it's a lot easier. Back when I was power lifting in my 20's I focused too much on my chest if anything, like most people do, and I was able to lift 375 lbs. Man... Past me would bitch slap current me. I did 1 set of 12 reps, 1 of 10 and 1 of 8 and I was done. Only 125lbs. So sad... Going to have to fix that now.

The job is all but over for me. This new guy is a by the book bitch and he told my manager that I would not be allowed to work weekends. Only full timers will have set schedules, and part timers will have to work whatever days they give you, and whatever hours they give you. This means I wouldn't even be getting the 8-10 hour shifts I've been working and I'd likely be getting only 4-5 hour shifts. It's not even worth the gas money and the wear on my car for that.

If he's going to be a by-the-book bitch about it, he's going to lose the hardest working employee he has in his store.

Managed to dodge him again today. I was actually hoping he'd catch me after I punched out and I could do a little walk by him like on Office Space and head right out the front door. If I can manage to dodge him for 3 more days, then he'll see what the place looks like when I'm not there for 3 weeks straight.

I figure every day that I don't see him until the night shift is gone is another day I don't say something I might regret.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

This your last week at job?

Boost once per day will help you get strength back. Try push-ups (one max set) to start your day, right out of bed or shower. And Dips, as many sets as you can before the reps drop below 1/2 of your max, or 10 reps. But bench, push-ups, dips only every other day, not every day. Plus those tricep extensions, with the elbow pointed to the sky, and dumbbell starting behind your shoulder.

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SIX, take some of that extra time to start looking for another job. "They" say that the economy's booming and that there are all kinds of jobs out there going begging for qualified applicants ... time to test that theory!

Don't quit ... you won't get unemployment that way. Wait until you have something just as good, or better, lined up.

I know you're a real independent guy, you like working by yourself and without having a supervisor breathing down your neck all the time, but have patience. I suspect that one of the reasons why they eliminated the night shift was because they were paying a differential for people who were, by your observation, screwing off too much. The new guy doesn't know you from jack (get it? jack?); probably as far as he's concerned the whole night crew is one giant waste of money and should be shitcanned ... he doesn't know who's good at their job and who isn't. (Seems to me that there was also a lot of management turnover and lost info; sounds like the night shift may have "broken" more than one assistant manager? Whatever happened to that woman that you got along with?)

It's frustrating to have to restablish your reputation with new people all of the time ... anyway, like I said:

New job. Look into it. It will be a test case for when you move. In the meantime, try a
acquiring some new skills ... forklift operator? Backhoe operator? Licensed handyman? Welding? Back to computers? CNC operator? Those are the jobs "they" say are begging right now.


-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Brenda:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
"Later Peeps"?

Somebody seems rather chipper these days.

Good on you, Brenda. Glad you could finally get that miserable cave and miserable landlady out of your life for good. Your place sounds a lot like my brother's. If it's anything like his, and you're on the side that his is, you may need to have the A/C on more than you'd care to during the summer, but the reverse good news is that you won't need to use as much heat during the winter. The one little oddity of his place that I don't have an explanation for.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

Yup, been a long time since I have felt this happy in the place I am living. Oh, I'm sure I will have to turn on a fan this summer. But that's okay. I have a balcony that once I get a small chair I sit out on and watch the world go by.

The reason I won't is because as I stated I am on the 10th floor and we all know that heat rises.

---

That's great! Really been pulling for you and it's nice to see a happy ending for once.

If you feel it's safe to do, I like JSF's suggestion about taking the stairs... but only if it's safe. It'll maintain those muscles that you wouldn't otherwise be working out by regular walking. It's one thing to make the choice to not take the stairs, but another thing entirely to allow yourself to get to the point where you no longer have a choice at all.



Speaking of working out... I'm going to have to start myself. In fact, after I came home from work today I did my first bench press sets in about 15 or so years. I do a ton of pulling at work and actually avoid the pushing of the real heavy pallets as often as possible because I have a majority of my strength in my shoulders and legs and back these days, so it's a lot easier. Back when I was power lifting in my 20's I focused too much on my chest if anything, like most people do, and I was able to lift 375 lbs. Man... Past me would bitch slap current me. I did 1 set of 12 reps, 1 of 10 and 1 of 8 and I was done. Only 125lbs. So sad... Going to have to fix that now.

The job is all but over for me. This new guy is a by the book bitch and he told my manager that I would not be allowed to work weekends. Only full timers will have set schedules, and part timers will have to work whatever days they give you, and whatever hours they give you. This means I wouldn't even be getting the 8-10 hour shifts I've been working and I'd likely be getting only 4-5 hour shifts. It's not even worth the gas money and the wear on my car for that.

If he's going to be a by-the-book bitch about it, he's going to lose the hardest working employee he has in his store.

Managed to dodge him again today. I was actually hoping he'd catch me after I punched out and I could do a little walk by him like on Office Space and head right out the front door. If I can manage to dodge him for 3 more days, then he'll see what the place looks like when I'm not there for 3 weeks straight.

I figure every day that I don't see him until the night shift is gone is another day I don't say something I might regret.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

I know you have SIX and I appreciate it. Bought time I caught a break.

Oh, I'll still be walking most days. I have my mah jong games that I will still be going to and I have to go out to do grocery shopping. So I will still be walking just not up or down the hills like I was at that cave is the only difference.

I walked back to my new home from my job last night because it was a nice evening and pretty level.

I'm heading out in a bit to run some errands. A bit of shopping and a couple of other things.

Sorry about the job SIX.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:

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Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:

Quote:

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Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:
Gotta be careful with moving boxes around here and unpacking. Succeeded in irritating both branches of my sciatic nerve over last weekend. Woke up Tuesday morning with pain in my right leg but the left was worse. Pain from my left ankle to my hip.

---

Why would you be in any hurry now? Take your time, relax. Enjoy the new place.

Do you have a view? Stairs? Laundry room? Heat?

---

It's not really being in a hurry JSF but I was stagnant for so long that I now am able to do things. I am working on slowing down now that I have things a little bit more organized.

I am at the back of the building on the 10th floor. So, yeah I can see. There is an elevator that I use. No way am I tromping up and down 10 flights of stairs. There is a laundry room and right now heat is no problem with all the natural light I get in here. So, I know it will be fine come winter.

---

From the basement to the 10th floor - that's moving up in the world. Sounds like No nasty sidewalks to deal with, and no snow or ice for your first 5 minutes out your door, and none to do laundry.

Don't take this the wrong way, but maybe try taking one flight of stairs at least, on a regular basis. They should be in good repair in your skyscraper, and this will help you keep in shape, limbered, and not fall into a habit many do and skip the stairs entirely. First flight on the way up, last flight the way down. Getting the blood circulating should keep your mood improved as well.

Your balcony should get a decent breeze at 110 feet above the road. Next you'll be getting all tanned from snoozing there. Which direction is it facing? How far is visibility?

Hope it all works well.

---

You are right the sidewalks will be fine around where I am. If we get snow this winter I will need my cane for getting to work as those sidewalks will be bad.

You might have a point about some of the stairs. I'll have a think on it.

I'm sure it will. I am facing East as I get sun all day now that it is Spring and as long as it isn't raining. Since I am now in apartment building which is in the main shopping district, I can see all the other apartments and shops. Though from my balcony I should be able to see the Fraser river.

---

I would hope you at least take 2 stairs down, if you're going to avoid up. But at least 1 up per day would be better. Not with groceries or when hurried, but make a habit of it.

Facing East means you'll be largely in the shade side during the hottest part of the day in summer.
My sneaky side would be getting some binoculars (Army Surplus store) to watch which stores have the longest lines, biggest crowds to know where the best sales are.

Your new place sounds great. Send a box of chocolates to the people who helped you get in there.

---

I will think about the stairs.

That's okay. Nay, that type of thing only happens on Boxing Day Sales around here.

I've sent thank you cards to them and I have one more to get today for Monday. Someone came from my mah jong group and helped me rearrange the main storage area in my apartment.

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Out in a minute. Got some errands and shopping to do. Always something when you are on your own.

So until later. I am out.

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Another box almost emptied. This one was easy. All that was in it was my large model of the Millennium Falcon, some books and puzzles. That Falcon has been in that box for on 10years but the landing gear is jammed. But it is out and sitting on top of my dresser. Books are on a shelf but the puzzles I left as not sure I will be keeping them.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:
Another box almost emptied. This one was easy. All that was in it was my large model of the Millennium Falcon, some books and puzzles. That Falcon has been in that box for on 10years but the landing gear is jammed. But it is out and sitting on top of my dresser. Books are on a shelf but the puzzles I left as not sure I will be keeping them.

---

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That last post was my boo-boo. Meant to click on the reply button but it the one about quotes. Think it is time for some ice cream.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
SIX, take some of that extra time to start looking for another job. "They" say that the economy's booming and that there are all kinds of jobs out there going begging for qualified applicants ... time to test that theory!

Don't quit ... you won't get unemployment that way. Wait until you have something just as good, or better, lined up.

I know you're a real independent guy, you like working by yourself and without having a supervisor breathing down your neck all the time, but have patience. I suspect that one of the reasons why they eliminated the night shift was because they were paying a differential for people who were, by your observation, screwing off too much. The new guy doesn't know you from jack (get it? jack?); probably as far as he's concerned the whole night crew is one giant waste of money and should be shitcanned ... he doesn't know who's good at their job and who isn't. (Seems to me that there was also a lot of management turnover and lost info; sounds like the night shift may have "broken" more than one assistant manager? Whatever happened to that woman that you got along with?)

It's frustrating to have to restablish your reputation with new people all of the time ... anyway, like I said:

New job. Look into it. It will be a test case for when you move. In the meantime, try a
acquiring some new skills ... forklift operator? Backhoe operator? Licensed handyman? Welding? Back to computers? CNC operator? Those are the jobs "they" say are begging right now.


-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

---

Yeah, I'm not going to be making any rash decisions. It's one of the reasons that I'm hoping to get out of there early the next 3 nights, so I don't have to have this conversation until I know more about... well... everything.

I'm planning on calling one of those places that offer to give you cash for your home as is and get a no obligation quote, just to have a baseline for where the value of the house currently stands, as is. Who knows, I may be surprised. I should be able to get my friend's dad over here by then as well, and I will likely get the city's input by then too.

I wouldn't be "quitting" the job. It's a "voluntary layoff". I did some research and it's not possible for a company to make you sign away your right to unemployment by taking it. In fact, a 3rd shift to a "whenever shift" and the loss of 10 hours pay per week would constitute a drastic "change of terms and conditions" that would fall squarely under what is considered a "good reason" to leave a job and file for unemployment, if I choose to go that route. It would be enough cash for all my regular bills and property taxes for the next 6 months, barely. But I need to find out if I burn my bridges for being hired by that company in the future if I do that. This is why the option to just take a 3 month unpaid leave is still on the table. They can't fire me during that time. I could make up my mind by the end of summer then if I want to go back there for a while or not. Maybe after 3 months of this whole ordeal backfiring on them spectacularly the entire layout will have changed.

Maybe I'll look for something better in that time too, instead of just looking for a similar job. With unemployment, I will have to do workshops and work with state officials from time to time for job searches during this process and that may open my eyes to some opportunities out there I wasn't aware existed.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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I am sitting here watching "BlueBloods" on tv and talking to the tv.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
This your last week at job?

Boost once per day will help you get strength back. Try push-ups (one max set) to start your day, right out of bed or shower. And Dips, as many sets as you can before the reps drop below 1/2 of your max, or 10 reps. But bench, push-ups, dips only every other day, not every day. Plus those tricep extensions, with the elbow pointed to the sky, and dumbbell starting behind your shoulder.

---

Job is still around till around the end of next month. After my little vacation here, I may load up on extra days before it happens just to get a few extra bucks before it does.

lol... I'm too cheap to buy boost. My diet is good. I eat plenty of protein, and probably a lot of it goes to waste on may days that I don't work. I should have been working out the chest and other muscle groups that dont' get hit hard at my job the whole time, but what are you gonna do? Just have to make sure that I regularly work out from now on. I doubt I'll ever find a job I enjoyed this much that was such a massive workout all night long again. But I'm looking and feeling so good right now compared to a few years back that I never want to lose this again.

I don't really enjoy the act of working out just to work out anymore these days like I did in my 20's. Something about achieving goals at a job that required a ton of lifting stuff, no matter how trivial those goals are at the end of the day, really made the time fly while I was doing it. I'm sure making a few bucks to work out didn't hurt either.

I've got a good workout setup in my completely unfinished room in the basement that I've never used until yesterday. I imagine I'll be using it a lot this summer. Since my plan isn't to try selling the house until the spring, assuming I can get all the work done that I want to by then, I'm going to have to get that room insulated and finished so I can heat it during the cold months and continue my routine.



Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:

Quote:

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Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
"Later Peeps"?

Somebody seems rather chipper these days.

Good on you, Brenda. Glad you could finally get that miserable cave and miserable landlady out of your life for good. Your place sounds a lot like my brother's. If it's anything like his, and you're on the side that his is, you may need to have the A/C on more than you'd care to during the summer, but the reverse good news is that you won't need to use as much heat during the winter. The one little oddity of his place that I don't have an explanation for.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

Yup, been a long time since I have felt this happy in the place I am living. Oh, I'm sure I will have to turn on a fan this summer. But that's okay. I have a balcony that once I get a small chair I sit out on and watch the world go by.

The reason I won't is because as I stated I am on the 10th floor and we all know that heat rises.

---

That's great! Really been pulling for you and it's nice to see a happy ending for once.

If you feel it's safe to do, I like JSF's suggestion about taking the stairs... but only if it's safe. It'll maintain those muscles that you wouldn't otherwise be working out by regular walking. It's one thing to make the choice to not take the stairs, but another thing entirely to allow yourself to get to the point where you no longer have a choice at all.



Speaking of working out... I'm going to have to start myself. In fact, after I came home from work today I did my first bench press sets in about 15 or so years. I do a ton of pulling at work and actually avoid the pushing of the real heavy pallets as often as possible because I have a majority of my strength in my shoulders and legs and back these days, so it's a lot easier. Back when I was power lifting in my 20's I focused too much on my chest if anything, like most people do, and I was able to lift 375 lbs. Man... Past me would bitch slap current me. I did 1 set of 12 reps, 1 of 10 and 1 of 8 and I was done. Only 125lbs. So sad... Going to have to fix that now.

The job is all but over for me. This new guy is a by the book bitch and he told my manager that I would not be allowed to work weekends. Only full timers will have set schedules, and part timers will have to work whatever days they give you, and whatever hours they give you. This means I wouldn't even be getting the 8-10 hour shifts I've been working and I'd likely be getting only 4-5 hour shifts. It's not even worth the gas money and the wear on my car for that.

If he's going to be a by-the-book bitch about it, he's going to lose the hardest working employee he has in his store.

Managed to dodge him again today. I was actually hoping he'd catch me after I punched out and I could do a little walk by him like on Office Space and head right out the front door. If I can manage to dodge him for 3 more days, then he'll see what the place looks like when I'm not there for 3 weeks straight.

I figure every day that I don't see him until the night shift is gone is another day I don't say something I might regret.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

I know you have SIX and I appreciate it. Bought time I caught a break.

Oh, I'll still be walking most days. I have my mah jong games that I will still be going to and I have to go out to do grocery shopping. So I will still be walking just not up or down the hills like I was at that cave is the only difference.

I walked back to my new home from my job last night because it was a nice evening and pretty level.

I'm heading out in a bit to run some errands. A bit of shopping and a couple of other things.

Sorry about the job SIX.

---

Still doing the mahjong? So you're close

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Brenda:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
"Later Peeps"?

Somebody seems rather chipper these days.

Good on you, Brenda. Glad you could finally get that miserable cave and miserable landlady out of your life for good. Your place sounds a lot like my brother's. If it's anything like his, and you're on the side that his is, you may need to have the A/C on more than you'd care to during the summer, but the reverse good news is that you won't need to use as much heat during the winter. The one little oddity of his place that I don't have an explanation for.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

Yup, been a long time since I have felt this happy in the place I am living. Oh, I'm sure I will have to turn on a fan this summer. But that's okay. I have a balcony that once I get a small chair I sit out on and watch the world go by.

The reason I won't is because as I stated I am on the 10th floor and we all know that heat rises.

---

That's great! Really been pulling for you and it's nice to see a happy ending for once.

If you feel it's safe to do, I like JSF's suggestion about taking the stairs... but only if it's safe. It'll maintain those muscles that you wouldn't otherwise be working out by regular walking. It's one thing to make the choice to not take the stairs, but another thing entirely to allow yourself to get to the point where you no longer have a choice at all.



Speaking of working out... I'm going to have to start myself. In fact, after I came home from work today I did my first bench press sets in about 15 or so years. I do a ton of pulling at work and actually avoid the pushing of the real heavy pallets as often as possible because I have a majority of my strength in my shoulders and legs and back these days, so it's a lot easier. Back when I was power lifting in my 20's I focused too much on my chest if anything, like most people do, and I was able to lift 375 lbs. Man... Past me would bitch slap current me. I did 1 set of 12 reps, 1 of 10 and 1 of 8 and I was done. Only 125lbs. So sad... Going to have to fix that now.

The job is all but over for me. This new guy is a by the book bitch and he told my manager that I would not be allowed to work weekends. Only full timers will have set schedules, and part timers will have to work whatever days they give you, and whatever hours they give you. This means I wouldn't even be getting the 8-10 hour shifts I've been working and I'd likely be getting only 4-5 hour shifts. It's not even worth the gas money and the wear on my car for that.

If he's going to be a by-the-book bitch about it, he's going to lose the hardest working employee he has in his store.

Managed to dodge him again today. I was actually hoping he'd catch me after I punched out and I could do a little walk by him like on Office Space and head right out the front door. If I can manage to dodge him for 3 more days, then he'll see what the place looks like when I'm not there for 3 weeks straight.

I figure every day that I don't see him until the night shift is gone is another day I don't say something I might regret.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

I know you have SIX and I appreciate it. Bought time I caught a break.

Oh, I'll still be walking most days. I have my mah jong games that I will still be going to and I have to go out to do grocery shopping. So I will still be walking just not up or down the hills like I was at that cave is the only difference.

I walked back to my new home from my job last night because it was a nice evening and pretty level.

I'm heading out in a bit to run some errands. A bit of shopping and a couple of other things.

Sorry about the job SIX.

---

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My sister called our daughter to chat every evening for years. It was an important time for our dear daughter to learn how to talk with people, and - more important- forged a lifelong bond. Even now, twenty years later, dear daughter's face relaxes into a smile when Auntie comes over or calls to chat. I agree with BRENDA ... there's always the phone! (or Skype* or equivalent).

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

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Brenda, I am curious. What is your new horizon? Mountains? Plains? Cityscape?

I said chocolates because I see boxes at Dollar Tree, where everything's $1. Big boxes, and little boxes that look like gifts.
When I fly, I get bags of Ghirardelli squares (individually wrapped) and hand out the squares to the Flight Attendants as I board and they greet us. Such a thing really seems to go a long way, stands out.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Brenda:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
"Later Peeps"?

Somebody seems rather chipper these days.

Good on you, Brenda. Glad you could finally get that miserable cave and miserable landlady out of your life for good. Your place sounds a lot like my brother's. If it's anything like his, and you're on the side that his is, you may need to have the A/C on more than you'd care to during the summer, but the reverse good news is that you won't need to use as much heat during the winter. The one little oddity of his place that I don't have an explanation for.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

Yup, been a long time since I have felt this happy in the place I am living. Oh, I'm sure I will have to turn on a fan this summer. But that's okay. I have a balcony that once I get a small chair I sit out on and watch the world go by.

The reason I won't is because as I stated I am on the 10th floor and we all know that heat rises.

---

That's great! Really been pulling for you and it's nice to see a happy ending for once.

If you feel it's safe to do, I like JSF's suggestion about taking the stairs... but only if it's safe. It'll maintain those muscles that you wouldn't otherwise be working out by regular walking. It's one thing to make the choice to not take the stairs, but another thing entirely to allow yourself to get to the point where you no longer have a choice at all.



Speaking of working out... I'm going to have to start myself. In fact, after I came home from work today I did my first bench press sets in about 15 or so years. I do a ton of pulling at work and actually avoid the pushing of the real heavy pallets as often as possible because I have a majority of my strength in my shoulders and legs and back these days, so it's a lot easier. Back when I was power lifting in my 20's I focused too much on my chest if anything, like most people do, and I was able to lift 375 lbs. Man... Past me would bitch slap current me. I did 1 set of 12 reps, 1 of 10 and 1 of 8 and I was done. Only 125lbs. So sad... Going to have to fix that now.

The job is all but over for me. This new guy is a by the book bitch and he told my manager that I would not be allowed to work weekends. Only full timers will have set schedules, and part timers will have to work whatever days they give you, and whatever hours they give you. This means I wouldn't even be getting the 8-10 hour shifts I've been working and I'd likely be getting only 4-5 hour shifts. It's not even worth the gas money and the wear on my car for that.

If he's going to be a by-the-book bitch about it, he's going to lose the hardest working employee he has in his store.

Managed to dodge him again today. I was actually hoping he'd catch me after I punched out and I could do a little walk by him like on Office Space and head right out the front door. If I can manage to dodge him for 3 more days, then he'll see what the place looks like when I'm not there for 3 weeks straight.

I figure every day that I don't see him until the night shift is gone is another day I don't say something I might regret.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

This your last week at job?

Boost once per day will help you get strength back. Try push-ups (one max set) to start your day, right out of bed or shower. And Dips, as many sets as you can before the reps drop below 1/2 of your max, or 10 reps. But bench, push-ups, dips only every other day, not every day. Plus those tricep extensions, with the elbow pointed to the sky, and dumbbell starting behind your shoulder.

---

I also forgot: Pec Deck. When I discovered that machine, it was awesome.

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Brenda, I am curious. What is your new horizon? Mountains? Plains? Cityscape?

I said chocolates because I see boxes at Dollar Tree, where everything's $1. Big boxes, and little boxes that look like gifts.
When I fly, I get bags of Ghirardelli squares (individually wrapped) and hand out the squares to the Flight Attendants as I board and they greet us. Such a thing really seems to go a long way, stands out.

---

There are mountains off in the distance and the rest is cityscape.

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well, the plants that planted themselves - CA poppies and cosmos - are dying down. Time to pull up the dead and dying plants and see how the perennials are doing.

Everywhere I look in the garden, something is fluttering, or buzzing, or scurrying. Goldfinches are perching on cosmos stems, eating the seeds. They're so light they barely bend the stems. Mourning does are pecking away at the poppy seeds, butter-butts are looking for tiny bugs and mockingbirds and crows are looking for bigger prey. At any time during the day there are at least two and sometimes up to four butterflies in the backyard of all kinds- skippers, swallowtails, cabbage and sulfur butterflies, mourning cloaks, painted ladies, monarchs and some I don't recognize. Bees of all types are nectaring; we had a wood bee make a home in our woodpile. (It left a gint mound of frass that I thought was a bad termite infestation which caused us to ssort and restack the wood). Hummingbirds are dicing for the best nesting spots in our climbing roses and poking into nasturtium and alstromeria. Ladybugs, millipedes, rollypolies, fence lizards and the occasional skink. , When I go out at night to let the dog our for her last potty break of the day there are moths everywhere.

I just released predatory mites last week, I hope that they will protect the avocadoes.

But the yard is a mess. sigh. Between the dog-walking and painting and shopping and cooking (for a very picky hubby and food-sensitive daughter and food-allergic self) and general cleanup and re-org, I've not been able to attend to the yard like I should. Weeds are still everywhere, and when I try to do yardwork during the day someone is always tugging at me to do something else or be somplace else, so I think the schedue will be an early dogwalk and yardwork, when everyone else is asleep. It will be coooler then, too, and with summer coming up I think that schedule will work better.

I was inspired to write this because I was amused by a small flock of goldfinches in the frontyard, By size and color it looked like daddy goldfinch, mommy goldfinch, and three junior goldfinches. So cute!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

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I've seen at least 1 seagull out my balcony window this morning.

Just trying to decide what to do.

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by Brenda:
I've seen at least 1 seagull out my balcony window this morning.

Just trying to decide what to do.

---

Balcony guard?

https://bird-x.com/bird-products/electronic/ultrasonic-2/

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
well, the plants that planted themselves - CA poppies and cosmos - are dying down. Time to pull up the dead and dying plants and see how the perennials are doing.

Everywhere I look in the garden, something is fluttering, or buzzing, or scurrying. Goldfinches are perching on cosmos stems, eating the seeds. They're so light they barely bend the stems. Mourning does are pecking away at the poppy seeds, butter-butts are looking for tiny bugs and mockingbirds and crows are looking for bigger prey. At any time during the day there are at least two and sometimes up to four butterflies in the backyard of all kinds- skippers, swallowtails, cabbage and sulfur butterflies, mourning cloaks, painted ladies, monarchs and some I don't recognize. Bees of all types are nectaring; we had a wood bee make a home in our woodpile. (It left a gint mound of frass that I thought was a bad termite infestation which caused us to ssort and restack the wood). Hummingbirds are dicing for the best nesting spots in our climbing roses and poking into nasturtium and alstromeria. Ladybugs, millipedes, rollypolies, fence lizards and the occasional skink. , When I go out at night to let the dog our for her last potty break of the day there are moths everywhere.

I just released predatory mites last week, I hope that they will protect the avocadoes.

But the yard is a mess. sigh. Between the dog-walking and painting and shopping and cooking (for a very picky hubby and food-sensitive daughter and food-allergic self) and general cleanup and re-org, I've not been able to attend to the yard like I should. Weeds are still everywhere, and when I try to do yardwork during the day someone is always tugging at me to do something else or be somplace else, so I think the schedue will be an early dogwalk and yardwork, when everyone else is asleep. It will be coooler then, too, and with summer coming up I think that schedule will work better.

I was inspired to write this because I was amused by a small flock of goldfinches in the frontyard, By size and color it looked like daddy goldfinch, mommy goldfinch, and three junior goldfinches. So cute!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

---

I don't have all of those problems, fortunately, but then again, the only plant life I have that I care about is my hastas that pretty much maintain themselves. Get some rabbits that like to feed on them sometimes, but they really don't eat them that much.

Nothing here but these goddamned ants.

I didn't pull out any stops this time. Started off spring using an entire gallon bottle of liquid poison around the perimeter of the house and garage. I love the pump style they used with this bottle. Instead of having to pump it a lot on the ground, the trigger itself has a pump that you just pull twice and it lets you spray a good deal before you have to pull it again.

I also dumped a whole bottle of that Amdro a further bit out around the house and all over the patio pavers.


Zero activity in the house, although I can't see what's under the vapor barrier in the crawl space and I don't know what's under the siding. No activity on the front concrete slab porch so far either.

I've seen some ant hills pop up on the patio paver cracks, but nowhere near what I'm used to seeing. We've still had quite a few cold nights down in the 40's though, so they may just not be out in force yet. Tons of rain too, and I don't think they're very active when it's this wet either.

I'm off for a few weeks after tonight. Going to buy some more Amdro and wait to see for activity and lay it on heavy anywhere I see it. I might even buy a b

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Brenda:
I've seen at least 1 seagull out my balcony window this morning.

Just trying to decide what to do.

---

Balcony guard?

https://bird-x.com/bird-products/electronic/ultrasonic-2/

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

Nah, we get sea gulls flying through my city all the time. It sits on the mighty Frazer river which is a major river in my province. Then it empties into Vancouver harbour and that is part of Boundary Bay which in turns flows into the Pacific ocean.

There are fish boats that dock in my city and another spot a little farther up river called Steveston. There are also fish boats that dock in Vancouver.

So there are gulls all over the place.

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What do ants have to do with man made ditches?

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
well, the plants that planted themselves - CA poppies and cosmos - are dying down. Time to pull up the dead and dying plants and see how the perennials are doing.

Everywhere I look in the garden, something is fluttering, or buzzing, or scurrying. Goldfinches are perching on cosmos stems, eating the seeds. They're so light they barely bend the stems. Mourning does are pecking away at the poppy seeds, butter-butts are looking for tiny bugs and mockingbirds and crows are looking for bigger prey. At any time during the day there are at least two and sometimes up to four butterflies in the backyard of all kinds- skippers, swallowtails, cabbage and sulfur butterflies, mourning cloaks, painted ladies, monarchs and some I don't recognize. Bees of all types are nectaring; we had a wood bee make a home in our woodpile. (It left a gint mound of frass that I thought was a bad termite infestation which caused us to ssort and restack the wood). Hummingbirds are dicing for the best nesting spots in our climbing roses and poking into nasturtium and alstromeria. Ladybugs, millipedes, rollypolies, fence lizards and the occasional skink. , When I go out at night to let the dog our for her last potty break of the day there are moths everywhere.

I just released predatory mites last week, I hope that they will protect the avocadoes.

But the yard is a mess. sigh. Between the dog-walking and painting and shopping and cooking (for a very picky hubby and food-sensitive daughter and food-allergic self) and general cleanup and re-org, I've not been able to attend to the yard like I should. Weeds are still everywhere, and when I try to do yardwork during the day someone is always tugging at me to do something else or be somplace else, so I think the schedue will be an early dogwalk and yardwork, when everyone else is asleep. It will be coooler then, too, and with summer coming up I think that schedule will work better.

I was inspired to write this because I was amused by a small flock of goldfinches in the frontyard, By size and color it looked like daddy goldfinch, mommy goldfinch, and three junior goldfinches. So cute!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

---

When you start off speaking another language, those typos throw out the translation attempts.

My aunt is a Birder. She keeps feeders out her South side, which has windows the whole length. I call them Welfare Birds.

Is butter-butt a slang?

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Just finished watching "Game of Thrones" and just 1 word for it. Wow!

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Today I said "Oh Shit!"

Out loud, I was so surprised.
Was heading to Walmart, noticed a side road was closed off by cops. Looked down past, saw a car had taken on a train.

Guess who won.

I've seen such on video clips, and TV, never saw one in real life before. Walmart guys were Yeah, yeah, third one this year. When the train blasted it's horn, everybody was wondering Who Doesn't Hear That?

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3 more boxes down. One just had some paper in it.

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Got rain? It is up here and suppose to rain all week. Out in a bit to run some errands.

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Today I said "Oh Shit!"

Out loud, I was so surprised.
Was heading to Walmart, noticed a side road was closed off by cops. Looked down past, saw a car had taken on a train.

Guess who won.

I've seen such on video clips, and TV, never saw one in real life before. Walmart guys were Yeah, yeah, third one this year. When the train blasted it's horn, everybody was wondering Who Doesn't Hear That?

---

"oh shit" is right. Do you think perhaps this might have happened in the dark?

I almost got clobbered by a train once. The gates had been down, the bell had been ringing and the lights blinking for five minutes and .. no train! So the first of a long line of cars cautiously went thu the barrier, then the second, third, and eventually it was my turn. I looked down the tracks carefully, saw the light from the locomotive, judged it wasn't moving (short trains sometimes idle on those tracks, triggering the barrier) and went around the gate ... when I looked in my rearview the train was rocketing thru at about 40 mp. For some reason the dark had fooled my sense of motion. I guess there was nothing to compare it to in the background, and I really thought the engine was standing still.

So, like I said: In the dark, maybe?

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Today I said "Oh Shit!"

Out loud, I was so surprised.
Was heading to Walmart, noticed a side road was closed off by cops. Looked down past, saw a car had taken on a train.

Guess who won.

I've seen such on video clips, and TV, never saw one in real life before. Walmart guys were Yeah, yeah, third one this year. When the train blasted it's horn, everybody was wondering Who Doesn't Hear That?

---

"oh shit" is right. Do you think perhaps this might have happened in the dark?

I almost got clobbered by a train once. The gates had been down, the bell had been ringing and the lights blinking for five minutes and .. no train! So the first of a long line of cars cautiously went thu the barrier, then the second, third, and eventually it was my turn. I looked down the tracks carefully, saw the light from the locomotive, judged it wasn't moving (short trains sometimes idle on those tracks, triggering the barrier) and went around the gate ... when I looked in my rearview the train was rocketing thru at about 40 mp. For some reason the dark had fooled my sense of motion. I guess there was nothing to compare it to in the background, and I really thought the engine was standing still.

So, like I said: In the dark, maybe?

---

Nope. About 1 or 2 pm, at the highest point of the sun for the day.

And that train moves at a crawl. Do you know how much distance is required for a train to stop? This one stopped within the length of the locomotive. We got to see where the impact originated after the train was cleared to leave, and then the Fire Dept sweep up all the debris from the car on the roadway. We did not see any obvious scratches on the locomotive. That section of tracks is a spur loop, supplying businesses, with some very tight curves. That train probably cannot move fast, and I used to work at a business a few doors from this spot, and the train never moved very quick that I saw.

The bay doors were open, so all of the Walmart Auto Repair center mechanics HEARD it happen, but none saw it happen.


Did your train honk at you?

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Trying to figure out how to get rid of things without help.

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by Brenda:
Trying to figure out how to get rid of things without help.

---

You and me both, Brenda.

Aborted my first attempt at getting an extremely heavy 2 seater leather recliner couch out of my basement to get it to the curb. Realized then that there were brackets that were easily removed on the bottom to cut it in half. Still a chore getting it outside, but there was no way I was going to get that out on my own without messing up walls that I had already refinished.

Also got a computer desk out that I've been using the last 8 years to roll my cigarettes on. I've got a 6 lb. plastic shelf unit my neighbor threw out last month that can do that job.

Two huge pieces of furniture out of my house and out of my life, just in time for garbage day. Who knows? Maybe somebody picks them up tonight and I can get another one out before they pick it up. I'm not banking on it though... Those were by far the most beat up and crappy pieces I had in the house.

Going to be a real shame to get rid of my really nice L-shape couch next, but there's barely enough room for it where it sits in my 20'x15' living room as it is, and there's no way I'd have any use for it in any of the houses I'm going to eventually move into. That will just leave me with the only couch I had when I first moved in. My trusty old couch I slept on for years will be my new bed all over again by next week. It's really light and it's a lazy boy. Quality and easy to move. It will make the trip with me when I'm ready to go.


After that, I think, goes the king size bed that got about 2 weeks worth of use in the last 8 years. I might take that one out to the garage and see if anybody wants to buy it. Barely ever been slept on and doesn't have a spot on it.

Now all I have to do is find another garbage can's worth of crap to fill up before tomorrow and I'll call today a really successful one.

Just those two pieces out of my basement gives me an entirely new perspective down there. It will be so much easier to remodel down there when I don't have heavy shit I never use cluttering up the whole operation. :)


Actually, I can't believe I just did all of that on my own. If you asked me if that was something I'd ever be capable of doing on my own again 2 years ago I would have said you were crazy.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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6ix, could you do me a favor?

Hop over to the Unemployment Rate thread, look at the JSF-URF-1 Table that I posted on 3 May.

Let me know how that looks on your computer display. If it wraps, let me know at what letter or column it wraps.

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Brenda:
Trying to figure out how to get rid of things without help.

---

You and me both, Brenda.

Aborted my first attempt at getting an extremely heavy 2 seater leather recliner couch out of my basement to get it to the curb. Realized then that there were brackets that were easily removed on the bottom to cut it in half. Still a chore getting it outside, but there was no way I was going to get that out on my own without messing up walls that I had already refinished.

Also got a computer desk out that I've been using the last 8 years to roll my cigarettes on. I've got a 6 lb. plastic shelf unit my neighbor threw out last month that can do that job.

Two huge pieces of furniture out of my house and out of my life, just in time for garbage day. Who knows? Maybe somebody picks them up tonight and I can get another one out before they pick it up. I'm not banking on it though... Those were by far the most beat up and crappy pieces I had in the house.

Going to be a real shame to get rid of my really nice L-shape couch next, but there's barely enough room for it where it sits in my 20'x15' living room as it is, and there's no way I'd have any use for it in any of the houses I'm going to eventually move into. That will just leave me with the only couch I had when I first moved in. My trusty old couch I slept on for years will be my new bed all over again by next week. It's really light and it's a lazy boy. Quality and easy to move. It will make the trip with me when I'm ready to go.


After that, I think, goes the king size bed that got about 2 weeks worth of use in the last 8 years. I might take that one out to the garage and see if anybody wants to buy it. Barely ever been slept on and doesn't have a spot on it.

Now all I have to do is find another garbage can's worth of crap to fill up before tomorrow and I'll call today a really successful one.

Just those two pieces out of my basement gives me an entirely new perspective down there. It will be so much easier to remodel down there when I don't have heavy shit I never use cluttering up the whole operation. :)


Actually, I can't believe I just did all of that on my own. If you asked me if that was something I'd ever be capable of doing on my own again 2 years ago I would have said you were crazy.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

---

Good for you Jack. I can't leave anything anywhere on the property where I am now living. I guess too many people were doing that and the property owners said no more. So, I am left wondering how to do it without paying an arm and a leg.

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BRENDA, do you have charities that take items for donations? Here we have Salvation Army, Goodwill, St Vincent de Paul, and a slew of others. My personal favorite is st Vincent de Paul, which - unlike the others- actually uses the items you donate instead of picking thru the items for a few gems and landfilling the rest.

*****
JSF: Then I have no explanation for the car/train collision except alcohol/drugs or suicide by train. I'm sure the ME will do his.her best to find out what happened, test remains for drugs, look into past history for evidence of drug use/disability etc,

Did the train honk at me? To tell you the truth I was so rattled by what I SAW my ears kind of shut off. I'm sure it did, I just dodn't remember it.

*****

SIX, congrats on the cleanup job! Maybe you'd like to come over here and help out?


-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by SIGNYM:

SIX, congrats on the cleanup job! Maybe you'd like to come over here and help out?

---

Maybe if I didn't have a billion other things to do. :)

Until I can get my friend and his old man here to scope it out and see what options I have, I really can't do anything about the porch yet. Every move I making going forward is centered entirely around that outcome. Other house related things I can and will be doing with my time off will be to secure a line of credit and check out a few houses down by my brother and see if I can get a feel about what I could legitimately haggle the prices down to.

In the mean time, this crap has to go either way. I'm not taking a full semi crammed with stuff when I move. Just the bare necessities and all of my tools and electronics. Everything else has to go. It should never have all been accumulated, but I have to remind myself that up until recently I was pretty convinced this is the house I'd be dying in one day.


Somebody took the computer desk yesterday. I was surprised. The couch was still there though unfortunately, so I can't sneak out another large piece for trash day. Also unfortunate is the large amount of rain in the forecast this week until next trash day. I REALLY wanted to get the L-shaped couch out of here today, but we've got thunderstorms incoming. If somebody didn't find it straight away and arrange to pick it up, it would certainly be ruined. I'd like to give people an opportunity to snag that one. It is really nice.


I've got about 4 hours to fill a large trash can now. Shit... I keep forgetting how hard it is to throw stuff out, even when it's stuff that you haven't even looked at or thought about for years.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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SIG, there are charities like Big Brothers and Sisters and the Salvation Army. I have to do a little more looking into them.

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Out in a bit. Later peeps.

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Quote:

---

SIX, congrats on the cleanup job! Maybe you'd like to come over here and help out?
SIGNY

Maybe if I didn't have a billion other things to do. :)

Until I can get my friend and his old man here to scope it out and see what options I have, I really can't do anything about the porch yet. Every move I making going forward is centered entirely around that outcome. Other house related things I can and will be doing with my time off will be to secure a line of credit and check out a few houses down by my brother and see if I can get a feel about what I could legitimately haggle the prices down to.

In the mean time, this crap has to go either way. I'm not taking a full semi crammed with stuff when I move. Just the bare necessities and all of my tools and electronics. Everything else has to go. It should never have all been accumulated, but I have to remind myself that up until recently I was pretty convinced this is the house I'd be dying in one day.


Somebody took the computer desk yesterday. I was surprised. The couch was still there though unfortunately, so I can't sneak out another large piece for trash day. Also unfortunate is the large amount of rain in the forecast this week until next trash day. I REALLY wanted to get the L-shaped couch out of here today, but we've got thunderstorms incoming. If somebody didn't find it straight away and arrange to pick it up, it would certainly be ruined. I'd like to give people an opportunity to snag that one. It is really nice.


I've got about 4 hours to fill a large trash can now. Shit... I keep forgetting how hard it is to throw stuff out, even when it's stuff that you haven't even looked at or thought about for years.

---

There was a time when we moved every six months, so we weren't able to accumulate stuff. For our big move, from Buffalo to LA, I had to stay behind to sell our house (in a down market) and decided to sell ALL of our stuff, including our dirt bikes (unlikely to do dirt riding in LA!) and basically lived with a sleeping bag on the floor, a minimal set of clothes in the closet, one pot, one spoon, one cup, one plate and one fork. The only thing I moved was the immediately useful stuff: Kitchenware, pillows, linens etc. I even sold our bedroom set. It was a wonderfully liberating time. Since then we have accumulated and accumulated and accumulaed!!! However, I'm all about getting rid of things responsibly; it's either going to charity of getting sold or being recycled. Very little is being thrown out.

What I find SUPER-tedious is the "little" stuff ... papers, small items, tchotchkes ... particularly difficult with dear daughter's stuff since she has a hoarder's compulsion to keep EVERYthing.


I try to give her as much autonomy as possible, but sometimes I just have to put my foot down.

Anyway, all that "little" stuff ... it's a helluvalot of work for not much visible result. You have my sympathy!!!



e-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

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This late in the year, (mid-May) we just got an astonishing inch of rain. You have to realize that our rainy season basically ends by mid-March. Only 0.1" of rain was predicted.

This just goes to show what whacky weather we've been having. All of that cold air swooping down from Alaska and causing rain here ... must mean that Alaska is really warming up. Once Alaska (and the Arctic in general) have warmed up - which may be two to seven years from now I guess - I think we'll go back to being nonstop hot and dry

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

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If I had the money right now for it, I'd buy two 6TB hard drives that I could back up every single thing I have floating around on 4 computers (2 are broke) and about 5 external drives, and have them backed up twice. Get myself a quick little laptop that has HDMI out for a TV screen and then I could throw away about 70% of my tech stuff right there. I'm sick of having all of this shit.

I'm huge into retro gaming too, and I have literally 10 XBox consoles since they're awesome to mod. They're all in working order and I had planned many years ago to make them for friends and family and never got around to it. You have any idea how much space they take up and how heavy they are combined?

I've also got more old tube TVs than I care to admit. Since I never thought I'd be moving, I was kind of hoarding them because as they become more and more scarce, they will become valuable again one day. I've never noticed the difference, but some hard core gaming enthusiasts swear by them for older games. The new TV's have a controller input lag that wasn't present on the old TVs. I figured 10 or 15 years from now I could sell them for big bucks. Now I have to figure out how to get rid of them.

And aside from my tools, that's just the tip of the iceburg of the list of stuff that I actually want to keep.

I've got to find a way to get some boxes without paying ridiculous prices at Home Depot for them. I threw all of mine out a few years back when I got rid of about 50% of what I owned, again figuring that I was never going to move. At least I can organize stuff and box it up and put it in the attic that I won't be touching before I move.


The big stuff is a no brainer. I think I'm actually going to get rid of every single piece of furniture I have except for one couch, a rocking chair that has sentimental value, a full size bed and maybe a dresser or two. Everything else is getting curbed.

Hopefully wherever I move has some appliances. I'll take with me whatever it doesn't have, but I really don't feel like hauling any of that stuff either.

Just.... way too much crap. Way to much crap to sift through. Way to much crap to think about moving...

If I knew I'd have more money than I will when it's all over, I'd probably just leave with whatever clothes I was wearing and a backpack and never look back.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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No rain today but it is thinking about it. Clouds have rolled in so it might tonight again.

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I awoke to a GIANT THUNDERCLAP that immediately knocked out the power in my house, and exclaimed FUCK as I got to my feet and was on my way to the door to get my generator out of the garage since my basement would start flooding within 20 minutes with no power to the pump with how hard it was coming down.

2 seconds later, the power came right back on....

Knocked out my computer and crap laptop I had powered up though. They both seem to be fine.

I actually took a 2 1/2 minute video of what the sky was doing. If it weren't such a chore with my old tech, I'd upload it right now. It's the second time I have seen this phenomena in my life now... the first being only a few years ago when down visiting my brother.

After the loud thunderclap that knocked out the power, there was just a constant semi-loud rumbling that droned on endlessly. I've heard rolling thunder before, but this just wouldn't let up. Now that the major storm has passed, I can still hear it going in the distance almost 30 minutes later.

It's so cool looking, but so eerie at the same time because it's not something I'm used to seeing. The sky pretty much stays light the whole time, powered by what must be a million tiny electric jolts that arent' powerful enough to make a large bolt downward, but just kind of hang out in the clouds and make noise, with only the occasional bolt coming down. And the rain wasn't the only thing keeping me from filming it outside either... The few bolts that did occur after the blast looked dangerously close and looked like they touched ground.

Hopefully that's over now. My generator is in good working order and I have enough gas to power it for several hours so I could pick up more if needed. The only problem I have now is that the most obvious place to have housed it would have been my back porch, but it's too heavy and would make so many vibrations that I'd be afraid it would knock the whole thing down now. So I'd have to run it in the garage and have my extension cords exposed to around 30 feet of rain.

It would probably be fine. They're in good shape. I just don't like the idea of mixing electricity with water. :)

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
This late in the year, (mid-May) we just got an astonishing inch of rain. You have to realize that our rainy season basically ends by mid-March. Only 0.1" of rain was predicted.

This just goes to show what whacky weather we've been having. All of that cold air swooping down from Alaska and causing rain here ... must mean that Alaska is really warming up. Once Alaska (and the Arctic in general) have warmed up - which may be two to seven years from now I guess - I think we'll go back to being nonstop hot and dry

---

Hmm... what I posted was just a logical guess about Arctic temperatures at the moment, but

Quote:

---

It was 84 degrees near the Arctic Ocean this weekend as carbon dioxide hit its highest level in human history

Saturday’s steamy 84-degree reading was posted in Arkhangelsk, Russia, where the average high temperature is around 54 this time of year. The city of 350,000 people sits next to the White Sea, which feeds into the Arctic Ocean’s Barents Sea.

Anomalously hot day on the coast of Arctic ocean: Arkhangelsk, Russian just recorded +29°C (at 11.00 UTC). That's only 500 km east of Finnish border. #RussianHeatwave pic.twitter.com/Ax97zt9XP6
— Mika Rantanen (@mikarantane) May 11, 2019

In Koynas, a rural area to the east of Arkhangelsk, it was even hotter on Sunday, soaring to 87 degrees (31 Celsius). Many locations in Russia, from the Kazakhstan border to the White Sea, set record-high temperatures over the weekend, some 30 to 40 degrees (around 20 Celsius) above average. The warmth also bled west into Finland, which hit 77 degrees (25 Celsius) Saturday, the country’s warmest temperature of the season so far.

The abnormally warm conditions in this region stemmed from a bulging zone of high pressure centered over western Russia. This particular heat wave, while a manifestation of the arrangement of weather systems and fluctuations in the jet stream, fits into what has been an unusually warm year across the Arctic and most of the mid-latitudes.

Above average temperatures so far this year across the entire #Arctic, especially near Alaska (>5°C anomalies)... pic.twitter.com/oOvhWjKP6R
— Zack Labe (@ZLabe) May 13, 2019

In Greenland, for example, the ice sheet’s melt season began about a month early. In Alaska, several rivers saw winter ice break up on their earliest dates on record.

Across the Arctic overall, the extent of sea ice has hovered near a record low for weeks.

Data from the Japan Meteorological Agency show April was the second warmest on record for the entire planet.

These changes all have occurred against the backdrop of unremitting increases in carbon dioxide, which has now crossed another symbolic threshold.

---

*****

There was one storm in Buffalo, I know I posted about it before, that came in three waves of nonstop lightning mixed with frequent extra-crisy giant bolts of lightning. It came in three waves; the first one was about 15 miles away* and had us all at our second-floor apartment livingroom window watching it like a show, the second wave (which was closer, and stronger) had us backed away from the window while the fluorescent lights flickered on and off due to the EMFs, and the third and worst one had us looking at each other wondering when (if) it was going to stop. It was truly Biblical and like the end of the world. Awesome phenomenon.
*Not sure if you know this trick but you can estimate the distance away from you by any sound/light phenomenon such as lightning or explosion: since light travels nearly-instantaneously but sound travels much slower, the gap between he moment you see the flash versus when you hear the sound gives you an indication of distance. Start counting seconds the moment you see the flash; if you get to five seconds before you hear the first of the rumble that's one mile, if you get to ten seconds that's two miles etc.


-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

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6IXSTRINGJACK

Friday, May 24, 2019 6:59 PM

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Brenda:
That it is.

I knew people that had a raccoon living under the front stairs of their house and while she and I think she had babies, were out the man boarded up all the holes under the stairs so they couldn't get back in.

That is all you can do is board everything up Jack to keep her out and from maybe having a family in your attic.

---

It's almost sure that there are already babies up there. It doesn't sound like racoons are likely to take up residence in an attic for other reasons and it should always assume there is a litter involved.

Here's the website I had found the first night that I suspected it was a racoon. It's up by you Brenda :)

https://www.torontowildlifecentre.com/wildlife-emergency-rescue-hotlin
e/conflicts-with-wildlife/common-raccoon-problems/raccoons-living-in-attic/

Unless your neighbor is sure that the babies were out with the mother, he may have separated them. Chances are that he didn't though because she would have come back and tried destroying everything to get back to them.

Quote:

---

What to do if a raccoon is living in the attic
Be patient with a mother raccoon in the attic

Your first option is to do nothing at all. Raccoons typically live in attic dens for short periods. Raccoon babies are independent by the end of summer, when they leave the den and disperse from their family groups. Raccoon mothers commonly move their babies between den sites during the nesting season, so she may leave on her own. If you wait until the babies are grown and/or have left, then you can close off the access point to prevent other raccoons from using the attic as a den in the future.

Trapping and relocating a raccoon might seem like the “humane” option, but it isn’t. Relocated raccoons don’t tend to survive when they’re moved off of their home territory. Relocated mother raccoons leave behind babies who will die without a mother to care for them. A mother raccoon relocated with her babies will be so frightened she will abandon them when faced with a new, unknown territory. In Ontario, it is illegal to relocate any wild animal more than 1km from where it was found.

---

Once I am pretty damn sure that they're out for good, I need to at least board up however they got into the house proper. If I'm not tearing down the porch, it doesn't have to be a pretty solution. If I do tear it down, it will end up being covered in new plywood and that entire side of the house will have new siding put up.

Unfortunately, there's no real way of keeping them out of the porch now that demo had started. The "paper test" mentioned on the website will not work. There are literal cubic feet of entry access into the porch now.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I used to think that raccoons were cute until I was faced down by one that I truly think might have been rabid.

They're destructive and aggressive critters and - worse- they commonly carry two parasites that can be spread to people. One is the common roundworm, the other can wind up eating your brain

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/baylisascaris/index.html

While infection is rare, if you wind up cleaning up the area, wear gloves and an N95 mask.

---

I don't take anything for granted, and I'm not going to take any chances, but I seriously doubt that this racoon is rabid. That's not to say at all that it isn't carrying the disease which can take months and even sometimes years to reach the point where there are visible clinical signs, at which point the animal will die within 5 to 10 days. The animal can only spread the rabies virus when the clinical signs onset.

Those parasites though... Yeah. I read about them. They kind of scare the shit out of me.

I'm going to have to go up there at some point and figure out a way from keeping any more from getting in until I solve the porch dilemma. Since nothing smells up there, I might not be too keen on trying to clean anything up thoug

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JACK, I'm fairly certain that they saw all of them leave the property before the man began boarding up everything. These people wouldn't have wanted an angry mama around their house.

We have lots of wild critters up here that are city residents. Coons, coyotes, bears come down out of the mountains to forage. Especially on the North Shore which is another section of Vancouver. These are usually black bears but they scare people and can be dangerous if they think they are being provoked.

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Looks like the rain is back and I am out in a minute. Things to do.

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I think they forage at night and sleep during the day, I've seen them mostly at night (except the one that I think was rabid) so if you want to cause maximum annoyance, I presume you're supposed to play your boom box during the day, when she's (they're) home?

I really like the idea of driving him/her/them out with annoyance. Getting them to leave voluntarily is a lot less messy than killing or trapping them.

*****

It sounds like you're making fantastic progress on the cleanup! I'm so jealous! This week I managed to have a doctor's appointment for either me or dear daughter every day of the week except today, which is the day that we're going out to lunch with her auntie. That really kills the schedule! Now that I'm on the mend (with antibiotics) I hope to finish up painting that room FINALLY and then we can start moving our stuff in. I must have been running a mild infection for a long time, I can't believe how much better I feel overall, let's hope it lasts! Also, I got the radiology and bloodwork results from the Rheumatologist. Osteoarthritis here and there, plus some tendonosis, rotator cuff, and plantar fasciitis. Nothing terrible. Bloodwork shows mild rheumatoid factor plus mild non-specific inflammation (sed rate, CRP) which Dr suggested treating me for if I wanted (not). I figured out that that horrible crisis of "pain everywhere all the time" really was probably from levaquin bc the Dr knew how to make the osteo hurt by pressing on various joints - but that's not where I was hurting. Since it's not the osteo and the rheumatoid isn't showing up on xray, by process of elimination it must have been the levaquin. It's nice to know that it's something that will eventually go away on its own without treatment. I have to say that horrible reaction to levaquin was about on-par with my reaction to statins, which was equally horrible. I can chalk up two meds to avoid!

*****

But how's the job situation? On leave? Still working? Quit? Getting unemployment? Fingers crossed that it all works out for you!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

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BRENDA, it sounds like you're able to ge out and about much more easily that before! I'm STILL so happy for you! I can imagine you in your new, heated apartment with sunshine and view, and space for your things so you can get organized. Just OOC, what are the things you appreciate most in your new place? Indoor laundry? No hill to confront? Enough hot water and electrical outlets? Actual kitchen area?

I read that you too are unboxing and unloading. Isn't it great to be able to strip down and organize your things, putting them where you need/want them??

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I think they forage at night and sleep during the day, I've seen them mostly at night (except the one that I think was rabid) so if you want to cause maximum annoyance, I presume you're supposed to play your boom box during the day, when she's (they're) home?

I really like the idea of driving him/her/them out with annoyance. Getting them to leave voluntarily is a lot less messy than killing or trapping them.

*****

It sounds like you're making fantastic progress on the cleanup! I'm so jealous! This week I managed to have a doctor's appointment for either me or dear daughter every day of the week except today, which is the day that we're going out to lunch with her auntie. That really kills the schedule! Now that I'm on the mend (with antibiotics) I hope to finish up painting that room FINALLY and then we can start moving our stuff in. I must have been running a mild infection for a long time, I can't believe how much better I feel overall, let's hope it lasts! Also, I got the radiology and bloodwork results from the Rheumatologist. Osteoarthritis here and there, plus some tendonosis, rotator cuff, and plantar fasciitis. Nothing terrible. Bloodwork shows mild rheumatoid factor plus mild non-specific inflammation (sed rate, CRP) which Dr suggested treating me for if I wanted (not). I figured out that that horrible crisis of "pain everywhere all the time" really was probably from levaquin bc the Dr knew how to make the osteo hurt by pressing on various joints - but that's not where I was hurting. Since it's not the osteo and the rheumatoid isn't showing up on xray, by process of elimination it must have been the levaquin. It's nice to know that it's something that will eventually go away on its own without treatment. I have to say that horrible reaction to levaquin was about on-par with my reaction to statins, which was equally horrible. I can chalk up two meds to avoid!

*****

But how's the job situation? On leave? Still working? Quit? Getting unemployment? Fingers crossed that it all works out for you!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

---

Glad to hear there's probable good news for your health issues. Hope your doctor is right and it clears up on its own now. :)


Job situation is kind of in limbo while I'm on the unpaid vacation that I had scheduled a few months back when I was going to have my step-dad's help with the porch. I haven't actually been able to address that situation at all so far though, and i'm going on two weeks into it. At least I'm getting a lot of other stuff done that has been neglected for years. I'm hoping to have gotten rid of everything except for just enough stuff to rent a small 12 foot truck for moving. That may be a bit too ambitious, given how much tools I have, but getting all of this furniture I don't need and never use has been liberating. At least it's keeping me in good spirits while everything else in my life is up in the air.

I likely will be filing for unemployment at the end of next month. I do have a possible lead on another overnight job close to home though. I'm hoping I can work out something with them that would allow me plenty of time on the side to work on the house too. This would only be about 2 miles round trip to work too, instead of nearly 40. I'm not jumping on it just yet because it's actually not really even fair to a potential future employer to apply when I don't even know if I'm just going to try dumping the house ultimately or not. But I was told that they're "always hiring, especially overnights" and that

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
BRENDA, it sounds like you're able to ge out and about much more easily that before! I'm STILL so happy for you! I can imagine you in your new, heated apartment with sunshine and view, and space for your things so you can get organized. Just OOC, what are the things you appreciate most in your new place? Indoor laundry? No hill to confront? Enough hot water and electrical outlets? Actual kitchen area?

I read that you too are unboxing and unloading. Isn't it great to be able to strip down and organize your things, putting them where you need/want them??

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

---

Hi SIG. Yes, I can.

I appreciate the indoor laundry and no hills to confront. Also the manager is really good. So that is another bonus someone who knows what they are doing. I do appreciate enough outlets and kitchen area with storage space and more than enough hot water.

Also nice to be able to watch tv if I want to or not. Depending what is on and how I feel.

It is fantastic to be able to unbox and see what is what after everything being in boxes for so many years. Like I said upthread, I've found stuff I was worried that I had lost. Thank goodness I didn't.

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Laundry then going to work in the rain.

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Slowly making progress. I managed to wrap up and box about 90% of the electronics that I don't use everyday that are going to come with me when I leave. Up in the attic now, which seems counter-intuitive, but by this time tomorrow I should have the living room floors completely polished and everything I don't use every day out of there, and all of the furniture except for essentials out of there.

Then I have to work on the "overflow" that's littering my kitchen and making it hard to do anything in there. Most of what's in there is going to goodwill.

Can't get rid of my books until my brother comes on Monday. Have a few I'm keeping as well as a collection of American history I'm keeping, but other than that I'm giving away about 150 books and the bookshelf. When my brother comes I'm going to be getting the king sized bed staged in the garage as well as a dumpy old dresser that doesn't belong to either of the good sets. Going to have to really figure out what I want to do with the two good sets after that.

Tentatively, my friend is coming over on Tuesday to check out the porch situation. Hopefully I have more of an idea what I'm going to do at that point because that's the nucleus of all of my problems right now and I can't really make a plan about anything until I figure out what I'm doing with it.


Damned racoon is still up there. I'm not sure what to do about that at this point. I really don't want to have to poison them out.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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If you don't mind trapping her, you can get Have a Heart live traps, they're really easy to set up. We used to have a feral cat problem and I managed to trap four of the six cats including the queen (damn she was a productive mom!) and spay/neuter them for release. Also managed to catch a few possums unintentionally. They're about $40, o wish I could lend you mine! Your biggest problem will be releasing the critter because it will be PISSED. Also you don't want a return so maybe not bother until you've figured out your porch and at least sealed up wherever she came in from?

They sell coyote urine online too, that might scare it away.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

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Good thing I didn't a bus today to do my laundry. I forgot about a parade that was going through my city. Which means that bus that I took a couple of months ago was detoured because of it.

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Quote:

---

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
If you don't mind trapping her, you can get Have a Heart live traps, they're really easy to set up. We used to have a feral cat problem and I managed to trap four of the six cats including the queen (damn she was a productive mom!) and spay/neuter them for release. Also managed to catch a few possums unintentionally. They're about $40, o wish I could lend you mine! Your biggest problem will be releasing the critter because it will be PISSED. Also you don't want a return so maybe not bother until you've figured out your porch and at least sealed up wherever she came in from?

---

Yeah... I'm not really going to poison her. I was just a bit agitated yesterday. Like you said, trapping it might not even be a great idea because if I relocated them she might just go back and until I button up the porch here's really nothing at this point to stop another one from coming in between now and September (the months where they do this sort of thing).

Kind of bummed that my harassment isn't making them go. That's not to say that having the radio blaring wouldn't deter new ones from coming in once she's gone (it might), but if it's not enough to force her to leave after the fact I can't count on it.

If the racoon was the only real issue I had in life right now, I wouldn't have times where I was being so negative about it. It's kind of the shit flavored icing on my shit cake that I'm eating at the moment. I usually expect the worst to happen so I'm not let down when it does or I'm wonderfully surprised when it doesn't. I just can't seem to remember a time where so many things just went wrong all at once.

I'm not whining though. And I know full well that most of this is my fault. I drank for years and did nothing to improve my life while letting everything slip away. Sure, it was great getting sober, and I have made quite a few improvements in the last few years, but when it came to my house I didn't change my behavior at all. At least not in any meaningful way. On top of that, I've watched my neighbor behind me let his garage rot to the point where I'd be surprised if the plywood is the only thing keeping it up at this point. I've really felt bad for him since his breadwinning wife split town and left him with the kid. His grass is currently over 2 feet tall again. I'm sure he's done nothing about the ant problem he's had for years that made their way up to my property to become my problem as well. Once I figure out how to fix my own pest problems here, I have to come to terms with the fact that if I sell before he gets forced out and somebody razes the structures and rebuilds that it's going to severely impact whatever I could expect to get when I sell the house.

However bad I have let my own situation become, in the last 4-5 years he's let it get 10 times as bad. I did him no favors by not calling code enforcement on him. And now, at least until I figure out the next steps with the porch, I really can't.





Oh well.... Enough venting.


Living room is looking great now. :)

I just have one last fancy end table type thing to clean up and around and the living room will be finally clean and polished. I'm going to keep that unit since it's small and lightweight, and currently it is home to my network gear, phone, copier/fax machine and paper. The mice shit on that thing too. At least I kept the drawer closed.

Still not a single mouse caught in any of the various traps, and more importantly, no new crap where I've already cleaned over the last 10 or so days. I actually wonder if the racoon is keeping any new ones from getting in? No matter though. Once all of the big furniture is gone and I keep any of the smaller existing furniture a good length from the walls, and I don't pile any new crap up and around any of it, I shouldn't get any more that the traps won't quickly take car

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Good luck SIX!

I know that finding the porch situation was definitely an unexpected knock, but look at it this way: You still have your job (even if you don't like the situation) and you still have your house, and better yet, you have your health.

You also have the prospect of another job closer to home, which ... btw ... I would make a strict dollars-and-cents decision on: Are you likely to earn more money at this new job than you would at your current employer (with daytime hours) or that you might get with unemployment? I would not think about whether or not it would be "fair" to them to take a job if you're going to move because they aren't "fair" in return; THEY would make a strict dollar-and-cents decision on you too. Generally speaking, employers aren't "loyal" to their employees so they don't deserve any loyalty in return. And if you decide you want the closer job and they hire you, with your work ethic and your previous experience you will be helping them make money from day 1, which is more than most employers can hope for!

I hate to keep harping on the job situation but it's only as bad as you make it. You can be jobless and income-less if you make a stupid decision, and your situation - which seems bad now- can become a whole lot worse all of a sudden and you will look back on today with fond regret. So make you decisions cautiously; don't jump off the metaphorical cliff.

That was your Depression-era granny talking to you!

*****

I wish I was able to make progress too! Last week I was sick all week, and running back and forth to various doctors and the pharmacy for dear daughter or for myself. But even when I'm NOT sick it seems I can barely scrape an hour together here or there for the "big" projects. Between walking the dog (up to an hour) and kitchen cleanup (up to an hour) and cooking for the family with all of our food intolerances and allergies (a couple of hours) ... well, there goes at least three hours a day! Pfffft!!!

And then dear daughter and I have a lunch date every Friday (to get her out of the house and used to talking with wait staff, at least) and the yard needs hours of maintenance every week (which it's not getting... and it shows!) and every couple of weeks I have to tackle the mail and bills and take dear daughter out to drop off our recycling ... plus we spend at least three hours and day watching television with her, talking about plot lines and characters and who's doing what and why and how it could have been written differently and when it stops making sense/being realistic (To this day she still can't make a sharp division between TV and reality) ... MORE hours per day! Pffft!!!

And then there is the time I spend here which ... to be honest, I really can't afford, so I'm going to go "cold turkey" on Firefly for a while, some time in the near future.

All that means that progress on the "big" projects is incremental at best. Since I was sick or at the doctor's or pharmacy all last week, it seems, I plan on FINALLY finishing the room painting in the next few days, and then we can start moving things back into our bedroom, parsing as we go. Altho we've already given away boxes and boxes of books (to our local library) and clothes and household items (to St Vincent de Paul) we still have computer parts and furniture and I too, have a 12-piece set of very nice china that I inherited from my MIL, in addition to my daily tableware, that I'd like to sell, along with the china cabinet that's holding it.

And dear daughter has hoarding tendencies so going thru HER stash ... it's going to be a struggle over every item, I'm sure.

At least dear daughter can be tasked with laundry and floor cleaning, and she does help me paint and pull weeds, provided I set her up with a task that doesn't need too much decision making!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

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