Thread Drift

[Catrin]

Hope all went well Crankin, as I am sure it did!

Trek, your new place sounds great, glad you and Knotted are happy with it! Give her my best.

My new bed was delivered today - so I decided to get a set of new sheets as the mattress is thicker than my old one. Went online and searched for sheets for mattresses that are x inches thick and my jaw dropped. SALE prices were well over $100, with "regular" prices much higher than that and I'm not talking about 600 count Egyptian cotton sheets either. For full size sheets, it isn't like I've a "California King". What kind of dope are they smoking? I went to Bed Bath & Beyond and found a nice set of buttery soft sheets that fit great for <$50. Perhaps I'm in the wrong business. It's also the first time I've looked around that particular store and I can see that I need to be careful about when I return.

I don't need to buy sheets very often, but I was really shocked at the prices - and that I found much better prices at local stores than online.

[Crankin]

Sheets are expensive, but when you find the ones you like, for the right price, generally, you should buy moe than one set, as they seem to change from year to year.
This reminds me, it's almost time to switch out the flannel sheets for the regular ones. We are still having nights in the 30s every few days, so probably will wait until May 15th.

[Pax]

I buy our sheets from LL Bean, that way if they pill up or seams fail, I can return them.

[Catrin]

I wanted to try out the sheet set before buying more but I like them. First time I've tried sateen weave rather than percale and I like them much better. Apparently Bed, Bath and Beyond has a good return policy as well. It was time to set aside the flannel sheets anyway.

I like the new bed, which is good considering the cost (I've 90 days to return or exchange). I've read it will take a few nights to break it in but even after the 1st night I woke up remarkably pain free :-)

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[Helene2013]

After trying bamboo sheets, I can no longer truly enjoy other type of sheets. But they are soooo expensive when you get the 100% ones (not the mixed type). To me anyway. And in Canada, it is hard to find them at a decent price too. Only one store carries them in my area and I've put my name on their sales list so when that set comes on sale or that they have a coupon for first item at 50% I jump at the chance to purchase a set. I now have 3 sets (one is in the motorhome). They last forever so I should be good for a while. For a king size set it is nearing 200$. That is way too much money for my taste for sheets. So when on mega sale, it is worth it. But rarely on sale. But yes, good sheets are rarely cheap. The price to pay to get a decent (if I can say decent) when past menopause. I never or rarely sweat in those as they adjust to body temperature.

[Pax]

Helene, that's good to hear, I was looking at set of bamboo sheets but they were so sort I was afraid they'd pill up.

[OakLeaf]

What, you don't sleep in flannel all year round? It's so soft and not hot at all. Then again there might be a week or two in August that I don't sleep in a couple of layers of wool .....

Try pricing organic cotton flannel :eek: I try not to buy conventional cotton, it's so toxic. But I don't know why I have to order USA made organic cotton linens from a company in Canada. Sigh.

[Crankin]

The flannel starts making me uncomfortably warm, as soon as the temperatures at night get into the 50s on a regular basis, despite the fact I keep my house cool at night.

[Helene2013]

Helene, that's good to hear, I was looking at set of bamboo sheets but they were so sort I was afraid they'd pill up.

http://www.linenchest.com/en/bamboo-sheet-set-collection.html

Those stayed perfect forever. Never had pilled up. Ever. They are soft as silk too. But they are heavier then sheets. And to wash them is a bit of a pain because of the weight. I can wash the set at once but to dry it is better to do them in half due to weight (takes forever). That is why I have many sets. I can switch and do my bed right away without having to wait for it to dry. Now weather is good so it dries outside. But in winter, it can take a good 50 minutes to dry just half of the load.

But personally, I will not go back to other sheets. Oh yeah...hubby says he's too cold in there so what I did to satisfy both of us.... I cut the fitted sheet in half. yes.... And he has his own flannel side and I have my own bamboo. Satisfied couple! :) The flat sheet is all bamboo. He does not mind the top.

I could never sleep in those flannel, comfort or whatever other sheets called "warm".

So yes bamboo sheets are not cheap. The quality ones anyway. But the 1st set is over 8 years old and still looks good. Now I am using it in the motorhome as I don't really mind if it wears out quickier (campgrounds requires more indoor maintenance. :)

So Pax, no need to worry about piiling up. Oh...another thing. If not folded properly, they will look so crinkled. Crazy. But once on your bed, they are perfect. I just changed my sheets this morning. I can't wait to get in-between. haaaaaa.

[OakLeaf]

in winter, it can take a good 50 minutes to dry just half of the load.

Yikes!

There's a Fellini movie, I want to say 8-1/2? that has a brief scene showing women doing laundry, and to dry the bedlinens, they had these huge wooden hemispherical frames in a covered atrium.

I wonder what people in humid climates did before dryers were common. Where we live in Florida, on a sunny day when the humidity's "normal," we have about a three-hour window where we can dry laundry outdoors before the humidity comes up so high that they start getting more damp instead of less. If it isn't sunny, forget about it. I used my dryer more in Florida this December and January than I did the whole rest of the year. Put together. Not exaggerating.

Even in northern climates where indoor heating dries everything out, many if not most people wouldn't have had enough space for drying bedlinens. I have no idea what they did. Heck I live very close to lots of Amish and Mennonite people who don't have dryers, and I know they'll dry laundry on their porches if the weather is even remotely hospitable to that, but when it isn't, I don't know any of them well enough to ask!

[Catrin]

At some point, about now, flannel sheets make me itch, but never in the winter. Doesn't make sense but there it is. One thing I noted about the sateen weave sheets last night was that they didn't feel cold on my skin, just smooth and soft. I might try a higher count for my next pair.

I've been seeing Jersey sheets for sale. Are they as warm as flannel or...?

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[OakLeaf]

I've had jersey sheets, years ago. They're as soft as flannel, not as warm in summer, but they're a huge PITA to wash, dry and fold. It's whether you feel the comfort is worth the maintenance as compared to other fabrics, I think.

[Crankin]

The folding part, who cares? Now that I store my sheets in pull out baskets on rollers, under my bed, they get smashed in there, and that's it. I hate folding sheets! DH can do it perfectly, but folding a fitted sheet seems like an act of torture to me. And wrinkles? Again, no one is going to see it, so I just don't care. Of course, I am the person who would rather take something to the dry cleaner than have to iron...
Oak, my grandmother did not have a dryer in her home. In the winter, she hung the clothes on lines, all strung around the basement. She had to go outside to access the basement, what a pain! I hated sleeping over her house, because when she did the laundry would be all stiff and itchy from being hung out to dry on the line or in the basement.

[snapdragen]

Folding fitted sheets is easy.

1. Match all the corners.

2. Roll into a ball and put in linen closet or basket.

:D

[Catrin]

I like your style Snapdragen!

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[salsabike]

Folding fitted sheets is easy.

1. Match all the corners.

2. Roll into a ball and put in linen closet or basket.

:D

:) :) :)

[smilingcat]

As I get older, I'm becoming more lazy. Fitted sheet it is. Years ago, I would carefully fold the corners of flat sheet and tuck it in neatly so that it didn't have any wrinkles. Must be my engineer side.

One of my cats have an allergy to down feathers. She insists on sleeping on my king size down pillow when its reasonably warm or under my down comforter in the winter. Poor thing has constant runny eyes. But I guess she prefers the soft pillow for her bed. I guess its a body pillow to her. She let me rest my head on a corner of the king size pillow. What I do for my kitties.

[OakLeaf]

Ha! Yeah, folding is the least of it (though my OCD self is much happier since I learned the technique for folding fitted sheets that involves tucking each corner into the last ;) ). It's more that, you know how T-shirts act in the washer and dryer, well imagine a T-shirt the size of a queen sized fitted sheet. In the washer it turns into a sodden lump, gets imbalanced and I'm lucky if it doesn't pop the door and spill water all over the floor. In the dryer, if I'm using it, you have to open it up and shake the sheets out at least every 10-15 minutes, or they'll still be sodden lumps at the end of an hour.

[Crankin]

You know, now that you say this, I know I am not crazy for continually asking my cleaning people to not roll the sheets up in a ball to bring them down to the washer. No matter how much I shake them out, they never dry! I never in my life rolled my sheets up when I took them off of the bed. I know this is a first world issue, but I thought I was nuts over this

[lph]

Yup, washing bedlinens (or clothes) without a dryer. We've never had one, but have always had a rack of damp something hanging around :-D Now we have a house big enough that it's not in the way, but it's still nice when spring rolls around and we can dry stuff outdoors.
Most people do have dryers, I guess, I just never really felt the need. But we do have a large drying cabinet that we use occasionally if we have clothes that are soaked.
When I grew up it was usual to see communal drying racks outside apartment buildings, usually with a tall wire fence around and gated.

[rebeccaC]

but it's still nice when spring rolls around and we can dry stuff outdoors.

That is making me miss the old family house near Gordes and the summer lavender scented line dried sheets (the reason I like a lavender sachet bedside now)….and an old Godin wood stove in the laundry room for warm ones in the winter! We always hung/rack/line dried as I was growing up in France. Still do for some of my clothes.

[salsabike]

That is making me miss the old family house near Gordes and the summer lavender scented line dried sheets (the reason I like a lavender sachet bedside now)….and an old Godin wood stove in the laundry room for warm ones in the winter! We always hung/rack/line dried as I was growing up in France. Still do for some of my clothes.

I love Gordes and that whole area! What a wonderful place to grow up.

[rebeccaC]

I love Gordes and that whole area! What a wonderful place to grow up.

Mostly in the Grenoble area (Lycee years in Paris with one year in a Quebec girls school cuz i was kinda wild :)) but we would spend summer and winter vacations in the Gordes home…it’s been in my fathers family since the 18th century…..and yeah it’s a wonderful area!!! I luv staying there and bicycling now!

[Crankin]

I stayed in Gordes for 2 nights last June. It was a wonderful area.

[OakLeaf]

the laundry would be all stiff and itchy from being hung out to dry

It wasn't until I started moving between a home with very hard water, and a home with very soft water, and hanging my wash to dry at both, that it occurred to me how those types of water got their names! I've never looked it up, but it seems an obvious guess.

[Crankin]

Maybe... I know the water here is hard, because whenever I've moved to a place with "soft" water, my hair gets even more difficult than it normally is!

[VeganBikeChick]

Feeling so old...

Went out to dinner tonight with a friend 13 years my junior. The waitress comped us both a glass of Amontillado and I remarked it was my first time having this drink but I remember the name well for having read "The Cask of Amontillado" in junior high. Both the waitress and my friend looked at me like I had a third head, neither one having heard of the story before. While I didn't love lit in school, it was certainly something I remembered. Cheers to being an old fogey.

[OakLeaf]

Ha! I think it's more some kids are into Poe and some just aren't. I'm pretty sure I'm a good bit older than you are? but I remember a time from high school, when some of the middle school kids for some reason started building a wall with those cardboard bricks, across the hallway of the science building. I stood behind it and hollered, "For the love of God, Montrésor!" The only person who got it was one of the teachers. :D (A science teacher too, not an English teacher.)

[Crankin]

I taught that story in 7th grade English for years. But, as we moved from using anthologies to real literature, it went by the wayside.

[OakLeaf]

Most of what I remember from seventh grade English is: A short story must have a conflict. It can be a conflict between man and nature, man and man, or man and himself. To which I always added: Women are not permitted in short stories except as the object of the conflict.


But, I don't remember reading "The Cask of Amontillado" in school. "The Tell-Tale Heart," I'm pretty sure we did.

[Pax]

Most of what I remember from seventh grade English is: A short story must have a conflict. It can be a conflict between man and nature, man and man, or man and himself. To which I always added: Women are not permitted in short stories except as the object of the conflict.

Ha!! Good one.

I remember being "assigned" to the library for PE and recess for two years when I was in a wheelchair and using crutches when I was a kid. The librarian saw a crushed spirit as I was a wildly active kid, but she talked with me and actually listened and started steering me towards books far above my level, she helped me let my mind run free even though my body couldn't, she introduced me to some amazing literature... sure made english classes fun from that point on.

[smilingcat]

I taught that story in 7th grade English for years. But, as we moved from using anthologies to real literature, it went by the wayside.

I bristle at the thought of "using anthologies to real literature" Surely, Edgard Allen Poe will disagree. Perhaps it was the kerosene lamp in his living quarters that gave rise to many of his nightmarish stories.

So would real literature be something from Jane Austin? And would Canterbury tale be considered novellas since it is a collection of stories of characters from different background? Sometimes, serious literature leaves me dry: Die Brechtrommel and Der Butt. Never could get into Gunter Grass. didn't care for Oskar nor the fish nor the story of Awa. German literature is rife with anti-heros. It's a common theme. Same goes for Dickenson. Oh the dread of Nicholas Nickleby.

But I do like some light reading like Mist of Avalon. It was a tale from woman's perspective on King Arthur to something more classical like The Tempest from Shakespear.

So why is Romeo and Juliet so much a standard and same with The Taming of Shrew while Midsummer Night's Dream and (more so with) The Tempest are left in the dust?

[Crankin]

Calm down, Smiling Cat. When I say anthology, I mean a book that is full of either short stories or *abridged* versions of novels or non fiction. Up until around 1990, it was less common for kids to read lots of real books, not abridged versions. I taught a short story unit as part of my Language Arts class, but for 6th and 7th graders, it tended to be more contemporary authors (Sandra Cisceros comes to mind). Since what we were reading was always connected to what we were writing, that was also a consideration. So was the content of their Social Studies class. In addition to 4 whole class novels and a short story unit, my kids read at least one independent reading book (some read 10) a month, wrote 4 writing pieces in different genres, did a research paper, had a hands on project to present for each writing piece, kept a writing journal, and 7th graders performed A Midsummer Night's Dream.

[Catrin]

I just returned home from a conference in Denver where something rather scary happened. Fortunately it wasn't real, but WE didn't know that! The hotel slipped in not telling the conference staff and I'm sure that someone got in trouble for it. They certainly should have.

Tuesday morning I was in my selected session and we were all having a good discussion. Then all of a sudden we heard LOTS of screaming voices, to my ears it sounded more like children than adults, but it sounded like a large crowd. THEN we heard shots! We were all in shock at this point and were looking at each other. At that point many of us tried to find a place to hide in the room - there really wasn't any "diving for cover" as there wasn't any. I (and others) ducked behind a column behind the screen on which a powerpoint presentation was projected. Someone was calling out for someone to barricade the door. At some point, I really don't know how, we got the news that it wasn't real. We were all rather shaky after that and the shock lasted for a time.

As it turned out, there is a dinner mystery theatre group that sometimes has events at our conference hotel and they were practicing right next door. Thier style is to present events that are current rather than an old-fashioned "who-done-it" and, these days, with so many mass shootings they do present those. Personally I find that rather shocking that people would pay to see a mass shooting enacted for dinner but obviously I am not their target client. Someone on the hotel staff neglected to let our conference organizers know so they could warn us.

I'm a bit surprised that none of us thought to call 911 with an active shooter emergency - and thankfully we didn't have an attendee who happened to be carrying - things could have turned out rather differently given how realistically it all sounded. Afterwards I ran across one of the waitor/actors on a potty break and he was very apologetic, they thought we had been told.

No harm done outside of raising our cortisol levels - and the rest of the conference went off without a hitch :-) One interesting outcome of the experience, I was far more patient going through security at the Denver airport yesterday on the way home. Things can happen fast, real or not.

[Pax]

That is really interesting, Catrin. I always enjoy seeing how people react when extreme stimulus is introduced (especially when it's innocuous), after years as a cop/firefighter/medic I go calm and cool, almost icy, so it's strange to watch others get jumpy or panicky or just freeze.

Sorry you had to deal with it though, in this day and age it's unnerving to say the least.

[OakLeaf]

Oh geez Catrin, yeah, that could have turned out VERY badly (and not knowing who all was at your conference or elsewhere in the venue that might have overheard, someone could have gotten very badly triggered and you might not know). That's unbelievable to me that they wouldn't warn people - when emergency services do a drill, there are notices in the papers and on the radio for days beforehand. So sorry you had to go through it.

[Crankin]

Catrin, this just proves my current theory on the intelligence level of most people. Oy. Sorry you had to endure this. I am mostly like Pax, I go calm and cold in an emergency and get very business like and efficient. Of course, I've never been in a shooting, but people are often surprised that i am so calm. On the other hand, I get anxious at more normal things...
Talking about my teaching practice above made me feel good; I did a lot with those kids and it was mostly fun. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and one of my former colleagues posted a tribute to exceptional educators on FB. I was tagged; while I don't regret my career change at all, I still feel pretty bonded to those people. I also have been building quite a few teachers into my practice, which I am really enjoying. They all are in counseling for very different reasons, but a lot of it is work related.

[Catrin]

I am also one of those people who become icy calm in emergencies, but then fall apart afterwards (once it is safe to do so) as a couple serious life-threatening experiences over the years have shown me. I seemed to get back to normal pretty quickly, but my 25-year old co-worker who was in the same room with me was terrified and he really didn't appear to be back to himself until the next day and that went for many in that room. Of course, sometimes we think we are back to ourselves and aren't. I do get quite anxious for more usual stressors/situations - and it seems to take a very high level of stress to cause me to flip reaction modes. Probably something to do with survival. Very thankful that things worked out as they did and I'm sure the Denver Embassy Suites will change how they let people know when they have other practices/events like that one.

[ny biker]

Catrin, this just proves my current theory on the intelligence level of most people. Oy.

+1

I'm glad it wasn't real.

[lph]

Feeling so old...

Went out to dinner tonight with a friend 13 years my junior. The waitress comped us both a glass of Amontillado and I remarked it was my first time having this drink but I remember the name well for having read "The Cask of Amontillado" in junior high. Both the waitress and my friend looked at me like I had a third head, neither one having heard of the story before. While I didn't love lit in school, it was certainly something I remembered. Cheers to being an old fogey.
Yup. At choir practice last week we were doing warm up exercises, and our 28 yr old conductor wanted us to sing "the Jello song, you know, the advertising jingle for Jello" (well, the norwegian equivalent).

Some of us old fogies didn't know it, so she hummed it for us. We all started smiling as it was pretty easy. Otherwise known as "Blue Moon".

[Catrin]

I love a good sherry, which is what Amontillado is, I prefer fortified wines in general. I'm surprised they didn't get the reference.

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[Sky King]

That awkward moment when you realize the email you replied to in a not so nice fashion, thinking it was an exchange between you and the DH, actually went to said customer as well. I need a vacation

[ny biker]

That awkward moment when you realize the email you replied to in a not so nice fashion, thinking it was an exchange between you and the DH, actually went to said customer as well. I need a vacation

Oops.

I need a vacation too.

I'd been thinking that the micromanager distrusted the other people on the team as much as he distrusted me, so it wasn't personal. But now I realize that's not the case. I recently started working with a new-to-me programming language. So far I've been able to do everything asked of me. But the micromanager is inviting a more experienced person to our meetings even though the more experienced person has no day to day involvement in the stuff we're doing. So this is his way of saying that he doesn't trust me to do my job. I've produced high-quality work here for more than 15 years, and am still considered less than competent.

I need to gain more experience with the new technology here before I can think about looking for a new job. I try to take it one day at a time but even that is too much sometimes.

Sorry to be such a downer on a Friday morning. The non-stop gray skies are not helping. Nor is the CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP of the new upstairs neighbor stomping across his uncarpeted floor with his shoes on. I want to run away!

[Crankin]

I just saw on the Today show that the DC area has had 6 straight weeks of cloudy, rainy skies. This is usually us, and while last week was bad (cold, too), I still got to ride 3 times. So hang in there.
These kind of work situations disturb me greatly. I just thank G-d for the fact that even when I was 20, I knew I could not work in a business environment. Not that teaching or counseling don't have their "things," but they are different things and more in tune with my personality. I figured out a few years ago, that even though in both of my careers, I obviously have had bosses and colleagues, both are the kind of thing where when you are doing the real work, you shut the door and have total control over your environment. You know when people are doing a bad job (more in teaching than therapy), and I did have people observe me for evaluative purposes in teaching. But, in the end, the stuff you are describing doesn't happen. I did have to work on a team as a middle school teacher, and at times that was tough, but for the last 10 years of my teaching career, it was collaborative and exhausting. I had the best colleagues in the world. Now, I don't really have to interact with anyone, if I choose not to, except my clinical supervisor. There's a few other therapists I talk to, but it's just polite stuff. I actually like it this way, after 30+ years of having to be "on" all of the time. It's hard enough to do this for my clients, and since that is the priority when I am at work, polite chit chat is all I can manage.
Hang in there, NY.

[ny biker]

Thanks Crankin. I'm trying to focus on the challenge of learning the new programming language; there's lots to learn but also lots of free documentation and blogs and developer forums online that I can learn from. Regardless of anything going on around me, I feel like I'm making good progress.

And the sun came out today!!! FINALLY!!! It rained as I drove to work -- after all this rain people still don't know how to drive in it -- but then the winds came in from the NW and blew all the clouds away. Blue skies at last. Of course we will have rain again tomorrow afternoon as a stronger cold front comes through and then it will be colder than average for May but it will be SUNNY on Sunday. So tonight when I leave work I am going for a bike ride.

[smilingcat]

I sometimes wonder. Do we really need all these programming languages? All the variants of C++ (C++, CPP, C#...) for instance or all the variants of LISP (Haskal, Closure, Common Lisp...) then there are those dealing with web Ruby, drupal, Java... okay drupal really isn't a language, its a development platform.

Wish you lots of fun learning a "new" computer language. It's just matter of syntax, personally.

[shootingstar]

Nybiker, hope you will find more learning and ways to demonstrate your strengths. If you didn't have to do programming, what would be your other strong natural skills?

I'm not of the programming language world at all. I can't even do html coding. I always have to check the simplest codes for my blog widgets..

[smilingcat]

I'll take 6 weeks straight of cloudy day over what we have had here.

We have had near or at 90F/32C for 3 or 4 days straight. And alternating with mid 50F/10C. We do two farmers market per week, one on Wednesday and one on Saturday. I froze one day even with borrowed sweater over my three layers of shirt, wool hat and a borrowed scarf. On another day our veggies literally burnt up in heat and I was GUZZLING water just to stay hydrated and trying to stay cool. Then back to freezing the last two markets. Out on the field, I wore just a thin T-shirt and an arm cooler for the top, again drinking lots of water with frequent breaks because it was so darn hot. And yesterday and today, its been miserably cold and wet. Saturday and Sunday, it barely made it into mid-50's/10C. Today is supposed to be drier and temp is getting back into the low 60's. Later this week? yup its back into the 80's I think.

At my house, it has been switch to AC then to heat. Back to AC then back with heat... right now heater is turned on. cause low temp in at night is in the 30's (less than 5C) and when the day time high is only in the mid 50's, house gets pretty cold.

[Catrin]

Yikes! Guess I shouldn't complain about our colder than normal monsoons...

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[smilingcat]

WAWWWW!!!! 57F/14C for high tomorrow and .4 inches (10mm) of rain?! Oh that's right I live in Pacific Northwest. It's green here for a reason. :D

[ny biker]

Catching up... thanks very much for your support, ladies. I really think that no, we do not need all these different programming languages and development platforms! The stuff I'm learning is database development so in addition to the syntax of the programming language there's also much to know about how the database does things and how to makes things run as fast as possible. I am fortunate that some of my colleagues are very helpful and supportive. I'm trying to focus on that.

As for the weather...yesterday ended up mostly nice and today is finally a beautiful spring day. Before that we had rain and various shades of gray in the skies. There were opportunities to go outside without using an umbrella but you still needed to have it with you just in case. Tomorrow it's back to heavy rain then several days of on-and-off showers. Overall not a great weather pattern. At least there hasn't been anything severe/damaging other that a few trees knocked down by the wind here and there.

They say that warmer-than-average weather is on its way soon. And the long-range outlook indicates a hot summer for us, with more 90+ days than average. I didn't get many chances to wear sundresses last summer but I guess we will make up for that this year. Good thing I went to the gym for weight training last night -- gotta keep those shoulders in shape. ;)

[Crankin]

They are predicting 85 for here on Thursday... of course the day we are leading an after work ride!

[Sky King]

okay this was just too funny and I am still giggling. Our S24O trip had to be postponed due to weather so we decided to treat ourselves and attend the Famous Motel Cowboys music reunion. Donned the rain gear and rode downtown. We are so not night life people, in 25 years of living in Boise, we've never been to this bar. Anyhoo, having a nice time, enjoying the music and decided to do a bit of dancing. The floor was crowded - more mosh pit than dancers and these two very large women kept crashing into us. I do mean crashing not bumping. Finally, the DH reaches out and pushes one of them on the shoulder - the intent to bring their attention to the fact that other people we also trying to enjoy the music. It was a "tipping cows" moment and both of the women fell over! We didn't realize how drunk they were and of course he helped them back up and all were fine. It was pretty darn funny and I really hope they took a taxi home. It certainly raises my awareness of biking home after 10pm, even with my lights. Our ride home was fun, as always, except the 1 bike rider on the wrong side of the road, in the dark, with no lights - now that's living on the edge.

[Crankin]

That made me laugh, Sky King.
I always decide no, when we think about riding our bikes 1.7 miles to the village, for dinner and a glass of wine. I would walk, rather than ride, because I am just afraid that even a glass of wine would impair my riding ability.
Wrong way riding in the dark with no lights, noooooo! I see this a lot in the city, as well as in places where there are large immigrant populations. The city of Lowell, near where I live, has had some major educational campaigns to help immigrants understand the rules of the road. It's also a problem on Cape Cod, where there's a large number of college age workers from other countries during the summer. You hear of deaths every year, and it's sad.

[OakLeaf]

The unsafe riding I see just terrifies me, even more when I'm in the car and struggling to give someone space when I can't even see them because of cars ahead of me, until I'm right on top of them.

Sky King - glad you had a sense of humor about it. Your experience reminded me of when we went to see Willie Nelson a couple of years ago, and some very drunk middle-aged guy decided that I was his best shot at staying upright. It got old really quickly, especially since he wasn't putting a hand on any of the men standing just as close to him. He wasn't deliberately trying to grope me, it was just that he felt he had a right to put hands on me and not on anyone male. I finally swapped places with DH, who somehow did not turn into a convenient handhold.

[ny biker]

Twice in the last two days, someone has come into my office at work and said, it smells really nice in here. Now don't get me wrong, I much prefer that over the alternative. But I have no idea why it smells so nice in here. Maybe other people's offices are just really bad? :eek:

[Crankin]

Meh, I am sick. Started feeling weird yesterday afternoon. Achy and like I had a temperature. No other real symptoms. Woke up this morning, and took my temperature, it's 100, which for me is a raging fever. I don't have any blantant symtoms. Stomach is off a bit, but nothing terrible. Every once in awhile my ear feels weird, but, no cold, chest stuff, etc. I don't have to be at work until 11, so I stuffed myself full of Tylenol and I will hope for the best.

[Catrin]

Feel better soon Crankin!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Pax]

Hope it passes quickly. Eat chicken soup and sleep a bunch, best cure in the world.

[emily_in_nc]

Dang, Crankin. Didn't you just get over something not too long ago? I am sorry! I hate being sick and know you do too.

I have not had a cold since we returned from Mexico. I seemed to get a lot more colds there and in Belize (record four in one year there!) than here in the US. I blame the tourists from all over bringing in all their germs I'm not resistant to.

[Crankin]

No, I haven't been sick, just normal allergy stuff. The last time I was sick was in February, when I was on vacation!
I had a hellish day yesterday. Didn't get home until 7 and my fever was 102.5. Crawled into bed with crackers and my water bottle full of Nuun! It's definitely in my sinuses, my stomach still is off, too, ears hurt. Took Tylenol when I got home last night, fever is 100.5 this morning. When I don't feel like eating, something is wrong. Of course, it is gorgeous out. Going to the doctor... my club's bike rally is Saturday, we are leading the most popular ride (30 miles) and we have theatre on Sunday night, last one of the year. Not a good time to be sick.
In the spirit of thread drift, our friends we do everything with are probably going to be moving to Amherst, MA this summer. It's pretty upsetting to me. It's not that far away, and we will most likely see them once a month, at least, but we really don't have any other close friends we ride with. We'll still do our vacations together and holidays, etc., but things will be different. I can't begrudge their choice, as he is going to be the director of a prestigious center at U Mass. I've had enough change this year!

[OakLeaf]

Ugh, Crankin. Feel better soon.

[Pax]

Man, Crankin, that just sucks! Hope you feel better asap.

[Catrin]

Feel better soon Crankin, and I hear you about your friends moving. It's hard when friends you do so much with move away.

[Crankin]

So, I am now back from the doctor. I didn't see my regular pcp, but I really like the new office I go to, as it's a huge group and big enough to have urgent care docs for same day appointments. I realized that for about the last 2 weeks I have felt like I kind of might have a UTI. But, I also definitely have the other symptoms in my sinuses and ears. I didn't do the urine sample until after the appointment, but based on my symptoms and the fact I have a fever, she gave me something that will work on both. Of course, she was a bit concerned about Lyme Disease, but I haven't noticed any tic bites and the last time I was hiking, it was cold enough to be wearing long pants and sleeves. She said if I am not better in 2 days, come back, but I really doubt that Lyme is the issue. Very weirdly, just as I was taking my first dose of Bactrim, my younger son texted me and asked me how I found out he was allergic to sulfa drugs...
Trying not to obsess on the sunny 75 degree weather on my day off...

[emily_in_nc]

Ugh, Crankin, sounds like some icky symptoms. You're right, I was remembering your vacation illness -- can't believe it's already been since February. Time flies! But still...I haven't had so much as a cold during that time and only the very mildest cold at some point during the fall in Mexico, so I still think you've had more than your share of the crud. Feel better soon!

[Crankin]

Ha, this is nothing to how I used to be. I used to be at the doctor's office at least once a month, sometimes weekly. After my saga a few years ago, with an inconclusive diagnosis of fibromyalgia (which I still am not sure of), I tend to just deal with things and go on. My illnesses all have certain patterns, and the reason I went to the doctor yesterday, is that I had a fever, very unlike what usually happens. Overall, I am very much healthier than I was 25 years ago. And a lot of it is allergy based. I know that really strenuous exercise sometimes sets me off, but I am not stopping.

[emily_in_nc]

I know that really strenuous exercise sometimes sets me off, but I am not stopping.

Good choice! I hope you are feeling much better soon.

[Crankin]

Within 2 hours of taking an antibiotic, I felt somewhat better. Woke up this morning with a temperature of 98.8. Felt a little bad throughout the morning, but didn't want to take any Tylenol, to see if the temperature went up. At lunch, I started feeling better, then I took Tylenol around 1:00, as I usually feel worse later in the day as I am getting better from something. But, since it's now after 9 PM and the Tylenol has long worn off, I feel better, no trace of fever.
I am thinking I might have actually had the flu, a mild version, because I did have a shot. I have never experienced such a sudden onset of horrible body aches and a fever, except for when I had the flu in 1993. That was 4.5 days of a 104 degree fever that came on so suddenly at work, I didn't know what hit me. It ended up going into bronchitis, and a cough that lasted for 8 weeks. I couldn't teach aerobics for 2 months.
Just a bit worried about leading a ride Saturday, but I will do something mild tomorrow and see how I feel, if all goes well.
And, I never can predict when/how strenuous stuff sets me off. I just try to get good rest and push through.

[emily_in_nc]

Glad you're feeling better, Crankin! Usually sudden body aches and fever do indicate flu. And the flu shot, as you know, only protects against whatever strains they think might be around that season, so you may have just gotten a different strain -- a relatively mild one, as influenza goes?

Hope leading the ride goes okay....

[Crankin]

Went for a 4.5 mile hike today, with no ill effects. There wasn't much climbing (just a few rollers), but I think I will be fine. My temperature was below normal this morning, yay.
The only thing I am worried about now, is that you have to be super careful in the sun when taking sulfa drugs. I always use sunblock, but I will be using a lot tomorrow, as it's going ot be sunny and 82 degrees. A lot of the ride is shady, thankfully.

[emily_in_nc]

Glad you did okay, Crankin! And I saw on another the rides thread that you were able to do your ride leading as well. GOOD that you got better so quickly!

[Crankin]

Yeah, I think i am not 100%, still, but I was able to get through it. Being the sweep helped! There were points in the ride that I felt like I was swallowing pollen and my sinuses are a bit worse today. I used my sinus rinse, but it still is "off." Rain today, so it all will be gone. My black car is yellow from all of this pollen.

[ny biker]

We've already passed through the yellow-car stage of the pollen season here. I think I can actually stop using antihistamine eye drops now, certainly am not needing them twice a day at this point. I love seeing all the flowers and green trees which helps me get through pollen allergies -- at least there's an upside to the suffering -- but I do have to be prepared to suffer more for a day or two after every spring bike ride.

One of my friends in this area posted on facebook recently about having the flu. Maybe a springtime strain is going around? Meanwhile I have a sore throat today. I woke up with it yesterday, considered not going for a bike ride but I needed the exercise and yesterday was the better day of the weekend in terms of rain storm likelihood and severity. So I rode, and felt fine. But now this morning the sore throat is worse. If it's not better tomorrow I might work from home in order to rest my voice -- after the paralyzed vocal cord experience last year I try to be very careful to avoid any laryngitis.

[Catrin]

Glad to hear you're recovering and you got through the ride!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Crankin]

The mom of one of my teenaged clients called to cancel, saying they all had the flu. Same progression as my stuff, so I guess it's going around.
Riding Saturday set me back a bit, but I rested yesterday until we went out for dinner and theatre, and I seem to be ok from lifting at the gym today. I have to be good, as Friday I am going to Philadelphia for the weekend, for a baby shower for my DIL, who lives in CA (her mom and sisters live there, so she is there for a week). My son is off teaching English to military cadets in Paraguay and then to officer training in KY, so he won't be home until a month befor her due date.

[OakLeaf]

Glad you're feeling better. Have fun this weekend! Hope your DIL is doing okay.


OK, this is kind of gross and kind of embarrassing, but too funny not to share. So let me preface it with a reminder that we do live out in the country, and in an older, cheaply built home - so while we're hoping to keep the inside in somewhat better, there's really no keeping the outside completely out.

So, after stuff got stolen out of our house last week, we set up some webcams and (kind of apprehensively) went away for the weekend to a music festival (which was great). Saturday evening we're listening to a band when our phones alert that the camera by the front door detected motion. I bring up the visual ... waiting for our slow home internet to respond, then waiting for the overloaded cell network at the festival site to respond ... and finally see a roach crawling across the lens. :eek: :p So now we know the cameras work, and respond plenty quickly to motion ... and no one came in the house while we were gone. :D

[Pax]

Hahahaha!!! That is too funny, Oak! That's some sensitive cameras you've got there.

[Crankin]

I will miss the web cam photos of turkeys, squirrels, and chipmunks when we close on the house. The funniest one had to be yesterday. A huge bird, species unknown, landed on the camera, and the wingtip (it was huge) was in the photo.
Glad you haven't seen anything really scary.

[emily_in_nc]

That's funny, Oak! :D And a good test of your system!

[Catrin]

Sensitive indeed, I laughed and cringed at the same time - I know about not being able to keep the outside, well, out. Glad it was now worse than a bug!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T537A using Tapatalk

[ny biker]

Reminds me of the day I returned to my NYC apartment after a vacation and found a giant roach on the wall right inside the front door. I screamed. They usually lived elsewhere in the big old pre-war apartment building but sometimes something would disturb them and they would end up visiting me.

In my current home the usual visitors are spiders, which don't bother me so much, and centipedes, which are icky.

[Pax]

When I lived in a pre-war high rise in Chicago, it was a bug free life... until they did the monthly bug spraying. They'd start on the first floor (I lived on the 12th) and as they got closer to my floor I'd start seeing roaches, by the time they did the 11th floor I was inundated! I had my official roach killing outfit of goggles/flat metal spatula/rubber dishwashing gloves, and I'd start whacking them, then cleaning up with bleach. It only lasted a couple of days, but it was every month!

[ny biker]

I don't think I had any bug problems when I lived in Chicago. It was along time ago so maybe I just don't remember. I lived on the corner of Clark and Fullterton, in a corner apartment. Since Clark runs on a diagonal relative the main street grid, the roads are not at a right angle, so the corner of my building was not a right angle, which meant that my bedroom was not a rectangle. I loved the unusual shape. It was a fairly large 1BR with an eat-in kitchen. The only apartments I've ever had with eat-in kitchens were in Evanston and Chicago.

The only thing I didn't like about that apartment was the street noise, especially in summer when the windows were open. There were hospitals nearby so the the ambulance sirens were pretty frequent. And there were these motorcycle guys who liked to ride up and down Clark Street in the middle of the night even though they had to stop at a red light at every single intersection. Their bikes had very loud motors and they would rev them while they were stopped at every light. I really did not like them. Living there taught me the importance of finding a home on a quiet street.

(Although sadly living on a quiet street does not mean you will have peace and quiet in your apartment. My chandelier rattles with every stomping step the new upstairs neighbor takes. I have taken to sitting in my car outside the building and playing with my phone instead of going into my home after work, because no one is stomping on the roof of my car. There is too much crap going on at work these days and my commute just got way harder due to mass transit service reductions to address major safety and maintenance problems. I just have no energy left to deal with the stomping and rattling.)

[Pax]

NY, that is tough, not wanting to go into your home, your refuge, is really painful. Hope you can find a resolution to the situation soon.

I lived at Foster and Sheridan, nice area, just really old. I think we had bug problems because the ground floor was three restaurants... pretty sure they contributed to the issue.

[Catrin]

So sorry NY, that really sucks. Perhaps they don't realize? Are they reasonable people that you can speak with?

My current apt is an old building with mature trees. I get beetles, spiders, sometimes earwigs or centipedes, especially in spring and fall. If I see more than 1 in a week or two then I have them spray. They only spray on request, BUT they are here every Monday so it just takes a phone call to get them here.

[Pax]

So excited, we are planning a trip home to Illinois in late July!! Going to see friends, eat great food, see my doc, relax... and look at a condo we might buy!!

[rebeccaC]

NY...If you haven’t talked to them they may be totally unaware of the problem. If you haven't perhaps initiating a casual and calm conversation about the buildings transfer of noise/vibrations and your chandelier rattling could help in finding a solution...at least making them aware of where your chandelier is under their floor. If it doesn't i'd replace the chandelier with something that doesn't rattle....old buildings or any ones without good unit isolation can cause lots of neighbor problems...good luck in finding a positive solution....

[lph]

Yup, some people just are "heel strikers" and have naturally noisy footsteps. This was brought forcibly to my attention when our son had his girlfriend over to visit. She is tall and strong, and has the loudest walk of anyone I've ever heard! Even our son who is your averagely noisy, clueless young man and slams doors with abandon, had to admit that wow, she made an impressive amount of noise coming down the stairs :-D

[Pax]

We nicknamed our old upstairs neighbor "Mr. Stompy Pants". He was a tiny Asian man who honestly sounded as though he was throwing bowling balls around his place, and coming down the stairs sounded like he rolled a couple of them ahead of himself. We got irritated for a while then just made peace with it, and would crack up when we heard him, it was so hard to figure out how that tiny little man could make so much noise.

[ny biker]

Unfortunately I do not know how to make peace with such an intrusion on the limited quiet time I have in my life.

I see no point in talking to the new neighbor. This is in the residents' handbook that he received when he bought the condo:

"The association recommends that 80 percent of upper story apartment units' floor space be covered with carpet or rugs to reduce noise for the residents below. Please be considerate of your neighbors."

So he's either read this and thinks he's too good for it or he hasn't bothered to read the handbook in the first place. Either one tells me that he doesn't give a crap about his neighbors.

Recently the condo board president emailed me to ask me to chair a committee. I told her I didn't have time and that I was actually spending as little time as possible in my home due to the noise from the new neighbor. She didn't respond because she knows there is nothing I can do. They won't make a clear rule requiring 80% carpeting because it would require a change to the bylaws which they are not willing to do. They don't seem to care about what it does to the property value of condos like mine -- no sane person would ever buy my apartment if I tried to sell it. I wouldn't be able to rent it, either. All because of a stupid decorating trend.

So when he's up there stomping around I turn up the volume on my TV as loud as it will go to drown out the noise. It hurts my ears to have the TV that loud but at least it keeps my blood pressure down.

[OakLeaf]

NY, that stinks. :(

Maybe a good pair of noise cancelling headphones for while you're awake, and earplugs to sleep? Not ideal for sure, but it might help you get some peace.

I wouldn't rule out approaching the neighbor, though. Rules on paper have a whole different emotional vibe than being alerted to the fact that he's disturbing another human being that he can see and talk to.

[emily_in_nc]

I wouldn't rule out approaching the neighbor, though. Rules on paper have a whole different emotional vibe than being alerted to the fact that he's disturbing another human being that he can see and talk to.

This is true. When we lived in a carpeted apartment on the third floor, we were mortified when our downstairs neighbor came and knocked on our door one night to tell us that we were being too loud. We were rolling our (small) dog's ball down the hall for her to retrieve, and I guess her running back and forth was amplified, even through carpet and padding, to sound like a thundering herd of elephants down below.

We had NO idea and felt bad! We never played with her in the apartment again.

Now, your upstairs neighbor may well be an AZZhole who could care less, AND I don't know if I'd ever have the guts to confront him, but it if you do, it might turn out that he is more amenable than you think. He may well have no idea, as we didn't, that his footsteps are causing such a cacophany below.

I hate apartments and condos for this reason. We have lived on the bottom floor and the top floor, and neither are ideal. On the bottom, we were constantly bombarded by noise from above, and on the top, we had to worry and be paranoid about making too much noise just living our lives. Never again.

Good luck NY -- I really do feel for you!

[shootingstar]

I would at least talk to the neighbour upstairs, NYbiker. And he's a new neighbour. He may not know.

I've lived in my present condo over the past 5 yrs.: only...5 times, seems to work out, once per year. I've asked the residents upstairs to turn down their music -which only occurred in evening. It stopped in 15 min. Yes, I saw a party going on... I was polite in my request.

In Vancouver for 8 yrs., we occasionally heard some rolling noise...it might have been dog and toy. :) Meaning several times per year.

In Toronto, in a condo for 14 yrs., I did have a problem with someone that had their treadmill upstairs over my bedroom. It started only in the final yr. when I had my place before I moved to Vancouver.

I am fortunate to live in a building configuration where there are only 3 units per floor. So I'm never bothered by any noise (and rarely hear noise) from neighbours on my floor.

Some jurisdictions allows wood frame in the condo highrise structure..that makes a huge difference vs. buildings that are more concrete based which latter will deaden abit more floor noise.

[Pax]

Pulse - Orlando. I am utterly heartbroken. You'd think, after being out for almost 40 years, I'd be used to being hated, be used to having people wish harm on me and mine. But it never gets easier.

[Catrin]

I'm just about speechless regarding this terrible event, so heartbreaking that I can't even watch the news any more on this right now. So...terrible.

I get that there are those who will never agree with us - and that unfortunate young man who entered the club last night wasn't the only one in this country with that level of hatred of us. This graphic says it all...

18054

[shootingstar]

What it is unpleasant (to me), are media reports and some people saying it is an act of terrorism. It is not religious based. It's just simply hatred and homophobic. The father of the shooter emphasized this and knew how mentally unstable his son was. It is that simple. And people worldwide really need to focus on this. The act has nothing to do with terrorism. (which I associate with political motivations. It's disappointing how the word "terrorism" has become twisted in its use.)

[shootingstar]

2 days, a friend and I chatted up with a Canadian light-skinned black guy at a sushi place, who had just returned from Los Angeles living there for past 18 yrs. He was university educated, involved in screenwriting, directing and teaching writing at a college.

He was so thankful to return to Canada: he hated the easy access to guns because of U.S.' gun laws compared to Canada. (This wasn't the only reason why he was glad to return to Canada.)

[lauraelmore1033]

Devastating. That's all I can say.

[OakLeaf]

It's what I woke up to this morning, and then the next time I logged into my computer the headlines had the two other smaller mass attacks that happened today.

I don't know how I can live in a world with so much hate.

[Crankin]

I saw this while at the Philadelphia airport, waiting to fly home from my DIL's shower. Alsthough I had been using my phone for email, etc, I didn't hear the news until I saw it on a TV at the airport. My first response was "What the Hell?" It feels like we are becoming used to these things happening, myself included. I feel a high amount of fear, generally, for friends, and especially, my brother.

[ny biker]

This show is proof that history remembers
We lived through times when hate and fear seem stronger;
We rise and fall and light from dying embers
remembrances that hope and love last longer

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/video/tonys-2016-lin-manuel-miranda-902090

[Pax]

This writer nails it for me, I know I'll find peace at some point, but right now I'm angry.

https://medium.com/@JohntheCraptist/****-your-prayers-for-orlando-999ff712d784#.vifvjdwgd

[emily_in_nc]

Pax, I just wanted to say to you and all the other LGBT folks here that I am thinking about all of you. I've been reading posts from my LGBT friends on Facebook, and I can feel so much pain in their words. I don't know exactly how to express what I am feeling other than to say that I am with you in spirit and sending love, peace, hugs, and empathy. <3 <3 <3

[Pax]

Thank you, Emily, been a rough few days. Two of the kids here at work lost friends in Orlando.

[Catrin]

Thank you, Emily, been a rough few days. Two of the kids here at work list friends in Orlando.

Oh my, I just saw this. Hope you are ok. Such a terribly sad week.

[rocknrollgirl]

I feel like I no longer understand the world in which we live. I just don't get it....why does everyone hate so much.

[Crankin]

I am so tired of the "thoughts and prayers," spouted by my friend, who thinks she is liberal. The same friend, who told my husband he was "so gay," because he was wearing a V neck sweater a couple of years ago :eek:. I am just angry. I spent 2 hours yesterday, processing this with 2 of my clients, as well as another hour on Monday. I am just spent from this.

[Pax]

I hear you, Crankin. I'm helping the kids at work process this, they are so young and so bewildered, they cannot fathom that their fun, loving, wildly alive, friends are gone. Their generation has experienced the upwelling of support, both legal and cultural for gay people in America; they've never experienced this extreme hatred from their peers so it's all very startling to them.

Sadly, when I heard, I was not shocked in the slightest. My generation has grown up with this hatred, we know it's there, lurking beneath the surface of acceptance. For me it was never if, only when. I am so tired.

[OakLeaf]

((((((Pax)))))) - and hugs also to all who have lived your lives under the threat of hate.

Because the link you posted is worth a read - this forum software edits out certain words, even from links: in place of the four asterisks in the link, paste a four-letter profanity beginning with lower-case f.

I thought this one was really well written too: http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/ryanjent/op_ed_we_are_not_okay

Take good care. My heart breaks for you. And I'm angry too, angry at things that are done in the name of my sexual orientation, my race, the religion I grew up in. May all of us straight, cis, white people also stand up and say Not One More.

[Pax]

((((Oak)))) Thank you so much. Having someone acknowledge this happened and it's awful, helps.

Talking with a few of the students at work last night, one young gay man lost two friends, another lost nine friends (they grew up together, or knew each other in PR, or were family friends), one young straight woman lost her BFF who was dancing with his fiance and died protecting him. These kids are wrecked, but are also resilient. Already making plans for how they're going to honor their friends, they are kind and compassionate and hurt.. It's an honor to know them.

[smilingcat]

It's taken me few days to get over the anger of this hate. My anger is not of hate but rather anger at the senseless act, an act of self-hate, an act of prejudice.

One can call it a terrorist act or use any other name but does it make any difference to those who were killed for what? It's not going to bring them back. It doesn't make the hurt go away... Yes I'm appalled by our gun crazed society. And it makes me very angry at our culture which seems to glorify violence, be it in movies, e.g. london has fallen, Bourne movies, or video games grand theft auto and the like.

The whole thing is so sickening. There is nothing glorious about violence. It just begets misery and more hate and even more endless senseless violence. I wish there were comforting words for the victims and their families and friends.

[Crankin]

Random musings here.
The weather has been so unbelievably wonderful for more than a week. So un-New England like. No humidity and temperatures in the 70s, or not higher than 82. It is supposed to last through the weekend. It will be hotter next week, but no real rain, except at night.
I just came back from seeing a client in her home, as she recovers from surgery. It's not more than a mile and a half away from my home, yet a world away. Sad.

[Pax]

"Bike and Bar" here this weekend. Thousands of cyclists show up and cover a seven mile loop that encompasses about 12 different bars, stopping to drink at many of them. Lots of wobbly cyclists tipping over as they make their way to the next bar... made for a challenging drive to the grocery store today.

[emily_in_nc]

That sounds like a fun, albeit dangerous, ride. Wonder if any cyclists got pulled for DWI?

[Pax]

That sounds like a fun, albeit dangerous, ride. Wonder if any cyclists got pulled for DWI?

No the police just have to escort a few of them off of roadways. Last year one drunk fella tipped off his bike on the drawbridge, they had to remove so they could raise the bridge. They do block off a lot of streets so the cyclist are relatively safe... but then a lot of them ride home afterward.

[Crankin]

Yikes, I won't even have a beer at lunch, if I am on a ride.
The idea is fun, but no-go for me.

[Pax]

Most everyone is on beach cruisers, they were "team" tshirts, and decorate their bikes. It's fun to watch but I know if I tried to drink and ride I'd just fall over.

[OakLeaf]

Way too much riding home drunk when I was in law school. I'm lucky to have survived. Down there I'd worry about heat exhaustion on top of everything else. Probably going to be some wicked hangovers tomorrow (or later on tonight)!

[Pax]

Way too much riding home drunk when I was in law school. I'm lucky to have survived. Down there I'd worry about heat exhaustion on top of everything else. Probably going to be some wicked hangovers tomorrow (or later on tonight)!

Last summer they had a bunch of people go to the hospital for heat stroke, this year it started storming a few hours ago and the temps dropped to the mid 70's. So they're just drunk and wet this year. :p

[OakLeaf]

We got 2-1/2" of rain last night, and luckily none of the high winds. We needed rain badly, but usually when it comes down that fast, it all runs off. Amazingly, the soil was in just the state of dryness that it hadn't gotten hard-baked yet, and it just soaked it all up.

Of course rabbits also got into my green beans and stripped all the leaves off. Sigh. Still, they left the stems and growing shoots, so *if* I've got all the holes closed up where they were getting in, the weather should be ideal for the plants to come back quickly. Fingers crossed.

[Pax]

Hope your garden is okay, Oak. We've had tropical storms here, but weirdly calm and temperate conditions, the neighbors gardens seem to be flourishing.

[Eden]

I don't know about Florida, but up here in WA, we'd prefer to have drunken people riding bikes than driving cars…. so BWI is not a traffic offense. If you look like you are endangering yourself the police can impound your bike (you get it back without a fee) and offer you a ride home, but no tickets.

[Catrin]

Hope all are ok from the storms and extreme heat in different parts of the country. It was rocking and rolling here early yesterday morning. Hope the garden survives Oakleaf and the rabbits are finally blocked out.

[Crankin]

Hope your garden is OK, Oak. I know how hard you work on it!.
We missed all of the storms, thankfully. It is going to be 90 here this weekend, and thankfully, I am leaving for Portland, Maine in a couple of hours, where it will be in the 70s all weekend.

[Pax]

Heading to Orlando in a few minutes, we are going to the ALA (American Library Association) annual conference. Looking forward to getting away, could definitely use a break.

[Pax]

Our best friend in the whole world (she and her partner bought the condo two doors down) is visiting, it's so fun to be around a long time friend, very relaxing! She is a bit younger and is very fit and athletic still, so she's asking me a lot of questions about my new limitations. It's been interesting, trying to put what has happened into words. Best I can come up with is; after almost a decade of being told a new knee would make everything better, having all that anticipation, all those magical thoughts, and then finding out it's not to be, is that I exist in a "new normal" and I'm making peace with it. The things I've always done but can no longer do, are legion, so my attention is turning elsewhere. I'm exploring my love of art in much more depth, I'm reading even more than I did before and finding my vivid imagination allows me to still go so many places and do so many things, from my comfy chair. Life is different, but still wonderful.

[emily_in_nc]

Great attitude, Pax! Glad you're enjoying time with an old friend, too.

[Pax]

Great attitude, Pax! Glad you're enjoying time with an old friend, too.

As I'm sure you know, Emily, it's one of the strange things about moving away from everyone you know, that comfort in a relaxing conversation with an old friend that's missing much of the time. Really nice to settle in and not have to "introduce" myself to someone.

[emily_in_nc]

As I'm sure you know, Emily, it's one of the strange things about moving away from everyone you know, that comfort in a relaxing conversation with an old friend that's missing much of the time. Really nice to settle in and not have to "introduce" myself to someone.

Oh gosh yes, I surely grok this! Whenever we do meet up with an old friend, it's just so darn comfortable and easy. Instead of being like most people we meet in the RVing world who think we're insane for not having a tow'd vehicle, riding our bikes everywhere, etc. etc. We meet some really nice people, but very few who get us.

[ny biker]

I am so lazy. I have so much to do around the house. Cleaning, last bits of unpacking from vacation, laundry, attacking the piles of stuff in my closets and packing it up in preparation for the new floor installation that I hope will start later this month or next month. So of course I stayed up super late on Friday night watching things I had dvr'd during vacation, then slept late on Saturday and spent most of the day on the couch. Yesterday I went for a long bike ride and then had more tv watching. Today I slept late again and am still planted on the couch.

I'm okay with a certain amount of sitting around doing not much at all because I think it helps refresh my mind and mood. But I think I'm going overboard here.

I guess I can at least do some laundry...

[OakLeaf]

I'm going to whine.

I've got a sinus headache that sudafed and tylenol and heating pad and neti pot aren't doing a thing for. I've had more sinus headaches in the past year than I think the rest of my life put together. I know I need re-tested for my allergy shots (which can't happen until after a frost), but this isn't the symptom I used to get when my allergies were uncontrolled. I have so little experience with headaches that I'm a complete wimp about them.

On top of that I apparently let myself get dehydrated. Anyway I've been nauseous all day, which dehydration is usually the cause of that, and we've certainly been having dehydration weather. If it weren't for the headache I'd be able to push electrolyte solution a little better. I've been trying, but I can only hold a little down at a time.

Waaaaaah. Thanks for letting me vent. :o

[Pax]

That sucks, Oak. Hope you catch a break soon, sinus stuff seems to make everything harder, like you head won't cooperate at all.

[snapdragen]

In my never ending quest to not stay too healthy.....I had a severe allergic reaction a couple nights ago. Woke up with my hands and scalp itching, then realized my hands were swelling and red. Looked in the mirror, my face was swollen, my lips were 3X normal. Got really scared when I could feel my lungs getting affected, drove myself to the ER at 1:30 am. They took me in right away, gave me IV fluids, steroids and some kind of antihistamine. I've evidently developed an allergy to Benedryl! I took one 25 mg tablet at midnight, because I couldn't sleep. An hour later all hell broke loose.

Now I'm on prednisone, a H1 histamine blocker and a H2 blocker. I'll be going to an allergist for testing, and lucky me, I get an epi pen. Wheee.

[shootingstar]

In my never ending quest to not stay too healthy.....I had a severe allergic reaction a couple nights ago. Woke up with my hands and scalp itching, then realized my hands were swelling and red. Looked in the mirror, my face was swollen, my lips were 3X normal. Got really scared when I could feel my lungs getting affected, drove myself to the ER at 1:30 am. They took me in right away, gave me IV fluids, steroids and some kind of antihistamine. I've evidently developed an allergy to Benedryl! I took one 25 mg tablet at midnight, because I couldn't sleep. An hour later all hell broke loose.

Now I'm on prednisone, a H1 histamine blocker and a H2 blocker. I'll be going to an allergist for testing, and lucky me, I get an epi pen. Wheee.

Wow snap.

Do allergies develop/worsen with age? I wonder.. about that.

[Catrin]

Snapdragen- YIKES!!! Glad you're feeling better!

Oakleaf, that does indeed suck, hope you feel better soon!

Pax - I just saw your post and I totally get it. While I didn't get a new knee, I also did not get as much relief from my knee surgery as I had hoped. My physical pursuits have narrowed greatly but I'm really thankful for what I can do. I've figured out my boundaries for both and I stay within them but it's taken months to start making peace with it all.

Interestingly enough I've also added art to my knitting and reading, I've taken up drawing again for the first time in 25 years. Not color, for some reason I find graphite to be far more satisfying - which is odd as I love vibrant color.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[emily_in_nc]

Snap, that must have been very scary! Amazing to imagine one little Benedryl doing that -- especially when it is an ANTI histamine. I thank the gods I'm not allergic to it, as I take it whenever I get a lot of itchy bug bites. You were very smart to get to the ER. Eeeeek!

[Crankin]

Hope you are feeling better, Snap. That is really scary!

[ny biker]

In my never ending quest to not stay too healthy.....I had a severe allergic reaction a couple nights ago. Woke up with my hands and scalp itching, then realized my hands were swelling and red. Looked in the mirror, my face was swollen, my lips were 3X normal. Got really scared when I could feel my lungs getting affected, drove myself to the ER at 1:30 am. They took me in right away, gave me IV fluids, steroids and some kind of antihistamine. I've evidently developed an allergy to Benedryl! I took one 25 mg tablet at midnight, because I couldn't sleep. An hour later all hell broke loose.

Now I'm on prednisone, a H1 histamine blocker and a H2 blocker. I'll be going to an allergist for testing, and lucky me, I get an epi pen. Wheee.

Holy cow! I wonder which ingredient in the Benadryl was causing the problem. I hope the allergist is able to help.

Best wishes also to Oak, I hope you're feeling better.

[snapdragen]

I am feeling better. It's so weird, I've taken Benedryl or other meds with diphenhydramine in them for years, to help me sleep. No more - it's all getting trashed. I'll live with insomnia. I've had a number of friends tell me they know of someone who developed an allergic reaction to the same drug.

[Pax]

Good lord, Snap, glad you're feeling better.

I just want to move into a padded and hermetically sealed bubble for a while, let all the allergies, asthma, aches, and pains GO AWAY! Anyone else want into the bubble?

[Catrin]

This has been a wild week, especially with unexpected expenditures. Last weekend my 8 year old Sony Vaio Desktop died and I replaced it Monday. Today I went to have my car inspected as I've noted some odd vibrations when braking at higher speeds...come to find out my front rotors are warped. Brake PADS are fine (go figure, I thought the two were always connected but that isn't the case these days). I'm sad for my shrinking savings account BUT at least I do have it!

Pax, I want that bubble as well, and can we put my car in it for a time?

The parts arrive Monday so they will give me a loaner for the day - thankfully someone else is driving on tomorrow's hiking trip.

[ny biker]

It's super hot here today so I'm wearing a summery skirt -- white with a blue beachy-palm tree pattern.

Several hours after arriving at work I notice I still have grease on the backs of my legs from yesterday's bike ride. :eek:

Yes I cleaned them with Wet Ones after the ride and soaped them up in the shower. Still managed to miss a couple of spots. Oh well, most people here know how I spend my weekends.

[Pax]

Made me LOL, NY!

[Blueberry]

I just need to complain for a minute...

This was supposed to be a relaxing summer off for me. I re-start class in a week, and this is the last major break I get until graduation (3 years). On his birthday in late June, DH got hit by a car while riding his bike. Hotel valet driver's fault. The hotel isn't covering it (despite saying they would) - the car owner (who wasn't driving) has to. He will be fine, but has just now stopped having to use bandages. So - I've been dealing with insurance companies. We went to Ireland for a vacation (complete with healing road rash). We had the worst flights ever coming home (10+ hour delay in NYC) AND TSA did some major damage to our Bike Fridays (broken light, shifters, brakes, paint damage, case damage, cable damage). We have filed claims with the airlines, our travel insurance (definitely not worth it - I do not recommend Allianz), and MasterCard. Hopefully someone will pay - but honestly I'm not holding out much hope right now. As soon as we got home, I got sick (gee - could have had something to do with sitting in airports for 10+ hours). It's my last week off, and I can't rest (to get well) or do anything productive - because someone is currently angle grinding out the grout in our master bath - because someone before us skim coated it and it was flaking off. UGH!!

(I do realize I'm lucky and my DH is OK, I have a nice house, and I got to travel at all - but this is kinda pushing all my buttons with stressors at the moment).

Not to mention - I can't even go for a walk to get away. Our current heat index is 116. Boo.

[Crankin]

Wow, Blueberry, that is enough to complain about! I am sorry about it all. Can you go for a swim somewhere, in a lake or pool?

[Catrin]

Oh my Blueberry, that is very stressful. Do you have indoor hobbies that would help you relax/get your mind off things?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Pax]

Good grief, Blueberry, what a challenging summer!

I hear you about travel insurance, ours took five months of back and forth, threats of lawyers, and calls from the tour company before they paid about 1/2 what they agreed to. And the TSA has destroyed two sets of my luggage, leaving side/top pockets open after checking and then having them torn off; leaving the handles extended (after the swabbed for explosives, I was told) so the get mangled in the baggage trucks. They admitted they did it but "these things happen" was the reply to my claim.

[Aromig]

I'm sorry Blueberry. That's a lot to deal with all at once, especially when you know you need to save up energy to start new classes.

[ny biker]

Oh yes, when things pile on and on it can be frustrating. Can you find someplace with air conditioning so you can at least get out of the house -- like an out-of-the-way corner of a public library or a matinee movie?

[emily_in_nc]

Man o man, so sorry to hear about all this coming one thing right after another, Blueberry! I would be frustrated too!

I'm especially sorry to hear about your Bike Fridays being damaged by TSA. :mad: We shipped ours to and from Mexico with nary a glitch, and both times our suitcases were inspected by TSA. We felt very, very fortunate. There's just no excuse for that whatsoever!

I hope that you will get some reimbursement, but you will have to be very persistent. Whatta royal pain when you don't need yet another thing on your plate.

I hope your DH's healing will continue -- sounds like it has been a long haul for him. :(

Virtual hugs to you... <3

[Blueberry]

Thanks everybody! I feel a bit better today (less congested, less fever, and less headache) - so better able to handle the non-stop racket from upstairs. Sadly no swimming - between me being sick and not wanting to share and most of our local pools being closed because of cryptosporidium (a nasty GI bug that normal concentrations of chlorine won't touch). I might try getting on the bike trainer very gently a bit later. I'm sort of stuck babysitting the contractors (at least when DH has to be out). I might try to take the laptop to a library later (if DH is willing to be home) to get some online training I have to do for a research project done.

As far as the bikes - hopefully someone will do something. MasterCard seems as though it might be our best bet - but they are trying to require a claim with our homeowners insurance (which won't cover this). Things are somewhat held up by the fact that we are waiting on an estimate while our local shop is on vacation for the week. We can't file the TSA claim until we have estimates (in fact, we have to have 2 estimates to repair everything) - not sure where we'll even get a second estimate for some of this.

I honestly never want to travel by air again - I'm sure I will (it will be necessary) - but the coming home kind of wrecked what was otherwise an awesome vacation. There's absolutely no excuse for the damage, but there's nothing to stop it either. TSA is virtually immune from having to pay for the damage they cause as best I can tell - there's no incentive for them to be careful. As we were leaving Dublin there was an announcement that the flight was delayed because they were sending 2 suitcases back to be x-rayed again. At that point, we had a really bad feeling. Dublin is weird - TSA has an outpost. We had to clear EU security and then clear TSA. The EU people laughed at me when I took my shoes off - the TSA people barked at me to do it more quickly. It was pretty obvious that my case was hurriedly closed (water bottle just jammed in, tools not put back up, bike padding not put back, handlebars jammed in, etc.). DH's they just ripped the straps instead of releasing the buckle.

We had to change airports because of the flight delay - and so had to re-go through security at JFK. They dumped by bag for a "very dangerous sharp object" - euro coins. Yep - very dangerous, those. Much more dangerous than leaving my passport, wallet, and personal effects out where they could be stolen (unprotected) and where I wasn't allowed to reach them. Then I got groped without them bothering to actually wait for consent. *sigh* Wish I were convinced that any of their $hit makes us any safer.

[Pax]

Right there with you on air travel, Blueberry. You basically sign away all your rights and any property you bring with you when you fly. Since I'm tall and have short hair (and am often called "sir") I had a male TSA agent run his hands down my chest until he hit boobs, he stepped back and called a female agent over to finish, but no apology, no oops. I hate flying with a passion.

[smilingcat]

I hate flying because of 2 hour wait at the airport thanks to $#@ Whoever came up with the truly insane non-security must be dumber than Curly oh no make that Moe.

I really am sorry to hear the indignity you all have suffered. Now I really know that I made the right decision for a 1600Km (1000mile) road trips.

[Crankin]

This is why, even if you travel 1-2X a year it is so worth it to pay the money for Pre Check and/or the Trusted Traveler program.
You are treated like a human, no shoe taking off, no lines, and even a smile. The best $100.00 I've spent.

[Blueberry]

This is why, even if you travel 1-2X a year it is so worth it to pay the money for Pre Check and/or the Trusted Traveler program.
You are treated like a human, no shoe taking off, no lines, and even a smile. The best $100.00 I've spent.

We'll be doing the international version - we just couldn't get an appointment fast enough for this trip. That said, it irks me that one has to pay to join a special program to be treated as one should be treated all along. Also not sure it would have done us any good in Dublin - I don't recall seeing different lines there.

Sadly, it wouldn't have helped with the bikes. :(

[Pax]

And it doesn't always help humans either. I have TSA Pre-Check and they still grope me like a teenager on a date. Probably because of knee replacement implant, but as I've noticed, my knee is nowhere near my freaking boobs.

[Crankin]

Really? I mean, I know that some airports don't have the separate lines (they didn't in San Diego, 2 years ago, but do now), but I have never been frisked or even looked at, when I go through the precheck line. Pax, it could be your knee, but DH has a lot of metal in his shoulder and he's never been stopped, either. And while they should, in theory, treat everyone nicely, I guess I don't mind paying for the chance to avoid the line.
The bike issue, well, that's another story. Our Gurus were fine when we traveled with them to the San Juans, by plane. On the other hand, my son's bike was mangled when shipped UPS from Acton to the U of AZ. We thought that was safer than putting it on the plane.

[Pax]

Yeah, Pre in Orlando is a nice quiet separate line, but every time I time I go through the scanner it's followed by a pat down, usually shoulds and sides of the boobs. Pretty intrusive and annoying.

[Blueberry]

They had never messed with me before at all even without pre-check. I don't fly that often - usually about 1x/year (this was our second this year). I try to wear uncomplicated clothing and usually don't have an issue. I had on running shorts and a t-shirt (transatlantic flight). Sports bra without metal. Why any of that that confused their fancy-pants virtual strip search machine I'll never know.

[Crankin]

Get some rest and recovery, Blueberry. I hope you win your fight with TSA. One of my friend's sons is starting his 3d year of med school, so i have some idea of the stress you are under. He just finished his surgery rotation, where he had to be in the OR for 6 hours and couldn't leave to pee. This necessitated restricting water intake, which is not exactly good medical practice when it is 95 degrees out.

[Catrin]

Yikes, so sorry Blueberry and Pax. Not good experiences for sure. Stories like this is why I will drive as much as I can, wishing I could drive to Boston for my training next month but that's just too far and too much wear and tear on my car.

On another note, I'm pretty much feeling a bit like a wild woman. I bought a (rather expensive) one-day pass to GenCon next weekend :cool: I've been wanting to do that since I've been here and it will probably be the only time I do it. A day of playing free games on the exhibit floor and some serious people watching. If I had time and more money I might consider a costume but nah, just being there will be enough. I've a friend interested in attending, hopefully she can come.

[smilingcat]

I have had bad taste with TSA on just about every encounter I have had with them.

On a brighter note: Benefits of owning a farm. Tonight, I made spaghetti sauce using our own tomatoes, basil, oregano, chicken (we decided that our own ground chicken taste better than sausages we can buy), walla walla onion, hot pepper (boy is it hot. ground ghost pepper, trinidad scorpion, datil and fatalli). Garlic would have been our own but we sold most of it and we are out. I wanted to keep it basically our farm grown ingredient.

Only ingredients not from our farm was: garlic and mushroom. We skipped olives, anchovies for seasoning since tomato is so good, no butter or pinch of sugar needed either. I hate adding lot of other things into my sauce. I want to taste the yummyness of tomato and the vegetable in the sauce. Forget about this "11 herbs and spices..." That's not cooking!

Well, it was very good. :D

[Pax]

That sounds wonderful, SC!! I once managed to grow some basil in a pot by my back door, so much fun grabbing some leaves THAT I GREW and adding them to my cooking. I usually have a black thumb, but the basil seemed pretty hardy. :D

[Blueberry]

Oh yum SmilingCat! We don't have a yard for a garden anymore (just a few herbs/tomatoes on our deck) - but we frequent our local farmers' market often! This has been the summer of tomatoes (and onion and eggplant).

Crankin - I have another 5 months of class, then Step 1, then the wards in March. I'm excited for it to be more real, but really dreading the complete loss of time to care for myself. I shadowed in a surgery last semester - 12 hours of no peeing, drinking, eating, or sitting. I don't think surgery is for me. Survive the rotation and move on. Still thinking about anesthesia (you do get to leave and you aren't sterile - which is nice) and also pondering Derm - but that's a very hard match. We shall see.

The contractor is still going (crossing fingers today is the last day of drilling) - they said 5-6 days and they said they should be "mostly" done tomorrow (on their show up at 10:30, take an hour and a half lunch, and leave at 5 schedule). They provided me with an estimate (without hours or anything else broken out) - and required 1/2 before starting. They asked mid-week if we wanted to upgrade grout (for a small, fixed price) - and we agreed. Today - "This job has taken twice the labor we thought it would and we have had to go through more blades (grinding out the grout). The labor will be double and we will be losing money." Should have asked if they would be refunding had it gone more quickly (seriously doubt it). Really tired of having to clean the other bathroom because they have been using that one too (for hand washing and inconsiderate male peeing). Grrrr....

*sigh* So much for highly recommended contractors. We were going to have them do some work in our kitchen. They just lost that business.

[Crankin]

Yeah, surgery is out for my friend's son, too. He wants to do ER med, so he can have a regular schedule or possibly sports med, as he is already a personal trainer.
So, last night we went to a meet and greet with the president of my younger son's college, alumni, and other parents. This is the son that was in the Marines for 9 years. He has a full scholarship for vets that they have. It was amazing! We didn't know what to expect, as we went to huge state schools and this is a small, highly selective private college. So when I said I was Scott's mom to the prez, he actually knows him and could ask us questions about him. We met a board member who went there, and he had tears in his eyes when we told him Scott's story. Also, the president's assistant knows Scott and his wife quite well. The young alumni were amazing, as was the 90 year old man, who happens to live down the road from me.
This is a world I have had little contact with. It made me very proud of my son, as this place is tough!

[Blueberry]

I don't think ER would be my top choice for a regular schedule. They work about 10-12 shifts a month, but they are all 12 hour shifts and they usually vary (with lots being overnight). You have a lot of free time (which you need to recover), but it's not really regular.
I looked at doing the ortho residency-sports med track - but it's really long and ortho is quite a tough field for women (still). I could do primary care/sports med, but I fear I'd lost the sports aspect of it (and get swallowed by primary care). So many decisions, so little time!

[shootingstar]

One of my sisters has been an ER doctor for over past decade and longer. She drives nearly 50 min. to get to her hospital. She only works several days per week but yes, she does tend to work 12 hr. shifts with most overnight. She also has 2 young children. So this work schedule has worked for her..though she says she's probably shortening her lifespan by working night shifts. The reality is that for her (and other physicians I know, including a medical intern who is wife of a nephew..She is specializing in pediatrics.), there are a limited number of openings for physician specialists ...at least across Canada OR a physician specialist can consider working in more rural areas of which there is some demand. But that gets into other personal preferences in terms of lifestyle, any spousal needs re job choices/where they are at in life, etc.

She seems to like working in a smaller hospital that is still close to major teaching/research hospitals in Metro Toronto.

What is interesting to have heard from her, is the elitist attitudes of certain medical interns trying to enter into some of specialty medical areas. My sister of course, had no personal connections /relationships as an intern, within the medical field (because she comes from a poor, immigrant family) to help her network and wiggle her way in terms of certain internships she might have desired via the medical establishment.

[Pax]

Gotta say, packing the condo up a scant 15 months after we unpacked it, is tiring. And we know this move is temporary too since the apartment we rented will be cost prohibitive when we're retired. Might be time to go back to the days of my 20's when I could move in my car... in one trip. :D

[ny biker]

Gotta say, packing the condo up a scant 15 months after we unpacked it, is tiring. And we know this move is temporary too since the apartment we rented will be cost prohibitive when we're retired. Might be time to go back to the days of my 20's when I could move in my car... in one trip. :D

Yeah. I've had a lot of my stuff in a storage unit for a long time now, as contractors have been in my condo doing various things, and I wanted to minimize the amount of stuff they had to move around in order to work. Now as the new floor installation gets closer -- new floor everywhere, including the closets, with the exception of the kitchen and bathroom -- I really have to pack up and get stuff out. I'm doing lots of purging along the way; there's a big pile of stuff in my living room ready to go to Good Will. It's very tiring, even doing it a little at a time.

And when I'm done with the floors, I'm still not done. First there will be touch-up painting to do. After that a lot of stuff can come out of storage. But my next project will be re-doing the insides of my three closets so that I can store stuff more efficiently. Which means it won't make sense to unpack a lot of the stuff that I'm packing up now.

The good thing is that it all gives me a chance to see what I really don't need to keep. If something has been in storage so long that I've forgotten I had it, it's easier to overcome my pack-rat tendencies. I also get motivation from my parents' experience cleaning out the apartment of an elderly aunt after she died. It was so much work and took so long to go through everything, figure out what needed to be kept, what had value and could be given away or sold, and what should be tossed.

[Pax]

I'm starting to think those minimalist people I read about have the right idea. Some own only 100 things, total... I have more than 100 things in my bathroom!

Number 4 http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/6-easy-tips-for-living-with-100-items-or-less.html is my downfall, I own some very expensive made-in-the-US tools that I could never afford to replace, but even though I haven't had a motorcycle in two years, I lug them around with me.

[ny biker]

I have learned to ignore that rule. Every year when I take my winter clothes out of storage I find at least one old sweater that ends up becoming my "new favorite" for the year, or the new comfy sweater that I wear instead of a sweatshirt when I'm just bumming around the house. And this summer I am wearing the too-large jeans that sat in the bottom of the dresser drawer for years, because I am up 10 lbs and not fitting into many of my summer clothes.

Besides you might end up buying another motorcycle, and then you'll be glad you had those tools.

[Pax]

Very true. And everything we own (two adults) fits easily in a 650 sq ft condo, so I guess we're pretty far from hoarder status.

My wife actually wants me to buy more clothes, every article of clothing I own fits in an LL Bean rolling duffle bag, she says it makes us have to do laundry too often since I run out of pants every three days. LOL

[ny biker]

Ha. I inherited my mother's love of buying clothes and my father's packrat tendencies. I can't get through a vacation with just an LL Bean rolling duffle bag!

[Pax]

Too funny! She's the same, she is literally half my size, but brings twice as many pieces of luggage on vacation.

[Crankin]

We've always been minimalists, but we still have stuff. I have no trouble throwing stuff out, and it's hard for me sometimes to work with clients who are really organizationally challenged and want help ridding themselves of stuff. I help them prioritize, make a plan, give them sources to donate, and then they "can't."
Moving to our condo helped get rid of stuff. But, we started 5 years ago, knowing we would eventually downsize. We have a huge basement, so there's an area for DH's shop, our bike stuff, some boxes of stuff that we use occasionally, and shelves holding lots of random stuff, and the laundry area. I made sure I labeled the boxes very specifically, with contents and where the stuff was in the house, so if I needed it, I could find it. And I have had to get stuff out of there at least 3 times since March.
I get rid of clothing every fall/spring when I move my woolens into my closet. However, I've pared down so much, that this year, I had very little to donate. I go through my cycling/ athletic apparel in the winter. I have a lot of clothes, but I am much better at not buying trendy stuff.
Of course, I am anally organized and DH is worse. I plan my meals for the week, and make my grocery list accordingly. I buy stuff in advance when I have one left (like health and beauty stuff, household cleaners). I don't like clutter or "chatchkes" and I have very little emotional attachment to "stuff." I've moved 8 times since I got married in 1979, so I have a system for all of that, too. What helped is that we have only had one other house with a basement, so really, not much room to accumulate too much. Most of our stuff revolves around sports equipment, now.

[ny biker]

I used to have tons of books. I got rid of most of them. The remaining ones are mostly in storage now, so contractors can move the bookshelves around. I suspect I will purge a few more when I eventually get them back home. But most of the ones I've kept are the ones that are meaningful.

I'm also planning to go through the DVDs and CDs again soon. I got rid of a lot of kitchen stuff after that renovation and am now working on improving the way I store things in the pantry and some of the cabinets. I'm hoping to find a drawer or shelf, maybe two, that I can use for stuff that doesn't necessarily go in the kitchen, like the box of appliance manuals or some of the financial paperwork that you're supposed to keep for a certain number of years.

Then there are the underbed storage bins, three of them. I have no linen closet, so I keep sheets, towels and blankets in them. There are plenty of old towels so I could probably get rid of some. The thing is that some of the stuff there does get used every few years, when I have visitors in the winter and they need blankets.

One problem I have with getting rid of stuff is that I don't like to throw things in the trash if they are still useful to someone. Hence the giant pile of stuff in the living room that is waiting to go to Good Will. And I also try to recycle as much as possible, including electronics items. It takes more time than just putting things out in the trash but I think it's worth it. Probably the hardest part is that the drop-off hours at our local recycling places conflict with my weekend bike rides.

[smilingcat]

My cheap smartphone is just not cutting it anymore. For about two days, it couldn't access the 16G microSD with all my music file or store any pictures. I like Virgin Mobile pay as you go service. I could upgrade to iPhone5s for $200.00 or switch to Google project Fi using Nexus 5X for the same price. monthly fee is going to be less for me because I don't really use data all that much. I had two of the same smartphone one was in the box for few years till the first one broke. It broke about a year ago. Second one is now acting up... well each one cost me less than $50.00 and I've had the two for over 5 years.

Current smart phone keeps crashing or freezes with square software when someone is trying to charge for items purchased from us at a farmers market. Very very irritating. I've lost several sales because of it.

pros of project Fi: It uses ATT or Sprint network I think. the machine chooses the best signal available.
it can tether laptops and other machine as a hotspot so no need to get a separate personal hot spot service (unlike Virgin Mobile).

cons: google collects all your information including your address books (most likely) and just about everything else. But they already do that with my android smart phone when I had to download square (cash register) app from google store.

hmmm... The $200 offer for Nexus 5x from project fi will end on Aug. 11...

What to do what to do... not thrilled about carrying something that big or trying to take or make phone calls. But the bigger screen allows people who are charging on their credit card a bigger space to sign (Bigger screen).

I think I need to talk to my uber-geek friend in Silicon Valley. Oh BTW his Tesla got hit by a driver who was most likely playing PokemanGo. Repair cost to his Tesla, $26K.

[ny biker]

So $26k in damages is not enough to total a Tesla? Yikes.

I'm thinking about finally getting a new smartphone after 4 years with the current Motorola Droid Razr Maxx, which has gotten very slow. For various reasons I'm looking at another Motorola, and planning to stay with Verizon.

I totally agree on not wanting a big phone. But since it' something you use for selling at the farmer's market, I'd say the bigger screen might be a good thing.

[Crankin]

I don't want a "big phone." I am happy with my I Phone 5S.
Big news. Daughter in law is in labor. Her water broke last night, she thought she was peeing in the bed... oy. Went to hospital this morning, definitely in labor, but it is not progressing quite as fast as they want, so she will be getting a dose of pitocin soon. Right now, DS is ordering her a pizza... they said it will be awhile, and she can eat.
So, Ms. Lilly will most likely arrive on August 4.

[Pax]

Crankin - so cool, you're gonna be a grandma!!

[Catrin]

Crankin that IS COOL! Congratulations and may everyone be fine


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[emily_in_nc]

One problem I have with getting rid of stuff is that I don't like to throw things in the trash if they are still useful to someone. Hence the giant pile of stuff in the living room that is waiting to go to Good Will. And I also try to recycle as much as possible, including electronics items. It takes more time than just putting things out in the trash but I think it's worth it. Probably the hardest part is that the drop-off hours at our local recycling places conflict with my weekend bike rides.

This is totally us. When we were downsizing to move from a 4 BR house to an apartment in 2010 and then again to move to Belize in 2011, we made so many trips to Goodwill, various types of recycling places, and we sold as much as we were able on craigslist and ebay. It took a ton of time and energy, but I just hate to throw things out if they might be useful! However, when we cleaned out my DH's parents' home so they could move to assisted living, we had a much shorter timeframe so in addition to giving wanted items to family members and many donations, we filled two driveway dumpsters with trash. There was just too much to go through and too little time to organize a sale (plus no one in the family wanted to have one, and they didn't have enough good stuff for an estate sale). I felt guilty about that but was glad we were able to donate as much as we did. If DH and I hadn't been there, it would have all gotten thrown out since other family members just wanted it over with (and are not the environmentalists we are!)

[Crankin]

We have an awesome business here, called Household Goods, in Acton. It was started by an older couple, and is almost entirely volunteer run. They take all furniture and anything you might need to se up housekeeping: dishes, wall prints, kitchen stuff. Clients get a referral from a social service agency to go there, or have to be on some kind of benefits. Many times, they are people moving into housing after being in a shelter. We donated some things there. They have a truck, but it only comes to each area once a week, and they are often scheduled way in advance. So, it's easier to bring the stuff there, if you can. I have had many friends and clients volunteer there (some court mandated!), and they all say it is amazing to watch people picking out some really nice stuff to set up a house.
We also have a permanent Goodwill truck set up in the parking lot of a local shopping center. There is a guy there, who gives receipts if you want. I am amazed that when I do my 2X a year clothing drop-off, there are people waiting in line, often 2-3 cars. I don't get a receipt, so I just throw the bags on the steps and leave.
FYI, you can drop off electronics to recycle at Best Buy, and they give you a coupon for 10.00 when you do. Electronic recycling day in our town interferred with the start of one of our annual rides (like, the road of our start location was blocked), so we have doing Best Buy for at least 10 years. And, we moved the ride to another town...

[Crankin]

Baby arrived around 7:45 am by c section, after a day of labor that was not progressing. Everyone is fine.
7 lbs, 9 oz, a giant for our family. She looks like my son.
We will go see her tonight, after the rush hour dies down.
One down, one to go!

[Pax]

Yay!!! Congrats to you and your family, Crankin!!

[Crankin]

18118

[Pax]

Aww, look at that little puddin'!!

[Aromig]

Oh my gosh! What a sweet sweet face! Congratulations to you! (and your son and daughter in law)

[ny biker]

Congratulations Crankin! (And ouch, a c-section *after* a day of labor. :eek:)

[ny biker]

We have an awesome business here, called Household Goods, in Acton. It was started by an older couple, and is almost entirely volunteer run. They take all furniture and anything you might need to se up housekeeping: dishes, wall prints, kitchen stuff. Clients get a referral from a social service agency to go there, or have to be on some kind of benefits. Many times, they are people moving into housing after being in a shelter. We donated some things there. They have a truck, but it only comes to each area once a week, and they are often scheduled way in advance. So, it's easier to bring the stuff there, if you can. I have had many friends and clients volunteer there (some court mandated!), and they all say it is amazing to watch people picking out some really nice stuff to set up a house.


We have something similar here, but they don't take everything. Their warehouse space is limited so they don't accept all kinds of furniture.

And I will look into the electronics recycling at Best Buy -- more convenient for me than going to the county-run place that's only open on Saturdays.

[Crankin]

She does have a sweet face. The expression is like my DIL, but she is alert and very "mature" looking like my son was as a newborn.
Kinda funny to see him worrying about pee and poop and all that stuff...

[Catrin]

Congratulations Crankin (and to the new parents)! She is adorable, and hope her mom is starting to feel better after everything!

[emily_in_nc]

Congratulations, Crankin! She is so cute.

Thanks also for the info about Best Buy. Since we are on the road, it can be difficult to find a place to recycle electronics. We recently did a whole ride just to recycle laptop batteries. :D

[shootingstar]

Congrats. Crankin to parents and grandparents. Baby's face does like mature cutie for a newborn!

[ny biker]

Early last year my friend crashed during a bike ride and broke her right femur. With awe-inspiring determination and hard work, she was back riding again within a few months and in less than six months completed a 90-mile ride in the mountains of southwestern Virginia. Yesterday she had another crash, and is now awaiting surgery to repair a broken left femur. Word is that this break is not as bad as the one last year, but still. I can't even believe it happened, I can only imagine what she is going through.

One good thing of note -- I am again touched and grateful that we have a great bike club with many people who do whatever it takes to help when someone is in need. One person stayed with my friend while another rode the last few miles to the end of the ride, got his car and drove back to get them. Then they and another friend took her to the hospital. Several others joined them there, stayed with her, brought in food for dinner, kept her spirits up.

I do consider myself lucky to know so many caring people.

[Blueberry]

Wow NYBiker. That's terrible! I wonder if there's something going on with her bone density? Or whether she was just really unlucky. Either way, :(.

[ny biker]

Wow NYBiker. That's terrible! I wonder if there's something going on with her bone density? Or whether she was just really unlucky. Either way, :(.

I do think there are bone density issues. She's over 70. (Did I also mention that she rode more than 5000 miles last year despite the injury? Kind of incredible.)

[Pax]

It's so weird, I keep feeling kinda froggy (spirited), like maybe, once we're home to IL, I'll actually start getting my behind out of the house and doing physical things again! I think it's all the packing and lifting and moving, it's making me feel capable.

[Crankin]

You will be so much happier when you get there. I picture lots of movement in the future!

[Pax]

I sure hope so, Crankin. Being trapped indoors 24/7 while sucking on inhalers 4x's a day for the last five months has made me alternately feel like a caged animal, or a depressed lump with nothing to look forward to.

[Crankin]

We had an F1 tornado in my town last night. It didn't touch down on my side of town, but it was scary as hell being awoken by the emergency alert on our phones. Apparently, only one other person in my office took it seriously enough to go down in the basement, like we did.
There is damage, not terrible, but damage on 2 streets.

[ny biker]

A few years ago when we were on a family vacation (in NH) a tornado touched down on Long Island in the town where my sister lives. I don't ever remember any tornadoes on LI before then. Fortunately it was minor with just tree damage, no damage to homes or businesses and no injuries. But it happens so rarely in that part of the country, I guess many people don't take it seriously.

I recall a tornado in southern NJ when I was in college in Philadelphia. The dorm where I lived was a 24-story apartment building -- I think I lived on the 15th or 18th floor. There were three similar buildings in the middle of an area with no other buildings, and that was surrounded by short buildings -- stores and rowhouses. So you could see for miles from the upper floors. One day I was standing in front of the window in my living room looking out at a bad thunderstorm, thinking how odd it was for the sky to be that shade of green and boy it really is windy out there. Then common sense kicked in and I backed away from the window. Later I learned that the same storm caused a tornado that broke windows at the Cherry Hill mall in NJ.

A couple of years later I moved to the Chicago area for grad school, where I rented an apartment over a restaurant. One day there was a tornado warning and I realized I had no basement to go to. If I had had to seek shelter, the best I could do was to sit in my closet. Fortunately I never had to resort to that.

Here in the DC area we actually have storms with tornado watches more often than you'd think, and a few have touched down in the suburbs with serious results. Again I have no basement to go to, since I live in a 2nd floor apartment. So my options would be the walk-in closet in my bedroom or going down the stairs in the main hallway past the building entrance to the basement level. The two main floor apartments have finished basements with doors leading out to that hallway, so I could try to knock and ask a neighbor to let me in. Or just stay in the hallway and hope for the best. One night before I went to bed there was a tornado watch, so I put my bike helmet and some flashlights in the walk-in closet in case I had to run in there in the middle of the night.

The worst storm damage in my area since I've lived here (more than 15 years) happened because of straight-line winds during a thunderstorm. Lots of trees were damaged, not just limbs blown off but trees snapped in half, and a bunch of cars parked in a lot down the hill had their windows blown out.

These are just some of the reasons that I avoid being outside during thunderstorms.

[ny biker]

Early last year my friend crashed during a bike ride and broke her right femur. With awe-inspiring determination and hard work, she was back riding again within a few months and in less than six months completed a 90-mile ride in the mountains of southwestern Virginia. Yesterday she had another crash, and is now awaiting surgery to repair a broken left femur. Word is that this break is not as bad as the one last year, but still. I can't even believe it happened, I can only imagine what she is going through.

One good thing of note -- I am again touched and grateful that we have a great bike club with many people who do whatever it takes to help when someone is in need. One person stayed with my friend while another rode the last few miles to the end of the ride, got his car and drove back to get them. Then they and another friend took her to the hospital. Several others joined them there, stayed with her, brought in food for dinner, kept her spirits up.

I do consider myself lucky to know so many caring people.

An update to this, with great news. The original x-rays of my friend's injury showed something on the femur, but an MRI two days later showed it was not a fracture. Her knee was injured but no surgery was necessary. She has to wear a knee brace, possibly for 6 weeks, but is able to put weight on it and can walk up to a mile for exercise and running errands.

[Crankin]

Your friend is really lucky, NY.
So, update on the damage. 36 houses were damaged, but not lost. The Orchard House (Louisa May Alcott) and Longfellow's Wayside home were in the center of the area, but not damaged. Trees down, power still out in some homes, but should be restored tomorrow. We have a local, town utility company, so they are on it. Basically, the storm kicked up as it crossed the highway and landed on this area, about the time we had been given the all clear, then got a second warning that it was heading northeast. No damage at my old house, either.

[Crankin]

My DIL in CA is in labor... my son called at about 11:30 this morning as we were walking to buy veggies at the farm. Things are progressing, according to him, and he will call when the baby is actually born. Since my DIL is a nurse, young, and supremely fit and healthy, I am hoping it won't be long. We don't know the gender of this one (they do), so I am looking forward to the news.

Edit:
Another girl! 8 lbs., 9 oz. As predicted, they went home from the birthing center, a few hours after birth.

[snapdragen]

Congratulations! She's beautiful!

[emily_in_nc]

What a gorgeous baby girl. Congratulations, Crankin!

[Crankin]

We had a family Face Time call yesterday, when my son, daughter in law, and granddaughter were here for dinner and met their California cousin. They seem totally settled. My DIL here is so different, though they are doing well, too. I am excited to for our trip there, in 2 weeks.

[Pax]

How neat!! Gorgeous new baby.

[Crankin]

Oh no, TE is closing... just saw this on FB. Thankfully, we have the FB page...

[zoom-zoom]

Oh no, TE is closing... just saw this on FB. Thankfully, we have the FB page...

:( Oh no!

[Catrin]

Oh Noooooo, thankfully we do have the FB group.

This forum has meant so much to me since I first tossed my leg over a top tube for the first time in my life in 2010, at age 50. The staff at the store have been very helpful, and members of this forum have almost become like family as we supported each other through so many different things in life. This forum will be missed, and I wish Susan and all at TE the very best as they consider what other adventures will follow.

[Blueberry]

What??? The forum and the business?

[rebeccaC]

What??? The forum and the business?
on FB they are saying the business only and the forums will continue

[ny biker]

From the home page:

For the past 18 years we've had the privilege of helping thousands of women discover the joys of cycling and triathlon. Its been an exciting ride watching the industry grow from just a tiny handful of women's brands and product lines in 1998, to the broad selection of women's apparel available today.

We are proud of the role we've played in helping women's cycling to develop, and trust that the brands we've worked with through the years will continue to listen, innovate and create the products that female cyclists need and deserve.

To our customers, we say a heart-felt Thank You! Your loyalty, support and feedback throughout our history are much appreciated.

We will be closing our doors on Wednesday, September 28th. For items that are not final sale, we will continue to provide refunds and customer support via email through October in accordance with our 30 day returns policy.


Tailwinds,
Susan
Susan Otcenas & TE Staff


In the facebook comments, Susan said that the forum would continue, with volunteers for moderators I think. I'm sure we'll hear more when she has the chance.

As I mentioned on another thread, I just placed my last order from them. And I am sad.

[shootingstar]

I am sad for Susan as a business owner and cyclist who lives out in action for the products...for real what she sells. It takes enormous energy and fiscal courage to be an entrepreneur for selling products one has a personal passion/belief. My partner gave me as a gift one of the specially designed jerseys. I asked for it as a hopeful :) gift. He had it shipped to a Portland hotel..where he was staying temporarily during a cycling journey.. I'm going to browse the catalogue more..

[ny biker]

Budget cuts announced at work, now we're all waiting to find out who will be staying and who will be moving on.

<deep breaths>

[Crankin]

Good luck, NY

[Aromig]

Crossing fingers for you NY. Hopefully neither you, nor any coworkers who don't drive you nuts have to move on!

[ny biker]

Thanks ladies. The project manager came to to my office a little while ago and I thought, here it comes, but he was just letting me know that he had finished meeting with everyone who was being let go. So I am safe. For now at least -- I won't be surprised if there are more cuts in a few months.

The good news is that there is another project with open positions, and many of the people who were cut can interview there with a good chance of being able to transfer. And due to office space constraints they might even end up staying at the same building where we work now.

I actually had been meaning to mention here that we had some reorganization over the summer and I've been working with a good group of people since then -- so things have been much better for me. Of course now we will reorganize again. We seem to do that more often than we used to so good or bad, nothing lasts for very long. And honestly we might end up with more budget cuts in three or six months. In the meantime I just need to focus on honing my technical skills so I will be in as good a position as possible when the time comes to move on.

[Pax]

Glad you're not on the cut list, NY. What a crappy situation for all involved.

[emily_in_nc]

Glad you were safe this time, NY. I lived through years of downsizing, "rightsizing" (horrible corporate-speak) and just plain layoffs at my company, and it takes a toll. So many of my friends and even my DH got downsized out of a job. Lots of people much smarter than me who just happened to be on a project that got cut. Somehow I survived 10 years of cuts and managed to resign when I was ready instead of when they decided to walk me out the door. Eight months after I resigned and moved to Belize, my manager and about half my department was laid off, so I feel sure that would have been me too. I am so glad I got to leave on my own terms. I hope that you are able to stay as long as you want as well -- but not a moment longer. :rolleyes:

[ny biker]

Arrived home tonight to find a notice from the post office about a certified letter they attempted to deliver. Now who is sending me a certified letter? Looked up the tracking number, I can see that it's from NYC but no details about the sender. I don't think this is going to make me happy...

[ny biker]

...and the post office has lost the certified letter. The incompetence at my local post office is breathtaking.

[Crankin]

Oy! This is very disconcerting.

[Catrin]

YIKES! Hope they find it and, yes, it's disconcerting...

BTW, the last certified letter I received was related to a mechanic's lien to someone who used to life at my address - years ago. Hopefully it's something like that, nothing that has a direct impact on you.

[emily_in_nc]

Wow, that is crazy, NY! I hope it was nothing important. I can't even imagine!

[Pax]

...and the post office has lost the certified letter. The incompetence at my local post office is breathtaking.

Not surprising at all. In Chicago I only got mail about two days a week. My dad once called me and said "honey, did you move?" because he had a letter returned stamped "Moved, Left No Forwarding Address".

[ny biker]

For my neighborhood we have a regular retail post office and a separate warehouse where the mail is sorted for our zip code. Mostly I have to deal with the people at the warehouse, for vacation holds and stuff like that. And they have been consistently awful for the entire 12 years that I have lived here. In my two most recent encounters with them before this one they were downright hostile. I dread having to deal with them.

So yesterday afternoon the supervisor at the warehouse called and left a message that he had the letter and I could pick it up or he could deliver it. But of course by this time I was 25 miles away, at work. And by this time I had called their 800 number (help desk) to report a lost certified letter; the person I spoke with opened a ticket to look for the letter and said it could take several days for someone to get back to me. I did not have time to deal with picking up the letter today or sitting home waiting for it to be delivered. For now I am not calling the supervisor back and I'm not calling the help desk back to update them. I want the issue to be open in their system, for someone outside of this local facility to see that there is a problem. I think one reason the problems continue is that the supervisor tries to smooth things over, which means no one outside his facility finds out about them. So from now on I will call the help desk whenever there is a problem, so there will be a record of it.

As for the letter, my best guess is that I am being sued related to a 3-car crash that I was totally not responsible for. One of the other drivers' insurance companies took full responsibility, paid the entire cost to fix my car and sent me a check for pain and suffering. But a passenger in the other car (not driven by the person at fault) was injured and is suing. My insurance company has already sent them a letter explaining that I was completely not at fault but I fear it has been ignored. If I'm right, it will just be a waste of time and money. Whatever it is, it's already been a waste of my time and energy trying to get the stupid letter. So I'll worry about it next week.

[ny biker]

Omg omg omg. The stomping loud upstairs neighbor with no rugs got a dog. I'm literally sick to my stomach. I can't live like this. I just can't.

[Pax]

That sucks, NY! I hope you can move on to a more peaceful place at some point.

[emily_in_nc]

Omg omg omg. The stomping loud upstairs neighbor with no rugs got a dog. I'm literally sick to my stomach. I can't live like this. I just can't.

Oh no! I know you've invested so much in your place with the new floors, etc., so you can't move. I just feel so bad for you as I would hate it every bit as much. Been there, done that, and could never do it again. :( :( :(

[Crankin]

So, I have not brought this up since late last winter/early spring, but after a nice summer and early fall having lots of free time, DH is employed again. It was quite a journey for him. He started out applying for similar exec level jobs like he had, and then figured out he really did not want to be in charge of anyone for awhile. He even applied for one job working on alternative transportation (which got him to buy a new, hybrid car, albeit, one with AWD). After a few disappointing rounds of interviews, he will be working as a customer success manager for some of the biggest pharmaceutical clients of a company that makes software to meet upcoming world wide compliance regs for these companies and all users to make sure they are not buying/using fake medicine. One of the things he ran into was that a lot of people did not really believe he was looking to downsize and was fine with a lot less money. He developed a good "speech" to explain this, as you definitely can't say outright that you have enough money to do this, as people just see you as a rich azzhole. And a few thought he would leave if something better came along. It seems as if you did what I did, go back to school to do something totally different, that people get that, but no one gets downsizing in a related field, which actually makes sense when you are nearing retirement.
He will only be working with these large customers of his company, making sure things go smoothly. No sales and no managing for now. He did tell his boss he would consider managing a small team, once he learns the business. Just not 300 people all over the world. So, in 6 months, we have downsized everything, and now I can get back to planning for our next cycling trip, which is really all I want to be able to do (travel) before it's too late.

[Pax]

Hope he enjoys the new position, but I'll bet you money he ends up back in charge of a bunch of people... once a company knows you can do that successfully, they want that skill.

[Catrin]

Congratulations to you and your DH Crankin, it sounds like he found a good place.

Anyone else in "nesting for winter" mode? Unsure why the coming winter is affecting me this way this year, especially as warm as it's been. Thanks to the evil, and multiple, 20% coupons from Bed Bath and Beyond they keep sending me I now have a new WARM comforter and flannel sheets. Then I almost totally rearranged my bedroom to get my bed further away from the window. It really DOES feel like I'm preparing my nest :cool: What's interesting is I normally do these types of things over my normal Christmas vacation.

[Pax]

Catrin, we're doing the same, but primarily because we got rid of all our cold weather stuff when we moved. Gotta say, the new LL Bean flannel sheets are a slice of heaven!

[emily_in_nc]

Crankin, hope your DH enjoys the new position! I know you must be relieved to have him settled again.

I love flannel sheets! We've had them on our motorhome bed for months as we've traveled to so many chilly spots (including a couple nights of temps in the 20s in Yellowstone in August...crazy to me). I can't wait, though, to take them off in Florida. It has been in the 30s for the past two nights here in NC, and I am already tired of winter chill!

[Crankin]

Put the flannel sheets on the bed 2 weeks ago. Of course, then we had quite a few warmer nights, so I had to put on the ceiling fan.
We've had crazy weather, too. Up and down. Next Saturday is a predicted high of 38, the coldest yet. I have an all day conference, so no outdoor activity for me anyway.

[ny biker]

I dream of downsizing in my job, if only I could afford it. But then again I already did it years ago when I changed careers and have turned down several promotions at my current job. Around here promotions mean spending all day in meetings, which would make me miserable and therefore bad at the job. This is one of the reasons I am stuck financially.

One of my relatives cashed in her stock options and left her high-level management job before she turned 50. She wanted to spend more time at home with her kids. After a couple of years she found a part-time job doing accounting, which was what she did years ago when she first got out of school, and she's perfectly content with it.

It hasn't been cold enough here for flannel sheets yet. But I have jersey sheets (like t-shirt material) which are sort of in-between flannel and regular sheets, and I expect to be putting them on the bed this weekend. Last spring I put lots of winter stuff into the storage unit -- clothes, boots, coats -- so it would be out of the way when I had the new floors installed. But the flooring I chose was backordered and then discontinued and I haven't been able to find anything I like since then. Yesterday I got it all out of storage again. At least I made it to November without needing any of it.

I was quite overwhelmed by the storage unit. I started putting stuff there a couple of years ago when I was getting ready for various contractors to do work in the living room and bedroom, because I wanted to minimize the amount of stuff they had to move around in order to work. So there are boxes of books and framed photos and all my wall art in the storage unit. But there's also plenty of stuff I really don't need. Every time I go there I either need something from the bottom of the pile or I'm adding something heavy that has to go under the lighter boxes, so I end up having to take lots of stuff out and rearrange it all. Yesterday I decided that my next trip there will be a purging trip. Some things that it made sense to keep a year or two ago no longer need to be kept. Some things with marginal sentimental value no longer have any value. And I have to get realistic about things that I keep because "I might use them someday." I think one reason I'm reaching this readiness to purge is that the next project, after the floors are done, will be to re-do my three closets in order to make them more efficient. I've already started to look at closet designs and it's making me really think about how much stuff I have and how little storage space there is for it.

[Crankin]

Moving to a place half the size, did it for us. We keep hardly anything, compared to a lot of people, but there was some stuff we just didn't need. We had our 2 bedroom closets redone and had to think about solutions for our basement storage, especially for out of season clothes. We ended up with 3 rolling clothing racks. I also have 4 under the bed rolling storage things for linens in my bedroom and 2 in the guest room.
The only thing i miss is being able to pull out and look at my photo albums. They are in tubs in the basement.

[Dogmama]

I dream of downsizing in my job, if only I could afford it. But then again I already did it years ago when I changed careers and have turned down several promotions at my current job. Around here promotions mean spending all day in meetings, which would make me miserable and therefore bad at the job. This is one of the reasons I am stuck financially.

One of my relatives cashed in her stock options and left her high-level management job before she turned 50. She wanted to spend more time at home with her kids. After a couple of years she found a part-time job doing accounting, which was what she did years ago when she first got out of school, and she's perfectly content with it.
.

I retired after 30+ years at a job that was just OK - but the benefits were really good. So, I am getting a pension that takes care of my needs and a few of my wants. I started a dog training business and did it for three years before I burned out. It was the people who wanted the 30 minute Cesar Milan fix for multi-year serious problems (usually aggression.) Now, I'm practicing being really retired and it's harder than I thought. Seems like the first thing people ask is, "what do you do?" So, I say that I'm practicing being retired (as soon as I get all of the closets cleaned out...etc.) and we'll see. I have friends who are perfectly content reading books, visiting museums, shopping and being really retired. I'm hoping I can get there someday.

[ny biker]

I retired after 30+ years at a job that was just OK - but the benefits were really good. So, I am getting a pension that takes care of my needs and a few of my wants. I started a dog training business and did it for three years before I burned out. It was the people who wanted the 30 minute Cesar Milan fix for multi-year serious problems (usually aggression.) Now, I'm practicing being really retired and it's harder than I thought. Seems like the first thing people ask is, "what do you do?" So, I say that I'm practicing being retired (as soon as I get all of the closets cleaned out...etc.) and we'll see. I have friends who are perfectly content reading books, visiting museums, shopping and being really retired. I'm hoping I can get there someday.

I know plenty of people who love being retired because it allows them to ride their bikes almost every day. And they have other activities, like bird watching and kayaking. And some are so heavily involved with bike club activities (like running the annual century) that they are busier than I am. A few people that I know retired from government/military careers and then got jobs at bike shops.

I don't think my parents had any trouble when they retired, but they also always seem busy. There's always something to do around the house, plus they read a lot, meet friends for lunch, go to grandchildren's sporting events, travel... plus some volunteer activities. And my father continued to work a few hours here and there doing handyman stuff for two people for a long time after he retired from his full-time job.

Realistically, since I have no pension and have not seen the miracle of compound interest that I was told about when I started putting money into a 401k all those years ago, I am aiming to step down to something part-time instead of retiring completely. I've spoken to two women who work at a clothing store where I shop often. Both started to work there after they retired. One needed money to pay off her mother's medical bills and decided to continue working there after the bills were gone, and the other just wanted some extra spending money. I could see myself doing something like that, in a small store that doesn't get crazy busy. Or maybe I'll end up at an LBS. If I could afford to retired completely, I'm pretty sure I'd look for a volunteer activity for part of the time.

[rebeccaC]

NY…we have some non-profit thrift stores who do good work in the larger community here…..should be some in your area too. Good way to pass on small to large items you don’t need.
In the combining of two spaces we’ve given some things we didn't want going into storage to a non profit here that supports this area's health services and issues.

[Crankin]

Well, most of you know what happened when I tried to retire at 54. I went back to school for 3 years and found a new career. I chose something I knew I could do part time until I was into my 70s, but my thoughts are now that I am going to stop when I am 65 or cut back to 2 shorter days a week until DH retires. DH is 3 years younger and now he will work until he is 65. He is hoping the new place might be open to him phasing down to part time when he is 63 or 64, and we feel like we want to have some time to have fun and travel while we are still young old people.
I hope I can handle retirement when I try again. I found I couldn't make myself ride everyday when I could, it made it feel like a job. I might get more active doing things for AMC, besides being a ride leader, as that seems to be the only volunteering I can stomach. Or something having to do with the outdoors. Most of the other things I would volunteer for are too similar to my profession, so I might as well get paid for it. I also want to spend more time with my granddaughter who lives here, as she gets older. And my younger son is going to be going back active duty (in the Army this time) as an officer, when he graduates in May, so there's going to be about 8 more years of traveling to see my other granddaughter. He's put in to be based in either Hawaii or Colorado Springs for the next 4 years, after training, and I am hoping he goes to Colorado, thinking of all of the outdoor activity.

[snapdragen]

I retired, only to take on a new job as caregiver to my mom. It's been OK, although I don't have as much freedom as I'd like. The last month has been scary, she developed a very bad UTI, it affected her kidneys. She was in the hospital for three days, now she's in a rehab facility to get stronger. A friend pointed out to me, I haven't really retired, I just took a new job.

[rebeccaC]

snapdragen…I don’t know of a more important job than caregiver for a parent during the last chapters of their journey here. ….made even better when that's not just a realization in hindsight.

[Dogmama]

Snap - I was a caretaker to DH for a year during cancer. It was much harder than a regular job. He is over 10 years out now and "cancer free" but it's always a small storm cloud. He just turned 70 so my main reason for retiring is to spend more time together. He still works (forensic investigator and expert witness) and is self employed. He goes out of town often and I'd like to accompany him as much as possible. I have to remember that when the guilt sets in about not working.

Crankin - I know about riding every day turning into a job. I intersperse it with lifting weights. I'd like to get back to yoga more often too. At 62, things are starting to get stiff.

[Crankin]

I already do lots of other stuff; hiking, x country skiing, snow shoeing, tabata, power classes at the gym. Occasional yoga. I was really into for awhile while I was in school, but I find I don't really like the people in those classes. I can't describe it, but it gets me agitated, which is not what yoga should do. I do sometimes practice at home. I've done yoga at a few places, and my reaction is always the same. I am good about stretching at home, and have a whole bunch of PT correctives I do, also. I just turned 63, so after almost 40 years of doing active stuff, my body is feeling it!
I give you guys who are (were) caregivers credit. It would be very hard for me to do this. I've lived far away from my family for many years, so my brother got that job, just virtue of location. I gave moral support, advice, and money, and visited. My mom died very young, from a horrible liver disease/failed transplant, and one thing I learned from that, is that both of my parents were extremely independent and did not want anyone interfering with their choices. My dad has been gone for 2 years and despite the fact he was 89 when he died, he made it clear I was still "the kid." My kids actually were there when he needed to go into hospice and they helped my brother get him to the VA in San Diego, where he had excellent and compassionate end of life care. I am glad I got to see him about 3 weeks before he died.

[emily_in_nc]

I am one of the content retirees. I retired early at age 50. I saw the writing on the wall as my company downsized, and sure enough, my manager and most of my co-workers were laid off eight months after I resigned. I was more than ready to leave, though. Had been a software engineer in the telecom industry for most of my career, working for a large corporation, then a smaller one, and was just very tired of it and having to commute and do someone else's bidding five days a week.

One thing I've found in the past five years (I'm 55 now) is that I get antsy and bored if we stay in one place for too long. I suspect that won't be the case forever, but for now, full-time traveling keeps me from getting bored and itchy. We have lived in Belize and Mexico, traveled around the US in a Honda (staying in Airbnb condos and hotels) and now in our motorhome, since January. We hit 26 states this year! I am sure we'll slow down a bit once we've got another year or two of traveling under our belts, maybe picking a main winter and main summer destination as well as continuing to visit our parents as long as they are living. We also talk about returning to Mexico -- we really loved it there, but our last apartment in a very noisy area finally drove us crazy enough to return to the US. It was also frustrating not really speaking the language. I don't think our Spanish will ever be that good, though we can (barely) get by.

While traveling, we cycle (of course), seeking out rail-trails especially, but also road riding, hike, sightsee, write a blog, read, and plan future travels. All that and RV projects plus the typical chores of daily living keep us plenty busy. I do miss volunteering at the dog rescue like I did in Mexico, but we don't stay long enough in one place to do that now. If we settle down longer-term, I would do that again in a minute. I would also love to volunteer part-time at a library since I love books.

I love being retired!